Marketing's Wheel of Misfortune

One of the ways I have "monetized" this blog and other efforts in the social space has been the privilege of  getting out and speaking to folks in the marketing field from a variety of perspectives.  The refreshing part for me is that many marketers who I talk to are expressing the desire to move away from gimmicks, and traditional campaign thinking to solutions that offer more long term value and builds relationships.

BUT

There are a great deal of hurdles that marketers who want to do less subservient chickens and more Nike+'s will face.  This post isn't meant to be negative—it's a reality check.  If marketers on both the client and agency side really want to extend their influence, we'll need to ween ourselves from the impulse to spin the "Wheel of Marketing Misfortune".  It won't be as easy as it sounds.  So here's where we need to get to work:

Microsite Madness
The Microsite is actually a great thing.  It allows us to quickly launch an initiative that can link out to and be linked to from other sources and allows marketers to bypass slower moving large scale site efforts.  But increasingly, microsites are being cranked out by the thousands.  Many of them are sold as "high-engagement" vehicles when in reality they become souless, glossy artifacts that come off as traditional promotions in a digital shell.  Microsites as a format are not inherently bad, but we really need to think about why users will want to spend some time there, and even more importantly, why they would come back.

Viral Addiction
Let's be honest with ourselves. Marketers are severely addicted to the idea of "viral", and will do whatever it takes to make something reach this level of marketing nirvana.  The problem with viral is that it's a crap shoot and all of the time spent chasing the "viral dragon" could be invested in improving the customer experience, which ironically is what creates authentic word of mouth in the first place.  Again, viral is not a bad thing—but it's tricky business and marketers need to clearly identify the need for buzz before pursuing it at all costs

Flashturbation
We need to think of Flash the same we think about incredibly powerful mediums such as television and radio.  When done well, television can inspire and motivate us—when done awfully it comes off as annoying and makes us want to flip channels.  I think Flash is a wonderful technology and tool, but like any powerful tool it gets abused way too much, often times at the expense of the end user.  I've written about Flashturbation before and urge designers and marketers to use the technology responsibly.  Think about what happened to airbrush artists who spent all of their time pushing that technology to it's limit.  Where are they now?

Death By Big Idea
"The Big Idea" is still very much alive and well—but it's less relevant than it's ever been.  Especially big ideas that start with a top down broadcast messages first.  This is campaign thinking in it's finest and does not translate directly in a fragmented 2.0 world. Bud.TV for example was a "big idea" fueled by traditional thinking—what followed was a "big bang" launch, but not the engagement.  Marketers are going to need to diversify how we think, which means supporting both big ideas and lots of "big-little ideas" that can thrive in the niches.  That's one of the biggest challenges marketers now face.  Thinking in niche—the internet thrives on it.

Award Infatuation
Let's get this straight.  Peer recognition is important and we should celebrate when one of our own does something remarkable.  But the awards industry is here to make money too—and many of us are all too happy to forget about putting customers first in the pursuit of praise.  Agencies especially have to come to terms with this and should all talke a cue from what's arguably the #1 brand in existence right now.  Google.  We really need to think hard about how compatible awards are with being "Googly".  Actually, they are—but one needs to come before the other.

Social Media Goldrush
The "social revolution" is real, transformational and not going away.  However, we need to proceed with a little caution.  Not every tactic requires "conversation".  Marketers need an intimate understanding of how social networks actually function and what is has to do with their business and brands.  Then, we need to try a few things and learn by doing.  But there's gold in them thar hills—which means that everyone right now who is claiming to be an expert in this area could potentially steer you wrong.  I am way more active than most when it comes to the social space and I would NOT consider myself an expert.  Let's be smart about how we can take advantage of the behavioral shift in this area. We'll need to be better at establishing credibility before we can guide, and the last thing we need is snake oil salesman.

Churn-n-Burn
Because much of marketing is deeply rooted in quick hits that demonstrate short term spikes, we've gotten used to an intense industry to work in that risks burning many of us out.  The industry is fast paced and more than happy to put fresh meat to work.  This is something that is not sustainable, especially in the digital space where there is a shortage of talent who truly knows what they are doing.  We'll need to overcome this somehow and it will take some time.

Shiny Object Syndrome
I've talked about BSOS (Bright and Shiney Object Syndrome), and most marketers are guilty of it.  It stems from the addiction to always looking for the "next big thing" without gaining a deep understanding of what's on our plate at the moment.  The result is a loss of credibility both in and outside of the industry.  We'll need to do a better job balancing what's next with what's already here.  The real risk here is creating initiatives that bomb because we missed the mark on where the customer's head was actually at in order to satisfy where our heads may be at.

Banner-Palooza
We're turning the internet into Times Square.  While we digital marketers claim to be cutting edge, we're not willing to turn down the lucrative ad banner business.  Again, there's nothing wrong with it—but for aspiring designers who work in marketing and someday want to design the next You Tube, banner ads will most likely not help you get there.

Campaign-Itis
If we're truly living in an "application economy", then marketing/ad campaigns are not the end all be all though they are still important.  But the biggest shift powered by digital is that the average Joe/Jane has become the new storyteller and digital experiences are becoming more important to an empowered consumer who frankly has more options than ever before.  Point in case, I recently ordered a replacement keyboard for my family's HP computer and was severely disappointed to see that HP had downgraded their industrial design.  The original keyboard was stylish, finished with metalic silver and felt right to the touch.  The new keyboard only comes in back and feels like plastic.  HP's campaign "The Computer is personal again" now feels like a lie to me.  If we get another PC, it will probably not be an HP—and no campaign can influence that.  It's time for marketers to bring the product, the experience and the marketing together because the average consumer is no longer making distinctions between them.  The future of marketing will take both storytellers + experience people to pull it off.

So that's the "Wheel of Marketing Misfortune" in a nutshell.  There's no reason to sugercoat it.  We're all smart people who want to make what we do better.  Whether you're on the client or agency side—it's time to get to work.

Comments

[david cushman]

Nice one dude. Got a picture for you to go with your Banner-Palooza and a Times Square post to go with it:
http://fasterfuture.blogspot.com/2008/06/omfg-even-when-were-looking-hard-we.html

[Matt J McDonald]

Really great stuff. Like Bruce Dickinson you put your pants on one leg at a time. And then you put together gold blog posts!

[Jon Burg]

Awesome. Printed, posted in the office, and left it on the desk of those who "get it". Thanks!

[Alex Funk]

hahaha - this is one of the best post/visualization combos. Will the guilty parties please stand up!

[Simon]

Brilliant post. I particularly like the quote on viral ads being crap shoots

I think you've proved that the best route to success is by doing a great job in your field. The web has enabled the meritocracy.

[Dave Knox]

This should be a checklist that every marketer (agency & client) goes through before creating their next marketing program. We need to stop people spinning this wheel.

[Mary Anne Davis]

Dude, you are so worthy of Mountain View. They NEED your brain....

[Daria]

the wheel gets a special place at my office! great stuff! all the marketing sins. it will be exciting to discuss it with clients

[Esteban]

David,

I couldn't agree more on flashturbation...
Nice post, quite inspiring.

[Bonnie Larner]

David, nothing left to say. You said it all.

bonnie
Richmond, VA
USA

[Valeria Maltoni]

Funny, it looks like we talked about confusion from different ends of the spectrum today. You should get a side business going with those graphics, I am constantly referring back to them when I talk about these issues.

[philmang]

David -
One thing I would add is that Subservient Chicken is actually a great example of both the microsite and viral aspects working. BUT agencies & marketers miss the lessons of the chicken, often by trying to be too product/brand centric or too "big idea" centric... and not engaging the long tail of their consumers and being entertaining appropriately. Just doing fewer Subservient Chickens and more Nike+'s won't solve anything as you point out unless the marketers and agencies really thing about what they are doing and what their customers want.
Yet another great post.

[Carolina]

Wow. You said it all and with a great visual to go with it. Thanks!

I will share across my internal peeps and hope we can persuade the others to seek the new way of doing business online.

[Lewis Green]

David,

Let me add my kudos to the list. Well done. This is a presentation you should be offering.

[DA]

Hey all,

Thanks so much for the feedback here. I've had this post in my head for a while and obviously the day job keeps me very busy so it's tougher than it used to be to get thinking like this out there.

Lewis,
that's a great idea thank you for that. We have a Forrester confernce coming up and we've even thought about building this wheel.

Mary Ann,
Thanks for that kind thought. I'm still not worthy though. My brain is overrated. ;-) But still, thanks.

Valeria,
As you know I've thought about the side business. But right now I've decided to enjoy summer. I've been reading the last lecture and really, life is too short. But we'll see...

Thank you everyone who is adding other thoughts to this post. I am considering all of them.

[bill]

Until agencies stop hiring based on how many awards you have under your belt you're not going to see that change at all. Agencies at the moment don't reward creatives based on ROI, they reward them based on the glory they bring to the agency. until that ugly little cycle is broken award shows will still dominate the mentality of the creative group.

[Alan Wolk (The Toad Stool)]

I already told you how much I liked this. And even posted as much today.

But I was thinking that we could start a game of "Wheel of Misfortune" bingo, and the first person to experience (or provide examples of) everything on the wheel would win.

[BJ Cook]

hey Dave, all great insight and very creative approach. To extend the conversation beyond perspective and categorizing the potential mishaps, how can we avoid doing some of these things and manage a client's expectations when we want to start small and focused and they want to go big. What do ya think about what Bogusky might be doing for Microsoft as I see him trying to pull off one of these and hopefully not landing on BANKRUPT :)

[BSO]

I printed this out by the marketing folks and, oh whoops, shoot...I forgot to pick it up. I think I'll have to print it again. And again. And again.

[John Kiker]

Love it. As an account manager, I know we are too often easily seduced by any of the above. If we're doing our job, we're keeping our clients from falling prey to the same and instead keeping them grounded in what's right for them.

[alice (blunders)]

can't agree more. thanks for this succinct post.

[Phil Colonie]

Two questions...

1. How much time do you actually spend on client work? Between your blog, speaking "gigs," AdAge articles, and tweats, it doesn't seem like you have time to do any real work.

2. How much of this is all BS? Think about it, all the wheels and rings and stairways haven't seemed to help your company from letting go employees do to lost work.

Just curious.

[DA]

Phil,

That's a question I don't get asked often enough. Thanks for posing it.

1. I spend approx 40 percent or less doing "evangelism" for Critical Mass. This includes writing for Ad Age, CM's blog, speaking etc. Some of this happens on weekends and believe it or not, on planes or trains. In fact, my recent article for Ad Age was written on my 35 minute train ride downtown. Same goes for blogging here and Twitter. Much if it happens after hours.

The other 60 percent of my job is spent working with clients in some capacity and managing the creative group which is approx 40 people in Chicago. That's the hardest part of my job actually. Helping folks move forward in their careers, inspiring and leading. Some of it is "coaching" and some of it feels like "consulting" with clients. I also pitch and help sell in the bigger concepts when needed.

2. You've already passed judgment with the second question you posed which I feel is a thinly disguised insult—but I will answer it anyway. I've attended new business conversations which came directly from coverage on BusinessWeek. I am simply helping to get the word out there about CM—the people here do really great work and yes, the press is helping with both awareness, business leads and relationships. Some of our clients follow the stuff I write about etc.

Yes, I'm an easy target because I'm out there now. As recently as one year ago I was a typical employee at Digitas and close to 100 percent billable resource. I worked fairly hands-on with teams launching sites for GameTap, Ferguson and building prototypes for companies like Allstate.

See:
http://darmano.typepad.com/allstate_innovations/index.html

If you need a reality check—ask Whitney Hess. We worked together on that.

So, I've been a practitioner if that's what you are really asking, and since I still have some client responsibilities, I still consider myself one. The most important work I'm doing you won't see because it happens with our creative teams in our office.

Lastly, yes there have been layoffs. I think 13 people across a 500+ person organization. I've heard there have been much worse elsewhere in the industry.

I think you are more than curious, but hopefully that helps answer your questions. Now, here's a question for you. Is your name really Phil?, and why can't you link back to your site?

[Bonnie Larner]

David, your thoughts please.

What will happen to brands as more and more people acquire BSOS and BSES - bright shiny experience syndrome? (iPhone and Viagra are the first 2 examples that pop to mind)

Is it my imagination, or are people getting bored with new products and experiences sooner than they used to?

Will today's marketers pay the price for the "new and improved" mantra they've pounded in our brains for decades?

Do needs + wants enter into the equation or do "wants" mesh with storytelling side and "needs" mesh with the experience side?

thanks. best,

bonnie

[Bradley Kay]

David...

I really enjoyed this post. Thanks for continuing to make the complex simple and speaking in terms that everyone in the industry can relate to.

Brad

[Phil Colonie]

David

1. thanks for the answer. hopefully you aren't expected to be 100% billable.

2. no veiled insult, just a real question. I think you are a great industry leader, but I can't help but wonder if you spent say 15% on evangelism and put that other 25% towards existing clients, would CM be better off. I pointed to the layoffs as an example, nothing more. perhaps you're projecting :)

3. I don't have a site, nor did I submit a URL when I posted the comment. Also, i prefer to keep my conversations public, hopefully you'll get my joke with the email address.

4. I didn't question your skills, I simply questioned how your time was spent and if it was in the best interest of you and CM.

[Jeremy Waite]

This seems like a Jerry Maguire kind of moment. The memo - to be passed around the office. A few of us have been banging this drum for a short while now and it's great to see you write, much more articulately than I could, exactly what I've been trying to say. Fine words my friend. "SHOW ME THE ... CUSTOMER!"

[Sean Scott]

David, another great post.

I'd love to see a follow up to this. perhaps the wheel of fortune when it comes to what is right for both customer client and agency.

[DA]

Sean.
You mean the "Deal or no Deal" for Marketers? It's already in my head. :-)

[Greg]

Awesome post! So true ;)

[Cam Beck]

I like it. I would also add two things: Death By Committee and Highest-Paid-Person-in-the-Office's Opinion

[agentm]

Demean and kill anything that doesn't come from "the creatives." We all know clients are dumb ass, soul-less corporate tools. Cultivate the myth. Even though your MBA clients might want to see 20 different logo treatments, narrow everything down to three choices. Then stare smugly and force them to choose. You won't believe how easy it is.
Agencies know how to run this game- www.adagencysecretformula.com

[Catch Up Lady]

The airbrush artists at a booth at the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, MI - right next to the "Your Name in Gold" necklace/chain stand.

[Dave Martin]

Bravos, David. Well said.

[Alain Thys]

Hi David

I had missed this post as I only just got back from 2 weeks of holiday without internet (pure bliss).

Excellent !!

Alain

[Rodney]

David, great post. If it's evangelism or promotion that's fine. What keeps me coming back here is the generosity of sharing your insights and ideas. That is blogging at its best!

[dave]

I think you've missed an opportunity here: put the wheel of misfortune in flash so users can actually spin the wheel which turns it into a clever viral campaign. Widgetise the viral so that it can be embedded in users social media spaces and 'hey presto', you've got yourself a big, shiny (and potentially award winning) web marketing campaign.

Right... what's next?

[Zac Martin]

A friend of mine linked me to your blog just now and I'm really enjoying reading through some of your old posts, this one really stood out.

Great thinking and love the diagram.