Here’s some tips from a podcast pro!
Although the percentage of internet users who have ever downloaded a podcast is small (and the percentage who download a podcast on a typical day even smaller) podcasting could make sense for your brand.
Before you get started, take a look at the demographics and industries that spur the most podcast downloads. If your target audience owns an iPod or MP3 player, is under 50 years of age, and is interested in technology, then offering a regular podcast could make sense. Other important qualifying factors include broadband usage and income.
Okay, so you’ve decided that podcasting is a good way to promote your brand. Here’s some valuable advice from Mike Blake of Adams Capital, a boutique valuation services firm in Atlanta. He, along with Scott Burkett, an Atlanta entrepreneur and Chief Operating Officer of StarPound Technologies, an Atlanta BPM software and services company, founded StartupLounge, a popular podcast series for entrepreneurs. Mike says their initial goal was simply to provide helpful information to entrepreneurs. An unexpected benefit, Mike says, is that listeners get to know him through the podcasts. As a result, “when there’s an opportunity to do business they feel comfortable contacting me.”
Mike advises companies who are exploring podcasting as a marketing tool to remember that the podcast represents your brand. He urges companies who are interested in podcasting to find a company, or invest in professional equipment, to ensure the final podcast is appealing and professional.
Podcasting isn’t a marketing tool that works for everyone. Making sure the content is beneficial to consumers, and not an infomercial, is important, says Mike. And don’t expect to be an overnight success---it takes time to develop the right format and to build an audience. “You have to commit for the long haul,” he says.
If you’re interested in creating a podcast, listen to a variety of podcasts to get a sense of the format and style that will work best for your brand. But instill your own personality. Although offbeat humor is a staple of StartupLounge podcasts, your podcast has to be humorous, says Mike. Focus on offering valuable content and an energetic delivery that keeps people ‘tuned in’ and keeps them coming back for more.
See also: Trends: Podcast Audience Is Small, But Slowly Increasing Subscribe to Brandeo’s free weekly newsletter or RSS feed
The American audience for podcasts is small but continues to increase---slowly---says a recent survey from Pew Internet & American Life Project. Podcasts, for the uninitiated, are audio and/or video digital media files that users can download, stream or syndicate, from the podcaster’s or podcast aggregator’s website. 19% of all Internet users have downloaded a podcast to listen to, or view later, up from 12% in August, 2006. Of that 19%, just 17% download a podcast on a typical day. The audience for podcast downloads skews 22% of online males, versus 16% of online females. And the target audience is younger; 23% of those who have downloaded a podcast are less than 50 years of age versus 13% of those 50+. Not surprisingly, 43% of internet users who own an iPod or MP3 player have downloaded a podcast. The Audience for Podcast Downloads: Demographic Groups (as groups of internet users) Total internet users 19% Men Women Age 18-29 Age 30-49 Age 50-64 Age 65+ High school graduate Some college College graduate or more Live in households earning less than $30K 19% $30,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999 $75,000 or more 3 years or less of online experience 4-5 years of online experience 6+ years of online experience Broadband connection at home Source: Pew Internet Project Data Memo on Podcast Downloading, 8/28/2008 BTW, one of the groups most familiar with podcast downloads are college students, according to Pew. Some colleges provide lectures in podcast format, while some instructors are requiring students to submit work in podcast versus traditional term papers. Source: Pew Internet Project Data Memo on Podcast Downloading, 8/28/2008 For the full Pew report visit: http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Podcast_2008_Memo.pdf Image: iPod touch – Apple Store
Who Listens To Podcasts Anyway?
% Who Have Ever Downloaded a Podcast
May 2008
22%
16%
27%
20%
15%
8%
15%
19%
23%
17%
19%
23%
11%
13%
22%
22%
Do you know how consumer attitudes toward the economy can potentially impact the effectiveness of your marketing tactics?
Is the US in the midst of a recession? Maybe, maybe not, according to whom you believe. What’s more important for marketers to know is that US consumers, including those earning more than $100K per year, are cutting their spending based on mounting inflation fears and concerns about housing, says a recent comScore study.
Understand what’s on the mind of your consumers and ensure that your pricing strategy and value proposition are still relevant and competitive. The comScore study and others have identified the increased likelihood of consumers to research products online but make the actual purchase offline. Now is the time to for you to consider what measures you need to take to ensure consumers find your brand when they’re researching your category. Be sure talk to your consumers and keep track of ROI to make sure your tactics are keeping your brand competitive and enabling you to reach your objectives.
For more info on current consumer attitudes about the economy take a look at the information from comScore below; it provides some datapoints to think about as you plan your marketing for the remainder of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.
comScore Study Reveals All Consumer Income Segments Cutting Back as Inflation Fears and Housing Concerns Intensify
Majority of
RESTON, Va., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq:SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the results of a study examining recent changes in consumer attitudes and perceptions about the state of the
percentage of people in the lower income brackets, concern is also catching up with the highest income bracket -- which showed the greatest increase in cutback over the time period analyzed.
|
|
Percent of Respondents |
||
| Household Income |
April 2008 |
July 2008 |
Change |
| $100K+ |
66% |
72% |
+6 |
| $50K - $99,9999 |
77% |
81% |
+4 |
| <$50K |
84% |
86% |
+2 |
"These findings illustrate how this economic downturn has eroded consumer confidence among all consumer income groups," said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. "Even those consumers with the highest income are Inflation More Concerning to Middle- and Lower-Income Households Study findings also showed that while inflation continues to be the top economic concern for the majority of Americans, it is becoming an ever-increasing concern among middle- and lower-income households. The percentage of respondents indicating that inflation was their biggest concern increased by 5 points to 67 percent among households earning
increasingly feeling the negative impact of economic factors and are changing their buying behavior accordingly."
While the percentage of households earning $100,000 or more who indicated that inflation was their biggest concern actually declined 11 points during the same time period, it appears that their inflation concerns have been displaced to some degree by increasing concerns about real estate and home values, which more than doubled from April to July.
Top Economic Concern by Household Income Segment
|
|
Percent of Respondents |
||
| Household Income Rising Prices |
April 2008 |
July 2008 |
Change |
| Total |
64% |
67% |
+3 |
| $100K+ |
67% |
56% |
-11 |
| $50K - $99,9999 |
62% |
67% |
+5 |
| <$50K |
65% |
70% |
+5 |
|
|
Percent of Respondents |
||
| Real Estate/Home Value |
April 2008 |
July 2008 |
Change |
| Total |
6% |
5% |
-1 |
| $100K+ |
6% |
14% |
+8 |
| $50K - $99,9999 |
10% |
7% |
-3 |
| <$50K |
4% |
2% |
-2 |
"While all
spending, is now also showing a rapidly increasing concern about the downturned housing market," added Mr. Fulgoni. "This raises the specter that this important group will further cut back their discretionary spending and cause overall consumer spending growth rates to slow even further."
Consumers Say the Internet is Helpful in Finding Pricing Information in Tight Economy
With consumers increasingly cost conscious, many are turning to the Internet for pricing information. The survey findings revealed that nearly three out of four consumers believe the Internet has made it 'a lot easier' or 'somewhat easier' to find better, more useful pricing information. Question: How important do you think the Internet will become for Source: comScore Survey on the State of the Current U.S. Retail Economy, July 2008 Subscribe to Brandeo’s free weekly newsletter or RSS feed
Question: To what extent has the Internet allowed you to find better, more useful pricing information?
Response
% Respondents
Internet has made it a lot easier
35%
Internet has made it somewhat easier
39%
Internet has not made it easier nor has it made it harder
24%
Internet has made it a somewhat harder
1%
Internet has made it a lot harder
1%
Additionally, 75 percent of respondents said they believe the Internet will become an even more important channel for pricing information, with 41 percent of respondents saying it will be 'a lot more important' and 34
percent of respondents saying it will be 'somewhat more important' in the future.
Response
% Respondents
A lot more important
41%
Somewhat more important
34%
About the same
24%
Somewhat less important
<1%
A lot less important
<1%
Here's something for healthcare brands to think about:
The increasing cost of medical care, growing numbers of uninsured or underinsured Americans, the global outsourcing of record-keeping and x-rays, the recruitment of doctors and nurses from other countries, and the increasing quality of hospitals in other countries is paving the way for the growth of medical tourism says The Economist. They report that Americans can save as much as 85% by 'shopping around’ for medical care and that the number of Americans traveling for care will grow from 1 million in 2007 to 10 million in 2012, costing American hospitals $160 billion in annual business.
Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), has teamed up with the Medical Tourism Association, an international, non-profit association made up of the top international hospitals, insurance companies, healchcare companies, medical tourism companies, etc., to launch an initiative to offer medical-related travel into Latin America. Expect more of these partnerships as costs mount in the US and interest grows in cost effective alternatives.
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Admixture is an online ad network for advertisers targeting ethnic and lifestyle demographics, including Hispanic, Asian, African-American, and Gay & Lesbian channels.
Source: Screenvision.com
More women who are “well educated and trained for career tracks” have opted to stay home, according to a recent CNN article. More than 10 percent of SAHWs who were interviewed in one recent study were also childless. And with the rising cost of gas, food, and other living expenses, stay-at-home wives may be the latest “status symbol,” says Daniel Buccino, a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine clinical social worker and psychotherapist.
But SAHWs are not home eating bon bons all day; many regard homemaking as an important responsibility that frees the husband from ‘honey do’ lists and allows the couple to have more quality time together. They also devote time to volunteer work, and pursue hobbies.
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Last week, McCain ran an ad that suggested Democratic rival Barack Obama was merely a celebrity and no more fit to be president than fellow celebrities Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.
Here's Paris Hilton's rebuttal to the “white-haired dude” on FunnyorDie.com.
Only in America.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/64ad536a6d
Image: Funnyordie.com
A recent TechCrunch post reflected on the reasons Facebook and MySpace have failed to emotionally connect with Japanese users, commenting:
Mixi, the country’s biggest social network, positioned itself as a tool for communicating at a distance through diaries and communities to meet like-minded members. It doesn’t primarily exist to make new friends (poking is restricted) or as a platform for public self-presentation.
A perfect example of a cultural misconception: Mark Zuckerberg recently said in Tokyo o
ne of Facebook’s unique selling points is the usage of real names and photos in profiles. This may be true but it’s exactly what Japanese web users usually try to avoid.
Whether or not TechCrunch’s observations are correct, it is a fact that all too often a company cobbles together a brand positioning statement based on superficial or incorrect perceptions of their target audience, whether the users are global or local. The company’s tribal knowledge, assumptions and incomplete or poorly executed research masquerade as insight. This makes it unlikely they will be able to establish a framework on which to emotionally connect with their target audience.
Building a brand that resonates emotionally with users requires the leadership team’s commitment to the overall branding process. It also means the company must consider perspectives which may be different from their own. And it also requires an ability to ask the right questions.
I can’t help you with the first two requirements. But I can suggest some questions that will help you understand your target user’s cultural, emotional and attitudinal perspectives regarding the category and category brands. Keep in mind that you may need to utilize indirect, as well as direct, questioning techniques since the target audience may be unable or unwilling to express their perspectives.
One critical result of a well-defined target audience is understanding the emotional benefits that are important to target users and how your brand delivers on these emotional benefits. This does not preclude the importance of identifying demographic, geographic and technographic attributes. But keep in mind that you don’t want to amass a laundry list of information.
Ask questions that reveal opportunities to emotionally connect with your users and you’ll be well on your way to developing a richly compelling and successful brand.
See also:
brand – what is it?
positioning statement
point of difference
pain point
target audience
frame of reference
reason to believe
brand essence
portfolio architecture
commoditization
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With many consumers more focused than ever on saving money, coupons are re-emerging as a popular marketing tactic. And according to the 2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse Survey from Simmons/Experiean Research and Coupons Inc. quoted in Marketing Charts, the number of American consumers searching for coupons online has increased to 36 million in 2008, up by 10 million from 2005; that’s 24% of all American coupon users. And nearly half of “Coupon Clickers” are between the ages of 22 and 44.
And there’s residual benefit from couponing beyond the short-term sales boost: 58% of respondents believe brands that provide online coupons are more likely to provide new products that they will enjoy, and 57% say those brands care about keeping them as a customer.
So make sure you get the most out of your couponing program; here’s some tips to help:
First, get all those coupon marketing myths out of your head. According to Marketing Charts, direct marketer ICOM says a common misconception is that short-term expirations drive immediate sales. Actually---marketers may be cutting their redemption times shorter than is needed for consumers to act.
Another myth is that higher value always equals higher redemption. Not so, says ICOM. Value is important but the highest redemptions come from tying value to optimal expiration.
Also, if you’re trying to entice users from the competition, then focus on attracting their light to moderately loyal users. The lights and moderates are more likely to give you a try and will respond to a lower value offer than the competitor’s most loyal users.
See also:
2008 Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse March 2008, Simmons Market Research Bureau and Coupons, Inc.
For more coupon strategy tips visit Coupon-Redemption Conventional Wisdom Sometimes Foolish, Marketing Charts
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I sure hope the folks at “Cuil” (pronounced “Cool”) have thick skin. The search engine upstart debuted on Monday to mostly scornful reviews which had to be a little bit of surprise. They must have wondered where all the folks were that had been clamoring for a Google killer.
Cuil says they index 120 billion Web pages (Google says they’re still bigger,) 3x more than any other search engine. And privacy advocates will be pleased that Cuil doesn’t retain personal user information. They’re definitely worth a look. http://www.Cuil.com.
Source: Cuil/PRNewswire
Seafood restaurant brand Bonefish Grill is debuting “Bonefish Grill's NOTES FROM THE ROAD” on August giving viewers a glimpse of life on the road for musicians on tour. Each hour-long episode is shot on location at a Bonefish Grill. Upcoming guests include: 3 Doors Down, Josh Kelley, Gavin DeGraw, Vanessa Carlton, The Bravery, Ben Folds, Jason Mraz and Matisyahu.
Oh, and each episode will include a segment highlighting Ocean Trust, an award-winning ocean conservation foundation that builds science, conservation and industry partnerships for the sustainability of the oceans and provides a link to sustainable fisheries, wildlife and the environment. Nice, integrated green strategy that goes way beyond the predictable. Green or not, who wouldn’t want to tune in?
Image credits: Jason Mraz talks about his career and life on the road during the taping of Bonefish Grill's "Notes from the Road,
Bonefish Grill logo. (PRNewsFoto/Bonefish Grill)
Source: Bonefish Grill/PRNewswire)
Alas, things aren’t looking quite as sunshiney for other restaurant brands as food and labor costs, bloated market share, high gas prices and anemic consumer spending kick Metromedia to the curb. The company has filed for Chapter 7 and shut down 50 or so Steak and Ale restuarants and 150 Bennigan’s. About 138 domestic and international franchisee-owned restaurants will remain open, and the closures don’t affect Ponderosa and Bonanza restaurants which operate under a different company.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, 7/29/08, (May require Subscription), Bennigan's Franchising Company, L.P.; Steak & Ale Franchising Company, L.P./PRNewswire
Oh please---another brand goes [yawn] green. But wait…it’s not what you think: Researcher comScore is planting $1 million+ trees in developing nations retain Internet users in its global panel. Anything’s better than the “and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win” spiel that many online research companies use to try to draw you in.
comScore Press Release 7/29/08
More bad news from Starbucks. The company is cutting 1,000 jobs in addition to the 600 store closures announced earlier this month in what AdAge says insiders are calling a “bloodbath.”
AdAge, 7/29/08
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