Consumer Profiles and Marketing Campaigns

As I do not have vast personal experience developing marketing campaigns using buyers’ personas, I will focus on some of the techniques discussed in this weeks reading that are conducive in doing so, while relating back to personal experiences when applicable.  

The first point that spoke to me by Kerpen was when he mentioned, “You will likely find that there is more than just one group of people who are looking for your goods or services.” (Kerpen, 2011, p. 34) In my previous position, my management team was supremely focused on just one group of people. However, numbers began to slightly erode. Whether that is through natural attrition or the property becoming stale to them, I felt it was time to begin targeting other groups, too. I suggested we use social media as a means to target a new, younger group, as seniors were the primary focus. Unfortunately my superiors were not keen on the idea, which was frustrating. I believe it would of helped, and at the very least, it could not of hurt. Kerpen (2011) says “Social media will help you find your target audience and provide you with further insight about this group or groups.” (p. 34) Relating it back, I believe we could of began to find a new demographic to target and made progress. Unfortunately, I feel there are still some skeptics in the Generation X realm that believe social media is just for connecting with friends and fooling around. I want to clarify I do not think it’s specific to this generation, but it was just what I personally experienced at the time. As my manager immediately stated after I presented my research and presentation introducing social media, “This would never work, our clientele will never use social media.” In business, I feel it is important to keep an open-mind and never become complacent. We should always be looking for new ways to attract new customers.

What Scott wrote regarding The Buyer Persona Profile was important, too. “For each buyer persona profile, we want to know as much as we can about this group of people. What are their goals and aspirations? What are their problems? What media do they rely on for answers to problems? How can we reach them? We want to know, in detail, the things that are important for each buyer persona.” (Scott, 2013, p.166) Too many times I feel it’s easy to develop the “we know what were doing” bravado. Especially when seeing success I think it becomes easier to overlook some of the details Scott mentions. When the customer essentially becomes just a number is when the potential relationship begins to erode. I’ve always felt it is paramount to understand the consumer, from their business profile to even on a personal basis. I found it interesting that when developing a relationship with a customer that they would be much more enthusiastic if you asked them how their sister or dog was they mentioned once in passing, over getting them a deal on their accommodations. Research is vital when developing a profile for a large group of people. But when building a profile in your niche, it’s very important to ask the above questions. Not all consumers are alike, but if they’re within the same demographic we can get a great feel for what they may be experiencing, demanding, and the best way to reach them. For example, if dealing with a millennial, you would probably understand they are dealing with student loans, demanding mobile-based apps, and find its best to reach them via social media. By slowly getting to know each consumer, and asking some basic but very informative questions, we can solidify a strong profile that will allow our marketing campaigns to see the utmost success.

David Meerman Scott: The New Rules of Marketing & PR

Scott’s proposal “The Old Rules of Marketing and PR Are Ineffective in an Online World” has obvious merit, but like anything else, is subjective. He states “Guys watching football on TV drink a lot of beer, so perhaps it makes sense for mass-marketer Budweiser to advertise on NFL broadcasts (but not for small microbrews that appeals to a small niche customer base).” (Scott, 2013, p. 16) I feel this is a fairly obvious point. For one, Budweiser can afford to mass market and sustain their vast outreach. Microbrewers tend to work with smaller budgets so they must ensure their marketing campaign is directed towards the exact demographic. This is when it would make sense for them to use social media, as it is much cheaper than a national outreach campaign. Not to mention they’re in a niche market.

I don’t believe we can simply say the old rules are “ineffective.” We can use the old principles to learn from the past and apply them to the ever-changing marketplace. If we simply threw out everything from the past, history would not exist. Mr. Scott raises many great points, but as he is promoting himself and his brand through his writings, he also chose to publish these findings in print, which could be perceived as ‘old practice’ and borderline hypocritical.

 The old rule of marketing I believe we should throw out is “Advertising and PR were separate disciplines run by different people with separate goals, strategies, and measurement criteria.” (Scott, 2013, p. 18) I believe this can be omitted because as we have learned, and continue to do so, this process should be integrated. It makes for a clearer and consistent message while enabling everyone in the respective company to be on the same page. When Scott (2013) states “Advertising was based on campaigns that had a limited life,” I believe we could consider keeping this. It varies on your product/service but I believe most campaigns have a limited life. Creativity is important, so continuing with the same type campaign can become stale and boring to a consumer causing them to look elsewhere.

The old rule of PR that can be thrown out is “The only way to get ink and airtime was through the media.” (Scott, 2013, p. 22) As we know, along with traditional media, we have various other platforms to spread messages now. (Social media, blogs, etc.) One rule I believe we could keep is “Companies communicated to journalists via press releases.” (Scott, 2013, p.22) I know there are plenty of other outlets now to reach journalists, however, a press release will always have that professional luster that will make us pay attention.  Not to say a company should strictly communicate via press release, but again is subjective to the brand itself. In some cases a press release will work regardless. As Scott (2013) proves by stating “These name-brand people and companies may be big enough, and their news just so compelling, that no effort is required of them.” (p. 23)

The Pros and Cons of Social Media

I believe social media has made an overall improvement in the contemporary practices of marketing, PR, and advertising.  Social media has allowed us to become infinitely more engaged with our audiences. As Kerpen (2011) states,  “You have a front seat to spontaneous chatter of interest to your business. You have the ability to check in on prospective customers or prospects discussing problems your company solves or listen to existing customers talk about unrelated issues just to get to know them better.” (p. 14) Before social media, customer service lines were used primarily for trouble shooting or complaints, now aside from the traditional aspects of customer service, we can also monitor the positives the audience speaks of and raise awareness for potential problems in the future.

By listening to our audience rather than dictating, it allows us to foster a two-way relationship. “If and when customers or prospects acknowledge that you’re listening, you immediately strengthen your relationships with them.”  (Kerpen, 2011, p. 15) By strengthening our relationships with consumers, we build a stronger connection while stabilizing the foundation for brand loyalty. If we can garner a following, this helps the brand become more successful and further growth.

With any new movement, technology, etc., there will be certain challenges. The nuances created by social media have brought about certain problems. For many organizations, it has created PR nightmares with employees. Employees who post or tweet something offensive often become recognized and shed negative light on their organization. Additional problems include the increasing staff that may be required to monitor platforms and the ever-changing environment social media dwells in. It’s nearly a full-time job staying up to date on the technology itself.  

The pros of the “social revolution” are bountiful. It helps unite vast amounts of people whom otherwise wouldn’t traditionally interact. It helps reach audiences that were previously untapped for small to medium businesses, or just those growing. Before, only mega corporations could mass-market and reach far and wide. Now, with the proper strategy, any business has the capability of doing so.

Cons include the potential for misinformation to be spread. Not everyone commenting on blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitter are legitimate sources. This has the potential to hurt your brand if too much misinformation is being spread. “Many blogs have turned into rumor mills, spreading misinformation that people tend to believe just because it’s on the web.” (TopTenSM  Staff, 2013) Secondly, the loss of productivity in the workplace has been a major topic of debate for sometime. As the TopTen Staff (2013) states, “Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are a direct cause for lost productivity at the workplace. In a survey, 36% of people said that social networking was the biggest waste of time in comparison to activities like fantasy football, shopping, and watching television.” We have all witnessed and personally experienced how easy it is to spend hours exploring the endless information on social media. This has become a major problem with employers that has led to limited Internet access or the blocking of many social media sites.

Overall, I believe social media has made a positive impact on marketing, PR, and advertising. Between the instant access to consumers, the endless engagement, and two-way relationship that is built using these platforms; I believe social media has created limitless opportunities for business and consumers alike.

References:

Kerpen, D. (2011). Likeable social media: How to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and be generally amazing on facenook (& other social networks). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Top TenSM Staff, (2013) 10 Pros and Cons of Social Media. Retrieved from:

http://www.toptensocialmedia.com/social-media-social-buzz/10-pros-and-cons-of-social-media/