For Brands, 2012 Is The Year Of The Story. So Who's Telling It Best? | Fast Company

For Brands, 2012 Is The Year Of The Story. So Who's Telling It Best? | Fast Company - I am glad this concept is getting so much traction.  Stories really connect the customer to the product on multiple levels.

Zynga earnings: Do the FarmVille maker’s latest troubles mark the end of the latest tech bubble? - Slate Magazine

Zynga earnings: Do the FarmVille maker’s latest troubles mark the end of the latest tech bubble? - Slate Magazine Good quote, "The major difference between today’s Internet companies and ones that were founded during the dot-com bubble of the 1990s is that modern firms believe they’re changing the world." Having and following a good vision makes a difference.

Wal-Mart Tests Same-Day Delivery - WSJ.com

Wal-Mart Tests Same-Day Delivery - WSJ.com - Great idea, but my prediction:  This isn't going work for Wal-Mart.  I see a brand/vision alignment issue here.  This is Walmart's vision, "We save people money so they can live better."  I really like that vision because it is focused on the customer and their real objectives, but it is hard for me to see how this ties to that vision unless it is executed extremely well.  

Seth's Blog: Useful and believable promises

Seth's Blog: Useful and believable promises "If your marketing isn't working, it's either because your promises aren't useful (and big) enough or we don't believe you're the one to keep them." This is so important, imagine that if your company was so honest that your customers always believed you, how much impact would your words have then?  

In all things Brand, in nothing brand (Part 2)

When I previously introduced this concept, I mentioned how important it is to focus on your real Brand.

Here are three key reasons to focus on your Brand:

• Your vision is meaningless unless it is reflected in your actions 
• Every interaction is a reflection of your organization 
• How you operate is your best marketing

You can see, your Brand is less about what you make, and much, much more about what you do.  Your brand is how you execute your vision.  

Your vision should be the same for your company and for your customers

Your vision statement for your company should be the same as it is for your customers. Why? Because what you want for your company should be in perfect alignment with what you what you want for your customer. Your company is in business to make it happen. This is probably fairly controversial in a world of vision statements where the focus is being number one or two in a market or having a PC on every desk, but here are three reasons for having a single unified vision statement: –Align your goals with your customers’ goals –Allows your company to focus on what will bring success, not technologies or tactical strategies -The size of the vision correlates to your market and growth I will go into more detail about this in the future and it will become clearer as I provide examples, but think about this for now: As a customer all other things being equal, with whom would you rather do business? The company whose vision is for you to be successful or for that company to be successful? Plus, a customer centric vision statement lets the customer know how doing business with you will affect their lives. The reality is that the most successful companies are doing this today.

What is I View The Top?

I VIEW THE TOP is a mnemonic for a collection of eleven marketing principles I developed (developed may be the wrong word, curated perhaps?) that I believe are key to both growth and long term success as an organization. Those principles are Inspiration and Passion, Vision for the Customer, In Everything Brand (in nothing brand), Evangelists, Word of Mouth, Tell Stories, Honest and Open Communication, Enemies, The Price is Worth it, Open New Markets, Perform Miracles. The goal of this website is to provide more insight on my thinking about those principles and to find relevant, topical articles that help highlight them.