Atomic Ideas - Helping You Sell More Stuff!

Social Media Helps Make Fundraiser, Benefitting Injured Detroit Firefighters, a Huge Success .

Atomic Ideas was recently asked to help with a fundraiser for four firefighters critically injured in an arson fire building collapse last August. Detroit firemen had set up a new non-profit to help their brothers called Detroit F.I.R.E (Fireman's Injured Relief Effort) and had booked the iconic Roostertail in Detroit to host the event on October 15th.

When A.I. got involved, the timeframe was tight with just over three and a half weeks to promote the event. We immediately enlisted the help of our digital marketing partner LevelSet Solutions and our Email marketing partner Media Connection Advertising and sat down to work out a plan.  

Originally, Detroit F.I.R.E. asked for a simple website with the ability to buy tickets, donate or buy T-shirts online. Instead, because we needed to get the word out fast, our team recommended a Facebook Community page and event page, and Twitter, along with an email marketing effort. Then we got to work promoting, posting and engaging.

We're happy to report that the social media and email campaign and the event were a huge success! The benefit surpassed all goals for attendance (standing room only) and fundraising. The Facebook pages helped provide a central rallying point for the community to get information, spread the word, buy tickets and Tee shirts and make donations. Of course, there were many other organizations and people involved in making it happen. Most importantly, the firefighters and their families who conceived and organized the event, and who worked tirelessly to find sponsors, additional publicity and some incredible auction items. Without them and all their hard work, it couldn't have happened at all. 

The best part was that both attendance (2000+) and funds raised were double Detroit F.I.R.E. goals! And that means that the four firefighters will have more critical help and resources available to them as they all continue down the long road to recovery. And that's pretty awesome!

It's proof positive that social media is a powerful tool to rally people behind a cause, especially when time is short to build momentum. We couldn't be prouder to have been a part of it. A big thank you to our friends and partners who helped and everyone involved in making it happen, especially event MC Ron Savage, Fox 2 anchor/investigative reporter and firefighter/EMT with the Brighton Fire department.

Finally, we wish our injured hometown heroes a speedy and complete recovery.

 

 

Blog, blog, blah, blah, blah....

 
It's Monday, a tough day for thinkers everywhere. So where do lazy thinkers go for ideas for their blog? They google "blog ideas" and up pops no less than 380,000,000 articles with titles like "101 Blog Ideas", "13 Great Blog Ideas," "100 Blog Writing Ideas." 

I thought a blog was about getting vital information across, or expressing a burning opinion. But in this information age, I guess a Blog is just about reshaping and repackaging information that's already out there. Some of it, as much as 380,000,000 times!

(And yes, I just googled "Blog Cartoon" to find this, er, blog cartoon)

 

Could you just make the logo bigger?

My friend Russ pointed this story out to me last week from Ad Age: apparently The GAP redesigned their logo and slipped it onto their site last week. It seems, the online public noticed it quickly and vigorously voiced their opinion of the change: they hated it. People thought it was uninteresting, average, uninspiring and lacking in any direction. Also, the question of “why?” came up a lot. What was broken that had to be fixed?

Well, since that story broke, The GAP listened and pulled the new logo and returned to the familiar white type in a blue box logo. GAP North American president Marka Hansen admitted, in so many words, they had made a mistake. She also said that they would not evolve a new logo through “crowd sourcing,” – a plan that was initially offered last week to help ease Gap fans’ logo dislike.

How does something like this happen? Why change the company logo that’s been around for over twenty years? They changed it to an upper/lower helvetica bold in black and floated a small gradated blue box to the right, behind part of the p. (see above) On the Gap site last week they said, "We chose this design as it's more contemporary and current. It honors our heritage through the blue box while still taking it forward." Talk about gobbledegook- the little blue box represents heritage? Heritage?

Does The Gap Inc., which is part of Banana Republic and Old Navy, do any market research? Couldn’t they have done a focus group to see if logo change was even warranted? And most importantly, will a new logo help them sell more stuff? 

Tell us what you think?  

Here are a few big companies that have made logo changes over the years, (they’re usually quite gradual).

 

 

 

4 Strategic Steps To Social Media Success. P.O.S.T.

Even though Social Media seems to be the only thing anyone is talking about in marketing circles these days, it's still amazing how many companies are still apparently using it without a real strategy. 

Would you place a million dollar traditional media buy without a strategy? No way.

You would plan it down to the last penny. You would know who you are trying to reach, know where they live, and pick the right channels to reach them. Then you would deliver messaging that wows them with your marketable truths in order to prompt behavior that will help you sell more stuff.

So why do many businesses still not apply the same due diligence to their social efforts. Probably precisely because it doesn't cost a million dollars to launch a social media program... or even a hundred thousand. Most times it doesn't cost anything in real, cold cash. Just put the intern with the cool Facebook page on it and off you go. Such an approach is why, many times, the effort doesn't seem to work. It doesn't get results, because the results were never thought about or defined in a strategy.

Look, social media can work if you do it right. In fact, for many companies who have planned for success based on specific, defined goals and entered the space with a strategy, it has worked incredibly well... Zappos, Dell, Best Buy and Ford are great examples. 

Does your strategy have to be complicated? No. In fact, way back in 2008 when social buzz was just bubbling up to the surface of mainstream new media marketing consciousness, a book called Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff came out. At the center of it was a simple to remember, easy to follow four step strategy process to start you down the road to social Media success.

 
Pretty simple.  You don't need to over-think your initial social media strategy. But you do need to think about it. For more detail, read Josh Bernoff's article "The POST Method: a systematic approach to social strategy." It's as relevant today as it was when he originally wrote it in 2007. 

Let me know what you think. How would you add to, or modify this basic strategy approach knowing what you know today?

 

With Social Media, Everyone's a Critic

Companies across the planet are waking up to the fact that Social Media is not the marketing panacea or "free" advertising many once thought it was going to be. Sure it's effective, but it takes time to do right and more importantly, it requires a strategy. Doing it "because everyone else is doing it" is not a strategy.

But for all the growing pains that Social Media has lived through, one thing is clear. Companies need to focus on providing a great customer experience. Because any idiot with a PC, I-pad or smartphone (me, for instance) can reach thousands of their potential customers with a negative comment about their product or service. And in this economy, full of people scared to spend their hard earned money (or soon to run out unemployment checks), one negative review could be enough to cost a company hundreds or thousands of dollars in sales. 

Atomic Ideas on the texting bans.

What happened to the good old days when a new law was created, it was simple enough to scribe on a stone tablet and applied to everyone equally? Now in the US a law depends on how old you are, what state you're in, and sometimes what city.

Take the recent texting ban (or ban on using social media while driving). It should be universal, but it's not. How about using cell phones? It's a mish-mash of laws by state and municipality. So to help you make some sense of it all, here is a link to the Governor's Highway Safety Site  http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html which has a handy-dandy chart (no, not on a stone tablet) to help you make sense of it all.

Atomic Ideas on Marketing in a Democracy

What has shaken up businesses in regards to today's 'social web' is that it has democratized the customer buying experience. 

The dictatorship of marketing messages sent out spit-polished and well-crafted are now mixed into the roiling ocean of user-generated comments and free-market messages.

If a marketer can:

1. Clearly define its marketable truths - what it's the 'most of' today, its unique value proposition;

2. Understand who its best customers are, so it knows what marketable truths appeal most to those customers (All that really matters is how the product or service benefits the customer); 

Then it's ready to suit up, put on the helmet and get on the playing field in a transparent - that is, honest - conversation with customers. Deception is addressed quickly and broadly on the web. Whole Food's CEO John Mackey knows this firsthand, a cautionary tale for everyone.

Customers are talking about your industry whether you're in the conversation or not. Wouldn't it be better to take part in it, to be part of the conversation?

It will definitely be a vigorous contact sport. and it's the way of the world today. Customers expect it, you will benefit from it, and anyways, there's no turning back.

The rules are there are no rules, other than being honest in your conversations. Interacting with customers in a democratic give-and-take of information and needs is how it is. The days of command and control went away with the Gutenberg printing press.

The social web is not simply changing marketing. It is changing society worldwide, in a more democratic, 'flattening of the message' way. In this new world, the individual and groups of like-minded individuals, are in control. And this can be viewed as an exciting, rich way of understanding what your customers needs are, more than ever before. Accept it, and join in.

After all, a democracy works when everyone contributes, right?

Atomic Ideas on TOM TOM Star Wars Promo Videos - Funny Stuff!

"Lord Vader commands you to turn to the Dark Side. Will you be able to resist as he guides you to your destination? Obi-Wan has taught you well but now it is time to choose your path. Light sabers at the ready!"

This is how Tom Tom is plugging the opportunity to have Darth himself lead you to your destiny... er, your destination that is. Or, if you are more Zen oriented, Yoda can take you there with a lot less angst and heavy breathing.

Cool ideas. Fun videos! What do you think?

Social Media is not always the answer!

 I found a great article which sums up the challenges of social media and why it is not always (contrary to the hype) the best answer for many marketers.  Entitled  "10 Reasons Your Company Is Not Ready For Social Media" (written by Steve Slivka & Patrick Berry) it quickly and concisely outlines what is needed to make Social Media efforts successful -- and why utilizing "free" platforms like Facebook and Twitter is usually anything but "free."  Here is the link:  http://www.cmo.com/social-media/top-10-reasons-your-company-not-ready-social-media

Like a "hot stock pick," blindly following the crowd or the buzz about a new medium or tactic is a gamble. A gamble with the money your company invests in marketing. Remember the words of wisdom found in all investment prospectuses, "This fund (or stock, etc) may not be suitable for all investors. Consult your advisor for it's appropriateness in meeting your particular goals and objectives." And my favorite phrase-- "Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns."  Once your agency helps you determine the best media mix, it must be continually re-evaluated for effectiveness. 

At Atomic Ideas, we carefully analyze a client's best potential customers, craft messages that will resonate with their needs and desires, then deliver it in the most appropriate medium(s) for both the client and the customer. Often that includes social media. Sometimes it doesn't. But it could include anything and everything from TV, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines, to Billboards, Point-of-Sale, Direct Media and a whole universe of guerilla tactics. Whatever tactic(s) helps you best connect with your customers to help you sell more stuff!

 

What Kind of "Ad Agency" Does Your Brand Need To Succeed?

Maybe you haven't noticed it, but we have. In the marketing and advertising industry these days, everyone seems to be into everyone else's business. "Traditional" agencies  are claiming to be digital experts and "Digital" agencies are claiming to be branding and advertising experts. Even the broadcast production facilities we traditionally make our commercials at are morphing (or should we say mutating) into web, and yes, branding "experts."

Then there are the PR agencies and, well, they apparently can do it all, too... logos, ads, social media, events, brand strategy, janitorial services and catering (all within the context of your business objectives, of course). If I'm a CMO, I'm either confused, or thinking everyone at every company is desperate and full of excrement.

The truth is a little or a lot of both. Which is why, for better or worse, the gang at Atomic Ideas is not playing the game.

My partner Gene Brady gave a presentation the other day on "Telling Your Marketing Story." It seems to me that a lot of the companies in our industry are making their stories up these days. In other words, they're saying anything they think might resonate to make a buck. They're not being honest... with themselves, or with their prospective customers. Gene's major point was that you have to figure out what you are the "most of" as a company, and then walk that walk.

Atomic Ideas is above all honest. What are we the most of? Simple. Every single one of us has a proven track record of helping brands define who they are, what they are, why they matter, and who their best customers and prospects are... and then translating their "marketable truths" into smart creative that connects with those customers and prospects to make the cash register ring.

It's still the ideas and the messages that count; whether it's delivered via traditional media, digital or PR. The delivery mechanisms are just tools. So if you don't understand your customers and what they want from you, and if your marketing message to them is wrong, it doesn't matter how you deliver it.

A great example of this is Palm and their agency Modernista's introduction of the Palm Pre smart phone... literally Palm's last-gasp effort to pull itself back into prominence as a smart phone manufacturer.  We commented on what we believed was the esoteric inanity of the advertising in this post. Turns out we were right. The product didn't sell and Palm ended up selling out, to HP. The alternative was going out of business.

We've been proving we can deliver brand strategy and smart creative, individually and collectively, for over two decades. We don't claim to be anything else or do anything else. it's truly and honestly what we are "the most of".

We don't aspire to be a traditional ad agency or a digital ad agency. We're a Marketing For Sales firm. We believe brands aren't built in the mind, they're built with the wallet. We help clients sell more stuff, that's it... with smart insights and smart creative. At the end of the day, that fundamental, low-tech stuff still counts more than any shiny new delivery tool to help your company succeed.

Before you hire an expert or a guru, or anyone else to help you achieve your marketing goals and grow your company, ask them to tell you... and prove to you... what they are "the most of." If they can't give you a believable answer, give us a call.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/inju/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0