DISQUS

sandrine szabo · 8 months ago

Nice observation and so true :D
Although the "product experience" is so great however, the need to conform to society standards is annoying. Yet we still need "mass" adoption to "standard acceptance level" and leave no room for the extra different. People like to hire talents but once in (especially in large corporation) they tend to cut the edges so that the person fits to "normality".
Company and by extension customers are not ready to get unexpected creativity that do not fit standards.
Probably why we get same cars, sames clothes, standard food and mass tasteless things... Quite sad in fact, don't you think ?

Marian Wood · 8 months ago

Scott, you're absolutely correct. I blogged about Susan Boyle the other day, looking at the marketing perspective of her achievement. First, her wonderful voice is the most essential element in her "product." Second, her name--two syllables, easy to remember and pronounce--is a great brand. Third, she's differentiated from her competition and stands out in a crowd. Fourth, her competition (and the public) underestimated her, which gave her special strength in the "marketplace." Still, when the next "new thing" comes along we'll be sitting there with our jaws hanging open. We all get complacent, make assumptions, think we've seen it all until that "new thing." If everyone sang like Susan Boyle, would she get millions of YouTube views? Of course not.

Marc Battaglia · 8 months ago

You're right about this. But in two years Susan Boyle will be forgotten too, unless she somehow manages to extend her 15 minutes through record contracts and YouTube videos. The Chocolate Rain guy managed to extend his fame though a Dr. Pepper spot, but he's gone now too.

john · 8 months ago

excellent performance!!!

dougmcisaac · 8 months ago

Scott,

Very insightful, I agree with your list of lessons and believe that companies need to sit back and ask themselves and ask their customers what makes them unique. So often our customers have better stories about our products than a roomful of marketing professionals could ever think up.

Doug

Dave · 7 months ago

Videos are exploding virally everyday on platforms such as Youtube and Vimeo. You make a great point in that people really dont remember the actual video. Howvever, it will create a huge buzz which could impact your business's revenue drastically. Social media is definitely an up and coming phenomenon and I am anxious to see what the future has in store for it! Check out my social media blog @ http://blog.biznetis.net

Winchester Journalism · 7 months ago

I think we have to reappraise what we think of people who made a lot of money in the last decade out of marketing in the consumer sector, seeing hoiw unsustainable it all was.

Justin Kownacki · 7 months ago

The fact that even the judges seem to have forgotten Paul Potts a mere 2 years after his YouTube sensationalism leads me to believe two things:

* The folks behind Britain's Got Talent may be at least partially manufacturing this whole Susan Boyle phenomenon, and

* If they think we won't remember how they did the exact same thing two years ago with Potts... well, they're right.

Fame is an ever-cheaper commodity these days, so milk it while you've got it. Because sustaining it is a full-time (though not necessarily irreproducible) job.

Sharon Wilson · 7 months ago

To stay in the spotlight you've either have a great product that keeps them coming back for more, or you continually release good viral videos. Both are easier said than done.

atul chatterjee · 7 months ago

Look at why Paul Scott does not enjoy high recall. If the same video or even any ad is seen repeatedly then it goes into long term memory. If you see an image for 4 seconds about 20 times in a year, it has a much greater impact than seeing the same image once for 80 seconds. I hope this knowledge is helpful.

Eric Brown · 7 months ago

Scott, Great points here about how quickly we forget, and that we aren't so good a history.

What come up for me, beyond the points you have laid out, is we must continue to consistently and constantly be engaged with our customers, and contnue to Particpate in the Conversation. Perhaps a sucessful business, and marketing plan is more of a journey than a destination.

cococat · 7 months ago

why does susan have to have a sticker on her chest with a bunch of number while she sings.

calebanderson · 6 months ago

You gotta love Susan Boyle, and the random but endearing talent that Britain's show turns out.
Americans trying to be famous = obnoxious. Foreigners trying to use their overlooked talent = cool.

Kk · 6 months ago

Really nice to read your article.Excellent.
I agree with your list of companies.They should discuss about the customers have better stories about our products than a roomful of marketing professionals could ever think up.