Archive for October, 2007
Knowing your perfect customer is only the first step in marketing towards them. Knowing where he or she lives is still just an early step. What you need to figure out now is why.
It is rare to find a really unique hamburger restaurant. While visiting New York City, however, I found one! Let me explain how I found this hidden gem:
While walking through Central Park, I came across a barbecue. The scents made me really want a burger, so my girlfriend and I started searching for something with a higher quality than McDonalds. She checked a guidebook and found “The Burger Joint” a few blocks from where we were standing. We decided to hunt down the restaurant with the plain name and found ourselves at the doors to a very expensive-looking hotel.
I have decided on a tentative update schedule for the blog. While I cannot guarantee posts every day, I will try for at least one update per week. Here is what to expect:
Mondays – “In the Market” – My analysis of current marketing/branding strategy
Tuesdays – “Brand Building” – Free tips on how to build your brand in the market
Wednesdays – Guest Spots – Want to add your own two cents?
Thursdays – “Going to Market” – Strategies for developing your marketing plan
Fridays – “A Day in the Life” – Reflections on my own experience in the market
Feel free to contact me with feedback about the categories or requests for articles. If you want to add your own content, send me an article and I will see about posting it on a Wednesday.
Like I said, I cannot promise to have a post every day. If I do have a post, however, it will fit into one of these categories.
I try to connect with as many people as possible to build my professional network. There are several people in my field with slightly different specialties to whom I can refer leads. Likewise, knowing multiple people in the industry improves my chance of finding work (permanent or otherwise). However, networking is a slow process.
A friend of mine uses an organic metaphor with networks. He says the business world is too industrial, we “build” this and “build” that. Networks, however, are better viewed as trees that “grow.” Industry can build anything as fast as it wants, but nature grows at a slow, steady pace.
This metaphor is very present in my professional network; to an even deeper level than I realized. A network can grow on its own, but not very well. As a tree needs water and sunshine, a network needs attention in order to grow. I neglected a few new roots in my network and not only have they not grown, they are essentially whithered away now.
My job hunt is about connections and networking, but marketing at large is even more-so. You can have the best widget in the world, but without trusted channels with which to market them, you will be outperformed by the worst. My career coach recommends lead groups for job-hunting. Both he and I would also recommend them for marketing. Who do you know that also sells to your target customer? Share information with them; you might have a lead that will grow their business and they might have one for you as well.
This is the first in a new series of feature posts: In the Market. The goal is to analyze and reflect upon successfully marketed brands and why they have been so successful. Feel free to disagree with or comment on my opinions after you read them.
Axe is a very popular brand of men’s deodorant and shower products owned by Unilever. I guarantee that you have seen their television advertisements at some point in time. I choose to look at Axe because I think their marketing, however controversial, is absolutely genius.