Using The POST Method For a Successful Business Plan

The POST method consist of the people, objective, strategy and technology. According to Groundswell a successful business plan starts by asking the following four questions: What are your customers ready for (people); what is your goal (objective); how do you want relationships with your customers to change (strategy); and what applications should you use (technology)?

Paramount Pictures pictures was challenged with a modest budget for their movie "Super 8" in a summer full of huge blockbusters. They were hoping for a huge turnout opening weekend.

Paramount applied the POST method by first figuring out what their viewers were ready for by exclusively announcing early screening a full day in advance of the premiere. Their objective was to quickly increase awareness and ramp-up box office results for opening weekend. The strategy was for viewers of the early screening to promote the movie through word of mouth and other social media sites. The technology Paramout used was tweet combined with a Promoted Trend to announce the early screening which ignited conversation. A second Promoted Trend was used the day of the movie's premiere to keep the buzz and excitement high.

Using the POST method and The New Rules of Marketing & PR by allowing their viewers to participate, Paramount reached a vast number of people and their opening weekend was a success. The twitter exclusive sneak  previews generated $1 million in box office receipts and receipts for the opening weekend surpassed expectations by 52 percent.

Also through a tweet, Paramount could have directed viewers back to their website to give feedback of the movie's early screening.

Five Objectives That Companies Can Pursue in the Groundswell

Based on observation of companies purusing Groundswell strategies the following are five objectives that companies pursue:

• Listening. Use the groundswell for research and to better understand your customers.
• Talking. Use the groundswell to spread messages about your company.
• Engergizing. Find your most enthusiastic customers, and use the groundswell to supercharge the power of their word of mouth.
• Supporting. Set up groundswell tool to help your customers support each other.
• Embracing. Integrate your customers into the way your business works, including using their help to design your products.