Marketers Studio - David Berkowitz's Marketing Blog

The Next Book You Need to Read: To Sell is Human

2013-05-20T11:01:00-04:00

I'm a fan of the author Dan Pink. I interviewed him more than 10 years ago for eMarketer about his book Free Agent Nation. A Whole New Mind was revelatory. Johnny Bunko didn't do much for me, but I do remember reading it and recall the gist, so that's something. Despite loving his work overall, I still had no interest in reading his recent book To Sell is Human. And yet, for whatever reason, I wound up buying it and, in some moment of weakness, I read it.

I'm so glad I did.

The introduction of the book talks a lot about non-sales selling - namely, how 40% of our workday is usually trying to persuade people, outside of a typical sales context. Not surprisingly, that applies to my job too. Granted, my job is at a marketing agency that is trying to sell its clients on ways that they can sell more of their products (whether or not the product is tangible). For me, a lot of my day is more on the so-called buy side, where so-called vendors are constantly pitching me, so I deal with dozens of salespeople in a typical week. (Note: I'm not a huge fan of the whole buyer vs seller / vendor distinction, but its simplicity sometimes works, such as in the recent post The Biggest Red Flag from a Vendor).

I digress though.

To Sell is Human is a marvelous book. The best thing about it is that odds are no matter what your profession is, you will wind up doing at least one thing differently (ideally for the better) after reading this. If you can get just one thing out of it, to paraphrase Alan Patricof of Greycroft Ventures, it will be a good use of your time. And you might do or think about far more differently after reading it.

Here are a few highlights from my notes I highlighted. There are some other GREAT ones, but you'll have to read the book yourself, as it won't work to quote him entirely out of context without some of the longer stories involved.

Select quotes:

"Since Kickstarter launched in 2009, 1.8 million people have funded twenty thousand projects with more than $200 million. In just three years, Kickstarter surpassed the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts as the largest backer of arts projects in the United States." [This is more of an aside in the book, but fascinating nonetheless.]

"Start your encounters with the assumption that you’re in a position of lower power. That will help you see the other side’s perspective more accurately, which, in turn, will help you move them."

"Amazon, like most organizations, has lots of meetings. But at the important ones, alongside the chairs in which his executives, marketing mavens, and software jockeys take their places, Bezos includes one more chair that remains empty. It’s there to remind those assembled who’s really the most important person in the room: the customer."

One of the most meaningful sections for me was Pink's look at problem finding vs. problem solving, where problem finders tend to perform better than solvers. He noted, "The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, now offers a course called 'Problem Finding, Problem Solving' because, as its instructor says, "part of being an innovative leader is being able to frame a problem in interesting ways and . . . to see what the problem really is before you jump in to solve it."'"

"The purpose of a pitch isn’t necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you."

These aren't even the best parts. If that moved you in the slightest, then I just performed that very human act of selling. Now go and buy the book already.

Who's the Mobile Champ Now?

2013-05-15T00:16:33-04:00

Well, I have no idea. But Google has a new series about it:

What is top of mind for mobile evangelists in the agency community? How are agencies helping their clients win with mobile? We caught up with mobile leaders from the agency world and asked what excites them — and challenges them — about mobile today.

There are some great features with Zach Morrison at Elite SEM, Tom Cramer at Razorfish, and my old friend Jeff Heinz at MediaCom. For those more inspired Q&As, you can go to Google's Think Insights site (one of the best resources available for mobile marketing and other marketing trends and topics). While I only have so much patience for watching myself on camera (especially on a day where I was so distracted by the interviewer wearing Google Glass), here's the interview, also hosted on Google's site:

The series also on Google's Mobile Ads, AdWords, and Agency blogs.

Oh, and here's what the interview looked like wearing Glass:

eMarketer Looks at Feel-Good Effects of Real-Time Marketing

2013-05-13T13:10:00-04:00

eMarketer has a new report out on a topic near and dear to me, "Real-Time Marketing: Speeding Up the Creative Process" (read more about it in eMarketers' newsletter article on it).

The chart below, via GolinHarris, shows this real-time marketing thing may actually move the needle for brands, whichever needle marketers are looking to move.

(image courtesy of eMarketer Inc)

I have a few mentions in the report. Here are excerpts:

When deciding when to pull the trigger on a real-time opportunity, Oreo's digital agency, 360i, considers three factors, said David Berkowitz, VP Emerging Media:

* Is the moment that is happening brand friendly?

* Are there influencers online and available to extend the message virally?

* Is there an opportunity to 'surpise and delight' the consumer?

Then...

"What's going to define it well is not the Super Bowl. I'm much more curious about what happens on a typical Wednesday. Making social currency part of the brand identity - that is a bigger challenge and bigger opportunity." ...

"The biggest thing we can do to speed up the creative process is generate trust from our clients. Trust and real-time marketing are interwoven."

It also brings to mind a conversation I just had on Twitter with USA Network's Jesse Redniss:

How much of the RTM Social content race is just "disposable brilliance" one and done? #socialTV #secondscreen #TV #marketing @dberkowitz
— Jesse Redniss (@jesseredniss) May 8, 2013

@jesseredniss the brands that get a reputation for consistent RTM are the ones that get a reputation for understanding culture
— David Berkowitz (@dberkowitz) May 9, 2013

Why Should Marketers Care about the Age of the Cyborg?

2013-05-02T12:40:41-04:00

I've got a new post in Ad Age about a subject we'll be hearing plenty more about in the coming decade: humanity's cyborgization, and how advertisers are learning from actuaries. The post starts:

You might know how much an impression's worth for your brand. Perhaps you can estimate the value of a click, or social actions such as buzz, likes and shares. But what if you could measure a customer's level of physical activity? What about posture, sleep habits, or even virility?
That data's going to become increasingly available to marketers and advertisers as we head into the age of the cyborg.

Once a hallmark of science fiction, the human enhanced with mechanical superpowers is quickly becoming mainstream with the advent of wearable technology. Among the milestones arising over the past decade was Apple's success with slimming down the iPod and equipping it with enough storage to hold thousands of songs, which turned it into a popular workout accessory. A slew of add-ons sprung up to allow runners to wear the iPod as an armband. Then in May 2006, Nike released Nike+, in collaboration with Apple, a wireless chip embeddable in select shoe models. In a breakthrough melding of fashion and technology, the chip synced with the iPod, and later the iPhone, to track fitness activity and sync music to workouts. In 2012 Nike released the FuelBand, transitioning its technology from a chip hidden inside a shoe to a bracelet that became its own fashion statement.

Read the rest at Ad Age, and let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

The Biggest Red Flag from a Vendor

2013-04-24T18:35:00-04:00

I receive a lot of pitches from companies and people collectively known as vendors.

Some are publishers, platforms, technology companies, apps, developers, websites, and other self-described genres. They're all vendors though because they're all selling something. They are also known as sellers.

I've seen two major red flags lately, one from a vendor on the rise (I think) and one from one on the decline. Both are hard to take seriously for a similar reason.

The company on the rise talks a lot about its various engagement numbers and the performance of its ads. I believe it. I'm impressed.

But the riser won't report on unique user numbers. Even internally, it's on a need-to-know basis. And those who know aren't allowed to tell.

To me, that sounds like it's hiding something. Why else would the company not share that information with advertisers?

The company on the decline recently sent me a presentation. It had some great case studies on its ad formats, and how well it has been received in the press. Yay!

There's one thing missing from the presentation: unique users.

There aren't pageviews either. Or many numbers at all.

Wait, I'm wrong. There are numbers. Page numbers.

So I did what any not-entirely-lazy buyer would do. I went on Quantcast. I saw a chart that looked like a rapid downward slope into oblivion.

I couldn't believe I was receiving a pitch from a company with a rapid downward slope into oblivion. So I went on Compete.

Same thing: rapid downward slope into oblivion.

I wonder why the decliner isn't including numbers in the presentation.

Wouldn't the decliner do so much better engendering trust if it said, "Look, you know and we know our numbers are pretty weak right now. But... " (Insert excuse here: "We've stopped the bleeding and now's a chance to join us as we make our comeback" or "All our traffic comes from our mobile app which doesn't show up on Quantcast or Compete" or "We're desperate and we'll give you a kegerator if you just get a brand to do something with us for free.")

Yes, that would do better.

They say you should show, not tell.

How about show, not hide.

Buyers aren't always that bright. Buyers make mistakes and irrational decisions. Buyers often choose going with their relationships rather than going with the best deals.

That's because buyers are human.

You know what else makes buyers human?

Buyers don't like it when others insult their intelligence.

Buyers will always have something else to buy.

Sellers won't always have something else to sell.

Get All the Highlights of SXSW 2013 in a 5-Minute Read

2013-03-22T08:33:00-04:00

My colleagues at 360i put together a report on the hottest people, startups, and trends from SXSW 2013. Kudos to Katie Perry for pulling all this together, and thanks to the best brand ambassadors an agency could ask for: Megan Conley, Danielle Johnsen, Irina Kondrashova, Rosie Siman, and Katie Wall.

SXSW HOTSHEET: 360i's Guide to the Best of Interactive 2013 by 360i

SXSW 2013 Highlights from around the Web

2013-03-18T17:18:16-04:00

Following the trip to Austin, I've been pulling together a lot of materials I found interseting and/or helpful while reviewing SXSW. Here are some of my favorite links. Share yours in the comments or tweet them my way.

Research and trends

- Keyhole tracked SXSW in real-time. See a roundup of its trackers.

- Peek Analytics profiled the people and conversations buzzing in Austin.

- Ad Age quotes SXSW big shots who say it's still a place of wonder and a good spot to launch products.

- Contagious looks at a lot of the big speakers and themes.

- Get the greatest hits from The Verge.

- Salesforce Marketing Cloud posted some excellent recaps on Slideshare.

- What themes popped there? HeyBigFish is built on Little Bird and shows who and what got the buzz.

Startups and technologies

- Ryse reviewed the top startups rated in its new app during SXSW. It's an interesting mix to see what was top of mind for attendees, including some that weren't trying to be the most buzzworthy there.

- Laptop mag looks at 10 of the best apps and technologies. It does make SXSW look a lot like CES.

- Altimeter's Jeremiah Owyang and Chris Silva review the technologies that matter. I'd debate a lot of the findings. For instance, if you follow their advice and ignore 3D printing, you might be blindsided by one of the best commercial and possibly society disruptors in history.

- NYT profiles one of the hotter products, Memoto - the Lifelogging Camera. I feel like I have to get this for my job, but I really have no interest in it. Maybe it's because it reminds me of the video cameras pets wear. Is it really worth $300?

- NYT's overview looks at the spotlight on hardware.

- Highlight isn't dead yet. Want proof? They brought popsicles!

- Ad Age likes these 4 startups: Takes, Clinch, Raved, Posse. I used Takes but it's annoying it requires a special app rather than using existing content. Clinch is fine but haven't been wowed. Posse's a fun recommendation play in a crowded space. I need to try out Raved.

- Speaking of Posse, it included some Austin recmomendations from SXSW attendees. Yes, I've got a street here.

- Ad Age chceks out the interactive art - a big theme at this festival.

- Business Insider points to Tinder as the hot startup of the festival.

- Ad Age featured the talking shoe from Google and Adidas.

- If this roundup isn't enough, Nibletz posts 48 startup stories from SXSW.

Brands

- A&E let people simulate killing each other and shared GIFs to promote its new show Bates Motel. Am I the only one who thinks this is making simulated murder a little too cute?

- LostRemote profiles SyFy's pop-up hotel to promote the show Defiance.

- Arm & Hammer exec wonders what he's doing at SXSW. While from The Onion, I met execs who seemed more out of place there than this guy.

- I started a collaborative Pinterest board featuring brands at SXSW. If you want to contribute to it, let me know. It's actually become a pretty good glimpse at which brands have stood out.

In the press (some posts where I've been cited, and are good reads regardless)

- I wrote a byline in Ad Age recapping SXSW - namely, how Grumpy Cat taught me everything I need to know.

- MediaPost reviews the Oreo / Mondelez real-time marketing panel

- Adrants does a great job covering the Oreo session, and Steve Hall took amazing photos.

- Ad Age posted the full video of the Oreo panel.

- Adweek reviews Agency Execs' Favorite SXSW Hot Spots

- Ad Age wonders if agencies should even be at SXSW anymore (I say they should - surprise)

- Mashable runs sketches from Patrick Ashamalla covering panels, including my session with the IAB and Nielsen on gaming

- Digiday wonders what caught marketers' eyes at SXSW. I said Grumpy Cat.

- Adweek has a great infographic summing up the show, even though it disses two things I loved: Grumpy Cat and the Twitter party. But I do get to mention there that Eventbrite was the killer app.

What do a scumbag, a rainbow cat, a Scottish heartthrob, and me have in common?

2013-03-08T10:04:00-05:00

Umm, yeah.

See Pete Cashmore's post.

RSVP on Facebook.

I'll admit I'm giddy over this one. But really, I'm just one of 500 or so people at 360i who's trying to do great work for some of the world's best brands, and I know how fortunate I am to get to represent this amazing bunch of people. When I get back to the office (and our other global offices), I'll have to thank a lot of colleagues for giving me this opportunity.

And yeah, the folks at Mashable are pretty amazing too to send the invite. So, thanks Mashable.

Oreo (#client) team, I owe you a round of Guiness (#client). Or maybe a few gallons of milk (#notaclient).

Lastly, 360i's hiring. Come join us so I can buy you milk or beer too. Your choice.

PS: If I have a chance to ask Scumbag Steve one question of my own, what should it be?

Why I'm Over the 'Next Big Thing' Hunt at SXSW

2013-03-07T13:46:13-05:00

It's time to find a better way to measure the success of SXSW than whether it launched the next Twitter or Fuelband.

To that point, I've got a post about that now in Ad Age:

With so much anticipation for South by Southwest (SXSW), how can it possibly deliver on the hype? If you're obsessed with coming away having annointed the "next big thing" it most certainly won't, but then you'd be missing the point. It's fashionable to declare SXSW "over" every year, but I actually think it's even bigger and more important than people realize. But to get value out of it you have to start looking for the small things.

Last year the big stuff at SXSW was easy to identify. It was the year the Nike Fuelband launched, which became a hot, mainstream consumer product. It was the year American Expressconnected its Sync program to Twitter, making a company founded in 1850 one of the pioneers of social commerce; sponsoring a free concert by Jay-Z helped too. It was the year that an agency turned homeless people into WiFi hot spots, leading Jon Stewart to remark on his show, "So rather than train people to become computer workers, we're training them to become computer equipment." Events just don't get much more memorable.

So what really matters? Read on in Ad Age.

Meet Gary V, Oreo & Mondelez Execs, Ad Age, and Me at a SXSW Session

2013-03-07T10:11:00-05:00

Okay, I'll admit that I luck out a fair amount with my job, and I try to enjoy it without gloating too much. But it's not every day that I get to join a panel and event like I will on Sunday at SXSW, featuring:

Someone from Oreo, not just the world's most popular cookie and an amazing brand, but a great client as well (and one whose products I personally enjoy often enough)
Mondelez exec Bonin Bough, who is way up there on my list of people I love talking shop with because I always learn a few things (yes, he's a client too - but I don't blow smoke)
Gary V from VaynerMedia, one of the few true digital celebs and pioneers
Expion, which has been a great partner to my agency 360i for years now (fun fact: it started at SXSW years back)

You should try to make this. A bonus: it's not your typical panel. I saw the agenda and the panel is well under half of the event's 2 hour runtime, so you'll have far more time for food, drinks, and conversation.

Hope to see you there.

Links for 2013-01-07 [del.icio.us]

2013-01-08T00:00:00-08:00

Adioso - the best flights to Anywhere in a single search
A new travel search engine featured in Netted by the Webbys.
Sizing Up the CES Crapshoot | Adweek
“From the marketer side, most of what’s on the show floor actually isn’t that interesting,” added David Berkowitz, vp of emerging media at 360i. “You just finished putting the previous year to bed and want to figure out what’s exciting in the year ahead,” Berkowitz said. “CES is a good place to do so and not just talk about things but experience a lot of it.” Even though the event may not be the place for a trove of game-changing reveals, it remains a premier showcase for innovative uses of technology, among them connected devices, as Berkowitz pointed out. Since every home isn’t outfitted with Microsoft’s Xbox and since Apple has yet to corner the market, there’s still plenty of room for other players—Samsung, for one possibility—to show off their innovations.

Links for 2013-01-05 [del.icio.us]

2013-01-06T00:00:00-08:00

Is today the Day Marty McFly arrives when he travels to the future?
Until late 2015, this will be one of the most popular sites on the internet

Links for 2013-01-04 [del.icio.us]

2013-01-05T00:00:00-08:00

lisnr. making audio interactive.
Haven't tried this yet: The Lisnr app allows audio to passively trigger fan interactions using a mobile device during the listening experience. Part of Mondelez Mobile Futures pilot that launched Jan 2013.
Five Trends Marketers Need to Watch at CES | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology - Advertising Age
It's January again which for a lot of us means ringing in the New Year with a packed week of meetings, product demos, floor tours, and well, Las Vegas at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). For marketers, it doesn't really matter which gadgets have the sharpest resolution, or which screens are the thinnest, biggest, or the best for 3D viewing. Don't get distracted by all the glitter and noise. Instead, here are five themes to follow this year:

Links for 2013-01-01 [del.icio.us]

2013-01-02T00:00:00-08:00

Cycloramic
Via David Pogue in the New York Times, Dec 2012: "CYCLORAMIC Just when you think that nobody could possibly have another fresh idea for a phone app, Cycloramic ($1) makes 360-degree panoramic videos — without a tripod or swivel. You stand the phone upright and tap the Go button. Incredibly, the phone, balancing on its end, begins to rotate itself. Freakiest darned thing you ever saw. Great for winning bar bets or establishing new religions. If you’ve ever seen a phone scoot itself along a table when it is in buzz mode, you get the principle. The app triggers the phone’s vibration module at exactly the right frequencies to make the phone turn on the table. The phone’s sensors figure out how far it’s rotated."
Ebooki EPUB, MOBI, PDF - Legimi.com
An ebook subscription approach from Poland - eg Netflix for ebooks. We'll see if this works at all in the US, what devices the ebooks are compatible with, and if it's anything. Profiled in TechCrunch - http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/31/legimi-tl-dr/
2012: The Year in Graphics - Graphic - NYTimes.com
NYT's roundup of its stellar visualizations from 2012

Links for 2012-12-21 [del.icio.us]

2012-12-22T00:00:00-08:00

Social advertisers spooked by Instagram backlash | The Verge
If users are worried about their photos being used in ads... that's happening already. 360i's David Berkowitz pointed us to this Ben & Jerry's campaign as an industry model. In November, the ice cream company asked its 120,000 Instagram followers to use a special "Capture Euphoria" hashtag, and then repurposed those pictures for local ad campaigns. "It's all in the parameters of their campaign," Berkowitz said, "so it's very clear that's what they're doing." Instagram shows dozens of other examples on their own help page, repurposing user photos with a certain hashtag for an interactive map or for a real-time slideshow at a concert. The hashtag is key because brands want the social crediblity that comes with it, They don't want the actual photos; they just like the act of giving them up.
Google Santa Tracker
Google's fun Santa Tracker - also includes a fun way to have Santa call your friends ( https://www.google.com/santatracker/#/village/santacall )
ShopYourWay.com: Online shopping for Electronics, Movies, Music and more
Sears' social shopping site
Navy Yard Receives Two Job-Creation Grants
Brooklyn Navy Yard photo in Brownstoner

Links for 2012-12-20 [del.icio.us]

2012-12-21T00:00:00-08:00

2012′s Biggest Marketing Surprises | Heidi Cohen
1. Nike. Its success with Fuelband, followed by further innovations such as its Xbox Kinect workout program, demonstrated just how ready that brand is to lead in a digitally-driven world. David Berkowitz – 360i, @DBerkowitz?log=out

Links for 2012-12-19 [del.icio.us]

2012-12-20T00:00:00-08:00

The Dead Sea Scrolls - Home
Via Google's blog: "Today, we’re helping put more of these ancient treasures online. The Israel Antiquities Authority is launching the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, an online collection of some 5,000 images of scroll fragments, at a quality never seen before. The texts include one of the earliest known copies of the Book of Deuteronomy, which includes the Ten Commandments; part of Chapter 1 of the Book of Genesis, which describes the creation of the world; and hundreds more 2,000-year-old texts, shedding light on the time when Jesus lived and preached, and on the history of Judaism."