What happened to trigger this blog posting?

We were launching a new joint venture business via a decidedly one-time mass email blast to a very large list of contacts, through a third party provider. The data was fragmented and stored in multiple versions.  Upon merging them we found there were numerous duplicate entries. The third party provider assured us that they would remove duplicate entries, and filter the information. In the end, this didn’t happen and some people received numerous emails and were understandably annoyed.

When good plans go awry

To err is human, but is not exclusive to humans. Sometimes the tools we use, and technical services we buy have flaws as well. What do you do when a third party service provider causes an error that affects your corporate or business image?  What’s your best course of action to handle it?

Take responsibility.

It’s your company.  It was your decision to choose that service provider.  Be both sincere and transparent with your audience and take responsibility for what’s transpired.  Respond to emails and phone calls with personalized responses; let your audience know you’re real. If you’ve caused any damage, take steps to mend and heal.

Find the root of the problem.

Review your user agreement, speak with the company you’re dealing with and try to understand what’s happened on their end and yours. Move past the visible symptoms, and determine the cause. Don’t attempt to assign blame, but try to determine which party can make improvements. Correct, or have your service provider correct the root of the problem. If nothing else, perhaps this is the writing on the wall that you picked the wrong service provider from the beginning and should make a move.

Resolve to make sure the problem doesn’t repeat itself.

In the end, one of the best things you can do is share your experience with others.  Do so not as a mechanism for directing blame or carrying on any negative sentiments, but instead to share what you’ve just learned the hard way.  Preventing someone else’s misfortune is always a good way to restore your karma points.

Lessons learned.

Be aware that the data in your database will almost never be without some error or duplication.  Data ages and changes, often making de-duplication processes arduous and imperfect, and can result in having multiple active pieces of data (such as email addresses) for a single person.  Always de-duplicate your information before sending, ensuring you are only sending to one email address per contact.  Be aware of spam regulations.  Make sure you always include your full company name and contact information at the bottom of any mass communication, and ALWAYS include an email “opt-out” feature in every piece of correspondence.

And finally, as we are attempting to do with this blog, be transparent and truthful about your situation as quickly as you can.  You’d be surprised how understanding and forgiving people can be.

Talk to people who WANT to listen

During my last 20 some odd years working in senior positions with Marketing Communications firms, I would have killed for the opportunity to give my clients a constantly growing audience that actually takes action and gives you permission to send them messages. They are saying, “I want to hear from you” or “be my friend ” or “yes, I will follow you”, “I will join your network”…you get the idea. Now on top of this, you can send them information in creative ways that are not confined or limited by time or money for that matter! There are no “30 second” rules or “sizes” that you have to follow. You can send messaging in written, audio or video formats. You can send these as many times as you like and it doesn’t cost you a dime!! Sounds like Nirvana for a communications, guy don’t you think?

Who can you trust?

Traditional media is not dead but it is transitioning or changing daily into a massively cluttered space that allows for many options or “vehicles” to transport your message to an overwhelmed and basically confused audience. In the early days of traditional advertising, the consumers actually believed the claims that were being made by advertisers – “gets the stain out every time” – and when people became suspicious of these claims, we just told them stuff over and over until the message stuck (or it didn’t depending on how memorably we delivered it). Positive editorial coverage or PR quickly became an effective tool when we wanted to change an opinion or “get the truth” out, because it had to be true because it was on the news, right? Well, we know that we can’t believe everything we read or hear on any media today because that whole industry has changed…it has been ravaged by budget cuts and journalism has changed from researching and reporting the facts to a form of spreading information found any which way they can find it. Social media has become the trusted vehicle simply because after time, you get to know who you are interacting with, and you can “choose” to believe stuff or not.

Skill and experience still counts

Just like any other communications strategy, you have to do it right. You need the experience and know how to properly navigate these uncharted waters if you really want to get real business results from your actions in this space. You still need to identify and cultivate your target audience carefully. You still need to craft your messaging in a way that creates impact and trust with them. You still need to do this with the consistency and frequency that allows for breakthrough and penetration. And chances are, you do not want to trust this important strategy and function to your 17-year-old nephew, simply because he is really good on Facebook.

Add a zero

At the end of the day, imagine creating 100 or 1,000 possible customers in a social media environment this year, knowing that this number grows daily because they are spreading “their influence” to like-minded friends who are not presently customers. Imagine these customers spending $100 or $1,000 dollars with you this year that they have not spent before. You do the math and tell me if this is worth looking at, and remember that it is THIS year and we are at the bottom of the curve, and it’s only going to grow quickly from here. The quicker you get in, the less competition you have.

At BFG, we have spent the last eight months building processes and tools that allow organizations to get started with exploiting this amazing new media form. We have localized and regionalized strategies that help you geo-target your message and audience base.

Check out our presentation and find out more. You might get the same wake-up call that I did.

1. Change:
The infrastructure of massive connection is now real. People around the world have cell phones. The first internet generation is old enough to spend money, go to work and build companies. Industries are being built every day (and old ones are fading). The revolution is in full swing, and an entire generation is eager to change everything because of it. Hint: it won’t look like the last one with a few bells and whistles added.

2. Frustration:
Baby boomers are getting old. Dreams are fading, and so is health. Boomers love to whine, and we love to imagine that we’ll live forever and accomplish everything. This is the decade that reality kicks in. And, to top it off, savings are thin and resource availability isn’t what it used to be. A lot of people ate their emergency rations during the last decade. Look for this frustration to be acted out in public, and often.

The coolest thing is that just about everyone gets to pick which one of these two alternatives they want to spend their time on. And being frustrated about change doesn’t count as doing both.

I couldn’t agree more, and I have come up with “Seven Deadly Wins for a Successful 2010″ that will hopefully help you think about some things you may want to change in your business or organization this year. (Deadly, by the way, meaning awesome, innovative and “killer” as my 12 year old would say…)

1. Social media – How can I win by taking advantage of the biggest communications opportunity (NOW) we have seen in our generation and reap the massive rewards associated?

2. Exit Strategy – How can I win by developing a clear and aggressive plan to take full financial advantage when I want to sell my business?

3. Sales and Business Development – How can I win by finally addressing shortfalls in my main revenue development strategies and processes?

4. 2010 Branding - How can I win by developing a new name, brand and positioning strategies that work in today’s ever-changing digital and interactive landscape, while properly levering past and present strengths?

5. Government Funding – How can I win by taking advantage of the many funding opportunities that we leave untouched and unexploited because ”we are too busy and don’t get around to it?”

6. Web Site and Digital Platform - How can I win by developing Web sites and digital strategies that reflect today’s consumer demands for a constantly changing digital experience, full transparency and immediate purchase capabilities?

7. Business Planning - How can I win by developing a dynamic business strategy/plan or Map to Market that actually plots where I want to go and how I need to get there?