tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16752440701404051932024-03-05T17:10:58.650-08:00Jason Dea - Inside the mind of a kid today...Thoughts on marketing and technology from a guy who can't remember a time before the internetAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-69117932131529376872014-10-06T08:13:00.001-07:002014-10-06T08:13:15.972-07:00Handy Dandy Getting Started in SEO Guide<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="470px" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/threadyblock/slideshelf" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="615px"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-70108191086796026892014-09-29T06:44:00.000-07:002014-09-29T06:44:24.318-07:00The Friendliest Marketing Software You've Ever Used<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HfUhZbWfU2R_A98fNmNgcEG38jNA5ngMveokVijZ5mM4y1_JfaUkvJDlXPRTRMeDx4l1hvE79M7Wg2a622i-s8VIKcThtKcoXvjrme9CcsB3EbE0lmHCjX2HHeMTQ7QSI9dXHIZRDTs/s1600/referral_infographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HfUhZbWfU2R_A98fNmNgcEG38jNA5ngMveokVijZ5mM4y1_JfaUkvJDlXPRTRMeDx4l1hvE79M7Wg2a622i-s8VIKcThtKcoXvjrme9CcsB3EbE0lmHCjX2HHeMTQ7QSI9dXHIZRDTs/s1600/referral_infographic.png" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For those of you who've been paying attention.<br />
<br />
I went out and did the thing that I've always done. My own startup. So far so good, and I'm proud to say that our product is now out in the market. Over the years I've used many, many pieces of marketing software. For the most part they all had their quirks (and most were so complicated they had their own certification courses!)<br />
<br />
I also have always believed int eh power of word of mouth and social media marketing.<br />
<br />
So, here at Forewards we've combined the two and we've launched the world's friendliest referral marketing platform.<br />
<br />
If you've got a business running on the Shopify platform, or if you've been thinking about it. Give us a try. We're offering 45 day trials to show you the proof is in the pudding. It's almost a win/win!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://apps.shopify.com/forewards">https://apps.shopify.com/forewards</a><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-20351859922562242192014-09-25T08:00:00.001-07:002014-09-25T08:01:09.571-07:00Me Talking in a Small Room About The Life of a Startup :)<iframe src="http://raur.co/rkenedi?embed=true&width=350&height=100&autoplay=false" seamless="true" width="350" height="100" style="border: 0; max-width: 100%"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-80377105200786902932014-09-08T10:54:00.003-07:002014-09-08T10:54:35.428-07:00Forewards customer testimonials<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vhH5uZVlI6E?list=UU-9aFtr8X33Bp5It1AssOqg" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-36322854884349826272014-08-08T13:05:00.002-07:002014-08-08T13:05:11.555-07:00Ridiculously Friendly Referral Marketing Software!This is what I've been working on...
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1381Y90G0UM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-29505257087890821892014-07-17T04:51:00.000-07:002014-07-17T04:58:02.311-07:00The Science Behind Why We Refer<a href="http://forewardsapp.com/blog/science-behind-customer-referral"><img alt="The Science Behind Customer Referrals" border="0" src="http://forewardsapp.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Forewards-Infographic.jpg" width="540px" /></a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-58473760779346711342014-05-29T18:40:00.000-07:002014-05-29T18:40:55.330-07:00Mary Meeker 2014 Internet Trends ThoughtsTried to post this in a discussion online, but the comments widget bombed out. I figured I'd post it here instead, since sadly it's a bit of a ghost town.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/35210772?rel=0" width="427" height="356" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px 1px 0; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/internet-trends-2014-05-28-14-pdf" title="KPCB Internet trends 2014" target="_blank">KPCB Internet trends 2014</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins" target="_blank">Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers</a></strong> </div>
<br />
Mary Meeker just released her annual internet trends report. As a huge nerd I look forward to this every year. In this year's report she predicts that one of the next areas ripe for disruption is Education. As someone married to a teacher, and a parent. I am excited by this.<br />
<br />
What exactly might that disruption look like?<br />
<br />
While a completely vague prediction. It will be access to information. The overriding driver of all the major internet driven disruption of the past 30 years has been the democratization of access to information (and resources).<br />
<br />
From Google giving everyone the worlds knowledge at the click of a mouse to Amazon EC3 offering every entrepreneur with an idea access to enterprise class infrastructure also at the click of a mouse.<br />
<br />
"Good" education. That is access to the best teachers and best techniques was once the domain of the privileged. A networked world, combined with easy distribution and free-er access to information "evens the playing field" so to speak. In theory a kid in rural Africa "could" get the same quality of eduction as a kid in suburban Connecticut.<br />
<br />
If that happens an interesting side effect could be disruption to the network value of higher eduction. The most valuable thing about getting a Harvard MBA is knowing all the other people who got a Harvard MBA along with you. With an even playing field, along with a theoretically open communication network in education, that could change. Disruption to education is arguable THE THING that can change the world THE MOST.<br />
<br />
Sorry for the ramble.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-24428457533888802162014-04-28T06:05:00.002-07:002014-04-28T06:05:53.855-07:002 Facebook marketing tips for eCommerceThe latest on my other blog.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://forewardsapp.com/blog/facebook-marketing-tips-for-small-business/">2 Facebook marketing tips for eCommerce beginners.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-86785768825021432072014-04-23T06:24:00.001-07:002014-04-23T06:24:57.200-07:00Coffee is for closers! Sales lessons for eCommerceMy latest post<br />
<br />
http://forewardsapp.com/blog/ecommerce-marketing-strategy-alec-baldwin/<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-72015271602503733172014-04-17T07:21:00.005-07:002014-04-17T07:22:20.913-07:00Supercharge your eCommerce with referralsFor those of you who are interested in this type of thing, I've just written a <a href="http://forewardsapp.com/resources.html">new whitepaper</a> on referral marketing and how it can improve your e Commerce business over at my other site.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://forewardsapp.com/resources.html">Check it out</a>, and let me know what you think<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-48220503225748120752014-04-15T08:13:00.000-07:002014-04-15T08:14:54.842-07:00Where does the time go?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngqZxlUehmyBQqNCg0LNq1FD00oz3ESAKj4C2CfSB5e9pikrPkSfrRFDMHv9YYwmWis9Ll-qZC2BZT0kk3i2ByO0Ice3oYhvJ_tXosNnVAC3v1Xk7aFtCNsFSS1Vsh3Tm-XiIF9mHN-I/s1600/referral(nohead).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngqZxlUehmyBQqNCg0LNq1FD00oz3ESAKj4C2CfSB5e9pikrPkSfrRFDMHv9YYwmWis9Ll-qZC2BZT0kk3i2ByO0Ice3oYhvJ_tXosNnVAC3v1Xk7aFtCNsFSS1Vsh3Tm-XiIF9mHN-I/s1600/referral(nohead).png" height="194" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I pretty much have no time to maintain this blog these days.<br />
<br />
HOWEVER. There is a very good reason for that.<br />
<br />
I invite you to check out my latest venture. We're changing the world of referral marketing and in the process hoping to help our eCommerce clients make their referral program,s effortless and effective...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7CQ8xag3kwy2ZLa7Gb_1dl1I6bEAZALOiDpJFEdbAytOGgyzJqU1BcbzX0OV3jpcEM9YzkFy851Yii6bt-Z9-u9iDNKiiCot8RWHhvhj0Y6c5bwtMXeOUl_liDU3hc-OGcKOcVJEitg/s1600/forewards-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7CQ8xag3kwy2ZLa7Gb_1dl1I6bEAZALOiDpJFEdbAytOGgyzJqU1BcbzX0OV3jpcEM9YzkFy851Yii6bt-Z9-u9iDNKiiCot8RWHhvhj0Y6c5bwtMXeOUl_liDU3hc-OGcKOcVJEitg/s1600/forewards-logo.png" height="67" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.forewardsapp.com/">www.forewardsapp.com</a><br />
<br />
and if you did enjoy my amateur writing it's continuing on... for good or bad here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.forewardsapp.com/blog">www.forewardsapp.com/blog</a><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-53392310300233999212012-06-15T07:17:00.003-07:002012-06-15T07:17:42.111-07:00Empty your mind... Timeless advice from Bruce Lee<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MT_nuwm252I" width="420"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-37237283015039200632012-04-05T06:23:00.000-07:002012-04-05T06:23:54.749-07:00To upgrade or not to upgrade... the question for RIM<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/2359344183/" title="vinofraction by Robert S. Donovan, on Flickr"><img alt="vinofraction" height="500" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3242/2359344183_f97269cd39.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reading the avalanche of bad news coming out of Waterloo
these past few weeks, there seems to be one small positive that most pundits
agree on. When <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=RIMM">RIM</a> releases their new
Blackberry 10 devices later this year, it will be a make or break moment for
what was once Canada’s most valuable company.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I actually think there is a subtle nuance in that sentiment
that some are overlooking. RIM needs to
actually get most if not all of their current 75 million users to actually
upgrade to the new devices and platform as soon as possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s the precariously same situation that every technology
company finds themselves in every few years.
In the case of Microsoft, usually every 3 years, Apple every year, and
RIM will face later this year. How can
you ensure the smoothest and fastest possible upgrade cycle?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Existing customers on one hand love familiarity. In my own day to day, I’ve been a loyal RIM
user for many years, so the quirks that come with their devices are something
that I’ve grown accustomed to. You could
almost say that are quirks that I’ve come to expect and as such have accepted
as part of my daily routine. On the
other hand, those same quirks are what make me consider competing devices as a
replacement. In fact on some days those
quirks even have me contemplating paying for my OWN better device, in lieu of
my “free” company provided blackberry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with most technologies, I have no doubt that Blackberry
10 will be an improvement on their current operating system. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how can they get those better, faster RIM devices in the
hands of their most loyal users as soon as possible?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with many things in life I suspect the secret lies in
going back to the basics. For RIM that
means focusing on the five Ps of marketing, and tuning them for their core
audience. The 75 million people globally
who they’ve already captured as customers.
Products, Price, Placement, Promotion and Packaging that will appeal to
all those people that at some point already bought into the RIM value
proposition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How easy that will be remains to be seen however, not to
mention how soon they need to begin executing on this…<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-44474814841285639592012-02-08T12:12:00.000-08:002012-02-08T12:13:00.265-08:00Corporate branding and what's wrong with Nickelback...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7380195@N02/6842814095/" title="Better Than Nickelback by kelly&jason, on Flickr"><img alt="Better Than Nickelback" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6842814095_4388ea387c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">There was as a youth I dreamt of becoming a rock star. In fact some of my friends from that period never gave up that dream. I got a very exciting message earlier this week that <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FuckTheFacts">one of those friends</a> was nominated for a Juno this year for Metal album of the year. For any international readers out there the Juno’s are a Canadian version of the Grammies.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I sent over a message of congratulations mentioning that “it must be exciting to soon be sharing the stage with perennial Juno nominee – <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelback">Nickelback</a>”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This seemingly innocuous comment got me thinking about NIckelback. More specifically why many people find them so irritating AND how this might actually be a lesson for marketers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nickelback is Generic music, like much of pop music, but I suppose they take more abuse because they step outside the world of bubblegum pop into the world of rock or in some cases heavy metal. Nickelback seems to step outside that pop world by having all their guitar effects pedals set to the “Power Rock” setting at full blast, all the time. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the surface it sounds great. They have high production value and great hooks. But therein lies the problem. For music fans with more discerning taste they want to hear more. Generic power rock doesn’t provoke deep thoughts, there isn’t really much substance. The engineered sound of power rock also all sounds very bland. There is a reason why every Nickelback song sounds like a song you’ve heard before. It blends into the background and doesn’t make a statement about anything. I think their latest single is actually about drinking beer as an example.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Corporate brands and corporate marketers might be well served to take a lesson from this. We are facing a similar challenge - How to not be like Nickelback.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Consumers have more choice than ever before, so brands really need the old unique selling propositions. More and more from a brand perspective people want to know what exactly you stand for. What is the story your brand is trying to tell me? And please, please, please say something meaningful… without your effects boxes set to “power rock”. We’ve been there, done that, and it’s no longer good enough…<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-31031495476841516702011-12-21T05:28:00.000-08:002011-12-21T05:28:12.391-08:00I watch NASCAR for the crashes... revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mstaken.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/thailand-car-crash-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://mstaken.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/thailand-car-crash-thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The following is <a href="http://www.novell.com/communities/node/9438/i-watch-nascar-crashes">my most read blog post.</a> This was written 2 years ago - almost to the day - and to date has had over 2500 views. A lot had happened since then. Novell was acquired by Attachmate and I've since moved on to a new opportunity at <a href="http://www.empathica.com/resources/">Empathica</a>.<br />
<br />
As I read it I reflect back on how daunting a task something that sounds as simple as re-branding is. I recently saw an article about <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/12/15/new-hp-logo/">HP</a> having had an opportunity to update their logo for which they passed on. This sparked much uproar online about the opportunity they missed. Well, if my experience tells me anything it's that re-branding and changing the world's perception about you takes much more than a new logo. Or even a new vision statement as with what Novell tried to do. It takes a full company effort, and the new brand you want to create needs to be compelling enough to have widespread adoption in the market at large. Very few companies have been able to do this successfully, particularly large ones. <br />
<br />
In fact in 2012 we can all watch in real time how this same exercise will unfold at RIM. Once having defined the smartphone, they now struggle to change the world's perception of what they do and why they do it. I'm sure some will suggest a logo change, or a new vision or mission statement, but the reality is it will take much more.<br />
<br />
Maybe they can even pick up a lesson or two from NASCAR...<br />
<br />
............................................<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>I watch NASCAR for the crashes...</b></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">I have been reflecting on Intelligent Workload Management and Novell these past few weeks. I won’t go in to details on the strategy, as there is plenty of material on that from much better sources than myself.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">My brain instead tends to work in tangents. Intelligent Workload Management has gotten me thinking about NASCAR. Yes, stock car racing. Not long ago, NASCAR was a niche sport, relegated to popularity in the south, and frankly having very negative stereotypes associated with it everywhere else.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Then a guy by the name of Brett Yormark came along to run NASCAR sales and marketing. Yormark had a sole focus: to change the most important thing he saw about NASCAR… PERCEPTION. By bringing in a major sponsor Nextel, to replace RJ Reynolds, along with other changes to the brand. Yormark took NASCAR to a new audience, up market, with a new public perception.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">NASCAR has now become the second most profitable professional sport in North America just short of the NFL. Not bad for a bunch of guys crashing in to each other.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Here at Novell, we are in the process of a similar evolution. Our products have always been loved by our customers and our engineers have consistently delivered market leading technology. Our biggest challenge is perception. Intelligent Workload Management is a fresh way of looking at how our products and solutions fit together for a powerful vision. Both the engineer and salesperson in me are extremely excited by the possibilities this market holds, and the ways that IWM can change the role of IT in helping business run.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">We have the products, and more importantly the people here to deliver on this vision. Intelligent Workload Management can do for Novell what Brett Yormark did for NASCAR.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Lucky for us, we can do it, without all the car crashes…</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-27425107998479244172011-11-20T04:38:00.001-08:002011-11-20T04:49:05.356-08:00I love, therefore I buy...<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="369" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/REElUors1pQ" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<br />
I have a friend who happens to own and run the largest privately owned hardware store back where I’m from. Granted it’s a family business that was started by his father. But by most accounts he’s managed to not only maintain the business but grow it as well. He’s done all this in the face of the Home Depot, Loews and a world of competition that his dad never had to deal with.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He also happens to be the first person in his family to ever graduate from university. He’ll tell you that all the book smarts he picked up about business and management strategies combined with all the hard work put in by the family is the secret to the success. No doubt those are huge factors, but I think there’s something else at play.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For some bizarre reason his favourite artist has always been Madonna. Always has been always will be. In our younger years, when out on the town. When Madonna came over the sound system. Watch out! My buddy would spread his arms as though he had wings and would spin around like a helicopter on the dance floor. If only more camera phones existed back then...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This gregariousness and larger than life personality carries over to all aspects of life. He’s the guy that nobody has anything bad to say about. In fact, he’s the face of the hardware store which markets itself as a place where the staff will remember you and where you’ll get a level of customer service that you simply can’t put a price on.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Contrast that with who he competes against, big boxes. Faceless corporations, the type of businesses that Michael Moore makes documentaries about.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That disparity between the culture of small business and the culture of big business is something that as marketers I think we can all help to improve.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Social media and a renewed focus on the <a href="http://www.empathica.com/products-services/customer-experience/">experience</a> provided to customers across all channels at its core are humanizing the world of business. Consumers don’t want to be looked at as sources of revenue on a pie chart. Consumers want to be a part of a community, and they want to know the people behind the businesses and be a part of an active dialog on how to improve them. This is grounded in not only psychology but biology. We’re a tribal species, and I think that business is really on the cusp of an era of understanding this again.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That’s why as long as Madonna still sells albums; my friend will be ok…</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-44061538066934405072011-10-13T15:58:00.000-07:002011-10-13T15:58:27.572-07:00A lesson in marketing from Steve Jobs<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="369" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tLVGrJaVLI4" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
This might be the single best marketing lesson I've ever gotten. I'd write more but that would take away from this simple 6 minutes. Enjoy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-79692814432890688902011-10-06T12:19:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:19:43.698-07:00Steve Jobs, and Kurt Cobain changed my life...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7380195@N02/6217726393/" title="Daddy_Liam_Guitar by kelly&jason, on Flickr"><img alt="Daddy_Liam_Guitar" height="413" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6220/6217726393_231a6bef7d.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The world changed on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevermind#Release">January 11, 1992</a>.<span> </span>On that day, the album Nevermind by Nirvana
replaced Michael Jackson’s Dangerous as the number 1 album on the Billboard
album chart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Symbolically this was the end
of the era of manufactured pop music, which MJ came to represent.<span> </span>A new age of <i>real</i> music began, some even called it the coming of age for
American punk.<span> </span>Kids started buying
guitars again, and a new generation fell in love with the glory of punk
rock.<span> </span>I was one of them.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Hit songs were once again
written in garages and basements, rather than being engineered in clinical
Hollywood hit factories.<span> </span>Thanks Kurt…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s the same context in which
I see the legacy Steve Jobs leaves behind.<span>
</span>He was the greatest storyteller of his generation.<span> </span>He also happened to be businessman.<span> </span>His success also in many way marks the
emergence of a new era; perhaps a new era of business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Before Apple became the most
valuable company in the world, the model of success that everyone agreed on was
different.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Sam Walton turned a local
variety store in to the world’s biggest retailer by taking a clinical view of
his supply chain, and with laser focus squeezing out as much efficiency as he
could find.<span> </span>The relationships people
used to have with their local store owner were forgotten, but it worked. <span> </span>And it worked very, very well.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Jack Welch took a scalpel to
the cost structure at GE and turned around one of the world’s oldest companies,
by making them profitable again.<span> </span>Sadly
this came at the price of massive layoffs, and a huge hit to the corporate
culture at GE.<span> </span>Employees were just cogs
in an assembly line, and a job was never guaranteed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Steve took a different
approach.<span> </span>He believed that you could
think differently.<span> </span>His focus wasn’t on a
spreadsheet, it was on his customers.<span> </span>He
created a passion at Apple for elegant design, and a perfect customer
experience.<span> </span>From the packaging, through
the retail experience, to the products themselves; the customer experience of
Apple was and still remains different than every other brand.<span> </span>Apple cares about its customers; that
superior experience, has made them not just a computer company, but for some
almost a religion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps with his passing,
this will mark an era in business where Apple isn’t the outlier, rather the model
of success for others.<span> </span>Take a customer
focus, invest rather than cut, and innovate rather than stand still.<span> </span>You might end up being the biggest company in
the world.<span> </span>Thanks Steve…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-48830354118104717462011-10-05T05:46:00.000-07:002011-10-05T05:46:33.957-07:00Marketing and the lost art of storytelling<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7380195@N02/6213730301/" title="Messaging Arc by kelly&jason, on Flickr"><img alt="Messaging Arc" height="373" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/6213730301_c2ca54b023.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My commute home is a great time for my mind wander to wander.
<span> </span>There isn’t much else to do while stuck
in the sea of cars headed home.<span> </span>Last night
while my mind was wandering one of my favourite songs came on the radio - Hurt
by Nine Inch Nails.<span> </span>The song is a bit of
a downer, but it gave me a chance to reflect on my younger days, and made me
realize there may be a lesson in marketing hidden inside those memories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my favourite albums ever is the one that the song
comes from - <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-downward-spiral/id109214">The Downward
Spiral</a>.<span> </span>I enjoy it immensely both
for the music itself, but also for what it taught me about the art of
storytelling.<span> </span>There was a time when as a
young music listener, I’d simply take the individual songs that I enjoyed the
most and put them on repeat.<span> </span>The Downward
Spiral forced me to break that habit.<span> </span>All
14 songs created a story arc, within which Trent Reznor took a listener through
a multi-layered journey of a person trying to uncover all <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Downward_Spiral#Concept">the layers of
emotions</a> that affect him and his mental well-being.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Very deep stuff; But it taught me that an album could be
more than just a collection of individual songs.<span> </span>The songs themselves can be written to speak
to a common theme, and be structured in a way to take a listener through a much
longer story arc, with defined acts that touch on various emotions at different
points in the plot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without question content marketing and inbound marketing are
the hottest topics in marketing circles today.<span>
</span>Armies of professionals seem to be pumping out great content components
each and every day - Infographics, videos, blogs, eBooks, you name it.<span> </span>In this community however, the lesson on storytelling
that Trent taught me years ago is relevant again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every piece of content should tie back to a common
theme.<span> </span>Every piece of content is an
opportunity to reinforce your core value proposition and positioning.<span> </span>For products that require longer sales cycles
this is particularly important.<span> </span>In those
cases, each piece of content should map to a particular stage in a longer customer
education process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Content and storytelling both need a defined arc, and
plot.<span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without that, you’re just picking your favourite part and
putting it on repeat…</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-67705517029903913682011-09-16T08:19:00.000-07:002011-09-16T08:20:15.500-07:00Who runs product marketing at RIM?<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/5146431359/" title="Old Clock by wwarby, on Flickr"><img alt="Old Clock" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/5146431359_cb96fd25f0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
As a Canadian working in technology one issue that I'm quite passionate about is the innovation gap that is happening between Canada an our peers.<br />
<br />
I watch with an almost personal fascination with the challenges being faced by Research in Motion. Being Canada's biggest global success story, their struggles act both as an interesting learning experience and a local soap opera.<br />
<br />
As a marketer I can't help but feel there is a profound lesson to be learned by product managers and product marketers by watching what hopefully will be the rebuilding of a Canadian icon.<br />
<br />
Now that RIM can no longer rely on the capabilities of their products to sell themselves, they seem to have fundamental issues around the marketing 4 Ps (Product, Price, Promotion, Place).
The market no longer knows what differentiates them, most assume it’s enterprise capability of some sort, but their own messaging does not reinforce even this, their legacy killer feature, Their pricing, due to their carrier strategy is all over the map, again because of the carrier strategy also no promotion consistency, and most importantly they no longer know where to position themselves. Are they still a premium phone, an entry level, mid range? Too many questions.<br />
<br />
The breadth of devices they carry on their price list is too big, which exacerbates all the core marketing issues just mentioned. One aspect of Apple strategy that I've always greatly admired is the strict discipline they show in maintaining a very small and focused product portfolio.<br />
<br />
They can be fixed, but it remains to be seen whether or not time is still on their side...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-7504843833050043302011-08-30T05:30:00.000-07:002011-08-30T05:30:59.731-07:00Get off my lawn – The new rules of marketing<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I am old. It’s official, I don’t understand music today. When I turn on the music video channel or listen to the radio, I hear myself saying the same things my father used to say. Then I saw this.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><iframe width="500" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qemWRToNYJY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">“There’s nothing quite like the feeling, when you’re listening to a song, written by someone you don’t know, who you’ve never met, who somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt at a particular moment in your life…”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What a wonderful introduction to a modern hit that I actually like. I was thinking about this quote in the context of what I do for a living. I’m a marketer. As a marketer perhaps I should aspire to something greater.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Traditional marketing was about interruption. Interrupting your favorite TV shows, interrupting the newspaper articles, interrupting the landscape you see on your commute to work. Surveys will say that people hate marketing. Marketing interrupts your day and yells at you. Marketing tries to sell you things that you don’t need.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated with technology, and fascinated by what it can do. I believe that innovation in technology can make people’s lives better. Even something as frivolous as social media has proven this year, that it can transcend simply being just a medium to distribute lolcatz images. That new channel for communication showed that it could be a catalyst for revolution and real change. That’s pretty amazing if you think about it. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think perhaps the new marketing can be about that. It can be about teaching the world the value of new innovation. Teaching the world about how tomorrow will be a better place and the role technology can play in paving that road. Maybe the new marketing can be like this song by Adele and deliver messages that resonate with people beyond a catchphrase and help them understand how something simple might just make the world a bit better…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-4011064868655552192011-08-18T07:01:00.000-07:002011-08-18T07:01:21.373-07:00Dear RIM you forgot one of the Ps of marketing…<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7380195@N02/6055568367/" title="The Price is Right by kelly&jason, on Flickr"><img alt="The Price is Right" height="455" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6090/6055568367_4c2b5b93e0.jpg" width="467" /></a><br />
I recently upgraded my phone to the new Blackberry Bold 9900.<span> </span>So far I find it to be a fantastic device which really performs well for my usage requirements.<span> </span>But reading news and reviews of this device online, and the lukewarm reaction RIM is getting, has me thinking back to the basic principles of marketing.<span> </span><span> </span>I fear the commercial success of my new toy might be getting sabotaged by the ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_mix#Four_.27P.27s">Four Ps</a>’ of marketing.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I started in marketing the first task I was given was to familiarize myself with how to build strategy around the four Ps <i>(Product, Place, Promotion, and Price)</i>.<span> </span>Taking this approach to building out messaging and strategy was a simple and proven framework to get me started.<span> </span>Having a formal process to build out a strategy really helped me to mature beyond a marketer who made decisions on gut instinct, to becoming a marketer who can build out much more thoughtful research driven strategy. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, in RIM’s case it seems that with the launch of their new flagship device there appears to be a glaring loss control over what some might argue is the most important of those Ps… <i>Price</i>.<span> </span>More often than not, even if the Product, Place and Promotion are in line, Price acts as the final deciding factor between purchase or not. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">An exceptionally concerning trend I’ve noticed with the Blackberry Bold 9900 is terrible inconsistency in the pricing offered by RIM’s carrier partners.<span> </span>The published pricing for the device seems to range from as low as $149 on contract, to as high as $349 on contract.<span> </span>That’s a 230%+ swing in pricing from carrier to carrier.<span> </span>This creates tremendous confusion in the mind of the consumer, and in the identity of the product itself<i> -<span> </span>Is this blackberry a premium superphone?<span> </span>Is this blackberry a mid-market smartphone?<span> </span>Is this aimed at teenagers?<span> </span>Is this aimed at business people?</i><span> </span>The more questions something seemingly as simple as the pricing for a product raises, the less successful the product ultimately will be.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While I understand the street pricing is not set directly by RIM themselves, and is in the hands of the carrier partners, something tells me that this should be one of the top priorities for change in Waterloo.<span> </span>After all, having centralized control over both Pricing as well as the other Ps of marketing seems to have served that <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-crowned-no-1-with-biggest-market-cap-2011-08-10">fruit company</a> in Cupertino very, very, very well.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So there you have it, my one (or at least my first) piece of advice for Jim, and Mike.<span> </span>As a longtime fan of your products, please update your partner strategy to have a more consistent pricing model for your devices across all carriers, and work on that most important of all the marketing Ps.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And in case you’re wondering.<span> </span>A quick review of the phone itself:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The dimensions are perfect for me. <span> </span>I hate baggy pants, so the thin profile fits in my pockets perfectly<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The touch screen makes the UI much more intuitive and easier to use<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The web browser works very well and renders all the websites I need perfectly<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The new processors make the UI a lag free experience<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> - </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Unfortunately the battery life appears worse than my previous blackberries but it still gets me through more than a day before needing a charge.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-24668200234047571002011-08-11T11:42:00.000-07:002011-08-11T11:42:51.457-07:00Even delicious beverages need product management!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I came across this great video today. In it <a href="http://goo.gl/3b8vR">Dr. Jim Anderson</a> discusses how product managers at Coke keep track of their 450(!) Different brands of products.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I find it refreshing to learn about how companies outside my own domain (enterprise software in my case) tackle various issues.<span> </span>At the end of the day there are many universal truths to running a business, no matter what markets you play in.<span> </span>Seeing how an organization like Coke (who sells delicious beverages rather than enterprise software) tackle some of the universal challenges of product management helps me to spur some new thinking, and get myself unstuck from the occasional ruts I find myself in.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This behavior oddly tends to be particularly prevalent in the summer months </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span>J</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enjoy… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TPNy1EOo12E" width="500"></iframe></div><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-64534649495680827372011-07-08T07:43:00.000-07:002011-07-08T07:43:07.012-07:00Whhaatt! I learned about marketing from Lil John<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7380195@N02/5915658670/" title="Drink some Hype by kelly&jason, on Flickr"><img alt="Drink some Hype" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/5915658670_4d3edddcb6.jpg" width="214" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">This morning I was going through my old music collection to find some tunes to listen to. Having something playing in the background really helps me get going on days when I need some extra motivation.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since the summer weather has come in full force I decided I was in the mood to add some old hip hop tracks to my playlist. A few songs in I have come to a realization. I realized that marketing plays a similar role to that of one of the most unsung players in music. The hip hop <a href="http://music.ign.com/articles/920/920294p1.html">hype man.<o:p></o:p></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">For those of you unfamiliar with the term, this is what I quickly pulled from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_man">Wikipedia</a>:<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>hype man<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>hip hop music<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>rapping<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is a “backup rapper/singer who is also responsible for increasing an audience's excitement with call-and-response chants” according to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>author Grant Barrett.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.8pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Music writer Mickey Hess expands the term as follows: "a hype man is a figure who plays a central but supporting role within a group, making his or her own interventions, generally aimed at hyping up the crowd while also drawing attention to the words of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>MC".<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ultimately hyping the crowd is what good marketing and effective content can help to do in priming a customer’s understanding and urgency to buy your solutions. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">When <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sen_Dog">Sen Dog</a> drops the line “How could I just kill a man?” or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_john">Lil John</a> asks “Whhhaaaaaattt?” he isn’t just selling more energy drink, those simple lines serve to pump the crowd up and prep them for the MC to drop in to a main verse. Hype men also help to give MC’s a second to take a breather in between verses as well<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">Effective marketing can serve both purposes also. Hyping the crowd is widely understood. TV shows like Mad Men talk about this, heck <a href="http://threadyblock.blogspot.com/2011/03/everything-on-food-network-looks-easy.html">I talk about this too</a>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Marketing can also <a href="http://threadyblock.blogspot.com/2011/05/your-wildest-dreams-will-never-come.html">help organizations take a breather</a>. There’s a great saying in product management <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Just because we can do it doesn’t mean we should”</i>, products can always be better, but good messaging helps to highlight the existing benefits, effectively giving engineering a bit of a breather in their race to catch up with Moore’s law.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I’m off to drink some crunk juice and market some software…<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675244070140405193.post-36543273008098135792011-07-07T08:05:00.000-07:002011-07-07T08:05:52.880-07:00We hate our customers...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7380195@N02/5911966423/" title="Salami of Love by kelly&jason, on Flickr"><img alt="Salami of Love" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5318/5911966423_dbdb9432ef.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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There I said it. Nobody would ever use that as a marketing tagline <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Though maybe if I wanted in some fashion to prove how big my <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/">umm balls</a> were I’d try it)</i> but this is the impression a lot of vendors give off.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Take my own consumer experience. I recently completed an arduous 7 month journey. It was a quest I had to undertake to get a $42 credit refunded to me by one of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligopoly">Canadian telco providers</a>. It seemed like such a simple scenario. I was leaving the service because of moving to an area their service didn’t cover, as a result I was entitled to a small credit since I had prepaid for the next month. The process to get that check in the mail however was not so simple.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The funny thing is they kept sending me notifications letting me know that I was entitled to the refund credit, without ever sending the check. And so began a weekly calling routine to see if I could finally find a customer service agent who could print and send an actual refund check. Some said I simply had to wait for their systems to kick in, some said they could find no record of said refund in the system, others tried to escalate to management, and finally one day, someone was able to confirm a check was sent along with a tracking number. Huzzah, I got $42.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">While I was actually subscribed to the service I was actually quite happy. But the customer service experience I had when leaving has made sure I will never go back.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have a product manager friend with whom I often to talk to about how many organizations forget that the most important part of a product is the user experience AFTER a purchase has been made. This includes everything from the experience of using the product itself through the experience of dealing with the support when something goes wrong. Really good sales people <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(but sadly not all salespeople)</i> know this as well. For them the most important part of the sales cycle isn’t when a customer sends in a purchase order. Rather it’s when they send in ANOTHER purchase order.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Where can marketing fit in here?<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think marketing and content in particular can be a great way to keep in touch with customers throughout their user lifecycle. <o:p></o:p><br />
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In my experience many customers never take full advantage of all the capabilities of software solutions. More depth of knowledge around the capabilities of a solution and more importantly perhaps more depth of knowledge about the problems they can solve to begin with can be tremendously valuable to end users. Not only can it better position your end users as subject matter experts (and maybe even position them for a promotion) but for vendors it can ensure your products get better ingrained into business processes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Had that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil">telco provider</a> kept better in touch with me through the lifecycle of my contract maybe I could have given them feedback as to why exactly I was happy with their service. Maybe I’d have more patience with them at that point when it came to my refund. Or heck maybe that way they’d have more notice ahead of time that I was moving to a region they didn’t cover and thus could have had my refund ready.<o:p></o:p><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sigh…<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251047048119076914noreply@blogger.com0