Scorch Talk

There has been a lot of talk over the last week (and just a few PR hands thrown in the air) about the fact that PR Lion GRAND PRIX at Cannes, has been won by….wait for it….an Advertising Agency.

Now the news here isn’t just that Clemenger BBDO has won the PR Lion this year (for the NAB’s “Break up with the other banks” campaign) – a bigger headline is that ALL of Australia’s success in the PR category at Cannes has come from Advertising agencies. In the three years of the PR category at Cannes, Australia has had many entries win a shortlist – none from PR agencies.

This has come about through ad agencies recognising over the last decade what PR people have been banging on about forever – and that is CONTENT is the key. PR specialists have been creating great content for clients for years, and coming up with strategies for communicating that content/news/idea to the key stakeholders. This idea of “sharing great content” is also what social media is all about, so it’s no great surprise that in 2011 the smartest Advertising people are thinking along similar lines.

We’ve seen a shift with Ad agencies moving away from a strategy of deciding on the advertising channel first, to delving deeper for what the crux of the story really is, and how to best sell that across ALL avenues. Starting to sound familiar? This is what clients demand in this communication era and the successful Ad agencies are evolving to adapt. It’s also interesting to note that the “break up” campaign that won the PR Lion had a huge component of paid advertising, but it was the idea, and the content, that was key. The concept was bold and delivered mega bucks in unpaid coverage.

So yes the lines are blurring between PR and advertising (which doesn’t bother Marketing and PR consultants like myself a great deal!!) and as they should. The times they are a changin’ (actually too late they’ve already changed) and great CONTENT is the new black. At the end of the day, both Advertising and PR specialists need to keep evolving to survive. There are plenty of PR agencies doing just that (and doing great work!), and as far as Cannes goes …..maybe they just need a bigger client to showcase their goods – or a better advertising campaign at Cannes to wow the judges!!

In 2011 Social Media isn’t a buzz word anymore, it’s become an intrinsic part of the way people communicate (well…lets say for Gen X and younger, with a fair whack of baby boomers thrown in!), and we’re finally moving away from every second blog being written about it being the latest thing.

But that being said, for many businesses the question still remains, how to get involved in Social Media in a sincere way, and how to do it well… because lets face it, if you get on facebook and just spruik your wares, you’ll last all of about 5 minutes (with about zero likes!). The key to Social Media is, of course, BEING SOCIAL, and moving into that realm might require a little leap of faith.

So having a company Facebook page is the first obvious step, but that page needs fans and interesting content to make it work… and who is the person within your business responsible for that? and then there’s Twitter, LinkedIn, foursquare and a few dozen others to consider, or at least keep an eye on (though personally I’d say start with the Big 4 – FB, twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube). At the end of the day, people will be (hopefully!) talking about your brand, good and bad, the only question is whether or not you are listening, and how you respond.

So here’s a WILD and CRAZY idea – how about empowering the young people that work within your business to be your brand ambassadors? How about making your workplace such a great place to work that they love being there and would happily tell their friends?

The younger generations are all communicating through social media, and though usually not allowed to work, it would be easy to (…trust…and ) allow them to log on a couple of times a day and see what’s happening and who’s saying what. They can regularly check #yourbusiness on twitter and keeps tabs on chats about related topics, competitors, events and other things of interest. Not to mention chatting to people who have comments or complaints, and help them out. I mean we employ our people to help our customers / clients in our business, so why not online as well?

Wow what a WILDLY successful leap of faith that could be!!

I have a theory, and it goes something like this “Those who have the capacity to effect change, have a responsibility to do so”.

Have a think about that for a minute.

If you have the capacity to effect change, in other words, make things happen, bring people together, lead a project, start something great? Then I believe you have a responsibility to do so.

Imagine if more people in the world that DO have the capacity to make things happen, thought this same way? (And I believe that is A LOT of us). Wow there’d really be some good stuff happening.

So don’t say NO straight away to someone’s idea, consider it. If it’s a good idea, then get on board. Sometimes think YES before you think NO! Move ahead and make things happen. And what about your own ideas? We’re only on this earth once, so don’t keep stuff to yourself, get it out there…..its 2010 and we have more avenues than ever before to share our ideas and make things happen.

And you might be surprised at the result.

….And for those of you interested in delving further, Seth Godin has written a mini-book called Insubordinate, which encompasses similar thinking. Here’s a short excerpt:

“I’ve figured out that there are three kinds of people:

Linchpins

Supporters

Leeches, Advocates for the Devil, and Bystanders (aka people in a pre-linchpin state)

 I lump the last three together as one kind, because I don’t think they deserve categories of their own. Even though they’re the majority in terms of numbers, they don’t matter so much in terms of getting things done.

 The first group, the Linchpins, are the people who make a difference, the ones that ship, the rare ones that truly have an impact. This group of people, in that moment of time, change everything.

 The second group, the Supporters, are eager and willing to help. They respect and admire the work the linchpin is doing, and they’re ready to supply leverage or money or just a smile to help get the job done. Even better, they challenge the linchpin to do more, dig deeper and make an even bigger difference.

 The third group, as you’ve probably guessed, are the pessimists, the obstructionists and the protectors of the status quo. Driven largely by fear, they set out to slow you down, whittle you down and average you down. Mostly, it’s not their fault, though, because they’ve been brainwashed and don’t yet realized how powerful and productive it is to take a different route.”

I read an interesting article recently on Mumbrella, the crux of which suggested that the Marketing landscape is changing and digital will soon come first when marketing strategy is developed and budgets allocated (this I believe to be true).

The article also touches on various digital elements such as Social Media and blogging, and their role in Digital Marketing. This has prompted me to share a few pointers to those embarking on, or investing more funds in, a social media strategy:

 Know thy customer

Knowing and understanding your customer is (and always has been) a fundamental part of the strategic marketing process. This fact does not change just because you’re going online.

One of the problems with social media has been a tendency for businesses to dive in without a strategy to understand and “talk to” their customers. Having a facebook page and a blog that are randomly spewing out facts and palaver about your brand will not build you a loyal community. Do you know who your customers are, what they need, and what kind of a relationship they want with you? You’ll need to know this to build a community or tribe around your brand.

 Content is King

I know you’ve heard me say this before, but there is nothing more important than having interesting content. Which brings me back to knowing your customer…. what do they want to hear? What do they want to engage with you about? If you are thinking “I haven’t got anything interesting to blog / post / write about” – then you need to look harder. Or get a friend with a creative mind and a fresh pair of eyes to brainstorm with you.

 Keep up the flow

Your fans/ customers/ clients will appreciate regular updates, and with today’s technologies it’s easier than ever to give them what they want. Post regular news, update people on what’s happening in the business, and provide them with special offers. Answer their questions and keep interacting. It doesn’t have to be a full time job, you can write two news snippets a week, or write a whole pile at once and schedule them to be released over time. Just don’t keep the information in your head – ship it out there!!

And as for my last comment…. about ‘sharing the love’??….. well it’s easy.

Just share the love. Share your knowledge. Share your information. Help your customers / fans / clients become smarter about what you do. In the long run you’ll do better with customers being smart, savvy and well informed, as they’ll return to you over and over again as their source and “hub” of information.

Now go out there and share some love!!

It’s interesting how when you’re asked to analyse a business’s marketing needs, you often find real opportunity in the business strategy. Many businesses evolve from a great idea or a necessary product, but if you ask about the 5 year plan, or vision for their organisational culture, you might be met with a blank stare.

And this is where the question becomes interesting…..is marketing really the 2^nd step in the process, needed to effectively communicate the message, or is branding now so important that marketing and strategy go hand in hand?

The effectiveness of a business depends on the alignment of the brand;

Vision, Image, Culture

With the internal business capabilities;

People, Technology, Processes

Each will play a different, yet synergistic role in the success of your organisation.

Vision defines where the business wants to be. Consequently, it stands to reason that to know where you want to be, you have to know where you are now. Have insights into consumer wants and needs and surprise your customers by showing that you know them.

Image is the view your customers and prospects, suppliers and employees have of your brand. It’s developed through the style and tone, content and design of your business through internal/external communications. It is necessary to have the right mix of communication and design.

Culture is no longer an activity performed on the sidelines of an organisation. Culture is your people. Evidence shows that there is a strong relationship between culture and performance.
Internal business capabilities are, of course, vital to the effectiveness of your business. But it is the vision, image and culture that will make your brand complete.

It doesn’t take a genius to see the direct link between the expansion of the internet and the fall in newspaper circulation, as Gen Y’s (and almost everyone else for that matter) turns to news websites for the latest updates throughout the day. So the question then begs to be asked “Who is going to save the humble newspaper?”

The short answer is no one. The days of the newspaper print on your fingers are numbered.

So whilst news will always be relevant (in fact now more than ever, content in king) the dwindling readership and diminishing resources of newspapers prove the generational preference is online. And why not? Instant updates through the day on everything from Brangelina’s marriage status to the ASX 200, without having to leave your desk.  And even better…it’s free.

Which leads us to the next dilemma – how will these news services make money from readers when they’ve been giving it away for free? Have newspaper groups rushed too quickly into providing comprehensive free news websites? And will they have to somehow turn it around to charge subscription?

News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch thinks they will. He said in a recent interview that newspapers will start charging readers on the web, and the digital future is only a few years away. Apparently we’ll be seeing “newspapers looking very different” with digital news sent to blackberrys, palms or panels, superseding analogue print in the next 10 to 15 years.

Wow, can’t you just wait for the day when our grandkids ask us if we ever read those old fashioned newspapers they’ve seen in photos from the “olden days”? The good news is we will still be reading, still being inspired, and being touched by the stories of the day. But the status quo has left building. A revolution is coming and you might as well get on board.

I read an interesting blog by Seth Godin yesterday which likened the Marketing effort to “what happens between the frames of a comic book story”. His theory being that in the same way our imagination helps to create the story / fill the gaps between the frames of a comic, the Marketing effort is actually what happens in between your tangible Marketing activities.

So it’s not just the ad spruiking your latest product or service, or the website you slavishly updated. It’s the feeling your client had when she got better service than expected, or the realisation your prices were lower as you promised, or the chat between friends about how your product/service/business helped change their day/skin/house/life.

So all this leads me to ponder the question… if the actual Marketing effort is rounded out by what happens in between the frames, how do we ensure the whole story is getting told right?

1) Live the Marketing strategy - the message in your marketing strategy has a far greater chance of being received if everyone in your business is on board with (and maybe even inspired by) the concept. No point spending thousands on advertising a message if the team doesn’t feel any ownership or desire to help tell the story.

2) It’s all about culture – does your organisation have a culture that promotes the principles, standards and/or ethics you believe in? Does each person within your business consider the values and goals of the organisations as their own?Every interaction a customer has with your business, whether it be good or bad, are the unseen results of your organisational culture (or sometimes lack thereof).

3) Listen, Listen, Listen. The obvious premise of any business is having a customer or clientèle with a need for your product or service, but what are their needs, really? only one way to find out. Then on each level – from customer service, to the retail offer, and everything in between, listen to what your market wants and try to deliver.

…And if you’re wondering who’s getting it right, check out the latest Marketing strategy of the Commonwealth bank. i was amazingly surprised over the last month to actually get the very” un-bank-like conversations” with a few different tellers, and be greeted like a friend, as suggested you might in their “determined to do so” campaign. It would seem they may have the culture right, and the team all (seemingly) living the strategy. Who would have thought?

So we’ve had the pleasure of hordes of cheap and cheerful TV ads from Tiling companies, some with the guy in the hat cracking a whip like an Indiana Jones, others just resorting to yelling at us…but where are the beautiful Tile ads like the ones we see in Vogue Living?

Well one Tile retailer has taken the step and launched some  inspiring high end Tile ads on TV, with beautiful imagery and well composed music – at last!

From January 13th Tile Boutique will be on TV in WA for the first time, celebrating their 1st birthday with a 40% off sale and some visually inspiring ad material!

See above the lovely Miss Fap at Tile Boutique image ( featured in this month’s Vogue Living magazine), the image which was to become the inspiration for new Tile Boutique music.

So you can imagine the scenario – client marketing manager (that’s us at Scorch!) sitting down at the boardroom table with the TV and Music producers, giving a brief along the lines of “we want it to be inspiring, beautiful, a bit dramatic, but still with a call to action” (does this sound familiar?). The producers (Adrian Lloyd and team at Hyperactive Advertising) obligingly (and enthusiastically) sat through an entire CD of music (think moulin rouge soundtrack ) so they could get the “feel” for what was needed! Not to mention the pages of images spread all over the table to help with inspiration!

After then choosing a beautiful lyricyst, the  Tile Boutique jingle was born. To which we added the beautiful tile images from Europe (Love Tiles, Panaria) and voila!

You have the Tile Boutique 1st Birthday TVC.

Also coming soon national 30 sec and 15 sec versions. ….and from us…well done Tile Boutique and here’s looking forward to a great campaign!

Well it stands to reason that the first blog on Scorch Talk should be a little about how Scorch Marketing came to be…which hopefully is a story with more substance than choosing a cool sounding name off the kids bicycle….

For the first year Scorch Marketing and Communications was just Lisa O’Keeffe, working from a home office with two clients, having a lovely time and still fitting in some lunches and golf on the days both kids were in school. Then that terrible temptress ‘ambition’ showed her face (assisted by a dose of opportunity and a fair smattering of A type personality) and here we are today. A small team , in our quaint offices in West Perth, our loyal (and hopefully happy) clients, and just managing to maintain some semblance of a life outside of our passion of Marketing!

So we have the lovely foodie clients, Morish Nuts, who make the most delicious nibbles (this is no manufactured PR claim either – just ask anyone who’s tried them). Morish will be launching a new website soon and focussing some marketing energies on the rest of Australia (hence where Scorch comes in!)

In the Home and lifestyle sector we have the latest in high end furniture at Ultimo Interiors, owned by the wonderful Genny and Enzo Sberna,  whom constantly amaze with  their service and knowledge of all things design! Ultimo stock the latest from Europe and also the beautifully manufactured CO2Designs from here in Perth.

Also in homewares is Tile Boutique, a new national brand in the Tile sector, importing the latest from Europe to their 27 stores nationally, with 7 stores in WA , all locally owned and operated. TB is basically a group of committed Tile retailers deciding to join together under one brand with all the associated benefits, and its a pleasure to embark on this journey with them.  We’ve just finished Tile Boutique’s first TV campaign airing  in Perth from January 13th, with beautiful music and imagery composed by the team at Hyperactive (thanks Adrian!).

Our Scorch Talk updates will cover anything we find interesting about Marketing, PR and Social Media, and will also provide interesting updates on what our clients are up to, and the latest trends in design and interiors from Europe.

Stay tuned for next weeks blog about Scorch’s other clients…..one of whom had the responsibility of Cate Blanchett on her recent visit to Perth (i’ll see if I can get any goss!), one an industry event, and a creator of organic skincare for bubs and grown ups (hopefully Smitten will be blogging themselves soon - with people more and more reluctant to put chemicals on their skin, it’s a hot topic).