The skills that matter

Since we’ve been going through a massive growth spurt at rentoid – I’ve been thinking about the skills which matter. The skills which will take us from start up – to business. That stuff that happens after we’ve proved our concept and people are getting involved in what we do. And here’s my conculsions:

1. Project management. We must get the stuff done we’ve been talking about with our customers quickly. They haven’t got time to wait for us to get our act together. We must deliver our promises, or lose them forever.

2. Leadership. Keep the team inspired and motivated, while maintaining the culture we believe in and have already created. Just because we are starting to achieve our goals doesn’t mean we need to invent systems, create paperwork and lose trust for each other. This is where we prove there is another way to do things in business & life.

3. Maintain Momentum. Go ‘back to back’ in sporting parlance. The ability to maintain public interest and is difficult after unpaid national TV coverage. We’ve got to keep the tap running, keep communicating and getting coverage. This is where communication frequency becomes way more important than communication depth.

Another great way to keep ’em talking about rentoid?

We make sure we deliver on all the stuff we said we’d do – refer point 1.

It’s not me, it’s you

This brillaint piece of communication by bringtheloveback summerzies the biggest opportunity for startups in the last 100 years. Small startups and entrpreneurs can have the conversations most large companies refuse to have. Or do in an overly  moderated environment – which just doesn’t work.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDXfB0Rd4Q]

In truth most large dominant companies from the old production based economy are probably too scared to have a warts and all conversation with their people.  The truth might get out. Truths like, companies reducing the quality of ingredients to keep prices low.

In fact they never did. They investigated, researched and even spied. Maybe they should have just listened and conversed.

Thanks to Ross Hill for the link!

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?

Your call

(read in digital voice)

Hello, (pause)

Your call is important to us. We are unable to take you call at this time. (what?)

If you wish to change your account details press 1

If you’d like to listen to your account balance press 2

If you’d like to make a payment press 3

If you’d like to hear these options again press 4

If you wish to talk to an operator press 0 – the expected wait time is: 17 minutes…..

I hang up. My call is not important to them.

What surprises me is that companies spend millions on TV advertising attempting to create an interaction with potential customers who aren’t listening. Then when people try to interact with the same company, they get given the machine – the finger.

Most companies invest in the wrong area.  Automation is only a benefit when it increases interactions with people. When it facilitates the conversation, not circumvents it. It’s a classic case of balance sheet marketing.

Everything big companies do here is wrong.

Start ups: Talk to your people. Give them a real phone number to ring with a real person at the end of the line. Be there when they call. Have a conversation. Make it personal. Over invest in this area.

Virtual ‘Radvertising’ – Heineken

This is ‘radvertising’ for many reasons.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M2mABv2RAI&feature=related]

  • It highlights a single minded product benefit – nothing artifical
  • It leverages historical brand postioning & authenticity – so it’s believable
  • Chooses a topical juxtapostion which is easily understood
  • Has broad appeal which can cross the chasm of age demographics
  • The creative idea is strongly linked to the consumption environment & category
  • It’s sneezeworthy (worth spreading / has viral potential)
  • It’s entertaining. Which by the way is never, ever an objective of ‘radvertising’. It’s a BONUS.

Forest Gump & Badvertising

To me it wasn’t worth a mention. But since I’ve been asked about it so many times, here’s the startup blog view.

Terrible. Pathetic.

It’s Forest Gump advertising: Stupid is as stupid does. Saying they’re anti-adwank, is not the same as not doing it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v89M3lhlKA]

Oh ,one more thing CBA. ‘Tag lines’ don’t mean anything unless they represent reality.

Cut through v3.0

Driving in the city I noticed these. They caught my eye. I stopped to investigate.

 

 

 

Turns out it’s the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) ‘Game On’ exhibition where you can play your way through the history of arcade and video games. I’m a sucker for retro video games and so I’m on it big time.

 

I never watch free to air TV – where they’ve been advertising. Without this piece of cool outdoor, with great cut through, I’d never have known.

 

People find us in different ways. We must know how to find your our people.