The Great Compete Against Themselves, Others Compete Against Them

You Should Find Your Fiercest Competitor In The Mirror

By David Miranda

Tiger Woods is the Number One Golfer in the world. Toyota is the most profitable car maker in the world. Google is the most successful search engine in the world. Competitors try and try but Tiger, Toyota, and Google still excel.

The question is why?

The simple answer is that their fiercest competition is themselves, not "the other guy." While their competition is investing time trying to analyze and copy them, they are investing their time on making themselves better than they were yesterday. Interesting approach.

Tiger Woods, even after achieving great success, decided to change his golf coach and his swing. Both his competitors and golf pundits alike were befuddled. Why tamper with success? When asked to explain, Tiger said he needed to improve. Tiger Woods improve? But improve he did! His fiercest competitor is himself.

During a recent interview Ford's new CEO stated that Ford was examining how Toyota was able to make better cars, be profitable, and continue to gain market share. His time might be better spent making better cars. By the time Ford is as good as Toyota is today, Toyota will be better than they are tomorrow. Toyota's fiercest competitor is Toyota.

Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft are all trying to compete with Google and Google continues to gain market share despite their individual and collective efforts. Google competes with itself.

Winners compete against themselves.

The lesson is this - if you want to be great, relentlessly great, compete with yourself.

Be your own fiercest competition. Be a Tiger!

Recognition Marketing - Calling Marketing "Audibles"

Marketers Can Learn A Lot From Tom Brady

By David Miranda

There is a great deal of time, effort, and resources invested in developing a marketing campaign. Budgets are allocated. Timing is determined. Research is conducted. Target audiences are identified. Creative is produced. Media plans are developed. The campaign is launched - but then things don't go according to plan. The playing conditions change. The competition throws up a few surprises. What to do?

Whether you are a football fan or not, marketers could learn a great deal from All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady. Many times after calling a play in the huddle, you notice him walk to line of scrimmage and immediately scan the defensive scheme. If he determines that the defensive setup will neutralize the called play, he'll immediately start calling audibles at the line of scrimmage making his teammates aware that a new play is necessary. You will even see him move key players around to counter the defense. This is all done in less than 30 seconds. This happens throughout the game.

Marketers need to do the same.

During the marketing campaign, when playing conditions change and the competition throws up a few surprises, marketers need to call "audibles", i.e. tweak the plan on the run, to be successful. After the campaign is over, it is too late and a post mortem of what went right or wrong is meaningless in impacting results for that fiscal period. The time to have taken action was during the "game".

Too often, marketers become spectators of their plans rather than active participants in the "game" while it is being "played."

Have a game plan, but be ready to call "marketing audibles". It's the mark of an "All-Pro" marketing QB.

Recognition Marketing - Missionary vs. Mercenary Marketing

The Difference Between Having True Believers vs. Hired Guns On Your Team

By David Miranda

mis·sion·ar·y [mish-uh-ner-ee] 1. a person strongly in favor of a program, set of principles, etc., who attempts to persuade or convert others.

mer·ce·nar·y [mur-suh-ner-ee] 1. a person working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal.

There is an intangible that too often either gets neglected, overlooked, or assumed in marketing. It's called passion and it has a powerful influence on even the most cynical among us. Passion is the societal adrenaline that, for those that have it, do great things primarily for the sheer joy of it. For those that love what they do, the monetary compensation is gravy.

Such is the case with marketing. Think for a moment about brands or pursuits that have a passionate following - Apple, Starbucks, professional and collegiate sports, and hobbies (golf, fishing, collecting, leisure travel, etc.). These are things that customers (fans and enthusiasts) are passionate about and they spend their hard-earned dollars in pursuit of these passions.

Unfortunately in the marketing arena, an environment which should exude passion, real passion is a scarce commodity. Often companies (and/or their agencies) are dominated by mercenaries, i.e. people in it "acting merely or only for the rewards" rather than missionaries, i.e. people who are honestly passionate about the brand.

A company that cannot hire and retain passionate marketers or who thinks they can "outsource" passion to mercenaries will suffer the dire consequences. Great companies source, hire, and retain passionate marketers. They understand the power of this intangible.

Look within yourself and your organization. Where is the passion?

Find and nurture the missionaries. Identify and expel the mercenaries.

Be a passionate brand.

Where Are These Airlines We See In The Advertising?

Smiling Faces? Roomy Seats? Great Food? New Planes? Friendly Service?

By David Miranda

Last week, I was watching CNBC first thing in the morning and the big news was the upcoming merger between Delta and Northwest, forming the largest airline in the United States. There, on the screen, were the two CEO's of the two airlines co-touting how good this would be for everyone - shareholders, employees, consumers, and the airline industry. Any downside? Nope, according to these two men whose personal bank accounts will greatly benefit from the transaction. Surprising marriage? Seems like the current CEO was formerly the CEO of Northwest.

But let's get to the bigger issue.

The major airlines in the U.S. suck. Customer service staff are surly. The majority of planes in the fleet are dirty and old - the latter issue requiring hundreds of planes to be grounded leaving tens of thousands travelers stranded. Travel delays are systemic as is the problem with lost bags. Interior seating, save business and first class, is less comfortable than a Greyhound bus. If that is not enough, consumers get nickeled and dimed for everything and anything including pillows, headphones, extra luggage charges, change fees, etc. etc. New ticketing kiosks have reduced the number of warm bodies to take care of problems when things don't go according to schedule - which, by the way, is all the time.

Now we hear that two airlines who rank in the bottom tier of all categories will be better when they merge. It's like saying "I have these two stones that don't float, but if we glue them together - Voila! they float."

Allow me to address the title of this article. Who are these airlines in the advertising? Where are these well-groomed, friendly helpful employees? Where are the new, clean, roomy planes? Where is that great food I see those actors in the ads being served? Do the airline executives who sign off on these ads ever say "We can't run these ads. It's false advertising. We need to show frustrated travelers in cramped seats waiting for the 8AM flight to depart at 9AM. Those arrival and departure screens in the ads should not say "On Time" listed for every flight. They should say "Delayed" or "Cancelled"."?

My advice to the CEO and other airline executives - fly coach!

Lexus Valentine Promo - "The Pursuit Of Perfection" In Marketing

I'll Take This Over A Popular Super Bowl Ad Any Day

By David Miranda

Gerry Davidson, author of Real Concepts, showcased a rare and real example of great marketing.

I encourage anyone that wants to see a great marketing idea, well-executed to read her article on the Lexus promotion.

I join in the chorus of kudos.

Enough said, read Gerry's article.

Marketing Lessons From Politics - "I" versus "We" Messages

The Historical Contest Between Barack and Hillary

By David Miranda

We are witnessing a historic political contest between Democratic Presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. It not just that one is an African-American and the other a woman. It is about the differences in their messages -Sen. Clinton's "I" versus Sen. Obama's "We".

Sen. Clinton's speeches are filled with statements beginning with "I" as in "I am the most experienced." "I am ready to lead the country on Day One". "I am the best person to take on the Republicans in the general election." As the frontrunner since declaring, she seemed to be the inevitable nominee of the party." (and still might be).

Sen. Obama's speeches, on the other hand, are filled with statements that embrace "We", as in, "We can do this together". "We can and must do better". "We can be a better America" He concludes his speeches by getting his audience to chant. "Yes, we can" which has become his campaign slogan.

Who will win the Democratic nomination? At this point, it is still a horse race, but one thing is clear, Sen. Obama's "we" messaging has resounded with many people and the once long shot has gained momentum and audience. His "we" messaging is working and working well forcing Sen. Clinton to recently retool her own messaging along the lines of Sen. Obama.

What is the marketing lesson here?

The lesson is that it's not about you. It's about your clients and customers. What is it that you, your products and services can do for them - to make their life better? People respond to sincere, empathic messaging and will generally reward you with the ultimate consideration - "votes" in the cash register.

While your competitors are touting their own importance, let your customers know that "we" are here for you.

Bureaucrats Have Hijacked The RFP

How The RFP Has Lost Its Way

By David Miranda

What was once intended to be a fair way to consider among many alternatives in a competitive marketplace, the RFP has evolved into a flawed process that requires an extreme makeover.

It goes something like this.

Let's say you are an advertising agency and you receive an unsolicited letter (or email) from an advertiser that your firm has been invited to participate in an RFP to be their new agency of record. So far, so good.

It, however, goes south from there.

The letter states that you are one of a number of agencies under consideration. (The letter fails to mention how many agencies have received the letter, what the judgement criteria is for consideration, or who is the ultimate decision maker) The letter goes on to say that after fulfilling the requirements of the RFP, the field will be narrowed to three finalists. The three finalists will then be asked to present at the company headquarters. After these face-to-face presentations, a winner will be selected within 30 days. The process is generally lengthy taking weeks and months for a decision.

Oh, by the way, the requirements of the RFP request many pages of information, i.e. how long you have been in business; bios of key management; key clients; samples of previous work done including results; financials; references; head counts; core competencies; methodology; compensation formulas and, believe it or not, sample creative executions "if you were to get the business." That's right, asking an agency to produce intellectual property, that by the way, is not protected is the submitting agencies do not get the business.

The effort to respond to an RFP takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and resources on behalf of the agency and at its own expense.

But here's the real rub. The people at the advertiser who typically are put in charge of the RFP process are bureaucrats since, on the surface, it appears to be a process-driven exercise. These are people who have little imagination or understanding of the end game, i.e. to select a great agency for the business. The RFP process administered by a bureaucrat or bean counter leaves little room, if any, for showcasing the important intangibles that make for a strong client/agency relationship - the dynamics of people interacting with people. It's called collaboration. Imagine a short list being determined before anyone at the client has met anyone at the agency.

Many agencies can look good on paper, just like many people can look good on CV's, but the proof of the pudding is the dynamic intangibles that come with person-to-person interaction.

In short, the RFP process has been hijacked by bureaucratic managers - people who unwisely think that doing things right is superior to doing the right things.

To all the clients out there, I implore you to delegate, not abdicate the responsibility of the RFP. Streamline the process, reduce the red tape, and get in front of the agency's leadership.

Chances are you'll pick the right agency and not just the one that looks good to bureaucrats.