I read a lot of books about branding and marketing. One thing about which they all agree is “read lots of books.” But these books tend to cite similar case studies — especially the new ones trying to make a buck off of social media. One case study you’ll read a good deal about is Monster.com
Leaders lead and Monster is a brand that has done a pretty good job of leading. I’ve spent some time on Monster but honestly, have never used any of the features bloggers and book authors discuss as builders of loyalty and value. Resume writing, dressing for success, etc. have not bound me to Monster one bit. It has always been about the search and user interface. Plus they were first.
Then I took my son to college orientation earlier this year and one the big group presentations was a data party put on by Monster. Smart. The speaker was from Monster, as was the literature and much of the advice. The point of the event was “Here’s what you need to do at school to succeed and get a good job.” They made great points: grades matter, it’s not hard to allocate 2 hours a day to studying, go to class, it will be competitive when you get out. This is a wonderful marketing strategy; beyond wonderful. It was forward-looking, targeted, important, agenda-neutral and believable.
I don’t know where Monster will be in 4 years but I do know where my son will be. And if Monster keeps up with this type of marketing, he will definitely be touched by their brand. When cause marketing is personal it’s a winner. Peace!
