Ultra-High Speed Internet: Gimmick or Difference Maker?
Our friends at The Brainzooming Group helped shape an intriguing project featuring two graduate level marketing communications classes at the University of Kansas. Students in Max Utsler’s “Innovations in Marketing Communications” class and Barrett Sydnor’s “Integrated Marketing Communications and Sales Strategy” class are writing blog posts during the semester on topics related to the classes, including branding, marketing, media relations, social media, experience marketing, and innovation.
Today’s author is Patrick Kerr. Patrick is pursuing his Masters degree in Marketing Communications at KU.
Patrick offers some insights and opinions about the impact of the Google Ultra-High Speed Internet technology that has been “gifted” to Kansas City. Is it just a “marketing ploy” by Google or a genuine advantage for KC–or both?
Ever since Google announced it was planning to build an ultra high-speed broadband network in Kansas City on both sides of the river, I’ve wondered what the actual impact would be on the metro area. After all, Google made it clear that the plan would do very little in terms of jobs which disappointed city leaders and laid-off workers hoping for an immediate economic windfall. Who cares if you can download the latest Youtube video faster than usual? Is this really going to improve the quality of life in the metro area, or is this merely a marketing ploy by a company that is systematically taking over the technology world?
First, let’s take a look at what the new technology will actually do. The plan is to build a network that will deliver Internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit (or 1,000 megabits) per second using state-of-the-art-fiber technology. That’s approximately 20,000 times faster than dial-up and more than 100 times faster than a typical broadband connection. In the animal world, that would be like a cheetah racing a turtle in a dead-on sprint. In other words: scary fast.
According to Google, the plan will boost the area economy by allowing new innovations and cutting-edge technologies to develop in Kansas City. That’s all well and good and sounds convincing enough on paper, but how does that translate in reality? With the announcement of the Bistate Innovations Team, Kansas City leaders from both sides of the state line aren’t waiting around to find out. The team is made up of 12 key people appointed by both Kansas City mayors and will look at ways the area can take advantage of the project.
“From designers to small-business owners, health care to education, the arts to industry, these exceptional individuals will work together to explore every possibility our exciting partnership with Google may offer. I am confident this team will seize this transformational moment for both Kansas Cities,” said Kansas City, Mo. Mayor Sly James in a statement following the announcement.
So it is clear area leaders are taking a proactive approach to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That’s the first of many steps in the right direction. But how is this news being received at the national level? According to a recent Wall Street Journal roundup of industry hubs across country, the newspaper identified Kansas City as an emerging technology hotbed and even suggested the city’s new nickname should be “Silicon Prairie.” The article cited the growth of area tech giants Sprint and Cerner as reasons for the choice, but also credited Google’s ultra-high-speed internet plans for solidifying the selection. Now that’s the kind of traction that just might encourage businesses to relocate to or start up in Kansas City.
Now back to the question of how this new development will impact the daily lives of Kansas Citians. Just this past weekend, Google-owned YouTube announced it was planning to launch 100 new channels of professionally made video to the otherwise amateur content that currently dominates its website. The Wall Street Journal, British newswire Reuters and online magazine Slate are some of the many channels scheduled to debut on the new lineup. The move is seen as one more step in moving TV to the Internet. Once the city’s new high-speed Internet is in place, it will be at the forefront of this exciting new technology.
Of course, some analysts see the development as yet another way to increase viewership on the Internet – which is precisely where Google wants them. Perhaps Google’s plan to build the new high-speed connection for Kansas City is a marketing ploy after all.
-Patrick Kerr lives and works in the Kansas City area. His interests include good food, fishing and finding new hobbies to take his mind off the reeling Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
Writing and Publishing Your Own Book
Check out this interview I did with the Kansas City NBC affiliate about the road I took to independently publishing my novel, Pilate’s Cross. The reporter had read an earlier blog post about my decision and thought it would make a nice story. I think he did a great job and thought you might enjoy watching it–whether you’re into marketing, writing, ebooks, mystery thrillers or just PR guys with very small offices.
I’ve enjoyed writing and marketing my book. Several book clubs have read it and it has received generally favorable reviews. As I work on the sequel and other writing projects (when work and life allows) it’s really gratifying. Sales have been okay (I had a book signing in Omaha–what a blast!), and though I may not be getting rich I’m having a great time.
So to all you “Someday I’d like to write a book” folks out there…there’s never been a better time to do it and actually have a shot at getting your work in the hands of potential fans. Go for it.
Toyota Mommy Blogger PR Debacle to Be Topic for Marketing Strategist Shelly Kramer
The recent Toyota Mommy Blogger PR Debacle is to be the topic for marketing strategist (and frequent AlexanderG collaborator) Shelly Kramer, a panelist at BlogWorld and New Media Expo in New York City May 24-26.
“I’m looking forward to participating in this event for a few reasons, said Kramer, CEO of V3 Integrated Marketing headquartered in Kansas City, MO. “The foremost being it’s my first trip to BlogWorld. It’s a fantastic conference and I’m excited to get the chance to experience it.”
“I’m also looking forward to participating because my co-panelists are a bunch of the most wicked smart, successful and downright amazing people I know,” she added. “BlogWorld is very much a conference attended by thought leaders in the integrated marketing, PR and social media space, so it’s a great honor to be invited to speak.”
Kramer, who blogs on related topics at http://www.v3im.com/blog will join Ann-Marie Nichols of The Write Spot, Lucretia Pruitt of The Social Joint and Christopher Barger of Voce Communications in discussing #ToyotaFail: The Crisis that Wasn’t.
“We’ll discuss the whole #ToyotaFail ordeal and how the misguided ambition of a mommy blogger and the already struggling reputation of Toyota collided in a spectacular hot mess. We’ll look at how their social media team dealt with what could have been a full on brand crisis,” she said.
“We’ll look at the dangers of working with inexperienced bloggers and the damage that could happen to you and your brand as a result. And we’ll also discuss best practices in brand crisis management in general, including how your PR and social teams must work together and how dealing with crises in real time can make all the difference in the world,” she said.
Kramer’s panel will be meet Wednesday, May 25th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The world’s largest social media business conference and new media industry tradeshow, BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media. Thousands of attendees learn about Content Creation, Distribution, Monetization and Social Media Marketing strategies, including step-by-step techniques and bleeding-edge tools from the most successful and influential Bloggers, Podcasters, Vloggers, Web TV & Radio Broadcasters, Social Influencers, New Media Pro’s and Online Journalists.
“If you can’t make it to the conference – keep an eye out for our discussion on Twitter and join in the conversation.” Hashtags are #ToyotaFail and #BWEEAST. For more information on Blogworld, visit http://www.blogworldexpo.com/2011-nyc/ .
Kramer is the CEO of V3 Integrated Marketing http://www.v3im.com , a full service digital communications agency headquartered in Kansas City, MO. A 20+ year marketing veteran, Kramer is a digital marketing specialist, content creator, speaker and web savvy geek particularly adept at helping individuals and brands find their respective voices in the realm of new media and all forms of digital communication and marketing. To the astonishment of her many mathematics professors, she’s also become partial to stats, numbers, analyses and measurement of all kinds, which is quite fortunate for her clients. Forbes has named the V3 blog as one of the Top 20 Best Marketing + Social Media Blogs and PostRank ranks the V3 blog as one of the top blogs about Marketing + Social Media.
She has written for numerous publications, including AmEx OPENForum and Mint.com and SocialTimes.com. Kramer has been named as one of the top 150 Most Influential Women on Twitter and recognized by Forbes as one of the 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter. Kramer writes about marketing, brand strategies, industry trends, social media and anything else that moves her at http://www.v3im.com/blog.
“Define the Cost of Saying No” in Your B2B Marketing Strategy
Clip art copyrighted by Bobbie Peachey, http://webclipart.about.com
Another great tip from Portfolio.com on gaining new clients and customers–be clear about what you bring to the table:
How can companies prove their worth to new clients and potential customers?
“Define the cost of saying no,” Luginbill [John Luginbill, CEO of Indianapolis marketing and branding firm The Heavyweights] says. “If a prospect doesn’t want to do business with you immediately, you have to clearly explain the negative consequences they would incur.”
He also stresses the need to keep the lines of communication open with your customers and clients:
Once you’ve gotten to “yes,” develop a sales price strategy that consistently communicates next steps, Luginbill adds. “First, clearly define what is next, and who has to do what in order for the client to engage you. Then, outline each step in the process and explain your initial timeline for delivery. There must always be a clearly defined future of a B2B sale to have any chance of moving forward.”
via Developing And Maintaining A Strong B2b Marketing Strategy – Resources – Portfolio.com.
Simple advice that makes sense, doesn’t it?
Measure Twice, Nail Once
Ever heard the old saw (ooh bad pun) “measure twice, nail (or cut) once”? The basic thrust is that if you measure the board properly and identify exactly where the nail is supposed to go, you won’t be pulling out a badly-placed nail and hammering (or cutting) a second time. Sure, “eyeballing” it can be faster if you have a great eye and are a little lucky, but more often than not most of us would benefit from a little planning.
Many years ago (pre-Internet for all intents and purposes) I was doing a little side marketing consulting with a pal. We signed a client who ran a construction business who wanted to increase his market share in the remodeling sector.
We met with him, identified his strengths, weaknesses and competition, then advised him that his best course would be a humor-themed direct-mail campaign to demographic audiences and zip codes he wanted to reach. We counseled him that one mailer wouldn’t do, though.
“One really great mailer can do it!” he said. We advised him that even with a coupon or special deal on the mailer, it usually takes more than one mailer to get anyone’s attention. You had to consider too that even if every household read the mailer, only a fraction would be interested in doing any remodeling at that time. The mailer needed to make the company a “front of mind” consideration if/when remodeling was on the agenda for the homeowner.
The client also believed that we should get at least a 10 percent response. Well, the average for a successful campaign back then was between two and four percent. He looked at us like we each had three heads.
“Let us create a campaign for you–say eight to ten mailers over six months,” we said–conservative but potentially effective.
He relented and said okay, come back with your ideas. We presented a fun campaign that we thought would make his business stand out. Instead of hard hats and typical construction business clip art, we created a series of pieces that caught attention and built brand awareness.
A favorite was a large postcard mailer with a photo of two aspirin on one side and the headline: “Remodeling your kitchen shouldn’t be a headache.” On the flip side was information about the company and a free estimate offer. We were trying to position the client as a different kind of remodeling firm–one with a sense of humor and as the customer’s ally in remodeling efficiently and affordably.
The client hated it.
Long story short, we told him we just didn’t think he needed our help, as any direct mail company could print up a flyer for him. He relented and said he would try just one of the mailers.
Again we reminded him that just one mailer wouldn’t scratch the surface. He said he had a set budget (very small) and that was what he wanted. Well, the mailer looked beautiful, was sent to about 6,000 homes and predictably had about a 1% response rate that didn’t result in any new business.
The client said “I told you so,” and we mutually terminated the relationship.
Here’s where we slipped up as inexperienced consultants: we didn’t insist on planning properly. The client should have bought in to a complete marketing plan–at the very least a campaign plan that involved a smart investment of money. A one-shot mailer was money down the drain for him because it didn’t have any follow up. There was no reinforcement of the brand message, so it was like shouting into the Grand Canyon. The echoes meant nothing. He ended up nailing twice, and we ended up with no client.
(A bad experience, but all’s well that ends well: my buddy is now director of business development for a $3 billion company, I run my own PR and marketing consulting firm and that long-ago client is still in business.)
I still occasionally have to work with my former client’s thinking today: many prospective clients don’t want to invest in a plan, they just want action. They want to eyeball the market and hammer that nail. When I tell them that a PR/Marketing Plan is essential, I often get a jaundiced eye and a remark about it being too expensive. Problem is, failing to plan your PR/marketing efforts is usually a lot more expensive.
One press release sent out into the void is just not the best use of your money. A concerted plan with a calendar of media-grabbing releases over a year’s time is. One ad is unlikely to create massive sales (though Groupon is challenging that notion, it’s still the exception to the rule).
Measure twice. Nail once.
Direct (E)Mail #Fail
They Didn't Have a Photo of Spam Fail.
Had to share. Besides the fact that it’s spam (and how the heck did it make it through my filter?), can you tell me all the things wrong with it? (Yes, I’m being a Scroogey Snark, but really–if you are going to be a spammer, at least get the fundamentals right….and yes, it is apparent English is not their first language, but still.)
{mail_to_name}
Hi Thanks for your time and we are here to offer the best service for you ,for the coming Christmas . Here you can find what you want,like cellphones ,laptops ,TV,LED. Although low price ,high quality! All of the products are brand new and original,you can enjoy a very good shopping from here . And now free shipping as a promotion for all of you except motorbikes!Hope we can have a nice cooperation! Have a look at www.###.com，Thanks in advance{mail_from_name}
Listening In the Internet ‘Hallway’
Photo credit: www.trueforcedloneliness.com/
Received some nice amplification of my recent interview with the Spiral16 blog:
You’re going to be hearing more about this as we get further into the social media age, but Alex Greenwood outlines the case for monitoring social media as a means of growing a business or other organization and protecting its interests. Isn’t that what PR is about?
[...]
Alex Greenwood likens social media monitoring to being out in the hallway, say, the Internet, listening to the talk there. How do you know your organization’s name will come up? You don’t until it does, or a reporter calls. But even if your organization doesn’t come up for a while, the names of competitors, or the emergence of new business conditions, will be generating buzz. If you’re listening, you’ll be gaining valuable new business intelligence.
“Companies and organizations that monitor the social media space today – and use the data to address problems and opportunities –are years ahead of the game,” Greenwood believes. “Aha,” he adds, “a competitive edge. Who doesn’t like that?”
Read more at: Listening In the Internet ‘Hallway’ | Flack Me.
You Linger Your Little Hour and Are Gone
You Linger Your Little Hour and Are Gone
Prior to his show at RecordBar in Kansas City in November 2010, singer/songwriter Dan Coyle chats about his new album You Linger Your Little Hour and Are Gone, which is available in wide release today.
Learn more about Dan, read his blog and buy his albums at www.DanCoyle.com.
