I’m writing this on my way to the Sirius Decision Summit in Vegas (sitting in Terminal 3). I’m hoping to get a lot out of the conference (though I’m currently in option paralysis mode – too many sessions to choose from).
But this post is about a very small part of that conference – though it’s something which I feel is very important for brands, and is often forgotten about.
On the first morning of the summit, Sirius arrange a 5K run for all attendees. Though it seems like madness going for a 5K run along the Strip in the desert weather, it’s all for a great cause – the VWM Families Foundation. In particular, after a long flight, it’s just the sort of thing you need to get “back to normal” and find some energy for the days ahead.
But what I also thought was interesting was that this is a great example of a “Brand Amplifier” for Sirius. By this I mean – the run isn’t something directly relevant to what Sirius do. There’s no “Call to Action”, there’s no surrounding “Digital campaign” with attached ROI, no “Strategy”.
What there is, is Sirius doing a great thing that can only lead to a positive residual opinion of the organisation. Would I buy their services on the back of this alone? Of course not. Is there a clear ROI on the time and investment from Sirius – unlikely. Is it based on deep customer needs analysis and segmentation? I very much doubt it. But, should they do it? Absolutely yes!
Activities like this (and there are many sorts) are great for “amplifying” the rest of your marketing. And most great companies do it. They provide positive re-inforcement of your core messages and campaigns in a way that is hard to measure, but still also worth doing. Note, I’m 99% certain that Sirius aren’t hosting the run as part of a cynical campaign to “Boost their brand awareness” – I’m sure they’re just doing it because it’s a good thing to do. But they’re doing it nonetheless.
The effect on customers is intangible, but still real. It leaves me with the impression that Sirius are the sort of people I’d like to do business with. Of course, the proposition has to be strong, what I need, it has to work and so on. Like a guitar amplifier, if the signal going in is poor, then the amp only makes things worse. But if the signal going in is good, then the amplifier can only help.
What does this mean for you? For most, it’s the sort of things that are on your website around and between your core messages. Sure, front and centre you’ve got the key benefits of your offering, all finely-honed over the years. But what does it say in your “About us” or “Company” section? Is it a series of glum black-and-white photos of aging men from the “Management Team”, or is a story about the annual charity ball that your company runs? Is it a bland and detailed description of your services, categorised and ordered, or is it photos of your colleagues contributing to a local hackathon?
And it extends beyond that – what activities does your company do to support the community it serves? Anything? It’s not just charity work, it’s user groups, universities, local events, sponsorship and so on.
Of course, not every organisation wants to be appear as “fun” – if I’m looking through a financial advisor’s website, I don’t want to see pictures of the team drunk at Ascot. But the “peripheral” activities that your company undertakes, have a stronger effect than you might think (both positive and negative).
Does this matter for B2B? Yes, I think it does. To repeat – if a company doesn’t provide a great service or product, that I genuinely need, at a good price, then I’m not going to bite. But we are people, buying from people – I’ve encountered a few examples over the years where the impression given by a company’s website has strongly put me off that organisation (even if you often end up buying, begrudgingly). And there are orgs that give such a strong impression of the great company they are, that you actively seek them out when looking for a solution. Did I make the purchase because of that? No. Did it help – yes, yes it did.
Finally, if you work in marketing today, you’re likely – and rightly – being pushed to measure the impact of your work more effectively than ever. Spending millions of dollars on campaigns without a clue whether they work or not, is no longer okay, and that’s a good thing.
But if you’re worrying about the “ROI of the charitable work that we do” then you’re asking the wrong questions. These things are good in-and-of-themselves. For me, they require no justification, no debate. For the Sirius run, it’s a win-win-win – I win because I get a nice run after a long flight, the charity wins from the donations, and Sirius win from the brand amplification. That’s justification enough.