Why Marketeers are Excited about Twitter

by joseph.young.2009

There’s a lot of news about Twitter these days. Well, more than a lot. We’re essentially drowning on twitter now. But it still has it’s charm if you treat it the way you treat Facebook. Don’t follow everyone on the planet, only your real friends and some celebrities (web or otherwise) to spice things up.

More importantly, how can marketeers benefit from Twitter? By allowing word of mouth to happen on an amplified level. My friend recently posted this tweet [def: a message on Twitter] above and I found it very interesting. Usually, the tweets have references to @friends, but more  and more I see references to @products, @brands, or @companies. Anytime someone mentions these things, they’re engaging in word of mouth marketing. As marketeers know, this is best kind of marketing there its. Whether you’re a large company trying to create a presence or a crafts(wo)men looking for an extra source of income, more customers is always good for business.

The best part about Twitter for marketeers is the fact that her tweet was sent out to her 15 followers. So instead of using word of mouth marketing on one person, she did it to 15 people instantly.

I was interested enough and clicked the link to discover a crafty woman selling gourmet soap. Pretty cool. May order it in the future. The reason I’m more inclined to click the link is because I trust this person as a friend and assume that they wouldn’t advertise to me.  This is the power of word of mouth advertising. This is the power of Twitter to marketeers.

You can find me on Twitter @joecool79.

What’s the future of Social Media Marketing in Pharma?

by startupmarketingdiva

There’s clearly been much written and discussed in recent months about SMM.  This new marketing option is making a big splash among marketers of consumer products in the hi-tech, food, and entertainment industries and the like.  For example, see previous blog posts on Jack In The Box by my fellow blogger Joe Young.  This is all very applicable and makes sense.  Now, coming from the pharmaceutical world, I wonder:  What role does SMM play in the pharmaceutical industry?  This industry is tightly regulated by the Food & Drug Administration.  The FDA monitors every action that a pharmaceutical company makes during the drug development process and even more so, after the drug has been launched. For example, pharmaceutical companies are required to monitor adverse effects of drugs once the drug goes on market.   From a marketing point of view, SMM would be a great tool to use in market research as well as in monitoring both positive and negative effects of pharmaceutical drugs in use.  User groups for those using a particular drug can be set up by a pharmaceutical company to bring patients together in a community and exchange information and experiences with a particular drug.  But, is this something a pharmaceutical company willing to implement?  What are the consequences of “too much information”?  What would be the ’side effects’ of such social groups for the pharma company?  What are the pros and cons of SMM in the pharmaceutical world?  What role does the FDA play with respect to SMM?  I would like to hear your thoughts and experiences on the future of SMM in pharma….yours truly – startupmarketingdiva.

Why Atari will Succeed

by joecool79

Source: lastshepard.wordpress.com

Reading about the Phil Harrison interview yesterday, anyone in the game industry would see Atari’s forward thinking strategy. The focus of the company moving forward will be based on digital distribution and new media (Facebook, iPhone, etc). Contrast this with the strategy of Gamestop and parts of EA, and you can tell why this is forward thinking.

Network Marketing as a Business

by joecool79

In the past year, I have been invited and attended two network marketing events. For those unfamiliar with network marketing, it is often referred to as a “pyramid scheme” or “multi-level marketing.” Most recently, I heard it described as “empire building.” Regardless of what you call it, here are the things I’ve identified from it (having not read the full Wiki entry):

1. It’s purported as a way to gain financial independence.

2. It’s usually put on by older people who have been in the business for a long time and have now achieved a high level within the network.

3. There are more and more people showing up to these events since the economy is in a downturn.

4. It’s often described as, “work when you want, where you want.”

I’m not going to go into the process of elaborating on any of these topics, or disputing them. What I would like to talk about is how it plays on a type of marketing which is now becoming a very hot topic, word of mouth (WOM) marketing.

Microsoft’s new brand character is…a middle-aged guy from the 90’s?

by forrestsloan

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a $300 million dollar Windows advertising campaign intended to boost the brand perception of its beleaguered Vista operating system.  This is surely counterprogramming to Apple’s highly successful Mac vs. PC ads which feature John Hodgman as the frumpy, stuffy, middle-aged personification of PC (i.e. Microsoft and Windows).

Their new brand ambassador in this campaign?  Jerry Seinfeld. 

Sales & Marketing…can’t have one without the other. Part I.

by startupmarketingdiva

We all know that Marketing is the center of the business universe. But, sometimes, to be successful in our trade we have to set aside our own egos for a few seconds and stroke someone else’s, like Sales, for example. Sales’ folks would argue that they’re second to none because without them there would be no revenue stream and hence no business. True. And thus, we could argue to eternity which function supersedes the other in importance. Now, let’s pause for a moment and re–think our role as marketers. From personal experience, working at a start–up with very limited resources, I’ve come to realize that it’s a commensal relationship. Sales and Marketing are like, as the song goes “love and marriage…like a horse and carriage…can’t have one without the other…”

In recent months, I’ve spent considerable time working on my product line.

Mom was right. Listen before you speak.

by forrestsloan

I came across the following post on Ad Age, Digital Next:

“Old habits die hard. While consumers are out there spending countless hours on social networks, file sharing applications, chat, community sites, buying stuff, selling stuff and using multiple devices, some of us tradigital old fogies are still reaching for our beloved toolbox of the past in the hopes of getting their attention…Little did we know that the real action happens in the comments. Have we thought about talking back to people or are we really just interested in telling our stories?”

I think this is a great question to ask — and one that should be taken a step further. Why are companies so much more interested in talking, rather than listening?

I’ve got the Product Marketing Manager job, now what?

by startupmarketingdiva

Congratulations. You’ve just finished B-school, and have successfully transitioned “from the bench to business” with your new job as Product Marketing Manager / Product Manager. You’re going to be overseeing the development and launch of product or service X at this start-up you’ve joined. It’s your second day at work (because the first day was taken up with HR) and you’re about to go into your first meeting with your new boss. What do you do? What do you need from her to get you off and running in the right direction? Read on.

Productivity Tools and how they can help you in your [marketing] profession

by startupmarketingdiva

In the recent months, I’ve been on the road for business quite a bit. I’ve discovered, with a little help from a few friends, some great websites and resources to help me survive my busy schedule and the demands of my new profession. I want to share those findings with you now.

While I love technology, I’m not a technorati for the sake of being one. The tools I adopt have to serve a particular need in my life at that moment. ..