Chimp Management, Instagram and Visual Marketing

Good day to everyone, welcome to the CLD Weekly. Woah, hold up there - weekly? Well after the myriad of topics last week, I realise I may have come across a little strong and completely battered you with content? I let blogger control me, I've got to control the blog. So lets cut it down to one per week.

More informative, and more opportunity for discussion. 

I've mentioned it before, but it's terrific to know there's more to life than academic books after the degree. This week saw me purchase Chimp Management by UK Cycling Psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters. I think it's the best book I've purchased to date. Managing the emotional response to all situations is so simple and so effective, if you learn to understand how the mind works. For a marketeer, learning to elicit a positive emotional response from their consumers is perhaps a key driver in the use of personalised marketing, a topic that was touched on during last weeks escapades (feel free to trawl through the posts, informative reading that).

Rather than learning our own mind, I think what's key is learning what makes the target market tick. Positioning the brand positively within the minds of the consumer is essentially the cornerstone of the marketing world. It follows that brands are desperate to market to the vast array of human beings on Instagram. To give you an idea of just the reason why - check out this fact:

Instagram has 130 million users who spend almost 260 minutes a month on the photography based platform.

That is simply outrageous. Similar user statistics also exist within a realm of other platforms such as Pinterest, Tumblr.. The list goes on. What ties all these together? It's the visual. They are all highly visual. Facebook is a closed network which inhibits virality, it's a world within itself. Visual interest-based networks are public, which leads to a very high degree of virality, high amplification, and bigger reach. A marketeers paradise.

Visual marketing first crept into the landscape when YouTube entered the social mainstream consciousness a number of years ago. Around a year ago, Vine took this to the next level by allowing the user to generate six second snack size videos. Instagram's new 15 second feature has marketeer's scrambling for creative inspiration to apply and leverage the new trend. By harnessing the power of the visual social media, images can transform concepts and intangible objects like a brand inspiration or value into something that people can envision and position in their mind.

Check out Urban outfitters simple, quick and easy use of Vine!

But how is it possible to position in consumer minds? I think this is the time to get creative! How is it possible to utilise the visual to position ourselves in the minds of our consumer and burst through the online clutter? I had a think, and took it to the basics. The product/service is something the consumer is going to use *alarm bells ringing* - by showing the product in a real world context the consumer is able to oversee the product in a context they can understand much more about the product within seconds. Apparently, it also makes it harder to doubt the product too - bonus! Let's take an example - check out Square's homepage, I think this is an excellent. The product is clearly being utilised in the natural famers environment. What a terrific niche product too?

I had a little think about the key - that we want people to remember our product - and what that requires. What does that require? I came up with a few ideas, but the recurring theme was to look different. Dropbox use memorable visual styles and (in)jokes to present the consumer with a reason to remember their product. By using child-like illustrations as a visual language and by doing so are differentiating themselves from other storage devices. MailChimp bring their brand to life by using a humouristic visual of a mailman monkey! It's almost a case of who can be the most creative. Creativity is endless, what is the limit to creativity? To me, there is none, and everyone loves a creation. So get creative, let's all see how many times we can say creative in three sentences. Creative creative creative.

DropBox use memorable visual styles!

MailChimp's humouristic visual of a Mailman Monkey!

Creativity is the future for me. Having it in your bones is a trait that should not be underestimated. I'm going to have a creative week and see where it takes me. I'll report back next week - remember that everyone - not tomorrow, but seven whole freakin' days. I don't know how you'll cope. Making it this far down this post tells me you'll be just fine.

Does anyone have any other great examples of visual marketing? What does it mean to you? Please add, argue, debate with me in the comments below :)

Cal

BSc Sport Management Graduate - Loughborough University

Twitter: @callumldraper (https://twitter.com/callumldraper)

Facebook: Callum Leslie-Draper (https://www.facebook.com/callumldraper)

LinkedIN: Callum Leslie-Draper (http://lnkd.in/H74fAc)

Marketing Trends: Personalised Marketing - what a Boggling topic..

Welcome to August all - how are we today? Has anyone ever played Boggle?

I'm feeling pretty triumphant this morning after taking the Demicoli's apart in last night's Boggle extravaganza. What a game - it went right down to the wire until I pulled 'weenie' out the bag for three points and that was it, game over. I wonder if a career in Boggle exists.. one to add to the job search pile. Since last night I've downloaded Boggle for iPad and iPhone, my record is 68.

It's what has happened since that purchase that is of interest from a marketing perspective though - I have been bombarded with emails, recommendations and all things 'can we take more of your money please?'. Case in point:

 'We see you have purchased Boggle.. How about these £50 extreme word-association apps?'

All of a sudden I'm a word-loving, anagram-solving, weenie-creating devil of a man. Everything is extremely personalised and tailored to my recent activity. It's the same when you purchase something online, on Amazon for example. Minutes later you receive an email on further products of potential interest, a week or so and there's a feedback email through - and don't forget that similar products are now plastered all over your Facebook like you're going to want to purchase the same pair of flip-flops again in alternate colours.

Visit an online store once and return to see that the website knows that you are male and like those £80 Nike Running trainers over there. The next email through - boom - it's been personalised with products that you visited while shopping online. The power of the world wide web has you now, it's capturing your habits as it reads the data, applying it's intelligence which is far superior to yours, unless your Tim Berners-Lee and serves up information that is relevant to 'you' on a plate.

And there we have it team, personalised marketing.

5. Personalised Marketing
What's clear is that this trend is being driven by technology using 'big data' to increase marketing effectiveness. Marketing-savvy brands are adopting such personalised marketing campaigns to generate their appeal to their target customers. A truly personal brand experience is an elusive commodity for consumers, and it's the desirability to obtain the elusive that drives the use of personalised marketing for brands. By cutting through cyber space and striking an extremely desirable chord with target consumers, it allows the consumer to perceive the brand as treating them as an individual.

Cutting through cyberspace...

Now I know you're all waiting for that word content again, so here it is. Personalisation is fairly simple, and it's clear to see how it works. Customers and visitors benefit because they receive the content that they want, quicker. Brands are able to respond to consumer needs and engage in dialogue which allows the brand to be more competitive in the marketplace.

Lets narrow it down ever so slightly and take this blog as a brand. As I understand, consumers (that's you guys) would rather be inspired by more personal navigation. It would be great if I could see your internet history (questionable) and discuss topics and use examples relevant to your choices. That way my blog could generate millions of views, I'd be an inspiration and we could all go home. This is the type of experience brands attempt to generate on a daily basis.

Relate that to the travel sector, travel is about experiences, seeing the world, meeting new people, finding new places and savouring the moment. These are the feelings that the travel sector seek to evoke with their consumers through their digital content. Personalisation is the key to offering such a service, Easyjet (link) have deliver a personalised home screen to registered users, based on past transaction and it's clear that both parties, both the brand, and the consumer benefit. Easyjet reported it's best ever sales record in it's 2012 homepage test with five sales per second.

Easyjet utilise personalised marketing incredibly well -
boosting their sales figures exponentially.

Unbelievable. There's the proof - integrate personalised marketing into your marketing campaign and value your consumer. The logic is simple and the rewards are clear. Terrific.

Don't think I haven't realised I've hardly spoken about social media today either, everyone needs a break. I'll cook up a surprise for tomorrow. I know that's all you procrastinating students require.

Take it easy all, have a great day.

CLD - BSc Sport Management Graduate - Loughborough University

Twitter: @callumldraper (https://twitter.com/callumldraper)

Facebook: Callum Leslie-Draper (https://www.facebook.com/callumldraper)

LinkedIN: Callum Leslie-Draper (http://lnkd.in/H74fAc)