(Sort of) Daily Thoughts from TheMarketingTeacher

Can you let customers name their price?

It might actually work—at least some times. Check it out.

Seth makes me think . . .

Sprint

The best way to overcome your fear of creativity, brainstorming, intelligent risk taking or navigating a tricky situation might be to sprint.

When we sprint, all the internal dialogue falls away and we just go as fast as we possibly can. When you’re sprinting you don’t feel that sore knee and you don’t worry that the ground isn’t perfectly level. You just run.

You can’t sprint forever. That’s what makes it sprinting. The brevity of the event is a key part of why it works.

“Quick, you have thirty minutes to come up with ten business ideas.”

“Hurry, we need to write a new script for our commercial… we have fifteen minutes.”

My first huge project was launching a major brand of science-fiction computer adventure games (Ray Bradbury, Michael Crichton, etc.). I stopped going to business school classes in order to do the launch.

One day, right after a red eye flight, the president of the company told me that the company had canceled the project. They didn’t have enough resources to launch all the products we had, our progress was too slow and the packaging wasn’t ready yet.

I went to my office spent the next 20 hours rewriting every word of text, redesigning every package, rebuilding every schedule and inventing a new promotional strategy. It was probably 6 weeks of work for a motivated committee, and I did it in one swoop. Like lifting a car off an infant, it was impossible, and I have no recollection at all of the project now.

The board reconsidered and the project was back on again. I didn’t get scared until after the sprint. You can’t sprint every day but it’s probably a good idea to sprint regularly.

So . . .

The Super Bowl is over (can I say Super Bowl without express written consent of the National Football League?) and so are the ads. Three were some great ads. I got a few laughs when I watched them on Monday via the Internet. There were some that left me scratching my head. There were some good examples of creativity. So … I’m asking myself. Which ad made me want the product or service? Which ad made me get out of my chair and head to the store or Internet? Which ad made me aware of a product for the first time? So … more importantly, which product generated enough sales to cover the cost of the airtime (let alone production)? We hear about the winners of the Ad Meter or the CLIO’s, but what about ads that actually work?

"My Bad"

That’s what the kids would say …   So this blog has not been daily—not even close. I am working on figuring out how to consolidate all the different publishing tools and efforts.  Don’t give up on us … changes are coming and they will be positive.

Until then …

Nothing to do with marketing . . .

but if you have not watched the movie “Radio” you need to rent it and watch it.  Made me think about what I do and don’t do as a teacher … .

Do you really care?

I wonder about my health care provider.  Recently, an envelope from the clinic we use for our family health care came in the mail.  Perfect, another bill or insurance hassle.  But wait—it was neither. It was a letter telling me that when I select my insurance coverage this year I should know that my current provider does not include this clinic (and my personal doctor and that of my wife and children).  They suggested we make a change in coverage.

I have no problem with the letter or their suggestion.  In fact, we plan to do just that.

Here’s my problem. It was the only letter from them in the past 10 years that was not a statement.  Somewhere along the line do you think I might have received a thank you?  A question or two about the quality of care or service?  A chance to suggest improvements?  And the list goes on.

Here’s the deal.  Do you think I would have welcomed their suggestions even more had they established a true relationship with me over the years?

I am still amazed

Today I spent an hour, online, “conversing” with a gentleman in India who is developing a new software product for me.  It took place in “real time” and did not cost a thing.  We could have used a mic and/or a video camera, but went with text (IM) and a whiteboard.

Truly amazing.

Back from a break

Just had a “fall break” and I guess I am fired-up and ready to go again.

Here’s my question?  Why do most of our marketing textbooks still include chapters on newspaper advertising? Why do we still teach it?