7 Questions Raised by Situational Influence

Can understanding the situation improve our marketing?

Yes, but we've got work to do. 

The concept of 'Situational Influence' was recently shared by Jeff Wilson on the The Social CMO Blog. Using the analogy of solving the 'getting wet problem' caused by rain with either an umbrella, shelter or ark the article makes a good case for thinking about the decision making process based on the situation we find ourselves in.  

The basics keys on Situational Influence…

1. Situations directly affect action.
2. Situations rise in priority according to urgency.
3. Urgency drives immediacy of action
4. We are oblivious to all of it.

These raise some interesting questions for marketers that need more thinking than I'm incapable of doing today, but its a start of a new to do list.  

1. Should we be marketing to the situation and not the person?
2. Can influence be broken down into components that marketing can impact?
3. Are there dimensions of content that can be combined in various ways to help shape decisions?
4. Does the weight given one dimension of content differ across need states?
5. Are different channel, content combinations more effective at one time over another?
6. How does the fact that interactions occur unseen impact our media planning?
7. Should we think in terms of helping people choose rather than in specific responses?

What should we also be asking ourselves?

Revisiting the CRM to Social CRM Migration

Did CRM miss the point? 

CRM is (was) often described as 'delivering the right message, to right person, at the right time'.   But who decides on 'right'?   If the marketer is doing it, then it is probably wrong since we are clearly biased.   

Messages do not and can not stay on point in a world where we can all create, edit and publish our own versions. About the only type of content that is safe from being completely repurposed is promotional; incentives in terms of offers usually aren't changed by consumers (although they will try.) The aspirational or emotional content will clearly be used as a badge - positively or negatively - and forms the basis of personal expression. 

If consumers seek, stumble upon, actively receive and passively absorb messages the idea that 'we deliver' is also off the mark.  We're not the only delivery channel by a long-shot; nor do we have control once a message is out there.   The communal aspect of content suggests that sharing of recommendations etc. may be of equal or greater importance in consumer choice.   In fact, our customers are often more qualified to understand 'right person' than we are.

How do we rethink communicating in a world that is really "we don't know what is said, we don't know who got it, and we don't know when it was received?"

Digital is Obsolete

What will the digital world look like in 4 years?

An excellent piece on the growth of the digital life from Neo Labels shared by my colleague Ian Barkley. 

At some point we should probably just drop the adjective 'digital'.   We no longer talk about 'jet planes' or 'digital phones' - to us they're just planes or phones.   And when we drop the adjective we can think about bringing all content distribution vehicles together.   The fact that the smartphone makes everything interactive also helps.

I did see a magazine in that 'digital house' didn't I?

15 Sources on How and Why to "Thank Customers"

Should you tell your customers "thank you"?

As part of our planning about how we can better help our clients our strategy guy Jeff put together a list of thoughts on the topic of how should a company say thank you.   Here it is.

Sprouter:  Why a Thank You program? It can beat a loyalty program.

LinkedIn:  "Marketing and Sales" Group Q&A

Customersrock: Thanking makes an impact

AML: 18 Ways to Thank Customers PDF

Jim Novo's thoughts on loyalty

Bizjournals: Shocked at companies that don't thank customers

Prime Performance: The power of thanks at banks

Green Industry Pros: Five Inexpensive Ways to Say Thank You

Traffic Builders: Thanking customers with a personal approach

Management Help: Onboarding new customers

Banking My Way: Banks are pushing referral programs

Amadeus: Including referral program in thank you program

Idle Air: Example of new customer referral offer as part of 'Thank You'

stylistbuzz: Sample of a simple new customer thank you card

Scrbd: Sample new customer welcome letter

Fedex: Sample welcome landing page


I'm sure there are many other sources and examples, please add your favorites....

Social Media vs. Social Technology

Does it matter what we call it?

Earlier this week I sat on a panel at a Utah AMA event.  One of the questions we fielded was: What's the next big thing in 'social media'?   Now, if any of us on the panel knew the answer, we probably wouldn't have been on the panel - we'd be busy launching it.

The point I made was to first throw out the word 'media' and replace it with 'technology'.   The reason was that media is often associated with business, marketing and advertising and that clouds our thinking about the art of the possible.   Two of the biggest platforms - Facebook and YouTube - started as technical solutions to the real and personal problems of the founders, not as business tools for delivering messages.  Based on the feedback, this line of thinking resonated well with the audience.

So, if there is something that frustrates you and your insights allow you to imagine a solution that leverages or facilitates human interaction then it might be the next big thing in social technology.   Whether it is media, is a chapter to be written later.

Tetherless Brands

What to read on the plane?

Just finished Rick Mathieson's books "Branding Unbound" and "On Demand Brand".   Both books cover the world of marketing in a wireless, digital age.   They take the approach of presenting a set of 'rules' of guidelines and then follow them up with interviews with industry players to make the points more personal and interesting. 

Fascinated to see the change in the examples and maturity of marketers over the five-year time frame between publishing dates - 2005 and 2010. 

Shaping Decisions

What kind of information do we seek?

In order to make a decision we process information from a variety of sources.   Not a terribly earth shattering idea in that statement.  But can we create a framework that helps navigate a world where consumers process a wide variety of information feeds (and I'm being general as opposed to focusing on RSS and the like) in a decidedly non-linear fashion. 

Given that information is processed to come to a decision, opinion, or a better understanding then the question becomes what kinds of information do we leverage in each situation?  Are there situations where different types of information play a more important role?   If we can categorize information and map it to personal objectives then we have a better chance of developing successful marketing programs.   

As a thought starter, there might be four types of information that shape a decision.

1. Promotional: product, price and place.  The focus is on incentive.
2. Emotional: brand.  The focus is on aspirations.
3. Informational: rational and comparative.  The focus is on reference and supporting evidence.
4. Communal: shared, user generated, social.   The focus is on recommendations. 

The weight an individual gives to a particular type of information could vary depending on intent, need state and prior experience. 

• Intent: buy, seek, share, discover, discuss
• Need: latent, chronic or acute as driven by timing and intensity of problem resolution
• Experience: collective perception from use or exposure. 

If I need a new hot water heater then recommendations and incentives might make the most sense right now.   On the other hand, if I'm browsing for a new car then a combination of aspirations and factoids might be more appropriate to narrow down the options.  

As marketers, how do we ensure the experience is consistent across content types?   How do we orchestrate the process and exude some influence?

Rembering Is a Hard Thing to Do

Was that red A4 a six speed or an automatic?

There are several scenarios where choice is so complicated that we simply can't remember the facts of the options - real estate and buying cars come to mind.   In both scenarios we are usually looking at a collection of things over a period of time while we are out and about.  Since decisions are driven by emotions supported by facts, we need to combine research, tactile feel, and aspirational thoughts. 

• We can research cars on comparative sites like Kelley Blue Book or a dealer's site but we don't know how it feels or how we'll feel.
• We can test drive cars to get that guttural feel about a car's soul, but we're limited as to the research we can do on the lot and we're still missing the emotional connection that brand managers strive for.
• We can read brochures or watch aspirational ads like Cadilac's 2009 spot for CTS featuring Kate Walsh, but we lack research and the touch and feel of steel and leather.

So, what if we could combine all of them together in a unique experience for customers?  Imagine customers being able to research specific cars on-line, drive it while reading reviews, and getting a reminder package at the end of the day that mixes facts, opinions and imagination.

Actually, it is quite possible.  

QR codes are a popular way of linking a physical object (or location) to information and content.  So, what if we remember which cars or houses you looked at (there will be an app for that) and combined the facts with branded assets to create a Brochure for 1.   Imagine a brochure from Bill Sattree's Toyota that included information on the cars you drove today - the FJ, Tundra, and Sequoia - delivered shortly after your visit to the lot.  

Would you exchange your contact information for a tailored set of content? 

The Toothpaste Side of CRM

How fast do customers defect?

It is well known in consumer package goods that a repeat rate (or the percent of customers who buy a second time) needs to be in the 40-50% range for a successful product launch.   In other industries the retention rate may be significantly lower - recently saw one where only 1 in 4 customers came back.   The implication is that only a portion of customer acquisitions are 'net new', i.e. those that grow the business.

If customers, like teeth, tend to decay, then how do we engage them in preventing it or at least slowing it down?

P&G talks in terms of 'moments of truth' - critical decisions that affect the relationship of a brand with a consumer.  The first two below are theirs, I've added a third.  They are...

1. The decision to buy - here we need to make sure that we're in alignment with what customers want.  
2. The decision to buy again - now we have to have delivered, both in marketing and product, a positive experience that met customer expectations.  
3. The decision to make it a habit - now we're talking about engagement and supporting an ongoing and continuous stream of purchases.  

Communication and contact strategies should be aligned to focus on each of these three moments, each with their own strategies and metrics.   Ideas for campaigns might consider...

• Promotions, offers, contests and entrainment for trial
• Welcome Packs and Thank Yous for repeat
• Experiences and participation for long term repeat

Intent and Behavioral Targeting

Can I change the ads?

An interesting by-product of behavioral targeting (BT) is that I get a lot of ads from the same industry.   Over the last couple of years I've worked with clients in the education space - particularly around graduate degrees from for-profit institutions.    The side-effect: I see a tremendous disproportionate number of ads from the likes of GCU, Western Governors, etc. whenever I surf for interesting news stories. 

It seems that a weakness of BT is that just because I visited a site it doesn't mean I'm interested in buying the product.  There are numerous reasons to visit a site and only some relate to the purpose of display ads - driving traffic.  Since I rarely (never?) go to the "Apply Now" pages and only review course descriptions the systems should infer my intent as something other than a prospective student. 

I wonder what ads I've been missing. 

Branding, Content and Segmentation

Is there a single voice?

We often talk about using a single voice and message as a means of conveying a brand to an audience.  This recommendation is based on the argument that we do not want to create dissonance and confuse the market with various and conflicting messages.  But what happens when there are several potential segments, each with their own view of the world and needs?  As an example, education deals with a very diverse set of segments, even within the same degree program. 

So, let's revisit the question:  How do we portray ourselves to different segments?

Creating different brand promises is not the answer.  All great brands have a single point of view or essence; often defining the category.  They own one and only one idea, e.g. Red Bull is the "energy drink." There are few brands that mean radically different things to different groups - Yamaha being a successful example in pianos and motorcycles.  

Audience segments are often described in terms of demographics and lifestyles.  But there is another potential dimension to explore: need.   What underlying benefit does a degree provide?  Is it skills to do something or is it a sense of accomplishment or is it fulfilling a life-long dream?   If we can get a prospect to talk about their vision of the future then we can better understand why they go back to or continue school.   If these views can be reduced to a small set of outcomes then a new possibility arises for developing content: Write the content in a way that reflects the underlying need.  Two really simple examples to illustrate the point:

Skills: describe the practical tools they gain; expertise of faculty
Achievement: provide job and career options; testimonials of successful placements

In this day of landing page optimization and dynamic key word insertion it isn't hard to envision an environment that works more like face-to-face selling.  By sensing what is important to prospects and responding with appropriate content we might be able to improve conversion. 

Match Making in Edu

Can we redesign a match-making service for education?

In "Fiddler on the Roof" Hodel sings about match-making:

Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
catch me a catch
Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Look through your book, 

and make me a perfect match. 

In some ways lead generation vendors in the education space think they're a modern day Yenta (the match maker in Fiddler) by offering site visitors a matching service.  With a few exceptions this is pretty much a smoke screen and gimmick.  If anyone has looked at the form that prospects fill out it is pretty easy to see that there isn't much to go on.  Contact information and year of graduation just isn't very good to pick an institution.  How'd you like to be served up a list of cars to choose from based on the same information?  

To make matters worse for the prospect, many options run with caps so when a school hits a budget goal for the month the spigot is turned off.  What other high-consideration industry turns away potential customers just because the quota is full?

There are a couple of additional issues relevant in this day and age.

1. Where is the personality, values and brand connection?
2. Where is the ability to compare and contrast? 
3. Just what do the myriad of degrees and specialties actually mean?

The match maker's book Hodel referred to contained all the attributes, characteristics, and family history of individuals.   It was meant to provide introductions that would lead to a true and lasting marriage.  So, if Yenta were to enter the edu lead generation space today what dimensions would her match making service be based on?  Here's my top three:

1. Compatibility is based on alignment.  If the key values of an institution don't match with a prospect's the outcome is predictable - "it was not a good fit".  These values are often best communicated by the deans of various Schools or Colleges whose vision and passion creates a connection.
2. Satisfaction is based on fulfillment.  With the rapid proliferation of degrees, specialties and courses it is increasingly difficult for prospects to understand which option is appropriate.   "What will I learn?" and "How can I use it?" remain questions. 
3. Success is based on the delivery of a benefit.  Whether the goal is an introduction to Fortune 20 CEOs or reinforcing the belief that "I can change things, even if I'm not in charge" an institution must understand what the metrics of success are.  (Hint: it is not really a career or better job.)

If dimensions of compatibility sounds a bit like eHarmony, that is intentional.   We're currently working with their former CTO Marcus Trevisani of Semantic Systems to create a better 'matching' experience for education prospects.  

Just need to find a better word than 'match'; that's been abused.   

Job Swap: Education and B2B Marketing

Why should education institutions hire B2B marketers?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to write two guest posts recently.  The first was for myUsearch and focused on battling the sameness of branding and admissions marketing in the education space.   The second was for Content Marketing Institute that offered a way of segmenting prospects based on their need state using the B2B market as an example.

The education piece argued that the 'sameness' of their marketing reduces colleges and universities to the lowest common denominators of cost and convenience - not a position many schools actually want, nor where they can actually survive.  The B2B piece suggested that at any point in time prospects are in one of several need states with respect to a given problem, e.g. think of a pain as being latent, chronic or acute.   

Since both markets consist of high-consideration products where the decisions are made by a very social group there could be some complementary thinking.  What would B2B marketers bring to education?

The best B2B companies, and particularly technology-focused ones, identify or create the category they want to dominate and compete in.  They are often experts at setting the rules that establish how their offerings are perceived.  'Industry leading', while over used, does reflect an understanding that it is critical to know what category prospects put them in.   In comparison, education institutions rarely can articulate the category in which they compete.  Instead they rely on a mantra of 'education is good for your career'.  True, but not very helpful - it is like saying 'shampoo gets your hair clean' or 'cars are safe'.  There is no attempt to differentiate nor is there an equivalent to "industry leading" and there should be.

In addition, while educational institutions have a brand that would make most B2B firms envious they often treat all their prospects as if they're all on the same time frame.  If the prospect doesn't apply and enroll within 60 days they are often relegated to the rehash or forgotten bin.  In contrast, B2B understands the value of nurturing because not everyone is ready right now.  The marketing objective is often to raise a pain to level of where action is taken - and this takes time.  Nowhere is this more important to understand than in the marketing of Master's degrees. 

So, the next time you need a marketer with a fresh perspective for the edu space look no further than the B2B sector.  

Separate Marketing of Master's Degrees from the Rest

Should we continue to market the vertical stack of degrees?

For any given month, they say there are 2 million leads and 100,000 people who will enroll - for a 5% conversion rate. 

The historic thinking for growth has been to increase the payout and buy more leads, this in turn funded the tactics used to grow the size of the pool.  The usual focus was on acquisition and taking one's fair share of the conversions.   But at some point, either the increasing cost per lead or a slower growth rate suggests that we need to think about converting more than our fair share.  

If we take the point of view that in a given month there are a fixed number of people who will enroll, then the question becomes: How do we differentiate ourselves in order to grow? Some suggestions.

1. Brand - Be known for something - there is simply too much sameness across institutions making it difficult to break out the mold.
2. Message - Move beyond 'ease, convenience, and cost' - there are segments of the market where more specific messages and benefits work well.
3. Proof Points - Targeted content - augment the good strides in identifying specific niche groups of potential students with customized content for each program segment combination.

For Master's degrees these suggestion take on more importance for two reasons.  First, conversion rate is much lower than the 5% average cited above.   Second, this audience researches their options fairly heavily over a period of time.   This combination suggests a distinct approach and possibly a dedicated team to service this growing segment.

Like many other categories, fragmentation is coming to education - I think it is time to adapt our marketing accordingly. 

Five Easy Pieces: Ideas for Marketing Education

What were we thinking?

Walking around the Career College Association convention we had an iPad with a number of short presentations.  They were ways to engage in discussion around some fresh ideas we've been working with and sharing with clients.   Here is a brief summary and links to individual posts where the presentation can be found.  

• Positioning Programs - a way to look at individual programs based on how graduates intend to use their degrees.
• Leveraging the Curriculum - thoughts on how the course catalog can be used to battle 'sameness' and differentiate a program in prospecting, admissions and remarketing.
• Marketing by Degree - a look at the emotional needs of prospects across levels of education and by interest stage. Fragmentation is only going to continue.
• Organizing an FAQ - there are a 1,000+ questions prospects have.  Here's a simple suggestion on  a way to organize content to answer them.
• Syllabus-Week - Master's degree seekers are different, they need to compare and think.  This one is an idea for creating a consumer-facing site where prospects are matched with faculty and programs.

ps - the iPad is a great way to give presentations in small groups.

Leveraging the Curriculum

How can we better use the course catalog?

Battling Sameness. Once the big three questions are answered (financing, timing, and credit transfer) prospects end up with several schools in their consideration set. And as Seth Godin argues, they all look pretty much the same at this point and it is up to the sales skills of admissions to turn interest into enrollment. Courses and faculty can help make the difference.

In prospecting, conversion and remarketing curriculum-based content can help meet objectives.

Key Message: free the course catalog from the shackles of a 19th century document to help differentiate your programs.

Program Specific Micro-sites

This is the second of Five Easy Pieces

Positioning Programs Based on Outcome

How do we use a degree to get a job?

Differentiation. We all make the claim that an education leads to a better career. But exactly how does that work? This presentation provides an answer to the question "How Do Prospects Use a Degree?" When a competitive set of programs are plotted according to the specialty of the curriculum and the specialty of the institution four different segments are created.


Key Message: prospects choose a program based on how they expect it to help them.

Positioning Programs

This is the first of Five Easy Pieces

Marketing by Degree

How do emotional appeals vary by degree level?

Fragmentation. All categories splinter into sub-categories, each with its own strategy, audience and market leaders. Eduction is no different. However, all too often the same approach is applied to both the level of degree (Associate, Bachelor, and Master's) and stage of the relationship (inquiry, admissions, and remarketing.)

A simple framework looking at the needs of prospects is provided to help refine and improve creative plans.

Key Message: segment by degree and stage as you develop marketing campaigns

Marketing by Degree

This is the third of Five Easy Pieces

Organizing the Myriad of Questions

What three folders of content do we need?

FAQs. Like any high-consideration product, education spawns 1,000+ questions from prospects. To ensure that they are all adequately planned for this presentation introduces a simple way for organizing your content..

All prospect questions can be reduced to three topics:

• Program - Institutional
• Placement - Career or job centric
• People - Social

Key Message: build out a content library around the 3 Ps of education marketing: Program, Placement, and People.

Reducing 1,000 questions to 3 Ps

The fourth of Five Easy Pieces

Marketing Master's Degrees with the Syllabus

How can we use Syllabus-Week as a recruiting tool?

They are Different. All the research, both real and anecdotal, suggests that people seeking Master's degrees don't think or behave like other prospects. They tend to be more deliberate in their process and often have a longer time horizon. If Master's Degrees weren't the new black maybe we could get by with traditional marketing. But this sector is one of the most attractive segments to focus on.

Maybe what the industry needs is a comparative shopping engine or matching program that focuses on the prospect's decision-making process.

Key Message: facilitate the natural tendency of Master's seekers to compare programs.

Syllabus Week for Master's

The fifth of Five Easy Pieces