Branding Blog

Onya Craig! Blimey, I'd forgotten that one!

Finally catching up on some blog reading this weekend and found some brilliant writing on Wizard Tower Chronicle, our upside-downunder site hosted by WOA Partner Craig Arthur.

It looked quite familiar, but I read it all the way through anyway. Here’s a super excerpt:

“The point is this...before anyone will do anything at all, they must go there. They must do that thing in their imagination. Before they buy your jewelry, they must go there in their mind. Before they buy your cars, they must go there. Before they attend your college, you must show them the experience on the visuospatial sketchpad in their brain.”

Bonzer Mate!

Practical Business Applications from Canoeing with Kids

I had a wonderful weekend. My daughters and I canoed part of Nebraska's beautiful Niobrara River Saturday. It was cold. We got pounded by a prairie thunderstorm Friday night just as Rita was coming ashore down in Texas. Saturday night, the storms were even worse. Over 1.5 inches of rain and vicious lightning is an exciting event in a tent. Lying on your back in a sleeping bag while torrents of water pound on the thin wall of the tent and lightning flashes all around make you feel as if you should DO SOMETHING. Anything. It's tempting to panic, or run to the car and head to the Holiday Inn Express you passed 15 miles before the campground. But, we endured. We sang "Amazing Grace" at the top of our lungs and we lived to sing another day.

Reflecting about the canoe trip on the way home, I thought that perhaps there were some lessons to be learned about running a business.

One Captain

There's a reason for a ship (yes, even a canoe) having only one captain. Dad sits in the back of the canoe so he can steer and keep an eye on (manage) the crew and passengers. If he is derelict in his duties, the canoe will invariably end up sideways in the current or stuck on a sandbar. Even if he is just eating some trail mix or snapping a picture.

Instant Gratification

Forget it. It's a canoe, not a bass-boat with a 200-hp outboard. Keep your eye down-river and react BEFORE you get to the splashing water. The splashing water is 3-feet DOWNSTREAM from the rock. The splashing water is reacting to the rock. You must act way before you get to the rock. When you see the signs of the rock (splashing water) make sure you are not headed for it. If you wait until you get to the splashing water, you will already have hit the rock. Ouch.

Don't Panic

OK, we listened to the audio version of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" on our way to the canoe adventure. But it's excellent advice. Someone on the canoe (probably the youngest, most inexperienced person) will panic when the canoe hits the rock. They will also panic when the canoe wobbles because the captain needs to re-adjust his underwear after sitting on the canoe seat for 2 hours. They must be calmed. The panic must not be allowed to dictate direction. The focus must be in getting off the rock (or getting the underwear adjusted) and not on the panickier.

Have Fun

Above all, remember that life and business are just like a canoe trip. If you are always watching for the splashing water, you'll miss the scenery. If you spend too much time on the scenery, you'll never get anywhere. If you are too aggressive about adjusting your underwear, you might tip the canoe and dump the passengers. (fortunately, this didn't happen)  Strive for Balance.

Rearranging Neurons

It's a real thrill watching 76 people re-arrange their neurons. They were under the misguided impression that they were attending another "advertising seminar." I could tell as they filed in that they were guarding pre-conceived notions about copy and schedules mapped into their neural network by years of media reps dripping slow commerce poison into their brains.

The real show is only visible from the platform. Watching the "aha" moments as those preconceived notions get zapped by some Wizard mojo and the neurons reconnect in their proper places. It was a mass chiropractic adjustment of the brain.

The procedure went extremely well. The prognosis is much improved.

Big thanks to Jay and Eileen Austin at Coyote Country 105.3 in McCook for setting up the "seminar". It was a first class affair. Everyone got a free lunch, a personal copy of Craig Arthur's "Making Ads Work" along with a binder of other useful information, and of course 6 hours of the best material the Wizards have to offer.

We had clergy, teachers, bankers, poets, geeks, and all manner of business owners in the room. It was a perfect audience, a perfect setup and a perfect day. I've never experienced a smoother and more professional sound setup. Thank you Jesse and Derek!

Two Big Levers

In the Advertising Performance Equation, there are two giant factors that will make the difference between a poor-to-middlin' ad campaign and a campaign that will amaze you with its effectiveness.

Unfortunately, you cannot neccesarily count on your advertising reps or your agency for either of these.

First, is the Personal Experience Factor. Others call it the delight factor, or the wow factor or the f'in amazing things you do for your customers. In short, if the ACTUAL customer experience exceeds the expectation created by the campaign, you can likely expect repeat business and referrals. HOWEVER, if the experience delivered by you and your staff fall short of expectations, expect us to tune out your subsequent advertising and tell everyone we know that you're "not all that."

Second, once you get your customer experience tuned up, the Impact Quotient of your message is what will cause us to perk up and pay attention. I'm not talking about the kind of schtick usually spouted by the average car dealer. You can yell to get my attention, but once I figure out it's an ad (and a poorly written and executed ad at that) my B.S. filter kicks in and you never even get to whisper to my pre-frontal cortex where buying decisions are made. It's not as simple as just getting my attention. You must keep it. Ah, now that's the hard part.

If you can wrap your arms around both of these principles, your advertising will exceed your expectations. If you ignore one or the other (or both) the only way to compensate is to spend more money. Lots more. And be prepared to keep spending more, because over time your campaign will diminish in effectiveness as more consumers tune out your ads or figure out your poor experience.

Are persistent sales events symptomatic of corporate greed?

My Wizard of Ads (WOA) Partners and I have a presentation that shows with amazing clarity the profitability of “relational” customers versus “transactional” shoppers. Most retailers believe that traffic is the magic. “Get me enough people and I’ll be fine,” they tell their ad reps.

So then, are SALE events simply traffic-builders? I don’t think so, but I’d sure welcome your opinion as well.

You see, it starts with a focus on profits, not customers. Shareholders scream to the board and CEO that profits shall be forthcoming. The CEO starts screaming down the chain because his bonus is dependent upon the actions of everyone else. The VPs and directors of the different marketing channels scream at the buyers. The buyers scream on down the line until it reaches the sales staff on the retail floor and the operators on the phone banks. Suddenly, there’s no one left to scream at…except the customer. Call in the ad agency…better yet, let’s go direct to the media. “We need screaming SALE ADS! Let’s create some traffic!”

Ah, now we’re talking! TRAFFIC. Lots of folks start coming in because you’ve just told them how willing you are to stab your best customers in the back to cover the greed of those screaming lunatics in the glass towers.

The buyers bought too much because of the screaming. The sales staff didn’t sell enough because all the best showroom space was taken up by the discounted stuff. The loyal relational customer comes in and finds that the merchandise she paid top dollar for last month is now 65% off. She’s fuming. Next time, she’ll wait for the sale.

If the motivation of the company is greed, the result will be persistent sales events.

If a genuine interest in helping the customer is the motivation of the company, there will be no giant sales events (with the possible exception of an annual inventory reduction event to actually get rid of the honest mistakes of the buyers).

The focus will be on enriching the customer experience in all marketing channels and through every contact with the company. Profits will surely follow in the trail of happy customers.

What do you think?

The Apprentice vs. American Hot Rod

I've been kicking back watching marathon editions of American Chopper and American Hot Rod on the Discovery Channel.  It got me thinking about those posers on The Apprentice.

I'd put Paul Teutuls Jr. of OCC or Charles Hutton of Coddington Hot Rods up against any of Donald's wannabes any day.  They both show a great amount of coolness under insane pressure, are good teambuilders and natural leaders.  No MBAs or law degrees. No experience in marketing or administration, but they know how to get things done and get people to do things.

OK, commercial break's over.  Let's see if Boyd pops a blood vessel before the car is built.

Where are your Funk Brothers?

This morning's memo from Roy got me thinking about all of the Funk Brothers I've met at the businesses I've worked with, or been priviledged to meet.  These are the people who are doing the outstanding work behind the scenes to make the folks in the limelight look good.

They're the customer service reps who take it personally when a product fails to meet the customer's expectations. They're the warehousing and shipping associates who take the company's meticulously prepared "core values" statement seriously.

You can usually find a front-line receptionist putting on a good face for the rest of the people behind  the logo who will be credited and rewarded for her performance.

Just like Motown, your business has its own Funk Brothers who are laying down the beat and the groove that makes it so easy for the stars to shine. Make sure you know who these people are and that you give them their just rewards before they leave you. If you're lucky, they'll stay on through retirement because the work of finding a different gig is worse in their mind than just showing up and getting the job done right. But be warned: There are always other business owners out there who are looking to find Funk Brothers of their own. It's hard to train people to work. It's always been easier to hire people who get things done and train them how to get your stuff done.

Poet Laureate

After searching high and low, to and fro,
I've found my poet laureate.

She's a creative genius, with song, jewelry-making, and now poetry.

Point your browser and then make sure you subscribe to PoetryGirl.

(full disclosure: PoetryGirl is my daughter. Alex will be 11 in November.)

Persuasive Writing

I've talked about J Peterman here before. I think he's the best. Most of the copy ends up being not about the product, but the person who wears the product. Not until he has you in the shirt does he start talking about the finer details that make you want to actually finish the transaction.

Now, out of the blue, I received a Duluth Trading Company catalog in the mail this week. It reminds me of the J Peterman catalog of old with a minor twist...instead of writing about the classes, this company targets the masses. It's a catalog for working men. Oh, we all work, but these are the working men who are doing the work according to the scientific definition...they are moving things, building things and getting their hands dirty in the process.

It's not perfect, but some of it is darn good. Any company that sets out to solve the problem of "plumber's butt" by adding 3" of length to a t-shirt deserves the gratitude and loyalty of those men who must twist, bend and stretch to get the job done. (Come to think of it, somebody should buy one of these shirts for Larry the Cable Guy).

Like the J Peterman company, Duluth Traders does not photograph their products for their catalog or website. I think they realize that when the real deal shows up on my doorstep it will never look quite as appealing as it does in the photo studio. However, in my mind it will always look just like it did in the watercolored line-drawings on the pages of the catalog and the web.

I've said before that I write about Cabela's because they are headquartered right here in my little hometown. I'm a fan of the company. I'm a cheerleader because when they do well, my town does well. That being said, some of the best writers inside those taxidermied walls are not writing the product blurbs for the web or the catalog. They are writing features for the field guides that don't always get the prominence that they should. These are the pieces that are capable of cementing customer relationships.

Another web strategy observation: You won't find Duluth's front page web real estate littered with transactional "SALE!" messages. Oh, they've got sale and clearance items, but you'll have to follow your trusty dog to find them. They recognize that their customers are more interested in what the product means than what it costs.

If your company was built on relationships, it's usually a mistake to focus too much on the transaction. There's always somebody who can sell for less, but if you take care of your relationships, the transactions will take care of themselves.

Don't Go There

Don't make me go there! You've probably said that recently. I know that I have.

Well, put down your guard because I want to take you through an exercise. I want you to go with me for just a minute. Tie your left brain behind your back and come with me.

What if you were to not speak for a year? I mean nothing. Zip. You will still be your friendly self, but you just won't speak. Of course, you'll still find ways to communicate with family and friends, but not verbally. And none of your communication will explain why you are not speaking. Of course, this would be quite difficult but you're a disciplined person and I'm sure you could do it.

If you are asking "Why would I do such a stupid thing?" then your left brain needs to be tightened down a bit.

Give it a minute. Your right brain will soon be supplying all of the reasons you need.

Why indeed? I could write a book about the experience! I'd become well-known! (He's that guy that doesn't talk) There's a guy in the bible that didn't talk for a year...maybe people would think I'm some sort of spiritual guru. My wife wouldn't like it, but maybe in some weird way it would draw us closer. My kids would get a kick out of it.

OK, release your left brain. Yes, the consequences of such an act would very likely outweigh any personal benefit.

The point is this...before anyone will do anything at all, they must go there. They must do that thing in their imagination. Before they buy your jewelry, they must go there in their mind. Before they buy your cars, they must go there. Before they attend your college, you must show them the experience on the visuospatial sketchpad in their brain.

The trick is to supply them with just enough information for their right brain to start manufacturing the logic to feed back into the left hemisphere where the REAL decision can be made.

It's not as easy as saying "Imagination yourself..........." If it were, I could really convince you about keeping quiet for a year. Going there is just a tactic. Figuring out where to go and how to get there is strategy.