Leader Blog: We Hunt Them; We Promote Them; Take their Advice

Enchantment as It Relates to Marketing & PR: Guy Kawasaki

 

A new blog post by Hubspot's leader Brian Halligan today carried an interview with Guy Kawasaki, author, co-founder of Alltop and former chief evangelist at Apple, can tell you how. In his new book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. Kawasaki explains how any business can enchant as well as the most compelling brands. He argues that in business and personal interactions, your goal is not just to sell but to bring about an enduring and delightful change in others.

I call this an "ah-ha" moment. As a marketer, I've been so lucky to work with clients that brought "ah-ha" moments to their customers -- not only because of their brands but because of the details in the moment. For example, Douglas Ward, lifetime veteran of the high seas, continues producing poignant tips about cruising and cruise ships. I'm currently working on his 26th edition (26!) of Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, and his writing is very witty, yet comprehensive. He has the edge of a writer like the New Yorker's Anthony Lane, yet remains objective and comprehsnive in his reporting. A fine art. Ah-ha!

When I was agency-of-record for the tax and accounting group at Thomson Reuters for 18 years, I experienced "ah-ha" moments every day. One would think-- from tax analyses? The answer is that the insight of this company's knowledge was so variegated and deep that I oooed and aahhhed through each press release. I renamed the editors there THE BRAINTRUST -- what enchantment to write about their findings.

There have been so many other "ah-ha" moments with various clients. No I didn't work for Zappos or Apple (oh well!) but Lande Communications has managed to snag customers on the (pardon the expression, please please) cutting edge. There has been something obviously meant to be- and yes, we beoieve in The Law of Attraction.

Back to Mr. Halligan's interview with Kawasaki, I enjoyed the author's 3 tips on how marketers can make their products more enchanting: (These bullet points are quotes)

•   First, tell the story about why you created the product. Don't use any industry-jargon and cite any marketing studies. Explain why you created a personal computer that anyone could afford or a search engine that produced better results or an airline that you would look forward to fly on.

• Second, plant many seeds. Don't just suck up to the A-listers and upper-echelon visible journalists and analysts. Reach out, instead, to the great unwashed masses and hoi polloi. In the flattened new world that we now live in, it's the "Lonelyboy15" and "Brooke888" who make or break a product. A-listers et al report the news, they don't make it. Their blessings, for example, certainly didn't cause the success of Facebook or Twitter.

• Third, show people your magic. During the summer, the folks at NovaScotian Crystal open up the factory to enable tourists to watch how craftsmen blow glass. By showing these visitors the magic, the company has an easier time selling them crystal pieces. Showing how you make something is enchanting, so create factory and office tours. If you're ever in Las Vegas, contact Zappos for a tour, and you'll see what I mean.

If you are interested in making your business for enchanting, then you might want to take the Enchantment Aptitude Test on the book's Facebook Page.

I guess we all need to check out this book. Also blessed with marketing publishing projects, we know that a book (aka "content") can enrich your soul, inspire you, and in itself, be its own "ah-ha" experience.