Well, the big 'C' is almost upon us. That said, I'll be taking a little time off over the holidays before publishing new posts starting in January.
In the New Year I'll be covering all sorts of subjects ranging from the 'Golden Age of Advertising", to special event marketing, the pitfalls of 'product & price' advertising, social media, Behaviour Profiling and much more.
Lots of interesting stuff to cover off starting the first week of January, but in the meantime have a great Christmas, be safe and enjoy the holiday season!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tiger In the Tank
In the world of professional golf, he has always been seen to represent the gold standard. Good looking, athletic, clean cut, the pinnacle of physical performance and integrity are the qualities that have defined the legendary Tiger Woods.
Without a doubt, in just over a decade, Woods has become one of the most well-defined brands in sports history.
Like all successful brands, the Woods’ brand has benefited from its remarkable consistency over the years, earning the golfing phenomenon the distinction of becoming the world's first billion dollar athlete.
Always positive and always predictable, major sponsors from Nike to Gillette have flocked to attach their own brands to the Woods marketing express train. And like all brands, Tiger Woods has earned equity through building solid, consistent relationships with these sponsors through the delivery of the expectation of his brand promise.
But like any relationship, trust drives the strength of a brand's bond. So what happens when a brand betrays that trust, as in Woods case?
As we've seen in recent weeks, brand loyalty is lost and the consumer of that brand, in this case the sponsors who have attached to Tiger Woods over the years, break from that relationship and move on to another brand that will better fulfill the promise.
No brand is bullet-proof. No amount of brand equity can overcome betrayal of the basic brand relationship. Maintaining consistency and staying true to the brand promise as a basic foundational strategy is the key to long-term brand success.
Take Heinz, which in 2000 introduced a new product line, coloured ketchups.
Though Heinz would contend the marketing twist was a success as initial sales of Heinz ketchup spiked in the short run, Heinz abandoned the idea by 2006. If you ask me, despite a short term winfall, coloured ketchup didn't work for Heinz over the long run and may have actually put a dent in its overall brand equity.
Why? Because the introduction of coloured ketchup, moving away from the standard red ketchup we all grew up with, was seen as a betrayal by consumers of Heinz basic brand promise, the comfort of consistency.
Everyone knew what Heinz ketchup was, what colour it was, how it would taste, how it would pour out of the bottle with a few brisk shakes. Change it's colour and you create uncertainty among consumers, who now can't rely on the predictability of the age old product they've come to know and trust.
But what about that short term marketing spike? Anything new enjoys a certain rush of initial attention. But what is the long term negative effect on the brand down the road?
It could be argued that thanks to exposure of his indiscretions, Tiger Woods has never known more media and public attention than he's experiencing at this very moment. But while the short term spike of attention has boosted his currency as a celebrity, it has also carved away a considerable chunk of Woods' own brand for which he'll pay a much greater price for some time to come.
The lesson here is that simply creating a powerful brand is not the end of the marketing story. Living true to it and earning consumers' trust by delivering on its expectation is equally important. Betray your brand, whether you're Tiger Woods or Heinz, and all bets are off regardless of the equity your brand's earned up to that point.
So when it comes time to define your brand ask yourself the simple question, "Can I walk this walk and be true to the brand promise I've created for now and in the future?". Anything other than a resounding "Yes!" will spell disappointment and disaster down the road.
Tiger Woods' biggest mistake may not have been his infidelity but his creation of a brand that was almost assuredly impossible to live up to. In Tiger Woods case, betrayal of his basic brand promise of integrity is Woods' green ketchup. But unlike Heinz, Woods may be unable to put this mess back in the bottle.
Without a doubt, in just over a decade, Woods has become one of the most well-defined brands in sports history.
Like all successful brands, the Woods’ brand has benefited from its remarkable consistency over the years, earning the golfing phenomenon the distinction of becoming the world's first billion dollar athlete.
Always positive and always predictable, major sponsors from Nike to Gillette have flocked to attach their own brands to the Woods marketing express train. And like all brands, Tiger Woods has earned equity through building solid, consistent relationships with these sponsors through the delivery of the expectation of his brand promise.
But like any relationship, trust drives the strength of a brand's bond. So what happens when a brand betrays that trust, as in Woods case?
As we've seen in recent weeks, brand loyalty is lost and the consumer of that brand, in this case the sponsors who have attached to Tiger Woods over the years, break from that relationship and move on to another brand that will better fulfill the promise.
No brand is bullet-proof. No amount of brand equity can overcome betrayal of the basic brand relationship. Maintaining consistency and staying true to the brand promise as a basic foundational strategy is the key to long-term brand success.
Take Heinz, which in 2000 introduced a new product line, coloured ketchups.
Though Heinz would contend the marketing twist was a success as initial sales of Heinz ketchup spiked in the short run, Heinz abandoned the idea by 2006. If you ask me, despite a short term winfall, coloured ketchup didn't work for Heinz over the long run and may have actually put a dent in its overall brand equity.
Why? Because the introduction of coloured ketchup, moving away from the standard red ketchup we all grew up with, was seen as a betrayal by consumers of Heinz basic brand promise, the comfort of consistency.
Everyone knew what Heinz ketchup was, what colour it was, how it would taste, how it would pour out of the bottle with a few brisk shakes. Change it's colour and you create uncertainty among consumers, who now can't rely on the predictability of the age old product they've come to know and trust.
But what about that short term marketing spike? Anything new enjoys a certain rush of initial attention. But what is the long term negative effect on the brand down the road?
It could be argued that thanks to exposure of his indiscretions, Tiger Woods has never known more media and public attention than he's experiencing at this very moment. But while the short term spike of attention has boosted his currency as a celebrity, it has also carved away a considerable chunk of Woods' own brand for which he'll pay a much greater price for some time to come.
The lesson here is that simply creating a powerful brand is not the end of the marketing story. Living true to it and earning consumers' trust by delivering on its expectation is equally important. Betray your brand, whether you're Tiger Woods or Heinz, and all bets are off regardless of the equity your brand's earned up to that point.
So when it comes time to define your brand ask yourself the simple question, "Can I walk this walk and be true to the brand promise I've created for now and in the future?". Anything other than a resounding "Yes!" will spell disappointment and disaster down the road.
Tiger Woods' biggest mistake may not have been his infidelity but his creation of a brand that was almost assuredly impossible to live up to. In Tiger Woods case, betrayal of his basic brand promise of integrity is Woods' green ketchup. But unlike Heinz, Woods may be unable to put this mess back in the bottle.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Don't shoot the Messenger!
Being a parent, as all parents know, requires a type of commitment like no other. One of those commitments is the daily ritual of dropping off and picking up the kids from school, a duty my wife and I share. The other morning, it was my turn to pick my son up from kindergarten.
Bundled up to do battle against the sub-zero temperatures I made my way to my son's school. As I stood outside the school waiting, I did my best to ignore the unbearably bitter chill in the air.
As the door to his class finally opened, out bounded my five year-old, filled with enthusiasm and excitement. It was the type of excitement you'd typically see from someone with a Publishers Clearinghouse representative at their front door holding a bouquet of balloons and an over-sized facsimile of a certified cheque.
As I caught his eye he raced over to me, calling out "Daddy! Daddy! Guess what!".
Naturally, I immediately became engaged in his excitement, keen to learn what fascinating revelation he was eager to share with me.
The closer he came to me, the more intrigued I became in whatever it was that had sparked such passion in him.
He skidded to a stop in front of me. Out of breath he exclaimed, "Guess what! Guess what! Guess what! I remembered to put my hat and gloves on!!!"
In an instant, he raced past me to the car and hopped inside as I stood there in the cold, dumbfounded.
Now sure, as a parent I was tickled by my son's enthusiasm over what, to any adult would seem such a trivial accomplishment.
As a marketer however, the experience had reminded me of the biggest single mistake made by most advertisers - focusing too much energy on the delivery of the message while ignoring the substance of the message itself.
Using an advertising parallel, my son had done everything right to get my attention. He engaged me in his enthusiasm, he stood out from the other kids around him and intrigued me with the potential of a compelling offer. But sure enough, the actual message he delivered fell short of expectation.
For nearly thirty years, I have worked with all kinds of advertisers, most of whom take great pains to ensure the compelling delivery of their advertising messages. Insisting on award winning creative and expertly placed, precision media buying, advertisers all too often see the art of creating memorable advertising, the delivery of their advertising message, as the golden key to achieving successful advertising results.
In too many cases however, advertisers ignore the importance of the message itself. That's an enormous mistake. In my opinion, such an oversight is the biggest mistake advertisers make.
Years ago, as a radio station Creative Director, I had a sales rep who came to me with a challenge given to her by a potential new client.
The client, she explained, wanted to 'test' the effectiveness of radio. To do so, the advertiser had offered to make a small radio buy promoting a ten percent sale on children's shoes. The sales rep was keen to have my department produce a brilliant piece of creative to prove to the client that radio advertising was effective.
She handed me a short creative brief outlining the details of the sale. No sooner had she handed me the brief than I handed it right back to her. She stood staring at me, brief in hand, with a puzzled look on her face.
"Give the client back his money." I suggested.
The puzzled look now turned into full shock and horror.
"What?! You don't think we can prove radio works?" she challenged.
"Radio works." I replied, "Every medium for delivering an advertising message works to some extent. In this case it's not the medium that won't work, it's the message. Nobody will cross the street to save ten percent on shoes." I explained.
Not to leave her hanging there, I continued with my own challenge, "I'll tell you what. You go back to your client. Give the client back their cheque and tell him I will personally pay for one commercial on this station on his behalf and I'll prove to him that advertising on radio not only works, but done right can achieve overwhelming response."
The look of confusion returned to the sales rep's face. "I don't get it, how can you run one commercial for my client and prove radio advertising works?".
"Here's the deal." I said. "I'll run one commercial at my expense at any time the client wants during regular store hours, but there are two conditions. The first is that I get to create the message. The second condition is that the advertiser must agree to remain open for at least one hour after the commercial runs."
"I still don't get it.", insisted the sales rep.
"It's simple." I said. "My commercial will simply state that every pair of shoes in your advertiser's store is free for the next hour, limit one pair per customer."
"That's ridiculous!" declared the sales rep. "There'd be pandemonium! Chaos! You'd have crowds of people rushing to the store. You'd cause a riot!!!".
At precisely that moment, she dropped her head, realizing the relevance of what she had just said.
Advertising is merely a pipeline, a means of delivering a message. It is the power of that message that plays the most influential role in stimulating a consumer response.
When advertising really hits critical mass is when a compelling, irresistible message is conveyed to a consumer in a compelling, memorable way that drives interest and delivers on expectation at the point of contact.
So next time you sit down with your creative advertising team, before you even begin insisting on the next award winning piece of radio copy or print advertising creative, ask yourself the question, "Have I given my advertising people a compelling message, the ammunition they need to create an ad that will get results?"
If you have and the advertising still proves unsuccessful, blame the creative team. If you haven't however, and you fail to realize the results you set out to achieve, don't shoot the messenger, the culprit is you!
I have to finish off here, my son's just run into my office waving his hand desperately to get my attention. I sure hope there's a Publisher's Clearinghouse representative at the door!
Bundled up to do battle against the sub-zero temperatures I made my way to my son's school. As I stood outside the school waiting, I did my best to ignore the unbearably bitter chill in the air.
As the door to his class finally opened, out bounded my five year-old, filled with enthusiasm and excitement. It was the type of excitement you'd typically see from someone with a Publishers Clearinghouse representative at their front door holding a bouquet of balloons and an over-sized facsimile of a certified cheque.
As I caught his eye he raced over to me, calling out "Daddy! Daddy! Guess what!".
Naturally, I immediately became engaged in his excitement, keen to learn what fascinating revelation he was eager to share with me.
The closer he came to me, the more intrigued I became in whatever it was that had sparked such passion in him.
He skidded to a stop in front of me. Out of breath he exclaimed, "Guess what! Guess what! Guess what! I remembered to put my hat and gloves on!!!"
In an instant, he raced past me to the car and hopped inside as I stood there in the cold, dumbfounded.
Now sure, as a parent I was tickled by my son's enthusiasm over what, to any adult would seem such a trivial accomplishment.
As a marketer however, the experience had reminded me of the biggest single mistake made by most advertisers - focusing too much energy on the delivery of the message while ignoring the substance of the message itself.
Using an advertising parallel, my son had done everything right to get my attention. He engaged me in his enthusiasm, he stood out from the other kids around him and intrigued me with the potential of a compelling offer. But sure enough, the actual message he delivered fell short of expectation.
For nearly thirty years, I have worked with all kinds of advertisers, most of whom take great pains to ensure the compelling delivery of their advertising messages. Insisting on award winning creative and expertly placed, precision media buying, advertisers all too often see the art of creating memorable advertising, the delivery of their advertising message, as the golden key to achieving successful advertising results.
In too many cases however, advertisers ignore the importance of the message itself. That's an enormous mistake. In my opinion, such an oversight is the biggest mistake advertisers make.
Years ago, as a radio station Creative Director, I had a sales rep who came to me with a challenge given to her by a potential new client.
The client, she explained, wanted to 'test' the effectiveness of radio. To do so, the advertiser had offered to make a small radio buy promoting a ten percent sale on children's shoes. The sales rep was keen to have my department produce a brilliant piece of creative to prove to the client that radio advertising was effective.
She handed me a short creative brief outlining the details of the sale. No sooner had she handed me the brief than I handed it right back to her. She stood staring at me, brief in hand, with a puzzled look on her face.
"Give the client back his money." I suggested.
The puzzled look now turned into full shock and horror.
"What?! You don't think we can prove radio works?" she challenged.
"Radio works." I replied, "Every medium for delivering an advertising message works to some extent. In this case it's not the medium that won't work, it's the message. Nobody will cross the street to save ten percent on shoes." I explained.
Not to leave her hanging there, I continued with my own challenge, "I'll tell you what. You go back to your client. Give the client back their cheque and tell him I will personally pay for one commercial on this station on his behalf and I'll prove to him that advertising on radio not only works, but done right can achieve overwhelming response."
The look of confusion returned to the sales rep's face. "I don't get it, how can you run one commercial for my client and prove radio advertising works?".
"Here's the deal." I said. "I'll run one commercial at my expense at any time the client wants during regular store hours, but there are two conditions. The first is that I get to create the message. The second condition is that the advertiser must agree to remain open for at least one hour after the commercial runs."
"I still don't get it.", insisted the sales rep.
"It's simple." I said. "My commercial will simply state that every pair of shoes in your advertiser's store is free for the next hour, limit one pair per customer."
"That's ridiculous!" declared the sales rep. "There'd be pandemonium! Chaos! You'd have crowds of people rushing to the store. You'd cause a riot!!!".
At precisely that moment, she dropped her head, realizing the relevance of what she had just said.
Advertising is merely a pipeline, a means of delivering a message. It is the power of that message that plays the most influential role in stimulating a consumer response.
When advertising really hits critical mass is when a compelling, irresistible message is conveyed to a consumer in a compelling, memorable way that drives interest and delivers on expectation at the point of contact.
So next time you sit down with your creative advertising team, before you even begin insisting on the next award winning piece of radio copy or print advertising creative, ask yourself the question, "Have I given my advertising people a compelling message, the ammunition they need to create an ad that will get results?"
If you have and the advertising still proves unsuccessful, blame the creative team. If you haven't however, and you fail to realize the results you set out to achieve, don't shoot the messenger, the culprit is you!
I have to finish off here, my son's just run into my office waving his hand desperately to get my attention. I sure hope there's a Publisher's Clearinghouse representative at the door!
Life Without Brands
As an introduction to this blog, let me begin by saying that for close to thirty years I have dedicated my career to studying and developing successful brands. Recently, I left the comfort of a successful business which I had co-founded and operated for nearly ten years, in order to branch out on my own to specialize in brand development.
I love advertising and everything about it. From developing advertising creative, to studying research and even planning media, I'm one of those few odd balls who is stimulated by the marketing industry. Yes, I'm the guy who actually turns the sound on the TV up when the commercials come on.
But branding is like the icing on the cake for me. I am intrigued by successful brands. I get a rush from creating brands and, most importantly, I believe in the value of a brand.
Brands are an odd concept for many businesses to wrap their minds around, and too few smaller businesses focus much attention on developing a strong brand.
So why is a brand important? As the king of analogies, as those who read my future posts will discover, I like to use an unusual parallel to describe the importance of branding.
Imagine booking a church for your wedding, inviting the guests, arranging the decor and even organizing a reception without having actually selected a bride or groom to marry. That, to me, is what it's like running your business without the foundation of a strong, distinct brand upon which to build your marketing house.
Starting today, I will be posting regular columns on branding, strategic marketing and insights into the development of great creative that actually produces results. I'll profile skilled, industry professionals, detail the process of successful brand development, discuss new trends and industry techniques, and every now and then I may even talk about some of my own work. (a guy has to make a living you know).
I promise to keep things light and entertaining, but I also hope to enlighten you with information, insight and knowledge that can help you achieve your marketing goals.
So, to coin a famous quote on branding which goes something like "A brand name is more than a word. It is the beginning of a conversation.", I too look forward to the start of this conversation with you.
I love advertising and everything about it. From developing advertising creative, to studying research and even planning media, I'm one of those few odd balls who is stimulated by the marketing industry. Yes, I'm the guy who actually turns the sound on the TV up when the commercials come on.
But branding is like the icing on the cake for me. I am intrigued by successful brands. I get a rush from creating brands and, most importantly, I believe in the value of a brand.
Brands are an odd concept for many businesses to wrap their minds around, and too few smaller businesses focus much attention on developing a strong brand.
So why is a brand important? As the king of analogies, as those who read my future posts will discover, I like to use an unusual parallel to describe the importance of branding.
Imagine booking a church for your wedding, inviting the guests, arranging the decor and even organizing a reception without having actually selected a bride or groom to marry. That, to me, is what it's like running your business without the foundation of a strong, distinct brand upon which to build your marketing house.
Starting today, I will be posting regular columns on branding, strategic marketing and insights into the development of great creative that actually produces results. I'll profile skilled, industry professionals, detail the process of successful brand development, discuss new trends and industry techniques, and every now and then I may even talk about some of my own work. (a guy has to make a living you know).
I promise to keep things light and entertaining, but I also hope to enlighten you with information, insight and knowledge that can help you achieve your marketing goals.
So, to coin a famous quote on branding which goes something like "A brand name is more than a word. It is the beginning of a conversation.", I too look forward to the start of this conversation with you.
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