Wow..a lots changed in five years. Think about it. Five years ago we only used our mobile phones to call or text people, were still missing the best bits on the telly when the Mother in law called and still shopping in Woolworths on a Saturday. Yep..a lot has changed.
I got thinking about this as I sat reading an article in themarketer about Kevin Roberts of Saatchi & Saatchi and his Lovemarks this morning. I’ve been a long-term admirer of Roberts. I thought Peak Performance, his book studying peak performing sports teams and applying the lessons learnt to business was inspirational. I thought Lovemarks when they were first unveiled four or five years ago sensational. But as I read the article this morning, I just started to think about how much had changed in the world of marketing and brands.
Lovemarks, Roberts explains, is about achieving the elixir of marketing - loyalty beyond reason. He says Lovemarks are brands that invest in three things – mystery, sensuality and intimacy. That they build connections with consumers beyond their function, afterall he says, most brands today deliver pretty much the same.
Five years on, I find it fascinating that the advertising industry is still seeing consumer loyalty as a brands goal. Research has now proven beyond doubt that the translation of that loyalty into active recommendation (consumer advocacy) must be the target.
Is this just semantics? Absolutely not. Roberts suggests for example that brands should attach a little bit of mystery to their brand “the more you know about something the less interesting it is”. From an advocacy perspective this is absolutely wrong. Loads of evidence shows that consumers want to get more involved in brands, they want to see behind the advertising facade, they want to look in the eyes of those marketing their favourite marshmallows.
I could go on, but I won’t. Things have changed. “Lovemarks” need to be replaced by “Remarkables”…..and I no longer want my son to grow up to be an Investment banker!
So, what’s 2010 going to look like? There seem to be many different views around at the moment. This chart is from the Nationwide Consumer Confidence survey. It shows growing confidence among UK consumers up to November, then a drop off into Xmas. This is probably driven by concerns about VAT increases and a growing understanding of what we have to do to pay off our Christmas debts!
We had a family outing to the Cinema yesterday to see Avatar, the first film Directed by James Cameron since Titanic and on track to gross more than £1 billion in box office receipts (one of only five films ever).
“It’s an amazing film. If you see one film this holiday go and see this one”. “It’s brilliant, I’m honestly going to find time to see it again” Not my words, but the words of my brother-in-law and then my sister.
I must admit, I hadn’t heard of the film until this point (I know, I must have been on planet Mars). His enthusiasm did make me think I should. When my sister then spontaneously spoke about it on New Years Day, I knew I just had to book tickets there and then. We saw the film the following day.
It’s and interesting example of the additive effect of word of mouth advocacy. Clearly in the case of films it takes two positive endorsements to get me into a Cinema seat. But, how many does it take to get someone to change a mobile phone brand, change their choice of beer or open up a new bank account? Even more interesting … how do you stimulate this effect when you don’t have James Cameron directing your output?
More on all of this in 2010, the year of Brand Advocacy…and clearly of Avatar too!
Happy New Year! If you are thinking of hitting the January sales, check out Shoptogether. A US based service that allows shoppers to compare notes on potential purchases. They claim 25% more items are put in shopping carts, 50% higher order value and 400% more time spent on site.
Excuse the title, but my last post seemed to grab your attention!
I often talk about the story of a large UK consumer brand that was created in the 1960’s by a well-known London advertising agency. It was developed in the day where you could get away with listening to consumer needs and then designing your communication programme around them, almost regardless of the product itself. Sounds bizarre, but hang on a moment, do the brands of beer, cakes, sauces, cereals you buy today really live up to their advertising? Are they really sourced, crafted and loved in the way their advertising suggests? If you are brand owner, are you really convinced that your staff are your strongest advocates? In our more informed and less trusting world…isn’t this the future of modern marketing?
Excuse the dramatic title… I was simply trying to grab your attention!
Engagement is the name of the game in communications today. As a brand owner, thinking about how you hold the attention of the crowd long enough to get your message across is one of the most important things you have to do. ..right? So why continue to invest so much in TV advertising, a medium as blunt as one of my daughter’s chewed crayons?
Think about it. Your neighbours love of crochet bores the socks off of you…but to her it’s a gateway to endless hours of riveting conversation. You may both earn the same, your children may go to the same school, you may drive the same car, but frankly what she finds exciting leaves you feeling cold.
So, can you really engage broad, distracted audiences today with the same TV message? Of course you can’t (unless of you find a way of getting middle Britain to choke on it’s Cocoa …or of course design a nice cute mascot). That’s why PR is so powerful. Searching out communities, shaping relevant conversations, building the narrative over time. It’s the future…just mark my words.
I went to my first Xmas party of the year last night, meeting journalists and talking about 2009 and the year ahead. The year for many traditional publishing houses has clearly been a tough one, with the perfect storm of declining advertising revenues and declining readership as more of us turn to the internet to consume “free” news.
It was with some interest therefore that I read this morning that Google are to limit free access to online news. They have developed software that will allow publishers to limit the amount of material that we can access free.
This has got to be right for the industry. Although we have all embraced Google’s advertising sponsored free view of the world, the reality is that there is a limited pool of advertising dollars. If we want to maintain high standards of journalism,quite simply, we have to pay for them.
Alan Mitchell has written a thought-provoking piece in this weeks Marketing Magazine where he asks whether the Marketers role of influencing the consumers decision making process has actually corrupted the marketing landscape we see today. He quotes research showing that consumers trust independent online sources of information (such as search, peer review or comparisons) far more than retailers or brands. More than three-quarters of consumers (77%) say their online research has changed what they have bought; 88% say it has changed where they bought from.
He is obviously right, it has. We trust other people far more than commercial messages today and the digital world has made this first hand experience accessible to all of us. But the changes go beyond the influence of the buyer. The power and influence of independent media reviews has also been transformed in recent years. If you are thinking of buying a phone, car, holiday or even visit a restaurant, the chances are you will search out the review section in your favourite paper or magazine before you go in store (there is a reason why ”product of the year awards” are becoming such money spinners for magazines).
Some sectors, such as FMCG products, have been somewhat insulated from this revolution, but this also will soon change. As mobiles are transformed into barcode readers and new mobile review sites are created, it will only be a matter of time before even the birth place of modern marketing will have to reinvent it’s approach to market.
Watched Haye slay Valuev (dubbed David versus Goliath) last night on Sky+HD to take the world heavyweight boxing title. What a fantastic example of speed and agility winning over brute power. Throughly enjoyable.
As I sat there I must admit I wished I’d invited a few friends over to watch the fight with me. Sky are offering an incentive for people to do this at the moment and in turn help promote their HD services. Choose a complimentary movie, invite friends over and they will give you a £10 M&S voucher.
It’s a fantastic example of a brand mobilising its advocates. Existing customers and the HD experience itself have got to be the most effective way for Sky to promote its services - much more effective than relying on the traditional Goliath of TV Advertising.
Wow..a lots changed in five years. Think about it. Five years ago we only used our mobile phones to call or text people, were still missing the best bits on the telly when the Mother in law called and still shopping in Woolworths on a Saturday. Yep..a lot has changed.
Alan Mitchell has written a thought-provoking piece in this weeks 