I don't do this very often, but sometimes I come across blog posts or articles that I think are truly worthy of asking you to take five minutes and read.
You'll find this trio is a very eclectic mix from thought-provoking to down and dirty practical.
While only the blogging post is "directly" related to marketing or branding — I will gladly argue that all three articles cut to the core of our work and the life we get to have because of that work.
Which creative treatment would catch your attention?
Check out these two videos for Quattro for Women, with the bikini area trimmer. The first one is pretty much how you'd think they would introduce the new product. It's about 90 seconds long so I am guessing they trimmed it down for a TV spot are using the longer form on their website. The second….well, it's not what I would have expected. (Feed readers and e-mail subscribers, please click here to view videos.)
So what do you think? One is incredibly safe…the other, not so much. But, which one do you think will actually sell more razors?
Drew's Note:As I try to do every Friday, I'm pleased to bring you a guest post. Meet another thought leader who shares his insights via the blogosphere. So without further ado…Steve McKee. Again. Enjoy!
The economy stinks. Everyone knows it.
A recent survey commissioned by American Express says that 59% of corporate CFOs expect their revenue to either be flat or go backwards in 2009. Meeting a company leader who actually expects his or her organization to grow this year is the exception, not the rule.
As such, it’s safe to say we’re all struggling with the economic tsunami swirling around us. And we’re all wondering what to do about it. I’d like to suggest one big question for each of us to consider.
In my book, When Growth Stalls, I characterize external, uncontrollable events such as the current recession as “market tectonics.” Just as plate tectonics determine when and where the ground is going to shake (from which nobody is exempt—an important point), market tectonics are events with which every company in this interconnected economy must deal. Nobody gets a pass.
So here’s the question: is your branding and marketing effort strong enough to withstand the tremors, or has the economic earthquake spawned by the financial crisis revealed fissures in your marketing foundation?
If the former, your task is to do the best you can to ride things out—conserving cash without cutting off the fuel to your economic engine. It’s an art, but it’s manageable. If the latter, your task is somewhat more difficult. But you may look back on this time as a key turning point in your company’s history.
Sometimes difficult events end up becoming the biggest blessings.
While all of your competitors hunker down to ride things out, you can use this time to rethink your value equation. It may be that it’s off by just a few degrees, or it may be that you need to make wholesale changes.
But just as when the yellow caution flag comes out on a racetrack it allows the cars in the back to catch up with those in front, this period of economic recession may give you the time—not to mention the kick in the pants—to strengthen your brand proposition.
Steve McKee is president and founding partner of McKee Wallwork Cleveland, an award-winning marketing firm that helps companies get and stay on the growth curve. He writes a monthly column for BusinessWeek.com and speak to a variety of organizations and corporations on the topic of stalled growth and how to turn it around.
It's sales 101. Listen. Ask questions. Listen some more. But we all know that in most selling situations, it's hard to shut up. You have so much to say. You're so good at your job. Your case study is so compelling.
So you just talk, and talk and talk some more.
Long time readers of this blog know I have an incredible respect for the smarts found at RainToday.com. Excellent articles, time-worthy webinars and insightful research and reports. In their recent benchmark report, How Clients Buy 2009, there's lots to chew on. You can download an excerpt of the report here: http://www.raintoday.com/HCBexcerpt.cfm.
But here's the chart and summary that really stopped me cold.
According to the report: “Service provider did not listen to me” is the most widely experienced problem faced by 38% of professional services buyers. Additionally, 55% of buyers said they would be “much more likely” to consider hiring the provider if they listened better.
Holy cow. Everyone is in a panic about how to get more sales and there's the answer right in front of us. Shut up. Listen.
And it you add up the didn't listen and the talked too much….that's 63%. 2/3rds of your sales calls are being wasted because you talk too much.
One of the uncomfortable truths that social media is hoisting upon us is that the clear separation between our personal and professional lives that most of our parents enjoyed during their careers is now nothing more than an illusion, if we even try to keep up the facade.
When I look at my Facebook updates, my Tweets and even my LinkedIn account (not to mention all the other social media hot spots) I see a blend of my old high school friends, my family, my marketing peers and MMG clients.
So when I tweet about my never-ending cough or my daughter's latest role in the school play…my clients see it. And when I have my most recent blog post or a link to a marketing article appear on my Facebook newsfeed…my high school friend the chef sees it. There's no way to keep the two apart.
For me, because I own my agency, that reality is pretty comfortable. I'm mindful of it, but it doesn't change all that much for me. After all, people are going to associate me, Drew, with McLellan Marketing Group no matter what.
But here's what I am wondering. If you are employed by someone else — do they in essence own a part of your social media persona? Aren't you (despite any disclaimer language) representing your employer just as much as you the person when you tweet, blog or update a status?
Does your boss want you posting weekend party pictures to your Flickr account?
Should you be playing "Pimp Fight" on Facebook when you know that some of your friends are also "friends" of your company?
Do your blog posts (again, regardless of the disclaimer) reflect on your boss or company as much as on you?
When you drop an F bomb in a Tweet, do you think your boss has the right to wince?
What do you think?
Do you think employee manuals of the future will have "social media guidelines?" Do you think your boss has a right to censor your social media activity? Do you think you have an obligation to do so?
Let’s face it, stories about shoddy service, a product that flopped or a clerk who was the epitome of rude make much better stories than when things go well. It's basic human nature.
When was the last time you heard about good hospital food? I rest my case!
We all know the power of word of mouth advertising, but what do you do when your customers are telling stories you’d rather not have seep beyond your door?
The best defense is to clearly communicate that your business wants to hear when things don’t go according to plan. Let them tell you, rather than 137 of their closest friends.
Offer satisfaction guarantees.
Always ask, at the end of a transaction, if the client is happy with the results.
Do follow up contacts, by phone or mail to verify that the customer is still satisfied.
Point blank ask if they would refer you to their friends or colleagues.
Of course, you can do all of those things, but if you don’t actually listen and respond to concerns and complaints – don’t add insult to injury by asking. That just makes for a better story.
Look around your business. Check your invoices and receipts. Re-read your “welcome” letters or official business literature. If you were a brand new client – would you immediately recognize that your business was open to hearing complaints?
Take steps today to make your business one that encourages grumbling, grousing, complaining and whining.
Not only will you stop the viral spreading of the bad story but you’ll probably improve the buying experience for all your customers and generate more of that good word of mouth you’re hoping for!
How do you currently ask for feedback? What's the most creative/compelling tactic for getting feedback that you've experienced?
One of the by-products of a struggling economy and wide spread layoffs is the inevitable birth of many new consultants and budding entrepreneurs. For some, it's a natural evolution and wise choice. For others, it's the lesser of the evils and usually ends when the new full time job is secured.
I think the key question that is often skipped in this evolution is "do I WANT to be an entrepreneur?" And of course the follow up questions — do I have what it takes? Will I be good at it? Will I like it? Do I have the stomach and risk tolerance for it?
Here's the truth about being an entrepreneur:
"Entrepreneurship is not a career. It is a way of life."
There are two books that have recently been published that will help anyone of the edge of this important decision.
The first book, aptly titled "So you want to be an entrepreneur?" is by Jon Gillespie-Brown. Jon's book is part mentoring lessons and part workbook, with lots of great exercises that will really help you examine and plan your life based on your passions, ambitions and ultimate visions.
By actively taking part in each of the exercises, you give yourself the best chance of succeeding as an entrepreneur, or the sufficient clarity to decide what other career options are best suited to you.
The book is uplifting and celebrates the truth about being an entrepreneur — the good, bad and the ugly.
All the proceeds of this book are being donated to the Grameen Foundation, which does some amazing work.
The second book you should spend some time with is Sramana Mitra's Entrepreneur Journeys. Mitra interviews a dozen innovative entrepreneurs and focuses the conversations on five core topics:
Bootstrapping
Taking on giants
Disrupting business models
Addressing unmet market needs
Tackling planet scale problems
The interviews are very intimate and frank. There's no sugar-coating or sidestepping the tough issues in this book. I was surprised at how open the entrepreneurs were and how freely their exposed their pain and failures, along with their successes.
The interviewees weren't the standard company or people we hear about everywhere else. So the stories and examples were not only relevant but also fresh.
Both books were enjoyable and fast reads. You'll want to read through Gillespie-Brown's once and then go back and work your way through the exercises. And you'll probably want to re-visit Mitra's if you decide to bite off entrepreneurship and find yourself taking on a giant or doing a little bootstrapping.
Even if you have no intention of hanging out your own shingle…the lessons in the books are good for anyone engaged in leading a business.
Drew's Note:As I try to do every Friday, I'm pleased to bring you a guest post. Meet another thought leader who shares his insights via the blogosphere. So without further ado…Jamie Klein. Again. Enjoy!
The current economic crisis has impacted all businesses. To succeed in this market it is imperative that you identify ways to make things happen in your business.
I’d like to provide you with some marketing and sales tips that will have an impact for any company that wants to improve their performance in this difficult time.
Marketing
Define what a quality lead is before you start prospecting. In addition to age, income and other demographics characteristics it is increasingly important to identify lifestyle trends of your current and prospective buyers.
Message-you must make sure your marketing message is closely tied to the lifestyle trends that you have identified when defining your qualified leads.
Targeting-More than ever you must identify where the highest concentration of your defined leads are before you invest marketing dollars.
Your people and processes for when prospects respond to your marketing and advertising must be identified, written and reviewed. In consumer surveys, most sales and marketing operations score extremely low in these areas.
Sales
To convert leads into sales in a down market, it is critical that your sales people are able to discover essential needs, not just incidental needs.
Follow-up-This is the most abused sales process whether in good or bad markets. Surveys consistently tell us that 70% or more of the leads you give sales people are not followed up on effectively. Your sales and marketing organization cannot possibly survive in a down market unless you have processes, procedures and leadership direction in your sales follow-up.
Performance metrics-all sales and marketing professionals especially in current times must accurately account for the number of leads generated, cost per lead generated, volume per lead generated and cost as a percent of revenue produced. These ideally should be completed by your marketing channel.
While most people would say these 7 steps are the basic building blocks for marketing and sales, the truth is, most companies aren't doing them consistently or well. In this turbulent economic environment, companies that are spending money on sales and marketing efforts must be more effective and efficient than ever before.
Jamie Klein has over 30 years experience in the sales and marketing real estate profession with a focus on Lead Management and Shared Ownership. Jamie’s expertise coupled with his leadership skills on lead management and sales and marketing programs help to launch theses three major brands into the shared ownership industry.
He launched luxury shared ownership business enterprises, including lead management and sales and marketing operations for the Marriott Vacation Club, the Four Seasons, and, the St. Regis Residence Clubs (on behalf of Starwood).
The right logo is a critical element of a business' ability to communicate who they are and what they do. Designing one of a kind logos is a big part of the branding work we do at MMG.
I also know that not every business can afford us. Many start ups or small businesses aren't ready to engage an agency. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't have a good logo that gets them noticed.
In today's world, there are alternatives for those who aren't ready to get an agency's help.
A while ago, I introduced you to HP's MarketSplash — a web-based shop that will allow you to design your own logo from some templated objects or engage one of their designers to design a custom logo for you.
Another site is Logo Inn, out of the UK. They've agreed, as sort of a "blog lab experiment," to donate one of their bronze packages (6 logo concepts designed by two designers and once the logo is selected, a stationery package design) to a Marketing Minute reader.
So how will we choose the lucky business? Here are the rules:
If you'd like to be considered, send me an e-mail (drew@mclellanmarketing.com) telling me about your organization and show me what you're using now for your logo
Please put "logo design" in your subject line
All entries must be received by next Friday, March 20th
The winner has to be willing to have the entire process documented on the blog
The winner will complete an elaborate creative brief about their business, customers etc. that I will publish on the blog
All the design options will be revealed here on the blog
The winner has to be willing to let me make some suggestions in terms of revisions etc. of the logo
The winner has to be willing to actually use this new logo/look (it's not fair to do it just for the fun of it and rob someone else of the chance to win)
Whether you win or not — this will be a learning lab that you can use to create the right logo for your organization! We'll walk through the process together, step by step. By the time we're done — you'll be ready to oversee your own logo creation.
If you've already got a logo you love — be sure to tell your peers who might benefit from this about the contest. Let's give someone a makeover that will take their business to the next level.
Thought this was a perfect way to juice up the middle of the week. Check out these incredibly creative truck designs coming out of Europe. Hat tip to long time reader Warren Lanier for sharing these with me.
Talk about thinking different. Hope these inspire you to do the same!
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