"Field Of Dreams" Marketing - Build It And They Will Come - NOT!

Hope Is Not A Strategy

By David Miranda

In the classic film, "Field Of Dreams" Kevin Costner's character heard a voice summoning him to "build it and they will come". The "it", of course, was a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. The final scene was a dramatic aerial shot of serpentine car headlights as far as the eye could see heading to the field. Hope springs eternal.

In real life, however, hope is not enough. Today businesses build products and offer new services with the hope that customers will come and buy. Hope, however, is not a strategy and, more importantly, without a strategy there is no hope. Sounds reasonable, but, more often that not, schizophrenic marketers still rely on hope when they are strategically bankrupt.

Need some examples? Consider these.

Delta Airlines attempted to launch a discount airline, Song. It brought together really smart people; invested really big dollars; and "hoped" that they had a winner. Not? The music ended and Song was no more.

Speaking of Field Of Dreams, every year, smart people in Hollywood, backed by big money premiere box office flops that leave movie goers wondering "what were they thinking?" Didn't anyone in this "Emperor's New Clothes" scenario say "this is a stinker"? There are too many "stinkers" to name here, but I'm sure you've been the victim of a few. The backers "hoped" they'd be blockbusters.

In the annals of the cola wars, Pepsi marketing executives once "hoped" that the market was ready and eager for Pepsi Clear - Pepsi, just without the color. Go figure. Smart people, big money, clear failure. By the way, Coca-Cola countered with Tab Clear. Same result.

The new AT&T has recently announced that Cingular, the nation's leading mobile phone company, will change it name to AT&T abandoning the Cingular brand. This decision was made even though AT&T once had its own mobile phone offering that suffered from poor customer service, low customer retention and its ultimate demise. They "hope" for better results this time. Smart people, big money, smart decision? The new AT&T hopes for the best.

Before smart people like yourself put big money behind a big dream, first make sure you have a solid strategic foundation.

If you are hearing voices, take this advice.

Before you start "clearing the cornfield", have a clear strategy.

Calling Dr. Freud: Treating Marketing Schizophrenia

The New Marketing Landscape Is Fertile Ground For The Disorder

By David Miranda

The American Heritage Dictionary defines schizophrenia as "any of a group of psychotic disorders usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances."

Marketing is supposed to be focused on conveying the best attributes of brands. Any casual observer of marketing today, however, might quickly come to the conclusion that it suffers sometimes from clinical schizophrenia. Here are few recent examples of the malady.

Ford Motor Company decided to end production of its once-popular Taurus. It created a new model, the Ford500. The 500 did not meet sales expectations, so Ford decided to rename it the Taurus. Diagnosis: delusional

In a New York Times article entitled, Makers of Sodas Try a New Pitch: They’re Healthy. Healthy soda? The article notes the frustration of Coke's Chairman Neville Isdell, that his industry is being singled out. Following Ford's lead, perhaps Coke's new tag line could be, "It's the real "healthy" thing, honest it is" Diagnosis: withdrawal from reality.

Cingular broke new ground by proclaiming in recent advertising by touting that they were not as bad as everyone else with their "Cingular has fewer dropped calls" spots. Could be the start of a new trend in advertising. How about "Applebee's - Fewer people get sick from our food" or "Hewlett-Packard - Our laptop batteries catch on fire less often." ? Diagnosis: illogical patterns of thinking.

Maybe the next marketing session should be on a psychiatrist's couch rather than a boardroom.

If you observe the disorder in others, strongly suggest they seek professional help.

Calling Dr. Freud.