<b> Bold Interactive Inc.

The entertainment industry is notorious for poor relations with its most loyal customers. And nowhere is that more evident than MTV.

Sunday’s live broadcast of the Video Music Awards was a complete trainwreck. And it’s not Britney’s fault. The program was unfocused, split among several Las Vegas hotel suites and a lackluster mainstage. I’m not going to go into all the disastrous details (there were many), but MTV didn’t take care of its artists or its audience.

Justin Timberlake vocalized the desire of millions when he urged MTV to play more videos. The obvious argument is that music videos must not be a profitable model. But when was the last time you heard someone say “I really wish MTV would stop playing music videos”?

I’m not surprised that Kanye West was left feeling like promoting his music on MTV is a waste of his time. The channel barely has any music-related programming, instead filling the schedule with superficial reality dramas about So Cal teens.

This has created a cycle of diminishing the value of music videos in the industry.

My brother, who has worked on several music videos, informed me that budgets are being cut for videos because they’re not seen as a very strong marketing tool anymore. Consumers view them on small screens on their iPods or laptops as opposed to TV. This has resulted in a lessened desire on the part of music companies to budget a big production.

But this thinking is a demonstration of the continued resistance of record labels to embrace the future of the music industry. Yes, they can cut their budgets because web programming is significantly less expensive, but writing off music videos altogether is a mistake.

In fact, the entertainment industry in general has difficulties catering to its audience, and rewarding and supporting its brand evangelists.

Recently, I paid $29.95 for my daughter to join the Miley Cyrus fan club. The reason I signed her up was to have access to pre-sale concert tickets, which I assumed would be some of the best seats in the house. This morning, my husband tried to buy pre-sale concert tickets for our daughter and myself (I was at a client meeting). But none of the tickets were close to the stage. So I’m taking my chances when they go on sale to the general public. My daughter doesn’t even use the fan club site, which has usability issues as it’s completely done in Flash. So there’s $30 down the drain.

Later this morning, my husband was visiting the USA Network web site, watching outtakes from Psych, one of our favorite shows. But before watching the actual clip, he has to sit through advertisements - about the USA Network. It’s kind of like walking into McDonald’s and having to watch their commercials before ordering. When a customer is sold - stop selling!

Thankfully, the internet is a powerful tool in the hands of talented people. More and more, we are seeing those who might be ignored by corporate entertainment conglomerates get their shot in front of millions of people who haven’t been given what they really, really want.

Next time there’s “nothing on TV”, try Revver, Metacafe, Veoh, YouTube, or MySpace and discover your next favorite performer.

Technorati Tags: MTV, music videos, entertainment, miley cyrus, psych, USA network, marketing

The secret to controlling marketing conversations in social media is: You don’t really want to control the conversation in the first place.

Here’s what I mean.

You know the ol’ saying “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is”? Smart consumers mistrust products and services that seem flawless. They’ve learned how to assess risk and that ability actually makes them feel smart and confident.

Part of their risk assessment includes appreciation for transparent marketing campaigns. With an inherent understanding that nothing is perfect, a loyalty to admittedly flawed brands develops.

These top tier consumers are your primary candidates for brand evangelists.

Insert brand dissenters. They spread negativity about a company. Maybe they got up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe they have a generally pessimistic outlook. Either way, brand dissenters build your brand rather than tear it down.

There is a certain credibility for brands that are flawed by self-admission (note that this does not mean self-defeating though a touch of self-deprecation can be charming). Brand dissenters support the truth behind these transparent flaws, offering up ironic credentials for companies they loathe.

Dissenters also build by furthering the conversation. They often ruffle the feathers of brand evangelists. The back and forth discourse between the two sides raises brand awareness and aids in word of mouth marketing and other viral/buzz marketing efforts.

What happens if your company is lacking brand evangelists? Many companies are tempted to “fake” it. This is a big mistake that always backfires. The painful truth is that a lack of passionate, loyal consumers means that a company has an internal problem. The product or service is not what the people want. This may not even be reflected in sales because it can be disguised as a lack of potential sales - very difficult to measure.

When it comes to conversational marketing and social media, negative publicity does not in and of itself kill a brand. A brand’s social media success is highly correlated with the essential business practices that have existed for centuries. Fulfill a need with a fantastic product.

Technorati Tags: social media, conversation marketing

A favorite card game of mine is Apples to Apples. It’s not played with a traditional deck of cards, but rather with red and green cards. The red cards are nouns and the green cards are adjectives.

Everyone starts with 7 red cards. A green card is placed in the middle by a judge. Every player gets a turn to be the judge (you go around the circle until the game is over).

The players who are not the judge choose from their hand which card is best described by the green card. So if the green card is “pretty” you might put down “Jessica Alba.” But, the judge uses his or her own opinion to decide which played red card is the best matched to the green card.

My friend Chris made a wise observation when playing the game. He said, “Know your judge.” He knew that what was “pretty” or “nice” or “stupid” to one person might be completely different than the preferences of another.

Chris was a teacher. I learned pretty quickly that if he places a green card with a flattering adjective, that I should play any red cards related to teaching that I had.

The marketing lesson is obvious. Know your audience! What makes them tick? Play your cards right and you’ll be seeing dollar signs in no time.

Technorati Tags: online marketing, target market, target audience

Everyone is buzzing these days about conversation marketing. But it’s nothing new. What is new? The type of conversation.

Before, it was just corporate campaigns talking at consumers. But the power of the internet has changed the conversations in marketing into a two way street. And companies who aren’t listening are going to feel the pain.

Think about it like this: Have you ever hung out with “that guy” who does all the talking? You can’t get a word in edgewise. And you can’t establish a real relationship with that person, because they don’t seem to value what you have to say at all.

This is exactly what it’s been like for consumers for years. But the internet has changed that. It has given people a place to say what’s on their mind and connect with like-minded consumers they never would have met otherwise.

This tends to strike fear into the hearts and minds of senior level management at companies. But that’s fine. It’s way better than denial, and change is rarely absent of fear. After companies have had the great epiphany, they can take advantage of new opportunities.

Imagine knowing exactly what your customers want, and then delivering it. Now, I’m not an economist, but that sounds like cha-ching to me. But be advised - what customers want is not what you might think. You might have 25 years of experience in your industry. But the only constant in every industry is change.

This isn’t a call to set up a focus group. This is a call to do some serious web surfing. What are bloggers saying about your company? Who’s talking about your products or services on MySpace and Facebook?

The first thing to do is just listen. It will be tempting to respond. Instead, take the feedback and let it ruminate.

Then develop systems within the company to engage in these conversations. These systems may affect everything from IT to Marketing and even making sure you have the right employees to handle the newly aligned goals.

Whatever it takes, make it happen. Because you don’t want to be “that guy.”

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, social media, online custom publishing

Setting boundaries may seem counterproductive to the YES Mentality, but therein lies the irony. Good boundaries actually empower your YES.

Create Partnerships Instead of Overpromising

If a client comes to us and wants a print brochure or a trade show display, that falls outside our service offering. But if we partner with other vendors in the marketing and communications industry, we can make recommendations instead of just simply saying “We don’t do that. Too bad, so sad.”

Or worse. We could say “Sure, we’ll do that for you.” And then scramble to provide services outside of our niche. But that’s a false yes. A true yes means being honest about our business, not promising what we can’t deliver.

Creating partnerships instead of just saying NO is helpful because it means there’s a higher chance of a solid integration between both offline and online campaigns.

Choose Who to Say YES To

In the consulting world, sometimes you have to break off a relationship with a client. They don’t implement your deliverables and then they complain about not seeing results. When you’ve done all you can for a client like this, sometimes you have to say YES to the idea of saying goodbye to them.

When you do so, you free yourself up to say YES to more amicable clients. Those relationships will be more productive and successful, benefiting both parties.

Boundaries help define which YES you should choose.

Saying Yes to the Right Boundaries

Recently, I learned of a workplace where an employee was told not to take initiative. That’s the kind of boundary that is too tight. Meanwhile, other employees are given authority beyond their expertise. That’s a boundary that’s too loose.

One way to explore boundaries is through consensus. At one of my previous jobs, my department participated in an exercise where group consensus was proven to be the best course of action. First, we worked independently to decide which tools and supplies would be most important in the event we were stranded in the Amazon jungle. We rated each supply according to what we thought was most crucial. Then we came together as a group to rate the supplies. Guess what? The group score was better than any individual’s score. As a group, we could have survived much better than we could have as individuals.

The same is true in business. Engaging in conversations with your customers, clients, employees and partners will help you reach conclusions that are even better than the ones you come up with on your own.

Setting boundaries will give power to your YES. But you must say yes to the right boundaries. Practice the tips from yesterday’s post on embracing the Yes Mentality and engage in conversations with various and relevant groups. From there, you’ll find your way.

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, online custom publishing, business

Yesterday, I wrote about applying the principle of Yes And to your business. Today, I’m going to take it a step further and talk about saying YES more and saying NO less.

A while back I was reading a magazine article that encouraged parents to say YES to their children more. The idea was to allow them to explore their natural curiosities and that the fears parents have regarding consequences are often overblown. I have to admit, I often find myself saying No and then realizing I had no good reason for it. I was just used to saying No out of habit.

So, how do we break the No habit? We replace it with the YES Mentality. Here are 3 easy tips to help you embrace the change.

1. Consider every idea for fifteen minutes. I’m actually stealing this idea from Dr. Phil’s advice to brides who are planning a wedding. If you’ve ever been involved in wedding planning, then you know that emotions run high and everyone has different opinions on how the big day should be.

   Your customers, clients, employees and other relevant parties also have a variety of opinions. Try giving fifteen minutes to some ideas that you would normally say no to.

2. Change one thing about your daily routine. I’m a rock and roll fan, but about a year ago I tried listening to classical music on the way to work for a week. It was based on a suggestion that simply altering one thing about your routine would cause you to think different. And it worked.

   Whether it’s a different music genre or a new route to work. Change up one thing about your daily routine for a week and see what new thoughts you can say YES to.

3. Engage in creative thinking. Last week, I subscribed to the Creative Think blog. Roger von Oech is the author and his posts make you think about things in a different light. This week, for example, he is encouraging his readers to think about how they would re-design the calendar system.

   Remember that embracing the YES mentality takes practice. Roger’s exercises offer a great platform for practicing your new-found principles of acceptance.

Remember, successful people say YES when others say NO. Theodor Geisel showed his first book to 27 publishers before someone finally said yes. That one yes eventually led to a huge collection of Dr. Seuss books.

Are you BOLD enough to embrace the YES Mentality?

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, online custom publishing, business

I am a student of improv, and one of the core principles of good improv is the concept of “Yes And.” There’s an exercise taught by many an improv teacher with 2 students involved. The first student delivers a line, any line. The next student’s response must begin with “Yes, and…”

For example.

Student A: “I love you.”

Student B: “Yes, and I’m in love with someone else.”

I’m glued. I’m hooked. I have to find out what happens next!

But what happens if Student B were to deny or ignore the reality of Student A. S/he might get a quick laugh, but the scene will suffer in the long run.

Student A: “I love you.”
Student B: “Chocolate ice cream is my favorite.”

If we were to explore the scene further, it could end up like this…

Student A: “I’ve loved you all my life.”
Student B: “There’s a new desserty downtown, and I’ve heard they have the best ice cream.”

Enough with the ice cream! Do you love this person back or not?

What “Yes, and” is really all about is acceptance. It’s vital for every improviser to accept what other actors offer on stage.

Business people and marketers can also embrace the concept of “Yes And.” By accepting the experience (i.e. reality, perspective) that others bring to the table, you will ultimately produce a better big picture for your company.

We see examples of companies saying “Yes, And” to their customers all the time. The iPhone, flavored coffee, free wireless internet, pink laptops, and TiVo are all great examples.

If you’re worried that saying “Yes And” means giving into every whim of the consumer, don’t be. “Yes And” works best when all parties are involved in acceptance. Customers have to say “Yes And” to companies as well. But they can only do this when companies are engaged and transparent. “Yes And” works best when all players are giving to the conversation.

This seemingly easy concept takes a lot of practice. People are often surprised that there are such things as improv classes because they think you should just be able to get up on stage and spew out whatever comes to your mind. In reality, it takes careful study and application.

In the same way, marketing with the “Yes And” principle in mind will take practice and tweaking. “Yes And” is about listening and acceptance. It’s not about giving in to every request. It will be about saying yes to some - or even many.

“Yes And” enables companies and customers to become partners. Together, they can produce something extraordinary and that’s a win-win for everyone.

Are you BOLD enough to say “Yes And”?

Technorati Tags: online custom publishing, conversation marketing

For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath to find out which laptop will replace my crashed Gateway, I have an announcement to make. After researching my options, I finally decided on a Dell Inspiron 1420. The notebook got solid reviews from CNet, PC Mag, and Notebook Review.

My 1420 will be pimped out with an integrated webcam and a pink, yes PINK, coat of paint. Hey, I work for Bold Interactive. I couldn’t go with a boring old black or white. It’s not a convertible tablet PC, but I decided against tablets because I think it would slow down my notetaking.

Unfortunately, the estimated shipping date for my 1420 is September 12. I knew this was a possibility because Dell is having a hard time finding bargain CPUs. There are plenty of frustrated Dell customers, some of whom have canceled their orders because their laptops aren’t shipped by the estimated date.

And I’ll give Dell a microscopic nugget of credit. They maintain a corporate blog with comments enabled. Hardly any of the comments are positive.

Why would Dell open themselves up to such harsh criticism on their own web space? I have a few speculations:

1. They can listen to consumers. By providing a platform for consumers to voice their opinion, Dell improves its customer relations. Not censoring negative comments is a key component of genuine and transparent conversation marketing.
2. They can address concerns. Dell has admitted, at least with their XPS M1330, that there are significant delays.  They also informed readers when they fixed an error in Linux pricing. Then there was the time they responded to well-publicized criticism from a former employee.
3. They have more control than with earned media. Distributing press releases and pitching reporters leaves their message to be interpreted by third parties. Often news stories will contain snippets and quotes that may or may not tell the whole story. Blogging helps Dell give context and the opportunity to explain themselves fully.
4. Blogging is quicker and less expensive than advertising. Hosting a blog is cheap, especially when compared to television, print, and even online advertising. It’s also quick. Write a post and publish it. With advertising, you have to prepare the creative, and then going through the buying process.

While all of that is impressive, especially in the light of some companies’ fears of foraying into social media, it doesn’t get my Dell shipped to me any sooner.

I chatted with a Gateway representative to see what the estimated shipping date for the 15.4 inch NX570X would be (with similar configurations), and he said 8/30/07 - that’s two weeks sooner sans pink and integrated webcam.

Then he said if I upgrated to a DVD burner it would be shipped 8/17/07. That makes me feel like people who pay more get faster service. If that’s true, it’s nothing that should be revealed to the consumer. But in these new days of transparency, you might want to revisit your company policies and terms of service.

This is the age of conversation marketing. Are you bold enough to handle it?

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, dell, gateway, corporate blogging

And then she leaves us hanging. She didn’t tell us what to think. She has the gall to make us think. On a Friday. When Bourne Ultimatum is released.

She asked her readers to consider how you might optimize your non-blog site. One of your strategies might be thinking like a blogger. What does it all mean???

I have some ideas.

Bloggers value community over competition. Site owners might be tempted to first engage in competition, but they could be missing out on valuable traffic and sales if they make it their primary focus.

Let me explain.

DazzlinDonna suggested that her readers look to ProBlogger Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett’s Authority Blogger Forums for inspiration. I have subscribed to the blogs of both dudes for many months and I can tell you the difference between the two. Darren directly monetizes his blog while Chris uses his blog as a platform to market his consulting services - his blog provides him with indirect monetization.

Both are what I consider to be blogging gurus. But both offer something completely different within their niche. And while they both attract many (ok, thousands) of the same blog readers, those visitors will find themselves with an affinity for one or the other depending on their blog goals. For example, I prefer Darren because I like his direct approach. But I still read Chris because he has good content tips.

Think about McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Their burgers are different. Their fries are different. Their milkshakes are different. Yet, they both do well in the fast food industry and share millions of the same customers.

It’s the same with Walmart and Target, Circuit City and Best Buy, Petco and PetSmart, Office Depot and Staples.

What about industries where one company seems to dominate (Google, Starbucks, Microsoft)?

I’m glad you asked.

Bloggers engage in conversations with their readers. And it’s not for show. Conversation includes listening and having the humility and courage to adjust your site accordingly. It requires discernment mixed with common sense, but usually your readers will bring a good consensus to help guide you where they’ll follow.

In the past months, I’ve watched as Darren Rowse and eMom Wendy Piersall have asked their readers what they want. As a result, Darren is attempting more video blogs and Wendy is embarking on launching an e-zine with multiple authors.

The reason Google dominates the search industry is because Yahoo!, Ask and MSN don’t give the results the readers want. They follow the leader instead of carving their own path. Even Ask.com’s latest “algorithm” change is an attempt to be Google instead of being Ask. It would never work for Chris Garrett to try to be Darren Rowse or vice versa. Instead, they are themselves, and it works.

In recent years, we’ve watched Apple start to catch up to Microsoft - and for good reason. They’re developing products that consumers want - (iPod, iPhone), and they’re offering computers that are an answer to the pesky issues that have plagued PCs for years (computers crashing).

What Does This Have to Do With Optimization?

Everything. There is no point in ranking high in the search results if your site offers products or services that people don’t want. And in today’s social environment, people want transparency, accountability and good customer service along with that TV, laptop bag, necklace or whatever material good it is that they have purchased. When your customers have an issue with a purchase, do you make it easy or hard for them? Better yet, are you listening? If not, then who cares about Google rankings. Because it won’t take long for bad reviews to pop up on the front page of results.

Be bold. Engage in the conversation. Listen to your customers. Then you’ll have all the good rankings (as a result of gobs and gobs of links because people LOVE you!) your heart desires, with solid word of mouth and social media campaigns to boot.

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, seo, bloggers, competition, community, social media

USA Today is reporting that the producers of Transformers will take the opinions of fans into consideration while planning the sequel. A poll is up asking fans which robots they would like to see in the next go around.

It’s tempting to think it’s promising that Hollywood producers will actually listen to the fans. The proof will be in the pudding when the sequel is released a couple years down the road. The entertainment industry is notoriously stubborn when it comes to embracing user-generated content and even worse in their minds, editorial.

Slowly but surely we’re seeing the winds of change. NBC.com is a prime example of a major network getting on the social media bandwagon. They also do wonderful integration campaigns with offline media. I can’t sit through an episode of The Office without being encouraged to go online. And I do go online.

USA Today is not just running Transformers polls, they have implemented their own social network site. I’ll probably sign up after I finish this post because I have something to say.

And that is: I want Female Transformers in the sequel. That’s right. Bring on some Arcee, Blackarachnia, and Elita One! And I’m not the only one. The second comment on the USA Today site is from AngelBot. She wants a feminine touch, too. Are you listening, Lorenzo di Bonaventura?

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, transformers, nbc, usatoday