Marketing Archives - Page 57 of 67 - McLellan Marketing Group

Do you want a 340 lb exercise instructor?

February 8, 2007

…or…

Last week, The Wall Street Journal wrote an article about a new exercise (Nordic Walking) that targets the "less than fit." Part of the effort to lure the couch potatoes and non-athletic type people into an exercise class is to have overweight instructors lead the group.

In the article one of the instructors, the 340 lb. Donna Mirabile, explains the tactic as "we want people to think if big fat Donna can do it, so can they."

Hmm.

Now the politically correct answer of course, is…it doesn’t matter how much she weighs. And maybe it doesn’t.

But I find myself wondering if this isn’t a case of someone marketing based on what they wish people thought/wanted rather than either recognizing or wanting to acknowledge the not so flattering human truth. (Sort of like the recycling movement.)

I get the whole before and after technique that is rampant in weight loss marketing. They show a picture of "big fat Donna" and then we see the after version "svelte, sexy Donna" while she tells us she could still eat chocolate. The premise of these ads is to encourage the mental leap — if Donna can transform herself, so can I.

But if "big fat Donna" is leading the class and she is still "big fat Donna" does that imply that you’re going to stay "big fat you?"

Be honest — both women are friendly, kind, love animals. But one is fit and one is fat. Who would you, as a consumer, want to take the exercise class from?

Do you think it matters, from a marketing perspective?

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How to choose an agency: Know what you want (part 2)

February 7, 2007

You’re hiring an agency because you want results.

This is not about making your ads look prettier or your Web site cooler. (Although that may be a by product.) This is about doing more business, smarter.

So, how do you choose the right partner? Eenie Meanie Mienie Moe?

Well, if you read my earlier post you know I don’t think it should be an RFP. But on the other extreme, it shouldn’t be just because your cousin works there either.

Following a simple process (simple to understand, but will take discipline and time to execute) will protect you from making an expensive mistake.

The phases of the process are:

Know what you want (ask yourself questions)
Do your homework (ask the prospective agencies questions)
The meet and greet (get together and ask questions)

Let’s start with the first phase — knowing what you want. You start with your own organization. Before you reach out to find the right partner, it’s important to know what you are bringing to the party.

You should ask yourself a series of questions. Let’s look at question #2:

What kind of budget should/can we allocate to advertising for each of the next few years?

This question will narrow the number of candidate agencies.

Some larger agencies won’t touch accounts with less than $1 million in yearly billings. Conversely, some small agencies might not want to take on accounts that would drastically increase the workload beyond the limits of their staff.

You want to know that your agency can handle your workload. On the flip side, you want to know that you won’t be such a small fish that you’ll get ignored or relegated to the most junior of staff.

Logic will tell you that you don’t want to be 1% of an agency’s total billings nor do you want to be 75%.

Watch for the next question you should ponder…

The rest of the How to Choose An Agency Series:

Flickr photo courtesy of PeeJ0e

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How to choose an agency: Know what you want (part 1)

February 7, 2007

You’re hiring an agency because you want results.

This is not about making your ads look prettier or your Web site cooler. (Although that may be a by product.) This is about doing more business, smarter.

So, how do you choose the right partner? Eenie Meanie Mienie Moe?

Well, if you read my post from yesterday, you know I don’t think it should be an RFP. But on the other extreme, it shouldn’t be just because your cousin works there either.

Following a simple process (simple to understand, but will take discipline and time to execute) will protect you from making an expensive mistake.

The phases of the process are:

Know what you want (ask yourself questions)
Do your homework (ask the prospective agencies questions)
The meet and greet (get together and ask questions)

Let’s start with the first phase — knowing what you want. You start with your own organization. Before you reach out to find the right partner, it’s important to know what you are bringing to the party.

You should ask yourself a series of questions. Let’s look at question #1:

Why are we looking for an agency? What do we want them to help us accomplish?

(Increasing sales locally? Increasing sales nationwide? Changing our image? Introducing a new product or service, etc.)

This question will help you decide exactly what results you need from an advertising agency. Some advertising agencies may not offer all the services you might need.

And on the flip side, some agencies may offer – and charge you for – services you don’t need. For example, if you decide that new business cards and a new letterhead are all that you need, a local design studio may be more cost-effective than a full-service advertising agency.

Watch for the next question you should ponder…

Flickr photo courtesy of PeeJ0e

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RFP = Really Flawed Plan

February 6, 2007

An RFP or “request for proposal” has long been one of the standard ways that clients look for business partners.

I can only conclude that businesses and government departments continue to use them because they can’t figure out a better way. It’s a lot like playing pin the tail on the donkey.

The RFP process is flawed from the get go. Its very structure forces the bidding companies to either blow smoke up your skirt or actually be brave enough to be honest about how little they can tailor their answers to you — because they don’t know anything about you yet.

Of course, I’m coming at this from the marketing/advertising agency’s point of view, but I suspect the same could be said about any service provider RFP.

No one wants cookie cutter solutions, but the RFP process begs for them. I don’t care how much factual information your committee tries to pack into the RFP, it is no substitute for sitting in a room with you, picking your brain, talking to your customers, interviewing your employees and observing your processes. We learn more in the interactions, discussions and exploring process than you could ever capture in the “current situation” section of an RFP.

There are nuances and uncovered truths about your marketing challenges that need to be discovered before any good agency can truly impact your business or your bottom line.

Would you send a prospective physician a written document, describing a pain in your neck and expect him to accurately diagnose your ailment and prescribe a treatment?

Why is choosing a business partner any different?

Flickr photo courtesy of eszter

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Join me by the fire

February 5, 2007

Have you ever shared a campfire with a friend?

The warmth and the crackling colors mesmerize you as the fragrance of the burning wood mixes with the crispness of the night. You’re aware of the world that cocoons you but it simply serves as the backdrop to the moment.

You sit close together, your voices almost hallowed in their hush. You listen intently, knowing each has something important to be said.

You aren’t in a rush, trying to force your point or plan your response before the other finishes talking. You are savoring the conversation and are content to let it pace itself.

You are reluctant to let it end. You feel connected. You know you matter.

That is what good marketing looks and feels like. No hype. No interference. Just authenticity and intimacy.

Flickr photo by Mr. Sugden

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It’s your fault!

February 3, 2007

Remember the discussion about Kohl’s right after the holidays. Paul (HeeHawMarketing) posted some photos about his experience in a local store. The place was a disaster.

I followed up with a post saying that Paul’s experience is a symptom of bad or a complete lack of branding. When an organization doesn’t have a clear direction — it generates some significant problems.

When your employees don’t understand your brand — even the best employees flounder around, trying to do what they think they should.
When you don’t invest in employee communication and tell them over and over what matters, human nature says won’t retain the message.
A good, solid brand sets the expectations for your customers.

But here’s one of the greatest risks of not having a rock-solid brand.

Finger pointing. It’s not my fault. It’s not my department. No one is accountable, because no one knows what they’re accountable for. For a real-life example, let’s go back to the Kohl’s story.

Paul got a voice mail from Kohl’s VP of Public Relations. Here’s what she said:

"Please know that it is our top priority to provide you, and all of our customers, a quality shopping experience. I’m very sorry that you recently encountered an unacceptable store environment, and from your pictures, clearly not up to our standards. I have advised our senior level management, they’ve been made aware, and they’re highly committed to addressing it. So, thanks again for letting me know. I do appreciate hearing from you and we do value your patronage."

In other words….nothing but smoke being blown up his skirt. So, then a Kohl’s employee wanted to step into the discussion.

As you might expect — it’s not their fault. Bad management, understaffed, under-appreciated employees, customers who are pigs, children who are unruly, etc. etc. And you know, he’s probably exactly right.

But also, ultimately wrong.

So what’s the solution? Someone has to care. Someone has to have a vision. Someone needs to set a course. That has to happen at a corporate level. And at the store level. And at the individual employee level. In other words, they all have to realize and believe that is is indeed their problem.

They need to discover their brand promise and begin to teach their employees how to bring it to life.

Until that happens, I suspect Kohl’s will continue to breed a culture of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" not my problem, man.

Sad.

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How’s the view from inside the bottle?

February 2, 2007

It happens all the time. The business owner believes that they can be objective about their own business. Impossible.

I hate to be so emphatic — but if you own the joint, you cannot see it from the same lens as someone on the outside. Here is a Drewism (phrase that is uttered repeatedly over time) "You cannot accurately describe the outside of the bottle if you are on the inside."

Mark True, over at REL Online, has a great post about tough love for entrepreneurs. He asks the question "What do you think is the single biggest marketing mistake committed by new business owners?"

If you own or run the business, you have a grossly disproportionate amount of knowledge about the industry, the product/service and your specific business. All of that makes you uniquely qualified to be biased.

Think you can shake it off and become objective? Think again. It’s sort of like knowing that Santa isn’t real and then trying to go through the entire holiday season believing the old guy is really coming down your chimney. You can simulate the belief — but it’s tainted with what you know.

So how do you get objectivity? You put together an advisory council. You do research. You pay attention to what social media is saying and doing. You hire an outside expert. You ask your customers. You ask the people who opted not to buy.

But you don’t rely on your objectivity.

Marketing truth: You cannot accurately describe the outside of the bottle if you are on the inside.

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A marketing tip from my Italian grandma: Be who you are

January 31, 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.

My grandma had many funny habits, beliefs and sayings. She was an easy and ready target for a family of joksters who love to tease. Fortunately, she took it with great grace and dished it back out. She could have easily "masked" some of her idiosyncrasies, but she stood tall (all 5 foot of her as she shrunk!) and took our ribbing.

One of our favorite things to tease her about was her affection for knee-high stockings and the fact that they never stayed up. (As evidenced to the right). It was not pretty.

But they were what she liked and she was completely comfortable in her own skin.

That’s a lesson that as marketers, we should embrace as well. Branding is very much about knowing who you are and by default, who you are not. We need to know ourselves well enough to be completely comfortable in our own skin.

It’s accepting and even celebrating that you are not a "one size fits all" solution. There are pros and cons to the consumer if they buy. We’re quick to point out the pros, but all too often we hide the cons.

If you’re expensive — tell them. If your product requires some technical expertise — tell them. If your production quality makes your product disposable — tell them. If your model is more of a plug and play than hand holding them through implementation — tell them.

That’s great branding. Here’s what we are. Here’s what we are not. It is authentic marketing. Good, bad or ugly stockings — tell them.

If you’re the knee-highed stocking of your category, don’t hide it. Pull up that pant leg and show the world!

Here’s the entire Marketing Tips from My Italian Grandma series, for your enjoyment:

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Should your brand be a chameleon?

January 30, 2007

I think one of the saddest elements of blogging is that so many conversations get lost in the comments section. I thought this exchange was worthy of dragging back into the light.

Recently, Adam Steen from Growth Capitalism asked this question:

Lately, I’ve been struggling with branding. I’m a firm believer in developing a brand that someone will recognize and relate too. My problem is that when I describe TCM; I feel the need to brand us differently to different people. What happens to me in many cases (not all!) is that "financial" minds understand the financial lingo and "entrepreneurial" minds understand all other lingo. So, my answer has been to adjust my description accordingly.

I can come up with some positives and negatives to this approach, but I’m curious… Is it okay to give different descriptions of my business? And by changing descriptions… Does that hurt our brand?

To that question, I answered…

The answer is yes. And no.

A brand is not like a jacket…you change weights and styles based on the season. A brand is your heart and soul. It’s why you as a company exist. It’s what makes you unique in the marketplace. It is the core value/s that you are never willing to compromise.

So that is universal and should be the same for everyone. No matter who they are or how they might interact with your organization.

So yes…if you are not staying true to that, you are hurting your brand.

However…how various types of companies interact with your organization is different.

Your view of your brand should never change. You see clearly what your organizational heart and soul is all about.

But…when you look at the company through other companies’ lens — they see you through their own filters. In other words — they see you in terms of how you relate to them.

So the financial types "get you" in terms of their world. The business owners "get you" but in a completely different way than the financial folks do.

So really what you are probably saying is: Here is who we are. This is what you can always count on with us. (that’s the evergreen part) Now, because you are a (fill in the blank) we’d be able to help you…(that’s the customized part, based on the audience.)

Flickr photo courtesy of Agamid.

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Let’s get really personal

January 30, 2007

Remember when it was cool when we got a personalized pen in the mail? Or when the magazine came with our name printed on the cover photo?

Personalization used to be noteworthy. But like all marketing tactics, after awhile they go from "wow" to "ho hum." Eventually, we barely notice.

Unless of course, they get it wrong.

Probably like you, I get a lot of those free mailing labels from non-profits seeking a donation. They know my name, address, and if I have sent them money before. No doubt, they know much more than that. They probably have my income range, my giving patterns, whether I have children and what magazines we subscribe to. They probably know what we had for dinner last night.

And yet, even know they know all of that…they sent me labels decorated with flowers sprouting out of watering cans and other fresh bloom images. Hardly the kind of labels most men would find valuable. (I know, I am generalizing. Stay with me for the marketing message.)

Is this a big deal? Not in the grand scheme of things.

But remember, they are competing with the other 3 non-profits that also sent me labels that very same day. All of them are fine charities, doing good work for our world. But like most people, I don’t send money to everyone who asks. So I am going to make a choice.

You see…that’s the reality we live in today. Our products and services are not going up against companies who are incompetent and unable to meet the customers’ needs. The nuances between our offerings and theirs are minuscule. So every detail matters.

It’s not the big things that win or lose business for us. It’s in the details.

These two sets of labels came on the same day. Both from reputable and worthy organizations. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the first charity lost a donation over something as trivial as flowers versus flies?

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