DITCHING COMMUNICATIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT:
A STRATEGIC APPROACH
Eric Weaver | Tribal DDB
Social Media Breakfast
12/1/09
Topics
◼  WHY engagement?
  ◼  The traditional marketing model
  ◼  Why the wheels have fallen off
  ◼  New approaches to revenue
◼  WHAT is an engagement strategy?
  ◼  What does it consist of?
◼  HOW marketing can rethink its approach for engagement
  ◼  Some thought starters
Our (Formerly) Glamorous Life
                            




                                3
The ground rules

◼  Built in a known
   environment of
   limited product
   choice
◼  Limited media
   channels
◼  Longer brand
   interactions
◼  Higher barriers to
   entry




                        4
Meanwhile, back at the recession…




                                     5
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“Are you asking for a budget increase?”

                                           7
Cultural shifts and Marketing




  Source: Agent Wildfire"
                                8
ESPECIALLY WHEN
WE TRUST PEERS THE MOST
                                                THERE’S RISK
 (57%); 13% trust advertisers/
                                          People turn to peers when
marketers (least trusted group)
                                          time is short, risk is greater


                        Trust
                 drives transactions
                                   
                                            PEOPLE BUY TRUST
 TRUST IS WIDELY SPREAD
                                            Trust drives preference:
  56% age 35-64, 63% 25-34
                                             91% buy from trusted
   share trust/distrust on the
                                           companies; 77% refuse to
              web
                                              buy from distrusted


                     2008-2009 EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER
Hmmm: if peers are the most trusted and we are the
least, what if we put our brands into the hands of the
market?
◼  66% of touchpoints are now consumer-generated
◼  Banner ads have an average .19% clickthrough, while Facebook
   fan page announcements have a 6.5% clickthrough
◼  WHY? The mental gauntlet is down
◼  APPROACH: Craft brand content nuggets and trust builders
  ◼  Testimonials
  ◼  Interviews
  ◼  Leadership/product management commentary
◼  CRUCIAL: Set your brand and value messaging guardrails




                                                                  10
BOOMERS = propriety. Trained in formalities, don’t offend,
guarded means safe, not so great with “random.” Suit & tie =
trust.



GEN Y = affinity. Formalities ignored, sharing means finding,
tech is easy, random is life. Consider your lens. Suit & tie =
distrust.




                                                                 12
Let’s talk strategy




                      13
First of all, what’s a strategy?
◼  Simply put, a strategic vision — an end point — and a plan to get
   there
   ◼  It’s not about the channels
◼  Honestly assess your starting point
   ◼  Audit your customers and prospects
   ◼  Review competitive SWOT
◼  Determine approach and action steps
   ◼  Short-term, mid-term, long-term
   ◼  Here’s where your tools come in
   ◼  Staffing and support
◼  Determine success metrics, KPIs




                                                                       14
Envision an end goal
             FLICKR: @SLUDGEGULPER!
                                      15
16
◼  How can customers engage
               with you today?
            ◼  Who are your brand zealots?
               Ambassadors? Naysayers?
            ◼  What topics are tied to your
               brand? Your firm?
            ◼  How is the competition
               engaging with your customer/
               prospect base? Threats?
               Opportunities?



Honestly assess your starting point
                                   FLICKR: @BEN+SAM!
                                                       17
Where’s your offering today?
◼  Social marketing
   ◼  Never started, yes but not yet, stuck/unsure, baby steps, active
◼  Feedback channels
   ◼  Retail, mail, web, email, phone, blog, external monitoring, branded
     social channels, customer advisory panels
◼  Value proposition
   ◼  Information, promos, media, tools
◼  Relevance
   ◼  Impulse, low need, high need, essential




                                                                            18
◼  AFFINITY/SHARING: Forwarding/Bookmarking/WallPosting
  ◼  Content that triggers feelings of identity, tribe, bragging rights
  ◼  Content that provides reference information
◼  FEEDBACK: Commenting/Reviewing
  ◼  Editorial content
  ◼  Ask for feedback
◼  ADVOCACY: Faving. Fanning. Blogging.
  ◼  Cause and value messaging/content
◼  FANDOM: Mashups/Media/FanSites.
  ◼  Provide malleable content
  ◼  Empower ambassadors




                                                       Action steps

                                                                          19
Forrester’s Technographic segmentation model




                                               20
Two different approaches
◼  MANAGE INDIVIDUAL       ◼  FOSTER CUSTOMER
   RELATIONSHIPS BY           DRIVES TO ENGAGE
   CHANNEL                 ◼  LET CUSTOMERS
◼  CRAFT MESSAGE,             DETERMINE MOST
   CONTENT BY VENUE           EFFECTIVE CHANNEL
  ◼  Call center             ◼  Start with affinity, trust,
  ◼  Email                      transparency
  ◼  Twitter                 ◼  Create feedback channels

  ◼  Facebook                ◼  Assign listeners,
  ◼  Direct
                                conversationalists, and
                                content creators
  ◼  Events
  ◼  Flickr
  ◼  YouTube




                                                              21
BRANDED	
  SITE	
  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      EXTERNAL	
  MKTG-­‐MANAGED	
  PRESENCE	
  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      EXTERNAL	
  THIRD-­‐PARTY	
  SITE	
  

Integrated Traditional/Social Marketing Mix                                                                                                                                                                                                                           TRADITIONAL	
  MEDIA/PR	
  



                                             TOPICAL COMMUNITIES:
                                                IP, HELPFUL TIPS

                                   PRODUCT
                                    LAUNCH




                                                                                                                                                                          E V A L U A T I O N /
                                                       D E T E R M I N A T I O N
                                   MICROSITE




                                                                                                                                                                           C O M P A R I S O N
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              CONSUMER	
  
               A W A R E N E S S



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   AMAZON
                                                                                        S	
  	
  	
  T	
  	
  	
  O	
  	
  	
  R	
  	
  	
  Y	
  	
  	
  T	
  	
  	
  E	
  	
  	
  L	
  	
  	
  L	
  	
  	
  I	
  	
  	
  N	
  	
  	
  G	
                                                  STYLE	
  SHARING	
  
                                                 HELPFUL	
  RESOURCES	
  




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        P U R C H A S E
                                   SEO	
  
                                                                                                          DOT-COM SITE                                                                                                                                                                COMMENTS	
  




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                L O Y A L T Y
  EVENTS	
  
                                                                                   COMPANY	
  BLOG	
  (IP)	
                                                                                         ONLINE	
  SAMPLING	
                                                                    FACEBOOK
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               E-­‐COMMERCE	
  PARTNER	
                      FAN PAGE
                                                                N E E D

  ONLINE	
                                          YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
                                                     STORYTELLING, IP


   PRINT	
                                                                         EXTERNAL BLOGS: IP,
                                                                                      FASHION TIPS

 OUTDOOR	
  

                                   PR	
  



                                   PRODUCT	
  SEEDING	
  PGMS	
  



                                                                                                                                                    RETAIL	
  
Consider including a trust strategy
If trust is the primary lever of revenue
◼  Where are you trusted?
   ◼  Create amplifier opportunities for brand zealots
   ◼  Video testimonials
◼  Where are you distrusted?
   ◼  Provide open, transparent proof points that can be found
      ◼  Testimonials and interviews
      ◼  Inside looks
      ◼  Open dialogue with the market
   ◼  Lead with trust weak spots
      ◼  Takes the wind out of naysayers




                                                                 23
Trust
generated,
2300 new
accounts, $4
million.




               24
PROOF OF INTENTION: leveraging
social causes to focus conversation
(and brand) on giving back.



                                      25
So, remember




               33
Follow the social marketing mantras
◼  Peer marketing extends your sales force along trust channels
   that you cannot buy
◼  Social marketing is a commitment, not a campaign
   ◼  Plan staffing appropriately
   ◼  Outsource temporarily if need be
◼  Be transparent about everything except that which cannot be
   ◼  Polar opposite to Boomer privacy issues
   ◼  May take sell-in with management, legal
◼  Be fearless
   ◼  This is the most exciting area of marketing!
   ◼  You’re at the cusp of a transformation!
◼  Engage openly, but with response guardrails and internal
   governance
   ◼  “Cool people” don’t suffer fools – neither should your organization
   ◼  Let the market decide how you’re doing (they’d do it anyway)


                                                                            34
As you write your strategy
◼  Any tactic should clearly ladder up to the overarching strategy
◼  Consider how you will phase your engagement approach
   ◼  What kind of kickoff?
   ◼  What can staffing accomplish?
   ◼  Which tactics to try first?
   ◼  What learnings can inform future engagement efforts?
◼  As you examine your audiences, consider creating personas that
   will help create organizational empathy and understanding
◼  Clearly state your mandatory requirements for success
   ◼  X conversationalists, Y monitors, Z content creators
   ◼  Agency or in-house? Automated or qualitative?
◼  Clearly state your success metrics
   ◼  Increase in time-on-site? Sentiment? Twitter fans? Retweets?




                                                                     35
And don’t let that commitment—or that strategy—
fizzle
◼  Get buy-in
   ◼  Management must understand the cultural shifts and buy into plan
◼  Stay focused!
   ◼  Don’t let day-to-day duties stall your efforts
◼  Hold people accountable
   ◼  Who’s responsible for each action step?
◼  Follow up, adjust and readjust
   ◼  Plans change, adjust accordingly
   ◼  Set a timetable for reexamination
◼  Tie what you’re doing to organizational goals
   ◼  Management can’t argue with approaches that support mission, goals




FLICKR: @JACOB DAVIES!
                                                                           36
About Tribal DDB Vancouver




                             37
Part of a worldwide network of tribes
◼    53 full-service offices
◼    25 countries
◼    1,500 people
Expertise
Services                                        Platforms
◼  Digital brand strategy                       ◼  Web
◼  Customer experience design                   ◼  Mobile/iPhone
◼  Usability                                    ◼  Interactive interfaces
◼  Interactive advertising                      ◼  Kiosks
◼  Media planning & buying                      ◼  GPS
◼    Engagement & social marketing strategies
◼    Social network/community design
◼    Community cultivation (via @RadarDDB)
◼    Search engine marketing
◼    Engagement analytics
Our North American Clients
THANK YOU
ericw@tribalddb.ca
slideshare.net/weave
206-905-9328

SMBSeattle: Crafting an Engagement Strategy

  • 1.
    DITCHING COMMUNICATIONS FORENGAGEMENT: A STRATEGIC APPROACH Eric Weaver | Tribal DDB Social Media Breakfast 12/1/09
  • 2.
    Topics ◼  WHY engagement? ◼  The traditional marketing model ◼  Why the wheels have fallen off ◼  New approaches to revenue ◼  WHAT is an engagement strategy? ◼  What does it consist of? ◼  HOW marketing can rethink its approach for engagement ◼  Some thought starters
  • 3.
  • 4.
    The ground rules ◼ Built in a known environment of limited product choice ◼  Limited media channels ◼  Longer brand interactions ◼  Higher barriers to entry 4
  • 5.
    Meanwhile, back atthe recession… 5
  • 6.
    revenue revenue revenuerevenue revenue revenu nue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue venue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue nue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue reven nue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue enue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue nue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue venue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue e revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue venue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue nue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue reven revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue reve enue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue venue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenu enue revenue revenue revenue revenue revenue6
  • 7.
    “Are you askingfor a budget increase?” 7
  • 8.
    Cultural shifts andMarketing Source: Agent Wildfire" 8
  • 9.
    ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TRUSTPEERS THE MOST THERE’S RISK (57%); 13% trust advertisers/ People turn to peers when marketers (least trusted group) time is short, risk is greater Trust drives transactions PEOPLE BUY TRUST TRUST IS WIDELY SPREAD Trust drives preference: 56% age 35-64, 63% 25-34 91% buy from trusted share trust/distrust on the companies; 77% refuse to web buy from distrusted 2008-2009 EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER
  • 10.
    Hmmm: if peersare the most trusted and we are the least, what if we put our brands into the hands of the market? ◼  66% of touchpoints are now consumer-generated ◼  Banner ads have an average .19% clickthrough, while Facebook fan page announcements have a 6.5% clickthrough ◼  WHY? The mental gauntlet is down ◼  APPROACH: Craft brand content nuggets and trust builders ◼  Testimonials ◼  Interviews ◼  Leadership/product management commentary ◼  CRUCIAL: Set your brand and value messaging guardrails 10
  • 12.
    BOOMERS = propriety.Trained in formalities, don’t offend, guarded means safe, not so great with “random.” Suit & tie = trust. GEN Y = affinity. Formalities ignored, sharing means finding, tech is easy, random is life. Consider your lens. Suit & tie = distrust. 12
  • 13.
  • 14.
    First of all,what’s a strategy? ◼  Simply put, a strategic vision — an end point — and a plan to get there ◼  It’s not about the channels ◼  Honestly assess your starting point ◼  Audit your customers and prospects ◼  Review competitive SWOT ◼  Determine approach and action steps ◼  Short-term, mid-term, long-term ◼  Here’s where your tools come in ◼  Staffing and support ◼  Determine success metrics, KPIs 14
  • 15.
    Envision an endgoal FLICKR: @SLUDGEGULPER! 15
  • 16.
  • 17.
    ◼  How cancustomers engage with you today? ◼  Who are your brand zealots? Ambassadors? Naysayers? ◼  What topics are tied to your brand? Your firm? ◼  How is the competition engaging with your customer/ prospect base? Threats? Opportunities? Honestly assess your starting point FLICKR: @BEN+SAM! 17
  • 18.
    Where’s your offeringtoday? ◼  Social marketing ◼  Never started, yes but not yet, stuck/unsure, baby steps, active ◼  Feedback channels ◼  Retail, mail, web, email, phone, blog, external monitoring, branded social channels, customer advisory panels ◼  Value proposition ◼  Information, promos, media, tools ◼  Relevance ◼  Impulse, low need, high need, essential 18
  • 19.
    ◼  AFFINITY/SHARING: Forwarding/Bookmarking/WallPosting ◼  Content that triggers feelings of identity, tribe, bragging rights ◼  Content that provides reference information ◼  FEEDBACK: Commenting/Reviewing ◼  Editorial content ◼  Ask for feedback ◼  ADVOCACY: Faving. Fanning. Blogging. ◼  Cause and value messaging/content ◼  FANDOM: Mashups/Media/FanSites. ◼  Provide malleable content ◼  Empower ambassadors Action steps 19
  • 20.
  • 21.
    Two different approaches ◼ MANAGE INDIVIDUAL ◼  FOSTER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS BY DRIVES TO ENGAGE CHANNEL ◼  LET CUSTOMERS ◼  CRAFT MESSAGE, DETERMINE MOST CONTENT BY VENUE EFFECTIVE CHANNEL ◼  Call center ◼  Start with affinity, trust, ◼  Email transparency ◼  Twitter ◼  Create feedback channels ◼  Facebook ◼  Assign listeners, ◼  Direct conversationalists, and content creators ◼  Events ◼  Flickr ◼  YouTube 21
  • 22.
    BRANDED  SITE   EXTERNAL  MKTG-­‐MANAGED  PRESENCE   EXTERNAL  THIRD-­‐PARTY  SITE   Integrated Traditional/Social Marketing Mix TRADITIONAL  MEDIA/PR   TOPICAL COMMUNITIES: IP, HELPFUL TIPS PRODUCT LAUNCH E V A L U A T I O N / D E T E R M I N A T I O N MICROSITE C O M P A R I S O N CONSUMER   A W A R E N E S S AMAZON S      T      O      R      Y      T      E      L      L      I      N      G   STYLE  SHARING   HELPFUL  RESOURCES   P U R C H A S E SEO   DOT-COM SITE COMMENTS   L O Y A L T Y EVENTS   COMPANY  BLOG  (IP)   ONLINE  SAMPLING   FACEBOOK E-­‐COMMERCE  PARTNER   FAN PAGE N E E D ONLINE   YOUTUBE CHANNEL: STORYTELLING, IP PRINT   EXTERNAL BLOGS: IP, FASHION TIPS OUTDOOR   PR   PRODUCT  SEEDING  PGMS   RETAIL  
  • 23.
    Consider including atrust strategy If trust is the primary lever of revenue ◼  Where are you trusted? ◼  Create amplifier opportunities for brand zealots ◼  Video testimonials ◼  Where are you distrusted? ◼  Provide open, transparent proof points that can be found ◼  Testimonials and interviews ◼  Inside looks ◼  Open dialogue with the market ◼  Lead with trust weak spots ◼  Takes the wind out of naysayers 23
  • 24.
  • 25.
    PROOF OF INTENTION:leveraging social causes to focus conversation (and brand) on giving back. 25
  • 33.
  • 34.
    Follow the socialmarketing mantras ◼  Peer marketing extends your sales force along trust channels that you cannot buy ◼  Social marketing is a commitment, not a campaign ◼  Plan staffing appropriately ◼  Outsource temporarily if need be ◼  Be transparent about everything except that which cannot be ◼  Polar opposite to Boomer privacy issues ◼  May take sell-in with management, legal ◼  Be fearless ◼  This is the most exciting area of marketing! ◼  You’re at the cusp of a transformation! ◼  Engage openly, but with response guardrails and internal governance ◼  “Cool people” don’t suffer fools – neither should your organization ◼  Let the market decide how you’re doing (they’d do it anyway) 34
  • 35.
    As you writeyour strategy ◼  Any tactic should clearly ladder up to the overarching strategy ◼  Consider how you will phase your engagement approach ◼  What kind of kickoff? ◼  What can staffing accomplish? ◼  Which tactics to try first? ◼  What learnings can inform future engagement efforts? ◼  As you examine your audiences, consider creating personas that will help create organizational empathy and understanding ◼  Clearly state your mandatory requirements for success ◼  X conversationalists, Y monitors, Z content creators ◼  Agency or in-house? Automated or qualitative? ◼  Clearly state your success metrics ◼  Increase in time-on-site? Sentiment? Twitter fans? Retweets? 35
  • 36.
    And don’t letthat commitment—or that strategy— fizzle ◼  Get buy-in ◼  Management must understand the cultural shifts and buy into plan ◼  Stay focused! ◼  Don’t let day-to-day duties stall your efforts ◼  Hold people accountable ◼  Who’s responsible for each action step? ◼  Follow up, adjust and readjust ◼  Plans change, adjust accordingly ◼  Set a timetable for reexamination ◼  Tie what you’re doing to organizational goals ◼  Management can’t argue with approaches that support mission, goals FLICKR: @JACOB DAVIES! 36
  • 37.
    About Tribal DDBVancouver 37
  • 38.
    Part of aworldwide network of tribes ◼  53 full-service offices ◼  25 countries ◼  1,500 people
  • 39.
    Expertise Services Platforms ◼  Digital brand strategy ◼  Web ◼  Customer experience design ◼  Mobile/iPhone ◼  Usability ◼  Interactive interfaces ◼  Interactive advertising ◼  Kiosks ◼  Media planning & buying ◼  GPS ◼  Engagement & social marketing strategies ◼  Social network/community design ◼  Community cultivation (via @RadarDDB) ◼  Search engine marketing ◼  Engagement analytics
  • 40.
  • 41.