Don’t Be ‘A One Night Brand’…

Here’s a great presentation from Alain Thys of Futurelab, the global marketing strategy consultancy. He suggests that we need to rethink our approach to marketing and there’s some good stuff in there – my favourite is ‘Don’t be a ‘one night’ brand’ which means develop ongoing relationships with your customers. 

He reiterates one of my key beliefs that a key driver has to be about focussing on customer ‘engagement’ to enhance those relationships. The presentation is from Slideshare, and for more information on Alain’s thoughts and views, check out his blog.

An Ace Quote

Read this somewhere – unfortunately, can’t remember where – but quite liked it:

“Business is a bit like tennis. The better the service, the more likely you are to win”

I think that’s ‘Ace’ (geddit?!!)

Step Up or Step Down?

In tougher times, some businesses cut back on their advertising activities and spend. Others increase it. This interesting article in the New Yorker (I read all the best magazines!) was highlighted by Colin Byrne (whose Byrne Baby Byrne Blog is always well worth a look).

It gives examples of advertising strategies in recessions – good and bad.

I don’t think it’s a simple issue of stepping up or stepping down marketing activity. It’s about stepping forwards. What I mean by that is having a clear destination in mind and taking proactive steps towards it. If that for example, means spending more or focussing on a specific method, reducing resources in one area or improving the effectiveness of another, then that’s what needs to be done.

It’s that destination or end result that needs to be defined – the clear, focussed steps should then help you get there.

The ’3D’ Business Card?

I do like this as a concept. A simple, effective and even ‘Dramatically and Demonstrably Different’ business card.

Just your name and the Google logo.

OK, it perhaps doesn’t reinforce your own logo and image, but it could show that you think a little differently. For now that is. The problem I think is that it’s easily copyable.

I guess it’s one of those things that works initially, creates a smile, even a topic of conversation, and could certainly make you stand out. However, it wouldn’t surprise me that in the very near future every networking meeting you go to, somebody whips one of these out with a smug smile that says “Aren’t I ‘innovative’?”

Still, that’s no reason not to be trying it  – it’s certainly could be a great idea for cash strapped ’start ups’. It’s also worth pointing out that it’s only a good idea if, when someone types in your name, it’s your website that comes up first!

No Time To Twitter?

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Communicating and engaging with customers in this ‘no time for anything’ world is getting more and more difficult. People don’t have time to write letters, compose emails and some are even struggling to find time to ‘Twitter’.

 I like to help businesses ‘stay ahead of the game’ and spend a lot of my time searching for new ideas, techniques and technologies that can help them do just that and have just discovered this.

If your finding it difficult to find time to ‘Twitter’ then  ’Flutter’, a shortened version of  ‘Twitter’, could be just the thing for you (ps it’s not real, but mildly amusing!).

What A Load Of Pollocks!

I was on BBC Radio this morning having been asked to give my views on the news that Sainsburys have changed the name of the fish Pollock to Colin as people are apparently too embarrased to ask for it!

I explained that your name is not your brand – it’s part of it. What customers ‘experience’ will be the thing they remember and use to make judgemements on future purchases. If you didn’t like ‘Marathons’, I suspect you don’t like ‘Snickers’.

OK, it’s probably generated some publicity for Sainsburys (and Pollocks!), but the reality is the ‘product’ hasn’t changed. You go and buy a packet of ‘Colins’, it’s still a load of pollocks!

Get A ‘Gripple’

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Gripple are an award winning and amazingly innovative and successful engineering design and manufacturing business here in Sheffield. They are one of our local ‘flagship’ success stories and continually find ways to be ‘dramatically and demonstrably’ different in their approach.

Their factory and offices are a brilliant place to visit and there’s so much to learn from them in terms of their marketing, innovation, product development, branding and, vitally, leadership from Managing Director, Hugh Facey.

The Gripple factory in the industrial centre of Sheffield is an icon for its Spider Sculpture that adorns the outside of the building. Unfortunately, as you’ll see from this video, it’s gone missing!

I’m sure that this ‘news’ item will engage all their customers (and lots of others) and help reinforce their ‘dramatically different’ approach to doing things.

Take ‘Time Out, Tune In and Drive On….’

I’ve just run a series of short seminars here in Sheffield called ‘Time Out, Tune In and Drive On…’ The aim was to allow business leaders to do just that, and take some time out to look at their business and explore ways to move forward. I provided a few simple ‘self diagnosis’ tools during the session.

I was conscious that some of the participants were ‘regular’ clients who’d heard a lot of my stuff before and I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t add as much value to them as others. In fact, the feedback was quite the opposite with all of them saying that it was a great opportunity to ‘revisit’ stuff they’ve done, acknowledge the things they said they were going to do and hadn’t, and to identify new ways to exploit the ideas in these ‘changing times’.

So, in the spirit of encouraging you to take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and look at your business, here are a couple of simple things for you to consider doing…… today:

‘Stand in your customers’ shoes’  – Spend a few minutes looking from the outside. Ring up your own business, go on your own website, visit your own premises. What are you like to do business with? How easy are you to buy from? How ‘dramatically different’ is the ‘experience’?

‘Champion your Champions’ – Who’s ‘going the extra mile’ and doing things well for customers in your team? Who consistently ‘delivers’? Spot someone today in your business and acknowledge their efforts. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple ‘well done’ or ‘thank you’ . Can’t find them? Get looking.

‘Get engaged’ – Identify, then call or visit a customer today. Ask them ‘how are things going?’, send them a bit of useful information, create conversation – but don’t ‘sell’.

It’s all simple stuff I know, but just do something, one thing today, and make an impact – you know it makes sense.