Blog
Allow the Solution to Present Itself
Physics isn’t about the solution. It’s about approaching the problem in a sound, positive, intelligent and systematic way so that the solution presents itself. Interestingly, the same could be said for business. It’s not about selling a product, it’s about approaching an industry in an entirely new way so that the product sells itself. Woolley, a law firm in Stradford, conducts most of their correspondence online by calling attorneys…
Are You Following the Money or Following the Feelings?
Big companies have big hearts. They’re deeply and hopelessly in love with their own marketing, their own products, their own brand values, their own policies, their own language, their own ideas and their own technology. Good. What’s important about this infatuation is, it creates an interesting opportunity for us, the outsiders, the objective observers, the arbiters of unconventional wisdom, to deliver a heroic dose of customer centric perspective by…
Advertising is Dead, Technology is Alive
How we go to market is as important as who we are. With the erosion of competitive advantage, the collapse of distinction and the homogenization of pretty much everything, it’s time to admit that what we sell isn’t that different from the competition. So something has to be. What’s exciting is, the explosive growth of channel and device choices, combined with the connection prowess of the Internet, means that…
Champion Company Cause Through Customer Bravery
Most brands are just beating their chests. Bragging about their organic ingredients, posturing about their benevolent charity efforts, yammering about their innovative technology, posturing about their third round of funding and raving about their company culture. Good for them. But if they’re so great, whey don’t they make their customers feel great? Smart brands champion their causes through other people’s feats and bravery. Undroppable is a campaign and documentary…
Turning a Painful Process into a Pleasurable Practice
Riddle me this. What do doctor’s appointments, getting haircuts, working out, tech support, taking pets to the vet, visiting the hospital, filling out forms, buying a car, sitting in waiting rooms and going to confessional all have in common? These are experiences that most people have always hated. And in every business, there’s a parallel experience. Some transaction, some activity, some part of the process that customers usually view…
What Good is Being Memorable for the Wrong Reasons?
If your word of mouth marketing plan is to put street canvassers at busy intersections to interrupt passerbys, verbally spam them with annoying questions about the cause and hand out pamphlets people are going to throw away ten seconds later, you missed. Mindshare is a neutral entity. Like tofu, it takes on the flavor of whatever sauce it’s immersed in. And yet, organizations spend thousands of hours and millions…
Creating An Atmosphere Worth Coming To
The best stores are temples to belief systems. They’re places to enter into a fantasy world, practice our religion, worship objects of devotion, experience products that inspire fervor, humbly walk in reverie, soak up the ambiance, kibbutz with people who share our worldview, take refuge from everyday life, seek shelter from the winds of the world and feel something closer to love than simple convenience. Which sounds like hyperbole,…
The Power of the Middleman
A good chef doesn’t just cook the food, he connects the people who consume it. My friend Jonathan, a chef who only makes things he hasn’t cooked yet, develops new recipes every week. Then, on the weekends he performs cooking demonstrations at his local farmers market. And not only is the food delicious, but his ingredients are available right there at the market, from his vendor partners, along with…
Think First, Then Market
Some digital marketing feels too close for comfort. Instead of a customized, helpful recommendation, it feels more like an alarming, creepy intrusion. Instead of an enthusiastic engagement between the brand and the customer, it’s another opportunity for companies to use new technology to interrupt people more effectively. Instead of orientating the company around what the customer needs or wants, it’s another online vanity exercise about what the company does. …
Does the Act of Running Your Business Make the Funnel Bigger?
Toshi’s has live music every night of the week. Which isn’t uncommon in a big city, except for one key difference. The stage is catty cornered between two massive floor to ceiling glass walls. This allows bystanders, tourists and other people passing by to get a perfect view of the stage. Some take pictures, some hang for a moment, some stand for a few songs, and some decide to…
