Ice, Ice, Baby

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

We just signed up to be a Master Agent with Lumen.com  Cool! I'll save that story for next Sunday.

THIS Sunday, let's talk about marketing. As a thank you, as a small but very classy gesture, the folks at Lumen.com sent me the super cool ICE SHAKER (as seen on Shark Tank). First, it is a really good water bottle. 

But here is where it gets interesting. The packaging, the stuff that came inside the bottle, asked me to register. You know, activate my warranty. And, I'm thinking to myself: what warranty? I was trying to think of what could go WRONG with the bottle? Anyway, I took the bait and I clicked on the QR code.

And so begins the email drip marketing parade. I was expecting it, I predicted it. Welcome email #1. Welcome email #2. And, a VIDEO from the founder, Chris. 

But this was different. Right off the bat, the video from Chris said: "Hey Tom!"

Wait, wut? How did he know my name? How did the video have my name - in the welcome video?

I walked back the link to find a company Maverick. I found their website. It says:"At Maverick, we're building a new way to send personalized videos at scale for online retailers."

Yes, Maverick. Yes you did...

I have since played that "Hey Tom!" video many times. If one looks real close, it seems that they have spliced in a "Hey Tom!" with the rest of the generic welcome video. Unless you really look super close, you cannot tell. Now, I am not sure exactly how this sorcery is done, but it caught MY attention for sure. As I write this Sunday Blog, I am thinking to myself "Self, did Chris record everyone's name, creating like a library of names? Or is this some form of AI wizardry? Did they get my name from the warranty registry, and did AI make this personalized video for the "Hey Tom!" intro? 

I need this marketing automation technology for my stuff. I need Maverick for my products, my services. I'll be reaching out to the CEO of Maverick. I'll be asking them if they have any type of reseller program, or agent program, or VAR program. I can sell this marketing technology stuff, big time. The personalized video grabbed me and it shook me - kinda like an Ice Shaker bottle. (sorry...had to...).

Selling is not Marketing. People confuse the two all the time. 

Marketing is the process of getting people interested in a company's product or service. It includes activities such as advertising, selling, and delivering products to consumers or other businesses. Marketing also involves market research, analysis, and understanding the interests of the ideal customer. 

The purpose of marketing is to generate revenue for a brand, company, or organization. Marketing professionals and teams achieve this through strategic digital activities that drive traffic, qualified leads, and sales. Hello Maverick. 

Marketing pertains to all aspects of a business, including product development, distribution methods, sales, and advertising.

Selling is a transaction where money is exchanged for a good or service. It also refers to the process of persuading a person or organization to buy something. During a sales negotiation, the seller attempts to convince the buyer on the benefits of their offer. If the buyer wishes to strike a deal, they will give the seller an agreed upon amount of money. 

Selling is about generating sales by maximizing sales and is a money oriented approach. In marketing, emphasis is given on the wants of the consumer. Whereas in selling, emphasis is on the company's products. 

In my world, the marketing guy (or gal) tees up the ball - and the sales guy (or gal) hits the ball. Marketing gets the eyeballs, sales does the right thing with those eyeballs. 

Ok, so I am now a fan (like Mark Cuban is...) of the Ice Shaker. And, I definitely think that the folks at Lumen are a classy bunch for sending me one. But I am really impressed with this marketing technology. 

Expert Level: what if I use such marketing automation technology as we march across North America, telling the world to www.GetLumen.us ??? 

Yeah, that would really be something, right? 

Hey Lumen! Look what you just did!!!