by Next Wave Team | Jul 6, 2007 | Advertising, Careers in Advertising, Change the world, Differentiating Your Brand, Great Ad Agencies, The Craft Of Advertising
I never met Lois Wyse, but I’ve known her work since I was a wee tyke.
Lois Wyse, pioneer advertising exec, has died - Plain Dealer Metro News
Lois Wyse, who co-founded Wyse Advertising in Cleveland in 1951 and wrote the slogan, “With a name like Smucker’s it has to be good,” died early this morning at age 80.
Writing taglines that stand the test of time isn’t easy. Being a woman in the male-dominated ad business of the Fifties wasn’t easy either.
My deepest respects to her family, friends, and the people who continue in her footsteps at Wyse. We’ve lost a star in advertising today.
by Next Wave Team | Jul 6, 2007 | Ad Agenices in Dayton, OH, Advertising Case Studies for The Next Wave, Brand Relevancy, Change the world, Differentiating Your Brand, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of advertising, How To Select An Ad Agency, Marketing & the Web, Practical Marketing 101, Search and Business, Web strategy
The old cowhand expression goes “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” is how advertising agencies often feel about our clients.
Coming up with the “big idea” is one thing- getting the client to buy it- can be infinitely more difficult. Sometimes, even when you have a client who thinks you are brilliant- they run into an “expert” who convinces them that their ad agency can’t possibly know how to make the web work for them- and that they should “trust” them.
This was the case with our client Zen Windows- a small business that we provided the tools to compete and win against much bigger and better capitalized business heavyweights. Our name, our tagline: Zen Windows, Relax, window quotes in five minutes, set them apart from the high-pressure, hard-sell, commissioned window sales companies in Columbus Ohio. Our simple web strategy involved using blog technology to keep Zen Windows at the top of search- for many terms- not just keywords. Unfortunately- the client drank from another cup- and so yesterday, when I saw we had gotten a google hit for “Zen Windows”- I checked to see what was generating the hit- and it was our post showcasing his logo. Considering “Zen” is the name of a hit MP3 player, and “Windows” is the leading operating system- the fact that our technology and our logo got first position in Google is a miracle. Considering that his company didn’t show up in the first 30 hits is a testimony to the snake oil salesman that told him he could build a better website for Zen Windows.
If you aren’t showing up in the first 30 results (or 3 pages) of Google for your own company name, you should be talking to an ad agency that truly understands integrated marketing communications and site construction for optimal search results (not just SEO or Search Engine Optimization- which we believe to be voodoo).
The funny thing is that the new site doesn’t look much different than the design we began with. But, the developer added Flash video to the home page. Flash, but no bang-for-the buck. You decide- what you want- snake oil- or results?
The Next Wave is marketing • innovation for a reason.
by Next Wave Team | Jul 4, 2007 | Advertising, Apple Advertising, Brand Relevancy, Change the world, Design, Differentiating Your Brand, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Practical Marketing 101
The iPhone is a beautiful device- but it’s an even better marketing case study.
Up until the iPhone mobile phone service providers like Cingular, Verizon, T-mobile, Sprint, Nextel, Blackberry etc. talked about coverage, price, service, products or service. Differentiation techniques included Nextel’s walkie-talkie function, T-mobile’s five friend deal, Verizon with their “network” and “Can you hear me know” tagline, AT&T claimed more bars, Sprint had “an all digital network” and Blackberry delivered e-mail.
Now- everyone is looking for an iPhone killer- with multi-touch screens coming fast and furious and a new look at “Smart Phone” features. But what the telco’s are missing is that the iPhone phenomena isn’t about technology, it’s not about cool design, it’s not (well almost not) about status- it’s about providing a better user experience. It’s experiential marketing- and it’s something all the Telcos have missed from day one.
Apple understands the integration of form, function and the user experience better than most brands. What has set a Macintosh apart from the competition isn’t just the superior industrial design- but the experience of working with a computer. Apple integrates the hardware and the software to just work better and has from day one. Plug-n-play has been the standard since the Mac launched- no configuration necessary. It’s that kind of approach to the integration of technology into the users life that’s making Apple the instant king of the mobile telecom market.
For example: after the third time my non-smart phone had died- and I couldn’t restore my contacts with the help of the people at the Sprint store- I switched to a “Smart phone” that allowed me to sync my contacts to my computer. How hard could it be for Sprint to keep my data backed up on their server for a phone? Easy- and privacy shouldn’t be an issue- since they already log all my calls. Has Sprint thought about that? Of course not- they aren’t concerned with the user- except when the bill doesn’t get paid.
It’s been said that the cell phone is the most important fashion accessory to teens. Marketers who still believe in brand loyalty- always strive to reach this market to develop long lasting relationships- yet few have really analyzed what the teen market wants. Outside of the price of the iPhone- it integrates the complete students wardrobe electronic accessory closet- a music/video player, a phone, a camera, e-mail and IM functions, web browsing. Except for the missing video camera- this is the ultimate teen toy. And if you think price is an issue- remember the first 5gb iPods were $500 and didn’t take long to own 70+% of the mp3 player market.
Apple is once again showing an entire industry that changing the experience of how consumers use a device is more important than price, service, or your “brand.”
Differentiation/innovation is the only sustainable competitive advantage in marketing. Lower prices and sales aren’t what they used to be. Providing a better experience is what is turning the iPhone into the fast selling consumer electronics device ever.
How can you change your delivery of products and services into a better, simpler, easier experience? That should be your first step in marketing anything today.
That’s the next wave in marketing and innovation.
