Wendy's 1984 "Where the beef?" marketing campaign redefined the fast food landscape and introduced the brand to new group of consumers. The catchy phrase quickly became part of pop culture. Merchandising included t-shirts, coffee mugs, and even underwear. If you haven't seen one of the commercials, click the video. It's one of those things that are always good for a smile.
No one talked about viral marketing or influence or expanded reach in those days. The focus was on market share, re-branding, and corporate growth. Somewhere between then and now, we lost our way. Measuring the success of a campaign shifted from sales growth to generated buzz. There's no argument that people speaking positively about products and brands helps motivate others to buy. But when the primary objective is creating buzz worthy content instead of a top-quality customer experience, the proverbial cart is before the horse.
Word of mouth marketing isn't new. It began with the first barter. Manipulating circumstances to create buzz isn't new either. Snake oil salesman perfected the formula as they traveled from town to town in the old West. They knew that it had to be well planned because they only had one opportunity at every location. A few "evangelists" were quietly recruited when salesmen arrived in town. After a few positive experiences with the miracle cure, the promotions were rolled out. By the time people realized that there wasn't a miracle in a bottle, their money was long gone. I've often wondered what happened to the townspeople that helped the salesman. Did they get railroaded out of town? Shunned?
A friend who worked the vaudeville circuit as a young man used to tell wonderful stories of travelling the country. Some of my fondest childhood memories include listening to his tales. He once told me that even the worst shows could run three nights in a town. The first night attracted the adventurers. (If he were still around, I'd tell him that we call them "early adopters" these days.) The second night attracted people who heard about the show from the adventurers. Since people rarely share information that makes them look foolish, the adventurers would tell others the show was good. The third night was usually sold out because the people who attended the first two shows returned with rotten vegetables. Tickets were sold to the show, but there wasn't a performance because the entourage moved to the next town.
I don't know if there is any truth to the story, but it certainly matches the behavior of people today. The early adopters are the first to use a new marketing tool or platform. They list all of the reasons others should join in. Failure to buy a ticket to the hottest new show often leads to reprimands. Daring to question the effectiveness of the new media leads to shunning and flaming. When the newness starts wearing off, the early adopters and their followers move on to the next new thing. Before they go, the tool or platform so strongly endorsed is trashed.
Eventually the snake oil salesmen and bad vaudeville shows ran out of towns. Today's edition will run out of platforms and people willing to listen to their marketing hype. And, sometime in the future, history will repeat itself. A new version of bottled lightning will appear.
In the meantime, there is a lot of drama in the marketing world. Instead of participating in it, use this opportunity to separate your company from the competition. People are desperate for the things that make wonderful customer experiences. Quality products, service with a sincere smile, and people who genuinely care seem to have disappeared. Focusing on the fundamentals that make great businesses will deliver much more to your customers, employees, and shareholders. It's time to skip the fluff and find the beef.