Mike’s Points

My company had an outing at the Toledo Mud Hens game the other day. I parked in a parking garage near 5/3 Field, saw the game, had a good time, left and went home.

A day later, I happened to look at the ticket and noticed what looked like a PSA.

But it wasn’t.

Half the front (right) and all of the back of the ticket dealt with how you should prepare if the bird flu broke out locally. And, it was developed by the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department “funded by a grant from the Ohio Dept. of Health.”

First, did the Ohio Dept. of Health pay for that information to be printed on the ticket? (Ohio tax dollars at work?)

Secondly — and more importantly from a marketing perspective — is a parking ticket really the best way to reach people with that information? I mean, who really reads a parking stub? I happened to be because I was in my minivan the next day, waiting for a minute to pick up a friend. Otherwise, I don’t read parking stubs.

Is this really an effective way to mass communicate how to prepare for a bird flu epidemic — or is it ineffective and a waste of money?

Seems like a waste of money to me.

–Mike

Joel Bittle over at GreenBuildingElements makes several good points about how builders should consider the reality of building green. That it can be less costly — at least the same as — traditional building.

While the energy part of being or building green can be easily seen — if you can save a few bucks to be green, do it — his points on health (the long-term health affects) and sustainability wouldn’t inspire me to focus on green. (Maybe health, but it depends on the issue. For many health issues, it depends on what it is and if/how close it hits home. Bittle made a good comment about it.)

The more conversation and debates there are around green, I think the more it’ll become more mainstream.

But, only if it makes personal or business economic sense. Bottomline, I’m not going to be green just to be green unless it affects my bottomline.

And, the bottomline for business is one that can steer business into awash of green washing.

Companies — and the marketers and PR people behing them, agencies included — too often and too easily jump on bandwagons if there’s a buck to be made or a product to be pushed.

Don’t.

If social media does nothing else, it forces a higher level of ethics and transparency. Sooner or later, now more than ever, if you are trying to pull something, you’ll get exposed.

So, go ahead and jump on the green bandwagon. Ultimately, if we can conserve our environmental resources and our financial resources, we’ll all be better off. Just be sure you’re focusing on both kinds of green and not just green backs.

-Mike

Are we no longer in the Information Age?

What about the Age of Transparency? (Well, guess it can coinside.)

Okay, online and mobile video usage is on the rise.

And, as more people watch video online, their online devices are being more and more used for entertainment purposes — not news and stuff like that, according to a June 28, 2008, eMarketer story:

• “Key research from Deloitte Development signifies the shift away from TV to the Internet, with 69% of respondents in the firm’s second annual ‘The State of the Media Democracy’ survey saying their computer has become more of an entertainment device than their TV.” That same Deloitte study also found that 36% of all respondents use their “cellphone as an entertainment device.”

And, according to MediaPost’s Research Brief blog (July 16, 2008):

• “Total hours with video-based entertainment on all platforms is forecasted to expand nearly 35% to about 8 hours (in 2013) on average, as consumers use more screens in more places and video becomes ubiquitous on every screen at home and work and on-the-go.”

What does that say about us?

Are we looking to be passive and not active in our free (and even working) time?

Are we looking for more escapism through whatever fantasy or reality we can see on video?

Are we getting fat and lazy, and society will collapse because we’re too busy watching the boob-tube — no matter its platform?

I don’t know the answers (though the pessimist in me doesn’t like this trend, as you can tell by the image).

What it does mean to me — professionally — is that communicators and marketers need to keep an eye on where our audience members are and what they are doing. We have to be communicating with them more so then to them — and in a way that it connects to their interests and lifestyles.

Look at what Southwest Airlines is doing:

According to a June 26, 2008, MediaPost Marketing Daily story, Southwest Airlines “has signed on to sponsor the Midnight Gaming Championship (MGC) 2008 video gaming season to capture mindshare from tomorrow’s professionals, now ages 16 through 25….The marketing message tied to the sponsorship focuses on educating consumers about several Southwest services such as the downloadable computer desktop widget ‘Ding’ that offers exclusive fares on flights; along with the company’s weekly email, Click ‘n’ Save, that reaches 6.9 million subscribers; and Rapid Rewards.”

Southwest Airlines is marketing its services that are tied to the interests and habits of its targeted 16-25 years of age demographics. There’s a connection between what Southwest is pushing and its audiences’ habits.

No matter where society — or your audience — is going or doing, communicators need to develop some level of connection with them. That connection can be in conversations or creating tools, services and experiences that complement your company, products or services — all the while being part of your customers and prospects’ interests and lifestyle habits.

Marketing=Connection. It’s as simple, and as entertaining as that.
-Mike

(For a related take on the “Age of Entertainment,” see my other recent column at TalentZoo.)