21Weeks » Change Agent

The Way

Thomas Butta — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:51:03 +0000

My first employer, Young & Rubicam, the largest advertising agency in the world at the time, provided us with an internal promotional piece one day. It said, “You can really fly when you know where you’re going.”

I’m fairly certain Y&R was communicating that a clear path can help us be more creative. When you’re clear on your destination you are able to unleash a variety of possibilities in how to get there.

I think much of what is wrong today is we don’t articulate a precise and powerful vision on where we want to go. While we have tools that give us guidance and information we don’t do so well when it comes to laying out a clear and comprehensive path toward our goals. We rely on things like GPS systems to tell us, quite literally, how to get places. And information systems that highlight what data to pay attention to.

Imagine if we could create a roadmap for ourselves and our businesses — a roadmap that would map out the ways to get where you want to go?

Imagine if we had a roadmap that clearly delineated our various routes to value. It would be a roadmap that articulated the finite opportunities to create value along with the things you need to do in order to capture those opportunities. It might even be a roadmap that tells you the kinds of tools you should bring along or ever the skills you should have in order to get the most value, reward, even fun from your path to value.

If we had such a roadmap, we would certainly know the way. Then we could really fly.

Thomas Butta

What is Soul?

Thomas Butta — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:53:20 +0000

Soul. It’s a funny looking word, but it carries such depth.

What comes to mind when you see the word, soul? Think about it for a minute before reading on. When was the last time you thought about soul?

Soul shows up in many places.

Like music. Soul music. Can you hear it?
Like a dramatic performance. Soulful. Can you see it?
Like religion. “Pray the Lord my soul to keep.” Did you recite it?
Like food. Soul food. Authentic food, be it southern collards or Sicilian rice balls.

Even though we’ve shown many associations, soul isn’t really what you see. It’s more about what you feel. You either feel soul or you don’t. Is soul something that is tangible? You can’t buy it. You can’t sell it – although some people claim to have sold their soul to the devil.

Soul is about deep, resonating feelings. Soul is about authentic base tones. Soul is about fundamentals. When you really strip it down, soul is about the essence of something. It’s probably the most precious of all that we have.

Save my soul.
She’s a good soul.
He’s got a good soul.

What a wonderful way to be characterized.

Can a brand have soul? Absolutely – especially if you infuse with emotion. After all, it’s humans that connect to it.

Soul. It’s a funny looking word … and nearly as powerful as love.

Ideasicle Podcast Interview

Thomas Butta — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:59:54 +0000

Listen to my recent podcast interview with Will Burns of Ideasicle.com. On the show we cover:

Discuss my instrumental role in launching the controversial “Product First” campaign at PTC.
The importance of a CMO not only being creative, but hand picking the right team around him or her.
CMO as “creative director” for the brand.
Explain how to get people in a large organization to rally around a single, transformative brand idea.
About my current company, 21Weeks, and how it is transforming brands today.

Listen Now >

Speeding Lessons

Thomas Butta — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:45:00 +0000

Whether you call it a recession, a depression, or an adjustment, a time of uncertainty is the time to accelerate – if you have the capital and the backbone.

I understand this view may be counterintuitive, perhaps seen by some as reckless. Conventional wisdom would ask: How can you think of being aggressive at a time when deals are at risk, satisfied customers are coveted, and the market is jittery?

History has shown that post-downturn winners are those who took a long view while others around them only focused inward. Take a look at this chart from Accenture.

What do the winners have in common?

First, they made sure their house was in order. They did this by building financial stability, eliminating debt, and focusing on cash flow. This smart fiscal policy allowed them to remain flexible and adaptable.

Then, and herein lies the difference, winners also looked for ways to drive their businesses. They focused on value-creation opportunities – things like underpriced acquisitions, corporate strategy refinement, better management systems, new product development, research. And they planned and executed aggressive sales and marketing programs.

Why does investing in sales & marketing work in a time of uncertainty? Here are five solid reasons:

1. There is less noise. Companies typically cut back on advertising during a downturn. For those taking the long-view, that increases the odds of being seen – and for a lot less money than it would have cost during good times.
2. Value is evergreen. Customers reduce purchases to only those investments they believe will help them capture value – and from only those suppliers who they see as having a solid grasp on what to do.
3. Confidence is catching. In times of uncertainty, people gravitate to those who make sense of the madness. Less selling and more thought leadership will go a long way.
4. Commitment increases chances. If you commit to maintaining a consistent public presence you naturally increase your odds of being seen when purchase consideration windows are open.
5. Time matters. Windows like this don’t come along very often. Those that have the courage to go against the grain and act during challenging times are those that will find themselves in a better position when others are just getting their acts together.

What’s the downside? Will your investors get nervous? Might your stock price take a potential hit? Both will probably happen.

But, history clearly shows the upside outweighs the downside. The opportunity to invest in initiatives focused on long-term value creation will pay dividends for many years. Get your financial house in order. Then invest behind an aggressive, value-enhancing go-to-market imperative. It will make all the difference.

Outside Influence

Thomas Butta — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:36:00 +0000

CEOs at some of the world’s leading companies are searching for new ways to break out of old ruts as they prepare for the “new normal.” Some might even say they need a sales and marketing transformation. Others just have an uneasy feeling that they’re not prepared for what’s next.

No matter how you frame it though, these new opportunities raise a fundamental question: Who should you turn to when you need to make big things happen fast?

The profile of likely candidates usually starts with those who have comfortable traits. You know the resume. It’s loaded with category experience, employment at a competitor, or even a long-time executive in the very company itself. In other words, it’s the profile of an industry insider.

But is that the right way to go when you need to accelerate? Is “comfortable” a winning proposition when it’s time to shake things up? What’s the opportunity cost in terms of real value? What’s the impact of a lost window of change?

When it comes to sales and marketing transformation, I’ve seen insiders fail more than I’ve seen them succeed. They play it so safe that “after” looks a lot like “before” and the market never really feels their impact.

Driving transformation – and making it stick – usually requires a change agent in sales and marketing. An outsider who can understand the window of opportunity quickly and then deliver a compelling new possibility aligned with the CEO’s vision. Unless you have that outside influence, you’re likely to get more of what you already have. That’s fine for some companies, but for those looking to capitalize on big opportunities ahead, business as usual won’t cut it.