Thinking outside the box has long been in vogue. But what about “acting” outside the box? In his latest book, Poke the Box, author Seth Godin makes a case for not only thoughts that exceed the limits of the box but actions as well.

Many companies produce excellent products offering substantial value to their customers and prospective customers. That value connection with those customers can be an extremely strong draw. Yet those same companies often times overlook the power of the values connection with those same customers. If the price/value comparison of a contemplated product purchase is pretty much a push between competing products, Challenger Brands know that a customer will seek out a deeper reason to choose one product over another. And Challenger Brands realize that often times that additional reason is the far more emotional values based connection that the company has with the customer. The obvious environmental or “green” movement is a typical example of just such an emotional values based connection. But to demonstrate a far more subtle, but no less effective, values based connection we’re going to turn to our favorite pastime, baseball. What baseball fan can forget the first time they saw the former Boston Red Sox star outfielder Johnny Damon appear in a New York Yankees uniform sans what had become his trademark long, shaggy hair that always protruded from underneath his cap. His new, much shorter hair style didn’t diminish his value contribution to the Yankees but his more conservatively shorn hair did match the values connection the Yankees management strives to offer its fan base. Say what you want about the Yankees part of the values connection that the Yankees offer their fans is the steeped-in-tradition pride of appearance projected by any player who is lucky enough to don the Yankee pinstripe. The Yankees are a perennial Challenger Brand on and off the field. And, further proof that Challenger Brands, large and small, understand the true value of values driven customer connections. What are your company’s values? Are you a Challenger Brand?

Brand advertising tells your target audience about your company, products and services.  Direct response advertising invokes a response.  Successful direct response advertising is the result of providing your target audience with a compelling reason to respond now, not later.

A recent study set out to find what marketing tactics motivated consumers to move from “considering a purchase” to actually “making a purchase.” The results of the study are eye opening and worthy of our close attention as we all plan our next marketing campaign.

The study results are as follows:

Baron von Richthofen, also known as The Red Baron, was considered one of the great flying aces of World War One. But what made him so great? A major tactic in his strategy was to always finish off his opponent and “go in for the kill.”

Mark Twain once said, “The difference between using the right word and almost the right word is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning.” In advertising, the idea is very similar. Imagine if you could use words in your advertising that could change your advertising from good to great!

More results. Better qualified leads. Greater return on investment. Anyone who has ever developed direct response marketing, in any form, has undoubtedly heard one or more of these requests before. So what’s a marketer to do?