In 1999, the Cluetrain Manifesto was ahead of its time and in a lot of respects it remains there. One passage that is even more relevant today; “We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers. We are human beings and our reach exceeds your grasp."
Deal with it.
Kneale Mann
2012 Top 10 - Jan 2012 | phdworldwide
Showing posts with label consumer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumer. Show all posts
December 30, 2012
January 27, 2012
Does This Scare You?
In 1999, the Cluetrain Manifesto was ahead of its time and in a lot of respects it remains there. Like so much of the book, one passage that is even more relevant today...
“We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers.
We are human beings and our reach exceeds your grasp. Deal with it.”
They Are The Future. We Must Deal With It.
Kneale Mann
visual credit: phdworldwide
“We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers.
We are human beings and our reach exceeds your grasp. Deal with it.”
They Are The Future. We Must Deal With It.
Kneale Mann
visual credit: phdworldwide
April 11, 2011
Digital Demo Dollars
Age is More Than a Number
It's alarming when someone claims the online world is for “the kids”. It's often someone who is more immersed in digital than they even realize. They have email, a cell phone and a Facebook profile. But they claim that the email and phone are for work and the social web is to connect with friends.
We don't need ten social profiles to capture the power of the digital landscape. In fact, that is often when people get distracted by the tools and get away from the entire we reason we connect in the first place.
eMarketer just released a telling survey featuring how baby boomers interact on the web.
The report covers U.S. numbers only but you could make the safe estimate that the percentages for most developing countries where Internet penetration is more than 50% of the population are similar. And with over 76% of North Americans having online access, it's clear it's not just "the kids". How can that affect your revenue line?
__________________________________
The Report Explains
"Boomers' lives are going in many different directions, as empty-nesters, step-parents, grandparents and caregivers. For all of these roles, the Internet and digital media are absolutely essential. eMarketer estimates 78.2% of this cohort is online, nearly 60 million adults. Even as their numbers decline, that penetration rate will remain high through 2015. And they control more than $2 trillion in annual spending."
__________________________________
We can discuss connections and relationships but companies won't invest their time and resources on an altruistic gesture void of potential revenue. Relationships are crucial but wallets are as well. But it is clear that online spending from all demos continues to increase.
__________________________________
More from eMarketer Report on Boomers
"Boomers spend more time and money online than any other demographic. Younger boomers (ages 47 to 55) spent an average of 39.3 hours online per month in 2010, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Older boomers (ages 56 to 65) averaged only slightly less, at 36.5 hours. A lot of that time was spent shopping -- and buying. Forrester Research reported that boomers spent an average of about $650 online over a three-month period in 2010, compared with $581 by Generation X internet users (ages 35 to 46) and $429 by Millennials (ages 18 to 34).
Boomers also stay connected on the go. eMarketer estimates 86.9% will have a mobile phone this year, and 16.9 million boomers will access the internet from a mobile browser or installed app. In 2015, that number will reach 25.4 million, or nearly 40% of boomer mobile users. This is a market that content providers, game publishers and brand marketers should not pass by."
__________________________________
It's often said that most people dislike being marketed to which is clearly not supported by their behavior. We will buy into something if it resonates with us and since most – if not all – purchases are conducted on some emotional level, doesn't it make sense that we don’t stop buying at a certain age?
__________________________________
eMarketer's Lisa Phillips summation
"Boomers are immediately turned off by association with old age, infirmity and decline. Most brands do not want to 'age' their products with blatant appeals to older consumers. The win-win is to create an overarching brand message that gives a nod to boomers, but also includes younger adults and even grandchildren."
__________________________________
If your target customers are in the older demos and you are not utilizing digital and mobile channels, is it safe to say you may be leaving revenue on the keyboard?
Kneale Mann
image credit: silicon
source: emarketer
We don't need ten social profiles to capture the power of the digital landscape. In fact, that is often when people get distracted by the tools and get away from the entire we reason we connect in the first place.
eMarketer just released a telling survey featuring how baby boomers interact on the web.
The report covers U.S. numbers only but you could make the safe estimate that the percentages for most developing countries where Internet penetration is more than 50% of the population are similar. And with over 76% of North Americans having online access, it's clear it's not just "the kids". How can that affect your revenue line?
__________________________________
The Report Explains
"Boomers' lives are going in many different directions, as empty-nesters, step-parents, grandparents and caregivers. For all of these roles, the Internet and digital media are absolutely essential. eMarketer estimates 78.2% of this cohort is online, nearly 60 million adults. Even as their numbers decline, that penetration rate will remain high through 2015. And they control more than $2 trillion in annual spending."
__________________________________
We can discuss connections and relationships but companies won't invest their time and resources on an altruistic gesture void of potential revenue. Relationships are crucial but wallets are as well. But it is clear that online spending from all demos continues to increase.
__________________________________
More from eMarketer Report on Boomers
"Boomers spend more time and money online than any other demographic. Younger boomers (ages 47 to 55) spent an average of 39.3 hours online per month in 2010, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Older boomers (ages 56 to 65) averaged only slightly less, at 36.5 hours. A lot of that time was spent shopping -- and buying. Forrester Research reported that boomers spent an average of about $650 online over a three-month period in 2010, compared with $581 by Generation X internet users (ages 35 to 46) and $429 by Millennials (ages 18 to 34).
Boomers also stay connected on the go. eMarketer estimates 86.9% will have a mobile phone this year, and 16.9 million boomers will access the internet from a mobile browser or installed app. In 2015, that number will reach 25.4 million, or nearly 40% of boomer mobile users. This is a market that content providers, game publishers and brand marketers should not pass by."
__________________________________
It's often said that most people dislike being marketed to which is clearly not supported by their behavior. We will buy into something if it resonates with us and since most – if not all – purchases are conducted on some emotional level, doesn't it make sense that we don’t stop buying at a certain age?
__________________________________
eMarketer's Lisa Phillips summation
"Boomers are immediately turned off by association with old age, infirmity and decline. Most brands do not want to 'age' their products with blatant appeals to older consumers. The win-win is to create an overarching brand message that gives a nod to boomers, but also includes younger adults and even grandchildren."
__________________________________
If your target customers are in the older demos and you are not utilizing digital and mobile channels, is it safe to say you may be leaving revenue on the keyboard?
Kneale Mann
image credit: silicon
source: emarketer
March 18, 2009
Customer Service: A Lost Art?
Sandro Panetta runs a music store. It began with his father Amedeo forty years ago. It continues to thrive today because of a strong family bond and worth ethic. Sandro works hard, his wife and kids are delightful, his parents are wonderful, and his employees adore him – or so he says ;-)
This is the kind of guy you want to support in anyway you can.
We grabbed lunch yesterday and talked about the store’s anniversary this October. He is trying to find a way to celebrate the store’s 40th. He is not a client, he is a friend.
Sandro has been working in the music store since he could walk on his own and now he runs the place with the same passion he had the first day helping his dad. We discussed one of the top attributes of his organization which has come back to him through his own customers through all these years and that is how they treat people.
Competition can help you.
This is a stand alone store competing against chains and department stores for music instruments and products. There is a successful music school as part of the business and whenever you go into the store, you are greeted with an honest smile from people who truly want to help you.
He told me the story of young kid coming in to practice on his dream guitar for weeks on end which turned into a purchase because the kid finally convinced his father to come in a buy it for him. Sandro has one mantra: help every customer and treat them with respect.
Too often the cynicism we feel toward companies stems from the words they use to describe us – consumers, viewers, users or listeners. Sandro calls anyone who comes in to his store a customer – whether they buy something or not. He says you can’t judge someone by what they are wearing or whether they will purchase a drum kit worth thousands of dollars.
This mantra has done him and his dad well for four decades.
Another story is of a guy who came into the store on three occasions for a total of about four hours to test out guitar amps. One of Sandro’s part-time employees spent as much time with this customer as he needed, answering all of his questions, making suggestions, and being patient. On his third visit, he finally bought an amp.
A couple of weeks later the customer called the store and spoke with Sandro. He told him that the service was excellent and that the guy who helped him should be commended. Later in the call, Sandro discovered that the man lived eight hours away and had been in town on an extended work trip. He could have bought the amp anywhere, but because of the exemplary service, he made the purchase in Sandro’s store. And then called to thank him.
Consumers, viewers, users or listeners are just people.
Happy 40th Anniversary to International Musicland in Ottawa. Drop by if you're in town, you'll love the big guitar on the ceiling and all the cool stuff inside. But most of all, you will discover why I think so highly of a guy named Sandro.
How important is customer service to you?
This is the kind of guy you want to support in anyway you can.
We grabbed lunch yesterday and talked about the store’s anniversary this October. He is trying to find a way to celebrate the store’s 40th. He is not a client, he is a friend.
Sandro has been working in the music store since he could walk on his own and now he runs the place with the same passion he had the first day helping his dad. We discussed one of the top attributes of his organization which has come back to him through his own customers through all these years and that is how they treat people.
Competition can help you.
This is a stand alone store competing against chains and department stores for music instruments and products. There is a successful music school as part of the business and whenever you go into the store, you are greeted with an honest smile from people who truly want to help you.
He told me the story of young kid coming in to practice on his dream guitar for weeks on end which turned into a purchase because the kid finally convinced his father to come in a buy it for him. Sandro has one mantra: help every customer and treat them with respect.
Too often the cynicism we feel toward companies stems from the words they use to describe us – consumers, viewers, users or listeners. Sandro calls anyone who comes in to his store a customer – whether they buy something or not. He says you can’t judge someone by what they are wearing or whether they will purchase a drum kit worth thousands of dollars.
This mantra has done him and his dad well for four decades.
Another story is of a guy who came into the store on three occasions for a total of about four hours to test out guitar amps. One of Sandro’s part-time employees spent as much time with this customer as he needed, answering all of his questions, making suggestions, and being patient. On his third visit, he finally bought an amp.
A couple of weeks later the customer called the store and spoke with Sandro. He told him that the service was excellent and that the guy who helped him should be commended. Later in the call, Sandro discovered that the man lived eight hours away and had been in town on an extended work trip. He could have bought the amp anywhere, but because of the exemplary service, he made the purchase in Sandro’s store. And then called to thank him.
Consumers, viewers, users or listeners are just people.
Happy 40th Anniversary to International Musicland in Ottawa. Drop by if you're in town, you'll love the big guitar on the ceiling and all the cool stuff inside. But most of all, you will discover why I think so highly of a guy named Sandro.
How important is customer service to you?
February 24, 2009
Not-So-Common Sense Revolution
"The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next."
Henry Ward Beecher
As we all take a long look at all that we do, it has made us realize our strengths. If you haven't done this yet, it a worthy exercise.
Many media and entertainment colleagues are hanging on - in some cases - for dear life. And in other cases, there is a bright future.
But it got me thinking about common sense and status quo. We put things in boxes, we over analyze lowest common denominator and seek averages to keep us all happy. We don't rock any boats and if we step out there is a fear that our lack of conformity will get us into trouble. And we certainly wouldn't want to run the risk that someone may not like what we do, would we? Yawn.
"It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense."
Robert Green Ingersol
The music industry was rested on many pillars that were deemed true for far too long. The genie has crushed the bottle.
The publishing industry is going through radical change and consumers are driving this bus as well.
Newspaper outlets will survive and thrive again but a completely new mind set must occur or they can blame no one but themselves.
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
Albert Einstein
The phrase "common sense" should be stricken from our vernacular. It has caused mediocrity, laziness, assumption, arrogance and many other deadly sins. What is common and makes sense to you is where it stops.
"Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done."
Harriet Beecher Stowe
This is not to say you and I may agree on virtually everything but we must look at the massive changes media is a going through to realize this can play in to your advantage.
So perhaps have another look your experience and your abilities with a fresh perspective. Don't throw anything away or assume what you know or what you have done is "common sense".
What are your thoughts?
What are your stories?
What is your common sense?
km
Henry Ward Beecher
As we all take a long look at all that we do, it has made us realize our strengths. If you haven't done this yet, it a worthy exercise.
Many media and entertainment colleagues are hanging on - in some cases - for dear life. And in other cases, there is a bright future.
But it got me thinking about common sense and status quo. We put things in boxes, we over analyze lowest common denominator and seek averages to keep us all happy. We don't rock any boats and if we step out there is a fear that our lack of conformity will get us into trouble. And we certainly wouldn't want to run the risk that someone may not like what we do, would we? Yawn.
"It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense."
Robert Green Ingersol
The music industry was rested on many pillars that were deemed true for far too long. The genie has crushed the bottle.
The publishing industry is going through radical change and consumers are driving this bus as well.
Newspaper outlets will survive and thrive again but a completely new mind set must occur or they can blame no one but themselves.
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
Albert Einstein
The phrase "common sense" should be stricken from our vernacular. It has caused mediocrity, laziness, assumption, arrogance and many other deadly sins. What is common and makes sense to you is where it stops.
"Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done."
Harriet Beecher Stowe
This is not to say you and I may agree on virtually everything but we must look at the massive changes media is a going through to realize this can play in to your advantage.
So perhaps have another look your experience and your abilities with a fresh perspective. Don't throw anything away or assume what you know or what you have done is "common sense".
What are your thoughts?
What are your stories?
What is your common sense?
km
February 1, 2009
Size Doesn’t Matter
The chatter over Super Bowl commercials today is deafening. It has become a marketing campaign on to itself. There were good spots, bad spots, okay spots and horrible spots. It was like every other day on television.
Feel free to watch again if you want - click here.
Cost is Irrelevant
The size of your budget has nothing to do with the strength of your message. In fact, one could argue that some rely on big budgets to rest bad ideas in hopes they will become good.
ROI
Even if you had no experience in advertising, production, writing, creative, or marketing, you can still waste $2+ Million on a Super Bowl ad placement. That’s the easy part.
Eye on the Prize
The difficult part is to create recall, action and move consumers to actually purchase what you’re shilling once the confetti has landed.
Whether you have a dollar or several million, if the idea sucks – the idea sucks. Conversely, well crafted sharp campaigns that deliver results don't necessarily break the bank.
It's Not How You Play The Game
Super Bowl XLIII was a pretty good game. It appeared that Arizona woke up just at the right time and had a chance to steal it until Ben’s big rush to seal the victory with seconds to go.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are Champions. Time will quickly tell how many advertisers can make the same claim.
km
Feel free to watch again if you want - click here.
Cost is Irrelevant
The size of your budget has nothing to do with the strength of your message. In fact, one could argue that some rely on big budgets to rest bad ideas in hopes they will become good.
ROI
Even if you had no experience in advertising, production, writing, creative, or marketing, you can still waste $2+ Million on a Super Bowl ad placement. That’s the easy part.
Eye on the Prize
The difficult part is to create recall, action and move consumers to actually purchase what you’re shilling once the confetti has landed.
Whether you have a dollar or several million, if the idea sucks – the idea sucks. Conversely, well crafted sharp campaigns that deliver results don't necessarily break the bank.
It's Not How You Play The Game
Super Bowl XLIII was a pretty good game. It appeared that Arizona woke up just at the right time and had a chance to steal it until Ben’s big rush to seal the victory with seconds to go.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are Champions. Time will quickly tell how many advertisers can make the same claim.
km
October 27, 2008
Stop Selling. Start Asking.
Every day, I read another article about how the advertising world is changing. The advertising world is always changing. Ad Age published an article today about the broken ad model and what we should do next.
In all my years in media, I have been bombarded with people who say I am in the advertising business. The claim is often that we only care about revenue to the the detriment of the viewer/user/consumer/listener. Any company that tries to execute such a business plan is finished before starting.
Wal-Mart has done a remarkable job promoting their superior price point. Whether they have the best prices on every single item in their stores, is irrelevant. Starbucks provides a warm comfortable home-like atmosphere while you wait for your $4 pumpkin spice latte. And Jiffy Lube gets you in and out of the service bay in fifteen minutes.
Before deciding on stories and mediums and fancy slug lines, we must pay close attention to what you want to say and what you want to sell. Integration of product, client and customer are essential. But what is more important is connecting with people. “They” are not some mass of beings with no souls or faces. They are us and we are them. We are all in advertising, we are all customers, we all want solutions and stories.
In our user-generated world, it’s time for us to stop thinking we have all the answers and start asking a lot more honest questions of each other, and drop the charade that we all know what’s best.
km
In all my years in media, I have been bombarded with people who say I am in the advertising business. The claim is often that we only care about revenue to the the detriment of the viewer/user/consumer/listener. Any company that tries to execute such a business plan is finished before starting.
Wal-Mart has done a remarkable job promoting their superior price point. Whether they have the best prices on every single item in their stores, is irrelevant. Starbucks provides a warm comfortable home-like atmosphere while you wait for your $4 pumpkin spice latte. And Jiffy Lube gets you in and out of the service bay in fifteen minutes.
Before deciding on stories and mediums and fancy slug lines, we must pay close attention to what you want to say and what you want to sell. Integration of product, client and customer are essential. But what is more important is connecting with people. “They” are not some mass of beings with no souls or faces. They are us and we are them. We are all in advertising, we are all customers, we all want solutions and stories.
In our user-generated world, it’s time for us to stop thinking we have all the answers and start asking a lot more honest questions of each other, and drop the charade that we all know what’s best.
km
