Confidence and branding go together like peas and carrots. In a hurray and not sure where to eat? You know what to expect from a fast-food chain. Most fast-food restaurants rely on consistency and predictability to create confidence. It’s the foundation of their brand and what customers expect no matter where or when they place…
Most marketers understand the value of standing out from the crowd. To do it well is harder than you think. Some try to prove they are unique in odd or strange ways. If they cross the line, they risk being viewed as extremists or just plain nuts, pushing away customers instead of attracting them. Unfortunately, many…
Impoverished children. Neglected animals. Abysmal situations. Have you ever been emotionally moved by ads from charities, willing to do something about these terrible circumstances, asking for your help? Many groups use video to tug at our heart-strings, while asking for donations, including: – Christian Children’s Fund helping children in need of aid – World Vision…
This is the conclusion to Part-1 posted previously, on the value of insight. As a differentiating value, Insight means clear or deep perception of a situation; a feeling of understanding. Marketers can obtain insight from many different methods, including focus groups and surveys. But the best way to obtain a clear and deep understanding of…
This is the first in a 2-part series on the value of insight. Marketers are tasked with developing differentiation and competitive advantage. It’s challenging even if you have all the required information. But it’s hard to know the best decisions when critical data is often elusive. It’s like sailing at sea in a constant fog….
There is something very unique about an organization, in a market-driven economy. Once it’s registered, it becomes a living breathing entity. This is true for both for-profit and not-for-profit. Leaders come. And leaders go. But the organization remains. This is also true about customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, partners, and even volunteers. They come and they…
Effective marketing requires a winning combination of strategy and execution that delivers value to customers, employees and also shareholders. It’s even better if it’s unexpected value. The brothers Chip and Dan Heath wrote about the unexpected in their bestseller book, Made to Stick. It’s one of six key qualities they propose that cause an idea…
I was recently going through some older books and came across one called Nortel Networks: How Innovation and Vision Created a Network Giant. Larry MacDonald wrote it in 2000. Wow. How much has changed in such a short time. Nortel was a client of mine from 1996 until they declared bankruptcy on January 14, 2009….
Lots of people call themselves marketers. In fact, I find more people claim to be experts in marketing than just about any other field. More often than not, when a person says “I’m in marketing” what they really mean is “I sell stuff” or “I help other people sell stuff.” If you’re hunting for customers…
Working with many business-to-business (B2B) companies over the past 15 years, I have discovered that credibility is a common value embraced by marketers. As a differentiating value, Credibility means believable or trustworthy; authentic or convincing. Facts are often used to prove credibility. Why is credibility so popular among B2B marketers? Maybe it’s because they focus…
I write about differentiating values and their impact on leadership, marketing, and marriage - focused on couples in business together. Read more about Robert.
