Category Archives: Strategy
Marketing Malpractice: The Email Edition
This isn’t going to be a long detailed post about how to optimize your email campaigns. There is plenty of info out there from people smarter than me for that.
This is a real short simple lesson on what not to do.
Don’t do this…
If you are the email marketing person at Fragrancenet.com you are bereft of any marketing skill whatsoever. You are the reason people hate marketing. You are the reason that me, a customer, hates you.
If you aren’t the email marketing person at Fragrancenet.com then consider this a lesson in marketing 101 – use your fucking head and be smarter with your marketing campaigns. Spamming your customer and prospects isn’t being smart. It’s incredibly stupid. It’s marketing malpractice.
Stop it. Stop it now.
Who I Think Will Rule the World
In 1993 I thought Microsoft would rule the world.
In 1998 I thought AOL would rule the world.
In 2003 I thought Google would rule the world.
In 2009 I thought Apple would rule the world.
In 2014 I thought Facebook would rule the world.
It’s 2017 and I think Amazon will rule the world.
And right now there’s somebody somewhere working on something that will convince me in 2021 that they will rule the world.
There are no dynasties anymore. The pace of technology is moving so quickly that kingdoms only last for a sliver of time. Sands shift, empires are toppled, and the only constant is change.
It is the most exciting, amazing, and terrifying time to be alive.
Oh and for what it’s worth, in 2030, robots will rule us all 😉
Your Competitors Aren’t Who You Think They Are.
“Jim, I want you to watch this,” he said, pointing to a webcast of the iPhone unveiling. “They put a full Web browser on that thing. The carriers aren’t letting us put a full browser on our products.”
Mr. Balsillie’s first thought was RIM was losing AT&T as a customer.
“Apple’s got a better deal,” Mr. Balsillie said. “We were never allowed that. The U.S. market is going to be tougher.”
“These guys are really, really good,” Mr. Lazaridis replied. “This is different.”
“It’s OK—we’ll be fine,” Mr. Balsillie responded.
From “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of Blackberry”
- Blockbuster thought their competitor was Hollywood video. It was RedBox and Netflix.
- Blackberry thought their competitors were Nokia and Motorola. It was Apple.
- Kroger thought its competitors were Safeway and Publix. It’s Amazon.
- GM thinks its competitors are Ford and Chrysler. It’s Google and Uber.
Technology is advancing and converging at an incredible rate and your competitors aren’t who you think they are anymore. Those that choose to ignore this will suffer the same fate as some of the former market leaders mentioned above.
Many companies get fat and happy, content with the way they’ve always done business, thinking things will never change. That’s why 88% of the firms in the 1955 Fortune 500 are gone and today, new companies only have a 16 year estimated lifespan.
A company’s best defense against obsolescence is by making themselves obsolete…before someone else does.
Innovate or die.
Dean Shaw 