Word of mouth is not free
This morning a friend was telling me about a product he had used recently, and how it changed his life. Well, made a small piece of it better at least. Next time I am looking for a product in that category, I will try it. Very little to lose even if I do not share the...
Sporting analogies don’t always work.
Tonight is the first Origin game of 2014, and so I expect to hear lots of people using sporting analogies over the next few weeks, particularly football. Sporting analogies abound in business, "A team of champions does not make a champion team" How many time have...
Show the value
Fountain Tomato Sauce used to be the market leader in NSW, daylight was second and third. This was a long time ago, and responsibility for the Fountain brand was my first real job as a product manager who had real accountability, and the power to make lasting brand...
Sometimes, it is just a cigar
The photo of Joe Hockey and Mathias Cormann smoking a cigar just before the budget has raised temperatures in all sorts of places. I wonder why? After all, it is just a cigar. Some are annoyed that they seem to be promoting a nasty habit Some say that it shows the...
Predicting the future Vs leading edge of current
The future prediction business has so far failed to find a sustainable business model, apart from the fun stuff in the tent with the funny lady with the cards and crystal ball. About the only serious people who still profess to be able to predict the future with any...
FMCG conga line rides again
Years ago I worked as a junior marketing bloke for Allied Mills, which became Meadow Lea Foods, then Goodman Fielder. I returned 25 years later as a contractor running a specialist unit of the ingredients division in a pre-sale "polish-up" as they struggled to...
6 Steps in Managing Serendipity
"Serendipity" . Luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. Websters Dictionary. My old Dad used to say "Son, the harder I work, the luckier I get" and it has usually worked out that way. It follows then that if you...
3 Elements of the perfect website.
On several occasions last week I found myself frustrated that I could not find a piece of information I needed on a website, I knew it had to be there somewhere, it is just that someone had effectively if inadvertently hidden it. GGGRRRRR Over the years I have asked...
Socialised branding
Building brands has always been the core of successful marketing efforts, and by comparison to what it is now, it used to be simple. Do a bit of market research, make stuff, generate distribution, throw money at advertising, generate volume, make more stuff, advertise...
3 steps to Lead conversion
Creating a lead is a whole world of work and pain for many business people, followed by another, converting the lead into a transaction. Too often I see the process followed as an aggressive "close at all costs" mentality. That approach rarely ever worked well for...