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Last week, I was driving my twins home from pre-school when I heard an all familiar request from the back seat, “I need a tissue, please.” Being on the highway during commuting time and unable to easily find a tissue, I grabbed the next best thing – a napkin that I had taken from Dunkin’ Donuts earlier that day with my coffee. She took one look at the napkin with its pink and orange logo and said, “Hey, this is for donuts!”

Of course, I was proud of the insight of my little girl. But, it also made me stop and think about the importance of consistent branding that penetrates the market place – a message that we continually reinforce with our clients. Dunkin’ Donuts is, and has always been, consistent with its branding message. The result: not just current consumers, but also the future consumers of today’s youth, think of those delicious donuts when they see that pink and orange logo. A true branding success story!
]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=77 Tue, 22 May 2007 08:35:01 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=76 The same was true of another CEO I talked to with regard to newspaper advertising. If they hit a certain market with the right saturation, they would get a relatively expected response.

I spoke with yet another, this time the division president of a manufacturing company. If they distributed a certain number of mailings during the year, they would generate the right number of interested prospects that would lead to a predictable number of new customers.

The "Push-Pull" concept, the very foundation of marketing, is also starting to falter. Push-Pull is the two-way street of creating a sales opportunity. Imagine a doorway situated between you and a potential customer. You can either use force to pull them through the doorway, or use force to push them through it.

But it’s all breaking down. Businesses and consumers don’t want to be marketed to. Today’s buyers of business or personal goods and services don’t want to be preached to. They don’t want to be advertised to. They don’t want to be pulled, and they certainly don’t want to be pushed. I’m not sure if today’s customer REALLY wants to be sold to anymore for that matter. So what’s the answer? What is the well-meaning marketer to do?

It's time to face the fact: there’s a new sheriff(s) in town. If you’re the leader of your company, or if you have a top executive you report to, that person is NOT in charge of the business anymore. Your customers are. No longer should CEO stand for Chief Executive Officer. To remain competitive today, you must make the shift to CEO – Customer Empowered Organization.

Customers have the power now. They can turn you on, or turn you off. They can delete you, black list you, or give your brand a "virtual no" with a simple click.

What does this mean for marketers? It’s time to stop pushing and pulling, and start putting your faith, heart, soul and every ounce of being into your customers’ experience.

While they don’t want to be pushed or pulled, under the right circumstances, customers and prospects are willing to be led. People welcome leadership, either wanting to be in the presence of it, or wanting to have it. Lead them to the opportunity your brand represents, and let them be in charge of the progression every step of the way.

"Leadership Branding" represents a new platform for engaging a customer, but one that doesn’t "sell," even though the results resoundingly lead to sales. It’s an approach that has to do with offering high-quality information, experience, and empowerment, which enables the potential buyer or customer to willingly take the ride, and explore your brand with depth and purpose.
It’s time to stop serving up to prospects the information YOU want them to know. It’s time to start giving them the information THEY want to know.

Special offers, your products and services, the wonderment of your company . . . these things are BORING. Buyers don’t care. They want experience. They want leadership. They want to realize visions and dreams. They want knowledge and competitive advantage. They don’t want a solution to a problem. They want to know that you can make that problem go away, starting today, and "make it go away forever" (I credit fellow EOer David Wolfskehl for that one).

Put on your customer hat, and before taking any new marketing steps, ask these two critical questions: What do I want my customer or prospect to think when they encounter my brand? What do I want them to do? You’ve just taken your brand – and your business – to a higher level.]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=76 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 07:21:25 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=72 Read article here, and here.

I've heard mixed reviews so far. At the very least, I'm confident the new system will evolve the "fusion" of TV and web. And because I've been thinking about "Brand Fusion" a lot these days, the anouncement gave me a flashback moment:

I was shooting hoops with my brother Mike, a long-time Mac-user and art director. We were talking about the onset of the web and streaming video. He predicted that within 2 years, web and TV would be one, that people would operate both (plus a few other functions) via one standard and centralized device. The year: 1996. A great prediction at the time, but the world seems to be operating at a bit of a slower pace. And while Vista might take us another step toward web+TV fusion, I think we still have a few more years before my brother's prediction is fully realized. In the meantime, any hot stock tips, Mike?]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=72 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:07:48 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=71 Read here. I would add that a healthy pr effort, coupled with online activity, is a powerful "one-two punch" for niche businesses today.

For one, web+pr results in rapid exposure for a relatively low expenditure, compared to other brand awareness and promotional outreach methods. And, more importantly, pr+web is a "fused" category that larger brands sometimes overlook, or spend much less time with in comparison to other marketing. It opens the door for the smaller entity to capture a piece of market share, and take the bigger competitor down a notch. ]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=71 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:12:06 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=70
Apple rumor sites had be buzzing for quite a while on the iPhone. This in turn helped to fuel more analysts to start talking about the iPhone. Even normally tight lipped Steve Jobs succumbed to the pressure and spilled the beans during a dinner with close friends. And of course the story hit the rumor sites, which just kept buzz growing.

Spiraling almost out of control by the time the product was first displayed, the buzz worked. The unveiling was a huge success. Just shy of 120 million shares of Apple where traded that day, and considering less than 30 million where traded the day before - I'd say the world was watching, not just the old mac fanboys anymore.

The millions of dollars of free advertising this product has already received plus millions more it will undoubtedly received in the months till it launch is very impressive. And so far Apple hasn't spent any of there money to market the product. But everyone is talking about it.

Any new product that gets thrown unto DrudgeReport next to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton & Barak Obama has gotten hundreds of thousands of dollars of free press. And it just keeps going.

Parodies are already starting to be made, like "George Bush Sending 20,000 iPhones to Iraq", and many more.

Marketing buzz at its best. At least until the product comes out.]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=70 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:30:30 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=66
In sports today, a famed basketball player can convincingly point the finger to the coach as the reason for a lackluster season. Similarly disreputable, a large percentage of players on a professional football team can be arrested for a myriad of illegal actions and behavior and expect the team to continue on. After all what do fans know- silly fans!

In an age where heroes are computer generated demigods of superior strength and moral immaturity in a virtual world, who in the real world wants to step up to the plate and say, I did it, it's me, and I am responsible- especially if there is a chance for failure!

Where do we find those willing to accept responsibility for decisions? In the advertising arena, strategies and creative direction are implemented daily. Agencies for advertising and media have become implimental as movers and shakers for consumer interest and cutting edge innovation; the students of focus groups, and the centrum for marketing gurus. But is this completely true? As new campaigns emerge with more opportunities for interactive participation, decision making has been opened up to rest in the laps of us the consumer! How thoughtful!

First example: Time Magazine's person of the year...YOU (with a clever cover that reflects the viewer so this means to everyone, their own me). As a clever way of showing a lack of decision, the consumer now holds the bag. Had I known that I was such an influential force in the information age, I would have charged royalties! Also I would give myself a humongous raise as I made millions for technology companies and supported the existence of a workforce that tripled! Yes I am responsible for it all- good call Time!

Second example: Hollywood. Who would like to be responsible for a contestant’s career or a movie being a hit or a flop? As screenwriters are being force into the backseat of pilots and projects, the audience is now calling the shots. Between shows like "American Idol" and "Deal Or No Deal" and movies like "Snakes On a Plane", audience now have the opportunity to dicker with intellectual integrity by choosing a winner or using their script suggestions to create an edgier, R-rated horror flick. Fabulous or a flop- no skin off of the studio's conscience. If you typed it - you own it!

All in all, free will and contribution is great even if the foundation for the responsible decision is shifted to the masses! But if we choose wrongly, or make a blunder, or just want to yell like a child, can we also accept the responsibility that follows? In the age of shifting responsibility, let's stand up, make a decision and stick by it, and then think of a way to make it better!
]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=66 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:41:00 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=68 3 million copies in its 10 weeks of release making it the biggest title for the Xbox 360 console to date! With Microsoft’s Xbox live system of downloading content including game expansions, movies, TV shows, and demos, it offers a big opportunity for businesses to reach a broader audience through a new medium. Content is offered for free or as an item that is for sale, however, the Discovery Channel has made a bold move to promote their show Future Weapons by sponsoring a set of two new multiplayer maps for Gears of War which could be downloaded for free from Xbox Live. They also had a 3-day give-away of Microsoft points which are the valid tender for purchasing content through Xbox Live.

By Discovery realizing they had a common audience with the Gears of War crowd, they were able to come away with a broader audience for their highly acclaimed show. The video game sector of the entertainment industry has become a huge player through improved graphics and gameplay as well as the next-generation of systems becoming entertainment hubs for the home. With such a large variety in the kinds of games people play along with the connectivity, it opens up a whole new opportunity for advertisers and the like to spread their message and offer up some sweet free gaming in the process!]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=68 Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:31:23 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=67 find out more here)

What I found most interesting in the study results was the following passage:

“Although marketers cite ‘word-of-mouth,’ ‘customer service,’ ‘Web & interactive’ and ‘public relations’ as the most effective brand communication methods, they spend over 60% of their marketing budget on traditional outreach mechanisms such as broadcast/print advertising, direct mail and corporate communications.”

I guess this means that agencies and marketing firms providing traditional services can breathe a sigh of relief, sit back, and stay fat and happy for a little while longer.

But for smaller niche brands – the kind we service – what I see is a golden opportunity. We all know that word of mouth, web, and pr-based tactics are outpacing the more traditional media activities, as reaffirmed in the MiresBalll study.

The real question is, will niche brands “seize the day” and capitalize on big marketer reluctance (and slowness) by adopting web, pr and WOM into their brand strategy? Those that do will likely take share from bigger brands in their categories. Those that follow the pack, will . . . well, you know what the view is like if you’re not the lead dog.

Any thoughts on this?
]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=67 Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:02:35 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=64 Read it here. ]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=64 Sun, 21 Jan 2007 12:52:48 -0700 http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=63 Jigsaw is an online business contacts site where - through online collaboration - you can access "fresh" and "current" information about a particular business or prospect. As it continues to grow, this could be a real time-saver for anyone in sales, as it basically fulfills the "validation" step automatically. Essentially, it saves time from determining who you should focus your branding effort on, and allows you to concentrate fully on the branding effort itself. This could be an especially valuable tool for niche brands that have a very focused target audience.

At a glance, Jigsaw looks great. If you have used it with success, please feel free to advise. ]]> General http://eddelia.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=63 Sat, 20 Jan 2007 07:13:42 -0700