The New York Giants: It's all about the right shoes

By John McGory

The climax of the National Football League season will soon be here as the New England Patriots play the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.   The big game is often decided by which head coach makes the best in-game decisions. 

The fate of your business marketing plan may well be determined by your “in game” decisions.  What can you do to make sure you make the right choices?  Let’s learn from one Pro Hall of Fame coach on making decisions in the clutch.

The greatest coach’s decision in NFL Championship history arguably came in the 1934 Sneakers Game classic.  It was the second NFL championship game in league history and the Giants were pitted against the Chicago Bears.

The game was played December 9, 1934, at the Polo Grounds in New York City.  The night before, freezing rain hit the city and the ice-covered turf turned into a skating rink.  Giants end Ray Flaherty suggested to Coach Steve Owen at halftime that sneakers would provide better footing than cleats on the frozen playing surface.   Owen agreed and sent Abe Cohen to Manhattan College to get some sneakers.

The Giants were losing 13-3 in the 3^rd quarter when Cohen returned with nine pairs of sneakers.  The Giants took over from that point in the game.  Running back Ken Strong had two touchdown runs and the Giants went on to win 30-13.

The Hall of Fame coach’s decision proved to be critical in his team’s win.  Players from both teams agreed the sneakers made the difference in the game.

Marketing in today’s business world creates many similar challenges.  The Internet and social media prompted unforeseen changes in marketing. Many have learned that the best laid plans are worthless when the playing field drastically changes.

What can we learn from the old coach when facing a dire marketing situation?

1.      Realize you have a problem.  Coach Owen knew he had to do something to change the game.  Too many company leaders refuse to admit they have a problem until it is too late. 

2.      Listen to your people.  The coach listened to Ray Flaherty. Flaherty went on to be a Pro Hall of Fame coach as well.  He invented the screen pass and the two-platoon system.  Owen knew his end was a sharp guy, so he took his advice and it paid off.  Today’s bosses and marketing managers need to do the same.

3.      Take action.  Owen sent Cohen to Manhattan College to get sneakers.  That “out-of-the-box” thinking proved to be the difference between winning and losing.

4.      Take advantage of your edge.  The Giants took advantage of better footing once they changed to sneakers.  If you get an edge over your competition, use it.

The ability to make critical decisions under pressure is the difference between Hall of Fame and losing coaches.  If your marketing program is slipping due to harsh conditions, it is time for action.  What can you do to turn your game around?

John McGory is a partner at Webface, http://web-face-solutions.com. We are a content marketing company that can help you make the right choices about your marketing shoes.  If you like this story then help us out and retweet it.

Nice is Not Enough

By John McGory

Is the lack of corporate creativity in marketing creating a chasm between business and the public?  Can corporations truly be creative or is the threat of offending people and losing market share keeping a lid on attention-getting social media tactics such as content marketing?

Today’s world of content marketing is creating conflict in corporate boardrooms across the world.  It has been a long time since George Carlin riffed on the seven words inappropriate for television and Lucy and Ricky slept in separate beds.  The Internet brings an uncut version of the world to anyone who wants it.

The public seemingly wants more and more outlandish content.  Videos need to be faster, crazier and more eye-catching than ever before.  Text is too slow.  No topic is taboo.

Content marketing’s goal is to attract attention to brands by providing interesting and free content to the public in exchange for their attention.  On the surface it makes sense, but putting it into practice is really tough.  The public wants shock and awe and the corporate world wants nice.

The Coca Cola Company is buying into content marketing in a big way.  Its Content 2020 initiative is designed to double its sales through the use of content marketing.

The bottling giant released two videos http://blog.junta42.com/2012/01/coca-cola-content-marketing-20-20/ that outlines how it is going to reach its sales’ goal.  The plan is to “create ideas so contagious that they can’t be controlled.”  Those are big words bound to create big pressure on Coca Cola’s creative types.

Grabbing the attention of the world is a monumental task.  Contagious ideas must be practical and hip at the same time.  Successful ideas for global brands such as Coke must be practical enough to cross cultural, language and political barriers.  The same ideas must also be trendy enough to engage younger markets, while not turning off the more conservative elements of society.

Most corporations are conservative by nature.  Some may see Coke’s content marketing effort as a foolhardy attempt.   Conservative corporations’ attitude is to keep its head down till this fad passes. 

Unfortunately, this approach has less of a chance of working than Coke’s effort.   Consumers today expect to be entertained.  The “let’s keep doing what we’ve been doing” strategy is severely outdated.

So the gulf between what corporations are willing to do to capture customers’ attention and what customers will watch grows by the day.  Coke deserves credit for jumping head first into the content marketing pool.   Whether it can swim in that pool and entertain the masses is another story.

The question for the rest of the corporate world is:  What are you doing to gain the attention of your customers in a world where nice is not enough?

John McGory is a partner at Webface (www.web-face-solutions.com), a content marketing company that can create video and written materials to get the attention of your fans.

Mr. Rogers' Tips on How-To Videos

By John McGory

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood….would you be mine, could you be mine, won’t you be my neighbor?”

Most people over the age of 20 know those words well. They were sung at the beginning of every episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.  The Emmy-winning show entertained and educated millions of children on the Public Broadcasting System from 1968 to 2001. 

Fred Rogers created a huge neighborhood of fans by showing children how to do thousands of things.  His soft-spoken and direct style was unique.  Rogers’ non-threatening style made him popular with children and parents alike.

Mr. Rogers understood who he was and what he was trying to do.  He taught it all – from tying shoes to break dancing http://youtu.be/Fw_GnjE-des.  He made it feel as if he was having a personal conversation with each viewer.

Today’s companies and organizations are trying to create their own neighborhoods by producing content for social media and the Internet.  One popular method is producing how-to videos.   Creating a how-to video scene using a Mr. Rogers’ approach is still relevant today.  Here are a few tips from his neighborhood:

1.   Be fearlessly authentic.  Initially educated to be a minister, Rogers was displeased with the way television addressed children. He made an effort to change that by writing for and performing on local, youth oriented Pittsburgh-area shows.  It was easy to tell Mr. Rogers was not phony. Don’t be something you are not.

2.   Provide information relevant to your audience.  Select topics that appeal to the widest audience range possible.  How-to videos are designed to be helpful, not to show your audience how smart you are.   

3.   Leave no viewer behind. Fred Rogers knew his audience and he communicated with them in a style they understood and appreciated.  He didn’t talk down to them, he talked to them. 

4.   Give them all the information they need in a step-by-step process that is easy to grasp.  While videos need to be short, make sure they cover the necessary steps.

5.   Mr. Rogers never did advertising.  Let them know about any tools or equipment necessary.  If you sell those products, display them, but a how-to video is not the time to try and sell those products.

6.   Discuss pitfalls and problems associated with the lesson and empathize with your viewers.  Coming off as a know-it-all will not help sales.

How-to videos are one of the great content-marketing ideas.  Showing people how to do something that they can use is a wonderful way to make a friend or neighbor.

Fred Rogers was an icon of children’s television.  His open, authentic and friendly style brought a sense of peace to televised education that may never be replicated.  It won’t hurt you to try.   Good-bye neighbor.

 John McGory is a partner at Webface, a content marketing firm that can help you produce how-to videos and other marketing materials to get you noticed.  Contact us at www.web-face-solutions.com.

                

Publish or Perish: The New Rule of Marketing

By John McGory

Publish or perish.  The historical phrase used by university PhDs is now shifting to the business world.  In 2012, businesses will begin to understand that becoming Internet publishers will be their most critical marketing effort, bypassing website creation. 

Huh?  What in the world of Webface are we talking about?  Let’s take a look.

Our last blog discussed the concept of content marketing (Aliens and Lip Gloss, In Your Webface!, December 14, 2011 http://webfacesolutions.blogspot.com/).  Content marketing provides quality information to customers in exchange for their attention.

Gaining the attention of your customers is what marketing is all about.  And let’s face it, your customers are not riveted to your website for entertainment.

The Content Marketing Institute reports that “93 percent of marketing professionals create or plan to create content marketing as part of their overall programs next year.”

The shift, according to the institute, is from print advertising to social media advertising.  So brochures and newspaper ads are out and blogs, videos and social media channels are in.  The static nature of websites will reduce their importance in gaining customers’ attention as well. 

Here are tips on what to do to move forward to create your own content marketing.

Content needs to be informative and entertaining to gain attention.  Companies need to dedicate resources to ensure that standard is met.

Develop high editorial standards for all materials produced.  This includes blogs, videos and social media channels.

Develop content that makes your company an “expert” in your field.

With that “expert” thought in mind, develop content that focuses on topics rather than your company.  Customers want to learn about people and things, not your company.  If you succeed, when the customer needs your product or service, they will know where to turn.    

Finally, be patient.  Building community takes consistent quality.

The Content Marketing Institute reports that the business-to-business marketing tools seeing the biggest jump in use over the past year are blogs and videos, with 27 percent increases.  White papers were second, increasing by 19 percent.

In the past two years, magazines were the biggest marketing-tool losers, with an 11 percent drop. Printed newsletters took a five percent fall.

The content marketing tools used the most in 2011, according to the institute, were:

Posting articles                                               79%

Social media (not counting blogs)               74 %

Blogs                                                                 65%

E-newsletters                                                  63%

Case studies                                                     58%

In-person events                                             56%

Videos                                                               52%

White papers                                                   51%

Content marketing is the hottest marketing trend, but it takes thought and resources to create.  While just a few years ago a website was a necessity, companies and organization now need to focus on becoming Internet publishers. 

It’s the world of publish or perish.  It is now upon us. 

John McGory is a partner at Webface, a content marketing firm.  Let Webface help you publish deliciously rich content.  Learn more at www.web-face-solutions.com

http://technorati.com/business/advertising/article/publish-or-perish-business-marketing-2012/

Aliens and Lip Gloss

By John McGory

Do you want a first-class tip on how a company can stand out in today’s information avalanche?  Read on.

Yankelovich, a market research firm, estimates that a city dweller sees 5,000 advertising messages a day.  

Most of these ads rely on good placement, clever wording and exceptional creativity to capture your attention.  Victoria’s Secret is betting a scantily clad model licking her lips at you on the bus may add up to a sale next week.

Chances are they are wrong and the ad is a waste of time, money and lip gloss.  The human mind disregards a vast majority of what it sees and hears.

The brain cannot process 5,000 ads a day.  It deals with the overload through confirmation bias.  This is a tendency for people to favor information that confirms their preconceptions without regard for truth or reason.

We all do it.  Stereotype yourself and see how snuggly you fit into your own world where only agreeable thoughts are allowed inside.

Do a personal test on political and social topics.  Do you listen to both sides on climate change, Obama’s birthplace, abortion, the Middle East, taxes, political parties and religion?  Not likely.  Your mind is made up.

Ads are no different. We search for confirmation of what we already think.  So how can you market your brand to unbelievers?  With a world awash in information and a public programmed to disregard you, if not hate you, is it possible? 

Nope.  So forget about it and go after new customers who are programmed to possibly like you.

Brands can accomplish this through content marketing.  It is new-age marketing that provides quality information to customers in exchange for their attention.  Content marketing is not going to change unbelievers’ minds, but it may attract new customers.

Blogs, short, entertaining videos, white papers and podcasts are valuable tools.  It’s like inviting someone into your home and having a few hors d’oeuvres.  Once people get to know each other, then trust can be built and just possibly, a sale made.

The hors d’oeuvres in content marketing must be worth eating.  No one is coming back if they are stale or leave a bad taste in your mouth.   Content marketing needs to be deliciously entertaining or informative to stand out in this 5,000-ads-a-day world.

So here is that first-class tip.  Combining content marketing with confirmation bias is key. 

If you are selling UFO tours in Roswell, New Mexico, then your media content needs to be rich in never-seen-before crashed spaceship videos, alien blogs and political cover-up rumors.  The UFO believers expect it.  If the content is good, then maybe a few new fans will come to Roswell and buy a ticket. 

This powerful combination of content marketing and confirmation bias will show the one-sided thinkers that you get them.  And if they think you get them, they will let you in and love you in return. 

McGory is a partner in Webface, a content marketing company.  Webface can help you figure out who your friends are and how to attract them with deliciously entertaining or informative content.  Check us out at www.web-face-solutions.com

The Fight of the 21st Century

By John McGory

The recent death of Smokin’ Joe Frazier brought to mind three of the greatest sporting events of the 20^th century.  Frazier’s epic championship fights with Muhammad Ali in the 1970s were battles of legend.

Ali, the fast-talking, smooth fighter out of Louisville captured the hearts of the young with his brash manner and opposition to the military draft.  His flair and athleticism made him a darling of television. 

Frazier was a classic brawler with a dynamite left hook.  His never-back-down style and support of the military made him a favorite of conservatives.

Frazier won the first battle, which promoter Don King titled The Fight of the Century.  It lived up to its billing.  Ali won fights two and three including the classic Thrilla in Manila.

The fight of the 21st century is not between bruising athletes.  It is a much more subtle affair waged daily.  But this battle is capturing worldwide attention just as the Ali-Frazier fights did 40 years ago.

This scrap is between the two main ways people communicate. It is the reigning champion, the written word, versus the up-and-coming challenger, video.  Let’s look at the tale of the tape to see who has the advantage.

The written word goes back about 5,000 years to Mesopotamia.  It is the undisputed champion of culture and civilization.  Video is a newcomer.  Its history goes back a little more than 100 years, but its influence on education and entertainment has been impressive.

Much like Ali, video is the darling of the young and brash.  It is quick and involves more senses than its opponent.  Conservatives are fans of the written word. Reading the written word requires more thought and involvement by its fans.

The Internet is the arena for this slugfest.  The aging champion, the written word, is showing some wear when it comes to the on-line venue.  Its plodding style does not fit the new, fast Internet world.  Video’s ability to capture thoughts, music, images and actions makes it a big draw for younger and creative fans.

Some pundits are predicting that more than 90 percent of material downloaded onto the Internet in the coming years will be video.  Today, it is slightly more than 50 percent.  That spells doom for the champ.

But the written word has not lasted 5,000 years without being resilient.  Its skill at capturing emotion, complex thought and personal insight are formidable.

The video challenger is definitely impacting the way we do business and enjoy life.  The Internet and social media are both in its corner.  Video has knocked the champ to the Internet canvas.  To paraphrase the late sportscaster Howard Cosell, “Down goes the written word, down goes the written word, down goes the written word.”  Whether it gets back up will make for great 21st century drama.

McGory is a partner at Webface, an social media and video communications firm located in Columbus, Ohio.  Look for more information at www.web-face-solutions.com.

Go Amish and Tune Out Awhile

By TC Brown

Recently, I saw one of the dumbest things ever.  A guy jogging was yapping away on his cell phone. No emergency in sight and no dogs hot on his tail.

I also spied a couple in a restaurant who instead of having lively and interesting conversation – you know, sharing meaningful personal moments – they were separately tapping away on mobile devices.  Apparently this is the contemporary version of the song “Strangers in the Night.”

Recently, a study out of the UK noted that one in eight adults said their partner spends more time on their cell phone than talking to them.  More than 34 percent said they email or text during face-to-face conversations. 

And that’s just the phone!  Toss in laptops, desktops, notebook computers and all manner of mobile devices, and the amount of time we all spend staying connected is staggering.  Last year, Nielsen found that sites like Facebook and Twitter swallow up 22.7 percent of our time on the Web.  A study by comScore found that most of us spend at least 32 hours a month connected to the Internet.  I’m guessing it’s even higher now.

This all brings me to a radical thought – we need to unplug and be Amish for a day, or at least for a couple of hours once in awhile. 

All of these interconnected networks are like electronic crack. We do a hit and then find ourselves hypnotically going back again and again to get our next interactive “fix.”  Totally addictive.

Think not? Look at these revealing statistics:

·       One-half billion people log onto Facebook each day, collectively spending 700 billion minutes per month on the site.

·       Each month, 490 million unique users visit YouTube, generating 92 billion page views.

·       Every minute, people upload 3,000 images to photo site Flickr.

·       Twitter, which adds hundreds of thousands of users per day, averages 190 million tweets daily.

·       Google+ reached 10 million users in 16 days, setting new speed records for social network growth.

It might seem odd that this rant is coming from a guy who co-owns a social media communication company.  After all, it is clearer than ever that this “new media” is good for businesses.

No argument, the positive social medium influence on business is a good thing, and I’m happy for it. But so is taking an occasional break. Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek, recommends limiting email consumption and production, and even taking a one-week media fast.

Myself? I’m going to unplug just as soon as I finish and send out this blog, respond to all of the emails on my two accounts, check out the latest viral video, rearrange my photos on Flickr, do an Internet search for this odd skin rash, and . . . .

TC Brown is a partner in Webface, a communications and marketing company that can help you and your organization stay relevant in an ever-more interconnected world.