Mad About Marketing

I recently wrote about the importance of design on the web, and thought I’d continue to blog about what are generally deemed my core competencies: the role of design in other forms of communication, global but local branding and how I connect people and markets through language.

Marketing 101

Allow me to interrupt that stream by expressing my consternation regarding the national clueless-malaise as to the role and importance of marketing. What brought this on? An  article posted on The Branding Strategy Insider, GM Appointment Shows No Respect for Marketing http://ow.ly/kz84 that is a great lesson in marketing and should be mandatory for CEO’s, corporate boards and other management decision makers.   This iconic company, once the hallmark of American industrial prowess that you and I now own, does not appear to understand the huge opportunity being wasted. Not seizing the moment to reinvent itself by making an innovative marketing strategy the power engine driving GM’s repositioning as a new and dynamic brand is symptomatic. And goes a long way to explaining why eliminating marketing positions is one of a company’s first cost cutting measures.

The good thing is that now that my position as cmo has been eliminated, I have time to upgrade my marketing savvy by immersing myself in social networking technology – and to look for new marketing challenges while I write this blog.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

When I relocated my marketing career from Europe to the US in 2000, I was shocked to discover that all was not well in the proverbial home of marketing and branding that we so revered, adapted and reinvented European style.  Marketing is probably the most misunderstood, misused and under-appreciated term in our consumer society.  Ask anyone, and you will generate vigorous head nodding and vociferous lip service – yes, every company (come to think of it, everyone) needs marketing. OMG, no one would admit that they don’t really know what marketing is, nor do they understand its key role in the continuous process of the production, sale and consumption of goods and services. That it touches (or should) every aspect of a company’s operations and affects virtually all aspects of our lives as consumers.  That it is the key business driver that sets the stage for brand recognition, awareness, and ultimately sales (!) and loyalty (repeat sales).

Asked what I do, I tell people – and that includes professionals such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, business owners and corporate executives – I’m in marketing and branding. The variety of- shall we politely call them misconceptions – that abound is astounding. They range from “so you make products look good”  “you create brochures with pretty pictures”, “do you market on the web?”, “isn’t that like advertising”’ to ”what do you market” and “‘oh, so you’re in sales”.

Why Marketing?

My life has revolved around marketing and branding. Now I’m trying to figure out why my professional passion appears to be the stepchild of the corporate world, and how to fix it (no, not alone).  I’m also wondering if this is the reason for the mediocrity prevalent in the public face of marketing strategy or the lack thereof – advertising.  Contrast that with all the ingredients required to become a successful marketing leader. In addition to a focused education and broad-based experience, being a strategic, effective marketer requires big picture thinking, analytical skills, tenacity and great people skills.  What many people don’t realize is the need for very unglamorous, detail-oriented work, and the constant awareness, training and proficiency with ever faster evolving new trends, technologies and media forms.

Why do I invest myself , my experience and creativity into working with all of a company’s departments to devise a coherent marketing strategy as the underpinning for building brands and generating sales, only to be among the first to be deemed superfluous? Is it because the various elements that comprise marketing are amorphous, constantly in flux, subject to fast-moving developments and thus hard to put neatly into a corporate box?   But wait, don’t I keep reading about “out of the box thinking” as a job requirement for marketing managers?

Is it because the effects of marketing strategy and planning are generally longer-term and don’t fit into our “instant gratification” mindset by not producing immediately tangible results to the bottom line that they are seen as a (mostly necessary) expense, rather than an investment in the ultimate success of the business?

We Can Fix It!

I’m not sure how all this jibes with management guru Peter Drucker’s perspectives, as set forth in the article that set this off:

“Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs,” “Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

So now I’m wondering…can anyone tell me how we can reposition “Marketing” and get corporate (and small business) America to respect and understand our function – so we can contribute our talents to getting this economy moving again?  As I said, I am always eager to learn more, so I look forward to your comments and answers.

The Language of Design

How Important is Good Design?

Websites

Design is such an integral part of our lives, that we are usually not aware of the role it plays.  We are surrounded by houses and furniture  wear clothes and shoes, drive cars, buy packaged foods, books, videos, the newest electronic gear and are exposed to some form of advertising for all of these. The products, the brands they bear and the communications have all been designed – generally to attract our attention, influence our decision to buy, own, use and return to again and again.

And where do we see, hear and buy? On The Web.  The medium that has taken on a predominant role in how and where we get our information, form opinions and buy and sell products.   With the advent of the internet and the digital age, we are inundated with a constant flow of high speed communication that is interactive, prompting us to constantly act or react.   The result: Shorter attention spans, the need for instant gratification, smaller, more easily digestible nuggets of information – or what the 24/7 news media have dubbed “sound bites”.

A Website’s ability to grab our  interest is very much a factor of its design. No matter how relevant or interesting the content, presentation is key.

What constitutes good design?  There are probably as many different opinions on this subject as there are websites.  Is Web 2.0 with the promise of  superior interactive experience and cutting edge design the answer?  As someone whose life & work has revolved around the visual and contextual aspects of communication, I’d like to share some of the principles that I have found effective.

Understatement:  Yes, minimalism- clean, uncluttered, with lots of white space, so the message gets through. Too many websites appear to be designed as if they were prime real estate where every inch of space must be amortized (a pet peeve).
User-friendliness: Design for easy access with clearly defined and easy to read menu buttons and intuitive navigation .  With the few nanoseconds of initial attention a home page generally gets, tiny, unattractive menu elements, confusing or complicated navigation will inevitably lead to a quick click away from the site. The potential user/customer has been lost and will probably not return.
Color: Focus on two or three signature colors that can be repeated or varied in tone and shade. Less is definitely more here.  The result will be twofold:

  1. Impact and message penetration.  If our visual receptors are bombarded with too many stimuli, the message is lost in multicolor overload.
  2. Subtle but effective building of your Brand identity – even if you haven’t formally defined it. This builds familiarity and loyalty to your Brand, whether it is a personal or corporate brand, a product or service you offer.

Visual Imagery:  If properly used, strong but simple visual elements and minimal imagery enhance a site and make it memorable, inviting return visits. The principles that characterized successful print advertising are eminently relevant “an intelligent, often witty headline and text-only ad can be as emotional if not more so than “big headlines and color pictures”.

Content: Even if you have a lot to say (I should take my own advice), focus the content per page on a few well-defined messages, so that the sheer volume doesn’t intimidate and turn away even motivated, interested visitors.

A rule of thumb that has proven effective:  Place your key messages – the ones most likely to generate interest, grab attention and hold it  – in the upper half of the page, especially the home page.  Here is where well-structured navigation will enable you to provide the information in a succession of doses that are easy to absorb and retain.

In a Web 2.0  age “Less is More” rules.

If you’re thinking of creating a Website or would like to upgrade an existing one, think about using these tips. You will see results.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb:   If you are ready to make use of the tools to drive your business by enhancing your brand and connecting with global audiences in a language they can understand,  visit
www.ellistrauss.com