bad banana blog

A Quality Yarn

Marketers can learn a lot from Dutch artist Christien Meindertsma.
    Her knitwear brand FLOCKS weaves together three simple, but powerful, elements: 1) Attractive product design, 2) Unique graphic design, and 3) An interesting and engaging story.
    Each knit piece comes from a single animal. Meindertsma argues that this creates a more attractive and uniform appearance. It also creates an opportunity to make an emotional connection.
    Your sweater, cap, or rug comes with an attractively designed hang card identifying the specific animal who provided the material for your item. There's even a photo of the animal. Very cool.
    By providing her customers with these story elements, Meindertsma is making it easy for the FLOCKS story to be discussed and passed along. That's not some creative afterthought. That's smart marketing woven into each and every product.

 

One of the Best Places to Be

Everyone likes a good secret. Being in the know is one of the best places to be.
    But nobody wants to be manipulated along the way.
    Marketers are trained to manipulate. I don't mean that to sound sinister. Product, Price, Place, Promotion. These are the levers and buttons marketers must manipulate to make sales happen. Marketers need to constantly remind themselves, however, that it's not Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People.
    A while back, on my previous blog, I posted a viral video I liked. At the time, it had 4,000 views on Google. Within days, it had topped four million (no thanks to my little blog). I posted the video because I liked it. It was smart.
    Then I got an email from another "blogger" asking me to post two new videos. My bells started to ring so I did a little digging around. Long story short, I was being manipulated. This was no blogger.
    Old habits die hard.
    Too many marketers are still stuck in the world of one-way communication. They see people as instruments to manipulate. Obstacles to be overcome on the way to the monthly sales figures.

There are exceptions, of course.
    Here's my favorite hotel in New York. Inside, there's a secret restaurant. A true burger dive, complete with fake wood paneling and poor lighting. You have to walk through the ultra-fancy lobby and find it yourself. There is no sign other than a generic neon burger you wouldn't notice unless you're looking for it. There is no obvious entrance. There's a black curtain and, sometimes, a long line of hungry patrons who are in the know. Follow them behind the curtain and you'll find some of the best burgers and fries in the city. Inexpensive (by NYC standards), too.
    Of course the hotel is trying to generate word of mouth. But they are doing it without manipulating people. They don't lie about the existence of the "burger joint" or "burger bar" or whatever people call it (there is no official name). They haven't set up a fake blog or seeded a viral video through imaginary bloggers. But they haven't run a single ad, either. Instead, they've created a lunch experience worth talking about. The secret is part of the experience.
    New Yorkers, especially, don't like good things being ruined by too many people. Word of mouth, then, spreads slowly and organically from people in the know. Very few marketers have that kind of patience. More should.

   And no, I'm not telling you where to find the restaurant. You'll need to discover it yourself. Better yet, don't go there. I'm all for keeping the lunch line manageable. Pay no attention to the restaurant behind the curtain!

(Okay, here's a hint: Top photo via PSFK.)