Marketing4Good

Fight the Good Fight, or Encourage the Right Behavior?

by admin on July 20th, 2010, 2 Comments

Right now I am frustrated. I’m tempted to join the hundreds who are probably inundating the Washington Post with anger and counter-arguments to their recent article, which accuses CSR-powered companies as “muddying the waters.” What could they possibly gain by making an argument against corporate social responsibility??

Well, they’re not alone. A new polarizing topic is emerging, filled with troubling and skeptical points about the state of corporate social responsibility. Using the BP oil spill as their primary example, CSR is getting a bad name by some pretty big names. Some dig deeper, looking beyond marketing tactics, taking issue with corporation that acquire “green” or socially progressive companies, effectively masking, or “cause washing” their legacy business models.

It’s an easy argument to make. These large corporations are highly visible and so are their often hypocritical actions.

We feel that while it is important to note these differences and be steadfast in our determination to see more authentic and ethical business practices, it’s also important to encourage the right behavior – even from large, multi-national conglomerates. Pardon the anecdote, but a colleague recently noted that the removal of the plastic tabs from fast food coffee containers did more to help the environment than any recycling program that year. How unglamorous, and yet, what a victory for the environment.

Frankly, we struggle with the all-or-nothing approach, because if today’s consumers did have to make an all-or-nothing decision right now, wouldn’t that answer probably be “nothing?”

The anti-CSR has their voices, the CSR revolutionaries have theirs. Ours as a responsible marketing agency, is focused on sharing what is possible, not what should be boycotted. Our job – for our clients and for our world – is to hold up examples of success and to point out the steps to that success. We believe in the triple bottom line of people, profits, and planet and are completely impressed when we see it in action. So impressed, actually, that we’ll do anything to help encourage it – including giving our services away for free on occasion.

We are confident enough in our marketing approaches and in the marketplace to deliver the kind of improved return on investment that turns the heads of even the most short-sighted and greedy mega-corporate executives – while encouraging the right CSR behavior.

Ok, maybe I’m not so frustrated anymore. I’d like to hear your side of things. Should consumers encourage the “right behavior” supporting authentic CSR brands, even if they’re held by bottom-line mega-corporations or should consumers boycott everything non-CSR?

Which is the most responsible thing to do?

Social Media is Dead. Long Live Social Media

by admin on July 19th, 2010, 1 Comment

Last week, Read Write Web covered the story behind how Old Spice campaign became an Internet sensation, attracting a sharp increase in attention for the male deodorant.

Unless you’ve been on vacation or living under a rock, the highly viewed and publicized ad campaign thoroughly incorporated the social media experience from concept, development, production and distribution. The Wieden + Kennedy team, lead by Ian Taint, “seeded various social networks with an invitation to ask questions of Mustafa’s character, a dashing shirtless man with over-the-top humor and bravado. Then all the responses were tracked and users who contributed interesting questions and/or were high-profile people on social networks are being responded to directly and by name in short, funny YouTube videos”

The result has been remarkable. The fully integrated online-broadcast creative really paid off – resulting in a near 180 reversal of downward interest over the last 90 days.

Pivotal Event?

Clearly this campaign wasn’t the typical major-buy-to-website type of user experience we’ve seen for the past ten years. (Google’s Superbowl Ad comes to mind, as a recent example).

It makes us wonder if Iain Tait’s title, Global Interactive Creative Director, isn’t a bit dated. It certainly doesn’t reflect how how more and more of us consume media – across a variety of platforms and delivery devices.

Perhaps we’re seeing a different type of Internet sensation: the birth of a brand new title at marketing and advertising agencies: Integrated Media Creative Director. The example Tait set in this campaign gives us a hint of future creative possibilities using his integrated approach. And, given the success of the campaign, we’ll likely see more agencies and advertisers eager to construct cross-platform dialogs, using all manner of media –social and otherwise.

As for Tait, his star is certainly rising.

It’s a Shame: The Missing Link of Being Socially Responsible.

by admin on July 13th, 2010, 0 Comment

A recent blog post by Forbes CSR raised a very compelling issue, expressed in the following paragraph:

“For example, recent research involving Procter & Gamble , General Mills and Timberland revealed that many of their stakeholders had no idea of the companies’ corporate responsibility initiatives, or had a very limited understanding and didn’t find them personally relevant. Because of that, they often questioned the companies’ motivations for engaging in corporate responsibility activities.”

Obviously, it’s not enough to put a stake in the ground regarding corporate social responsibility and expect the world with embrace – or trust – your brand because of it. Yet, we found many large corporations doing just that.

CSR-powered organizations must embrace social partnerships and social media tools to authentically engage the marketplace in discussion about the value of their stance and their products for several reasons. First, you can look at this through the cold calculation of return on investment – and you should. In a prior post we cited a WSJ study showing that consumers greatly preferred brands that have CSR values. The level of preference was directly proportional to the level of ethics embraced by the consumer. Several other studies support and expand on the WSJ’s findings. Second, there’s a larger issue of not evangelizing your values for the purpose of inspiring others to embrace those values. Doing so helps improve our world and our lives, in many ways and on many levels.

At no other point in human history have there been more tools to create buzz. If your organization is authentically following CSR values, shouldn’t you be using these tools to gain greater awareness and support of the causes you stand behind? Consumers and clients alike need to easily understand your legitimacy – through your strategic partners, employees, customers, executive leadership and other stakeholder activities.

Not creating greater groundswell of interest in your CSR initiatives is a shame. And so, because our mission is “To Be a Catalyzing Force for Corporate Social Responsibility and the Positive Impacts it Creates”, we decided to measure which companies are the most effective at garnering awareness and support for their CSR initiatives.

We’re calling it the 4goodmedia CSR Marketing Index and it will show which companies’ CSR initiatives are gaining the most traction among their target consumers – and how they did it. And, since it’s summer, we decided an obvious area of focus should be the beverage industry. In the fall, we’ll be looking at the paper products industry.

Collecting and analyzing this information has been a massive undertaking, but worth it. In subsequent posts, we’ll share updates and early findings with you. (Right now, all we can say that there are some interesting surprises.)

Overcoming Adversity with the Collaborative Partnership

by admin on July 12th, 2010, 2 Comments

You may not know or care how the tiny Island nation of Barbados recovered from a devastating economic crisis in the early 1990’s – but their behavior and decisions are a lesson to anyone interested in corporate social responsibility

The recession twenty years ago, like the one we’ve been experiencing, stalled economies around the world. For a country like Barbados that relies heavily on one industry – tourism – it delivered much more than stalled growth, however. It created nearly 25% unemployment. More than that, it created a kind of uncertain and panicked mood, which, historically, has been responsible for unrest, riots, and even coups by the military or drug lords.

Desperately needing cash, Barbados did what a lot of countries do in a similar predicament. It turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Unlike its other Caribbean counterparts, however, which ignored input from their industry and workers, simply accepting the aggressive terms of IMF loans, Barbados looked at the situation from all perspectives. Through a remarkable series of open-minded conversations and by intentionally empathetic exchanges, Barbados did the exact opposite of what was expected. They formed a Social Partnership between industry and its workers. Transparency, not defensiveness, prevailed. The practice of hard negotiations and blame-gaming were traded for collaborations toward a shared goal.

As a 2001 Geneva International Labor Office report states, “as a result of the evolving social partnership, negotiations began to focus on new forms” of payment terms, in which the country would be able to dramatically reverse the effects of the crisis. In just five years, the IMF loan was repaid and the country was on its feet again. Despite the fact that unemployment remained in the double digits, agreements were established within the social partnership, which mandated that layoffs would prevent entire families from getting wiped out. One “bread-winner” would be able to keep his/her job for each house hold.

Instead of getting destroyed by the economic crisis of the 1990’s, Barbados became stronger. Today, it is a thriving country with a strong GDP and top performing schools. A recent NPR report, which compared Barbados to Jamaica, showed that even years later, the Social Partnership was a very smart, socially-responsible business decision: “In Barbados,” Alex Blumberg recently said, “almost every sixth grader can read. In Jamaica, a quarter can’t. The kids are just as bright, the teachers as hardworking.” But, Barbados is the one with the growing economy, and jobs for its graduating students.

How transparent and collaborative is your company? How often do you invite customers and other key stakeholders to share their perspectives on how you can overcome obstacles and/or rise to new challenges? Is that a radical thought?

The Five Best Reasons For Being a Socially Responsible Company

by admin on July 6th, 2010, 1 Comment

We often ask our clients and partners, Why be socially responsible? The following are the five best answers (in count-down format) that we’ve heard recently.

5. Because there are always consequences. Short-sighted, profit-above-all-else-focused businesses directly and indirectly create workplace crisis, operational sloppiness and/ or environmental risks. They ignore vital leading-edge indicators that a socially-responsible company embraces. Malcolm Gray, portfolio manager at Investec Asset Management recently argued that a company that is responsible is more likely to build capital over time compared to an irresponsible company that runs the risk of taxes and levies to recoup costs. Maya Fisher-French of the Mail & Guardian makes this point nicely in her article BP disaster makes case for socially responsible investing

4. Because Consumers prefer it. If your intuition tells you that today’s socially-connected and vigilant consumers want to buy from companies that are socially responsible, you’d be right on the money. In a recent study, the Wall Street Journal found that consumers consistently favored corporations with “high ethical standards. ”In a series of experiments, consumers viewed identical products but one group was told the items had been made using and another group that low standards had been used. Results showed that consumers are not only willing to pay more for ethically produced goods – they’ll punish an unethically-made product by buying it only at a steep discount.

3. Because it’s becoming more a part of mainstream culture. If these combined blog and news trends are to be taken seriously, there is a clear and powerful growth in interest regarding socially responsible topics and business. In the last 24 months alone, buzz about such topics has increased nearly 10 times.

2. Because we’re in good company. There is a growing community of accomplished business people who are passionate about socially responsible business activity. Here are few examples:

-Corporate Responsibility Magazine: The CRO advances the profession of the Corporate Responsibility Officer.
-Sustainable Life Media: A community of sustainable business innovators and thought leaders sharing information, education and a shared purpose.
-HBR green: A Discussion about Leadership and the Environment.
-Bcorporation.net: A review body and association which proclaims “That we must be the change we seek in the world,” among other powerful values.

And the number one reason…

1. Because we believe in it. As more is written on how personal values of the corporation’s leadership extends to their decisions and, ultimately the resulting impact on the marketplace, it is becoming much more evident that the courage to lead by evolved personal values – not fashionable ideas or short-sightedness – are driving a burgeoning movement. Consider our recent review of 1000 businesses which were randomly-sampled. We found that nearly one third had some sort of socially-responsible initiative in place, primarily employee-focused. Nearly every size type of business was represented, from consulting to technology, manufacturing and financial services. From start-ups to well-established global businesses, a prevailing theme is emerging, which, on the surface appears to be driven not by profits, but by the other vital components of the 3BL.

What about you? Which answer above most resonates with you – or do you have your own reasons? What are they?

Are you a John Henry?

by admin on March 4th, 2010, 2 Comments

A recent LinkedIn forum discussion posed an important question. Is marketing more art than science or more science than art? What do you think?

First to address the question, it has indeed become much more scientific, and every recession seems to force this evolution by leaps and bounds. Moreover, it seems to claim a bigger and bigger stake of the overall….what I’ll call the “business communications” pie. Pay-per-Click campaigns, for example, are advertising but are highly measurable and were first championed by “online marketing” agencies. Social media, our most recent shiny new object, should be quite frankly the domain of PR agencies, but are much more often promoted and used by marketing professionals.

Second, let’s assume this wave of marketing becoming mostly scientific, and taking over advertising and public relations disciplines, what will the future hold for us. Sadly, I think its a darker story. Here’s why: Most companies will always find cost-cutting to be more financially advantageous than earning more money because cost-cutting directly benefits the bottom line. Top line results, like revenue, still have to trickle down over time to deliver business value.

Therefore, expect to see. . . (ready for it?) M.A.I. – Marketing Artificial Intelligence appear within the next ten years.

MAI will allow businesses to connect with deeply relevant and powerful data sources, negotiate with online properties via live-feed statistically-based bidding algorithms, load and rotate creative on the fly across all platforms (online and offline), and best of all, not ask for a raise, beg to engage in some idealistic rabbit hole, or not be able to answer the all important question, “how much are we directly benefiting from that spend?” It will control the pipeline, break down the communications barriers between sales and marketing as well as marketing and IT, and present a far greater capacity to more nimbly respond to important marketplace and competitor trends. With MAI there’s no consensus to build because all decisions are data driven. There’s less time spent negotiating or wooing other department heads in meetings and conference calls. This is completely consistent with the Life Hacker trend we’re spotting.

We’re already seeing the “Model-T” versions of this both with automated messaging tools like some of Unica’s products (unica.com) and with the turn-key social web platform found in HubSpot (HubSpot.com).

It is also completely consistent with recent business history to find software to replace humans. Marketers who think of their approach as a unique and precious blend of talent and skill, will find themselves as this century’s “John Henry” unable to keep up with technology that eclipses their best efforts.

Instead of 5 to 10 person marketing departments, we’ll see one person. Ironically, that person may just be a Creative.

Thoughts? Are you a John Henry?

Six Especially Unfortunate Marketing Mistakes

by admin on February 18th, 2010, 1 Comment

As you may have read from another section in our site, the Gap Analysis we perform for clients assess their marketing messages with relevant messages shared by their target audience.

The “gap” between the client and their marketplace (and yes, practically every company has one) is often filled with unfortunate misunderstandings, alternate posts, comments and ratings in favor of the competition, and unanswered questions to which you could respond compellingly. After performing this work across a wide array of industries and client types, we began developing an “e-kit” to help marketers understand the importance of closing the gap they’re facing.

We decided to share a small portion with you that we lovingly call . . .
Six Especially Unfortunate Marketing Mistakes to Avoid in a Recession:

1. Thinking too narrowly about your company and its offerings. Never underestimate the marketplace’s ability to be resourceful and determined to develop solutions that may even equal the qualities of your product or service. Tip: forget your product names and hype for a second. Do a search for the attributes or benefits of your product or service in relevant forums or social networks. You’ll probably be surprised by the results.

2. Not speaking to their ‘pain’ . Think of it this way. When you hurt your arm, do you search for topics (in search engines, bookmarks, or social networks) that have to do with, say, a medicated splint, or do you search for topics that describe how your arm feels? It’s easy to talk about the solution, but that’s not the only – or the best – way, necessarily. Tip: Answer this question: “What is the big problem my company solves?” Does your website and other marketing materials address that thoroughly or only cursorily? Once your target market connects with your message, you almost want them to murmur to themselves, “wow, that’s me.”

3. Overcomplicating the buying / selling process. The beauty of the online marketplace is that it is impulsive – even about important decisions. An educational services provider understood this best when it added automatic call-back to its online marketing campaign. The switch instantly increased sales and shrunk the sales cycle by over 25%. Tip: drink a ½ gallon of water. Now simulate the buying process. Which came first, the purchase or the sprint to the bathroom? Alternately, go to a busy, crowded place and follow your company’s buying process. Is it easy to follow with all the distractions and noise?

4. Treating customers like what they’re worth. We see it again and again. Small customers get the worst treatment. Sometimes it’s intentional, most of the time it’s the result of internal prioritization decisions. Spending less time on smaller clients may seem like a smart business decision until you realize that they blog and complain in industry and consumer forums just as much (if not more) than larger clients. Tip: Stay true to your “sweet spot.”

5. Not offering any entry-level products (we’re in a recession for Pete’s sake). As mentioned in the first bullet, the marketplace will come up with an appropriate solution for their needs, and in this economy, they’re more motivated than ever. Clients and customers have demonstrated that they still want to spend, but they’re much more adverse to risk. Tip: Pull the right people in a room right now and start brainstorming ways you can sell smaller products or services to remain attractive to the marketplace. And, treat them the same as all your clients. Alternately, develop more than a dozen reasons to buy your existing offerings. Make it super safe for them to make a buying decision.

6. Thinking that there’s no way to incorporate causes into your marketing. More than ever, in BtoC or BtoB sectors, consumers give more respect to corporations that demonstrate their values as a normal course of doing business. There are dozens of legitimate charities that could use your help and would be happy to help spread the word about your company, executive, or product line. Tip: Visit CharityNavigator.org to learn which charities have the best track records and would make the best partners.

Are you making one or more of the above mistakes? Ask for feedback from your customers and partners. Look in social networks for comments that describe the pain points that your offerings address. Find forums that are favored by your target market and monitor them. Pick three key facets of your company and search for those topics on Twitter. You’ll gain the proper perspective you need to start creating breakthrough improvements in all your marketing efforts.

That Annoying Distraction = Your Next Marketing Break-through?

by admin on January 28th, 2010, 0 Comment

There he goes again. Tap-tap-tapping on that Droid or BlackBerry or iPhone. (Does it matter what kind of device?) What is SO important that he can’t just talk with you?

We’ve heard that complaint often, but is the time for marketers to take another look at that growing pattern and think of ways mobile marketing can work to light your campaigns on fire.

Here’s why we like modern mobile marketing for every kind of business: developing a customized application for your target market is a great way to brand your organization as an innovator and perhaps even a leader; customized apps are free of any spam, so they won’t get overtaken by any competitors; and, we love love love the fact that apps are fuel for social networking activities. Plus don’t get us started on the intel one can garner from their tracking capabilities (e.g. duration and time of use, geo-location, functionality preference, etc. etc.)

Here are some other valuable points to consider:

Regardless of the phone, we all use them the same way
Mobility applications are gaining momentum. “Handset vendors sold 304.7 million mobile phones globally in April-June, with strong demand in emerging markets lifting sales 11.8 per cent from a year earlier, Gartner said recently.
There are 140,000 iPhone apps now available. That’s over a 100% increase from the fall of 2009.
The average smart phone consumer spends $80 on apps, regardless of the device

Hmmm. . . there’s demand, there’s proven marketplace growth, the technology is increasingly and widely available. And, that guy is STILL tap-tap-tapping away on his phone.

What are you waiting for? It’s time you began your plan to increase share of phone.

Social Media with Your Eyes Open

by admin on January 12th, 2010, 0 Comment

Given today’s business and social climate, recruiting, marketing, and even ecommerce efforts must now contain a particular blend of social authenticity and seamless technology. It’s not enough to simply “dabble,” at being authentic or technically advanced, your efforts must be Organic, Measurable, Mobile and Optimizable. Here’s what I mean:

• Organic and authentic – today’s audiences want to hear from ‘real people’, not public ombudsmen or corporate spokespeople. They want easily relatable stories by people just like them, who are members of the organization. They want an authentic referral. Nothing expresses that point better than COMPETE.COM’S side-by-side comparison of “epinions.com”, a site dedicated to user-submitted comments about products and services, and consumereports.com, the venerable institution of experts who scientifically test and report on each product. Epinions.com beats consumerreports.com by a multiple of FIFTEEN TIMES.

• Mobile – whether you’re a tween, Millennial, or just your average business person on-the-go, increasingly you’ve come to understand the importance of your cell phone. The number of ways to use an iPhone or BlackBerry has exploded with the proliferation of cell phone applications – a welcome tool kit for staying connected. Your efforts should capitalize on the power of mobile applications, before another organization similar to yours does.

• Measurable and meaningful – it’s easy to get caught up in the jargon and intrigue of social networking, yet the beauty of online activity is that it can be tracked and reported.

Yes, there’s a vast, exciting world of like-minded communities developing online right now. Of course, becoming a voice in those communities can be exciting and rewarding. However, a really important question should be asked first: “how will we know when we’re being successful?” The answer to that question should be found in detailed tracking reports that act as progress updates on the social media program. These reports should monitor variables that are meaningful to the organization – not to social networking gurus. For example, it’s nice to know that your community is growing, but how many members of that community can help advocate for your organization? Your reports should answer the tough questions such as:

How many are advocating for your organization?
Are they representing the organization accurately, or have they developed some other story?
Are some online ‘friends’ more important than others? If so, who are they, and how can their efforts be monitored so the organization can learn how to better attract similar people?
How much revenue is being collected?
How many new members or qualified leads have joined the organization?
What survey data has been collected to help the organization navigate changing times and roll out new offerings?

• Optimizable – Every social and/or mobile media campaign should deliver increasing results without expanding the budget. The lessons learned about your audience and how to attract them should allow you to become increasingly efficient while also garnering increasing results. In order for this process to happen, you must utilize detailed reports and a fluid feedback loop that allows you to quickly apply lessons learned.