The 2% Opportunity

by Steven Morris , April 9, 2009

Recently, I read a magazine article that contained a startling statistic. "Ninety-eight percent of what we think, feel and talk about is about us," it said. I'm not sure if that stat grabs you the way it did me, but I was taken aback - personally and professionally - by the idea.

Translating this thinking into my professional world of brand strategy and creative, I often find myself reminding clients and our team about why we do what we do. We're not in the business of creating stellar branding strategies and campaigns. Nor are we in the business of building brilliant ad campaigns or killer websites. We're not even in the business of doing what clients say. We are, however, in the business of authentically communicating to our clients' audiences, and this is where the "2% Opportunity" hits home.

Remember Bill Clinton's mantra during his first run at the White House? "It's the economy, stupid." While such a sentiment has multi-meaning truth in the current economic age, Clinton's single-pointed focus did well for his campaign. Translating that focus to the "2% Opportunity," the world of marketing and communication has something to learn here. Our focus is and always will be about the customer.

I've witnessed again and again that companies and brands spend too much time chest-thumping and not nearly enough time focusing on the audiences with which they are in business to communicate and serve. And I do mean communicate with - not just sell, advertise or market to.

A men's grooming-product line put out by a global packaged goods giant is a good example of a brand making it "all about the customer." I participated in a recent promotion effort, launched just prior to St. Patrick's Day, in which the company used a Twitter-based social-media campaign.

Via a microsite, Twitter folks were asked to complete the following statement: "______ me, I'm _______" -- as in "Kiss me, I'm Irish" with a twist. The top-voted phrases then were shared on the microsite. My favorite was "Trust me, I'm a doctor," and there were plenty of other great responses.

The strength of social media proves that people want and need communication. They insist on it. It's human nature to look for a two-way street of communication, and technology is beginning to catch up to this need. People -- especially women -- want a dialog. To effectively and authentically communicate we must be thinking about our audience as least as much as we're thinking about ourselves and our products and services.

Do your brand, product or services consistently respond to the question, "What's in it for them?" If so, then you're well on your way to understanding your business and how to thrive in that business, regardless of the economic situation. If not, you might want to spend more time considering the wants and needs of your audience.

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4 comments about "The 2% Opportunity ".

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Paul Van winkle from FUNCTION, April 9, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.
It's about time. Thanks, Steven.
All this fervid narcassism was getting drab. The funny thing: with the mania towards creating brand voices that convey the new global values of "openness", "connectivity", "authenticity" and "interactivity", it takes real carweheels and pretzel logic to assist corporate marketers hell-bent on themselves and their agendas. Reality tunnels are hard to crack open.
I think it's a long boat that will take some deftness, some character, and a blend of professional and personal experience to address. Keen understandings of human nature -- and poetry -- help, too. Sounds like you've got all those. Good luck, good article.
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Kevin Horne from Verizon, April 9, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.

Steve:

Are you saying up until today all marketing has NOT been consumer focused?

And, if you are indeed starting your argument from that poor base, are you then saying that social media is the ONLY way to accomplish customer-focused branding and marketing?

And, if people spend 98% of the time talking/thinking about themselves, then why isnt this the 98% opportunity?

Steven Morris from MORRIS, April 9, 2009 at 6:27 p.m.

Paul -- Thanks for the kind remarks and the shared insights. You clearly get it. The poetry never hurts.

Steven

Steven Morris from MORRIS, April 9, 2009 at 6:52 p.m.

Hi Kevin,
At the core of what I am saying is that brands and companies -- even individuals -- are far too focused on themselves to care much about who they're trying to communicate with. Think GM, Ford, most banks, most investment firms, most real estate companies, two year old kids, etc. Examples of great brands who outwardly focus consistently are: Southwest Airlines, Harley and Apple.

It's my feeling that social media is one avenue that's as much about listening as it is about talking. A mountain of fresh air, if you ask me. But, it's clearly not the only medium to achieve this. The opportunity is in what we decide to focus on, despite the medium.

It's the 2% Opportunity because the opportunity is in the 2%, not the 98%.

Thanks for reading and commenting!
Steven