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What are you putting first?
A post we wrote previously that's worth sharing again –
All great business leaders know that in order to succeed in business, you have to lead or be first: First to market, first in technology, first in product development. And to be successful in communications, you have to be aware and understand some other fundamental “firsts.”
Target first: There is no way to emphasize this enough – businesses that lose sight of their customers, fail. Sometimes this is attributed to “market changes” but what actually changes is people. (More importantly, the people who are buying your product.) You do not determine if your business succeeds or fails, people do. Never lose sight of this fundamental fact or you too will wonder, ”how can we be shrinking when we have such a great product?” When you develop your communications, know and understand who needs to act to bring you success. Get to know this person as an individual before you begin creating your communications campaign.
Benefits first: Once you know your target “person,” figure out how you are going to improve his or her life. Will you provide more time for them to spend with their family, let them keep more of their money, or make an unpleasant experience enjoyable? And keep this in mind: this isn’t what your product or service can do, it’s how you make your target’s life better, whether it be big or small. It’s not your product, it’s their benefit. (Our favorite metaphor for this is that people aren’t buying drills, they are buying the holes.)
First impression: Even great businesses lose sight of the simple, undeniable fact that a first impression can’t be taken back and is so foundational. So, don’t rush it. Before an important presentation, most of us are concerned that our appearance, information, and everything we want to communicate is spot on. We know that this first presentation will define how we will be perceived for a long time. But surprisingly, people don’t put this same thought and foresight into communications that may be seen by thousands of people. Just make sure you do the same planning before you craft your communications. Is the message simple, meaningful and truthful? Does it look and feel like you? Make it your own and make it great. Don’t copy others or just slap it together. If you’ve put your target first and understand your benefits, this won’t be as difficult as you think.
Being first in your business requires being first in many aspects of your business. So what are your firsts?
Posted by 3 at 06:39 PM | Post a comment
Monday, August 1, 2011
Elevating your category? Or levitating out of it?
We love great campaigns that take a simple, core idea and make people stop and think about that idea for a minute. But sometimes there can be a fine line between great campaigns and great campaigns that work. And the line between these is often drawn where the message connects the recipient to what the advertiser actually does. In your quest to stand out and lead the category, you must be careful not to elevate yourself right out of the category. You could leave your target wondering how you can actually benefit them.
Ads that leave the audience confounded often come about when an advertiser’s desire to stand out results in a campaign that is funny, dramatic or simply entertains with little regard for actually getting to the target benefit, or educating about what the product is. (Anyone remember the dot-com era of the late '90s?) When your company has something new that requires some explanation or you are trying to educate a new customer base, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and be responsible, doing a little more explaining
than entertaining.
Don't get us wrong – advertising has to engage to register. But it all comes back to your simple idea. If you have a strong, unique, simple idea that is based on your target and how you benefit them, this will lead to communications that are simple, strong and balance the personality and positioning naturally. With a little thought up front, a great campaign can simultaneously entertain while informing. And you won't go over the heads of the people you most
need to reach.
Posted by 3 at 05:35 PM | Post a comment
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
How not to complexify your life.
Every once in a while we get the opportunity to see other folks in our business present themselves to prospective clients. We see this as a great opportunity to learn and improve. We recently encountered a competitor presenting themselves in a unique way: By making their approach, process and deliverables as complex and mind-numbing as possible. There were brand cohesion graphs, there were social integration flow charts, there were long titles, and in the end, there was nothing for this prospect to grab onto or
make memorable.
It was an important reminder that nobody, in their personal or their business life, has ever said, “I need to complexify my life.”
You’ve also never heard:
“I really like the way that commentator made that idea hard to understand.”
“I enjoy speakers who talk a long time before making their point.”
“I wish the beer ads in the Superbowl would spend more time explaining the fermentation process.”
We often sound like a broken record when we say it, but it is very near to our hearts, and something we work to do every single day. From your overall strategic direction, to the creative premise, to a Facebook post, to a single
ad in a single medium, you should be endlessly asking, “how can we make
it simpler?"
Simple is power. Simple gives you impact. Simple leads to action.
Simple is success.
Are you a simplifier, or a complexifier?
Posted by 3 at 03:49 PM | Post a comment
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