1/1: Interview with Alan See, CMO & Vice President at Berry Network Inc.

by Deborah Corn
Featured, Interview, Social Media, Tips, Tools, Training, Trends, Uncategorized

I first came across Alan See when he began following PrintMediaCentr on Twitter. I checked out Alan’s Twitter page, then cross-checked with LinkedIn, and immediately followed him back. Since that day, I found his information not only informative, but a valuable mix of Web savvy with Marketing and Sales focus that led me to request this interview and share his responses with all of you.

DC: Who is Alan See and what does he do?

AS: Actually, I have a personal mission statement that reads – To develop, grow and leverage superior business acumen in order to maximize value for my network, and to provide a life for my family that is; filled with spiritual growth and Christian leadership, financially secure, learning, loving, and fun. However; on a more pragmatic note I’m the CMO at Berry Network and I’m responsible for our national marketing organization, including: social media marketing, product marketing, market research, advertising, creative services, public and analyst relations, and corporate communications. I have a passion for teaching, so I’m also an associate faculty member at the University of Phoenix where I facilitate Marketing courses once in awhile.

DC: How would you define Digital Marketing?

AS: Digital Marketing and Internet Marketing are very similar. However; digital marketing has additional elements including; mobile phones, sms/mms, display/banner ads and digital outdoor. Digital is also referenced as a customer service and engagement channel which pulls it in the direction of social media marketing.

DC: A good portion of people reading this will be from the Printing Industry, which as a whole hasn’t completely embraced many of the Digital Marketing avenues now available. How would you advise them to get started?

AS: This would be a good time to point out that it’s too late to qualify as an early adopter with this media. If your company is not already testing some social – digital media pathways you are officially behind right now. Social – digital media is much more than a new approach to marketing; it’s something that often cuts across the entire enterprise. For that reason, what you’re ultimately looking for is seamless interaction between Strategy, Technology and Processes across all the functional areas.

So, get started by focusing on your strategy first. Make sure your digital-social media marketing strategy integrates and supports your strategic (corporate) marketing plan.

DC: Since the goal of marketing (in most cases) is to translate into sales, what strategy has worked for you to generate new business?

AS: Our brand transformation and lead nurturing strategy through digital – social media is by no means complete. Having said that though, I don’t mind bragging about what we’ve accomplished. We have brought together new content, communities and conversations. Leveraging what I’ll call digital brand-building assets… that’s code speak for blogs, point-of-view white papers, high-level assessment tools and social media presence. And with those assets we’ve been able to shift brand perception and create leads in a way that’s not been done at Berry Network before

DC: How important is Social Media in today’s sales landscape?

AS: Let me answer that question this way. Ted Turners old success advice; “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise” is not something sales and marketing can bet their career’s on anymore. In today’s relationship-based economy, the consumer (and content) is king. The consumer is looking for transparency, trust, relevance and engagement. You are going to need a social media strategy to deliver on those expectations.

DC: As the main news aggregator for PrintMediaCentr I have been coming across many articles lately referring to “Local Search” Marketing. Can you elaborate on what that is and its importance?

AS: Historically, consumers have relied on local media channels such as, print Yellow Pages, newspapers, TV and radio stations to find products and services close to their home and work. Consumers are now increasingly using specialized internet search sites that allow users to submit geographically focused searches against a structured database of local business listings. This is commonly referred to as local search. Typical local search queries include not only information about what the consumer is searching for, but also where information, such as a street address, city name or postal code. Local search is an excellent way for a merchant to capture a consumers’ expression of local intent.

All businesses, particularly small locally owned service-based organizations, want to be found by ready-to-buy consumers who live in their specific trade area. Local search is generally used by consumers during the information gathering and evaluation stages. During those stages marketers often have the opportunity to promote and persuade since most local search platforms include ratings and reviews.

The ability to persuade is also impacted by the quality and quantity of the information provided by the local search site. For example, incomplete or inaccurate information can leave a negative impression with a consumer; while robust, complete details help portray the business as professional and reputable. The probability of converting shoppers into new customers increases when coupons or special offers are leveraged at the right time through the right channel. Finally, mobile search on Smartphone’s makes it possible for consumers to find businesses while on-the-go. In addition, location-based services from platforms like Foursquare or Gowalla make it possible for a business to push a message or offer directly to a consumer who “checks-in” or is simply within proximity of the business. This demonstrates the growing importance of mobile search platforms as the adoption rate for mobile technology increases.

DC: Lastly, if you were to give the commencement speech at the University of Phoenix to your students, what would your message be regarding the future of marketing?

AS: The proliferation of media and distribution channels, combined with consumers increasing demand for communications relevance, has created the perfect marketing storm for many CMO’s. As a result, the need for more rigorous marketing discipline and media competency has never been greater. That means it’s actually the perfect time to demonstrate your value to business leaders across all industries, and that will make your future very exciting.