Month: February 2008

Video Alone is NOT WOMM

Video Alone is NOT WOMM

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Video alone is not Word of Mouth Marketing any more than the video of your kid’s first birthday is “viral”. Word of Mouth Marketing is a set of activities within a marketing objective that do the following:

  1. Provide a remarkable experience (in it’s literal “worthy of remark” sense)
  2. Facilitate sharing this experience – between customers, between the brand and customers, between communities, etc.

Video and video sites make video chunks of information very easy to share. The rub – and what determines whether or not a video becomes “viral” – is whether or not the video is remarkable enough to inspire sharing.

How do you become remarkable? You have to know your customers – listen to what they find remarkable now and note what topics make their radar. Then, examine your product/service/culture/offering etc and what potential sources of conversational capital you can own. After that, it’s all about making a great video, check out these guys or the Viral Video Artiste below.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/aXJVxmWTmkg" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

If you do not start the world’s next viral sensation/Word of Mouth Marketing case study, what you have is not bad. Having rich, varied, positive multimedia content on your site and tagged on video sites is indeed a critical thing in our search-driven world. If you want to develop multimedia content in the hopes of generating conversations, make the first move not by talking, but listening. If you know what your customers are talking about, you will have a much better sense of how to create relevant videos, regardless of whether or not they show up on the Today Show.

Fiskateers “Energizing” Sales through Social Media

Fiskateers “Energizing” Sales through Social Media

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Forrester Research’s Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li recently published Harnessing the Power of Social Applications in the MIT Sloan Management Review. The article highlights some specific cases of social media being used to address a particular business objective. One of the lessons – leveraging social media to energize sales – featured the Fiskateers, which I was lucky enough to be intimately involved in while at Brains on Fire.

Wendy Jo AveyI am particularly thrilled that they chose to interview Fiskateer #99 Wendy Jo Avey (Fiskateer of the Year 2007) and share one of the many “Wendy Jo stories” of her truly remarkable accomplishments as part of the movement. Last summer, Wendy Jo took vacation from her day job and stepped in to fill a role representing Fiskars at an important consumer trade show when one of the (paid) lead Fiskateers fell ill. Not only did she step in, she stepped it up by hand making and distributing magnets made with Fiskars tools. The magnets promoted one of the movement’s mantras – Performing Random Acts of Crafting – and led recipients to the community website. Wendy Jo’s creativity and good works are a great example of the unexpected fruits of Fiskars active choice to invest in their relationship with their current customers as well as their customers connecting with each other. The customers who feel the benefits of that investment will support you in good times and bad.

A Valentine From Your Biggest Fan

A Valentine From Your Biggest Fan

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It is February 14 and time again to honor those that make life sweeter all 365 days of the year.  There is one brand in whom I have always been a fan, but that evangelism has greatly amplified since the last time cupid came to Hallmark

 

Nau fan Chris said “every great brand has a double or triple bottom line”.  While my previous fandom was simply for brand Husband, this year, Husband took on new roles and new meaning in my life.  Instead of only being my best friend and leading man, this year Husband also became full-fledged CPA (WOOHOO!), Co-child-creator (someone once said “it takes a village” and it at least takes 120% of both of us), and in a moment of loss that still creeps in my throat when I least expect it, Eulogist.  In the midst of all of these major changes, Husband chose to push himself even further – pick up the hats of Counselor and Cheerleader as I explored changing jobs and we seriously discussed moving the family.

 

If I have realized one thing in all the weeks of long distance commuting, it is that brand Husband is my secret weapon. He is the special sauce in my Big Mac, the Santana knit blend in my St. John clothes, the Lucite in my Alexis Bittar jewelry and the cinnamon in my Red Hots. 

 

I already loved you 6 Valentine’s Days ago, but I did not appreciate how much I would grow to respect and honor you.  Our partnership is a diamond whose value and brilliance increases over time as life cuts new facets.  I am so blessed to be in your corner and have you in mine.  Happy Valentine’s Day. 

And yes, you can buy the big screen TV.

Don’t Leave Home Without Them…

Don’t Leave Home Without Them…

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Thanks to Jake for tagging me on this particular assignment. It is particularly apropos as I have been commuting back and forth to DC for the last 5 weeks and have become an expert packer. Here are the items that always make the cut:

Cash – I know, I know, its old fashioned, but there are still some situations that simply require cash and I don’t want to be the person trying to convince the cabbie to take plastic.

Bose On-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones – whether you want to listen to music, drown jet noise, watch a movie or just say “don’t talk to me” to the person sitting next to you, these do the trick. These were a wonderful “first day of new job” gift from my husband.

Magazine-I-Would-Not-Be-Caught-Dead-Subscribing-to – The mental equivalent of comfort food, trashy magazines are my travel indulgence. If you encounter me on the road, chances are there is an OK!, People, or Life & Style hidden somewhere in my bags. When not traveling, I get my fix via Jen whose motto is “I read US Weekly so you don’t have to”.

pashminaPashmina Shawl – The pashmina is the world’s perfect accessory. Made of a cashmere wool derived from goats in the high Himalayas, these shawls are very warm while also being very thin & light. It can be easily stowed in a purse or laptop bag and emerge to serve as a scarf with your winter coat, a shawl over evening wear, or a pillow or blanket for the freezing plane. They are expensive, but pennies a use.

St. John Knit clothes – These are well covered on the blog but appear here, because I don’t ever want to iron in a hotel room again. Ever.

Reservation for a Kimpton Hotel – If a city has one, you can bet I am trying to stay there. I am in their “Inner Circle” and today the front office manager of the Rouge greeted me as if I was a rockstar and had the room waiting with the snacks and bottled water I requested when I strolled in at 9pm. They know that what frequent travelers want is to be welcomed home and they overdeliver every time.

John? Spike? Minjae? What’s in your bags?