PMG: On The Road Blog

You've Never Been to a Record Store? How About a Mobile One?

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Photo from thirdmanrecords.com

According to the opening graphic of the Third Man Records video introducing the Rolling Record Store, 97% of all high school aged kids have never been to a stand alone record store.

But Jack White just discovered the experiential power of mobile: If they've never been to the record store, bring the record store to them. Let them experience it. Let them touch it and feel it and buy it.

Jack White has always been on the RoadBlog playlist, from the White Stripes (RIP) to legendary collaborations with Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson to the incredible documentary "It Might Get Loud" with Jimmy Page and The Edge. He is all about the music. And getting the music into the hands of the people who will appreciate it the most is what the Rolling Record Store is all about.

Here's the video that introduces the Rolling Record Store, which debuts at SXSW this weekend in Austin, TX.

Jack White has correctly surmised that as we become more and more inundated with virtual experiences and non-verbal forms of communication, an actual event with tactile contact can be a most memorable one.

And that's why mobile tours work.

New Study Shows Experiential Marketing On The Rise

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Chris Brogan Drank the Disney Kool-Aid

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Disney Dream on a test voyage by Herrera

If you don’t know who Chris Brogan is you’ve been living under a social media rock for some time. Author, speaker, journalist, blogger, Chris is intelligent, giving, prolific and highly admired. In the Ad Age Power Blog 100, his blog is ranked #2. He published a blog this week about his experience as a guest of Disney for the launch of their new cruise ship “Disney Dream”.

2 caveats: I am a huge Chris Brogan fan. His is the first RSS feed I read daily. I’m sure he came up with a half dozen ideas for new ventures before he got out of bed this morning. He is extremely optimistic about people taking hold of their futures and using social media to do it. He has certainly given me many tips to use as I spend more time and energy on content marketing.

Second caveat: I am a huge Disney fan. In the world of experiential where I work and play, no one - no one - does it better. These guys have got the whole concept of “captive audience” down. Walk into a park, a retail operation, a cruise ship, they just don’t leave any stone unturned. And they keep getting better and better at it, while leaving their competition behind.

So when a journalist is invited to an all-expenses paid trip to celebrate the launch of a new oceanic experience, you can bet that Disney has the details down for this as well...

One of my favorite authors is Carl Hiassen. He was born and raised in Florida and has written about what has happened to his beautiful state over the years. A columnist for the Miami Herald, he writes about the sometimes seedy underside of Florida politics and all the strange doings that occur. To keep his sanity he also writes novels, all set in Florida, where the good guys and the downtrodden always win and the criminals, carpetbaggers and swindlers meet deliciously untimely ends. If you don't know about Carl Hiassen, you ought to.

Hiassen also wrote a non-fiction book called “Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World”. As you can imagine it takes the Disney mystique, its effect on Florida, and shines a cold, hard light on how the experience comes to be flawless, regardless of the effect on the local environment.

He has a chapter in "Team Rodent" about press junkets where he writes: “Many major market papers and broadcast stations forbid their reporters from taking freebies, and in a perfect world that would be the rule for all journalists. The reason is obvious. We’re the first ones to crucify a politician for accepting undisclosed favors from cronies or special interests. For us to do the same would be hypocritical...it’s damn hard to stay neutral about somebody when you’re sipping their merlot and sucking down their jumbo shrimp. Incorruptible or not, reporters shouldn’t put themselves in a situation that raises the question. That’s the theory anyway.”

But we all know it happens. The travel features editor from Expedia.com or the Chicago Tribune comes back from one of these free junkets and waxes effusive about how wonderful the Disney experience is. And why not? Living in the lap of luxury with no bill at the end.

So what does this have to do with Chris Brogan? I expect Chris Brogan the individual to accept an invitation like this, enjoy it and write over 1200 enthusiastic words about the experience. I would as well, given the chance. But in this instance, Chris Brogan the Individual is also Chris Brogan the Brand. He is not an anonymous travel writer working for Fodor’s. And in this case, what the Individual does might adversely affect the Brand. Something I don’t want to see happen. It’s an interesting place to be and one that I’m sure Chris Brogan, the individual and the brand, thinks about each time he accepts an offer like this.

What do you think?

Happy Holidays from Promotional Management Group

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Amazing Truck Stop Photo by Greeblie

As the trucks all wait for their next run, we take a moment to reflect and say thanks for our friends, our families and our health.

Happy Holidays to you and yours from all of us at Promotional Management Group.

Medical Devices Marketing With Word-of-Mouth

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How a medical mobile tour used medical devices marketing to create brand advocates in over four-fifths of surgeons who received the marketing communication

Throughout the history of commerce, the sales person was the information source for an undecided consumer.  Whether you were looking to buy a flat of paper for your small business, a sweater for your daughter, or deciding which hospital to have your surgery, you went to the person providing the product or service for information.  Not only information about how they would deliver, but how to make the decision.

Their information was often slanted as one can imagine.  Regardless of how much of your best wishes they had in mind, they wanted to make the sale.

Medical Device Marketing Today
Today, we know things are changing at a rapid pace.  We go online for information.  We are connected to our network of friends and trusted associates more today than at any point in history.  Whether your marketing is B2C or B2B, word-of-mouth is more powerful and more important than ever before.

And this is certainly no different for the medical devices marketing challenge.  An industry as intrenched as any other in the “sales-professional-as-residential-expert” model.  How does a company leverage this evolving sales model to generate positive word-of-mouth among highly educated target consumers?  Namely, how do you get surgeons talking about your product to other surgeons.  Not because they're paid to do so, but because they love the product?

The answer.. you show them why they should love the product in a hands-on, fun, safe environment and allow them to decide for themselves.

This is exactly what the latest Promotional Management Group (PMG) medical mobile tour did.  As experts in medical devices marketing, PMG knew that the right design was one where surgeons would want to come out of their office, into the hospital parking lot, and experience the medical devices marketing for themselves.

Medical Devices Marketing Case Study Results
As written up in the recent Global Healthcare Products industry case-study, surgeons were asked to rate their likelihood to recommend the products demonstrated as they left the event.  An overwhelming four-fifths majority of surgeons (83%) reported that they “Definitely” or “Probably” would recommend Product A to a friend or business associate (read “fellow surgeon”).  In addition, when asked about a lesser known and more specific device, a still large three-fourths (76%) majority reported that they would “Definitely” or “Probably” recommend.

In fact, half (50%) of surgeons reported that they “Definitely” would recommend.  With average positive word-of-mouth reaching as high as 4.3 people per person (see Keller Fay, 2006), this “recommend” factor has the potential to increase the medical devices marketing impact of up to 430%.

What is the recommend intention of your medical devices marketing?  How do your results compare?  Use the comments area below to tell us what you are seeing.

Source: “Single-Source WOM Measurement”, Ed Keller & Brad Fay, Keller Fay Group, LLC, November 2006, pg. 4

At PMG, we have extensive experience with medical device marketing. From program strategy to final ROI measurements, we provide you with the mobile tour that allows your prospects to experience your product in a way that increases top line sales. Contact PMG today to talk about your specific challenges and how other companies have found the way to “Drive Their Brand Experience”.

Do You Have a Few Minutes For Experiential Marketing?

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The Experiential Marketing Forum can use your help as they continue to do solid research in the area of experiential marketing.

I just finished this simple survey, and if you're reading this and have an interest in experiential marketing, you should do the same.

These guys say it best, so I'll let them say it:

"Whatever the methodology, it's increasingly clear that customers desperately want goods and services, communications and marketing campaigns that dazzle their senses, touch their hearts, and stimulate their minds-delivering a positive experience they will remember. Companies that can deliver such experiences when and where their customers want them are the ones that will succeed in today's global marketplace. Businesses will live or die not by the attributes they promise but by the brand experiences and value they offer customers at every touch point."

Take a few minutes to give your opinions on Experiential Marketing. It won't hurt, you'll be glad you did and the guys over at EMF will thank you for it.

Bricks and Mortar Become Experiential

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Here's a video taken earlier this year in Kharkov. Ukraine of a great use of 3D video maps. A detailed architectural map of a structure in used as a base for animation and CGI effects. When complete the presentation is projected over the actual structure to incredible effect.

Architectural video mapping is now making its way over to the US of A, turning physical structures into experiential events and creating another way for customers to connect with brands. 

Here is a video of Saks Fifth Avenue using video mapping to celebrate the holidays in Manhattan: 

Video posted by agencyspy

Don't Forget Why Mobile Events Work

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Sitting at a laptop composing while 800 miles away from headquarters, it became apparent how important it is to maintain live human contact. 

Technology has provided myriad ways to create, communicate and connect, but we have to continually remind ourselves that at the end of the electronic trail is a relationship that thrives on the ability to see, hear and touch in real time. 

We think that's just one more compelling reason why mobile events work so well: they nurture relationships and one-on-one dialog between providers and prospects. When executed correctly, they allow for "aha" moments to occur more readily than if it were happening over the ether. Events bring controlled experiences to a select group of people. They create customers who are excited about products and tell others. In short, they work. 

While the electronic gadgets increase efficiency and make our lives easier, at PMG we tend to look at them as nothing more than wonderful ways for our clients to connect the old school way: with a handshake.

Then the electronic gadgets become nothing more than something to log off, power down and put away; a face-to-face conversation is about to occur.

Mobile Tour Laparoscopic Training Drives Surgeon Preference

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Marketing that drives use intention drives sales.  

How Three Minutes Can Dramatically Increase Mobile Tour ROI

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We know mobile tours show positive ROI rapidly. We feel so strongly about it, we build ROI measurement into every tour we do. Take three minutes and see what can happen when you break through the clutter and go directly to the prospects and customers who are interested in your offering.