First, there was a meeting…
Royce Blake
Marketing Strategist for Small Business | Copywriter / Content Marketer | Licensed, Certified, Marketing Coach | Major Market Radio Personality ??
One of my favorite games (ok, mental exercise) is dissecting some really bizarre, strange decisions when it comes to selling us stuff.?
Let’s go way back to April 1985. The company won’t publicly say
how much money they lost.
But the Beverage industry did…
They took a hit of $30 million on “unwanted concentrate” for...
New Coke.?
If you’re too young to remember, Coca-Cola came up with the brilliant idea that in order to beat Pepsi, they needed a really BIG innovation. Something that would go viral. (even though social media wasn’t a ‘thing’ yet).
What would get the minions “talking” about Coke??
Change the taste.
You know there were meetings. Probably hundreds.?
As we look back and get the large ‘macro’ view, it’s easier to see WHY anyone would want to screw with such an iconic Brand.
They were scared. This 135+ year-old company had lost its market share, to the point they were literally tied with their chief rival… Pepsi.
Coca-Cola HAD to “shake things up”, “pivot”, “re-invent”!?
Someone, at some time, uttered the phrase…
“Why don’t we change the flavor?”
Knowing what we know now, it’s easy to say “What a stupid idea!”
As a Copywriter, one of my favorite parts of the process is getting to know clients and the story of their business. I’m still amazed by the dozens of times, owners spew out ‘facts’ about the company as if there’s “nothin’ worth writing about”.
As an observer, with ‘fresh eyes’, (just like an unaware prospect) look for facts or tidbits of info that make you say “really?”
Listen to your clients. Carefully. Here’s what works for me…
During the ‘Discovery call’, you’re listening with intensity!
To the point you’re almost ‘trigger happy’!
You Record (with permission) the conversation.?
Then, give it some time.?
I find a day or two will give you a ‘fresh’ perspective.?
At least try to sleep on it.
Then, RE-Listen to the call/meeting.
You’ll be amazed what happens when you re-listen!
Sure, you’ll hear lots of “ums” and maybe your dog. Perhaps a couple of dumb answers you’d like to have back.?
I can almost guarantee you’ll also hear a bunch of Marketing ‘nuggetts’ you missed during the live call.
Who’s to blame for the New Coke debacle? A bunch of folks. Coca-Cola has been a little quiet on the actual numbers, but they say the New Coke formula was tested on a group of about 200,000 folks.
The execs knew that something had to be done, fast. The entire country seemed to think “New Coke sucks!” and were glad to share their opinions on TV.?
So, they brought back the original. That’s how those red cans became “Classic”.
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Not to leave my friends at Pepsi go ‘unscathed’...
“How’s that Crystal Pepsi working out?”
Of course, just a few years later, BOTH Pepsi and Coca-Cola are making more money on bottled water than soda!
Let’s get back to you, and 'listening' when dealing with clients or prospects.
I’m assuming you’re some form of a Marketer. Suppose you find yourself in a client meeting. Someone comes up with an “idea” that in your gut you know just doesn’t align with what they’re trying to do ‘marketing results wise’.
Do you stand up and shout “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!”
As I learned in my long Radio career…?
“You can say anything… once!”
The ramifications though, could be… dire.
You want to be supportive, while at the same time keeping your thoughts on results. This is a great opportunity to frame something as a benefit (even if not doing it would be beneficial).
Hopefully, it’s obvious that this ALL depends on your client. Just like any other human, (yes, we’re all humans-even B2B) the client may appreciate straightforward honesty.
Or, they’d really like you to “shut up and get me a draft!”
Usually, after meeting someone, you get a pretty good idea of how they like to work. I can tell you from experience, most clients (especially the really good ones) appreciate your input. If you’ve ‘set up’ the relationship well, they'll consider you a part of their team.
You become an asset. Way more valuable than being just a copywriter.
If you’ve been working with them for a while, YOU may know the audience better than they do. Go back to your ‘Customer Persona’ or ‘Avatar’ or ‘Meta-torso’... Show them.?
“Since our ideal client is an active 20-year-old female who likes extreme sports, I think we can do better than this LinkedIn campaign”?
It’s not your job to ‘direct’ some giant conglomerate on long-term visions. (unless they’re paying you for it) Rather, offering a better way to get to the right audience.
As a Marketer, I see my task as getting Results!
By listening, really listening, to your clients you may not only save them from wasting time and burning goodwill, but probably a ton on 'ad spend'.
The best part, and what makes your life easier, are those little ‘nuggets’ of info your clients don’t see as anything special. But you know will make great stories, headlines, and hooks.
I don’t want to just beat up on the beverage industry. Many corporations have spent years and a ton of money developing what they thought were Winners! (these are real!)
Here are a few other brilliant ideas that just didn’t seem to take off…
I could go on, but we all know sometimes stuff doesn’t work. Some of these ‘flops’ seem obvious now.?
But, at the time, it obviously seemed like a “Great idea!”
Because there was a meeting!
Royce Blake??
Content Marketer/Copywriter
https://www.roycethewriter.com
https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/royce-the-writer