Atomic Penny

You have many choices when marketing to customers. Imagine the scenario where you have $3 left in your marketing budget. You want to reach as many prospects as possible and want to grow your business. Sounds absurd, right or wrong. As a marketer or business owner you have that decision to make every time you begin a new marketing concept.

What can that $3 buy you? Printing, postcards, a couple of banner ads? How about some goodwill and respect? Instead of marketing to the masses, market to the ONE. Who is the ONE? It is the one person who can influence others to interact with your business.

Your $3 can buy a cup of coffee or a piece of pie. Make the interaction special, memorable and personal. A cup of coffee by itself is just a cup, but the conversation and interaction will make or break the deal. Discuss what is important to the ONE. Family, sports, cars, world peace. It is your money but her time. The whole idea is to gain the trust of the ONE. If you do, the ONE can be your gateway to your future. Not only in customers, but in VC, media, alliances.

$3 and an hour of your time. It’s worth the investment.

POWER ON–Mark

A School World Fair, 40-50 countries represented by 200 15 year olds saying the same thing. The objective was to discuss the flag, food culture, geography and native dress. Each display also usually had a native food and possibly music. If this criteria was met, the teen had the adult sign a card, and after ten adults signed the card, the assignment was complete.

After listening to many presentations, the words of Seth Godin came back to me, reinforcing that learning is not being done in our school system. These kids did a great job of memorizing and regurgitating facts. I do not believe that many of these students learned anything. Ask them today about the country they presented and I would guess you get a blank stare.

What does this have to do with marketing? In marketing we are taught the 5 P’s: Price, Product, Placement, Promotion and People. A traditional formula that doesn’t always fit into today’s marketing culture. If an item is given away, there is no traditional price point. Or if a product sells just by word of mouth or spreads virally via the web, there is no traditional placement. Both of theses, price and promotion can be planned and managed, however they can also take on a life of their own. Let them spread, and manage the resulting sales. Don’t manage the spread. This is the new world of marketing. Unlearn what you know, don’t become locked in to any one measure or marketing process. Start with a goal in mind, but while using the plan as a guide, make it flexible and changeable. Your public will guide you, you can no longer guide them.

Get used to it or get out of the way.

POWER ON–Mark

Yesterday, I heard a father say to his son, “Dude, if you just listen to me, your life will be so much easier”.  I found this statement to be interesting as it applies to business and marketing.

On one hand if you listen and act, you tend to do the same thing over and over and fail to learn or explore beyond what you know. This perpetuates the status quo and locks you into a life of following instructions. This can lead to comfort but not much innovation. While everyone is happy that the “norm” is kept in check, what is learned?

On the other hand, if nothing changes, what is the point? Can we learn by listening and following? While it may lead others to be uncomfortable, you may discard wisom to find a new path. This can lead to amazing discoveries and innovation. Letting discovery happen, whether by a child or an employee, lets you become the tipping point to a new adventure.

The hardest thing is to let something different happen. Let your followers fail, learn and possibly fail again. Failure by itself can be frustrating, but failure coupled with effort can lead to amazing things.

Are you willing to let that happen, or are you afraid of allowing others to grow? Your choice.

POWER ON–Mark

On Monday, the Boston  Marathon was run for the 114th time. If you watch any news coverage of the event, be sure to look closely at what the runners are wearing. Not the shoes, socks or even shorts. Look to see if they are carrying a message on their shirts. Also look to see if they are carrying a smile.

Why the shirts? It is more than a marathon, it is a cause, a hope a challenge. It is something many of them do to prove they are alive and well, other to remember or honor someone who has passed, or if fighting the good fight. I was not at the Boston Marathon, but at the Salt Lake City Marathon on Saturday and saw the contingent “Running For Michael“.  They are even highlighted in a local news story.

Think of this from a marketing perspective. These runners and those cheering for them are all spreaders.  Spreading Confetti, to all those that saw them run. What a great way to spread a message of hope or hype: “It will all work out.” How are you going to spread your message?

POWER ON–MarK

I found this real cool font that reminded me of how marketing can be anything you want it to be. The font is based on a Volvo 240 wagon, and I have a strange love for that car. My grandparents owned one, as did a couple of my aunts. I remember the comfortable seats, the space and the nice drive. It’s funny how a font can bring back those warm, fuzzy memories.

That should be the ultimate goal of your marketing. Make it so it elicits a good memory. Sense-based memories should be your focus.  Jog your customers minds with sights, smells or sounds. Remind people of a positive experience that they can correlate to your business.

Every time you do this, you spread your Confetti and build your Confetti Project. It will continue to spread as you create more interactions and memories. Take a minute to think of your customer interactions, and what kind of memory they will create.

What are you doing today to make your customers remember you?

POWER ON–Mark

How tightly do you control your marketing message? Are you what I like to call a ”sweeper” who constantly makes sure the message is tight and controlled? If so…WHY?! The purpose of a message is to spread either virally or organically. If you are concerned about your efforts going in the wrong direction, maybe you have the wrong message.

This came up recently during the run to the Super Bowl by the New Orleans Saints. The NFL was so concerned that the phrase “Who Dat” was being used without license that they threatened to sue anyone profiting from the phrase. What a good way to taint a feel good story.

Instead, become a spreader. Allow your message to be shared far and wide. Be like Red Bull who gives away free samples across the world. Use your name and message to promote your product. While you can’t control the entire message, it is better than bottling it up.

Spreading is also easier. Get your product or service in the hands of new customers, without disenfranchising current customers. Remember, as long as you treat your current customers well, they should be loyal. The issue is that current, satisfied customers have already told their friends and family about you. Allow your word to spread beyond those with direct awareness, like a virus.

What message do you want your potential customers to see?

POWER ON–Mark

There is a running corporate joke: “The beatings will continue until morale improves.” But with job cuts abound and high demand for increased productivity, is this the way of the future? And is company morale affecting your marketing?

I would argue that it does in fact affect marketing. If an employee is unhappy, their unpleasant attitude can become viral. For example, the Dominos Pizza video that spread like wildfire in 2009. While the video has been removed, it received plenty of airplay and cost the company millions of dollars.

This is obviously an extreme example of how company morale can affect marketing. But even on a smaller scale, do you want to be proactive about your employees’ morale or do you want to risk having disgruntled employees poorly representing your company to prospective customers?

Marketing isn’t always communicating what your company’s services/products are to customers. It is also how your business delivers that message. Remember, always keep a watchful eye and resolve issue right away. And simply treat employees how you would like to be treated. A little empathy can go a long way for your bottom-line.

POWER ON–Mark

General George Patton Jr. said, ”If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking.”  Are you trying to comply with everyone else because it is the thing that everyone else does? Heaven forbid you have an original thought that you shared. What happened, was it your worst fear? Or were you dismissed, or better yet was the idea considered?

Worse things have happened than being laughed at and be considered different. It is time to think and share those thoughts. If you don’t who will? What will happen to that original thought process?

Make it a habit to come up with an original idea at least once a day, share it out, email it, or tweet it. But share just like a piece of confetti, the idea may take on a life of its own. But be creative, or accept the result.

POWER ON–Mark

With the introduction of the iPad, did Apple really do its homework?  While it fits in with the line of products (iPhone, iPod, etc.), the iPad just sounds wrong. There were many other names bandied about prior to the introduction last week; The two most popular being iTablet and iSlate. I believe the iPad will get a lot of recognition, but maybe not in the way that Apple would prefer. While the name will stay for now, and sales will be the determining factor of success, names can sometimes be trickier than following a formula.

Here are some other opinions on the name:

Seth Godin

CNN

You Tube

The funny thing about the You Tube video is that it is over two years old. Did anyone bother to do a search?

If this were your product name, what would you do?

POWER ON–Mark

Did you know the average cable bill at the end of 2008 was $71. The average cell phone bill is between $63 and $77 depending on usage. Why do you pay for these two expenses? Your parents probably had neither and survived. But you probably couldn’t go a day let alone a week with out one or both of them. To be honest, neither can I.

GOOD! That is what companies and marketers want. We want you to be connected so we can create a want for something better than you have. So you have cable, but do you have HD cable. And if you have HD cable, do you need to get a new HD TV? If you have a cell phone do you have a smartphone? Or a touchscreen? What is it that you need, want desire? Why does what you have never measure up?

Maybe you are measuring the wrong thing. Stop measuring paychecks, gadgets and stuff! Start letting others measure you. What have you done to help launch a new idea? How have you helped to get ahead? What did you do that didn’t cost money that put a smile on someones face?

Free TV was great! Reality is that not much is free anymore.

Create a situation where what you give is not only free, but treasured and remembered. It is creaating a fallout of your actions, creating a marketing moment that is remembered and talked about.

What are you willing to give today?

POWER ON–Mark