Lateral thinking, low flying and Facebook pensioners
You’re a huge multinational organisation with offices in every country on earth. You’ve grown exponentially over the last 10 years, to become one of the most recognisable brands on the planet. Yet 15 years ago, the company didn’t even exist.
You’re making so much money you don’t know what to do with it. You acquire companies, give your employees a raise, and still you have billions in the bank.
You’ve gone from upstart startup to a company teetering on the edge of unpopularity (when you cross the line that separates deserved and undeserving success).
Who are you?
Google of course.
So what do you do? Keep telling your story, of course. But in a different way. A touchy-feely, non-marketing-y way.
And where where do you start?
Well libraries are as good a place as any. And my local library is just where I spotted this concertina card last week:
The brightly coloured panels shout from the display stand. And the feelgood quotes make you want to find out more – which you can do if you turn the card over.
There, in simple, non-techie language are details of Gmail, Skype, Google News, as well as a host of other useful non-Google (but don’t tell anybody) stuff like banking online, catching up on TV, finding old friends and booking holidays.
It’s clever on so many levels:
It’s left-of-field. People aren’t expecting to be marketed to in a library. Informed, entertained, educated – yes. But not marketed to. So it’s the ideal place to market.
It connects perfectly with the audience: IT-challenged, older, not sure what ‘online’ is all about. And it talks in a language that’s friendly and informal.
It takes the hype out of marketing, and makes it ‘real’ (or as real as those pesky quotes will allow).
It plays on people’s emotions. Who could resist the pull of a video-chat with grandchildren in Hong Kong or a daughter in Canada?
But it doesn’t stop there.
The campaign points to a URL that promises A Simple Guide to the Internet. And that’s just what it delivers.
It’s a slick piece of marketing that works because it flies beneath the radar. And it’s one you could easily emulate.
So what are you waiting for? Why not start today by:
Simplifying your message.
Using everyday language – every day.
Getting other people to tell your story.
Looking beyond what your stuff does and instead at how it makes your customers feel.
Looking at unusual channels to promote your products and services (hint: libraries don’t charge).
This Google campaign is very clearly aimed at older users (check out the Facebook pensioners in the video at the link below) but the same approach could be used with any age group.
And what’s in it for Google, given that all these services are free?
An audience for Google AdWords, of course. Like I said, it’s clever on so many levels.
So why not copy the approach?
All it takes is a bit of lateral thinking, and you too can fly under the radar. And one day, you might just have have an office in every country on earth and billions in the bank.
Do you understand what makes your customers tick? Really?
Summer’s here – or at least, in theory it is.
It’s mid-August, school is out, and people are on holiday. Never mind that it’s only 15 degrees and we’ve seen more rain in the past few weeks than for the last year.
And what’s a little bad weather anyway when it comes to enjoying yourself? Slip on your takkies, pull out the braai and have a lekker jol.
Come again? I hear you say. Has he taken leave of his senses?
Well no. Or rather, yes, temporarily, but it’s all in a good cause. Stick with me, and it’ll become clear.
If you understand any of the lingo above, chances are you’ve spent some time either in South Africa, or with South Africans. And in the process, you’ve tuned in to the way they talk.
So you know that it’s time to slip on your trainers (it being warm and all), pull out the barbecue and have a grand old time.
And if you haven’t been to SA or mixed with Seffricans, perhaps you’ve simply taken the time to read Visit Britain’s latest market profiles.
Released in advance of the London Olympics, they’re a mine of useful information on the cultural quirks of tourists who are expected to flood to these shores in two years’ time.
Don’t mention the…
If a Japanese person smiles at you, what should you assume?
That they’re not happy, of course.
Be careful when pouring wine for an Argentinian – do it backwards and they’ll take offence. Arabs don’t like being told what to do and Indians can appear rude.
Try not to wink at somebody from Hong Kong. If a South African says they were held up at the robots, they simply mean the traffic lights were against them. (Unless they really were held up at the traffic lights, in which case I’d change the subject if I were you.)
Never call a Canadian an American. And never mention the war to…
…a Mexican, of course. That would be the US-Mexican War of 1846-8, naturally.
But then I expect you knew that.
Knowing me, knowing you
Behind the odd assortment of mildly amusing national traits is a serious purpose, of course.
Visit Britain wants to make sure that even more people do what 30m have done annually in recent years.
Visit Britain.
And sensitising hoteliers, restaurateurs and other tourism professionals to the cultural differences is a powerful way of giving customers what they want.
The lives of others
When you’re communicating with clients, prospects and…well, with anyone you want to communicate with, you need to remember one simple rule.
It’s not about you. It’s about them.
So how do you connect with them? Well how about trying to :
Lose yourself. Here’s a simple exercise: pick up the first piece of marketing material that comes to hand, or check out your website. Right now. Take a random page, and see how many times you use we or us. Now count the instances of you. See what I mean?
Adapt your style. Or rather, styles. When you’re talking to people, one size fits one, so don’t use the same tone for everybody. And if you are addressing a mass audience, imagine yourself talking to one or writing for one. The perfect, ideal, 100% fits-the-profile client. Conjure them up, make them real and address them directly.
Dig around. Are your audience young or old? Married or living together? Straight or gay, rich or poor, or somewhere in the middle (between rich and poor, I mean)? The more you know, the more you’ll connect with them. Don’t know? Find out. You’ll be glad you did (and so will they).
Follow the money. Where do your customers hang out? Be there. Blogs, forums, Twitter, Facebook. Whatever it takes to find out more, see what they’re saying and adapt your message.
It’s only by defining your target audience – as Visit Britain’s detailed market profiles do – that you can make sure your marketing strikes gold. It’s basic stuff, but all too easily forgotten.
As I discovered a while back, when I took a call from a potential client.
“And who’s your target market?” I asked.
“Target market?” she said, as if I’d asked her the square root of pi. There was a long pause, and much shuffling.
“He wants to know who our target market is,” she said finally to her colleague, her hand muffling the sound as she covered the mouthpiece.
“Target market?” he said. “Hmm.”
More shuffling. And then the line went dead.
Oh dear, I thought. She’s cut herself off. She’ll call back in a minute.
But that was six months ago.
Rude, I hear you say? No, no. I’m sure it’s just cultural. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Find out more:
Multiculture vulture. Visit Britain’s market profiles will have you winking, smiling and pouring with ease. You’ll find edited highlights at The Guardian and Daily Telegraph.
Poor targeting and a missed opportunity (bad). But perfect pitch (good).
Three things caught my eye this week. But first, a digression…
Years ago, I was in a restaurant with my boss and a group of colleagues. My boss was pretty fearsome, and took no prisoners when it came to service.
Her opening line to the waitress was chillingly direct.
“I usually tip 20%,” she said. “In fact, the tip is already 20%. But here’s the catch – from now on, I’m going to deduct points for bad service. OK? Now I’d like to order.”
The poor girl stared with rapt attention, and the service never wavered for the whole of the time we were there. It was impeccable.
My boss’s secret was simple. She knew what she wanted. She asked for it. She got it.
On another occasion, at another restaurant, she requested a sauce that wasn’t on the menu. The waitress, who this time hadn’t had the 20% routine (my boss varied her tactics) said she was sorry, but that it wouldn’t be possible.
“Why not?” barked my boss.
“Because we’d have to make the sauce up,” said the girl, faltering slightly in the glare of the blue-eyed headlights.
“Oh right,” said my boss with exaggerated emphasis. “I see. I mean, it’s not as if this is a restaurant or anything, with ingredients all over the place. You’d have to make up the sauce.”
The dripping irony had its effect. And before long, that special sauce was dripping too.
1. Close (but no cigar)
I was reminded of the second restaurant episode recently. If anywhere knows about sauces, it’s a restaurant.
And if anybody knows about technology, and how to use it, it’s a technology company. But it doesn’t always work out that way.
Just last week, I got a letter from Google with a little surprise in it (well more than one, but we’ll get to that bit).
Here’s what it contained:
The word ‘discover’ should have set alarm bells ringing. But it didn’t.
Inside was a credit-card-sized voucher with a unique code. I logged into my AdWords account and entered the code, relishing the thought of 75 smackers off my next bill.
Not so fast.
Because here’s what it said when I entered the code:
Too old? Well, yes, it’s years and years old. I’ve been using Google AdWords for longer than I can remember. I’m very, very happy with it.
Or at least I was.
Until they dangled £75 in front of me and took it away again. Is it really that difficult to de-duplicate a mailing campaign when you’re targeting prospects, so you exclude existing clients?
Sauce. Technology. Different consistency, same taste (bitter-sweet).
2. Don’t bank on it (the feature, that is)
Just as I’ve been using AdWords since the dawn of time, so too have I been a customer of the Royal Bank of Scotland since the good old days when banks were privately owned and collateralised debt obligations and credit-default swaps were a twinkle in the eye of a Wall St banker.
In fact, I was one of their online-banking beta customers, way back in the mid-90s. And recently, they sent me a leaflet extolling the virtues of their online service:
Can you spot the problem?
Yes, they got the headline the wrong way round. Make the most of digital banking isn’t the best thing about digital banking. It’s the time you save.
So that should be in a big, bold, brash font that shouts Benefit!followed by the more sober feature. And somebody close that gap, please.
It’s Marketing 101. Feature (banking) and benefit (time).
Which would you pick? (Thought so.)
3. U and non-U
And lastly, a company that gets it exactly right.
HTC, who make those super-sexy smartphones, realise that a phone is just a phone. What makes it special is you, as this advert shows.
Their closing line sums it up exactly: You don’t need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you. It’s simple, direct and hits the mark.
It’s not about you – it’s about them. Don’t ever forget it.
A few months back, a pop-up popped up in Skype.
Would you like to win £1,000? it trilled. Of course I would. I was excited at the prospect – positively thrilled, in fact.
All I had to do, it explained, was complete an online survey that would help them improve the program. It would only take a few minutes.
I jumped at the chance.
Several long minutes later, I was losing heart. The questions were endless, and all began to resemble each other. I was answering on autopilot, ticking yes and no randomly, awarding 5 out of 10, or neutral when it came to agreeing or disagreeing – anything, as long as I could just get to the end of this damn thing.
You’re almost there! it gushed. Except I wasn’t. Another screenful of questions taunted me. That thousand quid was disappearing faster than a carrot on telescopic stick.
And finally, I snapped.
In a fit of pique, I closed the browser, brought my clenched fist down on my desk (ouch – don’t try this at home) and had a double espresso to calm down (ditto).
So what went wrong? Simple: Skype needed some info, so they found a cheap way to do it. They dangled the lure of £1,000 in front of me, and like a goggle-eyed fish, I bit.
But here’s where they went wrong: they thought it was about them.
It wasn’t. It was about me.
After a few dozen questions, I didn’t care about the money anymore. Easy money should be…well, easy. And it wasn’t.
It wasn’t even money – it was the chance to be entered into a draw. To win money. And even then, probably not money but Skype credit (no doubt to be used by a certain date).
Net result?
I didn’t win £1,000.
I didn’t even get a chance to win £1,000.
I wasted my time.
I felt more negative about Skype than before.
I resolved never to complete another survey.
(and worst of all) I felt used.
Not good.
Through the looking-glass
If you want to understand your customers, think like a customer. If you want to understand a reader, think like a reader.
Let’s take websites. Most have an About page. So what’s it about?
Wrong. It’s not about you (haven’t you been listening?).
It’s about them. Even when it’s about you. Everything you say – even when you’re talking about your company, your history, your people, your offices, your reputation, your fabulous dress sense and good looks – it’s about them.
What you say
What you really mean
We’ve been in business 20 years.
Relax. We know what we’re doing.
We have dedicated account managers.
You don’t need to repeat yourself to some witless moron every time you phone us.
We have a one-stop service.
You keep your costs down, you have less hassle, you can leave all the hair-pulling, desk-banging (ouch) details to us.
We pride ourselves on professionalism, service and [blah, blah, blah].
Yes – you did make the right choice. Now go to bed and stop worrying.
I Customer
Never write a word without thinking how it’ll be read. Never launch a marketing campaign without thinking how it’ll be received. And never call an offer special unless it’s just that – special.
With a bit of practice, it becomes second nature.
Some people, however, need more practice than others. Remember my Top 10? It included 3, the UK mobile phone operator. When I switched to them, they gave me £10 ($16, €11.50) free credit to be used within 30 days, just to thank me.
Wasn’t that nice?
Not really. You see, when I logged on on 3′s site, I saw that the credit had been ‘queued’. A little footnote told me that the credit would be used up in the order in which it was displayed.
And it was displayed in the last row of the table.
In other words, my free credit would be used only when my paid-for credit was gone. And if that didn’t happen in 30 days, the freebie would disappear.
Free? Schmee.
Don’t think like a marketer. Think like like a marketee. Don’t think like a writer. Think like a writee.
If not, change what you sell – or how you sell it.
My day started so well.
The summer sun poured through my office windows, and a steaming cup of coffee stood on my desk, its rich aroma teasing my tastebuds with anticipation.
Then the call came. A withheld number, which is never a good sign.
“Hello, Kevin,” said an unfamiliar voice. “Isn’t it a wonderful day?”
“Uh, yes,” I mumbled. “But more to the point, who the bloody hell are you?”
Actually, I didn’t.
Instead, I let him cast his line, safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t going to be hooked. As soon as he said the word ‘cricket’, I knew I was right.
You see, you’re either a cricket fan or you’re not. And I’m not.
Doug was from a corporate sports marketing company. And guess what? A box at Lord’s (The Home of Cricket – isn’t that a great tagline?) had just come free. Just think of the corporate entertaining I could do!
Except I couldn’t. And wouldn’t. And I told him so.
“Ah,” he said irrepressibly, “so not a cricket fan. What about football?”
No.
“Tennis?”
No.
“Rugby?”
No.
“Horse racing?”
No.
“Dogs?”
No. No. No.
Game over. Insert new coin.
Sometimes, you just have to face it: they’re not buying what you’re selling. And you can do one of two things.
You can either keep on trying, which means you’ll waste your time (and lose lots of other sales to more likely customers).
Or you can change what you’re selling. A bit like Virgin Mobile didn’t do when I spoke to them about their mobile-phone contracts.
“You don’t send texts?” said the incredulous customer sales person.
Yes, that’s right. Calls, yes. Texts, no. So could they give me more calling minutes in lieu of the hundreds of texts I’d never send? Couldn’t they make an exception?
“Um, I don’t think so,” she said, fishing around for a killer argument.
And then she found one.
“You see, if we made an exception for you, we’d have to make an exception for everybody, and give them what they wanted.”
Mentally, I moved my chess piece. Checkmate.
But I savoured my little moment, and let the silence drag on, until she could bear it no longer.
“You see my point, don’t you?” she pleaded.
I didn’t.
And the very next day, I changed my mobile operator – to one that let me take any mix I wanted of minutes and texts.
Lights, camera, action
Most companies think they know what their customers want. And they keep on hitting those little square pegs harder and harder, in the hope that they’ll one day go in.
Clever companies think like customers. And when people aren’t buying, they change what they’re selling, or how they sell it, until customers do buy.
Just like lovefilm.com did.
When I first checked, this DVD-rental website was just too expensive. I like films, but not enough to pay £15 a month (that’s $22.50 or €17.50).
So I didn’t bite.
But wait, it told me – I could have four discs at a time, and an unlimited number of films per month.
I still didn’t bite.
Then my local DVD store closed down, so I checked again.
Same deal. Same reaction.
And then last week, fearing becoming a social outcast (I hadn’t seen Slumdog Millionaire) I checked again.
And there, I saw a new package, aimed at ‘lite’ users, priced at just £4 ($6, €4.60) a month.
I bit.
So you see? If people aren’t buying, it’s because you’re not selling what they want. It’s not that they don’t like you. It’s not that your product doesn’t work or your service doesn’t deliver.
It’s simply that something, somewhere in the mix is wrong.
Get it right, and they’ll bite.
Find out more:
What do you mean you haven’t seen Slumdog Millionaire? Quick, hurry over to lovefilm.com.
Leg before wicket? It’s simply not cricket. Check out Lord’s Cricket Ground (tell Doug I sent you).
For a FREE, no-obligation chat, call me now on (01223) 241749.
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