Under Construction!

I'm still tweaking it! Give me some time and we should be good to go!

The long awaited update...

Hello seems like a foreign and distant greeting, but I know I haven’t been updating my blog for awhile, hence… Hello everyone. Quite a number of changes have evolved in my life since my last post. I left MSL Singapore in December 2010 after a good 16 months with the company. I have to say that this was far-by the most enjoyable and intriguing work  experience I’ve had in a long time. I was blessed to work

Training : Social Media Marketing & Communications for Enterprise

I've been enduring late nights in the past one month, developing a very exciting social media curriculum for Singapore Media Academy. The 3-day WSQ certified course is heavily subsidised by the Singapore government and targeted at Managers who are interested to learn about the application & integration of social media for enterprises with specifics to marketing and promotion of products and services. WSQ, or

Pace your social media strategy

That is of course, if you have one in the first place. There is often confusion in the "strategy" and the "plan". Let's think of it this way, do you remember the "forest theory" as stated in the book, Seven habits of highly effective people? Don't fail to see the forest because of the trees. More often than not, we are so engrossed in trying to "cut down the trees" that we don't realise we have been bulldozing in

How-to : Social Media for Businesses (Original text from MyPaper Interview)

The text below are the original replies from my interview with MyPaper. As I think some of the points that are being covered may be useful to some readers, hence I've uploaded the original text herein for your reference. Will be translating an English version shortly for the reading pleasure of the larger community.

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Branding and Marketing

Pace your social media strategy

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Belinda Ang Posted in Branding and Marketing, digital marketing, Social Media Marketing | 9 Comments

That is of course, if you have one in the first place.

There is often confusion in the “strategy” and the “plan”. Let’s think of it this way, do you remember the “forest theory” as stated in the book, Seven habits of highly effective people? Don’t fail to see the forest because of the trees. More often than not, we are so engrossed in trying to “cut down the trees” that we don’t realise we have been bulldozing in the wrong forest all these while. So think of the strategy as “the forest” and plan as “the tree”. Hence, a move such as creating a facebook page is not a strategy, it is an execution that is part of the plan. So each time you are excite by an execution, take a step back and review what is your strategy. We know that in business, we are often restricted by budgets and resources. So keeping tabs and checking back regularly will ensure that these resources and money are put into best use and not in clearing a wrong forest at the end of the day.

So once you have your strategy in place, you start drawing out your plans, which may include building of properties, content etc. While you are eagerly trying to grow your fans and having fun with the social media hype, please pause and make sure you have done the following :

  • Study your consumer behaviours… not solely on your site/page but on your competitors’ as well. Who are your target audience? When are they logging on? What are they interested in? If you have a social media consultant, please seek his/her advice. If you have engaged him/her based on their experience/capabilities, trust that they may have a few good advice for you.

  • What, when, where?… On a day-to-day basis, your brand may be filled with an wide array of products, events and promotions and you want everything to be on your social platforms – all at once. Well, think again. Look back at your strategy, think about your objectives and target audience. In the end, you don’t want your page to look like another bazaar in a flea market. So don’t rush to have everything dumped into your social platforms. Decide what, when and where.

The reason I have entitled this blog post “Pace your social media strategy” is because I have observed some “spamming” from some brands. Not literally but rightfully so in the eyes of the consumer. Pacing is VERY important and the steps above will help you understand how you should pace your strategy. Let me cite you an example…

Brand A wants to build a sustainable community on Facebook, and to use it as a platform to promote the USPs of their premium product targeted at 24 – 35. However, aside from that they also have many overlapping campaigns with different objectives running at the same time. So while they are sharing resources and lifestyle topics around the primary product focus, they are also flooding the page with a brand campaign, a sponsorship campaign, as well as a hip event targeted at the youths between 14 to 21. As the bulk of the work is aplenty, there are multiple agencies handling the different pieces and posting at their own pace. Unfortunately, it caused an influx of Youtube video posts on the event over a weekend that takes the fan page by storm without warning or build-up towards it. And on the conversational side, another agency is trying to talk about World Cup. And in between those event posts, there’s news about their sponsorship efforts which targets at a very different group of users.

Now think… if you are a fan on the page. Would you continue to “like” it?

A question may be appearing in your mind at this time, “But then… shouldn’t a sustainable strategy means that I do not separate my brand into multiple pages?” Yes indeed that should be the ideal. Then, how can you make the efforts seem more receptive to your audience while you are trying to promote different things at the same time?

  1. Objective > Strategy > Plan: You may not be able to do everything on the same platform. But really, WHAT are you trying to do? Build fans? Build brand equity? Build product awareness? What is it? With that mind, you will know how to pick and choose from the bulk of your content.

  2. Pace it, time it: Different group of audience may have different usage behaviours. By posting relevant content to relevant audience at a time where you can maximise eyeballs, you are likely to see better success for your efforts. At the same time, analyse the trends of your fans consumption for content, do you start losing them when you post more often or less often? What is their tipping point?

  3. What they like and not what you like: Many of us can be disillusioned in the type of content that will appeal to our community. Listen and observe when they tend to reply more often, what kind of content gets better traction. Test waters and ask for feedback.

It is common for brands to start flooding their fan pages with everything when the strategy is not clear. There is no direction on what the content should be building towards or where the end destination should be. There is also no way to plot a content strategy out of all the information on the table. My experience working with some clients are that many a times, they are more concerned with themselves than their target audience. They are concerned if they are posting it quick enough or accurately enough and not if their target audience are reading it or are interested to read it. And in this instance, the momentum is inconsistent which is likely to grow into a broadcasting platform for them to rave about themselves.

As the saying goes, more haste less speed. To create a sustainable community for long-term brand benefits, pause for a moment and think about where you are heading. Pace your footsteps as you would as you embark on a marathon, so that you can complete this long and tough race to reach the finishing line in victory.

Should Influencer relationships be governed?

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Belinda Ang Posted in Advertising, Branding and Marketing, digital marketing, PR, Social Media Marketing | Leave a comment

Rules

The recent release of the new FTC guidelines for social media has caused much stir in the online community.

Although I don’t totally agree, but somehow, I think that is a natural evolution in digital marketing & PR. It is simply a natural extension from offline to online to uphold the most basic principles of honesty in business. Most of us industry professionals do live up to the promotion of transparency and authenticity. However there are cases where makes it hard for these principles to be in place. Well explained by John Bell from Ogilvy, I highly recommend you should read it.

Unlike journalists, bloggers are free individuals who are not bound by job responsibilities or professional ethics. They are not obliged to promote or say good things about the brand. There are many grey lines to the concept of a effective set of governing rules. While monetary transactions are clear, there is a difference between giving away samples and endorsements. While I agree that any form of endorsements should be disclosed, but are samples considered “sponsorship” as suggested by FTC? Surely it’s not an issue to tell anyone the sample was given. But it is also the influencer’s free will to decide if he/she thinks it is an issue worth mentioning at all. After all, you get samples when you shop at malls. It’s not such a big deal to everyone.

According to page 59 of the FTC guidelines, this example was cited,

A consumer who regularly purchases a particular brand of dog food decides one day to purchase a new, more expensive brand made by the same manufacturer. She writes in her personal blog that the change in diet has made her dog’s fur noticeably softer and shinier, and that in her opinion, the new food definitely is worth the extra money. This posting would not be deemed an endorsement under the Guides.

Assume that rather than purchase the dog food with her own money, the consumer gets it for free because the store routinely tracks her purchases and its computer has generated a coupon for a free trial bag of this new brand. Again, her posting would not be deemed an endorsement under the Guides.

Assume now that the consumer joins a network marketing program under which she periodically receives various products about which she can write reviews if she wants to do so. If she receives a free bag of the new dog food through this program, her positive review would be considered an endorsement under the Guides.

Assume now that the consumer joins a network marketing program under
which she periodically receives various products about which she can
write reviews if she wants to do so. If she receives a free bag of the new
dog food through this program, her positive review would be considered
an endorsement under the Guides.

Okay, I understand the examples above. But what if… the consumer did not join a network marketing program, but rather because she’s an existing customer, the brand was listening to her rants online and approached her to try a new product to garner feedback. Would that be considered as endorsement under the Guides? Apparently it should. But as free individuals, not representing professional bodies, this rule to make it compulsory (forced) for the influencer to mention, and the brand/company to monitor his posting for “compliance” may make the influencer feel pressured, as though prisoned or under the eyes of an eagle. Such action seems to be sailing away from the primitive objective of blogging and conversations. Please don’t mistaken me, I am not against the ideals of this guideline as a marketer. I am just doubting it from my capacity as a social media activist. Question is… would I prefer to freely do it, or be compelled to do it – by law. But again, this is a very tough question to answer, as laws are usually there to protect against deceit and fraud. But this case in particular, it seems to infringe the private space of individuals. Much to be debated about.


Social Media Guidelines beyond FTC

I definitely foresee the Guidelines to be assessed and reviewed over time. But nevertheless, it will become a norm in many countries in the years to come. And one such place I believe which will catch it on quickly, will be my homeland, Singapore.

Blogger

Singapore has always been known for all kinds of rules and regulations. Being a country run by campaigns and systems, I am confident MDA (Media Development Authority of Singapore) will definitely use FTC Guidelines as a benchmark to draft a similar set of domestic guidelines for Singapore. However, the issue of disclosing collaboration between brands and bloggers was kind of resolved a pretty long time ago here, when Nuffnang was set up in 2007. Nuffnang is a blogger advertising community which bridges advertisers and bloggers. Note, I mentioned advertisers. Which means it does not exactly promote or build long-term relationships. It basically plays as the media company (like a matchmaker) between the two. Which, to be really really honest, despite the success of the concept, I don’t agree with it at all. It is making all our top blogs look like advertising billboards, and instilling the concept of blogging to earn money. I can’t decide which comes first. Passion or Money.

Anyway, back to the topic… despite having bodies like these in place setting some rules straight so consumers can recognise an ad when they see it, it is still an opt-in program. An official guideline will act as a good balance to set the note right for the many social media developments in the near future. Social media as we know it, has expanded beyond simply blogs. And it is fast becoming unclear what would deem to be an advertisement, what is really credible and what is actually a chapter of stealth marketing. It is likely beyond a community effort to keep it authentic any longer. Even with official guidelines, it will be challenging to execute it efficiently.


What Singapore Can Do?

Instead of implementing hard and fast rules, what I suggest MDA could do, is to work with 4As and other professional bodies governing the marketing and PR profession to make it mandatory for agencies to commit and declare themselves to a set of disclosure guidelines (Take a leaf out of CASE – Consumer Association of Singapore), which binds the industry to perform ethically instead of confusing the public with vague descriptions on concepts of “endorsements” and “sponsorships”, which could lead to 101 different cases of possibilities and arguments.

No one would want to risk a personal reputation for nothing. Unless it is a clause or request from the paymaster, I doubt any influencer would intentionally keep payments or endorsements discreet. So by instating such guidelines on the professional bodies, most of such doubts should be cleared. And in cases where samples are sent to bloggers, I think it should be their free will to disclose the source. There are always sites to sign up for free samples and I do not think this is a pressing issue since they are not obliged to write anything positive about the product. Hence, their credibility should not be doubted.


Asia Beyond Singapore

With Asia’s social media developments growing at a robust 29% annually, it is currently the largest region in the world with lowest internet penetration.

And would such guidelines be effective in other parts of Asia outside Singapore? I’m not sure if there are existing guidelines in Japan or Korea (please let me know if there are) but I think this would probably work in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The consumer market there is largely similar to Singapore although having different purchasing behaviours. Social media activities such as blogging is a mainstream activity in Taiwan, where it is reported that 70.9% of the internet users have created a blog themselves. Which many of these celebrity bloggers have now been converted into TV commercial models.

However, you would probably be more interested with the case of India and China. I would think China is desperate for such a set of guidelines but they are not ready for it. I would use the word “messy” to describe the social media landscape in China at this point. I believe they are still in a process of figuring out the best model that will work for the majority. Having such a vast land and population also means it is hard to administrate the rules if mass education is not in place. (Just look at all the domestic problems they have in ensuring quality control over health, food, manufacturing products etc).

As for India, I am not all that familiar with the market but I think it still lacks maturity  and will take a couple of years to grow before the population catches it on as a mainstream activity.

But I do believe South-east Asia would be a potential region to explore such guidelines. It is however up to individual countries to decide the importance that social media will play to its economy.

Never too early to think about it, never too late to execute it.

But the FTC guidelines for social media has grown to become an international concern and benchmark beyond the United States. The world is watching, observing, learning and reflecting.

No matter what kind of approach is adapted in the end, nevertheless, it’s time to stop and rethink authenticity.

Engaging You Toes Up.

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Belinda Ang Posted in Branding and Marketing, Event Marketing, PR, Social Media Marketing | 5 Comments

Crocs

I was invited to a closed-door Crocs’s blogger event two weeks ago jointly organised by Lewis PR and Salesforce for Crocs. It was held in the cozy lounge of The Screening Room. The handful of guests were served with a comfortable selection of gourmet tapas.

To be really honest, I was never a fan of Crocs, much less to say that I even liked it. I thought it was a product over-priced, overly-hyped, a fad and ugly. As a member of the individualistic generation, obviously I do not enjoy wearing something that is so highly recognizable and everyone seem to be owning. Those were my introduction lines to JP, the Event Specialist of Crocs Singapore, when asked about my impression of the brand.

CrocsIdeas.com

The main objective of this event is to gather feedback on a new engagement site Crocs has designed as an effort to hear consumers’ wants and needs. Hence the birth of CrocsIdeas.com. Singapore is chosen as the testing ground for this pilot project before it is being officially launched worldwide. CrocsIdeas.com is generated by Salesforce and works on the same platform as Dell’s IdeasStorm. The concept is for users to suggest what they hope to see or have in the products or innovations that can potentially be executed to improve it. Then, users can also “promote” or “demote” the item according to their individual likings. Although not all suggestions may be feasible for production, but if certain items on the list gains popularity, the Crocs team will reply and look into it. If an idea has been adapted, the user will be given credit and possibly find THAT very product in their mailbox when it is launched.

Dell has always been the frontier in adapting social media in its business strategies. Dell’s IdeasStorm is an astoundingly successful project and more than 350 ideas from consumers has been implemented since the site was first launched. Another brand that has modelled after Dell based on the same platform, is Starbucks and it has received many positive feedback on the initiative.  Perhaps a shoe-brand like Crocs may receive less attention but such an attempt is a good start and I foresee it could snowball positively if adequate marketing and integration with the parent site is implemented effectively. What Crocs should be careful is not to leave it unmanaged and allow it to become another white elephant. Most brands get excited in the preliminary phases but the efforts are not carried through thereafter. A common feedback about Dell’s IdeasStorm is that there is lack of interaction and engagement from Dell’s marketing team on the site. Which, is something I casually voiced out to the marketing team of Crocs. Consumers generally do not enjoy talking to an “administrator” or a “logo”. Putting a face to a response helps in bridging the relationship. And such loyalty is what brands really want to establish over the long period.

Genuinely, there are things to be excited about in Crocs’s new range of footwear. I hated the classic design because I had no idea why I am paying so much for a piece of plastic. Apparently, I was convinced I’m wrong. Crocs are recommended footwear designed for therapeutic relief for a number of foot conditions. Did you know that? Well, that’s pretty new to me indeed. The intention is for you to feel like you are walking in the air when you wear them. I may be weird, but I didn’t really like weightless shoes. However, I tried on a few pairs and hmm… I don’t hate them. I am convinced that I can give them a second chance. Most importantly, they understood they had to innovate and explore a wide variety of designs for different people. No one shoe fits all but everyone should find a shoe that fits them. “Shoe the World”, that’s what Crocs is trying to achieve. But the common perception of Crocs in Asia has been mixed extremes. Will the strong image of Crocs as simply a fashion fad cover the true quality of what seems to be like a down-to-earth wear? It would be too early for a baby brand like this to say if it will be successful but there are some headways made as far as I can see.

And to end it off, here’s a preview of some unreleased Crocs design.

New Crocs

Personal Branding in the Digital Age

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Belinda Ang Posted in Branding and Marketing, digital marketing, News & Articles, Social Media Marketing | 6 Comments

Lianhe Zaobao, zbWeekly - 17 May 2009

My second article with Lianhe Zaobao was published on 17 May, 2009 without my knowledge. Luckily I manage to get a copy of it from my colleague. The article provides an overview and introduction of importance of Personal Branding and how it can potentially tap on digital media as a platform. What you read here is a brief take only, which a detailed account would probably not have adequate space on print as I would have wished.

Here’s a brief translation of the article for your reading pleasure.

Personal Branding in the Digital Age

In the midst of the economic crisis, many people are starting to worry about their rice bowls. Among the many job seekers, how do you make yourself shine from the rest, to become the primary choice for your potential employer? Aside from experience, qualifications and skill sets, have you ever considered about your professional image? If you are working in the field of marketing, then perhaps this article may be able to offer you some fuel for thought.

In the competitive environment today, “packaging” has become a common and essential keyword in our everyday life. Regardless of the things we eat, wear or use, almost every product needs to undergo a process of packaging to attract the interest of the mass consumer. Even enterprise and government agencies are actively packaging themselves and revamping it into a new and refreshing enterprise brand. So to transform itself into an eye-catching brand culture that will fit into the society today.

Most of us have the common impression that branding is a commercial strategy. In actual fact, all of us are unique individuals, with qualities that can evolve into a unique brand. “Branding” is extremely important, especially to those in the creative, advertising, marketing and PR line of work. This is not only limited to the professional knowledge required at work, but how to effectively use it to construct a personal image.

The lightning evolution of technology is gradually changing our social cultures. Social networking, which has become increasing popular in the past few years, comes in timely to create such an effective and free demonstration platform for us. To folks who are considering a shift in career, this platform has also created a channel to transform your professional image. This will allow others to get to know you from a refreshed angle through direct interaction, by repackaging your personal brand.

Following are introduction to some social networking sites that are mandatory to check out.

  1. Linkedin : This is a site designed for professionals, especially those in the field of marketing technology. Currently, it consist of more than 35 million users from over 170 different industries. You can upload your CV with Linkedin, exchange industry news and engage in friendly discussions with people of the same interest. Its network may look to be smaller than Facebook or Myspace, but it is concentrated with industry specialist from around the world. There, you can effectively establish very useful connections and relationships.
  2. Facebook : I believe everyone is very familiar with Facebook. According to statistics, approximately 19% of Singapore’s population owns a Facebook account each. That is almost 760,000 people logging on to this social network at least once each month. Contents in Facebook are relatively less formal, therefore if you choose to use Facebook as one of your personal branding platforms, then you must be careful to manage the different messages communicated between your professional and private image. We are usually at comfort with our shortcomings in the face of our close friends and family. But this is a very serious taboo. Hence I propose that you consider having two accounts to manage the different nature and needs. Or you could also make use of Facebook’s privacy settings to determine which contents are suitable for what audience.
  3. Twitter : As compared to the other two social networks above, this is a relatively new social media tool in Singapore. Obama made use of Twitter extensively to reach out to Americans during the Presidential election period. It created a lot of positive responses. Since then, it grew to become a mass media in many parts of United States and Europe. Whether it is getting the latest breaking news or making connections with enterprise celebrities, Twitter has proven to be a very effective tool for these purpose. Through frequent daily tweets (messages sent through Twitter are known as tweets), you can build and establish your professional image and positioning over a long term. It can also increase exposure and attract more readers for your blog.

  4. Professional Blog : We definitely cannot ignore the representation of Web 2.0, which is the blog. I recommend that before you publish your professional blog, you first register for a personal domain. This domain could be your name, or a handle that you most commonly use in other social networking sites. The biggest difference between a professional blog and a personal blog is in the selection of contents. A professional blog is an important link to building your personal brand. It enables your followers to better understand your views and analysis on professional topics. This will allow them to further affirm your industrial knowledge and standards.

When managing the many social sites, you should also take note in maintaining a uniform style design. Additional care must be taken in the selection of photographs, colours, handle/name and bio. Having the same personal brand image across would ensure netizens will have no problem identifying and locating you regardless of whichever social site they may be browsing. I propose that you approach it in a witty, friendly yet professional treatment.

Personal branding is a long term image strategy and simply cannot be built only when its needed. Having merely presence on these sites are not adequate. A certain amount of time must be invested daily to expand your online community. Back to the basics, human relationships has always been built on the foundations of sincere communication. And this society rule had never changed with time.

Everybody wants to become a rockstar on the digital sphere. Those who will really shine can only be told with time. Hence, don’t be too hasty with results and expect returns within a short term. Building a personal brand reputation requires first and foremost sincerity and unwavering passion. Only when you understand its true importance then will it open doors for your career.

Opportunities are only for those whom are prepared. Are you prepared for it?

I definitely don’t think the article above does justice to the topic of Personal Branding in the Digital Age. Much needs to be further emphasized and explained on why this is an important consideration for people who desire to excel in these fields. There is also a lot more to say about the benefits it can reap with a successful personal brand.

I will probably try to work on a separate post here that attempts to touch a little further on the topic. This could take awhile considering a very busy month ahead. However, I would be more than happy to discuss this topic with you. Just drop me a buzz at @belindaang on Twitter or beep me any time over my email.

Your comments and inputs are greatly appreciated.

Recession and Marketing (Part II)

Posted on October 10, 2008 by Belinda Ang Posted in Branding and Marketing | Leave a comment

The following comments was made by a friend on Linkedin, Mr. Paul Syrysko. I found is useful and right from the books of the expert. Sharing with everyone here.

For 2009, most companies will be cutting back to a very basic marketing plan, getting rid of anything they can. In a recession environment, it’s inevitable. Many marketers will feel it’s the last thing that should be cut but try convincing the board of the company and you won’t get very far. The reality is that investments in brand marketing will decline. So what should you do? Be careful of blowing all the budget on price promotions. Innovation is the key.

Understanding how consumer behaviour will adapt to a recession will give you an innovative marketing plan, product or service idea. And understanding how the supply side of media will change will give you substantial increases in campaign efficiency.

Price promotions for products and services will increase hugely; everything will be ‘on sale’ and it will be a noisy space that any player has to navigate carefully. There may be better ways of marketing than simply slashing your prices like everyone else. For example, why not focus efforts on your most profitable customers instead? Understanding the changes in consumer mindsets is critical. People will be much more careful in selecting the right product or service for them. Impulsive behaviour will drop. Marketing strategies that lower perceived risk will thrive. For example, rather than giving 10% off, deliver extended guarantees to your consumer. Large luxuries will be jettisoned in favour of smaller ones. Instead of going to an expensive tropical island, people will take day trips to their local seaside. Instead of buying a new car, they’ll keep the old one going. Instead of going to the cinema and eating out, they’ll stay in with a dvd.

The shifts in media budgets are going to be huge. Part of this will be contractual – big media deals will stay for a while but short term buying can easily be chopped. There’s also a natural tendency to keep the backbone of a communications plan and get rid of anything secondary. So, the big communication vehicles like tv will stay, albeit in reduced form. Secondary media will drop in price more dramatically, so there will be bargains there.

Moreover, clutter in these secondary vehicles will drop rapidly. So your communication will stand out much more in them. Consider focusing efforts away from following your competitor’s backbone plans so that your marketing budgets work harder for you.

To make good use of heavily reduced marketing budgets, innovation in communication strategy is the key. Don’t just give away 20% on price in a desperate bid to keep up sales volume. Whether it’s consumer insights or media planning, you will need to think hard and do something different.

—- Written by Paul Syrysko

Recession and Marketing

Posted on October 10, 2008 by Belinda Ang Posted in Branding and Marketing | Leave a comment

Forecasting 2009

Welcome to 2009, we will be greeted by a cycle of recession. Exactly 10 years since the last world financial crisis.

Sponsorship will be cut, budget for marketing will be majorly cut. Anything that concerns the expenditure department is likely to be given the red light. With no one spending, the economy will definitely see a slower return.

In the line of marketing and branding, we already have problems encouraging clients to spend on a good day. And now, it could be even more challenging. The opportunist would think, “Now that most companies are cutting back, there will be less ads, less ‘noise’ and less competition for attention. It is the best time to strike and get hold of market attention!” but unfortunately, most CFO aren’t too much of an opportunist. They have a P&L balance sheet to report to.

How to make the best use of the recession?

INTERNET : The most effective medium to both consumers and marketeers during a time like this will be the Internet. Reason? As consumers spend more time indoors, cut their budgets on buying magazines, papers or movies, they are likely to spend more time wired. For marketeers, the Internet is the only platform capable of reaching to millions of people without burning a hole in the bank account. Of course, I am now assuming they have a wonderful campaign strategy.

However, the Internet is a very different ballgame as it bypasses the traditional media and attempt to do a direct outreach to the people. Hence, fostering a relationship with the target audience is more important than trying to flood them with spam ads. But this could take some tactic, patience and time. It may not be likely for companies to demand an immediate ROI on the dollars and cents. And for the fact that the Internet is so wide and borderless, it also means more time has to be spent locating the target group accurately and effectively.

Some ideas :

Twitter – Twitter is a popular tool in the US but the trend did not really take off locally. It could however be marketed as a status tool to promote certain sales, movements or latest news. Alternatively, mobile marketing could be used for the following ideas, which however, will come with a different price tag.

Some quick examples :
  1. introduce an hourly sale that happens at different hours of the day. Send a twitter to inform all your customers about it. Create a sense of urgency to buy and a personal touch from merchant to consumer.
  2. In an effort to promote a new product (eg. latest mobile phone) Create an avatar to has a “life” of his/her own. Send updates about his/her life to fans, keep people in a conversation and arouse interest. Tie it in with an event at the end of the day.
Facebook : No, this is not a new story. But I don’t expect the trend to fall very soon. The continuous reinvention of facebook sees itself going strong for the next 2 or 3 more years. Bringing people together is an art. But facebook seems to have mastered it to call themselves the boss of social network. It is a wonderful tool in trying to gather people of the same interest, mindset or geographical locations. You can easily identify people without having to spend money on market research. (which I’m not saying that’s not important). In trying to do so, you should either strike a chord, raise disagreements, create curiosity or make useful relationships.

However, one should first understand not every business is suitable to tap on these platforms. You should approach a professional PR firm with digital arm or an IMC with digital marketing experiences for professional advise. A reasonable amount of time should still be spent on identifying market trends and results before attempting to utilize the medium. Ultimately, do remember it reaches out quickly to people. Which means, bad news travel fast too! In Korea earlier this year, a rumour about the beef from USA on the Internet nearly caused an up throw of the entire government when large-scale demonstrations (spurred online) fill the streets of Seoul. So just a gentle reminder.

The Opportunist Mindset

It is very tiring to try and vie for attention on the newspaper, TV, radio, outdoor advertising everyday. Millions of ads try to shout for more attention. People today are so immune to it, it basically just doesn’t catches any eye anymore. However, in times of r
ecession, advertising budgets will be cut for most companies. There will be less ‘noise’, less interruptions and we will see our streets cleaner with more “for rent” signs on outdoor advertising boards.

THIS is the BEST time to advertise. Like every good trader will tell you, the best time to enter the market is when the market is down.

With less business, rates for advertising space is likely to be adjusted to attract more advertisers. It will be easier to negotiate for better packages on media buys. You can have a better selection of prime spots, marketing firms are more commited to deliverables and are eager to impress. The BEST time to build your brand is when no one else is trying to build theirs. Create top-of-mind recall with ads, encourage spending with product sampling, demonstrations, sales and promotions, get in touch with the ground by organising events (something for people to see, do and look without spending money), sponsor community projects. And you will see your brand grow to be everywhere on the street (and in the mind). As the economy slowly revives and the market returns to normal, you can now rest your marketing dollar and enjoy fruits of success. Of course, a reasonable ROI should still be measured and strategies to meet sales targets while spending. But please do remember, branding and marketing is not a Harry Potter wizardry that happens overnight. The results may not be evident now, but positive reputation gained is priceless for any company. And the next time the consumer has the dollars in his pocket, he’ll make you his first choice.