A Stop On The microMarketing Book Tour
09/22/2010
If you are going to achieve excellence in the big things, you develop the habit in the little matters.~ Colin Powell
In his new book, microMARKETING ~ Get Big Results By Thinking And Acting Small, Greg Veredino demonstrates that the world of business has taken Colin Powell's words to heart. Detailed case studies are used to create a mosaic of how brands and customers are working together to build brand perception. This is new way of marketing is occurring not through the channels of Mad Men mass communication; but fueled by micro cultures created by micro content developed by micromavens.
Look closer at this new image and you'll see the pieces are comprised of small content creations of video, images, text and yes, audio too. Look even closer and you'll discover that the developers of the content are not art directors or copy writers but the people who bring the brand into the moments of their daily lives .. your customers.
The Back-story.
Diva Marketing rarely posts book reviews preferring to bring the author directly to you. However, a few weeks ago I received an eMail from Alexandra Kirsh of Planned Television Arts, a PR firm based in New York. PTA is representing Greg in his outreach efforts for microMARKETING.
They asked me to participate in a virtual book tour. Their idea was little different and supported the concept of the book. They called it a chapter-by-chapter review where 1 person reviews only 1 chapter instead of the entire book. Big results by Thinking and Acting Small.
Sounded like fun. I'm into the micro. Greg and I have crossed social media paths and I admire his work. So I said .. dahling let's do it. Or something like that. Disclaimer: I was sent a complementary copy of microMARKETING.
Chapter 3 From Mass Communications to Masses of Communicators. Telling Your Brand Stories in the Voice of the Consumer.
In Chapter 3 Greg sets the stage to explore the concept of micromavens* and their importance in contributing to the success of consumer generated content campaigns. He identifies several people in the social media scene who exemlify the concept including Boston video blogger Steve Garfield. It would have been great fun to also highlight Steve's famous mom. Millie Garfield, MyMomsBlog, who at age 85 is not only one of the world's oldest bloggers, but a micromaven for sure! Perhaps in the next edition.
Two strong case studies, Ford Fiesta Movement and Australian Island Reef Job anchor this chapter. Both are rich in details and provide quantitative results which I very much appreciated. Greg excels in providing analysis of the strategy. Although there were several B2B examples I would have loved if one could have been explored with the same in-depth treatment as the B2C cases.
As the chapter unfolds it becomes clear that involving customers to tell their stories of your brand is not the work for the faint of heart. In the case of Ford's Fiesta Movement, the company made certain to include several people who had established communities and extended networks that would "... spark a groundswell in peer-to-peer conversation about Fiesta."
Of course, there must be mutual value derived for the brand manager, the social media content creator and her community. However, it takes not only planning but consistent nurturing of your micromavens and honest caring. "I will always love Ford, because Ford loved me first." ~ Jody Gnant, Ford Fiesta Agent. Caution! Do not attempt this type of strategy unless your have an excellent product and are committed to invest time and human capital.
A nice touch are the domains for each of the companies and micromavens are incorporated throughout the book. Also, Chapter 10 provides 40 questions to help you create an action plan for going micro.
Taking a cue from Mr. Verdino, Colonel Powell and my mom - who told me wonderful gifts come in small packages (I think she was talking about bling but in away this is marketing bling!) .. don't be afraid to explore micro it can produce Big results. microMarketing will help you find your way down an exciting path. In diva style .. toss of a pink boa to Greg for a most interesting read!
More Chapter By Chapter microMarketing Reviews
Chapter 1/9-20: Adam Strout
Chapter 2/ 9-21: Lucretia Pruitt, Mitch Joel
Chapter 3/9-22: Jason Falls, Toby Bloomberg
Chapter 4/9-23: Kayta Andresen, Murray Newlands
Chapter 5/9-24: Amber Nashlund, Marc Meyer, Chris Abraham
Chapter 69/27: Ari Herzog
Chapter 7/9-28: Danny Brown, Jay Baer, Adam Cohen, Becky Carroll
Chapter 8/9-29: C.C. Chapman, Elmer Boutin
Chapter 9/9-30: John Moor, David Armano, Beth Harte, Justin Levy
*What is a micromaven? "..websavvy new communicator who understands that content is a valuable social currency and community is king. He is a one-man media outlet that draws an audience not through an exclusive relationship with a single, monolithic mass distribution partner, but through thousands upon thousands of relationships built directly with the individuals who follow his output across ltos of small sites and who view his microchunked content on the larger networks that incorporate it into their own program.
For a cool example of micro content check out Social Media Marketing GPS .. my free eBook based on 40 Twitter interviews. Really!
