The truth is, most marketers like to play it safe. They like to follow a common formula that has worked for decades: educate customers about their product, convince them why they need it and show them how and where to make a purchase.  Marketers fear the idea of both: failure and not getting their brand or message across - And thus we usually tune them out.

But let’s think for a second. What makes a commercial or advertisement stand out? What makes you respect a company for the way they advertise? For me it’s an ad that’s: creative, less intrusive, humorous, different, something I’d want to share with a friend and something I want to watch again! And these just happen to be most of the common characteristics of a viral campaign or video.

Thinking Outside the Box:

A viral video is generally defined as a video that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email.  A perfect example would the infamous Old Spice commercial series where a man is shown exaggerating the qualities of a body wash, which received over 30 million views for its first commercial and rewrote the book on how to create a style of ad that resonates with today’s viewer. The original clip sparked a series of similar adswhich made Old Spice the number 1 most viewed branded channel on Youtube.   

In reality, there is no exact reason why a video goes viral and usually this process happens organically. In fact, those that try and create fake viral videos usually get busted and suffer the ‘eww’ face of critics and viewers alike.

And as the ‘share’ era of Youtube and Facebook continues to dominate the time of consumers – marketers are doing everything in their power to create videos that will hopefully be linked to, shared and rewatched for months to come. And while there is no formula – one thing thing marketers can do is understand that customers want to see and more importantly respect “outside the box” thinking. I believe that trying to create a “viral video” isn’t the right approach. Of course, you want the video to go-viral, but the idea should be to create something creative, thought provoking, different and non intrusive.

Take for example DC Shoes founder Ken Block who recently created the “Gymkhana” video series which sees him rally racing a street car. The video was shot on the backlots of Universal Studios by Hollywood director Ben Conrad - which soon turned into an internet sensation garnering over 20 million hits. Although DC is a skate shoe (and clothing) brand, there is no scene of either in this video. Have a look:

When the creator was asked “what makes a good viral video”, his response was:  

If there was a formula for that, and everyone knew it, it would make marketing a lot easier. I study and watch new-media marketing all the time and it’s very intriguing to me. I think as things get more and more saturated, original and new content that’s entertaining is what’s always going to work. That’s a key success of the gymkhana series. We did something in a unique and different way.

In many ways, choosing where to market your brand at the end of the day comes down to raw statistics. In the past few decades, some of the best and most effective avenues to reach consumers have been radio, newspapers, magazines, television – and recently the internet and social media. Like any of these powerful channels, the latest to emerge from the pack is Mobile technology – and it has the consumer usage stats to prove why it should be considered as important as the most effective channels available. 

The History of Mobile

Mobile technology has come along way since the Zack Morris phone and has become an essential part of everyday life.  For a quick rundown on how things have evolved to where we are – have a watch below to see the Growth of Mobile: Stats and Figures That Will Shock You.

As mobile and smart phone technology continue to play a more prevalent role in everyday consumer life – one must understand the importance of this technology and how it can effect your brand. Below are 5 facts that every marketer needs to know about Mobile: 

1. Mobile (and Smart Phone) Usage is Drastically Rising across the World  ↗

You don’t need to look far to see that mobile usage is on the rise.  Most people today have substitued their land line for a smart phone and use them not only to make phone calls – but to browse the web, social network, play games and download apps. In 2011- over 70% of the world’s population now owns a mobile phone.  By 2014, mobile internet is expected to take over desktop internet usage.  What this means for marketers is: a (new) platform to showcase products, advertise brand information and connect with potential customers from literally anywhere.  

79% of  smart phone users, use the device to help them while shopping and 70% use their smart phones while in a store. – Google Survey

To take a closer look at mobile and smart phone usage in Canada, check out the infographic below:

2. Tablet Devices are Emerging as a Highly Effective means to Market and Advertise 

Like the smartphone which is becoming more prevalent across the world – the tablet is now beginning to see a similar spike in sales and usage.  However -it’s important to note that users are substituting the time they would previously spend watching tv or using their personal computer with their tablet device instead. 

Here are 3 important statistics about Tablet users: 

• they spend at least an hour a day on their tablet

• they primarily use it at home

• after getting a tablet, their use of desktop/laptop computers decreased

As tablets are mostly used at home, they are considered to be used in a safe atmosphere where purchasing decisions are more likely and users are more susceptible to promotional techniques. – SmashApp

Versus the mobile phone, the tablet is better suited for engaged content where a user can spend more time and discover what is being offered: Tablet apps should consider this in its design –  Mobile apps on the other should account that users prefer quick, to-the-point information.

3.  Mobile coupons get 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons –  Borrell Associates 

Let’s face it, wipping out coupons you cut out from your local newspaper just isn’t cool. I don’t know about you – but I’m not ready to have a George Constanza wallet full of coupons – nor am I prepared to carry the Entertainment Book out with me in public. 

Mobile coupons and offers are easy to claim and share – and can even been exposed through geotagging and location based marketing techniques. Mobile coupons are just as revolutionary to the “deals” search as newspaper clipping were some odd years ago – and your customers won’t suffer the social humiliation!

4. Geotagging and Location Based Apps are changing the way Consumers Purchase Products

Consumers in today’s world are in search of the deal. Location based deals and offers are becoming more and more commonplace and mobile users are starting to catch on. Now when a consumer tags their location on a smart phone or tablet device they can not only see what services are around them but also who is offering the most compelling deal. If a consumer is going to choose between company A and B – and one is offering more product information or an incentive – it’s obvious who will make the sale. 

Instead of competing in a “global marketplace,” local business owners now have access to geotagging, local search, and location-based services. All of which make the Internet more useful to small business than it has ever been before. - Social Media Examiner

Sites like Foursquare, Gowalla and Groupon are allowing business’ to offer deals on the go in real time. Maybe you need to get rid of extra inventory in a hurry or maybe your restaurant just isn’t that busy this afternoon. In any case, offering a location based incentive can pay huge dividends.

5. Phones Aren’t Phones Anymore!

To best wrap your head around mobile marketing…don’t think of the mobile phone as a phone! The graph below clearly shows that most people aren’t using their phone as a device to make phone calls. The majority of time spent on a smartphone is used to run apps:

With all this time being spent using apps – this can be seen as a new advertising platform for your brand or even creating your own app is the best answer.  In any case, making yourself visible across a technology which is glue’d to the hip of all of your customers is probably a safe bet.

Mobile communications is still a relatively new platform to market products and services.  What is known as the ‘third screen’ (television and computer being the first two) is essentially the newest untapped resource for marketers and businesses alike. One thing for sure is that cellphone technology will continue to change at a rapid rate and marketers must be prepared to research and adapt accordingly.  With over 3.4 billion people across the world with a mobile phone and growing (compared to 600 million on Facebook), its safe to say that mobile marketing is here to stay…In fact, it’s just getting started!

For my first example, I didn’t think I’d be featuring how Lingerie Model Rhian Sugden is touching herself to raise awareness for the MCAC – Male Cancer Awareness Program. This ad however fits the criteria just perfectly.

This short film was shot by world renowned photographer Rankin. Check it out: 

As raunchy as it may seem, it’s hard to knock an ad that gets people talking, sharing and thinking about a brand’s message.

So…is this genius marketing or are men just easy to fool? In my opinion, it’s both!

The concept of a real person describing how they feel about a particular brand or company (or rating them in some fashion) has been taking place even before the mighty interweb began to dominate our lifestyles.

What’s different about today, is that with the increasing use of the web and social media in everyday life, it’s become easier than ever to connect, discuss and share our opinions with others around us (including a brand itself) – which ultimately means we have a stronger ability to influence onlookers and not have our experiences fall on def ears. The hottest search engines – including Google – have also taken this into consideration in their page ranking algorithms (more on that below.)

But first before I get into things…let’s take a step back so we can see the big picture.

Before…

Before the emergence of the web and  recently the social media explosion, companies would market their products to consumers and the relationship was generally a one way street. To simplify things, we would watch an advertisement or commercial and then make a decision on whether to purchase that product. To dig a bit deeper, we may base our purchasing decisions on a salesperson (not the most reliable) or if we were lucky, direct word of mouth from someone who purchased that product.  Consumer reports and magazines were handy, but  were often biased and in general, a pain in the a**.

Due to inability to screen products through trusted sources, consumer purchases oftentimes didn’t live up to the advertising – as a result leaving customers dissatisfied. Other than telling our friends and family about our experiences (good or bad) we were left with little influence or warning for others – other than direct word of mouth. Also, the ability to interact with a brand itself was almost impossible. Until…dun dun dun!

The Era of Social

Now fast forward to the age where almost everything we partake in has the ability to be seen and heard by our friends, extended network and people we’ve never met before in our lives.

We all understand that the power of social media is the ability to connect with others. From the Business to Consumer perspective – this means there’s a giant forum where potential and former consumers can discuss a particular  product or service and share their experiences (both good and bad). And in almost EVERY scenario it has been proven that a potential customer will choose the opinions of someone they know or someone in a similar situation rather than the advertisement of a product. 

Ninety percent or consumers surveyed noted that they trust recommendations from people they know, and 70 percent trusted consumer opinions posted online. – NielsonWire

Let’s put it this way, would you rather base your decision on choosing a particular restaurant from someone who just recently ate their OR the actor in the commercial who is getting paid to smile and rub his belly? Now, potential customers are able to easily find others who’ve undergone an identical purchasing decison with the exact same brand or organization. 

Some of your favorite companies are also starting to take notice about this new style of prospective purchasing behaviour – to the point where they’re almost faking the concept of a real recommendation. Take for example Gillete’s latest theme of “hitting the streets” for the  ”Gillete Pro Glide Challenge“.  (If you recall Gillete’s old commercials – they included Mr. Universe-type actors enjoying the high life). However here, the message they’re conveying is “here’s an everyday Joe from suburbia telling you that our product is superior, not just us”. Have a look:

Windows’ latest commercial theme “Windows 7 was my idea” has a similar concept –  Actors portrayed as real people simply giving you some friendly advice.

While these commercial may be smart, in my opinion the idea should be to create a product which actually leaves real customers satisfied and willing to share their positive reviews with others. If you’re already creating a product which is making your customers happy, you’re already on the right path.  The next step would be to engage with them on a meaningful and personal level and offer a forum for them to share their experiences. Believe me, when someone has an above average experience with a product they want to tell the world about it.  

Social Media and Search Engine Relevance

If this all seems hoky-poky to you, be sure to note that Google and other popular search engines recently incorporated “Social Data” into their search algorithms:

Both Bing and Google admitted in interviews that their search results are positively affected by social signals, such as Tweets, Facebook Likes, and +1s.

This is potentially great news for new businesses trying to achieve visibility in search. It’s less great news for sites that rely heavily on link buying (illegal, but hard to catch), producing huge volumes of borderline-useless content (long-tail, content farm approach), or just really old domains (previously an SEO trump card). – Shane Snow, Mashable.com

For your business, that means, the more likes, +1s, comments, RT’s and social “buzz” = higher page position.  Google pulls customer reviews from various sources and industries – all which affect the ever coveted page rank.  

In conclusion, a monumental shift is occurring in the marketing world where consumers are becoming far more savvy in researching companies and products online before making a decision to purchase. Mediums like social media are making it much easier to interact with others and discover the truth about any topic or organization. Providing an avenue for users to share their experiences with your products and services will have a stronger  influence on your potential customers and how visible your page will appear on popular search engines – ultimately affecting your bottom line.  

While I quickly glanced over the remains of my $30,000 degree and the fond memories of adolescent stress, a box titled “Marketing Textbooks” happened to catch my eye.  After giving it a moments thought, I decided it might be worth the time to look over these books – after all I’ve spent the last 3 years working in the marketing industry and not to mention – I paid a GRIP for those texts at the time (OK fine my parents paid for them but that’s besides the point).  Anyway, after spending the next hour reading over them,  I realized most of these books were vastly out of date and unrepresentative of what was taking place in today’s marketing world.  Sure many of the principles remained the same, but broad topics such as: avenues to reach target demographics, how to engage with your end users and buyer tendencies were rather obsolete. Sure one can argue many industries have changed in the past few years (as well that school texts don’t paint the big picture) however I doubt many industries have seen such a huge change as the marketing industry has in the past 3-4 years…

Enter the Social Revolution

In the past few years the marketing industry  has taken on a new life of its own – and continues to change, evolve and adapt to human culture (seemingly on a daily basis).

In today’s world – marketing is not a subject you can learn just from a textbook. It is neither static nor inactive. It is constantly evolving, it is creative, it is reactive and it is very very social. With the advent of social media and the massive impact its had on day to day life – even the way we seek and purchase products and services is very different than ever before.  Virtually for the first time ever, brands are able to directly communicate with their end users and vice versa. Each customer or client now has the ability to ask a real question, share real feedback and have their friends, followers and all onlookers take notice. For better (or for worse), users are now able to directly influence the image of a brand (and brand managers better beware!).  Relationships are now being fostered between the company and client – and how you engage with your fans and followers is of primary importance.

This is the era of customer participation. The old model was ‘informing, persuading and reminding’ and the new model is ‘demonstrating, involving, and empowering’.

- Mitch Mathews, Head of Marketing, Microsoft

With the ability to more effectively communicate with other real people (and brands) through mediums like social media – prospective buyers and clients can more easily discover the truth about a particular business.  Seeing real comments on Facebook, up to the second tweets on Twitter and real reviews on sites like Tripadvisor all make for a more intelligent purchasing decision. In 2011, the impact of social media and its importance to marketing your product is undeniable. With over 750,000,000 active Facebook users alone, (and over 50% logging on daily), it’s a no brainer that tapping into Social is imperative.  But that’s now old news isn’t it? For all of you still in denial, I recommend watching the  Socialnomics, Social Media Revolution clip below:

“90% of customers trust peer recommendations. Only 14% trust advertisements”

So now that the world has taken notice to SM, brands are now scrambling to figure out how to engage with their target demographics…and that’s where this blog comes into play. The purpose of this blog is not to teach marketing. It is simply a forum to discuss, explore and share how individuals and companies are finding innovative, creative and effective ways to market their brands socially.

Be sure to check back each week for updates, case studies, interviews and thoughts on the social media marketing industry.  If you have any comments or feedback, be sure to let me know in the comment box below!