Yearly Archives: 2016

Self-Driving Cars. Oh my!

By
Steve Poppe
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0

Automobile accidents in America have reached their highest points since 2008. Why, you might ask?  I suspect it’s because of mobile technology. Texting, downloading, GPS settings, lying to Waze. Even calls from mom.

Mobile technology is here to stays and, sadly, we haven’t had the foresight to legislate it so we don’t run into one another. We need to block hand-operated digital phones used by drivers. But that may not happen. So what’s the next best thing in this age where we will only use technology and phones more? Self-driving cars.  It’s a safe alternative that will allow us to use our phones and other tech. No brainer.

Had it not been for growth of mobile devices, self-driving cars may not have on our radar for a few more years. Perhaps we’d have cured cancer – causing the average life expectancy of Americans to reach 95. And that would have necessitated the need for self-driving cars.  We always need to see the big picture as well as the cause and effect. Just sayin’.

Peace.

 

Brand Strategy Workshop, Part 3.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

In my two previous posts we outlined “proof gathering” and the creation of “brand planks.” Now comes the hard part. The Idea. As in What’s The Idea?  The idea is actually a claim. A claim of something offered or gained. It must be consumer-valuable. Good claims often contain a little poetry. Perhaps some fun and timely culture or metaphor.  That way they’re pregnant with meaning.

claim-and-proof-plank-visual

The claim must be single-minded. No commas, conjunctions or run on thoughts. A simple lone statement. It must be tied to the 3 brand planks. Since planks are proof of the claim, you’re really working backwards. Be careful not to use common marketing words in your claim. Spice them up. “Low cost,” for instance, isn’t very exciting. Lastly, the claim must spark creativity among the art directors, writers and designers assigned to handle the buildable.

Part 3 of the workshop will be assigned as homework. You can’t force an idea. But since all attendees will be working from the same briefing documents, we will entertain “ideas” from the group. Over the last 45 minutes we’ll paper the walls with claims and attempt to tie them to the planks as a group.

Attendees will be given 48 hours to submit their final claim and proof planks via email at which time a winner will be announced. It should be a blast.

If your organization would be willing to act as a trial balloon for this new workshop, please write Steve@whatstheidea.com.

Peace.

 

Brand Strategy Workshop, Part 2.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

So yesterday I outlined part one of my (in-development) brand strategy workshop. In it I’ll provide a data and information dump to attendees and have them underline all the “proofs” of marketing success they come across. Part two will see them take the 30 or so pages of proof and do something smart with it. 

For the allotted 30 minutes, attendees will be instructed to read and reread the underlined items.  The goal of this “reading of proofs” is to begin to organize them into groupings.  Ideally at the end of the exercise, I’m going to see it they can find 3 discrete groupings. There may be two or four and there will certainly be some outliers, but three is the goal. This is the beginning of brand planks.  The groupings we’re looking for are extreme customer care-abouts or brand good-ats.  At the really expensive business consulting companies these groupings are called clusters. Clusters that computers and data analysts array.  In our workshop, the brains of attendees will do the work.  

Tune in Monday for Part 3. The Claim.

Brand Strategy Workshop, Part 1.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

I’m thinking about developing a brand planning workshop around the part of my practice devoted to “proof.”  I’ve spoken before groups on numerous occasions but those speeches tended to about theory.  Presentations include “Social Media Guard Rails,” some others about marketing plan development, and others sharing planning tips and tricks. But I have yet to do a participatory workshop. That’s what people want. A workshop where they learn by participating.

So my idea is to create a big dump of reading, maybe with some picture and video, about a company or product. It might include a piece of topline research and trade some press articles. The lion’s share would be interviews with customers and stakeholders. The dump will offer about 45 minutes worth of reading.

I’ll explain that their task is to underline the proof. Proof of value. Proof of superiority. Proof of “good-ats” and “care-abouts.” Not marko-babble…tangible, understandable value.

Tomorrow, I’ll share with you what we’ll do with that proof.

PEACE in Syria.

 

Pop Up Magazines.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

Rich Battista was just made the chief executive of Time Inc. He has been charged with creating a growth strategy out of a business anchored to magazines, the flagships of which are Time, Sports Illustrated and People. Most everyone agrees that the future for Time Inc. is digital.

Here’s my take.  The weekly, bi-weekly (or is it semi-weekly) and monthly magazines should stop publishing and become digital.  News is hourly and most of these properties need to have websites that reflect so. Magazines still have a place, but I’m afraid they are better as mementos and commemoratives. The Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue is one example. Think of these as pop-up magazines. They can also be created for more limited, targeted audiences. Also events. And as such will be better advertising vehicles.  Time, for instance, might put together a print magazine on the state of space travel. These would offer an even more in-depth look than would be available in a weekly effort. As “keepables” these magazines aren’t as likely to offend conservationists. I see Time Inc. as having some print but it will be pop-up print. 

Setting up this new organization will be like herding cats though. That’s the challenge.  That’s why Mr. Battista is paid the big bucks.

Bold? Yes. Today? Yes’er.

Peace. 

 

 

 

Good-Ats and Care-Abouts.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

“Preservation is one of the highest forms of good citizenship” said the late John Belle, partner at Beyer, Blinder and Belle, the architectural firm that renovated Grand Central Terminal. Words to live by, also, in the branding business.

We want to preserve in the minds of consumers a brand’s “good-ats.” And we want to maintain the linkage of those good-ats to consumers’ most strenuous “care-abouts.”  Good brands start with good products. It’s simple really — build a product that is good at something. Make sure it’s something customers really care about.  Then work your ass off to preserve the product good-ats over time.  

One definition of branding is “identity + reputation.” It’s a nice definition but doesn’t take into account product — or should I say core product value. Good-ats and care-abouts.

So when you are spending a quarter of a million dollars with a big branding firm, make sure your strategy and tagline have a product component to it. Otherwise, your brand strategy firm may not be good-at branding. Peace.

 

 

 

Culture and Product.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

I just received an email from Nobl a really smart, forward thinking consulting company. The email suggested that the most important advantage a company can have is its culture.  People, products, technology, customers come and go, they say, but a tight culture holds a company together. I’m not so sure this is the most important thing. It is an important thing.

For me, a great product or service is the foundation upon which a good company is built. That’s what people shell out their hard-earned for. Culture may facilitate and create mastery over a product or service but it’s not why money exchanges hands. Culture is people centric. Brand design is product or service centric. When selling a service (as oppose to a product) the lines blur a bit but I find it always better to focus first on product and service — and the people and culture will follow.

Now let’s go to the neighborhood bar and get an ice cold draft of culture.

Peace.   

 

 

Product Is Value…in Tech.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

I used to say “People who talk about ROI aren’t, getting it.” Today, I amend to say company “CEOs who talk about shareholder value aren’t getting it.”  Look at HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise). They divided from HP, sold off their services business, are selling their software business and tightening the company compression shorts to make themselves even more attractive to shareholders. Consolidations of this sort are focused on Wall Street. But in technology you need the best product not the leanest business. 

Look at Apple.  Do you think Apple’s people really care about shareholder value as they drive to work?  No, they’re thinking product. Product innovation. Product woosh. Today, The NY Times Farhad Manjoo dinged Apple for lackluster product design of the iPhone 7…and you know that had to hurt. From Tim Cook all the way down to the parking garage attendant. But Apple knows the design is good and they know what’s in the pipeline. Apple cares about product, not shareholder value. Leave shareholder value to the tech companies on the way down. 

Peace.    

 

Evidence over Soft Claims.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

I help companies build brands by combing their business for evidence. Evidence is also proof but doesn’t turn into proof until later in the engagement — when we know what it’s proof of. (The “proof of what” is called the claim.) So at What’s The Idea? the brand exploratory is all about evidence.

If Kitchen Magic has remodeled 50,000 kitchens, that’s evidence. If Newsday provides more news coverage of Long Island than any other news source, that’s evidence. If Northwell Health delvers 42,000 babies that’s evidence.  And, if Trail Of Bits, creates a product that makes digital passwords obsolete, that’s evidence.

Marketing and advertising is tainted and ruined by too much claim and not enough evidence. 

When doing brand discovery I’m often inundated with generalizations. “Our kitchens are of the highest quality. We offer the best obstetric care. Our newspaper covers Long Island better than any other. We’re the leader in cyber security innovation.”  

These soft claims don’t help. If we can drill down so the claims are supported by evidence, then we have a place to start.

Peace.

 

Take Your Child to Work Day.

By
Steve Poppe
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0

take your child to work day

This is a story I have posted about before but it’s worth repeating. I worked as marketing director at an Ed Tech (educational technology) company a while back had to put together a talk for “Take Your Children to Work” day. The warehouse, call center, installers, professional development departments all had to do a few minutes on what mommy and daddy did. Close your eyes and imaging 60 kids sitting on a conference room floor listing to a discussion of HR. The kids were also going to tour the departments and walk through each part of the building.  A long, long day to fill.

So how does one ‘splain marketing to a disinterested kid sitting on a floor waiting for recess or snack?

“Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a lemonade stand?”

“Marketing is all the decisions you have to make in order to sell the lemonade. Are you going to use a package mix or real lemons?  How are you going to keep the ice cold?”  That’s Product of the “Four “Ps” of marketing. “How much are you going to charge for the lemonade?  Twenty five cents or a dollar?” Price. “What should the sign say? And where should you put the sign(s)? How big should the letters be on the sign?” Promotion. And lastly, “Where should you put your stand? In front of your house or on the corner, near two streets?” Place.

Always know your audience and speak to them in terms they understand.  Not in terms you understand.  Okay, it’s cookie time.

Peace.

 

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