Archive for March, 2010

The Relationship Era Inspires

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
The Relationship Era Inspires at SxSW

The Relationship Era Inspires at SxSW

The Relationship Era Inspires at SxSW

During SxSW Mark McKinney and Dan Patterson (of imc2) presented the idea of a new era in marketing that is more focused on brand sustainability than the prevailing promote –> persuade –> sell model on which the industry has relied for the last 50 years or so (and that is less effective).  The general consensus among participants was that having this conversation is a great start but there is still a lot of work to be done if this evolution to the relationship era is to take place sooner than later.

The Relationship Era Core Conversation was one of the best at SxSW.  Cutting edge strategic thoughts were openly discussed and debated by people from agencies and brands throughout the country – it’s only a matter of time before this sort of thinking dominates live strategic brand positioning discussions.

Social Fans More Likely to Purchase

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
US Internet Users More Likely to Buy

US Internet Users More Likely to Buy

Social Fans More Likely to Purchase

If a business doesn’t have a presence on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook they risk being seen as “out of touch” while missing out on valuable word of mouth and even sales.  Ina recent study by market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate not only are Facebook fans and Twitter followers apt to recommend brands they follow to others, they are also more likely to make a purchase from those brands.

While 60% of Facebook users and 79% of Twitter users are more likely to recommend a brand after becoming a friend or fan, over half of Facebook users and 67% of Twitterers are more likely to purchase from brands they latch on to.

“Companies not actively engaging are missing a huge opportunity and are saying something to consumers – intentionally or unintentionally – about how willing they are to engage on consumers’ terms,” according to Josh Mendelsohn, VP at Chadwick Martin Bailey.  Today’s consumers expect that a business will have a digital presence and the perception is that those that don’t are out of touch or are not interested in the demographic that frequents Facebook and Twitter.

Chill 3.0 at SxSW

Monday, March 15th, 2010
Andre Nader and Jared Golden at SxSW

Andre Nader and Jared Golden at SxSW

Chill 3.0 atop Fogo de Chao at SxSW

On Saturday at the Entrepreneur’s Lounge, aka Chill 3.0, Nader with Build a Sign and Golden, AMG’s CEO. The two contemplate if beers could send data from bottle to bottle when tapped together, like the BUMP iPhone app.  Next year at SxSW you two?

Pepsi Focuses on Brand Identity and Customer Loyalty

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Frank Cooper

Frank Cooper, Chief Consumer Engagement Officer, PepsiCo

Pepsi Pushes Social Graphs to Help Consumers Build Identity and Brand Loyalty 

Frank Cooper, Senior Vice President and Chief Consumer Engagement Officer at PepsiCo Americas Beverages, believes the approach markers have been taken for the last 75 years is no longer relevant.  Today brands need to add value to our lives.  “We remain in the middle of a brand marketing crisis,” Cooper says.

Marketers need to create what Cooper calls ‘identity value’.  The current brand marketing model is broken but Cooper and other forward-thinking marketers think it can be fixed and even become more relevant than ever.  The trick is for marketers to go the extra mile to be sure their brands are servicing consumers in a relevant manner.  Marketers should focus on how digital technology allows consumers to relate to brands in ways historically not possible.  The goal is to discover opportunities to add value to the lives of consumers’.  “As marketers, we need to create meaningful experiences for consumers, not just sponsor content,” Cooper states.