ADvice
Here's our two cents in marketing. Of course,
we write it in the hope that you'll find it more
valuable than that. Like 10 or even 20 dollars'
worth of good advice.
Good Business Advice I Learned from a Bad Movie
I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic starring Isla Fisher yesterday. Hold back your groans. Admittedly, it was one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time (surprise!), and I’ve seen Battlefield Earth, so that’s saying a lot.
But here’s the thing: it wasn’t for lack of trying. No one sets out to make a bad movie, just like no sets out to create a failed business. Somewhere along the way of building each, a few crucial ideas are forgotten:
- Focus. If you’re trying to be all things to all people, you’re going to be nothing at all. Confessions couldn’t figure out if it was a buddy movie, a romantic comedy or slapstick. It had about 10 different storylines going on, and very few of them interesting. Figure out who you are, your brand message and what differentiates you, and stick to it.
- Know your audience. Theoretically, the world is your audience, but it’s impossible to appeal to everyone. Who would actually buy your product or service? Fisher was behaving like she was 20, courting a romance meant for someone in her 30s, but the humor was catered to teenagers, so nothing worked. Figure out your audience before you try to talk to them if you want to be effective.
- Be consistent. You have to be dependable. I shudder to admit this—I may have smiled at a joke or two during Confessions. But it happened every 45 minutes. Your audience has to know what to expect from you, so make sure they can count on you or they will invariably leave disappointed.
- Don’t squander your talent. To assemble a team of crackerjack talent isn’t enough—give them work that makes use of their assets, or else it’s all flash and no substance. Kristin Scott Thomas, Joan Cusack, John Lithgow—even the famed Lynn Redgrave as an unbilled “Drunk Lady at Party” (who did she owe a favor to?!)—were all in the movie. That’s a pretty impressive supporting cast, and it didn’t matter a lick because they weren’t remotely doing what they do best.
So, the time I spent watching Confessions wasn’t a complete loss. I did learn a thing or two about business. Now if someone would just repay me the $3 rental fee, I’d be a happy camper.
GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE
In this new age of widgets and social media, it’s easy to forget one of the simplest and most valuable forms of marketing out there. Put your company name everywhere… on everything.
Example: On my birthday every year, I buy a frivolous item that I can’t afford. Call it the triumph of instant gratification over financial savvy.
This year’s purchase was a Blu-ray DVD player. Not just any old Blu-ray—this state-of-the-art beauty streams hi-definition Netflix AND Pandora right into my TV. I know, right?! I call it The Magic Box. Even more brilliant than the technology is a simple inclusion—there’s a sticker smack-dab on the front panel that promotes it.
Why did they do that? I know Pandora and Netflix are included. I’m very proud of the fact that Pandora and Netflix are included. I bought the DVD specifically because Pandora and Netflix are included.
But—my friends don’t know. They come over, see the tag and ask, "What’s that mean?" Then I can’t help it; I become a walking, talking, wildly gesticulating spokesperson for all companies concerned.
“What does that mean?!?” I say. “It means that with my new Magic Box and Netflix membership, I have a video library of about 12,000 DVDs at my disposal in high-def 42” glory instead of teeny-tiny 17” fun. It means that each day I discover hot new bands and rediscover old ones. It means my floor rumbles when I use this thing. It means happiness the likes of which I’ve never known and am not likely to see again!”
Then they become fans (you know—the old kind of fans, before Facebook redefined the term). Then they go out and buy the thing and become unpaid spokespeople for the companies. All of this word-of-mouth advertising—all of these fanatics—from a simple sticker placed on the front panel of a Blu-ray DVD player.
Continue to use social media; it’s so powerful and so prevalent, it would be foolish not to. But don’t forget the basics like getting your name out there. It may be old-fashioned marketing, but it’s still alive & kicking.
Just like the Scottish rock band Simple Minds, back in 1985 on their Once Upon a Time album. I told you it was a Magic Box.
What was the last thing you put your company name on? Was it magic?
THESE ARE THE DAYS
Every day, it feels like WCG is doing something better than we did the day before.
We’ve been looking forward to this time from the first day we opened. Back then, the client list was small, the foosball table sat center stage, and any one of us would’ve gone a few rounds of Fight Night with you if you dared doubt our boxing skills.
Yet in the years since, something wonderful happened—we got hired to do the savvy marketing work we knew we were capable of doing. We used our diverse talent pool, took our message of delivering integrated communications solutions to an integrated world, and the people dug it. We came up with creative ideas and delivered quality products. Our client list grew, along with our employee list and our reputation.
So of course we outgrew our old website and just relaunched with a snazzy new design that fits us just right. Downtime? We don't know the meaning of the word anymore. We’re filling those (now billable) hours with the social media we’re always preaching about. Our YouTube channel is up and running, we’re building up a fan base on Facebook that will one day rival Ashton Kutcher’s (one can dream), and we’re tweeting up a storm.
Well, maybe it’s more like a sprinkle right now. But there’s a rumble of thunder in the distance, and we feel the rain coming in our left shoulder (or maybe that’s just bursitis). Regardless, we’re excited about what we’ve accomplished, we’re eager to do more, and we have all the right tools for the job!
Today, if you walked into West Cary Group, you'd find the foosball table stuffed in the storage room, CNN on the TV and soft jazz on the radio. If you threw down the Fight Night gauntlet, we’d call you crazy without ever taking our eyes off the computer screen—you’d do better to give us a marketing challenge.
What can we say? Things change. Those were the good old days. These are the good new days. And we’re getting ready for a lot more. So look for our upcoming blogs. It’s just one more way we’re dedicated to getting better every day.