This Post is Cool... No, Really, It Is!

Last night I was checking some of my favorite blogs and I ran across this little gem over at The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Here's the bottom line: HP has hired a former Apple marketing executive to launch a new ad campaign. They want young people to think that HP is cool like Apple.

Unless they feel compelled to create great products this is destined to fail. It's not unlike a common experience most of us had when we were kids. Your mom insisted on taking you clothes shopping just before the new school season. She would hold up a shirt that was sure to get your butt kicked if you were to wear it and she would say over and over again, "This is cool."

Remember, just saying doesn't make it so.

Laying Sod vs. Astroturfing

Wow, this discussion of astroturfing has really caused us here at WonderGroup to examine our own ethics. Let's face it, advertisers are often thought of as one step above used car salesmen. It's a shame since most of the people I know in the business are good, ethical people.

I had a fascinating conversation with our Chief Creative Officer, Matt, yesterday. The question he asked was whether Seth Godin isn't practicing a form of astroturfing himself since he's wrapping himself in an ethical banner as a way to get more consulting and speaking gigs. I don't know, maybe that's a stretch since the term astroturfing doesn't just mean dishonesty but really refers to fake grass-roots efforts, but it's an interesting perspective.

It's amazing to me how rarely we marketers take a really hard look at our ethics. For example I see a significant difference between a 40 year old man portraying himself as a 13 year old girl and fabricating posts or comments to a blog and an agency finding a 13 year old girl who is already a happy consumer of a product and offering her money to post her opinion. The first I would consider astroturing the second I would consider laying sod. Sod is real grass but required some help to get started growing. Once the sod takes hold it is self sustaining.

Astroturfing

Anyone who's been a regular reader of this humble blog knows how often I write about authenticity. As a matter of fact, the posting immediately preceding this one was about that very issue.

Because of the trend of deceptive marketing tactics the term astroturfing has been coined. First, let me explain what astroturfing is. Astroturfing is planned, formal marketing activity that is supposed to look like real, grass-roots activity. See, astroturf is fake grass, astroturfing is fake grass-roots.

Go to the NewPR Wiki or to Seth Godin's site to read more about astroturfing, but the bottom line is this: IT'S A BAD IDEA! As a company that markets to kids and their moms we've long felt that being deceptive is not only wrong but ineffective. Just be real.

Posted by Spidey

The Naked Truth

Friday, I went to dinner with a great blogger. He's supported himself for several year's by blogging about poker. He brought my attention to a great video blog (note: I refuse to use the goofy term vlog) called zeFrank. First, let me warn you these guys are brutally honest, meaning sometimes their language can be a bit salty and that brings me to my second point. Often, I find marketers trying to use the term "blog" because it's hot when in fact they are not at all interested in creating a real blog. They don't want to link out, they don't want to post regularly and they certainly don't want to have interaction with the customers.

The bottom line is this; blogs are driven by authenticity. They require that you present the naked truth. If you asking yourself, "How can I fake sincerity?" You might not be ready to blog.

Posted by: Spidey

The ROI Wars Continue

Seth Godin's blog points out an interesting change taking place over at Nielsen. They've announced they will begin tracking viewership of commercials. For some time I've wondered why so many companies want a clear and direct link to ROI when creating online marketing campaigns, when they seem to be willing to only track sales lift when dealing with television campaigns.

Maybe I've been mistaken. It looks to me as if the same pressure internet marketers have been dealing with will now effect those creating spots as well. I can't say I'm surprised, but marketers are going to have to start making measurement planning a key element of their strategic process.

Of course to do that, marketers will have to be crystal clear about their objective. You can't measure success if you haven't defined what success means.