The new kid: connected meaning and relevance

Connected meaning and relevance.  You’re probably thinking this phrase is fast becoming the new buzz words in marketing now that we’ve tossed aside ”breaking through the clutter”.  But hang with me.  I write this in response to some good chatter on the  Experiential Marketing Forum on the topic.  And by the way I would encourage anyone that plays in this brand game, or just looking for stimulating conversation on the topic of consumer engagement through experiences, to join IXMA and get involved.

Anyway back to connected meaning and relevance.  Way too deep of a topic to thoroughly cover in this format but good brand building that hits on these two sweet spots ultimately wins over consumers hearts, minds, and souls.

In its simplest terms connected meaning is something that is controlled by the consumer.  Brands that have done their homework  will present a brand personality and proposition that consumers will want to connect with in a meaningful way.  Not just lustful infatuation but a long term relationship. 

Relevance is even more controlled by the consumer.  Brands that say they speak the language and embody the lifestyle can only cross their fingers that their brand is relevant.  Relevant to a consumer’s lifestyle, passions, and ultimately relevant to who they are as an individual - not just their social community.

So if everything is controlled by the consumer, “What’s a brand to do?”  Sit back and let the consumer rule our marketing?  Well, kind of, sort of, but not really.  Strong brands need to aspire to understand their consumers better than the consumers know themselves.  Not just in a focus group kind of market research way (not that research isn’t important- it is), but live among them, hire them into your company.  Ruminate amongst their tribe (social community) and most importantly listen to what they’re saying about your brand and other brands they are passionate about.  Then once you gain clarity about their passion points and personalities make your brand personality (and any experiences that come from that) fit within that space - naturally. 

Think back to elementary school days.  How often did your group accept the “new kid”?  And what typically did the new kid need to do to become accepted?  Usually follow the leaders, act like they did, and assimilate naturally without being noticed or ostracized. 

Is your brand trying to be the new kid?  It’s tough.  Consumers don’t let just anyone, much less everyone, in the pack.  While the schoolyard analogy may be a stretch, I believe kids exhibit a very sophisticated consumer behavior even at a young age in how they adopt friends, trends, and ultimately brands.  Where do you think we as big fancy educated adult consumers learned all this stuff we call connected meaning and relevance?  It certainly wasn’t from blogs.

Respect your consumer’s time…all 3500 hours of it.

Back at it after a bit of a Labor Day end of Summer mental wind-down/respite. 

There’s a post on media consumption and shifting startegies that is getting a bit of conversation in the media world.

A couple of key points:

Overall communications spending is projected to grow 6.4% in 2007.  Good news for us in the branding biz.

Consumers are shifting their attention to alternative media.  Cconsumers are also migrating away from advertising-supported media, such as broadcast TV and newspapers, to consumer-supported platforms, such as cable TV and video-games.  No real revalations - but more bad news if you’re in the :30 spot biz.

And probably the saddest fact of all is that consumers are spending over 3500 hours annually engaged in some form of media messaging.

Now I’m not sure how VSS measures such statistics and I’m sure we could all say figures lie, and liars figure, but none the less at over 9 hours a day it is an inordinate amount of our daily lives.  Granted much of that media consumption is clutter not being paid attention to; much less retained or recalled.  But here’s the shout-out to smart marketers trying to build brands.  Respect the consumer’s time!

Think about it.  After consumers sleep 6-8 hours and then go off and spend the same amount of time earning a respectable wage to buy our stuff, we as marketers are basically taking all of what’s left.  Treat it as a business transaction with your consumer.  They will give us a small slice of that precious nine hour program block only for something worthwhile in return.

Make your branded message engaging and provide some real value for that time they just gave away.  Make it entertaining.  Make it remarkable.  Don’t just throw your message into the mix assuming it will connect with someone.  As Bonnie Raitt said, “Let’s give them something to talk about”.  Because when people talk, people buy.

Brands littering the hi-ways with messaging

A recent post in the NY times really bothered me.  It seems that brands are now paying big money (up to $800 a month) to consumers to fully wrap their vehicles in branded messaging.  OK, is this the new out of home (billboards) tactic?  When I see a branded vehicle I assume that the driver works for the company, or somehow connected to the brand or a branded event.  I often size up the driver and make some quick assumptions about the brand, its service, and personality.  This seems very unauthentic.  These drivers don’t embrace the brand personality, merely their monthly stipend for renting space.  What happens when the driver cuts me off in traffic or heaven forbid is involved in an accident? 

I guess this is some sick form of bribery marketing but I have to question the believability and authenticity of the brands who have entered this new space.  Any consumers tricked into thinking these people can carry on an intelligent converstaion  about the brand may be in for a surprise.  And over time the brands may be in for a bigger surprise.  I get the the strategy of awareness building through frequency of message within the communities the brand is targeting, but this just seems like a tactic desperately looking for a strategy.  What’s next, selling space on our bodies?  Oh I forgot, that’s already been done. 

Now having said that, there are some cool applications of this new medium of skinvertising, particularly now with the athletes of the world.  Check it out.  At least in this case you’re paying to have a brand badge affixed to your body (albeit temporary), and not the other way around.

Josh Hallett speaks the gospel of engagement

I happened to catch Josh Hallett, strategic consultant and social media expert from hyku, speak to a group of manufacturers this week.  I have seen Josh speak before and consider him one of those brand builders that truly “get it”.  Josh preaches the gospel of connection through social media and other innovative on-line methodologies.  His closing slides are worthy of a post.  He encouraged those present (mostly small business owners) to follow these four points to build their business and engage with their consumers.

Build relationships
Tell Stories
Be Authentic
Be Passionate

I found these strategies to be a nice summation of what brands (as well as any business) should live by as they try and build communities of loyal brand ambassadors.  It was refreshing to listen and talk with another passionate believer in the experiential methodology.  Nice job once again Josh!  Check out Josh’s blog for an eclectic assortment of posts that will engage and inspire.

It’s a Jeep thing.

As a new Jeep owner I feel compelled to write a short note about branding and community.  When I recently bought my ‘99 Wrangler, the previous owner mentioned something about you’re now part of a “club” as she put it.  “You’ll be amazed at how many people give you the Jeep wave” she said.   Fast forward a couple of months and now I get it.  Its bigger than just a club.  I am part of the Jeep Nation.

A group of loyal owners, we never hold meetings, there are no ID cards, and no official rules, ethics, or code of conduct.  But don’t be mistaken it is as strong as any fraternity, civic organization or even some religions.  You see this community is held together by a brand that has been around (virtually unchanged) for over 60 years.  Its brand personality is fun - plain and simple.  In fact the new Jeep campaign asks its owners to “Have Fun Out There”.  And I do!

Loyal consumers have a tendency to coalesce around strong brands and will ultimately form these communities that are tightly held together by the brand promise or the Jeep experience.  An experience that is universal - yet personal for each owner.  Jeep owners don’t know each other, but yet we always wave.  We may not know each other’s name, but we can talk for hours about our Jeeps.  And at the core of our being there is surely some strand of DNA that is probably shaped like a J that bonds us together.

When the product and its story is strong enough to create community, consumers will want to be a part of this brand experience.  And if you’re not in the community…well as the bumper sticker says…”It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand”.   If you want to be a strong brand, tell a good story, create a great brand experience, and get people talking.

A Great Little Restaurant Experience

Some of you may be able to relate to keeping children sufficiently occupied while the parents try and enjoy a dinner out.  The usual time occupiers we all like to bring along have been electronic engagement devices such as Game Boys, PS2s etc..  But let me relate a story of one restaurant that has a creative way of keeping our kids occupied in a very brand centric fashion.  The restaurant is Carrabba’s Grill.  A moderately upscale Italian place that is one of the brands within the Outback Steakhouse family of restaurants. 

Most of us with kids (mine are now 14 and 11) are familiar with the standard offering by the hostess of the bag of slightly chewed and very used crayons and cheap coloring books.  Perhaps that bag of goodies occupied Ozzie and Harriet’s brood, but today’s over-amped, multi-tasking kids in search of constant stimulation look at this “kiddie bag” as nothing more than cheap antiques made for throwing at unsuspecting siblings.  Carrabba’s offers a much different experience for families with children of any age.

Once seated and the drink orders are established, a hostess will arrive with a fresh basket of baked bread and a small ball of fresh dough for each child.  This unique offer creates endless hours of entertainment for kids of all ages as they roll, poke, and shape their creation.  As a marketer I view this tactic as supporting the Carrabba’s brand core essence of home cooking and the tactile and sensory nature of an Italian kitchen.  This Play-Doh like experience doesn’t end with just the creation of gingerbread men, baguettes, or other less desirable objects.  When the meal arrives, the waitress retrieves the freshly shaped dough and returns it to an awaiting oven.  By the way, I believe they smear it with a wonderful garlic butter sauce prior to baking.  And in just a few minutes the kids’s baked goods are presented back to them ready for their immediate consumption and enjoyment.

A wonderfully creative (yet brilliant in its simplicity) alternative to crayons and coloring books that supports the brand and ultimately helps create a unique experience for the entire family.  I would encourage more restaurants to get creative with their dining experience.  Clearly, really appealing and tasty dishes help.  But it’s not just about the menu or the atmosphere.  That can often be superficial window dressing that may attract people once.  Great restaurants create a total dining experience where the food is only one element of the evening’s gastronomic theater. 

How many of us return to restaurants that have average food simply because we have a good time, converse with friends or family, and ultimately end up telling others to try out ”our new spot”?   And as I like to say, when people talk…people buy.  A great experience can trump average food.  Whereas a mediocre experience will stick out in your mind more than a really good dish.  And if you want to see your kids leave hundereds of dollars of gaming devices in the car for pennies worth of bread dough check out a Carrabba’s Grill.

Welcome to the Fish-On blog

Hello to my Marketing Brethren:

There are a lot of people I admire that have been blogging for what seems like an eternity in cyberspace, however I am admittedly new to this medium.  So since this is my first post, I feel some introductions are in order.  

I am the owner and driving creative force behind Fish-On Marketing and like to refer to myself as a “marketing guide”.  I like the term “guide” (hang with me as I continue the fishing metaphor) because it seems more approachable than consultant, CEO, account director or principal.   A guide (think of fishing guide) takes individuals (brand owners) with varying experience and abilities into waters (the marketplace) that are different every day.  The fish (consumers) are often persnickety in what attracts them and therefore you need to always be open to new tackle (think tactics).  And at the end of the day, a memorable and wonderful story can be the end product of a good experience on the water.   

This story telling is really what makes for great marketing and ultimately builds strong brands.  So enough of the metaphors - what do I do?  I help brands and medium sized businesses connect with their consumers by creating memorable brand experiences.  That may be clear as mud, and a bit vague for an elevator pitch, but a quick tour of my site may provide some texture around what this paradigm shift in marketing is all about.  

Over time I hope this blog will also give you some insight and clarity into this new frontier we call experiential marketing …at least my view of it.  As I schizophrenically bounce between consumer and marketer, through this blog I will be providing commentary, posts, links, and real world examples that I hope will stimulate thought and ultimately expand your horizons of the branding world we all live and work in.Another marketing premise that I’m a firm believer in is establishing relationships with your audience. 

So a bit about me on the personal side.  A husband and father of two, I live in the small own of Ormond Beach Florida, a bedroom community of Daytona Beach.  Having been born and raised in the Sunshine State I received my undergrad from the University of South Florida in Management with a minor in Marketing.  Shortly after gradation I began a career with a little pet food company in St. Louis called Purina (LOL).  Over the next 15 years I held various positions within the company in sales and veterinary marketing in addition to earning my MBA at the University of Southern Illinois.  I spent the last few years of this assignment leading their experiential marketing group developing non-traditional programs to engage pet owners.  Everything from TV shows, on-line applications, and mobile marketing events.

When you think about marketing pet food it’s all about tapping into the emotional bonds people have with their pets.  After all, it’s hard to sell on the traditional features and benefits of the product because you’re not selling to the end user (the dogs and cats) that can truly relate to those product features.  This unique premise helped open my eyes to the benefits of engaging consumers through experiences and emotional connections, and has served me well as I apply those basic concepts to other brands I consult with now through Fish-On Marketing, an agency I founded in 2004. 

As we dialogue with each other I’ll weave in personal anecdotes and more about my opinions, feelings, and my life as a marketer and an individual.  Please feel free to comment and reach out of you’d like to have a conversation about my thoughts or agency capabilities.  This should be fun.

Fish-On,

Bud Hanson