Finding One TRUE Thing:
The Ultimate Goal
of Promotion
Just be sure your advertising is saying
something with substance, something that will
inform and serve the consumer, and be sure
you're saying it like it's never been said
before.
~ Bill Bernbach
Purpose of this topic:
– Understand limitations of consumers
Understand how people apply meaning to
brands/products
– Ability to assess the marketplace
Relative positions of competitors
Types of consumers
– Understand how you can strategically use this
information to your brand/product’s advantage
Name some laundry detergents
Name some laundry detergents
How the mind copes…
Constantly bombarded w/information
Can only hold +/- 7 pieces of information
– Unless you really don’t care…
Organization of information
– Remember easiest information
– We put new information in context
– We organize information relative to other
information we already have
Positioning: Mind’s Organization
A brand’s positioning:
– “The place an offering occupies in the minds
of consumers relative to competitive
offerings.”
BMW vs. Cadillac vs. Mercedes vs. Honda
Perceptual Map- Drinks
Myth: “Consumers are Involved”
“Consumer”- Implies someone engaged in
consuming
Passive (at best)
– Energy/inclination for continuous engagement
Willing consumers not necessarily openminded consumers of marketing
Myth: “The Audience is Paying
Attention”
“To call them an
audience
presupposes they are
listening.”
Not engaged
Viewers Response to Ads
Channel change
19%
Mute
14%
Ignored
6%
Alternating
Attention
Paid <gasp>
attention
53%
7%
Adult evening viewers able to name a brand or
product advertised in show just seen (no prompt)
Date
Can’t name any
product/ brand
(%)
Name brand/
product in show
seen (%)
Name brand/
product in other
show (%)
1965
60
34
6
1974
72
24
4
1981
80
13
7
1986
80
12
8
1990
84
8
8
So What Does This Mean?
We must help consumers to remember us
Can’t assume they ‘just will’
Work within the confines of consumer’s
– Mental structures
– Willingness
– Energy
– Etc.
It means…Differentiation
True
– Assessment of
product’s attributes
Unique
A/Promo
– Assess competition
Meaningful to the
target market
Easy for people to
remember
Brand Planners
Creative
True-Unique-Meaningful
Possible differentiating factors…
Ask a million
questions
Client
Competition
Competition
Competition
A note on the environmental factors…
1st Three Characteristics…
Client
Differentiating Factor
+ Target Market
Insight
Target
Market
Insight:
What role does that product
play in the consumer’s life?
1st Three Characteristics…
Client
Differentiating Factor
+ Target Market
Insight
Target
Market
A/P: Suggest/recommend
differentiating factors
B Planners: Determine the consumer
insight!
Consumer vs. Marketer
A positioned brand is not necessarily an
effectively differentiated one
– Reebok
– Kmart
A brand’s “position” is where the consumer puts
it.
– What the consumer does to the brand.
What was the marketer trying to do?
– Trying to put it?
– Trying to say?
– Trying to mean?
“Easy to Remember”
What are the
characteristics of a
memorable
differentiating factor?
Responsibilities…
– Account/Promo to:
Assess in competitors
Suggest as possibilities
– Planners to suggest
– Creative to
communicate
– Media to reinforce &
support.
1st Attribute of Good
Differentiation…
The Relevant Passage
Curly: "Do you know what the secret of
life is?"
Mitch: "No, what?"
Curly (holding up his gloved index finger): "This."
Mitch: "Your finger?"
Curly: "One thing. Just one thing. You stick to
that and everything else don't mean @#*$!"
Mitch: “That's great, but what's the one thing?"
Curly: "That's what you've gotta figure out."
1st Attribute of Good Differentiation:
“One Thing”
The result of good marketing
communications
Absolutely, utterly necessary
Sharper messages cut through better.
Picking One Thing means…
Sacrifice
Sacrifice: Trade-Offs
Scary!
Sacrifice in Message: Depth vs. Definition
– Marketer: “So much that we need to
communicate.”
Client
Target
Market
– Customers: “Dude, only so much space in the
brain.”
Advantage of Sacrifice:
Trade numbers for loyalty
– “The less this product is for the masses, the more it is
for me.”
“The dealers kept telling us that VW’s are not for
everyone. That is a key part of the strategy and why it
has been successful…creating advertising that is right for
the brand and right for the customer who is most likely to
consider a VW. Then we work hard to put the message
where they will see it, and wait for them to show up. I
think too many car companies work too hard to convince
customers to consider them, and they wind up not being
who they are. What happens is that they don’t get the
people they are chasing, because that’s a flawed strategy.
And the brand starts looking bad to the people who liked
them from the start.”
- Fran Kelly, President Arnold Co.
Advantage of Sacrifice:
Trade Numbers for Identity
Consistent media
execution
– Reach
– Frequency
Examples:
– Absolut
– Saturn
Advantages of Sacrifice
Concentrates internal and external
expressions of identity
– Eliminates activities that might dilute that
identity
Creates strong points of difference
Generates critical mass for communication
– Concentrates all your efforts.
2nd Attribute of Good Differentiation:
Self-Referential Identity
Self-Referential
Identity
– Tell us where THEY
stand
– Self-confidence
– Sense of own internal
identity
Own country, own
language
Examples
–
–
–
–
–
Absolut
Starbucks
Nike (vs. Reebok)
Wonderbra
Google(?)
Self-Referential Identity
“…unable to describe themselves with reference
to anything other than themselves.”
Las Vegas
–
–
–
–
–
–
“The American Way to Play.”
“No One Does It Better.”
“The Entertainment Capital of America.”
“Las Vegas is Las Vegas.”
“What happens here, stays here.”
“Only Vegas.”
3rd Attribute of Good Differentiation:
Emotion/ Intensity
– Strong, emotionally based relationship
w/customer
– Customer mirror vs. Identity
Problem-solving, “That’s why” advertising
Vs…
Lighthouse advertising
– Emotions
Emotion/ Intensity Scale
Indifference
•Gas
Reassurance
High volume/ Weak preference
low interest
•Fast food
•Lexus
Enthusiastic
•Soda
•Nike
preference
•Harley-Davidson
•Apple
Identity
•Starbucks
•Wonderbra
Enhanced Self
4th Attribute of Good Differentiation:
Salience
Intrusive
Consistent message
More on this later…
Steps of Differentiation
1. Assess Context
– Environment
– Competitors
– Client brand
2. ID Differentiating Idea
(Make sure it’s different & true)
Account
promo
B Planners
3. Identify Consumer Insight
4. Communicate difference
Creative
& Media
Assess Context
Determine important attributes
– Already important
– Untapped important attributes
Understand client’s product
Understand competitors’ products
Environment
– Acct mgrs- include in situation brief
Assess Context:
Environment and competitors…
ID “The core issue”
– What is the major issue facing the growth,
transformation, or survival of any given
brand?
– What is the one critical point of focus that
needs to be identified before you can even
“talk” strategy.
– E.g. “It’s the economy, Stupid.”
How do we ID core issue?
ID central threat in
each area
– Competitive Player
In or outside of
category
– Issue
Legal?
– Trend
– Technological
breakthrough
– Ourselves
Attitude, conservatism,
structure
Requires
brainstorming and
research
Possible Exercise:
“Achilles Heels/ 180°”
Formally identify weaknesses of:
– Category
– Competition (Main?)
– Avoid vagueries “Oooh, customer satisfaction”
WTH is that?
What is the counterpoint/opposite?
– Do you have that counterpoint?
Possible Exercise:
“Achilles Heels/ 180°”
Traditional U.S.
Automotive Company
– City of Industry
– Hard Sell
– Own Rules that make
customers
uncomfortable
– Salespeople as
business people
Saturn
– Small-Town USA
– Soft Sell
– No price negotiations
– Salespeople as
“Friends”
Examples
“For the millions who should not take
aspirin- If your stomach is easily
upset…or if you have an ulcer…or you
suffer from asthma, allergies, or irondeficiency anemia, it would make good
sense to check with your doctor before
you take aspirin. Aspirin can irritate the
stomach lining, trigger asthmatic or
allergic reactions, cause small amounts
of hidden gastrointestinal bleeding.
Fortunately, there is…”
Examples
“Most American vodkas seem Russian.”
–
–
–
–
“Samovar: Made in Schenley, Pennsylvania.
Smirnoff: Made in Hartford, Connecticut.
Wolfschmidt: Made in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Stolichinaya is different. It is Russian. Made in
Leningrad, Russia”
Vs.
“Stolichinaya is (yet) a(nother) Russian Vodka”
Poor Orange Juice…
Achilles Heels…
Repositioning opportunities
Even if it isn’t a
negative…
– You can make it one
Position against the
leader
Avis
Uncola
Pepsi
Mini-CooperEmbrace the Opposite!
Another example:
Milk Duds
– Limited advertising budget
– (Re)position next to candy bars (favorably)
– Qualitative data:
My allowance doesn’t last very long when it comes to
candy bars.”
Either I’m eating faster or candy bars are getting
smaller.”
You can suck up a candy bar awfully fast these days!”
– Milk Dud’s- America’s long-lasting alternative to the
candy bar.
– (Solution found in consumers)
Milk Duds Ad
Once there was a kid who had a big mouth that
loved candy bars, but they didn’t last very long.
Then he discovered chocolaty caramel Milk
duds.
The mouth loved the Milk Duds because they
last a long time.
When a candy bar is only a memory, you’ll still
be eating your Milk duds.
Get your mouth some Milk Duds.
Assess Client
Company Tone?
– “Tonality Exam”
Given to Client
Need to know the kinds of images the client is
comfortable with.
Acct mgrs – could include in situation brief
Tonality Exam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How edgy is <company>?
What edgy sport would
<company> do?
How sexy is <company>?
What does the word
<company> mean to you?
What kind of car would
<company> be?
What movie would
<company> be?
If <company> were a
celebrity, who would it be?
8. If something bad were to
happen to <company>, what
would it do?
9. In the year 200?, <company>
will be….?
10. What does <company>
stand for?
11. What would <company> say
if it got into a fight?
12. What kind of humor is
<company>?
13. <company> sees things…?
14. What is the best thing about
<company>?
Tonality Exam
How edgy is Rockport?
1.
►
Mature, edgy, grounded in mortality.
8.
–
What edgy sport would Rockport do?
2.
►
Sail around the world.
How sexy is Rockport?
3.
–
Middle-aged sexy. Harrison Ford.
What does the word Rockport mean to
you?
4.
►
Sold. Grounded. Permanent.
What kind of car would Rockport be?
5.
–
Old Mercedes. Well-engineered
What movie would Rockport be?
6.
–
Ghandi
If Rockport were a celebrity, who would
it be?
7.
►
Harrison Ford. Likable
If something bad were to happen to
Rockport, what would it do?
8.
–
It would go inward. It wouldn’t lash
out.
In the year 200?, Rockport will be….?
9.
The largest, most popular footwear
brand in the world.
What does Rockport stand for?
–
Right amount of vibrancy. It defines
your best vacation.
10. What would Rockport say if it got into a
fight?
► You have no integrity. You are a phony.
11. What kind of humor is Rockport?
– Bill Cosby. Rings true from a person’s
own experience.
12. Rockport sees things…?
– Derives greater meaning from the
obvious
13. What is the best thing about Rockport?
– It’s authentic. Real Stuff. It never
violated its core values.
Possible Exercise:
“Brand Vault”
Assumes ID of brand already exists
Listen to others talk about identity
– Heavy users
– Long-time employees
Possible Exercise:
“Museum”
Cover walls in history
– Advertising
– Brand at every stage
of life span
Birth
Trading philosophies
Advertising
Packaging
Graphics
News articles
Endorsers
sponsorships
Review materials
Discuss elements of
identity that:
– Embody what is
powerful or special
– Embody time when
relationship was most
intense
Clearest sense of value
in lives
New info relevant to
present day
Possible Exercise:
“Picasso”
Put on walls all pieces of marketing
activity
– Two years
– Longer?
ID Pieces:
– Strongly communicates identity
– Consistent w/ identity (even if not strongly)
– Not consistent w/ identity
Break w/ Immediate Past
Don’t be trapped by category assumptions
Don’t be trapped by target market
assumptions!
Identify and reject clichés
Attitude: Reconsider everything
Some clichés are painful…
…and flat
Possible Exercise:
“Stop Sign”
Identify the one thing (at least one) we
should stop doing
– What would you do in its place?
Possible Exercise:
“New Category: Take 1”
Pick four brands you admire that have no
obvious relationship to your category
–
–
–
–
Lexus & Luxury car market
Microsoft in software
Southwest in airline market
Palm in PDA market
How would you develop and market your
brand as if it were in that category?
One possibility…
Intended to help you identify assumptions
– (Unacknowledged limitations)
New ideas/ holes
But…
Differentiate on Product Class
– “World’s first sport utility….”
Reminders
ONE thing
– Not kidding here
– “Law of Sacrifice”
Not just enough to pick target market
– Why for them?
– What do you mean to them?
– What role does the product play in the TM’s
life?