advergirl

Recession fallout: Good and Time leverage digital to stay alive

You've heard, I'm sure, that Domino and WonderTime have shuttered their doors. A real loss of a bold aesthetic and brave approach, respectively.

They fell to the same shocks hitting the rest of the publishing industry: fractured media habits among core readers; reduced ad spending; increased distribution costs; etc.

This month, two other publishing innovators handled the industry-wide challenges in really different ways:

Good: Powerful content for the digital space

If you don't know Good - I'm happy you're reading this. It's a chance for me to introduce you to your next favorite thing. The visual appeal of Real Simple; the smart voice of Fast Company; the heady ideas of Seed. All in one even-better tome.

Unfortunately, Good is trimming its paper for the times. This mini issue was delivered this month. "The Recession Issue" features 80% less printed content and an announcement that the publishing schedule will be migrating from monthly to quarterly.

Ouch.

The "Good" news: The content isn't slowing down. It's just moving. To Good's digital space. Normally, this would be a scary proposition. But, Good is so provocative, so visual - it's better than ever. Check it out. You'll get addicted.

Time: Aggregating a house of brands

So how do you leverage a big operational elephant in lean times? Time is doing it with personalization. The publisher is pulling together its news, sports and lifestyle publications into one aggregator that lets readers completely customize their ideal multi-interest magazine.

Visitors pick up to five Time titles they'd like to read content from. Time builds that content into one personal book that can be delivered online or in mailbox. Pretty cool.

Fundraising and Social Media

Can we just take a moment to be truly honest with each other, dear readers?

It’s weird when incredibly smart, fresh, relevant social media advice comes from the mouth of a 50-something, right?

Hell, most of the time I feel completely out of touch in this category myself… especially, as it turns out, when I’m getting schooled by a grey hair.

I’m jumping ahead.

This week: Ologie and Benefactor Counsel hosted a series of events for fundraising professionals and greater good leaders featuring Richard McPherson, author of Digital Giving.

I was lucky enough to attend two of the sessions focused on how to use social media to connect with new donors. And, I have to say – if you’re looking for a speaker who (1) totally gets social media, (2) has been there/done that credibility and (3) can deliver advice that is relevant, clear and actionable … well, this is the guy to call. I’m already integrating some of the things I learned.

Let me share a few highlights:

Set aside the scarcity mindset

• We need to move from the mindset of scarcity to one of abundance
  


• There are millions of potential donors out there; you just have to find a way to connect with them


• Online fundraising allows us to aggregate the resources of those scattered givers


• Your donors are older today, but it’s more a symptom of your fundraising efforts than it is a reflection of your true constituents


• 80% of Americans give to nonprofits every year (DMA 08)

Cause vs. Candidate

• Why has Obama been able to inspire so many first-time givers? The first thing he asks for isn’t money; it’s a commitment. He doesn’t ask for money until three or four communications in. First he makes you a stakeholder in his campaign – gives you a movement / an event / a task to be a part of


• One effective social tactic: Sign a pledge. People who get a chance to make a statement quickly become donors
  • 47% of people who give online did something else first


• People don’t emotionally connect to institutions; they connect with causes they can believe in
  • Ex. Give to the Library annual pledge vs. Thank a Librarian campaign
  • Ex. Nothing but Nets – the UN Foundations campaign to fight malaria


• The Internet rewards storytelling. It’s hard to tell a truly compelling “unrestricted gift” story

What's the strategy? There are no checkbooks on Facebook

 

• Fundraising is one step removed from a social media introduction


• Fundraising on the Web is more like “major gift” strategy than anything else. It’s about cultivation. Finding the right time and the right amount for a first gift


• Engage the person first; ask for money later


• Virtual volunteer recruitment is essential. Share your brand with your biggest advocates – let them take your message and “the ask” to their friends


• Add a function to your Web site that allows people to quickly qualify themselves (get them to register in exchange for something of value – ex. Field guide, “pet inside” fire sticker)


• The messenger is critical. You want that person / organization to create confidence. To endorse your organization’s brand.


• Focus on what the donor wants, not what the organization wants. For example, most online giving tools allow for anonymous giving, but organizations turn that off because they want to be able to track down the donor. If you allow it? Total donations increase 15 – 20%

The Web’s not just for small gifts

• 51% of the “wired wealthy” (middle and major donors) prefer to give online


• 80% already have (download Convio study)


• Why they like it: reduces administrative costs, has a sense of immediacy / ability to respond effectively to a crisis, gets them frequent flyer miles (yep, it’s a big number), makes it easier to track total donations over time


• Why they don’t like it: Worried that you’ll sell their personal information or deluge them with email

What are the tools?

• Ask yourself: If an opportunity presented itself today, are you ready to quickly communicate with all of your constituents? Do you have their email addresses, cell phone numbers, etc.?


• “Email is an old person’s medium. You have to be able to think beyond it.” But also use it strategically to reach boomers – it’s the bread & butter of their giving.


• The new free media is blogs. It’s “Information unfiltered by authority”


• 74% of people who give said an email about how a donation was spent would improve the chance that they give again (DMA 08)


• 3/4s said the Web site experience has a significant impact on it / how much they give

Budget for preparedness

• The challenge with disruptive technology is that there’s no proven ROI, no history


• It’s tough to fit that into the nonprofit planning model


• Need to set aside a certain percentage of the budget to prepare for what’s next – to experiment with how to connect with your new donors


• “Increasingly, the gap between have and have not organizations will be defined by how they have / have not embraced technology”

Why add mobile to your strategy?

• “Phones allow us to begin to compete with consumer spending instead of other charitable giving”


• Americans acknowledge that much of their spending is somewhat frivolous. It’s also spontaneous. So, today, it’s a sweater, but tomorrow it could just as easily be a contribution


• Today, mobile giving is challenged by total giving limits and administrative charges from providers. But, soon people will connect their Paypal accounts to their phones and giving will be much less restrictive


• Mobile partners: Mobile Accord, MobileCommons

Big takeaway: “You don’t teach your donors; your donors teach you” Donors are changing the rules of the game. It's up to us to learn it.

David Griner and The Social Path

If you totally trust the advice of Advergirl, no need to read on. Just click through this subscribe link and get a feed you're sure to love and thank me for. If you're tougher to convince, keep reading, I'll talk you into it.

It's been over a year and a half now since I hung up my blogging hat. No fanfare, no goodbye. I just wandered off after a decidedly questionable post on bug advertising.

Until, May of 07, when David Griner, a snarky AdFreak blogger, called me out on the disappearance. His "Where is Advergirl" post ended up flooding my inbox with "yeah, what the heck happened" notes and trackbacks from other bloggers echoing the sentiment. I was compelled to return to posting. Since then, David has been something of a big brother of blogging - peer pressuring me to try new social media (damn twitter) and calling bullshit when I head out too far into the land of ranting.

So, I'm very excited to tell you about his new blog: The Social Path.

TSP is a social media blog that tears down the jargon of our cliquey chat and replaces it with great examples, advice and ideas. More about it in David's own words:

Advergirl: Your latest brainchild - The Social Path - launched this week. What's the big idea behind it?

David: I love social media. I love talking about social media. But I've never really liked reading about social media. For every good blog on the topic, there are hundreds packed with vague rhetoric and self-promotion. We wanted to start an agency blog that was conversational, practical and digestible for the masses.

But to be honest, I just wanted a place to rant on the company's dime.

Advergirl: You write for advertising's leading publisher, plus have a growing family, a full-time ad job and a blog of your own, what made you decide to take on this new venture?

David: I seriously felt like my life was missing something. I love writing about cool and strange stuff for AdFreak, but I also wanted a place to talk at length about trends and technology. Yeah, it spreads me  little thinner, but I've gotten a lot of support from all three bosses: my creative director, the AdFreak editor and my wife. I forgot to check with the dog.

Advergirl: (Karen: If you want to contest the boss order there, we welcome your comment!) Anyway, David, who are you writing for this time around?

David: I'm trying to keep the luddites in mind. I want to demystify social media, make it seem less scary for businesses and ordinary people. But I still want it to be interesting for the people who already read tons of sites about networking, conversation, etc. I figure clients and potential clients probably fall somewhere between those two extremes.

Advergirl: The Social Path is pretty prominently sponsored by your home agency, Luckie & Co. Last I checked, your gig was copywriting there, not chief blogger. Is this launch the start of a new role for you?

David: Time will tell, I guess. For now, still contently plugging away as a copywriter.

Advergirl: I know we have a lot of readers who are interested in introducing their bosses, co-workers and clients to social media. What advice to you have for promoting and teaching social media?

David: You can talk all you want, but the easiest way is to actually help them set up a few accounts on sites like Facebook, Blogger or Twitter. Then walk them through the process of getting started. That's the toughest hurdle to get over. For that reason, I prefer one-on-one training instead of trying to convert the masses all at once.

Advergirl: Do you think every brand should embrace social media?

David: Embrace it? Probably not. But every brand should be experimenting with the possibilities and keeping an eye on trends. Last I checked, half of the Top 10 Web sites in the U.S. were social. That's a hell of a boat to miss.

Advergirl: Is social media marketing, customer service, product development, or something new entirely?   

David: Social media is just a way to communicate. But when companies use it, I think it should be seen as a mix of PR and customer service — except good.

Advergirl: What tool do you hope comes next?

David: I love the idea behind FriendFeed, but I hate the interface and I never end up using it. It would be great to have a site that easily combines all these other things I use: Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, etc. Lots of folks trying to do it, no one succeeding (yet).

Advergirl: What's the most un-social thing going on in social media today?

David: I still think about that MySpace suicide from time to time. It's becoming so easy for bullies to torment other kids online. Makes it more important than ever for parents and teachers to understand how all this technology works.

Advergirl: Now that you've spent some time with Lance, how would you weigh in on the Big Debate: Should he embrace the moniker Adverboyfriend? Or continue to seek his own identity?

David: I think he just needs to make Adverboyfriend his own, really feel out the potential. It worked for Dr. Girlfriend.

 

Ok, ready now? Visit the site. Or subscribe to the feed.

Local marketers who get it

Let's get physical for a moment, ad friends, with a couple of great examples of local marketing done right. Starting with agency work and wandering the whole way down to a homemade, hand-stuffed message from a local restaurant:

First up: The Women's Fund of Central Ohio Keyholder Event

This annual fundraiser supports grants to programs that promise social change for women and girls. Every year, they feature a well-known speaker. This year, it's Miriam Peskowitz, author of The Daring Book for Girls.

The invitation and Web site were created by Ologie (long before I arrived!) and - I think - powerfully bring to life the book, the theme and the cause. The pieces feel very high end for local greater good and have been received with something akin to delight.

AND- The Web site (again for a local market event) has been nominated for a Webby. Vote for it under Living / Events on the People's Voice.

Onto: The Makeup Counter at Nordstom

Talk about making a big brand personal! Nordstrom has always been known for service, but sometimes they outdo even themselves.

Recently, I went to the Laura Mercier counter to get a fab new lip gloss (seriously, baby doll gloss, you've got to have it) and was helped by a perfectly gracious associate.

Then, the following week, I got this hand-written note from her - thanking me for the purchase. That's a business card I was careful to save.

 

 

Finally: Figlio Restaurant in Grandview / Columbus

We've talked a lot lately about brands leveraging Twitter to listen to users - to find small problems before they get big; to uncover ideas that might make better products.

Peter and Laurie Danis, owners of Figlio, have perfected the old-school version of that.

They have a great personal story about tossing their law practices for the love of food. For caring about work with passion. So, they scan the local newspaper's career section every week. And, target people who've recently been promoted with a great little congratulations package:

A letter about your accomplishment. Their story. And a gift certificate for dinner. All asking that you share your celebration with them.

And, all bizarrely genuine.

 

 

Creative Class: Come to Columbus, OH

If I were to guess what the two biggest drivers of immigration to Columbus are, I'd say:

Love
And, longing

Love of a boy or girl who you must be near. Or longing for the kind of place you experienced briefly once --€“ maybe you went to school here or had family here or even grew up here and later moved away.

I was wandering around Barnes and Noble this weekend, kind of spinning my wheels waiting for adver-boyfriend to sate his periodicals addiction when I came across Who'€™s Your City by Richard Florida.

He kicks off with the assertion that where we live is the most important decision we make in life:

Finding the right place is as important as - €”if not more important than -€” finding the right job or partner because it not only influences those choices but also determines how easy or hard it will be to correct mistakes made along the way. ...The place we choose to live affects every aspect of our being. It can determine the income we earn, the people we meet, the friends we make, the partners we choose, and the options available to our children and families. People are not equally happy everywhere...

Florida's aim is largely to defend the importance of a sense of place vs. the encroaching genericism of globalization. Where you live does matter and is part of who you are.

It took me back to the very logical approach I took to relocating from Chicago to --€“ it turns out  -- Columbus. Books with city ratings were purchased. Web sites were bookmarked. Conversations with employers were had. And, none of it even got close to telling me how happy I'd be here.

Florida has a list of his own. The top cities by various lifestage criteria.

Columbus doesn't make his list. (Although it made a ton of others).

So, in the spirit of our conversation economy, I'm bringing my message here by answering the key questions that Florida posed:

1. How do you like the place you'€™re living now?
   
   I love living here. Surrounded by smart creative people, great neighborhoods and a really progressive culture.
   
   Columbus is one of those places that draws you to it. It'€™s got the personality of that one guy who everyone likes -- who is kind of a mellow cool, is ok with just about any kind of person or lifestyle, and is comfortable having a beer on the patio or out at a gourmet dinner (well, as long as he can wear jeans with his jacket).


2. Is it somewhere you really want to be?
   
   Yes, I could live anywhere. And, have lived in Chicago, Pittsburgh and small-town Appalachia. I actively choose to live here.


3. Does it give you energy? When you walk out onto the street, €”or the country lane, in the morning, does it fill you with inspiration, or stress?
   
   It absolutely gives me energy. And, when I'm out walking the dogs on the cobblestoned streets of my historic neighborhood or shopping in the sophisticated Short North, I'm almost guaranteed to be smiling.


4. Does it allow you to be the person you really want to be? Are you achieving your personal goals?
   
   I feel like I can achieve all my personal goals here --€“ the affordable cost of living and healthy economy are an ideal foundation for a professional life. And, the generally accepting vibe makes any lifestyle comfortable.


5. Is it a place you would recommend to your relatives and friends?
   
   I'€™ve been trying to get my sister to move here for years.

Short story: Columbus is the best place for me. And, for the creative class. They just don't all know it yet.

Check us out for Volume 2, Richard.

It should always be...

This EASY to use a press room:

The media room for Andy Beal's Radically Transparent offers enough content to power six news articles, four custom reviews, a buying decision and an ongoing relationship.

All in one place. All super easy to navigate.

This FUN to watch a branded video:

AKQA and Cake really fundamentally get it. It being social media and brands. You have to be able to take liberties - with yourself, your culture and your customers. You have to be able to delight and entertain and be completely different than a 30 second spot.

Little escapes the snark of this video from Pot Noodle. A piece that 200,000 people have already watched this month.

This PERSONAL to watch a recruitment video:

When Molly posted this video on Twitter, I had to ask her if it was sanctioned or organic ... the very simple delivery is so brimming with personality and conversation that I couldn't imagine it making it through any agency's self-marketing process.

But, somehow it did.

And, the simplicity of it - from an agency that COULD do anything - might just make it even more compelling.

This SIMPLE to share information:

Speaking of Twitter, I've been logged on for the past two days reading some of your favorite bloggers cover Ad Age's Digital Marketing summit in real time.

The posts include verbatims, analysis and a little argument. It's addictive.

This OPTIMISTIC to profile an audience:

After it sat for months on my teetering bedside stack of good intentions, I've finally picked up RenGen and dug in. Definitely my favorite industry book of this year... as much for its optimism as its smarts and illustrative examples.

Martin connects the dots from our creative and intellectual selves to a theory of renaissance that will define a generation.

2008 Holiday Gift Cards

First, the gift card version of the 'How Many Jelly Beans' jar:

How many different gift cards does Giant Eagle currently carry?

(Answer at the end of the post)

Even those of us not in the Big-Bird-Gift-Cards-for-Gas program have likely noticed the gift card gauntlet retailers are up against this year. The challenge: Personalize the ultimate impersonal gift. And, get the card-buying masses to wrap up yours.

Category leaders like Starbucks have enabled full personalization and design of their cards online - to the delight of caffeine-addled art directors the world over.

Borders, Circuit City and others are offering a simplified approach to personal design with a single photo upload. Home Depot's cards double as a CD of How-to tips for the DIYer on your list. And, the Big Boxes are going after the little box with entire catalogs of just-right-for-you card decor, from Barbie to the nearly-old-fashioned spotted dog.

If the personalization isn't enough to woo you, there's always old-fashioned bribery. LL Bean will give you a free tote for giving a card, Circuit City will reward buyers with an instant-win card to try your luck at a big holiday surprise for yourself, and most of the restaurants are trading 'cash back' cards for gift card sales.

But, all that said, there are two programs that I think are stand-outs this year.

First up, the Sears card. I was already doting over the nostalgia of the Wish Book when I saw these two winning cards: A water-paint gift card that lets the giver or getter paint the scene (just don't drop it in the snow) and a sticker-book kit that lets buyers deck out their cards. Great extensions of the childlike fun of the season and the nostalgia of family holidays.

Second, the Bob Evans gift card tin. Your choice of several snowy Bob Evans cards fit neatly in this cute brand tin. Considering that 88% of us (according to NRF) will buy at least two gift cards this year, the tin seems like a great add-on for the gift-giver - a place to store all their plastic cash without stretching out their wallets or pockets with the temporary cards.

Answer: Giant Eagle carries 275 different gift cards.

easyTXTR.com: Converse in the streets

Remember last year's 'Share your Secret' promotion in Times Square? P&G's Deodorant PR mavens took to the sidewalks, encouraging passersby to share their secrets on the giant NASDAQ and Reuters billboards nearby. A few thousand brave souls told their previously-closely-guarded tales via text messages, kiosks and the ShareYourSecret.com Web site (now defunct). The secrets ranged from "I’m afraid he’s falling out of love with me” to “I ate the last pudding!”  and effectively opened the brand to consumers & created a solid bit of buzz.

Fast forward to last weekend.

easyTXTR brought the same level of pop-up interactivity to Columbus' Short North with a projected display that enabled gallery hoppers to tell all - or nothing at all - on a real time outdoor conversation wall. On its first unveil, ~800 people sent funny moments, sports updates, and even a proposal.

I see this technology as a great opportunity to create real dialog around a brand without the usual fears associated with a long-term conversation online - complete with righteous admin tool and devastating stomach ulcers. This pop up tech lives in a real community (there's much less anonymity than online) and is point-in-time specific (meaning less opportunity to plot against the tech).

I'm seeing this on malls the day after Thanksgiving, at Festivals (captured on cell phones), at grand openings, etc ... anywhere a conversation builds the community & customer experience.

Experience it virtually here.

See video, pics, etc. here.

Kudos for Farmers Insurance approach

Tornados, fires, flying leisure boats ... yeah, you know - it's a prime time insurance ad. If there's no lizard in sight, they're selling one thing: the category. Insurance = peace of mind and there's some pretty scary stuff out there, buddy. Get thee to our web site before it's too late.

So, a quick nod to Campbell-Ewald and Farmers for a nice innovation -

The spots are stopping and fun, but the tagline really steps up the creative from selling the category to placing their brand in opposition of the category:

Sanity makes a come back

Post-Katrina, we all get it: It's one thing to have insurance; it's another thing to not have to fight about whether water damage is actually an insurable weather claim...

As much as I love the campaign, I've got to wonder if the writer has been given a bit toooo much rope. As the campaign goes on, it's starting to morph from stopping and fun to ... well, almost scary.

Branded back-to-school bet

Take a look at Saatchi's new niche marketing site for JCP - all about back-to-school.

According to their release, it's part of a huge investment in the high school demo. The site itself has a reality program featuring designers Chip and Pepper Foster, a contest to present at the Teen Choice Awards, and a couple of great style guide tools including this very fun mix-and-match your stereotype approach:

Offline, there's a seeding strategy for the site (mostly push through movie theater ads), a couple of well-done TV spots and - de rigeur with this audience - a mobile strategy.

All-and-all, a pretty tight campaign. But, I'm left with one objection: The content and the voice don't seem to match. The brand is in your face, but the content is really playful. There's a credibility gap - will a cynical teen audience really engage with this site and tools when there's so little that's organic in the strategy (from the seeding all the way through to the site content).

I think I'm looking for a consumer voice on the site ... something that opens up the brand. The difference between shaveeverywhere.com and Brawny Academy.

Thoughts on the campaign?