Capstrat.com | Insight Articles

Marketing and the Art of the Dribble

tcoats@capstrat.com (Todd Coats) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:16:51 -0400

Can you imagine the game of basketball without dribbling? It seems inconceivable. But in the heady days of 1900, somehow, basketball players didn’t dribble. They could bounce the ball once, and then they had to pass. In 1901, dribbling was introduced — a full ten years after the game itself was born. Today it’s an athletic art form all its own.

So what does that have to do with anything? We mention it not just to show off some wicked Wikipedia skills, but because it’s worth remembering that rules change — sometimes in very big, sudden ways. And when they do, the game itself can change.

That’s the moment marketers are facing right now. And yes, we’re aware that every year, someone announces the “new rules” for marketers. At this point, it’s predictable and maybe even trite. But the rules really are changing that quickly. If you don’t believe us, just dig up some old marketing plans from 2007. Chances are many of them would seem relevant but incomplete today. No mobile strategy? No social media? Riiiiiiiight.

Today, seven weeks’ worth of new material is being uploaded to YouTube. More than 300 million Twitter users will tweet over 300 million times, generating more than 1.6 billion search queries. Google’s one million servers will process about 24 petabytes* of user-generated data. That’s roughly ten times the entire capacity of the human brain. Every. Single. Day. If you want to get through to users in the thick of that online storm, expect to play by some new rules. Here’s our take on the three rules that have taken on new importance today. Full disclosure: There may be more next year…month…week.

Make it portable

While it may seem like everyone in the world has already gone mobile, in reality the mobile boom isn’t close to being over. In 2009 there were 360 million mobile broadband connections. By 2015 experts expect there will be 3.4 billion. And mobile marketing works — on average, mobile campaigns return 4-6% click-through rates, which is about ten times better than Internet advertising. That’s one reason why, when we asked 1,200 digital marketers about the future of marketing technology, most indicated that mobile- and location-based marketing are the future.

Why does mobile marketing work so well? Here are a few good reasons:

It’s truly personal. Each subscriber has a unique number, unlike a shared IP address.
It’s always carried. More than half of mobile users carry their phones to bed and to the bathroom.
Mobile is permanently connected. No other media is 24/7 for most users.
Only mobile has a native payment channel. Users receive one bill, making purchases easy.
Mobile is most available at a point of impulse. We have a camera, dictation, Short Message Service (SMS) and many other resources immediately available to record, review and research.
Mobile measures audiences accurately. Advertisers have debated the effectiveness of measurements for decades. Mobile has the ability to accurately represent the actual user.
Only mobile captures the social context of our consumption. It not only tells what, when and where we consume, but with whom and how much.
More than half of adult cell phone owners used their phones while holiday shopping in 2011 to help make purchasing decisions.*

Another way to look at this revolution is that mobile devices allow us to effortlessly connect the online and offline world. Life doesn’t happen on the desktop.

That adds up to big opportunities for marketers. If you’re not baking mobility into the strategy and execution of your plans, it’s time to get with the program.

Make technology adapt like people

This isn’t just another way of saying “be flexible.” It has real, immediate implications for our work as marketers. Here’s what we mean. Consider that a few years ago the average TV screen measured 34 inches, and the average computer monitor was 17 inches. If you wanted to design in pixels, those were your targets. Today we’ve added tablets and smartphones into the mix. The iPhone has a screen size of 3.5 inches. That means we’re designing for a range of screens with 1,700% variance — starting with portable devices. That’s one example of what we mean.

In fact, this rule applies to just about every application of technology in marketing. After all, people change in real time. The technology they interact with needs to change in real time too. Do you have tools and processes in place for detecting and monitoring these changes? Twitter and Foursquare aren’t just for broadcasting — they’re for listening, too.

Imagine all of the technology that exposes customers to brands. That technology can be like your greatest salesperson as long as we design it to respond correctly. Customer says “A.” Brand responds with “B.” Customer says “P.” Brand responds with “Q, and have you thought about R?” Marketing technology should allow the customer to work less to get value. That’s how you create more nuanced, integrated experiences for your customers — the mark of a world-class brand. Which brings us to the last point.

Provide value or die

Friends tell us that advertising doesn’t really work. More specifically, they think they’re immune to advertising.

Of course, they’re wrong. Maybe that’s because they’re operating from an assumption that advertisements are trying to make them do something immediately: must … buy … more … Corny Puffs. In reality, the best advertising works in much more subtle ways. Instead of succeeding through an argument or call to action, great advertising creates positive memories and feelings that influence our behavior over time. Advertisers understand where they can add value to their audience’s lives and generate messages that reinforce that value over time. It’s not a one-shot proposition. It’s a conversation that unfolds over time.

Game on

Here’s the thing about this game: you’re playing it whether you know it or not. If you‘re not playing by these rules, well…the bench is calling. Your customers are there. Your competitors are there. The clock is ticking. And there’s a lot at stake. Be portable. Be adaptive. Be valuable. You can’t say you weren’t warned.

^{* One petabyte is equal to one quadrillion bytes or 1,000 terabytes.}

^{** Pew Research 2012, www.pewinternet.org}

On the Grid, In the Loop

ameehan@capstrat.com (Andrew Meehan) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:44:37 -0400

With power plants, resource acquisitions and infrastructure investments that produce returns of 50 years or more, no other industry has a longer strategic timeline. But many of the industry’s leaders have not thought even six months ahead when it comes to public communications plans and influencing public policy.

Now is the time to make public outreach an integral part of long term strategy.

As the United States enters its next energy production and construction cycle, an increasing number of consumer voters are engaged in the debate on national energy policy. They are knocking down the doors at public hearings on power plants. They are clamoring for more renewable energy. They are demanding justification for the high cost of investment in new energy resources.

Nuclear power provides an example of the public’s nuanced opinions on energy and the need for continuing education. Despite increasing support for emissions-free nuclear power as an alternative to coal, ratepayers are taking notice of a nuclear plant’s significant costs. They are starting to understand the concept of risk. Utilities have learned that many business-friendly legislators are not ready to support nuclear power without public buy-in on the costs. It’s up to the industry to garner that buy-in. Even the promise of thousands of new jobs in a stagnant economy has not been a magic bullet for moving new plants forward at anything but a snail’s pace.

Despite increasing support for emissions-free nuclear power as an alternative to coal, ratepayers are taking notice of a nuclear plant’s significant costs.

In contrast to the challenges faced by new power plant construction, smart grid technologies have garnered support. State level policies are giving smart grid technology the right incentives, and there is increasing competition. But are these companies effectively communicating their successes while preparing for increased scrutiny of their performance over the long term? In the height of summer 2011, there were simultaneous news stories about smart grid technology helping utilities avoid blackouts and utilities catching heat for cutting off consumers’ air conditioning. Technology suppliers need to be helping their buyers prepare for greater public scrutiny over the long term.

Often, a voter/consumer’s level of engagement does not match that individual’s level of understanding. In this environment of uncertainty and fractured public opinion, government policymakers will continue to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Successful companies tap their expertise and resources to put a long-term focus on educating the public.

A successful communications plan to influence energy policy must differ from a marketing or sales plan. It starts with a few simple questions:

How will public perception that influences public policy affect my company and sales in the future?
What additional voices can support my policies?
Who has the greatest influence on the energy policies that affect me, and how am I reaching out to them?
How am I highlighting the strengths of my industry?
Are my competitors taking the lead in public outreach and communications with policymakers?
What do I want voters to think of my policy proposals six months, one year and even three years from now?

The public is often lacking reliable information on energy, and companies that fill the information void could find themselves influencing government policies that pick winners in the energy industry. Gains could be in store for energy companies who position themselves as thought leaders and consider public outreach an integral part of their long-term business strategies.

Maintaining Reactors

dyeganian@capstrat.com (Dana Yeganian) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:44:21 -0400

No time in recent history have energy companies had so many opportunities to tell the world about safely operated nuclear power plants.

These communicators have done an outstanding job. Rather than seeing support of nuclear power plummet, support only slightly decreased in most national polls. However, polling continues to show significant gender, education and political gaps in support for nuclear power. These gaps, while perhaps more pronounced post-Japan, have persisted for some time. In a Gallup poll earlier this year, 56 percent of women said they oppose nuclear power compared to 36 percent of men. People who have completed higher levels of education are more likely to support nuclear power (63 percent of postgraduates) than those who have achieved a high school education or less (31 percent). Perhaps not surprisingly, 62 percent of Republicans support nuclear power compared to 32 percent of Democrats.

The challenge ahead is to maintain and grow that support as our country continues to determine how it wants to manage energy generation in the future. Here are a few ideas:

Make nuclear plants more accessible — physically and socially.

Post-9/11, most nuclear plant tours came to a halt. In recent years, many plants have started tours again, but not at the same level. Instead of tours, many plants relied on their visitor centers to teach students, community groups and other members of the public about nuclear. However, budget cuts have caused many visitor centers to close, while others are woefully outdated and don’t tell the story of nuclear energy’s environmental benefits, technology advancement and safety improvements. Upgrading or reopening these centers would be one helpful way to make nuclear plants more accessible.

Nuclear plants also can increase their presence in social media. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) increased its presence on Twitter post-Japan, but individual nuclear plants also could begin using Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to tell their stories — about employees, community involvement, safety records and more.

Redouble community outreach efforts.

Throughout the country, nuclear plant leaders and employees engage in a variety of community outreach efforts: serving on boards, hosting local events and working with teachers and students. It’s because of these efforts — which have been going on for decades in some cases — that support for nuclear continues to hold steady. Continuing and expanding these efforts, including having more plant employees out in the community telling the story of nuclear, can help grow support for new nuclear power.

Hundreds of companies in the United States are tied closely to nuclear development and construction, but oftentimes they do not explain how new nuclear development would impact the economy.

Don’t only rely on utilities to tell the story.

Hundreds of companies in the United States are tied closely to nuclear development and construction, but oftentimes they do not explain how new nuclear development would impact the economy — not just in the areas around the plant, but in the areas where companies involved in their development and construction are located. These include nuclear reactor developers, construction companies, engineering and design firms, even cleaning companies.

Ultimately, this is about keeping nuclear energy as an option for addressing our country’s future energy needs. And more than ever, communications about nuclear power will make the difference in this public policy discussion.

Communicating More to Consume Less

emassey@capstrat.com (Emily Massey) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:43:21 -0400

The concept of using less energy completely opposes the trends we see around us — iPad2, Android phones, 50-inch plasma televisions. Our cutting-edge devices are used more and more every day, and we need to prepare Americans’ energy grid for future demand. The logic is simple but not obvious to all consumers. If everyone uses less energy, energy providers reduce the need to generate more power — a costly enterprise that requires new plant construction and would raise energy prices at a faster rate.

Now is a critical time for energy communicators to emphasize the importance of energy efficiency. Customers need to know how they can take control of their energy use, and their energy bill.

California-based PG&E chose to tackle these issues and enrolled its customers to reduce and control energy use. A headlining banner on their homepage entitled “Control Your Energy” is dedicated to educating customers about making better energy decisions — showing exactly how much energy certain activities consume, and how much that costs the end-user. Customers are also encouraged to sign up for energy alerts, where their utility will call, text message or email them as they approach a peak energy time — where the customer should avoid using energy to prevent a higher bill.

Tools such as these are invaluable to consumers but will not impact energy usage without proper education. According to Chartwell, a researcher of utilities’ marketing and customer initiatives, over 70 percent of utility customers monitor their energy usage on a monthly basis. And customers are interested in seeing more real-time usage on a daily or weekly basis. However, a separate Chartwell study showed that most customers don’t know what a smart meter is — which is one way customers are able to monitor their usage. Energy communicators must continue efforts to bring the rest of us up-to-speed on smart grid technology. Empowering consumers to reduce their energy use means encouraging them to care about America’s energy future. Communicators in the energy industry should consider the following when starting an efficiency education campaign:

Drive conversation with customers. The energy industry is investing millions of dollars into building a smart grid, but the investment will only pay off with significant communication of what energy efficiency technology will achieve, and how consumers can use these tools to adjust their energy-using habits. Accomplish this through an online forum with a dedicated community manager to engage with customers.

Inspire your employees. The starting point for any education campaign is within your organization. An executive could host lunch-and-learns or an interactive webinar to kickoff the campaign and request company support and input. Your employees will be your best ambassadors.

Over 70 percent of utility customers monitor their energy usage on a monthly basis.

Mobilize your experts to educate others. Your employees and company are involved in the community, so take the opportunity to present your energy efficiency campaign. Develop a plan to conduct outreach and schedule presentations with organizations in different communities. Arm your speakers with an engaging presentation and talking points, a brief leave-behind document, and a list of potential questions and answers.

Without this education, energy efficiency will fail. Energy consumers need to understand how energy efficiency tools work and see tangible results of how these efforts will save money.

Frame First, Frack Later

lbrewer@capstrat.com (Laura Brewer) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:42:35 -0400

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a drilling procedure used to extract natural gas from shale rock formations. The procedure is illegal in several states and has grown increasingly controversial in recent months.

In many states with major natural gas deposits, drilling opponents have managed to negatively define fracking before industry supporters mobilized. The pattern forming in North Carolina echoes the experience in New York and Pennsylvania. Geologists see the potential for increased energy production in these states if fracking is allowed, but the coordinated message of support necessary to change that is not getting through. Supporters are missing a great opportunity.

As the producers who have worked to pursue horizontal drilling know, opposition to new energy production is in place in every state. It’s not enough simply to get political support for exploring new energy initiatives. Producers must reach out to the general public. In North Carolina, drilling opponents are already mobilized and active, particularly in the press. Coverage includes articles and editorials outlining the perceived problems with hydraulic fracturing. To date, not one of these pieces has included a quote in support of energy production from a pro-drilling source. This is just one state’s experience — similar campaigns against fracking are in states around the country and at the federal level.

In North Carolina, drilling opponents are already mobilized and active, particularly in the press.

Take the next steps at this critical moment

There is much work to be done. Fracking’s opponents have already begun to frame this issue. Now is the time for drilling’s proponents to act. Just as the opponents of fracking have aggressively sought out media coverage, harnessed activists to bolster their message and leveraged the support of their political allies — fracking supporters need to do the same.

To effectively combat anti-hydraulic fracturing messaging, supporters must engage in a comprehensive campaign to:

Develop messages that illustrate fracking’s benefits.
Engage appropriate surrogates and spokespeople to disseminate messages.
Conduct direct educational outreach to targeted audiences to tell the industry’s side of the story.
Turn average citizens into outspoken supporters.
Grow support among community leaders and inspire them to act.

Now is the time to start planning and executing. If drilling’s proponents continue their lethargic path, fracking stands to be framed negatively and permanently disallowed.

Aiming for gaming

kalbritton@capstrat.com (Karen Albritton) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:42:30 -0400

Consider social and mobile yesterday’s news. The next big thing is gaming.

Maybe you’ve heard the hype about integrating gaming with communications efforts: in-game advertising, product placement, even custom-built games. But think beyond gaming as a marketing tactic. Think about gaming as an immersive learning experience for both audiences and marketers.

Most marketers have bought into the need to engage with the audiences they want to reach. Rather than talking to the marketplace, communicators understand the new imperative for two-way conversations. Social media channels like Facebook and Quora are where this model of communication plays out.

Similarly, games represent a different way of communicating. Immersive experiences, like those in-gaming applications, go beyond conversations and provide consumers a rich engagement with your product or service.

Gaming also gives marketers the ability to transform customer interaction with their brand from mere spectator sport to full contact sport. It’s the difference between learning by hearing versus learning by doing.

The next generation of your customers, whether business or consumer, have grown up with digital gaming. And they aren’t giving it up as adults. The average video game player is 35 years old and has been playing for 13 years, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

So how do you get your game on? Here’s a three-step approach that I’ve labeled AIM for short – audience, interaction and medium.

Always start with your audience. Are they participating in gaming at any level? Don’t just think about console games. They may be gaming through social media or mobile. And, they may be involved in professions that are beginning to use serious gaming for online training.

Next, look at your current brand interaction with your audience. Break down the brand experiences customers currently have with your brand. Consider customer service, events, retail, etc. What elements of those experiences can you translate into an immersive environment?

Finally, begin to learn all you can about the medium or rather the gaming channel as it exists today. Even if it’s likely your brand will be on the sidelines for a while, it’s never too early to begin to understand the game so that you’ll be ready when it’s your turn to play.

The Experience Revolution

tcoats@capstrat.com (Todd Coats) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:42:20 -0400

People bring brands to life.

We fall in and out of love with them. We gain and lose respect for them and we’re constantly evaluating the importance of our relationship with them. Just like dating.

Also like dating, sometimes a brand overstays its welcome by intruding in our life where it’s not wanted. When a brand uses technology to intrude into our personal space without adding value, a break-up is likely to follow.

Twitter, RFIDs, foursquare and plenty of other technologies allow companies to get closer to their audiences, faster. But if the conversation happening is only about the product speeds and feeds, it’s not engaging. That would be like butting into a party and asking, "What do you like best about me?” Brands must use technology to create unique experiences for the consumer or they’re not upholding their end of the deal.

Have you ever seen a QR code on a highway billboard? It happens. Last week in the airport I saw that the TSA wants me to “Like” them on Facebook. While I’m at it, I’ll follow the IRS on Twitter, too. I’ll get a lot out of that I’m sure.

Communicators, don't let the technology tail wag the dog.

Like any good design, the best-used technology doesn’t draw attention to itself. It creates an adaptive experience that brings the message to life. As communications continue to advance, brands that employ adaptive technology will become so integrated into your day that you won’t know you’re experiencing advertising. Better still, you won’t care. You’ll be getting something out of the experience. Now that’s a memorable date.

To create this fluid love affair, ebbing and flowing like any other natural part of people’s lives, requires creative and critical thinking. How can technology support the concept of the brand and be more integrated into the consumers’ life without being too pushy?

Well, communicators are trying to figure that out. One thing we know is that buying stuff — whether it’s a product, service or philosophy — is complicated by distraction. The future of advertising is about being needed not pushy. Brand strategists tell us the more integrated experiences we have with brands the tighter the affinity created.

In 1964, pearl-of-wisdom-dropper Marshall McLuhan wrote: “Medium is the Message.” Interestingly, he went on to iterate that title to: ”The Medium is the Massage,” “The Medium is the Mess-Age” and “The Medium is the Mass-Age.”

As good communicators continue to use technology that adapts to create useful brand-building experiences, the title could change to “The Medium is Me.” Consumers change in real time. Our experiences with brands should do the same. Our technology should, too.

In just the past seven years, advertising has gone from the brand yelling about its product to respectfully discussing its product with you through social media. Now it’s time for brands to be an integrated utility that improve people’s lives. The quicker agencies move their brands toward that usefulness, the more valuable we’ll be for the clients we serve.

The next big renaissance for gaming

sjohnston@capstrat.com (Shane Johnston) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:42:09 -0400

Some of the earliest online games can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s with war-gaming for the Department of Defense,consumer-oriented games such as flight simulators and the very first versions of role-playing games.

Since the days of dial-up access, three trends have inextricably linked gaming with
Internet access:

The spread of broadband access. Cable providers led the way with deeply discounted “triple play” deals for television, phone and Internet access. Telecom carriers, originally hampered by last-mile challenges to the household, started perfecting DSL access to help counter the cable threat.
The proliferation of connected devices and systems. Households went from having one computer connected to their access point to two or three computers and the laptop from work, the security system, the Skype account, the television, the Blu-ray player and even some appliances like refrigerators. All of these share the same connection, taking away bandwidth from the same pipe.
The rise of high-speed wireless access. Virtually, all wireless carriers have transitioned from 2G to 3G speeds and are now widely deploying 4G LTE technology. City-wide broadband services based on WiMax technology, offered by companies like Clear, are also competing in the wireless broadband space. And device manufacturers are joining in the race by creating smartphones with large, high-resolution screens and great computing power as well as tablets and laptops with integrated wireless hardware.

The next era of gaming for entertainment, education and training purposes will be hugely impacted by advancements in broadband Internet access. But the United States still has a ways to go.

As indicated in the trends above, the average home or work network has several computers and other devices accessing the Internet simultaneously. Whether they are sending email attachments, making VoIP phone calls or playing games online, their applications will have an effect on one another as they each fight for bandwidth in a specific network. The result is a slowdown in ALL applications causing the gamers’ scourge called “Internet lag.” Now compound this problem with whole neighborhoods, office buildings, etc sharing the access pipe and you have a serious
issue with providing optimal performance for online gaming. And U.S. telecom companies badly lag the rest of the developed world in broadband Internet service. Broadband providers in much of the rest of the world offer faster connections at generally much lower prices.

The average U.S. household has to pay an exorbitant amount of money for an Internet connection that the rest of the industrial world would find mediocre,” reported the Scientific American in October 2010. The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University concluded that U.S. broadband service is “not just slower and more expensive than in tech-savvy nations,” such as South Korea and Japan, but the U.S. has also “fallen behind infrastructure-challenged countries such as Portugal and Italy.”

In the fall of 2010, the third annual study from the Saïd Business School, Oxford University, looked at broadband quality in 72 countries and 239 cities. The U.S. was not in the top ten in broadband leadership and there was not a single U.S. city in the top 20 for the Broadband Quality Score.

This disparity has negative implications not just for U.S. Internet users but also for the growth of the gaming industry as a whole. “There are still too many people and community institutions lacking the level of broadband service needed to fully participate in the Internet economy,” said Lawrence E. Strickling, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the arm of the Commerce Department that is overseeing the National Broadband Mapping project.

However, help is on the way.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission released a national broadband plan that set a goal of connecting 100 million U.S. households to broadband connections of 100 megabits per second — at least 20 times faster than most home connections now — by 2020.

And for wireless access, President Obama’s administration has started an initiative that calls for nearly doubling the spectrum available for mobile broadband, providing at least 98 percent of Americans with access to 4G high-speed wireless, deploying a nationwide, interoperable wireless network. More than 10 times faster than current high speed wireless services, the 4G technology promises to benefit all Americans, bolster public safety and spur innovation in wireless services, equipment and applications – including gaming for education and entertainment.

High performance, ubiquitous broadband Internet access will usher in the next great era in interactive gaming. Connection speeds of 100+ megabits per second paves the way for high definition, 3D gaming for work or play. The next generation of gaming will allow immersive training experiences for remote workers. It will provide more advertising opportunities in entertainment gaming such as sponsorships and product placement from companies wanting to be associated with these highly interactive experiences. And broadband gaming platforms will provide more engaging educational experiences at home and in classrooms across the nation.

Hunker Down or Man-Up?

kalbritton@capstrat.com (Karen Albritton) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:42:46 -0400

Between the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, phrases like "stay safe" and "hunker down" were repeated over and over in social media dialog over the past few weeks. Government officials and the news media wisely encouraged caution and warned against the risks associated with getting out in the storm. But does the same logic apply in with your company?

That same sentiment often prevails during economic storms. Companies adopt strategies to get through the tough times, sometimes cutting staff or scaling back R&D. Certainly there are times when a company needs to trim the sails and wait for more favorable conditions.

But few companies can afford to play it safe for very long, particularly when economic conditions aren’t conducive to growth in their core business.

When hunkering down is no longer an option and business as usual won’t produce results, companies find themselves at a critical moment where they have to make something happen. Often these are the times where leaders need to take bold actions to propel their business forward.

The companies taking bold actions today are expanding into new categories or markets, exploring acquisition opportunities, bringing on new leadership or adapting their business model for a new future.

This issue of the Capstrat Update provides three examples of the role communications plays in supporting bold business initiatives like new product launches, leadership transition and business transformation. These examples reflect the aggressive, forward-thinking approach we see with many clients today — companies that are done hunkering down and are ready to man-up for the next challenge.

If after reading any of these, you’d like to hear more, give me a call or send me an email.

Karen
kalbritton@capstrat.com
919.656.8272

The Digital Publishing Handbook

Capstrat — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:55:32 -0400

There’s been an explosion in digital media options for sharing and promoting thought leadership. In fact, eReader adoption has reached 12 percent as of May 2011, up from 6 percent in November 2010 (Pew Internet Research). This is a moment of great opportunity for marketers. But in many cases, it can be harder to know which option is best.

This is a practical guide to understanding and deploying digital media for publishing thought leadership.

The most important rule

There are plenty of options for digital publishing. But if the content itself isn’t compelling, nobody will want to read it—no matter how cool or convenient the delivery mechanism.

As with any project, content is king. Before we even start thinking about the final format, we should first ask: “What do we want to say?” From there, we can consider translating it into any or all of the formats outlined here.

This isn’t a new concept. But it’s more important than ever.

Maximum options

Consumers today are used to choosing how they view things on the Internet. Some view content in small bites on their smart phones, others flip through them on their iPad’s touch screen, and others go the old-fashioned route, scrolling through on Firefox or Internet Explorer. Increasingly, they’re able to do all of the above. The key is giving them plenty of options.

Ideally, our audience would be able to view thought leadership in whatever format they like. Give them our latest mini-book as a PDF, a digital flip book, and a book in Apple’s iBookstore. They can choose how they want to view it based on their own preferences. And they can get it from a number of different places: your company, Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and maybe even through an industry-specific app.

This approach introduces some important technical considerations. By developing a series of universal specifications, we can ensure that any content we develop is able to be translated into these various digital channels easily.

Types of content

Designing for the iPad, Nook, Kindle, or other tablet or eReader device requires designing in different formats.

Traditionally, our go-to for formatting content is a PDF. But, PDFs are a fixed medium where the formatting and layout are displayed the same way at all times, whether shared in print or electronically. So images, words, paragraphs, and columns are positioned at fixed coordinates within a page, at all times.

When designing for tablets and eReaders, we design with reflowable content in mind. This means that the content is reflowed optimally to adapt to the screen size, which varies. Here, the user, rather than the publisher is empowered to choose how they consume the content. This includes selecting the font family, font size, margin width, line spacing, and other attributes to make their reading experience more comfortable.

Along the way, we need to continue working closely with Brand to determine the appropriate design standards for reflowable content devices. These platforms have evolving design functionality, and some allow more control of appearance than others.

Know these terms

The following are important details and points of distinction on the various platforms. In addition to sharing the basics on each, this guide also highlights key considerations if you think this medium is right for you.

Before getting started, make sure you know the following definitions, and how they differ:

eBook (short for electronic book) Also known as a digital book, this is the electronic counterpart of a printed book that can be viewed on a desktop computer, laptop, smart phone, or eReader.
eReader (short for electronic reader) A handheld device specialized for reading eBooks. Examples of eReaders are the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Sony Reader.
ePub (short for electronic publishing) An open standard for electronic books used by many vendors for eBooks. This file format has become the universal standard within the eReader sector.
Tablet computer A general purpose computer contained in a single panel. The distinguishing characteristic is the use of a touch screen as the input device. The Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom, and Blackberry Playbook are all tablet computers.

eReaders

Apple iPad

The Apple iPad is an iOS-based (Apple’s mobile operating system) tablet computer designed for web browsing, eBook reading, and entertainment. The iPad incorporates a multi-touch screen, which drives user experience and allows them to interact with rich text, graphics, and media on one display.

The user can rotate the device at any time, and expects the content to maintain its focus on the primary functionality.

Although the iPad is not necessarily an eReader device, it can be used as an eReader through the Apple iBooks and Amazon Kindle applications.

Apple iPad users can interact with content in several ways:

Applications: single and multi-edition
Web pages
PDF downloads
eBooks via the iBooks and Kindle apps
Newsstand subscriptions

iPad eBooks

The Apple iPad allows users to download and view eBooks through the iBooks app. In addition to downloading eBooks, iPad users can also view PDFs through iBooks.

Pros

Publishers can update content electronically, so it’s continually refreshed and never gets stale
There’s a great degree of user functionality and interactivity
Users can download other eBook reader apps to access the Kindle and Nook bookstores
Content developers can incorporate live links that allow users to flip between the eBook and a website
There’s a greater degree of flexibility on image placement
Several text styles can be incorporated into one book using text color, size, and weight
Publishers can offer books for free, while other stores require a minimum fee
iBooks works with VoiceOver, the screen reader in iPad, so it can read the contents of the page to the user

Cons

Apple requires you to submit an application prior to accessing resources for creating your eBook
Getting application approval takes about48 hours
You cannot change the identifying information: the name associated with the tax I.D. number becomes the author name
Apple requires all eBooks to have a unique ISBN number1
There’s a poor developer support system for eBooks
It can take as long as one month for QA and for the book to appear in iBooks
There’s a great deal of competition once listed in iBooks

Kindle

The Kindle, powered by Amazon.com, allows content publishers to share their books via Kindle devices and on Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android-based devices, and Windows Phone 7.

Nook

The Nook is Barnes & Noble’s version of an eReader. The latest models offer books, magazines, and newspapers in full color, in addition to apps and other features.

Pros

Content can be uploaded as a Word doc for publishing, among other formats
Sharing content in color is an option for Nook Color owners
Published content can be downloaded free of charge
Updates to published content involve uploading the revised file
Books submitted via PubIt!—Barnes & Noble’s self publishing software—will be approved within 24 to 72 hours
Updates to book content or cover image will appear within 24 to 72 hours. If the updates do not appear, Barnes & Noble contacts the publisher.
An ISBN number is not required to publish
Embedded fonts, columns, and bulleted or numbered lists are supported

Cons

There is very little control over design and formatting
Nook only has 26 to 27 percent eBook market share as of June 2011²
Cannot link to other sources as readers cannot leave the eBook to view a webpage
Limited image and table formatting

Mobile

Not all websites are designed with mobile users in mind. And given that a majority of your audience is on the go, our goal should be to provide them with the best possible user experience.

Optimizing for mobile viewing means avoiding unsupported technologies like Flash, plug-ins, and Java that are not compatible with most mobile platforms. Optimized webpages also correctly scale content for the device screen and include text on-screen so users don’t need to download attachments.

Consideration should be given to length as well to prevent continuous scrolling on smaller screens.

Take for example a new POV. Users would first view article pages that typically
features a few paragraphs of teaser/lead-in text and a PDF to download at the bottom. For a mobile-friendly experience, a link to “Read the full article” should be
included that opens a new page with the POV text and imagery. If possible, the POV should be divided into digestible chunks that readers can page through—perhaps by using jump links.

Keep in mind, though, that making your content viewable on a mobile device is very different from creating a mobile app.

Creating a unique mobile experience

These days, it seems like everyone has an app. So what about you?

One of the advantages to creating a mobile application is that it allows you to tailor the user’s experience to match the constraints of a mobile device. This could mean chunking content into small pieces and allowing users to thumb through the pages. Interactivity can also be incorporated, further engaging your audience.

Special consideration should be given to how these applications are categorized. Do we focus on functions? Business issues? Industries? One approach is to create apps for each of your major industries/audiences. Since clients are more likely to think about themselves in terms of their industry, this makes it easy to find the thought leadership that applies to them.

Industry-based applications could include not only content generated by the industry teams, but also function-driven thinking that applies to that industry.

Apple iPad apps

There are two types of applications we can design for: single or multi-edition.

Single edition apps allow distribution from Apple without per-issue fees, but distribution will happen from scratch each time a publication is released. iPad users simply visit the App Store and download the app to view the content available at that time. This means email promotions would be necessary to generate interest.

Through a multi-edition app, newly published content is automatically pushed to users who have the app installed and downloaded to their device. (When a fee is involved, the user can elect whether or not to download the publication, but they’re still notified that it’s available.) This means we can share new thought leadership with users who already have the app without needing to promote it through emails and web traffic.

Think of this as a subscription-based service: when a new POV is released, the next edition is automatically pushed to the user, without the user having to search for the new content.

Providing an interactive experience

Whether you’re creating content for use in a single edition or multi-edition app, creating iPad apps allows users to interact with your content on an entirely new level.

Pros

There’s an optimal user experience and flexibility
Apps can be designed for one iOS platform (iPad only) or for multiple platforms (iPhone and iPad)
Live links, streaming video, and rich graphic displays (photos, tables, graphs) are allowed
Includes expanded functionality: users can use one section of the app at a time and switch between portions of the app and entire apps as they please
Users can search for specific terms
App creators can control the entire look and feel through specific font families, text sizing, and design elements

Cons

iOS devices (Pad, iPhone, iPod Touch) do not support Flash, Java, or third-party plug-ins within web content
Users expect to be able to use “gestures” to enhance their direct manipulation of onscreen objects. Experience is greatly reduced when gestures are not available
There’s no fixed positioning

If you build it, will they come?

Not necessarily.

If you go through all the hurdles required to get something posted in the iTunes store, on Amazon.com, or the Barnes & Noble site, you still have to figure out a way to
push people there. Otherwise, you’re going to be looking at some embarrassingly low download numbers.

Some ideas to consider when marketing digital content include sharing it with relevant groups on LinkedIn, tweeting about it, reaching out to a group of social bloggers, and setting up an API with trusted site partners. The API allows content to flow seamlessly to selected sites as soon as it’s posted for sharing with new audiences.

Next steps

This is just a broad overview of what’s possible with digital publishing, and these options will continue to evolve. As teams begin to develop new thought leadership, we can share additional details on how to execute on these various channels.

We’re here if you have any questions and hope to keep an open conversation going about how to take your content to the next level.

²XDnet (2011). Barnes & Noble: Nook market share, sales surge, but so do losses. Retrieved from www.zdnet.com.

Top Down, Bottom Up

kcalabria@capstrat.com (Kelly Calabria) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:28:58 -0400

Communicating with employees during leadership changes

The whispering begins. Hushed side conversations strike up in the break room. Emails begin to circulate. Managers receive questions. Employees suspect the news – a new CEO is taking over. Is this a good thing for your company? Most likely. Are your employees on board, in the loop and excited? It depends.

The truth is, in this critical moment, you get one shot to manage expectations with employees. One shot to make them feel comfortable with the change, let them be heard and help them understand the new leader’s ability and vision. Without this, employees can become nervous, unfocused and cynical. Your best weapon for navigating the change? Strong internal communications.

If the upcoming transition means saying “good bye” to a trusted leader, employees will need some reassurance and guidance. They will expect to have their questions answered. If you believe that employees are your company’s best brand ambassadors, then well-planned, thoughtful communications will keep employees up-to-date and allow them to feel respected and engaged. Without this, trust evaporates and employees are unable to rally around a common purpose or new leader.

When planning such a large internal transition, your first job is authenticity in all communications. Employees need to feel that what they’re hearing is true and genuine. Those used to a certain leadership style will require an open dialogue. Management should be asking employees for thoughts and opinions. This needs to happen in the communications they receive about the transition and in initial interactions with the new CEO.

Employees also need to understand the company’s vision and their role in achieving it. They’ll want to know, “how does this change impact me?” Providing them with information so they understand the company’s strategic direction and the culture this leader plans to create will instill them with a feeling of a steady hand guiding the ship.

The planning and structure of your executive transition is crucial. A few items to think about as you prepare:

Consider how the announcement is made. You want to set your new CEO up for success and provide employees with ample opportunity to see and hear from their new executive. Consider a listening tour as a way to put your new CEO in front of employees. Let him or her listen and solicit opinions.

Determine when employees find out. With most internal announcements there is often an external component. It’s important to build trust by thinking through when you inform your employees and balancing that with your external outreach and media efforts. Employees should get the news about their new leader from management, not the newspaper.

Delivery matters. Examine your internal audience segments – who are they and how do they each like to receive information? This will determine the channels – intranet, video, email, blogs, signage – you will use to communicate.

Anticipate what information they’ll want. There is no better way to do this than to simply ask your employees. Seek their input and use this to get creative with the information you provide. Don’t depend on a simple, one-time email that some may miss.

Craft a message. Every new leader has a point of view and vision. Employees need to know what it is. Work with your new executive to craft his or her vision and unveil it to the company. Once you’ve crafted the message, be consistent with it.

Create ways to hear from employees about the transition. Engaged employees care more and are vested in positive outcomes. Don’t let the announcement be one-sided.

Every company and organization faces critical moments throughout its history. Strong internal communications during these milestones can be a game changer and set the company’s course for years to come.

Strategies for a Recession-Ready Launch

Capstrat — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:25:50 -0400

The lagging U.S. economy and tepid consumer spending have some businesses dialing back product launches and stuffing money under the mattress. But what happens when you’ve built a better mousetrap and see a market opening for a critical launch? Many recession-era innovators would say grab the antacid and go full throttle.

In fact, that’s what tech giants Apple and Google did during the dot-com crash. These companies faced a critical moment and launched new products that shook up markets that were undergoing rapid changes.

In 2001, Apple launched the iPod in the uncertain economic climate. In the ensuing decade, the product has revolutionized the way we consume music and has built a brand dynasty. That same year, Google seized an opportunity to advance search engine marketing. With floundering businesses struggling to save marketing dollars, Google recognized that advertising on search engines was both economical and effective. As a result, the company had a breakthrough year and search engine advertising today is a mainstay.

Build share or retreat?

Former Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley once described his company’s philosophy and strategy during an economic downturn this way: “When times are tough, you build share.” That same philosophy has helped multiple blue chip companies outflank competitors and reap big dividends. IBM, Walt Disney, General Electric, Burger King and FedEx, among others, have used downturns as an opportunity to launch new products and gain market share. While their competitors were running a marathon, these players sprinted to an opportunity, building a large lead through aggressive marketing.

There are clear advantages when you’re competing during a recession. Your competition is often asleep at the wheel or slow to counter with “me too” offerings. In this environment, your product stands out. Some cost-conscious customers also have a keener interest in new products that are either more effective or efficient.

So what’s your strategy for seizing share at critical moments? Here are some considerations when mapping a path forward.

Put a firm – and fast – stake in the ground

During a downturn, you need just-in-time research to help position your product for what the market needs now. It’s also important to evaluate the competition and general market landscape. You can learn a lot from your competitors’ strengths and where they fall short. Good research lays the groundwork that will enable you to launch PR and marketing efforts with a persuasive and timely narrative. It will provide clarity and direction from which all strategies and tactics are built.

Tip: After the research is complete, meet with company stakeholders to review findings and gain consensus and buy-in for a launch plan. The goal should be to reach swift agreement on key questions: What immediate and long-term opportunities can we capitalize on? How will we define success? This gut check is critical for projects with rapid ramp-up and multiple stakeholders.

Plan across channels to get in lockstep

You must have a sense of urgency and purpose around the launch to capitalize on timing. Defining communications strategies and tactics across function areas (marketing, PR, social media, sales enablement) will help you organize the workload into an actionable plan. The plan will maximize all communication channels and keep everyone on the same page. All members on your launch team – sales, marketing, product delivery and customer service – need to be working in concert. Giving each team member ownership of key tasks will ensure they are accountable and stay on the right course.

The plan should include the following essential ingredients:

Specific launch objectives and a clear definition of success
Target audiences with key messages tailored to each group
Strategies and tactics for reaching target audiences:
- Public relations
  - News releases, story pitches, speaking engagements
- Traditional marketing
  - Collateral, lead generation, direct response
- Online marketing
  - Online advertising, email campaigns, online lead generation
- Social media
  - Blogger outreach, audience engagement via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube

Tip: During this stage, determine the best tools and metrics to be used once the launch “goes live.” They will help evaluate the impact of your messaging, track your communication efforts and measure success, online and offline. Having the right measurement approach in place will enable you to nimbly shift or realign tactics based on performance.

Align marketing and sales to close communication gaps

When planning a new product launch, it’s easy to get caught up in external tactics, such as press releases and advertising. But educating your sales force and any channel relationships about your new product so they are equipped with the right sales tools can’t be stressed enough. The sales team requires qualified leads and the marketing department must provide exactly what’s needed in order to convert those leads. Closing the loop between marketing and sales is critical in determining the long-term success of your product after the launch. Even with marketing automation tools, there’s no substitute for sales and marketing teams talking to each other.

Tip: Update PowerPoint decks, create sales tip cards or FAQ documents and draft whitepapers on best practices in your field so teams are ready for those critical sales calls. Poll the sales force on the performance of their toolkit along the way and adjust as needed.

Conquer the crisis

Smart companies don’t view economic downturns as a time to pull back and wait for the climate to improve. They study their competition and weigh their options. They craft their strategies and tactics. They equip their employees with needed knowledge and necessary tools. In short, they plan aggressively when they see a market opportunity to race ahead of their competitors. It takes timing, ingenuity and a lot of hard work. And there’s always risk involved. But making a move during a downturn could be the difference between racing to catch up with your competitors or looking back at them.

Your Brand: Time to Hit Refresh

aadlard@capstrat.com (Anna Adlard) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:19:02 -0400

Most of my job at Capstrat is helping clients redefine their brands at critical moments. In one way or another, we have all been affected by the financial meltdown. It has created critical moments for almost every industry, which means this is exactly the right time to reevaluate your brand and position for the future.

Here’s why.

More with less

The simple truth is the recession hit corporate budgets hard. We’ve all had to make do with tighter budgets and fewer resources. We’re expected to do more with less – and that requires focus. This is exactly what brand positioning does for companies. It forces them to focus on key questions: Who is your most important audience? What is the one thing you want to be known for? What do you have to do to stay competitive?

Brand positioning also forces companies to consider what we call strategic sacrifice. When we build brands for companies, we spend as much time asking these questions: Who are you not for? What do you need to stop saying? Which competitors do you need to stop obsessing about so you can focus on the real threat?

Seismic shifts

We’re seeing seismic shifts in all the major verticals that Capstrat works. New regulation and skeptical consumers in financial services. Cost pressure and dramatic reforms in the healthcare industry. Heightened competition and rapid-fire change in the tech industry. Dramatic shifts in the marketplace call for a reevaluation of your positioning. The best brands stay in tune with movements in the marketplace and evolve to remain relevant.

Moving target

Your brand needs to evolve to keep pace with changes in your customer base. For example, your brand might be right for the mindset of your audience five years ago, but is it still relevant to them now with all the recent changes in your industry? The other question to ask is: are you ready for your next customer? For example, despite the hyper-focus on affluent Baby Boomers, the millennial generation is actually the next big purchasing powerhouse. Millennials are on schedule to outpace Boomer earnings by 2016.

All that noise

We are living in a time of unprecedented noise and marketing clutter. With so many new communications channels for consumers and everyone vying for their attention, it’s more challenging than ever for a brand to stand out. That means you have to get focused, clear and pointed. In the field of science, this is known as “signal-to-noise ratio.” Your signal has to be more compelling than ever to set you apart from the noise.

How do you know if it’s time to refresh your brand?

Here are five questions to ask.

Can we describe what we want to be known for in a single word or phrase?

Does our brand still resonate in spite of all the recent changes in our industry?

Is our brand relevant for where our industry – and our customer – is going in the future?

Are we positioned to attract our next customer base?

Is our brand sending a signal or is it just part of the noise?

If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to refresh your brand. We’d love to help.

Priority One: Protect the House

jweiner@capstrat.com (Jon Weiner) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:40:52 -0400

Communicating about change is an enigma for most companies, especially when change means taking a step toward a larger transformation. On one hand, change is a necessary part of growth and evolution. Alternatively, it always evokes uncertainty – good or bad.

When big changes happen, the most immediate and important consideration is almost always internal. You need buy-in from your own people before you can move forward. Whether it’s an acquisition, expansion, divestiture or any other shift toward a new direction, a change naturally arouses questions. And the majority of them begin the same way – "why?"

"Why are we doing this? Why should I get on board? Why now?"

Change takes time, but these questions should be answered up front.

When Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merged in 2008, it became the world’s largest carrier overnight. Executives faced the challenge of combining two different styles, cultures and ways of doing business into one consistent approach. And they had to address these "why" questions from thousands of employees worldwide.

One of the first things Delta did was to sit down with a key internal group – the Pilots’ Union – before the deal was even announced. They discussed what was going to happen and how work would be affected. The two sides quietly worked out an agreement so scheduled flights went uninterrupted.

Two and a half years later, that merger is widely acclaimed as a great success. Why? In large part because the pilots were brought in early and knew what was happening so service wasn’t disturbed.

Times of change provide a perfect opportunity for leaders to step forward, command attention and paint a picture of the future. There is a difference between leading and managing – and these critical moments require leaders.

The best way to present these situations involves open dialogue to encourage and quickly resolve internal questions and concerns. Nothing can chip away at the foundation, quality and culture of an organization like employees with lingering doubts. When people are faced with uncertainty, they seek answers. If they can’t find them from a qualified source, they’ll make up their own assumptions and come to their own conclusions. This is dangerous territory for companies on the brink of something new, and this scenario is exactly why relentless communication from the top is essential.

A specific situation facing a client of ours illustrates the idea.

The company came to us in the midst of a dramatic transformation. Their leaders recognized their industry was changing and they needed to either adapt or die. In less than two years, the client transformed itself from a family-based operation with one core practice into an international company with three areas of practice. In short, they grew by 300 percent in terms of revenue and employees. This was a dramatic shift – and it happened fast.

The company’s decision was a calculated move to become a major player in a growing market. It meant acquiring businesses with hundreds of new people that had never heard of their new employer. But it also meant cutting ties with some people and parts of the business that had been front and center for more than two decades.

The landscape of the organization was completely new, and there was a distinct cultural problem. You can’t simply put a new logo on the door and expect everyone to understand what happened and why. There was no overnight fix, but there was an opportunity to bring three best practices to the forefront of a broader solution:

Address the big "whys" up front. The reasoning behind the series of moves for this organization had to be distilled into an effective message. Old and new employees had different types of questions. The challenge was to develop a handful of short messages to address each group’s rationale and concerns. This was essential to lay the foundation for moving forward.
Leadership visibility conveys confidence. One obstacle this organization faced was geography. It has employees at more than 25 worldwide locations. For a month, the CEO went from location to location to talk face-to-face with employees at all levels. Each office held Town Hall-style meetings where questions and concerns were welcomed and encouraged. This open engagement eased misunderstanding and uncertainty.
Share "the vision." This organization had done something big. Most employees didn’t understand how they fit into its long-term goals. The company gave an honest assessment of its status, shared the plan and articulated how and why each location and each group of employees mattered. This shared, consistent message was the starting point for coming together – ONE company with a single vision.

Change is a broad concept. There’s no cookie-cutter solution to address it the right way internally. However, open, honest and visible communication from the top has to be the first response for an organization facing a critical moment. Content and tone will change for each situation, but commitment to those core concepts should be a practice set in stone.

Search Engine Analysis in Crisis Situations

crussell@capstrat.com (Caroline Russell) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:36:25 -0400

Consumers often turn to online search engines for product and company information. Reporters, bloggers and customers (current, past and prospective) use news articles, social media and other consumer-generated media to share their opinions — often at your brand’s expense. These online platforms can overwhelm a brand in the midst of crisis. However, search engine analysis creates opportunities to protect and even promote your corporate brand during critical moments.

When an organization’s reputation is threatened, there’s almost always online chatter. Like all crisis communications, your chances of a successful outcome increase if you plan ahead. Many companies have a crisis communications plan in place, but it’s important to recognize that crises need to be resolved offline and online. A thorough search engine analysis resolves the online component of a crisis. It enables you to monitor and influence all stages of the situation by identifying the online opinion leaders, their platforms, their messages and most importantly, their audiences.

Virtually any crisis calls for some form of online reputation management. Crises can be caused by anything from technological mistakes and product recalls to employee issues and management misconduct. Any of these situations might elicit negative media coverage and negative online content. But by identifying appropriate search terms, analyzing online consumer sentiment and creating new online content, you can help restore your brand’s reputation. Here are more online actions to consider:

Monitor and categorize the conversations occurring online, as well as the credibility of each source. Determine which conversations and which sources merit a response.
Consider how you should update your website during times of crisis to improve search results. You will likely need to include specific information addressing the crisis. Or, you may need to refresh your content to ensure important brand and sales messages are getting out.
Use names of competitors or search terms that are related to the crisis or industry issues to identify new targets for your outreach efforts.
Link or publish positive content to offset negative information. If you do choose to engage in social media, make sure that each social media platform is appropriate for your situation. Consider the initial consumer sentiment towards your crisis and possible reactions.
Be proactive. Monitor search engine results and online content even when not involved in an immediate crisis. Develop a search engine strategy that optimizes your positive content visibility as well as your ability to react.

Search engine analysis helps protect your brand in a saturated and sometimes hostile online environment. In times of crisis, you need to identify problems areas and improve your online visibility and credibility to insure your messages to your most important online audiences will not be lost.

Plan Today for Tomorrow's Regulations

lcoman@capstrat.com (Leslie Coman) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:29:19 -0400

Crises are easy to recognize, especially when it comes to high-profile public affairs issues. Even so, businesses or organizations on the wrong side of a regulatory change or legislative action often wonder, how did we not see this coming? Individuals may have simply failed to recognize early critical moments and take the proactive measures that determine success or failure. Planning, strategy and execution are what can change a critical moment into a great opportunity.

November 2, 2010, became a critical moment for many associations, businesses and advocacy groups. On Election Day, North Carolina Republicans gained significant majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature for the first time in 100 years. After the election, there was a narrow time frame to determine how the change would influence priorities for the 2011 legislative session. Groups that set their issues apart in advance of Election Day or quickly developed messages and strategies in response to the new political landscape often had the greatest success.

Those who didn’t paid the price. For example, businesses have complained for years about what they described as burdensome environmental regulations and overbearing regulatory bodies. Supporters of regulatory reform came into 2011 with dozens of personal stories of regulation run amok. They shrewdly brought in affected business and property owners, who told these stories to legislative regulatory reform committee meetings held across the state. They found a receptive audience. Opponents of regulatory changes were unable to effectively offset the impact of the hearings. As a result, the General Assembly, which already was inclined to make regulatory reform a reality, passed major legislation and overrode a gubernatorial veto. The legislation is regarded as the first step in wide-ranging regulatory reform.

So what’s the lesson learned? How can businesses and organizations effectively position themselves for success? Engage now. The North Carolina General Assembly has scheduled a special session to consider potential constitutional amendments on a range of issues in September, but will not be back for its regular session until May 2012.

Consequently, the next nine months will be a critical time for businesses and advocacy groups to review their goals, raise the visibility of key issues, educate lawmakers and motivate supporters. Businesses that receive tax breaks or incentives from the state should take stock now of how legislators view them. Advocacy groups must revise their messages and recognize that they have to talk about environmental protection and other key issues in a different way. Education groups need to more effectively defend funding priorities and prepare for the potential of additional policy changes.

During this period all stakeholders should also engage in discussions on programmatic and policy changes. The General Assembly has approved budget-cutting measures that have eliminated various programs and reduced employee headcounts. It also has adopted policy changes signaling new priorities. Legislators will be hearing feedback – positive and negative – from constituents. Advocates for these changes will need to show they have strong public support in order to get programs and cuts restored and policies altered.

Now is the time to demonstrate the costs – beyond dollars – of legislative budget decisions. It’s time to redefine issues, strengthen messages and increase local support. Don’t wait until lawmakers are back in Raleigh and an issue becomes a crisis.

Most organizations face critical moments. The true test of success often has less to do with the organization’s mission, its supporters or good work and more to do with a well-planned strategy and flawlessly executed tactics.

The Worst Time to Spend Might be the Best Time to Invest

kalbritton@capstrat.com (Karen Albritton) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:23:42 -0400

It’s understandable that some clients are surprised when we tell them that we’re seeing some companies and market segments growing and investing. But here’s the thing:, these organizations and industries aren’t investing because their budgets have magically bounced back to pre-recession levels. Instead, clients today are making investments almost always in response to a critical moment. It could be an unexpected regulatory change. An emerging technology that changes what is possible. Competitive opportunities. Changing marketplace conditions. Crisis. You get the idea.

While recent economic news might have slowed some companies' spending, there has been no shortage of critical moments when organizations in professional services, technology, healthcare and energy segments might rethink their positions. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons – healthcare reform, an aging talent pool, smart grid development, emerging markets and the widespread adoption of cloud and mobile technology – for organizations not to sit still.

Smart companies are examining the risks and exploiting the opportunities that exist during times of criticality. They’re launching new products, gaining market share, bolstering their reputation, educating policymakers and competing for the best employees. These companies have well-designed plans and clear expectations for returns.

This edition of the Capstrat Update focuses on a variety of critical moments and what leaders can do now to make the most of them.

Interview with a Millennial

Capstrat — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:49:17 -0400

We interviewed Stephanie Gillam, 2011 Capstrat Scholarship recipient, to check her pulse on the current job market and preparing for the future.

Stephanie is completing her Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has held internships with Mediabistro Inc., New York University, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Sony Music Entertainment and most recently, Capstrat. She can be reached at sgillam@capstrat.com.

1. What's on your mind as you are getting to graduate next spring?

I’m trying maximize the time I have left in my program. There are so many opportunities for networking, mentoring and career development while in school, and I want to be sure I’m making the most of them.

2. What are your thoughts and concerns about finding a job in today's economy?

I’ve seen firsthand how tough the job search has been for my peers who graduated earlier this year. That’s made me a little fearful, and I’ve already started looking for a job, even though I don’t graduate until next year. I definitely wasn’t this apprehensive about finding a job when I finished my undergraduate studies a few years ago.

3. What concerns you most about coming out of school - excluding the job search?

I’ve lived in the “real world” – held a job, had my own apartment, paid bills – before. So outside of finding a good job, there’s not too much I’m concerned about.

4. Your resume boasts some impressive internships. Do you think today's economy is causing a trend among you and your peers to have more quantity or more quality internships?

Unfortunately, I think we’re feeling the pressure to go for quantity over quality internships. There’s definitely that temptation to have more entries on your resume, even if it’s two mediocre experiences over one really great one.

5. What are you most excited about in terms of employment and why?

While I’ve had a job before, it was just that – a job. This time around, I’m excited because I’ll be starting a career; I’ll be doing something I enjoy and that challenges me.

6. Hypothetically, let's say you had 3 fabulous job offers and were debating which one to take. What would you look at in these companies to help you make your decision?

I hope I end up having that problem! First, I’d probably consider which position I’d learn the most from and feel most challenged by. I’d look at which company offered the most opportunity for growth. On a more personal note, I’d also consider which environment most closely suited my working style and personality.

7. What are you hearing from your peers and cohorts about what concerns them about the economy?

That it's costing more and more to live a "comfortable" lifestyle, and that carrying so many student loans means they're starting out their careers already in debt.

8. What are you hearing from your peers and cohorts about the job market?

That everyone who applies is more than qualified, and that it’s hard to stand apart from the crowd. That it’s getting more difficult to land the jobs that are fulfilling and challenging - the jobs that do more than just pay the rent.

9. What do you feel is your generation's biggest opportunity?

I think technology has given my generation a new and unique chance for our individual voices to be heard. We know we can take to our blogs or YouTube and our message will reach the other side of the world in seconds. That gives us incredible power to communicate with others, to spark conversation and debate, and to change things.

10. What are your thoughts on the future of the newspaper and journalism industry?

I don’t think journalism as a practice or institution will ever become obsolete. We’ll always need people uncovering and telling the stories that need to be told. Right now, the medium we use to tell those stories is adapting to reflect the changing ways we consume information. And I think that’s something to get excited about, not scared.

AICPA - ThisWayToCPA

vingram@capstrat.com (Virginia Ingram) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:03:03 -0400

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) advocates for the profession and helps its members grow professionally. Through ThisWayToCPA, the AICPA provides support and builds relationships with students to assist them in their journey in becoming a CPA.

College students are juggling responsibilities and are focused on graduation. Not many would volunteer for an extra four exams after graduation to obtain their CPA. (Especially since the pass rate is under 50 percent.) ThisWayToCPA helps students see the benefits of a career as a CPA – work stability, good paycheck and flexibility. The site appeals to college students with its snarky, knowledgeable and professional tone. It’s kinda like your older brother is helping you through the CPA process.

The site features help students through every step of the process:

Find Your Fit – discover the area best suited for your skills.
College and Scholarship Searches – find schools (and free money).
Exam Diaries – insights from exam passers.
Exam and Licensure Timeline – plan for taking the exam over 18 months.
Prep Course Reviews – user-generated to find a peer-rated prep course program.
Community – encourages accounting majors to speak freely with other individuals going through the same process.

We announced the site with a competition focused improving the sustainability of a five-star, luxury hotel. Sixty-four teams from 50+ schools competed to win $10,000 and the opportunity to network with sustainability and accounting superstars in New York. The competition is in its final phase now with three teams competing for the top prize.

Since the site launch, 165,000+ visitors have come to the site (15,000+ new visitors monthly) with 10 times the anticipated number of community members – surpassing 6,000 in under four months. Fifty-two percent of all community members return to the site.

Do healthcare and social media mix?

kalbritton@capstrat.com (Karen Albritton) — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:31:37 -0400

Given the furious ascent of social media as a cultural and business phenomenon, many healthcare leaders are taking another look at their patient communications strategies. Where does it make sense to use social media with patients? Which patients are most open to social media as a vehicle for delivering information about their health? With consumers friending their favorite cereal brands on Facebook, and following their local Groupon group on Twitter to receive discounts, social media would seem to deserve a place in the world of healthcare.

Or not.

A recent Capstrat-Public Policy Polling survey finds that Americans still rely on traditional lines of communication when they need specific health consultation from their own providers. In our poll, nearly five of every six respondents – 84 percent – said they would not use social media for medical communication if their doctors offered it. Instant messaging (73 percent) and private online forums (54 percent) were met with similar levels of disapproval.

Among Millennials, those 18- to 29- year-olds who can be reliably depended upon to embrace social media in virtually any situation, there were some modestly encouraging signs. Forty-three percent indicated that they would take advantage of social media if offered by their doctor. Still, 44 percent said they wouldn’t. Not exactly a slam-dunk case for more investment in social media strategies.

While social media remains off limits, Americans are much more open to incorporating digital communications in the healthcare experience. Fifty-two percent indicated that they would be open to conferring with their doctor over email. Half would be open to accessing their medical records online. And 55 percent say they would solicit online advice from nurses.

For healthcare leaders, a quick scan of these mixed signals might lead to the conclusion that they should invest their time and resources in building out their online communications efforts, and take a wait-and-see approach to social media. But that’s a dangerous tack in the world of online and social media, where everything can change in a matter of months. Providers need to be ready to move quickly once the tide turns and segments of their patient population start looking for ways to engage through social media. Just because they’re not asking for these types of interactions today doesn’t mean they won’t soon. Many believe it’s just a matter of time.

If you’re wondering where to start, remember that social media isn’t just something you use externally with patients and other stakeholders. Social media tools hold a lot of promise for internal applications – and that’s a good place to get underway. Using social media tools, your own employees can begin working across long-standing organizational barriers and silos to work more efficiently. Different groups can come together easily to innovate in areas that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. Just as social media has made the world seem smaller, it can make your organization seem smaller, too – in a good way.

So start testing social media approaches with internal audiences. Along the way, your team will develop competencies that will be important when it’s time to roll out a patient-facing social media strategy. Security. Risk. Governance. While the audiences may be different, the challenges in key areas like these are similar, and in some cases they’re identical.

When patients eventually start clamoring for social media tools to complement their care experience, your organization can build on templates developed for internal audiences – and get a head start on the competition. Even more important, you’ll be prepared to communicate with patients on their terms. In a world where nobody can predict what twists and turns the path to social media adoption will take in the next few months (much less years), healthcare providers can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and wait this one out.

Engaging new audiences and enhancing the economy of North Carolina

mallen@capstrat.com (Mary Cole Allen) — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:49:08 -0400

The North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) encompasses the seaports of Wilmington and Morehead City, plus inland terminals in Charlotte and the Piedmont Triad. Its audience is two-fold, with one part consisting of logistics managers and shipping agents and the other being economic developers, business owners, chambers of commerce and legislators. NCSPA’s mission is to enhance the economyof North Carolina by providing access to the global shipping marketplace. To be successful, NCSPA must continue to increase business and create jobs throughout the state.

The NCSPA came to Capstrat with a complicated business challenge in a demanding political environment. With the Panama Canal expansion set to be complete in 2014, larger ships will become the standard for ocean shipping causing Wilmington and Morehead City ports to look at expansion and harbor improvement needs to guarantee their long-term success. To become more competitive, NCSPA needed to increase business, awareness and support throughout the state.

NCSPA contacted Capstrat to help further educate the business community, and build up long-term support and awareness around the Ports. Through research, we determined the best way to positively affect NCSPA’s short- and long-term goals was to target three key groups of stakeholders in the state: chambers of commerce, economic developers and business leaders. By communicating the Ports’ key benefits to these audiences, we could not only help increase NCSPA’s current business, but also build a strong foundation of support for future projects.

We needed to communicate just how important the Ports are to our entire state – that these aren’t just Wilmington’s and Morehead City’s Ports; they’re everyone’s Ports. We accomplished this by taking four photos of inland locations – Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville and Duplin County – and making them appear to be coastal cities. This drove home the point that, economically speaking, every city in North Carolina is a port city. These images were used as the centerpieces of NCSPA’s new microsite, ourncports.com, alongside videos and case studies from NC Ports customers reinforcing the Ports’ contribution and importance to the state.

To drive traffic to the site, we placed banners on other sites we knew economic developers and business owners were visiting regularly, which included online business journals and major news sites throughout the state. We tailored relevant banner visuals to each region (running the “Port of Raleigh” banner on the News & Observer home page, for example), knowing that the unexpected twists on familiar scenes would attract more clicks. We also used the images and website look and feel to create a presentation that is being given by NCSPA employees to target audiences across the state.

We measured traffic to ourncports.com and continue to provide regular analytics reports. Since launch, we’ve decreased the bounce rate by nearly 10 percent through optimization, meaning many visitors are staying on the site to watch videos and read case studies. Traffic has increased steadily despite featuring only a few banners in the past several weeks. There also has been a 400 percent increase from referring traffic, which continues to improve, since the site launched.

Sunnyside up with a side of salmonella

Capstrat — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:45:31 -0400

That was the challenge when North Carolina-based start-up, Delta Technology & Software, took on the issue of food safety in America. Despite an ever more complex, global system for sourcing and producing the food we eat, safety protocols for preventing a contaminated food supply rely on an inconsistent patchwork of faxes, emails and even handwritten notes. When a shipment leaves a loading dock before anyone has reviewed or acted on its testing data, the disconnect can lead to outbreak, recalls, and even deaths. When the food and its data move in sync thanks to a system that automates critical enforcement steps, the result is safe food on our tables.

Delta’s new food safety management system, alert®, uses cloud-based data to drive that new level of security. The company launched the product into an industry that was passionate about safety, but burdened with complex manual systems prone to human error. Delta turned to Capstrat to help change the terms of the industry conversation: Food safety requires not just accurate information, but automatic enforcement of protocols – and any recall, no matter how well handled, represents failure. Capstrat anchored Delta’s mission with an integrated communications plan and an all-new website that focused not on the technology behind alert, but on the constant vigilance that food safety requires.

Research

To position and market alert, we conducted research to gain understanding of the food safety industry, its audiences and competitors. We conducted original interviews with food-industry CIOs from major global brands and various executives in Delta’s Industry Advisory Board. What we heard was sobering.

“We have a lot of liability on the consumer table when it comes to managing safety and quality.”

“I wish there were, but no global standards or tools are in place. So here we are in the 21st century, and we’re still running behind the times.”

Planning

The industry need was clear. Delta had the opportunity to help food companies take charge. We turned our discoveries into action with an integrated communications plan for the launch of the product that would position Delta as thought leaders in food safety and drive qualified leads.

Our research identified three industry segments for a targeted PR and sales approach: food producers, food retailers and food service. Broader outreach efforts would take aim at food-industry decision makers and media influencers. We redefined the scope of marketing, PR and communication needs based on the discoveries that while safety is a top priority in the minds of our audiences, tracking safety and compliance is a flawed system at best. We were tasked with communicating that, with alert, companies could prevent product recalls, protect brand integrity, reduce the cost of food safety compliance activity and reduce cycle time. These findings were the cornerstone of our communications strategy.

Execution

Following research and positioning, our first action was to tackle the start-up’s outdated website. Delta’s online presence needed messaging that would instill confidence in the company and products and drive sales leads. To measure and facilitate the saturation of messaging and drive leads, we built a real-time tracking and reporting system that could cross-match visitor demographics against our three key market segments. This would help us target outreach and tailor message streams.

A map-based food safety news ticker on the website was used to keep the discussion current, while blogs and podcasts from industry executives lent authority to the company’s stance. Additionally, we called upon several third-party technologies to automate and optimize sales, marketing and lead generation. A Google AdWords campaign enabled Delta to respond to industry-relevant web searches with highly targeted content. Industry insight briefs, podcasts, press releases optimized for social media, a direct email campaign and a paid media campaign through media giant IDG flanked our efforts. All activity was automatically measured, reported and analyzed to reveal trends, best practices, needs for adjustment and new market opportunities. Within 60 days of launch, the company had more than 65 hard sales leads and considerable online traffic.

Evaluation

We are currently analyzing marketing communication effectiveness and website visitor behaviors by identifying content and tactics that drive leads. Initial results are overwhelmingly positive. We are also assessing website traffic origination and behavior; PR and social media effectiveness; and paid media and email campaign effectiveness. On a weekly basis, Capstrat recommends strategy and tactics fine tuning for even more effective marketplace penetration. Because the site launched on January 10, 2011, it’s early to take in the full scope of results. But there are some encouraging developments:

Our integrated communications efforts have generated 65 hard sales leads to date
More than 1,500 unique visitors have come to the site since launch in January
Visitors have clicked through to links posted from the client’s Twitter account more than 300 times
The client’s Twitter following, including important industry players, grew 50 percent from mid-January to mid-February, 2011

Super Bowl 2011 Ads: Failed Revolution

acohen@capstrat.com (Adam Cohen) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:31:46 -0400

This year's batch of Super Bowl advertising was one of the more mediocre in recent memory. Aside from Volkswagen's charming "Darth Vader" spot, nothing seemed to really jump off the screen. The most notable trends of the year were the return of American car advertising, as well as the return of Eminem – which actually happened in the same commercial at one point.

Being such students of how brands connect with audiences, we couldn’t help but question the thinking behind Motorola’s commercial for the XOOM tablet. In it, a lone tablet-toting hipster attempts to use his new toy to lure the woman of his dreams out of her Orwellian stupor and into his arms. The implication seems to be that Motorola will free you from Apple’s cultural death-grip.

This commercial failed for two reasons, both of which relate to understanding one’s audience. The creators were clearly expecting viewers to catch their ironic reference to Apple’s landmark 1984 commercial, which positioned the new Macintosh against IBM’s Big Brother. But no one under the age of 35 is likely to get that reference, which eliminates a huge portion of Motorola’s target market. Secondly, the commercial’s essential claim – that the XOOM tablet is a revolutionary piece of hardware – will ring patently false to their tech-savvy audience. After all, didn’t Apple essentially just invent the tablet category as it stands today? The XOOM tablet wouldn’t even exist without the iPad. Some revolution. (In fact, Apple so defines the category, we’d put money on the likelihood that the majority of this commercial’s audience thought they were watching an iPad spot.)

We often lament how few clients are willing to make truly strong claims about their products, but it’s just as dangerous for brands to make bold claims that don’t resonate with their particular target. Motorola’s Super Bowl fumble could have been avoided with better research and insight into their customers’ worldview. That’s a much smarter investment than the roughly $6 million they spent to run a misinformed commercial one time.

Echoview Farm: Building community through social media

aconnor@capstrat.com (Angela Connor) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:31:28 -0400

A report released by The Nielsen Company in February 2010 found that the average time spent on Facebook by U.S Internet users the previous month was seven hours. In fact, the average U.S. Internet user spends more time on Facebook than on Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Microsoft, Wikipedia and Amazon combined. Facebook users share more than 30 billion pieces of content each month, making it fertile ground for reaching your target audience.

With this in mind, Capstrat is creating, developing and deploying engagement applications for those who want to connect with and educate their target markets in a way websites cannot. We captured Echoview Farm’s audience on a website where they are already spending a significant amount of time and sharing an abundance of content.

Echoview Farm

One of the primary crops for agri-business, Echoview Farm in Asheville, North Carolina, is hops. A primary audience for their product are craft brewers, many of whom are active in social media. Echoview Farm has begun to capitalize on social media to build relationships with this audience and provide information such as online videos to establish itself as a thought leader among the community.

Echoview Farm is gearing up for its second annual Hops Festival in July. Capstrat wanted to leverage the success of the inaugural event and Echoview Farm’s existing social media fan base to recruit more attendees for the festival. To do this, we expanded beyond the typical Facebook wall and invitation, to create a fun, engaging quiz that hops enthusiasts would want to share, and that would bring them back to the page again and again.

The quiz features ten questions about hops and a scoring system that informs participants of their level of hops knowledge, once the quiz is completed. Personalized responses range from “You’re a hops expert” for those who ace the quiz, to “You’re hop-less” for those who do not.

Users are presented with a badge, based on their score that can be published directly to their newsfeed and made visible to all of their friends, who can click directly on a link connected to the badge that leads them back to the hops quiz. Participants have the option to share the quiz resultson Twitter, in addition to their Facebook newsfeed.

We also incorporated messaging at the end of the quiz leading visitors to the Echoview Farm website and YouTube channel to learn more about hops if their scores are less than perfect.

Integration and Customization

Capstrat created a custom profile picture for the Facebook page which is much larger than those on most company pages, to provide better visibility of the quiz. We also integrated the Echoview Farm YouTube channel on a separate tab on the page to showcase thought-leadership videos featuring the owner of Echoview Farm, also created by Capstrat.

The hops quiz is set to be the default Facebook landing page until we create a custom registration form for the Hops Festival, which will become the focus in April.

Why This Works

Deploying engagement applications such as interactive quizzes, polls, trivia, surveys, branded badges and sweepstakes on your Facebook page is an easy way to move users to action and motivate them to share information about your company, products and services with friends, which in turn drives them back to your page, website or other social networks.

Whether you’re new to Facebook or looking to revamp your page, Capstrat can transform your look and feel to maximize exposure and reach, and most importantly -- get people talking about you.

What’s Next? – 2010 Post-Election

Capstrat — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:37 -0400

On November 2, the Republicans swept to victory in the North Carolina General Assembly, reversing previous Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate. For the first time in more than a century, the Republicans control the entire Legislature.

When the General Assembly starts its session on January 26, the new majority faces an incredible list of challenges, including shrinking state revenues and the once-per-decade task of redrawing legislative and congressional districts. New legislative leaders will also be positioned to address issues that previous leadership would not even consider bringing to a hearing.

At every level, the Legislature of 2011-2012 will look completely different from previous years. Budget and policy priorities, leadership positions and even legislative procedures are all likely to change.

Budgetary changes

The main task of every session of the General Assembly is to pass a state budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st. Many of the new majority party ran on promises to reduce spending and oppose tax increases. The General Assembly is facing an automatic reduction in revenue availability for two main reasons: 1) several temporary taxes are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year; and 2) a significant reduction in federal stimulus money is expected. Elimination of these two sources of revenue likely means at least a $3 billion reduction on a budget of approximately $19 billion. Without tax increases, the reduction in revenue would have to be met through budget cuts.

To prepare for the expected revenue reduction, Governor Bev Perdue has instructed state agencies to prepare for budget cuts of up to 15 percent. Over the next few weeks the Governor will finalize her budget proposal, which she will present to the General Assembly in late January or early February. In addition to recommending budget cuts and signaling her spending priorities, she is also expected to unveil a plan for the reorganization of state government which could mean fewer departments and agencies.

Education and Health and Human Services spending take up about 77 percent of the state’s general fund budget. In the current fiscal year, the state budgeted for $10.8 billion in spending for education. Of that amount, about $3 billion is for K-12 teachers. A large portion of the Health and Human Services budget is made up of mandatory spending to match federal Medicaid dollars. The largest portion of discretionary state spending falls in mental health, disabilities and substance abuse services. With the revenue shortfall looming and a state constitution requiring a balanced budget, education and health and human services would have to experience cuts.

New leadership and changing procedures

With a change in the majority party, there will be a change in all the leadership positions in the General Assembly. For 18 years, the North Carolina Senate has had the same President Pro Tem, Senator Marc Basnight (D-Dare). In January, there will be a Republican Pro Tem, likely Senator Phil Berger of Rockingham County. In the House, several Republicans are vying for the position of Speaker, and it will take a caucus vote (scheduled for November 20) to determine the winner.

In addition to key leadership posts, the new Speaker and new President Pro Tem will be responsible for naming all committees. Currently there are 44 standing committees and subcommittees in the House and 21 in the Senate. Committee chairs wield considerable power in the General Assembly. They preside over committee debate, setting the agenda and deciding which bills will and will not be heard. With so many new faces, there will be a whole new dynamic in getting bills heard and debated in committee.

In addition, the majority sets the procedural rules in the House and Senate which means they control the flow of legislation. For example, the House of Representatives in the previous session generally sent bills to at least two committees, and sometimes more, for examination prior to reaching consideration in the full House. On the other hand, the Senate often held only one committee meeting before sending a bill to the Senate floor for a vote. Neither of these procedures is set in stone, and leadership of each chamber will decide many of these questions when they present the rules for their operating procedures. Bill sponsors and supporters might be navigating completely new legislative processes with new players.

New Policy Priorities

Each political party naturally sets different legislative priorities, and many Republican legislators have seen their favored bills bottled up in committees for years without hearings. Some of those bills will likely get more attention in 2011-2012 including:

Voter identification – House Speaker candidate Paul (Skip) Stam (R-Wake) has promised several legislative initiatives, including passing a requirement that all voters show valid photo identification to vote.
Gay Marriage – Proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution to ban gay marriage never got hearings under the previous legislative leadership.
Eminent Domain – In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Kelo decision in 2005, several states have clarified their eminent domain laws, further restricting the abilities of governments to use eminent domain for private development.
Annexation – Compared to almost any other issue, annexation has brought the most passionate constituents to legislators’ offices during the past session. Municipalities in North Carolina have a wide ranging ability to annex neighboring property. With an increasing population leading to a large number of annexations, a growing number of state residents have chafed at being brought into city limits. An bill placing additional limitations on municipalities’ ability to annex passed the House in 2009, but never received a hearing in the Senate.
Charter Schools – Since their introduction in North Carolina, there has been a cap on the number of charter schools. These schools are within the public school system, but they have a great deal more flexibility on how they operate and are often compared organizationally to private schools. They receive state funds based on their student populations. Eliminating the cap is one of the items on the Republican Party’s platform in North Carolina.
Taxes – For at least a decade, the General Assembly has had various study committees dedicated to reforming the state’s tax code. The reasoning behind the committees always seem simple – the current tax code was written for an economy based primarily on manufacturing and we are now a service economy. But the efforts always get bogged down. With the state facing declining revenue dependent on the volatile sales tax, the revenue reform efforts might gain steam in 2011.

Since the Governor in North Carolina has veto power, there are some issues on which she and legislative leaders will need to work together more closely. However, a gubernatorial veto can be overridden with a three-fifths majority of both the House and the Senate. Senate Republicans hold more than the three-fifths majority (30), making them virtually veto-proof. House Republicans are only four votes shy of the three-fifths (72 votes) majority they would need to override a veto. Issues that are not subject to gubernatorial veto include:

Amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.
Amendments to the United States Constitution.
Joint Resolutions – often resolutions honoring individuals or significant historical events.
Legislation making appointments to various boards, commissions and regulatory bodies.
Redistricting legislation for the North Carolina House of Representatives, North Carolina Senate and Congress.

New Districts

While the debate on the state budget will have a wide ranging impact, the majority party will get its biggest electoral reward by controlling redistricting. Every 10 years following the census, each state draws new legislative and congressional districts. The new districts drawn in 2011 will be in effect for the 2012 presidential election year.

The party in power generally uses its majority power to draw districts as favorable for its members as possible. However, they don’t have a total free reign over redistricting decisions. A series of federal and state court rulings, and federal laws, have taken away some of their flexibility. The rulings were intended to resolve conflicting federal and state laws that are sometimes in conflict:

Federal law – The Voting Rights Act requires the state to avoid diluting the electoral strength of minorities and requires some “majority-minority” districts.
State law – The state constitution requires that counties not be split by legislative districts.

The courts have outlined a four-step process for legislators to follow to resolve the conflicts:

First, the General Assembly should draw the districts required by the Voting Rights Act. Second, it should take all the counties with just the right population to be single-member districts and make them one-county single-member districts. Third, it should take all the counties that have just the right populations for one or more districts and divide those counties into compact single-member districts. Fourth, for the remaining counties it should group them into clusters of counties and divide the clusters into compact single-member districts, crossing county lines within the cluster as little as possible. – From the North Carolina General Assembly website

Although redistricting is mainly a stand-alone, insider issue, it can hang over the heads of individual legislators as they try to have the best possible districts drawn. Past redistricting debates have impacted individual relationships at the Legislature as those leading the effort balance the needs of their majority party, loyalty to individual legislators and legal precedents that they must uphold.

What does it all mean?

Rarely does a legislative session begin promising so much change and uncertainty. A large number of new legislators and new leadership will set completely different policy priorities. Individual legislators will fight to protect their political lives during the redistricting process. And longtime legislators will find themselves in new roles, either as majority leadership or minority members. With the incredibly tight state budget, programs that have never faced major scrutiny will go under the microscope. These changes will impact the legislators themselves, and anyone with interest in any legislation.

More than ever before, businesses, groups and individuals with issues before the General Assembly must:

Demonstrate support from constituents in individual legislators’ districts.
Show legislators how programs save the state money.
Show legislators how individual programs produce results.

Legislators will look for answers on how to solve the budget and how to build support throughout a new legislative process. Successful groups will be those that can provide the right answers.

To see a post-election list of legislators for 2010, click here: House, Senate.

2011 Senate

Capstrat — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:23:31 -0400

North Carolina General Assembly
NC Senate
General Election Results
November 2, 2010

31 Republicans

19 Democrats

Information provided below includes:

District
Counties included in district
County of residence
Incumbent

District 1 – Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, Washington
• Marc Basnight – Dare (Democrat) *

District 2 – Carteret, Craven, Pamlico
• Jean Preston – Carteret (Republican) *

District 3 – Edgecombe, Martin, Pitt (Part)
• Clark Jenkins - Edgecombe (Democrat)*

District 4 – Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton, Perquimans
• Ed Jones – Halifax (Democrat) *

District 5 – Greene, Pitt (Part) Wayne (Part)
• Louis Pate, Jr. – Wayne (Republican) (new to the Senate; served previously in the NC House, but not in the 2009-2010 session)

District 6 – Jones, Onslow
• Harry Brown – Onslow (Republican)*

District 7 – Franklin, Granville, Vance Warren
• Doug Berger – Franklin (Democrat) *

District 8 – Brunswick, Columbus, Pender
• William Peter Rabon – Brunswick (Republican)

District 9 – New Hanover
• Thom Goolsby – New Hanover (Republican)

District 10 – Duplin, Lenoir, Sampson
• Brent Jackson – Sampson (Republican)

District 11 – Nash, Wilson
• E.S. (Buck) Newton – Wilson (Republican)

District 12 – Johnston, Wayne (Part)
• David Rouzer – Johnston (Republican)*

District 13 – Hoke, Robeson
• Michael P. Walters – Robeson (Democrat)*

District 14 – Wake (Part)
• Daniel T. Blue, Jr. – Wake (Democrat)*

District 15 – Wake
• Neal Hunt – Wake (Republican)*

District 16 – Wake (Part)
• Josh Stein – Wake (Democrat)*

District 17 – Wake
• Richard Stevens – Wake (Republican)*

District 18 – Chatham, Durham (Part), Lee
• Bob Atwater – Chatham (Democrat)*

District 19 – Bladen, Cumberland (Part)
• Wesley Alan Meredith – Cumberland (Republican)

District 20 – Durham (Part)
• Floyd McKissick, Jr. – Durham (Democrat)*

District 21 – Cumberland (Part)
• Eric Mansfield – Cumberland (Democrat)

District 22 – Harnett, Moore
• Harris Blake – Moore (Republican)*

District 23 – Orange, Person
• Ellie Kinnaird – Orange (Democrat)*

District 24 – Alamance, Caswell
• Rick Gunn – Alamance (Republican)

District 25 – Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly
• William Purcell – Scotland (Democrat)*

District 26 – Guilford (Part), Rockingham
• Phil Berger – Rockingham (Republican)*

District 27 – Guilford (Part)
• Don Vaughan – Guilford (Democrat)*

District 28 – Guilford (Part)
• Dr. Gladys Robinson – Guilford (Democrat)

District 29 – Montgomery, Randolph
• Jerry Tillman – Randolph (Republican)*

District 30 – Alleghany, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin
• Don East – Surry (Republican)*

District 31 – Forsyth (Part)
• Peter S. Brunstetter – Forsyth (Republican)*

District 32 – Forsyth (Part)
• Linda Garrou – Forsyth (Democrat)*

District 33 – Davidson, Guilford (Part)
• Stan Bingham – Davidson (Republican)*

District 34 – Davie, Rowan
• Andrew Brock – Davie (Republican)*

District 35 – Mecklenburg (Part), Union
• Tommy Tucker – Union (Republican)

District 36 – Cabarrus, Iredell (Part)
• Fletcher Hartsell, Jr. – Cabarrus (Republican)*

District 37 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Dan Clodfelter – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

District 38 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Charlie Dannelly – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

District 39 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Bob Rucho – Mecklenburg (Republican)*

District 40 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Malcolm Graham – Mecklenburg (Democrat) *

District 42 – Gaston (Part), Iredell (Part), Lincoln
• Jim Forrester – Gaston (Republican)*

District 42 – Catawba, Iredell (Part)
• Austin Allran – Catawba (Republican)*

District 43 – Gaston (Part)
• Kathy Harrington – Gaston (Republican)

District 44 – Burke, Caldwell
• Warren Daniel – Burke (Republican)

District 45 – Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, Wilkes
• Dan Soucek – Watauga (Republican)

District 46 – Cleveland, Rutherford
• Debbie Clary – Cleveland (Republican)*

District 47 – Avery, Haywood (Part), Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey
• Ralph Hise, Jr. – Mitchell (Republican)*

District 48 – Buncombe (Part) Henderson, Polk
• Tom Apodaca – Henderson (Republican)*

District 49 – Buncombe (Part)
• Martin Nesbitt – Buncombe (Democrat)*

District 50 – Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood (Part), Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania
• Jim Davis – Macon (Republican)

2011 House of Representatives

Capstrat — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:11:38 -0400

North Carolina General Assembly
NC House of Representatives
General Election Results
November 2, 2010

67 Republicans

52 Democrats

1 Unaffiliated

Information provided below includes:

District
Counties included in district
County of residence
* Incumbent

District 1 – Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Tyrrell
• Bill Owens – Pasquotank (Democrat)*

District 2 – Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Washington
• Timothy Spear – Washington (Democrat)*

District 3 – Craven (Part), Pamlico
• Norman Sanderson – Pamlico (Republican)

District 4 – Duplin, Onslow (Part)
• Jimmy Dixon – Duplin (Republican)

District 5 – Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Perquimans
• Annie Mobley – Hertford (Democrat)*

District 6 – Beaufort, Pitt (Part)
• Bill Cook – Beaufort (Republican)

District 7 – Halifax (Part), Nash (Part)
• Angela Bryant – Nash (Democrat)*

District 8 – Martin, Pitt (Part)
• Edith Warren – Pitt (Democrat)*

District 9 – Pitt (Part)
• Marian McLawhorn – Pitt (Democrat)*

District 10 – Greene, Lenoir (Part, Wayne (Part)
• Stephen LaRoque – Lenoir (Republican) – served previously in NC House, but not in 2009-10 Session

District 11 – Wayne (part)
• Efton Sager – Wayne (Republican)*

District 12 – Craven (Part), Lenoir (Part)
• William Wainwright – Craven (Democrat)*

District 13 – Carteret, Jones
• Pat McElraft – Carteret (Republican)*

District 14 – Onslow (Part)
• George Cleveland – Onslow (Republican)*

District 15 – Onslow (Part)
• Phillip Shephard – Onslow (Republican)

District 16 – New Hanover (Part), Pender (Part)
• Carolyn Justice – Pender (Republican)*

District 17 - Brunswick (Part)
• Frank Iler – Brunswick (Republican)*

District 18 – New Hanover
• Susi Hamilton – New Hanover (Democrat)

District 19 – New Hanover (Part)
• Danny McComas – New Hanover (Republican)*

District 20 – Brunswick (Part), Columbus
• Dewey Hill – Columbus (Democrat)*

District 21 – Sampson (Part), Wayne (Part)
• Larry Bell – Sampson (Democrat)*

District 22 – Bladen, Cumberland (Part)
• William Brisson – Bladen (Democrat)*

District 23 – Edgecombe (Part), Wilson (Part)
• Joe Tolson – Edgecombe (Democrat)*

District 24 – Edgecombe (Part, Wilson (Part)
• Jean Farmer-Butterfield – Wilson (Democrat)*

District 25 – Nash (Part)
• Jeff Collins – Nash (Republican)

District 26 – Johnston (Part)
• Leo Daughtry – Johnston (Republican)*

District 27 – Northampton, Vance (Part), Warren
• Michael Wray – Northampton (Democrat)

District 28 – Johnston (Part), Sampson (Part)
• James Langdon, Jr. – Johnston (Republican)*

District 29 – Durham (Part)
• Larry Hall – Durham (Democrat)*

District 30 – Durham (Part)
• Paul Luebke – Durham (Democrat)*

District 31 – Durham (Part)
• Mickey Michaux – Durham (Democrat)*

District 32 – Granville, Vance (Part)
• Jim Crawford, Jr. – Granville (Democrat)*

District 33 – Wake (Part)
• Rosa Gill – Wake (Democrat)*

District 34 – Wake (Part)
• Grier Martin – Wake (Democrat)*

District 35 – Wake (Part)
• Jennifer Weiss – Wake (Democrat)*

District 36 – Wake (Part)
• Nelson Dollar – Wake (Republican)*

District 37 – Wake (Part)
• Paul (Skip) Stam – Wake (Republican)*

District 38 – Wake (Part)
• Deborah Ross – Wake (Democrat)*

District 39 – Wake (Part)
• Darren Jackson – Wake (Democrat)*

District 40 – Wake (Part)
• Marilyn Avila – Wake (Republican)*

DISTRICT 41 – Wake (Part)
• Tom Murry – Wake (Republican)

DISTRICT 42 – Cumberland (Part)
• Marvin W. Lucas – Cumberland (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 43 – Cumberland (Part)
• Elmer Floyd – Cumberland (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 44 – Cumberland (Part)
• Diane Parfitt – Cumberland (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 45 – Cumberland (Part)
• Rick Glazier – Cumberland (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 46 – Hoke (Part), Robeson (Part), and Scotland (Part)
• G. L. Pridgen – Robeson (Republican)

DISTRICT 47 – Robeson (Part)
• Charles Graham – Robeson (Democrat)

DISTRICT 48 – Hoke (Part), Robeson (Part), and Scotland (Part)
• Garland E. Pierce – Scotland (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 49 – Franklin, Halifax (Part), and Nash (Part)
• Glen Bradley – Franklin (Republican)

DISTRICT 50 – Caswell and Orange (Part)
• Bill Faison – Orange (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 51 – Harnett (Part) and Lee
• Michael (Mike) Stone – Lee (Republican)

DISTRICT 52 – Moore (Part)
• James L. Boles, Jr. – Moore (Republican)*

DISTRICT 53 – Harnett (Part)
• David R. Lewis – Harnett (Republican)*

DISTRICT 54 – Chatham, Moore (Part), and Orange (Part)
• Joe Hackney – Orange (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 55 – Durham (Part) and Person
• W. A. (Winkie) Wilkins – Person (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 56 – Orange (Part)
• Verla Insko – Orange (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 57 – Guilford (Part)
• Pricey Harrison – Guilford (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 58 – Guilford (Part)
• Alma Adams – Guilford (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 59 – Guilford (Part)
• Maggie Jeffus – Guilford (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 60 – Guilford (Part)
• Marcus Brandon, Jr. – Guilford (Democrat)

DISTRICT 61 – Guilford (Part)
• John Faircloth – Guilford (Republican)

DISTRICT 62 – Guilford (Part)
• John M. Blust – Guilford (Republican)*

DISTRICT 63 – Alamance (Part)
• Alice L. Bordsen – Alamance (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 64 – Alamance (Part)
• Dan W. Ingle – Alamance (Republican)*

DISTRICT 65 – Rockingham (Part)
• Bert Jones – Rockingham (Unaffiliated)

DISTRICT 66 – Montgomery (Part) and Richmond
• Ken Goodman – Richmond (Democrat)

DISTRICT 67 – Montgomery (Part), Stanly, and Union (Part)
• Justin P. Burr – Stanly (Republican)*

DISTRICT 68 – Union (Part)
• D. Craig Horn – Union (Republican)

DISTRICT 69 – Anson and Union (Part)
• Pryor Gibson – Anson (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 70 – Randolph (Part)
• Pat B. Hurley – Randolph (Republican)*

DISTRICT 71 – Forsyth (Part)
• Larry Womble – Forsyth (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 72 – Forsyth (Part)
• Earline W. Parmon – Forsyth (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 73 – Davidson (Part) and Forsyth (Part)
• Larry R. Brown – Forsyth (Republican)*

DISTRICT 74 – Forsyth (Part)
• Dale R. Folwell – Forsyth (Republican)*

DISTRICT 75 – Forsyth (Part)
• Wm. C. “Bill” McGee – Forsyth (Republican)*

DISTRICT 76 – Rowan (Part)
• Fred F. Steen, II – Rowan (Republican)*

DISTRICT 77 – Rowan (Part)
• Harry Warren – Rowan (Republican)

DISTRICT 78 – Randolph (Part)
• Harold J. Brubaker – Randolph (Republican)*

DISTRICT 79 – Davie and Iredell (Part)
• Julia C. Howard – Davie (Republican)*

DISTRICT 80 – Davidson (Part)
• Jerry C. Dockham – Davidson (Republican)*

DISTRICT 81 – Davidson (Part)
• Rayne Brown – Davidson (Republican)

DISTRICT 82 – Cabarrus (Part)
• Jeff Barnhart – Cabarrus (Republican)*

DISTRICT 83 – Cabarrus (Part)
• Linda P. Johnson – Cabarrus (Republican)*

DISTRICT 84 – Avery, Caldwell (Part), Mitchell, and Yancey (Part)
• Phillip Frye – Mitchell (Republican)*

DISTRICT 85 – Burke (Part) and McDowell
• Mitch Gillespie – McDowell (Republican)*

DISTRICT 86 – Burke (Part)
• Hugh Blackwell – Burke (Republican)*

DISTRICT 87 – Caldwell (Part)
• Edgar V. Starnes – Caldwell (Republican)*

DISTRICT 88 – Alexander and Catawba (Part)
• Mark W. Hollo – Alexander (Republican) – served previously in NC House, but not in 2009-10 Session

DISTRICT 89 – Catawba (Part) and Iredell (Part)
• Mitchell S. Setzer – Catawba (Republican)*

DISTRICT 90 – Alleghany and Surry (Part)
• Sarah Stevens – Surry (Republican)*

DISTRICT 91 – Rockingham (Part) and Stokes
• Bryan R. Holloway – Stokes (Republican)*

DISTRICT 92 – Iredell (Part), Surry (Part), and Yadkin
• Darrell G. McCormick – Yadkin (Republican)*

DISTRICT 93 – Ashe and Watauga
• Jonathan C. Jordan – Ashe (Republican)

DISTRICT 94 – Wilkes
• Shirley B. Randleman – Wilkes (Republican)*

DISTRICT 95 – Iredell (Part)
• Grey Mills – Iredell (Republican)*

DISTRICT 96 – Catawba (Part)
• Mark K. Hilton – Catawba (Republican)*

DISTRICT 97 – Lincoln
• Johnathan Rhyne, Jr. – Lincoln (Republican)*

DISTRICT 98 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Thom Tillis – Mecklenburg (Republican)*

DISTRICT 99 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Rodney W. Moore – Mecklenburg (Democrat)

DISTRICT 100 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Tricia Ann Cotham – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 101 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Beverly M. Earle – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 102 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Becky Carney – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 103 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Bill Brawley – Mecklenburg (Republican)

DISTRICT 104 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Ruth Samuelson – Mecklenburg (Republican)*

DISTRICT 105 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Ric Killian – Mecklenburg (Republican)*

DISTRICT 106 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Martha B. Alexander – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 107 – Mecklenburg (Part)
• Kelly M. Alexander, Jr. – Mecklenburg (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 108 – Gaston (Part)
• John Torbett – Gaston (Republican)

DISTRICT 109 – Gaston (Part)
• William A. Current, Sr. – Gaston (Republican)*

DISTRICT 110 – Cleveland (Part) and Gaston (Part)
• Kelly E. Hastings – Gaston (Republican)

DISTRICT 111 – Cleveland (Part)
• Tim Moore – Cleveland (Republican)*

DISTRICT 112 – Cleveland (Part) and Rutherford
• Mike Hager – Rutherford (Republican)

DISTRICT 113 – Henderson (Part), Polk, and Transylvania
• W. David Guice – Transylvania (Republican)*

DISTRICT 114 – Buncombe (Part)
• Susan C. Fisher – Buncombe (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 115 – Buncombe (Part)
• Patsy Keever – Buncombe (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 116 – Buncombe (Part)
• Timothy D. (Tim) Moffitt – Buncombe (Republican)

DISTRICT 117 – Henderson (Part)
• Chuck McGrady – Henderson (Republican)

DISTRICT 118 – Haywood (Part), Madison, and Yancey (Part)
• Ray Rapp – Madison (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 119 – Haywood (Part), Jackson, Macon (Part), and Swain
• R. Phillip Haire – Jackson (Democrat)*

DISTRICT 120 – Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon (Part)
• Roger West – Cherokee (Republican)*

BCBSNC HealthNAV iPhone app

Capstrat — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:06:56 -0400

Our Thinking

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is no stranger to innovation that helps its customers. The HealthNAV iPhone App is about just that—using innovative, modern technology to improve their members’ busy lives. It helps BCBSNC get important information into members’ hands so they can make quick and informed decisions about their healthcare. The iPhone app, always an arm’s reach away, is a win-win for both BCBSNC and their members.

It’s no secret that smartphone usage is booming. Mobile users know their devices make life easier. Whether it’s banking, working or trying to get to the next level of Angry Birds, today’s mobile devices have opened up a new world of efficiency to their users. In fact, Nielsen projects that by the third quarter of 2011, smartphones will outnumber feature phones. And within the smartphone universe, Apple’s iOS platform is leading the charge on the application front. It’s estimated that the average iPhone user has downloaded 40 apps. This is compared to 25 among Android users and 14 among those who own a BlackBerry. So, the choice to go to market on Apple’s iOS platform first was obvious.

How We Delivered

Our initial strategy was to provide mobile access to important tools found on BCBSNC.com. The Drug Finder and Urgent Care Finder features were the obvious first step. We took these features a step further and made them customizable for each user. Not only can a user search for a cheaper alternative to their prescriptions, they can save this information on their device for later use. Or, if a family needs to find an urgent care center while on vacation, they can use the iPhone’s GPS system to locate the closest in-network provider. If they still have questions, the Contact Us feature provides direct access to a BCBSNC customer service representative. Again, it comes back to providing the user quick and easy solutions while on the go.

With the app ready for market, it was time to get the word out. Working with BCBSNC’s Corporate Communications team and social media strategist, it was decided that a healthy dose of social media, public relations, internal promotion and advertising was the right solution. In the days surrounding the App’s launch, BCBSNC’s social media team contacted technology, healthcare and family-oriented bloggers with information about the app. Twitter was abuzz with news of BCBSNC’s latest innovation. Capstrat and BCBSNC’s Corporate Communications team pitched local news outlets and facilitated widespread coverage of the app. And just in case they missed it, geo-targeted mobile web and in-app advertising to North Carolina’s iPhone users was launched.

Results

During the first two weeks following its launch, more than 2,000 members downloaded the BCBSNC HealthNAV app. Early user reviews demonstrated that members are overwhelmingly pleased with the app’s design and function. And our traditional and social media efforts generated positive attention for BCBSNC. It’s strong on all fronts and we can’t wait to see what’s next from this innovative company.

Our philosophy

Capstrat — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:30:17 -0400

If you’ve got a website, you’ve probably heard about analytics—the process of collecting, measuring and evaluating Internet data. Leveraging analytics helps you better understand who is using your website and why. Measuring your site enables you to optimize your efforts, gauge your success and inform your marketing decisions.

At Capstrat, our analytics practice goes beyond mere traffic reporting. As our client’s analytics partner, we use data to uncover valuable insights and ideas that together we can act on. Why are visitors behaving in certain ways? How can we encourage them to respond differently to the site? We don’t just give you data—we tell the story underneath it and we offer strategies for improving your results.

Our analytics work is guided by three core beliefs. These principles inform everything we do.

We believe in transparency. We don’t hide data from our clients. You see the exact same information that we do. We aren’t concerned about making ourselves look good—we’re focused on getting better results for our clients. Rather than obscuring disappointing data, we acknowledge it, learn from it and craft strategies for improvement.
We believe in agility. We customize our strategies and tactics to meet your needs. Analytics is not one-size-fits all and neither is our approach. We aren’t committed to any one program or process. In this constantly evolving field, we use what works for you and we’re always looking for new techniques and tools.
We believe in success. Every campaign can (and should be) measured, tested, analyzed and improved. For each project, we define and measure goals. Even when your goal is difficult to quantify—like achieving brand awareness or user engagement—we find ways to definitively measure success.

With these beliefs as a foundation for our analytics practice, we create a partnership with our clients. And through that partnership, we bring order and understanding to data, making websites—and the marketing efforts behind them—more successful and effective.

Numbers lie

Capstrat — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:30:02 -0400

We had to make best guestimates about what we thought was working and what wasn’t in our marketing campaigns. Today, that pendulum has swung 180 degrees—now we have too much data. There is data everywhere and it never stops. It keeps growing and growing, and we as marketers have a new challenge—how do we manage it all? One of the biggest lessons I have learned about metrics and data is that numbers lie. I know what you’re thinking: “That can’t be right. Numbers don’t lie.” But they do. Let’s look at an example.

Two sides of the story

Marketing Manager A is presenting to her superiors about how their website is performing. She is extremely pleased as she discusses a PowerPoint slide that shows an average user stays on their website for a little more than five minutes and views six or seven pages. She says, “Users are staying on our website much longer than industry average, which speaks to how well our content and website are performing.”

More than five minutes per visit and six or seven pages. This all sounds like great news, but is it?

Marketing Manager B is also presenting to her superiors. With a serious tone, she says, “Team, we have some real concerns about our website. As you can see by this slide, the average user is spending more than five minutes on our site and looking at six or seven pages each visit. This is unacceptable. These numbers clearly show that users are having a hard time finding what they are looking for and need to click several times on our website to get to where they want to go. Something must be done!”

So who’s right?

Same numbers with two very different interpretations. What does this all mean? What I have learned is that metrics are like an onion. You need to peel several layers down to really get a clear picture of what this glut of data is actually trying to tell you. I have also learned that it is never too early to bring your analytics or data governance team into a project. Developing key drivers and success metrics at the very outset of any project is an absolute must. This will ensure that the entire team understands the success metrics and will hopefully keep your metrics honest.

The future of analytics

Capstrat — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:29:13 -0400

While technology improvements are going to make it easier to collect and sort more and more data, budget constraints and the acceptance of data-driven decisions are ultimately going to determine the direction analytics will take.

Prove your worth

Economic pressures are going to be one the biggest drivers toward acceptance of analytics. The current recession has forced companies to reconsider how they allocate funds and marketing budgets have been hit hard. A big reason for cuts can be linked to the lack of decent marketing measurement. Traditionally, marketing organizations have struggled to demonstrate measurable value, making it easier to cut marketing budgets when times are tough. Instead of being viewed as an investment, marketing has often been viewed as an expense. Today, CFOs are pushing marketers to be more accountable for their marketing dollars and will push them to embrace analytics in order to justify their efforts.

Don’t just go with your gut

Culturally, organizations are still somewhat resistant to using data to drive decision making. For the last 100 years or so, marketing has been a faith-based initiative driven by gut feelings and intuition. As the tools and expertise start to mature, data-using companies will gain a competitive advantage. Understanding where to spend the next marketing dollar and gaining better insight into customer behavior are going to yield more effective marketing efforts for companies that make analytics an important part of their ongoing strategy.

One of the reasons we see a low acceptance of using analytics in decision making comes from the absence of skill development in the area of analytics. At present, there are very few educational resources available for people who want to learn to use analytics tools and methodologies. As a result, marketing has long lagged behind other fields in using data to drive better decisions. However, this will change as the academic world begins to adjust curriculums to train the next generation of workers. Analytics in the future will not be left to a select few analysts but ingrained in all marketing roles as a way to help determine appropriate strategies.

What’s next

Beyond the outside economic forces and marketing cultural changes driving analytics, there are other interesting trends worth keeping an eye on for the future.

Privacy is a hot topic as the breadth of data on individuals continues to swell. Developments in legislation, both at home and overseas, stand to dramatically change what information can be collected on individuals and how that data can be used in marketing.
The cost associated with analytics tools and data storage continues to fall, which will bring robust analytics tools to a much wider audience. The power of these analytics tools will rise as storage costs decrease and processing power increases.
Data integration will continue to gain prominence as software packages use behavioral data to dictate the types of content on websites, how email marketing is crafted, how customer service is provided and how offers are personalized. With technology, marketing becomes a more one-on-one effort, which will deliver relevance and ultimately conversions. In the future, there won’t be an internal debate about what goes on the homepage—the visitors will decide.
Someone will figure out a way to measure social media and its impact. Right now, there are a lot of companies trying to solve this analytics challenge but no one has the definitive answer yet. Over the next few years, marketers will be striving to understand social media’s influence over purchase decisions, the perception of brands and how to communicate with customers.
The movement of advertising to the digital realm means measurement will become increasingly important and expected. Managing across multiple channels and understanding how tactics interrelate to deliver results will be an ongoing challenge as marketers grow more sophisticated in wanting to understand visitor behavior.

Analytics as a narrative

Capstrat — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:26:30 -0400

Far too often, numbers are thrown around without enough context to give the numbers meaning. The practice of analytics seeks to uncover, develop and interpret the context of the data to make sound decisions from the numbers. Analytics is not reporting but rather a storytelling process in which data is gathered, analyzed and reported on to compose the narrative and to inform decision making. The goal of analytics is to help businesses make decisions based on their success measures and objectives.

The secret to successful analytics is clearly defining a desired outcome. This may seem obvious, but marketing campaigns and websites are too often developed and launched without a clear objective. When you know your goal, an analyst is able to determine what needs to be measured to ensure that the campaign or website achieves that goal.

Telling the tale

The storytelling process begins with data collection. Once that data is gathered, the analytics narrative can begin to develop. At this point, it is good to review the goals and objectives to ensure that the metrics chosen are actually measuring the successes or shortcomings of the project. The metrics are what tell the story. For instance, if your goal is for a user to submit a contact form, analytics can tell you the percent of users who completed the form. You can also compare the interactions of users who submitted the form versus those who did not to determine if a certain interaction is more likely to encourage users to complete the action. As you dig deeper into the analysis, a clear picture of your website’s effectiveness will emerge.

After the data is gathered and analyzed, the next step is to summarize the story by building reports. The reports are a summary of the story, providing all key information needed to make decisions that will promote a desired outcome. The report should provide information that helps determine the most effective marketing campaigns—which landing pages provide the highest goal conversion or where your users are coming from. Over time, trends will develop, allowing marketers to refine and optimize campaigns.

Everyone wins

The beautiful thing about analytics is that it promotes continuous improvement. This aspect of analytics ensures that marketers are telling the most compelling stories to the right market. Analytics allows consumers to tell marketers what they like and the story becomes a dialogue. Through this process of analytics, everyone can win. Marketers target the right consumers, and consumers are able to quickly find what they want.

Using analytics to drive campaign effectiveness

eperez@capstrat.com (Ely Perez) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:07:40 -0400

To meet goals, marketers cannot just rely on their intuition to make decisions. Instead, they must implement best practices and tools to efficiently collect the necessary data to analyze marketing campaigns and make informed, data-driven business decisions. Campaign analysis helps marketers make short-term fixes to their marketing campaign mixes while providing insight into maximizing the lifetime value to a customer over time.

Make your marketing count

These metrics should help identify recommendations for quick and effective results, allowing the marketer to discover the most valuable campaign mix. Campaigns that provide the highest value can easily be identified, making it easier to confirm that marketing spend is being used effectively. Alternatively, underperforming campaigns can also be identified and changed or discontinued to decrease wasteful spending.

The first step is to review the attainment of goals of all of your campaigns and identify the low and high percentages relative to the rest. Once they are identified you can start optimizing your campaign to achieve better efficiency. You should first address initial recommendations, such as which combinations of creative to use (based on a combination of conversions and placement weighted by importance based on your goals and pricing). But to produce the best results, it is important to have in place a long-term process for continual optimization.

Looking at the long term

It is essential to proactively analyze results against benchmarks and goals in order to measure long-term progress. Since visitors are not static, it is important to continually optimize online campaign mixes, knowing that what worked today may not be effective one month from now. Here at Capstrat, we never stop monitoring. We constantly are updating, altering, optimizing and tweaking everything from PPC campaigns to landing pages that we’re directing traffic to.

In conclusion, whether making quick improvements to a campaign mix or performing long-term optimization, the process of campaign analysis and optimization is a critical part of an effective marketing program. By truly leveraging campaign analysis and optimization, the marketer can make both short- and long-term data-driven decisions with confidence and justify marketing campaign expenditures to customers.

Use of social media by candidates

Capstrat — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:31:19 -0400

Expanded research by Capstrat shows that while the number of legislators using social media has crept up since earlier this year, many have not yet tapped the full potential of these communication tools. In addition, a new examination of non-incumbent legislative candidates shows they are exceeding incumbent legislators in social media.

Most legislators (with some notable exceptions), have not yet fully integrated social media into their communications plans and could benefit from following just a few simple steps to increase their social media impact.

Create Fan Pages rather than Friend Pages on Facebook
Tout all statements and events on Twitter
Link Twitter updates with web pages and Facebook
Unlock Tweets

Overall, Republicans candidates (incumbents and non-incumbents) still lead Democrats in terms of percent of candidates with active Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Active Updates, Active Followers

For some candidates, updates and other activity fall off quickly after Facebook or Twitter accounts are created, suggesting busy schedules may quickly outweigh the novelty of the approach. In fact, the number of incumbent legislators with a Twitter account has increased since earlier this year. But the average number of people following incumbent legislators on Twitter has decreased. With legislators not giving regular updates, people are dropping them from their follow list.

During active campaigns, all legislative candidates are attending events, issuing statements and talking about their policies. Some legislators might think of Twitter as that annoying “what are you doing?” tool. Instead, they should think of Twitter and Facebook as opportunities to direct people to their messages as well.

Incumbent legislators are missing out an on an opportunity to create a direct connection with constituents. Most people have no idea what a legislator does on a day-to-day basis. They can use Twitter to “de-mystify” their jobs. They can also link directly to campaign statements and get the word out about events and fundraisers.

New candidates, though, might be marking a shift in direction. On Twitter, new candidates far outpace incumbents on the establishment of accounts. Nearly half of non-incumbent legislative candidates are already on Twitter.

They call it “social” media, so don’t be so closed off

Some legislative candidates seem curiously reluctant to embrace the public nature of social media, for example by locking their Tweets (restricting them to approved contacts).

Candidates could certainly do more to harness the two-way nature of the medium. Comments on most Facebook pages are minimal as are retweets of candidates’ Twitter streams. Social media could potentially do more to help legislators and candidates take the public’s pulse on key issues if interaction were higher. And in terms of generating awareness, a more “viral” nature could exponentially increase the reach of candidates’ messages, including appeals for fundraising.

The power potential of social media is to give the average voter a direct connection to the candidate – personalize the experience. Some candidates have personal pages when they should be pushing potential supporters to Profile pages. The key difference is that personal pages require “friends” to share a great deal of personal information. Even if you are tremendously interested in what a candidate is doing, do you really want to share pictures of your four-year-old’s birthday party or that new puppy with every other friend of the legislator? In our view, a better fit for most candidates would be a Profile page that lets constituents and supporters keep up while sharing minimal personal information.

Senator Andrew Brock (D-Davie) and Representative Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), for example, have both demonstrated how legislators can use social media to get out their message. Both utilize Profile pages in addition to their personal pages. Both consistently send out messages about campaign events and positions on issues. Rep. Glazier also posts many pictures on his Facebook page, further connecting him with the voters.

About our Additional Research

Capstrat looked at Facebook and Twitter use among incumbent legislators earlier this year. This research updates those numbers and also looks at social media use among all legislative candidates.

To assess the impact of the campaign season on social media, we compared activity between incumbents and non-incumbent challengers in both the N.C. House and N.C. Senate. A composite breakdown of this data is shown below in for Facebook and Twitter.

Republicans and challengers appear to be heavier users of Facebook and Twitter than Democratic incumbents.

Biggest Social Media Users

*Where possible, we combined Facebook friends, fans and members of group pages under the designation “friends.” “Challenger” includes any non-incumbent, including candidates for open seats.

* Capstrat compiled data on candidates October 11-15, 2010. We acknowledge that given the fluid nature of social media, numbers change on a daily basis.

Want to follow North Carolina legislators?

Capstrat has a custom Twitter list available at: http://capstr.at/4P

Preventing tobacco use through TRU stories

Capstrat — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:38:49 -0400

Along with the support of grassroots activity in local North Carolina communities, HWTF’s statewide media campaign has helped prevent more than 53,000 teens from using tobacco. A key part to that success is telling real stories of people affected by tobacco. Research tells us that hard-hitting testimonials about the serious health consequences of tobacco use are the most effective way to reach teens.

In our latest round of testimonial TV spots, we present the stories of Justin and Destini. Justin Andrews, a 30-year-old with a wife and young son, decided on his 28th birthday that it was time to quit smoking, only to discover six months later that he had waited too long – he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Seventeen year-old Destini Donaldson lost her father to a battle with lung cancer this past December, and the television ads reveal the pain of having to face her future without her father.

Watch the spots now.

How do we know ads like Justin and Destini’s are effective in reaching teens? The most recent evaluation report from researchers at the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Family Medicine’s Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program (TPEP) found that:

Youth awareness of TRU ads is now at 77%.
More than 94% of NC youth who had seen the TRU ads reported they were convincing, attention-grabbing and gave good reasons not to smoke.
More than 30% who had seen the TRU ads reported that they talked to their friends about the ads, indicating high “chat value.”

These statistics show that the TRU campaign is making great progress toward building the first tobacco-free generation in North Carolina. See for yourself how these powerful stories are shaping the attitudes of North Carolina teens.

Watch previous work from the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund:

State legislators – Who’s “connected”?

Capstrat — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:13:05 -0400

A February 2010 study of global Twitter use reported an average daily volume of 50 million tweets - more than 600 tweets every second. While Tweeters range from occasional posters to ten-an-hour fanatics, the medium itself is a mainstream phenomenon that is reaching into more and more households. Elected officials at all levels are taking notice. Members of the U.S. House and Senate have been using social media for some time, but until recently there didn’t seem to be much interest among state officials and candidates for state office.

Capstrat examined how North Carolina legislators use social media – defined for our immediate purposes as Facebook and Twitter -- to get a sense of the volume of use and range of individual involvement. While this movement is still in an early stage of development, we found data sufficient to draw some initial conclusions.

Connect and engage

Legislators are clearly beginning to connect with constituents via social media. Some are also using social media tools to engage constituents and campaign supporters in specific causes or activities. How officials use social media varies considerably: some share district news or let constituents know what they are doing on their behalf in the state capital. Others aim to get potential voters enthused and ready to show up on Election Day.

Part of social media’s growing popularity likely stems from its convenience for both elected officials and their constituents. Constituents can find a great deal of information in one place, making it easy to take the pulse of elected officials. A candidate’s mindset is also pretty clear when their thoughts on a given issue are just a “tweet” away. One can also get a good idea what is important to public officials simply by “friending” them on Facebook, where their thoughts, philosophies and positions are neatly gathered in one place.

A very public forum

Social media is by definition and practice a remarkably transparent environment. Gathering data on which North Carolina legislators are Facebook or Twitter users is simply a matter of searching each tool by name and location. In some instances, legislators have separate pages or handles targeted to distinct audiences. We tried in our research to distinguish between personal and professional uses of social media, though the distinction is often blurry. We tallied Facebook pages, groups and personal pages separately. To determine the “most connected” legislators, we looked at all this information broadly, tallying total friends from all three.

The numbers

North Carolina legislators have more than 58,000 Facebook friends across the state. Connected legislators average more than 550 friends on Facebook and more than 120 Twitter followers.

We also characterized legislators’ social media use by reference to influencer-ranking site Klout.com. Klout measures Tweeters’ overall influence on 25 separate variables, with scores ranging from 0 (none) to 100 (major online influencer). Klout also places Tweeters into one of 16 different influencer types based on specific tweeting practices.

Legislators' average Tweet frequency was 1.99 per day. While some of the Facebook and Twitter pages had little activity, hundreds of people subscribe to their feeds. We think this shows sustained constituent interest in receiving information online. We suspect that it will not be long until the legislators begin to take fuller advantage of this fast, easy and inexpensive communication channel.

Feeders: Audience relies on them for a steady flow of information about their industry or topic. Their audience is hooked on your updates and secretly can’t live without them.

Observers: Don’t share very much, but follow the social web more than they let on. They may enjoy observing more than sharing or are just checking stuff out before jumping in full-force.

Explorers: Actively engaged in the social web and constantly trying out new ways to interact and network. They’re exploring the ecosystem and making it work for them. Level of activity and engagement shows that they “get it,” we predict they will be moving up.

Connectors: A constant source of information to friends and co-workers. There is a good chance that they introduce friends to Twitter. Their taste and opinion is respected and their judgment is trusted.

Who's on top?

So who were the most connected legislators in the North Carolina House and Senate? Which political party is forging ahead faster into social media? Do women or men seem to have the edge?

Most Connected Members
(As of September 20, 2010 10:34 p.m.)

Senate
Most Facebook Friends in NC Senate	Andrew C. Brock (5941)
Most Twitter Followers in NC Senate	Phil Berger (988)
Highest Klout Score	Phil Berger (9)
Democrat w/ Most Facebook Friends	Don Davis (4,815)
Democrat w/ Most Twitter Followers	Malcolm Graham (191)
Republican w/ Most Facebook Friends	Andrew C. Brock (5941)
Republican w/ Most Twitter Followers	Phil Berger (988)
House
Most Facebook Friends in NC House	Rick Glazier (2,829)
Most Twitter Followers in NC House	Paul “Skip” Stam (653)
Highest Klout Score	Tricia Cotham (25)
Democrat w/ Most Facebook Friends	Rick Glazier (2,829)
Democrat w/ Most Twitter Followers	Tricia Cotham (419)
Republican w/ Most Twitter Followers	Paul “Skip” Stam (653)
Republican w/ Most Facebook Friends	Paul “Skip” Stam (2,817)

Grand Online Party?

The Democrats may currently control the North Carolina House and Senate, but the Republicans lead social media in virtually every category. More Republicans are considered connected based on top grades for total friends, followers and activity. The Democrats trump them in one category – average number of friends per Facebook account.

What’s next?

The cost-effective nature of social media – at least in terms of financial resources – probably means that cash-strapped campaigns will look seriously at these tools as the 2010 campaign season heats up over the next few weeks. We are already seeing Facebook pages being used to arrange and promote fundraisers. If these events are successful, the expensive engraved invitations are likely to be a thing of the past.

Want to follow North Carolina legislators?

Capstrat has a custom Twitter list available at: http://capstr.at/4P.

Land for Tomorrow

Capstrat — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:37:06 -0400

Land for Tomorrow is a coalition of groups working together to increase state funding for land and water conservation. Leading up to the 2010 short session of the N.C. General Assembly – one of the toughest budget years in decades – it was necessary to extend Land for Tomorrow’s grassroots network and motivate new supporters to take action. To do this, Capstrat had to engage a new audience by tapping into people’s passion for the places they love.

In April 2010, Capstrat launched Land for Tomorrow’s “North Carolina Ten Natural Wonders” contest through its Facebook platform. The goal of the contest was to recruit a new generation of conservation supporters.

Land for Tomorrow’s contest was a viral success. Land for Tomorrow hosted an open discussion, nomination and voting process that allowed Facebook participants to determine North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders. The participants put their passion on full display, with thousands of nominations and votes.

Through the contest, Land for Tomorrow gathered more than 4,000 new names and e-mail addresses and grew its Facebook fan base by more than 1,000 fans. All these participants represent potential grassroots activists. Since the launch of the contest, Capstrat has distributed three “Action Alerts” to its current members, including new and reengaged activists, who spoke up and demonstrated to legislators the importance of investing in conservation.

The contest has also garnered local, regional and national media coverage through more than 150 unique newspaper articles, editorials, blog entries and TV stories. Major dailies, weeklies and community papers followed the contest and ran stories, editorials and letters to the editor throughout and following the life of the contest, including three Associated Press stories and a spotlight interview on ABC’s Heart of Carolina Perspectives. USA Today highlighted the contest in its “News from Across the USA” section. Lumberton Mayor Raymond Pennington even issued a proclamation declaring July 17 the official "Lumber River Day” as a way to celebrate their local “wonder” each year.

Through the contest, Capstrat helped Land for Tomorrow successfully tap into the social media sphere to engage a new generation of supporters and strengthen the commitment of current supporters. Success came in the General Assembly, which included funding for each of the state’s four trust funds in the state budget. In tough economic times during which funding for conservation could be an easy target for budget cuts, Land for Tomorrow built support and momentum for the short legislative session, and gained additional legislative and media support with the help of its advocates.

Mobile 101

tcoats@capstrat.com (Todd Coats) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:16:00 -0400

Pundits are tripping over themselves telling us agency folk to go mobile. Sure, it sounds reasonable to an iPhone, BlackBerry or Droid user. Mobile capabilities are all that. Media analysts even refer to mobile as the seventh mass media. To help uncover ways clients can have presence with this growing media, let’s look at why it’s so special.

Mobile has grown at an unprecedented rate.

In 2009, comScore found about 1 billion computers (about 90 percent of all computers) are connected to the Internet. Around that same time, Yankee Group determined that 29 percent of all mobile users access the mobile Internet. That percentage doesn’t sound impressive until you realize that 29 percent of the total 4 billion mobile users means 1.16 billion people are accessing the Internet through mobile devices. To bring that into focus, the fixed Internet reached 1 billion active users in 40 years. The mobile Internet passed 1 billion active users in just nine years.

The recession pushed advertisers’ hands. While overall spending was down over the past year, Internet advertising was basically stable and mobile advertising grew enormously. Analysts predict 50 to 200 percent growth over the next 12 months. Why? On average, mobile campaigns return 4 to 6 percent click-through rates — about 10 times better than Internet advertising.

So that brings up the question, why such good click-through rates?

Mobile has seven unique abilities.

It’s truly personal. Each subscriber has a unique number, unlike a shared IP address.
It’s always carried. More than half of mobile users carry their phones to bed and to the bathroom. Only 10 percent of hardcore laptop nerds do this regularly. And that’s just weird.
Mobile is permanently connected. No other media is 24/7 for most users. Your Wi-Fi connection is not everywhere. Which means for 95 percent of laptop owners, it’s not permanently connected. Yes, I know your calls drop at the same spot downtown. I said “most” users.
Only mobile has a native payment channel. You get one bill. This could make purchases easy.
Mobile is most available at a point of impulse. We have a camera, dictation, Short Message Service (SMS) and many other resources immediately available to record, review and research.
Mobile measures audiences accurately. Advertisers have debated the effectiveness of measures for decades. Mobile has the ability to accurately represent the actual user.
Only mobile captures the social context of our consumption. It not only tells what, when and where we consume, but with whom and how much.

What can you do now?

SMS: Also known as texting. The giant of all media. There’s more revenue in this than any other media.

Object hyperlinking: 84 percent of all Japanese mobile phone owners use QR codes. It’s predicted to be a hit everywhere. There are several other 2D barcode systems that can be used for mobile tagging, too. In short, it’s a visual link to more data.

RFID: A radio frequency identification device (also known as an “Arphid”) is a small transponder read at short range by a transceiver. Applications can be used to swap information between phones, check into airports or hotels and for many other actions.
Two RFID-enabled devices may also be used to enable peer-to-peer transfer of data,
such as music and images or for synchronizing address books.

Image recognition technology (like SnapTell): Snap a photo of a product and within seconds, get ratings, reviews, purchasing options and links to other info. Imagine how this can transform your ads.

Ad serving: In addition to viewing an ad, mobile allows users to get something extra. A ringtone, a report, a song, a vote. Also available is “click to act.” Whatever the call to action is, mobile allows us easy access to call, download, opt-in, respond or post.

Geotargeting: Geolocation apps target users based on their specific locations. Think Foursquare or Gowalla.

Apps: Downloaded software that entertains users or makes their llives better. Apps are easily branded and create engagement with brands.

With mobile being integrated into more media buys, it’s an exciting time. What I love most is that the consumer is in charge. I believe that with this freedom will come deeper levels of engagement and flexibility of making purchases. All this can add up to great news for the new marketer.

Mobile marketing: What clients are asking

gives@capstrat.com (Greg Ives) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:15:49 -0400

Increasingly, clients are asking for advice on the recent boom in mobile. Should we jump in or wait? Here’s a sample of their questions.

We’re seeing a surge of consumers accessing the web through their mobile devices rather than through their personal computers. How do we adapt to this shift?

First, continue providing superior content on your traditional website. It’s the foundation for your online reputation. People won’t be interested in what you’re doing with mobile web if you’re not delivering quality content online.

Next, think of mobile web as an extension of your existing online brand. If done correctly, it will actually complement a company’s website and even boost traffic. The first step in this process is ensuring your company’s website is mobile-friendly. That doesn’t mean you have to run out and develop a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) site. Just make sure your website provides a clean and easy mobile experience. And remember, mobile can only deliver so much in terms of a dynamic user experience. Don’t overload your site with clunky or slow-loading content. It will only be exaggerated on a mobile device.

Finally, pay attention to the analytics. Understanding how your content is being viewed is imperative to providing a great overall digital experience. Ultimately, it is your consumers’ behavior that will influence how you adapt.

Does the iPad change the game completely?

The iPad isn’t the game changer that the iPhone was a few years ago, but it will help accelerate the booming mobile phenomenon. Specifically, the iPad will take mobile app development to an entirely new level. The content that developers are racing to produce is much richer than current smartphone content. And these portable tablets are much larger and more nimble.

Companies across every industry should be incorporating this improved content into their daily processes. For instance, sales teams armed with iPads can now generate and present richer demonstrations to potential customers. Hospitals can improve bedside communication by empowering nurses and physicians with this technology.

Has technology (in the sense of how we communicate and use the mobile web) peaked, or will we see content reaching audiences in different ways?

We haven’t seen the peak yet. The bandwidth limitations of provider networks are holding back the technology right now. Once 4G is universal, we’re going to see additional mobile capabilities. Look for features like augmented reality and image recognition to take mobile to another level. It will be interesting to see how mobile can be used to communicate with other platforms, such as television and radio. The potential treasure trove of user-specific metrics is particularly exciting. Right now, we’re only seeing glimpses of what this platform is capable of doing.

Beyond banners: What's an iAd?

ecarroll@capstrat.com (Evan Carroll) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:15:39 -0400

In April, Apple introduced a new advertising platform for in-application ads on the iPhone. iAd, as it’s called, will afford application developers a new revenue stream added to the existing paid application and in-app purchase models. This innovative platform will give advertisers greater access to an increasingly sophisticated mobile audience.

iAds won’t feel like banners

Integrated with the iPhone/iPad operating system, iAds will have access to many of the same Application Programming Interfaces as apps. When users interact with an iAd, they won’t go to a website. Instead, they’ll experience additional content within the app. Imagine a game that utilizes the accelerometer on the device. Or a coupon that can show users nearby stores via GPS. Both are possible with an iAd.

iAds will change mobile advertising

Prior to iAd, the iPhone Operation System (OS) offered two advertising options: apps as highly interactive promotional tools that required users to download them, and traditional banner ads offering a click-through to the web. The second option avoided a download but failed to offer a rich experience. iAds offer a blend of both approaches. They won’t require users to download an app promoting a product nor do they route them to a sub-par mobile website. The iAd delivers a rich experience that blends the best qualities of banner ads and apps.

iAds offer robust targeting options

Targeting online advertisements isn’t a new concept, but the iAd platform takes it a step further. By owning the software on your device, Apple is able to offer advertisers new targeting options based upon more than just websites, visit history or general location. The new options include application preferences, music passions, movie and television genre interests. This enables advertisers to deliver more precise messages to users, potentially reducing waste in advertising spends.

iAds will take off

Apple has said that developers can add iAd support to their apps “in an afternoon.” And by giving this new revenue stream to creators of free applications, who will receive 60 percent of iAd revenue, broad adoption is a virtual certainty. We’re already seeing iAd-capable apps in Apple’s App Store.

Now is the time to start brainstorming compelling ideas for highly interactive, location-aware advertising. Oh, don’t forget to brush up on HTML 5. There isn’t any Flash here in Apple land.

P.S. I wrote this on my iPad.

Will mHealth leapfrog eHealth?

kalbritton@capstrat.com (Karen Albritton) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:10:38 -0400

Expectations are high for eHealth. Electronic Medical Records are seen as a remedy for care quality, evidence-based medicine and reduced cost. Telemedicine promises improved access and better treatment. The federal government is pumping billions into health information technology, healthcare providers are evaluating options and technology companies are angling for their share of the pie.

While eHealth is currently hogging the limelight, mobile health possibilities are beginning to emerge from the shadows. At HealthCampRDU, Robert Furberg of RTI International reported that as of February 2010, there were more than 5,000 health, wellness and fitness applications in major mobile app stores.

The possibilities for mobile health are diverse

First there are the lifestyle consumer applications. It makes sense that smartphones would become a part of Americans’ health routines since part of the iPod’s early appeal was its slim design that made it an ideal accompaniment for workouts. JogTracker and Fat Seeker are examples of wellness apps that turn a smartphone into a personal fitness coach. There’s even an iPhone app that’s a heart monitor.

Mobile is the one device that crosses the digital divide, making it ripe for public health applications. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has tapped into the power of social media for disseminating health information and is extending those efforts into mobile. The CDC recognizes the challenges of reaching diverse populations on the web, but mobile is more accessible with 83 percent of U.S. adults having a mobile phone and 63.7 percent of those people using text messaging (Source: Pew Internet and American Life and comScore Mobile lens).

In a recent mobile text messaging pilot, the CDC created a communications campaign, sending approximately three texts per week. It varied the content to keep the engagement timely and relevant with information on things like diabetes, flu shots and even appropriate temperatures for Thanksgiving turkey. Their research showed 60 percent satisfaction with the pilot and of those people, nearly two-thirds said they would recommend the text program to a friend (Source: CDC speaker at Social Communications & Healthcare).

mHealth isn’t just for consumers. Healthcare professionals are also tapping into mobile. One in three U.S. physicians uses Epocrates mobile services, which provide a range of information, including drug monographs and health plan formularies.

There are also possibilities for mobile applications to support medication adherence, sending reminders and treatment information. And location-based apps hold the promise of aggregating health information or directing patients to the nearest and best place for treatments.

So while eHealth may transform the healthcare system and the way providers and payers manage health information, mHealth is likely to transform how consumers and healthcare professionals manage health information.

Mobile ad war

jromano@capstrat.com (John Romano) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:08:25 -0400

The increased usage of smartphones has kicked off a mobile ad war and is changing the way that marketers are reaching their audience. According to Nielsen, by 2011 more than 50 percent of Americans will have smartphones that run apps and mobile web browsers.

This explosive growth is driving the evolution of the mobile ad industry and is forcing marketers to prepare for a future in which mobile is ubiquitous.

The mobile ad war heated up in 2009 when Google beat Apple in the acquisition of the AdMob mobile ad network. Then Apple fired back by buying Quattro. Now Apple and Google are digging their trenches in what will be a long, heated battle for the future of mobile advertising.

Apple has folded the Quattro ad network into its new iAd platform for all iOS4 devices such as iPhone 4, iPad and iPod Touch. Meanwhile, Google fought the FTC and got approval for its AdMob acquisition to extend its advertising model to mobile via the Android mobile platform.

Context and location are key in mobile ads. Knowing what users are doing and where they are allows ad networks to display localized and contextualized ads. Apple won a victory over other ad networks when it disallowed location-based ads on iPhone through anything but its iAd offering. This will help Apple corner the iPhone ad space. It also leaves marketers at Apple’s mercy if they want location-aware ads on iPhone.

Google is going the other way. Android is completely open and allows advertisers to use GPS. Google is also working hard to lower the barrier to entry in the smartphone market by offering the Android operating system to handset makers for free. The result is a growing army of Android devices that are swelling the user base for Google’s mobile ad network.

Another difference between the battling giants is Apple’s focus on in-app ads. Apple’s new iAd platform will provide rich advertising experiences right within an app. So far Google’s focus has been on AdSense search ads on mobile websites. Google is hoping that AdMob’s expertise will help ramp up its banner ads and in-app advertising.

If Google can tie a strong mobile ad network offering to its already strong analytics package, the company may be able to establish Android as the best mobile OS for both users and marketers. Google’s open model and profit sharing with device and network partners will create a wider ad ecosystem with lots of options.

But when trying to predict the outcome, we should keep in mind Apple‘s strategy: to create the best products and best user experience. One result is that iPhone users are still more likely than others to buy and use apps. Apple has a proven monetization engine in the iTunes store, and its iAds platform may very well revolutionize mobile advertising with compelling in-application ads.

As we move forward, the only thing for certain is that this war is far from over.

It's (still) about the network

sjohnston@capstrat.com (Shane Johnston) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:05:31 -0400

In 1999, I began working for Sprint PCS. One of my first projects was to launch the T3000 — a mobile phone aimed squarely at the business segment. And, with a $700 price tag, business segment meant executives.

The phone was a modern mobile miracle — you could actually synchronize your contacts and calendar to the phone, as long as it was tethered to your PC. And yes, it had to be a PC — no Macs allowed. At the time, smartphones made up approximately 00.00 percent of the market. The term hadn’t even been invented yet.

A couple of years later, I had the privilege of using one of the first air cards. People in airports marveled as I pulled out the PC Card (this was before USB ports), unfolded the tiny antenna and accessed the Internet at a blazing 14.4 kbps max (this was before airport Wi-Fi — or any Wi-Fi). I’d proudly show how I could access my Exchange server at work wirelessly — if onlookers had about 10 minutes to wait. Oh, and again, no support for Macs.

These scenarios are laughable today. If it takes more than half a second for the screen on your iPhone, Droid or BlackBerry to materialize, you’re taking it back to the store. Access to email, contacts and calendar information is ubiquitous. Users measure the value of their smartphones by the user experience and the size of their application stores, with Apple’s iPhone leading the way at 160,000+ applications.

Today, 25 to 35 percent of all mobile phones in the U.S. market are smartphones. These devices are expected to increase more than 500 percent in new sales from 2010 into 2011. Although RIM BlackBerry devices still have the largest market share, Apple’s iPhone is credited with creating a huge upswing in smartphone sales — and rightfully so, bringing a completely new and much more friendly user experience to mobile web browsing and application use. iPhone holds second place in market share and Google’s Android platform, in third place, is actually the fastest growing smartphone platform in 2010.

But no matter what smartphone you use, web browsing, application performance, messaging and access to email and calendars are all inherently dependent on one thing: network performance. When diving into the mobile marketing world, you need to ask two questions with respect to networks:

1. Where is my target market?

Is your market concentrated in big cities, small towns or rural areas? And which big cities? High-speed wireless data access is still not widely available in small towns and rural areas. And the user experience could vary from city to city — just ask an iPhone user in New York City compared to Chicago and you’ll get wildly different responses (recall that AT&T temporarily halted sales of iPhones in New York City earlier this year due to the burden on its network). You will need to tailor your mobile applications to fit your typical user’s access speeds.

2. How is my target market most likely going to access my content?

Do your targets hang out at coffee shops and airports — almost all of which provide Wi-Fi access today? Or do they work in the field and depend on 3G speeds? Or, overlapping with the earlier question, do your field targets work in cities with newly launched wireless 4G services offered by companies like Sprint and Clear? You need to be aware of the bandwidth required for the applications you are making for your targets.

It may not seem like network technology and coverage should concern marketers when making decisions about expanding their brand to the mobile world. But remember this the next time you hear someone complaining about how poorly an application performs on his iPhone or wondering why a mobile website looks so bad on her BlackBerry.

Brand engagement

Capstrat — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:09:31 -0400

Organizations spend considerable amounts of money, time and energy to promote and protect the value of their brand, and rightly so. A company’s brand carries a big load. It’s not only an indicator of the origin or quality of an offering; it’s personally meaningful, providing emotional and social value for customers. To get full value from your brand, keep in mind that a big part of it walks out the door every evening and returns the next morning. Employees bear the torch for your brand. It’s up to you whether they carry it proudly, or drag it behind them on the ground. Follow these guidelines to keep employees holding the torch high.

Brand engagement is a marathon. Too many organizations launch a short-term promotional campaign to excite and energize employees around brand and think the results will be long-lasting. One and done is not enough. True brand engagement requires organizational change, where the brand culture is ingrained in the organization’s systems, behaviors and symbols. Consider how you can infuse your brand into daily organizational life – meeting agendas, PowerPoint decks, performance management, rewards and recognition – anything that touches your employees.

Brand engagement must be internalized. Posters, videos and other communication channels help convey the brand and culture, but they’re not enough. Real brand engagement comes from within an employee. If your employees don’t identify with the brand and feel like they’re a part of it, how can they convince customers to believe your brand has value? Ongoing engagement data through vehicles such as employee engagement surveys, culture audits and employee input sessions signal where your brand is resonating with employees and where it’s falling short.

Brand engagement starts at the top. Employees closely watch – and mimic – their leaders. And they sense hollow talk pretty quickly, so executives from the CEO on down need to be walking examples of what your brand means. It’s great when leaders naturally adopt their role as brand poster child, but even top leaders can benefit from coaching. Invest in regular executive and manager training to keep brand behavior and culture top of mind.

Sounds easy, right? Of course not. Brand engagement takes time, energy and commitment. But your efforts will pay off in spades in terms of employee productivity and retention, satisfied, loyal customers and a healthy bottom line.

Media relations

Capstrat — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:08:38 -0400

Challenge

Workplace Options, a global provider of work-life benefits and employee support services, helps companies increase employee productivity, reduce absenteeism and retain top talent by helping implement work-life programs. Their challenge? In a tough economy, companies are looking to reduce rather than add employee benefits. Workplace Options needed to remind employers of the often overlooked business benefits associated with offering employees work-life and other wellbeing services. To increase awareness within the C-suite and drive sales, Workplace Options sought media coverage beyond the usual trade journals reaching human resource managers.

Our Thinking

To earn the attention of mainstream news media, Capstrat recommended a series of branded Workplace Options polls on work-life service topics such as child care, wellness initiatives and employer-sponsored training to gain insights into employee sentiments. Using statistics from the monthly polls, Capstrat turned data into coverage with targeted pitching to mainstream media.

As economic woes reverberated on Wall Street, Capstrat further leveraged Workplace Options’ polls by publicizing the personal and professional tolls of the economic crisis. Workplace Options produced several polls focused on economic concern, its effects in the workplace and on employees’ sense of job security. Capstrat researched national media coverage trends on the economic crisis and determined which reporters were covering the issue and also potential gaps in coverage. Our analysis informed Workplace Options’ poll topics.

Results

Workplace Options’ polling series gained coverage in top-tier news outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Inc.com, MSNBC, CNBC, Information Week and Crain’s Business. In total, WPO earned nearly 70 media placements in one year. In addition to detailing the challenges employees across the nation were facing in the workplace, the polls helped build the case for how work-life benefits, such as Workplace Options’ programs and services, could help increase employee job satisfaction.

Several top-tier clients and potential clients referenced the positive coverage in discussions with Workplace Options. The company anecdotally cites the coverage as a part of the increase in business. Based on the success of this program, Workplace Options has now expanded the Capstrat’s media outreach scope to the United Kingdom and Canada.

Evoking “sense of place” in web designs

vingram@capstrat.com (Virginia Ingram) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:33:13 -0400

I started with three schools: UNC Asheville (UNCA), Appalachian State and UNC Greensboro (UNCG). I went on a road trip with my parents to visit UNCA and Appalachian. I took a formal tour of both schools, met with students informally and discussed my options with my high school counselor. I liked both universities a lot, but in the end I chose UNCG even though I never took a formal tour of the school. UNCG was an easy choice for me. My sister went there and I was pretty sure I knew what I was going to get in. How could UNCA or Appalachian ever compete with that?

It was 1994; I did not have the luxury of using the web. Now schools can create a site that evokes a sense of place. Most people are initially adverse to change and want to know what is going to happen next. Creating a website that accurately shows the environment and the experience can help students prepare for a new experience.

Prospective audiences don’t like seeing images that look like they were purchased through an image stock house. Almost any college can have a picture of a group of students walking through campus in the fall. An image like this does not say anything special about your campus. If you decide to use a fall image, it better currently be fall. And you must be able to see something uniquely distinctive about your campus or have a unique perspective to the photography.

I tested this out and did a Google image search of “Fall” + “Walking through campus.” On the first page I got four images. Interestingly enough, the only shot that had a distinguishing landmark in the image was taken for a news article about a school. The three schools that were using fall images on their sites were missing the mark. They did not identify the names of any of the students and there were no distinguishing characteristics present in the photos. It was also summertime in all of the locations when I did the search.
How do you avoid the generic look?

You’ve got thousands of subjects you can use for your site. They usually want to affiliate. Current students, faculty, staff and alumni are all potential subjects. Use social networking sites to collect stories and images. Make it a requirement that individuals tell you the story behind the image.
Give individuals a discount to the school store if they submit an image with someone wearing a school sweatshirt.
Expand upon stories in your printed publications. Show additional images and expand the story. This will give your publications a cohesive story.
Once you have an image of someone specific, tell the audience about that person. Your users will connect if they know a little bit about those individuals. Where are they from? What subjects are they affiliated with? I want to determine how I can relate.
Rent out digital cameras with video and let students record their daily lives.
Show what life on and off campus is like. Are students able to walk to a grocery store? What are the restaurants on campus? Are there restaurants within walking distance? What makes this experience unique to your university? Do you have any traditions with spots near campus? Do the students?
What is your campus personality? Does your student population like to ride bikes? Cheer for the basketball team? Is your campus greener than others? Does your student population like to travel on weekends? How can this be visually represented on the site? How can your culture influence the navigation?
Make your navigation clear. If you vary from standard navigation, it needs to be very clear and have a good reason for doing so.
Make your photography unique. Bridgewater does a great job of taking photos from
interesting angles. Cornell makes the photo live beyond the frame — a breakdancer’s foot will extend beyond the frame of the featured image on the homepage.

You get the idea. Embrace your culture online. Make it shine through to prospective students. They want to know what their experience will be like and you have a lot of competition. You can’t afford to look like everyone else.

Branding universities

tcoats@capstrat.com (Todd Coats) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:32:52 -0400

This tournament for talent has rekindled interest in marketing strategy and branding. It has also relit conflicts that higher education institutions have with telling their story.

Why the interest now? I recently read a study from 2004 that suggested universities’ reluctance to mainstream branding was the mainstream media itself. It was intrusive, expensive and sales-y. But today, with more media choices than ever, universities are well positioned to tell their stories through diverse, user-generated and targeted ways. Improving a school’s image without appearing to squander patron dollars should make the chancellor’s job easier. Being the sum of ideas, emotions and associations for the university, branding is a logical starting point to improve competitiveness for the future.

Competition has also dictated a smarter approach to the whole recruitment experience. Granted, factors like location, type of institution, ranking and credentials are major influencers. But the clincher is emotional. Prospects want to know how they’ll feel about being associated with an institution for the rest of their lives. This is where brand scores big with two major points. 1. People make buying decisions based on emotion, then rationalize them based on logic. 2. To differentiate through branding, the entire organization must work to make the branding a promise they can keep. It’s about having an emotional connection and ensuring it stays consistent. Recent studies say that consistency is the real struggle. More on that in a minute.

People need trust to believe in a higher purpose and to belong. You’d think the hallowed halls of intellectualism would welcome this idea for promoting their mission. Not really. The idea of branding higher education institutions has met huge resistance and has been vigorously questioned by well-meaning academicians. Here are the few points I’ve seen most often.

Branding is either superficial spin or hollow deception.
Not so. Brand-building exercises are a way for universities to examine who they are and what they stand for. In the age of complex stakeholder matrixes, new demands are being put on universities. Branding is a way of prioritizing objectives to help institutions remember their mission.
Branding is alien to the culture of higher education.
Maybe promotion is foreign to universities but as long as there’s choice, there will be brands. The unified university message may overshadow the individualism that institutions work so hard to promote. In doing so it dictates how this entity acts and interacts. But what is brand if not simply a sense of place? Isn’t that what all of us want? Twenty-five years after leaving college, I still get all tinglely on crisp September mornings. Tell me that’s not an indelible brand.
Branding is indulgence that squanders resources better invested in learning and research.
While “brand” is a dirty word in some institutions, “reputation” is more accurate and authentic, reflecting the well-earned merits of an institution. If branding is understood to mean merely a cosmetic change, without reference to a deeper meaning, it’s no wonder the academic community is against this concept. Clearly a better understanding is needed. It takes a great partner to navigate the process with clarity and precision.

Coherence is perhaps the most useful contribution branding can make to higher education by promoting focus and efficient resource management in an ever-demanding world. The more focused the proposition, the more control an institution has over its image, the more its expenditure on marketing becomes an investment rather than a drain.

Universities didn’t start as businesses but often have to act like them. They can believe this is empty hucksterism, or they can build on opportunities of branding in their unique sector. Trust me, their audience will help them decide what’s most unique for them. After all, branding isn’t simply about being competitive, it’s about being distinctive. There’s a difference.

Using crowdsourcing to get the right answer (not the most watered-down)

Capstrat — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:30:21 -0400

I am not going to debate this isn’t true. One of the greatest strengths of a university is that its path isn’t dictated by one individual, but governed by many. However, when creating strategy and thinking creatively, how do you get from step 1 to step 2, and eventually a finished product, with a variety of input?

For the answer, you look for the tools a research student would use. By combining polls and surveys with Internet users you get a fast, cheap and effective way to gain mass response. And at a university you will get plenty of feedback, some good and some bad. But more times than not, it isn’t clear which to tune out and which to apply to your strategy.

Sometimes you realize it’s important to look at more than just numbers and to get creative with your research. Using other tools like brainstorms and blogs can help gather unfiltered comments. Combining the two gives both quantitative and qualitative insight. Now you are faced with spreadsheets and charts — but can you really calculate creativity? And if you did, would your university audience be pleased with the results or find a watered-down Frankensteined version of what you started with?

Solutions can come in the form of finding common voices and focusing your feedback. Each research tool has a common ability to present trends. Taking those trends and turning them into themes will shape your strategy.

However, one solution often creates another problem. Some outliers’ feedback hasn’t been taken into consideration, but you haven’t lost them yet. Layering your feedback and outreach to the audience helps reach them at varying points in your process. Using a blog can allow a university audience to do what they do best: discuss. Giving everyone full access to your strategy, creative assets and next steps will permit everyone to get thoughts “off their chest.” And, more importantly, to participate in the future of what they care about the most — their university.

University crowdsourcing doesn’t present cut-and-dry answers and to assume that it would will lead you down a long road. A road that sometimes can result in rework — opinions will always surface. Let the crowd give its opinion, but don’t let it dictate the direction.

Crowdsourcing has been receiving positive and negative press since Wired first introduced the term in 2006. Some designers say it’s the end of the creative process and others see it as an economic saving grace. But more and more universities are using services that specialize in crowdsourcing. Wisdom of the masses can be overwhelming, but accept it and give your academic audience every opportunity to give you their thoughts. With balance can come one conclusion, strategy and a strong solution. A solution that has the spirit of the university present throughout it.

You made the first cut. Now what?

aadlard@capstrat.com (Anna Adlard) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:29:51 -0400

In many ways, the hardest part of branding starts when your college has gained entry to the considered set. You made it into a prospect’s “top five” and now she has to make the hard call: Which one do I choose? At this point, the conversation has to move beyond the nuts-and-bolts criteria like curriculum, cost and size. Because, on paper, you look a lot like the competitors on her short list.

At this stage in her decision process, research and experience tells us that the clincher is culture, experience and fit. You’ve already checked out on the basic criteria. Now the decision becomes emotional, and a prospect is wondering: Can I see myself here? What’s the campus really like? Will I like the people?

That means your marketing and advertising have to convey much more than a message point about rankings or academics. At this stage in the game, you have to give prospects an inside look at your campus experience. And most importantly, your communications must impart a sense of your campus’ distinctive culture.

So, how do you go about it? Here are a few thoughts:

Do it differently. Take a look at your peers’ branding, and you’ll see a lot of the same. Requisite classroom photos. Glowing student quotes. Pretty campus shots. Canned faculty profiles. All wrapped up in a conventional design package. When you look the same on paper, your levels of distinction hinge on personality, culture and creative format. So, get creative. For example, offer up student profiles that go beyond stats to include what’s playing on their iPods and their favorite place in town for late-night food.

Amp up the personality. Think about how you can impart your brand personality across communications and mimic an in-person experience of your campus. For example, if your brand personality is all about being approachable and down-to-earth, make sure your copy is conversational, your images are friendly and your designs are casual.

Tell real stories. Bottom line — your brand personality really comes down to people. The students who put their own mark on your campus culture. The professors who craft the academic experience. The alumni whose post-grad ventures speak volumes about where a student can take their education. So, tell real stories — or better yet, let your students, faculty and alums speak for you.

Get prospects connected. Social media presents a completely new platform for giving recruits an inside look at the campus experience. Take advantage of social networks to connect prospective students with current students, faculty and alumni. Get them engaged in conversation that sheds an authentic light on the campus experience. Or use the web to mimic the campus experience by letting recruits attend a webcast of an interesting course or lecture for a true inside look.

Higher experience

ecarroll@capstrat.com (Evan Carroll) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:24:03 -0400

No other institution provides that same experience — the one that is created when you blend academic pursuits with a culture of openness and collaboration. It’s an open marketplace of ideas where anyone is allowed to peddle their thoughts. I think this experience is what invigorates people with a deep passion for their college of choice.

When designing for colleges and universities, it’s that same passion that we seek to evoke. Every communication from brochures to websites should echo that experience.

So, how is it done?

First you have to gain an understanding of that experience. Immerse yourself in it. Talk to students and faculty. Tour the campus. Drop in on lectures. Ask questions.

Now you need to take that experience and boil it down into one compelling statement that captures the essence of the school. This isn’t easy, but you must get beyond the obvious. Saying that you’re the best at something or the first at something isn’t enough. It won’t be about the beautiful campus or the academic rigor.

You’ll find it in the emotions that people share about the school. Figure out why people feel that way and you’ll be on to something.

Then with every tactic you recommend, think about that essence and make sure it’s evident. If it isn’t there, go back to the drawing board.

For a recent project, we boiled this experience down to one statement:

Preeminence minus the pretension

The students, faculty and alumni shared a sense of pride about their university, yet a spirit of openness permeated the campus. It wasn’t about being great; it was about letting everyone have a chance to be great.

We translated this to the web using an optimal mix of functionality and narrative. Often universities make the mistake of creating a website that is too functional. The site provides good information, but there’s no substance or heart. We strive to create an experience where users can find the information they need but also hear the story of the university. It isn’t as simple as saying things like, “We have a vibrant arts community.” We needed to show that through examples and personal stories, and we needed to provide timely, relevant content simultaneously. We created pages at the top level of the site dedicated to each of the university’s focus areas — arts, public service and research that provided just that mix.

Is it as simple as providing the right balance of content? Certainly not. While content is important, our visual design has to strike the right balance as well.

We eliminated designs that were too plain and functional because they didn’t tell a story. We rejected those that were too modern because they lacked personality. And we trashed those that were too traditional because they were pretentious.

This approach shows preeminence by highlighting the vast and superior work that the university is doing. It lacks pretension because it shows a human side and allows prospective students and faculty to envision themselves a part of it. It succeeds because the visual style is perfectly in sync with its content.

It boils down to that one single statement, the one that captures the essence of the university. It’s why remembering the collegiate experience evokes passion for a lifetime.

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