Remarkable Products Drive Great Marketing

We constantly talk about how remarkableness drives marketing.  Here is the perfect example.  Vibram Five Fingers Footwear. 

Take a look! 

I purchased a pair of these after I saw a few other people wearing them.  I researched the company online, went to a store to get measured and when the store was out of them and unsure when they would be getting more in, I ordered them online. 

Do people stop me?  Yes!  Do people stare?  Yes!  That is the whole point of these sneakers.  They are remarkable and everyone wants to know what they are, how do they feel, do I like them and most importantly...where did I get them and can they get a pair!

As a customer, I love them so much...I am proud to wear them and proud to tell everyone who asks how much I like them.  I am a sneezer..spreading this idea virus all over the area.

That is the power of a remarkable product driving the marketing.  They don't do any advertising, their site isn't even number one on Google (the distributor site is) and they don't have a big marketing budget.  They created a truly special product. 

I am going to be giving you more excellent examples like this for the next few weeks.  I think it is worth talking about a lot. 

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Everyone is a Social Media Expert

If you look up Buzz Word in the dictionary, Webster recently added Social Media to the list of the most popular buzz words.  Everyone is talking about Social Media.  Everyone has questions about it, everyone appears to be an expert at it, everyone wants to know how to take advantage of it and how to use it in their marketing. 

So, what should YOU know about Social Media.  Let me give you the basics.

• First, it is NOT for everyone.  Just like direct mail won't work for every business, Social Media is not for every business. 
• There is no need to feel intimidate, scared, or like you are falling behind.  That is because very few people have actually figured out what to do and how to use Social Media to drive business.
• To that same point...there is no reason to feel scared and thus, everyone should try it out.  It is free and some of you might even find it enjoyable.  Start by building a profile on Facebook or LinkedIn.  My recommendation for business people would be LinkedIn.  Building a profile will take 10 minutes and be painless, I promise. 
• Feel free to experiment.  Try to make a few connections, look up some friends, that's it. 
• Once you are on, you might find people looking for you and trying to connect to you, let it happen.

That's it.  Don't do any more.  Let it settle for a week or so...and just experience it.  Tomorrow we will talk about how to craft a simple Reality Marketing Social Media strategy for your business based on your simple profile work.

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Quiznos Needs Marketing Help Badly

As much as I like to give credit for great marketing here, I also have to call your attention to really bad marketing.  Take a look at Quiznos new campaign.

What were they thinking?  There is no way I am even listening to the message...let alone going to a Quiznos to get one of those subs.  I have a feeling someone sold them on the idea that this is going to be so weird that it could go viral.  This is just an example of runaway marketing and marketing gone really bad. 

I did some searches on the Internet and the comments aren't any better.  Here are a couple of adjectives people are using...nightmarish, screeching, ridiculous.  Quiznos is running a contest related to these ads. Beginning August 2, they will be challenging consumers to create music videos using the song from the 5, 4, 3 "Singimals" commercial.  I do like the integration between the promotion, new product launch, and social media, but come on. 

Plus, they are really competing on price here.  Subway's $5 foot long is now challenged by a $4 and a $3 product at Quiznos.  What is next a $1 sandwich?  Don't laugh...I predict it will be coming soon.

Everyone knows Quiznos is struggling in the space and I just don't see this campaign, which must have cost them millions,  changing their fundamental challenges.  Perhaps a dose of Reality Marketing would be helpful here?

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Make Your Clients VIP Clients

Ever go to a show with front row tickets?  How about a sporting event in a luxury box?  Or have you gone to a club or restaurant and despite a long line you head right to the front and sit down immediately?  All of these experiences make people feel important, special, exclusive.  Everyone wants to feel important, special and part of something exclusive. 

If we all agree that most purchase decisions are emotional, followed by rationalization, then doesn't it seem to make sense that if we can trigger an emotional response like feeling part of an exclusive club...getting customers to buy would be easier?  Costco does this well.  You have to be a member to gain access to the savings.

How do we do that in all of our businesses? 

1. Push back!  Tell your clients that you aren't for everyone.  You have to make sure they are going to be a good fit for you.  People want to pursue.  It is a human instinct to want what appears to be out of reach.
2. Create the VIP Area!  Come up with a set of services that are ONLY for special clients, even if most of your clients are special and qualify for the services, it will feel to your clients like they are getting preferential treatment.
3. Charge a little more!  Yes, raise prices!  People expect and in fact want to pay extra for the VIP area.
4. Make a referral a requirement!  You only talk with prospects that are referred.  If you don't have a referral, here are a couple of people for you to get to know, after you chat with them, if they feel you would be a good fit, they will refer you and THEN we can talk about your situation.  It is an exclusive club, the only way in is with a referral.  Isn't that an interesting story?
5. Finally, keep the club exclusive.  If clients/customers aren't behaving right kick them out and find more that will be the right kind of client...that will perpetuate the exclusiveness of the VIP area.

Now I know this might sound crazy.  But I am telling you there is real, human behavior science behind this approach that has been proven to be successful time and time again in business.  Give it a try and let me know how it works for you by leaving a comment here.

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Marketing Has to Be Disruptive to Be Effective

You might have heard how Apple wanted to disrupt the market with their products.  I would say they succeeded.  Disruptive marketing strategies have been around for a while.  The concept is make enough mess in the marketplace and the likeliness of your product rising to the top is high, if it is good enough to disrupt in the first place. 

Disruptive marketing is right in line with Reality Marketing.  Talking about being remarkable and creating stories that are easily shared across target markets is a tenet of disruption.  Here are a couple of examples.

If I could

• help you double your sales in 6 months would you be interested?
• implement an enterprise wide data management software package in 5 days that would help you save money you otherwise would have lost would you be interested?
• give you a tissue that would shield you from getting a cold would you be interested?
• give you a pill that would help you lose weight without dieting or exercising would you be interested?
• hand you a light bulb that would use 50% less energy and NEVER burn out would you be interested?

The short answer is yes to all those options.  That's how disruptive marketing and Reality Marketing live together.  Push the envelope!  Challenge the norm!  Be bold in your statements!  Break existing paradigms! 

That is what good marketing does for business!

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Video Marketing on YouTube Replaces Commercials

OK, so maybe the title of the blog is a little inflammatory, but I think it might become true.  Video clips on YouTube from shoppers are moving the market.  Take a look at these stats. 

The Fowlers, two teenage girls from Nashville, have had their video clips on their most recent purchases viewed 75 million times.  Did you hear that?  75 MILLION TIMES.  That is a lot of impressions. 

Another girl posted a video clip for a Guess Watch she bought and the watch sold out in every color in just 24 hours, the onslaught of orders even crashed their website.  This is big business. 

Click here to read the article in USA Today.  But the real question is how do we get our businesses this type of exposure in this quick time frame?

First, you need content.  These girls are video blogging about stuff people on the Internet care about, fashion, style, shopping, etc.  So first, find content that people care about. 

Second, you need the outlet.  YouTube is the most used "how to" website in the world.  People are on it, people are searching it, people are watching it.  Get on it.

Third, be sincere.  I have a feeling that this works because it is honest, sincere, and independent.  Retailers like JC Penny and others are getting into the act, paying these girls to try their products.  I have a feeling that "sponsorship" might just take some of the shine off the objectivity people appreciate from the Internet. 

Finally, while it isn't mentioned in any of these stories, you need a propellant.  Something that will catapult these clips into the millions of views.  My thought is that Facebook is behind these kinds of numbers.  Think about who is on Facebook and how many friends each person has, quickly the numbers work out.  One girl with 200 friends, tells another girl with 300 friends, who tells a third girl with 200 friends and before you know it, in a matter of seconds 12 million people have been exposed to a cool idea.  All for $0 dollars in advertising expense.  If you think retailers aren't thinking this is free advertising, think again.

Most important lesson here.  Get out there!  Try out different ideas!  Keep trying them until something takes off.

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Kleenex Does Reality Marketing RIght

The other night I was watching TV and the rare commercial and guess what?  A TV commercial caught my attention.  Curious?  The guy who railed against TV commercials for years is admitting that a TV commercial worked? 

Well, I am the target market.  I use the product advertised, my family used the product, so I am a potential purchaser.  I haven't purchased this particular brand in a long time, so that seems to work. 

What was the product?  Tissues. Kleenex Tissues.  Nothing too sexy, but what caught my attention?  Their new REMARKABLE! 

Kleenex Sneeze Shield!  Check it out.

Pain: Parents are worried that when kids sneeze, they pass along germs.

Solution:  A product that kills germs or prevents germs from being passed

Remarkable Solution:  Kleenex Sneeze Shield

WOW!  A product that shields (great word) germs from getting on their kids.

This is a marketing work of art!  Congratulations to the Kleenex marketing team who took their existing product and re engineered it to be remarkable.  Here come the sales!

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution! 

One Marketing Tactic Will Never Work

I have a garden at home.  I planted three kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and a blueberry bush.  A few days ago I noticed that something was eating the plants.  After a little investigation, I found a hedgehog in the garden.  He was coming in through my fence.  The fence opening was a ltittle to big for his little body.  So to correct this, I put in a new fence.  Only to find he was able to dig under and STILL get in. 

My response to his tenaciousness was to implement a number of defensive tactics.  I added another set of fencing in the dirt to prevent burrowing.  I added stone to make burrowing difficult.  I left the wire ties exposed to make nosing around the garden distracting.  I put down Blood Meal, a natural deterrent to critters like hedgehogs and I secured the fence to make the actual fence less flexible.  The result...no more hedgehogs. 

How does this relate to marketing?  Most people try one tactic at a time and are usually disappointed when it doesn't work.  If you just have a new website, you won't get more clients.  If you just send out email, it won't be enough.  If you do one advertisement, don't expect a ton of leads.  You have to do a lot of tactics at the same time to get the kind of results you are looking for.  You have to run them over a long enough time period to get results.  One plus one equals three in marketing.  Just like my garden defenses, you have to put them all into play at once to be effective. 

If you want to learn more about this idea...visit this page that talks about a Marketing Machine and how it helps businesses get leads.

Square 2 Marketing - Leading The Reality Marketing Revolution!

Service Innovations Are Marketing

So...every hear of Essurance?  Maybe not, but you have heard of All State, State Farm, Prudential, even Geico right?  Well, those firms paid big money for you to know them.  Not be a customer, just know them.  Anything special about these big name firms?  Of course not.  Anything special about Essurance?  No?  Guess again! 

Check this out.  Essurance TV Commercial, click here.

Now you get daily email updates with pictures of your car while they are working on it.  Anyone interested in that?  Daily updates on the progress of the service!  WOW!  What a great idea.  Anyone sick of calling to see if their car is ready?  No more calls! 

Finally, a company how understands the pains its customers go through every single day and they found a proactive way to solve our pains.  If they can do this...they can handle my insurance needs any day.

if only there website was as good as their new ad campaign.  Go visit Essurance right here!

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!

Marketing is about the product...not the Advertising

Most people think marketing is about advertising...getting your name out there.  In reality and especially in Reality Marketing, marketing is about making your product so special everyone wants one.  Here is a great example. 

Off recently launched a personal mosquito repellent product that is remarkable.  Take a look.  Along with a coupon, advertised via TV for a free refill.  I of course, signed up and will be test driving the product later today. 

This actually got me thinking about the effectiveness of advertising.  The boys over at OFF! will be tracking the results of their TV campaign and when the product sales come in will likely take credit for the sales.  But, as we have discussed, it really had nothing to do with the ad and more about the remarkable nature of the actual product. 

So, my question is...how effective is advertising?  What if I tracked all the ads I saw in a single month and whether ANY of them actually impacted my purchase behavior.  That would mean also tacking all my personal purchases for the same time frame and matching up the ads with the purchases.

We could look at the type of ad, TV, magazine, billboard, roadside sign, banner ad, email campaign, etc.  We could even try to come up with the impression cost for each of the ads I saw.  It might be a very interesting project and one I could blog about daily.  Any thoughts?  Let me know.  I am thinking about starting in July.

Square 2 Marketing - Leading the Reality Marketing Revolution!