Goodpurpose

With the economy stumbling and the stock market rickety, it's hard enough for companies to deliver good financial results to investors.  Yet, while it was once good enough to receive news of a dividend, stock split or sudden rise in stock price many years ago, we are no longer satisfied.  We've tired of greedy, corrupt and empty brands and promises even if they make us money.  And, with the powerful emergence of social media, we now have a voice, a powerful voice that connects us with one another over time, space, language and culture.

According to Edelman's 2009 "Goodpurpose" survey of 6,000 consumers (18-64) across 10 countries, the masses have spoken--we want profit with purpose.  We are demanding more from companies, brands, executives and ourselves, and we're vocal about it in more ways than one. 

We vote with our purchasing power and our willingness to change:  83% of consumers are willing to change consumption habits if it means making the world a better place tomorrow.

We tell others and will pay more:  Over 60% of consumers said they had purchased a more expensive brand because it supported a good cause, and they would tell others, too.

If this were 1991 instead of  2011, the mob might not have been so mighty.  But, with the powerful emergence of social media, the power of many can accomplish feats that were once the purview of a few with access.

Case in point--look at Getty Images, which used to rule the photography world with imagery costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars.  They named a price, and you paid.  Then, along comes iStockphoto with its handful of employees, which essentially sources photography from all and offers imagery for as little as $1, becoming the go-to source for web designers and others.  Even cousin Martha can get in on the gig.  The point is that even in the seemingly impenetrable world of photograhy, a little upstart can upset the balance in the new world order.

With the recent reporting on the east coast earthquake and Hurricane Irene, in the ultimate democracy, the "mob" became the media, reporting unfiltered and with equal merit on what we saw, experienced, and thought.  Of interest in itself, the media invited what has become known as "crowdsourcing" to occur.  The problem is that the online news felt a bit like Facebook postings albeit from those we hadn't friended yet.  Such freefloating commentary left the story feeling disjointed in the online world, even as this commentary colored media roundups.

In the midsts of all the cacaphony, some argue that crowdsourcing is the ultimate democritization. While there are many trying to harness this power and provide direction from the wings, it's pretty phenomenal when sheer numbers of people have the power to demand good things and even little changes help make our world a better place. So, if the Goodpurpose survey has merit, big, good change may be on the horizon.

While crowdsourcing can be both powerful and disorienting, the important news here is that if people are invited, they will come.  And, whether it's a brand inviting consumers to help them design the latest high performance sneaker.  Or, it's private citizens agitating for change.  Or, Facebook users simply clicking to like something....  The power of the crowd is undeniable, and it's better to have them in your corner "liking" you than backing you into one.

Visual Nostalgia

According to Branding Strategy Insider, "As we age our nostalgic yearnings grow, making us more receptive to advertisers and marketers use of what researchers call 'a longing for positive memories from the past.'" Maybe that explains the nostalgia immersion that is Asheville, NC. Like a petri dish of the past recast for now, Asheville has reinvented itself based on a nostalgic history full of glory, intrigue and wanderlust for yesteryear, which provides an interesting lens for marketers, especially for those focused on Boomers, who are old enough to remember "back in the day" with that dreamy quality that makes everything better than it was.

And, as tour guides dish on Asheville's past, the city itself is cast as a beaten down everyman/poet (think alcoholic F. Scott Fizgerald who spent time in the city) who revitalizes himself through hard work, diligence and creativity. Folks from Asheville (and even those who have been there at least half a dozen years) faithfully announce their pride of city, their association and their lineage.

As Branding Strategy Insider proclaims in its marketing takeaway: "In today's environment of a perceived diminished future, playing up experiences that engender hope may be a good strategy..." And, that really sums up Asheville--it's stories, people, and places sound and feel hopeful as though they are all characters in the same play.

Visually, even chains like Urban Outfitters fit in like a puzzle piece, meshing classic forms and themes of reconstruction, and free spiritedness with a modern nod in their store that seems to perfectly express the city's transformation from its well lit corner store in the heart of Asheville.

Best Things In Life Are Free: Free Tickets for GSO Marketing Summit

As a Groupon groupie, Living Social addict, and lover of the discount, I am pleased to pass along a can't miss deal from BEM Interactive.  Nab a free ticket to the Marketing Summit for Today's World (to be held in Greensboro Thursday, April 14th, 9 - 5 p.m., at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center) by going to http://www.marketingsummit2011.com/, clicking on register, entering the discount code "FREE", and completing the registration information.  The only catch...you have to print out the accompanying "ticket" featured above and bring it with you for free admission.  Otherwise, you'll have to pay the going rate -- $69 at the door.  What a deal!

Making Brands Matter Most

Recently, I was in a meeting with executives from a large multi-national company, who were enthralled with an ambitious philanthropic and cause marketing idea envisioned by a colleague of mine.  And, it wasn't that the idea was cool, hip or would make their brands more money or increase brand equity...though the idea could easily be categorized in any of these ways.  There was something more.

What struck me (and the others in the room) is how selfless my colleague was in his presentation of this big idea. He lived, breathed and was unrelenting in his pursuit of the greater good simply for the sake of humanity.  It was apparent from the onset how committed, passionate and tireless he was about helping people in a meaningful, informed and ambitious way.  Quite simply, he invigorated the people in the room, and made them realize how powerful brands are fueled by people, people who have the power to positively affect lives on a grand scale.

So often, cause marketing programs are developed from the inside out.  Sometimes, the approach leverages a core competency to do good--check out AOL's new 365 project, which launches in April (http://365aol.com/).  And, unlike lauded Target, which has earmarked 5% of profits since 1946 for its causes (more than $3 million a week), most are fly by night endeavors that wind down as quickly as they are launched.

But, too many times, brand managers and marketers look around and try to figure out what cause to get behind because there is a connection, a popular trend or an opportunity to get credit.  Too often, this devolves into more smoke and mirrors than donations or misguided efforts that don't necessarily get the intended results. 

While the Pepsi Refresh campaign was ranked as one of the top ten cause marketing campaigns of 2010, when initially launched, it got heat (from the Wall Street Journal among others) for funding large, well mobilized alliances over smaller more grassroots efforts as a result of its voting and payout structure, which has since been tweaked.  As The Wall Street Journal article said of the effort, "Pepsi's Refresh Project drew rabid competition for the prize money--perhaps too rabid."

During our meeting, my colleague showed us all that when there's knowledge, insight and a plan that can truly make a difference, brands, causes and ultimately, people are best served.  It just takes equal parts creativity, commitment and caring.  Oh, and it helps if the marketers have access to a philanthropic insider who really understands the cause and the needs, too. 

Note to marketers:  Remember to leave room at the table for the philanthropic expert, put down your mobile device, and be prepared to truly listen.

I'll Tumble For You: Tumblr Gets Fashionable

What's the best approach to building a website or doing a blog?  The reality is that you'll probably get as many different answers as there are experts (or opinions, really).  And, honestly, that's probably a good thing--monopolies haven't historically created the kind of healthy competitive environment that spawns good ideas, one upmanship, and some interesting failures along the way.

While I registered this Blogger account a while ago, honestly, I didn't do anything with it for the longest time (mainly because I've put my online energy into my "family" Blogger account since 2005, which broadcasts to a handful of relatives).  Like others, I simply wanted to lock down my professional name, my brand, my identity in this great online universe (especially since my web domain of choice is currently occupied by a professional photographer who shares the same moniker).  And, now, as I swim in the proverbial idea soup of marketing convergence, it made sense to "go live."

But, offline, by choosing Blogger, I created a small controversy.  Some lauded Blogger and sang its praises.  Others were surprised at my choice, and hailed Wordpress and its many features as being superior. 

But, I heard relatively little about Tumblr until Fashion Week, a guilty pleasure for this sometimes apparel marketer, when there in the front row of of many shows in seats formerly reserved for fashion royalty sat....David Karp, founder of Tumblr, and a teenage girl from a suburb of Chicago who makes fashion magazine collages and posts them online.  (I digress...more about the unknown teen and her cohorts later.)  Who, you ask?  What in the world?  Why?  And, along with David, there were a litany of fashion bloggers, who probably operate out of their studio apartments in Brooklyn.  That's when I got interested and a little jealous.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal ("Fashion Week Tips Hat to Blog Site", February 9, 2011), in December, Blogger ruled in terms of unique U.S. visitors with 59 million followed by Wordpress with 28 million. (Points for me or am I part of the herd mentality?).  And, while Tumbler's unique visitors are up 168% from the year before, they still only have 6.7 million visitors in that same time period.  What gives?

As the Wall Street Journal reports, while Karp didn't create Tumblr for fashionistas and their posts, as it turns out 20% of blogs using Tumblr are about fashion. 

What's appealing about Tumblr is that it's highly visual, allowing for short form mixed-media blogging (a lot like souped up post-its and Polaroids), a dizzying array of fonts, designs and looks, and easy sharing (like ever popular Twitter and Facebook).  And, better yet, it could mean a covetted front row seat at Fashion Week.  If anyone knows what Blogger may get me, please let me know....before I jump ship to hang on the coattails of the fashionable crowd.

Even Vogue and other fashion mags use the site for their blogs, giving it great credentials and making it a very hip social media choice.  However, is a changing of the guard afoot?  Vogue and the other magazines may end up looking like fashion followers and get unseated from their fashion roosts if they don't watch out.  Blogs like Jessica Quirk's http://whatiwore.tumblr.com/ have attracted 54,000 followers and counting...and that was before all the media attention bestowed on her.  Pretty soon, will she and others swoop in and leave Vogue and others in obstructed view seats?

The most recent issue of Lucky magazine, which has profiled a favorite blogger in each issue and online for a while, took the grand step of having the editorial staff select half a dozen key fashion bloggers to profile in the book in a series of spreads....easily eclipsing each editor's own single page coverage of trends.  Instead of dropping blogger names like obscure designer names for cache, these editors better watch out--if the fashion bloggers become more fashionable, more immediate, more interesting than they are, they may suddenly find themselves antiquated and back in their old walk up apartments...trying to start a hip new blog.  Maybe, then, I won't be so alone on Blogger, which is feeling sturdy and adequate like my parka but a little uncool.

Social Badges: Not Everyone Has to Wear Them

Recently, I've been immersed in the online world of website development for a range of clients from consumer to business to business, and from the small start ups to large multi-national clients.  Our conversations naturally turn to the topic of social badges--those Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Linked In and You Tube logos--that are becoming pervasive on nearly every website these days. 

While everyone seems to be so urgently trying to roll in the world and lingo of social media, the fact is that not every company, brand or enterprise needs to add every "social badge" to their marketing arsenol.  In some of the meetings I been in lately, folks are so eager to get in the game, but they haven't thought through what in the world they will do with their social media, who will care, and how it will all get done.  Instead, there's this focus on obtaining the social media accounts themselves....as if they were pursuing a scouting merit badge.

But, it's understandable.  The pervasive message these days is that if you aren't using social media marketing, you're out of the game.  But, the real truth is that social media doesn't take the place of brand-right strategies, tactics and approaches...on or offline.  Social media can be powerful stuff but only when it's deployed well and with purpose.

In one of my meetings with a web agency manager, she divulged that she (who lives and breathes social media during the work day) doesn't have any social media accounts at all.  And, in fact, she's onto something--not everyone is tuned into social media.  And, in fact, just like the bell curve for nearly everything in life, about 2% of Twitter users account for the bulk of tweets. 

Similarly, a leading home supply company proclaimed in a meeting, "Suddenly, one day, we realized we jumped on the me too band wagon and that it was rather ridiculous for Facebook fans to passionately 'like' hardware."

As one wise manufacturing based client with whom I recently met acknowledged, "We spent all this time to set up a blog, passed it around the office for tending like a hot potato, and now, we realize we built it and no one has tuned in because it didn't have a reason for being."

So the moral of the story is:  Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you need to as well. 

Since our conversation, the manufacturing firm has returned to good old fashioned business strategy and planning to focus on viable tactics to develop new business.  While their approach encompasses on and offline, 'old fashioned" methods such as traditional public relations, direct mail or email marketing are rising to the top.  Why?  Because they still work for the right situation.

Holly D. Stewart and Associates, LLC--The Level Playing Field

Not too far in the past, big business heavyweights with their arsenol of resources often had the home team advantage.  But, in today's hyper-connected world, small start ups or small ideas at big companies with compelling, distinctive and validated propositions that consumers (may) value may have an unprecidented edge. 

Those that are nimble, focused, resourceful, and willing can succeed with the right approach, planning and execution.  In a world that embraces newness, roots for the underdog, and likes a good rag to riches story, the upstart can play ball like the majors.  And, the majors can reinvent themselves.

So, why do so many trip up?  In our dynamic, fast-paced world, business often becomes a race.  We are caught up in action.  We equate doing something and working fast with success.  Today, we don't allow enough time to truly stop, catch our breath, and think.  We get caught up with the details, the emails, the meetings.  And, at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, we know that our flurry of activity doesn't equate to success, but we continue along.  

Investing the time and resources in a thoughtful, informed, innovative and expertly guided approach that has vetted the what ifs, the possibilities, the future is worth its weight in gold.  But, so many skip this part, the critical building block, because it's difficult, it's ideas (not a tagible deliverable), and it's not fast.  But, it's like going into the game without a playbook.  And, even if you have a playbook, if you don't use the resource you've invested in to guide the process, it might as well languish on the shelf.

The quick fix, hurried "drive through" approach to strategy can be a costly bandaid that leaves your product, idea, businesses, etc. relegated to the bench.  Today, real busines planning has often devolved to check lists, processes and templates.  But, while the others are spinning their wheels, it's a real opportunity clearly articulate and focus your business.  It just takes willingness and commitment. 

So, get a good night's sleep, clear your mind, turn off your moble device, and gear up for an opportunity for real thinking, real strategy, real payoffs down the road.