Popularity is Overrated

Many brands make the mistake of trying to be popular. They set out to appeal to everyone, but please no one.

Branding is not a popularity contest, but about finding people who will fall in love with your brand. Yes, there is a difference.

Mr. Mark
This was probably his screensaver when he was coding FB...

Being popular may put you on the map, but do people actually like you? For instance, Microsoft is a hugely popular brand but I am certain it’s the most cursed brand in the world as well – thanks to stupid-friggin-Windows!

What if a brand yearns to be unpopular? It means the brand takes a unique stand, which most people may hate, but can cultivate a devoted following from whoever’s left. Take UMobile for instance – probably the most unpopular of all the telcos – but they have 2 million registered customers.

Look at it this way, even the most popular brand in the world cannot claim their popularity extends to everyone. Like Astro apparently is Malaysia’s Brand of the Year, which would indicate a high degree of popularity. Obviously they didn’t ask for my opinion.

In a world where little niches appear every single day, there is no way a brand can appeal to everyone, making mass advertising strategies severely flawed.

There’s a saying in showbiz that aptly summarizes taking an unpopular stance:

“When 50% of the people loves you,
and the other 50% hates you; you know you’ve arrived “

So it’s okay to be an unpopular brand, because there will still be a bunch of people who think you are absolutely awesome.

And before you think I’m some kind of branding genius, read Erika Napoletano’s The Power of Un-Popular for more insights. But I can still whip up decent brand strategies you know?

The Copywriter You Want is Perhaps Just 5 Steps Away

This could be your first time looking for a freelance copywriter; or you may have been burnt before by hiring a copywriter not-so-suited to your needs.

Either way, I want to help – or at least try to help.

ColourPencila
We copywriters are a varied, colourful bunch. So who to choose?

In this often insane, not-a-moment-to-waste business world; getting things done swiftly and accurately right from the get-go is crucial. The same is true, even when it comes to copywriting.

There are many types of freelance copywriters out there – often with differing specializations – whom are available for hire. But you’ll never know if the copywriter you just hired will hit the ground running or crash and burn at the next lamppost.

But there are steps you can take to filter out ‘the unsuitables’ and help improve your chances of landing a freelance copywriter who will be in-sync with your business aims and aspirations.

And most importantly get the job done.

Let’s not waste another moment then – here are 5 steps you can take to help ensure you hire the right freelance copywriter.

Brand or Friend?

I have been having many late nights over the last few weeks. Thanks to a dear friend that makes his appearance from abroad every year or so.

And this friend of mine wields a strange form of magic. Whenever he is around, he is able to round up the troops. I mean he is the only person who can gather all the friends and acquaintances that I don’t normally hang out with these days.

True Friend
Don't wanna spoil this image with a caption, it says it all!

He is the head of the clan of sorts; the guy that everyone wants to chill with – I call him ‘the chief’.

Needless to say, we all have a great time whenever the chief is around. To an outsider, it may seem like we all hang out together all the time.

But as soon as he flies back, I probably would not meet any of the clan members – except for a couple perhaps – until the next time the chief returns.

The camaraderie that we rediscovered will suddenly vanish.

You know what this proves? It seems we humans need something or someone we can all relate with – in this case a true friend – before we devote our Attention, Time and Effort.

And in advertising and marketing communications; we try to get people to devote their:

Attention to notice our product
Time for us to build relationships, and
Effort to actually buy our product

So maybe brands should endeavor to behave more like good friends to consumers rather than faceless, profit-driven entities.

Think about your favourite brand; is it reliable, offers comfort and makes you feel good? That brand is in fact your friend.

And to the chief, I bid you farewell and wish you the best till the next time. Now I need to repay some sleep debt…. Cheers!

Wah! So Cheap Arrr…?

Remember the time when you saw something you always wanted at an incredibly cheap price; then after a few moments decided not to buy it?

Here are probably some of the thoughts that ran through your mind:

“Are these knockoffs”?
“Maybe these are rejected goods”?
“Damn! This thing is obsolete already”?
“Hmmm… would it last beyond the warranty period”?
“Don’t I recognize the shopkeeper from Petaling Street”?

The best price isn't always the cheapest...

I bet this has happened to all of us – be it for something as simple as groceries or for more pricier items like electronic gadgets – time and time again.

Aren’t getting things on the cheap supposed to be the crowning glory for a society built on consumerism? Apparently not.

A 2011 survey by Nielsen, which covered 25,000 respondents in 51 countries show that 61% of global online consumers rated “good value” over “low price” when shopping.

Even in a tough economy people prefer value, which often means the ability of a product of service to deliver up to expectations, over saving money and being uncertain.

People often ask me how much I charge for copywriting. I tell them it depends on the project, timeline, research required, materials provided and also quantity.

Some prospective clients think I charge too much, and others think I’m quite reasonable. And very few think I’m cheap.

I haven’t done a single job to the ones that thought I was cheap. Something to think about perhaps…

Life of a Fulltime Freelancer

A lot of people ask me about how my liberation from employment has been. I always brush them off with a vague “ok laaa” or “surviving” or more recently, “it’s not bad, I’ve made new imaginary friends”.

Yes, as a fulltime freelance copywriter, I do tend to spend the majority of my working hours on my own at home. And as a writer, that’s a good thing, except when my upstairs neighbor decides to rearrange their furniture all of the sudden… damn you!

FreelancerSwin
Row, row, row your boat... until you become a robot... all together now!

Solitude let’s me tap into whatever is left in the inner reaches of my mind, where incidentally my imaginary buddies lurk.

Okay enough about my imaginary friends; they are apparently blog-shy.

So as a fulltime freelancer, things are quite different these days. While my work still revolves around clients and deadlines, there is always this sense of uncertainty that lurks over my head.

But to be honest, it is the same feeling of uncertainty I felt when I was employed. But now, I am in control – everything is entirely up to me – which is a feeling like no other. It is a feeling of exhilaration and pride one moment, then anxiety and insecurity the next. Not for the faint of heart for sure.

Ahhh yes, I’ve also become quite adept at ‘freelancer speak’, which are things freelancers say to make things look better than they actually are or just to be nice, for example:

When I Say  > I Actually Mean

I am in between projects > I got nothing to do
I just came from another meeting > I had better things to do
Sorry I didn’t answer, I was in a meeting > Sorry, I just woke up
This weekend? Oh… I’m out of town > You crazy arr?!
Let me know what you think >  Don’t think so much

Errr… you guys know this post is just for laughs right?

Marketing the Manchester United Way

If you don’t know already, then yes, I am a fan of the greatest football club in the world – Manchester United.

While some will argue about the ‘greatest’ statement, this post is not about glorifying my beloved team, but more about what it takes to be a winning marketer.

ManUnited Crest
May your marketing be as successful as Manchester United (bro, thanks again for the jersey!)

But still, there is this little fact about Man United being the most successful English football club. And they didn’t get there just by playing awesome football. There are other elements at play, based on my humble opinion:

1. Leadership
Manchester United’s most successful period have been under Sir Alex Ferguson. He is a manager, mentor, tactician, dictator and most of a believer. The person leading any marketing effort must not only be good at what he does, but also believe in the product or service.

2. Persistence
The ‘never say die’ attitude that is legendary of Manchester United players have brought them back from many lost causes. When you think your marketing efforts aren’t working, you got to persevere. Employ different tactics, ask the right questions and take some risks.

3. Patience
In this hurry-burry world of instant success and overnight miracles, it seems there is no time for patience. Alex Ferguson was appointed manager in 1986 and will take 4 seasons to win his first trophy, the FA Cup. And another 3 seasons more to end a 26-year league title drought. Don’t expect your marketing efforts to bring you instant results. Time is your ally; monitor, enhance and tweak constantly.

4. Perfection is an Illusion
Man United have played a total of 4,318 leagues games as at 11 March 2012. Of that they have won 2,061, drawn 1034 and lost 1223. That’s not even a 50% winning rate, and yet they have a record 19 league championships. Don’t strive to get everything perfect on your marketing plan, but fine-tune along the way to achieve success.

5. Money Isn’t Everything
In 2006, after losing the league to Chelsea for 2 consecutive years, United only spent 16 million pounds to bring in Michael Carrick. Chelsea by contrast spent over 60 million pounds and will go on to lose the league to Man United for the next 3 seasons. Having a big budget is great, but spending it on nonsense is not.

Why I Turn Down Jobs

Most freelancers will shudder at this thought, especially newly-minted freelance copywriters like myself. But it is a necessary evil for the greater good.

But let me make this clear – I don’t like turning down jobs.

Tick tock clock
If I spend all the time writing; who's gonna do the thinking?

Not just because of the lost income, but I also feel rather guilty. Opportunities don’t come easy these days because honestly, times aren’t great.  I often feel like I have let myself down. Maybe I should work doubly hard and cram every job I can get into my schedule.

Yes, in the Malaysia Boleh spirit, maybe I should do just that.

But then again, there is only so much I can do before the quality of my work starts to suffer. While pitching for new business and engaging new opportunities are critical for survival; I do not want to let down my existing clients either.

I have written something call the ‘Mamak Stall Syndrome’ a while back. It was about how local food stall operators often forget about you as soon as you take a seat, because they’re busy pulling in more customers.

The thing is I already have a few good clients sitting in my shop. And for me, keeping them happy is as equally important as finding new clients.

Go Online, or Go Under

More than 12 million Facebook users. National broadband penetration is over 80%. Almost 17 million total internet users. And how much are Malaysian businesses spending on online advertising?

A measly 1% of their total advertising budget.

A report released recently by Google and McKinsey & Co shows that Malaysian businesses hardly see internet advertising viable. In fact, Malaysia is placed at the bottom 10% of the 57 countries surveyed.

Cars on Key
You can reap unexpected rewards advertising online... kacching!

Look, I’m no advertising genius. But doesn’t this seem like a severe case of head-in-the-sand ignorance?

Just 10% of Malaysia’s Facebook population is still more than the total daily readership of The Star, which is at about 1.06 million.

But that’s not all. We Malaysians spend more time on the internet than on watching television or listening to the radio combined.

If you ask me, I think we spend more time online than even talking to our spouse, family and friends combined.

If anyone out there thinks online advertising is crap – it can be annoying if improperly executed though – here are 5 good reasons why you should take your next campaign online:

  1. Costs a fraction of TV, Print or even Radio ads
  2. You can measure results and effectiveness almost immediately
  3. Internet allows for almost pin-point targeting, bases on niche interests
  4. Those in their 20s and 30s are active internet users; a consumer goldmine!
  5. Almost 40% of purchase decisions are made on the net; making online presence critical

In times of dwindling marketing budgets and an ever-evolving consumer landscape, please feel free to double or even triple your online marketing efforts this year.

If you still want to spend RM40,000 or upwards on a one-time-only print ad (I’ve got some tips for that too) instead of a highly-targeted, response-oriented online campaign; then go right ahead.

So We’re Bashing Up Customers Now?

If you can’t serve your customers, bash them up. A method practiced by a certain KFC employee; allegedly of course.

But you can’t refute the video evidence. Even if he was provoked, this is still no reason for an employee of a global fast food chain to get all Bruce Lee with anyone; let alone a customer.

But strangely, I wasn’t all too surprised.

That’s because I’ve been noticing the lowering standards of customer service in Malaysia for many years now. I’ve also written about my own experiences and the possible reasons behind such dismal customer service.

The KFC tagline these days is “So Good”. I guess they are not only referring to the chicken (again, allegedly), but also to the whacking that one would get from disgruntled employees.

But that’s the problem isn’t it. The brand spends millions to say something and the employees – who are probably working long, unforgiving hours for pittance – say another. There is hardly any synergy between what you see and what you get from Malaysian businesses these days.

KFC is Smackin Good
He was, after all, a Colonel... don't be charmed by that smile!

And the worst part, no one is bothered.

Like the many customer service mishaps of the past, this video will be forgotten and conveniently dismissed as a one-time-only incident beyond the company’s control.

But I would really like to see is Ronald McDonald kick someone’s ass though… that would be awesomely funny!

How Much?

It’s a dilemma every freelancer faces; how much to charge?

Too high and you might not get the job. Too low and you’re spoiling the market. Somewhere in between and you’re competing with every other freelancer out there.

Money Sign
Will work for dough, not the bread kind ok?

As for myself, the way people perceive me is slight problem.  Since I write as a pastime and dish out free advertising and marketing advise in the process; people expect me to charge next to nothing – sometimes none at all!

There is a difference between just ‘writing’ and ‘knowing what to write’. After 13 years of being a copywriter – now almost 14 years – it’s safe to say that I have a pretty good idea about consumer motivations, how to compel action/purchase and essentially get the message across.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still learning and there are way better copywriters out there than myself. But I do have my strong points, so I think a little recognition is in order.

Here’s an excerpt from a classic marketing book Selling the Invincible by Harry Beckwith that makes my point so damn eloquently:

A man was suffering a persistent problem with his house. The floor squeaked. No matter what he tried, nothing worked.

Finally, he called a carpenter who friends said was a true craftsman.

The craftsman walked into the room and heard the squeak. He sat down with his toolbox, pulled out a hammer and nail, and pounded the nail into the floor with three blows.

The squeak was gone forever.

The carpenter pulled out an invoice slip, on which he wrote the total for $45. Above the total were two line items:

  • Hammering, $2
  • Knowing where to hammer, $43

So, you know… as I said… the thing is. Ahhh never mind… I rest my case.