Building Brand Awareness and Promoting Products

Jonah McLeod: Former High Tech Editor, Current Marketing Communications Professional

The Process of CommunicationsEffective communications takes an unknown quantity

and makes it well knownExamples include the election of Barack Obama, the

launch of the original Apple Macintosh in 1984…Ideally, effective communications turns your message

into an information epidemicJK Wedding Entrance Dance on YouTube19,130,453 views in three weeks (Chris Brown’s “Forever.”)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Ultimate success is assuring epidemic continues to infect

Malcolm Gladwell “Tipping Point” Gladwell describes the "three "agents of change" in the

tipping points of epidemics."The Law of the Few", or, as Gladwell states, 20 percent

of any population influence the remaining 80 percent.The Stickiness Factor, children's television programs such

as Sesame Street and Blue's Clues pioneered the concept.The Power of Context: iPod and iTunes in the context of

illegally downloaded MP3 files

The Law of the FewConnectors “link us up with the world ... a handful of

people with a truly extraordinary knack (... for) making friends and acquaintances”—Paul Revere, George Bush…

Mavens are “information specialists”, people who connect us with new information. “Information brokers, sharing and trading what they know”“Very active” Wikipedia contributors

Salesmen are “persuaders”, charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills: news anchor Peter Jennings

Tools of the TradeAdvertising

PrintTelevision/RadioBillboards, web ads, flyers

Product PlacementNew MediaLive EventsPress Relations

AdvertisingDavid Ogilvy on the print ad:

“I belong to the ... school, which holds that a good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself. It should rivet the reader’s attention on the product. Instead of saying, ‘What a clever advertisement,” the reader says, ‘I never knew that before. I must try this product.’”

Stan Freberg on the television ad—make it stickyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE-NdrzfFOo

AdvertisingBillboards

Apple iPod adsIconic Burma Shave signs

Web adsBannersSkyscraperKeywords in web searches

FlyersDirect mail/e-mailHandouts

Product PlacementBMW in the James Bond filmsDisney’s “The Love Bug”

Apple laptop computer on “24”

New MediaSocial networking

“American Idol” product placement (Coca Cola)“American Idol” on TV (Coco Cola Sponsorship)“American Idol” on MySpace (Coco Cola Sponsorship)“American Idol” on Facebook (Coco Cola Sponsorship)

E-MailBuilding an e-mail databaseDistribution mechanisms—Constant Contact…

Web site

Communications Demands CommitmentMarketing communications is an on-going processEffective communications requires company involvement

CEO & Executive StaffEngineering Product Marketing “Sales”

Marcom creates a communications plan collaboratively based on the company’s perception of itself

Practical Side of Press RelationsLaunching the product—Virtual BassIdentifying key messages for the launch

Sound to SiliconReturning emotional bass to compressed MP3’sOvercoming inability of small speakers to produce bass

Identifying who leads the launchIdentifying thought leaders to engageAnticipating logistics

August 4th

Establishing Key Message DoctrineCreate a key message document and get stakeholders to

sign offPress releasePress presentation

Assign a czar to ensure company-wide adherenceEstablish a process to ensure consistency

Marketing documentsWeb siteAll external communications: white papers, articles…

August 11th

Demonstration VehicleA demo provides powerful evidence of value propositionFor this example, Virtual Bass was to be demoed on an

HP TouchSmartAssign who to give demoAssign equipment to company spokespersonAnticipate the logistics required to get the equipment to

each location

August 18th

Telling Your StoryCrafting a press release/presentation

What problem is being solvedMarket opportunity the solution affordsHow your solution succeeds while others failSubstantiate your claims with compelling evidence

Provide abundant background in separate documentExplain the sciencePromote the engineers creating the technologyWeave the story into overall company strategyDescribe the larger universe the product exists within

August 25th

Identify Thought LeadersBusiness media—Financial Times, Forbes, WSJ…

Plan approach to each targeted editor with CEOFit product launch story into targeted media

Consumer media—Popular Science, Stereophile…Plan approach to each targeted editor with VP MarketingCreate article outlines, opinion pieces…

Develop plan to reach key market analyst—In-Stat, Creative Strategies…

September 1st

Launch On-Line CampaignYouTube: Post videos on problem to be solved and

shortcomings of existing solutionsTwitter: generate a series of posts that create interest in

the problem to be solvedFacebook: Create a page that uses twitter posts and

youtube videoProduce a blog or comment on existing blogs on the

problem being solved—poor audio quality

September 15th

Final Draft of Key DocumentsScript out the hour briefingAllocate time to presentation and demoAssign presenters and begin rehearsals

CEO’s interpretation matches VP marketing’sEnsure each can present the entire messageRehearse presenter to back-up two primary presenters

September 27th

Media TrainingAfter rehearsal, intensive media training session

Outside paid consultant to evaluate all presentersRecord the session and critique the playback

Role playing Q&A to anticipate questionsContingency plans for questions not relevant or too

controversial

October 7th

Preliminary TestingPre-brief friendly market analysts & editors/bloggers

Test the message to see how it plays outsideThese will test the substance not the form of presentationRefine the message with this feedback

Capture feedback for inclusion in press materialsRequest quote for press releaseCapture quote on video or audioCollect pictures of analyst

October 7th

Commence Press TourAdd analysts quotes to press release/presentationPrepare complete press kit

Press release with analyst Supporting document on company/product/technologyPictures and bios of executives/product

Set up hour-long press briefings in centrally located hotelOne-on-one meetings with editors & bloggers

October 27th

Complete Web Site RedesignNew page for product being announcedSpecial home page treatment for new productLinks throughout site directing visitors to new productPrepare links for press release directing readers to new

product Post videos

Company officersThird party spokespeople—editors, analysts, customers…

Formal Product AnnouncementPress release distributed over Business WirePress release sent over internal databaseWebsite goes live with information on new product Update public web presence on YouTube, Twitter,

Facebook MySpace with new product information

Elements of successful Campaign1984 Ad originally slotted for three Super Bowl slotApple board of directors fearing IBM reprisal directed

Jobs & Scully to pull the adAll but one removedGiven the choice of filling the ad slot with a PSA; Jobs and

Scully overrode the board and authorized the ad to runIn the aftermath, the ad was replayed on major network

news broadcast for several days after the initial airingAn epidemic had been createdThe epidemic has continued to infect

Questions?