Are your events successful enough to reach your goals?
Many companies are into event marketing, either for products or PR purpose.
I have personally been to many events as well, theme party, product launch, brand education, promotion, networking and so on. However, I didn’t see many good ones, which are will-organized, boring, slack,
Why do we make events?
We have our commercial purposes to achieve through events, new product launch, networking, potential business discussion, branding. We want to show those to the guests, impress them with what we provide on the event.
Why do people come to your events?
People do see events as interesting view or networking platform, they may have the opportunity to be entertained or make more new friends for business or personal purpose.
What keep them at your events?
Your events provide the opportunity for the people, its fun, interesting, many valuable anticipants. When they are actually in the event, the guests can relax or find the room to achieve their purpose.
What make your event different and appealing?
Different, creative, new activities can be effective to draw the attention and interest of anybody, to provide the comfortable environment and useful gears can be helpful.
What makes guests anticipate your event?
By joining in the activities, they will gain the benefits, which would be either financial or emotional, even though those are potential elements.
What do the guests talk about more about your events after its finished?
We do have a goal to design any events, when it is finished, the effect goes far, it will be spread by the guests, you do expect all guest will enjoy, talk about your company, products, service or new things they witness there. Moreover those have to be positive comments.
How do we achieve the goals via events?
1: Most important thing is you have clear mind what you want to achieve on the event.
Who do we want to invite?
The profile of the people, the convenient location and time.
What message do we give?
What effect and response do we expect?
2: Once we set the clear goal, be creative, don’t be afraid of trying new things, new things always are attractive or eye-balls catch. For instance, we see many lottery on event, how to make it? don’t be cliché, someone will draw the numbers? Too many, old school, why don’t you make it more mysterious more unpredictable, appear fair. Lets say animal role, animal don’t care who you are. They are fair, and we all love animals.
3: You set logical and reasonable procedure and make sure all guests are aware of it vaguely or clearly. No guests would appreciate the situation they have no idea what is going to happen on the events, what you provide or what kind of people will anticipate. So be well-organized, announce the procedure, process. embed the fun in the whole event evenly. People can be patient enough to wait for the one they love. Otherwise will you stay? Reference of movie preview.
4: The gift should be carefully selected, we go to events, we do expect and know there will be gift, also we are aware its relevant to the company, who organizes it. On organizer side, you have message to send on the gift, introduction, business contact. You pray guests may keep them and they will use the information. So be simple, be useful in people’s daily life, increase the exposure opportunity. It doesn’t matter the value of the gift but the usage. Especially the usage to your targets. Analyze their behavior, likes, provide what they will keep instead of the outcome of junk mail.
5: Thank God, it is finally finished after all the effort we make before and on the event, we can have a rest now. Don’t think like this, it is just the beginning of the new start, following-up.
You probably will ask, follow what? All guests are gone. Yes, they left the event, but they are still in your market, you don’t just do one event, you don’t just approach them once.
We have two types of event, public event with random people involved, the other one is guest-list event with expect guests involved.
For random people, observe the audient, watch their response, their behavior on the event, then recall the whole process of your event, which part is welcome, which part is not. It will help you magnificently on your next event.
For guest list event, it is comparatively easier, e-mail, phone following, ask for their comments, suggestions and expectations. Remember all those, next event, you can be more target oriented.
In the end, every time when you design an event, collect more ideas, no idea is bad, only difference is if its good for your event.
Thanks
Johnny Chown
September 18th, 2011
TVC Patten and Insight
Everyday when we turn on the TV, what do we watch most of the time, news, series, movies, talk show, entertainment shows? No, it is commercial. They are everywhere, no place to hide from them. Between the shows, in the middle of the shows, you hate it, it is annoying.
What can we do? It is the best way to send the mass the message what our products or services are. This is the mass-reaching platform to make our sound.
Yes, I completely agree, but please do have a consideration for the audients, they are the customers, they watch it every time on TV, you don’t want to provoke them, torture their depressed mind.
Now we should have a review over the TVC on air in the past 5 years, Generally there are several frequently used methods we may observe.
Story
Create a story with the culture or lifestyle the Branding embedded,
alcohol, family reunion, friends gathering.
Scenery
Set a very scenery with nice special effect and build in the product which has functional association,
Coca-cola, Sirmar Tee,
Terrifying
Design a accident or tragic situation, then the product cuts in to become the savior
Laundry Power, Shampoo, pharmaceutical
Cartoon
Mainly all products targeting children are using this method, they design the fairyland-like or lovely cartoon characters to catch kids eye ball. Then they will bully the parents to purchase simply for the cartoon rather than the product.
Karf Chips Ahoy!, Wangzai Milk
Promotion Introduction
To advertise their nationwide promotion information. It is effective and efficient to give the message.
Beverages,
Movie Sponsor Preview
They are the sponsors to movies, now they combine the movie scene in their regular commercial to remind customers
Auto in 007, Lenovo in Transformer 3, Motorola,Nokia cell phones
Pure Product bragging
There are 2 ways,
1: spokesmen/women,
Pay the celebrities to represent their product, speak for them, introduce and put in good words
2: simply product speakers
All powerful advantages are brought up in the commercial to tell customers how good the product is, nothing else relevant to customers thoughts.
Healthcare,Bedlinen
What I want to say here is I have seen very very very few good commercials that are relevant to customers deep desire to this product/service.
I’ll have to ask again, why do the customers buy this product instead of others? Why are they happy with the product? What kind of commercial can please and entertain customers in visual effect?
Lets take a look at some examples
Marlboro Tobacco,
The original idea to represent the image is a cowboy in wild west, a passionate, manly image, a man who never gives up, welcomes challenge. It gives the delusion the man who is smoking this is such kind of man. It is exactly all men desire for, no matter he is already such kind or he wants to be such kind. It traces back to the original natural human desire, sexual desire.
Marlboro Reveals this in a fantasy way, nothing erotic but beautiful.
Karf Chips Ahoy!
The humanized cookie was designed, with funny moves, not even just kids,I believe some adults ,may also love it. When they consume this product, the interesting images may recalled .
Karf Oreo
There is a series of the childhood happy moment, a kid is thinking about to give present to his mom, then he licks a heart shape on the cookie, but shortly after, he says, next one, I just eat this. The power ,the attraction of the product is more powerful than other things, meanwhile it shows the children’s innocence, interesting and appealing.
Before we start the brainstorm of commercial or any arty work in marketing, have a thought, who are our customers, what appeals them? What do they hate? What is the deepest desire in their hearts? Think in their shoes, what do you expect to see? Meanwhile you should have a good study on customer mind and behavior analysis.
So keep this in your mind all the time: tickle the desire!!!
We always say be creative, be different, but we are restrained by our mind, free your heart from your mind, crazy ideas are never dumb. Chase it.
Johnny Chown
August 20th. 2011
Wine Business Common Marketing Methods, are we sleeping on those?
We are drowned in the ocean of the wine names.
It appears like Wikipedia to non-professional customers, so many names, styles, tastes, vintages, chateaus.
Good, it gives convenience to the wine companies to cut in the market, let us tell you how to choose, of course with certain goal which is you should buy mine.
Lets see how those wine companies work on it.
Culture and background Education
Where is our wine produced, which chateau, what vintage, who, how old is the history, what grape, how to brew,
Wine Culture with cuisine
The wine difference and specialty, what match or fitting with cuisine, western food table-manner, gobbler options and match, how to tell the time, quality of the wine, how to drink, how to preserve, accessories,
Wine Tasting Activities
Seminars, Promotions at selling spots, new products/brands organization parties, complimentary samples
VIP / Loyalty Program/Club
Credit VIP membership, discount, accumulation buying system, Club, luxury activities for only members, socialization activities
Personal/Customerized Service
Personal wine cell preservation, Label inscription,
I have seen those for over 10 years, they are still going on, no sign of change or update has been discovered yet, suppose, one innocent customer was first educated 10 years ago, 10 years past, he has developed into wine drinking habit, he has acquired the enough knowledge and personal preference. He has become the regular customer to wine.
Apparently, he is not alone, thousands of thousands of the kind are out there in his market, meanwhile, more and more brands/products hit the market as well. The customers are more sophisticated, so is the market. We feel difficult and more strongly competitive. We are struggling to maintain the market share, we are complaining the customers are getting harder and harder to keep and please.
Of course, you still treat them the same way as what you did 10 years ago, they are no longer kids any more, but well grow up.
Customer behavior and desire lead out moves, so study our customers again.
There are fashion followers, interest customers, habit customers on wine market.
Fashion Followers
Drinking wine is a long history tradition in western world, China is more and more international, many impacts from western world are flooding in, Chinese people receive and start to follow, meanwhile they have the western world worship in certain degree. So they start to live in the similar lifestyle, clothes, attitude, mind. They want to show they are having better taste and social status rather than simple drinking beers.
Meanwhile, the beautiful and romantic scene is always accompanied with wine, candle, shining gobblers. I have never seen beers or whiskey there, have you?
Interest customers
There are two groups in this, one is for health sake, the other is for the trying new things and appreciation of the taste.
For those who drink it on regular basis or when reminded who drink wine, they don’t tend to know much about the culture, knowledge or quality of the wine, they are simply educated its good for health, especially for the cardio-vascular condition. We can ignore those people.
The intrigued trying customers, they had happened to touch the wine on an occasional scenarios, since then they start to fall for the taste, however they are not well knowledgeable on this liquid. They start to try different wines by any opportunities, but they are not actual buyers yet at beginning,
Habit Customers
They have experienced the period of time when they were drawn by the liquor, they studied, they tried various brands, eventually they have found their own taste on wine, the favorite brand, taste, vintage, region, they have become loyal to certain companies and brands, if you are trying to educate this group, my suggestion is you’d better save your breath, they could possibly be more knowledgeable than you on this product, history, So don’t bother.
In China market, who should the wine brands target? Who would become the largest group customer? What do they most care on the wine purchase behavior? Under what circumstances this purchase takes place? Where do they prefer or tend to buy the wines? How often do they purchase? Does promotion matter to them?
I don’t feel the necessity to repeat this basic market analysis here.
Lets move to the next step.
The common and popular method are for the marketing group who don’t have enough adventurous spirit, those are safe, there is no risk you might fail the campaign, of course, the outcome is predictable, you will catch some eyes, you will promote some sales, although it might be much raise, however everybody is doing this way year by year.
The world is changing, our customers are evolving, grabby, more and more sophisticated and seeking stronger adventure and mental impact. The question is are you ready and prepared to embrace the challenge? Do you expect to hear ‘ wow, that’s bright’ .
I would like to share some of my ideas how to meet their needs with more intense and brave moves.
How many wine companies have ever thought about to get PR method involved in their marketing campaign? You probably wonder what the association it is ?
What is wine?
It is not simple a drink, it is not just the symbol of the life style, it is also, even moreover, a toll to build the connection between people, it provide the relaxing environment, the guide-loosing platform. The person who possess it does not have to drink, you may present as a trophy, as memory, as story, as collection display.
To sponsor the activities which represents the culture, taste, attitude, you may find out your image can be given and spread more wildly, more concentrating.
To run loyalty program at the actual vintage by inviting the VIP customers, It is more appealing to the target group members who do enjoy the traveling to exotic zone.
Other methods I am about the introduce will also be effective to attract more developing customers.
To introduce the wine as social tool, it can appear in friends gathering, home party instead of making tea, coffee and other traditional customs. You may simply create the series of story with wine as tool in particularly social media, introduce this story, mark one of the character firmly with wine, the brand, the habit, the emotional obsession to humanize it.
To present as memorial present between friends, lovers, along with the story in which under what circumstances, what historical celebrities had experienced the wine. If you don’t know the story, then you can dig harder, why? Once you become part of the history, you can be memorized with depth. Everybody knows Princess Helen, when the image of troy comes along, they recall Helen. This is the easy association. You are the reflection of history, culture, not the repulsive commence. The world handles this much better than the ugly truth, money.
There are more and more I have been thinking how to help to develop this industry in a better and creative and artistic way. Here I will have to say ‘ lets get started, make the first step’.
The most important issue is to free your mind, stop running the riot.
Thanks
Johnny Chown
July 23rd, 2011
Brands Crisis Management Advices
We are pleased to see our brand growing day by day in the target market, more and more customers are crowding in. We build out reputation, we develop more and more products and launch into the market. Every campaign is successful, profit is pilling up season after season.
We are so proud, we are losing caution, we are getting arrogant, we cease taking care of our current customers, there are only more and more potential customers in our eyes and our branding proposal, what we can see is the market share.
All of the blue, one day, one of our proud products is tested unqualified, even worse, it contains poisonous ingredient, the news is everywhere, TV, newspaper, internet, we are surrounded by unhappy ,moreover fury buyers.
We panicked, what should we do next ? We are yelling ‘ someone, please help me’, then we make critical mistakes, we lose the loyalty and trust on our customers.
One major mistakes tramps the long time trust.
As we all say, shit happens, we cant avoid mistakes, the point is how we fix it, how we face it.
I would like to give some advices here, but you will still be the brand runners who actually listen and take it practice.
When we have received the quality issue of our current products, the news has been spread,
You should
Begining
1: Call press conference, use the mass media as many as possible, make announcement that you are under the cooperation with the authorities and meanwhile the internal investigation procedure has been launched, the world will be given the update firmly. All products under your brands will be tested as well discover the existence of the potential risk during the internal investigation.
You take the leading position in the media, guide customers the direction that benefits what you expect.
2: Keep the world posted with any tiny progress, even it is the truth your product has the potential risk/danger, to show your customers you are honest, you are serious with your product and business, you will not try to hide any thing from the market.
The media following up will be seen in the whole process, the beginning, the progress, the post-op.
Don’t be shamed to admit your problem, it is ugly and stupid of trying to deny and facts.
Progress
3: Once the outcome of the investigation have come out, you marked it in your media advertising, you apologize for the inconvenience that has been brought to your customers, the recall program is active, any customers who had purchased the issued products may receive the full amount refund or exchange the other products under your brands with the purchase receipt.
Show the active and positive attitude and make compensation to the market for the wrong you have done, The cost is the price you have to pay in the lesson and it is only half of the price if you were acting oppositely.
4: Don’t waste this opportunity for further marketing campaign, it is the excellent time for you to profile your customers,
4.1: When the refund/exchange program is on the progress, customers will be asked to fill out the form which contains: personal information, product purchased, contact information. Tell them it is the standard procedure and it is designed for the investigation purpose at the same time.To make the utmost effort providing as many check-points as you may.
4.2 For luxury or large amount products, you may even provide the door-to-door service. Thos customers are the valuable assess to your brand
4.3: for the brand who owns loyalty program, the more benefit is offered in the further purchase. It can be in the form of VIP card level update, more discount, more credit, more gifts.
Post-OP
5: Announce the solution to the market what you will do with the issued products, the result of the other products under your brands after the internal investigation.
5.1: work tightly with the authorities and trust labs to strengthen the quality control.
5.2: More attention in the whole producing process. Examples will be given.
Those advices may sound easy and simple, well, I would say except the admit part, you are worried your customers will no longer lie their loyalty or trust on you once you do that, the answer is NO, you will unite the customers more firmly with your honesty.
Beside all the methods I have been talking about, an emotion essence cant be neglected, being friendly, respective, patient and honest must been spotted in every single snap of the whole crisis management chain.
July 8th 2011
Shanghai, China
Johnny Chown
Fantasy Maker
What is marketing or branding ?
Wikipedia says so
A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business.
A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan. The word branding began simply as a way to tell one person’s cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp.
The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity – it affects the personality of a product, company or service.
The summary is therefore to let the world, customers to recognize you, your product, service, your company, it is a image of the business.
The question is if the image is all what branding needs nowadays? The answer is clearly negative, modern definition of branding has largely extended into how customers see the company, the product or the service from the behaviors those companies act.
At this moment, you would start to wonder what you are trying to make sound for? I am not here to explain the definition or the conception, but to introduce the idea what exactly the branding is making effort to achieve.
As all customers are simply human beings, they see the commercial supply the same way they see other people in the world, if there is click, chemistry, attraction and benefits. When they approach a brand, there are several known reason, they are in need of using the products/service, they are curious and convinced to try, they mentally expect this product/service to transform/improve their social status,********
For each of the purposes, I do discover one thing in common, the ideal image the product/service brings them. Now here goes with the question, what is the ideal image? You might give a laugh, ideal image, they want to have it, that’s it. Exactly, but among thousands of products/services on the market,
why this one instead of that one?
To explicit this puzzle, I believe I can tell a story first.
The fair tale, the sleeping beauty, is worldwide well-known. A beautiful princess was cursed into sleeping, waiting for the prince to rescue with a loving heart kiss.
Take time having some thinking, why must it be prince and princess? why must it be kiss?
Movies!
Transformer, 007 series, the heroes, American Idols
Why would those movies be hot on the market?
Why all the actresses in them sexy, pretty?
The super power, the adventure, the luxury lifestyle, the self-esteem.
What do human man beings work for? What do they expect in their lives? What are their dreams? What are their pities in the reality?
All those are originally from the dreams, fantasies that are held deeply in our heart. All those can’t be easily fulfilled in the cruel world for every one. To get away from the reality, the form of ourselves and our lives we pursuit to possess, we live on those dreams, fantasies, if by any chance, we could see it, feel it, witness it, it gives us the moment of being satisfied. We would love to embrace, pay, and enjoy the moment, even we clearly are aware of the fact it is simply the mirage, watchable but untouchable.
What are consumers after?
As well-known, there are leading customers, following customers, adventurous customers, loyal customers, wandering customers.
Leading customers know very well what they expect on the product/service, the followers don’t see clearly the benefits but the leaders’ image is appealing to them by the benefits obtained. The adventurous are never satisfied with one certain brand, they like to try new things, the loyal ones stay firmly with the brands they feel comfortable or satisfied without doubt, they develop from their pleasant experience. The wanders certainly have needs of the product/service, but they are lost, drown in the millions of options, they are blind, they are divided into following and adventurous groups.
Each brand dreams of having loyal customers. To approach them, to maintain them, to solidify the relationship with them. This achievement requires large amount of money, time, effort support, moreover, the sophisticated marketing strategy to win.
However, it is not mission impossible, we see those brands on the market. Coca-Cola, Dior, BMW, Apple, Sony and others. When we first have the needs of the products, those names come into my head first. We are familiar with their commercials. It is not simply that they are everywhere, but the visual impact on the commercials touch the string, the echo has been responded, Yes, that is the image we are eager to own, that is the image of ourselves we want to show to the world. That’s what we longer for.
Is the fancy visual image enough to create the fantasy? The answer is certainly Yes. But it is not enough to keep the fantasy long life. Meanwhile, some suspecision could easily kill those perfect image. Don’t believe me, then take a careful look at this commercial
Lancome little black bottle
Lancome Gene decides fundamental quality of the skin ( genifique) . Amazing slogan, we cant agree more, what is coming next, nothing is talking about the gene, only the effect of the product, only the good quality, therefore I seriously doubt if this product can actually improve the quality as you stress on the GENE at very beginning. Want me to trust me, therefore to purchase this? You will have clean your mind first, be logical first, you cant think logical, how may you possibly convince me?
I don’t have the source who developed this idea, but I have to say, you are idiot.
Lets take a look at a good one.
Lynx TVC.
A guy is visiting the auto show and checking the inner part of a car, the car model smells a scent and traces to the man, bumps him into the rear seat with hips in sneak, after a short while, the car alarm sounds.
This LYNX is a man’s product to make you smell good in man way. All men expect the attention and attraction from pretty women. Men are trying to hard to impress the women they appreciate. But most of time, they failed, men are frustrated, lost, confused. This TVC provides the chortcut to all men, you use it, your dreams will be fulfilled easily, you will have the affection adventure you seek. Simple and appealing scene, no unnecessary and production introduction dialogues filled, what is the outcome? This TVC is remembered, the product intrigues, attraction is built.
We know there are 4 steps before the actual purchase behavior occurs, attraction, interest, inquiry and purchase.
Fantasy is the attraction and interest, which are key to chain the customers, no matter which group they are belonging to. No matter what their financial situation lays, no matter how old they are. You bring the fantasy, the illusion in front of customers, you win the first step. Then we will leave the rest to other department experts to worry. You have done your excellent job.
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