February 18, 2007
This week, randomly stop 5 of your employees and ask them to describe your company’s brand promise in a single sentence.
If your own choir isn’t singing out of the same songbook, how do you expect your customers or prospects to understand why you should matter to them?
Flickr photo courtesy of MoToMo
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February 17, 2007
Let me stitch 3 disparate thoughts together to lay the foundation for this post.
As I was pruning my feed reader, I found myself asking – what have I gotten out of this blog? How have I been engaged in conversation? What have I learned? What have I been invited to share?
The blogs who got deleted from my feed reader were the ones who seems much less interested in helping me and much more interested in putting their hand into my pocket to sell me their new book, new e-course or new whatever.
Maybe I am doing it wrong.
I don’t post ad nauseam about my book. I figure you can see the graphic and you’re bright enough to know if you click on it, you can buy it.
Maybe I’m doing it wrong.
I don’t blather on about e-courses, speaking fees, seminars, or blatantly ask you to hire me. I believe if my content is worthy and I fit a need that you have – you will seek me out for those opportunities.
Maybe I’m doing it wrong.
Whenever I reference my company, my family or some other aspect of my world – I do my darnedest to relate it to yours in a meaningful way. On rare occasion, it isn’t about business — it’s about life. I’m okay with that. But, I never just lob up a sales pitch.
Maybe I’m doing wrong.
The question I ask myself before I hit save on any post is a simple one. Have I provided value? If the answer is no, or you sure have – value to you, big guy – then it doesn’t belong on my blog.
Maybe I’m doing it wrong.
If I am…so be it.
Especially in a medium that I think is all about community, connections, relationships, sharing, listening and reaching out – I want to provide an easy answer when any reader asks “what’s in it for me?”
I can’t think of anything more embarrassing (for me) than to be deleted because I was too busy selling to be of real value.
How about you? Are you doing it wrong? Are your marketing materials all about you? Be careful – it’s all to easy in these days to be pruned.
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February 16, 2007
No doubt you look at my last name and say Italian? But rest assured, on my mom’s side I’m your amico! Like all Italians, I had an Italian grandma. And like all Italian grandmas, she had an opinion about everything and wasn’t afraid to share it or the life lessons she had collected along her colorful life.
What she didn’t realize is that she also taught me some great marketing tips that in her honor, I’d like to share with you.
When you walk into an Italian house — you are family. Like it or not, you’re going to get a hug at the very least and probably a kiss or two. You feel as though they’ve been waiting for you. Welcomed and loved.
(In fact, in this picture the only two grumpy people are my parents. It must have been at the tail end of my grandma’s visit! The rest — friends are glad to be in the midst of Italian-spiced family love.)
The same idea should be applied to our businesses. I’ve mentioned before that if you don’t genuinely love (or can’t find some aspect of them to love) a client, you owe it to them to fire them.
CK mentioned in a recent post that consumers don’t always need/want spectacular. Sometimes they just want to be a part of normal. I don’t think CK was implying that normal means — like a customer. I think people want something a little more than that from us. They want to matter. Like family. They want to be noticed and valued. Again, like family.
Do you honestly believe that your customers feel embraced when they walk in your store? Or you answer your phone? Or they get an e-mail from you?
Do you welcome them with open arms, even when their arms are filled with problems or rush orders? Do they always walk away feeling appreciated? Do they know that they can count on you?
Remember, that being a part of the family doesn’t just mean hugs and kisses. It also means getting the inside dirt, being asked to pitch in, knowing some family secrets, and being given special privileges.
Are you offering those "family" benefits to your best customers?
If not…you need to give them a little Italian family love. Try this on them: "Benvenuto alla mia famiglia!"
Here’s the entire Marketing Tips from My Italian Grandma series, for your enjoyment:
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February 15, 2007
Despite my frustrations about how Apple announced the iPhone or how they mishandled iPod Mondays, I do love the brand. I love what it stands for and, in general, how they communicate.
Inc.com did a very nice little slide show, How to Generate Buzz like Apple. Unfortunately, they don’t give me any way to add the code so you can watch it here…or a URL I can share.
So, I did the next best thing. The screen shots are worth the scroll. I promise. Don’t just read the headlines…some marketing greats are quoted in the body copy as well.
Kudos to creators Leslie Taylor and Erika Schneider. If anyone finds a better way to show this (I checked to see if it was on YouTube) let me know and I’ll update!
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February 14, 2007
It’s Valentine’s Day and at McLellan Marketing Group that means that cupid appears in the unlikely semblance of Telly Savalas.
For those of you old enough (boy, do I hate having to start sentences with that phrase!) to remember Telly’s performance as the NYC detective Kojak, you will recognize the lollipop-laden quip.
So here’s how I show and share the love to the MMGers on this day of affection. I gather up a bevy of Valentine’s Day themed prizes. Kissing Instructor boxers, red stuffed bears, boxes of truffles, a pink scented candle and the like.
Then, I get on the PA at the office and ask "Who loves ya baby?" followed by a holiday themed trivia question. It could be about a love story, how many women send themselves flowers on the holiday (15%) or who said a famous quote about love. The employees must then run (Yes, I want to hear the sounds of the thundering approach) and whoever arrives at my office first with the correct answer gets to choose from the prize pool.
Silly? You bet. Something fun to look forward to every year? I hope so. Something that both lets my employees know that I love them and because it’s a little off center, speaks to our brand — that’s my plan.
So on behalf of all the MMGers — Happy who loves ya baby day!
Do you actively look for ways to:
If not…when are you going to start?
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February 13, 2007
There are very few products that have emerged in my lifetime that have captured the marketplace as pervasively and quickly as the iPod.
It seems like just about everyone, from man to moose owns and loves their iPod.
Owners spend hours and millions of dollars (via iTunes) to craft custom playlists that are the embodiment of a mood, a relationship, a favorite activity or a phase in their lives.
Which must make Apple giddy.
So here’s the puzzler.
In Des Moines, a local and "in" bar called the The Lift has been hosting iPod Mondays for the past two years. Bar patrons bring their iPods and get to play DJ for 15 minutes, while they share one of their favorite playlists.
Let’s look at the ingredients of this:
In a very "Microsoft-like action" Apple representatives contacted the bar and told them that their event and the associated website were a violation of Apple’s trademark guidelines.
What is happening at Apple? Why aren’t they offering to sponsor this event? Sending prizes and free download coupons? Why isn’t Apple paying the Lift a brilliant idea fee and taking this to bars across the country?
What happened to the organization with the incredible sense of grassroots marketing and community building?
Read the Des Moines Register story — Download ipodmonday.pdf
Photo courtesy of Stumpy Moose.
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February 12, 2007
Meredith Corporation, publisher of magazines as mainstream as Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes & Garden, Parents and Family Circle also has an entire division of special interest or niche magazines aimed at very segmented audiences.
These titles include Diabetic Living, Decorating, Kitchen & Bath Ideas and over 200 additional magazines aimed at women particularly honing in on homebuilding, remodeling, decorating, gardening, crafts and cooking.
They access and influence over 75 million women with their titles. That’s a lot of power and because of the narrow focus of each title — a lot of passion.
Meredith announced today that it has signed a contract with Wetpaint to create a series of Wikis for its company’s most popular special interest magazines and Web sites.
The first Wiki to launch will be Scrapbooks etc.
So what do you think? How will this influence circulation? Advertising dollars?
Do you think this strategy would work as well in a more mainstream magazine like Time or People?
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February 12, 2007
Talk about brilliant branding…and they get us to do all the work!
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February 11, 2007
This is a book that’s been out for a few years, but I think its still been "under-read" by people who need the information inside.
I believe 100% in the power of branding. It is without a doubt, the most important and misunderstood aspect of marketing in today’s ecomony. Joe Calloway’s book Becoming a Category of One is the branding book I wish I had written. It’s that good and that on target.
Calloway is a gifted storyteller who helps the reader "get it" and understand how critical it is for them to brand their organization. Every business owner/leader should be required to read this book. It’s an enjoyable, quick read…but even if it wasn’t I’d make you read it.
I believe that branding is the only significant way we can differentiate ourselves from everyone else out there who sells the same things we sell. Most businesses have no idea how to articulate their brand — if they even know what it is or how to uncover it. I’ll tell you this much — it is not your logo or your sales theme of the month.
Check out Joe’s book and be prepared to be inspired to find and celebrate your company’s true brand.
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February 10, 2007
No doubt you look at my last name and say Italian? But rest assured, on my mom’s side I’m your amico! Like all Italians, I had an Italian grandma. And like all Italian grandmas, she had an opinion about everything and wasn’t afraid to share it or the life lessons she had collected along her colorful life.
What she didn’t realize is that she also taught me some great marketing tips that in her honor, I’d like to share with you.
When I got under my grandma’s skin (which I must admit, I did on purpose now and again) she would give me "the look" (as illustrated to the right) and then she’d wave her hand in the air and mutter "oh Madonne" which roughly translates to "a prayer of patience to the Virgin Mary or "Madonna dell’Oh di mine." (If that’s not quite right, blame me and the online translator!)
In fact, you knew she was completely in her zone (happy, mad, sad etc.) when the Italian came out.
When she wasn’t being cautious or conscious about how she sounded or was in a peak state –she slipped into her family’s native tongue.
It was when there was no doubt about how she was feeling. Complete authenticity.
That’s a lesson that as marketers we should embrace as well.
The community, our customers and prospects can tell when we are speaking in our native tongue and when we’re trying to spin doctor something. When you are completely in your zone — talking to a client or your internal team, you are probably talking very naturally, without a lot of jargon or hype.
Now look at your website, brochures, and ads. Do they have that same authenticity or are they filled with ad speak? Maybe it’s time to switch to your native tongue?
Here’s the entire Marketing Tips from My Italian Grandma series, for your enjoyment:
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