Uncovery
“When you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” - The Cheshire Cat (From Alice in Wonderland)”
The Uncovery tells how you want your business story to end, where to begin, what to leave out. It determines what you are prepared to do to achieve Success.
"You cannot have successful marketing without strategic planning. You cannot have successful strategic planning without successful Uncovery. There’s a reason why we call it “Uncovery.”
Some companies believe marketing is about being creative and making something up – that’s what agencies are for. Smart companies realize successful marketing conveys something that is real or true. The purpose of Uncovery is to make visible, uncover, or disclose important truths about your company and your customers."
- Wizard Partners, Bryan Eisenberg & Jeffery Eisenberg
The Elements of an Uncovery
1. How Will You Measure Success?
What is it you want to happen?
What are you trying to accomplish?
What will you consider a happy- ending?
What is your destination or your *North Star?
2. The Sword in the Stone
You are searching for the story that matters most to the customer. The one your business can deliver all day, every day. The Sword in the Stone is about the Message. The message you deliver to a prospective customer that distinguishes you from your competitors and makes the customer want to buy from you.
What wonderful story is yours that hasn’t been told? Don’t try to tell the customer your whole story; just tell your best one!
3. How Long is the Time Horizon?
When will success be measured?
Will you use your advertising to promote your special event or limited time offer? Or will you use advertising to become a household word?
4. Targeting
Do you prefer to attract Relational or Transactional customers?
5. Determine Your Ad Budget
Figure out exactly how much you should spend, before you pour money into advertising.
6. Category Dominance
The ultimate goal of branding is to establish category dominance, to be the business that customers think of immediately and the one they feel best about whenever your product category is named. Category dominance can only be achieved through focus with commitment. You must make a stand and be known for something.
What will you be known for?
7. Choose Your Strategy - Time for *Business Topology.
Following the rules of your industry will not see any dramatic success. Rethinking the rules and introducing new concepts will push you forward to a brighter future. Having a strategy keeps all the components of your marketing working together.
8. What are Your Unleveraged Assets?
What do we have to work with? What hidden strengths are not being used?
Stories, Abilities, Relationships, and Products that have not previously been positioned for maximum effect.
9. The Media
Every media ‘works’ … when you know how and when to use them.
The important question is this:
“What is the highest and best use of your money?”
How efficiently are your ad dollars being spent?
An advertiser who purchases advertising on a monthly basis has no real confidence in his advertising. The greatest waste of advertising dollars and business owner’s time, is booking week to week, or month to month. You do this when you have no plan for Success.
10. Tracking
“How are we tracking?” is the most asked question from a Wizard of Ads® Partner. We ask our clients this question at every fortnightly meeting. You should ask yourself the same question. You cannot improve that which you don’t measure.
WizardSword Vocabulary
- North Star -
Your North Star is the constant guiding hope that helps you choose the correct way at each turning. It will get you back on track when the waves and winds of business push you off course.
- Business Topology -
The practice of identifying *Parallel Businesses by matching their defining characteristics.
- Parallel Business -
In business topology, a “related” business which is studied in an effort to discover an innovation model.