When it comes to understanding buyer behavior, one thing that always is taken note of is trends. Brands that set trends such as Apple’s  line of products show  it is possible for a brand to establish a value proposition that is driven by and in fact, drives style.  But how is it possible for a single brand to gain a following that can probably be considered close to cultish? Perhaps the answer lies in understanding the buzz that lies beneath the creation of a herd.

It is a very human need to belong and be part of something — herding is practically a basic human reaction. Take for instance the creation of a market for mobile gadgets. Since mobile technology kept people who were on that same technology together, others would get it as well. But, let’s say you’re going for something else. Let’s say your product is about being set apart from the rest.

The entire line of Apple’s products is probably the best case when it comes to being “different”. Its popular PC vs. Mac campaign attracted people by marketing themselves as different from the more popular and therefore more “boring” or “safer” brand. And even in its past campaigns, there was a focus on the Mac user being the innovative one—the clearly different one. The value proposition placed on Apple’s products was based more on a focus of who its users were instead of simply what the product is about.

So, is it possible to create a value proposition for your own brand through a focus on users? Definitely. And it helps in the creation of buzz as well. If the brand encourages a youthful image with the right features to go with it, then it isn’t a far-fetched idea to market it as something used by a youthful market. Creating an image to go with the brand is a powerful way to draw in a herd.

And a herd is even easier to keep nowadays with the latest marketing tools that put a higher premium on community building and being social. With the right mix of marketing, it becomes possible to build a brand’s value on the quality of its community alone.

Is your product or service clearly connecting with a specific customer? Does its style and brand elements align to that target market?

Related articles for further reading:

• Mac vs PC Guy Commercials May Not Be Over Yet (corporate-eye.com)
• Crowdsourcing: Beyond the Basics (convinceandconvert.com)
• Microsoft launches “PC vs. Mac” site to explain why Macs are no good (geek.com)

Gone are the days when companies would simply create a product or service, market it and hope for a successful, profitable outcome. Products and services are now deeply commoditized and consumers are increasingly fickle and hard to please. People don’t just want something to spend their money on; they want solutions. They want something that can satisfy a specific need in a specific way. It is a must for companies and marketers to understand this basic consumer reality.

Innovative, Indispensible, Inspirational.

Innovative, Indispensible, Inspirational. These are the three I’s of an effective Value Proposition. If you want to make your brand work, you’ve got to cater to your target consumers’ needs. We’re not just talking about basic  needs here. A product or service can also satisfy emotional and perhaps even spiritual needs. It all depends on how you position your offering.

Is it innovative? Does your product bring something new to the table? Have you discovered a need nobody thought they had, or are you riding the bandwagon with a me-too offering? Is your offering truly useful/beneficial over time? That is, does it represent a continuous stream of goodness to its owner?  Does your your brand  inspire action or complacency? By answering these questions, among others, you can pinpoint the ideal way to market your product. The next step is to see if the target audience is going to be receptive to the messages you send.

Know thy customer. It is a crucial commandment that must be heeded, if you want your brand messages to come across positively. We  live in an age where information is easily accessible. Especially information about how your product is doing in multiple dimensions besides “unit sales”. Not too long ago, it wasn’t practical to do intensive consumer research, simply because by the time enough information has already been gathered, it  was already be obsolete and useless for brand-building.

The Internet is a great way to find out about your target market and its specific needs. The rise of social media has made it incredibly easy for companies to connect with consumers and find out their current needs. By becoming receptive to your followers or potential buyers, you can have a greater idea of what makes them tick and translate that into your brand. You can raise the power of I3 with the aid of Internet tools.

No brand is immune to competition. Even market leaders have their nemesis, and direct competitors keep a company from having the entire pie for itself. In many cases, competition can actually be mutually beneficial, as it keeps the competing parties from becoming complacent. In always trying to outdo each other, the companies push themselves to improve their brands and the products or services they carry. It is a welcome cycle that not many businesses want to admit (or enjoy).

Competitive analysis begins in much the same way a company would evaluate its own brand. You can examine your competitor’s value proposition in I³ terms based on their marketing claims. Find out exactly what they are saying that gives them an edge from their competition and compare that to your own unique selling points. If both of you are claiming the same thing, you end up canceling each other out on that factor, all other things remaining equal. I call this the overlapping value proposition: two companies making equally valid claims to a differentiator, neutralizing each other in the market on that attribute.

Take for example, Coca Cola and Pepsi. Both of these fizzy drinks are refreshing, affordable, and, for a time, they were actually marketed as health tonics. The Cola Wars are infamous in the marketing world. When it finally hit them that there is no use trying to convince consumers that one brand of soda tastes better than the other, they decided to go with more distinct (and emotional) approaches.

(image from Brand New )

Rather than win a consumer following with proof of taste superiority (a virtual unprovable), the beverage giants decided to woo the market by creating ‘personalities’ for their brand. It is evident in the evolution of their logos. Coca-Cola positions itself as a feel-good drink that encompasses all generations; thus, its logo has remained consistent over the years. Pepsi, on the other hand, keeps reinventing itself as the ‘cool drink.’ It mainly targets youth, which is why it also tends to get popular celebrities and artists to promote its brand.

Despite their difference in marketing approaches, Coke and Pepsi still enjoy a healthy rivalry. They were able to avoid the rut of the overlapping value proposition by re-thinking their challenge in other dimensions. They observed consumers more intently and creatively constructed brand personalities that resonate with their target market. Value proposition don’t have to be tangible or factual – they can simply be a matter of style.

There used to be a time when ads had to be written with hyperbole. ‘Amazing,’ ‘Miraculous’ and ‘Spectacular’ made common appearances in old print ads, usually in large bold letters. Add to that a few more impressive, flowery phrases and an image of a person with a wide-mouthed smile, and the product was almost as good as sold.

Selling meant singing nothing but praises, and getting customers to buy was the only end point for marketing efforts.

And then… it changed. Over the years, sales and marketing have become quite sophisticated due in part to evolving consumer behaviors and expectations. Today’s customers are not as so easily wowed by “smoke and mirrors”. It is not enough that marketers say their product is the best. Even ‘New!’ doesn’t work as well any more. We live in an over-saturated — over-messaged – marketplace. Nothing is really new, and every trick in the book has already been tried and tested. Smoke and mirrors, flowery words and calls to action do nothing except annoy consumers and make them ignore the product being promoted in that way. Of course, direct marketing and hard sells live on in the world of infomercials – but fundamental brand advertising has changed.

Now, selling means providing solutions, and the end point of marketing is something much more long-lasting and substantial than simply getting a single sale.

Developing an effective value proposition is the first step to effective sales and marketing. The principle entails sending targeted messages rather than making broad sweeping promotions. Instead of “Buy this now,” it should be “Here’s what we can do for you.” Customers want the respect and autonomy to obtain products and services at their own leisure and according to their own considered criteria. They also like knowing what’s in it for them. Ask yourself: Would you buy something simply because someone told you to?

Building brand loyalty can be considered a much higher priority than making sales. Sporadic deals won’t get the company anywhere in the long run. With a loyal customer base, the company can build continued success. It is a win-win situation for both sides, as the customers will be getting what they want while the company can streamline their marketing efforts and focus their marketing budgets to yield greater ROI on dollars spent.

• Does your marketing speak to long term benefits?
• Does your messaging meet your best buyers in their language?
• Are you counting on tricks and clever words to close the deal?

Now and then, we see the Internet blow up with activity. A picture or video spreads across all the social networking sites. This sometimes leads to the creation of spin-offs – inspired pictures and videos which follow the same cycle of viral circulation. In today’s Internet parlance, this is called a ‘meme’. And while many “old horses” from more traditional marketing backgrounds can think of this as just another mind-boggling phenomenon of the Screen Age, others see a potential innovation.

When Old Spice and its advertising agency, Wieden + Kennedy, saw its latest campaign was becoming a viral success, they immediately capitalized on it. Now, not only has the Old Spice Guy, perpetually wrapped in a bath towel and flashing a debonair smile, become a household name; product sales are growing and the company is enjoying a breath of new life in its industry.

What Old Spice and Wieden + Kennedy did is a perfect example of making good use of the power of “I3″. They positioned the men’s grooming product line as inspirational; an exciting trend any man would be crazy not to get into. The creative execution was simple and novel – show a good-looking guy seamlessly weaved through women’s fantasy settings, all the while boasting how any man can be like him if they just used some Old Spice body wash. A “net new” (innovative)twist on an old product. Given that cats and dogs and men and women remain interested in each other, this also made the product seem indispensable. Innovative, Indispensable, Inspirational… an I3 Value Proposition.

Interestingly, the ad was first aired on television, often taken as a dying medium for marketing (which it surely isn’t – just changing in how it needs to be used). Soon, however, it started making its way into YouTube and the rest of the Internet. When the hype still wouldn’t die down months after its first showing, the agency decided to further feed the flame with exclusive YouTube videos of the Old Spice Guy, (actor Isaiah Mustafa), addressing various celebrities and online personalities. Not only did this succeed in ‘fleshing out’ the character endorser, the stunt ultimately led to a 107% sales increase. Wearing Old Spice is finally cool again – a seemingly impossible feat just a year or two ago. This is a huge feat for a men’s grooming line that has long been associated with middle-aged men (ahem!). This is all thanks to innovative execution of a globally thought-through marketing campaign.

Are you dismissive of the “new” marketing? Yes, there’s lots of hype and snake-oil… but if a medium can take Old Spice and make it a New Spice – then it IS powerful and must be included in the mix – at least considered.

Question: Is your value proposition reflected in your landing page? Can people tell right away:

• What you are offering?
• Who you wish to appeal to?
• Why they would be interested in your offer?
• What they need to do to participate/purchase?

If you own a website, a particular challenge that you’ll face is how you can be found amidst a throng of like-minded individuals who are also grappling for a potential customer’s attention in this free-for-all space. What will make you stand out from the rest? What will set you apart?

As trivial as it may seem, first impressions really do last, so look your best the first time. And this is where landing pages, the first thing that they will see, will play a crucial role in your business.

What is a landing page?

When you reach a page that  you have been directed to after you have clicked on a link from an outside source like an advertisement usually from a Pay Per Click (PPC) ad, an article, a press release, or any other write-up or mention about you or your product, that page is called the landing page.

The goal of the landing page is to usually convert potential clients quickly. It’s also called a capture page. Indeed, your value proposition should be kept in mind when creating your landing page. Here’s how you can make the best of that page to draw customers in.

4 Tips in making your landing pages effective

1. Call to action. Your readers should be driven into contacting you either through phone, email, or online submission form. Make sure this information is readily available and clear, along with your value proposition.

2. KISS. Keep it short and simple – this should apply to your statements and page length. You don’t want to bore your readers and potential clients. Be brief and direct to the point.

3. Come-ons. Bonuses, freebies, and other specials are excellent promotional activities. This should also reflect the value that you want to give customers. Be careful not to dilute your brand equity with a non-aligned approach to these (”cheap” vs. “quality”).

4. Images. Graphics and images must be appropriate, clear, and supports your content and value proposition. It should not take away focus from what is being offered.

Remember that not only should your landing page be attractive in order to entice potential customers – it has to provide interesting content, and reflect your value propositions. This will make your readers want to know more about you, and what your company has to offer.

While driving to a client meeting I looked at my dashboard and noticed the warning light again. I was about 2,000 miles “over” on getting an oil change.

Now, I have always made a habit of taking great care of my cars and 2,000 miles on an oil change on a well maintained car is not going to kill the car. Why haven’t I done it? It has a lot to do with scheduling and the fact that it is going to take an hour out of my life at a critical juncture when I am working on several key projects. And really I have just not been able to do it or maybe it’s that I have not made it a priority to get it done.

So Commerce Bank opened 7 days a week, with late hours all 7 days. Many banks have had to follow them and not close the teller window at 3pm because of some age old operational constraints that are just not true in our electronic age.

So the lesson here is that you need to really rethink – especially in older type industries- whether or not what you accept as a true limitation is a REAL limitation … or is it just an industry habit. 
Maybe, it was a limitation that was born from boundaries that your industry had from years ago that are no longer valid with newer technologies and processes?

Whether you run a bank or local car dealer or a donut shop – have you looked at your business from the perspective of your customers? And do you do it often?

Original Post From: Blogging Innovation

“I came across the following video of a BMW advertising installation thanks to a tweet from Blogging Innovation contributor @RowanGibson and I think it serves as a perfect case study of how one firm – in this case BMW – can succeed and fail in utilizing some of the modern incremental innovations in the traditional marketing methods (including social media) to bond itself to an emotion – in this case ‘joy’.” (more…)

My Quick Take…

An example of an excellent idea that has been poorly executed so far. Marketing is about reaching out to a specific audience who is or can be passionate about your brand. I think you gave a good list of reasons why this campaign is a current failure, and that companies like BMW should be reading this. It’s such a waste to see good ideas come to a stop when they aren’t carried out in a way that touches its intended market.

Big ideas lose their potential to become great when they don’t reach those who can pass them on, build momentum, and make that initial spark catch brilliant flame. Metaphors aside, companies and their agencies are responsible for translating their initial ideas into something their market can consume. Concepts should not stop at just being new and exciting. They should also be relatable, relevant, and useful as well.

I think BMW should pay attention, listen, and salvage this idea from being forgotten. Potential is nothing without opportunity. It’s every good marketer’s job to open doors for their brands and customers.

We all have friends who love to recommend websites. Every time they stumble upon a site they like, they share it on Twitter or post it on their Facebook wall. If they like a blog post, they’ll share a link to it – but – if they like the overall look or theme, they’ll add “cool site for women!” or “great, great articles on leadership!” or some other specific attribute that they favor.

Such is the power of a great-looking and content-rich site. No wonder sales and marketing people spend much time and money creating the best possible website to get attention, to sell, to influence, to move people to action.

Your Homepage – where it begins
Look at your homepage. Does it clearly communicate what your company does? Without having to go through the other pages of your site, can people tell what you’re all about and what they can get from you?

Some people think that a value proposition is a mere line or two on your website or marketing materials. Of course, a value prop is much more. And a website is more than just a brochure online. It is the face of any business, and it is where you can emphasize your competitive advantage and your value proposition.

Evaluating your site

Whenever you come across a new website for the first time, what’s the first thing you notice? Is it the design? The list of articles? The banner ads?

Ask any sales or marketing person, and they’ll tell you how valuable a website is to a business. If you evaluate your site, or ask people to evaluate it for you, what do the results tell you? Does your site need a makeover? Is your design too bright or too dull? Is it difficult to navigate? Is your Web copy or blog content boring?

• You want people talking about your site, and your products and/or services.
• You want them telling their friends and family about it.
• You want good word of mouth to spread naturally and eventually, you want your target market to buy.

Take a serious look at your website today, and determine if it’s helping drive your business’ success and is it doing a good job telling the world about your value proposition – the what and why your offerings matter.

Notice how many companies claim the same thing? We see lots of websites and marketing materials stating similar value propositions – “best in class”, “unique in our commitment”, “maximize return on investment” and all that “value prop” jargon.

If everyone’s claiming the same thing, then what’s the difference? A value proposition should speak to a product’s or service’s uniqueness (preferably why they are new, useful and ‘wow’), but when everyone’s claiming they’re the best, we think it’s time to rethink and reevaluate propositions.

If you’re a new company just starting out, then take time to write an excellent value proposition using the questions below as a guide. On the other hand, if you’ve been in business for quite a while now, then review this list again and see if you can sharpen and rewrite your value proposition to truly reflect what your business is about.

When trying to define and communicate your value proposition in today’s tough economy, these are some of the most important questions to ask:

• What is the need or problem of the customer that your product or service aims to provide a solution to?
• What are the benefits of using your product or service?
• What do you offer that is not being offered by the competition?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’re ready to get down to business: write a superior value proposition – one that is truly unique. Here are some tips on developing or updating your value proposition:

• Customize your value proposition according to the specific needs of your prospects/customers. Don’t just write a general statement.

• Value propositions are not static. Just as your customers’ needs change, so should your value propositions, in order to meet their changing needs.

• Watch your competition. They may announce new capabilities, so be prepared to offer newer, better ideas/capabilities too and state that in your proposition.

• Mind your relationships. Someone once said that the greatest value often lies outside the product you are selling, such as the relationships between employees, between customers and employees, between top management and clients. Your company’s reputation, responsiveness and trustworthiness are all a part of your value proposition, so make sure you also emphasize those dimensions as well.

FastCompany’s recent design award coverage included a write up on … latrines.

What??? Yes. Latrines. IDEO, the design firm, was asked to design a new concept in latrines that under-developed villagers could assemble from locally available materials. This need is significant for disease prevention and other issues. What’s exciting about this is how IDEO could re-imagine a completely mundane and unattractive category and deliver an meaningful upgrade. They have blessed thousands of people with their creativity and design acumen.

This is I3 Thinking: Innovative – Indispensable and Inspirational!

Remember when we were little kids and were often reminded by our parents to say ‘please,’ ‘may I’ and ‘thank you?’ These words are short and simple, but are very powerful nonetheless.

As we grow to be adults and strive to achieve success in our careers, we often forget the power of these words and fail to remember that using them often can go a long way. They can earn us respect, gratitude, admiration and yes, love.

Marketing and salespeople should learn a thing or two from one of kindergarten school’s most valuable lessons: politeness and gratitude.

When was the last time you said thank you to a new or returning customer? Personalized thank you notes are a way to get more business. Check out some sample thank-you notes for sales and you’ll see what we mean.

Saying thank you is one of the most excellent habits to cultivate. Words of gratitude are always wonderful to hear. It does not only make the recipient feel good – it makes YOU, the speaker, feel good as well.

In this buy-and-sell-oriented world, a simple ‘thank you’ means a lot, and it’s also one of the things that make customers, clients and prospects come back. Thank-you notes, whether in physical form or sent via email, are a great opportunity to put your name in front of your customers, strengthen relationships, and help you stand out.
Here are some key opportunities for saying ‘thank you’:

• Getting new business from a person or a team
• Getting a flattering remark or suggestion from a client, customer or even an employee
• Getting referrals from a client or customer
• Getting excellent work done by employees that led to more customers

There are plenty of ways to say thank you. As a marketer or salesperson, get creative. Never underestimate, in particular, the power of a handwritten thank you note. Whether you say these words in person, via email or over the phone, deliver it with much enthusiasm and really mean it. It can make a big difference in the way you do business, and in how the world sees you.

People are wiser nowadays. Naturally, they don’t like to be scammed out of their money. They’re more cautious now, and careful about their dealings with individuals and companies.

Internet technology may be changing the way we see or do things and providing the convenience we used to dream about, but people just won’t click to buy immediately. Why?

Well they obviously don’t like to waste their hard-earned salary on products or services that are not up to par, or those that appear not to be credible. So today’s customer more often than not does his or her homework, through intensive researching online.

Building Trust and Adding Value

We’ve all read about the importance of building trust and adding value for both prospects and customers.

Every sales and marketing expert has spoken about this, but it still bears repeating. Successful online marketing, selling and networking requires mastering the art of giving. It’s simple, really. Before you try to get something from someone, you need to give them a reason to give it to you in the first place.

This goes back to basic human qualities that we all admire – honesty, integrity and trust. People don’t want to be lied to, don’t want to be exploited and abused. Yes, it’s a defense mechanism for people who are fed up with hard-sells and sledgehammer pitches. People’s walls grow stronger because of bad customer service experiences.

Today, there is a need to manage your prospect/customer’s impressions of you. If you find yourself spamming, trying all sorts of tactics without focus, and, well, appearing like a money-hungry marketer, then it’s time to change things up. This time, be a passionate individual/company that loves and enjoys helping people achieve their own goals.

Review your marketing strategy. Are you giving before you get?

Here’s some things you can give to your prospects/customers:

• Valuable, free content.
• Excellent service.
• Freebies.
• Useful tips for their personal lives or business.
• Meaningful interaction.
• Promises you keep.

Remember, you’re selling to people who care about what you can give them. Give unconditionally – no “angle” – just be valuable – and you will be valued!

Picture this:

You’re in your car with two kids wailing, asking to have a sip of the caramel macchiato you hurriedly picked up on your way from work – the little pick-me-up you need right now. There are so many things going on in your head: Your last meeting, your unfinished reports, an appointment with the doctor next week.

You try to take a minute to breathe slowly and calm yourself down, but you keep wondering where these kids get their energy. You need it more than they do!

This is all wearing you down, and now the kids start jumping in the backseat to get your attention. You cannot believe that you can’t seem to control the situation, when you’re always in control at work – especially in a room full of people. But with just two kids, you seem helpless. You have two choices: give up, or to take the challenge and enjoy your kids – even at the end of a long, stressful day. But how?

Suddenly, you realize the situation is really no different than everyday challenges at work, especially if you’re in marketing: Figuring out the right marketing strategy in order to win. You know you won’t always win, but what keeps you going is the belief and attitude that you can win.

A positive mindset is more than just viewing the bright side. It’s a conscious option to always see the potential, the way through and the way out of even the most terrible of circumstances. A positive attitude is more than plainly answering a situation or circumstance positively; it is carefully considering the situation and opting to see the possibilities in it.

Salespeople and marketing executives are like parents – they have to deal with their customers positively, no matter what challenges their prospect/customer presents them. With the right attitude, you can get through most any challenge. Whether you’re dealing with employees, customers or even business partners, being positive goes a long way. Carry the spirit of hope with you, and you can be rewarded with a brilliant team and a successful business.

Ask yourself:

• Do I welcome customer challenges?
• Do I see competition as an opportunity to make my offering better?
• Do I typically see possibilities or obstacles?

What’s a disruptor?

You can’t only be aware of current competitors in the marketplace. Companies must take the time today to think about tomorrow, in particular, the disruptors, game-changing products and solutions that will fundamentally impact the marketplace. Disruptors are solutions that are so revolutionary (in the context of a given market) that they fundamentally impact buyer behavior – significantly changing it from that point forward. Buyer’s expectations radically change, forcing previously existing competitors to adapt to the disruptor … or die.

Predicting disruption is difficult, but it’s not rocket science. In short, companies that will succeed and exist in the future are the ones that really know and understand their marketplace now.

• First, companies must have a deep understanding of existing problems their customers are trying to solve. They must also have a deep understanding of the the way the marketplace currently functions and addresses those needs.
• Second, they must also be aware of emerging trends and technology that promise to better solve their customers’ problems.
• Third, companies must accept the reality of a fluid marketplace. That is, the market (any market) is unpredictable. In short, is your organization committed to becoming an adaptive one. You have to decide to adapt or die.

The cycle of disruption is simple. It begins with a customer problem. Something – an issue – that resolving would be worth something to someone. Current companies form solutions to that or related problems. All is happy in vendor-land. They bump and bruise one another along the way as competitors and start making money.

Then, crash! boom! Someone unexpected enters the marketplace and completely changes the game.

Something fresh and new and unexpected. (don’t be confused with the “rear view mirror” effect, where the new entrant looks obvious and predictable – it wasn’t and isn’t). Existing companies who don’t adapt or offer some new-additional value to their current solutions are soon forced out of the marketplace or at least find their margins significantly crimped. So, if your were a local print shop terrified by FexEx Kinkos – uprinting.com and other on-demand, online, providers are to be feared even more. And… those new ink-jet printers and lasers that print fast and great small runs – they’re eating your lunch too. Companies who adapt and send a message of value – relative to the now, changed landscape – to their customers get to continue into the future, until the cycle repeats and changes the game again.

The Future is Now

Perhaps the best solution to dealing with disruptors is to know your marketplace and customers so well that your company is the one introducing “disruptive” solutions into the marketplace. But if you’re not that far ahead of the game, you must be ready to adapt quickly to new entrants. Stay close to your customers, know what they need, and be ready to address their changing expectations.

Oh, and keep your eyes on left field.