How Digital is Changing Automotive Marketing

Hi everyone

Jim Farley, Global Group VP of Ford Motor Co, gave a great talk last week on automotive marketing.

Watch a brief highlight here. It will only take 3 minutes.

What Jim says, and also in this article, is important not only for automotive but for most other industries.

To sum up Jim's key points, and the impact that digital is having on marketing overall, are these three key points:

1. Campaign Timing Changes: Instead of focusing all elements at launch, digital and always-on platforms allow marketers 'flatten out' the campaign curve both before and after launch. Much more can be used on digital to get customers interested in the story and experience, and thus on the shopping list. And much can be spent afterwards to maintain the dialogue in a believable and customer-centric way.

2. Media Usage Changes: It follows then that media spend, combining traditional and online, is more spread out with much more spent on engaging the user with an experience. As Jim says about media spend, "we have to allocate resources differently because difference resources (social and digital) change the content and the dialogue after launch. It's much more manageable (than a big bang all at once), and it impacts how we build the product."

3. Creative Changes: Listen to Jim again: 'We're about the person, not the web site or channel. I'm not interested in advertising on a little box because it's what's in the box is important. We want to blow up the box..and change the way we interact with the customer, and we want it to be around experience."

"That's what digital has taught us: how to earn credibility among consumers". At that's what companies like Ford are doing with branded utility, with communities, and campaigns like Ford Fiesta Movement.

Here are 4 other automotive campaigns from other motor companies leading the way with this philosophy:

- VW The People's Reviewer

- Polo Get Behind The Wheel

- Mini Road Service iPhone App

- Fiat Eco Drive

Any more to share?

Cheers, Rob

What's Driving Facebook Growth in Thailand/Asia?

Hi everyone

Great to read in this newspaper article recently that Thailand is embracing social networking - Facebook & Twitter - as much or more than anywhere in the world.

But as Jon Russell points out in this great blog, the actual impact is different from what the news article suggests.

It's the growth potential that counts. Thailand has one of the fastest growing FB markets in the world, and Twitter could have up to a million users. But we don't yet match the strength in numbers found elsewhere in Asia like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

All across Asia we're on the edge of the next big wave in social networking that's taking customers, and marketers, by storm. And there is plenty of potential growth yet in Thailand, and elsewhere in Asia.

Why? Umm...well you wouldn't really know by reading the Nation article. But the 'why' is crucial for marketers to understand how we can use this tool in our marketing, or how we shouldn't, and the future of this type of communication.

I've listed of few potential reasons I see below, but would be interested in your thoughts as well:

1) Social Networking Re-enforces a Cultural Norm: You don't have to be Einstein to realise that many Asian cultures - grounded in close-knit nuclear families with networks of friends/neighbours originating from agrarian roots of community & sharing - would naturally embrace social networks.

In fact the early adoption of social media through Friendster and Hi5 were already some of the highest in the world, Couple this with the fact that online sites offer more entertainment to poorer kids in remote areas, such as highlighted in this NYT article about youth in China, and we can see the vast potential for social networks in the region.

2) Localization Means Deeper Engagement: Another 'glocal' lesson is that until FB offered Thai language content , its growth was stifled by local players. But with more localised content, especially new applications and gaming, this switch to local languages meant FB really started to take hold.

In the bigger picture the message for marketers is important, as this excellent NYT article highlights. Social networks and other digital tools give us the power to localize, personalize and deepen our engagement in different cultures now more than ever before.

3) Gaming & Entertainment are the Key: As I've pointed out a few times before, Thailand has a massive online gaming culture with youth (research shows kids spend more time gaming online than any other Asian country) and FB has been able to tap into that with an array of popular games such as Farmville really taking hold here. As a marketer using FB Connect or other services, creating and fun & sharable experience in line with this behaviour makes a lot of sense.

4) Mobility is the Driver: As Jon Russell again points out in this blog, the future for social is clearly mobile. "Mobile is an even more significant platform for Asia, a region where mobile is the primary internet access point for many. It is estimated that Thailand’s 12 million mobile internet users will grow to 18 million this year overtaking the 16 million in the country with ‘fixed’ internet access.

Smartphones sales continue to rise in Thailand with IDC estimating 2 million will be sold in 2010, an increase of 500,000 on 2009, you can bet most of these new smartphone owners will be logging into Facebook from their mobile."

Something to watch out for is mobile social applications, such as Foursquare. This service allows you to not only connect with friends where they actually are at any given time, but combines this with gaming and point systems to reward the user. The marketing benefits in Thailand are clear, as highlighted in this local article, so get familiar with this now!

Cheers, Rob

How the Digitization of Thai Media Changes Marketing

Hi everyone

Fascinating to read about the changes going on in the Thai newsroom here and the modern challenges for Thai journalists here.

Of course this just the way journalists are changeing , how about the change in the content itself?

In this great article, called The Pleasure Principle, it described how news media had to re-consider what their readers wanted, rather than what editors thought they needed. It has lead to a revolution in content with the growth of blogs, most viewed lists and consumer driven content now available in most Thai online news sites.

This content is now delivered news via Email/SMS/WAP, and Thai newspapers are now considering how the launch of the iPad will change newspapers and publishing forever.

Interesting times indeed!

But how are these changes impacting marketers? Here's my take on 4 ways these changes will impact Thai marketers...

1. PR @ the Speed of Buzz: The nature of journalism now means they are always connected, to social media, to global new sources, and the story is always evolving. PR is having to adapt to this new media to make sure it delivers the right news, in all these media and formats, in paid and unpaid media. Thai PR agencies are already undergoing a revolution, as detailed here

2. New Media Formats mean New Ad Formats: Online ads are having to adapt to online sites with more rich media and interaction, WAP sites with very simple executions, and are now having to adapt to the new ad formats for the iPad. The ability to really have fun and engage with content on a touch-screen could be the boost online advertising needs, as described in these 3 ways the iPad will change publications forever.

3. Forget interruption, Try Utility: Even then online advertising is quickly being overtaken in news environments by providing users with widgets and tools, like providing an iPhone app or a game via a newspaper, to help users and get the brand message delivered that way rather than trying to just sell a message.

4. Plan for Location Marketing: iPad and mobile devices will start to dominate newspapers and magazines moving forward. Given their mobility, great Geo-Location Marketing will start to see ads and services being targeted exactly where people are and that will transform the ad industry. Are you ready for that?

Cheers, Rob