New Media Marketing
Last night I attended an event where three presenters shared examples of how “New Media” has become a powerful marketing tool. Here are my three favorites.
The best video series award goes to the “Will It Blend” videos. Done as a viral marketing campaign, Blendtec, a small blender manufacturer, developed dozens of 90 second videos. What do they do? They put random objects, like marbles or glowsticks, in their blender. They are hilarious and they definitely convince you these blenders will pulverize anything. What I particularly like is that these videos are developed on the cheap. Click the video above to see them blend an iPhone.
The best “spoof” award goes to the “rap” videos developed by Smirnoff Raw Tea.
The best use of New Media award goes to the “Stay Smart” campaign by Holiday Inn Express (done by Digitas). My favorite piece is the “See what the candidates could’ve saved by staying at Holiday Inn Express.” They went through the public records of hotel expenditure of each Presidential candidate during their campaign and then estimated how much they could have saved had they stayed in a Holiday Inn Express. This campaign was timely, funny, and created a splash. Even Mike Huckabee was asked about his hotel expenditures on Fox & Friends. You can’t buy that kind of publicity!
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Persuasion and the Presidential Primaries
Although I rarely write about politics, the current Presidential campaigns are giving us some interesting examples of psychological manipulation.
For example, this morning’s newspaper’s headline was, “(Obama) says Clinton’s attacks paved way for her big night.” It is believed that Hillary’s negative campaign helped her win key states.
Why does mudslinging work? Why do people use it so much?
I believe it is because of two important forces:
People play it safe when it comes to increasing gains: Obama’s platform is about change. Although people claim they want change, in reality (as I wrote in another blog entry), most play it safe when it comes to increasing gains. The status quo wins out most of the time. If change is to prevail, people need a clear picture of the future AND they must believe that that future is achievable. Although Obama is inspiring, he has been criticized for not providing a clear and consistent vision of the future and for lacking a compelling roadmap for getting there. Then again, I’m not sure any candidate has done a good job at this.
People will take risks to minimize their losses: When the feasibility the “gain/change” comes into question, people start focusing on their fears. Hillary has been playing this card consistently. She has challenged Obama’s know-how and suggested that everything will go wrong if we vote in an inexperienced President. As an example, she focused in on Obama’s apparently “two-faced” position on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Voters began to wonder, “Change is good, but is it worth the risk?”
What would I advise Obama and Clinton to do differently?
Stop the mudslinging. Although these negative campaigns may help the individual candidates during the primaries, it will only bolster support for McCain, the de facto Republican candidate. They may win the battle but lose the war in November.
Meet people where they are. As reported in that earlier blog entry, in an obese society, most people will choose “lose your gut fast” over “get six pack abs.” It’s hard for people to envision a Utopian world that seems so far away from the current state of affairs. If you want people to change, three things must be in place:
- People must be uncomfortable with the current situation.
- They must see a better future.
- They must believe that that better future is achievable with a reasonable amount of “investment.”
Point #3 is probably the most important (and overlooked) part of the process. This leads to the last recommendation.
Create a clear, compelling roadmap for the future. Whatever you stand for, make sure you communicate HOW you will get there. Be consistent and stay focused. And don’t shoot for the moon. The candidates can talk about grand aspirations. But they should emphasize smaller, more immediate steps that feel like they can be implemented. A believable future is as important as a desirable future.
These are valuable lessons that can be applied to any professional or personal situation. Organizations should watch the political world to learn more about human behavior and motivation. It is a great public experiment on a large scale.
P.S. I say this with tongue in cheek…but the Obama vs Clinton campaign feels like the Mac vs PC debate. Obama has the cool, trendy and wildly popular feel of a Mac. Clinton has the history of being an active First Lady (with Bill) and yet is less warm and fuzzy. Maybe Obama’s campaign should create a viral Mac vs PC spoof for YouTube. Or maybe one already exists.
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Be Outrageous, It’s the Only Place That’s Not Crowded
My previous entry focused on innovation as a way of helping you stand out in a crowd. I also discussed how wearing a bathrobe at a black tie event can have the same effect.
In my Goal-Free Living book, I interviewed a successful entrepreneur (and now a good friend), Mikki Williams. Mikki is the master at standing out in a crowd. But it is not a tactic; it just comes naturally. Here is a brief excerpt from the book.
I met Mikki Williams in her apartment high above Lake Michigan in Chicago. The first thing I noticed upon walking into her place was that she collected lips. Lots of lips. This is a hobby she started more than 20 years ago, which has permeated her home and work, including a five-foot lip couch (see photo) and assorted other lip accessories—from toilet seats to artwork.
The next thing I noticed when walking into Mikki’s place was Mikki. She had big hair. Really big hair. Mikki is someone who lives by the motto, Carpe diem! She joked, “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. My ultimate goal will be realized when the check to the undertaker—bounces!”
“I like to say, ‘Be outrageous, it’s the only place that’s not crowded.’ That’s the way I live my life. I dress outrageously and have crazy hair. But it’s not that I try to be this way. This is who I am. I am just being me.”
Eventually, Mikki took her life experiences onto the public speaking circuit. But Mikki was not your typical speaker. She looked like Bette Midler and definitely stood out in a crowd. One day she received a call from a Wall Street Journal reporter who was doing an article on the speaking industry during the recession.
“Why me?” she asked the journalist. “Because you stand out. You look different.”
When the article was published, Mikki’s face was featured on the front page! This launched her speaking career.
Too often, we try to fit in with the crowd. We play it safe. But innovation is about taking risks while being true to you. This takes confidence. And it takes the belief that your “style” is what the world needs and wants. Yes, taking this risk may help you stand out. More importantly, it may be the ticket to your success.
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Traits of a Great Leader
When you think of great leaders, what traits come to mind? Honest? Competent? Inspirational? Courageous? Fair? Looks like a leader?
Although that last one is typically not found on lists of leadership characteristics, looks may be related to one’s leadership style.
In an interesting article published in The Economist, researchers found that students could determine a person’s leadership traits just by looking at a photograph of them. Here are some excerpts (please note that British spellings have been retained):
Dr Ambady and Mr Rule showed 100 undergraduates the faces of the chief executives of the top 25 and the bottom 25 companies in the Fortune 1,000 list. Half the students were asked how good they thought the person they were looking at would be at leading a company and half were asked to rate five personality traits on the basis of the photograph. These traits were competence, dominance, likeability, facial maturity (in other words, did the individual have an adult-looking face or a baby-face) and trustworthiness.
The results of their study…show that both the students’ assessments of the leadership potential of the bosses and their ratings for the traits of competence, dominance and facial maturity were significantly related to a company’s profits.
Sadly, the characteristics of likeability and trustworthiness appear to have no link to company profits, suggesting that when it comes to business success, being warm and fuzzy does not matter much (though these traits are not harmful).
Be sure to read the entire Economist article. The article provides some fascinating insights into our perceptions of leaders and the qualities of good leaders.
How Important is Likability in Leadership?
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How to Run a Mastermind Group
This morning I was having a conversation with an aspiring speaker. He asked my thoughts on the best ways to further his career.
My response was, “Join a mastermind group.” What is a mastermind group? It is a group of people who get together and work on each other’s business (or personal lives). The concept was developed by Napoleon Hill in his book, “Think and Grow Rich.” The purpose is to “multiply an individual’s brain power and continually motivate positive emotions.”
I am in a few mastermind groups and have been in many others in the past.
Let me give you some interesting ways in which you can run your mastermind sessions. Unless noted otherwise, assume your mastermind group is four to six people who meet on a somewhat regular basis (once a month or once a quarter).
Accountability Model – I am in one group that is organized like this. Each person has 45 to 60 minutes to present their status report to the group, focusing on progress and obstacles. It is more of a conversation, with others jumping in with thoughts and ideas. At the end of the day, each individual declares what they want to achieve before the group meets again. This format is good for holding others accountable for results. Unfortunately, there is less time for creativity and problem solving. To speed things up, status reports can be sent via email in advance of the meeting.
Problem Solving Model – This is my favorite model. When it is your turn, you have 60 to 90 minutes to present a problem you are facing and get feedback/creative solutions from the others. For example, the latest version of my website is a result of such a mastermind group. I printed off copies of my home page and asked for feedback. One person said, “I like the unconventional thinking concept, but there is nothing unconventional about your homepage text. What are some provocative thoughts?” As a result I fleshed out my 10 unconventional thoughts and turned them into a flash header. My most recent session was feedback on a new product I am developing. The feedback you get is incredible. The key is to solve an issue that is of importance to you. And if you can’t think of a problem/opportunity, the group can help you find one. This is a highly creative and focused mastermind model.
Book Club Model – Prior to getting together, every member in the group reads/listens to the same article, book, CD/MP3 that descriptions a useful tool that can be applied to your business. For example, one time when we met, we all read the same article on copywriting for websites. We then applied the article’s concepts to our respective businesses. Because everyone is working on the same problem (e.g., creating an elevator pitch), you learn a lot about your business even when you are helping others.
Theme Model – This model works better with a larger group (e.g., a dozen people). You choose a theme for the meeting (e.g., technology or sales). Each person comes prepared to give a 15 minute presentation on their best practices for the selected theme. Each person is encouraged to bring a handout. A dozen people can present in approximate 3 hours. When you leave, you have 11 handouts with great ideas. And as you are not working on each other’s businesses, different people can attend each time. This model is a fantastic way to get lots of tips in a short period of time. I learned more about technology during a 3 hour mastermind than I had in the previous year. And it didn’t cost me a penny.
Micro-Model – This is a variation of the “Problem Solving Model,” where each person brings a problem/opportunity they want to work on. But this time there are only two people who participate. The dynamic is very different when it is one-on-one. It is more focused. If you are paired with the right person, you can get even more done in a shorter period of time. Plus, you are working on your business half of the meeting. You can work also with different people each time. I really like this model and use it on an ad hoc basis as often as possible.
There are many other models too. Colleagues I know have mastermind groups comprised of four people from different geographic areas. Once a quarter they meet in a “neutral” location for a weekend. Friday night is socializing and catching up. Then on Saturday they work on two businesses, and another two on Sunday. This is a very intense model.
You can meet via phone. You can discuss via email or online bulletin board. You can meet weekly or monthly, quarterly, or on an ad hoc basis. There are no rules. I prefer face-to-face meetings once every 6 to 8 weeks with email exchanges in between.
Who should you have in your mastermind group? That’s up to you. I have two groups where everyone is a professional speaker. This has the advantage of our sharing specific ideas that work for our industry. I have another mastermind group where no one else is a professional speaker; the others are a trainer, a consultant, and a marketing guru. The advantage here is getting ideas from other industries.
One critical point is that each person must be at the same “level” relatively speaking. You don’t want anyone who is a drain on the group because they can only ask for advice but can never give it. You also don’t want a situation where someone does not receive personal value because they are constantly giving. Regardless, you want a commitment from everyone to go to all (or at least most) of the meetings. Slackers should be ditched as they will bring down the energy of the entire group.
Play around with it. Find what works for you. But just do it. The value you will gain is immeasurable. It may even save you thousands of dollars that you might otherwise spend on coaches or mentors. For me, my mastermind groups augment, not replace, the experts I hire.
Do you have a mastermind group? What have you found that works?
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