Are you making money?

You can think about your A&P budget as a cost and cut that out. You may find that by cutting that out you are actually making money.

Cuts that cut into your brand are making you smaller not bigger.

Have you cut the fat away or are you trimming the muscles?

Are you cutting the right thing?

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Which big brand do you work for?

That big brand is not you. You are your own brand. You are not who you work for, no matter how big and how difficult it is to get in. 

You will still be judged by the work that you do, the questions that you ask and the way you treat people. Some people care about the business card that you carry, other more mature business people have seen enough to not give a damn.

So when you next trot your business card as if it is your branded bag or clothes, remember that it is only a reflection of how shallow you are. 

You still have to demonstrate your capability.

How small is your brain?

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What is it that you don’t know?

One of the most difficult tasks in being a consultant is giving advice to successful business people. After all, they are successful and they have done many things right. You don’t have to tell them that. They know it themselves.

So for many of them, when you advise them, they look at you as if it is nothing new or it is a criticism of their work, their intellect or their actions.

Of course, some may argue that the way we put forth the advise may be wrong. But let’s park the delivery of the advice aside for a moment.

When your consultants advise you, they are merely advising. It is not a criticism. It doesn't mean you are wrong or stupid. It may well mean, you did not know this before. And it is OK not to know something previously and made decisions based on not having some pertinent information. That’s perfectly normal. 

What you don’t know, now you do. Now make new decisions based on this new piece of information.

What would you do now that you know?

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How are you fixing yourself?

Or your company or your company’s processes.

A client us called us today and said an agency just resigned from one of their long term jobs and asked us if we would take over.

To be sure, it’s a nice client. So we asked a few questions. Why did the other agency resign from the job? What is the budget? Who will we be working with on the project?

Sometimes business partners can give you much needed feedback in their interactions with you. Especially when the action is a drastic one.

What could be wrong internally?

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What are you hiding from?

When someone we need an answer from does not reply our email, it is convenient to just wait for an answer. After all, we have it on black and white. It’s there in the cyber forest, somewhere. It’s the responsibility of the recipient to reply us. 

Meanwhile things get delayed. When that happens it does not matter if it is because you did not receive a reply, it is someone else’s fault. 

Your role is to keep the project moving. That’s your responsibility.

Pick up the phone and call. Call till you get a firm answer to move your project forward.

What is real work?

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Who do you listen to?

Branding, advertising, logo design, packaging design - these have now become spectator sports. Everyone’s a consumer of something, everyone sees ads, and they all have an opinion about what you have created.

Everyone can say something. But it’s who you listen to that matter.

Did they say anything substantial?

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Are you closed?

Some people will remain forever where they are or regress. Never progress.

Not that they are stupid or anything. On the contrary, they are well read and learn a lot. 

Problem is they do not internalize what they learn and start to apply it.

Whether it is someone accumulating properties or a business owner deciding on the brand’s future.

They think they are open but they are not. They think they know but truly they do not. No matter how much you try to educate them. They may accept the lessons but they will never apply it. They will never act upon it.

They don’t get it. 

How do you open?

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How do you clear the mess?

First clear the mess in your head.

There are too many to-do lists floating in your head. Personal lists, work list, family list, hobby list, favours list, questions lists, things to buy list, long term dreams list, short term dreams list, financial lists, lists of lists. 

Park 30 minutes aside and have all these written down on ONE sheet of paper. If you really park time aside, 30 minutes may not even be enough. But once you commit to sitting down, you will likely spend more time doing the lists. 

Make a clear list and visit it often.

Can you see clearly now?

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Are you making your job difficult?

Everyone wants to make their jobs easy. No one wants to do difficult things.

If your boss employed you to do the easy stuff then anyone else can replace you. Oh, but you do not want to be replaced.

If everyone tries to escape from the difficult tasks and you volunteered for it, then you are providing value. You are difficult to be replaced.

Look for the difficult things that can be done in your role. Find that hard to sell product and sell the crap out of it. 

You are in the company to do the tough jobs. You aren’t employed to do the easy job.

If you are employed to do the easy job, then you know you are easily replaceable. That’s a truth whether you like to listen to it or not.

Do you like easy jobs?

Let us help. Call us now at +60378901079 or visit us at roar-point.com 

How do you get strong?

Sometimes you feel the weight of the world is on your shoulders. At other times, you feel you can single-handedly lift the world.

Life’s like that. A little bit of each. In between these times, how you respond determines how strong you can get.

How do you lift yourself?

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Did you have a successful campaign?

Good. Protect that gain by fueling the new success. Follow-up with activities that excite – contests, promotions, vouchers, whatever. Get your fans excited.

What would you do next?

Let us help. Call us now at +60378901079 or visit us at roar-point.com 

Where do you start?

A budget, an objective, a strategy, a capable team that works.

How will it end?

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How do you remove frustrations?

Clear, honest and direct communication. It works. Try it.

How do you release pent up anger?

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Who influenced you?

The big brands that you admire are careful about the quality and quantity of the mediums that they use. That does not mean they do not occasionally experiment with and take risks with lesser known mediums. It just means they are calculated about their moves and limit their mistakes. They do not get over excited over the media person’s pitch or their mom-in-law touting how she was influenced by a particular medium.

What made you think it is good?

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How long you can last?

If you cannot take your work pressures, you won’t last very long in your position. If you release that pressure on your colleagues and suppliers, your career in the company will be shortened.

There are of course those who are rude and impolite who lasts a long time in companies.

But last I read, stress causes chronic diseases.

How nasty can you be? 

Let us help. Call us now at +60378901079 or visit us at roar-point.com 

Have you disrupted yourself?

Marketers know they need to disrupt the market to get a foothold. To be noticed. To sell their wares.

One of the most challenging jobs of the marketers is to disrupt their own attitudes and beliefs. Instead of sticking to the tried and tested, to venture into an unknown – that’s where disruption resides.

Are you one to maintain order?

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Who do you safeguard?

"All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level." 

 – Bill Bernbach

Whose interest do you have at heart?

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How do you move a mountain?

Today we reach the first 1000^th blog entry. We started this blog a little over 4 years ago and said we would do it every working day.

We were a little surprised that we have reached this figure already. It didn't seem that tough to write 1000 blog entries. I am not showing off.

I am going to be selfish. I am writing this blog as a reminder for myself.

I like to think it is important to start. And it is important to keep walking.

In a world of speed, slow seems to be vulgar. But slow is precisely how things get done. Whether it is writing something, losing fat, gaining muscle, making a million dollars, owning 250 houses, publishing more notable research papers in high impact journals, having good health, building a brand, establishing a business, having a good career... whatever. 

It starts with starting and being consistent.

Instead of sitting and wait, it’s important like Seth said to make something happen and to pick yourself. 

Me? I just have to keep writing.

Some people don’t get what this blog is all about and that’s OK.

Some blogs give you answers; others inspire you to ask better questions.

I hope you start something.

Why have you not started?

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What is the right fit?

Above-the-line, below-the-line, through-the-line, online. All these are mediums to get your message to your consumer. There are many choices and a combination of these will deliver the best results. There is no need to choose one over the other. You can use different mediums to compound on the effect of the other.

Don’t be too biased to certain media choices. Just because you aren't familiar with it doesn't mean they cannot deliver to your goals.

Are you the right fit?

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How can you look big?

One easy way your brand can look big is to start advertising above-the-line (mass media like newspapers, radio, TV) consistently. It sounds old fashion. It will also make your campaigns in other mediums more noticeable.

How trendy can you get?  

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How logical are you?

Be logical. Park emotions aside. Look at the facts and figures. Sprinkle some past experiences. Don’t let emotions get in the way of your decision making in order to be consistent.

How emotional are you?

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Are you a believer?

I am beginning to think branding is an all or nothing activity. And I hate absolutes. 

You can’t say you want a big brand but you only want to do posters and shelf-talkers and perhaps run a small campaign a year when you can afford to spend quadruple the amount.

If you believe, go all out.

Are you a true convert?

Let us help. Call us now at +60378901079 or visit us at roar-point.com