July 9, 2013 · 10:15 am

The Heart Of The Matter

I’ve officially named this day of the week TunesDay. Just as Fridays are for food-related screeds, I’m going to try to stick to music on this day of the week. Forewarned is forearmed!

Don Henley

Of course, since it’s a music day, let me talk about sports (hard to keep up with me, isn’t it?). I read a piece yesterday about Michael Dyer, a former running back who played for Auburn. He was suspended by Auburn in December 2011, late in his sophomore season, for failing a drug test. He’s never been convicted of a crime but has made some incredibly stupid decisions about his friends.  I bring this up because this kid, who has 2 years of eligibility left and is a top player, can’t get a sniff from any school to go play football. Too risky. Too many other choices out there. He damaged his brand and now needs forgiveness.

Which leads to today’s song (you knew I’d get here!).  One of my favorite songs comes from Don Henley and is called “The Heart Of The Matter.”  A live performance is below.  The song is about someone screwing up and asking for forgiveness – not to wipe away the transgression but to heal the wound:

I’ve been tryin’ to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about…forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore

I think it’s a beautiful, heartfelt  soliloquy on the subject.  That’s what Dyer is seeking and I think it’s what many businesses end up seeking as well.  The problem is that it’s not always forthcoming, even if the business knew how to ask in terms even half as wonderful as these.

Some business people with whom I’ve worked have felt the “better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission” approach is the preferable way to go.  I disagree.  We live in an age when consumers and clients have access to multiple sources for virtually anything.  Schools can find great running backs – thank you web-based recruiting sites – and vet them carefully.  Who needs to take the risk that an entire program suffers due to one bad apple?

As a brand and a business, the heart of the matter is that behaving honorably – transparently, respecting privacy, keeping the customer’s perspective – negates the need to ask for forgiveness.  It’s not something you want to do, even in terms as nice as these.

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July 8, 2013 · 11:04 am

Something For Nothing

Let’s start the week with a little bit of common sense backed up by some research.

Mobile-phone-advertising

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You might categorize the recent study released by Millward Brown, in partnership with SessionM, in the “duh” bin and you wouldn’t be far off but it serves as a good reminder of some basic marketing thoughts.  The study is called Exploring the Role of Value in Mobile Advertising and it talks about how to break through low favorability of mobile advertising by offering more tangible value in brands’ marketing content.  You can read the study here (pdf) if you want but mobile ads are close to the bottom of consumer‘s likes. Only 9% of people have a favorable attitude toward them (opt-in email tops the rankings at 28%, showing that mobile advertising in general has a problem).

Here is the “duh” part that carried over to just about anything you’re doing in marketing:

  • Consumers presently reward brands that deliver on that value in exchange for their loyalty
  • Reward-based mobile advertising succeeds when  the advertising execution is timely, chosen &  relevant and the reward is predictable, tangible & chosen.
  • Advertisers need to be mindful of the value exchange they offer through their mobile marketing efforts and make certain it is commensurate with their audience’s expectations.

In other words, answer the “why do I care” question and make sure your answer is coming from the consumer’s point of view.  Make sure that any time the consumer is spending on you is paid back many times over.  Look to surprise them and in a way that’s meaningful to them.  Be visible but unintrusive – show ads at natural break points (we all hate pop-ups that stop us from reading or video ads – TV or steaming – that interrupt our experience).  You have to give them something for their attention and engagement – you can’t get something (their loyalty) for nothing.

Where we fail as marketers is the place where our branding needs climb over those of our consumers or potential consumers.  We need to avoid that place like the plague, whether it’s on mobile devices or anyplace else.  This research shows it yet again but one would hope that common sense – and the ability to approach marketing as a consumer and not a brand maven – has us there already.  Does it?

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July 5, 2013 · 8:51 am

Low & Slow On The Fifth

It’s Friday and so time for Foodie Friday Fun.  However, it’s also one of those weird days which follow a holiday and precede a weekend.  Most folks I know aren’t working – they’re by the pool or at the beach and cooking is something that happens outdoors – on a grill or in a smoker.  Because I’m as lazy as the next guy continuing to celebrate our nation’s birth, I thought I’d repost a food piece centered around another summer holiday.  It was called “Low And Slow” and was written way back in May of 2008.  I think it’s relevant – hopefully you do as well.  Enjoy the weekend and see you Monday.

English: Image of a propane smoker in use. Dia...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This weekend is sees the celebration of the Memorial Day holiday here is the US. Traditionally, this weekend marks the start of Summer (OK, maybe that’s July 4th but I love Summer, so…) and that means it’s time to fire up the smoker. While one can achieve great BBQ on everything from a Weber kettle to rigs costing thousands, my preferred weapon of choice is the Bandera, which used to be made by The New Braunfels Company.

We had a bunch of folks over to enjoy ribs, smoked turkey, beer can chicken, the odd bit of smoked bratwurst (I couldn’t find a Hebrew National baloney to smoke which, as an aside, is the closest thing I know of to meat candy when spiced and smoked). The thing they all were wondering about was why does good “Q” take so long. Those of you with a love of smoked meat know that “low and slow is the way to go” and that getting the temperature in the smoker above 225 F is a formula for shoe leather.

Which, of course, got me thinking about how many people seem to do business today. Just as one cannot make BBQ in the microwave, fixing problems via the proverbial microwave for a quick fix is, in my mind, not getting you where you need to go. Now, some folks insist on cooking ribs for 8 hours; I think I’ve proven you can have damn good results in 3.5 – 4. However, I am talking about using the right tools, taking the right amount of time, and, if you can, using the guidance of someone who has been there before (I ruined a lot of racks and quite a few briskets in my day until I got it figured out).

There is a Slow food Movement of which you may be aware and I love what they have to say. However, sometimes you’re late for work and DO need to toast that Pop-Tart (eeew) and go. Sometimes problems won’t wait. But I think many operations would be a lot better off if they made the quick fix the exception rather than the rule.

And now I’m off to enjoy some leftovers!

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