Views on Online Marketing

Ultimately I want to look into how to effectively combine and integrate online and offline marketing strategy, but to start with I need to better understand what people are doing in the realms of online.

One area of offline marketing that it seems would not be easily transferred to online is events. An event, in my mind, is a physical, tangible element, yet it seems one organisation has succeeded in this arena.

Adobe has created an event to launch of it's latest product entirely online. Instead of having 2,000 people in a room who would report this event to the rest of the world, anyone could register and attend the streaming of the event live.

200,000 people attended live, viewed product demos and cut out the middle man. A further 200,00 viewed the launch over the following week.

Adobe became the facilitator, the audience and the mediator all rolled into one user friendly package. And it was a roaring success.

Another area that is being converged is mobile technology, the most popular of which appears to be downlaodable iPhone apps not just from Apple, but content created by other organisations and users.

Benjamin Moore, an American paint company, launched an innovative app to try and increase their market share. With a few swift touches you can capture a colour that you like and find the store nearest to you that stocks a Benjamin Moore paint in that particular colour.

These are just a few examples of how businesses are creatively using new media. I think both of these examples illustrate how benefitial these medias can be, but niether are excluding offline potentials.

Talking with the Media and Settling Back into Uni

This is just a short blog whilst I get back into the swing of life at Bucks. I have enjoyed the first two weeks of lectures. I have been waiting for a lecture that compelled me to write a blog, so here goes. Last week Bill asked us to think of a company and come up with a story or message. He would then interview us, as a local reporter. Had I done this research and blog previous to this morning's interview it may have gone smoother, but I think I did alright anyway.

I think that Bill got his message across fairly well in his lecture, but after a little digging, I found that the things that he was saying are being said all around the world. The fact that this message is being repeated time and time again says two things to me; first of- it works, second- most people are not doing it. This is a message of warning and guidance. On a daily basis, people are talking to the press, and getting it wrong. Or at least not maximizing their coverage potential.

This message is clear and concise: Know your audience.

It really is that simple. Know what the publication writes about, who reads it, what geographical area they live in. People only want to read about things that are relevant to them- so make it relevant to them. You have to know what angles the publication takes, whether it wants a human-interest story or facts, figures and statistics. These really aren’t hard things to find out, and they really do make a difference.

Every journalist wants to have a story handed to them on a plate- you just have to make sure that the story you want put out fits their agenda. Create a win-win situation. If you’re launching a revolutionary new lighting system and you’re telling the journalist all of the technical details about the product, but he just keeps asking you off topic questions, ask yourself why. Don’t get frustrated. He might be trying to get you to relate it to how it will affect his readership- so tell him. Tell him how this lighting system will replicate natural sunlight and replenish Vitamin D, which in turns makes the user feel happier.

It’s more than likely that the journalist will try and steer the conversation towards the angle that he’s looking for, go with it. Adjust the message, whilst still getting your key points across. Make it relevant, simple and compelling and you’re message will get across. The benefit of trying to work with the journalist in this way is compound. You’re story is more likely to get published, by being co-operative you’re more likely to be called by the journalist on other issues, and the story written is more likely to contain the message you wish it communicate.