comon step by step (en)
DESCRIPTION
comOn has come a long way since being originally founded as a software house, up until becoming a full-service marketing agency. In the past 15 years we’ve been gathering talented people along the way. People with different skillsets, different worldviews and a common spirit of curiosity and sharing. We grew, helped clients to grow even more, and were constantly challenged to deliver more and more. Today we are confident to say we’ve crossed another finish line and discovered a new way of approaching marketing and communication problems. We call it User Marketing. The start of yet another challenging marathon. Put on your training shoes and let’s go for a walk.TRANSCRIPT
B ra n d s w i t h a f u t u r e a r e t h o s e t h a t u n d e r s t a n d p e o p l e’ s
b e h av i o r s a n d t h e w ay i t r e l a t e s t o a b ra n d ’ s p r o d u c t s a n d
s e r v i c e s . T h e i r D N A i s t r u l y h u m a n , b o r n f r o m t h e u s e r ’ s
n e e d s , a s p i ra t i o n s , a n d ex p e c t a t i o n s . B ra n d s t h a t w a l k
a l o n g s i d e p e o p l e .
People don’t buy brands anymore. People use brands. They
use brands that understand them. The relationship between
people and brands is not that much different from any human
relationship: “I like hanging out with people who perceive me as
I truly am”; “I like talking to people who hear me”; “I need people
who are able to help me when I have a problem”; “I like those
who like me”.
The best way for a brand to relate with their customers is by
knowing how to put itself in their shoes. Building upon empathy.
Focusing less on the customer and more on the user.
E m p a t hy
n o u n ; t h e a b i l i t y t o u n d e r s t a n d o t h e r p e o p l e’ s s i t u a t i o n
a n d r e l a t e t o t h e i r t h o u g h t s , f e e l i n g s a n d e m o t i o n s
We l i ke t o p u t o u r s e l ve s i n a b ra n d ’ s s h o e s . A n d a l s o i n
u s e r ´ s s h o e s .
We l i ke t o w e a r s h o e s . We l i ke t o d o i t w i t h p e o p l e w h o
m a n a g e b ra n d s s o w e c a n g e t c l o s e r t o u s e r s .
We’ r e n o t t h e t y p e o f a g e n c y t h a t “o w n s ” t h e t r u t h . U s u a l l y,
w e f i n d i t t o g e t h e r w i t h b ra n d s . We ex p e r i e n c e t h e p r o d u c t ,
v i s i t t h e s t o r e a n d a b u s e c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e . We c a n b e a
b i t a n n oy i n g s o m e t i m e s a n d , u s u a l l y, o u r f i r s t r e s p o n s e
t o a b r i e f i s l o a d e d w i t h q u e s t i o n s . We h ave a h a r d t i m e
a n s w e r i n g b ra n d s ’ p r o b l e m s w i t h o u t k n o w i n g t h e i r b u s i n e s s
i n d e p t h . O n e t i m e w e r e c e i ve d a b r i e f f o r a n a p p t h a t ,
i n s t e a d , r e s u l t e d i n a n e w b u s i n e s s m o d e l . T h a t ’ s h o w
w e f e e l c o m f o r t a b l e : b u i l d i n g u p o n r e a l i t y, u p o n t r u t h f u l
i n s i g h t s ra t h e r t h a n b u z z w o r d s .
E M PAT H Y + P U R P O S E + S O L U T I O N = M E A N I N G
B ra n d s a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s g a i n r e a l m e a n i n g w h e n t h ey ’ r e
b u i l t u p o n e m p a t hy. U s e r M a r ke t i n g c o m b i n e s v a r i o u s
t o o l s t o d eve l o p e m p a t h i c s o l u t i o n s . S o l u t i o n s t h a t m a ke
a b ra n d ’ s u s e r ex p e r i e n c e m o r e h u m a n , c l o s e r a n d m o r e
e f f i c i e n t .
Fr o m a U s e r M a r ke t i n g p o i n t o f v i e w, E m p a t hy i s a c o r e
v a l u e o f b u s i n e s s .
T H E K E Y P O I N T O F
S U C C E S S F U L B R A N D
E X P E R I E N C E S I S E M P A T H Y .
U s e r M a r ke t i n g g i ve s b ra n d s t h e a b i l i t y t o
p u t i t s e l f i n u s e r ’ s s h o e s , d e l i ve r i n g a m o r e
m e a n i n g f u l u s e r ex p e r i e n c e .
B R A N DE X P E R I E N C E
U S E R
U S E RE X P E R I E N C E
B R A N DT O U C H P O I N T S
C O N T A C TP S Y C H O L O G YR E S E A R C HS T R A T E G YC R E A T I V I T YS O C I A L M E D I AT E C H N O L O G YM E D I A P L A N N I N G
I N T E L L I G E N C E
U S E R M A R K E T I N G T O O L S
C o n t a c t , P s yc h o l o g y, a n d R e s e a r c h h e l p u s p u t o u r s e l ve s
i n u s e r ’ s s h o e s . T h ey a l l o w f o r a d e e p e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f
w h a t p e o p l e a r e f e e l i n g , t h i n k i n g a n d d o i n g i n t h e v a r i o u s
c o n t ex t s i n w h i c h t h e i r l i ve s i n t e r s e c t w i t h b ra n d s .
S t ra t e g y g u i d e s t h e r e l ev a n c e a n d p u r p o s e o f eve r y t h i n g a
b ra n d d o e s .
C r e a t i v i t y d e l i ve r s s o l u t i o n s w i t h r e a l i m p a c t .
M e d i a , I n t e l l i g e n c e , a n d S o c i a l M e d i a f i n d p o i n t s o f
i n t e ra c t i o n a n d u s a g e .
Te c h n o l o g y p r ov i d e s r e a c t i ve c a p a b i l i t i e s a n d s e t s
eve r y t h i n g u p t o u s e r s p e e d .
T h e r e a r e n o r e c i p e s . B ra n d s n o l o n g e r d e f i n e w h e n a n d
h o w t h ey ’ l l b e p r e s e n t i n u s e r ’ s l i ve s . N o w a d ay s , w h e n u s e r s
c a n’ t f i n d b ra n d s t h a t p l e a s e t h e m , t h ey c a n j u s t c r e a t e
t h e m . I t ’ s n o c o i n c i d e n c e t h a t s o m e o f t h e m a j o r d i g i t a l
b ra n d s w e r e b o r n d u r i n g l u n c h o r a t a c o l l e g e p a r t y. T h e
d i g i t a l a g e h a s a l l o w e d i t t o b e s o .
B ra n d s t h a t a l r e a d y ex i s t h ave t o b e m o r e h u m a n . We
u n d e r s t a n d t h a t w e n o l o n g e r l i ve i n a t i m e w h e r e t h e r e
a r e o n l y t h r e e o r f o u r c o m m u n i c a t i o n c o n t ex t s , c o n q u e r i n g
p e o p l e s o l e l y w i t h p r o m i s e s . N o w p e o p l e ex p e c t e m p a t h i c
a n d hy p e r - c u s t o m i z e d s o l u t i o n s . I f b ra n d s w a n t a b r i g h t e r
f u t u r e , t h ey ’ l l h ave t o b e c o m e m o r e h u m a n . C o n q u e r i n g t h e
w o r l d , o n e u s e r a t a t i m e .
E a c h p e r s o n w e a r s a d i f f e r e n t m o d e l a n d s h o e s i z e . A n d
eve r yo n e h a s w o r n d i f f e r e n t s i z e s a n d m o d e l s . Fu r t h e r m o r e ,
t h e r e’ s c o n t ex t . S h o e s t h a t f i t p e r f e c t l y i n a g i ve n s i t u a t i o n
m i g h t n o t f i t i n a n o t h e r. N o b o d y g o e s f i s h i n g w i t h h i g h
h e e l s o r p l ay s b a s ke t b a l l w i t h I t a l i a n l e a t h e r s h o e s .
W h a t d e f i n e s a b ra n d i s t h e m o m e n t i t a p p e a r s i n u s e r ’ s
l i ve s . I t ’ s t h e m o m e n t i n w h i c h t h ey u s e p r o d u c t s , a c c e s s
p l a t f o r m s , n o t i c e t h e p a c k a g i n g , u s e i n s t r u c t i o n m a n u a l s ,
w a t c h T V a d s , e n t e r s h o p s , ye l l a t c a l l c e n t e r o p e ra t o r s o r
r e a d a t w e e t .
T h e s e a r e a l l d i f f e r e n t c o n t ex t s t h a t m ay r e s u l t i n a p o s i t i ve
o r n e g a t i ve b ra n d p e r c e p t i o n . B ra n d s w i l l o n l y r e a c h p e o p l e
e f f e c t i ve l y i f t h ey c a n c r e a t e c o n t ex t s o n t o p o f e m p a t hy,
m a k i n g i n t e ra c t i o n s g e n u i n e l y h u m a n a n d b e n e f i c i a l f o r
u s e r s .
H ave yo u eve r t r i e d h av i n g a c o nve r s a t i o n w h i l e r u n n i n g ?
N o w i m a g i n e d e f i n i n g a b ra n d ’ s s t ra t e g y i n a h u r r y.
We l i ke t o l o o k a t r e l a t i o n s h i p s a s l o n g h i ke s . E ve r y t h i n g
t h a t h a s t o b e d o n e ye s t e r d ay i s a l r e a d y b o r n o u t o f d a t e .
A n d r u n n i n g w i t h o u t d e f i n i n g a d i r e c t i o n d o e s n o t l e a d u s
a ny w h e r e m e a n i n g f u l .
E ve r y d ay w e t r y t o ke e p o u r m o d e l i n m i n d . E ve n w h e n
t i m e i s r u n n i n g s h o r t , w e s t i l l p r e f e r t o s p e n d i t t r y i n g t o
f i g u r e o u t t h e t r u t h a b o u t u s e r s a n d t h e b ra n d . We t h i n k i t ’ s
s m a r t e r t h a n m a k i n g m o c k u p s .
A v a l i d p u r p o s e c a n o n l y b e f o u n d i f w e s t a r t f r o m r e a l i t y.
Fr o m t h e r e , eve r y a s p e c t o f t h e p r o c e s s b e c o m e s m o r e a g i l e
a n d f l u i d . G r e a t i n s i g h t s a r e b o r n f r o m t h e t r u t h a n d l e a d
t o g r e a t s o l u t i o n s w i t h m u c h l e s s e f f o r t .
A s N e i l A r m s t r o n g w o u l d s ay :
A t c o m O n , c r e a t i v i t y i s n o t “o w n e d ” by a ny p a r t i c u l a r
d e p a r t m e n t . C r e a t i v i t y i s a r e s u l t o f o u r p r o c e s s a n d a key
c o n t r i b u t o r f o r s o l u t i o n s t h a t g e n e ra t e e m p a t hy. We’ r e a l l
c r e a t i ve . N o b o d y h o l d s t h e s e c r e t f o r m u l a f o r c r e a t i v i t y.
C r e a t i ve w o r k c a n c o m e f r o m a nyo n e . I t m ay c o m e f r o m
a d e s i g n e r, a c o py w r i t e r, a n a r t d i r e c t o r. B u t a l s o f r o m a
p r o g ra m m e r, a n a c c o u n t m a n a g e r o r eve n t h e C E O. We
c o m b i n e d i f f e r e n t s k i l l s , a n d t h ey a r e t h e b a s i s f o r c r e a t i n g
o u r w o r k . We l i ke t o u s e t h e w o r d “c r e a t i ve” a s a n a d j e c t i ve ,
n o t a s a t i t l e . I n a U s e r M a r ke t i n g A g e n c y a l l w o r k i s
c r e a t i ve i f i t c o n t r i b u t e s t o g e n e ra t e e m p a t hy b e t w e e n
b ra n d a n d u s e r.
We d e f i n e t e a m s by c h o o s i n g p e o p l e t h a t h ave e m p a t hy
t o w a r d s t h e m a r ke t i n g p r o b l e m s w e’ r e c h a l l e n g e d w i t h .
D i ve r s i t y i n t e a m s l e a d s t o r i c h e r c o nve r s a t i o n s , a n d
g e t t i n g c l a r i t y o n m a r ke t i n g p r o b l e m s b e c o m e s e a s i e r. A n d ,
ev i d e n t l y, i t l e a d s t o b e t t e r t h e s o l u t i o n s a t t h e e n d o f t h e
d ay. S o l u t i o n s t h a t u s e r s w o n’ t s e e a s m a r ke t i n g .
and makes roomfor everyone.
we also create solut ions that don ’t make you leave your comfort zone, but who wants to do that?
I f a t t h i s p a r t i c u l a r p o i n t yo u d o n’ t f e e l eve n a p i n c h o f
e m p a t hy, yo u h ave t w o c h o i c e s :
- O u r r e c o m m e n d a t i o n i s t o w i n d u p yo u r s h o e s a n d v i s i t o u r
o f f i c e . I t ’ s e a s i e r t o e m p a t h i z e f a c e t o f a c e .
- I f t h e f i r s t o p t i o n d o e s n’ t s u i t yo u , w e s t i l l r e c o m m e n d yo u
w i n d u p yo u r s h o e s . A n d w a l k yo u r o w n p a t h . B u t p l e a s e , d o
n o t s t a n d s t i l l .