Or as Gianluca Arnesano calls it, the only slide you need to know. I translated the word campaign as program, because I do really believe that it's a cycle with a long tail that probably nearly doesn't wear off or go to zero. This is the work of Italian agency Frozen Frogs born out of the work the agency has been doing with consumer goods companies.
It's a brilliant rendition of the dynamics of attention, something Gianluca has been working with for a number of years.In this graphic, which he explains in the PDF offered at the post, he distinguishes between the actions of the company and/or agency, which are designed to create higher, artificial buzz, and the reactions of the public involved. You can see in the graphic, how those generate lower buzz, yet genuine (here we say authentic) engagement.
This seems to be the week of engagement, the newest marketing and social media buzzword. Are your activities buzz worthy? Let's take a look.
On the higher-buzz, false engagement type-A activities, we have things like:
- blogger dinners - you need to understand that a sit down dinner with great food is a major social element of the Italian culture
- social aperitifs - that's my second favored activity, a glass of good wine and great company
- buzz paradise - I'd be curious to learn more on this one
- spamming 2.0 - this is awesome that an agency (and a company) would admit its own heavy tactics
- product sampling - for some categories or products there is still no equally engaging substitute for the tactile experience of driving, or tasting, or touching the item itself
- Facebook apps
- Videos
There is some doping of the engagement levels in this phase. Customers do not really live the product here - the environment and context created around the promotion is artificial. This is the phase where the agency and/or company are and need to be highly active. Pumping content out, cross promoting on different platforms, and involving networks and respective influentials.
On the lower buzz, genuine engagement type-B side of the graph, we have various discovery moments by real customers who:
- discover the company and the product itself
- find new product uses
- uncover potential defects and malfunctions
- call customer support
- send in complaints
- write spontaneous reviews
- ask for advice on forums and boards
In this phase, customer engagement becomes real immersion. This is the right moment for the company to capitalize on the feedback received during the first phase. A and B are the critical phases of the project.
What's important?
Launch and SEO effect are part of a continuum, they're not isolated moments. People are important - what they think, do, and say in the long tail has repercussions for your business. The social media lifecycle has a feedback loop, which is where new marketing comes in. Some questions for you:
- What cultural barriers in your company will prevent you from listening to and talking with your customers on the B side of the graph?
- How will search evolution affect what you do on the A side?
- How will you use what you learn to develop better products and services?
- How will you sustain and nurture that engagement on your side of the conversation?
- What transformation will your company be willing to undergo to sustain communication and relationships over the long haul?
Your turn. What questions do you have?