Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
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I'm taking a chance again of offending some of you.
Even if you're offended, please learn the marketing lessons.
I think Jim Collins was/is uneasy about using a tobacco company as an example of a great company in "Built to Last" & "Good To Great". Jim had a lesson to teach us & to do it; he took a chance of offending some people.
If you've read some of my other posts, you may correctly figure I'm among those who are offended. Though I'm offended, I've willingly learned the lesson.
Some think they have the right to pollute our air without providing a benefit. I know when I drive a car, I contribute to pollution, but at least there's a legitimate purpose in driving.
Some in the tobacco business adamantly defend the "right" to smoke. They're passionate about producing tobacco products.
The lesson is about passion, camaraderie & a common goal leading to business success. (I've tied in "Good To Great" in Part 2.)
Below, there's a lesson based on some businesses, which some feel exploit women & are immoral besides. If women are exploited, then also men are exploited by 2 of them. There probably have been & are cases of adults being exploited. I doubt the examples I've used are among those.
Some models enjoy posing nude & they aren't being exploited when they get paid to do what they enjoy.
I didn't post this lesson to debate morality. I want you to learn something valuable, then profit from it.
Fewer Calories Tastes Great
Diet Coke has been marketed as a beverage people would drink just for the taste of it. (So, what's your point, Dennis?)
People may be sensitive about their weight, even after they slim down. So, they may (& probably should) still be careful about what they eat & drink.
If Diet Coke is something anybody will drink just because it tastes good, then there's no negative connotation to drinking it in public.
I don't know how the "just for the taste of it" campaign worked out, but it had the potential of removing stigma. Without a stigma, Diet Coke could be a more popular product. When people are seen drinking it, that's social proof of how acceptable the product is.
Justifying Justification
This is where it starts to get rough.
I'm not trying to justify or condemn the publication or perusal of the magazines I wrote about below. Nor am I promoting them or the web sites.
I've heard of men "reading" Playboy magazines "because of the articles". I've also noticed some articles I'm interested in. There was a series a while back about how American culture formed & progressed. I wanted to read more of the series.
I started in the middle of the series. But did I buy that issue because of the culture series? NO! I didn't know about the series until after I bought it.
What about the rest of the issues with that series?
Here's the embarrassing part. For years, I've joked about guys who "read" Playboy magazines because of the articles. It seemed like a farce. Would a guy really buy a magazine with pictures of nude women, just to read the articles?
OK, I'll Concede The Point
The articles are nice bonuses, but let's be realistic . . . Well? It turns out the pictures can be nice bonuses in addition the series of interesting articles.
Playboy articles can be a reason for choosing Playboy instead of competing magazines. But would those articles be a strong enough incentive to buy the magazine without the pictures?
Hey, Women! Don't forget about Playgirl & similar magazines. Don't think you're so morally superior if you want pictures of nude men!
Those magazines can have good articles too. (No, I'm not offering to accept those pictures.)
Justification: Some buy the magazines because they're spouses/partners buy the opposite gender equivalent. It isn't worth arguing about. Let's have equality.
The lesson here is: people rationalize emotional decisions with "logical" reasons. So, give people rational reasons for what they buy. Each spouse/partner may want a magazine & use any excuse to get it.
I'll Buy That
People who have rational reasons for buying are more apt to buy often. They'll be less apt to have buyers' remorse. When somebody comments about the purchase, the rational reasons can be used to justify the purchase.
So, there's no excuse if you don't help people rationalize purchases (as long as nobody is hurt) & help them buy what they want/need.
That's News To Me!
Here's an idea & some issues expanding on the magazine formats: Note- I think there are or have been male newscasters in this service/web site (below).
1 - Many adults want to stay abreast, by which I mean, aware of & informed about current issues. I've heard complaints about newscasts being all bad news. People want some good news too.
2 - There are channels, which have (almost) constant newscasts with commercial breaks. If you have access to these channels, you can tune in anytime to get the latest news.
3 - It's getting harder to get & keep advertisers for some web sites. Many people won't pay or are only willing to pay low prices for content in web sites.
Coupling these issues with the rationalization of buying certain magazines (described above) may've inspired somebody to start a news service featuring nude (or undressing) newscasters.
A membership is required. (I don't know how much it costs.) Some samples can be found in a video web site, but the people stop & walk away without totally disrobing.
Apparently, members get the full views & news.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: A Matter Of Taste Or Tasteless Controversy? Part 2
I don't know if what I wrote below is how the newscast web site ideas were formulated. I've just speculated & extrapolated.
The Lesson:
Determine, with research & intuition, what's incomplete. If you design or further develop something, you can test it to find who is attracted to it & how popular it is. After that, you can test for profitability.
You can try what may seem to be odd combinations. News read by naked people seems a bit weird, until somebody thinks about rationalizing magazine pictures with articles.
Many times, a touch of weird is what gets Attention, Interest, Desire & Action. More forms of what's already common may be socially acceptable, yet not different enough to achieve AIDA or gain profits.
I've seen a newscast - - on TV - - featuring a car wash with people washing vehicles instead of using machines. It's potentially boring, except those people are women who are only wearing bikini bottoms (topless). It adds a bit of spice. Though the washing process takes longer, customers don't seem to mind. Customers are required to stay in their vehicles with all doors & windows closed.
It Depends What You Think Of It
A customer, who's satisfied with your offer, may still buy from a competitor. When it happens you shouldn't feel betrayed or think you did anything wrong.
Another magazine analogy: If a spouse/partner buys a magazine with pictures of nude models, it doesn't mean s/he is dissatisfied. S/he may just want some visual variety.
Novelty wears off & new alternatives are introduced. So, even the most popular ideas eventually will lose some luster if they're not polished with innovation & more marketing. Since many customers want some kind of new alternatives, it's vital to offer some.
Ask customers what they want & expect. Maybe you can supply it. As long as they still buy what you offer, they're still attentive & interested. Ask what may increase their desire & action.
Yes, I intended the double entendre in the previous 2 paragraphs because I sincerely want you to be happy at home too. I know how a miserable relationship can interfere with business. I also know how great relationships can help - - inspire - - people to have great businesses. It's what I wish for you. It's why I put 2 lessons in those paragraphs.
Back To Just Business
Being visionary with balance & restraint are vital. You may have a great idea & introduce it. If you include every feature & benefit in the 1st iteration, you may ruin your chances of future success.
Your complete idea may be too expensive to produce. The price you need to charge may be too high. Your complete idea may overshoot what people want/need. After the novelty of your deluxe product/service wears off, what more could you add to inspire/achieve AIDA again?
Contradictory Idea
You could remove some features & benefits then reduce your price. Doing it may bring you more sales, but the stripped down version could seem like a poor substitute for your previous offering.
Removing quality is the Walmart way of gaining sales. The ploy works for a while, but will your product/service keep working or will it Fall Apart?
But you should be aware, in your 1st iteration, offering less than your complete idea may undershoot what consumers demand & it may be very easy to compete against. It may become a commodity more quickly than your complete idea would.
My advice is: Be careful about what you decide & how you implement what you decide.
Wake Me Up When You're Finished, Doc
Some dentists offer sedation dentistry &/or TVs in the rooms. For long treatments, patients can opt to be asleep. If the treatment isn't so long, they can watch TV shows or movies.
Here's a combination of easing emotions & rationalization:
Dentists can promote sedation dentistry as a solution for those who are afraid or who need so much dental care, they either 1 - require multiple appointments or 2- an appointment long enough to finish all of it.
When people are asleep, dentists can do more work, more profitably because they don't have so much setup time compared to setting up & sanitizing for multiple patients. Dentists have the potential to serve fewer patients & get more money, with less expense for them & patients.
Pain Really Bites
Many people admit they're afraid of dentists because of a bad experience with 1 dentist. Those, who don't want to admit their fear, may opt for sedation & rationalize it by having a lot of work done in 1 appointment. They've often postponed treatment for so long, they need a lot of dental work.
They don't feel afraid when they're asleep. Their teeth are fixed. Plus, they've had a dental appointment without pain. It can help them feel comfortable about future dental care.
Another Dental Example
When a dentist drills & fills a cavity, there's usually an assistant present. 2 people with intrusive & sharp instruments leaning over are overwhelming for some patients. They feel like they have no control.
Since dentists need to use suction to empty a patient's mouth, a patient can hold the suction instrument (or whatever it's called). Then the instrument is close by & a patient is holding (controlling) it & participating (somewhat) in the treatment.
How can you help customers maintain enough control so they don't feel overwhelmed?
The Sum Is Greater Than Its Parts - - Or Something Like That
There are many sources for ideas. I've heard Leslie Wexner (Limited Brands founder) takes his camera when he travels for business or vacations. He gets pictures of interesting things, which he can later mix & match to form innovative ideas. He doesn't just tour clothing stores. He gets ideas from restaurants & many other sources.
A possible template for developing ideas could be some questions like these:
What do people struggle to understand?
What do people struggle to do?
What are people already doing with a lot of frustration & low satisfaction?
What do people wish they could do more *easily, *quickly, *less expensively, *with better quality? (Many other *qualities/*criteria can be added or substituted in this question.)
Would people prefer to go to another place to do what they already do?
What would people prefer to delegate it to others (hire somebody to do)?
How much are they willing to pay to have somebody do it?
What is the result they want?
How much is it worth to them?
What do people like to do alone?
What do people like to do with others?
What can be added to any of these activities?
What would they prefer to eliminate from these activities?
Which of these activities could be combined?
What can be added to make buying a product/service more enjoyable - - or at least less uncomfortable?
What do people usually dislike about businesses like yours?
Jay Abraham considers things from various focal points.
How can he directly apply something he's seen, heard or read?
(He considers ways to adopt it - - with little or no change - - to create or enhance something.)
How can he indirectly apply something he's seen, heard or read?
(He considers ways to adapt or adjust it to create or enhance something.)
Who can use it to gain benefits & advantages?
To whom can Jay give or sell it - - for further development - - so it'll be more successful than he envisioned?
(Jay is mostly a big picture guy. He often needs somebody else to follow through & complete what he & his ideas start.)
These questions can help make a strong start. You can probably think of others that fit your specific business.
Example: Some consumers drink tea or coffee while they read at home. Some book stores have tea & coffee, plus comfortable chairs so people can carefully consider which books they want.
For some it's a home-like experience. For others, it's better than their experiences at home. What appeals to them depends on if they want something different than they usually experience or similar.
Some prefer gourmet coffees because regular coffee leaves so much to be desired. Those, who are satisfied with regular coffee, don't understand why anybody would pay more than $2 for a cup of coffee.
Rowe, Rowe Inc.? Are Mac & Mike Brothers?
If you work best with macro concepts, you may need somebody to develop the (micro) details.
If you're better at building & completing what others start, you may need somebody to form ideas.
Both abilities are necessary, some people have both, but many have 1.
You should do what you do best & find others (who are trustworthy) to do the rest.
When you combine these questions, examples & concepts (above) with The Hedgehog Concept (3 circles) in "Good to Great", you can build a great company.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
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