Are you as amazed as I am that so many companies make it difficult to do business with them. Cable and wireless companies … hello? And yet when you have an encounter with a company that makes the buying experience pleasant and productive, you have to wonder why everyone doesn’t see the light. I had such a experience yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »
If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that I frequently talk about the “gold mine” of information that resides in operational data. Leveraging the information can improve marketing ROI dramatically … and quickly. Another buried treasure among all that data is information that can help you detect customers at most risk for defection. Read the rest of this entry »
Even though most of us wince when we fill-up our gas tanks these days, there are those who are benefiting from escalating fuel costs. No, I’m not talking about the oil producers, Read the rest of this entry »
I just read a very informative article on Internet Retailer’s IR NewsLink regarding a demonstrated return from social marketing. It’s not the percentages of buyers that impressed me, but rather the strategy used to engage customers in an interactive experience resulting in actual sales. Here’s the article in full. Read the rest of this entry »
For years, Cadillac’s focus was to affirm the buying decision of those who purchased one of their vehicles. Here’s an old ad that speaks about the women who drive a Cadillac. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s no secret that marketing as we knew it is no longer. Traditional strategies, ideas and formulas have an increasingly marginal role. One-to-one communication and peer sharing is transforming the success equation.
I came across an interesting video from Brian Fetherstonhaugh, Chairman & Global CEO of OgilvyOne Worldwide. He makes the point that the pillars of marketing since the 60’s: Product, Place, Price and Promotion are being replaced. Instead of the four “P’s, he sees them as the four “E’s”
Before you watch the video, write down what you think are the four “E’s” and compare answers.
I’m standing in line with a cart full of groceries while on vacation last week at a beach community in North Carolina. Like most who rent a house for a week or two, soon after arrival you venture to the local supermarket to stock the larder with a carload of groceries. Of course, you walk into the store about the same time as a hoard of others who have just checked-in to their houses, too. You get the idea, it’s crowded.
And, then as I’m standing there, I overhear a checkout associate say to another associate … “I hate this. I absolutely hate this crush of people. They’re all in a hurry to rush back to their precious beach houses. They make me sick.”
As I hear this I look up at a huge sign that read: Welcome! We’re Down Home, Just Down The Street.”
Even though I was doing my best to “disengage” from thinking about work for a few days, I couldn’t help but think about the CMO, his staff and agency that developed the tag line to reflect how they wanted their customers to feel about their shopping experience. Not only was the associate way out of alignment with the brand , she apparently possessed little sense of a customer’s value to her livelihood.
It was a good reminder that for every dollar we spend to market a product or service, we need to consider the resources needed to ensure that those charged with carrying out the brand promise actually do so.
Try this experiment. Count the number of messages you are exposed to from the time you get up in the morning until the time you arrive at work. I counted one morning last week and the number surprised me. Read the rest of this entry »
In an earlier post we talked about how the “green” movement is impacting marketing efforts. Here is a short video about the anticipated market size of “green” consumers, what they respond to and how companies need to approach these targets.
