You are viewing the 'Broadhead Labs' Category

There’s Never Been a Better Time to Lose a Little Control

By: Troy Schroeder, 16:16 PM on Thu Jan 19 2012, 504 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

Admit it.  We all have a little control freak in us.  The need to dictate how a particular situation will take place and play its way out.  Why?  It’s because control equals comfort.  But, I’m here to say there has never been a better time to give up a little control in your marketing efforts.

As marketers, we often give lip service about having a conversation with our audience.  But, seldom is this a true conversation in the normal sense of the word.   Traditional marketing is one-way communication in many ways.  Here’s the ad in the magazine, on TV or the radio; here’s the direct mail or collateral; and here’s the info on our product web site.  Basically, it’s a monologue run by the marketer and the audience is getting the information in the way the marketer wants them to. Or, worse yet, they’re ignoring what you’re saying.

One-way messaging is out. Building conversation is in. There’s still a place for many traditional “communication” vehicles in the mix, but they’re sharing more space in campaigns with ideas that create a real dialogue between marketers and consumers – and between the consumers themselves.  And, if marketers loosen the reigns and let the dialogue occur, and even foster it, there are major dividends to be had.

Case in point. This recent survey shows consumers are 71 percent more likely to buy a product if someone referred it to them on social media. Let ‘em talk about you, embrace it, and you’re likely to sell more.

A little control given can be big profits gained. We’ve developed a Content Control Continuum™ (shown below) to help our clients map the inverse relationship between control and credibility in their marketing plans.  Check it out. The key is getting the right mix of tactics with varying levels of control to end up in the right spot to maximize your impact.  Every brand is different, and what works for some may not work for others.  But, right now is the time to lose a little control and find out what’s best for you.


Filed under: Blog, Broadhead Labs, Uncategorized

Planning-ness 2011: The Mind of the Matter

By: Forest Taylor, 14:14 PM on Wed May 25 2011, 871 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

Planning-ness 2011Last week at the Planning-ness conference, planners, strategists and other generally interested parties spent Thursday and Friday crammed into Gallery 13 in downtown Minneapolis listening to lectures on everything from combating cynicism to running a prediction market.

For those who aren’t familiar, Planning-ness is a recent addition to the conference circuit, collecting progressive thinkers, marketers, psychologists and more from across the country to tackle questions related to what makes us tick, ideally giving us food for thought to take back to our respective agencies.

In a lot of ways, I think there was really just one big question – how do we, as marketers, storytellers, ambassadors, or what have you, engage in empathetic observation and self-reflection. A second, maybe equally important follow-up to that question is how do we market that approach internally – by championing our own ideas, can we champion the consumer as well? (I believe that was Farrah Bostic‘s point about “marketing the marketing,” though I could be wrong – I was at an excellent presentation led by Adam Siegel from Inkling.)

Some notes I took from my two days at Planning-ness;

Inspire people to take action by tapping into their interests, desires and passions – empathetic engagement. (How to activate communities in a post-digital era – Kat Egan + Ken Habarta)

Insights are arrived at by applying an analytical framework to research and observations, paired with human empathy and experience. (How to interpret culture and consumption – Anders Bengtsson)

Complex systems are only predictable in a statistical sense, but you can better understand your chances by better understanding humans. (How to market to primates in a complex world – Ethan Decker)

Use advanced empathy research to discover insightful strategies that help you penetrate the hardened membranes in the mind of your target audience. (How to overcome cynicism with psychometric insights – John Marshall Roberts)

At a basic level, we just have to care. We have to recognize the inherent value of our target audience beyond their ability to be plotted on a demographic map. We have to be willing to step inside the mind of the consumer and just kind of feel it out. We have to make decisions that stem from empathy and are supported by the numbers.

The latter is usually there if you know where, or how, to look. The former is harder to pin down (the latter is still important), but oh so much more rewarding for that very struggle. There’s a bigger discussion to be had surrounding qualitative and quantitative analysis (see: prediction markets), but I’ll leave it there for now.

Filed under: Broadhead Labs

The Social Strategist as a Creative Director, kindof

By: Forest Taylor, 14:14 PM on Tue Apr 05 2011, 700 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

The BrandLab

Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in a pilot program for The BrandLab, a Minneapolis-based non-profit focused on outreach into high schools in and around the Twin Cities. The organization was created in 2007 by John Olson, the site explains, “as a response to the lack of diversity in the advertising and marketing industry.”

The program I took part in introduced a team of six mentors, all industry veterans, into a class room where we spent three weeks (spread out across six sessions) helping guide a team of high school students in the creation of a pair of print ads targeting at risk students.

At the end of the three weeks, a presentation by the students was given at Olson.

It was a valuable experience, for a lot of reasons. At the very least, I learned a lot:

- classroom leadership skills are not hereditary (Still, my parents would have been reasonably proud, I think.)
- we should always be able to explain what we do, and why it’s important
- we should be ready to reevaluate and reformat the above, at all times

As I continued to work with these students, ostensibly the future of advertising should they decide to continue in that direction, it became clear that some of the things I thought were big deals (cross-platform content synchronicity) weren’t all that interesting or relevant to the task at hand. I had to find ways to make my background more immediate, molding it to the task at hand.

Since I was serving as the group “creative director,” a far cry from my actual position, I also had to find ways to serve in that role given my almost Photoshop-less past – except for that one time.

It was good. It’s easy to find people who do what you do and, if I never wanted to talk about anything but social strategy – and never apply it to anything but interactive content – I could probably go a long way down that street. It’s valuable to specialize, but looking at that specialization from another viewpoint, or forcing that specialization down a different street can be even more rewarding.

Think of it less as “how the other half lives” and more like an impromptu crash course in creative empathy. Organizations like The BrandLab give those opportunities and, as marketers, we would be remiss to over look them.

In the end, we’ll be smarter, quicker and better able to coalesce various marketing arms into cohesive visions.

Filed under: Broadhead Labs

Welcome to Pine Point – This is (Interactive) Storytelling

By: Forest Taylor, 14:14 PM on Mon Mar 07 2011, 1688 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

Image courtesy of Nelsene WeberPine Point was Canadian mining town. When the mines stopped, so did Pine Point. While some former mining towns adjust and reinvent themselves, others become ghost towns.

Pine Point became the ghost of a town. It’s not on a map and, outside of some blacktop and concrete (and one hotel basement), barely exists outside of the memories of those who lived there.

But the town still lives on Richard Cloutier’s Pine Point Revisited and, now, via the interactive documentary Welcome to Pine Point, by my new favorite creative team The Goggles.

Originally intended to be a book, as Paul Shoebridge writes, “It probably makes more sense that it (Welcome to Pine Point) became this.”

This is top notch storytelling, first and foremost, designed in such a way as drop the reader/watcher/listener into Pine Point as it was – and as it’s remembered. The use of an interactive medium is secondary, but also essential to the experience. If we, as marketers, can use the tools and resources at our disposal to tell stories half this worthwhile and engaging, we’ll be headed for very good things.

[story via Very Short List // image via Pine Point Revisited]

Filed under: Broadhead Labs

CATFOA 2/1: Ana Andjelic – Moving Creativity from Instance to Environment

By: Forest Taylor, 14:14 PM on Wed Feb 02 2011, 11878 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

Ana Andjelic, Senior Planner @ HUGE, Inc.At Monday’s CATFOA event (Conversations about the Future of Advertising), HUGE, Inc.’s Ana Andjelic discussed the need for a new definition of creativity – one relying less on the brand message and more on the environment in which both brand and consumer meet. In this scenario, Andjelic explained, creativity is the medium, not the product.

I took three main points from her presentation:

1) Plan for sustainability; think in terms of campaigns, not projects.
2) Think like a sociologist, not a marketer.
3) Look between the brand and consumer to identify unlikely (or likely) connections that fit into the context of everyday life.

Here’s how I might apply this. Say that a client comes to me and ask for a Facebook page. My first question should by “why,” but after that I should try to determine how such an outpost fits into current initiatives, who will be in charge of keeping it up-to-date, and how they want it to grow opportunity and consumer connectivity.

Taking the second point, I should then ask what purpose the Facebook page will serve. If consumers care about shoe construction, should Nike focus on corporate history in their Facebook landing page? (They don’t but for the sake of argument.) Essentially, are we asking the right questions on behalf of our target audience – does the shoe fit?

Last, is there a way for me to continue expanding this intitiative, evolving it into something that serves consumer interest while supporting the brand? This context is the environment within which the purchase is made, recommendations are given and product use actually occurs. I would say that this third point follows directly from the first two.

Overall, it was a good presentation, which is to say, it gave me some points to consider.

You can find more of Ana here.

Filed under: Broadhead Labs

The True Value of Your Facebook Fanbase

By: Forest Taylor, 16:16 PM on Mon Jan 17 2011, 3470 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

CrowdIn June 2010, Toronto-based Syncapse set out to find the true value of a Facebook fan. Utilizing their own extensive database, a team of analysts and Hotspex Market Research, Syncapse looked at 20 of the most popular B-to-C (business-to-consumer) brands on Facebook.

They looked at a set of five indicators, which should be familiar to most marketing and business professionals:

  • - Product spending
  • - Brand loyalty
  • - Propensity to recommend
  • - Brand affinity
  • - Earned media value

What they found, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that those who identified themselves as Facebook fans of any given brand were more likely spend money, recommend the product(s) and remain faithful. As with any product or medium, some fans were very active and some were completely inactive.

Overall, Syncapse found the average value of a Facebook fan to be $136.38.

As mentioned, Syncapse looked at only established B-to-C brands, such as Nike. Do the same rules apply to a company that exists in the rural B-to-B (business-to-business) space – companies like AGCO – that often serve consumers looking to make a much higher monetary commitment to both brand and product?

Yes and no – but there is more in common than one might think. Whether your Facebook audience is looking to buy athletic wear or a new tractor, it behooves you to engage them and, as Syncapse says, “move them (fans) up the value ladder.”

That is to say, the goal for any company with a Facebook page, Twitter page, Ning account, WordPress blog or YouTube channel should be – how do I continue to engage those who have taken the time to interact with me and how do I motivate those who have joined me, but are rather sedentary, to take a more active role in the community I’ve fostered? Because a Facebook page, with “x” likes isn’t the end of the story – whether you’re Nike or AGCO.

Every “like,” “follow” or “bookmark” is an invitation to engage and build word of mouth. In regards to a fan’s propensity to recommend a brand or product, Syncapse found that “a large base of fans would result in an increase in consumers willing to participate in brand- based recommendations and discussions.”

Depending on the company or product, Facebook may not be the most efficient way to activate your base, bringing current and potential users into the fold. However, the tenants you approach that medium with should be fairly static in other areas.

As Syncapse does a great job pointing out, every Facebook fan (and social connection) is valuable. Consumer action should be affirmed – consumer inaction is an opportunity for evolution and future interaction.

Read “The Value of a Facebook Fan” here.

[via PSFK]

[image via BBC Sport]

Filed under: Broadhead Labs

Baseball, Knitting and Feeling Like You’re Behind

By: Forest Taylor, 15:15 PM on Wed Dec 29 2010, 1261 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

KnittingIt wasn’t really important that I picked knitting. It could just as easily have been bread-making or barring chords. The important thing was that it was a goal absolutely divorced from the job I am paid to do – my card says ”social media strategist.”

The problem for me, and I imagine others, stems from working in a field that focuses a great deal of time and attention on terms as wonderfully open as “social media” – a notion, like Oz, both great and terrible. I am constantly concerned that I am not doing enough, or consuming enough topical information, and start to feel like Rockwell every time I open Google Reader.

The more time I spend in the Matrix, the less informed I feel about the subject matter I’m attempting to corral.

Last week, Dean distributed copies of the book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” around the office. Michael Lewis’ fascinating look at the 2002 Oakland A’s and it’s enigmatic general manager, Billy Beane, had nothing to do with social media strategy, public relations, top ten lists or the next big thing. It was a book about baseball, plain and simple.

It also made me look at Broadhead, and the work I’m being asked to do for our clients, in a slightly different light. Somewhere between submarine pitchers and front office temper tantrums, I gained a new perspective without ever signing into Google or checking my Twitter account.

Back to knitting

So what does knitting, making Swedish flat bread or being able to play Billy Bragg songs without cheating have to do with helping clients make the most out of online tools and developing comprehensive content strategies?

Absolutely nothing, and that may be the key.

It’s good to be at an agency where you’re just as likely to receive a book about baseball as you are to receive a revised copy of Groundswell.

Filed under: Broadhead Labs

Make This Better

By: Forest Taylor, 14:14 PM on Wed Dec 22 2010, 949 View(s), 0 Comment(s)

Broken City Lab (BCL) is a Windsor-based collective that merges art and social activism, examining the ways in which the city’s residents interact with their surroundings and using art to inspire a local dialogue by way of hyper-localized calls to action.

Make This Better - Broken City Labs

One of the group’s most recent projects focused on an area colloquially referred to as Ripper Valley. BCL Senior Research Fellow Michelle Soulliere utilized giant cardboard letters to invite locals and passersby to “Make This Better.”

It’s a theme that runs through much of Broken City Lab’s interactions with Windsor, including another recent event, their city walk/think tank excursion. While BCL is Windsor-specific, but their call to action is one that can (and should) be appreciated on a much broader level.

We should walk into spaces – physical or otherwise – and allow ourselves see them in a new light, to see how they could be better and empower ourselves and our peers to translate vision into action. As Tom Gabel (Against Me!) sings on New Wave, “we can be the bands we want to hear.”

We can make the places we want to be.

I think this goes for both physical places and more transitory ones.

As creative professionals, we are constantly presented with the opportunity to make our industry a better place for clients and consumers to connect. We can find the places where best practice and honest intent have broken down and rebuild them

Before sidewalks and streets, before best practices and webinars, the entire space was a playground. Before we were inspired to build cities or invent new methods of communication, we had to pull them from dreams and ideals.

What can we do in 2011 to make the profession we’ve chosen better? How can we use our collective talent and drive to make the space that exists around us better for ourselves and others – both as communications professionals and as community residents?

Filed under: Broadhead Labs