Seam-Less Sewn Together! - Blog Week 4

Being seamless requires a lot more than a branded error page. I believe a seamless brand involves aligning your internal business culture and brand values with all of your external communications and consumer touch points in an easy to use/understand way.

           

A seamless brand will endeavour to utilise all appropriate digital communication platforms. The importance of making these platforms; “seamless engagements opportunities” as recognised by Martin and Todorov [1] is paramount. It ensures a positive and memorable brand experience, with the aim to create loyalty.

           

A brand who seamlessly constructs itself on multiple platforms is Tesco. Let’s take a look at how they do this and how this affects consumer experience. Their Smartphone application, website, online ordering service, newsletter, loyalty scheme and stores all possess the same Tesco branding and the same values woven in. You are constantly being reminded that “Every little helps”.

[2] 

The holistic brand experience is one that reinforces Tesco’s promises. The way in which the platforms link and interact with the consumer is one of the most important assets of a seamless brand; simplicity of use. If a brand is unable to perform on a functional level then the consumer is unable to enjoy an “experience”. One of the key points taken from last week’s lecture was the notion of:

“Brilliant Basics, Magic Touches – Get the basics right, then layer on the experience” [3]

Conforming to this ethos is a sure recipe for a successful brand. At a core level consumers want functionality from what they purchase, once this basic need has been satisfied, more complex needs can be fulfilled through a brand experience. For example, Tesco’s ability to supply their consumer with a loaf of bread and a pint of milk, is a basic, they can then, emphasise the brand experience, possibly satisfy needs of the consumer they didn’t know they had. Verganti [4] explains how people don’t ask for meaning, but innovation from brands, the most prominent being Apple, creates it for them, moving away from functionality and moving towards a brand experience.. In Tesco’s case, consumers weren’t crying out for a barcode scanner for their Smartphones so that they could create shopping lists on their phone whilst on the move, however Tesco’s innovation fosters this. Other examples of a magic touches from Tesco are; personalised online shopping home pages, special deals and offers related to past purchases and a genuinely rewarding loyalty scheme, all of which are branded in Tesco’s recognisable colours, logos and slogans.

           

Seamless brand experiences create loyalty, in turn this can create advocacy, the thing which all brands aspire to achieve. Once achieved the success of the brand is all but a formality.

           

Reccomended Read: Martin, K and Todorov, I (2010) HOW WILL DIGITAL PLATFORMS BE HARNESSED IN 2010, AND HOW WILL THEY CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH BRANDS? http://tinyurl.com/6fncu6o < Interesting and intelligent read!

Top Tweeter: @Lord_Sugar

[1] Martin, K and Todorov, I (2010) HOW WILL DIGITAL PLATFORMS BE HARNESSED IN 2010, AND HOW WILL THEY CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH BRANDS?http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=5&sid=1d2d7de6-4618-4247-b0a5-a92214f0ad20%40sessionmgr10&vid=3

[2] Tesco Montage.

http://tinyurl.com/6emzhng

http://tinyurl.com/5u89g3d

http://tinyurl.com/5w8r4qe

http://tinyurl.com/6auxdaf

http://tinyurl.com/63q8jou

[3] Mike Crossman – Guest Lecture Bournemouth University 21/02/11

[4] Verganti , R., 2009. Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovation What Things Mean. Harvard Business Press, Boston, Massachusetts .

Domino's invests in in-game ads to promote Spanish Sizzler | News | Marketing Week

Domino's invests in in-game ads to promote Spanish Sizzler | News | Marketing Week >> Really interesting online campaign and very good use of QR codes.

Mobile Marketing - Past, Present and Future! - Blog Week 3

                Mobile Technology is one which we are all aware of, most of us make use of and grows at an incredibly rapid rate. From the 1^st generation (1G) of mobile phones introduced in the 1980’s which made use of analogue technology, through to the upcoming 4G mobiles which will incorporate Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology and boast incredible download speeds, there has been an incredible change in the function, usage and amount that individuals rely on this single piece of technology.

                3G networks helped popularise mobile marketing. The incorporation of the internet into a mobile device means instant access to information, with the ability to share download and interact with it, allowing the concept of web 2.0 to be available to users on the move. The growth of mobile internet users is growing exponentially. As mentioned in previous blogs, when a new technology or medium becomes available, many companies want to throw money and resources at “it” and make “it” happen, as there is not an immediate blueprint from which to base marketing communications on many fail. This blog entry will discuss what's currently out there in the mobile marketing world, how it being used and what’s next for mobile marketing!

           
Mobile marketing is defined by Shankar and Balasubramanian (2009) as
 “The two-way or multi-way communication and promotion of an offer between a firm and its customers using a mobile medium, device or technology.” [1]. This definition indicates the importance, once again of involving the consumer, making the consumer react and perform some sort of action. The following examples illustrate mobile marketing in action in the past, present and future

SMS
One of the earliest mediums through which mobile marketers could operate, SMS text messages were popularised in the mid to late 90’s, booming in popularity in the 2000’s.  According to the Mobile Data Association between 2009-2010 96.8 billion text messages were sent [2}. One of the best things about mobile marketing is its highly targeted and personal nature, you are able to walk away from a television set when adverts come on, however it is very difficult to avoid text messaging. SMS can be extremely effective for instantaneous offers, communicating important information quickly and for personalising communications. One of the most successful SMS promotions comes from Orange. Their Orange Wednesdays promotion has been used over 14m times between 2004 and the start of 2010 [3]. It is personalised, direct and pulls customers not pushes them, counteracting, what I believe is the most common pitfall in mobile marketing; invasion of privacy. One of mobile marketing strengths is it’s personal nature, however this is also one of its weaknesses. Consumers can feel negatively towards brands if they pester them with messages through a highly personal device.  

QR Codes.
QR codes or Mobile Barcode’s are encrypted with a url, when de-coded using a QR code reader app/device on a mobile phone a link is given to that url. They are cheap and easy to make, the same can be said about mobile websites. This technology which has been in Japan for year and is starting to become popular here allows for quick access to specific mobile sites and can prove extremely effective, To illustrate the ease of creating and using one of these codes simply download any QR code reader onto your mobile device from you application store and scan the below code,

and hey presto my Digital Communications blog on your mobile! One of the best examples of QR codes in action comes my German company Mytoys.de, who constructed a series of QR codes out of Lego and put them on display for people to snap with their QR code reader, directing them to a mobile site where Lego purchases could be made. The QR codes depicted different scenes including a wizard and a sea serpent, displaying how the functionality and creativity were combined to produce real results:

·         49% of website visitors came via QR codes

·         Twice as many brick boxes advertised via the QR codes were sold as opposed to non advertised.

The video below shows how this campaign worked!

In all honesty I don’t see why companies who have a mobile site already don’t provide QR codes on all advertisements, products and promotional material. If its website hits you are after then no real strategy is required.

Augmented Reality

So what does the future hold for Mobile Marketing? For me this is the most exciting and technically brilliant of the lot. Its sustainability in the UK however, I believe, is unfortunately questionable, largely due to problematic nature of such technologies in this country.  However this video does provide some hope!

Augmented reality allows for real time marketing communications to be provided to potential consumers via graphics in your field of view on the phone screen, as you move the phone to look in different directions, different “tags” are picked up by the camera viewer and the relevant graphic displayed. For example if you were to walk down a high street with your Augmented reality viewer pointed at a coffee shop,  the graphic could display a time limited special offer which can redeemed instore. The advantages for marketers is the real time, location based aspect of the technology which means 100% of people who use this technology have the physical ability to be a consumer and encourages interaction.

Recommended Read: Really interesting interview about the use of mobile marketing in 2011: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=145325
Top tweeter:@ Telegraph Tech

[1] Mobile Marketing definition, Shankar and Balasubramanian, from: http://www.crito.uci.edu/papers/2010/MobileMarketing.pdf

[2] Mobile Data Association- http://next-generation-communications.tmcnet.com/topics/nextgen-voice/articles/74007-968-billion-text-messages-sent-across-uk-2009.htm

[3]  Orange Wednesdays: New Media Age http://www.nma.co.uk/features/sms-marketing/3008583.article

Interactivity - "you make it" - Blog Week 2

As mentioned in last week’s blog web 2.0, a term popularised by Tim O’Reilly, has given consumers power.  The power derives from their ability to generate their own content, express their own opinions and not only access information (web 1.0) but discuss this information. Hierarchical marketing systems are dissolving, marketers no longer have the same definitive power to tell consumers how to behave and what to purchase in the non-elitist world of the web. Deighton and Kornfeld recognise this loss of power, stating:

“Marketing may be less a matter of domination and control, and more a matter of fitting in” [1]

The idea of marketers fitting in relates back to last week’s blog, about how marketers have to listen to consumers through social media, the case of @BTCare being a prime example of a company who does this extremely well. This isn’t to say marketers don’t have power mind you, but it’s more a case of adapting for the interactive marketing environment.

I believe the idea of using online interaction as a platform for relationship marketing is a viable way for companies to create good will towards the company amongst consumers, allow consumers to be involved in the brand and attempt to harness the power consumers possess online. In relationship marketing, it is important for companies to remember that this is a relationship, true interactivity goes 2 ways, having an active audience isn’t enough. Deighton and Kornfeld describe this online interaction as “Co-production of social meaning”. The generation of meaning coming from both parties really defines the idea of interactivity.

There are, I believe, good and bad ways to go about it. Personally I think consumers have the best ideas. At the end of the day they are the ones who use the brand and know the most about it from a consumer’s point of view. This surely is the best way to see a true reflection of a brand? Therefore interacting with them can produce a wealth of information, in an online environment where they feel comfortable.

 A good example of how interactivity going wrong comes from a campaign in the US from JP Morgan Chase. They set up a Facebook page on which users could vote for charities which they think deserved a cut of the $5m fund JP Morgan. Worryingly however “ In the final days of the initial vote, charities involving pro-choice organisations and marijuana lobbyists that had been doing well in the ranks suddenly disappeared from view. The voting leader board was also removed” – Marketing Week [2].  This is a prime example of a poorly thought out campaign, looking to capitalize on other success in the social media arena. A flimsy attempt to interact with consumers. The outcome of this campaign leaves the company looking untrustworthy and lacking control, in an industry where trust and control are key issues. This stresses the importance of well planned interactivity.

[3]

The last case shows a lack of imagination and has little resonance with consumers. Doritos launched a campaign in the UK in 2008, similar to one in the US, asking the public to make an advert that could be sent into outer-space, to inform them of what life is like on Earth. A prize fund of £20,000 and an advertising slot on live TV was used as an incentive and anybody with a video camera could make an ad and share it! Doritos’ youtube channel allowed users to access the best of these ads. This meant consumers could interact by making, viewing, voting and commenting on ads, the accumulation of these factors is perfect example of web 2.0 and interactivity in full flow. Doritos have managed to give consumers complete freedom, whislt achieving control. The campaign has become an annual event, 2009’s prize fund rising to up to £200,000. The winning ad from 2008 can be seen below [4]

For some even better (in my opinion) user generated ads just take a look at the ones made in the US http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/, whose prize includes the winners ad being professionally produced and shown during the Super Bowl where one 30 second as slot can cost as much as $3m dollars. Their success documented within social media by being the most talked about ad on twitter being mentioned 80,000 times in the 6 hours surrounding the event [5].

Interactive social media therefore is something which, when done properly, can do wonders for a brand. The idea that the consumer has the power requires companies to have faith in their products and services, and listen carefully to what the almighty consumer has to say.


Top Tweeter: @MarketingB2B
Reccomended Read: How Social Media is Changing the SuperBowl http://mashable.com/2010/02/04/social-media-super-bowl/

[1] Deighton, J.A and Kornfeld, L. Digital Interactivity: Unanticipated consequences for Markets, Marketing and Consumers. http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/08-017.pdf

[2]Marketing Week http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/interactive-brands-gain-competitive-advantage/3010046.article

[3] JP Morgan Chase http://tinyurl.com/698l6kz

[4] Doritos - "Tribe" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWpnehprYc0

[5] thenextweb http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/02/07/super-bowl-reportedly-generates-4-5-million-tweets-doritos-wins-battle-of-the-ads/

Tweet Child o' Mine - Blog Week 1

First of all, apologies for the terrible pun, however, it does have a point. Twitter (the main subject of this blog) is a relative child amongst the social networking family, conceived in 2006, being properly born in 2007 and growing up rapidly in 2008 and continuing to grow at an astonishing rate today. The graph below [1] illustrates the incredible increase in the use of twitter:

The internet has become a huge part of business, especially Marketing. An insightful guest lecture into social media's use in the business to business environment by John Stanton (Joint MD) and Gifford Morley-Fletcher (Director of Strategy, Inbound Marketing) from Base One brought to my attention the vast array of social media platforms from which B2B companies can communicate with current and potential customers. To me, the use of social media in marketing was predominantly a B2C activity however, the opposite is actually true, 75% of B2B brands have twitter compared to just 49% of B2C brands. Base One's social media landscape [2] depicts some of the key social media platforms and their uses.

Why use social media? How does it work for businesses?

Instead of blindly picking a social networking platform and produce random messages for followers/friends/subscribers, businesses need a strategy, a strategy that combines several types of social media to effectively communicate with the correct audience in the correct way. I'm going to take twitter as my primary example, and illustrate it's use in communicating with current and potential customers for selected B2B brands.  140 characters isn't much, fitting in all of the information a business wants to convey is hard, this sentence is 140 characters long #fact. So here's my top twitter tips for B2B communication via Twitter.

1. Connect your media. As i mentioned earlier interlinking social medias is important and will reach more customers. Using just one platform will become stale and might not communicate the whole message. Tweet links to company blogs, websites, events pages, pictures (i.e. Flickr), things like this help to expand potential and current consumers interaction with the company whilst making your profile worth following. 
2. Make it interesting. At the end of the day, a company is not viewing your profile, an individual from that company is, so make it interesting and relevant, not just boring corporate retweets, BUT,  remain professional. No-one wants to do business with a company who tweets offensive jokes, retweets every single article that might seem interesting or gives bowel updates of the individual who updates the twitter account (yes i have seen it!). A great example of my 1st two points is from @hpnews (Hewlett Packard) who, in the following tweet, provide a link to their blog about an interesting and relevant subject at the time (I strongly recommend reading the blog-link).
   @hpnews Data Central, @NFL Superbowl Edition: The Quarterback of the Future?" http://bit.ly/eqODvq
   Whilst on the blog there is a link to all of their media on the side of the page, another example of interlinking media.
3. Respond. The term web 2.0, popularised by Tim O'Reilly  relates to the participatory and interactive nature of the web today, one which companies can take advantage of. People will often tweet at companies about problems (current customers) and enquiries (potential customers). Although time consuming it could be very useful to respond to consumers, from a PR perspective it looks great and is a brilliant way to get real answers to 
4. Monitor. Monitoring is a great way of seeing what people are saying about your brand, products and competitors. The simplest way of doing this is to simply type the search term into the twitter search box, and a list of real time results are produced. Small business might also consider tweetdeck. More complex monitoring tools will allow for a variety of search terms and emotions to be monitored, even a psychological profile of an individual can be produced by simply monitoring tweets! An interesting blog article explaining some of these tools was produced by Pam Dyer from Social Media Today [3]. @BTCare use monitoring tools to constantly see what people are saying about a variety of their products and services, you can tweet at them and they will respond to any query. This illustrates incredible customer service, through the use of social media.

These are just some of the ways businesses can use social media, in particular twitter to communicate, please feel free to comment any more.

Every week I'll suggest 1 twitter account to follow and 1 article/blog to read so here goes week 1!

Top Tweeter: @basebot -specialist B2B marketer from Base One

Reccomended Read: Marketing Week: Social media users complain little but want fast response. http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/media/social-media-users-complain-little-but-want-fast-response/3022232.article

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[1] Tweets per day Graph: http://tinyurl.com/6xqfbrj 

[2] Social media landscape: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5823830/B2B_social_media_landscape.pdf

[3] Monitoring tools: http://socialmediatoday.com/index.php?q=SMC/192464

[4] Twitter comic strip: http://tinyurl.com/5w9p5p3