Embracing Digital Marketing and What We Can Learn from Comic Book Stores with Jeff Ferguson

TMI with Kevin Ryan

Jeff Ferguson joins the show to talk about how brands are stepping up to reengineer their digital involvement to rise and meet the needs of our current climate. Jeff has been on the scene since the early days of digital as a writer for the trades, speaker, and leader in agency, publishing, and the client-side. Jeff and Kevin discuss the role of entrepreneurs to problem-solve and give hope to the industry, adding the notion that we may even take some of these practices with us after the pandemic is over. Then, Jeff and Kevin give examples of the good, bad, and ugly of media responses from different companies about the pandemic, and even slip into a fun role-playing segment of the show!

Takeaways:

• While a few comic book stores and record shops remain closed in all ways, Jeff noticed that there were some that adopted creative strategies to both move inventory and stay connected with their fan base.
• Some of the new advertising practices we develop in the pandemic will stick with us in the future and become new ways to engage with customers in a positive way (a fancy term for making money).
• Jeff predicts a shift where both smaller and bigger businesses will realize that including a digital portion of their brand or services will get them that direct-to-consumer sales channel.
• Also, traditional media channels are seeing the way digital can rewrite, recut, and reimagine their advertising instead of shutting it all down, and they may follow suit in this way as well.
• Things are going to be different, but it’s not going to be that bad, despite what some advertising reports may tell you.
• Indulgent posts from CEO’s and grandstanding with a sales message both don’t help. What does help is honest and transparent communication and true care for the brands’ customers and their community.

Quotes:

• “There will be enduring things that we have learned that will stick with us.”
• Entrepreneurialism has always been about solving problems.”
• “You have to be able to transform and do whatever you need to do.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

Jeff Ferguson LinkedIn

Amplitude Digital

Fang Marketing

@ThatKevinSmith

Ming Chen

@grantmorrision

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