Khanh Chau, Matt Strickland, Eric Summers, James Wilkinson

You can use the groundswell to move consumers through the marketing funnel

 Viral Videos  Social Networks  Blogosphere  Community Site

 Best utilized when using an interesting approach and/or niche specific advertising methods.  BlendTec uses a unique approach to display just how effective their blenders are in their series, Will it Blend?  Will it Blend, iPhone: x?type=unsafe&video=iphone x?type=unsafe&video=iphone  Tibco, a software company created its own viral miniseries called Greg the Architect.  Tibco, Greg the Architect  e_grid.html e_grid.html

 To be most effective viral videos must allow people to interact.  Optimally they should direct people to a social network, a blog, or community where they can form further relationships with each other or with the company.

 Statistics: 25% of online adults in North America, 21% of Europeans, and 35% of South Koreans are members of social networks.  On Facebook, 85% of all college students (US) have a profile.

 E&Y are a global accounting firm that has to hire 3500college grads every year to meet their client’s needs.  E&Y uses Facebook as a means for connecting with college students and potential future employees allowing them to not only communicate with these users but also allow the users to interact in an environment that also encourages student to student communication.

◦ Use the Social Technographics Profile to verify that your customers are in social networks. ◦ Move forward if people love your brand. ◦ See what’s out there already ◦ Create a presence that encourages interaction.

 Blogs are most effective for companies who have complex issues revolving around their products.

 HP sells hundreds of different electronic and software based products to almost every type of marketing group from small consumer to large businesses.  Most of their products are very complex, and therefore many buyers want to have more details available to them before they commit to a purchase.  This is where HP’s blogs help their company.  HP has nearly fifty executive blogs; each blog is targeted to a specific area of their business, allowing HP to respond to their consumer’s questions and concerns.

 Blogs generate trust in the consumers because of the fact that these are personal statements from the executives of HP.  HP has used these blogs in the past to help consumers resolve compatibility issues (ex. A problem that occurred between Windows Vista and HP printers) and even to avert PR distractions (ex. Sun Solaris’s attempt to goad HP into starting an advertising feud).

1. Start by listening. 2. Determine goal of the blog 3. Estimate the ROI 4. Develop a plan 5. Rehearse 6. Develop an editorial process (have someone proofread and review the blog) 7. Design the blog and its connection to your site 8. Develop a marketing plan so people can find the blog 9. Remember, blogging is more than just writing ◦ Blogging is a form of communication, make sure to respond to comments, but be sure to use moderation 10. BE HONEST

 We’ve already seen how well this worked for Hallmark, but let’s look at a different example.  Case Study: Proctor and Gamble

 -P&G was tasked with marketing feminine care products to young girls (preteen-adolescents), a topic most people do not wish to discuss and then an age group that is extremely uncomfortable discussing such topics.  -P&G created a community site, beinggirl.com, which is about everything young girls deal with.  -The site was created based on categories young girls would be interested in, rather than those that would sell their product.

 -The site allows the users to communicate with one another, share embarrassingly humorous stories, and ask questions to a psychologist who will answer their questions.  -The site features subtle branding rather than direct marketing, instead of advertising their product they attempt to help the users and then mention the company as the sponsor of the site.  -It attracts more than 2 million visitors a month worldwide.

1. Figure out whether your market really is a community or could be one. 2. Check for already formed communities before you create one. It’s cheaper to sponsor such a site than build your own. 3. Once you’ve figured out whether your can form a community and what the central attraction will be, ask yourself: ◦ What are we going to get out of this? ◦ How will talking with this community benefit us? 4. Do not continue unless you can support the community for the long term.

 Do you have an awareness problem where people don’t know about you?  If so, then viral videos are the best way of getting your consumer’s attention.  Do you have a word-of-mouth problem where you need people to talk to one another?  If so then social networks are the best solution.  Do you have a complexity problem where you have complicated messages to communicate?  Then the blogosphere can help you solve this problem.  Do you have an accessibility problem where your consumers are insistent on depending upon one another rather than listening to you?  In that case, create an environment in which they can do that in the form of a community.