Don't Tell, Show Them!

Companies have the same tools their customers and fans have. Here's an example of how an organization can build on an existing conversation. This is the response by the EA Sports to a video that a Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 Player posted on YouTube one year ago. [hat tip to Rocco at Adverblog]

Execution matters. A few techniques that can help you bridge from telling to showing:

• Taking the time to respond - how many opportunities have you missed to be part of the conversation about your business?
  

• Building on existing content to respond (not react) - the difference between messaging and conversation lies in listening. Show them you are and then take the conversation to the next level.

• Injecting some reality into the story - he is that good, the showing part can be done without showmanship. Your customers are now immune to a certain kind of glitz and shout.

• Putting your actions where your mouth is - the best kind of showing is delivering on your promises. It might sound obvious, it helps being reminded.

Doing what you do best today includes the conversation about what you do. How can you surprise, wow, and show your customers you are engaged?

Comments

[Matt Dickman]

Valeria -- Isn't that a great video? I think you framed this correctly. Listening is the first, and most important, step so you know what is going on. It's the same as investing in stocks, you wouldn't just jump in and throw money at a company. You research and listen until you are up to speed and then invest strategically.

I also think that the willingness to participate with the community is key. EA/Tiger show a sense of humor and personal connection that is rare to find. As you said, it's a surprise and WOW moment (imagine if it was your video).

[Valeria Maltoni]

I am not a golfer and still enjoyed this story a lot - its appeal is universal. If I had to pick one reason why I liked the video it would be because it displays poise while it does not take itself too seriously.

There are many ways to express a sense of humor. And it fits the personality of the athlete. Thank you for making the time to comment, Matt.

[Adam Singer]

thanks for sharing this -- great video too!

[James]

2 stroke penalty for touching the hazard with his club!

[MarketingHoodie]

A great analysis Valeria - but this raises the whole cart before horse (or arse from elbow) question that worries me about advice in online marketing.

The techniques you list are a spot-on rationalisation of why the video works. But I don't think any are part of the EA playbook (I haven't seen any of them in their marketing of Spore, for instance, which is all fairly traditional).

It seems more likey that someone saw the original player video and then had a great idea, and because it was so clever and funny, the idea then justified itself. What is truly awe-imspiring is that it then got through all the controls and got made (which is maybe why the year delay from original to EA response).

Which is my cart before horse issue with being able to give anyone any pointers as to how to re-produce this kind of success. The dream of online marketing is to try and get out more than you put in - but the only way to get there is with a moment of inspiration and the guts to see it through.

The reason I love your comments is not because they can help you have the inspiration (and we should never pretend they can), but because they help to justify it and see it through. And that's where the biggest challenge is right now.

[Valeria Maltoni]

In another post I actually explained how marketing is there to help people rationalize the reasons of their emotional purchases.

The first few times you go outside the way marketing has been done are hard. There are no benchmarks of how a dialogue is supposed to be done. Then you have a successful foray, you can reconstruct how you got there to work your way onto how to change the way you follow through on feedback. And so on.

[ZaggedEdge]

Unreal. thank you @jtobin for the tweet