A Paid Search Campaign That Paid For Itself

A Paid Search campaign – for most consumer companies this is a no-brainer, an automatic part of their marketing and communication strategy. But for a large, regional healthcare system in central Pennsylvania, this type of approach to launch a new medical procedure was anything but automatic.

Having said that, when sold-in correctly, developed with strategic insight from the patient, physician and hospital perspectives, and executed properly, a small pilot program can create a big impact.

Here’s a terrific example of how a digital campaign I helped create, implement and track for a well-known health care system in central Pennsylvania began to transform a client’s perception based on positive experience and results.

Overview:

One of our health care system clients was in the process of redefining and evolving their current Destination Care program. Moving forward, they wanted to expand the program beyond their partnership with a big-box retailer as an exclusive Destination Care health care provider.

Additionally, they needed to expand the pool of potential patients outside the geographical boundaries of their brick and mortar facility footprint. To date they had no marketing presence and little physician referral contact outside of their direct coverage area.

Challenge:

Maximize the existing budget to reach potential patients beyond the health care system’s physical coverage areas in Pennsylvania.

Overcome zero-to-low brand awareness levels in selected markets in order to establish their Destination Care program as a premier, health care option.

Expand the current Destination Care program to include support for new surgical procedures in Cardiology and Cosmetic Surgery.

Solution:

With a small budget, big expectations and even bigger ROI requirements, the team and I created a pilot program for a Paid Search campaign.

Of course this included a well-curated selection of key words and phrases based on the specific surgical procedures and potential patients’ emotional drivers. But first, we needed to help them identify key patient behavioral criteria points and overlay those data points on a county-by-county basis of select primary and tertiary markets.

As a result, we conducted a deeper analysis of data points of outbound migration, age, household income and level of education. Each of these data points helped to create a series of market-based heat maps for Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York DMAs.

With a richer understanding of our target audience in those geographies, we were able to focus the campaign on specific, recommended markets representing projected higher percentages of clicks and conversions.

Results:

An 8-week test program that gained traction immediately…

• 500,000+ targeted impressions
• 18% Click Through Rate
• 9 Calls generated from landing page
• 2 Conversions to initial consultation
• ROI: Entire campaign more than paid for with one completed procedure

If you would like to learn more about this case study or how this example can help you begin to create a similar program, feel free to connect with me via LinkedIn.

BRAND WARS: The Single-minded Communication Awakens

A long time ago, in an agency briefing session far, far away…

It is a time of great preparation for the launch of DB2. IBM’s newest software product that is designed to make data-mining smarter, faster and easier is now fully operational.

In the offices of a large global Agency, the worldwide client project leader is ready to brief his powerful agency team. During this session, it becomes evident that features have replaced benefits and the single-minded proposition has vanished without a trace.

 In pursuit of the SMP, the agency team embarks on a high risk/reward journey to develop and implement a single-minded proposition across all branded communications. The result will unleash a new era of data prominence and make DB2 a triumphant success.

Thank you in advance for indulging in a cheeky marketing ploy to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars, Episode VII. Obviously, this is not part of a futuristic, sci-fi saga. Having said that, the scenario described above did actually happen, and it is part of the ongoing, epic battle between checking boxes of a marketing agenda and creating meaningful communications that connect your customers with your brand.

Here’s what really happened…  

As a young agency executive, I was excited to lead my first global campaign. At the time, IBM’s launch of DB2 was a major initiative. Not only was the product expected to be the category leader, it represented IBM’s resurgence and commitment in the software industry. With that premise, our team’s expectations were extremely high for the meeting with the worldwide project leader.

Unfortunately, the briefing that took place was a bit underwhelming. There was no PowerPoint presentation. There were no handouts with tech-specs. There was no discussion about features that led to benefits. And there was definitely not a single-minded proposition to be reviewed. The entire session lasted little more than an hour (largely due to the volume of questions we asked) and was based on hand-scribbled notes on a single piece of lined tablet paper.

Suffice to say, we had a lot of work to do.

A Single-minded proposition drives everything

This story helps underscore the importance of developing a single-minded proposition with respect to branded communications. As marketers and brand champions we need to be the advocates who hold our colleagues accountable to formulate a single-minded proposition – before getting too far into campaign development. Without a singular focus on a simple, straight-to-the-point proposition at the beginning, the challenge of maintaining a clear proposition is magnified exponentially.

Considering the omni-channel world our customers and prospects live in today, the ability to develop an SMP is invaluable. With such diverse communication platforms, channels and technologies currently available, there are wonderful opportunities for dialogue, interaction and engagement between brands and consumers.

Today, this potential conversation is enriched to the point that it is imperative for marketers to deliver the right content at the right time to the right person via the appropriate channel. Not only because technology makes it possible to do so, but more importantly, because this is quickly becoming the expected norm of consumers – B2C and B2B, alike.

Focus your team and your proposition

To help you and your team develop a practice of creating single-minded communications, below are three areas you can focus on right away:

“These are NOT the briefs you’re looking for.”

It all starts with the clarity of the Marketing and Creative briefs. If the Marketing Brief is crammed with too many messages and marketing jargon, then more than likely, the Creative Brief will become littered with the same trappings of a cluttered and muddied proposition.

The end result will lead to a confused creative team who will have difficulties developing messages and concepts that get to the heart of what your customer/prospect is looking for and needs.

“Your focus determines your reality.”

If you come across a brief that is as full of messages as a kitchen sink is full of dishes, you owe it to yourself, your team and your customers/prospects to make sure it never sees the light of day. It is better to catch and correct this before it proceeds any further.

Keep it simple and concise. Identifying a strong, clear and singularly-focused proposition will lead to communications that are equally clear to their audience.

“Do or do not. There is no try.”

Simply making an effort to develop single-minded propositions and branded communications is usually not enough to make a difference with metrics of success. You and your team may need to form an alliance that is ready to push back on internal and external forces that try to pull you to their side of an undecipherable and unfocused proposition.

Hopefully these ideas will awaken your thinking about how to create communications that are not a jumbled mess of industry mumbo jumbo and internal gobbledygook. As you can imagine or may have previously experienced, projects that start with this type of an approach will not get better as the creative development process continues.

I encourage you to stay true to the power of a singularly-focused approach and invite you to contact me with any questions you may have, or to share other ideas you find helpful in this process.

In the meantime, may the single-minded proposition be with you (hmm, too much?).

Trend 2015: Original Content Will Be King

Without a doubt, one of the biggest issues facing your brand in 2015 will be putting an end to the ceaseless amount of retweeted and reposted drivel that is put out there and served up as meaningful and interesting content.

Let’s face it, as content developers and publishers we have all been guilty of this at one point or another. But in 2015, this old practice should be the anomaly and not the standard.

To help ensure our clients’ efforts and our own efforts are not over-reliant on insight and illumination from other sources, below are a few of the areas we are starting to explore in order to…um…keep it real (as it were).

Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying

Do you remember the character Red from the Stephen King movie “The Shawshank Redemption?” After being released on parole from a 40-year prison sentence, he was employed as a lowly bagboy at the local grocery store. As he performed his dreary job day in and day out, he realized he had no more freedom than when he was behind bars. Rather than waste away by being idle, he set out to find his inmate friend Andy who had escaped from prison years earlier.

As we see Red in the solemnity of his single room apartment at the halfway house, slowly packing his tattered suitcase for greener pastures, we hear his, his voice-over implore, “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

The same can be said for brands. In 2015, your brand should be busy living and full of life – connecting on a more human level and making emotional connections. If not, your brand is slowly conceding its voice and market share to competitors.

Put An End To All The Endless (and meaningless) Content

Does this sound familiar…

“Endless content on endless channels.

Endless chat from endless panels.

All you need to fill your muffin,

without having to really think or nothin’”

…if so, either you have seen Matilda the Musical on Broadway with your kids once too often or you have been bombarded with the continued proliferation of useless information that is currently passed off, copied, posted and/or retweeted as new and meaningful insight – All with the good intention of “sharing” and “collaborating” with peers, prospects and/or customers.

Instead of being driven by generic lists such as “Best practices for digital marketers,” consider specific and relevant ways for your brand to connect with your fans, followers and/or circles of friends. You’ll see a difference in the levels and types of engagement your brand will elicit.

Make Mankind Your Brand’s Business

As directors and producers of “content” for your brand, what if you found yourself being visited by three spirits in some strange digital version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” ?

Would you find yourself yearning for your content of the past? Would you recognize the image reflected in all of your present-day content contributions? And, most importantly, from the perspective of the future, would you continue pushing endless volumes of mindless information fodder to an ever-diminishing audience? Or would you look back and lament your lifetime of content publishing and find a way to change, in order to create more meaningful and uplifting information that delivers what your client/customer needs when they need it most.

One of the best ways to begin doing that is to borrow from the wisdom of, Jacob Marley (of A Christmas Carol fame). By making mankind your brand’s business, you will be able to explore and discover new, rewarding ways to connect with your audience. It will take your brand to new places in the lives of your customers and create extraordinary opportunities you never anticipated.

For all of us with this responsibility, it is good to know that it is never too late to change our ways.

Understanding The Benefits Of A Multi-generational Workforce

During the month of August, the company I work for introduced some of the Millennials who help make things happen at the office and for our clients. As the youngest employees and the newest generation to enter the national workforce, we wanted to welcome them and make them feel like part of the team.

Some people at the office thought this was an over-reaction to “participation” awards. But, it got me thinking. The truth is…without them, the Millennials, our company would be a very different place.

Having said that, the larger truth is that our multigenerational office of Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers represents a workplace dynamic that is truly fresh and exciting – we are discovering new ways to work together as well as reshaping our cultural identity. As this change is occurring at companies across the country, we all need to take a moment to understand important information and insights regarding the reality of today’s multigenerational workforce.

When we look at the different generations in our workplace, we need to realize who they are, where they come from and what motivates them collectively as a generation. This information is offered with the understanding that these are broad-based categories; not all people exhibit the same (and general) degree of needs and wants expressed in the classifications below.

Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964)

• By the numbers
  • The largest 50+ generation in history
  • 77% are employed; 2/3 work full time
  • Represent ½ of U.S. households with an income of $100K+
• Messages that motivate
  • “Your opinion is valued”
  • “You can work as long as you want to”
  • “Your contribution will be recognized”
  • “We need you”
• How to recruit and retain
  • Offer flexible work arrangements
  • Provide challenging work opportunities, horizontal movement and learning opportunities
  • Offer health and wellness programs

Generation X (born 1965 – 1977)

• By the numbers
  • Best educated generation in the U.S.
  • 50% are working parents
  • More than 50% have a household income above $50K
• Messages that motivate
  • “Do it your way”
  • “We’ve got the newest hardware and software”
  • “There aren’t a lot of rules around here”
• How to recruit and retain
  • Show them flexibility in terms of workplace schedules
  • Allow them to work autonomously and tap into their adaptability
  • Give timely feedback in order for them to build their skills and improve their resume

Millennials (born 1978 – 1989)

• By the numbers
  • Largest consumer group in the history of the U.S.; total income exceeds $211 billion
  • 38% are non-white and many identify themselves as multicultural
  • Among those 18-24, 30% are currently attending a college or university
• Messages that motivate
  • “You will be working with other bright, creative people”
  • “You and your co-workers can help turn this place around”
  • “You can make a difference here”
• How to recruit and retain
  • Provide flexibility to allow them to pursue their outside interests
  • Use their capability to access and share information quickly
  • Pair them up with older mentors (Baby Boomers)
  • Help them learn interpersonal skills for the workplace

As we can see, and no doubt are experiencing at our respective companies, a multigenerational workplace can be complex and at times difficult to manage. But, the rewards of constructing a work environment that can foster collaboration between generations far outweighs the option of ignoring a growing problem.

Building an inclusive work culture is hard work, but it is empowering, positive and uplifting. This type of work culture can strengthen the organization as a whole and lead to new opportunities, such as…

• Attracting and retaining talented people of all ages
• Increasing flexibility across the company
• Gaining and maintaining greater market share
• Making strong decisions that are broad-based with multiple perspectives
• Generating innovation and creativity
• Meeting the needs of a broader, diverse audience and relate more effectively

This is the first time in modern history that workplace demographics now span four generations. We can choose to embrace this new situation and begin to create a new company culture that is better suited for the 21^st century or we can shrink back, put our heads in the sand and pretend all is well. Should we opt for the latter, know this…our company’s future success is in peril. Remember, a changing workplace is not on the way – it is already here!

Looking ahead, what will your company’s culture look like? How will you help to change it? Let me know. I would like to hear what you are doing to develop your company’s culture for a stronger future. And more importantly, how do you intend to incorporate Generation Z into your plans. They’re still in school, but they are on their way and they will be completely different from anything you think you currently know.

This blog post was based on material, stats and information from the following publications or authors:

AARP Report, “Leading a Multigenerational Workforce” << http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/cs/misc/leading_a_multigenerational_workforce.pdf >>

Lee Hecht Harrison, “Managing Today’s Multigenerational Workforce” << http://www.lhh.com/en-US/thought-leadership/Documents/managing-todays-multigenerational-workforce.pdf

Caroline Dowd-Higgins, “How to Play Together in the Multigenerational Sandbox at Work” << http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caroline-dowdhiggins/how-to-play-together-in-t_b_2989568.html >>

 

Customer-centric Marketing Is Here! Now What? (part 2)

Welcome to part II of our discussion on Customer Centric Marketing. In my previous blog post I shared information regarding Customer Lifecycle Management and how it is different from Customer Relationship Management. Now, is a good time to discuss how Omni-Channel Marketing combined with Lifecycle Management programs can lead to a true Customer Centric Marketing culture.

 But first, let’s meet Melinda…

• She is a 34-year-old woman, married with two children
• One child is in 1^st grade and the other one is a toddler in pre-school
• She and her spouse both work full-time, and are home owners living in the suburbs of a metropolitan area.
• They own two vehicles, have a pet and are doing all they can to make ends meet while saving for retirement, two college educations and one potential wedding.
• Between her digital usage habits and her purchasing behaviors online and in stores, there is little information that Melinda’s favorite brands do not know about her.
• In fact, some of them know her better than she knows herself.

Melinda’s personal information, or her “persona,” (detailed above) is just the tip of the free data iceberg of information that is known about her. Truth be told, a company’s ability to accumulate a consumer’s personal data is much more pervasive and all-knowing than most of us realize.

If you recall from the previous blog, there are two parts of the equation that make true Customer Centric Marketing more achievable today than in prior tech cycles:

• More and more consumers are willing to trade their personal information for convenience
• More and more companies are becoming hyper-adept at accumulating, aggregating and manipulating a consumer’s personal information

With our example of the Melinda persona, it will be critical to leverage all of her information in order to develop and create meaningful experiences with her throughout all her different brand interactions.

Does this sound like Multi-Channel Marketing to you?

Well it’s close, but here’s the big difference….each customer experience is not developed in channel isolation.

In our new Omni-Channel Marketing universe, the customer is the central focus of everything. From sales, marketing, customer service, billing, etc., all communication and interaction revolves around the customer and their lifecycle with the brand. These experiences are based on integrated coordination between various silos and created from a holistic view of how, where, when and why customers choose to interact and engage with the brand.

Creating this type of approach for your company can be rewarding to all. In getting started with a Customer Centric program the first two steps may appear basic, but they will be the cornerstone of your program and will need to be well thought out in advance:

• First, know who your customers are and then build around them
• Second, develop a customer journey map that outlines their customer pathway

As you continue to proceed with developing your program, feel free to keep me posted on how it is going as well as some of the challenges you face. And, if you need any help along the way, I would be more than happy to provide assistance.

The future of marketing is definitely exciting – Because in many ways, the future is already here.

Customer-centric Marketing Is Here! Now What? (part 1)

Do you remember some time ago when “synergy” was the buzzword du jour for brand development and marketing strategy? How about when it was replaced by “marketing integration” and then quickly bumped by “Customer Relationship Management”? More recently, Cross (or multi) Channel Engagement has reigned supreme. And, today, basking in the glory as the industry’s newest trending topic is #Customer Lifecycle Management and #Omni-channel Marketing.

Do you believe this is simply the newest passing fad of industry jargon? Well, you might be right. On the other hand, if you take time and consider two primary influences that have been converging to usher in this new era of consumer engagement and marketing ROI bliss, you might begin to think otherwise.

If you’re not familiar with Customer Lifecycle Management or Omni-channel Marketing, then, you need to be. They are both closely related to the nomenclatures that preceded them, but the small, nuanced conceptual change from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) represents a monumental difference in approach – likewise in moving from Cross Channel or Multi Channel Engagement to Omni Channel Marketing.

In both cases, the difference is a company-wide approach to develop meaningful customer interactions throughout the customers’ life with your brand. Again, nuance. But important nuance with big implications for companies throughout the entire organization.

To be a Customer Centric company, your organization must be able to commit to the needs of customers in a way that requires internal silos to find ways to work together towards the single unifying goal of increasing the value of each customer during their life with the brand.

Is this new pinnacle of marketing and brand nirvana more than the newest marketing nomenclature? Perhaps a new way to engage consumers has truly emerged.

Check back next month for Part II, when we’ll explore the connection between Customer Lifecycle Management and Omni Channel Marketing.

If It Doesn’t Sell, Is It Creative?

What do you think?

“If it doesn’t sell, is it creative?”

This question has been around for a long time, but its central point of creative development and focus on quantifiable results remains a contemporary and poignant issue for today…

* How creative an idea is it, if it doesn’t generate a positive impact on sales?

* Is advertising really creative if it doesn’t outperform sales figures from the year prior?

* Can the brand be considered creative if it doesn’t generate new business?

Now, we can debate the nuance of terminology, the definition of “creative” and the dynamic of technology between the 1960’s and now until the cows come home. But in this case, the bottom line remains, well…the bottom line.

In the above proof, creativity and salesmanship are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are meant to be one and the same. But, is this always the case and if so, should it be? Should there be a direct correlation between the two that universally defines “creativity” for the marketing/advertising industry?

With the understanding that there is no correct or incorrect answer feel free to respond and let me know what you think. I would love to understand your perspective.

This Is No Time To Play It Safe!

Yes, we are still experiencing a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty. Yes, we would all like our brands and our businesses to be doing better (some things will never change). And yes, it is all incredibly frustrating. But this is not the time to play it safe.

Now is the time for your brand to triumph!

But first, let’s breakdown this risky business of playing it safe…

– Does playing it safe allow your brand to come alive in a fresh, memorable and persuasive way?
– Does playing it safe make your brand more accepted, believed or urgent?
– Does playing it safe lead to the creation of one ad that can do the work of ten?
– Does playing it safe elevate your brand from the muck and mired swamps of parity?

In a word…NO.

Playing it safe is a perpetual downward spiral – in any economy.

Buckle-up and Be Brave.
In order to triumph, brave brands willingly abandon their safe and secure comfort zones. They actively seek ideas that are new and preferably have never been done before. Brands that triumph, strive to create original and authentic experiences for their customers and fans. They provide opportunities for consumers to engage on their terms and loosen the reigns of control. Triumphant brands innovate – constantly. That doesn’t mean long-term R&D lab projects or huge budget investments are required. To constantly innovate means you listen to your customers and then you adjust and adapt to meet their needs.

Successful innovation can be as simple as facilitating a perceived increase in your consumers’ status, providing opportunities for them to assist charities and good causes, getting local, satiating their lust for information or tapping into crowds as sources to create, influence, fund, predict and decide what is next.

For more specific examples of new innovations, check out “Innovation Insanity”. You may be surprised at how easy it is to be brave when you’re consumed by innovation.

Innovation is Recession-proof Opportunity

Hard times come. Hard times go.

The market fluctuates.

Economies ebb and flow.

But one thing is for sure (in addition to death and taxes) – Innovation is king. It trumps stagnation. And it inspires growth.

Why?

Because, even recession-stricken consumers value new ideas, products and services that are pragmatic or exciting, or that saves them money, or entertains them. So take some time and look around and see how many new recession-proof ideas you can find. More than likely, you will be surprised.

To help you in this little exercise, we are including 10 consumer trends that we believe will impact consumers, business and technology in 2010…

1.) Business As Unusual
Recession, what recession? Look the societal changes going on right now and that will influence 2010 and the future are not necessarily a result of the recession. So moving forward, communications have changed forever. When the economy comes back, don’t expect the status-quo of communicating with consumers to go back the way it was. We are moving forward!

2.) Urbany
Urban culture is thriving. Extreme urbanization will lead to a more sophisticated and demanding consumer. Even in more rural areas.

3.) Real-time Reviews
We’ve mentioned this before, so continue to prepare for the “Review-lution”. Whatever product or service you are selling, get ready to have it reviewed by everyone, live and in real-time, 24/7.

4.) (F)luxury
What is status? What is luxury? Their tied together but they are becoming more and more fragmented. As a result, luxury will be whatever they want it to be.

5.) Mass Mingling
Don’t look now, but we are seeing a growing paradox – “People interact more online. People interact more in person.” The opportunity in this paradox is that consumers, crave real-world, live human contact. And that more online engagement only encourages their need and ability to meet up live and in person.

6.) Eco-Easy
As much as people and consumer want to do the right thing, the prevailing human nature is to do what is easiest. So perhaps, brands and companies will have to be forcefully make it easier by restricting alternatives.

7.) Tracking & Alerting
Ah, the new “search.” As we continue our addiction to information, new services will arrive that will undoubtedly be aimed at expanding user’s web of control.

8.) Embedded Generosity
Look for a more pragmatic and collaborative donation services for consumers.

9.) Profile Myning
Right now there are hundreds of millions of online profiles. But how can each of the users be expected to maintain, update and nurture all this information? Looks like a business opportunity to us.

10.) Maturialism
With all the blogging, reviewing and texting going on, consumers have grown more and more opinionated. To top it off, this outspoken nature is becoming more ‘raw’ and even risque. The one question we have for your brand is how daring will you be?

O.K., we’ve given you a pretty good head start on this assignment of opportunity. Feel free to report back and let us know the innovations you bring to market.

Safe Advertising Is Risky Business

Be Brave. Be Effective.

Let’s face it, safe advertising is not effective advertising.

And that’s why most marketing executives and their Agency counterparts would agree with Bill Bernbach, “Safe advertising is the riskiest advertising you can do.” More specifically, safe advertising will not generate greater sales more economically.

In light of that notion, most of these same marketing and advertising executives have an aversion to taking risk. Agreed, it is always better to have a sure thing. Unfortunately, there are two inherent problems with this normal human reaction…

1.) There is no such thing as a sure thing
2.) To get really effective advertising, risk cannot be avoided

Safe advertising rarely makes facts come alive in a fresh, memorable and persuasive way. It rarely makes one ad do the work of ten. It won’t elevate your brand out of the muck and mired swamps of parity, nor will safe advertising make your brand more accepted, believed or urgent.

Create Originality.
To create advertising that is effective, it must be original. And to do that, we must be able to step away from reality, because reality is what exists, reality is what has been done before. We must abandon the safe and secure.

Beware! Creating originality is risky business. It involves the art of persuasion and is difficult to formalize. It requires a search that will lead to places that are new and untried; for these are the areas where the biggest rewards await.