Mal Chia – Southern Soapbox

RT @KateEllisMP new punch article Sports stars do not have the right to be boneheads http://bit.ly/2zocN

Despite the last season of Heroes being uneven at best and overall pretty poor compared to previous efforts, these lessons from Sylar are still pretty bad ass:

1. Always have an objective.
2. Know your end game before you lift your hand.
3. Keep a clear head — emotions make you sloppy.
4. Understand your motivation — always know what you want.

Even if you can’t fly, teleport, stop time, etc, etc, I reckon there’s something in this for anyone working in marketing. In short, know why you’re doing it before you do it and always put strategy before creative!

Every Saturday morning for the past few weeks my wife and I pack down the stroller, grab the green bags and take our son into Aelaide’s Central Markets. We start off with a strong coffee; then spend a leisurely hour or so doing our grocery shopping for the coming week amidst the colour, hustle and bustle of the market; before finishing off with a bowl of fresh, tasty noodles.

It is an activity that we really enjoy doing as a family and look forward.

Like most people, our working week is frantic as we juggle the twin demands of work and raising a young child.

When I was younger, single and not a parent, life was more or less free flowing and unstructured. However as my familial and professional obligations grew that fluidity soon descended into chaos.

Having something simple and pleasurable at the end of the week, week in, week out, that we look forward helps lend some structure and order to our lives. Instead of that empty feeling Monday morning wondering where the weekend went, I now start the week focused and content knowing that I’ve done something useful and spent quality time with the most important people in my life.

In The Simpson’s second season episode “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”, Homer is given a job at Powell Motors by his half-brother Herb. With their cars  losing ground to foreign competitors, Herb believes his company has lost sight of what their customer’s want and asks for Homer’s help to design a car that would appeal to the ‘average’ American. Despite the protestations of his employees, Herb encourages Homer to follow his instincts. The high cost to develop the car and the high purchase price ultimately leads to Powell Motors going out of business.

Literally giving your customers what they want can be risky, especially if they aren’t exactly sure what they mean. Ignoring them altogether is just plain suicidal.

In Homer’s case, when he says that he wants a car with two bubbles; one in the front, while the one in the back is for quarreling kids, and comes with optional restraints and muzzles; all he is really saying is he ‘more privacy’.

The challenge for marketers is to translate what their customer’s are saying into workable insights that provide the basis for consumer-centric product designs that meet the needs of their customer’s.

http://think.squareholes.com/2009/08/customers-dont-always-know-what-they-want/