catfoa.blogspot.com @catfoa
Jan 15, 2015
catfoa.blogspot.com@catfoa
Your Brand Is Not My Friend
Presented by Alan Wolk
Ad agencies are no longer about selling
They’re about “storytelling”
and “engagement”
They want to be our friend
But
Your Brand Is Not My FriendBut
Ads used to deliver news
Then they became all about branding and image
Then they became all about branding and image
The Real Digital Revolution
Then along came
Google changed everything
Now we can fact check ad claims
Now we can fact check ad claims
And see what other consumers think
And see what other consumers think
This has resulted in a complete change in consumer behavior
Before
ADBefore
PURCHASEADBefore
PURCHASEADBefore
Now
PURCHASEAD
AD
Before
Now
PURCHASEAD
GOOGLEAD
Before
Now
PURCHASEAD
GOOGLEAD PURCHASE
Before
Now
GOOGLEAD PURCHASE
That’s huge
Changes how we buy a car
Before: limited resources
Before: limited resources
Before: limited resources
Before: limited resources
Now: Full range of resources
Now: Full range of resources
Now: Full range of resources
Now: Full range of resources
Now: Full range of resources
New & improved needs to mean it
New & improved needs to mean it
Faster!!Limited Time Only!!!
Your product needs to be buzzworthy
You want people talking about your product
You want people talking about your product
It’s all about getting to Google
Once this happened, print and TV couldn’t close the sale anymore
They could offer compelling facts or create an image
So marketers looked at online
Microsites weren’t working: why would I go to one?
Neither were banners
When we “surfed” the web, banners took you someplace just as interesting as where you were
But now that we go online for a reason, we’re not likely to stop what we’re doing to “interact” with an ad
New ways to “engage” customers were needed
Social Media seemed like the next big thing
Everyone was becoming “friends” online
Everyone was becoming “friends” online
Why not brands?
Your Brand Is Not My Friend™
Social networks are today’s malt shops
It’s where we go to hang out with our friends
We don’t want to be interrupted by salespeople
But there are some brands people want to hear from
They’re called “Prom King Brands”
There are the usual suspects
Sports teams
TV shows, movies and music acts
99% of brands are not “Prom Kings”
But they can still play in social media
They just have to do it differently
Five steps to making social media work for you
Step 1: Identify a need you can help with
(Maxwell House drinkers like to save money)
Step 2: Figure out how to solve that need
(Coupons are always appreciated)
Step 3: Approach your targets as a salesperson
(Salespeople have web pages, not Facebook pages)
Step 4: Use Twitter for customer service or to share news. Don’t use it to sell.
(Customer service reps should have names)
(Customer service reps should have names)
(Customer service reps should have names)
Step 5: Don’t push it
(Give them the coupon and get out of the way)
(Give them the coupon and get out of the way)
Quick Case Study: Why Whole Foods does Facebook right
Facebook update in my inbox
Facebook update in my inbox
Facebook update in my inbox
$5 Coupon
Facebook update in my inbox
$5 Coupon
via PDF on external site
Facebook update in my inbox
Signed by a real person
$5 Coupon
via PDF on external site
The Whole Deal site
The actual coupon
Whole Foods Facebook fan page
Whole Foods Facebook fan page
Links to WFexternal sites
Whole Foods Facebook fan page
Links to WFexternal sites Useful videos
Whole Foods Facebook fan page
Links to WFexternal sites
Store photos
Useful videos
Whole Foods maintains consistency everywhere
WholeFoodsMarket.com - the consumer website
WholeFoodsMarket.com - the consumer website
Blog
WholeFoodsMarket.com - the consumer website
Blog
Cou
pons
WholeFoodsMarket.com - the consumer website
Blog
Cou
pons
Recipes
WholeFoodsMarket.com - the consumer website
Blog
Cou
pons
Recipes
Contest
The Whole Story blog
The Whole Story blog
Contest
The Whole Story blog
Contest
Social media links
The Whole Story blog
Contest
Social media links
Links to useful blogs
Follow this game plan and you will see results
Soon enough, they’ll start to like you
They may not always talk to you, but they will talk about you
Which is exactly what you want:
To be part of the conversation
But what then?
What if they’re talking about you and your competition
And they like you both?
You’ll need to set yourself apart
But how?
That’s where branding comes into play again
You need to create an image for the brand
How you do that might not be with an ad
How you do that might not be with an ad
But rather with really great customer service
Really great design
Or really noteworthy innovations
Advertising serves as a reminder, not a driver
Brand messages now need to be more holistic. More than words on a page or images on TV
Consumers see ads as Potemkin villages
They’re tired of brands saying one thing... and doing another
And they want to see evidence, not ads
That’s why strategy is so important
Strategy is what sets brands... and ad agencies apart
Creativity is still important, but it will take on different forms to match the different media
We can no longer focus on finding the exact right shade of blue: it makes us contractors not architects
What will the creative department of the future look like?
Less collaboration: writers work on blogs & web site copy, art directors work on product and store design
More collaboration: tomorrow’s creatives will need to work with people with all sorts of job descriptions
That’s because agencies will be doing a lot of different things for clients, things that don’t fit into the boxes of today’s 20th century agencies
Agencies will need to be flexible and staffers will need to be able to do more than one thing
The more you can show that you are more than just a copywriter or an art director, the better.
That can mean writing a blog
Creating a program
Making your own video
Agencies are evolving daily.No one knows exactly what the future will look like.But I can assure you one thing:
It will be interesting
Thank You Minnesota
Questions?
Alan Wolk
Toad Stool Blog: toadstoolblog.comEmail: [email protected]