Monthly Archives: November 2013

Media Mix 101: Work Backwards

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In an effort to get corporate messages heard above the clutter, many communications pros have resorted to blanketing the marketplace with continuously overlapping web updates, Facebook promos, tweets, online coupons, YouTube videos, sales incentives, micro sites, consumer/end user promotions, online and offline ads, and as many other tactics as their frazzled brains can generate.

You may be able to get better results and save money by turning down the volume. Although I’m a big fan of repetition to keep your message top of mind, successful marketing is not solely about the number of places your message appears. It’s about reaching the right people in a way that compels them to act. And the best way to do that is by working backwards, from the result you hope to achieve to the best ways to get there. Here are four key questions that will help you determine the best media mix for your message:

1. Who is your audience? Chances are that you have more than one. Don’t assume that your audience is a homogeneous group, e.g. “the general public” or “big box retailers.” Do a little segmentation. If you’re reaching out to consumers, what is their age, gender, economic status, lifestyle? If you’re talking to business people, are they owners or employees, how large are the businesses, and how familiar are they with your company/product/service?

2. What action do you want audience members to take? Do you want them to buy a product, interact with your company, remember your brand, or something else?

3. What do you need to say to get the desired result? Remember that the message may be different for members of each audience segment. Make sure you lead them to the conclusion you want them to reach.

4. What are the best media to showcase and deliver the message effectively? Be sure to take into account audience demographics, timing, and the competitive landscape. Are you trying to reach twenty-somethings? You may want to avoid email and ramp up YouTube. Is your message very time-sensitive? Maybe Twitter is the right channel. Is your message likely to blow the competition away? Then you might want to be in the same places as your competitors to be compared favorably.

In short, start with the end game. If you know what you want the result to be, it will be easier to figure out how to get there.

Right Down to the Last Punctuation Mark. Period.

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“Marketing is everything, and everything is marketing.” — Regis McKenna

If you don’t agree with that quote, you should visit The Land of Relentless Marketing. Yes, I’m talking about Disney World. Don’t get me wrong — I’m an admirer. These people are brilliant marketers, and the evidence is everywhere.

Better yet, they are superb communicators. Effective marketing strategy would not exist without successful communication. Here are five (of many) elements of communications that I’ve experienced personally and that Disney has down cold:

1. Your customers are “guests.” They don’t have to buy what you’re selling, even when you’re the only game in town. Make them feel special, and tell them how much you appreciate them at every opportunity.

2. Repetition works. This is old school communications practice at its finest. Say it often enough and people will believe.

3. Your brand proposition is your life. This is the promise you make to your customers, and adherence to it is not optional. Every marketing thing you do should support the promise.

4. Consistency matters. See #2. Disney adds new technology, media, design elements and experiences to keep itself relevant, but the core messages and key identifiers (like the “When You Wish Upon a Star” refrain) remain unchanged. There’s a reason for that.

5. It’s not about price, it’s about value. Make no mistake, a Walt Disney World vacation is no bargain, especially if you stay inside the park. However, the experience is nothing short of amazing, there is nothing else like it, and Disney makes sure that its customers know it. Everything runs smoothly and the presentation is seamless. Look a little lost or confused and a cast member (employee) comes to your rescue with a smile. The company even pays folks to blend into the crowd of tourists and surreptitiously pick up any bit of litter dropped by a visitor. Despite the cost, nearly 70% of visitors to WDW’s Magic Kingdom are returning customers. Clearly, they value the Disney experience enough to keep coming back.

In short, communications excellence abounds at Disney. It’s a formula that works for the rest of us, too.

Back From the Hiatus

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I’m back. Quick synopsis of my time away: job hunting, five family birthdays, HUGE July 4 barbecue, job hunting, interviews, networking, job hunting workshops, two new BEAUTIFUL baby girls added to the family, one girls’ day out, and more job hunting. Oh, and a surprise (more like a shock, actually) birthday party for me.

I’ve been writing, just not in this space. But I’m back now. And, so, it begins again…