Print Ads of a kind - VII

Product: BICE - 'Bread is life'

Print ads of a kind - VI

Product: La Farge Healthcare, Barcelona

Print Ads of a kind - V

Product: Del Monte Foods

Print Ads of a kind - IV

Product: Max Magazine

Print Ads of a Kind - III

Product: Volvo

Print Ads of a Kind - II

Product: Playboy Website

Print Ad of a Kind - I

Product: Schneider Breweries

Print Ad of the week

Client: Manix

Category: Lubricants

Agency: DDsyR, Europe

Hunterz Inspire

Branding Customers—Literally

There you are, wandering around SEMA, a trade show for the automotive aftermarket industry, when a promotion at the Dunlop Tires booth catches your eye. If you let them tattoo the Dunlop logo on your body, you get a free set of tires. Crazy? Of course it is. But blogger Debra Mastaler explains why this smart strategy works on a number of levels:

• It exploits mainstream acceptance of tattoos, particularly among SEMA folks, and ups the ante with celebrity artists like Kat Von D.


• It generates publicity aplenty—like this—without the use of traditional media.


• It builds on the company's earlier marketing efforts, like the "Treadhead" promotion, in which hairstylists shaved Dunlop tread patterns onto customers' heads.

According to Mastaler, 50 Dunlop enthusiasts took the plunge, and there are hundreds more on a waiting list. Mack Collier at The Viral Garden adds that Dunlop filled every available appointment within minutes, and that one recipient didn't even realize the tattoo came with tires—he was just thrilled about getting some free ink!

"You have to remember that a customer evangelist is crazy about their favorite brands!" writes Collier. "So Dunlop ... made it easier for [their evangelists] to engage in actions that they were already performing."

Tattoos may be an extreme example, but if you aren't providing inventive ways to help your customer evangelists spread the good news, you might never learn just how far they'll go for you. And that is Marketing Inspiration.

Hunterz Tips

Another Way to Dodge Spam Folders

As good as your online campaign might be, you'll accomplish nothing if messages wind up in spam folders alongside pitches for counterfeit watches and herbal remedies of dubious merit. Neil Anuskiewicz claims it's easy to avoid this fate by establishing an SPF (sender policy framework).Don't let the techno-jargon scare you. In layman's terms, it works similarly to the authentication process a merchant uses for credit-card transactions, and assures Internet and email providers like AOL or Gmail that you are who you say you are. All told, an SPF vastly improves the chances that your message will go straight to a recipient's inbox.

Getting one is not only simple, says Anuskiewicz, it's free. You can use the setup wizard at sites like this, which walks you through each step, or you can create a manual record with your domain name registrar or hosting provider. Another option is delegating the task to your email administrator. A few things to keep in mind:

• You can't create an SPF with a free email provider like Gmail or Yahoo. This means you'll need a personalized domain name. They're inexpensive and there's a payoff: An email from sales@yourcompanyname.com has much more credibility than yourcompanyname@yahoo.com.


• Always use your domain name as the from address when you publish your SPF record. If you send email from sales@yourcompanyname.com, register the domain yourcompanyname.com.

The Po!nt: Setting up an SPF is a free and easy way to avoid the spam filter. If you don't have one, get one today.

Get to the Po!nt

How Caricatures Help Your Brand

Seth Godin points out a post at Boing Boing about a study suggesting that people are twice as likely to identify celebrities correctly when they are depicted as caricatures that exaggerate prominent facial features. "A caricature falsely highlights various anomalies while diminishing the boring parts," writes Godin. "So Jay Leno gets a ridiculous chin, or Jimmy Durante gets an even bigger nose."

The concept, says Godin, also applies to business. "The best brands are caricatures of their true selves," he continues. "Yes, they must have exceptional 'features' (a step that's easy to skip, but without which leads to failure) but then, over time, those features become a caricature."

To illustrate, he cites a pair of effective corporate caricatures:

• In its early days, ads from FedEx showed dedicated drivers doing whatever it took—even renting helicopters—to deliver a package on time. A wild exaggeration, to be sure, but it made the point.


• The standard joke about Starbucks, meanwhile, is the pretentiously complex order à la "half-caf, extra hot, short macchiato, extra foam, with soy, in a ceramic mug." Everyone takes their potshots, yes, but they also know they'll get exactly what they want. Far from doing damage, a caricature might actually make your company's most outstanding features more memorable.

The Po!nt: "Coloring inside the lines and pleasing most of your customers most of the time almost guarantees you'll be bland," writes Godin, embracing personality over popularity. "It's a lot cheaper and faster and more effective to have a big nose."

Print Ads of the Day - II

Client: Svenson - deforestation & re-birth

Agency: Publicis

Location: Singapore

Print Ads of the Day - I

Client: Svenson - deforest & re-birth

Agency: Publicis

Location: Singapore

Get to the Po!nt

A Blogger's Guide to Building and Maintaining Readership

In a post at The Lonely Marketer, Patrick Schaber, who just celebrated his first anniversary as a blogger, talks about his criteria for choosing the blogs he reads. "When I first got involved with social media, I was subscribing to anything and everything," he says. "A while back I purged and got down to a manageable amount of daily blog reading."

With so much engaging content available, he's frequently tempted to re-expand his reading list. To help him decide what to read, Schaber developed a list of blog must-haves.

Here's some of his advice for drawing readers like him:

• Provide unique, actionable content. "To be honest," writes Schaber, "I don't care if you've been blogging for five years or five minutes, if I feel I'm going to leave a site having learned something new, count me in." He gives extra points for highlighting recent content in a sidebar.


• Post frequently. This doesn't mean that you have to blog every day—a few each week will do the trick—but if multiple weeks pass between each post, readers will stop checking in.


• Maintain focus. Nothing says you have to restrict yourself to a single topic, but you'll confuse readers if you hop randomly from subject to subject without explaining why.


• Add visual interest. You'll notice that many bloggers include an image with each post. Follow their lead. "So much of social media is visual perception!" says Schaber.

The Po!nt: Good content is good content. Even the busiest people make time for their favorite blogs.

Experts Speak

Speak to Me!!

December 2007

Some people are born speechmakers. They thrive on the rush of speaking to hundreds. They deliver rousing presentations without notes. They never want it to end. And we hate them. Because we dread the thought of getting on stage, of seeing those expectant faces, of flubbing our lines. It isn't fair. But speeches and presentations are a fact of life, and Christine Whittemore has some great advice for ways to feel like a born speechmaker.

In the days before a speech:

• Practice to boost your confidence. Videotape practice sessions so you know what works and, more importantly, what doesn't.


• Learn to project your voice and your presence. You can use an empty church or auditorium for trial runs.

In the minutes before a speech:

• Don't eat bananas before a speech. Seriously. Like with dairy products, you'll feel the need to clear your throat. Again and again. Caffeine works better!!!


• Drink plenty of water with lemon to avoid dry mouth.

During the speech:

• Make eye contact with each part of the room; remember to smile.


• Don't read your presentation or clutch the podium. In fact, stay away from the podium unless you need a sip of water.

"It's OK to feel nervous," says Whittemore. "Anticipate it ... Yes, you'll be aware of it, but the audience won't." And for anyone who gives presentations.

This is Marketing Inspiration.

Get to the Point

Blog Ads That Work

When an ad that appeared on her blog failed to impress, B.L. Ochman provided its purchaser, a television network, some pro bono feedback. "Please don't get me wrong," Ochman writes in an open letter at MarketingProfs Daily Fix. "I love you for advertising ... on my blog. But I want you to get results so you'll keep coming back, and this ad sucks."

Blunt talk, but Ochman speaks from experience: her blog ad campaigns for companies like American Greetings and Budget Car Rental have achieved click-through rates as high as 2.1 percent. And if you advertise at blogs—or have considered the idea—you might benefit from the advice she offers:

• Be intriguing, interesting, entertaining. Blog readers respond to a fresh approach, not the traditional advertising that they see everywhere else. So go ahead: Show your sense of humor. Get edgy and fun, topical and timely.


• Readers aren't interested in hearing your story; they want to know what you can do for them. Get right to the point and spell out the ROI. Tell readers how they benefit from your product or service. "We want you to tell us, in the headline, why we should care," says Ochman.


• White space is your friend. Ads compete with lots of other copy at a blog. If yours isn't easy to read at a glance, it might as well be invisible.
  

The Po!nt: Get the most out of your blog ad by tailoring your design and copy to the format and the audience.

Get to the Po!nt

Are Your Web Customers Engaged?

December 2007

Your Web site is an ideal venue for holding your customers' attention. But how do you measure the success of your efforts? Inspired by Eric Petersen's presentation on the subject at an eMetrics conference, Katie Paine, of KDPaine's PR Measurement Blog, decided to make a list of the basic information you'll need:

• The percentage of increase or decrease in unique visits


• The 10 most popular pages, and changes from the previous week


• The number and percentage of sessions that represent more than five page views


• The percentage of sessions that last more than five minutes


• The percentage of visitors who return for more than five sessions


• The percentage of sessions arriving from a Google search, a direct link at your Web site or another site related to your brand


• The percentage of visitors who become subscribers, download content or provide an email address

Paine says it isn't hard to find this data. Your webmaster should be able to compile a report on a regular basis using tools like Visual Sciences, Google Analytics and ClickTracks.

The Po!nt: Ask the right questions about your Web site's traffic, and you'll learn more than the number of people who visit—you'll gain insight into how effectively you engage your customers.

[Source: KDPaine's PR Measurement Blog.]

GET TO THE PO!NT

What Surveys Can Tell You—and Your Customers

December 2007.

What are you trying to accomplish with a survey? It's likely you're asking a series of questions designed to elicit valuable feedback for ongoing improvements of your product or service. But in a recent post at his blog, Seth Godin discusses the various ways a survey—and its results—can be used for much more.

One option is to use the survey question as a marketing tactic:

• "You can TEACH people with a survey," writes Godin, "simply by asking them questions that help them notice things they never noticed before." For instance, you might ask, "Do your prefer option A or option B?" when the real purpose of the question is to let the participant know that they have an option B.

Another twist uses survey results to influence behavior:

• Godin cites the marketing campaign for Trident, which claimed four out of five dentists recommended the sugarless gum to their patients. "Hardly scientific," he says, "but publishing the results made dentists feel better about recommending the gum and made people with teeth happier about chewing it."

The Po!nt: A survey's usefulness is not limited to gathering data—you might also find that it can be a useful marketing tool. So explore all the ways a survey can benefit your company.

Product Launches

New Products: The Real Challenge Is in Execution, Not Strategy
by Barry Curewitz
December 2007

Marketers love talking about products like the Swiffer or iPod, two colossal successes in terms of brilliance in innovation and new product development. In fact, rumor has it there are more consulting firms taking credit for Swiffer's development and success than can fit into the new Yankee Stadium.

The puzzling question remains: Why aren't there more examples of unabashed new product successes?

To gain insight, we recently implemented a research study exploring the factors that have an impact on a company's ability to succeed in the ever-important CPG growth domain.

Our survey, titled "Creativity in New Products, A Reality Check," queried 128 senior CPG marketers to gauge the challenges they face in growing their businesses as well as the strategies and thought processes they employ.

In planning the research, we theorized that new-product development efforts could be influenced by both strategic and tactical elements. Therefore, we developed a list of five strategic and five tactical pitfalls that could limit a company's ability to succeed.

Then, we asked participants to identify those issues that currently challenge them; those they addressed three years ago; those they expect to face three years from now; and which single factor occurs most frequently.

Based on our experience, we hypothesized that strategic issues would be the most relevant causes of new-product disappointment. We were way off base. We learned that, yes, there are strategic issues affecting the outcome of new product activity, but the more relevant issues focus on tactical elements—those things that can be addressed in the short term.

In fact, 63% of survey respondents identified tactical issues as the leading prohibitive factors in the development and launching of new products.

The need to satisfy stockholders (Wall Street) has had a profound effect on our ability to identify, develop, and launch new products as reflected in the lack of human capital, financial resources, and company competencies (another form of human capital). Strategically, we're confident we know where to "place our bets," it's just that financial limitations prevent us from doing it.

The following data illustrate that three of the strategic categories we identified have become less of an issue in the last three years and are expected to become even less relevant over the next three (or at least remain status quo). These include the identification of differentiated opportunities, identification of the key consumer insight, and development of a motivating consumer proposition.

Two issues that will become more relevant to marketers have to do with competitive challenges and the elasticity of brand equities. It appears our own tactical issues have caused a bit of paranoia that the competition is moving faster than we are. And, the research further suggests that brand equities (perhaps our most valuable asset) have reached their breaking point and can't go any further.

Tactically, while all but one factor (the lack of product technology) are expected to decline over time in the amount they can limit our success, several of them are working against higher levels of frustration today, as compared with three years ago.

For example, the lack of human capital and financial resources are more relevant today than they were three years ago, but they are projected to be less relevant in '10 than they were in '04. Why? Because new product development efforts are often disrupted or delayed in order to meet the immediate corporate financial obligation—we're responding to the financial needs of the current quarter.

What are we to do? Well, we're called "managers" for a reason. We need to manage the innovation process so that we can support the best, most promising initiatives, with the limited resources available to us.

And, when possible, convince our management that additional resources are prudent in order to realize the success that the Swiffer and iPod have enjoyed.

[Barry Curewitz is managing partner of Whole-Brain Brand Expansion (www.wbbe.biz); reach him at barry@wbbe.biz. ]

Get to the Point

Simple Evaluation Can Resolve an Ineffective Campaign
December 2007.


Though they're a great way to boost short-term sales of products and services, promotions can also lose their impact over time. Senior marketing consultant and MarketingProfs seminar presenter Michael Goodman suggests trying fresh techniques throughout the year. "See if you can develop a promotion that works better than whatever you did last time."To do this properly, however, you must study both the effectiveness and the efficiency of your promotions.

Boring, you say. Perhaps. "It may not be fun," says Goodman, "but if you don't figure out if a promotion is working, you could spend money you don't need to spend and miss the opportunity to develop a promotion that will exceed your goals."

The first step is to define your objectives and set clear measurement criteria. Armed with this knowledge, you will be better prepared to launch successful promotional campaigns, implement them more effectively—and ultimately achieve higher sales at a lower cost.

The Po!nt: Keeping track of how well your promotion works and the additional sales it generates may not be sexy, but it's the best way to get the maximum return on your promotion investment.

Get to the Po!nt

Use Promotions to Develop Relationships That Stick
December 2007.

"There are several reasons why smart marketers promote their products and seek short-term volume increases," claims senior marketing consultant and MarketingProfs seminar presenter Michael Goodman. And the reasons extend beyond a desire to immediately increase sales. There are a number of possible objectives for a promotion:

• Initial trial. The reality is that consumers constantly check what's available in the marketplace. Marketers may be willing to sell a trial product to attract new customers if they believe that "once the customer tries [it] they'll be back for more," says Goodman.
• Loyalty programs. In these days of seemingly never-ending new products on the market, the smart businesses reward their customers for repeat business. Loyalty programs range from airline frequent flyer programs to free coffee after 10 purchases. The cost is usually small in relation to the incremental sales provided.
• Awareness. Some promotions are designed to generate awareness of and familiarity with the brand. These often appear as relevant giveaways with a purchase, and may have the seller's name and logo emblazoned on the freebie. This way, the customer sees your name, even when they aren't using the product.

The Po!nt: Design your promotion with your objectives in mind. What works to maintain customer loyalty may not attract new customers.

Print Ads of the week - IV

Client: Sony / sub: Wega

Agency: Euro RSCG

Location: Buenos Aires

Print Ads of the Week - III

Client: Sony / Wide screen TV
Agency: Assyria
Location: Beijing, China.

Print Ads of the Week - II

Brand: Louis Vuitton

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather

Location: Worldwide

Print Ads of the Week - I

Brand: Louis Vuitton
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Location: Worldwide

Word of Mouth Marketing

Dynamite Branding
December, 2007.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a video worth? And how many more is it worth if it arrives in your inbox from your best friend?

Some months ago I received one such video, accompanied by this note from a good friend of mine: "You just have to watch this one. It's from your home town!" I watched and was so surprised by what I saw that I immediately forwarded it to two other friends.
Titled "Dynamite Surfing," the apparently homegrown video features seven masked teens and a lake in the center of Copenhagen.

While one guy jumps into the small lake with a surfboard, the rest of the gang race for cover and one of the cohort makes for the bridge that spans the lake. As the surfer reaches the lake's center, the guy on the bridge lobs a lit cartoonesque bundle of dynamite into the lake. The subsurface explosion generates a massive wave in the peaceful lake, generally home to flocks of placid ducks. The surfer paddles ahead of the wave, catches it, and proves that you can go surfing in Copenhagen's city center. The scene is dramatic and very convincing, no matter how unlikely you know it to be.

But as transparent as it all seems to be, the truth behind the scene may surprise you. Contrary to appearances, this is not the work of a gang of like-minded friends with a cool idea and a hand-held camera.

"Dynamite Surfing" is the carefully crafted creation of a large, professional film crew. Weeks of preparation preceded the 60-second Quiksilver stunt, directed by one of the world's largest advertising agencies.

And, it turns out, I hadn't been sent the link by accident. An expert in spreading word-of-mouth branding on the Internet kick-started global interest by handpicking one thousand opinion leaders to send the link to. This ensured that I, and the other base group of recipients, would receive the ad unhindered by spam filters.

But just because the production was professional doesn't mean the creation, the message, and its delivery weren't authentic. No hi-tech cameras or lights, flashy backdrops, or highly paid models were used in the creation of this viral ad. Its authenticity and mystery propelled the viral to instant fame—12 million downloads the first three months—and even inspired headlines pleading for legislation against such outrages as youths being allowed to run about with explosives, vandalizing ornamental lakes, and shattering public peace.

Yes, the creation was very convincing.

So here it is: the new world of advertising. A discipline in which the professional is ostensibly replaced by the amateur; where the established media buyer is replaced with the consumer; and where provocation, like shock, surprise, and hilarity, are essential ingredients for capturing the attention of consumers who have an insouciant disinterest in the amount of money spent on an ad, but an active predilection for sensation.

As YouTube, Google and MySpace announce that video advertising will become a key driver in their future revenue strategies, the glitzy, perfect, anonymous ads we have been used to for years will have to change course. After all, we don't really watch these ads unless we're forced to. Ads need to be intriguing in some way; they need to urge us to watch them.

To achieve this, ads need to make an impact, leaving an impression in which the brand message is embedded. These creations required sophisticated thinking, a thorough knowledge of your consumers, and a sound appreciation of the culture that surrounds your product in the community.

Viral advertising will put your team to the test, its ultimate proof of success being that your creation is so fascinating that millions of people can't help but share the experience of it with their friends.

Would your current brand communication pass this test? Would it be able to run by itself, or does it need that million-dollar budget to fuel interest? If the latter sounds more like you, you'd better regroup, fast.

The brand-building turnaround is well on its way; and while Rome—or, rather, cyberspace—wasn't built in a day, once it stood it prospered for a thousand years.


[Martin Lindstrom (www.martinlindstrom.com) is the author of Brand Child and BRAND sense. ]

Know How - Experts Speak

Presentation Secrets for Social Communicators
December 2007.

Speaking and presenting is something I’m passionate about. Why? Because it’s another way to start conversations and build relationships. Or, it can be, if you think about how you present. Here are some recommendations on ways to turn your bullhorn into a party hat in the presentation world.

First, Defuse the Bomb
You have less than two minutes to set up your relationship with the audience. Your audience needs to LOVE you. They have to want you to succeed. And as part of this, they want you to succeed, because they’re hoping to learn something about themselves from you.

Let me highlight that so you take it home with you: People want to learn about THEMSELVES through what you talk about in your presentations.

SUPER SECRET TIP: Tell a funny story. Not a joke. A story. Tell it EARLY. Be as FUNNY as you can muster. Self-depricating humor helps, if you’re any good at that. Be the authority, but be human.

Sneak In With Questions
You need to sneak into your audience’s hearts and minds. I love asking questions, but not so much the hand-raiser types. Sure, I do that schtick. But if I’m trying to get you engaged early, I want to ask you questions that get you rummaging through your own internal autobiography? Why? Because I want you to be connected and engaged to what I’m saying. If I’m getting you to stir up internal memories, I’ve snuck in.

Think Television, Then Break It
We are a world of TV viewers. We are used to screens. Think HARD about this when planning your presentation. First, think about slides. Slides are PART of your TV screen. Know who the other part is? YOU. Now, if you and your slides are the presentation, which is more interesting? A big glowing screen? Or you hiding behind the podium.

Use Your Body
Learn how to move. First, don’t fidget. Second, step away from the podium (unless it’s a HUGE room and the mic is glued to the podium). Get around and move. Get CLOSER to your audience. BLEND for a moment with them. You’ve been to rock concerts. Crowds go CRAZY for contact with the star. And, uh, you’re the star, bub!duh!...whatever.

A Word About Slides
Never ever EVER use pre-built slide formats. Just don’t. Know why? Because they all look THE SAME. Don’t make my eyes bleed. Don’t make me sleep. Next point: bullets are for guns. Be creative. Think about it this way: if this were a TV commercial, would YOU watch? Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth is basically a slide show with Al talking and some dramatic music. Think that way and work backwards.

In format, don’t do title, agenda, name, payload, contact me. Know why? Because EVERYONE does that. Try mixing it up. Just a little. Think TV and all the various formats.

SUPER SECRET TIP: Find lots of great photos on Flickr (use advanced search to select Creative Commons photos, and add a slide near the end of your slideshow giving people attribution for their work).

Your Voice is Important
If you speak in a monotone voice with no stops and go on and on and use ums to cover the spaces where you don’t know what you’re going to say next, people will fall asleep almost immediately, and then the best you can hope is that they dream that you did a good job.

WAKE people UP! Be loud. Be soft. Use your voice with as much energy as a radio announcer or your favorite entertainment personality. Think on this. Practice it. Use shorter sentences. (Notice I do this when I blog?) And try hard to mix up HOW you’re talking about things. Ask questions. Make statements. Pause for breath. Kill “ums.”

Finish With Idea Handles
ALWAYS end a presentation with things people can run off and do. Verbs. Give people ways they can take your ideas, and use them. Giving ideas handles means letting people pick up your idea, take it home with them, and incorporate it into what they’re doing and thinking. It makes the whole time you’ve taken from everyone worth it.

And make sure folks know how to reach you, okay?

So now get going..the world is indeed your stage..!!

[In conversation with Joseph D'Callister from the Wellesly University for Communication.]

Get to the Po!nt

Price Reductions Can Backfire!!!

December, 2007.

The goal of marketing promotions is to stimulate short-term sales. This dictum leads many marketers and small-business owners to reduce prices. However, as Michael Goodman explains, cost cutting is not always the best or most effective way to achieve this goal.

Sound counterintuitive? After all, if the goal is to increase sales, wouldn't cutting prices accomplish this?

According to some senior marketing consultants and presenters for a number of seminars, there are several things to consider before jumping on the price-cutting bandwagon:

• Margins. The amount of profit you earn on the product or service greatly impacts the amount of discount you can offer. "You need to consider what the cost of the discount is as well as the benefit,".


• Trade loading. Will the promotion subsidize future purchases? After all, if customers stock up on your product during a promotion, they may not need to purchase your product next month. That could negatively impact future sales.


• Cheapening the image. Frequent discounts can lead customers to believe that the product is overpriced.


• Long-term effect. Recurring price reductions also influence buyers' expectations. After all, if customers know the product will soon be discounted, why would they make a purchase today?

The Po!nt: Before attempting to increase short-term sales by offering a price promotion, consider the long view. Think about the long-term sales potential and the image of your product.

{courtsey & reference: Hunterz Ignite Archives }

Get to the Point - II

"What does your Web Copy say about you?"
Invest 60 seconds to your small business

According to Rick Sloboda, a senior copywriter with Webcopyplus, the words you use on your Web site should project the personality of your products, services and business. "They signify what you stand for and promise to deliver," he says.

As an example, Sloboda cites Web copy from three different auto companies, each of which uses language designed to reinforce the brand:

• Mercedes-Benz stresses luxury: "Enjoy bold, spirited styling with an air of sleek confidence."


• BMW is about performance: "Do bear in mind that 0-100 km/h in 5 seconds limits your chances of actually spotting the BMW M Coupe on the road."


• Volvo has a reputation for safety: "Preventative safety features like Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) help you, the driver, avoid accidents by evading them."

So, how do you choose the right words?

• Focus on your strengths. Customers will respond to words that underscore the functional or emotional benefits of what you sell.


• Use an authentic vocabulary. Be true to your company's location and values.


• Give your employees a voice. Many businesses post employee photos on their Web sites—why not quote employees in your Web content? It adds a human touch, and touts your staff's expertise.

The Po!nt: "Make your words count—a confused customer equals a missed opportunity."

Get to the Po!nt - Customer Feedback

Say You Love Me
Invest 60 Seconds in your small business!

If you're unhappy with the quality of a product or service, you know exactly what to do: You call or send emails until the problem is solved—many companies devote entire departments to handling complaints. But what if you couldn't be happier with the transaction? How do you heap praise on an employee or company?

Oddly enough, it isn't all that easy for pleased customers to sing high hosannas. Often the best you can do is to thank the person who helped you. In a post at his Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That! blog, Andy Sernovitz suggests a number of ways your company can encourage and generate positive feedback:

• Let customers leave compliments on an "Employee Thank You" wall stocked with paper, pencils and thumbtacks.
• Ask your customers to vote in the Employee of the Month contest.
• Put your Web site's feedback form in a prominent location.
• Invite free-form comments on post-purchase surveys. "You're not going to get praise from a multiple-choice question," writes Sernovitz.

The Po!nt: "Companies need a feedback loop," says Sernovitz. "You need to open the door to positive feedback. If you don't ask for it, you're not going to get it."

The Marketing Files

The Power of Marketing: Is It Outright Trickery?
December 2, 2007

by Elaine Fogel

Can the average consumer tell the difference between two identical products when they have dissimilar labels? Do restaurant enthusiasts order more food when the descriptive menu language is more detailed? Are consumers suckers for marketing trickery?

As marketers, our job is to influence market behaviors. Our success depends on our ability to sell products and/or services or socially change attitudes. We've done such a good job at it, that many consumers are duped into thinking certain ways.

Last week on the Today Show, Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of “Mindless Eating — Why We Eat More Than We Think,” displayed two identical bottles of wine - one with a label indicating it came from North Dakota, and the other from California. (In case you live outside the U.S., North Dakota isn't known for its wine, but California is.) In taste tests, he said, consumers drank more of the California wine and said they liked it better.

Dr. Wansink then showed two identical plates of restaurant food with two different menu descriptions. Tests showed that people bought more, and enjoyed the taste better, of the plate associated with a more descriptive menu (Menu B).

Menu A
Red beans with rice
Seafood fillet
Grilled chicken
Chocolate pudding

Menu B
Traditional Cajun beans with rice
Succulent Italian seafood fillet
Tender grilled chicken
Satin chocolate pudding


Although this research was conducted to change America's eating habits, it's also indicative of what good marketing can do to influence consumer habits overall.

A couple of months ago, I remember a similar TV taste test demonstration with assorted vodka brands. Consumers who indicated that they could tell the difference between their preferred vodka (the more expensive, well-known brand) and lower-end, less expensive brands, failed miserably when taste testing Cosmopolitans using a variety of vodka brands.

Now this isn't rocket science to marketers. We're familiar with the power of marketing and good copywriting. But what does it say about the consumer market? Are many of us tricked into thinking one product is better than another, or one service supplier superior in quality based solely on descriptive words and engaging images?

Whether we believe in what we market or not, is marketing simply a form of trickery and behavior manipulatation?

What do YOU think?


Elaine Fogel has worked as a senior marketeer at Kraft, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé Carnation, Warner-Lambert and Shopper’s Drug Mart. She is now an avid collumnist and a consultant of the best genre.

Get to the Po!nt...

Quick Tips for a Marketing Plan

Invest 60 seconds to your world of business!!

Three Tips for Developing an Effective Marketing Plan

You know you need a marketing plan, but where do you start? Drew McLellan, who blogs at Drew's Marketing Minute, is also a frequent corporate speaker at the UAE commerce chambers offers this advice:

1) You can be too ambitious. Most small businesses make the mistake of launching too many marketing initiatives when they don't have the resources to follow through on each one. You're better off doing fewer things, but doing them frequently and well.

2) Don't depend on a single medium. Says McLellan, "No matter how much you believe in word of mouth, direct mail, e-newsletters or an interactive Web site, one of your goals should be delivering key messages through a variety of media." It isn't called a marketing mix for nothing. With a more diverse campaign you are likely to increase your reach and your number of impressions.

3) Remember your core audience. You want to attract new customers, and there's a natural urge to invest all of your marketing resources in doing just that. But, warns McLellan, it's a shortsighted strategy. "The two most important audiences are your employees and your current customers," he says. "Be sure your marketing plan gives them enough attention." These groups deserve at least half of your time and budget.

The Po!nt: It's easy to spend your marketing budget on the wrong things. An effective marketing plan can keep your focus on the goal.

Print ad of the day - III

Brand: Harley Davidson XL 1200 N Nightster (Tag)
Agency: WAX, Canada
Copy: "When the horsemen of the apocalypse arrive, we bet they won't be riding horses. The XL 1200 N Nightster is coming. "

Print Ad of the day - II

Brand: Harley Davidson XL 1200 N Nightster (Tag)

Agency: WAX, Canada

Copy: "Some flirt with death. Others have their way with it. "

Print Ad of the day - I

Calle is a brand that promotes underground street soccer. As far as Calle is concerned, soccer is appropriate anytime, anywhere. These stickers are attached as a hang tag to all of Calle's apparel and once placed, the ambient piece is designed to blend in with public signage and quietly promote Calle's message.

Brand: Calle Soccer

Advertising Agency: Struck

The Five Simple Rules of Green Marketing

The Five Simple Rules of Green Marketing
by Jacquelyn Ottman November 20, 2007

To shine a spotlight on sustainability issues, NGOs and consumer groups often target the most respected and trusted brands in the world.

That's why Home Depot was targeted regarding sustainable harvested wood, Nike for child labor practices, McDonalds for Styrofoam clamshells and now obesity, and why Coke is similarly targeted regarding sugar and packaging.

What does this all mean for your business? Simply stated, if you don't manage your business with respect to environmental and social sustainability, your business will not be sustained!

But the converse is true, too: A strong commitment to environmental sustainability in product design and manufacture can yield significant opportunities to grow your business, to innovate, and to build brand equity. All you have to do is get the word out... right?

As with any other major business endeavor, that's easier said than done.

Many a responsible company has run into trouble with these very same sustainability-minded NGOs and consumer groups, due to poorly planned and crafted marketing messages.

The "Rules of Green Marketing"
Protect your company from these common pitfalls and start taking advantage of new opportunities by heeding my "Rules of Green Marketing":

• Know your customer. If you want to sell a greener product to consumers, you first need to make sure that the consumer is aware of and concerned about the issues that your product attempts to address. (Whirlpool learned the hard way that consumers wouldn't pay a premium for a CFC-free refrigerator—because consumers didn't know what CFCs were!).
• Empower consumers. Make sure that consumers feel, by themselves or in concert with all the other users of your product, that they can make a difference. This is called "empowerment," and it's the main reason consumers buy greener products.
• Be transparent. Consumers must believe in the legitimacy of your product and the specific claims you are making. Caution: There's a lot of skepticism out there that is fueled by the raft of spurious claims made in the "go-go" era of green marketing that occurred during the late 80s to early 90s—one brand of household cleaner claimed to have been "environmentally friendly since 1884"!
• Reassure the buyer. Consumers need to believe that your product performs the job it's supposed to perform—they won't forgo product quality in the name of the environment. (Besides, products that don't work will likely wind up in the trash bin, and that's not very kind to the environment.)
• Consider your pricing. If you're charging a premium for your product—and many environmentally preferable products cost more due to economies of scale and use of higher-quality ingredients—make sure that consumers can afford the premium and feel it's worth it. Many consumers, of course, cannot afford premiums for any type of product these days, much less greener ones, so keep this in mind as you develop your target audience and product specifications.

Now let's take a look at some eco-designs (improvements over existing products), and eco-innovations (new types of products) that do a great job of winning over green consumers while grabbing market share.

Tom's of Maine
The husband-and-wife team of Tom and Kate Chappell created this full line of personal care products about 25 years ago. Ten or so years later, the brand broke out of the "deep green" niche to achieve distribution in CVS, Duane Reade, and other mainstream drug outlets.

The company is now owned by Colgate-Palmolive and is just one of many "deep green" brands that are being purchased by mainstream marketers. Other examples are Estee Lauder's purchase of Aveda, Danone's partial purchase of Stonyfield Farm, and Unilever's acquisition of Ben and Jerry's. The messages on the sides of the Tom's of Maine toothpaste packaging may be one reason why. Check out the letter from Tom and Kate stating their company's mission.

Signing the letter lets customers know there really is a Tom, there really is a Kate—just like there really is a Ben and there really is a Jerry: i.e., two real live people "minding the store" and staking their personal reputations on the quality of their products.

On another panel is a list of all the ingredients in the toothpaste—all natural spearmint oil for instance, and next to each ingredient is the role each plays in the toothpaste. There's even a third column that lists from where each ingredient is sourced.

This is unprecedented in the history of consumer goods! Can you do this with your product's ingredients? How many of them may contain warning labels? (Crest and Colgate each do.) For Tom's, listing the ingredients, such as natural spearmint oil, helps get consumers over any price barriers at the point of sale. They are choosing a brand with natural ingredients and recognize that it must come with a price.

Toyota Prius
I know you've been hearing a lot these days about Toyota's Prius. For lots of good reasons, it's likely the most successful "green" product in the US.
It provides consumers with all they seek in a sedan and more—attractive styling, fuel efficiency, the ability to drive for an unlimited amount of miles only stopping for fill-ups (versus, for instance, having to stop for a 12-hour recharge if the engine were only electric), and because of the hybrid engine, a quiet ride, since the car doesn't idle at stoplights.

The car's dashboard comes with an unusual feature: a screen that lets the driver know which of the two engines is in use and how efficiently fuel is being used at any given moment; according to anecdotes, Prius owners try to beat their previous record each time they drive!

When the car was introduced, ads focused on superior performance evidenced by a quiet ride, and supplemental ads touted its environmental bona fides. With energy prices on the rise, the Prius is now being marketed for its superior fuel efficiency, and a PR machine fuels efforts to link the car to environmentally conscious celebrities and causes. Some owners, it is reported, even buy the car for what is being called "Conspicuous Conservation"—letting all know that they are environmentally astute.

Tide Coldwater
Tide Coldwater is a line extension of Tide that is helping it build brand equity and stay fresh in the marketplace.

A "Life Cycle Assessment" commissioned by Procter and Gamble found that 80%-85% of the energy used to wash clothes comes from heating the water. P&G calculated that US consumers could therefore save $63 per year by washing in cold water rather than warm. So, with the proviso that it could persuade consumers that coldwater washing was efficacious, P&G positioned the product as a way to save on energy bills.

First, marketing efforts reassured consumers of the product's efficacy. On a special Web site, consumers could calculate the amount of energy they could save yearly personally and in conjunction with all the others who took the "Tide Coldwater Challenge."

Advertising showed how long major US landmarks such as the Empire State Building could be lit with the energy that could be saved if all of the consumers in those cities switched to cold-water washing.

Finally, the Web site provided various energy saving tips and resources, starting with information about switching to Energy Star certified energy-saving compact fluorescent lighting, tips from respected environmental group the Alliance to Save Energy, and encouragements to "Consider buying a Different Kind of Car"—namely, the Prius.

This type of marketing no doubt reassured consumers of the product's performance. They were empowered by the ability to calculate their own savings and to aggregate that savings with those of others. By using the Internet versus traditional advertising-led messages, they were engaged in the message. By leveraging word-of-mouth via the Tide Coldwater Challenge and associating with notable third parties, any barriers of skepticism were overcome. And Tide

Brand found a fresh new message that was in step with consumers' need to control rising energy prices.

Method Line of Household Cleaning, Laundry and Personal Care Products
The environmental movement is about doing things differently. Method is a brand that is trying to express this "differentness" in nearly every way possible, starting with how the product looks and smells.

The bottle for the dish soap looks like an upside down teardrop. It was specifically designed by well-known fashion designer Karim Rashid so consumers would feel comfortable leaving it right at the kitchen sink, helping the user project a status of sorts.
The product label sports a very understated lower case "m" in a circle, with "method" also in lowercase just beneath. No splashy lettering. No flashy starbursts like those that were designed to capture consumers' attention at mainstream store shelves. What attracts consumers to this product is the distinctiveness of the package shape and the unique coloring of the product inside.
This product may look expensive, but it actually sells at competitive prices at Target, Office Depot and Safeway!
Method doesn't advertise. It attracts consumers via strong price value and word-of-mouth that is generated in highly effective ways, starting with the uniqueness of the product itself. Visit the Web site and read how Method tells visitors what it stands for: A page each is devoted to the elements of the Method "mantra": Efficacy, Safety, Environment, Design (do your brands consider design?), and Fragrance. (In-home interviews I conducted for a client recently attested to the importance of light scent to this brand's purchasing decision.)

Do your brands have mantras—or simply a list of benefits, or possibly just a marketing and creative strategy?
Another thing you'll find at the Method Web site is a campaign called "I Fight Dirty." (Note the "anti" tone.) This campaign empowers users to not only fight against dirt but also dirty practices by industry. Thus, its captures the essence of what the brand is about from both functional as well as emotional standpoints. (Another breakthrough.)

It also sends a newsletter to consumers who sign up. Recent issues have proffered tips on how to compost Christmas trees, locate brands of reusable diapers, and save pristine beaches by fighting dumping in oceans of plastic laundry bottles.

The Web site talks about the places where Method has been spotted—like the "Green Festival" hosted by Coop America each year. And it even gives visitors the opportunity to buy merchandise, like T- shirts emblazoned with the method name. How many of your users would wear clothing with your brand's name on it? How many of you would even think to offer it?

Putting the "Rules" to Work for Your Business
To start capitalizing on the many market opportunities represented by sustainability, consider the following:

• Think and act holistically. It is no longer enough to focus on functional benefits alone. ASK: What are we making (product or service? Green or not?) How are we making it? Who are we working with?
• Take advantage of the opportunities that green marketing represents to engage consumers on an emotional level and thus, build brand equity. ASK: how can we make our passion and vision relevant and engaging—and our consumers into advocates? How can we empower consumers to make a difference by providing them with education, infrastructure, events, and experiences?
• The way you communicate will be critical to success (and will help you avoid "greenwashing"). ASK: How to ensure that our approach is viewed as authentic? Transparent? Are all stakeholders aware of our intentions and progress? Is our vision embedded in the fabric of our company?
• Eco-innovation represents new ways to grow top line sales. ASK: How can we inspire consumers? What technology and partners do we need to gain access to?
• Strive for an ideal goal of "zero" environmental impact. Strive to eco-innovate rather than simply eco-design. ASK: What would it take to achieve zero environmental impact and still meet our consumers' needs? Can we make consumers more "responsible"? It's one thing to design better products and technologies. But, at some point, industry's efforts will go only so far. Achieving "zero" environmental impact will come about only if changes can be made in consumer behavior—thus the genius of Toyota's dashboard, and Web sites that engage consumers in more responsible forms of behavior.

[Jacquelyn A. Ottman is president of J. Ottman Consulting, Inc., a New York City-based marketing and new products firm that advises on strategies for green marketing. She is the author of Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation (2nd edition). Contact her via (info@greenmarketing.com). ]

Partnership Brand Marketing—It's About Distribution Channels

Partnership Brand Marketing—It's About Distribution Channels
November 2007.

Walk down any supermarket aisle. What do you see? Brands, brands, and more brands. And, individually, each has its own equity—along with consumer appeal, value, unique brand-defining characteristics, and a brand essence that evokes loyalty among target consumers.

The smart marketer uses strategically planned distribution to enhance brand equity. Although gaining new distribution with an alliance partner is less common, it can be extremely powerful. In fact, especially during challenging economic periods, the power of marketing partnerships brings expanded credibility and a cost-efficient means to gain distribution.

Many companies and managers today have mastered and are effectively using promotional programs, which can range from couponing to licensing and merchandising, among others.
However, such marketing tools are often used independently or in more of a silo approach. And it can take a long time to create these programs, especially if another partner brand is included or a promotional overlay is involved—such as an entertainment property: theatrical, DVD, or otherwise.

And today many companies and brands are engaging in "Partnership Marketing," "Marketing Alliances," "Strategic Partnerships," and even "Partnership Brand Marketing" programs. But often they boil down to just promotions, perhaps maybe even on a larger scale.

But the true success of partnership brand marketing lies in its power to open up new and alternative channels of distribution for both the companies and the brands involved.

Finding Customers Where You Aren't
The whole idea behind partnership brand marketing is to find customers where your company and brand do not compete: It not only provides your brand with additional credibility in aligning with another company but also opens up distribution channels, allows you to reach and market to customers that may not be aware or thinking of your brand, and—most important—it captures the attention of new potential buyers who may not have your brand top of mind.

But the key ingredient is integration. It is not enough to create a promotion or align with a licensed property. It is not enough to create a joint merchandising display.

Well-crafted partnership brand marketing should include every possible touchpoint that your business has with its customers—both traditional and nontraditional marketing, including Internet, special events, advertising, promotions, public relations, packaging, merchandising, and a host of other marketing components.

Accordingly, strategic partnership brand marketing programs not only need to be created and designed at the senior level in each company but also need to involve the brand group and marketing managers that will run, implement, and monitor the program's success on a daily basis.

Marketing alliances don't just present an opportunity to create promotions; they also establish a base from which to create distribution opportunities, providing a great chance to leverage either geographic distribution or merchandising within a store.

An example: if an entertainment property links with a packaged-goods brand to create a promotion, there could (and should) be advertising program overlays in the form of television, print, FSIs (free-standing inserts), and event packaging.

But to extend this to a true partnership brand marketing program, other elements such as a joint selling and distribution team between both companies should occur with the goal of gaining incremental and sustained distribution. Other elements, including corporate programs, could come into play.

And even greater challenge and desirable end result is to create an umbrella strategic Partnership Brand Marketing program in which at least three companies and brands align to share in their distribution and marketing programs, with the goal of providing even greater value to all three company's customers.

And the best part is that, ultimately, the customer, the consumer, and the buyer win: They are introduced to several brands, initiatives, new products, new features, and a host of other promotional activities designed to induce trial and build loyalty while providing value.
Though targeted distribution has been proven a clear and successful strategy for ensuring success for a brand, fewer brands are actually capitalizing on marketing alliances to obtain alternative distribution for their brand.

Case in Point
Recently, our company, PBM Marketing Solutions, created a national strategic partnership brand marketing program on behalf of LEGOLAND California and Volvo Cars of North America.
Rather than creating just a marketing sponsorship or promotional program, we developed a multi-level marketing partnership that now extends far beyond the promotional arena. This includes cross promotions, joint advertising, a dealer component, marketing exposure on the national auto show circuit, a life-size Volvo LEGO car placed in high-trafficked areas, Volvo cars placed at LEGOLAND California, LEGOLAND marketed in the Volvo auto dealer channel, special events, corporate/employee programs, as well as safety awareness activities.

As a result of this partnership brand marketing program, Volvo can now reach customers in a channel where it does not compete—the theme park industry—and LEGOLAND California and the LEGO brand can now reach customers in a channel where it does not compete: automotive.
* * *
It is key to realize that companies and brands have two types of equity. First is their brand equity—but of equal validity is a company or brand's distribution equity.
The brand equity is the value that consumers and buyers feel about the brands that they are loyal to, whereas distribution equity is a brand's foothold, strength, and presence where the products are actually sold.

Being able to parlay a marketing partnership into an ongoing alliance to help gain further distribution and sales takes partnerships to a higher level. In fact, often a marketing alliance can have more than just one promotion built into it—it can feature multiple program layers that can transcend the supermarket to include the Internet with web-site links, on-pack messages and co-branding placed in alternative channels as well as unique locations where consumers are most apt to see your product.

In today's busy world of brand marketing, utilizing the strength of marketing alliances to get product into new channels and venues is an essential marketing tool to generate incremental sales.

Gregory J. Pollack is founder and president of PBM Marketing Solutions (www.pbmmarketing.com), a partnership brand marketing company. He can be reached via gpollack@pbmmarketing.com.

Metrics for Managing Marketing Performance

'Classic Truths': If You Don't Measure, You Can't Manage: The Best Metrics for Managing Marketing Performance


October, 2007.

Without metrics to track performance, marketing and business plans are ineffective.
Businesses need to know which success factors require measuring, and they must understand the differences between measurements (the raw outcomes of quantification), metrics (ideal standards for measurement), and benchmarks (the standards by which all others are measured).


For marketers, three primary metrics constitute a starting point for tracking their performance. Once companies are aware of their competitive position, their desired outcomes, and what it will take to achieve those outcomes, companies will be better able to identify the success factors, benchmarks, and appropriate metrics to meet their target.

Why Measure?
Metrics are a part of our everyday lives: from our heart rate, to our bank balances; from our weight, to the gas mileage on our cars. If we don't pay attention to these numbers, we create a risk for getting a heart attack, being overdrawn, or running out of gas.

The same is true in the business environment. If a company doesn't identify and track important performance measures, it increases its risks.

Metrics provide a means to assess progress; they provide valuable data points against which the marketing organization can track its progress. Metrics demonstrate accountability and allow marketers to better know, act upon, align efforts, and reduce market exposure. Metrics enable the marketing organization to truly serve as the eyes and ears of the company.

And, more importantly, establishing and tracking metrics will have a positive influence on the leadership's satisfaction with Marketing and the marketer's ability to secure funds. Only 38% of US executives say their companies are now measuring the results of their marketing efforts, according to a study of senior business executives conducted in the second quarter of 2004 by Blackfriar.

Will measurement actually change investment in Marketing? Blackfriar compared planned marketing spending for companies that measure marketing with those that don't. The result? Firms that measure marketing planned to spend an average of 41% of their annual marketing budgets during the second quarter. Those that don't measure planned to spend only 33%; apparently, they felt more comfortable planning to spend their marketing dollars than those that don't measure.

Measuring marketing also has an impact on the satisfaction of senior executives regarding their investment in Marketing. Some 16% of executives at companies that measure marketing said they were dissatisfied with their marketing efforts. But at firms that don't measure marketing, 28% said they were dissatisfied.

The simple act of measuring marketing results reduced the dissatisfaction of senior executives significantly. In other words, measurement allowed Marketing to prove its worth.

Defining Metrics
The world of metrics can be confusing for people new to these concepts. To better understand metrics and how they work, several terms must be defined:

• Measurements are the raw outcome of a quantification process, such as a company's numbers, ratios, and percentages.
• Metrics are the standards for measurement, providing target values that a company must achieve to reach a certain level of success.
• Benchmarks are the best measurements to aspire to, the standard by which all others are measured. Companies that set benchmarks in their industries are the ones often lauded in "Top Ten" and "Most Admired" lists and articles.

A good example of a marketing benchmark can be traced back to the early 1990s. Over a decade ago, market research firm IntelliQuest (now Millward Brown IntelliQuest) conducted a customer satisfaction research study for the personal computing industry.

The firm spoke to customers who rated the companies in the industry, which resulted in a measurement on a one-to-nine scale. It then learned that 84% of users who rated their satisfaction as a seven, an eight, or a nine would consider the same brand for their next purchase. Seven, eight, or nine became the metrics that companies aspired to attain. The benchmark was nine.

Three Metrics Gauges
To determine which success factors to measure and the appropriate metrics for each, marketers must have a clear understanding of the company's goals. A young company looking to gain traction in the market is focused on factors different from those of a more established company wanting to improve its customer relationships.

For those beginning to use metrics, listed below are four key performance indicators that support three metrics gauges: market share, lifetime value, and brand equity.

These gauges are directly linked to the three specific performance areas that Marketing can impact: acquisition, penetration, and monetization.

The first responsibility of Marketing is to identify and enable the organization to acquire customers, without whom there is no revenue, without which there is no business. Acquisition enables the company to increase its market share.

Although Marketing may not close the deal, marketing strategies move the customer through the buying process, from awareness to consideration. Four key performance indicators enable you to address market share:

• Customer growth rate
• Share of preference
• Share of voice
• Share of distribution

The second responsibility of Marketing is to keep the customers that the company acquires and increase the value of those customers. It is expensive and ultimately disastrous to have customers coming in one door only to go out another. High customer churn signals a variety of problems and hinders your ability to create leverage.

The following performance indicators will help your drive these penetration-related metrics:

• Frequency and recency of purchase
• Share of wallet
• Purchase value growth rate
• Customer tenure
• Customer loyalty and advocacy

The third responsibility of Marketing is monetization. Up until the 1970s, a company's value was determined by its book value. Over time, intangible assets, such as a company's intellectual property, customer value, franchises, goodwill, and so on have had an increasing effect on a company's market value.

Marketing professionals can improve the market value of their company by improving their performance in four key areas:

• Price premium
• Customer franchise value
• Rate of new product acceptance
• Net advocate score

A recently published report, "Measures + Metrics: Assessing Marketing Value + Impact," by Glazier, Nelson and O'Sullivan, corroborates these gauges and performance metrics. In their report for the CMO Council, the authors specified four performance metrics:

• Business acquisition/demand generation, which can include such metrics as market share gains, lead acquisition and deal flow
• Product innovation/acceptance, which can include market adoption rates, user attachment and affinity, loyalty and word-of-mouth
• Corporate image and brand identity, which can include growth in brand value and financial equity, awareness and retention of employees
• Corporate vision and leadership, which can include share of voice and discussion, retention and relevance of messaging, and tonality of coverage

Regardless of which model companies choose to deploy, to fully capitalize on the benefits of metrics they should consider establishing a continuous process in which metrics are collected, analyzed, and reported on a regular basis.

Over time, metrics can reveal valuable information about which marketing tactics are most effective, what types of prospects are most likely to buy, which customers are most profitable, and how the market in general develops over time.
Also important to remember is that metrics themselves can change over time. As the market and the company evolve, marketers must diligently review and adjust their metrics.

Innovative competitors will continue to set higher benchmarks, ratcheting up the acceptable range of metrics. The airline industry's 45-minute airplane turnaround time was considered standard until Southwest Airlines decided to do it in 15 minutes. Some metrics may become outdated, and newer metrics and methods of measurement will require attention.

To work without metrics is to work blindly. A lack of metrics makes it extremely difficult to assess whether a course of action is working or needs adjustment. The proper use of metrics can provide guidance to help a company expand market position, lower costs, and retain the best customers so that the company can ultimately set the benchmarks in its industry.

Advertising's Most Important Word

What Is Advertising's Most Important Word?

October 30, 2007.

If you had to guess the single most important word in advertising, what would it be? Free, special, discount, sale, new, improved, bigger, better...?

So many words have lost their meaning or been corrupted by misuse or abuse that it is not an obvious choice.

The terms "luxury," "exclusive," and "world-class" have been rendered meaningless after being applied to everything from 800-square-foot condos to restaurants that serve microwave frozen dinners. We can't even rely on "light," "diet," or "low-carb" to actually describe what's inside a package.

What advertisers have done is create a hyper-cynical marketplace, where the audience for whatever you sell has lost faith in what is being said.

But the Web with its emphasis on content gives advertisers an opportunity to redeem themselves and to deliver meaningful information to its audience.

All Content Is Advertising, All Advertising Isn't
Some may cringe at the thought, but in the final analysis all content is a form of advertising. Content is rarely if ever neutral, even if it doesn't overtly promote a product or service. Content always has a point to make, or an idea, concept, or position to advance.

If content doesn't provide some perspective, some meaningful knowledge, then does it really qualify as content?
The same can be said for advertising, if it doesn't explain, enlighten or engage, it is just noise.

What Is Advertising's Most Important Word?
My vote goes to the simple, innocuous word "like": a nondescript word that carries with it all the conceptualization power you need to create a business identity, to form a brand personality, and to position your product or service in the mind of your audience.

My vote goes to the simple, innocuous word "like": a nondescript word that carries with it all the conceptualization power you need to create a business identity, to form a brand personality, and to position your product or service in the mind of your audience.

Metaphor, Analogy, Stories: The Adman's Best Friends
A metaphor explains complex concepts and hard-to-comprehend processes by comparing them to common, everyday knowledge. We use metaphors every day without even realizing we're doing it. We "race" to the office. We work "like dogs." And we all know, it's a "jungle" out there.

Metaphors are critical to the way we communicate with each other and to the success of our marketing communication and advertising.

Metaphors can be extended into analogies, and analogies into stories, and stories into campaigns. And campaigns developed in this manner have a higher probability of achieving the elusive status of meaningful content that embeds your message in your audience's collective consciousness.

There is no better way to overcome a client's objection than to put that objection into perspective with an appropriate allegorical story.

Overcoming Objections: How Long Is Too Long?
We've all heard the constant bellyaching from impatience Web users about how long they have to wait for everything on the Web. Every time I hear this from somebody, I am reminded of the story (perhaps apocryphal) of the early introduction of the Polaroid Land camera.

Before the days of one-hour photo shops, digital photography, and instant video feedback, people had to wait up to a week for their pictures to be developed by the local pharmacy or camera shop. When Polaroid came out with a camera that delivered a finished photograph in sixty seconds, people were amazed; the era of instant gratification had begun.

And, so the story goes, a group of adventurers traveled deep into the Brazilian Rainforest to learn about the indigenous people. When they came across a tribe who had never seen outsiders before, they befriended them and took pictures of them with the Polaroid cameras they brought along. The natives loved the pictures since they had never seen anything like this before, but they did have one complaint, "Why did it take so long for the pictures to develop?"

The problem is not technology; the problem is one of perception. Like the natives who perceived the 60-second developing of photographs to be slow, so to do many Web users perceive the Internet to be slow when in fact it is an incredible technological achievement where anyone with a computer and Internet connection can access information from all over the world in seconds or, heaven forbid, minutes.

The Better the Story, the Better the Communication
The solution to the problem is better communication to make yourself and your message instantly understood. People who are truly interested in what you have to say will wait for your Web page or video to load. What gets them frustrated is that when they wait—and instead of getting a meaningful message they get a bunch of nonsense that is irrelevant, self-congratulatory, or completely incomprehensible.

A video or audio message on your Web site is more easily grasped than a page full of densely written text or cryptic bulleted points. But you will loose your audience quickly no matter what the form of your message if it's confusing, muddled, overly complex, or buried in b-school platitudes and industry jargon.

You need your message to be understandable, engaging, and memorable. And one of the best ways to convey that message is to compare it with something your audience can relate to.
It's like teaching your kids a life lesson by reading them one of Aesop's Fables.

Finding Your Metaphor
Some people have a knack for expressing things in a way that an audience will instantly grasp and, more importantly, remember.
For those of us in the communication, marketing, advertising, and creative-development businesses, it is a necessary skill learned over the years. But for those in the day-to-day grind of business's nitty-gritty, it is rarely an ability that ever gets developed.

Creating a Web video campaign that your audience is going to watch, remember, and pass on to colleagues requires a commitment of time and money, and you'll want to make sure it communicates your message effectively. Rather than using your traditional-approach concentrating of features and facts, try something different: Try developing a campaign based on a metaphor that delivers your brand's personality and emotional value-add.

Where to begin? You need to set yourself free from the concrete and concentrate on the conceptual. If this seems like a difficult thing to wrap your head around, start with baby steps.

Concentrate on the Conceptual
Any effective marketing campaign—whether it's a series of Web videos, direct emails, magazine display ads, banner ads, outdoor billboards, television and radio spots, or any combination thereof—will work only if it focuses on a single message.
At the heart of all advertising is the promise you commit to delivering to your clients. No matter how clever or memorable your marketing, if you fail to deliver on that promise, you will fail.

Learn a lesson from the politicians. The general publics' opinion of politicians is about on a par with having a prostate exam. Politicians can't help themselves; they promise the electorate what the electorate wants to hear, and then fail to deliver on promises that can never be kept. Consequently, people become cynical and distrust everything politicians say.
Failure to deliver on your promise to be the cheapest, the best, or the guy with the most features, is like a politician promising no new taxes. Read my lips! Those kinds of promises are a prescription for marketing disaster.

Taking the conceptual approach requires a certain degree of confidence and an understanding that you are going to have to give up something to get something in return.
If you present your identity as the Timex of widgets, inexpensive and ubiquitous, then you are giving up the audience looking for the Rolex of widgets, expensive and exclusive.

Audience Resonance: It's All About Striking a Nerve
One of the most memorable commercials ever to appear on television was the 1985 introduction of the Apple Macintosh computer. The anti-Big Brother message said nothing of bits or bytes, or anything else computer-related, but it did establish Apple's character and personality with its allegorical message, which is still valid today.

If your marketing message lacks this kind of power and personality, if your advertising is getting lost, or drowned-out by the competition, try finding a metaphor that instantly tells your audience who you are and why they should care.