Or, ever seen something remarkably simple that
stuck in your mind? Yesterday I was
driving home and took the usual route which ends with me stuck in traffic on a small
down gradient hill expectantly waiting to transverse the final roundabout
before home. Here I saw it; a poster, a
photograph of the saddest looking white cat with black face. This feline had a small multi coloured tie
around its slightly scrawny almost underfed neck and one of this moggy’s eyes
was slightly offset down to the left as if indicating a sad outlook on life. The poster strapline ‘Have you seen Blackie?’
I am writing this blog from a
West London suburb traffic queue. It has
got my overactive activist brain pondering a matter which has perplexed me
recently. In fact such enigmas require
audience participation through the medium of blogging.
Here it is…
Question 1: What do the
following subjects have in common?- Pete
and Maureen’s dog grooming, Akan Tandoori, Wooden Blinds Cars. Yes, correct, they all have a major role in
the destruction of South American rain forestry because they are a regular
feature of my door mat. And I wonder
what the communication policy of these companies is; imagine a small dimly lit
room, a consultant facilitator and the Directors of each organisation
participating in a well versed model which reaches its mission statement and
values crescendo with the earth shattering delivery plan - ‘to dump leaflets in
every house, each Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday until submission of the
householder is gained’. Now I have to be
careful here! Understanding as I do that
marketing is crucial, (see previous blogs) sales are essential and constant
visibility is enduring; but what do we actually see, hear, feel, taste or even
smell? What makes us be drawn and what
draws you to an organisation (or a cat?).
Question 2: Close your eyes
and think of the first organisation that comes to mind, so which one came up
what made you do that? Who was it and
why? I certainly didn’t see Pete, Maureen
a curry or Nat West’s valeting service or whatever it was. Stephen Hawking said ‘communication is the
key’ and adversely George Bernard Shaw famously quotes ‘The single biggest
problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place’. Which spectrum is your communication product,
a Stephen Hawking or a George Bernard Shaw?
I recently worked with an MD
from an engineering company and asked him what their Unique Selling Point is;
he thought and pondered and squirmed a bit and then said, ‘well we are no worse
than the others’. Outstanding! Imagine the leaflet on your doormat ‘JJ
Engineering, no worse than the others’.
Certainly in Zest we use
simply this - ‘The meaning of communication is the response you get’ - measure
the response and you grasp the success. Part two of the communication seminar in the
dimly lit room would be the response plan; how do we stop all our expensive
graphically exclusive colourful leaflets ending up in the blue recycle bin?
I am in a West London Suburb
because my business partner Elaine sent me an e mail strongly urging Zest Business
Coaching to get into action, but because of a typo I am here in Acton. I’m looking forward to seeing Blackie on the
way home.
