Kidding. Or not.

“Wait a minute,” you’re probably saying. “We come to you for messaging! If you miss the message, it’s your fault! We’ll fire you and move on to another agency. Done.”

Well, yes, that’s true. A lot of our clients come to us for messaging. Some have a platform that’s handed down by the All-Seeing and All-Powerful Product Marketing Gods. In that case, there isn’t much latitude. But let’s take you at your word, and say that you’ve come to us with your really super-cool, best-iPod-dock-in-the-world product (the fictional example we used in #1) and want us to take charge of the messaging. In this case, you’ll hear something like this from us:

“A great message stands out. It actually says something. Great messages use absolute words like, ‘first, only, and best.’ They can ruffle feathers and generate controversy. Can your product support these kinds of messages in its inherent design?”

This sometimes generates a lot of blank looks, but more often than not, it gets us talking about this product and its competition. Sometimes things become very black and white at this point. Let’s say this best-iPod-dock-in-the-world is the only one that has an integrated subwoofer that goes down to 20 Hz. Now, let’s realize that most people don’t have any idea of what 20 Hz is. But if it does have a subwoofer with a ton of bass, it can create a club-like sound in your house. And there’s your message. The only iPod dock that turns your house into a club—don’t be surprised if you knock some pictures off the walls!

Sometimes things remain shades of gray. Yeah, it’s a $500 dock, and it sounds great, and it looks great, but there are a half-dozen other $500 docks that are competing in the same market. Some are a little better at one thing, some are a little better at another. The good news is that this isn’t the end of the world. In this case, you can create unique differentiators.

“Wait a minute!” You cry. “Isn’t that dishonest? You can’t just create stuff out of thin air!”

No, you can’t, and we’re not advocating you do so. However, there’s almost always some kind of unique differentiator available, if you dig deep enough. Oh hey, your iPod dock was created using the same circuits as used in high-end amplifiers? Well, guess what: you have the only iPod Dock with high-end reference amplifier design for superior sound—the same as you’d find in $10K speaker amps!” Or, let’s say a ton of recording studios have picked up on this dock for casual meetings with clients. Congrats. You have the first iPod dock chosen by professional recording engineers! Or, let’s say you’ve done listening tests with professional musicians, and 9 out of 10 of them chose your dock. Now you have the best iPod dock, period, chosen by professional musicians 9 out of 10 times.

You see where we’re going with this. If you can’t claim a first, only, or best, you can usually find a relevant conditional claim that is almost as powerful.

Now, all you have to do is make sure the message is supportable (if you have a powerful claim, have the proof points to back it up—you may be challenged!), make sure it is congruent with your brand personality, and segment the message so it’s appropriate to the media. Yes, lots of work. Yes, we know, marketing should be about trips to Costa Azul and schmoozing at the awards shows. Or not.

In review:

A great message is:

1. Able to claim one or more true, unique differentiators
2. Supportable by multiple proof points
3. Simple, direct, and understandable to the audience
4. In-line with the image, personality, and tone of the brand
5. Appropriate to the media.

An acceptable message is:

1. Able to create one or more unique differentiators based on lifestyle, audience, or preference.
2. Supportable by conditional usage
3. Simple, direct, and understandable to the audience
4. In-line with the image, personality, and tone of the brand
5. Appropriate to the media.

Bottom line: don’t blend in. If your product or service doesn’t have any true, unique differentiators, you need to create some. If you can create controversy, do it. The message is the most important part of any campaign—don’t miss it!

In fact, I think we irritate a lot of clients when they first come to us and say, “Wow, we have this great new product or service and we need to get the word out and I’ve heard there’s all these cool things you can do on Facebook and on Twitter and virally and maybe even some online ads and a microsite and all that stuff!” And all we do is sit back and say, “That’s great. What’s your goal?”

A lot of times, we get a blank look, and a reiteration of the above.

Luckily, a lot more times, we get a hard stop, followed by an “aha!” moment, where our client realizes that we are really looking out for their best interests.

Sure, we can do pretty pictures and snappy copy as well as the next agency out there (or better—hey, I’m biased) but if those pretty pictures and snappy copy don’t get you the sales results a client wants, what good are they? Yeah, they may get you some shiny pieces of chrome and plastic to put on a mantle and wow the punters, but we don’t go in for awards. At all. Every award we’ve won has been for client-entered work, not stuff we’ve submitted. We don’t have time for it, and we don’t think they matter.

“That’s fine,” you might be saying by now, “But what’s so hard about a goal? We want to sell our stuff, that’s the goal, it never changes, there you go!”

Well, you’d be surprised how many marketers forget even that. Sometimes, in the excitement of a new product/service/brand, the bottom line goes out the door. But a good goal is more than a bottom line.

We’d define it as:

Goal = Action + Audience + Metrics + References

Here’s how that could break down, for a hypothetical consumer electronics product (let’s say, it’s a high-end iPod dock that costs $500) that is being sold exclusively through stores, both physical and online.

Action = Get people to buy products at the stores.
Audience = People who are interested in iPod docks, excellent sound, and have incomes that support a $500 accessory buy.
Metrics = Move 1000+ of these products per month on a sustaining basis
References = The product needs to outsell two other competing $500 docks so the stores will continue to carry it, and our previous cost per sale when driving to online stores has been $150.

Note how none of the above can be done with a genericized product. We need to know what it is, what it costs, and what the competition is like.

Also note how all of the above lead to more details which will need to be addressed for a successful marketing program:

For the Action, getting people to buy products at the stores means getting them physically into a store, or it means getting them to an online store where they can purchase it. This means we have to use tactics that are congruent with those sub-goals. Getting people physically into a store may mean mobile tactics, or, for an older audience, it may mean direct mail. Getting them to online stores may mean Adwords, or sponsorship on sites where iPod fanatics hang out.

For the Audience, what else do we know about them? What’s their demographics? Male/Female split? Age? Incomes? Do they really value standout sound or standout design? The more we know, the better.

For the Metrics, where did these numbers come from? Are they based on competitive information, or previous product launches, or are they arbitrary? Do they line up with what we can expect from this kind of product, based on history?

For the References, are the two other docks all that matter, or are there $400 docks we need to know about? Do the stores have a number they need to sell in order to continue carrying the product? Is it possible to get real metrics on the cost per sale from external stores? If so, what kind of analytics do we have to set up?

Now, you’re thinking, “Hell, this is too hard! I got into marketing because I wanted to do cool commercials, and I thought I’d get a chance to travel around with the director when they shot in St. Lucia!”

Well, that’s entirely fine, and good luck with that!

For the rest of us, we’ll continue putting in the long hours to create targeted and effective campaigns that hit the bottom line.

“Video?” You say. “But that’s expensive, and time-consuming, and it isn’t for me, and the last time we put up a video on YouTube, we ended up with 23 views, so why are we bothering anyway?”

Well, let’s start by clearing up a few misconceptions.

It’s Not About the Views
Video isn’t just about YouTube. In fact, most corporate videos don’t belong on YouTube, unless they’re simply living there to simplify video serving. And video isn’t just about mass viewing. If you’re selling a $50,000 product, and 1000 people see your video, and ten respond, you’re gonna be pretty thrilled with that. Heck, we’ve done videos that were sent to as little as 75 people around the world—and still resulted in multi-thousand-percent ROI.

It’s Not About Entertainment
Corporate video doesn’t need to be the next summer blockbuster. If you can post a 90-second video that shows a customer how to properly connect your new product to his PC and reduce service call volume by 90%, that’s an effective video. If you have a 2-minute “quick tour” that gives prospects a much better idea of what your product does, when compared to text and photos, and increases your order rate 80%, that’s a great video.

It’s Not As Hard (or Costly) As You Expect
If you haven’t done much video production lately, you may be in for a shock. Video production is easier and more cost-effective than ever today. High-def production and sophisticated effects that might have broken the budget a few years ago are now in reach of most companies. And when you work with an agency with significant in-house resources for scripting and deep connections in production, your work is further streamlined.

So, ask yourself: what can video do for me?

Do you have a complex product that needs more explanation than text and slides can provide, or are you introducing a new product at your next show that really has to sizzle? Need a software walk-through to help everyone understand your advantages, or are you deploying a technology or branding initiative that needs to be revealed to all your staff?

In all cases, video can help increase the effectiveness of your communications—and you may be surprised at how easy production can be.

Video Example: Epson

Video Example: Wesco Aircraft

“I need a new print ad.”

“I want a Facebook presence and a really compelling social media campaign.”

“Our website blows, can you redesign it?”

Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of those requests. Not inherently. And yeah, there are tons of agencies that’ll simply toddle away and come back to you with ideas for an ad, a social media campaign, or a website. And that’s perfectly fine, too, as long as those requests are grounded in solid strategy.

But most of the time, they aren’t.

Here’s the difference. If you come to us and say, “I need a new print ad, based on the fact that print has always been our best response medium, and the magazines we’re in are holding up well in terms of size and quality of subscriber base, but our current ad is stale and it’s not pulling,” that’s wonderful. That’s strategic. And it’s very likely that a new print ad is really all you need. The only other question we might ask would be about your media buy, and if you’ve looked at sponsorship or partnership opportunities with the magazines’ online presence, since there are usually some interesting opportunities on that side.

But here’s how it usually goes:

Client: “We need a new print ad.”
Centric: “Cool. What’s up? Isn’t it pulling?”
Client: “Well, it’s kinda old.”
Centric: “But how is it doing, response-wise?”
Client: “It’s been falling a bit. I think.”
Centric: “How are the magazines doing? Have you looked at the subscription numbers and demographics lately?”
Client: “Well, no, but aren’t all print magazines kinda dying?”
Centric: “In many cases, yes. But if your media is dying, isn’t it time to look at another approach to get the results you want?”
Client: “Are you actually trying to talk me out of giving you money?”
Centric: “Nope. We just want to get the best results. Now, what exactly are you trying to do here…”

And so we find out what’s really happening with their marketing, and we can make suggestions about how to better spend their budget.

This is what strategic marketing is all about: making the most of your outreach, so you can meet and exceed your goals. And this is how we approach every project–not simply reacting to a request, but actually looking to understand the needs of the campaign.

Strategic marketing isn’t hard, either. It’s usually just a repetitive application of one question: Why?

Here’s how it works. Let’s suppose your CEO has just read an article about the wonderful new world of social media marketing, and storms into your office, saying, “We have to have a Facebook presence! Get me an order of that social media marketing right now, pronto!”

Now, you may not want to get up in the face of your CEO and start asking him, “Why?” But you may want to bring in an agency that can ask questions like:

“That’s great. Will you be the first company in your industry up on Facebook? If not, how are your competitors doing? Oh, hey, look, one of them has 87 likes. You know, that’s not so great. And have you thought about the staffing needs for social media? Ah, you didn’t know this was a full-time job. That’s cool, there are some companies that are doing pretty well with Facebook. But there are a lot of failures, too, so let’s talk about what you really want to accomplish here.”

And then, in the end, if it’s right for you to have a Facebook campaign, you will.

But if it’s not, you won’t. And your marketing budget will be free to be invested in vehicles with a better return.

This isn’t just in the course of business, either—I can’t tell you how many twentysomethings I’ve heard repeat the phrase, “I want to do something huge, world-changing. Like Google. Like Facebook. Like Apple.”

That’s when I usually say something like, “Hmm, that’s strange. When I was a kid, I was taught that you start small, work hard, and overdeliver on everything you do, and—over time—you’ll build to a level where you can realize all your dreams.

And they scoff. “That’s old-school. All I need is a Big Idea.”

Yeah. A big idea. And capital investment. And the right team. And the great good luck not to be left back on the floor with a lot of other big ideas, like Friendster and WebVan and Beenz and Pets.com and Second Life and Plurk and Yammer and Orkut and Digg and and and . . . the reality is that for every Facebook, there are ten dead high-profile competitors, a hundred dead you-may-have-heard-about-thems, a thousand ideas that made it online, ten thousand people who started building something, a hundred thousand who sketched on napkins, and a million or more who had the same big idea, but never really did anything about it.

The point is: hitting a home run isn’t about a Big Idea That Changes Everything. Like in the real world, a home run is the product of decades of training, years of extreme competition, the perfect conditions for the hit, and more than a little bit of luck.

Betting on a home run with no training, experience, or imperfect conditions is kinda like buying a lottery ticket. Sure, it might happen, but the odds are astronomical.

What does this have to do with marketing?

Okay. Let’s say it’s another perfect day at your office. As head of marketing, you’ve just successfully launched your great new UltraProduct, and it’s cleaning up in sales. Response and conversion rates are looking good, and the campaign is cool enough that it’s also picking up some word of mouth buzz. Nothing could be better!

Until the SEO guys come to call. “You know, you could have done all of that cheaper with SEO! Why don’t we sell you some SEO right now!”

Or until the Social Media Consultant comes to call. “Hell, you’re missing the biggest opportunity out there. Did you know Facebook has eleventy billion people on it now? Did you see our report that shows each Like is worth over $100? Why aren’t you taking advantage of this great opportunity? Why don’t we sell you some social right now.”

Or until the Mobile App Developer shows up. “Ya know, you could make even more money selling that through the App Store and Android Market. Why don’t we sell you some app development right now?”

Suddenly, your day isn’t perfect. Look at all those wonderful opportunities you’re missing! How could you possibly market without them? You have to get some of that right now!

But wait. You’re not going to be stampeded by the shiniest new thing on the block. You’re a savvy marketer. You already have campaigns in place, and an ad agency that has been making noises about that cool new stuff.

But these guys have charts! And graphs! And white papers!

And they’re persistent. They come back! Again! They talk about that great new movie they worked on, and show you some mind-blowing numbers for clickthroughs and time on site.

But you’re still not convinced. How does it work with the rest of my marketing, you ask?

“No problem, this can be separate, just buy now.”

You cross your arms. But how do I compare it with the results I already have?

“No problem, we have our own metrics and reporting platform, just buy now.”

Now you’re getting irritated. But what about other programs? Is this the right thing for our company?

“Of course it is, just buy now.”

Because when you’re only selling a single thing in marketing, obviously that single thing is the best possible answer for all marketing needs.

Just like, when you’re selling only ice cream, it doesn’t matter what season it is.

On hundreds of millions of iOS and Android devices, that’s the rallying cry. Want to identify the tune you just heard on the radio? Get free directions on a 3D rendered cityscape? Scan barcodes for comparison shopping? Play Angry Birds? Measure EMF? Perform audio analysis? Make music? Amuse your cat?

We’re coming up fast on a million apps in the wild, with a dizzying array of capabilities, categories, and prices. And, if you’re like most marketers, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Is an app for me? Can this help me spread the word about my products? Get new customers? Earn new leads?

The answer, as typical in marketing, is an enthusiastic, “Maybe!”

First, though, consider this: we’re currently just starting the first wave of automated app-builders like AppBreeder. This online service promises “An iPhone and Android app without programming, in just a few easy steps!” And free, too!

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Yep. Until you take a look at the history of “easy, free tools.”

1980s: Desktop Publishing means easy, free typesetting and graphics for everyone! Yes, except for one tiny catch: without graphic design talent, desktop publishing was only a shortcut to a bizarre mess of 35 fonts in 50 styles, all on a single page. End result: graphic design is still very much alive and well, and the best designers are in high demand.

1990s: EZ Web Builders mean you can do easy, free websites with no programming at all, ridding everyone of all that pesky HTML and surly programmers! Yep, except for the terrible, error-ridden code, the steep learning curve, and the fact that any tool can’t stay ahead of an evolving web development environment. End result: web programming is thriving.

2000s: Mak-Ur-Own-Widget online widget building tools means everyone can make web and desktop widgets, easy and free! Well, that is if you’re interested in a simple RSS or video player widget. And if you’re OK with the limited platform and sharing options. End result: if you’re still serious about widgets or Facebook apps, you’re going to a developer.

And now, here we are:

2010s: AppBreeder breeds apps like rabbits, making iPhone and Android apps easy and free. Now every band, realtor, bar, and gas station can have their own app! Well, as long as you’re OK with their extremely limited customization options and single-note functionality.

What will be the end result of online services like AppBreeder? Lots and lots more apps. And that’s fine. But when people discover the limited functionality of those apps, will they use them? Will Suzy Realestate ever get more than three users (all from her own family) for her real estate app? Maybe. And maybe not.

“Well, that’s fine, you surly old cur, but how do I know if I need an app?” You may be saying. “Maybe an app is exactly the kick in the pants my marketing needs!”

Maybe. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if an app is for you:

1. Do I have a unique service, product, or technology that isn’t already on the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace? If you do, you’re a prime candidate for app development. If not, maybe not so much, unless you can answer “yes” to #2 below.

2. Do I have a product or service with a unique, engaging personality that is constantly developing new content that can be pushed to mobile users? If you aren’t providing a service, you’re providing content. If you’re set up to constantly feed content, great! If not, not so much.

3. Do I have the budget to engage a professional app developer to develop the app? You’re not going to get a ton of users from a free app. Sorry. It just ain’t gonna happen. AppBreeder, prove me wrong. Using celebrities doesn’t count.

4. Do I have ongoing budget for app updates? An app is software. Repeat that a bunch of times. Software isn’t released once, it’s updated on an ongoing basis. Are you budgeted for this? If not, steer clear.

5. Do I have personnel or budget for app support? Get into apps, and you’re a software company, and software requires support. Do you have people that users can call when the app doesn’t work, or doesn’t install, or they don’t know how to use it? If not, apps may not be for you.

This sometimes gets us some funny looks.

But it makes complete sense. Creativity in the service of business is strategic. How do you get the attention you need for you new product launch? How do you clearly stand apart from your competitors, instead of being a me-too business? How do you show your prospects, at a glance, where your company fits, and how you can help them?

These are all strategic questions–but they’re also creative questions. You can’t separate the goal of “getting attention,” “standing apart,” or “clearly communicating” from the way your website looks, what your ads say, how your interactive ads work, the overall theme of your campaign. It’s impossible. Creative and strategic are permanently entertwined.

Tired Ideas Aren’t Creative—or Strategic

Now, this doesn’t mean that all creative has to devolve into boring, long-form, hard-sell direct models. In fact, we’ve found that the more awe-inspiring and groundbreaking the creative is, the better it serves your overall strategic goals.

Read that again: the more amazing the work is, the more amazing the results will be.

This really shouldn’t be surprising. Doing the same old ads with the same old stock photos with the same old tired headlines, or the same old tabbed website with the same guys-in-suits-shaking-hands, or the same old postcard direct mail offers doesn’t move the needle. But doing something amazing, off-the-path, beautiful, stunning, or surprising will move it. Big time.

Strategic Creative Always Tests the Limits

Which is why, even though our creative is “strategic,” it always goes a lot farther than our clients expect. This is why we proposed mailing RCA video players to data storage executives worldwide to sell million-dollar capital equipment. It’s why we proposed launching Stargate in the virtual world of Second Life. It’s why we’ve done ads with bungee-jumping UPS men (in camera, natch) for software companies. And it’s why we built the Egyptian Pyramids out of oranges and Stonehenge out of vegetables for an organic food company.

Because, in each case, we took the time to understand each firm’s strategic need—and then asked ourselves, “How far can the creative go?”

So, ask yourself two questions: Does your creative serve your strategic goals? Is it stunning enough to have real impact?

If the answer to either is no, maybe it’s time to talk to us.

The Importance of Partners

Why are partners important? It’s simple. When you’re working with a boutique agency like Centric or McHale, you need to know the agency has a roster of trusted, proven partner relationships in place. No boutique agency can do it all. Some are much better at design than development. Some specialize in a specific industry. Some are focused on broadcast or motion graphics. Centric is a great choice if you’re looking for strategically-driven, interactive-led marketing in a variety of industry niches. We do great sites and online marketing in-house, and we have the breadth to span from leading-edge social marketing to conventional print and direct.

But, let’s say you’re looking for something quite a bit different. Let’s say you want a stunning, design-led approach for your new toy or game. Would you come to Centric? Nope. You’d go to McHale. They have the experience, the track record, and the in-house creative skills to do what you need.

Oh, but you need an engaging site as well? That’s where Centric comes in.

The Centric-McHale Connection

Centric and McHale have worked together seamlessly on a variety of projects over the past few years, ranging from interactive websites to kids’ virtual worlds. Because of this, McHale came to us when it was time to re-do their website. They brought the design and functionality vision to us.

From there, Centric took over. We created the Flash site based on McHale’s design and overall vision, working closely with them to ensure it met their specific needs. We also suggested some significant enhancements to the site architecture. The Flash-rendered site is powered by an XML back end–which, in English, means that it’s easy for McHale to manage their rapidly-changing site sections with a standard content management system (CMS.) The result is a site combining the strengths of Flash (a fluid, seamless, graphic-rich visual experience) with the benefits of HTML (easy content management and updates.)

How You Benefit

Trusted partnerships like the ones between Centric and McHale extend the capabilities of both agencies. They also mean those agencies work well with others. There are no “turf wars” or “not invented here syndrome.” We know how to work together to deliver even more stunning projects for our clients.

And that’s the bottom line: we play well with others. So, if you’re out there, happy with your conventional agency but needing a significant boost in the interactive space, talk to Centric. We’ll work together with them to improve your results, rather than trying to win the entire account from them. Or, if you’re thrilled with your interactive partner but need an agency with real design chops in the toy, game, and kids’ market, talk to McHale. They’ll take your design to the next level.

Or, even better . . . check out McHale’s new site right now.

Many people don’t know that garlic from different parts of the world tastes different, in much the same way that wine grapes grown in different regions have vastly different character. California garlic, grown in the fertile Central Valley, has long been recognized as being superior in flavor to other garlic, such as that grown in China.

Centric had this in mind when The Garlic Company retained us to reposition their retail brand. Even though they were the largest garlic growers in the United States, The Garlic Company didn’t have the name recognition of some of its competitors. In fact, competition had been so successful in communicating their messages that most people think California garlic is grown mainly in Gilroy–which is patently untrue!

Fact is, most California garlic is grown in the Central Valley, which makes The Garlic Company the grower closest to its fields. This gives them greater control over the quality of their product, and allows them to offer some of the finest garlic in the state–literally “the best of the best.”

Combined with new, innovative products like pre-peeled fresh garlic, vacuum-sealed in individual recipe-ready packages, The Garlic Company was ready for a push into retail. That’s where Centric came in.

Working hand-in-hand with The Garlic Company’s top executives and founders, we created a unique, integrated approach that elevated The Garlic Company’s products far above its competitors. This holistic approach started with the name and logo development and production of a corporate suite, then extended to packaging, show graphics, and an entirely new web presence.

Here are the results (click to enlarge) . . .

Do you need your brand repositioned, or your overall presentation elevated? If so, you should talk to us!