This is the seventh in our www.www series in which guest contributor Michelle Corsano talks with Willa Black, Vice President Corporate Marketing, Cicso Systems Canada.
What impact is the recession having on marketing operations?
At Cisco we have certainly had to think smarter, do more with less, and create big impact in more creative ways – like One Million Acts of Green. It has been good discipline to narrow our focus tightly to key priorities, and to make sure every effort is aligned so we drive maximum value. We are also executing almost entirely with web-based programming. As a leader in this space, I think we have forged new territory. And we have learned a lot along the way. Video is huge right now and we are leveraging video across the board, from marketing to employee communications.
Which online tools and sources of information do you rely on?
In corporate marketing we like to benchmark against what others are doing in terms of social networking programs or online advertising. So we are big followers of major media outlets – Globeandmail.com; Google; Yahoo; CNN for our US colleagues – all the usual suspects. We are also getting up the learning curve on Twitter to see where it really fits into the marketing mix.
Where do you go online when you login in the morning?
First stop is the Cisco Employee Connection intranet with all the latest company news and updates. Next up (prior to July) is logging into One Million Acts of Green, the website we created in partnership with the CBC. We could hardly keep ourselves away from watching the number of green acts tally up. In the end, over 2 in every thousand Canadians registered 1.8 million acts. Now, I check the Globe and Mail Business Incubator, another co-sponsored site. Both these sites have been exciting programs for us…and we are entirely vested in their success.
Who do you follow online?
Several contacts from LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networking sites. I track CNN pretty much every day and have a few favorite bloggers to whom I am quite devoted. I love YouTube for inspiration – it can spark some great ideas! I am an Internet nomad – I roam very freely, when I have the time, always looking for creative, fresh takes on how to evolve our online community.
When and how do you measure digital marketing success?
By brand engagements – meaning the number of times a unique visitor to any of our online properties actually interacts with any of our content – such as banner ads, syndicated content, Cisco tools, pre-roll, or case studies. We aren’t just interested in site visits; we want to know that we are starting to build a more profound relationship with our target audience.
Why are some companies reluctant to embrace social media?
I think for many it is still uncharted territory. And often, it isn’t the right route to take. What we have learned is that social media programs work well if you have the right concept and content that will actually engage your viewer. That isn’t easy to do. And while many companies may just feel that they must have a social media presence, it may not be worth the trouble unless they also have dynamic content and a great plan to drive customer engagement.
Michelle Corsano is a Web and social media marketer with 15+ years experience in business-to-business technology marketing. She is President of 
