Garner Consulting, LLC

This Advertising Age article introduces a new book: What Sticks

This shouldn't be a surprise, but it is now backed up by research into $1 billion of ad spending--there is proof that at least 37% of all advertising is wasted. Some key article quotes:

"may well be the most important advertising research since the 'How Advertising Works' study of the early 1990s"

(at least the authors' "free" PR seems to be working nicely.)

"'I spent the first decade of my career as an agency media guy,' Mr. Stuart [one of the authors] said in an interview. 'I felt like a charlatan the entire time. ... I knew in my heart of hearts that we collectively, not just Greg Stuart, did not know what we were doing in spending clients' money.'"

"They reveal how frequently marketers disregard research when it doesn't jibe with their own opinions -- or seek out research that does."

"The authors cite fear of failure -- and firing -- as possibly the biggest problem for marketers seeking to improve ROI."

"The core of the book is a description of and entreaty for a "commercial optimization process" covering messaging strategy, creative and media planning -- a sort of Six Sigma for marketing."

The book hasn't been released yet, but looks to be one that should be at the top of my list.

 

"the more simple any thing is, the less liable it is to be disordered, and the easier repaired when disordered..."

Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776 

Thomas Friedman, in his book The World is Flat, has several quotes from his sources concerning where they were or what they were doing when they realized that the world is flat. I don't have a specific 'aha' moment like they did, but this last weekend was a reinforcement for me.

After meeting with a company in Pennsylvania on Thursday last week, I found myself in "flight-cancelled hell" in the Newark, NJ airport. Two days of cancellations and 36 hours of playing Terminal man later (I did have short respite in a nearby hotel one of the nights...I have never been so glad to get from an airport to a hotel) I knew I had experienced our flat world.

Without exaggeration, my time spent in security lines, lines to customer service, searching for an open power outlet, searching for a more comfortable/quiet spot on the floor to lie down, was seasoned with a disproportionate amount of time hearing languages other than English. If I were to also discount the English I heard with heavy accents (and I don't mean the Jersey version), I would place my total audible-English time at about 20%.

Spanish, French, Italian, German, some form of African, Hindi, and some others I couldn't place, seemed to be all around me all the time. I began to feel like a prejudiced mid-westerner and just wanted to get back to good 'ole Kansas. Of course, then I heard some folks in a line talking about the mid-west (in a language I could understand) and one of them said he always considered the mid-west to be the "Big 10" schools. (sigh) So I guess that does make Kansas not only "fly-over" country, but no-man's land somewhere between the mid-west, the west, the Rockies, or somewhere else.

Do I also need to mention the talk-show guys slamming "red states" on the radio? One of them said something about red-states and hicks and how it is all our fault that prostitution isn't legal...which doesn't make sense to him because he believes that it is more "moral" than jay-walking...Oh, but wait. I was talking about the flat world, not about the end of civilization--which at least a couple of "blue-stater's" would like to accelerate.

So I'll take my home where the buffalo roam...and the deer and the antelope play (and the rabbits...lots of rabbits). And, I'll also enjoy my Hindu-Indian neighbors across the street and anyone else who can enjoy the freedom of America while expanding the opportunities in this flat world. And reducing the vices. And if this flat world can keep me away from...well...all of those folks who think exploitation is fun and cool (my wife encouraged me to tone this section down a tad), all the better.

Jump Start Your Marketing Brain - 3, pp. 42-43

(See Jump Start Your Marketing Brain - 1 Intro)

The research cited in this section revealed that innovation efforts focused on and anticipating future needs of customers was 10 times more likely to result in successful innovation versus competitors. Being overly concerned with customer satisfaction (looking backward) hampers development.

In many ways this reveals the essence of an entrepreneurial company. Dare to consider a product innovation as the only, best idea you have in order to "make it." Try to create the mindset that there is no back-up plan, you have no existing customer base, and you need a killer product to keep the company going (of course, that might already be true). Take the knowledge you have of the market and "think forward," trying to anticipate what your customers are going to need next.

Serve them, don't "milk them" for all they are worth.

--

Buy Doug's book. 

"The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. And who is any better off?"

Ecclesiastes 6:11 from "The Message" paraphrase version of the Bible.

So, don't smoke...it'll kill your message and frustrate your market.

Grab 'em in less than 3 seconds. 

Jump Start Your Marketing Brain - 2, pp. 40-41

(See Jump Start Your Marketing Brain - 1 Intro)

Essentially, a study found that innovations that created new markets generated "9.6 times more profit" than what can be considered "safe" offerings: line extensions to existing products, slight modifications to existing brands, tweaking something for a different distribution channel. Of course, there is more to this, but it seems to hold that focusing on bold innovations will yield better overall results.

Another note on the structure of the book, the scientific study results are presented on two facing pages. One is "Scientific Advice" and the other is "Practical Ideas." This format is great for taking bite size chunks of rich information--and actually having a chance at making it actionable rather than merely academic.

Since radical innovation is the driving force for new revenue and profit, our product development efforts should be oriented toward this. However, we must also realize that completely new markets can require the education of new customers. This means a somewhat longer process will be required to reach a critical mass of acceptance.

As for practical ideas, Doug suggests staying away from focus groups--also the danger in focusing too heavily on "Voice of the Customer" efforts. There is a difference between knowing your customers and having them dictate what products you should be producing. You should know them, know their challenges, and know their customers or obligations. By increasing your empathy, you can better apply your company's core capabilities and come up with break-through products and services that your customers would have never thought of.

This is the first of a series of discussions related to Doug Hall's Jump Start Your Marketing Brain book. Of all the books and subsequent marketing implementations I've been involved with, this book could very well be the most valuable.

My intention is to reference specific sections of the book and give a few of my own comments. If you want to truly follow along, pick up a copy of the book here.

 

Meaningful Marketing

I had contemplated working on my own book (and I still have a few ideas rolling around in my brain for a few more) related to what I was calling "value marketing" and other related tags. Doug trumped me with his term "meaningful marketing" vs. "mindless marketing" and had a ton of research to back up his thesis. This is where everything begins.

There is far more value in getting away from "tricking" people into being interested in your product or service. For far too long, the advertising world has been slipping toward "cute and clever" vs. communicating the real message that a company, product, or service actually conveys. A statistic I've seen in several places suggests that Americans, on average, are bombarded with upwards of 3000 advertising messages per day.

This is obscene. And the only way to actually have a chance of getting your message across is to be honest, real, and overt with your message. People are tired of being tricked and over-hyped. They doubt everything. They believe nothing. And their attention spans are shorter than ever.

If you can't arrest their brains in less than 3 seconds, they're gone...and on to the next thing. However, trickery or "punch the monkey's" also make them angry, so you have to give them real, credible value inside of that 3 seconds. This is the marketing challenge of our current market climate. (And, as an aside, I actually worked for a company descended from the original punch-the-monkey / Treeloot infamy for a time.)

Doug's organizing principles revolve around 3 "laws" he outlines on pages 97-101:

1. Overt Benefit - What's in it for me?
2. Real Reason to Believe - Why should I believe you?
3. Dramatic Difference - Why should I care?

These are the most important factors he discovered through the work of his Eureka Ranch. It is the foundation for understanding his M.O. for the rest of the book.
 

The following is a quote excerpted from the book Getting Real from 37signals.

-- 

Be An Executioner
It’s so funny when I hear people being so protective of ideas. (People who want
me to sign an nda to tell me the simplest idea.)
To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier.
Execution is worth millions.
Explanation:
Awful idea = -1
Weak idea = 1
So-so idea = 5
Good idea = 10
Great idea = 15
Brilliant idea = 20
No execution = $1
Weak execution = $1000
So-so execution = $10,000
Good execution = $100,000
Great execution = $1,000,000
Brilliant execution = $10,000,000
To make a business, you need to multiply the two.
The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20. The most brilliant idea
takes great execution to be worth $20,000,000.
That’s why I don’t want to hear people’s ideas. I’m not interested until I see
their execution.
-Derek Sivers, president and programmer, CD Baby and HostBaby

-- 

Well put 

Tracking information about this self-publishing company and service. Seems to be picking up alot of buzz.

Creative commons interview - http://creativecommons.org/text/lulu 

www.lulu.com 

Getting Real

A PDF-only book on developing a web application. However, it is much more about rapid product development philosophies. Very good.

Written in a style that reinforces the message of the book--direct, simple, with no fluff or vagueries. Also includes a good dose of attitude. 

• The World is Flat - Thomas Friedman
• Jump Start Your Marketing Brain - Doug Hall
• Visual Explanations - Edward Tufte
• Getting Real - 37signals