Last week I wrote a post about my disappointment with Disneyland while visiting their “Holidays at Disney” display. In the post I detailed how crushed my children were to find that their holiday (Hanukkah) had little to no positive representation at Disneyland. I got a lot of feedback, ranging from sympathy and horror, to religious commentary about the secularization of Christmans, to anger about our “unrealistic expectations” of Disney and explanation from some about how holly and trees are for all holidays. Which was all somewhat beside the point I was trying to make.
I want to be clear here and move beyond Disney because I am not rewriting that post. But for the record, It wasn’t really about religion, culture or Christmas. It was about the expectations. The tragically, thoughtlessly mismanaged expectations.
When someone says “Holidays”, in the plural, I expect more than one holiday. A simple concept for most, but for Disney this year, a colossal fail. There is only one holiday represented in the park. Call it bait and switch, call it stupid, it really doesn’t matter. It all ends with a five year old in tears and a pissed off parent.
I hate to pick on Disney though, and they certainly don’t have the corner on stupid marketing moments. Messages that deceive are displayed on a regular basis in a theater near you. In the form of movie trailers.
A perfect example: the trailers for “Marley and Me”. Light hearted family comedy. Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, silly dog. Romping on the beach. Fun! Those of us who’d read the book raised our eyebrows wisely, knowing something was left out of the trailer. Something big. The rest of us went to see a comedy that holiday weekend and came out sobbing and longing for prozac.
Movie trailers misguide us all the time. Dramas are represented as comedies, plotless masturbation is sold as epic drama or a legendary tale. In the case of “Where the Wild Things Are” we were served up a film positioned to be a touching literary classic. We took the kids. They sat through two hours gratuitous dysfunctional family flatulence. In short, we thought Where the Wild Things Are stank. But perhaps I would have felt differently, if I’d been properly prepared. I might not have hated it so much if I had not brought my five year along to plumb the depths of conflicting human emotions, and witnessed his tears when the bird’s arm was ripped off. At the very least I could have made an informed decision to see the film with other adults only.
My poor five year old is going to be a savvy consumer one day. He’s already been disillusioned by Disney and Sendak. Who will he trust?
If you haven’t been disappointed in the theater, it’s surely happened in a restaurant. Who hasn’t ordered something off the menu that sounded (or even looked marvelous in a photo) only to be handed a plate of slop that seems completely alien to what you thought you ordered. The “generous portion” of “fresh imported gourmet” delicacies turned out to be a bowl of three greasy supermarket olives. Oops.
The end result of mismanaged expectations is almost always the same. Anger. We get angry because we parted with cash and invested our time, and got our own (or worse, our children’s) hopes up for an experience we/they did not get to have. This makes us feel duped.
Worst case scenario we view the deception as deliberate, a bait and switch scheme designed to take us as fools, parting us with our money. The brand is then a bully/shyster in our eyes. A malevolent beast. We tell our friends. They tell their friends… Best case, we think that the marketing, pr, sales, management etc are all pretty lousy at what they do to have allowed such a gross oversight to occur. Do you want to shop at stupidmart? Exactly. Neither do I.
Mismanaged expectations are dangerous and destructive to brands. It’s something to keep in mind at all times when you are working on a campaign, no matter the size of your company. We all want to highlight the positive and make our appeal as broad as possible. But in doing so, are we creating false expectations about our product or service? Are our claims and suggestions going to pan out as promised for the majority of people? Are the details being glossed over truly minor enough to be dismissed?
I challenge you to consider if your brand’s message and positioning is going to mislead consumers. If it is deliberately doing so, I recommend you rethink that strategy. Karma exists, even in marketing. Social media has made word of mouth a more powerful and immediate thing. It’s not worth pissing off the people you want as customers. Ever. People are watching, waiting to comment. They expect more of you, and so do I!
Rest assured that I will call you on your campaign if your mismanagement of expectations makes a five year old cry. Particularly if that five year old is mine.
If you’re a woman, have kids, and blog, you probably get a fair amount of these:
Dear (obviously inserted name here) Respected Mommy Blogger,
I love your blog! We’d love to tell you about our exciting new (offer, promotion, “club”, sale, program, fundraiser, premiere, launch, etc ad infinitum).
We’re hoping that your readers will be as excited about this (see list above) as we are. Do you think that you could do a post about (see list above) for us? Make sure to use this (trackable bit.ly link, coupon code, other information gathering device) when you post and let us know when your post is live.
Please make sure to post this on (x date) prior to the (see list above) and follow up with a post on (y date). Please be sure to include the attached (banner, stock photo, widget, gizmo etc) and link to our site.
We’d also appreciate it super much if you would tweet the following message (something to the effect of “I’d drop my knickers for xyz”) and be sure to include the (link, coupon code etc). We’re so appreciative of your help assisting us to get the word out!
Thanks so much,
XXX
(aka the intern who has no idea who you actually are, or what your blog is about)
It’s so easy to tell which girls went all the way in high school. They’re the ones who got this letter in their inbox, immediately said “sure!” and rehashed the email and six attachments on their blog. They also posted the tweet about how they’d drop their knickers. Everyone got the message. Or I should say, the ad.
The difference between Jessica and most other mom bloggers (other than how controversial she is)? She gets paid.
There is a fine, and often treacherous line between a press release and and a request for unpaid advertising. And it can be hard for new bloggers to identify this. We all want to be admired and recognized. So when the star quarterback pats you on the bum and gives you a wink, it’s easy to get swept away. Next thing you know though, you could find yourself under the bleachers, doing unsavory things you know you don’t feel great about, and that you have to keep secret, just to stay on the guest list of the next great event.
Listen up and listen good: The star quarterback probably doesn’t know your name. He’s never read your blog. He’s not interested in how amazing you are. In fact he really doesn’t give a crap about you. He’s using you, for as long as you will “put out”. As will every PR agency and brand and parenting “network” if you give them the chance.
It’s easy to blame them for your victimization. But at the end of the day, it’s not just their fault. It’s your own as well. It’s important that you know your boundaries and stick to them. Just like you made a pact with your friends in Jr High that you wouldn’t go to 3rd base until xyz happened, make a pact with your fellow bloggers that you won’t post free ads. If you don’t respect yourself, why should anyone respect you back? If you settle for appreciation, you can never expect compensation.
If you are on the PR/Marketing side of this equation, and the above letter looks like something you regularly send out - shame on you! And good for you…I guess. I can’t blame you for finding the easy types who are willing to put out. That’s very economical of you. Also very sleazy. So while I congratulate you on your prowess I really can’t like or respect you. You’ll be discovered in the end. Word gets around about sleazebags. Sure there will always be sluts to prey on, but you’re going to need a good girl eventually. Good girls know that a mensch buys his date dinner at least a few times before he tries to get in her pants.
I’ve got a bit of a pet peeve brewing. It has to do with those “In Loving Memory” Stickers that have been popping up on autos all over the Southland. The other day I saw a “In Loving Memory of Johnny” sticker on a beat up civic. Right below that decal, on the very same rear windshield, was one that said “It’s all about ME!”
So which was it? Me? Or Johnny?
I don’t even get the memorial stickers in the first place. Why on the car? Why not on a tee shirt or a backpack or your front door? How about beer cosy? Cause Johnny… liked beer?
I’ve gone so far as to wonder:
1. Did Johnny die in the car?
2. Was Johnny hit by the car?
3. Is the car now a shrine to Johnny? Is there other Johnny memorabilia inside?
4. Perhaps the life insurance money that was collected upon Johnny’s death, paid for the car?*
*This would possibly explain the “All about ME!” sticker alongside the memorial one. Johnny’s kicked the bucket and paid for my car. Now it’s all about ME! So long Johnny and thanks for the car!
I suppose this is rather insensitive but there is a lesson in all of this. Make yourself clear. If your message is as muddled as a vinyl memorial sticker on the back of an old Honda, you’ve got problems. Johnny may be 6 ft under but make sure your message isn’t. Make sure that you are spreading that message in the right places, to the right people, and with clarity.
Because if you don’t? I just might make fun of you!
PS to the people I love: Please don’t ever put a vinyl sticker on a car for me. You can do better than that.
I’m back with more commercial criticism. My latest “what were they thinking?” ad is from Jack in the Box and features a hungry young man surfing the corridors of a hotel, in the wee small hours, looking for room service leftovers to satiate his appetite.
This dude is so hungry, he resorts to the ultimate in gross out fare: The “Hallway Smoothie”. Instantly upon hearing and seeing this image, my stomach is churning.
Next shot, salvation, in the form of a 99 cent burger. I’m not sure about you, but my stomach is still churning when I see the burger. I am now forever associating Jack in the Box burgers with something that really resembles vomit. Right when I’d almost gotten over the notion of “e-coli in a box”.
My conclusion? You gotta be stoned to eat it AND to get this commercial. I’m not their Target market, but they have gotten me to talk about them. No such thing as bad press? The commercial is not up on the web anywhere that I have been able to locate, but as soon as it is, I will post it. In the meantime, you can pass judgement on more of their ads on the Jack in The Box website.
I’m a big fan of Target, in general. But their latest ad campaign, aimed at back to school shopping moms (that would be me) has me driving around the Target lot aimlessly, looking for someplace else to shop. I’m thinking maybe we could get pencils at the supermarket instead? It’s so depressing, I want to skip the Target run entirely and go directly to CVS. Screw the school supplies. I’ve got to pick up some anti-depressants!
In brief this commercial shows a dutiful and slightly Stepford-like long suffering mom “Julie” who loves Target and does what teacher says for her kids. Julie is going through all the motions of sending her young son off to school. We see her lovingly making him a nice lunch, writing him a special note. The son meanwhile wipes his ass with the note pawns off the note on his next unsuspecting victim, some girl who’s heart he will break as surely as his mom’s. Mom’s efforts to make her son a nice lunch (it gets traded), keep her house orderly (he cruises his bike through the house) etc are all met with complete and utter disrespect from the “Ha ha ha, kids today, aren’t they cute!?” scamp and she never kicks the brat’s ass stops smiling that beautific prozac smile, even as she mechanically makes another sandwich.
Target you kind of creeped me out on this one. I’m ok with thinking my kids still like me. At least a little. Even if you’re so sure they don’t. Was that commercial aimed at the kids perhaps? Because last time I checked, they don’t drive. Or pay at checkout. And guess what? They hated the commercial too. Good thing. Or I’d have to kick their asses.
The motto is “Expect More, Pay Less” but I am not buying it. Far as I can tell this mom is expecting less, at least from her relationships.
Want to know a key difference between old school marketers and new social media marketers? Consider their agendas and how they view the competition when planning events.
Old school marketers approach events in a territorial fashion. Virtual events are no exception. They want to own it. If you are hosting an online or live event with Old School Marketers, there will be a clause in the contract that there will be no discussion about brand x, brand y or brand z. It’s all about control in their case, maintaining control of the message, directing the message. You will likely be asked to exclude competitors from the event as sponsors.
Not so with the new school social media marketers. They are more likely to host an online “discussion” in which they welcome comparison to their competitors products and group information sharing. Occasionally they won’t even object to competitors being present at the same event, exclusivity being secondary to the general discussion.
I cannot proclaim one way or the other most effective. With age comes wisdom but rigidity can also be stifling. Careful attention must be paid to your goals and your audience to turn a successful marketing campaign into a successful social media campaign.
As a rule of thumb:
Traditional Marketing
controls the message
has a concrete goal of spreading a specific message to a specific audience
does not invite comparison or discussion, seeks to offer brand specific education
fuels brand recognition and familiarity
Social Media Marketing
welcomes feedback on the campaign message
has a specific audience in mind, but welcomes those who are not in the target group as well
invites comparison, discussion and a chance for consumers to gather information/research general topic
fuels consumer loyalty and word of mouth marketing efforts
It’s important to understand the difference in approach between traditional marketing and social media, and how this affects your own brand marketing efforts. Know your comfort level when it comes to comparison with your competitors and approach your social media efforts with your eyes open, and expectations realistic. Some things don’t translate well: Old School Marketing efforts conducted in a social media forum where participants are expecting discussion, comparison and information sharing, will come across as controlling, in authentic and info-mercial esque. This can backfire and leave a bad impression on your potential customers.
On the other hand, a lack of focus with your social media efforts can also backfire, and fail to make your product memorable to potential consumers. Worst case scenario; it can help to promote the competition. Bottom line: when approaching an online campaign, set clear goals about your messaging, and guidelines for interaction and comparison. Choose your strategies wisely. An educated plan for making your brand (positively)memorable and making the most of the media chosen, is essential for embarking on any marketing adventure.
Have you been caught in the chasm between new and traditional marketing? How has this affected your campaigns?
I’m Ciaran Blumenfeld. I’m a writer, entrenpreneur and consultant. I specialize in creative, relevant strategies for successful social media campaigns. Need help with your brand’s messaging? Want to brainstorm a way to make a big impression on your consumers at your next event or come up with a campaign that will resonate? Drop me a line.
You think you know everything about yourself. You go along happily with your assumptions until one day something snaps. You realize that Chinese food is not your favorite after all. Or that your hand eye coordination is not so bad, actually. People change over time, but so do impressions, including impressions of ourselves. Perhaps this is because many of our self impressions come from outside input. They are ingrained and we take them on as our own. We don’t question them. We walk around telling people our favorite color is blue because we once said that. When we were four. And it stuck. Messages are a powerful thing.
I’ve come to terms with a couple of surprising revelations about myself recently. I realized I am a homebody. I probably always have been. As a child I wanted every playdate to be at my house, on my turf. And I still prefer to do the entertaining. I get tense about travel. But I’ve always also been labeled a party girl and a wanderer. Surprise! Apparently I’m a homebody who likes to push her comfort zone. Equally surprising is the realization that I am an optimist. I’m easily upset by the world’s foibles, and always assumed this meant that I was a pessimist. I’ve even been accused of being a pessimist due to my many (usually short-lived!) rants. But I now believe the opposite is true. My disappointments stem from the fact that I continually expect the best of people and life, something I hope never changes. I get over it fast and go back to expecting the best. In other words - I’m an optimist! Great news!
Being a mystery wrapped up in a conundrum, inside of an enigma is part and parcel with the human condition. We constantly seek to define and redefine ourselves. This process should not, however, be a part of your product or service’s messaging. It’s difficult enough to embrace new messages about ourselves, even when the new message comes from within and we know ourselves well. Self examination comes naturally. Product message examination does not come naturally. It takes time and multiple exposures to embrace a new idea about a product. Constant mixed messages are the death of any marketing message or ad campaign, and likely to lead to complete rejection of the product for lack of understanding what it is really about. Consumers are faced with enough confusion and choices. Don’t expect them to decide your message for you.
If there is one thing I would advise people to do with their branding and marketing messages, it’s get the story straight, right from the start. It’s fine to have a surprising message, but not when the surprise is that you send mixed signals. Revel in your own complexity. But keep your professional story as simple and clear as possible.
We’ve put a lot of time and thought into this party. We love and respect the brilliant bloggers around us so much. To us they are the new celebrities. Which is why our party theme is: Pamper, Primp, Polish, Party! We’ve created our own award series and will be honoring bloggers chosen by you and our VIP panel, with a BlogLuxe award.
I hope that you will take a minute to vote for your favorite blogs. If you’re going to be in Chicago for BlogHer 09, I can’t wait to meet you! RSVP today!
Forget about keeping up with the Joneses. If you’re keeping score of who’s who and what’s what in Social Media, you may have no idea who the hell the Joneses even are/were. But there is a great chance you’ve heard of the Jessicas. If the Joneses are noted for their conspicuous consumption, the Jessicas are noted for their conspicuous presence. Here there and everywhere you look, you will find these women. Their wealth is most evident in their followings, their “reach”, their google ranks and the fact that Nielsen’s has ranked both Jessica Smith and Jessica Gottlieb as power moms.
Why do Jessica Smith and Jessica Gottlieb fascinate and intrigue so many people? And what do they have in common? They are each like celebrities in twitter circles, entities unto themselves and oft attacked. Each of them has endured a barrage of criticism in the last year, from detractors, from fans and even from each other. And yet they emerge, with grace, and apparently, respect for one another.
I can’t tell you exactly what it is about these two women that has me tuning in for more. I can only speak in character abstractions. Courage, confidence, chutzpah, wisdom, acumen, connectedness, boundless energy. These are the qualities that everyone scrambles for. It’s the essence of their Jonesian/Jessica-esque sheen. It’s not easy keeping up with the Jessicas. Love them or hate them, you have to acknowledge them. And try and keep up, if you can.
Social media lingo got your tongue in a twist? Half Starbucks speak and half techie talk, it’s definitely a romance language. But not one that always make sense. Even to those who speak the most fluently. Keeping up with social media speak can be a full time job. It’s an evolving language. There’s not even a sound for a # hashtag (perhaps we should adopt tongue clicks for this and smooch sounds for upbeat emoticons)
Certain words have been extra well used in the Social mediasphere of late. My ears prick up when this happens. I try and catch how they are being said, used, and/or misused. My three current favorites are:
authentic
organic
transparent
The first two, I’m hearing a lot from PR firms and marketing departments. The third from skittish (perhaps rightfully so) bloggers and legal departments They are often used in a sequence together like this:
“Hi there Momfluential! We’re looking for an authentic post, something organic? Totally transparent?”
Confused? Let me tranlate:
“We want you to rave about how much you love our junk. But don’t hit them head on. Just sort of slip it into your story. On the side. You have to sound like you mean it, and also could you please find a way to tell people that you got it for “free” without sounding like an infomercial? So we don’t all get sued?”
It’s a tall order for most bloggers to fill. Which is why we need lingo. Lingo insulates us from saying the silly thing we really mean. We want you to pull a rabbit out of your butt here! No wonder so many bloggers are being criticized as inauthentic, and their posts scrutinized for secret sponsors. No wonder we’re pulling out our hair and labeling each other as Blog Whores. We’re all missing the point here. The point being relevance.
Authentic, organic and transparent alone, though well intentioned, are an unpalatable soup without the essential ingredient of relevance.
Relevant is not something that can be forced. Without it your reputation as a blogger or a manufacturer will quickly become tarnished and your authenticity questioned. An irrelevant product slipped into a personal anecdote is about as organic as a twinkie at a farmer’s market. No one is fooled.
Brands and bloggers looking for success in Social Media need to start with the main ingredient. How is their product relevant to the consumer they are trying to reach. How does it make their lives more meaningful, more manageable, more memorable? This is not something that can be dictated with a one size fits all slogan. Social media is all about trust, and finding your niche.
Authentic organic posts with a side of transparency? The modern equivalent of a decaf no foam venti sugar free vanilla mocha soy latte. All lingo, no buzz.
