"Advertising...Advertising...Vista..."
I love the "Mac vs. PC" TV ads. You know, the one with John Hodgman playing "PC" and Justin Long, as "Mac."
The unpresumptuous and unassuming demeanor of Long's character just pulls it off in a loudly subtle way that makes viewers (this one, anyway) shout in agreement with all that ticks us off (me, anyway) with PCs and Microsoft. (Especially: Vista and Microsoft Office 2007--sans PowerPoint. I think the changes in PowerPoint 2007 were actually right on. But, I digress...)
I hadn't seen the new Mac vs. PC video ad below until last week.
I laughed out loud when I saw it. As it turns out, it's also an on-the-nose parody of a small company in my sphere of influence. Let me explain...
The company sells online training products and recurring subsriptions to online "communities." Though, at the moment, the "communities" are little more than company-uploaded content to relatively static subscription web sites enjoying none of the interactivity and dialog some of you may have grown accustomed to in Web 2.0-type communities.
Don't get me wrong, they do see the challenges; they do want to make upgrades. It's just that, well, there are higher level priorities at the moment related to some very real , very depressing revenue challenges .
Anyway, I give input to the staff on occasion. Usually in the context of training development and social media. The short of it is that I've been working to change hearts and minds on the larger role social media and communities should be playing in the company strategy for building a "customer eco-system." Let's get 'em in the front door and, if we have a compelling eco-system in which they can benefit, share, and add value, then maybe they won't rush out the back door as fast they're coming in the front! Maybe they'll even invite their friends and followers. Perhaps they'll even participate and help develop new content.
"Maybe, perhaps, possibly..." Those are risky words. Scary. Especially, since the revenue position is so tenuous.
The trick, and to paraphrase how Seth Godin puts it, is to have faith and commitment in assembling the tribe .
But where's the revenue? How do we market and sell to them? How do we minimize the risk? What's the ROI? What can we charge them?
Yes, how indeed. In the face of all that fear and uncertainty, how do we communicate that the value of the tribe isn't necessarily in the revenue run. But, at the same time, in the midst of all that fear, uncertainty and risk, to also communicate reassurance that it doesn't necessarily exclude profitability?
So, I keep plugging away. Keep the passion high and keep looking for new case studies to show, new perspectives to visualize, new champions to recruit.
In the meantime: Let's keep putting more money into promotions, for now...then we'll see about the other stuff later... (Advertising...Advertising...Vista...Advertising...Advertising....Vista...)
What am I missing? Do you have any suggestions for next steps?
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