Using The Internet For Industrial Products

Through my experiences working in digital advertising, I have regularly seen Industrial companies claim that they don't need to advertise on the net because there are only a handful of companies that use their products, most of which they have current supply deals with.  This logic is flawed in many ways and I can name several examples of past clients who will testify to this.  So why is Internet marketing of strategic value for industrial supplies?

Existing Channel Growth - It may seem strange that extra advertising could grow a company within its existing supply chain, however growth is usually as simple as starting a conversation with the right person.  An example is a gas detection and RFID company I worked with in Western Australia.  They had regular dealings with BHP already and account managers visited them regularly, however 10 days after commencing PPC advertising, the new global supply manager was researching gas detection and he stumbled upon their site.  This little 'accident' netted the company a multi-million dollar contract worth their previous FY revenue.

Finding New Sales Channels - An off the road tyre (OTR) company found a new niche using a mixture of SEO & PPC advertising to 'broaden their reach' and discovered untapped markets in 2nd tier OTR tyre brands.

The most basic rule of Internet advertising is to make your company accessible.  Strong SEO & PPC strategies are essential as well as working the forums and listing your company on plenty of reputable directories.  The easier you are to find, the more chance you have of starting a conversation with the right person.  

Note: It is essential to note, that you need to invest in a website that communicates effectively to its intended clientele if you are going to experience a high level of success.  Click Here for more information on this concept.

Johnny Walker Abandon Social Media Strategy

Johnny Walker have effectively given up on their social media strategy.  Having pumped tens of thousands of dollars into TVC's and Radio to find a competition winner, it looks like the low response rate killed their enthusiasm.  Having sent Rick Liston & Josh Ogilvie on an 80 day around the world tour, there has been almost no follow up interaction with the boys at all.  So what was the point of this marketing venture?

The theory was strong, much like the Toohey's 6 beers campaign, the idea is to get people to follow the adventures of the travelers and live vicariously through them.  The brand of Johnny Walker is prominently displayed and positive brand equity developed and passed onto the audience.  The problem is, that this requires time and money & it looks like Johnny has lost interest in that.

Since setting sail, the only media coverage the boys have received has been drummed up by Rick's mother.  Even the travel video that the lads put together has not made it onto the JW website on account of laziness.  It is as if the company is looking to wipe their hands with this debacle as fast as possible, which is a shame, because I love the concept.

Note: This is their winning entry (it was shown on the website)

Josh Strawczynski's Opinion:

Despite the low number of entries submitted to the competition (I knew 3 of the top 6 applicants), the guys they chose were perfect for the role, both smart, fun loving & funny guys that had the ability to make it work.  I hope that big Johnny does something to save this venture, it can still be salvaged.

Karly Hickman's Opinion:

Johnny Walker were lucky to find two ambassadors as suitable as Rick & Josh.  I'm sure the material will be there, it will be interesting to see if Johnny Walker allocates the resourced necessary to spin it into advertising gold.

Youi Insurance Advertising Strategy

Insurance group Youi have entered the market in a big way with an advertising mix that involves TVC, Radio, Outdoor & Digital. The marketing spend is enormous, the strategy is very strong. Will it perform well?

The target market of Youi is very interesting with a lot of billboards around highly concentrated areas of youth. For example Monash University in Melbourne is surrounded by towering ads and the tag line "Smarter Car Insurance That Saves You Money" appeals to people in this age bracket. But for me, the biggest give away that they want the youth dollar is where they are not advertising...Yahoo! Traditionally an older demographic, Youi's enormous adspend couldn't stretch across to Australia's second largest search engine.

The branding has been very strong, a common trait in the insurance industry. They position their 'pencil neck geek' up the front of each ad. I say pencil neck unfairly here, as we all know that Jason from RACV is their born leader, but this guy is only a fancy suit more appealing than that. The overall effect however is very strong and the 'caring & money saving' brand traits are well portrayed.

By far the strongest part of their structure is their website. The picture above shows the first signs you'll see, a brilliant closeup of a man who desperately needs more iron in his diet. He talks to you, introduces the product and then sits down to read a book, looking up every now and then reminding you to click on the buttons.

Josh Strawczynski's Opinion:
I was looking for car insurance myself recently and Youi really grabbed my attention. I already had a high brand awareness and when I found my way to the site, I was very pleased with the ease of use and attractive interface. The only criticism was that the final form to fill in was not as easy as just car insurance, but it is a very solid effort.

Skittles - The Social Media Leader

Who would have thought that in the multi-coloured corner, Skittles would be setting the marketing world on its head?. Their new website focus's on connecting consumers together and generates conversations about the product through Facebook, Twitter and more. It's bold, new and it's sending marketers into a mix of excitement and panic.



The picture you see above sits ontop of your web brower and allows you to directly navigate to whatever Skittles info you are seeking. The home page is linked to Wikipedia, which screams cool! Sure Wikipedia is supposed to be facts, but there is plenty of user generated feedback within it. Twitter feeds directly into the site as well, want to say something cheeky and have it seen by thousands, just twitt using @skittles. So what is your inner marketer feeling...excited or scared?

The traditionalists will believe that unmoderated comments about your brand are a very dangerous thing, potentially doing irreparable damage to your brand equity. Conversly, those that are riding the social media train will look at this as a major breakthrough and a test of the concepts that are spoken about so often. The whole idea is to encourage those that enjoy skittles for any reason to communicate that, and stimulating a cascade effect, stimulating others that see the post to start thinking about the brand. Hell, I have never craved Skittles in my life, but I am headed to the store to buy a pack now!

Josh Strawczynski's Opinion
When marketers first wanted to make a Facebook page for their company, they were told that they were mad, now-a-days every company irrespective of size has at least some touchpoint within Facebook. Fully integrated social media (especially using live feeds like Twitter and Facebook) is going to be the next step in engaging consumers.
The Skittles campaign is already a huge success with over 600,000 friends having joined them on Facebook and a steady stream of messages about them on Twitter.

Jye Smith's Opinion
Skittles handed their brand over. It was up to us as the Twitter community to decide what to do with it. It was brave and while perhaps not the first instance, Twitter is at a point where the interaction was enormous.

Whether for shock, genius, or ignorance: it got people talking. People are still talking about this. And that's a good thing right?

We all have been reconnected with skittles: a brand that has been fairly quiet. What this means for marketers is what I've been saying about social media: new technologies, have meant new innovations but most importantly: new ways for people to connect, interact and share online.

The best description I've seen for it so far was from David Armarno:
Skittles is the Joker. They gave us the detinator. They gave us the choice to unleash chaos or not. We chose chaos. Lol. I love it.

I'll always choose chaos.

Jye Smith is a marketing executive for an online media publisher, and also works as a freelance producer, web and graphics designer and social media strategist.  You can follow Jye on Twitter @jyesmith

60 Minutes Chat Room Improvements

Many months ago I wrote an article about the 60 minutes online chat room, slamming them for having unmoderated chat, no sign of the 'expert' they claimed to have online and the rudest users I've ever seen. It really turned me off the program and in my own mind, it degraded the once proud 60 minutes brand. The general rule in marketing is that if it bothers you, it probably bothers other people and I am very glad to say, that they have finally corrected their mistakes and got it right!


When I jumped on last night to ask a question about box jellyfish, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they have addressed all of my concerns. The moderators kept the conversation on topic and the expert was given his very own text box so that he could do a direct Q&A session, instead of sifting through loads of rubbish conversation. This engaged me and I stayed online for some time.

To understand the significants in terms of marketing, we need to look at why they are doing it in the first place. The ability to engage in conversation increases the loyalty of their viewers and allows for two-way communication between the two parties. The very concept of social media marketing is based on this, communicate with those that like and hate your brand and improve you value offer. On top of this, stimulating conversations about your show help to build the brand and encourage new viewers to trial the product for the first time.

Josh Strawczynski's Opinion:
I love it when online providers get it right. 60 minutes have now set the framework to really engage their customers and build a stronger realtionship.

As for me, I now know that a box jellyfish will kill you inside 3 minutes and on average it takes paramedics 8 minutes to get to you...I'll stick to calamari rings from the local fish & chip shop.

Why We Fly Qantas

The video below are my off the cuff thoughts about why I choose Qantas to fly to Adtech in Sydney, given that they were in no way the cheapest.  

I will be looking forward to Julian Cole and Zac Martin's opinions on this matter. I highly recommend their blogs if you have not already seen it.

Ad Tech Conference

AdTech Sydney conference is on this week in Sydney and I am looking forward to seeing some old faces and meeting some new ones.  A conference of this scale and scope is not only beneficial from the perspective of listening to the key speakers, but the sharing of information and ideas, not to mention the amazing networking opportunities.

This year, of particular interest to me will be visiting Carl Bellamy from Yahoo! search.  The up and down search engine is coming out with a range of new and interesting products that have the potential to change the way we seek information.  The question for marketers will be how quickly we can adapt.

I was asked recently what the real learning I hoped to derive from the conference?  Personally, I feel that technology is moving so fast that to claim that you are an expert, only goes to prove that you are not.  A true expert is constantly looking for new learnings and opportunities.

If you are going be there for the 2009 conference, please let me know and we'll catch up for a beer.