Marketers - Discover Your "Sense Of Human"

Remember People Buy Your Stuff, Not Marketing "Terms"

By David Miranda

Imagine going to a dinner party at a friend's house. On arrival, you knock at the door and no one answers. You discover the door is open and you enter the foyer to see a sign that says "Please wait to be seated". You observe the hosts scurrying around the premises arranging this and that while you (and other arriving guests) are massing at the door. They see you, smile, continue their activities and you hear one say to the other "looks like a number of our target audience have arrived." Finally one of the hosts comes over and the first words out of their mouth is "how many in your party?". They seat you in the living room and then ask "can I get you anything from the bar?" and then immediately disappear while you and other guests stare at each other in utter disbelief. Have these people gone mad?

Sounds crazy, but this is the typical reception that people get in restaurants every day. It is an example of the restaurant people losing "their sense of human".

It also happens in marketing where people are seen as "targets", "prospects", "eyeballs", "impressions", "click thoughs", "Gen Xers", etc. Are these the terms that these same marketers use to describe their family, friends, neighbors, colleagues? Of course not. Ever receive a direct mail solicitation addressed to you, but with the caveat "or the existing occupant"? Makes one feel very special. Or how about........

.........."Hello, mom. As a key target audience of our family, I noticed that you did not "click through" on the email I previously forwarded to confirm our call today." or.......... "Honey, our Gen Y neighbors contacted us today in response to our direct mail solicitation for a free home-cooked dinner offer. I reminded them to present the enclosed coupon on their arrival to our home."

Marketing has de-humanized the people that they wish to "engage" to buy their stuff. Simply put, marketers have lost their "sense of human".

If airlines, for example, discovered their sense of human they would be concerned about how people were treated during the typical airport experience - from departure to arrival. Airlines, however, consider people that travel "passengers" - customers that pay various fares to get from Point A to Point B - hopefully with their luggage.

So marketers need to consider this when thinking about getting people to want to buy their stuff.

Think of them as human beings. Discover your "sense of human".

Successful Powerpoints - Blurb Your Enthusiasm

In An A.D.D. World, Make Your Message Short, Sweet, and Memorable

By David Miranda

Our collective attention spans have dramatically shortened over the years and it continues to shrink. We suffer from an A.D.D. pandemic - we scan, browse, peruse, channel surf television channels, radio stations, newspapers, internet sites, magazine articles, outdoor signs, emails, voice mails, brochures, direct mail, trade show booths, business data, executive summaries - and yes, powerpoints. This is a direct result of a confluence of factors including time poverty and compression, uber-content and distribution channels, and multi-tasking.

Despite the marketplace A.D.D., many marketers feel compelled to develop painfully long and arduous powerpoint presentations that defy logic. The result? Audiences turn off and tune out long before the point is made.

In this A.D.D. world, presenters, literally, have seconds to get someone's attention and minutes to compel an audience to listen further before they mentally turn off. This said, presenters continue to make mistakes. Here are some helpful do's and don'ts for a successful powerpoint presentation - how to "blurb your enthusiasm" in the time allotted.

Do......

• keep the powerpoint to 10 slides or less


• have a theme


• utilize an eye-pleasing and readable color pallette and font type/size for the presentation one that is printable in black&white as well as colr since many people like to print out presentations.


• have a compelling title slide, i.e. a compelling title of what are you talking about and why they should listen; your name, title, and affiliation; and the date.


• have an agenda slide which lets the audience know what to expect and in what order, i.e. history, the current landscape, trends, the business implications, the solutions, summary, contact info. In other words "tell them what you are going to tell them; then tell them; and then summarize what you told them."


• make each slide easy to quickly peruse - utilize simple graphics when appropriate; keep copy short and sweet, use memorable "sound bites".


• provide sources/attibutions for third party data.


• leave time for Q&A either during of after the presentations.

Don't....

• utilize unnecessary hyperbole, self-engrandizement (greatest, best, exciting, etc.),or unsubstantiated claims.


• use too much industry lingo. People should not need a glossary.


• use complex charts and graphs with lots of data points, particularly on one slide.


• employ unnecessary animation or slide "builds". It can be distracting and counter-productive.


• "dis" the competition to make yourself look better. It generally backfires.


• have too many bullet points on a slide

In summary, to deal with an A.D.D. audience, blurb your enthusiasm in your powerpoint.

"We've Got To Stop (Internally) Meeting Like This!"

We Are Singing Off The Same Song Sheet, But We Aren't Making "Music"

By David Miranda

The cliches' are numerous describing teamwork and collaboration, i.e. "let's all get on the same page"; "we need to sing off the same song sheet"; "we all need to be rowing in the same direction", etc. Yada yada yada.

Truth be told, most internal meetings, despite the good intentions, are a waste of time. People meet just to meet - to review the minutes of the last meeting; plod through the agenda of the current meeting; and confirming the date and time of the next meeting.

An internal meeting is nothing but corporate overhead. At you next internal meeting, look around the room. What you will see is pure cost to the enterprise. If you are going to have an internal meeting, ask yourself the question "what is the ROI on the overhead of this meeting?", i.e. "How much revenue and/or profit is going to be generated as a result of our collective time in this room?"

One might argue that some meetings are necessary to discuss operational, human resources, accounting, processes, software, etc. This is true, but shouldn't all these subjects be discussed in terms of improving the company's financial performance. Otherwise what's the point?

If you are in a meeting where there is no discussion of top or bottom line, raise your hand and ask politely, "what does this meeting have to do with the company's financial performance?"

A relevant meeting begins with a relevant objective, i.e. "We need to increase our revenue by 4%" or "reduce our costs by 5%" or "increase our market share by 1%". "That's what this meeting is for so let's start the discussion".

People are generally eager to attend and participate in meetings that are action and objective oriented- where they can see results.

They don't want just to "sing off the same song sheet", they want to make "music" - as in revenue, profits, and market share.

Are You Covering All The Media Bases With Your Brand?

The New Media Continuum - Extending The Brand Horizontally

By David Miranda

Not long ago, the media landscape was much simpler. People woke up to the radio alarm tuned to their favorite AM/FM station; read the local newspaper; turned on the television as they sipped their morning coffee. On their way to work, they listened to the car radio including traffic reports and passed countless outdoor advertising. Sure there are still many that follow the same routine, but the media landscape has changed for many American households.

Today, people may still wake up to an alarm, not necessarily the radio. Then they might check their cell phone for calls or text messages or their Blackberry for emails. Instead of the morning newspaper, many go online to read the latest news or check email. More consumers are less likely to have home delivery of the local daily. Off to work, instead of the radio, they may be making cell calls or listening to their iPods.

And so the day goes. New media channels spawning new consumer behavior.

Of course, there is no typical consumer and no typical behavior, but make no mistake about it. The media landscape is morphing and marketers must insure brands are extended horizontally across this new landscape. The chart below reflects a sampling of the new 24/7 media world. How often does your brand touch people during a typical day?

I

It is important to analyze how effective your media plan is in reaching consumers across an entire day including individual day parts, particularly mobile and the Internet since these allow consumer access anytime, anywhere, anytime.

Note To Marketers - Rip Off Your Rear View Mirror!

Where You've Been Has Little To Do With Where You Need To Go

By David Miranda

Yogi Berra, Hall Of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees and guru of the spoken word, once said, "The future ain't what it used to be." This couldn't be any truer than in marketing. Just a few years ago, we had not heard of Google, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, Tivo, Apple's "i" products, etc. Today, each has had a dramatic impact on how people communicate and consume media. None of these were found in the rear view mirror.

Today too many marketers, however, still drive marketing strategy looking in this rear view mirror. The result is an accident waiting to happen and many already have littering the marketing landscape with the road kill of victims - some deceased, some fatally injured.

The list of casualties is extensive - bricks & mortar travel agents, book and music stores; newspaper classifieds; printed yellow pages; print journalism; music labels; the :30 sec ad spot, etc. etc., and there's more to come.

What are marketers to do?

First, rip off the rear view mirror. Next, pay attention to the road ahead. Next, rid yourself of superstitious marketing behavior, i.e. believing that what was successful in the past will continue to work. Finally, don't be afraid to fail trying new things. Not being afraid to fail is different from wanting to succeed.

No more rear view mirrors.

Marketing - "Don't Let School Interfere With Your Education"

Academia Has It Place, But An "Advanced Degree" of Life Experience Is More Important

By David Miranda

Imagine attending an elite music school to study piano and for four years you learn everything there is to know about the instrument - except playing it. Upon graduation, with a "piano" degree in hand, you apply to a symphony orchestra for employment as a concert pianist. Your impressive credentials get you an interview at which you are asked to play. You respond that you have never played a single note.

This, of course, is an absurd example to make a point, but the point is important to make - school is important, but experience is critical in applying the academics.

In marketing today, it is difficult to find practictioners who have not earned undergraduate or post-graduate degrees in business or marketing. The difference between those that just have jobs and those that excel at their jobs, however, can be attributed to experience - learning in real world situations - and applying that key learning in real world situations.

In marketing, there is no such thing as doing things "by the book". In fact, there is no book on how to succeed in a highly competitive marketplace. Some people might encourage others to "think outside the box", but there is no box. That's why they call it thinking.

When someone asked a great musician on the eve of his concert in New York, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" He quickly replied, "Practice, practice, practice".

Don't let school interfere with your education. "Practice, practice, practice" what you have learned - in school and in real life.

Why Marketing Is A Lot Like Game Shows

Jeopardy, Deal Or No Deal, The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune - Sound Familiar?

By David Miranda

Marketing has a lot in common with television game shows.

Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? - How many times have you asked yourself "is your boss smarter than a fifth grader?" He or she sometimes doesn't appear to have the sense of a grammar school student in coming to grips with things so obvious, a fifth grader would get it.

Wheel of Fortune - Some marketers rely on a "spin of the wheel" to determine a brand's latest direction rather than the practice of best marketing practices. They can't seem to solve the "puzzle" so they relent and say "I'll spin again, Alex".

Deal Or No Deal - Some marketers simply cannot make a decision. They study, they research, they analyze, they re-analyze while the opportunities pass them by.

The Price Is Right - Marketers sometimes forget that it is the consumer who is the ultimate arbitor of price. It doesn't matter what the "suggested retail price" is, it only matters if it is the price that people are willing to pay.

Jeopardy - Can't push that "answer button" for consumers faster than your competitors? Can't provide the right "solutions" for consumers? You lose.

The final Jeopardy answer is "Profits".