They want a dynamic, creative chronicle.Īnd, big brands like McDonald’s are not uni-dimensional. Here’s how Larry described it:Ī brand is a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted, complex message, not a single-dimensional, single-positioned, simplistic message. Customers will not accept monotonous, repetition of the same simplistic message. It is an approach to marketing with narrative and storytelling at the heart of it. Then Light introduced an entirely new approach to marketing, to advertising, to branding. Simplistic marketing is marketing suicide. Identifying one brand position, communicating it in a repetitive manner is old-fashioned, out-of-date, out-of-touch brand communication. Simplifying a brand to a single position is not simplification, it is simplistic. But for big bands – like McDonald’s – it’s nonsense. This may make some sense for small brands. Here’s Larry Light in a NYC speech to the heads of ad agencies and clients:īeware of the so-called “positionistas.” They say that a brand can only stand for one thing in the mind of the market. How incredible was the turn-around? In less than a year his approach lifted the company to higher sales, revenues, margins and growth of a brand that many people had written off as just for young families. In 2004 the CMO of McDonald’s, Larry Light, revealed the new branding strategy behind McDonald’s incredible turn-around story. So here’s one of my favorite Jack Trout stories. If you’ve never heard him speaking about branding, you really should come. And of many other well-know books on marketing. Jack Trout is the co-author of Positioning. It will be held at the New York American Marketing Association offices on 116 East 27th Street, 6th floor, 1-21. It starts at the ungodly hour of 8 am with a jolt of caffeine followed by a conversation with Jack Trout. Jack Trout has written a new book, that’s what he’s done! Come and meet Jack in person and find out more next Wednesday, May 25th at the NYAMA’s “Meet The Author” breakfast series. And next Wednesday, May 25th, is breakfast with Jack Trout as part of the NYAMA’s “Meet The Author” series. Next up: Monday is a networking event at the NYAMA. And by great good chance, Paul is also a member of the NYAMA. It was transplanted here about 20 years ago when Paul Zuckerman, the creative director, moved to the city. Agency side, client side, consulting, academics - we can all benefit from this as long as we keep an open mind and open attitude.Ĭhicago City Limits is NYC’s longest running improv theater. If you work in marketing or any creative field, you owe it to yourself to study improv. They are easily as enriching and mind stretching as anything I did at Columbia’s School of the Arts. I’m a person who has always found improv classes to be the most enjoyable theater experiences. We had a very special workshop on creativity in marketing.įor me, personally, it was one of the most enjoyable events I’ve been to this year. I just got home about an hour ago from a very exhilarating evening with the improv group Chicago City Limits and the NYAMA.