Richard Levitt

FIRST AND FOREMOST:

Every message—every post, blog, banner, print ad, email, billboard, TV commercial and video, bumper sticker and coffee mug—should be in place to accomplish something.

THAT SAID:

You need to decide in advance what you want to accomplish, or you won’t accomplish anything.

AND “SELL MORE” DOESN’T COUNT:

Of course you’re trying to sell more. But that isn’t a content strategy it’s a business goal.

So ask yourself:

• What are the barriers to trial or purchase?
• Where are opportunities?
• Are there misperceptions in the market?
• What do we need to say to prospects, customers and influencers?

On the strategy worksheet I share with clients, we call this: Problems communications must solve.

PROBLEMS YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY CAN SOLVE:

Here are some typical reasons for communicating:

• Increase brand awareness and equity—this can include vision and position statements, sustainability and corporate responsibility messages
• Clarify, focus or re-position your company
• Introduce or support an existing product or service
• Overcome misunderstanding of how your product or service works
• Drive inquiry, trial and sales
• Gain market share

THEN STATE THE PROBLEM AS AN OPPORTUNITY:

NOT: Customers don’t understand what we do.

BUT: Help customers and prospects see our value to them.

FOR EXAMPLE:

IBM—the international powerhouse, the “nobody gets fired for choosing IBM” company, the inventors of significant technology and (at the time) #1 PC company—used to arrive on campus with pizza and free laptops and nobody showed up.

They couldn’t sell a computer. And couldn’t get students to consider working there.

Research showed everyone thought IBM was stale, conservative and unimaginative—with technology to match. Students were terrified of leaving the wide-open spaces of campus, then getting stuck in a navy suit and left in a cube to rot.

But in fact, the IBM workplace was actually exciting and challenging. And their laptops were fast, well-constructed and affordable.

So the problem communications must solve was: Re-brand IBM the company, its products and careers on-campus to excite young consumers and job candidates.

DID WE EVER:

Our solution—which I’ve discussed in this blog—was the Nth Degree campaign. The premise was that no matter who you are or what you want to do, IBM has the vision, momentum and resources to take it to the Nth degree. To take yourself to the Nth degree.

Teasers set it up:

Posters, (online and physical) banners, and numerous non-media tools introduced the program:

Print ads told the stories of university hires who went on to great achievement:

I’m willing to bet this is the only ad by a Fortune 50 high-tech company that starts with “Yo! Bonjour!”

This program included every conceivable element: a dynamic interactive presentation and loads of presentation support materials, sales brochures and job folders, collateral for recruiters, posters for bookstores and department offices, key chains, Frisbees, t-shirts, hackysacks, glow-in-the-dark stickers … and gobs of pizza.

And as a result IBM computer sales in bookstores went up 300% to LY and they achieved 130% to their recruiting goal. This program was the only variable.

The whole program was designed for TMP Worldwide by Dennis Mancini and art directed by Robert Gray.

SO:

You have to know and clearly identify what you want your content program to accomplish. Doesn’t matter if it’s the most general brand awareness or very specific product promotion. But you must be able to focus and direct your media, creative and editorial into a single, clear direction.

NEXT WEEK:

#4: Know your audience.