March 29, 2007
buying space in someone else’s brain is far harder than buying space in someone else’s media
How Weiden & Kennedy lost some Nike business– From Brand Republic:
Some interesting speculation from AdAge on why Nike has decided to expand its creative agency roster and begin moving some pieces of business away from W+K:
A crucial factor is Nike’s intent to build on the stunning success of its interactive ventures…
…including the Nike ID website created by R/GA and the company’s partnership with Apple for the Nike+iPod, which has virtually transformed running and demonstrated how a brand can market itself by offering something useful to a community rather than just communicating its assets.
The italics are mine. I put them there for a good reason. Behold the future of advertising etc. Buying space in someone else’s brain is far harder than buying space in someone else’s media etc etc.
[Nice follow-up from Rik:]
And it shows once more that marketing should be built into your product from the start, rather than slapped on afterwards in the from of advertising. The same can be said for design. And branding. These things should not be an afterthought, but built into your product right from its birth.
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I read the italics. I read them again. PR, thought I. That’s what used to be thought of as the playground of PR. Hmmmmm. So more lines are blurred. Good. More blur equals more opportunity. Dontcha love this new digital life?
Is it just me or are you cartoons plagued with cynicism, swearwords and anger rather than humour of late?
Is something festering old chap?
Nice one Hugh — just right for my audience. Should confuse them no end!
Given the last quote about building marketing into products from the start– of which I wholly agree with– what of companies that got off on the wrong foot, so to speak? Those that didn’t integrate marketing into their product. As a student, I ask– what are those companies to do? Are they to re-invent the product and lose some of the brand power? Are they to re-organize the entire structure of that product? Etc.
Not to say that either of those approaches would be a bad thing, as it may still cost less than advertising. But really, I am curious.
Not a fan of the c word. A bit too crass for me. But it does make an impact.
Companies are moving towards comprehensive media plans. Advertising, promotion, pr, via every medium from one source. Takes the co-ordination headaches away. So if their current providers can’t offer all that…
‘which has virtually transformed running’…nothing like good old-fashioned hyperbole.
yes, I must say that my initial reaction was; “duh!“
creating a product, or “offering something useful” to a “community” is the definition of marketing.
If what you are saying is that companies ought to invest in marketing and not advertising, then I agree. But this is not a Web 2.0, new-meeja, “future of adverising”, etc. issue. They spotted a need and created a product to satisfy it, profitably. Marketing job done. The proper job of advertising is to get the word out, not to create the ‘need’.
I agree with your headline, but is this not simply an old fashioned argument for ‘proper’ marketing and against advertising?
The real web twist here is how Nike (or any other company) can use the web, blogosphere, etc. to get feedback on what people ‘need’ today, and to create products to match that.
Hugh, I just finished a 3-day conference for innkeepeers where marketing is one of the key topics (“how do I get my 8-room B&B known to the world?”). Some attended the session Steve and I presented on innkeepers with blogs, so some of them will undoubtedly visit your site. For us, reading marketing and business blogs is darn hard – the content and concepts are far removed from what we do every day. But I hope they persevere and mine those gems from your posts, like “buying space in someone else’s brain…” to me means creating such impressive quality and customer service that it would entice a guest to choose a small property over a traditional hotel; and Rik’s reply that “marketing should be built into your product from the start.“
The trick for us is remembering these gems as we’re cleaning a stained carpet or doing that 12th load of laundry, so keep ‘em coming.
Funny how big agencies “get it” now.
“buying space in someone else’s brain is far harder than buying space in someone else’s media”. Quote of the week. But wasn’t it ever thus? I recall “share of mind” discussions 15 years back. The point for me is that “buying” media space was (and lets be clear ‚still is) the dominant method by which a desire for share of mind was communicated. Shouting down the megaphone media narrow. Before mass media advertising word of mouth, peer recommendation, the advice of your friendly local shopkeeper were the unmeasured norm. Being in business with a product to sell was marketing. For me this has not changed. Business is marketing and marketing is business.
I’ve been saying it forever — http://shotgunconcepts.blogspot.com/2006/06/marketing-startup.html