Excellent news: My conference paper has been accepted by the MRIA's National Conference Program Committee. I'll be presenting on my Audience Development work with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Winnipeg, May 25-28, 2008. Of course, now I'll have to craft a worthy presentation.
I'm planning to demonstrate the application of insights derived from various types of research methodologies in solving a major business issue at the nation’s leading live performing arts venue. (That's a mouthful!) Because I not only conducted the research but facilitated the strategy process, the outstanding business results (see previous postings) achieved already make a great example for "return on research invesment."
I'm also planning on making an argument for the idea of "integrated research." After all, today integrated marketing and integrated decision-making are everywhere - at least in words if not in deed - and I see opportunities for marketing researchers to advance a conversation about customer insight and its application.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Proposed a Research Conference Paper
After being part of the Net Gain 2.0 conference organizing committee last fall, I thought I try to get onto the presenters' roster for MRIA's national conference in May. Today, I sent in my proposal to take a look at the crucial role - and direct impact on the business - of multi-faceted research I conducted (from data analysis to focus groups) in the NAC Orchestra's Audience Development project.
I think there's a lot of interesting - and possibly innovative - work I can share in terms of integrating many kinds of research and gaining very sharp insights as a result. There's also a direct contribution the research had on the strategy formulation and the business results to date. In my view, this will serve as a great example of "return on research investment" - and further a discussion about the role of the researcher in the ever changing marketing landscape.
The decisions on conference programming will be made this month...
I think there's a lot of interesting - and possibly innovative - work I can share in terms of integrating many kinds of research and gaining very sharp insights as a result. There's also a direct contribution the research had on the strategy formulation and the business results to date. In my view, this will serve as a great example of "return on research investment" - and further a discussion about the role of the researcher in the ever changing marketing landscape.
The decisions on conference programming will be made this month...
Monday, January 7, 2008
2008 will be the year of ...
Happy new year! May 2008 bring the challenges you relish and the rewards you seek.
For Strategic Moves, 2008 marks the second year in business. Yeah!
Year 1 confirmed that I could translate the business transformation promise of Strategic Moves into reality.
The Audience Development work I led at the National Arts Centre Orchestra throughout the year has delivered breakthrough business results already.
I think there are two transformation drivers that secured this remarkable success. First, from the outset audience development was defined as a "whole of business" issue, not merely a marketing issue. Second, we created a dynamic diagnostic and strategy process involving cross-functional staff in new ways.
By taking a strategy development approach that was highly dynamic and ongoing (rather than static), and involved everyone in the Orchestra organization and many throughout the NAC at large, we effectively used the development process itself to demonstrate new ways of working to staff, and to immediately begin fostering institutional culture change.
Rather than "ivory tower" strategy formulation and then shopping it around and explaining it to the people, we took a different tack: Based on the insights from the comprehensive diagnostic phase, we evolved key strategic tenets, tested them through implementing and refining core ideas and progressively implemented the learning from marketing to programming to customer service. In that way, we were also able to create new central ideas not previously part of the Orchestra's activities. At the end of this living and fully engaged process is the strategy document. The benefit is clear: by involving everyone throughout the strategy development, as we had previously throughout the diagnostic phase, there is a great deal of ownership and understanding of the audience development strategy. It's a running start on all counts.
Significantly, it's also been an opportunity to deepen my marketing research expertise, from conducting more focus groups, to undertaking surveys to data analysis. My 17 years of being a practicing marketer, combined with my research experience and the capacity to facilitate transformation processes (call it "leading from behind" if you will) are shaping Strategic Moves as a credible player at the cross-roads of research, strategy, marketing and facilitating transformation.
In that sense, I anticipate that 2008 will be the year of "the next big project."
For Strategic Moves, 2008 marks the second year in business. Yeah!
Year 1 confirmed that I could translate the business transformation promise of Strategic Moves into reality.
The Audience Development work I led at the National Arts Centre Orchestra throughout the year has delivered breakthrough business results already.
I think there are two transformation drivers that secured this remarkable success. First, from the outset audience development was defined as a "whole of business" issue, not merely a marketing issue. Second, we created a dynamic diagnostic and strategy process involving cross-functional staff in new ways.
By taking a strategy development approach that was highly dynamic and ongoing (rather than static), and involved everyone in the Orchestra organization and many throughout the NAC at large, we effectively used the development process itself to demonstrate new ways of working to staff, and to immediately begin fostering institutional culture change.
Rather than "ivory tower" strategy formulation and then shopping it around and explaining it to the people, we took a different tack: Based on the insights from the comprehensive diagnostic phase, we evolved key strategic tenets, tested them through implementing and refining core ideas and progressively implemented the learning from marketing to programming to customer service. In that way, we were also able to create new central ideas not previously part of the Orchestra's activities. At the end of this living and fully engaged process is the strategy document. The benefit is clear: by involving everyone throughout the strategy development, as we had previously throughout the diagnostic phase, there is a great deal of ownership and understanding of the audience development strategy. It's a running start on all counts.
Significantly, it's also been an opportunity to deepen my marketing research expertise, from conducting more focus groups, to undertaking surveys to data analysis. My 17 years of being a practicing marketer, combined with my research experience and the capacity to facilitate transformation processes (call it "leading from behind" if you will) are shaping Strategic Moves as a credible player at the cross-roads of research, strategy, marketing and facilitating transformation.
In that sense, I anticipate that 2008 will be the year of "the next big project."
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Respect for the customer
Arguably, the most important asset a marketing researcher has is ... a respondent. The Canadian industry association, MRIA, has created a Respondents Bill of Rights - and much effort goes into best practice development for research methodologies that both respect the respondent and provide insight on which to base business decisions.
What is the most important asset an advertising agency or a marketer has? I think the answer is ... a customer. Not inventory, not intellectual property, not real estate, not world-class leadership, not strategic location, not stock price, not exclusive market rights, not employees (even though in my mind employees are intrinsically linked to the customer).
Why is it then, that there is so little effort made to care for the customer or the potential customer? Over 90% of new products fail and fewer than 50% of advertisements are effective - so why are they getting created and who are they really speaking to?
Instead of relevant, timely, opt-in, creative marketing activities, much of marketing seems to still be trying to yell louder or funnier or whatever at a fairly large group of people.
If advertisers want to be relevant then they might reconsider their focus and place the customer at the heart of business and marketing considerations. There are successful CRM implementations and there are impressive case studies of brands connecting with customers by acting on the knowledge they collect about them and creating many meaningful, memorable interactions.
Because it's the customer that matters. Not so much mind share, or intent to purchase.
Instead, try measuring the degree of relationship a customer has with the organization and the degree of relationship the organization has with the customer.
What is the most important asset an advertising agency or a marketer has? I think the answer is ... a customer. Not inventory, not intellectual property, not real estate, not world-class leadership, not strategic location, not stock price, not exclusive market rights, not employees (even though in my mind employees are intrinsically linked to the customer).
Why is it then, that there is so little effort made to care for the customer or the potential customer? Over 90% of new products fail and fewer than 50% of advertisements are effective - so why are they getting created and who are they really speaking to?
Instead of relevant, timely, opt-in, creative marketing activities, much of marketing seems to still be trying to yell louder or funnier or whatever at a fairly large group of people.
If advertisers want to be relevant then they might reconsider their focus and place the customer at the heart of business and marketing considerations. There are successful CRM implementations and there are impressive case studies of brands connecting with customers by acting on the knowledge they collect about them and creating many meaningful, memorable interactions.
Because it's the customer that matters. Not so much mind share, or intent to purchase.
Instead, try measuring the degree of relationship a customer has with the organization and the degree of relationship the organization has with the customer.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Consumer Power pushes agencies in new directions
The Media Strategy Conference in Toronto set out to "change minds and change models." In my view, speakers most successful at pushing the mind were Rishad Tobaccowala in his key note on “Imagination, Reinvention and the Future of Media” and Marian Salzman's "Brand Sluts". Nancy Vonk presented on her agency's remarkable work for Unilever's Dove - Campaign for Real Beauty. A 4-year-old initiative, it seems this has become a calling for the brand. Cool.
Ad agencies are trying to structure themselves to respond to the irrevocable shifts in market dynamics where community and collaboration are far more important, than traditional agencies can possibly deliver.
The bottom line is value has to be real, and the only judge of value is the consumer. Not a segment, but a person. Hard to fool anyone these days, even though advertisers and their agencies create so much noise by bombarding us consumers with thousands of unwanted messages every day.
That's why I now spend my time on developing precise customer insights that enable relevant, valued conversations. And I work on the mechanics - and thus the backbone technical requirements - so that these insights become actionable. In my view, these will be the strategic moves that matter.
Ad agencies are trying to structure themselves to respond to the irrevocable shifts in market dynamics where community and collaboration are far more important, than traditional agencies can possibly deliver.
The bottom line is value has to be real, and the only judge of value is the consumer. Not a segment, but a person. Hard to fool anyone these days, even though advertisers and their agencies create so much noise by bombarding us consumers with thousands of unwanted messages every day.
That's why I now spend my time on developing precise customer insights that enable relevant, valued conversations. And I work on the mechanics - and thus the backbone technical requirements - so that these insights become actionable. In my view, these will be the strategic moves that matter.
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