Marketing Mix Man

The difference between journalists and bloggers

2013-05-16T13:00:00.000+01:00

I was invited to attend a "Discover Cruises" Roundtable to discuss the role of bloggers in the travel and cruise industry. The organization is a collection of the main cruise companies who are looking to promote cruising.

They asked me to talk about a number of areas, and one was the difference between a journalist and a blogger. I thought that this would be something worth sharing on this blog as it is not really cruise or travel specific.

If you would like a PDF copy of this you can get that from my Tips for Travellers site (look for the Discover Cruises section on this page to download the PDF)

What is the difference between journalists and bloggers?

One is not “better” than the other. They do different things for different needs.

View of Gary Bembridge of tipsfortravellers.com

Journalists	Bloggers
PAID	PASSION
· Earn a living writing and reporting, and are paid to cover a story.	· Very unlikely to earn a living from travel blogging alone. Usually have another job. · More likely doing it out of passion for travel.
ONE CORE CONTENT EXPERTISE	MULITPLE CONTENT SKILLS
· Journalists write. · Photographers take images. · Video makers make video. · Publishers publish. · Etc.	· Multi-media content creators, publishers, designers, marketers & social media experts. · Write & take own images for features, many also make video &/or audio. · Publish on a site they design and host. · Actively promote their content via SEO and Social Media.
UNBIASED	OPINION BASED
· Expected to be unbiased and balanced.	· People who read travel blogs say they do so to hear opinions of travellers. · Open to supporting travel partner’s objectives and marketing messages.
CONTENT LIMITATIONS	UNLIMITED CONTENT
· Have to deliver to word counts of the publication, or media channel time segments. · Tend to produce one article or feature per commission and trip. · Content “shelf life” to that edition of the publication.	· Can produce as long, or as much, content as they want, based on how interested they are. · Ability to create a series around a trip or topic: before, during and after. · Content has long life, always available.
“PUSH” CONTENT	“RESPONSIVE” CONTENT
· Commissions usually given by and feedback on content comes from editor · Content, once published, has limited feedback direct from the audience to the content creator.	· Audience can (& will) tell before, during and after what they want – and can be interactive on trips. · Get immediate feedback from audience on content via tracking stats, comments, “click-throughs”, “retweets”, “likes” etc - and so have to respond to what audience wants. · Actively engage in conversations with audience (blog & social media). · Able to update content as things change.
WORK TO PUBLISHING SCHEDULES	IMMEDIATE
· Content goes through and has to comply with deadlines and publishing schedules	· Can react fast, and have content posted as it happens (e.g. issue arises – or during a trip).
MASS AUDIENCE	NICHE AUDIENCE
· Even when writing for a segment, audience will often be more broad & larger (e.g. cruising)	· Usually generating content for niche audiences (e.g. mature women solo travellers).

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Gary Bembridge Marketing Mix Man Podcast Voted 6th Best European Business Podcast

2013-05-15T14:52:00.002+01:00

Gary Bembridge Marketing Mix Man Podcast Voted 6th Best European Business Podcast

I am pleased to announce that my Marketing Mix Man Podcast was voted the 6th best podcast in the European Podcast Awards for all of Europe!

It was the voted the 4th best in the UK in the same category.

Very pleased with this result as the awards are chosen by a panel of podcast experts.

Gary Bembridge Marketing Mix Man Podcast voted 4th best business podcast in the UK

You can subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes (click here) or using the RSS Feed to subscribe or listen online (click here)

Marketing Mix Man Podcast in European Podcast Awards 2012. Your Vote Needed!

2012-10-30T15:06:00.002Z

I am pleased to say that the Marketing Mix Man podcast is in the shortlist for a European Podcast Award again this year. I won awards in 2010 and 2011 and would love to get an award again this year.

Although the final decisions are made by a panel of judges, a proportion of the decision is based on votes. Please can you find some time to vote.

It is a bit fiddly as you have to click through a few screens to do it and you need to get to the last one.

These are the stages

Step 1 Click this link:
http://www.european-podcast-award.eu/uk/start/vote-and-
win/business/type/player/uid/746/podid/746.html

You will see this screen:

Step 2: Click on the VOTE link. You will see this screen:

Step 3: Click on the stars and chose up to 5 stars for each (5 is the maximum) and then click VOTE AND WIN. You will see this screen:

Step 4: Unless you want to get the newsletter, just then click SKIP. You will see this screen that confirms your vote is submitted. All done

Thanks!

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Asian Skincare 101 – land of opportunity and misconception

2012-10-29T11:35:00.001Z

This is another Guest Post by Jonathan Rudd, a marketer from Europe now working in Asia. In his series of guest posts he shares his learning and observations about consumers, marketing and trends as a European working in this fast developing and dynamic region.

Asian Skincare 101 – land of opportunity and misconception

Asians ‘want to be white like Europeans.’ Er, no, not really...

A common throw away comment I’ve heard quite a few times is that Asians buy loads of whitening skincare products because they want to be white like Europeans. Having previously worked in skincare for 8 1/2 years (including 15 months in Asia) I thought it was about time I shared my understanding of ‘whitening’ skincare products, why it’s a $40bn business in Asia and provide a bit more social context on an Asian woman’s ‘desire to white.’

Having white / light skin has been aspirational in Asian societies well before the globalisation of western consumerism and where applicable, colonialism.

Across Asia, history provides us with much evidence of women’s desire for fairer, whiter skin. In Japan, women have applied white powder to their face for 400 years to connote purity, femininity and sophistication. This is still evident today in the Geisha, the physical embodiment of Japanese feminism and beauty with their ‘mocha-hada’ (skin like pounded rice) complexion. In China, women have long swallowed powdered pearls and used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques with the belief that ‘one white can cover three up ugliness.’ There is also almost universal historic truth that if you had fair skin, you didn’t work outside labouring in the fields and thus were well born, a notion that resonated in England from the Elizabethans until mass commercial tourism.

Giesha

Shiseido Advertising

Now the brief and patchy history lesson is over, back to business. The global skincare market is approaching $100bn and almost half of that revenue is generated from Asia. Face care dominates, accounting for around 85% of Asia’s skincare revenue which is driven by the north Asian markets of Japan, Korea and with its size and growingly affluent population, China.

Japan and more recently Korea are the powerhouses of Asian beauty and aspiration. Japanese brands like Shiseido and KOSE long at the forefront of asiprational Asian skincare, are more recently being challenged by a swathe of Korean conglomerate brands such as Sulwhasoo and Iope and a real upsurge in global skincare players stepping up their efforts to take a piece of this enormous and ever expanding pie.

However global brands from L’Oreal to Lancome, from Clean & Clear to Clarins have found that simply putting their existing products on the shelf does not translate to sales. This is because:

- Regimen: North Asians use between 6-8 products in the morning, followed by 5-7 at night. (Yes, really.) This is much more sophisticated than the existing western product lines can cater for.

- Skin sensitivity: due to the above mentioned layering of products and typically higher skin sensitivity, most (especially American) formulas irritate North Asian skin

- Skin needs: Asian skin requirements are different. For example, Asian skin is fortunate to not wrinkle as quickly as Caucasians, but typically brown spots emerge much earlier. With Western brands benefits are tailored to western needs, they don’t address Asian skin needs

- Quality: There is a belief that you must pay for quality. This quality needs to be evident in the whole product mix, from a delightful product experience to substantial premium packaging, which is only really offered by high end department store brands in the West.

As a result, most global brands have developed specialist lines to address Asian women’s skin type, regimen and their beauty ideal. By understanding the benefits and claims of whitening lines from leading brands, it soon becomes apparent that ‘whiteness’ is a very 2 dimensional understanding. A review of the whitening lines from Lancome, Clarins, SKII and Shiseido the skin ideal is described as flawless, translucent, crystal clear, luminous, smooth and snow white. These benefits come from understanding Asian consumers skincare needs, through developing products especially for Asian skin and regimen and through an appreciation of Asian skin aspiration.

However, you will see many of the global brands still feature Caucasian talent in their advertising. Whilst it might seem strange to have a white woman fronting a whitening cream, heritage and reputation are also important drivers to purchase. Brands like Lancome and Estee Lauder are global currency. To be using sophisticated western brands, means the consumer is globalized and sophisticated. It’s not my place to say whether Asian women find Caucasian women aspirational. There is no doubt that Western popular culture, fashion and attitudes continue to massively influence Asia. However when it comes to the beauty ideal, my view is that it’s impossible to visualize the perfect face. But Asian women know their skin, their beauty ideal and will go to great lengths to try and achieve it.

Clarins advertising

Sulwashoo products

Speaking of great lengths, rather than end on how much North Asian women spend on surgery (apparently 1 in 5 Koran women have had plastic surgery and it’s the highest level in the world) I thought I’d share something a little more light hearted.

The ‘facekini’ is the latest fad to hit China in an attempt to not darken the face while on the beach. Whatever happened to suncream and an umbrella!

Great link to an article from the Huffington Post if you want to know more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/21/facekini-face-mask-bathing-suit-china_n_1817491.html#slide=1407221

Speaking At iStrategy Conference London

2012-10-27T16:09:00.000+01:00

I am going to be one of the speakers at the iStrategy Conference in London at end end of November. These conferences collect together a few hundred leading senior marketing people of marketing director and above level to review the latest trends, thinking and case studies in the digital world.

They are run across the globe at various times of the year, including in New York and Shanghai.

I will be leading one of two debates, and the final topic still to be agreed, but will either be:

Scaling Up: From Digital Teams to Digital Businesses, or
Branding: the Difference Between Delivering a Message and Telling a Story

Will keep you posted, and let you know more about the key messages.

For more about iStrategy London: click here

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What can 350 Travel Bloggers at #TBEX Girona Teach Brands About Targeting and Differentiation? And Brands Them?

2012-09-21T18:03:00.000+01:00

Photo: http://www.only-apartments.com

This article discusses the importance of clear targeting and differentiation. It applies to anyone looking to connect with consumers, from part time travel bloggers through to the biggest brands in the world.

Defining your target consumer and what you will uniquely offer to them are 2 of the most fundamental decisions that will drive your product, your promotion - and determine your chance of success.

I am at a major travel blogging conference called TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) in Girona Spain. Over 350 travel bloggers are attending this event. Up to 1000 are expected to attend the next event in the USA. It drove home to me just how popular travel blogging is. It also reminded me of how important it is for every company, every brand and even every blogger to focus on targeting and differentiation if they want to succeed in cluttered marketplaces.

The fact that TBEX attracts so many bloggers proves that it is a cluttered category with thousands of blogs covering the segment. It has really got me thinking again about the importance for every brand to be clear on who they are talking to, and what makes them different from all the others. Something that is easy for a travel blogger to forget as they excitedly blog away about their love of all things travel. Something that is also easy for brand owners to forget as they get on with making, selling and promoting the brand they love.

To illustrate how important it is, I am going to use the example of travel blogging to make the point. But the point applies to every brand in any segment.

There are at least 2 key questions that every brand, (and every travel blogger for that matter) needs to answer:

Am I focused on a specific segment and target that I could take a leadership position with, or at least be a very major player within?

The fact that 350 bloggers are at the European TBEX event illustrates how critical it is to ensure that each one has thought about what distinctive, differentiated or clear niche that they can own and lead. Just like every brand should do in the market they compete in.
Bloggers, like brands, should be thinking about competing. Bloggers are competing for attention and visits. Just as brands are competing for attention and preference.
For example, instead of just trying to talk to people interested in travel, a travel blogger must target tighter and more clearly. They could, for example, target gap year backpackers, or new mums looking to travel with babies or over 60s adventure tourists or people interested in doing classic journeys on travel icons like Orient Express.
In large markets, like travel, there is obviously an opportunity to segment the market and to talk to a defined group within it. You should be able to get enough volume to make it worthwhile as the market is large.
You will also be more able to generate revenue from it, as you can also more clearly target companies that have products and services for that market. For brands that means more efficient marketing and better profits as they can reach and communicate more directly with a distinct group of people.
It is better to be known and seen as a leader in a segment than a tiny generalist player in the total market. For example, the most visited and used blog for gap year backpackers will trump every time a blog with more visits in total - but with visitors that are fragmented across lots of interests, ages etc. The leading blog of a segment will not only appeal better to their readers but, as it can be more focused, it will also be more appealing to companies looking to reach that target.
Bloggers and brands both need to have a clear and well defined target, and focus on the things that resonate with them. They both need to ensure they do not get sidetracked by what others are doing and chasing topics that are off that focal point.

Am I different and unique from the others in my segment, and consistently ensuring that I am standing out from the crowd?

In busy and popular markets there will be competition. There will be more than one blog targeted at gap year backpackers, new mums looking to travel with babies and over 60s adventure tourists. So defining your target is only the first step. The next is to figure out what makes you distinctive and unique.
It can be challenging to define clearly what it is that sets you apart. It takes focus and strategic thinking. But it is essential that you define what it is that you do that will be unique and different to the any of the others that are competing in your segment.
To help you do that, there are 2 simple sentences that I have used over my years in marketing to help to find the answer. It is by working to complete 2 statements. If you can do that, and get sentences that you think are distinctive and unique for your segment, then you have a strategy to focus on to ensure you are consistently different and standing out in the crowd. The 2 statements are:

“Only I ………”
“Unlike the others in my category, I …….”.

It will be interesting to see how many of the 350 bloggers at TBEX have a clear target and are clear about what makes them different. They will be easy to spot as they will stand out in the crowd when talking to other bloggers and brands exhibiting at the event. They will be the ones that get remembered. Proving the point!

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Marketing Mix Man Podcast #56: Competitive Point of Difference

2012-09-19T12:58:00.001+01:00

Episode #56 of the Marketing Mix Man Podcast looks at the importance of having a competitive point of difference. The CEO of Sainsbury's Supermarket recently said that many brands and companies lack a real competitive point of difference. I explore how you identify one using the order loser, order qualifier and order winner approach to your business.

The Marketing Mix Man podcast explores brand building by developing and executing a brand marketing mix that resonates with the modern connected consumer. The Podcast won awards in the European Podcast Awards in both 2010 and 2011. Hosted by Gary Bembridge

You can listen to this episode, and subscribe to the podcast by one of these options:

iTunes
via RSS Feed
Listen online or download this episode: click here

How To Deal With Online Criticism And Attacks.

2012-09-14T13:47:00.000+01:00

How To Deal With Online Criticism And Attacks.

Stuart Heritage Talking at BlogCampUK London

If you run a blog you will get helpful and supportive comments. You will also get abuse, criticism, nasty snipes and personal slights. It is an unfortunate reality that every Blogger, Twitter and YouTube user will face.

How you will deal with it is one of the most important things you need to consider, so you are ready when it happens.

You need to have an approach that will ensure that:

You are able to raise above it, move on and not let it get you down.
You do not change what you are doing to satisfy the one or two people that do not like what you are doing, and are able to stay focused on keeping the hundreds (or thousands) who do like what you do satisfied.

I have been on the receiving end of comments and criticism over the years I have been blogging, tweeting and on YouTube. Most of it is helpful and constructive, including thoughts on how to improve posts and camera work. But I also get things like “shame about the effeminate commentary” and comments that head into the very personal and unpleasant.

At a recent BlogCampUK event in London, arranged by the Tots100 Blogger Group, there was a very entertaining and helpful session on this topic. The speaker was Stuart Heritage who is a Guardian Newspaper journalist on media and TV, and active blogger. He is someone that I have been following on Twitter for some years as he is very entertaining, with many provocative ideas and insights.

His talk which was entitled: “How To Deal With Online Criticism (from A-holes)”. As you can see from the title immediately, his approach is to see most of the criticism and venting towards you being from people that are idiots. Idiots that are not worth getting in a pickle about.

Why Do You Get Criticism? He reminded all Bloggers that the reason that you will get comment and criticism is because you are doing what you should be doing: expressing your opinions and putting them out to get a reaction. He said there are some key reasons you will get criticism:

Your facts are incorrect! People will pick you up when you have not checked your facts properly, or cannot substantiate them. You deserve to get criticised for that.
You have a distinct voice and have an opinion! Some people will not like it. You should never expect that everyone will agree with your point of view. In fact when you put out an opinion you are inviting a response and discussion. You should be prepared for some to disagree. When you put a point of view out in a blog post, video or Tweet then you are asking for a response. Expect to get one.
You are being read! As Oscar Wilde said “There is only one thing worse than being spoken about, and that is not being spoken about”. If people are reading you then this is a good thing, but they will have a point of view too and will want to express it.
Some people are just a-holes! Stuart argued that getting criticism and feedback from people that you respect, admire and trust is more important and valuable to you. Some people will just be idiots, a-holes that blunder in without thinking of the impact on you. They will still weigh in and comment and criticise though, but do not give it the same value.

How Should You Deal With Online Criticism? Like me, Stuart’s approach is to ignore it, discount it and focus on those that do matter and those from people whose opinion you value. It is really quite hard to do as one nasty comment seems to impact more than a 100 positive ones ever can. I go one step further and often delete them if they are offensive or too personal about me rather than my point of view and I find they keep nagging at me. Here are the things you can do:

If a legal issue, do what is required. If the criticism is a legal matter and a lawyer is involved (not just someone threatening to get a lawyer onto it) then you need to do whatever is required to rectify the issue. You do not want to get drawn into a legal battle.
Ignore it and avoid temptation to engage with them. It is usually best to ignore and not respond to malicious and unhelpful criticism and attacks. The danger is that it can escalate and become a bigger issue. This was something many people at BlogCamp had found when they had tried to engage and respond. Try and shrug it off and resist the temptation to respond. People being ignored and not getting a reaction will usually tire and move on. Sometimes other followers of you blog will respond and that can inflame it even more. That is why I will delete comments that are too personal in particular
If you want to respond then try and minimise. This could mean by doing simple things like just thanking them for reading and commenting on the post. It could be by being self deprecating, and not opening a debate by rebuffing their criticism.
Become a blander and less interesting blogger. You could try and be less opinionated and bland so as to avoid any criticism. You will also likely kill off your blog as it becomes dull. Do not do this!

What advice and tips do you have for dealing with online criticism and attacks? Do you tend to ignore and let the trolls find someone else to abuse, or fight back. If you do the latter what has worked for you?

Links:

Highlights and learning from BlogCamp London visit my BlogCamp London 2012 Storify Page
Tots100
Stuart Heritage Blog

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Podcast #55: Paralympics 2012 - inspired marketing

2012-09-12T09:57:00.000+01:00

Episode #55 of the Marketing Mix Man Podcast is now available. The Podcast won awards in the European Podcast Awards in both 2010 and 2011 in the Business category.

In this latest episode I expand on my recent posting about how inspired the marketing and brand positioning and execution for the London 2012 Paralympics was - and what every brand owner can learn from it.

You can listen to this episode, and subscribe to the podcast by one of these options: iTunes - via RSS Feed - Download the file to your computer (right click and save)

Further Reading and links: Paralympics: Why I Salute their Marketing

Paralympics London 2012: Why I Salute Their Incredible and Inspiring Communication. Wonderful!

2012-09-01T12:21:00.003+01:00

In this post I want to celebrate, and congratulate, the Paralympians and the London 2012 Paralympics Organizing committee for showing how a brilliant strategy and marketing can change prejudice and established attitudes.

The London 2012 Paralympics have started. The organisers have been overwhelmed by the passion for the games that the UK population is showing.

For the first time ever, since they started in 1948, it looks like the event will be totally sold out. In part this is due to the energy and excitement that the very slick London 2012 Olympics created in London and across the country.

But it is, in my view, driven as much by the brilliant positioning and marketing that the London 2012 Paralympics Team have used.

They have positioned the games as a competition and celebration of incredible human achievement. It is not about disabled people competing in a second best alternative to the Olympics. They have focused on the remarkable spectacle, the entertaining sport and about individuals pushing to excel and compete to achieve the fastest, highest and best results possible.

They focus not on the disability. But on the superhuman sport and achievements. They focus on celebration, not pity. They focus not just on athletes, but the personal stories of the people involved.

They congratulate able bodied Olympians for being amazing. They congratulate the Paralympians as being even more amazing. They call them “The Superhumans”. So not second class citizens with a disability, but as super humans for overcoming it and pushing the boundaries further and further.

Channel 4 in the UK who won the rights ran 2 brilliant and inspired (and inspiring) themes in the run up to the games:

Thanking London 2012 Olympics for the “warm up” to the main event of the Paralympics.
Running adverts and TV programs declaring: “Welcome the Superhumans”

Channel 4 Poster Ad: Thanks for the warm-up. Paralympic Games

Channel 4 Poster Ad: Meet The Superhumans. Paralympic Games

The series of adverts below by one of the sponsors, LLoyds TSB bank, builds on that theme pushing the super human achievements.

Llyods TSB London 2012 Paralympics Ad

I salute the Paralympians. I salute the Paralympics Organizers. This is a marketing and communication masterclass on how to change generations of attitudes. Thank you.

Further Reading: My View on the London 2012 Olympics Sponsors Ads

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Naked Prince Harry in Las Vegas: An Opportunity Well Seized By Some Brands

2012-08-27T15:04:00.001+01:00

One of the things that many marketers and advertisers often lack is spontaneity, and miss the ability to react to current news and activity. Many brand teams get stuck into scheduling and longer term planning.

It is something that has to change as consumers live in a world of immediacy, and expect their brands to as well. Things that happen to consumers are immediately reported, discussed and passed around on social media tools like Twitter and Facebook.

Consumers now expect brands to be "of the minute". Reacting and reflecting what is being discussed and happening now. They expect brands to respond to complaints or comments posted on social media. They expect them to reflect the world happening around them today. Not what brands have scheduled should happen when they want it to.

As the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi remarked at the Institute of Directors Conference that I reported on in "Is The Saatchi CEO Right That Strategy & Marketing As We Know It Dead?": Things are getting faster and faster. You need to able to move fast and be more nimble and reactive.

It was fun and clever to see the Unilever owned irreverent male body spray Lynx (known as Axe in many markets) taking advantage of the well publicised activities of Prince Harry in Las Vegas. As story of what happened and the naked images taken of him in his hotel room partying playing strip billiards with a group of ladies was appearing in the press, Lynx ran these tongue in cheek ads. Ads that reinforced what the brand is promising - helping get young men into naughty situations with attractive young women:

Lynx Body Spray: Prince Harry "Sorry" Ads

Lynx Prince Harry: One Has Unleashed The Chaos Ads

It was also very savvy of Las Vegas itself to also use the event to reflect and reinforce their brand story of "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas". They ran the 2 ads below, along with a social media campaign called #knowthecode . It was all about reminding people that the code is to ensure what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Media were all talking about the "what happens in Vegas for Prince Harry did not stay in Vegas" angle. Las Vegas reacted with this campaign:

Keep Calm and Carry On Harry. #knowthecode Ad

Las Vegas ad: We Deplore You that broke the Las Vegas Code

For more examples of taking advantage of events to be "of the time" also take a look at: Stripping Soap Star Actor and Clock Change

Do you have any other examples? Please leave comment on the blog or email me with them!

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Marketing Mix Man Podcast #53: Bare Chested Footballers

2012-08-27T08:22:00.000+01:00

Episode #53 of the Marketing Mix Man Podcast is now available.

The Podcast won awards in the European Podcast Awards in both 2010 and 2011 in the Business category.

In this latest episode I discuss and recommend action you can take inspired by the growing use of bare chested and semi-naked footballers and celebrities in adverts. It is not just a cultural change, but also teaches every brand owner and manager 4 key lessons about every piece of communication they will ever work on: Attracting the right audience; stopping that audience; ensuring compelling message communicated and standing out in a sea of sameness.

You can listen to this episode, and subscribe to the podcast by one of these options:

iTunes
via RSS Feed
Download the file to your computer (right click and save)
Via the Online Player in the post on the blog: (below)

Further Reading and links: ShirtlessMenInAds.com; Men as Sex Objects in Ads (Pinterest); Footballers in Ads Everywhere; Nadal and Armani, Lifeguards and Aussiebum Teaching Us About Communication; The More Naked Men in Ads The Better?

If you liked this post, please share it on your favourite social media site using the sharing buttons. I would really appreciate it if you Sign up for the eMail Newsletter (Don't miss any future posts!), join my Marketing Unleashed Facebook Page, follow on Twitter and/or Subscribe to the Podcast. Thanks

From Marketing Unleashed to Marketing Mix Man

2012-08-23T09:00:00.000+01:00

The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that the blog and podcast has a new name, and slightly updated look..

Goodbye to "Marketing Unleashed", and hello to the "Marketing Mix Man".

Why?

Marketing Unleashed was being used by so many blogs and sites, and was not distinctive and memorable enough. So I decided it was time to create myself an updated brand and positioning..

So welcome to Gary Bembridge: Marketing Mix Man.
Challenging you to shake up your marketing mix to meet the fast changing world your brands are competing in. While trying to cram in my 30+ years of marketing and branding experience into every post and podcast!

Enjoy!

If you don't already please sign up for the blog updates newsletter: click here

You can find me and join me on these social media sites:
Follow @garybembridge

Is Your Brand For The High Jump? What The Sport Teaches Us About Managing Your Brand and Business.

2012-08-17T09:00:00.000+01:00

The history of High Jumping across the last century has proven how thinking about the same problem in different ways can yield dramatic step-change improvements in results.

Results that can completely outclass, surprise and leave the competition way behind.

It proved how to achieve results that no-one thought was possible in the category. People can jump over 2,5 times higher than they could in the 1900s.

The image below shows how people reinventing the ways to do high jumping caused step change in results. When people used the “Scissors” style the world record was around 1.65 metres. Today it is almost a full metre higher. This was achieved by a series of process step changes: The “Western Roll” in the 1920s. After 25 years came the “Straddle”. Then in 1968 things were step changed again at the 1968 Olympics by Dick Fosbury who broke the world record by 3 inches with the "Fosbury Flop".

Image: http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/people/vg/blog-archive/2006/03/

The problem never changed. Just the way that people thought about solving it.

The challenge was to find a way to jump higher than anyone else could. Some people focused on how to fine tune the technique that was popular at the time. While others thought less about incremental improvements on the present solution, but on a completely new solution.

The result was they literally left those trying to compete by fine tuning and improving the current solution behind.

Reminding us of the risks of focusing on optimising and improving what works today for our brands and category.

Companies and Brands tend to focus on what has worked for them in the past, and is working for them today. So they work on how to optimise and make incremental improvements on the model that is delivering the results. However, all too often someone who is not constrained by this thinking will come along and shake up the category in unexpected ways. Such as iTunes did with the music business. Or Pampers did with disposable diapers that replaced washable cotton diapers and liners, and also helped reduce nappy rash by keeping babies drier reducing the risk of rash.

Summary: Heights jumped today by high jumpers would never have been believed possible by jumpers in the early 1900s. This was caused by people looking at the problem in a new way. Trying to find the answer by thinking differently, versus trying to optimise and fine tune the current. Something brand owners and business leaders need to also remember.

Action: Ask yourself: are you too focused on optimising the present, rather than creating the future solution?

Marketing Unleashed Podcast #52: Interrogation As An Innovation Tool

2012-08-16T08:31:00.000+01:00

Episode #52 of my Marketing Unleashed Podcast is now available.

My Marketing Unleashed Podcast has won awards in the European Podcast Awards in 2010 and 2011.

In this latest episode I explore how interrogating your existing product or service to find new claims, stories or benefits may be a better and less risky way to drive innovation. Important when 9 out of 10 New Products and Product Extensions fail in the marketplace.

You can listen to this episode, and subscribe to the podcast by one of these options:

iTunes
via RSS Feed
Download the file to your computer (right click and save)
Via the Online Player in the post on the blog: (below)

Why David Rudisha & Andrew Osagie Proved Focusing on Improving Your Brand's "Personal Best" Results is Risky

2012-08-14T09:00:00.000+01:00

Andrew Osagie: Team GB

Every brand owner has to make 100% sure that they are focused on beating the market. Not their personal best. A mistake that too many make.

This is a topic I am very passionate about. Previously I wrote on the topic in “Rebecca Adlington wins a Bronze Medal in London 2012 by swimming FASTER than when she won a Gold in Beijing. A lesson for every marketer?”

This is the Lesson that the London 2012 Olympics Men’s 800 Metre Final Proved: The Last Man would have won Gold 3x Previously.

It was impressive that David Rudisha, a Kenyan, beat the World Record in the Men’s 800 metres final to won the Gold Medal. However, what was really remarkable was that Andrew Osagie (Team GB) who came last would have won a Gold Medal had he run at his speed in the 3 previous Olympics!

Every runner in the race ran their personal best. Andrew Osagie ran at a speed that would have won him the race in Beijing 2008, Athens 2004 and Sydney Olympics 2000.

This race showed that doing better than the competition did last time is not enough if you want to win in the future.

Be it on the track, in the the pool and also in business.

However, the Business Planning Process Encourages Incremental “Personal Best” Improvements. Putting winning at risk.

At most companies, the Annual Business Planning Process actually encourages the business and managers within it to focus on incremental “personal best” performances. This potentially sets up brands to lose the race, opening the way for the upstarts without this mindset to surge past them.

In the annual planning process the focus is usually on sales and profit, and managers are more comfortable and rewarded on building in steady stable growth numbers that improves on the past. The equivalent of delivering a good new “personal best”.

There are 3 key take aways from this experience for Brand Owners:

Beware of benchmarking and measuring your performance based on improvements to yourself.

For example, many brands came short in fast emerging markets like China as they were focused, and pleased, with growths of say 20% which for Western Minded companies was staggering versus their established markets. But the markets were growing double that.

Keep improving over what you did in the past to deliver your brand’s “personal best” is not enough. You need to ensure you have plans that will ensure that you are improving faster than the competition.
Focus not on what the competition are achieving now, but on what they are capable of or could do. Not just what they have done. As Andrew Osagie found. All the competition got much better.

Summary

Being focused not just on improving their personal best, but on what their competitors are capable of doing to beat theirs is what athletes live with and understand this. They are know that speeds will be getting faster or jumps getting longer or higher. It is part of their attitude and ethos. Brand Owners need to embrace that more. Incremental personal best improvements are not going to be enough to win every race.

Action

Challenge yourself: are you focused on improving your past performance (sales, profits etc) or truely focused on what it will take to beat what the competition is capable of?

Should “Beats by Dr. Dre” win a Gold at London 2012 Olympics for using Athletes as Brand Influencers, while Official Sponsors only get Silver?

2012-08-09T09:00:00.000+01:00

Team GB Swimmer Liam Tancock in Dr Dre

Anyone that watched the London 2012 Olympics will have noticed that many of the Athletes wore headphones and were listening to music. It was something I had.

It was especially noticeable with the swimmers, many of whom were wearing headphones when being announced in the Aquatics Centre for their events. This included some of the most successful Olympians.

Athletes listening to music to get “into their zone” to help to focus, and screen out all the noise and bustle, before their event is not a surprise.

What is a surprise is that it was clear that they were all wearing the same distinctive style of headphones. Beats by Dr. Dre. A brand that is not a sponsor or partner of the Olympics in any form.

This is a remarkable achievement. The IOC is very strict about any form of advertising other than those of the sponsors. For example, you can only use a Visa Card within any venue and only McDonalds can serve and sell Fries within the venues. Not even the staff canteens can.

Beats by Dr. Dre had sampled and provided a range of Athletes a set of their premium earphones, which are known for amazing audio quality and sell for well over £100/ $150 and up. They cleverly also gave them one in their national flag or emblem colour.

The IOC allowed the Athletes to wear them saying : “There is a difference between someone using equipment with a logo and someone promoting the brand”.

Some see this as a clever and masterful form of “ambush marketing”, such as a recent article by Tom Fishburne “The Power of Ambush Marketing”. I include his cartoon making the point, which shows a pool with all the official logos and a group of swimmers talking about the “cool headphones” as the focus.

Cartoon by: Tom Fishburne at http://www.tomfishburne.com

It is ambush marketing, but it is much more than this. It is unleashing the power of Influencers.

Clearly, the IOC is not clear about the importance and power of Brand Influencers and Brand Advocates when they said: “There is a difference between someone using equipment with a logo and someone promoting the brand”.

Seeing so many of the most aspirational and inspiring performance athletes in the world, many of whom are heroes to young people, wearing them in such an important event has given them an awareness and endorsement that an advert could never have done. And would have cost a lot more than giving away the product to Athletes would have cost them.

As a viewer of the London 2012 Games, I had noted from the start the headphones, and how so many athletes were wearing them. And that they were all the same type. It had got me wondering about what they were. I also was assuming that they must have been extremely good ones since all the Athletes were all using them. I had started to look at my Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones a different way….

Consumers are becoming less trusting of traditional paid for advertising. They are relying more on recommendations.

This is something that I have covered previously, looking at the power of and growing importance of brand influencers and brand advocates in “Influencers versus Advocates: Which is More Important For Your Brand?”, “Influencers and Brand Advocates: Which is Better and Why” and “Why Peer Recommendations Are Critical in Marketing”.

While the Athletes using Beats by Dr. Dre at London 2012 are not Brand Advocates. They are powerful Influencers.

They will, as all good influencers do, have created awareness and given some credentials and credibility to the brand. What Dr. Dre needs to do now, in my view, is find some of them that love the brand - and will be real advocates for them to build on the momentum.

So for me, the tale is less about how to handle guerrilla and ambush marketing. It is about showing how so many traditional marketers do not understand that promoting a brand is not just about using noisy and intrusive paid for media and formal promotions. It can also be about ensuring that Influencers and Advocates are using, being seen to use and talking about the brand.

Brand Owners that understand this and ensure they build this into their marketing mix can still steal a march on their competitors. Think more like Dr. Dre! They win the Gold Medal.

Read my review of the Official Sponsor London 2012 TV ads

London 2012 Olympic Athletes Wearing Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones. Including Michael Phelps

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Should Brand Owners be App or Browser Focused as Mobile Internet Access Grows?

2012-08-07T12:26:00.002+01:00

Access to the Internet is moving more and more mobile everyday. Not a surprise when most people have their mobile phone within an arm reach 24 hours of the day.

This trend, though, is changing the nature of what people are doing, what they need and (importantly) how they access the Internet for information, shopping, entertainment and interacting with others.

Facebook has been struggling with investor confidence ever since they listed, as it is clear that more and more people are using mobiles to access the site. They do not know yet how to fully generate revenue from that traffic, unlike when people access via a browser on a computer. I have previously written about this challenge that all brands and businesses face by the growth of access via mobile in “Why All Brand Owners, and Not Just Facebook, Should be Concerned About Growing Access of Internet By Mobile”

The growth of mobile access is being driven, of course, by:

Smartphones. Use of these is growing fast. This is because all mobile phone handset makers are improving the capability and the accessibility to broader and wider types of users. Apple, Samsung and HTC all have breakthrough handsets, and constantly are improving and updating them.
Tablets. Driven by the Apple iPad initially, these devices are becoming an increasingly important way for people to surf and consume content.
Wi-Fi and 3G. Free or low cost wi-fi and fast data capability to be able to access the Internet out-of-home is making use of it a norm. Bearing in mind that for 24 hours of the day, a person is usually within an arm reach of their mobile phone, this makes mobile and phone access also more practical and easy.

One of the challenges, and limitations of, accessing the internet on a smartphone is that using a traditional web browser is clumsy and difficult. Which is why Apps have become so popular, as they can be more efficient ways to access content you really need.
Usually when people get a smartphone they go App crazy. Downloading every one that may slightly interest. Over time that settles and a few core ones get used.
The power of Apps and how key they are to accessing information was driven home during London 2012 Olympics. They had 2 Apps that provided guidance, information and up-to-date results. It meant you could keep posted and in-touch without struggling typing in URLs and so on.

I believe that Apps will be key to make the Smartphone and Tablet really work best for accessing the internet. Since this is the future of online access, this means that Apps may be more key than the traditional browser access.

The challenge for brands is to figure out how to integrate into this usage and prime way of accessing content via Apps. It is very unlikely that brand specific apps will be the way to go. Consumers will not want Apps for every brand they use. But if you are not integrated into the usage of Apps, you risk being “frozen out” of the being seen by the consumer. So the faster that online properties like Facebook figure that out so Brands can get in front of consumers the better for everyone.

This Infographic developed by OnlineBachelorDegreeProgams.com illustrates just how huge the Apps market already is. In it it highlights:

Half of mobiles already are smartphones - and this is growing.
Mobile App usage has doubled in the last year.
The average number of Apps on a Smartphone grew from 32 to 41 in the last year.

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Why not being single minded is not a laughing matter. With help from cartoons.

2012-08-01T09:00:00.000+01:00

Sometimes it is easier, and more effective, to make a point through humour.

You can drive home a point, and even be a bit critical, through the use of a joke or some satirical comment. Cartoons play this role in everyday life, and the daily political cartoon is a staple of many newspapers.

Cartoons also work to highlight some of the common mistakes and bad habits of marketers.
On this topic, I have previously spoken about the marketing consultant and cartoonist called "The Marketoonist" (Tom Fishburne) and other marketing cartoons in "Is Marketing and Advertising a Joking Matter? The Marketoonist thinks so..."

I came across 2 cartoons recently that reminded me about the importance of being single-minded.

Being focused on what your single minded proposition is, and what you want "own" in the marketplace is very key.
Consumers can only really remember one key thing about you.
Successful communication will communicate one thing.
Maurice Saatchi went so far as to argue that marketers should actually focus on owning just One Word for their brand.

Take a look at these 2 cartoons that show I think situations we have all been in - and probably been the one saying it

Tom Fishburne on the Single Minded Proposition.

In the article he wrote that went with this cartoon, he used the example of what he sees as a great Single Minded Proposition: The launch of iPod with "1000 songs in your pocket".

Trying to be Everything to Everyone: Mark Anderson of Andertoons.com

Rebecca Adlington wins a Bronze Medal in London 2012 by swimming FASTER than when she won a Gold in Beijing. A lesson for every marketer?

2012-07-30T09:24:00.000+01:00

Rebecca Adlington, a Team GB swimmer in the London 2012 Olympics, won a Bronze medal last night as I write this in the 400 metres Freestyle race. She won Gold 4 years before in the Beijing Olympics.

Rebecca Adlington won a Bronze (i.e. came 3rd) by swimming FASTER than she had in Beijing when she won the Gold Medal.
Delivering an important lesson and parable for every business person, marketing and advertising person out there.

As I have written before in "You Cannot Win a Race By Standing Still", and "Nothing Breeds Failure More Than Success", in order to keep winning you have to constantly be looking forwards and evolving as:

When you are "the winner" you become the focus of attention and the competition will focus ad target you to beat you. When you are coming up from behind, you can still surprise and do the unexpected.
The Competition will analyse how you achieved success and then replicate, improve upon and find out how to do it better to beat you.
The Competition will focus on where you are susceptible, or where your weaknesses are, and so where you are vulnerable to being beaten or outmaneuvered..
The Competition will not be constrained or limited by "what has worked for us" and "if it ain't broke don't fix it mentality". They will not be constrained in their thinking and cautious to change their "formula" for success.

Rebecca Adlington reminds us that to even just stay in the game you actually need to be MUCH BETTER than you were when you won.
After winning the Gold Medals in Beijing, she become even more focused. Trained even harder. Learnt new techniques and ways of swimming faster, better and more efficiently. She avoided the trappings of her success in Beijing and limted her media profile and non-swimming activities. She stayed focused on the competition, competing and on how to win as she knew younger, ambitious and new competition would be fast comign up behind her and overtaking her.

Something we all need to remember.
The game starts when you win. The next race starts immediately. No time to rest.

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Why is using Olympian Athletes like Kelly Holmes (Kelloggs), Tom Daley (Nestle) and Chris Hoy (Gillette) in Ads Risky?

2012-07-25T15:48:00.000+01:00

A series of ads using successful and popular Olympic Athletes shows the the risks of using a great Athlete in your ads. And the importance of great casting to make an idea work. Or writing an ad to meet the limitations and strengths of that individual is of paramount importance.

Dame Kelly Holmes, won 2 Gold medals at the Athens Olympics for the UK and became a major hero in the UK. She still holds a soft spot in the heart of the UK population.

So using her to endorse the importance of eating breakfast (a social message to say everyone performs better if they eat breakfast), and then saying Kellogg's cereals are great must have seemed like a very good idea.

I am sure she must have been a costly sign-up. But a great Athlete is a great Athlete. They are not automatically a great performer and actor. SO, in my view and many others based on comments, is that her acting is cardboard and uncomfortable. It distracts from the message, as you focus on the acting. It is less compelling.

It just goes to show how important casting is to make an idea work and credible.
OR. If you really want to use a great Olympian to endorse your product understand them and their acting constraints and write to their strengths and weaknesses.

Kelloggs & Dame Kelly Holmes: Skip Breakfast & You may Miss out on Fuel for your Brain

Take these more recent examples of using an Olympian Athlete

Tom Daley: UK Olympian Diver. One Good and One Bad
Nestle: Get set Go Free Activities using UK Diver Tom Daley
Tom is cheeky and friendly. But this ad again distracts as they have him trying to perform a highly complex acting and interactive move. Something even experienced actors would struggle with. You focus on his actions not the message

Adidas Tom Daley: Take The Stage
However, Adidas (who probably understand sportsmen better and their strengths and weaknesses) created an ad for London 2012 which uses his life story, which si well known on how he lost his Dad and dedicates his sport to his memory, and focuses on the diving without acting and a voice over. It works so much better as the acting does not distract from any message.

Gillette also understood better how to use their Olympian: Sir Chris Hoy
Sir Chris Hoy endorses Gillette. He is Scottish with an accent, and is a charming but fairly serious guy when you safe him in media. So they show him competing and using the product, and gave him a voice over to record. This gives more flexibility and opportunity to play to his strengths. You don't focus on his performance as an actor - but the message more.

Also take a look at my posting: London 2012 Olympics Official Brand Partner Ads: Which are Good? Which are Bad?

London 2012 Olympics Official Brand Partner Ads: Which are Good? Which are Bad?

2012-07-23T12:46:00.001+01:00

London 2012 Olympics is, as time of writing this article, starting this week. So I thought it was a good time to look at the advertising being shown, and to share some thoughts. And to get your thoughts and comments.

Most of the advertising related news so far has been about the restrictions that the IOC and the London Organising Committee enforces on advertising, and use of the iconic "5 Rings Logo".
There are very strict rules, where basically only the Official Sponsors and Partners can use any form of link to the Olympics or the logo. Small shopkeepers fret they can be sued, and there are the inevitable grumbles and complaints about how strict the regulations are, and how they are enforced.

On the positive side it actually means that, as someone living in London, that you are not totally overwhelmed on TV, Print and media by total blanket of ads talking Athletes and Olympics. It means that there are a few key ads you do see.

The problem is though even with the few that there are, they are almost all interchangeable and any brand could have run any of them.
They almost could have been shot and then a simple "pop your brand in here" option given.

Here are 13 of the Olympics Sponsor and Partner ads. I believe that they can be grouped into 4 categories:

Feel Good Ads about the Olympics and Competing. Motivating and well executed, but they are really just about the Olympics and Competing. Any of the sponsors could likely have run these, and it is hard to recall exactly which brand they are for most of the time:

Some use the Games/ Competing Generally: McDonalds (Rivals); BP (Fuelling the Future); TSB Lloyds (For the Journey).
Some use Athlete Brand Ambassadors they sponsor/ hire: Samsung (David Beckham); Visa (Usain Bolt); BT Infinity (Oscar Pistorius GB Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee) and Omega (Chinese diver Qiu Bo, U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin, British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos and U.S. pole vaulter Jenn Suhr)

Feel Good Ads celebrating the important person behind an Athlete: Their Mum. Again emotive and well executed. But a "generic" story that any could have run: P&G (Honouring the Role of Mums) and National Lottery (Jenny Meadows Mother's Story).
Everyday People and How they Connect to the Games. These also tend to have the best sponsor product integration into the ads. These, I believe, will prove to be the better recalled to the brand. They also, for me, are my most favourite ads: British Airways (Home Advantage: encouraging UK residents to stay home and support Team GB): Coke (Torch Relay Ads capturing how everyone related and could get access to this part of the games in their home towns). I would also put the EDF Electricity Ad in here (Where 2 workmen play around in the various stadiums "testing" them out.. something we would all do if we had access those 2 had).
Business-to-Business Messages that use the scale of the Olympics to show what they could do for their customers everyday. The best and most direct example is the UPS (If), although you could argue the EDF ad should be in this group.

My 2 most favourite ads from all of these are The British Airways Home Advantage (which I have written about previously) and the EDF "Workmen" Ad.

The latter as it amused me, and it made me recall who it was for. What are yours? Leave a comment and thoughts on the Marketing Unleashed blog

Here are the ads. They are in the order I mentioned them above

McDonalds London 2012: Rivals Advert: For The Olympic Spirit in Us All

They Say: The Olympic spirit lives within us all. And when gold medals don't provide enough motivation for greatness, McDonald's is proud to serve the Happy Meals, Big Macs, and Fries that put everyone in the mood for a little competition.

BP London 2012: Fuelling the Future Ad

They say: BP is proud to be the Official Oil and Gas Partner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as a Premier Partner of the Cultural Olympiad

Lloyds TSB: For The Journey (chance to win tickets/ carry the torch)

They say: The ad brings together some of the favourite characters from previous Lloyds TSB adverts and shows how we're bringing London 2012 closer to communities all across the UK.

Samsung London 2012 Partner: I'm Taking Part Ad (David Beckham)

They Say: Feel the anticipation, suspense, triumphs and joys as the world get together to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games. Starring Samsung's official ambassador for the Olympic Games, David Beckham, follow the journey of the GALAXY S III, from Mumbai to Shanghai and Los Angeles, as it captures the most emotional moments of the Games. The TV commercial will be aired starting July 16 in over 20 countries including UK, France and China. Wherever you are, you can take part in this historic moment. The GALAXY S III, Samsung's Olympic Games Phone. Everyone's Olympic Games.

Visa Credit Card: Usain Bolt Vs. London "Flow Faster"

They say: Flow Faster with Visa - See Usain Bolt race across London. (Showcases the Contactless Playment Card system)

BT Infinity: Passion For Speed

They say: Watch our stunning new BT Infinity ad starring Gold Paralympic Sprinter Oscar Pistorius and GB Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee.

Omega: Official Time Keeper of London 2012 "Start Me Up"

They say: It's been 80 years since OMEGA first timed an Olympic Games, and as Official Timekeeper for London 2012, OMEGA will once again bear witness to Olympic glory. The footage features the Rolling Stones' classic hit "Start Me Up", the ad features Chinese diver Qiu Bo, U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin, British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos and U.S. pole vaulter Jenn Suhr . The focus is on the athletes' routines and concentration in the pivotal minutes and seconds before competition, a moment in time for each athlete that can set the tone for a potentially life-changing performance.

Procter & Gamble: Honouring the Role of Mums

They say: Being a mom is the hardest job in the world. But it's also the best. This Procter & Gamble commercial honors everything that all moms do to help their children succeed by showcasing the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The hardest job in the world is truly the best job in the world.

National Lottery Funded Athletes Ad: Jenny Meadows Mother's Story

They say: Inspired by the story of 800 metres runner Jenny Meadows' mother, our newest TV advert looks at how National Lottery funding helps British athletes achieve their dreams. Extended version. Thanks to TNL players we're helping over 1,200 British athletes fulfil their dreams at London 2012 and beyond. No-one has contributed more to our athletes than our players.

British Airways: Home Advantage

They say: This summer, the greatest sports event on Earth comes to London. And our best sportsmen and women have a once in a lifetime opportunity, to compete at the highest level with the whole country behind them. That's why we're asking the nation to join together, to give our athletes the greatest home advantage we can give them. It could be the difference in seconds and millimetres, turning silver into gold. This summer, there's nowhere else in the world to be.

Coca-Cola London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Ad

They say: Move To The Beat of London 2012 with the latest Coca-Cola UK TV advert as we begin our celebrations of this summer's Olympic Games. The ad captures some of the most magical moments of the Olympic Torch Relay, and celebrates our amazing Future Flames. To get the latest Coca-Cola news from the London 2012 Olympic Games

EDF Powering The Games Ad: Workmen Test the London 2012 Stadium

They Say: EDF is an official partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, supplying the Olympic Park with low carbon electricity for a sustainable Olympics to remember.

UPS: Official Logistics Supplier: "If" Ad

They say: UPS is doing the logistics for London 2012. And if UPS can do that for the Olympic Games, just imagine what they can do for your business.

Influencers Versus Brand Advocates: Which One is Better and Why?

2012-07-19T14:44:00.001+01:00

Influence and Advocacy is a topic I have a great interest in.
So does just about every agency, brand owner - and individual who is active online.

Influence is seen as a key tool that brand owners need to tap into.
It is supposed to ensure that they get their brand messages out to people online through social media. They are hoping that they will get recommendations, and so sales as a result.

This is not a surprise: Consumers really trust recommendations.

As I covered in "Why are Peer Recommendations Absolutely Critical for Marketing Success", consumers trust recommendations from people they trust over ALL types and forms of paid for advertising. 92% say they rely on recommendations when making product choices from people they know. Even 70% say online reviews are important in their choice.

You need to know your "Influencers" versus your "Advocates"

You need to be clear about what a difference that an "Advocate" can make to your business, and why they are better than an "Influencer". There is too much focus on "Influencers", in my view.

I outlined the key differences in them in my article entitled "Influencers versus Advocate: Which is more Important for your Brand?".

In that I argued that Advocates are much more important for your business. They love your brand, and will actively promote, recommend and defend it as well - with little incentive or self interest agenda.

Infographic Explaining "Influencers Vs. Advocates"

I was, therefore, impressed with the Infographic that Zuberance (an agency specialising in the topic) and Convince & Convert (Social Media Consultancy) developed. It lays out the case, with data, on the difference and has the same conclusion. Advocates will drive more action for your brand. They are keen to support, promote and even defend your brand. With limited added incentives.

Facebook Asia versus Facebook UK. What can we learn about how brands use and succeed on each?

2012-07-05T10:19:00.001+01:00

This is the 3rd Guest post by Jonathan Rudd, a UK Marketer now based and working in Asia.

He gives his thoughts and observations of Asian marketing through the eyes of a "Westerner". Looking at differences and learning. In this post he looks at digital and Facebook:

The 30” spot is dead; Long live social. It’s a digital world........

I’m sure as marketers (or people with an interest in marketing) you’ve been hearing this for years. Of course, the 30” certainly isn’t dead and will continue to play a key role in the marketing mix (via TV and digital platforms).

But, consumer brand engagement through social media should now be a fundamental part of any marketers comms strategy.

Content creation, 2-way brand to consumer conversation and giving consumers a reason to talk about your brand to others are setting brands apart much more than who got a HHH link test for their last 30” spot.

So how easy is it to get consumers to engage with your brand and how do you keep them interested?

In this post I’m going to focus on the biggest global social platform out there, Facebook, and compare how brands in Asia are using Facebook to talk with consumers and be talked about by consumers, looking at two examples from markets in Asia; Philippines and Indonesia.

To set some context, take a look at the table below:

Country	Users (m)	% penetration of population	% penetration of online population	Top 3 brand sites (last 3 months)
UK	30	50	60	Creme Egg, Wispa, Maltesers
PH	28	28	95	Nescafe, Smart Comms, Starbucks
ID	44	18	146	Surfer Girl, Yamaha, Chocolatos

Source: Socialbakers.com last 3 months

Just by taking a look at the above, it’s evident that if you’re online in Philippines you’re on Facebook (or in the case of Indonesia, potentially have multiple accounts) giving an initial insight into the engagement levels and participation in these countries.

Creme de la crème

Nescafe is the most popular brand page in the Philippines with 1.6m Facebook users. So how do they go about keeping their current users engaged? And what content do they offer that their consumers would want to share with their friends?

A look at the page would suggest they’re doing a pretty good job. 2 way conversations started with thought provoking questions such as what cakes go best with coffee, or asking at what times consumers share coffee with their loved ones.

Posting up content that users will want to share such as father’s day or congratulations messages, interesting imagery and art (often associated with Nescafe) and even commenting on the latest Mani Paquiao fight (of course!).

These are getting thousands of ‘likes’ and hundreds of comments a time. This is a great example of a global brand providing content that is connected with the flow of local culture that makes them part of consumers social expression. Starbucks is another example and features in many Asian markets top 10.

If we take a look at ‘Surfer Girl’ that with more than 2.3m members is the most popular Facebook page in Indonesia.
Firstly, it’s interesting that this is a local company, when most other countries top spots are multinational brands. It started as a one off shop in Bali serving the niche of girls who surf and is fronted by Summer (the original surfer girl). It has evolved into a positive, young ‘fun’ lifestyle brand that’s now widely available in Indonesia.

It shares content on clothes, fashion and what Summer is up to, along with social issues, although judging by the number of ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ it doesn’t attract the level of engagement that Nestle achieves due to the lack of any real creative idea or theme.

What is common about both of these brands is they target the demographic with the highest number of users in their respective countries (65% of Indonesian Facebook users are under 24) and they have a continued dialogue with ‘in the moment’ content, posting up to 5 times a day! That’s because consumers in these countries have so many ‘friends’ sharing so much content, if you don’t post regularly you simply may not get noticed.

My observations are that consumers in the UK are generally less likely to ‘like’, ‘share’ or ‘comment’ than those in Asia. In Philippines and particularly Indonesia it’s about regularity of social content just as much as it is about quality.

Crème de la Cadbury: 2 of the most popular brand pages on Facebook UK

One company in the UK that really has got their social strategy licked (sorry) is Cadbury. In Cream Egg and Wispa they have the two most popular brand sites on Facebook. I’ve long admired Cadbury’s advertising, from those seductive flake ads, the Caramel bunny to the glass half full campaign with the drum playing gorilla.

What is apparent strong from the content being shared on the Creme Egg page is that this is a cross agency, integrated idea that is being bought to life by social media.

The content is far less frequent but the content was in tune with the nation leading up to and during their Jan – Easter season, such as covering the cast of ‘The Only Way is Essex’ in goo and shocking the nation with massive mock-broken crème eggs at key locations in the UK. Content so great, even us prudent Brits want to share!

Summary
Like with traditional media it’s possible to have a global big idea that plays out in social (Nescafe, Starbucks, Lynx / Axe, Coke are great examples of global brands with great local social execution). But in this digital age that requires a continued flow of content and creativity, brands need to stay connected to local consumers’ desires, trends, passion points, social consumption habits and ever evolving mood to be liked, shared and talked about and assume a relevant role in their consumers’ lives.

Read Jonathan's other posts: Beer Ads in Asia; Why UK jobs won't be heading East anytime soon

Why do so many brands and their ads lack a "big idea"?

2012-07-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

In 1983, David Ogilvy wrote “I doubt if more than one campaign in a hundred contains a big idea”. Has that changed since then?

Ideas. That is what marketers hire and expect their communication agencies to crack for them. So why do we end up seeing so many brands and their ads lacking them?

Every brand needs a core "Big Idea". But so few still have them.
When it comes to developing creating communication, I am a believer in the need to focus first and foremost on finding and agreeing the BIG IDEA. Then, and only then, should you worry about the execution.

Once you have the brand's "Big Idea", you can go anywhere!

Once you have the Creative Big Idea then you can get into what the execution is. It makes it easier to crack.
Once you have the Creative Big Idea you will be able to create a on-going campaign. A Big Idea is not execution specific, but can be executed in different media and in different ways over time.
Once you have a Big Idea it is also easy to globalise it and write new executions. As all people locally need to do is create executions that work culturally or within the competitive set they have - but you end up with rafts of ads all with the same idea.

Unilever's Axe/ Lynx is a great example of a brand with a "Big Idea". Many executions. Many markets.
For me one of the best examples of this is the Unilever Axe/ Lynx brand that has zillions of ads created it seems by different teams all over the world - but they all have the core creative idea of "The Axe/ Lynx Effect".

Absolut Vodka is another example. 25 years and over 1500 ads using the same "big idea"
There are (according to the fan of the ads site Absolutads.com) over 1500 different ads all based on one brand big idea. The campaign has been running for over 25 years! It is the longest running continuous campaign of one idea too, they claim. The core big idea is to constantly surprise and delight by seeing a familiar thing in new and surprising ways. To get a feel for how they have down this visit the Absolut Vodka Ads Board on Pinterest I have created

A Big Idea is so simple it can fit on a matchbook cover. So big you can't think of a place it cannot go.
A couple of years ago when developing some training about advertising in the beauty market, I found a great video online that spoke about creative ideas. I am not 100% sure who did it, but it is a group of agency people talking about ideas. There were some very powerful thoughts in the video that include:

"A Big Idea is Something that is so simple you can write it on a matchbook cover, but so big you can’t think of a place it cannot go".
“(A Big Idea) has a lot of legs that can grow with the client’s products & services as they evolve and can maintain relevancy & consistency across all different mediums".
“You look at (a big idea) and go “man that feels huge".
“Big Ideas are pretty easy to sell because they’re usually pretty simple. Almost self evident. When you lay it out everyone in the room goes “you know, that’s a pretty good idea".

Once you have it. It can take you everywhere and anywhere.

In 2008 UK "Campaign" magazine had a quote about Big Ideas that really caught my eye, and stuck with me: "Once you have a big, fat, great idea, you can adapt it around the world and adapt the media you use to make it relevant. That's the definition of a great idea".

Summary and action..

As David Ogilvy said, so much communication lacks a big creative idea. Can you answer the question for your brand's communication: "What is the idea"? Is it so simple it can be written on a matchbook cover or tiny post-it note? But big enough to go everywhere and anywhere, and over time?

Like Axe/ Lynx and Absolut Vodka have been doing for years and years...

What do you think? What other examples do you have, please let me know.

Watch the agency team I refer to above talking about "What Is a Big Idea?".