soulati.com

Digital Marketing Strategy, PR and Messaging

Soulati-'TUDE!

Archives for May 2010

Adaptive Marketing–Bah, Humbug

By

For the last several weeks, I’ve been focusing on discussions about client teams in law firms. Business development, cross selling, and lawyers as business people are all topics front and center.  Some of my clients in the legal vertical deliver business of law services to law firms.  These suppliers’ law firm clients, mostly large, seek improved efficiencies, technology to improve productivity, and a greater slice of the decreasing client pie.

Law firms are grappling with lawyers who are not traditionally good in business or sales; they practice law. Most of us in professional services would prefer to practice our trade than sell. Unfortunately, it’s a survival tactic, and universities are rushing to rectify this oversight with more business education in law schools.

In , 2010, a gathered at a Marketing Forum to foretell the new era of  “adaptive marketing.” In a keynote address, , chairman-CEO of CRM agency , said, “Marketing’s day for transforming competitive advantage inside the organization has arrived. Competitive advantage in the future will be based on how well we can change and influence the behavior of an individual consumer.”

Williams adds, “Marketers need to build an enterprise-wide strategy that is focused on the value of the customer as a core business strategy.”

Perhaps lawyers need to be better marketers rather than experienced business people, eh?

My objection is about the descriptors and vernacular being tossed around as labels for plain old client service.   When referring to “client behavior” (like at the Forrester symposium), it feels like something akin to a science experiment. Hey, we’re people here!

I appreciate and respect industry analysts’ programs for the good of marketing’s future. The more I read, the more I’d prefer to focus on relationship building and delivery of leading- edge, results-driven marketing public relations oriented to keeping clients satisfied with high-quality work product.

I realize there are metrics, measurements, KPIs (key performance indicators), and whatever quality standards are in force on a given day. What I see missing are people skills that lead to strengthened relationships.

A few buzz words might get you thinking along my lines — politeness, respect, courtesy, and trust.

Am I barking up a lilac bush or an oak tree here?

Using a Holistic Approach in Public Relations

By

The May 3, 2010 BtoB story on Microsoft’s marketing reorganization earlier this year struck me a bit odd. Microsoft is executing a new, more holistic approach with its agencies by working horizontally across all campaigns to be more collaborative. The old Microsoft way was to brief agencies and then wait until they returned with impressive creative.

Collaboration breeds success, and this is why I was taken aback with the Microsoft story. No agency functions well without full disclosure (or close to it) and understanding of a client’s business, services, products, people, stories, and goals. While the Microsoft story in BtoB magazine was about marketing and advertising agencies, a collaborative approach applies across disciplines.

When in a client/agency relationship, public relations succeeds when there’s give and take. I’ve been in a one-way client/agency relationship (as the agency), and it went poorly; nobody wins.

Perhaps there needs to be more understanding how to work a new relationship at the onset. Here are some basic suggestions to put a win-win approach in place when hiring a public relations team:

  1. Clients should appoint a day-to-day point of contact for the agency. This person should be a middle-manager or director level with some decision-making power.
  2. The public relations team should be introduced to internal client teams and be allowed some maneuverability within the company.  
  3. Keep public relations teams informed at all times about what’s happening internally. Add outside public relations teams to distribution lists and forward background frequently. 
  4. Feed and fuel the relationship with discussions about current events and how global and national news impact the company.
  5. Invite the public relations team to internal meetings with marketing and sales.
  6. Understand that public relations continually develops strategy based on new information. Information sharing keeps high-level strategy and program execution at a fast and results-driven pace.

What other tips can you add to help a client/agency relationship succeed?

Vehicle Buying Habits

By

I’m impressed with my impression of how much a story (good old traditional media relations) in Fast Company has me eager to explore a Ford as my next vehicle. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to say that; my grampa drove Ford (enough said!).

Back step a minute…

The quest is on for a 7-passenger SUV (not a soccer mom mini-van, please, although I do coach my daughter’s team) that may or not remain a Toyota. The more news I consume, the more confused I am about which direction to head. Factors strongly in the nay column are companies that accepted government bailout monies we taxpayers funded, as well as the overall  health of the corporation (GM? Nope).

I certainly won’t end up “like” Simon…

Simon Dumenco is (sdumenco@adage.com) The Media Guy for Advertising Age. In his opinion column April 12 he writes “What a pathetic, passive, compliant consumer I’ve become! Like, over there, in the kitchen: my incredibly easy-to-use Senseo coffeemaker, which I thought I loved. But it only accepts certain kinds of coffee pods. How devious! And my sleek Braun toaster: Sure, it can accommodate sliced bread and bagels, but could I cook a pot roast with it? No! Does it have a camera? No!”

I’m fiercely loyal to Toyota and have always loved my three-row Highlander from the get go. According to Advertising Age, Toyota sold more cars in March than it did in January and February combined. The “impressive bump” is a credit to the brand’s “almost fanatical consumer base and bargain hunters.”

Case Study with Self

I decided to use my own situation as a case study in consumer-buying habits. As I move through the steps toward this large purchase decision, I’ll share the various communications channels I’m using to get there.  To date:

  • Word-of-mouth marketing — Twitter helped direct me to Ford and Volvo 90. After taking a look, I was impressed by both and swayed by the Volvo brand.
  • A comment on this blog directed me away from Volvo because it’s being sold (don’t want to be stuck like Saturn owners).
  • Upon reading the April Fast Company story, “Ford’s Big Reveal, The next generation of Ford’s Sync technology will turn its cars into rolling, talking, socially networked, cloud-connected supermachines. Introducing America’s most surprising consumer-electronics company.” (And that’s merely the headline!)
  • In a nutshell, Ford’s alliance with Microsoft is bringing leading-edge connectivity to its now pared down and more manageable line of vehicles.  Voice- enabled and hands-free phone dialing and answering, music selection, navigation, climate control, and so much more are putting Ford vehicles ahead of the curve.  
  • Worth looking at, don’t you think? Then again, perhaps the thought of owning a talking car like David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider is what’s compelling.
  • Two soccer moms sat in their Toyota Sequoia monstrosities (I think they were matching). Upon walking up to them (windows were down) I queried them about Toyota. Immediately, they both said, “I’d buy another Toyota in a heartbeat, the problem has been fixed already!”

Indeed.

Blogger’s Reflection

By

Today’s post is much about balance and harmony – finding that Holy Grail of work/life balance that feels so unattainable. The news does nothing for that – Greece, oil and environment, terrorism plots foiled and more coming, financial reform, Congressional fighting, product safety, health fears and obesity, greed and need of money, taxes and audits.

And, then, there’s the blogosphere. I’m new; this is my 45th post. I’m a mere babe still trying to find a voice and perfect a direction and target audience.

Blogging is thrilling, pressurized, heady, demoralizing, and a confidence boost or confidence bother. It’s exactly what you make it, how you regard it, and how you address the emotions that come with it and people who insert their opinions.

Those whom you’ll meet on the path may love what you say, disagree wholeheartedly, perplex you with a comment, suggest foolishness to content or writing style, and pressure you to think outside the box.  It’s what makes blogging real, and pushes you to improve with every post. 

Reading others’ blogs religiously may be a blogger’s biggest idea killer. Keeping up with the Jones’s and developing a topic that resonates with everyone is impossible. Writing style either nods heads or provokes consternation. Content ticks someone off, or pushes someone to tell a story of their own in agreement.

Here are more of my Blogging 101 tips to add to those I developed early on:

  • Select a topic that jazzes you, not one that everyone else is writing about that day or week.
  • Regard comments as enrichments to the conversation; consider these perspectives as fodder for thought, further content, an opportunity to stick to your guns or alter your own opinion.
  • Be of healthy mind when opening yourself to the world.  Comments can get under your skin and raise doubt or make you soar with the excitement of the post (I loved the Nestle and Greenpeace posts).
  • Be wary of those who seek to dismantle your inner serenity and sense of self but be open to the perspectives that push thinking to a higher plateau.
  • Take a day off; no one is asking for 7-days a week of posts. Find your own healthy rhythm, and when it feels like a chore, take a closer look at from where those emotions are coming.

Attaining 100 percent compatibility with the world is unattainable; if that’s anyone’s blogging goal then find another way to express yourself.