Prying the torch from the dead hands of old marketing

Today, there is freedom in marketing. No longer is the loudspeaker of the media controlled by a select few. As a result, so much more can be gained than ever before, all with fewer resources and less risk. The playing field has been officially leveled—and not a minute too soon.

Old Marketing is dead

Why? Our culture and means of information exchange have changed so much, so quickly from traditional conventions that have been used for so long. Today’s business must completely reshape and retool its approach to effectively market itself. The Old Marketing company—ingrained in these old systems for so long—simply cannot keep up with a culture that has transformed itselfBefore these drastic changes, our lifestyles and culture were based on a handful of media. Television, print, and radio were the anchors of mass information exchange and business promotion. If you owned a business or were charged with growing a company through marketing, then you were shackled to dealing with media and promotional entities such as television commercials, newspapers and the Yellow Pages. These industries are dying because they are being replaced by new systems. Remember the days of paying $2,500 a month for a lousy local, black and yellow ad in the Yellow Pages? Or tens of thousands of dollars for a local television ad, locked-in with a long-term contract and little measurables? That age is gone. The Old Marketing company—ingrained in these old systems for so long—simply cannot keep up with a culture that has transformed itself with the advent of the Internet and modern systems of communication. As a result, old, slow and expensive marketing companies are dying right along with those old systems. The ones that haven’t died yet are in a panic. They are scrambling to restructure business models, personnel, objectives and the sales pitches in order to reassure their clients that they now can pull off the new marketing ways.

The dirty little secret

In fact, this “scrambling to catch up” is a hushed truth among all marketing agencies. Marketing itself is not going to admit its own flaws in its business—that would be certain death. Agencies instead claim that they’ve been there all along. Nothing could be further from the truth. Need proof? This is easily evidenced by the marketing industry’s own publications and associations. Articles are rampant on how marketing agencies need to change to stay alive. On any given day there are a multitude of seminars for marketing firms to attend with subjects like, “leveraging web technology,” “selling SEO to your clients,” and “understanding social media,” as if these issues were still on the horizon waiting to be realized.

Marketing sold its soul long ago

The Internet may have been the axe, but it actually didn’t take the dynamic of the rule-changing Internet to bring the marketing industry to its knees. They sold out long ago. Marketing agencies have been on the gravy train for a very long time. This is what happens when media and information systems are few, with few in control. A few deals made here and there with the few controlling mass-media, local media, even the Yellow Pages—all with enough middle men in place to get their cut—eventually makes an industry so fat that it won’t forgo those systems, even when the walls are torn down. Bottom line: the money’s just too easy when you’ve got that kind of control. Marketing agencies employed tactics to pull clients in and lock them in. They knew the middle-men in all of the processes of print, television and radio. They knew who to kickback to. They even employ “media buyers”—a term that, as the years tick by, becomes more and more indicative of an era long gone. Can you believe a person—or even an entire department—employed in the position of “media buyer”? What were originally “creative agencies” became agencies only good at selling themselves to their clientsEven then, marketing's problems were deeper. What were originally “creative agencies” who served to shape, grow and represent the spirit of their clients brand, evolved into companies who simply became greedy—good at only selling themselves to their clients, but no longer about the work of their clients. Don’t believe me? Let’s talk about Leo Burnett. Leo Burnett Inc. is one of the most renowned agencies in the world. They earned their reputation serving one key philosophy: that nothing could replace the marketing firm’s charge of “being the spirit of the client’s brand.” Coupled with a firm understanding of what it took for each client to get and keep their customers, Leo Burnett was also known for the quality of their creative work and eventually earned the responsibility of brands like Kellogg's and McDonalds. Founder Leo Burnett recognized that the industry was in danger of selling its soul out long ago. One of his famous speeches, “When to Take My Name Off the Door”, delivered on December 1, 1967, was based on that very fear: He knew where the industry was going. And sure enough, it’s there—probably worse than he thought it could be.

What's the right way?

Traditional marketing companies identify that their own competition is no longer their peers in the same market, but the budding, New Marketing company that is web-based from the ground up. Why? They’re faster, smarter and more experienced in today’s systems. They also don’t have the burdens of expenses and bloat that Old Marketing firms have. They can turn on a dime. They move quickly. The New Marketing company that is web-based from the ground up is faster, smarter and more experienced in today’s systems.Today, successful marketing begins with the knowledge and experience to create exposure, build awareness, harness interest, and position business and all supporting systems within today’s web universe. Your marketing firm needs to understand why things work they way they do, and how people and prospects come to know and trust a brand in today’s world. Also, today’s New Marketing company is one that hasn’t forsaken the principles that are timeless, but is one that takes advantage of all that’s afforded in today’s business world to shave off unnecessary expenses.

• OUT: are deals with a select few in a position of control. IN: is the reality of true, choice-based media, entertainment and communications via the Internet and the technologies that are used by choice because they offer more and make better sense.
• OUT: are expensive payments to old, big, slow agencies—all carpet bombing to grow your business. IN: are fresh and nimble development firms who know how to surgically target the necessary areas to build a brand, position it and construct a network around today’s communication systems to promote and grow business.
• OUT: are paying for enormous overhead expenses in big buildings, expensive furniture, and lavish offices. IN: are virtual and hybrid marketing firms that work fast and don’t pass on the bloat of unnecessary expenses to their clients.
• OUT: are working through layers of costly production managers, account executives, supervisors and managers before you get to the real people that do the work. IN: is the successful marketing company that establishes access to key architects and creative producers who are integral in the ideas, concepts and the details essential for success.

So, as traditional marketing firms continue to pass on the overhead of their expensive offices, furniture, lifestyles and worst of all, the cost associated in how to figure out this "Internet thing," the New Marketing company has an inherent understanding of what works and what doesn’t in today’s culture. They are still marketers, founded in the purpose-driven goals of growing a business—however, the New Marketing firm, knows how today’s business is grown and built.

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TOMS Roasting Co. vs. Vogue’s Kimye Cover: A Cautionary Tale in Brand Evolution

Trends come and go. New technologies emerge. Consumer tastes, preferences and habits shift. As a result, brands must evolve or die. But with change comes risk. Will your next big idea be the next big thing or just a big black eye? After all, the history of marketing is riddled with spectacular failures and flops. Sony Betamax. New Coke. The Gap retro logo redesign debacle of 2010. In just the past few weeks two major brands – TOMS and Vogue – have taken major evolutionary leaps with very disparate results. Let’s examine their stories and the valuable lessons they offer to us all in how to maximize our brands’ possibilities for growth while avoiding potentially disastrous pitfalls.

TOMS takes on coffee.

On March 11, TOMS founder and CEO Blake Mycoskie took the stage at South by Southwest to announce its latest venture: TOMS Roasting Co., an ambitious new brand offshoot that encompasses a chain of coffee bars, a wholesale roasting business and an online subscription-based coffee club. Following the “one for one” business model that TOMS first pioneered with its shoes (donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold), their coffee likewise comes served with a plan for doing social good. In this case, the “give” (in TOMS-speak) is water. For every bag of beans and cup of joe sold, TOMS will provide clean water to a person in one of the communities in Rwanda, Malawai, Guatemala, Honduras or Peru where TOMS sources its beans. The goal is to make “one for one” giving as much of a deeply ingrained part of their customers’ daily routines as their morning coffee. Reaction to this new venture has been overwhelmingly positive, with celebrities and average Joes alike singing the company’s praises on social media. Actress Olivia Wilde (@oliviawilde) tweeted, “Caffeine with a cause? Don’t mind if I do. I’m helping @TOMS’ mission to provide clean water.” Twitter user @hopevandy said, “TOMS is now selling coffee. My life is now complete.” It’s hard to ask for a more enthusiastic endorsement than that. While only time will tell if TOMS Roasting Co. is truly a sustainable business venture, it’s certainly emerged onto the scene with a well-caffeinated jolt.

Vogue bows to pop culture.

Jennifer Lawrence. Jessica Chastain. Kate Winslet. Sandra Bullock. Michelle Obama. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Which of these things is not like the other? On March 21, Vogue magazine proudly unveiled the cover of its April 2014 issue, featuring none other than tabloid power-duo Kim Kardashian and Kanye West (or as they’re known in pop culture circles by their portmanteau, “Kimye"). Immediately, the backlash was swift and vehement, with fans decrying that their Fashion Bible of Record had seemingly fallen prey to the most plebeian fate of catering to the lowest common denominator. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar tweeted, “Well…I guess I’m canceling my Vogue subscription. Who’s with me???” – a message that has since been retweeted nearly 10,000 times and favored by almost 14,000 users. Another fan responded on Facebook, proclaiming the cover “The official death of Vogue” (a comment which has since received more than 1,500 likes). And while this one cover won’t likely be the singular undoing of this century-old prestige brand, it’s certainly a glaring misstep – one that’s likely to haunt its reputation for some time to come. So how can you ensure that your next big idea follows in the successful footsteps of TOMS Roasting Co. and doesn’t result in a disaster of Kimye-sized proportions? Follow these three commandments of brand evolution:

The three commandments of brand evolution

1. To thine own self be true.

On the surface, coffee does not seem like the next logical evolutionary step for a brand best known as a shoe company. After all, no one expects Nike to step up to the plate and start roasting beans anytime soon. However, shoes are not the core of the TOMS brand. It’s their mission: one for one. And by branching out into coffee, TOMS has created an opportunity for its fans to live that mission every day, not only when they need a new pair of shoes. As Mycoskie explained during an interview with TODAY, “I’ve been saying in the office, ‘Let’s start our day by improving someone else’s.’” By contrast, according to their own mission statement, “the foundation of Vogue’s leadership and authority is the brand’s unique role as a cultural barometer for a global audience. Vogue places fashion in the context of culture and the world we live in — how we dress, live and socialize; what we eat, listen to and watch; who leads and inspires us. Vogue immerses itself in fashion, always leading readers to what will happen next. Thought-provoking, relevant and always influential, Vogue defines the culture of fashion.” Juxtaposed against that is Kim Kardashian. She became a household name as a result of an illicit tape. She’s cemented her celebrity status with a basic cable TV reality show and an omnipresent claim on the tabloid headlines. She designs a clothing line sold in Sears. Which part of that is cohesive with a brand that wants to be “a cultural barometer for a global audience”? Vogue built its name as a brand of high-end aspiration. It’s not supposed to be a clothing catalog; it’s meant to be escapist fantasy. Kim and Kanye are as mass and mainstream as it gets. And Vogue’s readers (and perhaps now former subscribers) saw right through this stunt for what it is: a desperate, grasping, Hail Mary attempt to cling to relevancy in a world where print media outlets are a dying breed.

2. Know thy tribe.

For TOMS, branching out into the coffee business is not a move without risk. After all, there’s no lack of competition in the marketplace. However, TOMS knows its tribe. Customers who buy TOMS do so for a reason: to make a difference with their dollars. With their shoes, TOMS has cultivated with a distinctive style. Their signature beachy canvas slip-ons can be spotted at 20 paces, making a fashion statement that says, “I care.” TOMS knows their customers are torch-bearers who will champion their latest cause, proudly carrying their TOMS coffee bags and cups as a beacon of consumerism with a social conscience. And again, this is where Vogue seemingly overestimated the sheepish loyalty of its tribe. Perhaps the inherent danger in being a self-proclaimed arbiter of high culture and fashion is that it’s too tempting to think you’re better than your tribe. You know best, and they’ll love whatever you give them because you tell them to do so. A word to the wise: you’re never above your tribe. If you lead them, it is by permission through hard-won trust. And that permission will be quickly revoked if that trust is betrayed. First, last and always, you must demonstrate that you exist to serve your tribe and have their best interests at heart.

3. Engage your evangelists.

For a month leading up to the big reveal, TOMS teased their fans. They plugged the upcoming announcement. They solicited guesses from their followers about what the new product would be and publicly promoted those who participated. They challenged their customers to take the cleverly hashtagged “#onedecision pledge” to “change one decision that will help change a life.” In doing so, TOMS literally created an appetite for their coffee. Their customers felt a sense of ownership over the new product line before they even knew what it was, and as a result, came locked and loaded with a sense of investment in its success. Of course, this approach only succeeded because they also delivered on the anticipation with a truly great product that follows commandments #1 and 2 above. After all, publicity in the absence of authenticity is just a recipe for disaster, right Vogue?

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