David Hornemitch joel | David Horne

Are You Building Something Useful?

David Horne — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:16:02 +0000

Be useful and be brilliant

Utility is one thing companies better think about as they work to connect with their audiences. With all the choices out there for consumers, if it isn’t useful, it isn’t going to stick or spread.

A couple of weeks ago I listened to Mitch Joel talk about this same concept. He talked about it in the context of brands having the ability to build a direct relationship with consumers in ways businesses have never seen. We won’t dive into that today but it is certainly something we’ll talk about in The Whatupdate. One example he used for illustrating utility was Charmin’s app, Sit or Squat (video below or click here).

This very useful app helps users find suitable bathrooms in proximity to where they are. As a parent of a toddler, this has utility. Charmin isn’t only showing bathrooms with Charmin or beating people over the head with ads of their super soft roll either. Their goal is to provide a utility app for anyone who finds themselves in a strange place when nature calls.

Do you see how this application is useful?

Ray-Ban recently introduced us to Bright Light(video below or click here). It’s an app that helps you find sunny places in metropolitan areas. This is extremely useful for visitors or residents in a place like NYC where finding somewhere to grab some Vitamin D is challenging. Yes, the app is nicely designed, but creative with a purpose. It’s based on utility.

Not only does this apply to software but any interaction between a consumer and your brand. Marketing, Social Media, Customer Service, Product Development all have to have utility.

My questions for brands:

Are you building something useful?

Are you delivering it in a personal way with value driven design?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuthD3DIodc

If you can’y see the video, click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrTFld2M7Wg

If you can’y see the video, click here.

What do you think, does utility matter?

photo credit: Collin Allen

Your First Marketing Strategy: Learning From Ben’s Ice Cream

David Horne — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:20:24 +0000

You have to try Ben’s Homemade Peach ice cream. It is amazing! I always stop in for a scoop on my way to or from (or both) Pinehurst. I was there on Monday taking advantage of my birthday round at Pine Needles/Mid Pines. Their key marketing strategy is in making the product awesome. Seth may call it remarkable. I believe this should be the first marketing strategy. If your product isn’t worth talking about, all of the other tactics of exposure and community building are futile. In a recent post, Mitch Joel talks about marketing at its best is invisible. Ben’s Ice Cream has accomplished this.

Here is what we can learn from Ben’s about invisible marketing:

Keep the main thing the main thing. They make their ice cream from scratch using fruit grown on their local farm. They grow over 25 types of peaches that go into their ice cream. Their waffle cones are homemade too! Ben’s focus is on what they can control, their ice cream. No hype. No gimmicks, only great frozen dessert that people talk about. I scream- you scream- we all scream- for ice cream.

Community Outreach. Ben’s gives scholarships to local high school girls called “peach girls” that work at the shop. Sow into the community and they will sow into you. People love to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Many people are looking for the next big thing or social media silver bullet to catapult their brand into Apple, Amazon, or 37 Signals Land. In reality, not even bringing in experts like Chris Brogan, Amber Nauslund, Brian Solis, or Don Draper will help move your company’s needle if your product isn’t any good. Start with what matters most.

What strategies have you found to create invisible marketing?

Don’t Be A “Me Monster”

David Horne — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:40:00 +0000

Too many people turn into “me monsters” trying to build their personal brand.

Focus on others. Bring value to your community. Edify those around you. Do these things and you will not fall into the dark-side.

Here is Brian Regan on “ME MONSTERS”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QvSoRQrVJg

Below is a great post by Mitch Joel on “me-monsters” 2.0.

You Self-Serving Pig

“It’s all about me. Me, me, me, me. That’s all you ever do is talk about yourself. Stop talking about yourself, will you?…..”