Marketing

Don’t Tell Me – Sell Me!

I read a report today that women multi-task better than men. Published by Integrated Media Measurment Inc, the survey looked at how almost twice as many women both use the Internet and watch television at the same time compared to men.

While I found the survey a little obvious (everyone knows women multi-task better than men!),? it did make me wonder – how is this information being used?

Let’s look at the key group, for instance.

The biggest percentages of women that are using the Internet while watching TV are the ones that fall between the ages of 19 and 39. For this age group, many of the most popular shows include Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Medium, 30 Rock and Big Shots.

This doesn’t take into account the most popular genres like soaps, lifestyle, reality TV and chat shows. So the question then becomes are brands using this audience effectively?

Media Convergence

Let’s say I’m the marketing director for one of these shows. I find out that while my target audience is watching the show, there’s a good chance that they’re also online at the same time. So shouldn’t I be using that to my advantage? How about…

I offer fans of the show the option to register at my show’s website.

When the show is on, anyone using the Internet at that time gets pinged with a time-sensitive message offering exclusive offers for the duration of the show. It could be fan apparel, memorabilia, discounts on DVD boxsets, etc.

Pick random email addresses by location, give them free tickets to their favourite show and run their website username along the bottom of the screen as a way of saying, “Thanks for being a fan”.

These are the really obvious approaches and they’re also limited to first runs and live shows. Yet the concept is feasible and the technology is there. As far as costs go, take it a little step further with your advertisers. Show them the numbers of online users you have outreach to, and allow them to place similarly unique offers to those online users for a nominal fee increase in their advertising rates.

What do you think? Would you be interested in your favourite show or brand engaging you in this way? If not, and you fall into the group the IMMI survey mentions, what would you advise when it comes to brands interacting more with your online use?

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Get Your Thundercats Groove On To Market Yourself

: Image via Wikipedia

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m a bona-fide geek who has a lifetime subscription to the comic book industry and fantasy creators everywhere. I’m not ashamed of it (although my wife may laugh and tell me to grow up), and I also know it’s not for everyone. It is for me, though.

Yet before you join in the laughter (if you’re about to – maybe you’re a fellow geek too?), let me ask you something:

How much are you being creative with the tools that you have around you?
Are you exciting people with your plans both current and future?
Are people talking about you in the communities you share?
Are you taking existing tools and technologies and turning them into something even better?

If you don’t have a positive answer for any or all of these questions, you’re missing out on great opportunities to expand your name, your brand, your business and your community. Especially when it’s free or, at the very most, a few dollars a month.

We Can Rebuild It – We Have The Technology.

Look at any of the advances we’ve made and it’s usually someone taking an existing idea and running with it. Making it better, stronger, more complete. Brakes on a car becoming anti-lock brakes; vacuum cleaners becoming bagless cylinder cleaners; phones becoming wireless. Everything using already good products and making them great.

Use the same approach for yourself. Look at what makes your life easier, online and off, and see how you can improve that for both yourself and those around you.

Take inspiration from someone else and re-invent it for yourself. See what your peers and contemporaries are doing and ask yourself why you think they’re enjoying success in whatever they’re doing. Is it because they’re more experienced, or more open, or more communicative? Look, listen and learn. And then take the best parts and make them even better.

Be Creative.

How are you getting your message out? How do people know about your experience, your services, your difference from others around you? Maybe it’s time to take a step back and look at differentiating yourself and offering another way for your talents to shine.

There are plenty of tools to help you. Want an all-in-one place to link to your most important places, profiles or examples of your successes? Use a MeeID account to give people a 10-line snapshot of you. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s entirely up to you how you use it best. Go all out and set up multiple accounts – personal, social networking and business. Really, the choice is yours.

Or update your resume and use a Visual CV instead. It’s using the same basic information you’d have on a normal resume and then some. As a tool for marketing yourself , it’s hard to beat. Have it on your blog, or link to it from your MeeID profile. Use the tools to connect with each other and you’ll answer anyone’s questions before they’re even asked.

Time is one luxury very few of us have. We can’t always come up with great new ideas and tools from scratch. Using the tools from those already a few steps ahead of us and making them our own is the next best thing.

This fan video shows just what can be achieved with some existing resources and creativity. How are you using your Thundercats groove?

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Drop The Retainer If You Want to Retain

The day of the large retainer fee is over. Upfront and ongoing fees charged by PR, advertising and marketing agencies used to be the normal way to conduct business, but this is no longer the case. Truth be told, it hasn’t been the case for a while and more agencies need to realize this.

The massive stock crash and financial mire the economy finds itself in has affected everyone, from huge corporations to micro-businesses and everyone in-between. This has resulted in many companies either reigning in their agency spend or cutting ties altogether. The main reason for this has been the exorbitant retainer fees charged by many.

Smart agencies stopped this practice a long time ago, and changed over to value-based pricing. Instead of expensive monthly retainers and high hourly rates, value-based pricing charges on delivered results. This could be number of new customers, amount of new revenue, amount of press received, etc.

The benefit to the client is obvious – they aren’t shelling out for a monthly cost that may return very little. They also know that their agency is working properly for them – no results, no huge project fee regardless of success.

Many agencies decry value-based pricing, saying that it isn’t manageable and there are too many variants to take into account. I disagree – this is where getting to know your client comes in. You know, the role you’re being paid for?

As more businesses realize that high-cost retainers are becoming a thing of the past, the more they’ll look for agencies offering value-based alternatives. Will your agency be one?