The Branded Content B Team.

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May 9, 2016

Branded content is a thing in advertising now. Saturday Night Live, it is reported, will replace 30% of its advertising next year with marketer-generated segments. Oy. Where this phenomenon goes off the rails is in production. Rather than use ad agencies, the sponsoring media companies are often creating the work. Vice Media and The New York Times, among many others, are using internal resources to make this so-called branded content.

I’m not in the advertising business anymore and so have no axe to grind, but this is a bad idea. An idea only two steps better than a marketers doing it themselves. It may be cheaper, it may feel more native, but in the end it’s poor brand craft.

With branded content, a marketer is way more likely to go off brand strategy. When the actual branded content piece is complete ask the branded content developer “How did this work support the brand strategy?” and listen for the answer. Homina homina homina.

Peace.

Deeds and Proof.

By

Steve Poppe

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May 6, 2016

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“Deeds, not things, make father Berrigan one of the best-known Catholic priests of the 20^th century” is a line stolen from The New York Times today. Deeds indeed.

At What’s The Idea? the framework for brand strategy (1 claim and 3 proof planks) is built upon deeds. And proof. They are the bedrock of a high-value selling proposition.

When I do discovery for a brand, I’m not searching for shallow platitudes or adjective-filled praise. I need existential examples. When I ask hospital administrator why their healthcare is better than others, I’m often met with “It’s our level of care. Our people.” That’s not input. That’s phonetic sounds and breath. Hunting for proof and deeds, often through stories, is how we start the process. In a page of notes, you may only find 2 proof points. Read a web page or brochure someday. An ad even. Circle the proof. Paltry.

When the same hospital says it does more cyber knife treatments in one year than any other NY hospital, that’s proof. But drill down. Find out why. Understand the proof and build upon it. The information is there.

Stories and storifying are big pop marketing topics today. I love stories…but as a listener. As a listener who’s looking for proof.

Peace.

Return On Strategy. Brand Strategy.

By

Steve Poppe

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May 5, 2016

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The hardest part of quantifying the success of brand strategy (1 claim, 3 proof planks) is the act of tying measurement of “care-abouts” and “good-ats” (the proofs upon which brand value are built) to sales. I call this pursuit: Return On Strategy (ROS).

Back in the 90s while working on AT&T Business Communications Services, fighting off MCI (a smart competitors buying share with discount prices), we knew that messaging the right combination of “competitive price” (within 10% of MCI), “network reliability” and “innovative telecom tools” (the 3 planks) would result in added business users. If market perceptions of this trifecta were offset by MCI, they started winning new account “adds.” The trick was meting out the right combination of planks with our media budget. We were using quantitative research to gauge attitudes and tie them to actions/sales.

This is the way one does ROS. But numbers about attitudes can lie. Nate Cohn, The New York Times version of Nate Silver, mea culpa’ed today about Donald Trump. He spent a 1,000 words explaining why the numbers lied and Trump beat the odds.

I often write about “proof” in my blog posts. And about “deeds” — the actual activities that feed the care-about and good-ats. This line of thinking and study is where I need to spend more time. As was the case in Mr. Cohn’s explanation of Mr. Trump, attitudes and numbers can mislead. So I’m off to look beyond attitudes and on to awareness of deeds tied to sales. Should be interesting.

Peace.

Brand Strategy Uncoupled Post Script

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Steve Poppe

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May 4, 2016

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Last week’s post on “Brand Strategy Uncoupled” did a nice crooked number in terms of readers. Much of that traffic came from the Facebook Account Planning group. One person in the group was kind enough to leave comments. Mostly dissent. Paul Isakson, suggested as logical as it is to make sure the strategy is right and fully understood before executions take place, clients don’t often view it as cost-effective or time-sensitive.

This Mr. Isakson is a smart man. Period. No buts. A realist. I listen and I learn. No one is wrong. That said, I remain…an uncoupler.

When Lucent Technologies was born, InterBrand had the naming and branding assignment. They didn’t do ads. Uncoupling in huge projects is the norm. It is only when thinking about mid-size and small brands that it makes the most sense for a single source provider. Money and time are hard arguments to defeat; Mr. Isakson is right. But I might add, and I often tell clients, a tight brand strategy, insures faster and cheaper build-ables. For years to come. (It’s the gift that keeps on giving.)

Clearly, this is an argument around which Mr. Isakson will have lots of client support. And agency support. I for one, will keep pushing that boulder up the hill.

Peace.

http://bit.ly/1rn9I0Y

The Content Marketing Fallacy.

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Steve Poppe

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April 29, 2016

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I Tweeted yesterday that businesses should spend more time product marketing and less time content marketing. And I mean it.

The definition of content marketing from its namesake institute:

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

The institute proclaims marketing as usual is dead; as is traditional advertising. We’ve heard that one before. Remember the “inbound marketing” phase? Content marketing is a cottage industry that has spawned tens of thousands of practitioners, with a flashier name for online marketing.

Is it direct marketing? Yes. Event marketing? Yes. Experiential marketing, I hope so. In my mind content marketing is way for agencies to replace revenue lost to Google Ad Words. A way to get Google to pay attention. The logic goes “If Google pays attention, people will too. So let’s post more words and pictures.”

Using a computing metaphor, content marketing is really just “distributed information.” Linking up distributed information the way software companies linked up distributed computers in the 90s and 00s — a volume play — feeds the Google’s algo.

What ever you call this flavor-of-the-day marketing tactic is up to you. What I care about for my clients is they have an organizing principle for product, experience and message, AKA a brand strategy. It will drive your tweets, PR releases, Super Bowl ads, and “About” page. More importantly it will drive sales. And Google will find you, trust me.

Peace.

Brand Strategy Uncoupled.

By

Steve Poppe

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April 28, 2016

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I lost a brand strategy consulting job yesterday. The reason given was the company wanted a shop that could provide marketing services in addition to strategy. And understandable viewpoint. (The architect/builder relationship comes to mind.) It’s probably no surprise I’m a believer in separation of strategy and campaign. From an economics standpoint (read savings) combining the upfront discovery and strategy with execution may seem a no-brainer. And for small and midsize companies, it’s an easy decision. No subcontractors. But here’s why it’s not a good decision. Marketing and ad agencies are built around “selling” work. The strategy is often a throw-in. “Of course we do brand strategy. How could we not? Our brand position briefs and customer journey docs are the best in the business. Now, let’s talk about the creative.”

In ad agency new business pitches, the creative presentation is set up with a big insight…a big show of brand strategy. But — with a capital B — it always supports the campaign.

When I present brand strategy, it is the star. Executives and owners need to be moved by the claim and proof array. They need to see how claim and proof are organized and fit together. They need to understand the difference between proof and platitude. It’s this organizing principle that makes me family. That makes decision makers know I see the good and the bad. It’s an empowering moment for clients.

Brand strategy is not a flavor of the day advertising tagline. It never, never should be part of a creative presentation. It needs to steep.

I will not stop trying to sell brand strategy as architecture. By itself. The right way. Companies and brand manager who understand this understand brand craft. And marketing.

Peace.

P.S. Wish I was at MerleFest this year. It cleanses the entire soul.

Volkswagen Not Too Big To Fail. For 2 Years.

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Steve Poppe

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April 27, 2016

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Volkswagen’s insidious software hack intended to cheat diesel emissions testing is, perhaps, the worst violation of environmental law to date. V-dub is facing huge fines (setting aside US $18B, planning of the worst) and criminal action. Basically the story is this: When faced with the high cost of new emissions equipment to keep levels legal, Volkswagen decided to create a software hack that momentarily reduced emissions during testing.

Global warming is a certainty. Smoke stacks pounding the atmosphere with carbons are melting ice caps and f’ing up our ecosystem. Cars and cow ass aren’t helping. Clearly, we have work to do. But Volkswagen leadership doesn’t seem to give a shit. In my book, they are eco-terrorists.

Here’s how I would deal with VW, were I president. Fines in the American tax system are probably tax write-off or work-arounds. I’d give VW a 2 year death penalty in the U.S. Just as we sit athletes for cheating, let’s sit VW. No new car sales in the U.S. for two years.

And don’t tell me it’s harsh. Yeah American VW workers would feel it. Make then keep workers on payroll to an extent. VW is not too big to fail in the U.S. It’s time to take corporate environmental terrorism seriously.

Peace.

Owen Mack Attack.

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Steve Poppe

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April 26, 2016

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Owen Mack runs a video production company up in Boston. He’s like the guitar player in a rock band you hear once…and know the band is going to be great. I read about “The Feelies” in New York Magazine once. The 3 line blurb said “white hot” dueling guitars. I went to see them and immediately fell in love. First song. That’s Owen Mack.

The dude has killed it for Dodge Motor Company, craft beer brands, tech companies and lots of others. Check out this series of short vids for AFC Doctor’s Express. It’s a wonderful GIF-inspired short form approach that hits hard at the traditional Emergency Room offering. The use of texting to prove a strategic point and add a touch of humor is really smart. Owen has an eye and an ear second to few. (Props also to agency Sleek Machine.) Owen and his team at CoBrandit are worth a call.

Check ‘em out. Peace.

Natural Ordering.

By

Steve Poppe

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April 25, 2016

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My first “real” big advertising job after 10 years at my dad’s shop Poppe Tyson was with McCann-Erickson, NY. The first assignment was on an AT&T network management service called Accumaster. The budget was 2-3 million. Poppe Tyson’s biggest account when I left may have been one million. I went to AT&T in Bridgewater, NJ for the briefing and took lots of notes. My next step was to make a recommendation as to how to handle the campaign. Stoked. My boss at the time was Eric Keshin, a 30-something on fast track to head the NY office.

“I think we need to do a series of 9 ads,” I suggested. “There are 9 key things that this product does well and it will tell a nice long term story. A story with lots of chapters.” Eric responded after quickly reading my notes and recommendation was “Three ads. There are three functional groups here which we can hammer home over time.” BAM.

Eric understood the natural order of selling. He got frequency. He got the consumer attention span. But it wasn’t just the three thing, it was a natural order thing.

Natural order is what brand strategy is all about. It’s why my brand strategies are “1 claim and 3 proof planks.” I create an organizing principle combining what customers most care-about and what the brand it good-at. Natural ordering is a skill. It takes experience, instinct, a good ear and selflessness.

Peace.

Product Marketing States.

By

Steve Poppe

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April 22, 2016

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There are three main product marketing states one confronts when selling. There is pent-up demand, demand, and no demand. In the first state, the market wants what you sell and there isn’t enough supply. Or the market wants the functionality, but the product hasn’t been invented yet. This is every marketer’s dream. The demand state is the normal market environment. Old supply and demand. People want or need the product and buy it when they run out. Customers may be brand loyal, pocketbook loyal or convenience loyal. Ever eat a 7-11 hot dog? That’s convenience loyal. Lastly, there is no demand. In this state, consumers may like or want your product – they just don’t know what it does or how they will benefit. This is the most expensive marketing undertaking because money has to be spent educating the market as to the product’s benefits and role. You sometimes have to define for consumers a problem they didn’t know they had — then sell them the solution. A two stepper.

The marketing and advertising response to each of these market states should be very different. The branding (and naming) approach may be different too. So ask yourself marketing dudes and dudettes, in what state is your product?

Peace.

Yearly Archives: 2016