Marketing and Life

I’ve discovered a new niche of readily identifiable expectant moms, 17 to be exact, …in Gloucester, Mass.

I'm probably too late. Some “savvy” marketer is probably already zeroing in on them. He's determined that these are echo booming, millennial Y’s that love self expression, are more likely (and this is obvious) to have more children earlier in life. They are parenting oriented and not as anal as their X’er counterparts but brands are big in their lives and they have no idea that the future steadily approaches. (Not my conclusions, this is from a qualified study. Honest.)

I can hear the marketer licking his lips now, as they will build a program that plays on the emotional press revolving around this recent and tragic off line event. Hell, we can turn it into a game to be played by children of all ages. Because that’s what it was. Stupid is as stupid does, Forest…

I wish all 17 girls the best of luck. Hopefully they and the community will embrace their new lives with love and affection.

It seems that every day someone is claiming discovery of a new niche of moms. And, we often joke about the myriad useless facts that revolve around moms and in the name of relevant targeting. You can’t step sideways without someone working at establishing their credibility and spewing forth official sounding and worthless trivia.

But, put together a couple stand alone facts, like how there were 111,190 births to women over 40 in 2005 and 10% of births that same year were from (kids) 15 – 19 years of age and you can make some sense of it all. Conclusion; approximately 88% of births in the US are to moms between the ages of 20 – 39.

This makes things mildly challenging for anyone targeting an event (motherhood) and age. Why? The behaviors of the two generations that occupy that space are pretty different. Those behaviors originate in the attitude of the people in each end of that spectrum and how you achieve relevance in their world might never be more complex.

Fortunately, (or not), there is commonality. Both generations are miffed about the amount of advertising that is thrust at them from every corner. Really, I’m not lying. Seventy three percent (73%) are tired of marketers (us!) directing ads at their kids. Nearly half feel that marketing and advertising is out of control. Emphasis on “...out of control.”
(Yankelovich & Strottman International Study)

Now, that's information worth chewing on. We've been espousing for some time that Interruption is a dead art, (Now, 3 out of 4 moms agree…) To some, unfortunately, it’s still a dead horse that needs frequent re-killing. Those that practice interruption will soon learn that the upcoming generations of moms do want great brands...just not the ones that accost them and leave bruises. Think “cool and “unique...”

By the way, 17 new moms in Gloucester didn't make a dent in the more than 400,000 births to (kids) under the age of 20 each year. Still...

IAB Social Media & UGC Conference

It's a known fact that by attending a marketing conference one will witness a mixed bag of presentations. Some will have great speakers with little substance. Others will struggle through every word but have remarkable ideas. It's rare to see both the positive or negative aspects coupled together, but it does happen. Unfortunately, a 'panel' format with several people on stage fielding moderator questions doesn't allow for either extreme, produces a series of sound-bites, and few meaningful takeaways.

This was my frustration with the IAB Social Media and UGC Conference recently in NYC. Too much panel chatter, hyperbole, and few learnings. Even though several panels included, many would consider, leading social media marketing practitioners, I believe a watered-down version of their knowledge was delivered. The panel format put a constraint on the depth explored on every topic.

Since attending I've considered another option -- everyone is reading from the same playbook and serious uncertainty exists around successful social media marketing and where it is going. The next conference for me will have fewer panels.

40% of all the mothers in America on MySpace

Rupert Murdoch, at the All Things Digital conference, made the statement "we have 40% of all the mothers in America on MySpace."

Is he serious? And specifically what did he mean? Certainly 40% of moms in America don't have a MySpace page. Did he only mean Gen Y moms? Still implausible. Or maybe he meant that 40% of moms have SEEN a MySpace page. This is a more likely scenario. And he likely knows this to be the truth, especially since the statement was made in the context of comparing MySpace to its competitor Facebook. It would have been more useful if he had made an accurate statement instead spinning the truth in this way.

I'd still like to know the facts, if anyone can enlighten me. kevin. burke[at]lucidmarketing.com

Getting (more) Social (again...)

When was the precise moment you moved from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0? You haven't, yet? Man, you must be old school...

We (us at Lucid, that is) have been mulling research into how the evolution of the Internet has been reflected in people's behavior. Perhaps it is as simple as asking, “What did you do then? What do you do now?” In one way, we are trying to track this evolution toward Web 2.0, but the answers have been elusive. Therefore, I suspect it requires a more exact science. Or a better question...like, “What behaviors change as users are attracted to and participate in social networks?”

Then, lo and behold, Universal McCann completes an extensive study involving 17,000 active Internet users in 29 countries, shedding light about online social behaviors. (Universal McCann’s “Power to the People, Social Media Tracker Wave 3)

There's a lot to digest in the work and we won't do more than scratch the surface here. My immediate interest was captured early on with how the Internet has become the social media of choice; or has it?

A wonderful summary follows:

“Social media is an important shift, as it summarizes the importance of interaction, the consumer and the community. The term emphasizes the idea that as a collective it can have as much impact as any traditional media platform.

In truth, to claim social media as “new” is slightly misleading. From the beginning, the Internet was founded on message boards, chat rooms and peer to peer communication. What has changed is the mass involvement that modern social platforms inspire.

Contributing to the Internet has never been as accessible and less technical. Innovations in web development, computing technology and the proliferation of broadband have come together (to) drive monumental consumer take up. This is why the phenomenon of social media is important now – it has the potential to impact on all our media consumption therefore shifting the emphasis from professional content producers to the consumer.”

You don't need the study to validate that people are generating content, more now than ever before. Per the study, 73% of people have read a blog. And what are those blogs about? They’re about family and personal experiences. For brands, this can be very revealing. Interaction with brands is a personal and relevant experience for many. For those that write, these interactions are the stuff of life and the seeds for publishing.

The implication is for business to do more than dabble in the medium. It is apparent that the rules for customer service have shifted in favor of the consumer. No longer do they need to accept mediocrity – their opinions can be expressed without reservation, and in many cases without any semblance of manners. The attacks can be brutal and semi-honest. Hell hath no wrath like a consumer scorned.

Need more to cement the idea firmly in place? Here's standing proof that brands/businesses must meet the consumer head on in the “space.”

Social media impacts your brands reputation

– 34% post opinions about products and brands on their blog

- 36% think more positively about companies that have blogs

So with this all in mind, we come to realize that the use of the Internet's social capacity is not new but merely becoming more powerful, potent and ever present. With that comes the strain on weak consumer facing systems and any inability to meet the consumers' expectations. A less than positive experience invites the avalanche of negative press, in a world where you can't call the publisher to remind her how much your brand spends on advertising. Aaahhh, a topic for another day.

Social Media is all the rage!

Social Media is all the rage! Social Media is all the rage! Social Media is all the rage!

Yes, we drink the Kool-Aid too…

Tapping into today's social media tools is useful for making connections and building personal relationships. Marketers and the brands they serve can benefit as well. But what exactly defines "social media?" Is it just the new shiny object that attracts the crowds or the most efficient means by which to engage consumers and build relationships? Think about it.

We're overtly enthusiastic; however, we have not forgotten what got us here. It's all about good marketing.