The Man Your Man Could Smell Like and Viral Marketing

I just read another article quoting the viral marketing geniuses of Proctor & Gamble and their widely successful Old Spice deodorant campaign. Seems that others are following in their footsteps by attempting some of the types of communication style that created this well known ad campaign.

I don't think it was just using Isaiah Mustafa, although one of the recommendations from the article, How to Make a Marketing Campaign Go Viral in China on Read Write Web a popular technology blog, states that the spokesperson is a major part of the success of a particular campaign. Additional thoughts in the article are, choosing a message your customers can relate to and then making it easy to replicate.

With the example of Old Spice not only did they have a great spokesperson but they were targeting women in particular to get them interested in purchasing old spice for their man, in a funny inviting way. On the web there are additional YouTube Video's that take the ad one step further. Another ad that has done this very well are the family ads for the Toyota Sienna. The additional videos on the web create a whole story around the family that you don't see in the commercials, and they are hilarious.

In chapter 6 of Adam L. Peneberg's Viral Loop, Peneberg speaks about viral video's as well as many other useful tips for taking your company to the viral stage.

So far, in my current role, we've attempted one of these viral videos but didn't do the serious follow-up necessary to make it go viral. A small business that is doing an excellent job of this is Zumasys. I think this company not only has a great culture but they are very funny. They have created a completely viral way of promoting what they do. Zumasys - YOU INSPIRE ME!

What companies are inspiring you to step up your marketing?  

Web Engagement: How to Sell on The Web

I recently received a tweet leading me to this article on Web Engagement professing that what websites are doing today is giving you more sizzle and less meat . The author Gerry McGovern feels that websites need to develop more content and less campaigning to attract consumers. I honestly beg to differ just slightly with his opinion.

Marketing is about engagement and finding new ways to have people interact with you. When all of the details are spelled out specifically what you get is less interaction, which usually means less sales volume. While it is wonderful to be informative and provide a lot of information on the web (which I do condone) you also need to wrap it with SIZZLE, so that consumers don't instantly leave your page.

As younger generations become who we are selling to the attention spans of who we are selling to become smaller, and the more flashy we become the more attractive our products are.

Several months ago I attended an online presentation about online presentations and the main point was focused around catering to the decreasing attention spans of who we are speaking to. The suggestion of this presentation was to make presentations more like television.

So when Gerry McGovern writes an article basically saying that websites need to be more like newspapers, I have to disagree. We need images, smiling faces, videos and great content to keep us attracted, and if we don't get it quickly we will just most likely go somewhere else.

What is your opinion on web engagement and content?

Funny Tweet of Last Week - Marketing Process

Tweet From @LinkedMedia last Friday

"If U R driving traffic 2 landing page w/"miracle""free""top secret""never seen before" either hire a gd copywriter or unfollow us."

I had to laugh because it is rather annoying to watch tweets and posts all day that say the same thing over and over again. In fact, for us marketing professionals it is quite concerning to be lumped in the same category with people who spew the same marketing jargon on each campaign. OR, if you've got just one thing to sell you keep stating same angle that everyone else is using instead of being original.

In my post on The Man Your Man Could Smell Like I received some comments/questions about how marketing professionals might come up with amazing ad campaigns like the one featured about Old Spice.

My belief is that everyone has to have a process. In Twyla Tharps great book called The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, Tharp talks about her process to stay creative and be able to consistently challenge yourself. For the creative person sometimes having limits is the best thing that one can do. Deadlines and other limitations help the creative mind develop process instead of thinking of the endless possibilities as we often do.

What process will you use to stay creative instead of being blocked by your readers?

This Season's Boots and Pricing on Value

When I first started this blog I wrote an article about shoes I would not wear to Insights 2010. This article was actually a real focus on pricing models and how products are priced and the relative VALUE that is associated to a particular product based on the pricing. The boots featured in that article were very high, and had an equally high price tag. How does the price of something make you feel about the value?

I just recently took my daughter homecoming dress shopping. About 100 dresses later she had narrowed it down to two dresses. I had given her a specific budget to spend, but she hadn't yet looked at price. She put on one of the two choices and said "But Mom, this one just feels nicer in the inside". I immediately went for the price tag and noticed it was about $100.00 over her budget and proclaimed "I know why this dress feels better". It was well made and the lining in the inside felt like butter.

If you want to understand more about pricing I highly recommend reading Ron Baker's Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value. This will greatly assist in your own learning of how products are priced and how you should price your own products and or services.

Now for a boot a little better priced, but still with a lot of value instead of the Christian Louboutin Decollete Black - might I recommend a little boot that I'm thinking of purchasing this year.  I think this shoe is quite cute by Miz Mooz, and could be comparable to the Christian Louboutin boots mentioned in my first blog article. These boots can be found at Infinity Shoes a new website I've recently found.

Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Before the Season Ends

Don't forget my article on the best flip flops ever. I found that they are very well priced on Amazon. Just in case you want to get yourself a pair before flip-flop season is officially over.

I am still wearing my pair and now considering another pair because they are just so wonderful and comfortable. This pair, shown on the side are going to be my next purchase because they are after all in my favorite color.

Search Amazon.com for olukai womens sandals


Next I will be investigating this years boots, which I must say, I've never been such a great fan of boots but this seasons are officially intriguing me. There are higher, warmer and more stylish styles than I have seen in a long time. With last years cold weather across the U.S. still present in my memory, I'm going to be all about boots this year.


Have a wonderful finish to your summer. Get a pair of flip-flops to celebrate.