I
've just come across a very effective viral marketing campaign. It's creative, cleverly executed and finishes with an unusual flourish.
The pomegranate mobile phone video ad shows a mobile device that does everything: as well as the normal phone functions it brews coffee, shows movies and comes with an in-built language translation service.
Sound too good to be too true? Well it is. In fact the ad is a hoax that leads to another online ad promoting the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
There's probably a clever Canadian ad director (dressed in the ad industry's obligatory black jeans and T-shirt uniform) counting clicks to the ad and reporting to clients even Australians have viewed the ad.
Like a lot of advertising today it holds out the promise of one thing but fails to deliver. So how effective is it if it fails to do the real job of promoting Nova Scotia? I might have started out interested in next generation phones but I finished up definitely not interested in Nova Scotia.
At the end of the day, are more people interested in Nova Scotia? If not, what's the point? It is easy to be clever online but it's much harder to be effective and deliver real world results.
Am I being too precious? Should I just sit back and enjoy it? Watch the ad and tell me what you think?
I thought you might enjoy this short video.
Is this the world's first social media musical?And well done to fellow blogger Chris Lake for posting two great sets of presentations.
You are already to use social media in your next marketing venture. The problem is those around you are not supporting your efforts. How do you get buy-in?
At today's Public Sector Marketing Conference in Canberra, two speakers offered practical ideas to help you get others behind your online efforts.
Jason Davey of Bullseye, an Australian Aussie digital marketing firm, suggests to persuade the Boss you should:
- Detail the data. Successive research reports are showing Australians are increasingly going online for their information. A good start in letting your Boss know the facts and stats would be the latest report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (read here).
- Educate and immerse the Boss in the social media application you want to use. There is nothing better than getting him or her to test drive the new tool.
- Pick out a similar organisation (or one the Boss admires) and show how they are successfully using social media.
- Mock up tweets, blog pages or sites to show how the final product will look. Seeing is believing so try a demonstration.
- Suggest running a pilot program. The words "pilot" or "trial" can go a long way in removing the corporate fear factor when trying something new. It's a good way to reassure the doubtful as you head into new territory.
My Twitter buddy Diana Mounter from the Local Government and Shires Association of NSW offers practical tips for getting the IT guys on board when you want to introduce social media into your marketing:
- Develop a relationship with the IT team and get to know their issues before proposing anything too radical.
- Regular informal discussion is a great way to make sure a new venture starts properly and then stays on track.
- Talk about your communications needs rather than the technology you want. Chances are your IT guy has other options that could meet your marketing needs better than the one you're suggesting.
The key take-out: build support within your organisation before crossing the digital divide.
Go here for our latest fund raising presentation for community groups.
If you have ideas on how not for profits can keep their cash flow going in these uncertain times please share them with others by leaving a comment.
Thanks.
Small businesses often get approached for sponsorship, whether it is for the local sporting team, craft show or another business’s seminar. Although money is tighter this year, no doubt many of you will still be approached and in certain cases utilising sponsorship can be an effective marketing tactic.
Before you decide to be a sponsor consider the following:
Relevance for Your Customers
Choose sponsorships that are relevant to your brand or business and appeal to your current and potential customers. Try not to choose sponsorships that only interest you or a particular employee. It is no use sponsoring the local football team if the players or spectators are not your target market.
What Are You Getting for Your Sponsorship?
Make sure you discuss with the organisation or event organiser how you can maximise your sponsorship dollars and get in writing what exposure your business will receive.
Some questions to ask are:
• Where will my logo, brand or business name appear?
• How and how often will my logo, brand or business name appear?
• Is it an exclusive sponsorship or is it shared with other businesses?
• What additional benefits will I receive for my sponsorship?
• Insist on approving all material featuring your logo.
• What marketing activities are being done to promote the event and the sponsors?
• Will I have access to the customer database?
Check past Sponsorship Results
If there have been past sponsors, ask why they are no longer sponsoring the event or activity and if possible speak to the past sponsor. Although information may be confidential, see if you can access the results that have occurred from past sponsorship deals.
Cost Versus Benefit
Analyse the cost of your sponsorship versus the estimated results you want to achieve. Compare your sponsorship costs to other marketing tactic costs to determine if your money could be better spent on an alternative marketing tactic. For example, if you sponsor a luncheon how many leads do you hope to generate from the sponsorship? Would you generate more leads from a direct mail or email campaign to the same customer base?
Setting a Budget
Set a budget for how much you want to commit to sponsorship. Plan in advance what event, organisations etc you wish to sponsor for the year and stick to your plan.
Tracking Results
Tracking of sponsorship tactics is often difficult due to the wide audience they have the potential to reach. Some ways to track your sponsorship results include:
• Measuring the media exposure from the sponsorship eg. mention of the event and your sponsorship in the local newspaper, on the radio station etc
• New customers that have come from your sponsorship involvement eg. asking customers where they heard about you or undertaking market research which analyses customer recall of where they saw your brand or business name.
Sponsorship can be a great marketing tactic; however it is always wise to work out what it will do for your small business before you commit to spending your valuable marketing dollars.
(I came across the above article recently. I can't remember the author but I'd be very pleased to attribute it fully if it was you and you let me know).
I've just come across a very effective viral marketing campaign. It's creative, cleverly executed and finishes with an unusual flourish.