December 2009
6 posts
Why Colombian Soccer Players Get More Yellow Cards
It’s not the latin temper. A new study suggests it could be the exposure in one’s home country to civil war.
“We find that the extent of a player’s home country’s recent record of civil conflict (our proxy for exposure) is strongly associated with violent behavior on the soccer pitch, as captured in yellow and red cards, but not other dimensions of play, such as goals...
A Liar from Utah County? Could it be?
The Utah Flash, a D-League NBA basketball team in Orem, Utah, may have committed the year’s worst marketing snafu by heavily implying His Airness Michael Jordan would be playing a one on one game against Brian Russell, a retired Jazz player, during halftime of the Flash’s opening game.
The Flash released a viral video of Jordan (look alike) eating at a nearby restaurant and made...
Buying Green Makes You More Likely to Steal
A classic case of moral licensing:
Students shopped in one of two stores- a traditional store, and a store with just green products- and then were asked to share $6 with an unknown partner. Green store shoppers were far less generous.
In another experiment, students were found to be much more likely to steal money after shopping at a green store than students who shopped at a conventional...
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Design Linkage
-45 Design & Developer blogs worth following
-A font I like
-Turn your pitiful handwriting into a pitiful font.
-70s style user manual designs for social networks.
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Tall women are the smartest
“Once height (measured in inches) is controlled, women have significantly higher IQs than men. Net of height, women score 2.14 points higher on the PPVT. In contrast, each inch in height is worth more than half an IQ point (0.56). A comparison of standardized coefficients shows that the effect of height is more than twice as large as that of sex. Because American men on average are 5 inches...
On public commitment and achievement
Women who made a public commitment to lose weight achieved 102% of their weight loss goals and 97% kept the weight off, compared to 88% achievement levels for people with no public commitment.
I find the measurement used to track subjects susceptibility to normative influence (how people behave based on social approval) somewhat flawed, but otherwise Nyer and Dellande have confirmed what could...
June 2009
7 posts
Two Sides, Two Choices
There are two types of vacations: those that leave you rejuvenated and those that leave you exhausted. I will never understand why people choose to take vacations so crammed with activities, destinations, sites, shopping, shows and gluttony you come back to your busy life sapped and sluggish, needing, ironically, another break.
Actually, I do know why people do it. So they can say, “Oh,...
The Parable of Helio
I stab the brakes to shave off about 75% of my speed as I enter the corner, press in the clutch, throw it into second, then blip the throttle to about 3,500 RPM. The engine winds up eagerly, so I engage the clutch and get hard back on the throttle just at the apex of the corner. The tires complain a little but I don’t pull back. Then it’s Wolfgang Amadeus’ Marriage of Figaro...
The Parable of the Freak
Deja Vu is a magical, mysterious and sort of creepy part of life that sneaks ex nihilo right into your very conscience, plays around for a few seconds, then vanishes. As a chacho, I had deja vu many, many times, but I had to be 10 or 11 years old before I discovered there was actually a name for it.
It was so hard to describe and I never heard anyone else talking about it. So maybe deja vu was...
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Why You Should Become a Panhandler (or Marketer)
Some panhandlers are extremely successful. What’s interesting is how their success translates to marketers like you and I. Aside from learning to communicate a message in just a few words - something everyone should learn to do, and a reason I like Twitter - they have figured out how to get people to take an action. That’s what all marketers want, right?
But what’s more, the...
The Parable of the Pee Dance
“Dad!”
And out swept the cool calmness of delicious sleep. My mind swooshed up a corridor toward reality, then forced my eyes open. It was dark. The luscious dreams from early morning sneaked away in the very moment I tried to solidify what they were.
“Dad! I have to pee!” whispered an urgent voice from the doorway.
I squinted pointlessly, “Okay, buddy, go...
May 2009
8 posts
The Snickers Standoff: Day 8
I’ve had a Snickers bar sitting on my desk at work for 8 days now. Shall I eat it now? No, too early for empty calories and the sluggish, sloppy gut I will have right after. How about now? It would be a nice after lunch treat. No, not now. Too soon. I can’t eat all that right now. I’ll have some gum instead. Hmmm, that Snickers is starting to look pretty good. Sort of. But...
The Parable of Pig-headedness
Pigs look so funny on leashes. And in family pictures. It’s because they are outside their natural element. They are intelligent, yes, of course. And delicious; that goes without saying. But the reason pigs on leashes seem so awkward is they are not good at doing things pets normally do, like playing catch, or rolling over, or learning funny phrases or even for petting.
I can see wanting...
The Onerous Truth
Car shopping a few weeks ago, I found a particular sport utility wagon that seemed to be “it”. “The One”, as it were. We asked the salesman for the keys. It drove nice, but had this subtle, off-putting odor. It was a musky, droopy kind of dankness that sort of announced its presence when you first opened the door but then let you in so you felt part of it and didn’t...
Imitations
Have you ever watched Frank Caliendo? He is, among other things, an impersonator, and a pretty good one. His impressions of Charles Barkley and John Madden always make me snigger.
I find it amazing that someone can make a living pretending to be someone else. Copying their every move, mannerism and voice. It can only work if you do it perfectly though. It has to be so good you might even...
Note to all my subscribers
First of all, thanks for subscribing. Many of you subscribed while I was requiring subscriptions to access my full posts. But I received a lot of feedback from people saying they wanted to view the archives as well. So in the interest of each of you, I’ve decided to remove that barrier.
So when you have a minute, stop by the blog and browse some of the archives.
Plus look for more...
December 2008
20 posts
3 tags
My Biggest Marketing Mistakes of 2008
It’s nice to talk about all the great things one has accomplished during the year and it’s easy to highlight the blunders of others, but I think it’s much more useful and tangible to look at your own marketing mistakes.
Here are the biggest mistakes I made in marketing this year:
* I neglected my best customers. Not completely, of course, but your best customers should...
The Hunt
In marketing, we’re all hunting for something. But it’s interesting to me how some people put so much time and effort into things that often yield so little.
Millions have been spent looking for Sasquatch, but we still have no solid evidence he exists.
Many more millions have gone to looking for extra-terrestrials, with still nothing to show for it.
The Discovery Channel is...
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Popquiz: Name that Millionaire
A few hints:
She was an orphan.
She was black.
She was a self-made millionaire.
She’s not Oprah.
Born on a plantation to former slaves, this remarkable woman from Louisiana became an orphan at seven and a widow at 22 years old with a 2 year old baby under her arm. And despite living in a very racist and very sexist United States, she started a business and became the country’s...
Will Innovative Marketing Die in 2009?
It’s going to be a tough year for many businesses next year. Sales will be down, clients will leave and budgets will come under scrutiny. Which begs the question: Is innovative marketing going to die next year?
That depends on what type of marketer you are. The Scrutinizers will cut marketing budgets. The Dreamers will keep dreaming. The Worry Warts will do the same old thing and develop...
What's Your Slug?
I have great respect for journalists. They break important news, keep government and companies in check, reveal scandals and organize what’s happening around the world so we can always know what’s going on. They also work in stressful flurries of phone calls, research and writing. Deadlines always loom. Accuracy is a must. The pay generally sucks.
In college, I was required to take...
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Truly Brilliant Viral Marketing Campaign
Everyone wants to be responsible for the next innovative viral marketing campaign. Many try, most fail. Only the truly creative, the truly entertaining and the truly captivating ones are able to rise above the incessant noise and clutter of the Internet and get noticed.
That’s why this campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi New York, is worth mentioning here. The theme is universal,...
Manizesto is Now Subscriber Only!
After much consideration and angst, I’ve decided to make this blog fully accessible only to subscribers. Why? Four main reasons:
1. Be a part of something. Godin describes it best here. Call it a tribe, a community, a group or what-have-you, but the goal is to increase mind share and the value of the information posted here.
2. Higher engagement. When you subscribed, you invested in me...
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How NOT to Announce Store Closures
From today’s Deseret News:
“After 22 years in the Salt Lake City market, Utah’s two Bally Total Fitness locations have closed.
With no warning, members visiting those locations Wednesday discovered the lights out and doors locked following the company’s decision to permanently pull out of the area due to declining business….”This location is now...
How a Dentist Should Market Their Practice
I found my dentist, Provo Dental Care, like most people do, from a referral (word of mouth still trumps any paid channel). But I’m continually impressed with their marketing campaigns. Here’s what they’re doing that keeps me engaged.
1. Referral gift. I was so impressed with the practice that I’ve referred a few people to their practice. Every time I do, they send me a...
This is why we don't trust politicians
From today’s Washington Post:
“The news that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) has been taken into custody on charges of seeking bribes in exchange for an appointment to the Senate (among other allegations) fundamentally reshapes the Illinois political landscape.” (More here)
This is staggering, and it’s why politicians are some of the least trusted people out there,...
November 2008
13 posts
1 tag
The Black Friday Black Hole
The day after Thanksgiving is the culmination of much planning, development work and anticipation for many marketers (and consumers, for that matter). Today, thousands of marketers are refreshing their revenue reports and biting their nails hoping for a not-too-dismal shopping season. But f you’re one of many marketers out there who didn’t cut your prices drastically to fill your store...
You Don't Have to Be the Best to Win
Ever found yourself trying to market an inferior product? It’s frustrating, and easy to point the finger of blame to your development team, your engineers, or senior management. Don’t do it. Finger pointing accomplishes nothing.
I wrote a post a while ago arguing that if you’re products suck, innovating marketing or a large budget can’t help much, which I still believe...
2 for 1 Offers Mean 1 of 2 Things
When is a good deal also a horrible sign? When this happens:
Two Chrysler dealerships are going beyond 0% financing and instant cash back to unload unwanted inventory from showroom floors. One company in the UK is selling two Dodge Avengers for the price of one, and another Chrysler dealer is offering a PT Cruiser for $1 with purchase of any Pacifica.
Buy one get one free is a great offer,...
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Quote of the Week
“There are four ways to make a million dollars. Luck. Patient effort. Skill. Risk.”
-Seth Godin
The Bright Side of the Credit Crunch
Things are pretty dismal in the financial industry, which means marketers in that space are drastically cutting back on marketing spending. They’re running less TV ads, cutting back on online spending and better yet, sending less junk direct mail in the form of credit card offers to you (and your potential customers).
This is all good news for marketers, because not only are you getting...
Innovative Marketing: Honda Singing Road
The marketing wizards at Honda have created a singing road that plays the William Tell Overture (you know, the theme from Lone Ranger) when a Honda Civic’s tires pass over it at 55 mph. The stunt was developed to film a Honda commercial promoting the Civic a while back, but it’s quickly become a tourist attraction for Lancaster, Ca. (when the city paved over it, people protested, so...
Is Lowering the Barrier a Good Idea?
If you fly much, you’ve probably noticed a huge upswing in add-on fees. Now you’ll often find yourself paying fees for phone reservations, cashing in frequent flyer miles, checking luggage or a pet, having a child sit on your lap, getting an assigned seat, and even fuel surcharges. It can be a frustrating experience. So why are so many airlines doing it?
Simple. They’ve lowered...
October 2008
25 posts
Want Some Zit Poppers? Good, More for Me.
Today a co-worker brought in a box of candy he just had to show us. The candy is called Zit Poppers. Sounds good right? It’s a real, gummy candy very similar to Gushers, but designed to look like giant shiny pimples. “Oozy, gushy goo filled zit gummies you can burst in your mouth!” the box claims. According to GiggleSugar.com:
“Basically, you pretend to pop them and the...
Waiters are Good Marketers
I was recently in a customer service team meeting where everyone was being encouraged to work on three things: improve the customer experience, cut down call times and increase sales. Sounds like the ultimate paradox, right? How can you possibly do all three?
You can. But you have to dispel these myths first.
Myth 1. Good customer service means a lot of face/phone time. Wrong. Good customer...
Why you should know how to scare a child
“What’s the best way to scare a kid? You wouldn’t just put on an ugly mask and chase him. He might think it was a big joke and start laughing. To be confident of a successful scare, you’d lay some groundwork first. A week or two before the big event, you’d start warning him about a local monster, show him some pictures of the beast, and tell him some tales of its...
Innovative Marketing: Obama O's & Cap'n McCains
If you had your choice, which cereal would you eat in the morning, Obama O’s or Cap’n McCains? Well, thanks to a website called Airbed & Breakfast, you can. They’ve developed a totally off-the-wall marketing campaign by creating a breakfast cereal for each of the Presidential candidates.
Each cereal comes with unique packaging, real edible cereal and, of course, a jingle...
Market Research at its Finest Dining
How’s this for market research? A university in the Netherlands has opened a restaurant that tracks everything it’s customers do to learn more about what factors influence the way people buy.
Among dozens of other factors, scientists are looking at the niggling details that they can alter to change consumer’s behavior. They ask:
“Does it matter if the cheese slices are...
Marketing Savvy Customer Gets Revenge
I’ve heard of customers creating bad publicity for a company they’re unhappy with, but one Fiat Doblo owner has taken it to the next level.
Take a look at this photo:
The loud graphic exclaims: This FIAT is very unreliable, 2 new clutches, 2 new flywheels, 2 new master cylinders, 2 new servos, Since new, Nothing but aggro..
Dealing with all these pricey repairs on a...
Innovative Marketing Gone Awry: Kleenex Let it Out
Over the next several days, I’ll be highlighting some examples of great innovative marketing. Make sure you see the whole series on Innovative Marketing by subscribing to Manizesto.
I absolutely loved this campaign by Kimberly-Clark, which was really a multi-faceted initiative with both on and off-line components. It started with an event in New York’s Time Square where the company...
Innovative Marketing in Action: 1000 Uses
Over the next several days, I’ll be highlighting some examples of great innovative marketing. Make sure you see the whole series on Innovative Marketing by subscribing to Manizesto.
In business (and marketing), everyone wants to stand out, which means often, no one does. It’s a difficult problem to solve, but that’s where innovation comes in. Let’s take a look at what...
Kingsford Diamonds
Between building secret forts, filling the local park with boobie traps and imitating Michael Jordan’s game-winning shots, my best childhood friend and I came up with the ultimate scheme to get rich (besides protecting my Bo Jackson rookie card with my life).
Using our new-found knowledge from school, we took four Kingsford charcoal briquets from my friend’s dad’s garage, dug...
Google's Advice on Paid Advertising
I recently put on a webinar with Tyrona Heath from Google to talk about how to get started with online advertising on Google’s Adwords program. It’s a great intro into paid search advertising (PPC) and provides some really great insights for people who want to hear from the horse’s mouth how to do a great job with your Adwords campaign. The focus of this presentation was for...
How to give someone bad news
Last week, I emailed my portfolio manager to find out if one of my investments was now worthless. I figured he’s probably getting hundreds of emails just like mine, but I might as well ask.
Surprisingly, I got a response the next day. His response was bleak, truthful and direct.
“Thanks for your email. You’re right, your investment has little to no value now, but...
WOM Marketing in a Slow Economy: Q&A with Kim...
Things are tough for many small businesses right now. With the financial markets upside down and financing hard to come by, many entrepreneurs are wondering if now is the time they should cut back on marketing spending right now or invest in new innovative marketing campaigns.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Kim Sheehan, influential small business marketing expert and author of Building...
September 2008
26 posts
Why I Keep Getting Phone Books
Remember phone books? I do, because I just got another one on my doorstep yesterday morning. Do the phone book companies care that I haven’t used a phone book in at least three years? No, they bring them any way.
The phone book companies don’t care if you use it or not. They sell their ad space by reach, not by eyeballs or times your ad phone number was called (I bet there are...
Point|Counterpoint: Is the Customer Always Right?
Point: Why You Should Care What Customers Say
“The customer is always right.” This phrase is the most popular creed in the history of customer service, but it’s also a hotly debated topic. How much effort should you put into making sure all your customers have a good experience? My answer: as much as it takes.Your business depends on your customers. Without them,...
Netflix Popups are so annoying, but...
For a long time, I have utilized popup blockers on my web browser, but for some reason the Netflix popups sneak through the filter somehow. This doesn’t happen with any other ads. It’s very annoying. I can’t stand it. The popup ads make me want to cancel my Netflix subscription.
But they work.
People see them, click them and then sign up for Netflix accounts. If the company...
What is Marketing?
The nuts a bolts of marketing are many, varied and complex. You probably read more than you need to about testing, sales revenue, customer retention, CPA, ROI, AOV, tracking, measurement and everything else.
But guess what?
Marketing is not about sales revenue
Marketing is not about getting more customers
Marketing is not about your brand
Marketing is not about ROI
Marketing is not about...
Introducing Point|Counterpoint
Being able to understand both sides of a discussion is the key to developing strong, convincing arguments. If you only understand your point of view, you won’t change people’s minds. And that is true in marketing too.
So in that spirit, I’m going to try something new and different and hopefully innovative here on Manizesto. It’s called Point|Counterpoint. The premise is...