twelve for 12
TRANSCRIPT
December 2011
Dear Fellow Marketers,
The days of one-way marketing dominance have ended and the new
era of open, two-way communication is well underway with the social
and digital media explosion. What we like best about being marketers
during this era is having the opportunity to “earn” attention versus only
having the option to buy it.
We compiled the “Twelve for 12” for those marketers within our industry
who, upon reviewing and digesting it, will be one-half validated
and hopefully the other half inspired. These marketing musts (or
“suggestions”) are what many companies are currently exploring or
already doing. What the “musts” have in common is that each will
accelerate your two-way marketing strategies, allowing you to fully
realize the benefits of engagement.
Transformation isn’t always an instant, wave-of-the-magic-wand
occurrence. Most often, it’s the result of crafting and adapting. It
requires commitment.
In this day and age, relevance is real time and transformation should
happen regularly. We’ll be using this list to inspire transformations for
ourselves and our clients. We encourage you to take this list and make it
work for your own marketing strategies and goals in 2012.
Our best wishes for the New Year!
Dan’l and The DMA Team
CROSS
P
R O M O TE
www.dma-solutions.com
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Stay CurrentCurrent events impact us. From natural disasters to the latest Oscar
nominations, these events create the trending topics that affect
behaviors and relentlessly hold attention. Staying informed about and
understanding these newsmakers is the first step. Then, select and
converse about the stories your followers (and potential followers) are
interested in. Make it about THEM, not necessarily about you and your
products (at first). Once you’ve piqued their interest, tie your messages
to the latest pop culture phenom (you’ll be amazed at the many
ways FRESH does mesh) and you’ll have a whole new set of consumer
eyes on you.
FACT: ½ of all Twitter users are discussing TV shows - Hubspot.com
SUGGESTION: Use the various demographics within your own
companies and neighborhoods as mini focus groups to determine
what’s buzzing in each of their circles.
Grab some lights, a camera, and get some ACTION!
Cisco recently predicted that by the year
2015 approximately 2/3 of all Internet traffic
will be video and YouTube reports that over 3
billion videos are viewed a day. With these
astounding statistics, consider your place on
the plasma screen in 2012. With Flip cameras
and iPhones readily available in your pocket,
we’re all sitting in the director’s chair and
able to showcase our blockbuster FRESH
stories in a unique way.
Photo by DMA Solutions
Photo by DMA Solutions
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Photo by DMA Solutions
DataThe beauty of data is its accessibility and abundance in two
areas – we’ve coined them macro and micro. Macro-data
includes statistics, research, charts, polls, etc. about general audiences
and is a readily available resource for those willing to search to find it.
Micro-data is information for your specific, earned audiences - think
Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, HootSuite reports and custom survey
results. As marketing has shifted from a one-way path (push and tell) to a
two-way expressway (engage and share), the types and availability of
data have expanded as well. Now, it’s up to us as marketers to find,
consume, digest and act on it.
When engaging with a customer or consumer, you
have a minuscule amount of time to connect before
they shift their attention to the next best option. As you plan for 2012, hone
your message to 5 seconds or less. Stop worrying about being the
“leading” or the “largest” and start caring about being real, relevant and
true. A company or product is no longer measured by the length of
description. Authentic is the new descriptive, unless you are in aerospace
or politics. What’s DMA’s? We “share fresh produce stories” and it’s
as simple as that.
GET REAL!
According to The Media Audit, 1/3 of US consumers spend three or more hours online every day
absorbing content. When a consumer hits your place(s) on the web, what information will they see or
hear about you that is original? When planning for 2012, think about what makes you unique and go
with it. Is it your culture that makes you special? How about your e-voice? Back up your amazing story
with original artwork and stylized photography that fosters a memorable experience for
your target audience and has them coming back for more. The best news? FRESH products are
naturally beautiful and boast their own flavor, nutrition and growing story, which sets the stage for
creating the perfect content.
BE ORIGINAL
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Flock TogetherFind commonalities with your fellow fresh produce
companies and use them to your benefit. Whether
you are promoting complementary products, similar
company cultures or a common social cause, you
can form a partnership with a like-minded company
and double your messages’ reach. The result - a growing community of
like-minded followers ready for engagement with both companies.
SUGGESTION: Where will this cooperative strategy really soar? In the
social media skies! This comparatively affordable and quickly adaptable
two-way realm is the perfect platform for promoting your partnership in a
way that will best benefit your audiences.
Are You SHAREABLE?You’ve spent time and money to create custom content that your
readers will love, so don’t let them click away from your work of marketing
art without inviting them to SHARE it with their vast social networks! Make
your original content, pop culture-centric promotions and custom videos
an easy-to-share, viral marketing tool and increase your social mentions
up to 7 times.
OUR TWO CENTS: Sharing is now the “bar” we seek as marketers because
it measures relevance and connection versus following and supporting. All
are part of the journey, but sharing should become a regular part of both
your marketing vernacular and measurement in 2012.CROSS
PR O M O TE
Photo by Carlos Maya
SM N B2BDon’t overlook the power of positioning your entire company – personnel and culture, not just
products and promotions – in the social sphere. 2012 should be the year of B2B social growth. By differentiating from others via thought leadership and engaging others in their industry,
produce companies can do just that. Boost your “shareability” by publishing your presentations to Prezi
or Slideshare. Add a personal touch to your corporate identity with a blog (get familiar with Tumblr
and WordPress!) And stay LinkedIn. Consider the latest statistics: More than two million companies
as well as executives from all of the 2011 Fortune 500 companies have pages on LinkedIn. That’s some
good company. Remember, LinkedIn goes beyond posting jobs and finding potential employees. It’s
just as valuable for building you and your company’s professional reputations.
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Optimize Or Die!Ok that might be a little dramatic, but we all know that in the
business world, irrelevancy is a terminal disease. And in this noisy,
ever-changing world, “optimizing” our presence to customers is the holy
grail of staying relevant. Are you “there” when they come looking? Are
you available on their terms? Good SEO and a strong mobile presence are just a couple of the ways to ensure you aren’t dying a slow death.
Live Your Cause Roughly half of consumers are more likely to
purchase a company’s products if they outwardly
support a global issue that the consumer cares about.
Lots of companies are adding this proven method to
their marketing arsenals. In 2012, go beyond promoting your cause on packaging. Make it a part of your company culture and
your commitment will come across in all your communications – social
media, packaging, press, etc. Authenticity is key and will create an even
deeper connection with consumers.
Budget for the UnexpectedAnd we’re not just talking unexpected disasters. There are plenty
of marketing opportunities that pop up during the year (such as
an innovative, new sponsorship) that you’ll completely miss if you’re unable
to be nimble. Make sure that your budget allows you the flexibility to jump on a hot opportunity at a moment’s notice.
Look InsideWouldn’t it be great to have a strong group of brand
ambassadors on your side to support your marketing teams’
efforts? Well look around, because they may be sitting at the next desk! All
of your company employees are valuable assets who can serve as
champions for your product or brand in a number of ways, so keep them
in the know and engaged!
QUICk TIP: Encourage all your employees to add links to your current
promotion’s digital home base in their email signatures and customer
communications i.e. weekly price sheets.thecore.dma-solutions.com
We’d love to hear your take on the
TWELVE.Share your comments
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