In
This Issue…
-
Will
Technology Ever Have Its Own Persona?
-
Tip: How
to Craft a Stronger Marketing Message
-
Humour:
Dealing with Advertising
=======================================
Will
Technology Ever Have Its Own Persona?
=======================================
In
the mid-90's, Microsoft tried to humanize their operating systems.
To
appeal to non-techies, the brains at Microsoft introduced
Bob. It tried to give a
face to their operating system, so non-users would feel
more comfortable with a
computer.
Rather
than interacting with a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor,
operators who were not technically savvy were
encouraged to communicate with Bob -- a face on
the screen who would explain terms, do what the
operator wished, and recommend things
when asked.
The
results were horrendous for Bob. Given the choice of
working with a cold operating system
or a pseudo-human interface, the market chose the standard
OS. Bob just faded
into the black.
So
you would think technology companies would have learned
their lesson of trying
to give a face, and a persona, to technology.
Not
so.
In
late 2006, I was consulting to Cisco Systems to help
them improve human and organizational
performance. Their marketing department came out with a new
brand -- "the Human Network". They changed
their logo to be more consumer friendly, as they
evolved into the company
that brought people together in India, Hong Kong, Africa,
America, etc. The images were magnificent, and they
continued their best practices
of communicating their new strategy and brand to all of
their employees.
But
can their technology, no matter how good it is, be a
replacement for "the Human Network"?
People
need face to face contact. Despite the fact that ATM's
can handle 95% of
banking transactions, many people still stand in line to
wait for a teller at a bank.
They
want the human contact.
They
want the real human network.
Cisco
may be 'connecting' the human network. They may be
'enhancing' the human network.
But they are not 'replacing' the human network.
Now
some of you marketing types are wondering if human is even a
good term to use to
describe something. After all, most people will say
after making a mistake
that they're only human. 'Human' often evokes a
meaning of imperfect. Is
that what Cisco is trying to imply about their networks?
How
long can Cisco continue down this road?
Furthermore,
shall technology ever have a face to it?
Will
consumers ever warm up to technology the way Cisco is trying
to get
them
to? Or will consumers continue to fear that Capek's
"Rossum Universal Robots" may
become a reality, and that technology will realize that
it can do better
without the human network to interfere with it? (in Capek's
play, people make robots, but the robots eventually kill off
all the people because of their inefficiencies)
It's
commendable that Cisco kept its message simple, and
non-technical. There is
far too much VOIP, GSM, Web 2.0 etc. to confuse
most consumers. But
a message and a brand has to express benefits without so
much hyperbole that people can't associate with it.
Cisco
should have selected a message which outlines their
benefits, in addition to
keeping it simple.
A
great example in the food industry is Subway, with their
"Eat Fresh" slogan. They didn't call
themselves "the food chain". Yet they kept
their message simple, and
showed the benefits in just two words. Eat Fresh.
Well done.
==========================================
Tip: How
to Craft a Stronger Marketing Message
==========================================
New
marketing messages are crafted everyday. Some are
extremely successful,
while
others just never connect with their target audience.
How can
you ensure that your
company's message can make the connection you're looking
for?
Here
are some tips on crafting a stronger marketing message:
1.
List the value you add to your customers. How are they
better off after
buying
and using your product or service? Brainstorm with
co-workers,
your
team, your customers, etc. to get everything down on paper.
2.
Consider how your target market will view your business as
being different from
your
competitor. What makes you stick out? Brainstorm
again with others.
3.
Consider your business strategy for the next two years.
How is it you want your
business
to be seen? Perhaps the company is divided now, but
you wish to unify
it,
for example. Maybe you're moving from B2B to B2C, as
in the example above.
4.
Synthesize the comments into paragraphs. Usually 3-5
paragraphs can cover
a
Fortune 500 company, while 1-2 should cover any small
business.
5.
List all the colorful adjectives that describe your value,
your benefits and your
differentiating
factors.
6.
List all the nouns that describe your product or service
offerings.
7.
Synthesize your paragraphs into a sentence of 12 words or
less, using the
colorful
adjectives and nouns from the last two steps. For
example,
"Acme
Widgets makes the user interface more convenient."
8.
Start testing your new message with your co-workers.
Get their input on
suitability
and appeal to target market. Modify as needed.
If you do change
it,
retest the new message again with your co-workers.
9.
Start using the new message at networking events. When
people ask
you
what you do, answer, "I'm with Acme Widgets. We
make the user
interface
more convenient", for example.
10.
When you feel enough confidence in your testing, roll out
the new message
in
your marketing materials. Put it on business cards,
web pages and other
marketing
collateral.
Tell
the world why they should be doing business with you in a
simple and
efficient
manner, and you'll be sticking out far above the crowd.
==============================
Humour:
Dealing with Advertising
=============================
"Did
you hear that Anheuser-Busch just took over public
relations for the Red Cross?
Their
new slogan is 'This Blood's for You' ."
... Anonymous
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Feedback
=============
As always, feedback
is greatly encouraged. The purpose of this newsletter is to
help
you score your business goals. If there's something you read
today which you
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there's certain
