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Seth's Blog

What to do about Detroit

Posted: November 21st, 2008, 6:00am CST by Seth Godin

I was in Detroit last week... I have family there. I also drive a car. And I would rather that the world doesn't melt and the economy thrive. So I'm uniquely qualified to weigh in on the automobile industry.

Not only should Congress encourage/facilitate the organized bankruptcy of the Big Three, but it should also make it easy for them to be replaced by 500 new car companies.

Or perhaps a thousand.

That's how many car companies there were 90 years ago.

That's right, when all the innovation hit the car industry, there were thousands of car companies, with hundreds running at any one time. From Wikipedia:
Throughout this era, development of automotive technology was rapid, due in part to a huge number (hundreds) of small manufacturers all competing to gain the world's attention. Key developments included electric ignition (by Robert Bosch, 1903), independent suspension, and four-wheel brakes (by the Arrol-Johnston Company of Scotland in 1909).^[16] Leaf springs were widely used for suspension, though many other systems were still in use, with angle steel taking over from armored wood as the frame material of choice. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely adopted, allowing a variety of cruising speeds, though vehicles generally still had discrete speed settings rather than the infinitely variable system familiar in cars of later eras.

Between 1907 and 1912, the high-wheel motor buggy (resembling the horse buggy of before 1900) was in its heyday, with over seventy-five makers including Holsman (Chicago), IHC (Chicago), and Sears (which sold via catalog); the high-wheeler would be killed by the Model T.
Back in its heyday, Ford Motor made every single part of its cars, including raising the sheep that grew the wool that made the fabric that upholstered the seats. That's not true any more. Now, suppliers make just about every part. We need those suppliers, and we need them to stay healthy.

What we don't need are giant companies with limited choice, confused priorities, private jets and a bully's attitude.

I'd spend a billion dollars to make the creation of a car company turnkey. Make it easy to get all the safety and regulatory approvals... as easy to start a car company as it is to start a web company. Use the bankruptcy to wipe out the hated, legacy marketing portion of the industry: the dealers.

We'd end up with a rational number of "car stores" in every city that sold lots of brands. We'd have super cheap cars and super efficient cars and super weird cars. There'd be an orgy of innovation, and from that, a whole new energy and approach would evolve. Betcha.
Google gets jiggy

Posted: November 21st, 2008, 5:53am CST by Seth Godin

If you're a signed in user of Google, you'll notice the most significant change in search since their launch.

You can now interact with search results, wiki style.

You can vote them up or down and leave comments. And they will be seen by others.

1. This is going to lead to an incredible rush by small businesses and social networkers. They're going to go crazy trying to game the system.

2. Google is going to find that millions of people pay a lot more attention to their search results (for now).

Interesting to consider what happens after that. How do they handle the deluge? Does democracy matter when it comes to search? How do you filter out the gamed votes?

Also interesting to think about how a tiny change in a beloved interface changes the way you think about and use it.

Google is a natural resource. We're defensive. We don't want them to wreck it, we want it to be here forever and we want it to work better for us. All at the same time. I give them ten points for bravery.

Experience the Message

THE BEST FLASH MOB EXPERIENCE

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 3:48pm CST by max lenderman

Many of you have already heard of the Improv Everywhere stunts for flash mobs. They are exceptionally well-conceived and executed, and have done some very heavy lifting in getting the concept of a flash mob onto the radar screens of marketers and advertisers alike. But Improv Everywhere’s latest prank is...

Canadian Marketing Blog - Canadian Marketing Association

The Truth about Plan A

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 9:02am CST

Earlier this week, in a post about eco-friendly businesses, Marks and Spencer, which has a large scale eco-friendly initiative, “Plan A”, was said to be abandoning the plan. We’ve since heard from the UK headquarters of Marks and Spencer and learned that this is absolutely not true; that it had been incorrectly reported as such (and then retracted the very next day).

So in setting the record straight, and we must, let’s take a look at Plan A - it’s far reaching and impressive; clearly a model for corporate social responsibility.

Straight from the source:

Plan A is our five-year, 100-point 'eco' plan to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our business and our world. It will see us working with our customers and our suppliers to combat climate change, reduce waste, safeguard natural resources, trade ethically and build a healthier nation. We're doing this because it's what you want us to do. It's also the right thing to do. We're calling it Plan A because we believe it's now the only way to do business.
There is no Plan B.

A recent M & S report card on the Plan’s progress states that 20 of the plan’s 100 commitments have been completed thus far with 75 underway - they are almost mid-way through the 5 year Plan.

There are way too many initiatives to mention, but here’s a sample from each of the target areas of their program:

Climate change (aims to make operations in the UK and Republic of Ireland carbon neutral) – They launched an energy service that sells gas and electricity to their customers in partnership with an energy firm; incentivising customers to use less energy by offering a £15 M&S voucher to anyone reducing their annual energy use by 10%.

Reducing Waste – All profits raised from a 5p charge for single use food carrier bags is donated to an environmental charity that supports greener living spaces projects to improve neighbourhoods across the U.K. Over £500,000 has been raised so far.

Safeguarding natural resources (ensuring their key raw materials come from the most sustainable sources available) – They have used over 25 million recycled waste plastic bottles to make polyester; used in their homeware and bedding and garments – and re-usable shopping bags.

Trading ethically – They became the first retailer to provide dairy farmers with funding to help them meet requirements of new legislation designed to reduce the impact of dairy farming by-products on the environment – as part of their Milk Pledge, M & S pays one of the highest prices of any major food retailer to their dairy farmers.

Building a healthier nation – They have completed the removal of artificial colours and flavourings from their entire food and drinks range.

John Jantsch Duct Tape Marketing

Create a Journalist Listening Station

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 8:16am CST by John Jantsch
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Create a Journalist Listening Station

Garnering great press for your business is a powerful marketing strategy and as such, journalists should be on your radar as a target market. Now, instead of abusing them with buy (press releases) messages, how about starting by building some know, like and trust before you ever ask for the order - that’s just good marketing.

The absolute best way to do this is to become a resource to a select group of journalists that report on your industry or businesses in your community. As a resource your primary job is to help them do their job better by sending along industry information, adding to stories they write and commenting on potential resources and angles they might consider - nothing to do with selling your business or story.

If you do this I can almost guarantee you will start getting calls to provide quotes in stories as a reliable source.

Here’s how to make the job of journalist relationship building easier.

Use Google Alerts and Google Reader to track every story, blog post and mention your target list of journalists create and scan them in five minutes from one location (or, even have them sent to your email inbox as they happen in real time.)

Then you can visit your Reader page, see if anything from one of your journalists pops up and go make a relevant comment on their blog, drop an industry study in mail or suggest a follow-up angle to their story through a hand-written note. This entire process should take just minutes a day and can even be delegated once it’s up and running.

Some tech notes:
- Use quotes around full names to get best results - “bill smith”
- Check the RSS version to have it sent to Google Reader
- Create a folder in Google Reader just for your PR efforts so that you can store the results of your RSS alerts in one handy place
- Get in the habit of checking and responding at least several times a week.

Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog

Most Memorable New Product Naming of 2008 Not That New

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 8:05am CST

It seems that 2008 was a bad year for product launches. Americans, distracted by the economy and the election, were woefully unaware of new product names.

Even the Nintendo Wii Fit, which was the most memorable new product launch as determined by a recent survey, was only recalled by 22% of respondents.

Americans appear to be clinging to tried and trusted brand names, as evidenced by the fact that the launches that proved most memorable to consumers were all orchestrated by well-known, established brand names.

As evidence, following the Wii Fit was the iPod Touch, Bud Light Lime, and McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit & Sandwich.

Part of this is the obvious affect of logo recognition, which always plays its part. But even with a memorable logo, never forget that failure can lurk just around the corner. The Wii Fit was popular, but Wii Music isn't living up to expectations.

Even the big names are resorting to interesting means of differentiating themselves to win over consumers.

McDonald's, another winner this year, is quietly trying to leverage the Quarter Pounder brand name by introducing stand alone stores in Japan that surprisingly do not have the golden arches and simply sell, you guessed it, Quarter Pounders.

Of course we cannot forget the role that packaging also plays in the successful launch of new products.

One way to get customers to instantly like a new product, in coordination with a new product name, is to try and get around annoying packaging.

There is a virtual revolt going on over "clamshell packaging." The disgust on the blogoshere over this kind of packaging was sparked by a recent New York Times article that notes that many established brands like Sony, Amazon, and Best Buy are offering user friendly alternatives to avoid "Wrap Rage," which is defined as the frustration we all feel after spending hours opening up packaging designed to cut us or tear our fingernails.

So when releasing a new product into struggling economic conditions, keep in mind that everything from the product name to the user-friendly packaging all play its part in determining success.

Technorati Tags: Product Launches, Product Naming, Product Naming, Brand Names, Logo Recognition, Packaging, Wii Fit, iPod

Seth's Blog

How to make money using the Internet

Posted: November 20th, 2008, 5:40am CST by Seth Godin
Make money: not by building an internet company, but by using the net as a tool to create value and get paid. Use the internet as a tool, not as an end. Do it when you are part of a big organization or do it as a soloist. The dramatic leverage of the net more than overcomes the downs of the current economy.

The essence is this: connect.

Connect the disconnected to each other and you create value.
- Connect advertisers to people who want to be advertised to.
- Connect job hunters with jobs.
- Connect information seekers with information.
- Connect teams to each other.
- Connect those seeking similar.
- Connect to partners and those that can leverage your work.
- Connect people who are proximate geographically.
- Connect organizations spending money with ways to save money.
- Connect like-minded people into a movement.
- Connect people buying with people who are selling.
Some examples? I think it's worth delineating these so you can see that the opportunity can be big, if that's your taste, or small if you don't want to invest heavily just yet.

Connect advertisers to people who want to be advertised to.
Dani Levy did this with Daily Candy, a company she recently sold for more than a hundred million dollars. Daily Candy uses simple email software, there's no technology tricks involved. Instead, it's a simple permission marketing business... hundreds of thousands of the right people, getting an anticipated, personal and relevant email every day. (Note! This only works if you earn true permission, not that sort of fake half and half version that's so common).

Connect job hunters with jobs.
My friend Tara has made hundreds of thousands of dollars (in good years) working as an executive recruiter. But what did she actually do all day? She stayed connected with a cadre of people. She kept track of the all stars. She connected with the right people, invested time in them that her clients never thought was worth it. So, when it was time to hire, it was easier for them to call Tara than it was for them to start from scratch. The best time to start a gig like this is right now, when no one in particular wants to connect with and help out the superstars. Later, when the economy bounces back, your position is extremely valuable. (Note! This only works if you have insane focus and the people you interact with are the true superstars, not just numbers).

Connect information seekers with information.
At a large scale, this is what Bloomberg did to make his fortune. Spending $$$ on a Bloomberg terminal guarantees a user at least a fifteen minute head start on people who don't have one. But consider how many micro markets where this connection doesn't occur. Michael Cader offers it to book publishers and does quite well. Which industry needs you to channel and collect and connect?

On a micro level, there are now people making thousands of dollars a month running their pages on Squidoo. That's almost enough to be a full time job for a curious person with the generosity to share useful information.

Connect teams to each other.
How much is on the line when a company puts ten people in three offices on a quest to launch a major new product in record time? The question, then, is why wouldn't they be willing to spend a little more to hire a team concierge? Someone to manage Basecamp and conference calls and scheduling and document source control to be sure the right people have the right information at the right time... I don't think most organizations can hire someone to do this full time, but I bet this is a great specialty for someone who is good at it.

Connect those seeking similar.
Who's running the ad hoc association of green residential architects? Or connecting the hundred CFOs at the hundred largest banks in the US? It's amazing how isolated most people are, even in a world crowded with people. I know of a guy who built an insanely profitable business around connecting C level executives at the Fortune 500. After all, there are only 500 of them. They want to know what the others are doing... (Consider this example)

Connect to partners and those that can leverage your work.

Freelances had no power because they depended on the client to hook them up with the rest of the team that could leverage their work. But what if you do that before you approach the client? What if you, the graphic designer, have a virtual partner who is an award winning copywriter and another partner who is a well-know illustrator? You could walk in the door and offer detailed PDFs or other high-impact viral electronic media in a turnkey package.

Connect people who are proximate geographically.
We all know that newspapers are tanking. Yet news, it appears, is on the rise. This paradox is an opportunity. Who is connecting the 10,000 people in your little community/suburb/town/zip code to each other? One person who spends all day at school board meetings, breaking stories about a dumping scandal, profiling a local business person or teacher? If you did that, and built an audience of thousands by RSS and email... do you think you'd have any trouble selling out the monthly cocktail party/mixer? Any trouble finding sponsors among local businesses for a media property that actually and truly reaches everyone?

Connect organizations spending money with ways to save money.
During the last recession, plenty of entrepreneurs scored by selling businesses on doing a phone bill audit. They took 30% of the first year's savings and did the work for free. Today, there are countless ways businesses can save money using technology and outsourcing, but few take full advantage. You can train them to do this and keep a share of the savings.

Connect like-minded people into a movement.
We've seen plenty of headstrong bootstrapped entrepreneurs turn a blog into the cornerstone of a multi-million dollar empire. The secret: they don't write their blog for everyone. Instead, they use the blog as the center connecting point for a niche, and then go from there. It's easy to list the tech successes, but there are literally 10,000 other niches just waiting for someone to connect them.

Connect people buying with people who are selling.
Sure, you know how to use Craigslist and eBay to buy and sell... but most people don't. How about finding people in your town with junk that needs removing, items that need selling, odd jobs that need filling... and then, for a fee, solve their problems using your laptop and these existing networks? Imagine the power, just to pick one example, of building an email alert list of 500 garage sale bargain hunters. Every time you email them, they show up. Now, you can walk into any home in any town and guarantee the biggest garage sale success they've ever seen... and you have the photos to prove it. As long as you protect the list and do for them, not to them, this asset increases in value.

The best time to do any of these projects was five years ago, so that today you'd be earning thousands of dollars a week. Too late. The second best time to start: now.

Terry Heaton's PoMo Blog

Sleeping with the enemy: blending resources to cover the news

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 6:16pm CST by Terry

That it hasn’t happened sooner is the only thing surprising about the news this week that NBC and Fox are entering into a joint operation to cover certain types of news in Philadelphia. The plan, according to Broadcasting & Cable, is to roll it out in Philly in January and later spread it to other big markets where the two groups each have stations. B&C called the move a “blockbuster local news partnership,” and it certainly should make people sit up and take notice.

Tentatively called “Local News Service, or LNS,” the idea is to create a separate newsgathering entity that serves both stations.

The Philadelphia venture will be comprised of 20-25 staffers culled from WCAU and WTXF. An LNS crew would be dispatched to the scene of breaking news. Both stations would receive content from LNS, would edit and package the material in the manner they see fit, and have the option of sending additional resources. LNS will also make the content available to other local media outlets, be it print, radio, websites or even rival stations, for a fee.

B&C calls the idea “similar to the role that the AP plays for newspapers. The leaders of both NBC and Fox local stations acknowledge the uniqueness of the concept, but are quick to point out that there are no real hurdles to making it happen. For the affiliates, however, it might be a bit more problematic.

Affiliates appeared curious to hear more about the project. “We’re in an era where any idea that helps us be more efficient in our newsgathering is worth considering,” says KING/KONG Seattle President/General Manager Ray Heacox (KING is a Belo-owned NBC affiliate), who pointed out that he wasn’t entirely familiar with the project. “But I would have lots of questions about how it balances the competitive needs in local markets.”

This kind of joint operating agreement was inevitable given the advance of technology and the current economic crisis for local media. The way this thing is being set up, it could easily evolve to its own separate business entity and function to serve the basic news needs of multiple media outlets in the market, including the newspaper(s). I made this prediction over 10 years ago, and I still believe it makes smart business sense. I think we’ll also see a rise of independent video journalists who will work as independent contractors, and many of them won’t have come through the local news farm system. It’s an obvious fruit of the personal media revolution.

For sure, a separate entity covering the nuts and bolts of local news for all media companies will mean a significant cost saving, and it ought to concern newsroom employees everywhere. “Efficiency,” after all, often means the loss of jobs. But I believe that people employed at the street level by television stations should examine this for its potential upside on their futures. If you want to stay in the community where you currently live, for example, a separate newsgathering entity offers a pretty secure cocoon in these troubled times.

One of the big raps against local TV news has always been the revolving door brought about by people jumping markets to get ahead, and these kinds of separate business entities will put a dent in that. After all, for a “Local News Service” to be successful, it’ll be all about the coverage, not the personalities delivering it.

Of course, the next logical step is a joint presentation arrangement between all parties online, a single portal where members of the community can access everybody’s content. That will take a level of cooperation, however, far beyond this deal between NBC and Fox, but we must always have in the backs of our minds the fact that our competition online isn’t necessarily our competition off-line.

While we duke it out in the open air, the pureplay companies are having their way with the local online ad market. In the end, they are a much bigger enemy than traditional media competitors.

(Originally published in AR&D’s Media 2.0 Intel newsletter)
Full-feed RSS is a jewel that media companies refuse to explore

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 5:51pm CST by Terry

The UK’s The Guardian shocked many people two weeks ago when it became the first major newspaper in the world to offer full text RSS feeds, something I’ve been wondering about for years. It’s is a significant milestone, and it is absolutely inevitable that every media company will go this route sooner or later.

The depth and potential of the subscription (RSS) Web — in which people can bring content to themselves rather than “visiting” websites — has been held back by companies who heretofore have only used RSS to “tease” people. The hope is that they will click through to the company’s portal website, where the eyeballs can be counted for advertising. This has been traditional media’s downfall in the use of RSS, because the technology has advanced to the point where it’s possible to serve and count ads in feeds.

Tech media and bloggers have been providing full feed RSS for years, having gone through the pro and con arguments long ago. Media companies didn’t participate in this, because RSS for media has always been restricted to a marketing tool. I subscribe to 40 RSS feeds, and very few are partial text. I keep those in my reader only because I have to, but I very rarely click through to read the full text. I’ve long thought it was an insult to provide only partial text, but I’ve grown to believe it’s much more than that. Those companies who provide only partial text feeds are shooting themselves in the foot, because on the Web, authority and relevance go to those who play the game the Media 2.0 way.

Broadcasting and Cable, for example, provides many feeds, but they are useless in terms of communicating information, which is what RSS was created to do. RSS isn’t a manipulative marketing tool. It’s an end unto itself, and until we start using it as such, we’re going to miss the opportunities it offers.

The Guardian has opened the door, although only partially. It’s not including images, and has decided that it will only offer full text on stories the paper feels it can legally distribute. The paper has also announced that it will begin running ads in the full text stories, which will be the big differentiator. Sooner or later, the paper will discover that it can also offer ads “as items” in the feeds, and then the real business model will be established.

The place-based distribution available through RSS is the future, folks. The mobile Web forces the issue, because browsing on a portable device offers virtually no business model, and the only question is who will get there first at the local level. This is another reason why we so strongly advocate a blog-based, continuous news model for local media. Its output is an RSS “river of news,” that plays well in the place-based distribution model.

Let me repeat: RSS is not a tool for driving traffic to your portal; it’s a valuable way of communicating your products and services to an increasingly networked culture. Ignore it at your own peril.

(Originally posted in AR&D’s Media 2.0 Intel newsletter)

John Jantsch Duct Tape Marketing

Automating Social Media Activity

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 2:43pm CST by John Jantsch

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Automating Social Media Activity

Does automating some of your social media activity automatically make it, well, less social? That’s the question I’ve been batting around a bit with some social mediaists. See, I think that small business owners sometimes stay away from some new media tools because they seem like a lot of work with little immediate return.

I’ve long preached the middle ground that brings some relief for time strapped business owners trying to juggle it all and that middle ground includes the “smart” use of tools that help you get more done with less time invested.

Now, in most cases I suggest utilizing some of these tools in conjunction with good old fashion social networking that is individual and one to one. Automation is not a substitute, more of a supplement.

Here are a couple shortcuts and resources that come to mind.

1) TweetLater or EasyTweets - allows me to auto follow back anyone who follows me and auto send a welcome message via DM. - This one gets mixed reviews from Twitter maniacs as it can be abused - don’t use it to auto send your spam selling messages, use it to greet a new follower in a fun and engaging way. I get lots of messages back from my auto greets as many people don’t sense it’s an auto generated message. You’ve still got to reach out to people and connect, but this gets the ball rolling automatically and saves a great deal of time. (I’ll do a screencast on how to do this if I get some requests)
2) Twitter Tools - A WordPress plug-in that republishes my blog posts to Twitter, effectively letting followers know I have new content on my blog. Again, mixed in with twitter posts of a more organic nature this is a decent way to keep content flowing and generate some traffic to your blog.
3) Twitter application in Facebook - posts my Twitter updates to Facebook status. I seem to have a different network on Facebook than I do on Twitter so this helps spread the content. I don’t think this is a high level use of Facebook by any means, but I do get interaction from Facebook folks from this activity.
4) Feedheads application in Facebook - I read lots of RSS feeds and using Google Reader and the Feedheads application for Facebook I post my shared Reader items to my Facebook profile each day.
5) TweetDeck - Desktop application that allows me to show Twitter searches, DMs and Replies in one screen. There are any number of tools to get this done, but I like the interface of TweetDeck
6) Facebook Toolbar for Firefox - shows status updates of network in the background as I work. This can be annoying but it keeps you in touch easily with your network. I’ve snagged interviews with journalists looking for sources this way.

So, what are some of your socially accepted shortcuts?

Guy Kawasaki :: Signal Without Noise

The Art of Laying People Off

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 1:02pm CST by GuyKawasaki

Over at the American Express OPEN Forum, I posted an article explaining “The Art of Laying People Off.” Actually, I hope you don’t have to read it.

Church of the Customer Blog - Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba

How much is that doggie ticket?

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 12:56pm CST by Jackie Huba
If you fly with a small dog, be prepared to pay a lot.

I wanted to take Mini, my 10-pound toy poodle, with me during a Thanksgiving trip. My round-trip ticket cost: roughly $300.

Here were the round-trip costs for Mini to ride under the seat in front of me:
- American Airlines: $200
- USAirways: $200
- JetBlue: $200
- Continental Airlines: $250
- Delta: $300
- United Airlines: $350
- Southwest Airlines: does not allow pets (except service animals)
On most of the airlines, it would cost nearly the same to stow Mini as a carry-on bag under the seat in front of me as my own seat. On one airline, Mini's ticket would cost more than my own.

Just a few years ago, airlines were touting "fly with your pet" programs. This year, most airlines have raised all of their fees across the board, including pet fees.

Can someone explain the economics of extremely high pet fees? Are the airlines trying to disincentivize carry-on pets, or do they see it as easy money because of well-heeled dog owners?

As for my travel plans, I'm staying put.

My Name is Kate

links for 2008-11-19

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 12:30pm CST by Kate
- FCC Transition Team co-chairs are virtual worlds nuts, too - Boing Boing Triumph of the nerds!!! (tags: virtualworlds obama fcc transitionteam netneutrality)
- LIFE photo archive hosted by Google Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google. (tags: search resource reference pictures photography)

Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog

Answering the Brand Naming Question: "What's In a Name?"

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 8:13am CST

One of the benefits of being a naming company is getting the opportunity to work in many diverse businesses and industries both domestically and globally.

It's surprising to us at Strategic Name Development that although the businesses and industries may vary, the naming challenges are more similar than dissimilar.

And yet, despite these similarities, every single day is different. It makes for interesting work and reminds me of what Confucius says about one's career: "Find something you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life."

We love what we do.

From time to time the media contacts us for a story on some of the work that we've done. The subject of brand name development seems to have inherent interest to the press.

A recent Finance and Commerce article, that targets senior executives, featured Strategic Name Development. Yes, it mentions some of the names we created, like Cenovus, an oil company spinoff from EnCana, and the Baconator, and Maxtra, a global motorcycle brand for the number one motorcycle manufacturer in China.

But what you may find even more interesting is our thoughts on the name development process discussed in the article.

Technorati Tags: Brand Naming, Brand Name Development, Finance and Commerce, Maxtra, Baconator, Cenovus, EnCana

Canadian Marketing Blog - Canadian Marketing Association

Waiting for Service - Is it Worth the Price?

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 8:00am CST

I was rereading some research that our company conducted on wait times this past summer. It noted that 86% of Canadians leave a store because they are frustrated at waiting for service. Of these, 70% told others of their negative experience. This Christmas season, it appears that many consumers are going to shop based on price. Does the experience still matter?

Yes. Price may bring consumers in, but poor service and unhelpful staff will prevent them from coming back. Instead of merely building traffic or pushing price stories, we need to consider a broader customer experience.

Marketing involves the entire range of consumer interactions. Sometimes we forget the human dimension of the purchase decision, that dimension delivered by the sales person. One of the most cost effective tools is education and training. Long overlooked by marketing or considered an HR or Sales responsibility, learning how to properly represent and sell products is critical. The point of interaction between the consumer and the sales person can be the strongest brand message of all.

I feel that the last four feet, that distance between a consumer and sales person, is a key opportunity to increase sales. If that in-store person does not support your brand message, all of your marketing efforts are for naught. Sure there will be a lot of price driven consumers this holiday shopping season. But are we ready to gamble that price is the only purchase or repurchase consideration?

Seth's Blog

The edifice complex

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 4:50am CST by Seth Godin

Why do banks spend so much money on marble lobbies, high ceilings and yes, $400 million to name a baseball stadium?

Why do marketers buy TV ads that don't increase sales in the short run?

Why have a receptionist and not just a house phone where you can call the person you came to see?

For the same reason that so many people have a green front lawn.

It's organized waste. Profligate spending designed to communicate confidence and just a bit of hubris.

Do you really want to invest money at a bank run by a guy with nothing but a bridge table and a cheap suit? Probably not. At some level, we like the confidence that we get from that big lobby. We are more likely to perk up when the reporter has her cameraman aim a huge black video camera (with lights!) at us, even though the little hand held camera might work just as well...

In times of financial stress and bailouts, the obvious solution (eliminate all the waste!) is not the one that works. In fact, in these times, we're more likely than ever to be nervous about the status of the organization we're working with.

I'd replace the expensive sponsorships and buildings with something more valuable, quicker to market and far more efficient: people. Real people, trustworthy people, honest people... people who take their time, look you in the eye, answer the phone and keep their promises. Not as easy to implement as writing a big check for the Super Bowl, but a lot more effective.

Emergence Marketing

Social media IS counter cyclical - so engage NOW!

Posted: November 19th, 2008, 4:46am CST by francois

When economic times turn bad and unemployment is on the rise, people tend to network more. In this social media-enabled era that means that many increasingly turn to online social networks and communities.

So the counter-intuitive thing to do in this economic downturn - engage more aggressively with your customers, prospects and detractors in social media and social networks.

And when you do, remember that the most important behavioral attribute is not transparency, but empathy and reciprocity.

What do you think? Are you using LinkedIn or Facebookmore often? Would you network more heavily on Twitter or in other communities right now?

Seth's Blog

Don't get fooled again...

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 5:14pm CST by Seth Godin

[This post is cynical. You've been warned.]

If you think that's a friend of yours on twitter, don't be so sure.

If you wonder why your boss sent such an insane email to you, don't be so sure.

If you get a chance to invest online, think twice.

Don't buy anything from an inbound phone call.

That email you sent in confidence... probably won't be read that way. And that photo, yes, it's going to show up in the digital world where you least want to see it...

In your little village, where you see your neighbor every day for ten years and the person in the next car might be the local constable, the rules are very simple and obeyed by all. In an electronic world, it's trivial to impersonate, hack and otherwise annoy.

Online, rely on direct, personal interactions to be sure you're seeing what you think you're seeing. Trust, but verify.

Brand Autopsy

Three Reads

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 4:35pm CST by johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)

ONE | The New Yorker visits Snow’s BBQ
The best BBQ joint in Texas keeps getting attention. This time, The New Yorker visits. For those needing a refresher on Snow’s BBQ, read this post and watch this video ditty. >> READ MORETWO | A Scarcity of Achievement
Malcolm Galdwell recently spoke at Pop!Tech and shared some interesting tid-bits from his just published book, OUTLIERS. >> WATCH VIDEOTHREE | Malcolm Gladwell is "Unoriginal" and "Unserious"
Jason Zengerle takes a critical look into Malcolm Gladwell and his impact. Agree or disagree, its an interesting article about an interesting man.>> READ MORE

Terry Heaton's PoMo Blog

This is why transparency is should be a new value for journalism

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 11:04am CST by Terry

Look, I have no problem with reporters having opinions. I just wish they were up front about it.

Witness a veteran NPR political reporter telling a crowd at a radio event in Grand Rapids, Michigan (my home town, BTW) that Barack Obama “doesn’t have that thing in him that needs to be loved.” This, Don Gonyea said, is what sets President-elect Barack Obama apart from other politicians.

“He ran a remarkable and disciplined campaign. It was a wonder to behold,” Gonyea said.

Obama’s speeches in Iowa were like hymns, he said.

Obama “never got rattled by anything,” Gonyea said.

Gosh, I wonder if his worship of the candidate impacted his reporting. Nah, he’s a professional.

Right.

(tip via Romenesko)

Guy Kawasaki :: Signal Without Noise

Free Reality Check Teleseminar

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 10:46am CST by GuyKawasaki

Join me, Andy Sernovitz, Pam Slim, and Rich Sloan for a Reality Check teleseminar today (11/18/08). 2:00 pm Pacific time. Sign up here.

John Jantsch Duct Tape Marketing

Two Great Software Titles, One Great Price

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 10:33am CST by John Jantsch

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Two Great Software Titles, One Great Price

As you may know I have partnered with Palo Alto Software to produce a marketing planning software based on my Duct Tape Marketing System and book. The software is very practical and functions more like an action planning tool than a document creation tool. It is called Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing and early reviews have all been very positive.

I’m also a fan of ACT CRM software from Sage. There are lots of choices in this category these days but ACT!2009 is still one of my favorites for small businesses.

So, have I got a deal for you! Palo Alto has bundled these two great titles and is offering the bundle at $150 off the price to acquire the two separately.

Sorry for the overtly commercial message here, but I just had to share this with you.

Buy Marketing Plan Pro and ACT!2009 for $150 off

Name Wire: The Product Naming Blog

Rescue Plan Linguistics: A Bailout by Any Other Name

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 8:48am CST

Attempts to euphemize the $700 billion bailout seem to have been largely unsuccessful so far.

The New York Times, Wall Street Journal , and NPR all continue to refer to a "bailout" in their headlines, even if they use more formal terminology later on in their stories, while a Google Blog Search produces nearly 1 million results for the same term.

Part of the difficulty with the implementation of the plan may be because of the alternatives we've given to "bailout."

Take "Troubled Asset Relief Program." While the American economy is definitely in need of relief, what exactly are troubled assets? Are they more like troubled waters, or troubled minds? Do we build bridges over them, or send them for counseling? "Toxic assets" seems much closer to the mark, though the word "worthless" does occur to a mind that insists on calling a spade a bloody shovel.

And then there's the acronym "TARP." One generally spreads a tarp over things to protect them. Fine, insofar as it goes, but a tarpaulin protects things by covering them up. Frankly, a bailout sounds more above-board than a cover-up.

More than a year ago, the banks tried to stave off debt problems by creating a "Super SIV." To the non-investor, that sounds like a weapon.

As for the "Master Liquidity Enhancement Conduit," that sounds like something you might need that bloody shovel to dig through.

There are probably more reasons than bad brand naming that necessitated more drastic measures a year later, but we have to wonder if nominal polymorphism contributes to the continual redefinition of the 2008 bailout plan.

Technorati Tags: Bailout, Brand Naming, TARP, Troubled Asset Relief Program, Super SIV, Master Liquidity Enhancement Conduit, Linguistics

Canadian Marketing Blog - Canadian Marketing Association

Economy Trumps Environment

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 8:00am CST

Marks & Spencer, one of the UK's largest retailers, is set to move away from their environmental initiative, Plan A - Because there is no Plan B. Plan A is a five year plan that M&S has developed to hold themselves and their customers responsible for climate change, waste reduction, building a healthier planet, and ethical trading. They initiated this program in response to the public's demand for businesses to be held accountable for their actions. Over the past year, M&S has spent a considerable amount of pounds developing Plan A. Over the last few months however, while leading economists predict that the UK will be hardest hit by the economic downturn, the retailing giant is focusing more on price reduction than their Plan A initiative. The economy has trumped the environment for now, and it's hard to say whether that's a good or bad thing at the moment.

Here in Canada, Heather Reisman, CEO, Indigo Music & Books Inc., has recently launched Pistachio, a green-conscious shop she hopes to expand nation-wide over the coming months. Reisman has herself admitted this might be a tough endeavour given today's economy. My recent visit to the nut-hued shop proves otherwise. It was busy and bustling with no shortage of money exchanging hands. Not only is the shop Bullfrog-powered, but everything you buy is environmentally friendly. The products, mostly cards, wrapping paper, and other paper-based items are flirty, friendly, and unique. You want to buy them, and I'm not sure it has anything to do with the environment, that aspect is but a massive by-product.

It seems that Pistachio has found a niche market - customers unaffected by these turbulent times. People willing and more importantly able to part with money for a cause. And that statement right there does not sit well with me. Our children's children, whether they be rich or poor will feel the effects of how we've managed and marketed the environment over the next few years. At the moment, it seems to be a trend that only certain people can follow, let's hope this is not the case for much longer.

John Jantsch Duct Tape Marketing

Reality Check with Guy Kawasaki

Posted: November 18th, 2008, 7:31am CST by John Jantsch

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Reality Check with Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki stopped by the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast to discuss his newest book Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition.

Reality Check is a compilation of some of Guy’s greatest hits, posts and articles, but it is not simply a rehashing. This format brings his down to earth style into much greater overall context. When you read one of Guy’s blog posts you get his thoughts at that moment, but a collection of his posts framed in a category, makes for a much more strategic read.

The thing I love the most about his book is that you can plop it open to any page and just start reading. You don’t have to read it cover to cover, every single page seems to hold a nugget of great, or at least amusing, advice.

Some of Guy’s gems include the 10,20,30 rule of presentations - no more than 10 slides, delivered in 20 minutes, no type smaller than 30 point. Or, sales fixing everything - get selling and worry about creating the sock puppets when you have cash flow. Go check it out!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast is brought to you by att.com/onwardsmallbiz. Resources for the small business owner.