One of the most memorable Saturday Night Live skits from my childhood was the commercial for the made up product Shimmer featuring Gilda Radnor and Dan Akroyd. Perhaps I can even trace my marketing beginnings to that long ago parody – it certainly stuck in my memory! The premise of the commercial was that NEW Shimmer could be used as both a floor wax *and* as a dessert topping. Ludicrous, right? But every day I talk to business owners who are trying to be like Shimmer. They want to be everything to everybody. When seen through the “Shimmer” lens, it’s clearly the wrong thing to do – Externally it means a confusing message to customers and internally it makes it incredibly challenging to focus the company’s marketing and people resources. The solution is a marketing strategy that is simple but easier said than done: Make a decision and focus! If you’re having a hard time doing this yourself, it might be time to bring in someone from the outside to help you think through this challenge strategically. You might want to consider engaging a consultant, hiring a business coach or joining a peer mentoring group like Vistage or YPO to help you work on your marketing strategy. Saturday Night Live: Shimmer
