Real-Time Marketing: The Agility to Leverage ‘Now’Digital 2016Rebecca Lieb, Analyst/Author/Advisor@lieblink

AGENDA• Defining RTM• Benefits & Risks• The Six Primary Use Cases• 12 Steps to Prepare for RTM

DEFINITIONThe strategy and practice of responding with immediacy to external events and triggers. It’s arguably the most relevant form of marketing, achieved by listening

to and/or anticipating consumer interests and needs.

Customers expect brands to respond in near-real time

• Over half surveyed want a response in <1 hour.

• 38% feel more negative about the company if no response received.

Source: Lithium Technologies 2013

Source: GolinHarris, The Promises and Pitfalls of Real-Time Marketing. http://golinharris.com/#!/insights/real-time-marketing-research/

Real-time marketing makes a difference

Impacts marketing outcomes Turbocharges other marketing

BENEFITS OF RTM• “Surprise & delight”• Right message at the right time• Brand relevance• Always-on

Oreo: The RTM Poster Child

Arby’s rocked RTM at the Grammys

Meanwhile, other brands jumped on Arby’s bandwagon… in real-time!

CHALLENGES OF RTM• Plotting strategy & analysis• Requires intensive preparation, training• Potential for risk & reactivity• Shift in mindset• Risk of “culture-jacking”

Kenneth Cole’s RTM #fail

The Six Primary Use Cases of

Real-Time Marketing

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Use Case #1: BRAND EVENTS

Planned & Proactive• Conferences, product launches,

media events, customer events, etc.

• Advance prep of content strategy and execution

• Staff available to engage, react to anticipated posts

• Few surprises

Salesforce Live, the app and dedicated microsite

also integrate social feeds to drive (and

monitor) event conversation.

Salesforce uses Facebook app to stream live brand events

Use Case #2: ANTICIPATED EVENTSPlanned & Proactive• Major media events, tradeshows

(e.g. SuperBowl, Emmy’s, etc.) • Like brand events, “locked and

loaded” approach to content strategy & execution

• Staff available to engage, react to anticipated posts

• Showcases brand voice, relevance

HBO prepares content for real-time relevance during Emmys

“We know we need freedom to develop content on the fly, but we also need to know the guardrails if

anything should be escalated. There are built-in parameters for

each campaign.”

-Sabrina Caluori VP Social Media & Performance Marketing at HBO

Use Case #3: LOCATION/OBJECT-BASED

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Planned & Reactive• GPS, NFC, or other sensor-based reaction to location, action, or request

• Taps into location-based triggers which prompt an offer or action in real-time

• Internet of Things brings endless possibilities with uncanny relevance in real-time

• Right person, right content, right time, right place

Taco Bell leverages several brand integrations into the Waze app: promoting branded pins of

locations, destination-specific targeting, custom campaign messaging (if tapped), etc.

Taco Bell partners with Waze to entice nearby drivers

Use Case #4: PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS-BASED

Planned & Reactive• Branded actions occurring as a result of predictive analytics (e.g.

recommendations based on browsing history)

• Sometimes combined with other marketing solutions’ data sets (e.g. Marketing Automation)

• Accessibility will grow as data solutions become easier to implement

Walgreens responds to in-store Foursquare check-ins with scannable coupon

Use Case #5: CUSTOMER INTERACTIONUnplanned & Reactive• Customer service, handling complaints,

community interactions, crisis management, CRM, etc.

• Requires both reactive and anticipatory work• Triage workflow• Crisis communications plan • Determining what will be responded to and

where• Empowering staff• Coordination across functions

PretzelCrisps listens for those in need of a snack, rewards them with a sample

Use Case #6: BREAKING NEWS

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Unplanned & Reactive• Reacting to unanticipated events (e.g.

news) with a legitimate, relevant message

• Difficult to prepare for, often emotionally charged events; acute sensitivity required

• Risk of ‘culture-jacking’

• Established creative, collaborative, and approval processes key to agility

Eurocontrol responds to environmental crisis via Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter

Eurocontrol used #euva and #ashtag to monitor and respond to conversations about the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud. Followers adopted Eurocontrol’s hashtags,

including them in stories and tips shared.

Twelve Steps to Prepare for Real-Time Marketing

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1. Listen & LearnLay the foundation of customer understanding, goals and content strategy• Real-time listening for customers, competitors, industry,

buzz, events• Analytics tools to track and benchmark

2. Define RTM Business GoalsDefine the goals RTM will serve at the business and program level

• e.g. brand relevance, favorability, consideration, purchase intent, conversion, loyalty

• Results serving these goals help justify program expansion across functions to executives

3. Integrate with Content StrategyAlignment is foundational to creating guidelines around what, how, when to respond, publish, listen

• Provides reference point for rapid decision-making

• Content strategy includes training for all stakeholders around goals, brand voice, POV, tone, messaging, values, and content

• Aids in the creation of “locked & loaded” and evergreen content

“Develop a brand compass if you don’t already have one, and apply it to real-time marketing. Set the boundaries around what does and does not make sense for you to

participate in, so that every time something is trending, the team isn’t asking: ‘Is this

appropriate?’” -Sabrina Caluori

VP Social Media & Performance Marketing at HBO

4. Integrate with Channel StrategyChannel strategy dictates the where of RTM• Consider where is target audience

found; where conversations are occurring; changing media habits

• Consider appropriate content assets for channel

• Consider how top RTM channels relate to content strategy as well as temporal and cultural differences

Most Critical Channels for Real-Time Marketing

Mini Cooper tapped into existing conversations with

content geared towards Facebook followers in the

Northeast

Results: +2,000 likes 1,200 shares

Mini Cooper listens to social buzz to instruct content targeting

5. Define “Time” Element & ExpectationsDefine what RTM means for your unique programs and channels

∙ Let this guide expectations for responding and publishing based on organizational capabilities

∙ Consider temporal expectations for different RTM use cases and scenarios

∙ Not all companies can or will operate 24/7

Halo BCA averages three-minute turnaround in >90% of customer inquiries

Dell’s SLA: Respond to all inquiries within 2 hours in the channel in which it was received

Dell aligns its customer support around their policy to respond to 100% of inbound customer interactions within a 2-hour time period, through the channel in which it was received.

6. Establish Guardrails & TrustPre-define guardrails and streamline processes

• Simplify legal approval to Yes/No response• Have the necessary teams on deck• Create a ‘mini-playbook’ to build confidence

HBO prepares content for real-time relevance during Emmys

“We know we need freedom to develop content on the fly, but we also need to know the guardrails if

anything should be escalated. There are built-in parameters for

each campaign.” -Sabrina Caluori

VP Social Media & Performance Marketing at HBO

Symantec: three questions all employees must ask before posting

Ask yourself:• Am I creating unneeded risk

to the brand?

• Could this impact the company or myself negatively?

• Would I want my grandmother to read this?

Symantec’s ‘mini playbook’ helps build confidence and empower employees to act

autonomously on behalf of the brand. ”Ultimately, it’s all about common sense and

what feels right.” - Charlie Treadwell, Director of Social

Marketing at Symantec

7. Anticipate Negative RTMPreparedness help mitigate risks, but brands must be actively and proactive ready for anything

• There is an imperative to respond in real-time to negative brand events as they unfold

• Coordinate with corp. comms to establish reactive and proactive guidelines:

Reactive ProactiveCreate plan for action: apology, response, improvement

Monitor social buzz w/ listening tools

What, how, where to respond and message

Set alerts for suspect keywords or mentions

Act human Stay agile

Listening helped one company avoid crisis in the face of the Boston Marathon Bombing

Even before the news of the Boston bombing hit the airwaves, the company detected mentions of it on Twitter and quickly pulled infographic from the queue, sidestepping what would have come across as insensitive and promotional in the face of the tragedy.

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8. Assemble Teams & ToolsSuccessful RTM requires constituents be available, informed, educated, and empowered

• Ensure streamlined execution by taking a “war room” approach

Teams ToolsSocial Listening

Creative, Copywriters AnalyticsBrand Design

Corp Comms/PR Digital assetsLegal Publishing tools

Measurement Collaboration

Apply the “War Room” technique based on the RTM use case

Unplanned & Reactive Anticipated Events Planned & Proactive

Existing content hub or social media team

OR Pre-identified and trained virtual

team

RTM hub drives approvals, design, triage, and publication

ORBrands without existing RTM

team assembles the equivalent for special events

All stakeholders involved in RTM assemble for regularly

scheduled meetings to discuss opportunities, guidelines,

strategy, etc.

Although Oreo’s famous tweet during the Super Bowl

captured the limelight

it was the fully staffed Super Bowl “war room” (uniting all brand and agency stakeholders)

that enabled the rapid design, approval, and

publication of that tweet.

9. Establish TriageConnect certain cues or events to repeatable workflows• Consider how users may respond, identify what

warrants brand response• Train all stakeholders, especially community managers,

to:§ Identify threatening language cues & brand risks§ Know who/how many will respond and how to do so in a human

way§ [When/How] to escalate to legal, PR, etc.

Build workflows based on positive and negative interactions

10. Train & Test All PartiesThis step is critical to enabling trust and empowerment needed to act in real-time• Training must occur across all stakeholders and

include both strategic & tactical elements• Community managers (i.e. those posting and

responding)• Those creating, approving, distributing, monitoring• Internal & external stakeholders (incl. vendors &

agencies)

Training must include strategic AND executional elements

Strategic Executional

ü RTM’s integration with larger content & brand strategy

ü Guidelines, guardrails, roles, triages, response time requirements

ü RTM’s role across the org. (e.g. Customer Service, Sales, HR etc.)

ü How to manage workflows based on RTM’s role across the org; when to triage to other functions

ü Deep training around brand identity, voice, vision, risks, affiliations, and programs

ü Sample scenarios of how customers, the crowd, and media could respond to RTM

ü Which channels will support RTM, which will not, and why

ü How to leverage measurement and reporting to plan and act in real-time

ü How RTM program will be measured and optimized

ü Best practices using technology supporting RTM

ü The role of agencies & technology vendors (if applicable)

ü Resources (e.g. contacts, phone numbers, vendor support, etc.)

11. Identify Analytics & KPIsMeasurement instructs effectiveness of current efforts and where to focus more deeply• Establish RTM metrics and align with overall brand

metrics• E.g. Increased non-branded referral traffic• Engagement• Increased lead quality

• Performance measurement of real-time engagement, content, and activities should tie to [converging] POE media

Leverage RTM to drive the convergence of Paid, Owned, & Earned Media

Paid

Owned

Earned

Provides clues or fodder for developing catchy ads and promotions

Support hub/contact point for driving customers to owned properties or helpful content

Testbed for larger content initiatives & investments

12. Evaluate Scale PeriodicallyScaling RTM carries a host of risks to address– especially for large enterprises• Evaluate for scale frequently (i.e. monthly, quarterly)

• Headcount, talent, roles• Tools • Regional variation, language

• Scale must be evaluated on a foundation of benchmarking against KPIs, and always aligned with business goals

Paldies!Rebecca Liebrebecca@rebeccalieb.comrebeccalieb.com@lieblink