July 23rd, 2010
I was in the throes of making what was for me an important investment decision, when I was reminded that I might be going down the wrong path – because I was unclear of my objective, jumping right to a strategy, or perhaps even had the wrong objective (if I was completely honest with myself). And this was a bang-on assessment. I wasn’t clear on my objective, so how could I possibly identify and feel comfortable with a strategy without this important context? It was a bit of a wake-up call, but I quickly got back on track.
This made me think about so many things in life and business, where the inclination is to jump right into action or to a strategy – the “means” – without first recognizing what it is you are trying to accomplish – the “end”, or the objective. I wonder how often we fall into this trap without really realizing where we’ve gone wrong. There’s a lot to be said for having a strong and clear sense of purpose, regardless of whether it’s in life, work, sports, etc. It’s important to step back for a moment and think…objective first, then strategy.
Tags: business, Marketing, strategy
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »
July 16th, 2010
I walk by a church most days and noticed that it was undergoing some renovations, which is not an unusual sight these days. What was unusual, and caught my eye, was the unique sign that was on display to explain or excuse the renovations to parishioners: “Transforming space for faith”. I thought this was brilliant branding – not only the fact that they chose to brand the renovation work itself, but the extremely relevant angle the church took in the language it chose to use in this branding. Kudos to them! It just goes to show you that you will see branding at work almost everywhere you turn…and sometimes when you least expect it!
Tags: brand, brand building, branding, Marketing
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »
July 9th, 2010
What does Betty White’s “comeback” of sorts in her late 80’s tell us about reinventing yourself? I was reflecting on the brilliance surrounding the “comeback” – whether you’d call it a reinvention or not, or even intentional.
Who’d have thought that her appearance in what became one of the most-viewed Super Bowl ads would ever have been contemplated in the first place, given the “young” target audience who probably doesn’t really even know or remember her? Then, who’d have thought there’d be such renewed interest in her with the Facebook campaign lobbying to have her host Saturday Night Live? It kind of makes you shake your head, but then again it shows both the power of social media at play, and is proof that you can make a comeback and reinvent yourself so that you appeal or are relevant to a totally different target audience, many years down the road. I guess it helps when it’s driven by others. We’ll see if this is a “one-hit wonder” comeback, or if it has staying power when we see how her new TV show does. I hear it’s already been signed on for a second season, just as the first show aired – wow! Good on you Betty!
Tags: Betty White, brand, brand building, branding, Marketing, social marketing, social media
Posted in Marketing | Add a comment »
