Archive for Branding
What Physics Can Teach Us About Marketing
Posted by: | CommentsI never thought about physics and marketing in the same breath. But Dan Cobley, a marketing director at Google, is passionate about both, using the principles of physics to explain the fundamental theories of branding. For example, a larger particle, a larger mass, requires more force to change its direction.
It’s the same with a brand, he states. The more massive a brand, the more force is needed to change its positioning. And, Cobley says, that’s one of the reasons why Arthur Andersen chose to launch Accenture rather than try to persuade the world that Andersen could stand for something other than accountancy. It explains why Hoover found it very difficult to persuade the world that it was more than vacuum cleaners.
In physics, you can never accurately and exactly measure a particle, because the observation changes it, he says. The message for marketers is try to measure what consumers actually do, rather than what they say they’ll do. He gives the example of the group of moms who talk about their wonderful children in a focus group, yet buy lots of junk food, helping McDonald’s to sell hundreds of millions of burgers every year. These are among the gems in this talk “What Physics Taught Me About Marketing” that Cobley gave at a TED conference in July.
Can a Nameless Solution Solve My Problem?
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t like to pick on companies that are no doubt providing valuable services. But I cringe as if hearing chalk on a blackboard when companies advertise that they provide solutions. Solution is one of the most overused words. Solution is defined as the act of solving a problem.
Rock bottom airfares
How does a real company that named itself “Company Solutions” fix my specific problem? They claim, “To provide our clients with the highest level of service at the best price. Our clients are the cornerstone of our business and we always welcome the opportunity to service them.” I still don’t know what they are selling. And I would certainly expect the company to provide excellent service at a good price.
Here are a couple of more notable examples: “Welcome to Innovation Solutions. The Right People in a People Business.” Really? Finally we’re getting someplace with “Tire Company Solutions.” At least we know they’re in the tire business. Or I think they are. But specifically what problems do they solve?
There are four basic measures of performance: Quality: how the service is performed. Quantity: how much you get. Time: how long it takes. Price: what it costs. You obviously can’t get all these attributes into one company name or tagline.
Best buys in liquors
But I sure do understand what I get from these companies: Best Buy Liquor and Rock Bottom Air Fares. I think I’ll give them a call.
Guidelines for Write Speak Sell Guest Blog Posts
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been thinking that I should establish guidelines for guest posts on my blog, and have been tooling around the web and reading the guidelines of other folks who accept guest blogs. I wrote about this earlier and said I’d be drawing up a list of guidelines, so here they are.
It’s not that I’m such a big shot that people are clamoring to write for me and I’m holding them off with a stick. No, it’s more that I want to avoid miscommunications or hurt feelings when I receive a guest post (which I most likely have requested) and it’s not quite right for my blog.
These are not engraved in stone, so I’d appreciate your suggestions. Here goes:
- The post needs to align with my brand: business writing that sells. Is your blog relevant to my audience? I reserve the right to make exceptions. Sometimes a piece is so good, even if it’s a little off the subject, that I’ll run with it.
- It should be from 300-600 words with an image supplied by the author.
- It needs to be well written (I know this seems obvious) and grammatically correct.
- Every guest post by definition is self-promoting but it can’t be an outright sales pitch.
- No affiliate links.
- Internal links should be limited to your own blog and to sources that support the article’s main points.
- My preference is for an original article. I’m agreeable to posting blogs that were previously published if they are chock full of information that would benefit my readers. But I need to know in advance so I can indicate the original source of the blog. The blog can’t infringe on anyone else’s copyrighted material.
- If I use a guest post, which links back to the author’s site, I’d appreciate a link back to my site.
- The author’s bio should be about 50 words with a link back to the writer’s site. It will go at the bottom of the post with a possible comment by me.
- If a guest post on my site receives comments, then the author should respond to each one. It’s only common courtesy
- It would be hard to think I wouldn’t publish a post because it doesn’t meet my criteria, but I do need to reserve that right.
So, what do you think? Anything to add?
Stepping Into Your Power: The Six and a Half Steps
Posted by: | CommentsThis is exactly the right time for you to step forward; it’s not a moment too soon or a moment too late. So what are you waiting for?
Gail Blanke
Waiting is a national pastime. We wait for the mood to strike us, we wait for the weather to change, we wait for someone to strike up the band and give us our cue to start singing.
Some of us are waiting for them to get about us. You know, about how good we are. They should recognize us and promote us and celebrate us. They should discover us. But that’s not how it works.
Here’s how it works: People don’t get it about us until we get it about ourselves. Until we step out of the stands and onto the field — even before we’re invited.
I know a woman named Jenny who should be ready to move forward in her career. All the signs point to this being the right time to take the step: She’s recognized as an expert in her field, her company is open to promoting her and, most importantly, she’s lost enthusiasm for her current job.
“C’mon, Jenny, let’s go for it,” I said, somewhat impatiently. We’d been having the conversation about moving forward for weeks. “I know, I know, I should make my move pretty soon. But I’m just waiting for my son to get a little older.”
“Wait, how old is he now?” I asked.
“Well, he’ll be 30 on his next birthday. But I just want to be sure…” she trailed off.
Many of us are waiting.
We’re waiting for the signal, or for the invitation, or to be discovered, or for the planets to be aligned before we take that step to change our lives or our world. We put our power and our futures on hold and wait for the right moment to present itself. And while we’re waiting, our lives, our opportunities, our big moments, float on by. As I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, moments don’t present themselves; you’ve got to go out and grab hold of them. And that takes courage. The Good news is — you’ve got it.
Go Out and Grab Hold of Your Opportunities
Here are six simple steps to help you move forward with velocity and create a life that’s as good as you can imagine it.
- Tap into the incredible power of a vision. Walt Disney said, ”Build the castle first!” What’s your “castle, your vision for a terrific career and a fulfilling life? Ask yourself that all-important question: “How good could I make it?” Flesh out your vision, color it in. If you can feel the magic, you can go the distance – every time.
- Let go. Let go of the negative assumptions, the doubts, the fear of failing, the times when you came up short – anything that would keep you from bringing your vision to life. To get yourself in the “letting go” mood, throw out fifty things! (“Throw Out Fifty Things” is the name of my newest book that was published in March.)
- Make a list of the “Defining Moments” in your life and your work – those moments when you made the tough decision, pulled it out of the fire – or just plain got through. Own those moments. They form a pattern of courage – and prove that you have everything you need to step forward with a bold spirit – today.
- Adopt an entrepreneurial spirit. Be a risk-taker, be passionate, resilient, unstoppable and above all, agile. Never think that what you already know is enough. Never become entrenched. You can’t grow if you don’t change – and you can’t change if you hang on to the past. As my father always told me, “Stay light on your feet and ready to dance. The world is spinning too fast for you to become flat-footed!”
- Develop your own personal brand. Know who you are, who you aren’t and what you stand for. Don’t be afraid to be unique. The world belongs not to the one who fits in but to the one who stands out. Remember, if enough people love ya, the ones who don’t, don’t matter… Complete this sentence: “I’m ____________ and I’m the one who…”
- Learn to distinguish between “fact and interpretation” in your life and your work. Einstein said, “Ultimately, there are very few facts.” Our lives are awash in interpretations and most of them are negative. Make up empowering interpretations for the things that occur in your life and your work that propel you forward. Remember, there’s no way it is….there’s only the way you say it is.
6½. Find your song and sing it. Identify your own “power song” — the one that intensifies your courage, reminds you of how good you are, of the fact that you are absolutely one-of-a-kind and thoroughly unforgettable.
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Gail Blanke is the award winning, best-selling author of Throw Out Fifty Things; Clear the Cutter, Find Your Life.
Editor’s note: I was inspired by a talk that coach and motivator Gail Blanke gave describing how to unclutter our lives so that we see ourselves as uniquely ready to step forward into the challenges and opportunities of the moment, to let go of the “life plaque” that clogs the arteries of our lives – and find the energy and optimism to move into the next and greatest segment of our lives. As she also says, “Don’t disqualify yourself from the race before it even begins. You’re here to compete, not sit on the sidelines.”
