A New Marketing “Train” map

B2B Contact Marketing in the UK created this great marketing map using the London underground as the inspiration. It’s a great way to map out the modern landscape of marketing; even though it uses trains, it’s exceptionally well done and gives anyone from expert to novice great insight into the challenges and opportunities for modern marketers.

The main lines on the map:

Advertising – For me this is the dying channel, maybe that’s why it’s in blood red. It’s a communication “corridor” that’s becoming less and less relevant, it includes a couple of great quotes “Each of us sees over 3,800 advertising messages a day”. People are not passive consumers of marketing messages any more; they are seekers of high quality relevant information, participants in conversations and electors of what they consider to be competent authority. Its these characteristics that are at odds with traditional “interruption” advertising methods. Maybe this is the line that has the constant breakdowns.

Database – I really like that this “line” is a closed loop and central, in a data driven world it has to be at the heart of any effective marketing organization. It also means it touches every other line, modern marketing is even more data driven than before, the measure is moving from traditional DM metrics to include more and more online metrics, but I believe you need to start by measuring everything and then honing on what are the key metrics, all with out taking your eye off the prize – profit (Money in the Bank). There’s also a marked shift away from valuing the sheer size of your database towards the quality and depth of information in it.

Direct – Covers it all really, I think this channel is being overshadowed by some of the more popular trendy digital channels, which are all part of direct marketing in a pull marketing world.

Digital – Talk about being web centric, this line cuts right through the middle of town! I like how it talks about the different digital channels without really focusing on some of the actual sites, facebook, twitter etc, which I am sure over time will change…. Has anyone ever heard of QQ, Xaonei or Kaixin01? I hope this is a hi-speed train line?

Event – Obviously a personal favorite, I’d add an IQPC station. Event marketers take note – this line crosses digital and database lines twice, begins its journey by moving away from advertising and finishes with a second crossing of the relationship line. There’s a message about how you fit and where your focus should be!

Relationship – A black line for the dark arts, most of the things on this line have two things in common. They are becoming ever more important parts of the B2B space and they very difficult to accurately measure or gauge their true impact. I like how conferences, social media and networking are all so close. Measuring awareness is becoming an increasing challenge.

Anything missing? Not much…

My only real criticism would be where are the customers? I would have made the customer or audience central to the whole thing, maybe the hub in the middle between Google, Social Media and Blogging. I think before you do anything you need to have well defined buyer personas, and a solid message that matches your audience’s world view (step 1). Maybe “customers” should be the main hub on the relationship line or the direct line, it’s in there, the demographics stop is in there, I would have just made it more defined.

Content marketing? Maybe change the contract publishing station on the Advertising line or drop it into digital… But for me it’s really all about the intersections, and particularly for conferences, I think the intersections are crucial to your events integrated multi channel marketing plan.

But just for fun and in honor of being in NY for the summer, I decided to apply the same thing to NY Subway system, here’s my poor mans effort:

Grand Central Station = The internet, the heart of all modern marketing. This is a web centric train map.

 Social Media is the N, Q, R and W line, crossing the whole island…

 The A, C, E line is my Event line crossing with other multiple stops. Making it fully integrated into the marketing mix.

The 4,5 and 6 Train are the digital lines. Connecting grand central and most of the other lines.

The 1, 2 and 3 train is the Advertising line, cutting right through Times Square Station, renamed Advertising Central or Billboard Station.

Path Train or the LIRR = Direct Mail line… It’s a separate system, kind of connected, and kind of old, slow, rusty etc, it still works but we all know we won’t be riding the train for much longer.

Great map, there must have been some great debates whilst putting it together – Thanks to B2B Contact Marketing for creating and sharing it. The modern landscape is difficult to navigate – Anyone got another map?

(Special thanks to Emma, unofficial Nomad Editor, for some big contributions to this post!)

Magic beans, direct mail, email, fax, phone, radio, tv and the web

I have often quoted Seth Godin’s great riff on magic beans, I love it, I come back to it often, probably too often…But I think it resonates with B2B conference marketing. The days of sending out a 4 page agenda dominated brochure and expecting people to register from it are basically over, it’s time to move on.

We can no longer rely on our basic “template” marketing plans to resonate with our audience and expect them to react. Sure it still works in some cases, but we must start to “think” about how we can really engage this audience and add more value than we can capture.

These two posts on hubspot by Brian Solis, who just published a book called “Engage” (which I just bought), help to explain the new landscape even better.

I quote Brian:

What lies ahead is an inflection point in the maturation of social media, publishing, marketing and communications. And, it all begins with the realization and the corresponding actions that businesses must become media in order to earn greater relevance and ultimately thought leadership within their respective markets.

Every Company is a Media Company: EC=MC

Welcome Interuptions?

Can there be such a thing as a welcome interruption?

I’m fan of permission marketing and pull marketing, but as a consumer, and interested marketer I also often get some interruption (SPAM) marketing. I am not alone I am sure…

I fly often, and often get annoyed that airlines want to constantly make announcements, turn on the lights, pause the video, feed me breakfast at dinner time or do something generally annoying .  I also often fly BA (British Airways), they once helped me out in a difficult spot that allowed me to see my son born (long story for another day), so they made a deposit in my personal trust account.

At the end of a recent BA flight, full of annoying announcements, they asked if anyone would like to donate to a charity call Change for Good, I had heard this before, but all the other interruptions had drowned it. It’s a charity partnership with UNICEF, co-ordinated by the cabin crew who asked passengers if they want to donate their spare change or foreign currency. Nice touch, maybe a welcome interruption?

The interuptions are going to keep coming, we keep hearing how ad spend is down in traditional media, and moving online, I also read recently that the BBC are going to allow product placement, and we have all heard about the Obama ad in a video game.

Everyone uses google, and largely ignores the sponsored links, but we are happy to put up with the interruption/distraction, because we think google search is the best. Most of my favorite sites take advertising, am I willing to accept interuptions because I like the content? Would free music, in a portable form be OK if it was sponsored? Someone is always willing to spend money to interrupt us and get our attention.

Interuption, Sorry, but it’s the start, and the real question is always what you do once you get it. But is there such a thing as welcome interruption?