The Full Social Media Story: A Return on Relationships

by Victoria Shaw - VP, Integrated Public Relations

In social media, traditional result measurement tools often leave holes and we are left with a set of quantitative metrics (such as impression numbers and advertising equivalency value) that help tell a story but often skirt around the main plot point. Such ROI metrics can fail to take into account the true value of social media – the relationship value.We were recently challenged with such a case – a campaign that heavily leveraged a group of bloggers, a particularly tightly-knit niche, with the goal of reaching this group and creating relationships between them and our client (a brand specializing in products that also fall into this niche category.) Like all true relationships, this one took time to cultivate and grow. Through the course of many months filled with emails and exchanges we knew we met the goal and had successfully developed a group of brand advocates that would pay off with many years of loyalty, purchasing and recommendations to others.

Now the next challenge: measuring the value of these relationships! Our traditional ROI model looked good – indeed the campaign had impressive numbers on the quant side with total impressions, engagements and ad equivalency value all tallying strongly. But the heart of the matter was the story told in the emails from bloggers that raved about their newfound love for the brand, and the posts from their readers that confirmed these blogger/influencers were powerful advocates. To tell this story we had to use a ROR (return on relationship) model.

To do so we turned to our new advocates, the bloggers, and asked them to complete a short survey on their brand perceptions before and after we made contact with them and on the likelihood of their advocacy down the road. While we expected favorable comments back, we couldn’t have predicted how strong their response was! All confirmed that as a result of our relationship-building campaign they now felt they knew the brand well and would be much more likely to purchase it in the future. And as an added bonus: they had all told others about the brand-many others in fact, as many as several hundred word-of-mouth recommendations per blogger!! (And all this in addition to what they had written publically on their blogs!)

So what was our ROR? Well, we found that our outreach to these influencers had yielded several hundred positive brand mentions per blogger. And we also know that the recommendations of influencers (like friends, social network peers, and ‘experts’) are a powerful and direct driver in the purchase cycle. Measuring ROR isn’t an exact science, it’s an essential aspect of telling the full story about the performance of any social media campaign.

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The Pulse - Tech Savvy Consumers

Every month we survey our Pulse Network, a network of over 10,000 milllennials. We had responses from over 100 students (high school and college) and here is what we learned this month.

With smartphones becoming more prevalent and popular, we wanted to get a sense of how students feel about these new gadgets and what they thought were the biggest benefits of having one. While the majority of students know what a smartphone is, only 26% of the respondents own one. Students have limited budgets and during these harder economic times, not all parents can afford to go out and buy the latest and greatest technology.
While only a few have smartphones, the features and applications that are offered with the smartphone are very appealing. The ability to check email and browse the internet are the biggest benefits to students. We asked all respondents the following question.

What are some reasons you purchased a smartphone or want to purchase one?
• 61% stated I can access my email and internet
• 51% stated I can play music on it
• 50% stated I can take pictures with it
• 42% stated it’s a mini-computer
• 41% stated it has a touch screen
• 41% stated I can view video clips
• 38% stated it has a miniature keyboard
• 12% stated I don’t think there is anything really special with it

That said, the feature they would use the most is the internet. Students want to get information instantaneously, so having the internet at their disposal has high appeal.

What smartphone feature you would use the most?
• 44% Internet
• 23% Music
• 17% Email
• 8% Pictures
• 1% Video

In terms of brand choice, Apple is the top rated among students if they were to purchase a smartphone, followed by the BlackBerry.
Read more!

What are Market Researchers Doing in Vegas?

By Angelika Kazakaitis, Senior Planner, Consumer Insights

I just spent the week in Las Vegas. I know…you’re probably expecting to hear a crazy story, but remember, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” so I’m just going to share a few things I learned at The Market Research Event. (Maybe you can convince me to tell you about cocktail hour or the speaker who fell off the stage another time.)

Over the course of three days, I listened to many inspirational speakers. Mega brands like Coca Cola, Toyota, and Procter & Gamble had interesting case studies to share, but my key takeaways came from a combination of sessions I attended. Here’s some advice I collected for you marketing people:

Inspire brands: We as market researchers often like to play it safe, but it’s okay to take risks and go where no man has gone before! Consumer insights should never state the obvious – brands want new perspectives. We should all work together to inspire change and not just follow it.

Innovate by thinking through consumers’ needs: Ideas and insights are usually very simple. For example, a few years ago, Coppertone was looking to come out with the next big thing in sun care. Consumers continuously complained that “sunscreen is messy.” So what happened? The brand took a look at insect repellants, hair care, and other skin care products and BAM! Consumers can now spray on their sunscreen without ever rubbing it in.

Less is more. Brand logos don’t always need to be present: Martin Lindstrom, author of “Buyology” blew my mind with his presentation about Neuromarketing. Brands are finding ways to stimulate consumer’s minds without ever revealing who they are. Consumers can identify brands through scents, sounds, and other visual cues. Studies have proved that if you show images of rugged cowboys or even camels to cigarette smokers, the “craving” part of the brain gets stimulated and consumers don’t even know it.

Know your consumer AND your shopper: Dr Pepper Snapple Group pointed out that clients are often way too focused on the target consumer. Sure, the consumer is important, but he or she is not always the one shopping for our client’s products. For example, take Mott’s apple juice. Moms are the ones buying it, but their kids are the ones consuming it. When conducting research, it’s important to know how Mott’s can appeal to kids, but it’s just as important to understand how to get mom’s attention on store shelves.

Test concepts and messages - overexposure to a brand does not necessarily drive purchase: If an offer is not compelling, multiple exposures to that message won’t influence a call to action. It is extremely important to test messages with consumers before spending thousands of dollars on an advertising campaign. A good ad motivates consumers to do something the first time around.

The next time you’re drafting a survey, writing a creative brief, brainstorming, or figuring out how to market a product, keep these things in mind. To be the best, sometimes, we just need to stick to the basics. Read more!

Teach Your Pet a New Trick… or Treat

by Matt Jacobs, Senior Manager, Strategic Marketing

“Tricks” and “treats” are two words synonymous with dog owners. As a dog, you learn early in life that if you do a trick – e.g., roll over, shake hands, sit – you’re rewarded with a treat. But as Halloween nears, it seems like the pairing of “tricks” and “treats" is turning into “trick or treat” for many pets/owners.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), American consumers are expected to spend $4.75 billion on Halloween this year. A slight decrease from last year’s Halloween spending, some are saying the drop would have been more significant due to overarching economic factors if it weren’t for the booming pet industry. The American Pet Products Association reports that pet related spending will reach $45.4 billion this year – with Halloween becoming a key time period for brands to cash in on pet consumerism.

The biggest Halloween pet trends: costumes and Halloween treats. Buzz around the office this year is not only about who will win the best costume contest on Friday (for humans), but also, what Duffer will be wearing (Prince Charming) or if Josey will be posing as the Bone Collector or as Peyton Dogging.


Gourmet dog bakeries like Three Dog and Healthy Hound are featuring special Halloween themed treats to ensure you don’t forget about the four-legged trick-or-treaters.

And if your pet packs on a few extra Halloween pounds, don’t worry – the pending installment of Wii Fit lets you create an avatar for your dog or cat and track their weight loss. I’m sure a paw remote is already in development.


In case you’re wondering, NRF is predicting that top pet costumes this year will be:
1. Pumpkin
2. Devil
3. Bowties/Fancy Collars
4. Witch
5. Superdog/Supercat
6. Princess
7. Bat
8. Dog
9. Angel
10. Bee Read more!

Getting to Know Consumers

by Allison Marsh, Vice President, Consumer Insights

As part of the Consumer Insights team, I field a lot of very specific and sometimes obscure questions. Ranging from “how many 18 year old college students that live on campus are interested in renting furniture?” to “how many moms between the ages of 28 to 35 read newspapers?” to “what are the hotspots for tween boys?” Surprisingly, I usually have, or can dig up, the answers to most of these questions. Not surprisingly, those answers don’t always get our clients what they are looking for. So I always strive to provide more.

Most clients start off thinking that they need facts about a given consumer segment: demographic information: age, household income, education level, etc and quantifiable behaviors: favorite websites, discretionary spending, number of times they go out to eat, etc. While this type of information is very important, it does not provide the complete picture of who that consumer is and what will motivate them to buy products or services. Think about it, I am 5’7”, a college graduate and I eat out about once a week. What does that tell you about me? It gives you some idea as to where to put messages, but there is little to go on to establish a relationship.

As you know at AMP, our mission is to create brand experiences that become part of consumers’ live experiences. We believe that in order to do that we really need to get to know consumers. To truly connect with consumers, as a brand, you need to understand what they think, feel, and believe. To get to that level of understanding the AMP Consumer Insights team leverages some creative and non-traditional research methodologies.

For example, we recently did some work for a footwear company that was looking to launch a new line of shoes. We intercepted consumers on their turf (in this case skate parks) and held discussion groups in their homes. We even bought shoes off their feet. These methodologies combined to give us a view of how these consumers play, how they live and how they really use a product (sneakers in this case). It provided the color that was lacking from the black and white facts. Our client not only went on to use this information to develop a new product line but also used it to determine how to connect with those consumers, and ultimately how to launch that line.

Consumer demographics and quantifiable behaviors are very important but they only tell half the story. We strive to tell the full story by integrating ourselves into consumers’ lives. If you are having trouble with figuring out your consumer’s story, let me know. We would love to tell you how we would go about learning more and adding color via a creative and effective research plan. I can be reached at amarsh@ampagency.com Read more!

Tracking Growth on Twitter

The Pew Internet folks released a new study on Twitter this week and the AMP Integrated Public Relations team did a topline analysis of the findings. As you’ll see it's certainly a growing space!

Summary:

• A Pew Internet Project report released this week (10/21/09) reveals rapid growth on Twitter


• 19% of U.S. Internet users are on Twitter or similar microblogging services (Twitter being the dominant service) - up from 11% in April 2009


• While Twitter usage has grown among all age demographics, usage among 18 - 24 year-olds has grown most rapidly

Growth among age demographics since December 2008:

• Twitter and other status services were most popular among those 18-24; usage nearly doubled from 19% in December 2008 to 37%


• 25 - 35 year-olds rapidly joined the fray - up 20 points to 31% of this age demographic using Twitter


• Usage among 35 - 44 year-olds jumped 10 points to 19%


• Older demographics were slower to adopt Twitter use, but still grew with 45 - 54 and 55 - 64 age brackets totaling 10% each


• Only 4% of the 65+ demo is on Twitter


• Despite lower numbers, these age brackets have still increased by 5%, 6%, and 2% respectively since December 2008

What this information tells us:

• The definition of "active" on Twitter is shifting - many consumers are on Twitter and are considered active despite the fact that they do not always contribute to the conversation - they are on Twitter following celebrities, news, and brands and seeking information and news on Twitter though they may not always be contributing to the conversation by Tweeting. It is being used as a news and search tool


• Twitter is trending for continued growth and expanded use, especially among a younger demographic

Read more!

What’s Your Favorite Play-Doh Recipe?

By Angelika Kazakaitis, Senior Planner, Consumer Insights

Just about every mom and kid is familiar with Play-Doh’s memorable scent and soft and squishy texture. It’s a classic molding compound that has encouraged fun and hands-on creative play with kids in homes and classrooms around the world for over 50 years. Bright yellow tubs that contain an assortment of colors have inspired kids to create whatever their minds imagine: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ice cream cones with sprinkles, and now, tropical cakes, sushi, and pasta salads.

AMP has buddied up with Play-Doh to inspire moms and kids across the country to create Play-Doh recipes that look good enough to eat! Check out the top ten finalists and vote for your favorite creation today! On November 1st, one lucky kid will receive a $5,000 Playroom Makeover and a $5,000 School Doh-nation.

Vote here: http://hasbro.promotions.com/playdoh/votegallery.do Read more!