This is the first of several blog articles I intend to write about ‘compelling events’.   In case you’re not familiar with the term, a compelling event in this context is a situation that will arise in a customer’s life that will compel them to make one or several purchases.  A good example in B2B marketing would be an office move.  The impending office move date is the compelling event, and before this time the customer is likely to have made several purchases that relate to that compelling event, such as office removal services, new signage, new stationery, new office cleaners etc etc.

What is important about a compelling event is that it has a deadline.  The customer has to make their purchase decision by the time the compelling event comes around.  This then helps marketers create communications that are not only very relevant, but also perfectly timed. Read more

Good films, good books and good newspapers have something in common:  Good editing.  In other words, they will all cut out great material and content, for the sake of a better overall story.

And businesses are no different.  They have a story to tell and messages to deliver.  In the same way that a good book has a story that flows smoothly and that a newspaper headline delivers the messages in a handful of words, businesses should apply the same approach to their marketing.  In particular their written content. Read more

If you received a communication from a mobile carrier with this as the headline, would you dash to make the payment?  …I’m guessing not.  Me neither.

But this is essentially the message that was delivered to my home this week by mobile network company Vodafone.  But unsurprisingly, they worded it slightly differently.

I live in a semi-rural area, where mobile phone reception is usually good, but occasionally can be weak depending on where I am (e.g. what room I’m in).  Let’s just say, it’s not as relaiable as it would be if I lived in a city.  So, on that basis, Vodafone sent me a mailer with a solution to the problem. Read more

If you have spent any time working in marketing or studying marketing, you will be aware of the 4 Ps (Price, Product, Place, Promotion).

(And yes I know, the 4 Ps went out with the dinosaurs.  But you should hear me out).

A sure fire way to lose credibility as a ‘marketing consultant’ (I use the term loosely) is to start spouting the 4 Ps.  Or better yet, the more recent 7Ps, or 8Ps… I think there were eventually up to 13 Ps, but I think they included words like ‘Pretty Pictures’ and ‘Potato Peeler’ (or maybe not).  Whatever number of Ps there are now, the original 4  just aint fashionable any more. Read more

This is an article about honesty.  Specifically, it’s about being honest with yourself and with the way your customers see your business.  Even more specifically, I’m talking about your business’ ‘Silent Truths’.

Silent truths such as…

• Retailers have customers who visit their stores to look at products, knowing full well that some of those customers will then go home and buy those products online to save money.
• Newsagents have customers who will read the magazines in the shop to find out specific pieces of information but will have no intention of buying the magazines.
• Cinemas have customers who will take their own food and drink to avoid paying the higher prices at the counter.  Read more