Advertising Works

There was a programme on TV tonight (Professor Regan's Pharmacy), about the science behind homeopathy. Rugby players took a pain relief tablet that they thought was branded and then put one hand in ice water. Then (I'm guessing a while later) they took a different pain relief tablet - one they thought was own label - and put their other hand in ice water. They lasted about 8 minutes with what they thought was a branded pain relief, and less than half that with what they thought was an own label version. Turns out it was actually another branded product, same dose, leading to the conclusion that "Branding on painkillers seems to give additional pain relief." The advertising, packaging and brand name have a placebo effect, which when absent actually decreases the perceived performance of the product. A nice simple example of advertising effectiveness.

Spare Room?

www.spareground.com is a place where you can offer that extra bedroom, empty garage or unused field to people who need a bed for the night or somewhere to store their sports car or possibly to someone who wants to start an allotment. This is another example of how web-based communities are flourishing - organising themselves to create a marketplace where those with excess supply can meet those with the demand without following the traditional course of local newspaper advertising. One to watch.

Twitter - A Life Lived In Soundbites

A man on a ferry on the Hudson sees a plane land on the water. Ferry turns round to help with rescue. Before they even get to the rescue site, man sends message to Twitter from his phone. Within 3 minutes of an earthquake, terrorist attack or celebrity spotting, we have the lowdown. Everybody is talking about Twitter, and I can see the attraction for those who want to keep up with celebrities, follow gurus, share with peers and catch up on what's happening in the world. Its the fast food of the communication world - no waiting, quickbite, low entry cost. If you haven't joined take a look. Its many business, brand and marketing possibilities are yet to unfold.

The Best Job in the World

Did you see it? Tell me you did. The ad in the jobs section of The Guardian on 10th Jan. This is what it said:

THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD
Island Caretaker: Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia Full-time, live-in position with flexible hours. AUD$150,000 for a six-month contract. Accommodation provided – luxury home on Hamilton Island, overlooking Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef. Responsibilities: explore the islands and report back. Clean the pool. Feed the fish. Collect the mail. Apply to Tourism Queensland at: www.islandreefjob.com

Not a hoax, but a brilliant viral marketing campaign by CumminsNitro, Melbourne, for Tourism Queensland. The little ad ran in 8 languages in the job sections of key newspapers around the world. Applications have poured in from places as diverse as Chile, Canada and China.
But the real objective? To raise the profile of Queensland as a Tourism destination. When you visit the mentioned website, as 2000 people are per second, you are greeted by pictures like this. And for those of us who aren't looking for a new job, it makes a perfect holiday destination. This is lateral thinking. The stuff that Competitive Advantage is made of. Here's hoping it translates into additional holiday bookings and Queensland visitors.

Great Customer Service: If Not Now, When?

I fell in love with a dress in Monsoon and pair of shoes in Office. My dilemma...did the hues of cobalt blue match? The Office shop assistant accompanied me, shoes in hand, to Monsoon to find out. I have now told everyone how wonderful Office customer service is and how much they impressed me.

Contrast this with my bank, NatWest. Despite credit crunch and bail out headlines I've heard nothing. Just the usual statements. Oh, and a TV ad saying they could save me money if I cancelled my gym membership. We have just experienced the biggest stock market crash in living memory. Trust in financial brands is at an all time low. Why are they sticking with the old model?
What would it take for them to change the way they communicate with me? Why didn't they call me with personally tailored advice? They have my contact details; income; regular outgoings - information most companies would pay handsomely for. Meanwhile Martin Lewis, “the money saving expert”, is getting lots of media exposure, positioning himself in exactly this space. A space left by financial brands that didn't respond when and how customers needed them to.

As long as brands transmit messages which conflict with actual customer experiences, marketing budgets will deliver low returns. People will tell their stories to friends, family and 50 million people on the web....and people believe people more than they believe TV ads. Brands sticking with the old way of doing things, even now, as everything changes around them, risk being left behind. Customers will see that if great customer service isn't forthcoming under these conditions, then it never will be. They won't tell you, they will tell each other...and no brand promise can recover from that.

So tomorrow, or some time this week, take the journey that your customer takes. Take it anonymously and experience it as your customer experiences it. What did you find? I hope it is an experience that you would willingly share, one that you are proud of.