http://MarcRudov.com Branding counsel from Marc Rudov to help the CEO emerge as a unique standout from the white noise of me-too competition. WebPasties http://www.webpasties.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-us Copyright 2009 Marc H. Rudov Marc@MarcRudov.com (Marc Rudov) Marc@MarcRudov.com (Marc Rudov) Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:38:53 GMT Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:38:53 GMT Marc H. Rudov Branding Counsel for the Competitive CEO Marc Rudov Marc@MarcRudov.com (Marc Rudov) no GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling http://marcrudov.com/Images2008/WhiteNoiseDoctor03.jpg http://MarcRudov.com Because Motorola didn't make branding top priority when introducing CLIQ, assuming gadgetry and hucksterism would carry the day, it has wasted more time and shareholder cash while its relevance dwindles further -- a Motoblunder Marc H. Rudov Salespeople cannot sell confusion Because Motorola didn't make branding top priority when introducing CLIQ, assuming gadgetry and hucksterism would carry the day, it has wasted more time and shareholder cash while its relevance dwindles further -- a Motoblunder http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/MotorolaBlur.mp3 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:38:00 GMT no 00:04:50 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling The gut is the nexus between, the confluence of, your mind and heart. It is the true barometer of your body's reaction to the world. So, heart-only and mind-only decisions are, by definition, suboptimal or wrong. Instead, one always must make gut-based decisions. Marc H. Rudov People make all decisions with their guts The gut is the nexus between, the confluence of, your mind and heart. It is the true barometer of your body's reaction to the world. So, heart-only and mind-only decisions are, by definition, suboptimal or wrong. Instead, one always must make gut-based decisions. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/GutShareVsMindshare.mp3 Sun, 03 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:07:34 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling My TV experience has taught me that, if I cannot articulate my main argument in 15 seconds, goodbye audience -- goodbye ratings. The same principle holds for Websites, keynote speeches, sales presentations, brochures, and all branding platforms: it's all about ratings. Marc H. Rudov You can't build a brand they don't understand My TV experience has taught me that, if I cannot articulate my main argument in 15 seconds, goodbye audience -- goodbye ratings. The same principle holds for Websites, keynote speeches, sales presentations, brochures, and all branding platforms: it's all about ratings. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/UnderstandYourBrand.mp3 Wed, 06 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:05:55 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling There's only one way a CEO can confirm his brand's effectiveness: buzz, word-of-mouth. Without buzz, there is no brand. Marc H. Rudov Without buzz, your product has no brand There's only one way a CEO can confirm his brand's effectiveness: buzz, word-of-mouth. Without buzz, there is no brand. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/NoBuzzNoBrand.mp3 Sun, 10 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:56 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Unfortunately, the branding vehicle used most often is a window. Take the typical Website, for example. It is a window fronting a product display. The prospect who happens upon this window views the merchandise -- elaborately arrayed and labeled -- and asks a fundamental question: What about me? Indeed. Marc H. Rudov Use mirrors -- not windows -- to attract customers Unfortunately, the branding vehicle used most often is a window. Take the typical Website, for example. It is a window fronting a product display. The prospect who happens upon this window views the merchandise -- elaborately arrayed and labeled -- and asks a fundamental question: What about me? Indeed. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/UseMirrorsCustomers.mp3 Thu, 14 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:42 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Advertising -- whether print, radio, TV, or Internet -- has one purpose: compel the target customers to immediately purchase the underlying product or service. That's it. Any desire to entertain or win awards via advertising is naïve disregard for revenues and shareholders' capital. Marc H. Rudov Never confuse selling a product with evoking laughter Advertising -- whether print, radio, TV, or Internet -- has one purpose: compel the target customers to immediately purchase the underlying product or service. That's it. Any desire to entertain or win awards via advertising is naïve disregard for revenues and shareholders' capital. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/AdvertisingNotEntertainment.mp3 Sat, 16 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:05:24 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling GEICO has assets of $24.4B and spends at least $300M annually on advertising. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns the company. All impressive. But, I posit that GEICO's advertising "works" to the extent that it exhausts the viewers with overexposure, not because it lures or resonates with them. Marc H. Rudov GEICO's messaging is as clear as mud GEICO has assets of $24.4B and spends at least $300M annually on advertising. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns the company. All impressive. But, I posit that GEICO's advertising "works" to the extent that it exhausts the viewers with overexposure, not because it lures or resonates with them. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/WhatIsGeicoSelling.mp3 Tue, 19 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:47 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling As long as your company exhibits a palpable "selling" orientation, while your customers have a value agenda, the result will be branding disconnect and dissonance. This is how selling kills your sales. Marc H. Rudov CEOs must be value executives, not sales executives As long as your company exhibits a palpable "selling" orientation, while your customers have a value agenda, the result will be branding disconnect and dissonance. This is how selling kills your sales. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/HowSellingKillsSales.mp3 Thu, 21 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:42 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling White noise is your enemy because it masks and obscures your company, thereby raising the randomness and cost of sales. If your management team doesn't have the courage to be bold, unique, distinct, and differentiated -- in a way that makes buyers take notice -- your company will be relegated to the competitive white noise. Marc H. Rudov White noise raises the randomness and cost of sales White noise is your enemy because it masks and obscures your company, thereby raising the randomness and cost of sales. If your management team doesn't have the courage to be bold, unique, distinct, and differentiated -- in a way that makes buyers take notice -- your company will be relegated to the competitive white noise. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/WhiteNoiseYourEnemy.mp3 Mon, 25 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:54 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling It always astounds me when people opine that branding is for consumer products and that industrial purchases are made with pure logic. Neither opinion is even close to accurate. So, why would anyone attempt a "cerebral" sale? Good question. But, it happens all the time. Marc H. Rudov Customers don't make cerebral purchases It always astounds me when people opine that branding is for consumer products and that industrial purchases are made with pure logic. Neither opinion is even close to accurate. So, why would anyone attempt a "cerebral" sale? Good question. But, it happens all the time. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/CerebralSelling.mp3 Fri, 29 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:05:10 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling It matters not how "cool" cloud computing might be or how much it excites the various vendors selling it. What matters is whether cloud computing makes sense to a large audience in 15 seconds. It doesn't, and the number of seminars explaining it is inversely proportional to its visceral appeal. Marc H. Rudov A cloud is meaningless -- nebulous and unclear It matters not how "cool" cloud computing might be or how much it excites the various vendors selling it. What matters is whether cloud computing makes sense to a large audience in 15 seconds. It doesn't, and the number of seminars explaining it is inversely proportional to its visceral appeal. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/CloudComputingBrandingFog.mp3 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:54 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Web 2.0 jargon is contained in countless technology and business articles, on numerous Websites, and in the themes of endless conferences. But, Web 2.0 doesn't motivate people to buy stocks and socks online. That makes using it a boondoggle. Marc H. Rudov Web 2.0 is a useless term; marketers should drop it Web 2.0 jargon is contained in countless technology and business articles, on numerous Websites, and in the themes of endless conferences. But, Web 2.0 doesn't motivate people to buy stocks and socks online. That makes using it a boondoggle. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/Web2TechBoondoggle.mp3 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:53 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling When the cash register's ringing, people just can't be nice and accommodating enough to each other. They are team players all. But, watch all that goodwill and team spirit vanish during bad economic times, when cashflow goes flat or negative -- and people display their real feelings, motives, and behaviors. Marc H. Rudov Positive cashflow masks duplicity When the cash register's ringing, people just can't be nice and accommodating enough to each other. They are team players all. But, watch all that goodwill and team spirit vanish during bad economic times, when cashflow goes flat or negative -- and people display their real feelings, motives, and behaviors. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/DownsidePositiveCashflow.mp3 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:02:27 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling A visceral feel for nuance and the intangible -- both absent in numbercrunching -- is what makes a great marketer. Marc H. Rudov To ignore rabid-fan customers is a huge error A visceral feel for nuance and the intangible -- both absent in numbercrunching -- is what makes a great marketer. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/ReturnOfHydrox.mp3 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:05:18 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Make your brand pass both the GutShare and trademark tests. The trash will end up in the trash, instead of on your homepage. And, the surviving gem will do its job: attract paying customers. Marc H. Rudov Marketers must treat each brand like a trademark Make your brand pass both the GutShare and trademark tests. The trash will end up in the trash, instead of on your homepage. And, the surviving gem will do its job: attract paying customers. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/TreatBrandTrademark.mp3 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:15 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling To use a horse & cart analogy: brand always pulls the revenue cart. Never, as they say, put the cart before the horse. How often do companies subordinate their brands to other revenue-acceleration activities, like SEO/SEM and hiring more salespeople? Answer: all the time. Backwards priorities. Marc H. Rudov Putting the cart before the horse always fails To use a horse & cart analogy: brand always pulls the revenue cart. Never, as they say, put the cart before the horse. How often do companies subordinate their brands to other revenue-acceleration activities, like SEO/SEM and hiring more salespeople? Answer: all the time. Backwards priorities. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/BrandRevenueCart.mp3 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:19 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling In general, CEOs have difficulty quantifying the value of a brand -- they think it's nebulous gobbledygook. Is this true in your case? If so, cut the gobbledygook, and its creators. Invest more dollars to acquire a strong, unique brand, which will attract customers, like moths to a lightbulb, and lower the cost of sales. Marc H. Rudov What your company achieved in the past is nice, but it's history In general, CEOs have difficulty quantifying the value of a brand -- they think it's nebulous gobbledygook. Is this true in your case? If so, cut the gobbledygook, and its creators. Invest more dollars to acquire a strong, unique brand, which will attract customers, like moths to a lightbulb, and lower the cost of sales. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/NeverRestUrBrandsLaurels.mp3 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:23 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Making business connections via LinkedIn is one thing, and a necessary one at that, but engaging in electronic nudity to the point that one's life becomes a voluntary form of "The Truman Show" is unhealthy -- for the soul and for the investment portfolio. Marc H. Rudov Electronic nudity is unhealthy for the investment portfolio Making business connections via LinkedIn is one thing, and a necessary one at that, but engaging in electronic nudity to the point that one's life becomes a voluntary form of "The Truman Show" is unhealthy -- for the soul and for the investment portfolio. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/SocialNetworkingInvestment.mp3 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:21 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Branding a behemoth, like a startup, is a critical responsibility of every CEO. There's no getting around it. Size and complexity are not excuses for a weak brand. Marc H. Rudov Size and complexity aren't excuses for a weak brand Branding a behemoth, like a startup, is a critical responsibility of every CEO. There's no getting around it. Size and complexity are not excuses for a weak brand. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/BrandingBehemoth.mp3 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:28 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Microsoft has one stock symbol (NASDAQ: MSFT) to represent its value to investors. It also must have one brand to represent is value to customers. What is it? Marc H. Rudov Treat your homepage like a highway billboard Microsoft has one stock symbol (NASDAQ: MSFT) to represent its value to investors. It also must have one brand to represent is value to customers. What is it? http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/BrandingMicrosoft.mp3 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:22 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling Marc Rudov gives a recap of his branding articles 1-23. Marc H. Rudov Recap of Rudov's Branding Articles 1-23 Marc Rudov gives a recap of his branding articles 1-23. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/RudovsBrandingRecapOne.mp3 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:19:38 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling The Shack? Nothing positive or cool or unique or compelling or contemporary about it. When people referred to RadioShack as "the shack," it wasn't a compliment. Remember the company's PC, the TRS-80? People used to call it the Trash-80 -- also not a compliment. Marc H. Rudov RadioShack could have become what the company wants it to be The Shack? Nothing positive or cool or unique or compelling or contemporary about it. When people referred to RadioShack as "the shack," it wasn't a compliment. Remember the company's PC, the TRS-80? People used to call it the Trash-80 -- also not a compliment. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/RadioShackInTheShack.mp3 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:29 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling The CEO must demand a unique, concise, compelling, gut-grabbing, memorable brand -- and make it priority #1, not delegate it and hope for the best. Marc H. Rudov This is no way to run a business The CEO must demand a unique, concise, compelling, gut-grabbing, memorable brand -- and make it priority #1, not delegate it and hope for the best. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/NBCBrandClearAsMud.mp3 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:03:46 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling That's precisely why so many companies are stuck in the white noise, where one is indistinguishable from the other: CEOs project their personal fears of standing out, their personal desires to blend in, onto their companies' brands. Marc H. Rudov Blend if you want a high cost of sales & a long sales cycle That's precisely why so many companies are stuck in the white noise, where one is indistinguishable from the other: CEOs project their personal fears of standing out, their personal desires to blend in, onto their companies' brands. http://MarcRudov.com/Podcasts/BrandingBlending.mp3 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT no 00:04:01 GutShare,,branding,,Marc,Rudov,,marketing,,CEO,,brand,,strategy,,WhiteNoise,Doctor,,sales,,selling