Krywosa, IMC

I was recently reading Dr. R Craig Lefebvre’s blog post on social networks or mobile usage in health communication campaigns. And I couldn’t agree more with the major assessments.

In working with non-profits its hard to see past the fact that the audience you are serving is poor or maybe even negatively affected by the ‘digital divide’. But I’m skeptical that this divide even truly exists anymore. What the barrier is now,  is what speed are they accessing content at – something that you need to be excruciatingly aware of in developing interactive content.

Many non-profits or community based campaigns may be able to raise funds for television, radio or print ads that feed into a web presence. But, if this web presence requires the use of flash players for content or other media rich content they may be a big fat waste of time.

Further, what good is media unless it has a purpose? Social media and mobile media can serve a purpose where general mainstream media may only serve to build awareness of an issue or of a free service. Beyond that, these venues are also a waste of money, time and usually the big fight it takes to pull them all together in a organization that fears bad press, transparency or change.

Social media, on the other hand allows for ownership of the campaign beyond what an organization can sustain. It provides a space for ideas, support and information sharing.

Mobile media provide updates for pertinent events and deadlines that may hinder your target from taking the actions that you would like them to for their own benefit. They also allow instant access to the social media platforms that you are creating for their use.

No matter what, groups targeting the hard to reach need to create something that will better the lives of their target – not push messages to them. People are already overly inundated as it is and can pick and choose more easily than ever which messages to turn off, avoid or dismiss. By providing content and platforms that integrate seamlessly into their already over-saturated media lives would serve any purpose – profit or not – best.

I often find that people confuse marketing with sales. Or that people just dont get marketing. Lets start with what marketing is not:

1. Marketing is not the tshirt, pens, pencils, backpacks, and other free swag I can give away department.

2. Marketing is not the logo police.

3. Marketing isnt including your marketing department at the final hour to proof read, set up logistics, or carry out your plan.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way – what IS marketing?

1. Marketing is a conversation between your organization and the people that it SERVES. Thats right…serves.

2. Marketing is solving a problem, not your’s, but your CLIENT’s.

3. Marketing is integration of all program components and strategies. This means from the get go, even if you think your MD doesnt have content knowledge. Believe me, they do.

Beyond this, you may work with people who may be in the marketing department, or have been marketers their whole lives but who do not subscribe to the same marketing ideals as you. Some may think its primarily PR, or sales, or advertising. You need to determine what marketing is to YOU as a marketer and stay true to this – even if it means ruffling a few feathers now and again.

Marketing to me is researching your audience’s problem, creating an innovative answer to this problem, and communicating with them to help them achieve this new answer with you. It is not serving it to them and walking away, nor is it giving it to them because you and 2 other people thought it was what was needed. Its a give an take. Its trial and error. But most of all its a challenge and a love.

If you dont think this way, get out while you can.

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After reading this weeks installment of Ad Age, I’m finding I’m doing a double take on how I think about Facebook. I’m wondering if they can keep up with all the hype surrounding marketing to their social graphs. People seem to think of this as a ‘magic bullet’ theory on reaching the masses. I hope they all don’t drink the kool-aide.

Consumer marketing has no real place in these networks. There. I said it. Unless these groups can find a way to be useful or sponsor usable widgets, I dont see it happening. The real value of the social graphs is to see how consumers discuss brands and how companies can (gasp) make products better. Reach consumers in a conversation they actually want to be a part of. Not pushing more banner ads or ‘click here’ collateral.

Social marketers already know this. They know these networks are fantastic in building awareness and communities of conversation around topics and barriers to behavior change. Consumer marketers – the good ones at least – also know that online social networks like Facebook will ultimately serve one purpose for them – brand building. Not brand building in the sense of creating loyalty or building visibility, but more so creating a venue for healthy conversations between a brand and its community of users. Healthy meaning frequent two way communication with room for those who are anti-brand and that ultimately helps create new ways of relating.

Bottom line – if people want your product they can buy it. They’re already talking about it – why not be a part of that conversation?

I’m getting used to fighting the idea that the Marketing Department at my non-profit organization is more than just freebies (see title). I know people are not used to having a MD here, so confusion is bound to run rampant. Its OK though, I know its my job to educate. With patience.

Also, I’m finding a lot of non-profits don’t seem to understand that tactics need a strategy. Its nice to have your logo on a t-shirt, but whats the ultimate response? Web traffic? Phone calls? An influx of clients?

Further, in social marketing – or basically, the marketing of non-profits – your mission should be more than traffic. What does traffic ultimately prove beyond awareness of your service? It doesnt prove that more students are going to college and graduating. It doesn’t prove that more people are donating to saving the whales. It doesn’t prove that more people are basing their political votes on their awareness of Darfur.

These things need to be made priority, not an afterthought.

I never wanted to be a marketer. As a child, I wanted to be a ballerina. A singer. A MTV video director. Never the ever hated marketer. Never.

Now, I find myself in that role. Having never considered the career of marketing, I also never knew about the hatred people have for marketing and those who are a part of it. As I encounter it in conversations at work, with new people I meet and fellow marketers, I realize this hatred comes from the fact that many so called ‘marketers’ are practicing (sales) marketing in a very traditional, boring and wasteful way. Obviously, people in this new media world of web 2.0 and prevalent viral marketing hate them. But they are not me and my fellow marketers.

You see, I am in a world of a clean version of marketing. Call it social marketing. Call it college access marketing. Basically any form of non-profit awareness, buzz building and behavior changes (for the common good!) is where my people fall in the marketing world. We don’t ’sell’ – per se. We bring to light ideas that people already have within them. Barriers that they don’t know there are ways to overcome. We provide this insight and help find ways to go beyond what people have typecast themselves into believing is achievable for them. We do this in a variety of ways that reach people where they already are. We provide information in a way that people use, that is easy, and that is different.

But, isn’t that what marketing really is? Someone should tell those other guys.