This document discusses the need to reinvent direct marketing by focusing on driving conversations with consumers rather than traditional advertising. It emphasizes exceeding expectations, creating remarkable experiences worth sharing, and acting human to build emotional connections and advocacy. New metrics like net promoter score are also important. Overall it argues for focusing on fueling customer conversations through acts rather than ads.

1. It’s about time
we start re-
inventing direct
marketing.
How not to get distracted by technology
while using technology.
© InSites Consulting
Polle de Maagt (@polledemaagt) for Spring Global Mail
Conversation readiness 1

2. Hello. I am Polle de Maagt.
I failed in most things during my
life (including being a rock star) but am still
trying to reach world domination. This time
by helping companies change. Change to
a company that is about consumers and
driving conversations.
Guess that makes me a change agent.
Guess that makes Nike, KLM and Telenet
my clients of change.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 2

3. Introducing:
B&B ‘Il Giglio d'Oro’
Brilliant direct marketing machine

4. A simple, small and targeted message ...
At the end of your visit, the owner Eduardo, will ask if everything during your stay
was ok. And if you would do him a favor and write a review on

5. … with a tremendous return on investment.
Il Giglio d’Oro was ranked number 8 of all B&B’s in Europe, number 1 in Florence
and had a 97% approval rate.

6. A lot of things happened.
Nothing changed.

7. Honestly, sentences like the world has changed,
power has shifted to the consumer, increase your
share of conversation, consumers trust each other
most, shifting power from marketers to consumers,
marketers are no longer in control, social media
strategy and learn to lose control make me puke in
my mouth a bit.

8. And it’s not about being on Facebook. Or Twitter.
Yes, Twitter is huge. And Facebook even bigger. But they are both platforms, not end
goals. So it really is about if and how both can help you reach your end goal. Which is
most likely not about having a Facebook fan page and more about driving
conversations, customer retention, sales or brand value.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 8

9. It’s not about being a big brand.
With big brands come big problems. Never look
for an excuse in just being a small company with
little budgets. When it comes to connecting with
consumers, real relationships work. And size, for
once, doesn’t matter.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 9

10. And it certainly isn’t
about being the first
mover in adopting new
technology.
Mobile, augmented reality, location
based services are all just awesome.
And yes, there is PR-value in being the
first Augmented Reality bakery in your
neighborhood. But is that really what
you want your consumers to talk
about?
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 10

11. What IS it about?

12. Hygiene levels are getting higher. Exceeding expectations
is getting harder.
Tolerance for mistakes is getting lower

13. Advocacy is the new retention is the new acquisition.
Reach is more and more built by consumers.
So fuel them with stuff worth sharing.

14. We’re going from a consumer life cycle to a conversation life cycle.
Who are your best customers? The one that pay the most or the ones that talk the
most?

15. Faster communications.
Twitter, Facebook, email and text messages make communication extremely fast.
Simple collaboration and chat tools take it even further.

16. The world is getting 24/7 and realtime.
KLM helps customers Monday to Sunday from 8AM to 11PM. That
is almost a 24/7/365 realtime customer support center. Imagine the
implications for your organization.

17. With new tools come
new ways of
measuring success.
Try measuring the Net Promoter
Score to see how likely it is that your
colleagues will recommend your
company.

18. But most of all: the real fundamentals never
change.

19. I love this one, just because it’s so true.
“
Advertising is the fee for
being unremarkable.
“
Robert Stephens (GeekSquad)

20. It’s about committing acts, not ads.
Don’t talk remarkable, act remarkable and capitalize on the stuff you’re already
doing. Like KLM with it’s KLM Surprise campaign.

21. KLM KLM Surprise

22. It’s about un-
technoligizing
technology, about
acting human.
Zappos does an amazing job in making
technology invisible and really
understanding consumers.
(Thanks Steven Verbruggen for the tip!)

23. Helping people helps.
You might be surprised that 11% of all organizations doesn’t answer
customer emails. Even more when you know that exceeding customer
expectations builds loyalty (81% repeats, 63% recommends) and falling
below customer expectations erodes loyalty (5%/71%).
So start helping.

24. Focus on emotional connections.
Emotional connections build a buffer for possible negative experiences.

25. The power of employees and company culture.
Employees are your ambassadors. All the advertising in the world can’t buy you
great employees and a remarkable company culture.

26. Convenience and simplicity.
Just make it work.

27. Facilitating ownership.
Capitalize on the stuff you’re already doing and make people feel part of it. Like
the Antwerp Zoo did with the birth of Kay Mook: 300K extra visitors.

28. Create stuff
worth sharing.
LinkedIn is extremely
smart in creating
personal, relevant
messages that are
extremely worth sharing.

29. Over-the-top-delivery
Makes negative conversations
Over-delivery
Makes positive conversations
Expectation Delivery
Gives no reason to talk
Under-delivery
Makes negative conversations
Be maniacal about managing expectations.
Under-promise, over-deliver in everything you do. Not only towards customers but
also to your colleagues.

30. That really means we have to re-invent direct
marketing.
Here’s a hint of where things are going.

31. A paradigm shift, as some gurus would call it.
But joking aside, there is indeed a huge shift in the way we will be doing
direct marketing.

32. Swedish Postal Service Magical Christmas Cards

33. Swedish Postal Service: Send happiness by the meter.
Send a special personal card to friends.

34. Bpost SMS Card

35. Zappos doesn’t sell shoes, it delivers happiness.
Customer service and great logistics do the rest.
A small story about free shipping. Oh, and read Delivering Happiness.

36. The best advertising started to have nothing to do with
advertising: Commit acts, not ads.
Albert Heijn actually helps people.

37. Dealification is a blessing in disguise.
What do you want your consumers to talk about? About pricing or something else?
However, recognize the lead-potential and social buying mexhanics.

38. Old Spice The man you could smell like

39. With change became new and different ways to earn
money.
Gym-Pact let’s people pay when they DON’t turn up in their gym.

40. With change came new competitors.
Wakoopa once was a geek tool, now a very promising marketing research tool.

41. You can forget most of the things
I said in this presentation.
But please, remember these 3 things.

42. 1) Conversations drive business.
Companies that connect with
their consumers perform better.
So start the conversation.

43. 2) To drive conversations, exceed
expectations and create stuff
worth sharing.
Don’t plan only for life time money
value, but for life time conversation
value.

44. 3) Start with observing, but start
with simple ways to drive
conversations.
Start monitoring, start with pilots and
learn while doing.

45. Read the manual.
Seriously.
Read it.

46. I hope I was worth sharing.
Send me an email at polle@insites.eu or
find me on twitter at @polledemaagt.
Find the presentation at
http://polle.me/springglobalmail