Who Really Cares

As many discuss how to break through in this world loaded with brands, I believe a central point in the discussion needs to be around relevancy. In other words does any body really care about what you stand for at the moment. Many focus on differentiation, as they should. However, creating brand differentiation is like creating brand impact, it can be done quite easily. However, if it is of the wrong kind (not relevant), then you can actually cause more damage than if you did nothing. For example, if I kick you in the groin, I will have made an impact but you won't want to have a relationship with me!

So again, I say business needs to take the time to understand what the people they depend on for success believe is relevant in their lives, and how they believe your brand best fits into these realities. By engaging with your customers and really understanding what drives them, you can avoid kicking them in the groin.

I attach a link to a quick little bit from "go to market strategies" that touches on brand relevancy.

Click here to read.  http://www.gtms-inc.com/tip_brandrelevance.htm

What Business Are You Really In?

If you have ever been in one of my business courses or seminars, you probably have heard me state that the first thing any one should do when starting a marketing plan, is ask themselves what business are they really in? This may seem obvious to many of you, but often it is too obvious and a real opportunity to step out and relevantly differentiate oneself from the competition is missed.

Think about it this way. Is Starbucks in the coffee business, or is Starbucks in the chill out business? Depending how you answer this question will indicate how you would run Starbucks if you were the boss. If you think they are in the coffee business then the store and the people you hire would be 100% coffee focused. Everyone would be coffee experts, the brewing and espresso machines would be of the highest quality and not focused on speed, just focused on superior coffee. You would not sell anything but coffee, certainly not fruit based drinks, and you would not really care if the environment was comfortable because all you want people to do is buy coffee and not really hang out.


If on the other hand you took the attitude that Starbucks is in the chill out business and just happens to sell coffee as part of this experience, your store would be built around allowing people to let their brains escape from their stresses. You may design an ordering language that is different, one that allows the brain to go somewhere else for the 15 seconds it takes to order a grande, double soy cap! Your staff would be full of unique personalities that just love people. You may even sell music that helps people chill out when they are not in the store.


No matter which approach you believe is best, you can see that determination of what business you are really in, will set the vision of the company in motion. It will determine the type of people you need to employ, the type of products and services to offer, and the style of packaging, store design and promotion to unleash to be optimally successful.

So as you sit on the dock this summer, take a few minutes and ask yourself what business am I really in. It may just open up your organization to a whole new set of buyers.

Again, Do You Know Your Customers?

I recently wrote a blog called "Wow Me." which talked about wowing people by showing you understand how important they are to your business versus just letting technology carry the day. Then a few days ago I came across an article that reinforced the need for business, especially tech business, to become more consumer focused. At the end of the article he provides three simple questions to ask yourself, and if you can't answer them, then your business is not spending enough time and money gaining insight into who your customers are.

The three questions are:

-Who are your Top 10 customers?
-Are they satisfied with what you are doing for them?
-Are you satisfied with what they are paying you?


Please enjoy the read at the link below.

www.financialpost.com/small-business/Customers+companies+best+source+cash/3326066/story.html

Search Me

In Razorfish's 2010 Outlook Report , the leading digital agency talks about many trends in the digital world. The one that has moved beyond trend into the new normal is search.

If you have not taken the time to really understand what search means to your business, then do so now. As Razorfish so poignantly says "In 2010, search will become more than just a service; it will be viewed as a necessity. We are past the point where users think about searching. It is now a reflex, and it is an expected part of the user experience — no matter where that experience may be. Social, video, mobile, local and shopping are all tied to search."

GO TO: www.razorfish.com/#/news/press-releases/2010/pressreleases/pr-20100524-razorfish-outlook-report/

Wow Me.

Summer is full of wows like sitting on a pristine lake dockside. However, all year long people are looking to be wowed when they meet you and your organization. Some firms like TD Bank understand this reality so much they have trademarked WOW, which is amazing in itself. In my mind this wow me attitude is driven by the power of technology and how easy it is to make your brand or business shine from the get go. The bar is constantly being set higher by smart phones, and the apps that are driving them.

So what do you do to break the wow factor when you have no new news and really your brand is not all that different from the competition. In my mind you start with your customers and what makes them tick right now. The best way to get people to say wow, is to show you understand them better than anyone else. Your insights should be so on the mark that they think "wow how did you know that?". By better understanding the people that your business depends on, you begin to place less reliance on technology alone being your wow factor.

The amazing thing to me is that people spend tons of capital on technology to stand out from the competition, yet this same technology is being bought by everybody which makes it tougher to stand out on technology alone. Even more amazing to me is that in comparison, very little is being spent to understand what makes the people tick that drive their business. I mean why do people buy the category? Why do people buy the product? What do people want from the ideal product, and can your firm deliver this today? It's great to look sharp but after people get beyond the glitz, what makes your conversation with them worth their while. What makes them say "wow these guys seem to just fit with what I think.".

So this summer I ask you, what makes the people most important to the success of your business say wow! Hopefully it's more than your technology. Hopefully it's that you know them better than anybody else.

Being Social Should Not Be New

As the marketing world grapples with all the new social media tools available, I think we should take comfort in the fact that at a strategic level, being social should come natural to good business people. At its core social media is just about allowing people to engage, share and profile their thoughts effortlessly.



From a business perspective, we need to understand the tools and how our customers are using them, but the strategy should remain simple - engage with people when you have something to say and it's something you think they will really want to hear. Don't abuse the entry they will give you into their network. Different consumers will demand different levels of engagement, so again take the time to understand the people that are critical to your business. Understand how they engage with social media and how they want you to engage with them on it. It is not about having a twitter account and a facebook page. It is about knowing when to engage and having something relevant to say them.



Many marketing service firms are exploring the social media marketplace for businesses. Take the time to meet with one and begin to learn how it may help your business out. Don't be afraid at first to just get into a learning phase and track what people are saying about your firm and industry. Keep engaging on-line to a later date, when you are truly ready to get into a meaningful discussion.



Remember you are successful because you know how and when to socialise with people. This skill will transfer to the social media world as well. If you are patient and engage when you have something to say that you know will be relevant to your customers, research tells us that you will be welcomed and shared amongst their network of peers.

Gain Insight Or Perish

While the title of this blog seems a tad "over the top" as my Aussie friends say, the point should not be lost that if you do not have anyone in the organization that is constantly, and I mean constantly, uncovering insights about your marketplace and your industry then your organization is set up to perish. Are you listening to what is being said about you on twitter or facebook? Are you following global trends in technology, demographics, economics, regulatory horizons, environment and lifestyle? Do you know how these ever changing trends will impact your business today and tomorrow? The attached link to a McKenzie consulting piece is a quick short read that I fully support. Their five global drivers over the next decade one could argue but in general they are great starting points for business leaders to consider and follow.

Simply put, if you are not dialoguing with your stake holders and consistently monitoring your market and industry, how do you expect to be making the strategic changes that are differentiating and relevant.


Click on the link and enjoy the insight.

www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Global_forces_An_introduction_2625