Answers and Questions in Companies

Traditionally, especially in the technology, engineering, and science fields, companies have been used to having all the answers. Yet, I am often reminded that we practice medicine, we don't know it, as we practice law, etc. It is quite uncomfortable for many organizations to base their marketing more on questions rather than answers, yet that is where the growth is. 

Questions are opportunities. Where to start?

As Jonas Riddestråle and Kjell Nordström wrote in Karaoke Capitalism, corporations exist for the simple reason of continuously and creatively crushing competition. They can do that by innovating constantly.

To achieve competitive advantage, organizations need to (1) employ creativity to overcome narrowness in resources and scope; (2) find newness, which lasts less than it used to; (3) go to the extreme, and that means you've got to find your own competitive value proposition at the edge.  In the words of Thornton May, "Technology doesn't make you less stupid; it just makes you stupid faster."

Technology, Global Presence, New Solutions are No Longer Enough

Riddestråle and Nordström say that to make sense of what is going on today, we need to go back to nature and Darwin. Survival and success is either a question of adaptation or one of attraction - fit & sexy. Organizations that want to build sustainable competitiveness today need to exploit either market imperfections or the imperfection of people - supply-side and demand-side innovation respectively. In other words, they need to move away from the middle.

I Don't Know About You, I'd Rather be Sexy

Just a couple of days ago we were talking about living in an age where demand creation is our daily bread. Especially as we think of the move from collectivism to individualism - yes, I know, open source and community are important, yet the "show me the money" moment resides with individual decision paths and actions.

Rational purchases are usually made at the low end of the economic spectrum. It's the emotional connection that leads to the high end. This is where the companies that are master storytellers build solid brands.

Where Should Marketing Focus?

Marketing should own the questions. Starting with product and service value propositions. Are there many more options to go to market than there were before? Truly? Think about it, not really. Sure, you can go digital instead of print - that is a channel. What we're talking about is still advertising.  In B2B, we use advertising because by and large it works to generate inquiries. Especially when integrated with a cohesive direct marketing program.

Yet the kind of information that gets traction in the new advertising is quite different. It tells more of a story, it can be edutainment, it can be mashable-ready, or slippy - in other words ready to be reused and spread by others.

Are there better ways to mix marketing communications to encourage participation? You bet. You need to be mindful of something before we talk about that - the first step in participation is yours, and it begins with a product and service that works and provides value. Doing rather than talking is the same advice I give agencies. We should take it to heart.

Any other thoughts?

Comments

[Rebecca]

I was just reading a post on Greg Verdino's blog along a similar theme.

I'm no marketing expert so I can't speak to that, but I do think it's interesting that for companies to survive they must continually be challenging how they are structured and what their product and service is. This is so hard for most because people say they like change, but really, they don't... I don't know. I'm going to have think on this some more.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Change is part of life and in today's competitive environment, unless you challenge yourself, some other company will.

We are creatures of habit and change is hard for us to do. Although I realize we talk a lot about it. I'd be intrigued by your thoughts on this, Rebecca. You are good at finding new threads.

[Peter]

"As Jonas Riddestråle and Kjell Nordström wrote in Karaoke Capitalism, corporations exist for the simple reason of continuously and creatively crushing competition. They can do that by innovating constantly."

Surely this age is wasted if this is what we have to show for all our learning.

I say no.

The simple reason for coporations is to deliver on promises.

The promise is the prelude to the composition of the corporation and reason for trade.

Why do we allow ourselves to believe that the central organising principle of the the corporation, arguably the crowning achievement of our age was, is simply to destroy the competition in ever more creative ways.

Surely, given all we have learned we can come up with a more inspiring and healthy delusion for the existence of the corporation.

If not, I fear we are wasting out times.

[Valeria Maltoni]

What's interesting, Peter, is that I am almost convinced that it is true. That's not how I work, yet I do know that the conversation can be around who gets most of the credit, even in partnerships.

Inside the organization there is often an unspoken race to see who crashes colleagues faster. You have no idea how many times in a company I met people who made a career out of trying to crush their colleagues. It's bad karma for sure, and it is undeniably there.

[Peter]

A couple of things:

Sure its there - but that doesn't make it the reason for corporations -

In my experience you've got to work your Karma more than your head to stay alive in business.

I was also reflecting on this topic with a collegue today.

My thesis was that for all our purported advancement perhaps we need to hunt and kill. If not flesh - the aspirations of our fellow man bound up in the corporation.

I struggle to reconcile why the corporation must be so complex and elaborate to achieve such a base and primal urge.

Its a waste of our times.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Hunt and kill is what moves people to action more than inspiration. We got addicted to bullet points (how I dislike PowerPoint) and rationalizations. When in fact, the raw emotions are what run the business. Truly.

The complexity comes from having to mask the truth.