Conversational Marketing Conversational Marketing Strategic Underpinnings Strategic Underpinnings Tom Hespos - President Tom Hespos - President Underscore Marketing Underscore Marketing Tom Troja - VP Marketing Tom Troja - VP Marketing Pajamas Media Pajamas Media Todd Riley – VP Digital Director Todd Riley – VP Digital Director GM PlanWorks GM PlanWorks Liz Liz Vanzura Vanzura - Global Marketing Director - Global Marketing Director Cadillac Cadillac The Can We Talk The Can We Talk TM Conversational Marketing Process Conversational Marketing Process
• Empowering customers with knowledgeEmpowering customers with knowledge
Why This Matters – Going ForwardWhy This Matters – Going Forward
* Source: Landor Breakaway Brands Study, September 2006* Source: Landor Breakaway Brands Study, September 2006
• Deeper relationships with customersDeeper relationships with customers
People who continually interact with your company People who continually interact with your company because you’re because you’re listeninglistening
• Increased ROIIncreased ROI
People spend more money with brands that converse People spend more money with brands that converse with them in meaningful wayswith them in meaningful ways
• You are solving the clutter problemYou are solving the clutter problem
““Messages” don’t get lost in ad clutter because they’re Messages” don’t get lost in ad clutter because they’re not ads….they are real communication.not ads….they are real communication.
What’s In It For You?What’s In It For You?
• The act of connecting directly with the market The act of connecting directly with the market through two-way online forumsthrough two-way online forums
What Is Conversational Marketing?What Is Conversational Marketing?
• Established tenets of online Established tenets of online communicationcommunication
• The ClueTrain ManifestoThe ClueTrain Manifesto
Where Does It Come From?Where Does It Come From?
• Every piece of online communication is an opportunity Every piece of online communication is an opportunity to engage. (An opportunity often wasted.)to engage. (An opportunity often wasted.)
• The Internet and many emerging media are not The Internet and many emerging media are not broadcast media, they are interactive.broadcast media, they are interactive.
• We have not been treating them this wayWe have not been treating them this way
• But that’s how people are using themBut that’s how people are using them• Message boardsMessage boards• Mailing lists (Yahoo! Groups, listservs)Mailing lists (Yahoo! Groups, listservs)• BlogsBlogs• Community websites and social networks Community websites and social networks
(from MySpace to LinkedIn)(from MySpace to LinkedIn)
“Markets are Conversations.”- The Cluetrain Manifesto, Thesis #1
• TransparencyTransparency• All significant biases must be disclosedAll significant biases must be disclosed
• Dedication to ConversationDedication to Conversation• You must listen. You must listen. • You must respond to legitimate questions askedYou must respond to legitimate questions asked• You must dedicate resources to participating You must dedicate resources to participating
meaningfully in the conversationmeaningfully in the conversation
• AuthenticityAuthenticity• You should never use CM to:You should never use CM to:
• Obscure the truthObscure the truth• Spread an untruthSpread an untruth• Propagate rumors with a reckless disregard for Propagate rumors with a reckless disregard for
the truththe truth
The Following Things May Not Be Faked…The Following Things May Not Be Faked…
Lots of Brands Want to Do ThisLots of Brands Want to Do This
Aligning with Best PracticesAligning with Best Practices
• Can We Talk?™ lets people talk about themselves in Can We Talk?™ lets people talk about themselves in relation to…relation to…
Can We Talk™Can We Talk™
Based on Cadillac’s business goalsBased on Cadillac’s business goals
2.2. Preparing to talkPreparing to talk• Commit to listeningCommit to listening• Create the planCreate the plan
3.3. Making the snowballMaking the snowball• Create the conversational toolsCreate the conversational tools
4.4. Rolling the snowballRolling the snowball• InteractInteract• ListenListen• TrackTrack• Grow the conversationGrow the conversation
Three Step ProcessThree Step Process
Create a plan that invites people to talk and you to listenCreate a plan that invites people to talk and you to listen
• Integrate conversation into what people talk aboutIntegrate conversation into what people talk about
• Find your voice, talking to your neighborFind your voice, talking to your neighbor
• MyCadillacStory…. It just fitsMyCadillacStory…. It just fits
Step 1 - Preparing to TalkStep 1 - Preparing to Talk
• TransparencyTransparency
• Dedication to ConversationDedication to Conversation
• AuthenticityAuthenticity
Why This is Smart Move For Cadillac and GM
Top 5 Media Influences on Consumers Buying a Car
Purchase Influence
Consumers Influenced
Automotive Ad Spend %
1. Word of Mouth 30% NA
2. TV 24% 47%
3. Read Article 21% NA
4. Newspaper 20% 30%
5. Magazine 17% 11%
Source: Ad Age Domestic Spending by Category (2005) and BIGresearch, 2007
• Ask relevant questions of peopleAsk relevant questions of people
• Invite people to talk about themselvesInvite people to talk about themselves
• They post their comments in the adThey post their comments in the ad
• Go right to the MyCadillacStory blogGo right to the MyCadillacStory blog
• Update new talk to new ads and resendUpdate new talk to new ads and resend
• Use safe Terms and ConditionsUse safe Terms and Conditions
• Get people talking right nowGet people talking right now
Step 2 - The Can We TalkStep 2 - The Can We TalkTMTM
Ad Units Ad Units
Blog Gets People Talking About CadillacBlog Gets People Talking About Cadillac
• Go where conversation is the normGo where conversation is the norm• Blogs and blog networksBlogs and blog networks• Online communitiesOnline communities• Social networksSocial networks
Step 3- Interact, Listen and GrowStep 3- Interact, Listen and Grow
• Cadillac in the middle, enabling conversation Cadillac in the middle, enabling conversation • MCS adding to video and including more peopleMCS adding to video and including more people
People Respond – Real Talk HappensPeople Respond – Real Talk Happens
Technology finds, sifts and interprets millions of voicesTechnology finds, sifts and interprets millions of voices
• Aggregate relevant posts on blogs, discussion boards, Aggregate relevant posts on blogs, discussion boards, usenet groups, review sites, etc.usenet groups, review sites, etc.
• Extract meaning from high volumes and sources of textExtract meaning from high volumes and sources of text
• Screens for foul language, conforms to our standardsScreens for foul language, conforms to our standards
• Great content fed right to your Bloggers for their useGreat content fed right to your Bloggers for their use
We Use what we learn to help the conversationWe Use what we learn to help the conversation
Listening – So You Can TalkListening – So You Can Talk
• Link to them, they link to us – bloodstream of blogosphereLink to them, they link to us – bloodstream of blogosphere Get in the middle of the conversationGet in the middle of the conversation
Great Content Can Come From OthersGreat Content Can Come From Others
• We feed posts back to MCSWe feed posts back to MCS
• MCS Uses the feed to create conversationMCS Uses the feed to create conversation
Rolling the SnowballRolling the Snowball
Cadillac Is In Full Conversational Mode Cadillac Is In Full Conversational Mode
• People are lined up to engage with your company, People are lined up to engage with your company, brand, products and – most of all – your people.brand, products and – most of all – your people.
• But if you’re not marketing conversationally, But if you’re not marketing conversationally, they don’t have anywhere to turn.they don’t have anywhere to turn.
• The time to engage with them directly is The time to engage with them directly is nownow
• A great way to engage them is Can We TalkA great way to engage them is Can We TalkTMTM
Why This Matters –Why This Matters – What’s In It For You?What’s In It For You?
iMedia Brand Summit
Presented by
Tom Hespos Tom Hespos President - Underscore MarketingPresident - Underscore Marketing
Tom Troja Tom Troja VP Marketing - Pajamas MediaVP Marketing - Pajamas Media
