Updates from June, 2013

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  Jennifer 9:39 am on June 3, 2013 Permalink  

  Health Plan Member Retention in the Midst of Healthcare Reform 

  In the midst of healthcare reform, it goes without saying insurers must find unique ways to differentiate their plans in order to attract consumers migrating to the individual market or government sponsored plans. But, now more than ever, insurers must acknowledge that member retention is an even greater priority. The following is a strategic perspective on the marketing dynamics required to successfully engage and retain members.

  1)      Effective onboarding and education for new members

  The initial stage in the member’s journey with their health plan is perhaps the most critical for marketers. It’s a time to reinforce the brand’s value proposition and affirm the member’s decision to choose their plan.

  New members are a captive audience for communications regarding their health plan, which creates tremendous opportunity to introduce them to tools and resources that help them get the most from their plan.  Insurers should be strategic with their welcome and onboarding materials and emphasize content that educates, empowers and guides new members towards deeper engagement with their overall wellness. Early adoption of member tools also equips marketers with powerful data points to support more targeted, personalized relationship building tactics.

  2)      Consistent and relevant member engagement

  Effective member engagement starts with understanding the customer.  Insurers should put in place methodologies to capture data about their member’s core needs and leverage that data to develop more sophisticated segmentation and communication strategies. This means having a 360 degree view of members by observing usage of online tools, understanding their personal health goals and objectives, and surveying members to monitor overall satisfaction levels. Gaining insights about members beyond claims data and health plan usage will help insures provide added value and drive retention.

  Data is also necessary to ensure relevancy of message. Members expect personalized communications, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Therefore, a smart content strategy is necessary to keep members engaged with their health plan. That means keeping their well-being top of mind through helpful tools and resources, following their progress towards personal health goals and helping them manage chronic illnesses. This can be a sensitive area for insurers, which is why it’s necessary to create a two-way conversation with members, so data can be used to provide value without being perceived as an invasion of privacy.

  The health insurance market is quickly changing and insurers must evolve the way they engage with members in order to retain them for the long-term. As legislation influences health plans offered through the individual market and government exchanges, it’s the customer experience and added value members receive from their health plan that will ultimately differentiate one brand from the next.
   
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  Jim 9:55 am on April 17, 2013 Permalink  

  The Joy Factor 

  “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
  –Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Whether operating a global corporation or a 3-person startup, managers constantly seek ways to measure employee performance and productivity. Some are quantitative (billable hours), some are qualitative (“Gwen’s a good collaborator.”). All have merit, but there is one seldom-tracked metric that is arguably the core cultural value of every successful organization: Joy.

  Quite simply, how joyous are we at our work? Do we bring energy, passion and optimism to the job every day? Is enthusiasm at the center of all we do?

  

  Joy should not be confused with pasted-on smiles or ritualized rah-rah. Steve Jobs was famously moody, mercurial and difficult. But beneath his complexity was the intense joy he took in creating  “insanely great” products that propelled Apple from near-collapse to stunning success.

  Joy is the tingling sensation that accompanies the quest for excellence. Or, as Helen Keller described it, “the faith that leads to achievement.”

  There is a story about a 12^th century Parisian laborer, one of an army of workers with crude shovels that excavated the hard, rocky ground from which Notre Dame would rise. He would begin each day of backbreaking labor with the joyful declaration, “My friends, we are not digging a ditch. We are building a cathedral!”

  Whether you’re building a cathedral or software company, don’t underestimate the power of the Joy Factor.
   
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  Mike 12:46 pm on January 4, 2013 Permalink  

  Advertising should _____________. 

  Ask people if they like advertising and 8 out of 10 will tell you they absolutely hate it.

  The other 2 likely work in advertising.

  Now ask people if they like the Old Spice Man, the Allstate Mayhem campaign, Nike commercials, Nike Fit (that’s advertising too), the PEMCO campaign, the Washington Lottery flightless birds spot, Skittles advertising weirdness, Larry Bernandez or Leonard the Goldfish (to plug a few of our own) and you’ll likely get a much different response.

  Here’s the thing. People hate most advertising. And that means the industry as a whole is failing. It means for every hit there are hundreds of misses.

  What are we doing wrong? Better yet, what should advertising look like, sound like, ultimately be?

  That’s exactly what we want to know. And so do our friends at Portent here in Seattle. Working together, we’re opening up the conversation to include the very people we’re trying to reach everyday. People like you.

  So please tell us what you think. Just use the hashtag #AdvertisingShould on Twitter and help us get better at creating the kind of advertising you won’t hate.

  We’ll listen. We promise.

  We’re also collecting the responses at advertisingshould.com for everyone to see, and Portent will be analyzing the Tweets for trends and insights.

  What’s our angle? To be honest, we don’t have one. There’s no client behind the effort and no money to be made. We just want to find out what people think about this industry that so often thinks the only smart advertising answers come from within our own walls.

  Consider yourself officially invited to join the conversation. All you need to do is finish the sentence “#AdvertisingShould…”

  We look forward to hearing from you.
   
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  Tim 8:00 pm on November 12, 2012 Permalink  

  World of Screens 

  Ha. To think they used to refer to television as the small screen. PCs. Tablets. Mini-tablets. Smartphones. Big-Screen TVs. Video displays in malls, stores and on billboards. And of course, the original big screen at your movie theater. All those screens are accompanied by a very important behavior: we’re watching more than ever before.

  As of the latest Nielsen Cross-Platform Report, we’re watching 155 hours of live television a month, plus another 12 hours or so of time-shifted/DVR TV. Some 86 million households now have broadband access; as a result over 150 million people now consume video on phones, tablets and PCs each month.

  One thing is for certain: if video is an important part of your communication plan, there is no shortage of ways to use it. The real question is, how can you use video most effectively?

  Commercial television is still important and viable. It is still the foundation for almost any media approach that includes video. But effective plans are no longer simply a matter of reach and frequency. Today we’re looking for the most efficient ways to target and aggregate just the right audience. Building the best strategy to do that means taking a more creative, more studied approach, so that we can find undervalued placements and placements that have the best likelihood of engaging the audience. Consider:

  1. Online streaming services are a relative bargain right now. Targeting options are outstanding, reaching even down to the zip code level. Clutter is minimal. A service like Hulu typically has far fewer ads than broadcast TV, often just a single ad in a break. Even better, the audience is almost certain not to “change channels” since that involves way too many clicks to accomplish. So you can pay less for a spot that is more likely to be seen by a well-targeted audience. Win. Win. Win. These services are still small, so they can’t form the foundation of a plan. But they can certainly extend it and improve efficiency.

  2. Cable offers more attractive options than ever before, with a growing list of popular programming, zoned targeting, and system interconnects all providing opportunities. Similar to streaming services, an advertiser with a good profile for customers and prospects can build the right audience at a great value.

  3. Online pre-rolls continue the theme of great targeting options and engaged viewers. Whether on smartphone, tablet or PC viewers of internet video have accepted :15 and :30 pre-roll ads to get to the content they want. With pre-rolls an important element is to make sure the ads are running on sites and on content that are favorable for the advertiser’s brand. We have great tools to help ensure make sure ads run where they should, but that’s another blog post.

  4. Multi-screen integration. We’re busy with our tablets and laptops while we’re watching TV. According to Nielsen, 45% are daily “simultaneous viewer,” and 7 in 10 do so at least “several times a week.” That’s an interesting opportunity for marketers who want to enhance the viewing experience and/or tie-in to the ads that are running on the TV screen. It’s an area for experimentation right now, but one that may yield rich rewards for the advertiser that provides additional value to the audience.

  5. Live sports and major events are the best opportunities to ensure an engaged audience through mainstream broadcast TV. A quick look at the ratings show they are dominated by sports and live shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. Episodic TV has seen consistently declining ratings and is more susceptible to the whims of channel-changing viewers during commercial breaks.

  6. Learning Spanish because every week 15-20 of the 100 top-rated shows on television are Spanish-language programming. As our national demographics continue to reflect a growing Latino audience, advertisers need to recognize that their campaigns may benefit from a second language.

  Summing up:

  1. We have more screen opportunities than ever, and we’re watching more than ever.
  2. Old measures–reach and frequency–must be viewed in concert with new concepts: highly targeted reach and likelihood of viewer engagement.
  3. Don’t eliminate mass reach TV, but use it differently and supplement with highly efficient and impactful placements among smaller but well-targeted audiences.
   
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  Chris 9:30 am on October 29, 2012 Permalink  

  Bringing a Fresh Idea Forward 

  I have heard ad people say that it’s either the most terrifying or the most exhilarating time to be in our business. Being an eternal optimist, I side with the latter.

  No other time has afforded our industry the opportunity to devise solutions for our clients with a virtual endless choice of technology, platforms and possibilities to help us engage with an audience.

  One recent success story for us is The Pike Place Market Farm Fresh Lunches. Farm Season is the most important time of year for Pike Place: the bounty’s aplenty and the tourists a-many. But the Market faces a challenge in convincing Seattleites that the Market is theirs—given “fresh” local farmers markets’ popularity in many neighborhoods—and to shop it regularly.

  And, Pike Place is a quasi-governmental organization with understandably tight budgets. In the past, the Market had run paid media at the level they could afford to a buckshot audience prompting Seattleites to get over the parking burden and crowds to shop during Farm Season. Our client challenged us to approach it a different way.

  First, we shrank the audience. Shrink the audience? Well, yes, the qualified audience. Instead of reaching out broadly, we focused on those whom realistically would decide to shop the Market more often: people who live or work downtown. So, we came up with the idea of a downtown lunch series to interrupt the daily grind of Seattleites and remind them of the Market’s proximity and value.

  Partnering with favorite Market eateries—Tom Douglas, Matt’s in the Market, Steelhead Diner and Marché, we hosted five summer Wednesday pop-up restaurants. Each $5 lunch offering was created with farm fresh ingredients from the Market and took place in select worker hub locations that we staged with picnic tables and bright Market flower bouquet centerpieces. We handed out branded reusable shopping bags (you know about the bag ban in Seattle?) with coupons inside to drive Seattleites back to the Market.

  We served about 1,000 of these fun, delicious brand experiences, bringing the Market to attendees. In response, they’ve shopped: coupon redemption back to Market farm tables has been strong. The message also was amplified through participants’ Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and we attracted influencers like Marcus Samuelson of Top Chef Masters fame who tweeted and blogged about the program.

  Just one example of a right-sized, innovative solution to a business challenge from a great client. Now that’s exhilarating. See? Told you so.
   
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  Jennifer 5:01 pm on May 23, 2012 Permalink  

  Three lessons to learn from GoPro 

  Two years ago I never would have believed a company that sells a line of wearable and mountable HD video cameras would captivate me the way GoPro has. I love their advertising, follow their social networks, read every communication, and they are by far one of my favorite brands. A strong statement perhaps, but I was inspired the instant I discovered how GoPro completely transformed the way we capture life’s moments. And I’m not the only one – what started out as a camera for surfers has expanded to a number of sports and activities and evolved into a $250 million industry.

  Over the last couple of years, I’ve been fascinated by the success of GoPro and the significant role YouTube has played in unleashing their greatest marketing tool—customers. Recently I came across an interesting case study on this very topic that is worth watching.

  GoPro may easily lend itself to avid engagement and advocacy among customers; however, there are several strategic principles GoPro has adopted which any brand can apply:

  Innovation is crucial—GoPro has incredible products that customers aspire to own because they never stop looking for ways to improve. They sold their first camera in 2004 and have continued to evolve and advance their technology over the years to provide exceptional experiences for rapidly growing audiences.

  Get up close and personal—Understanding the customer has been instrumental to the success of GoPro. As awareness grew so did the audiences and uses cases for Go Pro products. What began as a camera for surfers has since expanded across a broad range of action-sports (moto, auto, snow, skate, bike, etc.) not to mention reality-TV shows, expeditions, surgeries and more. GoPro embraces each audience, strives to understand their needs and desires, and customizes their products and marketing efforts accordingly.

  Give customers a voice—GoPro acknowledges that customers are their strongest advocates. Communities exist on a number of social media platforms that welcome user generated content as well as GoPro produced/branded content. They also encourage customers to share their exciting moments for the chance to be included in GoPro advertising. They’re even exploring opportunities to pay users for video content based on the number of views and shares generated through YouTube.

  There is no doubt GoPro set a high bar for engagement marketing and it will be interesting to see how other brands evolve their strategies to create the same coveted engagement with customers.
   
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  Tim 11:13 pm on March 30, 2012 Permalink  

  My ad ran where? 

  A recent story in Adweek listed just about every possible peril of using ad networks for online display campaigns. It featured a case where display ads for major brands were running on a horribly-designed site full at least questionable if not downright offensive content.

  So should we flee as fast as we can from online networks? Hardly.

  Buying online media blindly from networks merely to get the best possible CPM carries risk. It’s not unlike buying run of network on cable. Sometimes you get good programming in good timeslots, sometimes you get garbage at 2:43am.

  Network buys need to be carefully purchased and closely monitored. When we’re purchasing a network, we research sites where we’ll be running in advance. That’s exactly what we did with a mobile network buy for a client that’s running right now. We eliminated questionable sites before the buy even went live. And it’s also why we have tools like Adometry, which allows us to track the exact sites and placements for our ads on a network and make adjustments if necessary.

  Ad networks can be highly effective. They reach broad audiences, they provide “one stop shopping efficiency” and pricing is often very attractive. But the buy has to be managed. It takes good tools and hard work to ensure the client’s money is well-spent. That’s where an agency can deliver real value for a client.
   
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  Nat 12:00 am on March 1, 2012 Permalink  

  Facebook Timeline for Brands 

  We’ve known for a little while that Facebook would be moving Brand Pages to the new Timeline format and today they launched a preview for page administrators. The change will happen automatically for brands on March 30th, so we wasted no time in diving in and checking it out. Here’s a quick glance at what Brand Managers need to know about the changes.

  1. Cover Photo replaces Profile Image
  The Cover Photo is the biggest visual branding opportunity in the new format and a great image here can really set the tone for a brand presence. Previously, brands were limited to a maximum 200×600 pixel image in the upper left-hand corner. The new cover photo is 850 pixels wide and dominates the initial view of the page.

  

  Ben & Jerry’s dedicated their Cover Photo to their famous Holstein Cows.

  It is important to note that Facebook has added restrictions to how this image may be used, prohibiting coupons, purchase information, calls to action and contact information. They seem to be encouraging brands’ better angels and it will be interesting to see how well this policy is adhered to.

  2. Tabs are now Boxes
  In their previous major design revision, Facebook “Tabs” were replaced with links and icons along the left-hand navigation and much confusion was created. We continued to call them Tabs even though the design metaphor no longer fit, so it is with some relief that this content is now added to the top navigation and can be promoted with large graphical boxes.

  

  Starbucks is handling the new boxes elegantly.

  Brands can display four boxes in this space and Photos is the only content piece that is fixed in place. Boxes can be anything from your “Like” counter, a map, various apps or custom pages. Additional boxes (up to 12 in total) are displayed in a dropdown menu.

  3. Custom Pages canvas is bigger
  Custom Pages (AKA Page Tabs) now have 810 pixels of width to play in, up from the 520px allowed in the previous design. The Custom Pages will reside in a nearly blank canvas, free from the Facebook user interface elements that crowded out the old pages. This is a huge opportunity to create rich sub-pages inside your Facebook presence.

  

  The size difference can be seen here, where Dove has an old Custom Page sitting inside the new canvas.

  4. No more default landing page
  In the previous design, brands could create “Like Us” pages and designate them as the default landing page for visitors who had not yet liked the brand. This tactic has been the basis for like-building campaigns that sometimes required visitors to like a brand before receiving special content (a practice known as Like-gating). This capability is now removed, making Timeline the only default view.

  I’m not sure if this spells the end of Like-gating as we know it, but it certainly looks like brands are going to lose a favored Like-building tactic. Interestingly, Facebook also prohibits referencing “user interface elements, such as Like or Share” in the new Cover Photo. With these two policy shifts in place it will be interesting to see what Facebook has in mind for the future of Like-building for brands.

  5. The Timeline
  Images are bigger and (potentially) more engaging. Posts can be customized by widening them, pinning them to the top of the page or (as before) deleting them entirely. A well-curated Timeline is going to be a great opportunity to communicate a brand’s personality.

  

  I like the visual consistency of the content on Ben & Jerry’s Timeline.

  6. Messages
  Visitors can now contact a brand privately using a prominently placed Message feature. It will be very interesting to see how users embrace this new private communications channel inside Facebook, which has until now been a strictly public forum for brands. Social Media Managers everywhere will be adding this to their to-do list.

  This is just a quick overview of the new features and overall we are very excited about what they mean for customization and brand engagement. If you have any opinions or questions you would like to share, head on over to our new timeline and let’s continue the discussion.
   
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  Jim 5:17 pm on February 27, 2012 Permalink  

  What does Digital America look like? 

  Remember when we used to rank cities by how “wired” they were? (Austin was high, Biloxi was low.)

  Remember when our media plans excluded digital messaging and social networking for people over fifty?

  Remember when we thought online video viewers were overwhelmingly young, white men?

  The face of Digital America is changing. And while the growth of the Internet is hardly newsworthy, there are a few surprises in a recent study from Nielsen and NM Incite. Here are five nuggets regarding digital and social media usage that might cause you to reconsider your views of online behavior.

  • 54% of visitors to social network sites and blogs are women.

  • Women outnumber men (53% to 47%) among online video viewers.

  • Men are more likely to own tablets than women (53% vs. 47%).

  • 274 million Americans have daily access to the Internet—at home, at work or at a third place. However, 100 million Americans (a third of the country) do not have access to broadband.

  • Whites make up 61% of smartphone owners. The next largest group of smartphone owners are Hispanics  at 17%.

  One thing is certain: adoption of new technologies is a dynamic process and the digital demography will surely be different a year from today. Stay tuned.
   
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  Jim 5:52 pm on January 10, 2012 Permalink  

  Put a code on it 

  

  If you watch the uneven but occasionally hilarious IFC cable series Portlandia, you are familiar with Put A Bird On It: a design movement that enhances objects by adding a bird.

  Marketers have their own version of this fad: Put a QR Code on it.

  These chunky barcodes are showing up on everything from billboards to, alas, urinals. I recently saw a QR Code on a website which accessed (wait for it) another website.

  In theory it’s a great idea. When scanned, a QR Code provides additional content that enhances the host message. A print ad can turn into a full- motion product demo. A real estate flyer can offer a guided tour of a home. A concert poster stapled to a telephone pole can unleash a music video.

  Unfortunately, the public doesn’t share the marketing community’s enthusiasm for QR Codes. According to a recent Forrester Research survey only 5% of Americans with smart phones actually scanned a QR Code during a recent three-month survey period. Those that did tended to be young, affluent and male.

  Does this mean that QR Codes won’t ever be a viable marketing tool? Not at all. But as with any emerging technology, it requires patience and best practices. Here’s how our agency is using QR Codes for maximum effect.

  Get real
  While it’s easy to slap a code on virtually any medium, be realistic. Are consumers inclined to chase a city bus down the street to scan a code on a transit ad for a casino? Probably not. On the other hand, QR Codes make sense at the point of sale, in print advertising and mobile couponing.

  Make the experience worthwhile
  Consumers who take the trouble to whip out a smart phone and scan a code should be rewarded for their efforts. Make sure the content is more than a pointless rehash of the host message.

  Integrate
  Don’t use the technology for technology’s sake. Make sure the scanned message advances your overall brand story.

  Be Patient
  Don’t expect miraculous results from a QR Code effort. The percentage of those who scan the code will be low. The technology relies on third-party apps that can be clunky to use. But smart phone penetration will continue to increase and the QR Code user experience get better with built-in readers.

  By applying common sense (and some uncommon creativity), there’s no reason why you shouldn’t put a code on it.