Zeus of Marketing

Successful Marketing = Flawless Execution

August 10th, 2011

I seldom post outside my regular schedule, but when I see an opportunity to remind my colleagues about the tenets of marketing, I am sure to grab it right away. In my years of experience, a successful marketing launch requires a relentless look into detail and the ability, as humanly possible, to force the integration of chaotic detail into a flawless rendering of a beautiful concerto. It’s like we were Beethoven composing the famous 5th Symphony while being deaf (but wait, he did).

With this in mind, I want to share with you my real life case study from a consumer perspective over the past few days. I will let you judge for yourself, and definitely welcome your feedback/comments.

HEADLINE:

Banana Republic has gone social with its Banana Republic -  Facebook  Get Mad Campaign

What seems right from a teaser campaign perspective:

Outdoor Advertising Spotted: August 6
AP Press Release: August 10
Facebook Page seen: August 10
Store Availability:  August 11

What definitely seems wrong:

Outdoor Advertising Spotted: August 6

Outdoor ad information to link into Facebook page: None
Probability that a “fashionista” will go into the store 2 blocks away to find out about it: 99.9%
Date I personally visited 3 Banana Republic Stores (I look great in 60′s fashions): August 7
Knowledge of sales team about Mad Men style introduction: Zip
Confused consumer: Me for one – Imagine the 100′s of thousands additional ones out there.

See where I am heading?

Furthermore;
If you are tying a major launch to an event such as a TV Show, wouldn’t you want to time it as close as possible to the hype surrounded by new news? In reality:

Mad Men Season 4 DVD Release Date: March 29, 2011.
Mad Men Season 5 Premiere: March 2012.

Last time I checked my calendar, it was August 10. When is the last time you thought about Don Draper and company?

Net:

Like I said before, I’ll let you be the judge.  Lets focus on being “Beethoven-like,” not succumb to hype for hype’s sake. Trust me – the ROI will follow – no need to attend one more webinar to learn how to do it.  I can’t wait for the published results (if they ever share them), from where I stand. I say it is a miss.

Stay tuned for my next blog.  In the meantime, please share your thoughts below; I appreciate each and every one of your insightful comments, and I promise to pay extra attention to any opposing point of view. You can also contact me via email: zeus@jrgrana.com, Twitter: @zeusofmarketing and Facebook: Zeus of Marketing. You can also find additional contact information via LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jrgrana

 

Entry Filed under: Case Studies,Social Media