a word on marketing

Tacky...

Not tasteful or fashionable; dowdy.

When I was in college, I had a great advertising class at Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern.  I wrote a paper comparing art and advertising.  I thought it was pretty good.  I can't remember the particulars, but I'm sure I argued there is artistic value to ads.  Admit it, some are downright beautiful.  Think print ads from Absolut.  Worthy of a gallery, right?

Will digital advertising destroy any sense of artistic value in advertising?  The reason I've wondered is obvious.  We're assaulted on a daily basis with thousands of flashy, ugly words and images.  True, some get our attention and sell stuff.  Sometimes a lot of stuff.  Reminds me of the days of direct mail.  But can digital ads be both beautiful and effective?

Josh Quittner is the editorial director at Flipboard.  If you're not familiar with Flipboard, you should be.  Then you'll be addicted to it like I am.  Flipboard is an iPad magazine that curates social media and magazine content and renders it into gorgeous magazine-like pages.  There's a great Advertising Age article today in which Quittner, who comes from the traditional magazine world, claims Flipboard is fighting a "war of good taste" with digital advertisers.  They often turn down ads because they're unappealing.  Really.  Quittner envisions smarter, better digital ads with content users want to consume as an inner-magazine with photos and video content of its own.  Thinking about a new car?  Why wouldn't you follow a fun link about the new Beetle?

An old 1788 definition of tacky has it as "sticky; an act of attaching temporarily."  Now bring that forward to our time, to websites and to our desire for visitors to linger, click through and stay for a while.  In that sense, we actually do want our digital ads to be tacky.  They just need to look nice, too.

--Dave

Inflection...

 

Modulation of the voice; a bend or angle; the point at which a concave line turns convex or vice versa.

When we hear someone's voice change, we often sense a difference.  It could be a shift to happiness, seriousness, anger or curiosity.  But sometimes, when it's very subtle, we might not notice this shift in tone.  Good listeners pick up on these things.

As marketers we need to be good listeners as well, don't we?  If we could hook customers into devices that detect changes in tone, we'd be all set.  Instead we have to actually talk to people who buy (and don't buy) whatever we're selling.  We have to ask questions and listen to the answers.  Some companies don't like talking with customers.  It's not conversation they dislike, it's the response required.  Change is uncomfortable.

In a business, as sales begin to flatten out, there are two directions the graph can go: back up...or down.  If sales go down, there's no inflection point, just the top of a hill.  If we can coax sales back up again, there is an inflection point...just as the curve changes.  All of us seek that point.  Or more specifically, we seek the strategies that create that point.

I got the idea for this word from Amy Fulford, who operates a boutique consulting firm called Enlight. Amy's not the first person to use the term inflection point in relation to business strategy.  But Amy's very particular about words.  She also talks about provocation and conviction, not to mention humility and grace.  These are words we don't often hear in business.  But we may need a little more of all these to inspire change.

Without change, there's no inflection point.  Without change, there's a downward slide.  You might ask and you might even listen, but without responsive action and change, there's probably no growth.  Change is not an admission that what we've done in the past was somehow wrong.  It's just a realization of what's required in the future.

What will it take to create an inflection point in your world?  Sometimes a change in tone captures attention.  If nobody hears you, try speaking a little louder.

--Dave

Rapport

A sympathetic relationship; relation characterized by harmony, accord.

Fascinating word if you think about it.  Rapport is of French origin, around 16th century, from the word rapporter, which means to bring back, or report.  The way we use the word now is to describe a good relationship.  Inherent in the word is an assumption of a healthy, two-way deal.  "They seem to understand me and I understand them.  We've got a good rapport."  I think most of us strive for that outcome in our business and personal interactions.

At its heart, marketing is about building rapport with customers.  It's our job to better understand what customers want.  We then continually seek to preserve, adjust and invent products and services that are of value to customers, then effectively tell them about these offerings.  We understand them.  They understand us.  When it works, customers buy things and are willing to pay us enough so we stay in business to make more and keep the conversation going.

When does marketing fall apart?  When the rapport breaks down.  Either we don't listen well enough or we don't explain what we're selling well enough. Or both.  And why does this happen?  Because it's hard work to keep up a good rapport.  It involves desire, skill, time, and often money. Communication is often considered a given and, for that reason, it can be underappreciated and underfunded.

Here's an idea, based on the French heritage of rapport.  In any and all customer interactions, make a specific effort to bring something back.  Literally.  Discover information worthy of a report.  Be sympathetic.  What can you learn that would help bring greater harmony or accord between you and your customer?  Envision a diplomatic mission of sorts.  These days, you can facilitate these missions face-to-face or on Facebook, by going to Taiwan or going on Twitter.  The medium is not as important as the message.

Especially as we trudge along in uncertain economic times, we can all try a little harder on relationships.  If they improve...we'll know why.  If they don't...well, we'll know it wasn't because we didn't try.  In that case, we'll just have to conclude "c'est la vie."

--Dave

Iconoclast

A person who attacks cherished beliefs; a breaker or destroyer of images.

I was lucky. Just as I became interested in marketing, Apple's revolutionary "1984" TV Commercial aired on the Superbowl.  After that, nothing was ever the same - in computers or advertising.  Usually, sentences like the one I just wrote are hyperbole.  But not in this case.

The older I get, the more I realize that it's individual people, their vision and their leadership that make the world a better place.  In companies.  In governments.  In houses of worship.  Everywhere.  We can have all the innovation processes and Six Sigma systems set up that we want.  None of it is any good without a living, breathing human being who inspires.

Steve Jobs challenged the status quo.  He believed in what he was doing and stuck to it.  It just so happened that he was also an artist of simplicity - not complexity.  What would the devices we use today (or even a hundred years from now) look like if Steve Jobs had not walked this Earth?  What about the design influence on every other product?  Packaging?  Retail stores?  The list goes on.

History is filled with iconoclasts.  But, the people we remember and revere are those that replaced the images they shattered with new icons.  A week after his death, the inspiration I take away from Jobs is to remember if I'm going to be a breaker, I better also be a builder.  Thanks Steve.

--Dave 

 

Tangible

Capable of being touched;  real or actual;  definite.

Imagine you're selling an idea to someone.  You're in a meeting room and the stage is yours.  You begin to speak. Immediately you capture their attention.  People are nodding their heads in agreement.  You know they'll never forget what you're telling them.  Can you see it?

Well, it's the result we're all looking for, isn't it?  Whether it's pitching something to a spouse or developing a million dollar ad campaign.  We want our ideas to stick.

In their book, Made to Stick, brothers Chip Heath and Dan Heath team up to offer insight into how to make ideas impactful and memorable.  They've combined their business and teaching experiences to offer some of the most interesting research I've come across in a long time.  Chapter after chapter offer very specific strategies and tactics for communicating.  Their overall theme:  make it concrete.

There are lots of ways to make what we're saying more effective.  For example, ask people to picture themselves in a certain situation...like I did in the first paragraph above.  Instead of using boring statistics, make comparisons that are more understandable.  The dollars you'll save this year with this product would fill two 747s or, laid out end-to-end, would wrap around the globe 3 times.

Or, improve your credibility with the "Sinatra Test."  In "New York, New York," Sinatra sings "if you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere."  Well, if your security company had the Fort Knox account, it doesn't get much better.  Or if your floral arrangements were used at the White House, they'd certainly be good enough for the country club in Wichita. Leverage your key accounts.  

The Heaths also try to unpack the mystery of why some urban legends are so successful.  Like the guy who wakes up in the bathtub of ice water - great one.  We can use those tricks to our advantage.  It's all about keeping it simple.  It's more about tapping into emotions than logic.  It's about including hooks that people can relate to.

So next time you're explaining something, try throwing out the theoretical. You don't have to hit 'em over the head with data.  Just get real.

--Dave

 

 

 

How do you get attention, help your audience relate to your argument and remember what you said?

Rain...

Water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops of more than 1/50 inch in diameter; a heavy and continuous descent or inflicting of anything.

Learn something new every day, right?  I had no idea that for precipitation to be considered rain it has to be more than 1/50 inch in diameter.  Good to know.  But that's not really why I'm writing this post today.

Over the last few days, two communications came to me that don't seem related, but are.  One is about a kid in a marching band and another is about perfection in business.  Let me explain.

I get emails from Simple Truths, a publishing company founded by Mac Anderson. His latest message was about Patrick Henry Hughes, a handicapped boy whose father attends college classes with him and pushes him in his wheelchair for marching band.  You may have seen his picture.  Mac was inspired by Patrick's amazing musical talent despite the fact he was born without eyes or the ability to walk.  Patrick's philosophy is to appreciate the talents given to him, not to dwell on what he doesn't have.  Mac wrote a book on this subject based on a quote he liked: "life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."   Focus on the positive.

I also get emails from marketing guru Seth Godin.  A recent blog post was about the constant quest for perfection that's so prevalent in business today.  Too often, managers are asking about what's down, what's not working, where it's broken and where we're losing.  I call this deficit-based management and it can be really dangerous.  Oh, we find the problems, sure.  And we fix some of them, too.  But that's all we focus on.  And guess what?  As a result, we don't pay enough attention to what's up, what's working, where we're winning.  It's also rather depressing to be a part of these organizations.  This is a constant dilemma, I know.  We can't ignore the nagging issues.  But then again, we can't afford to ignore our strengths.  We've got to focus on the positive.

Whether it's our day-to-day life or business, we need to accept situations, work with what we have, leverage our strengths and enjoy the journey while we're at it.  It's interesting that the most successful sales people in a firm are often referred to as "rainmakers."  I'm sure this comes from historic tribal traditions of people literally dancing in the rain, or at least dancing for it.  If rain means nourishment and growth, maybe a little rain isn't so bad after all.  Look on the bright side!

--Dave 

  

Now...

At the present time or moment.

Janet, a friend of mine, recently recommended that I read Practicing the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.  I sure am glad I took her advice.  I hope you take my advice and read it for yourself.

Have you ever worried about something you did in the past?  Ever worried about what might happen in the future?  Are you ever impatient when you're trying to get somewhere?  Do you feel content and in control no matter what's happening?  Thought so.  Me too.

The message of this book is simple.  The past is gone.  The future hasn't happened yet.  The only thing we have is now.  In fact, the past happened in the "now" and so will the future.  Our minds want to drag us into the past or the future, but being present in the moment is what living is all about.  By being here and enjoying the journey we become more aware, calm and creative.  It's counter-intuitive, but through acceptance and surrender, we gain strength...and potentially, enlightenment.

"Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally."

How might this apply to marketing and business?  I find that I can be more present when talking with people or when I'm in meetings.  In working with customers - whatever our business - we need to accept their situations and help them address their challenges.  There is no better way to do that than being 100% "here" for them right now.  Attention without distraction.  Those actions can continually redefine our brands...as companies and as people.

This book also inspires us to make the most of every moment...in business and in life.  I'm reminded of the time I had a chance to speak with Ralph Nader.  We can argue about his politics, but a story he told was very powerful.  He said he ran into a friend in an elevator in an office building in New York City.  The friend was an attorney who was working on a high profile case for General Motors.  The friend told him he wasn't enjoying it, but it was great experience.  Then, about 6 years later, he ran into his friend again. Nader asked him what he was doing and the friend told him he was still working on the General Motors case.  The moral of the story, of course, is to do what we love doing...now.  If we're always unhappily living for some supposedly better future, that's not much of a life.

The word present has two meanings.  First, it means now.  Second, it can mean a gift.  Think about that.  The present is a gift.  Most people are just too busy to open it.  How about you?

--Dave 

LeBron...

A word impossible to define.

Much has happened over the last week in the world of sports, but nothing can hold a candle to the circus LeBron James and his handlers orchestrated.  No need to go into details since you know them all.

From a marketing standpoint, what can we say?  This will go down in history as a case study for years to come.  But how does the case turn out?  Is it healthy for sports celebrities to hijack networks to shine a spotlight on themselves?  Is it good branding to stay with a hometown team or leave to try to win sooner, or win with "friends?"  Is it scary or refreshing for owners of teams (or leaders of any organization) to speak their minds so bluntly?

Last Friday, Cleveland-based writer Frank Lewis called me for my opinion on Dan Gilbert's letter in response to James' decision.  We talked for a long time and had an interesting conversation.  I had no idea that so much of what I said would be incorporated into the article Lewis wrote, but that's what happened.

Here is a link to a story in Saturday's New York Times.  This was on the front of the sports section and the print version of the article was even longer.  It sums up very well my opinion, which actually seems counter to much of what I usually suggest on this blog.  But, sometimes we have to throw caution to the wind to energize our customers and preserve our brand.  That's what Dan Gilbert did.  Lots of second guessing now, but let's not forget who put all of this into motion.

I want to go back to the beginning of this blog post.  This is the first post I've ever written that didn't have a definition to a word.  Why?  When a company - or a person - becomes big enough, the mere mention of the name becomes the brand.  Ultimately, that brand is defined by individual customers or, in this case, fans.  By his actions, LeBron so thoroughly confused his previously strong image that he wiped it out.  He's now impossible to define.  And so was that zero-ring circus called "The Decision."

--Dave

Remember...

To recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think of again; remain aware of.

 

 

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, I can't help looking back, but remind myself to look forward as well. 

 

Memories are a gift...in life and in business.  The obvious connection for this weekend is remembering and thanking those that gave their lives for the freedom we now enjoy.  But others have come in and out of our lives and it doesn't hurt to recall them and what they've given to us over the years.

 

In business and marketing, remembering - looking back - serves a couple of very practical purposes.  First, we can look back on our mistakes and remind ourselves not to repeat them.  We live and learn.  We can also look at our successes and make sure we're leveraging those to our advantage and focusing on the positive.

 

Yet, we can't become obsessed with looking back.  A good part of success comes from turning back around, looking forward and moving on with passion and purpose.  Sometimes that means leaving some things behind.  Pardon this sports analogy, but those of you who follow the NBA may know that the Cleveland Cavaliers just fired their head coach - even though he was the winningest (a real word) coach in franchise history.  Why would someone do this?  Well, Dan Gilbert, the owner of the team, summed it up like this:

 

"The expectations of this organization are very high and, although change always carries an element of risk, there are times when that risk must be taken in an attempt to break through to new, higher levels of accomplishment.  This is one of those times."

 

I love that quote.  Substitute your organization into that statement.  Or better yet, substitute yourself.  What are you doing to get out of your comfort zone to be even better?  Who or what from the past can you remember that inspires you?

 

Memorials are great.  Let's look back and be thankful.  But let's also turn our attention to the future and use those memories to motivate us to higher heights.  Why not make now one of those times to break through?  

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Dave 

Green...

Of the color of growing foliage, between yellow and blue in the spectrum; immature in age or judgment; full of life and vigor; young; environmentally sound or beneficial.

 

 

I believe it was Kermit the Frog who said "it's not easy being green."  Well, ain't it the truth.  The giant retailer Wal-Mart famously entered the Age of Sustainability several years ago, asking its vendors to get with the program.  Last week, the giant vendor Procter & Gamble entered the fray by announcing their own supplier scorecard, which goes beyond Wal-Mart's to include media companies and advertising agencies.   Get your carbon footprint calculators ready.

 

Some folks who commented on P&G's initiative were complaining the company should focus on profits, not projects like this.  However, these people fail to recognize two big trends.  First, consumers are actually beginning to recognize, buy (and even pay more for) goods from companies with high levels of corporate social responsibility.  That boosts revenue.  Second, companies that dig deep to solve environmental issues usually end up saving significant dollars in the long run.  That cuts costs.  The last time I checked, increasing revenue while decreasing cost improves profitability, which in turn impacts stock price.

 

The trick, as with anything that defines us as a company, is to address issues like sustainability in an honest and authentic way.  Faking it won't work.  Of course, we don't want to be someone's puppet.  But then again, someone has to be the seller in client relationships and, in the end, the customer's always right.  So, over the next year, thousands of suppliers will be filling out P&G's questionnaire and embarking on initiatives of their own to improve their scores.  It certainly can't hurt.  Done smartly, the competition could end up quite envious.  And what color's associated with that?

 

--Dave