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Mercedes uses visual storytelling

October 2, 2011

Mercedes Benz released this print ad series earlier this year and as it often goes, it is just starting to get some viral buzz.

It’s a great example of story telling and connecting with your customers.  It’s a visual version of the Mac versus PC TV spots that we all loved.

Interestingly, the copy on all three ads is the same.  I’m curious — what do you think of the series and what do you think they were trying to accomplish with the campaign?

I’m trying to decide…. are these ads more about Mercedes drivers or the brand?  What say you?

Mercedes Benz Left and Right Brain ad #1

Mercedes Benz Left and Right Brain ad #2

Mercedes Benz Left and Right Brain ad #3

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Are you a speed and sputter marketer?

September 30, 2011

Are you guilty of speed and sputter marketing?

I do a lot of driving.  Between work, providing my mom (3.5 hours away) with computer support and fetching my daughter every so often at college (2 hours away) — I’m on the road quite a bit.

I found myself wondering if I’d make better time if I used my cruise control on those longer drives so I decided to experiment with it.  (I know, I’m a wild man!)

I set the cruise 5 miles over the speed limit, which if you’ve driven with me, you’ll know is a little slower than I tend to drive.  So I thought it would take me longer to get to my destination.

Long story short — I definitely shortened my drive time when I used the cruise as opposed to me manually controlling the speed of my vehicle.

It makes sense — it’s easy to get distracted by other cars, something along the side of the road, the book on CD I’m listening to, a phone conversation etc.  And if nothing else, no doubt my speed is varying throughout the journey.

But with the cruise on — I’m absolutely consistent and incredibly steady.  It turns out – that’s the winning combination in terms of making good time.

Since this isn’t a car blog, you’re probably wondering why I’m sharing.  Well — it occurred to me that the same is true of marketing.

Most companies are speed and sputter marketers.  They get a great idea, have a lot of energy around it and blast it off.  But then they get busy and things get stalled.  That monthly enewsletter becomes a sort of quarterly piece.  The print ad series never actually runs.  And the customer survey is drafted or even deployed but no one got around to crunching the numbers.

Their marketing success is very hit or miss and is greatly influenced by lots of outside factors.  There’s no consistency.  And as we’ve talked about before — consistency breeds trust which is what leads to a sale.  (I know, like and trust you)

But if your marketing is on cruise control — that is to say there’s a process that keeps chugging along no matter how busy you are — your consistency will speak volumes.  You will be able to take advantage of the DRIP method of marketing that allows you to just keep a nice, steady stream of connectivity and relevant communication out there — tethering you and your audience to each other.

I can hear you now — how can we do that?  If it was easy, we’d never speed and then sputter.  I’ve got some ideas around that so stay tuned next week.

But for today — think about how your marketing/company is perceived when you stop and start all the time.  Is that who you want to be?

 

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The smaller you are, the better Facebook is

September 26, 2011

 

Facebook lets you actually talk to people!

A comment made on my blog post about Facebook’s dominance which basically said… “Facebook is only for people who care about social media and media types” had me shaking my head.

He’s not alone in his opinion. Check out this recent study that looked at why many small firms don’t utilize it.

I am not suggesting that every single business on the planet needs to have a presence on Facebook, but especially for many small businesses — it can be a game changer.  In fact, I think it’s much more potent for the little guys than it can be for the Cokes, Mini Coopers and Disneys of the world.

Why?

The human element.  If I tweet Disney or post something on Coke‘s wall — I may or may not get a response but it’s certainly not going to be a very personal one.  But if I write something on the Des Moines Playhouse’s page…a real person is going to give me a real response.  And we might even get into a conversation. (see the screen capture to the right)

Isn’t that what we’re all hungry for — more conversations with customers or potential customers?

Here are some of the perks of Facebook for small businesses:

• Built for local and hyper local.  It allows you to spend your time talking to people who can actually become customers or already are your customers.
• Supports and encourages word of mouth with the share and like buttons.  Odds are most of your page’s fans have a high percentage of friends who are also local.
• It’s a great way to gather testimonials, get customer feedback/input and answer customer questions.
• With their hyper targeted ads, you can very cost effectively deliver your message to exactly and only the people who might care.
• Your audience shows up every day.  Facebook is part of their social experience.  What better place to connect with them?
• You can use Facebook’s different message vehicles — your business page, ads, events, groups etc. to share different types of news, events, tips etc.
• You can share your work in other media (TV spots, radio commercials, blog posts, enewsletters) to bring in your multimedia campaign elements.

Again…not going to say it’s for everyone.  But I am hardpressed to think of a small business that wouldn’t benefit from a well strategied Facebook presence.

I’m curious — what small/local businesses do you think use Facebook well?  I’d love to find some examples.

 

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Is your business really different?

September 25, 2011

It may be the greatest of all business cliches — you have to differentiate yourself.  I’ve said it myself more than once.  While it is certainly true… many businesses struggle with how to bring the idea to life.

And even when a business believes they have achieved that level of uniqueness — their customers can’t see or describe the difference.

Many marketing books push you to be different but very few tell you how.

That’s what’s fascinating about Youngme Moon’s best selling book Different. (click here to buy it*) It was just released in paperback and I finally got around to reading it.

The book’s basic premise is that we humans subscribe to a herd mentality and tend to categorize everything into little boxes.  Which is originally unique is quickly copied and becomes the norm.

So, if that’s how we are wired — how do we ever truly stand out from our competition?

Moon offers three ways to disrupt this herding pattern.

Reversal: The first way to be different is to use the “reversal” concept. Back when you hadn’t yet heard of Google, the online portal kingpin was Yahoo. Yahoo’s home page was crammed with news, stats, photos and links.

If you wanted to compete with them — you’d most likely be trying to fit even more features on your homepage, not less. That’s how things were done. But Google decided to look at it in a new way. They completely redesigned the search engine experience for billions around the world by having nothing on the home page but the search box.

They reversed the norm.

Breakaway: What breakaway brands do better than anybody else is leverage this fact by asking you to replace one mental model with another.

Kimberley-Clark created an entirely new marketplace by creating the “Pull-Up”. It’s a cross between underwear and a diaper. It’s still just a diaper put on a different way. But they completely remove the stigma of wearing diapers past the age two, and parents are now routinely keeping the kids in these “Pull-Ups” beyond the age of four.

Hostile: This method takes some courage.  It’s basically when a brand takes its most significant weakness and accents it.  A hostile brand  “doesn’t lay down the welcome mat, they lay down a gauntlet.”

It isn’t marketing, it’s anti-marketing. Mini is the perfect example of this. It took it’s biggest possible wart, and made it even bigger. All of its advertising seems to say “it’s even smaller than you think.” In one famous example of this type of branding executed flawlessly, Mini put one of its cars on top of an SUV and drove it around a busy downtown core for all to see. Where you were used to seeing a ski rack, you saw an entire car.

The book has plenty of examples to learn from and will definitely get you thinking about your organization in a new way.  It’s well worth the read.

*Yup, an affiliate link.

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Why Facebook matters to every business

September 21, 2011

 

Why Facebook matters to every business

 

I’ve heard all the reasons, especially from B2B companies…but the “our customers aren’t on Facebook” excuse is just that, an excuse.

We buy radio stations and send direct mail hoping to hit some of our target audience.  Why do we look at Facebook so differently?

With statistics (thanks to HubSpot for sharing this slide) like these… every business owner and marketing director should be figuring out how to leverage the Facebook crowd.

I’m not saying you need a fan page.  Or have to do a contest or create a game.  I’m saying you’d better understand what happens there.  You’d better be monitoring what is being said about your company there.

You need to decide HOW to be there.  But you can’t ignore it simply because you have a preconceived idea of who hangs out there.

Odds are… it’s your customers.  And they hang out there a lot.

 

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Customer service case study from Jeff the cabbie

September 18, 2011

… meet Jeff the marketing professor!

From on outset, I knew this was going to be a different sort of cab ride.  I walked out of the hotel and just like it has happened hundreds of times before…magically, the taxi appeared.

But from that moment on, it wasn’t a ride, it was an experience!

The bellman put my suitcase in the trunk as I got into the back seat.  The driver immediately turned around in his seat and extended his hand.  As we shook hands, he introduced himself and asked what kind of music I liked.

I told him to surprise me and he suggested some Carlos Santana because “you can’t help but feel joyful if you’re listening to Santana.”

As we headed towards the airport — my marketing lesson continued.  Jeff got a call (like cab drivers always do) but quickly told his wife he had to go because he was chatting with his new friend Drew.

He proudly pointed out to me that his taxi was a Lincoln Town Car and as I commented on how the leather glistened, he explained that he wipes down the interior a few times a day to keep it like new.

In the course of the conversation he gave me  his business card with his cell phone number on it.  He invited me to call and pre-schedule with him next time I was in St. Louis.  He told me that most of his fares were by referral or repeat business.  I’m not surprised.

When we got to the airport, he not only got my bag out of the trunk, but he carried it to the airport’s door.  We said goodbye with another handshake.

I bet it won’t surprise you that he received more than a healthy tip from me.  And I suspect that’s the case with most of his fares.

What are the takeaways from Professor Jeff?

People do business the people: It’s hard to imagine a less random choice than hailing a cab.  Whoever is first in line is who you choose.  But Jeff made sure he wasn’t some random cabbie to me.  He went out of his way to become a person — and a person I liked.  Next time I am headed to St. Louis, I will be calling Jeff.

It’s all about the customer: Jeff made me feel like he actually cared that I was in his cab.  He called me by my name.  He didn’t talk on his cell phone but instead, stayed engaged with me.  He invited me to partake in the music selection and we chatted for the entire 30 minute drive.

Appearances do matter: His cab was immaculate, inside and out.  He was dressed neatly and he had a warm and genuine smile on his face.  You honestly couldn’t help but enjoy doing business with him.

I’d bet that Jeff never took a single marketing course. (He was a cop for 25 years before becoming a cab driver) He probably doesn’t have a brand manual, a tagline or a company vision statement.

But he understood customer service better than many companies that have all three.

And if you’re ever headed to St. Louis, let me know.  I’ll hook you up with my buddy Jeff, so you can get some marketing schooling!

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How much should you spend on marketing?

September 15, 2011

How much should you spend on marketing?

I know I need to do some marketing but how much should I spend?  How much do other companies my size spend?

This is probably one of the most asked questions of marketing agencies and consultants.  If you google the phrase, there are 17+ million results.  And yet, we keep asking.  So let me see if I can drill down to the heart of it.

One of the reasons why it’s on everyone’s mind is because there is no magic answer.  No one solution.

Before we get into the methods of determining a right answer, let’s be very clear about these two points:

1) The exact amount matters less than having an amount.  In other words, having and tracking a marketing budget, even if your initial number is off, is much more important than getting the number exactly right.

2) You can have the right budget and spend it on the wrong things.  A marketing plan should always be tied to a strategic marketing budget.

Now, let’s tackle the question.  Here are some of the more effective ways to set a marketing budget:

Percentage of gross sales/revenue:

This is probably the simplest method.  Most experts recommend somewhere in the range of 2-8% of gross sales.  McKinsey & Company is often quoted at 5%.

Most small businesses (less than $5 million gross revenue) should shoot for at least 7-8%.

Industry-specific:

Many industries have their own standard.  For example:

• Consumer package goods:  Up to 50% of projected net sales to launch a new product
• Industrial B-to-B:  1% of gross sales
• Retail:  4-10% of net revenues
• Banks/Credit Unions:  2-5% of assets
• Law firms:  1-4% of gross revenues
• Pharmaceuticals:  Up to 20% of net sales
• Hospitals:  1% of net revenues

Lifetime value of customer:

The idea is simple. You identify how much profit (on average) you make during the lifetime of that customer relationship and determine how much you are willing to invest per customer acquisition.  If you choose this method be very careful that your numbers are accurate.

Goals/Plan driven:

The thinking behind this method is really a blend of some of the others.  Identify measurable goals (# of new clients, % of revenue increase, etc) and then determine your sales equation.

For example:  For every 100 prospects approached, you get 25 initial meetings.  From those 25 meetings, you can expect to get 12 invitations to present a proposal.  From 12 proposals, you will score 4 new clients.  If your goal is 20 new clients, you now know that you need to approach 500 qualified prospects.  You build your marketing plan to accomplish that and assign the costs accordingly.

Again, this method requires very accurate numbers to make the equations viable.

So what do you think?  Which method do you currently use?  If you don’t have a marketing budget, which method do you think would serve you best?

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I already know you’re an expert

September 13, 2011

…they already know you’re capable

When I get hit in the forehead twice on one day with a marketing tip — I know it’s time to share.

Incident One: I’m on the phone with a potential new client who is telling me about his previous experiences with finding the right agency.

He’s describing one agency visit and says, “pretty much all we talked about were how many awards they won.  I already knew they could do the job, I just wanted to know if I liked them.”

Turns out he didn’t like them…but apparently they sure liked themselves.

That agency didn’t get it.

Incident Two: Later that evening (around 11 pm) I’m working in my home office.  I notice a drip of blood that has fallen, apparently from me.  The one drip becomes many and an hour (and two rolls of TP) later, when I still can’t stop the nose bleed… I figure I’d better head to the ER.

We have a new hospital minutes from my house, and fortunately, this was my first visit.  I walked in and within 10 minutes, a nurse is coming out to get me, apologizing for keeping me waiting.  In the holding pen (exam room) the nurse doesn’t tell me about his education or skills, instead he empathized with me by telling me how he used to suffer from nose bleeds and how glad he was I came in, rather than continuing to try to stop it myself.

Doctor comes in 10 minutes later — again, does not tell me his med school GPA or diploma.  He introduces himself by his first name and begins to solve my problem.

(Turns out the solving my problem involved cauterizing — really do not recommend that.)

After the “procedure” — both the doctor and the nurse checked back in and encouraged me to come back in if I couldn’t control the pain or the bleeding started back up.

The entire experience — they focused on me.  They anticipated my questions, concerns and even that I felt a little silly bothering them with a nose bleed.  As the nurse was walking me out to the front door, again he apologized that I had to wait here and there.

They got it.

In today’s age — if someone is approaching you to potentially buy something, they already know you/your product is capable.   No one buys anything today without doing a little research on the web or by asking their network.  If you’ve gotten to the “I want to meet you” stage — they’ve already given you props for your capability.  Now they want to know how the chemistry is.

Here are the questions running through their mind at the interview/first visit stage:

1. What would they be like to work with?
2. Do I trust them?
3. Will they make me look good?
4. Do they care?

So pitch the PowerPoint slides that blather on about you.  Don’t lead with the awards or credentials.  Just roll up your sleeves and be valuable by being about them.

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Is social media right for your business?

September 10, 2011

…is social media right for your business?

There are a lot of social media “experts” out there who will tell you that every single organization on the globe should be participating in social media.  They will point to the cool Facebook fan pages they’ve made or the funny videos their clients have on YouTube and say “see, you can do this too.”  And they’re right.  You can.

The question is:  Should you?

The real answer to that question is “it depends.”  It depends on whether or not it can do one of two things.

1. Save you money
2. Make you money

If it isn’t going to accomplish one of those two goals, then you have no business engaging in it.  Why?

Participating in social media is expensive.  I know everyone talks about how cheap it is…but that’s because they are not thinking like a business owner.  They’re thinking like someone who knows how to open a YouTube channel account or sign you up on Twitter.   It’s true, creating an account on many of the tools and networks is free.  But that’s where free ends.

To integrate social media into the rest of your marketing, which is an absolute if you want to consider it a business tool, you are going to have to expend some resources.  Social media requires care and feeding.  It requires brand integration.  And it requires a well-conceived strategy.  All of those are going to cost time and money.

Don’t misunderstand.  I believe in the power and reach of social media and most of our agency’s clients are using social media tools as part of their overall marketing strategy, but I am not bullish on the belief du jour that everyone must do it and it’s free.  Neither is true.

Here are twenty questions to ask yourself as you consider melding social media into your existing marketing strategy.

How will it save us money?

1. Will it allow us to stop doing something we’re currently doing?
2. Will it allow us to extend/expand something we are currently doing?
3. Will it lower our customer acquisition costs?
4. Will it connect us to existing customers in an efficient way?
5. Will we be able to use social media to create a community specifically for our customers?
6. Will it be easier for our customers to rave about us/create positive word of mouth?
7. Do we look behind the times to our customers if we aren’t there?
8. Will it introduce us to new potential customers at a low lead generation cost?
9. Will it make us more findable (either within the social network or on search engines)?
10. Will it impact our search engine results? (so we don’t have to buy results)

How will it make us money?

1. Will it shorten our sales cycle?
2. Will it create credibility/trust faster among prospects?
3. Can we establish ourselves as the expert?
4. Will it shorten customer service response time?
5. Will it create a sense of accessibility for our customers?
6. Will it increase trial of our product/service?
7. Will it allow us to connect with more prospects at once?
8. Will it increase repeat buying?
9. Will it increase up sells?
10. Can we collect/use testimonials?

If the answers to those questions indicates that social media would be a smart investment for your company to make, then you should be there.  But now you will enter into it knowing that there’s a return for that investment.

Now we’re talking smart marketing, not marketing hype.

 

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Brilliant writing is timeless

September 7, 2011

Two months into launching my blog in 2006, I stumbled upon this example of copywriting brilliance and shared it with my readers.  Back then, my readers consisted of my parents and about 2 other kind souls who took pity on the newbie blogger.

I was going through some old posts for a project I’m working on and discovered it again.  Now that I have a whole handful of readers, I thought I’d share it again.

As you experience the copy, think about how it must have evolved.  The time it took.  The precision of the language.  This kind of work doesn’t happen when you’re rushed or not really thinking about the end game — what do I want my audience to feel/realize at the end?

There’s a twist to this…so stick with it until the end.  It’s worth it.

Enjoy.

 

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