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Preston Tucker And The Future.

1/29/2019

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During a neighborhood walk with friends several mornings ago, we got talking about Preston Tucker and his innovative automobile from the late 1940s. Thirty years ago, I had written a client speech on the subject, so went searching through basement files (the old paper kind) ‘til I found it. The subject seemed just as fresh today as it did back then.   

It was just after World War II when Preston Tucker, a former policeman, car salesman and engineer/tinkerer, grabbed the future by its collar and shook it. New cars hadn’t been produced since 1942, and the fresh-from-Detroit 1946 models were warmed-over prewar designs. Tucker, however, imagined something radically different, an innovative design that would turn heads and help build the fortune that had always seemed to elude him.  His vision of tomorrow’s automobile took shape in the barn back of his house in Michigan, which housed the Ypsilanti Machine & Tool Company where Tucker had designed (but never could bring to market) an armored car,  an innovative tank turret and a fighter plane.

What eventually would become known as the Tucker Torpedo for its daring new shape was a revolutionary car.  A safe car.  A fast car.  A fuel-efficient car.  A car that could stop on a dime.  A car that knocked your eyes out.  

The Tucker ‘48 was incredible. Nobody had ever seen (or imagined) anything like it. His car was built low to the ground and shaped like the future. It had a windshield wide as a picture window that was designed to pop out in a crash, saving the driver and passenger from popping it out with their heads. It had a third headlight in the center, which pivoted for a better view of the road as the car turned. The engine was in the back. It was fuel-injected and there was a double transaxle to drive the rear wheels. It wasn't clunky looking like most other post-war cars. And wasn't slow, either.  The Tucker Torpedo could go 120 mph - with handling and endurance to match. A prototype Tucker ran around a test track for 24 hours and got 25 miles per gallon. When the car was rolled over at 95 mph to prove how safe it was, the driver walked away from the wreck unscathed, and the car was driven away after one tire change. The windshield popped out, just as planned.

People loved the Tucker Torpedo and wanted to buy them (priced at $2,000, when the average new car cost around $1,200). Crowds surrounded the car everywhere Tucker went. Over time, he raised enough money to put together the people and facility to manufacture and market the car, and although his future seemed assured, the Tucker was a failure. Preston Tucker's dream to produce the finest automobile ever made never got to spread its wings, partly because of his own business and financial limitations but also because of crushing political pressure said to have been engineered by the Big Three American auto manufacturers, who perceived the Torpedo as immediate threat to their future. Only fifty-one Tuckers were ever produced.

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The "competition” may have helped assure a lack of his cars in our future, but Preston Tucker had something to say about that future. It was a sharp warning for America.

“If big business closes the door to the little guy with new ideas,” he said (quoted in a 1988 film about his life and dream), “we might just as well let the Japanese and the Germans walk in here and tell us what to do. We’re going to wake up one morning and find ourselves at the bottom of the heap instead of being king of the hill. We’ll end up preferring things from outside the country to things that Americans build right here. There will probably come a day when we’ll be buying our cars and radios and appliances from our former enemies.” 

People laughed at Preston Tucker’s predictions. They had no concept of a time when American-made automobiles, radios and televisions would nearly be overrun by well-designed, well-made products from Japan and Germany. All they could think about was now. The war was over and heretofore scarce consumer goods had begun reappearing on American shelves. There was a huge demand for new cars as a promising future reached toward the second half of the century. With the demise of Tucker Motor Company, American automakers knew exactly what their near future could have looked like had Tucker’s “car of tomorrow today” succeeded. 

There’s a scene in the film where Tucker is in the barn trying to convince his small development team that there was just about enough steel in a tank turret prototype they had laying around from which to build an automobile prototype.

“Can anybody look me in the eye and say we can’t do it?” Tucker challenged.

The prototype did get built, despite Detroit's scheming, and so did fifty more Tuckers. Forty-seven are said to survive today, at least one of which sold not long ago for close to $3-million. The company didn’t make it, however, and the reasons for that remain controversial, but the car was ahead of its time before it left the sketchpad. The mere reason that Preston Tucker tried and almost succeeded gives us reason alone to admire this man who looked fifty years into the future and got to work making things happen.

Takeaway:  If you believe your product has enduring and marketable value, do everything you can to tell the world about it in a way that it takes hold in your prospects' minds -- and doesn't let go until they become your customers.

 
Note: This reflection on Preston Tucker and the Tucker Torpedo was adapted from a 1989 client business presentation about Future Perfect Thinking.    © 2019 by Brian E. Faulkner

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Steinways For Peace.

11/8/2016

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Pictureimage © by Brian E. Faulkner
There is uncertainty afoot in the land. Confusion reigns: political confusion, economic confusion and often just plain life confusion. It was in light of all this certain uncertainty that I found myself musing about a most intriguing bit of information that crossed my desk recently: that of all the people who buy Steinway & Sons pianos, something like 25% of them are physicians.
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Consider two possibilities that may draw so many doctors to the piano in general and to Steinway in particular. ​​First, physicians tend to be achievers, and achievers take on multiple challenges, even as children. So you can imagine more future doctors taking piano lessons than the rest of us and achieving a respectable level of competence, showing early on the perseverance it takes to make it through eight or ten years of medical training.

Pictureimage @ by Brian E. Faulkner
And second, physicians tend to be extraordinarily busy people entwined with the needs of their patients, research, teaching, etc.  And since they are not made of stone, it isn’t always easy for them to let go of their day’s work.  Clearly, some docs relax on the drive home, cocooned within their luxury automobile, while others wind down with a cocktail before dinner - or even a soothing cup of chamomile tea. But a surprising percentage of physicians turn to the piano for relaxation. Just placing their hands on the keys can have a cathartic effect.  And then the music takes them away.

What is there about a piano … especially a Steinway … that can move someone so profoundly? 

For the most part, it has to do with the touch and tone crafted into each instrument. A Steinway simply gives back more, reaches out and connects at a deeper level (people say) than other pianos that cost as much or more. Which makes what a doctor may experience while playing his Steinway at home not much different than what Lang Lang or Martha Argerich may experience onstage.  A concert performer’s experience occurs at a more rarified level, to be sure, but may be no less heartfelt. 

“It’s immersive -- and such good therapy,” one Steinway-playing physician told me.  

Where does this highly personal resonance between player and piano come from?

There are, of course, many design and manufacturing variables to consider in the creation of a Steinway.  But what it comes down to most is … wood … the care with which each piece is selected and the way in which all 12-thousand or so endlessly fussed over parts connect with one another and then speak to the player with a single voice.  The most shaded nuance, the most passionate fortissimo is given birth in a touch of the key and strike of the hammer, then is amplified in the piano’s soundboard heart and shaped by the massive maple rim that helps enrich every note.   

But it is here we must stop and return to the world and its worries.  For it is in that context that a Steinway rewards most eloquently, whether doctor, lawyer, corporate chief -- or even a blog writer.  It’s a great escape for busy minds and weary bodies … and so peaceful.

​Expensive?  Yes.  But for those who can afford it, worth every dime.

​As that same physician says, “It's such good therapy.”
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TakeAway:  If your brand touches the heart and improves people's lives, there always will be demand for your product.

© 2016 by Brian E. Faulkner.  All rights reserved.

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What Price Luxury?  The Limitless Appeal of Veblen Goods.

5/14/2015

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Picture- Image © by Brian E. Faulkner -
Tags:  Steinway & Sons, Veblen goods, Apple Watch, Pam Danziger, HENRYs, Mercedes-Benz CLA, BMW 2-series, '55 Ford, '57 Chevy, Ford Victoria, Chevy Bel Air

It’s said that one man’s luxury is another man’s necessity.  

I recall some years ago hearing of a serious music student who slept underneath a huge Steinway & Sons concert grand that barely fit into his Manhattan apartment, which otherwise was adorned with furnishings constructed from painted cinder blocks and cheap shelving.  The 9-foot piano was not a luxury.  It was a necessity, a critical key to furthering his career as a concert pianist.

“Luxury” gets sliced and diced any number of ways depending on how you view it.  There are luxury homes, luxury cars, luxury wines and luxury vacations, some of which cost millions and others only hundreds.  You might be able to afford a luxury cruise (short of commissioning your own yacht) but hard-pressed to spend more than your annual salary for a mid-sized Steinway to encourage your average 12-year-old to stick with her piano lessons – although during my time selling pianos, I have seen parents stretch to make that kind of purchase for their talented, truly dedicated offspring.  I would classify these folks as need-based buyers.  At the same time, I’ve also seen want-based buyers purchase expensive instruments to set in their living rooms.  Though they didn’t play a note, the piano matched their furniture and the brand name on its fallboard spoke eloquently of their luxurious lifestyle.

The notion of luxury gets tangled up somewhere between need and want.  Some things are luxurious because we can’t afford them but want them, while other things are luxurious because we want them and can afford them.

Around the cusp of the 20th century, an American economist named Thorstein Veblen observed in Theory of the Leisure Class that the demand for certain commodities was proportional to their high price.  In other words, if you really want some uber-expensive indulgence, you’ll gladly pay the price because it enhances your status in a conspicuous sort of way.  At that level of net worth, of course, money isn't much of a problem, although these days a million doesn't go as far as it used to ... $100-million if you live in Manhattan. 

Thus, Veblen goods.

At the other end of the luxury spectrum is what marketing consultant Pam Danziger has dubbed the HENRYs, the High-Earner-Not-Rich-Yet “mass segment of the affluent consumer market” with annual incomes of $100,000 to $250,000.  Which means they’re doing better than nearly 80% of Americans.   It’s these folks that Tim Cook & Company appears to be targeting with their Apple Watch and clever luxury launch.  It will be interesting to see if Apple’s new entry into the watch marketing space can straddle the fence between need and want (especially among Millennials) while creating demand up and down the luxury ladder and dipping down into the middle class.

High end automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have become adept in recent years at driving desire for their luxury brands down through the HENRYs to the middle class (Danziger’s middle class appears to top out at $99,999). Mercedes now offers the price-seductive CLA pegged right at the average outlay for a new car in the U.S. ($31,000), and BMW’s sporty new 2-series can be had for just a bit more. 

Of course, today’s average new car is ludicrously luxurious compared to those of 60 years ago, which weren’t so well equipped – or efficient or safe.   Back in 1955, a sparkling new Ford or Chevy cost under $2000 and probably didn’t have air conditioning or maybe even an automatic.  But in those days the average American worker only took home $5,000. Today’s average salary is more than ten times that, although it’s interesting to note that the average new car costs less relative to income (36% of the average salary now vs. 55% sixty years ago). 

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But, irony of ironies, some well-kept original or recently restored automotive icons from way back then, such as Ford Victorias and Chevy Bel Airs (primarily the two-door or four-door hardtop models), now are back in demand in a big way, and the better ones can easily top $31,000.  There’s a ’55 goldenrod yellow and raven black (bumble bee) Ford Victoria for sale nearby that I would love to have.   But I still can’t afford it. 

So thanks a lot, Thorstein Veblen!

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner



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Subaru Love:  IT'S All About Story.

4/30/2015

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Picture- Image © Brian E. Faulkner -
Tags:  Subaru, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Nikon, Kodak

Do you own a Subaru?  

If so, you probably love it – because a Subaru is versatile, safe, lasts a long time, is great to haul pets around in, performs well, makes a statement about larger community issues and drives you to adventure. 

People write love letters to Subaru:

Dear Subaru,
This morning was cool and although it had not rained, the road was damp from morning dew. I was driving in the left lane of a two lane highway. I came over a crest in the road to find three cars stopped in the right lane …
Somehow, the driver of that Subaru, a 2013 Legacy sedan, not only avoided an almost certainly serious accident – twice – but escaped without a scratch on either him or his car, thanks to the Subaru’s handling. 
My Subie never skidded uncontrollably. It never failed me. I cleared the entire accident scene completely unscathed. I love my Legacy today, not for helping survive an accident but for completely saving me from having one. Thank you Subaru, you've earned my respect, my gratitude and my loyalty.  
Marketers who want customers to maximize the use and enjoyment of their products will do well to take a page from Subaru’s book.   More than any brand of any product category I can think of, Subaru has consistently and successfully painted a compelling picture of customers in their target market – in their advertising and on their Web site.  The idea, of course, is that if you see yourself reflected in product marketing, you’re likely to want to buy that product, which is one reason why Subaru’s conquest sales are so high.

Subaru buyers are relatively young, well-educated and have higher incomes than the average car buyer.  And they are thrifty; according to a 2011 study, 36% of Subaru customers pay cash.   They support causes, too; check out the first Subaru you come to in a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s parking lot.  Its bumpers likely will be festooned with stickers heralding all kinds of political and environmental values. 

Last year, my 30-something daughter and son-in-law, who live in the Pacific Northwest, one of Subaru’s strongest markets, bought a slate gray Subaru Forester.  Their family of three fit the car’s profile to a T, and as you might suspect, they did not choose their Subaru on a whim.  They knew what they wanted and went for it, after riding for years in a blue ’78 Volvo 240 wagon (that my daughter now uses to transport her landscaping tools). 

I think people “tune-in” to Subaru, and when they buy one, it seems to be an experience-based decision – plus a dash of emotion.

“The brand has a razor-sharp understanding of its owners,” writes MediaPost automotive reporter Karl Greenberg in an article profiling a Subaru TV spot that ran last September.  You may recall the ad:  a hippie grandmother tries to explain her long-ago “Summer of Love” to a young granddaughter, both of them riding in the back of the family Outback while Mom and Dad look on quizzically in the rear view mirror.  In a single creative sweep, Subaru stretches their appeal over two-plus generations while airing a spot people enjoy – and remember.   The entire family ends up hugging a tree.

Subaru is strong on story.  No matter where you go on their Web site, you’re never far from one:
Dear Subaru,
This is the story of my wonderful parents.  After 65 years of working his whole life, my father and my ‘stay at home’ mom embarked upon a cross-country adventure with their dog Buck, a Subaru Outback and a small teardrop trailer … following their dream to travel the country.  After a lot of planning they set off from the Florida Panhandle all the way to Washington State and back.  I cannot help but think they are using their Outback for the EXACT purpose it was made.  They are wonderful people and deserve to enjoy life …”

Nikon gives cameras to ordinary people and then posts their pictures online, a story without words.  Kodak understood that a long time ago; they didn’t sell film as much as they sold pictures.  Story was at the center of their marketing strategy … and should be at yours.   Because it’s the only way to get into people hearts.  And stay there.

“What makes a Subaru a Subaru?” the company asks.   The answer, of course, is … LOVE.   

TakeAway:  Sell the experience, sell the enjoyment.  Sell the pleasure of using your product.  Then the customers you want most will want you, too.

Content © Brian E. Faulkner

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Don't Mess With Your Brand Story.

4/29/2015

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PictureImage © by Brian E. Faulkner
Tags: Microsoft, NPR, George Zimmer, Men’s Wearhouse, Joseph Abboud, Jos. A. Bank, Ford Motor Company, GM, Cadillac, Buick, Ford, Lincoln, Apple, Coca-Cola, New Coke
Every brand, company, product or service has a story – just like people.  People’s stories are a combination of image and reputation, which can be anything from well focused to wildly irresponsible.   Some businesses may be well-positioned (in a controlled, strategic sense) while others cast their reputation to the wind, allowing the marketplace to define who they are and what they represent.   Call it default positioning.   The example that most often comes to my mind is Microsoft, which hasn’t done a great positioning job.  There are many “Microsofts” out there, depending on who's doing the talking.  

Heard an interview with George Zimmer on NPR this morning.  His topic was paying people more, even at the expense of company profits.  But what grabbed my attention was his distinctive gravelly voice, the one he used on television when he was boss of The Men’s Wearhouse – you know the one:  

“You’re going to like the way you look. “I guarantee it!”  

Every spot had a story, and as leader-spokesperson, Zimmer was deeply imbedded in the Men’s Wearhouse image -- along with that famous tagline.  I can’t help but notice that the Men’s Wearhouse strategic positioning has become less distinctive since Zimmer was forced out, supposedly because of management disagreements.  Something’s missing from their advertising, and it’s not just Zimmer.   Despite the few recent Men’s Wearhouse spots featuring signature suit designer Joseph Abboud, their marketing seems focused more on price, like their long-time competitor, Jos. A. Bank, which Men’s Wearhouse purchased early in 2014 after a turbulent takeover battle.   

The takeaway here is that a strong brand story should not be discarded so readily, although I’m sure the Men’s Warehouse board thought long and hard about the strategic consequences of dumping Zimmer.   I find it discouraging, however, that they’ve fallen back on price advertising after such success with set-apart positioning, although it must be working or they wouldn’t do it.  But I’ll bet their margins aren’t as good as when Zimmer was hawking the wares, because price was hardly mentioned in his spots and, as I recall, Wall Street liked the stock.

I have several friends and acquaintances, each with a business in the same retail category.  Two of them ride a high-price wave supported by a brand story that's more than 150 years old.  They don’t have to sell on price and, as a result, get high margins.  Another friend sells the same type of high-end merchandise at market prices, although different brands.  His business story has been established for well over 50 years; customers seek him out because of his quality reputation.  Still others I know in that same business always seem to be wrestling with price.  They don’t command the margins they could because their business stories are indistinct.  They don’t have a Marketable Truth© to stand on. 

Both Ford Motor Company and GM currently are wrestling with their image stories.  GM is in the latter stages of rebooting its Cadillac brand to compete with the best German luxury performance sedans; they've had enough success that Cadillac is no longer seen as exclusively for oldsters seeking a luxury nameplate and plush ride.   Buick, another GM brand that used to have a fuddy-duddy image, is experiencing a surprising sales renaissance driven by rising demand in China, where the brand has become a status symbol.  Different time, different story.

Ford also is into a bit of image retooling of late.  Lincoln (finally!) is thinking about abandoning its confusing alphabet soup model designations in favor of real names like Continental and possibly even Zephyr.   All while Ford grapples with a negative quality blip brought about in recent years by a dashboard communication and entertainment system that has proven troublesome and hard to use – so much so that auto enthusiast Web sites are recommending that people wait ‘til a redesigned system comes out on the 2016 models later this year to purchase their new Fords and Lincolns.   

When I think of brand image, however, I think most often about Apple.  They were an upstart at first, but gradually built a business, operating system and reputation that out-shined the king of personal computers at that time, the venerable IBM.  Will gutsy moves into new product categories like luxury watches and even automobiles sour Apple’s reputation?  Not likely, because they’ve told and retold their brand story so well – and so long – that they’re as close to invincible as any business or brand out there.

Even so, in this day of social-driven media, there are new voices everywhere, and some percentage is quick to broadcast bad news.  One exemplary misstep marketers are quick to recall is the New Coke debacle of 1985, when Coca-Cola almost lost its way -- and that was before the Internet became so widely available.  This very day, April 29, 2015, online rumblings are afoot about a second brand of listeria-laden ice cream and a major beer maker’s label that seems to make light of rape.

Reputation or image -- call it what you will -- can bite you in the backside any minute … but also can help lead you to greatness.  All the more reason to consider whether your brand, business, product or service is solidly positioned in today’s uber-competitive, uber-critical world.

 TakeAway:  Shape your strategic position carefully.  And guard your brand story for dear life.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner        
Marketable Truth © by Brian E. Faulkner




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Why Toyota's Camry Is Like The Velveteen Rabbit -- and Cadillac's CT6 Is Not.

4/6/2015

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Picture- image courtesy of Toyota -
Tags:  Toyota Camry, Cadillac CT6, Buick, Ford Fusion, The Velveteen Rabbit

Two creative approaches to automobile advertising have caught my eye of late: spots on TV and online for Cadillac’s revolutionary new CT6 luxury performance sedan and a television / online campaign for Toyota’s competent but non-revolutionary Camry.   One campaign engages the mind, the other tugs at the heart.   One campaign is daring, the other is bold.   One is cool and self-centric, the other warm and other-centric.  Both ads are effective.

Let’s start with Toyota, for whom Saatchi, LA has created a series of spots declaring the heretofore ordinary Camry now to be bold – at least by association, because the car only plays a bit part in the ads.  The real drama happens in stories that wrap themselves around the car: 

A young woman finds B.B. King’s guitar in a storage unit, and after “tracking down a legend” in her Camry, returns it to him. 

Another young woman escapes from her wedding just in time, and the getaway car is … a Camry. 

A man comes to realize that “being a dad is more than being a father” as he reflects on those growing-up moments with his daughter, intercut with scenes of them together in a Camry.

Then there’s Sochi medalist Amy Purdy’s paean to her dad, who not only encouraged her through her many physical trials but donated one of his kidneys to save her life. 

Not to mention the spot featuring Amy competing, dancing and modeling as Mohammed Ali narrates. 
Picture- image courtesy of Cadillac -
This is heartfelt stuff.  And although the Camry spots barely move the cool-meter, they do a good job of whacking you in your emotional center (especially if you’re a dad) – and millions of people seem to like them given the YouTube plays they’ve racked up.   But bold? 

Like Cadillac and other auto brands (Buick has been notably successful), Toyota has been trying to crank up their style to generate wider appeal.  Will their “Bold” campaign help attract new buyers, as cars like Ford’s fast-selling Fusion (with a much cooler name) take a bead on Camry’s sales lead?

Marketing experts are divided.  Some say Toyota is headed in the right direction with their Bold campaign but that turning around brand impression takes years, if not generations.  Other say “not so fast,” a Camry is a Camry and no matter how good it may become, it was born to blend in.

Cadillac, too, is all about changing prospective buyers’ impression of their brand – and in recent years they appear to have been succeeding for the most part.  In fact, they appear to have just about exorcised the image of the slab-sided, boat big ‘80s and ‘90s models from people’s minds.  Short of buying up and crushing all the clunky old Caddys left on the road, about all Cadillac can do is (1) design cars that truly stand out in their market niche and (2) have something truly bold to say about them.

Thus, the CT6 “Dare Greatly” campaign, created by Publicis Worldwide, a low-key exercise in creative edginess that presents the car in SoHo, slo-mo style.  
  • “How does a fashion intern (Jason Wu) become an arbiter of style?” the spot asks.
  • “How does a college dropout invent the personal computer?” it asks of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
  • “How does a director take 12 years to shoot a film?” the spot asks of “Boyhood” director Richard Linklater.
  • And in conclusion also asks, “How does a 112 year old carmaker reinvent itself?”

The CT6 launch ad, created by Publicis Worldwide and set to Edith Piaf singing Non, je ne regrettes rien (No, I regret nothing), presents thumbnail descriptions of “only those who dare” in a noir-like New York setting that evokes a sense of mystery and glamor as the newest Cadillac lurks in the background, almost as if an afterthought.   

One does not so much “like” this ad as inhabit it – that is, if you’re in the demographic that GM hopes will lust after this car, which has been designed to raise the game against their European competitors, not so much by emulating them but by establishing a new standard of automotive performance and luxury.       

The CT6 and Camry ads both wrap their product in an image they hope will attract buyers – Camry warms the heart and speaks of “love stuff” while Caddy quickens the pulse and addresses the “daring”.

Both carry off their creative well.  But only Cadillac’s approach seems authentic. 

Ironically, I prefer watching the Camry spots (which makes me older-than-cool and more in their target market).  I like Camrys, which perform their middle-ground, mid-sized sedan function admirably and without pretending to be cool. When I rent one on an out-of-town trip, I am assured of enjoying a competent, quality, unpretentious ride.  Which is what makes a Camry a Camry and part of the reason that nameplate remains the best-selling one in the U.S.  

I think of Margary Williams’ story of The Velveteen Rabbit when considering whether Toyota may be missing the strategic mark with its otherwise well-executed Camry creative.  You may recall the story, where a stuffed bunny yearns to become “Real”. 

“Real isn't how you are made,” the rabbit is told. “It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

Camry is already “real” in its market’s mind.  So why go to such lengths to pretend it really is something else?

TakeAway:  Don’t sell bold unless you’ve got bold to sell.  Instead, communicate what’s really real.  Be authentic!

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner



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MCdONALD'S & aPPLE uP tHEIR eXPERIENCE.

3/31/2015

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PictureImage © by Brian E. Faulkner
Years ago, when McDonald’s first started its march to fast food dominance, during the days when you could buy a burger, fries and a drink and still get change back from your quarter, consistency was the company’s stock in trade (yes, the price was under 25-cents, about the cost of a gallon of gas back then).  Another plus – and a critical success cornerstone – was that you could get the same McDonald’s fare about anywhere.  Eventually, the price of a Big Mac even became a statistical measure for global economic well being because of their international availability.

These days, Ray Kroc’s golden-arched vision has come up against a new reality.  Fast food customers expect more in the way of service, décor and food quality.  In short, the same old McDonald’s experience will no longer do, even though the neon glow red and yellow plastic has been gone for several years now after a major restaurant re-do.  But more change is underway and down the road.  Food quality is on the upswing, driven both by consumer demand for fare unsullied by artificial ingredients and by fast casual competitors like Chipotle Mexican Grill that are upping the dining experience, forcing change upon the entire quick serve category.

McDonalds’ new CEO, Steve Esterbrook, calls himself an “internal activist.”  Which means he's all about the business of change.  A Brit, he's known for simplifying the McDonald’s menu and turning the business around, in a world where the company’s business generally is declining. 

“This is where McDonald’s is headed,” Esterbrook said, referring to their  stylish new 500-seat restaurant at the Frankfurt airport, where you can order at the counter or use a number of kiosks that fall easily to hand as you enter the store.  There’s even a sit-down ordering option, thanks to a waiter with a tablet – and your food is brought to you so you don’t have to waste time milling around the counter. 

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McDonald’s isn’t the only iconic business that sees change in its immediate future.  Apple, too, is upping its customer experience to accommodate the more upscale presentation demanded by luxury watch buyers.   The Apple Watch hits stores in about three weeks and reportedly may be had  for as little as $349 (with a sapphire crystal screen) or in 18k at upwards of $10,000 (as rumor has it).  But some marketing mavens are cautioning caution as the brand evolves.  Can Apple stretch itself into the luxury category without losing its everyman base?  Probably not without this store redesign, which – Apple Watch aside -- can’t come too soon for those serious Apple technology buyers who have tired of having to cut through the gadget gawkers to get serious attention – even out here in the burbs.
 
Customer experience is inextricably entwined with brand.  Brand impression, a critical strategic distinction not so readily established, can be sullied in an instant by a buying or service experience that doesn’t match.

As for me, I’d be more inclined to check out McDonald’s given the new décor and ordering options exhibited in their Frankfurt airport store.   However, I’m not in the market for a watch at any price (haven’t worn one in well over 30 years), although I have been conversing with myself about a MacBook Pro purchase for some time (not to mention the iPhone 6 my family keeps after me to buy) and would genuinely appreciate a less carnival-like, more “considerate”  atmosphere in which to make up my mind.

TakeAway:  Where does your product or service stand?  Does your customer experience match the brand impression you’ve created?  

Read about my iPhone 6 dilemma here:
www.brianefaulkner.com/blog/you-gotta-get-an-iphone-dad
Content © by Brian E. Faulkner   

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Experience Mustang -- All Over Again.

3/14/2015

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While scientists busily try to clone pets and people, an enterprising Orlando firm has re-invented the iconic Ford Mustang.  Their product looks just like the real thing: a 1964.5 Pony car with all the Mustang badges and design cues in place.   http://www.revologycars.com/

For all intents, it is the real thing – only thoroughly updated.

The Ford-licensed product was developed by Tom Scarpello’s Revology Cars in Orlando.  Scarpello, who used to build high performance versions of Ford cars when he worked for the company, loves classic cars but doesn’t like the way they drive.  “A lot of people agree with me,” he says.  “Consumer expectations have advanced and people are finding that carefully and professionally modified classic cars are an exciting alternative.  If the car is built right, the market potential for this type of vehicle is very significant.”  


The “new” Mustang is technologically superior to the original and has great appeal for that reason, unless you’re a purist who can’t imagine cruising around in anything less than the real McCoy.  

“The concept behind the company is to bring a scientific approach to the restoration of classic automobiles, utilizing modern components and manufacturing processes to ‘evolve’ them, to improve their performance, reliability, durability, fuel economy, safety, and comfort, while retaining their essential character and style,” explains Scarpello on the Revologoy Web site.   Open the ashtray and there’s a USB connection.  Turn the window crank, and the power windows go up and down.  Flip on the lights and LEDs illuminate front and back.  Engines, power-trains, suspensions and brakes are sourced from modern vehicles, Revology says, including a Ford manufactured 302 cu. in V8 that puts 265 hp on the ground through either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.

So, if you’ve got a spare $119K for the fastback – or $122K for the convertible, get in line.  Or, you could re-build your own classic Mustang if that’s your idea of fun, starting with a 50-year-old (or newer) example, which may be anywhere from in barn-find dismal condition to pin-perfect.  Even a shabby example of a base ‘60s era Mustang with a six cylinder engine can set you back a significant pile of dollars, while a decent survivor (a relatively non-neglected, unmodified car that can be put back on the road in reasonable time with less-than outrageous expense) can cost in the many tens of thousands.   Various examples:  http://barnfinds.com/?s=1966+Mustang

Some people buy and restore classic cars for fun and profit then flip them to the next owner (who may not be so handy with a wrench) and go on to the next project.  Others collect them, some of whom are hoarders with barns or fields full of cars rusting away (see one of the examples above) waiting for that day that never comes.  Others buy (and enjoy) daily drivers.  And some purchase only the best examples and show them.

No matter which path you choose, you’re investing in experience.  You’re buying memories – not perfectly straight sheet metal, blemish-free paint and numbers that match.  Maybe your dad or mom drove a Mustang when they were courting and you want to surprise them on their 50th anniversary with a great-performing car that looks like an authentic new Mustang – because it is, complete with a 100,000 mile warranty.  

Experience sells, whether Mustangs or even something seemingly as mundane as groceries.  Products with “experience” built in make you feel good and make you want to come back for more, whether that’s next week when grocery shopping time rolls around again or decades from now when you get a hankerin’ for that classic car you enjoyed so much all those years ago.   Experience is largely about pleasure.  There are companies you look forward to doing business with (even in relatively mundane product categories) and those that leave you cold.   There are tools that fit perfectly in the hand and are a pleasure to use and tools that barely get the job done.  Airline A wraps its welcome around you, while Airline B treats you like cattle.  Brand is a form of experience, a bridge between product and prospect.

Take one look at Revology’s “new” Ford Mustang and you’ll get the idea.

TakeAway:  Does your product or service provide a brand “experience” that makes your customers or clients look forward to doing business with you -- all over again?    

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner
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What's So Mysterious About Business Creativity?

2/23/2015

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PictureImage © by Brian E. Faulkner

Creativity is for people who do creative stuff, right? Artists, who paint and sculpt, write, dance, act and make music. 

“But not me!” you might say, “I’m a business person -- and definitely not creative.”

I recall a client who thought that way.  Said he could hardly draw a straight line so was not creative.  Yet, this man was the most creative businessperson I’ve ever encountered (although I've yet to meet Elon Musk). He thought in odd angles and perceived the future with clarity. He also could share his vision, and in a few short years of very hard work grew his  business from a handful of people in a small office to a national brand that dominated its category.

Is there a connection between creativity and business success?


A 2014 study commissioned by Adobe suggests that “creative companies … outperform in both revenue growth and market share.” The study surveyed more than 300 senior managers in a variety of large global firms and found that “58% of respondents from creative companies (those that encourage creative perspective, practices, and culture) said their revenues have strong growth (10%+ year-over-year) while only 20% of less creative companies reported strong revenue growth. And creative companies are 50% more likely to report a commanding market leadership position."

Clearly, one must be cautious in interpreting findings like this since other success factors also may be at play in these organizations. But it stands to reason that leaders who encourage people to color outside the lines and explore the outer edges of opportunity will foster innovation and growth – and also be great places to work, as the Adobe study also found.

Sure, some folks seem to have more "creative" genes than others, just as some people have more innate ability to play sports -- or a musical instrument. You can learn how to play baseball or piano, for instance, and even though you might do a fair job at it, there's not much you can do with your skill beyond enjoy it. But even a kernel of creativity can sometimes lead to big things. I recall Colonel Sanders from time to time and his creative approach to preparing, cooking and selling chicken. He started experimenting with his "secret recipe" during the 1930s in Kentucky by offering chicken to patrons of a gas station he owned (at age 40). A variety of learning experiences, several failures and 20 odd years later, he hit the road to sell restaurants on purchasing franchised rights to chicken done his way. Even his gravy was a cut above, enough to make you want to "throw away the durned chicken and just eat the gravy." By the time he set out to sign up franchisees he was nearly broke, but he persisted -- and found not only that people liked his Kentucky Fried Chicken (which was pressure fried instead of pan fried) but that it also boosted sales for the restaurants who chose to buy in. Today, Harlan Sanders' creative approach is the basis for one of the world's most successful brands. 


So how can you put creative thinking to work for your business? 

Kenichi Ohmae, a long-time managing partner with McKinsey & Company, recommended in his Mind of the Strategist that to get a fresh look at a problem or product it helps to break it into bite-sized bits: features, benefits, base assumptions, competitive advantages, market perspective, etc, then reassemble the bits in new ways -- and question everything (a more non-linear approach to S-W-O-T discussions). The mere act of decoupling yourself from predictable thinking can open up new worlds of possibility, as long as you recognize that false starts and frustrations are a valuable part of the process - along with the courage to see your way through.  If that sounds like old-fashioned anything-goes brainstorming, well … it is.  It’s about opening yourself to new thinking based on the knowledge and experience of others.

Edwin Land, of Polaroid fame, observed that most major discoveries at his company were made by people able to take a “fresh, clean look at the old, old knowledge.”  Like a client I consulted to recently, which turned out to have a revolutionary product benefit hidden deep within their story, an uncommunicated competitive advantage with the potential to make a hugely profitable difference to their customers.  It was there all along but just took fresh eyes to see.

Another way to take a clean look at things is through peripheral visioning: looking beyond your normal field of vision, searching outside your comfort zone for fresh perspective … and possibly even enlightenment.  If you run a grocery store, study the machine tool business.  If you’re in the service business, learn all you can about the marketing of consumer products. If you’re a retailer, get to know how non-profits think. If you've been in business practically forever, get to know a few unrelated startups. Read all you can about them. Get curious!  You’ll be surprised how much of what you learn can be applied to your business – that is, if you’re willing to risk leading the way through unexplored territory. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, seek out professional creative thinkers and ask them to help (or hire one to think inside your company, as one of my clients did). Wrap people from businesses with different problems and perspectives into your brainstorming, and it won’t be long before you find yourself immersed in a mindspace where stale, predictable thinking gets transformed into creative new possibilities.

My definition of creativity is looking at the ordinary in extraordinary ways (playing off those odd angles).  It's a lot like daydreaming, something society encourages us not to do. Some of my most fruitful ideas come during long drives with my mind in idle.  A twenty-minute nap gets results, too, although it has taken me a long time to get over the guilt of interrupting a “workday” for a brief snooze. But when you consider that business ideas precede success, spending a chunk of your valuable time thinking seems less crazy to those more accustomed to working inside the box. People once thought powered flight was crazy, but two bicycle repairmen brothers from Dayton dared to imagine otherwise.

Albert Einstein once called imagination “the preview of coming attractions.”  So why not get busy imagining your coming business attractions?  Not creative?  

Don’t believe that for a minute! 

TakeAway:  Take the risk of seeing, thinking and learning outside your comfort zone.  The dividends can be extraordinary.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner




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Brand Names Mentioned in THIS Blog To Date:

2/20/2015

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Search brand name mentions above:

3M
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    sample blog:

    This is a sample blog  for writer Brian E. Faulkner.   It presents stories about brands that do a good job communicating competitive advantage. Stories have been gleaned from the business press, personal experience and occasional interviews. Updates are made from time to time, and every so often there will be a post of general interest -- about things like success, passion, social trends, etc. 

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    Brian Faulkner is a writer and strategic communication consultant who helps business clients explain their competitive advantage in compelling and enduring ways.
     
    He also is a five-time Emmy award winning Public Television writer & narrator for a highly-rated and well-loved magazine series.

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