Bombs, blogging and Beyonce

Missing the target, the power of scarcity and the sound of silence

OK, OK – I know you’re busy so I’ll keep this brief. Let me guess – we’re hurtling towards Christmas and you still haven’t got a present for Auntie Beryl? Been there. If you’re considering an e-reader, by the way, perhaps you might think about why I’m not buying one (maybe Beryl will agree with me):

When I’ve finished reading a book I love, I can’t give it to a friend.
When I’m on a plane, I’ll have to turn off my e-reader for climb and descent (when I’m invariably reading).
I lost my super-duper smartphone (or had it stolen) on the Tube three weeks ago, and I don’t want to re-Kindle the memory.

Scrooge – me? Perish the thought. But back to you. Three quick presents for your marketing Christmas stocking.

1. Gladwell tidings

If you enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s 2004 TED talk on spaghetti sauce, you’re in for a treat. It took seven years, but he’s back for seconds. This time, he’s in a more sombre mood, but his message, as ever, has a direct link with sales, marketing, copywriting – and just about any other activity you undertake. It’s all about unintended consequence. And how we can devote enormous amounts of time, money and effort to projects that are doomed – if only we had eyes to see. With over 400,000 views in just two months, The strange tale of the Norden bombsight is well on the way to Spaghetti Sauce’s 2m in seven years. As ever, it’s intelligent, entertaining and enlightening. (If you’re reading in email, click here.)

2. Less is…well you know what it is.

Last week, my favourite magazine didn’t arrive on the usual day of the week. Now the older I get, the more a creature of habit I become. I like things to happen when they’re supposed to – and I tailor my behaviour accordingly. It’s all a case of managing expectations. In this instance, my own. So I read at a certain pace, knowing that I don’t want to finish too early or too late. As a tidy-desk person, I don’t like two magazines at once, so they mustn’t overlap. But when the new issue didn’t arrive, I had to go back to the old one and make a second pass. And you know what? I discovered really interesting articles and wondered how I’d missed them first time around. How did that happen? Like this: I had a limited amount of time on the first pass (which I thought was the only pass) so I meted it out sparingly. But when the new magazine didn’t arrive, I suddenly had more. So not-so-interesting articles became interesting. And in one case, absolutely fascinating. And the lesson for all of us on Planet Marketing? Scarcity increases value. From paintings to wine, from stamps to antiques, it works every time. The same principle holds true when it comes to communication. If you write a blog post every day, instead of every week, each one is worth just a little bit less. Even if you’ve poured everything you’ve got into it, the perception is that quantity is inversely related to quality. More means less, in other words. So space out your posts, rein in your tweets, and make that newsletter a little less regular. People will attach more value it.

3. Beyond saying

Which leads me on to my last stocking-filler: a neat illustration of the power or brand, crossed with the sound of silence. Amidst the celeb chatter on Twitter, there’s one star who remains resolutely mute. And yet she has an enormous following, thanks to her huge global appeal. It’s Beyonce, of course. Not at tweet in sight, but over 2 million followers. Next time you wonder about the power of brand, remember Beyonce. Merry Christmas. Find out more:

Buon appetito. Malcolm Gladwell’s 2004 TED talk on spaghetti sauce (and other tasty topics).
Silent treatment. 2 million and counting: Beyonce does her stuff (or rather, she doesn’t).

Kevin Communication, Marketing.