Saremo

Are You Brawling with Your Customers?

Joe Watson — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:32:49 +0000

The other day I was watching an interview with Rob Chiarelli, music producer and engineer extraordinaire. (Sample clients include Christina Aguilera, Will Smith, Madonna and Leann Rimes.) The interviewer asked how Rob resolves creative differences — which are bound to run high when dealing with superstar egos. His response is spot on:

"They're paying me for my opinion. They're not paying me to fight."

It is not uncommon for designers and marketers to adopt a "holier than thou" attitude. How about you? Are you fighting with your customers?

Avoid the Dreaded “Fatal Error” in Your Next Marketing Campaign

Joe Watson — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:26:15 +0000

I’m a big fan of Macaroni Grill. With pour your own house wine and good bread and olive oil, what’s not to like? My daughter is hooked on their Mozzarella Alla Caprese, and any time you can get a 7 year old to eat tomatoes it’s a good thing.

Over the years, I ended up on one of their email lists. To this point, it has done nothing for me. They’d send generic emails, with no incentive, no call to action, no real purpose. Finally, I received an email with an offer. Fill out a survey, get $5 off your next visit. I click the link and off I go.

Is it Real, or Is It Memorex?

Joe Watson — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 01:56:57 +0000

Yes, I realize the picture is actually from a Maxell commercial, but it's too cool an image to pass up. For those who are pining away for an actual Memorex commercial, check out this one – complete with Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Mangione and his "Feels So Good" flugelhorn. Priceless.

It was this article about making music on the iPad that sent me spiraling off on the above tangent. The premise, as evidenced by the article title, is that with the advent of technology even pesky little things like talent are optional when making music. To those of us in any creative field, this is old news. Every designer has a horror story about the client who paraded out the boss's nephew as the next great "graphics designer". Who needs an agency when you've got little Johnny in his bedroom with a PC and Microsoft Paint? He can build logos and web sites and get you that new brochure in Word by tomorrow. All for some Mountain Dew money and a new JLA comic.

Content vs. One-to-One, and Why Phone Calls Still Matter

Joe Watson — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:11:46 +0000

Santana's version of "She's Not There" did it for me. That's the first song I remember hitting me in the gut. Carlos's emotional outpouring and devastating tone left an indelible impression on my young brain. I've been playing guitar ever since. Along the way, I've picked up recording and music production skills, and about a year ago I started learning my way around a drum kit.

I've spent a ton of time in music stores, and I'm on way too many music-related mail and email lists. Some of these marketers are doing a fabulous job. Let's take a look at a couple, and see why one gets my business for important purchases.

Make an Offer That Can’t Be Refused. Make It Personal.

Joe Watson — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:04:08 +0000

We are inundated with marketing messages everywhere we turn. Every day, there's another sale, another coupon, another offer. We start to tune it all out.

The solution, however, is not to stop making offers. The solution is to make better offers. Make your audience feel "more special". How do you do that? Make it personal. Collect quality data from your customers and prospects, then leverage that into a personalized one-to-one marketing campaign.

Huey Lewis and the Demise of Print

Joe Watson — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:59:13 +0000

Much to my chagrin, the gym I belong to pipes bad 80's music over the speaker system. While I will admit to liking a Bonnie Tyler song now and again, it's certainly not what I want to listen to while I'm trying to get motivated for my next set. Consequently, I bring in my iPod and all is right with the world. The other day, while I was untangling the headphone cords, the Huey Lewis song "Heart of Rock 'N' Roll" drifted over the airwaves. I've always liked Huey (though I could have really done without this information), and this tune also mentions my hometown of Cleveland. But what caught my attention was this line from the chorus:
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Santa Claus: The Ultimate One-to-One Marketer

Joe Watson — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:28:25 +0000

T'is the season once again, Christmas is just days away. Right about now the jolly ol' fat guy is in the stretch run of his annual marketing campaign. What's that you say? Santa is no marketer? Bah humbug, he's the king of one-to-one marketing! Here's why:
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How Dyson Got It Right — Almost — With Data Driven Marketing

Joe Watson — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:36:25 +0000

About five years ago, I bought a house and christened it with a Golden Retriever puppy, Milo. He has brought me much joy — and copious amounts of hair. It’s the latter that I needed to nip in the bud, so I purchased a Dyson vacuum cleaner. I love Dyson. Brilliant engineering, sleek and elegant design. Their products and marketing scream high-end, which is no small feat when you're talking about something as inglorious as vacuums. Consequently, they charge a pretty penny for their machines, and I've always admired companies that are successful at the top end of the marketplace.

Why “One-to-One” is Really “You and Me”

Joe Watson — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:19:30 +0000

There are a myriad of terms associated with one-to-one marketing. Variable data publishing, content marketing, personalized publishing and integrated cross-media — just to name a few. We certainly don't want to lob another piece of jargon into the fray, but let's consider for a moment what one-to-one marketing is really supposed to be: a personalized message from me (which can be an individual or an organization) to you (the single individual receiving the message). Read more >

Design is Not the Enemy

Joe Watson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:00:29 +0000

I had this article forwarded to me yesterday. Go on and give it a read, I’ll wait. First, let me say that I am on board with the “content marketing revolution”. And, I agree with the first two points in the article, and somewhat with the third. But then this statement: “Your business should be [...]