Marketing Ammo for the Little Guy

2011-01-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

Marketing Ammo for the Little Guy has moved.

2010-10-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

Marketing Communications for Small Business....

“Hale, hale, the mail’s still here: use it.”

Contrary to some pundit’s obits, The United States Postal Service is not dead. Okay, maybe ailing, but it’s not terminal. Direct mail is still a cost effective, measurable tool for marketing communications.

In the October 2010 issue of Deliver for Marketers, John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide” says, “Even though there’s a lot of hype about everybody being online today, there are still certain people you’re not going to reach unless you’re using highly target direct mail.”

Right on, John! The gloomies are wrong. Email marketing isn’t going to kill direct mail; it’s going to change how and when it’s used. TV didn’t kill radio or movies. They are all still around and for some marketers a very important part of their marketing communications program.

An annoying email can not be as effective as a colorful little postcard in your mailbox with an announcement or an offer. For example, Bellview Wineries, in Hammonton, NJ, let’s us know when special festivals are coming up and when new wines will be available. Our vet sends cute little postcards to remind us that Sadie, our little Patterdale Terrier is due for some shots. This week, all the politicians are sending us giant post cards to tell us how wonderful they are and that their competitors are totally incompetent.

The stuff from the politicians is intrusive, but it’s still placed in our hands with their messages. Our vet and winery have Web sites, but their mail brings welcome messages that we would not have gone looking for on the Internet.

Tip for the Little Guy: Direct mail formats are flexible. They can be inexpensive, targeted and timely. They should be part of your marketing communications mix. The United States Postal Service may be losing money, but they can help you make some.

Hey, you couldn’t ask for a better partner. And stop calling it junk mail. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

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2010-10-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

Marketing communicators can get juice from handouts

Recently, with my daughter and college-bound granddaughter, I attended a workshop session titled “Financing Your College Education.” The presenter, from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, did an excellent job of scaring the hell out of a lot of folks in the room. But he did provide hope and good advice for jumping through the many hoops of applying for financial aid and how to dig into the cubbyholes to ferret out the numerous programs available.

And yet, we came home without any handouts that could have supported his presentation and served as a follow-up reference with the Web addresses of the many agencies and sources he discussed. We didn’t forget the handouts; he didn’t provide any.

Now that was a missed opportunity to promote himself and Stockton while helping all those who attended. Sure, you’re supposed to take notes. But isn’t it more effective to give folks your take-home message in an easily digested form like Cliff Notes?

A presenter is in a unique position as a marketing communicator. He has the spotlight and the attention of an audience that wants to know what he has to say. It’s a wonderful opportunity to sell himself and his business or institution. I’m not talking about a blatant sales pitch. I’m talking about capitalizing on the permission you have…the permission to make an impression about you and the product, person, place or idea that you’re promoting.

In this age of cheap and easy desktop publishing, there’s no excuse for not providing your audience with handouts. But don’t give them out before your presentation or some smarties will breeze through them and get way ahead of you-- and your charisma and ability to communicate.

Tip for the little guy: The handout—don’t leave home without it. Marketing communicators must be opportunists. Seize every opportunity to juice all communications tools.

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2010-10-23T13:33:00.008-04:00

Colleges set poor example of trade show marketing at National College Fair

Trade shows and exhibits can be powerful marketing communications tools. That’s why I was so disappointed when I attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) College Fair in Atlantic City Oct. 21, 2010. One word can describe the 256 exhibits: dull. The booths, the displays, the signage—all dull. The only bright spots were the bright youngsters working their 10’ x 10’s while collecting mailing addresses and hyping their institutions.

Only a few exhibitors went beyond the standard booth ID sign at the top back of their booth and added a little extra signage. A table across the front of every booth blocked the chance of anyone stepping in and out of the aisle traffic for a chat.

Every booth presented an opportunity for a powerful first impression, a chance to run videos and/or slide shows, a chance for eye-popping graphics, a chance for a drawing (if allowed) to capture names for a follow-up mailing. They missed the opportunity.

I would guess that most prospects were visitors that came looking for a particular college. They should have gone home with more than a plastic bag full of literature. They could have asked for that on the Web. They should have gone home with a powerful impression of the colleges they contacted.

I assume all the exhibitors invested their money in the hope they would attract new students. They were presented with busloads of youngsters who came for news and information. They had the right audience, but they did little to get them to snuggle up for more details. If there’s anything college-bound kids don’t need, it’s more dull. Duh?

Tip for the little guy: If you’re going to invest time and money in a trade show or exhibit, squeeze all the juice from them that you can. Getting belly-to-belly with an audience interested in what you have to offer is a great way to get the conversation started, to qualify prospects and provide a reason to follow up with them soon and often.

But the most important tip: Don’t be dull. You don’t need dancing girls, but animation helps. When you’re at a show, check out the exhibits with the crowds. They usually have something running or a demo in progress. Well, yes; handsome guys and pretty ladies can help, too.

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2009-02-03T10:53:00.004-05:00

PETA Turned a Ban into a Boon

Was it a touch of genius,

or a happy accident?

Whether you love steak or veggies, you have to marvel at the leverage PETA pried out of the three million bucks they didn’t spend on a Super Bowel commercial. Was getting banned by NBC a strategic ploy or did they really plan to run the spot?

The important lesson is that you can generate tons of exposure by not getting exposed. Many of the millions who would have missed the Super Bowl in situ are taking the time to look it up on the Net. And you can bet many viewers are finding it worth several viewings.

You can also bet the spot, labeled by some as “The Pumpkin Licking Ad, will convince some of the easily convinced that vegetarians do have better sex.

2007-07-09T08:44:00.000-04:00

If It’s Legal in Your Community,

Hang Your Offer on Your Prospect’s Door

One way to combat rising postal rates and advertising clutter is to virtually hand your message to your prospects. A well-crafted message with a solid offer hung from a door knob has a jump start in the struggle to save money and still get attention.

Power Direct, Newport Beach, CA is among a growing number of private distribution companies that can deliver your message at any time or any day to a targeted audience. We’re not talking about cheap flyers tucked under windshield wipers. These are glossy t 17" by 5-1/2" ads that are right there when you reach for the knob.

According to a spokesman for Quiznos sandwich chain who used the system to introduce home deliveries last year response rates were about 3%, more than double the response rate from direct mail.

Tip for the Little Guy

If you have a business or service that would lend itself to this type of promotion and there’s no provider in your area, do it yourself and test your package just as you would any direct marketing offer.

2007-05-19T08:33:00.000-04:00

Don’t ruin good copy
with lousy graphics

It happens too often. A good headline, strong copy, spoiled by graphics that kill readership. Some designers just don’t understand that we’re not just trying to look pretty or clever; we’re trying to sell stuff.

There’s a long list of things designers are taught not to do, but they do them anyway. For example, tiny, unreadable type isn’t always the fault of the legal department. When the large print giveth and the small taketh away, it looks (and sometime really is) sneaky.

If a disclaimer is hard to read, make it easier. Readers will trust you more.

Blocks of small, reverse hard-to-read type are another way to spoil good copy. Those who scan and skim will just skip it, move on--- and miss your message.

Be critical of any design element that makes your copy hard to read. You can’t sell if nobody reads your message.

Tip for the Little Guy

Whether you do it yourself, or sign off on the work of others you need a frame of reference. I recommend Looking Good in Print, by Roger C. Parker. It will get you beyond the non-helpful “It doesn’t grab me,” comments I often hear. It will give you solid reasons why you know something should be changed because of its negative impact on readership.

2007-05-09T11:20:00.000-04:00

Writing good ad copy:

Leverage what’s already

in the reader's head

A former client is advertising a nutritional supplement for horses. That's a tough sell in a crowded field. In a an effort to come up with a unique selling proposition, they are running an ad with this weak headline: Is "Equine A.D.D." to Blame? That's it. No subhead with a clue or promise. Just an unclear question that must be explained.

Now, I know they expect busy readers to stop and ask themselves, “To blame for what?”and then go on to read the explanation. That’s not going to happen very often, if at all.

The copy is as weak as the headline. After making a tenuous link between a horse’s behavior and human Attention Deficit Disorder, the copy asks the question again, “Can horses suffer from A.D.D. as well?”

The copy then tells the reader to visit their Web site “To learn more about this possibility” and the role of their supplement in its prevention.

The ad is vague and lacks a strong selling proposition. It reminds the reader (if anyone reads it) several times that A.D.D. may be a possibility?

Expecting an ad like this to work is the height of hubris, and a waste of money. If you have a solution for a problem that’s already in my head...…a problem I understand... tell me about it. Don’t try to be clever. It only confuses me.

Tip for the Little Guy

If your product requires a lot of explanation, offer a “White Paper” a booklet or a packet of information. That way you’ll have the room you need to tell your story. And promote your Web site. Make certain your landing page is packed with helpful information and go light on the hard sell. You’ll communicate better and you’ll sell more product.

2007-05-04T13:27:00.000-04:00

The Ultimate Marketing Strategy:

ALWAYS BE NICE!

“Nice” is a wonderful little word-of-mouth buzzer that points people your way. When a friend, relative, or acquaintance in shopping mode asks for a recommendation, the phrase, “They’re nice people to do business with,.” carries more weight than all the usual paid for crap about “world leader, state of the art, in business since,--- blah, blah, double blah..”

Your Momma’s warning to be nice or pay the price applies to life and business. But how do you get to “nice?” That’s easy. Take her other piece of advice for all situations: “Just do the right thing.”

Sam Walton understood the importance of being nice to do business with. He said, “There is only one boss. The customer. And she can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending her money somewhere else.”

L.L. Bean is another company that’s nice to do business with ---all the time. And that’s one secret of building powerful brands. They’re consistent. When I call them at 5:30 am on a Sunday morning, the rep sounds like she’s really glad to hear from me. They’re like that all the time.

The Writer’s Digest Book Club is another great outfit. A few times I forgot to opt out of their monthly selection. When it showed up in my mailbox I called to tell them I didn’t want it. They didn’t argue. They apologized because I got a book I didn’t want and sent me a postage prepaid label to return it. They’re so nice to do business with that a few times I read the book while waiting for the return label, then just kept the book and paid the invoice. I’ll bet that happens a lot.

Tip for the Little Guy

Don’t give away the store, but be kind and generous with your customers and associates. And tell your folks to always smile before they answer a call. (It’s hard to sound like a crab when you’re smiling.)

2007-04-26T15:35:00.000-04:00

Smart marketing…

It’s time to up the ante for creative copywriting.

Shouting a big promise & benefits isn’t enough

Marketing targets assaulted by a daily barrage of marcom missiles add armor to defend themselves. It’s tough to penetrate their star wars psychological defense. They don’t feel as though they’re under siege. They are in control. We need strong creative tactics to help penetrate their defense.

There’s still a place for instrusive marketing ---sometimes. But the whack aside the head to get attention, is passé. Hucksterism is out. Engagement is in.

According to many direct marketing experts, the happy numbers we got with the old formulaic direct marketing approach “just ain’t what they used to.”

I’ve always advised clients to “give them your best shot---your unique selling proposition---right away.” The trouble with this approach (which I haven’t totally abandoned) is that it’s a bulletin a sales pitch is coming. It’s too easy to ignore.

Clayton Makepeace, master copywriter and marketing expert, likes advertorials as one way to break through the clutter. He describes an advertorial as “something that offers the prospect a benefit just for reading it.” It’s like a white paper. Both are tied to a commercial message, but they also provide information the reader wants.

One thing that honks me with some advertorials is when creative tries so hard to make it look like editorial copy that they print the mandatory word “advertisement” in six point ultra- rubber- condensed type. Don’t be bashful. You’re not trying to trick people into reading your message. That tiny type can look sneaky.

Tell a story

One of the best ways to engage prospects is to tell a story. Good copy can weave your message into a story with a beginning, middle and an end--- a story that will interest your audience and sell your product. And the advertorial format lends itself well to storytelling.

Tip for the Little Guy

Study ads, advertorials, and testimonials that engage. Forget the fancy graphics. Use real photos of real people. Think like your prospect. What’s relevant to your product that s/he will find interesting? Find it. Then---tell your story.

Editors Note: You can visit Clayton Makepeace’s Web Site at http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/

2007-04-19T16:08:00.000-04:00

Smart marketing….

Don’t use a barbless hook

for direct response copy

A barbless hook does less damage to fish, but makes it easy to loose them. Same for direct response. After you hook readers the copy should dig in and keep them on line.

Here’s an example: This week I received an offer from AAA South Jersey with an envelope teaser that shouted, “Express Activation Required” and a subhead: ”DO NOT DELAY: Cards must be activated within 10 days to remain valid. “

I’m not a Triple A member, but the call to action from a recognized brand made me open the envelope. Good start. But inside, the sales letter again shouted “EXPRESS ACTIVATION REQUIRED” and asked me politely to “Please hurry” and if I did, I would qualify for the “ SPECIAL FREE OFFER---and save as much as $31.33 if I joined AAA on the very best possible terms.” It also promised; “Your benefits start now …TODAY.”

Then, as they reeled me toward the boat, they shifted to story mode. Good stories make great copy. Believable stories. Relevant stories. This shift in focus though, now has me back-finning. I want answers: “Hey! What’s the FREE OFFER? How can I be covered when I haven’t signed up yet? Why is express activation required?”

And the story has no barbs to hold me. It’s about going to lunch with a buddy and two other guys in your buddy’s car. He has a flat, no jack, and no motor club. Nor do the other guys.

But, guess what? You whip out your card, call Triple A and save the day. And your friends will be thrilled by your “rescue.”

Emergency road service when you’re a passenger is a nice benefit. But why the long preamble for an event with such a slim probability? It’s not the main thing AAA has to offer.

Come jump my battery on a bitter morning when I have to get the kids to school. Fix my flat on a spooky country road at 2:00 am. Bring me a can of gas when my car sputters, gasps and coasts to a stop in the middle of I-95. If something breaks that’s fixable, fix it. If you can’t, tow me.

These events are more likely to happen than thrilling my friends while a passenger.

On page two, the writer hits his/her stride with the real meat of the program, which should have been on page one: “You get the most complete Emergency Road Services in America, 24 hours a day.”

Here’s a chance to land me. Instead, the crucial services I want are presented in a paragraph rather than with easily scanned bullets that might get me in the boat.

.Change a flat

. Boost dead battery

. Open locked door

. Provide mechanical aid

. Bring spare gas

. Tow to safety

The rest of the sales letter describes the many benefits of membership. And indeed there are many. But maps and travel guides, online services, and savings on out-of-pocket costs are attractive bonuses. If you’re selling emergency service, put your copy muscle behind emergency service.

Oh no! Not here you don’t!

At the bottom of page three the letter talks about GAS REBATES. With high prices this should be a hot button. It tells me I can save up to 5% on gas at virtually any gas station when I swipe my AAA Visa® card at the pump. In New Jersey and Oregon you can not pump your own gas. Now if you can still swipe your card and get a fat discount, that’s a big money-saving deal. (Remember this mailer was directed to New Jersey motorists.)

Finally, on page four, we get to the SPECIAL FREE OFFER. Join now and you save $10.00 on the enrollment fee, $15.00 on each family membership, and $6.33 on an extra month of service--- and you get a free USA road map. As for the immediate coverage, it starts when you call or mail your activation card.

The rest of the mailer was excellent. It had everything a good package should: an envelope that got itself opened, Triple A decals, temporary membership cards, a nice little brochure that summarizes all the good things about membership, and a business reply envelop.

Tip for The Little Guy

The sales letter is crucial part of most direct offers. Sweat it ‘til you get it right, or hire a pro. A well-crafted letter can be the best investment you ever make. Remember: the letter sells; the brochure tells.

2007-04-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

Smart marketing ….

“Do Stuff” a Radioshack Magazine:

Relevant, Readable & Motivating

It promotes action; promises benefits; tells “how to;”

offers big discounts; and makes it easy to buy

with a call, click or visit.

Boy, oh boy! Some promotions are so well planned and executed it makes you smile with admiration for those who put it together.

Do Stuff is a nifty 6”x11” full-color 24-page attention grabber. The front cover welcomes you with a pretty lady and these promises:” Survive your next road trip”, “Make your own souvenirs,” “Podcast like a pro.” And then, page three piles on more hooks with a full list of “The Stuff” for us to do.

Bob Kilinski, the friendly talking head on the inside cover, explains that
Do Stuff is about the technology that makes “enjoying life” a little easier and more fun. Throughout the magazine the copy dances lightly along, takes the trauma out of tackling tech, abstracts the complicated and makes things understandable--- and doable.

I’d love to be privy to the ROI on this gem.

Tip for The Little Guy

Be serious as hell about what you sell, but deliver your pitch in a light and friendly style. You’ll sound like a warm human being with a message worthy of attention.

Get your hands on a copy of Do Stuff. Or, better yet read it now on line at www.RadioShack.com.

2007-04-05T09:15:00.000-04:00

Effective marketing…

Too many advertisers settle

for a weak call to action

Don’t just hint. Tell folks exactly what you want them to do. Learn from direct marketers. Whether it’s a one-step, two-step, or multiple step offer, once they’ve got your attention there’s never any doubt about what you’re supposed to do next.

Recently I saw a large color ad for a commercial feed industry product. It was for a product that needs lots of tech info about how and why it works and the benefits it promises to deliver…far more than can be squeezed even into a full page ad.

But after getting my attention, the copywriter dropped the ball with this lame call to action: “For details, contact your Dairy Nutrition Specialist, your nutritionist, or call 1-800-526-3563.” That’s passing the buck. What’s worse, this big expensive ad didn’t even mention the Company’s Web site.

Why not make it easy to respond? Send them to the site; offer more information; capture a lead for follow up; track response from that print ad; and supply the name and address of the Specialist who will do the belly-to-belly. Hey! And get another selling opportunity when you mail them a fat package of information they can study at their leisure and share with others.

Tip for the Little Guy: Don’t have a Web site? Get one. Whether you’re a local or national business, it’s one more way to make it easy for prospects to respond. What’s more, it’ll help you track and leverage all your media advertising.

2007-03-21T16:41:00.000-04:00

Smart marketing…

Winery Uses Postcards
To Promote Loyalty Program
And Special Events

Bellview, a boutique winery, near the tiny town of Landisville, NJ, mailed a 3-3/4” x 8-3/4” colored postcard recently that announced their new “Case Club Members” discount program, and listed ten special events scheduled for this year.

I know that sound like a lot for a little old postcard, but it all fits nicely; is readable; tasteful; .and makes you want to join the club and come out for the parties.

Loyalty Program: Those who sign up get 10% off when they buy a case of wine. At the end of the year, club members get another 5% in the form of a Gift Certificate. As a bonus that makes them feel exclusive, members receive invitations to special “invitation-only” events.

Special Events: Several of the events on the schedule have already been held. But that’s okay, It shows what you’ve already missed, and since these are annual events, what you might not want to miss next year. It also saves Bellview from revising the copy and layout.

Prior to each of the ten events, they’ll mail the schedule again. Good continuity and follow up. And it’s done with a modest budget. What’s more, the events are newsworthy and always get them some nice coverage.

Tip for The Little Guy: It’s great to innovate, but the wheel and fire have already been invented. If you have a great idea, test it and use it. But don’t strain. Use marcom that works: loyalty programs, specials, continuity, follow-up and media that fit your budget.

You can visit Bellview at: www.BellviewWinery.com.

2007-03-16T15:09:00.000-04:00

Marketing with White Papers…

Mothers of Invention White Paper

Is an Offer You Can’t Refuse

Via their blog, Feaking Marketing, The Mothers of Invention direct marketing agency have made and offer you can’t refuse. They've invited one and all to steal their meaty white paper, “How to be an Awesome Client.” I’ll aid and abet your theft with this link:

Download how_to_be_an_awesome_client.pdf

Click it. You’ll be rewarded with a tidy 12- page manifesto. Crisp and clear, it details the way things should be to reward both clients and agencies. You can download it in seconds, read it in minutes--- and follow its advice forever.

(Click Freaking Marketing in the links at right to capture more goodies.)

Tip for The Little Guy

White papers without hype are a great vehicle to promote your expertise. You don’t have to be a great writer. You just have to know what the hell you’re talking about. Get a pro to polish your prose.

You have useful information your customers and prospects can use. Put it in a white paper. Then, do what the bright guys at Mothers of Invention have done: give it way. And keep the thread going with follow-up that helps tie the knot.

2007-03-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

Brand image damage control…

Jet Blue's Quick Response

to Snafu a Lesson for All

Jet Blue is getting a lot of well-deserved positive press for the way it responded to a breakdown in its infrastructure that left passengers stuck and seething.

CEO David Neeleman bit the bullet and fessed up to J.B.s foul up. While a lot of top guns would have talked things to death he acted quickly. He sent out a formal apology letter and a video address. What’s more he posted both to their Website, ran the letter in The New York Times, posted the video on You Tube, and emailed his customers.

He not only apologized, but also promised that it would never happen again and backed up his words with a Bill of Rights that explains what compensation customers can expect in the future for delayed or cancelled flights.

Laura Ries, president of the marketing strategy firm, Ries and Ries, was quoted in DM News as saying, “‘We’ll do it like Jet Blue’ is bound to be the rallying cry of future brand leaders.”

Fast Brand Damage Control

A quick response (not a knee jerk) to the problem is a good strategy for containment and correction. Despite one blogger’s snarky headline about Jet Blue Groveling on You Tube, the response was speedy, and effective. It was also, I believe, the first time a CEO has used the new social media to look viewers in the eyes and apologize.

Tip for The Little Guy

I know what it’s like to work with companies that won’t admit they have a problem until it’s too late. As Grandma used to stay, “When the feces hit the fan, be ready young man.” She was right. Every business, whether it sells a product, service or idea, can get clobbered with a big or little PR disaster. If it happens, “No comment,” can be one of the dumbest comments made.

If you're ever hit with a problem, take a tip from Jet Blue. Okay. You can’t afford a page in The Times. But you can post a video on You Tube and promote it. And you can do a blog that tells your side of the story and (if you goofed up) what you’re doing to make certain it doesn’t happen again.

2007-02-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

Marketing strategy…

The 4 P’s of Marketing

Are Alive and Well

In the Jan. /Feb issue of 1to 1 Magazine, author Paul Greenburg says the 4 P’s are no longer king. He says now the 5 C’s dominate. They are: contextual, connected, collaborative, creative and content driven. Say what?

How do you make any of those high C’s make music without the 4 P’s of product, price, place and promotion. Aren’t the 5 C’s all part of promotion? And don’t those neat sounding C’s contribute to, rather than replace what helps establish product, price and place?

In the same issue, Lior Arussy, President of Strativity Group, argues for a new gaggle of P’s: preference, premium price, portion of budget and permanence of relationship. He says the new 4 P’s are not company-centric, but customer-centric. Say what?

How do you build preference, establish a premium price, capture a portion of budget and build a permanent relationship without those good old-fashioned P’s?

Also, in the same issue, James Vila, Senior Director, Carlson 1 to 1, and Principal Peppers & Rogers, says the idea that the 4 P’s are history “is clearly nonsense.” He argues that the Internet and the fragmentation of marketing disciplines and communications tools have changed the way we use the 4 P’s. Right on!

Peter Nyberg, President and Founder of Ingage, agrees. He says we need a holistic approach to the 4 P’s based on listening to customers to guide our strategies. Now that’s customer- centric.

Tip for The Little Guy

Click on www.1to1media.com to read the complete article and others relevant to all marketers, great and small. It will be a good investment of your precious time.

2007-02-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Advertising Creativity…

The UPS Store® gets a “Gutsy Award”

for running upside-down ad

It’s nice to see a big company with big cajones. I know it’s not the first time it’s been done intentionally, but The UPS Store® ran a full page ad upside-down in the March issue of Fast Company Magazine. That’s a risky gambit to capture readers. It took guts to make the bet. But I bet that ad earned high noticed and read scores.

When you flip it over, the message is right on: “Think this upside-down page is surprising? Imagine finding one in your presentation.”

The solution-promise comes next to a pretty talking head: “Don’t worry, bring your presentations to The UPS Store® and we’ll get them done right.” That’s a tidy bit of believable positioning about their capability.

History repeats itself

Many years ago, Red Garrison, publisher and editor of a trade journal, The Texas Poultry Times was asked by a new advertiser if anybody read his paper. Ticked Red off a little, so the next issue, he ran the guy’s ad upside-down.

When the advertiser’s phone started ringing off the wall, Red had made his point. What’s more when word got around that Red did it deliberately, those who missed the ad had to check the paper again to read it.

Tip for the Little Guy:

It’s tough to break through the clutter out there. Especially with a modest budget. Maybe running an ad upside-down isn’t a great way to get attention. Nobody likes to be conned. But if you can find a valid reason to do it without straining to be too cute, it might work. Just make certain the pub knows what you’re up to so they don’t try to fix it.

2007-02-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Time Magazine Article Helps

Support Effects of Branding

There may be no living with the brand guys now that they’ve read the Time article “Marketing to Your Mind.” (January 29, 2007). It substantiates with scientific research the power of branding.

Researcher P. Read Montague of Baylor College of Medicine gave 67 folks a blind taste test of Coke and Pepsi. The results: Tasters were closely split on their preference. But, when he repeated the test after telling them what they were sipping, three out of four said they preferred Coke.

The brand advocates will say, “Well, sure. That’s why we advertise. We build brand preference.” But the direct response folks will say the brand guys are just confirming what all great copywriters know: You sell more stuff when you leverage ideas that are already in the prospect’s head. Just tap my medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus circuits and you’ve got the sale? Well, not quite.

The point is, the brand folks have a point. Branding is getting a bad rap from some critics. They argue that you can’t measure the ROI on many branding campaigns. Once upon a time, that was true. But today there’s no excuse for not building in some metrics to help separate B.S. from accountability.

Branding Helps Persuasion

Marketing requires persuading others that you have a product or service that will fulfill a need or a want. It’s much easier to help prospects sell themselves when they know and trust your brand. The internet makes it much easier for them to shop products, compare features, benefits and price. When all things are equal, or close to equal, the strong brand has a leg up on the ladder to a sale.

Tip for The Little Guy

Brand AND sell. Forget the old notion that “You’ve got to keep your name before the public.” That’s not enough. You’ve got to sell stuff while you build a brand your customers and prospects know and trust. Every ad, every campaign, should be able to stand on its own while it builds the brand and promotes sales. Readers aren’t just hanging out waiting for your next message. Every bit of marcom is a sales and brand building opportunity. But, it’s not enough just to get them to love you. Give them reasons to buy.

2007-02-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

Advertising Media

Yellow Page Ads Can Help
Build Your Business

Some folks are writing off print Yellow Page directories. Some of these folks are absolutely vehement about how useless they’ve become. I think their death knell should be muted --- for a while at least.

Yes, despite stats that show how popular the Yellow Pages are, print directories are losing their clout. Meanwhile Internet Yellow Pages are booming and will continue to grow at the expense of print. But print Yellow Pages can still be a good investment for any business--- if used wisely.

Don’t Take Bad Advice

One guru has advised his readers not to invest more than 10% of their ad bucks in Yellow Pages. That’s quite an arbitrary recommendation to make without a clue about the marketer’s niche, USP, product, price, location, or marcom plan.

This same guy says the only thing Yellow Pages do is validate that you are in business in the community. Not true. They can do a lot more. He also says that Internet Web sites are the best way to get across what you do and who you are. But he doesn’t say how you get traffic to your Web site. Yellow pages could help.

The Yellow Pages are one more opportunity to connect with people looking for what you have to offer. They can do far more than validate. They can differentiate. They can provide helpful information. Used creatively they can motivate. Words have power and their ads can help move products and build trust.

This same blogger says, “Word-of-mouth business networking is still the best way for any business to get to customers. It is cheaper and produces quicker and higher quality results.”

No! No! Word-of-mouth is just one of many ways to get to customers. And it’s a damn good way. But compared to an aggressive marcom plan, it will not get quicker results or higher quality results. Every satisfied customer gained through marcom becomes a word of mouth emissary. You’ll get more emissaries quicker through effective marcom than golf outings or social networking.

When investing your marcom dollars remember: It’s not the big that eat the small, it’s the fast that eat the slow. Don’t depend on word-of-mouth alone. It may take forever. I’ve met dozens of passive marketers who use it as an excuse for not investing in a solid marcom plan.

Tip for the Little Guy:

Follow the Yellow Book Road;

It might make you rich and famous.

Set up your own detours and shortcuts. Steer around any pitch to match the biggest ad on the page. Don’t just set up a listing, though. . Take a shortcut to the sale. Present a benefit and a call to action. For example, those who visit your Web site or blog or call your 800 number will get a discount coupon or other premium. Leverage that little Yellow Pager and you’ll get your money’s worth.

2007-02-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

The Problem with Do-It-Yourself Advertising

Is Not Knowing what You Don’t Know

Herschell Lewis, author, marketing consultant, and copywriter once told me, “There are two things everyone thinks they know a lot about: How to run your business, and advertising.” They don’t know a lot about either.

There’s a painful amount of advertising dollars wasted because of lack of knowledge. People are writing ads who never studied copywriting… never heard of or read the books of Bob Bly, Dean Rieck, John Caples, David Olgivie or any of the other masters of the written word…masters who have created ads that moved (and still move) billions of dollars worth of products, services and ideas.

There are people writing ads who believe because they’re consumers of advertising that they are qualified to create it. Being a diner, does not make you a chef. And yet, not all great ideas belong to the professionals. Besides, advertising is so much fun it brings out the inept worst in people who fancy themselves as copywriters.

Advertising is not a science but it gets more scientific and measurable every day. But even more important, there are basic principles that work…principles that have been tested, researched and documented again and again. Those who ignore them are wasting money, or at the very least, not getting the results they should.

Advertising is surrounded by myths that stifle effectiveness and lead do-it-yourselfers down the wrong path. As a salesman, copywriter and consultant I’ve battled these myths for half a century. With modern measurements though, it’s getting easier to dispel them and prove just how wrong they are.

One Caveat

If you really have the time, temperament and talent for do-it-yourself advertising, hire the best damn copywriter you can afford to critique your work. You may find there are many things you thought you knew--- that you really don’t know--- but really should know.

Tip for the Little Guy

If you decide to do-it-yourself, it’s easy to get approval for your stuff from family and friends. But most of them are not qualified to offer constructive criticism. The approval you need must come from the market place. Professional counsel can help you avoid costly mistakes.

Whether you decide to tackle all or part of it by yourself, I strongly recommend
Do-It-Yourself Advertising by Sarah White and John Woods, from Adams Media Corp., 260 Center St., Holbrook, MA 02343.

2007-01-24T16:24:00.000-05:00

Event marketing

Push the pencil before

you push the event

Accountability and ROI for event marketing is an idea whose time came a long time ago. But a lot of us just weren’t paying attention. Some still aren’t. When I look back at some of the events I organized and hosted, I’m embarrassed by my failure to justify the outlay.

My associates and I would talked about “the good turn out,” “the positive feed back,” and all the other vagaries used to support what a great event we had sponsored. But we didn’t crunch the numbers to see if it was a smart investment of marcom dollars.

I’m enthusiastic about event marketing. It’s a powerful marcom tool. Problem was, when I was young I let my enthusiasm run away with my brain. I’m a mathematical idiot and shunned what I should have studied: What’s it going to cost and what’s the ROI?

Here’s an example

A few years ago a biotech company hosted a pheasant hunt for a handful of its best customers. As word spread about the event other customers ticked at not getting an invite said “Hey! How about me?” So they were invited. And the handful of customers grew and grew. Before the first bird was bagged, the host had invested $10,000 without a clear objective in mind.

To compound the felony, there was no follow up to the event…nothing to remind participants of the sponsor’s nice gesture. It did not generate new business, but in fairness, it was good for customer relations…at least with the few who took time to join the party. It should have been leveraged to insure its stickiness with some corporate wear or memento of lasting value that would help guests recall the event even years later.

When everything was totaled, it was an”oops!” moment for the marcom manager. He had no idea what the total was going to be, and it was a shock---especially to his boss.

Event marketing is powerful stuff

The example above is just to show the need for knowing what you want to accomplish and how much it will cost. Careful planning can make the difference between squandering funds and making a sound investment.

And, event marketing is not just for the big guys. Because events are scale-able, they’re doable for any size business. For example, Bellview Winery in South Jersey stages two major events a year. In the summer they have a seafood festival and fair. In the fall, they have a jazz festival and fair. The focal point of these events is the wine tasting tent, and the retail shop.

These folks don’t spend a fortune on their events, but they do attract new and old customers and can track increased sales to the events. What’s more, they get extra mileage from the press because the events make good copy.

Tip for the Little Guy

Your event doesn’t have to be spectacular to generate business. Consider going solo, but also consider coat-tailing or a co-op deal with a non-competitor or your vendors.

Events are an opportunity to get customers and prospects and their peers to have a personal experience with you, your products and services. And that’s good marketing.

2007-01-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

Ace Hardware Contest

Is Brilliant Marketing

This morning my daily newspaper carried a story headlined “Contest to decide owner of Ace Hardware.” That’s a grabber, but Ace is not on the block. The lead paragraph explains that aspiring entrepreneurs are offered a chance to own and operate their own Ace Hardware store if they enter the Dream Ace Contest.

The beauty of the program is the interaction needed between hopefuls and the Contest’s web site at www.dreamacehardware.com . They’re not just going to yank a name out of a bowl. Entering requires completing an online quiz in 45 minutes, and writing three short essays within two hours.

The prize is worth over $1 million and the winner won’t have to wait forever for the good news. The winner will be announced by March 15.

In addition to all the free space the program is getting, two 45-foot buses are zipping about the Nation promoting the contest and stopping at Ace Hardware stores in 40 markets to encourage people to visit the web site and enter.

There will be many winners for this program. Some contestants will surf beyond the entry pages to find out more about owning an Ace Hardware store. Others will find out more about Ace hardware products and services. Ace’s marcom folks will pick up gems of useful information from the essay questions. And the whole program will reinforce the brand with a continued stream of good public relations.

It’s Fun to Enter

This afternoon (purely for research) I entered the Contest. The time limits to complete the quiz and essay questions are generous. Yet, they reveal a lot about who Ace Hardware wants to carry their name.

Tip for the Little Guy

Enter the Contest. You might win an Ace Hardware store. And you will certainly win an appreciation for the magnitude of this program and its ability to leverage many channels to build and reinforce the Ace brand.

2007-01-08T14:03:00.000-05:00

Consumer Reports® Free Standing Insert

Should Be Studied by All Direct Marketers

Last week The Daily Journal that serves Vineland and Millville, NJ carried an 18-page FSI that should be reviewed by both tyro and seasoned direct marketers. It’s a fine example of many of the things that make direct marketing work.

The right audience: All 17,700 subscribers, plus newsstand and pass-along readers use products and services covered by Consumer Reports Magazine.

The right offer(s): “Do’s and don’ts to make you a much, much smarter shopper,” is the big promise, but it’s the specifics that grab attention: “Do invest in market beating funds.” “Do save 14% on gas.” “Do make your house pay off.” “Do lose weight without feeling hungry.” “We’ll tell you the best new car we tested.” “What the beef ads might not tell you.” “We’ll tell you the best digital camera buys.” “See page 16 for your FREE Buying Guide.” All this is offered right up front on the cover page.

Branding: The insert’s cover looks like a copy of Consumer Reports Magazine. What better way to capitalize on brand recognition and establish immediate credibility?

But these folks are just getting warmed up. Page two offers two reference books that cost $21.94 absolutely FREE: Buying Guide 2007 and How to Clean Practically Anything.

A letter”From the Desk of Jamie Darnow,” director of publishing grabs readers with questions such “Did anyone ever tell you…Or warn you… Or clue you... Or tip you off, etc.”. and humanizes the copy with his picture. Then, the letter continues as a prominent part of most pages right through to page 14 where the offer of a FREE issue of Consumer Reports and the two FREE books is repeated.

The tear-off Business Reply Card on pages 17 and 18 repeats the offer for the umpteenth time for the skimmers who may have missed it.

And a final nice touch, albeit in very small type: “Please allow 4 to 8 weeks for delivery of Free books and issue.” This may assuage the impatient (if they read it), but it’s also and opportunity to deliver sooner than expected and earn some bonus points.

My only question is why they didn’t include a time limit on the offer. Maybe they’ve already tested it with a time limit and found keeping the offer evergreen works better.

Tip for the little guys: Insert media gets attention. Maybe you can’t afford free standing newspaper inserts, but there’s an insert program for every budget. You’ll find a nice piece titled "Insert Media 101" at: http://www.allmediainc.com.

2006-12-29T09:02:00.000-05:00

Insert media programs

deliver excellent ROI

Okay. Not all programs are created equal. But even a mediocre program may be a good buy if you’re cash poor. And the beauty of inserts is there are so many programs available you can find one that’s right for your business. What’s more, like other direct marketing venues, inserts lend themselves to testing and measurement. And tweaking…and negotiating.

Insert media can be a DIY project, but I don’t recommend it for a newbie. Like most marcom ammo, few of us know as much as we think we do about the nuances of any channel we’ve seldom (or never) used. It’s best to work with an expert for your early ventures. Maybe later on you can get creative and network with simpatico partners to swap lists or do cooperative mailings.

Experts who have been there done that, can make recommendations and help you decide and test venues. Everyone is familiar with statement stuffers and free standing newspaper inserts (FSIs), but they may not have considered package inserts, piggybacks, card decks, dimensional mailings, and ( annoying but effective) blow-ins and many others.

One tip offered by experts is to expand your reach through what might be called unconventional partnerships. Your product may not be related to the mailer’s but still interest the same types of buyers. In other words, it may not look like a fit, but still fit.

Another piece of advice I like is to print your offer on both sides of a blow-in. Don’t assume the recipient is going to read both sides of a card. When s/he does, you’ve had a second shot to push your most important benefit.

If you do want to try a DIY program, one that I’ve seen work well on a tiny budget is to negotiate with clubs to include your material with their newsletters. Reprints of ads with special offers and coupons give you an easy way to measure response.

Two excellent sources of background info on insert media are Target Marketing Magazine at http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/ and DM News at www.DMNews.com.

Insert media is one of the many paradoxes of marcom. To break through the clutter we add to the clutter. But it’s good clutter. Check out the possibilities.

2006-12-11T15:49:00.000-05:00

Direct response marketing fundamentals

helped NutriSystem boost profits

from $2.5 million to $55 million

Instead of chasing silver bullets, little guys should focus on tactics that work. That’s what Mike Hagan has done since he took over at NutriSystem in 2002. Let’s look at his approach in terms of the four “P’s” of marketing.

Product: First, he fixed the product. He rehired diet scientist Jay Satz, who had left NutriSystem in 1990, to improve the Company’s menu. The result: new products renamed NutriSystem Nourish. Some describe the offerings as “small, safe and idiot proof portions.”

Place: He dropped retailers and bought out Company franchisees. Now customers enjoy the convenience of getting a month’s supply of shelf-stable nourishment shipped via UPS from one of five warehouses. And it’s nourishment that will help them loose weight.

Price: Mike Hagan’s company, like his best customers, is lean. Through outsourcing for data and logistics services; the commission program for call center reps; relationships with private label packagers; and low costs of distribution, the Company can offer competitive prices yet maintain healthy margins.

Promotion: NutriSystem leverages promotional dollars by taking advantage of left-over advertising inventory. This year, reports say they will invest over $100 million in advertising. With that kind of kitty, the opportunities for fantastic buys of space and time must be many.

Follow their ads, you’ll note the good old DM fundamentals at work: Every ad describes the food, promises weight loss, presents a bonus offer, provides strong visual proof with supporting testimonials, and has a strong call to action. And that call to action is backed up at their call centers by reps who know how to close the deal.

Mike Hagan was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Forbes Magazine. He junked a lot of silver bullet ideas that sucked and concentrated on the basics--- the four “P’s” of marketing success. And look where they took him and his Company.

2006-11-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

Good Advice from USPS:

“Save Your Foot. Use the Mail”

The United State Postal Service says the surest way to get your foot in the door is through the mail slot.

Despite those nasty remarks we all hear about “Junk mail,” most folks look forward to opening mail they feel is worth their attention. The challenge is to get them to feel that what you’ve sent them is worth opening. When your creative seduction works, it’s a great way to expose yourself without being lewd.

Anyone who has ever made cold calls either in person or on the phone knows just getting your toe in the door is a tough assignment. How sweet it is when a marketing plan that includes direct mail helps you find and qualify leads, set up confirmed appointments, or even handles the whole sales process.

Some Marketers Are Not Listening

Despite all the evidence that direct mail works, some marketers are so focused on the Web and email that they are neglecting a tactic that works. In “Marketers Resource Guide ’07, “ Bob Felsenthal, publisher of BtoB Magazine and BtoB Media Business, says “Integration of the traditional with newer techniques has proven to be the most successful strategy for business to business marketers of the past year.” Amen!

He also says, “Marketers that combine multiple channels and techniques with strong creative thinking and execution will win.” And that’s good advice, not just for business to business marketers, but for anyone with a product or idea to sell.

Direct mail is still a great bargain. The traditional sales letter remains one of marcom’s most potent weapons. Visit usps.com/directworks for ideas you can use.

2006-11-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

Direct marketing at its best:

Geico Insurance Company

What fun it must be to work for a client like Geico! They have a fat budget, a clearly defined U.S.P., a product needed by everyone with a car--- and the cajones to experiment with edgy creative to deliver their message.

How many clients would buy the idea of using a noisy little lizard as their spokesmen? Not many, I’m sure. But love him or hate him, Geico’s gecko must be helping them write a lot of new business.

And their caveman series: It’s edgy and memorable despite the strain to entertain. But it does entertain while it delivers the message that Geico could save you money on car insurance.

Nasty Streak?

Clients willing to take risks sometimes approve a series that may be clever, but lack empathy for some of the audience. For example, the series they ran of victims in dire circumstances that have their hopes elevated and dashed with: “I just got some great news. I saved a bundle on my car insurance with Geico.” To me, that’s more nasty than funny.

Protecting the high ground

Geico is on the move. They’re not just building brand and awareness, they’re writing new business direct. In an industry that’s often layered with many levels to reach the end user, they cut out the middle man, pass on savings and have lots of money left to invest in effective print, mail, phone, TV and web communications.

Others could do the same thing, but they’re not. At least not with the muscle that Geico uses. Geico must have an exceptionally astute bunch of bean counters who know what each retained and new policy holder is worth and they’re willing to let marketing do its job.

The insurance business is not a sporting event. Pile it on. Rack up the points. Let the other guys try to catch up.

Lesson for the little guy

Even when your U.S.P isn’t really unique, if you market it aggressively and the competition doesn’t, you can own it.

2006-10-26T08:11:00.001-04:00

Now, you can market your products

in the blink of an “ear”

Radio advertising is alive and well and getting better. Clear Channel Communications, which owns 1200 stations, in a master stroke of business acumen and listener empathy has launched “Less is More,” a program that reduces clutter and increases effectiveness.

Advertisers can now buy five-second “Adlets” or one or two- second “Blinks.” These innovators were probably greeted with the same skepticism as were the guys who first proposed only charging bridge tolls in one direction.

Will this help Channel land clients? Sure. But to make it more palatable to listeners and advertisers, they’ve cut down the number of ad minutes per hour and the number of commercials in each “Pod.” (Pods are clusters of commercials.) TV crams so many commercials into some pods that you know you’ll have time before programming resumes to go potty, mix another drink, or go out and turn on the garden hose.

Blinks and adlets won’t work for products that need a lot of explaining. But like billboards, they’re another touch point that can make a quick impression, crystallize a unique selling proposition, or direct prospects to your Web site where they’ll get the rest of the story.

Radio is hot, and the cool thing is that rates are often negotiable. A little guy can get a mega bang for his buck with the right timing, audience and creativity. According to industry experts, radio can claim over seven years of uninterrupted revenue growth. Stations must be doing something right---like giving clients a good ROI.

Check out http://www.clearchannel.com/ for all the details on the"Less is More," program.

2006-10-26T08:11:00.000-04:00

Now, you can market your products

in the blink of an “ear”

Check out http://www.clearchannel.com/ for all the details on the"Less is More," program.

2006-10-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

Here’s a message for Sales and Marketing:

“Hey guys, we’re all on the same side.”

Why this sibling rivalry between sales and marketing? We’re all part of the same family. When we do well our parents prosper and so do we. We’re all in the business of selling products, ideas and services. Whether it’s belly-to-belly, or through media and collateral, we’re all trying to persuade by providing information needed for buying decisions.

So let’s try to make our parents happy.

A 2004 study by the Chief Marketing Officer’s Council found that up to 40% of typical sales rep’s time was spent customizing materials for his or her job. That should never be. A rep’s valuable time should be devoted to selling. If a company invests $75,000 a year in salary and fringes for him to go sell stuff, he should not be allowed to use up $30,000 worth of selling time just getting ready to make the pitch. (That’s a hell of a wind up.)

Those of us who have run up and down the road for a few decades know how important the right support materials and prep time are to a rep. But we also know it’s far more effective to leverage marcom materials produced by the marketing department than to do it on our own.

The sales staff will argue that the materials aren’t right for them. That’s family discord that should not be allowed. Unless sales and marketing communicate and cooperate in the development of unified messages there will always be costly losses in efficiency, opportunity and productivity.

With today’s technologies, tweaking and customizing sales materials and presentations is best handled by marcom with input from sales.

Business is not an agrarian society. Let’s tear down the silos and cast out any smug occupants who think they have all the answers. It’s time to listen to one another with open minds. Then we’ll be better equipped to influence those who just might want to accept our offers.

Suggestion: Go to http://www.cmocouncil.org/ and read the 2004 special report: “Making Marketing Messaging Meaningful.” Though the study was based on interviews with CMO’s of technology companies, its findings apply to us all.

2006-10-10T09:03:00.000-04:00

Marketing Strategy:

Find what works,

then tune it.

The old cliché “here today gone tomorrow” sums up the fragility of many good companies. As Grandma always said, “Stuff happens.” And today it can happen like a lightening bolt.

Business plans and mission statements can be obsolete before you get home from your brainstorming retreat. That’s why a strategy that finds tactics that work, then does more of them, is hard to beat. (Yeah, I know also hard to sell.)

Everybody wants to know where there’re going. We’ve heard if over and over: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.” Well, look at Columbus. His strategy was wrong, but look where his tactics got him (and us).

We can’t control destiny, the market, or what competitors do. But we can control our response. Colonel Harland Sanders is a good example. At age 65 when a new highway siphoned traffic away from his restaurant he didn’t just close the door. He packed up his chicken recipe, and boogied down the road from Corbin, KY to build one of the Nation’s biggest franchises.

The Colonel’s strategy that built his empire came after he found a tactic that worked.

The marketing clock runs on double time. Today, that good old leisurely bell shaped curve of a product’s life cycle can look more like a rocket followed by a bomb. That’s why a little insecurity is a good thing. It makes you hustle while the competition is still home strategizing.

Tip for big and little guys: Read Bottom-Up Marketing, by Al Ries and Jack Trout. It makes a solid case for why smart marketers should get down in the trenches to discover what must be done.

2006-10-01T08:34:00.000-04:00

With Good Public Relations,

Customers Don't Have to See You

To See Your Image

Every nanogram of marcom that radiates from your business is a pixel of perception. Put them together and they present the full-color picture of your company’s soul.

Public relations’ efforts to present a pretty picture are not deception. They’re an honest effort to reflect the personality of those who run the business, and to reflect that personality as someone with whom prospects would like to do business.

Problem is, this effort can break down at any level. A cranky receptionist, a discourteous driver, the checker who forgets to say “Thank you,” the C.E.O whose tongue outruns his brain….The world of commerce is mined with big and little booby traps that can ding, dent, damn or destroy an image.

What’s the Big Deal?

Often associates not directly associated with sales and marketing aren’t aware that they’re part of marketing communications. They too contribute to the total picture. And sometimes their company-centric behavior or cavalier manner earns demerits. Enough little demerits become a big deal. Those who earn them deserve a slap on the wrist to help change their attitude.

PR Is Not Just for Damage Control

Many companies only think of PR when the feces face the fan. Without a program in place, or at least a high degree of public relations literacy on the part of management, it may be too late.

Email, chat rooms, forums--- and now blogs--- have changed the landscape for all. So-o-o-o-o-oh!: You’d better be good. You’d better watch out. You’d better not pout and you’d better not shout. ‘Cause your critics are already in town---and ready to talk.

Some public relations practitioners describe their discipline as the engineering of perception. That sounds a little too manipulative for my approach. Yet how we’re perceived can make or kill our business. Sometimes damage control requires a carefully crafted spin or a mea culpa from the brass. (Well, maybe “engineering” isn’t such a bad choice of words after all.)

In the Bad Old Days…

When I first entered the advertising and public relations business we were more publicists than true counselors. We tended to measure success (and so did our clients) by the amount of free space and air time we garnered. We were more into stunts than studies to check our effectiveness or our ability to change behavior and perception. We wrote speeches and issued press releases. Now, that’s still an important part of public relations, but we were never part of a company’s strategy. Public relations can become marcom's most powerful tool when it’s part of strategy and tactics.

PR , The Big Umbrella

Good public relations are the big umbrella of good marcom. It protects, nourishes, and supports your message. After all, nobody wants to listen to or do business with people they don’t like or trust. What’s more, it’s just as important to the little guy, or start-up as it is to the Donald. He can afford to goof up and rebuild as he has on several occasions.

So, up your image. Be nice. Mean it. Show it. That’s good Public Relations.

Tip for The Little Guy: If you can’t hire a consultant, read one: Power Public Relations by Leonard Saffir with John Tarrant, from NTC Business Books is a good start. Or, get a good PR guy in for a staff meeting to pitch your crew about how important it is to the success of any business.

2006-09-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

Loyalty Programs Are'nt
Just for the Big Guys;
They're for Everyone

Give back a little. Get back a lot.

Some pundits say loyalty programs aren’t working as well as they should. Well what in the world is really working as well as it should? Most things can stand a little tweaking. And sometimes, it’s the user that needs the tweaking. As one of my mentors used to say, “The best of anything is yet to be invented.” There’s always room for better products, programs and services and the ways they’re used.

If you dip in the kitty and invest 2% to 10% in a loyalty program that prevents customer attrition, that kitty will stay healthy. But loyalty programs aren’t just about buying loyalty. They help you gather the data you need for customer relationship management and modeling. It’s the synergy of the three that helps fine tune your marketing messages, strategy and tactics.

Loyalty programs can also be a defense tactic. If your competitors offer programs and you don’t, you better crank up one of your own. Just make yours better. How?
Don’t just copy the other guys, or offer bigger rebates. Your program, like your business, needs a unique selling proposition.

For example, it seems ironic but making customers pay to join your program may make them more loyal. Big boxers like BJ’s and Sam’s Club have annual membership fees that give you the privilege to shop in their stores.

BJ’s Inner Circle membership is $45 a year. If you upgrade to their Rewards Program for $80 a year they give you a credit of 2% on all qualified purchases.

Pizza Hut is another good example of a “Pay and Stay” program. When those big on pizza pay their annual fee of $14.99 to join the program they automatically get a free large pizza. And Pizza Hut gets names addresses and phone numbers for their data base and special offers.

L.L. Bean doesn’t charge for the privilege of shopping with them. They start with the goodies right up front. When you apply for their no annual fee L.L. Bean visa card, you’re rewarded with $15.00 of L.L. Bean Coupons. You also receive free shipping on all orders, free monogramming, and earn 3% on all purchases toward L.L. Bean coupons which are awarded in $10.00 units.

Use promotions to attract new customers. Use a loyalty program to keep them. Use CRM and modeling to build your business.

2006-09-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

Customer Relationship Management

isn't just for the big guys.

It's for everyone.

Some entrepreneurs get so busy chasing new business they get sloppy about taking care of what they already have.

For most businesses, the big opportunity

is to keep your best customers.

It’s much easier and more economical to sell a satisfied customer than to find and develop a new one. According to a study by the American Management Association, about 65% of most firms’ business comes from the customers they keep. They also say it costs about five times more to get a new customer than to sell another widget to one you already have. Those two reasons are enough to make you want to keep what you’ve got. But there’s more:

With a CRM program you can gather data and use it to develop models of predictive behavior that help you hone the timing and the message of your marcom. This brings you closer to predicting the R.O.I. for your efforts. What’s more, happy customers can be powerful advocates that help drive new business to your door.

Of course, CRM programs are not without critics. Some cite a high rate of failure by programs that don’t deliver as promised. But isn’t it quite possible that some people who bought into the program were expecting a silver bullet? CRM is not a silver bullet. It’s just one more weapon for the well-stocked arsenal..

Maybe customer relationship management isn’t the right term. It’s really about human relationships. And the heart of all human relationships is effective communications. So maybe we should be talking about CCM, or customer communications management.

But why get bogged down in semantics? The term CRM is good enough for the firms that research the subject. Forester Research has predicted the investment in CRM will be up to $73.8 billion by next year. Others. predict the investment will hit $101 billion next year.

For the little guy, it’s important to recognize that CRM can’t be done with just a change in attitude. Monday morning pep rallies can motivate, but CRM requires a process. It’s a process that’s not about you. It’s about them. It identifies customers, differentiates them, interacts with them, and helps you attempt to please them ----and retain them.

Here’s a suggestion: Log on to Amazon Books. Search for “A Crash Course in Customer Relationship Management.” You’ll find it on a $4.00 digital download of a Harvard Management Newsletter. Click it and in a blink it’ll be on your desk top.

It’s only five pages, but it’s meaty. It’s also a good starting point before you go to Google where you’ll get the rest of the story.

2006-09-11T09:47:00.000-04:00

Marcom & Strategy

A lead is a terrible thing to waste;

get the lead (Pb) out and follow it up.

When leads get old, they get cold. Today’s hot prospects can cool in a hurry. Interest levels drop. Priorities change. They get other offers. They forget about you.

Everyone knows qualified leads should be followed up promptly, but the way they’re handled often leads to delay and lost opportunity.

One year, a client invested $240,000 in business publications advertising. They generated over 1,000 inquiries, yet only a handful was ever tracked back to a completed sale. The director of marketing and the national sales manager never implemented a system that would have told what they should have known…a system that would have led to more effective measurement and communications, and more sales.

Some companies are successful in spite of themselves, and this was a very successful company. Yet they would have been far more successful if somebody really had a handle on what happened to every single one of those leads that cost $240.00 each.

In their defense, every inquirer received a fat packet of literature with a thank you cover letter. Each was added to the mailing list. The leads were distributed to area reps who passed them on to distributors; distributors passed them on to dealers; dealers passed them to salesmen.

The problem was, everyone felt the leads had been handled. And that’s just it. They had been handled, but not tracked to a final resolution. By the time a lead trickled down to a salesman, it was history.

When the issue was raised, lack of time and personnel was the excuse. That’s why follow-up and tracking must be automated or at the very least delegated to a honcho who makes sure those expensive leads are not wasted.

Now you can argue that the media budget did more than just generate leads. It did all those nebulous things agencies like to talk about: building brand recognition, awareness, impressions, image, reinforcement of the sales message, and warming the doorknob for salesmen. All true. But still wouldn’t it be nice to know what happened to every one of those 1000 leads?

Somebody has got to mind the store.

2006-09-06T14:40:00.000-04:00

If my call is really important to you,

have a live person answer the phone

Sometimes investing in the right automated phone systems is good business. But investing in systems that tick people off is dumb.

Customers and prospects are such precious things, why install a system that frustrates or angers them? Other than warning you that “this call may be monitored for better service” have you ever been asked what you think of the program?

Yes, I know such systems save money. One vendor of a voice recognition system says live calls (i.e. real people) costs from $2.50 to $8.50 each. They say they can save their clients 50% to 75% of that cost. But is this key touch point the place to save money? I don’t think so.

Most folks can handle a short and sweet menu without blowing their cool. But many automated programs are guilty of overkill, and it’s the caller who gets killed.

Okay, on repeat calls once they’re familiar with the drill and know when to punch the appropriate key, it’s not so bad. But on that first call they may have to listen to the whole menu at least once and then most of it again so they don’t miss the right key.

I am all for automation when it doesn’t separate you from your customers. But don’t turn your business into a vending machine. You can’t establish a relationship and start a dialogue with a machine.

Henry Ford said, “If there is any one secret of success it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from his angle as well as your own.”

Automated phone service is COMPANY- centric thinking.
CUSTOMER-centric thinking is the way
to win friends and influence people.

One of the many reasons I love L.L. Bean is that they usually have enough people on hand so a live person answers by the fourth ring. And they’re not wasting resources. When the phones aren’t ringing the service people don’t just sit around. They have other duties.

The point is, callers shouldn’t have to do The Dance of the Seven Veils before the system rewards them with a talking head---a talking head with answers.

Everything that saves money is not justified. In a market where getting another touch point is a challenge, why put on a girdle? Next to belly-to-belly selling, great phone operators are great assets. Wouldn’t it be nice to let them start doing their job by the fourth ring rather than waiting to greet callers already seething from a system that doesn’t feel their pain?

If you need a rationale for more operators, charge it off to customer retention or relationship management. That’s a very good investment.

2006-08-28T09:04:00.000-04:00

Marketing: Marcom & Strategy

To Put Gold in Your Kitty,
Practice "The Golden Rule"

Here’s some sound marketing advice from Jesus and Confucius:

“What you do not want others to do to you, do
not do to others.” Confucius c. 500 B.C.

“Do to others what you would have them do
to you.” Mathew 7:12

Problem is, there’s no such thing as total objectivity. That’s why we need things like sensitivity counseling, customer relationship management programs, and $1,200 dollar training seminars. Some folks just don’t know when they’re being obnoxious, intrusive, rude-crude oafs or PMS crabs-- unless they get special help. The rest of you who possess sensitivity and empathy can save your money.

Ah, but there’s that objectivity bit: The adage, “To thine own self, be true” is a tough mission. When it comes to human relationships we can’t get a clear picture by staring at our navel. Maybe a second opinion is needed. That’s why “This call may be monitored.” That’s why mystery shoppers can be a good investment. And when you can afford them, that’s why good consultants earn their money.

Maybe for us little guys, the best we can do is open our minds and hearts and try--- as we’ve been taught since childhood---“to do the right thing.”

I’m all for permission marketing, opt-in lists, and DNC lists (unless you have a prior PBR). But sometimes, like a loving parent with an inattentive child, it takes a smack along side the head to get attention. Just how hard and how often should be governed by how you as the recipient would feel about the choice of media, the frequency, and the message.

I believe a business is usually a reflection of the folks who run it. Nice guys and gals don’t finish last; it just may take them longer to get there. It takes time to earn the respect and loyalty of customers and to reap the benefits of their lifetime value. When others ask about your company, and your customers say, “They’re nice people to do business with,” that’s like money in the bank.

So if it doesn’t come naturally, practice “The Golden Rule” until you get it right. It puts money in the till. And Mama was right: It’s the right thing to do.

2006-08-22T11:24:00.000-04:00

Marketing: Marcom & Strategy

Strategy Not Working?
Try a Switcheroo

Lock the conference room door. It’s often a crap incubator for procrastinating prognosticators. Switch direction. Get out and find out what works. Then do more of it. Let tactics that work drive strategy.

A few years ago, I worked with a biotech company in the animal feed industry. It was founded by and staffed with brilliant scientists, long on technology and short on marketing skills. Yet, within a few years they were taking wheelbarrows of money to the bank They were so successful a long line of international suitors were soon knocking at the door, checkbooks in hand.

Now nobody in this start-up ever heard of the four “P’s” of marketing. But early on they discovered tactics that worked. They had the typical grandiose mission statement, wishful- thinking market projections, and a catchy slogan that most folks didn’t get unless it was explained to them.

But they also had a great product and a good story to tell. And they had no baggage about how things should be done. So they went out and discussed what they had to offer with the right people. They did the job with only three animal nutritionist who were also veterinarians. These PhD’s and DVM‘s had the credentials that opened doors. They knew how to tell their story and how to listen, how to ask the right questions, and how to offer solutions. In earning their papers they had been taught the art of discovery to diagnose and find the truth.

This talented cadre insisted they were not salesmen.
Perhaps. But they sure could sell!

They zeroed in on corporate animal nutritionists (most of them also PhD’s) who specified the products used in each company’s feed. They leveraged their manpower by staging nutritional seminars for both large and small groups of nutritionist. At the same time they were running research trials and publishing the results. With the buzz created, word of mouth helped pave the way to more and more receptive listeners.

Each time they tried a tactic that worked, it was added to their presentation-discussion-discovery program. When they decided to take the business to the next level, the tactics that worked became the bases of their communications program.

The implementation of the communications
program that evolved from tactics formed
the strategy that guided the company.

They never stopped selling at the top. But as they moved to the next level they reached out to the end-users through print advertising, trade shows, direct mail, newsletters, nutritional seminars and event marketing.

The business flourished. Then it was sold to the highest bidder. And the investors lived happily ever after.

The lesson learned: The switcheroo from strategy first
to tactics first, helped hone a living strategy that quickly
built a multi million dollar company.

For an excellent read on this approach, I recommend Bottom Up Marketing, by Al Ries and Jack Trout.

2006-08-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

Marketing Communications & Strategy

Permission marketing at its finest:

"May I have the next dance?"

A polite request to hold a pretty lady (or handsome gentlemen) in your arms while you sway together can create marketing communications at the highest level. But it has to start with permission.

It’s the same in today’s marketing arena as in the dance hall. Whether you sell products, programs or ideas, before you can get on the dance floor with your audience you need their permission.

Sure. You can shout at them and get attention, but they’ll only “hear” if they want to listen and ”see” if they want to look. Folks are tired of being annoyed. And a bigger ad spend is not the answer. You’ll just add more to the clutter.

I’ll be the first to agree that sometimes intrusive marketing is an easy way to get the lady to notice you, but it should be done with a touch of class. You can still be polite. Not stuffy polite. Just polite and nice. Empathetic polite.

I think Seth Godin was the first to coin the term permission marketing. He did it seven years ago when he published Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers. The growth of spam blockers and the use of opt-in email show he was right on with his message.

Here’s a tip you can use: Both big and little guys can find a ton of marketing ammo and insights on Seth’s blog at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ He’ll even send you four FREE chapters of his book via email.

2006-08-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

Marketing Communications & Strategy

When headlines giveth

and disclaimers taketh away...

(The Gospel According to Jack)

In the old days we used to call it “Ultra Rubber Condensed.” That’s where you put your disclaimer, caveats, or restrictions in tiny type, shrink it to unreadable size, and try to hide it where it won’t be noticed. Copy set in URC type is often used to appease gutless attorneys, placate CEO’s who’s idea of marketing is based on abject fear, or to comply with “Big Brother” regs designed to protect us all.

Radio and TV advertisers can’t get away with this sort of chicanery. They can’t whisper their warnings or conditions. Best they can do is deliver the scary stuff with a very pleasant voice, or babble it so quickly it’s hard to follow.

The typical print approach to disclaimers is the deadly asterisk. The damn thing breaks your readers’ reading pattern, and unlike a P.S. that enforces your message, it calls attention to the negative stuff. And you haven’t even had a chance to work your word magic.

To compound the felony (it may be responsible for the death of your message), it can make you look sneaky when you’re not really the sneaky type. Transparency, which is a nice word for honesty, is the best policy.

If you have something important to say, even if you don’t really want to say it, don’t try to make believe it’s not important. Despite constant exhortations to “read the fine print,” often it’s only the anal retentive who comply. Most folks don’t think you’re trying to screw them. So why emphasize the takeaway?

Copy guru Herschell Gordon Lewis, in the July issue of “Direct Marketing Magazine says using and asterisk to qualify something you’ve presented as an unconditional claim is cheating. Amen.

His suggestion: use parentheses immediately following the claim you want to deny. This he points out, will play down the disclaimer rather than emphasize it.

You can read Herschell’s entire column at www.directmag.com. Go ye there and your mind will prosper.

2006-08-02T16:08:00.000-04:00

Don't Let Left-Brainers
Kill Your Brainstorms

The perennial battle between the chicken approach to innovation and the bright ideas of creative people with sales sense goes on and on. And when the creatives lose, no one will ever really know if the idea sucked, or if not using it cost the marketer a bundle because it might have worked.

One big problem though…. Many creative folks lack sales sense. They are the ones who create messages that are clever, cute, graphically superb--- and irrelevant and ineffective! No wonder the bottom-liners are afraid to try something new. If you stubbed your toe on a tent peg in the darkness, the next time you go out to pee you’re bound step with caution.

Marketing communications needs both left and right brain thinkers--- and ambidextrous thinkers who see the big picture and can put it all together.

A marketer’s biggest weapon today is creativity. The second biggest is the ability to track the effectiveness of that creativity. It’s not complicated. If it doesn’t work, stop it. If it does work, do more of it.

Creatives will find plenty of ammo to support their battles with the gutless in Pat Fallon and Fred Senn’s new book: Juicing the Orange.

Here’s what Kenneth J. Roering, Professor, Marketing and Logistics Mgt., Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota says about the book:

“Juicing the Orange may be the most interesting, enjoyable, and informative book on enhancing business performance available. The authors’ humble, thoughtful delivery of a truly valuable message qualifies this book for my ‘must read’ rating.”

The book’s Web site is a stellar example of creativity that entertains, informs, and sells. Check it out at: www.juicingtheorange.com.

2006-07-20T15:11:00.000-04:00

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

What takes place between consenting
adults is everybody's business

When a customer consents to do business with you it’s a liaison that deserves more than a peck- on- the cheek “Thank You.” It’s another opportunity to show that you’ll still love him or her in the morning. Good customer relationship management programs can help foster fidelity. But these programs can’t automate good judgment. And that’s why what takes place in this relationship is everybody’s business.

In the July/August issue of Sales & Marketing Management, Scott Hornstein, president of Hornstein Associates, Redding CN, presents a powerful case for treating customers as individuals rather than as a group, and that requires good judgment.

The author says, “Interaction with the individual is widely viewed not as an opportunity, but as a cost to be driven down.” That’s a dangerous viewpoint that can evolve from looking at customers as a group rather than as individuals. This attitude or lack of attention to individuals presents an opportunity for sensitive marketers who have empathy for their customers.

Permission marketing seeks a conversation with customers. And this requires thinking of them not as a group, but as individuals. Every contact should reinforce the relationship. Every contact is an opportunity to continue to woo and wow and make each one feel special. CRM is everybody’s business

Scott Hornstein is coauthor of Opt-in Marketing: Increase Sales Exponentially with Consensus Marketing. He can be reached at: edit@salesandmarketing.com

2006-07-13T16:06:00.000-04:00

Marketers should keep trolling
to find hot sales prospects

Media reps will tell you concentration is the best way to make maximum impact. Spread your message around, they say, and you’ll only weaken it.

Okay. Yes. But. If you continue to only fish in the same spot you may not catch some of those who are extra hungry for what you have to offer.

Why not compromise? Depending on your product or service you might invest some of the budget in low- cost print and ezine classifieds, radio spots, or paid search marketing. These media and directories attract prospects that are already in the market. In a sense, this is permission marketing. The buyer is looking for those with a solution. His visit is your permission to present your offer. So, why not make it easy for him to find you?

Some excellent prospects may not be swimming in that big lake where you placed all your lures.

Now, you can do all sorts of sophisticated cost analysis about media buys. Or you can just go ahead and give this idea a shot. Innovate. Explore. Discover. Then adopt, adapt or abandon the tactic. Chalk it up to R&D. It’s a tactic that can help shape your strategy, hone your appeal, and discover hot spots that need attention.

One of my clients was the largest distributor of hearing aids in South Jersey. He used both classified and display advertising in daily and weekly newspapers. While the display ads were good for his brand, it was his heavy schedule of low-cost classifieds that produced the most leads for his reps.

Let’s assume you’ve concentrated your budget in full page insertions in the number one publication for your market. Can you still dominate a page with less than a full page? Of course you can, and you’ll have a few bucks left over to go trolling in other pubs or venues.

.

2006-07-06T11:43:00.000-04:00

USPS Deliver Magazine
delivers lots of ammo
for direct marketers

Okay folks; let’s put aside snide buzzwords like “snail mail.” The United States Postal Service that contributes so much to the success of so many deserves better. True, it can’t get to the target with a click of the “send” button, but it can do a lot of things that email can’t do alone.

Deliver Magazine is one of the nice things USPS does six times a year for direct marketers. Each issue is a valuable resource of ideas, insights and techniques for marketers. For example, the July 06 issue is 30 pages of fast- reading content- rich material. It contains articles on strategy, targeting, customer retention, refining customer targets, and changing demographics.

Any emphasis on the mailing of printed material as part of the marketing mix is purely intentional. (Come on, that’s their business!) The refreshing thing is that any bias is supported by facts and presented with objectivity.

Here’s a taste of just a few of the goodies you’ll find in the July issue:

Jeanne Bliss’s opinion column, “Customers in Captivity” debunks the customer loyalty myth. “It’s not about the “stuff” we give.” she says. “More importunately, it’s about doing business with us and about how important they are to us.”

Jennifer Haupt’s article, “Perfect Harmony Sells,” makes the case that loyalty programs based on price reductions or rewards don’t work.” In the B-to-B world,” she says, “you need to develop long-term relationships where you treat customers as partners.”

Another article tells how the Pfaltzgraff Co. used Yankelovich Research findings to guide their marcom by helping them identify eight different groups of customers, differentiated by values, world perspective and motivations.

Marketing guru Seth Godin, interviewed by Scott S. Smith, suggests that in today’s world, customer needs have already been met. Your product needs to satisfy their wants, and these wants are subjective and irrational.

And that’s just a sample of the great content. The July issue also announces a contest to show what we can learn from failed campaigns. The editors want to hear about the half-baked strategy or the lamest client pet project you’ve ever had the joy (?) of experiencing ---and what you leaned. They’ll feature the best (of the worst) entries in an upcoming issue.

Deliver is a pub that’s worth your time. It should be read by every one who has anything to do with marketing. And if you’re in business, that’s everyone. To subscribe go to www.usps.com/deliver.

2006-06-29T09:03:00.000-04:00

The buzz you hear is true:
Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM)
is affordable and it works

It’s not just that it’s an idea whose time has come; it has always been around. Eve was an early adopter. When she told Adam, “Take a bite of the apple; It’s delicious!” that was WOMM. Some say the apple was a metaphor for something else she had to offer. Regardless. It’s a case study of the beautiful simplicity of WOMM. combined with Point of Purchase (P.O.P.) merchandising.

When I was a display advertising A.E. for a daily newspaper, the hard-to-sells often told me “Word of mouth advertising is the best.” They were wrong. Not because WOM wasn’t effective. They were wrong because their competitors who advertised got more customers sooner than guys who sat on their wallets waiting for business. But most important, these new customers… this little band of happy campers… soon became a WOM army.

So WOMM always worked. True, it worked better for those with a few bucks to get it rolling. But now the big change is that there are more opportunities for the little guy to make it happen. Today--- via the internet, blogs, peer reviews, cell phones, instant messaging, video, photo sharing, file swapping--- people send and receive more information in a nanosecond than we could ever imagine.

In the old days (circa 1990’s) those fond of business-speak liked to say “Communications is a two-way street.” They didn’t have a clue! They continued to push messages without listening. Now they have to listen. Their prospects and customers will be heard. And these customers and prospects will pass on both the good and bad word about companies and products.

Customers, prospects, mavens, gossips (and bloggers) will respond to ideas, events and promotions that get them talking. For example, the July issue of Wired Magazine has a little 14-page booklet insert titled: “Backseat Driver’s Manual.” The sponsor, Volkswagen’s Jetta, is hardly mentioned.

The useful information it contains is presented with a light and smiling touch. This little promo already has people talking (I am) --- and checking out the Jetta.

WOM isn’t a product pitch. It’s the start of a conversation that helps make good things happen. The messenger isn’t a shill planted to get you in the tent. The messenger is another respected person with a story or opinion that can influence you and others.

WOMMA, as someone remarked, is in its sophomore year. Now is a good time to join the class. For starters go to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s home page at: http://www.womma.org. The site is loaded with excellent information, guidelines and case studies that can trigger ideas for your own WOMM.

2006-06-19T11:49:00.000-04:00

“Show Up & Throw Up Selling”
Can Leave the Wrong Message

When young and too eager for my own good, I used to show up and barf a fusillade of benefits and features that left prospects glassy eyed. It took a while, but I learned that if I talked less and listened more, I did a much better selling job.

At the time, I was assistant sales and advertising manager for one of three companies that pioneered automation for poultry feeding, and egg handling. The three companies competed head to head and with dozens of others that were still doing things the old fashioned way.

Our distribution was both direct and indirect through distributors and dealers. Our sales staff included both company and independent reps. (It sounds like a hodgepodge, but it worked remarkable well.)

From sales calls, trade shows, and sales meetings, I learned that glibness was not an asset. Our most effective reps were those who soaked up more than they spouted out. They were strong closers, but they didn’t rush the deal. When the C.E.O. asked how a particular deal was progressing, they knew. They were tenacious without being obnoxious.

Most of all, they knew our products and their customers and how to find the right hot buttons. And they knew when to shut up.

In the decades since, I’ve made sales calls and worked trade shows with hundreds of talented people. And I’ve stood at the elbow of many others who suffered from my early malady. They showed up and threw up in an attempt to make a perfect pitch when they should have been listening for the right notes.

2006-06-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Good Marketers Eschew Obfuscation

A good start is not to use words like eschew and obfuscation.

Here’s a tip for all marketers, not just the little guy: Big words don’t make a marcom writer sound smart and neither does business-speak. Buzzwords and buzz phrases are not cool.

Clichés deserve their lumps. Still, most of the more apt have stood the test of time. Not so with buzzwords. Some are so recently coined, only a few know what they mean and that sometimes includes the coiner.

Buzzers are second cousin to politically correct language. When you call killing people “collateral damage,” that’s a real stretch. Buzzers, like their cousins who create such PCL, sometimes deliberately mint stuff to cloud meaning. For example, when someone says they want to “deep dive” a subject I assume he wants to examine it thoroughly, but I may be wrong.

Nevertheless, “deep dive” is ready to take the plunge as a substitute for solid words like explore or examine. Actually, it’s not a bad choice of words ---yet. But when empty heads start using it to impress, the novelty and power dissipate. It looses the ability to communicate.

Viable is another good word that has been demoted by folks who overwork it trying to sound smart. Doesn’t “good alternative,” “a possible alternative” “a workable alternative” or “a lousy alternative” tell you more than a vacuous “viable alternative”?

Another word that smacks of buzz to me is “operationalize.” I think…but may be wrong…that it means what you do to make something work. The danger is that it can be dumped into a meeting by a presenter (a.k.a. The Shadow) and cloud men’s minds so they can not see through him.

And, that’s the big danger of buzzwords and buzz phrases. Under the guise of sounding like they know what they’re talking about the perps are often guilty of shallow, sloppy thinking or just plain ignorance.

Just for the hell of it, the next time someone lays a buzzword or buzz phrase on you, ask for an explanation. If it’s good, you can add it to your repertoire or repartee.

For a good laugh, and a lesson in “How Not to Communicate” visit http://www.buzzwhack.com/. You’ll chuckle at the pompous stuff that folks are generating in an attempt to impress.

###

2006-06-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

Reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmatic:
heavy ordnance for marketers

The analogy between war and marketing is hard to escape. Like a good cliché it stands the test of time. It’s appropriate. But let’s tweak it a bit.

The battering ram and the catapult are passé. Victory now comes to those with permission to present their offer. It comes to those who know why, where, when, how and to whom they present... What’s more, regardless the degree of sophistication, it comes to those who understand the triple impact of modeling, permission marketing and the importance of dialogue.

But most of all it comes to those who tap the basic tools of reading, writing and arithmetic to guide their strategy and tactics.

Reading: scan, skim, dip, or plod and devour

Once a group of brilliant scientist tech reps were flummoxed by my simple question: “How do you make your living?” After a little coaxing, they all agreed that they made it “By selling stuff.”

When asked the next question, “In the past year, how many of you have read a book or magazine devoted to the subject of selling? “, not one raised his hand, not even the PhD with the title of marketing director.

The point is we are all salesmen of products, services or ideas. Why not devote some time to the subject? There’s so much valuable information available on line and off line on every phase of marketing that it boggles the mind. But the good news is you don’t have to read everything that’s printed. Just skim related books, magazines and newsletters for the meat and potatoes (or tofu and alfalfa sprouts) that will nourish your ideas and your business.

Read the book. Then call the consultant

Consultants earn their fees. But before you call for a session, read the guy’s book(s). After you read his $30 or $40 dollar book, you might not even have to call him.

Nobel Prize Laureate, Joseph Brodsky said, "There are worse crimes than burning books. One … is not reading them."

Writing: what you say and how you say it

Good writing is the heart of effective marketing. Yes, yes. I like pictures too. But the adage that “One picture is worth a thousand words,” is a crutch for some creatives. They cripple good ads when they lean on the graphics and forget the sales message needs the support of clean, crisp copy laden with benefits.

Some marketers have a tin ear, others perfect pitch. “Just the facts, Ma'am,” isn’t enough to motivate. What you say and how you say it can launch or scuttle a campaign. Often one word can make or break a good ad or cause a public relations crisis.

Rudyard Kipling said, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." To help that drug produce the high that helps people buy instead of producing a stupor, you need a good ear, sympathy and empathy--- or the services of some one who does.

Arithmetic: count what counts

When a company, large or small goes down the tube, you wonder if any one was counting. You don’t have to be a financial genius to see the doomsday bus before it runs over you. You just have to know how to count and what counts.

Bean counters are not bad people

Over the years I’ve done my share of bitching about bean counters. Usually it’s been directed toward bookkeepers who tend to be historians rather than accountants with a feel for marketing. Those who understand the difference between immediate ROI, and ROO (return on objectives) are not paper clip economists.

Accountants can be creative as hell ---and still legal. But the boss better know what they’re up to. Spreadsheets are great, but so is a happy facility with grammar school math.

So, what’s it all about, Jack?

The three “R’s” are a prime source of marketing ammo. They can supply the information, motivation and control that guide strategy and tactics. They can also keep you from getting screwed.

2006-05-16T15:54:00.000-04:00

Modeling helps you harvest
low hanging fruit for
a better ROI

Mention modeling to some small business men and visions of Victoria's Secret dance in their heads. But this message is not about the use of luscious ladies to seduce readers. Rather, it's about how to get the best ROI with behavioral models that abet your seduction of those most likely to be seduced.

Modeling is like a matchmaker who helps you wine and dine those with whom you are most likely to score. It helps you predict outcome and direct efforts where they will do the most good. And it works.

The beauty of wise allocation of resources is it eliminates waste and frees funds for other profitable initiatives (like taking more money to the bank). Casual observations by even the most astute can miss opportunities that a model makes clear.

Hey! Can you live without it? Yes, but you'll live better if you understand how and why it works so well. Use it with laser-like focus to get new customers and keep the old, sell more to existing customers, forecast a campaign's probability of success, gather leads and convert leads to orders. Whatever your business objectives --- assuming you have the right product and price--- there are models that will help you reach your goals---models that will help you direct your efforts when and where they'll have the most impact.

But, it's not a piece of cake. Goose Google with a "Marketing Models" search and it will jump up with about 7 2,000,000 references to explore. That's a tad more than you'll want to tackle. And even if you just selectively click through the first few pages you'll find enough theories and arcane formulas to make your head throb. But you will also find information that will convince you that this is marketing science that works.

Now, you have several choices. All of them cost money: (1) After due diligence hire an outfit with the credentials and expertise to do the job for you. (2) Hire a consultant to direct your efforts. (3) Buy a book(s) and do it yourself.

My recommendation is to get a book. and a consultant. Start by visiting Jim Novo's web site at: http://www.jimnovo.com/

The site is jammed with solid information you can use even if you don't want to buy his book or hire him as a consultant. But Jim Novo is the type of gutsy marketer I admire. He'll let you read the first 9 chapters of his book for free if you sign up for his newsletter.

If you're in a learning mode, you're one of his models and he makes you and offer at the right time that's hard to resist.

Another suggestion: Contact Tom Luke: tom@cornerstonelists.com. Tom has proved that modeling is high-powered marketing ammo. As Director of Direct Mail Operations for a distributor of software, he mailed 60 million pieces annually and used modeling to build and maintain a customer data base of over 4 million.

When it comes to practical application of modeling, he's been there. Done that. And did it well.
###

2006-05-04T17:23:00.000-04:00

Little Postcards solve the big problem
of getting your mail opened

Even great envelope teaser copy may not be enough to get your direct mail package opened. Why miss an opportunity when a postcard is a perfect fit?

You can show and/or say a lot on a postcard. Visit www.nmoa.org/sponsors/imp.htm where you’ll see what copywriter Bob Westenberg does with 4 x 6 “postcards. His little newsletter appropriately named IMP is full of quips, quotes and comments.

But Bob does more than entertain. He also sells his services, documents his experience and establishes creditability with a long list of impressive clients.

Here’s another example of smart marketing with postcards: Belleview Winery, located in South Jersey, combines 4 x 6” postcards and event marketing to reach prospects and customers on a regular basis. Early in the year they do a mailing which lists on one side all 12 events scheduled for the year. On the address side they promote the current event. Most are two-day events and a timely reminder postcard will go out before each one.

Owners Jim and Nancy Quarella also leverage things nicely with plenty of pre and post event publicity and a supply of cards at all their retailers.

For trade shows and exhibits, I like to send a pre show postcard to advance registrants, or even to the show sponsors’ complete mailing list when appropriate. It’s a good way to build booth traffic. Why wait for folks to show up and find you? Tell all the folks down at 42nd. Street that you will be there!

Some gurus say it takes seven impressions to move someone to action. That’s a big generalization. If your product, message and timing are right, one little postcard (remember, it’s already opened) in the right prospect’s hand is a call to action that works.

It’s like putting a miniature billboard in your prospect’s hands. And, it provides more detail than she could absorb zipping by a billboard at 60 MPH. Unlike the billboard, she can save it, review it, and pass it on to others. So while she’s out of her vehicle, you’ve used your marcom vehicle to get multiple impressions without another drive by.

And here’s another bonus: In many offices, before it gets to the addressee, your postcard is already hard at work. Any hand that handles it may be connected to a prospect, customer, or influencer...all V.I.P.'s to marketers.

Your postcard is like a sound bite. It makes the meat of the story a palatable snack. It’s economical and tasteful…a way to break through clutter without a sledge hammer. And they work. I know. They’ve worked for me and my clients.

A great source loaded with ammo on the subject is www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com.

2006-04-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

Who’s Afraid of the
Big Bad Wolf-Mart?

Little guys can build brick houses that
don’t get blown away by big marts
and big-box clubs.

The platitude that “competition is healthy” doesn’t cut it when a retailer hears another super-duper-mart or big-boxer club is coming to town. Fear that he may be eaten by a wolf-mart is well founded. Unless he’s built a brick house he can defend, he may indeed be lunch. It is not without precedent.

Recently a city planning board approved a super Wal-Mart on the edge of its 100-year old downtown retail area. The many objectors at public hearings could not deny the inevitable. The allure of income from new jobs and taxes plus a powerful magnet to draw shoppers, had city fathers salivating.

So Wal-Mart, as it has with so many others, had its way with the fair city. Some retailers looked on the event not as the consummation of a good marriage, but as the screwing of their business.

One business owner tried to organize a protest.

As an obit to its demise, he staged a funeral procession through the old retail district. The stunt got more press than participants. Only one mourner joined him for his march and the photo opportunity at the end.

This same guy instead of hollering “Uncle,” and just getting back to business, took time to post his objections in a long letter to the Editor. One of his points was,”Wal-Mart will attract the wrong kind of people.” Wow! You can imagine the reaction from all us folks who ever saved a buck by shopping Wal-Mart?

Now, in this same city there’s an independent appliance retailer nicknamed Skip. A few years back instead of a having a panic attack when the first discounters started to circle the city, Skip moved his family business to the edge of town. He plopped his store right in the middle of his new competitors. They drew traffic and he jumped in the fast lane.

A few months ago, this same little guy with the gonads for greatness accepted without a tremor the grand opening of a huge Best Buy less than a mile away on the same highway.

After the opening he told a reporter, “We’ve waged this war before, and won. Silo, Dee’s, American Appliance, even Crazy Eddie…we’ve always had to complete with big chains and we’re still here.”

Here are a few of the bricks used to help build his wolf- proof business:

Customer relationship management: Not from textbooks or software. From the heart. Empathy and knowledge of what his customers want, need or could use.

Loyalty program: He’s loyal to them. Everybody gets a good deal every time. And they keep coming back. Once a year, he has a spectacular by-invitation-only private sale. He makes customers feel special –and they are special.

The NECO Alliance: There’s a presumption that the big guy’s price is always better. Au Contraire! Skip’s prices are always competitive. He belongs to a buying coop with 450 independent appliance dealers. Collectively they have the buying clout of a chain, so each has access to the same price sheets as the big guys.

A mature sales staff: His stable of stable sales pros can cross sell, up sell, down sell and outsell their competitors. They’re generalists who know every item in the store. What’s more, they can cut a deal without consulting a higher authority.

Detail Oriented: They are “passionate about getting everything right.” Problems are handled quickly and fairly. Everybody knows how to smile and say thank you. To Skip, every call really is important: Live people answer the phone!

All sounds pretty basic, doesn’t it? It is. And it’s also why this savvy marketer is not afraid of any big bad wolf-mart. He is too busy doing business.

###

2006-04-15T09:57:00.000-04:00

Think “inside” the box
before “outside” the box”

Thinking outside the box is a buzz phrase. Business-speak folks love to use it. Yes, it does have a place in the lexicon of creative thought. But it’s a poor choice of words when presented as insight by a Dingbert (sic) who hasn’t had an original idea this century.

Sometimes, like a cat, you can get in trouble for going outside the box. Still, I welcome cockamamie concepts. Often they make the juices flow and lead to good things. But I’ve worked with clients who jumped out of the box (before they did their duty) to chase a new silver bullet idea. In their quest, they abandoned what worked and lost momentum and business.

One client dropped a new dealer support program in regional publications after only two insertions. They pulled the plug before they analyzed both the short term results and the potential life time value of each new customer. Then they shifted their focus (and budget) to reinventing the product and package.

By not running a modest follow-up campaign they frittered away the investment already made.

Marketing communications is no job for quitters. Sure, there’s always room for tweaking and innovation. Just don’t be too quick to think outside the box of proven concepts until you’ve honed the reliable tools you have…tools with a history of building business for smart marketers with the patience and skill to use them properly.

The message: Think inside the box first. You’ll be more likely to increase the R.O.I. of your marcom budget.

2006-04-09T09:08:00.000-04:00

When you can’t get belly-to-belly,
try ads with a talking head

Talking heads attract readers and add credibility to your message

Even when you quickly scan a publication, it’s hard to ignore a photo of a pleasant looking spokesperson…especially one who looks you in the eye and promises a benefit. And this talking head doesn’t have to be a celebrity, though notoriety does kick up the metrics a notch for noticed, read and remembered. Problem is, can you afford to blow a big chuck of your budget on a big name?

Unless you get your jollies jostling among the rich and famous, stick with a talking head with a lower price tag. Invest the money saved in more insertions and/or larger space, or other venues.

Rumors to the contrary, print is not dead. People still read newspapers and magazines for information and pleasure. But, the clutter of marcom creates a cacophony that’s hard to penetrate. That’s why I like photos with real people. They’re hard to miss, even in a crowd.

The talking head is a good tool to snatch a little piece of a multi-tasker’s attention. When he or she breaks for a quick flip through a magazine or newspaper, a photo of another human has a good chance of getting noticed. It helps, too, if the head has credentials that add credibility, like PhD, DVM, MD, RN, Master Plumber, Owner, Manager, or President.

I know from personal experience, readership studies, and the track records of direct response writers, that small space ads with a person who talks to the reader can be very effective. One of my winners was for a new ballet school. A one column by four inch ad with a picture of the school’s “Director” on pointe. The headline said: “Come dance with me!” It had the phone ringing off the wall.

Advertising is salesmanship in print. The talking head helps bridge the gap between belly-to-belly selling and print.

.

2006-04-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

The Four Horsemen of a Marketing Apocalypse:
Fear, Arrogance, Ignorance, and Inertia

Any of these dangerous riders can turn a marketing program to ashes.

Fear of making a wrong decision can paralyze a program. For example, we need more advice from ( those without the credentials). More focus groups. More research. More nitpicking for perfection. More situation analyses.

Fear can sap the testosterone from a bold marketing initiative. While the timid worry about exposing their collective butts to criticism, the gutsy get going.

On the pro side, fear is a great motivator. It turns on the old flight or fight response that has served man and beast so well for so long. But if you have a solid business plan, make sure you flip the adrenal switch to fight.

Arrogance in marketing is a serious personality flaw. The idea that you're the best (when you are not) or that you have no competition (when you do) turns off your receptors. It clouds your mind so you can't see reality. Think you got it made? Maybe. But a little humility is good not only for the soul, but also for the bottom line.

On the pro side, arrogance (if you don't show it) breeds self confidence. And that's remarkably marketable in the right hands. A self confident persona helps build credibility.

Ignorance of the difference between good ideas that might work, solid ideas that should work, and proven tactics that will work, can scuttle a program. The wheel and fire were great ideas. Don't start from scratch. Tweak them. But first learn something about the art and science of marketing. Expecting too much from too little is one of the big challenges of marcom. There's so much solid, free information quickly and easily available on the Web that no one should leave home without it.

On the pro side, ignorance like arrogance, can lead to creative and effective approaches that the learned wouldn't consider practical. Ignorance clears your head of problems you don't know are out there. It can help you go where wise men fear to go---and succeed.

As Grandma used to say, "He just didn't know any better. That's how he got rich!"

Inertia is not one of the traits of highly successful people. "Do it now," is a good mantra. Only don't use it as an excuse for sloppy execution just to get a job done . How many opportunities are lost by procrastination? Yes, look before you leap is good advice. And it's true procrastination give us more time for reflection and delayed judgment. But while we're on a cliche roll, let's remember: time and tide ... and markets... wait for no man.

Sometimes the "Let's wait and see what happens" is the meanest stall of all. It's so debilitating. Often it's based on fear. But too often it's just based on - well, inertia. The knowing-doing gap. The work ethic. Different priorities. Excuses ad infinitum.

Don't wait to see what happens. Marketing is about making things happen.

On the pro side of inertia? Can't think of any pros. So, crank it up a notch. Or just make a decision to do nothing. Then you can do something else that's productive.

I know all this stuff sounds preachy. But I preach not just to teach. My words are a string around the finger to remind nice people of things they may already know.

2006-03-26T10:52:00.000-05:00

Marcom’s law of too:
“Don’t expect too much
from too little”

I hate to disappoint clients. That’s why for years I’ve preached the gospel: “Don’t expect too damn much from too darn little.” Few listen.

Many expect a few ads to inject lifeblood into a cadaver. Others approach advertising with the attitude that it probably won’t help much, “But let’s give it a shot and see what happens.”

The skeptic is easier to work with than the dreamer. The skeptic doesn’t expect much. You can convince him with results. It’s the dreamer with a tiny budget that presents the big challenge. He speaks Trumpese about “Driving business” to his store, web site or dealers. He has no idea how much gas it will take.

So enough generalities already. How much should either spend to market his product? Enough to do the job without leaving too much on the table. Ah! There’s the rub. How do you know in advance how much is enough? How much is too much?

Sorry, but you don’t know in advance. Neither do I. But I do know marketing metrics are like pursuit of the Holy Grail: wear your armor and keep the faith. You’ll pick up a few dents , and may even get your ego pierced. It’s all part of the learning process.

Budgeting is especially tough for newcomers. They have no frame of reference. But even for a mature business, it’s a challenge that requires method, insight, and experience.

This little snort is’nt meant as a treatise on budgeting. It’s simply a plea for temperance. Temper your optimism. Temper your pessimism. Good advertising for good products or services does work, but it’s not a miracle worker.

Here are a few budgeting methods to consider:

1. A percentage (either the same, plus, or minus) of last year’s sales: Bean counters love this. They’re historians, not marketers. They hate risk and love to save money even though it may cost sales.
2. Industry averages: These might make you feel comfortable, but lull you into not investing enough to do the job.
3. Match the competition: Danger. They, despite success, may not be as savvy as you think. Perhaps they could invest some of that budget more wisely, or take it home to the wife and kids.
4. A percent of cost per unit: This is one that both accountants and resellers like. The accountants like it because you’re not going to spend more than you budgeted. The dealers, distributors, sales reps, and other channels like it because your commitment to promotion makes their jobs easier.
5. Objectives: Here’s where speculation hits the road. Decide what you’ll need to reach your objectives, the necessary tactics, and what it will cost. This requires insight, research, and a reality check of the resources you’ll need to make it happen.
6. Bet the farm: Many successful entrepreneurs just go for broke (and often end up that way). They have a dream and faith that they’ve found the way. They plow all the resources they can muster into the budget and then fly or flop.
7. Olio: This is a conservative, hodgepodge, pain in the butt approach. Doodle each of the above methods. Noodle the figures. Find the numbers that jive with your inner vibes. Then make them work.

Whoa! Before you break out the spreadsheet, take a look at “Where do budgets come from,” by the staff at Riger Advertising: http://www.riger.com/
It’s a nifty piece written with wit and wisdom.

2006-03-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

When your product fits the niche,
a club newsletter is a good buy

While The Beagle Bugle, or the Pony Next Press doesn’t pop in your head as a place to advertise, don’t write them off too soon. Yes, what the space reps tell you about the power of concentration is true; but it’s also true that a little trickle of cash in a club pub is like permission marketing: You’re welcomed. They want you. You provide fresh content and you help pay for printing and postage.

The secret though, is to take these publications seriously and leverage the opportunity. For example, Tom Luke, a seasoned marketer, introduced a new horse feed via club newsletters with one page, pre-printed inserts. These inserts had keyed discount coupons, not only to perk local dealer sales, but also to track and test copy appeals. The coupons were also used to capture opt-ins for a corporate ezine.

Good effort already. But then Tom took it to the next level. He visited all dealers in the area, detailed them on the program and supplied them with copies of the ads. Now, everybody was in the loop.

And then came the final reward. He asked each club’s program committee--- already exposed to the message--- if they would like him to give a “How to Talk” to their group. By now, they knew him, his company and his product, and he was welcomed back.

With attention to detail, he parlayed a few bucks into a mini program with maximum R.O.I. What’s more, he established a dialogue with the club’s members that helped him fine-tune his future marketing efforts with other clubs.

###

2006-03-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

Chutzpah Is Good for Business.
Hubris Is Not.

Entrepreneurs who get everyone to drink the Kool Aid™ are like good quarterbacks: a little cocky, but not cocksure. They have the contagious courage and enthusiasm that makes things happen.

With aplomb they finesse the subtle difference between aggressive and pushy. They don’t annoy people. Still, they get attention. They get remembered. They’re good closers. They get business and keep business.

Beware, though, of the tyro tycoon loaded with exaggerated pride. Already a legend in his own mind he shouts his wish list as fact: “World Leader in Blah,” “America’s Favorite Blah”, The Number One Blah,Blah." All worthy goals. But don’t announce them until you get there, Pal.

Because of marcom clutter, folks have honed their B.S. detectors. And that's a good thing.

Credibility is king. If they don’t believe you, they won’t buy from you. And they have a lot of resources to credit or discredit your claims. Is it true? Man, you can click on it!

Hubris ...sometimes it’s just plain arrogance... spawns the unproven superlatives that crowd many marketing communications. And what a waste!

Empty words yank the chain that flushes a crappy message down the tube before it gets in anyone’s head.

Promise benefits you can deliver. Deliver more than you promise. It’s a good way to build a business and develop customer loyalty.

2006-03-08T13:19:00.000-05:00

Lack of credibility can be
like a moat that separates
you from your customers

Lack of credibility is a perception, not a character flaw. You have to establish your credentials and you can’t do it without visibility.

Everyone in a company should be aware of the relationship between image and success. I’m not talking about some phony manufactured persona, but about the true essence you project of your company and its product or service.

It’s true: Your product or service is your ultimate salesman. Yet, before they can sell for you, they must be visible --- and creditable. The unknown is always a little scary, especially when you’re asking folks to part with their money.

So, how do you get visible without a fat ad budget? Invest a few bucks in some good
public relations.

Contrary to some opinions, the old fashioned news release is not dead. In the right
hands, it can still be an inexpensive and effective way to get some exposure. Just
remember, editors are looking for news, not an ad in sheep’s clothing.

Some PR folks never write a news release. They contact the media with ideas for
features that will interest the publication’s readers.

One of my favorite ezines is Joan Stewart’s The Publicity Hound. Every issue offers
tips and techniques you can use to ratchet up your visibility and leverage your
credibility.

Sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.publicityhound.com/

2006-03-03T07:41:00.000-05:00

A philosophical imperative
for effective marketing

The guys at Google got it right from the start. Their mantra, “Don’t’ be evil,” whether we convolute, stretch, modify or tweak it--- can be summed up for all of us: “Do the right thing.” It’s an effective way to do business, win friends and influence people.

There are still would-be tycoons out there with their head tucked up where the sun doesn’t shine who have yet to notice that honesty is the best policy. Ah! And there’s the rub. Are a little cheating, a little positive spin, a little omission, and a little exaggeration--- dishonest?

Really, unless we’re lobbying for sainthood, we must accept the gray areas as a big part of the color spectrum. And so be it. But Mamma was right: honesty is the best policy. Just ask some of the rich guys already in jail and others waiting for an opening.

But do we really need to teach business ethics? Should the business world be any different than the world of personal relations?

Do we really need courses in sensitivity training? Are we too dense without special training to recognize the words and actions that hurt people---and customers and prospects?

True, there are more than enough scoundrels and insensitive clods to go around. If you know any, suggest they try to be empathetic and objective. It’s a good philosophical imperative. And, it’s good for business.

JR

2006-02-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

Unsupported opinions often kill
what could have been effective advertising

“Nobody reads all that copy,” is one of the dumbest, most persistent myths in advertising. Unfortunately, that comment often spews from someone with no clue about what makes advertising effective…someone who has never studied advertising…someone who has no idea of the many ways to measure advertising effectiveness. Yet, too often, that someone is the guy who can kill or emasculate an ad… an ad that would have worked if it weren’t a victim of his unfounded opinion.

Even when you point out that “everybody” is not the target and that many who are interested will indeed read “all that copy,” this person can’t seem to grasp the idea that grabbing the “right reader” is what you must do. You are not just trying to goose everybody to get noticed. You are trying to sell stuff.

The argument of long versus short copy has been going on for years. No doubt it will continue for many more. There’s no right or wrong answer. But if you put the right message in the hands of the right audience, at the right time, and make it interesting, they will read your copy.

But why argue? If you want to know what works best in a particular situation, test. Don’t just keep running the same stuff based on someone’s opinion. Regardless of your type of business, study the techniques of direct marketers. They know what works because they test, fine tune and test again.

Direct marketers’ appeals are based on certain fundamentals, on the use of existing concepts of effective communications, not on the opinions of someone without the qualifications to know what is most likely to work.

Many moons ago, when I entered the ad business, I sold advertising space for a daily newspaper, did layouts and wrote copy. I produced my share of terrible, cornball ads…ads I was sure would work. Alas, they were based on my opinion, not the knowledge of experienced admen.

The manager of our display ad department was a patient mentor. He hacked my hubris to pieces without leaving any ax marks. Patiently he showed me how little I knew as he taught me what I should know. He never used the word stupid. But I soon learned how stupid some of my opinions were before I did too much damage.

There is so much good information available to advertisers that there is no excuse for some of the terrible stuff that’s printed. Yes, audience’s change. Reading habits change. Hell, the ad business like every other business changes. But the basic concepts of what motivates readers are based on the same old basic psychological principles. Don’t try to mess with them. You’ll just be spinning your wheels.

My favorite column in Direct Magazine is The Makeover Maven, by Tom L. Collins. Usually, his makeovers are not as pretty as the original ad he critiques. But they make so much more sense; it’s hard to believe those who produced the original could have violated so many principles of effective advertising.

As you can imagine, his makeovers generate a lot of unhappy response from the guilty parties. Often they try to rationalize their irrational approach and why they ignored applying the basics of good advertising.

But never mind the irate responses. If they want to find out who is right, do a split test. I’ll put my money on Tom’s makeovers.

To tap the vast resources of Direct Magazine, and Tom’s wisdom, visit: http://www.directmag.com/.

JR

2006-01-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

Trade Associations
A Good Investment

Some cynics look on their business or trade associations as an unnecessary expense. True, some do a much better job than others of promoting their industry, providing members with valuable benefits, and supplying guidelines for production and business practices. But membership may still offer a big return on your investment.

Recently an egg producer in Mt. Joy, PA was charged with 35 counts of cruelty by an animal rights group. The company is not a member of the United Egg Producers (UEP), an association that represents more than 90% of all U.S. egg producers, and does not participate in the association's hen welfare program: UEP Certified.

The implication is that this producer doesn't care about the welfare of the hens that are crucial to his success. That's nonsense, but that's the way it will seem to those who don't understand agricultural production.

Whatever his reasons for not supporting his trade association, the image projected is not good. When it comes to weighing the charges, how much will perception affect reality?

JR

2006-01-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Small Space Ads
Can be Effective

Even with a skimpy budget, continuity and frequency can work well if you hang in long enough.

Example: Woody Burch ran a 1 col. x 1 inch ad in a local paper three times a week for many years. This little b & w ad just had a head shot of Woody, and copy that said: "Trees Removed Woody Burch" plus his
phone number.

If you asked anyone in that paper's circulation area about tree removal, most would remember Woody.

Every windfall became a windfall for Woody...a little guy who built a solid business because he understood it's good to already be in your prospect's noodle when you're needed.

JR

2006-01-05T16:04:00.000-05:00

Here's How I Can Help
The Little Guy's Marketing

Sometimes the longest journey begins with a single slip. I've been schlepping about trying to take my first step as a blogger after a cascade of get acquainted slips.

In my 49-year career in marketing I've worn more hats than Hedda.
Some fit a lot better than others, but I learned something from all of them. (Hell. Even if you're not paying attention, something has to stick
from all that exposure.)

Which reminds me: when someone says, "Been there. Done that," I like
to ask, "How well did you do when you got there?"

So, what I'd like to do in future blogs is not brag about how savvy I am,
but rather share some of my winners and sinners. They might help "The
Little Guy"(TLG) get off a few good rounds without getting shot.

JR