Book Review: Buyology by Martin Lindstrom

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

ADMAVEN RATES BUYOLOGY: 2/5

Neuromarketing, as defined in Martin Lindstrom's Buyology, is the science of understanding the unconscious decisions our brains make when we encounter advertising. According to Mr. Lindstrom, these decisions are responsible for approximately 90% of consumer behaviors, therefore "the time has come for a paradigm shift [in advertising]" (Lindstrom, Page 195).

I'm not so convinced.

Though Buyology reads at an excited pace, and at 205 pages is entirely manageable in a weekend, it did not strike me as particularly insightful or game changing.

The purported "seven-million-dollar neuromarketing study" on which the book is based is loosly referenced throughout the text, and leaves out key details which may be useful in validating some of Martin Lindstroms more, how shall we say, extravagant claims.

Of particular interest are Mr. Lindstrom's back-analysis of expired campaigns using the neuromarketing framework. Take for example, Nationwide Annuities as detailed on page 198: "Another ad, debuted by Nationwide Annuities [during the 2006 Superbowl], starred the indomitable Kevin Federline, Britney Spears's ex-husband." You may remember the "Life Comes At You Fast" tag line that made this TV spot a huge success both on television and more so on the Internet, quickly going viral and spreading the Nationwide brand name via social media outlets. Unfortunately, Buyology does not care about that - nor does it touch on the groundswell of viewers who took time to share the Nationwide brand name. As Lindstrom states, "the brain scans revealed information of incredible value to GM and Nationwide Annuities: that their $2.4 million commercials not only weren't working, they were scaring people away."

In general, I feel any marketing book that purports to be a game changer or claims to know - without a doubt - what the future holds is by it's nature flawed. Neuromarketing has value, of that I have little doubt. As to whether neuromarketing represents the key to the future of advertising I am significantly less sure.

Topics Lindstrom did not touch on, and something that would be of much more interest and utility in today's world, is how social media affects the areas of the brain responsible for communication, collaboration, and identification with a product, service, or brand. Does socializing online and participating in communities allow us to be more or less subconciously receptive to brand messaging, and if so, in what ways?

MORE ON BUYOLOGY:

Amazon
Martin Lindstrom
Martin Lindstrom discusses Buyology on The Today Show (Thanks to @MelissaBP for pointing it out)

ADMAVEN's 2009 Advertising Predictions

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

It's been an interesting first week of 2009. The wheels haven't fallen off our shaky economy yet, and despite our tendency to only report bad news, it seems as though things are not as hopeless as we imagined in Q4 2008.

With that in mind, here are my predictions for 2009:

1) Existing client revenue will be stagnant, but not drop off sharply. 2009, for advertising, will be a year of slow growth as clients recover from last year and remain wary of spending large amounts on any one campaign. I don't expect to see a huge number of layoffs and reorganizations on the agency side (there will be some, of course).

2) Agencies (PR and Advertising) will diversify. Advertising agencies, seeking to provide a holistic solution for clients, will hire PR professionals to manage public facing conversations. The advent of social media and the realities of having honest, open discussion about brands will demand it. In turn, PR agencies will hire individuals who have had experience pitching and executing creative campaigns, with particular interest in rebranding and new product launches.

3) 2.0 strategies will be more palatable. Smaller budgets and the desire to be more frugal will make 2.0 much more attractive to medium and large companies around the world. Social media will play a big role in this development, and agencies poised to bring a solid, procedural model with built in metrics will find new business quickly.

4) There will NOT be an upheaval in the advertising business. Things will continue, for the most part, as they did in 2008. There will be no coup by weblebrities and social media experts to found "killer" agencies. Relationships, as always in business, will still be the most important determining factor as businesses make decisions in 2009.

5) Innovation will remain the single most important core competency in agency-land. The ability to bring fresh ideas to the table - both internally and externally - in a time of economic difficulty will be seen as the leading indicator of success in 2009.

Hope you enjoyed reading my semi-optimistic view; good luck to everyone in 2009!

Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising January Meetup

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

January details are online! I look forward to meeting you all there!

Details:

Join us along with a special panel of three (3) guest speakers. All experts in their field, who will be discussing Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Local Search at its best.
There will be a brief Q & A .

This will the first 2009 meeting.

Galway Bay is 50 feet west of Pine Grove on the north side of Diversey.
Accessible by the #151 bus (1 block walk east), the #22 Clark or # 36 Broadway (2 blocks walk west) or the CTA Brown line (5 blocks walk west).

If you're driving there is metered street parking on Diversey (bring quarters) and/or cheap, private-lot parking behind Market Place grocery store which is across the street from Galway. There is also a Public Pay-by-the-Hour lot on Diversey between Cambridge and Clark.

Being Peter Kim: Social Media Predictions 2009

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Peter Kim has - with the help of many social media thought leaders - assembled a fantastic array of 2009 predictions on his blog.

Click the link for the full document; excerpts selected by Peter Kim below:

Fourteen great minds on social media have shared thoughts on what 2009 may have in store for us. Here's some of what they're thinking:

• "Although it is now cheaper to launch an initiative leveraging Web 2.0 technology - it requires qualified and passionate people to make them successful." - David Armano
• "You may not always start the year as a leader, but you can certainly finish it that way." - Rohit Bhargava
• "Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation." - Pete Blackshaw
• "Doors are going to close all over the social web. Why? Because the money didn't come the way people thought it would." - Chris Brogan
• "The tipping point has not only *not* been reached, but could still tilt *away* from Social Media." - Todd Defren
• "There's a lot of fixing that needs to be done." - Jason Falls
• "Dwindling budgets suddenly make low-cost social media look like the pretty girl at the ball." - Ann Handley
• "We're going to develop a set of better metrics to help guide, direct and validate 'commitment'." - Joseph Jaffe
• "The movement is rooted in a desire to have quality, not quantity, as people cocoon in the face of the economic crisis." - Charlene Li
• "After a pre-qualifying wrestling match..." - Ben McConnell
• "These will be cumulative events and interactions that will build brand loyalty for the companies that pay attention to them." - Scott Monty
• "The recession will force revenue results out of social technologies." - Jeremiah Owyang
• "Companies that focus on earning love will thrive during hard times, and kick ass when good times return." - Andy Sernovitz
• "Suddenly, being Facebook friends with your mom will seem less ridiculous than following 4,000 strangers on Twitter." - Greg Verdino
  

ADMAVEN On Twitter!

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Searching for the right blog material is a challenge - looking for the right tweets much less so.

I am actively pushing ADMAVEN Twitter, so those of you who enjoy a more regular (albeit smaller) broadcast from me should follow the tweets here:

http://www.twitter.com/admaven

Get useful social media and web 2.0 information, ask questions about your campaign planning, and contribute to future ADMAVEN articles.

I look forward to seeing what you are up to!

NPR Digital Culture: Tim O'Reilly On The Future Of Social Media

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Talk of the Nation, December 19, 2008 · From Flickr to Facebook, Twitter to MySpace, social media sites help people follow the news and, in some cases, become part of the story. Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, looks back at the role of social media in 2008 and gives predictions for the future.

comScore Media Metrix: Retail Sites Gain as Holiday Shopping Season Kicks Off

From comScore:
“The current economic situation has caused retailers to slash prices and offer highly attractive offers, such as free shipping, to appeal to cost-conscious Americans this holiday season,” commented Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix. “With budgets a top concern for consumers, the ability to conveniently search the Web to find the best prices has become an increasingly important part of the holiday shopping buying process, for both online and offline purchases.”


Full story

Personal Branding, David Armano, Critical Mass

From Chicago Convergence:

Watch Personal Branding, David Armano, Critical Mass in News Online, Webisodes, and Game Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Windy City Social - Social Media Networking Event

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Windy City Social hosted an outstanding networking event at the Mid-America Club December 10th. Thanks to everyone who stopped to speak with me about the economy, social media, the state of advertising.

Special thanks to the organizers who threw together one of the biggest and most interesting networking events this year!

Social Media - Discussing Ideas With People In Communities

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.At the base level, social media is a pretty easy thing to define. A lot of marketers have trouble encapsulating what it means to be in the social media space, and whether a campaign is comprised of "just another website" or a functional 2.0 experience. This post is designed to create a very general framework to assist in understanding and developing true social media campaigns.

Let's have a look at my chart above; its based on a traditional approach but bear in mind that a brand or agency -with the correct core competencies - could perform all of the functions under one roof. The ad agencies who diligently invent creative concepts and the next great campaign are working with ideas. The PR agencies who interact with people on a daily basis and manage the perception of the product/service/brand are facilitating discussion. And the brand ambassadors - the ultimate caretakers of the brand (and our clients) - represent the people who are most influential throughout the advertising process.

When ideas, discussions, and people come together online the result is a community. Consumers spend a lot of time these days discussing what goes on in the world around them, and they are doing it via social media outlets. This isn't news to anyone I know, but it is important to ask yourself this question:

"Is my campaign facilitating discussion about ideas with people in online communities?"

If you are lacking in one or more of the aforementioned areas, you are not truly involved in a social media campaign.

And for those of you in denial about using social media - take a lesson from Motrin Moms... They had ideas and delivered them to people, but failed to facilitate any level of meaningful discussion in online communities about the negative feedback that resulted. As a result the brand suffered and a lot of money was lost.

I'm interested to hear your feedback; let me know what you think by commenting below!

Google Friend Connect Goes Live

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

From Google:

"Google Friend Connect means more people engaging more deeply with your website -- and with each other."

Learn more at the Friend Connect website.

Maddock Douglas Seeks New Talent in Chicago

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Maddock Douglas, the agency of innovation, is seeking new talent to add to it's already skilled Digital Team in the Chicago area.

We are currently looking for a Developer with the following credentials:

• At least two years experience developing interactive sites, micro-sites, banners and other rich-media online experiences

• Flash action-scripting expert with experience coding dynamic Flash applications. Extensive knowledge of AS-2 or AS-3.

• Experience coding Web pages, leveraging knowledge of HTML, CSS, Java Script, XHTML, ASP and PHP.

• Web 2.0 experience and knowledge necessary

• Experience creating email blasts and inline style sheets

• Knowledge of server-side technology a plus

Up to US$60k depending on experience. Visit Maddock Douglas to learn more about the company. Please send resume and cover letters to my attention.

Happy hunting!

Crain's Chicago Features Maddock Douglas In Chicago's Coolest Offices

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Crain's Chicago featured Maddock Douglas in the December 1st edition as one of Chicago's coolest offices. I suppose I am biased because they are my client, but the article is definitely justified...

Why Dell Continues to Use Social Media

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Video originally posted by Jeremiah Owyang.

Social Media In Plain English - Common Craft

Book Review: Groundswell - Published 2008 by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Groundswell: A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations.

Earlier this year the blog community was abuzz with the impending release of Groundswell - the "how to" book for all things social media. Promising a system of planning and executing social media campaigns and tying them to measurable results, expectations were high.

Fast forward six months - has the Groundswell lived up to its promise?

Fundamentally, I enjoyed the book because it helps solidify social media as a valid and usable marketing/advertising strategy. The most useful portions of the book are the case studies detailing the trials and tribulations of various large companies attempting to enter the social media space (or being run over by it). Don't expect formal case study material - references are lacking and the studies themselves read as narratives as opposed to true analysis, however you may find some similarities between your experiences in social media and the foibles of those put under the microscope.

Authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff are veterans of Forrester Research, Inc. and it shows. They consistently lace the text with drivers to their website and blog, which is nice the first time but gets very old very fast. Additionally, the entire Groundswell strategy hinges on research, which although important, is certainly not the best solution for social media execution in every scenario.

Functionally, Groundswell delivers a very basic understanding of what social media is and how to use it in some very specific situations. In terms of providing a framework for planning, measuring, and executing a social media campaign Li and Bernoff simply suggest that through proper research and understanding of the target audience your strategy will usually succeed; a simplistic view of a very complicated process in my opinion.

In addition, Groundswell does not provide a true tool or metric for comparing campaigns against competitor initiatives, nor does it provide a quantifiable method for execution. The reader is simply told that each client is so unqiue you must make a significant investment in research up front or risk missing the mark and getting steamrolled by masses of dissatisfied or unconvinced customers.

If you are completely new to social media or need a good understanding of what a properly executed social media campaign looks like, this book may assist you in that endeavor. Take care to not get lost in the process of research, research, and more research.

iPhone Wins the Handset Wars - Dethrones Motorola and Blackberry

DISCLAIMER:

Though I don't normally write about hardware, I believe the iPhone has certain implications for interactive advertising and social media that transcend traditional thought patterns in mobile marketing.

Today it has been reported that the iPhone has surpassed all other handsets to become the number one purchased in the third quarter of 2008, according to NPD. In it's wake, the Razr V3 falls to second place while RIM BlackBerry Curve falls to third; LG Rumor falls to fourth; and the LG enV2 winds up fifth.

Having used an iPhone 3G myself for the last couple of months, I can honestly say the device deserves to be in first place. Nothing else can come close to the ease of use, reliability, and overall functionality provided by the iPhone.

That being said, Apple continuously improves the software while tracking down and eliminating bugs. The App Store is a potent method of eliminating the need to engage the costly and bloated software distribution channels while keeping development time to a minimum through intelligent implementation of Cocoa.

Agencies need to begin thinking about how they can push iPhone applications on their clients. The task can be daunting, but a truly killer App can round out your social media or interactive strategy in a way you and your client have never before experienced. I would be interested to hear stories of anyone who has successfully convinced a client to take up the charge!

This holiday season go forth and buy the iPhone - make it a gift for someone you love or for yourself; you won't regret it.

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

CMM&A Thanks Lewis Lazare and Chicago Advertising Professionals

On behalf of CMM&A, I would like to thank Lewis Lazare for spending the evening talking shop with over 50 Chicago advertising professionals.

We had outstanding representation from agencies, design firms, social media and digital consultants, and creative staffing agencies.

Our next official meeting will be in January, however we are working on a special event for December. Stay tuned!

AdAge DigitalNext Features Adam Cahill On Obama and Social Media

Every once in a while AdvertisingAge features a great guest writer with something meaningful to say. The Digital President by Adam Cahill, Senior VP-General Manager, Carat Boston, is an outstanding read about how President-Elect Obama can leverage social media to create an administration with more transparency and public communication than ever before.

Here are some of his key points:

MyWhiteHouse.com
MyBarackObama.com, the hub of your campaign, becomes MyWhiteHouse.com. Here the public will have direct and unfiltered access to your priorities and positions. But this hub won't be solely (or even largely) about information sharing. It will be the means by which you enable individuals to organize in their communities to bring your ideas (and ours) to life.

Reach Across the 'Digital' Aisle
Today there are hundreds of digital groups that are vehemently anti-Obama. Just as you'll need to work with Republican politicians, you'll need to bring these people into the fold. Have your team reach out to these groups, not with the immediate goal of changing their minds, but to demonstrate that their opinions are respected.

Multiple Points of Entry
While MyBarackObama.com was the hub of your campaign's digital universe, it was by no means the only point of entry. You had a meaningful presence in numerous social networks, from the mainstream to the niche. The same should be true of your presidency: Let the public access the government on their terms, in their preferred environments.

Legislative Co-creation
Just as the most progressive brands have begun to co-create products and services with their customers, you ought to use social media as a way to bring the public's voice to legislative creation and prioritization. Why should voting be restricted to Election Day? Let us "Digg" up the issues we want addressed, making every day an opportunity to "vote."

Listening, Feedback, and Guidance
Make it easy to submit suggestions and feedback, and make sure you have a staff to respond thoughtfully to these submissions. MyWhiteHouse.com can become a link from the public to the government. Whether people submit queries on an issue as large as global warming or as small as a pothole on their corner, make sure you respond with the information they need to act.

Enable Grassroots Community Service
Your campaign famously created a new model for fundraising: massive amounts of small donations as opposed to small amounts of massive donations. You can now use social media to bring a similar model to community service. Grand programs that require huge time commitments (like Teach for America) will remain important, but there is the opportunity to greatly increase the overall amount of community service if you can enable us to contribute our time in smaller, more frequent ways.

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.

Chicago Media Marketing & Advertising Group Presents Lewis Lazare

Please RSVP to this exciting event on the Facebook Event Page!

Nicholas Kinports (follow him on Twitter @ADMAVEN) has worked in the interactive technology world for over 15 years. He is the Digital Strategy Lead and founder of Chicago-based digital marketing firm lonelybrand, where he directs the creation and execution of digital marketing programs that generate measurable signups, conversions and sales.