This I Know - Pearl Street Book Club Looking at Chapters Three & Four

#PSBookClub

Welcome back to the second installment of the 2018 #PSBookClub. We’re just four chapters into “This I Know,” by Terry O’Reilly and we’re completely hooked. It must be our sentimental attachment to the world of marketing! #PlayingOnOurEmotions #MarketingAtItsFinest

As always, we will cover two chapters in each blog post, and will aim to have them posted every two-weeks after our book club sessions. We will be posting on social media when we update the blog, so stay tuned and Tweet/Facebook us your thoughts using the #PSBookClub. Do you agree with our thoughts on chapters three and four? Have a read and let us know.

Chapter 3: Strategy (It Tastes Awful. And It Works)
Initial Thoughts

Brittany Kelly (BK): This chapter really resonated with me as I am a firm believer in having a strategy and plan before jumping into things. The analogy used about going on vacation and the planning behind it was perfect. The portion about filling the market gap through digging and analysis really resonated with me too. “There is always a flag to be had.”

Curt Hammond (CH): Great chapter on the power of getting out of the weeds and thinking long term. #TeamPS does a good job in making sure we bake strategy into our work as it is something that clients often can’t take time to do. Our learning has been that the strategy conversation doesn’t have to be big and complicated. More often than not, it's taking time to think about values, goals and priorities. With that clarity, you can build a strong strategy that will be a great guide for your tactics.

Virginia Ehrlich (VE): “One of the most effective strategies is to reposition your competition.” Such a cool and clever concept. The example O’Reilly gives is when Tylenol entered the market. In order to gain market share they decided to reposition Aspirin, the pain-reliever leader at the time. Tylenol chose the tagline “easy on stomachs”. This simple line altered people’s perception of Aspirin as it immediately had people questioning the strong ingredients Aspirin used and wondering if they wanted to expose themselves to those ingredients. How we can apply this concept to our clients? Analyzing their competition and either identifying a gap/opportunity or figuring out their unique selling point and crafting their strategy around that.

Key Takeaways

BK: “Good marketing makes a company look smart, but great marketing makes a customer look smart.”

CH: “If it needs to be shoehorned in its wrong.” I will be using that line this year. A lot!

VE: “Worthy competition only makes you better, forcing you to be absolutely sharp and present.”

Chapter 4: Bieber in a Blender (If They Feel, They Believe)
Initial Takeaways

CH: We talk a lot about head and heart language with clients and this chapter reinforced the importance of helping to make that distinction. Key to that of course is being genuine and not trying to be something you are not. Authenticity matters! I really like Terry’s point about information that lacks emotion just won’t be effective.

VE: There is an experiment in this chapter, conducted by a journalist named Rob Walker, that proves that a compelling, emotional story actually increases the value of an object. If you can paint a picture of who made the item, where it came from, why it was made; if you can increase the emotional energy of an object, you can actually increase (or decrease if you tell a negative story) the value and meaningfulness of an item or service. His experiment proved that strong storytelling is one of, if not THE most important, component to your marketing mix.

BK: “If people feel, they believe.” So, so true! This chapter really struck a chord with me because it’s so accurate. Information itself isn’t enough to persuade someone to buy into your products and services, they need to feel a connection and feel emotion from you in order to act. Find your place, your “gap” in the market, fill it with emotion and your brand story, and you will have believers and repeat customers in no time.

Key Takeaways

CH: "Humour doesn't push, it pulls!"

VE: “Emotion is the basis for all decision-making”

BK: “To ignite a positive response in people, you have to inject emotion into information.”

So, what did you think about chapters three and four? Excited to keep learning and growing as much as we are with this book?? We’d love to see your thoughts and key takeaways in the blog comments, and on Twitter using the hashtag #PSBookClub. And make sure you check back in the next couple of weeks for our discussion on chapters five and six. Need a copy of the book you can get that here [add link] and you can follow Terry on Twitter at xx

Happy reading!

This I Know - Pearl Street Book Club is Back in Action Looking at Chapters One & Two

#PSBookClub

It was a busy 2017 and we’re going to be honest and admit that we let PS Book Club slide. In 2018 though, one of our New Year’s Resolutions was to re-ignite the spark behind the book club. And what better way to restart than with “This I Know” by the marketing master, Terry O’Reilly. Marketing Lessons from Under the Influence, is a great way to start the year with #boldness #passion and #creativity.

As always, we will cover two chapters in each blog post, and will aim to have them posted every two-weeks after our book club sessions. We will be posting on social media when we update the blog, so stay tuned and Tweet/Facebook us your thoughts using the #PSBookClub. Do you agree with our thoughts on chapters one and two? Have a read and let us know!

 

Chapter 1: Sludge or Gravy (What Business Are You Really In?)
Initial Thoughts

Curt Hammond (CH): I bought this book after seeing Terry speak at a session in Guelph this past fall. This question from his talk (along with a few laughs) is what resonated with me the most. It is at the same time unbelievably simple and overwhelmingly complex. I LOVED the line “the best marketers are the best listeners.”

Virginia Ehrlich (VE): After reading the first chapter of this book I knew I was going to be hooked. It was a reminder of how passionate I am about marketing and helping share the good work of businesses and organizations. It was also a reminder of how important it is to not only know what business you’re really in, but why you started your business in the first place. Once you can answer those questions, you will have a much easier time coming up with compelling and relatable marketing campaigns.

Brittany Kelly (BK): This first chapter was a great reminder that the focus of all marketing should be on the customer and their needs. Defining your business passion and always ensuring that the marketing is reflective of that passion and is focused on how the customer feels. This quote really resonated with me, “Smart marketers know when their nose is too close to the glass and their breath is fogging up the view. You have to develop the ability to leave your office and look back in through the windows.”

Key Takeaways

CH: The more boldness we can encourage our clients to have around this conversation the better our work for them will be and (more importantly) the more impact they will have. #MarketerKnowThyself

VE: “People buy benefits. Not products. Not features. And they buy those solutions from companies they can relate to.”

BK: “The key to articulating what business you’re in is a purely emotional exercise. It was an emotional moment for the founder on day one and it’s emotion that pulls in customers.”

Photo by Mervyn Chan on Unsplash

Chapter 2: Praying to the God of Otis (Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch)
Initial Thoughts

VE: I pretty much underlined every sentence in this chapter because it was so awesome. One line really stuck out: “An elevator pitch is about forced clarity. It insists you encapsulate the core of your offer or company”. Elevator pitches do not come easy but once you land on a strong, one sentence description of your business, it should ignite excitement and leave everyone wanting to hear more.

BK: This chapter really affirmed the need for clear, simplistic and strong positioning statements in a world of constant advertising overload. The part about how, on average, people see three thousand advertising messages a day, notice six and retain two, and the way to capture the “top two” placement you must have a simple ad, founded on strategy and creativity.

CH: Without question the elevator pitch is important. AND we need to remind clients that the entire story of their organization or project does not have to hang on the elevator pitch alone. Take it for what it is: an opportunity to encourage someone to step off the elevator with you and go deeper into your story.

Photo by Andrew Welch on Unplash

Key Takeaways

VE: “An elevator pitch turns into a lighthouse whenever the horizon gets foggy.”

BK: “Can you describe your idea in an exciting sentence or two? If you can, it’s probably a strong idea. If it takes a paragraph, it’s not ready yet.”

CH: “A magazine that feels like it was mailed back from the future.” #WishIHadWrittenThat

So, what did you think about chapters one and two? Excited to keep learning and growing as much as we are with this book?? We’d love to see your thoughts and key takeaways in the blog comments, and on Twitter using the hashtag #PSBookClub. And make sure you check back in the next couple of weeks for our discussion on chapters three and four. Need a copy of the book? You can get your copy here and you can follow Terry on Twitter here. 

Happy reading!