The Millennials Connect With Being Real... Not Being Politically Correct

There was a delay in the posting of this blog. 

I dedicated one blog post already this year to the Millennials.  It showcases a lot about who they are and what drives them in terms of what they seek and who they aspire to be.

However, I feel very compelled to post another blog entry about them.  This time highlighting just how simplistic reality drives them more than what's politically correct.

This past week, the Wall Street Journal published another top news story about the Millennials.  This time showcasing that they now represent the majority share of the American workforce. 

They ran an article the week before about how the television and cable networks are facing a sliding decline of audience share as the Millennials enter their primary target group of Adults 25-54. 

I am not too amazed how HGTV and Adult Swim continue to do well.  Both networks have fashioned programming – much of it niche targeted – around the Millennials. 

While HGTV and Adult Swim get it right, the other networks face continued ratings decline. 

Here’s an audience group that custom fashions the content of their social media pages and Google search websites based on niche-defined needs… and network after network tries to become more like the other struggling, lack of any defined personality networks just to be the one touting the highest ratings.

Like him or hate him, Donald Trump is a stellar example of the Millennial mindset. While not a Millennial, Trump is the personification of Millennial Facebook postings. 

Millennials never hold back commentary, factual or not, in their posts and do so for all to read with little rational or accountability. 

Donald Trump is the personification of a Facebook or Twitter post.

He leads in the polls right now and the media has no idea of how to assess it.  Many believe that voting public will get rational quickly and Trump will have no chance. 

Obama came into office in 2008 because the Millennials were just beginning to embrace “mid-century culture” and “Hope”and “Change We Can Believe In” was quickly married with “Peace” and “Love.”

And its not just Trump capitalizing on the Millennials. 

Bernie Sanders is certainly making waves… and the political armchair critics dismiss his DNC rise because he appeals too much to the younger, Millennial, ideal seekers. 

Anyone who comments that Joe Biden has little chance of winning over Hillary only has to Google “Bidenisms” and can quickly see how Joe and Donald just might be related.

Politicians that run on platforms of bringing back the past and a return to a moral compass are so out of it that I wonder just who is running with their consultancy dollars.

The Millennials do not care if commentary is politically-correct.  As the Boomer academics preach the no-nos of non-politically correct terms and phrases, the Millennials are texting their “friends” and wondering just what these folks smoked before dinner.

The presidential race is global in many perspectives.  Shoot right here in Atlanta, in our newest city of Brookhaven, we saw politics turn upside down as the leading-edge Gen X mayor was defeated by a Millennial in the bid for a House District rep. 

Historically, Brookhaven has been so Republican that in some circles, the red turns deep crimson. 

Not only was the late 20-something elected and had never before been involved in politics, he was also a democrat. 

I send out an Email to fellow Chamber of Commerce Board members in Brookhaven and highlighted that what I preached about Millennials and how they were driving the community was, in fact, real.  I laughed when at least five individuals Emailed me back and said that they had no idea what I was talking about and saw no connection with the outcome of the local race.

Okay.  Wonder if they have any programs to help Boomers come out of the closet and accept that the Millennials are here… and in charge!

Another Atlanta news-story that hit this week is that builders, developers and community planners are re-assessing new housing and will be pressing for smaller square foot single-family homes. 

As stated in the news clip, “we are pushing for more 1,500 square feet or less, cottage-style and contemporary design homes versus the McMansion rage of the past several years.

Wow.  Maybe some of those builders, developers and community planners watch HGTV Tiny House shows and found the shows inspiring.  Or maybe they came to a reality check point that way too many Millennials are having to lease apartments because they cannot even begin to consider owning a 3,000 square foot home with a starting price of $850,000. 

Last commentary in this post is that there are a bunch of companies that are just as blind as many of the broadcast networks.

One of the companies that I think is tanking quickly is Dominos Pizza. 

Not only do Millennials think that Pizza is not healthy, good-for-me, make-me-fit-and-good-looking food, it's a product that is way too Boomer and Gen X rooted. 

They say that docs can quickly diagnose a patient based on a couple easy indicators of the likely condition affecting the patient.

One of those Blinding Glimpses of the Obvious with a fast food restaurant is just how diverse the menu becomes. 

Dominos spent a lot of money on a set of ads telling the American populace that their brand name was dropping “pizza.”  Then came a set of ads in which each ad promoted chicken or sandwiches or pasta dishes. 

I think that Millennials totally get it right when they no longer connect with a “friend” or a brand, they quickly click “unfriend” and move-on. 

Going back to politics, I think we need to sit back for some great entertainment in the next few months. 

I bet that Dominos and Hillary share some common ground.  Both are working at hard at taking a brand from the past and modifying it, altering it and re-engineering it when the core base of the brand is in deep, deep trouble.

Time For Spin Class

Maybe it was their true intent. 

For all the passing of the politico voices, health reform and Obamacare just might be fueling a new “mega-trend.” 

This isn't something that I alone am observing.

I solicit a lot of input from others when I grab my morning and afternoon coffees. Engaging others has also netted further reinforcing input.

There’s a boom taking place around us in the form of fitness and health.

There’s been a slew of articles about it running in the Wall Street Journal. 

Healthy, good-for-you food is taking over the grocery store shelves – not just the costly ones at Whole Foods, but those at Publix and Kroger… Lord, even in a number of the convenience stores too.

Hotels are embracing the health craze with everything from good-for-you food and juice cafes, spa-gyms complete with coaches and read meters in the rooms controlling the climate and mood music. 

Out are the clothing stores that pumped up the style persona like Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch and in are the holistically good for your mind-body-spirit clothing boutiques like Outdoor Voices, Mighty Healthy and BooHoo brands.

Perhaps what’s most intriguing about the trend is just who's driving it..

When I ask the typical person walking the street … or LOL, the VP Marketing teams of Corporate America … they will quickly say it's the Baby Boomers.

When I ask them why they think it's the Boomers, they quickly respond back, “its because the Boomers are getting old.”

No question that there is truth to that observation. 

Boomers voice their health and wellness convictions quickly when you talk to them. 

However, actions do speak louder than words. 

Boomers might talk the talk, but not as many truly get out and take that daily walk!

ABC News aired a story about a year ago, that Boomers are living longer lives, but they are posting higher levels of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. 

NBC, CNN, Discovery Health and even FOX News broadcast similar stories. 

In fact, in the story that Discovery Health did, it was reported that Boomer women are actually living longer not just because of their gender, but also because they actually exercise more than the Boomer men. 

Boomers also seem to hover more and more on looks versus actual health and wellness.

Thanks to Boomers, there are BOTOX “design studios” popping up more and more in the neighborhood shopping centers. 

Not that my time at Starbucks qualifies as top quantitative research, but when I step back and watch people place orders, I find it amusing that the Boomers might request the “low-fat Lattes,” but they always seem to also get a side order of pastry. 

They then go and sit down in those comfy leather chairs, drink their “healthy” coffee, munch on the cholesterol-rich and high calorie pastry and watch the Millennials jog by outside.

Turns out that who's driving the fitness rage that is impacting brands from food to beverage to clothing to travel to furnishing to house & home are… the Millennials.

Yup.  The Millennials.

When I had drinks with my psychologist-turned cultural anthropologist buddy about a week ago, he observed that part of the drive is the Millennials desire to separate themselves from their “in-the-spotlight” Boomer parents.

I agree that there is a lot of truth to the observations.

As Baby Boomers get older, their impact as trend innovation is slipping.  A large part attributed to the fact that the Boomers don't dominate the "active" marketplace any more. 

Millennials, who are now almost entirely off of the college campus and dominating the American workforce, are facing some strong reality components.

First, Millennials are realizing to stay nimble and youthful in looks, that staying healthy and being fit is important.

Social media and the rage of the selfies are reinforcing it.

Second, Millennials' focus on self – the “me generation” – reinforces the need to ensure that everything is working right and looking good on the “home front.”

Fast Food is way too mass.

Third, the impact of high deductibles and Obamacare are fueling a defense mechanism to stay well. 

Fourth, organic means being rooted and in the midst of all the high-tech rage, linking oneself to the high-touch world of a “grown local” sense of place fulfills an emotional need that drives the desire for some locally grown, heirloom tomatoes. 

As a Baby Boomer myself, I can remember that when I traveled, the top hotels worked to recreate my sense of home.  Hence, I would have a nice large television set, coffee maker and hair blower. 

How much more at home could a Boomer exec feel!

Where I live in the city right now is dominated by Millennials residing in their studio and one-bedroom apartments that they are chucking out close to $2,000 per month to enjoy.

Priority is placed high on access to the fitness center and jogging paths along with organic energy drinks, locally-grown veggies and Internet access to read their Fitbit data stream reports.

By the way, outside of something to sit on at the kitchen counter to check out their latest Friends’ posts, a mattress to sleep on and a charging station for their mobile Mac, there’s not too much priority placed on much more in furnishing their apartments. 

While I was shopping at Whole Foods last week, I asked a number of the Millennials if they had ever heard of “Fitness Hotels.”

Five of the Seven Millennials asked, quickly responded and asked if I was referring to Even Hotels. (you have to check out their website… http://www.ihg.com/evenhotels/hotels/us/en/reservation). 

Two of the female Millennials quickly added that Soul Cycle was opening up at a number of the hotels where they stay on business.

What strikes me about the new fitness rage is how much the color white dominates the space – virtual and visually. 

Being fit also conveys a sense of purity and cleanliness. 

When a computer is cleaned up and the viruses are removed, the computer is back to being fit… and pure all over again.

From anti-bacterial hand lotions to the rage in non-genitically engineered meats and veggies, purity is part of the trend too.

This is not a fad.  Nor is it something that is here today, gone tomorrow.

With all of the unpredictability of politics, economics and global security, fitness is a self-initiated and self-managed state of body, mind and spirit that just might be the trendcast that can empower your brand. 

The Need For A 12-Step Program

Its up.  Is down.  Up. Down.  Up… yes, up… oh wait…it’s tumbling back down.

The news media has a passion to be forecasters of the future… not simple reporters of the news, but instead, the source that can see into the future. 

In the last decade, I have spent a lot of time, energy and talent working with clients in the house and home market.  From mortgages to plumbing to flooring to paint to appliances to homebuilders to television networks.

Leading into the 2009 Great Recession, everyone from the media to house and home manufactures believed that unlimited potential was evolving.  All facets of house and home were “low hanging fruit.”

And then… BAM. 

The market collapsed.

Mortgage money became hard to get. Negative home value and bank-owned real estate became the norm.

There’s still remains a belief among many that the market will revive and turn-around.  That the days of the real estate past becoming reality again are just right around the corner.

This morning, there’s an article in the Wall Street Journal about a “Housing Rebound.”  They even go so far as to observe… “Healthy spending in an improving market… especially among high-end homeowners.”

It is said that a picture communicates a thousand words. 

A picture can go even further and play the role of Paul Harvey… and tell the rest of the story.

The picture featured in the WSJ article is of a late-40s woman shopping at a Home Depot.  She’s wearing a leather jacket and high-heel boots.  There’s a guy standing next to her talking on a mobile phone.  He’s wearing a heavy jacket and blue jeans. 

She’s got a shopping cart and is loading a set of 1 x 4 boards onto the top of the cart.  Note… she’s not having the guy do it, nor is she using one of the larger carrier carts that the builder’s use. 

She’s probably shopping at a nice Home Depot located on Long Island. Maybe over in Arlington outside of DC.

She’s the “Blue-Blood-Turned-DIY-To-Keep-The-Wine-Bar-Stocked” high-end homeowner.

That housing market re-birth is not. 

Folks having to make Do-It-Yourself improvements to stop water running, heat escaping, outlets operating and flooring functional that's become worn out… that’s taking place and perhaps even seasonally now that folks finally have dug out of some heavy snow falls this year.

Another article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reports that more new housing is being built. 

But when you read the article, you quickly learn that the vast majority – more than 70% of what is being tracked as “new housing” is actually apartment developments.

With the surge of Millennials being kicked out of the home complete with little-to-no savings and negative credit ratings to match, apartment housing right now is the only option to keep the head dry when it rains.  

And thanks to the Millennials use of social media, its not too difficult to find “friends” to be roommates to help disperse the high rental rates.

On the inside front page of today’s Wall Street Journal is an article titled, “Cash Crunch Is, For Many, A Monthly Problem.”

This article gets down into the heart of what’s really happened to the marketplace. 

It talks about how households making $100K-$175K are experiencing more financial volatility than many might think. 

The article cites… “Insecurity isn’t driven by unexpected events, but instead by volatility that has become a normal part of life.” 

The article goes on to describe how many individuals that report on paper higher household incomes, go through some good times when there’s income coming in, but also many times where jobs are cut, financial costs come in – healthcare being one of them – and budgets become very tight.

The marketplace right now is volatile. It’s not stabilizing. There’s a lot more uncertainty than certainty. 

Boomers are struck with the reality that “peace, love, harmony” is more of a nice song than reality.

GenXers are struck with the reality that the kids soon leaving the home and heading off to college is not leading into a revival of romance… but further pressure on the checkbooks.

Many Millennials are finding that replacements of the helicopter parents of the past are not easy to find.

And ZOOMERS now entering their teens are perhaps the most realistic of all.  They never interacted much with the fantasy world leading into the Great Recession. They walk out of places like Abercrombie & Fitch because they find it way too much of a fantasyland.

I write this Bloglogue simply to put context around the marketplace. 

In terms of the house and home market, I applaud publications like HGTV and Better Homes & Gardens.  I sit amazed that publications like Architectural Digest and Veranda can still survive.  I am distraught when I see a publication like Dwell decide to feature eco-responsible furnishings like side tables that bear price-points of $3,000+. 

Its not just house and home brands that are being challenged.  Organic food brands and HBA brands have to become much more mainstream.  Automotive brands shouldn’t dismiss Ford, Fiat nor MINIs.

Macy’s announced its going to swing more upscale. 

My bet is that if we went into the private bathrooms attached to the Macy’s management team offices; we would find Architectural Digest, Cosmopolitan, the NY Times and Town & Country magazines.

Maybe we should create a 12-step program for journalists and marketers alike that still believe a booming economy is just around the corner in which the first step requires admitting that market of the past is past and that the market of today is a different stage set for brand development and success.

When we face reality… creativity and innovation ignites!

Zoom. Zoom... Zoooooooommmm.

I made a presentation this week to a conference of Greek Orthodox priests. 

Not kidding.

The presentation was all about generational groups and how they interact with their peers, parents and friends.

The priests got very tickled about the comparisons between Boomers and Millennials.  Most of the priests were Boomers.  Two were Millennials.

Boomers find Millennials to be frustrating… that is, until its emphasized that the Millennials were procreated by the Boomers.

After the Millennials, I next put up a slide about Zoomers.

Then the room went quiet. 

Finally, one of the priests turned to his peers and said that this is where leadership needs to truly use creative thinking to reinvent the programs that have been “updated” to better embrace the GenXers.

A second priest quickly chimed in and said that the Zoomers are a catalyst that might drive a complete reinvention or restoration of the where their church has been and what it needs to become.

I know that the news media along with the MBA-driven business community is fixated right now on Millennials. 

God love them – the media, business and academic world has finally stopped using the label of Generation Y. 

I don’t write this blog to self-proclaim and self-reinforce, but I will note here that ten years ago, I started driving clients with the impending impact of the Millennials. 

Some tried to correct me to embrace the label Generation Y.  My reply was simple… that label doesn’t work.

Zoomers is a term that will soon stick too.

For readers, Zoomers embraces the generation that was born in the year 2000 through 2014-2015.  Some debate whether 2014 was the end-cap year. 

My bet is that the end-cap year will be 2016 since it’s the last year of the current presidential term here in the U.S.

So, to ground us… the Zoomers range in age from 0-15 in this calendar year.

Next year, the first wave of the Zoomers will be getting a driver’s license. The first wave will be entering college in about 3 years from now.

Many talk about the Millennials as being the generation of technology. 

Okay.. but the Zoomers are the generation of mobile technology and information.

The Zoomers never knew the world existed without the high-speed Internet, laptops, iPads, and smart phones.   And… that the technology wasn’t part of the every day world – in the home, car, restaurant, grocery store or even the classroom.

The Zoomers never knew the world existed without Terrorism.  They never knew there was a time when a person could actually go and welcome someone getting off an airplane at the arrival gate.

The “cold war” and “soviet union” is what they hear about in history classes, and the Taliban, Iran and ISIS are what they believe to be the “enemy.”

Just as they cruise the Internet and converse with friends through texting, they live their lives checking in and checking out and checking back in again according to their personal agenda and headset.

They check in and check out with friends, groups, classes, beliefs, opinion sets and brands.

Education and aspiration is self-defined vs. instructional from the outside.

What I write as a “blog” is something that they have replaced with what’s termed as Vlogging – commentary and exchange via video versus words.

Entrepreneurship is what they believe to be critical to business versus an MBA. 

They live in the “here and now” of reality… vs. the aspirational expectation of the Millennials.

When I spoke to Greek Orthodox priests, I highlighted how Zoomers challenge brands that are driven on the high ideals and paint the perspective of life as “peace, love, and harmony”

I showcased Abercrombie & Fitch and how the brand is trying to avoid Chapter 11 as teenagers are no longer entering their world of the ideal.

Zoomer teens not only cannot identify with the brand… they find it “stupid.”

In today’s Wall Street Journal, the showcase story in the business section has the title, “Abercrombie Is Dialing Back The Sex.”

The article talks about the “high times” back in the 90s when A&F was so hot with the Millennials and this ideal world of perfect bodies and having whatever you want.

Pssst… it’s really not the sex that the Zoomers fail to connect with, it’s the ideal world of perfection… which for Zoomers does not exist.

My bet is that we are still at least five years out before business leadership even begins to talk about the Zoomers. 

And I actually hope that the MBA-Sniffing Zoombies – or excuse me – the MBA Corporate leadership – continues fueling their corporate “think tanks” with Millennial inspiration.

I shared with the Greek Orthodox priests that I like the term Zoomers and the play off of the conventional term Generation Z because this smaller size generational group will pass by the much more sizable Millennials way faster than thought possible in conventional thought.

They are much more adaptable, realistic and technologically advanced than the Millennials.

And embracing this generation as a priority is what is in my game plans for the next ten years. 

Now, how more swag can it get! 

(p.s. …go ask that third-grader texting on their iPhone what that means)

Its All About Igniting The Brand

This past couple of weeks, I’ve spent a tad more time in front of the TV set than normal.

Part of it is driven by the season finals of Bravo’s Housewives series. 

Part of it is driven by the NCAA basketball games.

During the time when many escape for the kitchen or bathroom, I actually stay glued to the set during the commercial break.  I like to see which brands are doing good work and which brands convey junk.

There’s a lot of junk out there… and a lot of it is produced by the brands that many perceive to be high rollers.

For example, Coke has a series running right now that I'm really not too sure just what Coke is trying to convey.

The spot last night was produced by Wieden + Kennedy, an agency that has a great record of igniting brands. Maybe Wieden has been around for a while and at the age where Viagra is needed to fuel the creative energy.

Knowing Coke and its corporate culture... I bet that the AEs at Wieden are tell the creative teams to "Just Do It" as the Coke execs tell 'em to do it. 

Here is the description of the ad from iSpot.tv…

“Out on the beach there's a guitarist with a snapped guitar string, a nun with a towed car, a man rescued from a fire, a guy who just took a long sea trip and a man whose hot dog stand got hit by a comet. Even in these times of trouble, we live in a generous world, and no matter how rough things get, there's always someone out there that could use a Coke a little more than you.”

Okay.

The visual from the ad adds even more to it… a nun handing a bottle of Coke to ahalf-nude Adonis-body builder guy being held by a fireman in front of a burning hot dog stand hit by a comet.

Not too sure that the common man that drinks a lot of soda drinks can identify with… and emotionally ignite by… this brand conveyance.

Another ad that has been running a bunch is a Buick ad that features spying neighbors who cannot figure out just what car the neighbor next door is driving.

iSpot.tv doesn’t list an ad agency that produced the ad and instead it just lists Buick.

Something tells me that this just might have been written and produced by an “internal ad agency” at the Buick. 

I don’t know if any of you reading this blog hear others talking about Buicks, but I don’t hear folks talking about Buicks much at the coffee houses or wine bars … shoot for that matter, not even at the McDonald’s and Kroger.

Reaction to this spot.  Here's a few of the commentary made online about the spot…

“Really sick of this commercial… I am so over it.”

“Buick should be embarrassed”

“Is Buick that f***** stupid?”

“Anyone living in a community like that would probably never by caught in a Buick… that’s a BMW neighborhood.”

“I don’t think that the woman is gazing and desiring the car, but instead the guy next door… she’s lusting for him!.” ... That’s further supported by more than 20 “agrees” and like commentary on the website.

Well if Buick produced that spot internally to save money, my suggestion is that they don’t really need to conduct any more focus groups, but instead just read more of the online commentary.

While there’s a lot of junk out there running in the TV mix, the main purpose I post this blog is highlight a couple brands – winning brands – that get it.

Back when I worked with Jerry Cronin, the former creative chief from Wieden + Kennedy that crafted Nike’s Just Do It campaign, I’ve related a few times in this blog how Jerry responded to a question about what makes a great ad, a great ad.

He replied, “a great ad so compels you to want to experience the brand that it makes you crave it...even if part of you is saying its really not all that great.”

Forget about filling up the ad space with crap about how the product is made and its attributes.  Forget about rational thoughts.  Forget about trying to take the podium and explaining to people how they should feel. 

Instead, discover those nuggets of insight that provide a perspective of what’s driving people to engage and seek out like-brand encounter experiences. 

And then illustrate the brand around what’s sought.

One of the spots that I cannot get enough of that makes me want to jump in the car and go there is the Pure Michigan series. 

And I am not alone. 

There was a story in this past week’s Wall Street Journal that Michigan is quickly replacing Vermont as the state people crave to go to during the summer because of its scenery, food and environmentally green offerings.

The ad that aired last night was a spot that focuses on the foods of Michigan. 

When I first saw it, I genuinely thought it was going to be a high-end wine brand… but it wasn’t. 

It was about a place where I wanted to be.  An experience I wanted to experience.

When I saw that the ad was for Michigan, the left side of my brain very quickly attempted to qualify it all… shoot, right now its cold up there… that’s the state where Detroit exists… that’s where manufacturing has a long history…

BUT WAIT STOP… my right brain took over.  By the close of the spot, I actually went over and pulled up VRBO to see what cottages I could rent up there this summer.

McCann-Erickson produced these spots… from apples to fishing… from light houses to golfing… the ads emotionally ignite and build a bonding with the brand.

And then I saw a new Apple ad for the new Apple Watch produced by TBWA Worldwide. 

Apple is famous for running great ads that convey its EIP.

There isn’t any copy or voice over in the ad.

It’s simple. 

It’s 60 seconds long.

You never once get bored.  Instead you become almost hypnotized by the music and visuals.

It never declares how you should feel and what should be your take-aways.

And if you really, really live the Apple culture… the spot closes nearly the same way as the Apple spot that only ran only once back in 1984. 

I am not a big investor in watches, but an Apple Watch is a must have and my count down to its premier has begun. 

I end this blog by saying quickly…

These ads I cite probably cost a lot of money, but a lot of money isn’t what’s need to drive the ignition of a brand.

You have to delve into seeking out the gems of insight.

You have to be brave enough to trust your emotion.

You have to let go of the rational side of business. 

And then… only then… can you catapult your brand forward.

The Mirage To Keep Millennials In Jobs

I know that the term “breeders” is rooted among the GenXers. 

After all, it’s the GenXers whose main mission in life has been to raise that picture perfect family not torn apart by extramarital affairs, mother abandonment, corporate loyalty or divorce.

BUT… when we look at many Boomers today as they fade quickly from the corporate scene, they express a strong desire to breed a higher level of mission… a visionary pursuit among the Millennials quickly taking over the pilot seat.

When I read a lead article in today’s Wall Street Journal, I knew that it just had to be the driver of my next entry into the EXPERIENCE blog post. 

 The title of the article is, “I don’t have a job, I have a higher calling” with a subtitle, “Some employees balk as many firms from motorcycles to accounting firms step up talk about changing the world.”

Hail the corporate vision statement.  Hail the Boomers’ commitment to Peace, Love, and Harmony. Hail the Millennials marching to the beat of the corporate bongo drum.

The aspect of being in business to serve the consumer need… well heck, its not about them, its about us.  Its all about what gets us up, arriving to work and not seeking out another job. Its all about us... me!

The author of the article captures factual truth…

“Millennial professionals are demanding more meaning from their careers because work takes up more of life than before, thanks to longer hours, competitive pressures and technological tethers of the modern job.  Meanwhile traditional sources of meaning and purpose, such as religion have receded in many corners of the country.”

Many Millennials grew up with Baby Boomer “helicopter” parents.  The parent’s hovered over the child and what they wanted, they got.  And when they failed, well, they got more.  Peace. Love. Harmony.

So we have KPMG’s CEO John Velhmeyer making the statement, “We can see ourselves as bricklayers or cathedral builders.” 

I wonder just how many of those KPMG execs have ever even shopped at an Ace Hardware store let alone own a power tool. My bet is that few of those Millennials recently hired at KPMG took a shop class.

And Tavelzoo CEO Chris Loughlin declaring their vision statement, “If we all traveled, there would be significantly more peace on Earth.”

How many of you in your recent travel rated that hotel you stayed in a perfect “10?”  How many of you believe that the airlines are all out for comfort and service?  When was the last time you saw a security person actually smile and say, “thank you, have a good day”?

Here’s another great snippet from the article.

“Juniper Networks has spent much of the past year cutting costs, laying off workers and fending off activist shareholders.  Two days after announcing a fourth-quarter loss, managers at the technology company gathered hundreds of employees in a massive tent it calls the ‘aspiration dome’.”

Okay. If we can’t keep employees in their job and stop them from fleeing a sinking ship, we’ll just rally them around a self-declared vision and they’ll march to the beat of our drums.

When I read articles like this, I get more charged about my job.

Not because I’m out to save whales or make little doggies wag their tail or save a tree from being cut down or making everyone go to bed at night with a full tummy.

The idea of crafting an emotional vision statement is not problematic – in fact, it’s a critical component of bringing a brand to life.  

But when the vision is defined within the context of internal leadership looking within their corporate walls and has little-to-nothing to do with their customers, its something about which both peers and consumers can only laugh.

It gets even more crazy when the drive to do it is not to meet the experiential needs of consumers, but rather keep Millennials in their 24/7 jobs.

I get charged about my job because these companies are moving forward, but forward is slipping closer and closer to ultimately Chapter 11 in their novel of corporate vision.

When I tell companies and groups that their vision statement needs to be one and the same with their consumer’s emotional needs, those that get it, not just survive, but move profits forward.

I write this from a Starbucks located in the great city of Brookhaven Georgia, the newest city carved out of the Atlanta metro.

While the city of Brookhaven has some of the wealthiest homes found in Greater Atlanta, we also house one of the highest concentrations of first-entry Hispanic/Latinos.  They make up just under a third of our population.

I find that part of Brookhaven more inspiring than the fancy homes and our Chamber of Commerce needs to embrace it more.

A very large percentage of Brookhaven’s Hispanic base is made up of Millennials.  I admire how many get up early in the morning and go to work or seek out a job for the day. 

When I ask them what drives them, the answers are nearly all the same.

“I am here to work and do a good job so that some day, I have a house and can raise a family here and send money to my relatives back home.”

Their “higher calling” is really not too high.

I know where I will put my money on just who will reach their vision. 

I also know where I will put my money on just who will still be working… and working hard… in a few years from now.

When The Ship Starts Sinking

President Mikey’s butt’s in trouble… and a bit more than 90 days ago.

Fourth quarter sales dropped 21% at McDonald’s and global sales are down.

Going over to the developing country with the golden arches isn’t too golden any more.

In the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal, there was an article about McDonald’s Asian sales entering into the “grind down” mode.  The article went on to talk about how a release of sales information the first of the week would further turn the spotlight on a corporation that’s facing disturbing performance.

Before I go too much further in this commentary, I want to make sure that readers understand that what McDonald’s is facing is not something that only McDonald’s is encountering.

The WSJ article that ran over the weekend talked about how mature brands are facing edges of cliffs. 

On Monday, Radio Shack declared bankruptcy.

Last month, Coke laid off more than 2,000 corporate staff and its sales – and profits – continue to roll down hill.

Target is in the process of closing down Canada.  My bet is that we will hear about that brand shortly and its slide down the slopes.

McDonald’s ad agency, Leo Burnett, is just starting to air a new ad campaign.  Mikey even made commentary in the WSJ weekend that he’s looking forward to the campaign helping to turn around sales.

The ad agency folks are smiling up there on Michigan Avenue humming along with the song “I’m Lovin’ it” in the new spots as they deposit those production checks in the bank. 

As those customers go to McDonald’s and face a menu of more than 100 items, place orders with individuals who cannot figure out just how much change to give back and then wait there as their order is prepared with the “made-ahead” microwaved-to-order ingredients, I’m not too sure that many can related to those new spots. 

BUT… what the heck, those agencies are getting their buck and that McDonald's CEO can always go out and put the account up for grab and the prostitute-agency holding companies will be out there with their fancy clothes and digs before that ink dries on the Facebook post.

In today’s WSJ there’s a guest editorial written by the past McDonald’s CMO, Larry Light.

When I saw the editorial, my first thought was that this was going to be a very defensive article and Larry was going to be all out defending what’s going on with the McDonald’s marketing as it faces the challenge of social media and the Millennials.

BTW… that’s a common line of define that the prostitute-agencies and the “in-the-trenches” CMOs make.

After reading the editorial, I wanted to send Larry a congrats letter on “seeing the light.”  What he says in the editorial is smack on track with what brands like McDonald’s, Coke, Target and other mature brands need to embrace.

Here’s in a snapshot what he says in the editorial…

Stop the hemorrhaging – if a brand is losing its core customer base, ask the fundamental question first… is it because they are “dying off” or because the brand experience that they have sought is not being delivered.

Focus on the direct competition – who’s stealing away the share directly… yes, Chipotle is reaping in Millennials, but McDonald’s is not Chipotle.  It’s like a 60-something Boomer that thinks those BOTOX injections will make them look like a Millennial FOX News host.

Restore your claim to fame – in this case, restore fast-food to fast.  If Target’s claim to fame is “cheap, hip and cool,” I am not so sure how baby clothes and diapers is going to reel back in the folks that used to shop there. 

Keep the brand experience defined and focused – if its burgers and fries, stick to burger and fries.  Monkey see, monkey do is so true in the CMO rooms of brands today.  Last night I saw a new Domino’s Pizza “brand” ad that declares that Domino’s Pizza is no longer the brand.  Now its just Domino’s and the spot goes on with pictures of chicken wings, sandwiches, salads and even nachos. 

The loons reside in those corporate and prostitute-ad agency headquarters.

Re-energize the plan to win – Larry uses the phrase “laser focus on the customer” and goes on to comment that the customer focus has been lost by large global brands in the last decade.  I agree 100%.

What I would add to Larry’s list is simple.

Get your butt out of the office -- Go talk with customers and others like your customers that don’t even get near your brand.  A colleague of mine just spent 60 days up in Chicago with McDonald’s ad agency working with them on a project for another client in consumer package goods. The creative team, the account planning team, the client management team never once went out into the Chicago ‘burbs and walked into a grocery store.  They never once bought the product and cook up a lunch using it.

Realize that the ad agency cares more about their glamour than yours… A fundamental way of understanding this is to challenge them on coming up with something that your customers are emotionally craving and not what you told them or what they dreamed up. 

As I wrote in the last blog, I am not in the business to do dumb stuff.

I am the first to admit that every year in February, I get a tad down-in-the dumps.  I get tired of the cold nights, the darkness at 7pm and the clients that seem to go back to doing the same dumb-butt things that they did the prior year.

But then I get a chance to go out and take a couple of field trips and talk with real people.  I hear more about what’s real rather than imagined or declared.  I see people actually engaging with brands. 

I experience the brand experiences.

For all the money in the world, if I were locked up in a corporate headquarters or residing with a prostitute-ad agency, I would not last long.

My bet is that those CEOs and CMOs like those cited here in this blog will soon experience not lasting long too.