Digital Marketing: The Golden Rules of the Web

A Few Lessons to Live by in 2009

Posted by Faris Yakob on 03.12.09 @ 10:40 AM

Faris Yakob

Aphorisms, or proverbs, are the oldest class of successful ideas in the world.

The oldest, and most successful, is the Golden Rule, or the principle of reciprocity, which underlies all major world religions in almost exactly the same form: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

These nuggets of wisdom transcend centuries and cultures. Versions of the proverb "where there's smoke there's fire" have appeared in more than 55 different languages.

These expressions are complex ideas that can guide behavior. So here we offer nine aphorisms for digital communication this year. While they may not stay with you as long as the Golden Rule, you might still remember a couple in a month or two.

Attention is like friendship: It can't be bought, only earned.
There's nothing new in the idea of branded utility, I hear you cry -- and that's true. But it's only going to get more important and, frankly, it hasn't really been done very well so far. Name one good example apart from Nike -- I dare you. Anyway, let's build on it. This year is all about being useful for where you are: geotility. Watch every brand build iPhone applications this year. But only some will actually be useful and, therefore, used.

Viral is dead; long live the spread.
Let's all agree to stop using the word viral. It's an unhelpful metaphor that is confusing us. Viral is a thing that happens, not a thing that is. There is no such thing as "a viral." The metaphor suggests something is self-propagating, when what we actually mean is that lots of people are choosing to spread it around, for their own reasons. Focusing on what those reasons are is going to be a lot more helpful.

Remix, reuse, recycle
Recombinant culture is part of digital culture, normalized by cut and paste. What's more, the more something is remixed, the more it will spread -- when you put part of yourself into something, you want people to see it. The remixes of Cadbury's Gorilla ad have helped it become the most watched ad online ever. So don't worry about people saying the wrong thing; let them, nay, encourage them to remix everything.

Affect the network
We are all connected -- and now in a way that we can see. That means thinking about individuals in isolation gets less and less helpful: throw out your pen portraits and think about the networks and their effects. Additionally, this year people are going to need help. Brands that understand that they are connected will harness goodwill and the flattening of the world to facilitate collective action. Google's Project 10 to the 100th and the Amex Members project both put brand money behind our collective desire to help as many people as possible.

Be nice or leave
Social media is only going to get more important. This isn't going to go away and it is going to affect your business, whatever you do. The grammar of social media is different from the grammar of commercial media. The rules of behavior, the motivations, the etiquette are all social. So learn to be nice or leave. Stop thinking like a company and act like a person.

Everywhere you go, always take your friends with you
Data portability is the idea that you should be able to take your identity with you wherever you go online. Facebook Connect, Google Friend Connect and OpenID are all vying to be the standard "identity" that you use to log in to other websites. Whoever comes out top, you will be able to take your friends with you wherever you go online. Equally, advertising units might be able to tell you if your friend has clicked on the link, or bought the product in question. When CNN and Facebook Connect joined forces to stream the inauguration, old and new media collided, which leads us to ...

Socialize your media
Media has always been social. Not just in the sense that it is literally a way to connect people, but also because media has a strong tendency to act as a solidarity good -- that is, the more people consume it the more valuable it gets. People like talking about ideas. So, increasingly, previously "unsocial" media is going to get socialized. TV shows like "The Hills" and "Eureka" have set up back-channels on Twitter for viewers to discuss the shows in real time.

Find new ways to see
The world is drowning in data. Digital interactions on every platform create vast swathes of numbers -- and we need new ways of seeing to make any sense of them. Artists like Jonathan Harris and design group Stamen have broken new ground in the aggregation and display of data from the web. Brands like Fiat are using the same technology to show you how to drive more efficiently. We are going to be seeing many, many more visualizations this year.

Augment your Reality Remember when virtual reality was the newest "new thing" and we all strapped those helmets on and explored those oddly empty cubist spaces? Augmented reality is different -- it uses the world as you see it as the base and builds on it, tagging data to real-world places and objects that can be read by computers or mobile phones. Expect to see lots more brand augmentation this year, as webcams show us 3D models that appear out of pictures on a page, as Lego and Mini have both recently done.

~ ~ ~
Faris Yakob is exec VP-chief technology strategist at McCann Erickson, New York. Prior to that he was digital ninja at Naked, New York. Read more of his thoughts at his blog, Talent Imitates, Genius Steals or at @faris.

12 Comments

By YuriyBoykiv | Cliffside Park, NJ March 12, 2009 11:15:25 am:

Faris I agree with your rules, especially about "viral". The "viral" campaigns became irrelevant because those who launch them do not realize that to users are the ones that spread the word about the campaign, not marketers who call it "viral" and get it published in marketing publications (like AdAge, no disrespect). Everytime I speak to people who claim to specialize in "viral" marketing, I try to explain that the term does not exist in the advertising world and that noone can guarantee that the commercial, spoof or whatever else they are putting into the world and call it viral is not actually viral until people start loving and spreading it.

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By KevinMarks | Mountain View, CA March 12, 2009 12:23:31 pm:

You said 'Facebook Connect, Google Friend Connect and OpenID are all vying to be the standard "identity" that you use to log in to other websites. '
This is incorrect - Google Friend Connect builds on the OpenID standard, and enables any website to incorporate OpenID support in minutes, thereby supporting logins from Google, Yahoo, AIM, MySpace, Microsoft and the millions of other websites, including all popular blogging services, that support OpenID.

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By meikson | NEW YORK, NY March 12, 2009 12:32:13 pm:

Good call on branded utility. Marketers should start thinking of advertising as a standalone product that adds value to the core offering -- not just a means of getting attention.

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By djc8080 | Sunnyvale, CA March 12, 2009 12:58:06 pm:

The ramblings of a rightbrain thinker. Great thoughts.

However, are you using a leftbrain method to convey rightbrain ideas? Take a look at http://tv.tEarn.com Isn't that a more appropriate way to communicate with the rightbrain plurality?

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By JOEL | NEW YORK, NY March 12, 2009 01:02:22 pm:

Quite frankly, all advertising will become digital, so these observations by Faris are applicable to all marketers. I believe, as do others like Drew Niesser at Renegade or the guys at AnalogueFolk, that digital marketing has shifted all marketing toward becoming "tool-based". Meaning our marketing has to be utilitarian. It has to do stuff for people now, not just espousing the benefits of a brand, product or service, marketing must become the benefit.

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By ALEXANDRA | SAN DIEGO, CA March 12, 2009 04:03:48 pm:

"The rules of behavior, the motivations, the etiquette are all social. So learn to be nice or leave. Stop thinking like a company and act like a person" - a simple and yet brilliant statement that everyone can understand!

I will reuse and recycle this simple truth - thanks!-)

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By DavidGriffith | BETHEL, CT March 13, 2009 05:31:55 pm:

The power of promotions to cut through clutter and capture consumer interest and attention is also beginning to blur the line between advertising and promotional marketing strategies. Here is a similar article on the changing role of advertising in the digital age.

http://promotions2.com/2009/new-rules-of-advertising-in-the-digital-age/

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By PatSwain | Lawrence, KS April 29, 2009 08:29:24 pm:

Great points. I especially like the comment on Social Networking. When you think about it the whole idea of being social comes down to being likable. And if you want to be likable you need to be polite, listen to what others have to say, and as you said "be nice or leave." No one wants to socialize with someone who is mean, rude and insensitive. If you're nice, people will want you to stay and they'll tell others how great you are. You'll build a great reputation which will ultimately lead you to succeed.

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By jkrawl | Chicago, IL August 3, 2009 01:58:37 am:

This is a good article Farris! It is mandatory that companies look for various ways to expand their digital marketing by traveling the social media or Web 2.0 road. The advice you share, above, should help any marketer or company succeed.

Frank
http://www.absrocketpro.com

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By promotion123 | Arana HIills August 15, 2009 02:09:24 am:

I think this is a great phrase "Attention is like friendship: It can't be bought, only earned.". Many when considering their promotion or marketing plan forget the fact that they must promise what they offer. It is much easier to gain a bad reputation than to build a good one and so many businesses don't focus enough on the customer service and satisfaction. You have to have good plans in place for your marketing for sure but you have to deliver what you promise as well.
Cheers Douglas
http://www.promotionproducts.com.au/

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By gmiddleton | Indiana, PA August 23, 2009 02:10:58 pm:

Faris,

This is a great article indeed! Filled with plenty of insight that will surely be treasured for years to come and help many succeed :)

Best,

Gaston
http://www.Ultimate-Resell-Rights.com

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By promotion123 | Arana HIills September 4, 2009 09:08:14 am:

Wow this is really great stuff, I particularly liked this "Attention is like friendship: It can't be bought, only earned". Applies in work as well in that you shouldn't pretend to create friends when you are promoting business partnerships, also leads to problems down the line if your "customers" don't get it. Thanks
Doug
http://www.promotionproducts.com.au/

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