Search Results for: 'aha'
March 15th, 2018

Get your marketing priorities straight

Pisa’s famous tower started leaning only five years after construction began in 1173. Erected on unstable soil with a foundation too shallow to support the structure’s weight, the building quickly started to shift. After 800 years of renovation the problem has been fixed and the tower finally stopped listing any further.

Before setting out to make marketing history, it’s always a good idea to survey the decisions you are making about your business foundation. Take care to verify you are standing on solid ground, and you’ll avoid unexpected A-ha Moments.

Looking to build concrete confidence in your marketing efforts? Drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com and we’ll angle you in the right direction.

March 9th, 2018

Great marketing isn’t rocket science

In 1999, NASA lost a 125 million dollar Mars orbiter in outer space. Seems one engineering team used English units of measurement, while another used the metric system. The mismatch prevented the correct transfer of navigational coordinates, and the aircraft missed the red planet entirely.

Before launching any new endeavor (be it marketing, or a mission to Mars), success often depends upon team alignment. The measurement mistake killed NASA’s mission, as well as the engineers’ expected A-ha Moment: a celebration of the craft’s entry into Mars’ orbit.

If you’re planning on entering new space with your marketing, drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com and we’ll make sure the all-stars on your team aren’t light years apart.

March 1st, 2018

Let’s toast to what Prohibition taught us about marketing

In 1920, the 18th amendment passed, banning the production and sale of alcohol. Prohibitionists painted ‘intoxicating liquors’ as sins that led to crime, poverty and death.

Ironically, the biggest winners turned out to be organized crime.

Bold Strategic Decisions may have the best intentions—the mistake is failing to anticipate unintentional consequences. In the case of Prohibition, Americans’ thirst for booze was stronger than their concern for violating the law.

The ultimate lesson of the “Noble Experiment”—and for marketers looking to avoid unwanted A-ha Moments—is to watch out for decisions that end up worse than the problems they are designed to solve.

Drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com if you’re pouring over any bold choices of your own. We’ll show you a quick and easy way to make sure your choices produce the effect you need.

February 14th, 2018

What can the Donner Party teach you about Marketing? Well, chew on this…

In 1846, a group of pioneers led by George Donner set out for California from Independence, Missouri.  Looking to reach the golden state more quickly, Donner chose an unproven shortcut, stranding the travelers in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the middle of winter and resulting in the death of nearly half the party.  Many survivors turned to cannibalism.

The beginning of a new journey is exciting, but we must guard against making the big — what Mortar calls — Strategic Decisions too quickly.  The best path often needs to include asking what if? What might happen if we actually succeed? Or fail? What happens next?

Avoid unwanted A-ha moments by gathering your team to tease out the possibilities before you hit the road – and make sure to pack some hot sauce just in case. Need better directions? Drop us an email: heythere@mortaragency.com

February 6th, 2018

Will your marketing be Titanic in 2018?

Marketed as unsinkable, the RMS Titanic set sail for New York from Southampton, England on April 10, 1912.  To differentiate itself from the competition, Titanic’s owner, White Star Lines chose increased size and opulence over basic safety measures—a decision with tragic consequences.  Four days later, the famed Titanic succumbed to the icy depths of the North Atlantic, taking 1500 souls with it.

Every Strategic Marketing Decision (the first tenet in Mortar’s approach) holds massive potential, and risk, and leads to a different A-ha Moment (tenet #2).  The mistake is not exploring these steps BEFORE you go to market.  Had White Star thought differently about the decisions it made on the drafting table, it might never have become synonymous with arrogance and poor planning. 

The best way to avoid a similar wreck is to engage with Mortar and shore-up that strategy. Check out some of our most successful strategies–and the matching A-ha–right here.