Stop talking and listen to your customers.
Archive for the ‘Marketing Ideas’ Category
Advice to brand managers
Friday 30th July, 2010
15% changes everything for the PNM
Sunday 25th July, 2010
In a post today by Seth Godin, he reminds us of the power of 15%. Listen to Seth:
“When a newspaper loses 15% of its readers or 15% of its advertisers, it goes out of business. There are still people who want to read it, still people who want to advertise, but it’s gone.
When a technology company increases its sales by 15%, profits will double. The sales line doesn’t have to increase that much for profits to soar.
It’s so tempting to head for green fields with a new thing, a new market, a new business. But in fact, 15% right here and right now might be exactly what you need.”
I think the PNM will have a tough time holding on to 100% of the people who voted for them in the last Locals and they are definitely not going to attract 15% more. Dr. Rowley has had the impossible task of defending the indefensible. His real work starts on Tuesday 27th July. Starting Tuesday, he must hope that his opponents make many unforced errors while winning some points of his own doing. The PP errors will come, that’s life. It’s up to Dr. Rowley to not just re-brand the PNM but also to check to see if the PNM product needs a make over, building on the strengths it possesses while changing some of its ingredients. So “Seth’s 15” is not likely to serve the PNM and Dr. Rowley well tomorrow, but it can get them started towards another 15, 2015.
T&T Elections without Manning
Saturday 24th July, 2010
In the recent General Elections in Trinidad and Tobago, I believe there were some people who voted against Manning rather than for the People’s Partnership. So now that Manning is gone, how will the PP fear? Well, they will win their 5 existing Councils for sure. Because the people in those areas are UNC to the bone. What will happen in the others like say Arima now that there is no Manning to get back at.
Here are some things in the PP’s favor:
The theory of cognitive dissonance may come into play. According to Wikipedia, Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding contradictory ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Dissonance is also reduced by justifying, blaming, and denying. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.
Following a choice, such as voting for a particular party, expectations can clash with experience, as when the party does not deliver on its promises. In a state of dissonance, people may feel surprise, dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment. Despite contrary evidence, people are biased to think of their choices as correct.(adapted from Wikipedia) So having voted PP in the general elections, they vote PP again in the local elections.
So Cognitive Dissonance Theory works in favor of the People’s Partnership.
- The COP factor may have weakened the PNM significantly. Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a group of middle class and upper class people who felt disenfranchised. They chose none of the above. (as Lloyd Best would say) My theory is that some of these people used to find themselves in the house of the Baliser seeing this shelter as the lesser of two evils or not voting at all. Now many of them have taken up residence in Copville. (or have returned to the UNC now that Panday is gone)
So COP factor helps the People’s Partnership
- Dr. Rowley was right: “Who have more corn feed more cock”. It’s been the PNM strategy for years and the PP will benefit from this.
So if I am right, there will be plenty of yellow on our TV screens on Monday night. This time some of those who voted ‘against Manning’ in the General Elections would be voting ‘for the PP’ in the “Locals” and that, to my mind, is the bigger problem for Dr. Rowley, not losing some Local Councils.
Marketing Coconuts
Sunday 11th April, 2010
Every weekend my wife Rebecca and I take a walk around the savannah and end it with coconut water. My vendor is like most vendors. He doesn’t have a name and he follows instructions. In chatting with him I learnt that coconut vendors are involved in every stage of their business. They pick the coconuts, sell them and then cart off the shells themselves to the dump. They are so busy manufacturing, they have not had the time to market.
Can you imagine if every time you went to your favourite coconut watering hole, you were told where the day’s catch came from and the type of coconut. Would that not enhance the experience? And how about being offered some bottled branded coconut water to take home with you?
Part of the appeal of having coconut water at the side of the street is that it’s “comfort food”. It’s one of the few things that have not changed. (Except the price of course) It’s still possible to add value to that experience by telling a story about your brand of coconuts and packaging some for takeaway.
Googling our advertising to oblivion
Saturday 3rd April, 2010
For some of us, Google can be the enemy of creative thinking. Or at least original, from the depths of your soul thinking. It’s so easy to search any topic and get 1000 answers.
The alternative is so much more difficult and painful even; original ideas from our minds and hearts or from the courier’s, the mailman’s, the accountant’s or the receptionist’s. If you dig far enough and keep at it, the answer always comes. But that’s so much harder than Googling or Shutterstocking.
Unfortunately, Google is not anyone’s private domain. You can get so much from it and so can everyone else. So we need to return to life BG (Before Google). When we had to fashion a campaign from a blank note pad, pencil and a few lost souls with a positioning statement. Because isn’t the point of advertising to be fresh, interesting and engaging?
Our goal should be to be the one that others search.
The New American Dream
Monday 8th March, 2010
I am currently reading Seth Godin’s new book Linchpin which is so compelling and purpose-filled, that I wanted to share an excerpt. The American Dream was:
Keep your head down
Follow instructions
Show up on time
Work hard
Suck it up
…you will be rewarded.
That dream is over.
“The new American Dream, the one that markets around the world are embracing as fast as they can, is this:”
Be remarkable
Be generous
Create art
Make judgement calls
Connect people and ideas
…and we have no choice but to reward you.
The American Dream
Seth has a point. Organizations seek and reward employees with passion and energy and are flexible in the face of change. Employers want their employees to be indispensable. The linchpin has power! “When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable.” So what the boss really wants in an employee is an artist who changes everything and makes dreams come true, can see the reality of today and and describe a better tomorrow. What the boss really wants is a linchpin. If he can’t have a linchpin, he’ll have to settle for a regular cheap drone. Are you a linchpin or a drone?
Advice to brand managers
Friday 30th July, 201015% changes everything for the PNM
Sunday 25th July, 2010
In a post today by Seth Godin, he reminds us of the power of 15%. Listen to Seth:
“When a newspaper loses 15% of its readers or 15% of its advertisers, it goes out of business. There are still people who want to read it, still people who want to advertise, but it’s gone.
When a technology company increases its sales by 15%, profits will double. The sales line doesn’t have to increase that much for profits to soar.
It’s so tempting to head for green fields with a new thing, a new market, a new business. But in fact, 15% right here and right now might be exactly what you need.”
I think the PNM will have a tough time holding on to 100% of the people who voted for them in the last Locals and they are definitely not going to attract 15% more. Dr. Rowley has had the impossible task of defending the indefensible. His real work starts on Tuesday 27th July. Starting Tuesday, he must hope that his opponents make many unforced errors while winning some points of his own doing. The PP errors will come, that’s life. It’s up to Dr. Rowley to not just re-brand the PNM but also to check to see if the PNM product needs a make over, building on the strengths it possesses while changing some of its ingredients. So “Seth’s 15” is not likely to serve the PNM and Dr. Rowley well tomorrow, but it can get them started towards another 15, 2015.
T&T Elections without Manning
Saturday 24th July, 2010In the recent General Elections in Trinidad and Tobago, I believe there were some people who voted against Manning rather than for the People’s Partnership. So now that Manning is gone, how will the PP fear? Well, they will win their 5 existing Councils for sure. Because the people in those areas are UNC to the bone. What will happen in the others like say Arima now that there is no Manning to get back at.
Here are some things in the PP’s favor:
The theory of cognitive dissonance may come into play. According to Wikipedia, Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding contradictory ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Dissonance is also reduced by justifying, blaming, and denying. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.
Following a choice, such as voting for a particular party, expectations can clash with experience, as when the party does not deliver on its promises. In a state of dissonance, people may feel surprise, dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment. Despite contrary evidence, people are biased to think of their choices as correct.(adapted from Wikipedia) So having voted PP in the general elections, they vote PP again in the local elections.
So Cognitive Dissonance Theory works in favor of the People’s Partnership.
- The COP factor may have weakened the PNM significantly. Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a group of middle class and upper class people who felt disenfranchised. They chose none of the above. (as Lloyd Best would say) My theory is that some of these people used to find themselves in the house of the Baliser seeing this shelter as the lesser of two evils or not voting at all. Now many of them have taken up residence in Copville. (or have returned to the UNC now that Panday is gone)
So COP factor helps the People’s Partnership
- Dr. Rowley was right: “Who have more corn feed more cock”. It’s been the PNM strategy for years and the PP will benefit from this.
So if I am right, there will be plenty of yellow on our TV screens on Monday night. This time some of those who voted ‘against Manning’ in the General Elections would be voting ‘for the PP’ in the “Locals” and that, to my mind, is the bigger problem for Dr. Rowley, not losing some Local Councils.
Marketing Coconuts
Sunday 11th April, 2010Every weekend my wife Rebecca and I take a walk around the savannah and end it with coconut water. My vendor is like most vendors. He doesn’t have a name and he follows instructions. In chatting with him I learnt that coconut vendors are involved in every stage of their business. They pick the coconuts, sell them and then cart off the shells themselves to the dump. They are so busy manufacturing, they have not had the time to market.
Can you imagine if every time you went to your favourite coconut watering hole, you were told where the day’s catch came from and the type of coconut. Would that not enhance the experience? And how about being offered some bottled branded coconut water to take home with you?
Part of the appeal of having coconut water at the side of the street is that it’s “comfort food”. It’s one of the few things that have not changed. (Except the price of course) It’s still possible to add value to that experience by telling a story about your brand of coconuts and packaging some for takeaway.
Googling our advertising to oblivion
Saturday 3rd April, 2010For some of us, Google can be the enemy of creative thinking. Or at least original, from the depths of your soul thinking. It’s so easy to search any topic and get 1000 answers.
The alternative is so much more difficult and painful even; original ideas from our minds and hearts or from the courier’s, the mailman’s, the accountant’s or the receptionist’s. If you dig far enough and keep at it, the answer always comes. But that’s so much harder than Googling or Shutterstocking.
Unfortunately, Google is not anyone’s private domain. You can get so much from it and so can everyone else. So we need to return to life BG (Before Google). When we had to fashion a campaign from a blank note pad, pencil and a few lost souls with a positioning statement. Because isn’t the point of advertising to be fresh, interesting and engaging?
Our goal should be to be the one that others search.
The New American Dream
Monday 8th March, 2010I am currently reading Seth Godin’s new book Linchpin which is so compelling and purpose-filled, that I wanted to share an excerpt. The American Dream was:
Keep your head down
Follow instructions
Show up on time
Work hard
Suck it up
…you will be rewarded.
That dream is over.
“The new American Dream, the one that markets around the world are embracing as fast as they can, is this:”
Be remarkable
Be generous
Create art
Make judgement calls
Connect people and ideas
…and we have no choice but to reward you.
The American Dream
Seth has a point. Organizations seek and reward employees with passion and energy and are flexible in the face of change. Employers want their employees to be indispensable. The linchpin has power! “When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable.” So what the boss really wants in an employee is an artist who changes everything and makes dreams come true, can see the reality of today and and describe a better tomorrow. What the boss really wants is a linchpin. If he can’t have a linchpin, he’ll have to settle for a regular cheap drone. Are you a linchpin or a drone?
