Imagine the scene.
It is 10 June 1752. You are looking out onto a field. There’s a heavy thunderstorm. The skies are dark, the rain falls heavily. In the field there’s a crazy man running around flying a kite. There’s a bolt of lightning, the man stops. He rejoices. He has just collected a charge in a leyden jar after the kite was struck by lightning. It proved to him the electrical nature of lightning.
Meet Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin, an inspirational gentleman, he would certainly be on my ‘who would you invite for dinner from the past’ list.
It would be a dinner to remember as he regaled me with stories from his inspirational 84-year life.
He has been described as an over achiever, he excelled in business, and in science. He was a philosopher, a philanthropist and it’s claimed that few men have done as much for the world.
Here’s a man who thought differently. In business and in marketing, thinking differently is one of the greatest attributes you can have. With ever crowded markets and a plethora of information consumed each day, you have to be able to differentiate. You can do this with the way you run your business, the culture and the philosophy that you create, the way you use marketing to create excitement an emotional connection.
If you do one thing today how about you push your boundaries. Daring to be different really does bring its rewards. Try different tactical campaigns; introduce an element of surprise, give your prospects something unexpected, even try a new marketing segment. Take your lead from Franklin – Experiment.
Benjamin Franklin had such a wide view of the world and yet he also understood the importance of something small. One of our favourite poems at Happy is one of Franklin’s, it’s called “For the want of a nail”
For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost
For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost
For the want of a horse, the rider was lost
For the want of a rider, the battle was lost
For the want of a battle, the kingdom was lost
And all for the want of a nail
Simple and clever.
So in celebration of an admired icon; I’m experimenting today; I shan’t be running through the field with a kite, however I will think about what business decisions I can make differently; and I will think about what small thing I can do that will make a big difference.
I’ll have my first thought over a brew and a large piece of Victoria Sponge.
What will you do on the 10th of June 2011?
Karen Lambert is an experienced strategic marketer and Managing Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
