Brian Feener

“Corporate” is not a personality, it’s an absence of personality.

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There’s a certain ludicrousness to bullet-points. People don’t think or talk like that.

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We can tell when you’re not comfortable in writing or design.

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It’s easy to tell when you’re not having fun.

Over the weekend, Manny Ramirez started his yearly “I want to be traded” routine.

(Full disclosure: I’m an obnoxious Sox fan.)

At this point, it’s been done enough times that it’s hard to believe that it’s actually going to happen.  But then I think about a discussion in the movie 21 about variable change.

The long and short of the conversation is that when you change the environment around a probability, the probability changes.  (The movie uses the example of a game show with the classic Door #1, Door #2, Door #3 situation.)

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No, I have no idea what made someone think that a website dedicated exclusively to Cats in a Sink was a great idea.

What I can tell you is that this is not the future of the internet. (”Man cannot surf on cats in a sink alone.”)

While there are certainly going to be more sites like these that pop up, unless the model is scalable and creates utility (whether its the transfer of knowledge, money, or community), sites like this one will be nothing but niche and mildly profitable.

This brings me to today’s lessons that the greatest businesses are those built on self-propulsion.
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In your brochures, on your website, and on your garment tags there is some copy that can be improved.

Let’s face the facts here, you are developing a story for your product and for your brand. In the pictures, in the design of the site, in the choice of the colors, in the word choice, every single decision (both physical and digital) impacts the overall narrative of your brand.

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10% off… 20% off .. $30 off… where does it stop?

It doesn’t.

When a new company is trying to strengthen its brand, it is important that the customer begins to identify and qualify the company’s products in accordance with the company’s long-term brand strategy.  In regards to price, unless the long-term strategy is to always offer discounts (e.g. compete on price), a discount is detrimental to the overall brand.

Discounted prices can create a price-sensitive consumer that believes that waiting is the best way to optimize return-on-investment. When the customer knows that a discount is coming down the road, it becomes advantageous for them to hold off on purchasing and wait until the product gets hit with the discount.  What would force a discount?  Perhaps, slow sales?  When the customer knows the discount is coming when sales are slow, the customer can force the hand of the company to offer the discount by not purchasing the product.

Discounted prices create a different product. It takes a long time to research and develop that widget.  Between examining the market and putting the product into development and getting the appropriate approvals from the FCC or FDA or whatever, a lot of effort and time has been sunk into the product.  When you discount a product, you immediately allow your audience to re-calibrate their perception of the product.  Remember what I said about perception being reality for your consumer?  When there is only one price for your 128 GB iPod, there’s only one way your customer can perceive the product.

Full price allows companies to create relationships with their customers. I use the word “allow” because this aspect is not set in stone, nor is it feasible for everyone.  Selling directly to the consumer from the website or from a retail store gives the company an opportunity to interact and show some love to their customers.  It gives the company the opportunity to show how special each and every customer is.   It gives them the opportunity to say “thank you” right there and then; to offer a cup of coffee while browsing the store; to allow the sales associate to smile and be friendly to the customer; to get the return/exchange processed immediately and without a fuss.

CAVEATS

Low prices for valid reasons are not discounts. A lower price because it was purchased on-line (as opposed to through the catalog) is a valid reason for a lower price.  The customer has made the fulfillment process easier for the company and the company is passing the savings back to the customer.

Free shipping is not a discount. Free shipping is a way to encourage your customers to act on-line and to get the product to the consumer without going somewhere else.

There are expiration dates on technology. Creating products with updated features immediately makes your older versions hit their expiration date.  There’s no two ways around it.  The new iPhone made the old iPhone go out of date.  Discounts on the old iPhone are valid because it’s a different product in the eyes of the audience.

FOR THE COMMENTS: Why are discounts a valid and an important part in creating brand identity?  -or- What are more valid reasons why discounts are a bad strategy for brand identity?

Customers don’t want all of the same thing.  In fact, the most successful companies have customers that are both extremely loyal to the product, customers that are basically loyal to the product but can be swayed, and those customers that don’t have any loyalty and will switch as soon as there is a difference in price or packaging.  (I’m thinking of Coca-Cola, Honda, Apple.)

One way to think of it is by thinking of the difference between pop music and classical music.  In pop music, there are easily digestible lyrics, chord progressions, metaphors, and hooks.  There’s always new pop music showing up in the marketplace, but it’s easily replacable.  (Example: Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown - “No Air.”)

[youtube=http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRPJp_FoGU]

Is there anything WRONG with pop music?  Heck no!  It’s been proven that there’s a viable and important market for pop music - and that does not say anything to the effect that pop music has in uniting the culture and society.

But there’s a distinct difference between pop music and classical music which has a more intricate set of musical progressions.  Thousands of interpretations of Beetovan’s 9th Symphony have been recorded, played in concert, used for study, etc. But if you look at classical music, it’s hard to get into the canon.  I’d say it’s nearly impossible if you’re not involved in scoring movies.

Is there anything WRONG with classical music?  Heck no!  It’s been proven that there’s a viable and important market for classical music - and that does not say anything to the effect that classical music has in influencing pop culture.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIqRlubnkjA]

Can the same person appreciate classical music and pop songs?  Yes.  Absolutely.  Your market is probably doing that right now.  The important thing for you, Mr. Businessperson, is to understand that when a person wants classical music, don’t give them pop music.  And vice versa.

What ever happened to really great nicknames for our sports heroes?

• Earl The Pearl Monroe
• Sparky Anderson
• Cool Papa Bell
• Dizzy Dean
• The Dunking Dutchman

A-Rod? KG? I-Rod? Q-Rich??

When you care about your brand and how you’re perceived by the public, think about the biggest star in professional wrestling Hulk Hogan becoming Hollywood Hogan. It’s never too late to tell a story. People like stories. Stories make things interesting. Stories make your brand matter.

I’ll take the Black Mamba over Bron Bron any day.