MDMA 2009 conference was attempting to connect direct marketing with green concepts, internet, and particularly social media marketing. Though I was preoccupied with social media, some green concepts were quite interesting – it is always helpful to explore area a little beyond interactive marketing as a concentration.

 Green Marketing (based on Aveda’s approach)

• Cause marketing isn’t about philosophy, it is about “enlightened self-interest”
• Aveda – cause related marketing and brand marketing came together (and everybody agrees on metrics…)
• Globally, 68% of consumers would remain loyal to brands that support a good cause
• Environmentalism is also a passion of the employees
• “Purpose brand” even if it is a premium brand
• It is wise to pay attention to the generation G (from giving, generosity, anti-greed); generosity is becoming a new status symbol
• Thinking about the future – the next generation is much more environmentally oriented (Disney created a DisneyNature brand  )

Aveda’s approach is a designated department, combining:

• tracking the company’s environmental footprint and trying to reduce it
• employee education (how to reduce personal footprint)
• philanthropy (related to environmentalism)
• employee health and safety

Mission synergy: business mission and earth and community mission. (It is interestingly close to the concept of Brand Theme)

Social Media

Social media campaigns are infinite – whatever works should be indefinitely maintained (while it works)

Momentgraphic – similar to demographic and psychographic approach – determining the moment when the particular service or product could be most effectively offered

1% of all web sites has mobile-friendly look at this point

Data is valuable; but not for the sake of having data, but for the sake of improving relationships with customers – including mobile

The difference between an employee and a person is disappearing

Employees can show up higher in Organic listing than the company – it can be absolutely anybody, but this person would represent the company… Maybe we should encourage employees list the name of the company on Facebook, etc.?

Different audiences use devises in differently (mobile – 58% males; who likes to follow sports teams)

Rule of thumb (1/5 or 20%), but growing rapidly

• 20% of social media messages are consumed on mobile devices
• 20% of e-mail messages consumed on mobile devices

Employee social media – just an effort of being human…

“badvocate” – opposite of advocate (in contest of social media and beyond)

Best practices of mobile marketing:

• integrate with other channels
• test
• experiment (and test)

Try it!  Play with it!  Fail!  Try again! 

Example: a coupon was posted on Flikr, and the information about it was Twitted through Twitter. It was a test, but it worked very well…  An implementation was almost free…

20% of marketing budget should be devoted to trying new opportunities

Useful resource: http://extendr.com/   Of course, I had to try it – http://vanessabright.extendr.com/  – with one week of free premium service

MDMA conferencewas enticing enough to attend, and the event did not disappoint my expectations.

I must admit that John Sweeney, the keynote speaker was spectacular. I don’t have much interest in theater as a art form, but this presentation was the most memorable, and I would say one of the most useful. It opened my eyes on value of idea generation… and power of no fear of rejection. If the ideas are criticized before they leave the mouth of their creator…  not much will be shared…  Hm…  Interesting…  I also experienced the “removal of constrains” myslef…  very interesting…

Other little notes from the conference:

• Retail: web site can be similar to the layout of the store to help customers fining what they need
• E-mail (or other channel) – paying attention on opt-outs. Why do they leave?
• “multi-channel customers” might like to purchase through multiple channels
• Telemarketing is the method of marketing the most disliked by US adults
• Segmenting messaging can increase response rate three times
• Initial customer segmentation may not be based on data…  but rather industry/company structure or tradition… Oh, yes…