El Camino College's Fall 2020 Marketing Highlights

What an amazing semester we've had in ECC's Business 14 - Marketing course.  As the professor and lead marketer, its been my pleasure to lead a journey that has featured multiple professional athletes, actors, and marketing executives participating in the course and helping relate marketing principles to the class.

While we've had to work remotely via online Zoom classes and Canvas, the marketing students have learned about the principles of marketing, explored case studies from the world of sports and entertainment, including my actual samples from the NFL, ESPN, CBS, FOX, FX, NASCAR, and more.  Our semester Marketing Plan is based on launching a new streaming television service and what better way to kick-off the assignment than have the star of the original drama series Coyote Hills present the assignment to the class?

Here's a quick highlight video of this semester's efforts!

ONLINE MARKETING LESSON - Session 7: Digital & Social Marketing (PT 1)

Being able to reach current and future marketing leaders across the globe is an amazing opportunity and with advanced online technology, the pandemic lockdown hasn't limited students' ability to learn.  Having presented countless in-person lectures for universities including USC, UCLA, CSULB, ASU, San Jose State, and many more, I am confident my sports and entertainment marketing seminars based on real-world cases really drive home the art and science of today's brand marketing.   And as a recent graduate student having achieved my MBA online exclusively, I also understand that a combination of relevant content, high engagement, and easy accessibility can create dynamic opportunities to learn and grow.

Here's a segment from my recent online marketing session regarding Digital and Social Media Marketing.

Social Media Marketing

CASE STUDIES
What does it take to win in the social media space?  While content is king, there are several key components to ensure that your communications across social and digital hit the right audience, provide an actionable message, and most importantly drive ROI.

Earning a "like" isn't a KPI that any true marketer will value and while affirmation is nice, our perspective when utilizing social media is to approach the results similarly to traditional platforms, albeit one that is fluid and dynamic.  Simply put, we want to reach an ever increasing audience, provide content that serves a concise message, and has a CTA that is both actionable and measurable.

I use the "Three E's" when creating social media content. Entertain, Engage, and Educate.  They are fairly self explanatory but we want to ensure all three areas contribute to a post that serves a purpose.  If it becomes a viral hit, fantastic.  But more likely, a follower should want to be compelled to view your post, find a positive connection quickly, and understand the process to consume more of the desirable content.  Combine that with previous tips like star-power (see the chapter on STAR FISH), influencers, funny, shareable video, graphics and instant 'wow' factors, and topical relevance, and your posts should work to tell a story.  The Three E's work for developing online content and overall, we add a forth "E" for Evaluation.  Making sure the tactics resonated, have metrics we can compare and analyze, and determine best practices for future success.

Here are a few award-winning case studies I've championed that integrated social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and others) with celebrities, influencers, engaging content, and most importantly, ROI to drive a successful, measurable campaign.

CASE STUDY #1
With the launch of streaming service Rivit TV, I created a digital campaign that focused on driving users to the new platform via social media, search, and digital.  The campaign exceeded all expectations by utilizing a "reverse engineering" process to identify distinct clusters of demographics that most likely would engage in the various Original series.  Creating hundreds of bilingual assets including video, promos, BTS, and more and then seeding a paid campaign across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms drove over 40M impressions and over 1M unique site visits.  With an engaging influencer effort, we had an unheard of 50% full :30 trailer view and record-setting conversion with 4.6M followers.  Check out the recap video for more.

CASE STUDY #2
Utilizing social media and digital to support a larger-scale marketing campaign, we took to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms to drive awareness for former New Kids On The Block boy-band star Joey McIntyre's new series Return of The Mac.  To promote the show, we had a multi-city tour featuring meet-n-greets, in-store appearances with Comcast, and lots of media.  Utilizing NKOTB social fan groups, bloggers, micro and macro influencers, local radio, and other partners, we drove social media buzz with event pages, calendars, posts, tweets, videos, live streams, and other sharable assets.  Garnering millions of impressions via social media, the Return of the Mac tour was a huge hit.

CASE STUDY #3
On the Record with Mick Rock was an Ovation TV series that had the rock photographer dubbed "The Man who Shot The 70s" as the host of an artist-filled interview series.  In order to reach a younger crowd and make the show as relevant as possible, we created a social media video series "Minute with Mick" for our partner Verizon FiOS.  The goal was to engage followers in the classic debates of music including "best live performance," "best artist." and even a few age-old standard discussions like "Paul vs. John."  With a targeted push exceeding 10M impressions targeting a key FiOS demographic, dynamic graphics, music and quick-cut editing, partnering with social media influencers and music bloggers, and of course the larger-than-life Mick Rock, we exceeded all KPIs and drove viewership for the series by 1,600%  Social media can be an incredibly effective tool when done properly and as a marketer, the results I merchandise aren't just the likes, follows, or shares, but rather how we drove the bottom line for the company!

CASE STUDY #4
FX Networks' original series Light's Out starred Holt McCallany as former boxer Patrick 'Lights' Leary.  With the show centered around a possible comeback for the fictional boxing legend, we wanted to create a social media campaign that had everyone buzzing.  To create excitement, we engaged over 100 celebrities, media personalities, etc. to discuss Leary and his comeback as if the fictional character was doing everything in the real world from dating a Kardashian to attending a Super Bowl red carpet!  With celebrities like Drew Brees, Jordin Sparks, and George Lopez in on the stunt, we built significant social media traffic by "drafting" off of the celebrities' social followings, engaging their fan groups and high profile followers, and utilizing pop culture and lifestyle bloggers to seed the vignettes of talent discussing the character, we had the internet buzzing with a knock out campaign.

CASE STUDY #5
Pop TV (CBS) wanted to drive viewership for the original series Hollywood Darlings starring 90's child stars Jodie Sweetin, Christine Lakin, and Beverly Mitchell.  On the set of their promo shoot for Season 2, we engaged the cast to discuss their favorite childhood '90s toys growing up.  The combination of nostalgia and talent personality, combined with visibility gained from YouTube influencers, was the perfect formula to make the Hollywood Darlings YouTube campaign the highest network partnership effort YouTube TV had seen to date.

LONG BEACH STATE MARKETING STUDENTS AT LIONSGATE

With the recent semester project I championed with CSULB, students were challenged to create digital, social, and guerrilla marketing campaigns for an upcoming POP TV series.  Along with producing sound strategy and creative samples within strict budget and timeline parameters, the comedy pilot project enabled students to get hands-on experience with an actual entertainment property.  And when the aspiring marketing and business students provided professional, final presentations of their concepts to the POP TV executive team including the CMO, Head of Distribution Sales, and other executives at the LionsGate offices, the semester project turned into an experience to last a lifetime!

Integrated Marketing Campaigns

In The Surfer's Guide To Marketing we devote a significant amount of time for discussion around building a multiplatformed marketing camapign.  Utilizing mixed media including on-air, on-site, digital, social, bloggers/influencers, "Starfish" or talent, PR, and more, brands can create a fully interactive engagement that builds awareness, drives branding buzz, and enables fans to experience the brand first-hand.

Having created award-winning multi-city tours with entertainment properties for ABC, FOX, POP (CBS), DIRECTV, and others, I love to present case studies of how bringing talent to local markets and integrating various platforms can drive huge results!  And if you are on a "Pufferfish" budget (trying to make your brand look much bigger than the budget allows) then maybe a grass roots experinetial tour is right for you?

For our new series Return of the Mac starring New Kids On the Block's Joey McIntyre, we brought the NKOTB singer to multiple local markets and rode the wave of "Blockhead" fandemonium to promote the series.   To follow that up, we brought the cast of Hollywood Darlings, including former 90's child stars Jodie Sweetin, Christine Lakin, and Beverly Mitchell as part of the "Go Hollywood" tour where fans could meet the cast, get Hollywood makeovers, and much more.

Enjoy the recap videos and consider an interactive tour next time you paddle out!

Guest Lectures at Long Beach State

This week, I had the honor of speaking with multiple marketing classes at CSULB.  Taking over the week for Professor Tomlin, I set about to engage the students with real-life case studies and examples of successful marketing activations.  Deploying the same philosophy I utilize in other speaking engagements and in the The Surfer's Guide To Marketing book, I strongly believe that my objective should be to educate, motivate, and entertain the next generation of marketing minds.

Lecturing to the class with video and even some POP show-and-tell

Focusing on some of my favorite cases throughout my career and discussing award-winning marketing efforts with brands like FX, NFL, ESPN, ABC and others, I showcased the promotional spots, POP, and collateral materials to allow the students to better comprehend the strategy, activation, and ROI each of these campaign bring.

The last element of the class was to have the students break into smaller groups and create a strategy for ESPN's Monday Night Football campaign and follow it up with brief presentations of their concepts.  Following their presentations, we showed our version of the Legends of Monday sweepstakes with four Hall of Famers including Ronnie Lott, Marcus Allen, Lawrence Taylor and Tony Dorsett, and the fully engaged class was more than enthused to see our version of their assignment come to fruition.

Working with breakout groups on their ESPN case assignment

In all, the students of CSULB were engaging, eager, and more than up for the challenge of becoming the next wave of marketing greats.  And it was my privilege to hopefully enlighten the classes and motivate them to pursue the world of sports and entertainment marketing as a career opportunity.

MARKETING MAYHEM AND DYSFUNCTION - Advertising Winners & Losers

Did that commercial get your attention?  Is that ad you saw in a magazine stuck in your head?  Did that celebrity convince you to purchase their brand?

Ultimately, its the consumer's perception of the brand that matters most and as a marketing veteran and resident consumer myself, I wanted to share my opinion on some of the current efforts that work and some that drop the ball.

WINNERS:

ALLSTATE

The Mayhem DIY campaign is hilarious and attention-getting at the same time.  While we have heard ad nauseum about house, car, and medical insurance from Flo, a lizard, cavemen, etc,, how many of us DIYers actually thought our own wannabe construction efforts pose a real hazard?  Sure I have some duct taped wiring in my home (220 or 221, whatever it takes) but I never realized that it could be a real issue in terms of liability.

In these Allstate spots, Mayhem (played by former FX's Rescue Me actor Dean Winters) describes real peoples' DIY nightmare stories and encourages you to vote for the best one.  Allstate will then have a reenactment during the Super Bowl.  I subscribe that a campaign needs to have a creative story and a memorable hook or twist to cut through the clutter.  These spots do and as a fun little twist, users who register can win the DIYer's tools so they never fix or build anything again.  Clever.

Its an interesting twist on boring insurance commercials and overall, its refreshing and works.

Check out the sweepstakes page here.

And for more info on the insurance provider's other sponsorship efforts, click here.


RUNNER UP: 
Speaking of Allstate, the Allstate Sugar Bowl stunt was also a very eye-catching effort.  Showcasing how thieves (and Mayhem) can utilize your social media posts to gain insight to rob you while you are tweeting away at the big game, they went in and "sold" all of the contents of an unsuspecting victim's house while they were out.  The campaign utilized social and viral tactics to garner views and with +20M Facebook impressions within a day, I'd classify this as a very buzz-worthy success.

For more, check out this link.

LOSERS:

VIAGRA

I don't want to be the old codger who rains on everyone's parade.  I used to say that if you don't approve of content that isn't kid friendly, don't have your kid watch.  But there are some areas where I believe big advertisers like Pfizer are being irresponsible and crossing the line.

The Viagra ads run during the football season feature the attractive female discussing ... well, you know.  I understand football is the ideal target marketing for men interested in sexual issues (feel free to drop in your own Dallas Cowboys' offense is impotent joke here) but lots of kids, including my 9-year-old son watch religiously.

Its bad enough when they speak in code (using the term ED) but I can play that off as one of the many pharma ads run on TV that frankly none of us even know what illness they are used for.  But lately, Viagra has become less subtle and uses terms like "Erectile Dysfunction" and "Erection" now.  My son looks more confused than Eli Manning being blitzed and its only a matter of time that an innocent day of talking football turns into "the talk".

Perhaps the FCC or other governing bodies need to regulate when those ads are run or what they can do to dilute the terminology?  I'd appreciate it if the sexy lady on the bed doesn't make my son question the ad beyond "Dad, her jersey is blank so which team does she root for?"

Forbes has brought this up in past articles and its something we should address.  I'd love to hear your thoughts so feel free to add your comments.

MORE RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

I am always excited to speak with various groups about my marketing experience and creative approach.  I demonstrate real-world successes versus theories and I've had the great fortune of addressing everyone from industry executives to colleges to high schools.

Speaking at the recent CTAM Think event for television marketing and millennials at FOX.

I find it works well to bring a combination of expertise as well as levity to group settings to be able to entertain while informing the audience.  If you've read The Surfer's Guide To Marketing you know by now that humor is a great vehicle to communicate the principles and strategies of dynamic marketing efforts.  And it makes for a fun afternoon!

In Miami on a panel hosted by on-air personality Dave Holmes

If you haven't had the amazing pleasure of hearing me speak (and who WOULDN'T want to experience that?!) then please follow me on social media and lets connect.  Who knows, perhaps I can bring some of my great strategies and (not so great) jokes to your group!

CTAM Think Event

It's never been a more exciting time to be in the world of entertainment marketing.  Along with the creative forces that develop desirable content, the world of technology has landed front and center in the platforms with which consumers get their content.

I preach about passion brands.  Those brands like Apple, NFL, ESPN, and others that evoke instant response.  They drive enthusiasm for their users and elevate their status over their competition.  And with the advances with technology, the debate about providing those hungry viewers with the best vehicle to consume the content they crave  has become significant in the industry.  Terms like TVE, OTT, VOD, and other acronyms that describe how you will "watch TV" in the future make for an exciting time.

I am proud to be discussing the marketing approach for the next wave of technology and how, in particular, millennials will consume content in the future.  The CTAM Think panel held at the FOX studios lot this week will be a great dialog for the future.  Both content providers and operators (the cable and telco folks who currently supply you with your networks) will discuss how we, as marketers, communicate the future of how consumers view their favorite show.

An AMAZING 2013!

Hello All.  I wanted to thank everyone for your amazing support this year with the release of "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing."  Its incredible to think that an idea in my head could come to fruition and be as successful as it is.

When I came up with the concept and wrote "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" I thought it would be a great tool to help students and young marketing minds to see the amazing opportunities that live within my industry.  I had no idea that I would get such a great response from a diverse audience, support from friends, family, and interested consumers alike.

"The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" is on the shelf!

Having created T.E.A.M. to help motivate underprivileged students and showcase how they could excel in the world of sports and entertainment, I knew that showcasing my experience with brands like ESPN, NFL, ABC, etc. would resonate.  It was a formula I utilize in speaking engagements and when I meet with aspiring and talented individuals.  But until you put your heart and soul into a project, spend significant hours and energy creating it, and ultimately put it out for the world to enjoy, you don't know if you have a success.  It's something that I mention in the book as part of the marketing process but ironically I've realized it was also the feelings surround the creation of the book itself!

So as we end 2013, I wanted to thank everyone who helped me get to where I am.  All of the clients who had confidence in me and my team to develop campaigns that exceeded their expectations.  All of the creative and strategic minds that allowed me to join them to develop innovative efforts.  The amazing roster of celebrities, athletes, and business executives that I have been fortunate enough to engage and collaborate with.  And my family who go beyond this little "bucket list" project and stand by me regardless.

And most importantly, anyone who reads this and supports what I do.

"The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" was founded on the promise of providing an educational, motivational, and entertaining experience and I encourage you to read the book regardless of your career field.  Because had I not taken my own advice, I would have never taken a chance and written the book.  You can succeed in any field or activity you choose and if I can go from a packaged goods marketer to developing Super Bowl events, anyone can do it!  And as I always say, if a large uncoordinated man like myself can balance on a small board on large waves, then you can do anything!

Here's to a great 2014 and I hope "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" provides an idea, an urge, or a spark to make your next year as great as mine was this year!

I Am Not One Of Jerry's Kids

In The Surfer's Guide To Marketing, I try to keep it entertaining and light by telling several humorous stories that have happened throughout my career.   While I end up as the punch line in most of them, the readers love to hear the crazy tales and humorous anecdotes that have occurred across the last few decades of my work.

And one of my favorite tales involves the legendary radio personality and Top 40 icon, Casey Kasem.  We all grew up on his countdown and he has been a legend in the industry across TV (as the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo) and radio since well before I was born.  While I've had the pleasure of working with literally hundreds of celebrities, athletes, etc. and devote an entire chapter in the book to utilizing STARFISH (celebs) to drive your messaging, my all-time greatest celebrity encounter story with Casey is without a doubt "Number 1 on the List".

In the chapter on ENVIRONMENTALISTS, we discuss how cause marketing and philanthropy is the duty and responsibility of any forward-thinking brand.  I am a huge believer in charity and doing goodwill (if nothing else to offset the karma of a lifelong smart-alec).  There are so many good things a brand can gain while providing resources, awareness, and support to numerous philanthropic interests.  And having grown up with my mother serving in leadership roles with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, it was a natural fit for me to see charity as a tool to accomplish positive results in both the business world and the humanitarian world.

About a decade ago, after helping to organize a charity dinner for MDA featuring star athletes who made up the MDA "Muscle Team," I was asked to present the large novelty check of the proceeds during the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.  Along with my proud mom, I made my way to the local Los Angeles television studio (KCAL 9) to present the check live on-air.  That's when I met the legendary DJ and host of the local telethon, Mr. Kasem.  And while I had visions of grandeur on my mind as I made my way on stage (ok, I was hoping to just remember my line and not fall down), it was a nervous moment being on-air.  Remember, as a 6'5" gorilla in a china shop, I was always just a slight trip or bad turn away from knocking over the set, tote board, and Jackie Johnson!

Fortunately, with just mere seconds to go before we went live on the air, Casey was able to distract me and make me forget that I was about to go on in front of millions of viewers... BY CONFUSING ME WITH ONE OF JERRY'S KIDS!!!  For the complete hilarious tale and more like it, you know what to do...

Pick up a copy of The Surfer's Guide To Marketing.  Good luck Casey and know that you will always have a special place at the top of my embarrassing countdown.

How The NFL Marketers Deal With Injury

While I am the first marketer to take advantage of buzz, topical events, and clever marketing ploys, I do have to give the NFL "the finger" for this one.  And I love the game, the league, and the players so believe me it isn't my first thought to jump on the NFL.  But as you might have heard by now, Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson lost part of his finger in the game against the New Orleans Saints last weekend.   (Check out the pics on TMZ)

Up until that injury, my friend and Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott held the distinction of being the only player to have literally sacrificed a digit for the game.  It has always played into Lott's tough guy persona and I will now concede that Johnson can be added to that space, especially since he didn't know he was missing the end of his finger until he took off the glove and the finger tip stayed in it!

The great Ronnie Lott in action

But should the NFL embrace this and actually, um. point a finger to it?!  As a league that has come under fire for their handling of injuries including serious head trauma and even the symptoms of depression that may (or may not) have lead to the suicides of several prominent players including Junior Seau, is it wise to embrace this latest injury?

The late Junior Seau

I pose the question because the Arizona Cardinals are embracing the situation.  Rather than shy away or even approach the incident with a matter-of-fact strategy, they have decided to make fun of a pretty heinous accident.  Today, the official Arizona Cardinals social media pages are bragging about their new foam finger souvenir...

Now don't get me wrong, I once told Ronnie after a great personal appearance for hundreds of fans that I wanted to "High FOUR" him (to which he gave me a "look" that only terrified WRs and RBs have seen up close) but I'm also not representing a brand on the hot seat.  It's a funny little attempt to capitalize on the publicity of the gruesome injury but having worked with disabled players in need, being close with retired players who have had injury lawsuits against the league, and even having provided services for Gridiron Greats, lead by HOFer Mike Ditka and former All Pro Kyle Turley, I understand that injuries are no longer a laughing matter.  How can the NFL settle a $700+ million lawsuit with players over injuries and then make light (and actually promote) that exact situation within the same month?

I reached out to Kyle and he had a strong opinion about it, as expected.  Kyle said, "That doesn't surprise me at all.  It's ignorance.  They (the NFL) will claim they have no responsibility and frankly, just must be void of conscience.  The NFL has some of the brightest minds in their PR and Marketing departments so they had to have thought this through and decided to do it anyway.    The Cardinals obviously care more about buzz and sales versus player health and safety."  

Would it be ok if Marlboro made black-lung balloons?  Jim Beam had branded drunk-driving crash helmets?  Or Smith and Wesson had target t-shirts?  I'd like to think that maybe those marketers wouldn't be so quick to embrace the worst possible results of their product.  I'm all in favor of being creative but you also need to be smart!  Because nothing says "hysterical" like the local mortuary sponsoring "free casket" night for the first NFL player who dies on the field.

Maybe the NFL should call a penalty on the Arizona Cardinals and give them a one-and-a-half finger salute.

Randy Rovegno To Speak at LMU's Social Media Class

The Surfer's Guide To Marketing author Randy Rovegno will be speaking to students at Loyola Marymount University Tuesday September 24th at 3p.   Working with Professor Andrew Rohm and his Social Media class, Randy will bring his expertise in the world of brand communication and showcase the need for students to position themselves positively utilizing the same tactics and strategies as classical consumer packaged goods.

Having recently presented a similar social media branding lecture to high school athletes at the San Diego Hall of Champions, Rovegno will bring his humorous approach to marketing set against proven tactics that he has utilized with consumer brands like ESPN and Sprint.  With his proven strategy of combining interesting case studies along with the latest trends in the social space, Rovegno will treat the students of LMU to a fun session that works in the practicality and real-world functionality of today's environment.   With the goal of having LMU students walk away from the session armed with the direction and tools to create their own ideal social media positioning and digital footprint, The Surfer's Guide To Marketing writer will have the undergrads "Tweeting," "Liking,"and posting their support for the session... in a professional, positive light worthy of any classically trained marketing executive!

Author Randy Rovegno with student athletes at the San Diego 

Hall of Champions Social Media Seminar

Radio Interview On The MO SHOW

Here's the latest interview with author Randy Rovegno.  Click on the link and simply play the clip.  Randy comes in at the 20 minute mark.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moradioshow/2013/09/04/mo-radio-show-on-sports

FREE! Now Do I Have Your Attention?

Want to attract attention?  The solution is simple... give it away for FREE.  I'm not suggesting that it is good business to give away all of your inventory and not drive any revenue, but I can confidently say that the easiest way to drive traffic and grow your awareness is to offer it up gratis.

The perennial BOGO (Buy One Get One) is a proven strategy to move product.  It's been a staple of retailers since the first caveman gave away one rock if you bought a second.  Sure, you cut your profit in half (or more) but you serve to get the product or service in your customers' hands.  It's not a long-term strategy for success but it can definitely boost sales and invigorate traffic for a short blast.  Significant discounting is a great loss-liter approach if you want to then up-sell other brands or showcase your scope of offers.  It attracts customers and no one ever refuses FREE.

There are many studies that suggest the Groupon model isn't successful and there are those who say they have had an uptick in traffic when offering an extreme discount only to have the traffic evaporate once the deal expires.  Like everything in business, there is no surefire method to be successful but try doing a BOGO or FREE sample and see if you don't increase the amount of chatter about your brand.

Now, I'll put my money where my mouth is.  Or, with FREE... where my money ISN'T!  To incorporate several principles of The Surfer's Guide To Marketing including the need to provide rewards and incentives for your social followers, we will incorporate FREE BOOK FRIDAYS!  Simply "share" The Surfer's Guide To Marketing Facebook page on your own page and you are entered for a chance to win a FREE book!  Simple as that.  Let's see if it works.

BOOK EVENT

Last night I attended a mixer for Entertainment professionals in Santa Monica and spoke about "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing"   As the presenter for the session, I was able to reveal some of my tips and tactics that have served me well across my career.  Along with explaining some of my favorite case studies, we were able to have a productive conversation to address issues and opportunities in the world of Entertainment.

The group discussion included a significant amount of time on social media and how networks and studios tend to produce the same, ineffective strategies that garner flat results.  In "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing" I encourage marketers to create a relevant story, provide continuous and dynamic content, and reward loyal followers.  Simply providing basic facts to the followers and community that has an affinity for your brand isn't going to grow your business.  It's imperative that you give this ideal market the utmost attention as they've already bought into your brand and thrive on innovative or novel information.

With Facebook's "Suggested Posts" (a finely worded term for advertisers) there is now a non-organic element to users' pages.  Ads that pop up and earn an impression by simply being on your browser when you log on to Facebook at that time are going to dilute the messages you are attempting to communicate.  We concluded that its imperative more than ever with these distractions to bring interesting content to the table.  New character details, images, or even "cutting room floor" content that has never been viewed can become vehicles to drive your followers.  Give them what they want and your brand will be rewarded.

I was personally thrilled with the chance to discuss my career and marketing experience and meet some great future innovators.  The creative, passionate audience in attendance was more than gracious and we concluded the evening signing a few copies of "The Surfer's Guide To Marketing!"

The Surfer's Guide To Marketing Press Release

THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING DELIVERS HUMOROUS INSIGHTS FROM 20-YEAR INDUSTRY PRO

Breezy and Instructive, Book Offers Case Studies, Tactics and Tales

From Across the Marketing Waterfront

REDONDO BEACH – July 13 – THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING, the innovative new book by marketing pro Randy Rovegno, combines the rollicking worlds of marketing and surfing to do for brand promotion what “Freakonomics” did for economics. 

THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING offers case-study interviews with innovative business leaders at ZICO Coconut Water, Body Glove and 20th Century Fox, and charismatic pro athletes such as football great Drew Brees and surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton. This entertaining book provides practical tactics for everyone from students to senior staff and is designed for use by small-business owners and corporate executive alike—even if they have never stepped foot in the ocean.

“Randy uses surfing as a great teacher and provides interesting analogies to communicate his marketing philosophies,” writes Hamilton in the book’s introductory chapter.

Rovegno is an award-winning marketing executive who has worked with internationally known brands such as ABC, AT&T, ESPN, NBC, NFL and 20^th Century Fox. THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING connects surfing anecdotes with marketing insights as naturally as a leash to a longboard.  Rovegno's humorous style and industry expertise carries the reader through dynamic principles and real-world examples in an approach that is at once educational, motivational and entertaining.

About THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING

THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING is an entertaining guide to marketing strategies in today’s fluid business landscape.  Available in paperback or electronically from retailers including Amazon and CreateSpace.com, THE SURFER’S GUIDE TO MARKETING crushes boring textbook rhetoric like a barrel at North Shore, using easy-going humor and real-world perspective to encourage fresh thinking and positive attitudes. For more information, visit these sites:  

www.facebook.com/TheSurfersGuideToMarketing

thesurfersguidetomarketing.blogspot.com

###

Media contact:

Carl DiOrio

Bob Gold & Associates

310-320-2010; 

carl@bobgoldpr.com

The Surfer's Guide To Marketing Radio Interview

Hey Friends, Followers, and Fans...

Here is a recent radio interview featuring author Randy Rovegno discussing the new book, some marketing philosophies, and experience creating successful brand communication efforts.  

Please feel free to listen and post on your social media channels!

Mahalo!

The Secret To Social Marketing!

Here it is.  Are you ready?  Would you like to know the fool-proof way to drive your social media communication?  There is only one thing you need to know...

There is no single proven solution.  In a world of instant weight-loss pills and a kitty-cat video garnering three million impressions in 24-hours, we are a society that wants instant gratification and instant results.  And I hate to say it, but the way to increase your views, "Likes" and Followers is through proven tactics that have driven marketing concepts for years.

The Surfer's Guide To Marketing focuses on different tactics to increase your social media presence and productivity, though just as its easy to tell a novice surfer to "Get on your board, paddle in front of a wave, and stand up" the actual execution is a little more tricky.  But integrating some of the basic protocol and techniques can ensure that you will be on your way to greater incremental results.

In the book, I ask if it is wise to let a kid with no marketing or PR background "drive" your Twitter or Facebook simply because the tattoo covered, facial pierced entry level employee knows how to "Tweet".  Would you let that same rookie produce a full-page color ad in the NY Times?  Certainly it's an extreme example but you get the idea that classically-trained marketing does hold a place in today's rapidly changing social space.  

So if the basics for surfing involve the right board, wetsuit, wax, tide/swell, etc. then we need to ensure your social media offering provides content, consistency, and engagement.  Simply put, you need to say something interesting that users want to hear, continue to provide informative and/or entertaining content on a regular basis, and ensure that your followers or fans can have some input in the conversation.  Those three areas are the foundation for any positive campaign.  

SAY WHAT?! The Surfer's Guide To Marketing features a Case Study of two television networks facing similar situations and turning to social media to communicate with their fans and (even more importantly) their disgruntled customers.  I won't fill you in on all the details here (because why would you need to buy the book?) but I will tell you that half of the social media battle is what you say.  The messaging between the two companies was very different in nature with one being straightforward and the other trying to dance around the issues and provide "fluffy" non-relevant content.  While you would assume which one had a more successful approach based on the set-up of strategies, I can tell you that BOTH wiped out worse than a Kook at Teahupoo!

REWARD ME! Other aspects of driving engagement centers around rewarding loyal followers and user-genterated interactions.  Simply put; people like free swag so I always encourage clients to provide giveaways, rewards for input, and brand sampling across all of the platforms.   Provide incentives to stay, combined with aforementioned solid story telling, and you have a formula to increase loyalty and impressions.

More intricate interactions including sweepstakes and user-generated content are great solutions if you make it relevant, organic, and fun.  Getting users to forward to friends in a user-voting effort is a great way to ensure you increase your footprint as long as the cause is something fans can get behind.  Not every invite to get involved is successful and there are many tips and secrets we discuss in the book, but from a ten-thousand foot look, creating a fun opportunity for your Followers to become part of the story is a solid approach.

WHO CARES? And now that we have the "what", let's also ensure we target the right people.  There are three major categories of social media users: Spectators, Participants, and Creators.  If you don't believe it, ask yourself which one of these three types of user you most resemble?  Do you simply see your friends' posts or ignore when they ask you to vote/give/forward, etc?  Then you are a Spectator who is exposed to the message but not actively participates.  Or, perhaps you will vote for your friend's singing video or share their post for their cause on your own Facebook page.  That classifies you as a Participant.  Someone who will engage to some extent and put forth an effort but are not fully driven to enter the contest or promote yourself.  And of course, the last area is reserved for Creators; the person who uploads their cutest baby in the contest or drives their friends to vote or enter.  Creating a campaign that draws in all three is the secret to a successful user-generated activation.  Make it interesting for the casual observer, relevant to a friend who will support the effort, and enticing enough that people will lay it on the line to become a disciple for the contest or promotion.

LEARN MORE! For more of the social media discussion including tips, tactics, and Case Studies featuring amazing brands and their successful strategies, be sure to pick up a copy of The Surfer's Guide To Marketing.

How To Become a Marketing BARNACLE

In The Surfer's Guide To Marketing, we discuss different ways to utilize another organization's on-site event, promotion, or activation to drive your brand.   I refer to partnering with a larger exhibit or trade event as becoming a BARNACLE.  Your goal is to drive awareness and interactions for your product or service without disrupting the flow, causing too much attention from the host, or spending significantly more resources than the value you gain in return.

The BARNACLE, those little animals that live on the chin of a large whale, are the perfect surf-analogy example of how you should position yourself to be successful as an addition to an existing organization's activation.  The mollusk's main job is to subtly attach to a larger host and leverage their partner's existing efforts while sucking in plankton and getting a free ride.  They don't cause too much of a distraction and are able to have noticeable gains without expending much effort.  And that mentality directly transfers to the marketing world when creating an on-site partnership.

Having created activations at high traffic locations ranging from trade shows to shopping malls to the Super Bowl, I always approach the opportunity with the same philosophy of becoming a BARNACLE.  I want to ensure my brand gains incrementally more exposure and value than if we did a stand-alone effort and we do not disrupt the host to the point where we draw negative results or controversy.   

On-site activation for a major network premiere.

While some promotions, tours, or locations can have sponsorship packages ranging in the seven figures, most of the BARNACLE activations are established because your brand has smaller budgets with large expectations.   That's where The Surfer's Guide To Marketing becomes a valuable resource as we dedicate an entire chapter to the best approaches and proven techniques in this arena.  We discuss proven cases and provide a how-to for operating and thriving as the marketing version of the little critter on Shamu's face!

And for every successful case study in my book, there are also real-world examples of what guerrilla marketers do wrong  Recently, Ouya tried to crash the E3 video game expo.  Rather than pay to be included in the show, they thought (like many marketers do) that they could circumvent the official relationship by setting up in the surrounding area for less.  Instead of going through the front door, Ouya tried to go through the back door... or more accurately, the parking lot.  E3 wasn't too fond of this type of grass roots activation and the attached link describes the battle that ensued.

As a veteran of on-site marketing, I have been exposed to countless situations surrounding the "right" or "wrong" way to approach it.  The Surfer's Guide To Marketing explains my strategy for being a successful BARNACLE and Ouya definitely didn't approach it the way I would have.  What's your take on how to create a successful activation and what do you think about the article and E3 vs. Ouya battle?  Please leave your comments!

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/ouya-tries-crash-e3-feuds-esa-171508817.html