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Aggressive Small Business Marketing & Advertising
Showing archives from 05/2007.
Is “find a need and fill it” bad marketing advice?
Posted by Michael Cage on Thursday, May 17, 2007Just because marketing advice is repeated often ... doesn't make it true.
"Find a need and fill it ... that is the key to successfully marketing a business." - Someone who needs to be slapped around a little bit.
Truth is, follow this "find a need and fill it" advice and you are inviting commodity pricing.
Think about it...
People NEED to get their roof repaired ... but they WANT on-time, courteous service, clean workers and a guarantee their roof won't leak again.
People NEED a computer network set up ... but they WANT someone who understands their business, will suggest things to make it run smoother before a breakdown prompts it, and won't make them feel stupid by talking geek to them.
People NEED to have a cavity filled ... but they WANT to look good and have a pain-free experience in a friendly office with warm people.
People price shop for what they need, and even that makes them grumpy.
People pay premium prices for what they want, and they love it.
Go to an Apple Store. Play marketing anthropologist. Really observe the people. You'll "get it" in less than an hour.
Service business, retail business, business-to-business, whatever your business...
...if your business struggles with commodity pricing or if you have to "justify" your price more than once in a blue moon ... betcha an iPhone (ahem, another example) you are focusing on what your customers or clients need, and aren't paying attention to what they want. And that makes them begin to not want you.
Forget find a need and fill it.
Find a want, touch your market ... and lead a movement.
I talked about this in today's Aggressive Marketing & Entrepreneurship Daily Podcast (along with a discussion about when to release version 1 of your product or service, true entrepreneurial competencies, and how to stay passionate and energized in your business). If you haven't listened yet ... what are you waiting for? ... I'm on Episode #4. (Subscribe in iTunes.)
There are 24 comments, add your own!The first Aggressive Marketing & Entrepreneurship podcast
Posted by Michael Cage on Monday, May 14, 2007Quick follow-up: The 2nd episode of "Aggressive Marketing & Entrepreneurship Daily" has been posted. AND ... you can now subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or RSS Feed. If you just want to check it out with my handy web-based player, just click this link.
Fact is ... I'm a slow writer. And while I love blogging here, and will continue to do so, going forward I'll be putting plenty of attention on podcasting my comments, marketing strategies and general "good stuff" for entrepreneurs.
The first podcast is up ... and I'm talking about everything from what really makes an entrepreneur an entrepreneur to the meaning of "aggressive marketing" --- which just might surprise you.
Anyway, here is the link - The Very First Aggressive Small Business Marketing & Entrepreneurship Podcast. You can listen to it directly on the web page or download the mp3. I have the King of All Nerds (said with love) putting together the feed and iTunes buttons; so they will be up soon.
Feedback counts on this. How much I do and what I answer going forward is going to depend on the response I get. Go, listen ... and leave a comment (or a link in).
There are 13 comments, add your own!The differentiation trade-off and marketing to values
Posted by Michael Cage on Tuesday, May 08, 2007One of the most common requests I get from clients is, "how can I differentiate my business/product/service/offer?"
The trade-off is clear. You can escape commodity-pricing and increase the flow of new and repeat business by being clearly and compellingly different. But part of being different is being willing to turn away, sometimes even offend, those who do not match the new vibe your business puts off.
The more different you purport to be, the more important congruence becomes. This means the promises you make in your marketing, the experience people have when they arrive in your office, the staff they interact with ... literally every touchpoint between your customers or clients and your business must match.
For a simple example, consider the jarring experience of making an appointment with a realtor who held herself out to be an expert in luxury homes and the luxury market ... and she then picks you up in a Yugo. That is lack of congruence. (Note, it may not be "fair" ... but it is how it is.)
With a good knowledge of the market, the answers about "how" to differentiate come easily. It's the willingness to say "no" to the clients who don't fit the new differentiation that is tough (for the client).
Anyway, here a great example of clearly a differentiated marketing message from a Berkely, California dentist.
From his site:
Imagine a Berkeley dentist's office that embodies the kind of innovative thinking synonymous with Berkeley. Imagine a dental environment reminiscent of a yoga studio or your best friend's living room -- a wellness spa designed for your comfort. Imagine experiencing eco-dentistry™, the pioneering approach that values the planet and your well-being. Imagine receiving a healing foot massage and listening to meditative music while your teeth are lovingly cleaned. Imagine seeing your smile miraculously transformed with leading edge techniques, natural-looking materials, and artist-quality restorations. This is not a dream: we are transcendentist® and Dr. Fred Pockrass.
Check out the Transcendentist, Dr. Fred Pockrass. Nice job.
P.S. There is a second, and probably more important lesson here. If you read the above description, you'll notice that he is clearly marketing to values. Not to features and benefits (traditional marketing and copywriting). Do it right, and marketing to values is an order of magnitude more powerful than the old stuff. Interested? Let me know in the comments and I'll write about it in a future post.
There are 7 comments, add your own!Page 1 of 1 pages