PHOENIX -- If Nike can make two pieces of cotton, rubber and leather mean something, so can you. People like you can change the world. So said former Apple Computers marketing evangelist Guy Kawasaki in his closing remarks to attendees of Outlook Leadership 2006.
Kawasaki, who today heads venture-capitalist firm Garage.com, led the charge against IBM's bid for worldwide domination in the mid-1980s. His polished address to a crowded room of retailers, suppliers and other industry types at the Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa was irreverent, humorous and completely [image-nocss] on-target, as he instructed industry leaders to make the world a better place by way of their business.
He provided Art of Evangelism guidelines leaders could use to transform themselves into evangeliststo create brands and companies that make a difference and in which consumers would be willing to invest themselves emotionally.
Make meaning. When he's looking for ventures to invest in, he seeks people with a passion for what they're doingnot just ventures that have the capacity to make a lot of money. We want people who want to make meaning, to change the world, to make it a better place, he said. He used Nike as an example. The athletic-apparel company has positioned its products not as two pieces of cotton, rubber and leather, but as tools for personal empowerment.
Make mantra. Mission statements are more like misguided statements, according to Kawasaki. Instead of creating long-winded, meaningless statements containing words such as synergistic, endeavor and deliverables, Kawasaki suggested creating concise, targeted mantras for guiding companies and their people. For your organization, for your store, for your company, try to come up with two to three words for why your company exists, he said. He provided specific suggestions for prominent companies such as Nike (authentic athletic performance), FedEx (peace of mind), Wendy's (healthy fast food) and eBay (democratizing commerce).
Jump to the next curve. Most of the time, people stay on the same curve and duke it out [with their competitors] on the same curve, he said. It's not about doing something 10% better but 10 times better. He used the ice-manufacturing/ice-distribution industry as an example. Ice harvesters were put out of business by ice factories, which were put out of business by refrigeration companies. Companies that jumped to the next curve drove change and pushed the industry to a higher plane; no ice harvesters became ice factories, and no ice factories became refrigeration companies.
DICEE (deep, intelligent, complete, elegant, emotive) products. Products and services that possess such characteristics are likely to have an effect on customers. Kawasaki referenced a deep sandal from apparel manufacturer Reef that has a bottle opener built into the sole. This sandal opens bottles, he said. You should be selling this sandal in your stores; you should bundle it with Bud.
Don't worry, be crappy. Don't be afraid to take chances if it can help a company jump to the next curve. In Silicon Valley, we ship and then we test, he said. Version 1.0 of a revolution means never having to say you're sorry.
Polarize people. Not every product will resonate with all consumersso marketers that try to design products to do so are destined for failure. Go create this curve-jumping, paradigm-jumping thing, he said. But keep in the back of your mind that some people will hate it. He used the boxy yet stylish Toyota Scion vehicle as an example. When you look at the Scion, there are two possible reactions, he said. It's either, It's a cool, industrial design,' or, Toyota, what am I missing here? Why would you hire someone who got fired from Volvo [to design this vehicle]?' Don't be afraid to polarize people.
Let 100 flowers blossom. A marketer may design a product with a specific consumer in mind. But often another type of consumer, outside of the intended audience, will connect with the productand that's OK. Take your best shot at positioning, but ultimately, the end customer positions it, he said. Go with the flowor flow with what's going.
Churn, baby, churn. Revolution is a process of fixing, he said, adding that this lesson was the hardest for him to learn. Part of being successful means being in denial and not being satisfied with the current success. Version 1.1 of a product, for example, has to be much better than version 1.0, and version 2.0 has to be far better than version 1.1, etc.
Don't let the bozos ground you down. The world is full of people who say something can't be done. Kawasaki says such people are best to be ignored. He should knowbecause he has contributed to a phenomenon he referred to as dangerous bozosity.
About 12 years ago, Kawasaki was asked to head a web-based California company. He reviewed the company's website, eyeballed his commutea two-hour driveand did a little more digging. His response to the company's inquiry: It's too far a drive, and I don't see how it can be a business. The company: Yahoo.
When you make a mistake of this magnitude, you tend to obsess about it, he joked, guessing his decision to not join the company cost him about $2 billion. I made the right choice for my family. But that line of reasoning only explains the first $1 billion. The second billion really pisses me off.
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