Print Media Blending With Digital Media Via Augmented Reality Approaches

Print and digital media have been working to effectively integrate for some time now. Like any new movement, new direction...it takes time for equilibrium and a new reality to be established. There have been stops and starts to be sure, but it is happening.

Print media as a whole is not going away, just as radio did not go away as TV became an entrenched media source for America and for the world. Radio did not go away, but it changed radically. Families stopped sitting around their radios in their living rooms starting blankly into space conjuring fantastic images of the Lone Ranger and his adventurers. America started sitting around their living rooms staring at images being delivered for them on their television sets. Radio became more music and news centric rather than featuring soap operas and serial adventures. This was a radically media transformation that happened within a fairly short period of time and we are experiencing a similar print/digital media transition.

Augmented reality experiences being promoted via print and other traditional media mechanisms is one example of how the blending of the old and the new is shaping. Despite all of the snappy technology, ultimately media consumers will decide what is value and worth their time and what is not. So as with any epic transitions, only time will tell.

But as smart marketers and media professionals we need to watch, listen and strategically experiment. The one thing that is certain for marketers is that this print/media transition will not conclude, then stay fairly stable for 50 years as the radio/television transition did. The changes will continue to be fast and constant, so buckle in and enjoy the long, fun and constantly changing ride.

Just two recent examples of the print/digital transition - Starbucks and Commonwealth Bank are using traditional and non-digital vehicles to promote high-tech augmented reality apps.

Starbucks to Launch Augmented Reality Campaign

Commonwealth Bank Augmented Reality App Promoted Via Newspaper Ads

Why Do You Need Content for SEO?

This is a pretty amazing infographic that explains why content is not a luxury for effective digital marketing. Click on the graphic below to view a larger version of the graphic.

Location, Location, Location: Delivering Your Messaging Where Your Customers and Prospects Are

It used to be pretty easy. If you wanted to open a general store in the 19th century or first half of the 20th century, you would rent, buy or maybe build a space within the downtown area of your town. Everyone had to come into town to shop and....there you were.

I am sure if we could have a conversation with a 19th century merchant, he would tell us it was not quite that easy to make a living. But, given the highly sophisticated site selection processes large retailers and restaurants use today, our 19th century entrepreneur faced far fewer decisions and variables. He had a market that all came to the same place, he just had to figure out what they wanted to buy, offer great service and fair prices.

Today, consumers can buy similar goods in many different places so retailers and restaurant chains know that while site selection may not be quite everything, it is critically important.

A similar trend has happened in the media industry. It used to be pretty straightforward. Even in B2B media, entire industries were served by three or four magazines and a few trade shows/conferences. This is obviously no longer the case, which makes it challenging to “be where you customers are.” Or, since you can’t be everywhere, to have a meaningful voice in an effective assortment of communications outlets.

Although I cannot wave my magic wand a design a media plan for you, what I can say is if you are solely using print vehicles, or if you are solely using digital vehicles, or if you spend your entire marketing budget on trade shows, you are missing the opportunity to communicate with a very big portion of your customer and prospect base.

In decades past we knew that marketing communications were good for us - sort of like eating broccoli. Today, they are critical as customers and prospects are much further along the buying cycle by the time they talk to you than used to be the case. So if you are not communicating with them, your competitors are.

At Pharmaceutical Manufacturing we have been studying and surveying our audience in a disciplined fashion as our audience’s needs are change and as new technologies emerge and mature. In a recent audience survey completed by 110 pharmaceutical industry members, we learned that 79.44% regularly read pharmaceutical industry websites and e-newsletters and 69.17% regularly read pharmaceutical industry print magazines.

It should not come as a shock to us that 79.44% are consuming information online. What may be surprising to you is that so many (69.17%) regularly read pharmaceutical industry trade magazines.

I hear every day, multiple times per day that “digital is where it is at,” or “print is dead, right?” Digital media is incredibly important. It is extremely challenging, but incredibly important. However, 69.17% of your customers and prospects read industry print publications…doesn’t it make sense to be there with your messaging?

I understand that it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of print media, but I submit to you that it is incredibly difficult to measure the effectiveness of digital as well. Yes, digital media offers us click and other conversion data that can be incredible useful. However, the goal of marketing is to alter human perception, preferences and behavior.

Given our complexity as human beings, it really sells us short as a species to completely measure our attitudes and emotions in terms of clicks and downloads. If we were in highly transactional, low engagement businesses like selling movie tickets online my position would likely be different. But, most of you are selling high investment, high risk, high engagement solutions to a highly regulated industry.

Those marketers who determine ways to measure a fuller range of customer and prospect behavior will have an enormous competitive advantage. More specifically, marketers who communicate effectively with their customers and prospects where they are – in print, online and at trade shows – will have an enormous competitive advantage.


**If you are interested in seeing a pdf report of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing’s most recent audience survey, please e-mail me at tbecker@putman.net.

What’s Working? High Performing PharmaManufacturing.com Website Campaign

Solid digital thinking and best practices have been utilized by Silverson and their advertising agency for a website campaign currently running on PharmaManufacturing.com. Click thru rates for the campaign have to date been 46% higher than average PharmaManufacturing.com website ad click thru rates.

Why? Reviewing the 4-panel ad below, you will notice:

1. Solution words that address industry pain points – “ uniquely hygienic,” “supremely efficient,” “double-certified.”
2. High-impact solution – “Reduce Mixing Times by up to 90%”
3. Video demonstration call to action that follows effective solution and pain point language within the ad's first three panels
   
4. Eye-catching graphic presentation

In addition to an ad that effectively addresses pain points and offers a meaningful call to action, the ad’s landing page is quite well done. The page is easy to navigate, provides ample information for someone at early stages of interest and the “Ask the Expert” function offers a non-threatening, customer centric opportunity for lead capture & conversion.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Magazine Wins Gold ASBPE Awards

Itasca, Illinois (PRWEB) August 22, 2011

Putman Media's Pharmaceutical Manufacturing has won one gold 2011 National award and two gold Midwest/South regional awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). These prestigious annual awards recognize the best in B2B magazine editorial, design and Web and digital content development strategy and implementation.

Read Full Press Release

Join Me in Congratulating Pharmaceutical Manufacturing’s Editorial Team

Over the years many of you have regularly read, watched and listened to articles, special reports, webcasts, podcasts and columns labored into existence by Agnes Shanley, Editor-in-Chief, Paul Thomas, Sr. Editor and Michele Vaccarello Wagner, Sr. Digital Editor.

Others of you have worked in partnership with them to collaboratively create pieces to support Pharmaceutical Manufacturing’s mission of being a key catalyst for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries’ drive to improve manufacturing and operations, enhance the quality of products and minimize risk with a passionate dedication to public health.

Agnes, Paul and Michele are dedicated to delivering content both in print and online that supports the needs of our readers and industry on topics of interest and within the now wide-range of information delivery formats that are a part of today’s media landscape.

They work hard and are constantly striving to do things just a little bit better. It is my utmost honor to work with them in chartering the course of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing’s present and future.

Please join me in congratulating Agnes, Paul and Michele on winning three Gold AZBEE Awards – honors bestowed by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) to reward journalistic excellence.

National Gold Award
"Best Use of Social Media"

Midwest-South Region Gold Award
"Editorial/Editor’s Letter"

Midwest-South Region Gold Award
"Regular Column, Staff Written"

Congratulations and continued success Agnes, Paul and Michele!

Honored,

Tonia Becker, Publisher
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, PharmaManufacturing.com and PharmaQbD.com

P.S. If you would like to congratulate Agnes, Paul and Michele please comment below.

A Brief History of Content Marketing

Photo credit: Whitejacket

This is a fun piece on Marketing Profs and there are a couple of profound points contained within it. The fun and the challenge of today's marketing landscape is that there are dozens and dozens of messaging delivery options. The fun part is that there is a lot of room for creativity and innovation. The challenge, of course, is that breaking through the noise is not easy.

However, my take away from this piece was a reminder of what we all need to do if we expect our messaging to be relevant and to break through the clutter. Peeling back the layers of the glitz and glamour of technologically advanced delivery mechanisms, there are three retro examples within this piece that give us profound insights on the directions we should be taking.

1. Michelin Guide produced by the Michelin Tire Company. This guide was free until 1920 and is still in production today. It was/is a guide to assist with car maintenance and travel. The genius??? The more Michelin helped their customers to travel in their cars, the more tires they needed!

Take Away: Don't try to sell people more of your product, help them to need more of it.

2. In 1904 Jello-O's sales volume was so low that the brand was almost written off. As a last ditch effort Frank Woodward, the brand's owner, sent his sales force out to distribute free recipe books. By 1906, Jell-O's sales reached $1 million.

Take Away: People did not know how to use Jell-O. Women needed affordable desserts for their families, Jell-O gave them a solution. Do you customers understand where your solutions fit with their needs? Have you facilitated a true understanding of your solutions?

3. GI Joe only succeeded only because GI Joe told a story. Hasbro allowed young boys to get to know him, connect with him, respect him and ultimately love him (in a mini-man love kind of way).

Take Away: We should not spend our time in B2B marketing making up fanciful stories about our products and companies. But, human beings (and our customers are human) relate to stories. In fact, story telling and connecting with stories is a core part of our humanity. This is why well done case studies can have such high impact. I realize case studies, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry are difficult. There are other ways; however, to tell application stories that your customers will be able to connect with. The key is to focus on the needs of your customer, not the features of your products.

View the Slide Show: A Brief History of Content Marketing

Stick ‘Em Up. Now, Let’s Build a Business Partnership.

"Stick ‘em up."
"Let me steal your contact data."
"Now, let’s talk about building a business partnership based on mutual trust and respect."

This is ludicrous chain of logic, but it is exactly what is going on out there far too often. B2B lead generation activities, as discussed in my May 5, 2011 post, should be permission-based. “I agree to give you my contact information knowing that you will contact me in a respectful manner, in exchange for value-rich information that might help me to solve challenges I am wrestling with.”

Way too often, I see pieces of content gated with a registration form that should not be gated. Product spec sheets, marketing pieces and other documents of this nature should not be gated.

For most of us, buying a new car is probably one of the most “technical” purchases we make in our personal lives, so I believe it is a fair comparison to many B2B marketing activities for selling complex products.

I am absolutely not willing to fill out a registration form to access features & spec information for a new car. However, I would be willing to fill out a form knowing that my local dealer will likely contact me, to access objective technology and performance comparisons of hybrid, electric and traditional engine cars. If I filled out a form in good faith and end up being given access to a mere marketing piece, I will be much less likely to buy that brand of car - after being dupped once, why would I believe that my dealer or the car company will be honest as we have other conversations?

The other highly concerning activity, is publishers giving their advertisers full contact information for one of their audience members who clicked on the advertiser’s e-newsletter ad. As described in our Digital Pledge, a click is not a lead. There are interesting things that can be done with click data to serve an audience, but giving full contact information to an advertiser is not on the list. It is really data theft as I am confident that a typical audience member in our industry does not know that a click on an e-newsletter ad can result in full contact information being given to the advertiser.

The challenge is, generating value-rich content that can be gated with a registration form is not entirely simple. My next two posts will address our criteria for gateable content and ways we can help you to cost effectively generate content for your lead generation efforts.

The Silent Conversation of Lead Generation Content Marketing

Permission-based content marketing is built on a foundation of trust and reciprocity. The silent conversation goes something like this.

Potential Customer: I have a challenge for which I need to find a solution. Based on the description of your content, you seem to understand at least part of my challenge and it seems as though via your research, expertise and/or technology development you might be able to help me to solve at least part of my problem. I am going to trust that our exchange will be equitable, so I going to give you my contact information and answer your question or two. In exchange, I trust that I will be granted access to a rich piece of content that is inline with the quantity and value of the information I gave you.

Solution Provider: I ultimately need to sell my product or service and I believe that a great way to begin creating opportunities is to share my expertise and solutions-oriented information with customers and potential customers who have a problem I can help to solve. If I can solve a problem, I will have a solid opportunity to build or further develop a mutually beneficial client relationship. Because I understand that this opportunity creation tactic is built on mutual trust and respect, I will under promise and over deliver. The content I provide will be even more valuable than my customer or potential customer believes that it will be
prior to registering to access my content.

Potential Customer: I also trust that this solutions provider will respect my by providing information that is in-line with my needs, not spamming me and not sharing my contact information with other people without my permission. If that trust is broken, it does not bode will for our potential relationship.


I have a great number of concerns relating to this issue with the pharmaceutical manufacturing space of the b2b media industry. Trust is being broken; short cuts are being taken that ultimately are not good for anyone within the marketing value chain.

A series of three to five posts sharing thoughts, best practices and ultimately solutions on this topic will be posted during the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing’s Print Magazine Investment

Many of your know that Putman Media, the publishing company that owns Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, has invested heavily over the course of the last seven years in digital media. We have invested heavily in technology tools, continual optimization of our websites, and most importantly in human capital (knowledge and training of our people).

Digital media investment is continuing at Putman Media, there is no question about that, but I would like to call attention to our renewed investment in our print property.

Have we lost our minds? “Print is Dead” has been the rallying cry within the B2B marketing press for several years now. I could wax poetic about our emotionally attachment to the printed word (including why I still get excited when the new issue of the magazine arrives at the office or how I have always loved the smell within the stacks at a university library), but our decision to invest in print was a specific and thoughtful business decision. There are multiple reasons, but I will highlight three:

1. From audience studies, we know that half of our audience (roughly half of your clients and prospects) prefer print and engage more heavily with Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine than with digital media. We needed to add investment dollars to a medium half of your customers prefer – hopefully you will see the importance of this too.

2. We know that print still carries an authority that digital media does not always. How do I know this? When our editors approach their sources and share that the source's contribution will run online only, there is typically mild enthusiastic. When our editors share that the piece will run in print and online – the source is excited.

Many of our clients today only want to spend against digital media, but want their PR activity to run in print and online (the magazine typically being the priority). Hmmmmm……scratching my head over this one. If digital media is most important for advertising, shouldn’t it be most important for PR as well? From my experience, this is not the thinking of many of our clients and it does not make sense. Actually, I understand why some companies are thinking this way (measurability primarily) but, when you put the strategy/tactic against the light of reason it does not make sense.

3. Everyone’s e-mail box is jammed and their mail box is pretty sparse. We believe that we are offering an expanded opportunity for our clients to break through the marketing clutter allowing them to better communicate with clients and prospects.

So….what will this investment mean in reality?

• 18-20% more editorial pages per issue
• An even greater emphasis on content quality (and the bar was awfully high before)
• The addition of some new regular features and content approaches that we have not had the space for in a while
• More premium advertising positions to offer our advertisers

For more on these sentiments, you might be interested in a blog post on this topic: “Seven Reasons Print Will Make a Comeback in 2011”

Updated Spam Trigger Words

Basically all e-mail services, servers and spam filters are set up on a point system. Spam words are assigned a point(s) and once the magic number is reached (whatever the magic number is) the given e-mail is determined to be spam and delivered to a user's junk folder rather than their inbox.

When writing e-mails and e-marketing materials we have to be careful. Some spam works are "light offenders" like the word "download" or "download now" and just cannot be used too much within a given piece. Some spam words are "heavy offenders" like the word "free" and likely should not be used at all. Other words/phrase nearly guarantee that an e-mail will go directly to the junk folder. However, most of these words are words that have no place in legitimate B2B marketing communications - words/phrases like "stop snoring," "reverses aging," "cash bonus."

I don't worry a whole lot about the extreme spam words/phrases as they are simply not part of business dialog in our space. However, light offender spam words and some heavy offender words like "free" are common and tally spam points quickly.

Newer spam words/phrases (many of which we don't have to worry about):

Reverses aging
Hidden assets
stop snoring
Free investment
Dig up dirt on friends
Stock disclaimer statement
Multi level marketing
Compare rates
Cable converter
Claims you can be removed from the list
Removes wrinkles
Compete for your business
free installation
Free grant money
Auto email removal
Collect child support
Free leads
Amazing stuff
Tells you it's an ad
Cash bonus
Promise you ...!

A more comprehensive list of words can be found within the following post: Top Spam Words and Phrases--Updated April 2010

If you are concerned about your e-communications and want to check them, there are a number of free spam checking tools like SpamCheck out there. A quick Google search will give you plenty of other options,

Is Digital Media Testing a Sign of Weakness?

There are many days I feel like a broken record as I interact with our Pharmaceutical Manufacturing team internally and with our clients. To settle internal debates (and the very occasional professional spat within the ranks), my favorite response is...."I am not sure if we know how our audience will respond, let's test it." I often have a similar reply when working with our clients. "Our previous experience suggests that 'this' approach will perform the best, but we should do some testing."

Part of the reason I love digital media is that it is humbling and challenging. Every time I feel that I have the game figured out, our audiences prove me wrong. I fully believe that digital media success requires the confidence in one's professional knowledge and abilities because we will be wrong on regular occasion. But, digital marketing then requires that we dive in passionately to figure out how to fix or to optimize whatever it is we were wrong about.

Back to the question posed in the title of this post, "Is Digital Media Testing a Sign of Weakness?" The question beneath this question is..."Is a lack of certainty a sign of weakness?" Absolutely not in my opinion. In fact, I believe just the opposite it true. Too much certainty (without very specific analytical reference points) makes me nervous and it should make you nervous too. A lack of willingness to test will deliver nearly certain failure over the long haul.

There is a difference between a dedication to accomplishing the objective and knowing with 100% confidence precisely how the objective will be achieved. There have been plenty of times on the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing team in which we have an objective to achieve, but our original plan simply did not work. If Plan A does not work, the smart digital marketer starts testing Plans B and C. On particularly rough days, I am thankful that there are 26 letters in the alphabet and a frosty beer at the local sports bar.

I think that you will find this post from Marketing Profs quite interesting. "One Very Convincing Reason to Test." Fascinating and further proof that some of the sharpest minds in digital media and marketing can be dead wrong.

Happy testing!

Pharma Replay - Newest PharmaManufacturing.com E-Newsletter

This morning Pharmaceutical Manufacturing deployed the first edition of Pharma Replay, the newest additional to our suite of digital products. Pharma Replay will be a monthly deployment containing "Quips & Quotes Heard 'Round the Industry."

Pharma Replay is designed to deliver important information about issues within the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in a fun and interactive manner. Although the first edition has only been out for about two and a half hours, the initial open rates and click thru rates look quite promising. Stay tuned for more information, or contact Jeanne Freedland, Sr. Digital Specialist, at jfreedland@putman.net to learn more.

Twitter....Why? Five Great Reasons for Tweeting

I don't think I am the first person to ponder the best use of Twitter. For a good while I was a Twitter hold out. Not a complete hold out, but far from a regular participant and avid user. I puttered around from time to time working to figure out where Twitter fit within my personal and/or professional lives.

I am at Pittcon in Atlanta this week and feel as though I have found some wonderful uses. Below are five:

1. Following #Pittcon was very helpful as I worked to prepare for the conference, setting my agenda, etc. It also has been extremely helpful during the show to keep track of happenings, events and interesting "finds" of fellow conference attendees. I have been following #Interphex for the same reasons.

2. Posing a question to a very large group. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing is publishing a special report on green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing next month. I knew that a lot of Pittcon exhibitors have been actively involved in green chemistry initiatives and I knew some specifics, but I knew there are many solutions in the area that I was not aware of. I posed a question to the group via #Pittcon and learned of a few solutions I was not aware of via responses to my post.

3. Made new friends. I participated in one of the Pittcon Tweet Ups and it was a lot of fun - interesting conversation and I learned a lot.

4. Promoting the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing brand, myself and our clients to Pittcon conference participants.

5. Reminder of the value of reciprocity. There is a code of conduct on Twitter, as there is for most areas of life I suppose. A great deal of the Twitter code of conduct is strongly rooted in reciprocity and a "give to get" mentality. I like this approach, believe that there is great karmic benefit to it and believe that by approaching Twitter life in this manner more of this mentality will carry over into my offline conduct.

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (@PharmaMfg) and PharmaQbD (@PharmaQbD) brands will actively be participating in #Pittcon for the remainder of the conference, as well as #Interphex. I will also be making comments from my personal feed (@ToniaBecker). If you are not familiar with Twitter and how to use it, Michele Vaccarello, our Sr. Digital Editor, created a HowCast that I think will be really helpful.

Happy Tweeting!

You Have a Click, a Lead, a Visitor…..Now What? Ten Questions to Ask Yourself.

We know that many marketing communications tactics are now very measurable. You can include vanity tracking URLs in your print ads or print brochures. You can include code within various landing pages to track conversion rates. You could create a pretty sophisticated and effective lead nurturing program.

All of these things can be done, but are you doing them? Everyday I interact with our clients who are providing various solutions to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Nearly all of these marketers know that they should be measuring the effectiveness of their marketing communications programs, that they want and need leads for their business development efforts, that branding and awareness is still critically important and that they should be strategically developing engagement amongst their customers and prospective customers.

Most marketers know these things, but many (probably most) are quite unsure how to execute. Although executing effective marketing communications programs is now a constant and fluid activity that we are always working to perfect, it might be helpful to ask yourself at least some of the questions below.

1. A new visitor was driven to deep link within your website as a result of an e-newsletter ad you placed with one of your media partners. The web page discusses the attributes of one of your products. What do you want the visitor to do now?
2. Is the action you are hoping for from the website visitor described above reasonable or should you provide intermediate engagement opportunities?
3. Do you have enough content to support your lead generation goals?
4. Is the content you do have focused on helping your customers and prospect solve their problems or is it focused on your products?
5. What do you do with the contact information from an industry member who meets your target customer profile, but does not have a need for your product or service at this time?
6. Are you thinking about all of the various places and information delivery formats your customers are engaging with?
7. How are you measuring success or failure of a given marketing communications strategy or tactic?
8. Are you setting realistic performance success expectations among all stake holders on your team?
9. Are you testing, measuring and refining your efforts within all of the marketing communications mediums in which you participate?
10. What messages, content, themes do your customers and prospects most actively respond to?
    

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Included in List of Top 40 FDA Websites

Within this blog, I really do try to refrain from self-serving bragging about Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and PharmaQbD.com. However, I am going to brag just a little bit in this post.

FDAzilla.com, a blog written by Tony Chen, has the mission of publishing content, data and information on "How can we work smarter with the FDA?"

I am proud to report that PharmaManufacturing.com was included on FDAzilla's Top 40 Websites (and Tweeters) on the FDA.

We are proud to have been included on the list and are happy that we are seemingly striking some balance between the serious (and probably too often stuffy) world of B2B publishing and a lighter view of the often comical pharmaceutical industry.

I must confess that this balance is not easy to strike and is often the subject of our internal team discussions. As a brand, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing does serve the very serious role of helping pharmaceutical manufacturing, operations, QA/QC, engineering and R&D professionals improve product quality, manufacturing/operational efficiencies and compliance. However, scientists and operations folks, just like the rest of us, need a good chuckle on a regular basis.

Hopefully, we will continue to successfully navigate this balance and we are always open to your ideas - ideas either on the serious or lighter side.