CIM GLR » Research

Making Believe

jenny — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:09:18 +0000

This was the title for a talk I went to at the ICA last week, about the human instinct towards storytelling and how we react to stories when we’re overwhelmed by narratives. And these days, stories are all around us.

Individuals, brands, politics and organisations use stories to construct, distract, disrupt, persuade and position. Why? Because everyone loves a good story! It’s one of the ways we make sense of the world and our place in it. Stories capture our imagination. They elicit an emotional response. Stories can literally make us believe.

But how do you tell a good story if you’re creating it for a brand or a cause?

Keep it real – Use your imagination and creativity (it makes a story interesting), but be authentic. Remember – a true story is easy to tell, but living a lie is hard work. To make others believe, you’ve got to believe it yourself. If your story feels like a good fit, it’s more likely to resonate with your audience.

Tempting timing – With the web and increasingly the mobile web, it’s easy to get your story out there and out there fast. It can be tempting to get the word out there before your first chapter is finished. Don’t be the 20-year old Z list celebrity who publishes an autobiography after a year of fame.

Pick the perfect place – Your story is important to you, but imagine you’re one story in a library full of them. It’s not just how you tell it, it’s where you place it. Don’t expect a 10-year old child to find your fairytale, if it’s on the shelf with the self-help books. It sounds obvious, but it’s crucial. Is your story suited to a TV appearance, a trade show or Twitter? It could be all three. Be aware of where your audience is.

Get people involved – A good story gets great when it’s shared. When someone hears a story and likes it, they pass it on. It could be a story about a brand. It could be a story about a cause. That story will change when it’s shared, as people make it their own.

Some great stories: Marmite, the Mini Cooper, Band Aid, Barack Obama.

Next time you’re faced with a new product or campaign, consider a story to make people believe.

New social marketing interest group is launched.

Stephanie — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:11:30 +0000

The latest Shape the Agenda paper on social marketing

Have you seen details of the new Social Marketing Interest Group? The Chartered Institute of Marketing have set up this new group to promote the growing relevance of social marketing in society. Don’t get confused – social marketing doesn’t mean blogging. It means marketing issues that are important for the social good. This group’s already been a big hit with many members joining up, and sparking interest in online marketing news forums.

Social marketing has a huge influence on encouraging opinions on all kinds of issues such as promoting healthier lifestyles, pro-environmental behaviours and reducing social inequalities.Join up and you’ll be able to take part in discussions that’ll raise the profile of social marketing. You’ll also learn a thing or two about its power to influence social opinions which is always useful whichever sector you’re in.

Business knows it needs to use social media – it doesn’t yet know how

Stephanie — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:29:09 +0000

Going by the results of a recent B2B study, businesses are beginning to understand the power of social marketing. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other blogging forums are used by business to tune in to what customers are saying about their products. The study revealed that although 63% of marketers find social marketing of interest, they don’t fully understand how it could help their business, so don’t have a social media strategy in place.

Examples in the press have shown that some businesses such as restaurants are using Twitter. If there have been complaints ‘tweeted’, they can quickly contact that individual and try and correct the problem. This is a direct way to interact with customers and may help to retain customers that would otherwise have been lost.

It’s difficult to think of a faster way to hear about what your customers are saying than via Twitter, blogs and online forums. So, is your company embracing social media? It’s important that it does – going by this study it’s not a fad it’s here to stay. Does your company have a social media strategy? Register your comments to let us know.

Marketing Trends Survey Autumn 2009

CIM GLR — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:06:22 +0000

Don’t forget to take part in The Institute’s Marketing Trends Survey. T he study is being undertaken amongst The Institute’s UK members and other professional marketers, and covers a number of issues, including the current economic climate, the impact of the recession, views on the Government’s engagement with businesses and how marketing spend is changing.