3-24 UPDATE:
Today's leading headline in Advertising Age: Future May Be Brighter But It's Apocalypse Now. Subhead goes on: 'Chaos Scenario' author Bob Garfield watches as his worst predictions wreak havoc on media and marketing worlds. Okay. Enough is Enough! If you can't stop hyperventilating...hold your breath and stop talking!
Also on the front page of Advertising Age: Bogusky Loves Small Shops...Says Entrepreneurs Will Lead Us From Recession. As he says, its the "Scrappy Entrepreneurs that can do things for their clients that the big monster shops can't." Bogusky offers rich perspective!
Okay...now read on what we said a week ago before Ad Age got the insight into what is going on!...
Trendcasting is something we lay claim to here at BrandVenture.
We write about it. Talk about it. And spend a lot of time doing it.
Trends have been a popular topic.
Reading Mega Trends and Future Shock when growing up somewhat got me hooked on doing what I do today.
When my CNN.com home page came up yesterday, I was surprised at what I saw. The site showcased a link to its sister site TIME.com and “10 Ideas Changing The World Right Now.”
The “Ideas” are actual perspectives of stuff that’s going on here at home and globally as well.
Everything from “Jobs Are the New Assets” to “Reinstating The Interstate” to “Biobanks” to “Africa: Open For Business” to “Ecological Intelligence.”
Not that the press is biased, but a lot of the “Ideas” listed fall in sync with much of what the President and Congress recently enacted in Washington.
What I find most interesting about the posting of these “Ideas” is that…
1. The “Ideas” actually support and confirm what I cited in the 1/14/2009 Blog titled “Heed The Call of Imminent Fundamental Change”
2. As a culture we have shifted to a “Focused-Forward” perspective
3. As individuals, we find cultural and societal observations of interest
Yesterday, I got into a discussion with a colleague about a call that I made to a Marketing Research VP. It is a person that the Chief Marketing Officer of the company referred me to regarding upcoming projects.
I made comment in the discussion with my colleague about how this VP was “overwhelmed” with “the process and project load” and could not find the time to speak about anything else for weeks.
It was a repeat of what I heard earlier last week from a marketing VP at a Southeastern Hospital.
It is also a repeat of what I heard from one of our current clients.
CNN also reported that close to 40% of management workers recently surveyed are concerned about losing their jobs in the next six months.
Maybe the picture that is posted next to the “10 Ideas Changing The World Right Now” sums up the conventional business perspective the best....It features a person wearing half of a globe as a hat that entirely covers the eyes where they cannot see beyond the shell of the globe.”
I shared with my colleague yesterday that many individuals in management today are like ostriches with their heads in the sand.
My illustration is not as original as the picture on TIME.com.
Change is happening as I write this Blog.
BIG CHANGE.
Maybe…there is an 11th Idea that needs to be added TIME’s list titled…
The New Paradigm of Entrepreneurialism, Self-sufficiency, Craftsmanship and Accountability
Both sets of my grandparents were entrepreneurs. They came to this country with only a little bit of cash in their pockets and purses.
They multi-tasked back then by working a variety of jobs that enable them to live a better life.
The large business and big government machines are broke…figuratively and literally.
And many in management are scared shitless to do much about it, but dig in even deeper in the sinking sands of the past.
Whew…It’s really, really not bad news!
Because agitation stimulates creativity, innovation, inspiration, vision, desires and drives!
My only editorial comment to TIME.com… Your Idea that “Jobs Are The New Assets” is just slightly off…
It’s not Jobs that are the assets…
It’s the Entrepreneurs and Inventors that are the REAL assets!
While management might be afraid they will lose their jobs and the media seems to be addicted to foster pessimism, the vast public is NOT... NOT!
Today's CNN.com survey asks "do you think another Great Depression will occur in the next year?"
More than 27,900 people have responded thus far with 78% saying "NO!"
While it might seem to be hard work… don’t sit on the sidelines within the confines of a broken past.
Go shake off that sand, clear out those eyes, put on those running shoes…and come…Let’s Journey!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
The Emotional Horizon of Opportunity!
A person who I have gotten to know in the industry recently was hired to serve as the CEO of the Atlanta office of one of the well-known NY shops.
It’s a shop whose past client mix was largely driven by a telecom client. That client recently merged with another dominant telecom group and the agency is no longer their agency of record.
The role of the person I know is to help move what remains of the Atlanta office forward into a more innovative way of thinking.
There is no question that she is taking on a challenge.
I worked with her “new business” team on two recent pitches.
Both of the potential clients sent out an RFP.
Both RFPs outlined what the agency needed to bring back to the table. Both RFPs outlined how their products functioned and what they wanted to communicate to customers.
I told the agency that if they responded back to the RFP with communications tailored around the mechanical operations of the clients’ products that the campaigns would likely yield little-to-no return and the agency would likely be laying off folks when the clients sent out new RFPs 12 months from now.
Repeat after me…NO!
“Dear prospective client…If you really, really want to move your brand forward, stop telling the consumer about how your product is made and instead invite them into the emotions of the experience!”
But to do that you have to be brave and maybe even a bit insane.
When I started BrandVenture more than 6 years ago, I did so with a passion to drive brands forward fueled by the brand’s EIP or Emotional Ignition Point.
Rational logic drives little consumer response.
I showcase examples of brand success that abide by it like Apple, Nike, Cartoon Network, MINI Cooper, Southwest Airlines, Burger King and Red Bull… and a few shops like Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
The MBAs often debate it, many clients often reject it and account service folks often run from it.
Last week an article ran in Advertising Age titled; Why Emotional Messages Beat Rational Ones.
It showcases a book titled “Brand Immortality” – a manual on how to keep brands healthy in the long term.
The article highlights an analysis the authors completed of over 880 case studies of national and international top winning commercials based on response and sales.
16% of the cases were driven by rational “benefits pay-off” strategy.
84% of the cases where driven by emotional engagement or a combination of emotional engagement with rational support.
The authors are quoted in the article as saying that there is “a superior ability of emotional campaigns to create a sense of differentiation for the brand, one that can endure and will not disappear with the next product launch from a competitor.”
They then go on to say… “Our analysis shows that emotional strategies continue to work well during downturns…and emotional engagement increases in importance during the life cycle of market sectors while rational persuasion-based strategies progressively lose the product differentiation they depend upon.”
So will the ad agencies be whistling a new tune?
As long as account service and media buyers run the shops, probably not.
By the way, this article in Ad Age was not on the front page. It was on page 13.
Seeing the glass as half full is part of our core values here at BrandVenture.
And especially in times like where we are right now, innovation, emotion and creative thinking combined with “passionate persistence of preaching the emotional experience” is what will move brands forward.
It’s not a horizon of storm clouds… it’s a horizon of opportunity!
So pick up that phone, email or text message us…and…let’s hit those Emotional Ignition Points and Journey!
It’s a shop whose past client mix was largely driven by a telecom client. That client recently merged with another dominant telecom group and the agency is no longer their agency of record.
The role of the person I know is to help move what remains of the Atlanta office forward into a more innovative way of thinking.
There is no question that she is taking on a challenge.
I worked with her “new business” team on two recent pitches.
Both of the potential clients sent out an RFP.
Both RFPs outlined what the agency needed to bring back to the table. Both RFPs outlined how their products functioned and what they wanted to communicate to customers.
I told the agency that if they responded back to the RFP with communications tailored around the mechanical operations of the clients’ products that the campaigns would likely yield little-to-no return and the agency would likely be laying off folks when the clients sent out new RFPs 12 months from now.
Repeat after me…NO!
“Dear prospective client…If you really, really want to move your brand forward, stop telling the consumer about how your product is made and instead invite them into the emotions of the experience!”
But to do that you have to be brave and maybe even a bit insane.
When I started BrandVenture more than 6 years ago, I did so with a passion to drive brands forward fueled by the brand’s EIP or Emotional Ignition Point.
Rational logic drives little consumer response.
I showcase examples of brand success that abide by it like Apple, Nike, Cartoon Network, MINI Cooper, Southwest Airlines, Burger King and Red Bull… and a few shops like Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
The MBAs often debate it, many clients often reject it and account service folks often run from it.
Last week an article ran in Advertising Age titled; Why Emotional Messages Beat Rational Ones.
It showcases a book titled “Brand Immortality” – a manual on how to keep brands healthy in the long term.
The article highlights an analysis the authors completed of over 880 case studies of national and international top winning commercials based on response and sales.
16% of the cases were driven by rational “benefits pay-off” strategy.
84% of the cases where driven by emotional engagement or a combination of emotional engagement with rational support.
The authors are quoted in the article as saying that there is “a superior ability of emotional campaigns to create a sense of differentiation for the brand, one that can endure and will not disappear with the next product launch from a competitor.”
They then go on to say… “Our analysis shows that emotional strategies continue to work well during downturns…and emotional engagement increases in importance during the life cycle of market sectors while rational persuasion-based strategies progressively lose the product differentiation they depend upon.”
So will the ad agencies be whistling a new tune?
As long as account service and media buyers run the shops, probably not.
By the way, this article in Ad Age was not on the front page. It was on page 13.
Seeing the glass as half full is part of our core values here at BrandVenture.
And especially in times like where we are right now, innovation, emotion and creative thinking combined with “passionate persistence of preaching the emotional experience” is what will move brands forward.
It’s not a horizon of storm clouds… it’s a horizon of opportunity!
So pick up that phone, email or text message us…and…let’s hit those Emotional Ignition Points and Journey!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Cheap Is Chic In More Ways Than One!
I always get a kick out of the content of our local business rag here in Atlanta.
The articles now seem to fall in two buckets…one termed the “Gloom and Doom” of business closures and lay-offs and another termed “Retro Spotlights” that highlights the “good ole boy” leadership relics that are grasping to hold onto past titles and accolades.
But perhaps the biggest laugh I got out or this week’s issue is a page featuring lease programs on top luxury cars.
One of those ads featured a “special discount rate” of $949 per month for a Jaguar sports car.
That just kind of confirms where many of the conventional business mindsets reside.
Either that, or it showcases a strong stage of denial in the midst of change.
Whatever the case…that kind of thinking is now history!
Spending frivolously is OUT and CHEAP CHIC is in!
This morning’s posting on CNN.com contained an article that caught my attention.
The title: “In A Recession, Cheap is Chic.”
It has some great observations in it…
Like…”During a deepening recession, conspicuous consumption is out and frugality is the new black.”
Like…”Now what’s chic is being the most knowledgeable and efficient at saving money.”
And also…”Consumers are now focusing on how to live like a king without having to spend a king’s ransom!”
This article even has a couple of cool terms…
One is “economize” that describes the way people shop today.
The second is “in-sourcing” versus “out-sourcing” – a term that our local Atlanta talk radio star Clark Howard recently coined in one of his afternoon shows.
As Clark Howard says… “People had their collection of ‘mys’ like my massage therapist, my yard person, my hairdresser…now people are really stepping back from that and saying ‘if I cut my own yard, I am going to have that $60 in my pocket.’”
I’m into “in-sourcing”!
I now clean my house, make my lunches and go out and get my own office supplies… and believe it or not… doing those things saves me more than $500 every month!
What’s interesting is that CHEAP CHIC may not just be a recessionary trend.
When websites like Expedia replaced travel agencies, it wasn’t flying first class that was cool…it was flying first class and doing so with a 70% discount!
While Budget Living Magazine died a couple of years ago…it came into being back in the days when the Dow Industrial was posting over 12,000 – remember back then?
While ReadyMade Magazine circulation has increased during the recession, it became a Millennial Generation cultural Icon 37 issues ago.
And HGTV premiered Design On A Dime back in 2006…long before the layoff run.
And then there’s Target’s “Expect More. Pay Less.” campaign that has been part of our brand mindset now for more than 10 years!
CHEAP CHIC is as much a part of the Millennial Generation as the PEACE SIGN is an icon of the Boomer Generation.
What does this mean for your brand?
Rule #1 – Just being cheap doesn’t make something CHIC!
Rule #2 – No matter how bad the economy gets, there will always be inventors, innovators and trendsetters.
Rule #3 –Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, Friendster and YouTube are primary forums where what’s chic is being defined.
Yeah… you can go to those ad agencies and PR groups to get assistance and advice…
But certainly at those prices, the advice is not what is CHIC today!
Call us… We are CHEAP… And with us, you can not only Journey forward with your brand… you can be CHIC in doing so!
Cool?
Cool.
AND HERE'S AN UPDATE JUST POSTED ON CNN.com ONLINE SURVEY...
QUESTION: When you shop at discount stores or purchase a knock off...74% "Brag about the great find!"...and only 6% "Hide the shame of buying cheap"
The articles now seem to fall in two buckets…one termed the “Gloom and Doom” of business closures and lay-offs and another termed “Retro Spotlights” that highlights the “good ole boy” leadership relics that are grasping to hold onto past titles and accolades.
But perhaps the biggest laugh I got out or this week’s issue is a page featuring lease programs on top luxury cars.
One of those ads featured a “special discount rate” of $949 per month for a Jaguar sports car.
That just kind of confirms where many of the conventional business mindsets reside.
Either that, or it showcases a strong stage of denial in the midst of change.
Whatever the case…that kind of thinking is now history!
Spending frivolously is OUT and CHEAP CHIC is in!
This morning’s posting on CNN.com contained an article that caught my attention.
The title: “In A Recession, Cheap is Chic.”
It has some great observations in it…
Like…”During a deepening recession, conspicuous consumption is out and frugality is the new black.”
Like…”Now what’s chic is being the most knowledgeable and efficient at saving money.”
And also…”Consumers are now focusing on how to live like a king without having to spend a king’s ransom!”
This article even has a couple of cool terms…
One is “economize” that describes the way people shop today.
The second is “in-sourcing” versus “out-sourcing” – a term that our local Atlanta talk radio star Clark Howard recently coined in one of his afternoon shows.
As Clark Howard says… “People had their collection of ‘mys’ like my massage therapist, my yard person, my hairdresser…now people are really stepping back from that and saying ‘if I cut my own yard, I am going to have that $60 in my pocket.’”
I’m into “in-sourcing”!
I now clean my house, make my lunches and go out and get my own office supplies… and believe it or not… doing those things saves me more than $500 every month!
What’s interesting is that CHEAP CHIC may not just be a recessionary trend.
When websites like Expedia replaced travel agencies, it wasn’t flying first class that was cool…it was flying first class and doing so with a 70% discount!
While Budget Living Magazine died a couple of years ago…it came into being back in the days when the Dow Industrial was posting over 12,000 – remember back then?
While ReadyMade Magazine circulation has increased during the recession, it became a Millennial Generation cultural Icon 37 issues ago.
And HGTV premiered Design On A Dime back in 2006…long before the layoff run.
And then there’s Target’s “Expect More. Pay Less.” campaign that has been part of our brand mindset now for more than 10 years!
CHEAP CHIC is as much a part of the Millennial Generation as the PEACE SIGN is an icon of the Boomer Generation.
What does this mean for your brand?
Rule #1 – Just being cheap doesn’t make something CHIC!
Rule #2 – No matter how bad the economy gets, there will always be inventors, innovators and trendsetters.
Rule #3 –Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, Friendster and YouTube are primary forums where what’s chic is being defined.
Yeah… you can go to those ad agencies and PR groups to get assistance and advice…
But certainly at those prices, the advice is not what is CHIC today!
Call us… We are CHEAP… And with us, you can not only Journey forward with your brand… you can be CHIC in doing so!
Cool?
Cool.
AND HERE'S AN UPDATE JUST POSTED ON CNN.com ONLINE SURVEY...
QUESTION: When you shop at discount stores or purchase a knock off...74% "Brag about the great find!"...and only 6% "Hide the shame of buying cheap"
Monday, February 23, 2009
How Can I Help You!
The current issue of Business Week is titled “Extreme Customer Service” and the lead article is titled “Where Service Means Survival.”
The issue showcases top brands that are delivering top customer service.
Among the top are some high-end brands like Lexus, Jaguar, Cadillac, BMW, Nordstrom and The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Also on the list are some more “mainstream” brands like Ace Hardware, True Value, Publix, JetBlue, Marriott and Trader Joes.
Over the weekend, I shopped twice at Home Depot and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the customer service.
As soon as I entered the store, there was a person at the door asking me how they could help me. As I went through the store, there was a Home Depot person at the end of nearly every aisle ready to help and assist.
And I wasn’t the only person to notice.
In fact, several of the shoppers made comment about how nice and different the service seemed to be.
On Sunday, I went and shopped at Trader Joe’s and I heard some of the customers making similar commentary.
They especially loved how they could find one person who would answer questions and help them find what they couldn’t find on their own…without having to wait or work through a chain of individuals.
In Business Week, one of the articles cites that “waiting on hold” is the number one consumer complaint…nearly 55% of those surveyed say that “the purgatory of hold” is the most annoying experience.
“Waiting for 15 minutes to talk to a representative only to be put on hold for 10 more minutes to be transferred to someone else only then to have my line go dead.”
I remember back in the 1980s when I started in the business that we all talked about how America was shifting from a product manufacturing to service economy.
Course we would all assume that the same principles of quality manufacturing would extend over to service delivery…right?
Across our client categories – whether retail, restaurants, financial, automotive – the resounding customer issue with the brand experience we bring back to the planning table….the customer service sucks.
While not the biggest fan of government regulation, I sometimes wonder if counterparts to folks like the FDA on the service side of business might be required.
Not that we are really experts, but here at BrandVenture, we are strong advocates that human behavior is just as critical of a predictor of brand success as the conventional MBA financial models.
Human Behavior is to a service economy what Engineering is to a manufacturing economy.
But the challenge is that Human Behavior is far less mechanical, far less repetitive in production and delivery and far less predictable.
And too many companies have tried to marry Human Behavior with Engineering that has resulted in the long wait times that makes customers feel like no one is really there to even help.
As I have said in recent Blog-logues…as much as we hate to be in recession, down economies often do a great job of “cleaning house.”
The MBA mindset will have to change…it is way too hooked on brand attributes and the benefit pay-off versus a focus on the broader overall brand experience.
It’s great to see Business Week highlighting the companies that are delivering top quality service.
Just like individuals today hit “click” when they come upon mediocre websites… customers today will not tolerate mediocre service.
My only suggestion to Business Week is to replace the word “EXTREME” in its issue headline as the adjective in describing “customer service” and maybe consider replacing it with “expected,” or “essential,” or “everyday,” or “established,” or “enjoyable” or “engaged” or …
Hey, I get the message loud and clear… get out from behind the desk, put on a smile, and repeat after me…”how can we help you today?”
AND REALLY… How can WE HELP YOU TODAY?... Email us and let us know!...we’re ready to jump in with you and Journey!
The issue showcases top brands that are delivering top customer service.
Among the top are some high-end brands like Lexus, Jaguar, Cadillac, BMW, Nordstrom and The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Also on the list are some more “mainstream” brands like Ace Hardware, True Value, Publix, JetBlue, Marriott and Trader Joes.
Over the weekend, I shopped twice at Home Depot and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the customer service.
As soon as I entered the store, there was a person at the door asking me how they could help me. As I went through the store, there was a Home Depot person at the end of nearly every aisle ready to help and assist.
And I wasn’t the only person to notice.
In fact, several of the shoppers made comment about how nice and different the service seemed to be.
On Sunday, I went and shopped at Trader Joe’s and I heard some of the customers making similar commentary.
They especially loved how they could find one person who would answer questions and help them find what they couldn’t find on their own…without having to wait or work through a chain of individuals.
In Business Week, one of the articles cites that “waiting on hold” is the number one consumer complaint…nearly 55% of those surveyed say that “the purgatory of hold” is the most annoying experience.
“Waiting for 15 minutes to talk to a representative only to be put on hold for 10 more minutes to be transferred to someone else only then to have my line go dead.”
I remember back in the 1980s when I started in the business that we all talked about how America was shifting from a product manufacturing to service economy.
Course we would all assume that the same principles of quality manufacturing would extend over to service delivery…right?
Across our client categories – whether retail, restaurants, financial, automotive – the resounding customer issue with the brand experience we bring back to the planning table….the customer service sucks.
While not the biggest fan of government regulation, I sometimes wonder if counterparts to folks like the FDA on the service side of business might be required.
Not that we are really experts, but here at BrandVenture, we are strong advocates that human behavior is just as critical of a predictor of brand success as the conventional MBA financial models.
Human Behavior is to a service economy what Engineering is to a manufacturing economy.
But the challenge is that Human Behavior is far less mechanical, far less repetitive in production and delivery and far less predictable.
And too many companies have tried to marry Human Behavior with Engineering that has resulted in the long wait times that makes customers feel like no one is really there to even help.
As I have said in recent Blog-logues…as much as we hate to be in recession, down economies often do a great job of “cleaning house.”
The MBA mindset will have to change…it is way too hooked on brand attributes and the benefit pay-off versus a focus on the broader overall brand experience.
It’s great to see Business Week highlighting the companies that are delivering top quality service.
Just like individuals today hit “click” when they come upon mediocre websites… customers today will not tolerate mediocre service.
My only suggestion to Business Week is to replace the word “EXTREME” in its issue headline as the adjective in describing “customer service” and maybe consider replacing it with “expected,” or “essential,” or “everyday,” or “established,” or “enjoyable” or “engaged” or …
Hey, I get the message loud and clear… get out from behind the desk, put on a smile, and repeat after me…”how can we help you today?”
AND REALLY… How can WE HELP YOU TODAY?... Email us and let us know!...we’re ready to jump in with you and Journey!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Heretical Ideas Win…Desperate Strategy Sinks Ships!
When I saw the ad for the third time last night, I immediately made it a top priority to feature it on this week’s Blog.
More about that ad in a minute…
Earlier in the evening, on ABC Nightly News, they interviewed the flight crew that landed the plane on the Hudson.
One of the flight attendants told the story that as soon as the plane hit the water, a passenger got up and dashed to the back of the plane and opened up the back escape hatch. Unfortunately, the tail was underwater and opening it up started to flood the plane.
Fortunately, the flight attendant was able to get the passenger under control and re-routed them to the wing exits where the passenger was shortly thereafter rescued by one of the local ferryboats.
What a great illustration of how desperation can sink a ship…or in this case, a plane!
The brand that is the “star” of that ad running last night is about as desperate in its quest to survive as the person on the Hudson…
To be even more exact… the marketing and ad team client-side and the ad agency that produced the ad are probably hyperventilating even now as they watch the IV feeder tubes dry up.
The ad compares the Escalade to the MINI Cooper S.
Need I say more?
Here is what Justin Berkowitz, one of our fellow bloggers posted about the ad…
“Did the ad agency really know who the potential buyers of Escalades are? Apparently an ad man was envisioning a fiscally-conscious, sensibly green guy sitting in front of his high-def set and having an epiphany.”
And here is more posted from some of the other bloggers…
“I want the 30 seconds of my life back that I wasted watching this commercial.”
“Wow. Thanks for setting me straight GM. What was I thinking? I’m definitely buying one of those giant hybrid trucks!”
“This last desperate attempt by their ad agency to jump start sales of these nearly extinct and overpriced dinosaurs is comical at best.”
“It seems that GM and their ad agency are trying hard to throw anything at the wall and see what sticks…or doesn’t.”
“Comparing GM to MINI Coopers is like comparing something really cool to a thug.”
“How many MINI owners do they think also have these big SUV pimp-mobiles in their consideration mix.”
“Watching this commercial is like looking at a chain-smoking, overweight, cancer-ridden guy living his last days fantasizing that he’s Superman while he sucks on his oxygen tank… oh yeah… and the agency that produced it is his dog that obeys every rule clinging to his side.”
Okay.
In ideation sessions that we facilitate for clients…we do an exercise we call “Dogma-Heresy” in which we look at how competitive brands are being presented and advertised and then put together a list of the similarities – or the dogma – that they are all doing.
We then have participants jot down ideas, thoughts and approaches that others in the industry would find heretical.
As a facilitator…my primary task is to squelch the critiques and negative commentary and let the ideas flow.
The exercise actually generates some great ideas.
Innovative ideas are great. Desperation strategy is something totally different.
Innovative thinking flows best when participants build off of what others share versus critique, dictate and command.
Go online and Google GM and MINI and you can see more of what others think about this last breath attempt to save a dying brand.
Then go look in the mirror and if you have any inkling of doing something similar to GM and their ad agency, call us at 404.245.9378 and we’ll set up the intervention ideation session that can save you from the fall!
More about that ad in a minute…
Earlier in the evening, on ABC Nightly News, they interviewed the flight crew that landed the plane on the Hudson.
One of the flight attendants told the story that as soon as the plane hit the water, a passenger got up and dashed to the back of the plane and opened up the back escape hatch. Unfortunately, the tail was underwater and opening it up started to flood the plane.
Fortunately, the flight attendant was able to get the passenger under control and re-routed them to the wing exits where the passenger was shortly thereafter rescued by one of the local ferryboats.
What a great illustration of how desperation can sink a ship…or in this case, a plane!
The brand that is the “star” of that ad running last night is about as desperate in its quest to survive as the person on the Hudson…
To be even more exact… the marketing and ad team client-side and the ad agency that produced the ad are probably hyperventilating even now as they watch the IV feeder tubes dry up.
The ad compares the Escalade to the MINI Cooper S.
Need I say more?
Here is what Justin Berkowitz, one of our fellow bloggers posted about the ad…
“Did the ad agency really know who the potential buyers of Escalades are? Apparently an ad man was envisioning a fiscally-conscious, sensibly green guy sitting in front of his high-def set and having an epiphany.”
And here is more posted from some of the other bloggers…
“I want the 30 seconds of my life back that I wasted watching this commercial.”
“Wow. Thanks for setting me straight GM. What was I thinking? I’m definitely buying one of those giant hybrid trucks!”
“This last desperate attempt by their ad agency to jump start sales of these nearly extinct and overpriced dinosaurs is comical at best.”
“It seems that GM and their ad agency are trying hard to throw anything at the wall and see what sticks…or doesn’t.”
“Comparing GM to MINI Coopers is like comparing something really cool to a thug.”
“How many MINI owners do they think also have these big SUV pimp-mobiles in their consideration mix.”
“Watching this commercial is like looking at a chain-smoking, overweight, cancer-ridden guy living his last days fantasizing that he’s Superman while he sucks on his oxygen tank… oh yeah… and the agency that produced it is his dog that obeys every rule clinging to his side.”
Okay.
In ideation sessions that we facilitate for clients…we do an exercise we call “Dogma-Heresy” in which we look at how competitive brands are being presented and advertised and then put together a list of the similarities – or the dogma – that they are all doing.
We then have participants jot down ideas, thoughts and approaches that others in the industry would find heretical.
As a facilitator…my primary task is to squelch the critiques and negative commentary and let the ideas flow.
The exercise actually generates some great ideas.
Innovative ideas are great. Desperation strategy is something totally different.
Innovative thinking flows best when participants build off of what others share versus critique, dictate and command.
Go online and Google GM and MINI and you can see more of what others think about this last breath attempt to save a dying brand.
Then go look in the mirror and if you have any inkling of doing something similar to GM and their ad agency, call us at 404.245.9378 and we’ll set up the intervention ideation session that can save you from the fall!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Hey! Let's Journey Into The American Middle Class!
They are the hot topic of the news and blogs…the American Middle Class.
And the picture painted is one of the working class parents, two kids, dog and cat living in that 3 bedroom-2 bath suburban tract home.
We hear about how they work day-in – day-out to strive to pay off their credit cards, make the house payment and get dinner on the table to feed the family.
The media, politico and marketing mavericks love to craft and fuel simple, digestible stereotypes of the human diversity that comprises society.
Too much of the time, we sit behind our desks and lean on those same stereotypes.
Get a load of some of these new American Middle Class stats…
• More Millenniums and GenXers make up the American Middle Class than Boomers and Matures
• More than two-thirds of the American Middle Class believes that they are better off compared to their parents when they were the same age a generation ago
• Nearly twice as many of the American Middle Class say that they are “living comfortably” as the number of Middle Class Americans “barely getting by”
• Nearly five times as many the Americans place higher importance on having free time and having children than being wealthy
• Only 38% of Middle Class America favors the current stimulus package now up for Senate review and vote…down from just over 50% a week ago!
So is there more to Middle Class America than Joe The Plumber?
Just last night I had one of those “aha experiences” that open up how we think and how we view the changes taking place around us.
I am currently taking a class at Emory University that explores modern day cultures and is held once a week at one of the area restaurants.
Last night, I sat across the table from a very fascinating young lady who is an instructional text writer for one of the software companies in our fair city of Atlanta.
She has a college degree in finance and lives in a townhouse in one of the fashionable suburban Atlanta neighborhoods.
She works daily with technical programmers and watches how they load and interact with software programming and then translates their actions and process flow into instructional text.
Last week she completed a 45-page manual in less than three days!
Whew!
What is interesting about this person is that she is part of what we term the “American Middle Class” with an income that is nearly the median reported in 2008 – about $52,000 a year.
I don’t know about you…but when I get out from behind my desk and get out and dwell with the real people behind the labels, I glean some cool insights and perspectives!
Cool insights and perspectives that generate consumer interest, cultivate brand loyalty and drive dollars to the bottomline!
Numbers and text can reveal some things…but there’s nothing quite like joining up with the change agents themselves!
So to kick off 2009 right, we are launching a new website this week where others can come and hop on the bus with us on the field trips and cultural anthropology digs among the trend-setters and trend-benders that are driving market change!
The new site is www.heyletsjourney.com
Check it out… And our first journey is into the communities, lives, headsets and heartbeats of Middle Class America!
See who really makes up what we label as the American Middle Class.
Come meet up with the “Young Pioneers,” “Blue Chip Homesteaders” and “Intown Rooted Classics”!
Click on the Videocasts and check out their dreams, passions and perspectives.
Let us know what issues and cultures you want to explore more.
Best yet, call us and join us out in the field and just like the website says…
Hey! Let’s Journey! ... www.heyletsjourney.com
And the picture painted is one of the working class parents, two kids, dog and cat living in that 3 bedroom-2 bath suburban tract home.
We hear about how they work day-in – day-out to strive to pay off their credit cards, make the house payment and get dinner on the table to feed the family.
The media, politico and marketing mavericks love to craft and fuel simple, digestible stereotypes of the human diversity that comprises society.
Too much of the time, we sit behind our desks and lean on those same stereotypes.
Get a load of some of these new American Middle Class stats…
• More Millenniums and GenXers make up the American Middle Class than Boomers and Matures
• More than two-thirds of the American Middle Class believes that they are better off compared to their parents when they were the same age a generation ago
• Nearly twice as many of the American Middle Class say that they are “living comfortably” as the number of Middle Class Americans “barely getting by”
• Nearly five times as many the Americans place higher importance on having free time and having children than being wealthy
• Only 38% of Middle Class America favors the current stimulus package now up for Senate review and vote…down from just over 50% a week ago!
So is there more to Middle Class America than Joe The Plumber?
Just last night I had one of those “aha experiences” that open up how we think and how we view the changes taking place around us.
I am currently taking a class at Emory University that explores modern day cultures and is held once a week at one of the area restaurants.
Last night, I sat across the table from a very fascinating young lady who is an instructional text writer for one of the software companies in our fair city of Atlanta.
She has a college degree in finance and lives in a townhouse in one of the fashionable suburban Atlanta neighborhoods.
She works daily with technical programmers and watches how they load and interact with software programming and then translates their actions and process flow into instructional text.
Last week she completed a 45-page manual in less than three days!
Whew!
What is interesting about this person is that she is part of what we term the “American Middle Class” with an income that is nearly the median reported in 2008 – about $52,000 a year.
I don’t know about you…but when I get out from behind my desk and get out and dwell with the real people behind the labels, I glean some cool insights and perspectives!
Cool insights and perspectives that generate consumer interest, cultivate brand loyalty and drive dollars to the bottomline!
Numbers and text can reveal some things…but there’s nothing quite like joining up with the change agents themselves!
So to kick off 2009 right, we are launching a new website this week where others can come and hop on the bus with us on the field trips and cultural anthropology digs among the trend-setters and trend-benders that are driving market change!
The new site is www.heyletsjourney.com
Check it out… And our first journey is into the communities, lives, headsets and heartbeats of Middle Class America!
See who really makes up what we label as the American Middle Class.
Come meet up with the “Young Pioneers,” “Blue Chip Homesteaders” and “Intown Rooted Classics”!
Click on the Videocasts and check out their dreams, passions and perspectives.
Let us know what issues and cultures you want to explore more.
Best yet, call us and join us out in the field and just like the website says…
Hey! Let’s Journey! ... www.heyletsjourney.com
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Heed The Call Of Imminent Fundamental Change!
Last Blog-louge I wrote about the economic Tipping Point Trends that surfaced in 2008 and also ways marketing teams can bounce-back in 2009.
Since I wrote the blog, I have been traveling near and far meeting with CEOs, market execs, ethnographers and academics.
I have also had the opportunity to walk the beach, stroll down Fifth Avenue, watch the sun set over the Atlanta skyline and sit outside around the fireplace at my mountain cabin.
During that time, I have thought a lot about what I have seen and heard.
My conclusion?
Trend tracking is nice, but there are larger, more significant changes that are driving, re-scripting and transforming how we will live, work, shop, vote and interact with others in the future.
Mega-Trends are significant...but what is taking place is less developmental and more explosive.
These trends are what I term as Imminent Fundamental Change…
• They cannot be reversed
• They re-engineer foundation architecture
• They impact multiple levels of consumer life
Examples of Imminent Fundamental Change?
1. The return of the home-front and its extension into social bonding
2. The portability of information and its integration with experience
3. Spending constraints defined by rational-responsible application
4. A live-work paradigm of entrepreneurialism, self-sufficiency, craftsmanship and accountability
5. The organizational structure of service and product delivery
These changes are Imminent. They have left the launch pad and they are heading directly into our community and day-to-day lives.
They are fuelded by a combination of technology, currency and personal survival.
These changes impact the fundamental architecture of the economy, the marketplace and social exchange.
Past factors of Imminent Fundamental Change include:
• The ability to transport faster than human or animal travel
• Verbal and visual electronic communications
• Mass access to education
• The Baby Boom and Birth control
• Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Measures
Since brands are produced and delivered by human beings, it’s not surprising that many businesses are heralding in the New Year by filing Chapter 11.
But…just as much as the glass is half empty… its also half full!
And there are individuals, businesses and brands out there that are “getting it” and instead of entering into Chapter 11, they are moving from the confines of poor me to the opportunity of Wii! (That's not a typo!)
Are these companies smart or what?...
** Terracylce Plant Food made from organic garbage destined for landfills expects to generate $15 million in sales through Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Whole Foods in 2009
** Pringles Potato Chips is incorporating in bits of spuds that were historically discarded in their new organic line of chips and posted double-digit growth in third and fourth quarters of 2008
** Savers posted a 35% increase in sales and continues to expand with 210 stores re-selling "hip and cool" vintage second-hand clothing
** ESPN360.com has shifted from the TV Box to the Online Screen with a consumer offering of "whatever" sports you want, "whenever" you want it...and is smiling with a 40% paid subscription increase in 2008
Like I said earlier…
Don’t let the budget cutbacks and the layoffs constrain you.
Engage in a liberation experience! Get out from behind that desk and beyond those four walls!
In our next Blog-logue, I’m going to showcase the launch of a new website and the first of our journeys that is going to venture into the headset and heartbeat of an audience group that dominates the news stories…
And one that I bet will be mentioned in next week’s presidential inauguration speech!
So hey…stop fighting the Imminent Fundamental Change…and let’s journey into how we can tap into the opportunities surfacing!
Since I wrote the blog, I have been traveling near and far meeting with CEOs, market execs, ethnographers and academics.
I have also had the opportunity to walk the beach, stroll down Fifth Avenue, watch the sun set over the Atlanta skyline and sit outside around the fireplace at my mountain cabin.
During that time, I have thought a lot about what I have seen and heard.
My conclusion?
Trend tracking is nice, but there are larger, more significant changes that are driving, re-scripting and transforming how we will live, work, shop, vote and interact with others in the future.
Mega-Trends are significant...but what is taking place is less developmental and more explosive.
These trends are what I term as Imminent Fundamental Change…
• They cannot be reversed
• They re-engineer foundation architecture
• They impact multiple levels of consumer life
Examples of Imminent Fundamental Change?
1. The return of the home-front and its extension into social bonding
2. The portability of information and its integration with experience
3. Spending constraints defined by rational-responsible application
4. A live-work paradigm of entrepreneurialism, self-sufficiency, craftsmanship and accountability
5. The organizational structure of service and product delivery
These changes are Imminent. They have left the launch pad and they are heading directly into our community and day-to-day lives.
They are fuelded by a combination of technology, currency and personal survival.
These changes impact the fundamental architecture of the economy, the marketplace and social exchange.
Past factors of Imminent Fundamental Change include:
• The ability to transport faster than human or animal travel
• Verbal and visual electronic communications
• Mass access to education
• The Baby Boom and Birth control
• Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Measures
Since brands are produced and delivered by human beings, it’s not surprising that many businesses are heralding in the New Year by filing Chapter 11.
But…just as much as the glass is half empty… its also half full!
And there are individuals, businesses and brands out there that are “getting it” and instead of entering into Chapter 11, they are moving from the confines of poor me to the opportunity of Wii! (That's not a typo!)
Are these companies smart or what?...
** Terracylce Plant Food made from organic garbage destined for landfills expects to generate $15 million in sales through Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Whole Foods in 2009
** Pringles Potato Chips is incorporating in bits of spuds that were historically discarded in their new organic line of chips and posted double-digit growth in third and fourth quarters of 2008
** Savers posted a 35% increase in sales and continues to expand with 210 stores re-selling "hip and cool" vintage second-hand clothing
** ESPN360.com has shifted from the TV Box to the Online Screen with a consumer offering of "whatever" sports you want, "whenever" you want it...and is smiling with a 40% paid subscription increase in 2008
Like I said earlier…
Don’t let the budget cutbacks and the layoffs constrain you.
Engage in a liberation experience! Get out from behind that desk and beyond those four walls!
In our next Blog-logue, I’m going to showcase the launch of a new website and the first of our journeys that is going to venture into the headset and heartbeat of an audience group that dominates the news stories…
And one that I bet will be mentioned in next week’s presidential inauguration speech!
So hey…stop fighting the Imminent Fundamental Change…and let’s journey into how we can tap into the opportunities surfacing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
