DISQUS

Interesting thought re: Pistachio.. reminds me of PR folks with the golden rolodex. You hire them because it gets your brand instant access to the right reporters.

No, I think the problem is a supply/demand. Agencies want to hire someone as a W2 employee and lock that talent up in their 4 walls. Then tell clients "look we have something the other guys don't." Problem is there just aren't that many folks that *really* get the space and none of them really wants to go work for an ad agency. They prefer independence.

The model I think will prevail over the next few years -- agencies find smart SocMe consultants and hire those folks to teach the agency how to build a SocMe mindset/practice area into the agency. Will help if the SocMe person has an agency background I think. Understanding how agencies make money will be invaluable asset in helping agencies understand how to profitably structure a new SocMe practice area. IMHO. So these *guides* will be paid to get an agency SocMe smart and then retained to keep that agency SocMe smart going forward. Probably be some kind of limited conflict of interest stuff to work out -- if you work with us you can't work for the following agencies, etc. -- the big holding companies will benefit the most because they'll be able to lock up a consultant or two to only work with their network agencies. Will make it hard on the *little guys* but that is my 02 on how our industry will try and quickly get into the SocMe game.

Look forward to your post.
@TomMartin

I think agencies need to lead brands into the space. Unlike PR shops or new creations like Brogan's New Media Lab, agencies have their fingers in lots of touchpoints and if they're doing the job, have deep insights into the clients core biz issues. So they more so than any other entity are best positioned to guide clients on their first big dive into the social media waters.

Problem is, most agencies just don't have that one or few SocMe knowledge leaders. Folks that have spent the time deep diving in the space so they can actually speak intelligently and insightfully to clients.

The big shops should have them, but for whatever reason don't. The small shops are trying but the folks that get it are far and few between and pretty damn expensive because they're in demand.

It's going to be a long road for us agency folks, but those that get their act together first stand a good chance of vastly improving their future I think.

Nice. Action on your dreams is the ultimate Ambien. Dream. Plan. Act. Sleep will follow. enjoy your travels friend.
@TomMartin

I have to agree with @LisaHoffmann I get LinkedIn requests from folks I don't know all the time, usually after an Ad Age post goes live. I find that folks don't often "want" anything other than an open channel for possible future connection. Additionally, I've asked for LinkedIn connections to people I don't know -- and one actually turned into a real biz opp.

For me it's about being 'open' versus 'closed' -- I'll stay open and take those "random" connections as long as the person on the other end doesn't act like a DRUT. The moment they do, bye bye connection.
@TomMartin

Love the "path" analogy. It hadn't hit me before, but as I read this post it came home... what's wrong with so many case studies is they are just brag pieces. Here was the problem. Here was our brilliant solution. Blah!

We don't take the time to show the path we took from A to B, which is where the real brilliance is located.

Thanks Dan. Glad you thought enough of my post to write this... you just made me a bit smarter... owe you one!
@TomMartin

Chris,

One more thought to add...

Care about them [your network] more than yourself.

@TomMartin

Jason

Thanks for pointing me to this software and for the beta invite. Just downloaded and started playing with it. Very nice and I can certainly see how this could become a valuable web-based CRM tool for our outreach efforts.
@TomMartin

Chris,

Interesting to see how y'all are using it. We've not tried SocialCast yet but we have played around with Yammer. Mostly we've used it to create a web based knowledge base and by making disciplined use of hastags we've come up with a pretty nice little knowledge base with no real expenditure of time or money.

Have y'all considered that aspect yet with SocialCast? Given your team's need to stay abreast of information and insight... might be a cool thing to consider.

@TomMartin

Thanks for picking up my post. There have been a few good comments on my blog if you're readers want to visit. Seems that I'm not alone in my belief that this is a desperate attempt on Starbucks part.

Scott

An interesting thought. Friendly competition can work -- look out west to the Napa Valley. The wineries out there help/compete freely with one another because in the early days of Napa it was them against the world to prove Napa wines worthy.

Classic "all ships rise" thinking.

So while it might not be the first marketing strategy I'd employ, certainly could be effective given the proper context.
@TomMartin

Jason

Incredibly well written, informative and quite helpful article. Thank you so much for sharing. I'd add something smart but you covered it all ;-)

@TomMartin

Chris,

Good post. Interesting that in a sales cycle post you didn't talk much about using LinkedIn. Seems like a natural (maybe just in B2B) place to create awareness (answering Questions), prospect (the search is quite powerful) and converse with prospects/clients. And with the ability to link in Slideshare presentations and your blog, can be a decent platform.

Didn't know if it was an intentional omission or just wasn't top of mind as you wrote.
@TomMartin

Agree. If I want a Vanity URL for Facebook, I just create a BudURL like this one: www.budurl.com/TomMartin and the bonus plan... I get tracking data. Facebook missed this boat... but that said, I'm sure lots of folks will rush to get theirs.

Chris,

As usual a great, informative post. BUT, I do have a challenge with one of your points.

"This means, if you’re thinking that this chore belongs in your agency, I say no. That’s like being invited to chat with Britney Spears, and finding out you’re talking with her assistant. Oh wait, that’s how Britney does it."

Companies should worry less about where their SM person sits and more about who that SM person is. Your comment implies that corp side marketers are better suited to be the ongoing voice of a brand online than their agency counterparts. Why would that be true for more than a single moment or small grouping of moments in time?

Ann, John and all those other folks you can talk to -- they aren't the brand. They're temporary stewards of the brand. If they follow the path that statistically most folks follow with regard to job/companies held in a lifetime, they'll move on. And if they're smart, they'll pass your tended relationship to their successor. But there will be a successor.

Regardless of where that person sits, you're talking to Brittney's assistant. Because Britney doesn't exist and a real, physical manner. She's a phantom tended to and made real by her assistant.

Which brings me to the second half of my point. Your comment seems to suggest that corporate brand managers are better versed in the brand. That they have longer brand histories. And that they are better brand stewards? Sometimes yes, but sometimes times no.

The truth is, Brand Managers change as often and sometimes more often than agency folks. As do the folks that manage almost every aspect of brand marketing today.

Case in point.

After Katrina I returned to TM Advertising (Dallas) and took a long-term project on the American Airlines account while I figured out my next move. TM/AA is where I cut my teeth after college. It had been almost 12 years since I worked on the biz. When I went over to AA for my first meeting, not a single brand manager was there from my first tour of duty. Not one.

But on the agency side of the table, 3 of the 4 senior account folks were the same (including the 2nd in command), the lead creative team (writer/art director) was the same, and the lead Interactive guy was the guy that hired me in 1992.

TM had far more institutional brand knowledge then their client counterparts. These clients had read the files, but their agency partners had written those files. So I ask you, if AA started a SM program right now, where should that SM person sit? Agency side or client side?

My point: the day of the corporate man is over. People in marketing switch positions all the time, whether they are client or agency side is really somewhat irrelevant if you ask me. What matters is, does the person get SM, do they have deep product/brand knowledge, and are they in a position to converse and respond to consumers in real time. If that can only happen with folks that sit inside the company, then so be it. But to issue a blanket statement that says they have to sit in the company or they somehow can't be "the real brand" is incorrect and an unfair slight to agencies that are doing SM for their clients, some quite well. IMHO

Anyhow, my 02. Keep up the great work.

@TomMartin

Thanks for picking up my post. Glad you thought enough of it to include.
@TomMartin

Thanks for the shout out on my post. Agree, if FB could add the items you note above and maybe clean up its interface I think it could quiet possibly be the one-stop social network, well in addition to Twitter.

I had the same issue during Mardi Gras. Couldn't tweet an entire parade until AFTER I left the route..but ATT said, no outages in NOLA at that time... right... Glad to see they at least did something for you. If they really wanted to knock it out of the park, they'd proactively comp all the SXSW folks. Should be easy enough based on GPS data from the phones.

Chris

Love the post and think that a lot of folks, especially freelancers are trading office rent for the daily latte. But as someone who's done it both ways, I have to say that the value of an office is that it creates intersections. While you and I can quickly chat about an idea (IM or Twitter) you can't overhear my conversation with another member of the team in the hallway.

Some of the best ideas I've ever been around have come from a chance intersection where I and another staffer were both in the right zone or frame of mind and a spark happens. I guess that can happen in the virtual world and it does, but an office seems to create more sparks.

My .02.

Chris,

Couldn't agree more. I've been preaching about this "next wave" since 2007 and actually thought 2008 would be the year it would take off given that the cost of digital creation and distribution has all but reached zero. Thus, it is actually cheaper for a brand to create a community around smart, interesting content than it is to create a single national ad campaign.

I'm not sure I agree with those in the comment stream that say you have to build the audience first. Certainly easier to get a sponsor that way but I think it could actually work better the other way around.

Find a smart, "get it" advertiser that wants to build a Micro-Content community around a passion (one that uses their product obviously) and then build a high-quality content stream and deliver that stream where the consumer is - much like Gary V does. You don't have to go to WineLibraryTV - you can see his shows on Vimeo if you choose.

Done right, the content is the ad and thus no traditional styled (this content brought to you or splash banners/pre-rolls) are required. It's seemless and transparent as the brand isn't trying to "sell you" but instead providing you good content you want to invite into your life.

Won't work for every brand, but if your product is used as part of someone's passion -- I think this marketing approach is a no brainer.

@TomMartin

Chris

Couldn't agree more. The web tools we have at our disposal make it so easy to create a wide variety of relationships based on a common single passion. For you it was comic books, for me it may be cooking or just kicking around marketing ideas. None-the-less, when used and not abused, Facebook, Twitter, etc., are an opening to a world of folks you'd otherwise only imagine meeting.

@TomMartin

Thanks for sharing this. I'm always looking for great examples of companies doing it right -- versus companies just using FB as another "channel" to push offers. Appreciate your doing and sharing the research.

@TomMartin

tom martin's last blog post..Come to Mardi Gras. My Tweet!

Chris,

Couldn't agree more. I used to use my Palm and now I use ACT but the theory is the same. Let the database remind you, keep a running memory. One other item I'm sure you do, but if not, something you should. Get everyone's birthday. Then send them an email on that day or call or write a handwritten note -- depending on how "good" they are to your network I guess. I've done it for years and you'd be surprised how many times I hear "you were the only one that remembered...." -- that goes a long way to making sure I'm in their 150.

Speaking of, when's your birthday? DM me so I can add it to my database.
Thanks.
@TomMartin

Great post. Not sure I agree totally with #2 under "not" section though.

I could certainly see applications for my local pizza joint and snowball stand for that matter. Why couldn't the local pizza guy be on Twitter and I could tweet him "what's the wait look like tonight" or "got any tables" before I go in only to find out i (and my kids) have to wait 20 min for a table. He could even "put my name on the list" or tweet me 10 min before a table will be ready. That kind of thing. Not only would I LOVE that service but I'd surely tell others about it. Heck, I know parents that would get on Twitter and go that pizza joint JUST for that service.

Agree, large scale "listening" type SM is overkill. But a tactical use, well done, think it could work. My .02.
@TomMartin

what a great idea... especially with the blind tweet... got me interested because i thought you might be doing another charity thing...then I get your post.. truly brilliant as always.

Ari

Companies already let consumers decide which ads they want to see... it's called concept testing, usually via focus groups. Doesn't work too well because we humans aren't very good at knowing what we will and won't react to... not to mention, as soon as you ask a consumer to become an advertising exec, they are no longer a consumer. Therefore, their opinion on what will and won't work becomes just as suspect as that conference room of execs you mention.