Know When To Hold 'Em, Know When To Fold 'Em
I've spent a lot of time contemplating how major companies decide when to keep slogans and images and when to ditch 'em. Think about it: "You're in good hands," "15 minutes can save you 15%," and the large, smiling Mr. Clean have all persevered. Meanwhile, "you deserve a break today," "good to the last drop," and "get the Maxx for the minimum" are history. Long gone.
State Farm stays a "good neighbor" and Lowes continues to "improve home improvement", but while GE keeps "bringing good things to light" and, to many any time is still Miller time, these two giants and many others have decided to head in different directions with new approaches and tactics.
Sometimes, you have to be yourself and stay the course. Other times, you have to know when to fold 'em and change your strategy. And it's not always as simple as choosing the path less traveled.
Great Advice From The Culligan Man
If you remember the Culligan man, you may remember him because of his ad partner, the Culligan lady. She came on the scene in the 1950s ending commercials for the water treatment company with the easily recognizable yell "Hey, Culligan Man!"
I've spent a lot of time contemplating how major companies decide when to keep slogans and images and when to ditch 'em. Think about it: "You're in good hands," "15 minutes can save you 15%," and the large, smiling Mr. Clean have all persevered. Meanwhile, "you deserve a break today," "good to the last drop," and "get the Maxx for the minimum" are history. Long gone.
State Farm stays a "good neighbor" and Lowes continues to "improve home improvement", but while GE keeps "bringing good things to light" and, to many any time is still Miller time, these two giants and many others have decided to head in different directions with new approaches and tactics.
Sometimes, you have to be yourself and stay the course. Other times, you have to know when to fold 'em and change your strategy. And it's not always as simple as choosing the path less traveled.
Great Advice From The Culligan Man
If you remember the Culligan man, you may remember him because of his ad partner, the Culligan lady. She came on the scene in the 1950s ending commercials for the water treatment company with the easily recognizable yell "Hey, Culligan Man!"
Well, she's back.
Soon you may see new TV spots and her signature tag line.
Says Curt Hillard, Senior VP of Marketing, "the slogan is deeply embedded in our culture but the image of the Culligan Man was not representing our dealers services. Hey culligan man is our brand. We're never going to have enough money to rebrand ourselves again."
A really astute observation, if you ask me. Not an easy decision to make, especially if you're trying to change your image and appeal to a new demographic. But after a diagnosis of the situation, Hillard settled on the best bang for his buck.
Helping You Decide If You Should Stay The Course
Hillard's decision is precisely the sort of thing I see my clients struggling with when they call me.
Whether your interviewing skills (on either side of the interview) are stale or your strategy to transition needs to be revisited... if you want to cultivate stronger relationships with those you serve in order attract more customers or if you want to revisit your decision to stay at your current job… life coaching can help.
I can be your sounding board, your facilitator, your awareness raiser. It's not about "what's in YOUR wallet," but about what's in your message. And the process that leads to the decisions you make is endlessly important.
And that leads me to the Piano Man, well, the other Piano Man.
A Simple Addition Makes A Big Difference
It may have been Paderewski, the talented Polish pianist, who arrived in a small western town one day and decided to take a walk. While strolling, he heard a piano and, following the sound, he came to a house on which was a sign reading: "Miss Beatty, Piano Lessons 25 cents an hour."
Pausing to listen he heard the woman unsuccessfully trying her hand at playing one of Chopin's nocturnes. Paderewski knocked on her door and Miss Beatty, recognizing him at once, invited him in. He sat at the piano, played the nocturne as only he could, and then spent an hour with her correcting her mistakes. She thanked him as he departed.
The next day as he again took a walk past her house he saw a new sign: "Miss Beatty, Piano Lessons $1.00 an hour (Pupil of Paderewski)."
Soon you may see new TV spots and her signature tag line.
Says Curt Hillard, Senior VP of Marketing, "the slogan is deeply embedded in our culture but the image of the Culligan Man was not representing our dealers services. Hey culligan man is our brand. We're never going to have enough money to rebrand ourselves again."
A really astute observation, if you ask me. Not an easy decision to make, especially if you're trying to change your image and appeal to a new demographic. But after a diagnosis of the situation, Hillard settled on the best bang for his buck.
Helping You Decide If You Should Stay The Course
Hillard's decision is precisely the sort of thing I see my clients struggling with when they call me.
Whether your interviewing skills (on either side of the interview) are stale or your strategy to transition needs to be revisited... if you want to cultivate stronger relationships with those you serve in order attract more customers or if you want to revisit your decision to stay at your current job… life coaching can help.
I can be your sounding board, your facilitator, your awareness raiser. It's not about "what's in YOUR wallet," but about what's in your message. And the process that leads to the decisions you make is endlessly important.
And that leads me to the Piano Man, well, the other Piano Man.
A Simple Addition Makes A Big Difference
It may have been Paderewski, the talented Polish pianist, who arrived in a small western town one day and decided to take a walk. While strolling, he heard a piano and, following the sound, he came to a house on which was a sign reading: "Miss Beatty, Piano Lessons 25 cents an hour."
Pausing to listen he heard the woman unsuccessfully trying her hand at playing one of Chopin's nocturnes. Paderewski knocked on her door and Miss Beatty, recognizing him at once, invited him in. He sat at the piano, played the nocturne as only he could, and then spent an hour with her correcting her mistakes. She thanked him as he departed.
The next day as he again took a walk past her house he saw a new sign: "Miss Beatty, Piano Lessons $1.00 an hour (Pupil of Paderewski)."
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