Measuring the relationship between advocacy and sales.

There’s a paradigm shift happening in brand marketing.The way brand relationships are influenced is evolving. Measurement systems are becoming woefully inadequate. A new model of influence has emerged - and with it, new and important ways to measure it.

The power of influence has shiftedfrom brands to the people.

http://effie.org.ua/upload/axe.pdf

Metrics are at a crossroads. Which way you decide to go depends on your understanding of brand influence now and how it’s evolved.

The nature of brand influence has evolved over time: from brand owners in the 1950’s to everyday people in the 2000’s.

1950’s the Era of Product Invention

1960’s/1970’s the Era of Diversification

1980’s/1990’s the Era of Fragmentation

2000’s the Era of Co-creation

Small number of very powerful brands send rational messages to lots passive consumers using mass media.

Lots of powerful brands trying to mean more not just prove they work better to lots of empowered consumers using mass media.

Lots and lots of less powerful brands trying to get noticed using mass media in the hope that empowered consumers will take notice and care about them.

What people say to each other about products and brands is now more influential. Power shifted from brand to active consumer.

The rapid fade in the influence of traditional media channels is pushing advocacy to the fore as a measure of brand health.

Time

Consumer advocacy also matters more now because we’re fast approaching critical mass.

Old metrics are about asking people to tell you what they think, new metrics are about listening to what they actually say.

ASKINGAwareness

SaliencePurchase intent

LISTENINGMentionsMotivationsRecommendation

The new marketing model – reflects a new reality of influence within connected consumer communities.

Discussion

Are people talking about your brand to

each other

Sentiment

What do they actually say about you?

Participation

How actively are they

engaged with you?

Advocacy

Do they recommend

you to others?LISTENIN

G

Northwestern University statisticians helped explore which listening metrics most relate to sales and share.

We found people’s online recommendations have a high correlation with offline sales.

Yep really

People’s online recommendations have a high correlation with offline sales.

It is like the canary in the coal mine. The, motivationally consistent, online people are an indicator of what will happen offline.

In packaged goods, we that we can say with 97% (very high) confidence that advocacy and sales are positively correlated. 

 

Advocates even predicted the outcome of the last election.

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

1-Sep

3-Sep

5-Sep

7-Sep

9-Sep

11-Sep

13-Sep

15-Sep

17-Sep

19-Sep

21-Sep

23-Sep

25-Sep

27-Sep

29-Sep

1-Oct

3-Oct

5-Oct

7-Oct

9-Oct

11-Oct

13-Oct

15-Oct

17-Oct

19-Oct

21-Oct

23-Oct

25-Oct

27-Oct

29-Oct

Candidate Online Promoter Score

McCain

Obama

2nd Presidentialdebate

1st Presidential debate

VP debate

Bailout Bill Fails

Economic Meltdown news Breaks

RepublicanConventionPalin arrives

McCain misleading

ads

3rd Presidential debate

Palin SNL

Obama30 Minute infomercial

McCain Socialist

attack

The same metric, featured in the February 9th, 2009 edition of AdAge,

shows how advocacy can explain relative success.

Advocacy metrics can even help you decide what marketing strategy is best.

MotiveQuest is mad about measurement.

We help our customers understand the progress of their movements by linking online advocacy to offline sales.

Major MotiveQuest Clients

The brands that are most successful at creating advocates are clear about three things.

CONVICTIONS: People know what you stand for

CONSTITUENTS: You are able to help each group personalize the convictions to them

CO-OPERATION: There is a two way dialog from the grass roots up and back

ADVOCACY

How are you measuring advocacy?

Tom O’Brien, CMO tobrien@motivequest.comWebsite: www.motivequest.com

Twitter: @motivequest