| Persuasion, seduction, negotiation, and fear | | | | Purpose: Most companies express purpose in |
| have lost their effectiveness to clinch the | | | | the form of a mission statement, and while |
| deal, close the sale, and make cash registers | | | | many companies have written mission |
| ring. Whiter, brighter, faster, and better -- | | | | statements, few live them. Many mission |
| while intriguing -- no longer motivate | | | | statements boast noble virtues, principles, |
| consumers to act. Today's savvy marketers are | | | | and intentions, but it's really profits that |
| shifting strategies to more strongly connect | | | | steer the corporate ship, and constituents |
| with customers; they are harnessing the power | | | | know it. |
| of the four Ps of high voltage communications | | | | |
| (TM) -- personhood, purpose, persona, and | | | | Smart companies realize that when they put |
| presence -- to promote their products, | | | | employees, customers, and society first, |
| services, issues, and organizations. | | | | profits follow. By creating excellent work |
| | | | environments, they attract the best |
| Sick of the impersonal quality of much of | | | | employees, and consumers will choose them |
| their daily lives, Americans are seeking to | | | | over competitors if they offer hiqh-quality |
| reconnect and build stronger relationships. | | | | products and excellent service at a good |
| "In all walks of life, we see a trend toward | | | | price, and if they are socially responsible. |
| wanting to convert impersonal transactions | | | | |
| into personal relations," reports famed | | | | The last few years have seen an explosion in |
| futurist Daniel Yankelovich. | | | | the field of corporate social responsibility. |
| | | | Today, almost all big companies have specific |
| Connection, or the feeling of belonging, is | | | | guidelines on social responsibility and are |
| one of the top three human needs, according | | | | consciously engaged in efforts to give back |
| to psychologist Abraham Maslow, after | | | | to society. |
| physical needs. In our well-fed society, | | | | |
| almost all of our physiological and safety | | | | Some call marketing with purpose "cause |
| needs are being met, but for many the need | | | | branding," and one of the country's leading |
| for connection is not, and smart businesses | | | | experts on cause branding is Carol Cone, |
| are responding. | | | | president of Boston-based Cone, Inc. |
| | | | |
| The image of business today is being altered, | | | | "As cause branding continues to evolve, so |
| says futurist Faith Popcorn in her | | | | too will the public's expectations about the |
| bestselling book Clicking. "(Business will | | | | role companies play in addressing societal |
| be) no longer seen as a war to be won by | | | | needs. In the new reality, companies must |
| trouncing the competition, but viewed as a | | | | implement meaningful, substantive programs |
| complicated mosaic to be developed, one | | | | around social issues to bring their values to |
| relationship at a time." | | | | life, articulate their 'soul', and answer the |
| | | | question, 'What do you stand for?" Cone says. |
| Sharp marketers forge stronger connections | | | | |
| with their constituents by building deeper | | | | Those that do put their money where their |
| relationships that result in trust, and this | | | | mission is -- such as the BodyShop, Ben & |
| trust is built on the four Ps of high voltage | | | | Jerry's, and Patogonia - are richly rewarded |
| communications (TM) . | | | | by consumers. |
| | | | |
| Personhood: Personhood requires companies to | | | | Persona: Persona describes the masks we wear, |
| be self-aware, self-accepting, and | | | | or the image we assume, in order to |
| self-disclosing. In order to be self-aware | | | | facilitate communication. In business, we |
| and accepting, many marketers use a tool | | | | call persona "branding." |
| called "gap analysis." During a gap analysis, | | | | |
| research is conducted to determine if a | | | | "Branding is merely establishing a |
| company's current reputation matches its | | | | relationship," says Charlotte Beers, former |
| desired one: if it doesn't, further research | | | | head of two of advertising's most prestigous |
| is required to find out why. If it's because | | | | brands, Ogilvy & Mather and J. Walter |
| of consumers' perceptions, marketers know | | | | Thompson. Much has been written on branding |
| they must do a better job of promoting, and | | | | and for good reason. Without it, a product, |
| if it's a real problem, they understand | | | | service, issue, or organization is no |
| changes must be made. | | | | different than its competition and will die. |
| | | | But futurist Melinda Davis predicts that the |
| Personhood also requires being authentic and | | | | power of the brand is waning. In its place, |
| after too many recent corporate scandals, | | | | she says consumers will come to depend on new |
| being authentic has never been so important. | | | | meta-brands that are idenified with a creed, |
| | | | or marketplace manifesto, and not tied into |
| "In the current environment, it's time for | | | | one product category. Davis sites Oprah |
| brands to rethink their basic brand | | | | Winfrey as an example of this emerging trend. |
| foundation and consider adding a pillar | | | | Women interested in bettering themselves turn |
| around trust. They must clarify their | | | | to Oprah for advice on a wide variety of |
| company's values and synchronize them with | | | | issues from what recipe to cook to the right |
| their customers' values," says Ed Keller, CEO | | | | books to read. The Oprah meta-brand is also |
| of RoperASW, one the world's most respected | | | | an excellent example of high voltage |
| market research firms. | | | | marketing (TM) because it possesses all four |
| | | | Ps: personhood, purpose, persona, and |
| Smart marketers earn consumers' trust when | | | | presence. |
| they are self-disclosing and/or willing to | | | | |
| make fun of themselves. A good example is | | | | Presence: Presence refers to the way a |
| when Jaguar confronted its reputation for | | | | company operates in the world including how |
| mechanical problems and turned its business | | | | it communicates with constituents. In the |
| around by promoting, "We kept what you loved. | | | | past, marketers depended primarily on one-way |
| The rest is history." | | | | communication vehicles such as advertising |
| | | | and publicity. No longer. |
| By putting a face on a product, issue, or | | | | |
| organization, high voltage marketers (TM) | | | | Consumers want a say. "(They) are hoping to |
| use personhood to personalize their products. | | | | connect, to be heard, to be found - at least, |
| But a pretty face is not enough; they are | | | | to be seen - in a world that makes us feel |
| also using storytelling. | | | | increasingly invisible," writes Davis. |
| | | | |
| "The power of the story is upstaging the | | | | Experts suggest using two-way communications |
| power of the sound bite in advertising," | | | | vehicles such as word-of-mouth marketing, the |
| writes Melinda Davis in her book The New | | | | Internet, and stronger consumer relations |
| Culture of Desire: Five Radical New | | | | programs to dialog with consumers and build |
| Strategies That Will Change Your Business and | | | | critical relationships. |
| Your Life. A good story is more personal and | | | | |
| credible than a contrived advertising slogan, | | | | Personhood, purpose, persona, and presence |
| and we will remember a story long after a | | | | are not linear, but interrelated. Each |
| catchy tagline has faded from our memory. | | | | depends on the other. |
| | | | |
| Dave Thomas of Wendy's, Scottie Mayfield of | | | | Personhood, purpose, persona, and presence |
| Mayfield Dairies, and Chrysler's Lee Ioccoa | | | | can be pictured as the four points of a cross |
| are good examples of how marketers have used | | | | that is contained within a circle. Personhood |
| personhood to promote products. These CEOs | | | | is at the bottom of the cross where it |
| are comfortable talking about themselves and | | | | grounds it; purpose is at the top. On the far |
| are able to connect their stories to | | | | left, resides persona, and on the opposite |
| customers' needs. Personalizing and | | | | axis is presence. Where the four points join |
| storytelling work because they help people | | | | in the middle, high voltage communications |
| form emotional bonds with the company and its | | | | (TM) take place, and it is here that we are |
| products. | | | | at our most powerful as marketers. |
| | | | |