Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Do it yourself or hire a professional?


Discussion groups this week have highlighted two different skills related areas under challenge from non-specialists.

Posted under the title, "Good software for leaflet design and easy printing?" was the following question posed on a media discussion group. "I have tried various basic software - word, powerpoint, publisher - to produce my leaflet designs but none ever seem to suit any of the printers I use and they all huff and puff to modify ( or so they say ??!! ). Anyway, can anyone suggest something that is easy for me to use, preferably free and printer friendly!" Interestingly not only is the enquirer seeking to do the job himself and complaining that printers have problems with the output he provides, but also wants the software for free as well.  Another similar discussion group noted how few companies had a budget for photography any more and typically clients provided images from their own digital cameras. While OK for a lot of web applications, creatively and technically they are often poor for print. Even for web based news stories, images often need a lot of tidying up and cropping to be usable.
 
There is much evidence of a move towards 'do it yourself' design, photography, web site construction and video that is prompted by the availability of software, increasingly open source, and cameras but not supported by any actual skills in their use, talent or creativity. The thing is the end results speak for themselves - they look amateurish. So what does that say about the brand, the products, services and company they are seeking to present? 

Bland product pictures will hardly catch the eye of an editor, but then again many publishers are dumbing down in print, online and television offering an acceptance of mundane quality. The flip side of this trend is that professionally produced material will actually stand out better amongst a sea of mediocrity. Think how much R&D investment goes into new product development, then think about making an investment in promoting that product rather than trying to cut corners and in doing so diminish the new product proposition.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

We spend 7 hours a day consuming media


Research announced today by regulator Ofcom suggests people in the UK spend seven hours a day watching TV, surfing the net and using mobile phones - often all at the same time!

The report on the BBC web site claims that for the average person this represents half their time awake during the course of a day. In fact the equivalent time is more like 9 hours than 7 thanks to multi-tasking - watching TV while texting and surfing online. Coincidentally we have just completed some market research where when asked  where they look to discover information about our client's category of products, respondents nominated the Internet first followed by recommendations by friends and colleagues. And increasingly this personal communication and recommendation is about media communication by text, voice and social media rather than over a pint down the pub.

The Ofcom report says, "Concurrently, the use of mobile data has exploded, increasing by 240% between 2007 and 2009. It suggested that, in part, much of this increase had been driven by one site - Facebook - which accounts for 45% of all mobile web use in the UK, followed by Google at 8%." 

It all raises interesting challenges for marketing in the b-2-b space. Because the web site is the first place to look, is it up to date? Does it for example have things like "Copyright 2008" and a story from last year billed as latest news? Does the company use social media at all? The report also highlights a growing trend for older people to sign up for Facebook, although I know companies who sneer at the idea. Above all does the web site have compelling content? Too few companies use news about their company, products, projects, successes etc. to add great new content that not only keeps the web site current and provides recommendations and third party endorsement, but also provides useful content for search engines to pick up.

The truth is that most large companies do all this, while many small to medium size companies can't be bothered or claim not to have the time. This is where a Virtual News Office centered strategy can give small businesses a platform to compete with the big boys of their industry by delivering fresh and compelling content, providing up to date news feeds, building highly rated in-bound links -  and the good news is it very affordable.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Marketing budgets must evolve


As marketing communications methods evolve, it is essential that marketing budgets change too.

With any client there are three essential documents that we ask for and if these do not exist then we make sure they are put in place, because without them it is difficult to run an effective marketing programme. The first essential document is the Marketing Plan. This sets out the objectives, strategies, rationale, an annual plan of activities and time-scales. The second is the Corporate Identity manual which describes how all forms of visual communication collateral should look for a consistent projection of brand and image. And the third document is the Marketing Budget. 

There are two aspects to budgets - the total amount and the mix. How the total amount is established is often a matter of some debate. Some people like to set this as a percentage of projected sales, but this lacks any real rationale as what works for one company may be entirely wrong for another. Ideally the marketing 'needs' should be determined and costed but this approach is rarely affordable, so a cap should be set balancing affordability with the ability to deliver on marketing goals. Just as there is no magic percentage figure, so dividing the budget up say, one third advertising, one third web and one third for all the rest, seems like a handy rule of thumb, but is far too crude a measure and does not allow for new evolving marketing channels and the content needed to supply them. Just as the marketing plan should allow flexibility to deal with changing circumstances, so the  budget mix should not be a constraint to recognising the benefits of new opportunities. Above all the marketing plan, CI and budget should be used to introduce a discipline and avoid runaway expenditure.

One clear requirement emerging from all the new channels is the need to budget for good quality content. Inevitably traditional spend such as display advertising and exhibitions will take a declining share of the budget and reviewing these can be no bad thing as often they will be a repeat of previous years rather than designed to achieve current objectives. 

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Time for marketing marketing


Most marketers are so busy marketing to their customers that they can overlook other important audiences.

Government cuts of 40% to their admittedly large marketing group at the COI have been in the news recently. News about marketing rarely makes the business pages, not the front page, but then this time it is marketing jobs that are going. 

This government has only done what many businesses did two years ago because in times of economic hardship marketing budgets are easy targets. This blog called for continuing investment in marketing and cited supportive research. 

The editor of Marketing Week has written a lengthy piece prompting marketers to market marketing and points out that the government and the city do not understand the value of marketing. He describes marketing as  "as the beating heart, the lifeblood and the brains of any economy".
 
So the message to marketers is to sell marketing's value to their colleagues and not just the board of directors, but the sales team, HR, manufacturing and R&D. Particularly to explain that marketing is not just about pretty pictures, but is central to achieving the business goals of the company and something everyone should buy into by sharing the marketing plan.