Author Archive
Social Media Marketing: We need to measure it! (or do we not?)
by Jon W Chin on May.10, 2009, under Analytics, Digital Media, Marketing, Social Media
Social Media Marketing has received centre stage in most of today’s marketer’s planning plateau, e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube etc. Not is it without a day passed without a mentioned of them.
Marketers are curious about this ‘new’ media channel, proponents of it highlight its strong ability in improving the bottom line. Well to be honest, it’s really not a surprise, given that that many studies depict a sense of positivism in it. For example, TNS USA study in 2007 found the following…
“if you had 15 minutes of free time…”
1. 17% Social networking
2. 17% Talk on Cell
3. 14% Watch tV
4. 10% Surf the internet etc.
and Forrestor Research’s highly positive report on social media. For more information please view my previous entry found here.
If these numbers hold water, it definitely paints a picture that social media networking is a force to be reckon with and companies should engage them, afterall one of marketer’s many tasks is to seek customer engagement though many of the touch points available at its disposal.
However the reality is social media marketing is something of a black box, marketers inject programs into the black box and cross their fingers at the output. Though we appreciate the art of it, there should be some science involved to track. After all in the boardroom, numbers do the talking and in addition, there has been a saying, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”.
If this mantra is true, does this really hold water in the social media networking or marketing world? Well maybe, well maybe not. I do not know. But what I can offer is if we were to approach the measurement, we could perhaps look at alternatives – after all there is no such thing as a one off solution, no?
Perhaps the standard quantitative notions of approach to analyzing data (bounce rate, CTR, regression, path analysis etc) may be cast aside for qualitative methods? afterall social being social requires the need for verbal and face checks, no? or perhaps we should just get companies to state their objectives and we just track certain metrics. Do we really need to measure it? that is the question. Or shall we just let social media play its role and just cross our fingers and hopefully the spread of it is positive and will correlate positively with profitability and hope that we can control the spread if its negative.
Well what are your thoughts? I’m keen on hearing them.
Customer Value: What is it (really)?
by Jon W Chin on May.03, 2009, under Marketing
Customer value, customer satisfaction, customer loyality and many more, the marketing literature is replete with information on them. It has been put forward that customer value is a source of competitive advantage.
Academics and marketers have always promoted the notion that in order to compete in this competitive landscape – one must provide superior customer value relative to competition. But really what is customer value?
Down to a simple formula; Would the below attempt be it? What are your thoughts? Any truth? Can it expand?
From the customer’s perspective:
Customer Value = (Quality + Emotional appeal + meet expressed needs + a hosts of other benefits) / Price.
Top 12 online marketing decisions companies will make in 2009
by Jon W Chin on May.02, 2009, under Digital Media, Marketing, Social Media
Datran Media conducted an survey late 2008 and found these 12 most important online marketing decisions that executives will make in 2009; They are as follows:
- How to engage customers and be more relevant in their everyday lives.
- The proper way to speak to our customers.
- How to maximize behavioral targeting in our email and display marketing efforts.
- How to better leverage email, search and social networking
- Increasing the budgets for online media in areas such as affiliate marketing, search and email
- Finding a way to monetize social media.
- Diversifying our online advertising campaigns to include more emerging technologies
- We will be discussing going all digital with our marketing efforts.
- Targeted direct marketing based on user online behavior.
- The decision to increase on our email marketing spend to enable better segmentation and targeting.
- To make on-line marketing even more measurable for increasing sales…proving it’s ROI….every dime counts.
- How much of our offline budget should be shifted to online to supplement what we currently have.
Which of these do you think is the most important? and perhaps what others are important? but one take-away point is social media is on top of most’s radar attenna.
Forrestor Predicts Social Media going the up trend despite the economic downturn
by Jon W Chin on May.02, 2009, under Digital Media, Marketing, Social Media
Forrestor Research presents encouraging data for social media. Very interesting data.
Andy Beal at http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/ reports on a Forrester Research prediction that basically says, “It’s great to be a digital marketer!”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC4CXRLfrso
Why do customers (we) put up with inferior solutions*?
by Jon W Chin on Apr.17, 2009, under Advertisement, Marketing
(*Thanks to someone that inspired me to write this – thanks pal)
The field of strategic marketing is organised around a central question. The question is “why do some firms persistently outperform others” This question does not presume that there will always be persistent performance differences between firms. Rather, it presumes only that it may be in some situations, persistent performance differences will exist between firms and that those differences cannot be explain by traditional economic theories of firm performance. And here comes marketing (woohoo hooray) into the picture.
A major trend of marketing in the last decade, marketers have consistently emphasised that success in the marketplace rests on the firm’s ability to attract, satisfy, and retain customers that is being customer oriented – the essence of the marketing concept and market orientation a derivation from it as a strategy to achieve sustainable competitive advantage – a cornerstone of modern marketing thought.
Customer satisfaction is the primary determinant of customer loyalty and subsequent retention and the key to creating a valuable business organization. Continued success rests on reinventing oneself in the eyes of one’s customers and to meet their expressed or latent needs. This requires a thorough understanding of customers in the marketplace and ways to use this information to take market action. The fundamental objective of this perspective is to provide superior customer value relative to competition in order to attract, satisfy and retain customers.
As such leading-edge companies increasingly seek ways to measure customer satisfaction, as means for setting strategy, growing revenues and market share. This trend has been accelerated since 1988 by the American Baldrige National Quality Award, which places considerable weight on customer focus and satisfaction.
As a result, we has seen firms advocating the provision of customer satisfaction (how many times have you heard “everything we do is from the customer’s point of view” “we place our customer on the pedestal) as it is believed that it is an effective way to improve one’s bottom line in this fast changing landscape that we live in today. Much progress has been advanced. So if that is indeed the case, why do customer accept half baked solutions even though a better alternative is available? If the above holds water, there has to be another explanation.
Is it because at that point in time a quick fix solution is preferred (believer of context)? or is it because we resist changes due to the fear of not knowing what to expect should we change – the uncertainty element or we need to learn new things (learning curve is steep)? or are we just be plain lazy? Maybe…or maybe not…
I have a more sinister explanation (*evil eyes*)– its most probably due to higher profits through customer lock-in as a competitive tactic. What do I mean by this? Think about this.
- · Customer lock-in acts as a shield from abrupt customer preference changes and competitive influences – making it more costly for the customer to switch.
- · Customer lock-in has the ability to reduce the volatility of customer base and achieve higher stability of the revenue stream as compared to customer satisfaction.
- · Business environmental uncertainty has the ability to influence the satisfaction/lock-in doctrines and its link to business performance.
Reeks of inferior solution? shouldn’t the firms provide superior customer value a means of competition instead of tying them down. So I say its not only because of the reasons cited above such as a quick fix solutions, plain lazy etc. Firms have made it a strategic direction of locking customers in.
Some examples, with many complex products such as ERP, extensive user learning is required to reap full benefits from it. This is also true with simpler office application such as Office. Most people need time and support from experts working with a new spreadsheet to learn how it works. People typically become more effective in using software as they gain experience. hmm….doesn’t this then become switching costs caused by learning.
My view is that the impact of learning costs on a brand’s competitive position can be tremendous. Consider the struggle of Sun’s Star Office against Microsoft Office. (I wont talk about network effects here – just learning). Star Office an excellent product – why did it fail to over throw MS office? Don’t think its due to being an inferior product more likely its due to user’s switching costs and of course the IT department doesnt help (they are control freaks) and also due to the fact that they are am certified in Microsoft blah blah blah not Staroffice – I rest my case.
More recently, seen the cool Mac VS PC advertisement? Steve Job knows this really well. In order to compete with MS, he has to convince new customers that Apple is no different from PC. “Whatever you can do in PC, Mac can do it better” was its selling message. Kudos to its communication strategy team. Apple not only convinced its existing loyal customers that Apple is a great product but have made them evangelists. Making every loyal Apple customer is brand ambassadors in promoting apple. Well done! A picture speaks a thousand words.
Apple has a great solution here – its simple, works right out of the box and its simply beautiful and of course its way cool to be associated with Apple. Brand gurus would tell you
People do not buy products but images associated with products
Apple has done a wonderful job here removing some of the lockin tactics employed by Microsoft – (one of which have helped in this removal is the Mac Vs. PC advertisements)
Concluding…This suggest that the important question is not that of which mode of explanation is a more appropriate one, but rather that of the conditions and/or context under which a given mode of explanation is most appropriate. no?
Feel free to offer your views by commenting.
P.S. Ever wondered why Doctors, lawyers, accountants are all professions but managers not? hmm…
Creative Outdoor Comparative Ads – “Audi versus BMW “
by Jon W Chin on Apr.16, 2009, under Advertisement
I’m a car enthusiast and Audi runs in my blood afterall the Audi (and VW) online interactive forum in Singapore was spearheaded by me (and my friends).
We all know that Outdoor advertising includes various types of promotional displays, from highway billboards to transit posters and arena placement, all geared towards communicating a message to the public. The message might be to buy a product, take a trip, vote for a politician, or give to a charity. It might even be a public service announcement.
But this is seriously entertaining, Audi taking an obvious hit at BMW by stating “Your move BMW” and BMW reacted with their top of the line E92 M3 saying “check mate”. This really got my attention! So in this instance, the hypothesis that the greater creativity the greater the brand recall hold waters? well all I can say is You bet! (ok N=1 in this context) 
Smart tactical advertising promotional move by Audi, first it presented the massage that Audi is no longer an alternative but a contender and Audi is in the same leaque as BMW if not better. To a layman, this ad has just reaffirmed the brand positioning of Audi as a strong contender to BMW. To me in this instance Audi has won this promotion and brand battle. Why (you all might say, you are biased afterall you are an Audi fan). Nope think logically, by the sheer fact that BMW retailiated with an advertisement at the same location speaks volume of the threats BMW is facing from Audi.
Well done Audi. Vorsch sprung durch technik!
P.S. Any chance of this type of advertising happening in Singapore? hmm…maybe not, oh well….
Direct Marketing = Service Marketing the way to go forward?
by Jon W Chin on Apr.16, 2009, under Marketing
Service marketing has alot of potential in this present economic climate (ok not just this economic climate, in good times as well but especially so now). Afterall proponents of service marketing suggest taking care of the customers and putting customers on top of the pedestal should be the operating philosophy of any firm in order to compete in this clutter marketspace. It will pay dividend in the long term if done correctly.
In the last 10-15 years Asia has seen explosive growth and unfortunately direct marketing was not a key strategic priority for alot of companies. But I do see, moving forward a lot of client’s money shifting towards relationship marketing/direct marketing. Why? in a recession, customers tend to be more focus and value oriented and firms have to do more with less (budgeting cuts – yes you heard it cut, firms still cut marketing budget even research time and time again suggest not too, firms that continue with their marketing investments become even stronger after the recession whilst its competitors lag behind. Oh well here I go ahead – I shall reserve this for another entry).
Ok back to the topic – With the right target at the right time and right place – i.e. customised marketing piece would have greater influence than any generic marketing campaign is my view. Of course ensure that you have a quality product to begin with – one that resonants well with your consumers. With permission based marketing, the probability your client reading it is much higher and hopefully make an influence in positive customer behaviour.
What is happening now in my view is very natural, now that the market is slowing down, its becoming naturally more competitive, clients want to do more with less. And as a result targeted communication becomes more of a priority. simple logic. Treat your customers like pampered beings, once they feel valued, you bet they will keep coming back! You dont want to react this way do you (see picture below). Remember they could spread negative WOM, not something you would like.
What are your thoughts here? Do you think direct marketing has alot of potential especially so in this current economic climate?
Right ON
by Jon W Chin on Apr.10, 2009, under Marketing
Seth in his blog entry “Opening acts and rock stars” said the following
I’d argue that the two keys to becoming a rock star marketer are:
1. settle for a tiny audience that views you as a star, not an opening act. Then grow that audience.
and
2. Be really good.
You BET! Pareto Analysis at its works here? or long tail?
“Keep Walking”
by Jon W Chin on Apr.07, 2009, under Advertisement
Gone are the days where ads are one dimensional – where firms hone in into product specification.
This brilliant masterpiece by BBH, has taken a product and translated it into a story that touches ones heart. True to the slogan of “Keep Walking”.
Here it is. Enjoy. I know I have…We need more master pieces like this. Its really inspirational.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCjnQhxytQQ
Customer Engagement via Content – is that it?
by Jon W Chin on Mar.30, 2009, under Analytics, Digital Media, Marketing, Social Media
Its been nearly a good three years since VAGSG a forum that is created to serve the Singaporean (and Malaysian) motor enthusiasts. Vagsg has come a long way – from his humble beginning where whenever one posts, one can “FEEL” echos in the forum. HALLLLLLOOOOO…..
Now VAGSG stands strong at around 9000 members where activities have been planned both online and offline to foster growth and of course least but not least CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT – THE word in the marketing arena. VAGSG enjoys a strong return rate and it is a highly interactive forum as well.
How does one do that, the operating philosophy is very simple, just make users create contents (user generated contents) and let the spiders crawl through your web. That’s IT.
Actually thats not just it. I wish it was just that (haha). It was really a painful but challenging journey to make VAGSG what it is today. It is the de facto Audi and VW forum in Singapore.
The planning phase included:
- Differentiate – USP – unique selling proposition. We are an independent forum run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.
- Excite – By generating fun activities (online and offline), chat about the latest models, modification of the cars etc.
- Connect – this is done via offline ways, the intent is to get the forummers to meet one another and develop relationships and form a TRIBE. Its a long term engagement, encouraging customer loyalty and last by not least advocate positive word of mouth (yes viral again).
Our bounce rate of the forum is very encouraging (very low – I compared it with a fellow local automobile website) and the time spent on the forum is very encouraging.
That’s all from me for now. Will update more when I get the chance on the VAGSG forum story from its humble beginnings to what it is today. The e-strategies involved to drive traffic, attract and retain the forummers (offline and online) and of course will share the web analytics side of it, SEO and SEM as well. What I have learnt.
Lastly VAGSG has an army of supporters who cant wait to tell people about the forum and of course their rides and spread the positive word of mouth – yes its viral again.
Didnt Xerox research show, that is cost 5 times more to attract a new customer than to serve an existing, just let the customer do the job for you afterall your potential customer will trust them more, no? viral baby. The power of WOM.
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