Enthusiasts want to connect online with people who embrace their passions. The most passionate among them, the Brand Champions, are the catalyst that helps build your brand. Meeting the needs of Brand Champions requires thoughtful online strategies that leverage their passion for your brand and provide the tools to influence the online masses. Drawing on experiences with Trek Bikes, Burton Snowboards, Old Town Canoe, VW, Wolverine and Travel Wisconsin, Bryan Rasch from Hanson Dodge shows how to create an online experience that stays fresh and compelling, and connects site visitors to your brand.

1. Creating and Connecting with Brand Champions Online

3. Are you a Brand Champion?

4. vs vs My brand is the best…

7. vs eMail, Internet, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, video, music, publishing eMail, Internet, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, video, music, publishing The best computer… ARTIST PROGRAMMER

11. So how can you create Brand Champions? You must acknowledge their needs and desires and engage them throughout an entire spectrum of brand touch points.

12. The Brand Champion Continuum Moving from Indifference to Devotion

14. If done right, your Brand Champions will spread the word for you, starting to feed the awareness side of the funnel

15. 2001 digital camera… 6 people I did research and finally bought my first digital camera Digital is great and the Canon S30 is a Great Buy Erik Joel Marianne Kathy Jim Chris “ Passive”

16. 2007 Digital SLR… Infinite… I still love Canon. Nobody could convince me otherwise. I want to share what I learned with others. “ Active”

18. Online influences are everywhere

19. I want a digital SLR…

20. Your brand champions help

21. I guess it’s vs.

22. Once a consumer has narrowed their choice of brands they move to the next step of the continuum

23. The Brand Champion Continuum Moving from Indifference to Devotion

24. Brand consideration is where a brand’s Web site can make a difference Consumers will go to each brand’s site they are considering and in a hope to get their questions answered

25. These are the brand sites? Right?

27. 72% have never visited Source: Hanson Dodge Web User Intercept Survey - Major Footwear Brand

28. 76% are researching or buying Source: Hanson Dodge Web User Intercept Survey - Major Footwear Brand

29. 68% will buy within a month Source: Hanson Dodge Web User Intercept Survey - Major Footwear Brand

30. 68% will buy at a store Source: Hanson Dodge Web User Intercept Survey - Major Footwear Brand

31. What is the value of your site? 100,000 unique visitors a month 76,000 are researching to buy 52,000 will buy within a month 35,000 will buy offline = $3.9M Sales 15,500 will buy online = $1.7M Sales Someone will get $5.6M worth of sales at $110 per pair of boots…

32. Most existing brand sites…

33. What consumers want Source: Hanson Dodge Web User Intercept Survey - Major Footwear Brand

35. The new generation of brand sites…

36. “ Marketing” vs. “Informative” www.canonusa.com www.dpreview.com

37. VW.com Building a car is easy, informative and fun

38. Apple.com Content that engages, informs and educates users

39. Humminbird.com Faceted navigation and complex technologies thru video

40. Lendal.com Telling the tech story thru video and customization tool

41. Once the consumer buys we need to deliver on the promises made and start the relationship

42. The Brand Champion Continuum Moving from Indifference to Devotion

45. You’re now naked, consumers are exposed to the truths of your brand The brand and product needs to live up to the promises of marketing and the company needs be prepared to support the consumer

46. Most of the time consumers love their purchase…. Unless…

47. “ I have had nothing but problems with the XXXX I purchased on Christmas Eve and still haven't used. Not to mention, you don't answer your phone during business hours…. This is the third problem I have with service and parts... I am sure another company would be more than happy to have my business as well as all my coworkers/family/friends… ” “ I am now furious with your company…”

48. Negative also spreads quickly I made a big mistake!!! I want to make sure others don’t do the same thing… “ Active”

50. Give them support and start communicating

52. Apple.com Simple, easy how to videos and content

53. I really want a portrait lens Is there a good one I can afford? $89, that’s a deal!!!! Online Community = Buy 50mm f1.8 Brand Site = A list of lens, HUH?? Dealer = Don’t Have, Sells instantly Online Retailer = Great Reviews

55. Burton.com/community/ Give users tools to connect with each other. “ Actives” will participate vs. “Passives” who monitor

56. Harley-davidson.com Give them content and tools to engage with the sport

57. Jeep.com Let your users inspire each other with their content

58. A great product experience, stellar customer service and a connection with their lifestyle… Creates Brand Champions

59. The Brand Champion Continuum Moving from Indifference to Devotion

61. Trekbikes.com Let consumers sell your products in their words

62. LetLeviRide.com Support the causes your consumers care about

63. Xaviertube.ning.com Solicit your users to tell your story through video

64. IamWolverine.com Engage users to build your next campaign

65. Trekbikes.com/trek_life/ Make it easy for champions to stay “in the know”

66. Series13.com Give Champions the power create unique products

67. Trekbikes.com/women Engage your Champions to create a dialogue with others

68. Trekbikes.com/i/ Embrace new ways to deliver your content to Brand Champions and the “feet on the street”

69. The Brand Champion Continuum Moving from Indifference to Devotion

70. In the end it is simple… FIND where your target consumers and brand champions are interacting online LISTEN to what they are saying to better understand what they want and need from your brand ENGAGE your users in a dialogue and create new ways for your consumers to interact with your brand EMPOWER your Brand Champions to create stories and lead conversations about your brand to actively influence others Source: Steve Rubel - www.micropersuasion.com

71. Give me feedback on this presentation. greenroom.hansondodge.com/mima/ My Contact Info: Bryan Rasch [email_address] 414-510-8455 Cell Linkedin.com/in/bryanrasch/