What's Wrong with Vuvuzela Marketing?By Bob Snyder

Speak up, I can’t hear you!

The Sound of the World Cup

You can argue the real World Cup winner was the stadium horn of South African soccer, locally known as a humble “Lepatata...”

... now in OED and

famous the world throughout

as the vuvuzela

Primitive & Effective...• ...As a sound device.• So, what’s wrong

with Vuvuzela Marketing?

• It’s single note...• It’s annoying...• It’s out of date...

Tribal interest• Just as

marketing is used by companies to create customer interest in brand, products and services, the kuduzela stimulated interest in the tribe from members.

But Tribes Change...

The World Changes

Today’s modern DURBAN

The GAME itself Changes

Changes in Our IT World• Context-aware computing• Pattern-based strategy• Social Networking• Cloud Computing

The Confluence of Four

• Cloud, context, pattern, and business social networks are linear notes, but the confluence of the four that will create a different sound for what we do with information technology.

• The purpose of technology was to add efficiency and cut costs: now it’s more to do with revenue, value and citizen involvement than cost optimization of back-office processes.

Increasing Segmentation

• By Product• By Customers• By Channels

Segmenting? No Fracturing!

Advent of Social Networking• A New Conversation Begins....• Business Implications

The Power of Facebook• More than 400 million

active users• 50% of active users log

on to Facebook in any given day

• Average user has 130 friends

• People spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook

Social Media Experts• Make a guess as to HOW MANY

experts on social networking we have?

Twitter Vuvuzela?

• Only 8.7% of TWITTER messages could be said to have "value”

• Self-promo 5.9%• Spam 3.75%• Talk 37.5%• Babble 40.5%Source: Pear Analytics

Only 8.7%?

Brands & Twitter

Source: Razorfish Digital Brand Experience Study

How online content maps to the IT buying process

The TechTarget Media Consumption Report

Anti-Social Networking• Out of 255 Enterprise 2.0

applications– 70% are capable of

transferring files– 64% have known

vulnerabilities– 28% are known to

propagate malware– and 16% can tunnel other

apps.

Source: Palo Alto Networks

Mobile Phones & Devices

• Swiss Army knife utility• New form factors• When combined with

social networking...powerful!

iPad Fuss Missed The Point

It’s About What He’s NOT Holding in His Hands...

The Power of Applications

Cloud Computing

GET YOUR HEAD OUT

OF THE CLOUDS

Changes in the Tribe

Hook Instead of Hammer

• Lead Generation: The hammer was the telephone with endless cold calls beating executives into appointments by attrition.

• The hook is an opportunity for the executive to learn something insightful about their own business, industry, or competition.

Partner Preparation

• We slice, dice and tier our partners

Level Playing Field vsLevels of Playing Fields

Fill-in–the-Form-itis

It was supposed to be HIGH TECH, HIGH TOUCH...circa 1980 author and Apple PR guru Regis McKenna

The Greying of the Channel

Ben Stiler, Then and Now (42)

They Know More...

They Have More Access

Access to...

...Your Sources of Supply

...Your Components

...Your Record

...Your Competitors

...Your Other Partners

What the Partner Wants

• A stable regime• Simple, clear

programmes• Less paperwork• Communication• “Don’t Step on

My Toes”

Vendor Certification

• It was a pretty good trick to get channel to pay for their education to sell your products, but...

...Where is the Certification for PARTNER MANAGERS?

• You send channel partners to other web sites.• You measure how many partners refer other partners

to you (Net Promoter Score) and reward that.• Your only customer service policy is to do right by your

customer.• Your channel are doing things with your product that

you never imagined and they are posting videos.• Partners are posting you on social networks.• You know you compete for your partner’s attention

with others.

Signs You Are A Partner-Centric Business

Vuvuzela Marketing

The vuvuzela rocks stadiums with its loud and raucous sound that reflects the exhilaration of supporters...

Its high sound pressure levels at

close range can lead to permanent

hearing loss for unprotected ears

after exposure.

Sound pressure of 120 dBA (the threshold of pain) at 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the device opening!

Vuvuzela Marketing...

• Was right for its time...• But today it grates on

customer and channel alike...

• The note it hits is PAINFUL, not playful

Instead...

• SymphonyOrchestra

For some reason...• Personally, I favour lots of STRINGED

INSTRUMENTS

Thanks for Listening!

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