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The three invisible contributions of Steve Jobs

Seldom does an era come to an end so clearly as with Steve Jobs’s resignation as Apple’s CEO. His life’s work changed more than the fortunes of one California fruit company. He also showed us all how to infuse a brand with magnetic power through his three invisible contributions.

As a business decision-maker, how could you not be a fan of Steve Jobs? He launched the personal computer revolution, gave us the graphic interface and mouse now taken for granted. His iPod changed how we listen to music and the industry that creates it. The iPhone redefined the very idea of a smart phone. And then, he changed how we interact with information to begin the post-pc era with the iPad.

Along the way, one thing remained unaltered, undiluted, and undeterred.Continue Reading


Be Aware
Observe and absorb the market you operate in

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American beer made by a Belgian-owned company run by Brazilians. That’s Budweiser. Since 1876, it was American as hot dogs and pick-up trucks. Then, in 2008, InBev bought Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion. How did proud American beer drinkers react? They didn’t.

Anheuser-Busch maintains its commanding 47.3% market share.  “Consumers drink beer, they don’t obsess over ownership,” says Beer Historian, Maureen Ogle. Even so, the new owners aren’t taking chances.

By literally wrapping Budweiser in the American flag and raising money for veterans, InBev is making it possible for consumers to accept Bud is still part of the American story.  This awareness of the brand’s invaluable American roots is one reason it remains king of beers.

So, what’s all this beer talk mean to you? Consider your customers’ emotional connections with your brand. How does your marketing reinforce them? Are you aware? It’s one of The Ten BE’s of Better Branding.

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Be reliable
Do what you say as you say every time

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It seems a little thing on the surface. After ringing up your purchase at My Fit Foods, the person behind the counter carries your purchase to the door, many times even to the car. It’s surprising because it’s a level of service you don’t expect. That’s customer delight.

In this age of self-serve everything, encountering service once taken for granted is delightful. What’s equally remarkable is the consistency of this customer experience at every My Fit Foods location I’ve visited. “It’s something we’re known for,” says Store Manager Jason Smith.

Advertising brings in prospects. Service creates customers. Customer delight builds loyalty. Does your team reliably delight customers? That’s why reliability is one The Ten BE’s of Better Branding.

Does having a split brand personality pay?

Marketing success demands branding focus: the more focused your brand personality, the more effective your marketing. Then again, one flavor appeals to one segment. What if you want to aim your brand at multiple markets. Old Spice has that challenge and solves it by having a split brand personality.

Hacking away fragmented branding elements to zero in on one core message is a fundamental early step in building a marketing strategy. Being one thing consistently is pretty basic stuff. Doing that alone will net results. Doing it and successfully reaching multiple markets is tricky.

I’m on a horse

Actor Isaiah Mustafa’s Old Spice body wash ads are the stuff of legend. Ask anyone about seeing the guy saying, “I’m on a horse,” and they know ad what you’re talking about.  It’s especially good because people remember what was advertised. We’ll talk more about that another time.

Old Spice chose to target women because women buy body wash for men. It’s a 180-degrees opposite angle of approach than the conventional it’s soap for men, market to men approach used by others in the category. It was a huge success by every measure. Almost.

Men buy soap too

Fragmenting markets have taken the mass out media. More channels, remote controls, and DVR’s have freed people to shape their viewing experiences. The net result: huge audiences have become rare. There’s more viewing, but it’s more spread out. That’s actually good news. It makes segmenting markets easier.

That’s exactly what Old Spice has done. While the Mustafa ads are reaching women, there’s an entirely different campaign reaching out to young men in terms they can understand. Here’s an example:

Chances of the women who like “I’m on a horse,” seeing these ads is small. It’s partially because of placement. It’s also a matter of viral connectedness.

Paid impressions on both these campaigns pales in comparison to the earned impressions. That is, the number of people who’s seen it because a friend has sent them a link, or prompted a search to see them.

Not really so split after all

Take a minute. Watch both ads. Listen to what they’re selling. They speak the same truth using different languages. Both ads deliver the same message, but each speaks to different customers in their respective language; different words, same message.

While focus still determines success, delivering the message sometimes requires different routes. That’s what Old Spice has done. You can do it too. Here’s how:

  • Define your core message: Speak it in seven to ten words max. What is it people buy from you? (Hint: it’s what they buy, NOT what you sell.)
  • Segment the target customers: Determine where different customer groups don’t overlap. Mature homeowners and first-time home buyers are different customers. Both have similar needs, but express them differently.
  • Identify each segment’s terms of satisfaction: What matters most about your core message to each segment. Using the homeowner example: mature homeowners may want fast service while first-timers may value trust more.
  • Speak your core message in each one’s terms: Think about how each segment speaks. What do they say when they call? Frame your message in their words.

It’s a matter of choosing appropriate angles of approach to the same destination.  Once you undestand angle of approach, you can not only segment markets, but you can sell the unsalable. I’ll show you how that’s being done right now in my next post.

Remember when?

In the meantime, enjoy this spicy-scented blast from Old Spice’s marketing past.

Yeah, those were the days.

[Originally published on 9 September 2010]


Grooveyard of posts past