John Belushi in Animal House Screams "Food Fight!"

As a former McDonald’s marketing guy, I pay attention to references of the so-called “burger wars” – as some people still call them – but please they’ve been over for years!

I ask you, “Is it really a war when the number one kid on the block – McDonald’s – continues to open up it’s marketing can of “whoop-ass” on just about any retailer that serves food and/or beverages and on average does it better, faster and cheaper than anyone else?”

The answer is, “No!”

What went wrong at Burger King, by Dan Mitchell in the September 3rd issue of Fortune caught by eye and he’s spot on in so many areas as to what’s wrong at BK.

However, I’d argue (and I’m proud to say without reservation) that the main reason Burger King will never beat McDonald’s, is that “Mia McFamlia” still walks founder Ray Kroc’s talk when he famously said, “We take the hamburger business more seriously than anyone else!”

McDonald’s personnel, owner/operators and partners have always worked together and have been in it to win it from day one. Sure, they got a little of track a few years back – who doesn’t after being so incredibly successful for so long – but Burger King has been off track for over 30 years!

McDonald’s recognized  awhile back with its “Plan to Win” initiative that to quote Pogo, “We have met the enemy and they is us!” So they got back to work and focused more on themselves and satisfying their guests changing needs. Bravo.

OK, so McDonald’s takes the burger biz more seriously than BK and others. You get it you say, but I know you want more substance.  OK…here’s 5 more reasons why Burger King will never beat McDonald’s.

1. All of McDonald’s staffers, owner/operators and partners (or at least 99% of all of them) own stock in the brand and know that if the brand improves so does their financial situation. All of BK’s corporate behemoth owners (before and now) own other things.  McDonald’s is (practically) all McDonald’s.
2. McDonald’s is just plain better – they’re more innovative, financially astute and they execute better.
3. McDonald’s owns 100% (OK 90% plus) of the real estate the restaurants sit on which provides enormous cash flow and bankable assets
4. McDonald’s owner/operators are part of the fabric of the communities in which they do their business, they’re involved in the communities, are operationally excellent and are not absentee landlords
5. McDonald’s constantly reinvests in improving their restaurants, operations, staff and more.  BK is just now trying to get around to it

So, do you really think Burger King’s new owner, the Brazilian-backed private equity firm 3G Capital can ever beat McDonald’s? Neither do I.

BK is way behind in the pack.  They haven’t even been number two for a long time. And if you think the view never changes if you’re not the lead dog well…

P.S.: Here’s one more case in point about the lack of commitment by BK to challenge McDonald’s. About 15 years ago, I was part of a team organized to help put Burger King out of business in downtown Pittsburgh.  The BK franchisee was selling and we simply turned the heat up and got a great franchisee to take over some of our corporate restaurants. BK closed up all of their restaurants then and have never reopened in town to date. I know Pittsburgh isn’t the Big Apple or LA, but come on!

Forrester reported in a recent survey, that a mere seven percent of American consumers believe the emails they get pummeled with, are of any importance or relevance. With the ton of consumer data most brands have at their disposal, it’s a simple case of lazy marketing.

As the MarketingSherpa chart above shows, there are lots of ways to improve the success of your email marketing open and click-through rates by testing subject lines, offers or calls to action, send time or day of week, copy and layout, landing pages and from lines, hyperlink quantity, placement and more.

The kicker is you got to do it…you got to “bring it.”

As the chart points out, over 50% of the surveyed brands have yet to take advantage of these easy ways to improve their performance.

In addition, you need to “bucket” your email addresses into databases of similar behaviors and/or event-based activities such as:

• Life changes (e.g., new home buyer, new mother etc. )
• Brand activities and interactions (e.g., purchase or complaint etc.)
• Industry/environmental shifts (e.g., interest rate changes, price shifts etc.,)

Then, you move from this simple exercise to a “next best action” tactic whereby based on a customer’s previous interaction (e.g., purchase), your marketing follow-up message is related (e.g., promote service guarantee, insurance etc.,)

With any new effort, it’s wise to walk before you run with new activities you’re not accustomed to doing.

For example, one of our restaurant clients show does a ton of wine tastings, so we simply started with separating our “wine enthusiasts” into a separate database and emailed wine event information only to them. Then, we only sent reminders to those who opened the initial email invitation and significantly increased open rates, click through rates, reduced opt-outs and event attendance.

Before you move on to the next new shiny tool in your marketing toolbox, make sure you can truly hammer out great email campaigns.

We’ve been working with several clients to bake in and build their tweeting efforts into a more comprehensive communications platform and came across this great list 60 Twitter Tools to Track Tweets!

Hope it helps you.

Many thanks Jim!

No one likes either party and is sick of all politicians. Nothing new here. However, if I were running for office today, my vision and mission would be based on communicating a simple three point message platform:

“No Tax Increases, Smaller Government and Cut Government Waste.”

Three simple points that would resonate with people.

Three simple points that are meaningful, measurable and doable.

One thing we can all agree on is that we’re overtaxed and government is not a good steward of our hard earned money. Lots of pain here.

I’d promise to reallocate all savings in government waste to fill any service holes in the system and/or use to improve infrastructure (drive job growth), safety, etc.

And, I’d bet I’d make some noise and possibly win.

Sure there’s a bunch of other tactical things I’d need to do to win such as raising money, recruiting staff and volunteers, creating communications literature, building mailing lists, media ads and interviews, creating and posting yard signs and billboards, and doorbell ringing, however it all starts with your strategy, your story, your message, your brand promise.

Remember, people don’t join causes, people join people with causes.

What hope and ideals and lofty goals are you promising to deliver?

It’s all about customer service and delivering on your promise.

So, I ask you, “What are the key pain points of your customers and prospects?”

Do you have a clear brand messaging platform to address their pain?

Can you list three key meaningful and measurable communication points to craft a rock solid messaging platform?

Politicians like any brand need a clear, unique, appealing message, delivered consistently over time to win. And, to get re-elected, politicians and brands need to deliver on the promises they made to their customers.

What’s your message? Are you delivering on it?

The 24/7 microwaved news and social media world has changed our times forever.

There are no guarantees that incumbent politicians and brands will win as easily as the did in the past, which is good news for all of us.

So what do you do?  Make friends and sincerely work hard to become part of the fabric of the communities in which you do business…NOW!

From a media relations standpoint, the BP Oil Crisis in the Gulf has been a complete disaster and a case study of what not to do in a crisis that will be taught in university public relations classes for decades.

My personal 100% boycott of BP started at the very beginning of the crisis – although I started to reduce my purchases over the past year (see Why Southwest Airlines Rocks).

However,  as a marketer I’ve paid close attention to their crisis communications efforts and thought to myself, “Why should I support them when they’ve done nothing to support my community.”

Should I? No.  Would you?  No. Not now…too late.

But then BAM! Last week my local Pittsburgh BP puts a banner on its road sign declaring, “This location independently owned and operated by EZ Energy USA.”

Again, I ask myself, “Why should I support EZ Energy USA when they’ve done nothing to support my community.” They’re quite happy to hide quietly behind BP’s logo when they’re raking in tons of cash and not reinvesting in the community, but when times are a little rocky they want me to support them because they’re supposedly my neighbor?

Should I? No.  Would you?  No. Not now…too late.

I mean who is EZ Energy? Where are they located? What are the names and faces behind the company? What do they stand for, who have they helped?

These days you reap what you sow in today’s marketing arena.  Yes, you might gain in the short term by only thinking about your own bank account instead of the greater good, but &^%$ happens.  And, when the ^%$# hits the fan, look out.

For me, I’ll drive a block or two to get my gas from my local Sunoco owned by a nice family, or to GetGo locally owned and operated by Giant Eagle run by the Shapira family – great people – locally involved and/or if I’m on a regional highway maybe Sheetz another great family that respects the communities in which they do business.

This is not to say that BP and/or EZ Energy aren’t involved in my local community, but if they are they’re keeping it a secret.

A great case study to follow to lessen the blow that a crisis can make on your business (self inflicted or not) is McDonald’s during the Rodney King race riots in LA in 1992.  The riots left 52 people dead and 2,000 buildings destroyed and $1 billion in property damage. With all of the looting, fires and destruction, not one of the 30 McDonald’s was touched.

Why? Based on a long term vision of founder Ray Kroc who believed in a “trust-bank” philosophy of giving back to the communities McDonald’s does business in, the local owner/operators’ investment in being involved, committed and visible community partners paid off. See: America’s Hamburger Helper, Time Magazine, 6.29.92.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – Santayana

For the past few weeks, my office internet speed has been giving me fits. My connection speed at times has fluctuated from its top speed (yes – I pay extra for a faster connection) to as slow as dial-up (I have an on screen monitor) and has disconnected my staff and me from time to time.

So, I decided to give Comcast Live Chat a try – it’s more convenient than making a call for me and I’m sure more profitable for Comcast.

When you check out the Chat session I had last week with Comcast my internet provider (see below), a few glaring issues should bubble up.

1. Note the overabundance of apologies

2. How about having the audacity to try to sell me something – a disgruntled customer -  when he/she is in the middle of trying to solve a problem

3. What’s the deal with doing maintenance during peak hours – 4PM EST – even she get’s disconnected from me

4. Why should they ask me to call back and go through their voice prompts, go on hold etc., when they haven’t solved my problem, THEY should call ME back at a convenient time that’s best for ME

If companies would simply invest more in their systems and build better products on the front end, they’d be amazed at how much money they’d save (be more profitable) by saving on deal riddled advertising and customer care.

Their word of mouth referral business would go through the roof. I’d like to meet one person who has raved about their internet provider’s service.

Net – I’m researching Verizon’s FIOS.

user stephen_ has entered room

Stephen(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:40:25 GMT-0400 (EST))>

internet speed is dragging  - at times as slow asdial-up -
been going on for 4 weeks - off and on

analyst Annie has entered room

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:40:47 GMT-0400 (EST))>

Hello stephen_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support.
My name is Annie. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:41:03 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I'm sorry if this has caused you inconvenience in any way.
I am happy to have you on this chat to be of service to you.
We remain committed in providing you with the best customer service.
I can certainly assist you with your internet.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:41:33 GMT-0400 (EST))>

thanks

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:41:44 GMT-0400 (EST))>

You are most welcome.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:42:58 GMT-0400 (EST))>

any thoughts on why my connection is dragging slow?

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:43:25 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I am sorry to know that you are getting a slow internet connection,
Stephen.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:43:37 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I would be glad to assist you with your internet problem.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:43:43 GMT-0400 (EST))>

Let me first pull up your account. Please verify your account number,
full name and the last four digits of your SSN.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:44:49 GMT-0400 (EST))>

dont have account number with me - name is Stephen Wayhart,
company BrandMill - XXXX

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:45:04 GMT-0400 (EST))>

Thank you for that information.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:45:15 GMT-0400 (EST))>

Please give me one moment to pull up your account.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:45:21 GMT-0400 (EST))>

While waiting, please allow me to take this oppurtunity
to share with you one of the main features that you can
get with Comcast which is our online site,
http://www.fancast.com. It offers full television episodes,
full-length feature films, trailers and video clips to
both Comcast subscribers and non-subscribers. If you missed
out on your favorite TV shows, you do not need to
worry next time. Certainly you will enjoy this feature
as another innovation, only from Comcast.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:48:45 GMT-0400 (EST))>

HELLO?

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:49:18 GMT-0400 (EST))>

Thank you for patiently waiting, Stephen.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:49:25 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I apologize for the delay.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:49:48 GMT-0400 (EST))>

SO WHATS THE PROBLEM?

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:50:11 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I am sorry but the system is slow right now.

analyst Annie has been temporarily disconnected.
Please wait while the analyst attempts to reconnect.

analyst Annie has entered room

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:50:53 GMT-0400 (EST))>

BUT MINE'S BEEN DRAGGING NOW OFF AND ON FOR WEEKS - READY TO CHANGE

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:51:33 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I do apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused you,
Stephen.

Annie(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:53:12 GMT-0400 (EST))>

I do apologize that  our tool is not available at the moment
since it is currently under weekly maintenance. But don’t worry,
there is an account set up for you already, it's just that
the password is not accessible yet.  If it is okay with you,
you can chat back with us after two to four hours, when
the maintenance is completed. I will make a priority note
on your account that you will need your internet service.
That way, when you call or chat back with us, it will be
given to you right away. You are a valued customer so I
will tag it as a top priority. Again, I really apologize
for this inconvenience. But rest assured that after two to
four, you will have your internet service.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:54:20 GMT-0400 (EST))>

UNDER MAINTENANCE AT 4PM EAST COAST US TIME?
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

stephen_(Tue Jul 27 2010 15:57:39 GMT-0400 (EST))>

SO WHAT'S THE PLAN DO I STAY ONLINE AND CHAT OR??

To kick off my “2010 second act” I decided to go on a media fast…well, more like a media diet.

I’ve always been a voracious reader and student of my profession, but it’s been getting a little crazy lately getting through the amount of information that comes gushing through to me. And, much of it is self inflicted.

At times, my information overload has hurt my ability to get my more important things done – worried that I might miss something important – and not having time to have more fun too!

How is it going? Well, my initial report is that, “the kid is all right!”

Actually, in the past few weeks, my work and personal life has improved greatly and we’re doing better than ever.

My media diet has enabled me to more effectively focus and deliver of building better family relationships, business relationships, and a better personal relationship (via “me time”) with myself.

I know this is pretty simple stuff and nothing really new, but it’s amazing how we all get so caught up in the minor things, that we forget to prioritize the major things and to do so, you need to quiet down your mind.

In a future post, I’ll reveal some of the tools I use to effectively consolidate the information I want to receive, but for now here are seven easy things to do to free up time for yourself from your media overload:

1. Use Google Alerts and RSS to push information to you
2. Take time to unsubscribe from eNewsletters instead of simply deleting them
3. Increase your Spam filter and/or put better rules into your email exchange to prevent getting unwanted emails
4. If you Blog, Tweet etc., simply do so when you have something important, relevant and and helpful to say – don’t feel compelled to always say something – stay quiet at times and just listen – it’s amazing what you learn when you listen
5. Cancel most mail subscriptions and go to a bookstore the 3rd week of the month and read what you need there
6. Check email and phone calls only 2-4 times per day
7. Consolidate multiple outbound emails to one person into one with multiple action and/or information items instead of just 1-2

These simple basic steps have led me to become more “high touchy and a little bit less techy” and have given me back the time I’ve needed to build better relationships, gain more business, make my company more profitable and add more fun to my life.

P.S.: While the hilarious “Serenity Now” phrase caught fire from Seinfeld, in this Information Age on steroids that we all live in, you might want to follow the wisdom of the original “Serenity Prayer” written in a little stone cottage in Heath, MA by Reinhold Niebuhr.

It’s a classic and well worth your time to slow down, read it and live it.

That is, if you’re a good friend of mine, and if I’m stricken with cancer and involved with one the American Cancer Society’s initiatives such as Relay for Life, chances are you will be more in tune with ACS messages and offer to help (donate money and/or time).

The same goes for Brand marketing these days too – more and more people are joining Brands which are in tune with their causes!

Brand marketing is taking on a whole new meaning which is simply put, “marketing with meaning.”

In this 24/7 age of corporate misconduct (AIG, Wall Street, Enron, BP) and citizen journalism, it’s an absolute “greens fee” for companies to make more meaning by being good corporate citizens and doing more (See Philip Kotler’s Values Based Marketing Model) for their employees and customers.

The chart above is from Ann Marie Kerwin’s article in today’s Advertising Age, How to Get the Social-Media Generation Behind Your Cause which outlines some key steps and  which also links to TBWA Chiat Day’s Eliza Esquivel’s Social Activism 2.0 whitepaper – good stuff.

Marketing with real meaning and brands that truly stand for something other than self serving profits will survive and thrive in the next decade and beyond. Those that don’t won’t be as profitable and/or won’t survive.

Here’s an example of great cause marketing by one of my client’s the Priory Hospitality Group and their announcement of a free Winter White Wedding for a veteran of the Afghan Iraqi war who’s from southwestern Pennsylvania.

See the video interview of The Priory Hotel’s John Graf here from KDKA TV’s Pittsburgh Today Live – we’d appreciate it if you pass the information along to a western, PA veteran.

Now in its 3rd year, the Priory’s generosity has been joined by several other area brands. One of the major reasons why the Priory’s business keeps growing is because they are genuine, caring community partners and employers.

Follow their example for success and make your little patch of the world a better place and watch your business grow too!

I haven’t been to a BP gas station since the Gulf Oil Spill and don’t plan on visiting one in the future. How about you?

Note: Super good book by Bob Gilbreath, The Next Evolution of Marketing: Connect with Your Customers by Marketing with Meaning.

When the Renaissance swept through Europe from the 14th to the 17th centuries, scholars followed the humanist method in study searching for realism and human emotion in art. And, today we marketers could learn a great deal from those old Renaissance scholars.

It seems like we’re on to something with Social Media – and I remain cautiously optimistic – but, where are all of the Masters today?

If you’re looking for a chance of great success, wow about stepping up and assuming the position?

My team and I are trying our best.

To succeed today (and be able to sleep peacefully at night), Marketers need to work harder in our field of art and embrace ethical and meaningful marketing communications and public relations. We need to create brand stories with integrity, character, authenticity, transparency, guts, and real value with flawless execution – net – we and our clients need to be walking our talk.

I’ve had the privilege of meeting some Renaissance Marketing & PR Masters such as Harold Burson, Aaron Cushman, Bob Dilenschneider and Al Golin and I have studied the works of Marketing and PR Master Strategist Al Ries and several more, and sadly it seems to me that there’s a lack of “people coming off the bench” and/or on deck ready to take their place.

It seems to me that there’s a lack of breakthrough effort, hard work, enthusiasm, guts, class and grace these days in marketing and in lots of professions too.  It’s sad.

For years, I’ve been a big fan of Edelman PR’s success and I love their whole ethical approach to business and look forward to their annual Trust Barometer.

There’s a good reason why Edelman PR rocks and why they’re the Mac Daddy of PR firms today and the biggest independent in the world. It’s the legacy of Dan Edelman.

Dad Dan Edelman rocks – still at 90!

And, he’s left a great legacy with his kids who lead the firm today. Check out this this link to an Ad Age Article about Edleman and his video interview with Rance Crain below – love the comment about enthusiasm and focus.

I can “smell” through the video that at 90, this guy would have my back, has a ton of integrity and class and would do everything it takes (in an ethical manner) to drive my business forward.  And, he’d be honest with me and nicely “call my baby ugly” and give me solid recommendations to improve my baby’s looks.

Can you smell it too?

Work on being a Marketing Renaissance Master…we need you!

Three key telegrams from McKinsey’s word of mouth report are that WOM recommendations drive 20% to 50% of all purchases; influentials  make up about 9% of the population and drive about 3X more WOM; and, the payout of pursuing WOM excellence is enormous, delivering a huge competitive edge over other strategies such as advertising which is a distant second!

Now, I’m sure you believe WOM is a powerful tool, but these staggering numbers should put your marketing team on high alert to devise a strong WOM marketing system.

To help you along, check out McKinsey’s Word of Mouth report here: McKinsey_Word_of_Mouth. And, check out more about WOM from WARC.