Archive for the 'Strategy' Category

Viral videos grab valuable attention.

Published by Andrew on July 14, 2010 in Strategy and Viral Marketing. 0 Comments

In the blog entry previous to this one, Alan discussed how to aid marketing efforts with attractive, creative vehicle wraps. This article also touches on vehicle modification, but in a considerably different light.

Recently, a client decided to pull a legendary prank on an employee. The employee was told his company car needed to be detailed prior to the impending end of its lease.

The car, instead, was turned into an ice cream cruiser, complete with decals, cool treats and even music. Music that couldn’t be turned off. That’s right, popular tunes like “It’s a Small World After All,” because the music player had been wired into the car’s fan motor, became ubiquitous staples of our good friend Colin’s commute.

If you’re so inclined, you may enjoy the video links at the end of this entry to fully appreciate the automotive transformation that took place.

At this point, you may be wondering how this anecdote relates to marketing or why you’re reading it on our blog. The answer to that question can be summed up with one key term: viral marketing.

We’ve all seen a video on the internet that was hilarious, violent, inappropriate and/or irresistible for any variety of other reasons. These videos spread (like viruses) through online media such as email, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and others. One person tells his friends, those friends tell their friends and the cycle continues. It should be noted that putting just any old video on YouTube won’t get the job done. The video has to be memorable, and preferably so over the top that people can’t get it out of their heads.

In the case of our client (whose stores are in the Kansas City market), the prank was featured with a video on the Kansas City Star’s website. A local TV news outlet then came calling, wanting to do its own piece about the ice cream mobile. The prank’s attention grabbing culminated with national play on CNN’s “Morning Express with Robin Meade.”

In today’s cluttered world, it’s become more important than ever to stand out from everyone else. Will videos of spectacular pranks replace traditional marketing methods like television, radio and print advertising? No. Will our client sell more furniture based on funny videos? Maybe. But the extra attention sure can’t hurt.

The Star—KansasCity.com Video
KCTV 5 News Article with Video

Start your engines.

Published by Alan on June 26, 2010 in Branding, Design, Leadership and Strategy. 0 Comments

In an uncertain economy many businesses let their advertising efforts idle while waiting for the green flag to drop. I hate to say if that’s you, your competition has already passed you by. While you’ve saved gas others are revving up and getting their message in front of your audience, lap after lap.

Effective advertising doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does need to be consistent to build brand awareness. Explore ways to keep your message in front of your audience. Break through the clutter and tell your story in a way that is unique. Nearly everyone’s marketing budget is holding level or even decreasing to combat these financial times, so spend smart! Think outside the box and search for co-op dollar opportunities as we did for one of our clients.

Wichita Roofing & Remodeling is taking its new customer service program to the streets, literally. We designed a vehicle wrap for the marketing director’s car that would represent three different market areas—and more importantly strategically and effectively use their resources.

Today, the company name is reaching thousands of people daily as the director travels to meet one on one with insurance agents across the state. It’s not often you see a “Nascar” traveling down the Kansas turnpike. Is wrapping a vehicle original? No. But choosing an image of the number one spectator sport in America to carry your message across unexpected terrain is. It’s a conversation starter and it creates a memorable impression. And the best part is some of the client’s vendors are “car sponsors.” Their sponsorship dollars are helping pay for the vehicle wrap while our client’s message speeds across the state.

Get in the driver’s seat. The race is on! What are you doing to reach the checkered flag before your competition?

In God we trust…all others bring data!

Published by Jeff on October 29, 2009 in Strategy. 0 Comments

I sat in on a sales presentation earlier this week with one of our long-time clients. The presentation started very quickly (and to my thinking, very poorly) with an assault on the use of traditional advertising mediums…everyone DVRs all TV programs, everyone listens to satellite radio in their cars, all newspapers have gone or are on their way out of business, blah, blah, blah…subjective and irrelevant information designed to baffle.

The product this company is selling is very compelling on its own terms and along with our strategic use of traditional mediums can very likely be accretive to advancing our client’s business to a new level. All in the meeting recognized this fact.

So, here’s the thing…go sell your product based on its own merit, based on results, based on anecdotal information from real case studies. DO NOT INSULT your target audience by launching a truckload of scud missiles. (We all remember scud missiles from Iraq, right? Missiles with no intelligence and subsequently little to no impact.)

Sell based on intelligence! With a wealth of available resources, consumers are more intelligent now than at any time in the history of the world—always assume you’re dealing with smart people. One client remarked recently that he’s found his consumers to possess highly sensitive and highly active “BS Meters.” I can’t agree more.

Therefore, I’m declaring the days of being able to “baffle ‘em with BS” officially over.

Cheers!

What’s in your gun?

Published by Jeff on October 23, 2007 in Strategy. 0 Comments

Silver Bullet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The metaphor of the silver bullet applies to any straightforward solution perceived to have extreme effectiveness. The phrase typically appears with an expectation that some new technology or practice will easily cure a major prevailing problem.

Read. Read. Read. Read everything. But as you begin planning for 2008, we encourage you to consider replacing the search for illusive, magic silver bullets with more practice at the range firing time-tested ammunition and developing repeatability.

The times have rendered us completely impatient. Results can’t come fast enough. Change doesn’t happen quick enough. I remember way back in the late 80s, during the total quality revolution, when we needed “change agents” to overcome inertia and we operated in frozen fear of change. Fast forward 20 years…change is everything…just look at Madonna. In contrast, The Rolling Stones have changed very little (except getting sober, maybe).

Here’s my point in this diatribe of mixed metaphor…I fear the perceived need for change and magic silver bullets has everything to do with our lack of results. We need to commit to do a few, proven things consistently this coming year, like the Stones surely have done for the past 40 plus. I believe the results will follow.

In 2008, patience will still be a virtue. And magic bullets will still be for Lone Rangers.

High-yo Silver!

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