May 2013
Issue: #43

Taking it for Granite

Much to my sister’s delight, her son Christopher is now a happily married man.

And so it was on this, the occasion of my nephew’s nuptials, that Janet and I packed the car last weekend and headed to Massachusetts.

We stayed in an area called Cape Ann, home to the historic seaport towns of Gloucester and Rockport.

If you’ve eaten Gorton’s fish sticks, you know Gloucester, and if you’ve ever seen a photograph or painting of Motif Number 1, then you know Rockport.

The weekend weather was perfect, so when the festivities were done we said farewell to the relatives and morphed into tourists for couple of days.

One of the places we visited was Halibut Point State Park, a scenic spot on the Cape Ann coast. Its craggy shoreline, crashing waves and high-point vistas are quintessential New England.

And its role in military affairs, as both a lookout point for enemy naval vessels during World War II and a testing site for advanced radar systems during the Cold War, reads like a something out of a John le Carré spy novel.

What really caught my eye though was the park’s abandoned granite quarry. Yes, it turns out they don’t call it Rockport for nothing. Optimistically half full of water, the old Babson Farm quarry stands testament to technological advancement, economic sways and marketing savvy.

Cape Ann’s granite industry ran strong from the 1820’s until the 1930’s when the Great Depression and a shift to concrete and steel brought an end to the era. During its heyday, the quarry witnessed a transition from mule power and sailing ships to steam engines and coal-fired freighters. And oddly enough, it all began with that bastion of marketing communications, the newspaper ad.

Okay, so granite quarries don’t usually remind me of marketing communications, but there are a few parallels…

• Go with your strength. With its classic coloring and finish, Cape Ann granite was in high demand for monuments and buildings. So marketing it based on these special qualities was straightforward. Look for things within your own company that stand out and are relatively straightforward to market. It might be the products or services. Or it could be technical expertise, industry leadership, unique partnerships or the way you work together with customers.

• Try something new. Attention first came to Cape Ann’s quarries because of a newspaper ad placed back in 1823 – some 75 years before John Wanamaker misspent half his advertising budget. It’s easy to think that your audiences won’t respond to new marketing strategies. But as digital natives take over influential roles in the buying process, you’ll need to find new and more effective ways to capture and retain their attention.

• Make the most of technology. Replacing mules with steam engines increased the quarry’s productivity and efficiency. Imagine if there were such tools available for marketers to use. Well, as it turns out, there are loads of powerful, yet inexpensive (even free), tools for content management, landing page deployment, web and social analytics, email, customer research and marketing automation. These tools can magnify your reach and your ability to see what’s working.

• Shine a light on your customers. Cape Ann granite found its way into Boston’s Custom House, the Statue of Liberty and the Panama Canal. That pedigree didn’t hurt when it came to acquiring new business. Instead of just listing your customers’ names on your website, highlight them using detailed case studies and feature articles in your newsletter. Invite them to provide testimonials and participate in webinars.

Here’s the deal: One hundred years of success came to Cape Ann granite producers in part because they knew their customers and evolved with the times. The end was the result of things that were out of their control.

Knowing your own audiences, what they need to hear and how they prefer to get their information is in your control. Digital offers more communication choices today than ever (not necessarily a good thing). But with the right research and planning, technology choices and measurements you can keep up with the times and improve your company’s bottom line.

Otherwise, you just might find yourself between a rock and a hard place.