My Digital Make Over

I did it. I made the jump. After 15 years in the traditional ad agency world, I went fully digital in 2009. No longer does online marketing simply mean a straight line across the bottom of a media plan.

Goodbye Blackberry. Hello iPhone. Okay, so these devices are nothing new to the online marketing world, but my expanded knowledge of the new technologies have allowed me to develop a new way of thinking about marketing.

With the ringing in of a new year, that is certain to further advance my new digital transformation, I would like to share with you the top 10 things I learned about online marketing in 2009:

1. Blogging: I started blogging and following other bloggers. Now I realize blogging as a marketing practice works. It’s important to continue to be involved in industry conversation and GREAT for generating strong SEO.


2. Twitter: I started Tweeting. Or Twittering? Oh geez, ok…so I use Twitter. Everyday I am seeing many marketing destinations driving site traffic and creating leads through Twitter.


3. Web Design: A website is NOT a print ad. And there are still too many designed like one.


4. Metrics of success: Holy crap. Everything really is measureable in online marketing. So much for the old adage, “I know 50% of my ad dollar is wasted. I just don’t know which 50%”. Feel-good ads really don’t feel good unless you know they’re working.


5. There are a lot of smoke-and-mirrors in web design. Many clients don’t know what’s behind the curtain and that’s not good. The best designers do the right thing even if a client doesn’t know its necessary.


6. Online Media: Ad agencies have never done online media very well because it requires specialization. Online media planning and buying are simply different than purchasing traditional media.


7. Social Media: Yes, yes yes, social media is hot right now, and everyone has the same access and ability to market through this medium. What many don’t realize, however is that it requires patience and commitment. If you want to jump on board for pushing coupons to the lucky few that signed up to follow you, think again or good luck.


8. If anyone says to you, “I am a social media expert” – run, and run fast. Very few can proclaim this self-title without the full-o-crap meter going off. Truth is, we’re all just learning as we go. Yes, we’re learning tricks of the trade but the oldest success story is barely even 2 years old (probably? Maybe? Ok, here’s where I’m a little green so excuse me if you have sample data from 3 years ago to prove me wrong. But you get the point)


9. I’m still learning. This stuff changes a lot quicker than the basics of building a nice print ad or shooting a commercial. Today’s smart website is designed completely different than a great website 3 years ago.


10. PPC and SEO: Pay-per-click ad words and Search Engine Optimization are the least sexy, yet most effective form of marketing I’ve seen in a long time.

Online marketing and offline advertising can work together with great success. But my year- long crash course in the digital world has converted me into a devout believer of the importance and necessity of online marketing. (An Amen (!) may be in order here.)

In closing, I’d like to share with you my expectations for the digital world in 2010. My crystal ball tells me this: (yep, I’ve got one):

• Facebook will cash in. Look for the IPO and jump on board.

• Websites will continue their evolution from being online brochures to becoming 24-hour visitor & brand centers.

• Online video will continue to dominate a portion of the online landscape even more so than it does now.

• Search will become a more utilized marketing strategy and increase in value as clients develop a better understanding of what it is.

• More applications. Ah, I love apps.

• Mobile marketing takes root.

As I am still learning something new every day about the power of this dynamic medium, I encourage you to share some of the best marketing tips you have learned this past year. Or better yet, tell me what BIG things you expect out of 2010. I’d like to know. I need to know. I can take it, so hit me.

Where Does the Responsibility of Branding Live?

Recently I was approached by a professor from a top journalism and advertising program with a question about branding. He wanted my opinion on whether or not branding should be a point of emphasis in the program. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a staple in the curriculum for a while, but they are looking to make it part of the degree emphasis.

Here‘s the short answer – heck yes.

Here’s a more thought out answer -

Advertising is without a doubt the one marketing element that receives the most attention and most dollars. It has the responsibility of taking all the other elements of the marketing mix and crafting a persuasive message to sum it all up.

Branding is more than a function of advertising. It should be a function of business. It’s permeates all elements of sales & marketing.

Let’s look at the traditional 4P’s of marketing and see how they can affect branding.

Product – We all know product is king. It dictates your brand offering. The way you shape the touch, taste, sound, smell, name or experience of your product is branding. Calling your Kentucky-based fried chicken company Kentucky Fried Chicken is branding. Changing it to KFC to lessen the negative affects of health conscious consumers is also branding. So is the really cool buckets they come in.

Price – Your price tells customers whether you are a premium brand great reward or an inexpensive value brand. You can buy a .99 cup of coffee or a $4 cup.

Place (distribution) – The way you deliver your sales experience is everything about your brand. The fact that a fast-food restaurant can be found everywhere is branding. Your website’s appearance is branding (the role of websites today are no longer interactive brochures – they are a company’s 24 hour visitor center). If it were not, we’d all have plain type on white backgrounds for our websites.

Promotion - Okay, this is what people really think of when they think of marketing. It includes advertising, direct marketing, online media, events – heck anything that allows you to tell other people about your product-service. The way you say it is branding. A cardboard sign with a handwritten message that says “Fresh Corn” is branding. So is the same message typed out on a digital billboard or neon sign. Which one would you buy from?

Not only should the advertising program be teaching it, but it should make its way into other areas of study like public relations, fashion design, interior design, hospitality management or restaurant management.

There.

Here’s a Way to Build Your Destination Brand – Hire Someone to Live It

Everyone is looking for a job, so why not hire someone to live your brand? Recently some tourism organizations have been creating some nice exposure for themselves by advertising new jobs to work at their destination – all in the name of branding. Apparently, the newest way to tell your destination’s story is to hire someone whose job description embodies your brand. I love it. The most widely talked about has been Queensland, Australia, who recently won the coveted Grand Prize at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival with an ad campaign seeking to hire "the best job in the world". The advertising calls for applicants to fill the role as caretaker of Hamilton Island in Queensland, Australia. They received over 34,000 applications from over 200 countries. I guess that means it worked.

First of all - great idea. I wish I had thought of that.

This is no different than expecting to see the big jolly elf in Santa Claus, IN or North Pole, AK (he does live in both places you know). Let’s have some fun. What other interesting destinations could hire a person to be the ambassadors of their brand?

Here are a few I came up with -

Chief Leprechaun – Dublin, OH (they’re tourism tagline touts where Irish Is An Attitude; Hmmm do you think they could go too far by making their official breakfast Frosted Lucky Charms? Probably.

Purveyor of Flavor - Mesquite, TX (their local CVB uses the tagline - Real. Texas. Flavor.)

City Manger of Creativity - Providence, RI markets using the Creative Capital.

Maestro of Music – Nashville, TN (who now officially uses Music City as its brand theme)

Storymaster – Jonesboro, TN (home of the world’s international storytelling festival)

Master Tailor - Augusta, GA (their tourism organization inspires everyone to “Play Augusta” and make all experiences a green jacket moment)

The Candyman - Hersey, PA (that was just too easy)

Head Witch - Salem, MA

Dr. Love – Philadelphia (City of Brotherly Love)

The Wizard - Liberal, KS who touts being the Land of Oz

Okay. I think you get the picture. If every community took this approach to branding, not only would it bring their brand to life literally, but it would create lots of cool jobs. “Copy catters” are already out there. Snow Peaks Canada is promoting a 3-month opportunity to become a snow bum (check out www.snowbumcanada.com). Nicely done.

Do you have any ideas for destination jobs? Let’s see what you got?

Four Ways Destination Brands Are Not Created

Everyday I read about a new city undergoing a new branding project, only to learn all they are really doing is developing a few marketing tools. I've been privelaged to help several communities with their own branding project. Here are four common misperceptions for creating destination brands.

Design a New Logo
A logo is a great tool but just because you make one doesn't mean you have a brand. It's just a mark to recognize once you've done something with it.

Write a New Tagline

It only means something if it's bold and really true. Most cities make it more of a political statement so it ends up being a watered down phrase like "a great place to live, work and play". Woopity-doo. No one ever made a decision to visit or relocate to a city because of a catchy tagline (or logo).

Hold a Contest

Ever heard of a contest for the creation of a community logo? Some places do it. Every time this is done to create political harmony. Truth is, taxpayers should be outraged that public funds will be put to use to market a community by a message crafted in a contest, not professionals. Also, the winner is normally selected because of its ability to speak to everyone, not on its ability to be targeted and bold (that also means it would be memorable).

Creative by Committee

Every single community is filled with talented and creative problem solvers. As individuals, they can help a city achive greatness in marketing. They need to be engaged with any community branding initiative. As a large group, decisions are made after everyone compromises. Annoint 2-3 people to be in charge of making creative decisions according to an agreed upon strategy. You may not agree with the creative work, but it will be better.

Here is one tip on what a destination brand is - a lot of work. I'd love to hear ideas and opinions for what you believe is important for creating great destination brands.

An Easy Rule When Writing Social Media Content for People Over 30.

Just remember WWBRD.

What would Bonnie Raitt do? Give people something to talk about. That’s it. Media has always been social when the message is compelling. If the message is not relevant or interesting then no one cares. Some things never change.

If you’re under 30 then you may not know who Bonnie Raitt is. When I threw this idea around my younger peers, they looked at me like I had horns on my head.

Any ideas for a younger, more hip way to remember this rule? I’m sticking with WWBRD.

Social Media Tips at the Nashville Technology Council

I attended the NTC Social Media Roundtable Discussion yesterday in the Microsoft Cool Springs office. It was a nice event.

Here are the top 10 things I learned:

1. Tweetdeck is a tool for monitoring Twitter/Facebook activity and trends. Cool.

2. Twitterfall is a tool for catching specific Twitter activity for specific groups using hash tags.

3. I sort of learned what hash tags were. We were #ntcpanel. We watched all activity from the meeting on Twitterfall.

4. To be a part of the social media marketing game means marketers have to be willing to have less control and be more collaborative with customers.

5. It’s not about reaching the most people. It’s about reaching the right people. Good lesson.

6. Book written called Ground Swell. It introduces the concept of POST for a sound approach to social media.

• People
• Objectives
• Strategy
• Technology

7. Another acronym used for setting goals is LACE. Pick which one you are trying to accomplish.

• Leads
• Awareness
• Customer Service
• Engagement

8. Twitter idea from sschandler. Use it like the old school radio promotion. The 13th Tweeter to twitter.com.XYZ gets a free gift card. This may work well for more retail oriented customers.

9. Twitter is a great way to create a call to action. But it must be inviting not commanding. “Give us instant feedback on your experience or follow us on Twitter”, and include your Twitter tag.

10. Set up multiple Twitter accounts for different objectives. If your company uses Twitter is it trying to accomplish several things on one Twitter account. Is that effective or should there be more than one Twitter account?

What does tomorrow's marketing agency look like?

I've been doing the ad agency thing now for about 15 years. I remember the good ole days. Clients would call us asking for help with their $5 million account. We would develop a plan to spend 50% on three TV stations, 30% on local market radio and 20% on 3-5 print vehicles. We spent three weeks developing plans and another 3-4 weeks in production. Cha-ching - ad campaign is finished. Okay, maybe we did a little research up front to control, oops I mean learn, consumers' preferences. This was used to support the decisions that had already been made, oops I mean influence our decisions that were ahead of us.

Cliff Shaluta, Professor of Advertising at Western Kentucky University, recently posted a blog entitled A New Model for Ad Agencies. He does a great job trying to shape the madness that has been created with the surge of social media such as Facebook. Ad agencies are scrambling to retool their processes to include more online communications. PR agencies are claiming the current world of social media is a natural extension of public relations (after all they've been in the business of creating natural consumer buzz for years). Online marketing gurus have elevated past being just web designers and are staking their right to be kings of the online universe - the business they were born into.

What do I think tomorrow's marketing agency looks like? I honestly have no idea, but it will be a fun ride.