Smoke & Meers

What Walter Cronkite Taught Me

2009-07-18T17:27:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, I learned of the death of Walter Cronkite.

I had the pleasure of working with Walter Cronkite in the autumn of 2006 to record an audio voice over for our client, Union Station. Laura Booth Moore and I met him at Wheeler Audio one bright Saturday morning. To say I was a bit anxious about meeting the man who defined broadcast journalism would have been an understatement. I grew up watching the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.

Cronkite's journalistic style was crisp and had context. He didn't editorialize, he didn't pull punches with his team, he was as authentic as they come. Of course, the extra bit of gravel in his voice helped.

I believe it was President Johnson who said, in speaking with his senior advisors about the rapidly turning public opinion regarding the war in Vietnam, "If we've lost Walter Cronkite, then we've lost America." Shortly after that statement, Johnson announced he would not seek re-election.

Cronkite was an icon, much in the same way as David Ogilvy, Bill Bernbach and Leo Burnett were. Cronkite was just on the other side of the isle.

When I met Mr. Cronkite at the age of 90, he was sharp and articulate. He delivered his lines with that same wonderful, rich velvet voice with which he had delivered the news for 40 years. But, like any professional, he didn't get the audio track down in one take. He blew a couple of lines, at which point I had the daunting task of pushing the studio mic and saying,

Me: "Excuse me, Walter?"

Walter (as if the voice of God): "Yes, Sam?"

I continued: "Would you mind reading that last sentence in paragraph 28 again?"

Walter: "What did I miss?"

Me: "You skipped over the last part of the sentence."

Walter: "Oh. Well, certainly."

And he nailed it.

Meeting Walter Cronkite is one of the professional highlights of my career. His passing is a reminder of all the great advertising and journalism icons who have gone before us. They carved the path, they paved the way — and along the way they taught us how to do our jobs better.

To me, the lasting legacy of Walter Cronkite is not so much about the news he shared, but about how he shared it. We all have the opportunity to learn from great mentors. It's our responsibility to make sure we do.

"And that's the way it is. Friday, July 17, 2009." Thank you Walter Cronkite. You were an inspiration to us all.

Think Big. Think Small.

2009-07-16T22:22:00.005-05:00

Sometimes to understand a concept requires context. For example, if there's bitter, then there must be sweet. If there's short, then there must be tall. If there's cheap, then there must be expensive.

The same is true in marketing. A balance must be struck in how we think about strategies and tactics. Actually, the balance revolves around whether we think about strategies at all.

I spoke tonight to a group of marketers who work in a fairly conservative category — the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (A/E/C) industry. And when I say conservative, I mean in how the senior executives in the category think about marketing. To them, marketing is often considered sales. There are precious few clearly articulated brands in the A/E/C category. If you printed out the home Web pages of ten companies in this category, you could interchange the logos and no one would be able to tell the companies apart. There is little or no differentiation, which means they have no competitive advantage and must compete on price alone.

When companies fail to articulate their brand, they become stuck in small ideas. The marketers in these organizations spend their time writing, designing and binding RFPs, and very little time on big ideas that can help drive the company's business. They wrap up one RFP only to find the next RFP in the cue waiting for them. As I mentioned to the group tonight, it's hard to think about draining the swamp when you're up to your ass in alligators.

The obvious problem with only having small ideas is that there is little room (or time) for big ideas. To be successful in business, you must have both. You must have big ideas that drive your business. Big ideas that give you the platform upon which to develop engaging and memorable marketing communications. Big ideas that give you the editorial platform to support a robust social media campaign. Big ideas that allow you to "say one thing in many interesting ways." Big ideas that create economies of scale — that keep you from creating "one ad at a time" or other one-off projects that seem disjointed and unkept.

Marketers must think big before they think small. There must be a strategy before there are tactics. Unfortunately, too many marketers get wrapped around the axle on tactics — and spend their entire day jumping from one tactic to the next. The senior management sees all this activity, and because they've never thought about the fact that their marketing should be driven by a big idea, they are fine with all the busy-work that takes place in their marketing departments. Busy, busy, busy — with not too much to show for it except a nice pile of pretty RFPs.

If you find yourself in this rather difficult situation — where you're surrounded by tactics and a senior management team that doesn't "get it," then you have three choices. 1) Become a student of the industry and begin helping them understand what they're missing, 2) hire and work with consultants and/or an agency that can help get you there, or 3) make a hasty exit to a company that "gets it" and will let you blossom within a growing and dynamic organization.

You may consider that third option to be your own version of thinking big.

The Ship's Log

2009-07-13T09:16:00.003-05:00

It is the responsibility of every ship's captain to maintain a log, at least daily, while the ship is at sea. The captain records navigation, events on board, ports visited — basically any detail of importance is kept in the ship's log.

The log provides a record of where the ship has been. This gives the captain the ability to refer back to the log in the event they get blown off course in a storm, or need to refer to some other previous detail about their journey. To not keep the log current is grounds for loss of commission — or depending on the era, much worse than loss of commission.

A log is not a journal. Although it could be. It is entirely up to the captain to determine the contents of the log. If the captain deems the data relevant, then he or she may include it in the log. It's their guide of the events that have taken place, which helps bring future events into context.

Think about what it would mean if every manager, every director, every VP and everyone in the C-suite kept a daily log of events. Think about the context it would bring to business. A business log would be a recording of what was actually accomplished during the day. And a reminder of what was not accomplished. It would bring (in theory) more accountability to marketing because people would be thinking about their deadlines each day. It would bring more accountability to budgets because people would be more aware of how much time is passing. It would bring a sense of urgency — a bias for action — to business. But most importantly, it would help put everything we do in a tighter context.

The speed of business is often dizzying. Perhaps a log of the day's events would bring a focus we could all use.

Advertising legs.

2009-07-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

A well articulated brand message gives you something that an average brand message doesn't — legs.

When someone says a campaign has "legs," it's one of the highest compliments they can pay to a brand message. When a brand message provides the platform to "say one thing in many interesting ways," everyone wins. The client gets a campaign that is interesting, engaging and can last (potentially) a very long time. Remember Absolut Vodka? What is that campaign, 25 years old now? It's still relevant and interesting.

I saw this Staples truck as I was leaving a client meeting today. Right there, on the back of the truck, was Staples' Easy Button. Now some marketing people would have been happy putting their logo on the truck. Others would have said, "Hey, let's put the Easy Button on the trucks." But Staples took it further — they recognized they had another opportunity to carry the message further.

"Someone pushed it. We're on our way."

We, and our clients, should all aspire to this level of creative. Every touch point matters. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to tell your story. And with a sound brand message, you have the legs to do it.

Getting it right the first time

2009-07-01T18:03:00.002-05:00

Tonight I grilled baby back ribs for dinner. We've made a point of trying new recipes for dinner each night we're on vacation. I've smoked lots of ribs, but cooking them on a gas grill is a whole different experience.

This was my second attempt at ribs this week. The first one (Monday night) was good, but not great. Tonight, however, was a different story.

When people try something new, they rarely get it right on the first try. In fact, no matter how good the instructions, there is usually something that could have been done better.

The same is true when it comes to marketing. Often the strategy you've painstakingly designed works. But the second time you do it, the strategy works even better.

In today's digital environment, we all have to try new and different strategies to find a competitive advantage. Whether it's social media, mobile media, a new distribution strategy or a fully integrated digital/traditional campaign, with "different" comes some level of risk. Obviously, you will do everything you can to reduce the risk — research, test, narrow the focus of the launch — but there is still risk. The goal, therefore, is to fail successfully. Learn from each effort you put into the market. Then make adjustments and improve the subsequent efforts. (And, by the way, the more things you put into the market, the faster you learn — but that's another post.)

In marketing, it's often not a question of "Did the strategy work?" It's more often a question of "Which strategy worked best?"

Perhaps Thursday night I'll take a shot at Black Drum fish. I've never done that before.

There's News Out There

2009-06-30T23:03:00.002-05:00

Julie and I went for a ten mile bike ride today. If I have the option, I will always take a bike outdoors versus a bike on a stand — any day. There's something refreshing about riding with the wind in your face — even if the wind includes some serious Florida humidity.

The other thing I like about biking is the solitude. The ride gave me time to think. And naturally, I thought about advertising. I thought about the products I saw introduced as a youth. Color television, auto air conditioning, Jello Instant Pudding (that was a big hit in 1970).

As I was thinking about these products (and the thousands of products introduced since then), I remembered something Gordon White (one of my advertising professors at Illinois) said to me in a copywriting class. "Advertising is news. It's paid news, but never forget, it is news."

So while we work to persuade, we are also working to inform. I think the latter part is sometimes forgotten. There is news out there. There are products being developed, enhancements being made, new twists to old products — and it is the marketer's role to tell the story. It's our job to help them tell it better than their competitors.

There's news in every company's product or service. It's our job to share it in an engaging manner.

I didn't even have to ask.

2009-06-29T16:36:00.003-05:00

The Roo sent me a text yesterday. Seems the kitchen faucet is leaking. Well, actually, it's the hose that comes from the faucet.

If this were an old faucet, then I wouldn't be surprised. But this is a new Moen faucet, installed in March. So I was a bit incredulous that we were going to have to repair an almost new faucet. However, because I'm on vacation, I had time to do a little investigating into our relatively new Moen kitchen faucet — I went to Moen.com, learned all Moen faucets come with a lifetime warranty (as long as you are the original homeowner who installed the faucet), found a customer service number, and called.

I must say I am very impressed with how Moen handled the call. The auto attendant informed me they would call me back when a representative was available. This was a good option since the wait time was one hour and forty minutes.

When they called (one hour and thirty five minutes later), a real person asked about the problem, and without hesitating, offered to send me a replacement hose via FedEx for arrival on Wednesday — at no cost. The service representative went on to explain what else might be causing the problem. He shared all this in a calm, professional manner — excellent training was evident.

In some respects, it's sad that such an excellent customer experience is the exception versus the rule. Lots of companies talk about "delighting" the customer. But how many actually do it? Or better yet, how many actually do it in a proactive manner? How many companies wait for the customer to ask for something before the company gives it up? That is what made this Moen experience special. I didn't even have to ask.

Your Story is Not Boring

2009-06-28T21:24:00.004-05:00

Vacation is a great time to do things you don't do on a regular basis. So while in Florida this weekend, we went shopping. Shoe shopping, in fact.

Shopping for shoes is a unique experience. The styles and options are almost limitless. This is especially true for women's shoes. While there may be a style that's perfect, the fit may not be right. Or it may be too uncomfortable. Or it may not be versatile enough. There are lots of reasons why women either do or do not purchase a pair of shoes.

But there is one shoe designer who has tackled one of the issues — comfort. And she's telling her brand story in a new and interesting manner. Taryn Rose, an orthopedic surgeon, created a line of shoes for women that feel good when they wear them. When Julie put these on, she felt the difference even before the sales person told her about the brand. In fact, she could see the difference in how the shoe was made.

Odds are good you have a unique story about your company. It may seem like old news to you, but to a potential customer who has never heard it before, if it's relevant, it will still be interesting — and potentially engaging.

Don't assume your company's story is boring. Just because you're tired of it does not mean your customers are.

Why Southwest Doesn't Accept Email

2009-06-25T08:23:00.001-05:00

I commented to Dan Mingori (Propaganda 3) this week, as we were sitting in the Birmingham airport, that I was going to send a note to Southwest Airlines about adding some more convenient flights to Birmingham from Kansas City. And as the words left my mouth, I remembered that Southwest does not accept email messages from their Web site.

I've wanted to send Southwest an email message a number of times in the past, but it's not possible. So when I have REALLY wanted to connect with them, I've resorted to a postal letter. And I've always received a response.

I was thinking about Southwest's decision to not accept email from their customers. On the surface it appears to be incongruous with the Southwest brand experience. But their rationale is sound. Southwest does not feel they can deliver the experience their customers have become accustomed to if they were to allow email communications. They know their call center works. They know they can respond to postal mail. But they are not confident they can respond equally as well via email, so they suppress it. It's a strategic decision, and one that's in line with their business model and their brand. If they cannot delight their customers, then don't do it.

I've often written about 'doing fewer things, better.' This is an excellent example. If you can't do it to the level that you will delight your customers, then it is better not to do it at all.

The Karma Train doesn't have a whistle.

2009-06-24T09:06:00.003-05:00

I have to admit, I'm somewhat superstitious. I don't walk under ladders, I tap the outside of airplanes as I board, and I don't pick up pennies if the "tails" side is facing up. And while those are interesting quirks, I don't put a lot of credence in the idea of bad luck or karma. But I did have to laugh about my previous post after the events of yesterday.

If you have not yet read the post from Monday, I commented on the importance of the little stuff. How details are the true test of whether or not a strategy is executed well.

Here comes the Karma Train.

Tuesday, we learned one of the envelopes we printed for a client had a typo. We misspelled "Welcome" as "Welocme." We approved it. The client approved it. The client's client approved it. In fact, eight different people approved the layout before it went to press. We all missed it. And everyone involved accepted responsibility for the error and is working to correct it.

So, I guess my previous post is still correct. The little stuff does matter. But I will add one caveat. No matter how hard you try, sooner or later you're going to screw up. The important thing to remember from situations like this is not that there was a mistake. They're going to happen. The thing people will remember is how you handle the mistake when it happens.

The Little Stuff

2009-06-22T22:31:00.003-05:00

Today, one of my staff, Megan, was telling me about a meeting she attended last week. Near the end of the discussion with me, she commented, "Oh, and I wore my name tag on the correct side."

You may not have known there is a correct side upon which to wear your name tag. Yes, it's a little thing, but an important one. It's a detail many business people overlook.

During any given day, there are lots of big picture discussions in advertising. Strategies are reviewed, ideas are shared and budgets are set. But shortly after that, the detail people get involved. And the measure of how well the strategy performs is directly tied to how well the team handles the details.

In the past five years, the level of detail has escalated dramatically. The Web has ushered in a completely new set of communications tools and their accompanying detail. At the same time, the speed with which agencies are supposed to execute these detailed plans has also risen at an exponential rate. Occasionally, these two opposing forces meet (and occasionally crash) at the intersection of "What Happened" Avenue and "Who Knew" Street.

Communication, specifically in the area of setting client expectations, has never been more important. Of course, this should be followed closely by actually meeting the client's expectations. You would think, that with all the new methods we have of communicating with one another, that communication would have become better. Unfortunately, while communication has become easier, it has not necessarily become better. There's just more of it.

Which is why, when Megan shared with me that she wore her name tag on the correct side, I smiled. The little things are important. That old saying, "The Devil's in the Details," is true.

Oh, and if you're wondering, your name tag should always be worn on your right side. That way, when you greet someone and shake their hand, they can casually glance at your name tag and be reminded of who you are. It saves them the embarrassment of having to crane their neck to peer around you to see your left side to read your name.

And, perhaps more importantly, they will appreciate the fact that you pay attention to the little things — because the little stuff matters.

Turning Grass Into Milk

2009-06-18T10:37:00.003-05:00

We're in the middle of a number of brand development initiatives right now. I have to admit, helping a company more clearly articulate their brand is perhaps the most interesting and exhilarating part of our business.

There is something special about that crystalline moment when the insight is found. When you get that twinge of anxiety knowing that this is a big idea — one that can truly change the game for a company.

When you know the new messaging will stupefy your client's competitors and make them wonder what to do or say to compete with your client now.

When you know you have an idea that will give your client's employees a focal point — something they can rally around — something that will bring those staid mission and vision statements to life.

I enjoy these assignments for many reasons, but the best part is getting to talk with our client's customers. Listening to customers describe their relationship with our clients is fascinating. Coming to understand why they 1) love them, 2) hate them, or 3) are ambivalent about them provides a treasure of information. And somewhere in that information is an insight that, when nurtured, has the potential to generate ideas that will give our clients a significant competitive advantage.

While the insight is the key, it's still not the solution. Once you have the insight, it takes a skilled team to message it correctly. It takes a team of people who are not too close to the trees. They must ask different questions. They must seek different perspectives. It's a bit of a mysterious process — much like how cows turn grass into milk. It's not predictable in it's timing, but when the team is good, it is predictable in the result.

And that makes this business extremely fun.

The Best Advisory Board

2009-06-15T23:02:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine is starting a new company. I've known her and her business partner for some time. A few months ago, she invited me to sit on her advisory board. I happily accepted.

Today was our second meeting. She's actually assembled quite a group of fellow entrepreneurs to sit on her board. Each brings a different perspective to her business, and all of them feel free to share candidly with her — even if it's not what she wants to hear.

There are several different ways business owners can gain insight to help run their businesses — Twenty Groups, Vistage Groups, Peer Forums, etc. They serve an important function. They're a reality check from some of your toughest critics — fellow business owners. But no matter how tough your peers and/or advisory board is on you, there's one group who is tougher. Your customers.

I'm in the midst of determining how I'm going to let a certain service provider know I'm fed up with his lack of customer focus. And just so you know, this is on the personal side of my life, not the agency side. This business owner is jacking around with his pricing, establishing new rules on his payment terms and putting onerous constraints on how I get to interact with his business. In general, he's creating a situation where it's getting harder and harder to do business with him.

To put this in perspective, I've been a regular customer of this business for almost four years. But as each month passes, I become more and more disenchanted. So Tuesday, I'm going to have a 'come to Jesus' conversation with him. It's my turn to be the customer and share some insight with a business owner. And hopefully, we will be able to arrive at a win/win situation.

You see, this particular person does not have an advisory board. But he does have customers. And I've noticed he has far fewer customers than he had in the past.

Your customers will give you everything you need to know to improve your business. They will tell you what you're doing right, they'll tell you what you're doing wrong, they'll tell you stories about your competitors, they'll share your story with their friends — they'll even bring their friends to you if you provide a stellar experience. And all you have to do is ask them.

Tuesday, because this particular business owner never asked, he's going to get an ear full. And he will likely lose a customer.

Rapping Flight Attendant - A Southwest Airlines Touchpoint

2009-06-14T17:57:00.002-05:00

Customer touchpoints, the topic of my last post, seem to be on my mind lately. Which is why when I saw this video from Southwest Airlines, I couldn't resist posting it. It is yet another reminder as to why Southwest is successful.

Airlines, healthcare and financial services are among the most regulated businesses. Yet, occasionally, we find companies who are embracing their brands, connecting with customers and strengthening their businesses — all because they have articulated their brand clearly and messaged it well.

Can you have an environment where your brand can live and grow? Sure. But you have to be intentional about it versus accidental. David, the flight attendant featured in the video, said it best at the end, "You're not going to get this on United."

Some like it hot

2009-06-07T22:12:00.003-05:00

I like to stay at Hampton Inns when I travel. It's a modestly priced hotel, part of the Hilton family. The rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable and the staff is well trained.

I began staying in Hampton Inns in 2000 when a friend of mine told me how big of a fan he was of the chain. So I tried them, and I liked them. And I've been loyal ever sense.

About six years ago, Hampton Inn redefined their brand. They didn't change their brand, but they definitely changed how they told their brand story. All at once, truly as if over night, all the new brand touch points rolled out. Suddenly the room keys all had a new design with the name of the state, in which the hotel was located, printed on the key. Each hotel had a new black and white photography theme suited to the location of the hotel — redwood trees in northern California; corn stalks in Iowa, palm trees in Florida. The breakfast area signage was also revamped. Coffee cups now read: Some like it hot. Cups for cold beverages state: Some like it cold. Even the inside of the elevators (see photo above from a recent trip to Cedar Rapids) are branded touch points.

But my favorite touch point is in the room itself. Because I'm a Hilton Honors member, the management at each hotel knows when I'm returning. And each time I step into my room, there's a little note there welcoming me back — along with a bottle of water and a snack. This is a testament to well trained staff, a sound CRM system and a thorough understanding of their brand.

Often times, the best way to gain new customers is to ensure an extraordinary customer experience for your current customers. In a world where ordinary is standard fare, making a special effort to stand out — to reach out and engage your customers with simple brand touches — has significant impact when executed well. And you don't have to be a Fortune 500 company to do it. You just have to ask the right questions.

Contenders vs. Pretenders

2009-06-02T21:45:00.002-05:00

The idea of thought leadership spawns interesting discussions. Often times, companies refer to themselves as thought leaders in a category. They believe they think differently about the challenges they face and the solutions they bring. Yet how do you know if you're a thought leader? How can you tell if the leaders within your organization are true thinkers and innovators or just followers of others who are thinkers and innovators.

At some point in an organization's history, there was likely someone who was a thought leader. There was someone who had passion for the business. Someone who cared about the customer — who saw how to bring innovative products and services to the market. Someone who cared about the relationships between the customer, the employees and the third party suppliers.

Of course, as companies mature, that passion can wain. It may not be passed down to the next generation of leaders. Or, the next generation may not do it as well as the first.

But if companies are continuously successful, then there is someone (or a group of people) who have the passion and thought leadership to carry the company forward.

Thought leadership can be demonstrated in a variety of ways — public speaking events, conducting webinars, publishing of white papers, journal articles — even blogging. The question is, who within your organization has the passion to fully demonstrate thought leadership? It doesn't particularly matter how it manifests itself, but it does matter that it exists.

Joel Book, a long-time friend of mine now at Exact Target in Indianapolis, used to talk about the difference between the contenders and the pretenders. Some companies simply ride along on the coattails of their founders — milking a company for all its worth while experiencing steadily declining market share.

The contenders are those with passion — those who consistently demonstrate thought leadership in everything they do. They may not know the answer to every question, but at least they are asking the right questions and seeking interesting answers.

If your company embraces and encourages thought leadership, then congratulations. You're on the right track.

If you are at a company who simply follows the leader(s), then perhaps you would be happier at a different company. Unless, of course, you're a pretender. And odds are good, since you're taking the time to read blogs, you're not a pretender.

The Yellow Pages Files Chapter 11 - Who's Surprised?

2009-05-31T21:17:00.003-05:00

Roger Foulks sent me the following story from the South Florida Business Journal. Seems R.H.Donnelly, the publisher of the Yellow Pages, is filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I love the CEOs comment, "I wish it could have turned out differently. No one could have put this into their economic model." The "this" he's referring to is the rise of Internet advertising.

So R.H.Donnelly could not have foreseen the Internet causing a double digit drop in their advertising revenue? Did they have their head in the sand? Had they not heard the word Google? Even I've known the end was coming. Over the past three years, I've posted about the pending demise of the Yellow pages six times. Here, here, here, here, here and here.

Adding to their problems was the debt they acquired by purchasing other Yellow Pages companies such as Dex Media, SBC Communications and Sprint's directory publishing business. Perhaps these three companies had seen the handwriting on the Yellow wall and bailed out before the complete collapse of the Yellow Pages business?

Unfortunately, the management team at R.H. Donnelly is not alone. There are plenty of people who are keeping their head in the sand when it comes to the Internet. I had a conversation this past week with a group of people who were struggling to understand why they should be active on Facebook. These people had a couple thoughts to share:

1. They didn't know how they would have time to do one more thing, and
2. They were happy to just keep up with their email.

My point to them was they were missing the point.

Suggesting to yourself that you choose to ignore Facebook is very much like, ten years ago, telling yourself you can conduct your life without email. Of course you can live without email, but why should you? Why would you limit your business and social interactions to old school technology? You can send a letter via postal mail, you can call someone on the phone, or you can send them an email. There's nothing wrong with these media, but limiting yourself to them because you're anxious about the technology or the time commitment is a silly reason.

Maybe these people think Facebook is on the leading edge of technology. Well certainly there's a bell curve here. But the social media movement is well into the first 25% of the bell curve. And the pace at which it is moving forward is dramatic. You can choose to ignore it, but the pressure you will receive from your business associates, friends and family to jump on the bandwagon is going to become tremendous.

R.H. Donnelly had a choice to make about ten years ago. They chose to move slowly into the Internet advertising arena. They attempted to take their Yellow Pages brand and make it an online brand. It didn't work.

You have a choice today, too. You can embrace the change that is coming at you at warp speed, or you can choose to ignore it. However, if you do choose to ignore it, please remember, your competition will likely not ignore it. And they will pass you soon. And playing catch up in the Internet world is much harder than in the traditional one.

What You Do vs. Who You Are

2009-05-30T19:55:00.005-05:00

We received this letter in the mail at home this week. You may click on the image to make it larger.

I loved getting this note from the neighborhood Phillips 66 station. First, it tells me the owner (Ron Klapmeyer) is feisty. Taking the initiative to send a postal mail piece like this to the people in the neighborhood shows he is a progressive business person. From that, I make the assumption that if he is progressive in his marketing efforts, then he is probably progressive in the way he treats his employees, his vendors and his customers.

I would have never considered taking my car to this neighborhood gas station to get the oil changed or the tires rotated. No one had ever told me a story about his business. To me, it was only a gas station. I pull in, slide my card in the slot, fill up and leave. But now, after reading Ron's letter, I have a whole new appreciation for the little gas station at the corner of Main and 63rd in Brookside.

Now I know the owner. I know what the owner stands for. I know how he feels about his employees. I know how he wants to treat his customers. I know he has made an intentional effort to compete with auto dealerships and other auto repair shops. He has taken the first step toward earning my trust. And the fact that he did it during a recession means even more to me. Now he's on the short list, when before he was not on the list at all.

Sometimes business owners get confused and think that people want to know what they do, when in fact, what people really want to know is who you are.

Brookside 66 is a gas station. But more importantly, Brookside 66 cares about taking care of their customers. It's a subtle difference, but an important one.

Keep an Eye on the Transmitter

2009-05-29T19:57:00.000-05:00

As college students return home for the summer, they are lining up to get summer jobs. I distinctly remember my favorite summer job (no, it wasn't bailing hay). In fact, it was working as a DJ at WSEI FM in my hometown.

It was a great job. I filled in for each staff member at the radio station when they went on their vacations. There were plenty of DJ stints, plus I did sports, the news, the farm report and talk shows. It was great experience for an upcoming career in advertising.

Working in the summer meant I was often broadcasting during thunderstorms. And with a 700 foot tower next to the station, it was quite common to have the tower struck by lightening. There were two side effects of a lightening strike to the tower. One, if I happened to have my headset on, there was a nasty ear-piercing "WHACK" that came through. The second side effect was less painful. Occasionally, a lightening strike would turn off the transmitters.

This second issue, while painful, was certainly problematic. You see, unless I happened to look at at a specific light on my board, I didn't know the transmitters were off. The audio in the studio continued just as if I were broadcasting, even though I was off the air. There were times when I would continue my show for 30 minutes or more and not know that I was the only person hearing me. Usually the phones would begin ringing within minutes with people telling me I was off the air.

We risk this same issue in marketing. Sometimes the market changes, but if we're not looking for it, we miss it completely. We just keep talking to ourselves and think people are listening, when in fact, they've already changed channels and found one of your competitors.

It's always good to keep an eye on the transmitter. Otherwise, you may not know you are no longer relevant or communicating with your audience.

Unintentional Stimulants

2009-05-28T22:32:00.000-05:00

Five weeks ago I eliminated caffeine from my diet. Since that time, I've not had one soft drink, no iced tea, no coffee — nothing with caffeine. The first couple of days were challenging. I had a constant headache, but by the third day, I was fine. I realized I could live without caffeine and its unintended side effects.

As you work in your day-to-day world, you likely follow a routine that may be causing you to experience unintended side effects. It's hard to break out of old habits — of traditional thinking. Maybe you should consider eliminating one thing from your marketing routine? Doing so might open your thinking to a new strategy, a different marketing channel or a product enhancement.

What would you alter in your marketing routine that could impact your business significantly?

Deer Whistles

2009-05-27T19:11:00.000-05:00

There were a lot of deer in rural Illinois where I grew up. It was quite common to see five to seven deer crossing the road near my house on any give day. While this wasn't an issue during daylight hours, it was problematic at night. While I've never hit a deer, I've seen the aftermath of cars that did. For the most part, the occupants of the cars escaped relatively unscathed. Which is far more than I can say for the deer.

A number of people install deer whistles on their cars and trucks. Deer whistles are these tiny megaphone-like pieces of plastic that attach to the front bumper of the vehicle. When the car is moving, air passes through these "whistles" and supposedly scare away the deer. Problem is, according to the manufacturers, the human ear cannot hear the frequency the whistles emit.

This, of course, makes it hard to convince people like me that these whistles work. I've seen a lot of cars go past my parents house at 70 mph and not heard one deer whistle working. I mean, how would you know? If you drive through the night and never pick off a deer, does that mean your deer whistles are working? And if you do have an unfortunate encounter and live to tell about it, was it just that the deer was too excited to hear the whistles? Perhaps there was a party on the other side of the road?

The people who purchase deer whistles do so on faith. Or perhaps hope. Maybe in this case, faith and hope are one and the same.

This week I travel to Iowa. At night. I don't have deer whistles. I do, however, have very bright halogen lights, which I intend to use as much as possible. Whether it's dodging deer or marketing, I prefer to see what's in front of me so I can make the appropriate course correction versus hoping that my deer whistles will help me arrive at my destination safely.

Just Put It Out There

2009-05-26T19:55:00.000-05:00

Jeff Mott and I found ourselves in a bar in Boston a few weeks ago. I had joined him on a trip to UMass to hear him defend his dissertation for his PhD. But prior to the trek to Amherst, we stopped in Boston. It was one of the cities that I had somehow never had the opportunity to visit, so Jeff took the opportunity to show me around.

So sitting in this bar next to the harbor, we began discussing the cities we had traveled to during our careers. Between the two of us, we had visited every state and every major city (population over 200,000) in each state. There were two exceptions. Neither of us had been to Alaska, and neither of us had been to Pittsburgh.

While we couldn't imagine why business would take us to Alaska, we certainly were surprised that neither of us had been to Pittsburgh. After all, we are both sports fans and enjoy the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. But alas, we had never been there.

There's something powerful in stating goals out loud. Anyone who has ever gone on a diet will tell you they have a much greater likelihood of success if they tell their friends that they are on a diet than if they just keep it to themselves. It's called "Intention." And the power of intention is amazing. If you state a goal, then you are much more likely to achieve it. It's almost as if there's an invisible force working in your favor.

This is true in advertising and marketing also. If you state a goal, then you are far more likely to achieve it. The converse is also true. If you limp along without being clear about what you're working to achieve, then you will limp along and never achieve anything significant.

So what came from the conversation between Jeff and me at that bar in Boston? Well, after 25 years of never having the opportunity to travel to Pittsburgh, I'm going there on June 3.

That's the power of intention.

The Skeleton Key

2009-05-25T21:51:00.002-05:00

I had this fascination as a kid with the idea of a skeleton key. You know, a key that could open any lock, no matter the make or model? It ranked up there somewhere between the ability to fly and be invisible. Yes, I had an active imagination.

But when you think about the idea of a skeleton key, it makes sense. We are always looking to find the key to unlock things of which we're curious. And if we could find one key that could unlock any door, then we would never have to look too hard to find the answers we are looking for.

Unfortunately, in advertising, there are no skeleton keys. Coming to understand what makes your customers buy from you is more complex than that. But you can find it. All you have to do is take the time to ask your customers questions. Start with these:

1. Why do you buy from us?
2. What could we do better?
3. How would you describe us to a friend?
4. What sets us apart from other (insert business category here)?
5. If you didn't buy from us, where would you buy?
6. Is there one thing we do that makes us stand out in your mind?

These may seem like simple questions, but asking them will help you define your competitive advantage and understand your position in the marketplace. And all you have to do is pick the minds of a few of your customers. Guess that's as close to a skeleton key as you can get.

Why Budget Constraints Matter

2009-05-20T22:56:00.003-05:00

We have a saying in our office when it comes to client budgets. It goes like this: "There's always a budget."

Sometimes clients come to us and ask what it will cost to complete a specific project or campaign. If I wanted to be flippant about it, I would answer their question by saying, "A lot, but that's only a guess."

Asking the agency to come up with the initial cost for a project is akin to asking, "How high is up?" We've created $25,000 brochures and we've created $250,000 brochures. The budget is dependent on a host of issues, but the most important one is, "How much do you want to spend?"

A friend of mine, Michael Diamond, has a great way of helping clients determine how much they want to spend on any given engagement. First, he will ask a number of questions regarding what the client is trying to do. Then, in his mind, he forms a budget range within which he believes he can execute the campaign. He then floats the trial balloon past the client using a phrase like this: "So Angie, from our past experience, the resource allocation for an initiative of this nature should be in the $175,000 to $225,000 range. Is that in the strike zone you were thinking of?"

This exercise does a couple of things. First, you will get an immediate response from the client as to whether or not you're in the ballpark with the initial estimate. You will see it in their face or hear it on the phone. You may have gone high, you may have shot low — or you may have nailed it. In any of the three options, you will have helped the client define a particularly important constraint — the budget. And even though they didn't have a specific budget number in mind prior to you asking the question, in less than two minutes, they were able to give you one.

Now you can move forward.

You Can't Manage What You Can't Measure

2009-05-20T06:57:00.003-05:00

I had a conversation this week that reminded me how challenging it can be to grasp the changes taking place in digital marketing today.

Most senior executives believe marketing and advertising are important, but many don't believe these activities directly drive business opportunities. Certainly that can be true. In traditional advertising and marketing, it has been true for decades. Unfortunately, many agencies continue to propagate this mindset by not thinking more deeply about strategies and offering more relevant and measurable recommendations.

Direct marketers have known for years that marketing can be measurable. Unfortunately, the discipline direct marketers bring to marketing communications has not been widely embraced by traditional advertisers, thereby leaving a great disconnect between the two camps.

But with ever evolving digital technology and the Web, these two varying mindsets have the opportunity to move closer. The challenge in getting them to do so is education. Finding an opportunity to have a meaningful discussion with the right corporate decision maker(s) and giving them reasons to test more engaging and measurable strategies.

I completely understand the hesitancy some companies may have regarding the move to digital, metrics and accountability. It is new territory for them. And while they are hopeful, they're also skeptical. There are a great many more "unknowns" than there are "knowns."

Here's where the discipline of traditional direct marketers comes in. Any direct marketer worth their salt will tell you that rolling out a campaign without testing it first in insane. The risk is too great. Pilot the program first. Test it in two or three markets. Make sure you put constraints on the test so it is easy to monitor and interpret the results.

This kind of planning will give you the data you need to build confidence in the C-Suite. And it will give you the data you need to make the best marketing decisions.