strategy « Ideas for a Smarter, Faster World

Archive for the ‘strategy’ Category

Jun

by Shaun Quigley, VP, Digital Practice Director

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Boxing promoters get paid big bucks for a reason–and it’s not to manage the bout. It’s to get people to the main event.

Most websites get lousy traffic because all the effort is put into the site and people forget about promotion. And if there is promotion–it’s typically a few wildly-thrown punches that never land, with no sustained strategy beyond that. Draw your own crowd with these website promotion best practices:

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Apr

General, strategy

I Could Be Your Customer, But I’m Not Necessarily Your Audience

by Eric Trow, VP, Group Account Strategist

Eric Trow recently wrote an article for MediaPost’s “Marketing: Health” series. What follows below is the full article, however if you’d like to view or comment on the MediaPost article you can view that here: http://bit.ly/fNkcSk.

I snore. Or so I’ve been told. And just to be sure I know to take that seriously, healthcare professionals and marketers of health-related products continue to reach out to me with warnings that snoring is a sign of a whole host of serious medical conditions. But, frankly, it’s mostly lost on me. After all, I sleep pretty soundly. I’m no more tired during the day than any other hard-working professional my age (at least I have myself convinced of that). And I have no symptoms of any co-morbidity that could compromise my health (that’s my self-diagnosis).

eric-trow2

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Apr

Creative, Ideas, Social Media, Usability, mobile, strategy

Lipstick on a Pig

by Shaun Quigley, VP, Digital Practice Director

This is the first in a two-part series rethinking what it takes to make a best-in-class website.

We get a lot of RFPs for website redesigns. All of them are well-intentioned. Some are granular in detail. Others are more “big picture.” Some have a clear sense of what they want to achieve. Others haven’t a clue. Some are so procurement-driven they feel like a tax audit. But they all say “website redesign.” And whenever I see or hear this phrase—website redesign—it conjures up the same image:

lipstick-on-pig
Five years ago, I got a note from a former client who had just moved into a new job. I printed it out and put it up on the wall, because it challenged the conventional wisdom of what it takes to truly be best-in-class.

A website overhaul is expensive, time consuming, and requires an enormous commitment from a client and the partner they choose to help them lead it. So with all that’s at stake, why redesign when you can realign? It may sound academic, but there are several critical distinctions.

A redesigned site:

is driven by a creative brief

understands the target

aesthetics first, then content

focuses on form

starts with design mock-ups

pleases mgmt in the short term

A realigned site:

is driven by business objectives

unlocks the key consumer insight

content strategy before aesthetics

focuses on form and function

starts with an idea

accomplishes business and user objectives

More after the jump.

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Mar

Creative, General, Integration, strategy

SXSW Interactive 2011: This Year’s Key Themes

by Aaron Cacali, Interactive Creative Director

SXSW Interactive wrapped up last week, and it was a worthwhile trip - despite the long lines and filled-to-capacity panels. And while a lot of great ideas were discussed, this year, as most years at SXSW, certain themes kept appearing again and again.

Brand Agility.

“Agility beats perfection” – this was a phrase mentioned more than once at SXSW this year. It means that marketers must be equipped to react quickly to, and participate meaningfully with, the changing wants, needs and behaviors of consumers. Spending a lot of time meticulously crafting a message slows you down in today’s media environment. Try something and see if it works. If not, then learn and adapt and try something else. Consider a marketing “playbook” rather than a marketing plan. Also referred to as “real time marketing”, the idea of brands remaining nimble and acting both reactively and proactively to their consumers was probably the dominant theme at this year’s conference.

Branded Content.

Brands as publishers, brands as media and brands as software developers. While brands have spent the past several decades mainly renting space in the media to spread their message, it’s time to move beyond that. Consumers now expect brands to create content in order to win their repeat attention. As the amount of information that floods us increases exponentially, content developed by brands provides a way to connect more effectively to those consumers who share your brand’s interests and values.

The Gamification…of Everything.

The term “gamification” and the principles behind it made its way repeatedly into the discussions at SXSW this year, with whole presentations dedicated to the subject. Basically, it’s about adding a layer of fun and engagement to your marketing to motivate people to interact with your brand on an ongoing basis. Anything from awareness, education, customer acquisition and loyalty can be shaped and improved by game mechanics – motivating human behavior by adding challenges, choices, goals and rewards that make people care about your marketing. According to one keynote presenter, the last 10 years have been about building the social layer on brand communication. The next ten years will be about building the game layer.

The iPad.

Just as smartphones have done, the iPad (and those other tablets) are evolving the way people use technology. There is something familiar about tablets, but there is also something very new. And as the popularity of these devices rapidly increases we will need to account for them in the way that we plan, conceptualize, design and develop our digital content. A recurring theme at this year’s SXSW was an exploration of just how to do that.

And one more thing worth mentioning…

SXSW Interactive is definitely no longer just “Spring Break for Geeks.” The tech set was there, but they weren’t alone. There were a lot, and I mean a lot, of attendees from agencies, marketing departments and brands in Austin this year. The business world is hungry for insights and knowledge about how to use digital more effectively, it seems, and it flocked to SXSW en masse this year to find them.

Jan

General, Social Media, strategy

Traffic from Social Media vs. Search - What Does It Mean?

by Aaron Cacali, Interactive Creative Director

Recently it’s been reported that, for a number of popular web sites, social media now drives more traffic than Google.

Presumably, if that’s true for the sites listed in the report, brands like Comedy Central, Etsy, NFL.com and Netflix, then it’s probably true for a lot of other web sites. And beyond links to specific URLs, it could be a sign that traffic other pages featuring products, not just specific web sites, could be shifting from Google and other search engines toward social media.

That’s interesting and all, but what does it mean? And why does it matter, really? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Social media referrals demonstrate the power of influencers.

With the rise of the web and search engines, consumers have been given the unprecedented ability to seek out what they want, when they want it. But search is a solitary pursuit – no one else but the search engine is involved. And marketers using search as a traffic driving tool are really only reaching people one at a time. But in social media, referrals are often more, well, social. They are part of conversations, often among large groups of people. So for each person that offers a link to your brand as part of a conversation, or status update, or “Like”, dozens, hundreds or thousands of people can see it. That person becomes a potential influencer who can spread the word about your brand pretty quickly and effectively.

2. Links from social media often comes with endorsement.

Whether stated explicitly or suggested, links in social media often come with some form of endorsement. Perhaps it’s one friend suggesting a product to another. Or someone expressing enthusiasm for a brand in a status update. Or someone else sharing a link to digital content on Facebook or Twitter, along with comments like “This video rocks”, “I love these” or “I want one”. It could even be expert or peer-to-peer advice on a discussion forum or within a blog. An objective viewpoint recommending your content or your product has a far more personal touch, and potentially more influence, than a list of search results.

3. Social media traffic is driven by personal knowledge.

Search engines really know very little about you, other than the keywords of your search and perhaps your location. But in an online social setting, interests, situation and even personality, are factors in the referral process. Whether is it a friend sharing a link, or as part of a conversation, or even as a Facebook ad served up based on keywords in a user’s profile, the link has more personal relevance because it takes into account the interests and personalities of the sharer or the viewer. Particularly in online conversations, referrals are more relevant because live people, not search algorithms, have incorporated them into the context of their conversations. A real person has offered the information, so the level of trust in the link increases.

So what should marketers do about this?

It’s clear that social media is growing as an increasingly powerful tool to drive traffic to many brands. For marketers, an obvious first step is to be present in the social web. If you aren’t there, then there isn’t a lot you can do to help drive traffic.

But beyond that, marketers need to really begin to concentrate on Social Media Optimization, or SMO. Much the same way that brands have been focusing on SEO – search engine optimization – over the past decade or so, SMO needs to become a mainstay of a brand’s marketing mix. Now. Otherwise, traffic from social sites is left entirely up to chance.

Whether or not your brand is ready to participate fully in the conversations of the social web, it’s hard to ignore social media as a traffic driver. And as a traffic driver, it’s time for brands to begin taking it as seriously as search. Who knows? For your brand, it could be even more important than Google. Imagine that.

Nov

Measurement, Social Media, Usability, strategy

eCommerce best practices: Liberally-lifted ideas from leading industry experts

by Shaun Quigley, VP, Digital Practice Director

The more time a visitor spends on your site, the more likely she is to buy. Carts experience the highest drop-off in the first two or three pages visitors see. Once they’re into the process, drop-off rates decline precipitously. To improve conversion rate, focus on providing relevant and persuasive content based on understanding visitor intent. Persuade on every page. Link pages together, in a step-by step-fashion, to guide visitors through the buying process. Hold their hands, and anticipate their every move. Make them feel comfortable and in control.

Here’s a list of eCommerce best practices we’ve curated from some recent reading:

1. Reduce the number of steps in the process. Combine the logical steps first (shipping and billing address information as an example). But don’t make brevity a goal in it of itself. Once the user completes the first page, they are invested in the process. Long forms at the front end result in higher abandonment rates. But once the user completes they first page, they are more likely to finish the job.

2. Manage the user’s expectations. Always let the user know where they are. Add visual process indicators to the checkout procedure. In addition, use headlines and breadcrumb navigation to show shoppers where they are. Page elements like large text headings and subheadings can help customers establish which page they are on and what the topic of the page is. Breadcrumb navigation helps customers establish how deep they are within the site structure and what is available to view before and after. Breadcrumbs and page headings have SEO benefits as well. If the process takes longer than 5 minutes, consider telling the user that as a courtesy.

3. Give them someone to call. Keep contact information prominent and include it on each page. Place a customer service phone number in a clearly visible location with the text “Prefer to order by phone?” to help decrease cart abandonment. Sites that provide this assurance perform better than those that don’t.

4. Let users easily modify contents. Keep the contents of the cart accessible and easy to find, so they can be changed along the way. Don’t just provide a link back to the cart. Visually show the cart–and its contents–at every step during the path to purchase.

5. Don’t require registration to checkout. This is difficult for some stores to implement because of the architecture their cart is built upon. However, if you have the ability to offer what is often called a “guest checkout” feature, you should do so.

6. Make the experience social. Incorporate user reviews through a tool like BazaarVoice. Products are 10% more likely to be purchased when accompanied by a user review. Port those reviews to your Facebook page and to retailer sites. Use Facebook Connect to make the process even more social. In addition, remember users when they come back. When someone returns—even as a guest—their cart should be waiting for them. And don’t forget to remind users of abandoned carts via email or through your CRM program.

7. Make error messages clear. Red is the most common color for error messages. Target is a one color brand and still uses red in its error messages. Blue text with an alert icon could work just as well. Look at a couple different options and test them.

8. Clearly display your security and trust seals. Customer privacy concerns are paramount. Provide this assurance.

9. Only cross sell relevant products. Cross sell before the checkout process and after items have been added to the cart. Grouping products, showing related items and cross selling is important for customers and helps lower shopping cart abandonment rates.

10. Test, measure and refine. To a certain extent, every experience is unique. Test different combinations. Study user behavior. See which ones produce the best results. And make small changes based on what you learn.

Resources (these guys deserve all the credit)
• http://www.clickz.com/2245891
• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/03/23/designing-for-the-user-experience-in-ecommerce/
• http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/02/26/amazon-shopping-cart/
• http://www.getelastic.com/measuring-cross-sell-success/
• http://www.ecommnewz.com/2009/07/22/decrease-cart-abandonment-with-a-sturctured-checkout-process/
• http://www.searchmarketingstandard.com/tackling-the-shopping-cart-abandonment-rate
• http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/05/28/12-tips-for-designing-an-excellent-checkout-process/
• http://econsultancy.com/blog/1828-ten-ways-to-improve-online-checkouts
• http://www.elated.com/articles/10-ways-to-improve-your-store-checkout/

Oct

Social Media, strategy

They Can’t Run, But They Can Hide

by Michelle Latta, VP, Group Account Strategy Director

Like errant children, some brands have made it a past time to babble on because they can. My son knows it is not polite to interrupt at the dinner table. So he listens intently for an opening. And when he finds it he pounces! He begins his story-usually with a “guess what happened” and continues with “and then…” and due to his overall fear of losing the stage he continues with a long series of “and thens” where there is not much subsequent action in the story. After his second or third “and then…” my mind wanders to my day, how the family likes the dinner and other musings. I liken this to the way most brands are playing in social media. Just because brands have the platform, they keep talking, usually without anything meaningful to say. And yes, like me at the dinner table, your consumers are learning how to tune out all the high frequency blad-di-blah.

The danger for me is-what if my son says something really important in the middle of that story? And for marketers-what if your brand suddenly has the biggest innovation the category has seen in years? All the noise brands have created by being a “strong engager in social media” (which to this point may have been worn as a badge of honor) is now the greatest enemy in consumer break through.

Here are a few brand postings from my facebook page today:

“How many toppings do you usually like to have on your pizza?”
“Do you wear an apron when cooking to avoid spills or barely have the time to cook much less sport an apron?”
“Does anyone else get that warm and fuzzy feeling after drinking a nice cold [brand x]?”

If your brand is creating conversation for conversation’s sake, think about revamping your strategy. At Brunner we develop content strategies for our clients based on the 3 Rs:

1. The right RECENCY

2. The right RELEVENCY

3. And the right RECEPTIVITY

The right Recency means you should be creating dialogue with only as much frequency as your brand realistically plays in your target’s life. That means if consumers only eat at your restaurant every 3.4 weeks, don’t pepper their social network pages and in boxes with multiple messages a day. Consumers are inundated just trying to keep up with their friends. Make sure your social media content doesn’t just add to the clutter.

The right Relevancy means sharing news when you have it, serving up tips and offers, and asking for input on how to make great products and experiences. The right relevancy is not asking how they spent their weekend, or determining if there are any apron-wearing June Cleavers among us.

And lastly, the right Receptivity means a well thought out content strategy to appropriately respond to consumer concerns, gain feedback on new initiatives, and take action from the learning (good job GAP!).

While I’ve had to find skillful ways to interrupt my son (without breaking my own house rules), consumers have an easier way out. It is the all powerful HIDE button. I wonder if Facebook can tell us how many brands are hidden on a daily basis. The good news is that with a well thought out social media content strategy that respects the 3 Rs you may have higher chances of remaining in your audience’s social circle.

Oct

Creative, General, strategy

Preparing for the Future

by Aaron Cacali, Interactive Creative Director

We have a client who is launching a new product in 2012, and we’re currently planning the digital support tactics for the launch. During the course of our idea development process, the question has been raised a few times: what is the digital landscape going to look like in 15 months? How will people be using the web, or mobile devices, and how will social networks fit into their lives? If we’re planning to support a campaign that is trying to make an impact on people more than a year from now, questions like this about what’s next in digital are more than just speculation, they become practical concerns.

So how do you help ensure that your marketing is ready for the future?

#1: Be a student of the [digital] game

I’m not a futurist, but I do try to keep my finger tightly on both the pulse of how digital fits into people’s lives today, as well as what advances in technology and shifting of trends could shape our lives tomorrow. Frequenting a few blogs (like Mashable, for instance), subscribing to a few email newsletters and following the right people on Twitter will provide you with a constant stream of information about what’s going on in digital. This is an essential first step, and an ongoing habit that is crucial if you want to really stay on top of the changing world of marketing communications.

#2: Integrate digital into your life

Gathering knowledge is great, but at a certain point you need to go from student to practitioner. Reading the occasional Adage article about what CP+B , P&G or AKQA is doing in the digital space is fine, but if you want to truly understand what’s doing on in digital now and how it will influence the future, you need to experience the space first hand. Don’t just open Facebook and Twitter accounts, actively use them. And pay close attention to how others are using them. Get a smartphone and use it for more than email. Install apps that help you choose a restaurant, manage your finances and care for your health. And play a few games, preferably on a mobile device: learning doesn’t have to be all work. There is no substitute for first-hand knowledge to help spark ideas for how your brand can best fit into the digital space.

#3: Understand that the future is now

Yes, in the future, digital will be interwoven into every aspect of people’s lives, providing a lot of new opportunities for brands to reach, interact with and influence consumers. But, really, the future is now. The internet and interactive technology isn’t going to redefine the marketing landscape tomorrow – it did that yesterday. To be ready for what is coming next, you need to be involved in what’s happening now, and that means integrating your brand into the digital world of today. It’s much easier to follow the course of things to come if you’re already moving in the right direction.

As for our current assignment, I think we’ll be ok (in case you were worried). No, we don’t know exactly what the future will hold for the digital world. But as long as the team keeps on top of how technology is being used now and continues to keep an eye on the future, we’ll never be lacking in ideas for how to put that digital technology to use for our clients – both today and tomorrow.

Sep

General, mobile, strategy

QR Codes…Mainstream?

by Rick Gardinier, Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer

It used to be that marketers were able to stay ahead of the technology adoption curve by reading the trades, and by budgeting for small scale tests in one year, and then building into integrated plans the following year. It seems that for years, that’s how we advised our clients. Lately, it seems that this approach doesn’t cut it anymore. Let’s take QR codes as an example. Yes it’s been almost FOUR years since we first deployed QR codes for one of our clients on the back of t-shirts at a trade show (where we had less than a dozen takers by the way).

But generally, the QR code discussion really just heated up late last year. Flash forward a mere 9 or 10 months, and QR codes are EVERYWHERE!

Sports Illustrated used Jag Tags to deliver mobile video:

Pottery Barn is using them in their Fall catelog:

Calvin Klein is using in their new outdoor campaign and Best Buy has announced that they will incorporate on nearly all in-store products and will deliver product information and even social ratings.

In the race to differentiate themselves, many marketers are adopting and deploying new technologies at an alarmingly fast rate. No longer can marketers wait for a 2 year technology adoption life-cycle with a ridged and formal testing process, and expect to be perceived as innovative.

Am I prescribing that we should move into an age where we carelessly throw money at every new technology that comes along? No. But I do think that we need to change our strategy by doing the following:

1) Allocate a portion of your budget for “innovation” each and every year…period.

2) Make testing and learning an ongoing process. Not one that happens 1 time per year.

3) Don’t get hung up with trying to justify ROI to the Nth degree with something so new. There are no benchmarks for some of this stuff. The good news is that it can be measured, so eventually you’ll get there.

Sep

General, Social Media, mobile, strategy

Where the F@&! Should My TV Spot Send People?

by Shaun Quigley, VP, Digital Practice Director

Despite the fact that 40% of America is time-shifting their TV habits, broadcast TV remains the most efficient way to grow or defend a big brand—and for some—initiate a quality engagement on the web.

But for advertisers who are serious about using TV to drive online, the decision about where to engage is tougher than it was a year ago. Simply sending to the “web” is officially up for debate. And brands, regardless of category, face social scruples on where to direct traffic.

Facebook is killing the corporate website, says AdAge. Toyota drives, Klondike screams, and Old Spice is cleaning up on YouTube. And BestBuy continues to tweet for Twelpforce.

So should spots point to social media or a brand site? Annoyingly, there’s no right answer. The hub-and-spoke model that made sense on PowerPoint ten years ago seems to have fallen apart.

“Spokes are the new hubs,” say the social media boutiques. “Fish where the fish are.”

But will Facebook really kill your brand site? There are plenty of opinions here, here and here. But what does it matter, really?

Here’s what we do know:

Audience is paramount.

Where do they participate? How do they behave there? Facebook should no doubt be considered, but should not be the automatic default for every social experience. Challenge your agency partners to conceive ideas that connect with your audience in all relevant media. Not just bought—but also owned, and earned.

Be seen, be heard.

Budget constraints have forced many TV advertisers to reduce spots to fifteen seconds. And as a result, traditional spot writers hesitate to allot any time for a closing voiceover that drives to the web. Fifteen seconds is barely enough time to cram in equity claims, they say. This is a big mistake. Site and sound have more impact. Use both voiceover and super to bring attention to the URL you are promoting.

Get mobile. Quickly.

U.S. mobile Web usage grew 110% last year. There are already 70 million Americans surfing by phone. And by 2013, mobile web usage will be more common than any other form. Does your mobile experience deliver something interesting? Does it even exist?

When they arrive, the old rules still apply.

Ensure that your web experience—social, mobile or otherwise—answers these questions:

1. Where am I? What is this place?

2. How do I get around? (be courteous, and don’t make me wait)

3. What do you want me to do next?

4. How can I easily share it?

The days of the brand site as sole engagement vehicle are over (forever).

The web gets more social every day, and brand sites should continue to find ways to harness the viral effects of social. Connect all your properties (give me one reason why not). Set aside an innovation budget to experiment, track and measure new things. And don’t let the brand site’s content collect cobwebs in the rush to swing the digital budget toward social.

Look at what the leaders have done. Toyota, BestBuy, Old Spice and Klondike all have well–conceived, integrated experiences that go beyond social. How did they decide which to pick for TV? I’m not sure. But I’m guessing each brand assessed the most valuable way to drive engagement, and simply promoted that.

Ideas for a Smarter, Faster World

Archive for the ‘strategy’ Category

#1: Be a student of the [digital] game

#2: Integrate digital into your life

#3: Understand that the future is now

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