MODERN MARKETING or problems waiting to be fixed , depending on how ‘ exciting ’ the ‘ opportunity ’ really is .
I sit and listen . I try not to say too much because , well , because I ’ m not the problem . It ’ s usually in the room somewhere though . For me to be in attendance in the first place means there is an acknowledged brand … ‘ opportunity ’… but the B2B organization is always reluctant to look inwardly for the source of the trouble . So they call me . I fix brand problems . I tell people what they don ’ t really want to hear .
Sir looked me up and down and said , “ So tell me about your process . It must be really difficult for you selling this kind of thing because it ’ s so subjective and you don ’ t know my business . I mean , what ’ s the delivery ? You ’ re just going to give me a document right ? What if I don ’ t like it ? What if I ’ ve heard it before ? What if I don ’ t think it ’ ll make any difference ? What if it ’ s wrong ? I ’ m really not convinced I want to invest in this . Why should I pay you if I can just do this myself ?”
He carried on for a full 15 minutes or so and I do believe he maintained the entire sequence of questioning in a single breath .
The other attendees checked their watches . They doodled . Their eyelids dropped slightly and there was the occasional ‘ shudder-cough ’ that people use to wake themselves up when they know they shouldn ’ t be sleeping . I had already made the point that building brand strategy was as much about observing behavioural actions and reactions as it was about marketing , but they clearly didn ’ t think it applied to them .
In answer to Sir ’ s many question ’ s I asked only one ; “ You called me . So why am I here ?” There followed another 20 minute monologue about how great Sir was , how amazing his company was , what a visionary he was and how invaluable he was . But , ( there ’ s always a ‘ but …’), for some inexplicable reason , the message wasn ’ t sticking and as soon as he left the room , the internal organization changed tack and told a different story . In other words , not his story .
Your brand problem , Sir , is your mouth . For a brand to be successful , it has to be adopted by its audiences . People have to believe it and believe in it . A brand can only ever be adopted by external customer audiences if it first engages the internal audience .
That will never happen if they can ’ t get a word in edgeways . Here ’ s the thing . It may well be your company , but it ’ s not your brand . The brand belongs to everyone , or , at least it is everyone ’ s perception of the brand that will shape your brand reality . You ’ re boring . Your brand doesn ’ t
have to be .
Maybe they listened , maybe they didn ’ t , but the ‘ opportunity ’ will only really start to be ‘ exciting ’ when they do . Sunlight glistened off the dribble on someone ’ s chin , and , with the sound of gentle snoring from the corner of the room , I doffed my fedora with the tip of my cane , swooshed my cape over my shoulder and left .
Scot McKee : Brand Strategy Legend , Managing Director Brand / Digital Agency Birddog , Author ‘ Creative B2B Branding ( no , really )’, B2B Marketing Columnist , Social / Mobile Advocate & Rock God . Web : www . birddog . co . uk
June 2016 ModernBusiness 11