While there are those who have, and will say that there’s nothing new in this article, The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World from The Wall Street Journalgives a no-nonsense overview of the challenges those in and around the marketing world face as a result of that which is commonly known as Web 2.0.

A short sample from the opening of the article:

For marketers, Web 2.0 offers a remarkable new opportunity to engage consumers.

If only they knew how to do it.

That’s where this article aims to help. We interviewed more than 30 executives and managers in both large and small organizations that are at the forefront of experimenting with Web 2.0 tools. From those conversations and further research, we identified a set of emerging principles for marketing.

Take the time to read through the entire article. It’s worth it.

A piece from Lisa Formica, Vice President of fmi direct, inc,  was published on the MarketingProfs site last month discussing The Power of Podcasts. The entire piece is worth a read, and a few of the ‘facts and figures’ are worth repeating:

• Awareness of the term “podcasting” increased from 22% to 37% in the past year.
• The audience for audio podcasts grew 18% in the past year.
• The audience for video podcasts grew 10% in the past year.

The data came from a recent report released by Edison Media Research: The Podcast Consumer Revealed 2008.

So, with all of this information, the question remains — what does it all mean?

For one, it shows that podcasting is not just a fad who’s time has come and gone.  True, it is not getting the attention and time in the spotlight that it was a couple of years ago, but as a medium it continues to gain acceptance.  Also, it demonstrates that podcasting can be used effectively, both as original content, and to augement existing content in other mediums. NPR, ESPN, and the BBC are all good examples of the latter.

Is there a single best use of podcasting, particularly from a marketing standpoint? No. There are thousands of possible best uses - one of which may be right for you and your organization.

Earlier this year I had the chance to record two of the Boise Advertising Federation’s guest speakers for their Three Courses + Cake luncheon series.  These speakers, Jeffrey Blish of Deutsch and Del Bracht of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, gave the audience some fantastic insight from their own perspectives with their respective agencies.  Both luncheons, as well as previous events that were not recorded, were well attended, and those in attendance spoke highly of the speakers.

If you may have missed it though, you can still listen to the final two presentations from last season’s Three Courses + Cake.  The Three Courses + Cake Rewind is a podcast series that was developed several months ago to provide a means to distribute the audio from these presentations to those who may not have been in attendance.

You can subscribe to the podcast a number of ways:

• Directly through iTunes
• RSS Feed
• Download individual episodes from the podcast section of the BAF website.

With the new speaker season about to kick off once again, now seemed to be a good time to serve up a reminder of these previous shows.  Any questions or comments about the podcast - please feel free to contact us.

The folks at Orvis have always taken a unique approach to their business.  Their products are sold through a combination of Orvis Retail Stores, Orvis Authorized Dealers, print catalogs and online via the Orvis website.

Their online presence has also been supported by a variety of targeted banner ads across the web, among other things.

Recently, however, they’ve added a new piece to the mix: The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast.  This podcast “provides weekly, five minute tips from acclaimed fly fishing author and lifelong fishing enthusiast Tom Rosenbauer.”  Through this podcast, Tom (and Orvis) provides advice, tips, and techniques that have been accumulated over the years.

As a fly fishing enthusiast, I find the show to be a great resource for advice, suggestions, and perhaps a chance to pick up something that I might not have otherwise noticed.

From a business, marketing, and sales standpoint, this is an excellent example of a company that is utilizing a podcast as another way to built loyalty among current customers (such as myself) and attract new customers by providing those customers with something of value.  It is important to take note, however, of how Orvis is using this medium.  Rather than using this channel to talk about themselves and their products, they’ve elected to offer up real-world applications that the audience can relate to.  Do they mention Orvis products?  Of course.  But it’s done in a way that feels like a natural part of any conversation, rather than being forced into the discussion.

Orvis has also been active in promoting this podcast, through a combination of sponsorships and traditional online advertising.  On the sponsorship front, they’ve recently been heard as a sponsor of Fly Fish Radio, which is one of the first fly fishing podcasts ever produced.  The Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast has also been spotted in the search engine marketing realm, appearing in the AdWords sections of relevant Google searches.

All in all, Orvis is doing a lot of things right. Much can, has, and will be learned about their ongoing efforts.

As I was catching up on reading some older newsletters, I came across one that had an excerpt from an article written by Joe Marchese, dated July 1, 2008. Marchese’s main point seems to be that agencies, creative shops, marketers and such aren’t ready ready for, or have an organizational structure that supports social media for brands. His contention:

Put simply, Madison Avenue wasn’t built to service brands in social media and, more importantly, Madison Avenue is not built to make money from the proper activation of social media for brands. The question is, can the system adapt, or will a new breed of agency be born in the vacuum of effective social media campaigns? Evolution or revolution? I have seen evidence of both.

He goes on to outline his vision for what a social media agency could look like, and how it could function. One point in particular that seems to give today’s agencies pause lies within this: “You can’t predefine your creative in social media, because it is a conversation. To predefine your creative would be like entering a conversation with a script, and no matter what the other person says, continuing to stick to your script. You might as well be standing in front of a microphone reading a product description.”

So, this begs the question: Are today’s agencies ready for tomorrow? There are several ways to get ready – from staffing up with those who have unique social media skills to outsourcing certain functionality to specialty shops to developing more long-standing partnerships with individuals or companies that can augment an agency’s existing services.

Are today’s agencies ready? In some places, yes. Overall, not yet. But there are ways to get there, as long as you’re willing to take the first step.