What if David and Goliath Opened a Jamba Juice™ Instead?

Last night, I had a dream. It wasn’t earth-shattering like Martin Luther King’s. I dreamt that David and Goliath got together to open a Jamba Juice. I don’t know why they opened a Jamba Juice, specifically. I’ve never been to a Jamba Juice.

Maybe I just like saying, “Jamba Juice.”

Anyway… It got me to thinking. “Juice” is a metaphor for sales, revenue, and profits. We squeeze markets, like we squeeze oranges, to get the juice. I get that part.

The subconscious is a strange place.

David and Goliath are powerful symbols of the little guy’s battle against the big guy.

I get that too. So why go into business together?

I realized that the back of my mind was trying to figure out how a business can be both big and small at the same time. On the surface, it’s impossible.

If you’re small, you're nimble and personal. If you’re big, you're strong, slow, and faceless.

You can’t be both. Or can you?

Or can you?

Maybe that’s why David and Goliath opened that Jamba Juice. By combining their skill sets, they become a juicing powerhouse.

The subconscious is, indeed, a strange place.

My first thought this morning was, “I need to cut back on spicy foods.” My second thought was, “Maybe there’s something there.”

All markets are changing. We need to adapt

Goliath needs to face the fact that personalization is key. Embrace it or die, Goliath.

David needs to face the fact that we are in a Global yet Local world. His smallness and limited resources are a problem. Embrace that or die, David.

Mutual support and sharing would go a long way. Goliath can aim at the big picture where he can focus his strengths. David can concentrate on the last mile where his speed, flexibility, and knowledge of local markets are vital.

In a nutshell, David and Goliath are both headed towards trouble unless they open a juice shop. Together.

That sounds easy. Different, segmented, content marketing approaches would do it. But most marketers are dissatisfied with their content marketing results.

Content Marketing more than the latest buzz

Frankly, I’m not a big fan of the term. Mind you, saying, “Marketing combined with a healthy dose of PR, using content as a medium,” just doesn’t roll well off the tongue.

I see content marketing as the love child of Marketing and PR. It borrows from both parents, as children are wont to do. It becomes a powerful something else.

We need to digest what that really means to us.

Right now, content marketing is a rebellious, know-it-all pre-teen. Mama Marketing and Papa PR, don’t quite know what to make of the little bugger. They struggle between hugging it, nurturing it, and strangling the little $*%# !

I'm the father of two wonderful, well-adjusted adults. I can say this. Bear with it. It will make you proud. The Dark Teen Years are a normal growth phase.

A note to Mama Marketing and Papa PR

Content marketing is not you. It’s your child. In many ways, it’s a younger version of you both.

It still isn’t you.

Sometimes it looks like Mama. Sometimes it acts like Papa. If you don’t understand the difference, you will never come to terms with it.

Everybody wants content marketing to work. Yet, dissatisfaction with content marketing is rampant. As is often the case in child rearing, this is a parental problem, not a child problem.

How to be Content with your Content

There are things content marketing can do. There are things it can’t do.

No matter. I like martinis better, so Sales Martini Glass it is.

In essence, the Sales Martini Glass is a Sales Funnel with a broad base. I call that base “Follow-Up” but “Continued Contact” is more accurate.

That base includes everyone who has ever gone into the funnel. It includes everybody who has ever engaged with you. Whether they bought or not.

Think about that for a minute. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Content is strong at building awareness

When Building Awareness, Content looks a lot like it’s dad, Papa PR. But Mom’s influence shows. Content soft sells. Often he doesn’t even pitch anything.

He just makes you aware that a problem or opportunity exists. He might suggest a solution, but doesn’t actually offer anything actionable. This is brand agnostic stuff. He pulls you in, to the next level of engagement. He does that softly, slowly.

He pulls you in, to the next level of engagement. He does that softly, slowly, so you don't notice he's doing it.

Content is stronger at building interest

At this level, Content starts imitating Mom. Papa’s soft sell is still there, but Mama Marketing’s influence starts to show. He builds on the awareness he created by hinting how to solve a problem. He also points out who can solve it.

He builds on the awareness he created by hinting how to solve a problem. He also points out who can solve it. He still treads softly, though.

Content is Okay at creating desire

Mama Marketing, at this point your kid is getting out of his element. He needs you. He can start the ball rolling but will drop it in a hurry if you don’t help.

Sometimes, it just takes a little guidance or encouragement. Sometimes, you need to step in and save him from himself. He is now playing in your wheelhouse, Mama. You know what to do.

This is actually where most content marketing plans start. They have not built an Awareness or Interest foundation.

It shouldn't be a surprise that they fail.

Content sucks at initiating action

Closing the sale just isn’t in Content’s DNA. Both his parents suck at it too.

This is where Uncle Sales comes in. Often, Mama and Papa call him the “bad influence.” 

The Content Kid loves him.

Kid Content knows he sucks at the Action phase. He also knows his crazy uncle, Sales, thrives there. The Kid serves up leads like a pitcher in a home run derby. Both Uncle and Kid can play for hours.

Content is Great at Follow-up / Continuous Contact

Like his Dad, PR, Content likes to inform and create lasting good impressions. He sees it as an extension of Creating Awareness. He will show existing customers how to better use stuff they bought. He likes telling them about other stuff they haven't bought yet.

He will show existing customers how to better use stuff they bought. He likes telling them about other stuff they haven't bought yet.

Content is always looking for another ball he can throw and watch Uncle Sales smack it out of the park.

It's his favorite game.

Opening the David & Goliath Juice Shop

Davids and Goliaths need to get together in their content marketing. Goliaths cover a vast physical territory. That gives them advantages that a David can not enjoy.

Davids have a better idea of what their local markets want and need. Their content needs to reflect that. But their budgets don't allow them to cover the whole funnel.

Let Goliath work the macro side of content marketing. Make that content available to David. On the macro side, wide distribution is vital. Adding several thousand Davids' reach to Goliath's can only help.

Goliath builds Awareness and Interest. He can focus there. He can ignore Desire. 

David can aim his resources at what he knows. He builds Desire. It's less of a tightrope walk, content writing-wise. It also depends on a more tightly focused distribution.

Davids are always interacting with their local markets. The strategies they use are of limited use to a Goliath.

Davids also cause Action. They are the front lines.

Together, Davids and Goliaths share Continued Contact. Their skills and strengths can combine to support each other. Davids guest post on Goliath sites. Goliaths give Davids brandable content for local use.

The David and Goliath Jamba Juice can thrive!

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