Success is no accident

It's 2011, and Adobe drops a bombshell on the creative world - it launches its Creative Cloud! No more boxed software, no more version confusion, just endless possibilities in the cloud. Transitioning from perpetual software licenses to a cloud-based subscription model for its core creative suite, including Photoshop and Illustrator, Adobe catalysed a revolution. Backed by a robust marketing campaign, the focus was on highlighting the benefits of subscription-based access, such as always up-to-date software, cross-device accessibility, and seamless collaboration for creative professionals and businesses. The impact extended beyond Adobe's business model, revolutionising the marketing industry. It drove the adoption of cloud-based workflows, integrated creative and marketing tools, and data-driven marketing strategies. This streamlined ecosystem provided users with flexibility and clarity, transforming how creative professionals and businesses approached their work and marketin...

Imagine catapulting your user base with a single, irreverent video. That's the power of growth hacking: low-cost, creative, and data-driven marketing strategies. Just look at Dollar Shave Club - their $4,500 video (warning: profanity) went viral on YouTube, with over 28 million views, amassing millions of customers and a billion-dollar acquisition. Growth hacking ignites rapid user acquisition, akin to a wildfire or an avalanche gaining momentum. It's become a go-to strategy for companies across industries, fuelling growth: Uber: Leverages surge pricing to manage demand and supply effectively, optimising profitability while maintaining service levels Airbnb: Disrupted the hospitality market with a peer-to-peer rental platform and capitalising on platforms like Craigslist for user acquisition Dropbox: Viral referral program drove rapid expansion through word-of-mouth. Similar tactics saw success for Uber and Airbnb Some used growth hacking alongside other strategies: ...

 "The Way It's Meant to be Played" vs "Invent" Nvidia reigns supreme in the discreet GPU market, boasting a staggering 1792% share price increase over five years, nearly 19-fold increase in value. (Nvidia’s tagline: "The Way It's Meant to be Played" ) In contrast, Danaher Corporation saw a much more modest growth of 91% during the same period. Danaher Corporation, a global conglomerate based in Washington, D.C., specializes in three sectors: life sciences, biotechnology, and clinical diagnostics. Early adoption of Kaizen (Japanese for 'improvement') in daily operations sets it apart as an early innovator. Notably, it is the only S&P 500 company with a succinct, one-word tagline. ((Danaher Corp’s tagline: "Invent" ) It’s instructive to analyse both company’s taglines using AIDA framework: Attention Both companies capture the attention of their target audience, albeit in distinct ways. Danaher's laconic tagline, "...

The Big 4 accounting firms (EY, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG) dominate the accounting industry, collectively handling SEC audits for over 80% of all public companies. This dominance is attributed in part to legal requirements and also to their expertise in professional services. This leads me to expect that they excel in marketing themselves effectively. Is this the case? Each of the four firms has an "About Us" or similar section on their websites, outlining their purpose and values. While their offerings to clients are nearly identical, their marketing strategies diverge significantly. Only three of them directly demonstrate their taglines: EY - "Building a better working world," Deloitte - “Making an impact that matters, together,” and PwC - “Building relationships, creating value.” KPMG, on the other hand, lacks a specific tagline but utilizes marketing messages such as “KPMG. Make the difference” or previously - “Inspire confidence. Empower change.” A web searc...