WHAT NOW? Straight talk about your brand and social media Leigh Householder Advergirl.com Spetember 2008

We’ve all been in THAT meeting. The one where someone says: “No one watches TV commercials. We all fast-forward through them or just watch the shows online” Stop saying the :30 second spot is dead Reality check: Only 22% of U.S. households have DVRs That number won’t even hit 1/3 until 2012 Reality check: Only 10% of online consumers have watched a full-length TV program online

We’ve all been in THAT meeting.

The one where someone says: “No one watches TV commercials. We all fast-forward through them or just watch the shows online”

Reality check: Only 22% of U.S. households have DVRs

That number won’t even hit 1/3 until 2012

Reality check: Only 10% of online consumers have watched a full-length TV program online

Saying traditional media doesn't work, is the easy way out . Americans have more choice than ever before. They’re distracted, multi-tasking, over-scheduled and generally a pain in the ass to engage. But they’re also still showing up . Online, offline, and everywhere in between: We each spend 2 hours / day actively watching TV The set is on another 4 in most households Our average commute (or time with billboards, radio, bus signs, etc.) is another half hour And, then we invest almost another entire hour a day buying stuff Great work still matters in every medium

Saying traditional media doesn't work, is the easy way out .

Americans have more choice than ever before. They’re distracted, multi-tasking, over-scheduled and generally a pain in the ass to engage.

But they’re also still showing up . Online, offline, and everywhere in between:

We each spend 2 hours / day actively watching TV

The set is on another 4 in most households

Our average commute (or time with billboards, radio, bus signs, etc.) is another half hour

And, then we invest almost another entire hour a day buying stuff

The new segmentation is: Media choice It’s a powerful level to lay over your standard segmentation strategy to make every dollar work harder AND begin an evolution (not a bloody revolution) into new, social media The real challenge is: SEGMENTING TRADITIONALISTS Consume TV, radio and print almost exclusively Value expert opinions May use online tools, but have not made them their own INTEGRATORS Grew up with traditional media but embrace online and social tools Value “pro am” opinions and consensus Mix their media choice UNPLUGGEDS Engage with media across multiple platforms - value immediacy, brevity and choice Value peer opinions Can text with their eyes closed

The new segmentation is: Media choice

It’s a powerful level to lay over your standard segmentation strategy to make every dollar work harder AND begin an evolution (not a bloody revolution) into new, social media

TRADITIONALISTS

Consume TV, radio and print almost exclusively

Value expert opinions

May use online tools, but have not made them their own

INTEGRATORS

Grew up with traditional media but embrace online and social tools

Value “pro am” opinions and consensus

Mix their media choice

UNPLUGGEDS

Engage with media across multiple platforms - value immediacy, brevity and choice

Value peer opinions

Can text with their eyes closed

The danger in segmenting is in assuming young people behave one way and older people another Media choice is a determined by a complex amalgam of age, class, education, opportunity and inclination Reality check: Half of all active bloggers are over age 35 Reality check: Mom’s powered one of the fasted moving social networks last year (CafeMom). Facebook users: didn’t. Reality check: Over 30% of 20-somethings don’t use blogs, social networks, Twitter, or tagging Warning: Age ≠ behavior

The danger in segmenting is in assuming young people behave one way and older people another

Media choice is a determined by a complex amalgam of age, class, education, opportunity and inclination

Reality check: Half of all active bloggers are over age 35

Reality check: Mom’s powered one of the fasted moving social networks last year (CafeMom). Facebook users: didn’t.

Reality check: Over 30% of 20-somethings don’t use blogs, social networks, Twitter, or tagging

Do you have the right story? Is the foundation of your brand compelling and honest? Does it have relevance in the online communities you want to be a part of? Do you have the permission? Do a gut check - are your execs ready? Are your customers? Do you have the experience? Are you - or can you get - native in social media? Can you dive deep in some communities and test drive others? Brand check: Are you ready to try social?

Do you have the right story? Is the foundation of your brand compelling and honest? Does it have relevance in the online communities you want to be a part of?

Do you have the permission? Do a gut check - are your execs ready? Are your customers?

Do you have the experience? Are you - or can you get - native in social media? Can you dive deep in some communities and test drive others?

Is your agency really prepared to translate your traditional brand experience to a social one? Partner check: Is your agency ready? They COULD BE if: They talk about your customers like real people (and not demographics) They talk about ROI in terms of quality and quantity They’ve successfully executed word-of-mouth campaigns They‘ve built captive marketing groups or other communities They admit they’ve never done it before (just make sure to ask them to share the risk - 50/50 on costs) They’re NOT if: They promise “viral” Only people younger than 25 talk in the meeting They spew lingo you don’t understand (and don’t even try to explain it) They talk more about the tactic than the connection Their proposal seems totally divergent from your core brand

Is your agency really prepared to translate your traditional brand experience to a social one?

They COULD BE if:

They talk about your customers like real people (and not demographics)

They talk about ROI in terms of quality and quantity

They’ve successfully executed word-of-mouth campaigns

They‘ve built captive marketing groups or other communities

They admit they’ve never done it before (just make sure to ask them to share the risk - 50/50 on costs)

They’re NOT if:

They promise “viral”

Only people younger than 25 talk in the meeting

They spew lingo you don’t understand (and don’t even try to explain it)

They talk more about the tactic than the connection

Their proposal seems totally divergent from your core brand

The first thing social changes is the goal Success in Traditional Media Engagement Desire “ Watch me” “Want Me” Success in Social Media Trial Pass Along “ Try me” “Talk About Me” It’s LESS LIKE: Proven Value Buy Inclusive It’s MORE LIKE: New Intriguing Free Exclusive

Success in Traditional Media

Engagement Desire

“ Watch me” “Want Me”

Success in Social Media

Trial Pass Along

“ Try me” “Talk About Me”

It’s LESS LIKE:

Proven

Value

Buy

Inclusive

It’s MORE LIKE:

New

Intriguing

Free

Exclusive

It depends: On your brand and your audience. Baseline: The same percent you invest in any “champion vs. challenger’” media buying . Let’s say, on average, that’s 15%. The big question: How much to spend? Spend less if: Your customers rely on primarily expert advice in purchasing products or services like yours Your typical customer is over 40 (social media use a percent of the population drops dramatically over 39) Your culture is command-and-control Spend more if: Your customers consider peer reviews or opinions in purchasing products or services like yours Your typical customer is under 30 (social media use is pervasive) You work for a customer-centric brand

It depends: On your brand and your audience.

Baseline: The same percent you invest in any “champion vs. challenger’” media buying . Let’s say, on average, that’s 15%.

Spend less if:

Your customers rely on primarily expert advice in purchasing products or services like yours

Your typical customer is over 40 (social media use a percent of the population drops dramatically over 39)

Your culture is command-and-control

Spend more if:

Your customers consider peer reviews or opinions in purchasing products or services like yours

Your typical customer is under 30 (social media use is pervasive)

You work for a customer-centric brand

The fundamentals of brand investment haven’t changed: It has to be measurable. The ROI models are new, evolving and can be radically different. But if it can’t be measured, it can’t be improved. So that you can react and change: Take what you learned and make the next engagement better. And be ready to act when you need to: Save a certain percent of your budget to make bold moves. To try new things. You never know where the next big consumer engagement will come from. Measure, change, act

The fundamentals of brand investment haven’t changed:

It has to be measurable. The ROI models are new, evolving and can be radically different. But if it can’t be measured, it can’t be improved.

So that you can react and change: Take what you learned and make the next engagement better.

And be ready to act when you need to: Save a certain percent of your budget to make bold moves. To try new things. You never know where the next big consumer engagement will come from.

ME: Leigh Householder on Advergirl.com Sources: Social networking adoption: http://chimprawk.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-many-americans-use-social.html Compete’s Top Moving Sites of 2007: http://blog.compete.com/2008/01/17/2006-vs-2007-top-moving-sites/ Bureau of Labor Statistics behavior data: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.t08.htm Jupiter’s Online Video report: http://newteevee.com/2008/02/08/jupiter-768m-in-video-ads-latent-demand-for-tv-shows/ Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report: http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/who-are-the-bloggers/ Other Resources

ME: Leigh Householder on Advergirl.com

Sources:

Social networking adoption: http://chimprawk.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-many-americans-use-social.html

Compete’s Top Moving Sites of 2007: http://blog.compete.com/2008/01/17/2006-vs-2007-top-moving-sites/

Bureau of Labor Statistics behavior data: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.t08.htm

Jupiter’s Online Video report: http://newteevee.com/2008/02/08/jupiter-768m-in-video-ads-latent-demand-for-tv-shows/

Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report:

http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/who-are-the-bloggers/