Open up your mind and say, ahh...

I met with someone yesterday who said to me that he didn’t have any time to blog. Moments later, he told me what was happening on “Ice Loves Coco.” Earlier in the day, a woman explained that she didn’t really have the time for another social network, and then she explained how she volunteers for six different organizations in her town for various purposes.

I also met with the talented Deirdre Breakenridge, who told me about how strong her business is getting, and what 2012 holds. I met with Jay Baer and heard some of what’s got him occupied, including a huge tour for the book he wrote with Amber Naslund. I spoke with Jason Sprenger, who works for a big company by day, but blogs passionately about the intersection of sports and PR, too.

We Choose Our Own Adventures

We pick our paths. We decide what we make time to do. We choose our own adventures every single day. Each and every day, we have the chance to make choices.

Parents complain that they can’t work when their kids are home, and so I ask about what they do with the few hours the kids are at school, and/or what happens after the kids go to bed? Employees complain that they just don’t want to look at a screen after a long day at work, and so they prefer to take a break and… look at a screen.

We have time to do what we want to do. Tomorrow, I will have time to go to the gym in this hotel, and I will have time to find somewhere good to run. I signed up for CrossFit classes for the next four months, and so I will have time for those. I’m making more time for my kids in and around my business work. I have time to work with Julien Smith on our new book.

I want to do those things, so I will find the time.

What do you not have time to do? My guess? You could answer in the comments with three things you commit to stopping so that you’d find the time you want. What do you think?

Part 6 in a series introducing my new book, The End of Business as Usual…

The state of social media is no insignificant affair. Nor is it a conversation relegated to a niche contingent of experts and gurus. Social media is pervasive and it is transforming how people find and share information and how they connect and collaborate with one another. I say that as if I’m removed from the media and cultural (r)evolution that is digital socioeconomics. But in reality, I’m part of it just like everyone else. You and I both know however, that’ I’m not saying anything you don’t already know.

Social media is clearly becoming the new normal. For the last several years, simply adding the word “social” in front of anything and everything from media and gaming to commerce and CRM to business and consumerism, it’s clear that we are finally approaching the end of the hype curve to start making sense of what it all means and just how far it applies to the future of business and media.

But as social media becomes part of our cultural fabric and even as we witness businesses, governments, sports teams, and almost every organization socialize communication efforts today, much of what we see is merely the beginning of something that will one day become something far more important than the medium itself. Indeed, social media is affecting behavior and nothing is more important than the ability to influence decisions and ultimately behavior. The state of social media is not necessarily as much about which network is #winning as much as it is about how people are spending their time, interacting and connecting with one another, and what happens as a result.

To demonstrate this point, let’s review the profound findings from the recently released Nielsen Social Media Report.

1) Skeptics will now be recognized as laggards as they now officially stand in the way of progress. According to Nielsen, and well, reality, social media isn’t a fad. The report opens with a key finding that social networks and blogs dominate how Americans spend their time online, which accounts for nearly 25% of their total time spent on the Internet.

2) Four out of five active internet users aka everyday people visit social networks.

3) Looking beyond the U.S., in 10 major global markets, social networks and blogs reach over 75% of active Internet users.

4) 60 percent of people who use three or more digital means of research for product purchases learned about a specific brand or retailer from a social networking site. And, 48% of these consumers responded to a retailer’s offer posted on Facebook or Twitter.

5) 70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online.

6) 53 percent of active adult social networkers follow a brand.

7) Tumblr nearly tripled its audience from just one year ago.

As a brand, Nielsen’s report gives us both validation and insight into the importance of social media in the business mix. But just who’s driving the growth? Understanding the demographics and also psychographics of social media users will help us more effectively connect our brand story to the needs and behavior of the social consumer. Nielsen reminds us that women make up the majority of visitors to social networks and blogs. The 18-34 segment boasts the highest concentration of active visitors among all age groups. Americans aged 35-49 are avid visitors as well as they are 4% more likely than average consumers to visit social networks and blogs than they do any other site. We’ve also learned in previous reports that Boomers are also flocking to social networks, with the adoption of social networks such as Facebook by the over 50 contingent growing by over 88%.

As I’ve long maintained, Facebook is the homepage for the social Web of the most progressive businesses. According to Pingdom, with 800 million users, Facebook is now the size of the entire Internet in 2004. And, as Nielsen shows us, at 53.5%, Facebook accounts for the majority of total time spent online.

Of course, social media is only part of the story. How consumers access the Internet and social networks alike counts for everything. As you can see, 37% of people access social networks from their mobile phone. Social networks aside, if your business isn’t creating dedicated online experiences for mobile devices, you’re missing a tremendous opportunity to connect with consumers.

Consumer activity is focused squarely on social networking in addition to accessing music, Web browsing, and GPS functionality. Engagement through content and 1:1 interaction is critical in earning relevance and attention in a new era of consumerism.

Social networking apps are up a whopping 30% from third quarter 2010. At the top of the list is Facebook with mobile usage dominated by 25-34 year-olds at 29% followed equally by those 18-24 and 35-44 at 20%. Access to social networks from mobile phones is up significantly among older demographics from just last year. Mobile usage among those over 55 jumped by 109% and those 35-54 grew by 68%.

Those active within social networks wield far greater influence offline than their more traditional counterparts. While we understand that consumers trust the recommendations of their peers, research by NM Incite reveals that 60% of social media users review products and services and is also their preferred source for information about the products they too consider. As you can see above, their effects are also felt offline. 33% are more likely to share their opinion on TV programs. 75% are more likely to be heavy spenders on music. Almost 50% are likely to spend significantly on clothing, shoes, and accessories.

Over the years, I’ve researched the gap that exists between what businesses think consumers want in social networks and what it is that they really want or expect. As you can imagine, there’s a significant delta between each and here, Nielsen delved a bit deeper to share insights into specific brand-related behavior by consumers in social networks. Much of their time is spent in pre-commerce phase of decision making, reading consumer feedback and learning about products. At the point of the decision, they seek to obtain coupons and promotions. Post commerce, they’re actively posting positive or negative feedback, thus influencing the decisions of others.

The dominance of social networking isn’t relegated to the United States, it is indeed a global phenomenon…and a way of digital life. Nielsen discovered that social networks and blogs are the top online destination accounting for the majority of time spent online, reaching at least 60% of active Internet users in the following countries:

1. Australia
2. Brazil
3. France
4. Germany
5. Italy
6. Japan
7. Spain
8. Switzerland
9. U.S.
10. U.K.

The End of Social Media 1.0

Social media is approaching a much needed maturity cycle where each word “social” and “Media” will no longer unite as an oxymoron, but instead as a true statement in how businesses and customers connect online. As a disruptor to everyday business, social media is forcing us to rethink everything. It is in many ways just like starting over. We are relearning and questioning everything and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. From creative and messaging to execution and measurement to service and loyalty, we now must look at applying more sophisticated and meaningful programs that combine social and media into a powerful form of engagement and leadership.

We will one day soon realize the day when “social” becomes part of the everyday construct in how people talk to one another and how we collaborate to solve for whatever brings us together. In the mean time, socializing media is only half as important as improving relationships and experiences within digital landscapes.

What do you think is different about today…what makes this the end of business as usual?

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Image Credit: Shutterstock

I just got back from the gym. I’m learning how to do kettlebell cleans and kettlebell presses and other things that are really difficult for me. In doing this, I know that I am getting stronger, but I also know that I am working on precision of movement, and I am also maintaining my commitment to my health. It’s not like I will work out for several months, look down, be appreciative of my body, and then go back to other things. If I want to stay fit, I will continue to practice. I will eat well for the rest of my life, if I want to stay healthy. The practice, as it turns out, is the reward.

The Practice is the Reward

I’m asked quite often, “How do I get more followers on Twitter?” The answer, if people really want to know, is that you be there, be helpful, be more “about” other people than you are yourself. That’s it. That’s the practice. If you practice being there, being helpful, and being all about the other people, you will get more followers. It’s how that happens. The practice is the reward.

How does a company get more loyal buyers instead of simply transactional buyers. Practice being loyal to your existing buyers. Loyalty is a two way street. When it’s not, things fail. How do you get buyers who will choose you over the less expensive brand, because they believe that you are the choice for them? Practice being loyal and driven by their satisfaction. (By the way, companies like Zappos are worth billions because of this. If you think there’s no hard-line bottom line to this kind of thinking, stop reading my blog.)

Practice Doesn’t Merit Bragging

We groan about practice online. I did it today. I put up a picture of me in my car after my 6:30am workout, saying that it’s too early to work out, but at least I’d done the work. That’s silly. Why complain about it? I should be so honored and pleased that I found the time to work out this morning. I should be grateful that I gave my muscles something else to think about. And I shouldn’t brag. You shouldn’t have to hear my groaning or my bragging. Neither are helpful. Neither motivate you to work on your own practice. You know what does? Results.

Results Are External Proof of Practice

I’m practicing how to be a better professional speaker. In so doing, I’m reading a lot of books on how to speak better, and I’m reviewing my own work. When I do this well, I see the results. On stage last week, I was at the top of my game and my audience was right there with me. They felt it. They knew that I was giving them my everything.

But the most important point to distinguish is this: the results are just the external proof that washes off of you from doing the work. The work, the practice, is where your focus must remain. You must keep your focus on doing the work, practicing. It’s how you succeed every time. The moment you bow to the results, the moment you pause for longer than half a breath to feel great about yourself, is the moment you stop practicing, even a little bit, in your heart and head.

What Are You Practicing?

The list of what we can practice is huge. In my personal life, I’m practicing being more healthy. I’m practicing being more grounded mentally and emotionally. In my business life, I’m practicing improving my value to my customers and clients. I’m practicing giving more quality.

What are you practicing? And do you see this? Do you feel it?

Ah, the good old days, when cellphones were the size of bricks. Some were so big you had to carry a separate bag containing their electronic innards, and if you weren’t careful, you might end up with a dislocated shoulder by the end of the day.

They generally weren’t called cellphones at all — most of us codgers called them “car phones” back then, because that was the size of conveyance you needed to lug around all of their electronic parts.

Fast forward to today, where cellphones have gotten plenty smart. One factor caught our eyes: Notice how different all the phones start looking around 2007. Wonder what happened then (cough! iPhone cough!)?

This infographic from Wilson Electronics (maker of cellular signal boosters for buildings and cars, so they know about these things) takes you from Dr. Martin Cooper’s laughable handset (that looked more like a cream-colored shoe than a phone) up to today’s darling of the moment, the Apple iPhone 4S.

Tell us in the comments how many of these cellphones you’ve used, which one was your favorite, and how you would compare your previous model to today’s latest phones.

Infographic courtesy Wilson Electronics

If you’ve been fortunate enough to write your blog for any length of time, I can almost guarantee that you have posts from the early days that people haven’t seen that are still relevant. It’s not that they might be the best thing you’ve ever written, but they can still be of value.

For instance, I wrote If I Started Today back in November of 2008. It’s still valid. Almost 3 years later, I’d do pretty much the same thing. So, that makes it a post worth resharing. But how? And what can I do to make it interesting for you to visit?

Recycle Your Blog

There are a few ways to recycle your blog. Way number one is to pull out information from a post you want to share, expound on it until it’s a standalone post, and then link to the original post at the end. So, in this case, if I wanted to do that with “If I Started Today,” I’d write up a section about “Five Elements Your Blog Needs When Starting Out,” and then I’d link to the post at the bottom to show what else you need by pointing to that post.

The other way to recycle posts is to group them up with a post that tells a story through sharing more than one post. At this point, I’ve written about 8 or 9 posts talking about Google+. I could write a post called “My Best Advice on Google+” and put links to those posts all in one place. This would give my readers a simple way to walk through everything I’d written about the topic, and it would give me much more attention on the site, without having had to write a new post of any size or value.

Recycling Is Good For Everyone

Recycling some of your older material so that people can get something out of it is helpful. But just like you see on products that use recycled materials, you probably want to always maintain a mix of new material and post-use recycled material. And you never want to flat out reprint your posts, as that is frowned upon by Google.

So, with that in mind, look back on your blog and find some posts worth sharing again. Who knows? You might find a hit the second time around with something that went unnoticed through no fault of your own.

Maybe you’ll make some art from trash.

Part 5 in a series introducing my new book, The End of Business as Usual…

What do people want? If you don’t know, why not ask them?

Seems like a common sense question to ask. However, when it comes to customer engagement and relations, common sense appears to be an uncommon virtue. The good news is that asking customers what they need is now easier than ever before. Learning about what they prefer or what they’re missing based on their actions and words is prevalent within social media. Asking them directly is also a powerful form of engagement. At the very least the act expresses intent to learn and perhaps adapt.

Too many research projects or studies these days focus on what brands are doing in social media rather than what they should be doing. And at the same time, most are conducted from the perspective of the business and not from the perspective of the people affected by the actions or missteps of brands.

In February 2011 ExactTarget and CoTweet released a revealing study “The Social Breakup,” that provided a glimpse into the oft missed customer point of view. While many reports highlight why people Like and follow brands, this study divulged why consumers “break up” with brands in social networks.

Like any interpersonal relationship, the consumer-brand relationship has a distinct and fascinating life cycle. The relationship begins with the initial “spark”—the decision by the consumer to become a SUBSCRIBER, FAN, or FOLLOWER—followed by a blissful honeymoon period in which the consumer gets to know the company better through communications and social interactions. As the relationship progresses, the frequency and quality of interactions shapes the consumer’s desire to take the relationship to the next level.

If the company fails any of these relationship tests, a “social break-up”—i.e., an “unsubscribe,” “unfan,” “unlike,” or “unfollow”—is all but inevitable. When the consumer is no longer happy in the relationship, they will actively break off contact with the company…or just ignore their communications in the hopes the company will get the message that it’s over.

According to the study, 55% of Facebook users have liked a brand and then later decided they no longer wish to see the company’s posts. 51% of fans say that they really aren’t fans as they don’t visit the page or web site after the “Like.” 71% of consumers say that they’re now becoming more selective.

When asked why the honeymoon is over, the top reasons for unliking a brand in Facebook are:

1. The company posts too frequently
2. My wall was becoming too crowded with marketing posts
3. The content was too repetitive or boring

The reasons, regardless of percentage are equally revealing…

I only “Liked” the company to take advantage of an offer.

They didn’t offer enough deals. (note: if you combine these two details, “deals” would become the one of the top reasons people connected and disconnected from brands)

Their posts were too promotional

The content wasn’t relevant.

The company’s posts were too chitty-chatty without adding value

Twitter is a much different network than Facebook. However, that doesn’t stop brands from attempting to connect with customers. And, it doesn’t stop customers from experimenting with brand engagement. However, 41% of Twitter users followed a brand only to unfollow them shortly thereafter.

Again, when you ask the customer why they decided to unfollow their favorite brands, the answers are as difficult to hear as they are enlightening.

1. The content was too repetitive or boring
2. My stream was too crowded with marketing posts
3. The company posted too frequently

The remainder of responses are identical to the reasons shared earlier in reference to Facebook.

Not enough deals.

Too conversational.

Irrelevant.

Mind the (Customer) Gap

It comes down to something that’s repeated so often throughout our lives that we may have become immune to the importance of its message, “Mind the gap.” This cautionary expression is designed to protect us from our own potential missteps. But in business, we must mind many important gaps, one of which represents a dangerous pitfall in the evolving landscape of business.

The customer gap represents the distance between what we think customers want and what they actually want. The definition of this gap is different for every business and it is something that we must overcome.

Today we see so many brands flocking to Twitter and attempting to befriend new customers without realizing that they’re willfully stepping directly into an abyss of irrelevance.

It starts with answering some very basic, but vital questions.

What do customers value?

What do customers value in social networks with regard to the culture of each?

Why are customers seeking or reacting to brands in these networks?

What turns them off?

Why do they unlike or unfollow brands?

How can we introduce value to induce a sense of appreciation and ultimately loyalty or advocacy?

The answers to these questions exist. It just starts with asking the questions. More importantly, it requires that you do something with the answers…that’s the hard part.

When Perception isn’t Reality

IBM recently set out to measure the gap between customers and the corresponding awareness of businesses and their ability to meet the needs of consumers in social networks. Authored by Carolyn Heller Baird, Global CRM Research Leader with the IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM Global Services and Gautam Parasnis, Partner and Vice President for IBM Global Business Services, the study, “From Social Media to Social CRM,” teaches us about the emerging social consumer. Coincidentally, we learn more about their preferences than many social media best practices reveal to date.

The report begins with a level-setting that is refreshing and also challenging…

Understanding what customers value, especially when they are in the unique environment of a social platform, is a critical first step toward building a Social CRM strategy. What triggers a customer to seek out a company or brand via social media? What would make a customer reluctant to interact? And does social engagement influence customers’ feelings of loyalty toward a company as businesses hope it does?

The answer lies in one of the reports greatest insights and also one of its most obvious, “Obtaining tangible value is the top reason most consumers seek out businesses via social sites.”

While it’s easy to blame it on the youth, the reality is that the DNA of social customers is indiscriminant of age or any other demographic for that matter. This is more about psychographics, the linkage of people through common interests (note: interest graph) than it is demographics or the social graph.

As discussed earlier in this series, consumers are investing time in social networks to connect with friends and family. According to the IBM study, the total number of users in social networks doing so accounts for 70% of all social consumers. The subsequent reasons individuals interact in social networks is to access news and entertainment at 49%and 46% respectively. 42% desire to share their opinions and another 30% seek to access reviews. But what of those seeking to engage in conversations or relationships with brands? They number at a mere 23%.

IBM mapped the chasm between brands and consumers highlighting the separation that divides intention and actuality. 65% of businesses view social media as a new source for revenue. At the same time however, consumers claim that it is they who expect to realize value from businesses in social media. Nevertheless, the discrepancy between what customers want and what businesses think they want reside at opposite ends of the stream.

The perception gap is reminiscent of couples therapy where each individual sees the world so entirely differently that they require mediation to meet one another in the middle.

If you ask consumers why they interact with companies in social networks, they’ll tell you it’s to receive a discount (61%) or to make a purchase (55%). If you ask a business why they think consumers follow them in social networks their response is likely to mirror IBM’s results. 73% believe that consumers wish to learn about new products and an additional 71% connect to receive general information.

Perhaps most telling is the severity of misperceptions between consumers and brands. While consumers expressed the desire to receive discounts or make purchases as the top reasons for engagement in social media, businesses view these actions as the lowest two motives for connecting in the social web.

To “bridge’” these gaps requires a social CRM strategy and infrastructure to foster collaborative experiences through engagement that customers value. Social CRM tends to focus on technology and systems to provide stakeholders with access to information and processes to support informed engagement. sCRM can also greatly benefit by adapting to the 5th P in order to inspire updated methodologies for engagement that today’s customer can appreciate. It is as much a function of infrastructure as it is a matter of adapting to human nature.

Next Steps

Brands must face the tough reality that social media is in direct conflict with the mode of business as usual. Businesses must first with understanding the wants and corresponding behaviors of the social consumer to effectively adapt.

Introduce mutually beneficial engagement strategies and programs that are unique to the expectations of each community. Technology is an enabler, but customer service works best when it’s designed to serve.

Think like a customer. Or better said, take the insights that are gleaned from gathering intelligence to become the customer you’re trying to reach.

Social consumers are not looking for information, recreations of your Website or links to existing, probably outdated web pages. Recognize that the social consumer is quite content operating without your interference. If you’re unsure what they want, ask them. Then build experiences that deliver value and also build experiences that are shareable. K.I.S.S Keep it Simple and Shareable or Keep It Significant and Shareable.

Elvis once famously sang, we need “A little less conversation and a little more action…”

Russian airplane maker Sukhoi is joining the business jet community with a VIP version of its SuperJet 100 regional airliner. The new Sukhoi business jet joins Boeing and Airbus, along with the Brazilian company Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier in converting airliners for private use.

The Sukhoi 100 that the SBJ is based on first flew in 2008. The regional jet has seating for up to 103 passengers. More than 300 have been sold, mostly to Russian airlines, though operators in Thailand, Indonesia, Italy and Mexico also have Sukhois on order.

The launch customer for the SBJ is the Swiss company Comlux. The new Russian business jet will be added to Comlux’s fleet of 19 charter aircraft that includes several Airbus Corporate Jets, business jets from Bombardier and a Boeing 767. Comlux placed an order for four of the $50 million jets and expects to take delivery of the first one in 2014.

The airframe of the Sukhoi is made in Russia where the airplane is assembled, though the engines and most of the systems are from the west. Russia has a long history of civil airplane manufacturing, though very few have been able to penetrate markets beyond the former iron curtain. Sukhoi is most famous for its history building fighter jets, including the SU-27.

Sukhoi is one of several companies currently entering the airline market through regional jets. Both Embraer and Bombardier successfully joined the global marketplace years ago filling in the smaller end of the jet market not covered by Boeing and Airbus. Companies in both China and India are also planning regional jets of their own.

The fly-by-wire Sukhoi business jet will have a 4,300 mile range, though with a limited passenger load. With a cruise speed of around 530 miles per hour, the SBJ offers performance similar to other jets of its size.

Image: SuperJet International

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo revealed some interesting stats about Twitter’s growth, including that it has more than 100 million active users and that signups via iOS device have tripled since the launch of iOS 5.

Twitter has been on a roll in recent months. The company surpassed 200 million tweets per day in June, but has since jumped to nearly 250 million daily tweets. The growth has been tremendous: Twitter had around 100 million tweets per day in January 2011.

Costolo revealed these stats during an interview at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

Of those 100 million global active users, half of them log in daily. “We had 30% of our monthly active users loggin in every day at the beginning of the year. Now it’s over 50%,” Costolo revealed.

The company’s growth amounts to about 40% quarter on quarter. But perhaps the most interesting stat is the impact of iOS 5 on Twitter. Apple’s mobile OS directly integrates Twitter, and that has resulted in a boost for the company. Costolo revealed that Twitter signups via iOS 5 devices have tripled since the launch of that iOS update.

Duke Greenhill is the founder and CEO of Greenhill+Partners, a premiere New York-based creative marketing agency specializing in luxury brands and engaging the emerging affluent. You can reach them at TheFutureOfBranding.com.

Lately people are talking about luxury brands and digital marketing. I can’t count the number of times this week I’ve seen tweets asking, “Is Digital Killing the Luxury Brand?” Invariably, these discussions evaluate the dangers of leveraging a wholly democratic platform in order to promote a wholly exclusive industry. But, as usual, the discussion misses the point.

The question is not if luxury brands can safely leverage digital media. The question is how. With that in mind, here are five commandments for marketing luxury brands using the most democratic media in the world.

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1. Thou Shalt Democratize, But Not Downgrade

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Luxury brands obsess over losing exclusivity in the digital space, but this concern puts the cart in front of the horse. A luxury brand generates exclusivity by cultivating a block of consumers who wish they could buy the brandʼs products, but cannot afford them. Simply, if luxury brands want to remain luxurious, they have to engage not only their paying customers, but also people who want but canʼt have.

This is where the democratizing power of social and new media comes into play. Social media enables luxury brands to build tremendous clout among the aspirational set. In some cases, social media may be the only place aspiring consumers can reach the brand at all. This, in turn, builds tremendous prestige among the affluent set.

In order to democratize without downgrading, luxury brands must maintain the digital conversation by engaging more aspirational consumers and including them in a controlled brand dialogue. On the other hand, the brand must prevent brand downgrading by embracing cleverness and avoiding mimicry, by ensuring innovation and not stealing from their traditional campaigns, and by treating digital media like the marketing powerhouse that it is. All the while, luxury brands must strive toward the highest creativity, elegance and production quality. Only in this way can luxury brands both cultivate desire and maintain exclusivity, and thus, grow in the digital world safely.

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2. Thou Shalt Not Kill The Conversation

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Luxury brands worry that if they allow interactivity or user-generated content, if they initiate a conversation between brand and buyer, they will lose control of the brand image. This is simply not true.

There are many ways to encourage interactivity while still maintaining control of the brand. Look at Burberryʼs

“Art of the Trench,” a photo-sharing destination that primarily features Burberry-commissioned, high-end photography of models in the brandʼs seminal trench coats. What’s more, it also allows consumers inside access if they upload their own pictures (which are vetted and selected by the brand). Therefore, Burberry successfully reaches a significant audience while maintaining brand control.

Like Burberry, luxury brands must learn that they can create digital campaigns with embedded brand control. Killing the conversation outright is not the answer.

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3. Thou Shalt Honor Digital Media

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If luxury brands indeed fear brand dilution, they must first stop diluting the quality of their digital media. Time and again my own luxury clients say, “But itʼs just a behind-the-scenes video for Facebook and YouTube! Do we really need to spend that much on production?” The answer is always “yes.” Digital luxury marketing is only as luxurious as the brands are willing to make it.

Just like the luxury products and services themselves, the quality of luxury digital marketing relies on ideation and execution. A dress is not inherently luxurious; the difference lies in its design and high-quality manufacture. The same is true of digital marketing media. Luxury brands must decide whether their digital marketing is luxurious or commonplace, and they must commit to making their digital messaging more beautiful, more innovative and more elegant than anything else out there. Only then can they preserve their up-market brand values.

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4. Thou Shalt Not Steal From Old Media

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The primary reason luxury brands fail at social and new media is because they haven’t bothered to understand it. Luxury brands, more often than not, suffer from what I call the “Paper Pixel Syndrome.” They take media developed and produced for traditional deployment and force it onto their social and new media platforms.

For instance, they digitize a traditional TV spot by compressing and uploading to YouTube, or they post a print ad to Facebook. This blanket strategy weakens the perception of luxury brands. Just as one wouldnʼt put a 30-second static print ad on TV, so should one avoid stealing traditional media by hawking it in the digital space. Luxury digital media requires a development, production and deployment strategy specific to its digital channels. Nothing less will do.

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5. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Media Channels

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Just because one luxury brand is successfully utilizing a particular digital approach does not mean another luxury brand should follow the same strategy.

As an example, take Vera Wangʼs Weddings app, or Tiffanyʼs Engagement Ring Finder app. Both are directly motivated by a core brand value or consumer need.

“There is a sense of urgency associated with digital platforms,” says Vera Wang president Mario Grauso, but luxury brands must be careful not to embrace a platform just because itʼs hot. Only those platforms that spring directly from a core brand ideal or customer need can succeed without diluting the brand itself.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, jsp, Flickr, pasukaru76

In comic books, there’s this trend to “take things back to the beginning.” I’ve been reading comics for over 36 years, and ever since I’ve read interviews with comic writers and artists, that’s one of those cliche lines that come up over and over again. And yet, it’s necessary. Storylines get cluttered. New fans can’t identify with the characters. Things get all junked up. Relaunches lead to improved sales, more new readers, and many other beneficial boosts to the companies who try them. The old faithful readers of such comics rarely get too upset, and for that small percentage that a publisher loses, the newcomers more than make up for it in attrition.

Brands refresh all the time. Sometimes, it works well. Other times, we push back and decry the change. Beyond a new site design, which doesn’t hurt matters (and if you’re thinking a site design, might I refer you to these great premium WordPress themes – affiliate link?), what might also help is starting fresh with your audience, and retelling your story from the basics.

Start Fresh

What’s the stripped down, back-to-basics story of what you do, what you stand for, who you are? How would you tell that story to your audience? How do you tell it on your blog? And what does it look like in under 140 characters?

Starting fresh is somewhat harder than it seems sometimes, but the effort is really important. If you ran, for instance, the Colonnade Hotel in Boston, my favorite hotel in Boston, what story would you tell anew for people who have forgotten who you are and what you mean for travelers? If you’re a solo business selling some service, how do you tell your story in such a way that it resonates with your prospective audience?

Do people even really understand what you do these days? This was a question that Joe Sorge came up with for Kitchen Table Talks yesterday, and I found myself smiling, realizing that what I do has shifted over the last few months, and that when I do my own company’s retelling, people will scratch their head and think, “Huh, I didn’t know that’s where he’d gone with all that stuff.” (That’s simultaneously an opportunity plus a problem: you don’t want your colleagues and/or prospect base to think one thing and you are doing another.)

A Refresh Isn’t Amnesia

To refresh and start with your “back to basics” doesn’t mean to turn a sharp left and leave behind everything you had been doing up to that point. If certain elements in your story have evolved and become a very common part of what people know about you and your business, those parts can’t just vanish without some kind of “reimagining” of the landscape. For instance, if you started out as a burger joint, but then added Mexican food and Viking food and Thai food to the menu, if you’ve decided that you’re going back to being a burger joint, maybe you’ll keep a taco burger, a fish burger and a pad thai burger, to at least nod your head in the direction of the change.

Tell The Story Often

Your opportunity is to tell your story in such a way that your community gathers around that story and feels it to be their own. This is the best of all worlds. Anyone from the biggest and most complex brand down to the freelance marketing associate looking for extra work has an obligation to tell the story of what you offer and how you can help in such a way that others feel like they’re part of the experience. If chrisbrogan.com is anything, it’s a place where we talk with each other about what lies beyond social media and marketing, and what matters most in being human and deriving value from our relationships. That’s something you get to take with you after you read these posts. It’s always written such that you can make the story yours. Do that for your audience, too.

Start Fresh And Grow

Rethink yourself quite thoroughly before you choose to refresh. This kind of cutting and retelling works best when you’ve asked yourself a lot of questions and when you’ve sat with the potential new story for a while. Once you’ve got it boiled down, sit with it a while longer, because you’ll find that it can be refined even more. Somewhere, along the way, you’ll find yourself nestled back into a fresh, clean, simple story that everyone will understand.

What would YOUR refresh look like? Have you thought about it?