Consider The Wildest Ideas

Consider The Wildest Ideas

Garth Beyer

Wild Idea

Are you open to it? Thinking about it? Considering the wildest idea others may have?

I tested a new interface of EatStreet‘s website earlier today with Rob, VP of marketing there. His last question for me was what my wildest idea is that could make the experience better, more remarkable? No boundaries, no wrong answers, no restrictions. It could be anything.

Really, though, he didn’t need to ask. He could have ended the trial without ever asking. The feedback up to that point was safe, it was logical, it was feedback that would benefit the mass number of users. But he didn’t stop there. He asked.

It’s great to think of where the wild ideas are. They represent forward thinking, they represent risk and potential failure, but also potentially wild success too.

 

Stay Positive & So, What’s Your Wildest Idea? Can It Work?

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The Big Sort And What It Means For Marketing

The Big Sort And What It Means For Marketing

Garth Beyer

Sorting Skittles

Funny how things come up again, but have a different meaning the second time around.

A tad over a year ago I wrote a short essay on the big sort. The big sort, according to Bill Bishop, is a political, geographical theory. Actually, theory might be too weak. It’s the truth. Americans are sorting themselves out. Moving to places where like-minded people live. Thing is, Bishop (author of the big sort) focuses on such a small part of the big sort and is far too pessimistic. The big sort couldn’t be better for marketers.

In terms of marketing, there’s no need to push anything down anyone’s throat, no need to shove a product into customers’ hands of which are already full, no need to create an ad that appeals to the masses anymore. We finally have a new (dare I say, better) way of reaching people, because that’s what they are now, people, not eyeballs, and they are gathering around other like-minded people, creating tribes.

Marketing is marvelous when the message is received by the right people at the right time. Now people are sorting themselves and as a result making each individual and each tribe more reachable. Best of all, the walls people had to put up from years of brute advertising are becoming more transparent.

When you look at it this way, marketing seems pretty easy. Then again, while it is easier to market, it’s ever more difficult to create a message that’s remarkable. Yin and yang. Ebb and flow. So it goes.

 

Stay Positive & Rainbow Chasers, In One Neat Place For You

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Marketing Cookies And Crumbs

Marketing Cookies And Crumbs

Garth Beyer

And That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Some go into marketing and only work on accounts they are passionate about. Others go into marketing merely for the money. That’s alright.

Some consume products because it makes them feel good, builds their ego or gives them something to talk to friends about. Others consume with the mindset “our wants our many, our needs are few.” That’s alright, too.

That’s not just the way the cookie crumbles, that’s how we like it.

Some love the cookies, some love the crumbs.

 

Stay Positive & In The End, We All Feel Fat, But Happy, Too

Isn’t that what life is about? Being happy?

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Where Are You Hanging?

Garth Beyer
w/ Seth Godin
at another awesome conference w/ Seth Godin

Are you on a magnet on a fridge? Are you the starred name in a CEO’s roldex? Does that waitress, Nicole, have your favorite drink ready when you walk in? Has everyone who matters seen your name and profile photo on Twitter? Are you that guy  who is always at the coffee shop drawing, taking shots of espresso?

People are assessed and judged by where they have been, where they are now, and where they will be.

The difference between them is your story.

When they’re all the same place, it’s not that remarkable is it? People die standing still.

So let’s quit standing still. Let’s hang out somewhere different tomorrow. And maybe the day after too. Let’s build our story.

Where you hang matters a ton. And don’t get me started on how important who we hang out with is, either.

 

Stay Positive & Better Get Out There

Well That’s Catchy

Garth Beyer

20140830_100239

There are a few awesome McDonald’s ads around the Madison area.

 

“There’s a cold front ahead.” – advertising their iscream

“Diversify your thirstfolio.” – advertising the variety of beverages they offer

 

My significant other loves the advertising (and she’s not one to care much about ads of any kind, so it’s a big deal if McDonalds can stand out to someone who never pays attention to ads).

McDonalds advertising, I must admit, is extremely catchy and sharable, as in, easy to describe to someone who has never seen it before. “There’s a line of different drinks from McDonalds on the billboard and it says ‘Diversify your thirstfolio.'” Catchy because the billboard is placed right between two college campuses.

The problem is… neither of us have gone to McDonalds for iscream or beverages, and we won’t go either. It’s not our thing.

As a result, I have trouble admitting the advertising is catchy because neither my SO or I have been caught.

Some may believe any publicity is good publicity, but most publicity doesn’t lead to increase in sales, customer conversion or general business success.

It’s one thing to be catchy, it’s a whole other thing to not need to be.

In McDonald’s defense, perhaps they use the billboards to maintain their lighthearted, intelligent but goofy personality. I suppose only the McDonalds marketing team knows. But is that a good thing that we don’t?

 

Stay Positive & What Are Your Thoughts?

An Ounce Of Truth

Garth Beyer

Little ideas are the key to success.

This may be just an ounce of truth, but 15 more ounces and you have a pound.

For the heck of it, here’s 28 ounces, 25 more, and 5 more. That’s more than three pounds of truth.

 

Stay Positive & It’s The Little Things, Always Has Been

 

It’s A Process

Garth Beyer
Long exposure is remarkable
Long exposure is remarkable

Blogging (daily, mind you)… it’s a process

staying active on social media… it’s a process

regular email conversations… it’s a process

hosting google hangouts… it’s a process

writing thank you letters… it’s a process

Processes are difficult. Processes show you’re in it for the long run. Processes are as much branding as branding is a bundle of processes. The more processes the more remarkable. Even the word in plural form is difficult to say. Difficult is good. Difficult isn’t an event. Nor is success.

 

Stay Positive & Remember Every Process Needs A Purpose

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