Here’s a link to a pretty cool interview I did with the VS Consulting group In Australia. It’s cool (in my view) because it manages to summarise my philosophy on startups. I think you’ll like it.
Steve.
Category: entrepreneurship
Best Pitch Ever
London Advertising Agency Prima, were pitching for the Ford Motor Co advertising account. This was in the halcyon days of advertising circa 1969.
They decided to do the following:
They dismantled a Ford Escort car. Took it up the stairs piece by piece, part by part and then put it back together in the board room. This was where the pitch was to take place. The people who did this were not mechanics. It was the people who would be working on the Ford account. The creatives and the account managers. The idea was entirely conceived and executed by the people who would be working with Ford on their advertising.
When the Ford people arrived for the pitch. They were flummoxed to say the least. And immediately asked how they got the car in the building? Given there was no obvious way for the actual car to get in the building, let alone up the stairs!
The pitch then commenced with the Prima advertising team telling the story. Which no doubt included some of the trials and tribulations of dismantling & building a car piece by piece. But more so, showed all the intangibles which ultimately won them the account:
Passion, Ideas, Creativity, work ethic…
And a willingness to stretch themselves as a partner and an understanding of what Ford do, beyond that which any other advertising agency could have.
This is the benchmark. What will your next business pitch look like?
Picasso – 10 minutes & 40 years
A customer came to Pablo Picasso and asked for him to paint her a portrait.
He did so in 10 minutes. And then asked for $20,000 dollars.
The customer was perplexed and said – “But it only took you 10 minutes?”
His response: “It took me 40 years to be able to do that!”
Startups: The price needs to be a function of value created, not the time taken.
The Front Page
While talking with Chris Mander last night, he gave me a great quote:
“A wesbite is not about the front page”
It’s about every page. This is because “search” changed everything. People simply don’t go through the front door anymore. We get sent to the exact room, which solves our exact need. We can go through back doors, or any door for that matter.
So then why are we constantly devoting 90% of our resources designing and cleanest, coolest, front page that only 10% of people will enter through?
Startup blog says – All web pages ought be created equal.
Why authenticity works
Any disciple of the new marketing world order will tell you ‘be authentic’. And startup blog couldn’t agree more.
Here’s why: It’s refreshing.
It is so refreshing to hear a person, group of people or a small company tell the truth for once without a hidden agenda. It’s the opposite of what we’ve had for most of the past 50 years. It’s the opposite of what we expect, and usually get.
Net result is a relationship of trust is built. When this new paradigm arrives all sort of cool things can happen.
Like removing the need to advertise.
Like a loyal consumer base.
Like brand evangelists.
Like all the good stuff most large companies dream of having.
Internet Marketing
It’s easy to forget our websites need to be designed for people who haven’t, don’t or rarely use computers and the internet. Our interface must be simple – so simple. When our people can’t navigate our site, or find stuff. It’s our fault, every time.
Bill Gates understood this – which is why he was for a long time the worlds richest person.
Unless we market directly to the ‘digirati’ or have a website about websites (which many web 2.0 sites seem to be), we must design for the most ‘inept’ user.
Remember that usability wins, not technology.
Internet speed
Fact: When Saddam Hussein was executed in December 2006 it took less than 2 minutes for the Wikipedia page on him to be updated.
Startups – your customers know more than you on your brand, category or industry. And they usually know all this stuff before you do.
Embrace their knowledge, and never be arrogant enough to claim to know it all.