What do you know about the Rotary Club? Oh sure, you’ve driven into some town and seen the club’s sign someplace near the “Welcome to Nowhere” sign telling you that they meet on Wednesdays at the diner. But how much do you really know about them? If you’re like me, not a whole lot. However, I came across something yesterday which shed a lot of light on them and their mission and I’d like to share it with you. Continue reading
Tag Archives: cluetrain
MIMA
The Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association does some interesting things. One of them is to run an annual interactive summit which, over the past seven years, has become a premiere interactive marketing event in the Midwest. They’re running a program now which is the topic of today’s screed. This program – a blog carnival – asks folks to post on certain topics and the one I’ve chosen is “Where does content start and marketing begin…or vice versa?”
I’m not sure if any of you watch Mad Men but it’s well worth the time or some space on your DVR. This week, a coffee client – Martinson’s – was presented with a new campaign designed to market his product. The ad team offers the client a “song,” a mixture of a Brazilian or French guy singing about a “coffee-colored exotic girl” and an “exotic brew.” “Is this a jingle?” the client asks. The response is “It’s a song and it’s a mood. It’s definitely more than jingle.” Content? Marketing?
I don’t believe there is any differentiation between content and marketing any more. As stated in the Cluetrain Manifesto, “networked markets have no respect for companies unable or unwilling to speak as they do.” Creating content is part of the conversation these days – heck, it IS the conversation. When a commercial entity creates content, it’s marketing.
This post is a fine example. While I certainly have a point of view and want to convey it, I also have a consultancy that advises clients about issues such as these. MIMA’s readership, (hopefully), likes this content and emails me to begin a conversation about how I can help them. Voila! Marketing!
One needs to be mindful that “content”, in my mind, goes beyond advertising. It truly is something of value that advances and enhances the particular conversation. Cluetrain again: “markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies.” Part of that intelligence is the ability to distinguish 1.0 companies from 2.0, especially in the digital media. Marketing is content, content is marketing.
Filed under Consulting, Thinking Aloud
You’re In
I used to love hearing the coach say “Ritter, you’re in.” It meant I was going to get in the game rather than just stand on the sidelines trying to stay warm and keep my head involved. Ironic, I guess, coming from someone who now works in a profession renowned for standing on the sidelines and kibitzing to the players (best line ever – the commercial – where the consultants look at the client and say “oh, we don’t actually DO anything, we just recommend.”)
I’m thinking about this because I had an interesting experience this morning. You may have seen the announcement that konnects, a new social network, is having its official launch today. Like you, I need another social network like a third armpit, but I figured I’d search the Twitter community to see what was being said. Interestingly, of the 35 (as of this writing) tweets in the last 24 hours on this subject, it seemed as if exactly one was from a person who had signed up and was using it. The other 34 were either people reposting the announcement or asking for thoughts on the network.
How many blogs do you read that are just that? Folks who are standing on the sidelines but really don’t have the skill required to play the game? How many naysayers are there like that in your office – folks who are ready to criticize at a moment’s notice but who don’t move the ball up field themselves?
The perspective in the middle of the field or court or rink or tee box is very different than that from the sidelines. We all need to get in the game and sweat a bit before we make a lot of noise from the bench. I understand that it’s all a part of the conversation, and it’s certainly OK to ask questions or seek opinions (and I wish more people did both!). But I think there’s too much uninformed chatter out there. Maybe it’s peer pressure to blog/tweet/fill up the lifestream. We’d all be better off sharing experiences, not just opinions.
Filed under Consulting, Huh?, Reality checks, Thinking Aloud
Consult Keith 