How Not To Advertise…
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
While I’ve seen some great TV spots over the years, Microsoft has created the perfect case study in how not to advertise with its latest commercial. If you think a large advertising budget coupled with a celebrity endorsement will move mountains, then I suggest you watch this video by Microsoft. This ad is one of the worst I’ve seen, and is the perfect reason to fire an ad agency…
While much could be said about this ad, the following check list sums-up my evaluation:
- Cool - no
- Funny - gong
Marketing Gone Awry
Monday, August 4th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Has your company’s marketing gone awry? Is the proverbial tail starting to wag the dog with respect to current marketing initiatives? How do you know when marketing is out of control? Those of you familiar with this blog know that I’m generally a strong advocate for sales and marketing driven organizations. However my typical pro-marketing position assumes that certain key fundamentals are in place to insure that the lunatics don’t somehow become in charge of the asylum. In today’s post I’ll discuss how to keep marketing in check so that brand focus is maintained and your company avoids the costly trap of marketing gone awry…
Is Your PR Effective?
Monday, May 5th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
When was the last time you received a call from the media asking you to provide an expert opinion to be included in an upcoming article? How about the last time you were invited to speak at a trade show or conference? When was the last time you authored anything that was published (and I’m not talking about an e-mail, memo or business letter)? If the aforementioned items are not happening on a regular basis then you are perhaps missing out on one of the most powerful brand building opportunities PR.
Read The Full PostYour Story Matters
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
So, what’s your story? If your personal or corporate brand doesn’t tell a story, then your brand is lacking the very essence of what makes a strong brand…The story. There is no denying that everybody loves a good story, and there is a reason why…think about novels you’ve read, movies you’ve watched, speeches you’ve listened to, ads that have hooked your interest, or virtually any other message delivered by any other medium and it’s the story that either seals the deal, or leaves you feeling cheated. In today’s post I’ll discuss the value in creating a strong brand story…
Read The Full PostHow to Create a Powerful Tagline
Thursday, March 13th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Are Unique Selling Propositions (USP) different than Taglines? The correct technical answer is absolutely yes, but you’d be surprised at the number of people (even marketing types) that don’t know the difference. However the truly sad part is not just in the lack of understanding, but in the missed applicational leverage and lost opportunity costs associated with the lack of understanding. In today’s post I’ll define the difference between the two, as well as how to use each of them to their maximum benefit…
Read The Full PostCrisis Management Can Be Profitable
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Crisis management can in fact be a profitable endeavour when handled properly. If you are in business for any length of time you will at some point in time be party (willing or unwilling) to a major crisis that can affect not only the company you work for, but your career as well. A large portion of my practice deals with advising corporations and executives during a crisis to protect the corporate brand and the personal reputations of senior executives and board members. Given that in today’s business world, the likelihood of crisis is much greater than it was in times past, it never ceases to amaze me that corporations don’t have a crisis management team assembled and on hand ready to deal with trouble when it rears its head. The reality is that the proper handling of a crisis while never easy, can in fact be a very profitable endeavour. In today’s post I’ll discuss the upside of crisis management…
Read The Full PostThe Truth About PR
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Much to the chagrin of traditional PR firms, the practice of public relations is changing faster than most firms can keep pace with. Traditional firms who define their practice by writing press releases and conducting media pitches are seeing clients jump ship faster than Presidential candidates can sling mud. PR firms that “get it” have surpassed advertising agencies moving into the forefront of brand building, reputation management and influence peddling. In today’s post I share my thoughts on the changing landscape of public relations…
Read The Full PostWhy Brand Name Clients Matter
Friday, December 14th, 2007By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
If your company doesn’t have a recognized brand I will guarantee you that your selling cycle is longer than necessary as your sales process grinds to a halt while you endeavor to establish credibility. Even after enduring the good fight, when all is said and done you likely end-up making frequent price concessions in order to win business. You are most probably sick and tired of dealing with repeated requests for references and explaining why someone should take the risk of doing business with an unproven entity. It’s not enough to know you’re good, your prospects have to know it…the battle cry of “trust me” will only take you so far in today’s market place. In today’s post I’ll share the best method for establishing instant credibility with your prospects…
Read The Full PostMarketing Made Simple
Sunday, October 21st, 2007By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
One of the most entertaining things you can do in business is to attend a meeting where a group of senior executives begin to pontificate on the subject of marketing. I have more fun watching people attempt to distinguish between marketing, advertising, branding, mediums, channels, markets, verticals, sectors, business development, sales, communications, public relations, etc. It never ceases to amaze me at how something so simple can become so convoluted, and how people can so passionately take a completely ridiculous stance and want to defend that position to the death. In this blog post I will attempt to demystify the subject of marketing and give you some actionable items can be implemented immediately to generate improved results.
Read The Full PostDigital Marketing
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Those of you familiar with my personal history know that I have a strong background in, and affinity for, digital marketing. Now that my bias is fully disclosed, I’m going to tell you what most traditional ad agencies will not that the digital medium is far and away the most powerful, cost effective and measurable form of media available today. Advertising and MarComm budgets can no longer focus solely on traditional communications mediums; rather budgets must be spread across a broader spectrum inclusive of digital mediums.
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