All You Need Is A Good Idea!

I Tried Squinting, But It Didn't Help

 

This is an ad that ran recently, for Liberty Mutual, and I wanted to point out the clever play on words in the second paragraph. Well, actually I have no idea if there is any word-play anywhere in the copy. It is just impossible to read the text. It is a too-small, sans serif font, light in color against a dark background. And even though I sharpened the image, it is still a chore to read.

  It is difficult enough to get someone's attention, considering the 5,000 advertising impressions we are exposed to each day. Once your headline does its job, don't let go. Each sentence in your copy is an opportunity to have the reader either stay or leave. But having text that is impossible to decipher makes the readers' decision easy. It is not an enticement to stick around. And the good news is that it doesn't even cost more to make the type legible.

I have been selected by Alltop!

  Alltop is, to quote from their press release: a news aggregation site that provides “all the top” stories for forty of the most popular topics on the Web. The headlines and first paragraph of the five most recent stories from forty to eighty sources for each topic are displayed. Alltop stories are refreshed approximately every ten minutes. You can read more about it on Guy Kawasaki's (he created it) blog.

My blog, yes the very same one you are now reading, has been chosen to be included in two topic areas, Marketing and Small Business. Of course, if you are reading this now, there is little reason for you to go to Alltop to read it again. But there are so many other topics, that you might want to pay a visit to their homepage. If you do decide to go to the Marketing and/or Small Business listings, you will have to really scroll down, and down, to find mine, since they seem to list the blogs in order of their having joined, rather than the much more practical and appealing alphabetical method, which works so much better for, well, me.

If you have a blog that you think might benefit from being on Alltop, check it out. Of course, (sorry Guy), it may turn out to be a big nothing, and people may not want to visit the site but rather stick to the more passive RSS feeds. Or they may play well together. Too early to tell, since Alltop is just about as new as my blog is, and the jury is still out on that.

One point about rushing to join the newest things. I have asked a bunch of business owners if they have joined Linkedin, and they have all said yes. When I asked them what they got out of it, they all hesitated, and couldn't name a real benefit that they had yet found. (In fact, my personal slogan for Linkedin is, "Many have joined. Few Know why"). I am sure that there are many real Linkedin benefits, but they may accrue to a fortunate group who know how to get what they want out of it, rather than those who regard invitations to join as a measure of their popularity.

But having said all that, I am somehow delighted to be listed on Alltop.I have visited it, found it useful and interesting, and wish it, and me, the best of luck.

At the end of the day, it is what it is

Remember, not too long ago, when every business meeting you went to, or conversation you had with colleagues, at some point always included the phrase, "At  the end of the day...something" As in, "At the end of the day, all that matters is the result." Or, "At the end of the day, this brochure must be edited and at the printer by noon." (Yes, I know noon is only the end of the day for a lucky few, but  "At the end of the day" really means "No matter what.")

It was an immediately understood and accepted shorthand, which quickly became a cliché, so it quickly lost any real "We've to to get this done" impact. And it seems to have quickly gone away.

And now enters the new business cliché, "It is what it is." Which, to use another cliché, is to be avoided like the plague.

You don't like my blog, my book, my commercial, my haircut? Hey, it is what it is. Except, aside from any existential philosophical meaning, it just  sounds like an excuse, or a "take-it-or-leave-it" attitude. Sure, I could have, and perhaps should have, done it better, faster, cheaper. But, "It is what it is."

Well, I don't care about your haircut. But any marketing you do, any good ideas you come up with and develop, better be a lot better than the promise of mediocrity that "It is what it is" implies. It sounds apologetic and defensive at the same time. If you find yourself saying, if only to yourself,  "It is what it is, because I didn't have the time, or resources to make it better or more sparkly," then what it is is not good enough. At the end of the day, it is up to you.

Just Spell My Name Correctly

Paul Simister runs a small business coaching company based in the UK. He often writes about business books, and says he has read many of them; some great, some good and some that should never have been printed.

I am telling you all this because he has posted that he is soon going to review my book, All You Need Is A Good Idea! He warns me, on his blog, (yes, me, specifically), that he is a tough reviewer.

Now, I must admit I am tempted to send him lots of background info, anticipating any possible negatives with a rationale for why I wrote as I did. But I am not going to—let his words fall where they may. And I also intend to share the review with you, warts and all. (Though I may also give my version of the truth. Hey, it is my blog!)

But the point of all this is not (just) to remind you of my book. It is to suggest that you do everything you can to get the word out about your product or service, and do not hesitate because you think you may get a bad review, or be concerned that it might be a damning report or produce unpleasant word of mouth. Get the word out! People, for good or for bad, probably won't remember what specifically was said, but they will hopefully remember your name, at least until the next thing catches their eye. (Which is why marketing is an ongoing event.)

And don't make the mistake I am going to make. Unless it is truly scandalous, bordering on blasphemous, and receives intense media scrutiny, don't bother to respond. (If you have a restaurant that has been closed for health violations, don't take out ads saying you are now open again.) The only people who will notice your response are the ones who did not see the original piece, which you will have now succeeded in bringing to their attention.

A History Lesson

During the past six months or so, I have been hearing radio commercials for Legal Sea Foods. The first group used fictitious competitors making outlandish claims comparing themselves to Legal Sea Foods.  With each false or overstated claim that was made, you heard a loud (annoying) buzzer sound. When the statement was modified to be an accurate, though less imposing claim, you heard the sound of a bell, like the one at a hotel  lobby desk. So it went somewhat like this: Competitor: Our fish is as fresh as Legal Sea Foods. (BUZZZZ). OK, It's almost as fresh (BUZZZZ). OK, it's fish (RING).

There were  several versions of this format, including a lying captain of a fishing boat, replete with buzzing sounds indicating an aural equivalent of Pinocchio's nose. It then evolved to the President of Legal Sea Foods, Roger Berkowitz, doing a version. But rather than using sounds indicating he was lying, he had a "real" announcer interrupt with the truth. So if Roger said he was on a large fishing boat in the Atlantic, the announcer would respond with, "He is actually inside a large recording studio."

All well and good enough. But then recently they switched to Roger doing a straight pitch, talking about the history and traditions of his company, and the quality and value of his food. But I didn't believe him! They had spent so much time and money on commercials that were filled with falsehoods, I kept waiting for the "honest" version of his talk. It is as if they decided to ignore their own marketing history, and suddenly change course without regard to what they had been doing. OK, I did pay attention, and I do remember his spots. But hey, I have a blog to write.

If you are going to change course with your marketing, that's fine. Even change strategy, if yours is not working. (Be careful of reacting too quickly, or overreacting.) But you can't ignore all your previous messages, as if they never existed. New creative on the same strategy is certainly acceptable. You can build on your past, or start anew. But don't give customers a chance to confuse your message by "sort of" changing it.

What Are You Doing For Lunch?

With this, to say the least, uncertain economy, there have been many articles and blogs talking about how to save money. Brown bagging has come in for a large share of comments, including an article in the Wall Street Journal, discussing how much you can save buying ingredients and making lunch at home to bring to work, rather than buying lunch at local delis.

This is a relatively recent topic, so I was quite impressed at the signs I have been seeing at my neighborhood delis, from Boar's Head meats.  They have very quickly produced point of sale material, to take advantage of the immediacy of the situation, along with more information on their web site.

Granted, luncheon meats are their bread and butter (!), and you would expect them to be aware of trends that affect them. But to do it so quickly is a mark of someone really paying attention. (They have always had very clever signage, with a consistent outpouring of crisp good ideas.)

If you wait for a trend to become a fashion, you will have waited too long. By then, everyone will be alluding to it in their marketing, and you will have lost your opportunity to stand out. Anything going on soon in politics, the economy, even forthcoming movies that you can tie-in with some quick, unexpected but relevant marketing hits?

I've Been Scalloped!

Very, very nice restaurant in New York. Three stars from the New York Times' Frank Bruni, the chief restaurant critic. Ambiance, service, food all way above average. Except...

When my wife ordered an appetizer and then the scallops, the waitress asked if she wanted the appetizer or entree portion. "What's the difference?" my wife asked. "Well, the appetizer portion only has two scallops,"  was the reply. So my wife opted for the entree portion. When it was served, I had to laugh. There on the plate, rather than the two scallops that would have rested there if it had been an appetizer, were three!

Granted, we did not ask how many were in the larger portion, nor did the server volunteer that information. And we made the old "assume"  mistake by assuming that if a smaller portion were two, then a larger portion would not just add one more of the item. And since, happily, I did not pay the check (thank you Jeff and Amanda) I do not know the price difference. But you know exactly how we felt.

Customer service, pricing, honesty. They're all part of your marketing. Honesty first, with no room for fudging or lack of full disclosure. If, in this very small example, you are going to inform me that you get two scallops as an appetizer, then be sure to tell me that as a main course you get three, and let me decide if one more is worth whatever per cent the additional cost is. Don't require me to inquire on my own; give me complete information.

Put a positive spin on anything you are selling, product or service. But don't  rely on asterisks, real or implied, to take away what your headline offers.

Taxi!!!

 Advertising on the top of a taxi in New York has all the limitations of most out-of-home posters: not much room to tell your story, and usually it is not a stationary target. On a building sign, you are driving or walking by. On top of a taxi, the ad is moving past you. But while you can't control the movement, you can control the message.

Here are two different ads I saw recently. You tell me which one works and which one doesn't.

First, there was the ad for Sweet 'N Low®, the sugar substitute. It was done all in pink, their brand color, featuring a picture of the pink packet. There was a picture of Regis Philbin and the copy line, "You can't beat pink, pal."

The other ad, same space limitation, was for McDonalds®. "Yum, Y'all" was the  headline, plus a shot of  a new sandwich, along with a caption calling it McDonald's new southern style chicken sandwich.

Selected your favorite? Which one was more attention getting, with a picture and headline that worked well together and which one had a meaningless message that may have been trying to use a celebrity as an endorser, but turned out to be as removed from reality as their product is to real sugar.

(If you still are not sure, maybe it is time for you to buy my book.)

What's The Difference?

Went to a local movie theater over the weekend. Along with all the previews and notices, there was some info about the chain the theater belonged to. And their tag line, "Experience The Difference."

Except I could not determine any difference. Snacks and beverages were priced about the same as any other movie theater. Seats were a touch less comfortable, sound system a little old fashioned. And the best they could come up  with to post on each of their many screens to help build their identity was the cliché, "Experience The Difference."

Of course, there are other "difference" clichés. Like the famous, "Taste The Difference." And, of course, the ever-popular, "Feel The Difference."

Point is, none of these tags make the slightest difference to the consumer. They are a collection of words that are invisible, the result of lazy, "Let's move on to something important" thinking, like how much make-believe butter we should put on the stale popcorn.

So here's a free, money saving tip for you. Don't bother. If you are planning to use "Invisible" words, save yourself the time and trouble and the ink and design time. Just leave them off your marketing. Because no one will see them anyway.

Thank You, Terry

Terry Ewert, Live College Sports Producer at the Big Ten Network, and former Executive Producer at CBS Sports and Coordinating Producer at NBC Sports did a series of animated spots for my book. They can be found on youtube, if you search for "all you need is a good idea, roger."

They are fun, creative, distinctive and very different—in a positive way—from anything I would have created. Take a look and see what you think. Your comments would be appreciated.