A colleague recently lamented, or at questioned the concept that "specialization in account planning" (marketing and marketing communications strategy) has "gone too far."
As more of a generalist than a specialist, I identify with some of his thoughts. I believe that specialists get so caught up in their area that they lose sight of a bigger picture (I feel more often digital/social media/mobile 'experts' these days). Basic consumer motivations and behaviors (like a need for simplicity) are overlooked. Often some fundamental marketing principles or approaches that should be used a means of organizing a larger story or argument are ignored.
At the same time, having worked in multiple categories, I have found that I have needed to learn the both category and target details (pharmaceutical MOA's; electronic data interchange/integration lingo; childhood development/thinking patterns; specific food processing practices; financial services principles, practices, regulations and motivations; etc, etc) - that make me appear to be at least a 'pseudo-specialist'. I (humorously) like to use the phrase "I know enough about a lot of categories to be dangerous." For instance, I now know more about medicine and drugs than I ever thought was possible for me.
I believe good strategist should make it a practice to have a stronger than average understanding of many research techniques, practices and principles - ideally both qualitative and quantitative (segmentation and tracking in particular). I have learned these things 'on the job' versus formal training, but I think it is important that we are both grounded in the fundamentals and continuously learning about new approaches or ways of looking at things.
At the same time, the dramatically changing media environment, or more specifically the fact that our targets are so much more connected to an online world today, makes everything feel more complicated. The constant development/invention of new digital products and services and means of connecting is dizzying at times. While 'car/auto', CPG, fast food or other specialists have existed for a long time (and appeared limited to many of us in the marketing world), digital/social media/mobile specialists (conversely) feel like the have a lot more cache today. Sometimes the younger brain that grew up in an attention deficit world feels more adapted and at home with this - and we have still have a youth obsessed culture, despite the fact that Baby Boomers control all the real wealth.
Strategists/planners in the marketing world, by definition, should be agents of change. We must attempt to stay ahead of the curve on both societal and category trends. But we can help our fellow colleagues in the marketing communication world by sharing interesting developments while bringing a healthy bigger picture/potential longer term perspective. I regularly see headlines about the 'death of traditional media' - from people who are not seeing the statistics that more people are watching TV - and for longer periods than ever before. This is not to deny that media is changing. In particular, both 'what' and 'how' we receive all types of content. But as I have recently paraphrased (bastardized?) fellow Canadian, Marshall McCluhan "The medium is still the message, but more than ever, content is king." Strategists/planners often need to translate/simplify issues and formulate and deliver engaging stories, designed to be passed on in appropriate ways.
Perhaps there should be a stronger distinction in the marketing communications strategist/planner world between those that have chosen to focus on content delivery (connection planners?) versus content. But in my (not so humble?) opinion, good strategists/planners need to not only have the fundamentals down, but also focus on the specific needs of their target and the developments in their category at any given time - and 'know enough to be dangerous.' For me anyway, the variety - or breadth as well as depth of exposure to products, industries and target mindsets has been both incredibly interesting and fulfilling - despite the fact that our business drives me nuts at times.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Innovative Product vs. Innovative Marketing?
An AdAge article titled "Is P&G's Biggest Innovation Old-Fashioned Functionality?" has me saying - I've been saying that for years. But I almost missed the light typeface subhead "Its Viral Hits Are Cool, but Focus on Fundamentals Is What Moves the Needle" - and I would agree with that thought as well.
P&G ads and marketing communication used to be very boring - but people bought the products/brands because the company did a good job of continually improving the products - or giving us the perception they were being improved.
P&G marketers - perhaps without even realizing the nature of functional-to-emotional brand life-cycles, consistently chose to lean into functional messaging - which often led to somewhat informative, but not very exciting advertising. I'm not sure if sales of Tide have plateaued, but at some point, many consumers probably said - enough with price increases that come with the so-called-"NEW"-special-ingredients as they switched to less expensive brands.
At some point Tide, probably at the incessant pleading of their ad agencies, experimented with more emotional messaging (remember the ad with the baby covered in spaghetti?). But I'm guessing the ad testing they normally do did not show strong scores or the types of responses they were used to seeing. Which I chuck at, since it feels like they assumed their target actually consumed ads in the manner in which they were tested.
These days I don't see many Tide ads. I suspect the media planners and buyers are doing a much better job of targeting women. But the residual effect of continual product improvement messaging still has its effect on me. But this is an emotional versus a rational effect. I believe that Tide probably has the best product in the market. Right now, I'm not willing to pay the extra cost - but I suspect the emotional belief is what continues to make this brand a leader - despite the lack of emotional advertising.
In the meantime, P&G has experimented more and more with interesting emotional based advertising - ranging from talking stains to Old Spice spokesmen - often turning to creative hot-shops like C&P for this work. A new way of thinking at P&G versus the last few decades. A very welcome one from my perspective.
P&G ads and marketing communication used to be very boring - but people bought the products/brands because the company did a good job of continually improving the products - or giving us the perception they were being improved.
P&G marketers - perhaps without even realizing the nature of functional-to-emotional brand life-cycles, consistently chose to lean into functional messaging - which often led to somewhat informative, but not very exciting advertising. I'm not sure if sales of Tide have plateaued, but at some point, many consumers probably said - enough with price increases that come with the so-called-"NEW"-special-ingredients as they switched to less expensive brands.
At some point Tide, probably at the incessant pleading of their ad agencies, experimented with more emotional messaging (remember the ad with the baby covered in spaghetti?). But I'm guessing the ad testing they normally do did not show strong scores or the types of responses they were used to seeing. Which I chuck at, since it feels like they assumed their target actually consumed ads in the manner in which they were tested.
These days I don't see many Tide ads. I suspect the media planners and buyers are doing a much better job of targeting women. But the residual effect of continual product improvement messaging still has its effect on me. But this is an emotional versus a rational effect. I believe that Tide probably has the best product in the market. Right now, I'm not willing to pay the extra cost - but I suspect the emotional belief is what continues to make this brand a leader - despite the lack of emotional advertising.
In the meantime, P&G has experimented more and more with interesting emotional based advertising - ranging from talking stains to Old Spice spokesmen - often turning to creative hot-shops like C&P for this work. A new way of thinking at P&G versus the last few decades. A very welcome one from my perspective.
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