Slightware…you’ve heard of it…and likely experienced it too!
I’m thankful to Kenneth Weiss for sharing a chapter from his book Slightware - The Next Great Threat to Brandsthrough a brand strategy forum on LinkedIn. I took a quick read through the chapter and was intrigued enough to do some follow-up reading on Kenneth’s site. His book serves to not only put a name and face on the challenges (and misuse) brands face in a digital world, but also to remind marketers about fundamentals in customer engagement. Slightware is best defined in the following excerpt:
Brand building is fundamentally changing from a one-way transmission through media and marketing to a two-way transaction powered by software. Once again, the initial step of brands into this new era of technology will not go well. Brand and software will not be entwined gracefully. Done poorly, digital experiences will be slightly “off brand.” Done very badly, the brand will be slighted. This is the age ofSlightware.
We’ve blogged about and done client work around the area of online brand engagement. There’s so much to be said about this area and yet there are so many examples of major brands stumbling their way through it. At its heart, it comes down to whether marketers are thinking of (and executing) their online presence as a campaign or a conversation. Weiss does a great job summarizing this point in the visualization below:
So, as marketers in a new era of customer engagement (and customer power), we need to at times honestly evaluate our efforts and ask the question of whether we’re talking at, to, or with our customers. Often, that simple exercise helps assess the need to switch tactics or re-allocate resources.
I encourage you to check out Weiss’s work and examples of Slightware. Really good food for thought. Do any of his examples seem familiar to you…either as a marketer or as a customer??
Mirror post from CMG Partners Perspectives Blog
Only 1/4 of Companies are Managing Marketing Effectively
Check out the research my firm just published on how 400 companies surveyed are faring at improving the ROI on marketing. Some pretty interesting findings linking business performance to specific marketing management best practices.
Excerpt from the press release:
According to the results of a landmark survey of more than 400 companies by strategic marketing consultancy CMG Partners and market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey. The study, entitled The Marketing Performance Advantage, surveyed more than 400 companies across a variety of industries and company sizes to determine the key attributes of successful marketing organizations and to understand what marketing practices they employ.
“Glamping”…bogus marketing hype or exemplary recession opportunity?
I recently stumbled across a Wall Street Journal article with a word so fun to say that I haven’t been able to shake it. Glamping or “Glamorous Camping” is a new microtrend of budget-conscious vacationers looking for an outdoors experience without the rocks digging into your back while sleeping or the swiss-cheese tarp dripping rain all over your make-shift kitchen. Don’t be confused, it’s not simply about bringing the Ritz outside, it’s more of a formalized step forward from drive-up car camping.
So, who cares about a silly trend like glamping? For me, the interest is not necessarily in the details of the opportunity, but rather the overriding inference that, even in a recession, there are plenty of growth opportunities (and budding new markets). Trends like the increase in revenue for outdoor equipment retailers are sending a clear signal about the U.S. tourism market. ”Outdoor equipment store REI reports sales of family tents are up by 20%.”
As marketers, we’ve all learned how to sharpen our positioning and get creative about our message during a time when Americans care less about consuming and more about surviving…think “shopportunities” and “staycations“. The WSJ article also points out the opportunity for family-oriented hotel chains to diversify their offerings for economically challenged family travelers. Anyway you slice it, glamping offers opportunities for the consumer, retailers, travel websites, hotel chains, park operators, and more.
So while I’ll probably stick with my old grease-covered Coleman grill and not-so-spacious steamy tent, I’ll be keeping my eye on the development of the glamping market and the moves of well-poised participants. Because more now than ever, I continually press myself and our clients to be highly focused on the age old question ”What’s next?”
Mirror post at www.cmgpartners.com/blog
Launching a new airline - is it even possible today?!?
I was very disappointed to learn of the implosion of JetAmerica’s attempt to launch a new ultra-low fare airline. Not only would this be a great airline customer win, but it would’ve also signaled a dent in the grossly under-performing oligopoly represented by the big U.S. carriers. So, I find myself asking, is it even possible to start a new airline?
Almost 15 years ago, Steve Solomon of Inc. magazine attempted to describe what it would take in his article: How to start an Airline of your own. It’s clear many things have changed since this article was published, but surprisingly many things have stayed the same. Besides some of the obvious business fundamentals, JetAmerica proved that you also have to fight and win to obtain favorable landing times, terminal placements, and other base needs currently dominated by the big carriers. Ironically, of the 3 airlines Mr. Solomon said to watch at the time (Kiwi International Airlines, Branson Airlines, and UltrAir), all have folded since the time the article was published.
So the question remains whether it’s worth even investigating a new airline these days when so many have failed and so few actually turn a profit…
MarketingProfs Article - Published Blog Content
A blog post I wrote on the topic of online reputation management, and more specifically, about a tool called trendrr.com, was recently published in an article by MarketingProfs, an online source of marketing articles, seminars, and case studies for Marketing Professionals. You can check it out here:
http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/1177/trendspotting
This is the original Marketing Analytics newsletter used to send the article out:
http://www.marketingprofs.com/news/marketing-analytics/index.asp?nlid=1177&cd=dmo121
And this is my original blog post:
http://cmgpartners.com/blog/?p=858
What is “Foreverism” and why should you care…today?
Did you ever say to yourself or someone else, “Be careful what you say online…it lasts forever.”? I know I have. Even this seemingly conventional blog post will outsurvive me and my children! It will be around long after I die and will be find-able, search-able, index-able for years and years to come. I’m not trying to inflate my importance - it’s just a fact. But, there’s more to this notion of permancancy than just an eternal blog posting, and it has brought about a new term…”Foreverism”.
Trendwatching.com recently published their June 2009 trend briefing where they define “Foreverism”:
I know…this concept doesn’t seem new, but stringing these societal trends into the overriding concept of “Foreverism” is. This definition draws an obvious contrast to the primal consumer benefits so many business models, products, and marketers have been targeting for a long time: instant gratification, right now, immediacy, use it and lose it, etc. In many ways, this trend is a departure from the days of trying to do as much as possible for as little as possible in the shortest amount of time possible. So, let’s take a step out of the ethereal for a moment. Now…Forever…these are vague terms. How are consumers and businesses actually demonstrating their propensity for “foreverism”? Trendwatcher.com demonstrates “foreverism” by pointing to examples like online identities, perpetual beta, modular product platform design, and online conversations.
As marketers and business leaders, “Foreverism” provides both challenges and opportunities. There’s the opportunity to build brands with hopefully longer life spans. But, what happens when the brand needs to evolve or shift dramatically? The online brand presence can become a burden that may require a new brand name or more significant (and costly) modifications. While people usually have short attention spans, the Internet now unfortunately has the power to remind people about past events, conversations, misteps, and positioning. Just like the warning I discussed earlier in a personal context, the effect is even stronger for companies and brands.
So, there’s a lot at play here. Have consumers moved passed the necessity to have their needs met instantly and seamlessly? Do they desire some type of permanency? Something they can theoretically create, own, and interact with into eternity? I think it’s a trend worth noting. There will probably always be a need for “now” in the minds of consumers. But, in the age of unlimited calling, lifetime warranties, and immortal online identities, perhaps “foreverism” is well on its way.
What ways can you think of that companies and marketers can embrace and demonstrate this trend?
Repost from www.cmgpartners.com/blog
2D Codes bridge traditional and digital marketing media divide
Another cool technology to help bridge the gap between traditional and digital marketing. 2D scan codes allow users to take a picture with their camera phone of a code off of anything (newspaper, billboard, TV screen, etc.) and be automatically directed to a specific web page on their mobile browser. Very cool stuff…and seemingly a lot of really interesting applications. A few providers (besides Microsoft have emerged) including Scanlife and Jagtag. Big names like Nike and Sears have already begun experimenting and of course Japan’s been crazy about this technology for a while. Who’s next???
A great USA Today article here on the technology.
Nursing an online brand reputation analytics addiction
They say step number one is admitting you have a problem. Brand stewards have big questions stirring in their heads sometimes: ”where are people talking about us?”, “how big of a bang am I getting on this program?”, “am I actually generating the level of buzz I need to create awareness for my brand?”. So, of course, consultants like us love to try and answer that question. In an article we wrote on product launch, we give our take on the old saying “it’s a mixture of art and science”:
The tools used in the product launch process, such as market sizing and market research methodologies, alpha and beta frameworks, launch checklists, etc., are “the science”, whereas, deciding on which tools to apply and how to apply them, is “the art”.
Well, when it comes to the science of monitoring web presence and social media impact, I must admit my addiction to Trendrr. I haven’t been using it long, but so far I’ve found it incredibly useful for gauging the play certain terms, brands, companies, and people are having on the web. For any given topic, you can get everything from the number of matching Twitter posts per hour to the number of Google searches conducted. The best part is you can create your own data sets which will be captured and synthesized for you. This is particularly useful if the term(s) you’re searching for are too obscure or not mainstream enough for Google trends. You can also easily compare sets of data by using the Trendrr sketchpad, a spiffy feature that allows you to mashup multiple data sources into one easy-to-read graph.
Of course, measuring online brand reputation is not all about quantity . Quality, tone, passion, and other factors can be just as important as prominence. For a great list of free social media monitoring tools, I’d recommend starting with Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim’s 8 Essential Free Social Media Monitoring Tools.
So, while measuring and assessing brand reputation on the web can be an all-consuming exercise, simple free tools like Trendrr can be a great place to start!
Repost from www.cmgpartners.com/blog
The MBA Oath, a great step forward
I recently heard a piece on NPR about the MBA Oath started by a group of Harvard MBAs pledging to lead professional careers marked with integrity and ethics. Voluntary oaths are not uncommon in many professions, but this is the first to be associated directly with people holding graduate business degrees. Intrigued, I went read and signed the oath. I think it’s a great step forward for both the MBA degree and those of us who have sought it. The notion of “responsible value creation”, I believe marks a clear distinction to the past of singularly-focused, dog-eat-dog management. I was also compelled by the logic behind why the oath was created.
The short/verbal version of the oath is as follows:
As a manager, my purpose is to serve the greater good by bringing people and resources together to create value that no single individual can create alone. Therefore I will seek a course that enhances the value my enterprise can create for society over the long term. I recognize my decisions can have far-reaching consequences that affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and in the future. As I reconcile the interests of different constituencies, I will face choices that are not easy for me and others.
Therefore I promise:
- I will act with utmost integrity and pursue my work in an ethical manner.
- I will safeguard the interests of my shareholders, co-workers, customers and the society in which we operate.
- I will manage my enterprise in good faith, guarding against decisions and behavior that advance my own narrow ambitions but harm the enterprise and the societies it serves.
- I will understand and uphold, both in letter and in spirit, the laws and contracts governing my own conduct and that of my enterprise.
- I will take responsibility for my actions, and I will represent the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
- I will develop both myself and other managers under my supervision so that the profession continues to grow and contribute to the well-being of society.
- I will strive to create sustainable economic, social, and environmental prosperity worldwide.
- I will be accountable to my peers and they will be accountable to me for living by this oath.
This oath I make freely, and upon my honor.
The full version of the oath provides background on each of the eight commitments. So, I encourage all my Babson alumni and all graduating MBAs to take the oath…but more importantly truly reflect and strive to embody the commitments therein. Doing so says a lot about you and our degree!
Babson alum company goes from high-end to mass merch
When I was at Babson, we did a case (and followed closely) a company called P’kolino. They make high-end furniture for kids and have been quite successful at it. With most folks budget-constrained, they’ve figured out an interesting way to keep their core business while adapting to the need for low-end products. Great article on them in BusinessWeek.
Wishing them luck…
