Monthly Archive for February, 2009
This seems a little wild to me, but this is the 200th post on ANM. So I figure, what better way to celebrate than to highlight some of my favorites.
It’s easy to get all sentimental. But it’s way more fun to rock!
-What Community Looks Like - 2/11/09
-Too Many Chiefs… - 1/22/09
-A Brand Purpose Model - 1/12/09
-Simple Social Media Truths - 12/18/08
-Common Mistakes In Starting A Blog - 11/24/08
-Your Brands Checklist For Twitter -10/6/2008
-If You Say “Leverage” You Might Get Punched In The Face - 8/20/08
-A Definitive Explanation of Social Media - 8/3/08
-The New Marketing Chaos Theory - 12/4/07
-Believe in Halo 3 Marketing - 9/29/07
-One Line Marketing Wisdom - 7/25/07
-What They Don’t Know, Won’t Brand You - 7/17/07
-The 4 C’s - The New Marketing Mix - 5/15/07
Here’s to the future…
Today, Alan Wolk had a great post on creativity, and whether it still matters because good products sell themselves. He makes a lot of good points (as usual), but I think a big takeaway is something he just glances over.
He talks about how if you dig strawberries and Cherrios, then you’ll probably like Strawberry Cherrios regardless of the advertising. He also mentions the reverse is true. And I think that’s where the big point is.
For example: I really don’t like Budweiser. I just don’t. And honestly, no matter how awesome, witty, or iconic their advertising is, I’m not going to run out and buy Budweiser. Ever. So for me, as soon as the Budweiser ads come on, I’m tuning out the “ad” part and just looking at it for entertainments sake.
And Budweiser makes some really entertaining ads. The problem, however, is that they’re completely useless when it comes to making me actually by the product.
Which leads us to this little paradox: Entertainment (product placement, etc.) has become effective advertising and advertising has become effective entertainment. Weird!
In no particular order.
- Craft Beer
- Watches
- Leather Weekend Bags
- Video Games (Console or PC)
- Protein Powder
- Shoes
- Men’s Grooming Line
- Bonsai Trees
- High-End Jeans
- Gin
So if you or anyone you know is interested in making any of the things above, and you could use someone like me. Let me know. I’m all about it.
- I don’t think I’m alone in saying I love breakfast. I also know I’m not alone in thinking that fact that the “last call” for breakfast at most fast food places is way too early. And I feel like it’s getting earlier all the time. Seriously, who is ready for a Whopper at 10:30am? In any event, why not make a fast food place that sells only breakfast all day?
- If you’ve been to a gym lately, you’ve undoubtedly seen how much kinetic energy there is flying around the place. Tons of people pushing, pulling, running, moving, etc. Why isn’t there a way to harness that and turn it into electricity? They have a dance floor in The U.K. that powers the club when people dance on it. So why not have gym equipment that is self-sustaining? Whoever figures out how to use the all that wasted kinetic energy in gyms is going to be in good shape on a couple levels.
It’s a common in social media to hear: “People are talking! About you! Better listen!”, but I’m wondering if that’s always the case.
The entire “People Are Talking” idea certainly makes sense for bigger brands. Sure people are talking about Coca-Cola, and Nike, and Ford, but what about Every Man Jack? What about Optimum Nutrition? They’re both (very good) national brands, but there isn’t a lot of online chatter around either.
What about your brand? How many people are talking about you?
My point is this: Unless you’re a small Mom & Pop operation (and sometimes even then), people are probably talking about you. However, unless you’re a bigger brand, odds are they aren’t saying that much.
In the case that you’re not Microsoft, you probably don’t need a team dedicated to “listening” on the internet, you probably don’t need Radian6 (but if you’re big enough, they’re awesome). Empowering your employees to take pride in their brand and respond online should be enough.
And hey, if you’re not happy with the quiet? Just take some advice from Paul Isakson.
A bold claim, I know. But let’s look at the facts. Here’s the Twitter DM stacked up against some communication rivals.
Twitter DM
Pro: Short. Good signal/noise ratio (except auto DMs). Not real time. Easy introduction medium. Good for cutting through the clutter of email.
Con: The Auto DM
Verdict: Best Communication Medium in The Universe
Instant Message
Pro: Great for real time, online conversation. High adoption.
Con: They know you’re there when you start IMing back.
Verdict: A personal favorite of mine, but once someone knows you’re around, you’re stuck. Hard to disappear/ignore/get back to someone when they know you’re sitting right there.
Email
Pro: Good for long, detailed messages. Permanently recorded. Not real time.
Con: Have you seen your inbox lately? Exactly.
Verdict: Oh email, savior of our age. The problem is that people’s inboxes are so overflowing that the signal to noise ratio is getting bad fast. Good but not great.
Phone
Pro: Not location specific. High participation rate. A step beyond written communication.
Con: Real time can be a problem when you don’t want to talk to someone.
Verdict: It’s up there. Hard to imagine life without the cell phone anymore. Don’t believe me? Run any episode of Seinfeld and give them cell phones. Kills half the jokes/scenarios.
Land Line
Pro: Get to talk in your PJ’s.
Con: Have to be home.
Verdict: Do people still use these? Really?
Morse Code
Pro: Able to send messages long distances. Keeps communication secret from spies.
Con: You have to freaking know Morse Code.
Verdict: Not bad - if you want to give the coordinates of an enemy submarine, I guess.
Carrier Pigeon
Pro: “Smart” message delivery. No minimum wage.
Con: Message limited to what you can physically attach to a pigeon. Possibility of looking like a hermit/conspiracy theorist while owning pigeons.
Verdict: Aside from owning pigeons, keeping pigeons, feeding pigeons, training pigeons, and attaching things to pigeons, it’s not that bad really.
Smoke Signals
Pro: Long distance. High badass-factor.
Con: Fire hazard. Not the best for indoor communication.
Verdict: I wouldn’t attempt without adult/Apache supervision.
Fax Machine
Pro: Able to send complex print documents anywhere in the world.
Con: That sound! It sounds like an electronic cat hopped up on Red Bull and trapped in a cardboard box.
Verdict: Occasionally useful, but my guess is email attachment is going to kill the fax.
Tin Cans & String
Pro: Cheap to obtain/make. Cute.
Con: For some reason it doesn’t work unless you’re six years old or homeless.
Verdict: I’m not sure this even works. Whose idea was this in the first place?
Bike Courier
Pro: Able to deliver larger physical objects. Faster than a larger delivery service for short ranges.
Con: Spandex and attitude.
Verdict: If you need those designs across town NOW!
Boom Box Serenade
Pro: High visibility. Large audience. Ability to work Billy Idol into everyday communication.
Con: High crazy factor.
Verdict: I’m guessing this has it’s applications, but no one needs “Rebel Yell” at 9:30 on a Monday.
My name is Matt J McDonald and I'm a New Marketing Strategist based in Charleston, SC.
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