Private: Intelligence

In my very first marketing class at Syracuse I learned that marketing is futile if you don’t have your message ironed out.  It’s a simple idea; if you’re going to broadcast something, be sure you can explain it succinctly and clearly.  If you can’t, then you risk missing the opportunity, or in the worst possible case completely imploding.

Netflix was the worst possible case; where a company decides to broadcast a message without thinking it through, and they literally imploded as a result.  In four short weeks Netflix devolved from darling of the Internet business community to laughing-stock and MBA case study-in-the-making.   They attempted to make a change without thinking through the consequences of that change, and then doing a full about-face to rectify the mistakes they made.  In the process they angered millions of customers, they lost a bunch as well, and they jeopardized their relationship with all who remain.  I personally haven’t dropped Netflix yet, but its only because the competition hasn’t yet seized the opportunity.  If Amazon and/or Apple create a streaming service to rival Netflix, then I could be as good as gone.  It’s only a matter of time.

What has me most puzzled is this whole Occupy movement.  It feels like its supposed to be important (and it probably is in many respects), but it’s lacking a clear message.  I know people are protesting something, but if I ask 25 people I will get 25 different answers to what they’re protesting.  In marketing terms, that seems to be a mistake.  If you have the attention of so many people, shouldn’t you be focus that attention on something that needs to be addressed?

I understand the grand scope; that things are not right.  I can understand that and even sympathize.  The world needs to get better, people need to be held accountable for their actions, and the “American Dream” needs to be restored to millions of people – I get it.  That being said, any marketer would advise “them” (whoever they actually are) to come up with a messaging platform.  Come up with something you can point at and say, “This is what we want to have done”.  Point at Congress and hold them accountable for something specific.  If you don’t, then you risk devolving in a similar manner as Netflix; down to a shell of what you were and capable of being picked apart by your competition (whoever they may be).

Trust me; I am not an innately political person and I am not siding with or against the people involved in the Occupy movement (or even Netflix… yet).  I unilaterally think all politics is absurd and that everyone in government should be limited to terms of service, and held accountable for the foolishness of their actions.  What I am saying is that you have a window of opportunity in any marketing situation and the Occupy Movement is simply marketing at this stage, until they have a defined objective.  That window is small, and it is fleeting.  You have to grab the attention of your audience when they’re looking, and drag them to where you want them to be.  

There is a simple exercise that I use, and maybe the people at Netflix or in the Occupy movement could use it.  I had a client that ingrained in me his “law of 3’s”.  His law, which I adopted and have used ever since, is that if you can’t explain something in three sentences or less, then you don’t have the message ironed out.  It’s too complicated.    My suggestion for Netflix; describe in three sentences what you do and the benefit you offer to your customers – then stick to it.  To the Occupy movement, tell the world in three sentences what you hope to accomplish and tell it soon or you will lose your window.