The illusion of progress, a GREAT campaign, and the radical little brother of design thinking...
Happy Fourth of July!
And for my Canadian-inclined subscribers, Happy Canada Day!
Welcome back from the break, and to another edition of the world's best newsletter.
In this edition:
You can’t just be right. Being right is only part of the battle. You have to be persuasive.
Music thinking, the radical little brother of design thinking.
One easy way to cut the tension and boost sales and marketing collaboration
The CMO of Mozilla believes this is the most important marketing role (I agree)
GREAT campaign: Humans of Support
The Illusion of Progress in Marketing to Women
Why did Yankee Doodle Call a feather macaroni?
Quote of the week
1. You can’t just be right. Being right is only part of the battle. You have to be persuasive.
This excellent post comes from Glen Lipka, Head of UX at Engagio (one of my favorite new clients.) It's required reading. That's why it's #1 today.
He writes about framing ideas correctly. Be careful not to present ideas as your personal idea. Be explicit about loss aversion (as opposed to gaining something). Address the status quo (no change is usually ALWAYS preferred over any change.) Work the Socratic method and let your audience come to the conclusion on their own.
2. Music thinking, the radical little brother of design thinking.
I'm really interested in this concept of music thinking, what Christof Zürn calls the "radical little brother of design thinking." I certainly relate to it from my many years as a band geek growing up. (Trombonist, yes really.) This TED talk illustrates the concept in action.
It doesn't seem that this phrase has taken off but I especially relate to the notion now as a consultant, as services do involve a type of shared performance, a changing audience, and a fluctuation in the dynamics of daily business, all combined with high expectations. Very similar to life as a musician.
Christof says, "Music thinking is the behavioural side of design thinking" and he uses an extra "u" in behavior so you know he's got something going on.
3. One easy way to cut the tension and boost sales and marketing collaboration
My good friend Samantha Stone published a fascinating report on a very unhealthy tension between B2B sales and marketing teams. Check out the 2016 B2B Sales and Marketing Collaboration Report (no registration). Inside she looks at some of the disconnects (spoiler alert: they don't agree on much, including how well they agree, haha!) and examines many of the solutions.
I wrote about my favorite tip in this new post on my blog, "1 Easy Way to Cut the Tension and Boost B2B Sales and Marketing Performance"
4. The CMO of Mozilla thinks this is the most important marketing role (I agree)
I know I'm bias because one of my best friends is a product marketer. But don't take my word for it. In this Inc article, Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, CMO of Mozilla is asked,"What is the most critical hire a marketing department needs to make?"
His response: "Without question, product marketing."
I really could't agree more.
5. GREAT campaign: Humans of Support
I recently got to know the team at Help Scout (Boston based online help desk SaaS company) and was super impressed with their team, especially in content. My spiritual life partner (err, friend) Devin Bramhall recently joined as their Director of Content, and knowing her I was not at all surprised to see this campaign launch.
You're likely familiar with the photo journalism of Humans of New York, showing the real stories behind strangers on the streets of NYC. Well, meet "Humans of Support." I can't wait to see more. It features the real people that live the label "users" or "customers" and is an excellent source of content to appeal to future prospects. The best marketing makes your prospects say, "oh, me too!" In this case, support is an exceedingly human job. This showcases the humans with empathy and authenticity. Nice job Devin.
6. The Illusion of Progress in Marketing to Women
I was up late the other night doing some work, TV on in the background (probably on the Food Network). I usually tune out ads but sometimes I catch myself watching. This one night, I noticed a couple of ads that stood out to me, but not because they were wildly creative or relevant. They were infuriating. They pandered to women in a way that said "we know you're eager for equality in the workplace so let's use that narrative to sell you golf clubs, deodorant, and shampoo to remind you that you're still a commodity."
Ugh. This is not progress. I wrote a little rant about this on LinkedIn, and it's fortunately been featured in their marketing & advertising and professional women channels. Because of the traffic, the comments are just hilarious. Read this, share this. Thank you.
7. Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather "Macaroni?"
Relevant, as we are all catching up from our Fourth of July holiday. A fun history lesson about the origin of the Yankee Doodle lyrics. In a more serious light, it's an example of how we are able to twist the meaning of something to suit our narratives.
"The first bit of context you need in order to understand the sense of this line is that the song “Yankee Doodle” was not always the proud, patriotic ditty we know today. It was originally sung by British soldiers in mockery of the rough, unsophisticated, American colonials they had to fight alongside during the French and Indian War. The thrust of it was 'look at these ridiculous yokels!'"
Yeah, yokels! Wait, can I say that word on the internet?
8. Quote of the Week
"ONE death is a tragedy. One million is a statistic."
Timely, poignant, from this excellent NY Times article, "Empathy is Actually a Choice"
BOSTON subscribers --
I'm hosting the FlipMyFunnel event in Boston on August 11th. Your favorite B2B sales and marketing celebrities are speaking, and it's a one day event you shouldn't miss. Use code "KM50" for half off your ticket price. Prices go up next week, so register soon.
Best,
Katie