Tim Andren - At the corner of Innovation and Marketing

A debate with Ted Koppel about Iran and Twitter

It's undeniable how riveting the coverage has been about the Iranian election fallout over the past week. Images of violent unrest from Tehran are available just about everywhere we go in our connected world.

Where did you first hear about it? I'm willing to bet most of you didn't get the story eating your toast over the morning paper.

Social networks have begun to take on a whole new purpose in the past year as the big media channels are beginning to pay attention to the speed and efficiency of the crowd when it comes to news distribution.

Can social media channels like Twitter be an instrument of journalism?

I had an opportunity to discuss the role social media plays with news icon Ted Koppel to look for the answer.

Ted Koppel
I was out in Orlando at the CCA conference all of last week. I had the good fortune to attend the Awards Brunch where Ted Koppel gave the conference keynote address.

Mr. Koppel lit up the room with a very powerful speech regarding the state of the nation and the recent changes we've seen in media in the past several years. Fortunately, I began recording the speech from my iPhone (using the Recorder application) so you can hear some of his thoughts regarding social media, especially Twitter.

Safely put, Mr. Koppel is not a fan of Twitter. My sense is that he is not fully informed about what's beneath the surface of "totally useless, irrelevant information" as he put it. He also spoke about the older method of news distribution he favors which allows for a three day process of script to final release.

My question for discussion to Mr. Koppel was about the opportunities of crowd-powered media and how it could continue to develop into a resource for journalism. I knew that my disagreement with him regarding Twitter wasn't going to be very popular, which made for a bit of laughter.

Give it to me raw
Mr. Koppel responding by questioning the source of the information that flows on Twitter. For all of us, trust is always an issue whether you get your news from your neighbor or CNN. I agree that careful consideration must be taken when it comes to journalism and it's sources, but I'm not willing to throw out the role of the common person at the scene of the story. I know that I'm not alone in feeling that big media grew too big, and in some cases, became too connected to government and/or corporations' interests to play a completely independent role.

The grainy images that come through a cellphone video capture tell a sober story with no dilution or news slant. The messages are not always slickly produced or delivered from a good-looking anchor, but who decided that's how news should be provided anyway?

On the other hand, news shouldn't be a free-for-all either, there must be a balance between delivering a timely, relevant story or happening and not overproducing it. Most importantly, we don't want to end up with is a situation where a reporter's bias can effect the viewer or listener as in the case of Peter Jennings.

In 1986 Brian Mullen, a professor at Syracuse University conducted a study that concluded that Jennings, then ABC anchor, "exhibited a facial expression bias in favor of [Ronald] Reagan" and the Republican party upon review of videotapes leading up to both the 1984 and 1988 Presidential Elections. It wasn't the story that showed the bias, it was Jennings' facial expressions. These subconscious signals of communication often do more to influence the viewer or listener than the story itself.

We are the world
In the case of the Iranian election, government has begun to crack down on journalists. Without an informer providing updates on what's happening between both sides, where does that leave us? If it weren't for the people on the ground sending images, videos and opinions about the violence and unrest the world would be none the wiser - and that is scary.

At some point all big media channels will have to take a serious look at how social media channels can plug into their news model. Many stations such as CNN already have a connection to the crowd and anyone who is aware of the story in Iran must admit, in this case the common man or woman in Tehran, cellphone in hand, is their beat reporter.

Today's internet has graduated beyond mere static web pages complete with RSS news feeds, media sharing and social network platforms that allow us to not only participate in discussion but to contribute to the flow of media and the daily happenings we call 'news.' Businesses large and small are now media creators. Anyone with a laptop or iPhone can become as important as the largest corporate or political news interest story. Google has been called the 'great equalizer,' but the true owner to the title is the connected crowd.

Our role in the distribution process happens while we're often not conscious of it. In the past we would go to, for instance, CNN, Yahoo or Google News to get the latest news from around the globe. Those platforms are alive and well today, but they must make room for the major player called the connected web. Our distribution channel lacks the polish of a shiny logo or brand, but we pack a punch when it comes to what news really should be - the unbiased transfer of current events from one source to another.

Microblogging platforms such as Twitter get a bad reputation for people's tendency to share vapid, meaningless information, but there is just as much of that 'useless, irrelevant information' floating out of the glimmering news sets of all of the big media channels. The discussion of topics as useful as Paris Hilton's dog or OctoMom's shopping trip litter the airwaves, so it's an even split from that angle.

The distribution cycle of video-enabled smartphones and lightning-quick laptops connecting users to each other begins with a polished ad usually depicting a stress-free, utopian business world or family at the park. In Tehran, these tools are being used to display the violence and chaos in a world far from the dreamscape images used to sell them.

A massive crowd of people, empowered with these same tools, is spread out all over the globe as you read this. These people are more nimble than any journalist team could ever be because they can mobilize at a given moment, without corporate motives, no matter what the situation. We're still in the ugly duckling stage of social media as a news entity. There must be a system in place to check the facts and validate the source and/or their story. This will be a reality sooner than you think.

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Does your business have strong contact points?

I've got news for you...

• Your receptionist is more important than a manager.
• Your customer service contacts are actually sales people.
• Your contact points are the most often the weakest links in your company.

Oh, and if you're feeling smug because you don't have a front desk person or offer any customer support, well the news is your FAQ page will probably have to be a mile long and still doesn't answer your customers' concerns. Understand this...questions are really concerns.

Does your business have strong contact points?

Any of the above are job titles that are what I call 'contact points.' A contact point is any person or resource that allows the customer to be in touch with your company.

Your business contact points are the lifeline to your company. When an astronaut tethers themself to the space shuttle, don't you think they quadruple-check that line to ensure that it's safe and secure? As your business floats in space it's critical to have a strong, reliable line out towards your customer who is the only source to get you where you need to go.

Perception is reality
Businesses spend billions of dollars every year on their image. Branding and advertising are enormous industries for a reason - businesses understand the importance of how they're perceived.

Given that, why do so many businesses have terrible contact points outside of sales? This matter makes no sense to me. When I'm asked to help a business develop their brand, one of the first steps I take is to look at their contact points. I'll conduct a series of tests to see how a customer is treated before and after a sale. Remember, a return sale is a thousand times easier to make than a new one!

Deep roots
Brands are deeply rooted in people's brains much like memories are. Brand associations are made considering many different variables in the customer's mind, almost all of them emotional in nature.

Which is more important, a logo or a person-to-person interaction? The answer is they're both important, but like I said earlier, businesses are spending an incredible amount of money on branding and advertising and paying their customer service workers relative pennies. Low paying jobs attract poor-performing workers who usually don't take the position seriously and/or aren't educated in the life skills required to keep your clients as happy as when they first encountered your polished brand.

Points of pain
Each business has a number of contact points that are available to their customer. Each contact point is uniquely important to the brand and if one is overlooked, it can a huge detriment to the company.

How does a rude receptionist change your feelings about the meeting you're about to have? It sours your grapes right away doesn't it? When you can't get through to your company or you receive poor 'call center scripted' service after a 78-minute hold time, how quickly is it before you consider going another route? A matter of seconds.

Your business-customer relationship is only as strong as your weakest link - your contact points.

What contact points does your company have? What are some good/bad examples you've experienced as a customer?

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Visualizing your business strategy

I love going to my office not only because I enjoy working in marketing, but my favorite toy lives there - my whiteboard.

My whiteboard and I go way back. We've buzzed with enthusiasm over the creation of hundreds of new ideas, and powered through strategic development for many hours together. The core of our relationship represents a crucial element to any marketing or business decision - visualization.

It all starts here
When you visualize something you've already begun the creation of it. Whether you want to acquire something or create it, it all begins in the mind. That dinner you might have cooked the other night began it's life in the beautiful engine behind your eyes. You could probably already taste that delicious, spicy pasta or honey-glazed chicken before you walked into the kitchen by visualizing it first. My salivary glands are kicking in as I type. Funny isn't it?

Our minds allow us to see an idea fully assembled before it's been created in real life. The inventor, Olympic athlete, or the kid who wants to grow up to be a fireman all have the first step complete in the idea process when they decide what their goal is.

Begin with the end in mind
My first rule for all of my business and marketing projects is to 'begin with the end in mind.' This is where the whiteboard comes in. When I moved into my office I did so with a clear goal of having maximum whiteboard space to outline projects for my clients. My board becomes a daily Jackson Pollock painting of business strategy, website development and marketing processes.

Idea creation requires visualization for many reasons, the most essential of which comes in the form of a roadmap or strategic board which serves to simplify the many complex facets of business today. When your project or business model is drawn out it's easier to see it's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats [S.W.O.T.]

Visualization techniques allow for big picture clarity that otherwise couldn't be reached by the mind or interchange of conversation and basic note-taking alone. There are many stories from business folk of great ideas worked out on cocktail napkins, because the idea popped up out of nowhere and needed to be worked through.

Can't you see it?
Finally, many in the marketing or creative industries are often gifted and/or well-practiced in their mind's eye and make the assumption that their clients are too. It's easy for a creative to see how the project would look, but not the client - they spend the majority of their time being experts at their chosen craft instead.

Visualization in a client meeting is a great way to bridge this gap and will make the entire project process much easier. I often draw out an idea as I'm explaining it because it helps both parties see what's vivid to me in my head.

I just recently discovered MindNode - a great mindmapping tool, which I've been using to great effect as a supplement to the whiteboard and great for branching the idea tree during business travel.

What tools do you use for visualization?

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Shiny new toys

Client requests for social media marketing and branding are coming strong and steady these days. These shiny new toys are exciting if they are applied with a solid understanding of how and why marketing works.

It really feels as if the ripple of change in big media is storming through every corner of business right now, especially due to recent economic challenges. One project I'm working on (I'll eventually blog about) involves a multi-faceted approach to marketing. We have developed print, web, e-mail, text/SMS and social media solutions for a time-sensitive branded approach.

It's important to put social media tools into the right context and often snap them into the broadcast portion of the messaging. When this is presented to a relevant audience who are already engaged (due to the value you provide to their community), the results have great potential.

It helps to have a client that is open-minded to new creative approaches and understands the importance of the big picture of branding and marketing. The major hurdles are cleared with this knowledge and help facilitate the application of these tools to deliver time-tested, innate triggers for the end customer.

Wishing you a great Friday. What's exciting in your world?

Business is NOT war

 

The term 'business is war' is well known. Many entrepeneurs and executives love the idea of strategic battle and the eventual domination of their opponent, but at what cost? Everyone is a customer and has felt the negative effects of this mentality and the culture it creates.

Thankfully, the 'win at all costs' business approach is failing and a replacement approach is available due to the shift into the era of the informed, interconnected consumer.

Win at all costs?
War mentality in business conjures up images of evil strategists planning their attacks by pushing their pawns around on a map. This may seem extreme, but it's not far from the way many businesses have approached commerce.

Executives and marketers have been sold on the idea of beating their competitors senseless and their customers become casualties of this process. Money and power are all that matter to business warmongers, and the rabid pursuit of both creates a sense of detachment between 'vendor' and 'customer.'

Why else would so many people be attracted to the process of buying online? This type of war leaves a customer feeling like a number, stripped of their humanity. The worst part is that many businesses act like a friend to the customer initially, yet they don't follow through in the customer's eyes. We know that the transaction itself is not just about price, because it's proven that so many pay a premium for a service or brand they could easily find cheaper somewhere else. Why? What do they place their value on?

Businesses ought to be careful if they get into a price battle with their competitor. Sometimes the outcome leaves all competitors with blood on their hands. Customers see this and often go somewhere else, happy to pay a little bit more for an offer that hasn't been stripped down to it's bones or for a modicum of customer service. Have you ever heard anyone excited about having their phonecall rerouted to a customer service department overseas?

Fighting for peace?
At some point as you're reading this, you're probably thinking that I'm talking about the Enron's and Bernie Madoff's of the world - and you're wrong. Small businesses are just as likely, if not more, to fall prey to this approach.

War cannot be a good style for any size of business, when you know that trust is greater than gold. Business is personal, I don't care what you've heard or read elsewhere. You know how it feels to be a customer. Reaching into your purse or wallet is personal. What you buy is personal. Every buying decision you make has an effect on your life, career, or the lives of those you love and interact with. Trust is fueled by everything war is not. Think about it.

Many people wonder how war strategists would make their decisions if it were their own sons and daughters going in to battle. This raises a parallel towards business culture. Would you cut costs, break promises or be rude to your mother or daughter? So why would you do the same to your beloved customer?

Business is not war. Companies must take the fight out of their equation. This may be difficult for the passionate business folk, but they have an even better outlet. All of the energy that was used for competition can now be focused on the offering. This is what customers care about anyways, don't try to kid yourself. Build your product or service with a genuine approach towards what your customer needs and stop the fighting. You'll notice the difference.

How has this affected you?

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