Happy Holidays!

May you find rest, relaxation and lots of chocolate under your tree this year!

 



All I want for Christmas is... a Positioning Map

It's that time of year again when we're usually asked to put together a 'wish list' for our families and significant others as they search for the perfect gifts for us. But how many of us think about what our Business wish list would be?

I was recently discussing competitive dynamics with a client, who was disappointed that they weren't mentioned in a local news article highlighting many of the key players in their industry. We were talking about how "you are what your customer thinks you are," not necessarily what everyone in your company wishes you were. Your position in the market is really determined by the impression your target prospects and customers have about your organization -- everything from the name (or part of name) they can recall, to the core services you offer and the kinds of customers you have.

As marketers, we often like to create positioning maps to compare ourselves to our competition, which can be a really valuable exercise to help dispel fact from fiction and perception from reality.
You can hire a market research firm to conduct a formal study to poll your target audience, which can produce a very 'quantitative' set of positioning maps that correlates customer impressions against various criteria, but it can be equally as valuable to sit down with key members of your product, marketing and sales teams to hash out your views on a whiteboard. It probes your team to take a stand back and look at the key drivers of your customer engagements (like price, quality & breadth of service) and talk about where your competitors have a leg up on you (or you on them).

If your customer keeps telling your Sales team that the competitor's prices are cheaper, you need to ask Sales to probe deeper about why the customer feels that way. Are they comparing apples-to-apples with services, or does the customer just 'think' the competitor's service is exactly the same as yours when yours is superior? Does the customer actually 'care' about the extra value you're providing and are they willing to pay extra for it?

If you aren't where you want to be positioned, you can start to modify your web content and marketing messaging or advertising channels to help move you in the direction you want to go. Or, you might want to consider realigning the org to your current 'reality' position if that's what people think you're good at, and it offers sufficient market growth opportunity -- remember, the grass might not always be greener in another quadrant!

A positioning map is a great tool for engaging in Executive dialogue within your company, because it helps the leadership team to visualize how their brand is seen relative to their competitors. So the next time you're asked to give someone your wish list... think about asking for a positioning map (along with that iPad, GoPro or Coach Bag.)

Crowdsourcing a new Logo... more or less creativity?

Recently, I put my own rudimentary Photoshop skills to the test and created a quick and dirty logo to get my new consulting business up and running. I always had the intention, however, of getting a 'real' logo to replace my prototype. I started asking around for designer recommendations, and repeatedly heard the same thing... "why don't you crowdsource it?"

After checking out the industry leader 99designs.com (and a Canadian-founded company to boot), I thought I'd give it a go. I wrote a creative brief, uploaded some of my own favorite logos and sat back to wait for designs to flow in.

The great thing about crowdsourcing is you get access to many different designers - but it's a bit of a social political game because the designers are competing for your payment. I've quickly learned that if I rate a design higher than the rest, the designers will take it as a sign to gravitate towards that concept and may feel reluctant to step outside the box. On the other hand, if you work with just one designer, you might miss out on the opportunity to explore your brand from different perspectives.

I'm still learning the crowdsourcing ropes, but hope it will prove fruitful for a snazzy new logo for Strategic Rain. If you want to take a look at the contest entries and weigh in with your thoughts, check it out below! Stay tuned for a poll for the winner once we get to the final design round.

'Strategic Rain' Consulting needs a new logo!

Copyright 99designs.com

My Quest for the Perfect Touchscreen Ultrabook (while coming to grips with Windows 8)

When I recently set out to buy a new laptop, I had only 3 criteria in mind -
1.As lightweight as possible, 2.Touchscreen, and 3.Intel processor (as a former employee, I'll have a lifetime affinity for blue!)

With my crisp vision in mind, I set out to check the usual big box suspects first. I was quickly indoctrinated into the latest techno-speak when I learned my definition of 'laptop' was now in fact, an 'Ultrabook.' Intel coined this term for high-end laptops that are designed to be lightweight and functional, in a sleek design with extended battery life (6-8 hours). They typically include many features common to smart phones, and have at least a partial solid state hard drive (SSD) with several new technologies including "Intel Rapid Start Technology" that provides virtually instant-on boot/resume.

I was also introduced to Windows 8, which is like having 2 operating systems on your machine at the same time. You can work in 'Desktop Mode' which is very similar to Windows-7, or you can enjoy the new Iphone-like Windows 8 mode that lets you arrange your favorite application icons on your home screen for easy access. It isn't very intuitive or seamless when switching back and forth between browsing windows and applications in Windows 8, which likes to hide toolbars and buttons out of view. But, the new GUI is definitely slick for touchscreen. Overall, the Windows 8 jury is still out! I may dedicate a future blog to my thoughts on this one.

Once I accepted the fact that I'd have to learn a new OS, there seemed to be many good models to choose from, so my list of criteria quickly grew as I started to compare screen resolution, number of USB ports, size of keyboard and overall weight, not to mention the actual performance and hard drive specs.


Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13-Inch Ultrabook

After only a few short outings, it was truly love at first sight for the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 inch - This innovative touchscreen ultrabook had everything I was looking for, not to mention it could do Downward Dog anytime you want to easily walk someone through a PowerPoint presentation while sipping lattes in a coffee shop. At the sale price of $1099, I was sold.

Unfortunately, when I got home, I was shattered to learn of the very loud fan that this model is known for. After a lengthy hold with customer service and a scan of online reviews, I reluctantly returned my Yoga to the store and held a moment of silence for its departure. I'm still hopeful for improved future releases, Lenovo, please don't let me down!
It was back to the drawing board, with "Quiet Fan" taking first place on my growing list of criteria.


Samsung Ativ Book 7 13-Inch

To spare you the details of my frustrations over the next few weeks, I'll leave you with a summary below of my key findings from the many ultrabooks I test-drove!! (Thank you box stores for your 14-day return policy). I learned a tonne about the latest machines, found out that it is next to impossible to buy an English-only keyboard in Canada, and have (almost) come to grips with Windows-8. I have nothing against the French language, but it seems PC manufacturers have chosen to create a 'bilingual' keyboard for the Canadian market rather than 2 separate models. The bilingual keyboard has split the Shift key in two, wrecking havoc on fast typists. (I don't know how many times I hit the backslash key instead of the shift button!!).

If you're in the market for a new laptop anytime soon, I'd be most happy to share my experiences with you over a coffee. And, despite that I've finally settled on the Samsung Ativ Book 7 for myself, it won't stop me from taking a peek at the latest releases the next time I'm at Best Buy -- in the US, where I can get an English keyboard!

Summary of Key Findings: The Latest in Premium Ultrabooks

Rank	Model	The Good	The Bad	The Verdict
#1	Samsung Ativ Book 7 13.3-inch Ultrabook Specs: i5-3337U, 1.8GHz, 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM	-Highest resolution (1920x1080) and low-glare -Sleek keyboard/casing -Lightweight -Fast & Quiet -Responsive touch screen -Has an Ethernet port (rare in Ultrabooks)	-Screen is a bit dull (but brighter than the ASUS) -Need an adapter to connect to VGA screen	“The Winner”   Excellent, fast, light and stylish laptop for every day professional use
#2	ASUS ZENBOOK UX31A 13.3-inch Ultrabook Specs: i5-3317U, 1.7GHz, 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM	-Sharpest, highest resolution (1920x1080) -Lightning fast -Featherweight light -Comes with all adapters for ethernet, video output	-Some screen glare -Dull, yellowish screen on white backgrounds -Sharp square corners and thin screen might not be durable -Only 2 USB ports	“The Traveler” Definitely the best choice for frequent travelers, but might cause eye strain for all day use
#3	ASUS Vivobook S400CA 14.1-inch Ultrabook: Specs: i5-3317U, 1.7GHz, 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD, 6GB RAM	-Larger size screen, bright white -Sleek keyboard -Large hard drive	-Average resolution (1366x768) -A bit slow for multi-tasking across applications despite the 6GB RAM -Slower bootup -Shorter battery life	“The Student” Excellent ‘value’ choice for a student/home user Larger size screen great for all-day use The i7 version upgrade might be a real winner for this model! I did not have a chance to try it.
#4	Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13.3-inch Ultrabook: Specs: i5-3337U, 1.8GHz, 128GB SSD, 8GB RAM	-High resolution (1600x900) -Innovative tablet tenting -Responsive touch screen -Best out of the box software configuration -Lightning fast -Long battery life	-Continuous LOUD fan noise -Rubberized casing not as sleek -Machine runs hot (hence the continuous fan) -A little heavier	“The Wannabe” Clearly my top choice if it weren’t for the loud fan! Excellent innovative high performing and durable ultrabook.
#5	Acer Aspire v7 14-inch Ultrabook Specs: i5-3337U, 1.8GHz, 24GB SSD/50GB HDD / 8GB RAM	-Larger screen, bright white -Very sleek keyboard & casing	-Average but poor resolution (1366x768) -Unresponsive touch screen left ‘lines’ as you swipe -Heavy	“The Lost” I spent the least amount of time using this machine because one look at the resolution and unresponsive touch screen turned me away.

Living Digital, According to the Office Millennials

Recently, I've had the pleasure of leading some focus groups with early twenty-somethings (a.k.a. 'Millennials' or 'Gen-Y') in the workplace. These summer students opened up about how they use digital media, what they still do 'in person' and what they expect from 'big' companies. Marketers, take note: word-of-mouth advertising still reigns king, and if it's not about fun, you might as well cut and run. (Let's not forget shall we, that Gen-Y has to live up to its reputation for being less-than-motivated to work).

The following are some of the key insights I gained from this up and coming generation:

1. We're Google-rats, not mall-rats
​Before Millennials head out to shop, they check out stuff on Google and retailers' web sites. They value their time, and want to know the selection and inventory before visiting physical stores. This could mean valuable rewards for savvy merchants who are able to synch up their supply chain data with their web store - and provide slick tools for consumers to access it. Building trust with your customers is key - you can do that by ensuring you really have products in stock when your web site says you do, or offering users an automatic notification (by text) when it's back in stock.

2. The 90/10 rule applies online - we spend 90% of our time on fun & entertainment, and 10% on important stuff
Schoolwork aside (or not), Millennials favor entertaining sites and applications with the usual suspects topping the list - Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Twitter. The latest craze is in social photo sharing, so new startup apps like Snapchat and Tinder have been gaining a following. Even if your product or service isn't necessarily 'novel,' think about how you could make it fun and engaging for Gen-Y by creating an online game or social media tool that could help bring your brand into the innovative light.

3. Word-of-mouth advertising (ok, mostly via social media) is where it's at
Millennials want to be part of something cool and trendy, so they will quickly check out things they hear about their friends using. But merchants beware - Millennials want to remain in control of the social content sharing. Blasting unsolicited ads into social media applications will get annoying really quickly - just like Groupon emails did. Word-of-mouth still reigns king, where the consumer drives the promotion. Oh, and on that email note, Gen-Y said they simply won't read email unless they asked for it. If they ARE required to register for something, they will typically give one of many 'fake' email addresses they use to keep 'spam' away from their 'real' inbox. This is really something to keep in mind as the mobile advertising space takes shape - it's about building trust and leaving the user in control of what they choose to receive.

4. What makes an app popular? Two words -- F R E E and C O O L
The digital popularity contest is driven by the inherent value to the Millennial user - the app quality and 'fun factor' is what's important to this demographic, not the corporate sponsor (or lack thereof) behind it. If something's popular, Gen-Yers just assume its legit. For small guys, this means a level playing field... for big guys, it means you don't have your brand to enhance your popularity - your app needs to speak for itself. Oh, and the app is generally free, at least in the beginning, to encourage users to try it out.

5. We like free, but we'll actually pay for some applications now!
Millennials grew up with the belief that anything digital should be free. Blame it if you will, on the industry habit of building a web application and amassing a user base first, and trying to figure out how to monetize it afterwards. (Facebook, we're not pointing any fingers). Despite their heritage, however, MIllennials have come of age where they now justify actually paying for some digital applications, if it means they get something (such as a product/service) in return. A good example cited is SKYPE, which they now use regularly to make long distance phone calls. Another criteria they often use when considering a paid service is convenience. If it means they don't have to drive across town (in a car they don't even own) to pick up a parcel, or to purchase a concert ticket, they are likely to be willing to pay a convenience fee , but only up to a certain point.

6. Banks aren't exactly 'innovative,' but they're at least keeping up with the times
Millennials might be some of the most frequent users of online banking sites, visiting at least weekly, and in some cases up to daily. The only time they physically go to the bank is to deposit a cheque (and these are usually from the Government, which they almost expect to be trailing in innovation). They frequently visit online banking web sites (at least once a week). Only some had tried out mobile banking apps, saying they preferred the web site versions due to limited capabilities on the mobile versions. But Millennials had an optimistic view of banks in digital, saying they feel they have been at least keeping up in the space. With this in mind, when asked when they expect to be able to pay for things with their mobile phones? They unanimously said, "really soon."​

Gray is the New Blue

It had just stopped raining and the sky was a light shade of gray as I stepped out of my car. Having grown up on the east coast, I was all too familiar with rainy days and never considered them something to be appreciated. But for some reason, this particular day struck me as a really 'nice' rainy one and I felt a sense of optimism.

The concept of 'Strategic Rain' was born later that day while I was sitting at my desk, thinking about how applying focus to your business is critical to your future success, particularly when you are challenged to balance limited resources with a variety of stakeholder interests. With a crisp vision, you can apply effort strategically where it will produce the greatest returns for your business. Establishing that clear vision isn't always easy, however. For some organizations, it can be challenging to overcome ingrained beliefs about what the company is good at, or to engage in blue-sky (or gray-sky!) thinking - i.e., to really look beyond what it currently offers.

Strategic Rain has been established as a Strategy and Marketing Consulting firm to work with clients in assessing their current business in light of their core competencies and strategic objectives. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with many organizations over the coming days in applying Strategic Rain to their operations for greater efficiency, customer experience, and ultimately, higher financial returns.