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The Marketing Edge, one of the longest running marketing and public relations podcasts.
Host Albert Maruggi weaves his 25 years of marketing and PR experience across business, technology and national public affairs in interviews with newsmakers, authors and business leaders.
Maruggi is a frequent speaker and conducts workshop sessions on new media. For more information or to discuss your business challenges and goals, e-mail him.
Marketers can no longer hide in an ivory tower from the conversations that are taking place among consumers, investors, customers and all of the publics in which companies operate, according to author Joseph Jaffe, our guest on this episode of the Marketing Edge.
We get into the issue of marketers creating a metrics hell. During Web 1.0 days, advertisers and marketers relied on the unprecedented metrics of click-thoughs, page views, time spent on site, and unique visitors. This gave them comfort and reduced the risk with senior management.
Building a relationship is much less predictable and measurable. Why? Because it’s a relationship; it’s an investment in the individual, not a neatly packaged recipe for making cookies.
Do you believe that the lack of predictable metrics and results are holding back marketers from adopting social media?
We touch on the advantages of American Airlines launching its blog, AAconversation.
We have a little fun with author Geoff Livingston for using Jaffe’s Twitter icon, but a tip of the hat to Livingston for donating to charity using Jaffe’s name, in a way. This started at Blogger Social last week.
Joseph Jaffe and I will be among the speakers at the NewComm Forum, sponsored by the Society for New Communications Research, April 22-25 in Sonoma, CA. Marketing Edge listeners: E-mail me for your discount code before registering.
Gary Koelling and Steve Bendt were Best Buy advertising guys in search of better information about the customer experience. Their first stop was the blue shirt sales associates on the floor of Best Buy stores who interact with customers everyday.
In their quest they developed an internal communications platform that generated thousands of conversations across the company. The result, more information, more issues, more solutions, more ideas, more impact — and a corporate culture that is beginning to appreciate that buy-in brings out the best in employees.
I visited Best Buy to interview Gary and Steve who are now senior managers for social technology based on the success of their 18 month experiment. They acknowledge that their focus on listening to the type of environment the employees wanted was essential for the employees participation. Without that they knew they would have nothing.
The images in this post are from Best Buy’s Blue Shirt Nation social network. Fun and interesting. Certainly designed to set a certain mood and create a welcoming atmosphere. They were inspired by Blue Shirt Nation users as Steve and Gary listened to their thoughts about making the site user-friendly.
Here’s my take on what they found as essential elements to a successful corporate social network platform.
Bottom up process to let users of the site help build the platform
Management that is willing to discover what their employees are capable of innovating
A willingness to act on the good ideas hashed out in the conversation of the group
Listen all the time to the conversations inspired by the users.
On a technology note, Blue Shirt Nation was built with the open source code Drupal www.drupal.org.
I will have more on this topic at a presentation I’m giving at the Society for New Communications Research NewComm Forum www.newcommforum.com April 22-25, in Sonoma County, CA – A host of great speakers including Shel Holtz, Paul Gillin, and Joseph Jaffe among others.
Get real about the virtual world with Linda Zimmer. In another preview of the NewComm Forum, I chat with Linda, who’s president and CEO of MarCom:Interactive. We discuss the real world of marketing opportunities in the virtual world of Second Life. Linda has a detailed understanding of this virtual world, and she will highlight aspects of that new 3D social networking venue.
Linda says the new media reality is in the hands of anyone and everyone. Established media as we know them are losing their audiences as those people shift to the newer forms of what is referred to “communal” media and stay ahead of a rapidly shifting media and its behaviors. Linda will present “Why you should be marketing in a virtual world” at 10:45 a.m. on March 8 at the third annual NewComm Forum, March 7-9 in Las Vegas, sponsored by the Society for New Communications Research and Lawrence Ragan Communications.
Want to help out a food shelter? Contribute! Give us some feedback by leaving a comment on the blog, e-mail us at marketingedge@providentpartners.net or call us at 651-695-0174. We will donate a food item for each comment we get. Thanks for listening.
In today’s Marketing Edge, I comment on JetBlue’s “customer bill of rights” and how it used public relations strategies to address its situation.
JetBlue’s “customer bill of rights” sounds like it was written by lawyers for lawyers and not the customer.
In the letter and the YouTube video, there was no mention of what the passengers who were so inconvenienced were to receive.
On the JetBlue Web site, it is not clear whether the customer bill of rights was the result of these long delays and cancellations or if it was launched prior to this terrible situation.
I think they should replace the current video with an updated version, showing the new operations area, where and how changes were made, and even interview customers.
If JetBlue has a loyal customer base (even Business Week had them pegged as a top performer), let them lead the charge with this customer bill of rights. There is a lot for all of us to learn with this situation, we will stay tuned with JetBlue and how it address this situation.
Is this customer-friendly language? From the JetBlue customer bill of rights: “Customers whose flight is delayed prior to scheduled departure for 1-2 hours due to a Controllable Irregularity are entitled to a $25 Voucher good for future travel on JetBlue.”
“Controllable Irregularity”? Come on. Is that really about the customer, or it is written for your legal team?
Second, the YouTube video featuring JetBlue’s CEO was a good use of that venue, but I think it could have been done better. For instance, the CEO should have described the situation. JetBlue let the news accounts set the tone. You’re the company in question, and surely you have a perspective on why and how this happened. Let’s hear it. Don’t let the viewer have to go to other sources to get the story.
The CEO, David Neeleman, seemed to be in a bit of a panic. Hey, there are worse things that can happen on an airplane besides sitting on a tarmac, so let’s keep everything in perspective. I think it makes them look like they don’t know how to run an airline. I mean, does it take this enormous circumstance to produce an effective solution in just two days? So the real question is, “Would you get on a plane if that guy in the video was the pilot?”
I realize it was a chaotic situation, and in the heat of the moment, it must have seemed like all hell was breaking loose. Cool heads need to put a crisis into perspective by considering the long-term impact of what is immediately disclosed. Quick reactions to these issues are important, but a measured reaction may be the best approach. My initial take on the company’s reaction to this situation is overkill, rather than the more appropriate laser-like focus. That said, the stock seemed to have regained its losses, so maybe all of this is for nothing.
In the letter and the video, there was no mention of what the passengers who were so inconvenienced were to receive. Check out Seth Godin’s blog for some perspective in which he doesn’t mince words. Give those most affected passengers a pile of free tickets and just make them happy, Godin suggests. Don’t worry about the millions that are just observing the story.
Now on to the NewComm Forum and our drawing to send one lucky person to the forum in Las Vegas. This included airfare, hotel and registration for one lucky winner. I interviewed our winner, Laurie Mainquist, who works for WindLogics. This will be Lori’s first time to Las Vegas, and she is looking forward to the NewComm Forum. Her company is a world leader in atmospheric modeling and analysis, and it has developed innovative methodologies for assessing long-term financial risk associated with wind energy.
Join me on March 8 at the NewComm Forum, I will be doing a presentation, in which I’ll cover “Interaction and engagement: New media as the key to buyers’ hearts.” Find out what the latest tools and technologies are — and how to use them — at the third annual New Communications Forum, March 7-9 in Las Vegas, sponsored by the Society for New Communications Research and Lawrence Ragan Communications. The NewComm Forum will build on the foundation of social media with examples of format styles, business cases, and how to integrate other social media, including blogs, wikis, videos, and yes, even college class projects, designed to put your product in front of that demographic.
Want to help out a food shelter? Contribute! Give us some feedback by leaving a comment on the blog, e-mail us at marketingedge@providentpartners.net or call us at 651-695-0174. We will donate a food item for each comment we get. Thanks for listening.
In another preview of the NewComm Forum, I chat with two companies that are reaching buyers by pushing the envelope in using social media and multimedia to win friends and influence buyers. I’ll highlight how, Sigler Music, a small music store in Fort Smith, Arkansas, has become a force in the music world by becoming a power seller on eBay. I take you through the real deal of buying my son drums for Christmas.
In my search I went through local music stores, I went on eBay, I participated in message boards, and used the Web for research. What captured me was the video Sigler Music used to demonstrate the drum kit on its eBay site. The video gave me a perspective that you can’t deliver with any medium other than video. Chris Ward, general manager of Sigler Music, believes that video helps restore the relationship between an honest, neighborly salesman and a person looking to satisfy a need.
Moving on to one of the giants in the retail space, Best Buy is combining its recognized brands with a focus on the small business and home office. We hear from David Hemler, the VP of sales and operations at Best Buy. He says the combination of brick-and-mortar stores and online research with the service capabilities provided by the Geek Squad portion of Best Buy can deliver a better consumer experience. It is a combination and positioning hard to match.
Join me on March 8 at the NewComm Forum NewComm Forum. I will be doing a presentation in which I’ll cover “Interaction and engagement: New media as the key to buyers’ hearts.”
Speaking of the NewComm Forum, be sure to enter the Provident Partners drawing to win a trip to the conference, including airfare, hotel and conference registration. Deadline is Feb. 13, so move fast!
Want to help out a food shelter? Contribute! Give us some feedback by leaving a comment on the blog, e-mail us at marketingedge@providentpartners.net or call us at 651-695-0174. We will donate a food item for each comment we get. Thanks for listening.
In another preview of the NewComm Forum, I chat with John Bell, managing director Ogilvy PR and executive creative director of the firm’s 360 Digital Influence team, about building a social media strategy. John talks about: introducing a complete social media strategy inside your organization, influencing the influencers, measuring success in today’s market, connecting a social media strategy to your organizations business plan.
John says that social media is the practice of activating influentials in different communities, reaching out and building relationships.
Social media is putting considerable value on relationships, candor and substance. A key issue for companies to deal with is losing control of the message. John says, “A key point is the business of building relationships, being willing to have open-ended communication.”
John will be doing the opening session on March 8 at the NewComm Forum, in which he’ll cover strategies and tactics for “Creating a complete corporate social media strategy.” Social media is changing how we communicate. Find out what the latest tools and technologies are—and how to use them—at the third annual NewComm Forum, March 7-9 in Las Vegas, sponsored by The Society for New Communications Research and Lawrence Ragan Communications . Other presentations at the NewComm Forum will build on this foundation with examples of format styles, business cases, and how to integrate other social media, including blogs, wikis, videos, and yes, even college class projects, designed to put your product in front of that demographic. My presentation will talk about that crafty tactic as used by the energy drink Bawls.
Speaking of the NewComm Forum, be sure to enter the Provident Partners drawing to win a trip to the conference, including airfare, hotel and conference registration. Deadline is Feb. 14, so move fast!
Want to help out a food shelter? Contribute! Give us some feedback by leaving a comment on the blog, e-mail us at marketingedge@providentpartners.net or call us at 651-695-0174. We will donate a food item for each comment we get. Thanks for listening.
The idea of podcasting for business continues to grow. For those who like numbers, I’ll point you to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (PDF) that shows us that 12 percent of Internet users had downloaded a podcast –- and that was back in April of 2005! The numbers for the 30-49 age range went from 10 percent in the spring of 2006 to 14 percent in August. The 50-64 age category went from 8 percent to 12 percent during that same period.
This chips away at the perception that anything with the word “pod” in it is just for kids.
Moving beyond the numbers, I believe that it is more about the benefits of the medium of audio than it is about playing the numbers game -– and Shel Holtz, another granddaddy of podcasting, agrees. So whether you are a big consumer brand like Purina or a boutique international business consultancy like Technomic Asia, chances are, you can find a meaningful, effective way to use podcasting to achieve business objectives.
In today’s conversation, Shel and I hit on some of the ways businesses are using podcasts. Good audio is a way for people to learn, have powerful experiences, and be entertained. The issue is, does a business entity have the information and skills to tell its story? One of the ways to find the answer is to attend the NewComm Forum in Las Vegas March 7-9. Shel and his “For Immediate Release” podcast co-host Neville Hobson of the marketing firm Crayon will put on a workshop on March 7, the day before the NewComm Forum actually starts, in which they’ll cover the foundation for the “how and why” of podcasting.
Other presentations at the forum will build on this foundation with examples of format styles, business cases, and how to integrate other social media, including blogs, wikis, videos, and yes, even college class projects designed to put your product in front of that demographic. My presentation will talk about that crafty tactic as used by the energy drink Bawls.
Speaking of the NewComm Forum, be sure to enter the Provident Partners drawing to win a trip to the conference, including airfare, hotel and conference registration.
Want to help out a food shelter? Contribute! Give us some feedback by leaving a comment on the blog, e-mail us at marketingedge@providentpartners.net or call our comment line (651-695-0174, extension 3). We will donate a food item for each comment we get. Thanks for listening.
Show notes:
1:00-3:00 — Podcasting 101 workshop overview and who benefits from attending
3:00-5:00 — Build vs. outsource podcasting capabilities
5:00-8:00 — Business use of podcasting
8:00-10:00 — Other business uses for audio
10:00-12:00 — How to register to win a trip to the NewComm Forum
Today’s Marketing Edge podcast is a look ahead at the upcoming New Communications Forum, March 7-9 in Las Vegas. As our regular listeners already know, I’m speaking at the forum, along with a whole slew of other great speakers from the world of “new communication.”
I spoke with Jim Ylisela, group publisher for Ragan Communications, co-presenter of the NewComm Forum. Ragan has partnered with the Society for New Communications Research to put on this edition, the third annual NewComm Forum. Jim and I discuss how new media like blogs, podcasts and wikis are affecting communication and marketing, and Jim gives us a glimpse of what to expect from the conference.
Also, a reminder: We at Provident Partners are giving away a free trip to the NewComm Forum. The prize package for our lucky winning communicator/marketer includes one registration, airfare and two nights’ hotel in Vegas. To enter, visit www.providentpartners.net/forum.
One final note: We’ve got a new blog site. We’ve moved from the old http://providentpartners.blogspot.com to the lovely new www.providentpartners.net/blog. If you’ve got our site bookmarked or you happen to have any links pointing our way, we’d appreciate it if you would update your links. Thanks!
[tags]NewComm Forum, Jim Ylisela, new media, marketing[/tags]
Gary Koelling and Steve Bendt were 
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