Poetic Purpose

A blessing of social media is the plethora of information so rapidly available at our fingertips.

A curse of social media is the plethora of information so rapidly available at our fingertips.

This voluminous amount of data all too often overwhelms our capacity to digest it all.  Sadly, we are so inundated with information, of which arguably 80% is useless, we easily forget the 20% that is truly awe inspiring. Content which awakes our consciousness, elevating us to a higher plane of thought, learning, and if we are lucky, application.

As luck would have it, I was fortunate this morning when a truly captivating work of art from October 2010 reappeared on my twitter feed – Dark Side of the Lens: A Poetic Short Film by Surf Photographer Mickey Smith.

It’s easy to get lost in the opening moments as the film bounces from one beautiful scene to the next.  For me, Bruce Lee’s Be Water quote came to the forefront of my mind.

As the title suggests, however, Mickey Smith’s film is just as described, poetic.  You will find yourself playing it over again, not to watch, but to listen, as the words are haunting.  Smith takes us on an elegiac journey stirring the mind into a retrospective review of one’s own life and whether the dogma which embroils us is truly the life we want, or if there is an inescapable calling for which our heart truly yearns to achieve.

My favorite passage is when Smith recites:

If I only scrape a living, at least it’s a living where I’m scraping.

If there’s no future in it, this is a present worth remembering.

Growing up on the Oregon coast as a young child, even though only for couple years, created an indelible love for the beauty and sheer force of this environment where the land and sea meet.  From Haystack Rock to Bandon Dunes to El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, it’s an unquenchable thirst. I can only dream of the places that Smith has experienced firsthand.

If we are lucky, we will write our own poetic film which embodies the life we want to live.

“Be water, my friend.” Be Water!

From P’s to A’s

Remember when marketing was all about the four P’s:

1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion

Do you still think marketing is all about these same four P’s?

No matter your answer, I highly encourage you to read today’s post from Valerie Levin, The 4 “A”s of Marketing: What Every Marketing Leader Should Know.  Levin’s article is a synopsis of earlier works and articulately lays out the foundation for the new marketing landscape, the four A’s:

1. Acument
2. Agility
3. Alignment
4. Accountability

The four key themes summarized by Levin serve as the new framework for developing your marketing attack.   By no means is Levin, nor I for that matter, suggesting that the original four principles are now extinct, although some would argue otherwise.  These elements still play a significant role.

My takeaway is that along with the four A’s, all of these eight elements should be combined and addressed at the onset when developing your marketing plan.  The bigger challenge is how to combine all these elements into a single planning template.

To fully absorb these new concepts, it is important that you read the related articles cited within the article are also well worth reading, especially the piece by Sandra Zoratti from October 2015 – Building A Modern Marketing Organization – A CMO Solution Guide Via The CMO Club In Partnership With Oracle.  This guide is a deep dive into the aforementioned elements and is sure to enhance future marketing efforts.

 

Feature image courtesy of: http://www.derekodwyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/marketing-plan.jpg

Checklist For Branding Framework

In early 2000, while completing my Master’s degree in Public Administration: Health Administration, one the programs esteemed faculty introduced me to the works of a surgeon and noted contributor to The New Yorker, Atul Gawande, MD, MPH.

Needless to say that no different than most anyone else who has read Dr. Gawande’s work, I instantly became a fan and avid follower.  Much like waiting for a new album from Pearl Jam, I was quick to read and digest any new material from Dr. Gawande.  His works largely served to further my education and philosophical approach towards the concepts of medicine and health in our society.  Then in December 2007 The New Yorker published two significant works from Dr. Gawande – The Checklist: If something so simple can transform intensive care, what else can it do?, followed by an Op-Ed piece A Lifesaving Checklist.

Ultimately these works would manifest themselves in a more comprehensive fashion in Dr. Gawande’s 2009 release – The Checklist Manifesto, a book which deservedly became a bestseller on every major booklist.  The allure was the manner in which Dr. Gawande illustrated the impact of a very practical yet simple tool that was available to each and every one of us, a checklist.  Dr. Gawande’s examples from several different industries were transcendent and changed the behavior of millions of professionals worldwide, including my own.

Ever since, I am continually on the lookout for lists or diagrams which can easily be modified and applied to the whirlwind of activities we encounter in business on a daily basis.

As such, I was excited to come across an article on Forbes.com from Blake Morgan.  Morgan is a noted contributor to Forbes and other leading business sites, renown for her articulate viewpoints on the customer experience and social content.

First and foremost, Morgan’s piece The Purpose of a Brand Framework, is must read as it articulates the evolving role of brand management in today’s rapidly changing business climate.   I also enjoyed the viewpoints she incorporates from Nova Spivack, CEO of Bottlenose and grandson to Peter Drucker.  Morgan and Spivak eloquently express how the modern brand has grown far beyond what most consider brand management to encompass.

Perhaps the most valuable nugget I am taking from this article is the associated diagram which should serve as a readily applicable checklist for every action an organization chooses to execute.  From the experienced executive to marketing intern, anyone should be able to sit down with this diagram and judge whether a company, in either its actions, content or product, is meeting the seven criteria spelled out by Morgan.

Here is a quick and easy test for you and your colleagues:

1. Select five works produced by your organization
   1. These can be products, social media posts, brochures, videos, mission and/or vision statements…best practice is one from each of these or other categories
   2. Identify five people who were not involved in the creation of these works so as to reduce bias…best case is five people from outside your organization
   3. Sit each of the five participants far apart and provide them with Morgan’s diagram…best practice is to schedule them at different times or place in separate rooms to reduce the risk of having their opinions shaped by other participants
   4. Have each participant review the respective works and cross check whether or not it meets Morgan’s criteria
   5. Finally, and most importantly, for each of their answers – ask them WHY!

Breaking Bad Marketing Habits

In response to yesterday’s post “When Marketing Advertises That It Doesn’t Care” an appreciative follower provided a link to an insightful article “Break These 10 Content Marketing Habits in 2016” by Amanda Hicken on ragan.com.

This article is an easy read which provides a concise list of habits which marketers might utilize to analyze their own content and make the requisite adjustments in 2016.

Hicken’s list of 10 behaviors to break in 2016, includes:

1. Stop serving only your brand
2. Stop marketing without a plan
3. Stop guessing who your audience is
4. Stop ignoring data
5. Stop boring your audience
6. Stop holding your content back
7. Stop ‘setting and forgetting’ your strategy
8. Stop playing it safe
9. Stop half-hearted attempts at making key connections
10. Stop turning down opportunities to learn

With competition for attention of consumers growing exponentially, this advice is something every marketer and company should follow.

When Marketing Advertises That It Doesn’t Care About Customers

It is always surprising when even the smallest of companies fail to understand Marketing 101 – that every touch point with past, present or potential future customers…written, spoken, or actions… either enhances or damages the brand.

So imagine my surprise when a company which continually markets itself as an innovative solutions provider blatantly violates this basic fundamental principle.  Especially when this company, Acumed, a supposed boutique provider of orthopaedic implants is entering its 28^th year of operation and posts annual revenues in the range of $225 million and net profits totaling more than $20 million.

Acumed’s poor effort should serve as a prime example for every marketing class worldwide whether its a high school class, college class or online continuing education course.

As I publish this post (January 11, 2016), the image below from Acumed’s  website illustrates the manner in which it advertises the company’s Surgeon Training events.  Notice that three of the four descriptions are simply a cut and paste of one another with the differentiation merely being to swap out a word or name here and there.

This may be excusable for a small business with limited resources, but a company with more than $225 million in annual revenues?

But it gets worse, or better from an education standpoint!

When you separate out the company’s participation in national and international tradeshows (see below) all 11 descriptions are the exact same with the exception of the respective professional association:

“Acumed recognizes and values the opportunity to support both large and small orthopaedic associations throughout the globe. We are proud to participate in (enter association here), where we will be highlighting our community inspired solutions.

Please visit our booth to engage with Acumed design engineers and discover how we blend ingenuity, experience, and resources to create solutions that advance the art and science of orthopaedics.”

Keep in mind, these are highly specialized groups of surgeon and administrators who went through a rigorous Fellowship targeting very specific indications and conditions.  Heaven forbid investing an hour of time (or five minutes per association) to research their websites and cull information tailored to their focus.

More importantly, what does this say about the marketing leadership of Acumed and the respect, or in this case lackthereof,  it affords its customers, both internal and external?

External:

• Surgeons: Why would you want to attend one of Acumed’s events?  Can you expect a quality experience when the company doesn’t invest time in the simplest of tasks?
• Professional Associations: Would you want to partner with this company to enhance your biggest event of the year?  Do you really trust they will provide added value?
• Government Agencies: If the company is ignoring such an integral step, then what other critical details are they skipping to promote the safe and effective use of their products?
• Patients: Would you buy a product from Apple if they cut and pasted the same description for the i-Pod, i-Pad and i-Watch? Would you want this company’s product implanted in you or a loved one?

Internal:

• Product Development: Who work painstaking hours to differentiate products through design. Is this innovation?
• Product Management: Road warriors logging countless miles and nights away from home. Yet marketing isn’t willing to spend a day to generate new content?
• Sales: Think the sales force feels comfortable directing surgeons to the website to consider investing time away from their office and family to attend an Acumed meeting?
• Other departments: Would you want to go the extra mile to help a department dedicated to pushing the easy button?

Think about all the other principles of marketing, content, SEO that we have yet to discuss?

In the end, this example may go down in the annals of marketing and business education as the best example of what NOT to do!

Click on this link to vote for who within Acumed should be held accountable?

• Vice-President Marketing
• Brand Manager
• Director of Education
• All of the above
• Other:

 

Star Wars VII Already Exceeded My Expectations

No matter what I see on screen tonight…Star Wars: The Force Awakens has already exceeded my expectations.

Yoda famously proclaimed, Do or do not, there is no try.

Disney, Jeffrey Abrams, they have chosen to Do! Many tried to spur George Lucas to move a new trilogy forward, and all failed.  Except Disney.

“There has been an awakening…have you felt it!”  With this spine tingling introduction to the new trilogy a force was awakened in most of us.  A chilling voice, yet elegantly inspiring in its foreshadowing of what we hope will be dreams long unfulfilled.  The fulfillment of watching a Star Wars in the true spirit of the original.  A vision tarnished by the likes of Jar Jar Binks.

Most importantly, it will provide a first for my family.  The opportunity for us to experience a Star Wars event for the first time together.  All the Star Wars movies, cartoons, comics…it’s all been experienced individually before being shared with one or more of the group.

And this is a movie! A Star Wars movie! With Han, Chewy, R2-D2!!!!

My Star Wars journey began in 1977 as a 6-year old boy in Bend Oregon.  For my first-grade birthday party, I got nothing but Star Wars action figures and a landspeeder from my classmates.  I vividly remember grocery shopping at Safeway with my mom and there were giant bins of action figures for .99 to 1.99 each. I had an arsenal which was built upon in future years with introductions of more movies.  Each addition presented the chance to delve more into the saga with my cousins Caleb and Jake, and now my two boys.

For my boys, each of their journeys began during their pre-school years.  My war chest of Star Wars toys has become theirs as well as half the guest room.  The sharp pain of a decapitated Darth Vader or one-legged first generation Luke Skywalker isn’t as bad these days.  It could be worse, I could own a Jar Jar Binks doll.

Now gray and grizzled like my hero Han Solo, tonight I go as a fan.  A fan with the hope and wonderment of my younger 6-year old self.  Even better, I will be going with two other boys.  Luckily my wife will be present to keep us three youngsters in check.

A force has been awakened. A new hope inspired.

Thank you George Lucas for letting go of something so dear.

Thank you Jeffrey Abrams for taking lead.

Thank you Disney for investing in dreams.