I’m sure you’ve heard the definition of madness: Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. But have you heard of the "First Rule of Holes?” When you’re in one, stop digging! I see it all the time. Organizations are lost, but they’re making really good time.
Ask yourself, and really think about it: Is my organization producing the growth in customers, members, revenues, donations, profits, etc. that it is designed to produce? Like it or not your answer has to be “yes,” because the design determines the results.
The challenge for anyone in a leadership position in today’s hypercompetitive marketplace is to stop digging, get over one’s aversion to the word “branding,” and fully understand the concept. And then to make sure that your entire organization truly understands and conveys the essence of your “brand” - the unique expectation of value that you create and deliver - in every single word and action.
Stop spending time and money on activities that no one cares about. Follow the wisdom of Peter Drucker when he said that the purpose of an enterprise is to “create a satisfied customer and deliver all of the parts of the enterprise in the service of the customer.” It’s not about fulfilling a mission, making sales, garnering donations, or even making profits. Those will come naturally when you create customers and keep them motivated to return and to bring their friends.
It’s about being other-focused and making the discovery and fulfillment of your customers’ desires part of everyone’s daily work routine: from conversations around the water cooler to meetings, presentations, and even quality improvement activities. Branding must become everyone’s job! Your new imperative is to assess and appeal to your audience’s desires and feelings and induce behavior—period!
Feelings and behavior are the basis for all profit generating consumption in a market at the mercy of customer choice. Focus on feelings, especially the subtle ones that customers themselves cannot articulate. And if you’re doing something that has no impact on their feelings and behavior, ask yourself: Can we make it have an impact and how? And if not, can we eliminate the activity and save precious time and money?
Winston Churchill said a long time ago that no matter how beautiful the strategy, occasionally you have to look at the results. I'm sure you have a very beautiful strategy. But if your results are lacking, it's time to change your design.
Posted June 22, 2009
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Tom is timely, thought provoking and all about the new brand vision packaged as a Seinfeld stand up. I went to school on his ideas.
Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com and CEO, Eons.
When Tom Asacker writes, I read. Opportunity Screams is the right message for the right time.
Tom Peters
I agree totally Tom! Great post! I don't understand why it is so hard to get this message across, but "luckily" for us it is!
Posted by: Thomas Stack | June 22, 2009 at 09:51 AM
The design determines the results. If you do not see results, then it is time to change the design. I agree that one should not work for money, but work for the customers. Sales and profit will ultimately come from their satisfaction.
Posted by: Michelle Chun-Hoon | June 26, 2009 at 05:11 PM