Today’s consumers lead very dimensional,  multi-channel lives.  The increasingly “always on” culture presents brands with previously unconsidered opportunities to reach prime audiences through  branded information made available at opportune times.  We’re talking “shifts in consumer information discovery, consumption and sharing,” more of which I can self-select, seek, or share nowadays.

Critical success factors in leveraging these opportunities include timing, format, message, tone, convenience and value.  Example:

• Timing ~ Did I find/get the information in advance, just-in-time, or after I needed it?
• Format ~ Was the information easily digestible and available in multiple formats? (SMS, email, direct mail, RSS, video, website, Facebook page update)
• User-centric ~ Was I (use cases) considered?  It’s one thing to be available, another to be useful.
• Message ~ Was it clear, easy to understand, and easily identifiable as a relevant interest to me?
• Tone ~ Did it sound real, purposeful not canned?  (conversational, uplifting, informative)
• Convenience ~ Was it easy to discover, experience, redeem, or try?  Did rigid stipulations block my way?
• Value ~ Was it worth my time?  Did the brand intuit my needs? Moreover, is it “share-worthy” in this Friendship Economy?

Each of these attributes play a role in building my overall brand perception (an aggregation of brand identity points, tallied in this consumer’s mind) which may lead to brand acceptance (heightened from awareness) if found consistently favorable.  Said another way:

Sow it and show it:  A brand has to lay down the groundwork for nurturing a consumer following.  Then it has to genuinely demonstrate a concerted effort to move toward a mutually satisfying relationship.  Posers will be noted and go unrewarded.

And again, this time with feeling:

1. The “old” ways of marketing no longer work.  You know it, I know it.  Now go sell up a radical cultural change, willya?  The same ‘ol, same ol will net an instant turn off, tune out, or delete. This is Not a desirable kind of Twitter shout-out.
2. Brands can’t just superficially claim plugged-in status in terms of format.  A toe dip in one outpost or medium is fine–do it honestly and with self-deprecating humor.  We’re all figuring things out here. But to shallowly claim a handle or a space and then let it languish (or project one-sided sales junk), well that’s just all-kinds-of-wrong layered on top of a poor experience.

There’s a little emotion wrapped up in this post, I’ll admit.  But I believe brand acceptance–which should be part of a conversion funnel–can’t happen without a positive emotional reaction(s).  No emotion, no connection.  I forget or minimalize things that don’t click (my “clearinghouse” theory).

But there’s good news!  Assuming rational product/service benefits are evident along with relevance factors, a brand has a real chance to break through.  Can you name a brand that’s succeeding?

I wanted to share with you a fun new video that we’ve been working on around the office.  We’re quite proud of the end product, hoping it encourages lively discussions among marketing team members and introspection about the possibility of dusty marketing strategies, unvisited return metrics, and some misallocated budget dollars. If the video gives pause for thought about the services Ovation offers, well, that’s a definite bonus.

Ovation Interactive stands squarely in the Content Marketing crowd, believing that content is more about being a customer’s helping hand than about selling them the next big thing. An element of the content marketing philosophy is that by sharing information that will add value to consumer lives, inform their decision-making, offer a ‘take-away’ that increases convenience or comfort, provides topical insight, and is otherwise generous, consultative, and outward-focused, a brand will experience blooming and beautiful by-products:

1. Customers receive more signal, less noise. More of what the brand continues to say may break through.
2. Positive feelings start to emerge thanks to the perception the brand is paying attention to customer needs/wants.
3. Customers begin to share their newfound groovy experiences with others. Folks they trust, people they want to convert (hey, we all want to be the guy that helped our neighbor out of a jam).
4. Magically, organically, your brand gains momentum among its existing audiences/targets, and others they know that are in the market. No endorsement is more powerful than peer-to-peer word of mouth.

So we’re challenging marketers not to push overt ‘me’ messages, and instead tap into what gives ‘you’ a warm & fuzzy. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. Give ‘em what they need, and they’ll stick around. It may mean operational changes, re-jiggering some plans, or convincing the old guard it’s time for a new trick. But you gotta do it, or suffer the consequences: irrelevance and erosion.

In this video (which is, admittedly in part a self-promotion video for our company) we’re taking a fresh approach with our challenge for B2C marketers to reconsider their traditional approaches and methods.

We’d love to know your take – on the creative execution, message, and philosophy.  Looks best first-generation HD on a 42″ display (I can totally hook you up…), so consider this my disclaimer on Web-quality, small-format video (or try it here on Ovation’s Viddyou page).

Note: In case it doesn’t come through clearly enough, with my links here I’m saying: 1) I’m down w/ Hubspot’s lyrics that TV, Direct Mail aren’t cutting it the way we used to think they did 2) Todd Defren simply rocks, 3) Chris Brogan in pursuit of a “well-balanced marketing meal” is spot on and 4) with my comment (and Dave Fleet’s reply) I maintain that there is no single magic marketing bullet (every channel has its place and purpose), perhaps we have to reconsider the weight and message within each (yes, Dave’s post was a slightly different media beast, but I took the liberty with a side road that I think applies).

Social media is a (growing) set of technologically-enabled tools that open complex, far-reaching channels of communication.  And it addresses several intrinsic human needs (which, in turn, fuel its growth), including companionship, idea sharing, emotional release, exercising personal preference and control (action, not necessarily message), immediacy and self-expression.

People use it.  Brands use it.  Branded people use it.  There’s a seemingly endless number of things to try, to add, to integrate, to feed and to update. There are personal benefits and professional benefits and business value. And there are interlopers, posers, cool kids and goobers that must be filtered and navigated.

Some suggest social media supplants certain channels of communication while others say social media augments it, perhaps leaving traditional channels challenged to evolve and respond (and spawn) anew.

I just know that using social media is a good fit for me. Has been. And I’m defining the way it’s used to bring about results for Ovation. There’s a lot of mystique, gossip and discussion about social  media (many participants/leaders do a fab job while others parrot) – so much so that I began to think about some of the ways the talk (and talk and talk) reminded me of my oh-so-special youth all over again.

This may seem bold, but becoming (personally, or as a brand movement) socially active is like losing your virginity. Here’s how:

1. You hear and read a lot about it, but aren’t exactly sure how it works.
2. You may take a class about it, and some will say it’s not appropriate.  Others will be open-minded.
3. You may opt out or choose another path.
4. You may keep quiet about it.
5. You may tell everyone.  Or someone else may tell everyone.
6. You may long for the ‘rewind’ button. There won’t be one.
7. The “cool kids” are doing it, and you’re a little afraid of being the last one to try.
8. Some people do it halfway. Or half-hearted.
9. Some people will encourage you to wait until you’re more comfortable.
10. Rumors and folklore suggest there may be consequences.
11. It’s risky.
12. To do it right, it takes time, energy, patience, understanding, and self-awareness.
13. You need to really know your partner (audience).
14. You’ll *know* when you’re ready.
15. It may take a long time before you get it right.
16. You might get caught.
17. You’ll look for ways to sneak it in. And then wonder where 2 hours went.
18. Choose your pleasure:  Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Posterous, blogging…
19. Google ensures there’s no putting the horse back in the barn.
20. Some may kiss (visit) and tell (not necessarily flattering things).
21. There’s an implied commitment.
22. You may think more highly of your prowess than they do.
23. They may look for ways to get out of it (delete friend request, ignore dm)
24. At first you may ask “so that’s what all the fuss was about?”
25. There are definitely some tricks and tips.
26. Some folks are pros, no two ways about it.
27. You’ll have some “awesomesauce” as well as some “sucked hard” moments.
28. There are emotional, practical, and tactical considerations.
29. You’ll know when you’re ready.
30. There are those far more experienced than you.
31. The Prom King or Prom Queen thinking you’re nifty has some rewards.

What other ways (analogies) can you think of?  What words of advise would you offer the newbie to ensure they understood the full picture before diving in?

t

Thriving corn field

Typically, I’m not one to let important things slide. And while I wish I could say that my reduction in blog posts was by design – a test of some sort – its not. That’s not all that’s lacking, either. I haven’t dived thorough those great feeds in my reader in a good long while.  I’m still tweeting posts and articles about marketing, advertising, technology, and other material I think my followers might enjoy. But I’m not at the same level of 2-way communication (the word ‘conversation’ is starting to feel very cliche to me) as I’d like to be. With all I’m trying to help accomplish at work (rebranding, marketing, and publicizing a small company), I just don’t seem to have the time. It’s been over two weeks, and I don’t even have all of my vacation photos up on Flickr yet. My sister is driving me nuts wanting those pics. Shoot, I haven’t even pulled out my Flip since the last of this year’s band concerts concluded.

Did you hear what I said? I haven’t had much time to be involved in new media and online fun stuff these last couple of months. And I likely won’t for a few months yet, either.

Does this mean that creating a blog was a flight of fancy for me? That I may have jumped on the Twitter train just to claim a space? Or that I don’t appreciate the intelligence and generosity of 70 talented blog owners to whom I’ve subscribed?

No, it doesn’t mean any of the above. It does mean, however, that my blog site traffic is down. That I have fewer, if any, comments, so I’m missing personal exchange of viewpoints. I’m not reading posts of gold and growing from someone’s thoughtfully written insights. It means I’m not throwing out a few of my own opinions into the mix, either.

In the big scheme, these things don’t matter a tremendous amount. My post writing is mostly an outlet for my passion, anyway. And I could mark all my feeds as ‘read’ and start fresh tomorrow with a more manageable load. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a good topic going among those I follow on Twitter and jump in. I’m just one person with a day job and a personal interest in doing these other things wherever I can pack them in. I’m not a self-employed pro relying on new media to gain personal exposure or positive impression. Nor am I a company that decided we needed to “do” social media and stuck a few gratuitous irons in the fire (can you tell I have an opinion on “Me! Me! Me! brands?)

But what if I were a freelance marketing consultant, or a member of the internet marketing division of an agency (their term, not mine) and Twitter, Facebook, blogging, and YouTube channels were all tools and channels I decided were important to my business (I’ve received enough “SM strategy experts” followers and seen enough PPC Facebook ads for the same to be frightened about the general public’s threshold for mediocrity)?

In those cases, not having enough time really wouldn’t work, would it?

See, that’s my point. My personal involvement in new media can ebb and flow as my daily circumstances necessitate. I still have connections with people, but there’s some understanding of fluidity. But for organizations that have decided to be involved on these platforms and be accessible to audiences as well as initiate discussions, well taking time off for other projects just won’t work. A waning or lack in proper care to online presences won’t be an easily excused change in events for customers.  Just like the all-gratuitous tweets and Facebook wall posts, absence makes those organizations seem disorganized. Uninterested. Uncommitted and poser-ish.  Given one of the beauties in these spaces is self-selection (choosing our friends, feeds, etc.), its especially affronting to be let down after opting in.

It’s all been said before, probably more eloquently and succinctly. But let me encourage you (and your marketing director!) to give serious thought to your objectives, cultural commitment, level of financial support, personnel resource capacity, and tactical goals (customer service? price/item promotion? topical resource or knowledge guide?) before considering becoming involved in new media.

There’s nothing dishonorable in leaving the land bare this season (we can’t all be farmers). Or even in planting a partial plot of a new crop just to see how it goes first. But it sure would be a shame to buy the land, prepare the soil, and plant the seeds in the entire field only to become neglectful (maybe even mismanage) and lay waste to what may emerge.