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Big Brands, Consumers And The Festering Sea

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multitasking-toilet.jpgWe’re on the verge of a massive sea change; it’s festering. Companies are scrambling to find the next money maker to compete, to retain earnings, to be profitable, to stay clean and away from the eagle eye of Uncle Sam litigation and taxes.

Everyone is trying to make a buck; yet, the lowliest of low is regarded as the fall guy. Who is at greatest risk of toppling and never recovering? It’s not big business, that’s for sure.

It’s you, me, we, us – the consumer.

Brands Are In Bed With Investors

They have to be; that’s how the bread and butter get served at breakfast. To make investors happy and to finance struggling business units, corporations are de-volumizing everything possible.

For years now, we consumers have noted smaller cereal boxes, candy bars, beverages and personal hygiene products. Now, even Kimberly-Clark and Proctor & Gamble are desheeting.

Kimberly-Clark Corp. is now selling “bulkier” yet “stingier” Kleenex tissue, says this story in the Wall Street Journal July 25, 2013, “Desheeting” Shrinks Rolls, Plumps Profits. Each box of Kleenex has 13% fewer sheets with higher or the same retail prices.  Taken from the story, “Kimberly-Clark executives told analysts that they expect the practice to benefit the company’s consumer-tissue unit in the second half of the year.”

Several weeks ago, I bought a 12-pack of Stella Artois. When I popped a coldie, the bottle was 11.2 ounces rather than the customary 12 ounces with the same or higher price for this premium beer. I wonder how much the manufacturing expense was to retool all the factories to make the green bottles smaller?  How about that packaging? Did they save two inches of cardboard on the carton?

When a consumer gets disgusted and turns to brand B to find a better price point with more volume, the quality sucks. We either pay more for less to get the quality we’ve been spoiled with, or we pay the same for more and poor quality. What’s it going to be?
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When Public Apology Falls Short

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I’m noticing seriously short blog posts being published by one A-lister in particular and wondered, seriously, why I didn’t indulge in that practice just to keep the pump primed and everyone on the edge of their chair wondering what she’s gonna write about next.

That’s, seriously, the issue of late — the time I recouped since kidlet got back to school a week ago today already, has been seriously eaten up trying to catch up. No can do; cannot get ahead, cannot complete projects, cannot find the time to do serious writing. (How many times did I use that word in a few short sentences? That is your morning quiz!)

So, this seriously short blog post (due entirely to the last sentence as my excuse) is about this:

  • I am disgusted with the alleged role models in this country running for public office and or in public office.
  • I am disgusted with the fact that tax-payer-funded political junkets result in “booze-fueled skinny dipping” in Israel’s Sea of Galilee (done late one night in summer 2011 and just now coming to light).
  • I’m even more disgusted when a man running for Senate states and believes rape is “legitimate” and that women’s bodies can reject that kind of pregnancy.
  • I am disgusted with former Rep. Anthony Weiner who last year didn’t wow us with images of his package sent to women by text across the country.

You see, it doesn’t matter whether these men are Republican or Democrat. Each of them has had lapses in judgment; I have my view on which boils me more. And, there are so many more to add to this list.

What happens next, as President Clinton knows so well, is the public apology. Deb Weinstein writes about here relating it more to brand apologies. I commented and gave her an earful, and this is what inspired this post; my passion for a sincere apology and who’s going to regard it from the heart. If you want to read about brands apologizing, please do visit Deb’s blog, called Strategic Objectives; it’s an excellent read and I skirted her content entirely and went off on apologies in general. Thanks, Deb!

I dunno…this is what happens when my mind percolates without release and writing therapy.  Anyone want to toss in an opinion or two?

Brands Need Storytelling

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Remember when you sat at Grandma’s feet and she told you stories about the Great Depression, or what it was like to be the biggest Irish clan with 13 kids? Perhaps your stories aren’t like those, but you can relate with a few you’ve heard or have told.

I promised to recant the richness of my discussion as a gift for Gregg Morris, a Twitter pal with whom I only recently made verbal connection yet trust was established long ago on Twitter in 140. (Watch for new posts on earning trust.)

Gregg makes it his business to uncover the stories that make brands come alive with history, human memories, and a piece of friendly relevance. He’s a storytellin’ guy, and that’s where he’s building his business these days – looking back through time to pull what’s relevant for today’s modern consumers and brands.

Gregg says brands are out of touch with their customers because product stories are missing. In thinking about this, mass merchandising and the Internet have made brand loyalty non-existent. To push a buy decision, there’s less or zero focus on a product’s historical significance and an emphasis on “Made in America” (for example) to combat global merchandising and manufacturing. If companies took that “Made in America” platform and threaded the back story through the product, imagine the richness of the result.

Gregg shared some fascinating thoughts with me, and I’d like to invite you into the loop, too:

  • People inside businesses today are so close to their product crafting a customer story becomes difficult for most.
  • The definition of a story is “a character moving through a series of events toward resolution.”
  • When a company has a product and/or service, a story needs to be told around customers. Customers need to know how a company’s product provides resolution. The better the story, the more enhanced customers’ loyalty.
  • Who is your target audience? Don’t kid yourself; it’s not everyone! When companies zero in on a target audience, only then can they begin to craft a story that resonates with the audiences’ persona.
  • Stories have become lost. Think of a product in your house. Is there one with a story that drove your buy decision? Can you relate to the brand’s back story that keeps you engaged? (When I see Clydesdale horses, I still think of beer. The irony is I got the brand wrong, and Gregg corrected me! That story was told over and over during holidays when I was a kid; saw it on TV. Where is that story now? That taste of Americana resonated with many people, and now it’s lost and ignored in an archive.)
  • It’s trust that’s earned when real stories are told. Gregg informed me businesses have an opportunity to retell their robust histories with stories that live dreams.
  • Storytelling is necessary for the small business. (I love the potential of this statement for SMBs.) The dry cleaner that competes with the same service provider around the corner and up the street must differentiate. Ever walk into a dry cleaner to be greeted by the proprietor who rarely speaks English and wonder about his/her story? You can guarantee there’s a significant one waiting to be told which may tug at the emotional/personal enough to make a customer brand loyal. But, that story is not getting told.

Gregg gave me much food for thought (another analogy for the SMBs, Goldfish & Social Media post). I’m hopeful your interest is piqued enough to let the pondering begin!  If you’re struggling to tap your story, I know just the right guy to help…https://greggmorris.com .

(Image credit courtesy of https://greggmorris.com)