By Luke Sklar and Amber Hudson

We’re going out on a limb here, publishing what is likely the only blog to SUPPORT the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. 

Vilified by the media, one forgets that he’s a highly-skilled seaman.  Schettino has been with Costa Cruises for 10 years, Captain since 2006.  The chairman and managing director of Costa Cruises, Pier Luigi Foschi, said “He has always been regarded as extremely valid from a technical standpoint…”  Plus, here’s a guy with his heart in the right place:  Schettino brought the ship close to shore so that his head waiter could see his beloved Giglio up close and give a hello toot-toot to his family.  Not many captains would do that for a crew member.  He’s a caring, food-loving, patron of the arts (ballet) who had no intention of abandoning ship but rather, thanks to the forces of gravity, was forced off the Costa Concordia.  The man was clearly not set up to succeed.  So before we dump all over him as the mainstream media has, let’s first get to the root cause of the catastrophe.  Were the right processes in place?  Did he have the right training and tools required to do the best job he could? Particularly in the face of a true crisis?  Is the captain the only person to blame, or should the weight of responsibility fall on the shoulders of others?  Where is Carnival Cruises (the company that owns Costa) in all this anyway?

Okay, enough with the BS, we despise him too.  Here are the lessons we’ve learned from the planet’s most famous coward:

1. Yes folks, the captain / leader IS the brand and is ultimately responsible. (this week RIM’s Lazaridis and Balsillie clearly got the message)
2. The true test of a leader is in times of crisis.  Look at Tylenol, Maple Leaf foods, Toyota and BP.
3. You have to tell the truth.  In a world of Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Redditt, and the old-fashioned audio recording, if you don’t, someone else will.
4. The human species demonstrates both goodness as well as down-right awfulness.  Case in point, the people who called shotgun and jumped into the life boats ahead of children.  Even your target audience can be a sea of misery and you need to establish the processes and inspiration to get them to do the right thing.
5. If your Spidey-sense is tingling, don’t wait until the shit hits the fan.  Respond immediately.
6. And most importantly, even if you’re the “captain” of your brand, don’t believe your own bull.  Stay humble, you are NOT bigger than the rocks.

By Luke Sklar and Amber Hudson

We have dabbled in sex, swearing and religion. That leaves us with the last great taboo for marketers: death. A number of notable celebs left us in 2011, leaving an indelible mark on the world through their brand. And during their time on this planet, they have each taught us important lessons. We’ve commented on some but left some blank-care to fill them in? Any one we’ve missed? Lest anyone start feeling queasy about where we’re headed, there is no disrespect to the dead intended.

Here is a look at the good, the bad and the ugly:

Kim Jong-Il: Buckley’s said it tastes terrible but it works. Like Buckley’s, KJI was so weird looking, it worked: no one could argue that he was one helluva dictator.

Christopher Hitchins

Joe Frazier: He was the looser foil for Muhammed Ali; the K-Mart of boxing to Ali’s Target. It’s sad really, how it all played out. Ali built his brand on Frazier’s back and as a result Frazier left the world angry and full of blame because he got beat up to make Ali look good. Don’t be Joe Frazier (or Labatt Blue, Kodak or Blockbuster) and let your competition succeed thanks to your shortcomings.

Jeff Conaway

Osama Bin Laden: Okay, if you’re going to be the devil personified, drop the remote, get out there and live your brand! Don’t be sad-sack Joe Six-pack, live up to your promise as the Supreme Doer of Evil.

Andy Rooney

Jack Lalanne

Elizabeth Taylor: How do you get 5 decades of fascination from your brand? There’s the train wreck strategy or there’s the path to being true to your brand, consistently delivering the goods, and being more than just famous.

Amy Winehouse: In a past blog we learned through her sad story that “your brand needs to be the eternal optimist. Be real, tell the truth, but be positive. Brands that remind you of bad news – bah, we don’t believe in ‘em!”

Betty Ford

Clarence Clemons

Jack Kevorkian: Okay, how’s this for irony. His would have been a tidier brand story, tied up in a neat little bow, if he chose to end his own life himself. You need to live and die by your own beliefs.

Oh yeah, and Steve Jobs. Frankly he’s been done to death (sorry). Check out this blog for lessons from Apple.

As the holidays come to a close, excess of all varieties gives way to tighter purse strings and new work out regimes. Merchants everywhere are discounting their red and green and bearing down for a historically difficult month in the world of retail. We’re telling our consumer selves to stash any leftover cash in the freezer, while our marketer selves are out there pounding the pavement to get anyone and everyone back into stores and restaurants for round 2.

Here are a few tactics to give your brand a boost during those cold winter months:

1. Leverage holidays and events: New Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day, and the Super Bowl beg for those snippy in-and-out guerilla tactics. Couples deals and 2 for 1s are always popular around February 14^th…but how about something less conventional? A few years back, Altoids embraced anti-Valentine’s Day spirit, launched their Dark Chocolate Dipped Mints with a series of pop-up retail booths where the “love-sick, lovelorn and Cupid-wary” could gather to engage in Therapeutic Crafts for the Broken-Hearted and pick up a free ‘Love Stinks’ needlepoint kit.
2. Cross-promote with brands that resonate during Q1: Time to work off that turkey hangover – cross-promotions with health and wellness brands (gym equipment, fitness clubs, healthy food and drink) are popular around this time of year. Or, for those who prefer to do their exercise in a warmer climate, Virgin Mobile Members can redeem a $100 coupon for a Caribbean vacation to beat the winter blues.
3. Extend holiday programs to January and February: Promote an attractive discount during the holidays that isn’t redeemable until January or February. Last year, when Swiss Chalet rolled out its ‘Festive Special’ promotion, feasters received an additional coupon for a buy 1 get 1 free quarter chicken dinner, redeemable in January.
4. If you can’t discount, add value: Discounting isn’t always the right strategy. If this is the case for your brand, think about how to demonstrate your value compared to the competition. Back in November, Heinz used Facebook to enable fans to send a personalized tin of soup to friends suffering with a cold.
5. Integrate mobile marketing: Mobile usage spikes around holidays and special events – consider these days for promotional message blasts. When’s the last time you wished your brand buyers a Happy Valentine’s Day? You’re in a relationship with them, after all. Show ‘em the love with an SMS or make like Altoids and embrace the Cupid-wary with a “no commitment” offer.

By (Guest Writer) Manoj Raheja

My blog colleagues Luke and Amber write this series entitled “Everything is Marketing.”  They pick seemingly non related business topics and teach the marketing lesson – it’s a perfect combination of brilliant and hysterical!  They’ve managed to cover off Bieber, the Pope, Porn, Charlie Sheen, and even the current subject of Mr. Tim Tebow .  Well enough is enough – I can’t let them have all the fun!  They’ve graciously allowed me to take a stab at writing under their series as a guest writer…so here goes!

After Denver’s miraculous win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in yesterday’s AFC Wildcard Game – I like so many others want to chime in on the “Tebo-conversation.”  For those of you who don’t know the Tebow story – let me recap it in 60 seconds or less. 

• Tim Tebow continues to be one of the most fascinating yet polarizing figures in sports, media, today (and both the fascination…and the polarization will only grow). 
• The Lovers say: This guy has conviction in his views and values, and he’s the real deal as a person; it’s Faith over Football and he’s using Football as his platform to spread the message of his Faith; Regardless of his skill (or religious views), he has the intangibles – the will to win!  He simply wins games (In College, and now the NFL). 
• The Haters say: Stop being so preachy and overt about your religious views; you’re more of a running back than a quarterback; with that footwork you’ll never be an NFL pocket passer. 
• The Numbers say: 7 wins and 3 losses as a starter (after the team started 1-4) enabling a trip to the playoffs; 316 passing yards and 3 TD’s (2 Passing, 1 Rushing) in his first playoff game – a win over the highly decorated Pittsburgh Steelers. 

After yesterday’s game, the puns about the “miraculous” and “supernatural” way he wins only gains steam.  I have to admit – it’s almost eerie when you read this next stat.  In his first playoff game – He passed for 316 yards, and set an NFL playoff record with 31.6 yards per completion.  What’s the significance of the numbers 316?

For Christians, John 3:16, is arguably the single most important verse in the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

If you can believe it – he used to paint these numbers on his face before games and even signs off his fan letters with them as seen on his website.  http://www.timtebow.com 

Shall I also mention that the owner’s name is John Elway.  Sheesh!  I couldn’t make this up if I tried! 

After all that – it’s hard not to believe in some divine intervention this past Sunday (Sunday…how appropriate!).  So did he get some help?  And what exactly can business people learn from this?  

I don’t know if he got help from up above, but I would like to make the case that he got help from all those around him.  Tim Tebow puts his FAITH in Jesus Christ.  The Denver Broncos have put their FAITH in each other. 

• The coaching staff and offensive coordinator muster up the FAITH to build a unique game plan around the strengths and weaknesses of their prolific quarterback 
• In post-game interviews the team has FAITH in their quarterback, defending him against the pundits who blast his ability on the field 
• The wide receivers go through the motions of running their routes every single play and have the FAITH that just one of those times – their fiery quarterback will make one great pass (that sports pundits say he can’t make) that will lead to a team victory (while their counterparts on other teams are making 7-8 catches per game) 
• The field goal kicker who FAITHFULLY goes out kicking field goal after field goal helping them win games 
• An outstanding Defense, who has the FAITH that their hard work will soon be recognized too 

So what are the lessons learned from Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos?  You guessed it – FAITH! 

1. Have FAITH in the team.  Every player has a role on the team and each of them brings special skills that help the full team achieve their goals.  Devise a game plan that gets the most from your team. 
2. Have FAITH in each other.  Have each other’s backs in the quest of your goal.  It goes without saying that you shouldn’t throw people under the bus…but even more than that – it’s about defending your team when someone else tries to attack them.  This builds trust and is the true sense of a team. 
3. Have FAITH in the plan.  The Denver Bronco’s at 1-4 built a unique game plan based on the strengths they did have, and became a scrappy challenger brand.  They were told it wouldn’t last and that other teams would figure it out (clearly teams are still trying – just ask one of the premier defensive teams in the league – The Pittsburgh Steelers).   

So was it Faith in a higher power, or was it Faith in a team, that led the Bronco’s to victory – perhaps we’ll never know.  But then again – next week they play the New England Patriots and the game is on SATURDAY night.  You-Know-Who typically only watches football on Sunday (his day of rest ).

For more Tebow fun – check out these links:

• SNL – Jesus helps Tebow

By Luke Sklar and Amber Hudson 

Over the past week they’ve beaten us over the head like a rolled up newspaper:  New Year’s resolutions.  And every year the same resolutions top the list:  lose weight, exercise, spend more time with the family. It’s enough to send us into paroxysms of guilt and self-loathing. 

So we say fuggehdaboutit.  To hell with personal resolutions, 2012 is the year for Brand Resolutions!  Wait, let’s do the annoying marketing thing and make up a hybrid name:  Brandsolutions!  

Okay, really, we won’t.  Here are our suggestions for brand resolutions: 

1.  Lose weight:  drop the excess baggage by cutting those dead-weight skus. Drop the unsightly promotions that make your brands look sloppy.  Don’t chase every customer like a ravenous dieter hunts down donuts.  Instead, develop a clear, focused strategy and get rid of the brand flab! 
2. Exercise:  strap on your walking shoes and hit the streets.  Get into the stores and reach out and touch your customers (figuratively, we don’t need 2012 to be the year of posting bail).   
3. Spend more time with your family:  of brands that is.  Take a few moments each day to sit with each of your brands, listen to what they have to say (those analytics and consumer insights speak volumes), be sensitive to their needs, give them a little extra lovin’. After all, they are your closest friends in business. 

 There you go. Doable, I think!  So cut yourself some slack and make 2012 The Year of Your Brand.

By Amber Hudson and Luke Sklar

Shortest Celebrity Marriages of 2011! Top 10 Reasons Lindsay Lohan Couldn’t Stay Out of Jail! Gaga’s Best Grocery-Inspired Dresses of the Year!

Everyone seems to be doing their own moment of retrospection. So we asked ourselves, should we too hitch a ride on this bandwagon? Jeanie did a great job pulling together an infographic on some of the top blogs at SW+A. Here is our own little list of the top 12 (because why stop at just 10) lessons from the Everything is Marketing blog.

It turns out football players are fertile ground for marketing lessons:

1. We kicked off this blog with the nephew of Jesus himself Tom Brady with the lesson that great brands are resilient but the product must deliver. And any branding is puffery if not rooted in truth.

2. Michael Vick taught us how to rebuild a brand gone wrong: give a sincere and specific apology, but don’t grovel. Remind people why they loved you in the first place. Hook up with others that can help fill the cracks in your cred. And just give it a bit of time. Something else will piss your fans off and they’ll forget why they were mad at you in the first place.

3. And Tim Tebow showed that a successful business is about the right leadership celebrating the differences within the team. In a sea of mediocrity and sameness it’s important to stand apart. But remember, different and bad is a problem. Different and winning is good.

Even the mundane had lessons:

4. The lowly ham sandwich: there is always a craving for authentic goodness. Go ahead, choose the trendy, the sexy, the buzz-worthy. But don’t forget, a classic is always a classic.

5. The weather: no one pays you for excuses, they pay you for answers. You can for certain predict that next year will be unpredictable and to control the controllable.
From the mundane to the controversial, lessons abounded!

6. Charlie Sheen, one of our most read blogs, taught us great leaders are like brands: the consistent delivery of a positive and authentic promise will stand the test of time and be shockingly train wreck resistant.

7. Porn has proven that you must invent on behalf of your most passionate users, take risks, embrace technology and find innovative ways to reach your target.

8. And we figured since we covered porn, religion was fair game: C-list celebs who turned to religion to resurrect their careers taught us perhaps there are other market segments to explore, that you must bring something new to the congregation to get those hands waving and that you must come across as legit, the real deal.

We pitted nihilism against optimism:

9. Nihilism: Any person or brand who lacks passion and purpose will eventually fail. But every great brand has meaning and purpose. Put aside your analytics, gross margins, P&Ls for a moment and take some time to find that inner passion, that sense of meaning that will drive you and your brand to success.

10. Optimism: In a world of craptality TV your brand needs to be the eternal optimist. Be real, tell the truth, but be positive. People are painfully aware of their problems; brands need to find optimistic solutions: celebrate the good, the positive, and the happy.

11. Cat memes showed us brands need to keep consumers guessing, they shouldn’t take themselves too seriously and don’t suck up to your consumers like a dog sucks up to its owner. Like a cat, you need to earn their respect.

12. Speaking of cute, tiny, cuddly mammals, we predicted Justin Bieber’s career would be over in 2012. Hmmm, maybe that will be our mea culpa. We’ll follow up. Anyway, he has taught us to truly understand what you are the very best at, stick to it and don’t let others dictate your strategy

And at the end of the day our Thankful blog reminded us that marketing is fun, it’s sexy, and it’s creative. And you have the power to create your own happiness in your job. So keep that in mind and be thankful!

So there it is, our very own year in review. Maybe it’s the spiked eggnog talking, but I think we did a pretty good job in our rookie year of supporting our thesis that that every single issue in life, every topical person, story or event, has a marketing lesson. But we’re aware of the sophomore jinx so we’ll try to stay humble.

We thank you for reading and we’ll catch you in the New Year!

Luke and Amber

By Manoj Raheja

“What is your most unique ability? The thing you do better than anyone else in the world? Now I’d like you to play psychologist and think back to your childhood and tell me why that became your most unique ability?”

Ok dear blog reader – before you start sweating buckets trying to answer that interview question on the spot, please know that it was given to me as a homework assignment. This question raised my level of self-awareness 10 fold (and I know was a hugely valuable way for this employer to cut to my core).

I won’t get into my answer…other than to say that I discovered the ONE thing that defines when I have great success IN LIFE…and how if I don’t consider it – it leads to failures. Without a doubt this was a Cut to the Core question for them…and likely yielded better results than… “Tell me a time where you had to step up and be a leader” (Insert canned response here).

Now listen – I’m not going to claim to be a great interviewer…but I’d like to be…which is exactly why I reached out to smart marketing leaders to learn their “Cut to the Core” interview questions. And now we want to share them with you!

1. What do you hope to “get” from the role, and what do you expect to be able to “give?”

The question I always ask in an interview is around “give & get.” I have found that I am at my best when I am both giving (contributing) and getting (learning/growing/being challenged). That’s true of both relationships and career choices. It’s also good for self reflection when I think it’s time to move on (If I’m working in a role where the company is taking from me and I’m not getting back, time to move on).

Debra Kavchak Taylor – Molson Coors – VP Insights, Beer Reverence, Digital Marketing

2. What brings you here today?

It’s an obvious question but one that’s often overlooked, and from my experience, rarely prepared for by candidates. As such, it really helps cut to the motivation of the potential candidate, and you’d be amazed what you get in response! I’ve heard disappointing things like “the head-hunter sent me.” I’ve heard impressive things like “I want to work for a Principles based organization,” and I’ve heard ridiculous things like “My Honda Civic.” Either way it can help to break the ice…and more importantly cut to the core.

TJ Kanaris – Mars – Marketing Director

3. Why would YOU hire you?

I use this as a “cut to the core” question as it is SO broad that candidates can choose many focus areas. I find that their self-awareness and confidence impacts the direction they take the question, and that’s precisely where I get the most insight. If they go to tactics and technical skills, they see their value in more executional roles … and if they talk about strategy and team building, they have stronger leadership and followership. Overall, at every level I look for individuals that know how their experiences, capabilities and style blend together to drive business objectives and results.

KC Shendelman – Canada Bread – Senior Director Innovation

4. So in your opinion, what really is a brand?

This is my “go to” question. If I get anything that remotely sounds like it has come from a textbook, I know that the person hasn’t yet internalized the profession they are choosing to embark on. They aren’t yet on the journey to becoming a Marketing Jedi. What we do isn’t taught like math or science where there is right or wrong and elements that are repeatable. It is the mix of art and science, and the art side is where we find the magic. Artists aren’t taught their craft; they may learn it, but ultimately it flows out of them, and I believe the same is true for great marketers. The brand must flow from them, and they must lead with vision, passion, and belief as their compass.

David Bigioni – Molson Coors – Senior Director Marketing

5. Tell me about a leadership skill that you need to work on? Why is it a development area? Give me an example of where you’ve had to face it head-on and how you addressed it?

If this is a senior individual, part of what I want to hear is that they recognize that you can’t be great at everything, and surrounding yourself with people who have strengths where you have weaknesses, is essential!

Kristi Knowles – Molson Coors – VP Marketing

6. Instead of a hypothetical question – put them through a test.

I was asked to come to the company’s head office for one final interview. I was not told who I would be meeting with. When I arrived, I was ushered into a room with a table and two chairs. While I was waiting for my mystery interviewer, I noticed a manila envelope with my name on it. That’s when I realized this wasn’t an interview – it was a test. In the envelope was a sheet that told me, I had just joined this company and decided to come in on Sunday to get organized before starting on Monday. Also in the envelope were:

• A note from my assistant letting me know she would not be in for a few days due to a death in her family.
• A note from my new boss telling me about an urgent business problem that needed my attention – sales were down and we needed to up deliveries to meet our quarterly forecast.
• A note from operations saying we would not meet customer delivery commitments due to supply issues.
• Separate notes from two direct reports stating that each was ready to resign due to the other one.

The task was to prepare my “to do” list for Monday, and schedule meetings for the next few days, detailing the objective and the attendees for each meeting.

Clearly this was a test of my ability to balance results and people challenges. It was a powerful life experience for me, and clearly for the organization. It gave them an opportunity to see my judgment of situations and team dynamics and how to balance those with business realities and timelines.

Roxanne Pearce – SW+A – Managing Director

Interviewees beware! Those are 6 “Cut to the Core” questions from some of Canada’s leading Marketers. Now we’d love to hear from you. Either post your interview questions or just click the like button.

If you like our speaker series – check out the last one which showcases my conversation with Richard Burjaw, Former VP of Marketing at PepsiCo and his 9 Tips on how Marketers can better engage Agencies to get better results.

By Amber Hudson and Luke Sklar 

I love Apple products.  We are Apple-ed up to the armpits at home.  They have changed music, wireless and computers for ever.  Steve Jobs is unquestionably a legend. 

But enough with the Apple love-in! 

With the recent criticism of the new Siri app, how much slack is the consumer willing to give when a brand continues to frustrate?  Oh yeah kids, I SO went there; I said Apple and frustrate in the same sentence.  Sacrilegious?  Hear me out:

Apple Newton – one of the first ever Personal Digital Assistants (PDA).  The main feature was its handwriting recognition capability.   But it got mixed reviews, was often inaccurate and was ultimately discontinued in the late 90’s. 

Antenna on the iPhone 4 – remember this fiasco?  Steve Jobs’ response was rather arrogant and he had to back track.

Customer service is hit or miss.  And the chaos that’s the Apple store…don’t get me started. 

And now it’s Siri, the vaunted killer app that’s underwhelming many.  Here’s a great article on gizmodo.com where Siri is put to the test.  I did my own test asking Siri to convert 1 kg to lbs.  Sure, she’s got a lovely voice but she couldn’t do what I thought was a simple request.  And from Apple I certainly expect more.  Aren’t THEY the ones that have created the expectation for perfection?

Taking a bit of a detour, here is an ad by Samsung taking pot shots at Apple.  Hilarious.

Okay, despite all this and the fact that there’s a bit of dominatrix in Apple, the brand has miles of slack their fans are willing to give. But will it run out? Remember the 3 Times Rule: you can screw up 3 times before your fans turn on you.  We expect Apple may get twice as many chances.  We’ll be watching. 

The question for your brand is does it have a deep and wide reservoir of goodwill?  Great brands are like a great friend:  you trust and accept them, faults and all.  And you are willing to over-look their mistakes.  Look at Ford, McDonald’s, Starbucks – they are so trusted they can shoot themselves in the foot and come out stronger than ever.  What about Coke and their current white-can mess?  We’re all laughing, but they’ll recover too.  This time. 

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By Luke Sklar and Amber Hudson 

First let me set one thing straight, this is NOT a mea culpa.  But a couple weeks ago we wrote about the marketing lessons we learned from Tim Tebow.   In the disaster that was the start of his season he taught us it’s okay to be different no matter how much you’re hated, even if you play crappy football.  Since then our righteous QB has done a 180 and is on a 6-game winning streak, in the running to be team MVP and may play the Pro Bowl, causing sports commentators across the land to wonder all kinds of WTF.  Now we get semi-smug emails from our colleagues highlighting these facts.  Even our friends at Sylvestre Marketing have since called us on it.  Here’s what we say…BRING IT.  It’s not about him winning. It’s about him teaching us another marketing lesson.  YESSS!

If we’ve learned anything in marketing it’s spend to strength.  That goes for people too.  Every person has a unique strength, a special ability that should be fueled in order to reach their full potential.  In the case of Tebow, his coach John Fox has figured out how to harness Tebow’s highly unorthodox way of playing ball.  He has simply surrounded Tebow with the right people to compensate for his weaknesses:  he built a running team, he focused the offensive line to protect Tebow while he’s taking his sweet time releasing the ball and as for his awkward footwork, well that’s trainable!

So now what have we learned?  A successful business is about the right leadership celebrating the differences within the team.  In a sea of mediocrity and sameness it’s important to stand apart.  But remember, different and bad is a problem.  Different and 6 straight wins is a lesson! 

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