Nike Golf, Find the UVP
Are you familiar with “Where’s Waldo?” – the oversized picture book filled with a maze of little cartoon characters milling around on each page? The goal of this concentration game is to spot, amid each hectic scene, a funny-looking character named Waldo. And, although Waldo is always out in the open and rather distinctive, finding him takes some determined looking. My feeling for “Where’s Waldo?” is pretty much the same for most company value propositions – who cares? It’s a waste of time and effort.
Consider Nike Golf. Besides Tiger Wood’s lip-hanging, swoosh promoting chip shot at this year’s Masters – call it a Unique Cultural Event – what do you think Nike’s other major “breakthrough” in golf was this year? Was it the soft 1030 carbon construction of their Pro Combo Tour irons? Pah-lease! It was their marketing savvy. By paying several past Masters champions $20,000 each to play its irons, they made Nike Golf ”the No. 1 iron at the Masters.” Get it? It is not about the ball. And it’s not about the clubs. It’s about us (including the media) talking about the ball and the clubs.
I remember a few years back when the USGA – the governing body of golf – considered banning the widely-used, oversized drivers. They believed then that the high-tech clubs were potentially making the game of golf too easy. Their argument was that the larger club head and “spring-like” effect gave the player a better chance of hitting the ball long and straight off the tee. Sounds reasonable, right? That is, unless you hack away with one of those weapons, like I do. Then all it does is allow you to slice the ball a little further out of bounds. My friends have even started referring to me as In-the-Woods (a parody of Tiger).
Now, I’m sure that a skilled golfer does indeed get some additional distance on his straight drive with an oversized, metal driver. But so what? He still has to putt. And that’s about half of his total shots. In fact, when the heat was turned up on those club manufacturers by the USGA, the manufacturers shrewdly pointed out that the game didn’t appear any easier to play. They even used statistics that showed that both professionals’ and amateurs’ average scores hadn’t changed much despite the prevalent use of their state-of-the-art products.
Is that ironic or what? Here were the manufacturer’s – the same people spending millions promoting that expensive clubs help improve your golf game – acknowledging that, in fact, they don’t! Now, do you think that since the cat was let out of the bag sales of those ridiculously priced, high-tech clubs have dropped? I hope not. Because people don’t buy those things to improve their golf scores. That’s much too rational a reason.
Is it important to try to differentiate one’s offering based on cost, quality, speed, service or innovation? Of course it is. But, unfortunately, that’s not how customers choose today. If they did, the best or cheapest would dominate their markets. So you may be somewhat distinct, like Waldo. But unless you stand out head and shoulders above the teeming masses of competitive alternatives, you should stop wasting your time endlessly scrutinizing and promoting your UVP, USP or whatever you want to call it.
I know why everyone is still hung up on the UVP concept. It’s because most business people are mired in an outmoded paradigm of how people make decisions. I call it the Sense-Think-Feel-Do paradigm. It works like this: I’m exposed to your business through one of my five senses – typically sight or sound. I then think about and rationally consider your value proposition, hopefully feel optimistic about it relative to my other options, and then do something (e.g. buy it, call or visit your business, etc.).
Unfortunately, for all of you with an awe-inspiring value proposition, that’s simply not how it works in our chaotic and overstimulated world. Instead, people take a more intuitive, gut level course of action. I call it the Sense-Feel-Think-Do model of decision-making. People experience a business through one or more of their five senses. - ”Did you see Tiger’s shot on the 17th?!” The sensory experience makes them feel a certain way. - ”Wow! Awesome shot. I remember making a similar one a couple of years back. I was about four feel off the green, and I…blah, blah, blah.” They then rationalize (think about) those feelings, in many cases in their subconscious mind, and when it’s time, instinctively make some kind of decision. - ”Three bucks more for a sleeve of Nike Platinum One’s. Whatever. I’ll drop that on a hot dog at the 19th tee.”
So what does this mean for you? Simple. Understand that marketing is preeminent today (Innovate for show. Market for dough). Spend your time scrutinizing and improving the sensory cues encountered by your audience. From your web site and your advertisements, to your receptionist’s manner and ;your facility décor, everything morphs the mental picture potential clients create of your business offering – your brand. Every look, sound, touch, word and smell – okay Emeril….and taste…BANG! – either enhances or distorts your audience’s feelings, definitions, attitudes and expectations (the essence of your brand).
If you’re truly; interested in influencing people’s behavior – if you want to let go of their old beliefs and habits – forget about trying to convince them with an overt and obvious UVP. After all, motivation is a feeling word, not a thinking word. Instead, put your brain in your heart and seduce them with the magic of sensory cues. Whether you want to refer to it as the emotional economy, the experiential economy or the feelings economy, today’s market behavior is like a moving sidewalk. Whether you go with it or spend your time and resources running against it, you’re still going to be taken along. If you’re in a hurry, get yourself a Tiger. But I certainly wouldn’t sit around waiting for his miracle moment to get you there.
© 2005 Tom Asacker
Tom Asacker is an author, corporate advisor and public speaker with a unique specialization – advancing business relationships by helping organizations transition from “economically driven” to “emotionally driven”. His philosophies are outlined in his highly acclaimed book series Sandbox Wisdom and in his new book from Paramount Market Publishing titled A Clear Eye for Branding. www.acleareye.com
