Michael Seaton

Michael Seaton is Vice President, Digital Marketing at Thornley Fallis, a communications agency with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. Michael brings a multi-disciplinary approach to clients with a unique vantage point in terms of having spent over a decade on the client side. Michael’s leadership in the digital world combines areas including brand, database and loyalty marketing, social media and consumer engagement underpinned with a foundation in conversion measurement and analytics.

Prior to joining Thornley Fallis in Toronto, Michael was Director, Digital Marketing at Scotiabank where he led the bank's digital strategy in Canada with a vision for innovative and return-on-investment based marketing. His accomplishments include establishing Scotiabank’s industry leading and award-winning digital marketing and relationship marketing programs integrated across multiple customer touch-points and media channels.

Michael is an active speaker across North America on digital strategy and customer loyalty, bringing over fifteen years experience in the advertising, marketing & communications industry. His work has been recognized with numerous national and international marketing awards throughout his career.

Michael is co-author of the Canadian Marketing Association’s Guide to eMail Marketing and currently teaches Canada’s only Professional Certificate Course in eMarketing. He has his own marketing blog and podcast, The Client Side, rated as a “Top Ten Must Read” by Marketing Magazine as well as being listed on Advertising Age’s “Power 150” marketing blogs. He also co-created and developed the Canadian Marketing Blog.

Michael is a Director, Board of Directors, Canadian Marketing Association and Chair of the Digital Marketing Executive Council. He is a Director, Board of Directors with AIMS - Association of Internet Marketing & Sales where he also is Chair of the Events portfolio. He also sits on the Advertising Executive Council with the IAB - Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada.

C-Level Marketing

It used to be critical for every marketer to understand and apply the 4 P's of marketing. They are Product, Price, Place (Distribution) and Promotion. Seems a bit out of sync these days given the new world of marketing and the evolution of consumer interaction in the digital space.

I'm not suggesting we forget about the 4 P's, not at all. However, I propose we move up the alphabet and expand out. I believe we are now faced with 7 C’s of Digital Marketing. They are Content, Community, Conversation, Creative, Campaigns, Conversion and Commerce.

All play a very significant role together in today's ever changing marketing landscape. As search, social media, social networks, online video, virtual worlds, widgets, mobile and a host of other areas and elements gain in popularity, marketers must continually reformulate the way they approach and engage their audience. Today context is vital along with utility and, to a certain degree, entertainment. And, we can't forget about measurement. The need to quantify the effectiveness of our efforts is greater today (and I'd argue more attainable) than ever before.

Understanding how the 7 C's overlap, intertwine and are used in combination is just as important as the foundation set with the 4 P's. Change is good.

Social Networks And Ad Spend - Should We Change What We Mean By Ad Spend?

eMarketer has reported $1.2 billion in projected advertising spend within social networks this year (an amazing 70% of money being spent is between MySpace and Facebook). As 37% of the US adult population and 70% of teens are frequenting social networking sites, it is a no-brainer that marketers and advertisers are keen to tap into these entities.

As more dollars shift to digital , eMarketer pegs total ad spend of $4 billion worldwide by 2011 against online social networks alone. Those are serious numbers. Naturally, the next question is "what will result from that spending in terms of effectiveness?"

My belief is that before we label social network marketing efforts as "ad spend", we should take a step back and see what is intended for those dollars and how they will be truly allocated. We know that Users do not want to be advertised to, so it may be misleading in terms of the investments marketers will make.

As I have previously written about over at The Client Side Blog and have recently read re:Chris Brogan's and Mack Collier's opinions, I wonder if we should begin segmenting our budgets to reflect "engagement spend" or "community spend" or "conversation spend"?

Outside of the online world we isolate budgets for sponsorship, local area marketing, community events etc.., all with unique objectives, goals and outcomes. So perhaps we should spend some time reviewing what we hope to achieve in social networks and take it from there. Lumping it all under advertising just sounds too easy.

The eMarketer study shows that brands see a huge opportunity to engage Users in social networks. My hope is that we are beginning to think beyond interruption and approach interaction as a platform. Marketers will have to challenge themselves to find the right balance of novelty, utility and relevance for todays consumers. Our best hope is that a good chunk of the "ad spend" goes to something other than ads.

The Age Of Recommendation

It should not be any surprise that as consumers we believe each other. We are all in the game of consumerism together and trust opinions from people we believe to be just like ourselves. When you think about it, recommendations are likely what commerce was built right from the very start, so this is really nothing new.

However, what has happened on our watch is that the digital space has given rise of the voice of the individual and the ability for everyone to provide "word-of-mouse" testimonials. We have seen a rapid acceleration in terms of the abundance and availability of this kind of material more so than at any other time in history.

As Chris Anderson cites in his book The Long Tail - The New Economics of Culture and Commerce, "the trend watchers at Frog Design, a consultancy, see this as nothing less than an epochal shift":

We are leaving the Information Age and entering the Recommendation age. Today information is ridiculously easy to get; you practically trip over it on the street. Information gathering is no longer the issue - making smart decisions based on the information is now the trick... Recommendations serve as shortcuts through the thicket of information, just as my wine shop owner shortcuts me to obscure French wines to enjoy with pasta."

It makes perfect sense. And, so does the chart below showing that when it comes to CPG consumer product reviews posted on the Internet "virtually all shoppers now find them credible". They are an extremely influential part of the purchase decision - either positively or negatively.

Our opinions, tastes and degrees of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with anything and everything have now become navigation points that rise above any tag line or benefit statement we can muster up. The question marketers need to ask is how they are enabling the recommendation-factor for their brands and generating a collection of positive consumer generated content.

I believe there is no big secret on how to achieve this. It is as simple as creating something, be it a product or experience, that people will want to talk about, recommend and share with others. It all seems to fall into place from there.

CMA eMarketing Professional Certificate Course Starts In One Month.

Quick reminder that the fall semester of the Canadian Marketing Association's eMarketing Professional Certificate Course is just one month away.

I have taken on the responsibility of instructing the course from Ken Schafer of Tucows and have also revamped the course materials, updating the outstanding sessions originally crafted by Ken.

The course covers web site best practices, usability, social media, email, search, eCommerce, privacy, analytics and online advertising with practical examples, case studies and stimulating discussions over a 15 week period. Students will leave with a solid foundation of today's digital landscape and a superior marketing skill set in order to go forth and make their own mark in the growing medium.

It starts up September 26, 2007 and there are only a few spaces left. For those interested in taking a deep dive into the ever evolving world of digital marketing, don't delay.

Kick start your future with the CMA's eMarketing course. For more information, or to register for the course, please visit the CMA website. I hope to see you there.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention the course is available in Toronto and Montreal. Mitch Joel, and Dave Haber of Twist Image will be the course instructors in Montreal.

Events and Anniversaries

Events:
Just back from the Canadian Marketing Association's 40th annual National Convention and Tradeshow held this year in Ottawa. It was another inspirational trek to where marketing is headed, continuing the fine tradition of showcasing great speakers that detailed what is on the horizon and how our companies and brands can get there sooner.

Everything from wikis and podcasts, persuasion and influence, pull versus push, participation versus interruption, blue ocean strategies and collaborative corporate cultures that work, the future indeed looks brighter from the conversations stimulated at the conference. The three-days flew by and I am already looking forward to Toronto in 2008.

My personal highlight of the conference was John Wood who wrote "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World" and spoke about his phenomenal project "Room To Read" that is making a huge difference in the world. Check out Room to Read and see what he started. It is truley inspiring.

Anniversaries:
This week marks the first anniversary of the CMA blog. An initiative that started with an idea at the digital marketing council has now become a legacy project that I am really pleased to have been a part of.

Two hundred and fifty odd posts over the year is a great sign that we have created a sustainable part of the CMA's voice. The blog has become a must read and is not just for members only but is for marketers and communicators world wide. And, people from all over the world are checking it out and noticing our efforts. There have been some great conversations, commentaries and controversies that we are putting out for consumption on a regular basis and, by doing so, propelling our industry forward.

All good. And, the best is yet to come.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and made the blog a success - especially Sandra Singer of CMA who has been there as the blogs biggest supporter since before day one. Don't forget you can get involved too, let us know if you want to join in and become a CMA blogger.