In 1999, NASA lost a 125 million dollar Mars orbiter in outer space. Seems one engineering team used English units of measurement, while another used the metric system. The mismatch prevented the correct transfer of navigational coordinates, and the aircraft missed the red planet entirely.

Before launching any new endeavor (be it marketing, or a mission to Mars), success often depends upon team alignment. The measurement mistake killed NASA’s mission, as well as the engineers’ expected A-ha Moment: a celebration of the craft’s entry into Mars’ orbit.

If you’re planning on entering new space with your marketing, drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com and we’ll make sure the all-stars on your team aren’t light years apart.

In 1920, the 18^th amendment passed, banning the production and sale of alcohol. Prohibitionists painted ‘intoxicating liquors’ as sins that led to crime, poverty and death.

Ironically, the biggest winners turned out to be organized crime.

Bold Strategic Decisions may have the best intentions—the mistake is failing to anticipate unintentional consequences. In the case of Prohibition, Americans’ thirst for booze was stronger than their concern for violating the law.

The ultimate lesson of the “Noble Experiment”—and for marketers looking to avoid unwanted A-ha Moments—is to watch out for decisions that end up worse than the problems they are designed to solve.

Drop us an email at: heythere@mortaragency.com if you’re pouring over any bold choices of your own. We’ll show you a quick and easy way to make sure your choices produce the effect you need.

Marketed as unsinkable, the RMS Titanic set sail for New York from Southampton, England on April 10, 1912.  To differentiate itself from the competition, Titanic’s owner, White Star Lines chose increased size and opulence over basic safety measures—a decision with tragic consequences.  Four days later, the famed Titanic succumbed to the icy depths of the North Atlantic, taking 1500 souls with it.

Every Strategic Marketing Decision (the first tenet in Mortar’s approach) holds massive potential, and risk, and leads to a different A-ha Moment (tenet #2).  The mistake is not exploring these steps BEFORE you go to market.  Had White Star thought differently about the decisions it made on the drafting table, it might never have become synonymous with arrogance and poor planning. 

The best way to avoid a similar wreck is to engage with Mortar and shore-up that strategy. Check out some of our most successful strategies–and the matching A-ha–right here.

Mortar helped RingCentral showcase a new look for collaboration and demonstrated the power of everything coming together.

“A-ha Moment: “A-ha! It all this work stuff works together now. Even on my phone.”