These and many of your other choices miss the obvious. How about creating an unforgettable customer service experience like Zappos or Tivo. Or improving the usability and persuasive elements of your website through scientific method and continual testing. Neither are flash in the pan events, they require effort to implement but are definitely more defensible strategies to employ.

You should always focus on and address the prominent issues, especially in these uncertain economic times. The next time you’re thinking about beginning a glitzy marketing campaign, stop for a moment and remember, there are no mountains in Holland.

Stephen Colbert expressed an interesting analogy while discussing his comedic profession.

We often discuss satire as distillery. You have an enormous amount of material, and you have to distill it to a syrup by the end of the day. So much of it is a hewing process, chipping away at things that aren’t the point or aren’t the story or aren’t the intention. Really it’s that last couple of drops you’re distilling that makes all the difference. It isn’t that hard to get a ton of corn into a gallon of sour mash, but to get that gallon of sour mash down to that one shot of pure whiskey takes patience as well as discipline and focus.

This quote struck a chord for me, how about you? I especially like the part about only doing things that are related to the point you’re trying to make. The title of Master Distiller is earned by the actions not taken as much as by the smart decisions that lead to a quality spirit. Likewise, crafting unique customer experiences rather than settling for commonplace means making a concerted effort in the choices you make.

And these choices are heavily influenced by data. There is no shortage of numbers, however there is all too often a lack of actionable insights from analysis of data. Or when the analysis is valid, there’s a failure to act on it correctly. This begs the question, how can we make better decisions with the information we have?

Since it’s late I’m going to let this question keep stewing in the pot. I’m thinking one part involves having clear objectives. Afterall, what good is a map if you don’t know where you’re going?

Another is having well thought out segmentation logic, specifically giving more weight to behavior (the best predictor of future actions) and personas rather than relying largely on faceless demographics. Sure a distiller relies on pH levels, but he still cracks open each individual barrel to taste it’s contents. Do you know your customers individual flavors? Segmenting by behavior will get you to that point.

Feel free to add to my muddled thoughts in the comments section.

Photo credit Dapper Lad Cycle

Let’s say the evening ends pleasantly for the both of you. The two of you part ways, never to meet again. In following weekends the bar scene, and partners may vary but you manage to keep it fresh and yourself entertained.  However, fast forward a year or two and your routine has left you burnt out and yearning for a meaningful relationship.

The same thing happens to companies. If the time spent between you and the buyer is fleeting, and the customer is only purchasing a single good or service then it’s likely you’re caught in a viscious cycle of one night stands. Perhaps you’re not even aware of the fact, just like people, companies all too often mistake infatuation with love for the customer.

What actions might you take to begin moving toward meaningful, long term, profitable relationships?

• Get out of the bar (or at least stop looking for a partner there). It’s the hunting ground of opportunistic buyers. Go where your’re likely to find your ideal customers, at the supermarket, a nearby park or a Taekwondo class. Be where your soul mates / potential customers are, whether that be at tradeshows or online forums.

• Stop the acting, drop the puffery. Rather than inventing personalities for every buyer, let your customers fall in love with your authentic self.

• In the same vein, focus on self improvement. Promotion is most effective when the products or services exceed their claims.

• Make an effort to get to know the person. Ask permission for their phone number and email address. Call when you say you’re going to call.

Photo credit bb_Matt

• A leader depends on goodwill not authority. A marketer strives to build positive brand equity. In other words, it’s a sustained effort of creating consistent experiences that lead to postive associations, and a clear position for the brand.

• A leader pulls (not push) you by acting as a role model. I don’t completely agree with Corelli on this point. A combination of pull and push marketing is the right strategy. Yes, a leader will convert people to loyal followers by acting as a role model but he will also use push tactics. For instance, a monthly incentive that rewards exemplar conduct is an effective method of instilling employee motivation. A marketer might pull people to subscribe to an educational e-newsletter with interesting content, but will occasionally pitch a product to the list to make an immediate sale.

• It’s not about where you are, but what you could and should be. Brands make a promise on a functional level (save time, a closer shave) and on an emotional plane (be happier, heightened social appeal).  A leader has a vision that she intends employees to fulfill for themselves and the company. You could increase your pay by increasing productivity X % (functional) and take pride (emotional) in beating the competition.

• It’s not about me, lets focus on empowering “you.” Good marketers eschew using the words “we” and “our.” The best marketers think of their customers as communities, while providing reasons for people to begin conversations about the brand.

• Leaders focus less on achieving immediate results, more about working hard to achieve ultimate objectives. Discounts and hard sells are appropriate in some situations but detrimental to long term profits if abused. The best marketers strike a balance in using these tactics. They also realize how their actions impact the organization as a whole. Therefore they make an effort to align their activities with sales, finance and HR.

How about you name one or two similarities between leadership and marketing?

Photo by pedrosimoes7

This story is related to an article that appeared a few days ago in AdWeek. The piece delves into examples of people finding different uses for common brands. For instance, men are lathering Preparation H on their upper bodies before going out on weekends. Apparently, the medication increases muscle definition in addition to shrinking hemmoroids. It’s a case of people looking for advantage with unusual means. When I ran highschool track our coaches use to have us drink apple cider vinegar after practice. They believed the brew aided muscle recovery. At one meet they made the gatorade/cider concoction too strong. When our 400X4 team finished their race, they heaved their bowels after swallowing the sour drink… but I digress.

More importantly, the Adweek piece highlights how P&G embraced, and promoted alternate uses for Bounce dryer sheets thereby increasing sales of the brand.

What can you learn from this marketing nugget? Consider relinquishing some control over your message and product. Promoting the creative, often zany uses people have for your product can take a brand in a new growth oriented direction. Just be sure the alternate applications you embrace do not undermine established strengths.