This is a set of notes drawn largely from sessions at the Public Relations Institute of Ireland Seminar in May 2007 ( Jury's Dublin) and added to and re-worked in terms of HRI's Marketing task. The essential task for racing is to become a credible communicator to digital natives.
Digital Natives
Digital Natives are those born 1980 and after - people for whom digital technology is not new or strange. Daily web users. These are our ‘20 somethings’- the main target of our advertising. Fail to recruit them and the business will fail...eventually.
Private information is going public now: Bebo, My Space, UTube, Facebook, Blogs, Vlogs,Twitter. Even the most popular new platforms will change, mutate and be replaced. There is no customer loyalty. Functionality is everything.
50% of virtual dwellers - people with an identity in 'Second Life' for instance, value that life equally. Second life now has over 8m ‘citizens’.
Peer Trust is the most significant motivator of young people -Social Peer Groups andOn line Peer Groups
TV viewing is actually growing, but it is fragmenting. This is the move from Prime Time to ‘My Time’ – people choosing what and when they will view or listen.
Citizen Journalists are everywhere – some just for a day on a single issue. Anyone can now publish their views using any number of Peer to Peer Platforms.
A Blog is becoming a standard accessory for digital natives and evolving rapidly, with Twitter (text based) – micro blogging, the next big thing. Corporate blogs are becoming a useful tool for internal and external communication.The corporation used to have one voice, now it has many
How do we market to Digital Natives?
We need to know what digital natives are saying
- about brands
- about racing
- raceday experience
Listen, prepare internally and engage! To market digital natives we must be willing to live in the same digital spaces.
Learn about Google Grid, Google Base and the convergence of super sites like Google and Amazon. Map the social networking landscape for our target market.
Digital Natives
Digital Natives are those born 1980 and after - people for whom digital technology is not new or strange. Daily web users. These are our ‘20 somethings’- the main target of our advertising. Fail to recruit them and the business will fail...eventually.
Private information is going public now: Bebo, My Space, UTube, Facebook, Blogs, Vlogs,Twitter. Even the most popular new platforms will change, mutate and be replaced. There is no customer loyalty. Functionality is everything.
50% of virtual dwellers - people with an identity in 'Second Life' for instance, value that life equally. Second life now has over 8m ‘citizens’.
Peer Trust is the most significant motivator of young people -Social Peer Groups andOn line Peer Groups
TV viewing is actually growing, but it is fragmenting. This is the move from Prime Time to ‘My Time’ – people choosing what and when they will view or listen.
Citizen Journalists are everywhere – some just for a day on a single issue. Anyone can now publish their views using any number of Peer to Peer Platforms.
A Blog is becoming a standard accessory for digital natives and evolving rapidly, with Twitter (text based) – micro blogging, the next big thing. Corporate blogs are becoming a useful tool for internal and external communication.The corporation used to have one voice, now it has many
How do we market to Digital Natives?
We need to know what digital natives are saying
- about brands
- about racing
- raceday experience
Listen, prepare internally and engage! To market digital natives we must be willing to live in the same digital spaces.
Learn about Google Grid, Google Base and the convergence of super sites like Google and Amazon. Map the social networking landscape for our target market.
BEBO has 32 million users wordwide. There are over one million users already in Ireland 92% of whom are under 35, and average stay on-site per visitor is 22 minutes plus. Seven hours a week in not unusual. This time is coming from somewhere - TV most likely.
In approaching Bebo or any Peer to Peer site remember : Functionality beats brand loyalty, irreverence helps viral spread of marketing messages, and above all don’t ‘sell’ the Bebo community. It doesn’t work. Creativity Content and Communication is all that works.
Youth asks: · Who is giving me this information? · Is it relevant?· Does my peer group endorse it? People trust each other not institutions. Social networks will increasingly move online.
How did Bebo grow? Via DJ’s and musical artist mentions on air. No advertising.
Actions
Own a space on Bebo.
Get Blogging
Skins - create a viral skin.
Can we build a ‘Young Racers’ Club using peer to peer platforms? Use Video - we have got so much unused or under-utilised content. Bring the digital natives into our space. For instance, have a competition to ask Digital Natives to create an ad for racing – upload to goracing page and the winner gets €1,000! or... careers are always interesting l - how about ' win a work placement in racing'!
Digital Capability in HRI and Irish Racing
Digital Capability Counts for Ad Agencies and PR companies but most are not up to speed. The web allows for segmentation to one and this level of segmentation (of audiences) leads to questions re the right message to the right audience via the right channels. Advertising and PR convergence is happening, particularly in digital communications.
The Future – Questions and Next Steps
What is the brief for racing’s on-line presence?
Who will write it up?
Who will own the process?
Who will implement it?
Who will measure it?
How much will it cost?
Who will pay?
How will we service racecourse needs online?
Where do we go to get up to speed with digital marketing ?
Actions
Audit marketing team and other in-house capability for digital marketing. Assign responsibilities. Identify skills groups. Train to fill gaps. Identify third party supports and get suppliers such as Ad agency, PR company and Direct Marketing suppliers to integrate digital communications into campaigns.
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