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June 17, 2009

Give The Microsite A Little Love.

Yes, websites themselves are rapidly becoming passe as we evolve new information architectures and content consumption experiences engineered through social media. But, in the transition period from what-was to what-is-yet-to-be, web properties remain a critical component of information distribution, especially with the continuing decline in printed media.

On websites. visitors want a fast way to get to the content that is of interest to them. However, doing so on vast corporate portals can be frustrating. The solution is often found in smaller, subject/solution-specific sites that help a prospect get directly to the content quickly and effectively. Thus was originally born the "microsite".

But through overengineering, overthinking and overspending, the microsite has begun to fall on disfavor over the past year. I contend it remains a valuable concept in a world that continues to think in smaller and smaller bites (bytes? Tweets?)

As an example, Prudential's long-running Retirement Red Zone sticks out in my mind(https://www.retirementredzone.com/retirementredzone/ ). It takes a single concept and projects it directly to its visitors.

A real key in making a microsite plan work, is ensuring that the content is meaningful, relevant and justifies the visit. Too thin or too fat both are bad, and off-target is the kiss of death. These projects do not require excessive eye candy (especially in B2B), although visual engagement remains a functional component of content when communicating with many younger audiences.

Websites are evolving as are all media, but more clients need to rethink how they use online media for content distribution, and microsites remain a useful component of strategy in a majority of these discussions.

Posted by jcioban at 6:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 9, 2009

Beware The Herd. Or What We Need To Learn From Twittermania.

Jack and Suzy Welch wax poetic on the benefits of Twitter. Time Magazine prints a cover story on the technology helping eliminate its core print franchise. Is there anywhere I can turn to escape Twittermania?

There is ample evidence to predict that two years from now, a new tool or technique will have eclipsed Twitter as more and more companies vie for consumer attention and relevance. So, we encourage clients to avoid lurching from technology to technology, including Twitter.

However, the undeniable shift in how many markets are behaving when it comes to information exchange is permanent. Think less about Twitter than about "conversation" and "personal networks." Twitter is a tool to be explored and used to help you immerse into the new ways people are connecting. It may also become embedded as a technology, since its followers are legion. But don't obsess on Twitter as a tool, since its standing as the "next Google" has yet to be cemented.

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June 3, 2009

Creating A B2B Brand Persona

My wife and I were out cycling Saturday AM and stopped to grab some lunch. I bought a bottle of vitaminwater Power-C. While sitting and eating, I started to read the label. It was pretty funny -- an irreverent, engaging copy block talking about the hype they "couldn't legally talk about.'

It was the vitaminwater persona spilling through onto the packaging. Good consumer marketers do this all the time...they infuse their brands with a persona that we can relate to as customers.

B2B marketers often overlook this, believing instead that sterile, technically-accurate content is enough to attract attention. And in some cases, when the product has clearcut advantages (technical, price, etc.) that may be true. But, in fact, products or services rarely have overwhelmingly clearcut benefits across a broad customer audience. And capturing/retaining prospect attention in today's media-fragmented world is more complex than ever. Which is why developing a brand persona that helps your customers to connect to the company at a more personal level is becoming a B2B essential.

For a good example at the large company level, take a look at HP (www.hp.com) and compare it to other technology companies. HP exudes a distinct left-coast vibe in design, tone and approach. Want to step down a notch in size? Try out zappos,com, the Las Vegas-based online shoe retailer whose culture of customer-centricity borders on cult status. These companies have carefully cultivated a personality that they present in their communications and approach to business. From design, to copy to communications approach...it's the "cult of personality" at work.

More than ever, creating differentiation and sustainable position in the market means building a brand identity that people can connect with an relate to. So, what's your persona?  

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