Wrap-up - DMA's net.marketing - 3/7/99

From: <richard_at_tenagra.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 23:19:38 -0600 (CST)

Below is a special mailing to The Online Advertising
Discussion List about the DMA's net.marketing Conference,
written by Andy Bourland, publisher of The ClickZ
Network. You will receive these reports in addition to your
normal Online Ads posts/digests.

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DMA:Net.Marketing '99 Wrap-up


by Andrew Bourland
Publisher
The ClickZ Network
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Some random observations from the DMA's third annual
net.marketing event in Los Angeles...

Opting-In Offline

During DMA President Robert Weintzen's opening remarks, I
couldn't help but wonder at the potential impact of the web
dominant "opt-in" thinking in the offline world.

The opt-in mantra (which I subscribe to, BTW) says that a
consumer consciously chooses to receive the commercial
emails he or she wants to receive, and can easily choose to
opt-out at any time.

But what happens when the preferred thinking on the Net
expands to the offline world?

Will we tolerate our credit card companies selling our
purchase data to marketers? Will we continue to passively
permit magazine publishers to sell our names and addresses
to direct mailers without our explicit, written permission?
Will we stand by while credit reporting agencies routinely
provide highly personal information about our finances to
marketers?

Or will the "opt-in" philosophy begin to invade the offline
world and force marketers to call, mail or contact only
those people who have specifically requested they do so?

I couldn't help but think that the day for Robert Weintzen
as head of DMA has come and gone. He comes from the direct
marketing philosophy where "opt-out" is a huge concession to
individuals who don't want their mailboxes cluttered with
junk mail and their phones ringing off the hook with
obnoxious telemarketers on the other end.

He wants to apply this "opt-out" philosophy to the Net, and
I don't think it's going to fly.

Has the time come for the DMA to explore an opt-in
philosophy offline? I think so. Perhaps the current
leadership doesn't have the courage or the imagination to
contemplate such a move. I doubt they will ever consider the
possibility of marketing exclusively to those that have said
Yes to receiving information about their product or service,
rather than those who have not jumped through all the
necessary hoops it takes to Just Say No.

I don't want to go into all the implications or potential
impact here on the direct marketing industry, but we both
know it would be extreme.

Nevertheless, the time has come for forward-thinking
marketers to begin exploring how to do business in an opt-in
world where, as Esther Dyson said, "...the individual has
control over access and use of their own personal data."

If they don't, the issue might be legislated for them, just
as is happening now in the online world.

Here's The Pitch...

Mid-day Monday was a panel session on email marketing, which
I attended with great anticipation. I scanned the room full
of people -- standing room only -- anxious to lap up
whatever tidbits they could on what tools and techniques are
available for them to bring back to the office and put to
work. The hunger for information was palpable.

Fast forward one hour: The final speaker is wrapping up. We
haven't even gotten to Q&A and people are wrapping up their
stuff and streaming out of the door. This time, the palpable
feeling was of disappointment, if not disgust. Why the
change?

The primary reason was that the panel was stacked with
vendors, and frankly, I think it is too much temptation for
any vendor to bear to give them a room full of information
hungry, potential customers and NOT give a pitch for their
product. So they did what came natural: They pitched their
products and services. Ask any one of them, and they will
tell you they only passed along useful information to the
crowd, but the audience knew differently.

Conference planners who stack panels with vendors rather
than customers or neutral third parties should know better.
People don't pay over $1000 to attend a conference so they
can be pitched all day -- at least, not when the event plays
up the educational element.

It's not that difficult, really. Digitrends, who produces
Camp Interactive and Variety, approaches vendor-sponsored
presentations in an up-front manner. The attendees enjoy it,
the sponsors love it and nobody goes home feeling they've
been duped.

This is a drum I bang on often, but I honestly wonder if the
major conference planners are ever going to get it.

Kickin' Keynote

The difference between IBM's Dick Anderson on day one and
Hummer Winblad's Ann Winblad on day two was like night and
day.

Dick came with his slickly prepared IBM e-business agenda,
complete with videos and animations. He looked and acted
like a nice enough guy, but outside of the idea that "IBM
means e-business" and "IBM is developing the technology of
the future," he really had very little to say.

He was sent in -- and I wouldn't be surprised if IBM paid
handsomely for the privilege -- and he preached the IBM
gospel to the attendees, without really bothering to address
anything specific to their interests. He accomplished IBM's
agenda, not the audience's. And of course, no questions or
answers for the audience. One-way communication. Them to us.

Flash forward one day to Ann Winblad. I happened to be
sitting at the same table as Ann prior to her presentation,
and she asked questions about the audience. Were they small
business? Were they entrepreneurs? What do they seem to be
interested in? She talked about how she likes to modify her
presentation on the fly as she senses the interest -- or
lack thereof -- in her audience.

When it was Ann's turn, she spoke as conversationally to the
crowd as she did to the table just moments before. While she
spoke about how Hummer Winblad looks at business
opportunities, decides upon whom to fund (you have a better
chance at winning the lottery or getting hit by a bus than
getting funded from Hummer Winblad, btw...), and works with
the companies it does fund, it was clear she was focused on
answering the questions near and dear to every member of
that audience: How can I get funding? What matters and what
doesn't? How do I get the attention of a VC? What is the
nature of the relationship after funding?

She pulled no punches, softened no blows, but you came away
with a clearer sense of what your possibilities were.

More importantly, you came away with the impression that she
spoke to YOU, to YOUR interests and needs.

Whether she accomplished much for the Hummer Winblad agenda
Tuesday morning is debatable, but she certainly provided
some useful insights to a hungry audience.

Unlike Anderson, she took Q&A. She addressed the questions
directly and succinctly. She showed respect.

I was impressed. She's the prototype of what a keynoter
should be.

Checking Agendas at the Door

If there is any common theme amongst all this, it's that
marketers, conference planners, panelists and keynoters can
do themselves a tremendous favor by checking their personal
agendas at the door. Their agenda should be to SERVE their
audience, or their market. Let go of your agenda, and your
agenda can be accomplished.

Direct marketers: Show some respect for your potential
customers. Show some respect for the clients who have
trusted you with their personal data. Shepherd it wisely.
Don't abuse your trust. You may lose on some list sale
opportunities. You may gain the respect and loyalty of the
market you serve.

Panelists: Forget your product and your service when you
step behind the podium. Focus on the needs and interests of
that audience. Give the advice and wisdom they paid good
money to hear. In so doing, you transform yourself from
pitch man to expert, and there's a huge gap in credibility
there. And people LIKE to buy from people they respect.

And the same, of course, goes for keynoters.


So what is Andy's report card for DMA Net.Marketing? They
started with a dismal "D" on day one for content, but
rebounded big time on day two. Overall:

 Content: C+
 Schmooze: A


************************************************************

Copyright (C) 1999 ClickZ Corporation. All rights reserved.
 May be reproduced in any medium for noncommercial purposes
as long as attribution is given.

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Received on Sun Mar 07 1999 - 23:45:13 CST