Strategy Archives - Page 37 of 53 - McLellan Marketing Group

100% support for subliminal advertising

July 10, 2007

We should all become subminal advertising artists. Every single one of us.

I don't care that in 1974 the FCC issued an order saying that anyone knowingly carry subliminal ads was operating "contrary to the public interest."

I don't care that they've proven that the infamous 1957 "drink Coke" movie theater story is a urban legend.

I don't care that some people allege that the Disney animation classic The Lion King has a seen where the word SEX is written in the clouds. (Not sure who that's advertising for!)

I don't care that some people have seen the word RATS in a commercial George W. Bush ran during his campaign for President against Gore.

When a store owner makes a customer feel like they're the most important person in the room, that's subliminal advertising. When an on-line help desk staffer takes an extra three minutes to write a personal comment in a "we've fixed your problem" e-mail, when a customer service rep hops in the car to hand deliver a part that a client desperately needs…that's subliminal advertising.

When a Disney cast member whose job is sweeping up popcorn stops to give a little boy a sticker…that's subliminal advertising. When a lube drive through shop checks a worried woman's car, makes a minor repair and then refuses to charge her anything…that is subliminal advertising.

We can consciously deliver our brand through marketing messages, signage, and consistency. But all of that pales in comparison to creating a customer experience that delights and surprises someone.

That kind of subliminal advertising gets people to not only buy what you sell but to talk about their buying experience. That kind of subliminal advertising transcends loyalty and moves to love.

We should all be that kind of advertiser.

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BrandingWire: Estes Park, Colorado

July 9, 2007

If you haven't had a chance to read the backgrounder, you can find it on the BrandingWire's site.

For this exercise, I am going to stay focused on the brand position and not dig into tactics of execution.

Many of the natural benefits you might gravitate to as you think about branding Estes Park, are unfortunately a duh in Colorado. The scenery is breathtaking. Just like it is in Vail and Copper Mountain. There's lots of wildlife to see in the rustic setting. Same thing is true of the Rock Mountain National Park and Winter Park.

Great fishing, hunting, and hiking. Again, duh. I'm not suggesting that their marketing materials ignore these factors but none of them can occupy the brand position. They just aren't unique enough.

As I read through the information and reflected on my own trips to the area, I noticed some of the more thorny details that make Estes Park a tough sell compared to some of the more posh ski areas like Sundance, Vail or Aspen. Unfortunately, those are also the things that make them different from the more polished tourist areas.

So I thought it might be interesting to think about how to take the negatives and use those to our branding advantage. Let's take a brief look at each.

Limited access: From October to May, Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park is closed. Many of the stores close for the winter season or only keep weekend hours. As a result, they have a very short season.

Not a lot of glitz: When something thinks Colorado resort area, we immediately conjure up a Vail or Aspen experience with their high end shops, glitzy clubs and celebrity sightings. Estes Park couldn't be further from that image with its taffy and t-shirt shops. There are a few higher end stores but the spending per visitor is much lower in EP than other mountain areas.

One of their biggest claims to fame are the horse shows that are a part of their tradition. Even these are very down to earth productions. Again, a complete lack of glitz.

2 road town: Estes Park's "main drag" is two roads that stretch out long enough for the merchants to line up along the sidewalks. It's also the main thoroughfare for the town. I can remember the first time I got to Estes Park's business district my reaction was "this is it?"

So when you combine these factors together, what do you get? I think you get a unique brand for Estes Park. This is the city that isn't "putting on the Ritz" for tourists. They are what they are – a breathtakingly beautiful area that is comfortable in their own skin. They don't need to become something different for anyone.

Estes Park. Colorado au natural.

The copy surrounding the brand promise and the user experience can celebrate the "negatives" that makes Estes Park different from the ski areas and other mountain resort towns. It's certainly already earned its reputation for being one of the most beautiful areas of the state. The wildlife literally can be seen strolling down the main drag. And the residents are already set for their role. This already how they behave and come off. The people that I met are very proud of how rustic and rugged Estes Park is. They chose it because they wanted to get away from the noise and put on glamor of places like Sundance. They like that they're different. And I think many visitors do too.

If you've been to Estes Park, how does this jive with your experience? If you haven't been there before, how do you react to this positioning?

Did you play along? What recommendation would you make to the city?

Check out what the rest of the BrandingWire posse had to say and get more high-voltage ideas at BrandingWire.com.

Olivier Blanchard
Becky Carroll
Derrick Daye
Kevin Dugan
Lewis Green
Ann Handley
Gavin Heaton
Martin Jelsema
Valeria Maltoni
Drew McLellan
Patrick Schaber
Steve Woodruff

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BrandingWire: Play along on round #2

July 7, 2007

Last month, we launched BrandingWire with our team focusing on a local coffee shop. Each month, we focus our creative bandwidth on a particular branding challenge or topic, and collectively give our perspectives on how we’d apply best branding practices.

This Monday July 9th, we will launch July's edition. Our focus is Estes Park, Colorado. Be sure to check out each BrandingWire perspective.

My BrandingWire brethren & sisters are:

Olivier Blanchard
Becky Carroll
Derrick Daye
Kevin Dugan
Lewis Green
Ann Handley
Gavin Heaton
Martin Jelsema
Valeria Maltoni
Drew McLellan
Patrick Schaber
Steve Woodruff

Grab the same background the BrandingWire team is working with and join in the fun.

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Hey customer, thanks for calling. You are fired!

July 6, 2007

Sometimes the stupidity of Corporate America stuns me.

Sprint recently sent out a batch of letters to their own customers. The gist of the letter is that these customers have called Customer Service about billing or other issues too often, so Sprint is firing them.

What I love most about this letter is the ending.

You're fired because you call too much. But if you have any questions — call us!! And does anyone else see the oxymoron of calling it the Customer CARE department?

So, if you've been looking for a way to break your Sprint contract so you can grab a new iPhone, it looks like you just need to give Sprint a call. Or 10.

If you were the VP of Marketing for Sprint and the powers that be came to you with this decision…what would you have said? If they demanded the customers be terminated, how would you have recommended it be handled?

Update: Considering this was about less than 1,000 customers, now how badly do you think they handled it?

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Want to get a job in marketing?

July 5, 2007

We're looking for a few good men/women at MMG and as I endure the misery that is looking for the diamond in the rough, I decided to create a cheat sheet for our applicants. it occurred to me that if you swap out MMG for the marketing group of your choice, 99% of the advise is universal.

So, if you are a job seeker, heed my warnings. If you are a job filler, perhaps you'll find some value in offering your own version of this list to your candidates. And, of course, if you want to work with us…

Without any further ado…here's my counsel.

If I were you and I wanted to snare a job at McLellan Marketing Group, here are some of the things I would and wouldn't do.

I would:

Read the MMG website carefully, to get a sense of culture and tone.
Sign up to receive MMG's weekly e-newsletter, the Marketing Minute.
Read Drew's blog and if I really want to stand out from the pack, I would subscribe (via e-mail or RSS reader) and within a week, make an insightful, articulate comment on a post.
Ask my friends, contacts etc. if anyone knows anyone at MMG who could make an introduction.
If the timing is right, I would attend one of MMG's monthly branding breakfasts.
Be very mindful that my cover letter/resume are the biggest demonstration of whether or not I get branding & marketing. I would ask myself…if I were a product and MMG was the target audience…how would I sell me? How would I make myself different from all the other applicants?
Download and read "Giving College Grads a Fighting Chance" not because Drew had anything to do with it, but because I love to learn.
If I have a blog, I'd link to Drew's because I know he'll check to see who I am.
Know that they're going to check my MySpace, Facebook etc. pages.
If I had no relevant job experience, I would look at the job experience I did have and figure out what elements of marketing were present there.
If I didn't get the job but still think this is the place for me…I would stay engaged. I would keep reading/commenting on the blog, I would attend the branding breakfasts. I would become someone they notice/know.

I would not:

Send a cover letter or resume that even slightly reads like everyone else's.
Rely on any cover letter/resume book. I would throw those away and refer back to my marketing text books.
Under any circumstances tout my ability to work with people (or that I like them) as a strength or skill.
Send anything that a pair (or two) of fresh eyes didn't proof. A typo will get me tossed right into the "no way" pile.
Hit send or lick the envelope until I checked and double checked the spelling of the agency, the agency owner's name and anything else (like their clients) that I might reference. (see bullet point above)
Try to BS my way in. Because I should expect that MMG will smell that a mile away and ask about it until I admit that I sent the same "I believe your agency is perfect for me" cover letter to 12 agencies.
Humiliate myself. I would double check that I put the right cover letter/resume in the right envelope. I'd hate to be the one who makes that mistake.
If I really wanted to work there, I wouldn't give up. I wouldn't be a stalker, but I would keep at it. I would look for ways to help them, even before I got a job there. Because I would believe that I am going to work there eventually and begin behaving like I already do.

You don't have to do any of this. It's your job hunt, after all.

But remember, at MMG we hire as much for "culture fit" as we do for competency. We can teach you marketing. We can't teach you to be a team player. Or curious. Or passionate about our work & our clients. We're not going to force you to be someone who believes in giving back to the community.

So along with your work and academic achievements, show us that stuff. And show us that you get why that matters. Then, we have something to talk about.

Your job is pretty straight-forward. If you're smart and creative enough to sell us you, we know you can help our clients.

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How to anchor your tagline in your target’s mind

July 2, 2007

Use it. Everywhere.

Here's a startling reality check. About the time we are so sick of our positioning line (or tagline) that we could scream — our audiences are just beginning to notice it.

How do we accelerate the marketplace's awareness of our tagline? We use it. Wherever and whenever we can. Sometimes, creating memorable marketing is as simple as frequency.

Where should we put it? I'll start the list and you guys chime in. After a few days, I'll update the post and give you credit for your ideas (in case some people are too lazy to scroll down through the comments!)

Business cards
Letterhead
Website
e-mail signature
invoices
Signage (when it fits)
Vehicle signage
Promotional items (pens, cups, lanyards, frisbees)
Wearables (hats, polos, t-shirts, aprons)
Voice mail message

Come on…where else?

UPDATE: Here are some reader additions to the list.

Actually live your brand promise — submitted by Pete
Promotional literature (brochures, fliers, data sheets, etc)
Trade show exhibits
Newsletter banners
Presentations
Proposals
Advertising (TV, radio, print) — submitted by Martin Jelsema
Your blog — submitted by Steve Woodruff
Invoices
Checks
Front windows (we use sticky letter as well as paint)
Billboards
Social networking sites
Tattoos (Temporary!)
15 second pitches
Introductions
Sales Counters
Walls
Product packaging
Shipping containers and tape
Screen savers
Break areas (on the fridge)
Restroom mirrors
Text messages
Entry carpets
Is skywriting out of the question? — submitted by Becky McCray

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Are your marketing efforts overcompensating?

June 29, 2007

We’ve all seen it.

Bulging, overloaded PowerPoint slides, brochures, packaging and websites. With every additional word or element — you can smell the uncertainty.

They’re afraid the audience won’t get it. Which speaks volumes. But not about the audience.

Are you confident enough to be simple?

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Would you recognize if your product shifted categories?

June 27, 2007

Remember the first desktop computers (shut up if you are too young!). We were amazed at their capacity. Their speed. And their ability to change the way we work.

I can still remember saying "who needs a 1 gig hard drive…that’s crazy!" Now, I wouldn’t buy one that has less than 120. And that was just a couple years ago.

When was the last time you marveled at your computer? Or picked out a new one because it could make a spreadsheet or design a brochure or reach out to people across the globe?

Those functional aspects of the product no longer thrill us. They’ve become a given.

It seems to me that computers have shifted categories a little. Sure, they are still a business tool. But all brands, makes and models are business tools and the reality is, any one of them can probably meet and exceed most people’s needs.

Apple was the first to recognize that computers also say something about us as people and that design matters. Remember the first iMacs with their crazy colors? People were taken aback. The color of the computer does not change its functionality at all.

But it does change what your computer says about you. A hot pink computer? That connotes something about the owner, eh?

Dell has announced that they’re jumping on that boat. Today, they launch their new Inspiron notebook series in 8 vibrant colors, including midnight blue, spring green and jet black.

In a very Apple-like move, the product launch will occur in the Macy’s department store in Manhattan’s Herald Square.

What makes this fascinating isn’t the colored computers. What makes this discussion-worthy is the recognition that companies, brands and products shift over time. Think about your business. What used to make people ohhh and ahhh but now has become a given?

What’s your new ohhh and ahhh? Or are you still hyping the given as though it gives your customers the same tingles it used to?

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Is the fox in your hen house? What to do when competitors spy

June 26, 2007

Since 1999, McLellan Marketing Group has produced a weekly e-newsletter. (Content different from the blog, btw). People can sign up automatically from our website. Which means that our competitors can sign up and "spy" on what we send out to our prospects. I sent out the newsletter last night and got a couple "out of the office" auto e-mails from some of the other agency owners in the market. ;-}

We also host a free monthly branding breakfast — to educate business owners and marketing pros about branding. We have competitors show up to those too. And mingle among our prospects and clients. (I figure if we really want to teach the world about branding, we should probably teach the other agencies how to do it too!)

It’s easy to get paranoid. To worry that the fox is in the hen house, so to speak. And maybe you will chalk it up to arrogance on my part — but we never worry about it.

In fact, we’ve even collaborated with one agency in town, REL. They are good thinkers, understand branding and are very creative. Why wouldn’t I want to hang around with people like that?

Why don’t we worry about those foxes near our hen house? I have complete faith that our brand is genuine and that no one can duplicate that. If we take good care of our clients and we truly walk our talk — they’re not going anywhere. People can try to duplicate, replicate and imitate. But they can’t be us. (And the smart ones wouldn’t bother trying.)

On the flip side, if you want to spy on your competition, there’s plenty of tools out there. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with knowing what the other guys are up to. That’s just good business. But be careful that you don’t compromise your brand by shape shifting every time one of your competitors does something smart.

Be you. And don’t worry. The others may try to be you, but they can’t really pull it off. Why not just invite them in?

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Is your face linked in to my space?

June 23, 2007

Okay, I need a little help. Facebook. MySpace. LinkedIn. Squidoo. Etc. etc.

Is it just a bunch of busy work to maintain them all? Or, am I going to be sorry if I miss out on one now?

Paul Jacobson over at BizTips asks if Facebook is the new LinkedIn. Does that make LinkedIn the old MySpace?

How are they different? Do I really need them all? Do I need any of them? How should I use them? How do you use them?

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