The document discusses how to make brand conversations real, relevant and repeatable by closing the gap between marketing strategy and what customers actually discuss. It recommends identifying a clear point of view for the brand based on listening to customers and experts, and expressing this point of view through stories, metaphors and straightforward language that can easily be personalized and used consistently across the organization. This will help create meaningful conversations about the brand that drive word-of-mouth marketing.

1. BSI Mind the Gap – Making Brand Conversations Real, Relevant and Repeatable
Marketing 2.0 Conference, Hamburg 2005

2. BSI
Join the conversation
MARKETING 2.0 CONFERENCE
Paris, France 28/29 March 2011
www.marketing2conference.com

3. Mind the Gap:
Making Brand Conversations
Real, Relevant & Repeatable
Lois Kelly
Foghound
International Word-of-Mouth Marketing Conference
October 6, 2005

4. The gap in marketing strategy…
2

5. …making it easy
– and interesting –
for people to
talk about the brand.
3

6. We learn, buy, sell through a web of conversations.
Customers with
prospects
Sales reps with Analysts with
customers investors
PR with the Conversations Employees
media With customers
Opinion leaders Analysts with
on blogs Your partners prospects
And vendors
With prospects
4

7. It’s a great value prop,
Our sales reps are But I’d need to walk
always going off You through the deck to
message.
explain it.
How do I explain What do we do
your company to with it in PR?
my executive team?
Yeah, right.
5

8. Now don’t laugh when I tell you
what our new positioning is…
6

9. The Doglish problem
7

10. Doglish in action….EU Constitution
Europe in 12 lessons
“What is missing in Europe
and the EU is a story that
appeals to a lot of segments
of European society --
especially young people. “
Jocelyne Cesari, Visiting Associate
Professor at Harvard's Center for Middle
East Studies and Divinity School.
by Pascal Fontaine
Former assistant to Jean Monnet
and Professor at the Institut d'etudes politiques, Paris
Illustrated by Mario Ramos
8

11. Mission & vision statements
Value propositions Directional,
Elevator descriptions descriptive
Messaging documents
Bring brand alive.
Conversation themes Written to be said,
not read.
9

12. The most effective word-of-mouth is based on
meaningful conversations. Not cool products.
“That’s interesting. Tell me more.”
10

13. Make meaning, not buzz
Meaning making
Relevance. Context.
Emotion.
11

14. Obstacles
1. Whose job is it anyway?
2. It doesn’t tell the complete story
3. Misperception: tag lines & mission/vision ‘r it
4. Executive ADD
5. Communications people as an afterthought
6. Committee “mush” and fraidy cats
12

15. 3 ways to create something to talk about
Ear to the ground
Straight talk
Points of view
13

16. Tap into CEO hunches
“High performers”
“Sharing”
14

17. Do a listening tour
Do a structured “listening tour”
of best customers, industry
experts, top sales reps
“We don’t want to talk about the
technology. We want to hear about
SAP’s views on ‘next practices’ and
insights into our industry.”
15

18. Do a listening tour
“Right results, on-time, on-
budget is powerful.”
16

19. “See” what’s being talked about
What’s most relevant?
What ideas are connected?
Who’s talking about what?
What’s gaining momentum?
What’s so yesterday?
Who should you be talking with?
What’s the language, tone?
17

20. See what’s being talked about
18

21. See what’s being talked about
19

22. See what’s being talked about
20

23. Create a point of view
What do you believe?
What are your opinions?
What’s your unusual advice?
The “tell me more” factor
21

24. What people like to talk about, hear about
Anxieties Contrarian Personal stories
David vs.
Counterintuitive Aspirational
Goliath
Avalanche about
“How to” Glitz & Glam
to roll
22

25. Point of view: Endeca
We’re a find company, not a search company.
23

26. Point of view: Copernicus - Dr. Kevin Clancy
Most marketing fails because of too much
testosterone. Marketing execs need to be
counterintuitive.
24

27. Point of view: Sun Microsystems
By sharing we’re going to eliminate the
digital divide and grow the technology
market.
25

28. Point of view: Women & Infants Hospital
Women deserve to be treated with more
dignity.
26

29. Point of view: Accenture
We know what makes a great company
perform above others in your industry.
27

30. Point of view: Saegis Pharmaceuticals
“We’re out to find the Viagra of the brain.”
28

31. Point of view: BG Medicine
Prescription drugs are the 4th leading cause
of death because there’s not enough D in
R&D.
29

32. Point of view: Dietsche & Dietsche Architects
The first house is a dictionary.
The second is a poem.
30

33. Point of view: Dove
Real women, real curves.
31

34. What people like to talk about, hear about
Drugs 4th Real women
Cause of death
Dignity
Anxieties Contrarian Personal stories
Testosterone
Sharing
Poem
David vs.
Counterintuitive Aspirational
Goliath
Find vs. search Differently
Avalanche about
“How to” Glitz & Glam
to roll
Stars
Viagra of the brain In your industry
32

35. Straight talk: Give it some life!
Genuine vs. ‘edited’
Clear and straightforward
Metaphors and stories
Easily personalized, used throughout the company
33

36. “ The Sun president’s writing style – open,
honest, ever geeky – is a hit. Schwartz’s blog
reaches more than 100,000 readers a month,
a number that has grown exponentially
during the blog’s 3-month existence.”
34

37. Rely on more stories, metaphors, analogies
35

38. Apply your POV to unify communications
Sales presentations
Web site
Executive speeches
Customer events
Employee communications
Analyst briefings
PR media pitches, articles
36

39. Sun Microsystems
Solve complex network
Mission
computing problems
Sun believes sharing innovation &
building communities leads the
Point-of-view next wave of computing: The
Participation Age
Tagline
37

40. Applying Sun’s POV
Executive speeches
38

41. Bringing out your real inner
Brand Mission
beauty
Widening the definition of beauty
Point-of-view for women because we believe
beauty comes in all shapes, sizes
and ages
Tagline Real women have real curves.
39

42. Applying Dove’s POV
ONLY TWO PERCENT OF WOMEN
DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS BEAUTIFUL
New Global Study Uncovers Desire for
Broader Definition of Beauty
NEW YORK, September 29, 2004 - Dove® unveils a groundbreaking
new study today that discusses the implications of a global society that
narrowly defines beauty by the images seen in entertainment, advertising
and fashion runways and the startling impact this has on women. The
result: only two percent of thousands of women from 10 countries…
Campaign celebrating
Women’s curves: www.campaignforrealbeauty.com
36 European countries
40

43. Mind the gap: Connect the brand to conversations
Make it someone’s job
Listen in new ways
Talk topics matter more than tag lines
Bring in communications “translators”
Beware of fraidy cats and those who only speak
Doglish
41

44. Don’t be a marketing “girlieman”
Ear to the ground
Point of view
Straight talk
Apply the glue
42

45. Mind the Gap:
Making Brand Conversations
Real, Relevant & Repeatable
Lois Kelly
Foghound
“Communications programs that get people talking”