The Reason: A marketers guide to engaging cliques

B2B marketing is just like B2C

I’m coming off the heels of a webinar for the National Alliance of Market Developers. My presentation focused on helping small business answer the question “why choose me?” To answer that question, I focused on “how to” do the following three things...

1. Attract attention
2. Convince people you’re the best choice
3. Motivate people to do something that benefits you

One of the questions at the end of my presentation was – “How do I apply these concepts if I’m selling to other businesses as opposed to consumers?” Here’s my answer – it’s the same thing. In both cases, you have to get the attention of a decision maker, convince them you’re the best choice, and then you have to motivate them to buy your stuff.

 

Marketing Webinar Next Thursday

 

 

 

 

 

 

When: Thursday, February 24th @ 7pm CST. Register here to listen

Why: Learn marketing techniques to help you answer the question "Why You?"

• Developing a strong marketing message
• Growing meaningful attention
• Growing your business by mastering the skills of: Convince, Convert, and Scale

 

 

 

Content Curator: 2nd week of February

Stuff I've found to be inspiring, engaging, thought provoking, or just simply practical.

1. Marketing Webinar on February 24th. First up, I'll be hosting a marketing webinar with the good folks at National Alliance of Market Developers (NAMD). The focus will be "Why Me?"  I'll provide tips on how to make your brand attractive to your audience. Register for the webinar here.

 

2. Strategic Planning Presentation. The folks over @ BBHNewYork laid out a nice template for strategic planners. My favorite slides are 12, 14, 18, 39, and 65. 

ideas idea ideas: strategy talk with MAS

My only comment and I'm guilty of this as well -- the notion that we solve problems. We don't. Solutions to problems occur when variables are fixed. Think cures for diseases or the answers to your kids' homework. Our clients operate in an environment where customers and competition are constantly in flux. It's arrogant to think there are simple solutions to these complex situations. In this environment, our job is to present options derived from a cost/benefit analysis to guide strategic decisions.

3. The New Black. My good friend Tru Pettigrew and the rest of the Alloy Access crew put together a cool video on the notion of "New Black". Click here for video.

 

 

Content Curator: 1st week of February

Here's my weekly wrap-up of stuff I've found to be inspiring, engaging, thought provoking, or just simply practical.

1. Ideas for Impact. Here's the challenge -- envision a business that can be consistently profitable in the New York City area, requiring no more than $1 million to break even, while creating meaningful employment opportunities for people who need a second chance in life. Prize: $25,000.  Click here to read more about Ideas for Impact. 

2. Segregation is Alive and Well in Social Media. Pepper Miller (someone I've gone to many times for advice) wrote this post for Ad Age. My 1st thought - we never leave behind the cliques from high school. The internet makes it easy to find and connect to other people with shared interests. My 2nd thought - someone needs to create a playbook outlining ethnic strategies in the digital space. My first chapter would be "Pledge Your Allegiance," where I describe the importance of being a member of the group. Outsiders never curate content of interest.  It’s impossible… they don’t have the cultural intelligence to code content to evoke emotion and interest.  However, insiders i.e. members of a group understand the pains, how to speak the language, and how to present information to satisfy unmet wants, needs, and desires to people like themselves because they have those same pains, speak the same language, and have the same wants, needs and desires. Read Pepper's post here.

3. Twin-conomics.  This post piqued my interest because I have twins.  I still stand by earlier assertions... marketers don't understand dads. Check out this Ad Age post here.

 

Content Curator 1.28.11

Back again with my weekly wrap-up of stuff I've found to be inspiring, engaging, thought-provoking, or just simply practical. Let's jump right in..

1. Apple and the Digital Wallet. Supposedly Apple's next-gen iPhones and iPads will have near-field communication chips, which means you'll be able to buy stuff by waving your phone in front of a receptor. [source: Business Insider]

2. Facebook Sponsored Stories. Most people think ads on facebook suck. They do. Facebook is looking to improve the effectiveness of their ads by turning the stuff we like into social currency. According to Ad Age... if Starbucks buys a "sponsored story" ad, the status of a user's friends who check into or "like" Starbucks will run twice: once in the user's news feed, and again as a paid ad for Starbucks. Though clearly marked with the words "sponsored story," the ad -- which will includes a user's name, just like the news feed -- is not optional for Facebook users.  [source: Advertising Age]

3. Philanthroper. A Groupon-type site for non-profits. The site features one non-profit a day where you can make donations as low as $1. I think the 2.0 version of this site should be a subscription service.  One where the Philanthroper brand plays curator for a group of people with similar interests (read: clique). People subscribe to the service for say $20 per month and the brand identifies and chooses worthwhile causes for us to support. Then periodically, Philanthroper should communicate to its subscribers the impact their philanthropy has had on the people touched by these organizations. Read more about Philanthroper here.

4. Foundation for Second Chances (FFSC). Let's talk about a non-profit that is near and dear to me. In the words of President Obama during his State of the Union, FFSC is doing big things. FFSC is in the midst of launching its new mentoring program that will exclusively serve children of prisoners in Los Angeles County.

Melissa Wyatt, the founder of FFSC has a story to tell, but she's too busy doing big things so I'll tell it for her. Melissa founded FFSC because she was frustrated with the lack of support and resources made available to the inner-city youth she came across everyday. Her vision is to provide opportunities for youth to break through and receive the encouragement, sense of community, and "second chances" they deserve. Read more about the mentoring program here. 

 

Content Curator 1.21.11

Happy New Year !!

I'd like to start the New Year with a return to my Content Curator section.  For my newer readers, this is a section highlighting content (articles, blogs, etc.) I've found to be inspiring, engaging, thought-provoking, or just simply practical. 

1. Time to Rethink Your Message: Now the Cart Belongs to Daddy [source: Ad Age]

Admittedly, I enjoyed this post because it speaks to one of my common complaints, marketers don't speak to dads. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  11 Actionable Trends for 2011 [source: Logic & Emotion blog]

I particularly like trend 2, Digital Curation, as it's the title of this section and we've been spending a bunch of time researching this same concept for the forthcoming book.

 

3. Why Facebook (and Others) Don't Want to Go Public [source: Harvardbusiness.org]

Interesting post about why facebook is in no hurry to IPO.

 

 

 

Have a Happy New Year

See you all in 2011.  There's a bunch of fun stuff in the works for me next year.  I can't wait for it to all unfold.

Getting over the hurdle

There are two main hurdles in the world of marketing. And, they both have to do with a Return on Investment.  

The first hurdle creates value for the company.  It’s an expected rate of return calculation.  If I were a client side marketer, I would tell every agency pitching my business that my internal hurdle rate is 20%. Then I would instruct these same agencies to pitch an integrated campaign that clears this hurdle i.e. yield incremental dollars in the form of lifetime customer value. For simple calculation, if my budget was $100, then I expect to hear ideas that will cause future cash flows in excess of $120.  And I would expect these ideas to not only create emotional bonds with my audience, but also leverage company assets like technology, supply chains partners, strategic alliances, and channel partners.

The second hurdle creates value for the customer. The question that must be answered is -- what does the customer receive in return for spending money with you? The hurdle for many customers to choose you doesn't revolve around an internal rate of return; instead it's more like an on/off switch with the variables being yes or no.  I believe a yes response to the following questions provide a Reason for your customer to put you in their consideration set.

1. Clique. Does brand secure affiliation with or strengthen connections between members of a clique?
2. Scarcity. Does brand allow people to share a privileged story with others?
3. Worldview. Does brand make people feel better about their beliefs?
4. Aspirin. Does brand solve a pain in the customer’s life?
5. Convenience. Does brand save money or time?

How are you getting over the hurdle? 

Image by: Foxtongue

Here's your strategy

Strategy in a business context is simply -- HOW are you going to make money.  And you generally make money when people are motivated to grab your item from the shelf or click purchase on their computer screen.

On top of everything else your job requires, we need to add motivator to the list. Yes, your job as a marketer is to motivate people to do something. In his book "Human Motivation", psychologist David McClelland's theory is that human motivation is dominated by three needs: 

1. Affiliation: A need to “feel liked” and “accepted” by others. Remember people are motivated more by group affiliation more so than self-interest. Look at the way we vote. We make decisions that will benefit people like us even when it doesn't benefit us directly.
2. Achievement: A need to achieve, excel and succeed. Think of how driving a vehicle deemed safe makes you feel like a good parent.
3. Power: A need to influence and empower others. Think of the power (read: street cred) all those sneakerheads are looking to attain when they wait hours in line to be the first ones with a new pair of sneakers.

So, how are you leveraging the uniqueness of your brand to connect people with members of their clique (friends, family, peers, and online connections), enabling people to fulfill their desires, and/or providing recognition or status? This is your strategy my friend.

Now I just need to motivate you to call The Reason for your next marketing project.

 

Image by: davidkjelkerud

ESPN Women

ESPNW, a destination for women who are passionate sports fans and athletes (their words not mine), just launched this week. I think it's a great business move.  The Reason -- aggregated attention. 

We all know women watch sports. In fact, women make up about 25% of ESPN's viewership. Problem for ESPN in the past was securing ad dollars to target women since it was viewed as a male-skewing brand. ESPNW changes all that.  Now you have a niche site focused on female sports fans and female athletes.  In this scenario, don't think niche = small, think niche = relevant. 25% of ESPN's online audience is 5 million.

 

ESPN has proven that the niche formula works with its regional sites like ESPN Boston and ESPN New York. Right now, there is no better advertising platform to connect with female sports fans. Here's all the info you need to co-sign this as a good decision... Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases including everything from autos to health care (source: she-economy).

Icky Sticky

All members of a group (read: clique) are connected by proverbial glue - interest or belief.  For instance, religious groups have a belief system.  Actually, so do franchises but that's another post.  Then there are groups like sneakerheads who are connected by their shared interest/passion for kicks. 

Your job as a marketer is to identify and understand the glue.

1. What is the interest or belief?
2. Understand The Reason it's important to the group?
3. What do members feel their membership communicates to the rest of the world?
4. Bonus question. Think Big Money No Whammies.  Is the glue (interest or belief) that binds the clique relevant to the purchase of your brand?

These questions help you understand whether supporting a particular clique supports business objectives.  In the words of Black Sheep... "The choice is yours. You could get with this (clique marketing) or you could get with that (old school marketing)". I like clique marketing because you direct your efforts at groups of people who organize around stuff that matters to them.  When stuff matters, it gets your attention.  Old school marketing was about sitting around in a boardroom deciding how to segment customers into groups using business speak like the 18 - 34 year old demographic.  

 

24 hour fitness: Engage Us

Why don't health clubs do more to engage their members?   We all assume that once you've paid to become a member, it really doesn't matter to them whether you workout or not.  They already have your money. Aside from this fact, I believe health clubs are in a unique position to be seen as the health/fitness advocates in our lives.  

My suggestion: leverage social media by launching localized facebook pages.  The Reason - create a privileged communication channel with people who visit your gym.  I suggest facebook because I'm guessing most of the members have a facebook account.  

Right now, 24 hour fitness is just a place where folks like myself simply workout.  When I leave the gym, my relationship with 24 is done until I re-enter the gym. Let's call this the current state.  Future state should be a place where my local health club builds community around its brand.   

• Events. Partner with your advertisers who do those in-gym print ads.  They want to connect with your audience, so collaborate on events where you invite people out to sample products or learn something from professionals.
• Local Fitness Activities. Keep your members updated on fitness-related activities taking place around their local area.  Become the aggregator of all this content and the community begins to see you as a trusted source for all-things related to local health and fitness activities.  Think 5k’s, Mud Runs, Hikes, etc.
• Content Curation.  Post healthy eating ideas and recipes. Incorporate fruits and vegetables that are in-season at local farmer’s markets. 

Here’s what I think will happen.  Members will start leveraging the facebook page to organize events.  They will use sharing tools to invite other members and friends to these events. This should yield interest from new members.  Remember yesterday’s post: you’re now an ENABLER.  Once people begin to leverage your brand as the centerpiece of their fitness-related activities, you’ve now built a community around your brand.

 

I'd Rather Be...

Ever see those "I'd Rather Be" bumper stickers?  They make you think of all the places you'd rather be.  Me, I'd rather be snowboarding, playing with my kids, or celebrating my 2-year wedding anniversary.  I'm sure you could think of a bunch of things you'd rather be doing.  Sometimes "I'd rather be" isn't relevant.  Like when you're reading this blog, there isn't anything else you'd rather be doing (j/k).  The same applies when you're working out, hanging with friends, or observing your faith.  You're doing the "I'd Rather Be".

How does this apply to marketing?  Let’s answer the following question -- what are the activities that your customer would rather be doing?  FYI... you should know the answer to this question.  Once you develop a list, ask your team -- why aren't we trying to make these activities, which are meaningful, better for our customers.  This doesn't require an un-Reason-able amount of creativity.  BMW realized its prospects were watching Mad Men.  They brought the season opener to us with limited commercial interruption.  By the way BMW, thank you. It was appreciated.  Notice anything about that comment.  I actually remember them as the sponsor.  They made the experience better. 

During your next brainstorm session, write ENABLE on the whiteboard.  All your ideas should pass the following test.  If the idea doesn’t ENABLE your customer to do the things they want to do, scrap it.  Remember, it’s about them not you. 

 

Image by jcarwil 

NAMIC So Cal - The Future of Multicultural Marketing

Last night I went to a great NAMIC event where we heard from a panel on the future of multicultural marketing.  NAMIC is an acronym that stands for National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.  I posed a question to the panel -- "Is multicultural marketing a generational thing since young people don't identify with race the same way as their parents?"  I heard some good answers.  

The best answer was from Robert Mendez, SVP Diversity at Disney/ABC.  The Reason -- he noted that the general market is evolving.  It's becoming a lot more diverse.  Also, multicultural marketing is evolving and it'll mean something entirely different in the future.  I'm ad-libbing a bit here, but I took it to mean that the future of [multicultural] marketing is about leveraging cultural nuances to connect with people and their passions.  This isn't to say ignore differences and simply focus on commonalities.  But rather, marketers should use consumer insight to connect with and strengthen relationships between members of a group(I’d call them cliques).

 

 

 

Influencers

This video makes me nostalgic about my Mjini - Urban Youth Experts days when we were conducting research on urban influencers.

 

INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION from R+I creative on Vimeo.

 

 

FFSC Wine Tasting Event

If you're in the LA area, come out for a night of fun at our wine tasting event next Wednesday (Nov. 10th).  

Proceeds benefit Foundation for Second Chances.

More information can be found here: http://ffscinc.org/winetasting/index.html

 

Aspirin vs Vitamins

I was hanging out with Kevin Walker from CultureLab last week. He had a couple meetings in town and I had a chance to kick it with him and his wife. Btw... CultureLab is doing some really cool stuff in the youth space. Check out their website here.

We started talking about our respective agencies and where we fit in the agency landscape. The conversation made me think of a famous venture capital saying - Aspirin or Vitamins. As we all know, vitamins are "nice to haves" and aspirins are "must haves". Not surprisingly, venture capitalists are drawn to companies targeting dire customer needs i.e. must have products. 

Surprisingly, I realized my agency is a vitamin. The Reason - we're only a partial solution to many of our clients' problems. I have tons of satisfied clients, but I've only addressed part of their need. In order for me to fully address their communication problems, I must expand my service offerings, form strategic alliances or work under a "full-service" agency to become an aspirin. 

Whew... I felt like I was on someone's couch airing my feelings out. Here is how I think this benefits you, my reader. Ask yourself or better yet ask your customer this question: what keeps you up at night?  If you can solve this problem, then you have an aspirin.

Also, click here to check out a recent fast company article written by The Heath Brothers where they also talk about aspirins or vitamins.

 

Why should I believe you?

“We don’t believe you, you need more people.”  That’s Jay-Z calling out Mobb Deep on his song Takeover.  He was making fun of their name i.e. you can’t say your crew is deep when there are only two people in the group.

I said something similar to a colleague the other day when offering feedback on a marketing deck.  Admittedly, it wasn’t as emphatic but that’s only because I didn’t have a beat when I was reading the deck.  Actually when finished reading, I simply said: why should I believe you?  Then it hit me.  Belief is all that matters when it’s time for The Decision.  Not Lebron James’ decision, but the decision to do something.  The Reason -- when people believe you then they’ll choose you as a political candidate, join your club, donate to your charity, or purchase your product.  If I don't believe you, then I won't do any of those things.  It's that simple.

The next time you’re trying to influence someone or their clique, start with -- why should they believe us?  Then build your marketing around this answer.

 

Flickr Creative Commons image by ~K~

Pre-digital vs. Post-digital

Interesting presentation on creating briefs for the post-digital world for all my planner friends.  Click here to check it out

 

Marketing Mavens: Lee Atwater

This is the latest post in my Marketing Mavens series.  The last post in this series featured Jerome Young and Attract Jobs Now. 

I’ve been looking at political campaigns for my book “Cliques” because politicians have cliques, but they refer to it as the base.  One of the stories intriguing me over the past couple of days is the 1988 Presidential campaign between then Vice-President George H. Bush and then Gov. Michael Dukakis.  Lee Atwater, Bush’s campaign manager, told a story and it connected with Americans.  In the parlance of Nicki Minaj, Lee Atwater was a marketing monster.  This is like bad meaning good, not bad meaning bad. Atwater leveraged television ads to portray Dukakis as an unpatriotic liberal who would dismantle the country’s defense and let convicted murderers out of prison.

Here's the lesson and I'm not saving it until the end:  Tell your story before your competition does it for you.

If you were voting in 1988, then I'm sure you remember the more memorable TV spots.

• Willie Horton.  Willie Horton was a convicted felon who raped a woman after escaping while on furlough from a Massachusetts prison under a program that Dukakis supported. [click here to see a youtube video of the ad... it's shocking to say the least)
• Dukakis in the Tank.  That's the image at the top. This spot actually used footage from an event organized by the Dukakis campaign to show that he was tough on defense.  Waving from a tank in a military helmet, Dukakis looked, as Atwater put it, like Rocky the Flying Squirrel. 

 

The Reason he’s a Maven:  

• Singular Goal.  "We had only one goal in the campaign: to help elect George Bush. That's the purpose of any political campaign. What other function should a campaign have?"  -- Lee Atwater
• Understood his clique/base. Leveraged fear to activate his clique.  I don’t support this tactic, but it worked.  

 

The Definition of Marketing (revised)

 About a year and a half ago, I wrote a post on the definition of marketing. Click here to read that post.  I’d like to revise my previous definition.  Marketing is simply communicating to influence behavior.  If you are trying to influence behavior, then you're a marketer.  The priest at church who makes jokes about people asking for change when they only have a $20 bill during collection, he’s a marketer.  He’d much rather we put that $20 bill in the collection plate.  The nonprofit asking for your support to help their cause, they’re a marketer.  They’re appealing to your philanthropic side to raise funds.  Certain plants use bright colors and no smell to attract pollinators like the hummingbird.  They're marketing.  Was that last example too out there?  The Reason I used it was to reinforce my point that as marketers we’re focused on influencing somebody for something.

So, I’m guessing the question you might be asking yourself now is – “I get marketing.  Thanks for making it so simple (maybe you weren’t thinking that last part, but play along).  But, how do I know when I’m communicating effectively?”  Here's a three-step process to determine whether you're communicating effectively. 

1. Audience receives message.  With fragmented media and splintered attention, this seems to be tougher ever day.
   
2. Message makes sense.  Fits with worldview and resonates.
   
3. Responds appropriately. Audience does what you intended.
   

You can apply this process to any influencer/marketer to determine whether they're communicating effectively.  Hey, it even works for the hummingbird example.

Flickr Creative Commons image by Lori Greig

Why do customers hire you?

I was recently hired by a new client. [Insert congrats Jeff here]

It got me thinking about why and how people choose.  When someone purchases your product, becomes a member of your organization, or likes you on facebook, they are doing it for three reasons: price, utility, and story.

Price. If I deem your product/service to be similar to the competition then I'll just buy the cheapest one.  This is common sense.  And, it's The Reason we generally have more private label brands in our house.  

Utility. In essence, "what problem does your brand solve?" and "what does your brand help me do?"  For instance, I'm a huge diaper purchaser.  I hire Pampers to solve a problem -- wetness protection.  And Pampers also helps me spend time with my kids without worrying about a mess.

Story. If your brand doesn't have a story, then your brand gets lumped in with the others without a story and people shop on price.  As a marketer, your job is to communicate a story about your brand that differentiates you from the competition.  I know what you're thinking; you learned this in Marketing 101.  And, you're right.  Let's take it a step further.  The point of your story is to help people tell a story about themselves.  By embracing your story, your customer is able to connect with like-minded individuals while also differentiating themselves from others.  Here's a quick example.  Sarah Palin and the tea party are marketers, which also makes them storytellers.  Think about how the tea party story has helped people form cliques around an idea while allowing these same people to differentiate themselves from others.

What are people hiring your brand to do?

Flickr creative commons image by Zach Klein

UCLA Extension

 

We're doing it again.  My Multicultural Marketing class at UCLA Extension starts up again next week.  There are still a few seats left, so tell a friend.

Here's a link to the course.

And, here's a description of the course:

Multicultural marketing is a discipline that recognizes the divergent influences in a varied population and seeks to create customized marketing programs that speak to these diverse audiences.  Students will gain an overview of multicultural marketing and the dynamics of a diverse market environment, while identifying target audiences and how best to reach that audience. 

MetroPCS advertising fail

Think about how advertising works. The media owner (TV, radio, event producer, etc.) tells you that people tune in for their content.  For a fee they’ll stop their content, which people are enjoying.  Insert your content, which was unexpected. Then resume with their content.  Hmmm… what’s the likelihood that your message impacts its audience?

Metro PCS didn’t impact its audience at Rock the Bells this past weekend.  At the end of Wu Tang’s performance, one of the group members started peddling Metro PCS phones to the audience.  Although the crowd loved Wu’s performance, they booed every time he mentioned Metro PCS.  The Reason – the advertising detracted from their experience.

If your advertising doesn’t make the interrupted experience any better, then don’t do it.  As marketers, we need to move from being intruders to being invited.  More on this in another post.

 

The Story of... Attract Jobs NOW

All good brands have a story.  Remember my post about having a story... click here to read.  In my next series of postings, I hope to further illustrate my point on this by introducing you to more brand stories, as told by their brand authors – the men and women responsible for bringing brands to life for their consumers.  These are professionals in their field, but more importantly, they are individuals like you and me trying to build or grow their brands. I thought it would help all of us to hear their stories, learn from their lessons and build from their best practices.

A big thank you to these folks for taking the time and being willing to share their stories.

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

Once upon a time ...

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Attract Jobs NOW (AJN)

Elevator Pitch: Attracts Jobs NOW provides job search consulting services, catering to professionals of the more increasingly popular recession-driven “reduction in workforce.”

The Reason's version: Attract Jobs NOW helps clients find the most effective and compelling way to communicate their personal brand story to potential employers. AJN helps jobseekers tell a story – one that makes them stand out in the marketplace, demonstrating their market value and what they can bring to the table as an employee.

The Attract Jobs Now Story

This is a story of what I see as an emerging co-sign culture; a culture where people look to their cliques or those with perceived authority to co-sign; to give a thumbs-up for a product or service telling them it’s ok to buy. The Attract Jobs NOW brand is built on co-signers and having those co-signers tell the AJN story - just like folklore passed on from generation to generation.  Ideally the stories passed on are of AJN’s customer experience, effective methodology, knowledgeable consultants, and quality results. Rather than just creating a brochure or website (because that’s just table stakes in this market) the AJN brand relies on ringing endorsements to validate their brand. Co-signers provide quality control and filter out fluff.  AJN co-signers include media outlets like Essence Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Fox News and a lengthy list of satisfied past clients. 

A little REASONING:

Realizing potential customers look for co-signers to minimize purchase risk, do you know who you’re co-signers are and what they’re going to say about you?

What clique do you roll with?

I promised to provide a business case for cliques in my previous post.  And, here it is.  In 2003, Toyota launched its visibly successful youth brand Scion with a clique approach to marketing.  Toyota's leadership wanted to create a cult brand.  They wanted the brand to be polarizing - for drivers to either love them or hate them.  Scion looked to cliques to achieve this goal - although we didn't call them "cliques" at the time.  Instead of focusing on # of impressions or overall reach, Scion spent the bulk of its marketing dollars engaging and activating communities organized around passions (read: cliques).  Scion's process -- talk to communities about their brand and its attributes of creativity and self-expression; more importantly, Scion targeted communities passionate about those same attributes.  With these shared values, Scion created credible connections and channels to facilitate a process for community members to market to each other.  And it worked.  Click here to read a Business Week article on the Scion launch.

So, with this example illustrating the power of activating cliques, can we bring it back to a more tangible example ... you, as a consumer.  Can we all agree that purchasing decisions have become a social activity - meaning, we frequently seek input and advice from others, maybe even acceptance, before we decide on which product or service to buy?  You've exhibited this behavior recently, right? Think about your last few purchases.  Didn't you ask people you know for their opinion or advice? Cliques are your primary social circles (family, friends, peers, online connections).  And, we trust and rely upon members of our social circle. This trust leads to credibility when members of our clique endorse specific brands, products or services.

Marketing used to be about advertising.  But no matter how much money we put into advertising, survey after survey tell us that customers arrive at our doorstep via referrals.  Members of our cliques influence us more than slick ad copy.  This is a fundamental shift in the marketplace -- marketing used to be about advertising, now marketing is about interacting with your clique.  

Cliques are word-of-mouth marketing on steroids.  Word-of-mouth marketing is all the rage. Marketers try to make their messages viral so people will pass the word on.   This is difficult.  It's difficult because there is a variable missing from the equation.  People aren't influenced by what others say or do.  But, they are influenced by what members of their cliques say or do.  Remember, birds of a feather. 

Cliques, the book, helps marketers understand how to connect organically with their customers' passions.  The book provides frameworks for marketers to identify and engage cliques of interest.  A clique approach is like community organizing for brand owners.  Examples and case studies will provide readers with indispensable tools to build connections with their audience.

Cliques - the book

I'm writing a book.  And, I started on this journey to answer one seemingly simple question -- Why choose me?  The question every marketer strives to answer.  The same question that drove my interest in marketing when I was in college and led me to launch a marketing research agency after graduation. I wanted to know... or more realistically, I needed to know ... why choose me? Why my brand and not that other one? The same question I challenge my clients to answer, or ask themselves, every day I Reason with them.

Over the years, with each research project, each completed brand launch, each focus group wrap-up ... the answer to this elusive question has become more and more clear. Individual preferences and choices are directly influenced by the social circles in which the individual interacts and engages ... so, why choose me? Because my social circle told me I should.

Social circles? Really? An interesting proposition right? A bit oversimplified, you might think, but it really is that simple. Whether the client was an established institution like Babson College or a storied lifestyle brand like Timberland, the answer was still the same -- an individual's social circles determined whether a brand was to be rejected or embraced. Ok, but there is a critical distinction to be made here ... I'm not just talking about any social circle. I'm specifically referring to thought-leading social circles - I'm talking about cliques. 

What are cliques?

Cliques are groups of people, interacting in communities formed around interests. To further refine this definition and draw some lines of distinction, let's say, a clique is a group of people connected to each other by shared interests; and to be considered a clique, a group must have (1) a purpose, (2) a leader, and (3) a way for members to identify and interact with each other. 

Web 2.0 tools, which allow people to connect and collaborate with others around the world, have made it easy for cliques to proliferate. Regardless of geography, race, or language, people have a primal need to belong. The internet provides. a channel to fulfill that need, by helping individuals find, join, and interact with cliques that share similar interests, values, etc.

I'll make the business case for cliques in my next post.

Image:  this lyre lark

Powerpoint Stats: Teens embrace smart phones

Here are some stats on teens embracing smart phones and the mobile web.  I trust this information will help with your next teen-focused initiative.  According to The Pew Internet & American Life Project, black teens were more than twice as likely as whites to go online with their mobiles phones.

The numbers look something like this for teen mobile web access:

• Nearly 1 out of every 2 black teens
• 1 out of every 3 hispanic teens
• 1 out of every 5 white teens

Check out the study here as it has tons of useful information.

 ________________________________

The Reason provides consumer insight by observing and interviewing people where they live, work, shop, and play. We translate insight into engaging ideas to positively impact the lifestyle of our clients' customers. 

Better or Different

Are you better or different?

I have three questions for you:

1. If you're better than your competition, then what makes you better?
2. If you're different than your competition, then what makes you different?
3. Which one does your customer value more?

Established companies are driven by the pursuit of doing better each year. Better sales, better stock price, better consumer awareness, etc.  Being better is the province of established competitors.  It's a game of incremental gains.  It is in essence the way to build a company.  That is until... [wait for it] the new guy wants in on the game.  The new guy realizes he can't beat you at your own game, so he changes the game.  Instead of trying to position himself as better, he positions himself as different to your audience.  

I have a bunch of examples, but I don't want this post to get too long. So here's a quick one.  Twitter is Google Alerts 2.0. Ya, I said it.  Twitter is the new kid on the block.  We've all set up google alerts to stay up on some subject. Twitter intuitively does the same thing.  But, it's different. By following people of interest you receive constant real-time alerts from people, not machines, that you know.  The alerts now provide context based on the relationship with your twitter followers. 

Here's some reason-able advice for the two camps...

• Established competitors - cannibalize your business before someone else does
• New entrants - find a segment of the audience you can profitably serve who has unmet needs

Picking your benchmark

Who sets the standard in your industry? To find the answer to that question, we often benchmark best practices of our competition? Once we benchmark the competition, we then decide whether it makes financial sense to imitate or improve on their mousetrap.  Jockeying for positioning against your competition makes sense as we want to be perceived as being the best by our audience.  But, what if your industry standard doesn't meet customer expectations?

Here's an example. It seems like every automotive manufacturer is trying to find a way to tap into the burgeoning Gen Y market.  The Reason... this is the next generation of drivers so staking your claim early can earn you the loyalty of a driver for the rest of her life. We all know what the industry standard is for car buying... go to a dealer; talk to a sales rep; get wooed by sales rep; decide to buy a vehicle; then get shuttled off to the F&I guy i.e. a stranger who handles the money part. That may be best practice in the automotive industry, but that's not how Gen Y buys products.  Look at the experience in an apple store where Gen Y interacts with a salesperson... if the consumer has any questions or wants to buy the product, that salesperson handles everything.

The moral of the story is look to your customers, not your competition, for the standard. Find out which entities are doing a great job of serving your customer and benchmark their best practices.  It might be in your industry, it might not be. The key is looking to your customer for the answers. 

Managing your touchpoints

 A touchpoint is a point of contact with a prospect or customer.  A touchpoint is where people interact with your brand.  I wrote another post about touchpoints about a year ago, check it out here. From a customer service phone call to logging onto your website to visiting your retail store, people have many ways to gain an impression of your brand.  Here's the thing about touchpoints... these are the moments in which people decide whether or not to do business with you.  Are your touchpoints making the right impression to make sure your customers are making the right decision, and choosing to bring their business to you?

 

Here's a Reason-able exercise to check yourself... to make sure your touchpoints are optimized to effectively communicate your story and make the right brand impression.

 

Make a list of all your touchpoints, and for each one ask yourself - "What's the brand story this touchpoint is communicating?" Then ask yourself if that's the brand story you wanted to communicate. If not, or if it's not clear, then it's time to take a step back and think about your touchpoint and what needs to be different.

Flickr image by EugeniusD80

I Add Value

Say it with me "I add value."  Most marketing doesn't add value, at least not for your customers.  And quite simply, it's because the marketing formula is often simplified to one metric: reach x frequency.  In other words, how many people you reach and how often. It's about being cost-effective (read: maximizing your budget), identifying the most cost-effective way to reach 1,000 people or CPM in marketing speak. The model doesn't allow you to think about value - it doesn't allow you to think about optimizing your budget.

Say it with me again "I add value."  Marketing that adds value cuts through the clutter - it is Reason-able, meaning it engages, is relevant, and credible to its target consumer. A few simple examples: Have you been to the airport lately?  Ever notice those Samsung charging stations in the gate boarding area?  That's marketing with wide reach and impressions ... but more importantly it adds value by being relevant to the traveler who needs its functionality. It makes Samsung credible when they say they understand their customers, doesn't offering these charging stations prove they get you? Now compare that to your traditional poster advertising in the boarding area - same impressions, but that's where the parity ends. Here's another example from the annals of The Reason... 20th Century Fox wanted to market one of their movies to multicultural women in urban areas.  We all know TV is the tried and true way to get the word out about movies - to meet that target CPM.  But, we added a little Reason-ing and focused on getting engagement. So, we worked with local hairdressers to create customer appreciation days for their clientele - reaching the target audience, but by demonstrating the movie's relevance, in a credible environment.  This was more memorable and buzz-worthy than any TV ad we could have created.

When creating marketing plans, I believe the questions that must be answered are: 

1. How does our brand add value? 
2. How do we engage our customers? 
3. Why are we relevant in their lives?
4. How do we best communicate our relevance?

The Reason -- knowing the answers to these questions allows you to go beyond reach x frequency, forcing you to understand your customer's lifestyle.  And, only with a true understanding of your customer will you be able to know where it makes sense for your brand to add value. Say it one more time, and make sure you mean it, "I add value."

photo by James Cridland 

Hawaiian Airlines = Fail

 We just booked our first family trip - a big deal for us, especially traveling internationally with 2 infants. Lots of research into good airlines for babies, baggage handling, on-time service, etc.  Competitive pricing and a string of industry awards led us to Hawaiian Airlines... and with that, we were ready to buy. When booking a flight on the Hawaiian Airlines website, they only offer a choice for the number of "Travelers" - no distinction for children/infants. So, we called to clarify the fares for infants w/seats and how to reserve them. We were instructed by the reservations agent to book the adult tickets online, and then call the Reservations line to buy the infant tickets.

Now the fun begins:

1. Doing as we were told, we booked our tickets online and then called to book seats for the wonder twins. Got through the ticketing details and then it was time to pay, so the agent casually mentions we would be charged a $25 ticketing fee for each child for calling in vs booking online!  When I reminded her, I only called because I had no choice, since there is no option to book infants online, she put me on hold to check with her "support" - after 20 min on hold, she came back to tell me there was nothing she could do, the fee could not be waived.

2. Their website, and the original reservations agent I spoke to, confirmed infants under 2 with seats pay 75% of full ticket fare. Lie. It's actually 85%.  75% only applies if you hold the kids on your lap - a distinction not made clear on their site.  In the words of Ed Lover... "C'mon son."  Just tell me my real costs and let me shop and make my purchasing decisions based on the truth.

3. To vent my frustration and give them an opportunity to recover, I actually sent a note to their Customer Affairs Office via the website.  They promptly called me back -- only to apologize, say the charge is a "Mandatory” Administrative Fee and they can't do anything ... oh, and yes, to thank me for listening to their side. Seriously?? Why bother calling?

Here’s what I think would’ve been a more Reason-able resolution...
"Sorry Mr. Meade, we apologize for causing any frustration. We value your business and would like to do what we can to rectify the situation."  That's a powerful statement.  It’s powerful because it expresses respect for you as a customer and the business you CHOOSE to bring to them. And then DO something ... waive the fee, give us a credit for meals, future flights, extra miles, ANYTHING!

 

Mis-steps are forgivable, as long as you are willing to admit to them and make a sincere effort to make things right (see Tiger Woods). The ability to recover well from bad customer experiences is what makes companies great, makes them trustworthy, and drives meaningful word-of-mouth.  I don't care about the $25 fee... its nominal.  I DO care about being treated with respect.  By offering no solution, Hawaiian Airlines proved to me they do not value my business. 

Stop being selfish

I'm a big fan of the genius mixes on iTunes.  It helps me re-discover a lot of good music on my computer.  I was just listening to the song "More" by Rhymefest and the hook goes something like this... "I want more, no matter how much I get."  You guys have a good sense of how my mind works.  It made me think of the current state of marketing.  Marketers are always looking for more customers, more ways to get their customers' attention, more traffic to their site, more sales, etc.  This is all pretty selfish.

I get it, more is good for business, but more is also selfish... it just looks at what you want.  What about the people buying your products? Imagine the impact you could make if you took a new approach to getting more through your marketing - thinking "what more could I do to support my customer?"  There has been a shift in marketing.  And, smart marketers are no longer looking at people merely as consumers of their products but instead as members of various cliques trying to do something with their lives. Your goal as a marketer should be to identify the cliques that are meaningful to your audience and help those cliques achieve their goals.

Have you seen what Nike has done with Nike+, its running community.  Check it out here.  Nike has turned a solitary activity into a community where friends can see each others performance.

Marketing 1.0 was about interruption. Marketers with big pockets continuously found a way to interrupt us... from TV ads when we're watching our favorite sitcoms to pop ups when we're visiting websites.  Ya, we dealt with it. But, it added no value.   Marketing 2.0 is about cliques.  Did  you see what Nike+ did... they focused on collaboration and community-building i.e. they leveraged their brand (competition) by providing the running clique with a tool to help them track their runs with friends and other runners.

My questions for you...

1. Who is your clique?

2. What are you doing to support them?

photo by Thomas Hawk

Social Media Class at UCLA

Social Media update

So, here's my disclaimer... I do not intend to use this blog as a channel for press releases.  My intention is always to add value for my readers, more specifically to help you think differently about how you can create value for your target audience. 
 
With that being said, consider my Social Media class at UCLA an extension of this blog -- it' a primer to help you think differently about social media.  My goal is for you to leave the session with a better understanding of how you can leverage social media to enhance your corporate and personal brand; and hopefully, provide you a foundation to launch/enhance your social media strategies.  Fortunately, I'll have some help to deliver on these goals:

Josh Levine, President of Rebel Industries.  Josh was last seen sharing his insight on social media at the Gravity Summit held at Harvard.  For folks that know me well... Josh is also one of the major reasons I reside in LA. I took a job with his agency and moved out to the west coast a few years back.

Paul Stewart, Music Marketing Manager at Puma.  Oscar and Grammy winning producer Paul Stewart will talk to attendees about Puma's social media strategies.

Shelley Leopold, Marketing Director at LA Weekly. Shelley will give us insight on how the newsweekly has been embracing and leveraging social media over the past couple of years.

Nance Rosen, Publisher at Pegasus Media World. Frequent CNBC contributor and notable author Nance Rosen will gives us a framework for leveraging our personal brand via social media.  Again, for those that know me well, Nance is a major reason that I'm now an instructor at UCLA Extension.

Reminder.  The Social Media session is two days away - Saturday, April 3rd, 2010.

Social media seminar at UCLA

 

For those that want to learn more about social media, join me at UCLA next Saturday (4.3.10) for Social Media: A One-Day Seminar in Podcasts, YouTube, and Blogs.

Here's my class description...

"This seminar looks at the five types of social media and the fundamentals that are behind their phenomenal growth--blogs, podcasts, wikis, social networks, and content networks. We look at examples of how marketers are using each new medium to create brand awareness and buzz and explore how these new communications tools could affect you, now and in the future."

Content Curator: Week ending 3.12

This is a new section highlighting content (articles, blogs, etc.) I've found to be inspiring, engaging, thought-provoking, or just simply practical.

I'll be updating it on a weekly basis, sharing my thoughts, and letting you know why I think you should care about this content, too.

New Advertising Study: Marketers to spend more on digital than print this year
Interesting study from Outsell. I wonder how soon before digital overtakes other forms of traditional media like radio or television.

U.S. Demographics are Changing... Are Your Marketing Plans Ready?
This study from the Nielsen Company highlights the economic opportunity for CPG brands targeting multicultural consumers. The post gives a good topline view of buying and media insights.

Breaking into a Conversation Gracefully
I wrote a post about networking at events last summer.  Read it here.  I found this post over at The Harvard Business Review useful because it gives examples of how to insert yourself into group conversations with minimal effort.

Schemas – Getting noticed in a crowded marketplace

I was talking about different ways to break through the clutter in a crowded marketplace this week in my marketing class.  I brought up the idea of schema disruption.  Quick background – schema theory was developed in the psychology realm and it focuses on how we structure information to organize knowledge and make assumptions.  Schemas are how we see the world.  A good example of this is stereotypes or expectations of social roles.  There are a bunch of images that come to your head when I say "parents of twins."  The usual response I get when I tell folks my twins are six months is – “your wife must be so tired.”  Not a fair response to dad, but this is a schema. Got it. Good.

 

Let’s look at an example from hip hop culture.  Back in the late 90s, the rap industry was cluttered. It was tough for new artists to break through and get noticed.  One of the few viable ways to get noticed was via a major label deal, which led to radio play, write-ups in hip hop magazines, and appearances on BET and MTV.  Then there was the underground circuit where you could get put on by mix tape DJ’s.  But, even that was becoming cluttered and it was tough for artists to stick out via that marketing channel.  The schema for the hip hop audience at the time was - rappers were tough and arbiters of cool.  50 Cent disrupted this schema by releasing a song called “How to Rob?,” where 50 detailed how he would rob notable hip hop celebrities.  The Reason “How to Rob” garnered massive amounts of attention was because it disrupted the schema of rappers being tough since there were no tangible repercussions from all the tough guys. His buzz was also kept alive because the song elicited responses from rappers mentioned in the song. It's free marketing when someone else is mentioning your name. 

 

So, one of the ways to gain attention for your brand in a crowded marketplace is to understand which schemas are relevant for your brand to disrupt.  It’s important to note that disrupting schemas does not change behavior, it just gets you noticed i.e. the "Initial Encounter" in Reason-speak. After you get noticed, you just need to make sure that first impresson is good enough to get you to a first date.

Taco Bell: What's your story?

By now, you've heard me go on and on about the need for a story; even better, a good story; ideally; a compelling story. So, as I've seen Taco Bell's marketing campaign story play out in their TV ads, I find myself wondering, "What's your story?" and "Who's your target consumer - and do you really think your story makes sense to them?" The main issue, in my mind is that you have two very different messages – one for a Drive Thru Diet (read: health conscious) and the other for a Five Buck Box packed with tons of food (read: value and volume-driven).  Seems like two potentially contradictory propositions and the risk of sending consumers mixed message ... and we all know mixed marketing messages are like a head butt i.e. no one wins (a la Paul Blart).

But, then I took off my "casual observer" hat and started to be Reasonable.  Let’s look at Taco Bell's customer: mostly male between the ages of 16-24, looking for a good deal. Pretty much the same customer every fast food chain targets - hence the rise of the $1 and $5 value offerings we see everywhere these days. So, the partnership with the NBA and the Charles Barkley $5 Box speaks to the core of their business - to be able to compete and stay relevant in today's fast food market.

On the other hand, the Drive Thru diet campaign is not about their core - it's about conquest. Recognizing the undeniable impact of the obesity buzz and shows like The Biggest Loser, Taco Bell had to at least throw their hat in the ring. Subway can do it - Jared and $5 Footlongs ... why not us, right? Wrong ... remember key to a good story is making sure it's believable? In other words, you need more than a spokesperson - you need proof.

Here's how to Reason-ably target the health conscious crowd:

• Offer Healthy Products. The Taco Bell website has tons of disclaimers about health claims made in the ads.  When I see that, my immediate thought is I knew it couldn't be healthy.  And, think beyond the calories -- the sodium counts are ridiculous.
  
• Find a co-signer.  Someone else needs to do the talking for you.  Someone we trust for health food advice.  You should be looking for Best Life certification or Dr. Ian Smith from the 50 million pound challenge.
  
• Find your clique. Become relevant to a group of people like the Livestrong community or members of the 50 million pound challenge.  Add value to that community by helping them lead healthier lives
  

Need some assistance executing these recommendations.  Give us a shout.

Domino's Pizza -- shows us how to reposition a brand

Domino's Pizza and its self-deprecating marketing campaign is a great example of how to reposition your brand.

Repositioning is simply business-speak for trying to change someone's opinion.  Now think about how hard that can be - especially once you've already made a first impression.  So, in Domino's case, their current campaign is trying to convince pizza-eaters that they should forget their first impressions.  According to Domino's internal research, their biggest customer segment - college students - literally matriculate away from their brand as they get older and are no longer as price sensitive.  Instead they're focused more on quality and taste. Domino's realized this attrition offered a sizable opportunity for growth. 

Most companies would have used the "new and improved" approach to their campaign, but nowadays everything is "new and improved" so they would've easily gotten lost in the white noise. So, how did they Reason-ably reposition the brand? 

1. Redesign.  If you're repositioning a product, then it better be different.   
2. Tell a relevant story. Tell me how you redesigned the product. Domino's has been really transparent in its campaign and the story has resonated with lots of people. The Reason -- footage highlighting the negative feelings toward its pizza fit with our current impression of the pizza. By acknowledging this part of the story, i.e. understanding attitudes and opinions of its target audience, their message fit with our worldview. Since we bought into the first part of the story, Domino's was given permission to tell the rest of the story of how they've changed.
3. Delivering on new positioning i.e. your promise.  This one is self-explanatory.  Remember when Oldsmobile wanted to gear its brand to a younger audience and launched with the tagline 'Not your father's oldsmobile."  It wasn't believable because the vehicle didn't deliver what younger customers were looking for.   For Domino's to not make this kind of blunder, they need to make sure their pizza tastes better i.e. deliver on new positioning. But, to help its audience out, establish some metrics to show that people think its better i.e. blind taste tests, increase in sales, customer testimonials, posts on social media sites, etc. 

Need some help repositioning your brand.  Give us a shout and we'll connect you with the clique(s) that make the most sense for your brand. 

Think Like a Gatekeeper

Gatekeepers are meant to keep out the riff-raff, the noise, the bad stuff. Think about the DJ at your favorite club... he only plays the music you want to hear and sometimes he'll play new music that he knows you'll like. With a focus on the audience's perceptions and preferences, gatekeepers only let in what matters, what is valued.  By comparison, when marketers get in marketing mode they default to thinking in terms of reach, frequency, and interruption.  See a difference?  Well, you shouldn't. Marketers should strive to be trusted and credible gatekeepers.

Now let's take a look at a brand like Pampers, the diaper folks - an example of good gatekeeping. And, since its a logo I see a couple times a day I might as well talk about it.  I'd say their brand stands for trust -- trust that they'll control leakage and prevent diaper rash.  And since the brand is about trust and babies, they've leveraged their brand into an online platform to offer pregnancy advice to expectant moms (read: prospective customers), and baby/toddler advice for current moms.

It's time to move away from interruptive marketing models.  The Reason -- they don't work.  It's time to start thinking like a gatekeeper.  Drop me a line, I can help you with this.  

Flickr Creative Commons image by Darwin Bell

Happy New Year !!

About a week late, but wanted to say Happy New Year to my readers.  On a personal level, the last 12 - 15 months have been the best months of my life.  I really couldn't ask for more.  On a professional level, I'm looking forward to the many endeavors I have in the works for 2010.

I've been listening to you and yes, I will post more often this year.  More specifically, I'm going to do a better job keeping you in the loop on what's in the works for me.  So, with that said, here's a little taste of The Reason in 2010... 

1. Cliques -- the book.  My first marketing book will be released by Paramount Marketing Publishing. I'll be exploring how the ease of access to information online makes it easier to find and join groups that celebrate what makes us unique. As a marketer, it's essential to understand these groups - these Cliques, as I'll refer to them in my book.  While I've most recently been preaching the importance of telling a good story, ongoing research is proving that the future of marketing is in engaging and influencing Cliques through branded stories - sounds Reasonable, right? More updates as the book develops ...
2. UCLA Extension.  I start teaching a Diversity Marketing course, part of the Certificate in Marketing program, in less than 24 hours and a Social Media course in the Spring.
3. UC Irvine Extension.  I'll start teaching a Multicultural Marketing course in the Summer. 
4. And of course, my personal favorite ... continue building The Reason ... to be one of the leading agencies in Clique Marketing.

Initial Encounter

You’ve heard me say it before, but I’ll say it again … I like to think of marketing in dating terms, because it makes the concepts understandable for pretty much anyone. For instance, for your first meeting (the “Initial Encounter” in Reason-speak), how do you make it happen? What’s the first impression you make? And how do you make sure that first impression is good enough to get you to a first date? Whether we’re talking about you meeting that special someone, or your brand connecting with your target audience, the same details need to be addressed.

Apply a little Reasoning and know the following to get that Initial Encounter right the first time:

About your audience:

Who do they hang out with now i.e. what brands do they consume? Have a sense of what those brands did to influence consumption – get their “first date”.

Why should they give you the time of day? Even if your marketing message catches their eye, what does your product/service add to their lifestyle? Because if it doesn’t, then don’t waste their time … or yours.

 

About your brand:

What story will you tell? You need to have one … and it should be a good one. See previous post.

When and Where will you be so they’ll notice you? i.e. what combination of marketing channels, branded or third-party, make sense to cut through the clutter?

 

And, if you're initial encounter is word-of-mouth, then you're ahead of the game.  Think about it, you always want a friend to introduce you to someone you're interested in.

What's your story?

 I've been talking with a friend of mine about her website - I’d attach a link but she’s doing a complete website redesign, so I won’t pass on her work-in-progress.  She has a pretty good understanding of her audience and pushes out great content.  But when she sits back and looks at all the disparate topics she writes about, she wonders, “Am I telling the right story? Am I telling my story? And is it a good story?”

 

Most marketers don't have a story.  The Reason -- "the curse of knowledge."  A term popularized in the book "Made to Stick."  "The curse of knowledge" dictates the more you know about something the harder it is to explain.  How many times do you wish your accountant would just cut out the details and break things down to the basics?  The same thing happens with marketers.  

After pouring over piles of data, calculating break-evens, getting through multiple revisions of ad copy, and all the other stuff you do, you have so much in your head about your brand you want to tell the consumer everything. The result: marketing communications white noise; a blur of product specs and benefits, with no cohesive, digestible story.  And that’s not good, because consumers like stories - and if they like your brand’s story, if it’s engaging and/or relevant to them and their lives - they buy your brand.

 

So, how do you make sure you’re telling the right story?  Your story? A good story? 

1. KISS. Remember that acronym - Keep It Simple Stupid. If it’s simple, it’s simple to repeat and pass on to others (AKA: Word of Mouth marketing).
2. Make it Relevant. Your story should fit with the worldview of your target audience. Relevance makes the story engaging, because it feels like the story was written just for your audience.
3. Be Unique. Your story should tell why your brand is different - why you’re not just the same old story told by your competition.
4. Tell a Non-Fiction story. Live up to your brand story and deliver what you promise.

Flickr Creative Commons image by austinevan

Best in the world

I am the best husband in the world.  I'm also the best father in the world.  Some may differ in opinion, but it’s the opinion of my target audience according to the Anniversary and Father’s Day cards I received this year.

What's the point I'm trying to make?  Being the best is all in the eyes of the beholder/audience.  Whether its best value, best technology, best location, etc.  Being the best generally leads to preference.  And the goal of marketing is to create preference and then convert preference into consumption.   So, how do you become the best brand for your customer?

1. Focus.  Mass marketing is dead.  You can't be all things to all people. But you do want to be the best in the eyes of your target audience.
2. Focus (some more). Define your audience, understand what defines their lifestyle, and use that understanding to identify the best time and place to communicate your story.
3. Focus (even further). Hire a specialist... that's where The Reason comes in.

Lessons from a Daycare

I was talking to the woman who runs my sons' daycare about how she started her business.  Like most businesses, it was tough in the beginning for her to attract customers. The licensing agencies told her to hang flyers around the neighborhood to promote her business i.e. do what everyone else was doing.  She didn't.  The Reason --she knew what mattered to her customer.

As a parent, there were two things she knew about her customer (1) parents are risk averse and (2) parents are more than willing to tell other parents about products/services that make their life easier.  With this knowledge, she decided to reach out to family and friends, people who knew and trusted her, and offered to watch their kids.  By providing a great service, this strategy minimized risk and allowed her to benefit from word of mouth marketing.

The Lesson -- Do you have the insight you need to think like your customer?

Google gifts free wi-fi at airports for the holidays

Every time I’m at the airport, I wonder why someone doesn’t offer free Internet.  It’s an unmet want, why doesn’t someone just solve it.  Like myself, I’m sure most people would be willing to watch an ad or two before being given access to free Internet while at the airport. 

 

Your computer screen is perhaps the best billboard space at the airport.  The Reason – your potential customer gets something they want and you get the attention of a potential customer.  I’m sure this is what Google was thinking when they offered to gift free wi-fi at 47 airports around the country from now until Jan 15^th.  In return for free access, Google will tout its Chrome browser and tempt you to make the search engine your browser’s homepage. 

 

What can you do this holiday season to solve an unmet want for your customers?

Flickr Creative Commons image by mag3737

In-store product placement

This is smart and a great way to fight through the clutter.   

The Reasoning: positioning yourself against substitutes instead of direct competitors communicates a differentiated value proposition. Seems pretty intuitive.  The truth is most brands aren't differentiated in the eyes of their customer and that's why customers shop on price. Actually, most agencies aren't differentiated to clients and that's also why they shop on price.

Who are your substitutes?  And, how will you position your brand against them to make a meaningful connection with your customer?

Seen on Drew's Marketing Minute

Powerpoint Stats: African Americans embrace Twitter

A recent Pew Internet study shows that African Americans are more likely that any other ethnic group to use Twitter or another online status update service.  In fact, 1 in 4 African Americans online use Twitter or a similar service. No reason for me to reiterate the entire study, check it out here.   

Competitive Strategy Insight from Mike Tyson

When on-boarding new clients, I apply two frameworks –  3C’s (Customer, Company, Competition) and The Reasoning.  The 3C’s helps me gain a better understanding of how clients see themselves, the competition, and their target audience.  The Reasoning, my framework,  ensures clients are delivering relevant messages at the right place and at the right time.  I pretty much have these frameworks down.  So, imagine my surprise last week when I was watching Oprah and Mike Tyson gave me a new way of looking at the 3rd C -- competition. Okay, let me stop there for a second.  For those that don’t know, I’m on paternity leave i.e. I find myself watching my fair share of daytime TV.  Back to business lessons from Iron Mike.

 

Tyson told Oprah he would watch videos of his opponents and ask his trainer– “How do I beat him?” Think about that for a second… “How do I beat him?”  If you’re a new entrant or a brand with limited market share, this is the single most important question you must answer.  The Reason -- It’s a liberating question because it helps you think outside the box.  This might be a leap, but I think this question forces you to look at the value chain for your industry i.e. how and why does your industry deliver value to your customer.   Once you look at all those pieces of the value chain separately, you begin seeing how your brand can beat its competition.  In other words, you can differentiate your brand from the competition.

 

Want to be competitive in your industry, answer the following questions:

1. Who is your competitor?  And, how will you beat him?
2. How will you apply The Reasoning to communicate your value proposition... btw, I can help you with this one