Mass 2 One Media [eco]

Loyalty and the Three Run Homer

2009-08-12T10:34:04-04:00

Any avid baseball fan knows of the winning philosophy of legendary manager Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles. His teams were known for great pitching and defense, but scored their runs waiting for the three run home run. Weaver tolerated strikeouts (failure), knowing that the three run homer would more than make up for it.

I've found marketing and programming success to follow the same recipe. Capturing the big event, the larger-than-life, make-them-talk moment is the key to establishing a market presence and ultimately, to winning. That's not to say that day-to-day execution is unimportant, but those are singles. And while singles are useful, it takes a lot of them to score three runs.

What does this have to do with loyalty programs? A lot. You have probably heard your [eco] solutions team explain that your offers are far more important than your actual give-aways. Focusing your attention on making a deep and meaningful impact on your members through offer, incentive and promotion is a winning proposition.

That's why showcases are such a powerful tool for almost all programs. Showcases create possibilities, those special "I'd Play For That" moments that capture members' imagination. Showcases provide you the ability to hit a three run homer not just with one segment of your audience, but with ALL of your audience.

Your reward is engagement, and loyalty. Let us help you create your showcase strategy and brainstorm ideas for your next series of showcases.

To learn more about how showcases work and how you can create new revenue, visit the M2O Resource Center and contact your [eco] solutions team.

Every Question Is Expensive

2009-08-06T10:32:11-04:00

We frequently recommend that you spend some time in really thinking about your survey questions from a member's perspective rather than attacking a survey with direct and invasive questions. Marketing expert Seth Godin offers the following guidelines to help you gather data from your members. The main points are Seth's. The application to your [eco] program are outs:

Every question you ask is expensive. (Expensive in terms of loyalty and goodwill). Don't ask a question unless you truly care about the answer. This means that a vague question with vague answers (extremely satisfied...acceptable...extremely dissatisfied and no scale to compare them to) is a total waste of time. It's smarter to ask, "how much would you say lunch was worth?" In [eco], we'll take it one step further. How about avoiding any question that is asked from a selfish point of view? There's a better way to find out if a member is a prospect for a product or service than bluntly asking "would you like to buy a car in the next three months?"
Every question you ask changes the way your users think. If you ask, "which did you hate more...", then you've planted a seed. In [eco], think through your language, question structure and response options. Put yourself in the respondent's position and think about the meaning of your questions.
Make it easy for the user to bail. If you have 20 questions (that's a lot!) make it easy to quit after five and have those answers still count. If you waste my time and then don't count my answers, see #2. In [eco], we recommend surveys rarely exceed 10 questions. If you extend beyond that, it's best to break them up in separate pages, awarding points (and collecting data) following each completed page. It's also important to honor the respondents by giving them feedback on the survey results. Use your web site, newsletter or targeted email to validate their participation.
Make the questions entertaining and not so serious, at least some of them. Boring surveys deserve the boring results they generate. In most [eco] programs, this is the biggest mistake many administrators make. Surveys should be relatable, friendly and casual, not a reprise of your High School Biology exam.
Don't be afraid to shake up the format. Instead of saying, "Here are ten things, rank them all on a scale of one to five..." why not let people compare things? "We had two speakers, Bob and Ray. Who was better?" [eco] application here is obvious, and can absolutely shine a new light on questions you need answered.

Bottom line: before you let the survey guys run a survey of your loyal customer base, make them pay you with resources you can use to reinvigorate those users you just bothered.

Loyalty and Coupons

2009-07-27T14:58:13-04:00

Regular readers of this blog will recognize the familiar theme of encouraging you to use your program for improving the lives of your audience through coupon distribution! This past Friday's Inside Radio featured the following

How low to go? Stations rethink what constitutes a “prize.” The line at a recent KFC free meal giveaway was so large the restaurant chain had to cancel its promotion. It was seen as a barometer of what recession-weary Americans think of as a “prize.” Consultant Fred Jacobs says, “I used to beat up a station for giving away fast food coupons. I said that’s not big enough to give away as a prize, but I’ve totally rethought that. Fast food coupons are not a bad prize at all.” Jacobs says anything a station can do to make a person’s life a little bit better — whether it’s a free meal or a “Family Fair” — will be appreciated. Anything not open to the general public such as a station-sponsored movie screening is even more valuable. Jacobs says, “As bad as things are, if you can make yourself more valuable in the minds of your audience at a time like this, it goes a long way to creating connections and bonds you need to make — especially given all the gadget and technology competition that is out there.”

Skimpy prizes require more creativity. In the prize closet, bigger is better because as consultant Alex DeMers says, “You’re going to catch bigger fish with better bait.” Not every station however can give away $1,000 an hour these days so it’s more important than ever to focus on how prizes are given away as much as what the gift is. For instance, two tickets can be turned into a “blind date” promotion splitting the prize between two winners — creating more buzz. DeMers says focus groups have constantly shown him rock listeners would rather win a case of beer than $100. “It’s not a measure of the economy,” he says “but a measurement of being clever and fun.” Zapoleon Media Strategies recently completed a study of prize values, and while it cannot make the results public, Guy Zapoleon tells Inside Radio listeners aren’t completely desperate. “Obviously a bag of French fries doesn’t cut it, but a $10 gift certificate, free MP3s, free gas and those sorts of things do — it’s all about how well a station sells the prize.” Zapoleon recommends lower-valued items be given away at station events or remotes rather than on the air. He says, “Anything your gut tells you is too cheap isn’t going to do it.” DeMers adds, “It’s not the prize, it’s the context. If that’s all you have, the challenge is coming up with a compelling way to give it away.”

With proper execution and just a little creativity, giving away French fries – or dog food – can be fun, easy, relevant and profitable! With [eco] there are many ways to create context while also making a station “more valuable in the minds of your audience".

Focus on the benefits, privileges and opportunities in membership creates overall value to the listener, and small gifts or prizes are part of that value – to the listener AND the advertiser. Your M2O support and activation team is standing by to help you creatively and profitably put your plan into action!

Measuring Results

2009-07-22T08:05:06-04:00

One of our international associates, Gary Miles (former CEO of Rogers Media in Canada) frequently uses a phrase that has helped guide many of our partners:

"You can't manage what you can't measure"

Too often, our loyalty marketing programs fail to fulfill their potential because management has not set expectations on results. They have not established criteria for measurement.

Recently I read an article in Wired Magazine that recalled a 1920's experiment at Western Electric in Illinois on worker productivity. In it, management increased lighting for workers to see if it increased productivity in the production of their telephone relays. They quickly found that workers who had more light assembled relays faster.

They soon made other changes. Employees were given rest breaks, and then allowed to work shorter hours. Each time, they were more efficient workers after the changes were implemented.

Then, the lighting was reduced to normal, and productivity.....increased again. In fact, every change produced increased production. After months of experimenting, conditions all returned to normal and workers built more relays than they did at the beginning of the study.

Researchers concluded that people change their behavior (usually for the better) when they are being observed. As employees are aware that their efforts are being measured and are considered important by management, they perform more effectively. This experiment is now known as the "Hawthorne Effect" after the researcher conducting the experiment.

It's not a coincidence that M2O's best performing partners are those companies where management places a priority on the consumer relationship (loyalty) program and makes sure that their department heads and all employees know it. Some of our managers post daily, weekly or monthly results in public locations to let the staff know that performance is being measured and that attracting new membership and daily engagement is important.

To help set goals for your [eco] program, visit the M2O Resource Center and find an easy-to-use spreadsheet to measure progress toward your goals. As Gary would remind you, "you can't manage what you can't measure."

Showcases Made Easier

2009-07-14T22:41:42-04:00

Posted: Jeanette Graham 15 July 2009

You asked for it, and you got it! Introducing a new, improved, and easier to use Showcase Tool! The M2O Solutions Team has designed new showcase templates that are easy to use, easy to customize, easy to manage, and easy to monetize. Think of it as Showcases designed to be "plug and play".

With the new showcase templates, the full showcase is contained inside one raffle entry. Your members can see all of the prize choices from one screen. When they click on any of the prizes, the microsite appears as a pop-up. We've created a new splash page with many designs to choose from. You choose the graphics, look & feel that best fits your image. Once you choose the template, it's easy to customize the details for a showcase, including prize package details, copy description, promos, sponsor ideas, microsite elements, and webmaster instructions. Each package is scalable to cost and all of the details/content /graphics can easily be added. Each showcase offers six prize and sponsor opportunities. This has proven to be the ideal number for both member activity and sales.

Check it out now on the Resource Center: http://www.m2oresource.com/eco_marketplace/showcases.php

Your M2O Advisors are standing by to help you create a plan of action: generate membership, increase activity, and secure revenue for 3rd and 4th quarter. Please contact your M2O Advisor to get started! We strongly advise you to create a showcase strategy now. It's not only profitable, it's now easy!

Showcases are the best way to:

Engage your listeners
Increase new membership enrollment
Drive participation
"Feed the beast" and retire points in your economy
Boost page views
Make money!

2009-07-07T08:51:42-04:00

Mass 2 One Media [eco] Blog

Posted: Jeanette Graham 07 July 2009

Matt Mellen, Program Director of Next Media’s Classic Hit’s station – WERV, is soaring to new heights. After acquiring 1,000 new members in just a few short weeks with the launch of [eco], he realized that the proof is in the pudding.

Matt took nearly six years to build a database of only 1,500 members prior to [eco].

"Because of the way it was promoted (previously) 'Go to the website and sign up for a chance to win' - it just wasn’t compelling enough. There was no grand theme or greater vision," Matt says.

Matt used a launch promotion to drive membership into the club. Listeners could win a Jacuzzi, but if they were a member of the River Listener Club and their name was chosen, they would not only win the Jacuzzi, but the Jacuzzi would be filled with $10,000 cash. Had to be a member to win the cash!

"Pimp the contest" Matt says. It’s about the sizzle, the offer, the dream. Leave the details on the website and use your loudspeaker to drive them there.

For more details, contact Matt at mmellen@nextmediachicago.com, or check out http://www.m2omedia.com/werv/.

Multi-Program Showcase Success

2009-07-01T23:03:09-04:00

One of the most effective ways to combine the goals of your programming/content with the goals of sales is through the Showcase feature. Many programs have already discovered the value of offering multiple prizes in one enter-to-win feature. There are dozens of creative applications using this tool, and one of the best is offering prizes across multiple programs. This leverages the strength of more databases and provides the opportunity to offer larger prizes and more ways for members to use their points.

One group project has just concluded. A $50,000 National Showcase offer was won by Brenda Stamps, age 38, of Dierks, Arkansas. Brenda listens to KMJI/Texarkana (Mix 93.3), a GAP Broadcasting station. Brenda was ecstatic and admitted to signing up for the KMJI’s VIP club just so she could participate in the contest. Millions of entries were entered, but she had purchased just a few entries and they paid off – in a VERY big way! The point: Members will participate for many different reasons, and this one paid off for this member.

Perhaps equally exciting, hundreds of thousands of dollars in new revenue was created across participating programs, all tied to one large payoff for a member.

You can learn more about showcases by visiting the M2O Resource Center or contacting your M2O Support Team.

Community

2009-06-29T22:02:25-04:00

Posted: Dave Denes 29 June 2009

When the news suddenly hit that Michael Jackson had passed away, media outlets and companies around the globe quickly reacted. Radio stations altered their playlists, Ebay put up a link sending buyers directly to all his memorabilia for sale, iTunes posted a tribute page and within hours the top 2 albums became "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" respectively. MTV even interrupted their regular programming to just play Michael Jackson videos which I believe, may be the only event big enough in the last 15 years to inspire them to start playing videos again.

There were several M2O partners that did an exceptional job of handling Jackson's untimely death. Two that I would like to highlight include:

1. Dave Robert's team at KNIN in Witchita Falls utilized the ECO "Forums" tool. Dave's night personality, Tony immediately upon hearing the news posted a thread entitled "Michael Jackson, the King has Fallen." Members responded quickly and shared their thoughts and memories on "The King of Pop"! One member wrote "Michael Jackson definitely was a bit odd, but you have to admit he was one of the great ones....someone you will remember. God bless him and his family." Many of the postings were shared on-air which created powerful radio and connected the station to the members, giving them the ability to extend the power of the microphone.

If you're not already, I strongly urge you to activate the "Forum" feature. The topics are plentiful and are generally not as morose as MJ's passing. Currently, on KNIN there are 38 different topics ranging from "Transformers 2" to Summer Vacations. Forums allow you to create dialogue with your members which will ultimately strengthen the bond you have with them. For more information on creating forums within ECO Click Here.

2. KSFM in Sacramento used the "News Letter" feature to inform their members that Michael had died. The letter had a link (bread crumb) that members could click for more information about the death which lead them back to the KSFM website. It also invited them to listen to the station throughout the weekend for a special programming tribute. The way KSFM utilized the "Newsletter" tool was perfect. They informed their members of very relevant news and highlighted a benefit of the station.

Other creative partners responded by:

Voting through a survey on best MJ songs of all time, followed by tribute all weekend
Dedicating songs through POLLS
Signing a "goodbye Michael" message board in forums
Uploading pictures, comments and memories of Michael on personality pages
Made MJ an auto-friend, and turning his auto-friend page into a tribute, filled with videos and audio (YouTube had every one of his > videos available)

If you handled Michael Jackson's passing in a unique way please share it with us.

Video Makes Your Program Come Alive

2009-06-26T01:13:10-04:00

Posted: Tracy Johnson 26 June 2009

In the age of YouTube, on-demand video, short attention spans, and multi-media expectations, your program should be using video.

Do yourself a favor. Visit these [eco] sites, register as a member and notice how these sites are using video to help the member navigate their programs:

WODS/Boston. http://www.m2omedia.com/wods

WKRS/Suburban Chicago. http://www.wkrs.com

Dan Patrick Show. http://www.m2omedia.com/danpatrick

WIIL/Suburban Chicago: http://www.m2omedia.com/wiil

There are many more examples, but these are some of the most recent. Notice how they all use video differently, all matching their unique personalities. And notice how their sites come alive. When your personalities connect with members via audio and video, it's much more impactful than text alone.

Touching Your Audience - Part 2

2009-06-23T23:59:10-04:00

I was reading a blog posted earlier this month entitled "Touching Your Audience" and it reminded me of a very similar and successful tactic we used at KBIG with the legendary Charlie Tuna using the "store" feature.

As you know, we suggest using the store for small items that easily can be replenished such as T-shirts, key chains and client coupons. However, another fun way to use it that gets your team involved and also markets the station is to offer custom outgoing voicemail greetings voiced by your well known personalities. You'll find that your members will love the custom greeting and many will not change it for years, if ever. Not to mention, everyone who calls them will hear a message about your product.

In the best selling book "Little Red Book of Selling" Jeffrey Gitomer says "fix your message now...9,999 out of 10,000 have a pathetic message!" I hate to admit, I have read the book, I am writing this blog, and I am still one of the 9,999. Please let me know if you try this out so I can join your club and get my message changed!