The Packaging of Salt - Stay Tuned
Monday Marketing Minute 10-22-07
We took a little time off to finish the last of our move and accommodate a visit from a family member over the weekend.
Stay tuned because next week, we’ll take a look at how one company took a product that costs a few cents, and with some creative packaging and marketing, developed a concept so powerful, people are willing to pay top dollar for it (including me, before I found out where I could find it for pennies!)
Also, over the next few weeks, we’ll discuss Head On, the power of the No Cost Offer and Chip Clips. You won’t want to miss these gems!
Make it a great week!
Ricci
PS - is your holiday mailing list ready? If you need to get your cards together or develop creative marketing for the upcoming season, schedule a consultation and finish the year STRONG! 512-879-9926
Advertising That Fails To Make The Grade
Monday Marketing Minute 10-15-07
As an expert in your industry, and one who strives for perfection and high standards, perhaps you can relate to the frustration of seeing work that is sub par, or worse yet, work that blemishes the credibility of your trade.
For me, one such example is a commercial by Burlington Coat Factory that has been incessantly playing on the national Fox News channel.
Personally, I can’t understand how someone hasn’t pulled this waste of time and resources.
The creative team framed this in a “Devil Wears Prada” attempt, with a condescending boss interacting with a young naive employee.
The boss walks in, tosses her coat to the employee and asks, “Where are we on the fall fashion event?”.
The employee begins modeling different outfits and at the end, the boss asks the employee “How do you afford all those fashions on what I pay you?”
What?
When did “update me on a corporate event” become “show me your new wardrobe”?
These are two different concepts that never do end up tying in together.
Takeaway points to consider:
1 - Run your campaign by someone who has no idea what message you’re attempting to convey to see if they understand it
2 - Don’t get so caught up in a theme that your message loses it’s relevance
3 - A bad campaign is NOT better than no campaign. A bad ad raises bad brand awareness. Make sure your business only puts out materials that make sense and trigger a desired response.
Make it a great week!
Ricci
PS - is your holiday mailing list ready? If you need to get your cards together or develop creative marketing for the upcoming season, schedule a consultation. I have a few slots available to help YOU finish the year STRONG!
Pangaea and 500k Names
Monday Marketing Minute 10/8/2007
If you read yesterday’s edition of the Austin American-Statesman, you might have seen the story of the new Pangaea lounge that’s slated to open in Austin within the coming weeks.
Both the concept and the creator, Michael Ault, are a rich marketing study.
First, Ault has taken a basic element, a nightclub, and turned it into an exclusive, posh, who’s who, brand of his own.
Second….and this is key….he has a personal phone book of 500k+ names.
Though he was born and raised in a uniquely wealthy and privileged environment that not many of us are privy to, we can learn from his techniques and apply certain principles to our own businesses for outlandish success.
In yesterday’s article, a leading graphic designer stated that Ault was “responsible for creating the blueprint for the modern lounge venue”. How can you set a new standard in your own industry?
Now, back to that personal rolodex of 500k names. The article went on to state that he uses his connections to “help promote parties”. Studio 54 was mentioned, and, as a side note, according to wikipedia.com, Carmen D’Alessio, who was a former fashion PR agent, was hired to promote the opening of Studio 54. She sent 5,000 invitations to her exclusive mailing list and the most notorious club in history was born.
Can you see the POWER of a mailing list and the importance of a personal rolodex?
If the fabulously rich and wealthy grow, and use, their mailing list, how much more should should everyone else? It doesn’t matter if you use an excel workbook or some other method to organize and categorize your contacts, but you must do something. And throwing your cards into an organizer or a desk drawer doesn’t count! 
You cross paths with people who could become part of your network all the time. In fact, you crossed paths with me, and that’s why you are receiving this email. You’re part of my network.
I encourage you to just get started. And keep me posted. We love hearing your mailing list success stories. We might even spotlight your story in a Monday Marketing Minute and on our Austin Newsletter Service blog!
A Day of Dont’s
Monday Marketing Minute 10/1/07
Last week, I discovered 5 situations that you could take, learn from, and apply to your business. Today, I’ll focus on just one. It’s customer service, which most people put into a different category than marketing.
However, customer service could be an essential piece of your marketing plan. I use the term “plan” loosely, as you may not have a plan. But, if you are open for business, and have customers, somebody is marketing for you and it could be according to their own plan.
What I’m about to share with you should come as no surprise. I’m sure you’ve walked out of your share of businesses and marveled at how they stay open with their staff’s stinky attitude and poor customer service.
The fact that I walked into 3 different businesses, within about 20 minutes, proves that this is a prevalent problem.
I am new to the area in which I live. I am discovering new places to visit and do business with. Last week, after picking my son up from school, we decided to stop to grab a sandwich in a shopping center where there were many choices.
We first went to an independently owned coffee shop. I walked in and asked the barista how she was. She told me she’d seen better days. They had their own terms on the menu board, so it was taking me a while to comprehend the new verbiage. With no help from the lady having a bad hair day, I ordered a tea and moved on to the next door, where there was a franchise sandwich shop.
A staff member was mopping in front of the door, so we carefully walked in, and were semi-greeting by a distracted woman who clearly wanted us to know what we wanted the second we walked in. After being rushed along, with a disinterest in helping with our decision making process, we completed the order and walked out to leave the staff engrossed in their own conversations. They clearly had no care about us or anyone else who wasn’t in on that day’s gossip.
To get something sweet, we visited the bakery next door. The treats from the window enticed us. As we walked in, an older woman got up from her chair, walked behind the cash register and waited for us to decide on something. After we asked a few questions, she put the items in the bag and rang it up. It was a dull, lifeless experience.
I wasn’t drawn in by anything other than the signs outside and a convenience that they might have something that we wanted. No coupon, no billboard. That aside, what would make me return? A great experience. Unfortunately, I didn’t get one at these places and won’t be back to any of them.
So, if good marketing didn’t get me in the door, what kind of marketing would make me return, and tell all my friends? Marketing INSIDE the doors, and that’s done through customer service.
You don’t have to have a retail location to make sure people have a good experience with you. I’ve worked with independent dealers and representatives that I won’t work with again.
No matter how good your product or service is, people do business with people. Make sure your people, and you, are constantly aware of opportunities.
I haven’t read Acres of Diamonds in a while, but I just downloaded a copy of it so that I could read it again. Many of us are in search for the field of diamonds, when it can be found right under our noses.
Always ask yourself, and your staff, where are your diamonds today?