Marketing tips from unlikely sources - the cinema

With half term looming (school holidays for those of you without children), a constant niggling distraction is how to keep the cherubs entertained. Since we live in Scotland, where even the summer weather can't be guaranteed to be kind, a cinema visit is sure to feature, which got me thinking about this post (see, you knew there was a point to all this).

Cinemas are really just distribution chains. Routes to market, which let us consume a third party product (the film). Just as video was meant to kill the radio star, the dawn of the internet and the rapidity with which media streaming took off, should have rendered cinemas to the realms of history. Yet, there seem to be more than ever before. How did this happen?

Differentiation

In marketing terms differentiation is "what matters to the buyer". It's a way of positioning your product or service so that the experience your customer has, matches their world view. Over the years, cinemas have evolved from stand alone, single purpose destinations, to entertainment hubs. Cinemas have become experiences and customers happy with their experience tend to be repeat customers buying memberships that guarantee their stake in that community.

The last decade has seen cinemas get smart about attracting the right kind of customers for their venue, through differentiators - a wall of pick'n'mix or thai rice crackers, leather seats with footrests or slightly sticky standard, shown to your seat or left to stagger around in the dark - they all shape a customers choice of which venue to visit. These differentiators have become almost as important as the film itself, especially for those of us still grappling with the nuances of HD versus lazor IMAX, (I know which venue does the best popcorn though).

Engagement

Cinemas have had to adapt to the brave new world, by meeting their potential audience online and before they've even started to consider a visit. My local cinema has a twitter account and a facebook page, a membership program and a Pinterest board.

You no longer just see a film. Cinemas are now engaging their customers ahead of their visit through trailers, behind the scenes footage, special offers and the like, delivered directly to your inbox or your social media feed. Post film you're encouraged to share your experience, put questions to the production team, take part in a competition to see the next release and all from the comfort of your mobile app. We're hooked.

Loyalty

Customer perception is reality, so while the film being screened is the same wherever you watch it, the factors supporting your decision to visit the cinema in the first place, really matter. When customers buy a cinema ticket, they are really testing the brand to see if it delivers on it's promises. Was the surround sound as good as the hype?, was the premium seat worth paying extra for? etc. Meeting expectations keeps customers coming back for more, safe in the knowledge that they know (and like) the experience that they get there. 

Of course you could just stay at home and watch on your laptop, tv, home cinema, ipad ..........

5 Ways To Use Video in Your Marketing Mix

This week has been all about video.

If a picture paints a thousand words, then video redecorates.  It's the content we all want to consume and share and every marketing report we read sends us scurrying for our camcorders, (with varying degrees of success).

Before spending next years budget on your big picture production, it's worth considering a few key questions, namely
- what do you have to show your customers?
- what sort of customers are you trying to reach?
- what do you want your viewer to do as result of watching?  (Be careful with this last one, calls to action in video form won't be your usual "buy now" pitch)

So, what kind of video is right for you?

Thought-provoking
A commencement address with a difference.  This video is all about choice and decision making and reminds us that we're human.  A real inspiration.

Community engaging
With the explosion of Vine usage, it was inevitable that brands would incorporate it into their marketing mix.  Asos have cleverly put content production into the hands of their audience, asking them to showcase their orders.  It's a social media gift.

ASOS Unbox campaign using customer generated Vine footage

Showing personality - Poking fun at your competition
Here Samsung draw on the Apple following, to show how their audience are really the smart ones.  In doing so, they add personality to their electronics brand and become instantly more persuasive.

Creating visibility
The travel industry has always been keen to sell us the dream in pictures.  There are now annual awards for the countries who make the biggest impression.  Video is a great way to tell your story by letting your viewers picture themselves using your product and experiencing your service.

Educate by entertaining
Promoting rail safety could have been dull, but the cartoon nature and catchy music made this a Youtube success - there are now over 80 variations on this theme.  Praise indeed.

For all those not quite ready to make the video leap, remember there's always slideshare. Jenny and the Chicken is every bit as engaging in my book .......

What's a brand?

This week it's been all about branding.  Finding product names, reviewing company websites and generally assessing the impact that brands make on the world.  It got me thinking about how often the term 'brand' is used and misused.

Let's talk definitions
A brand is that distinctive mark that sets your company or product apart from all others in the market.  Car brands are a good example.  Think Rolls Royce, Fiat and Prius and though they're all cars, the image, colours and logos that come to mind are completely different.  Often companies have a single brand name like Adobe and several branded products (or sub brands) that build from that recognizable entity e.g Adobe Acrobat.

Branding is the process of building a brand, that is, defining the physical traits, such as how a logo might look and feel and the emotions we want to conjure up in our customers (Are you a Mac or a PC?).

Companies decide on their brand(s) and branding, but ultimately it's your customers who decide what a brand stands for and whether it meets their expectations or not.  Customer perception sustains brands, keeping entire families buying the same product across generations.  This in turn, affects the brands effectiveness in the market and any subsequent valuations (aka brand equity).

Customers loyal to a brand, spend more
This doesn't just mean financially, though this is often the case.  Loyal customers have experienced your brand for themselves and decided that you deliver on the promises your brand makes.  They are now more likely to invest time and indeed their reputations on telling others about your greatness.  This loyalty is also referred to as brand commitment.

Who do you want your brand to be?
We all think of brands as people, after all, no-one ever wants to buy from a faceless corporation.  Often our relationship with a brand is formed through direct people interaction.  The sales assistant, the call centre operator, the tour guide etc.  They help us to decide how a brand 'feels' and whether it resonates with our own world views.  Often this is know as brand personality and it plays a large part in helping us choose one brand over another.

Everything your company does will reflect on your brand
Think of Tiffany and you immediately picture small blue boxes, diamonds and exclusivity.  This brand association didn't happen overnight (they founded in 1837).  It took time to craft the story and imagery so synonymous with them today.  They thought carefully about the people who promoted their products, the locations for their stores, the experience that they wanted their customers to have and the result is an enduring brand which resonates world-wide.

Contrast this with Pret A Manger. or Pret as they're now known.  This brand is based around ethics.  All sandwiches are freshly made on the premises, using locally sourced produce and any unsold food is given to the homeless at the end of each day.  Their packaging is recyclable, their staff are always happy to see you.  Customers have endless lunch possibilities, but choose Pret because it makes them feel like they're also contributing to a better society.

Take time to build and nurture your brand and it should be one of your greatest assets. What's your favourite brand?

Why Do You Need A Company Facebook Page? (Top 5 Reasons)

According to a recent social media report by Technorati, over 90% of brands have a presence on Facebook - pretty astonishing for a tool designed not for selling, but for keeping in touch with friends and family.

So, what is all the fuss about and why should companies have a Facebook page?

Visibility
This is the no brainer.  Having a company Facebook page is a positive step towards building your brand and community.  It's a way of showing your brand has personality and inviting your customers to interact on a daily (and sometimes hourly) basis.

24/7 Customer Service
Perception, (which is 99% reality in customer minds), sees a company Facebook page as an instant access, free from elevator music, connection with a brand.  Thrilled by those sunglasses you just bought?  Look for the company Facebook page and share the love.  Discover you've paid more than you needed to?  Find that Facebook page and have a rant.  Like it or not, Facebook gives a very clear view of how well your products or services are doing, in realtime.  Be warned though, your customer expects a response, just as they would had they called your help-line, so make sure there is a dedicated resource monitoring and replying to each comment.

Daily Research and Development Opportunities
With the rapidly evolving new feature set, you can reach out to your audience for feedback on a regular basis.  Ask them questions.  Invite them to rate photos of yet to be released product.  Poll for suggestions. Offer free samples or behind the scenes sneak peaks, to gauge reaction to and interest in, your future plans.  The possibilities are endless.

Engagement
We all know that an engaged audience is a revenue generating audience.  While Facebook is not primarily a sales tool, fans are well used to receiving offers and even getting access to exclusive content from the brands they support.  Lead generation may not be the first thing that comes to mind when setting up your Facebook page, but ask yourself how many spending decisions you've taken, based on something a friend shared on social media.

Measurement
Facebook insights is a great way to measure the success of your Facebook page.  At the click of a button (or two) you'll have the numbers needed to show how engaged your audience is, how your fan base is growing, how people found your page and most importantly reach (how far your content can be shared through friends of your fans). Facebook insight stats are complimentary to those provided on your website by Google Analytics and together they give a picture of how well your marketing is performing.

Still not convinced?  Here are some great examples of company Facebook pages.

Sigmar Recruitment
The Honest Company
Godiva Boutique

Define your audience (Let's talk about me)

In no particular order, I'm a wife, mother, sister, daughter, dachshund owner, freelancer, marketer, VW driver and vegetarian.  I could go on, but you get the idea.  Your customers are just like me or perhaps totally unlike me, the point being that the generic average customer doesn't exist.

How we respond to marketing, depends on the role that we're playing at the time and how that affects our attitude to your messaging.  The key for communications then, is knowing as much about me, (your customer) as possible, so that your content meets my values, interests, attitudes and personality.

Small businesses often worry that selecting an audience leaves money on the table, but appealing to the masses, vastly reduces the effectiveness of your communications and we all know the aim of the game is to get as much return for every pound spent as possible.

Who is buying now?
Look at your existing customer base.  Who are they (male/female/student etc)?  What age are they?  Where do they typically live?  Do they have particular interests and behaviours?  If in doubt, ask them why they bought your product.  People love to share their opinions and the insights gained from such an exercise shouldn't be underestimated.

What's your competition doing?
Who are your competitors aiming at and why?  You can often get an initial feel by looking at their websites, social media interaction and content produced.  Rather than going head to head, look for that niche that isn't currently being served, or consider a subset of an audience that you could appeal to more successfully than your competitors.

Who do you want your customer to be?
Often companies start out marketing at a local level, with one kind of audience in mind. Social media is a great window into whether this audience exists and its also excellent for finding out whether your assumed target, matches the reality of your paying customers. Ask yourself who needs your business today and will continue to need you in the future and make sure you're marketing appeals to this group.

Homework (see badly drawn illustration above)
Take a blank piece of paper for each audience you can think of in relation to your business.  Write that audience name in the middle of the paper, along with as many known facts about them as possible, (the smallest circle). The devil is in the detail.  Now think about who might influence their decision to buy (the second circle).  Remember, you're not just trying to convince your audience directly, but through the whole raft of avenues which play their part in forming that audiences opinion of you.

Define your audience clearly and your content strategy (what you want to tell them) will follow. Aim at nothing and you're bound to hit it.

5 Ways To Ensure Your Content Rocks

Content is King.  Yeah, yeah, we know it's the elusive life blood of business, but where do you start?

Here's my top 5 recommendations for creating content which grabs your audience and cries out to be shared.

1. Entertain

Before we got caught up in B2B or B2C debates, there was a world that worried about H2H - human to human.  The technology may have changed, but people will always want to laugh and be entertained.  Find a way to convey your message and make people smile and there's a good chance they'll pass that warm fuzzy feeling and your brand, onto their friends.

2. Educate

We all want to seem smarter than we are.  Providing your customers with information which takes them beyond their original question, ensures at least a bookmark.  It also raises their perception of who you are and helps differentiate you, from those who only provide enough information to make the sale.
This doesn't have to be complicated. My local estate agent uses their blog to talk about the housing market in general rather than just their services.

3. Inspire

We're all inspired by different things, but being inspired is such a great feeling we can't help but act on it.  Brands know this.  Pinterest reigns because of it.  Make your customers feel inspired, sell them the dream, share the possibilities and the sales will follow.  A great example here is  The Monocle Order a company selling sunglasses, but blogging pure inspiration in words and pictures.

4. Inform

Provide the facts and information and let your customers decide.  Content that is informative, gives it's source credibility and helps us justify our decision to spend. Charities often use informative content to convey the severity of a situation and appeal to our head as well as our hearts.

5. Blatantly sell

Use this one sparingly.  Companies who beat down our doors, even if they are likely to be virtual ones these days, fast lose their appeal.  We know you've got product to sell and sometimes it's ok to tell us directly why we should choose yours over the competition.  Be warned though, content which simply states the features will almost always be doomed, (unless you've found just the right customer, at the right time, in the right place). Selling on benefits once in a while, can hit the mark.

Of course once you've created your entertaining, educational, inspiring and informative content, (with the occasional sales message thrown in), you'll have to decide which channels to use so your market hears your message. That's a whole other blog post.

THE best way to create word of mouth

When was the last time you recommended a product or company to a friend? What made you do it?

In my experience, it's the last interaction that prompts us to share our experience with others.   The surprise element (good or bad), that sticks in our minds.  The companies which delight us, by validating our decision to spend our money with them.  Those products, which exceed our expectations and make us feel like we got a bargain.  It's the unexpected care and attention that becomes our dinner party story, not the glossy sales brochure or the flashy website.

Often companies are so focused on making a good first impression, that they forget what happens beyond the initial sale.  Lead generation is always on the Marketers agenda, with after sales service way down on the list of priorities.

As the world gets more social, it's relatively easy to 'like' something on Facebook without risking our reputation, but it's the contacts we share on a one to one basis that really show our loyalty.

What could you be doing to make a lasting impression?