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Back to Basics ocial media and digital marketing are sexy. No doubt about it; everyone is on the train, including me. I tweet and I blog, We are working on search engine optimization at Avnet and even created our own tech educational video on demand portal so we do not miss the wave of communicating with our stakeholders and knowing what they are thinking. But in the past year I have been making sure my budget is balanced. One thing I’ve learned in my three-decades-plus as a corporate marketer is there is no silver bullet to marketing and communications. I read and hear consistently companies are moving their dollars and missing the basics. Why would you put all your budget dollars in one basket? Digital and social media are important tactics that do work, but not alone. So I ask: Do you have a good brand that you use to market your company digitally? If people do not know your company, why would they click on your promo or read about you or follow you on twitter? Have you told your story consistently to establish your brand? Done a brand study lately? What does your brand stand for? Successful companies have and will create and utilize integrated/multimedia strategies and not rely on one tactic that accomplishes these goals:
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Capabilities/services Differentiation Credibility/trust Likable/personality Thought leadership
Again, there is no way you can lump all your customers and employees into one way of communicating with them. Everyone has different expectations on how to be reached: some by print, others at trade shows, through direct mail, online, sponsorships, community activities, ads in magazines or a story in the paper. Age, job responsibilities and culture are other factors, too.
PR Still A Plus So briefly and simply, do you work at garnering coverage through public relations efforts (which in my book is the No. 1 way to tell your story) or run ads that reach your target market and people who don’t know your company? It’s sad so many publications have gone out of business in the B2B space. Is it because they are not relevant? On the contrary, journalists and independent publications are vital to the success of that industry. All stats say people believe journalists versus ads. I know one thing I would be far more excited to see a story about Avnet in a print publication than tweeted or on a blog post.
The most important asset a company has is its reputation, its brand. Build it and build on it using every tactic available and affordable to you. Fortunately, ad pages in the third quarter rose 3.6 percent from the same period last year, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. The second quarter was the first increase in ad pages since late 2007. Also, 136 magazines reported a rise in ad pages in the third quarter compared to 25 in the same period in 2009. Technology ad pages increased 12.3 percent. I was also happy to see two old tech publications come back from the grave this month. If you want to make a difference start advertising and keep publications alive !!! Don't sit back and watch publications get thin or fade away. Remember: The more ad pages, the more articles and PR coverage opportunities. The most important asset a company has is its reputation, its brand. Build it and build on it using every tactic available and affordable to you. Al Maag is chief communications officer for Avnet.
THE markETiNg issuE
WRITING BY :: AL MAAG
TECHCONNECTmag.COm
Technology not the only answer to building your brand