Mark Kolier’s Blog

Archive for September, 2009

What do Serena Williams, Manny Ramirez, Mark Sanford, and Kanye West have in common? Unless you have been living under a rock you probably guessed (correctly) that all have I one way or the other embarrassed themselves and their fans. All of them also engineered an ‘apology’ of sorts.

Here in the United States we live in the land of second (ok maybe third and fourth) chances. I actually do feel that second chances are often worthwhile since people make mistakes. Honest ones often.
But is it my imagination or do I sense a strategic shift by those who commit egregious and stupid acts? Almost as if when one makes a terrible decision, or acts rashly and unthinkably, even violently, that all a celebrity needs to do is issue a seemingly heartfelt apology and most people will issue a free pass. After all it seems to me that what Americans like more than a second chance is a good comeback story.

And I have nothing against Serena, Manny, and Kanye and have appreciation and respect for their individual talents. I don’t know enough about Mr. Sanford and that’s actually just fine with me. But I am not buying their apologies. To me they all smack of insincerity and positioning. Ask yourself the following: will their behavior change at all in the future? If not (and that’s my position) then their ‘apologies’ are nothing more than a weak marketing statement to engender some positive reactions from their fans and followers.
But insincere marketing is the absolute worst marketing of all. It does not work in the long run and maybe not even in the short run.

What bothers me the most is that too many people actually buy this garbage? It should take less than the actions of a Bernie Madoff to create public outrage. Nobody seems to be buying his apology. Why should the others get a free pass?

It’s often said that it ‘takes one to know one’. As a dedicated marketer I appreciate a good marketing effort as much if not more than the next guy. This past Thursday and Friday I had the experience and honor to attend a forum sponsored by the USMC – the MCBEF (Marine Corps Business Executives Forum).
The MCBEF is an outreach program catering to business CEO’s and company Presidents my fellow Vistage (CEO group – http://www.vistage.com ) members were enticed with the promise of live-fire exercise, a private tour of the Pentagon as well as a ride on a Marine helicopter.

It was an awesome and exhausting day. We had dinner the night before with several Marines in attendance that would be our ‘hosts’ for the following day (meeting at 0700). Getting to know more about both the individuals and their lives in the Marine Corps offered insight and one-to-one interaction that personalized the experience right from the start. An excellent start.

We began the day at the Air Force Memorial (who says the service branches can’t get along?) which offered a view of the Pentagon and was directly in the flight path of Flight 77 which struck the Pentagon where 184 people perished on 9/11. This was followed by a visit to the somber and moving Pentagon 9/11 memorial
adjacent the Pentagon prior to going inside.

Our ‘tour’ of the Pentagon was led by a Marine who could not have been more than 22 years old and could not have been more impressive. We moved swiftly (this was the mode of the day) and the highlight was a nearly one hour briefing by a Brigadier General that included a Q & A. No none of the information was classified (we had access but not that kind of access). But collectively I believe we all left that briefing with even more confidence in the leadership of the Marine Corps as the questions and answers were truly engaging and sometimes revealing.

It got even better. A short bus ride to an airfield had us all hopping on a CH-46 Sea Knight military helicopter for a 25 minute trip down to Quantico AFB. Sitting there with my ear protection on, unable to talk with my fellow members due to the noise I could almost get a feeling of what it might be like to be a 20 year old Marine heading to a remote locations trying to sort out thoughts before being dropped into battle. Almost.

We witnessed a demonstration of martial arts techniques followed by a ride to the firing range. Prior to having the opportunity to shoot 9MM pistols, M-16 rifles and M240 light machine gun we were given the opportunity to experience MRE’s (meals ready to eat) for lunch. Glad I was hungry. We all were happier that we do not have to eat MRE’s again for a long time if ever.

A tour of the Marine Corps Museum (very impressive and worth visiting) finished the day off with a visit to the Tun Tavern replica in the museum.

What did the Marine Corps want from our group? As it was put – ‘nothing and everything’. Nothing in particular but their hope is that with a deeper and more personal relationship our members would have more understanding and consideration of support for Marine Corps needs such as the V22 Osprey, and new aircraft that has lukewarm support in the White House.

What they got from me is a greater sense of appreciation for what Marines are like, what they do and how lucky we Americans are to have this competent and dedicated force protecting our country.

It’s my feeling that we all got what we wanted and then some.

Through an Executive Group called Vistage we have been invited to take part in a one day MCBEF (Marine Corps Business Executive Forum) program. I leave today. My feeling is that most if not all of us, are quite eager and excited to take part in this educational opportunity.

From the Brigadier General this statement was included in our welcome kit. ‘The intent of MCBEF is to introduce senior business executives and influential community leaders from around the country to U.S. Marine Corps interests. MCBEF has proven to be a successful outreach program that is expanding the Corps’ relationship with America’s business executives and opening doors for the Corps’ future outreach initiatives.’

We will do some really cool things like have dinner with Marine Corps officers, a Pentagon briefing, and even live-fire exercises which should be REALLY interesting since I have never discharged a firearm in my entire life. We will also visit the Quantico Base and possibly may be transported by military helicopter. Yes I had to sign my life away as even the Marine Corps folks have liability concerns.

I know little about the Marine Corps. Aside from the Marine Corps hymn (From the halls..) which highlights U.S. engagements (from the shores of Tripoli which meant a different thing than it does now), I know that Marine’s are tough, principled, Always faithful (‘Semper Fidelis’ or ‘Semper Fi’!), and where there is trouble in the world they go first.

I look forward to learning more and sharing whatever I can in a future post. Of course only what is not classified. There may be things I don’t think you need to know.

I wonder if any Marines have read my blog posts before our visit? Or after?

This is a little bit of a stretch but there is what I hope an interesting thread here.

Anyone that has seen me play golf knows that I have to be a much better marketer than I am a golfer. Lately I have been playing better and more consistently so than ever before. Practice always helps but focused practice has made a difference. I thought about the fact that there are some similarities in honing my golf skills that are akin to honing my skills as a marketer. For both I am in a ‘continual improvement’ campaign. Fortunately for my family do not need to depend on my golf skills to help support us. That’s a very good thing.

I love working on marketing projects for clients new and old. New client initiatives and challenges keep me fresh and interested. I also love playing golf as well as a place to clear my head and focus on the task immediately at hand.

There are a number of tools in my personal marketing toolbox that I employ when working on various projects. If I am doing it right I am using the right tools for the right engagements. I like to think that most of the time I get it right. Approaches for both marketing and golf at times have to be tweaked after learning a better method. That’s how we improve such that we can create an even better program or play a winning game. (Yes both marketing and golf are very competitive if you have not noticed).

I carry 14 clubs in my golf bag and there are choices to be made on which club to hit, whether to play a high or low ball flight and how to negotiate getting around the inevitable trees that always seem to get between my ball and the target.

Marketing at times can have obstacles that remind me of trees, bunkers, and water hazards on the golf course. There are times to be bold and take chances and times to be conservative and play it safe. The right partners can be invaluable in marketing as well as on the golf course. In golf a good partnership is often called ‘ham and eggs’. The same should be said for marketing partnerships as well.

I will never be anything like Tiger Woods on the golf course but I do think I and our agency has the chops to be a Tiger Woods to our clients. But on both counts I won’t ever stop trying to achieve that kind of greatness. It inspires me and keeps me thinking that my next marketing project or golf game has the potential to be my best ever. Until I go out and play again.

First and foremost I am referring to tennis here and not golf. Maybe there is a brand identity problem since people do get confused when I mention the U.S. Open which I ALWAYS mean as tennis?

I have been going to the U.S. Open since 1974 when it was held at Forest Hills. In the 35 years I have attended more than 32 opening day sessions (I missed a couple of years while living out of the area). To say that the experience is different than when I first attended is a major understatement.

This year more than 800,000 people will attend the 26 sessions. More than $ 21 million dollars in prize money will be awarded. Arthur Ashe Stadium was sold in 2008 to a record 99% of capacity. The US Open remains the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world.

Total visits to USOpen.org, the official website of the U.S. Open, topped 39 million visits for the first time, an increase of 33 percent vs. last year. Unique visitors, from more than 200 countries, topped 9 million for the first time in 2007 and total page views exceeded 222 million for the first time.

Moving from the West Side Tennis club in Forest Hills to Flushing Meadow in 1978 afforded fans a venue that could meet the increasing demand for tickets and access. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has more than 40 courts which are only part of the experience.

As you walk in to the grounds you are now met by greeters welcoming you to the Open (ticket prices having risen substantially in the last five years so maybe being greeted will make you feel better about all the coin you dropped to get the tickets). But admittedly I thought the greeters were a great idea. People are generally happy to be there and you can see players walking around carrying their huge tennis bags looking tall (tennis players are MUCH larger than back in 1974). The USTA has done an admirable job in making the total experience better each and every year. This year the USTA had an ‘experience’ type pavilion where you could test your serve speed, play mini-tennis etc. It was free and fun.

But there are some rough edges too. There are many choices for food in the plaza, in restaurants. And contrary to popular belief the food pricing is not as ridiculous as reports might have you believe. Although on opening day this year it took me 35 minutes to get a mediocre Philly Cheese Steak. So on the value proposition it was not a great deal not because it was expensive (it was about $ 9.00 as I recall) but because it took 35 minutes and I was there to watch tennis – not stand on line.

The seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium (the largest stadium for tennis in the world) are not all that comfortable and if you are sitting in the 300 section you literally need binoculars to see the players. Also I did not realize you could buy tickets for Armstrong and not have access to Ashe! But at least you are closer to the court.

The sponsorship and marketing efforts at the US Open are without parallel. Just look at the player clothing – they are at times walking billboards. And you can buy equipment, clothing, jewelry, a Lexus (yes that’s right) all with your American Express Card (well maybe not the Lexus).

The Mets and Yankees inhabit two brand new stadiums and I have posited that they may be catering to a generation of consumers and not baseball fans. I think the U.S. Open set the mold for that years ago – it’s not all about the tennis for many people (I am not including myself here) but it continues to grow and thrive and I see no reason for this trend to change.