6 Lessons Learned from IBM’s Smart Planet Marketing Campaign
The planet is becoming smarter … intelligence is being infused into systems that enable services to be delivered. An awesome quote from Sam Palmisano. It was in late 2008 or early 2009 when IBM began its “Smarter Planet” marketing campaign. At the time, the campaign seemed very ambitious … maybe even a bit risky, even for IBM.
The vision of healthcare, retail, finance, transportation, cities, and other fields made more intelligent and therefore better with digital technology could have been viewed as puffery. Not what happened to the smart planet.
For a long time, marketing was driven by taglines—short, evocative slogans that captured the essence of a brand’s message. Nike encouraged us to “Just Do It,” while Apple inspired us to “Think Different.” Miller Lite simply had to say, “Tastes great, less filling” and product flew off the shelves.
Taglines worked because they cut through the clutter and stood out in a sea of brands vying for our attention. Marketers needed to project images that were compact, but meaningful or risk getting lost in the mix. Yet it is no longer enough to merely grab attention. Marketers now need to hold attention.
When Lou Gerstner took over at IBM in 1993, the century-old tech giant was in dire straits. Overtaken by nimbler upstarts, like Microsoft in software, Compaq in hardware, and Intel in microprocessors, it was hemorrhaging money. Many believed that it needed to be broken up into smaller, more focused units in order to compete.
Yet Gerstner saw it differently and kept the company intact, which led to one of the most dramatic turnarounds in corporate history. Today, more than a quarter-century later, while many of its formal rivals have long since disappeared IBM is still profitable and on the cutting edge of many of the most exciting technologies.
Here are my takeaways on what other businesses can learn from this strategy:
Smart planet
Pick a current challenge in your community that relatesto your brand/business in a relevant way. Look for market rifts that you could use. Create your vision around what you can contribute to your community.
This was a long-term campaign.
Build out a long-term campaign
Find a theme around your vision. Use the theme to craft a marketing strategy connecting and integrating as many smaller marketing objectives and tactics as you can.
Link your core competencies to your vision and the challenge.
Don’t overpromise … you must deliver exactly what you promise or the results will be worse than not executing the strategy.
Always plan out … short-term wins in advance.
Use the campaign … to convert good customers into advocates. Define a tactic to achieve this objective specifically.
In the end, your strategy should tell your story in a way that builds on your brand image and integrates all of your marketing efforts.
The bottom line
“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”
Do you have an idea that will change the world? Well, it’s not worth anything unless you can turn that idea into a reality. So take the plunge and see just how far that idea can take you. Or, you can sit around trading advice over the internet.
The choice is yours.
If you are looking for additional resources in marketing strategy, one of my favorite experts is Ken Burbary. You’ll find lots of good stories and examples to learn from his blog.
Does your business have an integrating marketing strategy? Do you have any examples or stories to share?
So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is there is no conclusion. There is only the next step. And that next step is completely up to you. But believe in the effectiveness of word of mouth marketing created by remarkable customer service. And put it to good use.
It’s up to you to keep improving your creative marketing strategies. Lessons are all around you. In this case, your competitor may be providing the ideas and or inspiration. But the key is in knowing that it is within you already.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new lessons.
When things go wrong, what’s most important is your next step.
Try. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improving your marketing, branding, and advertising?
Do you have a lesson about making your marketing strategy better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on marketing strategy from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
