I've refrained from writing a Steve Jobs posting partially because everyone else was doing such a good job - partially because I was honestly surprised by the impact his death had on me.
Much has been written about how Steve was involved in every detail within Apple products and the brand image, but nothing has been written about what he didn't pay attention to.
As super human as he was, I don't think he chased every detail. Even he couldn't do that. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that he used his core insight and vision as a criteria for what was worthy of his time. If it wasn't critical to his vision - if it didn't threaten the insight that drove that vision - then I suspect he treated it as noise and ignored it.
The lesson for us all: If you have a unique insight that leads to a unique vision for the future, then focus on all that affects that vision and ignore the noise...and there will be noise. There will be people who will say "but.." for no real reason. There will be compromises that actually affect nothing at all. The difference between clear brilliance and a muddled mess is knowing what is important and what isn't.
Yes, it is critical to focus on the details. It's more important to know which details are important.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Sunday, 16 October 2011
What's Your Brand's Gravitational Pull?
What is the context that your brand, product or service exists in? The answer is easy - LIFE. Regardless of what you make or do, your reputation (brand) exists with the context of life. Everything from Occupy Wall Street to the latest grumblings on Twitter influence the mindset of those who determine the fate of your product.
It may be comforting to simplify the world by creating pie charts that eliminate all the influences on your brand other that competive issues, but it's not a real view...and by doing so you miss so many opportunities to leverage....well, to leverage life and culture.
We live in a world where brands are rock stars and rock stars are brands. CEOs write books and as Jay-Z says, "I'm a business, man." (the comma is important) In this blurry world, consumers align themselves to brand and entertainment icons equally to create their own cultural tribes out of the combination. Brand relevance and appeal can be greatly influenced by aligning your brand with the right cultural influences. A star's relevance can also be boosted by aligning with the right brand. Ideally it works equally both ways. A good example of that equal benefit was when I helped create the BlackBerry/U2 relationship a number of years ago. BlackBerry was looking to move into pop culture and U2 needed to be part of the contemporary dialogue again. In a way they were equal "brands" getting equal amounts of leverage.
When looking at how best to align with cultural icons it helps to consider "Gravitational Pull". Some brands or icons have a way of pulling other brands and icons up to their status. Understanding who has the gravitational pull helps define the nature of the relationship and how the roles should play out. Ideally it's best when everyone wins and the relationship feels natural to the consumer.
So the question to ask is - are you looking for gravitational pull from another "star"? Are you providing the gravitational pull? Or, have you identified a wonderful opportunity where everyone, including the customer benefits?
This philosophy also applies to the world of Social Media where people "friend" brands all the time. But, do brands "friend" each other? Why not? I'm sure consumers would actually like to see the brands they align with aligning with each other to form a true tribe. That's the way life works.
It may be comforting to simplify the world by creating pie charts that eliminate all the influences on your brand other that competive issues, but it's not a real view...and by doing so you miss so many opportunities to leverage....well, to leverage life and culture.
We live in a world where brands are rock stars and rock stars are brands. CEOs write books and as Jay-Z says, "I'm a business, man." (the comma is important) In this blurry world, consumers align themselves to brand and entertainment icons equally to create their own cultural tribes out of the combination. Brand relevance and appeal can be greatly influenced by aligning your brand with the right cultural influences. A star's relevance can also be boosted by aligning with the right brand. Ideally it works equally both ways. A good example of that equal benefit was when I helped create the BlackBerry/U2 relationship a number of years ago. BlackBerry was looking to move into pop culture and U2 needed to be part of the contemporary dialogue again. In a way they were equal "brands" getting equal amounts of leverage.
When looking at how best to align with cultural icons it helps to consider "Gravitational Pull". Some brands or icons have a way of pulling other brands and icons up to their status. Understanding who has the gravitational pull helps define the nature of the relationship and how the roles should play out. Ideally it's best when everyone wins and the relationship feels natural to the consumer.
So the question to ask is - are you looking for gravitational pull from another "star"? Are you providing the gravitational pull? Or, have you identified a wonderful opportunity where everyone, including the customer benefits?
This philosophy also applies to the world of Social Media where people "friend" brands all the time. But, do brands "friend" each other? Why not? I'm sure consumers would actually like to see the brands they align with aligning with each other to form a true tribe. That's the way life works.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Cheech & Chong and General Mills...Oh My!
How do you get the aging, yet forever young thinking baby boomers to think about the need for fiber in their diet without resenting the messenger? Easy - let Cheech and Chong deliver the message with a slight wink.
How do you get the corporate executives at General Mills to approve such a campaign? Oh lord I have no idea.
Have a look at this fake movie trailer and hang in to the very end. Magic Brownies The brilliance in this piece is in the nuance. General Mills let Cheech and Chong be themselves. A little silly, a little messy and a little pointless. All the things that made them great. General Mills didn't force Cheech and Chong to shy away from their core schtick. The result is fresh, entertaining, disarming and relevant to the audience.
I'm not commenting on my own age, body condition or drug habits , (I'm young-ish, regular and what I eat is none of your business) but I got the message, didn't hate getting the message and was so entertained that I wanted more of the message.
This is the ultimate in permission based marketing - I'm entertained so well I give you permission to keep entertaining me. Tell me more of your story.
Left wanting more, I tracked down the microsite and Facebook page...and slowly the spell started to unravel. This campaign started to feel normal and safe. Sigh.
Let's face it, being bold in marketing is hard for an agency and even harder for a client. Being bold and actually delivering a relevant message to a target audience - well that's brilliant. All of us in the marketing world are on the sidelines cheering you on General Mills. Keep going. Don't shy away now...go all the way to Flaming Pole!
How do you get the corporate executives at General Mills to approve such a campaign? Oh lord I have no idea.
Have a look at this fake movie trailer and hang in to the very end. Magic Brownies The brilliance in this piece is in the nuance. General Mills let Cheech and Chong be themselves. A little silly, a little messy and a little pointless. All the things that made them great. General Mills didn't force Cheech and Chong to shy away from their core schtick. The result is fresh, entertaining, disarming and relevant to the audience.
I'm not commenting on my own age, body condition or drug habits , (I'm young-ish, regular and what I eat is none of your business) but I got the message, didn't hate getting the message and was so entertained that I wanted more of the message.
This is the ultimate in permission based marketing - I'm entertained so well I give you permission to keep entertaining me. Tell me more of your story.
Left wanting more, I tracked down the microsite and Facebook page...and slowly the spell started to unravel. This campaign started to feel normal and safe. Sigh.
Let's face it, being bold in marketing is hard for an agency and even harder for a client. Being bold and actually delivering a relevant message to a target audience - well that's brilliant. All of us in the marketing world are on the sidelines cheering you on General Mills. Keep going. Don't shy away now...go all the way to Flaming Pole!
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