It was announced a few weeks back that LG Smart TVs were caught sending data on viewer habits of those using LG sets. There was a mini outrage, including a segment on Fox Business discussing how this was a violation of personal information.
LG says that they had the consent of these people, who have to accept this data collection as a part of the set up when you get the set. I'm not about to offer an opinion on the legalities, but I do find it laughable that LG would stand by this claim, since if you don't accept the collection of data then the TV does not work.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131119/06503625288/lg-smart-tv-caught-collecting-data-files-stored-connected-usb-drives.shtml
Aside from the legalities of the gather, I find possible results for marketing from such data to be very interesting. As the story above points out, LG was using the information to target ads on the TV's home page. That is just the tip of the iceberg, as LG was also siphoning off data and sending it over the internet on all interactions between the owner and the TV.
Fox Business News reported that LG was not using the downloaded information. While I find that hard to imagine, the possibilities from a marketing standpoint are intriguing. By mining the data and determining the viewing habits of their core audience, LG can determine the best networks to buy for promotions. It offers LG, and other smart TV manufacturers a unique snapshot of their current and potential audience.
As profitable as this could be for LG, how about NBC / Comcast? In Comcast's quarterly report from September of this year, they serve nearly 23 million cable customers, nearly 20 million high-speed internet customers and just under 10 million voice customers.
I've searched for information online about how NBC / Comcast might use the data they can collect from cable subscribers to help target advertisers and programming in the future. In the emerging world of data mining to create more targeted marketing messages, I would think the combination of a major TV network with one of the largest cable companies is a mother load of data waiting to be mined and analyzed. This could be a competitive advantage for NBC as they make advertising sales and programming decisions going forward.
Interestingly, about two weeks ago Comcast announced a new partnership with Rhiza For Media on software designed to provide better, more refined analytics on data for advertisers. From the Comcast press release Matt DeAngelis, the senior director of research said, "Rhiza For Media helps us take a wide range of data and present it in an easy-to-understand way, demonstrating the geographic and demographic segmentation capabilities that only spot cable advertising offers."
http://www.comcastspotlight.com/news/Press-Release/Comcast-Spotlight-and-Rhiza-Working-Together-Help-Advertisers-Make-Smarter
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
The most memorable advertising of 2013
Christmas is over, and now it is time to start looking back on the year 2013. The good, the bad, the accomplishments and the things still left undone. I hope for you it has been a good, productive year with even better things on the horizon for 2014.
In terms of sales, marketing and advertising for me, 2013 has been a mixed bag. Some very good things, several not so good things and plenty of things still to work on and improve for the new year. So basically, it was a normal year, since I think we can always look back and say those things.
Forbes has come out with a list of the most memorable ads of 2013. This is not to imply that they are the best, just memorable. There are a couple of commercials that are noticeable missing from this list, but also a couple that I would have ranked high on my own list.
Geico is not on this list, and they should be. I admire the creativity that the agency that handles the account (The Martin Agency, www.martinagency.com). They have continued to make memorable ads that consistently go viral. Heck, even yesterday on Christmas Day, I saw posts referencing the camel and hump day commercials. Geico has a winner with the paid advertising they do with these spots, but then they take on a whole new life on their own through viral marketing. The hump day spot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWBhP0EQ1lA), and to a lesser extent the Eddie Money travel agency spot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWTgwvh4v1w are two big time winners this past year for being memorable.
Chrysler Corporation --- They had a great year in developing memorable advertising. To me, the number one spot of last year's Super Bowl was the Dodge Ram truck commercial narrated by the late Paul Harvey. That tribute to the American farmer was heart warming, and a commercial that was perfectly executed.
Dodge scored another big hit in October with their Dodge Durango series of commercials. Possible the complete opposite of Paul Harvey would be Will Ferrell's character Ron Burgundy. Throughout the World Series, Burgundy was doing his straight forward sales pitch for the Dodge Durango truck and making the audience laugh. Evidently, talking about the 0.1 cubic feet of storage in the glove box is a selling point for trucks that no one ever discovered before this year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyX8cCvJ1kk). It certainly worked though, as Durango truck sales jumped for the month of November by 59%. That is a staggering ROI for the money invested.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Mark Cuban uses newspaper industry as an example on how business must adapt to survive in the future
Friday night has become a 'must see TV night' for me, and I think it would help sales reps around the world if they would do the same. "Shark Tank" on ABC is a great illustration of sales. Assuming you have a good product, you must the details of that product, features, benefits and financials to have a chance. To really succeed, you have to be able to tell a story and present to a group.
There has been many a product on that show that would be mega-hits today, if only the person knew how to present, and to tell a good story. More than one occasion I have showed "Shark Tank" segments for training to my sales team.
While all of the host entrepreneurs on the show have certain charms, to me it is Mark Cuban that makes the show worthwhile. In part, that is due to Cuban reminding me of one of my mentors from a few years ago. Cuban is also a graduate of Indiana University, and still a fan of IU basketball like myself. I have a lot of respect for Cuban, and his background as a self-made businessman that works very hard but can still have fun.
On LinkedIN this week, I came across a Mark Cuban blog from last January directed towards incoming college freshmen. Cuban offered some great advice: "The smart high school grad no longer just picks a school, borrows money and wings it. Your future depends on your ability to assemble an educational plan that gets you on your path of knowledge and discovery without putting you at risk of attending a school that is doomed to fail, and/or you with a debt heavy balance sheet that prevents you from taking the chances, searching for the opportunities or just being a fuck up for a while."
That quote could easily be directed to media companies, and specifically newspapers. Media companies need to develop a short and long term strategy that puts them on the path of knowledge and discovery for new and emerging marketing / revenue opportunities. In many cases, this is a tough path to follow for many, especially newspaper and radio companies who's balance sheets prevent them from taking chances and searching for the opportunities.
Cuban does target media companies in this blog post, specifically newspapers. Cuban compares the university and college system with the newspaper industry. "The newspaper industry was once deemed indestructible. Then this thing called the internet came along and took away their classified business. The problem wasn't really that their classifieds disappeared. It was more that they had accumulated a ton of debt and had over invested in physical plant and assets that could not adapt to the new digital world."
You can read the entire blog post, titled "Will Your College Go Out of Business Before You Graduate?" at: http://blogmaverick.com/2013/01/26/will-your-college-go-out-of-business-before-you-graduate/
There has been many a product on that show that would be mega-hits today, if only the person knew how to present, and to tell a good story. More than one occasion I have showed "Shark Tank" segments for training to my sales team.
While all of the host entrepreneurs on the show have certain charms, to me it is Mark Cuban that makes the show worthwhile. In part, that is due to Cuban reminding me of one of my mentors from a few years ago. Cuban is also a graduate of Indiana University, and still a fan of IU basketball like myself. I have a lot of respect for Cuban, and his background as a self-made businessman that works very hard but can still have fun.
On LinkedIN this week, I came across a Mark Cuban blog from last January directed towards incoming college freshmen. Cuban offered some great advice: "The smart high school grad no longer just picks a school, borrows money and wings it. Your future depends on your ability to assemble an educational plan that gets you on your path of knowledge and discovery without putting you at risk of attending a school that is doomed to fail, and/or you with a debt heavy balance sheet that prevents you from taking the chances, searching for the opportunities or just being a fuck up for a while."
That quote could easily be directed to media companies, and specifically newspapers. Media companies need to develop a short and long term strategy that puts them on the path of knowledge and discovery for new and emerging marketing / revenue opportunities. In many cases, this is a tough path to follow for many, especially newspaper and radio companies who's balance sheets prevent them from taking chances and searching for the opportunities.
Cuban does target media companies in this blog post, specifically newspapers. Cuban compares the university and college system with the newspaper industry. "The newspaper industry was once deemed indestructible. Then this thing called the internet came along and took away their classified business. The problem wasn't really that their classifieds disappeared. It was more that they had accumulated a ton of debt and had over invested in physical plant and assets that could not adapt to the new digital world."
You can read the entire blog post, titled "Will Your College Go Out of Business Before You Graduate?" at: http://blogmaverick.com/2013/01/26/will-your-college-go-out-of-business-before-you-graduate/
Monday, December 16, 2013
Craigslist starts charge auto dealers for advertising, giving publishers a chance to regain some classified marketshare
Beleaguered publishers have struggled to find good news when it comes to classified advertising. The change of habits has created new products to sell your house, your dog, your garage sale and your car. Up until recently, that alternative was often free which made it difficult for newspapers to compete.
That has changed, at least for automotive advertising with the announcement that Craigslist will now start charging auto dealers $5 per vehicle for a 30 day listing. I think this is a great opportunity for print and digital publishers to again compete in this portion of traditional classified advertising.
Craigslist made the announcement in late November, though I honestly had not heard about it until recently. The $5 charge was to start on December 3, as the website looks for ways to gain more revenue. Details from Craigslist can be found at http://www.craigslist.org/about/ctd
While all auto dealers used Craigslist for their inventory, it was smaller independents that utilized it the most around where I'm located. It was free and targeted. It worked too, but I think the effectiveness was helped tremendously by no cost aspect.
Traditional and digital publishers need to regroup and plan an strategy to work on the independent auto dealers in their market; especially those that have used Craigslist in the past. Free is a difficult thing to compete against, but the game has change.
.
That has changed, at least for automotive advertising with the announcement that Craigslist will now start charging auto dealers $5 per vehicle for a 30 day listing. I think this is a great opportunity for print and digital publishers to again compete in this portion of traditional classified advertising.
Craigslist made the announcement in late November, though I honestly had not heard about it until recently. The $5 charge was to start on December 3, as the website looks for ways to gain more revenue. Details from Craigslist can be found at http://www.craigslist.org/about/ctd
While all auto dealers used Craigslist for their inventory, it was smaller independents that utilized it the most around where I'm located. It was free and targeted. It worked too, but I think the effectiveness was helped tremendously by no cost aspect.
Traditional and digital publishers need to regroup and plan an strategy to work on the independent auto dealers in their market; especially those that have used Craigslist in the past. Free is a difficult thing to compete against, but the game has change.
.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Pruning away the fake Twitter followers on accounts should be a priority for marketers
Recently, it was announced that Twitter was infested with fake accounts, bots that were bloating followers across the platform. That wasn't really surprising, was it? But for Twitter, trying to go public and prove that they are a player in the advertising and marketing business, this was big news.
Claims vary, but the recent claim that 10% of all accounts are fake was floating out there recently (http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/1-10-twitter-accounts-fake-say-researchers-2D11655362). Twitter, in their filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission projects only 5%.
In newsrooms across the country, there is a competition of sorts to get as many followers online as possible. Publishers compare Facebook numbers, but individual reporters are going head to head with Twitter. These raw numbers are incredibly misleading at times.
The raw numbers don't really matter - audience is what matters. Beyond that, it is the responsiveness of that audience to the message that ultimately matters. What is real, in terms of Twitter's audience, and social media in general?
For Twitter, it might be worth a quick scan of the account to see what is real. http://www.twitteraudit.com will tell you how many of the followers on your account are real.
I get the thumbs up with 94% real, though I'm now feeling the need to go out and prune that alleged 19 fake accounts on my Twitter feed.
My job is to figure out how to harness the audience of all social media, and determine how best to market the products and services of my business partners to the selected audience. The bots and fake accounts certainly make this more difficult, as I try to sell a real audience number and calculate a proper response rate and ROI for the advertiser.
The fakes are not going away. In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the marketing and media company to actively prune the dead branches of that social media tree and insure that the audience on there is as real as can be. Unfortunately, I think some companies are doing just the opposite and are seeking mass audience numbers to look good and are misrepresenting their total reach in a marketplace.
Claims vary, but the recent claim that 10% of all accounts are fake was floating out there recently (http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/1-10-twitter-accounts-fake-say-researchers-2D11655362). Twitter, in their filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission projects only 5%.
In newsrooms across the country, there is a competition of sorts to get as many followers online as possible. Publishers compare Facebook numbers, but individual reporters are going head to head with Twitter. These raw numbers are incredibly misleading at times.
The raw numbers don't really matter - audience is what matters. Beyond that, it is the responsiveness of that audience to the message that ultimately matters. What is real, in terms of Twitter's audience, and social media in general?
For Twitter, it might be worth a quick scan of the account to see what is real. http://www.twitteraudit.com will tell you how many of the followers on your account are real.
I get the thumbs up with 94% real, though I'm now feeling the need to go out and prune that alleged 19 fake accounts on my Twitter feed.
My job is to figure out how to harness the audience of all social media, and determine how best to market the products and services of my business partners to the selected audience. The bots and fake accounts certainly make this more difficult, as I try to sell a real audience number and calculate a proper response rate and ROI for the advertiser.
The fakes are not going away. In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the marketing and media company to actively prune the dead branches of that social media tree and insure that the audience on there is as real as can be. Unfortunately, I think some companies are doing just the opposite and are seeking mass audience numbers to look good and are misrepresenting their total reach in a marketplace.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Newspapers continue to change their revenue model, leaning more on consumer generated revenue
The random musical soundtrack has had a central theme: change. It started this morning with David Bowie's 70's classic "Changes", "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" from Jimmy Buffett and (for me at least) the most memorable song from the "Jerry Maguire" movie soundtrack "Secret Garden" from Bruce Springsteen. That movie is a great movie on changing how you do business, and about sales.
Then I stumbled across a great article worth sharing about the changes in the newspaper business in 2013. It is definitely worth a read: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/newspapers-time-fresh-ideas/?goback=%2Egde_157204_member_5816201666843676676#%21
2013 will go down as the year that newspaper companies aggressively went after consumer money. From raising print subscription pricing to raising pay walls, many publishers have helped their bottom line in 2013 from non-advertising sources.
That is a trend that will no doubt continue in 2014. The article for medialifemagazine.com written by Bill Cromwell estimates that one in three online newspapers are now behind a pay wall. By December 2014, I suspect that percentage will be substantially higher.
Newspaper companies are seeing some modest increases in digital revenue. Yet that money that they are bring in the digital door is not keeping up with the money lost through the traditional print door. Cromwell suggests that for every $15 lost in print, newspapers are only gaining $1 in digital revenue. It is very hard to continue with a business model based on that revenue projection.
The revenue projection in 2014 is similar to those predicted in 2013; a decline of 8% in newspaper revenue. While I'm optimistic about beating that projection, I don't expect to see a swing to the positive. I think there will be some political advertising gains in some markets that give newspaper publishers and advertising directors a chance to close that gap.
Then I stumbled across a great article worth sharing about the changes in the newspaper business in 2013. It is definitely worth a read: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/newspapers-time-fresh-ideas/?goback=%2Egde_157204_member_5816201666843676676#%21
2013 will go down as the year that newspaper companies aggressively went after consumer money. From raising print subscription pricing to raising pay walls, many publishers have helped their bottom line in 2013 from non-advertising sources.
That is a trend that will no doubt continue in 2014. The article for medialifemagazine.com written by Bill Cromwell estimates that one in three online newspapers are now behind a pay wall. By December 2014, I suspect that percentage will be substantially higher.
Newspaper companies are seeing some modest increases in digital revenue. Yet that money that they are bring in the digital door is not keeping up with the money lost through the traditional print door. Cromwell suggests that for every $15 lost in print, newspapers are only gaining $1 in digital revenue. It is very hard to continue with a business model based on that revenue projection.
The revenue projection in 2014 is similar to those predicted in 2013; a decline of 8% in newspaper revenue. While I'm optimistic about beating that projection, I don't expect to see a swing to the positive. I think there will be some political advertising gains in some markets that give newspaper publishers and advertising directors a chance to close that gap.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Building lasting businesses and brands the way Walt Disney and Jimmy Buffett did it
Some of my earliest memories involve the worlds created by or brought to life by Walt Disney. From the epic family trip in the early 1970's, Winnie the Pooh to Mickey Mouse, like so many people these iconic places and characters are a part of my childhood memories.
The night before the arrival of my son, there was no mad dash to the store to get the latest Disney movie or stuffed animal. For me, it was a trip to the music store to purchase the Jimmy Buffett CD album of kids songs. In my adult life, the worlds and the characters brought to life by Jimmy Buffett have become iconic and a big part of my memories.
For my son, the two worlds of Disney and Buffett has blended together into his unique memory base for him to carry on. Disney and Buffett would not seem like they have much in common with one another. Disney created an idealistic view of America that is as wholesome as mom's and apple pie. Buffett wrote and sings the classic song "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw". Buffett has also expressed is opinions about Disney theme parks on stage and in his book "A Salty Piece of Land". While there are definitely things that separate them, I particularly see some great similarities in the genius of the two men; Walt Disney and Jimmy Buffett.
This past week marked Walt's 112th birthday. Jimmy's 67th birthday is coming up later this month. I look up to both of these individuals as two of the greatest marketing people ever. That is an accolade that I don't offer up to just anyone. But if you think about it, few individuals come along and transform how we act, think, spend money and do business. Disney and Buffett conquered entertainment, and then set their sights on expanding across multiple business lines.
Disney took success from a modest movie "Steamboat Willie" and created a media empire. As he liked to famously remind everyone, "It all started with a mouse". Thanks to the mouse, his company created a multi-billion dollar company of movies, music, TV shows (and later networks), radio stations (and later networks), toys, theme parks, hotels, resorts, cruise ships, restaurants and so on.
Buffett's first hit song was actually "Come Monday", but it was the classic "Margaritaville" that started as the basis for his empire. His first restaurant, ironically at rival theme park Universal Studios in Orlando has launched into a restaurant chain across the world. Additionally, Buffett's influence can be found in a string of best selling books, movies, resorts, casinos, clothing and a full line of food and liquor products to just name a few things.
Both of these artists are very talented. But I could name you a lot of other artists that are more talented than these two. Certainly, there is a certain amount of luck that both experienced over the years. Buffett details in song several instances where he had to steal food to survive during his lean years. Disney's story similarly shows how he struggled to make payroll during those early years.
As I reflect on these two, there are several areas that I think tells the tale as to how they survived. Among them are:
The night before the arrival of my son, there was no mad dash to the store to get the latest Disney movie or stuffed animal. For me, it was a trip to the music store to purchase the Jimmy Buffett CD album of kids songs. In my adult life, the worlds and the characters brought to life by Jimmy Buffett have become iconic and a big part of my memories.
For my son, the two worlds of Disney and Buffett has blended together into his unique memory base for him to carry on. Disney and Buffett would not seem like they have much in common with one another. Disney created an idealistic view of America that is as wholesome as mom's and apple pie. Buffett wrote and sings the classic song "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw". Buffett has also expressed is opinions about Disney theme parks on stage and in his book "A Salty Piece of Land". While there are definitely things that separate them, I particularly see some great similarities in the genius of the two men; Walt Disney and Jimmy Buffett.
This past week marked Walt's 112th birthday. Jimmy's 67th birthday is coming up later this month. I look up to both of these individuals as two of the greatest marketing people ever. That is an accolade that I don't offer up to just anyone. But if you think about it, few individuals come along and transform how we act, think, spend money and do business. Disney and Buffett conquered entertainment, and then set their sights on expanding across multiple business lines.
Disney took success from a modest movie "Steamboat Willie" and created a media empire. As he liked to famously remind everyone, "It all started with a mouse". Thanks to the mouse, his company created a multi-billion dollar company of movies, music, TV shows (and later networks), radio stations (and later networks), toys, theme parks, hotels, resorts, cruise ships, restaurants and so on.
Buffett's first hit song was actually "Come Monday", but it was the classic "Margaritaville" that started as the basis for his empire. His first restaurant, ironically at rival theme park Universal Studios in Orlando has launched into a restaurant chain across the world. Additionally, Buffett's influence can be found in a string of best selling books, movies, resorts, casinos, clothing and a full line of food and liquor products to just name a few things.
Both of these artists are very talented. But I could name you a lot of other artists that are more talented than these two. Certainly, there is a certain amount of luck that both experienced over the years. Buffett details in song several instances where he had to steal food to survive during his lean years. Disney's story similarly shows how he struggled to make payroll during those early years.
As I reflect on these two, there are several areas that I think tells the tale as to how they survived. Among them are:
- Focus on the customer / fan
- Persistence in the face of adversity with a huge work ethic to back it up
- Surrounding themselves with the best available talent
Go to a Disney theme park, and the vision of Walt Disney is still there. Commercialize has tainted some of it, perhaps, but you don't walk away from a Disney experience feeling like you are no appreciated. I had a professor at Butler University talk about the Disney experience for customer service. She talked about the expectations of Disney 'cast members' -- they don't have employees. If a cast member is having a bad day, they are reminded that they have to fake it, because to the visitors of the parks, this is the happiest place on earth. The customer experience is also very strong with Buffett's operations. He has taken the concept of a beach party on the road for over 40 years, and wants to make sure every concert goer walks away with a smile. The same is true at his restaurant / casino operations.
Woody Allen said that "80% of success is showing up." Too many people quite when things get tough, and it would have been easy for either of these two to do just that. Even more would have taken the initial success and said that was enough. Neither of these two would settle for that. Buffett and Disney each struggled to find any amount of success, both having paid their dues to rise up. Each had modest initial success and could have been content to leave it at that, but both risk it all to claim the big prize. Disney would have been consider successful producing animated movies, and Buffett could have made a good living as only a singer/songwriter. Each had a work ethic and drive that would not settle for a little success. To be a big success, you have to be willing to work tirelessly and risk big.
Genius, no matter how big a genius needs other people. Disney surrounded himself with some of the best animators and storytellers he could find. Buffett from his early days to today has worked with some of the best musicians and songwriters in the music business. Collectively, those groups were smarter than the individuals within it.
Disney has been gone for decades; Buffett is now approaching 70 years old. The brands that they have created have and will outlive their existence on earth. But what a great legacy they both have that have become a part of the fabric of America. Diverse entities from very different people, but enough similarities that I think business operators and visionaries can review and learn much from each.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Cyber-Monday was a very mobile shopping day for retailers
In case you weren't convinced of the seismic shift to mobile, then perhaps the latest stats from Cyber-Monday can convince you.
Cyber-Monday sales were up year over year 18%, which is a great number for retailers. That is especially good given some of the so-so results reported from Black Friday and the weekend sales.
As for the mobile transformation, the Cyber-Monday numbers had two strong mobile stats driving the success. First off, roughly one in three purchases were made on a mobile device. That is a great stat that marketers need to remind retailers that have yet to create mobile friendly websites with e-commerce capabilities.
The other interesting stat from Monday was reported on Fox Business today. The cable business channel reported that Target announced that 20% of their Cyber-Monday sales were for Apple's Ipads. While other tablets are making headway in the market, the Ipad is still king (or is it a queen?).
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2013/12/03/cyber-monday-sets-new-online-sales-record/
Cyber-Monday sales were up year over year 18%, which is a great number for retailers. That is especially good given some of the so-so results reported from Black Friday and the weekend sales.
As for the mobile transformation, the Cyber-Monday numbers had two strong mobile stats driving the success. First off, roughly one in three purchases were made on a mobile device. That is a great stat that marketers need to remind retailers that have yet to create mobile friendly websites with e-commerce capabilities.
The other interesting stat from Monday was reported on Fox Business today. The cable business channel reported that Target announced that 20% of their Cyber-Monday sales were for Apple's Ipads. While other tablets are making headway in the market, the Ipad is still king (or is it a queen?).
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2013/12/03/cyber-monday-sets-new-online-sales-record/
Sunday, December 1, 2013
How a professional basketball team has discovered the value of customer service 'the Disney Way"
It use to be that if you called a business a "Mickey Mouse operation" it was an insult. But today, it is a compliment and a sign that the organization is trying to create something special.
I'm not a terribly big NBA fan, which is odd living in Indiana where basketball is king. I am happy that the hometown team is now 15-1, and off to their best start ever. But even more impressive to me is news this past week that the Indiana Pacers have announced that they have contracted with the Disney Institute to help improve their operation; specifically their customer service.
http://www.ibj.com/pacers-hire-disney-to-help-upgrade-customer-service/PARAMS/article/44738
There is no budget in place for most businesses to bring Disney in to help. But look at the focus points on the info graphic; there is no secret sauce there! Creating the culture and training the staff for the results you want takes time but doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.
Every organization needs to take pause, and determine how best to serve guests / customers. Nothing is more important! And nothing else will fix things if that is not happening. You cannot grow and hit long term goals if you and your staff is not taking care of the customer.
Creating VIP experiences needs to be the norm. You can see this in action at a theme park in Florida, an NBA game in Indiana and maybe the store down the street. Even the church I've started attending has taken this approach to heart.
My first visit to the church started with me turning my car's blinkers on as I approached the building. They wanted to know that I was new, and the sign as your turned in gave that instruction. From there, it was an exercise in customer service. Being called by name by everyone, given a gift, follow up after the visit that was superb. Nordstrom's, and Disney would be proud. Extreme?--you might think that, but my church and Disney understand the same thing.
The value of a positive experience as it relates to word of mouth advertising, and the value of a lifetime customer.
I'm not a terribly big NBA fan, which is odd living in Indiana where basketball is king. I am happy that the hometown team is now 15-1, and off to their best start ever. But even more impressive to me is news this past week that the Indiana Pacers have announced that they have contracted with the Disney Institute to help improve their operation; specifically their customer service.
http://www.ibj.com/pacers-hire-disney-to-help-upgrade-customer-service/PARAMS/article/44738
There is no budget in place for most businesses to bring Disney in to help. But look at the focus points on the info graphic; there is no secret sauce there! Creating the culture and training the staff for the results you want takes time but doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.
Every organization needs to take pause, and determine how best to serve guests / customers. Nothing is more important! And nothing else will fix things if that is not happening. You cannot grow and hit long term goals if you and your staff is not taking care of the customer.
Creating VIP experiences needs to be the norm. You can see this in action at a theme park in Florida, an NBA game in Indiana and maybe the store down the street. Even the church I've started attending has taken this approach to heart.
My first visit to the church started with me turning my car's blinkers on as I approached the building. They wanted to know that I was new, and the sign as your turned in gave that instruction. From there, it was an exercise in customer service. Being called by name by everyone, given a gift, follow up after the visit that was superb. Nordstrom's, and Disney would be proud. Extreme?--you might think that, but my church and Disney understand the same thing.
The value of a positive experience as it relates to word of mouth advertising, and the value of a lifetime customer.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Funny and creative advertising does not mean it is effective advertising
For many years, the Monday morning sales meeting with my advertising staff following the Super Bowl has consisted of a review of the ads from the previous night. As expected, some ring clear and true to the staff while others are already forgotten 12 hours later.
Funny, creative copy does not necessarily mean effective advertising. I came across this article this afternoon that discussed the Advertising Benchmark Index for TV ads. Fascinating research, and an article worth a quick read
http://mashable.com/2013/11/26/ad-recall-metrics/#!
Funny, creative copy does not necessarily mean effective advertising. I came across this article this afternoon that discussed the Advertising Benchmark Index for TV ads. Fascinating research, and an article worth a quick read
http://mashable.com/2013/11/26/ad-recall-metrics/#!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
152 year old newspaper could be the next victim of a changing reader and tight economy
Tough times continue for print media. A story broke today that the 152 year old Stars and Stripes newspaper could be on the chopping block. Ironically, it was the newspaper that broke the story about its possible demise.
For me, this poses a bit of a conflict. As a traditionalist and self-professed champion of the print media, I hate to see this being considered. But as a fiscal conservative, I think it might be time to rethink this outlet for our military personnel across the globe.
The government subsidizes the publication about $7.4 million annually. That is enough of a line item on a budget to be reviewed. The publication is published in print Monday - Thursday, with a special weekend edition for Europe and the Pacific Friday - Sunday. The Stars and Stripes claims over 200,000 readers daily.
When I was thinking about the necessity of a printed edition, I was imagining soldiers at or near front lines who might not have internet access to view a digital version. That vision I have probably does happen, but I'm willing to bet not terribly often. Front line posts for our military often times have Subway Restaurants, so I have to believe internet access is like available some or even most of the time.
It is vitally important to keep The Stars and Stripes around. It does provide a connection for our soldiers that I believe to be necessary. It is simply time to move forward in a different approach and evolve as the industry evolves. Trying to serve a global market is difficult to do in print seven days a week.
Perhaps a weekly print edition of The Stars and Stripes and a beefed up www.stripes.com is the answer? For fiscal year 2013, the website reportedly had nearly 36 million page views while serving over 9 million unique visitors.
Full details on the story and a brief history of The Stars and Stripes can be found at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/26/stars-and-stripes-forever-pentagon-may-fold-historic-newspaper/
For me, this poses a bit of a conflict. As a traditionalist and self-professed champion of the print media, I hate to see this being considered. But as a fiscal conservative, I think it might be time to rethink this outlet for our military personnel across the globe.
The government subsidizes the publication about $7.4 million annually. That is enough of a line item on a budget to be reviewed. The publication is published in print Monday - Thursday, with a special weekend edition for Europe and the Pacific Friday - Sunday. The Stars and Stripes claims over 200,000 readers daily.
When I was thinking about the necessity of a printed edition, I was imagining soldiers at or near front lines who might not have internet access to view a digital version. That vision I have probably does happen, but I'm willing to bet not terribly often. Front line posts for our military often times have Subway Restaurants, so I have to believe internet access is like available some or even most of the time.
It is vitally important to keep The Stars and Stripes around. It does provide a connection for our soldiers that I believe to be necessary. It is simply time to move forward in a different approach and evolve as the industry evolves. Trying to serve a global market is difficult to do in print seven days a week.
Perhaps a weekly print edition of The Stars and Stripes and a beefed up www.stripes.com is the answer? For fiscal year 2013, the website reportedly had nearly 36 million page views while serving over 9 million unique visitors.
Full details on the story and a brief history of The Stars and Stripes can be found at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/26/stars-and-stripes-forever-pentagon-may-fold-historic-newspaper/
Champion the cause of locally owned businesses with Small Business Saturday
Has Black Friday lost some of its edge? From my observations, I think perhaps the single day known as Black Friday has lost some luster. More and more retailers are offering Black Friday pricing well in advance of the day.
Yesterday, I had to purchase my dog a new dog collar. At the check out, I was offered a copy of the national pet retailer's insert and advice from the lady that I should wait and make the purchase on Friday when the dog collar I picked up was $8 cheaper. Unfortunately for me, the dog needed the collar yesterday so I made the purchase.
Such a tip off even a couple years ago about the details of their Black Friday insert and special pricing would have been unheard of, and yet it happened a couple times this week. I suppose it should be a surprise since many retailers have caved in and posted their inserts online. Plus there are several Black Friday websites and apps that cater to those who can't wait until their Thanksgiving paper arrives.
Personally, I'm more excited about Saturday than I am Friday regarding shopping. Kudos to American Express who created Small Business Saturday in 2010 to help small and medium businesses across the country. Sure it also helps them but to their credit, they have done a great job of champion a cause that is very under-represented.
In my community, I became a community organizer of sorts helping to sign up participating businesses as well as running promotions through traditional and digital media outlets. In a local news story, it was reported that over 200 businesses were signed up in my community of about 130,000 people.
Yesterday, I had to purchase my dog a new dog collar. At the check out, I was offered a copy of the national pet retailer's insert and advice from the lady that I should wait and make the purchase on Friday when the dog collar I picked up was $8 cheaper. Unfortunately for me, the dog needed the collar yesterday so I made the purchase.
Such a tip off even a couple years ago about the details of their Black Friday insert and special pricing would have been unheard of, and yet it happened a couple times this week. I suppose it should be a surprise since many retailers have caved in and posted their inserts online. Plus there are several Black Friday websites and apps that cater to those who can't wait until their Thanksgiving paper arrives.
Personally, I'm more excited about Saturday than I am Friday regarding shopping. Kudos to American Express who created Small Business Saturday in 2010 to help small and medium businesses across the country. Sure it also helps them but to their credit, they have done a great job of champion a cause that is very under-represented.
In my community, I became a community organizer of sorts helping to sign up participating businesses as well as running promotions through traditional and digital media outlets. In a local news story, it was reported that over 200 businesses were signed up in my community of about 130,000 people.
Social media like Facebook and Twitter have seen lots of posts, which you can use to see what is happening in your local market. #ShopSmall is the key word for Small Business Saturday, taking place this Saturday across the country.
In addition to helping out locally owned businesses, you have a chance to pad your own wallet if you use your American Express Card. In the past, social media Four Square also offers bonus opportunities to save money through your American Express Card. For details on the entire project, a list of businesses in your community and how you can save some money, check out: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small/
Friday, November 22, 2013
Traditional publishers must talk with their audience through social media and not to their audience
Business guru Tom Peters has been someone I've looked to for inspiration for a number of years. He wrote that if you want to achieve excellence in your organization, you simply start being excellent. To steal a phrase from Nike, "Just do it!"
Traditional media outlets need to take that advise regarding their digital strategy. If you want to create a digital strategy that helps you grow your audience, revenue and positioning for the future, then you simply start doing it. Unfortunately, all too frequently that is not happening.
Former Patch.com employee, long time friend and now digital publisher Matt Schroeder has shared with me some of the ways he engages audience through social media and how that directly impacts page views on his website. His tactics are far from rocket science, yet the results are quite tangible.
Yet newsroom scoff at the suggestion of social media interaction, and stick with plastering story headlines on Twitter and Facebook feeds. While posting stories to gain interest is a part of the strategy, too many times newsrooms post enough of the story that the person seeing the headline has no need to click on the story and visit the site for full details. This is a headline world, and newsroom gave enough of a story overview that the engagement ends right then.
To harness the power of social media, the newsroom will have to put aside traditional journalism tactics. The key word in social media is SOCIAL. The audience wants to be spoken with, not to. I came across an amazing stat last weekend, saying that 57% of people today talk more to people online that in person. That stat is even higher if you only focus on younger demographics.
Traditional media outlets need to take that advise regarding their digital strategy. If you want to create a digital strategy that helps you grow your audience, revenue and positioning for the future, then you simply start doing it. Unfortunately, all too frequently that is not happening.
Former Patch.com employee, long time friend and now digital publisher Matt Schroeder has shared with me some of the ways he engages audience through social media and how that directly impacts page views on his website. His tactics are far from rocket science, yet the results are quite tangible.
Yet newsroom scoff at the suggestion of social media interaction, and stick with plastering story headlines on Twitter and Facebook feeds. While posting stories to gain interest is a part of the strategy, too many times newsrooms post enough of the story that the person seeing the headline has no need to click on the story and visit the site for full details. This is a headline world, and newsroom gave enough of a story overview that the engagement ends right then.
To harness the power of social media, the newsroom will have to put aside traditional journalism tactics. The key word in social media is SOCIAL. The audience wants to be spoken with, not to. I came across an amazing stat last weekend, saying that 57% of people today talk more to people online that in person. That stat is even higher if you only focus on younger demographics.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Google's gmail proves to be very difficult for email marketing companies
Black Friday is just over a week away, but you might never know it. Amazing how the digital age is changing shopping patterns, with more and more people going online now and making those after holiday buys now. Digital shopping continues to make changes throughout the business world.
The Wall Street Journal has had articles in the past few days about how the life of a car salesman is significantly different now, as digital platforms such as Cars.com change how we approach making that purchase. Businesses are changing their view on the need for high traffic / high rent facilities as more revenue gets generated away from brick and mortar structures.
Even digital first platforms are facing change as the digital age evolves. I've mentioned my love affair (insert sarcasm here) with the new Google gmail tab system. Google now offers three areas for your email to be filtered to: primary, social and promotional.
Before the new system, all email was filtered into one folder and the end user had to sort through the offerings. As a person that just doesn't give out my email all that often, this system doesn't seem like a problem. But some people sign up for things all the time, and get flooded each day with dozens-even hundreds of emails from social media websites and from sites trying to sell you something.
As predicted, the promotional tab is proving to be a deserted street. There is a report out today that shows that less than 0.1% of email that lands in that part of gmail ever gets out of that tab. This filtering system is proving to be very difficult for email marketing companies such as Groupon.
Full details on that story can be found at: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/11/20/few-users-move-promotional-gmails/?KEYWORDS=gmail
Groupon continues to struggle, and in front of the holiday shopping season has started offering special offers to purchase from them. I've received two in recent days, including a $10 coupon this morning trying to get me back on the active roll of users.
The Wall Street Journal has had articles in the past few days about how the life of a car salesman is significantly different now, as digital platforms such as Cars.com change how we approach making that purchase. Businesses are changing their view on the need for high traffic / high rent facilities as more revenue gets generated away from brick and mortar structures.
Even digital first platforms are facing change as the digital age evolves. I've mentioned my love affair (insert sarcasm here) with the new Google gmail tab system. Google now offers three areas for your email to be filtered to: primary, social and promotional.
Before the new system, all email was filtered into one folder and the end user had to sort through the offerings. As a person that just doesn't give out my email all that often, this system doesn't seem like a problem. But some people sign up for things all the time, and get flooded each day with dozens-even hundreds of emails from social media websites and from sites trying to sell you something.
As predicted, the promotional tab is proving to be a deserted street. There is a report out today that shows that less than 0.1% of email that lands in that part of gmail ever gets out of that tab. This filtering system is proving to be very difficult for email marketing companies such as Groupon.
Full details on that story can be found at: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/11/20/few-users-move-promotional-gmails/?KEYWORDS=gmail
Groupon continues to struggle, and in front of the holiday shopping season has started offering special offers to purchase from them. I've received two in recent days, including a $10 coupon this morning trying to get me back on the active roll of users.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
When creativity and good copy writing create good advertising copy
I came across the latest Foot Locker ad copy from a friend's post on Facebook. Thanks Pam Wells-Lego for dishing out a breath of fresh air in advertising copy writing and humor.
A lot has been said recently about the latest K-Mart ads for the holiday season. And while their Joe Boxer ad is cute, seeing Mike Tyson hugging Evander Holyfield takes the cake. Don't you just love it when the advertiser allows creative ideas to flow through into a marketing project?
Talking lizards, cavemen and Old McDonald are good, and even some times great. Add to that list the latest from Foot Locker....and all is suddenly right with the world!
Check it out for yourself:
http://adage.com/article/news/tyson-returns-holyfield-s-ear-foot-locker-spot/245336/
A lot has been said recently about the latest K-Mart ads for the holiday season. And while their Joe Boxer ad is cute, seeing Mike Tyson hugging Evander Holyfield takes the cake. Don't you just love it when the advertiser allows creative ideas to flow through into a marketing project?
Talking lizards, cavemen and Old McDonald are good, and even some times great. Add to that list the latest from Foot Locker....and all is suddenly right with the world!
Check it out for yourself:
http://adage.com/article/news/tyson-returns-holyfield-s-ear-foot-locker-spot/245336/
Monday, November 11, 2013
Googles new email platform takes a bite out of daily deals company Groupon
I started my Google mail account several years ago out of necessity, having purchased a Droid phone. Fast forward to today, and I use that account daily for a variety of reasons online including this blog. While I'm generally not afraid of change in my life, the changes Google made a few months ago to platform did not thrill me.
To their credit, Google was able to create a new revenue source with the new Google email ads on the promotional tab. But the three tab approach, primary-social-promotional, seems like a layer that I could easily do without. Apparently, I'm not the only one that feels this way.
Groupon, the daily deals company, would love to eliminate that promotional tab as well. Since implementation, Groupon has seen a decline in click throughs and thus profits. While their revenue was up, 4.7% during the reporting period, they reported a deficit of $2.58 million in income.
Of note to me also is the fact that Groupon now only gets 40% of its revenue through email campaigns. To their credit, they have diversified what they are doing as a marketing company. Unfortunately for them, the cost of doing that business is more expensive, and thus they continue to struggle.
Groupon is still a company to watch in my mind. Having largely invented an entire marketing platform, they have good people in search of that next big thing.
To learn more about their latest earnings report, check out: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303309504579184160007333006
To their credit, Google was able to create a new revenue source with the new Google email ads on the promotional tab. But the three tab approach, primary-social-promotional, seems like a layer that I could easily do without. Apparently, I'm not the only one that feels this way.
Groupon, the daily deals company, would love to eliminate that promotional tab as well. Since implementation, Groupon has seen a decline in click throughs and thus profits. While their revenue was up, 4.7% during the reporting period, they reported a deficit of $2.58 million in income.
Of note to me also is the fact that Groupon now only gets 40% of its revenue through email campaigns. To their credit, they have diversified what they are doing as a marketing company. Unfortunately for them, the cost of doing that business is more expensive, and thus they continue to struggle.
Groupon is still a company to watch in my mind. Having largely invented an entire marketing platform, they have good people in search of that next big thing.
To learn more about their latest earnings report, check out: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303309504579184160007333006
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Do you know a not-for-profit organization in need of marketing help? Google is offering $10K per month to them to help promote
It is funny how life points you in directions you never expected. In my younger days, I would have never guessed I'd be a champion for adoption of minority children with special needs. Having adopted a minority child who turned out to have special needs, I'm now an advocate.
Many of us have developed passions to help out those less fortunate than us, or those that are just going through a tough patch in life. Through marketing, I've been able to help out some great charities through my money, my talents and my time. Perhaps you have been fortunate enough to do the same, and for that I thank and congratulate you.
One of the biggest needs non-profits have beside more money and more volunteers is more awareness in the communities they serve. In fact, a higher awareness would help with their money and volunteer needs. Non-profits are struggling to keep their doors open, so a marketing budget is often times only a dream; or even more likely not even on the radar. But there is help, and you can help spread the word.
Google has put in place a grant program for most 501 (c) 3 non-profits, giving them $10,000 PER MONTH in marketing dollars to be used on the Google platforms for key words and such. These key words can be used for fund raising, getting volunteers, seeking out people who need services and general outreach. The qualifications are minimal for this program, and renews with ease for the qualified not-for-profit.
Details on the program can be found at http://www.google.com/grants/. I'm on a few boards, and have made sure all the organizations I'm associated with know about this program. I encourage you to do the same, and help spread the word of this great program from Google, and spread the word of your local 501 (c) 3 organization.
A number of marketing groups, such as the American Advertising Federation does a lot of pro bono work with agencies in their market, helping them create a marketing program to raise awareness of these worthy organizations. It is easy to find the needs for helping with marketing for these groups, but finding the media to use can prove difficult. With Google Grants, budget it not a problem. In fact, on average non-profits are only using $331 of the $10,000 grant each month.
There is plenty of budget and opportunity available. We are marketing professionals need to make sure we're making them aware of this program, and helping them take advantage.
Many of us have developed passions to help out those less fortunate than us, or those that are just going through a tough patch in life. Through marketing, I've been able to help out some great charities through my money, my talents and my time. Perhaps you have been fortunate enough to do the same, and for that I thank and congratulate you.
One of the biggest needs non-profits have beside more money and more volunteers is more awareness in the communities they serve. In fact, a higher awareness would help with their money and volunteer needs. Non-profits are struggling to keep their doors open, so a marketing budget is often times only a dream; or even more likely not even on the radar. But there is help, and you can help spread the word.
Google has put in place a grant program for most 501 (c) 3 non-profits, giving them $10,000 PER MONTH in marketing dollars to be used on the Google platforms for key words and such. These key words can be used for fund raising, getting volunteers, seeking out people who need services and general outreach. The qualifications are minimal for this program, and renews with ease for the qualified not-for-profit.
Details on the program can be found at http://www.google.com/grants/. I'm on a few boards, and have made sure all the organizations I'm associated with know about this program. I encourage you to do the same, and help spread the word of this great program from Google, and spread the word of your local 501 (c) 3 organization.
A number of marketing groups, such as the American Advertising Federation does a lot of pro bono work with agencies in their market, helping them create a marketing program to raise awareness of these worthy organizations. It is easy to find the needs for helping with marketing for these groups, but finding the media to use can prove difficult. With Google Grants, budget it not a problem. In fact, on average non-profits are only using $331 of the $10,000 grant each month.
There is plenty of budget and opportunity available. We are marketing professionals need to make sure we're making them aware of this program, and helping them take advantage.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Service industry businesses need to be on their A-game all the time because of social media outlets
The last two days have been filled with digital marketing ideas at the Local Media Association Digitial Agency Summit in Chicago. After a day full of great ideas, I decided to get out and get my fill of great Chicago food.
I ended up at Five Roses Pub in Rosemont, where they were really full. But their manager, John, found a table and squeezed me in. They were full, but John found a way to serve the customer. Now John has no idea that I've been fully submerged in social media ideas the previous 48 hours, and that I use Foursquare and leave the ocassional review.
Bringing this back to social media, it got me thinking about restaurants and in fact any service industry. In the movies, the employees would all go crazy when a food critic from the local newspaper showed up to do a review at the restaurant. On the big screen, they all knew the critic and would fawn all over him / her to make sure they had the very best experience possible.
With the advent of social media, we're all critics. We have access to a number of communication channels to convey good and bad news. My trip to Five Roses Pub can easily be reviewed on my cell phone through Foursquare, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, this blog and so many more.
Restaurants have to be on their A-game everyday, not just when the local food critic shows up for the review. The review is happening all the time your doors are open. Marketers have to work with service industry customers to get them engaged with these audiences; responding to the good and bad posts. After all, 83% of U.S. consumers consult the web for research before visiting a brick and mortar store.
I ended up at Five Roses Pub in Rosemont, where they were really full. But their manager, John, found a table and squeezed me in. They were full, but John found a way to serve the customer. Now John has no idea that I've been fully submerged in social media ideas the previous 48 hours, and that I use Foursquare and leave the ocassional review.
Bringing this back to social media, it got me thinking about restaurants and in fact any service industry. In the movies, the employees would all go crazy when a food critic from the local newspaper showed up to do a review at the restaurant. On the big screen, they all knew the critic and would fawn all over him / her to make sure they had the very best experience possible.
With the advent of social media, we're all critics. We have access to a number of communication channels to convey good and bad news. My trip to Five Roses Pub can easily be reviewed on my cell phone through Foursquare, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, this blog and so many more.
Restaurants have to be on their A-game everyday, not just when the local food critic shows up for the review. The review is happening all the time your doors are open. Marketers have to work with service industry customers to get them engaged with these audiences; responding to the good and bad posts. After all, 83% of U.S. consumers consult the web for research before visiting a brick and mortar store.
Newspapers need to develop a formal social media strategy to harness the power of Twitter and Facebook
Headlines this week showed just how strong social media is for the consumption of news. Not a surprise is that people, including me in a traditional media profession, do not wait until the 6 p.m. news or the morning paper to see what happened.
Some studies recently show that the first thing people do in the morning is check their phone for email, social media, text, etc. Count me as one of them as well. That might be a sad realization in terms of how we act in the 21st century, but it is the reality; my reality and probably yours as well.
The Wall Street Journal had a blog post this week showing a survey about how consumers are getting and consuming their news. In the article, 10% of people get their news from Twitter. Facebook garnered 30% of the audience as the local news source.
While this shows the fractured habits of consumers, I believe it is great news for newspapers. The survey did not specify, but I'm pretty sure that 10% and 30% audience is very likely getting a newspaper feed on Twitter and Facebook.
Newspaper publishers have not always wanted to offer their content through these feeds, but I believe they must do this to reach their local audience. A Twitter or Facebook feed will feed back to the core site, if you have a good social media strategy and are offering good, interesting content.
In September, newspapers online had a record crowd. Using Twitter and Facebook can help grow that even more. But it isn't just a matter of posting stories; it must be an engagement with the audience. And if the local newspaper doesn't do this.....someone else will.
Full details on the Wall Street Journal article can be found at: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/11/05/pew-nearly-1-in-10-americans-get-news-on-twitter/?mod=e2fb
Some studies recently show that the first thing people do in the morning is check their phone for email, social media, text, etc. Count me as one of them as well. That might be a sad realization in terms of how we act in the 21st century, but it is the reality; my reality and probably yours as well.
The Wall Street Journal had a blog post this week showing a survey about how consumers are getting and consuming their news. In the article, 10% of people get their news from Twitter. Facebook garnered 30% of the audience as the local news source.
While this shows the fractured habits of consumers, I believe it is great news for newspapers. The survey did not specify, but I'm pretty sure that 10% and 30% audience is very likely getting a newspaper feed on Twitter and Facebook.
Newspaper publishers have not always wanted to offer their content through these feeds, but I believe they must do this to reach their local audience. A Twitter or Facebook feed will feed back to the core site, if you have a good social media strategy and are offering good, interesting content.
In September, newspapers online had a record crowd. Using Twitter and Facebook can help grow that even more. But it isn't just a matter of posting stories; it must be an engagement with the audience. And if the local newspaper doesn't do this.....someone else will.
Full details on the Wall Street Journal article can be found at: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/11/05/pew-nearly-1-in-10-americans-get-news-on-twitter/?mod=e2fb
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Baseball needs to start marketing to that next generation before it is too late
The World Series just ended a couple days ago. In fact, as I write this, I'm watching the victory parade for the Red Sox. As an avid Red Sox fan, the World Series had an obvious favorable outcome. But while I celebrate the results on the field, I have some real concerns about the future of the game I love.
As a baseball player, I'm old. When Tim Wakefield retired two years ago, there no longer were major league players older than me active. But as a baseball fan, I'm young; and that is a concern.
Major League Baseball will tout the increase in viewership, up almost 12% from last year's series. The increase of viewers is likely more about it being a Cardinal / Red Sox series, with both franchises having large, dedicated fan bases. But that next level of information shows the future of the game, if things don't change. According to Nielsen, the average age of a World Series viewer was 54.4 years old. The next generation is just not there; only 4.3% of the TV audience was between 6 and 17 years old.
I'm a hardcore fan of the Red Sox, yet I struggled to stay awake on some of the nights. Most all of the games were ending around 12 a.m. EDT. The youth, all of who need to go to school the next morning, are simply being shut out of their chance to fall in love with the greatest game invented.
The games start later because of the TV contract with Fox, and I understand that if Fox pays that kind of money they get a say in the schedule. But a simple business rule is you cannot sacrifice long term success for a short term gain, and that is what I believe is happening.
There are a couple things MLB can do to start positioning the game to romance that next generation of viewers.
The World Series just ended a couple days ago. In fact, as I write this, I'm watching the victory parade for the Red Sox. As an avid Red Sox fan, the World Series had an obvious favorable outcome. But while I celebrate the results on the field, I have some real concerns about the future of the game I love.
As a baseball player, I'm old. When Tim Wakefield retired two years ago, there no longer were major league players older than me active. But as a baseball fan, I'm young; and that is a concern.
Major League Baseball will tout the increase in viewership, up almost 12% from last year's series. The increase of viewers is likely more about it being a Cardinal / Red Sox series, with both franchises having large, dedicated fan bases. But that next level of information shows the future of the game, if things don't change. According to Nielsen, the average age of a World Series viewer was 54.4 years old. The next generation is just not there; only 4.3% of the TV audience was between 6 and 17 years old.
I'm a hardcore fan of the Red Sox, yet I struggled to stay awake on some of the nights. Most all of the games were ending around 12 a.m. EDT. The youth, all of who need to go to school the next morning, are simply being shut out of their chance to fall in love with the greatest game invented.
The games start later because of the TV contract with Fox, and I understand that if Fox pays that kind of money they get a say in the schedule. But a simple business rule is you cannot sacrifice long term success for a short term gain, and that is what I believe is happening.
There are a couple things MLB can do to start positioning the game to romance that next generation of viewers.
- I would prefer a 7 p.m. EDT start time for weeknight games. But even a 7:30 p.m. start time instead of the 8:07 time we had this year would give more opportunity for a younger audience to watch.
- How about a 4 p.m. Saturday game during the series? The last World Series game played during the day was in 1987.
Both of those suggestions might involve a concession with Fox, TBS and ESPN for some broadcast rights fees. But I would view that as an investment in the future of the game; an investment in the next generation of season ticket holders and TV viewers.
The Wall Street Journal and Forbes both had excellent coverage on this topic. You can see those articles at:
Random thoughts with a marketing and media twist
The marketing world is changing so quickly. I remember making the decision to leave radio and journey back into newspaper, seeking a more stable industry. Twenty plus years ago, that was a good decision. Today, traditional media is seeing paradigm shifts seemingly daily, and nothing is truly stable any more; and may never be again.This blog is a storage unit on the information super highway. As I see cool or unique ideas or stories for all media--traditional or the new digital frontier, this is where I will store it, and keep it as a reference for me and perhaps others too.
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