How Businesses Spend on Social Media

Has the WIND mobile campaign breezed past you?

Have you seen the new WIND mobile campaign? Probably not... Have you heard about them with a big PR splash? Probably not... There are some jewels here that are worth noticing. I really hope that WIND makes great traction in Canada as they have gleaned the right insight of what a Canadian mobile carrier needs to be.

I love the idea of WIND and have eagerly been trying to follow it with conventional media (newspaper, print, out of home, TV) and have not been struck with a dynamic launch as I would have thought. Perhaps this was because of the "go, no go, go" nature of the CRTC. Their on-line presence does live up to their listening credo.

The TV spots are brilliant. They are supporting the launch show a series of people in "statuesque" poses, waiting for a "monumental" change in wireless plans. The 30' is better than the 60' which can be difficult to do, so kudos to developing a proper 30' and then extending it to 60' and not vice versa. The drama is related to the benefit as it is calling out the problem with existing carriers. This is, in fact, the 'reason to be' for WIND. They have tapped into the fundamental problem with mobile carriers in Canada and developed a solution. I love how their ads also feature real people. In particular, the uplifting music with Monumental Change, has a great call to action. Well done!

Hot Dog, is very clever and funny. Again, the drama is related to the benefit (it's actually on the problem) but it is amusing and actually makes me want to forward it to others. Very well done! From the comments, it looks like Canadians really like this spot. This is my personal favourite. Bike Lock is similar in it's feel and also good.

I have not been as impressed with the out of home ads. Despite looking out for the campaign, it took me 30 days of passing by an ad every day before I realized it was an ad for Wind. The eclectic colour palette, while trying to show diversity I guess, is lost on me and not distinct. The headlines do not grab me. I have asked others who have gone past the same ads 120 times and they have not noticed them. Hmm...

The in-store environment is great. There are large wooden harvest tables that serve as centerpieces to convey a sense of approachability, and wood is used in all tactile areas to the same end. Cash registers are absent to discourage separation between customers and service reps. The inclusion of Microsoft Surface adds a unique and immersive element that will play well with young people who are accustomed to accessing information in interactive ways

At the nicely branded site: http://www.windmobile.ca/community/ they have a great community forum and are appropriately using web 2.0 to engage customers. This is a no-brainer but I am glad that they are doing it properly. Again, it is embedded in their mission to listen to consumers, so they are really making the effort to deliver. Also, at
http://www.youtube.com/user/WindMobileCAN they are answering consumer's questions and real people are sharing their thoughts.

At windmobile.com, I was impressed with the speed that their CSRs answered my phone and plan question online. They actually didn't have a plan that was as good as mine, and they told me so. I also learned that I couldn't use my existing Blackberry with them. So they are not for me right now, it looks like. I'm sorry about that.

They are also engaging their online community with their comprehensive website. It actually makes me want to browse the site and interact with others, which I normally don't have the inclination nor time to do. The scattered colour pallet leaves me feeling a bit frantic, but otherwise, the website is delicious - I like being on it. From their standpoint, they are smart to ask for opinions such as which added feature do consumers want best. Again, it was easy to do so I voted.

Overall their launch elements of TV and digital were good. The OOH left me confused and out in the cold. And for nailing the right fundamental insight, I hope they succeed.

How to Manage Generation Y / Millenials

With Generation Y eagerly advancing up the professional ranks, over the course of a few short years, the composition of the workforce is changing. Here are some tips and insights

• Gen Y wants immediacy as they are used to instant answers. Use this to help instill action in your company
• They want to have a work-life balance. After seeing their parents toil, they want to enjoy all aspects of life. They don't necessarily want their managers job given the pressure and hours.
• This groups wants 1:1 interaction. They want to create. They want to share. -> Wikis, open source platforms and just any tools that allow people to share are useful for the organization
• They are active in wanting to build their whole career and see themselves at a variety of companies. Lateral moves in the company can also be useful if they see it as part of their total career journey. Let them know what skills they are building.
• They want to be listened to so ask them for their thoughts, ideas. As a marketer, this can be a great way to find out what your target wants. In a company, this can be harnessed for the benefit of others. If they are providing insights and ideas to senior management inappropriate of hierarchy, as a manager, do some gentle coaching on what is appropriate on the culture without stifling their ideas.
• They are close to their parents. I have personally seen parents get involved in hiring and firing decisions. As the employer, don't assume that the employee is encouraging this. It's probably not true and the parent is probably just used to being super-involved.
• They work well with Boomers. Because of their parent relationships, they respect and work well with Boomers. Mentor-ship programs are hence useful
• Flexible work arrangements and the opportunity to give back to society trump the sheer size of the pay package, according to researcher Sylvia Ann Hewlett.

"This rewards remix is both challenging and liberating for talent managers. It’s challenging because it means letting go of cash as the prime motivator and tangling with the difficult task of redesigning incentives. It’s liberating because if nonfinancial rewards are less expensive to fund, companies can lay out more plentiful options. Perhaps that explains why we found managers experimenting with a whole range of such rewards—figuring out how to use time, for example, as currency, or a green workplace as a retention tool. In a period when many were not able to offer raises or bonuses, some realized it was the right time to respond to the attitudinal changes they were already sensing in the air. Because some of their initiatives deftly address the demands of the 800-pound-gorilla cohorts, Gen Ys and Boomers, we believe they show the way to tomorrow’s best practice."

How to Make your Social Media Viral

Here is the Dragonfly effect to improve your social media campaign. From Stanford Business School, here are some of the hottest tips to make a viral campaign:

1. Focus. Make your goal singular and concrete. Set metrics.
2. Grab attention.
3. Engagement to make them care. How are you going to keep their attention? You have to make them care about what you are doing and communicate it with good story telling, images, multi-media
4. Take action. Getting others to pick up your cause and be viral.

This is viral as this goes into a cycle repeating all the steps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uketLiGYTRk

Save Time - Email Efficiency

Here are some tips from author Michael Linenberger's system that have helped me. Try them and see how they help you lighten your load.

1. Segment your work into three "Urgency Zones."

Critical Now--These are things absolutely due today. You should have a maximum of five things on this part of your list. Use this "going-home test": Is this item so critical that you would work all night to make sure it was completed? If not, it doesn't belong in this top priority zone.

Opportunity Now--These are things you would work on today if you had the right opportunity to do so, but they are not really "due" for up to a week or so.

Over-the-Horizon--These are things that can be put off for a week or much longer.

I've found that sorting my work into these three zones helps me relax and enjoy, because it shows me clearly what needs intense energy, what needs moderate energy, and what's on the back-burner.

2. Convert your emails to tasks right away.

Don't use email in your inbox as a way to track to-do's. That just wastes time and leads to inbox churn, where you constantly rehash and reread email looking for messages that have actions for you to do. Instead, as soon as you get an email that has an action in it--one that you can't do immediately--move that action into your to-do list system, and manage it from there.

3. Schedule "email time."

Don't read email as it comes into your inbox. That's a huge productivity killer--it can take you up to 5 minutes to get reoriented to your work. Schedule your email periods once an hour or less, and leave blocks of uninterrupted work time in between. Turn off email notification so you're not so tempted!

Getting your workday under control is one of the surest ways I know of experiencing greater happiness, freedom, and ease during your days. I know I'm smiling a lot more these days.


www.MasterYourWorkday.com

How to get people to say yes easily!

To get people to say yes..

According to research at Stanford University, people tend to grossly underestimate how likely others are to agree to requests for help. And many don't know how to ask for help. They also overestimate how many people will come to them for help.

The seminar is fascinating and with useful and interesting facts. Here are some key points:

1. It is awkward for the Asker to make a request while it is not for the Askee. Instead it is hard for the Askee to say no. So while the Asker is thinking of all the reasons why they might be turned down, the Askee is thinking of how they can actually help out and make the other person feel good.

People consistently thought it would be nice as hard to get people to say yes to a request, even those experienced in asking!

2. When there are low rates of usage in a program, in this case a mentoring program where new hires need to ask executives to be their mentor, the executives think that the program isn't useful because adoption rates are low. Meanwhile the real issue is that it is hard for new hires to ask. What normally happens is that the program is axed because it's not deemed as effective.

3. Ask directly. People are less likely to help if it is vague. In other examples, low rates of donations to a grocery charity were from the cashiers not asking people if they wanted to donate and instead just relying on a sign.

4. People who declined you in previous request are actually MORE likely to say "yes" because they have a natural tendency to avoid saying no.

Here are the relevant applications in a nut shell:

1. Just ask! People will say yes more often than you think. Put aside your worry.
2. Ask "can you do me a favor?" and then make your request. Most people will answer "yeah sure, what is it?" and this builds pre-commitment. In fact, positive answers are 87% vs. not asking "can you do me a favour" at 57%
3. Ask directly. Remember that the other person is trying to see how they can avoid saying no.
4. Include those who have previously declined you.

To really learn from what you read .... re-read!

Keep an eye out for those rare resources that are worth visiting again and again.

When I had a commute, I used to listen to the same marketing CDs over and over again. They burned a neural pathway in my brain. The information became second nature, as automatic as changing the channel when Leno comes on.

Reread the classics in your field. For me, it’s Robert Cialdini’sInfluence, Seth Godin’s Permission Marketing, Eugene Schwartz’sBreakthrough Advertising, and a handful of decidedly old-school books on copywriting.

Olympic Marketing Gold Silver Bronze

Great feedback from everyone. Thank you. The consensus is that Visa on site was a hindrance not a help.

A big Gold goes to HBC for their Olympic wear and painting the town red. Not only were these a hot item in the Vancouver area, across the country, and across the US. Oprah's endorsement further made this a cold item a hot commodity! Before the games, I wasn't sure what to do with the warm mittens and scarf and I didn't want to wear them. During the games, I felt compelled to wear a scarf in 15 Celsius weather because it said CANADA on the back and the gloves because, well, they were ubiquitous with Olympic spirit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLmAv6FiP50

Who's Winning the Marketing Olympics?

I've been to the events and been watching the ads. Who do I think comes out on top? Coca Cola by a landslide. From their numerous interactive booths at the O-zones in Surrey and Richmond, to the wildly popular tent in Yaletown and even the unexpected trading pin booth in the CTV at Robson, Coca Cola is everywhere. People are loving the free samples of Far Coast coffee not realizing that it launched 7 years ago. They are talking about the tin cans. They are loving the Olympic torch relay swag and excitement. This team has put in a ton of money but down a fantastic job. Well done to the team at Coca Cola.

Brands that I am disapointed in
- Visa: People feel forced not honoured to use their Visa everywhere. Plus where is the motivation for me to choose Visa if I'm not on site. The "Maple Syrup" ads leave me thinking it's a Purolator commercial

- Petro Canada: Nice ads that leave me remembering glasses and not where to buy them. How about offering free Petro Canada flags for people to use in their cars? Vancouverites would have chomped on that in a heartbeat. It's nice to sponsor the Olympics and to pay for people's airfare (betcha didn't know that they did that for the atheltes families) but one also needs a ROI.


Ones that have done well:

Mc Donalds: As much as I cringe to think that Olympians are portrayed to find sustenance in Mc D's, the ads ads and OOH billboards do a good job of being memorable and driving sales.
Rona: The ads aren't bad. At least I know that Rona has built the games. They have no on site precence anywhere though.
Excel: Jason, this one's for you. I did see some samplers out there downtown. I didn't see anyother precence though.
Ocean Spray: Daniela, this one's for you. I was really taken back by the great targeted sampling of Ocean Spray bottles and 100 cal packs by the Richmond Oval. The location by the Sky Train was smart. This is how to piggyback off the Olympics without being a sponsor. I hope this was done elsewhere too

Seize the Sale

Here is the Carpe Salesem philosophy:

1. Seize every opportunity. Not just the sales opportunity, but opportunities to serve others in memorable ways that lead to relationships.
2. Enjoy the sales process. Don’t just seize the sale; enjoy it. Make use of your passion and your customers will love you for it.
3. Help your customers. Offer valuable insight and solutions. Become known as a resource—someone who is helpful, rather than someone who is just looking for a commission.
4. Be prepared. Plan your day the night before and come in to the office (or better yet, to a customer appointment) with your sales guns blazing. Understand the importance of Monday morning and Friday afternoon. You can put in eight productive hours (four on Monday, four on Friday) while your competition is either hung-over or leaving early for happy hour.
5. Be responsive. I have a rule that I ALWAYS follow—ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS respond to EVERY customer contact (whether it be a voicemail, email, instant message, text message, or smoke signal) before you go to sleep. Even if it’s 3a.m. and the only thing you have the energy to write is, “Hey Mr. Customer, thanks for the email. I wanted to let you know that I received it and that I am working on a great solution for you. I’ll be in touch tomorrow with an idea and answer to every question you’ve asked.” My rule does not result in perfect service, but it works. It puts the customer at ease and it shows them you care.
6. Be friendly. A smile costs nothing, but it’s worth millions. Being friendly sets the tone for a great relationship. And a great relationship sets the stage for big sales. I landed the best account of my life by befriending the biggest jerk in my industry. Turns out, he wasn’t that bad of a guy. He just didn’t know how to smile.
7. Be memorable. Differentiate yourself from your competition with creative ways to serve your customer.
8. Be studious. I’m not an expert at sales. I’m a student of sales. I’ve been that way since I started selling 20 years ago, and I’ll stay that way until I die. Staying a student means I learn something new every day.
9. Be inquisitive. Instead of telling your customer everything about YOU, ASK your customer about their needs—and don’t stop until you know everything there is to know about them. Your competition will be reciting features and benefits, marketing drivel, and lines from Cheap Sales Tricks 101 while you’re finding out how to actually get your customer to buy. It’s up to you: Don’t ask…don’t sell.
10. Be persistent. Nothing says Carpe Salesem more than persistence. And the key to mastering the elements above is being persistent in everything you do. Don’t quit until you know in your heart it’s over. If you have to ask yourself if it’s over, it ain’t over. It’s only over when you sincerely believe that you can no longer be of service to your customer.

Best Superbowl Commercials

Super Bowl commercials! Although I love the actual game and the half time show, I’m always eager to see what companies have decided to dish out millions of dollars to reach the Super Bowl audience.

With over 93 million viewers in the U.S. alone in 2009, advertising during Super Bowl is seen by some as one of the best ways to introduce a new product or company to the masses. Or re-introduce an old product to those who may have forgotten.

According to MSNBC, the majority of the 62 ad slots available this year have already been sold. Although, the rates have dropped, Super Bowl advertising is still the most expensive ad buy of the year.

Considering there will be over 1,860 seconds of advertising during the game on February 7, I’m very excited for some entertaining material. Allow me to share with you some of the Super Bowl commercials that I’ve enjoyed in the past.

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Customize Your Banana Label

Are you looking for hours of banana-fun? Look no further than Chiquita Bananas' brilliant EatAChiquita.com.You can design your own Chiquita sticker face in classic blue and yellow and post it on the wall of the website. It's a fun way to kill an hour, but it's a great way to market the most famous bananas in the world!

But will this make you eat more bananas? Aren't these a commodity in the store. Is this money well spent? I like the differentiation but they need to have meaningful competition to make this pay out.

Your thoughts?

Who Does Wrangler Think They Are....Dolce and Gabbana?

Wrangler Jeans recently revealed its new look for the 2010 Spring/Summer season. And it's red hot!

The campaign is titled "Red" and it builds on the "We Are Animals" concept that Wrangler Jeans introduced back in 2008.

The new ads feature scantily clad men and women covered in red dirt, who look like they’ve been shipwrecked on a deserted island.

It’s sexy, it's animalistic and it has me wondering...what is Wrangler thinking?

Knowing your target market and identifying their needs is the key to every business' success. Trying not to alienate your loyal customers is another. Companies who try to be too many thing to too many people, tend to give off the impression that they don't really know what business they're in.

The way I see it, this is exactly what Wrangler Jeans has done with "We Are Animals". They've completely gone against everything that the Wrangler Jeans name was built on. Wrangler is about comfort and value not image and sex appeal. Their jeans are meant for cowboys and All-American football players. Not models and indie singers!

Although this campaign is only running in the more fashion-forward Europe, I still believe that Wrangler Jeans should stick to their roots by focusing on durability, comfort, and value.

by Casey O'Brien

What's your opinion?

Mental Strength Needed For Sales

Reach beyond the clouds to sales summits you thought were unattainable. As a beginner you have to trust your instincts, and you have to “BE.”

• Be willing to risk.
• Be a constant student.
• Be a consistent performer, even in a losing cause.
• Be a value provider.
• Be friendly and likeable.
• Be passionate about your product or service.
• Be willing to dedicate the time it takes to become great.

And you must BELIEVE you can do it. Your mental strength is more important than your skill and your product knowledge. Mental strength stems from your attitude, your enthusiasm, and your willingness to work hard. It’s a struggle, what’s your point? Struggle is part of greatness. So is hard work. TV is not.

There are guidelines to consider:

• The first is dedication. To yourself, to your excellence, and to your desire to become the best at whatever you do.
• Become a product of the product.
• Live your outcome and results.
• Study the history of your product.
• Visit customers often. Work at their place of business for a day, for free.

How to Single Task Your Way to Success

Do you read email while talking on the phone? Talk on the phone while emptying the dishwasher? Read while watching TV?

Sure. Doesn’t everyone? That way you accomplish twice as much. Or so the theory goes.
If only it were so. In reality, when you multitask things take up to four times longer to accomplish, along with a higher error rate. “Multitasking is a trap, declares the acclaimed science writer Dr. Stefan Klein.

Where did the idea of multi-tasking come from? So-called productivity experts pushed the concept of multitasking based on how computers work. Picture yourself sitting at your computer writing a report. At the same time, you’re downloading music. In computer-speak, you’re using Microsoft Word in the foreground, while the download is occurring in the background. Two things are happening at the same time, enhancing your productivity.

Except your computer is actually doing only ONE thing at a time, just so fast it appears as if it’s doing both tasks simultaneously. Your computer switches back and forth between tasks several thousand times per second. So fast that no information nor time is lost.

How is your brain different from a computer? Our brains can problem-solve in ways that computers cannot, yet our brains don’t have the capacity to switch back and forth between activities without losing the information currently in working memory.

If you interrupt a task you’re engaged in, even for a minute by picking up your ringing telephone, whatever you were focused on before you picked up the phone is lost to your working memory. As you check to see who’s calling, the data currently in the forefront of your mind disappears. If you want to pick up the thread again, you have to reconstitute it retrieve it from long-term memory — or look for clues in your environment, such as checking the notes you made about what you were working on.

What’s so bad about multitasking? Studies conducted at both Harvard and the University of Michigan suggest that multitasking does a lot more harm than good. People who spend time stopping and starting tasks take 2 to 4 times longer to complete them and make significantly more errors. Further, brain scans showed juggling tasks reduces the brain power available for each activity. Worse yet, multitasking causes stress: making your brain juggle activities and retrieve lost information causes you to feel harried and anxious. Over time, stress hormones from multitasking can damage memory centers in the brain.

What steps can you take?
- Resolve to do only one thing at a time.
- Make a list of your key priorities.
- Break each priority into manageable chunks that you can accomplish in short periods of time (less than 20 minutes).
- Set the alarm on your cell phone for 17 minutes and focus on one small part of the project.
- Congratulate yourself when you complete that chunk.
- Get up and take a short breather. Stretch and look out the window. And drink a glass of water, because drinking water reduces stress.
- Then recommit yourself to completing another chunk or decide to do something completely different. Consciously choose how you spend your time.
- By choosing to focus on only one activity at a time, you’ll get a lot more done and feel happier, too.

By Doreen Stern aka The Life Docktor