I would like to say that this rule lends itself toward common sense, but we all know common sense is not that common!
Anywhere I go, I find that there is always someone that is asking questions pertaining to what I want or am trying to find. If I walk into a store, a greeting is usually followed by questions, starting with "Is there something I can help you find?".
When I buy a gift for someone, I need to know something about that person. They say gift cards are impersonal, and they are right; they can be impersonal. Keep in mind - gift cards are only impersonal if they don't benefit the person receiving them.
Food For Thought: As a Second grade teacher, my sister sometimes receives gives cards from parents at Christmas and the end of the year. It is a wonderful gesture. She especially appreciates gift cards that can be used for her classroom. Parents that know anything about her would never buy her a giftcard from Starbucks...she doesn't drink coffee. Chocolate milk is more her style. Unfortunately, every year she receives multiple gift cards from Starbucks...which is great for me anyway!
Marketing is very similar. In order to reach an audience, a company must understand their customer at a level that in prior times would have been impossible. The availability of information today is impressive. All I need to complete some research today is a smart phone with apps or a computer with access to the internet.
When I was in high school, computers were still a fairly rare find, and they were definitely not found in every home....and I am really not that old! I was one of the lucky few students who had the opportunity to complete my research paper on a computer instead of a typewriter. Adding footnotes and bibliographies with today’s technology is very simple (as long as you know how to use the software). Before then, it was challenging to make sure the footnotes and references ended up on the same page with the correct formatting!
There is a wide gap between technology available today and the audiences that utilize each of the marketing channels. It is more important now than ever to understand your target audience and the channels that reach them. Older populations are reached more readily by the use of television, radio, and print, whereas younger generations are better accessed via technology and social media.
This rule is simple and straight forward: Know your market.
I would like you to consider this Super Bowl ad from 2002:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9030249634811859116#
Do you remember this ad running? Why did Budweiser do it? Why did it run only once, but become a viral phenomenon? What do you think?
Do you remember this ad running?
ReplyDeleteThanks for this link and this ad.
I had never seen it before. For one, in 2002 I did not know yet what a super bowl is and since it only aired one I am not surprised I did not see it :-)
Why did Budweiser do it?
Good question. The only answer I can think of is from Spiderman: "With great power comes great responsibility." Even though Belgian InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch in 2008, Budweiser represents an all American brand.
Why did it run only once, but become a viral phenomenon? What do you think?
I believe the intent was not to "financially benefit from it." This ad reminds me of the "laddering" technique in marketing. Laddering involves progression from attributes to benefits to more abstract values or motivations and suggests that there is a means-end chain. Somehow Budweiser makes a connection between the clydesdales to values like respect, pride and sympathy. In a way the core value of the Budweiser brand is "American" and feeling united as Americans. The brand breaks free from the product restrictions of beer and gives a lot of flexibility in communicating emotions.
I think the laddering is a great point that I hadn't thought of. The example of the Mini Cooper billboard is an example. As you drive past the RFID tag IDs you and personalizes a message. This alerts the other drivers how "important" Mini (BWM) thinks it's owners are. Its an add, but really it imprints Mini onto your brain, similar to the Budweiser ad we linked to.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think companies jump on the bandwagon without fully thinking through their strategy? And what kind of radical experiments should companies be trying to reach out to new users/followers?
ReplyDeleteI recall seeing that ad; I think Sandra put it well that Budweiser has branded itself as an all-American beer. I believe the commercial was based on a branding strategy in that regard; it shows its customer base and non-consumers that it is a patriotic brand.
ReplyDeleteMany companies seem to jump on the bandwagon without fully understanding its strategies for the same reason that the author heard a top executive say in a meeting, "Because it's cool and everyone's doing it."
ReplyDeleteAlong with what Eric said, Budweiser is an American brand, and like the American people it is aimed at, Budweiser wakes up and goes into work every morning. This commercial connects with the target market well. It may have only been viewed once to make a slight impression, knowing that many people viewing this commercial will be looking for it on YouTube during another day in the office. This may give that viewer something to connect with at Budweiser.
However, at that time, 'Patriotic' wasn't just "cool", it was essential to every fabric of our life at the time. This commercial aired just a few short months after 9/11. We were in the middle of 2 wars, the hunt in Afghanistan and had just started in Iraq looking for Saddam. The background clearly shows NYC. There was more to this ad than simply "jumping on the bandwagon". It was heartfealt by every American...something a company definitely wants associated with its brand...and especially if it calls itself the "American Beer".
ReplyDeleteAlso, this was a continuation of a series of ads that ran just a year or 2 earlier with the Clydesdales playing football against a mountain backdrop. By contrast, in this commercial, they travel a long distance to pay their respects. It doesn't make me want to drink beer (well, not explicitly), but it does garner props and respect...ultimately, translated into 'brand loyalty'.
For me Rule #1 is all about setting the foundation for a successful e-marketing/social media campaign. Social media like any other form of marketing needs not only to align tactics with business objectives and core competencies but also understand the customer. This chapter reminds us that to increase our likelihood of success we must understand our target audience and align our digital media offering to target specific needs. Mathieson says it well when he stated: “Know thy customer-and thy channels … If you don’t know who your customers are, what they like, and how they use-and want to use- digital media, you’re just shooting in the dark. But armed with customer insights, the sky’s the limit.” The Dove campaign is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteMy take on why it aired once: there are very few opportunities to air a spot like that in an appropriate context. I expect it was designed specifically to air in the Super Bowl (period).
ReplyDeleteThere was no viral plan (I question whether it was even a "viral phenomenon"). There is always profit motive, but the spot was appropriate and tasteful.
A strong American brand in the ultimate American television broadcast (Bud's always a huge Super Bowl advertiser) almost has an obligation or responsibility to address 9/11 within that venue. Budweiser did it in its own, unique brand language (Clydesdales).
I don't see the Budweiser-9/11 Tribute commercial as a "know your market" example, but it was beautifully executed for a very specific time and purpose.
Re: "know your market" - the Big Picture reference (though lost on many) was completely appropriate in the in-class presentation. So often, online tactics start and end out on the far right side of the model, when every effort should begin on the left.