Capturing the Mind of Your Customer -- Timeless Lessons from Jack Trout

I first met Jack Trout when he worked for my father as a Divisional Ad Manager at Uniroyal Fast forward 25 years to my next encounter amp160I was now in the media business and in a meeting with Jack pictured at top in his Greenwich offices amp160We were seeking positioning and marketing ideas for ActMedia a young instore media companyamp160whose primary products were ads on supermarket shopping carts and aisle directories amp160We were there to talk about a new product we were launching with then Turner Broadcastingamp160called the Checkout Channel which offered satellitedelivered programming from Turner to TVs in supermarket checkout lanesWe knew we wanted to promote Checkout Channel39s value and differentiate it in our target customer39s mind amp160We thought we needed a catchyamp160but credible slogan or tagline amp160Jack said that every product and service has a sloganamp160amp160quotWhat you need is a positionquot he told us a value proposition that will create a clear and understood position in the mind of your target customer amp160This was especially important as we were selling Checkout Channel against the biggest players in the ad business network televisionOur position had to be strongly articulated surrounding the fact that we delivered a supertargeted shopper audience 3x each week cost efficiently right when they were shopping in a supermarket amp160This quotmetricsquot positioning coupled with the emotional positioning of taking quotsight sound and motionquot television creative into the retail environment where only static messaging had previously existed allowed us to tell a great story The purest level of audience targeting for the advertised brands at less cost using television creative amp160That positioning created a clear value propositionamp160versus the broader and more expensive audience delivery of network television amp160Suffice it to say we hit all of our launch targets bringing in 15 highprofile national advertisersToday the level of competition in all consumer and business marketing sectors is exponentially greater than ever before amp160We also live in a world of quotsnackablequot information six second ads ad blocking influencer marketingamp160and evolving definitions of what quality content actually is amp160Change is our ongoing reality at a pace that is ever acceleratingamp160Adapting to changeamp160and all the new rules and ad formats that we have is necessary to effectively compete in the new media and marketing world amp160Yet the constant is that Jack Trout39s ideas around positioning remain needed now more than ever beforeWherever we advertise and message amp160via 30s in personalized news feeds sponsored and native content through social media channels and on a multitude of platforms amp160our highly fluid fragmented and quotnoisyquot messaging world we live in makes it more critical than ever to focus first on a positioning strategy amp160It is the foundation that drives home those multiple ways we choose to message our company brands products or services to increase salesSo in addition to conversations focused on content delivery systems personalized messaging customized content trending stories brand safety crossplatform measurement and on and on in today39s hypercompetitive marketplace we all will benefit by revisiting a few of the timeless insights Jack Trout gave to the marketing worldPositioning is how you differentiate yourself in the mind of your prospect amp160You need to find a clear and simple position that will clearly resonate and find a unique space in your prospect39s mind amp160The biggest competitive mistake usually made is that of trying to be everything to everybody in the mindReplace the concept of advertising with the concept storytelling amp160You must have a good storyamp160that makes an emotional connection verses your competitorsStay nervous amp160Paranoia is the key to success amp160Constant diligence is critical in a competitive world amp160Everyone is after everyone39s business so a good worrier is a good marketerThanks JackClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Capturing the Mind of Your Customer -- Timeless Lessons from Jack Trout

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John McMenamin

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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John McMenamin

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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