Why Agencies are Swiping Left on the RFP Process

If you've ever had to search for a PR firm, creative or digital marketing agency, you're familiar with the RFP process. A "Request for Proposal" (RFP) is inevitably a "Recipe for Pain" for both brands and agencies. It becomes a commodity exercise at best and ultimately a waste of time at worst. Issuing a blanket RFP to a wide net of agencies is a superficial way to make such an important decision.

You may be surprised to find more marketing agencies are passing on participating in an RFP. I was recently mentioned in an article in PR Week, "Why PR Agencies are Swiping Left on the RFP Process". I know creative and digital marketing agencies agree. What brands don't realize, is that issuing a blanket RFP and wide net approach turns off talented marketing agencies.

Why? It's time consuming and takes a lot of work for an agency to properly respond to an RFP. Busy agencies with limited resources need to be selective and consider their chances of success. They wonder if the brand is just going through the motions and fishing for ideas; if it's competitive bid fodder, or if there are political motives and relationships involved behind the scenes. From their perspective, why should they consider giving a "proposal" - equivalent to a business marriage - to a potential partner they haven't met?

The RFP process can be a painful for brands, too. Conducting a marketing agency search often becomes a time-intensive process that can interfere with daily business and other pressing responsibilities. Marketers can waste valuable time and drain internal resources - spend weeks or months going through meetings, pitches, proposals, getting bombarded with emails and phone calls from agencies along the way - just to find out at the end of the process that they might just have one solid option out of it!

Yet, everyone has a network and many marketers are confident it holds the answer and the process is as easy as an RFP. The challenge with relying on your Network is that the "net" doesn't always work! An agency that worked well for you in the past, (i.e., at a large CPG) may not be ideally suited for your current situation (i.e., thriving startup) with a smaller budget. If agency relationships or politics are involved, it can be internally awkward to eliminate them.

With right due diligence, many agencies can be eliminated, or better ones identified without wasting everyone's time.

A third-party agency search consultant can objectively steer the process and ensure the right agencies are in the mix, provide a buffer and help ascertain the right fit from a capabilities and budget perspective.

You'll be more productive, get a shortlist of ideally qualified agencies, save valuable time, possibly money and find agencies you didn't even know existed. And when the RFP is finally issued at the right time, you'll get much more enthusiastic and thoughtful responses from the agencies which can help you make a better decision.

When I'm managing an agency search, part of my process is to first vet a brand's pre-identified agencies. I become "Goldilocks": "This agency is too big"; "That agency is too small"; "This one is too expensive"; "That one is too weird and won't fit with the culture; "This one doesn't have the firepower," and so on.

I spend hundreds of hours researching agencies, doing the legwork and spending the time-so clients don't waste theirs. If you need a Goldilocks to find you the "just right" marketing partner, call me. With thousands of agencies under the sun, I can help you find the right one!

Cupid's Pointers for Finding a Marketing Agency Partner

While the client-agency dating game goes on all year round, Valentine's Day is an appropriate occasion to pass along a few quick tips for finding the best marketing partner. No relationship is wine and roses all the time, but you deserve the best and can achieve it if you plan accordingly from the start.

1) Sizing Up Prospective Agencies

Pretty faces don't always mean smarts, and size isn't everything. Huge agencies within holding companies are not necessarily more creative or dedicated. Sure, if you're a global marketer, you may need resources in many countries. If you're not, you might get more love and attention from a smaller agency. Plus, it will be easier to ferret out potential client conflicts, which are not always obvious at the biggest shops.

2) Considering Credentials

If you're not using a search consultant as matchmaker, you'll have to create a shortlist of agency candidates. Consider that agencies you've worked with in the past may not be ideally suited for your current need. Look for right-sized agencies with relevant experience. If possible, stay within a comfortable geographic radius of your HQ. There's nothing like face-to-face business. Conference calls and emails can only achieve so much. If you have the right selection of a few qualified potential partners, you have a greater chance of ending up with an excellent one.

3) First Impressions

As in dating, the first meet-and-greet tells a lot. Does the agency team seem comfortable with each other? Is there a good age mix? How eager are they to learn exactly what your expectations are? Ask them to explain their long-term client relationships and what they have learned along the way. How passionate are they about what they have achieved for other marketers? You want them to be passionate about you. The chemistry and culture fit should feel good.

4) Make Your Expectations Explicit

Honesty is the best policy when it comes to romance and client-agency relationships. Many of the latter start on the best of terms but go off the rails for things having nothing to do with creativity. Many clients don't properly communicate their scope-of-work expectations, or they keep changing them along the way. Do your best to set clear, understandable performance goals and make sure everyone understands the parameters of those goals. Craft an explicit on-boarding process for your potential agency partner so that any differences in communication or interpretation are discovered and remedied quickly.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Article Featured in MediaPost

Article "How to Find an Agency You'll Love" featured in MediaPost's Agency Daily:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/268979/how-to-find-an-agency-youll-love.html

Here's an interesting take from Digiday on what's "In" and "Out" from a media publishing and digital marketing perspective for 2016. Do you agree?

How to Gobble Up Eyeballs

Are your feathers in a ruffle because you’re not getting the website traffic you want or the sales you seek? Is your prospect pipeline as large as it could be?

Consider the end game and where you want to drive those eyeballs. Whether it’s a website, a video or your LinkedIn Profile, it’s still challenging to captivate attention. So, how do you stand out and draw prospects in?

Romance your prospects:

* Pick your territory. Don’t start chasing every turkey; they will run away as fast as possible. Focus and carefully target your best prospects.

* Bait works. Pique their interest, so they come running to you. Whether it’s informative and entertaining content or a compelling offer, hit their hot buttons.

* Be inviting. Make every contact with customers a pleasant experience. Provide real contact information so it’s easy for prospects to connect with you.

* Be non-threatening. Like skittish birds, visitors and prospects can be easily scared away with information overload or aggressive follow-up. Be gently persistent and use a light touch.

Just a little food for thought…

Gobble, Gobble!

Advertising taps into the hearts and minds of consumers

Why are some ad agency's ads more successful than others? Because they tap in the hearts and minds of consumers.

Check out the recent article in U.S. News & World Report's Money Section "7 Tricks Advertisers Use to Make You Spend Money" where Michele Harris sites the top emotional hot buttons.

Best and Worst Super Bowl TV Commercials 2015

What a game! The Seahawks’ risky play caused them to miss their opportunity, and the Patriots prevailed. Usually, the most entertaining aspect of the Super Bowl are the TV commercials. Not this year. The advertisers took bigger risks and blew it too! Surprisingly serious, the TV commercials underwhelmed and were not well-received overall.

Which advertisers made the most notable plays? I think it’s important to look at the TV commercial’s branding power, longevity, and multi-purpose potential, along with its propensity to drive sales. Who stumbled? Who scored? Here’s my take:

Fumble!

Nationwide “Make Safe Happen”: In their effort to shock and spark a conversation about safety, the spot showed a cute little boy talking about all the great things that he would never be able to do in his life because he died. Did they have to kill a child? Ouch.

Jublia “Tackle Toe Fungus”: Spot features a happy, animated toe in a helmet, and illustrates how Jublia fights toe fungus. The juvenile approach and low production quality did not create consumer confidence in the brand. What the fungus?! Not ready for prime time.

Fiat "Little Blue Pill”: The commercial shows a man about to pop a little blue pill in preparation for sex. The pill slips and lands in a car, which gets “revved up”, instead. The entertaining spot would make more sense for Viagra. Did anyone recall the brand was Fiat? I doubt it will motivate anyone to buy one. Lame!

Nissan “With Dad”: Commercial shows scenes of a busy Dad away from his family, making them sad; Cat Stevens plays in the background. Father and Son bond in the end. What does it have to Nissan? Nobody had a good time, then…

Nice play!

Snickers “The Brady Bunch”: The commercial remixes a scene from the Brady Bunch, casting Danny Trejo as Marcia and Steve Buscemi as Jan, as part of Snickers campaign in which people are “not themselves” when hungry. While the spot was funny and nostalgic, will anyone recall Snickers? Or just remember the Brady Brunch. Yes, “Snickers Satisfies.” And it did!

BMW i3 “Newfangled Idea”: Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric are featured in a 1994 TV moment during which they were trying to understand “the internet”. Now riding in the i3 electric car, they are again mystified by modern technology. The spot showed how the BMW i3 is technically revolutionary. Featuring Katie as a reporter was the best use of a celebrity I’ve seen in a while.

McDonalds “Pay with Lovin”: The spot illustrates the chain’s new promotion that randomly selects people to pay with lovin’. Sharing love with their customers through Valentine’s Day by giving away free meals while creating acts of love and kindness is a very well-branded promotion. “Give Lovin, Get Loving” has mass appeal and is bound to draw foot traffic. I’m lovin’ it!

Microsoft “Estella’s Brilliant Bus”: Estella Pyfrom brings technology access to kids. Her Brilliant Bus is a mobile learning station that gives under-served communities access to the technology that will help them reach their potential. Good storytelling, the spot shows how the company uses technology to make the world a better place. It’s a great play for Microsoft.

Touchdown!

Squarespace "Om – DreamingWithJeff.com”: Commercial features Jeff Bridges with a Tibetian singing bowl, chanting “Om” as a couple sleeps. The spot drives viewers to the website, DreamingWithJeff.com, dedicated to Bridges' charity album, Sleeping Tapes. The simplicity of the spot shows how easy it is to create a website with Squarespace. Support a good cause (No Kid Hungry), and sleep better with Jeff. Score!

Unilever Dove Men+Care “Real Strength”: Spot features children from babies to adults calling out “Dad”, and embraces how rewarding it can be to be a Father. The spot’s heart-warming moments and positive messaging reinforced the brand’s goal of challenging male stereotypes. Great branding and pays off their tagline, “Care makes a man Stronger”.

P&G Always “Like a Girl': Powerful commercial shows how the company is striving to transform the meaning of the phrase “like a girl” from an insult to an inspiration. The brilliant spot is part of Always’ campaign to elevate confidence in adolescent girls. “Let’s make it mean amazing things.” I’ll remember that spot. Always.

An expensive investment, Super Bowl advertisers spent a hefty $4.5M for a: 30 spot and whopping $8M for a: 60 spot, plus the cost of producing the commercial (which can easily run over $1M). Given that there is no guarantee the commercial will have a positive impact on sales, the stakes couldn’t be higher. While the sticker shock may scare away advertisers, it does make sense for some brands. One of the largest TV events of the year; there is no other venue that guarantees over 110 million people will watch your spot and talk about it—endlessly! The extensive PR value generated through the repeated coverage and “replay” across hundreds of television and radio stations, newspapers, blogs, YouTube and social media outlets can easily pay for itself, and then some…

Timing is everything. I believe that many commercials that were very good did not resonate with viewers because stories about life’s challenges can feel like a buzz-kill when you are in a festive environment, like a Super Bowl party. Effective advertising requires the magical combination of Right message +Right Audience + Right Time. To effectively stimulate brand engagement, find the right equation of creative and media and you’ll score.

The Five Big “B’s” of Budget Brainstorming

Around this time of year, I find many CEOs and marketers grappling with just how much they have to spend to achieve their business goals.

Some experts suggest a marketing budget should be 5%-20% of revenue. However, there's no way this can apply equally to unknown startups and behemoths like Apple or Coke-and all companies in between. So more relevant guidance is required.

Here's what I have found to be the five Big Bs of budget development, setting aside one-size-fits-all spending metrics:

* Business Objectives - Are your goals to build awareness and attract new customers? Retain and upsell current and past customers? Or drive leads, conversion and sales? The costs of a branding and buzz campaign can differ greatly from a direct response campaign.

* Buyers - Who is your target audience and best prospects? Where are they going, who are they listening to, what are they buying, reading and watching? How do they make purchase decisions? Market research may be needed.

* Brand Awareness - Are you engaging with current customers, familiar with your product/service, or building awareness with a new audience from scratch? Whether your business has high or low brand awareness will affect your marketing strategy.

* Brains/Bodies - The best plans will fall short if not executed well. Who will be managing the marketing program? Today's programs may require skills in creative, digital technology, media buying, direct response, public relations, metrics and analysis. Does your organization have the in-house expertise? Hiring salaried specialists can be expensive. It may be more cost effective to hire a marketing agency.

* Blueprint - Once the business situation and questions are addressed, the marketing plan can be developed. Tactics will range from Branding, Public Relations, Paid Advertising, (digital PPC, print, radio, television, outdoor), Email Marketing, Social Media, SEO, Direct mail, Telemarketing, Events, Webinars and Trade Shows. Each medium will have minimum of expenditures that are necessary to test or generate an impact. Once business resources and available funds are considered, the budgeting process unfolds.

Marketing programs and budgets will vary, based on the type of business and campaign. A consumer products company may invest in print, radio and television advertising and point-of-sale displays, while a b2b services company might be better served focusing its resources on trade shows and direct marketing.

So rather than asking how much to spend, the better questions are how and where to invest. Then you can develop a strategic, cost-effective approach to achieve your business goals. Ultimately, marketing's purpose is to build sales. Test and test until you find the formula for success.

Need some help? Call me and I'll help you develop a Smarti Solution.

The Oscar for best marketing goes to...

The TV broadcast of the 86th Academy Awards was a great opportunity for brands. Beyond advertising, many brands took the opportunity to build buzz, generate exposure and connect with consumers through social media and experiential events.

Host Ellen DeGeneres’ selfie with the Samsung Galaxy Note (which included stars Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Meryl Steep and Bradley Cooper) won "Best Picture” among marketers. Samsung was mentioned 40,000 times across social media outlets. Even though DeGeneres did not mention the brand in her tweet (which was retweeted 1.3 million times), Samsung scored a peak rate of 900 online mentions per minute, which crashed Twitter's server. The tweet broke a record for retweets previously set by President Obama on the night of his reelection in 2012. The stunt chimed well with Samsung's "You Need to See This" commercial that aired during the Awards.

There was lot of live action around the Oscars. Several brands leveraged experiential events to connect with influencers and consumers in tangible ways.

Vanity Fair (part of Condé Nast) invited more than 120 influential bloggers and online reporters to use branded work spaces on Hollywood Boulevard outfitted with amenities; merchandise was given away in exchange for sponsored posts. The Vanity Fair Social Club’s Campaign Hollywood also involved an Oscar night party and special magazine issues.

People Magazine V.I.P. subscribers sweepstakes promotion brought 300 readers and their 300 guests to take part in an Oscar Fan Experience that included seats in the bleachers on the red carpet and a viewing party on Hollywood Boulevard.

And what about the advertisers that shelled out @ $1.8 million and $1.9 million for a thirty-second spot? According to a BrandAds study, American Express was the most effective of all brands advertising during the Awards show, based on a 61.74% increase in the likelihood that consumers would purchase one of its products after seeing the ad. Sprint, Lunesta and Cadillac followed closely behind with 50.67% and 48.35% 47.22%; increases respectively. As for Samsung, the increase in likelihood to purchase after seeing the Oscars rose only 12.35%.

How do you measure success? Likelihood to purchase? Or the buzz meter?

Brand awareness and buzz often generate greater results and greater impact over time.

Share your thoughts!

Bowled Over?

For some, Super Bowl Sunday is a day to hang out with friends, fill up on chips and salsa, and trash-talk whatever team your buddies are rooting for with a bit of friendly banter. However, there is much more going on to the Super Bowl than just what’s happening on the field. For marketers, Super Bowl Sunday is a key time to show off unforgettable ads that will go viral and be talked about throughout the country after the big game.

This year’s Super Bowl telecast of the Seattle Seahawks' victory over the Denver Broncos was the most-watched television event in U.S. history, drawing 111.5 million viewers on Sunday night. At $4M for a :30 second spot plus production costs (which can go up a $1M), there are heavy expectations and the stakes are high.

How do you build your brand and create buzz outside of television on the big day? Market guerilla-style. Doritos scored big with its guerrilla-marketing stunt, which consisted of 50 fans, dressed in orange jackets at the Super Bowl, staged to look like one large human Doritos chip. These prime seats weren't given away; unsuspecting New Yorkers were asked to do something "bold," like get a hug from a hippie, a haircut from a bad barber or help a sensual senior citizen create an online dating profile. Those “bold” enough to take on the challenge were rewarded and blown-away with big game tickets. Brilliant! Check out a making of the chip.

Collectively, the Superbowl commercials were not that exciting. Pressed to create buzz, more than half the Superbowl ads were released on YouTube the week before the big game, which trumped much of the hype. Overall, the vibe was definitely more “feel-good” and optimistic, which is a welcome tone to set for the year.

With a captive audience and an incredible opportunity, it’s a shame that most Super Bowl ads focus on outlandish antics and rarely promote the actual company or product they are selling. This often in results in funny ads that may be very entertaining, yet have absolutely no brand recall, which is ultimately a waste.

Here are my take on some of the best and the worst Superbowl ads:

EXCELLENT

Volkswagen, "Wings": Dad’s VW Passat odometer passes 100,000 miles and he tells his daughter that every time a VW hits that mileage mark, a German engineer gets his wings. This hysterical remarks on the durability, longevity and superior engineering of its cars in an entertaining way and effectively points out that it has more vehicles on the road with that mileage milestone than any other brand. Awesome.

Radio Shack, “The Phone Call": "The 80s called. They want their stuff back." RadioShack pokes fun at itself in this self-deprecating spot. Throwback eighties icons including Twisted Sister, Erik Estrada, Hulk Hogan and Chuckie, reclaim their outdated merchandise to make room for new products. Nostalgia works. Fabulous, attention-getting launch-pad for the brand as it updates its image and its stores.

Microsoft, “Empowering": Narrated by Former NFL player Steve Gleason who has Lou Gehrig's disease and uses technology to overcome his disability and communicate with his son, this beautiful and inspirational spot focuses on how people rely on technological innovations in their lives and how it helps the greater good. Emotional and empowering, great new direction from Microsoft.

Hyundai, "Dad's Sixth Sense": Dad uses his intuition and reflexes to repeatedly save his son from mishaps and near-death experiences. "Remember when only dad could save the day?" When the kid starts driving and gets distracted by a girl, the Hyundai Genesis automatic emergency braking system takes over and protects him from a potential accident. "Count on Me" song in background. Fab spot targeting parents.

GOOD

Budweiser, "Puppy Love": A Lab puppy falls in love with a Clydesdale. When the puppy is sold, the horse runs after him and the “best buds” are reunited. Not the most original concept and no mention of beer, but yes, the puppy was darn cute and the spot was memorable and pulled at everyone’s heartstrings. I do like how they hit it home with “Best Buds”.

Jaguar “British Villains’ Rendezvous": Spot positions the F-Type Coupe it as the “sexy bad boy” car. Star power celebs, Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong play Bond-like villains and describe themselves and the attributes of the new F-Type Jaguar. "We're more focused. More Precise. Always one step ahead. With a certain style, an eye for detail and obsession with power." Fun spot is on-message and sells the car.

Sonos, “FaceOff”: The speaker company created a breathtaking spot. Making sound visible by color was very effective. It made me want that sound system.

Kia, "The Truth": Known for entry-level vehicles, Kia wants to change consumer perception and introduce a luxury car, the K900. The spot features Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, from "The Matrix", who offers a couple a choice of two keys, if they choose wisely, they will never look at luxury—or Kia—the same way again. The challenge is that it’s big stretch to associate Kia with luxury. But it’s fun introduction and got people’s attention.

Wonderful Pistachios “Stephen Colbert”: Spot features Stephen Colbert in character, promoting pistachios. Special effects transform Colbert’s head into a cracked open pistachio. Brands rarely use celebrities well, and I they actually did a good job here. It feels like something Colbert would actually do on his show.

Beats, "The Right Music": Ellen DeGeneres stars as a modern-day Goldilocks in search of just the right playlist to fit her mood and location, which she finds with the Beats app, a streaming music service available through AT&T. It communicates the product benefits in a fun way. Notably, after debuting the ad, Ellen gave everyone in her studio audience an LG one so they could try it.

GoDaddy, "Body Builder": Stampede of body builders –including spokeswoman Danica Patrick—races down a street to a spray tan salon found online. When the owner sees group storm her store, she whips out her spray gun, "It's go time.” Great line. Spots elevates the brand’s previously sleazy image and shows it’s starting to mature and take business seriously. Well, sort of...

Heinz Ketchup, "Hum": This spot observes people at various occasions hum the song, "If you're happy and you know it," as they hit the bottom of their ketchup bottles. It concludes with an empty-bottle flatulence joke, giggles around Grandma and closes, “Where there’s happy, it has to be Heinz”. It’s a very family-friendly, feel-good commercial and the brand's first Super Bowl ad in 16 years.

Doritos, “Time Machine": This home-made spot features a kid landing an adult’s Doritos by tricking him into believing he’s entered a time machine. This funny ad was the winner of Dorito’s annual Super Bowl commercial contest and was made in 8 hours for $200. Seriously. This spot proves crowdsourced commercials can be just as good as the big budget ones.

T-Mobile, "No Contract, No Worries": Ad exploits Tim Tebow’s inability to get an NFL contract and promotes T-Mobile’s “no contract” message. "Contracts are limiting," says Tebow. It highlights the advantages of his life and all he has been able to accomplish (like delivering a baby, tackling Bigfoot). Great product information by T-Mobile and good humility on Tebow’s part. But non-football fans may have missed the joke.

Cheerios, “Gracie”: Cute commercial brings back the interracial family. The father uses Cheerios to tell his daughter a baby brother is on the way, and she bargains for a puppy. Sweet, touching moment around breakfast. I preferred the other commercial (where she learned the Cheerios were good for your heart and poured them on his chest when he was sleeping.) But kudos for bringing back the family and keeping it adorable.

Bud Light, "Epic Night": Over the top, bud light commercial using a regular guy off the street and what happens to him on a crazy night involving models, limos, llamas and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The perfect beer for whatever happens. It’s outlandish. But likeable.

BAD- What Were they Thinking?

Audi, “Doberhuahua”: The all-new Audi A3 is "designed without compromise." Because compromising can lead to a freaky Doberman and a Chihuahua hybrid dog-monster. Not even ASPCA spokeswoman, Sarah McLachlan can stand it. Ridiculous. How does that sell Audi? Why did you do it, Sarah? Why!? (I hope they made a big donation.)

Chobani,"Bear": A bear ransacks and destroys a store but wants to pay for his yogurt. “A cup of yogurt won't change the world, but how we make it, might." Huh? Their message is completely lost. The absurd spot and makes no point. C’mon guys. You can do better than that!

Dannon Oikos, “The Spill”: Full House star John Stamos stars as the sexy hunk who spills yogurt on himself in the hopes his female companion will lick it off. Full House” roommates Bob Saget and Dave Coulier spoil the day. Fellatio allusions with a family show cast with. Really? It may drive reruns of Full House...

SodaStream, "Sorry Coke and Pepsi": My, how we have evolved as a culture: The myopic mindset is that all that’s needed to make a winning spot is to have a gorgeous celebrity suck on a straw, disrobe and strut and look sexy. So contrived! What a waste of Scarlet Johansson.

Carmax, "Slow Clap": In this spot our hero is applauded by Sean Astin, star of the sports cliché movie, "Rudy." Most people will likely have missed this reference and the joke. Will this make anyone think of Carmax when they need a car?

Squarespace, "A Better Web Awaits": Spot for this web design firm highlights what’s wrong with the web. But it doesn’t tell you what Squarespace is or why you need it.

Bud Light, "Cool Twist": The entire spot is beauty shots of the bottle with the package redesign and new twist-off cap. What a waste of money; it would have been better spent in-store at the point of purchase.

Axe, "Make Love, Not War": Spot features North Korean and Iranian dictators, Russian soldiers and U.S. soldiers in Vietnam who would rather make love and not war. Over-the-top even for Axe, known for its cheesy spots that at least sell the product better than this one.

Maserati, "Strike": Quvenzhane Wallis, star of Beasts of the Southern Wild delivers a monologue against catastrophic visuals. “We have prepared. Now we strike,” Perhaps this spot centered could work for American Red Cross, The World Health Organization or a beneficial charity that helps children or the needy. But to use the disconnected themes of Beasts to sell a high-end Italian luxury car? What a miss-step.

For your handy reference, creative referenced above can also be seen in one place at Smarti's new Pinterest page.

What do you think? Weigh in!

Seven Marketing Trends You Can Expect to See in 2014

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to look forward to the opportunities and challenges that the marketing industry will face in the coming months. I don’t have to go too far out on a limb or gaze into a crystal ball to tell marketing pros to expect more of the same – on steroids in 2014. We continue to see dramatic innovations so it’s an excellent time to demonstrate your marketing magic.

Looking to find out more about the trends that will define marketing in 2014? As your guide, let me share my seven predictions for what’s on the horizon.

1. Super Storytelling. The media may change but the story still needs to be compelling, informative, entertaining and now increasingly visual. Brands will look for new ways of capitalizing on the power of storytelling to better reach their audiences. Creativity now can come from anywhere on the content spectrum, from bite-sized images and micro-video clips to ultra-long-form, “cinematic” storytelling. Creatives will be pressed to develop the next "Big Idea" that will give their message legs across multiple channels. The mandate for agencies is clear: find creative ways to tell stories that will engage customers throughout the marketplace.

2. Real-time Marketing. Be ready to expect unexpected opportunities for responsive, simple, and unconventional ways to get people talking about your brand. Last year, Oreo became the best example of “real-time marketing” with its Super Bowl “Dunk in the Dark” tweet. This year, we’ve already seen examples from Omaha Chamber of Commerce, who used timely tweets to take advantage of Peyton Manning’s “Omaha!” audibles during the NFL playoffs, and from L’Oreal, who offered “get the look” animations based on hairstyles seen at the Golden Globes. These timely messages at big events help brands get a lot of attention for a relatively small price. Expect to see these types of marketing stunts continue throughout 2014.

3. Social Media Amplification. While social media used to be perceived as "free" publicity, now you have to “pay-to-play”. Brands will increase their social media budgets as they are finding it to be less “social” and more “media”. Young brands that lack recognition will leverage the social equity and networks of industry influencers and celebrities to give themselves a quick leg up. Expect more to see more “sponsored” or “boosted” posts where a small investment can yield significant exposure. Brands will also start to take advantage of a wider variety of social media opportunities, adding Google+, Pinterest and Instagram to old standbys like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. As Google+ continues to integrate social media content into its ranking algorithms and businesses realize its SEO power, the sleeping giant will become more popular.

4. Content Marketing Management: If 2013 was the year content marketing exploded, 2014 will be the year we figure out exactly what that explosion means. Marketers will continue to churn out white papers, articles, videos, webinars, and ebooks, but now there will also be added focus placed on content marketing management solutions: measuring and analyzing how effective content marketing efforts really are. Expect to see a combination of well-known vendors and a flurry of new players competing to fill the void. Advertising agencies and PR firms that set the pace will add “Content Marketing Experts” to their available services. Throw in new competitors – SaaS (service as a software) companies and you have a whole new battleground.

5. Mobile Marketing Magnified. With mobile usage skyrocketing, this will be the year we see mobile marketing go from “would be nice to have” to “absolutely must have. Mobile users are predicted to surpass desktop users in 2014, so brands that aren’t investing in responsive web design (coding websites and emails so they look great across a range of devices) are missing out on an important opportunity. We’ll see mobile app development become a standard part of a brand’s digital marketing strategy. Expect mobile advertising to increase, while in-app advertising will become the next big thing in media buying.

6. Big Data Personalization. Big data offers marketers the ability to target customers like never before, so expect to see more brands undertaking hyper-targeted campaigns. Direct marketers can wow customers with personalized campaigns – more than just merging a name into a form letter. With the level of insight offered by big data, there’s really no longer an excuse for marketers not to target the right person at the right time with the right message. Potential customers expect to receive messages that are relevant to their interests. Brands that aren’t taking advantage of big data to help them provide these relevant messages will likely be ignored.

7. Everything old is new again. Since we’re even more electronically connected, we also appreciate “analog-style” ways of communicating, like a handwritten note, which can be seen as genuine or sincere even when compared to a personalized email. The return of the smartphone stylus proves that there are still people out there who enjoy having the option to jot down notes the old-fashioned way. (Personally, the Samsung Galaxy Note III is my new best friend.) Though we’ve embraced high technology, someone who encourages you to take a low-tech break, even with a thank-you card, will get your attention.

Let me know what you think about my predictions for 2014, and feel free to share any of your own!

Budgeting and Planning for 2014

Around this time every year, marketing executives start revisiting their plans and budgets. The thing that makes 2014 different from any other new year planning cycle is the fact that there are more media options available today than ever before, making it difficult for marketers to know where they should be focusing their time and resources in order to maximize their effectiveness. Here’s what marketers need to do to budget and plan effectively in today’s business environment.

How much should I budget?
Marketers everywhere are searching for a hard and fast rule for determining how much they should budget for marketing. I recently spoke with a CMO from a small company that does a couple of million dollars in annual sales. He’d heard about a rule of thumb that said marketing budgets should equal about 10 to 15 percent of annual sales. These numbers can provide a good starting point for CMOs like the one in this example, but the truth is that each CMO must decide their annual marketing budget based on what’s most important for their business.

I’ve worked with well-known, multibillion-dollar companies that spend next to nothing on marketing. On the other hand, I’ve worked with startups that spend big-time money on marketing, in spite of the fact that they have limited capital and no sales numbers to speak of. These two companies have completely different marketing objectives: startups often need to spend a much higher percentage of their funds on marketing, because they have no brand recognition. More established companies can often rely on a built-in audience of their existing customers who don’t have to be re-targeted every time a new product or service comes out. It makes sense that the two companies in this example would throw the 10 to 15 percent rule out the window.

Know your potential buyers
Defining your audience also plays an important role in determining how much you’ll need to spend in the upcoming year. For instance, if you were trying to launch a new consumer product, your target audience would be anyone with the disposable income to buy your product. You might try to reach this audience using TV infomercials. They can meet your goal of putting your product name into households across the country, but they also don’t come cheap, so you would have to budget accordingly.

However, if you worked for a niche B2B technology services company, your target audience would be much smaller: a handful of analysts and key influencers. Reaching that audience may be as simple as targeting a few trade publications and bloggers. You could probably get away with budgeting a lot less than a company that needs a mass media consumer campaign.

Define your objectives with the 5 Ws
We’ve established the fact that understanding your company’s objectives is important to setting a marketing budget, but what can CMOs do to help define those objectives? I recommend they start by asking themselves the 5 Ws:
• What are we selling? Is it a well-known product or service, or will we be building brand recognition from scratch?
• Who are we targeting? Who are the potential buyers for our product or service? Are they already familiar with our company?
• Where can we reach our target audience? What types of media do they consume? How do they make purchase decisions?
• Why will our marketing plan work? Do we have market research or historical data we can draw from to prove that our ideas will be effective?
• When do we need to launch our marketing plan? Is our offering seasonal, or tied to a major event?

These are just a handful of the questions CMOs can take into consideration in order to build the most cost-effective marketing plan possible. Planning and budgeting for marketing isn’t easy, but it’s important that you get your strategy right before you start working with an outside advertising agency, public relations firm or any type of marketing company. Marketing experts are also available if you feel like you still need some extra help setting your budget and figuring it out.

Best Ads and Videos of 2013

Brands and their advertising agencies are pressed to create content that resonates and will be the next hit. Here are a few of top ads (video/broadcast) that were loved shared around the world. While there were arguably many great ads in 2013, these are a few of my favorites. Why? Because they connected with their core target audience and underscored their brand promise. Kudos to the creatives!

1) Dove “Real Beauty Sketches”- Inspiring social experiment shows how insecure and highly critical women are of themselves, and how other people don’t see what they see. It reinforces Dove’s message about the real meaning of beauty and commitment to helping women build positive self-esteem.

2) Volvo Trucks “The Epic Split feat. Van Damme (Live Test 6)” - B2B long-haul trucking campaign spot shows Jean-Claude Van Damme carry out his famous split between two reversing trucks which showcases the precision and directional stability of Volvo’s dynamic steering. Filmed in one take, it got 60M views in less than a month.

3) WestJet "Christmas Miracle": In the true spirit of the holidays, Canadian airline WestJet surprised and delighted 250 passengers by asking them what they wanted for Christmas and then giving them those presents when they landed. The magical, heartwarming event was gift-wrapped in a very creative video, which topped 13 million views in just a few days and has been seen in more than 200 countries. With no money spent on advertising, it was a marketer’s dream come true.

4) Google “Reunion” - A granddaughter uses Google’s technology to reunite her grandfather in India with a childhood friend in Pakistan he hadn’t seen since the Partition. Inspired by stories of reunions around the world facilitated by Google. It’s beautiful storytelling and effectively shows the power of Google products.

5) Pantene “Shine Strong” - Powerful spot shows how the same behavior in women and men is interpreted as a double standard in the workplace (i.e., “Boss vs Bossy, Persuasive vs Pushy, etc.”) It ties Pantene’s brand and the message of women empowerment with the brilliant tagline “Shine Strong”.

6) Guinness “Wheelchair Basketball" - Guinness delivers a powerful and emotional spot with a twist ending delivers. The voiceover is perfect: "Dedication. Loyalty. Friendship. The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character." The spot brilliantly pays off the brand’s character and tagline, "Made of more”.

7) Poo Pourri "Girls Don't Poop" - Entertaining spot for a toilet spray that eliminates odors. A beautiful sophisticated woman sits on a potty and discusses the consequences of pooping and powers of Poo Pourri. They made a subject no one wants to talk about the center of attention.

8) Apple “Misunderstood” - In an emotional and heart-warming spot, a teenage boy surprises his family with a the best present of all: a video compilation of happy family memories, effectively illustrating the power of what you can create with Apple.

9) Joe Boxer / Kmart “Show your Joe” - Riske spot of men in their underwear, swinging their torsos to the chimes of Jingle Bells (or more aptly named “Jingle Balls”) The criticism, controversy and buzz may help or hurt Kmart. But it’s male target will likely be entertained. It brands “Joe” well. (Maybe a little too well!)

10) AT&T “It's not complicated" - “More” - The “It’s not complicated” campaign is brilliant and highly entertaining. It highlights their product network benefits, while making the point that it’s very simple. Even a kindergarteners know more is better.

It's very challenging to make creative ads that are entertaining and still deliver on the brand message. Congratulations to the brands and agencies involved. Hopefully the work had a measurable impact on their business objectives. Looking forward to seeing great creative next year!

The Super Bowl of Marketing Wasn't So Super

Watching the Super Bowl on TV can actually be better than being there at the stadium. You get analysis, instant replays, and a play clock right in front of you. You also get the chance to use the restroom during commercial breaks without having to stand in line. But who wants to leave while the most anticipated ads of the year are on?

With the Super Bowl quite often being the most watched television broadcast of the year (yesterday's attracted 164 million viewers), it's no wonder that advertisers were willing to shell out $4 million for a 30 second spot on top of the cost of producing the ad itself.

Brands and advertising agencies spend months and millions to creating memorable, entertaining spots to increase brand awareness, drive buzz and ultimately boost sales. Given that it's become the Super Bowl of marketing, it was disappointing that this year ads were mediocre at best. Many were likely forgotten as soon as the game resumed.

I think the majority of the ads missed the boat. Some were interesting and some were weird. The celebrities were either misused or not well utilized. Only a few were memorable. The majority of the ads will have bad brand-recall.

Here are a handful of spots I found noteworthy:

GoDaddy, "YourBigIdea.com" Concept: Everyone sits around and talks about big ideas, but whoever gets the website addresses and executes first, wins. This is a departure from the company's usual tacky, low-brow ads. Cognizant of negative perception, this may be an attempt at re-branding targeting a more sophisticated clientele.

Audi, "Prom" Concept: Nerdy kid borrows his Dad’s Audi and gets nerve to kiss his dream girl, which leads to a black eye and total happiness. Since all car ads tend to be similar, this showed a “brave”, bold and ownable positioning for Audi.

Budweiser Black Crown: "Coronation" Concept: With no low-end guys on the couch, Budweiser is marketing a refined beer for a more sophisticated crowd. It clearly carved out a new “smooth and distinctive” positioning and higher end image for new beer.

Hyundai almost scored, but fumbled on the goal line:

Hyundai, "Team" Concept: Bullied kid recruits a tough team to play football. I thought it was super cute and fun, but I didn't see the payoff for Hyundai. What’s the point? I get "teamwork" for the Super Bowl, but is it ownable for Hyundai? Will anyone remember this was a Hyundai commercial?

Then there were the ads that were just "wrong:"

GoDaddy, "Sexy Meets Smart" Concept: Model kisses unattractive geek to show the company is both sexy and smart. I felt uncomfortable and a little grossed out. There was nothing sexy and it certainly did not feel smart. Failure on both counts.

Oreo, "Cream or Cookie" Concept: A debate about whether the cookie or cream part of the oreo is superior turns into a violent ruckus in the library, while everyone oddly keeps whispering. Violence? It’s a happy cookie! It’s a rip off the old Tastes Great/Less Filling Beer commercial, but not nearly as well done. If it was done ad nauseum decades ago, why do it again?

On the other hand, the real marketing highlight came by way of Oreo's social media savvy. When the power went out, Oreo tweeted "Power out? No problem," along with an image of an ad showing an Oreo and the line, "You can still dunk in the dark." The tweet caught fire and, the last time I looked, had been retweeted more than 15,000 times and with the same image on Facebook getting more than 20,000 likes. That means that the most powerful bit of marketing during the advertising industry's most expensive day may have been free.

By virtue of appearing during the Super Bowl, these ads will receive attention from the media and blogs generating more views and exposure worth millions. That's great, but after the viewing, does anyone remember the brand? What is the brand's real return on investment?

Did it make a positive change in a potential customer’s perception? Did it lead to sales? These questions matter. Ads can be really fun, interesting or smart, but, it your target is unable to remember the brand name, it's a failure in my book.

Television has its place as a tool in a marketer’s arsenal, but for $4-5M for 30 seconds, it better blow me (and, more importantly, the target customer) away. For that budget, you can have an amazing, integrated PR program, strong digital advertising campaign and still a broadcast advertising throughout the year and beyond. Just sayin..

This year’s 34-31 Ravens win over the 49ers demonstrated what happens when things come together. The Ravens were not favored to win. But they were aggressive, gave it their best shot and made the Niners play catch-up for pretty much the entire game. Most of the marketers exemplified the opposite.

On and off the field, players have just one shot to it right when the stakes are high.

Next Year. Go Jets!

Buying media influence: Swayed by Swag

Giveaways. Promotional gifts. Swag.

Whatever we or they call them, we understand them as marketers' tools. The stuffed likeness of a corporate mascot creates a playful connection and sits on an office shelf reinforcing its brand. Dinner creates a debt of hospitality to be repaid by access.

Trivial and inconsequential gifts to whomever controls the money have always been part of the game, but the stakes have grown larger and so have the gifts.

Microsoft raffled off Xbox 360 consoles to advertising executives. Social media vendor Izea rewarded media purchases with "free" Apple products. $5,000 got you an iPad, $7,000 an iMac and $10,000 a MacBook Pro. But all those are trivial compared to AOL's raffle and its prize of a brand new Ford Mustang valued at over $30,000.

A T-shirt, a coffee mug, a handful of bills. When does gift become graft?

As consumers, we understand how the game works. Responsible for only ourselves, we play the game to advantage exchanging brand loyalty for discounts, rebates and gifts. It's trade, a market deal. But in our professional lives, we have a responsibility to others and our reputation rests on the best deal we make for our clients, not ourselves.

If agencies or buyers are influenced by gifts, flattered by special treatment or rewarded by rebates are they really doing the best for their clients? What do the clients receive? Does their client get the best, most effective media plan? Does the client get a reduction on the cost of their purchase?

The more experienced may smile a little at the thought of being influenced by a cheap toy or disgusted by outright attempts to be bought with larger prizes, but what about the newcomers to the game? It's hard to imagine them being wholly indifferent to the attention showered upon them. I think it's up to the seasoned buyers to guide less experienced colleagues.

Some media agencies already have policies regarding gifts, but I think more agencies need to establish and publish clear guidelines. Clients deserve to know up-front that the money they spend isn't being traded for personal favors, but being used to promote their business.

Will agency policies bring an end to swag? No, but it might help limit its sway.

The Secret Is B2P - Business To People

Business to business marketers have finally stumbled onto the secret. But, it was never a secret. The best of marketers have always known it. You can't market to a business. Businesses don't feel. They can't be swayed. But that doesn't matter, because businesses don't buy products or services, people do.

Marketing executives are inundated round-the-clock with a flood of calls, texts and tweets attempting to get their attention. That's understandable when we consider the disintegration of the boundary between work and personal life caused by instant and constant communications. But, what I think we have to recognize is that while technology affords us more chances to deliver our message, it creates problems as the overwhelmed businessman ignores that message or actively blocks it.

We can't rely on generic messages created for generic customers. The message has to become more personal. We have to develop an insight into the specific concerns and ambitions of individuals within organizations and affirmatively address them.

To make our message stand out, I think we have to recognize that all the best practices still apply. The best marketing campaigns are firmly based on striking the emotional chord. They directly aim for and hit the hot button within the target's psyche. We have to understand the key people in a business and creatively craft a marketing campaign that engages them on a deep, emotional level. If we do that, we stop being background noise.

There is no business to business marketing because without the people who direct them, businesses don't exist. We must not market to businesses, but to people who do business. We must not connect to an abstraction, but personally to the individuals who run them. It's never been B2B. It's always been B2P - business to people.

Super Bowl Advertising

The Super Bowl is the mecca of the advertising industry. It’s the only time general consumers look forward to watching ads. It’s pricey; this year brands are spending approximately $3.5 million for each 30 second spot.

This year, instead of thriving on suspense and anticipation, Super Bowl advertisers on advertisers are getting more mileage for their money by pre-releasing the spots. More than half of the 50+ commercials scheduled to appear are already on line on YouTube, Facebook and the advertiser’s websites. Advertisers such as MetLife, Volkswagen and American Honda Motor have created teasers ads and longer versions with expanded content in an effort to generate excitement, conversation and buzz.

Notably, it’s the first time the Super Bowl is being presented online.

Happy Watching. Go Giants!!

Branding on the rise in online advertising

Branding is back and may play more of a role in online advertising than in recent years. Online advertising industry has been dominated by direct response advertising and search engine marketing for the last several years. Are we in store for big changes this year?

Digiday recently issued a new report that found marketers will spend some 60% of their online budgets on brand ads this year, potentially more than direct-response ads for the first time in many years. Some analysts project a shift in growth prospects from search and other direct-response ads to branding or image ads.

Report highlights:
* 60% of marketers said they will move budgets from direct response to brand advertising
* 64% of marketers say they’ll increase online brand advertising budgets in 2012–(22% by more than 20%)
* 56% of marketers plan to increase online direct response advertising budgets (only 15% will do so by more than 20%)

Growth projections by brands for various ad channels

According to the survey, for brand advertisers to make that happen, the majority 68% said they need to see said, “Improved clarity around the actual return on brand advertising investment.”(Note, if you download the sponsored survey, you may get lots of solicitation emails.)

Marketers, direct response marketing is important to generate leads and sales. But, remember that its effective branding that differentiates and influences the sale.

Search Outsourced

According to SEMPO's “2011 State of Search Marketing Report," released April 13, more brands are outsourcing portions of their search marketing budget in 2011.

More than four in 10 companies (44%) conduct their SEO entirely in-house, compared with 51% last year. Thirty-eight percent conduct their paid search in-house, compared with 47% in 2010, according to the survey of more than 900 companies conducted by Econsultancy.

This reverse makes sense in the world of agency selection. Professional, top level SEM agencies can offer best practices, insights and the latest technologies and media expertise that are really tough to manage and maintain in-house.

LinkedIn Ads

Marketing is getting more personal. After two years of beta testing, LinkedIn officially launched their PPC advertising service last week. Formerly known as DirectAds, the platform offered the ability to target age, gender, geography and job function. Now rebranded as LinkedIn Ads, the text-advertising service expands targeting options to include job title, LinkedIn groups and actual companies. There are over 10,000 available titles to choose from, and marketers can target up to 100 titles in a campaign.

So now, LinkedIn provides the opportunity to target specific people at specific companies. That’s really getting personal. Kinda neat and scary. Apparently the ad service uses only non-personally identifiable information, and if a campaign has too restricted an audience, LinkedIn won't allow it to run. But the parameters are fuzzy and not well-defined.

I bet this is going to create quite a bit of commotion. From an advertiser’s perspective, it’s a dream. That is, if users see the ads at all. Did you notice them? I didn't.

The professional network with an impressive reach: 90 million members worldwide, 32 million in the U.S., 7.9 million business decision makers and 4.2 million corporate executives. Minimum budgets on LinkedIn start at $10 a day.

LinkedIn is preparing to go public. That sounds like it could be a good return on investment. I'm just sayin'..