I’ve got a new gig. A blog on the newly designed eM+C website called Conversations. Why Conversations? Well, I’ve been in the communications business for over 10 years now -- first in email marketing and now in social media -- and the one thing that has stayed true over all those years – a marketer’s desire to build an ongoing dialogue with prospects and customers. The power of building a true conversation cannot be underestimated. When done well, conversations have the ability to not only drive engagement and sales – but create a whole new army of advocates for your brand. That is why I believe conversations will be the single most powerful word in marketing for the next generation. It’s also why I’ve named my new company Conversa Marketing.

Conversa Marketing’s mission is to help marketers build marketing programs that ignite conversations, cultivate relationships and drive commerce on the social internet. The meteoric rise of the social web for many marketers is new ground. Consequently, the thought of engaging customers and the fear that those conversations may not go as intended often causes the most experienced marketers to cling to the traditional marketing channels they’ve become most dependent upon. So, how to break free of old habits – to build a conversation in this new error of marketing? Like any good rehab, it starts with a solid 12-step program – the topic of my first eM+C column. Click here to read the blog and start your recovery.

According to a recent Mzinga and Babson survey, 84% of professionals worldwide do not currently measure the ROI of their social media efforts. Pretty shocking considering today’s economic environment and the enormous pressures placed on marketers to deliver more with less. However, as is the case with any new medium, many marketers are experimenting with social media and are still, for the most part, trying to figure out how social media fits into their overall marketing efforts. As a result, measurement is often overlooked.

Therefore, when a company creates a unique and interesting program and takes the time to measure its success, it is important to share the inside scope so we can all learn. One interesting example is what Mint.com recently did by combining the power of email marketing with social media.

Launched in 2007, Mint.com has quickly become America’s No. 1 online personal finance service. Mint’s intelligent and easy-to-use approach to money management has quickly attracted more than 1.5 million users to date. Given its online audience and technologically savvy user base, Mint.com recently turned to the power of email marketing and socialized it to further drive new customer acquisition.

So what did they do? Working with StrongMail (disclosure – I currently sit on the board of directors at StrongMail) Mint.com took the time to understand user motivations and tested a series of incentives to encourage existing email subscribers to “invite” others within their social network (email, facebook, twitter, etc.) to join Mint.com. The winning campaign – one that not only encourage the most sharing but drove the most conversions -- appealed to Mint.com’s existing users by providing them “insider status” through access to beta features and products prior to their roll-out to general users. In the end, the campaign drove one new user/customer for every 2.6 invite clicks – impressive. While the testing of various offers was insightful, the ability to drive new users/customers and to tag existing users as “influencers” (based on their sharing activity, conversion rate and desire for insider knowledge) was even more impressive.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Mint.com case study check out my column or you can register for the upcoming DMA/PMN Social Media Spotlight event where StrongMail will be presented the case study in-depth. Details about the event can be found on our website. Space is limited so act now.

‘Til Next Time

The New Year is quickly approaching and it seems fitting to take some time to look at a few of the key learnings from the past year. What better way to do that than to highlight some of the key take aways from some of 2009’s most successful social media marketing efforts. While we all may have different definitions of what “success” is, my look back on 2009 will focus on those social media campaigns that opened our eyes to the opportunities in social media or taught us new things about marketing.

Microsoft – I’m a PC:
After taking a beating from Apple, Microsoft finally responded with an innovative TV and multi-channel participatory marketing program that ended with two simple words – “Upload Yourself.” The campaign demonstrates that all media can be social/participatory and the importance of involving customers or the community in defining and defending your brand.

Ford - Fiesta Movement:
Ford invites 100 Gen Y’s to drive a Ford Fiesta (not available in the U.S. until next year) for six months and report their experience on various social media sites and blogs. The program demonstrates how social media and “Buzz” is the fifth ”P” --People-- in the classic four “P”s of marketing (Product, Price, Promotion, Place). It also demonstrates the continued acceleration of product launch cycles and that “pre-launch” is the new product launch with today’s social web. Special congratulations to Courtney Force who was recently awarded the Favorite Fiesta Agent title.

Nike – What Do You Play For?:
Nike calls on teens to share their sports stories. Participants are encouraged to upload photos of them playing the sport they love and to share their inspirational stories. Visitors then voted on their favorites and winners received prizes. While Nike is a brand that was built on showcasing the talents of unattainable superstars like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods (who are not without their faults), this effort demonstrates the company’s evolution by leveraging the power of participation and real people to inspire other. . In today’s social web, advertising and promotion needs to be relevant, personal, identifiable, authentic and trusted. I believe this is the start of a major shift in advertising – bottom line: celebrities are out – real people like you and I are In. 

Starbucks - I'm In:
Starbucks encourages vistors to Starbucks.com and over 11,000 Starbucks locations to pledge 5 hours of community service.  In exchange Starbucks is giving those that pledge a free cup of coffee.  Participants also receive a pledge card and an "I'm In" badge that can be embedded on their websites to help spread the word.  What's so great about the Starbucks program is how it demonstrates the power of participation, and how organizations can be a catalyst for doing good.  The program has recieved national recognition and over 2.3 million hours have been donated between consumers and Starbucks employees.  Just goes to show you how marketers who think out of the box and add a little participation sweetener to their marketing efforts can not only build their brand and sales, but change the world.  

1-800-Flowers.com Mother’s Day:
Using an innovative outreach program, 1-800-Flowers targeted 24 “Mommy Bloggers” filling eight archetypes (On-the-Go, etc.) of motherhood to help spur Mother’s Day sales. Chosen bloggers received a bouquet of flowers and discount codes to share with their readers. Additionally, they were recognized by 1-800-Flowers’s blogger, encouraged to write their own blogs and attended a cocktail party in their honor with CEO Jim McCann. The program was significant for several reasons – first it highlights the importance of transparency and trust on the social web. In October, the FTC published its final guidelines requiring bloggers to disclose freebies or payments. Next, the innovative program incorporated unique tracking codes allowing 1-800-Flowers to measure success of the program including redemptions by blogger/site. For the 53% of you still struggling with measuring the ROI of your social media efforts this is a start.

Westin – Want to go for a Run:
Westin’s want to go for a run is an innovative participatory marketing and social program. Within minutes of checking into my room I received a voicemail from Westin’s running concierge inviting me to join him and fellow guests to refresh my mind and body with a 3 mile running tour of the city. Not only did the program reinforce Westin’s brand positioning and messaging (relax, renew, refresh), but the program showcases the fact that the best participatory marketing programs involve your employees and are operationalized to create unique differentiated experiences.

American Express – Shine A Light:
At a time when we could all use a little inspiration, Amex hit a home run with a program that shines a light on small business and serves as a powerful and positive reminder that the American Dream is still alive and well. While the program, which invited the public to nominate, “spotlight”, and vote on the small business that most inspired them, leveraged social media the real story is in the success of the small businesses themselves. More specifically the story is about what they teach us about the importance of customer relationships management (CRM). While social media may be in the spotlight right now, we all need to remember the importance of understanding our customer’s needs and interests and mastering the marketing basics like building great products and providing exceptional service and value before we jump on the social media bandwagon.

Lots of great lessons and congratulations to all the brands who pushed the envelope and built innovative marketing programs that got us all thinking – you’ve made us all better marketers for it. For more case studies visit our case study page. Looking forward to showcasing more great stories in 2010.

‘Til Next Time.

Gen Y has spoken once again. In the latest PMN and Pace University survey we explored Gen Y’s usage and attitudes toward texting, mobile marketing, email, social networks and more. The results were enlightening. While Generation Yers do indeed spend considerable time on social networks, when asked what they would least like to give up for one week, only nine percent said social networks! In fact, the media Gen Y apparently can’t live without was…drum roll please….yup, old-fashioned email and texting.



So what’s going on here? Could it be that there is a clear division across media that includes “nice to have” non-essential sites (like Twitter and facebook) and “must have” productivity and communication tools (like email and texting)? Should Twitter and facebook be worried given they are considered less of a necessity? While no one is asking Gen Y to choose, the question is an important one for every social network and/or community player – what should you be doing now to avoid becoming just another community causality like GeoCities. For more information about our latest survey, visit the PMN website or check out some of the news coverage and let me know what you think.

Gen Y Holds Tight To Email And Texting
eMarketer: November 4, 2009 

Probing GenY'ers
MediaPost: October 27, 2009

Tech Additions: Email and Texting Top Social Media In Gen Y [Study]
Mashable: October 20, 2009

‘Til Next Time

He’s been called “the most famous customer service representative in the U.S. and possibly the world” by BusinessWeek and now he is sharing his Twitter secrets with PMN members. As Director of Digital Care at Comcast, Frank has been credited with reshaping Comcast’s customer service with a brilliant effort on Twitter that focused on listening to customers and then actively participating with them. So what are those secrets to his success? Here are the top 10 points that Frank made on the recent PMN webinar.

1. Don’t be afraid to try new thing – be open to the possibilities of the social web
2. Be everywhere your customers are
3. Be, find or encourage an evangelist in your organization
4. Invest in listening and ultimately participating with customers
5. Be honest, transparent and responsive – adopt a “Make it Right” mentality in the customer service department
6. It takes a village. Be a team player and work with your internal teams. You may even want to consider creating a cross-functional team like Comcast did.
7. Find an executive sponsor/advocate – support is critical, particularly if you need to change the culture
8. Measure success 
9. Communicate success
10. Always be learning and sharing

Some great advice – thank you Frank. To hear a replay of the webinar, visit the membership section of the PMN website. Stay tuned for some more great speakers – up next how Dell made millions on Twitter…just confirming the details!

'Til Next Time

We’ve recently partnered with Aite Research to tackle a hot topic – marketing financial products to Gen Y. It’s a top priority for many banks who for years failed to develop strong relationships with their bread and butter – boomers. Now given the tough economy, banks are turning their attention to Gen Y and asking – how are they different and how do we not mess it up this time?

Survey Surprises

While, Gen Yers were alot like older consumers in many respects there were a few surprises. For one, our survey results dispelled one of the biggest myth about Gen Yers: That is the belief that Gen Yers care less about making money than other generations. In fact, 6 in 10 Gen Y respondents indicated that making money was just as important to them as their parents and nearly a quarter indicated it’s more important. Two other surprising results were the fact that one in five Gen Yers have met with a bank representative to get help with a financial decision in the past year, and the high rate in which Gen Yers recommended their bank to family /friends – 35%. Overall, very good news for financial institutions if they can figure out how to cultivate these relationships. 

The Must-Dos To Cultivate Gen Y Relationships

In perhaps the most important section of the research report, Aite senior analyst Ron Shevlin shares his thoughts and recommendations for cultivating Gen Y relationships. He begins by creating 3 distinct segments (highly engaged, moderately engaged and not engaged) of Gen Yers based on their activities. For example, among the highly engaged users 94% get email, 85% bank/pay bills online, more than half use their debit cards 15 times or a more a month, and nearly half moved money between accounts at least six times in the past 6 months. Not surprisingly, highly engaged users who account for 35% of all Gen Yers were more likely to download iPhone financial apps and use online financial related websites. In addition, highly engaged users were more likely to trust their bank, recommend their bank and were twice as likely as lower engaged users to expand the relationship they have with their banks – all compelling reasons for banks to get it together.

Ron notes, “Arguably, banks have done a poor job of developing strong, lasting relationships with their customers. As a new generation of consumers comes of age, banks have an opportunity to start fresh and avoid the relationship sins they have committed in the past.” To cultivate these relationships – Ron recommends banks: 

1. Develop Gen Yers’ interest in managing their financial lives
2. Encourage cross-channel interaction 
3. Engage – not just educate
4. Provide dedicated advice and guidance
5. 5. Make it a family affair
6. 6. Measure engagement levels

For additional survey details or to order the complete report visit Aite Research.  For more insights from Ron Shevlin - visit his new blog - The Marketing Tea Party.  

Well it took some time, but Google has finally narrowed down the list. Last November, I blogged about Google’s Project 10 to the 100th – an innovative global participatory marketing effort established to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Touted as “a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible,” Google garnered over 154,000 entries, and is now ready to invite consumers to vote for their favorites – the ones that they think will help the most people the most. While the process took a little longer than expected, Google whittled down the entries to sixteen “big ideas’ and is ready to write a big check as its advisory board looks to choose up to five projects to fund based on the votes.

Google’s Project 10^100 demonstrates the power of participation and takes cause marketing to the next level with a huge prize that has inspired some great thinking that just might change the world.

So where do you think the money should go? Do you want to help provide quality education to African students, drive innovation in public transport, enhance science and engineering education, create a genocide monitoring and alert system, or promote health monitoring and data analysis? Well – it’s all up to you and let the voting begin.

To cast your vote before the October 8, 2009 deadline visit the website.

So no doubt you’ve heard about the enormous popularity of JetBlue’s $599 All You Can Jet Pass announced last month. As was expected, seats sold fast – so much so that JetBlue had to end the program earlier than anticipated! Mission accomplished, right? Well maybe - in the old world that is - but not today. You see the All You Can Jet Program is just getting started. Ever since the pass was announced, eager travelers have been busy at work planning routes (traffic to the JetBlue route map has increased over 700% since the announcement), arranging for time off to travel like mad, and connecting with other members of their elite community of lucky travelers. A simple promotion to move seats has now become a social movement whether JetBlue planned it to be or not.

So what exactly happened? Well, JetBlue tapped into a passion shared by millions – Travel, with an innovative program that inspired thousands of lucky participants enough to establish whole new communities. In fact, it such a movement that even travel agents are getting involved. According to Jaunted.com, new micro-social communities and offerings have been quickly established around the program including blogs – Where We Jet and Twelve Hours in a City, dedicated twitter accounts like @599club to share experiences, and even special travel packages built exclusively around JetBlue destinations and All You Can Jet travelers. Amazing!

The big lesson learned here is that great marketing is great marketing and when you can tap into a communities’ needs and passions, the possibilities are limitless. For those of you trying to figure out your social media strategy – spend less time thinking about the medium and more time thinking about the message and the potential that message has to start a dialog or unite a community. Once you nail that, you can think about building an integrated marketing and communication program that helps you spread the word – and if you are lucky, like JetBlue, your customers may even do that for you.

‘Til Next Time

It’s planning season again and social media is not only top of mind but dominating the conversation. After a series of strategic discussions around social media with some of my top clients I’ve decided to take another look at the PMN case studies with a key question in mind – what can these programs teach us about marketing and the future of marketing? The findings were very enlightening -- so much so that I’ve written a feature in this month’s eM+C Magazine highlighting some of big take aha’s. While the article showcased four big brands, there is a ton more. That’s why I’ll be showcasing some of those additional insights here as well as at future webinars and speaking engagements. In the meantime I invite you to check out eM+C Magazine. Here is a quick summary along with the key learnings:

Ford’s Fiesta Movement shows us the growing importance of creating “pre-launch” buzz and may forever changes the way marketers introduce new products.

Nike’s What Do You Play For campaign teaches us the importance of building marketing programs that are not only inspirational but identifiable – celebrities no longer need apply.

1-800-Flowers’ Happy Mothers Days demonstrates the importance of transparency and tracking and

Starbucks’ I’m In proves cause marketing is not only good for the world but can be very good for your brand and sales.

Let me know what you think and be sure to check out the more than twenty PMN case studies on our website.

‘Til Next Time

Amex is turning the spotlight on small business and they’re using social media to do it. At nearly 30 million strong, small businesses are the heart of the U.S. economy and will play a vital role in driving our economic recovery. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that American Express, in partnership with NBC, is making a move to position itself as the card of choice for new and existing small businesses ready to spend. With it’s new campaign, Shine A Light, Amex is inviting the public to nominate a small business that “inspires them.” Written nominations will be voted on by the general public and the winning small business will receive a $100,000 in grant and marketing support from American Express. In addition, the individuals who nominated the three small business finalists will each receive a $3,000 American Express Gift Card.

So what’s so great about American Express’ Shine A Light program? First and foremost it is a very positive and inspirational program. At a time when unemployment is reaching 10%, the American Express program and its ads featuring restaurateur Tom Colicchio reminds us all that the American Dream is still very much alive – that is if we work hard and want it bad enough. For the many millions of the unemployed struggling to find their way or contemplating their next move as an entrepreneur this is an important message and option.

Next, I think perhaps most importantly, it shines a light on the importance of building a solid foundation and business strategy like so many small businesses in our own neighborhoods do so well. While the American Express program leverages new marketing tactics like social media to help spread the word and increase nominations, the success of many of these business are built on the marketing basics we should never forget. Basics like offering great products at a great price with exceptional service – something Joe’s deli or your local coffee shop may have perfected. In fact many of these operations have achieved a level of CRM that would make some of the world’s largest brands turn green with envy – they not only know their customers first name, but they know their favorite products and what makes them tick. Take my local butcher, Town Meats. What we love so much about Rich, Andy or Nick at Town Meats is that they sometimes know us better then we know ourselves – our favorites, the cuts we prefer, how much we order and even the kinds of things we would probably like if we gave it a try (that’s up-selling at its best). And if that’s not enough... heck they will even deliver - customer service is not dead. The point here is that small business is not only the key to our economic recovery, but most successful small businesses also hold the key to marketing success. In fact, they remind us that before we jump on the latest hottest trends -- be it social media or whatever is next -- it critical to get the basics right: clean your database, understand your customers, build great products and service the hell out of them. Once you do that, you’ll be ready to leverage the power of social media to shine a light. For more information or to nominate a small business (like Town Meats) near you, visit the Shine A Light website.

‘Til Next Time.