Vision Graphics Inc. Engaging Marketing Minds
TM
Vol. 4, Issue 4, July/August 2014
Hyper local How to get close to your customers
INSIDE Oh no he didn’t Best social sites for engagement The power of a question
Every company has a story to tell. It's how they tell their story that makes all the difference. Do more than just tell your story – engage your customers. Discover how the power of integrated marketing solutions can build customer relationships and influence decisions.
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publisher ’s letter
The only trend that matters E
very year, the pundits present the hottest trends in marketing. They highlight the latest in social networks, mobile access and content strategy. But one trend that will never go out of style is being customer centric. No matter what channel you choose to use, connecting is what matters. Regardless of the vehicle, you’re defined by the company you keep. When leadership teams discuss their value, the talk always comes back to the client. While there is an unrelenting need to define yourself by the products you make or the services you provide, the fact is that your value cannot rest within those items alone. You simply cannot be defined by what you make because those things can be duplicated, commoditized and tossed aside for the latest trend.
CONTENTS
No matter what channel you choose to use, connecting is what matters. Regardless of the vehicle, you’re defined by the company you keep.
06 Getting hyper
Consider a brand like Polo, where the iconic logo means more than the actual clothes. Polo shirts mean almost nothing without that little horse and jockey attached. But the logo doesn’t mean anything without the people who want to wear it. The clients who don Polo’s apparel are aspiring to a higher sense of self. In turn, they wear the logo to say something about who they are and the communities they associate with. The greatest marketers understand this premise. Certainly, the avenues of communication are critical, but the overall mindset that focuses on the customers they serve always will prevail. They realize that what defines them is more about who their clients want to be rather than the products they produce. As a result, their products and services are a direct reflection of their communities and their overall value is explicitly clear. In this issue, we delve into one of those “top trends.” Going hyperlocal typically is relegated to a mobile marketing strategy. But we took a little different spin in “Getting Hyper.” We believe you can be just as hyperlocal with print or any other marketing service. Either way, getting up close and personal with your clients is a sustainable trend. In our second feature, “Oh No He Didn’t,” we highlight the merits of being a little different with your marketing campaigns. While standing out in the crowd can be difficult, it’s usually a great way to get noticed. In that vein, we hope this issue gets you noticed and, as always, we are eager to help you stand out with your clients. Enjoy the issue and all the best.
14 Trending with...
Warmest regards,
Art Direction
03 Publisher’s Letter The only trend that matters
04 The Inbox
4 ways you can win the local marketing game
10 Oh no he didn’t Why out-of-the-box marketing campaigns can work
Social media expert Dan Grody
15 Hook, line and sinker Which social sites are winning the war of engagement?
Publisher
Mark Steputis mark.steputis@visiongraphics-inc.com
Managing Editor
Michele McCreath michele.mccreath@visiongraphics-inc.com Brent Cashman
Mark Steputis Publisher
Connect is published bimonthly copyright 2014. All rights reserved For more information contact Michele McCreath at michele.mccreath@visiongraphics-inc.com Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • July/August 2014
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The
Inbox
Too much time on
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their hands... July/August 2014 • connect – Vision Graphics Inc.
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hours a day. That’s how long Millennials spend on different types of media per day, according to research by Ipsos MediaCT, Crowdtap and the Social Media Advertising Consortium. The research also shows that on a daily basis Millennials prioritize social networking above all other media types, with 71 percent saying they engage in social media daily. Also of note, of the information they consume, Millennials trust user generated content (UGC) 50 percent more than information from other media sources, including TV, newspapers and magazines.
A More Beautiful Question:
We’re constantly working to keep younger consumers engaged by tapping into their passion points via social media, mobile, music and design. We want to be involved with our consumers in a way that means something to them.
The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas
– Brent Tyler, global brand manager at Zippo, on why the brand feels it’s important to stay intrinsically connected to Millennials
By Warren Berger It starts with a question. In his new book, journalist and innovation expert Warren Berger shows that one of the most powerful forces for igniting change in business and in our daily lives is a simple, under-appreciated tool – one that has been available to each of us since childhood. Questioning can help us identify and solve problems, come up with game-changing ideas and pursue fresh opportunities. In “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas,” Berger shows us why we often are reluctant to simply ask, “Why?” Even though children start out asking hundreds of questions a day, the art of questioning “falls off a cliff” as kids enter school. Berger details why that in an education and business culture devised to reward rote answers over challenging inquiry questioning isn’t encouraged and, in fact, is sometimes barely tolerated. Going inside the world of businesses such as Google, Netflix, IDEO and Airbnb, Berger details how the most creative, successful people tend to be expert questioners. Through inspiring stories of artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, basement tinkerers and social activists, you can see how a simple question can change the world around you. In a time when reinvigorating your business models is paramount, you may want this book and its strategy at the center of your reinvention.
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ell, at least they admit that being on the same page is good for business. According to the “CMOs and CFOs: Collision or Collaboration” report from Active International, chief marketing officers and chief financial officers agree they should be on the same page with each other: 77 percent of CMOs and 76 percent of CFOs deem such alignment highly important. Interestingly, the CMOs and CFOs surveyed are less sure about how that coordination affects the bottom line, with only 45 percent of each group saying misalignment has a moderate or higher negative impact on the financial results of their company.
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The percent of small businesses that plan to spend the majority of their 2014 annual marketing budget on retaining existing customers rather than trying to acquire new ones, according to the “Big Customer Loyalty in Small Business World” report by BIA/Kelsey and Manta. The report also shows that small business owners are spending most of their time investing in existing customer relationships, with 56 percent spending less than 25 percent of their time on efforts related to new customer acquisitions.
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Getting
4 ways you can win the local marketing game
hyper M
By Lorrie Bryan
y local grocery store is like a small-town market from a bygone era. The produce is fresh, mostly organic and locally grown; the shelves are stocked with wholesome foods made from the finest natural ingredients; the butchers, bakers and other employees are friendly and helpful; the seafood is certified sustainable, the chicken is free-range and the eggs are cage-free. The air carries the aroma of hearty baking bread, freshly ground coffee and fresh-cut flowers. In addition to offering all of my favorite healthy foods, my congenial grocer is a good neighbor. It donates considerably to area food banks and shelters, helps local school kids create gardens, makes loans to area farmers and each month provides breakfast for the volunteers who keep the nearby beaches clean. Ironically, this quaint market belongs to a national chain that has become the eighth largest public food and drug retailer in the country (it ranks No. 232 on the Fortune 500 list). In 2013, it enjoyed record profits and $13 billion in sales. And its employees love the brand, too. Whole Foods Market offers terrific benefits and a fun, friendly work atmosphere. The company’s exceptional work culture has garnered a spot on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” every year since the list began in 1998.
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Getting hyper One of the reasons for Whole Foods’ continuing success is its focus on local marketing. The grocer realized that its customers’ needs are different and vary from region to region, resulting in region-specific social accounts and content marketing strategies. It builds tremendous brand loyalty and trust by integrating its stores into the various communities it serves. And it all starts with its mission and concurrent strategic marketing plan. Donna Vieira, VP of marketing for interlinkONE, a software and marketing services company focused on lead generation activities, says most businesses that serve consumers could benefit from hyperlocal marketing strategies. “For the most part, most small businesses do need to focus more energy on marketing to local consumers,” Vieira says. “In 2013, MarketingProfs put out an article that said three quarters of U.S. consumer spending occurs at retail locations within 15 miles of the consumers’ homes. That’s a pretty staggering statistic. When you think of ecommerce, it really shows the immediate need to market locally, especially if you’re in a B2C environment. I can’t emphasize enough that it all starts with a solid marketing plan.” A marketing plan can include social media, direct mail, mobile messaging and/or automated marketing campaigns. Following are examples of how you can create loyalty and trust in your market:
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Integrated marketing campaigns
When retailers such as Whole Foods open a new store, they frequently launch an integrated marketing campaign that begins when local residents receive a direct-mail invitation to a grand-opening celebration. The invitations typically include information such as explanation of the company’s mission, a list of local partnerships and coupons for free merchandise. A select group of local community and business leaders may receive an invitation to a pre-grand opening that features free food, local vendor promotions and live music provided by local talent such as an area high school band ensemble. “Direct mail is frequently an integral element of successful marketing campaigns,” says Greg Retzer, sales director at Western States Envelope and Letterhead, a century old print company based in Wisconsin. “Direct mail is usually perceived as the least intrusive form of advertising, and despite changes in the way we communicate, most people still look forward to going through their mail every day. Many successful marketing campaigns begin with a direct mail piece that engages the reader and directs them to download an app, or visit a website or a brick and mortar location. When the content of direct mail is relevant and personal, there is even greater potential to engage and nurture a relationship, and build brand loyalty.” Retzer says that with the U.S. Postal Service’s EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) program, it’s easier than ever to target very specific local markets. In addition, cross promotion strategies, including media advertising and social media like local Facebook and Twitter, can provide another option to reach area residents.
“ For the most part, most small businesses do need to focus more energy on marketing to local consumers. When you think of ecommerce, it really shows the immediate need to market locally.” – Donna Vieira, VP of Marketing, interlinkONE
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Relevant content
Rising popularity of social media compels many business owners to create a presence on social media, but Meghan Skiff, founder of Mixy Marketing, and an inbound marketing expert, warns that “having a presence” on social media is not a sound marketing strategy. “Business owners need to build their strategy based on desired outcomes,” she says. “If the business is looking to leverage the local community in order to drive revenue, the goal is to take an active role in the community conversation, initiating and building loyal relationships over time. The focus should be on the customer, not the network. Social networks are simply tools to execute the strategy.” For example, Whole Foods successfully engages customers by offering useful, relevant content through a bimonthly 20-page newsletter that features healthy budget recipes, seasonal deals, recipes for in-season produce and several pages of store coupons. Facebook pages share store photos, event reminders, great recipes and customer reviews. Users of the iPhone and iPad can download a Whole Foods app that offers more than 3,000 recipes and the ability to create a shopping list for a particular recipe with one click.
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Marketing automation
Companies can use vehicles such as newsletters to get customers to opt in for timely reminders on special in-store events, and weekly specials and coupons via an automated marketing program. “Automating your marketing is essential in today’s busy world,” Vieira says. “With newsletters, social media sites, blog posts and your website to keep up with, you need tools that can help you stay on track with your goals without spending huge amounts of time.”
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“ The businesses that truly take advantage of local community brand building are building their own community of supporters within their physical community.” – Meghan Skiff, Founder, Mixy Marketing
Unique customer experiences
And while coupons are great, Andrew Davis, author of “Brandscaping,” says that businesses should not rely on them to build loyalty. “Brands should think about creating an experience so good they don’t need discounts and promotions. For example, instead of sending a discount for a product or service (which cuts into your profit for your most loyal customers), ask yourself what you can do to inspire them to come back? What can you do to get them excited about telling others about what you do?” Davis points to special events such as meet-and-greets and educational seminars as ways to create excitement and interest around your brand. The key is to create an ubiquitous, upbeat vibe that makes people want to be a part of what you are doing. “The businesses that truly take advantage of local community brand building are building their own community of supporters within their physical community,” Skiff says. “If this is done well, the business becomes part of each individual’s story. For the customer, it’s much more appealing to be part of the story than the target of a promotion.” Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • July/August 2014
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Oh no he didn’t Justin Ahrens @justinahrens – June 8
Day 10 wheels4water ride is done! Great ride in Ohio and through the great city of #Cleveland now for… _instagram.com/p/pAMScttr0/
Why out-of-the-box marketing campaigns can work By Michael J. Pallerino
W
hen you’re the oldest water development non-profit in the country and driven by deep-rooted Christian
beliefs, it’s easy to see why you might be overshadowed by the more flashy water organizations that have cropped up over the years. That was the challenge for Lifewater International. Not that
an organization that’s dedicated to effectively and sustainably serving the world’s rural poor through integrated water, sanitation and hygiene programs is complaining. Its work – training, equipping and empowering local partners around the world to provide their own communities with safe water – stands on its own.
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In the world of marketing, which runs the gambit from traditional, to strategically sophisticated, and in your face and out-of-the-box campaigns, getting to the end game (exposure, excitement, engagement, etc.) is the goal.
But when Rule29, an award winning suburban Chicagobased strategic creative firm, was looking to refresh the brand, it sought to create a more attractive way for younger, more engaged populations to take stock in the Lifewater story. And there was an added incentive. Rule29 founder and principle Justin Ahrens wanted to help the organization fund its water and sanitation program in Lira, Uganda. The end result was what would become known as “The Ride.” Ahrens and Brian MacDonald, owner of Wonderkind Studios, decided to create Wheels4Water – a 1,000-mile bike trip that would start in Boston and end in Chicago. The ride surely would get people’s attention – how could it not?
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Oh no he didn’t The baseline goal was to raise $40,000 to provide 1,000 people in Lira with access to clean water and sanitation resources for life. The broader goal was to use the ride as a platform for spreading the word about Lifewater and the work that it was doing. And the ultimate goal was to create a campaign that Lifewater could regenerate year after year to continue to raise funds and awareness. So, through a variety of mediums (video, social media, print and digital advertising, etc.), Rule29 launched a multi-faceted marketing campaign aimed at broadening Lifewater’s audience and creating opportunities for its future development as a brand. “We found the organization to be incredibly compelling, not only because they are so effective at addressing the worldwide water and sanitation crisis, but because they believe so deeply in the importance of the work that must be done,” Ahrens says. “They often had chosen less in-your-face marketing techniques. We wanted to change that.” In the world of marketing, which runs the gambit from traditional, to strategically sophisticated, and in your face and out-ofthe-box campaigns, getting to the end game (exposure, excitement, engagement, etc.) is the goal. Take what Domino’s Pizza did in 2011. In an effort to leap out of the box, the pizza chain moved its marketing efforts into real time by allowing live Twitter comments from its customers to be displayed on a Times Square billboard in New York City. The campaign, which ran for several weeks, inDavid Cooperstein cluded customer comments
“ If the creative isn’t a bit outrageous, the client should be outraged.” At right, Justin Ahrens and Brian MacDonald get ready for their Wheels4Water ride.
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– Steve Greenblatt, Senior Marketing Executive, ThinkPatented
“ The digital landscape is increasingly fragmented making it difficult to engage consumers with traditional media executions online, mobile devices and on social media.” – Scott Reese, CEO & Co-founder, blurbIQ Inc
ability to peruse a lookbook. The ads were set up so that users didn’t have to navigate Steve Greenblatt away from the page they were on to enjoy the content. But, if so inclined, they could head to the Macy’s site to purchase the cloth(good, bad or neutral) on a ing or share the ad campaign across differ4,630 square-foot billboard. ent platforms (online, mobile, tablets, etc.) The comments, filtered for bad on various social media platforms, including language and appropriateness, Facebook and Twitter. but not for sentiment, were Interactive media advertising company culled from what was called the blurbIQ created the 300x600 and 300x250 Domino’s Tracker. The device banner ads. The firm’s strategy was to invite allowed Domino’s customers to consumers to take part in the advertising, track the progress of their pizza where they are going to touch and discover orders online. Consumers whose additional brand material. comments were used also reScott Reese “The digital landscape is increasingly fragceived a link to a video clip of mented, making it difficult to engage consumers with traditional media their comments as they ran on the billboard. executions online, mobile devices and on social media,” says Scott ReWhen it comes to billboards, David Cooese, CEO and co-founder of blurbIQ Inc. “The strategy was to encourage perstein likes to talk about a Southern Caliconsumers to scratch off the call to action layer, all within the ad unit fornia campaign Audi ran when it introduced without having to leave the publisher page. The average time spent in unit the A4. The brand put a billboard up with the was more than 60 seconds.” line, “Your move, BMW.” Shortly thereafter, a Steve Greenblatt has seen his share of unique marketing campaigns. Santa Monica, Calif., BMW dealer struck back with a larger billboard With more than 40-plus years in the advertising world game; his stories that read, “Checkmate,” after the launch of BMW’s latest 3-series. The are endless. One of his favorites is the Kryptonite-Moses campaign. move escalated when Audi countered with, “Your pawn is no match By the early 1990s Kryptonite Lock had established a leadership for our king” above its R8 supercar sign. BMW finally ended the ad-off position in the physical security industry – largely in the bicycle and motorwith a blimp tethered to the Audi billboard that declared, “Game Over.” cycle markets. To appeal to a broader consumer constituency, they wanted “Dueling billboards; it was the perfect set up for ad campaigns to establish an impactful, quick and universally understandable message. to come,” says Cooperstein, the CMO at Simulmedia who has been As a theft deterrent, the no-brainer solution was to play off of the eighth involved in a number of brand and product launches as both an analyst commandment (thou shall not steal.) and practitioner. And, as luck would have it, the product had roughly the same shape as the fabled stone tablets that Moses was said to have carDid you see that? ried down from the mountain. Suddenly, the product became its own The banner ad. They are hard to ignore. Now, whether you remember positioning line, and the brand gained overnight traction in many new what you see is an altogether different story. Macy’s set out to change markets and became the “household term” for U-locks. all of that with a banner ad campaign it conducted for the apparel brand Greenblatt, who today works as a senior marketing executive for Maison Jules. ThinkPatented, a cross media marketing and printing company in MiThe campaign didn’t rely on static images and text. Instead, it amisburg, Ohio, says that out-of-the-box campaigns should be someenabled users to “scratch and “peel” banner ads that revealed 12 thing every brand strives for. “If the creative isn’t a bit outrageous, the different Parisian-themed outfits. Buttons offered options for a variety client should be outraged.” of activities, including watching a video featuring the clothes and the Vision Graphics Inc. – connect • July/August 2014
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Q&A:
Interview with Dan Grody
Trending with ... Social media expert Dan Grody
D
an Grody knows a good tune when he hears one. As a partner at Tellem Grody, the agency counts on his diverse musical taste to drive its consumer product, music and social divisions. He also spearheads all of its social, youth marketing and entertainment-related projects. Not bad for the former intern, who methodically worked his way up the corporate ladder. After studying music professionally, Grody began expanding that end of the practice within the agency by adding clients such as LAMA College for Music Professionals, Drum Channel, Mannheim Steamroller and Cradle Rock. Here are his insights on what social should mean to your brand.
Building organically takes a lot of time. … Figure out how to humanize your presence online. It’s about people, not brand logos. What’s everybody missing when it comes to what social media means to a brand? For starters, you must know your audience and the emotional reasons they engage with your brand online. Also, many businesses and brands entering the social media landscape need to know their presence is not about quantity of followers, but quality. After you have a genuine understanding of your audience, it’s important to map out your strategy for your social media presence. Many businesses jump into more platforms than they’re prepared to handle or they don’t understand the makeup and demographics of each platform. So, figure out which platforms are most important to your customers, and then find what would inspire them to follow your brand and engage with your content.
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So, you don’t want to sell them here?
No, do not aggressively spam or sell your followers. That’s the quickest way to turn people off. They don’t log into social networks to see your advertisements. They want to feel closer to your brand, get inside information and learn about things first. Remember: You don’t own social media. Use it to engage and listen to your customers, and then drive traffic to your website (which you own) and build your email databases (which you own). Many small businesses will put the youngest person in the office on social media duties when it should be managed by a seasoned communication or marketing professional. Social media execution requires more knowledge than having grown ups using Facebook.
How should expectations be gauged when you set out into the social world? Social media is just one of many tools you can use in your marketing and PR campaigns. Don’t expect something to go viral just because you have a Facebook page or YouTube video. Define the ultimate goal of your social media presence. Set precise, realistic goals and objectives. Stalk your competitors and research engagement benchmarks for your industry.
What’s the one thing every brand should expect from a social media campaign?
Expect that social media is a very serious commitment. Building organically takes a lot of time. You’ll need to budget for paid/sponsored features to expose your content to larger audiences. You can’t just post content once a week and expect to get much from it. Figure out how to humanize your presence online. It’s about people, not brand logos.
Can social media really help build a thought leadership position? Absolutely. You can be an influencer and master of your topic online if you can handle disagreement or perhaps even be proven wrong. But hang in there, and you’ll win over fans – people who will defend you and support your statements online. It seems so obvious, but instead of being all about self-promotion, figure out how you can actually help your customers and answer their questions, and you will become the voice of your market.
Before You
Go
Hook, line and sinker Which social sites are winning the war of engagement?
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ike my post. Retweet me. Check out this video. We get it. We spend an egregious amount of time on social media. So, where do we spend the most time? According to Shareaholic’s ”Social Referrals That Matter” report, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn are driving the most engaged social referrals to websites. The study examined six months of data across its network of 200,000-plus sites and more than 250 million unique monthly visitors. Here are the sites we love the most:
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