The Offer Within

Once you get the attention of the consumer - what steps do you take to get them engaged further? Think about all the marketing communiqués that you put out - we spend so much time on the outside to get the recipient to pay attention. Here are some key things to do to get the consumer to get engaged even further.

If the goal of the headline is to lure your consumer in, then goal of the copy within is to drive them to the next step. So to start things off - define what the next step is? Think about the specific goal of that communiqué. If the goal is to get the consumer to go to the next page - write the copy to get them there. If the goal is to get them to fill out a survey - give them the 'value' reasons on why they ought to take the next step. Think about ways to continue the intrigue, offer an incentive, showcase the value - if getting them to the next page is one of your goals.

Financial institutions do an effective job by leveraging the use of calculators. These calculators give the consumer an option to come up with 'what-if' scenarios. Intrigued, the consumer starts moving towards the next steps.

Once the consumer has been brought to the right page - be crisp, clear, & concise in telling them what to do next. Many retailers are challenged with how to narrow down on the offers - in a situation like this it is okay to have the navigation bar on the left / top / bottom - so the consumer is able to find other things themselves. The goal again is to make it easy for the consumer to focus in and find your offer within.

PS - If you want to join our call on 17 best practices for email marketers - you can sign up at Service-in-Action.

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17 Steps to Effective Email Marketing

Email, social media, & mobile are your keys to the digital world. The opportunity with email is that it has the potential to take over from direct mail & drive significant relevance.

Many practioners have been leveraging this tool to reach out to those they serve with a myriad of offers & engagment strategies. We wanted to pull you together to discuss ideal practices - a recap checklist for experts, & a solid foundation for those starting out.

Getting a consumer to give you their personal email Id is challenge enough, getting that consumer to pay attention to the email you send is even more important. How best can you ask for email, how can you get the consumer to pay attention, and how can best can you keep the dialogue going? There are many ways to leverage email to build brand recognition, maintain customer relationships, and drive new sales.

Join us tomorrow - February 26 from 2 - 2:45 pm EST as we discuss strategies on customer acquisition, collecting consumer preferences, determining message frequency, strengthening your creative materials, your copy and call to action. We will also help you get the most from your reports, leverage available social media and discuss ways to get your entire organization to help further your initiatives.

To get more information on the call go to Service-in-Action. Oh, and if you miss the call - you can always come back to listen to the podcast.

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15 Minute Video on Social Media

My friends at NAFCU helped me put together a video on social media engagement.

Take a look at this presentation on best practices around social media engagement. Credit Unions do an awesome job in making customers MEMBERS. Member on-boarding, member engagement, & member interaction form the basis of business at any Credit Unions.

There is lot more to come at NAFCU's Credit Union CEO conference.

Hope to see you there.

Here is link to the video - 'An Executive Introduction to Social Media.'

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An Executive Introduction to Social Media

A group of 'C' level executives recently met to speak about how they can leverage social media into their marketing mix. We started by asking people what they knew. It was interesting to note that they knew all the buzzwords, that they were aware of key trends, & were in touch with what their competition was doing on social media.

However, here were some key issues -

1. The 'execs' didn't truly understand all that was available. Besides the buzzwords and some social media channels - they didn't really know what could be done.

2. They were doing things because others were doing the same exact thing.

3. They all meant well - their primary interest was to build a sustainable ROI business with each social media channel.

We spent a very productive half day where we looked at all the options - here is a quick summary:

Start by picking all the channels where your recipients hang out. List all of these channels, and understand how each channel works.

Next engage your recipients to see where they would best like to interact with you. One suggestion is to pick three social media channels to start things off.

Develop key strategies to lure recipients, engage recipients, & keep them coming back for more.

Plan your interactions through a series of step by step use cases.

Be sincere. Dedicate resources and work with your team to make sure that things happen. Set small goals, measure your performance, & evaluate your goals.

We had a very simple assignment where we tried to develop a strategy to get people to come to a workshop. We went down three paths - the traditional path, the social media path, and a hybrid path. The hybrid path included a little traditional and some social media. We tracked the responses with goals of time, the ability to measure responses, and cost. Of course there are a number of other metrics - but simple exercises like this helped us decide what path was ideal and how best to assign ROI.

Social media is an absolute and is best utilized if integrated into your marketing mix.

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The Best 'NEXT' Campaigns

So much time & money is spent on converting prospects into customers or members. We advertise on TV, the radio, print, & all over the web. The target of our campaigns is given a path to take to find our offer. Here are some tips to make your subsequent interaction a little more effective.

First, raise the level of intrigue or delight in your offer - it is a better way to attract people quickly.

Next identify where they originate from and acknowledge their arrival appropriately. So if someone found you because of an ad on TV, send them an email acknowledging the source. Think about assigning source codes to how you first met the recipient. This helps in your segmentation strategy down the road.

Now acknowledge people as they come in by talking to them contextually. Train your site and people to listen and then respond. Arm them with scripts so they can engage the recipient in a dialogue. If someone has come in to get the 22 tips on how to save - send them a message with that information. This is the start of a relevant conversation.

Finally, don't just send them the information they requested. Ask them for a little more information. Engage them in a dialogue and then follow up with a 'welcome stream' of relevant messages.

Use each interaction to build up your knowledge about the recipient. Don't just focus on a single channel. And, don't forget to tie your social media channels into the marketing mix.

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Building Relationships: 52 First Dates

Yesterday I wrote about engaging the recipient with the pizzazz of the First Date campaign, valuable advice but the trouble is that you may get stood-up on that first date... or maybe the recipient wasn’t as interested as you were. Here are some possible scenarios:

1) They didn’t open your campaign – the campaign you so carefully designed to introduce them to your program and set the stage for the next email. All isn’t lost; you just have to sweeten the subject line to get them to open your next campaign.

2) They opened your First Date campaign but they didn’t really pay attention – no clicks, no acceptance of your call to action. Plan for your second campaign, continue to dazzle and attempt to recoup from that first offering.

3) They opened your campaign and clicked through – this is exactly what you wanted but you have to continue to engage the recipient. One click isn’t a whole lot so keep talking to them and make sure they’re paying attention.

4) They opened, clicked but unsubscribed – this happens some times, be prepared but don't worry about too much. If you do things well (Unsubscribe Best Practices) they might come back.

Those first dates are important, but so are all the other ones that make up your relationship with the recipient. You have to shine all the time, so make sure you pay attention to your recipient and provide something of value… you never know when they are paying attention to you.

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Relationship Marketing: The First Date

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Here are a few tips on that first date or that first meeting or that first message. Oh, and the advice is not just ours but from a company that focuses on building relationships. Good stuff too - it all adds up, if you are prepared.

1) Look sharp, act confident and speak clearly - crisp, clear, & concise

2) Engage in a back and forth dialogue – ask and tell --- don't just tell, tell, tell

3) Pay attention to what your date or listener is saying and doing --- if they frown switch subjects, if they say something ask them to expound, it shows that you are paying attention

4) Don't get distracted by outside influences – focus on your center of attention --- don't look at others, look at the food they dropped, maintain eye contact

5) Don't forget to say Thank You --- people like to feel appreciated if you thank them for something specific

Marketers can also learn from their first date advice, one could even compare those first messages as first dates, because:

1) You have to make your messaging crisp – your content needs to grab the recipient’s attention and you need to clearly tell the recipient why they are receiving your message.

2) Ask the recipient to tell you a little more about themselves - their preferences, track their click patterns, and serve them up a survey -- keep them engaged and serve content relevant to their interests.

3) Pay attention to what the recipient does after they give their preferences – for example, if they said they liked the sports section, did they actually go there? You must tie your analytics.

4) Keep the content focused so that the recipient isn’t distracted, allow them to clearly focus on their items of interest. Don't drive the consumer all over the place.

5) Be grateful and send them a note asking them to give you feedback on their purchase, their interaction, or even your first message – was it what they wanted? Was there something else you could offer?

Social media, mobile messaging, & email are private and personal, so remember that you have the privilege of communicating with them – after all, it’s your first date!

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Customer Service Builds Relationships

Pete Winemiller is the SVP of Guest Relations with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The focus of his training effort is educating Thunder frontline staff and business alliance partners on the concept he developed entitled “CLICK!™ with your Guests.”

He is recognized by the customer service industry as a true Customer Champion. I had an opportunity to listen to him at this years Sports-Forum and was blown away by his 12 minutes of wisdom!

Here are some key snippets -

We can't control the play on the floor, but we can control how we treat our guests.

Empower your staff, listen to your guests - measure your results - be one face to the guest. Be consistent.

A complaint is a gift - free consulting, listen to your guests. Keep asking your guests how is their experience? If they are not complaining, you may not be asking properly.




70% of people who complain will not be bitter and will do business again with you if their problem is resolved. 95% will do business with you if their problem is resolved right away.

The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated - you have the single greatest positive impact to make to your customer. You represent the organization - make sure you show that commitment.

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel.

Therefore, focus on making every transaction a memorable one.

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Three Ways to Sell Your Product or Service

Prospects become customers with you for three reasons - the functionality of your solution or offer or service, the price you propose, & the relationship you build with the prospect or maintain with the customer.

When you feature a product or service, make sure you can explain what you do as efficiently as possible. A picture or video goes a long way in grabbing someone's attention. If you market to consumers (banks, retailers, CU's, travel companies) then try to show a lifestyle image (where the consumer is enjoying your product or service). Add your product images and make sure that the copy you write to support your offer is crisp, clear, & concise.

Your price is also important. If you cost more, you should be able to articulate the advantages of why you are better and how the value of your product / service far exceeds that of the competition. Some add loyalty points to the equation to show the consumer how much they have 'earned' or 'saved.' The key here is to show the consumer that you are a better deal or that you are worth the difference.

Relationships help build trust, establish expertise and create interactive conversations with those that you serve.

The key is building a relationship as this relationship allows you to explore functionality with your prospect and allows you to negotiate a price.

Think about your marketing messages - how much effort do you put into each Tweet, Email, or Facebook updates to build up trust with your customers & prospects. The ultimate relationship is when your prospect or your customer seeks you out by soliciting your advice. That is relationship marketing.

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Relationship Marketing: An A/B Test!

If you received a message from a relationship company you knew - which one of these tweets would you be most likely to react to -

Seven First Date Mistakes OR Drinks & Appetizers on Us

Not surprisingly more than 70% of respondents wanted to know about the first date mistakes.

Of the 30% that responded to the free drinks & appetizers, 90% of those that clicked on the link provided their information for the free deal, yet less than 10% of those who provided information were responsive to the follow up campaign.

By contrast, more than 60% of those who responded to the first date mistakes provided information about themselves and more than half of those who provided this information were responsive to a follow up campaign.

A few lessons for marketers. You need to leverage intrigue effectively - ask a question that is related to what your organization does and try to get people to respond to the information in stages. Go back and forth and try to keep it engaging. Another key thing to do is to keep testing your messages with different headers to see which header elicits more interest.

You can always engage people by asking them to vote on Twitter or Facebook about tomorrows' Subject Line via Email. By doing this you are accomplishing three things - first - you are getting your fans involved in the process, second - you are getting them interested to come see what subject line won the next day (this could lead them to see the offer and perhaps buy), third - by getting your fans involved you are actually testing out the best possible subject lines for your campaigns - free research, free feedback, real feedback from the right people that matter.

One key consideration here is that this is a very simple way to bring together both email and your social media channels. The feedback you can get from involved fans is tremendous. Take a look at their recommendations on what else this company could try -

Drinks, Appetizers, & First Date Tips

11 New Year Resolutions for Solid Relationships

Why Bridgett dumped Max?

Testing out offers is vital and marketers need to continue to seek opportunities to conduct tests. In addition to you coming up with your own tests, get your team involved, and yes keep your fans engaged. They are part of your family and will drive long term success of your brand.

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Relationship Marketing - Valentines Day

We got 8.5" of snow yesterday - the first snowfall in more than five years, and the largest accumulation in more than 10 years. In anticipation of the snow, I put out a treat for the birds in my neck of the woods - Black Oil Sunflower seeds, Whole Sunflower Hearts, Roasted Peanut Chips, Dried Corn for the Squirrels and ground feeders, Nyjer Seeds for my Finch friends, & a special blend that attracts Song Birds. More variety than I ever put up, and I even had extra feeders out to entertain my feathered friends.

This morning we woke up to a white paradise, and big party. Our yard was full of Cardinals, Chickadees, Finches, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Mocking Birds, Carolina Wrens, & even the common Sparrow. There were birds so small I had to squint to see them and so many others that me as a budding backyard birding enthusiast couldn't even recognize. Even the squirrels were in on the action.

The birds were hopping from feeder to feeder. It was almost like they couldn't decide what feed was better. The flapping of wings, the chirping, & some serious whistling added to all the excitement. There was more noise in my back yard than a handful of kids playing a few houses away in the snow. Everyone's yard looked nice and serene - mine had sound to it.


Now all I have to do is keep my feeders clean & full to keep the birds coming back. Here is a lesson for us marketers - do your bit to attract visitors to your sites (physical & virtual), have enough bandwidth and excitement to keep your visitors engaged, & don't forget to maintain what you do to keep them coming back for more.

If you want to join a group passionate about backyard birding, join Duncraft's Facebook group. They are right when they say, 'What would life be without birds?'

Wish you a very Happy Valentines Day and much success in forging great relationships.

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Crisp, Clear, Concise

As former White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer was the primary spokesperson for President Bush. He served as spokesman during the historic presidential recount, September 11th, two wars and the anthrax attack. His best-selling book, Taking Heat, details his years in the White House and reached #7 on The New York Times best-seller list.

Since leaving the White House, Ari has worked extensively in the world of sports. He has helped Major League Baseball deal with its controversies, as well as its opportunities, and he has worked for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. He also helps advise several major corporations about their communications issues.

He does know a few things about crisis. His job seemed simple - listen to the question and answer it as clearly as possible. He excelled in answering questions that most others would consider 'badgering' and did it with ease. As President of Ari Fleishcher Sports Communications he spoke to a group of us at the National Sports Forum.

I enjoyed his discussion and here are some notes I took for marketers -

1 - Fans like to follow three types of personalities in sports - winners, those making a comeback, & athletes with a clean image. So lesson number one for marketers - make sure you pick the right people / product / service. Build your campaigns around those 'stars' and provide a clear path of how people can take the next step.

2 - Learn how to handle the bad news and take advantage of the good. Always stay in touch with your constituents and keep a pulse on what they need. Answer the little concerns before they become big. Highlight news quickly - good and bad. If you have bad news, make sure you have your 'spin' (explanation) on it. Know when to talk and when not to talk.

3 - There is tremendous power in messaging. Know what you are trying to answer before you frame the answer. As you put together your messaging make sure it is crisp, clear, & concise.

4 - Invest in social media education and listen in on social media channels. Know what the channels are and hear what people are saying. You don't have to respond to everything but you should be aware of conversations.

5 - You have to know what you are talking about. Immerse yourself in the product / service / athlete you are promoting. You should be able to translate what you learned into effective messaging.

6 - Most corporations have one spokesperson - make sure your messaging follows the same consistency.

Thanks Ari. Here is a link to more insight.

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Once Again: Unsubscribe Best Practices

Now that the holiday blitz has passed and email frequency has returned to some normalcy, eMarketers everywhere are sorting through the numbers… analyzing results, determining how to segment in the new year and examining the unsubscribes.

Here are some best practices related to those who want off your list – consider them as you look at your counts and consider your unsubscribe process; these tips are based on industry research, consumer behavior and our experiences:

First, offer them the option to reduce frequency on the first page of the unsubscribe process and include the option for them to supply feedback.

If they go ahead and opt-out, serve a confirmation of the unsubscribe process. Thank them for participating in your program with a simple statement like – We’re sorry to see you leave our newsletter of special and one of a kind offers. If you aren’t selling things, you could say – We’re sorry to see you leave our newsletter packed with useful tips and valuable information. Stress the value but opt them out.

Send an email confirming the unsubscribe (denote this as part of the website language), be sure to include:
– Contact information for your organization’s customer service department (in case they have any problems)
– A re-subscribe link
– An Are you Sure Banner/ link that includes the available specials, rates, your sales outlet or unique promotion – you’ll be surprised at the number of people that unsubscribe and then visit the specials section.

If you can, copy a CSR on the confirmation email to the recipient. Offer the recipient the opportunity to mail you suggestions and (if the info is available) have the CSR follow up with the recipient that unsubscribed by phone. You never know what you’ll learn or if you can win them back.

Don't make answering the questions mandatory. It will force people to give you an answer you don't want or make them mark you as spam.

Remember, the unsubscribe process should be as simple as possible, offer the best type of customer service and serve as an opportunity to find out what really happened. Your goal is to make sure that you treat this separation as temporary so if the recipient has the option of coming back.

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The Problem with Social Media

20 town council members (from different towns) recently met an event to talk about youth engagement programs. This wise group of people included both elected and nominated members who have worked really hard to improve services to their constituents. The council members had a major issue - the youth it seems were too quick in discussion groups, not giving the council members an opportunity to listen and respond to requests on social media channels.

On a positive note, 3 out of the 20 members actually knew about Facebook - they knew how to use it and they even had Facebook pages. That's a grand 15%.

95% of the youth were on social media. That was their primary means of staying in touch.

Comment made at the council meeting, "These kids are just creating problems for us. They shouldn't be using Facebook."

Ouch!!

Message from youth on Twitter - Get with it! Know Social, Listen, Learn, & Do Social.

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When It Matters Most!

Great marketers talk about how well they can engage their customers and prospects. They seek your email, engage you on social media channels, they even have your mobile number. They know how to get to you with a portfolio of messages. These marketers have your contact information to reach out with important notifications, and timely offers. They build up trust by sending you deals and alerts. Over time, you begin to rely on them and only go to their sites when you receive an alert. This is a perfect situation for a marketer as they now have you trained - a message drives you home.

My manager and I were stranded in DC last week with the big winter blitzkrieg. Well, almost stranded.

Our Favorite Airline
As we heard reports on the news about the big storm we called the airline only to be assured that our flights were on schedule. We were also assured that the airline had our contact information and they would contact us expeditiously if something changed. We retired to our respective rooms. My boss who was a little uneasy about this woke up in the middle of the night, logged into the airline site to learn that our flights had be cancelled and we had been rebooked to travel three days later. Normally, the airlines new marketing system calls my home, my cell, & emails me in unison - I call it compulsive multi-channel messaging. This time I got no message and neither did my manager. This time it mattered the most.

Our Designated Rental Car Company
My manager has rented from this nationwide carrier for 10 more years than me. We both have elite status, and I think he should be more revered than me. He had actually rented a car for use in the DC area a few days before the storm. My boss is a big man who could play as a tight-end for an NFL team (try calling your boss big). He was given a tiny KIA, so small that when he sat inside and pushed the seat back it you couldn't seat anyone behind. Two people in this four passenger car was pushing it to the max. We ended up driving down from DC to Atlanta for 14 hours in this little machine. It rattled and shook all the way down. Unfortunately, he has always received a small vehicle at this location. He has never complained, been loyal to this rental car company. This time it mattered the most.

I Have a Really Cool Phone
It looks cool, I can do a lot with it. It is intuitive and backed by great advertising. Yet, over 14 hours, my phone blanked out without service for about 3 hours. I had more dead zones than you can imagine. My boss had a phone too - not as cool as mine but it worked all the way through. I cringe when this company advertises and if I was allowed to name them I know others would join me in smearing them as well. Their network failed me when it mattered most.
Do you think we are going to care about their future marketing messages? The airline called me up this afternoon to 'survey' me about my 'rebooking.' I am sure my boss will get his satisfaction survey from the rental car company through a timely message. My phone provider has already got a great offer in my in-box.

I owe thanks to my manager for driving and getting me back home. Our airline, our rental car company, & my cell phone provider really dropped the ball. As marketers we really need to take a hard look at our offering and make sure that we are able to connect when it matters most. Sincere efforts go a long way in building trust. And if you connect when it matters most, you will have a raving fan - someone who will listen to you across channels.

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Google's Search-On Wins

If you checked the socialsphere the verdict on this years commercials was a 'C.' A number of people polled about the commercials felt that the commercials lacked the zip that the anticipation had helped build up.

The event started off well with a little nostalgia when Larry Bird ate the McDonald's meal that LeBron James & Dwight Howard were fighting over.

What followed was a series of ads that were a little questionable. There were maybe five perhaps six different car company commercials. I think I saw Honda, Toyota, KIA, Hyundai, Dodge, & maybe Chevy. The Dockers commercial with no pants was surprising. If you show an ad and get men above 18 to go to your site to provide email id's - make sure your site is working properly, and then make sure that the confirmation message you send has some zip to it.

Both Careerbuilder & Monster put their ads on. I guess the no pants theme was a popular one. At half time, I asked a group of people to talk about the two ads - most people had forgotten the actual ads. What was worse was that even when we reminded people about the specific ad - no one could say which one was Monster & which one was Careerbuilder. I am not sure why they waste their money on cute commercials when they do such a poor job reinforcing their brand.

The Census commercial really made me choke! What were they thinking?

The Coke feel good commercials were heartening, however Pepsi's decision to stay out was probably better. And I think it probably got more buzz.

Motorola was funnier and cuter than a number of other ads. What was interesting was that they continued their commercial from what they were promoting online. I guess they exceeded their expectations and are working hard to become a consumer facing company.

HomeAway & GoDaddy.com did a good job driving people to their landing page. eTrade had their social media sites listed - YouTube & Facebook (but no real reason to go there.)

The NFL network had some good ads. Bud Lite's T-Pain commercial got high points, so did a couple of the Dorito's commercials.

Probably the best commercial was Google's 'Search On.' It showed that Google was indeed a verb and part and parcel of our daily life. I wish the other advertisers could be as natural as Google - it was simple, intuitive, and showed how useful Google really was. Good lessons here for marketers.

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Buzz in SocialSphere: Five Predictions for Super Bowl 44

The big game between the Colts & the Saints will bring together the largest audience in sports history and it keeps growing each year. It will also be the first Super Bowl where the buzz is being driven through the socialsphere (pronounced like stratosphere) and the big gala is going to both push and pull people from & to social media channels.

Over 43 percent of people polled in Canada said that they were watching the Super Bowl for the commercials. Yes, Facebook Nation (Canada) is engaged on to commercials and there will be a big push to engage viewers on social media. People watch the Super Bowl for two reasons - there is the game & then the entertainment. The commercials form the basis of the entertainment and it is interesting to note that a few companies have already started testing their ads.

Godaddy.com & Doritos have a series of 'rejected' ads out on YouTube. Their goal has been to build up a buzz to what to expect. KIA's commercial brings together animated characters in a jaunt across the USA - music & messaging. Papa Johns has a trick up its sleeve - they are the official pizza supplier but they have already done some really good things engaging their social media network.

Imagine Motorola putting up a Super Bowl ad and a teaser inviting people to watch the final commercial during the big game. It is intriguing and the commercial should be interesting.

Even Google CEO Eric Schmidt has posted this tweet:
Can't wait to watch the Super Bowl tomorrow. Be sure to watch the ads in the 3rd quarter (someone said "Hell has indeed frozen over.") It's hard to know exactly what he's saying there, but it would seem to suggest that Google will have an ad that will run during the third quarter of tomorrow's game. If that is indeed the case, who knows what product it will be for ? but the "hell has frozen over" comment is interesting. Could Google be running an ad on 'TV' to promote Google.com itself to counter Microsoft's Bing ads?

Budweiser (imho) should walk away with the most memorable commercial. They have already been testing out their commercials on the social media channels asking people to weigh in with their opinion. Doritos should have some good ones too. Here are five predictions on social media ...

1 - The risqué and other ads that are being 'tested' on Social Media channels will be gauged and released on to TV and other networks. This is now an opportunity for marketers to test on closed networks before launching to larger audiences.

2 - Advertisers will be 'listening' in on Twitter during the commercials'. The feedback they will get will be in real time. Imagine Neilson rating meters in everybody's home. The movie Bruno was a casualty of feedback on social media channels. The listening will get better over the next few months giving marketers a means to learn more and learn quickly.

3 - Marketers will launch the 'rest of the story' commercials in real time through Twitter & Facebook. "Want to see more?" - Go to Twitter or Facebook. TV will have a teaser, with more on Social Media channels where the user can be engaged, their profile captured, and their feedback gauged in real time.

4 - Social Media will challenge TV. Pepsi's Refresh Project is all about engagement through Social Media - there is no ad on TV - a first time in 23 years! Their approach is very interesting, and if successful they will pose a serious threat to the way ads are driven on TV.

5 - Facebook, Twitter, & YouTube will benefit from the free commercials on TV. Look for Twitter to start monetizing their model in the next quarter (they should learn from an Indian site GupShup.) MySpace is close to being done.

Colts or Saints. While our house is divided on who will win the Super Bowl, one thing I will predict - it will be a high scoring affair.

Can't wait to watch the commercials, here are winners from years past on CBS.

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'Kaso': Achieving Harmony & Balance

We had the opportunity to dine at a phenomenal Japanese restaurant in Arlington VA. Asahi Fusion's food was terrific, but three things made their food stand out even more.

First, the superb service. The team of people working at the restaurant actually made all the patrons feel like they were in their home.

Second, while the sushi was great, the way they put it in your plate was excellent - the design looked so good you didn't feel like touching it. It wasn't just one design, every plate that they brought out was unique.



Third, their designs had meaning. Their server would explain the drawing, the layout, and what the design was supposed to accomplish.

Service, layout, & message. Think about it, can you do the same with your marketing messages?

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Triple Play on Sunday!

Pick up your snacks, claim your favorite seat and get ready for Super Bowl Sunday – one of the most heavily marketed events of the year and the most coveted television ads in the industry. In addition to having prime access, the NFL marketing gurus are encouraging their viewers to watch TV, the web, & mobile to get the expert-view of the game.

Social media, specially Twitter will be in full swing during the game. It will be interesting to see if the advertisers are going to be listening to consumer dialogue on trending twitter channels.

Consumers are accustomed to the website reference to access additional information, find an enhanced option, greater savings/ offers or place an order – capitalize on this by encouraging your consumers to visit your other channels. Use your emails to drive the connection, just keep the following in mind:

1) Clearly point them to the alternate channel
2) Keep the information relevant (not just for the sake of including)
3) Incorporate a landing page, with easy-to-find info
4) Ask for feedback

Finally, use the feedback collected – point out the comments made or give credit to the person in one of your other channels. This all-round engagement will build up the effectiveness of your digital marketing program.

One more thing - keep an eye open on Twitter. You will see information about the plays and about the advertising. Look for ideas to apply to your own program.

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Converting Prospects into Repeat Buyers in Five Steps

Here are five best practices that work for marketers to convert their prospects into buyers, and then repeat buyers - basically fans that start following the brand with a passion.

1. Making a connection - Target people with their preferences. If they have not provided you with preferences, then give them options via an email or a direct mail piece. Watch what they prefer, and add that to their preferences. Use this information to create targeted offers for them.

2. Try to create a memory - Make sure that your copy and image are interesting enough for the recipient to remember. Also, make the call to action stand out. In an ideal situation the recipient will click through to purchase. If not, coax them to review your offer or even perhaps add the offer to their shopping basket which you can store for them.

3. Provide a trigger - Let people purchase a tangible asset from you. Even if this is a small purchase, it is a foot in the door. Solicit their feedback, their opinion, and seek additional preferences.

4. Follow up with more - Use the information provided to create a second order. Do this within 45 days and you will be well on your path to moving the one time buyer into a repeat buyer. Leverage this information to thank them and make them another offer within a 30 day period.

5. Keep score - Look at your results in real time. Test out offers, headlines, & prices. Keep an eye on your numbers and use this to come up with dynamic offers.

Marketers look at Recency, Frequency, Monetary values to make offers for prospects. Recency offers a great opportunity to re-engage fans, customers, or even prospects driving them towards more from your organization.

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Once Again: Aspirational Marketing

I’m always amazed at the loyalty of sports fans – the guys that will brave the cold with letters painted on their chests, the heated fights associated with rivalries even the tattoos people get of their favorite athlete or team. Not to mention those playing the sports in either real or fantasy leagues.

Two days so far with our friends at The National Sports Forum, a gathering of marketing peers in the sports and entertainment industry. Their goal is to keep fans engaged, connect with each recipient while knowing deep down each fan has his/ her favorite... and maybe that connection is enough to translate to the aspiration to be like the athlete they follow – to be Like Mike.

This is a lesson for all eMarketers, your products/ services can inspire loyalty, can be a fan favorite – feature them as the hero products they are. Use what you have available to engage, entertain and solicit continuous feedback. Build your own fan base and cultivate it, this is a definite way to succeed.

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How to 'Engage' Fans

I spoke to a group of executives at a sports and entertainment forum. I wanted to understand what they were doing to keep fans engaged, sponsorships coming, & continue to drive revenue for their franchises.

Here are some of the comments -

Teams are trying to leverage their branding and loyalty to attract consumers to their sponsors and partners. They are offering special previews & coupons to their fans. Their sponsors expect this off them, and what is more important is that they are actually trying to both track the visit & measure the impact of the visit. They are not just putting up an ad - that is simply not good enough.

Once a year (or a few times a year) destination venues have plans in place to create communities of interest. These communities will sustain this venue throughout the course of the year - both offline & online. Their goal is to become 'retailers' who own the relationship with their fans.

These businesses are trying to create lifetime relationships with their fans. So if a kid went to a childrens event, the kid will be offered different types of options as the kid grows older, culminating in the ultimate - i.e. the 'kid' growing up and bringing their kid back to the childrens event.

Some franchises are even offering online banking to keep their fans engaged.

While traditional media is still big, new media is vital for survival. This is because new media can be tracked and the advertiser is able to measure results.

The foundation of most of this research is being driven by consumer feedback and lots of real time testing. The biggest piece of learning is that these franchises are creating destination venues for their fans - something traditional retailers, banks, and other businesses need to keep in mind.

Social media, mobile, & email are expected to be the three key drivers to help them with their traditional marketing programs.

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