Marketing Advice
Good Art is Not Subjective
Jackson Pollock's art is interesting, especially the more colorful pieces, but I've generally had a much harder time appreciating other abstract art. I found some rationale for my tastes (or lack thereof) in "Acquired Taste," in article by Gene Edward Veith in World Magazine (subscriber login required for full article, Feb 9/16, 2008 issue), where he explains "A work is beautiful to the extent that it displays at the same time both complexity and unity." Enjoying junk food or junk culture isn't bad once in a while, but developing taste in art (or music, or writing, or dance, etc.) does require discipline. "Growing in taste means learning to take pleasure in what is objectively good," Veith said. While classic thinkers spoke of three kinds of absolutes: the true, the good, and the beautiful, Veith clearly bases his definition of "good" on a Christian worldview. "The Bible tells us to set our minds on 'whatever' is 'excellent' and 'of good report' (Philippians 4:8)," he said. "To think that beauty is nothing more than a subjective preference—unconnected to standards that originate in God Himself—is to buy into a foundational principle of today's anti-Christian worldview." Regardless of worldview, a principle we can apply here is that making good judgments about art, copywriting or strategy is often less subjective than the novice (or naïve) may think. Rationale patterns flow underneath good communications, and the professional communicator does well to become a life-long learner of theory as well as the practical application of our trade. 
"A canvas of random paint-splatterings may have complexity, but it has no unity," Veith said. "The Sistine Chapel, or a Rembrandt woodcut, or a Hudson River landscape has both, being full of individual details that come together into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts." Veith extends the concept to music, drawing contrasts between simplistic and more complex forms, even within the same era or genre of music itself.
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Bill Hybels: The Importance of Decision Making for Leaders
Author and pastor Bill Hybels (bio & books) spoke about decision making during his keynote address to the Willow Creek Leadership Summit on August 7. It is important to have a process to arrive at good, God-honoring decisions. Likewise, it is important to learn how to improve our decision making over time. Hybels recommended Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls by Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis as the best book he's read on the topic. He then outlined a traditional, four-point approach to Christian decision making: 1. Does the Bible say anything about this? So many decisions aren't that hard, Hybels said, because the Bible gives clear direction. For example, leaders should admit when they are wrong. They should set an example. They should treat all with respect. He recommended leaders read the Bible regularly and see what effect it has on their decision making. 2. What would smart advisors tell me to do? All leaders should establish a formal or informal network of advisors, Hybels said, since in the abundance of counselors there is safety as Proverbs 11:14 suggests. However, the leader must also apply their own discernment to the advice they receive, as in the case of Absalom, the son of Solomon, who made the poor choice of following the advice of his peers instead of his elders, which resulted in a civil war instead of consolidating his hold on the kingdom after his father's death.
3. What have I learned from past pains, gains and experience? Reviewing the scars from past experiences helps give perspective to subsequent decisions. Likewise, gains from past bold decisions can help influence the current decision. Put together he abbreviates this step as P,G & E – pains, gains and experience. Hybels said journaling can be a valuable way to add to your wisdom if you include information about decisions and their results. 4. Is the spirit prompting me? When facing a decision, Hybels attempts to listen for an inaudible whisper that is God's voice. Sometimes when he feels God is warning him against a course of action it is like God is saying, "Let me save you from yourself." Relying on the spirit's promptings leads to life and peace according to Romans 8:6, he said. Another method he uses to make decisions is a "test decision." He will make a decision in his mind, and then carry that around for a few days to see if it feels right as he goes through his day. Decision Making Axioms As leaders lead over time they often begin to subconsciously compress these decision making steps into principles or proverbs for themselves. As they use these and find them helpful, they may become part of the organizational culture. Such "business proverbs" are the topic of Hybel's most recent book, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs .
Colin Powell, a former Leadership Summit speaker, has about a dozen such proverbs according to Hybels. They include "check your ego at the door," "promote a clash of ideas" (don't seek consensus, but ask "And who has a contrary point of view?) and "reward your performers; get rid of your non-performers" (don't waste time on non-performers). After interviewing Powell last year, Hybel's staff pointed out that "you have sayings too." He began to write them down over the course of the year and came up with a total of 76, which became the basis of Axiom. These include: Vision leaks – Even after a leader sets a vision, people forget. They need the vision and goals restated for them from time-to-time. My wife noted that a better analogy might be that "vision evaporates" since it's not necessarily the fault of the recipient that the vision gets dull over time. Get the right people around the table and it will be fine – Meaning that a challenge is best addressed by a team of the right people, not necessarily preconceived solutions. Facts are your friends – I've found myself saying something very similar in my career. Hard data helps make decisions, and make them easier. When something gets funky, engage – In other words, when a situation is awry, don't think it will go away or heal itself. Actively intervene instead. Leaders call fouls – when someone or something crosses the line, the leader should say so publicly. Sometimes a leader has to call a foul on himself and admit when his behavior was out of line. Take a flyer – Take a bold risk to launch a new initiative. Every once in a while you will have to create an action plan that takes your breath away, Hybels said. This should be differentiated, however, from moves that "bet the farm" by risking everything. Of course, axioms that you create and coin yourself as a leader will always be more powerful than those you adopt from other leaders, Hybels said. Leaders cannot be decision-adverse, Hybels said. Leaders need to make decisions. It's what leaders do. If the decision turns out well, your response should be to thank everyone you can think of. If it turns out to be a poor decision, don't blame others. Don't whimper or whine. Rather, take the responsibility for the poor decision and use the lesson to improve your decision making in the future.
Having a framework for decision making, a network of advisors, and an awareness of principles that have worked for us in making decisions in the past are all excellent recommendations applicable to marketing and public relations professionals.
Additional Resources “Next Steps" Resources for Hybel's presentation at the Leadership Summit 
Good decision making is critical to being a leader because so much of leadership is about making decisions. In addition, many decisions we make as leaders have "high stakes," affecting the lives of those who work for us, as well as hundreds or perhaps thousands whom our work efforts touch, according to Hybels.
Abraham Lincoln's response to people who wanted revenge on the South after the Civil War was phrased as such a proverb, "The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend." Likewise, Bob Galvin, retired CEO of Motorola, is known for "create motion for motion's sake," meaning that taking an organizational action is generally better than complacency and forces individuals to make changes that have potential for improving operations.
Digging Deeper links and references from Hybel's presentation
Dave Ferguson of the Velocity blog reviews Hybel's talk on decision making
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Polish Your Employees' Name Badge Presentation
Good customer service and safety standards encourage your employees wear their name badges in a clearly visible manner, but sometimes this can be a challenge. Lanyards are often employed in such situations, but these may involve safety concerns, even with break-away connectors. In addition, a lanyard still positions the name badge around the navel, rather than where it is clearly visible to customers in the upper body area. Badge Supports, LLC has now created a very nice option for shirts or scrubs that include a breast pocket. Their Nerd-Buster Badge Support slips into a shirt pocket providing an easy way of displaying a vertical or horizontal badge. The device also includes a tab that sticks up to attach a recognition or ribbon pin. Versions are available to hold a few business cards (I'm always forgetting to bring my cards to vendor meetings!), or may be pre-printed with a logo, calendar, mission statement, commonly used chemical formulae, or safety information (such as your organization's overhead paging codes). These features make the badge support a unique idea for vendors to give away at trade shows or Human Resource departments to purchase in bulk for their organization. Name Badge Links Badge Supports, LLC – The best approach we discovered, economically priced and Michigan-based (founded by a former automotive engineer like my father so they get extra brownie points). Arm Band Badge Holders – May be appropriate with lifeguards or staff in T-shirts, we suppose. Pocketprotectors.com and securityimaging.com produce Pocket Protectors with Name Badge Holders – An option for those that carry pens, pencils or other items in their shirt pocket. Government ID Badge Holders from Evolution Card Systems & Badge Supplies – Rigid, color-coded, magnetic, arm band and other badge holders for school, military or government use. Badge straps with hole or with extra loop - Versions of straps without the ubiquitous clip for use with necklaces, reels, tube lanyards or the like. 
Name tags with simple pins are common in restaurant and retail businesses, but corporate organizations generally issue a name badge. Frequently these are embedded with a proximity reader, bar code, or other "smart chip" devices for security, identification, or time card purposes. Such badges generally have clips, which work well enough for employees with suit coats. Shed the jacket; however, and the name badge creates the dreaded droopy pocket syndrome.
Unsolicited’s crack research staff has scoured the Internet for solutions to droopy pocket syndrome and found these resources:
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Getting Your Event on Your Audience’s Calendar
You’ve worked hard on designing and promoting your event. Now the challenge is making sure those hard-earned registrations actually show up. In some cases, reminder calls are appropriate, but in an age driven by electronic calendars what you really could use is an easy way to get your event onto your audience's computer or PDA.
Option 1: Integrate Yourself with Online Calendars
Users of eventful.com have the option of a button "Save to calendar" which gives options for posting to Outlook, Google, iCal format and other calendars. Eventful.com, which bills itself as having the world's largest collection of events, is a neat website which allows you to post details In a similar manner, Markthisdate.com is a European-based calendar portal and event promoter that offers widgets to promote your schedule of events. Of course many other city web sites or daily newspaper sites provide a venue to post local event details (e.g., cincinnati.com), and you could always hold a virtual event in Second Life .
Option 2: Build a Convenient Calendar Link on Your Site
For a more customized approach, consider how WebEx online meetings have an "add to calendar" feature so you can add either a single meeting, or a series of their meetings, to your Outlook Calendar (although it was simpler in Office 2003 than in security-enhanced Office 2007). Minor league baseball teams the Toledo Mudhens and Corpus Christi Hooks, as well as the major league Detroit Tigers have an option to add their game schedules to your Outlook calendar. Unfortunately, these are a manual and somewhat complex process from a user's perspective. Such approaches use the vCalendar and iCalendar standards.
Until (or unless) someone has created a secure but simple approach to adding items to a customer's Outlook calendar, the most effective approach may actually be a combination of wired techniques such as existing or custom programmed "add to calendar features," or perhaps you-to-your-audience e-mail reminder services, with more traditional approaches like registration confirmation letters, reminder slips, and so forth. Let us what you use to get your events on your audience's calendar by using the comment link below. Additional Calendar-Related Links Add or remove holidays to Outlook Easily Add Major League Baseball Team Schedule to Your Calendar (via markthisdate.com) Customize your employee's Outlook calendars with your company's important HR dates 
of your local events for free. It is easy for anyone to search for concerts, exhibits, lectures or other events of interest in their area, or a city they plan to visit. I found my region well represented with local events. In addition to the calendar feature, there are RSS feeds, e-mail notification, promotional tools available (Demand it!), imports from iTunes or last.fm (to track where your favorite bands are playing), and groups/friends social options. Posting your event to eventful.com can be the first step toward an integrated effort of pushing your audience to a popular online location where they can choose to add your event to their calendar.
How to create & distribute a vCalendar file for Outlook Google Calendar with Outlook and Smartphones Automatically Sync your Google Calendar with Microsoft Outlook Add Google Calendar to Outlook Outlook 2007 Calendar and Google Calendar integration (YouTube tutorial) Create an Add to Google Calendar button for your Web page
CalendarHub.com: Access your online calendar from anywhere, privately, shared in a group or published on your blog Upcoming: Yahoo's less than impressive event and calendar service (but it does use the hCalendar microformat, which may impress some geeks) Memo to Me, Online Reminders, RS Outlook and Free Minder are email reminder services, although none seem to promote a bulk or "one to many" optionSend invitations via Evite.com (such as for Cinco de Mayo)
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Campaigns with Impact in Six (Easy) Steps
Good advertising or PR campaigns have impact, make sense and have an overall sense of simplicity. But nothing simple or elegant is ever really easy, as oysters will tell you about the pearl necklace.
Based on my experience, the creative process flows through at least six steps, which clients generally do not understand, and which newbie internal or agency staff might even be a bit vague on. Understanding this creative process can help both clients and staff support the development of approaches that are on-target with impact, sorta like those recent Cheez-It commercials.
Fact Finding
A review of the organization’s situation and goals is the first step in the campaign development process. Typically, this will start with a meeting between the in-house or agency staff and the company’s administrative team. This will provide valuable information — situation, conflict issues, goals, audiences, product benefits and/or propositions, competition, budget, deadline and so forth — but will likely be strongly influenced by an internal perspective. Additional research — formal or informal, primary or secondary, quantitative or qualitative — is wise to consider at this point. Good creative is strategic, so making sure one has the consumer’s view of the situation will pay dividends. Otherwise you could end up with let’s-whitewash-the-issue, or let’s-hit-them-in-the-head-with-a-baseball-bat approaches.
Mandatories
Mandatory elements of a campaign are typically part of the creative brief, but it is worth mentioning them separately here as they can be an easily overlooked, but treacherous part of campaign development. It is helpful to have these up front in case any issues impact the overall direction of the campaign. Mandatories include elements that must be included in the final product such as:
Follow corporate graphic standardsFor a co-op advertising, include Snodgrass Industries’ name and/or logoIn radio, use client’s brand name at least 3 timesFollow usage guidelines for any third-party endorsements or awardsTheme must be transferable to dozens of specialty items that the CEO lovesBe congruent with company slogan “We Care”
Creative Brief
The creative brief is a structured document that spells out the situation, strategy, mandatory requirements, and other items from the fact-finding section above. It is a tool used by the creative team as they go into the synthesis process, but can also be used the starting point for a description of the creative direction of the campaign once the following steps are complete. There are surprisingly large number of very good creative brief templates available on the Internet, and their construction and use are worthy of a separate post at some future time.
Synthesis
Here’s why you pay the creative folks the big bucks. And it’s why Thomas Friedman suggests that people who synthesize will have a better chance of being part of the new “untouchables” in the coming global economy. This step involves a creative team, which most often includes a small tight-knit group includes people with these types of skills:
A creative directorA strategistA designer and/or visual thinkerA copywriter and/or word thinkerAn account executive or staff close to the client (but NOT the client)
The creative team may be one person in a small agency, but more typically one to three or four people. The roles may overlap, depending on the people involved. The key is that this team is a small group with good brainstorming skills, developed from years of creative thinking. They will generally do a fair amount of what my father called cogitating before the magic occurs. I have never seen such a team involve a client, most likely because this would inhibit honesty and creativity.
The creative team generates ideas that synthesize elements such as:
Key points from the situation An understanding of the consumer’s mindAn understanding of what is realistic within the customer’s set of goalsInsights into the benefits and unique selling proposition of the product or serviceCultural references that would resonate with the audienceA sense of “tone” – formal or informal, funny or emotional, and so forthIdeas about what will break through the clutterKnowledge of good communication theory and strategy, including use of direct and circuitous pathsShape, size, colors, and communication toolsAnd likely a secret agency sauce
The Big Idea
The result of deep and creative thinking (a.k.a., synthesis) is a refined idea that defines the campaign’s direction. It is “ the big idea” or the philosophy that drives the campaign and ties it together. It likely isn’t the campaign “theme” itself, but it is succinct.
Implementation
Everyone has ideas (although unfortunately, they’re not all good ideas). After you have the idea you must do something with the idea. The big idea must be used to persuade, to communicate a message through the clutter, or otherwise use communication as a vehicle of change. So at this point, the creative process gives way to approval and implementation, including:
The client presentationApprovals (or back to the drawing board… if you don’t get fired)Copywriting & design implementationTestingTweaksFinal reviewsPlacement, production or execution
Applying the Six Steps for Improved Results
Understanding the creative process can help facilitate better creative results. Here are some ideas:
Develop a crib sheet to make sure you gather necessary information from clients during fact finding Make sure you clarify mandatory elements of the campaign before you get too far down the roadAlways gather up graphic standards and third-party awards and endorsement usage guidelines early in the agency-client relationshipIf you’re not a strategic thinker, nor a visual thinker, nor a senior copywriter, then don’t expect to get invited to the creative team’s brainstorming meeting quite yetRead a book on structured creative thinking or brainstorming. Start applying what you learnIdentify what data or elements your agency, creative director, or supervisor is going to need and start researching these items before they askAs a client, develop a creative brief template that you can use to give your agency background information (saves billable hours!)As an agency, develop a creative brief template with your logo on it (impresses clients, keeps creative staff on task)Deconstruct advertising or PR campaigns that you like and identify the big idea and key elements of the creative briefDo things to keep you abreast of the culture and your audience. Get a hobby or sport. Be well read. Read something different. Go a circuitous route to work. Increase blood flow to the opposite side of your brain.
By understanding that developing a campaign is a process, and that big ideas don’t just pop onto the table, you can help structure expectations for clients and prepare your marketing or public relations staff for the unglamorous, dirty work that is the true foundation of developing a campaign with impact.
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Code Monkey Musings on Music Narrowcasting
We first heard Jonathan Coultran’s song Code Monkey (lyrics iTunes) last year when it was circulating on the Internet, but listened again, more carefully, after John Wall recently featured it on The M Show. This made us consider whether there might be a market for music that is segmented to ultra-narrow audiences – like computer programmers.
This seems a crazy idea, until one ponders the historical progression of broad to narrow. AM radio was the first to narrow cast, as a reaction to the growth of FM and evidenced by the growth of talk, sports or business radio, African-American and Hispanic stations, and even radio narrowly segmented audiences like 80 year olds. Now – although many corporate owners follow a strategy of only targeting large, oldies audience segments – some argue that FM radio stations are also beginning to follow the narrowcasting trend, in reaction to the rise of satellite radio like Sirius and XM radio, as well as Internet radio. 
Furthermore, podcasting is perhaps the ultimate form of narrowcasting, and social media have also constructed narrow, ultra-segmented audiences, with My Space applying this to power to upstart bands and aspiring musicians. So the Internet has become a wild card in the evolution of media. What if the next leap in innovation was music targeting secretaries, or motorcyclists, or construction workers? This wouldn’t need to be a single band or bands, but could be a virtual construct from all songs specific to the audience’s experiences.
It some ways this makes “narrow” sound boring – and perhaps it would be. But the question remains, if we continue a march toward segmenting of segments in all media – including music – where will we end up?
Additional Links
Listen Up: Local Radio Audience Moving to the Web? (San Diego Business Journal) Mining Solid Gold on the Radio (New York Times) In Which I Melt Down Over the Troika AM/FM Radio (Boing Boing) Code monkey T-shirts and stuff Spend a lousy buck and buy the song on iTunes instead of just grabbing it for free off the Internet, or make a donation to the artist
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Book Project Update
The book project that has kept us from active blogging for the last few months is nearly complete. My wife helped with the final research push, which we were able to handle long distance with sources in Franklin, New Hampshire, site of the former Forest Vale Camp. This was followed by several proofs with my mother, wife and a friend providing valuable final help in correcting factual and grammatical errors. We are now awaiting delivery of an initial shipment from Lulu.com and trying to decide what to do with the recaptured free time (beside blogging, of course).
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Unsolicited Advice at a New Address
We apologize for the disruption in service over the weekend as we moved to a new domain.
Unsolicited is proud to now be available at its own domain at www.unsolicitedmarketingadvice.com. Old bookmarks for blogspot.com and RSS feed subscriptions should still work just fine, but let us know if you experience any problems or find any broken photo links.
We’ve also added a machine-readable Creative Commons license at the bottom of this page in an attempt to address content theft that we've been experiencing. We don't have much hope of stopping these low-lifes that are likely using our search-term rich material for click fraud, but hope springs eternal. If you're reading this post other than via e-mail, a news aggregator (i.e., Bloglines, News Gator, and so forth), or from the URL www.unsolicitedmarketingadvice.com, please move your bookmarks to this authorized domain. Our copyright license authorizes only attributed, non-commercial use, so if you see Google ads or naked women, you're reading unauthorized usage.
Thanks for your support.
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The Internal Communicator’s Dilemma
Internal communications can be frustrating. After a full-court communications effort, employees still say "I didn't know about that…."
It seems the more you communicate, the more employees seem to miss the message. Perhaps it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Here are some tips:
1. Instead of more tools, try research
An external audit of your internal communications is an excellent idea, but also consider research that tests how well staff are receiving the messages you send. This is a better approach than relying on anecdotal comments. Segment your research by department and find out who you're not reaching through traditional channels.
2. Consider cascading messaging systems
A structured, cascading messaging system puts the burden on management to communicate to staff. Follow-up measurement can help determine how well employees receive messages, and can identify who the problem children are.
3. Push back
“Really, you didn't hear about that?” Probe employees on their communication habits and how they missed your messages. When employees say, “I didn’t know about that,” try — in a pleasant way — find out why. And ask, “How would you like to learn about important company news?”
4. Consider if you're communicating too much
There is such a thing as communicating too much. Doing so makes everything seem equally unimportant. Cutting out the clutter can make the important stuff rise back to the top.
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Three Ways to Use Seed Lists to Your Advantage
If your organization does any amount of direct mail, you should be using seed lists.
A seed list is an extra set of addresses that are added to your mailing. The seed list names are added to the mailing regardless of whether they match the target criteria used to develop your list. They generally include you and perhaps other key people inside or outside of your organization. The term comes from how mailing list companies scatter (or “seed”) decoy names and addresses into the lists they sell. This allows the list company to monitor how their list is being used and safeguard against unauthorized use.
Marketers can also use seed lists to their advantage in at least three ways:
1. Track delivery time and quality
By adding yourself, your direct reports and call center staff to mailings, you’ll be able to know when pieces begin to arrive in consumer’s mailboxes. Plus, your staff can let you know about problems that occurred in the mail stream, such as ink rub-off from postal equipment, damage due to insufficient paper weight, additional tabbing done by post office because your piece wasn’t secure enough, or other design and mail house issues.
2. Keep your administration and key staff informed
While you may not want to swamp C-level staff with mailings, adding your boss or other key administrators to your seed list can help them have a better sense of what is being done in the Marketing or Public Relations Department. Unlike television ads or brochures, direct mail efforts often go unseen. Seeding the list with key staff or service line leaders can help the organization have a better idea about otherwise unseen communication efforts. You can even add your mother to the list if you feel guilty about not calling her often enough. And don't forget your ad agency account executives.
Of course, anyone that you add to your seed list should give their consent and understand that they will be getting more than the normal amount of company mail. Home addresses are generally better to use in such situations than work addresses. You may even want to develop a one-sheet explanation of the seed list concept to hand out to new additions to your standing list.
3. Exchange mailings with like-minded organizations
New ideas are the lifeblood of good communication efforts. One way to have a constant stream of ideas is to see what other organizations are doing on a regular basis. Non-profit organizations in particular will benefit from getting on the mailing lists of likeminded organizations from around the country. Vendors will often also host user groups or client conferences where the astute marketer will seek reciprocal exchanges of newsletters or direct mail seed list placements. Much of the material you receive will be trashed, but the gems can be kept in a swipe file for future reference.
To create a seed list, simple develop a spreadsheet with names and addresses that you collect from those who agree to be on your seed list. Your mailing service will likely appreciate if this follows a standard field layout that they use. Then create a standing order with your mailing firms that specify the list be added to every outgoing project. Most mail houses are familiar with this process. After first initiating a seed list program, check in with those on the list to let them know that you appreciate them letting you know of any problems or concerns.
Seed lists are easy to create, easy to implement and will return benefits to the communication professional that puts them to wise use.
Additional Resources
Quebecor explanation of its Seedtrack program for direct mail E-mail Deliverability Tracker — Deliverymonitor.com helps you seed your e-mail subscriber list with addresses at major ISPs. The service then checks those mailboxes and provides a detailed delivery report.
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The Obvious Next Product
P is for Product, but product development is often an overlooked element of the marketing mix, especially in small to mid-size businesses. Perhaps it's a lack of creativity, the result of natural myopic business focus, or a function of the quality of marketing staff. Regardless, the primary, under girding principle of marketing is to meet customers’ needs, rather than trying to push what the company has to sell. So, so many businesses miss this point.
Another example of this came earlier this month as Walmart pulled the plug on its online movie download service (and no one noticed, as Gizmo reported days later). Walmart, who does an excellent job of taking my money on a regular basis, missed the customer boat on this one. Encumbered by restrictive DRM, built on Microsoft's WMV format, priced expensively compared to the competition, and without a good way view the movies on — gasp — a television, the product flopped. No big surprise.
But the Walmart failure doesn't mean that online movies aren't a good idea, or that there isn't a profitable market for movie downloads. It just means the product isn't right. Yet.
In fact, the correct product is somewhat obvious:
Easy selection of movies - like Netflix or your local video storeConvenient one-click purchase and download to your computer - like Amazon or iTunesA wide selection of recent releases and classics from the past – from all major and minor studios, including The Yellow Submarine by the BeatlesRelatively fast downloading, so movies can be watched on impulse - like cable on-demand servicesEasy, unattended streaming from the computer to any television or other computer in the household - like your wireless home networkLight on digital rights management - so you own the movie and can play it at home or a portable device forever - like iTunesThe ability to make (limited) DVD copies - so you can take something decent to watch when you visit your in-lawsLow priced - to encourage adoption, volume and more purchases (as well as keeping Walmart out of returning to the market) - like iTunesThe option to watch in high definition without worrying about Blu-Ray or HDDVD formats – this could be at a premium priceConvienience and/or convergence features that make the product a useful addition or replacement to current home entertainment devices, such as:
- Tivo-like features so one can record from broadcast or cable – including high def
- VCR Plus+ – like simplicity of programming from television
- The ability to play DVDs that one already owns or has rented
- The ability to rip DVDs that I already own to add to my library
- No need to set a clockA well designed product that "just works" - like the iPod
Of course there is one company already repeatedly mentioned in this list: Apple Computer. And there is an Apple product that already meets some of the criteria: the AppleTV. Thus, the obvious next product for Apple is a second generation AppleTV. And if they get it right, it will be another blockbuster.
Despite the demise of Walmart’s video download service, there are a number of other such services (CinemaNow, Apple's iTunes Movie store, MovieFlix, Movielink, Amazon’s Unbox, and Starz’s Vongo), but only Amazon’s Unbox is a large, serious contender. Although Amazon has links with TiVo, which was mentioned in the wish list above, Amazon still lacks access to the hardware component needed to make such an online service work seamlessly with television — which isn’t to say that one should count them out, as evidenced by their willingness to launch the Kindle product.
Yet it is Apple that is poised to succeed in the online download market for a number of reasons, all which tend to circle back to the concept of “product.” Marketers can apply these principles to their product or business development efforts as well:
1. Steve Jobs Himself
Apple’s past successes have been strongly influenced by Job’s personal attributes: “his unwavering focus, his insistence on excellence and his belief in his own vision,” according Steven Levy in The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness. The leader is key in product development.
2. A Focus on Excellence
At age 29, just weeks before the original Macintosh launched, Jobs said “my best contribution to the group is not settling for anything but really good stuff.” Levy explains that Jobs evokes a “Reality Distortion Field” around him as he seeks to achieve the ideal solution.
Levy also notes that some people have mistakenly thought the key to Apple’s success was the “coolness” factor. But this is a classic post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. Cool is only a byproduct of the product development process according to Yossi Vardi: “The only thing a company can do is strive for perfection and hope that the gods smile on it.” The classic example is the distinctive click of a Mercedes door, which results from the care taken to manufacturer it so the entire rim of the door touches the chassis all at once as it closes. Jobs confirmed this principle when Levy asked whether he had tried to make the iPod cool. “No,” he said, “we tried to make it great.” A focus on an excellent product is essential to successful product development.
3. Understanding the Underlying Issue
As one works on developing a new product or service, it will eventually become clear that nothing simple is ever easy – meaning that the elegant solution must be found through a complex struggle. As part of that struggle to achieve an excellent product, “the really great person will keep on going and find… the key, underlying principle of the problem. And come up with a beautiful elegant solution that works,” according to Levy. Successful product development is a struggle that requires really understanding the underlying issue.
4. A Strategic Fit
The iPod and AppleTV aren’t just neat ideas to computer manufacturer Apple, they are core to a long-held strategy called the “Digital Hub.” Essentially, Apple’s goal is to create best-of-class software (and with the iPod and AppleTV, hardware as well) that people would enjoy so much that they would want to buy an Apple computer. In other words, there is a method to Apple’s “madness.” Good product development does likewise; it follows the organization’s strategic DNA.
The application for the marketing professional is several-fold. First, save up some of that holiday gift money for the inevitable second generation AppleTV. Secondly, approach product development (pause) and approach it as a serious enterprise: Find the right person to champion a new product or service; refuse to settle for “good enough;” drive down to the core issue; and only select new products or services for development that have an excellent strategic fit with your company.
Additional Links
New York Times: Wal-Mart Pulls Plug on Movies via the Web Walmart Video Download site – featuring the “closed” notice Which Movie Download Sites Are the Best? Digital Hub Strategy explained in a 2002 Apple advertisementO’Reilley: Apple’s "Digital Hub" More than Hype CNET Review of AppleTV Apple TV isn't Catching on, Analyst Says Apple and Fox’s Movie Rental Deal Also Includes Pre-ripped iPod/AppleTV Versions on DVD The Second Coming of Apple TV
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A Most Excellent Production Planning Calendar for the New Year
With the start of a new year, it’s time to take control by making your calendar a tool for proactive planning. Here’s the challenge and an excellent solution to production planning:
The Challenge
When planning print production projects or newsletters, it’s often necessary to back into deadlines from an established delivery date. Or conversely, one has to plan forward for copywriting, layout, approvals and printing to know when delivery is possible. Such planning is a challenge with normal month-by-month calendars, even if they’re all printed on one sheet for easy reference. 
A Solution
Dave Seah’s Compact Calendar makes production planning easier for marketers and public relations professionals by stringing all the year’s dates together on one long page with the weekends pushed to the right side in gray. Months and weeks of the year are indicated to the left of the main column of dates, while holidays are indicated by a colored numeral on the calendar.
The result is a most excellent production planning calendar that makes it easy to calculate “number of weeks out,” scan for conflicts by days of the work week, and identify when holidays fall inside of a production timeline. Seah provides the calendar as a Microsoft Excel file, so you can modify it to meet your particular needs, such as adding holidays, or even tweaking it to display subsequent years, if desired.
It can be effective to use the compact calendar to scribble on as your developing your production timeline, or you can go down to your local Kinko’s and have it printed as a yard-long, 10-inch wide wall calendar that you can view from across the cubicle (consider printing on outdoor banner vinyl for durability and adding your company’s logo). In addition, people have posted international variations of Dave’s calendar to his web site, so if you’re in someplace like Malaysia, there may already be a version in the proper language and with local holidays.
Additional Links
David Seah’s Compact Calendar download page LifeHacker post about the compact calendar How to use the compact calendar with a moleskin How Jerry Seinfeld uses a calendar as a habit-building, productivity tool David Seah’s filmstrip calendar for elapsed calendar time on a monospaced display (a bit geeky) Downloadable Microsoft Word calendar templates – 2008, academic year, multi-year and other special-use options Okidata-compatible customizable planning calendar templates for Microsoft Word DIY Planner – Printable forms in various sizes (including Hipster PDA) for time management, GTD, project planning, checklists and note-taking.
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Getting Readers to Page Two of Your Direct Mail Letter (Where to Page Break)
I recently received a fund raising letter from my son's college. It was well written and formatted, and if tuition wasn't due in another month, I may have even opened my wallet.
One common flow in this otherwise excellent appeal was how the reader was taken from the end of page one to the top of page two. The last paragraph on page one concluded at the end of the page and a new paragraph began at the top of page two. While visually attractive, this gives the reader an opportunity to stop reading at the bottom of the first page (just when the appeal is getting warmed up!).
The better way to handle this issue is to break between pages in the middle of a paragraph and in the middle of a sentence. 
Admittedly, starting a new page in the middle of a sentence and middle of a paragraph requires one to be aware of widows and orphans. Plus, the use of a parenthetical "continued on next page" phrase is still an option. However, the flow from page one to page two will be improved if readers realize they are "missing" the remainder of the last sentence on the first page of your letter.
Additional Resources
97 Tips to have a Successful Direct Mail Campaign (see tip #29) Designing Strong Direct Mail Letters (see tip #5) A Step-by-step Guide to Direct Mail Letters from direct-mail.org (see guideline #7, which they claim will impress your boss) Power Direct Marketing resources by the late Ray Jutkins
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The Use and Abuse of Questions in Copywriting
Questions are frequently abused as a copywriting technique. They are often used too quickly, too frequently and without thought of the reader’s needs. You’ll improve your copywriting if you avoid questions more often than you use them. Here’s why:
The Fallacy of Engagement
Questions are an engagement device. That is, they slow a reader down and make them think critically about your content. But there’s one problem. Your reader has to be engaged and reading your copy to start with. Once this is happening, a well-phrased, well-positioned question can kick it up a notch.
If you reader is skimming while standing over a trash can, a question can often have the wrong effect since it is exceedingly simple to ask a question with “Don’t know and don’t care.” Questions – especially rhetorical questions – will often elicit a negative response from the reader. Readers are bombarded with messages throughout the day. Give them a chance to dismiss you message and they will.
This means that opening your letter, ad or brochure with a question is generally a weak technique. Not always, of course. A good headline, interesting artwork and compelling topic can make a question lead effective. Sometimes. But not as often as one of the dozen other techniques you could use.
Stuck in the Middle with You
If you choose to use a question as a persuasive device, consider the middle to lower half of your piece as the proper placement. By this time, you have developed trust with your reader and laid out your case. For example, the second page of a fundraising letter may be the right place for a single-sentence paragraph: “Will you help make this project a reality?” In addition, questions can be used effectively as part of the graphic design in the middle of the piece to lead the reader farther into the layout (see an e-mail newsletter example).
Answer the Question
Rhetorical questions assume the reader knows the “correct” answer to your question. They may not. In these situations, you may have added confusion to your writing rather than clarity. It’s good to consider clearly answering any questions that you pose to your reader. This will drive home your point and avoid losing your reader. Better yet, if you want to clearly drive a point home, consider if rewriting the question as a statement would have more impact.
Students of persuasion and negotiation may argue that accumulating a series of “yeses” can be an effective approach to closing a sale. However, discriminating readers are unlikely to fall prey to such manipulation if the argument is not already sound and the reader involved. In such situations, creating a non-existent dialogue with the consumer through the use of questions is unlikely to accomplish acquiescence through sleight of hand. Refocusing the structure and argument is a more appropriate approach.
Questions also a Weak Structural Crutch
Another sin frequently perpetrated with questions is using them as a structure for subheds or topics in a brochure. For example, “What is XYZ?,” “How should I prepare?,” “What happens next?”, “How do I Register?”, “Where is XYZ Company Located” and so forth. Besides boring a reader with such a stiff, repetitive structure, there is a further error in this approach.
Subheds are not absorbed by the reader in the same way as a sentence. They are designed to be quickly skimmed and comprehended. Using a question as a subhed hides the key information that the reader needs. The question subhed interfers with reader comprehension. Thus, “Register in Three Easy Steps” is better than “How do I Register for the Program?” because the key word, “Register” is more prominent. At a minimum, question subheds should be rewritten to declarative statements: “What to Expect” is a better, more directl subhed than "What should I expect?"
Overall, when you find yourself using a question in your copy, step back and consider working a bit harder to rephrase the section. Questions should be used as a carefully thought-out and judiciously-applied technique in your copywriting.
Additional Links
Why Plato Would Have Blown it as a Blogger – Copyblogger.com’s Brian Clark explains why rhetorical questions don't really foster dialogue or conversations, which are an essential part of effective business blogging. Write Effective Fundraising Letters by Being Conversational – You can (but don’t have to) use one or two rhetorical questions in your fundraising letter if you like since such questions create the sense that a conversation is taking place between you and your donor. Spark Notes’ Rules of Writing entry on Rhetorical Questions – “At best, rhetorical questions are pompous.” Hints on Writing Philosophy papers - “You (as the writer) know what the answer is to the question. But the reader (me) may not be so sure. So tell me what you think – don’t ask me a question which (you think) has an obvious answer. The answer may not be obvious to me.”
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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An Outlook Trick for Filing Important E-mail Messages
Keeping copies of important e-mails that you write can be time consuming. The usual approach is to either dig these out of your sent mail. Other users might have Outlook file the reply with the original message, but this requires configuring this option and dragging the message to another folder first.
Copying or blind carbon copying yourself is a step in the right direction, but an Outlook rule can automate this process (presuming you’re using Microsoft Outlook).
First, to display the bcc: field, select View/Bcc from the text menu.
Next, create an Outlook rule (Tools/Rules & Alerts…) that looks for messages that are sent by yourself, to yourself. Then have these messages marked as read upon arrival and moved to the folder of your choice and stop processing other rules.
Now when you author a message or reply that you want to save, just add your e-mail address to the Bcc: field and a copy of the message will be routed to the folder you selected after you send it.
There are Outlook add-ins available if you want to always cc: or bcc: yourself or someone else, based on the addressee, words in the subject line, or words in the attachment. These tools can be used in combination with our rule trick to automatically select which messages are selected for this archiving process. However, you can also use Outlook rules to “check messages after sending” (again, based on criteria to select like addressee or keywords) and move a copy to a folder you indicate, assign it to a “category” and so forth. This can be a more precise method of saving messages if you can identify a pattern to the type of messages that you regularly archive.
Additional Resources
Auto CC/BCC for Outlook by AbleBits
Always BCC by Sperry Software
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Recent Productivity Links: E-mail, Sleep and Margin
E-mail Productivity Merlin Mann of 43folders.com recently spoke to Googleplex employees regarding his inbox zero concepts in a presentation posted in video, audio and iTunes podcast formats. The presentation slides are also available separately (but not a substitute for the presentation itself). Living with an empty inbox can be a significant stress reducer since the quantity of e-mail messages sitting in one's inbox is a more significant stressor than number of e-mails that one receives, according to Mann. (Also see other Unsolicted posts on e-mail & productivity). Sleep and Life Routine Lifehacker.com recently pointed out two posts by Steve Pavlina that offer insights into optimizing your daily routine: 10 Ways to Optimize Your Normal Days - Habits that promise to bring order and focus. How to Become an Early Riser – Recommendations on sleep patterns, alarm clocks and more.
Ways to Add Margin “Margin” is the extra space on a page that provides relief to our eyes. Without margin our eyes would fail due to the stress of words strung from edge to edge on the page. Author and physician Richard A. Swensen has developed the concept of improving "margin" in our lives as an approach to stress relief. Swenson (Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits) was the featured speaker on Focus on the Family's daily radio show August 30-31. (OnePlace.com Link 1 2 / CD for purchase). His writings concentrate on ways to create margin in four areas of life: emotional energy, physical energy, time and finances. He covers the first two of these areas in his presentation: Margin & Time Expect the unexpected –In Ecuador there is a saying, "every thing takes longer than it does." So we may as well plan for it as well as possible. Separate time from technology – Technology doesn't save time. One must discern when to use technology and when not to. Disconnect every once in a while — Pretend that you live in 1850 one Tuesday night a month and see if you like it.
Margin & Emotional Energy Have good friends and nourish friendships — We need to cultivate social supports to refill our tank of emotional energy Have a pet – they don't bite the way humans do. Practice reconciliation Laughter – And laugh at yourself, you'll never run out of material Faith – research has shown faith is associated with positive health benefits.
By simplifying our lives, we can be a blessing to other people. In order for us to give ourselves to others, we have to have something left to give – that "something" is margin in our lives.
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Online Videos are the New TV
It is quickly becoming a YouTube world. I’ve become increasingly convinced that online video has come of age and is now a medium that marketing and pubic relations professionals need to add to their tool boxes.
My son and his friends are amused by the Will It Blend series of videos where all sorts of items are thrown in a blender: Bic lighters, credit cards, tiki torches, light sticks – even an iPhone. It was funny, and seemed like more adolescent humor until I read the article about how the videos opened marketing and promotional doors for the for the Blendtec company (Viral Videos: How Sawdust and $50 Created Marketing Success for Blendtec.com). This is clearly moving beyond reposting of commercials or existing video content (see Windber Medical Center, for example) to be a mechanism unto itself.
According to homeward.com, “a recent Harris Interactive study found that about 42 percent of online adults in the United States said they have watched a YouTube video and 32 percent of frequent YouTube users said they watch less TV as a result.”
Many people have already identified that the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign will increasingly be influenced by YouTube and similar video sharing services. I’m convinced this is true, not by the (yawn) recent CNN/YouTube debates, but rather by the witty, effective response given by former senator and undeclared candidate Fred Thompson to an interview request from Michael Moore. Candidates who are able to master this medium will have an advantage on those that do not, in the same way that it has long been essential for them to master the sound bite and video clip for the evening news.
Although humor helps with the viral aspect of online video distribution, this is not a mandatory component of using video successfully, and neither is YouTube the only distribution channel. This is evidenced by some of the 3-1/2 minutes videos done by AngelVision, featuring a combination of still photography, words and music bed appropriate for e-mail, web, trade show or other sales efforts (see samples on client page).
Broadband access, the ubiquitous use of Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash, and the integration of social media concepts into video sharing sites has helped fuel the potential for online videos as a new and distinct communication medium. Yet again, it's time for communicators to proactively consider how they should be using a new medium in their communication efforts — if they haven't already.
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Go Put Your Strengths to Work
Marcus Buckingham has challenged the common concept that one should "build around your strengths and manage around your weaknesses." In his presentation to the 2007 Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Buckingham expanded on the concept of developing an individual's strengths that has been the focus of his recent books. While most people believe one will be more successful by fixing their weaknesses rather than building on their strengths, Buckingham claims the opposite is true. The Gallup poll that identified this sentiment only shows most people think it's a "remedial world," he said (apologies to Madonna). Buckingham claims the only way to improve is to study excellence. A strength-based approach to personal and organizational improvement is better than one focused on trying to identify the opposite of failure (the opposite of bad is only "not bad," he quipped). As examples, he cited the new field of positive psychology, as well as the Purnell School. The latter, a school for girls with learning problems in Pottersville, New Jersey, has developed an "affinity program" to help identify and build on individual strengths. It is not surprising that people focus more on weaknesses than on strengths. In fact, a survey showed that people only spend only 17 percent of their days on activities that play to their strengths. Buckingham presented three myths to show the importance of concentrating on strengths as part of our personal, professional and organizational development plans: MYTH: As you grow, you personality changes MYTH: You'll grow most where you're weakest. MYTH: A great team member puts his strength aside for the team. Buckingham recommended several ways to identify your strengths: Take an assessment like "Strengths Finder" or Myers Briggs, or DISC Learn to talk about you strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining. As you verbalize it will help you clarify as well. Create a list of activities as you do them during the week. Then record each on a sheet with two columns. Label the left column "I loved it" and the right column "I loathed it."
You can use the acronym "Sign" to know what a possible strength is. However, just because you are "good" at something might not mean it is a strength. How an activity makes you feel will drive if you get better at it, and thus might indicate a strength. On the other hand, you may enjoy something but not be that good at it (that's called a hobby): S-Success - what you feel effective at (not just "good"). After you have list, pick the three strongest ones and write a strength statement for each: "I feel strong when…" These should be drawn from your experience and specific. Then, change something in your routine each week. Put together a "Strong Week Plan" to push yourself toward your identified strengths. We are each responsible for identifying and developing our strengths so that we become better leaders – to help achieve our personal and professional missions. Books & Resources by Marcus Buckingham Go put your strengths to work
TRUTH: As goes grow you become more of who you already are. The challenge is how to channel your strengths. The goal is to lead where you are.
TRUTH: You'll grow most where you're already strong. When your child brings home a report card with all A's except for one F, you would do well to talk about the A's. You don't talk about the A grades to say, "Jolly good, well done." Instead you talk about the A grades to determine why they're succeeding in those areas so you can apply that to the area getting "F" grade.
TRUTH: What your team needs is for you to take yourself seriously enough to determine where to volunteer your efforts the most.
I-Instinct - things you look forward to.
G-Growth - things that you enjoy learning or doing. You lose track of time doing these things.
N-Need - things that fulfill a need.
Now discover your strengths
First break all the rules
One thing you need to know
Free, six-week podcast program on iTunes
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Hospitals Using Social & New Media for 'Storytelling' and More
Al Maruggi of Provident Partners and The Marketing Edge podcast (iTunes link) has posted a video of his presentation, "Storytelling Using the New Media," to the Minnesota Healthcare Strategy and Communication Network annual conference on July 20, 2007. In the presentation, he covers use of podcasting, videocasting and social media for hospital marketing, physician relations and public relations (Full disclosure: yours truely is one of the interviewees). Here is a detailed outline of the topics he hits upon (full video, 24 min.):
Use of podcasting for CME and physician relations Leveraging the investment existing community education classes through podcasting classes How Johns Hopkins is using podcasting extensively, including an innovative use to reach the families of Alzheimer's patients A description of how new patients can arrive at a doctor's appointment with a high degree comfort due to what they've learned through that physician's podcast and its supporting resources How the theory and impact behind social media springs from individual's desire to be a) recognized and b) part of a group Evidence that society is getting used to viewing and using video and social tools as shown by the recent YouTube candidate debates Use of audio and video to enhance news releases in the same way the New York Times is extending their content online The importance of budging for at least some video to convey emotional aspects of treating the human condition RealSavvyMoms.com as an example of creating credibility by combining peer-to-peer communication with expert commentary in a co-branded opportunity for hospitals (iTunes link) Why, because of the importance of branding for hospitals, the quality of video is more important than quantity of programs How patient and family blogs are more than just a convenient communication tool, they are also an emotional and cathartic service that hospitals can provide Three steps for identifying where to look for podcasting opportunities at your hospital
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More Marketing Humor for Thursdays
In case you have a hard time getting the hang of Thursdays, here are a few links that might help:
The difference between marketing, advertising and public relations fully explained Funny television commercials from around the wo