1.14.2009

square pegs, round holes



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7 comments:

Votamli said...

That's Brilliant on too many levels!

I see a possible Marketing Nerd t-shirt based on this.

January 14, 2009 at 6:55 PM
Weave said...

Okay, agreed! So, Alisa...next step...how to help marketers operating on a 150-year-old set of principles understand how to adjust the vocation they've been trained in for years to this new reality? Put that sharp brain of yours to work: how do we help the open-minded, curious yet unconvinced see how consumers are now empowered with tools to avoid traditional marketing approaches? Marketers are, within corporate America, the best group to embrace the new playing field. They are trained communicators, creative and generally open-minded. How do we get past trying to convince them that the intrusion/interruption model is wrong and instead, make social marketing relevant to the set of challenges they face every day? How do we convince them to try new approaches that seem very risky, in a time when they are incredibly afraid of losing their jobs?

THAT, IMHO, is the challenge...and the opportunity... for people like us who get how things have changed. It's easy to say, "DUH, don't you square-peg-people GET IT?!?" It's much more challenging to say, "okay, here's how you might reconsider your approach to your market. Approach X, approach Y, and approach Z. See how this is better, in terms of awareness building, conversion, and loyalty?"

Marketers' jobs are all about crafting the value around a company's offering. While a lot of marketing is crap, many of those offerings are truly valuable - and many of those people are nice, smart, caring, etc. So there's a huge opportunity for social media specialists like us to help marketers make this transition.

I would love to hear more of your thoughts about how marketers might make that transition, how they might apply concepts to their realities. How do we help empower them to get past their own risk aversion...and their boss's...to try new approaches that we believe in? Don't feel contemptuous toward them, but instead, put yourself in their shoes and try to help them.

I've been totally impressed by your thinking. It's easy (I've done it way too many times) to turn up your nose at the status quo. Instead, how do we help these folks?

Opportunity.........

January 15, 2009 at 5:30 AM
alisa leonard-hansen said...

Alright Eric, I hear you loud and clear and I like how you always remind me to find the solutions ;). I actually was thinking of what the follow up post to this would be and that I knew when posting that it was a "here's the problem" and not a "here's a solution"....so that is what i'll be working on next as a follow up to this...thanks for keeping me honest :)

January 15, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Unknown said...

I'm particularly interested in how to pull all these new tools together and best practices and examples of success stories where social media has been woven into a fully integrated marketing campaign.

January 15, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Weave said...

Well, hopefully my comment didn't come across as critical. Not trying to run roughshod or anything. It really is a KEY opportunity. It's a huge challenge that I have seen few people address, because the perspectives are so different. If you can solve it...then you'll have lots of work regardless of a bubble burst.

I'm pondering this too at the moment. Personally I think it all boils down to trust-building in an era where confidence is shattered. Trust will be the new currency, more than leads, "fan" numbers, or conversion ratios.

Rusty gears grinding away... :)

January 15, 2009 at 5:23 PM
alisa leonard-hansen said...

@Weave no, no...your prodding is always welcome, and you make a very important point. Most social media pundits do tend to be problem-finders rather than solution-finders...I hope to not fall in that former category...pondering myself. Perhaps we should do some video round-table chats?

January 15, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Weave said...

that would RULE. heading off to do some planning around that!

January 16, 2009 at 5:29 PM

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