I want to talk to you about what is perhaps the most effective, yet underused referral strategy that I know which is to......simply ask for them.Many business owners and executives, professionals and even sales people have all sorts of mental hang-ups about asking for referrals. However, most of those hang-ups are invalid and I find that those who ask, get!
Read on ...
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
E-Mail Marketing Trends: E-Mail Gets Bigger by Going Smaller
As people scan e-mails with preview panes, disabled images and tiny-screened handheld devices, savvy e-mail marketers craft campaigns that aim small--but think big.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sustainability Is No Longer 'Niche'
Coca-Cola's John Brock:
John Brock has come a long way since his first jobs working in his uncle's dime store and, later, at a paper mill in Moss Point, Miss. Today, he is chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of Coca-Cola products. Brock has more than 25 years of experience in the beverage sales industry. In 2003, he was named CEO of Interbrew, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. In 2006, he joined Coca-Cola Enterprises where he was appointed chairman in April 2008. Brock talked with Knowledge@Wharton about Coke's philosophy on selling soda in schools, helping the environment and recruiting teens to become devoted customers.
http://adjix.com/47y9
John Brock has come a long way since his first jobs working in his uncle's dime store and, later, at a paper mill in Moss Point, Miss. Today, he is chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of Coca-Cola products. Brock has more than 25 years of experience in the beverage sales industry. In 2003, he was named CEO of Interbrew, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. In 2006, he joined Coca-Cola Enterprises where he was appointed chairman in April 2008. Brock talked with Knowledge@Wharton about Coke's philosophy on selling soda in schools, helping the environment and recruiting teens to become devoted customers.
http://adjix.com/47y9
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Marketing and media
Q. How regularly do media need to be contacted to keep an environment issue alive?
There is a fine line for groups to walk when it comes to keeping the media updated on a long‐running issue that has been – and will continue to be – in the news.
Not contacting the media often enough can see your story fade from the headlines. But if you contact specific media outlets or journalists too often, you run the risk of being tagged a serial pest and being ignored by the very media you seek to carry your story.
One easy way to decrease the chances of being labelled a serial pest is to build solid relationships with the media outlets and journalists you deal with. This will allow you to bounce ideas off journalists, to call more informally and update them on the latest news about your issue, or to ask them if they are interested in a certain story or angle.
These relationships are especially important when working with the media on a long‐term or ongoing issue – if a journalist knows you, and is familiar with your story, they are more likely to give you more of their time and a friendlier ear.
It also means you can cut down on the amount of “backgrounding” you have to give journalists, allowing you to quickly “cut to the chase” when talking with them.
One key tip: Find out when the journalists in your contact list are “on deadline”. Avoid those times when you make contact and you’ll be less likely to be given short shrift.
Q. As small community not‐for‐profit organisation in what ways can I market the broad range of services we offer? How do I develop a marketing strategy?
A marketing strategy is not something that can be whipped up at the drop of a hat. Assembling a good, solid marketing plan can take hard work, analysis, preparation and knowledge of your current standing and resources.
The first thing you should look at is your group’s current situation: its current stakeholders and partners, its current standing and performance, and the current context or environment it operates in.
From there, a SWOT analysis will build on this information and further clarify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats which face your organisation. All this information will help your group know the issues it needs to focus its plan around, and form strategies to let you do that – for example: “We want to sign up 50 new sponsors between now and the end of the year.”
Take particular notice of your SWOT analysis – using your strengths and opportunities to best achieve your marketing aims while avoiding or fixing your weaknesses and noting the threats your group might face.
Then, work through an action plan or list of things your group must do in order to achieve its stated objective. What must you do? Who will do it? When will it be done? How much will it cost? How will you know if you’ve achieved those aims?
Finally, examine your resources – your people power, your finances and technology – as well as those resources you might need, and draw up a budget for the marketing effort. Of course, once the plan is approved, it will only succeed if there is constant monitoring, appraisal and review. Keep track of the plan’s progress and, if necessary, modify it. Devote a generous amount of time to the plan’s development to ensure the process is thorough and to increase its chances of success.
The Marketing Guru is an initiative of the Marketing, Media and Post Centre, the online resource for community organisations provided by Our Community and Australia Post. You can send your marketing and media questions to guru@ourcommunity.com.au.
There is a fine line for groups to walk when it comes to keeping the media updated on a long‐running issue that has been – and will continue to be – in the news.
Not contacting the media often enough can see your story fade from the headlines. But if you contact specific media outlets or journalists too often, you run the risk of being tagged a serial pest and being ignored by the very media you seek to carry your story.
One easy way to decrease the chances of being labelled a serial pest is to build solid relationships with the media outlets and journalists you deal with. This will allow you to bounce ideas off journalists, to call more informally and update them on the latest news about your issue, or to ask them if they are interested in a certain story or angle.
These relationships are especially important when working with the media on a long‐term or ongoing issue – if a journalist knows you, and is familiar with your story, they are more likely to give you more of their time and a friendlier ear.
It also means you can cut down on the amount of “backgrounding” you have to give journalists, allowing you to quickly “cut to the chase” when talking with them.
One key tip: Find out when the journalists in your contact list are “on deadline”. Avoid those times when you make contact and you’ll be less likely to be given short shrift.
Q. As small community not‐for‐profit organisation in what ways can I market the broad range of services we offer? How do I develop a marketing strategy?
A marketing strategy is not something that can be whipped up at the drop of a hat. Assembling a good, solid marketing plan can take hard work, analysis, preparation and knowledge of your current standing and resources.
The first thing you should look at is your group’s current situation: its current stakeholders and partners, its current standing and performance, and the current context or environment it operates in.
From there, a SWOT analysis will build on this information and further clarify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats which face your organisation. All this information will help your group know the issues it needs to focus its plan around, and form strategies to let you do that – for example: “We want to sign up 50 new sponsors between now and the end of the year.”
Take particular notice of your SWOT analysis – using your strengths and opportunities to best achieve your marketing aims while avoiding or fixing your weaknesses and noting the threats your group might face.
Then, work through an action plan or list of things your group must do in order to achieve its stated objective. What must you do? Who will do it? When will it be done? How much will it cost? How will you know if you’ve achieved those aims?
Finally, examine your resources – your people power, your finances and technology – as well as those resources you might need, and draw up a budget for the marketing effort. Of course, once the plan is approved, it will only succeed if there is constant monitoring, appraisal and review. Keep track of the plan’s progress and, if necessary, modify it. Devote a generous amount of time to the plan’s development to ensure the process is thorough and to increase its chances of success.
The Marketing Guru is an initiative of the Marketing, Media and Post Centre, the online resource for community organisations provided by Our Community and Australia Post. You can send your marketing and media questions to guru@ourcommunity.com.au.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
How do I get state-wide media to take notice of local issues?
This is a common challenge for many locally-based community organisations which are able to hit the headlines successfully in their local area, but struggle to match this local publicity on a state basis.
The key is to make the issue relevant to the audience you are targeting; in this case, the entire state.
Make it very clear how your local issue is relevant to other parts of the state. Is it opposition tocertain types of development, the destruction of parks or wetlands, a shortage of publichousing, a legal hiccup or government decision that could affect many?
Think of the local issue as an example or case study of the wider problem. Show how it could impact oncommunities across the state.Without this type of wider relevance, hopes of wider media coverage are slim.
Of course, there is also a much greater level of competition for coverage at a state level. You’ll have to work that much harder to gain coverage.
So, in addition to a great hook, it is almost certain you will need to organise good visual opportunities forphotos (print publications) or footage (TV).
Staging an event, protest or some other attention-grabbing activity is one way of doing this. If you do go this route, try to stage your event on a weekend, preferably a Sunday when there’s less competition.
Does it strengthen or weaken my brand to use a new logo in a merchandising program – plastering iton merchandise of relevance to the organisation?
The classic answer here is: “It depends”.
It is very important that your logo is used thoughtfully and in context, not gratuitously or in away that denigrates or cheapens your organisational brand.
Generally speaking, if you are going to use your group’s new logo on merchandise, there are some basic rules to follow:
• Show restraint – Don’t fall into the trap of putting your logo on everything. Pick and choose your targets in terms of what the most number of people will see, and what people will hold on to thelongest.
• Not too large, not too small – Jumbo-sized logos on merchandise look cheap. Too small, and noone will be able to see it. Use a medium-sized logo that doesn’t overwhelm the item it is placed on.
• Convey a message – Where possible, convey your message with your logo. Does your group have ashort slogan, catchphrase or tagline it can use in conjunction with the image?
Respect your logo like you do your group’s good name and reputation. Your logo is an expansion of your group and its brand – damage it, and you run the risk of doing the same to your group and brand.
The Marketing Guru is an initiative of the Marketing, Media and Post Centre, the online resource forcommunity organisations provided by Our Community and Australia Post. Send your questions to guru@ourcommunity.com.au.
The key is to make the issue relevant to the audience you are targeting; in this case, the entire state.
Make it very clear how your local issue is relevant to other parts of the state. Is it opposition tocertain types of development, the destruction of parks or wetlands, a shortage of publichousing, a legal hiccup or government decision that could affect many?
Think of the local issue as an example or case study of the wider problem. Show how it could impact oncommunities across the state.Without this type of wider relevance, hopes of wider media coverage are slim.
Of course, there is also a much greater level of competition for coverage at a state level. You’ll have to work that much harder to gain coverage.
So, in addition to a great hook, it is almost certain you will need to organise good visual opportunities forphotos (print publications) or footage (TV).
Staging an event, protest or some other attention-grabbing activity is one way of doing this. If you do go this route, try to stage your event on a weekend, preferably a Sunday when there’s less competition.
Does it strengthen or weaken my brand to use a new logo in a merchandising program – plastering iton merchandise of relevance to the organisation?
The classic answer here is: “It depends”.
It is very important that your logo is used thoughtfully and in context, not gratuitously or in away that denigrates or cheapens your organisational brand.
Generally speaking, if you are going to use your group’s new logo on merchandise, there are some basic rules to follow:
• Show restraint – Don’t fall into the trap of putting your logo on everything. Pick and choose your targets in terms of what the most number of people will see, and what people will hold on to thelongest.
• Not too large, not too small – Jumbo-sized logos on merchandise look cheap. Too small, and noone will be able to see it. Use a medium-sized logo that doesn’t overwhelm the item it is placed on.
• Convey a message – Where possible, convey your message with your logo. Does your group have ashort slogan, catchphrase or tagline it can use in conjunction with the image?
Respect your logo like you do your group’s good name and reputation. Your logo is an expansion of your group and its brand – damage it, and you run the risk of doing the same to your group and brand.
The Marketing Guru is an initiative of the Marketing, Media and Post Centre, the online resource forcommunity organisations provided by Our Community and Australia Post. Send your questions to guru@ourcommunity.com.au.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Marketing - Do People Really Care How Long You've Been in Business?
Some marketing consultants talk about how you should always stress benefits, and never talk about features … and how you should always focus on the customer, and never on the company.
But is that always true? Of course not. For instance, the number of years you’ve been in business is a feature – a fact about the company. Yet prospects care how long you’ve been in business -- and your longevity can help close the sale.
Why?
Read on ...
But is that always true? Of course not. For instance, the number of years you’ve been in business is a feature – a fact about the company. Yet prospects care how long you’ve been in business -- and your longevity can help close the sale.
Why?
Read on ...
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