Finally! Somebody In Politics That Tells It Like It Is

Think In The Third Person, Communicate In The Second Person, Lead In The First Person

Getting Thinking, Communicating, And Leading In The Right Order

By David Miranda

Business is not about you or me, it's about them - those people who buy stuff, also known as consumers. More often than not, marketers get this wrong. There tends to be too much first person opinion in the boardroom as in "I like or don't like this or that".

When this happens the wrong master is served.

Frankly, it doesn't matter one iota whether a marketing executive likes or dislikes something. The true master to be served is the consumer; unless, however, the marketing executive is going to going to buy all the stuff the company wants to sell.

When a marketing executive uses his or her titled authority to impart their own first person opinions on decisions, it is ego-centric, assuming that this person speaks for consumers. This is dangerous and fatalistic, yet it happens over and over again with the same dire results.

Marketing executives should keep their personal bias in check and think in the third person, i.e "what would consumers want?" and this thinking should be supported with empirical evidence - good research with compelling and unique insights.

Although they should think in the third person, marketers should communicate calls to action in the second person, as in MacDonalds' "You Deserve A Break Today", Allstate's " You're In Good Hands With Allstate", or Nike's "Just Do It". Here the company or brand is speaking directly to the consumer in a personal one-to-one dialogue. This is preferable to marketing messages where brands speak to consumers in the first person, as in Delta Airlines old tag line "We Love To Fly And It Shows" touting themselves versus what they can offer the consumer. The Delta tag line could have been tweaked "We Love To Fly. Let Us Show You."

Thinking in the third person and communicating in the second person requires leading in the first person as in "I want our marketing to help sell more stuff to more people more often to make more money".

So next time you are in a marketing meeting - think in the third person, communicate in the second person and lead in the first person.

"They" would appreciate it. "You" would benefit from it. "I" believe it will help.

Dealing With WMC (Weapons Of Mass Connection)

Recognition of Why And How Companies Need To Be Prepared For The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

By David Miranda

Consumers (and employees) are armed today with powerful WMCs (weapons of mass connection) - blogs, digital cameras, picture phones, chat rooms, cell phones, and user-and generated-content sites are just a few of many ways that people can utilize to instantly unleash the power of the connected world. The recent examples of the power are many. Here's a couple.

Michael Richards, better known as "Kramer" on the hit TV show, Seinfeld, was caught on a camera phone during a gig at LA's Laugh Factory where, in response to hecklers, he spewed racial epithets like a mad man. (See Kramer video) Almost instantanously, the clip was released on the Internet to millions of consumers. Mr. Richards is in crisis mode to save his career. Sen. George Allen (R-VA) who was not only considered a shoe-in for re-election and a possible Presidential candidate for 2008, was narrowly defeated, in part due, to a video clip, released on YouTube, chronicling his denigration of a competitor's campaign worker called the "macaca" incident. (See George Allen video)

But it's not just those in politics or entertainment that are vulnerable. Companies and brands risk the same exposure. Take a recently-released Bank Of America video of an internal marketing event. Many user-generated-content sites hosted this clip viewed by millions generating thousands of comments, mostly expressing disdain. When the exposure is favorable, all is good; but when it is not, it can be bad, in fact, ugly. Are businesses prepared for the negative implications?

Let's face it. There's nothing new here. Internal stuff has always been fodder for the break room or water cooler and, more often than not, is shared with outside third parties - whether it be for harmless fun or for airing dirty laundry. The difference today is that it happens instantaneously and virally. Sanctioned and unsanctioned internal company events or communications, therefore, should be looked at from the perspective: "How will this play on YouTube?, on blogs? in chat rooms?

Top executives must be prepared for dealing proactively with the world beyond the auspices of the Ivory Tower. New policies must be developed. Awareness must be raised at every level of the company - from the cubicles to the grass roots. Rapid response mechanisms must be devised to determine the appropriate course of action.

Weapons of mass connection: A new caveat emptor for businesses.