Cut to the Core

Today's Trend - Marketing That Targets All Stakeholders

After the much publicized problems with the unintended acceleration of some Toyota models, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., has recalled more than 12 million vehicles worldwide and 10.5 million in the United States. The company also has responded by creating a safer technology, The Star Safety System™, along with a marketing campaign to tell us all about the innovation.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) will run its Star Safety campaign well into 2011. The Star Safety System™ combines five safety technologies as standard equipment on all new Toyota models. The Star Safety System includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

The marketing campaign centers on the message of safety and focuses on conversations about safety and quality between Toyota owners and engineers. (See the advertising online at www.toyota.com/safety.) The critics of Toyota’s safety campaign take issue with the advertising, stating that Toyota has not spent a sufficient amount of time and effort to apologize for its problems and has jumped, instead, into “selling safety” too quickly.

 

Do you agree? If your company had a major setback, how would you communicate about the incident? 

This marketer remembers the shocking Ford Pinto Memo that openly disclosed the cost/benefit analysis performed in order to justify the decision not to fix a fuel system design element, known to be faulty, when that design increased the chances of an explosion. The decision not to act was made despite the fact that an explosion upon impact greatly increases the possibility of burns or death to both driver and passengers. In contrast, the actions and messaging in response to Toyota’s design fault, although it is also potentially life-threatening, seems commensurate with the inherent danger.

Unlike the Ford scandal of the 1970’s, Toyota’s response has been one of immediate action. The company has set about to fix the problems on the existing models by issuing massive recalls and, in a very timely manner, assembled a team of engineers to design the best automobile safety system on the market. Their goal was to begin, within the quickest timeline possible, the installation of the new system, The Star Safety System™, as standard equipment on all new Toyota models.

 

In order to communicate this action plan, one of the advertising spots highlights Toyota’s fundamental pledge to invest the time and the people needed to follow through with their renewed commitment to safety. View the spot.

 

In another advertisement, Toyota acknowledges that they have not lived up to the expectations of safety they, and their customers, have for Toyota products. The ad outlines their plan to restore their customers’ faith in the company. View the spot.

 

In yet another advertisement, Toyota states that “everyone deserves to be safe no matter what you drive.” The ad highlights the Star Safety System, Toyota’s answer to automobile safety. View the spot.

 

In order to give a backbone to their claims, Toyota is also running a spot that talks about the safety awards their new innovations have won during 2010. View the spot.

 

Key Point - An interesting element of this marketing campaign is that Toyota has promoted the idea that safety is an issue that involves all of Toyota’s stakeholders. The messaging contains language meant to create a strong emotional connection to the primary value of safety, a value that is certainly a priority for all of us. After all, even if we do not drive a Toyota, the person who drives down the neighborhood street near where our children play, or the person who drives our husband to work in the carpool, may well be a Toyota owner.

 

Thus, Toyota’s advertising has placed the company in the spotlight as one of the responsible citizens of our communities. As such Toyota will have to live up to the ethical and moral stand they have just created for themselves, their employees and their products.

 

Today’s Trend - Marketing Messages Are Anchored to Values

In the past products and services were promoted in terms of specific benefits. Then advertisers and marketing experts made a move to communicate product value by showing how your life would be enhanced through the use of the service or by the ownership of the product. Recently, the trend has been to position brands so that they serve as meaningful ties to values we hold dear either as individuals or as a society.

Some of the first examples I noticed were the print advertisements for the “Members Project®” of the American Express Credit Card. The advertisements connected a well-known individual’s personal philanthropic endeavor to the ability of American Express to support that objective. After several successful years, the campaign is still running and is now highlighted online as a series of short video stories narrated by each individual. The basic tagline suggests American Express can empower you to do similar acts of goodwill, such as saving lives, protecting wildlife and teaching underprivileged children. To view the Members Project® videos, click here.

 

The short movie productions of the Responsibility Project of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company highlight common everyday scenes. Each production poses an ethical dilemma (e.g., someone witnesses a theft or takes part in some unjust act) and then showcases the various stages the person must go through in order to resolve the ethical conflict. The script ends when the person takes responsibility.  To view videos from the Responsibility Project site, “a place to discuss doing the right thing,” click here.

In one of their commercials, the phone company Verizon tackles how opinions are valued and evaluated.  Young adolescent girls state that, “Air has no prejudice. It does not carry the opinions of a man faster than those of a woman. It does not filter out an idea because I'm 16 and not 30. Air is unaware if I'm black or white and wouldn't care if it knew. So it stands to reason my ideas will be powerful, if they are wise, infectious... if they are worthy.” The commercial ends with, "If my thoughts have flawless delivery, I can lead the army that will follow. Rule the air. Verizon." To view the Rule the Air commercial, click here.

 

Key Point - The values explored in each of the above messages relates to the product or service as well as to the targeted consumer. American Express supports the “elite successful” in their unique humanitarian or environmental quests; Liberty Mutual helps the normal person take command of his or her responsibilities and Verizon, regardless of their age or race, empowers teenagers, the most avid users of mobile technology, to share their ideas and opinions. 

 

Part III: The Core ABC’s of the Who, What and Why of your Online Brand

To assess the authenticity of your brand, evaluate the ABC’s of your online marketing messages and activities.  By examining the who, what and why of your online brand you will ensure your brand is credible and true to your organizational mission and vision.

 

Part III: The Why of Your Brand Online? Review the core Why ABC’s to evaluate and asses if the reason, the Why of your online activities, is executed in alignment with your mission and vision:

Anchors: What is your online personality?  Does it stay true to your organizational values and culture?

Brand: Does your brand talk about brand benefits as they relate to consumer needs?

Communications: Do your online efforts such as e-mail, blogging, and tweets clearly address challenges in a language clients understand? 

Once you have identified the ABC’s of the who, what and why of your online brand you will have the knowledge to target your audience with messages that speak to the core of your shared values. And remember: The who and the what will always follow your why!

Part II: The Core ABC’s of the Who, What and Why of your Online Brand

To assess the authenticity of your brand, evaluate the ABC’s of your online marketing messages and activities.  By examining the who, what and why of your online brand you will ensure your brand is credible and true to your organizational mission and vision.

Part II: The What of Your Online Brand Review the core What ABC’s to assess your organizational value and to ensure you act on core advantages:

Advantage: What is your online competitive value? How do you differentiate your services and product offerings?

Brand: Do you meet and exceed customer expectations with your online activities and client interactions?

Competencies: Do you maximize your core advantages? Are your best organizational performers involved in customer interactions?

To further enhance your online What, perform a competitive review and evaluate how your solution benefits create and deliver value to your prospective buyers and current consumers.

Part I: The Core ABC’s of the Who, What and Why of your Online Brand

To assess the authenticity of your brand, evaluate the ABC’s of your online marketing messages and activities.  By examining the who, what and why of your online brand you will ensure your brand is credible and true to your organizational mission and vision. 

Part I: The Who of Your Online Brand

Review the core Who ABC’s to ensure that your online messages convey the intended brand image:

Assets: Do your online media platforms (Web site, blogs, tweets and other social media) drive traffic and elicit comments?

Brand: Is your brand culturally relevant to your audience? Are your online actions meaningful to your audience?

Competencies: Do your consumers value your core competencies? Does your audience identify with and interact with your online brand?

To further enhance your online Who, use visual anchors that represent your brand. Be sure to exclude any design elements that detract from your intended core message.

Case Studies are an Effective Sales Tool

Across industries, case studies have high readership among prospects and are considered effective sales tools by sponsoring organizations. A case study is an investment that offers a broad range of uses in your organization. The same case study, in print or as a PDF, can be effectively utilized in your efforts to attract, to inform and to convert buyers.

Use a case study in your Sales Materials:
1.    To support your field sales representatives
2.    To promote your independent representatives
3.    As an insert in direct mailings
4.    As a response to a request for more information

A case study is effective in establishing rapport with your target audience, promoting your solutions and persuading  your readers to take action. Visit the free resources section of the Kore Access Web site and access many more case study marketing tips that will help you to gain customers.

A case study is an optimal promotional tool for your product or service. Let Kore Access colleagues create or update your case studies. To set up your initial, complimentary consultation and to get a customized project quote, contact us today.

The Use of Social Media Increases Web site Traffic

 Let your company Web site serve as a “hub” or central depository for your inventory of special reports and thought leadership content. Then, you can leverage, through the use of monitoring tools, both free and by paid subscription, the marketing value of that content with all your other online activities. For example, the customized use of filters and alerts can provide you valuable information about your Web site traffic. With the resulting statistics in hand, and by studying and understanding the power and constraints of the various social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube, you can develop online marketing strategies to maximize each platform’s potential to attract interest in, and to drive traffic to, your Web site. Once on your site, visitors can be directed to any publications you have available. If those publications include white papers, case studies and reports, which are especially effective tools to meet the informational needs of your readers and to communicate your expertise, the result is that you will engage prospects, communicate your brand value, and enhance your standing as a thought leader.

Key Point – Online content communicates your solutions and details your understanding of customer challenges.

Using Case Studies to Market Effectively to Multiple Buyers’ Interests

An effective way to influence the various decision-makers for your product and service is through the publication of a case study written specifically to address key areas of concern and interest. A case study of a satisfied customer that is representative of your prospects will best serve similar prospects informational needs.

Specific customer stories and quotes encourage potential clients to identify with experiences and situations similar to their own. Use the case studies to discuss the challenges of one of your former or current customers in such a way that a potential client identifies with that customer and the solutions offered by your company’s services or products.

Publish a case study, or several, to establish rapport between your company and your potential clients. Examine results achieved and quantify the case study customers’ results in business performance measures such as sales growth and ROI. Using business performance measures enables potential clients, who are also striving to improve their performance benchmarks, to believe they can achieve similar results.

To get started contact your Kore Access colleagues today. Schedule your initial, complimentary consultation and get a customized project quote.

For FREE case study resources, visit the Kore Access Web site.

Outsourcing Best Practices in Four Simple Steps

The practice of business outsourcing—the use of an individual or an organization to perform a function, process or service on your behalf—began about 50 years ago in the manufacturing industry as a means to reduce costs and, therefore, to improve profit margins.

The trend toward outsourcing has continued and has expanded to include entire business processes. Over the years, outsourcing best practices have emerged, been tried and tested. Learn more about the four simple steps of outsourcing, read “Outsourcing to Succeed in Any Economy,” a Kore Access article. Download Collaborative_Outsourcing

Increase Your Credibility Among Prospects With a Case Study

Surveys reveal that prospects are influenced by the opinion of satisfied customers more than they are by companies’ marketing materials. Furthermore, historically, in most industries, consumer surveys reveal that the endorsements in a case study are more credible than direct advertising. Consider also that case studies have high readership and are more likely to be kept as future reference sources.

A case study can increase your buyer’s purchase readiness by sharing the details of another client’s success. The recommendations offered by case study customers address real benefits real companies have achieved and the features that were deemed important to their target audience. Such recommendations from former or current customers help establish early credibility and trust between you and your potential clients.

Find out more about case studies by visiting the free Kore Access case study resources page, click here.

A case study, most commonly described as a cross between an article and a testimonial analyzes an organization similar to the reader’s organization and describes how it benefited through the implementation of the preferred product or solution. To get started on your case study contact your Kore Access colleagues to receive your initial, complimentary consultation and to get a customized project quote.