Technology Behaving Badly: Part 1

May 26th, 2011 by Geoff

This post is part one in a series outlining both common problems that can pop up when you engage multimedia technology in your marcom program, and brief solutions to help correct these issues or to prevent them altogether.

It was one of those phone calls I dread receiving. You know the kind: your heart sinks, your palms start to sweat, and you begin to analyze how you produced the project, second-guessing every little thing you’ve done:

“Hey, I’m on the trade show floor, and the DVDs you created don’t work.”

Gulp.

After spending some time troubleshooting with the client, I realized that the issue was with the client’s DVD player, not the DVDs. Once we made the determination, the issue was quickly resolved and the client was able to display their video, just as planned.

You see, the problem was that the client had replaced their old DVD players with new DVD players, unaware that not all DVD players accept the same disc media. And not knowing that they had purchased new units, we burned the video project to “DVD-R” discs, which we had positively tested on the older DVD players. As luck would have it, the new DVD players only read “DVD+R” discs, rendering our DVD-R discs utterly useless and leaving the client in a lurch as their trade show exhibit was about to open.

That’s right: there is more than one format for DVD media, and for the most part, different types of DVDs don’t play nice with each other. There are “DVD-R” and “DVD+R,” formats “DVD-RW” and “DVD+RW,” formats, Blu-Ray DVDs, dual-layer DVDs, and now even a “DVD-R+” format. (And that’s not even taking into account whether the data on the disc was encoded as PAL or NTSC!) Each type of disc has different capabilities and functionality, and different brands of DVD players will only play certain types of DVD media. It’s like the Wild West, folks, and it can be mind boggling.

So how do you know what kind of disc to use in your DVD player? Check the owner’s manual on your DVD player and use the disc format it specifies . . . and leave yourself time to test that media beforehand.


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The Print-Digital Divide: Guidelines to Bridge the Gap

April 26th, 2010 by Geoff

Every day I come across more articles touting the rise of digital marketing and social media . . . and likewise, the decline of print ad revenue, the need for printed collateral, etc. Marketing departments are turning to the Internet to reach their customers because they believe that they can get the best “bang for their buck” in an age when budgets are all but disappearing. B-to-b and consumer product companies alike are using sites like YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and blogs just like this one to build awareness, create preferences, and yes, even have conversations with their markets within these social media channels that are ostensibly free to use!

But hang on just a minute. In my daily travels I still see a lot of printed business cards, brochures, flyers, direct mailers, data sheets, journals, and yes, even newspapers. If we continue to spend money to produce more traditional print pieces, then there must still be demand for print. Perhaps it’s a desire to have something you can hold, feel, and flip through leisurely. Perhaps there are those who avoid Twitter in their professional lives because they prefer to use social media for just that–private socialization. And, of course, perhaps there are still some people out there who don’t have Twitter and Facebook accounts and just can’t stand reading paragraphs of text on a computer screen.

The issue becomes one of integration: we know that we need to you maintain consistent, relevant brand identities, so how can we create a realm in which we incorporate our web channels into our print channels, and vice-versa?

I’ve listed three general, common-sense guidelines that you can build on in such diverse channels to ensure a consistent presence to support your marketing communications program:

  • Graphic Identity: You want people to know they’re looking at your company’s Twitter account, print ad, or blog just by virtue of the consistent use of the corporate graphic identity—that brand new Twitter account shouldn’t look altogether different from everything else you’re doing to reach the marketplace just because it’s a new channel. Where possible, logo size and placement, use of corporate colors, and image selection should all be consistent. Graphic identity programs address printed materials and perhaps even basic web identities, so take cues from your program’s standards and translate them to Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.
  • Message: Your brand message shouldn’t change just because your MarCom channel does. If your brand message is “first,” “best,” “lowest cost,” or “most helpful,” that message should permeate from broadcast to print to web. Case-in-point, for insurance giant Geico, “fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance” on TV, in magazines, and on the web.
  • Interconnection: Drive your audience to cross the print-digital divide and check out additional channels. For instance, include your Twitter or LinkedIn account on your print ads and business cards. Include an exclusive “online-only” offer as part of a direct mailing. Announce and promote your new print ad campaign on your Twitter account. Be creative, and you’ll certainly come up with a solid set of ideas on how to bridge this gap. (To get you started, take a look at the innovative and effective ways some companies are doing it in this b-to-b article.)

Now it’s time to get started. Take a look at your marketing communications program and see if everything meshes together. If not, perhaps it’s time to make a plan to develop a more consistent (and therefore stronger) brand message that encompasses every MarCom channel you choose to use.


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Be Engaging

September 30th, 2009 by Geoff

According to a recent study conducted by marketing company Alterian, half of the marketers polled believe that social media is the crux of customer engagement. Whether or not you agree with those marketers, communicating with your customers and the marketplace in an engaging way is nevertheless an excellent strategy for capturing attention, gaining interest, and setting your company and your products apart from the competition. So if you’re hesitant to dive head-first into Twitter, Facebook, and blogging, what else is there?

What about video?

Believe it or not, decent video footage is not too expensive to produce. With the increasing popularity of vodcasts, most customers will accept footage that isn’t the most polished. In fact, it may be more attractive to your customers if they have a look at your company that is more “real” than scripted.

GE, one of the most pervasive brands in the world, understands the value of producing video that is not perfectly staged. I visited their vodcast page, “GE on Demand,” this summer while I was researching corporate use of social media. One of the first things I noticed was a vodcast interview of one of their vice presidents regarding innovation. What caught my attention wasn’t the “meat” of the interview, but rather the setting in which it was conducted: the executive’s office. It wasn’t some impeccably clean executive suite with a stuffy VP sitting behind a huge mahogany monolith; rather, it was a regular guy sitting among piles of papers and books. It was real. It gave the video a more genuine quality, and I was able to relate to him as a regular guy having a conversation.

Since then, that particular vodcast has been replaced by more recent vodcasts. For the most part, they are all well-done, presentable videos. But there are little nuances that show a slightly more “real,” less scripted side of GE: employees walking back and forth in a hallway behind the speaker, scientists and engineers wearing bulky safety goggles that create glare into the camera, slightly shaky videography, etc. If anything, these details add to the viewer’s engagement and genuine quality of the message, just like the VP’s office clutter.

While your video project doesn’t require the most sophisticated equipment and technique, it does require some forethought. What is the story you wish to tell? How is that story best captured by video? Remember to stick to the topic at hand and keep the video to a reasonable length.

So start thinking about telling your story with video. Invite your customers into your business and show them what you’re all about. You don’t have to create the next Hollywood blockbuster, but you can certainly create video that engages your customers and shows them the real you. 


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Does your website have anything in common with Uncle Buck’s car?

September 15th, 2009 by Dale

Websites have become a key hub for B-to-B marketing communications. They can serve as an important nexus for each marcom channel a business uses to reach and communicate with its customers and the greater MarCom Channel Relationshipsmarketplace. The dynamics of a website have become even more robust with the introduction and popularity of social media channels.

But crucial to realizing the best results (top-of-mind awareness, thought leadership, market leadership) is frequent, constant updating.

Become inattentive to your website, and visitors stop coming around. Go to sleep, and search engine web crawlers won’t find you. Let cobwebs and dust bunnies accumulate, and you’ll encourage speculation on the health of the corpse (pardon the oxymoron).

Bottom line: If you lose interest in your web site, why would you expect your customers to remain interested?

Creating your website is just your first cost. Like buying a car, you’ve got to check and change the oil, replace worn tires . . . even wash it and vacuum the interior occasionally. (After all, if your web site starts taking on the look–and smell–of Uncle Buck’s car, analogically speaking of course, why would you expect anyone to join you for a ride?)

I’m not suggesting that your website needs a complete overhaul. Just show some energy and enthusiasm for your brand and your products and services.

Post press releases, and keep them current. Post trade shows and conferences you’ll be attending, and keep them current. Link to other online media where you’re mentioned, and keep them updated. Use news crawlers for “breaking news,” and keep them, well, “breaking.” Post your print advertising schedule and show the ads you’re running, and . . . keep them current. Tweeting? Have your Tweets posted on your website.

And on and on.

Energy and enthusiasm can be contagious. Your website is an excellent way to spread it around.

By the way, does anyone know the make, model, and year of Uncle Buck’s car?


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Turn On Your Outside Lights

September 3rd, 2009 by Geoff

I worked as a 9-1-1 dispatcher and training officer for five years. I worked long, crazy hours taking calls from those who needed immediate assistance, sending the appropriate police, fire, or emergency medical service to the correct location, and providing the caller with a set of what are called “pre-arrival” instructions on actions to take and things to avoid until help arrived. If you dial 9-1-1 for an ambulance, one of the pre-arrival instructions you will receive is to turn on all of the outside lights, day or night, so the ambulance is able to find your address quickly and easily.

Think about it. If you’re the only house on the street lit up like the Griswolds at Christmastime, even during the day, you’ll be much easier to locate in a situation when seconds count. Instead of letting the ambulance wander up and down the street, slowing in front of each residence to check the address, your lights send a loud, clear, unmistakable message that screams “Here we are!” to draw attention to your address. So you can be doing other things like providing chest compressions, applying direct pressure to a wound, or even just remaining calm while help comes for you. And in the meantime you can be sure that help won’t pass by.

Should the same be true for your marketing communications program?

During this economic downturn, I’ve heard lots of talk about companies large and small “going dark.” Money becomes tight, budgets get cut, and one of the areas on the chopping block is marketing communications. So as a result, marketing and marcom groups reduce or even eliminate programs. The danger is becoming invisible to customers and losing top-of-mind awareness, and remaining invisible to potential customers who may pass you by altogether.

“But I have a website,” you say. . .

. . .which works great if potential customers know that, too. Or if current customers take the time and effort to seek you.

Turn on all of your “outside lights.” Send a loud, clear, unmistakable message that screams “Here we are!” Maintain a robust advertising schedule. Engage in direct mail campaigns. Be actively visible to your customer base so you can’t be passed up. Do this, and you can actually increase sales and profits during the downturn.


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