MV newsletter - April 2005

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We like odd headings, but this one is straight.

An objective correlative is apparently where you give such a vivid description of a situation that you can almost taste and touch it.

According to Jonathan Kranz, it is the difference between telling Little Red Riding Hood that the wood is a scary place, and putting the hot breath of the wolf on her back.

The most famous example of an objective correlative is David Ogilvy’s: "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock."

We’ll try ours: “Your boss wants to know what is working in your branding, and what isn’t. He wants to know in three weeks. He wants to see a 15% increase in sales by the end of the year. You have no additional budget. What is branding, you ask yourself? Talk to Mud Valley.”

Or we could consult the Ad Cracker, a new tool to generate advertising copy.

Abe Lincoln says………….

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."

Being a customer is a bit like that too, sometimes.

While we talk a lot about gaining customer loyalty, how many of us believe our companies deserve to have loyal customers?

The answer, according to a Customer Experience Management global study run by the Strativity Group, is 41%, and things are not improving.

Conversations with my shelf………….

You walk into your local supermarket. The system recognizes who you are, and as you walk round the store, you are sent price variations on your mobile phone to reflect your profile. Far-fetched? Well, it probably will not be happening just yet.

Or, as you approach a shelf, you negotiate with the brand as a function of how much you are prepared to buy. “I am prepared to buy 3 packets of liquid detergent; how much am I bid?” Still a while to go, we believe, even if e-auctions are gaining popularity in corporate procurement.

Or, as the competitor changes its prices on the shelf, you change yours in line – similar to stock tracking technology. Well, if they can do it on Wall Street, why not in Wall-Mart?

Our guess is that Internet technology will not stay on the Internet. It will soon be doing some very active brand marketing in the stores.

……….and then there is the man walking round with an electronic sandwich board. As interactive communication ideas go, this may be something of an outsider, but it has just been launched. It is called “AdWalker”.

Lose time quick schemes……………….

You know the hype:

• Make thousands of $s from your own home in your own time!
• Start making money today!
• I got my money back in 20 minutes!

This, if you have not yet guessed it, is the sales pitch for paid surveys. You sign up with some e-survey panels, you spend perhaps half-an-hour each (and there are over 450 to choose from if you are in the US) profiling yourself, and you get a blizzard of invitations to complete surveys offering you……….

……….well, if you are a Chairman or Managing Director, £2.75 ($5.35) for 20 minutes.

It was crazy out there! We met the CEOs of Wall-Mart, Coca-Cola, IBM, H-P, not to mention GE, racing each other to kick off the surveys before the quota was exhausted.

No matter, there are always £1.25, or even £0.75 surveys lasting 20 minutes if you do not qualify for the gold standard.

It makes our wonderful idea of running interactive dialogues in supermarkets and other high street retailers, where prior purchase is proven and payment is guaranteed, even more wonderful.

Su casa es me casa………

Early Christianity had a very powerful trick up its sleeve. It borrowed everyone else’s myths and festivals. Christmas is Christmas, not because Christ was born then, but because the pagans used the end of December to celebrate the lengthening of the days once again.

The UK Labour Party has done a similar trick. Whatever it judged to be the most popular policies of the Conservative Party, it incorporated into its own manifesto. Its early economic policy was a straight lift from the competition. It even said so.

So, when you are developing a fresh, compelling, differentiated brand proposition, do not forget to borrow the best of the ideas from your competitors while you are at it.

Another freebie, another sign up……………….

The trend of the moment is the “sprat to catch a mackerel” strategy.

Have you been “mackerelled”? Almost certainly.

You are offered something for free, so long as you sign up. This is the realization that if people visit your site, you have them for 10 seconds. If you get their opt-in e-mail address, you have them for as long as they take to unsubscribe. Given that inertia is the most powerful driver of human behaviour, this may take a while.

So, if you are prepared to trade your e-mail address for information, here are three opportunities.

The Zymans Institute of Brand Science (ZIBS) is offering you a free “executive” report on branding – specifically, why you should do it. It says nothing new, but it says it very well.

Axle Branding are offering you a brand identity scan – i.e. a quick brand health check-up.

This is similar to the Nvigorate marketing health-check that we have been using as our mystery tool over the last month or so.

Self-fulfilling……………..

One gizmo we picked up from our fearless investigation into the paid survey industry is the RoboForm.

This handy tool pockets your log-in details as you sign into web sites, so you need never press that “Forgotten your password” button again.

It will also store lots of other personal details that will pleasingly populate the page as you apply for bail, book your getaway flight, and order a new passport.

• Belgium tel: +32 (0)2 747 0945
• France tel: +33 (0)1 76 63 74 09
• UK tel: +44 (0)208 099 7385

or by e-mail at enquiries@mudvalley.co.uk.

© 2005, Mud Valley ™ brand marketing community.

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