(5 out of 5) (5 out of 5) (5 out of 5) (5 out of 5) (5 out of 5)
In this economy, we marketers know what to expect: the knife. Already, two of my steady clients have laid off good people with whom I had been working. It’s grim out there. With personnel being cut, budgets can’t be far behind.
Yet I think there’s a better way. In fact, one of the most familiar brands in the world took the lead under circumstances similar to our own. And they did it by advancing their presence just when their competitors were retreating. See the whole story here:
When marketing planning gets complicated, I always suspect that, somehow, the essentials have gone wrong. I’ve seen elaborate edifices of media buying, graphic design, brand strategy and more built on the most threadbare understanding of fundamentals: who your customers are and what they want.
But when the fundamentals are solid — you know your customers and what makes them tick — your actual execution can be quite simple.
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Loading ...Some of us achieve mistakes; others have mistakes thrust upon them.
In an ideal world, IT, HR, finance and sales would work cooperatively with marketing for the betterment of business.
But we don’t live in that world. Instead, we live in a Stygian darkness where the forces of evil — also known as “group think” — impose themselves on the better angels of reason, insight and creativity (AKA, “good marketing”).
What do good campaigns have in common?
They don’t have much in common with other campaigns. They say something fresh. They say something new. And they’re not afraid to defy conventional wisdom.
In fact, many of the best are gosh-darned contrary. I’m thinking of the Volkswagen “lemon” campaign. The Hebrew National “Uncle Sam” campaign. Forbes’ “capitalist tool” campaign. They all defied expectations by turning those expectations on their heads.
Here’s my advice for those who pursue excellence: Stop.
In a business context, “excellence” is meaningless. First of all, it’s too subjective to have any real meaning — whose idea of excellence are we aiming for? And the cost of pursuing that excellence may exceed the rewards.
But most importantly, it’s not what our prospects and customers really want.
(1 votes, average: 2 out of 5) Loading ...Why?
Not “why” as in “why should you reconsider your presence?” After all, new developments in social media and recent (much less attractive) developments in the marketplace necessitate some new thinking.
But “why” as in “why are you invested in an online presence” in the first place.
