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Branded Response and authenticity

Does the response you’re after ring true to your brand?

In their terrific book Authenticity (Harvard Business School Press), James Gilmore and Joseph Pine II discuss how people crave real experiences from their products. In part, this is a reaction to the widespread “virtualization” of society and commerce. Think about it. Did your grandparents ever have to ask to speak to a “real” person when they wanted to resolve a problem with their bank, airline, store, etc.?

This quest for authenticity should inform response marketers, too. We at Wayfinder Response advocate that the response should always reinforce the brand.

American Express could simply offer cash incentives to prospective cardholders. Instead, they promise exclusive access to hard-to-get events. This complements and reinforces their brand as a badge announcing that the American Express cardholders have arrived.

Sports Illustrated also offers authentic, Branded Rresponse. They entice new subscribers with fan gear like team t-shirts, fleece jackets and stadium binoculars. People who respond are rewarded and reminded that Sports Illustrated is at the center of appreciating the best sports offers. Even people who don’t still engage with the SI brand in a positive way.

How do you maximize brand impact out of your promotional offers? First, know your brand and what makes it unique. Make sure all your vendors – your ad specialty person, your ad agency, and your event people get it. Then ask yourself two questions when evaluating rewards and responses – does this offer set us apart? Is it authentic to my brand and consumer experience? If you answer ‘yes” to both questions, you have a winner.

Good direct response tactics

Branded Response relies on best practices. In response marketing, results keep us grounded in what works.

Here’s a good reminder of seven basic, proven direct response approaches, from a very good copywriter, Dean Rieck. Many are transferable to today’s web x.0 media as well. Enjoy. And remember to tell good stories.

If you don’t have time for the full article, here they are:

1. Share a sample of your product
2. Offer a free trial
3. Create intrigue with “teaser” copy about how your solution will provide a concrete benefit
4. Include product photos and illustrations
5. Tell a story
6. Include testimonials
7. Provide success stories with your product as the hero’s main ally

The big impact of small changes

Branded Response integrates best practices from branding and response marketing. One best practice from response marketing is to pay attention to detail. That’s because little changes can make big differences.

Here’s an example. One of our clients wants investors to register for further information and newsletters about their company. Active, sophisticated investors are legendary information hogs. Timely knowledge is how they make money. These investors have some of the highest rates of opt-in agreement for online offers and information. So we recommended that they include email as a way to engage with this otherwise expensive to reach audience.

As smart communicators, we tested and tested again. One surprising result was that even a subtle difference in the email subject line created a significant difference in open rates.

Here are the two subject lines:

1. Private equity for any investor
2. Private equity for every investor

One simple word was the only difference between the two lines; “every” vs. “any”. And yet the difference in people opening their email was dramatic. Can you guess which line performed 49% better? Follow the link to see.

Five marketing mistakes to avoid in a weak economy

Consumer confidence is at an all-time low. The housing and mortgage markets are in the tank. Gas is selling for $4 a gallon. What’s a marketer to do? A few of us at Wayfinder Response have enough gray hair to have seen a few recessions. Here are a few tips on what not to do.

1. Don’t overreact. If you’re not a value brand, times may be rough and it will be tempting to re-cast yourself on the basis of value. Resist this urge. It’s ok to introduce a value item, but don’t get caught struggling to re-position yourself entirely based on value. Value is a very difficult positioning to maintain unless it’s part of your DNA. The economy will turn around, probably quicker than you imagine. When it does, you want people to know you for what made you special (and made you money) in the first place.
2. Don’t just hack away at your budgets. Know that you’ll be asked to cut your budgets as senior management looks to prop up the bottom line. Resist the urge to just cut back across the board. Now’s the time to be open to changing your media mix. First, some media will be affected more than others. Look for media bargains. Also, recognize that people will be spending more time researching purchases now that money’s tight. Respond to that need by putting more money into information-rich media, like online, newspapers and magazines.
3. Don’t delay good ideas. In a recent AdAge article, Jack Neff recounts how many innovations emerged during recessions. Crest Whitestrips, frequent flyer miles, CNN, MTV and the IBM PC were all introduced during recessions. In fact, Steve Jobs introduced the iPod just 45 days after 9/11. And that turned out alright. The lesson here may be that the usual “me-too” line extension may or may not work out in the current environment, but truly good ideas will flourish despite tough times.
4. Don’t put your head in the sand. What characterizes this downturn? High energy prices and hard-to-get financing. If you can respond to those forces, go for it. And you don’t have to be in the car or bank industries to do so. Maybe it’s time to emphasize home delivery. Or how about offering your own financing? Or maybe your quality lends itself to long-term durability. These all appeal to current conditions without cheapening your brand.
5. Don’t forget your current customers. Now’s the time to leverage your relationship with people who historically value your brand. Play to those strengths both from a media standpoint (hello email and direct mail) and by talking about your brand and how it translates to value.

The new power tool – the checklist?

Time Magazine recently identified the world’s 100 most influential people. There were the usual candidates – the Dalai Lama, Bush, Putin, Brangelina, etc. But one name stands out for his humble yet game-changing innovation. Dr. Peter Pronovost’s idea was laughably simple. He introduced the lowly checklist into surgery theaters around the country and the world. The result? According to Time, Pronovost “may have saved more lives than any laboratory scientist in the past decade”. They have the potential to save over 90,000 lives and $11 billion a year.

You can read a fascinating article on his story at that most staid of medical journals, The New Yorker.

Checklists work because surgery is complicated. And the most mundane activity can make a big difference. Sound familiar? Today’s branded response campaigns have many, many moving parts. Constant turnover in marketing departments and support agencies make quality even tougher to achieve. Keeping checklists and empowering support staff to enforce their use could make all the difference to your next campaign.

Youtube for the working class

Youtube is a great way to kill a few minutes, but these bnet videos can actually help you with your career. They cover everything from sales to marketing to hr and tech. They’re quick and generally have some good insights. Here’s a good example.

from www.bnet.com posted with vodpod