Marketing

You Are Not the Story

You are not the story. You never have been. Not even in the ?bad old days? before social media were you ever the story.

You may have thought so. You may have fooled your clients into thinking they were lucky to have you because everyone listens to you.

You may have blinded them with newspaper clippings and media endorsements.

But that could just mean you know one good contact at a publication or TV and radio station.

Your name very rarely belongs in a news release. Sometimes, but rarely. You do not belong in front of the camera. Hogging the microphone does not help your client. You may think so, but all that does is make people ask, ?Who?s this story about??

If you want to show off so much, make your client show off for you. Make their results your vindication. Put it up on your achievement page on your website, or in your company portfolio. Scream it from the rafters all you want from there.

But the story? That belongs to the client. Every time.

You do understand why, don?t you?

Collaborative Marketing and the Natural Progression to Real Customer Satisfaction

I?ve been thinking a lot about collaborative marketing lately, and how we can turn co-existing businesses?more into partners and less about missed opportunities. I think there?s a great untapped market for someone that really wants to grab collaborative marketing and run with it.

For example ? imagine you?re going on a trip. You have to fly to get there, so there are a few processes you need to go through before, during and after:

Buying your ticket.
Driving to the airport.
In-flight activities.
Hotel or accommodation when you land.
Rental car.

These are just the basics ? I?m sure there are a lot more depending on what your individual needs are.

Now.

Instead of doing this all separately, what if there was some form of collaborative marketing behind it to make your life easier? I don?t know about you, but I know when my own life is made easy, I?m inclined to use the same service or product again. So.

Imagine if, when you buy your ticket (online or offline), the airline has a deal with all the major car hire firms like Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, etc. So, you buy your ticket and you have an option to hire your car at the same time. The rental firm then comes out and drops your car off. Or, better still, the airliner has a deal with airport cab firms to pick you up and take you to your flight.

Now, let?s also say that when you?re buying your ticket, you have the option of logging onto the booking site via Facebook Connect. If you?ve filled out your Movies and Music preferences on Facebook, the airline sees this. They then load this information into the media options available to your flight using something like iTunes. You can then watch your type of movies (if there?s a screen on the back of the seat in front of you), or your favourite music via an iTunes console.

With regards the hotel or accommodation, if you have to look after it and your company isn?t paying for it, again the airline has a partnership with hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and more, and not just the big ones but of all sizes. You fill out a short cheat sheet when buying your ticket and the three most suitable?accommodations pop up.

And the rental firm that started it all off?

They?re there (obviously) at the other end. But what they?ve done when you booked initially is ask what type of trip you?re having, and?the kind of things you like to do when relaxing. So, when you pick up your car at the other side, the GPS is loaded with some destinations you might enjoy. And they?re tied in with local businesses that are part of the collaborative marketing approach of all the above.

Now, this is a pretty simple take on basic marketing 101. Yet, as an example of true collaborative marketing, it?s a start.

But it’s got to be?better than a non-starter, no?

image: Ranjith Shenoy

The Powerful Act of Simplicity

Take a look at the video at the end of this post. It?s a fan-made homage to the band?Dashboard Confessional?and their song?So Long, So Long.

There?s nothing special about it. It?s a simple piece of video, made with Windows Movie Maker then put up on Youtube for the?creator?s?friends to see. And yet?

Its simplicity is also its strength. The mood and pace of the video complement the song perfectly, and doesn?t take away from the song itself. There are no garish images, no fast edits, no multiple screen tricks ? just a simple video for a simple song.

Creative agencies often try to come up with elaborate advertising, PR or marketing messages. The feeling is the more elaborate the message is, the more mystique (and therefore interest) around the brand. And it can work, if done properly.

But you know what? Sometimes it?s the simplest things that are the most elaborate of all.

The comments below this video on Youtube show that many people thought it was the official Dashboard Confessional video for the song.

That has to tell us something about simplicity, no?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frZY6cutYA8[/youtube]

The Only Marketing Tip You’ll Ever Need

Want to know the only marketing tip you’ll ever need?

People. Want. Things.

That’s it.

It can be anything – good luck charms; medicines; food; drink; news; shoe polish. Anything.

With the exception of air, everything else costs. So there’s a need to be filled.

How you fill that need is where the difference comes into play.

Some folks will go for service; some folks will go for price; some folks will go for nationality; some folks will go for the people behind the product.

That’s where your dividing factor comes into play. Your knowledge. Your smarts.

But the starting point? That’s the same for everyone.

People. Want. Things.

Ready?

The Art of Patience

We’re an impatient bunch.

We always want the new; the shiny; the next big thing. And we want it now.

As consumers, we want the latest and greatest to show off to our friends and family. As businesses, we always want to be first to market to get a jump on the competition.

The problem is, being first doesn’t always mean the best or the shiniest.

The business world is littered with examples of companies that were first to market but were superseded by competitors who learned from the path beater’s mistakes.

On the consumer side, homes are filled with gadgets and contraptions that are no longer needed by the buyer, nor supported by the company that made it (HD-DVD, anyone?).

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be first. Just make sure it doesn’t end up being the last thing you’re remembered for.