Word of Mouth Marketing: Stories and Talking People

In a previous“marketing” post, I discussed the importance of product. A really great product will market itself. Why? Because people will talk about it. Even better, people will tell a story about it.

Advances in technology haven’t erased the strongest form of marketing communications: stories and talking people. The social media craze has actually accelerated the power of word of mouth marketing. Instead of telling your friend, you tell your 350 FACEBOOK friends or TWITTER followers all at once. Creating a brand experience a customer is willing to talk about and an easy story to tell is more important than ever.

I realize this post won’t win any creativity points, pretty basic stuff. Even so, creating a product people talk about is hard to achieve…really hard. Developing a story around the product is that much harder and stronger from a brand perspective.

Now, think of your favorite brands. Will you have problems talking about them? More importantly, can you tell a story about them?

Authenticity is Awesome

My favorite brand characteristic is authenticity. I think it’s awesome. Your brand doesn’t have to be great, but it does need to be REAL. It needs a look, a feel, a life, a story, a heartbeat… Brand authenticity is easy to achieve in personal customer experiences (a taproom). Brand authenticity is much more difficult at a distance (a six pack on a crowded grocery store shelf).

Dear MBA: Why do you hate start-ups?

"My garage. My MBA hates this garage."

I have an MBA.  I love my MBA. If I went back to school, I’d earn another MBA.

With that said, I’ve come to the conclusion that my MBA hates start-ups, new ventures, entrepreneurs, etc.

My MBA thinks that Southwest Airlines, Dell, Apple, Home Depot, GE, and the other fortune 500 companies were all achieved through beautifully designed business models, strategic visionaries, a competitive advantage, a relentless focus on cost, yati, yati, yati, yati. My MBA thinks you walk out of the classroom and into the next “Google-Plex", created overnight through superior leadership and guidance.

In reality, you walk out of the classroom and into your garage. You work. You test. You evaluate. And then you do it again and again and again….

My MBA hates this reality.

11 Reasons to read: Do the Work. 

If you follow me on twitter, you already know I have a small obsession and large fascination with The Domino Project. I like everything about it actually. Everything. Branding, positioning, marketing, design, simplicity, vision, execution. Everything. I listened to the project’s first release, Poke the Box, and just finished reading the second release Do the Work.

If you haven’t read Do the Work, READ IT.  Why? Highlighted below are 11 reasons why, taken from the pages of the book.

1. Resistance is a repelling force. It’s negagtive. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.

2. Is this easy? Hell, no.

3. Don’t stop. Don’t look down. Don’t think.

4. Forget rational thought. Play. Play like a child.

5. Keep working. Keep working. Keep working.

6. Keep working.

7. The opposite of fear is love–love of the challenge, love of the work, the pure joyous passion to take a shot at our dream and see if we can pull it off.

8. A crash means we have failed. We gave it everything we had and we came up short.

9. Fear of success is the essence of resistance.

10. So you’re taking a few blows. That’s the price of being in the arena and not on the sidelines.

11. I stand in awe of anyone who hatches a dream and who shows the guts to hang tough, all alone, and see it through to reality.

One final thank you to Seth Godin and Steven Pressfield. This blog post is possible because you shipped it.  And, yes I’m drinking the KOOL AID.

New Business Card Design

I am recreating this post from my water blog. I thought it was worth repeating, so I am. As a self-proclaimed “marketing man”, I’m a big fan of design. Project design, product design, lifestyle design, web design, home design, graphic design and all the other areas of design. I’m also a fan of business card design. I’ve printed new business cards  for Lotic 4 separate times. I’ve also modified the card’s design each and every time. The image above is the latest. And in my opinion the greatest.

Will this new business card design allow Lotic to win new business or execute amazing water rights projects? No, but it is one small piece of the larger brand and an important initial introduction to its identity. Chances are, I’ll make changes on round 5 too.

Cell phones don't work in Layfayette

Thanks to my wife, I had the fortunate opportunity to spend the last 48 hours in Lafayette, Louisiana. The food was in a league of its own, the hospitality exceeded expectations, and the authenticity of this Cajun community won my heart. One observation I appreciated most was cell phones don’t work in Lafayette. Yes, Layfatte has cell phone service. But, in comparison to a personal conversation, cell phones don’t stand a chance.  Answering that “critical call", texting, facebooking, tweeting, and checking emails take a backseat to the company you keep. Linsey and I attended multiple social outings and not once did I see someone pull out their cell phone–other than to show pictures of their loved ones (dogs included). This experience reminded me, once again, the importance of personal communication.  To many times I believe we worry about the little buzz in our pocket instead of engaging in the conversation. In reality, we are missing out on a much larger opportunity: the person next to us, even if they’re a stranger. Talking. Listening. Expressing. Creating a bond. Making a friend.

I’m guilty of this very act. But after visiting Lafayette, I’m going to work on it. I’m will start leaving my phone in the car–and definitely in my pocket–so I can focus on the greatest form of communication: listening and talking to other people, in person.  Thanks for everything Lafayette.  Your food and community are amazing.

p.s.  Did I mention how good the food is in Lafayette? Wow!

why presentations are rad

Pat Benatar is also RAD and this would make a RAD presentation slide.

I present frequently (25+ times a year) and truely believe presentations are RAD. I enjoy creating presentations–even for fun. I enjoy delivering presentations. I enjoy reading about presentations. I enjoy following tweets and podcasts about presentations. And, I enjoy my recent subscription to sliderocket. A recent newsletter from Sliderocket actually prompted this blog post. The content provided in this newsletter is excellent and spot on.  However, what sliderocket doesn’t address is why presentations are so RAD. So, I thought I’d share a few reasons why I believe this is the case:

1. Presentations are easy to differentiate you or your company, because most people are really bad at presentations.

2. Presentations provide a captive audience, this is rare in the world of marketing.

3. Presentations source multiple means of communications (oral, visual, written, etc.)

4. Presentations elicit responses and emotions (cheering, clapping, crying, laughing, etc.)

5. Presentations increase reach–especially now that audiences are armed with social media channels.

5. Presentations sell without sounding like a salesman.  Enter Steve Jobs.

6. Presentations are RAD.

As for the use of term RAD, I’m fully embracing the resurrection of the 80’s. I wrote this entire blog post all while listening to Love is a Battefield on repeat. I’m serious.

The USA's biggest challenge: M+A+T+H

This blog post is a little soap boxish for me, but personal blogs provide these liberties.  This is my disclaimer.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the United States of America struggles with elementary math. I mean:

or, more importantly

Two examples of this struggle with elementary math are diet and finances. I’m not a nutritionist, but I do know if you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. I’m also not a financial planner, but I do know if your expenses exceed your revenue, you’ll be in debt.

The equation is simple. The answer is obvious. And the USA soars to unprecedented levels of obesity and debt.

Why?

For me, fly fishing calms the inner beast. When I say fly fishing, I’m not talking about the act of catching fish; I’m talking about the Journey. Packing your bags, picking your flies, driving to the destination, staring at the fire, laughing with friends, listening to the water, watching the sky, imagining a take, saying goodbye…are all included in this journey. On Friday afternoon, I jumped in the truck and headed for the Missouri River. I calmed the inner beast. I enjoyed the journey.

The moral to the story is find your fly fishing. The hobby that calms your inner beast. In my mind, it’s essential to health and happiness.

my favorite quote

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

10 lessons from my Mom.

Today is my mom’s 60th birthday!  I’m not sure about the first 30 years, but I’m sure the last 30 (since 8/22/80) have been awesome. In all seriousness, I wanted to take this webspace and time to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and tell her I love her. I also wanted to thank her for all she’s done for me. This list far exceeds the reaches of this blog, so I wanted to touch on 10 we can all appreciate. 

1. Never follow a recipe. My mom is the best cook I know.  Common to other greats, she doesn’t follow a recipe and continually innovates. For example, have you ever heard of pickled chicken or wilted lettuce? Exactly, my two favorites.

2. People watching is great entertainment. My mom can watch people for hours on end. Try it, it actually is pretty fun–especially with large crowds.

3. Give back. My moms spends multiple days a week at the church: cooking, teaching Sunday school, and giving back.

4. Pursue your dreams. If I called my mom tomorrow and said that I think I’m going to be the next Michael Jordan, she’d say: “go for it, I think you can." Even better, she’d actually believe it, and give me all the support she could.

5. Be friendly and talk to people. My mom will talk to anyone that gives her a chance. As a result, she makes people smile, departs airplanes with new found friends, and receives as many Christmas cards as the North Pole.

6.  Laugh. My mom loves to laugh. She likes to laugh at other people, she loves to laugh at my dad, and, most importantly, she can laugh at herself.

7. Embrace your age. Some people dread birthdays. Not my mom. You can’t count the number of 60th birthday parties she’s been thrown on 1 hand and a couple more are in the works. She also told the Mayor he needs to name a “Sally Corbin Day" in honor of her 60th.  In her own words:"it’s silly to worry about how old you are."

8. Make a Home. There is a big difference between a house and a home.  My mom is the master of making a home. The Corbin house was a home away from home for all of my childhood friends. My mom welcomed everyone with open arms, as long as they followed the rules (see #9).

9. Have rules. In my mom’s presence you don’t: wear a cap inside, come to the breakfast table without a shirt on, lie, steal, cheat, quit, or pass gas. She has rules that she’s always followed and will continue to follow.

10. Be blessed. When you ask my mom about her life she’ll say: “I’m so blessed." What makes my mom blessed is not her life, it’s that she spiritually believes she’s blessed. What you think, is what you become.

Happy 60th Birthday Mom, and Thank you for everything!

"Missoula Fly Fishing Explained through Graphs"

One of the many reasons I live in Missoula, Montana is the fly fishing. Rather than tell you about the fly fishing, I decided to explain it through graphs. Enjoy.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

5 things cancer will teach you

Today (Feb 22nd) is a celebration. Today marks the five six year anniversary for conquering CANCER.  Thankfully, I’m not talking about myself. I’m referring to my best fishing buddy and friend Birch Fett. What’s special about five years? Past 5  6 years cancer has the same probability of coming back that it did the first time. I’ve learned an awful lot from Birch over the years; that you can retrieve a fly with a stick, that big trout like purple buggers, that bear chili is good, and goose jerky is great–not to mention many other lessons in hard work, integrity, and friendship. Although, today I want to share five things Birch has taught me as a cancer survivor.

1. Health is the greatest wealth. Birch was diagnosed at the peak of his physical fitness: 24 years young and strong as an ox. Cancer doesn’t always discriminate, so enjoy your health today.

2. Chemo can change hair color. We all know chemo makes hair disappear, but did you know it will also change the color?  When the other option is death, you realize hair isn’t that big of a deal, anyhow.

3. Attitude is everything. When Birch was initially diagnosed he was scared. But, not once did I ever think he was in trouble. Birch kept one focus: beating cancer. And beating cancer he did.

4. Keep living. One would think taking cancer behind the woodshed would greatly change the course of your life. Not Birch. He guided in Alaska the summer before and guided in Alaska the summer after. He also continued to work on 1 of his 3 degrees and, oh yeah, all while putting the smack down on cancer.

5. Look ahead. You don’t hear Birch complain about having cancer. He’s looking ahead to the next move, the next rise, the next five years.

If you like this post, go buy a quality craft beer and tip one back for Birch. He’s the reason I  grow moustaches in Movember and today he’s five six years FREE.

My observations during the Super Bowl

February 13, 2011

Yes, I’m a week late. I didn’t want to compete with the frenzy of Super Bowl media following the game, so delayed my post a week. Last Sunday I decided to enjoy the Super Bowl in a way I never have before. Alone. Instead of attending the typical Super Bowl gathering, I decide to watch the game in solitude. Yes, weird, but I’m a little weird.

I guess I wasn’t completely alone, I had my dog Madison and my laptop. As I watched the broadcast, I decided to write down my observations.

The Ads

Commercials aren’t what they used to be thanks to the web and social media. Or are they? Rumor has it Audi’s commercial–that I didn’t like–was the first commercial to use a #hashtag. I found this out moments later via twitter. This wasn’t the only conversation about the commercials, thus extending the reach of each commercial. Why discuss these commercials at the chips and dip when you can discuss with friends around the world?

In short, the web has created more advertising noise than the world has ever seen. These commercials provide a chance (an expensive chance) to rise above the noise and be heard. The catch is to stay above the noise by engaging additional marketing strategies and encouraging discussion.

The Half time

I hate halftime shows. Even in the Super Bowl, even Fergie. I like football and I like concerts, but I don’t like concerts at the halftime of a football game.

The Game

There is alot to talk about here, but I just want to recognize two underlying principles that stood out to me.

1. Visualize Success

The only overlapping theme I found in the preparation for the game was in visualization. The Steelers listened to Phil Collins, In the Air Tonight (great tune) while visualizing making plays.  Aaron Rodgers (MVP) also recognized this was his focus leading into the game.  This emphasis on visualization isn’t surprising on America’s largest sporting stage.

2. Never Give Up

The Packers were the 6 seed.

Donald Driver claimed at the age of 14: “Man, I’m going to make it.”

The Packers survived a season with 15 players on injured reserve, and  the loss of 3 key players during game.

The stories of small colleges, walk ons, you’re too small, slow, and you’ll never make it are endless. In fact, there were only 2 five star recruits starting on either side of the football. What’s the commonality? They never gave up.

The Rest (of my observations)

Arm Chair Quarterbacks. I know they’ve existed since the beginning of sport and entertainment, but social media has given them  a new voice. National anthem this, catch that, run here, pass how, sing what, etc., all delivered from the comfort of their arm chair, with no real appreciation or understanding of the sacrifices made.

Take Lemons and make Lemonade. “Cheese Head” was a Chicago criticism of Wisconsin. It’s now their iconic apparel.

Load the band wagon. How is the sell of Packer apparel? Great!  I visited San Francisco during the World Series and couldn’t help but notice the number of “so called fans” sporting their brand new Giants apparel.  It is easy to like a winner, but it’s not easy to win.

On a final note, who’s going to win the Super Bowl next year? That’s the beauty of pro football today. The dynasties are over.

February 8, 2011. 

I just found some old fishing videos from back in the day (4-5 years ago) in my photobucket account. Here’s the second. Oh the memories. 

Video 2: Fish and Whistle

Song: John Prine, Fish and Whistle

Story: My first and last ice fishing experience. I’m not known for my patience and this was obvious on the ice. Within minutes of augering my hole, I was lying facedown looking into the water in hopes to see some action. Luckily, I saw this fish swim in and take the bait. You’re probably asking: why haven’t you been since? I don’t have the patience. I prefer to be on the move: fly fishing.

February 8, 2011. 

I just found some old fishing videos from back in the day (4-5 years ago) in my photobucket account. Here’s the third. Oh the memories. 

Video 3: "Epic" - Smokejumper Jeff

Song: Jack Johnson, Breakdown

Story: After 3 years of struggles, we finally hit the steelhead run right.

February 8, 2011. 

I just found some old fishing videos from back in the day (4-5 years ago) in my photobucket account. Here’s the first. Oh the memories. 

Video 1: Ice Pains

Song: Johnny Cash, Big River

Story: I arrived at one of my favorite fall fishing destinations only to find a thin sheet of ice. This is difficult to cast through. Hence, the ice pains. The fish also knew this. Hence, the ice pains. I did find an opening and one fish less intelligent than the others.

The list for high achievement

While earning my MBA, I developed an interest in high achievement. Granted, high achievement is subjective, so feel free to replace high achievement with your heart’s desire. To seek guidance on this subject, I read. By the time I read the 3rd book on this topic, I noticed a trend. After the 7th book, I decided to create a spreadsheet of overlapping principles. From this spreadsheet, I created a list of the principles that existed in 3 or more books. The list is as follows:

1. Desire and diligence

2. Vision

3. Proactive, doing what is important

4. Reaffirming belief in success

5. Specialized knowledge

6. Think different

7. Plan

9. Utilize a counsel (team)

10. Do what you love, love what you do

11. Don’t fear failure

12. Listen and understand others

13. Don’t overreact, control emotions

14. Control greed and expenses

15. Continuously learn

16. Evaluate and refine often

17. Never give up

For the record, I don’t believe in a recipe for success; I do believe all high achievement includes some aspect of these principles. Find a high achiever and you’ll find the principles in this list.

I took over 1,000 pictures in Chile and Argentina (January 2011). I painfully cut it down to my 10 favorite.  I also posted my 10 favorite water photos on my water blog.

9 lesson learned in Patagonia

I’m mid-trip traveling through Northern Patagonia. On a 4-hour drive today, I began to reflect on this experience and recognized several lessons I’ve learned thus far.

1. Body Language is important. Even my Spanglish is weak. Nevertheless, I’ve successfully carried on great conversations where neither party understood a word spoken. The only means of conveyance was body language.

2. Slow Down. This is hypocritical coming from me, but I’ve come to appreciate the pace of Patagonia. Don’t confuse activity with productivity.

3. Family Matters. I’m here with my wife Linsey and that means more to me than experiencing Patagonia alone or with friends. It also reminds me of previous family vacations. Furthermore, we attended an ASADO where the basis of the fun was not food, but instead family–and we were treated as family. Thank you Gonzalez’s and Ortiz’s.

4. Trout are tough. Trout possess a reputation as a delicate species that only dine on very small bugs. You don’t proliferate as successfully as they have without being tough and eating meat. Fish streamers.

5. Eat clean and lean. Last night’s dinner consisted of Patagonian lamb cooked over an open fire. Why Patagonian lamb? Because of their grassfed diets and rugged terrain. Similar to the organic grassfed beef of Montana, this species is clean and lean.

6. Local Matters. In a globalized world, the word “local” is becoming increasingly important. Local means fresh and local produces pride. Local matter’s when drinking craft beer in Montana, and it matters when drinking craft beer in Patagonia.

7. Mountains are healthy. In Montana, New Zealand, and now Patagonia,  I’ve noticed mountains impact people. It makes people want to climb, run, jump, swim, and explore. Mountains create energy and mountains create fitness.

8. Be authentic. Even to outsiders, fake shines through.  Authenticity is obvious and should be the basis for all brand experiences.  It doesn’t have to be great, but it needs to be real.

9.The web is world wide. This post is coming courtesy of a wireless connection in the heart of Patagonia.  I’m pretty sure the web is not a fad and neither is social media.