Countless times in marketing strategy meetings, I have heard sentences beginning with and/or containing “I” or “my.”
“I wouldn’t respond to/click on that.”
“My friends and I thought the idea was great.”
“That’s how I would do it/buy/respond.”
Not wanting to invalidate a personal POV, especially from a boss or executive, many stay silent. And then carry out marketing plans according to the leader’s —sometimes personal— experience and wishes. [The ‘marketing’ department is then basically relegated to the role of a Kinko’s store – taking orders and creating collateral].
You can see the problem here.
We’re not marketing and selling to our (I’ll borrow Kissmetrics’ term here) “HiPPOs” (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion), we are attempting to message our customers. They are sometimes two very different things.
[Or Avinash Kaushik coined the term. See also: Digital Marketing Analytics: Avinash Kaushik]
Jamie Oliver’s story about trying to change eating behavior outside his cultural norm is a perfect example. It took some time to get to know the customer. And, of course, so should you.
SO the next time you hear an “I” or “My” in a marketing meeting, try to see if you can’t change the subject to the customer, based on objective research.
Referenced article is Eat Your Peas: A Recipe for Culture Change via Strategy+Business
Photo: First Time Bubble by Serge Melki
