9″ AXIOMS
An axiom is a proposition that is not proved, but is considered to be self evident. Therefore, its truth is taken for granted, serving as a starting point for deducing other truths.
9 INCH AXIOMS are the premises that my posts are based on:
1. THE JOURNEY |‘The brain is only the starting point . . . engage and win the battle for the heart’
[My first post and the reasoning behind 9 INCH MARKETING]
2. LAGNIAPPE | ‘a little something extra for the customer should be the rule and not the exception’
[Turning customer satisfaction into customer loyalty]
3. MULTISENSORY MARKETING |‘The more senses you engage, the closer you get to the heart’
[Discussing the importance of being a 5 tool / sense marketer]
4. RESOLUTIONS | ‘Your odds of achieving a resolution is directly proportionate to the amount of people you share it with’
[Roadmap to help you achieve your GOALS]
| ‘To be meaningfully relevant, you need to hit the right person in the right place at the right time’
[No rocket science here . . . but a great litmus test for any marketing solution]
6. THE BRAIN AND THE HEART | ‘IF you can appeal to logic and emotion and treat them equally the same’
[The official launch of 9 INCH MARKETING. A viral video inspired by Rudyard Kipling]
7.V4 PRINCIPLE | ‘Word of mouth is one of the oldest and most effective forms of promotion’
[Vouch for principle and the power of WOM]
8. IMPRESSIONS | ‘All impressions are NOT created equal’
[Discussing the exponential power of marketing and the premise of the RIPPLE EFFECT]
9. FEEDBACK | ‘Don’t ask for feedback unless you are willing to act upon it with an eye towards continuous improvement’
[Viral video . . . part deux]
10. TACTILE DESIGN | ‘Many times the feel of a product can be more important than the look’
Lagniappe Axiom from this post on FAMILIARITY | ‘People in life don’t know what they like . . . they like what they know’
[Sensory design and a review of Tropicana OJ's new packaging]
11. TOUCH | ‘The sense of touch is our oldest, most primitive and pervasive sense. When you feel it, you believe it’
[The power of touch and a great case study by KLEENEX]
12. AIDA | ‘In order to solicit action . . . you must first generate awareness, stimulate interest and cultivate desire’
[My first attempt at graphically representing the journey from the brain to the heart]
13. FAMILIARITY | “People in life don’t know what they like . . . they like what they know”
[Brand loyalty highlighted in a Tropicana case study]
14. PROBLEM SOLVING | ‘Sometimes the best solution is the most obvious and the one that is based on basic truths’
[The importance of understanding the obvious and a link to a great e-book called Obvious Adams]
15. THE SIXTH SENSE | ‘The ability to speak, to be heard and to be acknowledged is a sensory experience’
[The ability to converse is our sixth sense and a case study on the ‘World’s Worst Commute’ from Quaker State]
16. SPONSORSHIP ACTIVATION | ‘For every dollar you spend to acquire the sponsorship, you should spend two to activate it’
[Defending sponsorship and highlighting the importance of activation]
17. SAMPLING | ‘FREE is a very good FOUR letter word. Sampling engages the senses and creates a wonderful thing . . . obligation’
[Some key stats about the value of sampling and a case study on Coca Cola’s Vault]
18. MEMES | ‘Organically attaching to an existing idea (meme) that people care about will give you viral legs’
[Introduces the concept of ‘memes’ and highlights a sweet case study from Haagen Dazs]
19. ON BEING CLEVER | ‘The ability to cleverly integrate your product benefit in a commercial spot is key to gaining awareness and the path to viral + WOM success’
[Discussion of humor in TV commercials and a clever spot from Schick]
20. EXCLUSIVE CONTENT | ‘People are infovores. Content is king and exclusivity is special. The ability to take a prospect or customer and give them an exclusive ‘behind the ropes’ experience is invaluable’
[Providing access to content and exclusive experiences is key. Good example of an event by the Broadway show ‘WICKED’]
21. INTEGRATED MARKETING | ‘The key to integrated marketing communications (IMC) is threefold:
- First is researching to find the appropriate idea / concept that is both relevant and sticky
- Second is determining the right mix of traditional + social media
- Last is determining the appropriate weight of each medium in order to reach the RIGHT3 . . the right people . . . in the right places . . . . at the right times’
[My definition of integrated marketing and the comparison between IMC 1.0 vs. IMC 2.0]
22. STORYTELLING | ‘People respond to stories. The ability for your marketing to tell a story is vital in capturing the mind and the heart of your consumer’
[How narrative is fundamental to communication]
23. TRADITIONS / SYMBOLS | ‘The ability to create either traditions or symbols that make a sensory connection with your target audience is key to creating a strong brand’
[A look at Wimbledon, Churchill Downs, Wrigley and Augusta National. How they invoke ritual to create strong sensory bonds]
24. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS | ‘The time to hit the gas pedal in marketing is not when everyone else is speeding, but when your competitors are downshifting or sitting on the curb’
[The notion that this is time to cut through the clutter. Discussion of how PR stunts are effective in moving the needle]
25. ADVERTISING AND CONTENT | ‘Advertising only works when it has the ability to engage. It must be targeted, relevant and not seen as an intrusion’
[Is Advertising Dead? An interesting glimpse into the future through the final scene of the Matrix]
26. SHOPPER MARKETING | ‘Don’t forget about the shopper. There is a difference between the buyer and the end consumer. A majority of purchase decisions are made in store and therefore you need to cater to the shopper and their retail experience’
[A look at the importance of the buyer / shopper. It's about the shopper . . . stupid]
27. PULL MARKETING | ‘It is important to understand the difference between push and pull marketing. Doing both effectively has the net effect of 1 + 1 = 3.’
[Defining outbound vs. inbound marketing and discussing how pull marketing allows you to connect with the RIGHT3]
28. PERSONALITY | ‘Personality is the 5th ‘P’ in marketing. There needs to be a face, a name and an engaging presence behind the brand’
[The importance of personality in marketing. A great case on Brad Benson Hyundai]
29. Listening | ‘God gave us two ears and one mouth. Social media allows brands to tap into the conversation. Before jumping in it’s important to first listen with both ears.’
[A look at a great graph from Converseon. Three types of communication using the analogy of an iceberg]
30. LIVING ROOM THEORY OF CRM | ‘Treat your customers as you would house guests. Make your place of business an inviting and welcoming place’
[A great case study on CRM from the restaurant Archie Moore's]
31. WORD OF MOUSE | ‘Word of mouth has the ability to go from one to one to being exponential by embracing the internet or ‘word of mouse’
[Understanding how digital has taken WOM to the next level. Superb case study from Universal Studios and Harry Potter]
32. BRANDED ACTS OF KINDNESS | ‘Free is not a bad four letter word. Proactively engage your target by offering them a complimentary experience’
[Looking at the difference between 'random acts of kindness' and 'branded acts of kindness']
33. USER GENERATED CONTENT | “In order to get something going with user generated content, you must first put effort in to prime the pump”
[The importance of 'grassroots' and a case study on Coke Zero and the Final Four]
34. EXCLUSIVITY | “You can’t be all things to all people. Generate demand by promoting exclusivity”
[Looking at the legendary Bethpage Black and the famous 'warning' sign]
35. INNOVATION | ‘Innovation needs to be real and not just clever labeling. You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken sh*%’
[A look at a new product from Cold Stone Creamery and JELL-O]
36. VAK | ‘Figure out which learning style resonates the most with your target audience. Tailor your integrated plan accordingly, but don’t ignore the other senses’
[Examining NLP (neurolingistic programming) and how the learning style of your target audience should influence your planning]
37. Narrative Marketing | ‘Nobody cares about the features and benefits of your product. Tell a story that your target can relate to and be emotionally engaged with’
[Introducing 'narrative marketing' and how communications are going from positioning based to story based in nature]
38. DIFFERENTIATION | Be unique . . . find how you can be different in what you do and how you operate’
[Looking at the Purple Cow and discussing the concept of the Purple Goldfish]
39. ON BEING IMPORTANT | ‘It’s nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice’
[A salute of my Dad on his 80th birthday and a video of his skydiving trip]
40. VALUE AND MAINTENANCE | ‘The goal of marketing is for your target audience to regard you as high value and low maintenance’
[Introducing the value / maintenance matrix and superb case study on the 'The Greatest Job in the World']
41. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION | ‘Picking the right location for an event is absolutely critical’
[My first attaboy awarded to Hendricks Gin. Superb case study on the importance of location]
42. EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING | ‘Experiential can be one of the most powerful forms of marketing through the power of engagement’
[Lessons from Jimi Hendrix on the importance of experiential marketing]
43. VALUE | ‘Price is a relative thing. Value is the real barometer affecting purchase intent’
[Talking coupons and the importance of driving value. Good old school case study from Coca Cola.]
44. VALUE OF IMPRESSIONS | ‘All impressions are not created equal. You need to look at the length and the quality to gauge overall effectiveness’
[Matrix that measures length and quality of an impression with various forms of marketing]
45. BE TOP OF MIND | ‘Don’t let your prospects or customers forget about you. Out of sight = Out of mind’
[A tribute to John Hughes and a fun quiz that will test your 80's teen movie knowledge]
46. K.I.S.S METHOD | ‘Don’t overthink the customer experience. Keep It Simple Stupid by delivering a great product. Bells and whistles can be distracting and annoying’
[An attaboy for FIVE GUYS Burgers & Fries. Some strong marketing takeaways]
47. MEETING EXPECTATIONS | ‘Sorry kids . . .the 3 biggest myths are Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Meeting Expectations’
[There is no such thing as meeting expectations . . . you either exceed or you fall short]
48. CHALLENGING STRENGTH | ‘Sometimes the best way to challenge a competitor is to directly attack their main strength’
[Discussing Allstate vs. Geico and the issue of savings]
49. COMMITMENT TO LEARNING | ‘In life you should always be committed to learning. When you are green, you are growing . . . Once you are ripe, you start to rot!’
[Discussing Inbound Marketing University]
50. GUARANTEES | ‘Standing behind your product and service with a 100% money back guarantee speaks volumes about your commitment to quality and customer satisfaction’
[A few priceless marketing takeaways from L.L. Bean]
The goal of marketing is to capture the mind and ultimately conquer the heart of your target audience.
The aim of 9 INCH MARKETING is to examine that journey. We'll explore 'how to' bridge the gap between traditional and social media by taking a sensory approach to integrated marketing.
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