Top 2012 Fragrances

For 2012, one of the must-have fragrances for men has to be David Beckham’s Instinct Sport. Considered an energetic scent for modern, dynamic men, this fragrance is made up of airy ozone and woody notes that are blended suitably with zippy citrus and spicy ginger. For any male that is enthusiastic about sports and outdoor living, Instinct Sport would be an excellent choice.
Eternity for Men Summer is also a great choice for a men’s fragrance. Dedicated to the romantic individual, this scent is cool and calming with a fresh aroma of chamomile and juniper berries, as well as violet leaf, mimosa, hyacinth and cedar leaf. The added fresh scent of melon gives a pleasing characteristic that denotes freshness and romance.
For her, Heidi Klum’s Summer Shine is an absolute winner for the passionate and happy individual. Entwined with bergamot, lemon, orange as well as passion fruit, sunflower and white heliotrope, this fragrance leaves an unusual and sensual trail. Possibly a good choice for the mysterious woman, this fragrance is sure to turn heads.
Another fragrance that offers a feeling of being irresistible is Beyonce Pulse Summer; one that gives a burst of energy and liveliness. This fragrance is particularly a hit with younger women who are active and enjoy the outdoors, as well as party-goers who love to dance and simply enjoy life!
For both him and her, Davidoff’s Cool Water fragrances guarantee a feeling of energy and power. Cool Water Pure Pacific for him and her are a limited edition set have a blend of citrus and fresh aromatic notes. These fragrances make a great pair as a gift for a couple, or separately for the energetic individual.
These are just a few of the most popular fragrances for 2012, and each of them make superb gifts for yourself or someone close. When choosing the ideal fragrance, remember to pair the notes of the fragrance to the personality and mood of the person for which it is intended whether it be sensual, energetic, mysterious, subtle, powerful, or lively.

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Why Business Executives Fear Social Media Marketing

This post was born out of a fascinating and revealing conversation our CEO recently had with a business executive of a prominent Minneapolis-area car dealership who absolutely refused to entertain the idea of social media marketing in general, and Twitter in particular. A marketing director, she was convinced that her fairly expensive ad spend on a local radio station was all their brand needed to reach its target demographic, 18 to 45 year-old men. Incredulous, our fearless leader tried to explain that such a group was one of the sweet-spots for social media/Twitter marketing (in fact, 70% of Twitter users are between the ages of 18-45; of these, just under half are men). The marketing exec seemed agitated. She would have none of it, and quickly changed the subject.

This experience is not an isolated one. I’ve had numerous conversations with business leaders in the over-30 crowd whose opinion of social media ranges from that of novelty item to utter abomination casting a blight over their well-ordered business universe.

Why does the mere mention of social marketing upset so many executives and business owners, anyway?

WHY DO I NEED THIS?

A new study authored by The Economist Intelligence Unit and Pulse Point may shed some light. The study interviewed 329 US and Canadian executives (C-level to CEO) from 19 different industries to glean their perspectives on engaging customers “in meaningful conversations-enabled by social technologies-so both parties benefit.”

While 81% of executives agreed that social engagement provides their company with tangible benefits, such as increased market share, the study highlighted 9 roadblocks to deeper social engagement:

Taking a look at the top three roadblocks, it makes sense that concerns over ROI measurability, legal issues and strategy would make executives hesitate in their adaption of a new marketing platform. Having said that, social engagement is actually quite measurable; unless someone nukes the entire planet, all legal issues surrounding the dissemination of online content are going to have to be dealt with by organizations sooner or later. Moreover, there are innumerable resources on the web for any executive or organization to bone up on social media adaptation and strategy.

Except for very small organizations, the whole lack of budget argument is a bit of a canard. Yes, there are costs associated with hiring social media staff or outsourcing the management of social media to a marketing firm, but as a general rule the efficiencies of social media outweigh the costs. If you’re unconvinced, check out the blog I wrote on P&G regarding this very topic.

Beyond the numbers, I think there are three fundamental reasons why business leaders resist embracing social for their brand:

Fear of the Unknown - Many pre-Millennial execs see social as “the other.” They don’t really get it, or refuse to consider it, and they sure as heck aren’t going to let some young whippersnapper tell them how to use it. I think I was a bit like this until I realized that I was really just plain wrong.Fear of Change - Apathy is the handmaiden of stagnation. For many busy executives, it seems like a lot of work to take on a new project, let alone a whole new paradigm.Fear of Technology - A subtle but powerful roadblock, as the world embraces all things digital and techie at an exponential rate, many execs feel like they understand less and less about the underpinnings of their business.

Taken as a whole, the rise of technology has inspired the Millennials (aka Gen Y) to conduct business in a fundamentally different manner. They tend to work in an inclusive, flexible, and naturally collaborative way and are very willing to share knowledge and engage socially (at least online).¹ As the world moves toward the adaptation of Internet, social and mobile technologies at breakneck speed, these trends will only continue to gather force.

I REALLY DO NEED THIS, DON'T I?

Because many business leaders’ understanding of social media is limited to casual observations made of their children’s interactions, they are unable to acknowledge the relevance (criticality) of social engagement for their business.

Perhaps they see the Internet as another channel rather than a different space to do business in; they do not understand the open and supportive ethos that underpins it. Amazon's Marketplace showing a competitor selling the same product at a lower price on its own website and customer reviews is one example of this ethos.¹

As a pre-Millennial myself, I can relate to the points highlighted above. Admittedly, though, I must say that those who resist social engagement for their brand simply must change their ways or face increased marginalization. I truly believe that for most businesses, social is no longer a novelty or a luxury, but a fundamental necessity, right up there with telecom and power.

I ask all business executives who are currently resisting social engagement to reexamine their reasons for doing so, stripping away all fear and prejudice. When analyzed in the cold light of day, I believe you are left with one stark choice: to adapt and evolve, or stagnate and face extinction.

¹ Ecadamy, "Business: Social media can only be bad for business”

 

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Corporate America’s Switch to Digital Marketing: A P&G Story

For those of you as yet unconvinced of the power of digital marketing, here is a case study highlighting how one of the largest companies in the world, Proctor and Gamble (P&G), transformed their advertising and marketing focus to digital in less than two months.

JANUARY 30th, 2012

An excerpt from an article in Social Business Today:

Reality appears to have finally arrived at Procter & Gamble, the world's largest marketer, whose $10 billion annual ad budget has hurt the company's margins.

P&G said it would lay off 1,600 staffers, including marketers, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. More interestingly, CEO Robert McDonald finally seems to have woken up to the fact that he cannot keep increasing P&G's ad budget forever, regardless of what happens to its sales.

He told Wall Street analysts that he would have to "moderate" his ad budget because Facebook and Google can be "more efficient" than the traditional media that usually eats the lion's share of P&G's ad budget.

 In that same analyst call McDonald, when pressed, conceded to the utility of digital marketing:

In the digital space, with things like Facebook and Google and others, we find that return on investment of the advertising when properly designed, when the big idea is there, can be much more efficient.

MARCH 12, 2012

An excerpt from a recent post on P & G’s Official Blog, entitled, “A Real-Time Demonstration of the Power of Digital. Signal P&G Features Distinguished Digital Leaders, Becomes Global Trending Topic:”

Last week, the sunny Silicon Valley descended on our rainy Cincinnati Headquarters for Signal P&G — a one-day conference organized by Federated Media focusing on brand building in a digital world. The format followed the same rapid, staccato-like rhythm we’ve all come to expect from social media with quick, thought-provoking interviews and case studies from some of the most iconic digital leaders in the world.

They’re not kidding. John Battelle, co-founder of Wired magazine, was the MC. A few of the high-profile speakers in attendance included Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Facebook VP David Fischer, and Yahoo! Chief Product Officer Blake Irving- a veritable Who’s Who of Digital Tech…

The blog post continued:

Our Global Marketing & Brand Building Officer Marc Pritchard (shown above) began the day by telling the audience: “Today is not about digital marketing; it’s about brand building in a digital world,” which set a resounding tone for the role he wants digital to play for P&G. He went on to  make it clear that digital is no longer a trendy use of technology for  technology’s sake, but it’s the way P&G will engage with people in real-time  to build brands like never before.

Pritchard’s comments reflect an critical thought process marketing execs need to follow before they will embrace digital:

Accepting the relevance of technology for marketing: digital is no longer a trendy use of technology for technology’s sake…Connecting time-tested marketing practices with technology: it’s about brand building in the digital world…Recognizing the power of digital technology for consumer engagement: it’s the way P&G will engage with people in real-time to build brands like never before…

The blog post then brought in CEO McDonald’s perspective:

Our Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Bob McDonald followed with a candid and transparent  conversation with Battelle, where he further emphasized the urgency of being agile and responsive in the digital age. But most importantly, he  openly gave the organization permission to fail early and fail well in digital,  citing mistakes he’d made early in his career that taught valuable lessons he still carries with him today.

Sounds like P&G is going all in on Digital Marketing.

The post finished with a summary of how P&G used social media very effectively to promote the event:

Tweets leading up to the day seeded the #SignalPG hashtag as an identifier for the event, building momentum and interest before it ever  began. Then during the day, hundreds of P&G employees watched by webcast, while thousands outside P&G followed the hashtag on Twitter and viewed backstage video interviews via the @ProcterGamble Twitter feed and  Facebook page.

With the help of the hashtag, buzz about the event reached a tipping point on Twitter just two hours into the conference. Live and virtual audience members generated more than 3,500 tweets with more than 14 million impressions, making the relatively small 400-seat gathering the epicenter of a worldwide.

TAKEAWAY

There you have it. One of the largest corporations on earth went from old school to cutting-edge digital marketing in the span of six weeks.

Aside from the obvious props you have to give McDonald, Pritchard, and the rest of the executive leadership for deftly evolving at a critical time, P&G’s story highlights three important takeaways for business leaders great and small as we all grapple with the implications of our fast-moving digital age:

Companies must recognize that digital technologies like social media, mobile devices, and online commerce are not just a fad, they are fast becoming the future of marketing. Period.In this new digital marketing landscape, the rules of consumer engagement have drastically changed. Marketers can no longer talk at, cajole, or otherwise manipulate a passive, disengaged consumer. The rise of the Internet, social and mobile has shifted the power to the consumer, who is relying on things like user-generated content to make purchase decisions. The consumer is now calling the shots. They will decide when and with whom they will engage on their schedule.Companies must focus their efforts on building transparent, real-time engagement with consumers, offering online content and messaging that helps resolve the wants, needs, pain points, and desires of their target audience.

As a business owner or executive, you need to view these changes as a good thing. P&G's experience underscores how digital marketing technologies such as social media can give your company an unprecedented opportunity to amplify your message, expand your reach, and engage your target audience on a deeper level. These practices allow you to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before. 

Finally, digital marketing practices such as inbound marketing generate leads and sales, oftentimes quicker than you would imagine.

So what’s holding you back? If Old McDonald can do it, so can you.

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How to Use HubSpot to Measure Your Social Media Marketing

Boston-based inbound marketing company Hubspot has created a comprehensive suite of marketing automation software tools that help companies efficiently manage their online (inbound) marketing efforts. Hubspot’s all-in-one solution helps your business connect with prospects interested in your product or service, generate qualified leads, and ultimately drive sales conversions. They do this by providing a host of tools that integrate your web-based marketing with your social media, creating a seamless online experience.

Perhaps most importantly, Hubspot’s platform provides robust analytics to measure and analyze the results of your online marketing, including your social media marketing.

Social media for business is still in its infancy, with many brands only now beginning to grasp its importance as an indispensable tool for online marketing. An added benefit of social media is that, because it is a digital medium, it is highly measureable.

As such, many core marketing analytics principals can be applied to your social media marketing efforts: you can measure the reach your social media, your audience views your brand, how much traffic social media drives, and how many leads and sales you are generating from that traffic.

Hubspot’s inbound marketing software helps you measure these four critical metrics to analyze your social media marketing effectiveness.¹

Social Media Reach

It is important to track the total number of people engaging with your social media channels, because the bigger your social media audience, the broader your social media “reach.” With a broad social reach, you can amplify your brand’s messaging and content, especially given the exponential nature of social media.

Hubspot’s software measures all of the interactions throughout your social media channels, from Facebook “likes” to YouTube video views and blog comments, and integrates this data with real-time graphs that are downloadable into Excel.

Measuring your social reach allows you to tweak content and messaging to better resonate with your audience.

Visibility and Brand Perception

Listening to your audience is an important aspect of social media marketing. Hubspot’s software tracks every mention your brand receives within each social media channel, and provides qualitative analysis as to whether those mentions are positive, negative, or neutral.

Monitoring this information gives you an opportunity for deeper engagement or reputation management, depending on the nature of the mention.

Web Traffic from Social Media

One key reason to use social media marketing is to drive traffic to your online base of operations- your website- in order to attract visitors, generate leads, and convert sales.

You want to monitor the percentage of unique visitors to your website coming from social media. Hubspot’s software tracks this data metric by recording the referring sources in your web analytics platform.

Conversion Rate from Social Media

At the end of the day, conversion is all that counts. With Hubspot’s platform you can track the percentage of visitors from social media that end up converting into leads and sales. This metric is indispensable for measuring the ultimate value of your social media efforts.

You can track visitor-to-lead, lead-to-customer, and visitor-to-customer conversion rates from each of your social media sites, and compare this data to your conversion metrics from other marketing channels to properly assess your social media ROI.

Takeaway

Forbes magazine ranks Hubspot 17th in its top 20 most promising companies, and INC 500 lists the inbound marketing software provider as the 2nd fastest growing software company. In the spirit of full disclosure, SyneCore Technologies is a Hubspot VAR partner, helping our clients manage the inbound marketing platform for their businesses.

We did this because we truly believe that Hubspot’s all-in-one inbound marketing software platform provides an indispensable toolset for brands to get found online, convert prospects to leads and customers, and measure the results of their efforts. In short, they provide a one-stop shop, or “hub-spot,” for all of your online (inbound) marketing needs.

¹ Hubspot, “An Introduction to Marketing Analytics”

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