Touch points to Tipping Point

One of the frequent and anxious question asked by the client to ad-agency is ..

"I spent Rs. 40000 on that news-paper ad!
 I got only 4 phone-calls. Why?"

"I distributed 10000 leaflets last week!
 Only 7 Customers walked in! Why?"

Sometimes, the ad-agency is even accused of making the client over-spend or for bad creative execution.

This anguish is pretty reasonable, if the Client's Product is of reasonable quality, the price is competitive and it does satisfy some specific need of the target audience. The Client expected the target audience to respond, but he is left grumbling - 

“I have offered a fair deal.
Why is the Customer not coming in and purchasing the product?!”

Why this big difference between Expectation and Reality, when it comes to generating sales?!

Well, the marketing reality which one finds out over time is -
"Customers don't make a purchasing decision impulsively;
especially, more the value of the purchase, more the Customer deliberates."

Why this deliberation?
A potential customer needs reassurance of his choice and this happens over a sequence of Touchpoints with the brand. 

A typical scenario will be as follows -
Let’s assume you are keen to buy a car. Unconsciously you start noticing car advertisements - (Touchpoint No:1).
Then you keep staring at various makes and models of cars, while commuting. In course of time your heart starts short-listing some favourites - (Touchpoint No:2). 
One day while filling up fuel you strike up a conversation with the driver of the nearby car, which is one of your short-listed choice - (Touchpoint No:3). 
Another time, you pick up a auto magazine and read a review of the car - (Touchpoint No:4). 
You pick the brain of the mechanic, at the garage where you go regularly (Touchpoint No:5). 
In the meanwhile you see more of advertisements of the car you like most (Touchpoint No:6).
You go online and read various review sites. You compare your choice with competing models (Touchpoint No:7). 
You go to the car dealer and experience a test drive(Touchpoint No:8).
Now you have decided in favour of the car and sit down with your chequebook.

A minimum of 7 touchpoints with the brand has to happen, before the tipping point to make the purchase decision happens.

The critical point for the Client to note, every touchpoint has to reassure the Customer and reinforce his initial opinion. Your product, pricing and promotion has to work coherently, without any dissonance.

So next time, don’t panic if the Customer doesn’t come barging in immediately after seeing your advertisement. Give him time and nurture him till the tipping point.

(In the next blog, I will talk of the kinds of Customers, which is another variable affecting the purchase decision.)
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Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

If you like this post, share it with your friends using the Social links on the right side of this post

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SreeRam is a marketing communications consultant for SMBs – based in Chennai, South India.
The work of his consultancy firm can be viewed by clicking on NATHAN’S MEDIA GROUP.
He can be reached by calling 0-934 000 66 00 or mailing - nathansmedia@gmail.com

Case Study Papers - How to make them a killer marcom tool

 Recently the design team at my client eNoah Solutions wanted to pick my brain on the case-studies they would like to have on their website. I told them I will come back to them with a structure and sat down to write the salient points of a good case-study paper.
Then it dawned on me "Why not use this opportunity to practice what I preach!" So here its a sample case study on case-study!
(Right Click on the image below and open in NEW WINDOW for a readable view)

CASE-STUDY PAPER

Had fun doing this.. so more to follow on similar communication tools
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Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

If you like this post, share it with your friends using the Social links on the right side of this post

……………………………………………………………………………………
SreeRam is a marketing communications consultant for SMBs – based in Chennai, South India.
The work of his consultancy firm can be viewed by clicking on NATHAN’S MEDIA GROUP.
He can be reached by calling 0-934 000 66 00 or mailing - nathansmedia@gmail.com

5 ways to be a success on Facebook

5 ways to be a success on Facebook -

         1.       Be Regular

         2.       Be Relevant

         3.       Be Fun

         4.       Be Varied

         5.       Be Family

Earlier I had given tips on better blogging, effective emails and productive PR. Now I share a few tips on facebook marketing, after running my personal page and a page for passion/business- since 2008.

Be Regular -

·         * Anything done in a sporadic manner lacks credibility.

      Your audience will start doubting your commitment to them.

·        *  Even in bad times don't stop communicating.
      A classic example from politics is DMK leader Karunanidhi. He was out of power for 14 years when MGR was Chief Minister of TamilNadu. But Karuna held the DMK party together through the trough. DMK's vote share took only a small beating, since he was engaging his cadres with activities. Eventually, when MGR died, Karuna could win the next election easily – after 14 years!

That’s the power of constant engagement.

Be Relevant -

·        *  Fix objectives for your page.
Ask yourself "Why I am communicating on FB? What am I trying to achieve?" Once the goal is defined, all your posts, replies and comments should reinforce that objective.

·         * What could be the Objectives, is a separate post, which will follow at a later date.

·         However tempting it may be to post something interesting but not relevant to the product / service, DON’T post.

You are giving your audience opportunity to go off on a tangent.
If it happens regularly, your community will stop looking at you as a subject-matter expert. The intense committed audience will go away and you will be left with the periphery crowd.  

Your rejoinder may be "Won't I bore my audience?!"

Be Fun -

·         * Sticking to the objective doesn't necessarily mean you have to dour and monotonous.
 Change your tone and let your hair down once in a while. That will be refreshing.

·         * Take off the Teacher or Parent hat and wear the Friend hat once in a while
Being academic and always advising is one of the effective ways of putting off your people. Haven't we seen enough self-righteous Teachers and Parents!

Be Varied -

·        *  Engage your audience with multimedia.
Even while not deviating from the core offering, give images, jokes, real incidents, blogs, news and videos. Research has clearly shown that a post with visual content has higher chances of getting read than a plain text one.

·         * Remember you are creating touch points with somebody
Even if you don’t see Likes or Comments don't give up. Be pragmatic to the fact that majority don’t take the effort to react openly in a forum.
I post cartoons regularly on my personal page. When I meet some friends they mention they loved some cartoon of mine, even though they haven’t responded on the page. That’s how some people are! Accept it.

Be Family -

·         * Do NOT assume all conversations have to originate from you.
Encourage people to have their own discussions, as long as it is relevant.

·         * It’s a sign of a good healthy community, when all participants talk and interact amongst themselves.
You can be happy you have done your job in converting 'your' facebook page to 'their' page

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Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

If you like this post, share it with your friends using the Social links on the right side of this post

……………………………………………………………………………………
SreeRam is a marketing communications consultant for SMBs – based in Chennai, South India.
The work of his consultancy firm can be viewed by clicking on NATHAN’S MEDIA GROUP.
He can be reached by calling 0-934 000 66 00 or mailing - nathansmedia@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA - HOW WILL IT AFFECT TV

The characteristics of Social media are –

·         Customized media feeds, tailored to individual need

·         Citizen journalism

·         Convergence - the same content reaching the public through various channels
( Conventional medium, Internet and Mobile)

These 3 dominant trends, which have affected the other mass-media channels like print, is catching up on TV too. Today major content creators like CNN and BBC have their footprint in varied channels apart from TV.
Down the line, to view TV programs we won’t need a TV!

The die-hard cynics will laugh at this, no doubt.
They will point out News papers did not die after TV news became popular.
They will point out movie going did not die after TV reached the mass.
They will point out radio did not die after TV became the entertainment vehicle.
Agreed!

But look at the usage share, the mind share, the revenue share.
The consumer does not rely on one single channel of media to catch up. He uses each medium at his convenience.
Newspaper for morning coffee and the loo.
Radio for commuting.
Internet for work, communication and pursuit of interests
TV for unwinding after a stressful day or specific events.

For entertainment, the share of time in front of the computer monitor is increasing; especially after the social media. Why?

·         The choices are plenty.

·         My peers' opinions are ready for me.

·         The measurement metrics tells me exactly how popular the particular content is.

·         The timing is to my convenience.

·         and above all, I can voice my opinion and convey it to my community immediately.

So satisfying!

Like any efficient life form which has survived millions of years by adapting to changing conditions, TV also will survive. But TV will survive by taking different avatars. The evolution is slow but sure.
Still doubtful?! Go to www.hulu.com.

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
Connect on FACEBOOK
View profile in LINKED IN

Why Social media causes ED (Erectile Dysfunction) to an ad pro! - Part 1

There are tons of thoughts on leveraging Social Media, from different perspectives. But very few of them are from professionals who have made the transition from the age of Print.

Having made the transition, I just want to point out 2 aspects of Social Media which can give symptoms of ED to a traditional advertising person. (My woman says "Don't blame social media")

Fear No:1

For the first time information is coming in the opposite direction - towards the company.

Having always been used to play the consumers' psyche like a keyboard, we are now quivering at this onslaught of unbridled opinions.

In the golden age, if faced with negative consumer opinion we commented with a shrug “Opinion is like an ass-hole. Everybody has one", and asked our PR guys to do damage control and concentrate on our job of Sell, Sell.

In fact, we took pride in a rising sales graph against a flagging consumer confidence. "Give a freebie to the consumer or Increase Dealer margins with attractive schemes" Hmm.. Life was simple!

Today, a cheeky spoof on my advertisement gets more views on YouTube than my uninteresting me-too TV commercial.

A Facebook group against a Dove or British Petroleum is much talked about and leaves a trail of information which the companies cannot erase. Every time someone googles my brand, I cringe.

Net take - My brand is no longer dictated by me. My consumers dictate my Brand.

Fear No: 2

The business can no longer talk about ‘Us or Our Product’.

It took some time to realise that the Consumer switches off if I start my pompous communication. From the age of 'rub-in', we are waking up kicking and screaming in the age of 'rub-off'.

Instead of directly talking of 'Me and my Brand', I am forced to learn the language of 'Brand association'. As an advertiser, I am today forced to be in sync with my consumers' aspirations. I have to please him, so that he sees my Brand not as a persistent salesman but as a well-wisher interested in him.

I have to entertain him, titillate him and educate him; at the same time being relevant to my core offering.

Net Take - Give the consumer associated value useful to him and be generous in giving that. Dont hold back.

The Viagra for the ad pro

From the Fore-play of Communication to the Consummation of Purchase, the tango is now being led by the Consumer.

And it’s going to be more acutely felt as we move into integrated communication era; where the defined lines between Information, Communication and Entertainment start eroding.

Remember, ED is cured by 2 ways -

Short term Medication and Long term life-style Changes.

As advertising professionals we emulate that in our professional life too. Let’s see how it’s done and we can resume our frisky romp with the Consumer, in the next part.  

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
Connect on FACEBOOK
View profile in LINKED IN

SOCIAL MEDIA - HOW WILL IT AFFECT TV

The characteristics of Social media are –

·         Customized media feeds, tailored to individual need

·         Citizen journalism

·         Convergence - the same content reaching the public through various channels
( Conventional medium, Internet and Mobile)

These 3 dominant trends, which have affected the other mass-media channels like print, is catching up on TV too. Today major content creators like CNN and BBC have their footprint in varied channels apart from TV.
Down the line, to view TV programs we won’t need a TV!

The die-hard cynics will laugh at this, no doubt.
They will point out News papers did not die after TV news became popular.
They will point out movie going did not die after TV reached the mass.
They will point out radio did not die after TV became the entertainment vehicle.
Agreed!

But look at the usage share, the mind share, the revenue share.
The consumer does not rely on one single channel of media to catch up. He uses each medium at his convenience.
Newspaper for morning coffee and the loo.
Radio for commuting.
Internet for work, communication and pursuit of interests
TV for unwinding after a stressful day or specific events.

For entertainment, the share of time in front of the computer monitor is increasing; especially after the social media. Why?

·         The choices are plenty.

·         My peers' opinions are ready for me.

·         The measurement metrics tells me exactly how popular the particular content is.

·         The timing is to my convenience.

·         and above all, I can voice my opinion and convey it to my community immediately.

So satisfying!

Like any efficient life form which has survived millions of years by adapting to changing conditions, TV also will survive. But TV will survive by taking different avatars. The evolution is slow but sure.
Still doubtful?! Go to www.hulu.com.

SreeRam is a Chennai based communications consultant. He is also a passionate artist and writer.
FACEBOOK - http://bit.ly/nmg_fb
LINKED IN -  http://in.linkedin.com/in/ksr960

FACEBOOK MARKETING FOR THE CAT-ON-THE-WALL

FACEBOOK IS MORE ADDICTIVE THAN TV!
FACEBOOK MARKETING FOR THE CAT-ON-THE-WALL

Every senior executive is being badgered by the fresh faced youngsters to get into social media marketing. The grey haired brasses know something big is happening out there, but are not able to decipher anything tangible amongst the barrage of techno-garble. So they just give a blank stare and postpone the inevitable decision.
This is an attempt to break the cacophony into digestible sound-bits for the senior decision makers. We will take up each major component of Social Media; but before that some generalized observations

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA IS DIFFERENT - SOME KEY STATEMENTS

1) NOW, "THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE"
This famous dictum of Marshall McLuhan acquires a new dimension. The interactivity makes a brand friendly and vulnerable like any relationship does. So Social media is more in the realm of Relationship marketing, offering a plethora of touch points with one's customer.

2) NOW, THE SUM OF YOUR CUSTOMERS' VOICE IS YOUR BRAND
Social media vehicles are like a dip-stick test of your brand experience.
I started promoting Sampoorna Global, a small veg restaurant in Velachery and just mentioned some patrons' reviews in http://chennai.burrp.com on my FB, orkut and print media.
The walk-ins escalated and these new acquisitions also went on to review their eating experience on the social media web site. There was an extrapolation of awareness that challenged Sampoorna Global's delivery logistics.
Today this new small joint Sampoorna Global has more patrons' reviews than any other joint in Velachery and stands overall in the 3rd place in whole of Chennai. That’s what social media can do for a small business.
In case you are curious, I can give more personal case histories in person.

3) NOW, THE CUSTOMER RESPONSE IS EASILY MEASURABLE
No need for complicated metrics. Simple statistics reveal the trends in almost real time

4) NOW, RESPONSE TO RECTIFICATION IS LIKE 0 TO 80 IN 5 SECS
If something is wrong in your product or service, you know it like a ball bouncing back from the wall. It demands nimbleness and agility to contain a negative response or exploit a positive response. The crux is you know early what’s brewing.

5) NOW, NARROW-CASTING IS NOT A MERE JARGON   
In the Neanderthal age of 80s we in advertising spoke in awe of DM the fashionable acronym for Direct Marketing. Well to put it in proper perspective, in that age we waited 5 years for a landline connection and 3 years for a Bajaj scooter! Got the cue?!
Today Social media offers a gamut of channels where we can drill down into demographic profiles and keep a finger on their pulse.

6) NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND CRORES WITH A "SPRAY & PRAY' TECHNIQUE
Social media allows to start small, gain traction, apply course-corrections and then decide on big ticket expenses.
That the tip of the iceberg to use a much abused cliché. More will follow on the specifics of FACEBOOK MARKETING.SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
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How to brief an ad agency - Part 3 How to respond to the agency's creative presentation

How to respond to the agency's creative presentation

The agency's creative presentation, especially the first time, is a critical phase. Till then both the Client and the Agency were talking tangibles and forming opinions. It’s only during the creative presentation these opinions are either reinforced or reversed.

How to judge an Idea?

It could produce a "WOW" or "hmmm". Every one of us have our likes and dislikes, which will influence the supposedly objective view.
Very tough, but anyway let’s try to get some clarity.

1) If it’s a Good idea say so and proceed further.

2) If upfront the Idea doesn’t tingle you, you need NOT overtly say so. The agency will know you are nowhere nearing an orgasm.

3) If the agency tries to push the Idea aggressively, tell them you are NOT looking from your perspective but from your customers' perspective. They can’t argue with that, since you are closer to your customers than they will ever be.

If the agency claims understanding your customer without any research support, point out how they are off the mark with your statistics. That should silence the "Google pundits"

4) Even if the Idea is not exciting you as a client, analyze whether the agency has put in quality energy into its idea. This can be found out by asking probing questions on the various elements of the Idea - like the Headline, Choice of visuals, Colors or back ground music and so on. If the agency has thought through it you will get coherent responses.

5) If you feel the ad agency has put in a genuine effort but missed the route, point out specifics.

Avoid responses like “It lacks PUNCH" or “It’s good but NO DHUM". These will only make the agency go back, put brighter colors, make the headline fonts bigger and comeback to you with a rehash. Or similar patch up work in the case of a TV spot or a radio jingle.

So please be specific on what bothers you.

6) If you as a client is sitting with your team, discourage herd mentality. Whatever the client's senior man says should not be reinforced in different ways for the sake of giving a single voice. The agency will be deflated.

Remember even though many creative professionals claim they like challenges, they generally tend to react to criticism with aggressive defense or silent frustration.

7) But DONT reject the agency based on ONE creative presentation. Especially if it’s the first one, give them time to go through the learning curve.

After that it’s your prerogative.

Some suggestions -

• Most of the agencies present Half page in newspaper size or magazine double spread size creatives. They look really impressive in isolation.

• If you cannot sustain that kind of media spend insist on seeing smaller size adaptations.

• Paste a printout of the creative in actual context and judge how it performs in reality. 

Probably we should have a series of articles on best practices in Print, Radio, TV, Outdoor and Online advertising. Some other day. That depends on your feedback to this article.

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
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How to brief an ad agency? Part 2

Factor 2 - Giving a coherent brief

Half the job is done by giving a coherent brief. The reality is many of the clients wax eloquent as they are in love with their offering. The agencies struggle to separate the brief from the chaff.

The best way to start is by giving the agency a tangible fact sheet. Send the agency back to mull over it and come back for a qualitative discussion.

What should this initial fact sheet contain, preferably in an A4 sheet? 

• Product definition

• The market for it - demographic, geographic or any relevant segments

• The players in the market -

• Your product's differentiators -

• If possible, your indicative budget -

If the client can’t put this down in B&W, it’s unreasonable to expect the agency to comprehend the task at hand.

Many of the big spenders do have a defined brief template. It’s the SMEs, who are not familiar with agency-handling, need to start the relationship with such good practices.

The exploratory kiss is an indicator of exciting things to follow. (OK...That’s another proven advertising device...to bring an element of sex and whet the appetite)

SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
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The Stress of Social Media "Presence Management"

The "nowness" of social media presents a 3 fold challenge -
* Over-whelming - too many streams of activity
* Expertise - constantly evolving technology
* No control - Anxiety extrapolates when one is not able to contain the response from the audience. 

Add to this the traditional factors like -
The worried management - since negative feedback is in public domain, and one can’t wish it away 

Social media is a twin-edged sword. To avoid self-inflicted injuries the company has to -
* Have a well planned response strategy, with an inbuilt escalation mechanism
* Maintain a participative tone in all communication
* Provide perceived or real transparency
* Retreat without ego to minimize damage 

The responsibility of "Presence management" should be with a person who
* understands Web 2.0 nitty gritty
* possesses marketing acumen
* relates to visual and text components of creative inputs
* and an aptitude for Public Relations.


SreeRam is a Chennai based marcom professional.
Connect on FACEBOOK
View profile in LINKED IN