public relations Archives by Mark Murnahan

Marketing and Brand Consistency: Check Your Gargoyles

Check Your Branding Gargoyles

Your gargoyles say more about your brand than you may think. They are your front line. If your marketing doesn’t match, you’re asking for trouble.

I recently responded to a blog article written by Kay Ross, who wrote about the faces we put forward in a marketing message. Kay’s article is titled “In Your Marketing, To Thine Own Self Be True“, and it reminded me of many observations I have made about the overall feel of companies during my career, and personal encounters.

That “feel” of a company is what makes up a brand, and when it’s done well it involves every aspect of the company, and extends far beyond the marketing department. I want to share some thoughts about your brand, and I believe you will be able to relate to this from both a consumer and business viewpoint.

The topic which was addressed in Kay’s blog came from one of her subscribers who asked the question as follows: “Which is more important when communicating with your audience: say things you really want to say, or say things that people want to hear?”

Should there really be such a disparity between the two? If the marketing is reaching the appropriate audience, it should not have to be one or the other. The way I interpreted this question, it led me to imagine the question as whether it is acceptable to fake it in your marketing. If you know my brand at all, you can place your bets now about where I stand.

Let Them Love You, But Realize You Cannot Force Them

As I read that question, I immediately thought of something I once wrote titled “Polarize Your Audience and Stop Making Everybody Happy“. In that piece, I used examples of companies like Apple and Google, who understand their brand enough to stand behind it.

You will never make everybody love you – so don’t even try. Trying to be everything to everybody will only serve to dilute your brand integrity and create a “wishy-washy” brand message. People don’t like that in politics, and they don’t like it elsewhere, either. That doesn’t mean ignoring anyone or treating them badly … but you should realize there is always a good, better, and best customer for any company.

Instead of creating a false brand loyalty, I suggest looking closer for the ones who will find a connection with your brand, before you assume you should re-brand. You’ve got one brand to work with, so you should understand it well, and embrace it. Kay and I agree that it is important to know what you are about, and stick with it. I think most people would agree with that point, once they give it a little consideration.

Don’t Make it “Us Versus Them” … Make it “Us With Them”

Many companies struggle to strike a perfect balance between what others want from them, and what they are willing and capable of delivering. This means there is a gap between the two parties – the company and the consumer. In most cases, there is a huge gap, and it’s why you would be wasting your time to try and sell me knitting needles. This is exactly why it is extremely important for any company offering anything to anybody to realize the message I shared in an article titled ““Everybody” is Not Your Target Market!” Please feel free to read that thought provoking piece. This one will still be here when you get back.

Gaps Between Companies and Consumers

Shrinking that gap between the company and consumers is extremely important, but try to imagine it like another kind of relationship for a moment. When I was a single guy, I tried to make myself more attractive to ladies – but not just any ladies. I wanted a certain type who would want what I offered and understand my vision. I could have let it change me completely, but wouldn’t that eventually fail?

Try a Friendlier Gargoyle

I wanted the type who fit my offer just right. If I faked who I was, it would have potentially led me down a really ugly path of disillusioned ladies – ladies who would warn the other ladies – and it could have left me single even longer.

I fixed my hair just right, I shaved extra close, and I adapted to things like closing the bathroom door. That’s right – when I met my wife, Peggy, I would close the bathroom door if I needed to stink the place up. That doesn’t mean I’d go out of my way to hide the fact that I stink the place up sometimes … I just kept it a bit more courteous. I didn’t fart at the dinner table, either … I waited until we made it out the restaurant door.

Now imagine if I just held it until she left. Can you imagine how much gas and poo I would have held back? Then imagine if she had married me for all my amazing (but fake) charm. I mean, can you imagine finding a non-pooing, non-gaseous guy? She would have surely loved me even more, but what if I had sealed the deal based on that fakeness?

Wouldn’t she be disappointed later, when she found out that I can curl the bathroom paint? Wouldn’t she have really hated it once she realized that each of our three babies poo, too?

Now put that in terms of a company brand message. Even pooing companies with gas are charming and “perfect” to somebody. In the case of marketing, that usually means a lot of people. By reaching that perfect segment, you can encounter something I’ve said many times, and that is as follows:

I don’t try to please everybody, and that pleases some people very much.

Perception Shaping Versus Waiting to Poo

Shaping the perception of consumers is important, but letting your integrity slip just to tell them what they want to hear is not the right answer. I believe that each and every company can do a better job of closing the gap between the company and their ideal consumer. It requires research and paying close attention, and when companies can get out of their own way, that market research and paying attention serves them very well. What I refuse to advocate in is glazing over the things that make the company what it is, and creating a false perception that can later be discovered as such.

In the article by Kay Ross, she cited something I said in a piece titled “Great Marketing is Not About You … Hogwash!” In that article, I explained ways that is really is about you, and that the people of an organization are what makes it special.

About Those Gargoyles …

I want to share what I wrote in my response to Kay’s article. I’ll paraphrase, but I invite you to see her original article and the comments there, as well.

Is This Your Gargoyle?

My take-off, based on the article, was to address how company cultures spread throughout the company, and how valuable or destructive that can be. I based it on things I have seen over a long period of time, as a marketing consultant, a corporate officer, and a consumer. I suspect you can find instances where something similar has created an impression with you, about a company.

In my experience, if a company has a mean gargoyle as their gatekeeper, it is easy to expect it throughout the company. On the other hand, if that gargoyle is helpful and friendly, it is often a sign of the company’s culture – their brand. If it is faked in the marketing, it becomes obvious very quickly.

You can experience this right now, by simply considering how you feel about any given restaurant, retail store, doctor’s office, cellular provider, or any other brand experience you’ve had. Somebody set the brand feel in motion from the very start. Whether that came directly from the marketing department or elsewhere, it begins to forge your view of the company. If that brand message is inconsistent with your experience, it is easy to become very critical of the company. It can also become very enticing to share that feeling with others. Thus, it is wise to know your brand and not waiver from it.

Here is my longer answer, based on Kay’s blog:

I believe that the personality of a company shows through very clearly, and in many ways. If you try to cover it with a veil, it only serves a wasteful agenda, and I’ll get to that, but I’ll give an example first.

I very recently reached out to the senior vice president and CMO of a large and extraordinarily visible corporation. When I called for a follow-up and reached his assistant, I was met with a very friendly and helpful demeanor from his personal “gargoyle”.

In decades of dealing with everything from large corporations to small “mom and pop” companies, I have always found a strong similarity in the attitudes of people across a whole company … from top to bottom, and side to side. People adapt to their companies, and you can tell a lot about the company by how those people treat you.

Sure, it’s easy to discount the fact that the first impression sets an expected tone, which it does, but I find it to be true that the culture of a company spreads to all edges of the organization, and can seldom be faked very well.

Since I’m not citing broad statistics (although I could), you may imagine that I’m just imagining this, but consider your own experiences for a clearer picture.

When you look at it in this way, doesn’t it make good sense to show off the true culture of the company, rather than faking it? Although it can often influence products or services, that culture does not exist within the products or the services themselves. It exists in the people, and it becomes integrated across the company. It strongly influences their brand, regardless of what their marketing portrays.

When I say that trying to cover it up only serves a wasteful agenda, I look at it like this: If your company is not likable, and people don’t feel good about it, the company will probably never be able to buy enough faceless and nameless advertisements to make up for the cost of lost opportunities.

Without the people, a company is just a hollow shell. That goes for all shapes and sizes of companies. They may last a long time, but they seldom realize extraordinary growth and the full potential of their market.

In summary, please consider this: If you stray from the things which make up your brand just to make your marketing appealing, it is best to revisit those gargoyles and get them in shape, first.

The value of “human collateral” should not be neglected. The people within your organization make up a huge portion of the brand, and it is nearly impossible to convincingly change it without changing the people, themselves.

If you project a brand message that is not consistent with the consumer’s experience, they will see through it. When they do, the outcome is not favorable, it is best to get it right from the beginning.

Photo Credit:
Gargoyle by Jeff Egnaczyk via Flickr
Friendly Gargoyle by Michael Napoleon via Flickr
Scary Gargoyle by Andrew Barden via Flickr

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Make it Harder to Leave, But Increase the Odds That You Will

I was just looking at my lawn, and it inspired me. Yes, it sounds silly, but hear me out. I will tell you a story, and maybe even plant a seed or two about getting the most from your life … starting now!

I want to pose a thought of how one of the famously noted “Seven Deadly Sins” can be effectively used, in moderation, to improve your business and personal life.

This is a story of taking inventory of life and business, and I hope you will use it for your benefit. First, I will explain why I took a closer inventory in my front yard this morning.

Back in late 2008, I became a reluctant participant of this thing we have called “economic recession”. Yeah, I am one of those CEO fellas who screwed up the whole economy. I was whacked hard and fast when multiple of my suppliers laid off thousands of employees and dropped some of the services I provided to customers. It was not anything within my control, and not my fault at all. A lot of jobs were lost, and a lot of pay cuts were handed down. Being heavily invested in my company, I took the biggest hit. In fact, I accepted it with pride, because I helped a lot of other people’s ships sink much slower.

Before the untimely meltdown, I lived in a very unique way. I was sitting pretty, just months from a young retirement. I enjoyed an amazing family life, with everything set to focus on being a full-time husband, daddy, and race car driver.

I pranced around in a custom built home with 5,000 square feet, that was perfectly ready to fill with babies. I enjoyed new Corvettes, Hummers, Jaguars, Escalades, fancy artwork, custom motorcycles, limousines, first class vacations, kickass clothes, and … you know, the whole ten yards. Sure, the common saying is “the whole nine yards“, but I added a few feet. Heck, I didn’t need credit, but I still found some good reasons to send over $50,000 per month to credit card companies. Yeah, I know … fifty grand per month … insane, right?!

I was feeling pretty proud of myself as I was living large, but not because I was living large. I did a fine job, and I became helpful to a lot of people. I turned out far better than my teachers expected when I left school for the last time at 15 years old. I had come a long way from the challenges of my youth. That feeling of pride was what got me moving, and kept me working harder. Yes, feelings of pride really can create a lot of drive in a person … keep reading.

In the big shuffle, I realized that there was a huge emotional backlash. It made things a lot more stressful, and I started losing the happy-go-lucky skip in my step. I was working more hours than before, and even more than in the earliest years of my company.

Something I saw then, and work hard to see each day, is possibility. I saw the possibility to grow, learn, and do more. I even took the initiative to write a few books, and a squillion blog posts about good marketing.

So, let me tell you something I learned along the way, and that I revisited this morning.

How You Feel Means a Lot!

I have observed that an incredible amount of potential comes from feeling good about yourself and the things you do. Sure, there is a list out there of “Seven Deadly Sins“, but I think one of them is a tool which is instrumental for success, if used in moderation. The one I considered early this morning as I looked at my lawn before the sun came up is “Pride”.

Feeling proud of yourself, your products or services, and who you are can create monumental changes in your life. Knowing that you are doing good things for good reasons helps your subconscious mind to discover ways to keep doing it, and doing it better. Feeling good, and being positive is not just some silly hype that motivational speakers sell. It really does matter, and this is something I want you to think about.

I moved to a smaller home in 2010, and I cut back on the fancy lifestyle. Although some would still call me “Mr. Fancy Pants”, my pants are not nearly as fancy as they once were. I used wisdom, and some regret, while downsizing my life during the recession. There were many things, like my racing career, that took a back seat. A lot changed, and in case you ever wondered, you are not alone if you saw some changes, too.

Even after those changes, I still have a fantastic life in many ways. I have a wife and three kids who give me great pride. I am better at my job than ever, and I feel very proud of what I do to help businesses grow their market.

It may seem absolutely silly to you, but something that got me to thinking about this is looking at my lawn as the seeds I recently planted begin to sprout and turn green. It was a matter of pride that inspired me to plant that new seed this spring. I decided that even in a smaller home, with a smaller yard, I still wanted to make my scaled-down piece of awesomeness a bit harder to leave when it comes time.

Yes, I actually did stand in my driveway this early morning, look back toward my home, and realize something very cool that I feel is worth telling you. As uncomfortable as it may sound, I’ll bet you have some seeds to plant as well.

My Questions to You:

This “lawn moment” of mine really made me wonder about you, and what you are doing, and how you feel. So, I have some questions for you, and I hope you are not too chicken to answer them … at least to yourself.

What has given you pride in your life or your business that has been neglected, and that you could resurrect?
What little things will you notice today which inspire you?
What “seeds” can you plant to help bring you closer to things you want?
What seeds are you planting today?

Yes, this is still a blog about marketing, so don’t get confused. If your answers to these questions have anything to do with growing your business, I want to remind you that the best time to sow a seed is long before you want the plant. Don’t let fear or lack of pride get between you and a greener lawn. Take pride in your work, and spread it with others around you. People really will notice, whether it is a boss, an employee, or a customer … when you have true and sincere pride, it will show.

Waiting for greener pastures, or looking over the fence at the neighbor’s grass will not help unless you are prepared to get started now!

That’s my marketing message for today. Just as I said in the title: “Make it Harder to Leave, But Increase the Odds That You Will”. I am doing that with my home today, just as I do with my business. I may soon leave here and move on to bigger and better things, but if I don’t make it a little harder to leave, and nicer to remember, then I am not doing all that I can!

Are you doing all that you can?

I hope that you will reflect on this with sincerity, and if you know somebody who can benefit from taking a better personal and/or business inventory, do them a favor and share it with them.

Photo Credit: Grass by Ian T. McFarland via Flickr

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Anybody Will Sell You Stuff: Some Will Ask “What About You?”

Listening Builds Friendships ... and Companies! — Listening Builds Friendships
... and Companies!

Let’s consider a trait that we can each benefit from, and most of us should work harder to achieve. I will tell it in personal terms, and then explain how it applies to marketing a business.

I am sure you must know somebody who makes you feel comfortable to talk with about anything you want to talk about. When I find myself encountering this rare-as-a-unicorn person who just wants to know about me, and the things I want, it almost feels awkward at first, but in a uniquely good way.

I am talking about those people who listen attentively and do more than just nod their head and yawn as you ramble, while waiting to assert their agenda. I mean the kind who draw you in and make you feel totally comfortable to want what you want, think what you think, and be who you are. You tell them things, because they actually show their interest in you.

When you encounter this type of person, it is easy to feel that their story has got to be a great one. Their expressed interest in you has made them more interesting, and it makes you want to know them better, and to hear their side. Suddenly, there is a desire to switch things around and make the conversation more about them, what they want, what they think, and how you can be a better friend to them.

I hope that you have had the privilege to know somebody like I have described here. If so, you are probably nodding and smiling as you think of the way it makes you feel about them. It may even make you want to ring them on the phone to catch up on things since you last spoke.

Applying Listening to Marketing a Brand

Think about how you feel in a scenario where a person really cares what you have to say. I don’t mean the kind who fake it, but rather the kind where you can sense a sincere interest in you. Don’t you want to be more like them?

Have you ever encountered this feeling that you are talking too much and listening too little? All of the sudden you feel a little bit like a conversation hog, but it is so hard to change. When you want more business, you have to talk more, and it becomes hard to remember those listening skills.

This “listening person” we all enjoy is often there, in the back of our mind, but they are very hard to emulate. What I described is a common dynamic of any relationship, but the special ones we think so kindly about are simply better at it than we are.

In business, we each have our agenda, and our sets of rules for what we think is the best outcome for our own interests. We plan things in ways that we will get what we want out of the relationship, and deviating from that plan is a threat. It is simply against the rules.

In marketing, it is very popular to be the one doing all the talking, and nod and yawn while customers try to tell us what they want. I see extreme selfishness every day in marketing. I see it most profoundly online, because it is easy for companies to scream louder when they think that nobody is listening.

It is important to notice when our set of rules and a selfish mindset diminishes our potential. This is a common outcome when we forget to listen and be that person who becomes more interesting simply by being genuinely interested.

Consider for just a moment the instances when it may be best to approach business as a bit more of an interested introvert, and less of an interesting extrovert. It may create a chance to reset your objectives and become a better “friend” to your customers. The outcome will often be that you will become more interesting, and others will think kindly and smile when they think of your business. The good news is that this truly is scalable to any size of brand!

Are you taking enough time to ask people “What about you?” I guess we could call compassion and listening matters of “growing up” or “wisdom”, but I believe that we can each do more to cultivate our listening and caring skills.

How can you better address the importance of listening to what people want? Will you do the necessary research? Will you take that extra time to slow down and get to know what people want and expect of you?

What do you have to say about this? I welcome your comments, and I want to know “What about you?”

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Tylenol Cyanide Murders Reflected in Social Media

In 1982 when the world heard that somebody had laced Tylenol products with potassium cyanide, many people were terrified to take a Tylenol for their headache for fear it would kill them. Some caution was in order, for certain. I remember my mother dumping out any Tylenol we had in the house after watching the reports on television. Was it realistic to believe we actually had laced Tylenol in our own home? Probably not, but similar types of unrealistic caution and chaos are still happening every day in social media. Can you imagine how many more people would have been trying to capitalize on those news stories if Twitter was around back then?

The Tylenol cyanide murders of 1982 changed a lot of consumer views. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the packaging of nearly any product. Before 1982, product packaging was much less secure. Many products could easily be tampered and you would never know it. This created a lot of change in the world, and it resembles changes that we see in social media. From location-aware service causing home burglaries to swine flu (H1N1) killing millions, to social media marketing, the Internet is wrought with fear-selling. I will give you some examples and hope you see the similarities.

Location Aware Social Media

There have been a handful of reports of people’s homes being burglarized after they made a Foursquare, Twitter, or other social media service update while away from home. This is a very personal matter that I neither strongly advocate nor oppose, but as an observer, I think the reactions are a bit overzealous. All of the sudden, there is a huge wave of concern for home security making headlines. It didn’t take many burglaries to see a mob mentality take shape and for people to use fear to spread a message. A smaller number of people made the point that only because you make an update away from home does not mean that nobody else is home. Even fewer made the point that it may be better to be away from home while the burglar is at work.

Swine Flu Put Twitter Over Capacity

I blogged about the Swine Flu (H1N1) spread on Twitter very early, on 25 April 2009. It was an amazing case of how quickly things can be passed along, but also how little vetting and how much corruption can happen in communications. I also wrote about concerns of real-time social journalism vs. professionally vetted journalism. Fears are easy to promote, while facts are often a bit harder to produce.

Social Media is a Great Marketing Tool

When the world heard that social media is a great marketing tool, the masses rushed in. It seems that every public relations rep, advertising rep, or SEO who was starving in their line of work decided to starve selling social media services instead. Note that those fields are not dead. There are still successful PR firms, advertising agencies, and even SEO who do not sell social media consulting and marketing services at all. Although each of these services are deeply intertwined, many of the people who made significant efforts to focus on social media above their previous focus did so because they were already at a low production level. It seems that since many of them saw a bunch of people talking about their business on Facebook, they signed up for everything they could get their hands on and hung their shingle as a social media expert. That should get them rich beyond all belief, right?

This can initially create more of a problem than a solution for the industry. It creates great challenges for people to filter quality. At the same time, there is the positive side, in that it causes the cream to rise to the top, so to speak. Business uses the same law of nature that we call “survival of the fittest” and the weak will starve and eventually die.

As we wait for the weak or less talented to die their slow miserable death, we endure these times of turmoil. Saying that anybody can provide a justifiable service to a company in social media is like saying that any guy off the street can be Tom Brokaw or Walter Cronkite. Sure, they can report something, and they can even make it believable, but is there a sustained value? We shall see, but in the end, I believe it all comes out well.

In the famous words of Walter Cronkite, “… and that’s the way it is.”