Your Brand Is Not My Friend: Los Angeles/Sept 2009

Your Brand Is Not My Friend Presented by Alan Wolk

Brands are no longer about selling

They’re about “storytelling”

and “engagement”

They want to be our friend

But

But Your Brand Is Not My Friend

A Brief History: How We Got Here

Ads used to deliver news

Then they became all about branding and image

Then along came The Real Digital Revolution

Google changed everything

Now we can fact check ad claims

And see what other consumers think

This has resulted in a complete change in consumer behavior

Before

Before AD

Before AD PURCHA SE

Before AD PURCHA SE Now

Before AD PURCHA SE AD Now

Before AD PURCHA SE AD GOOGLE Now

Before AD PURCHA SE AD GOOGLE PURCHASE Now

AD GOOGLE PURCHASE That’s huge

Changes how we buy a car

Before: limited resources

Now: Full range of resources

It’s all about getting them to Google, not the showroom

Once this happened, print and TV couldn’t close the sale anymore

The “magic advertising words” weren’t working

They could offer compelling facts or create an image

(Provided there was one)

But they couldn’t close the sale. So marketers looked at online...

Microsites weren’t working: why would I go to one?

Neither were banners

In 1996, we “surfed” the web, and banners took you someplace just as interesting as where you were

But now that we go online for a reason, we’re not likely to stop what we’re doing to “interact” with an ad

New ways to “engage” customers were needed

Social Media seemed like the next big thing

Everyone was becoming “friends” online

Why not brands?

Your Brand Is Not My Friend™

Social networks are today’s malt shops

It’s where we go to hang out with our friends

We don’t want to be interrupted by salespeople

But there are some brands people want to hear from

They’re called “Prom King Brands”

There are the usual suspects

Sports teams

TV shows, movies and music acts

99% of brands are not “Prom Kings”

But they can still play in social media

They just have to do it differently

Traditional media is about what the brand wants to say

Traditional media is about what the brand wants to say Social media is about what consumers want to hear

Social media always involves an exchange

Prom King Brands provide “coolness” (aka “social currency” or “whufﬁe”)

But if you’re not a prom king brand, you can provide one of four things:

• Entertainment (Something I’d want to see even if a brand wasn’t sponsoring it)

• Entertainment (Something I’d want to see even if a brand wasn’t sponsoring it) • Information (Exclusive information I feel good about knowing)

• Entertainment (Something I’d want to see even if a brand wasn’t sponsoring it) • Information (Exclusive information I feel good about knowing) • Utility (Something that makes my life easier)

• Entertainment (Something I’d want to see even if a brand wasn’t sponsoring it) • Information (Exclusive information I feel good about knowing) • Utility (Something that makes my life easier) • Money (Literally a coupon, a discount or something else of monetary value)

Here’s How Those Exchanges Work:

Entertainment

Entertainment • Entertainment can be:

Entertainment • Entertainment can be: • Anything featuring celebrities or entertainment properties you have a deal with

Entertainment • Entertainment can be: • Anything featuring celebrities or entertainment properties you have a deal with • Third party content that has a tie-in to your overall marketing strategy

Entertainment • Entertainment can be: • Anything featuring celebrities or entertainment properties you have a deal with • Third party content that has a tie-in to your overall marketing strategy • (That means if you’re a serious insurance company, a comedy video is a no-go)

Entertainment • Entertainment can be: • Anything featuring celebrities or entertainment properties you have a deal with • Third party content that has a tie-in to your overall marketing strategy • (That means if you’re a serious insurance company, a comedy video is a no-go) • Your own TV commercials (if they’re something people would enjoy watching)

Entertainment • Entertainment can be: • Anything featuring celebrities or entertainment properties you have a deal with • Third party content that has a tie-in to your overall marketing strategy • (That means if you’re a serious insurance company, a comedy video is a no-go) • Your own TV commercials (if they’re something people would enjoy watching) • Beware: it’s tough for agencies and brand managers to judge this

What Would Maxwell House Do? (WWMHD)

Entertainment: WWMHD

Entertainment: WWMHD • Maxwell House has an endorsement deal with comedian Nancy Nevins who has a well-known routine about how crabby she is before her ﬁrst cup of coffee.

Entertainment: WWMHD • Maxwell House has an endorsement deal with comedian Nancy Nevins who has a well-known routine about how crabby she is before her ﬁrst cup of coffee. • A 3-minute live clip is posted to the Maxwell House Facebook page. The clip also appears on their YouTube page, their blog, their website, and is promoted via their Twitter stream

Entertainment: WWMHD • Maxwell House has an endorsement deal with comedian Nancy Nevins who has a well-known routine about how crabby she is before her ﬁrst cup of coffee. • A 3-minute live clip is posted to the Maxwell House Facebook page. The clip also appears on their YouTube page, their blog, their website, and is promoted via their Twitter stream Watch Nancy Nevins do her “Coffeeless Morning” routing live at The

Information

Information • Information can be:

Information • Information can be: • Facts or useful information (e.g. reviews) that your audience would be interested in

Information • Information can be: • Facts or useful information (e.g. reviews) that your audience would be interested in • You can utilize third-party vendors for this

Information • Information can be: • Facts or useful information (e.g. reviews) that your audience would be interested in • You can utilize third-party vendors for this • The information needs to tie in to your overall marketing strategy

Information • Information can be: • Facts or useful information (e.g. reviews) that your audience would be interested in • You can utilize third-party vendors for this • The information needs to tie in to your overall marketing strategy • Access to “behind-the-scenes” footage, exclusive clips, or advance notice from celebrity endorsers or properties you have a sponsorship deal with

Information • Information can be: • Facts or useful information (e.g. reviews) that your audience would be interested in • You can utilize third-party vendors for this • The information needs to tie in to your overall marketing strategy • Access to “behind-the-scenes” footage, exclusive clips, or advance notice from celebrity endorsers or properties you have a sponsorship deal with • News related to your product or category

Information: WWMHD

Information: WWMHD • Maxwell House hires celebrity chef Umberto Toscano to create a series of recipes using Maxwell House coffee. The deal gives them access to behind- the-scenes footage from Toscano’s widely viewed show and that footage is posted exclusively on the Maxwell House Facebook page. Watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Viva La Cucina! with Umberto Tuscano

Utility

Utility • Utility can be:

Utility • Utility can be: • Anything that makes the consumer’s life easier: recipes, how-to videos, a way to buy things off a social site

Utility • Utility can be: • Anything that makes the consumer’s life easier: recipes, how-to videos, a way to buy things off a social site • Anything from a PDF to a website to a widget to an app

Utility: WWMHD

Utility: WWMHD • Maxwell House hires celebrity chef Umberto Toscano to create a series of recipes using Maxwell House coffee.

Utility: WWMHD • Maxwell House hires celebrity chef Umberto Toscano to create a series of recipes using Maxwell House coffee. • The recipes are posted on the Maxwell House website, on their blog, on a special YouTube channel and on Facebook and MySpace. There’s even an iPhone app.

Utility: WWMHD • Maxwell House hires celebrity chef Umberto Toscano to create a series of recipes using Maxwell House coffee. • The recipes are posted on the Maxwell House website, on their blog, on a special YouTube channel and on Facebook and MySpace. There’s even an iPhone app. • The Maxwell House twitter account lets people know when a new video has come out and users can comment on the videos everywhere using Facebook connect.

Money

Money • Money can be:

Money • Money can be: • Coupons or discount codes

Money • Money can be: • Coupons or discount codes • Group discounts

Money • Money can be: • Coupons or discount codes • Group discounts • Contests and promotions with ﬁnancial incentives

Money • Money can be: • Coupons or discount codes • Group discounts • Contests and promotions with ﬁnancial incentives • Be careful not to make it seem like you’re bribing people to join you

Money • Money can be: • Coupons or discount codes • Group discounts • Contests and promotions with ﬁnancial incentives • Be careful not to make it seem like you’re bribing people to join you • That seems as desperate coming from a brand as it does from a person

Money: WWMHD

Money: WWMHD • Maxwell House has a Twitter account and runs a contest through Twitter, giving a month’s supply of coffee to the 25th person to tweet the date and place Maxwell House was ﬁrst introduced.

Money: WWMHD • Maxwell House has a Twitter account and runs a contest through Twitter, giving a month’s supply of coffee to the 25th person to tweet the date and place Maxwell House was ﬁrst introduced. MAXWELLHOUSE: New Contest: 25th person to tweet date & place MH was born wins month’s worth of coffee #mhcontest

Money: WWMHD • Maxwell House has a Twitter account and runs a contest through Twitter, giving a month’s supply of coffee to the 25th person to tweet the date and place Maxwell House was ﬁrst introduced. MAXWELLHOUSE: New Contest: 25th person to tweet date & place MH was born wins month’s worth of coffee #mhcontest BOND006: RT MaxwellHouse: New Contest: 25th person to tweet date & place MH was born wins month’s worth of coffee #mhcontest

Money: WWMHD • Maxwell House has a Twitter account and runs a contest through Twitter, giving a month’s supply of coffee to the 25th person to tweet the date and place Maxwell House was ﬁrst introduced. MAXWELLHOUSE: New Contest: 25th person to tweet date & place MH was born wins month’s worth of coffee #mhcontest BOND006: RT MaxwellHouse: New Contest: 25th person to tweet date & place MH was born wins month’s worth of coffee #mhcontest IMPOSSIBILITY: @MaxwellHouse: Hoboken NJ in 1896?

A Few Basic Rules of the Road:

Step 1: Identify what your customer’s need is

Step 2: Figure out how to solve that need

Step 3: Approach people as a brand, not a buddy

Step 4: Use social media for customer service, promotions or to share news

Comcast Cares is a great customer service story

Real identity Comcast Cares is a great customer service story

Real identity Real identity Comcast Cares is a great customer service story

Comcast Cares is a great customer service story

Step 5: Don’t push it

(Give them the “candy” and get out of the way. No “capturing names” or other annoying tactics)

No hard sell or upsell.

Step 6: Make everything as easy to ﬁnd and as easy to share as possible

Case Studies

Quick Case Study #1: The Mad Men Get It

Mad Men has been one of the most buzzed about shows on television

Social media program is anchored by the AMC web site

Blog links out to other social content (iPhone)

Active message boards - some threads have hundreds of comments

Pump content Active message boards - some threads have hundreds of comments

Wonder where all those MadMen icons came from?

AMC’s Mad Men Yourself game proved a smash hit

500,000 people have downloaded the avatars to share on their social networks

Artwork by Dyna Moe 500,000 people have downloaded the avatars to share on their social networks

Mad Men’s Facebook page has over 150,000 fans

The Facebook page actively promotes other platforms

Games and quizzes The Facebook page actively promotes other platforms

Games Clips from and this quizzes season The Facebook page actively promotes other platforms

Mad Men has an active Twitter account that links to articles about the cast and crew

But the real activity on Twitter comes from fans

Last year, a group of random fans began tweeting as Mad Men characters

This is the kind of love entertainment properties can own. But they need to work with fans, not against them.

Quick Case Study #2: Red Bull: All About Sports

Red Bull has a dynamic Facebook presence

Over 1 million fans Red Bull has a dynamic Facebook presence

Over 1 million fans Twitter feed from athletes Red Bull has a dynamic Facebook presence

Lots of content Over 1 million fans Twitter feed from athletes Red Bull has a dynamic Facebook presence

Lots of relevant, unique content

Highlights of events Lots of relevant, unique content

Polls Highlights of events Lots of relevant, unique content

Polls Highlights of events Free music Lots of relevant, unique content

Polls Highlights of events Free music Links to athletes Lots of relevant, unique content

Photos from athletes and from fans

Photos from brand Photos from athletes and from fans

Photos from brand Over 2,500 fan photos Photos from athletes and from fans

Fans can RSVP to upcoming events on Facebook

Links to upcoming events Fans can RSVP to upcoming events on Facebook

Links to upcoming events View guest list Fans can RSVP to upcoming events on Facebook

Red Bull maintains consistency on MySpace

Similar content re: athletes Red Bull maintains consistency on MySpace

They are consistent on Twitter

Tweets about Red Bull athletes Here Here & here They are consistent on Twitter

They are consistent on YouTube

Videos about Red Bull athletes They are consistent on YouTube

And on their web site

Events listed here too And on their web site

Events Videos listed available here here too too And on their web site

Red Bull gives fans a lot of exclusive content and is consistent throughout.

Quick Case Study #3: Coca Cola: Prom King Brand Capitalizes on Fan Love

Comments are frequent & global Coke has a very popular Facebook fan page

Coke has 3.5 million fans Comments are frequent & global Coke has a very popular Facebook fan page

Coke reached out the fan page’s creators and involved them

Dusty & Mike made a video about their experience Coke reached out the fan page’s creators and involved them

Dusty & Mike made a video about their experience Lots of people liked it Coke reached out the fan page’s creators and involved them

Coke actually interacts with fans on Twitter

Lots of @ messages Coke actually interacts with fans on Twitter

Coke also maintains a very popular YouTube channel

Popular retro spots Coke also maintains a very popular YouTube channel

Popular retro spots International spots Coke also maintains a very popular YouTube channel

Coke maintains consistency everywhere and reaches out to fans and engages them. Their audience is very international compared to other US brands

Quick Case Study #4: Think Local: Pump Energy Foods, NYC

The Pump is a small chain of health-conscious take- out restaurants based in Manhattan

The Pump pushes its social media links from its web site

Their blog has a distinct POV & also shows where to ﬁnd them on other social media sites

Pump uses their Facebook page for promotions

Free samples Pump uses their Facebook page for promotions

Free samples More free samples Pump uses their Facebook page for promotions

Free samples More free samples Contest Pump uses their Facebook page for promotions

Free samples More free samples Contest Charity promotion Pump uses their Facebook page for promotions

They talk to fans on Twitter & promote giveaways

Trivia contest They talk to fans on Twitter & promote giveaways

Trivia contest Free samples They talk to fans on Twitter & promote giveaways

They use YouTube so fans can see news about them

Serena Williams gets lunch at Pump They use YouTube so fans can see news about them

Pump’s promotions help local fans develop a relationship with the store and use social media to spread the word to their friends

Four quick case studies, four unique plans. Try something similar, and you’ll start to see results

Soon enough, they’ll start to like you

They may not always talk to you, but they will talk about you Which is exactly what you want:

To be part of the conversation

But what then? What if they’re talking about you and your competition And they like you both?

You’ll need to set yourself apart

But how?

That’s where branding comes into play again

You need to create an image for the brand

How you do that might not be with an ad

But rather with really great customer service

Really great design

Or really noteworthy innovations

The world has changed and consumers are now in charge of marketing

That’s changed the way products are conceived

Before

Before Product

Before Product Marketing

Consumer Before Product Marketing Demand

Consumer Before Product Marketing Demand Now

Consumer Before Product Marketing Demand Consumer Now Demand

Consumer Before Product Marketing Demand Consumer Product Now Demand

Consumer Before Product Marketing Demand Consumer Product Marketing Now Demand

Consumer Product Marketing Demand That changes everything

Marketers and their agencies need to do more than just create ads

It’s something they used to do (remember Braniff?)

Traditional advertising now serves as a reminder, not a driver

Brand messages need to be more holistic. More than words on a page or images on TV

Consumers see ads as Potemkin villages

Or as just another form of entertainment

They’re tired of brands saying one thing... and doing another

And they want to see evidence, not ads

That’s why strategy is so important

Strategy is the new creative. It’s what sets brands apart

Creativity is still very important, but it will take on different forms to match the different media options

We can no longer focus on finding the exact right shade of blue: that makes us contractors not architects

Digital media gives us the chance to experiment, to redefine “failure” and try new things.

If people like an idea, they are surprisingly willing to put up with its flaws. (So long as you listen and adjust)

Social media is forever. That means brands need to be able to recalibrate on the fly

What will the marketing and advertising departments of the future look like?

Less collaboration: there will be specialists in everything from search to content to augmented reality

More collaboration: we’ll need to work as a team with people with all sorts of job descriptions

That’s because marketers will be doing a lot of different things that don’t ﬁt into the boxes of today’s 20th century agencies

Marketers will need to be ﬂexible and staffers will need to be able to do more than one thing

Marketers deﬁnitely need to evolve

They need to become general contractors

So the agencies in their roster aren’t ﬁghting over budgets and responsibilities

Marketing is evolving daily. No one knows exactly what the future will look like. But there are two things I can guaranty:

It will be different.

It will be different. It will be interesting.

Thank You Los Angeles

Questions?

Alan Wolk Consulting: ToadStoolConsulting.com Email: alan.wolk@mac.com Blog: toadstoolblog.com Twitter: @awolk Hive Awards: hiveawards.com To get a business card, text “wolk” to 50500

Your Brand Is Not My Friend: Los Angeles/Sept 2009

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