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Are you making or breaking trust in your marketing? (Vanessa Hall)

August 28, 2009

Drew's Note: As I try to do every Friday, I'm pleased to bring you a guest post. Meet a thought leader who shares her insights every day. So without further ado…Vanessa Hall. Again. Enjoy!

Vanessa has made a special offer for readers of this blog: Download the 7 truths every marketing and branding person needs to know ebook by clicking here.

In marketing your products and services you have the power to make or break trust. The reality is you are doing most of it inadvertently.

Imagine if you could actually build trust deliberately with your target market? Here are 7 key things that you need to know about trust:

1. Marketing is a maker or breaker of trust

Trust is fundamentally our ability to rely on people, organisations, products and/or services to deliver an outcome to us.

Marketing creates Expectations in the minds of the market, taps into their Needs, and makes a heap of Promises both implicitly and explicitly. It’s on these three things, what I call ENPs®, that your customers trust. It’s what they rely on.

Meet ENPs and you have their trust. Break them and you lose their trust.

2. Their Expectations of you may have nothing to do with you.

Expectations come from lots of different places. While you can use your marketing to create Expectations, if you are in an industry that gets hammered in the media (eg Banking), they already have Expectations of you that have nothing to do with you and everything to do with what other people tell them.

3. You must know your market’s needs

Your market has basic Needs for survival, for safety and security, for love and belonging, for esteem and respect, and for creativity and freedom. Good old Maslow1 is hard to go by when we look at Needs, and marketers are aware of these.

Most people are driven by one core Need in most of their buying and relationship decisions across the board.

Know what your market’s Needs are, and meet them.

4. Your implicit Promises will catch you out

You make a lot of Promises in your marketing. Promises can be explicit or implicit. The explicit ones are usually the ones that everyone knows about, and that your organisation will, most times, back you up on.

But the implicit, suggested ones, like ‘everyone smiles in our store’ (because on the ad everyone looks friendly and happy), are the ones that catch you out.

When your customers or potential customers don’t experience what was implied to them, they don’t even bother complaining, but they don’t buy, either!

5. You cannot do it alone

Too many times I’ve seen great marketing and branding fall flat because the rest of the organisation didn’t back it up. ‘We put weeks into that campaign. We had a significant increase in enquiries, but *&%$# customer service let us down.’

You have to all work together. The customer doesn’t care who in the organisation was to blame. You’ve just broken their trust.

Work with sales, back office, customer service, whoever needs to deliver on the ENPs you’ve just put out to the market.

6. ENPs = ROI

Meet the Expectations and Needs of your market, and keep the Promises you make to them and you WILL improve your ROI. It IS as simple as that!

7. You must have trust if you’re going to extend your brand

Seriously, don’t even bother trying to create a brand extension if you have not secured the trust of your market. When your customers truly trust you, they’ll buy it without too much convincing (as long as you still meet their ENPs). You don’t have to spend as much on your marketing if you have their trust.

Trust is powerful, but it’s also fragile. Get it right, and enjoy the results!

Vanessa Hall is one of the world’s leading experts on trust. Her practical models for trust are gaining global acclaim. She’s as passionate as they come, loves speaking and writing about trust, but most of all, loves watching the amazing results her work has on organisations, individuals and communities around the world.

The truth about trust in business – How to enrich the bottom line, improve retention and build valuable relationships for success is available now in the US.

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew's Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Fight! Fight!

August 24, 2009

How many movies have you seen where a pivotal scene is played out on the playground. The protagonist and the antagonist square off, ready to duke it out. They are surrounded by other kids, shouting “fight, fight!” with great enthusiasm.

I’m not so sure we outgrow that instinct as we become adults. There is something very primal and very intoxicating about a good fight. But as adults, rather than gather on the playground, we gather in courtrooms, legislative bodies, corporate America and the media.

And in marketing.

Whether you are old enough to remember the battles between Burger King and McDonald's played out in their TV spots or enjoy the current bickering between Apple and Microsoft (or as it plays out…Macs versus PCs)… there are lessons to be learned from these skirmishes. It’s good to know the rules before you roll up your sleeves.

Picking (or getting called out) a public fight is a little like spinning top. Once you release it, it goes where it wants to go.
Just because you’re ready to be done, doesn’t mean the media or your opponent will be.
You will be fighting for the opinions of the neutral group. Those who loved you before the fight will keep on loving you and those who didn’t aren’t likely to change their take either.
If the spectators have a stake in the fight, they’ll care about the details. Otherwise, you’re just a sideshow. It’s pretty tough not to make a spectacle of yourself if you’re being viewed as free entertainment.
The bigger and more public the fight, the harder it is to make up and resolve it. That sort of public lashing leaves scars and animosity that’s tough to heal.

Sometimes the fight is worth it. Sometimes the fight is unavoidable. But don’t lose sight of the risks as you decide whether or not to wage battle.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

What we can learn from SPAM

August 18, 2009

Remember when the word SPAM meant that meat substitute in a can? Today, it seems like there is no escape from the relentless barrage of junk e-mail.

Every day, electronic hucksters offer us investment opportunities, Nigerian fortunes to be shared, PayPal and bank look-alikes who want us to update our credit card information, Canadian pharmaceuticals and enhancements of every variety.

Annoying? You bet. Expensive? Just ask any of the major corporations who have spent millions to build firewalls. But let’s remember one thing. The odds are against them and yet they keep at it. The spammers wouldn’t keep sending the e-mails if they didn’t work.

What can we learn from their tactics?

Your headline is vital. In this case, it’s the subject line of the e-mail. If it isn’t compelling, you’ll get no further. Tell them why they can’t afford to stop reading.

Brevity works. You don’t need to pack every fact into each effort. One key message per marketing piece should be your rule of thumb.

Frequency is critical. Sending just one piece is a waste of money and time. On average, it takes 8-13 impressions to really catch someone’s attention. So don’t stop short.

Know your audience’s heart. Headlines like “we won’t say no to your loan request” and “be the man she wants you to be” play on the recipient’s deepest emotions – fear, worry, insecurities.

It’s not about you. SPAM e-mails never wax on about their company’s history or tout their depth of industry knowledge. They cut to the chase and talk about their product and what it will do for the recipient.

Naturally, I am not endorsing you start sending out SPAM. But there’s no reason we can’t borrow from their techniques. Just remember, use your knowledge for good, not evil!

Misspelling sez something about your business

August 14, 2009

It's tough these days to name a business. You want your business to stand out, you want a URL that is memorable (if you can find one!) and you need a name that your competitors haven't already taken.

All very true.

Sadly, many business owners think they're being clever when they opt to misspell a word — like when someone substitute a K for a C or Q, Or an F for a Ph.

The connotation? Imitation. Cheap. Low quality.

So unless that's what you're going for — keep trying.

Recycle a blog post day: most brilliant outdoor campaign ever!

August 12, 2009

According to my friend Gavin, today is Recycle a Blog Post Day so I thought I'd share with you one of my all-time favorites. I promise you….you will be talking about this!

The rules for outdoor advertising are very simple.

Never use more than 7 words
Always use an attention getting visual
Include the company logo
Leave the boards up for a minimum of 30 days to achieve frequency goals
Buy several locations to increase reach

The most brilliant outdoor campaign broke every one of these rules. Every single one. I use this campaign as an example in many of my presentations and wanted to share it with you too.

Let me tell you the story.

This campaign broke in 1989 in Buffalo, New York. There was (~~and still is~~ – my mistake, I found it on the web's yellow pages and assumed it was current) an Irish Pub called Garcia's in downtown Buffalo that needed to drive not only name awareness but traffic. Their agency, Crowley Webb, devised this campaign, which not only won them a National Obie (Oscars for outdoor boards) but made Garcia's a household name in Buffalo. The campaign also showed up in the New York Times, USA Today and naturally, all of Buffalo's local media.

No ordinary billboard series, eh?

The agency bought a single board location (this I am recalling from memory so I may be wrong) and every Monday for 9 weeks….a new board went up. This is story-telling at it's best. Enjoy the campaign and be sure to catch my questions at the end.

Can't you see all of Buffalo being completely caught up in this story? Can you imagine how many people showed up at Garcia's on Fridays to see if Angel made an appearance. I don't know if the agency took it to that level (I wouldn't be surprised) but I would have hired actors to play William, Angel, Candi and Frankie and put on a floor show.

What do you think of this campaign? Notice the boards didn't push the daily soup special or promise us the same cliches that all restaurants promise. Instead, they invited us into a story. A story where we could play a part.

How could you use this kind of a technique? Or, where else have you seen this sort of creativity played out?

Update: Here's t he back story to this campaign. Now I'm even more impressed.

Want to know what your customers think? Ask them.

August 10, 2009

If we're honest, we'd admit that we make assumptions about our customers every day. First we wonder something. "I wonder why Tuesdays are so slow," or "we sure seem to get a lot of calls at 4:30 trying to schedule service," or in my case…when someone unsubscribes from the blog, "I wonder why they're leaving."

After we wonder something, we make an assumption. Or a series of them.

It might be perfectly accurate but we all know about the ASS + U + ME joke. And most important, we don't really know. We think we know but we aren't sure. That's a tough place to use as a springboard for new decisions.

But the truth of the matter is, we rarely ask. Probably lots of reasons why, but for whatever reason, we don't.

I've been writing this blog for almost 3 years. And every month, a small handful of people unsubscribe. It's never been very many and fortunately, more come than leave. But none the less, it bugs me. I wonder what I could/should do different. I worry about the content mix. I fret about frequency. But I never asked.

A couple months ago, I drafted a very short few paragraphs that looks like this:

I’m sorry to see that you’ve decided to unsubscribe to Drew’s Marketing Minute. I am constantly trying to hone the blog and make it as valuable as possible to my readers

Would you mind taking 15 seconds just to tell me why the blog wasn’t meeting your needs?

Was it..

That you decided to subscribe via RSS feed reader instead

The content wasn’t interesting to you

You got too many posts a week

Not enough content

Something else?

I sincerely appreciate you giving the blog a try and wish you continued success. Thanks for taking the time to help me improve Drew’s Marketing Minute.

Now, every time I get an unsubscribe notice (e-mail subscriptions only, no way to know with RSS) I send them that little note. So figure I have sent 10 or so of them so far. Here's some interesting (albeit unscientific) results:

Almost everyone writes back
About 50% were switching to RSS readers
About 30% were trying to quiet their information overload and my blog didn't make their cut (they said it with more tact)
A few subscribed for a short-term need like a class or a project at work
A few thought I posted too often
And one guy gave me an insight I would have never gotten elsewhere

The insight was…."I'm a skimmer and because your subject line is always just the name of your blog, I can't determine if I want to read it or not."

That got me to wondering if I could get my titles to appear in the subject line. I went to Feedburner and just a couple months ago, they'd added that functionality and I hadn't heard about it. Naturally, I've added it.

Thanks to the subscribers who have decided to leave (btw, I never try to talk them into staying, I just thank them for taking the time to respond.) my blog is better for those who are staying.

Imagine, over time, that I will get 50 or 100 people's feedback. And with each one, learn a little something more about my readers. All because I asked. (I'm always open to feedback….you don't have to unsubscribe to shoot me an e-mail with suggestions, thoughts, likes or dislikes!)

What question should you be asking your customers that you haven't taken the time or made the effort to ask?

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Collapse of distinction – is it safe to be the same as everyone else?

August 8, 2009

Collapse of Distinction by Scott McKain is kind of a "playbook" for businesses. This book reminds you that being good at what you do isn't enough to be successful. Scott McKain maintains that the best way to be successful is to stand out. I know this is not new ground. But the structure and stories in the book are worth reading.

Creating a company of distinction must be an integral part of every action your company takes or chooses not to take. McKain reminds us that it must be embedded in the company from the vision to the execution. It is not a separate function.

McKain starts out by explaining the phenomenon of a sea of sameness that so many companies today are guilty of. He explains three things that destroy differentiation, and goes on to talk about what does not work if you're trying to differentiate yourself. I'll be curious to see what you think of his thoughts in this arena.

There are three levels of differentiation according to the book:

Level one, sameness, is when you are indistinguishable from your competition.
When a company reaches level two, differentiation, they have traits that separate them from their competition.
But, it is when a business reaches level three, distinction, that you become #1 in your field.

This idea reminds me of Joe Calloway's Becoming a Category of One (which I loved). I also noticed that Calloway was one of the people who endorsed this book.

Every chapter ends with an executive summary of what you've just read, which not only makes it easy to retain the information, but convenient to go back and look something up afterward. He also ends each summary with a list of action steps, questions, and ideas, which help to apply his principles to your own business.

Is this book filled with earth-shattering new information? Nope. But can you learn something? You bet. Unless of course, your business is already in a category of its own. Check out the book here.

“Not Safe For Work” Chief Reputation Officers & Other Executive Excess (Freddy Nager)

August 7, 2009

Drew's Note: As I try to do every Friday, I'm pleased to bring you a guest post. Meet a thought leader who shares his insights with clients every day. So without further ado…Freddy Nager. Again. Enjoy!

Not since Sarah Palin claimed "executive experience" has anything this silly been uttered about top management.

I recently met a consultant who argued that all corporations should have a "Chief Reputation Officer." The CRO's responsibility would be to monitor, protect and promote the company's reputation. I noted that this consultant was a "reputation specialist" by trade, so I detected a little self-promotion going on.

Now, I won't begrudge anyone a good job in this economy. We should all aspire to higher responsibilities and rewards, particularly if they include health care with dental.

I also agree that corporations should manage their reputations as diligently as they manage their money. While the consultant and I debated, Microsoft unleashed an ad nicknamed "OMGIGP" for "Oh My God I'm Gonna Puke." Really. The ad featured a woman vomiting. Microsoft quickly withdrew the ad after bloggers and consumers broke into protest and ridicule.

Hmm, maybe the Jerry Seinfeld spots weren't so bad after all…

So, yes, Microsoft tossed its reputation to the curb. But would appointing yet another exec at a top-heavy corporation make a difference or even marketing sense?

Imagine investor response to hiring yet another C-level exec just to monitor reputation — particularly since a company's reputation should be the responsibility of every executive, board member, and employee. True, a "czar" could help manage reputation matters, but that person already exists: the Chief Marketing Officer (or VP/Director of Marketing). If your CMO isn't managing your reputation, time to send 'em packing.

Reputation is part of a company's brand, and branding is to marketers what money is to financiers. It runs in their veins. They eat it for dinner. It's their job. Hiring a CRO in addition to a CMO is completely redundant — and a recipe for corporate politics from hell. (Never spur rivalries between execs capable of writing lethal emails.)

I've also heard of other contrived marketing positions, such as VP of Branding Strategy and Image Officer. They can nuance their job descriptions to perfection, but they simply add another layer of bureaucracy. Such jobs would entail reviewing every communication, product and policy before public release, and predicting how they'll be received by customers, employees, shareholders, the media, the community, etc.

Once again, the job of the CMO.

Now, if you don't already have a marketing exec, your company is only running on three legs. In that case, your President, ad agency, or publicist should oversee reputation. A CRO? No, not even if you have money to burn.

As a marketer who teaches aspiring marketers, I love seeing more opportunities in marketing, but contrived executive positions only hurt a company's brand — almost as much as commercials of women puking.

Freddy J. Nager runs the L.A.-based marketing agency Atomic Tango and blogs at Cool Rules Pronto. Over his 20-year career, he has directed campaigns for agencies Saatchi & Saatchi and Magnet Interactive, and for such clients as MCA Records, Nissan & Infiniti, and numerous startups. Freddy holds a BA from Harvard and an MBA from USC, and teaches marketing at Antioch University and the University of Wales/Robert Kennedy College.

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew's Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Women love their social networks more than their mothers in law

August 6, 2009

Okay, so maybe that isn't so surprising. But how about this…they'd also give up their Pradas (shoes and purses, guys) or chocolate before they'd give up their social networks.

But, if Facebook or the others began to charge a fee for membership….50% of the women would bolt.

So says a study done by ShesConnected Multimedia.

More than one-third (36%) of online US and Canadian women would give up chocolate, their Pradas, or their mother-in-law before they gave up their social networks, but only half would be willing to pay subscription fees to continue using such networks, according to a research study and report by ShesConnected Multimedia.

The study, “The Power of Social Networking for Women,” asked women in the US and Canada how they are using social networks and found that 53% of online women use social networks at least weekly, and that social-networking women – most of whom are highly engaged and comfortable with technology – are one of the fastest growing segments on social networking sites.

Women are also most comfortable with ad-supported revenue models for social networking sites, the survey found. While 92% have some degree of comfort with seeing ads on social networking sites, only 22% say the same about selling data to advertisers and 28% have comfort with a subscription-based model. Nearly half (49%) say they would not use a social networking site if It charged them a subscription fee.

The study also looks at what features are must haves, reasons for belonging etc.

Check out these additional stats from the report:

More than two-thirds (67%) of survey respondents belong to three social networks, while 48% belong to four or more.
The adoption of social networks by older women is especially strong. Women ages 50+ comprised the largest age group in the core user survey.
Women using social networks are highly educated, with 23% of respondents having a masters, PhD, or other advanced degree (vs. 8% nationally).
More than one-third report they are in business for themselves.
Respondents spend a significant amount of time online each day, with 49% reporting they spend 1 – 2 hours per day for personal use and 48% reporting they spend five or more hours per day online for work.
83% of respondents have 50 or more connections or friends.
56% have started at least one group and have joined an average of two to five groups. Nearly one in three (29%) belong to 10 or more groups.

Grace

August 5, 2009

As the recession pounds on, it wears on people. Everyone is a little more uptight, a little more worried and as a result, perhaps a little more "me focused."

That gets in the way of us being capable of offering our customers, co-workers and employees something very valuable.

Grace.

My definition? Simply offering support, forgiveness, or comfort to people in our world, whether they've earned it or not. In other words…cutting them some slack.

It's more than turning the other cheek. It's about assuming the best of everyone. It's being empathetic of where they're coming from. Meeting them where they're at. It's about choosing to give them the benefit of the doubt and being gentle.

It is acknowledging that they are human, in the humblest form.

Our clients/customers count on us to be their guide. They're the experts in their field and they look to us to be their expert in ours. We've promised to show them how to get where they want to go. It's our job to get them there as safely and effectively as possible.

Do clients always behave like we'd want them to? Do they always make the best decisions or react with the speed, amplitude or enthusiasm that we'd prescribe? Do they drop the ball? Or hand it off to the wrong person/team? Or forget about conversations about potential consequences and decisions made until there's a problem?

You know the answers to all of those questions.

But here are the questions that truly matter. What was their intent? What was in their heart?

Hopefully when we slow down and ask those questions, it will be easy to offer our grace. I truly believe it's a customer retention tool every business needs to embrace.

(Drew's note: This was originally published in my weekly column in the Des Moines Business Record. Normally, I don't re-use that content here but I received so many notes, e-mails and calls about the column that I decided it would be worth breaking my self-imposed rule and sharing it with you as well.)

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