Author: salimvisram

For my last post I figured I would take the time again to rant about the NHL lockout – because I am not sure if I have mentioned it enough yet. As a hockey sports fan, any work stoppage is hard to swallow. While I understand that everyone should be entitled to what they believe is fair, at the end of the day, I just want to watch the Sedins make some poor defenseman look dumb – I don’t care how much they make doing it.

Fans aren’t the only ones who have a vested interest in seeing this lockout resolved. Dozens of companies rely on the NHL to drive their business. Molson Canadian, for example, has noted a marked decrease in revenues since the work stoppage. Same with Budweiser, Nike Bauer, Reebok and dozens of other companies that spend millions of dollars annually on NHL-based promotions.

So how are they coping? The business world doesn’t stop because of hockey. Sportchek, Bauer, and Molson all still have to make money at the end of the day. Well, during one of my YouTube-hockey reminiscing sessions, I came across this advertisement:

Instead of launching a typical advertisement featuring NHL superstars, Bauer seized the opportunity to create an internet contest for fans to submit videos and potentially be starred in an official Bauer advertisement. This campaign – called “Own the Moment” is an excellent example of how hockey-related companies are moving on. The campaign seems to target younger hockey players, those who have a bright future ahead of them. In doing this, Bauer has created a relationship with these kids, one that, if the child is to actually make it big in hockey, will be extremely valuable for Bauer’s future business. Hockey players are extremely superstitious people, and if they (read: we) find something we like, we stick with it – forever.

While I have no doubt that once (or if) this lockout is resolved, Bauer will go right back to their typical use of NHL superstars in their advertisements, it is really nice to see companies making the best of a bad situation.

Earlier in the year we had a presentation from 6S marketing about the power of Google Analytics. Since then, I have been hearing a lot about it. It seems to be an even more powerful tool than I initially thought, and many more companies than I initially understood rely heavily on data collected by Google Analytics for their long and short-term online strategy. With this groundbreaking insight I decided to look more into the power of Google Analytics – while, like any advanced software it takes years to properly understand, there are things we can do to get us started. In this blog I will focus on the most basic metric offered by Google Analytics: the bounce rate.

Once we know what our bounce rate is, what exactly can we do from there? From the 6S marketing presentation, we learned a decent bounce rate is between 40-60 percent, but what exactly does a high (or low) number tell us? How can we use it to make changes that will ultimately increase conversions? I came across a blog that answers those exact questions

1) Set a baseline for a good bounce rate

The article mentions that every website is different and a high bounce rate for one website may actually be decent for another. Setting a baseline allows you to determine what is normal (or abnormal) for you and determine whether you need to make changes to how consumers experience your website.

2. Lower your bounce rate by improving usability

Usability is one thing I briefly mentioned in one of my earlier blogs. Consumers need to be able to find what they want on your website, and quickly. If they can’t they will look elsewhere. It really is as simple as that.

3. Switch up site content

Content ties in with usability. What consumers want to find quickly should actually exist on your website. This may mean doing market research to find out exactly what consumers are looking for from your brand. For example, if you are a brand that wants to emphasize your CSR initiatives, make sure the information you provide is current so that consumers can actually learn more about what it is you are doing.

4. Take note of variations between bounce rates

Specifically when you change things. If you initiate a Facebook campaign and your bounce rate changes significantly it means that people are actually listening (or not listening) to what you have to say. Read and react appropriately.

5. Make your keyword profile more than a chalk outline

The article recommends doing a “keyword profile” for your business regularly. This will help with search engine optimization  as it will show you where you are weak and what you can improve on.

For more about the bounce rate, check out this video:

If you want to learn more about Google Analytics check out this blog:

I came across an interesting article on mashable this morning titled “How to Use Pinterest to Recruit“. It discussed how Pinterest can be used to assess potential employees creative abilities and give them an insight to the standards set by other employees.

Craig Fisher, a partner at Ajax Workforce Marketing says, “Pinterest is now the third most popular social network, it refers more traffic than Google+ and Linkedin combined, and is the fastest growing social network.  With a demographic ratio of 38% men to 68% women, and a definite slant towards creativity, retail marketing and social media, it makes sense that you can get pretty specific about who you target there.”

And it does make sense. For those unfamiliar with Pinterest, it is a social media platform that allows you to create and share (or “re-pin”) themed pictures for friends or subscribers to see. The mission for Pinterest is to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.”

Because the site is entirely visual, there is certainly potential for marketers to attract like-minded individuals. The article details best practices for using Pinterest to attract potential employees. First, make sure your posts are visually appealing. It may sound shallow, but people equate good looking posts with higher quality environment. Next, be careful not to be too cutting edge. While it is good to be somewhat ahead of the curve, remember, people like what they do for a reason. Change too much and you risk alienating the very people you are trying to appeal to.

Personally I found the article to be intriguing. Pinterest is still a relatively young social media platform, so who knows what it will turn into. Could it be an amazing hiring platform for potential marketers? Definitely. Could it be a marketplace for consumers to see and buy products? Yeah that is possible too. Pinterest has yet to decide what it wants to be, but it definitely has potential.

While on exchange in Denmark last year I was introduced to the concept of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 – basically the future of the Internet. It is a confusing topic so I will post as many quality links as I can if you want to look further.

Here is a good video to explain the evolution of the web:

It is widely held that one day the Internet will be much more than it currently is. The current phase of innovation on the Internet is Web2.0. Increased facility of e-commerce and interaction among people are two prominent ways the Internet is changing. But what is next?

Also in Denmark I was introduced to this website. WolframAlpha. The premise is pretty simple – instead of typing a question or query into a google search, use wolfram alpha. The results will not be a list of websites that had key words similar to what you were looking for, but rather the answer to your question or query. For example, if you wanted to know who the richest person in Canada was – a google search would turn up the top ten links for wealthy people in Canada. A wolfram alpha search would find the single richest man in Canada, and give you every piece of information that is available on that person; from his/her exact age to who they are married/dating to what their exact net worth is. Pretty neat eh?

Surprisingly, not a whole lot of information is available around Wolfram Alpha. While the idea certainly presents a new “supergoogle” there is definitely a long way to go before it can capture it’s full potential.

As the internet evolves and tools such as WolframAlpha emerge, we must ask ourselves how can we stay ahead of the curve? What big innovation will come next and how can we capitalize on the opportunities it will bring? For marketers, thinking ahead of the curve and out of the box is one of the most important things needed to be successful. Acting instead of reacting to opportunities can mean the difference between success and failure.

For more information about Web 2.0, please click here.

In today’s world, a brand’s website is arguably the most important part of their marketing. More often than not if a consumer needs information on your brand they go to your website. Therefore, an effective website can mean the difference between having a loyal consumer and not even being considered – and that is a big difference.

With our client company – Kutula Kiss – best website practices has been a big deal. Early on , we were able to discern that while the company had a very good product and a clear vision, without a solid website they were going nowhere, fast. Considering the 7C’s model we learned and outside knowledge we were able to find, we defined the best practices of website design for a small business – and here they are.

DO’s:

• Simple layout
• Make it clear how the customer can purchase your product
• Convey your core values

A simple layout  is key to a well-designed website. Consumers should be able to access any part of your website from the landing page in three clicks maximum. Design should have two or three complementary colours, large (but not too large) fonts, headers that make sense and large pictures. Another thing I learned is that on a website, white is a colour too – and it is a really good one. Take advantage of white space on your page – it will help draw consumers to what you actually want them to see.

Especially in the case of B2C websites, being able to make online purchases is a big deal. One of Kutula’s main problems was that consumers who were really interested in the product had to contact us to find out where they could purchase a bracelet. If you want to succeed in e-commerce, a clear (not to mention reliable) method of buying online is vital.

Finally, conveying your core values. Too many companies suffer from an identity crisis. While it is perfectly acceptable to want to sell as many products as possible to as many people as possible, I find the brands that I am most loyal to are those that I can relate to. Those I feel connected to. Conveying who you are as a brand, what you do, what you stand for, is one way to create that connection.

DON’T:

• Create a single page that customers have to scroll down
•  Add any more flash than is ABSOLUTELY necessary

In one of our first classes, we saw webpagesthatsuck.com. One of the most commonly recurring themes on this list of terrible websites, was that we had to scroll down for what seemed like ages to find content. Organizing your content under clear headers or subpages will make a huge difference not only in how smoothly consumers can navigate your website, but also in your Search Engine Optimization.

Flash content is decreasing in frequency on the web today – and that is a good thing. If used effectively, flash content can take your website from being good to being great. However, if it is over done, your webpage will take too long to load and consumers will simply get fed up. It is a fine line between just enough and too much – one that many companies struggle to find. As a general rule of thumb, less is more when it comes to flash.

Designing a website is a difficult process. It has a huge impact on your business and involves many decisions – most of which are much more crucial than you realize. However, remembering to keep it simple will serve you well.

Ask anyone to find you something on the web and their first thought will be to do a Google search. Google is the standard for internet search – so much so that “to google” has actually become a verb. However, Google is not the only search engine out there. Microsoft’s horse in the search engine race is called “Bing!” and it recently has been gaining considerable ground.

Much of Bing’s publicity is owed to Microsoft’s “Bing! It On” campaign. A twist on the famous Pepsi Challenge of the 1980s, the campaign claimed that in a blind test users preferred Bing’s search results over Google at a rate of 2:1.

The campaign was initially successful. Microsoft launched television advertisements during popular shows to draw attention to their new campaign. However, during a recent independent test by the International Business Times, Bing lost to Google, forcing Microsoft to cease heavy advertising of the campaign.

While the campaign ultimately backfired, it was hardly a failure. Bing now sits in second place in the online search market with a market share of 15.9%, up from 14.1% only one year ago. Meanwhile, Google and Yahoo have both lost market share. The awareness generated by the Bing It On campaign goes to show that no publicity is bad publicity.

Despite the end of the “Bing It On” campaign, there is no doubt Microsoft will continue to Bing it on. Recently, Microsoft launched a new feature for their Xbox video game console, whereby users with online access can search the web using – you guessed it – Bing. While it seems the young generation (particularly those who use Xboxes) are still loyal to Google, one has to wonder if Bing’s steady rise will continue.

Click here to take the Bing challenge

Efficiency in social media is all about reach. How many people can you speak to at once? How many people want to listen to what you have to say? The larger audience a brand can attract on social media, the more efficient it can be.

Enter Klout.

Klout scores are a way of quantifying your online influence on a scale of 1-100. Data from Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media platforms are congregated in Klout, taking into account likes, retweets, and other measures of your individual reach. This data is entered into a magical secret formula et voila – a summary of your online influence in 2 (or 3) digits. Influentials such as Oprah or Barack Obama have Klout scores of between 90-100, while the average Canadian consumer will have a Klout score of 40.

At it’s inception, many business flocked to Klout. Jobs requiring social media skills specified a minimum accepted Klout score. There are reports of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas checking their guests Klout scores and providing free perks to those who scored especially high.

Klout is still a young company with a long way to go before it is considered in the same sentence as Facebook or Twitter. It is certainly an interesting idea and it will be fun to see how (or if) popular brands adopt Klout in their everyday activities.

Mine is 52. Click here to find your Klout score now.

Public pressure played a large role in solving the 2004-05 NHL lockout. Large-scale boycotts of brands and products that were owned in part by NHL owners eventually forced owners to realize the necessity of bringing back NHL hockey. Fast forward 8 years and here we are again. Lockout 2012. This time, however, there is a number of factors that were not in place previously. Chief among these are Facebook and Twitter.

It has proven hard for either side to win the affection of the fans. Hockey revenues last year hit an all-time high of 3.3 billion dollars. Average fans believe this lockout is millionaires fighting billionaires about how to best split up a multi-billion dollar pie. Hard to feel sympathetic to either side. The players are currently winning the PR battle, but as time draws on fans’ patience wears increasingly thin.

Future Shop opened its first new format mini-store in North Vancouver last Friday. The store is less than a fifth of the size of a typical Future Shop and offers an integrated online/offline experience that is unmatched by any other electronic retailer in Canada. Future Shop has plans to open more locations with a similar template throughout Canada over the coming months.

The new store – Futureshop.ca, aims to create a seamless experience between shopping for electronic products online and shopping for them in a store. Shopping for electronic products online is immensely popular, and Future Shop’s new strategy aims to take advantage of this trend. The store is stocked with 1,000 of the top selling items which will all be available for purchase. Throughout the store are laptop and tablet computers which will give consumers the opportunity to browse through 60,000 different products which are available for purchase online. These items, if over a 20$ value can be delivered for free to the consumers house or become available for pickup the very next day.

This is an interesting strategy for Future Shop. Syncing online/offline sales and advertising is certainly a trend that has evolved over the past few years, particularly concerning electronic products. Best Buy and London Drugs – two of Future Shop’s competitors – both (on occasion) offer print-out coupons that can be used in stores. However, that is essentially the extent of their use of an online presence in offline retailing.

While this is an innovative and interesting direction for Future Shop to take, it also represents tremendous risk. Decreasing the amount of inventory in a store can either help or harm Future Shop, and only time will tell which. If successful, these new stores will significantly decrease costs for Future Shop and allow them to expand at a much more rapid pace than previously. Future Shop hopes to add new products to their online catalogue at a rate of 10,000 per month, allowing them to offer a much more vast selection than traditional stores. However, this strategy could also lead to decreased sales. Consumers looking for a particular product (a television, for example) that is not available for demonstration in store may turn to a Future Shop competitor where they can view the physical product not in an online catalogue.

For more information, click here.

I find company advertisements can be one of the most annoying things to appear on my Facebook News Feed. While I do appreciate periodic updates about the products or companies I am interested in, some can go too far. For example, on the NHL’s Facebook page, pictures and videos are uploaded daily with captions such as, “LIKE if you think___, COMMENT if you think___”. This can not only be annoying, but can sometimes come across as sad, attention-seeking ploys. Furthermore, if you scroll through the comments on these pictures, you can see that, inevitably, they all become forums for personal attacks and arguments between fans of opposing teams – in other words, it doesn’t really add anything to the brand.

Socially awkward – thats how Leslie Schaffer of the blog at letsoverthinkthis.com describes it. In her post Brands: Stop Being Socially Awkward she lists three things to help brands appear more human:

1. Know who you are. Does the NHL want their Facebook page to be a forum for fan interaction? Is the page supposed to cater to existing fans? Or does it want to provide information for fans who have not yet come to appreciate the game? As Leslie puts it – what does your brand care about? What does it not care about?
2. Create something you can share. With the abundance of videos, pictures, contests and more, the NHL Facebook page has done a good job of this. There is a lot of stuff worth sharing on their page. There is also a lot of stuff that is not worth sharing. There is a difference between creating something you can share and creating something you should share.
3. Be real. This last tip is the hardest to implement. After all, as the page represents the entire NHL, you cannot assign it a name, face or preference. However, as Leslie’s article says, ” ask yourself: If your face and identity were attached to the things your brand posts, would you be posting the crap you have been?”

I understand fan interaction is a major part of the NHL Facebook page. The daily pictures and updates generate thousands of likes and comments from fans of every different team. The quality, however, is what I have an issue with. I believe fans would rather see updates on the lockout situation than vote for who is their favourite goaltender of all time. Fans would rather read fewer updates with more depth; quality not quantity. If the goal of the NHLs Facebook page is to draw new fans they could post highlight packages, or post updates like “share this with your friends to win a prize”.

Leslie Schaffer’s article raises a number of good points about certain brands’ approach to social media. It is still a young phenomenon and many companies are still trying to find the best way to interact with their fans. Reading her post is a good way to understand how to do just that.