Offers Vs. Offerings

Every July, (winter here in Australia, maybe summer where you are) and six months out from Christmas the big chain stores have an all caps ‘TOY SALE’. The toys are unremarkable, and they are marketed in an unremarkable, 20% off, when they’re gone they’re gone kind of way. The lesson is don’t miss out. Next…

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10 Things A Brand Does

A brand….. 1. Creates meaning around your product or service. 2. Determines what you sell, where and when. 3. Dictates the price range you can sell at. 4. Influences the kind of customers you can sell to. 5. Changes how people feel about commodities. 6. Sets expectations. 7. Affects the kind of staff you can…

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Measurable Or Important

In marketing as in management what we can measure gets done. But do metrics enable us to tick the right boxes, or are we ignoring what’s really important? When I was pregnant with my second son, the local health authority set about improving patient waiting times at antenatal clinics. Performance indicators were set. A nursing…

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The 20 Keys To A Brand Story

A brand story is more than a narrative. The story goes beyond the copy on a website, the text in a brochure, or the presentation used to pitch to investors. Your story isn’t just what you tell people. It’s what they believe about you based on the signals your brand sends. The story is a…

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Why Starbucks Wins

You could have made a cup of instant coffee at home for a few cents this morning. Or you could even have splashed out on a flavoured Nespresso, brewed in your kitchen at 60 cents a shot. So why did you go to Starbucks and pay eight times that price for a commodity? A marketer…

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Return On Relevance

Have you noticed how you react lately to unsolicited email or a cold call? Our interruption tolerance threshold is decreasing at a rapid rate and businesses and advertisers know it. In Australia we even have a do not knock register. Are people demanding one where you live? The people you want to speak to decide…

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Closing The Sale

It was a mid-week afternoon and the jewellery store was empty. Three assistants, and one customer shopping for a ring. A selection of diamonds was presented. The assistant talked about size and shape, colour and clarity, and a twelve week wait when she couldn’t find a ring to fit. The customer made to leave. She…

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The Opportunity Of The Disconnection Economy

If there’s one thing I really hate it’s queuing. You too? And we’re not alone. Innovators are spending their time working on projects to make frustrated one-click, 21st century humans worry less about the time they might be wasting, just waiting. There are red traffic lights with countdowns that encourage drivers to be more patient,…

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You Don’t Need A Marketing Plan

Every business has a plan. Even if it’s written on the back of a Post-it note. The plan talks about the idea. Who it’s for. How to bring it to market, at what cost and how to get the word out. That final piece of the puzzle is your marketing plan, and yes it’s usually…

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