Master Planning - a conversation - All Comments

re: Co-creation is Contagious

Jeremy Brown — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:45:02 GMT

Not sure what point your making here Jacky... could be sarcasm or surprise ;)

Happy to respond if you want to be more explicit...

re: Co-creation is Contagious

JACKY BYGRAVE — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:07:28 GMT

As to 'we're all familiar with it' - talked to another planner from a big agency yesterday who asked me 'what's co-creation'?

re: Desperately seeking simplicity

Ian Jindal — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:35:55 GMT

I'd echo Ged's comment: reading the post I was struck not by the question of whether marketing departments exist/help or not, but rather that a bold, simple and well-presented idea could galvanise a business into action. After all, Mr King does write exceedingly good yarns.

re: Lost in translation

William Sharfman — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:24:54 GMT

There are rather a number of points here that need to be pulled apart.

GM using eBAy and other creative ways of getting to retail customers is not a new concept, just an unusual step for them in the current crisis. But customers have disliked the retail dealership experience for decades (viz the early successes of the Saturn brand, with no haggling policy). It is common to put out on various net services exactly which model of a brand you are looking for, type, color, so on, so forth, as well as how much you are willing to pay for it. Dealers will respond with greater or lesser relevance, but always invite you to come in. I know somoene well who said, if you are agreeing, then you're the dealer, but you bring the car to me, along with all the papers, I'll sign, you'll drop off the keys. The retail experience is a sore point for GM as well as all sorts of other brands, e.g. Toyota.

Secondly, GM and Chrysler are in trouble, but I don't believe Ford is, owing to better and tighter strategic (and financial) planning, and a steady stream of innovative content. So that's another topic here, innovation.

The generalization to be made from all this is that if you have a focused business and business plan, and build products that anyone wants to buy in the first place, then you will manage. The tide is out and all ships are down, but, owing to focus and innovation, Ford less so.

It has long been possible to "design" your own car online or at a kiosk inside the dealership, and have the car delivered with the options and contents you specify. This is simply using current manufacturing process and electronic capabilities to perform mass customization equations, leading to a sense of satisfaction.

As to co-creation, car companies have long held consumer "clinics" in which they explore ideas, concepts, innovations, designs, whole cars, and so on. This longstanding tendency has lately accelerated as car companies have learned that without customer approval and even enthusiasm within their targeted segments, they can spend the money on bringing out another in an endless succession of cars with mediocre to unsatisfactory response. They may also find out that a proposed vehicle has considerable unanticipated appeal outside its presumed segments, or might do, given minor modifications.

Bringing designers and marketing in closer (and more realistic) contact with targeted consumers or customers has been going on for ages in the car businss, but the thing that is true is that designers and marketing people are increasingly having to become a whole lot more fluent in talking consumer talk, as a common language for product design and brand planning.

The collaborative process is deeply ingrained in the car design, engineering, marketing, and to an unfortunately lesser extent, retailing, and has long been a characteristic. What has really begun to happen is that all these people who speak all these languages have stopped trying to talk with each other, and have caught on that facing outward, in the consumers' direction, is the real key to making a product that anyone wants to buy. You really shouldn't be selling something that nobody wants to buy, whatever your business.

re: Desperately seeking simplicity

GED CARROLL — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:04:04 GMT

Simplicity depends on vision, responsibility for one's actions and bravery, something that is in short supply.

re: No I Don’t Want A Bag With That

Lesley Adair — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:33:14 GMT

But surely you can opt to have your groceries delivered without bags - you certainly can on Tesco.com - and you score extra green (loyalty) points if you do.

re: No I Don’t Want A Bag With That

ANDREW WEIR — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:00:48 GMT

Sadly this kind of thing is not uncommon. I often hear stories when one brand experiences is out of sync with what the brand promises and how that adversely effects a consumers likelihood to buy again.

The fact that you have blogged about it is clearly even more damaging to Sainsbury's than you not buying on-line again.

I wonder whether Sainsbury's have social network monitoring systems in place to they pick-up on your blog and handle it sensibly.

I doubt it.

re: No I Don’t Want A Bag With That

Leila Hutchins — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:09:41 GMT

You can normally recycle the bags in-store :)

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Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:30:16 GMT

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