Posts Tagged ‘brand storytelling’
Prices Are Stories
Just because someone has the money to pay what you’re charging doesn’t mean they’re your ideal customer.
Read MoreDon’t Manipulate Me, Move Me
There’s a difference between a good story and a great story. A good story gets our attention. A great story changes us. Successful marketing campaigns and brand stories don’t convince us. They move us. A good leader gets our vote, and sometimes, our respect. A great leader gains our loyalty, and often, our love. We…
Read MoreWithout You
If I were to ask you to explain your company’s ‘value proposition’ you’d probably hesitate. But if I asked you what your customer would miss if your work didn’t exist, you’d likely have some thoughtful answers about why she needs what you make, serve or sell. Sometimes the language and frames we use stop us…
Read MoreThe Two Rules Of Good Marketing
The best marketing does two things: 1. It empowers people to make decisions now that they won’t regret later. 2. It helps people to do the things they want to do. If you’re helping the people you serve to do both of these things, you can proudly say you’re a good marketer. Image by Eric…
Read MoreBuild A Trust Engine
In the golden age of the advertising businesses of all sizes relied on ads to promote and sell their products. Giant corporations reached us via TV and whole page newspaper ads. Small businesses got our attention by placing small ads in the local newspaper. In the past advertising allowed average products to gain traction. Now…
Read MoreWhat’s At Stake For Your Customer?
We often use customer insights to inform product and service development. Throughout the process, our goal is always to empathise with the customer. But sometimes the language we use stops us from achieving that goal. For example, it’s harder to imagine a particular person with a problem by making a list of customer ‘pain points’,…
Read MoreProud Work
When I was growing up, work was a means to an end for many of the breadwinners in our neighbourhood. Work meant food in the bellies and clothes on the backs of the people you loved. There is both dignity and joy in providing, especially when you’ve gone hungry and shoeless, as my father often…
Read MoreWhat’s On Your ‘Not To Do’ List?
Back in 2007, the New York Times called Apple’s decision not to add a mechanical keyboard to the iPhone their billion dollar gamble). That decision worked out pretty well for Apple. Some of the most successful ideas in the world were born from a conviction about the things the creator, founder or company would not…
Read MoreEasy Does It
Our expectations about the quality of products have increased exponentially with our ability to perfect the things we produce. When quality improves our tolerance for mistakes plummets. Interestingly, the same isn’t true for human interactions. Even though digital technology has enabled degrees of efficiency beyond our wildest dreams our expectations about how people will use…
Read MoreHow Much Information Is Enough?
When do we know it’s safe to cross the road? How much information do we need about how far away that truck is and how fast it’s going to decide whether to step off the pavement? How much information does your customer need before deciding she trusts you? As people who sell things or ideas,…
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