If you want brand engagement, just be human.

February 22, 2018

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Observations From the Field, This is Cool, Branding Strategies — @ 2:03 pm

There I was, innocently chopping vegetables for a salad at my kitchen counter, my mind on a million other things while my hands worked on autopilot. And then, without warning… the little tomatoes seduced me.

I had picked up the container to peel back the cover, when my eye caught the writing on the tab:

Cherub Grape Tomatoes with "Lettuce Out" tab Cherub tab "Lettuce Out"

Seriously. “Lettuce out?” Produce packaging with a sense of humor? It’s corny and goofy and oh-so-endearing, and I am not going to lie: I giggled audibly. And that particular salad brought me a great deal of joy.

Why? Because THE TOMATOES MADE A JOKE, people. In this world of legal jargon, marketing buzzwords, and brand manifestos, a simple salad pun like “lettuce out” is unbelievably charming and disarming for consumers. I didn’t really have an opinion of my tomatoes before. Suddenly, I cared. I felt like the folks at NatureSweet® must be pretty cool and groovy…and human. Real people, not a faceless sea of business operations. And I liked them. As if they were a single person, making a one-on-one connection with me, in a very unscripted, informal way.

Learn from this, folks. It cost them nothing to add this dash of personality to their packaging, and yet it did more to inspire my warm feelings than any expensive ad campaign ever could. Not convinced? How about…

The napkins at Chipotle Mexican Grill:

Chipotle Napkin

The inside of a Dove® chocolate wrapper.

Dove chocolate wrapper

The tip jar sign at Cape May Brewing Company:

Tip jar at Cape May Brewery

The point is…brands spend a ton of money on marketing and chasing brand loyalty, and yet they miss these simple, often no-cost opportunities to quietly worm their way into people’s hearts. With that one little lettuce joke, I became a “Cherub Girl,” just like the guy who once told me he’s an “EverRoast® Man”…except I’m not just using it as a pickup line.

Eight qualities every (great) social media marketer must have.

February 6, 2018

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Social Media — @ 10:26 am

In my entire (nearly) 30 years of working with companies big and small in the tourism industry, never once did I hear an executive say, “Oh, we need more legal assistance? Let’s assign that responsibility to the night auditor.” Or, “We are short an engineer, so let’s task reservation agents to fix the HVAC during their breaks.”

So why oh why do so many executives think that anyone with a brain and a pulse can do marketing? I’ve seen more unsuitable people deputized with marketing authority simply because they’re “bright and eager,” and because someone in power thinks they should have room on their dance card to take on more work. This usually leads to disappointment on all sides. Newsflash: being a strategic marketer takes more than just being a people person.

The rise of social media in the marketing mix has only made this phenomenon worse. Now, anyone with a Twitter or Instagram account is apparently capable of running point on complex social media strategies.

Not so. And let’s be clear here: this isn’t about schooling or having the right degree. Sure, schooling helps a person acquire skills, but having a natural knack for something is essential to true success in a role. And just like people have a knack for drawing, or singing, or mechanical stuff, or cooking… people have a knack for marketing… and ESPECIALLY social media.

If you’re looking to fill this role in your organization…or you’re just a bright-and-eager person aspiring to become a social media marketing guru…here’s a checklist of eight qualities that make this role successful:

Has a sense of humor, and knows how/when to wield it
Loves social media, all types, and is personally aware of and immersed in it
Is an articulate and engaging writer, who favors the power of brevity
Knows proper grammar, and (as importantly) how/when to relax grammar standards
Has reliable judgment
Keeps ego in check, and blends confidence with humility
Has no fear of technology
Embraces every nook and cranny of your brand, inside and out

Is a person with all eight of these qualities easy to find? Nope. But is it worth holding out to find and harness such a person? Well… this person is your voice to the ENTIRE WORLD, in REAL TIME, with NO COMMUNICATION BARRIER. You know, just that. NBD.

Hold out. Find that person. It’s worth it.

How to arrest attention (pun intended) using social media.

September 27, 2017

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Observations From the Field, Social Media, Branding Strategies — @ 10:30 am

This is a complaint I hear often: We put a ton of time into social media and it’s like nobody is listening. And then they blame the algorithm.

Poor things. I feel like a therapist when I pull them aside and hit them with some radical candor:

Psst. It’s not the algorithm. It’s YOU.

Because the way most brands do social media, nobody IS listening. Most businesses – at least in my industry, which is travel, tourism, and hospitality – do their scheduled, obligatory posts like clockwork… often carefully vetted in advance by executives who crave control over all marketing messages.

That’s the key issue right there: the forum of social media rewards nimble and impromptu risk takers, and penalizes scripted, safe automatons. And I don’t mean the algorithms reward and penalize…I mean the audiences. Algorithms do indeed shape who sees your stuff…but algorithms are influenced by audiences. If enough folks engage with your stuff, the algorithm rewards you handsomely.

Here’s a magnificent example. The Lawrence Kansas Police Department sells these t-shirts:

And if you spend just 10 minutes scrolling through their Twitter feed, you’ll be rolling on the floor howling with laughter. And then you might even click “follow,” despite the fact that you live nowhere near Kansas. I did.

The population of Lawrence is around 95,000. The Lawrence Police Department has a Twitter following of 63,000. If the New York City Police Department wanted to have the same ratio of followers-to-population, it would need 5,610,000 followers. It currently has 431,000.

And engagement with LKPD tweets is absurdly high…a recent tweet got 550,000 likes and 174,000 retweets. Reading that will make lots of social media marketers swoon with envy.

Why is the engagement so strong, and why is their social media effort so successful? Five key reasons:

It’s not just an obligatory marketing tactic…it’s used as a tool and grounded in solid purpose (connect with the community and make them want to listen to the police). That North Star anchors their entire effort, so it never loses its way and becomes white noise.
It’s an ongoing dialogue, happening in real time. Even promotional messages feel natural and organic…not scripted and salesy.
They promote the bejesus out of their social channels every chance they get, even offline (see t-shirts above for living proof).
It’s entertaining (and therefore shareworthy). Say what you will about human attention spans, but the fact is…we gravitate toward things that make us laugh and feel good.
It persuades, not just informs. Like so:

INFORMS = “Don’t drive around Road Closed signs into flood water or you may get stranded.”

PERSUADES:

The bottom line is…they invest the time AND the risk AND the focus. Social media – when done right – requires diving into the deep end fully clothed.

So, you may be spending a lot of time “doing” social media, but how exactly are you spending that time? If you spend more time planning than actually engaging with audiences, flipflop that ratio and you’ll see a difference.

Or, you could just give it all up and become a Lawrence Kansas police officer. It seems fun.

How my doctor can improve your marketing skills.

August 31, 2017

Filed under: Marketing Strategies — @ 10:33 am

It was an innocent medical encounter, long ago, having nothing to do with marketing. And yet, it yielded some of the smartest marketing advice I’ve ever received…and then passed on to others.

Once an enemy, now a bestie.

At the time, I was overhauling my nutrition and diet strategy. During my annual physical, the doc asked me how well (or not) I was adapting to the new habits I was aspiring to achieve. I then let loose a tirade about how bloody hard it was to drink eight glasses of water a day. Who drinks that much water?…I said. I’m not a camel preparing for a desert journey…I said. Water is boring…I said. And on…and on.

The doc (very wisely) let my tiny tantrum wind down and then he quietly said: “So just drink two. That’s two more than you were drinking before and still great progress.”

Damn the man. Did he have to be so sensible when I was so clearly irrational while detoxing from my soda-juice-coffee habit? I instantly felt sheepish and agreed that yes, I could manage two glasses a day.

Fast forward fifteen years. I’m sitting with an innkeeper client who’s got an overwhelming to-do list, and is ranting about the pressure of doing daily social media posts. I’ve got a million things to do…he said. I don’t have time to think of new things to post every day…he said. Social media is annoying…he said.

Feeling like a wise old Yoda, I let his tiny tantrum wind down, and then I quietly said: “So post every other day. Or three times a week. The world won’t end.”

Here’s the thing folks. We place requirements on ourselves that are meant to be guidelines…and yet we treat them as sacrosanct law. Guidelines must be weighed against reality, and it’s often perfectly fine if a compromise is achieved. Are daily posts on Facebook recommended for a brand? Yes. Is three per week still better than none? Yup.

In marketing, frequency is great, but consistency is VITAL. So, can’t do monthly newsletters? Do them bimonthly. Can’t do weekly blog posts? Do them biweekly…or monthly. Overwhelmed by trying to keep your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter updated? Pick one and really OWN it.

The point is this: by trying to reach impossible and often arbitrary frequency requirements, you’re more likely to either…

Fall behind and feel like you failed
Freeze completely and end up doing nothing at all
Check the box…but miss the goal

So…relax, people. Be kinder to yourself. Make consistency your priority, and then decide on frequency you can live with. You can always increase when the rhythm gains a foothold in your life. Case in point: I’m up to an eight-glass-a-day water habit now. I mean…it only took me fifteen years but still. Progress.

What a difference a word makes (in marketing).

August 10, 2017

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Observations From the Field, This is Cool — @ 9:35 am

The gods of marketing were smiling on me that day.

While leading a group of Canadian culinary tourism delegates through Philadelphia on an educational best practices mission (what’s that, you say?…learn more here), we stumbled upon a stunningly artistic city utility box, like so:

Yes, I’m a ham. However, I’m also an educator by nature, so this box became a teaching moment. We paused here on our walk to discuss the power of surprises and the marketing opportunities that come from turning ordinary things into unexpected pops of joy.

When the spontaneous lesson concluded, we continued on our walk. And not five minutes later, one of the group exclaimed “Oh my god, look at that sign!”…and all the delegates from Taste of Nova Scotia turned toward the entrance to Sweet Box Bakery:

The exclaimer gave me a quick look, as if to say… “did you plan this?” I just dropped a small curtsey and said “I rest my case.”

Folks. Be surprising. Be fun. People notice.

Learn a bit more about Philly’s painted utility boxes here.

Dogs + vodka + love = marketing.

July 10, 2017

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Observations From the Field, This is Cool, Branding Strategies — @ 11:58 am

I owe Tito’s Vodka a humble and heartfelt apology.

Tito's "Vodka for Dog People" Ad

Walking thru LaGuardia Airport recently, I saw this ad and immediately thought: shame on them. Using the irresistible marketing star power of dogs to try to sell their vodka? That’s quite a stretch. Dogs can’t even drink vodka (duh), so who do they think they’re kidding?

This felt like one of those “jump on the bandwagon” marketing tactics that Redpoint warns clients against doing. You can’t just put crayons on your dining tables and claim “we’re a kid friendly restaurant,” or stick a pride flag on your porch and claim “we’re an LGBTQ friendly hotel.” You need the chops to back it up if you REALLY want to court a specific market. Half-heartedly courting a target audience without committing to substance under the hood will just backfire and alienate them.

So…you can’t just buy a cool URL (www.VodkaForDogPeople.com) and claim you’re a dog friendly vodka.

But when I went to the website (poised for righteous indignation) Tito’s surprised me, and knocked this cynical marketer flat. They truly ARE “Vodka for Dog People,” and their mission, programming, and charity work all prove it. This is no impulsive, bandwagon marketing technique… there’s quite a bite behind this positioning.

So what happened? The ice melted, and I fell in love with them. And I don’t even drink vodka, nor do I think about vodka brands. But as a dog lover…if I did…I’d give Tito’s a try. Maybe even become brand loyal.

What’s the moral of this story? The strength of the connection you make with a targeted segment of customers is directly proportionate to the investment you make in courting it. If you half-ass the approach, you’ll get a lukewarm response at best. But if you go all in, you’ll get the ROI you seek.

Tito’s… I’m sorry, and I’m not afraid to say it with candor. I judged you unfairly, and as my penance, I will buy at least one bottle of your vodka and pet 100 dogs. #EveryoneWins

Bathroom branding…it’s a thing.

June 8, 2017

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, Observations From the Field, This is Cool, Spending Budgets Wisely, Branding Strategies — @ 8:18 am

When you’re walking (hurrying?) into a public bathroom, your mental focus is probably pretty singular: get in, get relief, and get out…with minimal engagement to the actual bathroom itself.

Unless there is a clever sign on the door.

Then…you smile, and even if just for a brief second…you think about the brand that “owns” the bathrooms. Maybe you even take a picture of the sign and post it on social media. You might even tag that brand, and give them a shout-out for being fabulous. Or text it to a friend.

The point is…you notice, and a connection is formed between you and that brand. If the bathroom doors are simply marked “Men” and “Women,” you don’t even spare them (or the brand) a brain cell. But when they’re unexpected and distinct, you pay attention. Case in point:

At the Timber Lounge in Halifax, Nova Scotia…a bar at which you can enjoy a spot of axe throwing:

Timber Lounge

At Weylin B. Seymour’s glamourous event space in Brooklyn, NY, the wheelchair accessible bathrooms inspire festive attitudes:

wheelchair

At an Irving highway rest area in New Brunswick, Canada…the LEAST likely place you’d be inspired to care about a brand:

At the Hotel on North in Pittsfield, MA, which boasts a sophisticated-yet-funky-retro vibe (psst… Redpoint designed these):

Hotel on North Bathroom

The point is, bathroom signs are an easy, inexpensive and non-intrusive way to make a connection with your guests. You’ve got to put signs up anyway…why not let them help further your marketing goals?

And if you ever need to set up port-a-potties…take a page from the Rochester Lilac Festival and GO ALL IN:

Lilac Bathrooms

Lilac port-a-potties, people. I rest my case.

Social media + cool things = your free sales force.

February 29, 2016

Filed under: Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Observations From the Field, Social Media — @ 8:22 am

My nephew is going to eat at Roast Sandwich House with his friends, thanks to a picture posted on Facebook (which he doesn’t use) by a girl (who he doesn’t know). Here’s the story…followed by a million dollar marketing question:

Some girl Amanda (a stranger to me as well) posted this picture on Facebook of Roast’s “Buffalo Organic Chicken Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese.”

A gent named Chris liked her photo. I’ve not seen or spoken to Chris in around five years, but we’re friends on Facebook. And that photo appeared in my news feed because Chris liked it. I knew the moment I saw it that my nephew would LOVE it…but I’m not friends with him on Facebook (because no self-respecting teenager uses Facebook). So I took a screen-shot of the post and texted it to him. He responded with all sorts of “OMGs” and drooled on his phone…and next thing you know…he’s gathering up friends to go eat there.

So basically, a friend of my friend of five years ago recommended a sandwich to my nephew and his friends. And none of us have ever spoken or discussed this in any way…and most of us are strangers.

Now… here’s the million dollar marketing question: What if Roast Sandwich House offered boring sandwiches?

NO ONE takes a picture of a plain ol’ turkey sammich. Why bother? But a Buffalo Organic Chicken Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese? That sucker earns you bragging rights on social media. So, yes…it might be harder on the operation to produce AMAZING sandwiches. And it might require more ingredients. And it’s probably much more work. But it made Amanda take a picture and share it with her friends, and that marketing power is priceless.

The point is…be interesting. Be different. Be unexpected. Be unique. Make the time…make the investment…dedicate the brainpower. If you do unusual things or offer unusual products, people will want to capture and share the story. And you’ll be rewarded with an exponential (and free) sales force…even if they’re not on Facebook.

Thank you, Amanda…whoever you are. And you’re welcome, Roast Sandwich House…as you’ll be seeing a lot of my nephew in the future.

Your belly button is a marketing tool.

November 5, 2015

Filed under: Writing Tips, Marketing Strategies, The Power of Persuasion, Effective Communication — @ 9:56 am

Consumers suck, don’t they? They need to be rewarded for everything…liking things, sharing things, buying things, answering things. It’s maddening.

Well marketers, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We’ve conditioned people to chase carrots and respond to hoopla…which means we’ve ALSO conditioned them to ignore stuff that’s boring, predictable, trite, and unrewarding.

Where does this leave email subject lines? At the top of your “spend brainpower here” list.

Think about it…all the time and energy you spend creating the perfect email content is 100% for naught if people don’t open it. And when sifting through the barrage of daily incoming emails, consumers use three main criteria to determine which ones will get their attention:

How much they care about you vs. how much they care about the rest of the senders sitting in their inbox.
How much time they have available when your email arrives.
Is the content going to be worth their time?

And #3 is why subject lines should get your brainpower. If your marketing email subject lines are things like “August Newsletter” or “News from (company name)” or even something a little more specific like “Winter Packages at (company name)”… you are relying on the first two criteria – which are beyond your control – to supply the magic open sesame of consumer response.

But if your subject line is something like…

We don’t make linen. (Chilewich, a textile company)

I hate purple. (Also from Chilewich)

The ecosystem of your belly button. (American Museum of Natural History)

Have you ever wanted to create a chocolate sculpture? (South End Kitchen, VT)

Get serenaded by Harry Connick, Jr. (Hotel on North, MA)

…you’re using the subject line as a lure to snap desensitized recipients to attention. It’s likely that 80% or more of the emails they receive each day have boring subject lines. Make yours interesting and you’re one notch closer to seducing them into hearing your message.

Here’s the best part. If you pay heed to #3 (teasing interesting content)…and then you actually ensure that the content IS interesting…over time, it’s going to positively impact #1 and #2. Remember: marketers train consumers. And the more you train them that your emails are interesting, the more that #1- they will care about you and your messages, and #2- no matter when your email arrives, they will make the time to read it.

It’s a delicious cycle of persuasive marketing goodness. And soon you will find that consumers – those picky, aloof, what’s-in-it-for-me monsters we marketers have created – will suck just a little bit less.