Word of Mouth

A fever is hitting the Internet this week, all of it focused around Apple's iPhone debut. One of the interesting thing about the amazing reach of this product's launch has been the relatively small amount of effort that Apple's placed in distributing information. From all corners, interested people are doing the heavily lifting for Apple and spreading the word of the new product.

In part, this is due to the perfect storm of the right product coming at just the right time. But the other part has to do with the reputation that Apple's been able to build about itself and its products. And because of that, people are talking.

This kind of word of mouth marketing can be exceptionally helpful. But the key is making sure that the marketing extension remains within your brand. Apple has spent the last few years coming up with ways to make people believe that they are the best company to solve the problem of portable music, that they have the easiest technology for connecting to other people and the Internet and that their products are the prettiest on the market. They could not have released an iPhone ten years ago. It took all this time to straighten out the company and the way they talked to people to get the world ready for Apple to release a product that would get this kind of response.

It is entirely because Apple's made so many people so happy that they've got so many happy people talking about their products.

Getting people talking about your business is a great way to get new customers. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association or WOMMA is a good place to start learning.

In the end you'll have people talking about your business. And AdSymetrix can lend a hand. Track and monitor the responses to referrals with AdSymetrix and learn how your customers are responding to your business.

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When Bad News Turns Into Good Advertising

Today, Kellogg's announced that it would either make kid's cereal healthier, or drop its ads. What's it mean?

Well, after years of complaints about the sugary nature of cereal one of the largest makers of that cereal has acquiesced and admitted that the stuff they were selling, and the way they were selling it was not-as-healthy as their marketing would have you expect. That's big. It is a giant step for a company reliant on the misdirection afforded by great advertising to sell their sweetened and toasted corn to a nation of excited children. Kellogg's is saying that their detractors have a point. That their cereal has been marketed in a way that makes kids (and their parents) feel that the food healthier than it is.

But the amazing part of this story isn't that Kellogg has been doing something wrong, it's that they're now going to do something right.

They've been able to flip the script and make their current move to make healthier food and better ads seem noble. They aren't the bad guys looking to surreptitiously make your children less healthy, they're the good guys who realized that something wasn't right and dag-gum-it they're going to make good by their customers. For the children, y'know.

The lesson to be learned is that every motion your company makes has the opportunity to shape the way people think about you. What you do and how you talk about yourself plays into the feelings that your customers (and potential customers) get when they think about doing business with you.

And AdSymetrix can help. Whenever you mention your company, place an ad or hand out a business card, AdSymetrix can show you just how those encounters matter to your bottom line. Simply tag your ad, or in this case, Press Release, and let AdSymetrix track and monitor the responses.

Brand Building - Non-Response Advertising

Advertising should yield measurable results. Everything else in your life does, from your miles per gallon to the calories in your afternoon snack, why shouldn't your advertising?

For the most part, advertising that includes some sort of 'call to action' on the part of the viewer is great for your business. Place a "Call Now" next to a phone number and you'll be one step closer to actually getting that viewer to call you. And AdSymetrix has been designed specifically to help you understand the relationship between your ads and the responses they generate.

But you can put more in your next advertising campaign than just a giant phone number. You can integrate your call to action with something a bit less tangible, your brand.

It's been a while since we mentioned it here, but Brand Strategy is an important part of your marketing mix. Your company's brand is its personality. It's the thing people think about when they think about your company. Not just how they use your products or services, but how they feel about your business and why they trust you with their money.

One of the smartest people in branding is a guy named David Aaker. Harvard Business Review has made available a pamphlet online that shows how some companies have reached out to their customers in ways that expressed the companies' brands while still getting those all-important responses.

Growing your business is tough work. You need to keep your eye on all the ways that your potential customers see you. AdSymetrix has been designed to help. Simply Tag Your Ad and let AdSymetrix track and monitor the responses. And in one simple to understand webpage you can see just how your advertising is working.

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Should Product Placement Be A Part of Your Advertising Strategy?

Ever notice that all the good guys in the movies or on TV always us Apple computers? Or have you noticed that the logo can always be seen on the handset of any telephone used on the air? Don't think that these impressions are by accident. Every time you see a logo on television or in a movie, you're seeing it because a company has agreed to have their logo on screen.

For some, it can direct a new product - like the red Swingline Stapler from Office Space. For others, it can redefine a brand - like the way that The Italian Job introduced (and reintroduced) the Mini Cooper.

Brand Channel looked at the recent release Disturbia and how it takes brand identity into a whole new realm, even using the amount of space on an iPod to define a character.

But what's product placement mean for you? If you are looking to raise the general level of interest in your product or company, it can be helpful. But remember that using product placement is an expensive and risky way of promoting your business.

For the ten seconds your logo may be on screen, you could spend the same amount you would creating an entire direct mail, outdoor or broadcast campaign. A campaign that could not only push your brand, but also give your potential customers a reason to contact you.

AdSymetrix is here to help, in either respect. By comparing the costs and benefits of any advertisement, you can use our tools to determine which medium is best for your business. Give AdSymetrix a try, our signup is free.

Measuring Marketing Effectiveness

When you think about Brands, even without knowing it, you're thinking about the work of David A. Aaker.

He wrote the book on brand strategy, explaining many of the ideas that describe how to convey the personality of your organization through any medium to your customers.

Currently, he's the chairman of Prophet a brand consultancy that helps companies understand who they are and how they can pass that understanding along to their customers.

While your budget may not allow a Prophet makeover, they helpfully offer some interesting views of the effectiveness of marketing that come in the easy to afford price of Free.

Seven Surmountable Hurdles to Marketing Effectiveness is a new article by one of the senior partners at Prophet that talks directly to the value of AdSymetrix. Wnen you know more about the use of your advertising, you know more about the value of your advertsing. And AdSymetrix gives you the tools to value your advertising.

Give AdSymetrix a try. Signup is free.