We’re all working harder these days to keep up with the extra work and pressure. Sometimes when night falls and you close your eyes, it’s tough to fall asleep.
I don’t know about you, but over the last few nights, my head has hit the pillow and I’ve been thinking about heptagrams.
In case you forgot your high school geometry, a heptagram is a 7-pointed star. The one that has kept me up at night comes from Seth Godin, and it speaks volumes about why brands succeed and why they fail:
Seth’s geometric explanation for why campaigns and initiatives work – or don’t – should generate a lot of nods from those who read this blog.
Oftentimes, we do our research, put together action plans, and craft strategies – only to see campaigns or initiatives fall short or fail.
That’s where the various points on this nasty heptagram come into play. They help to explain why things blow up. The lack of desire to really make it happen on the part of some of the key players, a shortage of persistence that shrinks our bigness, the rampant role of fear, and of course, lousy execution.
As Seth points out, the best laid plans of strategists and tacticians often go awry because of organizational breakdowns. While he includes “strategy” and “tactics” on the heptagram, note that “marketing dollars” (or the lack thereof) isn’t one of his seven points that lead to failure.
Take a hard look at a recent disappointment or inability to maximize success and I’m betting that some of Seth’s heptagramic screw-ups come into play – even if you’ve done a perceptual research study, a music test, and you’re giving away iPads three times a day.
The fine line between success and failure is often due to factors that are difficult to quantify, but they can limit and minimize success in a myriad of ways.
That’s why this geometry solution may be the best thing you can pass along to your team.
And please don’t send me a “Trapezoid of Doom.”
Thanks to Keith Hastings for tipping me off to this great Seth Godin post.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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