Winter 2010
Not Everyone Should Wear A Speedo
Understanding How Ad Placement Impacts Effectiveness
Advertising opportunities are everywhere. Advances in technology, coupled with man's never-ending pursuit of finding ways to make money, means that companies can place advertisements just about anywhere. In past issues of Communiqué, we have shared with you the unusual places that folks have dreamed up to place advertisements, from rocket ships to urinals.
So, with endless options for ad placements, why shouldn't marketers take advantage of them all? Perhaps the best way to answer this question is with a stark reminder, that even though they make skimpy Speedo bathing suits in every size, not everyone looks good wearing one.
The newest slew of ad venues includes new twists to existing mediums. One company is now offering advertising on the side of pint-size milk cartons, which are served to millions of school children each day. Some folks are even offering up their bodies as flesh and blood billboards. Air New Zealand paid 30 people to be "cranial billboards," which required that they shave their heads and have a temporary tattoo promoting the airline placed on their skulls.
Other ad placements are breaking new ground. Discount airline AirTran Airways is looking to build revenues by offering ad space on the backs of tray tables throughout their entire fleet. New technology-driven ad venues are proliferating as smart phone apps, which are being designed by specialty programmers to promote products. Stanley Tools designed an app that turns your phone into a level. Pizza Hut offers a create-a-pizza app.
Just as too much pizza and skimpy Speedos don't mix well, not all available ad venues are suitable. The ad environment in which a message appears can greatly impact its overall effectiveness – either negatively or positively. Promoting travel to New Zealand, a locale that's off the beaten track, with a tattoo on a shaved head makes sense. Doing the same for a cancer treatment center would be considered shocking and inappropriate.
Careful consideration must be given not only to the demographics of who will be seeing the ad, but also how the medium used to deliver the message might change the context of how the message is received. Where a message appears and the surrounding environment, convey an unspoken "advertising by association" component that colors how the target audience receives the information.
Feed Me Seymour
Social Media Requires Constant Feeding
Like the gold rush of 1849 and the more recent dot com mania, social media is whipping up a wave of irrational exuberance. With the cry of "there's gold in them thar hills" ringing in their ears, many businesses are rushing to add social media to their marketing communications mix, with little or no consideration if it actually makes sense for them and what the cost of sustaining a relevant social media presence will be.
Let's first dispel the notion that anyone with a Facebook page can make money using social media. Just like most forty-niners, who learned the hard way after years of toiling as prospectors, only a few folks get rich. In fact, despite the mushrooming growth of users, the creators of the social media platforms are losing money at an astounding rate.
If the prospect of reaching 350 million people is still buzzing in your brain, before you launch a social media program, you need to address the question of whether or not social media is appropriate for your particular business. And if the answer is yes, which social media should you be using.
When considering your decision, remember, this is a social media, with completely different rules for communicating. To be successful, social media must be an authentic, personal conversation between people who are truly interested in and involved with your company. If your company manufactures specialty metal components for the military, it's probably not a good candidate for social media.
So, if you've decided that your company needs to be LinkedIn, before you jump in, consider how time-consuming maintaining a social media campaign can be. Just like the flesh-eating plant in The Little Shop of Horrors, social media can quickly turn from a cute potted plant into an insatiable carnivore, constantly pleading "feed me Seymour." You will need to carefully plan for the resources and planning which are required to sustain a successful social media effort.
Make no mistake about it. Done well, social media can have a huge impact.
Adding social media should be done gradually to ensure that the company can sustain each added effort before moving on to the next step. Avoid adding too much too quickly and risking burning out before you can realize the long-term impact.
Before starting any social media program, companies should consider creating a social media policy and explaining the guidelines to employees. Social media presents just as many risks as it does opportunities.
Ten Social Media Guidelines
Guidelines for employees who create or contribute to blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds, or any other kind of social media:
1. Be transparent and state which company you work for. If you have a vested interest in what you are discussing, let people know.
2. Never misrepresent yourself or your company.
3. Only post meaningful, respectful comments.
4. Use common sense and common courtesy.
5. Stick to your area of expertise.
6. When disagreeing with others' opinions, keep it appropriate and polite.
7. If you want to write about the competition, make sure you behave diplomatically and have the facts straight.
8. Never comment on anything related to legal matters or litigation that your company may be involved with.
9. Never participate in Social Media when the topic being discussed may be considered a crisis situation.
10. Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and your company's confidential information.
