One of the biggest challenges in today’s marketplace is the ability to notice change, because we all like to mentally grasp for security and predictability. We resist changing the way we look at the world. But we must, because every new marketplace change and exchange creates some kind of cultural change, which in turn creates more marketplace change and exchange. Most importantly, it creates a change in customer expectations.
Before Amazon.com people expected websites to load fairly slowly and to require multiple screens to place an order. Not any longer. Prior to nursing homes, people expected to care for their elderly family members in their homes. Not now. Prior to the Internet, people would deal with a recession by modifying their behavior in the short-term, eventually returning to their comfortable buying habits motivated primarily by mass media advertising . No more. Today people have become active discerners of marketplace value and their well-informed changes are becoming more permanent.
Marketing, technology and innovation change brands (which are expectations) whether a brand does anything to change itself or not. If you're part of your audience's world, if you're engaged with them, you'll be able to stay on top of their changing expectations and deliver value in ways that are meaningful for the times. If not, well, you can always try changing your brand name, logo or tagline. That might work.
Posted June 24, 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
As rightly said the only thing that wont change is the need for change. We typecast over selves in daily lives and though hate being monotonous try to reap as much without changing things. I believe Change has to be imbibed in to the company's culture. And leaders to be bestowed the responsibilities of taking quick decisions on small changes that can create great impacts
BTW seems the tagline link requires login others are open pages
Posted by: Chanda | BizDharma.com | June 24, 2009 at 05:19 AM
I loved your recent book, titled "A Little Less..."
As a video producer and branding consultant, I find it both funny AND sad that so many advertising professionals are insisting on making themselves obsolete by pitching obsolete thinking to their clients. Yours is honestly the first book I've seen that takes a fresh and clear look at the landscape for branding and promotion. At least YOU get it that it's no longer about bombarding potential buyers with messages. Now, it's all about relationships.
I don't think that's even debatable anymore. We're in the midst of a shakeup in the ad industry -- a changing of the guard, so to speak, is happening right now. It's inevitable. Either embrace the changes in the public's mindset, or hang it up, because it's here, whether we like it or not.
Posted by: Dan Gunter | June 25, 2009 at 07:37 AM
Hey, your posts have inspired me! - I love the way you directly get to the point, and then work outwards. I’ve been trying to do figure out what I want to say about ,that would allow me to do exactly the same thing.
Posted by: chi hair straightener | June 25, 2009 at 11:46 PM
Chanda is so correct with her observation that change and culture are linked. Change looks one heck of a lot different from the perspective of those in the organization who decree it than it does to those who have to execute it.
Change is a process (a series of tasks that produce something). When planned for and managed correctly it eliminates "fear". I work in the wireless industry where products get launched before the folks who have to provide the customer service get the information and training needed to support them. Yet who gets held accountable when the complaints start?
Posted by: Dave Wheeler | June 27, 2009 at 10:01 AM