We’re taking a break from writing Marketing Matters and DISPATCHES while we enjoy a holiday. We’re celebrating Mother’s Day here in the U.S. and wish all of you mothers and/or your mothers a wonderful day. We’ll return with Marketing Matters and DISPATCHES the week of 17 May. Peace and best wishes,
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When developing the strategic messaging for your business or brand, it is essential to say what you mean and mean what you say. You might say, “certainly.” But few marketers do it. I’m referring to the Creative Brief, which, unfortunately, is, generally speaking, anything but brief! Specifically, I’m reeling against the type and number of […]
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Last Thursday, 23 April, was World Book Day. We hope you took notice. It’s the day to recognize and promote the benefit of reading books. World Book Day is organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The date is rather auspicious. It marks the day that several prominent authors were either born […]
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I recall an instructive story told in the book ART & FEAR by David Bayles & Ted Orland, that I read many years ago, dealing with the creative process. It provides valuable insight into the creative process and what it takes to achieve success. The story is of a ceramics instructor who divides his class […]
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“Do you need to have a brand new idea or invent something radically different in order to create ‘difference?’ No, not necessarily. Starbucks didn’t invent coffee, and Apple didn’t invent the smartphone; these companies simply created new experiences of them, which in turn created a whole new set of meanings that we attached to what were […]
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I’m curious about how many calls it takes on average for a salesperson to make a sale to a prospective customer for a given brand or her/his company. The same goes for the number of impressions an ad must make to create a customer. What does it take? I came across the following: The Rule […]
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“So, remember that rising productivity means getting more output for less input.” (Anonymous) “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” (Bruce Lee) “The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.” (Bruce Lee) There’s an old chestnut in some companies—especially popular among the company’s operations folks—that the term “marketing productivity” […]
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Innovation – going from idea to impact This morning I applied a fresh FreeStyle Libre 14-Day Sensor. It’s a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). You apply the sensor to the back of the upper arm. Load the FreeStyle app on your mobile phone. Click where indicated on the app, point the top of the phone over […]
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Contrary to what you may have learned in school, positioning is the most important “P” in marketing. It should not be treated as a subset of promotion. To create a competitive positioning strategy, it must reflect your aspirations for the brand and its relationship to target customers within the context of market competitors. The Brand […]
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This video is a continuation of my discussion with Bill Weintraub, former CMO of Kellogg’s, Tropicana, and Coors, regarding advertising. This is Part 2. It addresses our perceptions of “the current state of advertising” and some of the many factors contributing to it. See it here: “NINETY-NINE PERCENT OF ADVERTISING DOESN’T SELL MUCH OF ANYTHING.” David […]
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