Koroberi Blog

Last week, some of my Koroberi coworkers and I participated in a “virtual event” sponsored by the American Marketing Association titled “Social Media: Cracking the Code for Business Marketers.”

I was armed and ready. I had circled the speakers that interested me and marked the conflicting time slots to remind myself to watch them on-demand later.

One problem: I couldn’t log in. I never even received my login information. Emails to the AMA were answered by an automated message assuring me that my “question would be answered within 24 hours.”

This is the equivalent of a locked entry hall door at a tradeshow. There were others in the same boat on Twitter, calling out to @marketing_power for help. The problem could have been solved faster had any of us known the hashtag for the event (it was #AMAVESM), but even that wasn’t released until after the webinar had already begun. We could “hear” bits and pieces of the presentations from some of the other Tweets, but it was akin to pressing a glass to a wall.

Once I was able to log in (piggybacking on a coworker’s information), I joined my conference and immediately found myself adjusting my speakers. The presenter’s audio was terrible! I had to “turn it up to 11,” my tinny computer speakers threatening mutiny.

There were some strong lessons to be had, though most of it not about social media. It was about how to do (or not do) a virtual event” Now that I’ve had a week to think about this, I’ve compiled a list of guidelines for coordinating and running a virtual event.

1)    Ensure that attendance links are sent out in advance - not when the “doors open.”
Even after I logged in, I had to update my Mozilla and restart my computer. I would have appreciated the chance to update earlier in the morning (even if I didn’t take the opportunity to do so!)

2)    Post the event hashtags to your Twitter account – not within the event!
For those that couldn’t join the conference, it’s nice to be able to catch a glimpse through a Twitter search feed.

3)    Powerpoints are never glamorous – but please give us good audio.
The high-pitched ringing of my speakers made an introductory topic painful to listen to and likely caused several audience-members to tune out.

4)    Consider how the user will interact with the speakers and others.
The presentation was located in a “pop up” window but the chat was housed in my main browser. I lost the presentation “underneath” my browser windows and couldn’t efficiently watch the presentation and chat at the same time.

5)    Always provide the information for on-demand viewing.
Bravo, AMA. The Virtual Event is still on demand here. Yes, that’s a typo in the link. No, that’s not my typo…

That being said, we applaud the AMA for putting the event together. We can’t all dedicate a day in our local city to attend a conference that only has one or two applicable presentations, let alone fly out to Beverly Hills or San Francisco, so virtual events are a helpful and cost-effective alternative.

On a side note, we’re breaking out the popcorn and watching one of these this afternoon!

The agency RFP process, widely criticized by agencies to the point that it’s even driven some to strike, has been covered extensively by authors voicing opinions for fixing or refining the age-old procedure (see examples below). While it’s easy to recommend ways to amend the clearly challenging and expensive RFP process, the question remains – once you’ve chosen to participate in a pitch, how can you tell if and when you should politely decline to participate?

For example, we recently pitched an account from a large global corporation headquartered in Wisconsin. The new VP of marketing visited twice, provided guidance during the process and informed us that we were finally shortlisted for the actual pitch, going against two mega agencies. We felt the love, the interest and the validity.

Fast forward to post-pitch and D-day. We did not win the account. Oh well, it happens all the time. A big deal and yet not a big deal - simply part of “our” business model as a marketing agency. Despite the fact that RFP’s are time-consuming and cost a bunch of money (research, creative, media planning, presentation, travel, etc), we understand the risks and rewards going in eyes wide open.

But here’s the thing. When we reviewed our January website analytics, we noticed a startling fact - over the entire three-month duration of the pitch, we did not receive one single site visit from Wisconsin headquarters. Not one. We also found that zero corporate stakeholders had taken the time to review our personal or corporate profiles on LinkedIn. The oversight of not noticing this earlier suddenly dawned on us. We were so deep into the pitch and so busy with the work that we never took the time to review the facts. And the facts spoke to a lack of interest in spite of the personal visits, emails and telephone calls from the delegated corporate coordinator.

We would have noticed this apparent lack of interest much earlier by keeping a closer eye on our collection of analytics, and could have responded by withdrawing and allocating our time, effort and dollars more appropriately. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

So you can bet that the next time we pitch, we’ll be monitoring our web traffic and other analytics, gauging interest throughout the process and staying absolutely on top of our newly designated “interest-o-meter.” For our clients, we embed and apply metrics to practically everything that we do, and we’re held accountable by them. It’s now time to put the same process to work in our pitching. Embed the metrics, analyze them daily and make decisions based on facts, not feelings. Because despite what we want to believe, love has nothing to do with it.

Related links:

http://fuelingnewbusiness.com/2010/02/20/belgium-ad-agencies-strike-to-protest-unfair-new-business-pitch-process

http://www.experiencetheblog.com/2009/02/why-agency-rfirfp-process-is-contrary.html

http://digitalseachange.blogspot.com/2009/01/fixing-clientagency-rfp-process.html

As the New Year rolls around, everyone inevitably compiles the usual list of resolutions: lose weight, eat better, Tweet more often, watch TV less, etc. Here at Koroberi, we’ve compiled a short list of resolutions that we feel will bring more value to our clients in 2010. Below are my media and marketing resolutions for the New Year.

1. Don’t let clients engage in social media without them knowing why.

Too often, B2B companies see social media as simply creating a Facebook page, adding a Twitter account or uploading videos to YouTube. It’s our job to help them see the big picture. Identifying key objectives, understanding customer behavior and devising a detailed strategy are paramount to any successful marketing initiative, so why shouldn’t that apply to a social media campaign?

2. Create measurable metrics for all social media activities.

Once upon a time, social media was seen as the “immeasurable medium” that offered no identifiable metrics, therefore making it impossible to calculate ROI. Those days are history. With tightened budgets and uneasy executives making marketing decisions, creating quantifiable metrics and demonstrating ROI can make the difference between a successful social media campaign and one that never gets off the ground.

3. Move beyond email marketing.

I won’t go as far as saying that email is dead, but there is an oversaturation of email marketing in the B2B space. What was once an affordable, fairly simple form of advertising has deteriorated into a spam-ridden vehicle utilized by many and read by few. So what’s next? SMS advertising? Social search marketing? Online video sponsorship? How about a return to direct mail now that the receipt of a letter has become a rarity?

Yesterday, when Reed Elsevier announced the intention to sell off the majority of its RBI publications, while retaining those that “fit well with [their] plans”* we were taken aback. Sure, it’s “happening everywhere” in the print magazine industry, and this is not the first we’ve heard of RBI’s sale but it’s difficult to accept that a major player in the business can just throw up their hands and walk away.

It seems that North American trade press has been hit even harder than mainstream news. What’s the future of B2B communications while print flounders?

For many, the answer is a move to digital media - whether by offering an optional digital format of the magazine or a full-service Web site that includes articles, blogs, comments and news feeds. Content that is consistantly updated in real-time is the lifeblood of these sites and has become integral to the SEO strategies of companies fighting to maintain relevancy in a saturated online market.

The move to all-digital formats makes sense for many of these publications. After all, many of their readers are stationed at a computer or near their Blackberry/Palm/iPhone most of the day, so a digital media form makes sense.**

In order for these endeavors to succeed, these publications will have to become integrated; that is to say, it will likely have to go above an offering of a .pdf version of a magazine.  These sites should become the “hub” for their readers; a place where content is shared, readers become part of the conversation and remain engaged and informed. for digital magazines and Web sites for many of these trade publications.

Among all trade publishers, Reed publications have generated arguably the largest online media presence. Many have adopted not only a digital format (which I’m thankful for, on behalf of trees and my recycling bin), but also blogs, vlogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts. They saw the writing on the wall, got creative and adapted at a breakneck speed, exceeding the expectations of many. These sites do not behave like stereotypical, flat B2B trade pub Web sites – they are dynamic, interesting and content-rich. What more could you ask for?

I have faith that these publications, bolstered by their web-savvy editors, will emerge from the chopping block even stronger than before. I hope that investors can see the value in these publications, the bargain price they’re going for and, moreover, the influence and respect they have in their respective markets. To all of the editors that we have worked with here at Koroberi, we will see you on the flip side – and be sure to comment on your blog.

*(including the construction units Reed Construction Data US & Canada and RS Means, entertainment units Variety, Marketcast, LA411 and Buyerzone)

**I did see a few copies of a familiar B2B software magazine at the gym a few weeks ago, where admittedly reading from a screen is a bit difficult.

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We recently interviewed George Wright, VP of Marketing, and Kels Goodman, Video Producer, of Blendtec. They are the creators of the popular YouTube videos series, Will It Blend?, which has generated over 200 million views. They spoke to us about the inspiration for the series, the goals behind the campaign, the keys to social media, and how it relates to B2B marketing and corporate culture. They even gave a shout out to Koroberi. It is our video after all.

Watch the video here and share with your friends and colleagues. We have also posted this on YouTube so you can embed the video in your own blog if you want.

With the recent bushfires in Australia, the worst in the nation’s history, social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and Flickr has kept people informed and in touch. According to an article from the Australian newspaper, The Age, “Mainstream news outlets, battling to provide comprehensive coverage of the tragedy, have incorporated accounts published on the social networking sites extensively in their reports.”

The people on the ground had better access to the tragedy happening around them, and mobile and web tools gave them the outlets to get this information out to the rest of the world. Even the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, used his Twitter account to talk to his 7,000 followers to provide links to emergency government assistance and ways to donate.

More and more people are tapped into these social networks, and the outpouring of content continues to grow with every major event. Tragedies feel bigger because we can put a human face on them. We read the words and we see the pictures as they happen. And acts of heroism get magnified for the same reason.

Lots of companies in the B2B space offer webinars about marketing, public relations and social media, among other topics. The purpose of these is two-fold. The first is to present useful information to participants who have signed up to learn about the topic. The second is to promote the company running the webinar. If the material is well presented and offers real insight into the topic, participants leave with a good feeling about the company. That’s a positive brand experience. But if you feel like you just wasted an hour out of your busy day, that does not reflect well on the presenting, or sponsoring, company.

I recently sat in on two webinars from two companies and had two very different experiences, mainly due to their incorporation of web conversational tools into the presentations. Based on these two examples, here is a list of five things to look for at the beginning of a webinar to determine if it is worth your time. If you are planning a webinar, keep these things in mind to provide a better experience to your customers and potential customers.

1. Provide Twitter address for questions and comments
If the webinar leaders do not announce a way to interact with the presenters during the seminar, this is a broadcast not a conversation. Twitter is the most common way to take questions during a live presentation. If you can’t ask questions, this will limit your involvement in the presentation. Sometimes presenters’ points need to be clarified, and if there’s no way to do that during the webinar, you are left shaking your head.

2. Hashtag to follow conversation on Twitter
A hashtag is a keyword or abbreviation placed anywhere in a tweet, or twitter message, that tags the message as part of a larger conversation. There may be an official hashtag for a webinar or event, or sometimes participants agree on hashtags as they go. This is one of the strongest benefits of an online presentation. Participants can connect and communicate about the topics being presented. It is also a great way to share information and knowledge that expands the presented information. By following the Twitter backchannel of a webinar, you can engage with new contacts who are also interested in the subject of the webinar. From the presenters’ side, it generates Twitter buzz as lots of people tweet the company’s name (if that’s the hashtag).

3. Contact information for presenters
Whether the webinar offers a means to ask live questions during the presentation or not, you need to be able to contact the presenters after the webinar. Questions might come up after the presentation and you will want to follow up. Again, there might have been a good point in the webinar, but if you can’t clarify the details, the point is not made.

4. Way to get presentations later
Just like you might want to contact the presenters after the webinar, you might also want to get a copy of their presentation. Slide Share is a common option for posting presentations. These presentations allow you to easily share ideas and concepts with colleagues and clients who were unable to participate in the webinar.

5. Video
And finally, more companies are using video to present their ideas. It is a much more engaging medium than audio. Sometimes it is just easier to follow a talk if you can see the speaker and watch their facial expressions. This is not a dealbreaker for a successful webinar, but as people get more comfortable with video, this will become a requirement.