You Sleep When You Die
you sleep when you die...and other unpopular thoughts from retail marketing leader, Jordan Zimmerman
Too many people believe Romney is removed from the concerns of everyday Americans. His VP choice, which may be announced soon, should address that problem. Independents are concerned that Romney is a little too smooth, a little too careful, a little too scripted — all supposedly signs that he is out of touch with what working people face in tough times.
Whether they show up in movies, TV, or any other medium, advertising messages that are placed thoughtlessly defeat their own purpose. If they show no evidence of being part of any coherent brand strategy or if they’re just jammed into places they obviously don’t belong, they do more harm than good. If a message causes consumers to laugh at (not with) your brand, guess what? You’ve got a problem.
Timeline helps marketers tell a better, clearer story … but no matter what new tools marketers launch with it, having a solid strategy and the right team will still make the biggest difference. The marketers who take advantage of whatever the latest Facebook game-change is (including Timeline) will be the ones who are plugged in, ready to adapt, and crystal clear on where they want to take their brand and why. Just changing out your cover photo and creating some app icons is not enough!
I think that’s got to be the ultimate focus group test. When a room full of nine- and ten-year-old kids start cheering for your brand, you’ve got to be doing something right.
Has JC Penney started a new, forward-looking chapter in its history? One problem for me, though, is that the chain’s initial national TV ad campaign was way off the mark. It was discombobulated, and it didn’t connect. I wasn’t sure what customers were suppose to take away from the ads, what value they were articulating, or what action they were meant to inspire. And there’s a deeper problem to look at. Unfortunately, when you walk into the JC Penney store environment now, any interest or excitement they might have created doesn’t work. The stores are still the same old stores.
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