The 543 Group

It's The Interactivity That Matters

As the vast majority of e-mail being sent to consumers falls into the category of spam that is automatically discarded, it is challenging enough to even make it through the clutter and actually be opened.  When an e-mail salvo is fortunate enough to be read, it had better reach and engage the consumer in the first few precious seconds or it is immediately sent to the trash.  Even trusted brands don't garner significant levels of loyalty to click through if the offer is not compelling.

Thus, the more engaging the message title, the initial headline, and the graphics, and better.  But interactivity trumps rich media much of the time.  If the offer is intriguing, the message 'wrapper' does not need to be competing with it.  Case in point - a recent message Kodak sent me.  In the first second, it leverages my curiosity to find out what I have won:

I've got children; it was timed to the first day of school, and it takes a half a second to click through for the pay-off:

I imagine the pay-off would be the same no matter which backpack I chose.  And, in this instance, Kodak is lucky as I have heard about their service and wanted to compare it to Snapfish and Flickr anyway.

A good rule of thumb for your e-mail marketing.  Make it as interactive as possible, and match the pay-off experience to the e-mail message. 

HP On Target

HP's new printer campaign takes their already aggressive marketing to a new level, with new celebrity alliances like singer Gwen Stefani:

HP - What Do You Want To Say?

The campaign is certainly on target in one respect:  it gives consumers more reasons to print something from their computer.  The degree to which it spurs a measurable increase in sales is certainly important.  But, even if it does not, it uses ink, and lots of it.  The ink they are getting in the trade press isn't hurting them either.

All Media Is Social

Industry buzzwords are fascinating, partly because some tend to define a new phenomenon in terms laypeople can understand, but also because some try to do exactly the opposite - describe what might otherwise be considered ordinary or common in some extraordinary way as to render it special.

Such is the case with "Web 2.0" and "social media" - the current buzz phrases given to all things new and different on the Web, whether they involve more than one person at a time or not.  Blogs, mash-ups, viral events, wikis, and such.  Are the ideas really that new?  Or is it just  technology that has made them new to the online world?  I recently advised an agency, in jest, that they begin to claim the 'Web 3.0' space before someone else grabs hold.  They considered it for a while. 

What does 'social media' mean anyway that makes it that new?  The word "social" is derived from the Latin word "socius" meaning to associate or create a bond between people.  Hence, societies are groups living and doing things together, and why all simultaneous group activities online seem to be marked as social.

Since the beginning of advertising and marketing, the goal has been to establish a bond or association with the prospect or customer through messaging and content.  Today many call that creating a brand dialog and, thus, all forms of marketing media, online and off, are intended to create a social relationship with prospects and customers.  Since most such Websites today are associated with some product or service trying to generate that same bond with consumers, it is worth considering the idea that all media is social.

This in no way detracts from the many new and amazing forms of online, dynamic and interactive experiences being put forth for both commerce and amusement, but their goal of making social connections and establishing bonds is not new.  What is groundbreaking, however, is that the tools and technologies now available are actually letting consumers create and influence brands themselves, and the messages those brands are sending out to attract others.  Lest we forget, gaining that kind of insight from consumers, while still engaging them with compelling experiences, is very smart social business.