Building Brand Awareness and Promoting Products Jonah McLeod: Former High Tech Editor, Current Marketing Communications Professional

The Process of Communications Effective communications takes an unknown quantity and makes it well known Examples include the election of Barack Obama, the launch of the original Apple Macintosh in 1984… Ideally, effective communications turns your message into an information epidemic JK Wedding Entrance Dance on YouTube 19,130,453 views in three weeks (Chris Brown’s “Forever.”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0 Ultimate success is assuring epidemic continues to infect

Effective communications takes an unknown quantity and makes it well known

Examples include the election of Barack Obama, the launch of the original Apple Macintosh in 1984…

Ideally, effective communications turns your message into an information epidemic

JK Wedding Entrance Dance on YouTube

19,130,453 views in three weeks (Chris Brown’s “Forever.”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Ultimate success is assuring epidemic continues to infect

Malcolm Gladwell “Tipping Point” Gladwell describes the "three "agents of change" in the tipping points of epidemics. "The Law of the Few", or, as Gladwell states, 20 percent of any population influence the remaining 80 percent. The Stickiness Factor, children's television programs such as Sesame Street and Blue's Clues pioneered the concept. The Power of Context: iPod and iTunes in the context of illegally downloaded MP3 files

Gladwell describes the "three "agents of change" in the tipping points of epidemics.

"The Law of the Few", or, as Gladwell states, 20 percent of any population influence the remaining 80 percent.

The Stickiness Factor, children's television programs such as Sesame Street and Blue's Clues pioneered the concept.

The Power of Context: iPod and iTunes in the context of illegally downloaded MP3 files

The Law of the Few Connectors “link us up with the world ... a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack (... for) making friends and acquaintances”—Paul Revere, George Bush… Mavens are “information specialists”, people who connect us with new information. “Information brokers, sharing and trading what they know” “Very active” Wikipedia contributors Salesmen are “persuaders”, charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills: news anchor Peter Jennings

Connectors “link us up with the world ... a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack (... for) making friends and acquaintances”—Paul Revere, George Bush…

Mavens are “information specialists”, people who connect us with new information.

“Information brokers, sharing and trading what they know”

“Very active” Wikipedia contributors

Salesmen are “persuaders”, charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills: news anchor Peter Jennings

Tools of the Trade Advertising Print Television/Radio Billboards, web ads, flyers Product Placement New Media Live Events Press Relations

Advertising

Print

Television/Radio

Billboards, web ads, flyers

Product Placement

New Media

Live Events

Press Relations

Advertising David Ogilvy on the print ad: “ I belong to the ... school, which holds that a good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself. It should rivet the reader’s attention on the product. Instead of saying, ‘What a clever advertisement,” the reader says, ‘I never knew that before. I must try this product.’” Stan Freberg on the television ad—make it sticky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE-NdrzfFOo

David Ogilvy on the print ad:

“ I belong to the ... school, which holds that a good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself. It should rivet the reader’s attention on the product. Instead of saying, ‘What a clever advertisement,” the reader says, ‘I never knew that before. I must try this product.’”

Stan Freberg on the television ad—make it sticky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE-NdrzfFOo

Advertising Billboards Apple iPod ads Iconic Burma Shave signs Web ads Banners Skyscraper Keywords in web searches Flyers Direct mail/e-mail Handouts

Billboards

Apple iPod ads

Iconic Burma Shave signs

Web ads

Banners

Skyscraper

Keywords in web searches

Flyers

Direct mail/e-mail

Handouts

Product Placement BMW in the James Bond films Disney’s “The Love Bug” Apple laptop computer on “24”

BMW in the James Bond films

Disney’s “The Love Bug”

Apple laptop computer on “24”

New Media Social networking “ American Idol” product placement (Coca Cola) “ American Idol” on TV (Coco Cola Sponsorship) “ American Idol” on MySpace (Coco Cola Sponsorship) “ American Idol” on Facebook (Coco Cola Sponsorship) E-Mail Building an e-mail database Distribution mechanisms—Constant Contact… Web site

Social networking

“ American Idol” product placement (Coca Cola)

“ American Idol” on TV (Coco Cola Sponsorship)

“ American Idol” on MySpace (Coco Cola Sponsorship)

“ American Idol” on Facebook (Coco Cola Sponsorship)

E-Mail

Building an e-mail database

Distribution mechanisms—Constant Contact…

Web site

Communications Demands Commitment Marketing communications is an on-going process Effective communications requires company involvement CEO & Executive Staff Engineering Product Marketing “ Sales” Marcom creates a communications plan collaboratively based on the company’s perception of itself

Marketing communications is an on-going process

Effective communications requires company involvement

CEO & Executive Staff

Engineering

Product Marketing

“ Sales”

Marcom creates a communications plan collaboratively based on the company’s perception of itself

Practical Side of Press Relations Launching the product—Virtual Bass Identifying key messages for the launch Sound to Silicon Returning emotional bass to compressed MP3’s Overcoming inability of small speakers to produce bass Identifying who leads the launch Identifying thought leaders to engage Anticipating logistics August 4th

Launching the product—Virtual Bass

Identifying key messages for the launch

Sound to Silicon

Returning emotional bass to compressed MP3’s

Overcoming inability of small speakers to produce bass

Identifying who leads the launch

Identifying thought leaders to engage

Anticipating logistics

Establishing Key Message Doctrine Create a key message document and get stakeholders to sign off Press release Press presentation Assign a czar to ensure company-wide adherence Establish a process to ensure consistency Marketing documents Web site All external communications: white papers, articles… August 11th

Create a key message document and get stakeholders to sign off

Press release

Press presentation

Assign a czar to ensure company-wide adherence

Establish a process to ensure consistency

Marketing documents

Web site

All external communications: white papers, articles…

Demonstration Vehicle A demo provides powerful evidence of value proposition For this example, Virtual Bass was to be demoed on an HP TouchSmart Assign who to give demo Assign equipment to company spokesperson Anticipate the logistics required to get the equipment to each location August 18th

A demo provides powerful evidence of value proposition

For this example, Virtual Bass was to be demoed on an HP TouchSmart

Assign who to give demo

Assign equipment to company spokesperson

Anticipate the logistics required to get the equipment to each location

Telling Your Story Crafting a press release/presentation What problem is being solved Market opportunity the solution affords How your solution succeeds while others fail Substantiate your claims with compelling evidence Provide abundant background in separate document Explain the science Promote the engineers creating the technology Weave the story into overall company strategy Describe the larger universe the product exists within August 25th

Crafting a press release/presentation

What problem is being solved

Market opportunity the solution affords

How your solution succeeds while others fail

Substantiate your claims with compelling evidence

Provide abundant background in separate document

Explain the science

Promote the engineers creating the technology

Weave the story into overall company strategy

Describe the larger universe the product exists within

Identify Thought Leaders Business media—Financial Times, Forbes, WSJ… Plan approach to each targeted editor with CEO Fit product launch story into targeted media Consumer media—Popular Science, Stereophile… Plan approach to each targeted editor with VP Marketing Create article outlines, opinion pieces… Develop plan to reach key market analyst—In-Stat, Creative Strategies… September 1st

Business media—Financial Times, Forbes, WSJ…

Plan approach to each targeted editor with CEO

Fit product launch story into targeted media

Consumer media—Popular Science, Stereophile…

Plan approach to each targeted editor with VP Marketing

Create article outlines, opinion pieces…

Develop plan to reach key market analyst—In-Stat, Creative Strategies…

Launch On-Line Campaign YouTube: Post videos on problem to be solved and shortcomings of existing solutions Twitter: generate a series of posts that create interest in the problem to be solved Facebook: Create a page that uses twitter posts and youtube video Produce a blog or comment on existing blogs on the problem being solved—poor audio quality September 15th

YouTube: Post videos on problem to be solved and shortcomings of existing solutions

Twitter: generate a series of posts that create interest in the problem to be solved

Facebook: Create a page that uses twitter posts and youtube video

Produce a blog or comment on existing blogs on the problem being solved—poor audio quality

Final Draft of Key Documents Script out the hour briefing Allocate time to presentation and demo Assign presenters and begin rehearsals CEO’s interpretation matches VP marketing’s Ensure each can present the entire message Rehearse presenter to back-up two primary presenters September 27th

Script out the hour briefing

Allocate time to presentation and demo

Assign presenters and begin rehearsals

CEO’s interpretation matches VP marketing’s

Ensure each can present the entire message

Rehearse presenter to back-up two primary presenters

Media Training After rehearsal, intensive media training session Outside paid consultant to evaluate all presenters Record the session and critique the playback Role playing Q&A to anticipate questions Contingency plans for questions not relevant or too controversial October 7th

After rehearsal, intensive media training session

Outside paid consultant to evaluate all presenters

Record the session and critique the playback

Role playing Q&A to anticipate questions

Contingency plans for questions not relevant or too controversial

Preliminary Testing Pre-brief friendly market analysts & editors/bloggers Test the message to see how it plays outside These will test the substance not the form of presentation Refine the message with this feedback Capture feedback for inclusion in press materials Request quote for press release Capture quote on video or audio Collect pictures of analyst October 7th

Pre-brief friendly market analysts & editors/bloggers

Test the message to see how it plays outside

These will test the substance not the form of presentation

Refine the message with this feedback

Capture feedback for inclusion in press materials

Request quote for press release

Capture quote on video or audio

Collect pictures of analyst

Commence Press Tour Add analysts quotes to press release/presentation Prepare complete press kit Press release with analyst Supporting document on company/product/technology Pictures and bios of executives/product Set up hour-long press briefings in centrally located hotel One-on-one meetings with editors & bloggers October 27th

Add analysts quotes to press release/presentation

Prepare complete press kit

Press release with analyst

Supporting document on company/product/technology

Pictures and bios of executives/product

Set up hour-long press briefings in centrally located hotel

One-on-one meetings with editors & bloggers

Complete Web Site Redesign New page for product being announced Special home page treatment for new product Links throughout site directing visitors to new product Prepare links for press release directing readers to new product Post videos Company officers Third party spokespeople—editors, analysts, customers…

New page for product being announced

Special home page treatment for new product

Links throughout site directing visitors to new product

Prepare links for press release directing readers to new product

Post videos

Company officers

Third party spokespeople—editors, analysts, customers…

Formal Product Announcement Press release distributed over Business Wire Press release sent over internal database Website goes live with information on new product Update public web presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook MySpace with new product information

Press release distributed over Business Wire

Press release sent over internal database

Website goes live with information on new product

Update public web presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook MySpace with new product information

Elements of successful Campaign 1984 Ad originally slotted for three Super Bowl slot Apple board of directors fearing IBM reprisal directed Jobs & Scully to pull the ad All but one removed Given the choice of filling the ad slot with a PSA; Jobs and Scully overrode the board and authorized the ad to run In the aftermath, the ad was replayed on major network news broadcast for several days after the initial airing An epidemic had been created The epidemic has continued to infect

1984 Ad originally slotted for three Super Bowl slot

Apple board of directors fearing IBM reprisal directed Jobs & Scully to pull the ad

All but one removed

Given the choice of filling the ad slot with a PSA; Jobs and Scully overrode the board and authorized the ad to run

In the aftermath, the ad was replayed on major network news broadcast for several days after the initial airing

An epidemic had been created

The epidemic has continued to infect

Questions?