Sole proprietors or marketing executives in corporations bring their personal preferences to the brand party. Unfortunately, this isn't always the best thing for the company.
There's no question that the like or dislike of a brand is a subjective situation. Burger King ads continue to drive me around the bend with their lack of brand consistency. But then again, I'm not their audience. They are trying to deliver to young men (neither of which I am). I am concerned that they think young men are stupid, but I'm sure they have some research to prove their point.
But liking or disliking a brand's colours, for example, may affect whether customers will give them their business (which is why Burger King is suffering from closing franchises in Canada and has been for years). So when sole proprietors or marketing executives start to take the brand personally, they are setting themselves up for failure.
Let's remember, first of all, that brand is not just your logo and tagline. It's everything that touches your customer. And that's where your corporate identity triggers come in.
Corporate identity triggers are those values that your existing customers speak about when they refer you to others. They are those values that your internal staff recognize as your unique difference. If you are a new business, your corporate identity triggers can be found from your most successful competitor.
These words and phrases - the corporate identity triggers - can take brand development out of the world of owner/executive subjectivity and into a more objective place.
For objectivity to work, there has to be a process in place. Processes make the accountants happy so it can also lessen your push-pull with the money people who don't understand why you'd spend money on re-engineering or polishing your brand.
Processes also give you next steps, in a logical fashion. For many, brand development appears a slap-dash, "I liked this colour that day" sort of thing. But there is a psychology behind brand development and to get there, your corporate identity triggers are your guide.
If your business isn't performing the way you thought it would, it may be your brand has disconnected from your customer. Or from your internal staff, which can be an even bigger problem.
Marketers and their creativity have led many down the garden path into a swamp. But with a tested process in hand, that garden path could lead to success.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
The example of giving your customer what they need
Okay, so university students aren't generally considered 'customers' of the professors (even though they really should be because that's how their salaries get paid) but I've learned of one professor that does take this concept to heart. At least it appears that he does.
Professor Martin Zinke-Allmang, of the Physics Department at the University of West Ontario, has created a situation in which 'customer service' is delivered to assist the 'customer', i.e. the student, to have a better chance of success.
Let's face it - physics is not a walk in the park for most people. All those formulae and ideas that you can't really see. But if you are going into life sciences, it is mandatory.
So Professor Zinke-Allmang took his task right to the source; how to educate, truly educate, his students majoring in the life sciences. Like any good business owner, he engaged those who would know the most about the needs to create success. He went to the members of the faculty of Biology and Medical Sciences to have them pick out the subjects needed to be learned for success in life sciences. So he covered the first step in success for any business owner, and in my mind now, any successful professor. Get information on what is required; get information on what the problem is and how to solve it; get the information from those who know the most on the topic.
In the case of business, those that know what your customers want are, in fact, your customers. Too many businesses neglect to engage their customers in the development of sales and marketing practices. But seriously, who better to tell you what is useful about your product or service than your customer?
But that's not all Professor Zinke-Allmang did. Oh no. He took one step further. He allows his students to bring in their own cheat sheet, one of their own design. There are rules around it, such as it can be only one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, but still the idea of letting the students determine where they're going to need the most help is genius. And is more likely to end in success for those students.
So in business, allowing your customer to create their own experience is key. Whether they are creating their own experience on your website or in your retail store, having the flexibility to recognize that not everyone learns the same or wants the same thing, can make your customers more comfortable and willing to participate with you.
I bet Professor Zinke-Allmang has return customers - students who know that he's a great teacher that respects the needs of his 'customers'. And business could learn well from the professor's example.
Professor Martin Zinke-Allmang, of the Physics Department at the University of West Ontario, has created a situation in which 'customer service' is delivered to assist the 'customer', i.e. the student, to have a better chance of success.
Let's face it - physics is not a walk in the park for most people. All those formulae and ideas that you can't really see. But if you are going into life sciences, it is mandatory.
So Professor Zinke-Allmang took his task right to the source; how to educate, truly educate, his students majoring in the life sciences. Like any good business owner, he engaged those who would know the most about the needs to create success. He went to the members of the faculty of Biology and Medical Sciences to have them pick out the subjects needed to be learned for success in life sciences. So he covered the first step in success for any business owner, and in my mind now, any successful professor. Get information on what is required; get information on what the problem is and how to solve it; get the information from those who know the most on the topic.
In the case of business, those that know what your customers want are, in fact, your customers. Too many businesses neglect to engage their customers in the development of sales and marketing practices. But seriously, who better to tell you what is useful about your product or service than your customer?
But that's not all Professor Zinke-Allmang did. Oh no. He took one step further. He allows his students to bring in their own cheat sheet, one of their own design. There are rules around it, such as it can be only one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, but still the idea of letting the students determine where they're going to need the most help is genius. And is more likely to end in success for those students.
So in business, allowing your customer to create their own experience is key. Whether they are creating their own experience on your website or in your retail store, having the flexibility to recognize that not everyone learns the same or wants the same thing, can make your customers more comfortable and willing to participate with you.
I bet Professor Zinke-Allmang has return customers - students who know that he's a great teacher that respects the needs of his 'customers'. And business could learn well from the professor's example.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Customer service - Death of a salesman
I received an interesting phone call from a fellow this week. He wanted training in communications for the purpose of getting a job in a store. In his interpretation, the majority of people working in retail customer service don't have any idea about proper language and the ethics of selling.
With my experience as a shopper, I unfortunately have to agree with him. Customer service clerks, or associates as some big box stores like to call them, bring their own personalities into work rather than the personality of the brand for which they work. Or at least it seems that way.
When I go into a clothing shop and see the clerk behind the counter talking on her cell phone and chawing gum (yes, chawing, not chewing - there's a difference), I immediately know I'm not the most important thing in the store. And guess what? Whether it's me or someone else, the customer is the most important thing in the store. Not the cell phone, not your friends, not the gum, not even your lunch (regardless of whether your stomach is growling).
This is the piece that many retailers have forgetten. They may talk it up at staff meetings, but the follow-through is weak at best. And for those businesses that do understand and reward their staff for upholding the brand personality, you can feel the difference the minute you walk in the store. I'm not talking about the retailers that reward their staff with 'commission' on their sales (that just creates an attack mentality - see a customer and jump on them before any of the other predators who want the commission as badly as you do); I'm talking about retailers who hire the best, train them well and frequently, and reward them by letting them keep their job with some additional perks for a job well done.
Communication is the key element to this, both on the side of the employer and for the sales clerk (associate) who is the front line contact with the customer. If your communication is not respectful then you lose the opportunity to create a loyal employee or a loyal customer. I don't just mean just proper English (although I must say that this too is becoming a lost art) but also being respectful of how people want to hear you.
Training in how people process information and the elements they need in communication to really engage with each other can move employer/employee relations to a new level and can take your customer service and sales reputation to a whole new realm. And never forget, how you treat your employees and how they treat your customers is a direct reflection of your brand.
Training is an investment, not an expense.
With my experience as a shopper, I unfortunately have to agree with him. Customer service clerks, or associates as some big box stores like to call them, bring their own personalities into work rather than the personality of the brand for which they work. Or at least it seems that way.
When I go into a clothing shop and see the clerk behind the counter talking on her cell phone and chawing gum (yes, chawing, not chewing - there's a difference), I immediately know I'm not the most important thing in the store. And guess what? Whether it's me or someone else, the customer is the most important thing in the store. Not the cell phone, not your friends, not the gum, not even your lunch (regardless of whether your stomach is growling).
This is the piece that many retailers have forgetten. They may talk it up at staff meetings, but the follow-through is weak at best. And for those businesses that do understand and reward their staff for upholding the brand personality, you can feel the difference the minute you walk in the store. I'm not talking about the retailers that reward their staff with 'commission' on their sales (that just creates an attack mentality - see a customer and jump on them before any of the other predators who want the commission as badly as you do); I'm talking about retailers who hire the best, train them well and frequently, and reward them by letting them keep their job with some additional perks for a job well done.
Communication is the key element to this, both on the side of the employer and for the sales clerk (associate) who is the front line contact with the customer. If your communication is not respectful then you lose the opportunity to create a loyal employee or a loyal customer. I don't just mean just proper English (although I must say that this too is becoming a lost art) but also being respectful of how people want to hear you.
Training in how people process information and the elements they need in communication to really engage with each other can move employer/employee relations to a new level and can take your customer service and sales reputation to a whole new realm. And never forget, how you treat your employees and how they treat your customers is a direct reflection of your brand.
Training is an investment, not an expense.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
How to get the Customer Click
What if you could know the kind of language that motivates your customer and engages them in your sales pitch? Or even knew the language that your customer service people need to know to bring an issue to a positive conclusion?
The sound when something clicks with your customer is the greatest sound a business owner can hear. To get there, you need to know more about your customer than the standard elements.
Of course there is the demographics of your customer and even the psychographics. But what if you knew how their minds worked and how their different styles interact with yours? A new workshop, The Customer Click, delivers hidden information on how to engage with your customers, co-workers and even your family in a way that creates harmony and success for you.
Based in intellect style analysis, this new two-hour workshop gives participants a glimpse into their primary drivers and discusses how those drivers could affect their success in communication. Unlike Myers-Briggs or DISC, The Customer Click is a plain language solution to coded personality reviews that are hard to remember or discuss with others.
Reviewing not only how people talk to each other, but also discussing how different styles are affected by the design and content of marketing materials, The Customer Click is a new tool for sales and customer service training. Managers also benefit from this because the workshop has helped in clearing up challenging relationships, both in the workplace and in personal life.
"The concept I found most empowering is to communicate with clients 'in their world'. I think the workshop gave some practical ways of understanding how to switch gears and function in a way that compliments and takes advantage of the different styles," said Gloria Justice, co-owner of Smith Justice Group in Port Huron, Michigan.
"The workshop raised my awareness of 'knowing my clients' and interacting accordingly. It helped me understand a personal relationship that is a challenge!" added Bonnie Barrett of Joann Wine & Assoc.
An energy-filled, fun workshop, The Customer Click delivers new information to inspire workforces to recognize and engage with the different intellect styles to create greater success.
The sound when something clicks with your customer is the greatest sound a business owner can hear. To get there, you need to know more about your customer than the standard elements.
Of course there is the demographics of your customer and even the psychographics. But what if you knew how their minds worked and how their different styles interact with yours? A new workshop, The Customer Click, delivers hidden information on how to engage with your customers, co-workers and even your family in a way that creates harmony and success for you.
Based in intellect style analysis, this new two-hour workshop gives participants a glimpse into their primary drivers and discusses how those drivers could affect their success in communication. Unlike Myers-Briggs or DISC, The Customer Click is a plain language solution to coded personality reviews that are hard to remember or discuss with others.
Reviewing not only how people talk to each other, but also discussing how different styles are affected by the design and content of marketing materials, The Customer Click is a new tool for sales and customer service training. Managers also benefit from this because the workshop has helped in clearing up challenging relationships, both in the workplace and in personal life.
"The concept I found most empowering is to communicate with clients 'in their world'. I think the workshop gave some practical ways of understanding how to switch gears and function in a way that compliments and takes advantage of the different styles," said Gloria Justice, co-owner of Smith Justice Group in Port Huron, Michigan.
"The workshop raised my awareness of 'knowing my clients' and interacting accordingly. It helped me understand a personal relationship that is a challenge!" added Bonnie Barrett of Joann Wine & Assoc.
An energy-filled, fun workshop, The Customer Click delivers new information to inspire workforces to recognize and engage with the different intellect styles to create greater success.
Friday, February 26, 2010
What happened to your passion?
When you lose your passion, the effect goes much deeper than just your energy level. If you are a team leader, a business owner or even a coach, your passion informs how you do your job and how you define the value you bring to your customer, staff or players.
Your passion also informs your personal brand and your business brand. As a business owner, the business idea was yours and your passion for it took you into business. If you're wondering where your success is hiding, maybe it's disappeared because you've forgotten your passion.
At some point, you believed you could do it better, faster, cheaper, more creatively. There was something that inspired you to take the leap into being a leader, a business owner or coach. You've got to find that inspiration, that passion, and bring it back to life.
When times are tough, it's easy to lose your passion in amongst worrying about paying bills, keeping staff or whether there'll be another customer. But if you lose your passion, those customers will never appear - or at least fewer of them will.
Your personal passion inspires your staff and your customers. Your knowledge and enthusiasm, delivered with passion, inform the behaviours of your staff and customers. Will your staff go the extra mile? Will your customers happily return? And more importantly, will they tell others about your passion for what you do and the value that brings to the sales experience?
Get out of the doldrums and rediscover why you made the choices you did to become a leader, coach or business owner. Revisit the elements of whatever it is you do - those things that inspired you, engaged you, lifted you up. They haven't abandoned you - you just stopped letting them be part of your day.
Your passion also informs your personal brand and your business brand. As a business owner, the business idea was yours and your passion for it took you into business. If you're wondering where your success is hiding, maybe it's disappeared because you've forgotten your passion.
At some point, you believed you could do it better, faster, cheaper, more creatively. There was something that inspired you to take the leap into being a leader, a business owner or coach. You've got to find that inspiration, that passion, and bring it back to life.
When times are tough, it's easy to lose your passion in amongst worrying about paying bills, keeping staff or whether there'll be another customer. But if you lose your passion, those customers will never appear - or at least fewer of them will.
Your personal passion inspires your staff and your customers. Your knowledge and enthusiasm, delivered with passion, inform the behaviours of your staff and customers. Will your staff go the extra mile? Will your customers happily return? And more importantly, will they tell others about your passion for what you do and the value that brings to the sales experience?
Get out of the doldrums and rediscover why you made the choices you did to become a leader, coach or business owner. Revisit the elements of whatever it is you do - those things that inspired you, engaged you, lifted you up. They haven't abandoned you - you just stopped letting them be part of your day.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Who owns what? Don't get taken by your suppliers
Not all graphic designers and website programmers are created equal. And in this case, it isn't a talent thing although in that category it is beyond true that not all are equal. In this instance, the inequality is based on honesty and a knowledge of intellectual property and marketing law.
In Canada, intellectual property law and marketing law are both built to protect the creative folks and their clients. It is very clearly stated that creative work continues to be owned by its creator until it has been paid for, in full, by the person who contracted the work. At that time, the work becomes the property of the client.
The exception here is when there is a signed contract that stipulates that the work remains in the ownership of the creator. Notice I said 'a signed contract', not a verbal agreement, not a terms and conditions that appear after the project is completed.
Too many small business clients discover that, in the end, their creative designers and programmers hold them over a barrel saying that the work remains in the ownership of the creator and additional fees will be charged for the client to obtain possession of the work.
An example happened recently to my newest client. Their website had been created by a local firm and the client understood that, other than proprietary software used in the creation of the website, they owned all the work and images (having paid substantially for them). In the Terms and Conditions at the base of the website pages, it clearly stated that all work remains in the ownership of the programming company.
Well, big surprise, just because you say it, doesn't make it so. However the challenge is that my new clients would have to spend money in the legal system to rectify the situation. One hopes that a reasonable conversation with the programmer will fix the issue, but you just never know.
Credible creative folks are aware of their rights and yours as small business owners contracting them to develop work. Don't sign a contract without reading it (and that shouldn't even need to be said). Ask the question out loud about who owns what once it's paid for. If there's any weebly-wobbling about the answer, find someone else to do the work.
Oh, and the mysterious proprietary software used on my new client's website? Flash. Don't get bamboozled. Understand what's being built and how.
It's your responsibility to protect yourself and your business. Make sure you do.
In Canada, intellectual property law and marketing law are both built to protect the creative folks and their clients. It is very clearly stated that creative work continues to be owned by its creator until it has been paid for, in full, by the person who contracted the work. At that time, the work becomes the property of the client.
The exception here is when there is a signed contract that stipulates that the work remains in the ownership of the creator. Notice I said 'a signed contract', not a verbal agreement, not a terms and conditions that appear after the project is completed.
Too many small business clients discover that, in the end, their creative designers and programmers hold them over a barrel saying that the work remains in the ownership of the creator and additional fees will be charged for the client to obtain possession of the work.
An example happened recently to my newest client. Their website had been created by a local firm and the client understood that, other than proprietary software used in the creation of the website, they owned all the work and images (having paid substantially for them). In the Terms and Conditions at the base of the website pages, it clearly stated that all work remains in the ownership of the programming company.
Well, big surprise, just because you say it, doesn't make it so. However the challenge is that my new clients would have to spend money in the legal system to rectify the situation. One hopes that a reasonable conversation with the programmer will fix the issue, but you just never know.
Credible creative folks are aware of their rights and yours as small business owners contracting them to develop work. Don't sign a contract without reading it (and that shouldn't even need to be said). Ask the question out loud about who owns what once it's paid for. If there's any weebly-wobbling about the answer, find someone else to do the work.
Oh, and the mysterious proprietary software used on my new client's website? Flash. Don't get bamboozled. Understand what's being built and how.
It's your responsibility to protect yourself and your business. Make sure you do.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Guest blogger - Where Your Brand Consistency Efforts Fall Apart
Marketers expend a lot of resources ensuring their brand messaging is consistent and reflects the promise their company makes to the marketplace. This is justified. Unfortunately a key customer touch-point often neglected by Marketing is the direct messaging delivered by the sales representatives to customers and prospects.
In a ‘considered purchase’ situation where the prospect relies on the sales rep for key information and justification, your marketing person or team must be involved in helping deliver consistent and on-brand messages. All sales teams have inconsistency in performance between individuals based on the experience each rep has and the tools they use.
Good sales reps have behaviors based on experience. They: horde key information, develop customized presentations for certain situations, understand the customer’s buying cycle and the rationale, and refer to historical relevant case studies as required. Junior members of the sales team have limited training, a few product binders, youthful exuberance and a lot of fear. It’s not surprising that the brand message each sales rep delivers is wildly different.
Marketing must engage with sales in a more effective way than the historical division that often exists. When Marketing and Sales both consider themselves as key components in driving revenue then collaboration on tools development can drive consistency in sales rep messaging, speedier new rep development, greater team success and, most importantly, an experience the customer will feel is true to the brand promise.
Tools are now emerging that go far beyond typical Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and product information access for sales reps. The most sophisticated of these centralized, on-line tools are helping sales people determine: where the prospect is at in the buying cycle, what key challenges need to be solved, likely competitive positioning, most appropriate solution bundles, access to the most relevant case histories and other critical information that helps determine the right messaging.
Successful deployment of these tools results in more consistency of messaging from sales to customer and helps all the sales reps access the information and support that allows them to quickly become the trusted advisor the customer desires. A nice side benefit is sales and marketing might actually get along for a while….at least until next year’s targets are set!
Bill Jamieson
Bill is the Managing Partner for Streetwise Consulting, a London Ontario based consulting team that specializes in helping companies solve business development challenges. Bill is a graduate of the Ivey School of Business at UWO and has over 25 years experience in marketing, sales and corporate communications. He can be contacted at bill@streetwiseconsulting.org .
In a ‘considered purchase’ situation where the prospect relies on the sales rep for key information and justification, your marketing person or team must be involved in helping deliver consistent and on-brand messages. All sales teams have inconsistency in performance between individuals based on the experience each rep has and the tools they use.
Good sales reps have behaviors based on experience. They: horde key information, develop customized presentations for certain situations, understand the customer’s buying cycle and the rationale, and refer to historical relevant case studies as required. Junior members of the sales team have limited training, a few product binders, youthful exuberance and a lot of fear. It’s not surprising that the brand message each sales rep delivers is wildly different.
Marketing must engage with sales in a more effective way than the historical division that often exists. When Marketing and Sales both consider themselves as key components in driving revenue then collaboration on tools development can drive consistency in sales rep messaging, speedier new rep development, greater team success and, most importantly, an experience the customer will feel is true to the brand promise.
Tools are now emerging that go far beyond typical Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and product information access for sales reps. The most sophisticated of these centralized, on-line tools are helping sales people determine: where the prospect is at in the buying cycle, what key challenges need to be solved, likely competitive positioning, most appropriate solution bundles, access to the most relevant case histories and other critical information that helps determine the right messaging.
Successful deployment of these tools results in more consistency of messaging from sales to customer and helps all the sales reps access the information and support that allows them to quickly become the trusted advisor the customer desires. A nice side benefit is sales and marketing might actually get along for a while….at least until next year’s targets are set!
Bill Jamieson
Bill is the Managing Partner for Streetwise Consulting, a London Ontario based consulting team that specializes in helping companies solve business development challenges. Bill is a graduate of the Ivey School of Business at UWO and has over 25 years experience in marketing, sales and corporate communications. He can be contacted at bill@streetwiseconsulting.org .
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
A special place in hell for marketers
There's a certain line in the sand with marketing - and it keeps being crossed. I believe there should be a special place in hell for marketers and programs that haven't the wits to know when they are irritating their audience. Irritation doesn't breed happy brand experience in anyone's world.
The first special place in hell goes to programming that blatantly uses paid product placement to finance their projects. A little product placement may be amusing but, when it is in your face every five minutes, it screams of desperation.
Case in point - So You Think You Can Dance, Canada (SYTYCDC). I've watched both the American and Canadian versions and the Canadian one is a patchwork quilt of useless product sponsorships that precede nearly every commercial break (as if what we see in the commercial break isn't enough).
Now I get that marketers are having to be more creative in how they reach their audience but the product sponsorships on SYTYCDC are embarassingly uncreative. The Aquafina glasses the judges have strategically placed in front of them so they are in every shot is quiet and traditional.
The Canon sponsorship of 'how the stars get their transformation' is ridiculous. Quick snapshots of the dancers getting their make-up applied - honestly how many times do we have to see the same style of snapshot? If anything, it demonstrates a lack of creativity when using the camera. Good message? I think not. (And of course it is followed in the commercial break by a Canon ad.)
The Joe fresh stage for the audience to dance on is also leaning toward nonsense. A nasty excuse to get the brand in front of both the studio audience and the viewers - and of course followed by an ad in the commercial break.
Finally, as if this wasn't enough, and gracious there may be more that I've forgotten (which indicates how successful this is), is the Tylenol Muscle and Back Pain backstage update. Followed by chatter from the dancers as they breeze by the camera and, you guessed it, a Tylenol ad in the commercial break.
Now in my world, each and every one of these product placement sponsorships should be asking for a discount because their impact is watered down by being trapped with all the other ridiculous activities of paid sponsorship. Is SYTYCDC that desperate for money - or are the advertisers not finding value in buying regular advertising spots? In either case, perhaps a measurement of the value of the programming, or how it is presented, is in order - by both the producers and the advertisers. Perhaps they should just pay for their 15 minutes of the program and spare us the commercial break. Imagine that - network television could become commercial break free! Obviously not commercial-free, but we'd get more program in the one hour than the 40 out of 60 minutes we currently get.
Oh, and the second special place in hell goes to the marketers who think it is clever to buy space to play the same ad back-to-back. Yes, a 15-second ad becomes a 30-second one when you play it twice in a row, but for heaven's sake - do you know how irritating that is? Just a suggestion - negative impact is not a good brand experience and while it gets someone talking about you, it isn't in a pleasant way so they aren't going to support your brand. Fools.
The first special place in hell goes to programming that blatantly uses paid product placement to finance their projects. A little product placement may be amusing but, when it is in your face every five minutes, it screams of desperation.
Case in point - So You Think You Can Dance, Canada (SYTYCDC). I've watched both the American and Canadian versions and the Canadian one is a patchwork quilt of useless product sponsorships that precede nearly every commercial break (as if what we see in the commercial break isn't enough).
Now I get that marketers are having to be more creative in how they reach their audience but the product sponsorships on SYTYCDC are embarassingly uncreative. The Aquafina glasses the judges have strategically placed in front of them so they are in every shot is quiet and traditional.
The Canon sponsorship of 'how the stars get their transformation' is ridiculous. Quick snapshots of the dancers getting their make-up applied - honestly how many times do we have to see the same style of snapshot? If anything, it demonstrates a lack of creativity when using the camera. Good message? I think not. (And of course it is followed in the commercial break by a Canon ad.)
The Joe fresh stage for the audience to dance on is also leaning toward nonsense. A nasty excuse to get the brand in front of both the studio audience and the viewers - and of course followed by an ad in the commercial break.
Finally, as if this wasn't enough, and gracious there may be more that I've forgotten (which indicates how successful this is), is the Tylenol Muscle and Back Pain backstage update. Followed by chatter from the dancers as they breeze by the camera and, you guessed it, a Tylenol ad in the commercial break.
Now in my world, each and every one of these product placement sponsorships should be asking for a discount because their impact is watered down by being trapped with all the other ridiculous activities of paid sponsorship. Is SYTYCDC that desperate for money - or are the advertisers not finding value in buying regular advertising spots? In either case, perhaps a measurement of the value of the programming, or how it is presented, is in order - by both the producers and the advertisers. Perhaps they should just pay for their 15 minutes of the program and spare us the commercial break. Imagine that - network television could become commercial break free! Obviously not commercial-free, but we'd get more program in the one hour than the 40 out of 60 minutes we currently get.
Oh, and the second special place in hell goes to the marketers who think it is clever to buy space to play the same ad back-to-back. Yes, a 15-second ad becomes a 30-second one when you play it twice in a row, but for heaven's sake - do you know how irritating that is? Just a suggestion - negative impact is not a good brand experience and while it gets someone talking about you, it isn't in a pleasant way so they aren't going to support your brand. Fools.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Dazzling upholds its brand name!
Just a couple hours ago, I was a dinner guest at Dazzling Restaurant & Bar on King St. W in Toronto - the illustrious theatre district. Dazzling brings an interesting fusion to several Far East dining styles. From Dim Sum to Sushi, from Pad Thai to Salt & Pepper Shrimp, the creations at Dazzling were just that - dazzling.
It's easy to see how deciding to brand yourselves Dazzling could be a challenge waiting to happen. However, in this particular instance, it actually holds true. The decor is enchanting, the service attentive and welcoming. But the food - the food is what's truly dazzling about this restaurant.
As a long-time fan of ordering a salad and then select choices from the appetizer menu, Dazzling didn't let me down. And didn't let down my dining companion - one of the fussiest eaters I have ever had the pleasure of dining with. Everything from the salad and appetizer menu just sang of the care taken in the kitchen to bring these delectables to table.
The frontage of the restaurant doesn't give away a hint of the dazzlingness inside - even though the theatre district and its ever present lightshow might overshadow the concept of anything else being dazzling. Living up to the brand promise - and for me a restaurant is about the experience and the food - that's what Dazzling actually accomplishes. The smoked salmon avocado salad is positively genius, the detail of delivering a bowl of magnificently tender, warm edamame, and attentive staff that is just there when you need them - everything was what the brand promised.
Congratulations to Dave and his team for putting together a dining experience that makes a marketer (who was quite skeptical that anything deserved the brand Dazzling) get excited about how to take the elements of a word and turn it into something that tastes just as dazzling as promised.
And that's what good marketing is all about - keeping the promise that your brand offers. (And notice please Dave, that I never said a word about the creme brulee. . .)
It's easy to see how deciding to brand yourselves Dazzling could be a challenge waiting to happen. However, in this particular instance, it actually holds true. The decor is enchanting, the service attentive and welcoming. But the food - the food is what's truly dazzling about this restaurant.
As a long-time fan of ordering a salad and then select choices from the appetizer menu, Dazzling didn't let me down. And didn't let down my dining companion - one of the fussiest eaters I have ever had the pleasure of dining with. Everything from the salad and appetizer menu just sang of the care taken in the kitchen to bring these delectables to table.
The frontage of the restaurant doesn't give away a hint of the dazzlingness inside - even though the theatre district and its ever present lightshow might overshadow the concept of anything else being dazzling. Living up to the brand promise - and for me a restaurant is about the experience and the food - that's what Dazzling actually accomplishes. The smoked salmon avocado salad is positively genius, the detail of delivering a bowl of magnificently tender, warm edamame, and attentive staff that is just there when you need them - everything was what the brand promised.
Congratulations to Dave and his team for putting together a dining experience that makes a marketer (who was quite skeptical that anything deserved the brand Dazzling) get excited about how to take the elements of a word and turn it into something that tastes just as dazzling as promised.
And that's what good marketing is all about - keeping the promise that your brand offers. (And notice please Dave, that I never said a word about the creme brulee. . .)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Analyze by psychographics - not demographics
There may have been a time when demographics actually defined your customer base successfully, but age, gender and geography are so overlapping now that if you are using just demographics to determine your marketing tactics, you are truly missing the boat.
Demographics equal age, income, gender, education, marital status, geography. The availability of disposable income no longer simply hinges on how much money someone makes - it is a question of lifestyle. You can make $100,000/year but if it is all tied up in mortgages and car payments, then even that level of income doesn't represent disposable. What is the personality that creates disposable income in almost any income bracket? Figure that out and you have the advantage over your competition.
Having a basic knowledge of your customers' demographics is a positive thing, but don't get married to it. The reality is you need to know your customers' hobbies, interests and even occupation to be more effective in your advertising. It's called psychographics.
Mass marketing is quickly becoming the dinosaur in the room - extinct. Even when purchasing television advertising - the big daddy of all mass marketing - you can now position your messages within specialty channels.
When you consider a 50-year-old female gardener, you would find she has more in common with more gardeners of any age or gender than she would have with the general population of 50-year-old females. People find comfort in groups of folks who are like-minded rather than simply groups of the same age or income bracket.
To be truly economical and efficient with your marketing tactics, you need to know which groups your product or service appeals to. Are they arts-minded? Sports fans? Instinctively frugal? Show-offs? You get the idea.
Match your tactics to your special interest groups and you'll be reaching them where they are more likely to appreciate and engage with your messages.
Demographics equal age, income, gender, education, marital status, geography. The availability of disposable income no longer simply hinges on how much money someone makes - it is a question of lifestyle. You can make $100,000/year but if it is all tied up in mortgages and car payments, then even that level of income doesn't represent disposable. What is the personality that creates disposable income in almost any income bracket? Figure that out and you have the advantage over your competition.
Having a basic knowledge of your customers' demographics is a positive thing, but don't get married to it. The reality is you need to know your customers' hobbies, interests and even occupation to be more effective in your advertising. It's called psychographics.
Mass marketing is quickly becoming the dinosaur in the room - extinct. Even when purchasing television advertising - the big daddy of all mass marketing - you can now position your messages within specialty channels.
When you consider a 50-year-old female gardener, you would find she has more in common with more gardeners of any age or gender than she would have with the general population of 50-year-old females. People find comfort in groups of folks who are like-minded rather than simply groups of the same age or income bracket.
To be truly economical and efficient with your marketing tactics, you need to know which groups your product or service appeals to. Are they arts-minded? Sports fans? Instinctively frugal? Show-offs? You get the idea.
Match your tactics to your special interest groups and you'll be reaching them where they are more likely to appreciate and engage with your messages.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Canada - The brand outside your window
Happy Canada Day everyone! A celebration of the country where 89% of the residents believe we live in the best country in the world, according to the Globe and Mail. And a country which has regularly discussed our self-identity and whether we even have one.
I am fortunate to live in a part of Canada where I can cross the border into the US at several points without much more than a short drive. As such, I do speaking engagements in the US and hear from our American friends who live close to the border on how they perceive their Canadian neighbours.
I've always thought we were seen as beer-drinking, funny, polite people. Let's face it, some of the best things to be exported to the US are our beer and our comedians. And there's no doubt we have excellent manners, when taken as whole. However, I found an interesting comment to be recurring in my conversations during American speaking gigs; apparently Canadians are just not worldly.
Not worldly. Hmm. So having the safest, most successful banking industry in the world doesn't matter. Being an upstanding member of the United Nations who regularly is called up to bat in international conflict isn't really very telling. And the fact that we have more successful relationships with more countries in the world than anyone else isn't even considered.
What is considered, oddly enough, is that Canada represents, in many American minds, a country of rural residents. If we have so much space and so few people, so few large cities and so little time spent bragging about it, how can we possibly be a world-player?
Thus the flaw of so many branding exercises. What the business owner and managers think is happening outside the window is often very different from what the customer is thinking. There's no question Canadians have talked the concept of our brand (or self-identity if you want to use a more politically-correct term) nearly to death. Our government protects us from American television by legislating a certain number of hours of Canadian programming all in the name of establishing our unique Canadian identity. But it appears that our own self-vision has nothing to do with how other people see us.
How many businesses do you know that believe they are special for one reason and it turns out you buy from them for a completely different one?
I rather liked thinking we had great beer, the largest crop per capita of funny people and always say 'thank you' and 'excuse me'. I don't really like thinking we aren't taken seriously because we aren't worldly. Perhaps it's a comment on how goofy our politicans behave out in public because I can't believe it is a result of a general behaviour, not in our impressive, multi-cultural country.
Who knew the geography would define our brand?
I am fortunate to live in a part of Canada where I can cross the border into the US at several points without much more than a short drive. As such, I do speaking engagements in the US and hear from our American friends who live close to the border on how they perceive their Canadian neighbours.
I've always thought we were seen as beer-drinking, funny, polite people. Let's face it, some of the best things to be exported to the US are our beer and our comedians. And there's no doubt we have excellent manners, when taken as whole. However, I found an interesting comment to be recurring in my conversations during American speaking gigs; apparently Canadians are just not worldly.
Not worldly. Hmm. So having the safest, most successful banking industry in the world doesn't matter. Being an upstanding member of the United Nations who regularly is called up to bat in international conflict isn't really very telling. And the fact that we have more successful relationships with more countries in the world than anyone else isn't even considered.
What is considered, oddly enough, is that Canada represents, in many American minds, a country of rural residents. If we have so much space and so few people, so few large cities and so little time spent bragging about it, how can we possibly be a world-player?
Thus the flaw of so many branding exercises. What the business owner and managers think is happening outside the window is often very different from what the customer is thinking. There's no question Canadians have talked the concept of our brand (or self-identity if you want to use a more politically-correct term) nearly to death. Our government protects us from American television by legislating a certain number of hours of Canadian programming all in the name of establishing our unique Canadian identity. But it appears that our own self-vision has nothing to do with how other people see us.
How many businesses do you know that believe they are special for one reason and it turns out you buy from them for a completely different one?
I rather liked thinking we had great beer, the largest crop per capita of funny people and always say 'thank you' and 'excuse me'. I don't really like thinking we aren't taken seriously because we aren't worldly. Perhaps it's a comment on how goofy our politicans behave out in public because I can't believe it is a result of a general behaviour, not in our impressive, multi-cultural country.
Who knew the geography would define our brand?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Why you win & why you lose
Imagine a business owner who doesn't want to know why he won a customer, why he lost one or why they chose just to not buy from anyone. Far fetched? Not even close. Small business owners and their sales teams often try to spray the wall in hopes that something will stick, rather than having loads of information to guide and streamline their efforts. This is inefficient on man hours, but even worse, it eats into your profit.
Knowing why you lose a sale is arguably the most important aspect here for small business owners, however it's just one piece of the puzzle. There's no doubt knowing why you lost a sale can help you make changes, whether in staff or tactic, however knowing why you win sets up your brand story. Knowing why people simply chose not to buy at all helps you recognize barriers you can plan to climb over.
Many small business owners spend too much time staring at their own navel; they make broad stroke announcements on the best features of the product/service without ever consulting their customers. Take the time and spend the money to learn why you win over your customers. Their answers may surprise you and give you a whole new brand story to tell that will sway potential customers in your direction.
On the opposite side of the fence, some small business owners are too willing to accept creative excuses for why a sales call failed. Just because your sales team has experience in sales doesn't necessarily make them good at it; it may just make them good at coming up with creative excuses. There's no doubt it can be challenging to go back to a customer who has told you 'no' and ask why. But the benefits far outweigh the discomfort.
You can learn whether your sales team is focusing on the customer's needs or simply the sound of their own voice. Maybe you're missing the boat on what makes your product/service special in the eyes of your customer. There is so much learnin' that can be done by talking to your customers after the fact, not just during the front end of the sales cycle.
If you need to, hire a consultant that can handle the surveying and conversations with your customers after the fact. An experienced consultant can wade through the information and give you the tidbits that will make a noticeable and profitable difference to your business.
Be brave, be willing to listen and be prepared to change.
Knowing why you lose a sale is arguably the most important aspect here for small business owners, however it's just one piece of the puzzle. There's no doubt knowing why you lost a sale can help you make changes, whether in staff or tactic, however knowing why you win sets up your brand story. Knowing why people simply chose not to buy at all helps you recognize barriers you can plan to climb over.
Many small business owners spend too much time staring at their own navel; they make broad stroke announcements on the best features of the product/service without ever consulting their customers. Take the time and spend the money to learn why you win over your customers. Their answers may surprise you and give you a whole new brand story to tell that will sway potential customers in your direction.
On the opposite side of the fence, some small business owners are too willing to accept creative excuses for why a sales call failed. Just because your sales team has experience in sales doesn't necessarily make them good at it; it may just make them good at coming up with creative excuses. There's no doubt it can be challenging to go back to a customer who has told you 'no' and ask why. But the benefits far outweigh the discomfort.
You can learn whether your sales team is focusing on the customer's needs or simply the sound of their own voice. Maybe you're missing the boat on what makes your product/service special in the eyes of your customer. There is so much learnin' that can be done by talking to your customers after the fact, not just during the front end of the sales cycle.
If you need to, hire a consultant that can handle the surveying and conversations with your customers after the fact. An experienced consultant can wade through the information and give you the tidbits that will make a noticeable and profitable difference to your business.
Be brave, be willing to listen and be prepared to change.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Make sure you're selling what they want to buy
Deep down, every purchase has an emotional component to the decision. Before emotions get involved however, you need to be selling what your customer wants to buy. Too often business owners and managers make an assumption about their customers' key drivers and thereby miss the sale or, at the very least, waste a lot of time.
The buying experience isn't just about the end product. Let's face it, there's more than just you selling what you've got to sell. So how does the customer make the decision about who to do business with?
The winners are always the businesses who recognize that the customer is really only interested in "what's in it for me". Rattling on about how a product works and completely forgetting to just cut to the chase on the benefit to the customer is a sure way to disconnect from them. I don't particularly care how a refrigerator works - I just want to know that it's going to do the best job of holding all the fresh vegetables and fruits and the never-ending piles of cheese that live in my fridge. There's no point in focusing on the external ice-cube dispenser. I simply don't care.
Be prepared to have a conversation with your customer before you ever start 'selling' them something. You have to know and understand their needs to figure out the answer to "what's in it for me". Why are they shopping for this product or service? What's missing in their current solution?
Of course you'll need to have the list of functions, features and benefits for those lovely analytical people but even they are ultimately driven by "what's in it for me".
In the best sales scenarios, the customer does most of the talking. Not the salesperson. There are brilliant opportunities to learn other needs you can fill by being a listener, rather than a talker. And not surprisingly, customers appreciate a salesperson who doesn't rattle on.
Determine a list of engaging questions to use in every sales situation. This way, even if you aren't naturally spontaneous, you have a safety net of questions to move your sale along.
Key element: The sale is all about your customer. It's about their needs. It isn't about you or what you think they may be after based on what makes you interested in the product or service.
Every sale is different based on different motivations, different requirements and different personal needs. Make sure you're in a position to figure it out so you can sell what they want to buy.
The buying experience isn't just about the end product. Let's face it, there's more than just you selling what you've got to sell. So how does the customer make the decision about who to do business with?
The winners are always the businesses who recognize that the customer is really only interested in "what's in it for me". Rattling on about how a product works and completely forgetting to just cut to the chase on the benefit to the customer is a sure way to disconnect from them. I don't particularly care how a refrigerator works - I just want to know that it's going to do the best job of holding all the fresh vegetables and fruits and the never-ending piles of cheese that live in my fridge. There's no point in focusing on the external ice-cube dispenser. I simply don't care.
Be prepared to have a conversation with your customer before you ever start 'selling' them something. You have to know and understand their needs to figure out the answer to "what's in it for me". Why are they shopping for this product or service? What's missing in their current solution?
Of course you'll need to have the list of functions, features and benefits for those lovely analytical people but even they are ultimately driven by "what's in it for me".
In the best sales scenarios, the customer does most of the talking. Not the salesperson. There are brilliant opportunities to learn other needs you can fill by being a listener, rather than a talker. And not surprisingly, customers appreciate a salesperson who doesn't rattle on.
Determine a list of engaging questions to use in every sales situation. This way, even if you aren't naturally spontaneous, you have a safety net of questions to move your sale along.
Key element: The sale is all about your customer. It's about their needs. It isn't about you or what you think they may be after based on what makes you interested in the product or service.
Every sale is different based on different motivations, different requirements and different personal needs. Make sure you're in a position to figure it out so you can sell what they want to buy.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Your current customer - your best business growth asset
It doesn't matter whether it's a recession, depression or just business as usual - your current customers are the best source of business growth. Unfortunately, too many businesses neglect their current customers to go searching after new ones.
Research has shown it takes about five times the money to get a new customer as it does to retain a current one. But just retaining a current customer really isn't enough. Why not get them to do more business with you? Why not get them to bring their friends and family to your business as well? Or in the case of business-to-business enterprise, why not get their co-workers into your customer base?
In some businesses, management believes it is solely the job of the sales force to stay in touch with current customers and try to grow the business. I would suggest however the sales force could be more efficient if the marketing team is on side with the importance of incenting current customers to grow their business.
Have you contacted your customer base to let them know you're still there to support their needs? Have you sent a postcard, letter, email? Have you told them they're appreciated? Have you demonstrated your appreciation through a special offer only to your current customers?
If you haven't, you're missing an efficient, economical business growth opportunity. If you have a retail location, invite your current customers to a small wine-and-cheese party to show off your new merchandise and have some great loss leaders to show your appreciation. If you are in the service industry, perhaps a partnership that compliments your service could be a good appreciation gift (and then you can do the same for that business).
Everyone likes to be thanked. Especially when there's gifts involved. A promotional item with your logo prominently displayed would be an excellent gift. That way your business identity stays in front of them for a longer period of time. But make sure the gift matches your branding. Don't give away a cheap pen if your business represents expensive items.
Bottom-line is: you need to stay in touch with your current customers and give them a reason to do more business with you. And if you can get them to talk about you to their friends and family, even better. Don't wait for someone else to do this for you. Get on it, right now.
Research has shown it takes about five times the money to get a new customer as it does to retain a current one. But just retaining a current customer really isn't enough. Why not get them to do more business with you? Why not get them to bring their friends and family to your business as well? Or in the case of business-to-business enterprise, why not get their co-workers into your customer base?
In some businesses, management believes it is solely the job of the sales force to stay in touch with current customers and try to grow the business. I would suggest however the sales force could be more efficient if the marketing team is on side with the importance of incenting current customers to grow their business.
Have you contacted your customer base to let them know you're still there to support their needs? Have you sent a postcard, letter, email? Have you told them they're appreciated? Have you demonstrated your appreciation through a special offer only to your current customers?
If you haven't, you're missing an efficient, economical business growth opportunity. If you have a retail location, invite your current customers to a small wine-and-cheese party to show off your new merchandise and have some great loss leaders to show your appreciation. If you are in the service industry, perhaps a partnership that compliments your service could be a good appreciation gift (and then you can do the same for that business).
Everyone likes to be thanked. Especially when there's gifts involved. A promotional item with your logo prominently displayed would be an excellent gift. That way your business identity stays in front of them for a longer period of time. But make sure the gift matches your branding. Don't give away a cheap pen if your business represents expensive items.
Bottom-line is: you need to stay in touch with your current customers and give them a reason to do more business with you. And if you can get them to talk about you to their friends and family, even better. Don't wait for someone else to do this for you. Get on it, right now.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Message match your meaning
Okay, so maybe I watch too many crime shows, but the new Air Canada television campaign is rather spooky to me. It's supposed to be the re-launch of the brand but, to me, half of it looks like a murder mystery. The smearing of red paint with fingertips is too much like writing with blood. (maybe I should seek help?)
I seriously believe an airline wouldn't want to be associated with spilled blood, so what were they thinking? The company's in trouble financially and they spend money on a high production ad that doesn't really sell any of their services but certainly puts a negative picture in my mind.
It is however an excellent example of what can happen to your marketing message if it isn't clear, concise and tested. Branding is important, don't get me wrong, but when your budget is tight, delivering messages that are high level and don't actually have a specific call-to-action are not a good use of your money (but it certainly puts cash into ad agencies' wallets). Of course, maybe Air Canada doesn't have anything positive to say about seat sales or services (that's certainly the sound of things in the media over the last while) so this weird bloody ad is all they have in their pocket.
There aren't a lot of ads, television, print or otherwise, that people take the time to discuss to discover what their impressions actually are. So you're stuck with their first impression - good or bad.
And it isn't just the words you use. In the case of Air Canada, there's nothing wrong with the words of the commercial. In this case, it's the visuals. So make sure your images are worthy of the message - both supporting it and enhancing it. For some people something as simple as brussel sprouts can be such a negative image that your brand is scarred forever.
Depending on the audience psychographics, you could find customers turning away simply because the imagery doesn't match their temperament. And the only way to know for sure is through testing or being completely in touch with who your customer actually is deep in their heart.
The more you know about your customer, the more you will be able to reach them with engaging and motivating messages. It's worth the research to not become an airline that markets writing in blood.
I seriously believe an airline wouldn't want to be associated with spilled blood, so what were they thinking? The company's in trouble financially and they spend money on a high production ad that doesn't really sell any of their services but certainly puts a negative picture in my mind.
It is however an excellent example of what can happen to your marketing message if it isn't clear, concise and tested. Branding is important, don't get me wrong, but when your budget is tight, delivering messages that are high level and don't actually have a specific call-to-action are not a good use of your money (but it certainly puts cash into ad agencies' wallets). Of course, maybe Air Canada doesn't have anything positive to say about seat sales or services (that's certainly the sound of things in the media over the last while) so this weird bloody ad is all they have in their pocket.
There aren't a lot of ads, television, print or otherwise, that people take the time to discuss to discover what their impressions actually are. So you're stuck with their first impression - good or bad.
And it isn't just the words you use. In the case of Air Canada, there's nothing wrong with the words of the commercial. In this case, it's the visuals. So make sure your images are worthy of the message - both supporting it and enhancing it. For some people something as simple as brussel sprouts can be such a negative image that your brand is scarred forever.
Depending on the audience psychographics, you could find customers turning away simply because the imagery doesn't match their temperament. And the only way to know for sure is through testing or being completely in touch with who your customer actually is deep in their heart.
The more you know about your customer, the more you will be able to reach them with engaging and motivating messages. It's worth the research to not become an airline that markets writing in blood.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
When is new radio too much radio?
Enough already! Over the last month or so, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has been madly granting new radio station licences. And most of them are in communities that are already extremely well-serviced by an overdose of radio choices.
Just because it sounds like a good idea to put a radio station in "wee tiny town Canada" doesn't mean it actually makes sense. The logic seems to be, according to one radio station owner in "wee tiny town", that it's important to have local news and information. Yep, okay, sure. But unless you are an independently wealthy radio station owner doing it from the goodness of your heart, you are simply watering down the audience market for your advertisers.
As it is, I hear from innumerable small business owners that radio doesn't work. I always beg to differ with this opinion because radio does work, when you do it right. And part of doing it right is choosing a radio station that matches your audience definition. If the audience is spread over five radio stations instead of three - well, you can see that this becomes a nightmare of planning and budgeting. All these additional radio stations are just going to make it harder for a small business to make a reasonable buy that gets results.
As a marketing coach, I get to meet a lot of small business owners. In one local community, a number of the small business owners that attended a coaching session were quite frank in their dislike of buying their local radio station. They felt the music choices were erratic and didn't sit well with their potential customer.
As a result, I had a rather long conversation with radio station owner from "wee tiny town Canada". The biggest surprise to me during this conversation was the emphatic statement, "People don't listen to the radio for the music. They listen for the information." Well, yes that might be true if you are a talk or news station, but if you're going to play music you might want it to have some logical association with the audience you are trying to sell the local businesses.
And in reality if radio can't deliver results, then people will stop buying it. And when they stop buying it, people lose their jobs and the radio stations cease to exist. How does it make sense to saturate the market with loads of radio stations - either for the radio stations or the small businesses?
Just because it sounds like a good idea to put a radio station in "wee tiny town Canada" doesn't mean it actually makes sense. The logic seems to be, according to one radio station owner in "wee tiny town", that it's important to have local news and information. Yep, okay, sure. But unless you are an independently wealthy radio station owner doing it from the goodness of your heart, you are simply watering down the audience market for your advertisers.
As it is, I hear from innumerable small business owners that radio doesn't work. I always beg to differ with this opinion because radio does work, when you do it right. And part of doing it right is choosing a radio station that matches your audience definition. If the audience is spread over five radio stations instead of three - well, you can see that this becomes a nightmare of planning and budgeting. All these additional radio stations are just going to make it harder for a small business to make a reasonable buy that gets results.
As a marketing coach, I get to meet a lot of small business owners. In one local community, a number of the small business owners that attended a coaching session were quite frank in their dislike of buying their local radio station. They felt the music choices were erratic and didn't sit well with their potential customer.
As a result, I had a rather long conversation with radio station owner from "wee tiny town Canada". The biggest surprise to me during this conversation was the emphatic statement, "People don't listen to the radio for the music. They listen for the information." Well, yes that might be true if you are a talk or news station, but if you're going to play music you might want it to have some logical association with the audience you are trying to sell the local businesses.
And in reality if radio can't deliver results, then people will stop buying it. And when they stop buying it, people lose their jobs and the radio stations cease to exist. How does it make sense to saturate the market with loads of radio stations - either for the radio stations or the small businesses?
Monday, March 9, 2009
The economics of marketing - shrink it at your peril
There's loads of research saying if you cut your marketing budget during tough economic times you won't survive with the strength you could if you just towed the line. And yet, there's more businesses cutting their marketing budgets than there are businesses getting smarter about how they spend their money.
I've had the pleasure of dashing about presenting Marketing Bootcamp for Small Business - Your recession survival toolkit to a number of organizations over the last month. The session discusses the importance of not cutting your marketing budget and shares important information about how to get the most bang for your buck. I've met some pretty terrific small business people who are suffering cutbacks and, in most cases, they've felt they have no choice but to cut their marketing budget.
The key thing to remember: If you cut your marketing budget, you are effectively lowering the amount you talk to your customer. At the very least, you are lessening the quality of the conversation. And if you aren't talking to them, someone else is.
This is why companies with their marketing budget intact, even during recessionary times, grow larger and stronger while other businesses close or panic. It's all about continuing the conversation.
Small businesses waste an extraordinary amount of money in their marketing. And they don't understand that marketing is actually a revenue stream - not an expense line (accountants will argue this, but it's simply true that marketing is the top of your sales funnel - without it there's no support for your sales force and no mechanism for relationship development with prospective customers). For many small businesses, marketing is simply a necessary evil that is the first thing to go when money is short.
In my book, Muddled, meager and messy - Marketing performance repair manual for small business there's information about how to make better use of the money you have. In cases where you get smarter, you can actually pare back your spend because you're getting more results.
The media has done a bang-up job of putting recession fear into every business person's heart. Take that fear and turn it into smarter business. Every marketing tactic should be able to be defined by the relationship it builds with your customers. If there's no relationship definition, you should reconsider the tactic.
Bottom line: If you have to cut your marketing budget you'd better get smarter about using the money you have. Heck, even if you don't have to cut your marketing budget, you should get smarter because customers are going to become more discriminating in their purchases.
I've had the pleasure of dashing about presenting Marketing Bootcamp for Small Business - Your recession survival toolkit to a number of organizations over the last month. The session discusses the importance of not cutting your marketing budget and shares important information about how to get the most bang for your buck. I've met some pretty terrific small business people who are suffering cutbacks and, in most cases, they've felt they have no choice but to cut their marketing budget.
The key thing to remember: If you cut your marketing budget, you are effectively lowering the amount you talk to your customer. At the very least, you are lessening the quality of the conversation. And if you aren't talking to them, someone else is.
This is why companies with their marketing budget intact, even during recessionary times, grow larger and stronger while other businesses close or panic. It's all about continuing the conversation.
Small businesses waste an extraordinary amount of money in their marketing. And they don't understand that marketing is actually a revenue stream - not an expense line (accountants will argue this, but it's simply true that marketing is the top of your sales funnel - without it there's no support for your sales force and no mechanism for relationship development with prospective customers). For many small businesses, marketing is simply a necessary evil that is the first thing to go when money is short.
In my book, Muddled, meager and messy - Marketing performance repair manual for small business there's information about how to make better use of the money you have. In cases where you get smarter, you can actually pare back your spend because you're getting more results.
The media has done a bang-up job of putting recession fear into every business person's heart. Take that fear and turn it into smarter business. Every marketing tactic should be able to be defined by the relationship it builds with your customers. If there's no relationship definition, you should reconsider the tactic.
Bottom line: If you have to cut your marketing budget you'd better get smarter about using the money you have. Heck, even if you don't have to cut your marketing budget, you should get smarter because customers are going to become more discriminating in their purchases.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The in-depth customer definition, nemesis of small business
My Marketing Bootcamp workshop only allows me about two hours to share important elements of successful marketing in recession. Designed for small business owners, it looks at the importance of branding even for the smallest business and all the elements you need to know to develop a successful marketing plan, like tactics and customer definition.
Needless to say, two hours isn't enough to really get into the nitty-gritty of things. The workshop is really interactive and depending on how long the attendees' comments and stories are, the workshop could easily become a whole day event.
We spend a great deal of time on really getting to know your customer so you can target your marketing. That's really the most important thing to know in recessionary times - how to drill down to the most fine-tuned definition of your customer. You can save money and deliver your messages more effectively.
Much to my surprise, nearly half of the attendees at the last workshop hadn't heard of demographics, hadn't spent time figuring out who their customer is and certainly hadn't considered going more in-depth than just demographics.
I can just imagine all the money flying out their windows since, without a customer definition, they must be just flinging their marketing dollars at the first sales rep that walks in the door.
I can't stress enough the more you know your customer, the more successful your marketing will be.
You've got to go past demographics into psychographics and decision-making styles. In a previous blog about psychographics, I discussed its importance and how to get there.
Knowing the psychographics of your customer is actually more important than the demographics in developing your marketing plan. If you can find the commonalities of lifestyle, interest and hobbies in your customer base, you can get more efficient with your marketing spend.
If you are a small business owner, the more you can target your business to a particular set of customers, the more chance you have to survive the recession. In your attempts to be all things to all people, you're actually hindering your chances of creating a loyal customer base. Leave the "all things to all people" to the big guys like Walmart (who have even learned they need to stick with their psychographics. When they tried to add a high-end section to their stores, it failed abysmally.)
You may think by having a broader customer definition you can make more sales, but you also have to spend more money reaching a broad audience. If you can target your message and your business, you can speak only to the people that are really your customer and keep the spill to a minimum.
Needless to say, two hours isn't enough to really get into the nitty-gritty of things. The workshop is really interactive and depending on how long the attendees' comments and stories are, the workshop could easily become a whole day event.
We spend a great deal of time on really getting to know your customer so you can target your marketing. That's really the most important thing to know in recessionary times - how to drill down to the most fine-tuned definition of your customer. You can save money and deliver your messages more effectively.
Much to my surprise, nearly half of the attendees at the last workshop hadn't heard of demographics, hadn't spent time figuring out who their customer is and certainly hadn't considered going more in-depth than just demographics.
I can just imagine all the money flying out their windows since, without a customer definition, they must be just flinging their marketing dollars at the first sales rep that walks in the door.
I can't stress enough the more you know your customer, the more successful your marketing will be.
You've got to go past demographics into psychographics and decision-making styles. In a previous blog about psychographics, I discussed its importance and how to get there.
Knowing the psychographics of your customer is actually more important than the demographics in developing your marketing plan. If you can find the commonalities of lifestyle, interest and hobbies in your customer base, you can get more efficient with your marketing spend.
If you are a small business owner, the more you can target your business to a particular set of customers, the more chance you have to survive the recession. In your attempts to be all things to all people, you're actually hindering your chances of creating a loyal customer base. Leave the "all things to all people" to the big guys like Walmart (who have even learned they need to stick with their psychographics. When they tried to add a high-end section to their stores, it failed abysmally.)
You may think by having a broader customer definition you can make more sales, but you also have to spend more money reaching a broad audience. If you can target your message and your business, you can speak only to the people that are really your customer and keep the spill to a minimum.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Don't we love a disaster
With the year drawing to a close, I thought I would look back at the stats for my blogs over the year. The blog about the disasters of Wendy's and Burger King's marketing was, by far, the most popular. And popular around the world.
Most of the readers found the blog through a Google search. Have Wendy's and Burger King become the equivalent of rubbernecking a car crash? As North Americans, we have a morbid fascination with disasters and these two fast-food joints are definitely the prize winners for disastrous branding and marketing.
I re-read the blog to see if there had been any changes to the situation since writing about them in January. To my surprise, the brand-scarring I mentioned in the blog had been eliminated. The evil papier mache King head seems to be gone and the idiots in red braids seem to also have left the building. And thank goodness for it.
Wendy's brand has become more stable and likable again. Burger King is still a mangled mess, but at least they aren't scaring people anymore. (Well, they do scare me but that's a different thing. What scares me is that someone is out there making money off this mess and pretending they know something about marketing)
Needless to say, ill-conceived marketing ploys will be more painful for companies during the recession. Lack of consistency and follow-up will affect business bottom-line in a more pronounced fashion. With a tighter hold on their wallets, consumers and businesses will be making more thoughtful decisions about where they spend their money. Emotions induced by marketing messages will have more power to create a strong customer base.
Tight credit and closely held wallets won't make people stop using their emotions when they make buying decisions. They'll just get better at rationalizing the purchases. So mind your marketing and how it affects your customer.
Best wishes to all for a prosperous 2009.
Most of the readers found the blog through a Google search. Have Wendy's and Burger King become the equivalent of rubbernecking a car crash? As North Americans, we have a morbid fascination with disasters and these two fast-food joints are definitely the prize winners for disastrous branding and marketing.
I re-read the blog to see if there had been any changes to the situation since writing about them in January. To my surprise, the brand-scarring I mentioned in the blog had been eliminated. The evil papier mache King head seems to be gone and the idiots in red braids seem to also have left the building. And thank goodness for it.
Wendy's brand has become more stable and likable again. Burger King is still a mangled mess, but at least they aren't scaring people anymore. (Well, they do scare me but that's a different thing. What scares me is that someone is out there making money off this mess and pretending they know something about marketing)
Needless to say, ill-conceived marketing ploys will be more painful for companies during the recession. Lack of consistency and follow-up will affect business bottom-line in a more pronounced fashion. With a tighter hold on their wallets, consumers and businesses will be making more thoughtful decisions about where they spend their money. Emotions induced by marketing messages will have more power to create a strong customer base.
Tight credit and closely held wallets won't make people stop using their emotions when they make buying decisions. They'll just get better at rationalizing the purchases. So mind your marketing and how it affects your customer.
Best wishes to all for a prosperous 2009.
Friday, December 19, 2008
If only they could remember why they were unique
Automakers are a fine example of what happens when everyone looks and sounds the same. I'm pretty sure their television ads are actually intended to demonstrate the quality and value of the product, but when everyone is saying and looking the same, why even spend the money?
When was the last time you saw a television ad for a car or truck that truly inspired you, either emotionally or mentally? For the last several years, there are only three vehicles that actually stand out for me. That's three, out of hundreds.
The Cadillac CTS 'Hammer' ad is one of them. As an A-type personality, the message fits me to a T. I found myself emotionally involved in the delivery of the message because it totally defines my personal style. I intentionally watched it a second time to learn what car was being promoted. And since then, I just watch it because I love it.
Kudos again go to Cadillac for their ad with Kate Walsh. I don't think there has ever been such a sexy promotion for a car. Again, I got emotionally involved. Had a wonderful sensation of 'mmmmm'.
So with two ads, back to back, Cadillac stood out with great writing, great delivery and great emotional impact. So the Cadillac CTS is the only vehicle currently being marketed that means anything to me (and I drive a Ford Focus).
In the past, Jeep was able to get my attention with their hilarious 'Rock me Gently' ad. I enjoyed it so much, I didn't even realize until just this minute that it was a 60 second ad, not a 30. While it probably doesn't speak to everyone, it engages a certain audience in a memorable way.
And finally, the whole series of swamp ads from KIA for their Sportage are memorable and entertaining. Particularly their lastest Goth version. If a vehicle can deliver this much fun, it needs to be in everyone's life.
So there - three out of hundreds of cars and trucks over the years. Buying a car is a big decision. It costs a good portion of most people's annual income. If you can't find the unique selling proposition and demonstrate in an engaging and informative advertising campaign, why bother selling it at all?
The Cadillac ads are a great example of how we've become more about "what's in it for me" than about features and benefits. We are emotional buyers.
Now for the benefit of the marketing firms who put together the majority of boring, repetitive, indistinguishable advertising for the automotive industry, I will say we have no idea what the creative brief looked like, how creative you tried to be and how often the auto execs kyboshed your ideas. In my experience, executives are executives because they know how to organize and manage people, not because they are creative or willing to step out of the safety of "everyone else does it this way". In most companies, you never get to be an executive if you are creative and willing to be different.
Being different takes guts. Entrepreneurs with guts are the ones that grow their business. Business people who are afraid to be different than their peers, find themselves lost in the shuffle. That's a good message for small business, but on topic today is how this insistence on continuously developing 'typical' advertising is one of the reasons auto sales just aren't what they used to be.
In a recent press release, I wrote about how the auto makers and their behemoth structure keep them from giving their customers what they want and need. This is definitely true where their marketing is concerned.
Make sure as small business owners you don't fall into the same trap. Understand your unique selling proposition and if you can't figure out what it is, then either speak to your customers to learn what they think, or for heaven's sake, just give up and walk away. There was, at some point, something unique about your business. Remember what it was and market that in an equally unique way.
Perhaps the automakers need to figure out what was unique about each of their models and if they can't remember, stop making them.
When was the last time you saw a television ad for a car or truck that truly inspired you, either emotionally or mentally? For the last several years, there are only three vehicles that actually stand out for me. That's three, out of hundreds.
The Cadillac CTS 'Hammer' ad is one of them. As an A-type personality, the message fits me to a T. I found myself emotionally involved in the delivery of the message because it totally defines my personal style. I intentionally watched it a second time to learn what car was being promoted. And since then, I just watch it because I love it.
Kudos again go to Cadillac for their ad with Kate Walsh. I don't think there has ever been such a sexy promotion for a car. Again, I got emotionally involved. Had a wonderful sensation of 'mmmmm'.
So with two ads, back to back, Cadillac stood out with great writing, great delivery and great emotional impact. So the Cadillac CTS is the only vehicle currently being marketed that means anything to me (and I drive a Ford Focus).
In the past, Jeep was able to get my attention with their hilarious 'Rock me Gently' ad. I enjoyed it so much, I didn't even realize until just this minute that it was a 60 second ad, not a 30. While it probably doesn't speak to everyone, it engages a certain audience in a memorable way.
And finally, the whole series of swamp ads from KIA for their Sportage are memorable and entertaining. Particularly their lastest Goth version. If a vehicle can deliver this much fun, it needs to be in everyone's life.
So there - three out of hundreds of cars and trucks over the years. Buying a car is a big decision. It costs a good portion of most people's annual income. If you can't find the unique selling proposition and demonstrate in an engaging and informative advertising campaign, why bother selling it at all?
The Cadillac ads are a great example of how we've become more about "what's in it for me" than about features and benefits. We are emotional buyers.
Now for the benefit of the marketing firms who put together the majority of boring, repetitive, indistinguishable advertising for the automotive industry, I will say we have no idea what the creative brief looked like, how creative you tried to be and how often the auto execs kyboshed your ideas. In my experience, executives are executives because they know how to organize and manage people, not because they are creative or willing to step out of the safety of "everyone else does it this way". In most companies, you never get to be an executive if you are creative and willing to be different.
Being different takes guts. Entrepreneurs with guts are the ones that grow their business. Business people who are afraid to be different than their peers, find themselves lost in the shuffle. That's a good message for small business, but on topic today is how this insistence on continuously developing 'typical' advertising is one of the reasons auto sales just aren't what they used to be.
In a recent press release, I wrote about how the auto makers and their behemoth structure keep them from giving their customers what they want and need. This is definitely true where their marketing is concerned.
Make sure as small business owners you don't fall into the same trap. Understand your unique selling proposition and if you can't figure out what it is, then either speak to your customers to learn what they think, or for heaven's sake, just give up and walk away. There was, at some point, something unique about your business. Remember what it was and market that in an equally unique way.
Perhaps the automakers need to figure out what was unique about each of their models and if they can't remember, stop making them.
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