Quick Update (and New Book)
Hey all, sorry for the radio silence. I've been pretty busy here since coming back on the 3rd, so I haven't had time to write another chapter of Schiit Happens. I should have something for you next week, but in the meantime, I figured I'd do two things:
1. What's Up With Schiit
Another reason for the radio silence is simple: we're all working very hard, because we're still in the middle of the busiest time of the year. The shop is full. There are racks of boards waiting to be tested, programmed, and assembled into chassis. There are racks of finished products. There are boxes of kitted parts ready to go out. Metal--and other big deliveries--are flowing in. And orders are flowing out.
For sales nerds, some interesting facts: our "selling season" really starts in November and continues through April. Yes. As in, it's not unusual for January to be as big as December, something you wouldn't expect with the holidays and all, but there you go. The quietest time of the year is usually June/July/August. Which is why we sometimes try to introduce new products around that time. Note "try," and note our record of getting things done on time.
This is also the time of year when we start feeling the limitations of our space, and start thinking about moving. Yes. Seriously. Especially with some future plans, we're running out of space in our 8300 square feet. It's not critical yet, but it really comes down to: do we move this summer, or do we move next summer? We'll see.
And--although I am working on the final details of some new products, don't expect to see anything early in the year. The launches we have planned are for products that are more complex and different than what we've done before, and nothing will be slammed out prematurely.
The upshot of "no product intros," though, is "no chapters on new products." So I'm open for suggestions. Any thoughts?
2. A New Take On Marketing
At the same time as I continue the Schiit Happens chapters, I'm writing a new book on the marketing side of things. I'll share that one as it's written, if you're interested. It is a good subject as Schiit ramps up marketing a bit this year...why did we choose to do the things we do, how do we measure success, etc--all good info for other companies who need to market a product.
However, I intend this to be a standalone marketing book, applicable to any company. The reasons for writing this book are myriad, but they really boil down to three things:
1. Marketing is significantly changed from when I started Centric, 22 years ago. Old assumptions don't work--not in brand, not in message, not in media, not in spend, not in metrics, not in tactics.
2. The marketing environment has changed as well. It's now much easier--and less expensive--to look credible and get good exposure than ever before. But...
3. The start-up and competitive environment has changed as well. It's now much easier to capitalize and launch a company, be it through crowdfunding or venture funding. You may not know who your competitors are going to be next year. Or, if you're a start-up, you may find yourself with huge demand--and no plan to meet it--AND no plan for what comes next and how to build it into a sustainable company.
And let's add a fourth:
4. In 22 years, I have seen more companies sabotage their marketing by meddling and second-guessing their way into obscurity...and they're frequently aided and abetted by their agency (who is, after all, NOT the company--and therefore does not share all of their goals...which is an important caution to remember).
Given all of this, how do you avoid being lost in the crowd? In my opinion, it's not just about "authenticity" or "passion" or whatever the corporate buzzwords are these days...or at least not in their current definition. It's not about "brand," or at least how "brand" has been defined in the past.
To me, it's about throwing out a whole lot of marketing baggage, and embracing some new ideas. Ideas like:
1. Embracing that every successful, sustainable business is a niche. There is no such thing as mass marketing. The end game of mass marketing is the perfect commodity (think industrial soap, where $0.0001/oz means the difference between sale and no sale.)
2. Discarding the idea that brand is everything. "But there are mass marketers with big brand names," some will say. Oh yeah? Apple is clearly a niche. And their brand is built on product (and attitude). And it is polarizing.
3. Turning your message up to 11--and beyond. Unless you have cubic money, you have exactly one chance to get someone's attention in the complex and ever-changing media universe. You don't get their attention by being vanilla.
4. Acting and refining, rather than paralysis by analysis. By the time you've done your research, run the ads by your carefully orchestrated focus groups, ensured everything is kosher with legal, you're months behind the times. Get started now, measure the results, learn and refine.
5. Practicing--and perfecting--agility. So you don't get run over by the competitor you never saw, or miss the opportunity that just passed by. The marketing universe is complex--hell, advertising on Amazon, and keeping up with the changes on that platform, could eat one marketing specialist's entire life. Same for AdWords. Same for Facebook. Change is the only constant.
And hence the working title: Lost in the Crowd: How You (and Your Agency) Conspire to Fail
Yes, it's negative. And hence different. And hence #3.
So, in addition to Schiit Happens, I'll torture you with some chapters from the marketing book--if you're game. If you're not, let me know, and I'll forever keep my peace (and the book will pop up elsewhere, when it's done.)
