There’s lots of industry buzz about online focus groups.  They appear to provide a way to get the same wonderful insights that traditional focus groups provide – at a fraction of the cost. 

But there are some serious draw backs.  Among them -

• the technology is still nascent and working out the kinks
• it’s incredibly difficult to moderate online focus groups because so much is happening at once
• and finally, with so much of human communication happening through body language, it’s incredibly difficult to get into deep and meaningful discussions in an online format. 

That’s not to say there aren’t some good benefits.  But here are some considerations for using online vs traditional focus groups. 

• Do you expect that the best insights will come from getting participants to discuss issues and ‘play off’ one another?  If so (and they usually do), a traditional setting of people together in a room will deliver much better conversations – and therefore insights.      
• Is security or confidentiality an issue?  The risks in an online focus group are obvious – you have much less control of who’s listening on the other side, and where the content of the session ends up.  This is not true for an in-person session, where you know exactly who is in the room and why they’re there.   
• Is the issue you’re researching contentious?  If so, having real live people in front of you discussing their views will be more effective and convincing.  Somehow, hearing the same comments via an online session has less impact.  And when it’s a tough issue that you’re researching, you usually need very compelling evidence to support the decision. 
• Are you using a number of stimuli?  When you have lots of pictures, concept statements or other visuals, it’s much easier to do in an in-person situation.  Sure these things can be sent online, but you start running into technology issues, which can bog down the entire session.  And you also have the security issues mentioned above.

So, while online focus groups are a great concept, we haven’t found the reality to be as effective.  If online is your absolute priority, consider moderated discussions (open for a longer period of time and allow back and forth between individuals and a moderator) as an alternative.  But for deep and meaningful insights to your market, traditional moderated focus groups are still the best way to go.

Now that the world is coming out of its recessionary doldrums, it’s time to take advantage of the opportunities to grow your business.  Here are 5 simple steps to make sure your marketing will achieve your goals:

1) Validate your understanding of your customers.  A lot may have changed with them over the last year.  Spend some time this fall finding out: 
- what are their biggest challenges
- how are they making decisions about what you sell
- what sources of information are they using now (and what do they trust)

2) create a profile of your target customers
- define what their characteristics and needs are.  

3) create a clear strategy. 
- what types of clients do you most want to attract (your target market)
- what do you offer to them (your value proposition)
- why should they buy from you (your competitive advantage)

4) identify the tactics you will use
- what specific tactics are you going to employ to reach your customers and generate awareness of your company.  your tactics should relate to your priorities – is it to create awareness, generate leads, enhance perception of your brand? 

5) identify new tactics and tools and experiment with them
- spend 10 – 15% of your annual marketing budget on new tools and media you haven’t used before.  the marketing world is changing fast.  you have to innovate or in a few years you’ll find your company badly out of date. 
 

I’m involved with the Ivey Entrepreneur Forum (an event that marries investment-seeking companies with angel and venture capital investors).  Last year was the inauguration of the event and it was a huge success – standing room only at the Toronto Board of Trade (and given that the event was in November 2008, that’s saying a lot).

There were a few sponsors of the event, so of course we’re going back to those folks as we have begun planning for this year and want to give the same firms the chance to participate this year.  After all, they are the founding sponsors and it’s a great opportunity for them to build a relationship with the event and, over time, reap the benefits of having been the ones to make it happen.   

I just learned that one firm is debating its involvement as they didn’t see as much deal traction from the event as they had hoped.  All I can say is that sponsorships are relationships, and they take time.  If you’re considering a sponsorship but you don’t have the funds to stick with it for 3+ years, then I would really hesitate to get involved for a year. You won’t see ROI.  The best analogy is that it’s like dating.  You don’t expect a home run on the first date. You shouldn’t for sponsorships either. The best ones will mature over time.  Stick with them as long as you know the fundamentals are right – you have the same values and the same objectives. 

More on the Ivey Entrepreneur Forum in a later post. 

I’ve promised myself I’m not going to write about “these economic times”.  Because, quite frankly, I’m really sick of hearing about it. However, as I start to think of another topic to write about, I find myself wondering who masterminded this incredible viral marketing campaign?

Whoever you are, let me be the first to say, you’ve done a great job.  You’ve managed to get people from all walks of life – some of whom know very little about economic forces – spreading the word (read: fear) as if they are experts on the subject to all of their family, friends, co-workers and pets.

I’d also like to thank whoever you are for helping to draw the attention of our budget concious small/medium business clients to relatively low cost and trackable marketing tactics such as social media, viral marketing and on-line advertising.  Lately, we’ve been receiving more and more questions from our network about marketing tactics that require lower media spends, while capitalizing on existing customers to produce tangible results.

To start, we’ll address the ”Business + Facebook?” question. Stay tuned for more on other social networks, viral marketing and other forms of digital media.

Should My Business Be on Facebook?

Maybe.  It depends on your target market and how you think you can engage them in this medium.  Before you dive in, consider the return on invesment (ROI).  While it’s free to create a facebook page, group or event, someone has to allocate time to manage your facebook presence, and to keep it up to date.  And although Facebook allows you to reach large networks of people in a venue that is designed to virally spread news, affiliations and content, it also opens you up to the good and bad that can be said about your business.  If you’d like someone elses opinion, Mari Smith shares her 10 Reasons to Use Facebook for Business.

Who’s on Facebook?

The make up of facebook users is changing rapidly.  I can’t tell you the number of status updates I see lamenting “I can’t believe my Mom is on Facebook!”.  Better get used to it kids. My 61 year old Mom and three of her four sisters are all on Facebook. In 2007, Forrester put out a presentation Big Brands & Facebook: Demographics, Case Studies & Best Practices.  You may be surprised at the statistics.  I’m willing to be they have certainly continued to move in the same direction over the last year.

I have a facebook profile and several friends, how can I leverage my profile for business?

Facebook has come out with some Business oriented features and third party applications that make it easier to connect your professional and social personas. Duct Tape Marketing suggests Top 10 Business Applications for Facebook. We recommend adding a LinkedIn badge to your facebook profile, and implementing a business card in your profile to alert business associates to your professional qualifications and network.

How Can I Advertise on Facebook?

There are a variety of ways to advertise on Facebook including text/display ads, creating a page or group, and running a poll. You can also create your own applications and use Facebook Connect with your own site, although you will need the help of a web developer. Facebook is always creating new ways of integrating self serve advertisements “quietly into the fabric of its community, rather than trying to interrupt or distract users” says Saul Hansell in his blog article “Why Facebook Likes Small Ads, Despite the Small Dollars”.

This gives a small taste of what we’d suggest you think about when tackling the “Business + Facebook?” question.  If you want more, check out the links below….

Facebook Marketing Bible

Facebook for Business: Opportunties and Limitations

Facebook Platform: 30+ Awesome Applications for Facebook

As society increasingly views environmental sustainability as a mainstream concern, going green is no longer just a trend but a core business issue for many companies. A firm’s sustainability performance is beginning to dictate its business development with ninety two percent of Canadians believing that the more socially responsible a company is, the more likely consumers are to purchase their products or services. Beyond that, with the looming war for talent, corporate social responsibility (CSR) becomes an even more prominent issue as workers look for companies whose values are similar to their own.

From a marketing viewpoint, the adage that ‘sustainability sells’ holds more truth now than ever before.  However, this adage also means that ‘greenwashing’ – deceiving consumers with false or misleading claims of environmental responsibility - is becoming more rampant in today’s marketplace. In fact, TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company, recently conducted a study which revealed that out of 1,018 “green” consumer products from big-box stores in the United States, all but one were marketed with false or misleading environmental claims. The goods news however, is that with ever increasing access to information and collaborative solutions such as the Greenwashing index, consumers are much more likely to spot ‘greenwashing’ when they see it, especially as the consequences of these actions become more severe.

To truly be a ‘green’ corporation, companies need to internalize the sustainability ethic into every aspect of their corporate culture. One often overlooked area for many organizations is the disposal of end of life electronics also known as “e-waste”. Recently, there have been a number of cases where branded end of life electronics have been shipped to developing countries to be dismantled under unsafe conditions.  These cases have taken the issue of e-waste out of the trash yard and into the governance spotlight.

Most organizations do not have a formal plan to deal with this important element of environmental sustainability and may well be wasting money as well as potentially putting the company at risk. Improperly sanitized hard drives full of company data can easily be recovered to expose confidential information. Even worse, some companies dispose of their old computers with employee and customer data still intact. Such violation of privacy laws and regulations can involve hefty fines of up to $250,000.

In order to authenticate ‘green’ claims, companies must look internally to ensure that corporate practices are in line with environmental initiatives. A recent study conducted by Mezzanine identified the top 5 ways companies (big and small alike) can begin ensuring their e-waste disposal process minimizes security and environmental risks while allowing the company to maintain a green image. They include:

1. Vendor Take Back Program – Choose vendors with a take back provision that offers trade in value. Take back programs create an incentive to design for recycling and increase the use of recycled content.
2. 3^rd Party Recycling Vendors – Choose recyclers that meet Department of Defence standards with their data degaussing, disk wiping and destruction procedures and should be able to remarket refurbished products to capture the highest resale value (if possible). Recyclers used should be audited to ensure they are not exporting e-waste to developing countries to be dismantled under dangerous working conditions. Visit the resources listed below to find a responsible recycling vendor.
3. Extending the Life of Older Equipment – Analyze the trade-off between purchasing newer more energy efficient products or extending the life of older assets.
4. Design for Environment – Has a ‘Life Cycle Approach’ been applied in the design of the product being purchased? Can the item be easily upgradeable in the future? Purchase products that are expandable, upgradeable and recyclable.
5. Eco-Labels – Look for Eco-labels that incorporate multiple environmental considerations and are certified by a qualified and independent third party such as EcoLogo, EnergyStar and GreenSeal.

In today’s environment of heightened ecological consciousness, maintaining a ‘green’ image plays a crucial role in a company’s long term competitive strategy. Electronic waste disposal has become an increasingly notorious issue and its importance in the realm of social responsibility should not be hastily overlooked. SMBs should ensure that an electronic disposal strategy is in place in order to identify potential revenue streams as well reduce the company’s exposure to risk.

Eco friendly purchasing resources:

Electronic Product Environment Assessment Tool

Purchasing Guidelines for Environmentally Preferable Computers

Finding the right recycling vendor:

E-waste: A recycling Resource

Basel Action Network (BAN)

Meeting IT Life-Cycle Challenges to Maximize Value and Minimize Risk

Ways to spot ‘greenwashing’:

The Six Sins of Greenwashing, Terra Choice

Shades of Greenwashing, Toronto Star

More information on e-waste:

Electronic Take Back Coalition

Basel Action Network