Ogilvy Was Right - Then and Now

In the classic advertising book "Ogilvy On Advertising", David Ogilvy writes:
There have always been noisy lunatics on the fringes of the advertising business...They are seldom found out, because they gravitate towards the kind of clients who, bamboozled by their rhetoric, do not hold them responsible for sales results."

He goes on to say that people working in the advertising industry should strive to "improve their batting average at the cash register." I wonder what he would think of the latest gold-rush in the business, that of "social media?" It certainly has its share of noisy lunatics void of sales results. Are all those Facebook Fan pages and Tweets moving the sales needle? Of course not. On the other hand, Ogilvy was a big believer in the value of research. The data that results from social media consumption would be akin to the kind of consumer insights that Ogilvy craved.

What do you think Ogilvy would of thought of Facebook, Twitter et al? Let me know by posting a comment or sending me an email.

The Only Way To Change The World

Someone once said that the only way to change the world is to imagine it different than the way it is today.

Simple, right? Wrong. The problem is that most people that start out with big ideas and promises of change usually end up compromising and applying too much of the thinking that got us where we are - in the end, we end up right back where we started. My political friends seem to be saying this is part of the problem with the President - this and leadership failings. Leadership requires the GUTS to imagine a different way and then DO SOMETHING about it. Of course, the "do something" part is the key.

It's hard. Good leaders know what good writers do - great writing sometimes comes from inner pain (Barton Fink!). Leadership too is usually born of turning pain into results. It's painful and lonely to walk the walk and talk the talk. But it must be done day-in, day-out. It's not easy doing the right thing. But, it all starts and ends with you. Take control of the ride and be extraordinary.

The only way to change the world is:

(1) have the guts to first imagine the world different than it is today
(2) do something about it (e.g. lead the way)
(3) focus the pain - do not let it win

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Shane Powers Wrote This

My pop just got back from a trip throughout Vietnam and Cambodia.
And he watched families live off the river.
Caught their fish.
Used the sand to build bricks, so they could build homes.
Ate apples from the nearby trees.
Frolicked....

Not one of them knew about Heidi and Spencer.

Not one of them cared if they could get into Playhouse.

Not one of them cared if they could get a reservation at the Ivy.

Not one of them gave a shit about what the other was wearin.

Not one of them thought about a car.

Not one of them had a fuckin NICKEL.

They just had an apple, and a smile.

WHO's really livin?

---
ShanePowers.com

Is The Right Team On The Field?

“When you hit the beach, who do you want to be by your side?” – US Marine Corps expression.

Ideas don't run businesses, people do. I'll say it again; Ideas don't run businesses, people do. Sounds simple enough, right? But, relying on the person that came up with the idea to actually make it work is a big reason why many great ideas never reach the intended consumer.

We've all worked with or for companies that had that "idea guy." The one that throw out all kinds of big ideas at meetings - some of which were even really good - yet was nowhere to be found when there was real work to be done to make the idea reality. Or, he would quickly get bored of the last idea and favor a new one. He started the race fast but would always pull a hamstring in the first 10 yards.

To put the right team on the field, companies must find a balance of those employees that can develop great ideas and those that can execute them. When you find those people that can both generate the idea and activate it - never let them leave. But, that is a rarity. In the advertising industry, most (not all) of these types left the "big" agencies to start their own shops - some great ones include Jeff Martin at Mighty Karma http://www.mightykarma.com/ and Carl White at Think Brownstone http://www.thinkbrownstone.com/.

The point? When you're building your teams to win new business or to deliver on client promises, make sure that you make it clear who is to do what and by when. Don't expect the "creative type" to deliver a strategy that breathes the most life out of her big idea. Don't expect the account person to drive idea generation (in fact, make it clear that you don't want them to do that). Sounds like common sense, but only the best companies REALLY stand by this approach. Most of us, including me, try and do too much with too little. We build our little walls and fear the delegation process. We often end up with PowerPoint decks filled with clever ideas and no clients to fund them.

Communicate, hit the beach, divide and then concur.

Survival of The Lamest

After 20 years in business, I'm still often perplexed on how most start-ups get the crazy funding and valuations that they do. It will drive you crazy if you let it.

This is an email I sent to my mobile search team:

OK. You want to be sick?, read this: http://paidcontent.org/article/419-lead-gen-provider-yodel-raises-10-million-fourth-round-/

Now go here http://yodel.com/ and search 'pizza'.

Now puke.

Now get mad.

Now get motivated.

Now get funded.

Now build a company.

Now sell it.

Now build another one.

Now.

These Days My Head Is In The "Cloud"

Cloud computing is picking up steam. And, it will change the world. Says me. But, many people don't really understand what the "cloud" really is.

As an example of cloud computing done right, lets look at an application or process that was created primarily for use on mobile phones - like the MeNetwork (www.themenetwork.net / twitter: @menetwork).

The MeNetwork's infrastructure permits data storage and the processing of that data to occur away from the mobile device (Today, the majority of applications handle most of the storage and processing on the mobile device itself). And, the user does not need a smart phone to take advantage of pulling data from the cloud. Any phone capable of sending a text message can interact with the cloud. It is important to remember that worldwide well over 80% of cell phone users do not have a smart phone. That's right - statistically very few people own smart phones (of course Steve Jobs wants to change this). Therefore, cloud computing and associated technologies can benefit many people - not just that elitist jerk with an iPhone and the lime green Prius(you know the one).

It is also important to note that the cloud is app independent - it doesn't matter if you have a BlackBerry or an iPhone. As long as you have access to the web or can text - the cloud makes things work. Period.

Within 5 years, mobile cloud computing will be the preferred development platform for mobile devices. The time is now to embrace it and get your head (and your brands) in the cloud.

Try This: Take Your Time

There's an old Italian proverb (my mom is Italian) "Qui va piano va sano, va lentano" (or something like that). It means "the person who goes quietly goes with health and goes far."

So often in life - both personal and business - we look for the easy answers, the fastest path to the finish line. We put in "just enough" effort to get things done. Then, we waste hours surfing the Net, instinctively replying to emails seconds after they arrive, obsessing over things we have no control of and even taking interest in the lives of celebrities and reality TV shows. Sure, we all need a little escapism in our lives but what would happen of we started talking more time. More time to make decisions. More time planning that new business pitch. More time with the kids in the backyard. Etc.

Most of what we think is a priority in our lives is not. The world is not going to stop turning if you don't reply to that email right now. Try taking some more time next week. Get up and walk away from the computer. No phone. No pad of paper. Just you. Walk around the block. Then sit back down at your desk. What happens next?

The iPad: Innovation By Design?

Apple is being both praised and criticized for the "iPad."

Depending on your perspective it's either genius or it is just an over-sized iPod Touch. A certain segment of Apple brand advocates will dutifully buy the iPad, no matter the price. But, to truly be successful the iPad needs to make the connection with "non-Apple consumers" like the iPhone did. I'm not so sure that is going to happen - perhaps a future version of the iPad will, but not this one.

Of course, Apple is clearly a leader when it comes to innovative design. Today's most successful brands understand that they must innovate around their target consumers lifestyles - not just around new products and services. The iPod did exactly that - consumers were leading more mobile lifestyles and required portable digital music. But, the iPad feels more like an opportunistic product release than real innovation. Sure, sooner or later most of us will likely be reading books and magazines on a digital device (as Optometrists everywhere rejoice) but this "lifestyle trait" is still very small.

The iPad release may not be as "successful" as previous Apple efforts but it will continue to pull consumers toward the future that Apple wants them to take part in. And that my friends is an innovative strategy.

Syndicate Your Brand

Today's brands need to be distributed to numerous consumer end-points, not unlike content. They need to be "slippery" as opposed to "sticky." Funny how this is really the opposite of the thinking that occurred even a few years ago.

I remember launching clients' websites at the very beginning - when the Internet was just an infant (Keep in mind though that the Internet is still a young child). In the beginning, the strategy was to use marketing resources to make sites sticky and do everything possible to get audiences to come to your one website and only that site. There was no such thing as "microsites" or "widgets." The thinking was that getting the brand "downstream" away from your online property (or portal) was a very bad thing. After all, once your audience went away from your site they might find your competitors' brands. And although some brands still try and maintain a foothold in this kind of strategy, the ground is crumbling beneath them.

Today, we should be striving to have less control over our brands - we need to take this approach to let our consumers make our brands feel more like their own. Think of 2010 as the year of the personalized brand. In order to do this effectively, consider how you can syndicate your brand. Yes, social media strategies will help, but also consider partnerships with other brands that already successfully reach your intended audience. What added-value might your brand deliver to these? Are Porsche consumers a right fit for you, or does your brand speak more to Jeep owners? How could your brand deliver a better experience if bundled with the sale of a Porsche? Etc.

If the Internet is like that tempestuous teenage child, think of your brand as that same child leaving home for the first time to go to college. You might shutter to think of the things that might happen to it, but you know that the time has come for your child to learn some lessons on their own.

So, don't be afraid to syndicate your brand downstream to those unexpected places. Hand your brand off to your target customers and let them shape it for themselves. They will reward you with a new level of purchase and retention that your tight gripped competitors cannot match.