IanSchafer.com

A Checklist for Reinvention in a Recession.

My latest post for AdvertisingAge's DigitalNext blog is now live: A Checklist for Reinvention in a Recession.

I firmly believe that alongside some pretty nasty side-effects, this economic downturn can also bring about good things in the form of a digital marketing renaissance. Over at AdAge, I explain why.

Here's a brief excerpt:

Marketing innovations during recessionary times have been proven (and reinforced by smart folks at places such as Harvard Business School) to lead to increases in market share, shifts in brand loyalty, reinforcement of core values and better opportunities to learn more about your customers. In fact, some of the best brands and products have been launched successfully during recessionary periods. MTV, the iPod and Crest White Strips are but a few examples of those.

That's why many experts suggest the thing you shouldn't do during a recession is cut back on ad spending. But it happens nonetheless. Hey, the bottom line is the bottom line. And when that happens, everyone feels it. Publishers, agencies and, of course, advertisers -- both traditional and digital.

Historically, it's the time when everyone starts talking about direct response, search engine marketing and every other bottom-of-the-sales-funnel, ROI-attached ad tactic as "the responsible thing to do."

But while those may be important components of a holistic advertising strategy, what often gets left on the cutting-room floor is a budget for everything else marked with the scarlet letter E (for "experimental"). Display advertising, promotional microsites, social media and other forms of interactive marketing often get that E label.

What are my tips for digital marketing in a recession?

Check them out here.

Is the AIR Too Thin?

Mashable recently posted a list of the top 10 Adobe AIR applications.

For those of you unfamiliar with AIR, it is Adobe's Integrated Runtime environment for building rich Internet applications using Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, HTML, or Ajax, that can be deployed as a desktop application.

Its promise is the two-way constant stream of data right to the desktop, across all platforms, with a simple installation process. Install the runtime once, and each additional program is a click away from living on your computer.

But where are all the applications?

There are a few that I use every day, including Tweetdeck for all my Twittering needs.

But this seemingly perfect application environment is neither boasting the applications that can generate a significant number of downloads, nor a significant amount of adoption.

While Adobe's Flash player has 99% penetration, numbers are not available for AIR. But my hunch is that it lingers in single digits. It's an opt-in download, and people need a legitimate reason to install it.

But where's the OEM support from the PC manufacturers? Where's the ad campaign? Where's the communication from Adobe as to why we should install it in the first place? It's a great development environment, and the technology holds promise not just for computers, but for all kinds of connected devices.

If the driving force behind a successful (branded) application is utility, then AIR could be the engine driving it for millions of people.

But instead, half of the most popular AIR applications are social media interfaces created by amateurs. Whither the corporate support?

If Adobe wants AIR to take off, we're going to need official AIR apps -- and they should probably look to the iPhone App Store on iTunes for some helpful hints.

The Jam on Bad Social Media Marketing.

So I was listening to 'Start' by The Jam and the lyrics got me thinking of every example of a failed attempt by marketers to use social media marketing tactics to execute on a flawed social media strategy -- especially those brands with image problems.

Take a listen, and see how/if it gets you to rethink things.

It's not important for you to know my name -
Nor I to know yours
If we communicate for two minutes only
It will be enough
For knowing that someone in this world
Feels as desperate as me -
And what you give is what you get.

It doesn't matter if we never meet again,
What we have said will always remain.
If we get through for two minutes only,
It will be a start!
For knowing that someone in this life,
Loves with a passion called hate
And what you give is what you get.

If I never ever see you -
If I never ever see you -
If I never ever see you - again.

And what you give is what you get!

What do those lyrics mean to you?

Social Media for Social Good at the Ad Council.

I spoke today at the Ad Council's Partner Conference, where many of the causes the Ad Council supports get together to discuss the burning issues around raising awareness of their very important initiatives.

At this event, the focus was squarely, 100% on social media, and understandably so.

In doing my part to set the table for the day's discussion, I gave the following presentation where I talked about some significant research findings, best practices, and case studies including our recent major effort with the Ad Council, SHARE YOUR VOICE.

Enjoy!

Social Media for Social Good

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: social media)

Deep Focus Partners with The Ad Council to Launch the Exponential Action Network.

What you see above is one of the first widgets deployed as part of the Exponential Action Network, a major social media initiative we created in partnership with the Ad Council.

When we were invited to work with the Ad Council we were flattered, and inspired.

We wanted to reimagine the Ad Council in today's era. For decades, the Ad Council worked because of donated media by cable and broadcast networks. But what if the Ad Council was rebooted today? We live in a world where people aren't just consuming media -- they are creating media. And if media were people-powered (like so much of the web is) we could create a whole new distribution and interaction mechanism for PSAs and their associated causes.

But wait, there's more. What if people that were donating their own media could actually see how much of an impact their advocacy had on others? And what if we got millions and millions of impressions donated by the likes of Facebook, MySpace, imeem, Netvibes, Clearspring and others to promote it?

Thus, the Exponential Action Network was born.

Check out the press release here -- it pretty much says it all.

We're proud to be doing good, and we're proud to be working with the Ad Council. Support a cause and share your voice today!

Watch My Panel on Branded Experiences in Social Networks.

From the Social Ad Summit last week in NYC, watch this fascinating (yes, 'twas) panel on Branded Experiences in Social Networks, featuring:

Me
Don Steele, MTVN
Scott Monty, Ford
Deborah Korb, JP Morgan

There's some great insight here into what brands think of branded experiences in a social networking environment, what they're spending, and how they're spending it -- now, and in the future.

iMedia Connection on Me on Deep Focus on Social Media.

Take a moment to read an interview I did with iMedia Connection on Deep Focus, social media, innovation, and killer creative.

Here's a brief excerpt:

Harris: Building a community of fans is an important step for these entertainment campaigns, and is gaining ground in other business sectors. It's a natural fit to leverage existing communities that support a particular brand, but what suggestions do you have for starting from scratch?

Schafer: When building a community from scratch, perhaps the most important thing you can do involves asking "why." For example, you should be able to answer the basic question of "why are you building this community in the first place?" You should have a clear understanding of the goals you aim to achieve by connecting to your consumers -- and connecting them to each other. These could very well be different than your typical business goals. Rather, they may be goals that don't result directly in attributable sales but, rather, in the alignment of a brand with, and focus of a community on, a particular cause or lifestyle inherent to the brand.

The other "why" question that should be asked is "why would I join this community?" What does the consumer stand to gain by being an active (or even a passive) member of this community? What appropriate incentives exist for participants? You can prepare for this question by doing the appropriate market research before embarking on a social media "hunch."

From a technology and strategy perspective, it is also important to embark upon a discovery process to identify your development and distribution partners, who may very well be one in the same. Should you roll-your-own social network? Should you build on a modular platform? Should you build a community within an already existing social networking property? An understanding of your goals, your consumers and their behaviors and of your brand's personality will make finding the answers to these questions an easier task.

Read the whole shabang by clicking here.

Recap: Creating a Successful Social Media Website.

I recently participated in a KickApps webinar called Creating a Successful Social Media Website along with the brilliant Stephen Merrill, the GM of Budget Travel.

It was a great discussion, very well attended, and if you missed it, you can check out the recap here, watch an archived video of the session (registration required), or download the slides here.

If you've been thinking about building your own community, or extending one's reach, this one's for you.

My First Webinar: A Blueprint For a Successful Social Media Website

I'll be co-hosting a Webinar with the fine folks at KickApps on July 23rd at 2PM ET/11AM PT. Here are the sordid details:

On July 23rd at 2PM ET/11AM PT, we’ll be hosting a webinar where we’ll share tips and best practices for creating and running a successful social media website. If you’re in the process of putting together your social media website or are looking for ideas to take your website to the ‘next level,’ this webinar is for you.

Topics we’ll be covering:
1.Designing your social media strategy and experience
2.Leading and managing your online community
3.Programming your website’s social media experience
4.Social marketing for growth

We’ll be joined by a couple of special guests who are leading minds in their respective fields:

Ian Schafer is the CEO of Deep Focus, one of most innovative marketers around whose award winning agency has developed numerous social media marketing campaigns for brands like HBO (Flight of the Conchords) and Vitamin Water. Ian will share some ideas and thoughts around putting together a social media strategy and marketing a social media website.

Stephen Merrill is the general manager of BudgetTravel.com. Stephen recently launched My Budget Travel, inspired by the magazine’s daring, user-generated June 2008 10th Anniversary issue that showcases a reader-submitted cover photograph, and feature-length articles written entirely by readers. The KickApps powered social media section of the website gives readers and travel enthusiasts the opportunity to share their fondest travel experiences and adventures, and discover new ones. Stephen will talk about how to integrate social media and user-generated content successfully with editorial programming.

Sign up for the webinar at: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=49150.
Once you’ve registered, just click on the link above to attend the webinar. If you need to use another machine, just re-register. We’ll send you a reminder a day prior to the event.

If you've been thinking about whether or not to build a social media website (or a social network itself) rather than advertise within a MySpace, Facebook, or Bebo, this one's for you.

Engage & Entertain: The Deep Focus/Yahoo! Study.

You asked for it, you got it.

As Multichannel News put it:

Viewers who go online to find out about new TV shows before they premiere are more likely to watch them regularly, and to even convince their friends to watch those programs, according to a study by Yahoo and Deep Focus.

The “Engage and Entertain” study also found that there’s a direct correlation between advertising for a show–whether on TV, through a portal or billboards–and online searches regarding a program. When asked what prompted respondents to go online to learn more about a TV show, 55% said because they “saw or heard an advertisement,” according to the study.

The research was conducted by Yahoo and Deep Focus to help TV studios figure out the best way to engage consumers online, even during the traditionally slow summer TV season.

The takeaway is that TV studios should use the Internet early on to build loyalty to new shows.

And, according to the study, TV studios should be engaging with consumers even before the new TV season begins. For example, viewers who seek out information on a show online before its actual TV premiere convince an average of 5.1 of their friends to watch that show, the survey found. The study also determined that people who seek information online about new shows before they debut are 46% more likely to watch the show regularly.

Below are the viewable, zoomable, printable, and shareable topline findings of The Deep Focus/Yahoo! Study, Engage & Entertain.

Turn TV Shows Into Brands - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Turn TV Shows Into Brands

Online Engagement For TV Shows By Genre - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Online Engagement For TV Shows By Genre

If you've got questions, let me have it.