Destination new media advertising

Hergé sent his comic book hero Tintin on a journey to the moon in 1953. In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, saying: "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." There are 16 years of hard work between Hergé's great fiction and Armstrong's bold step. Since my visit to the New Media Expo in New York at the beginning of June, I am convinced that the (science) fiction phase for advertising involving social channels has been overcome. Experts are formulating initial, useful tasks and developing suitable strategy models. At the same time, practitioners are launching the first new media pilot projects. As a takeaway from New York, here is an 11-step inspiration program for the next steps on Planet New Media Advertising.

Step 1 - People trust people more than brands!
People are the most trustworthy source of information. The new social media have replaced corporate PR and marketing channels as the most common source of information. People prefer information from people, using testimonials from their own networks or product forums. If you want to stay in business, you have to follow them there.

Step 2 - Listening is more important than talking!
Yesterday's regulars' table is now the World Wide Web. And it still makes sense to follow these conversations. The topics fly unfiltered and bluntly from user to user and from network to network at breakneck speed. Every snippet of conversation is an opportunity to start an exciting discussion. Which ones concern you? How can you get involved? What are the risks?

Step 3 - The days of persuasion are over!
Is your strategy already geared towards the people involved in the discussion? Or are your messages still based on the concept of persuasion? Consumers don't want to be convinced. They want authentic stories, experiences and opinions - told in an exciting and straightforward way. But you can only be authentic if you know yourself well. How well do you know yourself?

Step 4 - Bring your business home!
Ask for the return on investment (ROI)! Despite all the romance surrounding creative ideas and original Facebook competitions, your basic concern is: How do I elicit maximum monetary behavior from addressees with minimum investment? The ROI quantifies this concern. Consider the ROI as the result of a linear sequence of five causally related steps: Capital invested - Number of contacts reached - Intensity of impact achieved - Degree of trust created - Measurable monetary behavior. After each step, test the effect of each individual measure. Intervene and improve if a measure proves to be inadequate.

Step 5 - Form your all-star team!
New media projects are extreme situations, and they are similar to team sports: no two games are the same, line-ups and tactics have to be constantly adapted to the challenges that arise. Talent and practiced automatisms determine success in extreme situations, rules ensure fair play and a positive winning spirit drives top performance. 

Step 6 - Generate attention!
The best way to attract attention is a creative advertising idea. A perfect mix of message, idea, dramaturgy and design generates the strongest attention-grabbing effect. Ideally, you should serve the most intense demand motivation with your best argument. Obtain the visitor's profile before each meeting and deliver a tailor-made message. Social media monitoring makes it possible.

Step 7 - Establish new relationships!
The best way to build loyal relationships is sincere appreciation. The strongest relationship moments are created by personal product or brand experiences where customers and suppliers meet in real locations. Ideally, they offer the experience provider unique added value as an incentive. Clever ways of involving the user in the event are particularly effective. For example, by making it as easy as possible for them to share their experiences via social media channels. Respond to their activities. Thank them. Because nothing is more valuable to people than appreciation - show it.

Step 8 - Generate sales!
The best sales tool is a consistent path to the deal. The drivers on the way to the social media buying experience are the messages in the social channels, which can now be embellished with images and videos. Illustrated messages enable comprehensive product experiences. If a product experience is convincing, the decision to buy is close. Ideally, you should offer a direct, obstacle-free path to the deal. Stay within the relevant social network or set up a shopping page that continues the path of experience.

Step 9 - Create campaigns for participation!
Design your campaign with planners who have arrived in the world of new media. Conventional media planning is content with the goal of making contact. Modern campaign design is based on the principle of participation. The two are worlds apart in every respect. Two terms you should remember: The path (lead) leads the target person from the initial contact to the desired action. The planner has a wide variety of channels, applications and influencing contributors to choose from when designing the path. The incentive keeps the target person on the path. Campaign planners are dramaturges who design paths, create connections and prepare the ground for participation.

Step 10 - Use social media monitoring!
Track the impact of your campaigns and research the needs of your target groups. Thanks to social monitoring, you can determine the effectiveness of your campaigns with unprecedented precision. The results are available in real time and allow you to intervene quickly. Monitoring also allows you to filter useful brand and consumer trends from the actions and statements of your target groups. You need this information to design effective messages. You can also identify any gaps that you should close with your own primary research.

Step 11 - As Swiss people, we know: Nothing beats perfect organization!
If you are promoting dialogue-based communication, good organization is essential. Do you want your employees and customers to behave appropriately on social media channels? Create a realistic set of rules in line with freedom of expression. Give your experienced employees personal responsibility and engage them in dialog with your target groups. Recruit customers, users and technical experts as ambassadors. Do away with hierarchies. Instead, create leaders and make further training, networking and teamwork your priorities.
 
Beat Hürlimann