Comments for It's The Customer Stupid http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com Lessons Learned In A Lifetime Of Marketing Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:30:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Let Them Drink Beer by Beth Shepherd http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/let-them-drink-beer/#comment-27 Beth Shepherd Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:30:19 +0000 http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/?p=245#comment-27 Congratulations, Ralph! I certainly took this lesson away with me from my time with you. Hope the book is a great success. I'll do my bit and order one. Congratulations, Ralph! I certainly took this lesson away with me from my time with you. Hope the book is a great success. I’ll do my bit and order one.

]]> Comment on Communicate Second — Research First by Jay R. Burns http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/communicate-second-research-first/#comment-15 Jay R. Burns Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:43:06 +0000 http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/?p=44#comment-15 Ralph it has been a long time since I have communicated with you. Your article in the paper the other day was right on. My wife,Judy, is manager of the Hilton Garden Inn on Kent Island, and she applies the principals you talked about to her employees(tying to get them customer friendly) and especially to the customers who stay there. A great article, Ralph. Jay Ralph it has been a long time since I have communicated with you. Your article in the paper the other day was right on. My wife,Judy, is manager of the Hilton Garden Inn on Kent Island, and she applies the principals you talked about to her employees(tying to get them customer friendly) and especially to the customers who stay there.
A great article, Ralph.
Jay

]]> Comment on Customer-Centric Marketing by Tim Williams http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/customer-centric-marketing/#comment-3 Tim Williams Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:33:01 +0000 http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/?p=91#comment-3 Both agencies and marketers need a much bigger dose of this medicine. I've always found it curious that most companies equate marketing with selling, when in fact marketing plays a much larger role. I also love Drucker's observation that "selling and marketing are anithetical rather than synonymous or even complimentary" and that "the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous." Keep up the great work with the blog, Ralph. And if you have any more Drucker stories, please share them! Both agencies and marketers need a much bigger dose of this medicine. I’ve always found it curious that most companies equate marketing with selling, when in fact marketing plays a much larger role.

I also love Drucker’s observation that “selling and marketing are anithetical rather than synonymous or even complimentary” and that “the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous.”

Keep up the great work with the blog, Ralph. And if you have any more Drucker stories, please share them!

]]> Comment on Communicate Second — Research First by Ralph Crosby http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/communicate-second-research-first/#comment-2 Ralph Crosby Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:11:34 +0000 http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/?p=44#comment-2 J.F. I love the wisdom of old city editors. This advice proves what I have always known: Journalism is a good training ground for marketing. In today's story-telling, content critical online age, you have to think like a journalist. Thanks for the story. Ralph J.F. I love the wisdom of old city editors. This advice proves what I have always known: Journalism is a good training ground for marketing. In today’s story-telling, content critical online age, you have to think like a journalist. Thanks for the story. Ralph

]]> Comment on Communicate Second — Research First by J.F. McKenna http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/communicate-second-research-first/#comment-1 J.F. McKenna Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:51:43 +0000 http://www.its-the-customer-stupid.com/?p=44#comment-1 When I was an eager but inexperienced reporter, my old city editor told me, “You’ll never know if you don’t ask. If you don’t know, you don’t have a story.” That advice works in marketing, too. Many years later, I worked with a company that wanted a slogan — a “signature.” This high-tech company offered a variety of material-handling technologies — from pressure-sensitive labeling to RFID tracking strategies — as well as multiple customer bases. Everything suggested to date had been rejected. The company was unhappy. What did the company execs want? I asked. The answer: a tagline that captured attention yet still told the exact story. Nothing more, nothing less. Save the boneless catchphrase for some other business. The solution: “In every sense…you can identify with us.” That slogan now appears “above the fold” on the corporate website, telegraphing to any visitor the company’s mission and its pledge. It’s true — ask and ye shall receive. More important, ye shall deliver. When I was an eager but inexperienced reporter, my old city editor told me, “You’ll never know if you don’t ask. If you don’t know, you don’t have a story.”

That advice works in marketing, too.

Many years later, I worked with a company that wanted a slogan — a “signature.” This high-tech company offered a variety of material-handling technologies — from pressure-sensitive labeling to RFID tracking strategies — as well as multiple customer bases. Everything suggested to date had been rejected. The company was unhappy.

What did the company execs want? I asked. The answer: a tagline that captured attention yet still told the exact story. Nothing more, nothing less. Save the boneless catchphrase for some other business.

The solution: “In every sense…you can identify with us.” That slogan now appears “above the fold” on the corporate website, telegraphing to any visitor the company’s mission and its pledge.

It’s true — ask and ye shall receive. More important, ye shall deliver.

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