Tag Archives: balance

Finding Balance – Pleasure & Pain

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11th Screen | The Interactive Out-of-Home Blog

As marketers and communicators, I think balance is key to so many things we do. I’m going to explore some of those things here. My first post was around the balance between sales & relationships (marketing & communication).

One of the most common challenges I’m faced with is around the idea of relieving a pain vs. providing a pleasure. In the client’s eye, one or the other is usually the key thing that keeps them up at night.

How am I going to get this story out fast enough? How am I going to engage if someone responds a certain way on our wall? How can I keep up with the evolving times if I can’t hire or reallocate staff? These are pain-related and typically, if you can answer the how, then demonstrate the ability to execute against it, you’ll get (or keep) the job.

On the other hand…

What do I need to do with this major sponsorship? What will position us in an innovative light? What can we do to make a big splash launching a product? These are pleasure-related and typically, the biggest, best, or first idea of its kind will get you the job.

The two have very different objectives, budgets, and ways of thinking against them. But they’re linked, nonetheless.

One challenge is that relieving the pain has a tendency to be less glamourous than providing the pleasure. Solving an organizational challenge might go unseen whereas a new, multi-channel campaign has the ability to garner industry-wide recognition. Both can be equally game-changing, though.

That organizational change could put them in a position to create quicker, better, and more efficiently. That, in turn, could enable more thinking about pleasure in the future vs. pain. This balance and challenge will never go away. Once you solve or create one thing, another one pops up.

Regardless, clients appreciate and like creative thinking, despite what they’re feeling at that moment in time. So, even when relieving pleasure, don’t let creative thinking, expression, and capability get left behind. And when providing a pleasure, don’t ignore the strain it could have on the organization.

Know that the two are linked and do whatever you can to demonstrate the ability and knowledge that you can do both. If, in fact, you can. And if not, learn.

Because, truthfully, that’s what’s really going to get and keep you the job.

Finding Balance – Sales & Relationships

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Balance | 11th Screen | The Interactive Out-of-Home Blog

As marketers and communicators, I think balance is key to so many things we do. Over the next few days, I’m going to explore some of those things.

First one up is the brand’s end goal. At the core, I believe brands want 2 things:

1. Sell products

2. Create and develop relationships with consumers

Each can lead to the other, if done right. But without an eye on both, the sale can happen with nowhere to go.

I believe that it’s in “going” where the growing occurs. Growth can lead to more brand experiences or telling other people about it or best, loyalty.

But this growth is soft. It’s not as easy to see as a sale, especially after the sale occurs. We’re in a time, though, where technology makes it easier and easier to see this growth. There are many tools (specifically social media tools) and specialized talent that can help see beyond the sale.

The sale and the relationship are achieved through different strategies, different tactics, different people, and different tools. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and I don’t think any of my agency and/or brand colleagues would argue that point. But this is where the balance comes in. Sales come and go and yes, they drive business. But I think, more and more, the heart of the business is becoming the fans, the actual people who want to have a relationship with the brand. If the brand turns a blind eye to them, whether out of choice, ignorance, operations, or council, where does that leave the brand in the end? It leaves them in a position where they’re perceived to not care. And caring is a personal thing. An emotion. It’s soft.

But, it’s something that can influence thousands or millions of sales.

This is something that I’ve experienced makes people feel uncomfortable. It’s hard to understand and it’s hard to do. There is an ongoing debate on how you actually show real value to this relationship part. It’s not easy.

Here’s the deal, though – in our world where selling stuff is so important, there’s never been a greater bridge to form relationships as there is now, with the open web, on-the-go technology, and the people’s desire to be connected and grow with the brand.

It’s about seeing these relationships as equally important as the sale. And that’s the balance that you have to find.

I’d love to hear what you guys think about this. Is this a balance that you see as important, or better yet, strive to maintain?