ABSOLUT INNOVATION
Our innovation section offers branding ideas and guidance on how to make you different.
Lesson: The Lowly Business Card Is Your Most Important Ad
Lesson: Figure out Your Why
Most companies' vision and mission statements are useless and most of the framed statements hanging on the walls of businesses or on websites are nothing more than a description of what the company does.
The kind of "vision" statement to which I am referring usually looks something like this:
...to be the leading supplier of [insert product or service] at the best possible price with the best possible service...blah blah blah value...blah blah blah customer satisfaction & innovation....blah blah blah leader in our industry.
A good mission or vision statement is just that, a statement of a vision - a look ahead into the future. A vision statement is an articulation of a view of the world that your company and your people are working towards. It is your WHY for doing what you do. A good vision statement can inspire loyalty, hard work and create improvement. Customer Service and Integrity are not measurable and these two points should be a given for any business. If any employees in your company are lacking these qualities shouldn't be given a mission statement, they should be given a pink slip.
Lesson: Marketing Is About Being Remembered
Think for a minute whose advertising you remember. Then decide if you like their tactics of advertising. Then find an ad agency that can help you achieve your goals.
Lesson: Why You Have To Have A Website
Lesson: How to Screw Up
Lesson: How To Get Better Results
Case Study: Manipulation versus Inspiration
There are only two ways to get people to act: manipulate them or inspire them. Both are effective strategies. Manipulations are dropping your price, having a promotion, using a scare tactic can be very effective, but the gains are usually short term. Over time, manipulations tend to get expensive - marketers must keep coming up with bigger and better manipulations sometimes at the expensive of profits and always at the sacrifice of developing loyal relationships with customers.
Apple, Harley-Davidson, Nike, among others have learned to inspire their customers. It's what has given all of them such amazing influence over their respective industries and our lives. And they do it by communicating Why they do what they do - their purpose, cause or belief - before they tell you about What they do or What they sell.
On the other hand - there are companies like GM. Instead of inspiring people with a greater cause, they used cash-back incentives to "buy" their customers...and look what happened to them. Not only did it eat away at their profits, but when they tried to eliminate the "incentives" or raise their prices, their customers abandoned them...i.e. no loyalty.
The companies that are successful at driving long-term growth and developing strong, loyal relationships with their customers are those that communicate their purpose, cause or belief first. The medium or promotion simply helps reinforce their message.
Case Study: Focus on the Customer
Good marketing is completely focused on the customer. The primary message of a piece of marketing should be about the customer's life and/or lifestyle and then neatly incorporate a product or service into that life and/or lifestyle in a way that makes sense.
Apple's iPod marketing serves as a good example. Apple states simply, "10,000 songs in your pocket." The message is all about the consumer's life or lifestyle. It's a very different message than "20 gigabyte mp3 player" which is a description of the product. Even if 20 GB is a good thing or 30 GB or 40GB, who cares if a consumer can't easily relate to and integrate it into their lives.
Lesson: The Lowly Business Card Is Your Most Important Ad
- Always carry cards with you; give them to everyone you meet.
- If you have a website ensure your email address matches the domain name.
- Use the back to say something important.
Lesson: Figure out Your Why
Most companies' vision and mission statements are useless and most of the framed statements hanging on the walls of businesses or on websites are nothing more than a description of what the company does.
The kind of "vision" statement to which I am referring usually looks something like this:
...to be the leading supplier of [insert product or service] at the best possible price with the best possible service...blah blah blah value...blah blah blah customer satisfaction & innovation....blah blah blah leader in our industry.
A good mission or vision statement is just that, a statement of a vision - a look ahead into the future. A vision statement is an articulation of a view of the world that your company and your people are working towards. It is your WHY for doing what you do. A good vision statement can inspire loyalty, hard work and create improvement. Customer Service and Integrity are not measurable and these two points should be a given for any business. If any employees in your company are lacking these qualities shouldn't be given a mission statement, they should be given a pink slip.
Lesson: Marketing Is About Being Remembered
Think for a minute whose advertising you remember. Then decide if you like their tactics of advertising. Then find an ad agency that can help you achieve your goals.
Lesson: Why You Have To Have A Website
- The yellow pages are dying and expensive but do both if you can afford it.
- It isn’t obsolete the moment it’s done, like print possibly is for you. But do both if you can afford it.
- It works when you are sleeping 375 days a year for probably 5 years before it needs updated.
- It's cheaper than another salesperson. Average cost for a 10 page site is $5000.00. At 5 years that is $2.60 per day / $78.00 per month / $1000.00 per year. Or you could pay another salesperson a salary of say $38,000.00 per year if you want.
- You do have a business right?
Lesson: How to Screw Up
- Do what you’ve done before.
- Allow media reps to create your ad campaign or schedule.
- Not have a website.
- Not gather data from your existing customers.
- Use only type one media to advertise
- Compare to your competition.
Lesson: How To Get Better Results
- Advertising is cumulative – be consistent.
- We’re tuned to notice things that are different – how are you different?
- If it doesn’t make you a little bit uncomfortable, it probably is too much like everything else you’ve seen.
- If you can’t afford to reach everyone you think you should, concentrate your efforts where they will get you the maximum efficiency.
- Be your brand identity– stay in character.
Case Study: Manipulation versus Inspiration
There are only two ways to get people to act: manipulate them or inspire them. Both are effective strategies. Manipulations are dropping your price, having a promotion, using a scare tactic can be very effective, but the gains are usually short term. Over time, manipulations tend to get expensive - marketers must keep coming up with bigger and better manipulations sometimes at the expensive of profits and always at the sacrifice of developing loyal relationships with customers.
Apple, Harley-Davidson, Nike, among others have learned to inspire their customers. It's what has given all of them such amazing influence over their respective industries and our lives. And they do it by communicating Why they do what they do - their purpose, cause or belief - before they tell you about What they do or What they sell.
On the other hand - there are companies like GM. Instead of inspiring people with a greater cause, they used cash-back incentives to "buy" their customers...and look what happened to them. Not only did it eat away at their profits, but when they tried to eliminate the "incentives" or raise their prices, their customers abandoned them...i.e. no loyalty.
The companies that are successful at driving long-term growth and developing strong, loyal relationships with their customers are those that communicate their purpose, cause or belief first. The medium or promotion simply helps reinforce their message.
Case Study: Focus on the Customer
Good marketing is completely focused on the customer. The primary message of a piece of marketing should be about the customer's life and/or lifestyle and then neatly incorporate a product or service into that life and/or lifestyle in a way that makes sense.
Apple's iPod marketing serves as a good example. Apple states simply, "10,000 songs in your pocket." The message is all about the consumer's life or lifestyle. It's a very different message than "20 gigabyte mp3 player" which is a description of the product. Even if 20 GB is a good thing or 30 GB or 40GB, who cares if a consumer can't easily relate to and integrate it into their lives.