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This past weekend I spent a glorious morning learning some basics of fly-fishing in the swift-moving East Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River in Post Mills, Vermont, a village of Thetford....
Truth be told, the morning itself wasn't all that glorious (it was rainy and overcast) nor was the fishing (we didn't catch a thing, save for a tree limb during one wild back-cast). But the experience itself was indeed glorious, and it has stayed with me in the way that only the best and richest experiences do, spectacular despite the rain and the lack of catch.
In the day or two since, I've been rolling it over in my head: What was it that made me connect with fly-fishing? I am not a fisherman, nor did I grow up around fishermen. And I've never coveted the skills of fishermen. I have fished previously only once or twice, I think, but neither of them do I recall with much clarity or passion. So what's so different now?
All I can really come up with is that I was ready for fly-fishing. Probably, I was ready to learn something new and embrace a new experience. But on another level, I was ready for the zen of fly-fishing. Ready to keep my feet planted but knees soft, to challenge my right hand to hold the fly rod just so and move my arm out and straight up 60 degrees and then down, pausing ever so slightly—counting one-one-thousand, two—while my left hand tried to pull up the slack on the line, landing the fly at the sweet spot, and my brain clumsily trying to keep track of my body's movements while maintaining all of it upright on uneven and slimy, slippery rocks.
In other words, what I was probably most ready for was the freedom of fly-fishing... of not having to think about any of the other stuff of life—work, home, kids; all those lists of things to do and buy and attend to—while I was concentrating on the rod, the cast, the fly carried on the current, and staying upright in the stream. I wasn't even thinking about the fish, lurking as they were in that water the color of iced tea; I figured it was a creature that could take care of itself. And besides, actually catching a fish was secondary to figuring out how to.
It also occurs to me that fishing using flies was not unlike marketing using the tools of social media. This isn't exactly one of those blogging posts in which nearly any life experience is parable-ized into profound marketing truths. But for those of us who follow good marketing and aspire to great marketing, fly-fishing has its parallels.
• Fish where the fish are. I know, easy one: market to your customers where your customers are. But this rusty marketing adage has more relevance today than ever. It's why Mack is always rambling on about joining your community, why the marketing of Snakes on a Plane trod new ground, and why just last week DaimlerChrysler's Jeep chose MySpace and Facebook as the vehicle (so to speak) to launch its nationwide concert series, put together to promote the launch of the 2007 Jeep Compass, aimed at young adult drivers.
• Don't try to control things too much. As far as this newbie can tell, fly-fishing is an inexact mix of experience, education, skill, and instinct... with some luck and observation tossed in. As you cast your fly into the water, you need to control your movements and the landing of the particular fly you selected, but the changes in the current carry your fly to surprising places, or the fly doesn't necessarily appeal to its intended recipient. And so you must let go, so to speak, of the things you cannot control.
So it is with letting your community have reign over your message: The challenge is to not control things too much and yank back prematurely, because it might be carried off to unexpectedly fruitful places. At the same time, you must reel it in when the fish aren't biting, the audience isn't connecting, or when it's simply swamped.
• Still, execution is everything (almost). At one point on Sunday morning, I sent a beautiful cast into the stream. It broke on the back swing and circled in, the fly landing so sweetly on the current that it almost brought tears to my eyes. But still... not a single fish bit at that fly, lolling as it was so naturally in the brown water. All I could do was pull it in and cast again. And there’s the qualifier: execution is everything, assuming it lands results.
Think of Smirnoff's Tea Partay creative that makes your sides split with its creativity and cleverness, but for weeks had nothing backing it up except a flimsy place-holderTea Partay site. There are missed opportunities on a cosmic scale... and then there was Smirnoff.
• You can't fish without getting wet. Social media tools are a bit messy: partly because they are new, and partly because we haven't yet realized their full use and potential (or lack thereof). I fell twice into the Ompompanoosuc—once soaking my sleeve and once scraping my leg—and I waded in deeper than I expected. But in the end, that was part of the fun. For that reason, I can’t be too critical of Smirnoff for missing the trapeze catch, even, because at least they swung off the platform and reached toward the bar. So did Dell. And so did agency.com.
When I think of other issues swirling around social media tools (Should CMOs be blogging? Should we let consumers have control of our brand? Who's driving the bus?—I always come back to a simple issue: Yes, businesses want to make money, and marketing needs to demonstrate ROI. But the most dynamic, interesting and ultimately successful companies are those led by people who take risks, who have some fun, and wade into unknown waters. Those companies reap the largest rewards of customer loyalty and, ultimately, ROI.
In essence, the best companies are run by those who enjoy the ride. Or the fly-cast. Or both. Just ask the folks of Ben&Jerry's Ice Cream, who hang out not too far north and west of the Ompompanoosuc.
Special thanks to industry colleagues and friends Justin Martin and Tig Tillinghast for their patient and expert instruction (Justin) and procurement of a fishing license (Tig).
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Comments
Can you dip your toe into social media? Probably not ... your consumers and your audiences will pick up your timidity -- as will the team working with you on the content. It isn't that you need to make a big splash, but as Ann says, you do need to wade in and deal with the current, the surprises and the obstacles.
And at the very least, you will end up with a great story to share.
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | 08.22.06
"It's why Mack is always rambling on about joining your community"
Do I ramble? Well good, that means that you guys 'get it' ;) BTW another great post Ann, you have a real knack for putting a 'human' face on these boring marketing lessons ;)
And you were wrong, you DID catch something that day....the inspiration for a great post!
Posted by: Mack Collier | 08.22.06
Anne - It is absolutely true that we need to fish where the fish are.
This is so basic, YET so many people do not get it.
I often say that if you are fishing for Tuna, then why are you standing in 2 feet of water? People just assume they understand their target audience and often do not take the step to profile them properly.
Did I miss this or did you catch anything?
Mike
Posted by: Michael Stelzner | 08.22.06
I love the analogy, especially the part about fishing where the fish are. That said, some fish move around and bite better during different parts of the season. So do target markets.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 08.22.06
Ann
Really enjoyed your blog and like your analogies between fly-fishing and marketing, but the important thing is you got a taste of the Zen of Fly-Fishing. You can't appreciate it until you've done it!
Our real Zen as fly-fishers is the moment of the "take", but then in releasing the catch. We're not out to harm the fish, but we acknowledge our hunter-gatherer instincts and with it also our responsibility to act as stewards in keeping rivers and lakes in good shape for future fish generations
Perhaps you'll try again and experience the "take" Zen, it'll be worth it I assure you :-). Then write again about that experience and its relationship to marketing.
Rob - BrownTroutFisher
Posted by: Rob Mellors | 08.22.06
Thanks for your comments, all.
Gavin, Mack, Lewis -- thanks for the support (as always).
Michael -- I didn't catch a thing...save for one little guy that nibbled and then decided to move quickly on.
Rob -- I look forward to that "take" Zen...nice way of putting it! I'd definitely be in the hunter-releaser (rather than hunter-gatherer) group.
: )
Posted by: Ann Handley | 08.22.06
Ann, as an avid fly fisherman who was President of a fly fishing company, the editor of an outdoors magazine and a technology marketing manager in the same lifetime, I appreciate your experience and can provide you with more insights that you will continue to discover as you learn the Zen of fly fishing. These are only a couple of insights that the world of fly fishing teaches; if you'd like them, feel free to drop me a line:
1. Fish only when the fish are feeding -- There are many times when fish are inactive and not feeding. You must learn the cycles of people's purchasing habits and when is the best time to promote your product for them to purchase.
2. Make sure you "match the hatch" when you are targeting feeding fish -- offering a fish something to eat when they are feeding on something different will not induce strikes. You must provide your purchasers with products that satisfy their current needs and pains.
3. Catch a fish on a fly that you've made yourself -- the only way that you can truly learn the Zen of fly fishing is to take feathers, fur, string and a hook and make a fly that imitates something that the fish are feeding on, then actually catch a fish. Learning the true Zen of a pursuit requires that you intimately understand each part of the process, from the habits of your purchasers to where and when they purchase, and their price points.
I hope you enjoyed your fly fishing experience. I'm sure that, if you choose to continue your pursuit, you will fondly remember all the time you spent on the water.
Regards,
Dennis Suler
Marketing Manager
The JS Group
Posted by: Dennis Suler | 08.22.06
It wasn't too long ago that I expressed my passion for fly fishing to Ann...only to hear "What? Are you fishin' for flies?"
I'm glad to see you've finally had the experience Ann, for there is nothing else that compares.
I sit here and think..."15 miles back in the Northern Maine woods, you step out from the dense furs, willy-wags, and blow-downs into an open meadow split by a brook that dips in and out of site through the tall grass. The only sounds are the wind in the tree tops, a soft babble of the brook, and nothing; the nothing is what sticks. It's just me, my fly-rod, and nothing."
As Dennis mentioned, just wait til' you catch a nice one on a fly you made from feather, fur, and thread...with your very own hands. Zen is a good word for it.
Back to nature, and away from this keyboard :-).
Posted by: Aaron | 08.22.06
It's because fly-fishing isn't fishing. It's, well, more philisophical than anything else. It's Zen-like. It's peaceful. Three-fourths of the reason I do it is because you can stand in a river, alone, in the middle of nowhere and all you can hear is the water. Beautiful. Welcome to a whole new world...
Posted by: Spike | 08.22.06
PS. Make sure you take a compass...I've gotten lost as @#$^%$&#er out there!
Posted by: Aaron | 08.22.06
Ann,
Thanks for sharing. I love the details that you include in your writing. I can almost see you fishing and enjoying the peace around you.
And Mack. I think "Ramblin' Man' might jus be your new theme song.
;)
Posted by: David Armano | 08.22.06
Ann,
Great post! One of my most memorable moments in brand management was working forever on an elaborate BDI/CDI analysis for a Nabisco Shredded Wheat spending plan, presenting it to senior management and having the division EVP say after we droned on and on "So, Marianne what you all are saying is, fish where the fish are."
Yep, I think that covers it.
Posted by: marianne richmond | 08.23.06
Simply pitching up to "try" and fly fish won't cut it. Ann, you would not have given it a go if you knew you were not going to succeed or enjoy. It takes planning, effort, sacrafice and most of all belief in your PRODUCT (equipment etc)!.
I wonder how many people try to market something that they themselves don't really believe in?.
The bottom line is, if you cannot believe in your absolute targeted purpose, perhaps some thinking next to the water is the next best thing...
Posted by: Hux | 08.23.06
Dennis & Spike -- Sounds like my experience replicates what fly-fisher-people really love about fly-fishing. I well understand....it was awesome and I'm *still* carrying a bit of the calm within me. Tonic for the soul.
Aaron -- That's the LAST time I tease you. I swear. (Fingers crossed behind my back.)
David -- That's high praise from a writer like you. Thanks.
Hux -- The thing is...I had ZERO expectations about fishing. I'm not sure there's a marketing lesson in there...but there was a life lesson to let go and give things a try...you never know.
And Marianne -- That division EVP must have been a fly-fisherman. : )
Posted by: Ann Handley | 08.23.06
Fly-fishing is on my list, for just those reasons, Ann - and I think I'm about ready to learn it as well. Maybe I'll meet you in Thetford next time?
Currently, horseback riding does the same thing for me. I had a lesson yesterday - and am still in "the zone." Having zero expectations and only ever going once a month or so, I am thrilled to be able to canter for 30 seconds - and then spend most of my time at the stables just "being." Om...
On a marketing note - your second point is always a good reminder for me: don't try to control things too much. In horses, fly-fishing and business, the most amazing things happen when you have done your research/studied up, and then ... let go.
Posted by: Andrea Learned | 08.23.06
Great post, Ann. I've been fly fishing for five years or so. I haven't had much luck, but I'm still learning. For me, the "catching" isn't as important as the "fishing" (don't all the less successful say something like that?) As author John Gierach titled one of his wonderful books,"Standing in a River Waving a Stick" is way better than doing almost anything else.
Welcome to the Club. Since you started, have you noticed how many big businesses use fly fishing in their TV commercials? By the way, get a couple of Gierach's books; he's a great fly fishing story-teller and you can learn a lot while you laugh)
Posted by: Jay Silverman | 08.24.06
Hi Ann:
You really do have a mind for metaphor. Would enjoy more of the same, or something similar. With photos, of course.
Cordially,
Posted by: Steve McNamara | 08.24.06
Ann - great post! I blogged it on Boston.com today. I'm having that vacation re-entry wistfulness - missing the fishing, reading, kayaking, hanging out...so I really appreciated it. Good luck with the flycasting!
Posted by: Maura Welch | 08.24.06
As one who is responsible for marketing a new product whose target market is the fly fishing and off-shore fishing markets, I loved your post! One last fishing-marketing metaphor - 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock, stay within your target market and feel the rhythm.
Rick Fueyo
Director of Marketing
Obsessive Products, Inc.
Posted by: Rick Fueyo | 10.25.06
Rick- I love that! I am stealing it!
One of my very best friends is my fly mentor and he's always correcting my sloppy casting (he's an instructor/ guide)... every time my line snaps, he yells "11 and 1!" (My cast is particularly bad, so he pushes me pretty hard.)
Posted by: Tim Jackson | 10.25.06