Tom Asacker

The game isn’t everything; it’s the only thing

We loved playing games when we were kids; Risk, checkers, capture the flag, kick the can, four corners, street hockey, pickle, rundown, tag, red light, anything that we could find, or invent, to enliven the day.  And if I remember correctly, we always wanted to win. We were crazy competitive.  But not so much that we'd spend time studying "How to win at . . . " The goal, after all, was the game itself; having fun and keeping it going.

And here's where most people get business, money, life, etc. all screwed up.  They make it about getting to some future place - winning, arriving, accumulating, achieving - instead of making about enhancing the experiences and lives of everyone right now.  They confuse measurement with reality; scorekeeping with human experience. They ruin the "game," so that they can get "home."

There is a way out of this madness, and that's to get up in the morning and change the game.  Make the game about contribution, problem solving, inclusion, experience enhancement and life improvement.  Don't get rid of scorekeeping, but feel free to change the rules as you go.  Move the goal lines in.  Push them out.  Do whatever you have to to keep the game challenging, ongoing and, for everyone's sake, enjoyable.  It's about camaraderie, fair play, collaboration and passion!

The value of information

I was recently on the phone with Comcast working on a router problem when I was informed that I had experienced more than a hundred and something consecutive days of uninterrupted high-speed internet service.  Was that information of value to me?  I'd say, yes it was.  It reminded me of something that I typically take for granted, and helped me feel good about my brand choice (despite the circumstance).

A few weeks ago I was planning a trip that required multiple connecting flights. So, I did what any savvy frequent flier would do: I ruled out the airports that I knew, through personal experience, were service and logistical nightmares (like Philly).  When I was unsure about a particular airport, I checked it out at flightstats.com.  But I wondered why the information wasn't displayed on the results page of the flight search engines.  And why couldn't I opt out of particular airports during my search?

Information can be an important marketing component, both for experience enhancement and for reminding customers how smart they are for considering and choosing your brand.   For example, take a look at the MacBook Pro info page.

But most marketers don't strategically use information in those ways. Instead, they use information and copy to cajole and convince. They believe that they're in the persuasion business.  And today, with consumers that likely know more about your products and services and their impact on both their lives and the world than you do, that's a big strategic mistake.

A creative agency that "gets it"

Here's an excerpt from a recent blog post by Paul Isakson, Director of Strategy & Insights at space150:

"Every day, we are presented with opportunities to help make someone's day, or life even, a little bit better. When a new project comes in, we have a choice. We can take the easy route and just do what is being asked of us; or, we can choose to go beyond the assignment and look for a bigger opportunity to help make products and services more meaningful to people. Sure, it might be harder work than just doing what was asked, but from harder work comes greater reward. We just have to start asking different and bigger questions.

Do we have to tell people that our product is X% than the competition, or can we create content that simply puts a smile on people's faces and reminds them how much they enjoy the product?

Do we need to cram more features into a product, or can we instead develop applications and tools that help people accomplish tasks easier or get more out of using the product?

Do we need to create yet another line extension, or can we figure out a way to extend the use of existing products so we can stop creating more waste?

As an industry, we have to stop just looking for ways to 'build brands' through messaging and start looking for ways to actually help people have better days and build better lives."

Paul truly grasps the marketplace challenges and strategic business imperatives of our times.  Do you?  Here's the link to the full post.

Interesting Week 17 of 2009

1. Walking the Walk: Creating a market orientation

Intel and Harley-Davidson did what many executives talk about but rarely accomplish: They overhauled their culture to put customer focus above all else. Researchers identified the four stages companies go through on the way to a market orientation.  Kellogg Insight

2. America's Newest Profession: Bloggers for Hire

There are an estimated 20 million bloggers in the U.S., and of those, about 452,000 do so as their occupation. But paid blogging is a tough slog.  The Wall Street Journal

3. 20 Law-Related Questions Every Blogger Should Know

Professional journalists are typically schooled on mass media law early in their careers, but the same can't be said for most bloggers. While it's no substitute for legal counsel, this post provides a quick primer on such legal issues as copyright and trademarks, defamation and privacy.  The Blog Herald

4. Business Secrets of the Trappists Monks

If secular businesses took a page from the Rule of St. Benedict, they too might develop the drive and discipline necessary to thrive for more than 1,500 years, writes entrepreneur August Turak in a look at the business practices of monks. Monks make great businessmen, Turak argues, because everything they do has a higher purpose and profits are just one measure for success, not success itself.   Forbes

5. Mad Man

Brand genius Peter Arnell says one design flub won't tarnish his rep. Rivals aren't so sure. Published 4 weeks ago, but if you missed it it's well worth the read.   Newsweek

My problem with blogging

Let me be frank for a moment (instead of Tom).  I'm concerned that I may be blogging in the wind.  I'm being quite sincere.  Not serious, mind you, but a bit concerned.

Now by that I don't mean to suggest that I'm worried that no one is "listening."  Unlike the proverbial tree falling in the woods, I know that people receive the content that the sound of my keystrokes are making.  Rather, I'm concerned that I may not be "getting through."

For I have discovered that the essence and crux of what I've been trying to get across for the past decade has been seldom understood; assuming, of course, that understanding leads to action.  Perhaps that's the flaw in my thinking.  I'm not really sure.

I shake my head as nearly everyone I know continues to waste valuable time and resources focusing on themselves.  Instead of being the passionate catalyst that creates meaningful, empowering, self-referential stories in others' minds, most prefer to cleverly craft and broadcast their stories.

Has the framework and context of my thought somehow hidden the meaning behind my message?  Can someone tell me?

Swim with the current

Have you ever been swimming and been caught in a strong current?  If so, you know that it is fatal to resist.  So what must you do?  Swim with the current and gradually edge to the side.

Why are so many organizations and businesses (hell, entire industries for that matter) resisting the marketplace changes  that are overwhelming them?  Because they're scared.  Watch nervous and frustrated people in a rapidly moving current.  They're always very agitated and "busy."

If you intend to remain viable as a business, realize that there is no escape from the current.  The marketplace is the current.  Turbulence is inescapable.  Resistance as a defense only makes things worse. Instead, remain stable and absorb.  Yield to the current and make your way, surely and swiftly, to a new shore.

Television viewing is at an all-time high

Moviegoing is up as well.  Why do you think that's so?  Here's what I think: Life is hard right now.  The story of me, and how it will play out, is draining. The stories of others, real or imagined, is a relief. TV and movies are easy and cheap diversions.  So is idle conversation at the local pub or on Facebook. 

There's certainly nothing wrong with a little entertainment, but now is not the time to escape.  The more you try to escape, the more you'll inflame the affliction.  Yes, you want peace of mind. We all do.  But your attempt to pacify it is like trying to bottle the ocean waves.

Right now, the principal thing to understand is that there is no such thing as safety and security.  It's an illusion.  And I'm not telling you to face this fact; that's an illusion as well.  I'm saying, be the insecurity!  Ride the waves! Try something new . . . today!  Let the fearful find escape in the story of you.

Overheard in a local coffee shop

1959 - "I'm unemployed."
1969 - "I'm finding myself."
1979 - "I'm between jobs."
1989 - "I'm a consultant."
1999 - I'm building an internet business."
2009 - "I'm working on my personal brand."

Interesting Week 16 of 2009

1. Advertising Yourself: Building a Personal Brand through Social Networks

Social networking and new media are critical tools for professionals looking to reshape their careers, experts say. "The most important part is being consistent, [to establish] brand consistency across the various channels," writes Eric Bradlow, co-director of the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative. Knowledge@Wharton

2. The Scot Heard Round the World

Unknown Susan Boyle rocks "Britain's Got Talent" and YouTube.  The Washington Post

3. Ad copy designed to stimulate

References to the economic stimulus package are trickling into advertising copy, including ads promoting CBS programming, Uncle Ben's rice, Gold's Gym, the Baltimore Orioles and even Trojan condoms.  The New York Times

4. An age of turbulence

Macroeconomists may be calling it "great moderation," but executives on the ground describe a time of great volatility -- and most of them don't like it, writes London Business School professor Don Sull. He cautions execs against panicking, advising them to instead focus on the competitive advantages such upheavals can create. "Many companies have a chief risk officer, but how many employ a chief opportunity officer?"  Financial Times

5. Say it ain't so, Jim!

The peppery Tom Peters rebuts a recent article in the Boston Globe that "attacked the value and validity of the most popular business books;" including his and Waterman's classic, "In Search of Excellence."  Tom also gives Jim Collins a piece of his mind.   Tom Peters.com

Do What They Love

Have you ever read that if you do what you love, the money will follow.  Don't believe it.  Read why in "Do What They Love" when you get a chance.  Here's the link (PDF):

http://tinyurl.com/c7nek9

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