Jun 2009
the touch-point moment
06/26/09 12:54
The once-minority is becoming the majority; social media and p2p communications are changing the way people communicate and the way they receive messages about your brand. The question of who do you now target and how do you reach them is not a cut-and-dry proposition anymore.
In this environment, your delivery method can (and must) be as creative as your messaging. You can no longer create a TV/radio/print/internet campaign; you must create a consumer-messaging platform – an idea that can be executed at any touch-point, any way you see fit.
In this environment, the idea reigns supreme and mediums are chosen based on the touch-points that best reach the consumer. This isn’t to say the idea is exactly repeated across all the chosen touch-points. In order to truly be effective, we have to understand the strength and opportunity of each touch-point in relation to the consumer and then decide how that works with the messaging platform. Everything needs to have a reason for being and needs to serve the overall platform.
For a while, the buzzword was “360 degree marketing”, surround your target with your messaging. The idea is solid but can be very wasteful. You don’t need to surround your target with your messaging, you need to pick the touch-points that have the most impact and utilize those. Notice that we have repeatedly mentioned touch points as opposed to mediums. That’s part of the beauty of a messaging platform; it is not restricted to established mediums, the touch-point determines the medium, not the other way around.
In all honesty, there’s no reason to stick with an established medium, in fact, it’s more impactful if you don’t. Bring the brand and consumer together in that specific moment, in the most effective way possible, if a medium doesn’t exist to do that – create it. If the consumer feels like they, as an individual, are being spoken to, as opposed to being spoken to as part of a blanket message, then you have a real chance to create a relationship.
:CM
In this environment, your delivery method can (and must) be as creative as your messaging. You can no longer create a TV/radio/print/internet campaign; you must create a consumer-messaging platform – an idea that can be executed at any touch-point, any way you see fit.
In this environment, the idea reigns supreme and mediums are chosen based on the touch-points that best reach the consumer. This isn’t to say the idea is exactly repeated across all the chosen touch-points. In order to truly be effective, we have to understand the strength and opportunity of each touch-point in relation to the consumer and then decide how that works with the messaging platform. Everything needs to have a reason for being and needs to serve the overall platform.
For a while, the buzzword was “360 degree marketing”, surround your target with your messaging. The idea is solid but can be very wasteful. You don’t need to surround your target with your messaging, you need to pick the touch-points that have the most impact and utilize those. Notice that we have repeatedly mentioned touch points as opposed to mediums. That’s part of the beauty of a messaging platform; it is not restricted to established mediums, the touch-point determines the medium, not the other way around.
In all honesty, there’s no reason to stick with an established medium, in fact, it’s more impactful if you don’t. Bring the brand and consumer together in that specific moment, in the most effective way possible, if a medium doesn’t exist to do that – create it. If the consumer feels like they, as an individual, are being spoken to, as opposed to being spoken to as part of a blanket message, then you have a real chance to create a relationship.
:CM
twitter is old
06/19/09 11:55
Twitter has already existed. We use to refer to it as sound bytes, memos, headlines. “Twitter” is just an evolution in the way our modern ping-pong brains likes to digest information.
Where twitter has excelled is putting like-minded people together and having them receive personally relevant messages in near real time. That is the true power of twitter.
Even though every modern client is asking about it, I have my doubts. The only way twitter works is, if there is a demand for what you are twittering about. This is great for getting the news out about something an audience cares about, like their favorite band coming to town, or a special price drop on ground beef at a grocery store. But to bother them non-stop with fluff spam messages to keep a brand top of mind, that’s annoying and eventually they will ignore you. A brand must really know their consumer and respect them, giving them a reason to follow you.
My predication is that twitter will run it’s course, but the exercise of listening to your consumer and crafting simple messages that benefits them, can have a great impact for both.
Before you Tweet, think. What makes you interesting to others? What do you have to offer? What are people wanting to hear from you? Do I really need to say this? Because it’s not about you, it’s about them.
:AG
Where twitter has excelled is putting like-minded people together and having them receive personally relevant messages in near real time. That is the true power of twitter.
Even though every modern client is asking about it, I have my doubts. The only way twitter works is, if there is a demand for what you are twittering about. This is great for getting the news out about something an audience cares about, like their favorite band coming to town, or a special price drop on ground beef at a grocery store. But to bother them non-stop with fluff spam messages to keep a brand top of mind, that’s annoying and eventually they will ignore you. A brand must really know their consumer and respect them, giving them a reason to follow you.
My predication is that twitter will run it’s course, but the exercise of listening to your consumer and crafting simple messages that benefits them, can have a great impact for both.
Before you Tweet, think. What makes you interesting to others? What do you have to offer? What are people wanting to hear from you? Do I really need to say this? Because it’s not about you, it’s about them.
:AG
social
06/19/09 11:51
Social media. The brain teeters on Twitter and Facebook.
Reality check.
Being social doesn’t mean social media. Being social means people naturally exist in and are part of cultures; many times a range of cultures that are shaped by interests, passions, environments and even thoughts. The global transformation happening in front of our eyes is simply the internet making it easier to form these cultures and interact within them. But, social cultures aren’t new. The increased need to be social created social media.
Unfortunately, the marketer or ad guru has been doing it all wrong. Many times, in the quest for “targeted” work, they miss the real connection. “Targeted” usually means thinly sliced and analyzed, and many times, this creates an immobile consumer.
Social cultures are exactly the opposite of this. They’re mobile, fluid and in constant flux. Understanding the workings of a social culture allows for creative flexibility and accurate relevance. There is no consumer mold. Social cultures focus on fluid people.
Because there is more awareness of social cultures today, it’s important to know how these cultures interact and change in order to develop the right creative touchpoints without wasting money. And, with equal importance, follow a simple measurement tool for results that makes the agency a true partner with its client.
This is what we, at Cartel, believe in. We’re people that know how social people work.
:RR
Reality check.
Being social doesn’t mean social media. Being social means people naturally exist in and are part of cultures; many times a range of cultures that are shaped by interests, passions, environments and even thoughts. The global transformation happening in front of our eyes is simply the internet making it easier to form these cultures and interact within them. But, social cultures aren’t new. The increased need to be social created social media.
Unfortunately, the marketer or ad guru has been doing it all wrong. Many times, in the quest for “targeted” work, they miss the real connection. “Targeted” usually means thinly sliced and analyzed, and many times, this creates an immobile consumer.
Social cultures are exactly the opposite of this. They’re mobile, fluid and in constant flux. Understanding the workings of a social culture allows for creative flexibility and accurate relevance. There is no consumer mold. Social cultures focus on fluid people.
Because there is more awareness of social cultures today, it’s important to know how these cultures interact and change in order to develop the right creative touchpoints without wasting money. And, with equal importance, follow a simple measurement tool for results that makes the agency a true partner with its client.
This is what we, at Cartel, believe in. We’re people that know how social people work.
:RR
reborn
06/04/09 03:18
I am not a writer.
A talker, maybe..A doer, yes..A listener, absolutely. I can definitely write an email, an occasional note, a card, a list of things to do. I’m sure you can see the pattern. I can write simple things, but to write something in a way that I can maintain the readers interest through the entire story, WOW! This, I know, is not my strength.
Don’t get me wrong, I do have strengths, but again, writing, especially in this format, is not one of them. In these areas that are not my strengths, I may know just enough to be dangerous.
The point here is: it is not good practice to simply get something done, but to get it done the best way...the right way...the first time.
Does the fact that I am not a writer make me weak? Absolutely not.
Acknowledging that I don’t have certain strengths is in itself a strength. In fact, embracing other people¹s strengths is what makes me stronger. And, it is this revelation that has helped shape my way of living, as well as how I run the Cartel. And, it is this that I do care to write about.
Look, Cartel is made up of different people, each with their own strengths. When it comes to servicing a piece of business, the company relies on each person’s strengths in their respective disciplines (i.e. Account Service, Creative, Production, Traffic, and Finance) for which they were hired. However, our client¹s brands aren’t the only brands Cartel has to think about.
The most important brand is the one that is servicing these clients. Cartel.
How do we make Cartel the strongest it can possibly be as a brand and as a company?
The answer is simple. I will do it all. Wait a minute, didn¹t I just admit that I don’t have certain strengths. This would not be the right solution, especially since it does not develop a sustainable culture.
The right answer is to involve all of the “people” at Cartel. The goal is to inspire each of them to use their strengths in both advertising and beyond, so that we, collectively, come up with the true meaning and direction for Cartel. In this case, I have the most powerful thinking machine. With everyone’s commitment of their mind, heart and soul, they all now have ownership in what Cartel is. It becomes our Cartel. I have strengthened myself by tapping the strengths of others. Strength in numbers...Trust in the people...Cartel is people. This is the Cartel’s advantage.
And, a strong and solid culture is born.
Sean
President &CEO
Don’t get me wrong, I do have strengths, but again, writing, especially in this format, is not one of them. In these areas that are not my strengths, I may know just enough to be dangerous.
The point here is: it is not good practice to simply get something done, but to get it done the best way...the right way...the first time.
Does the fact that I am not a writer make me weak? Absolutely not.
Acknowledging that I don’t have certain strengths is in itself a strength. In fact, embracing other people¹s strengths is what makes me stronger. And, it is this revelation that has helped shape my way of living, as well as how I run the Cartel. And, it is this that I do care to write about.
Look, Cartel is made up of different people, each with their own strengths. When it comes to servicing a piece of business, the company relies on each person’s strengths in their respective disciplines (i.e. Account Service, Creative, Production, Traffic, and Finance) for which they were hired. However, our client¹s brands aren’t the only brands Cartel has to think about.
The most important brand is the one that is servicing these clients. Cartel.
How do we make Cartel the strongest it can possibly be as a brand and as a company?
The answer is simple. I will do it all. Wait a minute, didn¹t I just admit that I don’t have certain strengths. This would not be the right solution, especially since it does not develop a sustainable culture.
The right answer is to involve all of the “people” at Cartel. The goal is to inspire each of them to use their strengths in both advertising and beyond, so that we, collectively, come up with the true meaning and direction for Cartel. In this case, I have the most powerful thinking machine. With everyone’s commitment of their mind, heart and soul, they all now have ownership in what Cartel is. It becomes our Cartel. I have strengthened myself by tapping the strengths of others. Strength in numbers...Trust in the people...Cartel is people. This is the Cartel’s advantage.
And, a strong and solid culture is born.
Sean
President &CEO