Cluetrain + 10 years. Looking back, looking forward
Wasn't it just yesterday that the Cluetrain Manifesto was published and the Internet was abuzz with an entirely new vernacular? Truth, it's actually been a full decade since that very seminal--and even controversial--online manifesto/book hit the 'Net. In order to commemorate the anniversary, Keith McArthur began the “Cluetrain Plus 10” discussion project with 95 distinct and intelligent bloggers covering each of the 95 Theses that make up the original tome.
When I first encountered Cluetrain, about 9 months after it was released, it put into words for me the perspective I had long held regarding company and customer interplay and interactions. Of course, as the Internet came of age this attitude in Cluetrain was even more relevant than it was in the Ladder business--where I was serving as head of new product development at the time. Recall that there was a rash of other brand and e-commerce focused books discussing the uniqueness of Amazon and other early Internet firms about this time as well.
Ten years of still needing to get a clue
Although
one can argue that Cluetrain overstated many points in order to press their arguments, I want to address one of these that I think is still very salient in today's world. Perhaps moreso than 10 years ago: CLUETRAIN said: Companies attempting to
“position” themselves need to take a position. Optimally, it should
relate to something their market actually cares about. This is 'cause' marketing, but is not about being transparently mercenary. Read on.
When a firm discovers an opportunity to develop a new product, one of the first and most
natural--one might say even necessary--tasks that either emanates from the need for the product, or is a required task for the development project is for the existence of a market position.
This is the Ries and Trout verstion of Positioning from the classic marketing text.
I've watched many midsize AND large firms make the mistake of positioning a product or service solution basd solely on internal factors (how will this product align to our other offerings) rather than how the product will make best sense to the target customers. Worse, are when large firms cater their focus to shareholder concerns exclusive to customers, and communications woefully miss the mark--failing miserably to speak to the pain points, competitive pressures, and needs of the very users they hope to create purchase orders or open check books to purchase the product!
Step into that Persona to get a clue
No, the focus needs to be directed on the customer, and the positioning needs to keep in mind the persona of that customer that is the primary purchase decision maker and/or user that will make decisions. What needs and dissatisfactions with the current offerings are they enduring? What opportunities exist to show them a better way to solve their issues? What holes in the market exist that your solution can step into--hopefully in a manner that will even create a barrier to other competitors by allowing you to 'own' that piece of the customer's mind as you step into solving the problem.
Unfortunately all too often I've found products' positioning messaging lacking any concerted effort to answer the most basic requirements or failing to address competitive pressures, effectively creating a positioning 'map' telling customers to go away. These firms' common mistakes include:
Addressing the 'market' rather than defining personas, thus making their language so broad as to be useless
Talking about features of the product and forgetting that it is what that feature does to benefit the user that matters to them--what's the benefit? What's in it for me?
What separates your product or service from the rest? Most forget that they are in a competition and fail to address why a choice for their product will benefit the customer in some 1-2 tangible ways. It seems obvious, but is SO frequently missed.
So, what can be done about this?
There's a question. One answer is to use the development of your personas to create a messaging and positioning framework document (Microsoft has a reasonable template document here and description for use, here) to help guide a structured means of thinking about and forming the positioning for the product. It's enormously helpful and will fend off the loose manner in which most positioning is conducted. Small wonder Microsoft has perfected this tool.
Do you have a Story to tell?
One thing to consider:What you do and what your company stands for matter too. Seth Godin likes to say these days that marketing is about telling stories. One of his primary points is that the story must ring true and have some authenticity if it is to be retold to others. (Hear that reference to word-of-mouth? That's what we're all searching for!) Particularly as the world becomes more and more connected through email and social media 24/7. Postitive WOM moves fast -- trouble is negative WOM moves too. Just watch do a twitter search on #failwhale to see.
We know that people make every purchase for an emotional reason at the core. Yet, we all still make purchases from firms we don’t really “connect” with (whether a product, a service, or even making donations), but we all do this somewhat grudgingly. Because of this, we are all open to other, more
emotionally fulfilling, purchase options. If we encounter an option from a firm that we learn is committed to a goal that is important to THEM as people, and that WE SHARE, whatever that goal may be, they will WIN. It may be fighting global warming, or saving baby seals, or fighting the ash borer beatle, or honey bees, or breast cancer, or -- you get the idea. It may also be something as simple as 'fighting boredom one phone at a time' or 'creating beautiful backyards'. It's about forging an emotional connection.
Get all Emo (-tional)
If you are really trying to reach customers who are interested in your product or service, would you want to be a company people understand & sympathize with at an emotional level, or a firm that’s just a choice of last resort?
The beauty of the Internet is it's ability to provide a vehicle for customers to search, find, try (do you offer this?) and buy a solution that they believe represents their best 'fit' to their needs. When your solution matches their needs at an emotional level, you have risen above their simple needs and matched your story at a deeper level--beyond rational--possibly at their heart. That's power. That's marketing at it's best. Positioning for the heart, and not just the head is what great marketers strive for.
How can you accomplish that with your next product introduction, or, with a product you already need to revitalize?
(Sure, I can help...)
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