The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth…

12 Jan, 2011 in Marketing Thoughts, Rants & Raves, Uncategorized by beall

pinoccio

The Invention of Lying and Liar Liar toy with the idea of being incapable of telling a lie. What if this concept was applied to the world of marketing? What would advertisements and promotions look like?

Easy Choices

If companies were incapable of lying about their products, consumers may have an easier time with choosing a product or service. Think about it, you’re shopping for a used car and you’re torn between two selections. If the salesman was incapable of lying, he would tell you that the radiator has a crack in it, and it’s been in a flood.
Consumers spend hours shopping around and comparing products and services, but if a company is incapable of lying then those countless hours could become mere minutes.

Trust

If you can’t lie, then there is no need to be skeptical. Consumers tend to be critical by nature, but if you remove lying from the equation, then there is no need to be.

Ethics

One of the best examples for questionable ethical behavior and lying are the cigarette manufacturers. They knew for years that cigarettes were harmful and dangerous, but they continued to market them in an innocent light. If you remove lying from the equation, companies would be incapable of hiding the truth from the public. A lie-free world would create a sense of transparency. In turn, more companies may engage in ethical behavior. Those that don’t would probably lose business quickly.

Business As Usual?

So you can’t lie, big deal. Well, sometimes we need to. If you take away the ability to lie, you take away a buffer. In a lie-free world, trade secrets could be compromised, and confidentiality could cease to exist. Do you think products like Krispy Kream would exist if people knew how unhealthy they were from day one? Let’s revisit cigarettes. If consumers knew about the health risks that were associated with them from the time they were created, would anyone purchase them? Some companies need to lie to survive.

Walk The Walk

How many times have you purchased a product or a service, only to be disappointed with it later? Was it because of false promises and pretenses? If it was, a lie-free world could eliminate this issue.
People can expect so much from a company due to its marketing, but if it was completely honest, customers would know what to expect and nothing more. Puffery, which is responsible for a large portion of exaggerated expectations, would probably stop being used since it is a form of a white lie.

What’s the benefit of realistic expectations? Higher customer satisfaction. Since the customer no longer expects the product or service to deliver false promises, they can evaluate it in realistic terms and base their satisfaction off reality.

Also, customers no longer have to take a gamble when they try something new. They’ll know what sort of outcome to expect.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly…

You’ll be able to tell these businesses apart and determine if they are a good company or a bad company. If a business can’t lie, they can’t spin the facts in their favor, or if they do, they will have to tell you.

Shifting Tactics

The focus for marketing may shift from big sales to repeat business in a lie-free world. Businesses won’t be able to dazzle their customers with lies and empty promises. Instead, they’ll be forced to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of their product and figure out a way to market it to be appealing to their customers.

Over the top commercials may shift to a more dialogue oriented style where the product is described for what it is, and nothing more.

Also, the fine print and disclaimers associated with a product may change. I have a feeling that the fine print of a product would be less confusing if people were incapable of lying. Rebates and warranties would be easier to understand. Marketing promotions would be a lot more clear-cut as well.

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A Quick Quiz on Social Media and Branding

27 Sep, 2010 in Marketing Thoughts, Rants & Raves, Small Business, Social media, Tips & Tricks by beall

Alright class, please use No. 2 pencil only on this and keep your eyes on your own paper. Today’s quiz is in true false format. You have 10 minutes to complete your quiz….and…start.

True or False: I need to be on every platform.

Ok look, if you’re going to use social media marketing you should probably invest your time in a Twitter account and a Facebook account.  A majority of your customers and clients probably have an account as well, and you need to be where they are. Do you really need to have a Foursquare account, Digg account and an RSS feed? No! Don’t waste your time and energy on social media marketing accounts that are going to hardly be viewed or utilized. Keep it simple.

True or False: Social media is a fad.

Considering that Facebook users are multiplying like rabid rabbits, I would say this is false. Even Twitter seems to be hanging in there. Having said that, joining the social media world really isn’t bandwagon jumping or fad-following. It seems that social media accounts are becoming a necessary accessory for businesses.

True or False: You can brand without being online.

Sure, you can brand without having an online presence, but why would you want to? It’s like trying to bake a cake without all of the ingredients! It’s just not right! The internet is your friend, and if you use it properly it can be one of your best allies when it comes to branding yourself. Think back to the Old Spice commercials you saw on TV. Now I want you to go to Youtube and search for that same Old Spice Guy. Seriously, go do it…NOW! You probably discovered his question and answer segment where he actually answers questions from his Youtube viewers. The Old Spice Guy is an extension of the Old Spice brand because he is a persona, and he has expanded his persona to the online world. What’s the end result? Your brand is remembered and thought of in the real world.

True or False: I need a huge marketing campaign to create a brand.

False. Branding yourself can be as simple as creating a catchy slogan and/or pairing it with a great graphic. It doesn’t take television advertisements and print to get your brand out there. Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth marketing these days. Especially now that Twitter exists. Think about it, a customer has a positive experience with your business and they tweet about it. That tweet is seen by their friends. People tend to gravitate towards products that have personal testimonials attached to them because they trust their friends and family. You see where this is going don’t you? Before long, you could gain twenty customers because of one tweet.

Also, a brand doesn’t have to be a logo or a slogan. It can be a lifestyle or a piece of culture. Take Apple for example. Apple has created a culture around its company. Apple followers line up again and again for the latest and greatest product from them because they want to buy into their brand so they can be a part of the Apple culture. Think back to the I-pod commercials. They were hardly ground breaking; most of them featured shadowed people dancing around a colorful room. I wouldn’t exactly refer to that as a call to action.

Apple is successful because it markets an extension of itself.

True or False: If I make it, they will buy it.

You might have the perfect product, but if you don’t have the proper buzz around it your product could just sit on the shelf and collect dust. The same goes for services. You need to generate an interest in your product. Give out samples, show demos, promote on social media sites or even try more traditional marketing methods. You have to get the word out.

True or False: Spending more money on advertising means more results.

If you don’t build your brand, then no amount of advertising can help you. Advertising is trying to provoke a person to make a purchase. It’s persuasive material, and it’s biased. Sure, advertising is useful, but only after your product has proved itself credible. Why do you think businesses are eager to get their products featured on Oprah? She offers credibility because she tests her products before giving them her personal endorsement. Also, Oprah isn’t an infomercial or an advertisement.

True or False: You need a logo to brand yourself.

Zipbloc, Marlboro and Puffs are just a few examples of companies that don’t have notable logos. They’re recognized by their label and font only. Don’t believe the hype. A logo is not the end all, be all of branding. You can have a successful marketing campaign and brand yourself without a flashy image. This is great news for the budget conscious business person.

True or False: I don’t need to revisit branding after I’ve executed it.

The world changes, your customers interests change, and wants and needs shift over time. Why wouldn’t you revisit branding? It’s your job to connect with customers, and your brand is the best way to do so. However, if your brand is old and dated, customers won’t be able to connect and relate to you. You have to keep refreshing your persona and image.

True or False: My company is huge, so our branding strategy has worked.

Large companies are not immune to branding failures. In fact, if a branding campaign does not go over well, a larger company has more to lose. If you are a part of a small business, your clientele list is significantly shorter than a multi-million dollar corporation. What does this mean? If you experiment with branding, and it isn’t a successful campaign, you have less to lose because your brand only reaches a limited audience. A large company with national recognition could ruin its reputation and credibility in the eyes of millions of customers if their branding campaign goes belly-up.

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Momma Manners: Let’s Talk About Netiquette

24 Aug, 2010 in General, Marketing Thoughts, Rants & Raves by beall

shocked

Have you ever noticed that people tend to act differently when they are online? It seems that we’ve forgotten how to act, so  Momma Manners is here to deliver a much needed lesson.

Mind Your Manners
Do you have an online business or an online presence? If the answer is yes, then you need to be extra careful about your online persona. Your social media accounts and websites reflect your character. Wouldn’t it suck if you lost business because of some drunken Tweet you decided to post,  because you posted a disgruntled Facebook comment after dealing with an antagonizing co-worker? If you don’t think your clients are researching you, then you’re senile. Here is a challenge for you, search your name or your company’s name and see what the search results yield. Be sure to use more than one search engine.

I Deleted Everything!
The first thing you should remember is that nothing is truly deleted from the internet. You can remove a snarky comment on someone’s blog, but your unkind words are still floating out there in cyberspace.

How Should I Conduct Myself?
Carry yourself online the same way that you would in person. Don’t post or write anything that you wouldn’t want on the first page of a newspaper.

Spelling—Try to avoid abbreviations or poor spelling on your social media accounts and website. We know that social media accounts are more casual than an office e-mail, but it is better to be overly formal then to be unprofessional. Your websites and pages are a reflection of your organization, and of your own character. Don’t tarnish your presence.

Watch Your Temper

Angry

One of your clients may have made you mad, or maybe a fellow employee really ticked you off, but don’t air your dirty laundry online. It’s just embarrassing and immature. Employees are losing their jobs over social media postings, and you don’t want to lose clients over something you wrote. Think before you type!

Keep It Separated—Make a professional and a personal social media account. It sounds like common sense, but some people haven’t figured out that it isn’t a wise decision to merge the two. If you have a Facebook, you should have a personal account attached to your personal email, and you should have a professional account connected to your professional email. There is nothing wrong with friending your customers and clients, but you don’t want them associating on the same page as your crazy cousin.

Censor Yourself

censor

If you don’t have anything nice to say ,don’t say it at all. It’s an oldie, but definitely a goodie. Yes, you can post statements under an annonymous screen name, but if someone finds out who you are, you’re screwed. Just don’t do it!

Friending

friends

Don’t friend your boss on your personal Facebook account! That’s what LinkedIn is for.

Responding—If you’re going to have a fanpage or some other form of social media, you need to engage your followers. If they posted to you, take the time to respond to them.

Keep It Clean—You and your friends may have a cool nickname for each other, but don’t make it a screen name. Also, keep your clothes on! We know you worked hard for that Adonis figure, but if a client were to come across a half-naked picture of you, I’m sure they won’t be impressed.

I Can See You!

privacy

Yes, there are privacy settings, but the world is a small place. There are ways to work around privacy settings on social media pages and websites, so keep that in mind when you are writing your content and posting images.

Music—If your website has music make sure that it isn’t offensive. Sounds like a no-brainer, but we all know what happens when we assume.

Language and Tone—Don’t use profanity! Also, if you’re trying to portray a certain attitude through your website (like sarcasm), you may want to reconsider. Your written content may come across as funny to you, but it may come across as offensive to another. Language and tone should be a special consideration if you’re conducting business internationally. Remember that context of your message can be received differently; depending on who is reading your website or posts.

Ultimately, if you wouldn’t want your grandma to read it or see it, then maybe you should reconsider what you’re about to publish.

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Free Your Marketing: Why You Should Care About Social Media

27 Jul, 2010 in General, Marketing Thoughts, Rants & Raves, Small Business, Social media by beall
Think back to the year 2000. If someone explained the concept of Twitter, Foursquare, or Facebook to you, you’d probably laugh.

Now it’s 2010, and social media is embedded in the daily functions of our lives. Businesses check their media feeds while they have their first cup of coffee. News stories are now being broken on Twitter before a reporter can reach the scene. People are meeting in person through social media connections (Tweetups and Facebook events). Let’s not forget that people are also constantly connected to the internet through their cellphones, computer or laptop.
If social media is still just a silly trend in your mind, you’re probably behind the curve. My marketing professor told me, “In the business world, only the fastest survive.” He’s absolutely right. If you can’t stay current, then you’ll become obsolete.

Swim Fast or Die

A prime example: Facebook vs Myspace. Myspace was all the rage about three years ago, and Facebook was still gaining momentum. Facebook was able to execute a better operating system, it was easier to operate and it was significantly less time consuming. Facebook uses microblogging, while Myspace demands more of a users time. The streamlined style of Facebook beat out the antiquated website-like styling of Myspace. Seriously, when was the last time you logged into your Myspace? That is if you still even have one.

So, what can a business gain by using social media as a tool? A lot.

Foursquare?
Take Foursquare for example; it’s members use their phones to “check-in” at various locations. After so many “check-ins” you can become a mayor, or earn other esteemed titles. Ultimately, it’s just a fun game and it allows you and your friends to see where you are in the world.
Companies are taking note though, and they are actually utilizing Foursquare to their advantage. Foursquare Perspectives, by Awareness, allows companies to evaluate “check-in” trends and behavior patterns.

What does this mean for a business owner? If you have a high volume of your customers that are Foursquare users, a business could offer a discount for “checking-in” at their location. The business creates a fortified relationship with its customer because it is making a personal connection, and repeat business is likely to follow. That customer may even spread the word, and the business will grow with little to no cost to the business owner.

Be My Friend
Facebook is one of the easiest forms of social media, and it has one of the highest adoption rates in terms of its users. It is also a goldmine for marketing opportunities. Companies can create pages and post updates about what’s happening in their world. This means that a company can promote an upcoming sale, or a new product.

Facebook also serves public relations tool. If a company just performed charity work, or wants to honor an employee it can do so through photos and status update.

Feedback is the best tool of all for the Facebook user. Companies can post links to products, or create an update about what they are currently working on. Friends of the company can then post their comments, which provides the company with some insight as to how their work is being perceived. Again, this is inexpensive to the business, and it builds a personal connection with the customer. Being friends with a company makes the customer feel special, as if they belonged to an elite group. So, start accepting those add requests!

Tweet Tweet!
Isn’t that the place where celebrities announce that they just brushed their teeth? Yes, but it turns out that there is more to it!

Personally, I thought Twitter was completely irrelevant until I saw its power in action. As I said before, news stories have been broken on Twitter before a news crew can even reach the scene. Victims of the earthquake in Haiti were tweeting immediately after the earthquake subsided. Twitter is almost as instantaneous as a thought, and its micro-blogging design caters to this concept perfectly.

How can a company use Twitter? The Dallas Mavericks gives away game tickets through Twitter, and tweets about upcoming viewing parties It’s rewarding to be a  follower, and once again it is an inexpensive way to promote positive marketing.

Companies can also use Twitter for feedback. If I were to type #Corner6labs #fail, I would probably receive a response from one of our lab technicians in a matter of minutes, asking me what’s wrong. Instead of being dissatisfied with a service, Corner6 has a second chance at righting a wrong that a customer is experiencing. It shows that the company cares.

There have been times when I have tweeted about a basketball team or a particular company, and because I included their name, they wanted to follow me. These are businesses that are ahead of the curve, and they want to make sure that their consumers are happy.

Twitter is even included in television shows. BET’s, ”106 & Park” has a trending topic of the day, and the hosts reference it throughout the broadcast  to see what people are posting. It provides a tweeter with the opportunity to be seen and heard on television, and it engages them on a personal level. What does this mean? Twitter is here to stay. At least until something bigger and better makes it outdated.

Watch Me
Youtube is not just a place for you to watch music videos and college pranks. Youtube adds a face and a voice to your company. It may be the most personal connection that a company can make with its consumer. It’s just shy of having a physical person in the room with you.

A Youtube video can portray the attitude of a company through spokespeople, testimonials, interviews and behind-the-scenes video footage. Companies can also use Youtube to create instructional videos for its customers or employees.

Also, it’s very non-committal. Sitting down to read someone’s blog or status takes time and dedication. We all know how short our attention spans are these days. So, if a consumer can watch a company’s message instead of read about it, there is a higher chance of capturing their attention and engaging them.

Other companies are similar to Youtube’s format. Justin.tv hosts broadcasts and channels for people to view that are created by its users. Who can be a user? Anyone. A company could create a weekly broadcast that recaps events and progress made during the week, which could be viewed by consumers and employees alike. It’s an easier way to keep everyone in the loop, and it just requires a video camera, a few cables and a microphone. You don’t need a fancy studio setting.

Late Adopters
So what’s your excuse? Do you think that your customers don’t use social media? Are you crazy?!  Ad-ology  found that 31% of small business owners have this mentality. Social media should be the tool of choice for a small business owner. It is virtually free to use and it only commands a small portion of your time compared to the foot traffic it can bring in. The key is to be intelligent about what social media platform you choose. If you’re a business to business company, LinkedIn might be your best option. If you’re a small bakery, a Facebook fan page may be best. Do some research and figure out what fits your company.

Another mistake people make is that they don’t keep their accounts current. If you have a following, you need to keep them interested, and that means that you need to update. How many times have you visited someone’s blog or Twitter and saw that the last update occurred six months ago. This is simply lazy. If you aren’t gaining any new followers, make sure that your customers are aware that you actually participate in social media. Print it on your business cards or place it somewhere visible in your establishment. If the consumer doesn’t know to look for you, they won’t.

Try It
Still don’t think social media is right for you? Here is a challenge; make an account with a social media company that you haven’t tried before. Try it out for a month, and see if it has made any changes to your business operations. If you’re clueless about setting up these accounts or operating them, I suggest visiting Youtube and finding a “how-to” video. You can’t succeed if you don’t try. What do you have to lose?

About the Author: Talissa Beall

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