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Ubiquitous marketing guru David Meerman Scott, author of 2007's instant classic, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, has hit it out of the ballpark again with his smart new book, Real-Time Marketing and PR.
I cannot say enough praiseworthy things about Scott's 200-page treatise.
In it, he makes an iron-clad case for why today's marketers—if they want a fighting chance of staying competitive—have to go real-time.
"Scale and media buying power are no longer a decisive advantage," he writes in the opening chapter. "What counts today is speed and agility." (If we were taking things a tad slower and checking grammar, that last sentence would read, "What count today are speed and agility." But I nitpick.)
Readers will find much more in Real-Time Marketing and PR than clever arguments favoring the wider use of social media.
Between the covers are important lessons in how to:
- Profit from the public's curiousity
- Grab more mainstream media attention
- Interact with customers the way they want you to
- Engage friends and enemies—and win the hearts of both
- Analyze your online reputation
- Tap the "wisdom of crowds"
- Come out ahead after a "PR crisis"
- Transform your organization, so it can begin marketing in real-time
Much of the advice in Scott's book is anathema to die-hard fans of strategic planning, risk management, and command and control.
That doesn't make the advice wrong-headed. In fact, the many examples of real-time marketing successes—and blunders—Scott offers should convince you he's onto something.
We mustn't let overplanning, caution and bureaucracy stand in the way of connecting. "We need to unlearn what we've learned in the last half century about communication,' Scott writes.
Pick up Real-Time Marketing and PR. Let the unlearning begin.
Twice in a two-week span, I've witnessed a conference producer slight Canadians in the course of introducing the keynote speaker.
First incident. The conference producer said, "Our keynote speaker has a strange last name. But, then, he's Canadian."
Second incident. The conference producer said, "I want to thank a first-time sponsor. They come from Montreal. Their participation today proves even Canadians can be innovative."
Do both these guys share the same public-speaking coach? What does the coach have against Canadians?
"We tend to think of effectiveness as something we 'do' to people. But in fact it is who we 'are,' not what we do, that changes the world and the people around us."
—Lance Secretan
"Authentic" is derived from the Greek word for "original."
Pretending to be "authentic" by looking edgy or sounding sincere doesn’t mean your brand will be trusted.
You could be an original jerk.
By the standards of Q4 2010, being authentic means you stand for more than just profits.
Do you?
The truth of the matter: customers are more authentic—and more intelligent—than 99 percent of the marketers who target them.
So lying about your organization's values in your marketing messages doesn't help. It only worsens things.
You're not only a profiteer, you're a phoney profiteer.
Today I'm announcing Giveback 2010.
Under Giveback 2010, I’ll donate $2,010 in marketing services to any registered nonprofit devoted to increasing literacy, anywhere in the United States.
To claim the donation, an official of the nonprofit need only contact me and explain the nature of the project or projects wanted.
I can be reached at 202.537.1169 or bob@themightycopywriter.com.
Only one organization will receive the in-kind donation.
Giveback 2010 is my way of "giving back" and aiding the important cause of increased literacy in our nation.
The donation is restricted to the marketing services that I provide, which are described on my Website.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The mainstream media has surrendered all claims to serious journalism, as I noted in a recent post. (Coincidentally, that's the theme of a new movie, Morning Glory, which I highly recommend.)
Today's mainstream media news programs are entertainment vehicles.
Thirty years ago, the story was different. One example makes that clear.
- On August 16, 1977—the day Elvis Presley died—CBS Evening News opened with a seven-minute story about the Panama Canal, followed by a one-minute story about the King of Rock 'n Roll's death.
- On June 25, 2009—the day Michael Jackson died—CBS Evening News opened with an eight-minute story about the King of Pop's death. And for the next 13 days, CBS Evening News devoted more than two minutes of each broadcast to Jackson's demise.
The question for marketers: are you providing customers an entertainment vehicle?
Or are you marketing like it's 1977?
