Do You Want Social Media with That?

As usual, David Armano at Logic+Emotion makes a great case by analogy, both in writing and with one of his really cool images. He's a creative type, and does this much better than this humble account guy, so I'll let his work speak for itself:

"Today’s marketing mix has its own challenges. RSS feeds, Podcasts, Blogs, Viral content—it all sounds so yummy and immediately gratifying. Just like fast food. But We all know what fast food leads to. Putting together a marketing mix that looks like “one Social Media Network with a side of Viral, hold the mayo”—may not be the best thing for your business and brand."

I've said it before on these pages, but allow me to reiterate it by extending Armano's analogy. If you think of your marketing plan like a diet, we all know that it's best to strive for a well-balanced diet. To live only on junk food - or on a single food group - is unhealthy.

Now, there are certain individuals who can't eat sugar, or who are allergic to gluten, nuts or lactose. And there are those who make a conscious choice to abtain from eating meat or carbohydrates. Any good nutritionist (or in this case marketing advisor) needs to have a conversation with the patient (client) to understand what is feasible and what is not, before recommending an approach.

For example, I have a client in the biotech/pharma space who is very open to hearing about new media. However, she steers clear of a corporate blog, because of the legal and regulatory issues that would be overwhelming in that industry. Creating an informative podcast is another story - one that is much better suited to their disposition, needs and strategy. But this is all backed up with a solid and comprehensive marketing plan across all media.

In western Massachusetts, there's an annual food/agriculture/cultural festival called The Big E. It just wrapped up its nearly 3-week stint, but not without offering a handy guide "The Big E Diet -- how to survive on 5,000 calories/day." From the morning sticky bun (560 calories) to the large fries at lunch (578 calories), to the modest snack of a turkey leg (148 calories), all the way through a late-night dessert of a cream puff (a whopping 618 calories), it's a mashup of comfort food and a cardiologist's nightmare.

The point is you just can't live like that. For normal people, a pork chop sandwich with a side of cream of broccoli soup in a bread bowl is an anomoly or a curiosity. So do a frank assessment of your marketing diet and see what you have the appetite for. Maybe every once in a while, a cream puff is just the thing the doctor ordered.

But please, make sure you keep eating apples.