O’ the lessons to be learned from daily life. How we humans drift away from the simplicity of life to make things multi-layered, extremely complex and place things on a path to their ultimate demise. Not trying to be apocalyptic .;)

Yes, I’m sure for some of you that have read my rants you already know that I feel that the majority of complex situations are the outcome of human involvement. At the core, at the very inner workings of all systems surely problems will eventually arise. They can usually be solved rather easily, but we have built systems of layers that filter simple problems and allow them to percolate into our delicious world of complexity.

And now…..drifting back on course:) Enter the radically simple show Undercover Boss. Should we be surprised by the success of the show? Or, should we realize that this is a fine example of simply tapping into the collective vein of the populations‘ consciousness and delivering a mass deliverable that can be uniquely personalized by each individual viewer? Yes, a mass item that can be uniquely personalized by an audience where the end result is that that it engages people for 17-22 minutes ( I subtracted commercial time:)

Isn’t this what we are trying to do as marketers? Relate to people by connecting to a universal truth that lives inside of everyone - that simply gets translated by a person’s own life experiences and allows them to have/create a deeply personal and meaningful internal event inside of them? One that is always connected back to the brand that evoked the strong emotional response - forming a life-long connection? Or, in this “cult of speed” world a bond that lasts at-least until we are able to touch them again to rekindle that emotion.:0

What a great show that taps into the every man/women feeling that exists at the core of the human condition. People just want to be understood. This show is simply a vehicle for demonstrating a clever way of taking the CEO out off the boardroom and onto the front lines with everyone else. It’s done so beautifully simple that everyone can sit in their recliner and relate - this show has a connected meaning and relevance to everyone - even those that haven’t tuned in yet. Even the CEO’s that are rocked back on their recliner - yes it’s that powerfully simple. I can only hope that they don’t tinker with the simplicity of the show as I’m sure WOM will grow the audience. As marketers, I hope that we too continue to try to find something so relatable, so connectable for our audiences that we too can engage them with their emotional rolodex. That this universal truth that we discover have an unmistakable connected meaning and relevance to our client’s brand, and their audience so that we can deliver simple, yet remarkably powerful brand experiences from now until the end of time.

AHHHHHHHH..It’s good to be back. I was dealing with the loss of my mother so I needed to regroup ... back to the madness that lives inside my head;)

Talk to any garden variety hippie :) and they’ll tell you that they wake up everyday and set their day’s intentions. They’ll go into great detail about what they want to happen that day and they will visualize it happening and set their intentions. While to some this may seem like a total waste of time - it isn’t. Furthermore, there is a lot to be learned regarding the power of intent and how it relates to what we do for a living

Hold on. Here comes a bit of an A.D.D diatribe - I apologize in advance:)

Camus once stated that, “We can’t create experience, we must undergo it.” If we attempt to translate that into a relevant statement for marketers it simply means that all we can do is open up streamlines of opportunities for consumers with the programs we build. When I say that, I mean to say that we can craft a fully IMC plan with the INTENTION of having a consumer have the most desirable brand experience. However, we are limited to only creating the possibilities that this experience will occur. As Camus stated, we can’t actually create the experience. If we could then every marketer in the world would be touting ridiculously amazing case studies because every IMC plan that was created would turn out exactly as intended - a great experience!

The reality, of course, is that there are different modalities of experience - every consumer experiences marketing programs differently - regardless of the marketer’s intent. We are all very different creatures, and furthermore each of us is simply a summation of our own life experiences. Therefore, there are no two people that are identical - even identical twins aren't truly identical.

The question is simple. Why, as a marketer, should we care about consumer intent. Really, it has everything to do with entire behavior patterns ... but. simply put, it is the BIGGEST difference between understanding our audience to determine if we are delivering a brand experience when our audience will be most receptive to it. It’s the difference between consumers rolling out their welcome mat or curling up to an intrusive marketing effort. In part 2 I’ll talk about how to insure you do it right by exploring the consumer’s journey.

The feeling is everywhere. I’m sure you've had numerous conversations about it with everyone from co-workers to close friends - you can even feel it in the air. Everyone seems to be tangled up in an emotional spider web of doubt and disillusion.

Everyone seems to be wanting to simplify things - they want to slow things down. Unfortunately, everyone has finally come to the realization that they unknowingly joined the cult of speed that has taken over our lives. Never before has it been drawn into this sharp of focus. The world is moving incredibly fast, and we all seem to have allocated less time for the things that mean the most to us.

As marketing professionals what can we do to connect to what seems like an unconnectable audience?

It is clear, now more than ever, brands need to hit the pause button - do a quick inventory of their current marketing mix - and adjust immediately. You can almost feel it in the air. The audiences aren't paying attention to anything that corporations are putting forth because in their overwhelmed state it's as if everything has just become noise. My suggestion, of course, is to really get your brand out there using a myriad of tactics that's not just messaging them, but providing an extreme amount of high perceived value at every touchpoint.

This may require some brands to completely abandon their current strategies, but let's all be honest with ourselves - it's needed. I've been writing about the shifting marketplace. And, it's now gotten to the point where you can feel it. The audience's attitudes are the collective mindset of the marketplace. Brands need to agile and learn to connect using experiential marketing methodology on both traditional medias and new medias.

By: Dr. Neal Burns

Every once in a while I think that we need to look at some rather traditional and standard approaches to marketing decisions - stuff that has merit and has worked - and examine how experiential advertising efforts intersect with contemporary business practice.  And, as the "experiential" work moves from "alternative" to "mainstream" - and expected -the data base available grows. The relationship of the measured experience and delivery at brand touchpoints to the constructs of premium vs. price-based , estimates of market share and other marketing considerations will become more important as part of the experiential proposal.  Erik (if-it's-Tuesday-I-must-be-in-New-Delhi) Hauser and I want us all to look smart as this evolution rolls forward.

So, as we try to establish guidelines and best practices to help promote both the effectiveness and acceptance of experiential advertising what can we adapt from marketing theory that helps bring these two disciplines together. (Whoops - Is experiential advertising a discipline - a topic for another day I suspect.)  I suggest that a good starting place is to look at those categories that are dominated by a leader - e.g., beer, athletic shoes, hybrid cars - and what we would suggest for those in second - or third, or fourth - place.

Leaders maintain their position by steadfast innovation - year after year, season after season.  The next in line need innovation plus precise targeting.  For those that are persuadable (a term I will always attribute to Jack Supple) relevance of the offer and its presentation are the moves that encourage not only trial, but also cause a re-shuffling of the considered set.  And, the offer and presentation are the stuff of experiential advertising. The promise experiential advertising mavens can make to their potential customers must be clearly slotted in that direction and speak to the likelihood of increasing relative market share - and of providing irrefutable evidence of engagement. 

Hello Readers of the EMF Blog! I apologize for the decrease in frequency of my posts, but I am dealing with a family illness.

Also, we just launched a new research channel for the EMF. This section is intended to help al brands and practicioners better understand events that are done using experiential methodology.

Having said that - TIME TO TAKE THE GLOVES OFF for part #3.

In part #2 I wrote

Today, everyone knows that the activation budget/media buy needs to be a healthy sum of money in order to reach the intended amount of the mass audience.  Especially since there are reports floating around that it takes 40-plus airings of a commercial to yield the same result of just 4 to 5 airings a few years ago. The media landscape is that much more fragmented. In any case, it is clear that there are two things that need to be taken into consideration: the quality of the spot and the quantity of the times that it runs. Both of these things require substantial spending for a chance at success.

In essence, when you are classifying event marketing as the mass channel that it is let me say this. Event marketing is the most effective media for the key consideration metrics dollar for dollar vs. any mass channel that exists today.

Yes, you heard me correctly, when strategized and activated properly - Event Marketing and Live Brand Experiences are THE most effective media. AND, the effectiveness of this channel only increases when amplified with digital and additional traditional medias.

It’s been a long week, but I thought I’d start to kick up the dirt for next week because it’s time to align reality with perception.

Have a great weekend ... Look for lots of dirt to fly next week.;) AHHHHHH I love this place;0

Let’s begin to think about other mass channels and the current thinking applied there - let’s start with the oldest and most famous traditional mass channel - the good ole’ TV commercial!

It’s certainly been a round a long time, and when used properly, it’s certainly a great component to any integrated marketing campaign.  I say this, of course, taking into consideration that a brand is working with substantial dollars, and not in a situation in which it’s working with slashed budgets. Sound familiar?

When working on a TV spot - whether a 15-, 30- or 60-second spot — the tried-and-true media planning and buying methodology will break down the cost of the spot into a few quantifiable buckets.  How many buckets exactly?  Lets just say that it’s about 3 to 5 separate buckets, not counting the cost for ideation.

We’re talking about the mechanics of the spot itself. (Please note that I am not a media buyer so I’m applying a beginner’s perspective to this process. I apologize in advance.) There’s the pre-production costs and all the advance work needed to kick-start the production. Site and talent scouting, procurement, scheduling, troubleshooting, etc….there’s a bunch of money set aside for these kinds of things.

Then there’s the actual filming of the commercial. If you’ve even been on the set and seen the amount of down-time that marketers pay for, you’ll know that there’s a lot more spending going on than actual filming. The guy that turns the fan on and off every time the director calls “rolling” or “cut” is a union worker, folks. He gets paid more than a grade school teacher. And we’re paying him. Please note: it’s extremely important to realize that all of these dollars are being spent before the commercial is even close to making it in front of the very first consumer.

If you want the commercial to be any good you must spend anywhere from $500,000 - $10 MM into a good spot depending on location, the talent level, special effects, post-production, etc. There’s a lot that goes into a good spot, and all of it is pretty damn expensive.

So now that we have bought a TV spot, we need to activate it. So what’s the activation budget that comes with it? This is crucial because the activational pot of money determines when and where your spot will be aired.  These are critical issues because of the metrics used to measure traditional TV advertising.

Today, everyone knows that the activation budget/media buy needs to be a healthy sum of money in order to reach the intended amount of the mass audience.  Especially since there are reports floating around that it takes 40-plus airings of a commercial to yield the same result of just 4 to 5 airings a few years ago. The media landscape is that much more fragmented. In any case, it is clear that there are two things that need to be taken into consideration: the quality of the spot and the quantity of the times that it runs. Both of these things require substantial spending for a chance at success.

So why spend the money? Well, common wisdom says that it’s the best way to reach the most people. But even if this is true (which I don’t think it is), is it worth the price? To many forward-thinking marketers, it might not be.

The traditionalists who are sticking to their 30-second guns dismiss event marketing as too much money for too little eyeballs (as if eyeballs was all that mattered!). But if you just looked at the amount of dollars they are throwing at an ever-elusive audience, you would be smart to rethink their reasoning.

If it takes $500,000 to create and shoot a commercial, it might take another $3 million to buy the time to air it…hoping that media buyers’ algorithms will be successful in getting the spot in front of the intended audience. In other words, for a traditional TV ad campaign, you will need to spend much more to activate a spot than to create it.

But if you built an experiential footprint to show up at events, for instance, or created a pop-up retail experience for $500,000, your activational budget is already baked into the cost of the campaign. You may have spent half-a-million bucks to reach the first consumer, but you won’t spend any more on reaching millions more afterwards. Can we say the same thing about traditional TV advertisement?

It’s often comical to see brand managers fret over a $100,000 event marketing or trade show budget line-by-line, but think nothing of approving $25,000 for craft services on a Hollywood set. The common misperception that a TV spot will get you the mass audience – while event marketing is too niche and not scalable – is totally erroneous and ridiculous.

And we’re not even going to start talking about the value of the audience interaction itself. What do you think resonates more with a consumer, a TV spot or a marketing experience? And what do you think the value of that engagement is? What leads more to purchase consideration, understanding of the brand, and word-of-mouth referrals – a TV commercial or a memorable event marketing campaign?

Right. So where’s the confusion, folks? And now we’re just getting warmed up…….Stay tuned at Chief Marketer

 Howdy Nation, As promised we've been hard at work with our partners at IMI regarding getting a new, stronger experiential marketing research section up and running. The press release will go out tomorrow. You can expect to see this section updated with something new at the beginning of each month. We are also talking about how/where/when we will be conducting more research to keep the community informed and ahead of their competition at all times.:) There is a banner on the homepage http://www.experientialforum.com/ You will need to visit the EMF and log-in to get the first three pieces that got the New Research Section up and running on time.:) My friends............we now set sail to be able to present our clients with hard facts that will enable us to continue to grow our businesses. All the best, Erik

 Just a quick thought.........

I have got to tell you that I love to hear the latest and greatest buzzwords.  They are absolutely awesome - sometimes they are so clever that I even wish I trademarked them myself.  My favorite to date has been tryvertising, but there are a 1,000 buzzwords that could come in a VERY close second place. Tryvertising - honestly - where is the bucket because that word makes me want to throw up!:)

There’s the old saying that half of all advertising is complete BS, and that only the trick is to figure out which half.  This makes me laugh because when you think about this statement and cross pollenate it with the factory of buzzwords it really does make one question the state of the industry.  

Of course this begs the question - What is real?  What will be eternally great and will never simply be a buzzword or the flavor of the week?

One thing is for certain - Experiential Marketing Methodology is not a buzzword or a flavor of the week.  It’s a tried and true customer-centric marketing methodology that is media agnostic.  It can take place on any media.  It doesn’t have to be tactile in nature, but certain medias lend themselves to better utilize different parts of the methodology.  For example, print ads allow us to tug on the audience’s emotional Rolodex by using compelling imagery.  Live events allow us to engage the 5 senses while other medias also have their attributes and faults.  But, in the end, each can claim a piece of the experiential pie.

It’s a true statement to say that people attempt to pervert the meaning of the word or interpret it for their own capitalistic purposes.  Or,  in some cases, people are simply just looking for a salient differentiator between their company and their competition.  What they often fail to recognize is that by slanting a well-known methodology into something it isn’t simply makes them look silly.:(   When will they ever learn:)

Vive le marketing experiential

A Note from the Good Professor . . .
Dr. Neal Burns

In a very direct sense, the initial interest in experiential advertising theory and tactics was a reaction to - what appeared to some - as a lose of effectiveness in the 30 second spot or the interest in gaining the center spread with a four color double truck in a special interest publication. The chaos that resulted brought many of us to examine the business models upon which the traditional agencies were built and the theories that seemed to stem from A.I.D.A - a linear scheme that ignored the independence of the audience. The combination of new technology and a huge cultural shift in terms of values and attitudes in the past 10 years were to the best of us, confusing - and to many so threatening that denial appeared as a reasonable reaction - "This is just a phase - soon we'll get back to normal."  

Alternative advertising techniques gained share of mind - and share of budget - and not only experiential but also interactive, consumer generated content and the rapid growth in numbers and influence of social networking moved from being considered "fringe" to a position in the center of campaign planning.

To the extent that advertising practice and its business model - along with many other media related enterprises - is going through change and upheaval, examining these social networks and exploring the impact of blogs , chat , e-mail, Twitter , Facebook - and the others - is an interesting and critical new dimension. Looking at its impact and using those resources clearly augments our experiential efforts and, as the recent results at the Advertising Festival in Cannes showed, may replace much of traditional advertising (Check out page 1 of the 6/29 issue of AdAge) . . . we are in a period that Bob Garfield call "the post-advertising era".

All in all, this is a great time to be involved in this business. And the EMF is an ever-improving resource for those of us trying to understand wotinthehell is going on. You guys agree?

I’m sitting here in my hotel mentally prepping for another trek back to the states, but I felt this overwhelming urge to get this one out of my system at this very moment. Let me first say that I know that there are a myriad of factors that play into retail. There are several things that are out of the retailers’ control, but we have big boxers and small boxers that have simply killed themselves by not controlling their eco-system properly.

Let me clearly state that I visit retail outlets often. They are part of my routine, and I enjoy the experience that they offer. However, none of that matters if my experience doesn’t end with me dragging my feet to the register. This, of course, begs the question why don’t the majority of my retail visits end at the register and usually end with me simply discarding my overpriced coffee on the way out?

It’s simple. Besides the fact that their pricing models are ridiculous, they are so so so very far from cracking the C3 model.

That’s right. I’m back to beating that drum. C3 — Convenience, Control and Choice — dominate the marketplace! If you offer your customers this you will win the game, dominate the market and put the competition out of business.

This rant, for wanting to come in under 20,000 words, is simply going to be relegated to my recent music purchases. Yes, people are paying for music. For me, it’s about properly compensating an artist for the work that they perform, but for some others it’s because the RIAA and labels finally raised the pain threshold so high that the thought of even having to try to find a place to steal the music seems daunting.

So, for argument’s sake — let’s say that we have people that are wanting to purchase music — who is going to get the consumer that’s in play?

I walked into a nameless book store to buy some books and peruse the album selection as I went to hunt down my mom and stepfather. I saw the new Matt Kearney that I really wanted to buy. If you can imagine, it was $18.99. I almost burst into laughter. The retailer just made me go away. I was astonished. It was $18.99 take it or leave it, monologue pricing. There has to be a better way to sell music in these outlets. Let’s think, shall we.

I went home and logged on and went to Apple’s iTunes and bought the entire disc for $11.99. And heck, if I only wanted to buy a few songs then I could have simply done that too. However, in this particular instance I did want the entire album as his music is epic. While i was online I also tracked down some live Shawn Mullins and bought a couple of tracks off his albums and then I proceeded to do the same for about another $40. Huh. Go figure. I was unwilling to take the retail monologue offer of $18.99 for one album so I went home and did it the way that I wanted to and spent $40.

Retailers, lend me your ears! Do you see what happened? You got out-aced, out-maneuvered, out-everythinged (not a word, I know) . This particular channel dominates the C3 model.

Retail needs a radical change. I would have done the same thing while I was waiting for my group in the store, but there were no options. And there never are…that’s my point.

End of the days of monologue retailing and start giving the consumers what they want. Give them C3 and, heck, even give your shareholders a higher stock price!

And don’t even get me started on plasma TV’s. That’s for another day, my friends……