Internet Marketing and Digital Media Strategy Sydney Australia

Who are the #wecando businesses?  It's much more enjoyable talking about those businesses that are customer centric and rise above the mass?

Yesterday I had yet another poor service experience - we were on our way to pick up a new cooler from an online auction house Grays for Kim's shop (that's another story - the body corporate giving shop owners just two days notice they'll be replacing the roof over the next three weeks and are removing the air conditioners).

Anyway, the crux of the complaint was the operators "stick to the rules/ status quo" attitude in the face of common sense or satisfied customer experience.  It was like the ability to think and make a decision was outside her realm.  I wonder if you've ever been fired for bending bad policy to look after a customer? I'm reminded of the Vogons in Hitch Hikers Guide.

I was compelled to tweet and flame (term used for negative online comments) and share my ranting rage. 

Then I thought about an active Facebook post from the previous day.  

"next time, stop and think about that before you hit the return button on your next post or comment? Everything you put on the Internet is forever, to be indexed, searchable & shared. "  I said that - far out - pause! 

My beloved dad used to tell me your reputation is everything - it's what you stand for - guard it with you life - it will open doors and opportunities and how you will be remembered.

So what do you do about these negative comments?

I suppose there are always options  - do you worry about it or not?  Does the critics review of your restaurant, film or business matter?  Is the complaining customer just ignorant, misinformed or just out to cause trouble and bad blood like an attention seeking school clown?

What if you ignore the rant and it becomes a groundswell - an Egyptian online driven revolution!

In Robert Green's 48 Laws of Power he says "Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them."

Through all your actions you continually shape the perceptions "your reputation" of others - consequently lies personal responsibility. For example - a coffee shop for fantastic scrambled eggs; your favourite band for great live shows; your tourist destination for unspoilt crystal clear water, you or your boss as a great leader of men (and women). These are all messages that spread easily (Robin Dickinson's Sharewords).

So how do you empower your fans; your sneezers (term used for positive online comments); your advocates to influence online public opinion?

• Listen (Google Alerts)
• Know your messages - the things that matter most
• Engage in conversation (Twitter; Facebook; Blogs)
• Create good content that shares.
• Recreate, Innovate & Deliver

Who are the #wecando businesses?  Those businesses that are customer centric?

I immediately think of Iggy and UXCConnect - much has been written about their innovation culture.  I'm reminded of a sales girl at Bras and Things in Wollongong who was incredible (fleeced another couple of hundred out of my wallet for Kim). Personally, my film guys who are always open to my creative challenges.

Tell me about your happy customer experiences - it's much more fun.

It was February 9th so says the Google Apps shared document but my thoughts and discussions go back many months earlier.

This series of blog posts aims to chronicle the development of how a dissatisfaction of the status quo manifested into challenging our approach to what we do.

We were sick of the "hard sell", we were bored with our own brand approach, we wanted to focus on showcasing what we do best, less production focus and more strategic creative.  

I reminded of a quote  "The riskiest thing we can do is just maintain the status quo"  from Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

I suppose there are many factors that instigate a need for change - either internal or external motivations - some we force upon the world and others are forced upon us.

Whatever the motivation, the one guarantee is there will be change.

When interviewing Ted Johnson, CMO, Minnesotta Timberwolves last year I was reminded that "attitude" is the one that makes the most difference.  "Attitude is Everything"

My dear dad (RIP) also said that it is not money, size, education, or privilege but the focused team that gets the greatest results. 

So my CEO challenge is to create a highly focused, innovative team with great attitude that resonates with our customers.

From a business perspective I suppose "attitude" is about culture - your people, your products, your customers experience,

It prompts the question what's the attitude and personality of your business?  Is it Friendly? Risky?  Innovative?  Conservative?  Arrogant and so on.

I'm suddenly back to snoozy Marketing and Psychology 101 lectures of Pavlov's dog, Maslow and Jung (Freud was just a sex fiend ).

In my current world of online advertising and media there's much discussion around online behavior and contextual advertising.

But I think it's less about sophisticated targeting algorithms and more about connecting with people, of dealing with customers who appreciate, like and advocate your work. 

How does your brand personality resonate with your customers?  Do they like you?  Do they share their experience with the friends?  

Be unique - mass marketing is for mass producers and audiences.

Following are a few quick thoughts on brand engagement.

1. Understand the audience - the who/ what, when, where, how much and why?
2. Insure clients understand that in this digital media and communications age, online social media customers are now firmly at the power centre of the buying Universe - empower your audience with knowledge and tools - be open. For example, who are your "influencers (experts, role models etc), sneezers (people who advocate) and flamers (people who critic) and how do you connect? What channels are they in?
3. That Brands/ Services need to provide a unique sales proposition and create a compelling story/ experience that engage and resonates with their audience(s) - both in short term attraction and longer term relationships. This can be online, offline or a combination of the two "inline". 
4. Create desire and value viewer attention - develop and create short, high quality, very creative advertising and marketing collateral that viewers trust to share, interact (comments, likes, blogs) etc, purchase and recommend.
5. In summary much of the advertising and marketing principles we've all learnt are still the same  - the only difference now is scalability (niche), the technology, the heavily fragmented, flattened non value layers of middlemen and the integration and importance of customer service and experience into our brand engagement programs.

I know I know there's a bit of Chuck Berry's duck walk or Angus Young being channelled here in this photo but frankly who cares - unless you're a mad man then every lead break, chord progression, dance, art, business idea or advertisement is but a combination of some prior influence.  It's the combination that's the innovation!

Photography: Scott Maxworthy Photography on Facebook

Inspired by Seth Godins latest blog: