Over the last two months, I’m lucky to be working with two new businesses as Associate Brand Director (Brand Director for hire!)
Back in the day, when I had agencies, when chatting to potential new clients I’d ask myself (something like):
These days I ask myself (things like):
The work’s much better these days.
I think I mean ‘Manners in Marketing’. But I might just mean brands giving a shit. Or brands thinking about prospects and customers as individuals as opposed to (just) groups. Or maybe these three things – are the same thing. Hmmm.
I sometimes get asked to comment on, so I do comment on, articles on LinkedIn. Then, LinkedIn asks me to comment on the article I just commented on. Because as clever as the AI is, it doesn’t have the wherewithal (manners) to recognise I already did what it asked me to do.
I sometimes get invited to events I already signed up for. Because as important as the inviter says I am, they don’t take the time (or have the manners) to remove me from their automated comms once I hand over my money.
I often buy things online. The times I get a sincere, personalised, (well mannered) relationship-building thank you, maybe with a reward or incentive that feels genuinely special, is probably one time in ten.
(By ‘genuinely special’ I don’t mean ‘10% off your next order’. I mean, ‘We know you bought the cool socks. In red too (great choice). If you love them, and you think someone you love would love snug feet too, let us know. When you buy a pair for them, we’ll send you a pair – for free – as a thank you. No rush. Any time.’)
Even though it shouldn’t be, Manners in Marketing is an opportunity.
This is especially vivid when a brand is selling a few things, to a few people, for a high price point (low volume, high unit cost). Bad manners in marketing, in this scenario, is unforgivable. It denotes a really bad system, a lazy approach, and it’s really damaging for brand relationships. I’m talking about high end events, Limited Edition fashion, art, restaurants and similar.
And by the way, even though it should not be the case, all of this presents a real opportunity – for you. It’s a shame that just by having manners, giving a shit, and thinking about prospects and customers as individuals as opposed to (just) groups is an opportunity to differentiate.
But it is.
Using jargon and acronyms is powerful!
Here are just some of the amazing things that using jargon and acronyms can, and does, achieve:
1. Confusion. They won’t know what you’re on about.
2. Embarrassment. They won’t say they don’t know what you’re on about. They’ll just feel embarrassed.
3. Dislike. They’ll think you’re a nob.
4. Jargon creates rubbish ‘hide and seek’ players. It feels like you can hide behind jargon. You can’t. We can see you.
5. False assumptions. Jargon created false assumptions about what a group actually knows or recognises. Don’t do that.
6. Distance. Using jargon is a great way to create distance between you and other people. It makes people move away from you, not towards you.
Jargon. Powerful stuff!
I’m lucky enough to write copy for a handful of brands around the world.
It never starts with writing, though. Not with me as copywriter or ad writer. It always starts with pausing and thinking and investing.
This is because it’s impossible to write clearly and compellingly, if you don’t think clearly and compellingly.
So before we move into copywriting or any kind of communications – we get the thinking right. More specifically, we get the brand right.
This means (and this is the key bit…) honing the brand so it’s simple, differentiated, distinctive, memorable, compelling, motivating – and owned.*
(That’s my work as Brand Director, by the way. Getting all of that right. Before we write a thing).
By doing this ‘honing’ bit, we optimise the chances of being noticed, remembered and chosen.
And if you don’t do the honing bit – you’re just part of the noise.
So it’s pause, think and invest first. Then write.
*This is a seriously important and useful checklist, by the way. Not some arbitrary sentence.
Man goes to the Doctor and says, “Doctor, when I lift my right arm, it really hurts.”
Doctor says, “Well stop doing it then.”
Man goes to the Copywriter and says, “Mychael, when I start writing about myself, I write like someone I hardly even recognise!”
Mychael says, “Well stop doing it then.”
This weird, invisible transition from ‘me’ to ‘posh me’ or ‘professional me’ (whatever that means) when we start writing – is rife in business. It does two things:
So stop it.
Give me a shout if you want to talk about it.
I know it’s (weirdly) hard.
Whilst doing my Marketing MA (before dropping out after 11 months because the business I was running took over), two notable things happened.
First, I came precisely top of the year in the assignment about Brand Building and Marketing Strategy. How to position and sell. I focussed on the possible, not the probable, and I beat everyone.
Second, I came precisely bottom of the year in the assignment about Statistical Marketing. How to scope the market. I focussed on the possible, and got bored thinking about the probable (again), and everyone beat me.
Dave, the course leader had a one word comment.
“Weird.”
He said.
‘Thank you.”
Said I.
And left.
Anyhow, it’s this part of me – the guttural part of me – that, this week, led to me to answer this question,
“How can you build brand recognition without a large marketing budget?”
Like this:
“It’s more interesting (and valuable) unpacking this question, than it is (directly) answering it. Here goes:
1. It’s implied that you need (it’s better to have) a large marketing budget to better build brand recognition. Such notions breed crap, lazy marketers and crap, lazy marketing. A great idea, excited bravely beats widely communicated blend-in stuff, always.
2. I’ll add that you should look long and hard at what you’re looking to get ‘brand recognition’ for – before spending a penny. Is it just brand awareness? So they know you’re there. Or brand strength? So they know why you are different and better. If it’s the former – it’s not good enough.
Find and answer the questions behind the question – first.”
You see, the problem these days is not that marketers use AI. It’s much worse than that. The problems is that marketers are AI.
Most marketers are robots.
They don’t question questions. They tick the box. Or, worse, look to AI to tick the box for them.
The world of the probable is based on looking at the past.
That’s where all marketing robots live. Even the living breathing ones.
The world of the possible is based on looking at the future.
That’s what brave, driven, interesting businesses need.
And where brave, driven, interesting marketers look.
Choose which you are, or which kind of marketer you appoint.
Your future depends on it.
I was asked to think about how a brand’s social initiatives affect reputation.
Two points.
POINT 1.
Why are we in business at all? I think it should be for the greater good. I think the core business should undeniably ‘be good’. And I think the business should undeniably ‘do good’.
‘Being good’ is creating useful, quality things that last. Or delivering quality services that uplift and enhance lives.
‘Doing good’ is creating solid, well paid jobs. It is treating all people well. And its redistributing profit to effect positive ripples through communities and causes.
But (back to the question) doing this is not to chase reputation. It’s just because it’s the right thing to do. Reputations are built as a consequence of what we do. Reputation follows.
POINT 2.
The second point is an unfortunate truth. You need to remember the difference between motivation (your leading edge proposition) and gratification (trailing edge proposition) with your brand building and communication.
Great, differentiated, distinctive, desirable products and services is leading edge – this is why people buy. Lead with this. This is their motivation to buy from you.
The good you do (doing good) is trailing edge – this is consolidation. This is not the main reason people buy. It is the reason they feel good about having bought. Or it gets them over the buying line at the point of purchase. Or it gives (further) fuel to word of mouth. Don’t lead with this. This is the gratification they feel having bought from you.
If you get things the wrong way round, you’ll sell fewer things. As I say, it is an unfortunate truth.
Nonetheless – it is true.
“How can you use AI to optimise your media budget?” I was asked. Here’s what I said.
Well, if you have (say) 5 things on a list called ‘How To Optimise My Media Budget’ – make sure AI, if it is on the list at all, is at position 5. Beneath:
1. Do we own a unique and valuable brand position in the mind of the consumer?
2. Are our most important Strategic Marketing decisions sufficiently innovative that they really are the very best way for us to sell.
3. Is our creative and messaging distinctive enough. So they actually know it’s us.
4. Are the things at 1 to 3 aligned to the overall measurable objectives and ambition of the business.
Then, and only then, should you even be entertaining the idea of twatting about with AI.
Do the grown up work – first.
LinkedIn asked me what are some innovative strategies for creating new categories for your brand?
As a general rule, there’s only one. And it’s not that innovative.
First, don’t consider extending your brand into any new category until you are preeminent in the one you’re in now… ‘Here’.
Then, only pick a new category where the exact thing your brand is famous and valued for in the first category, resonates just as strongly in the new one… ‘There’.
That’s about it.
I wrote a short story in 2019, on my 50odd blog, about alcohol.
The story was a wry-smile. I talked about how alcohol cleverly wheedles its way into my life. Seducing. My words danced as they smilingly narrated my thoughts.
But here’s the thing…
Right now, in 2023, 1,200 stories in on the 50odd blog, the most affecting writing on the entire blog is not by me at all.
It’s by Mark.
Mark commented on my story about alcohol. You should read his comment. It takes seconds.
Because even though its hard to read. And even though I can smell and taste it as I read it. The comment showed me that my understanding of alcoholism was, and still is, zero.
And it also reminded me that the most powerful writing of all is raw, unguarded and real.
Mark’s comment is at the bottom of the page: https://www.50odd.co.uk/alcohol/.