Atomic Ideas

Domino's "Marketable Truth" helped to double quarterly profits

This week, news reports indicated that Domino's doubled their quarterly profits. This is a perfect example of Atomic Idea's concept of finding a company's "marketable truth" then communicating it clearly to their best potential customers.  The result...selling more stuff!  The following are articles on Dominos and "Marketable Truth" from the Atomic Ideas blog.

01/04/2010

(Marketable) Truth will set you free!

Have you seen the new Domino's pizza commercials on TV lately? They fess up to their shortcomings and improve their products in order to deliver marketable truths, ie those attributes that will resonate with their best customers. How did they do it? First by listening to their potential best customers (through focus groups) then delivering what those customers wanted most. The result. They will sell more stuff! 

Here is a full video from which :30 TV spots were made:

01/08/2010

Truth in Advertising

At Atomic Ideas we talk about "Marketable Truths" -- finding and communicating those things about a client's product or service that are: 1. Actually true and supportable everyday.  2. Resonate with the client's best potential customers. The comic strip below is an example of a truth that is not-so-marketable. So while the truth may set you free, a "marketable truth" will help you sell more stuff.

12/18/2009

Marketable Truths.

 
 

At Atomic Ideas, we specialize in finding a client's "marketable truths".

That means those facets of a product or service that will resonate with their best potential customers. The word "truth" here is critical. The product or service has to actually possess the attribute or feature. Otherwise, the communication to the customer is hollow.

Take for instance these spots. They are funny, memorable, but they don't contain a "marketable truth." So while we laugh and applaud the humor, when they're over, there is really no reason to prefer this dealer over another. You wouldn't mind doing business with this dealer, but would you go out of your way to do business with him? Probably not.

A slightly lower price or a closer location would easily trump this dealer's fictional point of difference. The trick is to deliver entertaining, memorable spots that contain a "marketable truth."

Does Domino's New Formula Risk a "New Coke" Backlash?

Consider this. As bad as Domino's new campaign claims its pizza is, it seemed to have served the tastes of millions upon millions of pizza eaters over the last fourty-four years the company has been in existence. Hmmm.

Sure, in the spirit of "new marketing" we respect and applaud the transparency, openness and honesty of their new campaign, and the effort to improve their product. On the other hand, was it really necessary? Or even the right thing to do?

Frankly, I never thought the crust tasted like cardboard, or that the pie tasted that bad. Domino's is sort of like White Castle or Taco Bell. It's top of mind when your brain's not working perfectly... one of those products you enjoy after a few too many cocktails. At that point, anything tastes great. In other words, it has its niche.

We don't know for sure, but I'm betting they had to throw out hundreds of interviews where the folks said, "I love it just the way it is."

All of us who love pizza have a favorite we go to when we're sober. Usually a local purveyor of authentic Italian goodness. But when we're in a supreme hurry, or just plain buzzed, Domino's is an acceptable go-to substitute.

Coke's effort to "improve" their product backfired big time. Does Domino's risk the same? You don't grow to become a gigantic, appetite-satisfying company by producing a product everybody hates. What about all those folks who liked it just the way it was? Cardboard crust and all. Only time will tell.

I'm just saying. Just throwing it out there for consideration. What do you think?

At Atomic Ideas, we specialize in helping clients sell more stuff. How? By helping them find and then communicate their marketable truths in whatever medium(s) is most appropriate. So we applaude Domino's in finding their marketable truths and communicating them. And we wish them the best in selling more stuff!

Great Films That Did Not Win An Oscar

It’s Academy Awards time. And in honor of all my friends who are working on great screenplays and those that are someday soon going to make a great film (this is a common dream in the ad biz), I present my on-going list of Great Films That Didn’t Win. This list started out in 1988 with just 10 films, but as the years have gone by, new films have been added. Occasionally, some movies are removed. (Duck Soup, The Big Sleep, Touch of Evil, and Casino, to name a few) The list is somewhere around 15. This years’ addition is the 2005 film, Sin City.

Here’s the rest of the Great Films That Didn’t Win –

1, Citizen Kane, 1941

 A movie I first saw in a college film class. What can you say - It’s truly great.

2. The Third Man, 1949

  
 
 
 The film noir, Orson Welles and the zither music - who wouldn’t love that?

3. Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

  
 
 
 Great story telling, great cinematography, great acting.

4. 12 Angry Men, 1957

This movie made me realize that great dialogue is king.

5. Chinatown, 1974

 
 
 Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston sure helped to make this great.

6. Fargo, 1996 - and O Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000

 
 
 Two from the Coen Brothers - Once again, dialogue is king.

7. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948

A John Huston film that featured great acting by his dad, Walter, as well as Bogey.

8. Dr. Strangelove, 1964

It’s fine art wackiness, watch the trailer.

9. Once Upon A Time In The West, 1968

 
 
All I can say is, Hank Fonda.

10. Raging Bull, 1980

This was a great use of B&W.

11. North By Northwest, 1959

 A classic Hitchcock story. Cary Grant was sort of a precursor to James Bond in this movie.

12. Pulp Fiction, 1994

 This movie gave everything to the viewer; it was a lot of fun.

13. The Swimmer, 1968

A pretty obscure film, I think I'm the only one who saw it, but it’s one of the great performances by Burt Lancaster.

14. Hotel Rwanda, 2004

 A powerful and chilling film based on a true story.

15. Sin City, 2005

 A unique looking and complex film noir movie. Wouldn’t you know it - Quentin Tarantino was involved.

Words Mean Things - Pay Attention or Perish (like that Sea World Trainer)

Did you hear about the trainer who was killed at Sea World by a Killer Whale? They said they were   shocked because the whale and his female trainer got along really well. Don’t you think the name “Killer Whale” would have been enough of a hint to her that this animal might possibly be dangerous? I mean, if it was called like a “Play Quietly in The Corner Whale” or a “Cuddly Whale” then yeah, I would have  been surprised,  too. But it was a “Killer Whale.”  And not in a "Lady Killer" sort of way. More in a "Kill Other Creatures" sort of way. After all, it had actually killed before! Twice! This of course, made it a much more dreaded  denizen of the deep - "The Serial-Killer Whale!"

What does this have to do with advertising and marketing? Words mean things. How you name your products and services should be done carefully. Of course, a great name still cannot overcome the tendency of people to ignore the inherent value, promise or danger the name is meant to communicate. So advertise, advertise, advertise.

The Making of Old Spice

My friend, Brad Smith sent me this You Tube video the other day.

It’s a video about the making of an Old Spice commercial that aired some time during the recent Super Bowl.

It’s a great example of how things magically get done on television. And it also shows us a little about the creative team that was responsible for this spot, something we don’t often see. 

The complete commercial is also included on the video in its entirety.

Take a look.

Internet...Schminternet. (Nearly a third of Americans can't be reached online)

From a recent article that appeared on AOL, It would appear that almost one in three of us cannot be reached via the information superhighway.  Or even through any of the social media by-ways. (Of course, that means that 60% of us can be reached online!) All the more reason to first determine who your best potential customers are, and where they will be when you choose to deliver your brand's marketable truths.

Feb 17th 2010 By Jeremy Taylor

30 Percent of Americans Don't Use the Internet

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Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.

Almost one in three Americans don't use the Internet at work or home.

New census bureau data, collected from 54,000 households, finds that seniors, the poor, underrepresented minorities and folks who live in rural areas lag behind the rest of the country, technologically speaking.

While a good chunk of the nation remains offline, high-speed broadband has made significant inroads with those who are surfing the Web. By late 2009, 63 percent of overall households had opted for the faster service, which is up from 40 percent in early 2007.

Still, we can't help but be baffled, and slightly insulted, by those who continue to shun the information superhighway, which we call home.

Photos that tell a story.

  

I’ve always liked good photography whether it’s professional or photojournalism. I’m a big fan of those classic Vogue fashion shooters like Irving Penn, right, (who died last year at 92) and Richard Avedon, above, (saw his show at the DIA last month.) I liked their simplicity, their clear-cut, striking black and white look - always displaying a lot of texture, shadow and drama. Though their work was created to help sell a fashion look and to help sell a magazine, the work was always art. 

Art, in the same way Ansel Adams majestic landscapes of Yosemite are art. Like Penn and Avedon, Adam’s works (above) required a lot of patience, technical proficiency, subjective judgment and luck. His dramatic photos show us the power and grandeur of nature’s scale.

Photojournalism has a similar power. A frozen image tells a story, big or small. A story captured at the right moment with many having the elements of drama and composition that the fine art shooters posses. The difference being, one creates the moment of truth, the other records it. And that truth can carry a lot of emotion.  

With that appreciation of good photography I have to point out last week’s release of 12 new aerial photos of the 9/11 collapse of the World Trade Center. Greg Semendinger, a former New York Police Department detective took the 12 pictures. Here's two:

  

These shots are amazing. They say so much of that day, eight plus years ago. These photos make us remember much of the stories and horrors from afar and they connect us to the other places of terrorism of that same day. Seeing this tragedy from the outside yet we reluctantly and painfully imagine what happened inside. Though shot in full color on a bright sunny day, the smoke and debris of the collapse give the photos a composition similar to the black and white, gelatin-silver print effect like those of Ansel Adams.

Because these powerful photos moved me on many levels, I wanted others to also see them, to be reminded of the event that reshaped our world to what it is today.

Surprise. People on Facebook Actually Like a Good Sale!

Is conventional wisdom about how marketers (particularly retailers) should sell their products and services with social media all wrong?

Most expert advice suggests that retailers shouldn't push their products or services too hard on platforms like Facebook. It should all be about conversation, engagement, influence... you know the drill. 

Now, nobody's saying that's all wrong. But a new study from ForeSee Results in Ann Arbor, MI presents some interesting, and rather surprising findings. It shows that Facebook is actually, "By far the most effective way to woo would be shoppers."

Whoda thunk it?

Retailers like Victoria's Secret are leading the charge by showcasing and promoting new products and sales on their Facebook pages. According to the article about the study at MediaPost's Marketing Daily, Victoria's Secret has 2.8 million Facebook fans, and its teen brand Pink, has 1.8 million fans.

Kevin Ertell, VP/retail strategy for ForeSee Results, tells Marketing Daily. "If you look at those pages, they are giving Facebook users exactly what they tell us they want -- information about new products, and special prices and promotions."

Contrary to what we might all think, this study indicates that online shoppers might actually want less fluff and more stuff.

Here is a recap of some of the findings:

• Of 69% of online shoppers who are social media users, 56% have chosen to "friend," "follow" or "subscribe to" at least one store.
• 61% of this group is connected to fewer than five companies. Another 21% is made up of more serious shoppers who follow between 6 and 10 stores, while just 18% is hardcore enough to have friended more than 10.
• Facebook is by far the dominant player: Among online shoppers who engage in social media, more than 80% are using Facebook. YouTube comes in second at 31%, followed by MySpace with 22%, Twitter with 16%, and LinkedIn at 12%.
• Yet 25% of the top 100 online retailers have no formal presence on Facebook and 25% have fewer than 10,000 fans. 
• 49% of those who follow companies through social media want to hear about deals, and 45% want to see products. Only 5% use social media primarily for customer support.

In the Marketing daily article Ertell says,  "The most satisfied and loyal customers are seeking out their favorite stores' pages, and then if those experiences are rewarding, they become even more loyal."

Interesting stuff! However caution is probably justified. As we all know, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Until all the evidence suggest otherwise, engagement and conversation is still a wise strategy. And so, apparently, is the occasional, "And if you act now, you'll also get...!"

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To The Blog

Most days you can count on the Atomic Ideas  blog to provide unique insights and useful information on selling stuff, advertising strategy, creative issues, social media, marketing truths, ROI, SEO, CEO, etc. etc. Today however, is not one of those days. 

Being a typical friday in the middle of a typical bad economy, I thought we could all use a laugh. So...

The Best Jokes in the World  

(as compiled by GQ magazine and reprinted here courtesy of InnocentEnglish.com)

Okay, so it’s impossible to objectively choose the funniest jokes ever. Although there was a scientific study on the topic, which produced these jokes as the funniest jokes in the world. The list below was compiled with imput from several comedians, and first appeared in GQ magazine. These were selected as the funniest jokes in the world, the best jokes of all time, by these comedians.

 

I failed my driver’s test. The guy asked me “what do you do at a red light?” I said, I don’t know… look around, listen to the radio… (Bill Braudis).

 

China has a population of a billion people. One billion. That means even if you’re a one in a million kind of guy, there are still a thousand others exactly like you. (A. Whitney Brown)

 

If I ever have twins, I’d use one for parts. (Steven Wright)

 

A lawyer dies and goes to Heaven. “There must be some mistake,” the lawyer argues. “I’m too young to die. I’m only fifty five.” “Fifty five?” says Saint Peter. “No, according to out calculations, you’re eighty two.” “How’s you get that?” the lawyer asks. Answers St. Peter: “We added up your time sheets.”

 

Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it’s worse when you see them wearing dark glasses, having streamers around their necks and a hat on their antlers. Because then you know they were enjoying themselves at a party when they were shot. (Ellen Degeneres)

 

Two campers are hiking in the woods when one is bitten on the rear end by a rattlesnake. “I’ll go into town for a doctor,” the other says. He runs ten miles to a small town and finds the town’s only doctor, who is delivering a baby. “I can’t leave,” the doctor says. ‘But here’s what to do. Take a knife, cut a little X where the bite is, suck out the poison and spit it on the ground.” The guy ruins back to his friend, who is in agony. ‘What did the doctor say?” the victim asks. “He says you’re gonna die.”

 

My wife and I took out life insurance policies on each other — so now it’s just a waiting game. (Bill Dwyer)

 

I can’t think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to someone and not being able to remember their name, or how you met, or why they’re dead. (Laura Kightlinger)

 

Mario Andretti has retired from race car driving. That’s a good thing. He’s getting old. He ran his entire last race with his left blinker on. (Jon Stewart)

 

After 12 years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes.. He said, “No hablo ingles.” (Ronnie Shakes)

 

Two Irish guys are fishing. The first guy reels in his line and sees that he’s snagged an old bottle. As he’s taking it off the hook, a genie pops out and promises to grant him one wish. “Turn the lake into beer,” he says. The genie goes “Poof!” and the lake turns into beer. He says to the other guy, “So what do you think?” The other guy says, “You jerk. Now we’ve got to piss in the boat.”

 

A Catholic teenager goes to confession, and after confessing to an affair with a girl is told by the priest that he can’t be forgiven unless he reveals who the girl is. “I promised not to tell!” he says. “Was it Mary Patricia, the butcher’s daughter?” the preist asks. “No, and I said I wouldn’t tell.” “Was it Mary Elizabeth, the printer’s daughter?” “No, and I still won’t tell!” ‘Was it Mary Francis, the baker’s daughter?” “No,” says the boy. ‘Well, son,” says the priest, “I have no choice but to excommunicate you for six months.” Outside, the boy’s friends ask what happened. “Well,” he says, “I got six months, but three good leads.”

 

I bought a box of animal crackers and it said on it “Do not eat if seal is broken.” So I opened up the box, and sure enough… (Brian Kiley)

Super Bowl Advertising Lesson Without The $2 Million Price Tag

Super Bowl commercials are usually some of the best of the year. Why? Because with a $2 million cost per airing, advertisers go out of their way to make sure their spot stands out. But isn't that what advertising is supposed to do ALL the time?

With only 30 seconds to talk to potential customers, every advertiser should be doing their best to make sure they get the audience's attention and are remembered after the program is done. Unfortunately, a lot of advertisers seem to think that just because they have something to say, that people want to listen. Not so. Whether you are reaching an audience of millions in prime time or a couple hundred at 3am, you still have to get their attention and be remembered after your spot has aired. Otherwise, why advertise?

Some of you are probably saying, 'But we don't have half a million dollars to produce a super-bowl type blockbuster commercial."  Fortunately, you don't have to spend that much. If you first find your "marketable truth"  you can often deliver it in a simple, compelling way.

MasterLock built an empire that way. Their simple, "marketable truth?" The toughness of their lock. Their best potential customers wanted a lock that would hold up -- so they found a memorable way to demonstrate just that. Sure it aired on the Super Bowl (in the early days before the really incredible price tags) but it didn't cost incredible sums to produce, yet produced incredible sales results.

Social Media and Social Commentary

A recent You Tube video brings home one of the benefits of social media: people can speak out (either positively or negatively) about your product, service, or political situation. And no matter how controlling your company, corporation or government tries to be, they cannot control what people will say or do in various social media channels. All any organization can do is try to influence what people are saying about them. How best to do that? Give the people what they want.