Category Archives: Branding

Two Golden Rules for Employees of Product Manufacturers

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A recent conversation with a friend who works for a global manufacturing company focused on his horror at colleagues who had shipped product offshore before obtaining regulatory clearance to sell the product in the destination country. He was incredulous that this could happen at such a large corporation. The potential for a disastrous outcome (fines, inventory sitting in customs unable to be retrieved, rejection of the shipment resulting in additional shipping expense, loss of revenue due to delivery delays, possible lawsuits, etc.) was significant.

I was reminded of two rules that I learned early in my career while working for an industry-leading manufacturer whose products were known far and wide.

1. Don’t do anything that will result in shutting down production.

2. Don’t do anything that interferes with a product getting to market on time.

Large companies have a complex web of employees contributing to the product lifecycle. Although there should be oversight at every phase of the process, it’s easier than most executives would admit for some steps to fall through the cracks. Even so, we each bear a personal responsibility to do our jobs to the best of our ability. That includes mitigating risk and evaluating daily decisions against both long and short term objectives.

If you work for a product manufacturer, don’t flirt with disaster in the name of expedience. Keeping these two rules in mind may help you make better decisions on the company’s behalf.

Right Down to the Last Punctuation Mark. Period.

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“Marketing is everything, and everything is marketing.” — Regis McKenna

If you don’t agree with that quote, you should visit The Land of Relentless Marketing. Yes, I’m talking about Disney World. Don’t get me wrong — I’m an admirer. These people are brilliant marketers, and the evidence is everywhere.

Better yet, they are superb communicators. Effective marketing strategy would not exist without successful communication. Here are five (of many) elements of communications that I’ve experienced personally and that Disney has down cold:

1. Your customers are “guests.” They don’t have to buy what you’re selling, even when you’re the only game in town. Make them feel special, and tell them how much you appreciate them at every opportunity.

2. Repetition works. This is old school communications practice at its finest. Say it often enough and people will believe.

3. Your brand proposition is your life. This is the promise you make to your customers, and adherence to it is not optional. Every marketing thing you do should support the promise.

4. Consistency matters. See #2. Disney adds new technology, media, design elements and experiences to keep itself relevant, but the core messages and key identifiers (like the “When You Wish Upon a Star” refrain) remain unchanged. There’s a reason for that.

5. It’s not about price, it’s about value. Make no mistake, a Walt Disney World vacation is no bargain, especially if you stay inside the park. However, the experience is nothing short of amazing, there is nothing else like it, and Disney makes sure that its customers know it. Everything runs smoothly and the presentation is seamless. Look a little lost or confused and a cast member (employee) comes to your rescue with a smile. The company even pays folks to blend into the crowd of tourists and surreptitiously pick up any bit of litter dropped by a visitor. Despite the cost, nearly 70% of visitors to WDW’s Magic Kingdom are returning customers. Clearly, they value the Disney experience enough to keep coming back.

In short, communications excellence abounds at Disney. It’s a formula that works for the rest of us, too.