No, Advertising Can’t Save a Brand Under Siege

I believe that Toyota’s TV commercial offering reassurance is an example of “too little, too soon.”  This post is an addendum to the previous blog post and discussion on adding value to a brand through information-rich advertising.  Due to expanding recalls and government-voiced allegations, Toyota is a brand under siege.  The TV spot that has been running heavily this month begins with something most of us already know: Toyota has had a reputation for reliable vehicles for 50 years.  So what?

As Gerson Lehrman Group put it:  “Before Toyota can raise its image from the ashes, the world’s largest automaker must make sure the fire is out.”

In my mind, the public is not ready for the feel-good stuff in a commercial.  This is ineffective advertising; it offers no new valuable information, and right now the marketplace craves insight and answers.

While Toyota is showing happy families in their TV spot, we’ve got Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., saying “Not totally” when asked in a congressional hearing this week if he could say with certainty that the fixes now being undertaken will completely eliminate unintended acceleration problems.  Is there a “smoking circuit” yet to be found? And now allegations that Toyota deliberately withheld key vehicle design and testing evidence in lawsuits filed by Toyota drivers injured in crashes.

So, bottom line, this ad content may remind Toyota owners of their past good experiences, or it may be greeted with indifference, but it may also inspire lots of social media conversations like this double Tweet from today: “I’m sorry, but this set of Toyota commercials where they are trying to convince us they are ‘so concerned’ about this recall – -I’m not buying it. They pretty much were forced to do it by congress, and now they want us to believe they are doing this cause they care.”

Can Advertising Add Value to the Brand?

Advertising, ye ‘old engine of capitalism, sure has been taking a pounding lately. Is it a victim of the “wild west” internet and the lovely chaos we’re all involved with? In the world of Web 2.0 marketing, value-add content (i.e. useful information) is king, and when everybody starts chatting, re-tweeting, and blogging about this valuable information, it builds the brand. “No need for your filthy, self-centered ADVERTISING,” so the reasoning goes.

A lively conversation about Brand Bank Accounts went on last week within David Meerman Scott’s WebInkNow blog. I found myself defending advertising.  I used to write a lot of B-to-B product and service ads before I gravitated to other forms of marketing communications.

It’s true that AdSpeak, brag and boast, and me-me-me ad copy are definitely ineffective and passé.  Good riddance.  But advertising can focus on delivering the kind of valuable content that Web 2.0-focused marketing folk are talking about.

For instance, Case Study copy allows potential customers to visualize themselves benefiting from a new technology, and “how-to” themes provide helpful tips and application ideas.

Ads accelerate awareness, and should provide a way for the marketplace to comment.  On-line ads certainly could be formatted to let people chime in – rather than just expecting the reader to click-through to a static website for more information (or unfortunately in many cases, a hard-sell pitch).

IBM's "Decade of Smart" ad campaign provides valuable content

Take a look at IBM’s new “Decade of Smart” campaign.  Two-page spreads running this month in Business Week, Forbes and other magazines provide a fact-rich narrative on the ways that various industries are using smarter information systems.  This is thought-provoking stuff.  No hype for IBM products.  It ends with an invitation to “join us” in building a smarter planet at ibm.com/smarterplanet.

This is advertising that doesn’t “subtract” from brand equity, as suggested (categorically) by Huib Van Bockel (a marketing director for Red Bull) as reported in David’s blog: “Brands withdraw from their accounts through the attention that they demand from consumers in the form of television commercials, print ads and the like.” Mr. Van Bockel’s important theme, however, is that brands add to their “accounts” by creating things of value, and that a brand needs to give more than it receives.  So true.

Unfortunately, too high a percentage of advertising doesn’t offer valuable information, and much of it is blatantly self-serving; in the B-to-B world we have an opportunity to do better than this.  Let us know what you think.

Why is your Company Address Buried Deep in your Website?

I realize that in this digital world, the physical place where a company resides is typically irrelevant to its customers.   But I find it strange that an increasing number of manufacturers choose to bury their company’s address so deep in a website that it’s nearly impossible to find.

Certainly potential B-to-B partners and suppliers or distributors, job seekers, and many customers want to know where you “live” and where they might be able to visit you.

Take the example of Monster Cable, makers of high-end audio and video accessories. I’m an audio enthusiast and I want to know more about the company. The Customer Support page has only phone numbers and email addresses.  Next, I look at listings for their International Distributors, but still no address for the company itself.

The Company Info page tells a nice story, but no city or address is given. Good photo of their building – where the heck is it?   Ah, yes, in the last paragraph there’s a text link on the word “community,” mentioning that they are active in theirs. This goes to a page that identifies the San Francisco area.  We’re getting warmer.

Maybe a press release would reveal their location. Nope, even the boilerplate at the bottom doesn’t say. But the dateline says “Brisbane, CA.” Or is that where The Concord Group is located – the company that is the subject of the release?

I’m about to give up, when – silly me, I find the address in tiny 4-pt light-grey type in a nearly invisible strip at the bottom of the home page along with the copyright.

When it’s this hard to find, you ask yourself whether or not the company is embarrassed of where their HQ is located.  Or if they even have one.

A sense of place is important.  More important, of course, is the fact that great content on-line inspires interaction and it makes little difference, typically, where anyone lives. But if I’m going to consider a deeper business relationship beyond ordering a product, I want to know.

Guess What, We Make Products.

The overuse of the word “solutions” in BtoB marketing and publicity, and the reliance upon it in headlines and text, has had its fair share of attention. I did some surveying on this several years ago and blogged about it. But here’s a new way to look at it. You never see a company begin their opening descriptor (on their home page, or in an ad) with:  “We make products.”

Rather, the company simply tells you what they make.  In a similar way, why begin with a focus on the word “solutions?”  Just say what you do, and your prospects will know it’s a solution if they have a problem that you have shown you can solve.

"Hey Everybody - We Make Solutions!!"

As I’ve often said,  hanging your hat on the word “solutions” (in a tag line, ad headline, etc) is about as ingenious as a food product manufacturer deciding that they will win over hearts and heads by proclaiming their product “tastes good.”  It’s expected…it’s a given.

And if it’s reaction and on-line conversation you’re looking for, proclaiming only what the marketplace expects won’t get it rolling.

Letting Customers Explain Your Technology to the Marketplace: Red Hat Does it Well

Letting your customers do the talking, endorsing you by describing their application of your product or service, is the best way to help prospects in your market to “visualize” themselves as a user of your technology, then start asking questions or participating in discussions on-line.  The more complex the technology, and the more varied the applications, the more important this becomes.

Enterprise Linux innovator Red Hat (Raleigh, NC) is a prime example. When your business is built around Open Source, the openness mode tends to pervade everything you do.  Thus, according to Leigh Day, Red Hat’s senior director, Global Corporate Communications, cultivating Customer References (a.k.a. mini case studies) is a major thrust of Red Hat’s marketing effort.  The company solicits this participation via their newsletters, home page promos and by other means.

I talked with her about the benefits of this program to all involved…the user (customer), Red Hat, and the industry at large including proponents of Open Source platforms.

The Customer Reference is a highly well-oiled machine, with dozens of case studies on-line.  A PDF brochure available on their site outlines the benefits of doing a case study. First of all, it’s all part of a mission that is broader than just a showcase for Red Hat and the user; the philosophy and practice of Open Source is continually reinforced via successful implementations.

Red Hat marketing focuses heavily on Customer References

Red Hat lines up the writers (using both internal and external sources) to craft the story based on information from the customer, and Red Hat’s PR department will help set up media interviews and other channels to promote it.  Some stories get a video treatment.  Collaboration is the fundamental element.

I’ve noticed that the quick-read “fill in the blanks” format, including the headings “Challenge,”  “Solution,” and “Benefits” is becoming the preferred template for most BtoB case studies, and it works well for Red Hat. Their case study summaries are available under“Customer Success” (within the “Company” main nav tab), each with a link to the full story with more details.

The latest tools are brought into play.  “We also tweet news headlines and notices about our user events, such as JBoss World and the Red Hat Summit” Leigh added.   “And our news blog is a source for new trends and Open Source developments.”  Cloud computing is a hot topic.

Red Hat has been riding high.  The have been named the #1 software vendor for value and reliability in the CIO Insight Vendor Value Study for the fifth time.

New Survey Shows that Use of Home-Grown Content Continues to Grow

A new survey confirms that B-to-B marketers are increasingly using home-grown content to build relationships with customers and prospects, while use of traditional media declines. Companies are writing their own stories (and their customer’s stories), and most importantly, the survey shows that the marketplace highly values the content and uses it as much as information from industry publications. 88% of the respondents to the Kiing Fish Media survey are involved with B-to-B marketing, 56% of them do B-to-B solely.

Colleague Sally Falkow summarized key findings of the survey nicely on her blog:

* 86% of respondents’ companies are currently creating or plan to create original content for their customers and prospects in the coming year.
* 81% believe that brands and companies can create content that is as engaging and informative as content created by media companies.
* 74% feel that original content and media are most effective for generating marketing ROI.
* 70% are spending more today to reach customers and prospects directly with branded content than they did three years ago.

Download the complete survey at King Fish Media.

Who Wants to Have a Conversation with a Braggart?

Imagine calling up someone in your community about a school event you’re promoting, and beginning the conversation with “Hi, this is Dave Schmidt over on Bedford Drive, and I’m the best Dad in the neighborhood.”  How predisposed would that person be to being persuaded by you to do anything?   They would probably want to end the conversation as soon as possible.

So why is it that such a high percentage of companies begin every news release with their name, and then “the world’s leading…,” or something to that effect?   If the reader doesn’t know much about the company, this proclamation is certain to lack credibility,  and it’s worthless.

First Impressions From the Home Page

It may be even worse to do this on a B-to-B website home page. An inward-focused bombastic barrage in the opening text is the first information that a visitor will see when he or she is trying to figure out what the company does, and what it can do for them.  Honestly, here is the home page text for a small IT company, verbatim (except I mercifully changed the name of the company):

“ABC IT is inspired by quality and driven by the desire to excel each and every time.  ABC IT is powered by the expertise of the industry leaders who possess exceptional talent and a well –seasoned acumen developed through executing numerous business and software applications.

ABC IT personnel are talented, highly skilled and have a strong desire to make a mark in the field by the dint of their diligence and hard earned excellence. ABC IT solutions are coherent, reliable and are based on clarity of thought and divergent thinking.”

Brilliant. So, here I am again, this time at a networking event, meeting the president of an influential company that I’d like to do business with.

“Hi, my name is Dave.  I’m handsome, and very talented at what I do.  I’m all about excellence in everything I do.”

The president asks:  “Well, what is it that you do for a living?”

My reply: “Before I tell you that, I need you to understand that I am driven by quality, and unless you are impressed by that and live by high quality standards, there’s no reason for me to go any further.”

Yep.  He’ll probably leave the event early so he can go back to the office and get you right on the vendor list. Try it yourself.

Tech Sector Thought Leadership Enhanced by a 12-Year-Old Student

You know that you have succeeded in articulating a business opportunity or trend when a 12-year-old student “gets it,” participates in the Q&A, and offers ideas about an application. Especially if it’s highly technical.

The venue? Jim Whitehurst, the plain-talking visionary CEO of enterprise Linux application leader Red Hat (Raleigh, NC), did a session on Tuesday for Fidelity Investment’s lecture series “Leadership in Technology” at a North Carolina university.

The program was geared toward graduate students, but 12-year-old Chandler Willoughby was there and suggested that both iTunes and Microsoft would become easier to use if Open Source gave users the opportunity to provide input on design and how the interface operates.

Jim Whitehurst knows that business thought leadership doesn’t mean pontificating with “high-minded language” and “lots of detail.”  In the case of Red Hat, it means articulating a value proposition. He likened the Open Source model to Wikipedia, and even American Idol. He uses terms like “power participation.”

A comment that Whitehurst directed to the investment community: “Here’s the problem. In the twenty-first century, where much, much more of the capital is information, locking up that information suboptimizes the value of that capital.”

And directed to the grad students: “Many companies are still in the physical world, with physical products. Go in and recognize these companies weren’t structured to enable and inspire the workforce. Do your best to work in the system. They’re not trying to stifle their workforce; they just haven’t thought of it.”

In terms of forward thinking and Thought Leadership, Mr. Whitehurst continues to be one to watch, and emulate.

Lumen Legal: Content That Rocks the Issues, Year After Year

I have had the pleasure since 2005 of working with a successful entrepreneur, and leader of entrepreneurs, David Galbenski, CEO and founder of Lumen Legal.  Lumen’s on-going programs are all about content that gets to the heart of the dramatically-changing legal services industry, with no hesitation about stirring up debate.  When law firms charge corporations $250/hour and up, even for thousands of hours of mundane document review work related to litigation, it’s a ripe environment for cost-cutting creativity. The result: Lumen has evolved from a regional player into a national one, with growth averaging 10 to 15%.

Dave complements this thought leadership by committing significant time to support fellow entrepreneurs; he served as the Chairman of EO, the international Entrepreneurs’ Organization this past year. It’s a role that involves speaking engagements, blogging and media relations.

Rather than blather on and on, here’s a quick chronological blow-by-blow summary of the initiatives that we accomplished.

2005

== Position Paper: Offshore Legal Services – The Drive to Productivity

Sent to industry opinion leaders, the media, and others.  Explores the high cost structure of U.S. law firms, and offers an answer.

== Launch an Industry-Issues Micro-site: www.offshore-legal-services.com

The site explored the benefits (and challenges) of using lawyers in India to perform labor-intensive document review, with greater speed (they work while we sleep) and at much lower cost. Lots of facts, resources, ideas.  No direct promotion of Galbenski’s company.

This “first-in” web initiative trumped the competition, with a one-year lifespan relevancy.

David Galbenski's Mission featured in Inc. Magazine

2006

== Big Interviews and Exposure

From law industry trade publications to national business media, including a three-page company profile in Inc. magazine (January 2006), just prior to the…

== Launch of the New Company Name, Brand Identity, Expanded Services

Included launch event with industry opinion leaders and media in attendance.

2007-08

== Thought Leadership via Editorials as the Discussion Evolves

Included penned-and-placed by-lined articles such as Document Review Cost Containment: Outsourcing Options Evolve to “Best Shore” and The Road to Better Retention of Associates. On-line and print. Blog monitoring and response steps up.

== Dave Galbenski begins year-long term as Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (with membership in 35 countries). More blogging, speaking engagements, media relations. Horizons are expanded, internationally.

2009

A new book written by David Galbenski, Unbound: How Entrepreneurship is Dramatically Changing Legal Services Today (see the promotional site www.unboundlegal.com) is completed, providing a broader perspective on the changing landscape of corporate legal services.  The hardcover version has now been sent to key editors and influencers, with personal follow-up from Dave.

Along the way, Dave and Lumen Legal garnered numerous awards, providing additional media exposure. I’ll provide further updates on Lumen Legal’s activity on this blog.

The point is this: it’s a big time commitment, but embracing the Thought Leadership role works.

B-to-B Outreach via Perspective Papers

Perspective Paper content doesn’t need to be lengthy to be effective (i.e. don’t need long videos, 20-page white papers) just because it’s B-to-B and may involve a complex problem, technology or value proposition.  It just needs to have well-articulated ideas that provoke dialogue.

Here’s some good examples of opportunity-oriented content made readily available on company websites, and via search. Two are from IT/business systems leaders.  The third is from the human resource / training services industry, a sector where you’ll find a large quantity of high-quality content.

Colloboration: The Next Revolution in Productivity and Innovation (6 pages)

• Cisco, building on their aggressive “momentum brand,” has been acknowledged many times during the last decade for thought leadership based on articulating over-the-horizon concepts.

Quantifying the Value of Your Information Center by Rewarding Your Customers

• Dialog (part of ProQuest) provides online-based information services to business, science, engineering, finance and the law industries…giving users the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than a billion and a half unique records.  Dialog’s Libby Trudell (VP Market Development) says that the company plans to increase their information flow from contributed articles.

Generations: Harnessing the Potential of the Multigenerational Workforce

• From training specialist Vision Point, one of many Perspective Papers offered on a variety of topics.