CharlieMoger.com

Your smarts shows in how you use a day

No two people spend a day the same way. It turns out, however, that there are striking similarities in how people in various lifestyles use theirs.

The New York Times recently published an interactive graph displaying data from the American Time Use Survey. Some of the patterns may seem obvious, but it’s striking to see the difference education makes on working hours, time spent in leisure, eating and activities such as housework.

The annual survey asks thousands of people to recall every minute of every day. Their accounts, displayed on an hourly basis in the chart, are food for thought when crafting personas or seeking an understanding of your customers’ lifestyles. It’s helpful, as Futurethink says, to consider “they spend their time and what, on average, they’re doing at a particular time during the day.”

Starcrossed camera love gets a bad cross-brand rap

I am a flexible fella. But, there are some lines I can’t cross: Nikon vs Canon. This photo geek grudge runs deep. He may be a Canon Gangsta, but I’m a Nikon Ninja. Of course, there is one thing that could be worse. To find out, you’ll have to watch the video.

Does your magnetism work both ways?

When did one of your ads last generate a complaint call? If it’s been longer than you can remember, you’re ads are probably bla-bla vanilla and couldn’t move my Maltese off his pillow.

Tough love time, friend.

Effective ads carry a magnetic charge. They attract customers you want. They also repel unwanted customers. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, the better you repel, the better you’ll attract. It’s the nature of magnetism: you only attract to the degree which you repel.

“The Universal Law of Magnetic Attraction states that we attract into our lives people, things and circumstances that correspond with our dominant patterns of emotional thinking”

The opposite is equally true: we repel that which conflicts with our emotional thinking. When an ad conflicts with your patterns, it get a reaction. Burger King ran ads with a rapping SpongeBob that torqued off minivan moms coast-to-coast. Sales went up. They weren’t talking to those moms.

Magnetism generates a choice

Life is a lot of little choices. Yes or no. Now or later. True or baloney. Your ad is just another one of many your customer will make in a day. We want to be with people we like who are like us and like us. A good ad makes that case. Unfortunately, weak-kneed ad writers stop at good. It’s not enough.

Magnetically charged ads make sure those who aren’t “like us” know they won’t like it here. Drawing a repelling distinction reinforces your positive charge with the customers you want to attract. Remember: show-don’t-tell. Being heavy-handed or tangibly overt with the negative charge can turn off even your loyal customers.

Example: How many clock-punching paycheck players will respond to this recruiting video?

Not your cup of tea?

Good. Go find coffee.

People like to be part of the in-crowd. So, create an out-crowd. Perrigo doesn’t want everyone. They want a specific culture. Likewise, aren’t there some customers you’d prefer inflicting on a competitor?

Spotting magnetism

When an idea produces a visceral reaction, you’ve found the pulse. Follow it to the heart of what speaks your essence clearly, specifically to your customer’s felt need. Don’t be surprised when the idea turns off about a third of the people with whom you share it. Powerful ideas have a way of doing that.

Focus on attraction

The first purpose of your ad is to attract. Keep that focus. Be bold with it. When your message communicates clearly and specifically, the rest will take care of itself. When you’re bold enough to say who you are, you’re making a choice that buys credibility with both those you attract and repel.

A client told me he wanted to put up a sign that said, “no wine snobs allowed.” Instead, we created a culture that communicated it. The wine snobs drink and opine elsewhere.

Note: Choosing to communicate reputation and prestige is one of six ways you can buy credibility. Learn more. Read my partner Tom Wanek’s new book, “Currencies that buy Credibility.” It’s a great read. Check it out at Amazon.

[Originally published on 17 November 2009]

Dentists, vasectomies, guns, and shark attacks: leading business indicators

John Gerzema, Chief Insights Officer for marketing giant Young & Rubicam, says there’s an upside to the recent financial crisis — the opportunity for positive change. His talk rings in the same key as Roy H. Williams’ swinging pendulum of societal evolution.

Same market, different stories

I recently met back-to-back with two clients. Client A, spoke of hanging on, weathering the storm, hoping the market will come back soon. Client B told me his business is up 20% in 2009–and increase over a record setting 2008. Similar categories. Same market. Different outcomes.

Client A is waiting out bad times, waiting for the market to come back, playing it careful. Client B says, “my competitors have cut back and are laying low. I’ve doubled my budgets because this presents an opportunity to go get their customers.”

It’s more than the spend, though. It’s HOW he’s speaking to them. His message speaks of value with a straight-forward presentation. He’s using widely available resources in a transparent way that’s building trust. His is a message of quiet confidence. He gets it–and customers can tell.

Dentists, vasectomies, guns and shark attacks are not obvious positive indicators–unless you’re listening for the sound of opportunity. The market today, more than ever, what you’re willing to make of it. Let’s talk about it.