JephMaystruck.com » Mass Media

Permission Based Marketing

Jeph — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:17:40 +0000

A long, long, time ago advertisers would interrupt people to get their message in front of them. Commercials interrupting your favorite show, coupons in your mailbox, awkwardly placed billboards, branding of anything and everything, commercials interrupting the top 10 countdown on the radio, telemarketers trying to sell you something, sales people showing up at your door, and video billboards promising even more interruptions than static billboards.

There was no permission established so eventually these were bound to fail once the market was saturated with messages competing for the next chance to interrupt you.

Enter Seth Godin coined term “permission based marketing“.

I need to be friends with you for you to show up in my Facebook newsfeed or to be able to post on my wall.

I need to be following you on Twitter to receive your tweets.

I need to subscribe to your e-mail newsletter to receive it.

I have never been forced to watch a Youtube video, I choose what I want to watch.

I can’t force you to read my blog, it’s your choice.

Notice a trend here? To communicate with people you must have their permission, no matter what medium you use. Marketing hasn’t gone anywhere since “social media” took over, it just got smarter. The winners now will be the ones who understand permission based marketing and come up with the newest innovative way to acquire permission. It’s the next generation of word-out-mouth.

On the other hand, I hate to hear campaigns talking about “mass-text-messaging” services and mass e-mail marketing. Just further attempts at interrupting more people to tell them a message they don’t want to hear.

If you want to delve further into the topic pick up this book:

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Different Dog, Same ol’ Bark

Jeph — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:17:07 +0000

“You can be traditional in a non-traditional medium and as well, you can be non-traditional in a traditional medium.”

I heard this for the first time on the Six Pixels of Separation podcast. Joseph Jaffe said it to Mitch Joel talking about what is currently taking place across all mediums. I think that statement is very applicable for areas such as Saskatchewan, that have a much slower adoption rate for online technology and media. Let me explain.

In Saskatchewan companies need to focus on bridging the gap between traditional and new media. It would be ignorant not to be exploring what you could be doing online as well, to spend your entire budget on internet marketing. If you can figure out how to be non-traditional in a traditional medium you already have a head start on the competition. So how could you go about doing this? Simple.

Begin by knowing that your customers have the most marketing influence in the World, give them the tools to spread your message. Put your web-site on all printed material, if you’re on Twitter put your username on your business cards and e-mail signature. Start producing content that your followers would want to consume be it video, pictures, audio, or a blog. Put that content in one easy place for them to access. Now finally they have a reason to go to your website.

Refine it. Get better at it. Keep improving. In no time you’ll have a strong online presence that will pair nicely with your communication offline.

The other route that many companies are taking is the default, a traditional message in a non-traditional medium. These campaigns standout because they just don’t seem to fit, they’re lame and their creators obviously don’t understand the medium.

Using Twitter as a one-way messaging service like a commercial.

Starting a Facebook group for no apparent reason.

Unsolicited mass e-mail marketing.

Anytime you interrupt me to put your message in front of me I probably won’t like it or remember it. On the flip side, if you have a interesting and innovative way of telling me what you’re about or you start a conversation, I’ll probably listen, if I like what I hear I’ll support you and most likely try to influence others to do the same.

Just because you’re “online” doesn’t give you the right to dictate your message to me, all we hear is the same ol’ bark coming from a different dog.

What impression do you get when you see a company in a new medium using the same traditional messaging?

Thanks for reading! If you want to learn more about what you could be doing in the online world check out this post: 56 Uses of Social Media in Saskatchewan

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Saskatchewan Ministry of Health Misses the boat…again?

Jeph — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:31:16 +0000

In March of 2010 this was posted to the Nudge blog, explaining why social norms are a proven method to curb binge drinking among teens. The post features an advertisement from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health attempting to use guilt and shame to convince teens not to drink. The other example is from the National Institute of Social Norms campaign at Georgetown University. From this case study you can read about it’s effectiveness.

The same day of the Nudge blog post, Advertising Age published this article on a study done at Northwestern University. Using guilt or shame can actually influence the intended audience to take part in more of that behavior, says Kellogg marketing professor Nidhi Agrawal; ”People who are already feeling guilt or shame resort to something called “defensive processing” when confronted with more of either, and tend to disassociate themselves with whatever they are being shown in order to lessen those emotions.”

It didn’t bother me much knowing that the Ministry of Health did that one set of ads, but to my astonishment they are producing more and now short videos too? The new campaign is titled: “What else got wasted?” Well it appears your marketing budget was.

Just because you “think” it’ll be an effective campaign doesn’t make it true, the proof is in the research and there is plenty out there.

Please, comments are welcome.

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Your Marketing Strategy? Start with a goal…

Jeph — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:50:36 +0000

If you own a small business in Saskatchewan what do you do to market yourself?

If someone gives you advice on an advertising tactic you “should” be doing, ignore it. In todays marketing world you must define your goal before any thoughts of a tactic are brought up.

Do you buy the big billboards on Ringroad? Maybe a large ad in the Saturday Leaderpost? Nah, make a Facebook fan page, everyone’s on Facebook, right? How about a commercial on the Wolf, Regina’s most popular radio station, that oughta bring in some new clientele! All these tactics I’m sure would work for some organization if executed correctly but that does not mean you should be using them.

Yes social media is growing but in Saskatchewan the adoption rate is much slower. Yes billboards have worked in the past but that does not mean they’ll work for you.

Define your goal first then look at your at your tactical options. Confused? Give me a call I can help you clarify.

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13 Reasons Why Letter-Board Advertising Sucks

Jeph — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:47:20 +0000

If you’ve ever driven around Regina you’ve seen these ghastly sites many times. They pull and prod your attention for a split second until you realize what you have found and quickly jerk your neck away, hopefully never laying eyes on one ever again.

Ok, they aren’t that bad but these fluorescent letter board signs are growing in numbers at an alarming rate. Why?

Obviously it is cheap, and businesses are trying to get their message out to a local market but do they ever wonder if this hurts their brand? Besides the signs not being on the “cutting edge” of artistic design, don’t you think you’d want to at least standout a bit? I mean, the thirteen (13) photos posted here were all taken within a three block section of Rochdale Boulevard. In less than one Kilometer you are shown thirteen different messages, what are the chances that you remember one?

They are not all terrible, I don’t mind giving away something free, just too much text on this one:

Subway’s not doing too bad either, that’s a pretty good deal for a sub.

The average driver has less than three seconds to get your message, how easy is this to read?

A personal favorite. I wonder how the conversation went when they decided to go with this master piece;

“Everyone else on Rochdale has a sign”

“We should too, but lets be different.”

The lightbulb goes off.

“I got it! Lets put our sign on a blue background, that’s sure to get attention!” The result:

The ghostly 9 is a little creepy here:

Beginning to notice a trend of yellow, white and fluorescent pink by now.

This one gets the point across, if you’re searching for the most extensive 2 for 1 glasses offer anywhere.

Another good deal, my only complaint is where’s the fluorescent pink? I don’t think a letter sign will ever be visually appealing.

Obviously the Pita Pit owners are in cahoots with the Denture Clinic, again personal favorite, love the blue.

If you do decide one of these signs is right for you, at least offer the correct phone number.

Too much writing and again, where’s the pink?

Short and sweet, good idea, I don’t mind what Arby’s is trying here but it seems as though Arby’s is cutting costs on their advertising by using this type of messaging.

This is troublesome, the BARGAIN! shop has on special right now, spring fashion and fun. What if you enter the store and it isn’t fun? Chuck E’ Cheese could use this, not the BARGAIN! shop.

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Sexist? or Smart Advertising?

Jeph — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:19:58 +0000

This ad has been creating controversy in the media this past week and for good reason. Originated on the CBC Canada website, the article talked about the condo developer taking the ad down and offering a formal apology as well as the agency that created them offered an apology but the comments on the article are much more interesting than the article itself, I have quoted a few below.

“They are sexist, tasteless and old-fashioned. They will attract the wrong sort of people who think this sort of thing is okay.”

“has anyone ever heard of this popular slogan: SEX SELLS”

“I don’t know about the rest of you… but I’m not wasting any of my 25 year old scotch on a 25 year old Blonde.”

“The ads don’t appeal to me. But you have to be pretty uptight to let these harmless ads bother you. Wil Knoll says he wouldn’t want to be in a room with people who thought it was a great ad. I don’t think I’d want to be in a room with Wil Knoll.”

From Twitter:

@Jaynauta: I bet the goal of that condo ad was to cause I huge uproar. I’m a guy in Regina not looking for a condo and I saw the ad.”

Yes it may have been a bit sexist but people are going to complain regardless of what you do. Remember, advertising that’s targeted at everyone is effective on no one. Timothy Ferris once said “Belief’s, belongings and behaviors, threaten these and you will get a response.” You don’t have to believe me, just look at the statistics so far on this ad:

275 Diggs on Digg.com

367 Comments

203 Recommends

It’s all over Twitter just search “Sexist Calgary”

Finally this is the comment that summed it up for me, I say smart advertising.

TimPaper wrote:

“Oh, lighten up, everyone. The ads were targeted to men – and they appeared in men’s washrooms at nightclubs. They didn’t target children. And they didn’t target women.
All they did was put in an ad in a place where only adult men could see the ads the very thoughts that go through the minds of 99 per cent of men when they’ve got a few drinks in them at a bar.
This is really a tempest in a teapot. You don’t like the ads? Fine, don’t buy a condo. But, please, get a life. All the overly-sensitive new men who complained about this ad managed to do is get a heckuva lot more publicity for the condo developer.
In fact, the cynic in me wonders if the complaint about sexism wasn’t orchestrated by the developer or the marketers of the project specifically to create a media fury and get a lot of free exposure. If they didn’t do it on purpose, well, they were born under a lucky star because I’m sure this nonsense really helped their sales.”

Read the full article at: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/03/24/calgary-ads-sexist-condo-midtown-withdrawn.html#socialcomments#ixzz0jWtcGHAb

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Goodwill on a Billboard

Jeph — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:08:04 +0000

SaskEnergy has put up billboards all over Regina about their latest offering. If you need a furnace you can get a loan from SaskEnergy for prime plus two percent. Seems like a normal billboard right? Wrong.

SaskEnergy obviously understands that many households are in need of a new high-efficiency furnace but can’t afford one. How do you help out low-income homeowners and create some goodwill for your organization without spending thousands of dollars? Offer an affordable method of obtaining a furnace. The two percent covers the cost of advertising and admin work so they are probably breaking even financially, but in the eyes of the community SaskEnergy looks great.

SaskEnergy went out to advertise their newest offer and came back with some goodwill. If only more of our crowns would set out to attach some goodwill to their advertising.

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The Digital Billboard Formula

Jeph — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:51:02 +0000

Have you noticed an increasing trend in your city with these digital billboards? Animation on an illuminated sign offering state of the art advertising, sounds like the future doesn’t it? Hardly. If you haven’t noticed, these signs are popping up all over the place, a friend and I counted off the top of our heads how many there are in Regina, sixteen. (to see them all click here) sixteen billboards all claiming to offer thousands of “views” per day depending on the location.

With the city being saturated with these digital boards paired with the difficulty to measure their effectiveness, paying clients to fill the spots are becoming sparse. So who’s advertising on these boards? The surrounding businesses. Count the next time you’re at a red light how many ads show up that are for business in the vicinity of the sign. It’s astounding.

So if the sign owners aren’t making the money and it’s still not a good medium for your company to buy time on, who wins? Obviously the sign manufacturer’s stock is rising.

Now I would hate to complain about this phenomenon without offering a solution. If you still want one of these signs we put together the perfect formula. If you’re going to buy one ensure you put it up in the area with the most businesses around. Find the part of your city that is saturated with businesses and put up a digital board, that way you will ensure getting the most out of the sign.

For more information on why I don’t like this as a medium read Martin Lindstrom’s Buy-ology.

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Your Ego on a Billboard

Jeph — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:00:53 +0000

I want to get exposure for my company, I want my market to know who we are and what we do. I don’t know how to do that so I do what history tells me, I buy a billboard. I know who my market is but I don’t exactly know how to get to them, again, a billboard seems to be the way to go. I’m relatively new to the market so now the billboard is looking even more enticing. “I’ll do it I say!”, the billboard goes up.

I understand that the target market can not be my entire city but hey, I want to get my name out there. My company is a luxury brand, I know that only 10% of the city can actually afford my product but it makes me feel empowered that my billboard is up there. I am satisfied. Really?

Other than an ego boost what has that billboard done? Sure some people will have seen it on their daily drive but does that amount to sales? With over three thousand marketing influences daily did you see my billboard and better yet did you remember it? I don’t think so, but it looks great doesn’t it?

If your product isn’t intended for the masses, why are you telling them about it?

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Dear Signs: I Don’t See You Anymore

Jeph — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:02:38 +0000

In the 1960’s when advertising took off globally, mass media worked, radio sold advertising, TV was one of the best mediums, billboards commanded your attention, then it hit a tipping point. At a certain point in time advertising became too much, I’m not sure when it was but it was at that point when we had to start ignoring ads. This video clip from marketing guru Seth Godin sums up why marketers have lost our attention. I like ads, I like questioning marketing campaigns but for the first time the other day I caught myself ignoring ads. It was a fascinating trip to the grocery store that proved for myself how hard it is to get a message across, even when it’s staring you in the face.

Just like everyone else in our world that doesn’t shop at Safeway, I received bad service at a grocery store. Such a bad experience drove me to going to their website and trying to give them feedback as to why I was unhappy leaving their establishment. During the feedback questionnaire one question caught me off guard, “Did you notice any signage talking about 1000 flavors of Canada?” I reflected on my visit and couldn’t remember seeing anything so I selected “no”.

A week passes and I’m in the area of this super market again with nothing else close by to patronize instead. In a hurry I decide to pick up something to eat. Entering the super market I recall the survey I took so I look for “1000 flavors of Canada”. Little to my surprise was that the entire store was covered with these signs and I didn’t see one of them in my previous visit, not even one sign.

I finally understood what Mr. Godin was talking about. This grocery store was trying to interrupt me with their signs. It didn’t matter the size or location, I wasn’t looking for them so I didn’t see them.

Just because our eyes see something does not mean our brains remember it. Our generation is getting increasingly better at ignoring messages that we don’t want to remember. Therein lies the power of the internet, it is there for when I want something, until then don’t bother interrupting me with your message.

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