It has been some time since I read Aristotle or should I say forced to read Aristotle in school. But since doing so voluntarily and willingly I have been struck by the lessons he provides to marketers. One of his most interesting discussion threads in Poetics is the notion that cleverness precludes depth. Of course, he was examining poetry but there are clear lessons given the connection between storytelling and brand building. And cleverness trumping depth has been one of the historic criticisms of marketing and advertising. So I thought it would be interesting to relate ten of Aristotle thoughts to current communications practices.

“A friend to all is a friend to none. “
By trying to please everyone, you end up pleasing none says Aristotle and this is certainly true today in business communications. Brands are sorting devices. Their stories must convey to consumers who the brand is meant for in terms of practical application and emotional appeal. A brand runs a significant risk when engaging the masses without first understanding who is the ideal consumer.

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Posted on February 17, 2010 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Will consumers still connect with luxury mobiles when the recession is over?

This article explores the impact of the "Great Recession" on luxury mobile phones. Apparently one would expect that, like all things luxury, mobile phones would have suffered too but this is not the case. It all comes down to what we mean by luxury. One thing is for sure, the days of simple badge value is long gone. If a luxury brand is to survive in this era they need to deliver something truly extraordinary and the same is true with mobile phones. The “sea of sapphire” on the surface of the Vertu “Signature” range for example goes through a two-week treatment in a hot furnace at 2,000C°. This material gives the case of the phone an astonishing hardness, making it scratch proof against any material except diamond. Now that's the kind of story a real luxury brand would tell.

Posted on January 12, 2010 7:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thanks to strategy+business for their annual review of the year’s business books. The forty-four page report is a great read itself. The editors point out that in May, 2009 year-to-date sales of professional books were down 6.8% in the U.S. The recession is the prime suspect for the decline and it is that event that fueled quite a few of the books on their list. It is not a ranking but rather a sorting of the cream within eight categories. True to the story of the year, the first category is The Meltdown. Seven books are suggested as worthy of reading with In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernake’s War on the Great Panic from David Wessel, The Wall Street Journal’s economics editor, as the top pick. It provides context, content and a compelling examination of the key players including Bernake, Geithner, and Paulson. The six other books include Fool’s Gold and House of Cards, both of which I have read, the latter being a must in my opinion.

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Posted on December 7, 2009 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)