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Top of Mind Thursday December 12, 2019: Spin Cycle
The Internet has gone crazy over a holiday ad from exercise company Peloton. A husband gives his (already fit) wife a Peloton bike as a holiday gift, then follows her story as she uses it to become even more fit, saying “I didn’t realize how much this would change me.”
The viral buzz labeled this ad as sexist, promoting negative body image, privilege, and bad marital dynamics. Within 3 days, Peloton lost $1.5 billion of market value as a result of the backlash.
Both the company and the actress in the spot were stunned by the response. The actress says perhaps this was due to the expression on her face, which could be interpreted as fearful (Why would that be the expression chosen for the final take? Inquiring minds want to know.).
Actor Ryan Reynolds seized the opportunity to hire the same actress for a spot for his tequila brand, where she is shown downing a margarita, with the tagline “exercise bike not included.”
Other brands have run ads that created a strong backlash. Some, like Nike, even do this purposely. But the key difference is they make the decision that it’s worth alienating some viewers in order to build a stronger bond with a key customer segment. That doesn’t appear to be the case here.
It was the company’s response (or lack thereof) to the criticism that really fell flat. This is not the first time Peloton has found itself defending its “beautiful people in gorgeous settings need this expensive equipment” approach to marketing. Yet a company spokesperson said Peloton was “disappointed” that the commercial had been “misinterpreted”–implying that it was the viewers who were at fault for their reaction.
Anyone can take a bad fall. But it’s how a company picks itself up and gets back on the bike, so to speak, that portends whether they’ll still be in the race moving forward.
How do you act in a climate of change? Read my article.
Join me for the free online video interview series The Inspired Leadership Show: Discovering Secrets to Being an Effective Leader Through Communication, Positive Influence and Sustainable Productivity. My episode is live NOW!
Contact me to find out how to get heard above the noise.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
The Stories We Tell: How Transforming Numbers into Narratives Drives Action and Gets Results
Nancy Duarte
Founder
Duarte, Inc.
duarte.com
Nancy Duarte is a communication expert who has been featured in Fortune, Time Magazine, Forbes, Fast Company, Wired, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Cosmopolitan, LA Times, and on CNN. Her firm, Duarte, Inc., is the global leader behind some of the most influential visual messages in business and culture. As a persuasion expert, she cracked the code for effectively incorporating story patterns into business communications. She’s written five best-selling books, four of which have won awards. Her latest book is DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story.
In this podcast, Nancy explains how storytelling can be critically important to communicating data. She talks about how best to communicate with executives, what her analysis of multiple brands has led her to conclude about the importance of a data point of view, and explains how effectively understanding and communicating data findings can positively change your career trajectory.
Listen to this podcast.
Top of Mind Thursday December 5, 2019: Play it Again Sam
This morning, I got an email message from Spotify telling me they’d compiled a list of all the music I’d listened to this past year–by artist, genre, even by season of the year.
Of course, I had to check this out, because I was curious to see what I’d listened to and how those selections had changed through the year. And Spotify has created a play list of my most played songs in case I want to play them yet again.
What a great way to stay connected with your customers. Remind them of how they’ve used your product or service, thank them for being a customer, and offer them a way to keep connected with you in the future.
Facebook does something similar (here are your most liked posts of the year), but there’s no reason this has to be limited to online services. When was the last time you reached out to your customers and revisited how you’ve worked together over the past months, reminded them of the value you’ve provided for them, and suggested possible ways you can work together in the future?
It’s a simple thing to do, yet so few businesses do this for their customers, that when it happens, it’s music to their ears.
Are you extending gratitude where it counts?
How do you act in a climate of change? Read my article.
Join me for the free online video interview series The Inspired Leadership Show: Discovering Secrets to Being an Effective Leader Through Communication, Positive Influence and Sustainable Productivity. My episode is live NOW!
Contact me to find out how to get heard above the noise.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday November 28, 2019: Once More, With Gratitude
Thanksgiving Day. The day when we eat a big festive turkey meal, watch parades and football games, plan our holiday shopping strategy, engage in spirited family discussions, and, hopefully, express our gratitude for what we have.
Gratitude is a great thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if it extended beyond a single day of feasting? Wouldn’t it be nice if we were grateful for more than just a big family meal and great Black Friday deals?
While we sit at home feasting, refugees from dozens of countries around the world are scrambling to find a safe place to live.
While we argue about American politics, protesters in Hong Kong are risking their wellbeing to try and maintain their slice of democracy.
While we watch sports and movies, homeless people in our own cities are trying to figure out how to stay warm and dry as winter weather approaches.
We need to be grateful not only for what we have, but for what we DON’T have to endure. And that gratitude should be expressed in concrete ways not just on the fourth Thursday in November, but every day.
Are you extending gratitude where it counts?
How do you act in a climate of change? Read my article.
Join me for the free online video interview series The Inspired Leadership Show: Discovering Secrets to Being an Effective Leader Through Communication, Positive Influence and Sustainable Productivity. My episode is live NOW!
Contact me to find out how to get heard above the noise.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com