What Is The Most Important Ingredient For Success?

Almost fifty years ago Bill Bernbach, the creator of the renowned Volkswagen ads of the 1960’s said, “The magic is in the product or service. Copy doesn’t create an advantage, it can only convey it”.

My very first car was a 1964 Volkswagen because Bernbach’s advertising sold me! The same year I began my direct marketing career. Today, forty six years later, your product or service still remains the most important ingredient. Bottom line … if it is in the “ho-hum” or “me-too” category, all the publicity advertising, direct and social media marketing will see through right to that boring fact.

Yesterday we had a tremendous conversation around the Direct Marketing Brainstormers conference table. It was so good, I wanted to post it to our blog!

So, how do you avoid bringing a “ho-hum”, “me-too” product to market? Your gut tells you because your experience proves Gary Bencivenga’s theory, “No matter how skillful you are, you can’t invent a product advantage that doesn’t exist.”

Here’s What Needs To Happen To Avoid The “Ho-Hum”, “Me-Too” Product or Service:

Research & Development:
Their responsibility is to come up with a product/service with blockbuster advantages. The need to research the market to find out what people want, need and desire. Then develop them based on their findings.

Customer Service:
Once Research & Development have “done their thing”, give Customer Service their assignment. They are your auxiliary sales force. When you are ready to go to market, your Customer Service Department has the ability to build an ever-growing army of raving fans who extol your product or service to others. Create a Customer Service plan based upon the information that has come from R&D.

Marketing & Advertising:
Here’s where the real magic is born. But, you should never build a Marketing Plan or create a word of advertising in support of that plan until the work of R&D and Customer Service is complete.

Back to Gary Bencivenga for a minute. He says to ask these questions before a great Marketing Plan and the Advertising to support it can happen:

1.) Why has this product/service been created the way it is?
2.) What consumer problems, desire needs is it designed for?
3.) What is special about it?
4.) How does it fulfill a customer’s needs better than the competition?
5.) What is the strongest proof to make your case believable?
6.) What are the best features?
7.) How do the features translate into customer benefits?
8.) Can any improvements be made?
9.) Who are the 20% that will give you 80% of the sales?

He finishes by saying, “Learning to spot great products and services forces you to see the world through the eyes of your prospects. That’s the single most valuable trait you can have as a direct marketer”