Credit where credit is due... or even where it isn't

I will admit it. I don't like James Joyce.

As a recent college graduate with a degree in English, this statement could have me censured. Or ex-communicated. Or whatever it is they do to English majors who don't like one of the greatest writers of all time. I can recognize why he is great. I read Ulysses, The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, and several of his short stories. I love that he's Irish. Great. I don't love his writing, but I can still appreciate it. My real problem stems from the hordes of people who hold him up as perhaps the greatest writer ever. The stare at his words until an olive on a dining room table becomes a metaphor for man's plight of self-discovery or some such bit of non-sense, and I don't like it. What's worse, I've always had this sense that Joyce was smart enough to never disagree with the interpretations of his work and so eventually, a story he thieved from the Greeks came to mean EVERYTHING EVER. When I read his works, I can't help but feel like he's peaking out from behind the text, whispering, "haha! I'm smarter than you!"

And I hate that.

But it is his inaction to correct other's interpretation of what his stories mean that has given him ultimate power as an author, and the corrupt side of me appreciates that. In communications, we all could take a lesson here.

I realized this while cruising the photos presented on "Stumbleupon," and after a series of photos of the night sky (we get it folks... stars are pretty) I came upon what could have been the most iconic image of the modern era.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/8A0xsL/animalnewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/PARTING-SHOT-VAN.jpg (my actual stumbleupon link)

It's got everything. Violence. Unrest. Passion. Tension. Sex. Love. All of it in a single frame, and for the week that followed those riots in Canada, the world was obsessed with that image.

People wondered if it was a statement of love over violence or the ultimate act of civil disobedience. We couldn't get enough.

Then the press actually found the couple who proceeded to ruin it for everyone. Turns out, she fell, he was comforting her. That's it. No statement. No grand gesture. She might have twisted her ankle.

Now the image is nothing more than a picture that you find when (appropriately) stumbling online and it has all the impact of another image of stars in the night sky. If the couple would have taken a page from James Joyce and agreed to every interpretation of what was happening, that image could have fixed the global economy (probably not, but we'll never know now).

How does this apply to marketing?

When institutions develop brands, there is usually a great amount of work put into developing key features of that institution that should be represented continually throughout all communications. Organizations may call them Brand Pillars or Drivers, but the function is the same. No matter what is produced in marketing, the advertisements should stem from that platform. This is great in development and for internal development and makes everyone's job on the marketing team that much easier.

The problem occurs when those marketing messages are sent out into the real world and consumed by target audiences. Suddenly, the interpretation can shift. In fact, those "incorrect" interpretations of your advertising may lead you to more effective advertising in the long run.

What it boils down to is this. No matter what someone sees in your advertising, there is no point in correcting them (as long as it is good and can be supported in some way). Take credit even when it may not be due. This "Of course I meant to do that" attitude can save you a lot of headaches and help your brand find its audience more effectively.

James Joyce did, and it has worked out well for him.

Customer advocacy in advertising: Domino's and GQ

If I had to pick my favorite ad campaign of the last few years, it is easily Domino's Pizza relaunch. It helps that the new pizzas are delicious and I appreciate the bold move to change everything. But when they asked for customers to provide the photos for their new pizza line, I was floored. Talk about standing behind your product.

But then they raised the game. They couldn't have expected everyone to return fantastic shots, and they could have hid all the haters if they wanted. But they used that, too.

This is all about using customer advocacy in your advertising, and in the modern marketplace, it is essential. Combined with a quality product, this campaign turned me, and many like me, into consumer advocates for their brand. This customer service seems to have trickled through their organization, too. Check this - http://everydayfunnyfunny.com/funny-special-pizza-delivery-instruction/

This brings me back to my previous rant about Netflix (check out my last blog for more). There was no effort given to understanding or taking care of your customer, and that's just horrible. Well, while cruising the internet today, I caught another group who agrees with me.

GQ magazine posted the following note in their articles that reviewed a series available for streaming on Netflix:

Dear Netflix,

We love you, but you're killing us. This week you announced price hikes and reduced subscription options. Don't get us wrong: The content is wonderful. Keep it coming. But the sting still lingers, and we cannot in good faith recommend that our readers use you this week. We have no choice but to look to other sites. Consider this our (very) minor protest.

Sincerely,
GQ

Read More http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201107/stream-this-misfits-hulu-netflix#ixzz1SC63t04S

I have to give it up to Netflix. They are risking a large amount of advertising dollars by taking this stand, but in the process, they are making a bold stand for their customers. It may impact immediate dollars, but such consumer advocacy is likely to spur many lifetime subscribers, and such honesty is likely to endear brands promoted by GQ to their consumers. It is a long game, but I think it is one worth recognizing.

Back with some thoughts on Netflix

I've been away from this blog for a while, but since I'm applying for jobs again, might as well come back to it. I also got a good source of inspiration earlier this week.

Netflix hit me with a blast informing me that my monthly subscription could go one of three way come September. I could:

1. Get less service for less money - I just have to make the choice of whether I like streaming movies or getting DVDs in the mail more. I have to also think carefully as to whether I want a smaller selection and longer delays in streaming or a wider selection, but not get anything instantly... but hey, I save $2.

2. Keep both streaming and a single DVD at a time program for a slightly larger than 50% increase in cost per month.

3. Cancel.

As a consumer, I'm angered from every angle. Yes, I understand cost of business goes up. Yes, I understand wanting to move customers from one service to another. But you're giving me three bad options, one of which includes "take a walk." For a company that prides itself on customer service, that is just awful.

As someone involved in marketing, the move makes even less sense, mostly because of the lack of care and insight used.

Consider what Netflix has built their brand around - Innovation, customer service, and cost-friendly entertainment. This announcement flew in the face of all of the pillars. There is no innovation in the way they are limiting service. There was no corresponding announcement of increased streaming options or a special promotion for streaming devices. If the hope is to push people to the more cost effective streaming option, then there should be more help in getting them there. This did not happen.

According to an article in adage (http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/netflix-s-prices-caused-a-customer-service-uproar/228704/) customer service reps were all over the map in helping customers make this choice. There was no company line or game plan in place. I was left wondering if the phone reps were only notified shortly before the customers because of the scattershot reaction and lack of preparedness. This is not the customer-friendly help that I've got in the past when calling in for help.

And finally, suggesting that customers may just want to quit service in the announcement email is sheer insanity. DVDs are not tobacco. They can't shrug their shoulders and say "then quit" knowing that their customer won't - this is especially true when competitors like Red Box, Hulu, and even Blockbuster are starting to cut into Netflix's success by offering slightly tweaked but equally useful services to the same customer.

In the end, this is a terrible move by Netflix, and I'm not specifically saying it is because of the service and price changes. Companies must remember what their brand is built around ESPECIALLY if that brand is successful. The crew at Netflix dropped the ball here, and they will feel the results over the coming months.

The art of advertising a recession

By now, we're all aware of the global financial crisis, and few people seem to have the answers to make it all seem better again. While there was a short burst of advertising that seemed to be in complete denile of the impact on consumers, within the last few months we've seen companies go to exceptional lengths to incorporate it into their messaging in advertising efforts.

Like all things in communications, this can have both strong positive and negative impacts on what they're trying to say, and lessons to be learned in each.

The "we know you're broke" approach-
Months ago, I was watching TV when an advert for Qwest, a major phone company, came on. As anyone who has followed my blog knows, I believe that Qwest has had a history of near-misses in their advertising, and while its nice that they want to acknowledge what's happening in the economy, this approach is by far the worst way to attack consumer worries. The general concept is somewhat simple. It shows everyday folks in the process of "cutting corners", whether it be using magazine perfume samples to freshen themselves up or using the windshield squeegee provided by most gas stations to clean their car. The conversation then diverts into cutting their bills by switching to their service. (a clip doesn't seem to be available. Sorry!)
The problem here is that you're calling out the consumer so heavily and making them regret their own financial efforts from the top. Essentially, you're calling people cheap and then asking them to give you money. Its a contrasting philosophy which seems lacking to me.

The somber approach -
A step up from the "we know you're broke" approach comes the somber approach. The commercial that comes to mind is a savings company spot that features a very motley crew of family members, spanning several generations, sitting around a large table and eating dinner together. They are laughing softly, and the atmosphere is very relatable to most families. Then the father, a gruff looking man asks for everyone's attention. He explains that things at work have been difficult, there have been layoffs, and they're not sure what's going to happen. Then he asks everyone to understand and help in tightening their belts a bit. Then he says "but we're going to get through this together", and as the spot fades to black, the company logo comes up, reitterating his message. It is very serious, and yet it feels truthful and compassionate, which are both good signs. Sadly, they decided to forego any real company messaging, and as you can tell, I remember the spot a lot better than I remember the company's name. Still, it is effective... but not as effective as it could be.

The "comeback" approach -
This is a recent addition to the recession advertising pool, and is probably one of the more effective. The first I can remember for this style was a few months ago when Ford asked the nation to "put on their rally caps", offering this as a challenge to be overcome, apparently in a Ford with your baseball cap turned inside out.


Now, I can appreciate the idea behind it but for the large population of people who don't watch or don't like baseball, the idea is completely lost. Still, the spirit is right, empowering both the consumer and by proxy, the car company.
Then within the last week, Southwest Airlines raised the stakes of the approach with their commerical campaign "It's on".


Though considerably more open than a baseball reference, the simple challenge and confidence of two small words asks the consumer to rise to the challenge, and that the airline will help them get there. To me, this is extremely strong in terms of the right kind of attitude.

The "money where our mouth is" approach -
While some companies are willing to simply talk a good game in hopes to inspire future purchases, others have stepped up to the plate with deeper advertising that includes financial benefits to the consumer. Whether it be the Denny's Grand Slam breakfast giveaway, KFC's great grilled chicken giveaway through Oprah, or Hyundai's continual efforts to "reward the customer", with efforts that include payment protection, vehical value protection, and most recently an offer of paying the buyer up to $500 a month because they advertise for the company simply by driving the car, the idea is to offer an investment in the consumer in hopes the consumer will inturn invest in you... and I think that's brilliant.

Nothing in advertising is ever going to be as sexy as free stuff, and positioning it as being in this tough time together is brilliant. Even the most prideful of folks have a hard time turning down a free meal, and for a company to do it in the spirit that they care and want to help only fosters positive images of the company. Even after the vast underestimation of the turnout for KFC's deal, thousands have now tried the chicken that wouldn't have otherwise, and even in that, the campaign was successful.

So what does it all mean?

We're in tough times, for sure. Everyone knows it, and we're done pretending that the worst is over or that the problem doesn't exist. Still, successful companies have come to realize that this is NOT the time to cut back advertising, but rather, it is a time to retool their messages appropriately. With companies going under every day, their must be renewed emphasis on driving the consumer to choose you, by almost any means necessary. Understanding your consumer has always been a cornerstone of effective promotion, but it may be more important now than it ever has before. By offering the consumer a sentiment they can relate to, an inspiration to rise up, and maybe even offering them a hand, you can help guide them to your company in a time when these choices may be the hardest to make.

It's advertising in a recession, and it is an art.

Anti-social media

In the brave new frontier of marketing online, there are difficult lines to walk. Business are currently blogging, facebooking, tweeting, podcasting, vlogcasting, and using just about any other social medium they can get their hands on, which is great. One of the basic rules of advertising is that you have to be where your customer is, and let's face it, nearly everyone is online now. Add to that the enticement of how many web-based social mediums are "free", and for many companies, the idea looks like a goldmine... but there can be issues if one isn't smart about it.

For me, the issue comes when you focus on simply making impressions, with little thought given to the medium you're using or the customer expectation. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and other sites were born of a complete social intention. People join to socialize, whether finding old friends, discovering new bands, or let everyone else know the small inane details of your life through 140 character mini-blogs. It is meant to socialize from anywhere to anyone.

Sure, various forms of company promotions have always lurked in the corners of these sites, be it through paid banner ads or company profiles, but the average user isn't into that. Banner ads are distracting bits of fluff that no matter how targeted, can still get on the users nerves more than they can educate them about a product or business, but despite its shortcomings, it can still be a useful tool in advertising that users have come to accept.

But the hot button issue as of late has been using social media to advertise directly. Companies, colleges and universities, musicians, artists, actors, talk shows, and others have begun to use these very popular sites to promote their activities through traditional profile use, and this is where things can get sticky. The problem being, there is little attention paid to the intent of the networking site, and a larger emphasis on just getting stuff out there.If not handled thoughtfully, your company's online social blitz can end up hurting your business more than helping it. Those using social sites may end up categorizing your advertisements with bad offers for prescriptions by mail and porn websites, and typically, this might not be the company you want to keep in the hearts and minds of potential customers.

So what do you do?

It is my belief that you CAN effectively use these social networking sites if your company is capable of obeying a few rules of the road.

Rule 1: Be honest. Don't claim that you're just a random guy who really likes some major conglomerate when in truth you are a major conglomerate and that's the only reason you are there, and all you intend on talking about. The online user has become instinctually suspicious and will find out the truth. It is better if a person walks away having no impression of you than if they walk away feeling lied to and betrayed... and yes, many will take it personally. Instead, just speak truthfully, and don't try to hide your angle.

Rule 2: Find your voice. This is trickier than it might sound. Even if you have a well-defined brand personality, the voice you choose to use can shift depending on the site you're using. Sites with blogging capabilities, like myspace, may allow you to be more expository in your entries, where Twitter caps your entries at 140 characters. Facebook, for instance is a little trickier. Certain capabilities, like notes, allow you to write all you want, but that doesn't mean you should. Those who would even look for your updates will only see the first few lines, and if they're bored by what those lines have to offer, they'll never know anything more. And remember, even if they know you’re a company, they're still there largely to socialize, and if you're not playing along, you're out. Remember that you're upright business letter voice may simply be really boring, and that doesn't help anyone.

Rule 3: Respect the site. It is highly recommended that you don't try to build or voice a company profile until you've tried to maintain a personal profile. If nothing else, it's a quick way to learn all the ways you can fail in connecting. Tweetblasting a story because their just weren't enough characters to cover the subject in one can be considered a major taboo, and once it happens to your page, you'll understand why. Another Tweet taboo is simply doing it too much. No matter how interesting you are, no one wants to read 10 new updates in 7 minutes from you. You can also learn how many apps are too many apps, or what sort of junk mail wall posts are acceptable and which are simply really annoying. Remember, the intent is to connect, not blitz.

Rule 4: The Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Expect to give if you want to get. Mutual Twitter followings and Facebook friendings are to be anticipated. These things can be difficult to maintain, since especially online you may not want to be judged by the company you keep, but not reciprocating actions only makes you look like you're anti-social, and no one wants that.

Rule 5: Remember life exists beyond the online. If you try to hole up with social networks, people will eventually fail to see the benefit of staying connected. Try to connect to real, tangible pieces of life where you can. Musicians post pictures of shows. Companies host giveaways, authors offer written snippets of unreleased work. Unless you are "Tom" of Myspace, the owners of Facebook, or the inventor of some other social network innovation, your business is NOT social networking, so connect the dots for those who don't know you.

Rule 6: Be prepared to adapt and change. It is the online world, and it is moving fast. Most of us simply do our best to ride the tides of online connection trends, and that's fine. Just realize what you have now may not be the right fit in six months, and you cannot get complacent.

Rule 7: Mistakes happen. So your tweet has a misspelling. If it doesn’t ruin the meaning of the tweet, get over it. Others may disagree with you or post thoughts that are better than yours. That’s OK too. But the more rigid you get, the more likely you are to seem disingenuous, and that’s about as bad as you can get. In fact, it may be healthy to offer some dissent within reason.

So there it is.

Remember, in the end, you have to keep social media sociable if you want it to connect and succeed.

Don't spill your guts.

When trying to explain branding, many people choose to compare a company to a person. The brand can then be equated to what a person chooses to wear, how they style their hair, how they choose to speak, and what they are most anxious to talk about. It is what can draw someone from the outside world to interact with you, and part of what encourages them to choose to spend time with you, even to the extent of investing themselves.

I like this parallel, but over the last few months I've noticed a disturbing trend in this line of thought. Spilling your guts.

Since the beginning of the recession, many people have demanded that companies become more transparent in their dealings. And that's fine, especially for stockholders or those embroiled in the political process, but it can be a little much for the average consumer.

Think of it in the realm of the person parallel. There is a clear line that should be drawn when you're trying to pull people in to determine what is appropriate and what is not. Here are some examples of how to think of it in the personal parallel...

Your company realizes that people don't trust you because your former management has made bone-headed choices that have become very public.

To tell them: "We're commited to you, and we got new management and CEOs who will stick by you." is roughly the equivalent of saying "I know I betrayed you before and stole your car, but I had brain surgery and won't do it again."
It's disturbing and way too much information. It does nothing to actually validate how a person feels about being betrayed before.
Instead, a smart message might be: "We're commited to you, and to prove it we're offering to back you up with this exclusive warrenty in case you come upon hard times." which is pretty much the same as saying "I know I screwed up before in borrowing your car, but I'm going to be your personal chauffeur until we get this all sorted and I earn your trust back." There is less personal information offered and it becomes about projecting outward, not on bothersome inward issues.

Let's face it, we've all known that person who doesn't seem to know when it is appropriate to stop sharing information. You ask them how their day was, and though you're not that close, they go into every small detail from their most recent medical proceedure to the rotten apple they bit into at lunch yesterday. It is not the person most people are drawn too in a social situation. That being said, it might be important information if you're thinking about marrying them... but the important idea is that you have to identify what level of sharing your consumer might be comfortable with... and most consumers are self-involved. If it isn't really about them, then it is hard to hold their attention.

A Colorado commercial icon, American Furniture Warehouse, has aired commercials starring owner Jake Jabs for years. In them, he has always shown off the latest furniture deals, and usually somehow ended up wrestling a tiger or riding a water buffalo through a showroom. They've been airing spots like these almost my whole life. But a couple of months ago, they changed.
Jake Jabb got on the air to assure people that American Furniture Warehouse was going to survive the recession, and then took it a step further in mentioning they were more likely to survive because they were privately held, didn't have a board of directors, owned all of their property, didn't have a private plane, and wouldn't be putting their name on a NASCAR racecar.
The people equivalent of this is Jake Jab coming up and saying, "Hi! I hope you'll let me work for you, and I'm not going anywhere if you don't want to. Why? Because I'm healthy!" At which point he begins removing internal organs from his body and slapping them up on the counter to demonstrate just how healthy he is.

That's called spilling your guts, people, and no one wants to see that. It doesn't sell anything, it doesn't calm anyone's mind enough to encourage them to purchase something, and quite frankly, its disturbing and unforgetable.

So the next time you're trying to figure out how to drawn in stakeholders, think carefully about the person they would most want to be involved with, and communicate with them on that level. Do not overshare.

What’s in a name? Sometimes, it’s everything.

When it comes to brand equity, nothing carries as much weight as the company name. Second to that is usually either the product name or a tagline. At my last job I was fortunate enough to participate in several tagline sessions and one naming session, where the top minds available would work together to come up a small set of words that were at once catchy, informative, memorable, and accurate.

But in coming up with these words, each group took on an inherent risk. Good or bad, the way these phrases were to be interpreted would be linked to much of the marketing success of the company involved, and through a very thoughtful process, we had never hit an unfortunate speed bump. But this isn’t always true in the marketing world, and sometimes what seems to be a brilliant name or tagline can end up having an unfortunate impact on a company’s bottom line.

I had originally intended to write about the attempted image overhaul of dishwashing products Electrasol and Jet-dry into a single product line called “Finish”. It struck me as strange that a company might attempt to abandon the equity established in the product names so quickly, and even though they are doing a pretty complete job of addressing the change-over, it still struck me that it would take a lot of time, energy and money to rebuild the strength of such recognizable names.

But then something even more unfortunate happened, and I realized it would make for a much better story.

In Denver, TV station KWGN has been named and renamed several times in the last dozen or so years. First it was known simply as “Channel 2”, but then it was bought out by Warner Brothers and became known as “WB2”. Eventually the WB backed out of the venture, and it eventually gave rise to “CW2”, which seemed fine enough, except for an ever-revolving door of logos. But within the last month, plans were revealed to launch a new name for the station. Commercials featuring the local broadcasters tried to build excitement for the name, constantly reminding (perhaps warning) viewers of a key phrase…

“The Deuce is coming”.

Yes, KWGN will now be known as "The Deuce". Now, while it’s fair that the word “Deuce” is simply another word for 2, the station probably should have investigated more heavily into the possible interpretations of the world. Some people may infer poker reference from it. Others may simply see the number two. But another popular slang usage of the word means poop, and for some people with a less mature sense of humor, that’s going to be the interpretation that sticks. Suddenly certain catch phrases that the station tries to lob into advertising takes on a very bad meaning. I’ve already seen spots promising that “The Deuce is coming”, “The Deuce is going to be hot”, and that “The Deuce is going to be huge”. Suddenly people are snickering at the simple request to “Watch The Deuce”, and while you would wish people would just grow up and get over it, there isn’t enough marketing dollars in the world to constantly evade the… Deuce storm… that will inevitably arise.
Let’s face it. Poop jokes may not be classy, but they do have a lasting quality in the minds of certain stakeholders.

The point being, renaming may seem an easy way to generate new interest and excitement for your brand, but it has to be done carefully, first considering what you could lose in the way of dropping the old name, and second with a very complete examination of what the new name can mean.

Even now as I am reconsidering my re-entry into the marketing work force in favor of continuing my education, I am forced to reevaluate the purpose and worth of this blog. While it’s something I enjoy doing, it simply may not be achieving the goals I have set forth for it, and if I am to step away from marketing as the primary drive behind this blog, I will have to consider its name and aim.

Fortunately “Jason’s Creative Strategy” is something that applies to all walks of my life, and therefore, no matter how the emphasis may evolve, the bolg may retain its name… for whatever value it may have now.

But more to come on that later.