Some people in this world seem to have a talent for being famous just for being famous. Back in the day it was Zsa-Zsa Gabor. Can anyone think of anything of value she actually did or accomplished that would lead to her celebrity status? I know I can't. Yet everyone on the planet in the 1960s and 1970s seemed to know who she was.
Today's shining star, of course, would be Paris Hilton. As far as I've been able to see she hasn't really made any worthwhile contributions to society, unless you count making Chihuahuas popular a contribution. I know I don't. Yet the world seems to be fascinated with her every move, and we just can't seem to get enough of her.
That's great for Zsa-Zsa and Paris, of course. But for us ordinary mortals it's not so easy. There are no paparazzi waiting to take our pictures when we step out of the office, which perhaps is a good thing. The tabloids aren't following us around to get our thoughts on the latest business trends. Yet it's important for us to be visible in our industries in order to deliver our messages, and often to make sure our organizations stand out from the competition. That's where an expert campaign comes in handy.
There are any number of reasons you may want or need to position your executives as experts, including:
- You are establishing a new market space. If the media and analysts aren't talking about what you're doing it leaves a huge void in your marketing plans. You may eventually persuade them that you are worthy of coverage, but it could take months or even years. An expert campaign allows you to fill that void, and grab the high ground on the topic at the same time.
- Your customers won't agree to do case studies. Many of us face this dilemma. We have a great customer list with blue-chip clients, but their corporate policy forbids them from talking about the products they're using. Sometimes they use the old "don't want to give away our competitive advantage" argument, and sometimes they just say "we don't do that." While you continue to look for customers willing to speak on your behalf, an expert campaign helps you build credibility for your organization.
- People respond positively to them. Some people just have personal charm and charisma. When you meet them you're drawn to them, and interested in what they have to say. If you have someone like that in the organization, particularly at the C-level, it's smart to take advantage of it. People respond to people much more easily than they do to companies. Positioning a likeable expert begins building an affinity for the company faster than a whole raft of impersonal press releases.
- You have a lot to say. Many concepts in the technology field are very complex and require a great deal of persuasion. A credible expert from your organization can help sell the concept while positioning your organization as the one that can execute against the concept.
- You have something interesting or compelling to say. Maybe you just have a single message, but it's important to get it out to a wide variety of audiences. An expert campaign can help you slice and dice your various markets in order to deliver just the right flavor of the message to each audience. The more passion you can bring to it, the more likely it is to be heard and understood.
My company dbaDIRECT has been running an expert campaign with Tech Image for two years. When we started we were breaking new ground. Data is such an important part of every enterprise these days that the thought of turning over the management of it to an outside firm was seen as practically heretical. (Aren't most new, good ideas?)
We knew we had a lot of convincing to do to change a very entrenched mindset. A quote here or there wasn't going to get the job done. So we looked at the challenges IT executives were facing and began crafting and placing contributed articles that addressed those challenges. We went out to the people, speaking at industry events. We took advantage of the low-hanging fruit of editorial calendars to reinforce that position. We even developed a newsletter for customers and prospects where I address the hot issues of the day directly with a regular column each issue.
No matter what the medium, the message is the same: Here's a guy (me) who knows how you can improve organizational performance and data quality while driving down costs and using your people assets better.
The results to date have been outstanding. Our message has been seen regularly in both the horizontal IT/data center and vertical industry media. In many cases the editors now know me and are quick to accept a new contribution. More importantly, people in the industry know who dbaDIRECT is. While we're still working on breaking down some of the barriers to acceptance of the outsourced data management model, we're confident that when that Berlin Wall comes down (and it will) we'll be at the top of the short list as far as who to call.
Again, people like to buy from people, not from companies. An expert campaign helps you put a face on your organization, and gives you credibility you might not otherwise achieve on your own. It may not make you the next Zsa Zsa Gabor or Paris Hilton, but it can definitely help you meet and exceed your business goals.
