Please tell me you’ve seen the Caine’s Arcade video. If you haven’t, don’t waste another minute – check it out here:
Caine is a kid with true entrepreneurial spirit, who spent his summer building an arcade out of cardboard boxes in his dad’s auto parts shop. This cardboard arcade is completely interactive – with inventive games, creative ways for receiving tickets, and an array of prizes.
Every day, Caine waited for customers – and every day, no one came. That is, until filmmaker Nirvan Mullick came by. Charmed by Caine’s enthusiasm and won over by his good business sense (500 plays for a $2 pass? He was sold!), Nirvan set about to make a film about Caine’s arcade.
But first, Caine would need some customers.
In steps the power of social media. Nirvan created a Facebook event in hopes to stage a surprise flash mob. If you watch the video, you’ll see that without a doubt the use of a Facebook was a great success in rounding up a sizeable group. The posting made it to the front page of Reddit and Caine was floored by the hundreds of customers that came by to play.
Since then, the video has gone completely viral (and to be honest, I found out about it through my son), the Facebook page has received well over 115,000 “Likes,” and as of May 21, 2012, the fanfare has helped to raise more than $20,000 for Caine’s college fund.
How’s that for the power of social media?
But I would venture to say that this story goes beyond the power of social media. It’s the perfect mix wherein social media meets real human interest meets a cute kid. Sure, Nirvan was able to utilize social media in a powerful way, but it’s because there was a good story to back up the hype.
“It’s easy to mistake social media as an end in themselves, but the currency that marketers and communities of all types still trade is emotion. In order for a brand to market itself effectively and to connect deeply with its community, it must tell a story that captures the attention of that audience and allows them to become emotionally invested in it.”
Caine’s Arcade certainly captures the attention of an audience, and it’s nearly impossible not to be emotionally connected to the story. You are immediately invested, and can’t help but want to invite others to invest in the story as well – hence the thousands of Facebook “Likes.”
Is there anything we can learn from Caine and filmmaker Nirvan? Besides being proactive and entrepreneurial with our spare time, I think we should remember the importance of making an impact – through story (even with our branding messages), through relationships (even with our customers), and through ideas (even with our businesses). We need to create stories surrounding our companies – stories that connect, that inspire, and that call to action.
And it doesn’t hurt to have a cute kid on your side, either.
What else can we learn about the power of social media through Caine’s Arcade?
How have you utilized social media to your business’s advantage?
We’re always trying to find new ways to humanize our brand. This is a timeless concept.
One of the basic foundations of marketing is to humanize your brand – to make it known, trusted, and, well, accessible.
If you’ve been paying attention (and I’m sure you have), humanization is going a step (or more of a giant leap) forward. It’s no longer enough to have a TV (or Hulu) commercial depicting a humanization of your brand (does anyone actually watch the commercials any more?) or to have a banner on the side panel of Facebook (have you clicked on one of those ads lately?). What you – what we all – need to do is build relationships.
It’s sort of like Sales 101. A customer doesn’t want to be seen as a bottom line; they want to be seen as a person, because, in fact – the customer is a person. We cannot forget this important reality.
And in today’s socially-infused-technological world, what brands need to do is build relationships through social platforms. A couple months ago, I hit on this idea briefly, but I mainly focused on utilizing Twitter. Since I’ve noticed a lot of related buzz lately on various blogs, I wanted to further highlight some great relationship-building tips.
1) Prepare to Take Time
It’s no longer as “simple” as strategically planning a great marketing campaign, and letting go once it hits “the presses;” you have to invest in your customers for the long haul. Mikel E. Belicove of Entreprenuer.com explains: “An entire generation of advertisers will need to plan their marketing scenarios around the concept of building relationships.” This means planning on taking more time on the social scene – getting to know people through blog comments, helping customers on Twitter, and gaining an [interactive] following on Facebook. You can’t just hope your marketing campaign will do the trick; you and your employees have to do the trick – the long and hard way.
2) Offer Something (for Free)
In other words, as Chris Brogan said in a recent post, “Be helpful.” It could be a free e-book, webinar, or blog. Whatever your means, be sure to provide something useful – answering a question, solving a problem, or stimulating new ideas. Being helpful by offering something that someone needs will build your base. It will start conversations. It will get people talking, and you can begin to build trust with people. But don’t forget to be helpful for free – this is key. You need to prove yourself before someone will trust you. Chris Brogan calls it “earning your way in.”
3) Be Human
This sounds so simple that it seems laughable, but it’s often overlooked. When a marketing team is developing their social strategy, sometimes they lose touch of the importance to remain human. A customer wants to build a relationship with another human being – not a product. Olivier Blanchard of The Brand Builder’s blog puts it this way: you don’t “see people hanging out a Starbucks with their favorite coupons.” Maybe this means adding a picture to your Facebook profile to introduce the employee your customers will be interacting with. Maybe it means your employees being knowledgeable enough to recommend solutions to your customers. It depends greatly on your specific product or service, but the bottom line is the same: be human. Your customers are people, yes – but you and your employees are people, too. And your customers need to know it.
What other strategies are you using to build relationships with your customers?
What companies do you see excelling at building relationships? How are they accomplishing it?
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about The Avengers. Actually, it’s been virtually impossible not to hear a lot about it. In the wake of the flop known as John Carter, Disney is pulling out all the stops to market this blockbuster – relying on tried-and-true methods (trailers, posters, etc.) as well as unprecedented ones (an online social game, XD cartoon, etc.).
Much has been written about both The Avengers and John Carter, especially on entertainment sites and magazines. But what do their corresponding marketing campaigns teach the company trying to market a chemical analyzer or Droid-based phone?
A lot, as it turns out.
LESSON ONE: EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Do you know who directed John Carter? Andrew Stanton, of WALL-E and Toy Story fame. Although he didn’t possess a speck of action-film experience, with two Oscars under his belt, I suppose he was a reasonable, calculated risk. Sure, it was a bold move – but his inexperience was not the real mistake.
The entire team behind John Carterwas inexperienced. From newly-hired (and as of April 20, 2012 – newly fired) studio chief Richard Ross (a former TV executive) to Sean Bailey (head of production) and MT Carney (marketing chief), not one person had the necessary experience to navigate their jobs.
To add push to shove, two key people were shifted out of the team mid-course – Richard Ross replaced Dick Cook, and Carney was eventually replaced by Ricky Strauss. Peter Sealey, former marketing president at Columbia Pictures, told The LA Times, “The worst thing that can happen to a movie is the marketing team changes midstream… It’s disheartening for the filmmakers, for the talent. They lose belief in the film.”
I’m not saying that everyone on your team needs to have a massive marketing portfolio under their belt – and I have certainly witnessed first-hand the benefits of using a fresh (some would say inexperienced) perspective – but there’s got to be at least a couple of key people on the team that know what they are doing. This will also help keep the marketing campaign from unraveling should you be forced to alter the team.
The bottom line: Make sure you have a couple of experienced people spearheading your team. Even better – have a mix.
LESSON TWO: COHERENT MESSAGING MATTERS
Make sure your marketing messages make sense – with what you’re trying to sell, with what you’re trying to say, with what you want your audience/client to take away, etc. It’s best to keep your messages consistent, if at all possible. If you do decide to change course mid-launch (which, although not ideal, sometimes cannot be avoided as we all attempt to remain adaptable, right?), make sure the change makes enough sense to outweigh the complications of that change. The worst thing you can do is confuse (and thus alienate) your potential customer.
It’s the difference between these two trailers:
The John Carter trailer – although beautifully constructed and somehow intriguing – didn’t explain the story or sell the movie. The movie’s director, Stanton, was given the reigns for marketing and (allegedly) refused to listen to the advice of the marketing team. The New York Times reported that Stanton “insisted, for instance, that a Led Zeppelin song be used in a trailer, rejecting concerns that a decades-old rock tune did not make the material feel current.” And I have to admit: it’s a bizarre choice.
The trailer for The Avengers, on the other hand, leaves no room for debate. It’s straightforward and to the point – full of intrigue, explosions, and superheroes fighting the evil guys (plus a few snarky one-liners). The marketing team for The Avengers seems to know its niche, and they capitalize on it. No, it’s not Oscar-worthy, but that’s not the point. The point is to get the right people in the theatre. And with such a trailer, they are ensuring that their customers will come out in droves to see what they expect to see: a great superhero action movie.
The bottom line: Don’t try to be something you’re not. Market your product in a way that makes sense – both for the product and to the consumer.
LESSON THREE: DOING YOUR RESEARCH MATTERS
In other words: don’t make assumptions – especially about your target audience.
Stanton thought everyone knew John Carter and it needed no explanation – hence the mystique of the first trailer. But he assumed wrong, and that cost him. Had he done the research – or at least listened to those who had – he would have quickly discovered that no one under forty really knows the John Carter character. Since he grew up reading the novels, Stanton believed that John Carter was an iconic character. Now, I personally remember picking up these pulp classics by Edgar Rice Burroughs (“father” of Tarzan) at the store for 79 cents – I get that it’s nostalgic. But Stanton let his nostalgia get in the way of reality – believing that, as Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Beast pointed out, “audiences would gasp in delight at John Carter’s very appearance in much the same way that a Batman teaser might only need to flash the Bat Signal.”
The bottom line: Do your research, don’t make assumptions, and do not base your entire marketing strategy on personal feelings. After all, in marketing terms, you are only a sampling of one!
LESSON FOUR: STRATEGY MATTERS
So what’s the big deal about doing your research? Once you have the research, you can decide on the best marketing strategy. Not only did the lack of research on John Carter cost them, but Disney could not even decide on a marketing approach for the film. The LA Times aptly observed, “Posters that at one point had been adorned with a mysterious figure under the letters ‘JC’ were replaced by ads that featured a shirtless man fleeing giant white apes and left prospective moviegoers scratching their heads.”
The Avengers team has a clear strategy, and it’s grabbing attention. It started at the Comic-Con International convention in July 2010. The movie’s director, Joss Whedon, and stars showed up to make a splash. And they’ve been splashing ever since. (OK, in fairness to John Carter, The Avengers really started marketing back in 2008 when Samuel L. Jackson, as “Nick Fury,” gave hints that he was recruiting a team in Iron Man. This stirred buzz with existing fans, who took it viral from there, and Disney capitalized on this build-up after buying Marvel in 2009.)
Part of your strategy needs to be knowing when to go full-scale and make a big Avengers-type splash, and knowing when to be stealthy. There’s not an exact science or a formula to it – part of it is research, part of it is luck, and sometimes it’s just a matter of merely working with what you’ve got. But it is a skill and can be honed and applied. Like hitting a baseball, success is not a 100% of the time thing – but a better than the other guy (competitor) thing.
Take The King’s Speech, for example. Since they had budget constraints and the movie was a tighter, art-house, serious movie, there’s no way they could market as loudly as The Avengers. And you know, it probably wouldn’t have been the right approach anyways. It quietly premiered at the London Film Festival, and relied on word-of-mouth marketing. And it worked all the way to the Oscars!
The bottom line: Make sure you have a strategy in place before you start marketing.
What other lessons can we learn from the movie industry?
What other movies had a notoriously awful marketing campaign or an outstanding one?
What else can you learn from looking at an industry other than your own?
“Aspiring ‘to be the market leader’ or ‘to be seen by our clients and partners in their success’ is admirable, but lacks the specificity and clear linkage to action and measurable results to propel go-to-market efforts.”
— IT Industry research leader, Gartner, Inc.,
on the importance of tying goals to actionable strategy and results.
On December 3, 2001, the Segway was unveiled to the public. Dean Kamen’s new invention, the now-infamous self-balancing motorized scooter, was surrounded by buzz twelve months before its release. After the built-up hype, the Segway was expected to sell 10,000 machines a week, instead of the actual 24,000 sold in the first year.
On January 27, 2010, the iPad was revealed to the world. The revolutionary tablet computer was also released amidst a flurry of anticipatory buzz. Within 80 days, Apple sold three million iPads, and once again changed the way people use technology.
Two products. Two releases. Two (drastically) different outcomes.
These stories remind us of the basic questions: What are the key ingredients to a successful product launch? How can you protect your product from failure?
One quick Google-search of “Product Launch Strategies” will reveal that these are the questions people are asking – no matter the business, no matter the product, no matter the current strategy. Although there are a variety of ideas and quick tips out there for perusal, I really think your Go-To-Market strategy can be boiled down to three simple rules. Now, there’s an important distinction between the terms “Go-To-Market” and “Marketing” – at least in the common understanding of most professionals I deal with. “Go-To-Market” captures the thought of introducing a specific product into a specific market context. It is more “action-y” than “marketing,” which can be applied more broadly to all the activities traditionally associated with strategy, pricing, positioning and so on. “Go-to-Market” can serve as a rallying point for your team as it is generally seen as very time-bound (“now”) and results oriented (“launch this product”). (I realize this is not exact – but it is a reflection of how I’ve heard these terms used over the years.)
So here are the three overarching principles for effective Go-To-Market strategy:
1) Define Your Objectives Carefully
If you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t much matter which direction you take the organization.
Objectives are necessary in order to have a clear and clean-cut view of where the organization is going. They should be built around a central concept of messaging, representing a set of promises that your target market will agree is innovative, indispensable, and inspiring (I3). Keep objectives as clear and specific as possible. Use time-bound targets that are measurable. (For example: Sell 100,000 units by May of 20xx for revenue of $$$ million.)
Strategic objectives are the high-level goals that drive strategy and long-term direction. These include corporate goals, financial goals, and market impact goals.
Tactical objectives aren’t tasks, per se, but are more immediately tangible than strategic objectives. They reflect the key areas of project management, overall efficiency and time management, and translate easily into “to-do list” items.
2) Ask the Right Questions
Throughout the formation of the your go-to-market strategy, four question areas will arise:
What major issues must be faced?
What key decisions must be made?
What information are we missing?
What expertise or “know how” will we need to carry out this plan?
First, identify major issues as they surface, noting where “gaps” still exist. These issues are either internal or external roadblocks to success. Some issues will require conversations or actions to mitigate their impact on your plans. In other cases, these issues might not be obstacles but rather create other, unintended complications. For example, a particular launch may negatively affect a long-term partner because it has competitive elements within it. This doesn’t necessarily hinder your go-to-market efforts, but it has ramifications in other aspects of your business.
Next, make the necessary decisions. All issues require one or more decisions – even “do nothing” is a decision. So, break down these major issues into key decisions that need to be made while going to market. Frame the decision along with its stakeholders and its impact on the key factors in the overall strategy.
Finally, determine what information and expertise is needed to execute your plan. How will you fill these gaps? All elements should be articulated and measured in terms of their relationship and interrelation to the strategic and tactical objectives of your go-to-market messaging process.
3) Don’t Get Stuck
Ironically, the most difficult task for companies is often not development of go-to-market strategy, but actually the execution of those plans. It is critical that you keep the elements of your overall strategy at the center of your conversations and current strategic discussions.
When you consider new business opportunities that might interfere with your current go-to-market tasks, ask: Is this consistent with our overall objectives? Our timeline? Our goals? Will this take the focus off of our strategic business initiatives?
Also, go back to the four question areas. They are simple yet valuable tools. Consider the simplicity and power of asking:
Is this an issue that really requires more discussion and understanding?
Do we need to make a decision which presupposes a defined set of outcomes to choose from?
Is this an information gap (a lack of appropriate or sufficient information)?
Do we have a “know-how” gap (the lack of a specific skill or domain expertise to fulfill the mission)?
Teams can develop a “shorthand” that moves them quickly from an emotional read of the situation to an objectively based one. Be sure to round out your discussions and conversations with an action orientation. You should always “map back” to your overall project plan, and stay rooted in your overall messaging strategy.
Do you have any success/horror stories about product launches?
How have you seen marketing strategies either help or hinder the product’s success?
Even though I believe there were a lot of crucial missteps on behalf of Microsoft, I can also see their perspective. There is a need for competition in the closed-systems smartphone market. There is a need for better cohesion in closed systems. It’s just a matter of playing the game well — and smart — enough.
What’s the point of the Windows Phone? I’m not trying to be unnecessarily biting here. Really – I’m genuinely curious. I’d love to pose this question to Microsoft’s development team. Or rather, I wish I could have been in the room during the Stage Gate Process. What was their marketing team thinking? How did they answer the question, “Should we bother making it?”
Yes, you read that title correctly. Let me explain. The other day, I was getting (what I thought was) a routine haircut. As the hair stylist and I were shooting the breeze, she told me a little bit about a three-month trip to her home city – Moscow, and a salon there taking an innovative and inspirational approach to differentiation.
Sure, it’s easier to jump on a bandwagon of the latest trend, but that’s not the entrepreneur’s way. The entrepreneur must seek to stand out in the crowd – a head above the rest. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
“There is no good reason or explanation for why we are not engaging or learning from customers. As it stands today unfortunately, the chart above says everything about how businesses see and value customer relationships. This.must.change.” – Brian Solis
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ABOUT JOSE PALOMINO
Jose Palomino is President of Value Prop Interactive and author of the book, Value Prop. Jose combines tactical creativity, strategic orientation, marketing savvy, and technical acumen to deliver insights, leadership, and results.
In his book, workshops, and coaching, Jose makes this strategic marketing methodology practical and immediately usable. Learn more »
