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Updated: Agile Methods to Solve Sticky Business Problems? We'll Try it!

We're going to try something on a project we're kicking off here at work: "Agile" programming methodologies in the service of sticky business problems. We're not coders, but we're going to apply what we understand of the approach. We'll use "stories" to get our focus on the problems we need to crack for the marketers we work with, the stories we want to be able to tell when we've solved them. We'll have a list of these stories and work through them one at a time. We'll do that in quick (2 weeks), focused efforts (aka "sprints"). And, we'll if we don't get it right, we'll iterate through them again until we've got it right. We'll be focusing on "shipping", that is getting the project done and implemented. We'll focus less on the beauty of a comprehensive, centrally controlled process (ie. "waterfall), and more on getting working "software" (ie the tools and methods) into the hands of the teams we work with. Lastly, we're going to try to dramatically improve communication via "huddles" and may even try full team huddles to communicate with a much larger audience. The IT group will probably laugh at how we're doing it, but we're going to take a shot and get it right over time if the first efforts aren't spot on. 

Any suggestions on how to apply agile programming methods to a non-programming problem? 

Updated: 8:30 PM

Lots of good suggestions from folks around the web. For sure, check out Rohn J Millers post on the subject from last year. Lot's of good ideas in there. And, here's a pretty good overview from PJ Shrivasta. Finally, i look forward to re-reading Greg Meyers Agile Marketing Manifesto in a couple months to see how we're doing. 

 

The Digital Brand Advertising Maturity Model: Phase 1 -"TV on the Internet"

A lot of big brands are still trying to figure out digital marketing. They are taking a hodge-podge approach to their efforts, with a little bit here (SEM), and little bit there (their website) and maybe a little excitement dashed in (their facebook presence/twitter stream). But, before big, mass market brands can truly wrap their heads around the concept of being "modern brands", they should get comfortable with what they are doing with basic web display advertising. That is, "TV on the Internet".

TV on the Internet

Big, slow, classic mass-market brands have built their whole marketing model around TV. Their planning calendar is driven by their TV buying and TV production cycles, delivering "campaigns" that are like carpet bombs of 30 second tv spots. Their research tools, processes, and partners are designed to deliver the one true "insight" that will make a great TV spot. The creative messaging is driven and shaped by all the tools they use to conceptualize, vet, test and create their TV spots. The marketers and researchers there have built - literally- whole careers on being great at managing and guiding these processes, blending, when it's done well, the science of marketing and the art of advertising together to create breakthrough work that infiltrates our culture. Via TV.

It's a big, well oiled machine that we all take for granted, and we assume, because the machine has always worked so well, that it will also output great digital marketing. But it can't create great digital marketing. Because it was designed.for.creating.TV. That doesn't means the digital marketing that comes out of this systems is bad. It's just not what digital marketing could be.

Before brands shoot for "great", it's worth understanding what "good" looks like. Here are the characteristics of digital campaigns that are "TV on the Internet":

• A single, broad target - Typically, defined by demographics, like "Moms with kids in the house, 30-55".
• Key Objective: Awareness - These campaigns are really very much like TV, in that they are  designed to deliver an impression. And that's pretty much it. All the cool interactive stuff that you can do online? Clicks, conversions, online ad driven actions don't really matter in these campaigns.
• Creative: Persuasion - The goal of the creative is to persuade and change attitudes, not drive action.
• Campaigns: The campaigns tend to flow at the same rhythm as TV; run for a couple months, and then go dark.
• Media: "Set it and Forget it" - These campaigns don't get optimized when they run. They are planned and run and aren't really optimized that much over the course of the campaign. 
• Media: Focus on Reach - Like TV, the main objective of the media buy is almost always to maximize the number of people reached by the message. The placement - where the creative runs - is important, but generally, reach is favored over relevance.
• Measurement: Offline impact - These campaigns don't measure impact by what happens online.  Like all ad efforts, the most value is placed on what happens offline. Cash register rings. Sales in the big box, or the market, or the retail outlet. 
• Learning Cycles - The learning cycles of "TV on the Internet" campaigns, as far as i've seen, tend to be like an annual cycle. The iteration and learning cycles tend to be six to eight (or up to 12 months). 

 But, while digital marketers might scoff at these campaigns, they work for marketers for a couple important reasons:

• They are relatively easy to manage - Agencies and marketers can work and execute these campaigns pretty easily, assuming the marketers don't try to over-work the banners.
• They work - A lot marketers are finding that banners work well. At the very least, they drive brand metrics. But, they also drive sales offline, too. 
• They are predictable - Brands can these campaigns pretty easily, and they are getting more and more predictable in their ability to drive results. 

These aren't the sexiest digital campaigns. You'll never see these on the front cover of AdAge. But, these campaigns can form the foundation of great brand-building efforts. They can drive regular results, can be pretty predictable, and can provide marketers with "ground cover" to do more, innovative, and more interesting things.

But, "Modern Brands" should be providing more than advertising, more than their own message. That's the next phase in the maturity of digital brand marketers. 

Next up: PHase 2- Data Driven Brand Marketers

 

 

From Buzz to Something Real: The Peril of "Earned Media"

Like most marketers, we're trying to figure out just how real the promise of "earned media" is. Truly earned, positive exposure for your brand is almost unicorn-esque: it takes a fantastic product, a clearly articulated brand story, and a lot of elbow grease to get it started.But more and more, we're talking to brands about how "earned media" can be a powerful benefit from great marketing.

But, we're nowhere near close to being able to answer the legitimate questions we'll be getting from smart marketers about how to equate the value of earned media to the stuff we're hoping to displace. So, when marketers ask "what's the value of earned media", we don't have the tools to really answer that question.

We know, generally, that exposure for the brand that we don't have to actually pay for is good. But, can you put a media value on the amount of blog posts, tweets, mentions, comments, etc? How do we go from vague "buzz", to real, legitimate "media value" from the conversation?

(Yes, i know the whole question is kind of crass. But, it's still legitimate. More importantly, as paid media gets less effective/efficient, we'll need to understand how to prioritize our efforts in the social space. Which brings us back to how to value the conversations... )

Here's the nut that needs to be cracked:

* the promise of "earned" media is that it could, theoretically, replace "paid" media, if we could get our arms around it.

* to get our arms around it, we need to be able to track the activity over time and see real trends emerging from the data and, eventually, make connections in the data, leading to legitimate insights

* to track it, we need a consistent definition of "earned media", and a clear, consistent categorization of the forms that earned media takes, from blog posts, tweets, comments, "likes" etc.

* To measure it, we need to see the differences over time, and equate some sort of value to each of the instances we see it. Even if that value is relative (*this* is better than *that*) and not financially quantifiable. Ideally, we'd be able to identify some causal relationship between "earned" media and cash register rings. But, until then, we'll need some sort of objective way to rank/force rank the desirability of the forms earned media takes.

* all we have - right now - is an "impression" as the common media unit. We have to be able to do better than that.

So, what I guess I'm looking for is a tool that will help us track and categorize the "earned" media we're getting like we track our paid media. I've got all sorts of tools that show me activity, some that can show me sentiment, and one or two that can give me semantic insights in the deluge of text. But, how do i know how much it's worth? It's the unicorn tool, i'm afraid.

Philip Skippon, c.1600-60

the guy that made the New Model Army happen for Cromwell. .Link: Philip Skippon, c.1600-60.

The X Factor: Don't get hustled by the social media frenzy

Sean Cummings offers a mixed bag of advice in his latest post: The X Factor: Don't get hustled by the social media frenzy.

I Really Will Take This Blogging Thing Seriously, But First

I try to keep this blog pretty bland and non-personal. There are plenty of reasons why, but mainly i live a very boring life and the world doesn't need that boredom inflicted on it. With all that is going poorly across the globe, i don't feel my pissing and moaning would make things better or worse. So, i pretty much stick to dumb stuff like "irish hotties", "golf porn", and "Multiple ipods on XP". At least, that's what my referrer logs say.

But, evidently, this site is read by others, and i've gotten a few emails from former coworkers and old friends asking where i've been. Short answer: in a dark hole, and at a new job. Longer answer: Below.

September & October:
- Traveling back and forth to De Pere WI every weekend, watching Cancer kill my mother from the inside out, and my father helpless for the first time in my (and his)
- Some insights into the problematic way i've been avoiding stress, emotions, and a couple other things. THey come home to roost, and I have to start dealing with them.
- Fantastic new job starts.
- I finished my second Chequamagon Fat Tire Festival, cutting 14 minutes off my time. Start looking to next year.

November & December:
- Still on the road to De Pere every weekend
- Feeling pretty low,  but at the same time, more optimistic than ever about my future.
- Sad to see my beloved brother crushed, too, dealing with difficult times himself
- Mom dies. Dad crushed. Family shattered.
- Meet Bob, a wise man, who can help me make sense of a couple questions i've struggled with for a while. Glad to have met him!
- Holidays are weird with mom gone. She's as present as ever, but not there at all. Stressful and tenative. Moreso than ever. But, Dickensian ending where we all hold hands and gain deeper, richer appreciation for the importance of having family to lean on and share pain with. Good times. Seriously.
- New job is awesome.

January
- Trip to Uruguay with Dad and my brother and family friends. Great trip, but missed the family
- A. goes to Las Vegas
- Trip to Google, blown mind. Great possibility. This internet thing is going to be huge!
- Feeling pretty good about the future

February
- Start riding my bike again (!) and feel better already. Looking forward to Fat Tire fest in September
- Stop riding my bike due to work and sickness
- Fantastic weekends at the cabin in WI, skating on the pond, making fires on the pond, great quality time with family.
- Feeling very positive about the future

March
- More time at cabin (!)
- Great trip to AZ, with a bunch of bike riding thrown in.
- Start shopping for a carbon fiber bike to buy this summer
- Work is still going well
- The future is bright, I'm looking at shades

April
- Take Cooper to Kids Choice Awards 2007. Best trip of a lifetime ever.

A couple other things:
- Amy Winehouse is fantastic, and her new album is dynamite. Buy it today.
- Listening to a lot of old Buffalo Tom
- Love the John Hodgeman book/audio CD. Extremely false and equally funny.
- Still trying to get in shape. That 15 lb weight loss is unicorn-esque, but I will capture it one day!
- Looking at boats. Seriously. Runabouts, you know, for the kids! At the lake!

All is good. Its getting better all the time.

Thanks for reading. Seriously.