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This is the first  in a new series I’m calling “Marketing Sabotage.” It’s inspired by an experience I just had with a web service company — one that has some of the very best marketing I’ve seen. But, they probably won’t get my business. Point being that great marketing will get a prospect knocking at your door, but what happens after that will make or break whether that prospect becomes a customer.

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The past decade saw a seismic shift in marketing communications as blogs, podcasts, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter led the media evolution. It’s an exciting time. Yet, with this cool evolution the focus on a clear, compelling company or product message has often been devalued. In many cases the over-reliance on media and technology has shifted the focus away from the resolving the key (and usually tough) marketing issues necessary for growing a successful business.

The most successful companies and organizations (Apple, Google, Team Obama, etc) work with top, independent marketing firms and experts to help them develop and maintain a strong brand message realizing that the media and technology is only a tool to help them get their message out.

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It’s Not about having a Great Product or Service.

It’s about having a great product or service and repeatedly convincing many people that you do. How you do that depends on your particular product or service, your target, your specific marketing goal, and your budget. It also depends on how visible, likable, informative, engaging, creative, memorable, and smart your message is.

Examples
Results

The past decade saw a seismic shift in marketing communications as blogs, podcasts,  online video, and other forms of Social Media led the media evolution. It’s an exciting time. And yet, with this evolution, the focus on “message” has, too often, been lost. In many cases, the over-reliance on new media and technology, has sacrificed the focus on development of a compelling, creatively engaging, message.

The most successful companies and organizations (Apple, Google, Team Obama, etc) work with marketing experts to help them develop and maintain a strong brand message realizing that the media and technology is only a tool — a tool to help them get their important message out.

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Tis better to risk ruffling feathers than risk being ignored.

If your advertising/marketing doesn’t grab attention, and possibly even ruffle some feathers, it may not be that good. Because, as everyone knows, about 90% of people are numb to about 90% of ads. And, if your message gets overlooked you’ve just wasted your time and money. Not that an ad has to be controversial to be effective, but, those that are — if also truthful, on strategy, and highly creative — often generate the best results. Like these:

Controversy: The minister initially rejected it believing that it would offend some church members. But he also understood and appreciated what we were trying to do. When the ad finally ran, many conservative church members were offended.

Results: Younger, non-church members (the main target audience) loved it and the provocative campaign helped increase membership over 30% by the 2nd year. It also got positive press in The New York Times. The minister later informed us that many people told him that, of all the ads, this was their favorite — and the most memorable. The campaign is featured in Prentice-Hall’s Principles of Marketing and this Fall marks the 11th consecutive year of the nationally recognized campaign.

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Controversy: Daffy’s Off-Price retail message is that you’re crazy to pay retail. Yet, some hated this ad so much they actually picketed in the streets. The Alliance for the Mentally Ill insisted that the ad was very offensive.

Results: Major press in The New York Times, etc which fueled sales and helped add to a 25% dollar volume increase. Clearly, many others disagreed with The Alliance. (See other Daffy’s ads)

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Controversy: Picking on Smuckers Jam is like picking on Mom and apple pie. Yet, to make our point we believed we had to do it. Fortunately, our savvy client agreed eventhough he knew that Smuckers might try to sue his pants off.

Results: A 90% sales increase the first month, a featured article in Forbes, and no lawsuit. Because what we said was true. In fact, the results were so dramatic that our client doubled his media spending the following month and the campaign went on to become a case study taught at Harvard Business School.

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Controversy: Our original client rejected the ad fearing negative feedback. So, we found another client — one who believed in the message enough to run it and stand behind it.

Results: A month after the print ad ran we got a request from the client for 1000 posters because so many schools, social workers and protective care agencies were requesting copies of it. Our agency later received the first ever United Nations Humanitarian Award for an ad.

To view some of our less controversial work, visit:
http://www.follisinc.com/theads.htm

Hear John Follis talk about the campaigns that built his award-winning ad agency and explain why most small business owners need therapy.

Listen to the podcast that lets you hear how other business owners solve their tough marketing problems.

http://themarketingshow.net

You’re bound to read plenty of articles about how to succeed this year. Some undoubtedly have great tips, but just as many have uninspired, absurdly upbeat ideas that you’ve read a hundred other times. So, I thought I’d mix it up a little with a primer on how to shoot yourself in the foot, create your own problems, and just plain screw up this year.

No, I don’t want you to follow my advice, but these not so gentle reminders will help you avoid some of the most common ways that so many of us fail. Enjoy! (more…)