12 month cycles are a proven way of planning your marketing campaigns but Don Draper and the other MadMen never had the opportunity we marketers do today to spin on a dime and react to god-given marketing opportunities. To promote the benefits of moving quickly, here’s one example of someone who could and shoulda.
I presented yesterday to Fanshawe College’s Public Relations & Corporate Communications course. (Great group: 80% are University of Western Ontario grads and some very sharp writers in the crowd. Hire them.) I was there to share with them how you can dig for insight to better manage and measure your brand using search engine marketing and social media listening tools.
We were digging down into search volume inspired Seasonality planning. In other words, boosting conversion by using the right set of words at the right time of year. It’s an intelligent way of building an Editorial Calendar for your marketing content.
However, the caution is to not to fall into the trap so many 12-month corporate planning cycles do. That is, not remaining nimble enough to be able to jump into great marketing opportunities when God sends them your way.
So I asked them what month it was. I only had to repeat the question once before the right answer came back: MOVEMBER!
Here’s the trend on searches for moustache using Google Insights for Search.
Beginning in 2004, we see this spike to slowly emerge every November until it goes off the charts this year as it reaches its tipping point.
I also included in the chart (the blue line) the searches for ‘Just for Men’ a leading male hair dye . As you can see, sadly, no corresponding spike in volume.
Yet if we look at searches for moustache dyes (the need) or grey moustache (the needs state)…
…we see a corresponding lift in searches emerging. (Not that I know this because my moustache is grey. As you can see from my Twitter profile pic it’s a full deep dark & rich and runs in the family.)
So if I go to JustforMen.com I should see lots of content on this to capture all this search intent and social interest, no?
Ah…sadly…no.
Just a lonely little mention for ‘Facial Hair Too’ at the bottom.
Over at the Movember site, which is undoubtedly experiencing quite a traffic boom, there is a sponsor prominently featured. Certainly an appropriate one considering the target group (good for them!) but not one that is directly relevant to the interests of the searcher.
Just for Men is one of those wonderfully named products built in the packaged goods heyday that promotes itself with a rock-solid tv campaign but, if you want to build leadership & capture interest, in these times of viral ‘flashpoints’, as the Boss once said ‘you gotta stay hungry’.
Hope this helps.
