Posts tagged brand
shakespeare and self esteem
Jul 27th
“Be true to thineself.”
Shakespeare
I used this quote in maybe one of my first 5 posts but since my friend Jen referenced it with regard to self esteem I thought I would bring it back and refresh it slightly with the whole self esteem discussion in mind (as well as my recent rant on advertising agency differentiation).
Let’s talk business first.
I use this quote in every branding exercise I have ever done. I believe branding, personal or companywise, doesn’t start with the ‘customer’ but in understanding yourself. And in understanding yourself … have the kahones to be true to thineself regardless of the repercussions.
Branding experts spend so much time focusing on the customer and doing whatever you have to do to be liked by consumers that they lose sight of what a brand really is at its core – thineself.
I would imagine at its core this thought is about a company’s self esteem.
I guess if all you want to do is make money and be a prostitute, or a chameleon, and be whatever the consumer wants and do whatever the consumer wants in search of the almighty dollar then you should go ahead. But while I would probably lose the consulting gig I would then suggest ‘be comfortable being a legal prostitute.’ And, oh, (no offense to any prostitutes) expect that no matter how big your wallet gets you will have the same self esteem as a prostitute. By the way. I am not the first to suggest this (at least in the advertising industry). The original founder of The Martin Agency in Richmond said something very similar (I have the exact quite in a box somewhere). But. Those ad guys are mad men anyway.
When I do any strategy gigs and I use this quote I typically suggest it’s like building a great circle of friends. Your circle of friends is stronger if there is some mutual respect and you truly enjoy each other’s company (flaws and all). Now. That doesn’t mean everyone will be your friend. Some people may like you but not be a friend. And some people will just have no interest in being your friend. But in the end your company, your product/service, your brand is better off if it is ‘true to thineself.’
Okay.
Personal (and this whole self esteem thing).
Heck, I believe it may be one of the most important lessons a person can learn in their personal life (and one of the most difficult lessons to actually implement I may add). I don’t have a lot to add from what I say to business owners (above).
Similar to businesses getting caught in the barrage of consumer influence on company image an individual is faced with a similar situation (without money involved).
As Jen told me:
“realize sometimes people just get bogged down, and the external factors are definitely loud/pervasive, but still annoying to see/listen to people play “victim” or blame their upbringing/society/partner/etc on their unhappiness or their unwillingness to climb out of the pit.”
I cannot disagree.
Shakespseare was a smart dude. I don’t think he lacked for self esteem (although I would imagine he had the typical creative artist insecurities lying below a healthy façade of strong self esteem). But self esteem is a tricky thing.
It is made even trickier by the fact we are always growing as a person. We are always gathering external information and assessing ourselves. Part of self esteem is understanding what is good and should be respected about yourself and another part of self esteem is partially understanding how to change and evolve and improve.
And that is self esteem’s trickiest challenge.
Be stagnant and you aren’t improving. External factors will remind you of that. Constantly.
So change and those wily external factors have a habit of understanding that your foundation is shifting and starts seeking cracks in the foundation to weasel its way into.
My first post on “be true to thineself’ may have been too flippant.
Truth in itself is very difficult; add ‘thineself’ and difficulty increase exponentially. Negative self esteem issues are a “pit.” That is true. And I am with Jen on this one … no one should be willing to accept living in this pit if you have a choice. And everyone has a choice when it comes to self esteem.
Ah.
But nothing good in life is easy.
That is an unndebatable truth.
stay thirsty my friends
Jul 23rd
I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
Dos Equis. What an awesome campaign. What an awesome idea. What an awesome way of elevating a relatively unknown product to a place where people are wondering, if not just thinking about the product, of not actually buying to maybe to try it.
Look. I should have written about this campaign, and idea, a long time ago. In fact so long ago I shelved the idea thinking what the hell … it’s too late.
But this campaign keeps coming back and is still interesting.
You may not know that this is the second attempt at using this “most interesting man” character and development of product personality.
The actor behind the ‘most interesting man’, Jonathan Goldsmith, has been playing this part since 2006. And I believe the first campaign of commercials was in 2007.
Apparently it didn’t kick ass originally and went away for a long while. But someone, either at Dos Equis or Euro RSCG (who created the campaign), must have seen enough promise in the concept to stick with it because the same spots started running again the following year. And this time around the “most interesting man in the world” struck a chord and this new beer icon was born.
So. Pretty much anyone who has a TV is aware of, “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” campaign.
The salt-and-pepper haired gentleman with the smooth voice and a taste for adventure. I am addicted to him. I admit it. it is the things that make him the ‘most interesting’ … well … interesting:
He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels.
He can speak French… in Russian.
He is the life of the party, even when he does not attend.
Policemen often question him simply because he’s interesting.
He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it felt.
He lives vicariously through himself.
He goes to museums and they let him touch the art.
Even his enemies list him as their emergency contact number.
Years ago, he built a city out of blocks. Today, over six hundred thousand people live and work there.
If he were to give you directions, you’d never get lost, and you’d arrive at least 5 minutes early.
People hang on his every word, even the prepositions.
He is the only man to ever ace a Rorschach test.
Every time he goes for a swim, dolphins appear.
His personality is so magnetic; he is unable to carry credit cards.
He never says something tastes like chicken. Not even chicken.
He could disarm you with his looks… or his hands. Either way.
His charm is so contagious; vaccines have been created for it.
And his closing line “Stay thirsty my friends.”
So. I am not gonna give you any brand or branding gobbledygook because this was a great idea and it builds a personality for the product.
Period.
(all the branding experts can pile on about all the other things associated with the gant charts you present on how to build a brand).
I don’t care if it’s a shitty product (well. I do actually but that’s a different post).
But. If I drink a Dos Equis I can almost guarantee people will think I am interesting (or at least joke about it).
Once again. Period. Stop. Good enough. Job well done.
Few advertising campaigns actually go beyond advertising and begin shaping the kind of character development you kind of dream of when you start marketing a product. And this one is doing just that.
And it’s not just me. People love this campaign. I know they do (how?).
Because Millward Brown says so.
Dos Equis has been able to take an extremely popular tongue in cheek character and through targeted placement through a variety of tactics get people to send it around the web (and the world and just talk about it) and make it successful according to market research by Millward Brown. The TV campaign is in the top five percent of most enjoyable ads in U.S. research history.
The campaign covers TV, print, interactive online, radio and event promotions. Videos and ads were posted on YouTube as well as a number of other sites with the intent of having consumers appreciate the ‘out of the realm of possibility’ character and send it to one another.
The website is pretty awesomely done also.
So. What makes the character appealing?
The campaign idea (I guess I could call the guy a mnemonic tactic) is not insulting.
It’s so deeply satisfying because it is intriguing, well written and so outrageous it is fascinating to see how “interesting” the most interesting man can be.
Like any great fictional character, even though it’s completely made up, it’s so outrageously true. It lives on in people’s minds because it takes real attributes and stretches them to the unbelievable boundary (which is funny in its extremes).
This fictional character is a cross between Ernest Hemingway, Bill Murray, Burt Reynolds and some Count from a nonexistent place in central Europe. This guy harkens back to the old concept of what a man’s man should be. To the exponential factor. The nth degree.
In love with women and booze, but classier than most, he travels the world seeking experiences (“his beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man’s entire body.”). Awesome.
Lastly. The part I truly love. Possibly the most interesting thing about the commercials is that he never really commits to promoting Dos Equis. He only prefers it. The closest he comes is with the tag line:
“I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.”
So. The most interesting man in the world is not an avid beer drinker but when he does want one, the most interesting man must select an interesting beer to quaff (or if you are the most interesting man do you sip, gulp, chug or drain?). Whatever, the ads are totally awesome.
Here are a sampling of Three Most Interesting Man commercials (enjoy my friends):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ym2Jma04qo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYdwe3ArFWA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9GYocBqGyA&feature=related
Don’t stay thirsty. Grab a Dos Equis!
burger mcsausage unoriginal smarts
Jul 21st
so. This television advertisement introducing the Burger King breakfast sausage biscuit (the one where the creepy king breaks into McDonald’s headquarters to steal the mcmuffin recipe):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF86Rb-uFNE
The execution doesn’t confuse me but the effort makes me pause and scratch my head a little.
But I guess if you have more money then you know what to do with and you see research numbers that show “people consider McDonalds for breakfast and not Burger King” and you already know what McDonalds best breakfast seller is then you spend some of that money saying “hey we have the same thing just in case you didn’t know.”
There are several things I do like about this:
Competitive but not competitive. It’s odd but they are going for the competitor jugular in an interesting way. They state that they are going to offer an unoriginal product (in that they are simply stealing someone else’s ‘good idea’). But. That also implies that it’s not rocket science stuff. That maybe the original McD’s breakfast biscuit just isn’t that “unique.” (clever guys those Crispin fellows – Crispin is burger kings’ agency of record).
No superiority. Simply “hey, if you like us <burger king> and you want exactly what you could get if you stopped at the bastards down the street here you go. We have it for you. We are willing to copy if it makes you happy.” Kind of shows you like your customers and will do whatever it takes to make them happy (even steal I guess).
And then the creepy king. Here is where I give Crispin the highest marks of all.
For years while brilliant the agency has been “one-off” brilliant. One great brilliant idea. Non campaignable. Lose client after one brilliant idea because they didn’t really have a great follow-up.
(Look. The BMW mini campaign the agency built their main reputation on was not a creative messaging brilliance idea it was a tactical brilliance concept … which I give them kudos for just don’t want to oversell their brilliance … or misidentify it).
Anyway. Back to the creepy king. Alex Bogusky is our generation’s Bill Bernbach. And he has matured (in my humble opinion) to a point where he is truly earning that pedestal. The Burger King creepy king is a great showcase for why I believe it to be so. The young Bogusky would probably have shoved a brand/company mnemonic device sustaining multiple campaigns over time so far up a client’s ass a proctologist would have been envious. But. He (or at least he encouraged his teams) stepped up and said “well, let’s make the best of it and I want to do it my way …. creatively and interestingly and sometimes creepy when we are wrong in the execution but sticking with it and getting it right.” They have made it work. And made it work over time. They have a sustainable mnemonic device (or branding element or whatever you want to call it).
Anyway.
I slam people but I also want to give some credit where credit is due.
Cannot wait to see what the creepy king does next.
old el paso advertising
Jul 20th
I have been meaning to write about old el paso for awhile. Mostly because I want to write something positive for once about marketing and advertising.
The old el paso flat bottom taco advertising campaign is brilliantly simple (and simply brilliant).
It has a couple of below the line less than obvious components that really take the idea to a higher level.
Solving a problem.
Heck. I don’t know if making my taco stand up is a real problem or not but if someone is speaking Spanish and I am in Middle America than … well … I would assume it is something that keeps them up at night.
Big problem.
Maybe I won’t even buy this product until they solve this issue dammit.
Oh. An advertising campaign all in Spanish (with subtitles).
Wow. Authentic? Heck. I don’t know but I think so.
The simplicity of the solution offered by a new generation. Gosh. Everyone loves it. It’s not just that a kid with a simple thought can solve what was an apparent centuries old problem but rather that a new generation is able to see through honored tradition that those stupid adults (and past ‘stuck in archaic thinking’ generations) were blinded by to see a fundamental functional solution.
Awesome. “Out of the mouth of babes” as they say.
And the production of the execution. It’s the juxtaposition of all the elements which is awesome.
The adult conversational delivery of the problem. (let’s call this a simple build)
The innocence of a child offering a solution (in a subtitle).
Silence.
A moment of silence as everyone contemplates the solution. A moment as the simplicity of the solution slices through generations of adult traditional behavior to get to the core of what would actually be more useful.
Volume. Noise. Celebration.
The raising up of the volume to celebrate the idea (and the ideator) almost shouts that the solution is brilliant.
At the end of :30 even if you didn’t think that it was a great idea how could you not think it may be the greatest idea since the beer frig 12 pack box the way they are celebrating.
Even I, who doesn’t even eat this stuff, now take a second look as I wander the grocery store.
Awesome idea communicated in an awesome way.
It entertains. It educates.
It offers a solution to a problem (I wasn’t even sure I had).
It is delightful. And it seems authentic. And it is a great use of marketing and communicating an idea.
So. Here they are. And I included the :15 version because it is so well done also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrbyVDMUT10&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3KXaF2_UzU&feature=related
(second is :15 second version)
Oops. Gotta go get some mexican food now.
boy scouts part 2
Jul 13th
So. A friend of mine sent me the following link with the Boy Scouts advertising announcement.
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/boy_scouts_of_america_prepared
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ….
Well. Here’s the deal. And I admit. I may not be the best person to be providing a point of view here because I care about the Boy Scouts (therefore I may be biased toward being critical). But. I have a couple of problems … oops .. issues with this effort.
1. No one cares if you (or your company) are 100 years old if that is all you say. If you are waiting to let people arrive at their own conclusion (and you are hoping against hope that they believe it means “hey, I am reliable and you can count on me”), you are screwed. Because most people will suggest 100 years old means you are … well … old … and not relevant. (hmmmmmmmmm … I believe that would be the existing issue the Boy Scouts are dealing with so maybe the intent of this advertising is to support and encourage that belief? Ok. If that is the intent they nailed it).
2. I don’t really see why I would choose to either be a Boy Scout or have my son (if I had one) become a Boy Scout. (ok. what I am saying is leveraging off a 100 year heritage is not compelling enough to make me choose)
3. I would be fine with leveraging a message from 100 years if it were buttressed with some unexpected possibly contradictory thought (anyone surprised here?) that made people think about Boy Scouts differently. (best example I can think of continues to be the Girl Scouts ad I posted once).
Girl Scout example:
Ok. That is the Girl Scouts.
But. In the end I would suggest the Boy Scouts truly missed an opportunity.
The Boy Scouts don’t do a lot of advertising. Therefore missing opportunities like this one means they had better be prepared to continue dealing with the relevancy issues they have already been dealing with.
Be prepared to be called old (or maybe better said “continue to be called old).
Be prepared to explain why the heck they spend money to say nothing like this.
Oh.
And be prepared to do something else.
I do love the decision on the production style. It looks beautiful and classic.
The truly missed opportunity is that if they had put a non classic looking evocative message on that production style they would have had the opportunity to suggest that Boy Scouts actually has both those characteristics – classic & contemporary.
For example (harkening back to my point 3 above) imagine if they used one of these images with a headline that says something like “100 years of values in every One of our scouts”:
Are they exactly right?
Nope.
Would people take a look?
Yup.
Would people start thinking that maybe the Boy Scouts were changing? Maybe.
Instead?
The Boy Scout just look classically old and dated.
Awesome organization. Poor communications execution.
a trip for Advertising & Marketing people
Jul 8th
(this is about the Duke antiquities library in Durham NC)
Okay. If you are in a marketing department or an ad agency or anything to do with the art and science of communication and consumer behavior and you can only afford to send your “brightest minds” on one getaway field trip over a two year span … this is your trip investment. I guarantee it will be the best investment you will ever make.
Visit the Duke Antiquities Library for their Advertising archives.
Duke antiquities library has the largest archive of advertising – non video – materials in the world.
No kidding. A university in North Carolina with the most advertising stuff.
It could also be called the graveyard of materials for the dead agencies. But it also has historical files from existing agencies (JWT being the largest contributor).
I am an advertising history lover. And I will always bleed Thompson blue (JWT’s old color … I think they are paprika, melon and periwinkle now … or something ..) and handling some of the ancient but well crafted simple advertisements and presentations and handbooks was awe inspiring in considering the art & science of communication. In addition you can see how advertising and communications impacted human behavior, and buying behavior, through education of new ideas and new ways of doing things. We often forget the positive role advertising has had on every day life and a trip here will quickly remind you of many of the positive things and thoughts communicated.
A visit to this place can show you how long we have been talking about the same things (make sure you see the 1950s ad talking about integrating the message throughout all aspects). There are agency house ads from the 1920’s talking about “differentiation,” “how much money to spend on marketing,” and even “advertising can only get you an invitation the sale has to be done by the person.” Oh. They also talk about packaging as a medium (1920’s), effective impressions versus soft branding (1950’s) and “saying one thing well in communication (1920’s). They just don’t use all the fancy words we use nowadays. Great stuff.
It can also be a place to help you think and not just revisit “old things”. Great work and thinking begets new great thinking and ideas. I cannot think of a better location for “thought fodder”.
A sample of what you can see is already in the Duke Libraries’ Digital Collections:
- Ad*Access (1911 to 1955)
Presents images and information on over 7,000 advertisements for products in the following categories:
-
- Beauty & Hygiene
- Radio
- Television
- Transportation
- World War II
You can search terms for ethnic groups, as well as other descriptors (women, children, etc.).
- adViews (1950s to 1980s)
Historic commercials for a wide range of products. This resource is organized by company name, and continues to have additions of new commercials.
- Emergence of Advertising in America (1850s to 1920s)
Provides access to over 11,000 images of advertisements and early advertising publications. Stereotypes of ethnicity and gender roles are found in many of the ads.
I won’t go into all the detail on all the material they have but the agencies alone are a ‘who’s who’:
- JWT archives, D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, Wells Rich Greene, Warwick Baker & O’Neill, and Bates Worldwide.
And they have non agency material from outdoor advertising association and person collections and personal papers and … well … the list is too long to type.
The staff is awesome. Accommodating (they can set up any type of exhibit you want) to all and any requests. They can talk extensively about everything they have. They can dig up things you never knew existed (and you would be delighted they did uncover it).
And the location ain’t bad either. You are not only on a great campus in a neat area but the archives themselves is like stepping back into time in an old library with shelves of ancient books and manuscripts.
If you love history and you love communication you will love this visit.
I, personally, was like a kid in a candy store.
It’s a trip you have to make at least once in your lifetime if you are in the communications business.
charging to learn corporate culture
Jun 2nd
So. I just heard the craziest thing I have heard in awhile (it may not be true but it’s worth ranting about).
I heard Zappos is charging people to come in and do a 3 day seminar (visit, exploration, whatever) on their culture and building a culture.
Okay.
What’s up with that?
Seriously.
Who would pay to do that?
Maybe more importantly … why would you pay to do that?
Ok. Look. I get the fact that it’s different world today when trying to make your company (or products or services) into a “brand.” With internet connecting everyone with every minute tidbit of information companies have to become a little more transparent whether they like it or not. An unhappy customer or a disgruntled employee can spread a bad experience faster than ever before.
I guess the good news is that the reverse is true as well. A great experience with a company can be read by millions of people almost instantaneously as well.
But, c’mon, the fundamentals are exactly the same as in the past. The best brand names were always the ones who emanated from the internal culture of the company. And by “best” I mean the ones that have lasted and passed the tests of time. Everyone knows that. Heck. Everyone knew that.
I don’t care if there are a zillion touchpoints today versus something less than a zillion before. The fundamental issue was always the same. You should attempt to make each touchpoint be positive. And each touchpoint should be a reflection of your character (or company culture). Because then (which makes it sound as if it was sometime prehistoric) you couldn’t anticipate problems just as you cannot today. Truly the only thing you could, and can, control is who you are and what you are selling (or offering).
In addition. We have always known the power of the employees in the marketplace (managing perceptions or ‘brand’ if you want to use that word). I know for a fact even in my ancient past in my first job it was important that even when I wasn’t “on the clock” I was always “on the clock” with regard to the company I worked for. Sure. I may have bitched some but in every instance I knew I represented the company in some form or fashion.
Would that stop me from getting shitfaced and dancing on a bar? Nope.
Would it stop me from denigrating the company, our clients, their products and what we (I) did for a living? Yup.
We didn’t need handbooks to talk about culture in those days.
We understood it.
We knew every employee had the ability to create a positive or negative impression.
We also knew that culture wasn’t just about whatever it was we were selling. It was an attitude. It was a character. We weren’t cloned but it was certainly a culture. And, sure, there were aspects of our culture that bled into “customer service” or “customer experience” but they were simply aspects of an overall culture.
Okay. Getting to the point of this post.
So. If you think going someplace to see someone else’s corporate culture and copying it (or copying how it is implemented) is going to work, well, get another job.
- You cannot copy someone’s culture. Period. That’s like saying you want to be someone other than who you are. Your company is made up of your people. Unless you can hire away their people and their management (and management possibly being the most important) you ain’t never gonna be them. So why would I pay to see their culture?
- If you cannot copy their culture you cannot copy how they implement (or the stuff they do to cultivate their culture) the stuff they do within their culture. No can do. Why? Because your culture begets the stuff you do to cultivate it. So if I took all the whiz bang Zappo’s internal things and applied it to my own personality/character/culture … well … some may not come naturally. Because it’s someone else. All that internal culture stuff bubbles out of who you are. Unless you want to try and clone forget it.
some culture chart i wanted to include because i have no clue what is says but its about corporate culture
So. In their words … “At Zappos, our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff — like great customer service, or building a great long-term brand, or passionate employees and customers — will happen naturally on its own.”
Do I disagree with them? Shit no.
Do I believe it I some epiphany? Shit no.
Sure. Some companies “lose their way” on his issue (heck. I worked at one of the world’s greatest agencies who had the culture mojo and lost their way by losing sight of its importance). But. I cannot imagine one viable well run company’s leader (or group of leaders) who doesn’t know this and does it in their own way. Every one of us who has ever held a C level position knows that your “brand” is, and should be, simply an extension of your culture (because if it’s not you are screwed if not in the short term definitely in the long term).
Zappos certainly is an excellent example of “how to do it the right way” tactically (I don’t debate that):
- Hiring with an eye on culture first
- Training aspects on what is important to culture (historical knowledge and functional aspects)
- Employee empowerment tactics
- A willingness to hire & fire based on cultural fit (this is actually a biggie)
They are clear in stating their values (although I am not a big fan of the “10 core value list”) and it helps them, within their character, to put a stake in the ground organizationally to measure everyone and provide a north star for actions and decisions and commitment to ‘something’ organizationally:
1) Deliver WOW Through Service
2) Embrace and Drive Change
3) Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4) Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5) Pursue Growth and Learning
6) Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
9) Be Passionate and Determined
10) Be Humble
By the way, before all this ‘brand ambassador” and “corporate brand” stuff we used to call it the “DNA of the company”. Just connecting with the company “DNA” which was its’ roots, management/leadership style and personality traits.
Oh. But that was probably developed in the 40’s or 50’s so that was no good.
Anyway.
Visiting some company and paying to learn their culture and how they implement it just seems wacky to me (and an odd way to spend money).
I don’t think you can “learn to build a culture” from someone else. As a leader you build a culture. Your own. Or you are becoming a leader of a company that already has a culture and you are fostering an existing culture. And you do it throughout your organization in all actions big and small. That’s it. No book needed. No class. And certainly no money spent visiting someone whose culture you can’t copy anyway.
Spend the money and buy their shoes. They will like you better anyway.
lets tell people to trust us
May 21st
As most people know I don’t really like business help books. To me they are mostly like trying to read a People magazine to catch up on the world news. Sound bites. Lots of entertainment. Some great gossip and you either feel like you want to be one of them or glad you will never be like them.
But. I needed help one time. A client said to me (with a straight face). “We need to tell people we are trusted. Research shows we are trusted. Let’s tell everyone. Let’s do a trust campaign.”
Me. (crickets)
Them: “what do you think?”
Me: (to myself) “gosh. I hope they cannot see the thought bubble above my head.”
Me: (aloud) “what do you say if we explore what we could tell people about us, without ever saying trust, that we make them think we are trustworthy? Kind of let them get there on their own.”
Them: “wouldn’t it be simpler if we just told them?”
Me: “well, they may be more likely to believe it if we didn’t actually say it to them.”
Anyway. You get the point.
In the end I was able to get up from the table knowing I had to work backwards and develop a strategy that would create a consumer response of “hey, they seem trustworthy’ (or the actual words would have been “I would trust them to advise me”).
I had a whole bunch of strategy writing tricks up my sleeve but ultimately I had to hit the business bookshelf for some source I could throw on the table and say “hey, look at this, they say if we say something like ‘x’ and continuously do ‘y’ over a period of time people will truly play back ‘trust’ in association with you guys.”
There is a book I found (which of course I cannot remember the name of and all my business books are in a box in storage but I do have page 202 copied to be able to write this). It’s actually not a bad book for a business book. It did give me something to buy for all the clients so they could become experts on building trust and we didn’t have to build a “hey, trust me” campaign.
In the end though I actually found something that I have copied and given to many young employees (as well as parceled out the advice to senior people particularly in a new business situation where inevitably even the smartest people seem to lose all sense of what they really should do).
On page 202 I came across this little checklist of “top Things to Remind Yourself.” I use it all the time (as I said in the previous paragraph).
- I don’t have to prove myself every ten seconds.
- I have a right to be here in his room; I can add value without worrying about it.
- Shut up and repeat again and again: “really, and then what happened?”
- Also again and again: “gee, what’s behind that.”
- Is my pulse racing? Why? Why not say so, and say why, out loud?
- Have I earned the right yet to give an answer?
- Am I trying in any way to won an argument? Turn it back into a conversation.
- Emulate Columbo: “I may be a little slow here. Maybe it’s just me, but …. “
- Take responsibility for the emotional outcome.
- Don’t blame anybody for anything anytime.
- More value is added through problem definition than through problem answer.
- Just because the client asks a question doesn’t mean that’s the right question to answer.
- Don’t be insecure. Say to yourself: “hey, if I don’t know the answer, and I’m a pro, then this is a really neat question, let’s get into it.”
- Is my stomach telling me something’s wrong? My stomach’s right. Let’s talk about it.
Good advice.
Unfortunately this great find has screwed me because now I still have to pick up business help books to see if any have a little great tasting truffle like this hidden amongst the mud.
smartwater and vitaminwater advertising
Apr 28th
I saw another vitaminwater TV ad again during the NCAA tournament. It amazes me how overcomplicated advertising agencies can make things. I think the current advertising is stupid (I know … I know … they want to create a vivid demonstration of the “character” of the brand and come up with something wacky). Well. Stupid. And overcomplicated.
They had their campaign already in hand. Every time you pick up one of their bottles you have their campaign. I guess it is so simple it’s not possible (or good enough). Smartwater or Vitaminwater (same company).
So. Evolving a campaign straight from your product and packaging would have been too simple huh? What do you guess the packaging company or whomever designed the labels and such says:
“Hey. Why waste money on a wacky campaign and some celebrities just to try and act bigger and cooler? Why not just have some non celebrity cool people read our labels?”
Someone at the other side of the table just laughs and says “well. That’s why you’re not in advertising.” (The label guy scratches his head and says to himself “but isn’t packaging advertising too? Oh well. They must know what they are talking about.”
(Fly on wall). “Buzz buzz buzz” (translated: stupid fucking humans. Even I could see the labels would make a great campaign even though I see things weirdly through my fly eyes).
Here is what I mean. The first time I read a smartwater bottle maybe 5 years ago I ended up buying the bottle of water simply because I wanted to read the bottle again. (and they don’t use caps when writing is a big hit on the McTague rating scale)
Smartwater. vapor distilled + electrolytes
side effects may include being called nerd, dork, geek, brainiac, know-it-all, smarty-pants, smart alek, bookworm, egghead, four-eyes, einstein or being mistaken for the I.T. guy.
may induce sudden and inexplicable aversion to all less forms of water. apply liberally and frequently to dry people.
So. In the company’s beginning their sole advertising, sole statement of character was to be found on the bottle itself. Brilliantly crafted. Brilliantly written. Every product had a slightly different slightly wacky always irreverent writing.
So I cannot believe the amount of money they waste on television advertising (or at least on what they have been doing). It’s like someone got a budget and then said “I need to spend it and do something wacky” and lost their minds in doing so.
If they gave me the budget I would be tempted to create a simple clean no-frills (or thrills) campaign reading the words already written on the bottles.
I mean c’mon. They fully understand how to present Smartwater & Vitaminwater as not just another water typed product in a sea of bottled water products. Now. These products aren’t particularly healthy (lots of sugar to cover up nutrient taste stuff) but they nailed the product’s strengths and introduced the brand in a really distinct way from others by focusing on the water’s functional benefits and communicating the value through packaging.
And then they blew it with the ad campaign (because it just blends in with everything else out there). Don’t worry vitaminwater people, I slammed Heineken for doing the same thing.
On a last note. Here is what I believe is one of their newest products. Awesome writing. Think of the advertising you could do with this:
Vitaminwater spark
well .. well .. well …. look who’s got the clever coconut. now we are not saying this was too hard to figure out. and we’re not saying that if you drink this you won’t respond to “what’s up” with “good thank.” or that you won’t find yourself wandering around a parking lot thinking “this time it is really stolen.” so even though this bottle won’t make you smarter (blame your parents). it does include vitamins b12, c & e and choline (that’s “choline,” not the pool stuff), nutrients that can help your noggin. not that you really need it though … it’s not like you forgot to put the cap back on before reading this.
(the label is printed upside down on the package).
Awesome stuff. Awful advertising.
Christianity Part 3: the Pope fails yes or no test with a maybe
Apr 2nd
So. This is a follow up to the post I wrote on what I believed the Catholic Church was doing right (putting a stake in the ground for what they unequivocally stand for).
This one points out where I believe the Pope had an opportunity to continue down the right path to re-identifying the Catholic Church (and Christianity because while not everyone is going to want to hear it but if the Catholic Church missteps all of Christianity missteps). The Pope took a yes or no test and answered ‘maybe’ to a dismayed (and disappointed) world.
While the Irish child abuse situation is the current focus we need to accept that the church is guilty of a systemic failure over child abuse within its ranks (beyond a shadow of a doubt). While I would imagine the sheer number of child abuse situations throughout the system and over the years is probably a miniscule percentage each ‘event’ is a huge example of everything the church (and Christianity) abhors and deserved a disproportionate response.
It is also certain that the recent letter published from the pope to Catholics in Ireland, apologizing for the scandal, is pitifully inadequate.
Inadequate because the abuse deserved a disproportionate response. A response that would have unequivocally shown that the Pope, and the church, find such actions unacceptable at any time and any place.
Usually, when old and powerful institutions are found guilty of some systemic failure, the stock response is to promise reform. To be honest, I don’t want to hear about reform. Reform turns out to be “words” and I believe I want “actions.”
But it seems that is not the way of the Catholic Church whose secretive methods make changes slowly, oh, and rarely. But. Once again. I have already see signs of change within the church (that was my last post).
But. In this situation I want action.
I truly believe it is this contradiction (knowing they did wrong but not doing anything visible about it) that explains why the church has been trying, and failing, to put the abuse crisis behind it for well over a decade now. These horrific offenses to children, and the failure of the church to take any real steps to stop them, has re-emerged again to haunt another Pope (and the church … and Christianity).
It is a fact the abuse is more heinous because it took place within the Catholic Church construct. The church may not want to accept that but they better do so soon. When a priest uses a child as a sexual object he is attacking a precious human being and maiming their personality for life – spiritually and personally.
This represents not only a crime against humanity but also shows the most complete failure to understand the principles of Christianity.
The Church “employee” who takes it upon himself to commit such a crime cannot possibly fulfill the role of a priest and must be fired, without forgiveness, on the spot. Because to have taken that action he never was a priest for he never understood Christianity. Unfortunately, the failure of the hierarchy to understand this seems to make them unfit for their roles too (hence the reason i am kinda pissed at the Pope).
So. Catholic Church. Heads up. Here is what I would do.
Once again I am going to compare the church to a business and suggest how to close off the issues and move on (because for all my gripes with the Catholic Church they do seem to be trying to get their shit together). Oh. And once again I am going to probably suggest something seemingly unreasonable.
The problem the Catholic Church is facing in reality has nothing to do with current actions but rather past actions. Those past actions probably represent less than 1% of all their actions but that less than 1% is heinous in reality and so exponential it haunts them as an organization enough to wipe out all the good they do.
So. Action. Decisive action. That is how they get past this situation:
- Those that were part of the acts are out. Goodbye. No forgiveness. While Catholicism is all about forgiveness the actual members must be to higher standards. Sorry. We don’t forgive those who should act to higher standards.
- Those that were aware but did nothing. Out. You had a chance to maintain higher standards but didn’t. In this case not speaking out or inaction is as heinous as the actual act. Your inaction doesn’t show any leadership qualities necessary to lead an organization through this as well as it shows a lack of understanding of Christianity “right versus wrong.” Goodbye.
- Those that were aware and did something (maybe not publicly but within organization attempted to right the wrong). You stay. We (as public) need to understand there are shades of grey. Not all businesses share their dirty laundry with the public. I don’t care how you deal with it as long as you deal with it (although I do believe publicly would help you out a lot … and Christianity as a whole).
- Victims. Gosh. I don’t know. How can you ever make something like this right? Will someone ever accept just an apology from the “boss” (the pope)? Once again. Heck. I don’t know. Child abuse is a crime. Abusers should be prosecuted. Employer fires them. What more can be done? Just make sure you take care of them as much as possible so they can live productive lives.
- Victims Part 2. The church needs to stop the past bleeding to be able to move on. To steal an idea from the IRS. Okay victims. Now or never. Speak up within the next 6 months privately or publicly or forever hold your peace. We will deal with it. We want to know the truth. And this will help us understand the extent of the truth. But. The past is the past. We have dealt with the organization moving forward. We accept we made some unforgivable things in the past but we need to move forward.
That’s what I would do.
A letter of apology? You may as well throw it away. That’s its value.
If the Pope (and the church … and Christianity) wants to pass the test, give me some action.
And I want the action to appear to be disproportionate (if it can ever be so with a crime against a child).
