Understanding the nuts and bolts of search engines

Web analytics is a challenging topic -- one that seems to change daily. With new software/resources and "black hat" tricks constantly taking shape, it's no wonder companies have trouble keeping up. Americans tap search engines more than 12 billion times a month to find everything from song lyrics and shoes to recipes and weight loss tips (Steiner, 2010). And data indicates that most visitors don't look past the first 10 or so search results. It’s easy to see why SEO is a hot topic.

Understanding how the various search engines work and what they look for when scouring the Web is a critical piece of the overall marketing strategy for today's business. Are consumers reading what you are sending? Do they click on links in your newsletter (or, better yet, do they even open it)? Web metrics is the key to understanding what your consumers want and need. Yet even companies who have this information may not always know what to do with it or, on some levels, they may not have the right people who can tell them what the information means. As Rand Fishkin notes in his beginner’s guide to SEO, search engines do have their limitations, so incorporating the “right moves” will help increase traffic to your site (Fishkin, 2005).

This week in class we were asked to do some searches of keywords to see where certain things fell in the Google search ranking. Because I spent a lot of time looking at Hasbro for class last semester, I decided to do a search for "toy companies." While Hasbro did show up as one of the top 10 listings, I found it very interesting that when looking at its Web site, the use of the word "toy" only shows up once on its main page. Wouldn't you think a toy company would use that word on its main Web page more than once?

Search engines pick up on the number of times a keyword is listed on a page or on the links found on other sites. It would probably be beneficial for Hasbro to incorporate the use of the word "toy" on its site so that when Web crawlers or "spiders" search through the hundreds of thousands of Web sites, Hasbro will move further up the search chain.

Another  interesting piece of information I picked up this week was the use of site maps in helping to move  a company's ranking higher on search engines. I had actually thought site maps had become passe. However, by mapping out a site layout for your Web page, you can identify key areas/key words that you want search engines to pick up and include those specific links on the site map. By adding the map to your main page, you have added more opportunities for a search engine to recognize those keywords, further enhancing your presence in searches via the Web.

There are numerous equations that decide where a company falls on the list of search engines. Paid advertising (search engine marketing), social media, and keywords are just a few pieces of that equation. As companies continue to struggle to make their organization the first stop on the search engines, strategic planning using the various tactics for search engine optimization must be in place (and constantly updated) in order to make that happen.

References:
Fishkin, R. (2005, Dec. 5). Beginners guide to SEO. Retrieved January 18, 2010, from http://www.seomoz.org/article/bg1

Steiner, C. (2010, Jan. 10). The latest tricks for getting found online. Forbes. Retrieved Jan. 12, 2010, from http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/12/search-engine-optimization-tactics-entrepreneurs-technology-seo.html

World of social media opens windows to conversation

The world of social media is broad. And, everyone has an opinion on how companies/organizations should handle the use of this ultra medium. During the past few weeks, we have seen some wonderful, and some not so wonderful, uses of blogs, video, Twitter, Facebook, etc., to help consumers become part of a brand. By engaging them in conversations, companies are not only building brand loyalty, they are also gaining valuable information that can help to set them apart from the competition.

As we come down the home stretch of our social media marketing class, there is a lot of information to sort through, thoughts and ideas to decipher, and more importantly, choosing the right marketing plan that will help our “choice” company heighten its social media presence.

In a recent study from the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts, Inc. 500 companies (five of the top 10, 12 and 15 companies and 38 of the top 100 companies) were interviewed about trends/uses of social media (2009, Barron). Several trends/statistics were discussed in the survey that deserve some attention, and ones that I feel have real value as I begin to craft the marketing plan for Hasbro:

·        Social networking leads the way (75 percent of respondents reported this as the most familiar aspect of social media.

·        Fifty-two percent of the companies responding use Twitter.

·        Social media is here to stay. (Ninety-one percent of respondents used some sort of social media in 2009).

·        Inc. 500 companies attribute success to social media communication (82 percent success rate with Twitter and 87 percent for other social media tools (Wikis, social networking, blogging, video, etc.)/

As we are talking about sorting through the “wealth” of information, Larry Brauner’s article this week on sorting through social media clutter is very apropos (2009, Brauner). Specifically a couple of things jump out as simple, yet critical steps, to taking action. The first one is his statement, “Be reliable and be consistent.” As we have discussed throughout this course, you have to be accountable and you have to be authentic/reliable. If you say what you do and do what you say, consumers are more likely to take stock in what your company has to say. And, of course, don’t do it in such a way that you are talking over people, instead of to them or with them.

The second point he makes that I think is valuable advice when looking at use of social media is the concept of not being everything to everyone. There are companies out there that do this well. (I noted National Geographic last week in my post. A great example.) But, not every company is going to have the staff or resources to accomplish what these top tier companies are doing. It’s important to find out what your consumers want and give it to them. Pick those mediums that you believe you can do well and ones that will really add value to building relationships with those consumers.

Additionally, recent changes to privacy policies for Facebook (2009, Brauner) and research regarding consumers’ likelihood to provide (or control) behavioral advertising data, could make social media marketing even more interesting, and, in some cases, challenging (2009, Rodgers). The addition of privacy changes (and there will probably be more to come) is not a bad thing. The point of social media is to engage consumers, and as Jaffe noted in Join the Conversation, “prosumers” or “consumers” make the world go round and “today’s consumer is your best friend and worst enemy” (2007, Jaffe). There is no doubt consumers are leading the way, and that is why it is more important than ever for companies to become more engaged with consumers so that they can reach those audiences with messages they want to hear, with products they said they want to see and deliver it in the manner in which they have asked to receive it.

The world of social media is scary, yet one that blows open the windows of communication to an audience who is ready to be part of these conversations.

References:

Barnes, N. and Mattson, E. (2009). Social media in the 2009 Inc. 500: New tools & new trends. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2009, from http://www.umassd.edu/cmr/studiesresearch/socialmedia2009.pdf

Brauner, L. (2009, Dec. 13). 8 simple ways to penetrate social media clutter. Online Social Networking blog. Retrieved Dec. 13, 2009, from http://online-social-networking.com/8-ways-to-penetrate-social-media-clutter

Brauner, L. (2009, Dec. 6). Social networking privacy hampers marketers. Online Social Networking blog. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2009, from http://online-social-networking.com/social-network-privacy-hampers-marketers

Jaffe, J. (2007). Join the Conversation. Chapter 5, pps.41-51.

Rodgers, Z. (2009, Dec. 14). Few Google users are opting out of behavioral targeting. Retreived Dec. 14, 2009, from http://www.clickz.com/3635881

Enhancing Hasbro brand by expanding social media reach

Hasbro has room to grow and enhance its products by incorporating different social media vehicles into their short-term and long-range plans. Television ad spots will continue to be a large part of their overall strategy. According to Nielsen ratings, kids ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week watching TV, while children ages 6-11watch TV approximately 28 hours per week (2009, Nielsen). So, television still hits a large audience for Hasbro; however, reaching the adult populations (i.e., the parents) becomes more challenging. This is where social media vehicles such as the experiential marketing (“reliving” their favorite childhood Hasbro games and sharing those via on-line communities/websites), Twitter, Facebook and branded entertainment can really enhance that strategy.

The idea of meaningful marketing also is an important message to consider when developing a marketing strategy. In Tim Leberecht’s article, he notes that it is critical in social media to engage and activate customers “to co-create social content, which serves as the main catalyst for those cross-media conversations that provide the fabric for brands.” I love the metaphor of “fabric for brands” (2009, Leberecht). And while he was referring to the voice of a company, I think this same theory can be applied from a customer perspective.

Hasbro is in a unique position to capitalize on meaningful marketing. How many people have grown up playing Hasbro board games or collecting Hasbro toys? As I was talking with co-workers recently, we talked about how we used to love playing Operation, and how even today, young children carry on the tradition of loving operation (whether it be online via a video game or on the original board game). These special feelings have meaning for us, and those feelings are a chance for Hasbro to engage these consumers. Wouldn’t it be great to have a community site on Hasbro where consumers could tell stories of their favorite Hasbro toys and include photos or videos of them as young children (or even now their own children/grandchildren)? What better way to sell your brand! Coca-Cola is doing some experiential/meaningful marketing through their Open Happiness campaign -- http://cokeusa.com/coca-cola-stories.html. The campaign offers consumers to share their stories of why they love Coke – who knew romance could be found through the love of Coke?

Opportunities for Hasbro to engage consumers through on-line communities are also abound via Twitter and Facebook. By building followers/fans, Hasbro can easily engage customers by providing special discounts/coupons to those individuals through “Facebook freebies,” direct message discounts and social media sharing (2009, Van Grove). These special discounts will make them feel special, as long as you are careful not to offer similar discounts to the masses. Additionally, implementing a customer loyalty program and referral opportunities can provide more opportunities to market the products. These simple strategies ca n be incorporated to help build the community of Hasbro consumers. Hasbro is missing out, particularly this time of year, by not having these types of communication/marketing strategies in place. It would be great to see this done several times a year and possibly incorporated into special discounts on customer’s birthdays, etc. Implementing this on Facebook and Twitter is simply a no-brainer.

Another benefit of this “open” conversation with consumers is the ability to build ad campaigns developed around those conversations. As Jean-Philippe Maheu, chief digital officer for Ogilvy, states, “Ultimately, brands need to have a role in society. The best way to have a role in society is to understand how people are talking about things in real time" (2009, Steel). And while companies should rely on traditional research methods as well, hearing what customers are saying about you and learning from them can be a key piece to your overall marketing strategy and allow you to really tune-in to the wants/needs of those buying/using your product.

The last vehicle that is worth mentioning and further researching is branded entertainment. I love the example in Jaffe’s book of Macy’s as a company who has used branded entertainment in a very positive way (2005, Jaffe). As the holidays approach, we are now seeing the wonderfully done commercials for Macy’s where the word “Macy’s” is spoken in various movies and television shows. Hasbro actually is in the game when it comes to branded entertainment through such mediums as the Monopoly game at McDonald’s to the continued success of Transformers toys into a big-screen box office hits. Hasbro recently implemented a heavy ad push for "Family Fun Night" where they try to market its board games, as well as Wii video board  games. In addition to running in the mid- to late-morning, it also runs in the evening hours to hit that parent market. Ellen Degeneres also has been helping Hasbro market the family game night by playing some of the  games on her show, including Bop-It and Guesstures. In mid-fall, Hasbro teamed with Domino's and Target to offer unique discounts to encourage families to take part in family game night (2009, Powers) -- another form of branded entertainment. I think there are opportunities for Hasbro to further enhance its branded entertainment presence by integrating some more “personal” experiential marketing strategies that truly engage consumers.

The strategies noted above are just a few examples of social media vehicles that can be blended with traditional marketing plans to further expand a company’s reach to its consumers. It is important to once again reiterate that there is not a one size fits all strategy. Identifying the key social media ingredients will help define a recipe for success.

References:

Donaton, S. (2009, June 23). Branded entertainment that works. Forbes.com. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/23/scott-donaton-brandedcontent-cmo-network-donaton_print.html

Jafee, J. (2005). Life after the 30-second spot. Chapter 20 - Branded Entertainment pps. 266.

Leberecht, T. (2009). Wanted: Chief Meaning Officer. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://designmind.frogdesign.com/articles/power/wanted-chief-meaning-officer.html-3

McDonough, P. (2009, October 26). TV viewing among kids at an eight-year high. Nielsen Wire. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/tv-viewing-among-kids-at-an-eight-year-high/

Powers, V. (2009, October 30). Hasbro’s Family Game Night teams with Domino’s Pizza: Free pizza, mini games. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://www.houstononthecheap.com/hasbros-family-game-night-teams-with-dominos-pizza-free-pizza-mini-games

Steel, E. (2009, November 23). Marketers find Web chat can be inspiring. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703819904574551562382557556.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Van Grove, J. (2009, November 18). 3 creative ways SMBs can use social media for holiday discounts. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/3-creative-ways-smbs-can-use-social-media-for-holiday-discounts-jennifer-van-grove

Product Placement News (2009, October 6). Hasbro branded entertainment through the years. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from http://www.productplacement.biz/200910073244/News/Branded-Entertainment/hasbro-branded-entertainment-through-the-years.html

New insights into what consumers want

Many forms of social media have become important components in marketing strategies for businesses. Vehicles like Facebook and Twitter enable marketers/businesses to engage consumers in new and unique ways.

This week, Mark Walsh of Online Media Daily discussed the findings of a recent study from Razorfish. In the FEED report, more than 65 percent of consumers reported having a positive or negative digital experience that affected how they viewed a brand (of that 65 percent, 97 percent reported that the experience ultimately determined whether or not they bought a product from that brand).

But, one of the statistics/findings that I found particularly interesting is that 44 percent of Twitter followers and more than 37 percent of Facebook and MySpace followers stated that exclusive offers/deals/promotions as the main reason for subscribing/"friending" a brand via social media. As noted in the research, "it’s not so much about some type of 'shared passion' for a brand’s values. Largely, it’s about deals—pure and simple."

This is great information for businesses who are looking to build their brand via these social media vehicles. By building a fan base/following and actively engaging this group, companies can continue to look for new opportunities to enhance the relationship with consumers (see Walsh's example of Whole Food's use of social media).

The FEED also noted that "brands that use digital to drive awareness also drive sales: 64% of consumers report making a first purchase from a brand because of a digital experience."

The data certainly makes a case for digital marketing. And, based on this research, as well as countless other surveys/data, it is important to blend traditional marketing strategies with digital mediums in order to broaden your reach.

When looking at Hasbro, outlets like Facebook and Twitter offer unique marketing opportunities for the company. Because the audiences, of Facebook in particular, is changing and it is this target audience (the parents and grandparents) that can help the company achieve overall success. By developing a solid "fan" following, Hasbro can develop marketing strategies that offer special discounts, "sneak peaks" and other premium services that will build those relationships.

So, as I move further into developing a new marketing strategy for Hasbro for my class, I will look at opportunities to incorporate more digital/social media vehicles to complement the traditional marketing and advertising that Hasbro is already using.

FEED (2009). Razorfish Digital Brand Experience Report 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2009, from http://feed.razorfish.com/downloads/Razorfish_FEED09.pdf

Walsh, M. (2009, November 8). Online Media Daily News. Razorfish study: special offers drive engagement in social media. Retrieved November 9, 2009, from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=117008

Can Hasbro catapult over Mattel through new, innovative marketing

Toy makers/distributors are in a unique predicament when it comes to marketing their products/services. Because their primary market is kids under the age of 13 and that market is somewhat protected (personal data) by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, developing a marketing strategy can be quite tricky.

Two of the largest toy manufacturers, Mattel (#1) and Hasbro (#2) have developed marketing strategies through a combination of traditional (print/television) and social media to enhance their overall marketing efforts. And while both have embraced new forms of advertising/social media, Mattel seems to have the edge on Hasbro.

Mattel has delved deeper into its individual brands, particularly the most popular brands like Barbie and Hotwheels, by developing on-line communities specific to these brands (2009, Mattel). The “Barbie Girls” site boasts one of the most robust communities. It includes the ability for kids to essentially create their own Barbie avatar, earn virtual Barbie bucks, play games, etc. Additionally, the site also includes a “grown ups” page that presents opportunities to engage parents through links to “top toys”, Barbie vintage trivia, party/safety tips, and the ability to sign up for special offers/updates. Several of the sites also include subtle video messages about new products and the ability to earn stickers.

In addition to these communities, you will find Mattel trying to engage consumers through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. These mediums may be fairly new to the company, and right now the Facebook fan page has less than 200 fans and Twitter followers are less than 100. But, these are mediums that are emerging and, if used appropriately and creatively, may further extend the reach to consumers.

So, enough about Mattel – I’m sure we’ll be coming back to them to make some comparisons, but let’s talk Hasbro.

Part of Hasbro’s mission is to “provide some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world” and “inspire play” through its brands. The company does so by offering a wide array of products, including traditional toys and games to those with high-tech, interactive capabilities. Some of the most recognizable and popular toys include, Transformers, Tonka and Parker Brothers -- you know, the brand for Monopoly (2009, Hasbro). Sales for 2009 came in at just a little over $4 billion, compared to Mattel’s annual revenue of nearly $6 billion (2009, Hoover’s).

The company’s primary target audience is children ranging in age from 3-12 (22 percent). The male to female ratio for that audience is almost dead even, with females edging out the males 54 percent to 46 percent. It’s Web site – Hasbro.com – reaches 1.5 million consumers monthly (2009, Quantcast). During the past two years, the company has placed an enhanced focus on “tweens” (kids ages 8-12) by focusing on products that are high-tech/digitally innovative products (2009, Hoovers).
Hasbro’s primary advertising vehicle continues to be television. In addition, the company also markets products through the American International Toy Fair in New York each year. Last year, the company spent more than $4.5 million on advertising (2009, Hasbro Annual Report).

Hasbro’s Facebook page (not sure if it’s official or unofficial) has limited information/engagement opportunities and includes only about 1,000 fans. However, the Hispanic Hasbro site boasts more than 5,000 fans (2009, Facebook). This may seem understandable given that their target audience (kids under the age of 12) may not be using Facebook. However, in looking at what I believe to be a larger target audience – their parents – it may make sense to enhance this presence. Adults ages 35-54 using Facebook grew more than 170 percent in less than a year, and those ages 24-35 and 55+ also saw substantial growth, more than 97 percent (2008, Corbett). Either way, the presence of fans/users is almost nonexistent, and this is an area where there is a lot of potential to engage consumers, particularly parents.

It also appears that Hasbro continues to rely on e-mail updates on product recalls/new products/special offers. There doesn’t appear to be a Twitter presence or even the use of text messaging for these special alerts. Parents now often rely on text updates for local school closings; wouldn’t it be great if Hasbro offered text updates on new product offers or recalls? A simple, cheap and effective way to reach more consumers.

Some of the individual Hasbro brands offer interactive opportunities for kids. For example, the company’s “My Little Pony” brand provides information on how to plan a party, recipes, an opportunity to “meet the ponies” and the ability for parents to send electronic greeting cards to their kids from the ponies.

Hasbro is also trying to engage parents by providing parenting tips from a renowned psychologist, as well as other experts. Most of the topics don’t even pertain to toys. They are just topics relating to children/families. The site also gives parents, access to toy demos, educational information, commercials and other informational videos.

We’ve just touched the tip of the ice berg here, but hopefully this provides a short glimpse into some of the marketing techniques/strategies in place at Hasbro. So, during the coming weeks, we will be looking at new opportunities to further enhance marketing efforts that will help make this brand more successful and possibly even help it catapult over the competition.

References:

Corbett, P. (2008, June 20). Facebook demographics 2008 update -- It’s getting older in there. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from http://www.istrategylabs.com/2008/06/facebook-demographics-2008-update-its-getting-older-in-there/

Facebook (2009). Hasbro. Retrieved November 1, 2009, from http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=Mattel&init=quick#/Mattel?ref=search&sid=25827717.1300079418..1

Hasbro (2009, February 25). 10-K and Annual Report to Shareholders. Hasbro.com. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/12937028/HASBRO-INC-10K-Annual-Reports-20090225

Hoover’s (2009). Hasbro, Inc. and Mattel, Inc. Retrieved November 1, 2009, from http://hoovers.com/hasbro/--ID__12007,period__A--/free-co-fin-income.xhtml

Mattel (2009). Retrieved November 1, 2009, from www.mattel.com