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Archives for February 2013

How to Leverage Brand Conversations

brand conversationsConsumers talk about brands. They talk about brands to friends, family, and even strangers both online and offline, but how can marketers leverage those conversations to build brands?

That’s one of the questions inTV and InSites Consulting tried to answer in a recent online survey of 1,600 people in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. According to the results presentation, which you can see below, 90% of conversations about brands happen offline.

The good news is that brand sentiment is usually positive among people discussing brands and those discussions typically boost opinions about the brand among the wider audience in a positive direction.

Specifically, consumers indicated that brand conversations teach them new things about a brand or product and often motivate them to seek out additional information about the brand or product and to share information about the brand or product with other people. Moving down the purchase funnel, consumers also reported that brand conversations make them consider, choose, or buy a specific brand, and these conversations reassure them that they’ve made the right brand purchase decisions.

While the report clearly shows that brand conversations drive awareness, purchases, and word-of-mouth marketing, the intangible gains in terms of positive brand sentiment and developing an emotional connection between consumers and a brand are equally important. By leveraging brand conversations to not only share information and increase sales but also using conversations to reassure consumers and connect with them on an emotional level, brand marketers will build brand loyalty that will keep brand conversations and brand purchases going. It’s this perpetual marketing driving by brand conversations that brand marketers should leverage, fuel, and reward.

You can view the complete report by following the link above, which breaks results up into six categories: automotive, smartphones and tablets, banking, watches, travel destinations, and airlines.

What do you think are the best ways to leverage brand conversations? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Image: Flavio Takemoto

The Bounce Rate Blues: How Psychology Can Help

In the context of Google Analytics, the Bounce Rate Metric, also referred to as ‘Bounce Rate’, is the percentage of single-page visits to a website. For example, a 75% Bounce Rate would indicate that 75% of site visitors are leaving your site after visiting only one page. [1]

Although Bounce Rate is measured through Google Analytics and other software, psychological determinants lie at the root of this online behavior. The Usage and Gratification Theory (UGT) is an audience-centered approach to understanding why and how people actively turn to media (i.e. the Internet) to satisfy specific inherent needs, which fall into 5 categories: [2]

  1. Cognitive Needs: Gain knowledge and gather information
  2. Affective Needs: Generate positive emotions such as pleasure
  3. Social Integrative Needs: Meet the inherent need to socialize (i.e. social media platforms)
  4. Personal Integrative Needs: Build self-esteem by reassuring social status (i.e. social media platforms again)
  5. Tension-Free Needs: Discover means of escapism.

In regards to the Internet and corporate websites, the main idea behind UGT is that Internet users are not passive consumers; they decide which websites they like and which websites they don’t like. When they land on a website that they don’t like, they bounce right off, on their way to the competitor’s site.

So, ultimately it’s the user’s relationship with gratification that determines bounce rate. Organizations can apply as many of the latest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques as possible, but these attempts will fall short if they are not meeting the psychological needs of the user.

But how do corporations determine which of the 5 psychological needs their audience is seeking to fulfill? While applying Google Analytics and other website traffic metrics is necessary to determine the demographics and other attributes of site visitors, there is a fail-proof method that meets all psychological needs – navigation.

Regardless of whether site visitors are searching to meet affective needs cognitive needs, or any other need, if they encounter poor navigation, they will immediately bounce from the site. This makes user-centered navigation the universal solution for managing Bounce Rate.

How to Create User-Centered Navigation

According to Usability.gov of the US Department of Health and Human Services, [3] there are 12 key guidelines to effective navigation: *

  1. Provide Navigational Options: Do not create or direct users into pages that have no navigational options.
  2. Differentiate and Group Navigational Elements: Clearly differentiate navigation elements from one another, but group and place them in a consistent and easy to find place on each page.
  3. Use a ‘Clickable List of Contents’ on Long Pages: On long pages, provide a ’list of contents’ with links that take users to the corresponding content farther down the page
  4. Provide Feedback on a User’s Location: Provide feedback to let users know where they are in the Web site.
  5. Place Primary Navigitional Menus in the Left Panel: Place the primary navigation menus in the left panel, and the secondary and tertiary menus together.
  6. Use Descriptive Tag Labels: Ensure that tab labels are clearly descriptive of their function or destination.
  7. Present Tabs Effectively: Ensure that navigation tabs are located at the top of the page, and look like clickable versions of real-world tabs.
  8. Keep Navigation-Only Pages Short: Do not require users to scroll purely navigational pages.
  9. Use Appropriate Menu Types: Use ’sequential’ menus for simple forward-moving tasks, and use ’simultaneous’ menus for tasks that would otherwise require numerous uses of the Back button.
  10. Use Site Maps: Use site maps for Web sites that have many pages.
  11. Use ‘Glosses’ to Assist Navigation: Provide ’glosses’ to help users select correct links.
  12. Breadcrumb Navigation: Do not expect users to use breadcrumbs effectively.

According to the concepts of UGT, user-centered navigation means the difference between Gratification Sought (GS) and Gratification Obtained (GO) – the higher the discrepancy, the higher the Bounce Rate. Navigation makes meeting the psychological needs of all of your site visitors possible, thus keeping them on your site for longer periods of time, and increasing the rate of conversion.

 

*Information taken directly from usability.gov.

 References

[1]  Google Analytics: Exit Rate vs. Bounce Rate.

[2] Blumler JG & Katz, E: The uses of mass communications: Current perspectives on gratifications research.

[3] U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines, Enlarged/Expanded edition. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2006.

Content Marketing Investments Increase for U.K. Brands

computer keyboardIt has been proven in recent years that content marketing builds brands, and in 2013, U.K. brand marketers are giving content marketing the attention, resources, and budget it deserves.

According to a November 2012 survey of U.K. marketers by Econsultancy and Responsys, 80% of respondents reported that they would increase content marketing spending in 2013. Just 17% said they would maintain the status quo in 2013 and make no changes to content marketing investments.

In 2012, 78% of respondents to the survey were already spending budget dollars on content marketing. Most of them (55%) created content in-house, but 40% were working with external content creators in 2012. The focus has been on publishing news and blogs which more than half of U.K. marketers who responded to the Econsultancy and Responsys survey have found to be the most shareable content. Other types of content that they report is shared frequently include videos (27%), infographics (18%), and white papers (4%).

Online content consumption shows no signs of slowing down, so U.K. marketers are smart to increase content marketing budgets. The trick is creating useful and meaningful content that engages consumers, increases trust in the brand, and leads to purchases, loyalty, and word-of-mouth marketing. All of these outcomes are at a brand marketers’ fingertips, and those who learn how to create content that their target audiences want and need and deliver it to them where and when they need it will thrive in 2013 and beyond.

Have you made content marketing a strategic marketing priority yet? If not, you’re already falling behind. Content is a catalyst to conversation and is needed to open the doors for social media marketing. It’s just one more piece of a well-integrated marketing plan, but it’s importance in 2013 should not be undervalued.

Use the five essential ingredients of content marketing success, and the returns you receive from your content marketing efforts and investments will grow. In short, segmentation, focus, shareworthiness, integration, and branding should be at the heart of all content you create. Make an effort to marry marketing with publishing and you’ll be on your way to truly connecting with consumers on an emotional level, engaging them, and making them believe in your brand. Once they believe, they’re more likely to buy.

Image: Sureash Kumar

Media: multimedia news and insight

HSBC now offers video and transcript options in their news articles, providing an excellent example of innovative user-centered website practice.   For an example, view the news article Renmimbi Masterclass or Sharp Improvement for China.  This strategic multimedia approach is effective for several reasons.

  • Branding: HSBC uses the same music throughout each video, which adds a branding element to each news article.
  • Easy Access: Note that the Renminbi news release is clearly highlighted on site home page where it can pique visitor interest and provide easy access to the news article.
  • Social Media:  The share icon at the top of the page makes each news article easy to share.

The combination of video and transcript options places news releases in multimedia form, making them much more interesting. This format increases audience connection thus increasing the likelihood that they will be shared.

Brands, Pinterest, and Facebook

pins colorfulShould your brand be on Pinterest or Facebook? Of course, the best answer is to be on both, but it’s important to understand how people use each of these sites before you prioritize them as part of your brand marketing plan.

Wishpond put together a great infographic that highlights the key growth trends, usage trends, and user demographics of both Pinterest and Facebook to give you an overview of how people interact with each site.

You can see the full infographic at the end of this article, but first, here are some key highlights from the data:

  • 80% of Pinterest users are women.
  • 50% of Pinterest users have children.
  • Most Pinterest users are between the ages of 25 and 34.
  • The #1 content category on Pinterest is food-related content.
  • 57% of Pinterest users interact with food-related content.
  • Over 80% of pins on Pinterest are repins.
  • Pinterest users divide their time with three main activities: pinning (84% of their time), liking (16% of their time), and commenting (less than 1% of their time).
  • Pinterest pins with prices get 36% more likes than those without.
  • Of the 17 million brand engagements on Pinterest, 15% occur on brand boards while 85% occur elsewhere.
  • Pinterest referrals spend 70% more money than visitors referred from non-social channels.
  • 9% of people have participated in contests or promotions via Pinterest vs. 30% on Facebook.
  • 43% of people prefer to associate with retailers or brands on Pinterest vs. 24% for Facebook.
  • 69% of online consumers have found an item they wanted to buy or actually bought on Pinterest vs. 40% on Facebook.

Based on those statistics, is your target audience for your brand on Pinterest? Do the activities people do on Pinterest and the ways they interact with brands on Pinterest work better for your brand than Facebook?

Pinterest is the fastest growing social site in history, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best one for your brand. Similarly, Facebook might be the most popular social network in the world by far, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best one for your brand. Consider who is using the tool, how they’re using it, and what they want from brands when they use the tool. Do those things match your brand? Can you deliver those additional things people are looking for (or don’t know they want yet)? Choose the tool to match your brand rather than trying to make your brand fit the tool.

You can click on the image below to view the infographic at full size.

Infographic pinterest users

Image: Irum Shahid

The Psychology of a Smart Slogan

“Let’s eat out!”

This 3-word masterpiece proved to be a tremendous for success as McDonald’s first slogan in 1960. Since this time, McDonalds has used over 23 slogans to date, with the most recent being the catchy jingle sung by pop icon Justin Timberlake “I’m Lovin’ It!” which was released in 2003.

This litany of slogans represents changes in consumer demand as well as changes in overall consumer culture. McDonalds claims that all of their commercial campaigns have encompassed the “…overall McDonalds experience,” always portraying …”warmth and a real slice of life.”

More like a real slice of marketing know-how.

For a company that has visited the courtroom hot seat numerous times due to the unhealthy nature of their classic cuisine, their slogans seem to be serving them well. With over 31,000 locations worldwide and still growing, and over 4.3 billion in net income, McDonalds definitely knows the secrets of the slogan. [1]

A slogan is a phrase intended to capture the essence of the ideas connected to an organization. It is a short yet powerful way to present product features and benefits using only a few punchy words. The idea is for the slogan to make the consumer feel good when they read it. Slogans may seem to be nothing more than just another marketing approach; in actuality however, a strong current of subconscious activity runs beneath this seeming simplicity.

The importance of priming

Slogans work (or don’t work) due to ‘priming.’ The application of priming is a twofold: to influence subsequent thoughts or actions and to increase the speed at which these subsequent thoughts or actions occur.[2] The interesting element of priming is that it is almost always a subconscious process – consumers have no idea that their thoughts and actions are being controlled. Almost always…but not always.

While priming typically occurs beneath the consumer’s mental radar, there are instances when they realize they are being manipulated by a slogan. When this awareness occurs, the consumer will automatically and unconsciously react against it, trying to correct the bias that they feel the slogan has forced into their heads. Instead of returning to a neutral attitude towards the product, the consumer’s attitudes quickly heads south as they form a negative appraisal of the product. This process is termed ‘reverse priming’ and its importance is gaining notoriety in the marketing realm.[3]

In order to understand how a sloppy slogan can create the reverse priming effect, one must understand the psychological processes behind how consumers mentally process a slogan. The Elaboration Likelihood Model, a prominent theory of persuasion, outlines how this processing occurs.[4] According to ELM, the brand item, which is in symbolic form, is processed unconsciously. The associated slogan, is more complex however, as it is composed of words. Therefore, the slogan requires more complex cognitive processing, providing just enough time to raise suspicion in the mind of the consumer.  Once the consumer becomes suspicious reverse priming occurs, creating the behavioral backlash.

Avoiding reverse priming

Organizations must therefore carefully craft their slogan in a way that makes the consumer feel good as opposed to feeling as if they are being duped. Experts claim slogans that are humorous, creative, and contain entertaining elements are most successful, and will bypass the reverse priming trap. This is due to the psychological rule of reciprocity; when someone does something for us, we return the favor in order to maintain cognitive equilibrium (i.e. avoid guilt). Thus, when the slogan is entertaining, the consumer will forgive the manipulation attempt and reciprocate the provided entertainment by accepting the message, and liking the product.[3]

Interestingly, both priming and reverse priming are driven by processes that lie completely out of consumer awareness. For example, researchers found that consumers will even unconsciously revolt against mere subliminal exposure to the word ‘slogan’. In one study, when the word ‘slogan’ was flashed on a computer screen without the consumers’ awareness, the consumers reported they were less willing to spend money on the product that was subsequently presented.[3]

In regards to the implementation of slogans into corporate websites, it is important to not only avoid reverse priming, but to also be conscious of where the slogan is located on the page. Remember, the Internet user scans a web page in an F-shaped pattern, placing most attention to the top left corner of the screen. Therefore, slogans are most effective when placed in this region.[5]

It seems that in order to avoid the behavioral backlash of reverse priming, and optimize the implementation of your slogan into your website, it is best to place a creative, humorous, or entertaining slogan at the top left corner of your web page. For an example of a well-created, and well-placed slogan, visit the world’s favorite fast food joint http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html.

References

[1] “McDonalds” by Wikimedia Foundation

[2] Bargh, John E: What have we been priming all these years? On the development, mechanisms, and ecology of nonconscious social behavior.

[3] Laran, J, Dalton, A. and Andrade, E. The Curious Case of Behavioral Backlash: Why Brands Produce Priming Effects and Slogans Produce Reverse Priming Effects

[4] Petty, RE, & Cacioppo, JT: Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change.

[5] O’Connell, Christi: Eyetracking and Web site Design