My Goosebumps Podcast: How do you measure empathy?

It was a pleasure to do this podcast with Bryan Adams, founder and CEO of creative agency Ph. Creative, about word of mouth marketing. Goosebumps (co-authored by Bryan Adams and Dave Hazelhurst of Ph. Creative) is full of great tips and tools on digital marketing. We discussed how to:

• Create a hook to entice listeners and strike an emotional chord 
• Measure empathy, all the while looking at hard numbers such as sales
• Spot signs of viral content

It's also available on iTunes. Enjoy!

Millennials: One Size Does Not Fit All

Emerging Trend:  There is a growing understanding that not all millennials behave the same way.  

Implication:  Your millennial data is not flat. You may need to distinguish between lifestyles, life stages and other demographics.

Action:

1-      Get your millennial definition straight: Is it just adults, or do you need to include teens as well?

2-      Look into the differences between younger and older millennials. Those in college and those who are starting families will have distinct media and spending patterns.

3-      Measure values as well as attitudes. Are your millennials more likely to vote for green initiatives? Do they donate frequently?

Do you want to tune off?

Emerging Trend: We are increasingly expressing our desire to ‘tune-off’ in reaction to the flux of ‘big data’ in our lives.

Implications: Decline in app usage, email opens, click throughs, productivity and overall life quality. Increase in sensory sensitivity.

Action: Tune off! Or enable others to do so. Check out how Ikea helps customers design serene surroundings. See how JetBlue greets Web site visitors with Aruba get-away options. If you need more help, download the Dinner Mode app by Sloane Davidson to focus on your food and conversation at meal times.

 

 

Majority Multicultural Areas Are the Future of America…and Marketing

 

Emerging Trend: Culturally relevant content and products are appealing to non-Hispanic whites as well as multicultural audiences.

·         Non-Hispanic whites in majority multicultural areas, which Nielsen coins as Super Geos in its recent report, show similar purchase patterns as multicultural consumers.

·         Programs such as Black-ish and Fresh off the Boat are attracting diverse audiences, including non-Hispanic whites.

 Implication: Your targets are not what they seem. As populations shift in size and attitudes, marketers should not miss the opportunity to appeal to audiences based on cultural interest.

Action:

1-      Watch millennials and generation Z who are more accepting of cross-cultural experiences than older generations.

2-      Target based on lifestyle segments, not only demos.

3-      Pilot programs in super geo areas (e.g., NY, LA, SF, New Orleans, Nashville)

Would you manage your home by phone?

Emerging trend: Smartphones are becoming home data managers – capable of tracking and enabling habitants’ activities (music, shopping, cooking) and home settings (e.g., temperature, safety, lights).

Implication: Device and chip makers will compete with telecom players will gain a bigger share of home networking. They will want consumers to have their brands to be top of mind and trust them with more personal information.

Action:

1-      Seize the opportunity to re-brand, with new products and capabilities that go beyond communication.  

2-      Put permission marketing ahead of precision marketing when messaging consumers about their home.

3-      Communicate benefits such as convenience, time-saving and comfort when setting up a home network and assure consumers their information (e.g., lifestyle habits, address and app usage) will be kept safe.

Would you like to use your phone or a wearable device to manage your home-based activities? Or would you find it intrusive?

Special thanks to Zuzanna Skalska of 360inspiration who informed me of Samsung CEO’s keynote speech on future homes at the recent IFA conference and inspired this post.

Dark Social: How To Crack That Nut!

Emerging trend: Dark social, as in private social media conversations (e.g., SMS, email, Snapchat, Whatsapp, FB messenger), is significantly bigger in volume and impact more decisions than what we coin as word of mouth today. This trend was first brought to public attention by the Atlantic. And now according to a new study from Radium One cited in Media Post

·         91% of Americans regularly share information via dark social methods, and  

·         59% of all online sharing is via dark social

Implication: Critical opinions about family, health, politics, and religion will largely remain in private digital circles. Marketers will need to rely on self-reported data (e.g., surveys, interviews) and trusted relationships to gauge brand and other topic mentions in dark social.

Action:
1- Improve email targeting
2- Make your content hyper relevant to your target audience. 
3- Invest in social CRM team and infrastructure to keep close connections with customers who will take the information to their friends and family, and give you feedback.

Mobile Transaction Success

There are many exciting developments in mobile space with beacons remembering consumer preferences, Apple watch and smart cars. However, two out of three attempted transactions on smartphones fail due to poor user experience!

Here are some tips on how companies can close the loop with customers across the decision journey by providing in-app support: Feel free to click on the link to webinar with ZineOne, featuring Nielsen insights.