Unlike the ironic sentiment often expressed when quoting (or, as in this case, vitiating) Shakespeare's Richard III, I am not suggesting that attention is unimportant. I am, however, suggesting that businesses obsession with attention is misplaced, at best. And the fact that major industries have evolved to feed this obsession, simply adds to the problem.
This past week, during my speaking engagements in the beautiful state of Hawaii, I was queried by more than a few media executives and entrepreneurs about efficiently gaining marketplace attention. It is finally becoming obvious (to some) that the increasing cost of attention in a brand and information saturated marketplace can be a business model killer.
My feedback was duly obvious, but not easy. I helped them understand that what they were really after was sustained attention. Attention is fleeting when the field is teeming with beautiful butterflies. Unless a particular butterfly has inherent value and meaning that's distinctly important to the "consumer," it simply blends into the marketplace mosaic.
Sure, if something pops into view, people will be compelled to look at it . . . once! But spending money to force it to pop into someone's view is a flawed approach. Like the buzz of mosquitos, the annoyance will ultimately be ignored or brushed off. If they become a big problem, folks will purchase products to eliminate them.
Instead, attention must be infused with compelling value so that people get drawn into it, talk about it, and return to it. Creating marketplace value, and the process of conveying said value to gain sustained attention, is not a marketing afterthought. It's not something that you paint on. It's strategic!
As Michael Porter makes clear, "Strategy is about being different. It means deliberatively choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value. Otherwise, a strategy is nothing more than a marketing slogan."
Today's marketplace is brimming with marketing slogans. And unfortunately, many - like General Motors - have traded their kingdoms for the fleeting attention of fickle consumers. Don't make the same mistake. Don't be deluded into believing that transient attention, like one appearance on Oprah, is your meal ticket to success. Those simpler times are gone forever.
Attention matters. But value matters more, because value creates sustained attention - the new marketplace imperative. And gaining sustained attention is hard work. It must be earned each and every day by creatively providing an evolving mix of unique and compelling value. So take a long hard look at what you are producing, including your marketing, and make sure that it gains attention by delivering value. If it doesn't, send it back to the drawing board.
Posted May 20, 2009
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