Like Rodney Dangerfield, “Design gets No Respect”.”

The other day I stopped in at the lone Chilli’s restaurant in the Greater Toronto area - a shame if I do say so because, if ever a chain of casual dining restaurants should exist, Chilli’s should definitely be short-listed.

Nonetheless, one is aware that, when taking the chance to eat in such an establishment, there is a strong possibility that the 18 year-old who will be serving you will border on depression and demonstrate an utter lack of motivation at what is loosely referred to today as “service”.

To my surprise, I met the most articulate, polite and attentive waiter I could have asked for.  He was so well-spoken that in the shallow recesses of my mind, I began to imagine how this fellow would deport himself as an account man in our agency. With that thought in mind, I inquired what his life looked like outside of a Chilli’s apron.

He (in an effort to protect the innocent, I’ll call him Burt) told me that he was a university student majoring in English and that he worked part-time for his uncle who ran a fairly successful accounting practice with a number of big-name accounts.  I asked what he did for his uncle and he broke my heart when he said that he was building a website for him…

And there you have it.  I asked Burt if he had any experience building websites and, of course, the answer was no.  It saddens - and sickens - me to see professional, established and bonafide businesses think so little of the design/marketing profession that they would ask their young nephew to slap together a website for them as though the key requirement to being capable of delivering an effective and “on-brand” web presence is being young.

What is this mentality that pervades the business community that design requires no actual acumen but is merely within the realm of any young person who needs something to do?  How did we get here? And more importantly, how do we get from here to a place where professionals and rank amateurs in the marketing community are properly segregated as is the case in nearly every other profession? Really, in which other profession can people claim expertise simply by having a software bundle? Hey mom! I bought a set of law books, I’m a lawyer!

Marketing matters! Is it people like Burt, or his uncle, who are dragging this industry into the toilet? Can I truly blame Burt, the starving college student who is simply trying to make ends meet? No, we - the marketing professionals - must blame ourselves.  Turn left or right and you’ll find so-called schools pumping our graduates after 18-months/2-years with a diploma. Look ma! I’m a designer! No, you’re not. You’re a disgrace. 

Understand, while design involves art, art is not design. While art is ultimately introspective and absorbed with getting in touch with the inner self, whether others accept it or not, design for professional purposes must engage a wider audience as a matter of necessity, based on a fine balance of subjective as well as objective factors. The ability to craft compelling visual messaging, whether online or in print, is a multi-pronged effort involving a critical understanding of the marketing problem, the market, the need for literary (copy) communication that will speak to the needs of the consumer as well as a creative execution to the design.  And really, do we honestly think that all designers are created equally? Most suck, which is what allows organizations to figure they can get the standard lack of quality from anyone, and not spend too much money. If the quality of work out there was higher, it’d be more difficult for hacks to compete.

Designers should leave a 4-year institution - for design - and begin working in a meritus environment that will allow them to grow as professionals over years of service.

As an agency executive, I must take a stand: while there are truly qualified professionals out there, there are far too many hacks - and organizations willing to hire them on the cheap - who together are ruining this industry.  It’d be great if we could somehow hold them accountable, but in this free market, people are free to do what they want to do. One thing I can do is speak out for the professional marketing industry and champion the minimum standards of capability we hope to offer clients who understand the difference between price and value, and care enough about their business to choose the latter.

Meanwhile, Burt’s story ruined my supper.

Dean Lloyd is the Angriest Marketer in the country and is Principal of Verb Strategy & Creative in Toronto, Canada, is also co-founder of Cornucopia (The Association of Ethnically Diverse Marketing & Communications Professionals) and can be reached at dean@verbiage.ca.

The power of the promise

There are many theories out there in marketing circles about what, precisely, a “brand” really is. Like different defensive philosophies amongst the 30 teams in the NFL, there are many different ways to approach the concept of stopping the opponent’s progress.

Similarly, brand thinkers have cooked up many frameworks by which they ply their trade in the discussion of what brand is and how to make it an asset towards an organization’s success.

We here at Verb Strategy & Creative have formulated our own definition of brand that we feel is so right, so natural, that most people will realize it’s what they’ve always known, but just never knew they knew it.

As far as we’ve been able to observe, brand is “the promise of an experience.”

Have you ever been with a group of friends trying to decide where to go out for dinner? When I’m not in an experimental mood, when I don’t want surprises, I always recommend The Keg. Why? Because I know what I’m going to get, every time. My experiences with The Keg have developed an expectation of an experience, and I trust that, each time I visit, I will enjoy myself. And, this is the key - the brand expectation makes decision-making easier. This is the kernel phenomenon that makes brand loyalty a desired response from the consumer.

Or, consider computers. I will not use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser if I can possibly avoid it. The experience I’ve come to expect from it is unpleasant, and there are too many more pleasant alternatives available to bother with the aggravation. Brand avoidance is the evil twin to brand loyalty, and both are simply of the consumer’s expectation of the experience your brand promises.

Some people will buy anything with a name that has i- as a prefix and a fruit with a bite out of it on the back (iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iCloud…). “Mac fans” are passionate, nay, religious, about Apple products. For them, they feel that Steve Jobs has personally promised them a great user experience, and each time Apple delivers, it further reaffirms and justifies the expectation, and the loyalty runs deeper.
Apple

Again, when it comes time to make a decision about what type of computer/smartphone/music player/whatever to buy, brand loyalty makes it easy to decide - they’ll just get whatever Apple is offering.
Either way, positive or negative, brands promise experiences we either want, or don’t want, and make decision-making easier. 
But, you don’t have to take our word for it, test it yourself - when it comes time to buy something, what is the compelling factor in your decision?

What we do at Verb is help our clients
  • either identify, create, or rehabilitate a promise of an experience that offers sustainable competitive advantage; and then, just as importantly,
  • exploit that advantage for ongoing profitability.
If you are starting out and need help determining your brand strategy; or if you’ve been in business for a while and realize your brand needs what we call Brand-Aid, give us a call. We’d be happy to meet with you and discover how and where we can chip in. We’ve been helping companies tell their stories for almost ten years, and would love to share what we’ve learned towards your success.

In agreement!

First-let me begin by stating that those Buckley’s commercials are hilarious but nasty.

Second-I agree with the analysis on Chris Bosh. He should maintain his brand reputation, earned while in Toronto. Initially, I was going to make a case that there may not be enough to go around in Miami, however, upon further reflection, decided that he should still be performing at a higher rate than he is. Perhaps, as the entire franchise appears to be struggling, it has a domino effect. We can only hope, that not only will Miami pull it together, but that Bosh will do so as he acclimates to his new teammates and South Beach…

Chris Bosh Facing the realities of Brand Erosion.

Brand is defined quite simply as the “Promise of an Experience”.  Make sense? Good. 

Brand “erosion” begins once that promised experience begins to wane in its delivery.  For example, we see this quite clearly with NBA star Chris Bosh.  While in Toronto, Bosh built a reputation for being a fierce competitor and leader, putting up numbers consistent with that image.  In his current role as a member of the Miami Heat however, that promise is not being delivered and as a result, his reputation and credibility (what we might call equity) amongst fans is being questioned. Essentially, the Bosh brand is eroding.

In understanding consumer buying habits, we know that when an individual is interested in purchasing an item for the first time in a category where there is choice and is familiar with an options brand (promise), the decision is made all the easier.  

This summer, the fans of the Miami heat, felt certain that in acquiring Chris Bosh from the Toronto Raptors that they were getting an all-star worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as a LeBron or a Wade.  This while most southern Americans hadn’t actually seen him play. That was the value of his brand.  Erosion of that promise however has set in, in as little as 10-games.

This phenomenon is not by any stretch remarkable. We see brand erosion every day, each time we go to McDonalds and are not greeted with a smile, or when we receive poor customer service from the telephone company who promises great service. Bosh, like any brand has a window of opportunity for which to recover from an under performing promise. For a professional athlete, failure to make the necessary adjustments often leads to trades, reduced playing time, loss of sponsor support, etc. For a corporation, the realities can be remarkably similar, often leading to reduced revenues (unless you happen to enjoy a monopoly), increased competition or complete consumer disinterest leading to withdrawal and ultimately a corporation left to pick up the pieces.

Consumer expectations are ultimately driven by the brand. Meaning that corporations are the ones who are telling the public what to think of them. If like Mr. Bosh they prove unable to produce on those claims, the public’s confidence will begin to waver and the onset of brand erosion will set in. 

Buckley’s the horrid tasting cough syrup sold in Canada has build a promise around the fact that their product tastes like turpentine.  And works.  See commercial. It is really quite likely that if Buckley’s were to develop a strawberry flavored syrup for adults that consumers might question its effectiveness.

Chris Bosh like any regional brand looking to go national must be very careful to maintain the promise that consumers or in his case, fans are expecting, or suffer the consequences.

Dean Lloyd is Principal of Verb Marketing & Creative in Toronto, Canada, and is also co-founder of Cornucopia (The Association of Ethnically Diverse Marketing & Communications Professionals) and can be reached at dean@verbiage.ca.

Chris Bosh Miami Heat

Source: verbiage.ca

Black Canadians, No Longer an Ethnic Market

And as I make that statement, I must also say that from a market segmentation standpoint in this country, one could argue that black Canadians have never been seen as a viable target.   With ethnic marketing only now gaining any real traction in the industry, it may be that the time for targeting the black community has passed, as 3rd and 4th generations of Caribbean’s are now assimilating into the Canadian landscape.

When you consider some of the key tenants used in identifying an ethnic market (or multi-cultural if you prefer), including language and culture, black Canadians have always satisfied the requirements, including having their own media outlets. However, for whatever the reason, this group seems to be playing a considerable second fiddle to rapidly growing South Asian and Chinese communities.

At the 2010 Multi-Cultural marketing conference in Toronto, it was a sad reality to see that in attendance there were no African-Canadian media or associations.  Is it that these groups no longer see themselves as an ethnic market or are they simply ignored by the industry as a whole?  Don’t misunderstand my commentary to suggest that there is no support of black community events like the recent and annual Caribana parade in Toronto (the largest of its kind in North America), but one-off promotions and events tied to Cinco de Mayo, Kwanza or Chinese New Year can’t be and aren’t considered a serious approach to ethnic marketing any longer.

To be successful, ethnically oriented marketing should be part of a year-round campaign and must be sensitive to the diversity of target cultures. I believe that there are few if any Canadian companies beyond those whose products are clearly geared towards that market who have taken a holistic approach to reaching this market.

To be fair, it certainly doesn’t help that there exists so very little usable research data on the afro-Caribbean community in Canada, a reality that we should all be rather ashamed of.

Did you know that;

  • 70% of all population growth in Canada comes from immigration.
  • Today African Canadians, Asians, Hispanics and Italians represent 12% of the population
  • According to the 2006 census, Canada is on track to becoming 100% dependent on immigration for growth.
  • The country’s fertility rate is just 1.5 children per woman, far below the 2.1 needed to replace the dying population (baby boomers). However, with an overall population growth of 5.4 per cent, Canada had the highest growth rate among G8 nations.

It is not entirely clear whether the community itself has given up on the advertising industry in Canada or if, in the eyes of the industry, the black community simply is not worth the investment, but from my standpoint, it would appear that the maturing nature of the black community and slow immigration from the Caribbean has stalled its ability to command the attention of this country’s marketing community. Giving me reason to say that, black Canadians are no longer an ethnic market, but simply part of the mix.

Dean Lloyd is Principal of Verb Marketing & Creative in Toronto, Canada, and is also co-founder of Cornucopia (The Association of Ethnically Diverse Marketing & Communications Professionals) and can be reached at dean@verbiage.ca.

 

Do minorities in Canada know how to vote?

 I know that it may sound an odd question, with its answer laying high in the grass, but please humour me for a moment.  Can you, as a Canadian, having lived in Canada for any number of years truthfully describe the practicaland political differences between the Liberal Party, Conservatives, New Democratic Party, Le Bloq and the Green Party?  Can you really outline what each of these groups stand for?  During an election, each party presents a party leader who, if the party wins, will be a Premier or Prime Minister in this country for the next 4+ years.  We see these people on the television; hear them on the radio, read their quotes in the newspaper each day.  But can you really tell what they stand for?

Is it clear to the immigrant?  Is it clear to the new citizen that the pictures that sit on neibourhood lawns around town are of the local representative of the party leaders they see and hear about in the media? Is it clear to them that this person stands for all of the same practices and policies of the party and its leadership?  Is it enough that for a few weeks before an election that the “local” guy walks around kissing babies and shaking hands and doing little to gain public trust?

During the campaign in a riding which is predominately made up of minorities, the likelihood of the party leader to discuss issues that reflect their interests directly is slim.  Sure they will offer some discussion about job creation and an increase to the minimum wage but really, life for the minority community rarely changes the day after an election.  Rarely for the better.  So here they have a local representative whom for all intents and purposes they do not know, and when approached about their particular needs be it personal or community related, and do indeed voice their concerns, rarely do they hear the party leader mention these issues on television, radio, or in print. 

On Election Day however, we ask these communities to choose to vote for the candidate who best captured their imagination.  I say imagination because during an election each party makes a number of promises about what they will do for us once they get into office, new holidays, less taxes etc… When we know full well that the likelihood of those promises ever seeing the light of day is a gamble.  I mean, we are all still paying the GST.

Back to Election Day.  We ask these minority groups to vote for their local representative of their preferred party and watch change unfold. 

The reality is that especially within minority communities there’s a wave of voter apathy and despair concerning elections.  Most people don’t vote because they are struggling to earn a living, disinterested, or just plain don’t believe their vote will help them get jobs, improved access to health care, or lift them from the hard reality of poverty to a better life.  Some feel that their interests and agenda have been shut out of the political system.

And that is if they even know how to vote.  I come back to this question because I believe that it is an important question that needs to be understood.  In the United States there are extremely strong and historic ties to the democratic and Republic Parties.  Membership in those parties span generations within most voting families.  Party membership says something about you.  An African American man claiming the Republican Party would seem strange to some for example.  In Canada, especially for the immigrant population, I don’t believe that is very clear what the different party’s stand for and what as an immigrant you are getting from say a New Democratic Party government.

I recently got a call with a request to help and advise a local politician to reach the ethnic market within a particular riding.  I jumped at the opportunity.  As a marketing professional who specializes in brand development, here was a wonderful challenge.  Brand the politician with a twist. Do it in three weeks. 

But when looking at this issue from a practical standpoint, there really is little chance for long-term change with this effort.  It occurs to me, that if political parties really wanted to gain the ethnic vote on Election Day, that they would make a concerted effort to teach these groups what it really means to exercise the democratic process.  This is an effort that would likely begin in schools with students being engaged by mock political campaigns and elections, analysing the processes and procedures, holding mock debates encouraging the vote, counting the ballots and ultimately electing a winner.  Students who grow up with this practice will find it easier to do when it really matters.   The effort would then benefit by being more involved in the lives of the members of said community.

The reality is that in order to be successful in gaining the ethnic trust, and make no bones about it, this is about trust, politicians and political parties need to be seen to be a part of the community.  These groups are bright enough to know that every few years or so, when there’s an election some no name local official will ‘come a knocking’ looking for a vote, and if you’ve made the error of presenting yourselves as an outsider, that’s exactly how you will be treated.

These groups have a lot to say, in my opinion, but it is unlikely that they believe that anyone is listening.  If we begin to listen, we might be able to find local candidates who understand their needs and will speak about them with passion & empathy and gain the peoples trust.  If we have made ourselves a part of their community and made some effort to affect change in issues that they are concerned with, then they will come out to vote.  This is a process.  It will take time.  But in a country that is growing through immigration, it stands to reason that ethnic communities won’t be getting any smaller any time soon and that the need for more grassroots community based politics and politicians is growing.

This is where it must start in order to breed long-term trust in the system.  Unlike many Canadian homes, children in ethnic communities don’t often overhear parents discussing the merits of one political message over another.  So we need to teach these groups how to vote.