Griffin Farley & Mike Monello Planning-Ness Brooklyn 2010 HOW TO DO PROPAGATION PLANNING
Aug 11, 2014
THE PHONE CALL WITH MARK LEWIS
Specifically, what do you want me to talk about?
1. How should we rethink the way we talk about things?2. Tell us the different kinds of data that go into propagation planning3. How do we work with creatives to develop spreadable ideas?4. What type of ideas are spreadable?
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I got a phone call from Mark Lewis and he asked me to speak at this conference. Besides ‘how to do propagation planning’ what specifically do you want me to talk about? He laid out four points for me.
STRING OF PLANNING THEORIES
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Field Services
Account Planning
Connection Planning
Propagation Planning
Transmedia Planning
Connection Planning has been around for 10 years and has been practiced at agencies like Fallon and Chiat\Day. To be a part of the next shift in industry thinking we needed to know, “what comes after connection planning?”
WTF IS PROPAGATION PLANNING?The new marketing landscape is paving the way for propagation planning to exist in ad agencies and communication planning shops.
A LEGEND
Ivan Pollard from Naked presented the theory of propagation planning at the APG Battle of Big Thinking in October of 2006.
Faris Yakob wrote an award winning IPA essay on the subject in 2007 that was featured in Campaign Magazine.
In 2008, Nikki Stammers, one of the first planners to have the title Propagation Planner wrote an article titled a Controlled Explosion for the Australian B&T.
In December of 2008 Griffin Farley created a Blog called Propagation Planning.
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http://theapg.typepad.com/battleofbigthinking/2006/10/thoughts_from_i.html
http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/features/769167/IPA-Diploma-Presidents-Prize-Essay-Faris-Yakob/
http://www.propagationplanning.com
In 2010, Anjali Ramachandran created a Wiki for Propagation Planning and was the first to truly organize the 5 or 6 planners worldwide who concentrated on this.
http://www.bandt.com.au/blog/blogposts.asp?postid=629
http://propagationplanning.pbworks.com/
In 1999, The Blair Witch Project changed the way we look at marketing. Digital and Word of Mouth now had a powerful case study.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/17/facebook-old-spice-farmville-pepsi-forbes-viral-marketing-cmo-network-social-media.html?boxes=Homepagemostemailed
A HOPE
“When the phase ‘Word of Mouth’ is bandied around, more often than not, what is being referred to is an immeasurable yet highly desirable campaign ‘side effect’.
But things have moved on: the muddy and mystical times that once defined attempts at harnessing it are changing.
Propagation planning - a technique capable of kick-starting, controlling and exploiting the WOM affect - is moving the area forward.”
- Nikki Stammers for B&T
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AN INTEREST IN THE BLACK ART
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
DEC 2008 DEC 2009 SEPT 2010
Propagation Planning.com Total Visits
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This is a very narrow subject, a type of planning within account planning... yet we have seen interest sky rocket in the last year.
Early Majority >
Early Adopters >
Innovators >
< Late Majority
< Laggards
BROADCASTMEDIA
TIME AND SALES
(Most creative targets the mass majority)
ADOPTION CURVE OVER TIME
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EARLY ADOPTER MOTIVATION
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BREAK THE STORYI KNEW THEM BEFORE THEY WERE BIG
In high school my girl friend gave me a cassette tape of the Omaha, Nebraska band 311. I played it, recommended the discovery to others and once they got big I stopped listening to them. Many Bloggers, Power Tweeters, Journalists are like me and want to BREAK THE STORY! Some people are not like me and want to see other people share it first before they feel comfortable sharing things.
Early Majority >
Early Adopters >
Innovators >
< Late Majority
< Laggards
BROADCASTMEDIA
PROPAGATIONSTIMULUS
TIME AND SALES
ADOPTION CURVE OVER TIME
(This creative targets the influencers)
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(This creative targets those the laggards)
LAGGARD SPREAD MOTIVATION
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SOURCE: Suan Boyle Analysis, Henry Jenkins Blog
RELEVANT CONTENT FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES
THE PROBLEM WITH INFLUENCERS
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“if I could just get it in this guys hands... it would go big!”
SOURCE: BuzzFeed
In my experience, the social media influencers or Power Tweeters have followers that may not have relevance with the brand or story that I am pushing.
THE CIGARETTE METAPHOR
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but that wasn’t an influential cigarette that burned the forest
SOURCE: BuzzFeed
this is a good forest for an arsonist
The founders of BuzzFeed have a great metaphor that involves an influential cigarette. The new school of thought is to find communities that are hungry for your content to feed the blaze. Think of yourself as an arsonist that seeks forests that are dry, lots of under brush, waiting for your cigarette.
PICK THE RIGHT FOREST
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SOURCE: BuzzFeed
the propagation planner picks the right forest, not necessarily the right influencer
this is a bad forest for an arsonist
This would be a bad forest for that arsonist.
RETHINK YOUR AUDIENCE
22the audience reacts best when they can see each other react
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SOURCE: Mark Earls
THE GREAT SCHLEP: DROGA 5
REAL TARGET:Older Jewish Voters
INFLUENCER TARGET:Grandchildren of Older
Jewish Voters
PRODUCT:Jewish PAC
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Instead of marketing directly to Older Jewish Voters, a media strategy that would have been expensive and likely to included direct mail, newspaper and television they decided to target a segment that had more influence over the prime audience... the grandchildren. The Great Schlep was born and produced and spread with zero paid media dollars.
OASIS STREET PERFORMERS: BBH
REAL TARGET:People that should love Oasis music
INFLUENCER TARGET:Street Performers
PRODUCT:New Album
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Most artists that launch albums run ads in magazines like Rolling Stone and Spin, with some television ads for retailers like Target or Wal Mart. Oasis launched an album by training street performers in NYC to play their songs prior to the launch of the album. These performers went back to the streets and spread the words of the product and invited Oasis fans to see them play to learn what the new songs might be about. This launch became their second best album launch ever.
A BROADER DEFINITION OF MEDIA
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SOURCE: Ed Cotton’s Flickr Page
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At the Miami Account Planning Conference in 2008, Group M spoke about three types of Media: Paid, Owned and Earned (thanks to Ed Cotton from BSSP for the photo). This broader definition of media (particularly the term earned media) has been reinforced by articles in Adweek and Ad Age.
TURN THE FUNNEL ON ITS SIDE
http://www.slideshare.net/guest7e5b6a/the-new-marketing-landscape-by-dan-pankraz-presentation
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A senior planner named Dan Pankraz from Clemenger BBDO Sydney created these slides that explain the shift in the marketing funnel even better.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY:
The journey our audience takes on the path to purchase and
beyond
COMMS TASK:
A summary of engagement tasks at
each stage of the customer journey
ROLE FOR COMMS:
A definition of the job(s) that comms need to do
at each stage of the customer journey
CHANNEL PORTFOLIO:
The set of channels that will be used to tackle each communications
task
ENGAGEMENT IDEA:
The single thought that unifies all channels
MESSAGING & EXECUTION:
The way ideas and messages work within the chosen channels
PRE IDEA
COMMUNICATION PLANNING
SOURCE: Naked Communication 2007
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POST IDEA
WherePropagation Planning
Happens
COMMUNICATION PLAN
29Funnel and Inverted Funnel
Production Budget by Channel
Timing by Channel
Paid Media BudgetInfluencer
Comms
SOURCE: Naked Communication 2007
COMMUNICATION PLAN
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SOURCE: Naked Communication 2007
Communication to Influencers
Communication tothe Masses
Production planned in advance for Social Media
PROPAGATION PLANNING BRIEF
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• What is remarkable about the Brand, Product or Service?• Who is the target audience?• Is there another group of people that has more persuasion over the target
audience?• How does the creative foster a social experience?• Why would someone want to pass something like this to others?• What are the existing creative assets (if any)?• How long do we have before the paid media begins?• What are the benchmarks and metrics will we be following?
FOUR PILLARS OF BRAND HEALTH
Relates to margins and cultural currency
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Differentiation Relevance Esteem Knowledge
Brand Strength Brand Stature
Relates to consideration and trial
Relates to perceptions of quality and loyalty
Relates to awareness and consumer experience
SOURCE: The Brand Bubble by John Gerzema and Ed Lebar
WHEN BRAND HURTS YOU
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Differentiation Relevance Esteem Knowledge
Brand Strength Brand Stature
SOURCE: The Brand Bubble by John Gerzema and Ed Lebar
We know about your brand, and don’t
care to know more
Unless you are relevant to me that
day, I don’t care
SMIRNOFF TEA PARTAY
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SOURCE: BBH Viral Presentation
The brand is liked but not well-known. Consumers are curious to find out more. There is growth potential in this brand.
UNIQUE PRODUCTIONPRODUCT:
Evian Bottled Water
PRODUCT:Google Chrome Web Browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VjDuJaxkSQ
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In a world where content can be spread and enjoyed outside of paid media space, this is not the time to pull back on production budgets. In fact, good production by itself can be propagation material. Sometimes production can be expensive and sometimes it can be inexpensive but very unique.
STRONG TALENTPRODUCT:
Johnnie Walker Whiskey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnSIp76CvUI
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Known talent can give a nice needed push with online videos like Robert Carlyle in this Johnnie Walker Whiskey video. This also had a unique production technique of capturing the footage in one take.
ENGAGING CHARACTERSPRODUCT:
Dos Equis Beer
PRODUCT:Compare the Market Car Insurance
http://www.facebook.com/DosEquis
http://www.facebook.com/Comparethemeerkat
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Both Dos Equis and Compare the Market do a great job on their respective Facebook pages by writing status updates in the tone and voice of the branded characters that they invented.
DEMONSTRATE THE SPREADPRODUCT:
Vaseline Skin Moisturizer
http://www.prescribethenation.com/
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BBH won the APG award with the Prescribe the Nation campaign showing how one person in Alaska can spread word of mouth about a product that would actually help people in that environment.
PERSONAL TOUCHPRODUCT:Office Max
PRODUCT:Discovery Channel The Colony
http://www.elfyourself.com/
http://JoinTheColony.com
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While most people can’t remember the brand that Elf Yourself is attached to, however, what is powerful is the personal touch that EVB first developed with the ‘upload your photo’ option. This gave people a vested interest in participating with the experience and sending it on to friends. Facebook Connect is the new tool for marketers to tap into personal information that is embedded in the narrative. Campfire used this technology in their Frenzied Waters web site.
COMMUNAL PARTICIPATIONPRODUCT:
Oprah 25th Anniversary
PRODUCT:2009 Presidential Inauguration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvljD0toJmU
http://mashable.com/2009/01/20/cnn-facebook-inauguration-numbers/
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In recent years we have seen events that draw people to participate. We have seen the worlds largest single city flash mob with the Black Eyed Peas in Chicago and we have seen millions of people participate on Facebook and Twitter during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Branded events like this promise communal participation and the active engagement is something that fans will remember for years to come. T Mobile and Nike Human Race are brands that are tapping into this cultural shift.
CREATE LIVE EXPERIENCES
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PRODUCT:Old Spice The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
http://www.pcworld.com/article/201268/old_spice_guy_top_5_youtube_video_picks.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNSaurw6E_Q
PRODUCT:The Last Exorcism
Create “Live” Experiences: The web is a performance medium. When we read a book, we expect it to be the same, but when we go to a website and it hasn’t changed we are disappointed. Using the Internet as a stage for performance can electrify word of mouth, and the documentation of these events has great long tail value.Examples:Old Spice The Man Your Man Could Smell LikeThe Super Bowl spot was a great success but when Old Spice’s character came alive online with instant video responses over two days, people went crazy for it and spread the word.The Last Exorcism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNSaurw6E_QThe Last Exorcism went online to tease people on Chatroulette with a live girl who appeared to be possessed by a demon.
REAL VALUE AND WORTHPRODUCT:
Ikea Facebook
PRODUCT:Alice Bond Handbags
http://adland.tv/commercials/ikea-facebook-tag-2009-135-sweden
http://desedo.com/blog/the-alice-bond-bag/
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Forsman & Bodenfors recently devised a Facebook campaign for a new Ikea store in Malmo, Sweden. People were told to be the first to tag their name on any item and they would win it.
Desedo Films worked with a high end handbag designer who had a following in NYC. They placed bags all over the city and provided clues on Twitter where these bags could be found. Be
the first to find it and you keep it.
MAKE IT TANGIBLE
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PRODUCT:Discovery Channel Shark Week
http://vimeo.com/8268275
PRODUCT:Coraline Boxes
http://www.notcot.com/archives/2009/01/coraline-50-box.php
Make It Tangible: Physical objects and experiences are meaningful and memorable to us, particularly as more of our personal lives move online. The exclusivity of them can inspire people to spread the word.
Examples:Coraline Boxes: http://www.notcot.com/archives/2009/01/coraline-50-box.php50 Boxes sent to culture bloggers and influencers got people talking about Coraline as a stop-motion picture to differentiate it from the glut of computer animated children’s films.Discovery Shark Week: http://vimeo.com/8268275Discovery Channel's Frenzied Waters Shark Week campaign involved a hunt for capsules containing the physical remnants of a shark attack that lead to a website experience completing the story.
GIVE PEOPLE A STORY TO TELL
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PRODUCT:Best Job in the World for Tourism Queensland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLDMGWZFFA
http://vimeo.com/8268162
PRODUCT:HBO True Blood
Give People a Story to Tell: We relate to the world around us through stories. Connected people, those with blogs, YouTube channels, active Twitter accounts, and such need stories to tell their audiences, so give them one that aligns with your brand.Examples:Best Job in the World for Tourism Queensland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLDMGWZFFAYou can try and tell people how amazing the Great Barrier Reef Islands are, or you can offer an amazing job as an Island Caretaker and inspire people to learn about the islands themselves and tell their friends about this amazing job while generating enormous global PR.HBO True Blood: http://vimeo.com/8268162Mysterious websites and mailings of drinkable synthetic blood samples drew people into a experiential story about vampires coming out of the coffin, culminating in a massive campaign launching Tru Blood as a drinkable blood substitute for Vampires.
EMBEDDED GOODPRODUCT:
Lands End Big Boston Warm Up
http://creativity-online.com/work/lands-end-the-big-warm-up-personalized-video/17798
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When spreading the word has embedded good built in, the action has positive value to the person who is sharing the cause. In today’s propagation campaigns, Public Relations is a big component of making things successful. The Press is likely to pick up things that are helping other people in our society and reward brands for sponsoring such events.
KNOWLEDGE WHERE I SOCIALIZEPRODUCT:
Best Buy Twitter Page
PRODUCT:GAP Facebook Page
http://twitter.com/twelpforce
http://www.facebook.com/gap#/gap?v=app_115708094525
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Brands are doing a great job with providing knowledge in social networking platforms. This makes it easy for people to ask questions and it makes it easy for brands to be the solution to questions.
A PROPAGATION PLANNERS ROLE1. MODERATE BRANDED SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMUNITIES
2. ROLE PLAY AS THE BRAND OR AS BRANDED CHARACTERS ONLINE
3. DEVISE PROPAGATION STRATEGIES FOR NEW CAMPAIGNS
4. IDENTIFY CONTEXTUAL COMMUNITIES AND WHO INFLUENCES THAT COMMUNITY
5. HELP CHOREOGRAPH THE ROLL-OUT OF REAL WORLD AND DIGITAL ASSETS
6. MEASURE AND REGULARLY REPORT ON THE EFFORTS
7. BRIEF CREATIVES ON NEW PLATFORMS AND TRENDS IN PROPAGATION55
If I was asked to describe the role of a propagation planner in an agency today, I would say these seven things would be a part of that job description.
CONTACT
GRIFFIN FARLEY - STRATEGY DIRECTOR
WWW.PROPAGATIONPLANNING.COM
MIKE MONELLO - CO-FOUNDER/ ECD
WWW.CAMPFIRENYC.COM
PROPAGATION PLANNING BRIEF
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What is remarkable about the Brand, Product or Service?
This area helps us ground the propagation campaign back in the product. Think about the Johnnie Walker, the Man who Walked around the World video when answering this question.
Who is the target audience?
Is there an audience that the client needs to reach to meet their business objectives? What is the action that this audience needs to act on to reach these objectives? Think of this audience as your aspirational audience.
Is there another group of people that has more persuasion over the target audience?
This group of people might be more likely to engage with the creative assets or act on the creative to influence the real target audience. Think about Great Schlep, Coraline or Oasis campaigns when answering this. Think of this audience as your inspirational audience.
How does the creative foster a social experience?
Is the creative designed to entertain, act as a branded utility, to challenge, to spawn user generated content, etc. Think about challenges like Nike Grid, experiences like Doritos Hotel 626 or the seed paper in the Haagen-Dazs Help the Honey Bees campaigns when answering this question.
Why would someone want to pass something like this to others?
This is an area to talk about social theories (i.e. custom or personalized, gift economy, peer production, random acts of kindness, pay it forward, etc) into why this creative might be shared and passed along among friends. Think about campaigns like Elf Yourself, Radio Head, NIN or Earth Hour when answering this.
What are the existing creative assets (if any)?
List the creative assets that already exist. This gives the creative a chance to use these assets in new ways? Ask yourself if new things need to be created to help extend the narrative. Think about the True Blood campaign when the agencies created a pre-story to existing assets when answering this.
How long do we have before the paid media begins?
This is a timing question that reminds us how to use Owned, Earned and Paid media appropriately.
What are the benchmarks and metrics will we be following?
This helps the creative team know if there are platforms that the client feels are most important to measure success (Acquisitions, Facebook or Twitter followers, video views, etc.). If the client doesn’t have specific metrics list the ones that you will follow including impressions, reach, interaction and most importantly sentiment.