Body Surfing, Beach Towels & Play-It-Safe Marketing - What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

It all started with a crazy man on the beach. Here's a true summer story.

Surf's Up!

The kids fearlessly attached the waves and the Atlantic Ocean seemed to cringe a little. It was the first day of our vacation and ten-year old triplets and a six year old were ready to ride the wild surf with foam boards and no fear. I'll be the first to admit that the surf on the coast of Georgia doesn't rival the Banzai Pipeline or Waimea Bay but a 3-foot wave looks pretty big when you're only 4 feet tall.

I was on "Daddy Duty" and spent my time attempting to herd the brood into a small enough clump so I could keep an eye on everyone. Periodically I would yell and point to where I wanted them to go. At first the kids would listen but after a time I'd have to bellow and wave to get their attention. Soon I was screaming and doing my imitation of a windmill to earn some reluctant action. I wasn't alone. There were 4-5 other sets of parents joining the chorus of frustration.

Out of desperation I started waving a bright orange and yellow beach towel - one in a bloated floral pattern you only see in coastal fashions and in motel drapes. The kids stopped, actually paid attention and moved. It was a short-lived revelation because soon it was off the radar.

Total Insanity

I don't know if it was the sun or the SPF 100 I was wearing but I started waving more energetically. No, that's not right, I started cavorting with the beach towel. I spun it, twirled it and tossed it in the air. As I did … I sang. Let me help you picture the scene. Imagine the salt & pepper sophistication of George Clooney and the ripped body of Brad Pitt. Lock that image in your mind. Got it? Well I don't look anything like that.

The other parents slowly moved their chairs down the beach to put a little extra space between them and the wild middle-age man with the total lack of restraint. Every time my kids looked over there was a new act. Sponge Bob, surf music, a killer Beatles medley, free-style ballet and some dance moves I hadn't attempted since college for obvious reasons.

Now here's the cool part. It wasn't long before they'd follow me just to see what I was going to do next. As I said the other adults kept a close eye on me as they kept yelling for attention. They were considering calling 911 until they noticed that their kids were following my antics too. Instead of being scattered up and down the beach they were all watching "that crazy old man."

A Quick Detour

Later I realized that what happened has a lot to do with our marketing. It's called play-it-safe marketing and everyone has done it. Identify a need, match it with a product or service and then market it to a specific group of customers. Play-It-Safe strategy works - once. You are unique to that target audience the first time. If you keep marketing the same need satisfaction message you aren't unique anymore. Your customers just tune you out and this is the greatest danger of playing it safe.

We play-it-safe because it's predictable. Do the same things in the same ways all in the name of consistency and building recall. There's a difference between repetition and lack of variety. If you want mega results that can transform a year you can't Play-It-Safe. Your marketing must go beyond the safe, standard and tried-and-tested.

Features, advantages and benefits aren't automatically interesting even if they're logical. To market with imagination you have to market to imagination - to the emotions and lifestyles of your customers. Reach them in ways that go beyond facts, logic and benefits. Be consistently conspicuous, distinctive, remarkable, noticeable, striking and disruptive. Wave a gaudy beach towel and dance in the sand but make them pay attention. They'll follow.

Back At The Beach

After a while I came to my senses and looked around to see if anyone was ready to exchange my beach towel for a straight jacket. Guess what, the other parents had left their inhibitions behind and were doing their own improvisational dances in the sand. Their kids weren't watching me any more; they were locked on their Moms and Dads.

It was late when the fearless body surfers trudged their way toward the house. The other parents and kids were packing up too. As we walked past the adults smiled, waved and then did something that stunned me. They applauded my performance. They appreciated the show. The only time in my life I ever received an ovation was on a beach - for playing the fool. Hey, at least I didn't Play-It-Safe.

If you liked this article then check out:

The Gutsiest Business Strategy - Scratching The Value Itch

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Send Your Marketing To The Hot Tub Time Machine

Dumb'n Down Is Dumb

Dumb marketing attracts dumb customers. Are you sure you're not insulting your customers, clients and consumers?

Everyone In The Hot Tub!

In the movie, Hot Tub Time Machine four losers get blind drunk in a hot tub. When they regain consciousness they find they have gone back in time. Now they try to make better decisions and fix their mistakes. When they find themselves back in the future their lives are completely changed and better. It all seems like a testimony to the miraculous healing powers of alcohol and getting wasted.

Still there's a moral in there. We don't have to live with the decisions of the past - especially our marketing decisions. Dumbing down is dumb. It's time to check your marketing to make sure you're not insulting your customer's intelligence.

Doofus Marketing

You see it on television every day in shows and commercials. To create Doofus Marketing you sell:

• Dumb men to women
• Nude women to men
• Stupid, out of touch parents to kids
• Effortless weight loss to overweight people
• "Debt relief" to people who over-spend
• Instant results and gratification
• No experience or brains required

Why is there so much Doofus Marketing? Dumb is easier to write - it doesn't take much talent, just a formula.

This Dud's For You

Who seems to be the most comfortable with Doofus Marketing? You got it - beer brewers. Beer commercials have used dumb humor for decades to create the "image" of their consumers. Sophisticated and intelligent these are drinkers who fit into every social situation. They are the top of the heap, style-setters, leaders and innovators. The future is safe in their hands. Oh yeah!

I'm not sure what's worse, the men who stand around, totally lost and without a clue - living beer fantasies … or the idea that women are worked into a sexual frenzy by stupid guys with blank stares who haven't shaved or bathed - all because of the brand of brew the dude is holding. Unless you fit the profile, should you feel complimented?

Customers Aren't Buying Dumb

There is panic in the marketplace. Beer shipments are down 4% for the first half of 2010 and have been declining for close to a year. What has been the industry response? They've jumped back into Doofus Marketing after changing the focus to "drinkability." Let's say that if their perception of their consumers is accurate, then is it any surprise that campaigns based on the concept of "drinkability" failed? These are companies that privately refer to some of their own brands as "ghetto beer."

The problem is underestimating the intelligence of their customers. They've been marketing the same brands in the same ways for generations. But new generations of drinkers want brands that relate to their lifestyles. Like it or not Bud Lite is "Dad Beer."

Not Every Customer Is 50, 40 Or 30

There isn't one customer. It doesn't matter what we are in business to do, the challenge is to deliver brands, products and services that our customers can "own." We have to market in ways that relate to new generations without alienating our core customers. We start by answering a simple question.

"How smart do you have to be to buy your product or service?"

If you are too dumb to touch a beer to see if it's cold and need a bottle that turns blue then you may not be the best target customer. If you are a college-educated executive who makes decisions that impact the success of the group, division or corporation then let's talk to you that way.

Smarting Up Not Dumbing Down

Forget how you have been marketing. Who are the people you need to attract to accomplish your goals now? Where are they in their organizations? How did they get there? What is their education and experience level?

Now, create messages that explain the value you provide in the simplest terms that these prime-quality customers understand? Smart Up your marketing. Focus on the specific results that matter the most. You can write your marketing at an 8th-grade reading level without treating your customers like tweenagers. Focus on the specific core value and benefits.

Be clever not gimmicky

Be relevant not basic

Be efficient not repetitious

Be clear not vague

Tell them what any intelligent customer wants to know - the value, the price, the benefits and how to buy.

Back To The Future

Hop in the hot tub time machine, cut loose the past, focus on forward and get smart. Engage with some real creative ideas that impress customers. Compliment them by not insulting their intelligence. Who knows, you may end up toasting your mutual success with expensive champagne and not cheap beer.

In case you're looking for more, please check this out:

Is Your Marketing Like A Trip To Hell's Kitchen? Make It Hot & Tasty

Scroll down - there's much more!

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

The Gutsiest Business Strategy - Scratching The Value Itch

Unbelievable

It's the most amazing pricing strategy I've ever seen. The wildest thing is - it works!

I was sitting in a psychologist's office. No, it wasn't a therapy session. I'm certifiable but not dangerous. We were talking business. He was a professor at a University and just starting a corporate consulting business on the side. I asked about his strategy for pricing and attracting business. He smiled, "I tell people that they probably can't afford me."

"Aaaa-eeeee-iiiiiiii-ooooo," I worked my way through my vowels for a moment. "How's that working for you?"

He was only able to devote ten hours a week to consulting, was booked solid for the next eight months - at $300 per hour. This was 20 years ago and he was pulling in $300 per hour! You have to believe I had some questions. Here was his strategy. He put price first and not last and addressed how much the client expected to pay. If the potential client was only fishing and didn't have any resources the call ended quickly. If the conversation continued everything was focused on what the client needed to happen, the business issues. Is this strategy crazy or inspired?

Ignoring Price

Pricing is difficult, which may be why we tend to skip over it or push it to the last possible moment. Deep down there's the fear that we are either charging too much or too little. Just like any other part of our businesses we must manage price. Pricing isn't a tool it's the whole point of the game. Attract business that you can perform in a way that satisfies the customer, ensures repeat business and makes profit for the company. If pricing is wrong it's all wrong.

Scratching Their Itch

Customers don’t just want a specific product or service; most of the times they want to solve their pain points or business issues … or they want some cool new shoes. They have an itch and are looking for a way to scratch it. They don't want you to educate them on skin irritation and the development of your back scratcher - they want you to scratch.

Find Out Where To Scratch

What are the things that matter most to the customer or client? The supplier who gets the job or the sale will be the one that achieves more of these goals than the nearest competitor. So your job is clear.

Step #1 - Determine the things that matter most to the customer or client?

Step #2 - Deliver more of them than anyone else

Step #3 - Communicating the value you supply

What Do They Expect To Pay?

Notice that price isn't a step? Clients define value and, like it or not, clients control price. Every pricing strategies boils down to this - what does the customer or client expect to pay? The fancy term is reference price. If you're at or under that amount it's a fair price. Presto it's off their radar and they don't think about it anymore. If you're over their expectation you have to pinpoint other value you are providing to justify the additional cost. If the cost of the additional value is fair then price is no longer an issue again. Just as long as they feel you aren't taking advantage of them the price is cool - even if it is higher than what they expected at first.

Look at it this way. If you don't get the customer to see, understand and value how you are providing more of the things that matter most - your price doesn't matter. So deal with price first and then focus on providing the things the client or customer values the most.

The Gutsy Secret

Oh, back to the psychologist I was telling you about. I ran into him at the airport a couple of years ago after he was returning from three weeks in Europe attending a conference and meeting with corporate clients. He's an Emeritus now, which is Latin for retired. We chatted about how surprised I was at his strategy. He told me his ultimate secret.

"When I tell them they probably can't afford me most people subconsciously think, oh yeah, I'll show you I can afford you. They prove me wrong. It's worked for over 20 years."

His chauffeur and limo picked him up at the curb.

In case you're looking for more, please check this out:

Stop Scope Creep - The #1 Killer of Projects, Programs, Marketing & Events

Scroll down - there's much more!

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Gourmet Marketing Or Hell's Kitchen? - Faster, Smarter, Leaner Business Results

Red Hot Marketing

Is your marketing like a trip to Hell's Kitchen? If you dread doing marketing you aren't doing it right. Here's how to make it a feast of results and productivity.

Marketing is supposed to be exciting, stimulating, energizing and rewarding. Pleasing people is the whole idea. You are giving people what they want, need, value and appreciate. Plus you are being paid to do it. What could be better? Somehow over the past decade marketing has gotten complicated, tedious and s-l-o-w!

We Make It Too Difficult

Just between you and me marketing has a lot in common with gourmet cooking, Frisbee tossing and satisfying sex. You have to:

• Focus on preparation
• Know what you want to accomplish
• Execute a lot of fancy flips, turns, posturing and positioning that are just for show
• Realize that it gets better over time. The first time is the worst it will ever be
• Accept that sometimes you have to get a little kinky just to keep things interesting

No Need To Hyperventilate

Marketing is easy if you just remember to care about your customers or clients and communicate that concern to them. These are people, not metrics or statistics. They haven't read the marketing plan.

So make it simple. Use logic, reason and trust yourself and your experience. Make the objective to get more marketing to your target customers and clients quicker. It doesn't have to be perfect - it has to be there. There are no unmet needs. There are only better-met needs so make your single "big concept" delivering a level of customer connection that your competition can’t match.

Don't Over-Think It - Do It

Unless you are the CMO of a giant global corporation with billions in the balance, you may be over-thinking your marketing. You perceive a marketing opportunity and months and tens-of-thousands of dollars later you finally get it on the street. Marketing doesn't have to be so complicated and laborious.

Consumer ethnography, focus groups, testing and analytics are tools - not requirements. If we are honest we will admit that they don't guarantee success they just provide "plausible deniability." We are trying to stack the deck. Remember every major failed marketing/advertising campaign was the one that tested the best. But verily I say unto you that the infallible rule is everything has to be tested, analyzed and in place before the marketing or advertising begins. Right, and Tiger Woods was just working on his stroke.

Take The Fast Track Challenge

Simple challenge. Marketing Team #1 develops a short list of 2-3 ideas, trial creative and a timeline. It's fast-track marketing.

Marketing Team #2 develops a longer list of potential ideas and then slices and dices research, customer profiles, focus group comments and a number of preliminary creative concepts. Based on this research they develop a short list of 2-3 ideas, trial creative and a timeline.

What's the difference? Marketing Team #1 has marketing "on the street" in six weeks. Marketing Team #2 has marketing working in six months. The moral is this - Marketing doesn't have to be perfect—it just has to be there. Over-thinking isn't a formula for success; it's a recipe for failure.

Gourmet Marketing

When you go to a gourmet restaurant you expect something better than you can make a home. That superstar chef gives you more than an individual dish, she or he gives you a meal with courses that build on each other to create a memorable experience. Taste - technique - presentation - and surprise. Every dish is an adventure. That's how you want your marketing to be for your consumers, customers and clients. Get it to them while it's hot.

Decide today to simplify the process and compress the timeline. The goal is to be fresh, fast, surprising. Make a clear customer connection based on the moment. By the time your competitors finally get their message to market you'll be on the third course of your gourmet meal. Plus, you can react to their real-life responses.

Want to make your marketing and advertising exciting, stimulating, energizing and rewarding? Then rediscover the freedom of being unpredictable - it will drive the "other guys" crazy. Marketing isn't "Yes", "No" or "Definitely" … it's "Let's find out" and "Let's see what this does."

Anyone want dessert?

If you liked this article then check out:

Let's Get Dangerous - Surfing, Beach Towels & Your Play-It-Safe Marketing

Feet On The Street - Make Money Like Sesame Street!

Special Guest Illustrator

From time to time we feature the work of a talented illustrator to spice up the view around here and help catch your attention. Jason Edwards is a 3D illustrator with over 15 years collective experience in Maya, Photoshop and Zbrush. He is based out of the UK but Jason you can save a trip by going to www.outlaws3d.com. Seriously amazing work.

Scroll down - there's much more!

_________________________

Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.