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April 10, 2008

On "Life After Katie"

I know this is a marketing blog, so excuse me if the following post seems every so slightly "off-center" but IMHO it is completely relevant...

I just finished reading a posting on the Time.com Tuned In blog by James Poniewozik titled "Life After Katie." The posting was about the rumored demise of Katie Couric's CBS Evening News show. His commentary should be read by every marketer, in every industry, in every role because it applies to all of us.

Here is a small excerpt from Jim's entry:

"Katie was brought in on the premise that she and her star power—plus a revamping of the newscast format—could bring in new viewers to the evening news, rather than just steal a few hundred thou from the competition. She cannot. God cannot. It is a losing proposition. As I have written before, Couric's newscast has been an expensive final refutation of the desperate belief that it is possible to reverse the slow, inexorable decline of network news. Network newscasts are a holding effort. They are a rearguard action. They are prisoners of demography and cultural shifts that are as irreversible as the physical laws of the universe."

Besides being cool writing, he is right. The article goes on to explain the various demographic reasons why Katie doesn't deserve $15 mil a year to safegaurd her chair while the broadcast's Nielsen ratings plummet. The point for me, however, was broader.

Across all facets of marketing, B2C and B2B, there are dramatic and continually evolving ways in the way the people consume information. Not that long ago, Wired magazine ran a cover story on "snack culture"...our growing predilection for information in small bites (bytes?). Media fragmentation continues to alter audience accessibility to marketers. Blogs and online video are redefining the term pundit. For marketers, the impact is a new landscape in which you must paint your marketing plan. And like network news broadcasts, any efforts to do things "the way you've always done them" would be rightfully characterized as another "rearguard action."

Katie Couric and CBS may have done a favor for more than just NBC and ABC. They may well have taught every advertiser and marketer just how important it is to change...or die.

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March 2, 2008

Content Comes to Marketing

Perhaps no complaint is more universal in the B2B marketing arena than the need for well-writen, relevant content. Yet, companies routinely short-shrift investment in content creation. That leads to a woeful lack of good information and a continual disconnect between marketers and prospects/customers.

That gap is why I found Steve Rubel's latest posting on his MicroPersuasion blog so interesting. Writing about event from the recent IAB Annual Meeting, he pointed out how digitally-savvy media companies had become. His angle was the threat that media companies now pose to traditional agencies. Some interesting stats he presented:

• By 2010, 53% of media companies surveyed expect to do more business directly with marketers. The majority of marketers (52%) feel the same about publishers


• Only 27% of marketers expect to be doing more business with agencies two years from now


• Today nearly every media company (91%) offers some kind of "agency-like" services. This includes former untouchables like idea generation (88%) and creative development (79%)

The implications for B2B marketers hungry for content? The answer may be in closer relationships with media companies hungry to leverage their content libraries and substantial content creation resources in new ways.

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February 28, 2008

Customer Service As Recession Fighter

Taken from the HP website: "HP today announced the most substantial investment in consumer technical support in its history – the aim of which is to enable people to get faster, more effective help with the HP technology products in their homes."

At a time when the economy is wavering and many companies are retrenching, HP announces a major investment in customer service. They may not be perfect, but here is more evidence that some companies really understand what is happening in the marketplace while others flounder in the evolving, customer-centric world.

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February 27, 2008

On Marketers...And Dinosaurs

I was driving into work this AM listening to WCBS radio in NY (I know... how retro. ;-) There was a story about the number of e-mails that a typical businessperson receives in a day. The point of the story was that if you spent even a nominal amount of time processing each e-mail, it would take about 2 ½ hours a day just to process e-mail.

That got me thinking about the changes in marketing that are on the horizon. The boomer generation of marketers was raised on the philosophy that if you need more awareness, more orders, or more action, simply push out more marketing. We manage daily communications similarly — pushing information (e.g. "e-mail") to colleagues and blithely copying large blocks of people.

The Gen Y/Millennial cohort now entering the workforce has been raised differently. They eschew e-mail in favor of self-service, permission-driven social networks. They tune out irrelevant marketing. They tell manufacturers how to market instead of passively absorbing what the company chooses to spit out. They collaborate with peers. Welcome to new world of communications.

The implications of this psychology and behavioral change are immense. My company lives in the B2B world and we see the growing need for a whole new way for companies to interact. Dealers don't have time to read all the "noise" they receive from the manufacturers they represent. Salespeople can't spend 10 hours a week in training to learn increasingly arcane product features. In short, the philosophy of B2B communications must change in the same ways that B2C communications have already begun to change. But marketers have never been known as the most adaptive of species, and this change does not come easy for most companies.

My advice? The next time you prepare to send an e-mail, or approve that new mailer or ad, think hard about the changes happening around you. Do your actions account for new media, new strategies and new organizational behavior? Change happens by slowly modifying behavior on the thousands of small decisions you make daily, not just the big, high-profile ones.

Of course, you could just continue "business as usual" ... and reserve your place in the same hall as T-Rex.

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February 10, 2008

New Expectations: HP's IdolHands Contest

By now, most marketing excutives have heard about the short-tenure woes of the CMO in many organizations. In an article in The McKinsey Quarterly titled "The Evolving Role of the CMO" there were some interesting insights into the trends that are makig the job so difficult. One insight I thought was really relevant was how today's marketing executive must manage a rapidly expanding universe of marketing techniques, channels and skills. For example, in media alone the expansion of user-generated content makes traditional approaches to media planning and execution insufficient. Add to that the increasing demand to create immersive engagement in campaigns that create more lasting mindshare and viral extension.

As a case in point, take a look at HP's recently released Idol Hands contest. This is not your typical marketing program. This interactive, user-generated content program supports HP's $3,500 TouchSmart line of touch-screen PCs, billed as "The perfect PC for families looking for an all-in-one touch-screen PC with easy, convenient access to information, family schedules, TV, music, movies and photos."

The campaign is intended to get consumers to upload a homemade video starring their hands. And upload people are! Some of the video are dumb, some quite elegant. All in all, it represents a completely different way of thinking about and using a marketing budget. The concept is engaging, interactive and gets an audience focused on one aspect of the value proposition for the product line. Very clever.

Gotta run, now. I need to get back to editing my submission....I could really use the prize money.

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February 6, 2008

Tactics v. Strategy

It is interesting to observe the evolution in marketing with the proliferation of Web tools. Perhaps a reflection of the market's penchant for sound bites and "snack culture"-style information, there is a not-unexpected obsession with tactics right now. I am amused as companies like HP, Kodak and Xerox pitch their printing customers about Web portals, Personal URLs, VDP campaigns, etc. And while everyone talks about "integrated campaigns", precious few agencies, consultants and customers are really executing on the word "integrated." Single function companies in the e-mail, personal URL or Web portal space all focus on their single capability...pitching them relentlessly to prospects desperate to find a magic bullet for their marketing programs.

My advice to everyone...don't obsess over tools. Perhaps more than ever in the marketing business, strategy matters. It is really easy to spend (waste?) a lot of money on pieces of marketing. However, the battle for customer mindshare is much more cerebral today. It takes time and effort to really sift through goals and objectives, a target market profile, then match those with the tools and creative programs to create real success.

While markets are evolving faster than ever, some principles of advertising have not changed...Think First. Act Second.

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February 5, 2008

Observations On SuperDuper Tuesday.

Seth Godin gets kudos today for posting "Lessons From Voting." Worth reading...but I would like to add a few more:

1. Voting is a lot like buying a product. If you invest a lot in the purchase, you feel really unhappy if you get a lemon. Only in purchasing, it is easier to return a lemon.


2. If you don't own something, you shouldn't criticize it...you can't know the experience. The same thing goes for voting. If you don't vote, you don't get to complain non-stop for the next four years.


3. Are you as uncomfotable as I am with the amount of money being spent on marketing the candidates? Is this what our founding fathers really wanted?


4. Whoever first coined the term "SuperDuper Tuesday" should be exiled to someplace like Iran. Even a TV talking-head should be able to do better than that.


5. Whoever dreamed up the standardized-test-like, fill-in-the-circle-with-a-Number-2-pencil-ballot should be exiled to someplace like Iran for bringing back creepy memories of school.

Happy voting.

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SuperBowl Advertising Hangover

Like many people in the marketing business, I watch the ads as much as the game. Here is my day-after-the-day-after response to some of what I saw:

1. Is it just my opinion, or was the quality lower than ever?


2. GoDaddy: WTF? I know it got 2 million hits, but I think it is evidence that we are helping accelerate the decline of civilization if that qualified as brand development.


3. Dell: Since I am a B2B guy, I can't resist saying...huh? If all it takes to get the unadulterated adulation of thousands of people is carrying a red computer, count me in. Oh yeah...the Product(Red) thing. I actually had my company distribute Product(Red) holiday cards this year so I get it...but how many of those 97 million eyeballs did???


4. Audi: First SB ad in 20 years. Should have made it 21. If you are under 50, the Godfather thing was not relevant. For many others, it was not clear. BTW...it is scoring well, so I guess I am just not hip.


5. Doritos: The giant mouse whaling on the guy was funny...and oddly violent for Doritos. Sometimes, user-generated content reflects my earlier comment about the decline of civilization.


6. Bud Light: OK, it was sophmoric, but "Breathing Fire" made me laugh. Still won't be buying BL, but I did laugh.


7. CareerBuilder: Hopefully they can help the creatives at W&K land new gigs.


8. SalesGenie: Vin Gupta...don't leave your day job. BTW, I think there ought to be a law against selling mailing lists as "leads." The names on those lists typically don't want to hear from you, don't want to buy from you, and certainly would not want to have a drink after work with you.

I really am not a curmudgeon, but if what I saw represents the pinnacle of American advertising art, it is time for some change in the industry.

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February 3, 2008

ComScore Internet 2007 Report Released

ComScore has released its 2007 Internet Year-in-Review report highlighting the major trends in U.S. Internet activity.

No surprise...Google is even more powerful at the end of 2007 than it was starting the year. Women's communities showed major growth as a category, and Office Max's powerful year-end viral ElfYourself campaign drew so much traffic it launched the company into 3rd position in growth percentage. Now that's a marketing campaign!

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Irrational Exuberance Redux

I was looking at the cost-per-click for some B2B categories the other day..."data center" top position was running over $20.00.

Huh? Maybe I don't get it, but this is a "click" folks. I do agree that SEM is a powerful and necessary tool, but paying that high a number on a general term seems over the top, especially based on what the click-thru links were on some of the top sites.

Some thoughts:

1. If you are going to pay a high click value, make the landing page really relevant and highly actionable. Content is king and the reader better know exactly why you brought them to your site within 3 seconds


2. Evaluate your broad marketing strategy. While SEM is targeted and "laser-like", it remains only one part of a broader strategy. Over-reliance on any one part of a solid marketing campaign can lead to expensive disappointment.

Repeat after me...content is king. If you aren't ready to pay off a SEM click with good content, there are probably cheaper methods for generating broad awareness on a CPM basis.

It remains amazing, but not surprising, how history repeats itself when marketers hear about a new technique that will deliver the "mother-of-all-lead-generation-programs."

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February 1, 2008

Surfing Innovation. Cool, Dude.

Great blog posting by consultant John Hagel in his EdgePerspectives blog. The piece, titled "Innovating on the Edge of Big Waves," talks about what business executives can learn from surfers.

I found several of the points especially valuable:

1. If you want to push your performance levels, find the relevant edge. The example "companies making diesel engines and power generators should be actively engaged in finding ways to more effectively serve lower income customers in remote rural areas of emerging economies. These demanding customers could prompt significant innovation in both product design and distribution processes in an effort to deliver greater value at lower cost."


2. Bring technology developers and users together at the edge. Commonly discussed but less commonly practiced...no one knows better how to innovate than users forced to operate under challenging conditions.

Worth the time to read...worth even more time to think about how it could be applied to business situations you face in your company.

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A Super Slide To Irrelevance?

Ahhh, February 1. It's spring again…for the ad business at least. It seems with the impended airing of the world's last great eyeball aggregator -- a.k.a. The Super Bowl -- there is a flurry of focus on the world of Madison and Vine. YouTube, www.superbowl-ads.com, AOLSports ... even Spike TV ... everyone is already set to post those treasured spots for viewing by millions of people on their computers and portable devices. And for one day, marketers willing to spend millions can have a shot at influencing vast numbers of TV viewers with a single 30-second spot. How retro.

Thus, it is with some irony that 2008 brings the confluence of the Super Bowl overlaid upon the continuing writers' strike -- an ongoing nightmare that has people seriously considering what the long-term impact of the strike will be on TV viewership. What was once idle speculation is becoming the fodder for many blog postings. As early as November 2007, TechCrunch speculated that the strike was an opportunity for millions of online properties to blossom. Now, three months later, that posting seems prescient.

In fact, TV does not just go away. Instead, it will transform as the world of analog, unidirectional, broadcast television morphs into a digital, bidirectional, immersive medium. The nature of shows will change as viewers adapt to the capabilities of the new medium. But, as the strike wears on and the YouTubes continue to garner more clicks, with once loyal viewers begining to experience the options available to them, the nature of TV is getting a little nudge toward its future -- like it or not. And if you're a CMO used to leveraging television as a foundation for marketing your wares, I would suggest you are getting a little nudge too.

BTW...those crazy advertisers...all those YouTube, AOL, Spike, etc clicks are rapidly turning their media buy into something that looks a lot more logical, huh?

Happy Super Bowl viewing!

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January 20, 2008

Flowers With ATTITUDE

Every once in a while, you come across an example of marketing that really captures the essence of the craft. Thanks to Seth Godin for providing this posting to an Atlanta area florist with a great positioning and marketing style.

They have obviously thought about ways to differentiate and have approached the florist business with an eye on bringing FTD up-to-date for a new generation of buyers. Hey, it's not for everybody, but that's the point of good marketing. Read the descriptions of the products including the Broquet...great stuff.

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January 16, 2008

Tips on Great Presentations

Most Powerpoint presentations suck. Sorry for the harsh language, but sometimes the truth hurts.

So this posting titled "Ten Questions With Garr Reynolds" by Guy Kawasaki on his How To Change The World blog should be considered required reading. The posting introduces some key thoughts by Reynolds, author of the book "Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)" and the blog PresentationZen.

Best takeaway...the response to the question "What is the single most important thing people could do to enhance their presentations?"

The answer: "Turn off the computer, grab some paper and a pencil, and find someplace quiet. Think of the audience. What is it they need? What is it you want to say that they need to hear. Identify what’s important and what is not. You can’t say everything in a twenty-minute talk—or even a two-hour talk."

To so many things today, I think the advice "turn off the computer" is a great response. Too often we start creating before thinking...bad, bad, bad.

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December 28, 2007

Fire That Customer, Pt. 2

Duct Tape Marketing has an interesting post titled "Fire 10% of Your Customers" that reflects the thoughts in my November 11 posting. Heading into 2008, it certainly adds food for thought. I particularly like his concept of referring the customers to a strategic partner and the creation of a written description of the revised customer profile.

Yes, you have to be financially ready to do this, but the reality is, every customer needs to add strength to your business, not suck the life out of it.

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December 3, 2007

DM Made Simple

Great marketing is not always complex, expensive and flashy. Sometimes, it is brilliant in its simplicity, and elegant in its cleanliness.

Check out this blog about the direct mail for a Belgian optician done by Proximity BBDO (Belgium). Very cool. Great direct mail. Damn...I wish I'd thought of that..... ;-)

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November 20, 2007

Being Innovation

I was reading Tom Kelley's "The Ten Faces of Innovation" the other day and was struck by a paragraph just 14 pages into the book. The book which describes 10 approaches to innovation which it describes in terms of personas rather than elements. The sentences that caught my attention were:

"And thinking of the ten innovation elements as personas rather than tools reminds us that innovation is a full-time endeavor for all modern organizations, not just a task to be checked off periodically. The personas are about "being innovation" rather than merely "doing innovation."

Ever since I've read that, it has stuck in my head.

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November 11, 2007

Fire That Customer

I came across an interesting article in BusinessWeek's SmallBiz magazine titled "When, Where and How To Fire That Customer." It's something lots of business people think about, typically ignore, and often pay the price for inaction. The practice of professionally separating from your least profitable customers -- think of it like pruning a plant -- leaves more time for focus on new business and on the best customers. It is a common practice among successful companies.

It's an article worth reading regardless of the size business you work in, since it reminds us all that businesses need to keep their eye on the profitability of each and every account.

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October 29, 2007

Registration Forms and Opt-In Practices

Check out this Get Elastic blog posting "Registration Usability - 87 Registration Forms Tested" containing interesting data on the registration and opt-in practices of 87 e-commerce Web sites.

My favorite factoid was that only 14% of sites actually listed the benefits of registration. Increasingly e-mail weary readers are overwhelmingly suspect of any registration process, and to ask people to register without clearly telling them what's in it for them is silly. In addition, the reasons have to be clear and believable. As suggested in the blog, bullet points that are easy and fast to read are highly preferable to long copy blocks.

Nice posting.

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September 4, 2007

Blogging Takes Time...And Summer Seems To Have Less.

I have been horribly remiss in the last several weeks. As my company works to roll out a new website, my schedule has become crowded. But even more so, this year's vacation season seemed to be more disruptive than usual. I think this is a chronic issue in more companies than just ours. Minimum staffs, growing workloads...it all adds up to overload quickly. I find the phenomenon fascinating and distressing all at once.

Anyway, I will be re-energizing the blog over the next couple of weeks. Loyal readers...I thank you for your patience and I hope to reward you all with some cool and interesting stuff.

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July 29, 2007

The Fallacy Of People Don't Read Anymore

Here's a link to some great thinking on copywriting by the highly-respected Drew McLellan author of Drew's Marketing Minute , a blog currently ranking #37 on Todd And's Power 150 Marketing Blogs.

Drew's observations are built around the J. Peterman catalog. J. Peterman was made famous on Seinfeld before an infamous stint in bankruptcy. Now resurrected, the J. Peterman catalog and website are carving a distinct brand niche with their clothing. And the copywriting is brand-consistent, differentiating and ...perish the thought....FUN.

OK, I exist in a B2B world, as do many of you. So, is there anything to be learned from this. I contend yes. All copywriting is about appropriateness — in length and style. But appropriate is not defined rigorously -- it is defined by the brand and the presumed reader use. Everyone is TOO busy, businesspeople AND consumers. To me, the message of Drew's post is in writing's ability to make busy people slow down. If people are not reading your copy, could it be that the words are neither compelling nor relevant to the reader!?!?

Many thanks to Drew for helping point this out.

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July 23, 2007

The Power of NO.

Small business guru John Jantsch has a short, but important reminder posting about learning to say No when it comes to working with clients. Especially in many smaller independent dealer organizations, the temptation to accept all work is overwhelming. Learning to stay on focus can help you better manage your resources and keep the organization on a positive track.

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PlaidNation Tour. Putting Marketing To Work.

In marketing, it is often sad that the hardest assignments are the ones relating to your own business. Take a peak at the rebranding effort under way at CT agency Plaid (formerly Visual Intelligence Agency) as viewed through the company's Brand Aid 2007 Tour site or their Website. The folks at Plaid are certainly practicing what they preach in employing a multi-channel marketing program with a liberal dose of Web 2.0/social media, including live WebCam feeds, a Flickr album, Twitter feed, blog, a traveling plaid van, and even some traditional direct mail. Some large corporations could learn from the company's very creative use of budget to garner publicity ... and measurable return from a string of nationwide appointments.

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June 6, 2007

Best-of-Breed Corporate Blogs

Just saw an article in BtoB Magazine titled " Looking at the best-of-breed blogs". Not sure that I agree with a couple of the selections (more later), but here is the list:

GM FastLane
Nuts About Southwest
Benetton Talk
Road Warrior Tips
ShopFloor.org
Direct2Dell

I might quibble a little about GM, and ShopFloor.org is a bit unusual since it is a primary communication vehicle for the organization. However, there are a couple of interesting lessons.

First...Southwest shows how much faith you need to have if you really want to launch a successful corporate blog. It really unleashed the employees. Benetton shows how much you have to believe in your own message. Left-leaning and clearly political, that's a blog not many corporations would be comfortable with in the U.S. And Dell showed perseverence can pay off. They made mistakes, took their beating, then got back up and still succeeded.

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June 5, 2007

Marketing Gone Wild

Building on yesterday's critique of an ad, I offer yet another example of marketing gone wild. Here is the official logo of the 2012 Olympics being held in London:

On the official Olympics site, here is the explanation:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Available in four colours - pink, blue, green and orange - the new emblem is modern and will be dynamic, evolving in the years between now and 2012.

It symbolises the Olympic spirit and the ability of the Games to inspire people to take part - not just as spectators, but as volunteers, in the Cultural Olympiad and more.

Launching the brand at the Roundhouse in North London, London 2012 Chair Seb Coe said:

"London 2012 will be 'Everyone's Games', everyone's 2012. This is the vision at the very heart of our brand.

It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world.

It is an invitation to take part and be involved."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Words escape me.

But, Seth Godin did a great job of describing the reaction of many:
"If you are paying money to someone who talks like this, may I suggest you stop? And if you work for someone who talks like this, time to look for a new gig."

Thank you, Seth.

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June 3, 2007

The Attack of the Killer Ad

This is not AdRants and it is not my normal posting to be critiqueing ads. But every so often, I see an ad that reminds of everything wrong a company can do with its B2B ad budget. This ad from Kyocera caught my attention in just that way.

(Click image to view larger size)

I assume, the concept was awareness, and BusinessWeek (where this ad was running)certainly has reach. But, is "color" really a value proposition for placing an ad that costs tens of thousands of dollars? I assume the point was to let people know that Kyocera is in the color game but the very soft copy does not make a bold statement -- and there are NO differentiators versus competition. The art direction is out-of-control. The Web site listing is for the Home Page -- there is no campaign-specific landing page to quickly get a reader to a payoff. Finally, the placement: BusinessWeek. Many ads in BusinessWeek are "investor-oriented. But for all that money, this is clearly not an investor ad, yet it has a weak call to action.

To be effective, B2B ads need to be clear, express a strong value proposition, explain the simple benefit for the customer, preferably have a strong call to action, and must run in media that are demographically correct. This ad misses the mark on many levels and is a great case study for any company working on ads for B2B media...a study in what not to do.

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Delivering An Experience

In the June 11, 2007 issue of BusinessWeek, there is a a great quote from Allen Adamson of Landor Associates: "It is far more complicated to deliver an experience than it is to deliver entertainment on a screen. You have to rely on employees to do so, and just ask any fast-food chain how complicated that is."

The article was about Nickolodean's foray in to branded hotels. But, the words are valuable to virtually any business where customer service matters. Frankly, whether you are in a consumer-oriented or B2B company, that means you. As I have written before, buyer loyalty is harder than ever to maintain, and more any more companies....all the way to those selling through retail chains...need to think about what their "consumer experience" really is.

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May 16, 2007

B-to-B Advertising Venues Update

The BtoB Magazine ranking of the Top 50 b-to-b advertising venues is out. Number 2 on the list...Google, which as the article points out, accounts for nearly 50% of all searches conducted in the U.S.

Whether you are major manufacturer or a local dealer, Search Engine Optimization and a basic paid ad plan on Google should be top-of-mind.

BTW...three relative newcomers in the Web world are on the list: AllBusiness.com, Business.com, and Global Spec. If you are not aware of these fast-growing sites, visit now!

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An Ad With Honesty (?) And What We Can Learn

I don't know if anyone has seen the new post-bankruptcy ad campaign for Delta. Brandweek provided some coverage, and here is a link to a sample.

As consumers, we are pretty cynical...once burned, we have less faith. And Lord knows, we have lost faith in major airlines. Jay Leno had a great joke about airlines not raising prices to compensate for rising fuel costs...instead cutting services. He quipped, "Cutting services?? What is Southwest going to take out the seats and make flights standing-room only??"

So the new Delta ads, with their mea culpa is likely to meet with skepticism in the marketplace. But, I found something very interesting in them. It is in our normal marketing culture to never "admit" to failure or "acknowledge" problems in public. We do that in our personal lives as well -- it seems almost ingrained in our genetic makeup. That is why the ads are so fascinating. In one TV ad segment, the camera pans an empty airline lobby with dirty walls and part of a faded Delta logo while the voice-over ponders about past failures. That image really connected with me, since it so vividly reminded the viewer about Delta's bankruptcy. In normal marketing, companies just don't make that type of admission. Yeah, it's just marketing and I am not here to shill for Delta. But it is also in our genetics to forgive. And at least for me, I'd rather have a company admit they screwed up than treat me like nothing happened.

I think there is something here for all marketers. I have often been in creative meetings where clients trying to overcome a "challenge" vehemently reject the "truth" in favor of warmed-over pablum. I think Delta's head-on approach works. It may not help save the airline, and lots of people will hate these ads, but in my view...it worked.

Somthing to think about in your business as well. Especially in customer service in a small dealership or VAR location. When you are growing, sometimes you make mistakes. When you do, telling the customer openly that you made a mistake and what you are doing to avoid the problem in the future is usually the right call.

Now, if Delta could only figure out the on-time arrival thing and also figure out how a vacuum works...

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May 8, 2007

Personalized Contact Redux

I read a funny sidebar in CRN (formerly Computer Reseller News) about recruiting developers in the Web 2.0 bubble. Why funny? A creative recruiting e-mail went to David Heinemeier Hansson, a partner in the software company 37 Signals and the creator of the Ruby on Rails Web development framework. The e-mail offered a development opportunity with the note "It looks like you have an interest in this news and exciting framework." Duh.

Of course, it is also a sad commentary on how badly and frequently misused e-mail marketing is. Given the continuing growth in the e-mail marketing backlash, sending these type of messages feeds into the hands of the growing legions of people screaming for a "Do Not E-Mail" registry.

E-Mail can be a powerful communications medium, but only if we as marketers do not kill it before its value can be matured.

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May 1, 2007

Rethinking Value

I was in a long conversation this morning talking about the evolution of some distribution channels (high end printing and copiers/office automation). We got on to the Dealer 2.0 conversation again, and the whole concept of delivering value.

Here is a really interesting example of "rethinking value" and adjusting your positioing and messaging to adapt to an evolving customer base.

What is your impression of a gas station? Every really "want" to stop to use the restroom...or did you just "need" to stop?? Along with the campiagn microsite, this is a great example of rethinking value.

How could you apply that in your business? Dealers...how can you pick up the ball and apply it as well?

Thanks for pointing this out to BrandFlakesforBreakfast.

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Top Ten Issues Facing Senior Marketers in 2007

There was a sidebar in lst week's AdAge that I found interesting. It was titled "Top 10: Issues Facing Senior Marketers in 2007." Here is the list:
1: Integrated Marketing Communications
2: Accountability
3: Aligning Marketing Organization with Innovation
4: Building Strong Brands
5: Media Proliferation
6: Consumer Control Over What and How They View Advertising
7: Globalization of Marketing Efforts
8: Growth of Multicultural Consumer Segments
9: Advertising Creative That Achieves Business Results
10: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Two items caught my attention...#2 (Accountability) and #9 (Creative That Achieves Business Results). I find it fascinating that marketers believe "accountability" is an issue. Could it be that "they've been left alone too long to develop creative that has nothing to do with business results?"

Brand still matters...in fact, perhaps more than ever, but branding alone does not guarantee a positive customer experience through the full customer lifecycle, and companies need to invest across the spectrum of touchpoints to ensure that positive experience. For each step, that means every dollar is precious...so get used to being accountable...it is the new way of life.

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April 27, 2007

Are YOU A Luddite?? (Marketers Take Special Note!)

I don't think of myself as a Luddite (From Wikipedia definition..."The Luddites were a social movement of English textile artisans in the early nineteenth century who protested — often by destroying textile machines — against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt threatened their livelihood.").

Just wanted to start off that way. I graduated from an Ivy League school, have a graduate degree in Chemistry, and have been an entrepreneur for 20+ years. I know how to use by DVD player, installed my home office network, have a Sonos wireless music distribution system in my house and have a Rhapsody subscription license.

But, as I was catching up on Robert Scoble's now-famous blog (Scobleizer)...started when he was a Microsoft Technical Evangalist and now maintained from his new post as VP of Media Development at PodTech.net...I began to feel like one. His May 24 posting "Google Tracking My History" is valuable for anyone who's business is touched by the Internet (read...everyone.)

I didn't know about Google History (heck, Seth Godin already has a History history...). I had not yet signed up for my Twitter account, and so, even as a pretty forward-thinking marketer, I did not know what Twitterment was.

Now that I have flogged myself mercilessly, let me note that I often work in industries that are pretty "conservative." And as a reader, if you had never heard the term Luddite, have never visited Wikipedia, did not know who Robert Scoble was, did not know Seth Godin, aren't familiar with Google applications, never had heard of Twitter or did not get the Rhapsody reference...then I suggest that you start looking for work in a textile factory.

The point? The next generation of marketers are entereing the workforce. Check our this year's Brandweek list of "Marketers of the Next Generation." (If link broken, let me know...) Some of their tactics scare even me, but if you find their work offensive or silly or useless....then you are not connected to the changes that are coming. As with any revolution, this one will be fueled by information and what most of us over 50 types need to remember is that human knowledge accumulates and it is accelerating the pace of learning. Marketing as we know it is being turned upside down and you need to shake off the dust and start learning the new tools. They may not all apply immediately for you...but awareness is the start.

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April 23, 2007

Dealer 2.0 -- The Web 2.0 Remake of Dealers As We Knew Them

It has been a little over two weeks since my last posting...an inexcusable lapse for any true "blogger." I have been on the road a tremendous amount -- visiting customers, making sales calls, spending time with suppliers and also executing projects. It was an exciting time that left me with many ideas for writing about.

Last week, I presented a customer a new concept for their channel partner programs: "Dealer 2.0". The idea behind this was the fact that Web 2.0 phenomena are requiring distribution channels to evolve and adapt. Here is my thinking.

Operating in the world of channel marketing, I see a dizzying amount of change happening...and and equally amazing amount of disorientation. Customers are spending more time online researching and planning their purchases. That means that the dynamic of what a dealer, retailer or distributor needs to do to be successful is different. Customers are not so easily "bamboozled." Real-world customers want different types of support today, not just help picking out whether they should buy the 28 PPM or 35 PPM multifunction printer model, or the Metallic Blue or Gunmetal Grey paint on their new SUV. Add to this the fear of sales disruption that is pervading many manufacturers. As manufacturers jockey for stability in sales, they are continually rejiggering their channel programs -- at the same time that market forces are also disrupting routine operations. Not a pleasant combination for the channel partners.

My Dealer 2.0 concept is built around the fact that distribution channels must think about the value they add. There is not room for "dumb" channel partners who simply add cost without commensurate value. Pricing transparency brought on by the Internet has made it increasingly difficult to integratre simple "markups." I encourage people to leverage Ted Levitt's venerable whole product concept when thinking this through. For example, the following diagram is a whole product mapping for an office products dealer:

The old standby of "a good product at a good price" (think Wal-Mart) is no longer enough...even for Wal-Mart. The Dealer 2.0 concept is a valuable one for both ends of the distribution chain. As a manufacturer, are your programs adapting to meet the needs of an evolving, increasinlgy electronic-tools savvy set of partners? As a dealer, are your programs and customer service initiatives evolving to meet the demands of an increasingly savvy customer base?

I have long believed that "where there is change, there is opportunity." But, seizing the opportunity can be a scary thing.

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April 6, 2007

A Lesson in Web 2.0 Marketing...From A Car Dealer! (Rated R ;-)

Regular readers know that I rail frequently about the need for dealers (in any industry) to get a message out that speaks of THEIR value and avoids copycat product-babble.

So alas, I present to you the video component of a promotional campaign for Clay Automotive, courtesy of our friends at AdRants.com and Catch Up Lady, that simply and humorously demonstrates the art of local promotion. This viral video, and the associated Website (www.dontgettaken.com) are humorous while also being informative and highly differentiating. This is dealer marketing at its best and a real lesson for channel marketing professionals.

Who wouldn't want to buy from these guys....

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E-Mail Marketing: Coming Of Age??

I read about the latest Forrester report on e-mail marketing, "Email Marketing Comes of Age" in DMNews Online and was pleasantly surprised by some of the data: click-through rates remain steady (since 2003) at around 5%; e-mail readers spend over 138% more on products they see advertised in e-mail than their non-e-mail marketing counterparts.

However, the line I keyed on was from Shar VanBoskirk, the Forrester analyst who authored the report, "The responsibility of marketers today is to think strategically about how to incorporate e-mail into an overall marketing program and how to reap the benefits of a good e-mail program." Why?

E-Mail marketing is unlike other media because low cost is quickly leading to heavier and heavier use. Diana Dilworth in DMNews noted that the Forester report identified that 94% of its surveyed marketers are using e-mail marketing. While that number is obviously skewed by their sample set, (I know lots of small business who are not doing "e-mail marketing" in any classical use of the term) it is fair to say that the medium is getting a lot of attention. And as I noted, that worries me. Volume in e-mail is hard to "ignore" so it is unlike advertising...and unlike direct mail, it's low cost makes it easy to do regularly.

Which leads to my thought that the greatest threat to e-mail over time remains misuse by larger marketers (I have gotten 7-8 Gevalia e-mails in the last month) and plain old use by small businesses, non-profits and other organizations. As noted in a previous post, with over 24 million small businesses in the US, if each sent you one e-mail per year, you would receive an average of 652 e-mails every day. Overuse will not only force a restructuring of the medium, but it will also create weary consumers who begin to tune out the medium. And THAT, as advertisers everywhere are already experiencing with traditional media, is a REAL threat.

So, what to make of MarketingProfs blog author Roy Young's posting titled "The Biggest Threat To Email Marketing..." in which he identified the threat as "the failure of marketers to "market" email as a communications vehicle to senior management." I know lots of CEO's who will take the raw numbers and encourage increased use (reactive management at its best.) But, the answer is not in MORE e-mail, but in BETTER e-mail. That may be implied in Roy's post, but it was worth emphasizing.

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March 29, 2007

VARs: Know Your Value; Vendors: Know Your Partners

Back in 2000, Michael Hammer created an editorial in Information Week in which he wrote:
“The notion of a distribution chain is becoming obsolete; in its place is arising the notion of a distribution community, a group of companies that collectively create value for the customer. There's room in this community for many companies besides the manufacturer, as long as they are ready to rethink their roles in customer value terms.”

Fast forward. On March 21, 2007, Jessica Davis penned an article titled "Changing Channel Influence" for ZiffDavis' Channel Insider Website in which she explored evolving programs for measuring not only absolute sales by channel partners, but also the influence value of smaller VARs. This subtle but very critical concept illustrates the changing dynamic between modern manufacturers and their channel distribution partners.

In the evolving, customer-driven world of marketing, mindshare for complex decisions is influenced by many factors, one of which is the tangible presence of a local reseller who will be there to support and service the product. Introducing Hammer's original concept, VARs and dealers increasingly need to think about what their real "value" in the market is. Consultative support value is a huge factor in many markets, and that value is typically overlooked by many channel support programs.

Good article to review.!

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March 20, 2007

Bad Behavior Begets More Resistant Readers

The challenge of geting consumers or B2B prospects to respond to any lead generation program is making people downright liars. Recently, I got a very creative mailing from Ricoh with the message outside saying "Your Rebate Information Enclosed." Well, surprise...there was indeed information about a rebate program, but the mailing was intentionally designed to look like a "check" in a secure mailing format to get me to open it and read the promo. Misleading...but not technically a lie (and, truth be told...it did trick me into opening.)

But, I was reading AdRants earlier today and came across the post "Bank of America Direct Mail Misleads." The article rails against a BoA promo with the message "Account Information Enclosed" on the outside of the envelope. You guessed it...just another promo.

I understand the rationale for the approach, but as mailboxes, inboxes, TVs, radios, etc. fill with ads, and unwanted solicitations, it is fueling the backlash against marketing that is making it harder to break through. Bad behavior begets more resistant readers. And, that marketing readers, is real food for thought.

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March 13, 2007

On Good Vs. Great and Other Tips In Channel Sales Motivation

Several years ago, I entered a local Buick dealership to shop for a car. It was around 7:00 pm, and the slightly dingy dealership had only two salespeople on duty. The one assigned to me shuffled over and we walked back to his desk. He sat down, leaned back in his chair, and put his feet up on the desk! I talked to hom about 30 seconds, then got up and left (without tipping his chair over as I so badly wanted to do.) I thought things had changed since this happened to me...

Which leads me to a rant on sales and customer service in the form of a great posting on Seth Godin's Blog. Seth (for those readers not familiar with him) is a well-known author, speaker and consultant who is a passionate advocate for approaches to sales and marketing that are "customer-friendly" (like permission marketing) and that emphasize excellence. His latest blog is eerily like my story above, only all the more shocking because it involves Toyota.

Read: Good Is Not Almost As Good As Great

If you are a corporate reader with a large dealer network...this is scary reading. I have long advised clients on the importance of thinking about how dealers are trained, supported and treated...because behavior like this can undo all the value of great engineering and superior advertising when it comes to customer loyalty.

Do not say that "we have no control over dealer's sales beahvior..." Sending a link to a simple blog posting like this along with a sales tip and an acknowledgement/thank you for their commitment to excellence, can convey both a profound lesson and a boost of confidence that you care about their business.

When supporting sales channels...direct or indirect...it helps to continually remind people of the little things that make a big difference. Doing it creatively and supportively only makes the message more likely to be absorbed.

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March 11, 2007

Cold Calling: Some Sage Advice

I hate cold-calling. I don't like to have my day interrupted, so I cringe when I have to interrupt another busy executive. But, cold-calling is part of business. The other day, I was stunned when I succeeded in reaching a C-level executive of a $16-billion company who actually picked up a call (I wasn't even calling to sell him something...I was seeking to use them as a supplier!)

Understanding most people's hatred of the cold-call process, I saw a great posting today on making cold calls by John Caddell, a contributor on the Marketing & Strategy Innovation Blog. His tips, culled from a book by Jeff Thull (another contributor) Exceptional Selling, are great advice. The fact is that personal contact remains crucial to kick-starting the sales process in many B2B markets as contacts become overwhelmed with product/service options. A professional approach to cold-calling is essential if you are to make ANY headway with senior managers.

The short version of John's posting:

1. Professionally identify yourself and your company.


2. Give the prospect an easy way out.


3. Demonstrate relevance for companies like the prospect's.


4. Reference a generic problem they might be facing.


5. Ask for permission to continue!

I especially like the last bullet, since it is the ultimate sign of respect to ask for permission to continue to invade the person's time. As obvious as these tips sound, I am continually amazed at how few salespeople consistently apply all the steps.

I encourage you to click through to John's posting or his personal blog site, Shop Talk - Innovation, Marketing and Alliances.

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Mental Break: Innovation Thoughts (Good and Bad!)

Innovation is the word of the day for businesses large and small these days. From small local dealers to multinational conglomerates, innovation is the fuel that drives business growth. So, in service to our readers, here are some fast thoughts on innovation:

• According to the Franklin Institute's Braindrops Website (cool place to bookmark) it takes about 90% less energy to recycle aluminum cans than it takes to make new ones. (3/11/2007)


• Some of the patents issues in 2006 (Ref. New York TImes Sunday Magazine 12/10/2006) included:


• a head-nodding alarm to avert sleep while driving (No. 7,126,485)


• an apparatus for injecting an edible filling to a bagel (No. 7,107,900)


• a device for dispensing animal-scent attractant for behind ankle of user (No. 7,093,770)


• a ball with gripping handles (No. 7,044,820)


• a ropeless jumprope (No. 7,037,243)


• a urinating animated toy (No. 7,115,014)


• the reissue of a lap-dance liner (No. RE39,371)


• The Sony Playstation 3 processor runs at 1.8 teraflops (with a theoretical limit of over 2 teraflops). Teraflops is floating point operations per second...a measure of a computer's processing ability. To put this in context, 1.8 teraflops is roughly equivalent to the processing power of 287 Pentium 4 PCs, or 10,000 Cray-1 supercomputers (...at least, "supercomputers" when they were introduced in 1976.) (Facts courtesy of Wired Magazine.)

It's all enough to make you stay up late and try to invent something....

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March 10, 2007

Great Advice For Entrepreneurial Businesses

I spend a lot of time working with dealers, brokers, VARs and other independent channel partners. What strikes me is how entrepreneurial these businesses are...typically running far more efficiently than most direct sales organizations for large corporations.

As a result, Guy Kawasaki's blog posting titled, "Founders at Work" in which he relayed some interesting anecdotes from the book Founders at Work: Stories of Startups Early Days" was both amusing and engaging. As with many of Guy's postings, there was a great takeaway line:
"Entrepreneurship is all about tactics, hootspah, not knowing that things are not done "this way," and making do with not enough money."

It is a plight that many small companies can understand...twisting the old adage..'adversity is the mother of innovation." But, what distinguishes the truly successful entrepreneurs is also the ability to think big, stay focused as distractions emerge, and to never stop believing in their own vision and skill.

Kawasaki is a source of great advice for entrepreneurs and his blog is must-bookmark destination.

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On Building Reseller Brand Identity

For dealers, VARS or other independent channel partners, there is a nice article in the March 5, 2007 issue of VARBusiness titled, "Building the Perfect Brand." The article articulates the importance of building brand equity as a reseller.

I particularly liked their Top 10 DO's and DON'Ts for brand building...I don't agree with all the items, but the basic concepts are good. (e.g I agree that postcards are not a panacea, but properly used, they can be integrated into a communications campaign to make a cost-effective nurturing touch to select industries and audiences.)

Things to Do:
1. Do give customers face-time.
2. Do cold-call prospective customers.
3. Do read the trades for news and trends so you can engage existing and potential customers in meaningful conversation.
4. Do put together your own trade shows, conferences and seminars.
5. Do PR: It's the cheapest way to build brand awareness.

Things To Not Do:
1. Don't send postcards.
2. Don't limit yourself to attending only vendor trade shows.
3. Don't spend a lot of money on billboards; in the age of the Internet, they are minimally effective.
4. Don't bombard customers with e-mail; keep messages focused.
5. Don't lose sight of your mission.

I also liked the following fact: 41% of VAR survey respondents said they spend between 6-10% of revenue on marketing!

Good advice for all indpedendent channel partners.

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The Importance Of Merchandising Your Channel Marketing Program

If you're title is "Channel Marketing Manager" or "Director, Channel Programs" or some similar version, I have some advice..."Get Your Consumer Hat On."

Many B2B channel marketing programs would benefit from a dose of "consumer-think." It takes real energy to gain adoption for new marketing programs among channel partners bombarded with messaging from multiple suppliers. That means programs need to, first and foremost, be relevant and valuable to the channel...not just be pumping up the volume on self-serving manufacturer-talk. But, even a well-conceived program requires serious merchandising to get the attention of over-burdened partners. Forgetting to "market" your valuable "marketing program" is one of the surest ways to doom the program to failure.

Here is an example. We have a client...a tools wholesaler located in Oklahoma. Now, Oklahoma, tools and wholesaling do not sound like they lead to creative marketing. But these folks are good...really good.

They contracted a set of interns to call thousands of channel partners to update their profiles and gather e-mail address to kick-off an electronic communications program. They observed channel partners abandoning orders for customized flyers and said: "Can we target these people with a special offer?" They looked at people who had ordered marketing programs and said: "Can we give them an incentive to order again?" If you are in consumer markets, you're thinking "what's the big deal?" But, if you are in B2B channels, this IS a big deal.

This client's team is thinking like marketers or merchandisers -- when they launch a program, they focus on ensuring its success instead of just setting it on its way! They're being analytical. They're being creative. That is very different from the "throw stuff at the walls and see what sticks" approach that so many manufacturers take with new marketing campaigns. Too often, companies fall prey to the desire to introduce "something new" instead of ensuring the sustained success of concepts they already lauanched. This leads to fragemented mindshare in the channel and even more confusion.

In the perfect world, all channel partners would be dedicated, single-supplier drones tethered to your messaging. GET REAL. Successful channel partners are high-performance sales organizations with little marketing skill, but lots of manufacturers vying for their loyalty. To get noticed, you need to get your consumer mindset turned on.

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