Saying so ... Doesn't make it so

I'm always amazed at people who think that by simply saying something people will believe it.  In my advertising career, when presented with advertising concepts I always asked whether the message "rings true."  Unfortunately, much delusional marketing communications comes from people and organizations that ignore the reality of their brand and believe that if they just say something they would like to be true, people will believe it. 

Communications, though, is, as educators say, summative.  That is: what people "get" is the sum total of the brand ... the product itself, any history with the product, what other people say about the product, the packaging ... along with conventional marketing communications.  Changing the ad doesn't necessarily change how people perceive the product.

I was prompted to post this based on a recent advertisement by a politician in Hawaii.  Politics aside, the communication didn't "ring true," and, as a result probably isn't very effective.  This politician's supporters would describe him as "a forceful personality" or a "decisive leader."  His detractors would probably describe him as an "egomaniac" or a "bully."  In any event, he is not a wimp.  But in his TV advertising he ends the ad by meekly turning to camera and saying: "I humbly ask for your support."  Humbly?  I don't think so.  He's never been accused of being humble. 

I'm sure his advisers told  him he should tone down his "bully" image.  But unless there's tangible evidence that the "bully" brand has changed, the message won't "ring true."

Can you imagine Chicago's mayor Daly in his prime saying "I humbly ask for your support"? 

The lesson here is that you need to truly understand your brand and make sure your marketing messages are consistent with your brand in order to create effective communication.   

Thinking big ... or thinking B I G !!!

I had the opportunity to facilitate some strategic planning sessions for a small Roman Catholic college.  The trustees were a lively bunch including college administrators, community leaders and brothers from the governing church order.

To encourage "out of the box" thinking, I conducted a pretty standard planning exercise.  Imagine, I said, if we are incredibly successful, what will the headlines about the college be in the next 25 years.  There were some predictable responses:  Enrollment doubles; The budget has a surplus; We win prestigious awards.  When challenged to go further outside of the box, one of the brothers said:  The 25th reunion of the class of 2012 sets a record for attendance ... including the pope."  Wow ... the pope is an alum!!  Then one of the other brothers piped in "... and she's really glad to be here."

So ... there's thinking outside the box ... and there's thinking waaaay outside the box.  Dreaming big is a precondition for obtaining big results.

At Leo Burnett Advertising, the first company that I worked for, there was a famous saying that Leo often quoted that became basis for the company motto:  "Reach for the Stars."  As the full saying goes, 'Reach for the stars. You may not get one, but you won't get a handful of mud, either.'

After 53 Years, It's No Longer Amusing

Alaska and Hawaii became American states in 1959.  Over the years, we've grown used to people asking if they need a passport to come to Hawaii for a visit.  And we usually tolerate people who come to Hawaii and talk about "back in the states."  But marketers should know better.  Companies and organizations (including the US Department of Commerce!) have chosen to graphically portray the United States by including an outline of the 48 states.  I checked on the date today: it's 2012, 53 years after that map became obsolete.

In today's Honolulu Star Advertiser, there is an ad for AT&T's wireless service, touting "The Nation's Largest 4G Network."  The dominant graphic is, you guessed it, an outline map of the continental "lower 48."  And this is in an ad that ran in Hawaii!!

Somebody in the AT&T marketing department ... Please pay attention.  Or sign up for a history course.

Using Technology to Improve Customer Service

While traveling in Europe, I visited a restroom in the Munich airport that used an innovative technology application to improve customer service.  Mounted on the restroom wall was an electronic polling device.  Users were asked to rate the cleanliness of the restroom by pushing the appropriate smiley button. 

Now, I don't know how management is using this information ... but it has the potential of providing feedback quickly ... and labeled with time-of-day. 

Maybe more importantly, it's a signal to the housekeeping employees that cleanliness is a high priority for the organization.  And, used intelligently, the results can help provide good feedback to housekeeping, telling them when the restroom most likely needs cleaning.  If the information is available in real time, it can even provide the ability to dispatch a cleaning crew when a frowney face is selected. 

Technology marches on ... into the restroom. 

New Advertising Media

I've been delinquent in my blogging.  But a recent sighting on a trip to Europe inspired me to resurrect my postings. 

While waiting for our bags to arrive in the Munich airport, a case went 'round and 'round on the carousel ... featuring a Heineken beer display.  Since there were no bags on the carousel, the passengers waiting for their bags had nothing to do but look at the display case.  Great example of creative media thinking. 

Diversifying from Core Strengths

Hawaii has been obsessed with diversifying its economy. And rightly so. Too much of the economic base of these islands is concentrated in a single industry with a dominant customer base.

So, the state has tried to diversify via industries like high tech. And, so far, has failed spectacularly. The problem is this: you can't just wish for new industries. The environment has to be right for new industries to grow and prosper. In the case of high tech, there's a reason that Silicon Valley is where it is ... and that's Stanford University. With Stanford as a magnet, the valley has attracted a plethora of innovation and high tech companies. As much as I love the University of Hawaii, we're not in the same league. And once you attract innovators, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers, there's a spontaneous combustion that seems to happen when theses folks get together. So, a place like Hawaii with a paucity of creative companies just isn't exciting when it comes to attracting new talent.

So how does Hawaii innovate? I think the answer is in building from its core strengths. Find ways to diversify tourism. Find new revenue generating ventures based on what we already have. Export our expertise. Maybe then we'll generate the revenue to invest in the infrastructure that can build new businesses outside of our core strengths.

DIY Marketing

I recently sat in a presentation in which some enthusiastic amateurs concluded that they could put together an effective marketing program all by themselves ... with no professional help. Truthfully, that may be possible, but the odds of success increase significantly when marketing programs are developed with people who have training and experience in the marketing discipline.

This example of amateur hour, unfortunately, is all too common. Otherwise intelligent people who would never thing of doing their own accounting ... or self-medicating ... think that they are innately gifted when it comes to marketing. The problem, I think, is that on the surface marketing appears pretty easy. But under the surface, there is a world of science and proven techniques that are the foundation for driving effective communication and motivating consumer behavior.

I've been a member of the American Marketing Association for years. My hope is that we in the profession can market the value of marketing.