Making It Easy for Our Online Consumers

Yesterday, digital marketing firm Beyond and communications company MBooth released the results of their joint study on the online product research patterns of consumers. (Click the image to see the full-size infographic on Mashable.)

The "Science of Sharing" study surveyed more than 3000 consumers in the US and the UK, and analyzed their behavior in researching 12 brand categories - spanning "High Involvement," or higher-priced, more complex, less frequently purchased goods, and "Low Involvement," or lower-priced, less complicated, more frequently purchased goods - over three types of online channels: "earned" (review sites, news articles, blogs, etc.), "owned" (brand's website and social media profiles), and "search" (both paid and organic).

The results grouped consumers into "high sharers" and "low sharers".

"High sharers" actively contribute content to online communities, and are more likely to be younger, to be brand-loyal, to own multiple Internet-connected devices, and to research low-involvement products. These consumers account for 20% of the population.

"Low sharers" are more passive consumers of content; they are more likely to be older, to place more value on quality than brand image, to be more willing to change brands, to research high-involvement products, and to purchased products they have researched. These consumers account for 80% of the population.

The study found that "high sharers" are three times more likely to recommend a product than "low sharers".

And are consumers influenced by the recommendations of these high sharers? That depends (as you might expect) on the product category.

For "High Involvement" products, online consumers are more likely to be influenced by the brand's web site, review sites, and search. For "Low Involvement" brands, social networking sites are more influential. (See fuller results from the study at bynd.com)

So what does this mean for marketers?

1. We need to make it easy for consumers to find out about us online. This starts with identifying which channels are most relevant to our customers - based on their preferences and our product category - and ensuring that their experience with our brand on those channels is superb. When they visit our website, consumers should be able to find the information they're looking for, easily, in a visually pleasing, understandable, and transparent manner. When they want to interact with us on social media, we need to be responsive, friendly, and open. When they search for our brand, our SEM/SEO should be such that they find the relevant content they want from us. How do we know what customers want on each of these channels? We ask them.
   
2. We need to make it easy for sharers and reviewers to speak well of us. This starts at the most basic level - our products and services. Do our products provide quality to our consumers? Are they meeting consumers' needs in the best possible manner? Do we serve our customers well? Do customers feel happy after they've shopped in our store, or interacted with us, or used our product? Are our products and services designed with the customer in mind, instead of with us in mind? Do we exceed their expectations? We have to get these things right before we have a right to be recommended.

When we make it easy for consumers to find us and to have a good experience with us, we make it easy for them to purchase our products, and to recommend that others do the same. We have to create good experiences for our customers - both online and off.

Who's in the Spotlight?

If you want to host a good party, don't spend the entire evening talking about yourself.

This is a fairly intuitive piece of social etiquette, isn't it? The quickest way to lose a person's interest is to spend an entire conversation focused on you.

On the contrary, a good conversationalist listens. He inquires about the other person. He finds ways to allow his conversation partner to open up about her life, rather than focusing completely on his own. And especially if he's a good host, he'll find ways to place attention on his conversation partner - to bestow praise on her - rather on himself.

This leaves a better impression than any amount of self-promotion.

Some marketers, however, seem to leave their social sense at the door when they come to work. They seem to want their brand to dominate every conversation they have with customers - to use every possible minute to talk about themselves.

What an obnoxious way to bore customers.

Instead, other marketers find ways to shift the focus to the customers. Good marketers (and good salespeople) have been doing this for years - taking time to inquire about and discover an individual customer's needs before recommending a solution; proactively gathering customer feedback; listening to customers as they talk about their experiences and frustrations.

And marketers seem to be relearning their manners more and more as they engage the social sphere online.

Brands are learning to use Twitter to not only promote themselves, but to listen to customers. Some, like TOMS, for one, barely talk about themselves at all on Twitter; they focus primarily on listening and responding.

Brands are learning to use Facebook to put customers in the spotlight, rather than themselves. They invite customers to post photos and comments - and receive recognition - surrounding a common theme or topic, as with Dunkin' Donuts recent "Chance for STARDDOM" contest. (Facebook fans were invited to post photos of themselves and an explanation of what makes them the biggest Dunkin' Donuts coffee fan. Other Facebook viewers vote to select the winner.)

And some brands use social media to help them kick it old school, hosting actual, real-live, in-the-flesh events. Frontier Texas!, an interactive history museum in Abilene, Texas, is using Facebook to garner entries for its "Miss Frontier Texas" scholarship competition - a chance for young women (a segment of their customers) to receive scholarship dollars by completing tasks formerly required on the wild frontier.

So, marketers, how are you treating your customers in your conversations? If your brand were hosting a party, would anyone come? And more tellingly, would anyone stay?

Boys or Men?

A recent article in Marketing News, the monthly magazine of the American Marketing Association, reveals a blight in modern-day marketing efforts: the blight of stereotyping men.

Author Christine Birkner points out that most marketing campaigns are aimed at women, under the assumption that women are the primary purchasers of most consumer goods for a household. Among marketing campaigns targeted at men, she observes, many play on clichéd views of men as beer-drinking, ESPN-watching, buddy-bonding "frat boys."

Perhaps men do enjoy these things - beer, sports, time with "the guys" - and perhaps they need these activities in their lives. But that's not all of who they are, and marketers shouldn't treat them as if it were.

Birkner quotes Ken Wong - a brand consultant, and a man - who reports that "87% of men think that being a father is an important if not defining part of who they are." These men are fathers, providers, leaders - invested in being men of character, courage, wisdom, and strength for their children.

Birkner quotes researcher Paul Jacobs, who found that "one-third of men are single and one-fifth live alone," and that these men are "über-shoppers...buying cars and groceries and hardware" and all the other products in their lives. They want information to help them make good purchasing decisions and steward their money well, based on their lifestyles and needs.

And she quotes Robert Passikoff, head of a New York-based brand research firm, who posits that "there was a time when sex sold to men, but now...what sex does is get attention. There's a big difference between attention and liking and real marketing engagement."

If marketers want to make a meaningful impression on male consumers, we need to appeal to more than just the "beer, sex, and sports" side of men. That's a small segment of their lives - albeit fun and healthy segment, when it remains just a segment.

For real, deep connections and lasting brand loyalty - to be a company who "gets" men - marketers ought to be appealing to all of who a man is: a husband, a father, a son, a friend. A worker, a director. A lover, a gentleman. A thinker, a doer, a leader, an imaginer. An adventurer, a warrior, a provider, a hero.

Marketers today would never presume to treat women uni-dimensionally as just cute, sweet homemakers, and nothing more. We would call that sexist and foolish. Marketers approach women in all their roles - wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, employees, leaders, cheerleaders, coaches, fixers, movers, shakers. Why don't we apply that common wisdom elsewhere, and extend the same courtesy to our male consumers?

Gettin' Jiggy Wit JELL-O

We've known for years that JELL-O is alive...




...what we didn't know is that it can dance:




Yes, JELL-O fans, the day you didn't know you were waiting for has arrived. What Forrest Gump called "some kind of fruit company" and another kind of "fruit-y company" have made it possible for you to watch a JELL-O cube dance to your music.

The free JELL-O Jiggle-It app on Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch analyzes the beats-per-minute (BPM) and energy level of any song it hears, and adjusts the moves of its JELL-O cube to match. Users can build a playlist for their JELL-O straight from their iTunes library on their device, or they can point the device's microphone toward any other set of speakers to pick up some outside tunes.

Users can also choose the flavor of their JELL-O dancer, and can swipe their finger during the dance to add and combine different dance moves.

So why would Kraft Foods spend time building a free app about, well, dancing JELL-O, of all things?

Perhaps to reinforce the JELL-O brand in the minds of consumers.
Perhaps to remind us how fun it is to watch - and eat - JELL-O.
Perhaps simply because it sounded fun.

Perhaps all of the above.

Isn't this why we marketers do everything we do? To create enjoyable - fun, relaxing, stress-free, exhilarating, or other types of pleasurable - experiences for our customers?

Fundamentally, of course, we must ensure that the use of our products and services is enjoyable. And then, if we can also provide enjoyment outside of the product experience, we have an opportunity to indicate to customers how much enjoyment they'll have when they do use our product.

Marketers, have fun with what you do. And make sure your customers have fun, too.

Captured by Free

It started with a tweet:

Perhaps because I really like Phil Wickham's music and wanted a chance at a free CD, or perhaps because I was just curious to see what the giveaway was about, I clicked the link.

It took me to a blog post at FreeCCM.com, where I learned that all subscribers to FreeCCM's email newsletter will be entered in a drawing to win one of 50 CDs from some of the top Christian artists. This was my first introduction to FreeCCM, self-styled as "your source for free & legal Christian music downloads."

Perhaps because I was impressed with Phil's and FreeCCM's marketing moves, or perhaps because someone had slipped giddy-teenage-fangirl pills into my breakfast that morning and I really, really wanted a shot at a free CD, I decided to subscribe.

The contest winners won't be selected until October 20, so I haven't received my "you won a free CD!" email yet, but I did receive the obligatory subscription confirmation email, and, within four hours, a second email from FreeCCM, proclaiming "Stream The New Albums From Shane & Shane And Phil Wickham And Download A Free Song!"

Apparently, once a week FreeCCM posts a free download of a track from a popular Christian artist. All one has to do is create a free account on FreeCCM.com, and voilà! one is permitted to download as many of these weekly free tracks as one desires. The site also posts YouTube interviews with each of these artists. And sometimes, as with this Shane & Shane/Phil Wickham email, also posts streaming versions of full albums, with encouragement to readers that "If you like what you hear, be sure to support these guys by picking up your copy of the album at your store of choice, and don’t leave without downloading a free song from each below!"

So, FreeCCM and these partner artists are offering me:
- a chance to win a free CD (on occasion)
- "exclusive" interviews with the artists
- a free track weekly, which I can download and play on my iPod forever
- a free stream of a few full albums, to which I can listen online as many times as I desire

And then they give me a simple, humble encouragement to support the artists I like by following the iTunes link and actually purchasing their albums.

They are giving me so much free stuff that, if I like these artists enough to want to receive and listen to their free music, then I feel compelled to thank them and support them and actually purchase their albums, not just be content with taking them for free.

And so, in an industry consumed (and perhaps with justifiable reasons) with the protection of their intellectual property rights, in which customers are frequently reminded that it is wrong to download and share music without receiving permission and giving payment, and in which the most "free" music that most artists provide is a 90-second preview of songs in the iTunes Store, these artists are, with complete goodwill, warmly and wholeheartedly giving me access to loads of free music.

And, since they seem to place no limit on the number of times a person can listen to the web-stream, nor on the number of free weekly tracks a person can download, these artists must know that people could take advantage of the system. People could simply listen to the freebies forever, without once offering thanks by purchasing an album or merchandise.

But the artists offer this free stuff anyway.

And, quite possibly, earn more fans, and more loyal customers, and more album purchases, and more concert revenues, than the majority of the artists who keep their wares so heavily guarded.

We could stand to learn from artists like Shane & Shane and Phil Wickham. In most cases, it pays to be generous.

What's in a Deal?

A wise man once told me that "a good deal is only a good deal if it's a good deal for both parties." In marketing, as with other business functions, this proverb holds true.

Good marketing must provide something of value - a good deal - to both the customer and the organization. If a marketing strategy only results in the organization making a buck at the expense of the customer, it isn't good marketing. If a marketing strategy provides an exceptional discount to the customer, but fails to result in a lasting and profitable relationship for the organization, it isn't good marketing.

Recently some friends and I stopped at a local SUBWAY restaurant to pick up some subs for a picnic in the park. SUBWAY was advertising this month as "ANYtober" - during October, customers can purchase any regular footlong sub for only $5.

Now, in one sitting I can only eat a 6" sub. So on a typical night at SUBWAY I would have purchased a 6" turkey breast sub for $3.50. But that evening I could purchase a footlong turkey breast sub - a double-portion of food - for only $1.50 more. I couldn't eat that double-portion of food that night, but I could save half of my footlong in the fridge for another meal, thereby getting two meals for only $5.

Two meals at SUBWAY for the price of one at another store? That was a good deal to me.

SUBWAY would get a good deal out of the bargain, too. They would procure a $5 purchase from a customer who would ordinarily have only spent $3.50 in their store. Throughout the month of October, SUBWAY has the opportunity for hundreds more similar up-sales from other customers who might usually only purchase a 6" sub.

SUBWAY's "ANYtober" is good marketing. It provides SUBWAY the opportunity for increased per-customer sales, and potentially increased traffic, as customers choose SUBWAY more frequently over other restaurant options this month in order to take advantage of the discount.

And it enables customers to save money on food they would have purchased somewhere anyway.

Are your marketing efforts providing a good deal to both you and your customers? If not, it isn't good marketing.

In Memoriam

Within the past 40 hours, virtually every notable business publication, technology blog, and news outlet has offered a tribute to the late Steve Jobs.

From a brief four sentences on the Apple landing page,

to a five-page biography by Wired,

to Forbes' speculations about the next rising tech star,

everyone has something to say in credit to the Apple founder who revolutionized the way the world approaches computing, music, telecommunication, and publication.

For all his quirks and flaws, Steve Jobs is a man honored for his vision, creativity and passion for beautiful design and a seamless user experience.

My prayer for Steve Jobs is - regardless of accomplishments and failures, strengths and weaknesses, friends and enemies, wealth and poverty - that when he left this planet, he was satisfied with life.

Isn't that something we all wish for? Live your life so that in the end, you will be truly satisfied.

Love Your Customer As Yourself

Nearly every religion in the world endorses a version of the Golden Rule, known most commonly in English as "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," (stated by Jesus of Nazareth in Matthew 7:12).

Confucius stated it as, "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." (Analects XV.24)

Buddha said, "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." (Udanavarga 5:18)

And the Hebrew Torah reads, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18)

What happens to marketers who apply this Rule in their work? Who act based on the customer's point of view, rather than their own? Who evaluate ideas on the basis of how they would feel if they were the customer? Who consider how they themselves like to be treated (or serviced, or communicated to) as customers? Who value the customer's interests above their own?

I would venture to say that these marketers are better able to meet the customers' needs, and better able to make a connection with consumers. And thus they enjoy stronger customer loyalty and stronger sales.

Why? Because they continually do unto the customer as they would have others do unto them.

Love your customer as yourself.

Marketing: The 3,500-Pound Weapon

On my first day of driver's education, my instructor gave me one word of warning: "Haley, remember, you're in the driver's seat of a 3,500-pound weapon."

He said this to teach me a respect for the vehicle I was driving. I needed to recognize that an automobile is not a toy, but a very large, very powerful tool. This tool could be very useful to me. But if I used that tool improperly, someone could be hurt - or even killed.

Marketers use a set of tools with similar potential for much usefulness or much harm. The design we choose for our products; the pricing model we set; the sources of our supplies and labor; our manufacturing processes and distribution channels; the way we communicate with customers; the messages we send; the language we use; the values we promote - all of these things can be beneficial for identifying the needs of customers and delivering products that serve their needs.

However, when used wrongly, marketing tools can also do much damage - causing an organization to hurt or lose customers, lose marketshare, or hurt its reputation.

So how do marketers use their tools dangerously? Let's take some examples from driving school.

Tools become weapons when their drivers:

(1) Stop paying attention. When a driver stops noticing what is going on around her, she is driving dangerously. She is at risk of ignoring a lane change, missing a traffic signal, or failing to stop for the brake lights in front of her. When a marketer stops observing her organization's position in the market and the movements of customers and competitors around her, she similarly impedes her ability to respond to changes, or even to continue moving in the right direction.

(2) Move too fast for the conditions. A driver moves too fast when his speed prevents him from maintaining control of his vehicle and adjusting safely to unexpected changes along the road. Driving too fast can occur out of recklessness (i.e. cruising well over the speed limit just to see "how fast this baby can go") or failure to pay attention to warning signs (i.e. a speed limit sign, or the start of a rain shower). Marketers must use appropriate timing, and pace their actions based on the market conditions and their own capacity.

(3) Fail to yield the right-of-way. Car accidents are often caused by the failure of one driver to yield appropriately to the other, as when a driver runs a red light, or pulls out in front of another driver. Similarly, a marketer fails to yield the right of way when she fails to yield to the customer's needs and opinions instead of her own. When the marketer forgets that the customer comes first, crashes (or clashes) happen.

Remember, marketers, you have plenty of tools at your disposal - tools that are powerful. Tools that are 3,500-pound weapons. Use them respectfully and responsibly to bring benefit - not harm - to your organization, your customers, and your world.