Friday, April 25, 2008

Politicking...

I hate politics.

But I love political campaigns…

Sometimes political tactics challenge my marketing perspective. Take the current Primary race. Why do the candidates keep changing their messages? That doesn’t sound wise to me. I’d never advise you do that. “Stay on-message,” is my advice.

So, what are they thinking?

They’re trying to find a message that resonates with voters. (I won’t touch the ethical/moral issues behind that. Remember, I don’t like politics.) But the marketing implication is big.

Instead of “creating” a USM (unique selling message) for your product or service, what if you let your customers tell you what it is. Often marketing fails not because the product isn’t good, but because their sales message doesn’t resonate with customers.

I once helped a client reposition their automotive equipment. They thought they were selling “fast.” But in my conversations with paying customers, I found they were buying “cheap”. So, the message went from “The fastest way…” to “The most affordable way to quickly…” Customers who once thought fast meant a premium price started buying.

I respect surveys and focus groups. But I don’t think they can always tell what will resonate with your target market. I prefer studying ad campaign results. If one ad draws more leads than another, chances are that message is the winner. And there’s only one way to spin that: it works.

Your customers are voting for you with their pocketbooks.