Marobella's Branding SoapBox

Social Media For CPG Brands

Recently heard from a CEO of a portfolio of CPG brands, "I want to show straight-line value for my social media efforts that prove I am selling more product as a result."

I get it. With finite marketing dollars, she wants to know why should I invest money and resources into a part of the 'marketing' mix that is an in-direct line to value-creation?

My sense is that this is not the first time any of you guys have heard a CEO/VP of Marketing/Marketing Director say something like that regarding social strategies. Of course, I launched into the categorization of metrics into three categories depending on the objective and the level of the organization we are dealing with and the positive sentiment, engagement and value that having a robust community around the brand can create.  

This chart from Forrester does a nice job of breaking out the types of metrics to aggregate depending on the view of the client organization, but the only real straight-line value metric there is coupon redemption for CPG brands. The sales figure for CEO's is a lagging indicator and takes time in the CPG/Distribution channel to measure and even so how can you attribute a 5% bump in sales to increased activity from a brand's Facebook promotion? 

It seems surveys are also a powerful tool in helping the CEO see purchase and frequency intent for people engaged in a CPG brand's social platforms. When a person is at the shelf in a grocery store and has a planned or even impulse need, your brand is the top-of-mind brand they reach for because they remember consciously or sub-consciously that they are engaged with you in the social space. Baselining those that are not engaged in a CRM/Social platform and those that are can show fruitful results in value. 

One attribute of brand categorization that we get excited about at [wire] stone when we have the chance to build a social strategy for a CPG brand is the 'passion' of the consumer-base for that brand. If people are inherently passionate and engaged daily with the category or brand itself, then the work of an engaging, valuable social strategy becomes an easier task. For example, creating a social engagement strategy for a brand like Brand Jordan in the sneakerhead world or the retailer A.C. Moore in the crafting category is like lighting a match in a dry field. The people that engage those categories and brands have a high emotional investment and very much align their interests and passions with them. The task becomes keeping them engages, fueling those passions, getting them to buy one more pair or visit the store one more time/month. Then, being able to measure that value in engagement that we are able to measure the intent and propensity as a result of that social engagement.

Beyond couponing or special 'community' only deals. I think we as social marketers have to make sure we aren't drinking our own kool-aid when launching into a diatribe about how social creates value even if you can't straight-line it. We have to be more empathetic to the position of the client in wanting proof that this new, emerging space is creating value. This is especially true if they are a 'distribution' business, which means that the more distribution they get on the shelf, the better sales will be. It is our job to help them get that distribution into the channel and then drive people to the shelf to buy that product. Once that CEO sees how passionate people are on their communities and sees the sales line move as a result. 

Core Values In Marketing: Sincere or Shill?

Does integrating core values and belief systems into marketing sell more product?

Was getting my Sunday morning ritual coffee at a local Dunkin' Donuts and noticed this sign at an adjacent US Cellular store. At first, their statement about the "Belief Project" caught my eye because it felt strangely religious to be in the window of a mobile phone store. At further inspection, I noticed they were stating their beliefs about the Mobile Phone business and basically coming out against the business practices of the industry to date. Positioning itself against it. I thought it was very interesting that USC was branding their belief system and making it a marketing message. I am not sure I'd place it in the category of core values, but more of a business-practice values. Fast forward to me arriving home and pulling out my analog Sunday Paper, while enjoying my iced coffee and breakfast sandwich, I came across a two-page spread ad from USC touting their "Belief Rewards" program. The copy is well-written and to the point. I think the overall integrated strategy is differentiated from what is happening in the business, but I couldn't help that it was throwing stones in glass houses. 

It then had me thinking about how Zappos has moved to integrating their core values into their website and on their packaging. An inward-facing set of values they've brought to the outside world. And, for them, it feels remarkably authentic and heartfelt because their CEO/Evangelist has been tireless at espousing the inner-workings of their company and most people's interactions with the company are consistent and hold true to the statements that are made throughout their marketing channels.

For Zappos it is how they do business rather than how they market. For US Cellular, it feels like how they market and only time will tell if it is how they do business, for real. 

Twitter = Black Friday Secret Weapon

For those that are dialed into Twitter, live in Boston and are the  masochistic-type by shopping on Black Friday, you are in luck. Twitter will be abuzz with helping people track the best deals on Black Friday through the Twitter-verse. Boston.com is asking shoppers that Twitter to inform the website of what's happening where. Nice use of the 'digital water-cooler" that is Twitter. 

QR Codes. Innovative or Tech In Search Of A Solution?

I recently had someone tell me that their agency was innovative because they had brought 2D codes to the table for their new ad campaign. The brand and agency shall both remain nameless. I will say in full disclosure that we've pitched this to a brand recently, but the application was highly utilitarian and served a strategic business-purpose, rather than getting someone to just have a new way to visit your campaign microsite rather than just click on the safari icon and enter the URL.  And even then I felt like we were jumping the shark.

This post from Adverblog talks about how Pepsi and Polo are using codes in their new campaigns. I can't help but still think that this is just a technology in search of a solution. That agencies and brands are so thirsty for new innovation that they latch onto a technology way before even the early majority has the software on their smart phones. In fact, we knew this even before we pitched this to the brand I mentioned earlier. There are no stats on the adoption of the QR reader that I could find.

I'm sorry, but if you think that your agency is innovative because they told you to put a QR code in your ad that launches your microsite, you are sadly mistaken. Innovation would be an application that would incent people to download the reader and THEN give them a compelling reason to take a picture of your ad or packaging at the shelf. 

Things I Noticed In Iron Man.

There are a few things I noticed while watching Iron Man last night. First, the product placements were blatant - Audi, LG and Burger King. There was one missed opportunity for another product placement: When Pepper was downloading files from Stark's machine and Obadia caught her - he walked over and poured a drink from a carafe. He picked it up and and said to Pepper, "Tony always gets the best stuff." In that carafe was either bourbon or scotch - a high-end spirit such as Basil Hayden, Makers Mark or Jim Beam Black could have seized that moment. Also, a few other times in the movie, Tony Stark drank a brown spirit on the rocks.

Also, this was the first big movie that RD, Jr. has been in since he hit rock bottom. An awesome come back movie, no doubt. When he was riding in the Fun-Vee at the very beginning, they were blasting Back In Black with the lyrics - seemingly describing RD. Jr's life not so long ago.

Back in black, I hit the sack,
                          I've been too long, I'm glad to be back
                          Yes I'm let loose from the noose,
                          That's kept me hangin' about
                          I been livin like a star 'cause it's gettin' me high,
                          Forget the hearse, 'cause I never die
                          I got nine lives, cat's eyes
                        abusing every one of them and running wild

Superbowl XLII: Year of the Microsite

Well, since my beloved Patriots let the evil empire win one, I thought I would spend some time here narrating about a couple perspectives on tonight's game-within-the-game - the commercials. Now, every media outlet and thousands of blogs will have a point of view on the big winners and losers in ad land. The water coolers will be buzzing tomorrow with opinions. While, of course, I have a few - I wanted to share one key observation: The use of Microsites by the big game advertisers. Not all brands used them, but a noticeable share did. With all the debate lately about the death of the Microsite, I couldn't help notice that brands pointed people to a focused location rather than their corporate site or some other social media platform.

To name a few:
thrillicious.com (sobe water)
truthinengineering.com (audi)
snackstrongproductions.com (doritos)
mytalkingstain.com (tide)

I'm personally a big believer in Microsites that support a brand campaign or other targeted customer experience. The advantages are huge: For one, the consumer can be immersed directly into the targeted brand message that the campaign is aiming to seed without being distracted by other corporate mumbo jumbo. And secondly, but certainly important, is the ability to measure success as tied to the advertising. Especially after such an important buy in the Superbowl, a Microsite can help be a gauge of success based on traffic figures and other important metrics. In addition, tracking engagement and measuring conversions based in the defined window as it relates to the above-the-line media.

All good stuff.

Microsoft/Yahoo Acquisition Misses The Point

I use Microsoft products everyday, in fact, they are an important client of our agency. I use Yahoo for one reason, to check movie times. For everything else - personal email, RSS feeds, company tracking, photo organization etc. I use Google. I like how easy they make everything.

The recent announcement that Microsoft has undertaken a $44.6B hostile bid for Yahoo would be the largest tech deal in history by almost double. But with all the recent press I haven't read anything about what Microsoft plans to do with MSN. This deal is an example of "if we can't beat 'em, buy everything and be bigger." The press keeps citing about how Microsoft and Yahoo can't beat Google and together, they will be better suited to win. I don't agree.

What I like about Google is that they are "understated-big". They are driven by simple, easy to understand philosophies that permeate everything they touch. In fact, their driving value of "Don't Be Evil" is the antithesis to the general feeling about Microsoft. And the irony in that statement is that this deal with Yahoo is exactly what they meant. Making a strategic acquisition to add a feature, a technology or a large installed base is one thing. Buying a large competitor just so you can out-muscle the category leader is another thing entirely. I believe this deal is exactly what Google wants. It plays right into their hand of deploying easy-to-use, intelligent applications that helps a person go about their lives.

Interesting times these are.

Jim Beam. Twitter. Baja 1000. Robby Gordon.

Our client Jim Beam, our partner Jason Falls of Doe Anderson and Robby Gordon have embarked on an ambitious mission of micro-blogging the Baja 1000 event currrently underway. Track Robby's every move as he drives the Monster Energy truck through the grueling Baja race to the finish line. This is a breakthrough application of micro-blogging and allows people to get engaged into the brand experience in a new, real-time manner. I do keep wishing that each time Jason uploads his update, I could see a visual of what he sees at that moment. Oh well, the technology will evolve to be micro-vlogging at some point.

Track Robby Here:  http://robbygordon.com/2007BAJA1000/INDEX.HTM

Are We More Curious?

One of the reasons that I decided to start writing this blog almost a year ago, was to help me stay  connected to what is happening in our world. It seems no matter how hard I try, I always come across other blogs or people that are three of four steps ahead of what I know  at the time.  And, as I read all the blogs that cover the iPhone, it seems to me that we are a more curious and inquisitive  people than we were 5-years ago. The power of  democratic media has  pushed us to want to seem smart and connected - it seems that 'in the know' is the new currency, especially for the younger generations.

This is a good thing as it reminds us to question everything and accept nothing at face value.

Rubbin's Racing.

TV advertisers are flocking to "big-event" TV to run their heroin of advertising, the :30 second spot. Much has been written about the death of TV because of the fragmentation of the audience and the millions of content choices an advertiser has to sponsor. The easy choice, choose 5 or 6 big events throughout the year and blow your nut. The Superbowl, Grammys, Emmys, Daytona 500, Final Episode of Friday Night Lights, you know the usual suspects.

I am a NASCAR fan and I guess, the non-bubba type that NASCAR so hopes to attract without alienating their majority fan base of bubbas. I watched the Daytona 500 yesterday and enjoyed the race. There was some great racing and our Jim Beam driver, Robby Gordon came in the top 15 - Congrats Robby!

The commercials were better than the Superbowl I thought. The agencies and brands did a great job of integrating the spirit of racing and the driver personalities into their TV. I thought for the most part, they were clever, funny and on-brand. I like what nascar.com did as well, having the spots up before the race for people to get a sneak peek (see graphic). I would be curious to see what kind of extra legs advertisers got from that. I would imagine a great deal of NASCAR fans head to the web before the race.

Also, NASCAR is struggling with regard to ratings, selling event tickets and retaining the non-bubba fan. This is a hard sport to understand. I know what my wife is talking with not understanding Football as I watch NASCAR. All the different rules, flags, cautions etc. The sport is chock full of jargon. They have a bit of a marketing challenge.

Its no wonder there has been some great scandals happening this past week. The PR of NASCAR has raised the awareness of the sport significantly. Nothing like a good scandal. And, the wrecks yesterday were legendary, not to mention the finish. It reminds me of Hockey a little. When in doubt, start a fight on the ice - get fans more involved, thats what they are waiting for anyway.

I am sure NASCAR will figure it out, but I would recommend hiring a solid marketing partner to figure out how to keep the attention of the "new fan" and make the sport less bubba and less full of jargon.

You might want to start with your people calling the races, they dont help.