30 May 2008

Buzzwords that don't work anymore.

Feel free to comment and add yours to the list or argue with mine.

  1. Convenient
  2. Unique
  3. Authentic
  4. Exciting
  5. Quick/Fast
  6. Consistent
  7. Out-of-the-box
  8. Synergy
  9. Paradigm shift
  10. Value-added
  11. Results-oriented (I've never met someone who admitted to aiming for NOT achieving results)
  12. Proactive (nevermind that the grammar purist in me still doesn't buy this made up word

You must use a human, accessible voice to talk to people about what you're trying to accomplish. I'm sure I could make this list into a top 100 (and I just might). Whatever story you're telling, it comes off as bogus when it's full of a bunch of trumped-up adjectives.

Honesty and humanity can speak volumes.

Retro Marketing



It's only a matter of time before the big CPG companies look to resurrect their old classics. And they're doing it - remember Brim, Salon Selectives, Underroos? There's a movement underway to bring these brands back to life because of their powerful recall. Kellogg's has announced that they're bringing back the "beloved" Hyrdox cookie.

Which makes me really wonder something.

Does recall still make the brand? We marketers have always touted brand recall as a signal of its success. I'm just not sure that does it anymore.


First of all, it's the quality of the product that ultimately determines whether it has a long or short lifespan. If Brim has a great jingle but tastes like crap, it's destined for the dustbin. Reason #1 why I don't think recall is enough.

This all sounds to me like big companies are finally feeling the pinch of traditional, big bucks marketing and rather than spending the time, money, and effort to innovate something truly powerfully great, they're riding on the coattails of nostalgia in hopes that it will bring them around. (I wonder if Seth agrees with me - I doubt he thinks that Hydrox revisited is a Purple Cow, if a Cow at all).

What do you think? Would the reprise of your favorite Quisp cereal make you rush to the store, or just make you think "hey look, Quisp!" and go on your merry way?

28 May 2008

Brilliant Fundraising

Jennifer Leggio should have been on my team all the years I did fundraising for a living. Talk about harnessing the power of social media.

Jennifer has reached out to her network of brilliant minds to auction their brains, services, and other in the name of raising money in the fight against leukemia. She's running a marathon as part of Team In Training and has an ambitious (but at this point, highly reachable) goal to raise $10,000. As of right now, she's already raised $3K. Not too shabby.

It just goes to show - and remind me - how powerful it can be to have conversations. I heard about Jennifer's efforts via Chris Brogan, and now here I am blogging about them. Which means hopefully someone else in turn will find her through me and help her cause.

Now, to check the bidding for some of those brilliant minds...

Dogged Determination


There's no substitute for dogged determination. I can't help but continue to gape in amazement at the NASA team and their multi-year quest to get the Phoenix lander to Mars. I mean, come on. It's NEWS that the thing is going to unbend it's arm. The arm is going to probe beneath the Martian surface to reach the water ice below and bring back lots of yummy subterranean bits and pieces for scientific analysis. All aimed at figuring out if somewhere, in some age, Mars supported life.



It's a lesson in patience, timing, perseverance, and faith. Nothing will test your mettle like slinging a big thing into the deep reaches of space, waiting 10 months, and hoping against hope that it goes where you told it to, not to mention landing on a planet light-years away and still working once it gets there.

There are many times when, in the marketing world, you try something and it doesn't work. (Yes, indeed, we are fallible creatures). Not every strategy is perfect, and despite your best efforts, sometimes you miss the mark. But still, we march on and try, try again to find the thing or combination of many things that will reach that new client or finally crystalize that elusive and compelling message for all to hear. When it happens, it's a beautiful thing. But by no means does it happen by accident.

Successful communication starts with something super important: people. Without them, there is no dialogue. And to forget that they're on the other end is a mistake. But if you don't reach them the first time, don't stop talking. It's a noisy world out there, and sometimes it's a matter of timing before you can be heard just right.

The team at NASA's JPL was an exuberant bunch of kids in that control room, watching the countdown and jumping up and down when they got the confirmation of Phoenix's successful landing. They deserve a round of applause, and a good pat on the back for staying the course when there were more questions than answers.

I'm putting a picture of Phoenix on my bulletin board, and every time I stumble, I'll be all the more determined to make a successful landing.

23 May 2008

Hacked! LifeLock's CEO Gets Unlocked, After All.

Today, the LifeLock CEO was on the Today Show talking about how he got himself hacked by identity thieves - the very thing his company is in business to prevent.



Last week, Drew McLellan commented on his blog about the bravery of the marketing campaign in which Todd Davis boldly displays his own social security number on billboards, TV spots and the like as if daring the identity thieves to come and get him. I agreed! Talk about putting your money (and your credit and your private information) where your mouth is.

So what does this mean for Davis and LifeLock now? Have they lost brand equity because their very own CEO has been victimized?

I don't think so. Why? Because Davis came out and addressed the issue, point blank. He admitted that many people had attempted to use his information without success. And he insists that the damage would have been far worse had LifeLock not been protecting his identity.

I know that's probably a little happy-hearted, thinking that just because he talks about it, everything is ok. But the question is, was it really a failure of the company to fulfill its brand promise, or did Davis open the floodgates for people to attack him more vigorously, just like a Double Dog Dare?

Guess I'll be keeping an eye on LifeLock to see what's next for them. And I'll be shredding my documents more carefully, of course.

22 May 2008

One Of These Clients is Not Like The Other

No one likes to be generalized. Lumped into a pile. Labeled. Assumed to be just like anyone else. And clients and customers are no different.

Sure, we may share certain tastes, values, opinions. But we're individuals and prefer to be treated that way.

Take the case of a woman we'll call Amy. She's a super talented friend of mine in the marketing world, and she's on the Big Job Hunt for a sparkly new position that will really let her show her stuff. So she's doing all the right things - networking, using her professional organization contacts, and she even met with a recruiter who sought her out. Which is where the trouble began.

Right off the bat, she's a senior level person and this firm is accustomed to a great deal of freelancers coming through their doors. They sent her a 14 page "application" to fill out, full of standard HIRE paperwork like tax forms and employment agreements (as would be appropriate for a freelancer, I assume). She hadn't even set foot through the door yet. The form email she got about her interview was clearly geared toward freelancers, didn't even have her name on it, and was chock full of information that didn't apply to her.

So before she's even met anyone, she's been made to feel like a number on a list. She asked questions like "did they even read my resume?" and "do they have any idea what I'm looking for in a career?". It sure didn't feel like it. At the very least, they could have taken out the verbiage and paperwork that was freelance-specific. But they succeeded in making Amy feel like a dollar sign to them.

We're all busy, and it's easy to give into the temptation of tossing out blanket communications in hopes of reaching many people at once. But while your clients and customers may share affinities for certain products or activities, don't make assumptions, and be careful about how you generalize the information you send out.

An extra five minutes to segment your email list or put a personal note on a direct mail postcard might be the difference between making that client or customer feel like a valued and understood member of your larger community or making them feel like a number on your mailing list.

21 May 2008

Knowledge is portable.

If you don't read Seth Godin's blog already, first I'm going to hang tight while you go there and bookmark or feedburn or otherwise connect to it.

Done? Ok good.

Seth says a couple of things today that made me go YES! loudly, in my office, to the confusion of Riley, my dog.

#1) Knowledge workers should not have to go to the office every day. I've long been amazed that we marketing -PR-creative type people are "required" to be in an office for a corporate job where we add little value to our surrounding environment in a typical day because we're in a) unnecessary meetings or b) buried behind a phone or computer screen. I can say personally that I have the most productive work sessions when I'm around other people actually - gasp - producing, or when I'm in an environment of my choice that stimulates creativity. I'm oddly productive at the library. But that's another story for another day.

#2) Knowledge between experts is better shared than kept as some holiest of holy secrets. Look. People who hire me know that I'm one of many people that can do what I do. I make no mistake about that. What people love about working with me is completely different for everyone. And THAT is what keeps them coming back, not the illusion that I harbor some secret holy grail of knowledge that has never before been seen on the face of the planet. Silly, silly. It's why Seth has no problem posting about other great marketing minds, or sharing links to other people's brilliance. Me either. Share and share alike, and we shall all be the better for it!

Communication is Key



Recession or no, don't make the mistake of thinking that an economic downturn means that you should put the brakes on everything you do that's considered "marketing".

Marketing is sometimes construed as a dirty word. So let's clean it up and consider the most basic of all marketing principles - communication.

Every business feels the symptoms of economic strife a little differently. In my neck of the words, for instance, clients are super focused on targeted, economic methods of communication. Which is a beautiful thing, because that's what we advocate anyway. But there are also those people who say "Amber, I'm halting all marketing spending right now." Yikes.

Especially for growing businesses and non profit organizations, there's a lot of noise in the market on a GOOD day. When it's a dog-eat-dog environment where every last customer or donor or volunteer is a gem (they should be anyway, but that's another post), I think the worst mistake you can make is to stop communicating.

Marketing, done well, is a dialogue. It's an ongoing communication with your clients and those you wish to be, and you need to be talking to be heard. In fact, when the frantic sales cycle is cautious and slowed, it can be an incredible time to spend developing those relationships with your customers and reminding them of how you're there to help them, serve them, provide them with a valuable product or service. Now is not the time for the hard sell - it's the time to have a conversation and be great at the most important part of all - listening.

And the bonus? Great dialogue with your customers doesn't have to be expensive. Pick up the phone. Launch a blog. Send out a handful of handwritten notes.

How can you spend a few minutes building relationships with your customers and clients so that when the sales cycle picks up pace, you'll be top of mind?

16 May 2008

Over Deliver.

How many times have you heard these words when talking about customer service or the work you do for your clients? Do you do it? Really?

Nordstrom has legendary customer service, and I am never disappointed. Personal attention, and the unrelenting drive to have me leave a happy customer. And I do. Even when the alterations done on a suit I bought were not quite right, my frustration quickly dissolved when a quick phone call promised that they'd do it again and fix it, with lightning speed.

One of the very best things you can do for your product or service, and your brand, is to deliver on promises. All of them. Meet deadlines. Return phone calls. Answer questions or offer to find the answers when you don't have them. And of course, exceed their expectations with whatever you deliver to them.

If you're not sure whether you're delivering on your promises, the best and most effective way to find out is to ask them!

One of Altitude's 60 Minute Marketing tips is to do a quick survey of your customers to connect with them and ask their thoughts. There are so many great tools out there now that make creating a simple online survey a breeze - we like Survey Monkey because it's super simple and straightforward. Not up for sending out an email survey? No worries. Go low tech and just pick up the phone and call some of your customers. Send them a note.

Most important, no matter what else you ask them, borrow a page from the Net Promoter Score methodology and include the question "Would you recommend us to your friends, and why or why not?" That answer will tell you how well you're delivering on the promises you make - even unwittingly - to your customers. And you might be surprised at what you learn.

Lastly, make sure that you DO something with the information you glean. It's not enough to just ask the question and walk away. The best thing you can do for your business and your customers is to address any of the shortcomings you might learn about. Your customers will know you're listening to them, and the value of your brand in their mind increases.

What are you doing today to over deliver on your promises to your customers?

14 May 2008

Chris Brogan is Smart.

Someday I'll be smart like him. Seriously, his blog and his newsletter are chock full of insights about the social media world that's so mind boggling to so many.

He and his minions spent a good chunka time putting together this list of killer blog posts from his writings on all sorts of social media and marketing topics, and it’s worth a read. Check it out here.




You don't own your brand.

Your customers do.

Seem counterintuitive?

Branding is an art, not a science. And the cardinal sin that you may commit is assuming that you (or - gasp - your marketing agency) knows your customers best, knows what they want, understands them perfectly. Absolutely, you should aspire to do just that. But at the end of the day, your customers and clients are the power behind your brand.

Uberbrands are built by the consumers who love them. They shape them, react to them, talk about them. The most brilliant marketers can merely hang around, listen closely, and respond to what their customers are already asking for.

That also means that the ever-elusive “buzz” is not something you can manufacture. You cannot force something to be “viral”, as viral - by its very nature - is something organic, self-populating. There are no guarantees. Create things and ideas worth talking about, and let your customers and would-be customers do the rest. That’s the beauty and simplicity of this kind of marketing, which really isn’t marketing at all. It’s conversation.

Be true to the brand that your customers have helped build for you. Give them more than they could ask for, be sincere, and they’ll return the favor.

10 May 2008

Tx 4 Th Fdbck

I’m in what I’d call a Blackberry transition period. I had one, and I don’t at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get another one eventually.

A recent post about this on the Influential Marketing Blog made me laugh out loud, not because it’s all wrong, but because it’s all RIGHT. I’ve worked with those berry addicts who seem to not have time to type a proper response to any email sent to them. I mean, really. The idea of these devices is to make you accessible and able to respond to your colleagues/friends/staff/CLIENTS in a timely manner without missing a beat.

So why am I so put off when someone responds to my well-writ and thought out email with “thx”? As if the word “thanks” is too hard to type, even with thumbs? Seriously. I’d almost rather not get a response at all.

So how can you apply this to your business?

Take an extra 2 minutes to respond to your customers. Whether they put up a comment on their blog about your business or sent you a feedback email. Write back, or make sure that SOMEONE is. And don’t let them be stingy with the response, and for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t let them type “tx 4 th fdbck”.

Talking to your customers is the single most important and effective way to find out what they think of you, your business, your products, and your ideas. That’s the kind of feedback that ensures that you can course correct or discover brand new opportunities (or, hallelujah, keep doing what you’re doing because they love it!).

Don’t shortchange the conversation.

07 May 2008

The Beat of a Different Drummer

Exactly how wise is it to try and be all things to all people? In my estimation, not so much.

I’ve seen plenty of companies and brands get themselves in hot water because they’re trying to capitalize on every potential customer, every potential market, every potential place they can make a buck. To their detriment.

Diversify your stocks. But when it comes to diversifying your brand, be very careful. Your brand has equity, and those that know it make certain associations. (If they’re not the right associations, that’s a different problem). But haphazardly trying to jump on every bandwagon that presents itself can be hazardous to your brand’s health.

For instance, let’s say you’re a women’s clothing boutique but there’s a huge new trend in men’s fashion for some nifty new brand of jeans. Do you just rush out and pile up some inventory because they’re selling like hot cakes? Maybe, if you have men that frequent your store to shop for the women in their lives. Or women that would buy the jeans for their boyfriends or husbands. But are you certain that the market exists for YOU just because it exists elsewhere? Will your customers be perplexed by a mixed message?

It may seem like you’re narrowing the field of potential customers, and in a way that’s true. But the quote “know thyself” is important as well as its near cousin “know thy customer”. Altitude is a small but smart business that caters to businesses of all sizes, but we specialize in growing businesses and non-profits. We’re a little irreverent and a bit cheeky, but we’re nimble and fun. Some companies will relate to us, some won’t. And that’s ok.

Are you staying true to your roots?

05 May 2008

Conversation Starters

One of my favorite sites is Trendwatching. They’re the gurus of watching what’s going on in the world and distilling trends and cool stuff into perfectly digestible little packages. You should subscribe to their briefings, if nothing else, for their wit and humor. But pay attention to a particular trend they mention, called Status Stories. We all know that telling a story is so important to attaching your brand, and your message, to your customer, donor, or potential client. They need to not just hear you, but understand you and want to have a conversation. That’s what starts the marketing machine rolling. Check out what Hubwear has created: T-shirts that display the wearer's travel routes via airport codes. Wouldn't you want to know the story behind their trips?


But for smaller businesses and even non profit organizations, telling a story is absolutely critical. And it can’t be the same story, repackaged. Audiences today want to be in touch with something different. Something that expresses their own personality through their choice of brands and businesses. What unique personality does your brand bring to your audience that will make them brag about being in your inner circle?

30 May 2008

Buzzwords that don't work anymore.

Feel free to comment and add yours to the list or argue with mine.

  1. Convenient
  2. Unique
  3. Authentic
  4. Exciting
  5. Quick/Fast
  6. Consistent
  7. Out-of-the-box
  8. Synergy
  9. Paradigm shift
  10. Value-added
  11. Results-oriented (I've never met someone who admitted to aiming for NOT achieving results)
  12. Proactive (nevermind that the grammar purist in me still doesn't buy this made up word

You must use a human, accessible voice to talk to people about what you're trying to accomplish. I'm sure I could make this list into a top 100 (and I just might). Whatever story you're telling, it comes off as bogus when it's full of a bunch of trumped-up adjectives.

Honesty and humanity can speak volumes.

Retro Marketing



It's only a matter of time before the big CPG companies look to resurrect their old classics. And they're doing it - remember Brim, Salon Selectives, Underroos? There's a movement underway to bring these brands back to life because of their powerful recall. Kellogg's has announced that they're bringing back the "beloved" Hyrdox cookie.

Which makes me really wonder something.

Does recall still make the brand? We marketers have always touted brand recall as a signal of its success. I'm just not sure that does it anymore.


First of all, it's the quality of the product that ultimately determines whether it has a long or short lifespan. If Brim has a great jingle but tastes like crap, it's destined for the dustbin. Reason #1 why I don't think recall is enough.

This all sounds to me like big companies are finally feeling the pinch of traditional, big bucks marketing and rather than spending the time, money, and effort to innovate something truly powerfully great, they're riding on the coattails of nostalgia in hopes that it will bring them around. (I wonder if Seth agrees with me - I doubt he thinks that Hydrox revisited is a Purple Cow, if a Cow at all).

What do you think? Would the reprise of your favorite Quisp cereal make you rush to the store, or just make you think "hey look, Quisp!" and go on your merry way?

28 May 2008

Brilliant Fundraising

Jennifer Leggio should have been on my team all the years I did fundraising for a living. Talk about harnessing the power of social media.

Jennifer has reached out to her network of brilliant minds to auction their brains, services, and other in the name of raising money in the fight against leukemia. She's running a marathon as part of Team In Training and has an ambitious (but at this point, highly reachable) goal to raise $10,000. As of right now, she's already raised $3K. Not too shabby.

It just goes to show - and remind me - how powerful it can be to have conversations. I heard about Jennifer's efforts via Chris Brogan, and now here I am blogging about them. Which means hopefully someone else in turn will find her through me and help her cause.

Now, to check the bidding for some of those brilliant minds...

Dogged Determination


There's no substitute for dogged determination. I can't help but continue to gape in amazement at the NASA team and their multi-year quest to get the Phoenix lander to Mars. I mean, come on. It's NEWS that the thing is going to unbend it's arm. The arm is going to probe beneath the Martian surface to reach the water ice below and bring back lots of yummy subterranean bits and pieces for scientific analysis. All aimed at figuring out if somewhere, in some age, Mars supported life.



It's a lesson in patience, timing, perseverance, and faith. Nothing will test your mettle like slinging a big thing into the deep reaches of space, waiting 10 months, and hoping against hope that it goes where you told it to, not to mention landing on a planet light-years away and still working once it gets there.

There are many times when, in the marketing world, you try something and it doesn't work. (Yes, indeed, we are fallible creatures). Not every strategy is perfect, and despite your best efforts, sometimes you miss the mark. But still, we march on and try, try again to find the thing or combination of many things that will reach that new client or finally crystalize that elusive and compelling message for all to hear. When it happens, it's a beautiful thing. But by no means does it happen by accident.

Successful communication starts with something super important: people. Without them, there is no dialogue. And to forget that they're on the other end is a mistake. But if you don't reach them the first time, don't stop talking. It's a noisy world out there, and sometimes it's a matter of timing before you can be heard just right.

The team at NASA's JPL was an exuberant bunch of kids in that control room, watching the countdown and jumping up and down when they got the confirmation of Phoenix's successful landing. They deserve a round of applause, and a good pat on the back for staying the course when there were more questions than answers.

I'm putting a picture of Phoenix on my bulletin board, and every time I stumble, I'll be all the more determined to make a successful landing.

23 May 2008

Hacked! LifeLock's CEO Gets Unlocked, After All.

Today, the LifeLock CEO was on the Today Show talking about how he got himself hacked by identity thieves - the very thing his company is in business to prevent.



Last week, Drew McLellan commented on his blog about the bravery of the marketing campaign in which Todd Davis boldly displays his own social security number on billboards, TV spots and the like as if daring the identity thieves to come and get him. I agreed! Talk about putting your money (and your credit and your private information) where your mouth is.

So what does this mean for Davis and LifeLock now? Have they lost brand equity because their very own CEO has been victimized?

I don't think so. Why? Because Davis came out and addressed the issue, point blank. He admitted that many people had attempted to use his information without success. And he insists that the damage would have been far worse had LifeLock not been protecting his identity.

I know that's probably a little happy-hearted, thinking that just because he talks about it, everything is ok. But the question is, was it really a failure of the company to fulfill its brand promise, or did Davis open the floodgates for people to attack him more vigorously, just like a Double Dog Dare?

Guess I'll be keeping an eye on LifeLock to see what's next for them. And I'll be shredding my documents more carefully, of course.

22 May 2008

One Of These Clients is Not Like The Other

No one likes to be generalized. Lumped into a pile. Labeled. Assumed to be just like anyone else. And clients and customers are no different.

Sure, we may share certain tastes, values, opinions. But we're individuals and prefer to be treated that way.

Take the case of a woman we'll call Amy. She's a super talented friend of mine in the marketing world, and she's on the Big Job Hunt for a sparkly new position that will really let her show her stuff. So she's doing all the right things - networking, using her professional organization contacts, and she even met with a recruiter who sought her out. Which is where the trouble began.

Right off the bat, she's a senior level person and this firm is accustomed to a great deal of freelancers coming through their doors. They sent her a 14 page "application" to fill out, full of standard HIRE paperwork like tax forms and employment agreements (as would be appropriate for a freelancer, I assume). She hadn't even set foot through the door yet. The form email she got about her interview was clearly geared toward freelancers, didn't even have her name on it, and was chock full of information that didn't apply to her.

So before she's even met anyone, she's been made to feel like a number on a list. She asked questions like "did they even read my resume?" and "do they have any idea what I'm looking for in a career?". It sure didn't feel like it. At the very least, they could have taken out the verbiage and paperwork that was freelance-specific. But they succeeded in making Amy feel like a dollar sign to them.

We're all busy, and it's easy to give into the temptation of tossing out blanket communications in hopes of reaching many people at once. But while your clients and customers may share affinities for certain products or activities, don't make assumptions, and be careful about how you generalize the information you send out.

An extra five minutes to segment your email list or put a personal note on a direct mail postcard might be the difference between making that client or customer feel like a valued and understood member of your larger community or making them feel like a number on your mailing list.

21 May 2008

Knowledge is portable.

If you don't read Seth Godin's blog already, first I'm going to hang tight while you go there and bookmark or feedburn or otherwise connect to it.

Done? Ok good.

Seth says a couple of things today that made me go YES! loudly, in my office, to the confusion of Riley, my dog.

#1) Knowledge workers should not have to go to the office every day. I've long been amazed that we marketing -PR-creative type people are "required" to be in an office for a corporate job where we add little value to our surrounding environment in a typical day because we're in a) unnecessary meetings or b) buried behind a phone or computer screen. I can say personally that I have the most productive work sessions when I'm around other people actually - gasp - producing, or when I'm in an environment of my choice that stimulates creativity. I'm oddly productive at the library. But that's another story for another day.

#2) Knowledge between experts is better shared than kept as some holiest of holy secrets. Look. People who hire me know that I'm one of many people that can do what I do. I make no mistake about that. What people love about working with me is completely different for everyone. And THAT is what keeps them coming back, not the illusion that I harbor some secret holy grail of knowledge that has never before been seen on the face of the planet. Silly, silly. It's why Seth has no problem posting about other great marketing minds, or sharing links to other people's brilliance. Me either. Share and share alike, and we shall all be the better for it!

Communication is Key



Recession or no, don't make the mistake of thinking that an economic downturn means that you should put the brakes on everything you do that's considered "marketing".

Marketing is sometimes construed as a dirty word. So let's clean it up and consider the most basic of all marketing principles - communication.

Every business feels the symptoms of economic strife a little differently. In my neck of the words, for instance, clients are super focused on targeted, economic methods of communication. Which is a beautiful thing, because that's what we advocate anyway. But there are also those people who say "Amber, I'm halting all marketing spending right now." Yikes.

Especially for growing businesses and non profit organizations, there's a lot of noise in the market on a GOOD day. When it's a dog-eat-dog environment where every last customer or donor or volunteer is a gem (they should be anyway, but that's another post), I think the worst mistake you can make is to stop communicating.

Marketing, done well, is a dialogue. It's an ongoing communication with your clients and those you wish to be, and you need to be talking to be heard. In fact, when the frantic sales cycle is cautious and slowed, it can be an incredible time to spend developing those relationships with your customers and reminding them of how you're there to help them, serve them, provide them with a valuable product or service. Now is not the time for the hard sell - it's the time to have a conversation and be great at the most important part of all - listening.

And the bonus? Great dialogue with your customers doesn't have to be expensive. Pick up the phone. Launch a blog. Send out a handful of handwritten notes.

How can you spend a few minutes building relationships with your customers and clients so that when the sales cycle picks up pace, you'll be top of mind?

16 May 2008

Over Deliver.

How many times have you heard these words when talking about customer service or the work you do for your clients? Do you do it? Really?

Nordstrom has legendary customer service, and I am never disappointed. Personal attention, and the unrelenting drive to have me leave a happy customer. And I do. Even when the alterations done on a suit I bought were not quite right, my frustration quickly dissolved when a quick phone call promised that they'd do it again and fix it, with lightning speed.

One of the very best things you can do for your product or service, and your brand, is to deliver on promises. All of them. Meet deadlines. Return phone calls. Answer questions or offer to find the answers when you don't have them. And of course, exceed their expectations with whatever you deliver to them.

If you're not sure whether you're delivering on your promises, the best and most effective way to find out is to ask them!

One of Altitude's 60 Minute Marketing tips is to do a quick survey of your customers to connect with them and ask their thoughts. There are so many great tools out there now that make creating a simple online survey a breeze - we like Survey Monkey because it's super simple and straightforward. Not up for sending out an email survey? No worries. Go low tech and just pick up the phone and call some of your customers. Send them a note.

Most important, no matter what else you ask them, borrow a page from the Net Promoter Score methodology and include the question "Would you recommend us to your friends, and why or why not?" That answer will tell you how well you're delivering on the promises you make - even unwittingly - to your customers. And you might be surprised at what you learn.

Lastly, make sure that you DO something with the information you glean. It's not enough to just ask the question and walk away. The best thing you can do for your business and your customers is to address any of the shortcomings you might learn about. Your customers will know you're listening to them, and the value of your brand in their mind increases.

What are you doing today to over deliver on your promises to your customers?

14 May 2008

Chris Brogan is Smart.

Someday I'll be smart like him. Seriously, his blog and his newsletter are chock full of insights about the social media world that's so mind boggling to so many.

He and his minions spent a good chunka time putting together this list of killer blog posts from his writings on all sorts of social media and marketing topics, and it’s worth a read. Check it out here.




You don't own your brand.

Your customers do.

Seem counterintuitive?

Branding is an art, not a science. And the cardinal sin that you may commit is assuming that you (or - gasp - your marketing agency) knows your customers best, knows what they want, understands them perfectly. Absolutely, you should aspire to do just that. But at the end of the day, your customers and clients are the power behind your brand.

Uberbrands are built by the consumers who love them. They shape them, react to them, talk about them. The most brilliant marketers can merely hang around, listen closely, and respond to what their customers are already asking for.

That also means that the ever-elusive “buzz” is not something you can manufacture. You cannot force something to be “viral”, as viral - by its very nature - is something organic, self-populating. There are no guarantees. Create things and ideas worth talking about, and let your customers and would-be customers do the rest. That’s the beauty and simplicity of this kind of marketing, which really isn’t marketing at all. It’s conversation.

Be true to the brand that your customers have helped build for you. Give them more than they could ask for, be sincere, and they’ll return the favor.

10 May 2008

Tx 4 Th Fdbck

I’m in what I’d call a Blackberry transition period. I had one, and I don’t at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get another one eventually.

A recent post about this on the Influential Marketing Blog made me laugh out loud, not because it’s all wrong, but because it’s all RIGHT. I’ve worked with those berry addicts who seem to not have time to type a proper response to any email sent to them. I mean, really. The idea of these devices is to make you accessible and able to respond to your colleagues/friends/staff/CLIENTS in a timely manner without missing a beat.

So why am I so put off when someone responds to my well-writ and thought out email with “thx”? As if the word “thanks” is too hard to type, even with thumbs? Seriously. I’d almost rather not get a response at all.

So how can you apply this to your business?

Take an extra 2 minutes to respond to your customers. Whether they put up a comment on their blog about your business or sent you a feedback email. Write back, or make sure that SOMEONE is. And don’t let them be stingy with the response, and for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t let them type “tx 4 th fdbck”.

Talking to your customers is the single most important and effective way to find out what they think of you, your business, your products, and your ideas. That’s the kind of feedback that ensures that you can course correct or discover brand new opportunities (or, hallelujah, keep doing what you’re doing because they love it!).

Don’t shortchange the conversation.

07 May 2008

The Beat of a Different Drummer

Exactly how wise is it to try and be all things to all people? In my estimation, not so much.

I’ve seen plenty of companies and brands get themselves in hot water because they’re trying to capitalize on every potential customer, every potential market, every potential place they can make a buck. To their detriment.

Diversify your stocks. But when it comes to diversifying your brand, be very careful. Your brand has equity, and those that know it make certain associations. (If they’re not the right associations, that’s a different problem). But haphazardly trying to jump on every bandwagon that presents itself can be hazardous to your brand’s health.

For instance, let’s say you’re a women’s clothing boutique but there’s a huge new trend in men’s fashion for some nifty new brand of jeans. Do you just rush out and pile up some inventory because they’re selling like hot cakes? Maybe, if you have men that frequent your store to shop for the women in their lives. Or women that would buy the jeans for their boyfriends or husbands. But are you certain that the market exists for YOU just because it exists elsewhere? Will your customers be perplexed by a mixed message?

It may seem like you’re narrowing the field of potential customers, and in a way that’s true. But the quote “know thyself” is important as well as its near cousin “know thy customer”. Altitude is a small but smart business that caters to businesses of all sizes, but we specialize in growing businesses and non-profits. We’re a little irreverent and a bit cheeky, but we’re nimble and fun. Some companies will relate to us, some won’t. And that’s ok.

Are you staying true to your roots?

05 May 2008

Conversation Starters

One of my favorite sites is Trendwatching. They’re the gurus of watching what’s going on in the world and distilling trends and cool stuff into perfectly digestible little packages. You should subscribe to their briefings, if nothing else, for their wit and humor. But pay attention to a particular trend they mention, called Status Stories. We all know that telling a story is so important to attaching your brand, and your message, to your customer, donor, or potential client. They need to not just hear you, but understand you and want to have a conversation. That’s what starts the marketing machine rolling. Check out what Hubwear has created: T-shirts that display the wearer's travel routes via airport codes. Wouldn't you want to know the story behind their trips?


But for smaller businesses and even non profit organizations, telling a story is absolutely critical. And it can’t be the same story, repackaged. Audiences today want to be in touch with something different. Something that expresses their own personality through their choice of brands and businesses. What unique personality does your brand bring to your audience that will make them brag about being in your inner circle?

30 May 2008

Buzzwords that don't work anymore.

Feel free to comment and add yours to the list or argue with mine.

  1. Convenient
  2. Unique
  3. Authentic
  4. Exciting
  5. Quick/Fast
  6. Consistent
  7. Out-of-the-box
  8. Synergy
  9. Paradigm shift
  10. Value-added
  11. Results-oriented (I've never met someone who admitted to aiming for NOT achieving results)
  12. Proactive (nevermind that the grammar purist in me still doesn't buy this made up word

You must use a human, accessible voice to talk to people about what you're trying to accomplish. I'm sure I could make this list into a top 100 (and I just might). Whatever story you're telling, it comes off as bogus when it's full of a bunch of trumped-up adjectives.

Honesty and humanity can speak volumes.

Retro Marketing



It's only a matter of time before the big CPG companies look to resurrect their old classics. And they're doing it - remember Brim, Salon Selectives, Underroos? There's a movement underway to bring these brands back to life because of their powerful recall. Kellogg's has announced that they're bringing back the "beloved" Hyrdox cookie.

Which makes me really wonder something.

Does recall still make the brand? We marketers have always touted brand recall as a signal of its success. I'm just not sure that does it anymore.


First of all, it's the quality of the product that ultimately determines whether it has a long or short lifespan. If Brim has a great jingle but tastes like crap, it's destined for the dustbin. Reason #1 why I don't think recall is enough.

This all sounds to me like big companies are finally feeling the pinch of traditional, big bucks marketing and rather than spending the time, money, and effort to innovate something truly powerfully great, they're riding on the coattails of nostalgia in hopes that it will bring them around. (I wonder if Seth agrees with me - I doubt he thinks that Hydrox revisited is a Purple Cow, if a Cow at all).

What do you think? Would the reprise of your favorite Quisp cereal make you rush to the store, or just make you think "hey look, Quisp!" and go on your merry way?

28 May 2008

Brilliant Fundraising

Jennifer Leggio should have been on my team all the years I did fundraising for a living. Talk about harnessing the power of social media.

Jennifer has reached out to her network of brilliant minds to auction their brains, services, and other in the name of raising money in the fight against leukemia. She's running a marathon as part of Team In Training and has an ambitious (but at this point, highly reachable) goal to raise $10,000. As of right now, she's already raised $3K. Not too shabby.

It just goes to show - and remind me - how powerful it can be to have conversations. I heard about Jennifer's efforts via Chris Brogan, and now here I am blogging about them. Which means hopefully someone else in turn will find her through me and help her cause.

Now, to check the bidding for some of those brilliant minds...

Dogged Determination


There's no substitute for dogged determination. I can't help but continue to gape in amazement at the NASA team and their multi-year quest to get the Phoenix lander to Mars. I mean, come on. It's NEWS that the thing is going to unbend it's arm. The arm is going to probe beneath the Martian surface to reach the water ice below and bring back lots of yummy subterranean bits and pieces for scientific analysis. All aimed at figuring out if somewhere, in some age, Mars supported life.



It's a lesson in patience, timing, perseverance, and faith. Nothing will test your mettle like slinging a big thing into the deep reaches of space, waiting 10 months, and hoping against hope that it goes where you told it to, not to mention landing on a planet light-years away and still working once it gets there.

There are many times when, in the marketing world, you try something and it doesn't work. (Yes, indeed, we are fallible creatures). Not every strategy is perfect, and despite your best efforts, sometimes you miss the mark. But still, we march on and try, try again to find the thing or combination of many things that will reach that new client or finally crystalize that elusive and compelling message for all to hear. When it happens, it's a beautiful thing. But by no means does it happen by accident.

Successful communication starts with something super important: people. Without them, there is no dialogue. And to forget that they're on the other end is a mistake. But if you don't reach them the first time, don't stop talking. It's a noisy world out there, and sometimes it's a matter of timing before you can be heard just right.

The team at NASA's JPL was an exuberant bunch of kids in that control room, watching the countdown and jumping up and down when they got the confirmation of Phoenix's successful landing. They deserve a round of applause, and a good pat on the back for staying the course when there were more questions than answers.

I'm putting a picture of Phoenix on my bulletin board, and every time I stumble, I'll be all the more determined to make a successful landing.

23 May 2008

Hacked! LifeLock's CEO Gets Unlocked, After All.

Today, the LifeLock CEO was on the Today Show talking about how he got himself hacked by identity thieves - the very thing his company is in business to prevent.



Last week, Drew McLellan commented on his blog about the bravery of the marketing campaign in which Todd Davis boldly displays his own social security number on billboards, TV spots and the like as if daring the identity thieves to come and get him. I agreed! Talk about putting your money (and your credit and your private information) where your mouth is.

So what does this mean for Davis and LifeLock now? Have they lost brand equity because their very own CEO has been victimized?

I don't think so. Why? Because Davis came out and addressed the issue, point blank. He admitted that many people had attempted to use his information without success. And he insists that the damage would have been far worse had LifeLock not been protecting his identity.

I know that's probably a little happy-hearted, thinking that just because he talks about it, everything is ok. But the question is, was it really a failure of the company to fulfill its brand promise, or did Davis open the floodgates for people to attack him more vigorously, just like a Double Dog Dare?

Guess I'll be keeping an eye on LifeLock to see what's next for them. And I'll be shredding my documents more carefully, of course.

22 May 2008

One Of These Clients is Not Like The Other

No one likes to be generalized. Lumped into a pile. Labeled. Assumed to be just like anyone else. And clients and customers are no different.

Sure, we may share certain tastes, values, opinions. But we're individuals and prefer to be treated that way.

Take the case of a woman we'll call Amy. She's a super talented friend of mine in the marketing world, and she's on the Big Job Hunt for a sparkly new position that will really let her show her stuff. So she's doing all the right things - networking, using her professional organization contacts, and she even met with a recruiter who sought her out. Which is where the trouble began.

Right off the bat, she's a senior level person and this firm is accustomed to a great deal of freelancers coming through their doors. They sent her a 14 page "application" to fill out, full of standard HIRE paperwork like tax forms and employment agreements (as would be appropriate for a freelancer, I assume). She hadn't even set foot through the door yet. The form email she got about her interview was clearly geared toward freelancers, didn't even have her name on it, and was chock full of information that didn't apply to her.

So before she's even met anyone, she's been made to feel like a number on a list. She asked questions like "did they even read my resume?" and "do they have any idea what I'm looking for in a career?". It sure didn't feel like it. At the very least, they could have taken out the verbiage and paperwork that was freelance-specific. But they succeeded in making Amy feel like a dollar sign to them.

We're all busy, and it's easy to give into the temptation of tossing out blanket communications in hopes of reaching many people at once. But while your clients and customers may share affinities for certain products or activities, don't make assumptions, and be careful about how you generalize the information you send out.

An extra five minutes to segment your email list or put a personal note on a direct mail postcard might be the difference between making that client or customer feel like a valued and understood member of your larger community or making them feel like a number on your mailing list.

21 May 2008

Knowledge is portable.

If you don't read Seth Godin's blog already, first I'm going to hang tight while you go there and bookmark or feedburn or otherwise connect to it.

Done? Ok good.

Seth says a couple of things today that made me go YES! loudly, in my office, to the confusion of Riley, my dog.

#1) Knowledge workers should not have to go to the office every day. I've long been amazed that we marketing -PR-creative type people are "required" to be in an office for a corporate job where we add little value to our surrounding environment in a typical day because we're in a) unnecessary meetings or b) buried behind a phone or computer screen. I can say personally that I have the most productive work sessions when I'm around other people actually - gasp - producing, or when I'm in an environment of my choice that stimulates creativity. I'm oddly productive at the library. But that's another story for another day.

#2) Knowledge between experts is better shared than kept as some holiest of holy secrets. Look. People who hire me know that I'm one of many people that can do what I do. I make no mistake about that. What people love about working with me is completely different for everyone. And THAT is what keeps them coming back, not the illusion that I harbor some secret holy grail of knowledge that has never before been seen on the face of the planet. Silly, silly. It's why Seth has no problem posting about other great marketing minds, or sharing links to other people's brilliance. Me either. Share and share alike, and we shall all be the better for it!

Communication is Key



Recession or no, don't make the mistake of thinking that an economic downturn means that you should put the brakes on everything you do that's considered "marketing".

Marketing is sometimes construed as a dirty word. So let's clean it up and consider the most basic of all marketing principles - communication.

Every business feels the symptoms of economic strife a little differently. In my neck of the words, for instance, clients are super focused on targeted, economic methods of communication. Which is a beautiful thing, because that's what we advocate anyway. But there are also those people who say "Amber, I'm halting all marketing spending right now." Yikes.

Especially for growing businesses and non profit organizations, there's a lot of noise in the market on a GOOD day. When it's a dog-eat-dog environment where every last customer or donor or volunteer is a gem (they should be anyway, but that's another post), I think the worst mistake you can make is to stop communicating.

Marketing, done well, is a dialogue. It's an ongoing communication with your clients and those you wish to be, and you need to be talking to be heard. In fact, when the frantic sales cycle is cautious and slowed, it can be an incredible time to spend developing those relationships with your customers and reminding them of how you're there to help them, serve them, provide them with a valuable product or service. Now is not the time for the hard sell - it's the time to have a conversation and be great at the most important part of all - listening.

And the bonus? Great dialogue with your customers doesn't have to be expensive. Pick up the phone. Launch a blog. Send out a handful of handwritten notes.

How can you spend a few minutes building relationships with your customers and clients so that when the sales cycle picks up pace, you'll be top of mind?

16 May 2008

Over Deliver.

How many times have you heard these words when talking about customer service or the work you do for your clients? Do you do it? Really?

Nordstrom has legendary customer service, and I am never disappointed. Personal attention, and the unrelenting drive to have me leave a happy customer. And I do. Even when the alterations done on a suit I bought were not quite right, my frustration quickly dissolved when a quick phone call promised that they'd do it again and fix it, with lightning speed.

One of the very best things you can do for your product or service, and your brand, is to deliver on promises. All of them. Meet deadlines. Return phone calls. Answer questions or offer to find the answers when you don't have them. And of course, exceed their expectations with whatever you deliver to them.

If you're not sure whether you're delivering on your promises, the best and most effective way to find out is to ask them!

One of Altitude's 60 Minute Marketing tips is to do a quick survey of your customers to connect with them and ask their thoughts. There are so many great tools out there now that make creating a simple online survey a breeze - we like Survey Monkey because it's super simple and straightforward. Not up for sending out an email survey? No worries. Go low tech and just pick up the phone and call some of your customers. Send them a note.

Most important, no matter what else you ask them, borrow a page from the Net Promoter Score methodology and include the question "Would you recommend us to your friends, and why or why not?" That answer will tell you how well you're delivering on the promises you make - even unwittingly - to your customers. And you might be surprised at what you learn.

Lastly, make sure that you DO something with the information you glean. It's not enough to just ask the question and walk away. The best thing you can do for your business and your customers is to address any of the shortcomings you might learn about. Your customers will know you're listening to them, and the value of your brand in their mind increases.

What are you doing today to over deliver on your promises to your customers?

14 May 2008

Chris Brogan is Smart.

Someday I'll be smart like him. Seriously, his blog and his newsletter are chock full of insights about the social media world that's so mind boggling to so many.

He and his minions spent a good chunka time putting together this list of killer blog posts from his writings on all sorts of social media and marketing topics, and it’s worth a read. Check it out here.




You don't own your brand.

Your customers do.

Seem counterintuitive?

Branding is an art, not a science. And the cardinal sin that you may commit is assuming that you (or - gasp - your marketing agency) knows your customers best, knows what they want, understands them perfectly. Absolutely, you should aspire to do just that. But at the end of the day, your customers and clients are the power behind your brand.

Uberbrands are built by the consumers who love them. They shape them, react to them, talk about them. The most brilliant marketers can merely hang around, listen closely, and respond to what their customers are already asking for.

That also means that the ever-elusive “buzz” is not something you can manufacture. You cannot force something to be “viral”, as viral - by its very nature - is something organic, self-populating. There are no guarantees. Create things and ideas worth talking about, and let your customers and would-be customers do the rest. That’s the beauty and simplicity of this kind of marketing, which really isn’t marketing at all. It’s conversation.

Be true to the brand that your customers have helped build for you. Give them more than they could ask for, be sincere, and they’ll return the favor.

10 May 2008

Tx 4 Th Fdbck

I’m in what I’d call a Blackberry transition period. I had one, and I don’t at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get another one eventually.

A recent post about this on the Influential Marketing Blog made me laugh out loud, not because it’s all wrong, but because it’s all RIGHT. I’ve worked with those berry addicts who seem to not have time to type a proper response to any email sent to them. I mean, really. The idea of these devices is to make you accessible and able to respond to your colleagues/friends/staff/CLIENTS in a timely manner without missing a beat.

So why am I so put off when someone responds to my well-writ and thought out email with “thx”? As if the word “thanks” is too hard to type, even with thumbs? Seriously. I’d almost rather not get a response at all.

So how can you apply this to your business?

Take an extra 2 minutes to respond to your customers. Whether they put up a comment on their blog about your business or sent you a feedback email. Write back, or make sure that SOMEONE is. And don’t let them be stingy with the response, and for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t let them type “tx 4 th fdbck”.

Talking to your customers is the single most important and effective way to find out what they think of you, your business, your products, and your ideas. That’s the kind of feedback that ensures that you can course correct or discover brand new opportunities (or, hallelujah, keep doing what you’re doing because they love it!).

Don’t shortchange the conversation.

07 May 2008

The Beat of a Different Drummer

Exactly how wise is it to try and be all things to all people? In my estimation, not so much.

I’ve seen plenty of companies and brands get themselves in hot water because they’re trying to capitalize on every potential customer, every potential market, every potential place they can make a buck. To their detriment.

Diversify your stocks. But when it comes to diversifying your brand, be very careful. Your brand has equity, and those that know it make certain associations. (If they’re not the right associations, that’s a different problem). But haphazardly trying to jump on every bandwagon that presents itself can be hazardous to your brand’s health.

For instance, let’s say you’re a women’s clothing boutique but there’s a huge new trend in men’s fashion for some nifty new brand of jeans. Do you just rush out and pile up some inventory because they’re selling like hot cakes? Maybe, if you have men that frequent your store to shop for the women in their lives. Or women that would buy the jeans for their boyfriends or husbands. But are you certain that the market exists for YOU just because it exists elsewhere? Will your customers be perplexed by a mixed message?

It may seem like you’re narrowing the field of potential customers, and in a way that’s true. But the quote “know thyself” is important as well as its near cousin “know thy customer”. Altitude is a small but smart business that caters to businesses of all sizes, but we specialize in growing businesses and non-profits. We’re a little irreverent and a bit cheeky, but we’re nimble and fun. Some companies will relate to us, some won’t. And that’s ok.

Are you staying true to your roots?

05 May 2008

Conversation Starters

One of my favorite sites is Trendwatching. They’re the gurus of watching what’s going on in the world and distilling trends and cool stuff into perfectly digestible little packages. You should subscribe to their briefings, if nothing else, for their wit and humor. But pay attention to a particular trend they mention, called Status Stories. We all know that telling a story is so important to attaching your brand, and your message, to your customer, donor, or potential client. They need to not just hear you, but understand you and want to have a conversation. That’s what starts the marketing machine rolling. Check out what Hubwear has created: T-shirts that display the wearer's travel routes via airport codes. Wouldn't you want to know the story behind their trips?


But for smaller businesses and even non profit organizations, telling a story is absolutely critical. And it can’t be the same story, repackaged. Audiences today want to be in touch with something different. Something that expresses their own personality through their choice of brands and businesses. What unique personality does your brand bring to your audience that will make them brag about being in your inner circle?