Influence your marketing before someone else does

A good post from Church of the Customer Blog (part 1 here) about David Letterman's recent apology(ies).

I think it brings up a great marketing point. It is important to control/influence/affect your marketing and brand before other people do and you lose all control.

While Letterman did something that many people might see as bad or a sign of poor judgment, the truth is we all make mistakes both personally and as companies. It is, in my opinion, better to confront it and have your side heard first.

This does two things:

1. You guide the conversation, taking it places that can benefit you and your brand.
2. Allows you to come across as more authentic, because you can admit when you are wrong.

This is also why social media is so important. Not everyone has a great outlet like David Letterman to apologize to the world. If you have a social media presence that is meaningful it is a lot easier to be authentic with your community.

Marketing Yourself

The whole dating game/scene or whatever you want to call it is one big exercise in marketing.

Watch this 1990s dating video (via Boing Boing)

It's very interesting to see how people try and market themselves to attract a partner. The key is standing out, but at the same token you don't want to scare people off.

Marketing that Worked

I recently found myself buying something specifically because of some marketing.

I must have seen this Super Bowl commercial 20 times previously, but last time I saw it something clicked.

Soda/Pop and cola commercials have rarely influenced me mostly because I have never really felt that I could even distinguish between Pepsi and Coca Cola. Recently though (and it may be due to a more sensitive palette from wine/beer tastings) I have found some taste differences between regular and diet colas. I realized that diet colas often have a different taste that is not quite as appealing as their sugary counterparts. This mixed in with seeing the above commercial convinced me to buy a 12 pack of Pepsi Max yesterday. (And I don't even drink soda/pop that often).

So, why did this marketing effort work? The key is having a message that fits in personally and/or fills a void with someone. For me it was a connection that I can have a diet cola (and the caloric savings that entails) along with the taste and enjoyment that a regular cola gives. As well, the commercial tells me that I can still be manly and buy this soda, which is important for men my age.

The key is to let your marketing efforts make a connection with someone. I can watch a commercial for Bumpits but that does not mean I'm going to go out and purchase a set (or two for the price of one). It doesn't make a connection with me, it might for a different audience but not for everyone.

The last part of this concept is that you need to choose your audience. If you try to market to everyone you will end up marketing to no one. If that Pepsi Max commercial had more of a feminine angle it would not have had the same message, and it would be much less effective. Because different audiences are different it is difficult if not impossible to make a connection with everyone using the same marketing message.

How are your results?

Have you recently searched your name on a search engine? I know it kind of seems fairly egocentric and narcissistic but it is important.

Especially since I am currently job hunting, I decided to search my name recently on the big three search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Here are my results as of this post:

Google - 8, 6, 4
Bing - 10, 6, 1
Yahoo - 10, 6, 2

Numbers are specific results about me on each of the first three pages of the results (each out of 10).

As you can see, Bing and Yahoo are much better on the first page. All three are tied on the second page for numbers of results, and the third page varied.

For marketing purposes it is important to show up at the top of the results, which means the first page and the top of that page. Check out this article (via Seth Godin) about eye tracking studies. So this is a good thing for me, in all three of the top search engines.

However, I kind of feel bad for other anyone else named Luke Moritz, cause I'm getting all the play time. So does this mean that these search engines are actually doing their job? They are showing results for Luke Moritz, and for me they are very relevant, but are they the best they can be?

I guess I'm just hoping that nobody else that shares my name comes along and makes more of a web impact.

What does searching your name give you?

Demographics

I was just watching some new Movie Trailers at Hulu and I saw that they are offering demographically based ratings out of 5 stars for their trailers. They have four different categories Under 25: Men and Women, and Over 25: Men and Women. I am 25 years old, and not quite sure where I fit in.

What is 230?

If you've watched TV recently, you may have seen this commercial.

It's one of the simplest commercials, or rather teaser commercials I've seen. It just has a winking power outlet that makes the zero in the number 230, and 8-11 below it. The background of the commercial is green, which emotes an environmentally friendly theme.



This article from Advertising Age has some insights, but mostly just guesses. However, the Internet community is fairly certain that this commercial is being run by GM, which narrows the guesses down quite substantially.

One idea that the entire US electrical grid is going to be converted from 120 volts to 230 is probably the least likely of them all. This kind of change would require an act of congress (I'm quite sure) and the government wouldn't spend money on teaser commercials for a switch like that. Did you see any teaser commercials for the switch to Digital TV broadcast? So a big change like this would be in the news while still in the bill stages in congress.

As far as marketing strategy I think it's a good technique to use on GMs behalf. It's creating mystery, and people are spending time trying to find out what it is. One aspect that is different in this case is that the commercial does not even include a website to go to. With a search on Google of "230 8 11" the top sponsored link is the Official Website, which has only slightly more information than the commercial. The website includes a flickr photostream and a twitter link that will allow you to twitter "I spotted 230. #whatis230". This strategy of not including a website address makes people a little more interested in what it is and forces these people to go out and search for it, rather than just type in an address in their browser.

When people take more initiative and time researching your marketing, then it's going to stay with them that much longer.

The biggest thing you have to watch out for is that people don't get too frustrated and just forget about it completely.

Perfect Time for Rail

As you know, I am quite passionate about High Speed Rail coming to California. I try and share this enthusiasm with others so they can see all the positives associated with this project. One of the arguments I hear most often from people that don't really understand the project is "we can't afford a project like this while the economy is in this state."

These people need to read this article on the California High Speed Rail Blog.

Branding Fresno Business

The Fresno Convention & Visitors Bureau recently released a PDF booklet defining Fresno's brand platform. It doesn't create specific logos or taglines (which would make all Fresno businesses look the same) but rather gives a number of broad categories and descriptors. These phrases and concepts can help organizations develop a brand strategy that will help the overall Fresno brand become more cohesive, as well as focus the efforts of an organization so it is less likely to portray something that will conflict with other Fresno branding attempts.

The booklet includes definition of branding, the Fresno brand platform, a workbook section, and a case study.

The concept I think can be very useful, and hopefully will have the desired effects on branding in Fresno and branding of Fresno. I guess only time will tell if organizations will actually employ this smartly.

Via Creative Fresno (PDF booklet linked at bottom of that page)

Should Facebook Listen?

As a follow up to my post the other day about all the complainers of the new Facebook, read this post from Seth Godin about ignoring your critics.

This kind of message is hard to swallow and even harder to actually implement, but its true that the masses usually only want the status quo. Growth requires change, and change is often difficult.

Alberta's New Logo

If you haven't heard, the Province of Alberta recently redesigned their tourism logo.

Growing up I always thought the old logo was good, but it needed an update. However, like almost everything else, what goes around comes around. The comment from Armin in the Brand New link above says it perfectly, "The old logo... is quite awesome and would probably sell like crazy on a ringer tee at Urban Outfitters."

Check out this brand book (PDF, 5.22MB) showcasing the new brand and what it means.

Also, check out this video.

The similarities in the "A" was one of the first things I noticed in when I saw the new logo. I like the new logo, and I don't mind the square at the end, which some people aren't too fond of.

What do you think?

Appropriate Advertising

While driving around on my scooter today I passed by a teenage boy holding up a sign that said "Car Wash Today". I was the only vehicle around on that road at the time, and when he saw me he jumped wildly with his sign to get my attention.

I don't think it crossed his mind that I was in fact driving a scooter and that the chances of me stopping for a car wash with my scooter was very low. He could have been just practicing for when a real car came by, and I guess it really didn't hurt to advertise to me but I guess it just seemed strange.

Would it have been worth their time, for raising money, to have more specific advertising for motorcycles/scooters? Maybe a greatly discounted price for washing a motorcycle, you'd need a few more signs, but even if you got a couple more customers, I'm sure the cost/benefit ratio would have been worth it.

I think it's probably just short-sighted and a lack of creativity that stops people from thinking about different scenarios that they can actually use to increase their business.

Simple Logos

Read this blog post from Noisy Decent Graphics about the end of the life of black and white logos.

I agree with him about black and white logos being much less useful in a world of increasing digital presence. I also think that as we move completely away from paper and exclusively to digital medium then the black and white logo will cease to be of any use.

I do, however, continue to believe that a simpler logo is better than an extremely complicated one. Not only is having a logo that can cross mediums important, but also a simple logo allows for easier recognition.

Decision Paths

This article from Noisy Decent Graphics was very interesting. It basically talks about how even when signs are clearly showing a detour (specifically with walking paths) people are usually tempted to at least check out the potential obstructions for themselves so they can make their own decisions. The point is also made that the larger a group, the longer it takes to make a decision about the path to take.

I thought about the marketing implications about this. If people are skeptical or at least don't always blindly follow instructions, how does this affect the marketing of instructions? How often do people read cover to cover a user manual, or read the fine print on a receipt outlining a store's return policy, or pay attention to the potentially life-saving safety instructions after boarding a plane? Not very often is my guess.

I think one way around this would be to make things more interactive. It gives people a certain amount of that decision making process, and also gives them the important information.

One idea I had, which could have multiple applications, is using those paper wheels that you spin around and line up certain things and information is revealed in little boxes. How much more interesting do you think airplane safety information would be if it was on one of those things?

What ideas do you have for making instructions clear and more enjoyable?

Clever Company Slogan

On my way home from work the other day, I saw this truck. I took a double take just to make sure I read the slogan correctly, but I apparently did.

Twitpic Picture

This truck belongs to a Framing and Construction company called Felix Haro Construction.

While I don't necessarily agree with the content of the slogan, I think it does qualify as being very clever, creative, and buzz-worthy.

Is Marketing Evil?

Check out Seth Godin's recent post as to whether marketing is evil.

The answer, in a nutshell, is that it can be. Just like almost everything in the world, marketing can be used for evil purposes. This doesn't mean, however, that marketing is inherently evil.

I have found that especially with some Christians I have met, they cringe at the word marketing when it relates to Church and God. I strongly believe that marketing can be good, and used for good purposes.

I would also recommend checking out Church Marketing Sucks post on Seth's post. I really loved the quote:

Those who think the church should never be involved in marketing by
saying we aren't "selling" a product etc. should let that sentence
marinate. While I understand the word "sell" is tough to swallow isn't
selling about consuming and don't we want people to consume the Word
and who Christ is?

In the end, I think the key is what you market. If the thing you are marketing is good (like God) is there a way that it can be marketed poorly or bad? Marketing, like Seth Godin says, is all about telling a story, and as long as you are telling the truth your marketing is just an extension of the thing you are marketing.

See It Right Now

Seth Godin's recent blog post entitled "Seen it all before" talks about how our modern day technological culture has given almost everybody the power of being able to see it all. While it's obviously impossible to actually see EVERYTHING on the Internet (although we used to joke around with one of my college roommates that he had in fact seen the entire Internet) you can at least become familiar with a lot of it. This means that within 15 minutes of surfing you can watch a clip from the original TMNT, read an article from a small newspaper in Africa, listen to music that is similar to your favorite song, and find out what the weather is like in Andorra. This would be near impossible in a pre-Internet era, and these types of activities are just the beginning.

One thing that I think is worthwhile to add to his post would be that not only do we have this previous experience, but these experiences are literally right at our fingertips almost everywhere we go. For example, when I'm watching a TV show, at a movie, listening to a lecture, or watching a presentation, and I don't understand a reference I can get up to speed within a few seconds. My phone (and most cell phones out there right now) have the capability to do at least basic web surfing and can access simple sites like wikipedia. This means that you almost don't have to worry about whether people will understand certain references, because if they don't and the want to they can do it very easily.

Picture of the Day

I like this picture from an article in Treehugger about 8 Green Music Festivals That Rock.



Do you think people would think twice about throwing garbage in a can if it is labeled landfill?

American Airlines Changes Frequent Flyer Program

Following the lead of United, American Airlines recently announced that they will no longer be giving a minimum of 500 miles on flights shorter than that total.

From the press release (with my emphasis)

Effective January 1, 2009, we are discontinuing the minimum mileage guarantee for non-elite status members for flights on American Airlines, American Eagle^®, AmericanConnection^®, oneworld^® member airlines, AAdvantage^® participating airlines as well as rail service and codeshare service booked under an AA flight number.

With this change, customers will earn AAdvantage miles equal to the actual distance flown or the applicable percentage of the miles flown, and any associated bonuses will be calculated accordingly. Similarly, elite status qualifying miles and points earned for travel on eligible flights will also be based on the actual miles earned. AAdvantage Executive Platinum^®, AAdvantage Platinum^® and AAdvantage Gold^® members are exempt from this change.

While I've already shared my opinions on these kinds of decisions by the airline industry, I just want to reiterate my stance on the subject.

It's a bad idea. Especially in this kind of economy you want to try and keep your customers, and make as many customers (new and old) as loyal as possible. When you do things like this the only thing it can do is alienate customers, and that is the bad idea.

A Political Jesus

I came across this video the other day and found it to be VERY provocative and challenging. It is basically a satirical political attack ad aimed at Jesus. I encourage you to watch, but make sure you have a sense of humor and an open mind (you may take offense to it if you don't understand/appreciate satire).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1L4eeu5KI


I love satire, and I think this video does a decent job of bringing to light some of the things Jesus actually does stand for, but obviously does it in a satirical matter. There are only a couple of parts which I disagree with (a big one being the fade away to Osama bin Laden).

What do you think of it?

(Via estewartartist)

New Pepsi Logo?

I've been seeing some rumors around the blogosphere about Pepsi changing/updating their logo.


Via Brand New

If this change is in fact real or at least close to what it will be, what do you think?

My impressions are mixed.

First, it is difficult to create brand identity if you continually change your look. The most recognizable logos really don't change that much, and case in point, the Coca-Cola logo remains the same, and happens to be one of those logos.

Second, these changes (mostly for Pepsi) aren't so drastic that they aren't reminiscent of logos of past eras. The red/blue/white circle design is "basically" still there. (Although it does look a little less like the Korean Air logo now)

I also don't think that Pepsi will have as many issues with the logo change as they would if they changed their recipe (like New Coke).

I think the logo looks hip and contemporary, but it all comes down to whether or not the customer will be scared off or intrigued. By changing a logo, which is a huge key to a brand, the actual product needs to be relied on.

One thing I thought was originally cool about the difference between pepsi and diet pepsi logos was that they are slightly different. A product like Diet Pepsi is in fact a competitor to the original of Pepsi. The biggest problem is that when two brands like Diet Pepsi and Pepsi share the same logo it is hard to reconcile the differences of the product while in the same packaging. I thought that the slight differences in logo would do something to differentiate the two products, but I think to be really effective you have to make them completely different brands. The biggest issue with that is it is VERY scary.

What do you think of the new logos?