Word of mouth is as easy as PSE

By David Horne, 3 August, 2010, 2 Comments

I think we complicate word-of-mouth (WOM). Many organizations spend countless hours trying to get their Youtube video to go viral. Facebook and Twitter, let’s not go there. Here is a simple strategy for creating WOM and building brand value.

PSE Marketing

1. Perfect your product and story

2. Set expectations with valuable online content

3. Exceed expectations offline

Last week I saw Tommy Emmanuel live. He is by far one of the best guitarists in the universe. I heard about Tommy from my friend Rob Blackwell (an amazing songwriter and musician too).

1. Perfect your product and story- Tommy Emmanuel has played guitar almost every day since he was four years old. Tommy grew up as a gypsy in Australia. He has toured and played live since he was five. He has been awarded numerous awards and is considered by man to be the best in the world. And to top it all off, he is humble and generous, donating countless hours and dollars to charities and ministries around the world.

You have to figure out what your story is for your brand or organization. What are the things that make it unique and shared experiences that make it relatable to your audience? Your product has to back up your story. Tommy’s product is his playing. He backs up the story by playing mind blowing guitar. You need to purge your product of mediocrity and perfect it.

2. Set expectations with valuable online content- If you search for Tommy Emmanuel in Google, many videos will come up showing him playing live or on tv. Hearing and seeing these videos sets an expectation in your mind of what you will experience watching him in person. Everywhere he is mentioned, from blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc., his performances are heralded. As I watched these videos an expectation of what interactions offline would be like started to form.

The same will happen for your company as customers and consumers find and explore your digital thumbprint. The content you publish will set an expectation level in the minds of the folks that interact with you online. Valuable and relevant content combined with responsiveness will create the right expectations.

3. Exceed expectations offline- Seeing Tommy Emmanuel live blew what I thought I was in for away. My experience was better than the expectations set by watching videos and comments online. I left telling everyone about that show. I encouraged people to check him out as I told them what they would see. I am now setting expectations for the people I know would want to hear him play.

Organizations sometimes believe the digital and social media arm of your business is separate from your offline business. I disagree. I think they work together. Continuity will help you exceed your customers expectations and move them towards connection. Connecting grows into advocacy and creates word of mouth.

Following the simple PSE Marketing strategy will build your brand and create word of mouth exposure. The misconception is this is a one time execution. It should be continual. Always work to make your story better and your product more remarkable. Always create great content online and on social platforms to set expectations. Always back up those expectations with authentic and amazing client experiences.

What is your best client experience from a brand?

photo credit: Paull Young

A match made in marketing heaven

By David Horne, 27 April, 2010, 1 Comment

Toms Shoes + Whole Foods = match made in marketing heaven

Recently, I was in Winston Salem and witnessed the marketing arranged marriage between TOMS and Whole Foods. I have to admit these two are perfect for each other. Well done Brad Otts, the cupid in this love story. Here is a link about the matrimony between TOMS & Whole Foods.

When I was in college Dr. Hanson talked a lot about the Marketing Mix and its Four Ps; Price, Promotion, Place, and Product. When two brands share these ingredients, a good partnership will result. Let’s take a look:

Price: This is how much the customer pays for the product. TOMS and Whole Foods do not sell average products. They are not selling toothpicks. When you are buying toothpicks you go for cheap. Brand is less important. All you want to do is get the spinach out of your teeth so the person next to you doesn’t run away. They are selling something with similar perceived value and a comparative price. Customers that pay for Whole Foods groceries will also pay for TOMS shoes.

Takeaway: Do you price your product or service to match the perceived value of your audience? Do you bottom feed on price? Only try to be the cheapest if it makes sense. Sell your goods at a fair price that satisfies your tribe.

Promotion: These brands have parallel paths in this part of the mix. Their Advertising, PR, Word-of-Mouth, Point-of-Sale, and New Media channels reach the same target. Their promotion segments a specific person in mind. To me promotion is best done by telling a story. TOMS’ and Whole Foods’ stories speak to the same audience.

Takeaway: Identify your ideal customers. Be relevant to their needs and tell the stories they want to be characters in.

Place: Location is still important. Be where you are found. TOMS’ ideal prospects shop at Whole Foods and Whole Foods’ ideal prospects wear Toms shoes.

Takeaway: In the digital landscape place is equally important. Find where your customers and prospects are by using twitter search, blogs, google, facebook, youtube, etc.

Product: Most importantly the products are compatible. You won’t find Nikes in Whole Foods or TOMS in Walmart. This relationship works because the products have the same suit. It is hard to build continuity with spades and diamonds. The suits don’t match. TOMS’ and Whole Foods’ customers are socially conscience, eco-friendly, and “Organic.” They are both hearts. They influence and are influenced by the same culture (check out Jackie Adkins regarding the influence of culture).

Takeaway: Product relationships have to be able to leverage the same ecosystems. You wouldn’t pair McDonald’s with Dom Pérignon. You would pair Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. Leverage will make your marketing invisible.

These Ps aren’t the only ones. There are also some Cs and Ss and Rs. I do hope you think about what you are trying to accomplish with developing your brand and growing your business. In the article above, Brad, talks about the how Whole foods understands what TOMS is about and would want to be a part of it. That is gold. They built a mutually beneficial relationship that is win-win for both companies. Seek those partnerships where you can be advocates for each other. Your customers are looking for it.

What say you?

A lesson in authenticity from Tiger Woods and John Daly

By David Horne, 17 December, 2009, 4 Comments

photo credit: Keith Allison

Recent events around Tiger Woods have sparked thousands of conversations online. Apart from the obvious moral issues surrounding the saga, I believe there is a valuable lesson in social media and marketing.

We all know there are “new rules” of marketing. They have been written about endlessly by folks (smarter than me) like Kyle Lacy and Tim Sanders. Chris Brogan and Julien Smith as well as Mitch Joel have written books about it.

The main principle I discern from these guys is that authenticity and sincerity build trust. The more trust, the more authority. Authority allows you to speak into my life. When you have authority you have influence and as Brian Clark teaches us, Authority Rules.

A lesson in Authenticity from Tiger Woods and John Daly:

In business today, social capital is strong currency. The appreciation or depreciation of that currency is the result of our perceived trust in that person, company, or organization. Think about the last time you looked at a review on Amazon. If every review is 100% positive we question the sincerity of the message. We see things as fake if there are no imperfections. None of us are flawless, and if something seems too perfect we don’t trust it.

The worst thing organizations or people can do to lose value is to pretend to be something they are not. Eventually the smoke clears and the mirrors crack, leaving the real truth exposed. The offending party is disqualified. No more authority. No more influence.

This is what happened to Tiger. The life he told us and sold us was not the life he walked. To make matters worse, he stayed in the shadows which communicated more deceit. Trust was broken. We didn’t want to be Tiger Woods anymore. We stopped looking to him for help with decisions on what to wear, drink, or drive. His social currency plummeted to the depths of the ZIM dollar.

John Daly’s social currency conversely has appreciated each year. In the midst of multiple divorces, battles with numerous addictions (gambling and drinking for starters), and scuffles with PGA Tour policies John’s popularity and authority has continued to rise. Why? He is not a role model and is far from perfect. Authenticity is his key. Love him or hate him, John Daly is true. He doesn’t hide behind any facade. He lays it out in the open, both good and bad. This helps people feel connected to Daly, they believe him. They listen to him because he is one of them, imperfect but trying.

While you are building your company,personal brand, or community remember authenticity and transparency will build social equity. If you are caught in a tiger trap, be quick to apologize, come clean, and immediately start rebuilding the trust.

Here is Rick Reilly’s recommendations on how Tiger can rebuild. What would you have Tiger do?

Purple cow sightings

By David Horne, 8 December, 2009, No Comment

photo credit: adiything

In 2003, Seth Godin published a book titled Purple Cow(not an affiliate link). I am sure many of you have read it, but if you haven’t, it is worth a read. To me, the beauty of this book is in the simplicity of its message. Don’t go for sameness or even differentiation, go for distinction.

Remarkable ideas, products, and services win. If you are boring, no one will notice you. Stand up and stand out from the crowd.

Recently, Seth published an updated and extended version of the best selling book. Several months ago Seth offered to readers of his blog, the opportunity to submit a “purple cow” story in 200 words or less. These stories were to be of companies, individuals, or organizations that were remarkable. I missed the deadline to submit a story but I wanted to share one with you. Here you go:

High Point University is a purple cow. It doesn’t hurt that the school colors are purple and white either. Not long ago, HPU was just another black and white bovinae in a country full of private liberal arts colleges. Then along came a man with a vision to redefine how we view higher education. President Nido Qubein’s purpose is to create an atmosphere of excellence. The school has developed amenties that rival the Ritz Carlton. A campus conceigre provides students with services such as wake up calls and dry cleaning. Kiosks around campus hand out free snacks and bottled water. There is even a ice cream truck handing out free ice cream to students. A director of WOW postition was added to ensure that the students’ and parents’ expectations are exceeded. The message to the parents is we will take care of your “pride and joy”. The standard of excellece has transferred to the sudents. The word is out. Freshman classes have tripled in the last three years while tuition has increased almost 50%. High Point University believes in creating a higher standard for students so that when they gradute they will not settle for average in life.

What purple cows have you witnessed lately?

David Horne

Archive for ‘Branding’

Word of mouth is as easy as PSE

A match made in marketing heaven

Toms Shoes + Whole Foods = match made in marketing heaven

A lesson in authenticity from Tiger Woods and John Daly

Purple cow sightings

You 2.0: Utilizing social media to build your brand