Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Note: Since magazine editors like subscribers' comments to be brief & my comments usually aren't brief, I have 2 versions of the following post. The article I've responded to is "Want to Stand Out?" It's in the December issue of Inc. The URL for the web page is:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/handson-marketing.html
This is the long version of my comments.
Advertising clutter can't be fought by adding to it. Plenty of advertising agencies & marketing consultants will gladly take your retainer (meaning they retain your money), then claim they've cut through the clutter by increasing the reach & frequency of your message.
In the early years of broadcasting, show sponsors avoided clutter by being the only advertisers during shows. But I doubt ad agencies or marketing consultants would make those kind of arrangements for clients. NO, they'll use some "creative" way to get attention (but not necessarily interest), then claim they cut through the clutter by spending more of your money.
Do you want to find out if they'll really cut through the clutter? Tell them you'll pay on a per order basis. If you don't make sales, you don't pay them. Would anybody work under these conditions? Yes, some of us will.
The number of minutes available to broadcasters is fixed at 1440 seconds every day. Can they reduce clutter by squeezing in more commercials? They have technology to compress the shows they get, but show producers object. But it doesn't significantly increase a broadcast schedule.
Print & Internet publishers can add more pages of advertising &/or more ads per page. They won't decrease clutter, unless they reduce the ad space per page.
Will Consumers Stand For It?
As far as I know, there are 2 main reasons people shun advertising: 1) Too many messages are irrelevant to their circumstances. Even if people are in the target market, they may think they already have the full solution & don't want to hear or see any other potential options. 2) They feel they're exposed to too much already. They resent the intrusion, even if advertisers pay for what those people want--news publishing & entertainment.
Too many advertisers think their messages are relevant because what they sell is relevant. What advertisers think doesn't matter or, at least, is a lower priority.
Examples- "38 years combined experience." 76 people can each have 6 months of experience. Each can do exactly the same thing & it adds up to 38 years combined experience. But this only impresses those who make these meaningless statements.
"Open until midnight" means nothing, if I don't perceive the value of, or even know, what the store offers.
"Smith Electronics, established in 1874" Of course, when the forefathers established it, the business name was 'Smith Buggy Works.' Plus, nobody in the Smith clan has been involved in it since 1902. If I don't know which electronics it offers, the name is almost meaningless. Since electronics didn't exist in 1874, it's meaningless as far as experience is concerned.
Classical Conditioning
Ring a bell when you serve food & ringing a bell will cause salivation.
I often see advertising in rest rooms & wonder, "Do merchants really want what they offer to be psychologically linked with rest rooms & unpleasant things in those rest rooms?"
When the average person is in a rest room, does s/he want to think about drills or pizzas? S/he may think, "What I need now is a good air freshener or hand-sanitizer." Power tools are irrelevant to the current situation. Eating pizza may be the reason s/he is in the rest room. :^( Bon appetit!
If you use mini-billboards as described in "Want to Stand Out?" I advise you to only do it if what you offer is relevant to 1 or more of these: 1) What viewers are doing when they see the messages. 2) What they do in about an hour after they finish what they're doing. 3) What they should've done, to gain more benefit or prevent something unfavorable, before starting what they're doing.
The headline should focus on how your offer is relevant to these consumers in the present or immediate future. Mini-billboards aren't apt to give you enough space to explain why they should plan to buy what you offer in more than 24 hours.
Unless you can include something for them to take with them--a brochure or flyer, they'll probably forget your offer when they leave the place. If you set the context in their minds, they may remember the next time they plan to go where they saw your mini-billboard. Example: "Next time you'll (be more comfortable, get more benefits) if you (use the offered product/service.)"
Advertising is a multiplied version of what sales reps do. Would you expect anybody to pay attention to a sales presentation in a place where you want to put your message?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Monday, February 25, 2019
Randomness Happens --Go Ahead, Make A Mess
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
In case you want the full context, you can use this URL http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/make-a-mess.html
After you read the article ("Go Ahead, Make A Mess" By: David H. Freedman)you may understand what I wrote below.
Some of what David wrote about success from a mess, should be attributed to randomness. It's a corollary of "If you always do the same thing in the same context, you'll always get the same result." It's not exactly true though. If you practice the same thing, you may get a better result by doing it better.
As Chet Holmes & others contend, what makes the difference between highly successful businesses & also-rans are systems: policies, plans & procedures.
My corollary is: If you don't track what happened, you won't know, for sure, which parts worked or didn't work. You'll only know the result of the whole effort. You won't have a firm enough idea of what to do again in the same way or what you should change & what to eliminate.
Apparently, Strymish "organized" books by publishers' names, so it wasn't total chaos.
Too many consulting prospects are quick to say, "I tried it, it didn't work." They don't like it when I ask, "What exactly didn't work? Was the problem the medium, headline or offer? Of course, they won't know if they don't try other versions - limited randomness.
Some randomness brings success accidentally; many times we need to determine what to make different.
I realize multivariate testing can be used, but many small businesses can't afford to use it. My example is set in a limited context. In psychology & marketing, we can try totally varied methods--at first--to test a wider variety. But until we narrow the difference to 1 variation in each version, we can only guess what made the project work or fail.
Step by step formulas aren't always practical, especially when designed by somebody who isn't familiar with the situation. This is applicable in customer service & handling products.
We'll never be able to eliminate every possible variable beyond our control. If we test ads, we need to put them in the medium & vehicle (a specific newspaper or station) & change one element like the headline with the same copy.
If more than 1 person does the same kind of task, each person (or team) can do it in a different way. But don't make the Wal-Mart mistake. Continual tinkering may be good in theory, but you shouldn't keep changing procedures, after people have figured out how to make them work. It doesn't give them any incentive to make procedures work, unless they want variety.
A big reason for McDonald's success is the systems. People get trained to do things the same way, so supervisors know what's going wrong. People can moved from one task to another as needed. Customers know what to expect from franchisee.
As David wrote, people may file things, but forget where those are. The answer though isn't giving up on neatness. The answer is to have a system, so things can be stored/filed quickly, then retrieved quickly. Purchase orders shouldn't be filed with maintenance manuals.
David found the same fault, as I, in the dictum of scheduling phone calls at a specific time. But if the calls are from same people, they can be told when the best time to call is. But it may still be best to call customers, or respond to their email messages, as soon as is practical (when you have answers they need).
The Lesson: A little randomness is good; a little random mess is tolerable.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
In case you want the full context, you can use this URL http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/make-a-mess.html
After you read the article ("Go Ahead, Make A Mess" By: David H. Freedman)you may understand what I wrote below.
Some of what David wrote about success from a mess, should be attributed to randomness. It's a corollary of "If you always do the same thing in the same context, you'll always get the same result." It's not exactly true though. If you practice the same thing, you may get a better result by doing it better.
As Chet Holmes & others contend, what makes the difference between highly successful businesses & also-rans are systems: policies, plans & procedures.
My corollary is: If you don't track what happened, you won't know, for sure, which parts worked or didn't work. You'll only know the result of the whole effort. You won't have a firm enough idea of what to do again in the same way or what you should change & what to eliminate.
Apparently, Strymish "organized" books by publishers' names, so it wasn't total chaos.
Too many consulting prospects are quick to say, "I tried it, it didn't work." They don't like it when I ask, "What exactly didn't work? Was the problem the medium, headline or offer? Of course, they won't know if they don't try other versions - limited randomness.
Some randomness brings success accidentally; many times we need to determine what to make different.
I realize multivariate testing can be used, but many small businesses can't afford to use it. My example is set in a limited context. In psychology & marketing, we can try totally varied methods--at first--to test a wider variety. But until we narrow the difference to 1 variation in each version, we can only guess what made the project work or fail.
Step by step formulas aren't always practical, especially when designed by somebody who isn't familiar with the situation. This is applicable in customer service & handling products.
We'll never be able to eliminate every possible variable beyond our control. If we test ads, we need to put them in the medium & vehicle (a specific newspaper or station) & change one element like the headline with the same copy.
If more than 1 person does the same kind of task, each person (or team) can do it in a different way. But don't make the Wal-Mart mistake. Continual tinkering may be good in theory, but you shouldn't keep changing procedures, after people have figured out how to make them work. It doesn't give them any incentive to make procedures work, unless they want variety.
A big reason for McDonald's success is the systems. People get trained to do things the same way, so supervisors know what's going wrong. People can moved from one task to another as needed. Customers know what to expect from franchisee.
As David wrote, people may file things, but forget where those are. The answer though isn't giving up on neatness. The answer is to have a system, so things can be stored/filed quickly, then retrieved quickly. Purchase orders shouldn't be filed with maintenance manuals.
David found the same fault, as I, in the dictum of scheduling phone calls at a specific time. But if the calls are from same people, they can be told when the best time to call is. But it may still be best to call customers, or respond to their email messages, as soon as is practical (when you have answers they need).
The Lesson: A little randomness is good; a little random mess is tolerable.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Finance Raising Funds
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070101/finance-elevatorpitch.html
Apparel company Sistahs of Harlem has creativity, buzz, and attitude to spare.
Though I don't have enough to invest in anybody's business, this article caught my attention, when I saw "Elevator Pitch." I don't like the term "pitch" applied to sales since a pitch is intended to be delivered to a small area, but thrown in a way, so a batter can't hit the ball. We should want prospects to hit home runs with what we deliver.
Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
"Investors React" is a good reality check. I agree with the panel. I think I have a resolution for the Sistahs. It seems they're appealing to aspirations. Not everybody who wears the Bessie Coleman collection will be a pilot. But flying doesn't have to be literal. "Flying" can be when we're feeling & doing our best.
I wonder how much J. Peterman-style personality is on the clothing tags.
Though I don't know their target market precisely enough, I think the age range is too wide as it's stated. Females, ages 15-50, may not have enough in common to form a cohesive market. In reality, the age range may be highly accurate.
Other than the obvious gender & racial traits, what do the 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds have in common? Do they aspire to be like women in their early 30s?
Teens typically want to be perceived as mature as (as they feel) they are. Middle-aged people typically want to be perceived as vibrant as (as they feel) they are.
In "Bottom-up Marketing," Jack Trout & Al Ries wrote, "The target is not the market." Preteen girls aspire to be more mature teens; some read Seventeen Magazine. But few 17-year-olds read Seventeen Magazine.
In a case like these fashions, the Sistahs need to get their styles worn by 30-35-year-old women, so 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds will wear their styles. If most customers are teens, middle-aged women might think, "No! Those are something my daughter would wear." If most customers are middle-aged, teens might think, "No! Those are something my mother would wear."
What may happen later is what I call reverse-aspirations. More women in the mid-30s may wear those fashions when they see their role models wearing these. They may think, "Oprah looks good in those clothes." If they want to feel & appear younger, they may notice 25-year-olds wearing these styles.
The key is to focus on the target age group, but let the desired market feel the benefits are in their reach.
First, to make this work, they should appeal to the group with the strongest desires & biggest budgets. Teens may not have as much money as women, but women tend to have more financial demands. Which group feels they "gotta have it?" Does this group have the money to get it?
Also, why do they feel they "gotta have it?" Is it for social settings or careers? This should be integrated also, so the market knows those clothes are ideal for certain situations.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Finance Raising Funds
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070101/finance-elevatorpitch.html
Apparel company Sistahs of Harlem has creativity, buzz, and attitude to spare.
Though I don't have enough to invest in anybody's business, this article caught my attention, when I saw "Elevator Pitch." I don't like the term "pitch" applied to sales since a pitch is intended to be delivered to a small area, but thrown in a way, so a batter can't hit the ball. We should want prospects to hit home runs with what we deliver.
Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
"Investors React" is a good reality check. I agree with the panel. I think I have a resolution for the Sistahs. It seems they're appealing to aspirations. Not everybody who wears the Bessie Coleman collection will be a pilot. But flying doesn't have to be literal. "Flying" can be when we're feeling & doing our best.
I wonder how much J. Peterman-style personality is on the clothing tags.
Though I don't know their target market precisely enough, I think the age range is too wide as it's stated. Females, ages 15-50, may not have enough in common to form a cohesive market. In reality, the age range may be highly accurate.
Other than the obvious gender & racial traits, what do the 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds have in common? Do they aspire to be like women in their early 30s?
Teens typically want to be perceived as mature as (as they feel) they are. Middle-aged people typically want to be perceived as vibrant as (as they feel) they are.
In "Bottom-up Marketing," Jack Trout & Al Ries wrote, "The target is not the market." Preteen girls aspire to be more mature teens; some read Seventeen Magazine. But few 17-year-olds read Seventeen Magazine.
In a case like these fashions, the Sistahs need to get their styles worn by 30-35-year-old women, so 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds will wear their styles. If most customers are teens, middle-aged women might think, "No! Those are something my daughter would wear." If most customers are middle-aged, teens might think, "No! Those are something my mother would wear."
What may happen later is what I call reverse-aspirations. More women in the mid-30s may wear those fashions when they see their role models wearing these. They may think, "Oprah looks good in those clothes." If they want to feel & appear younger, they may notice 25-year-olds wearing these styles.
The key is to focus on the target age group, but let the desired market feel the benefits are in their reach.
First, to make this work, they should appeal to the group with the strongest desires & biggest budgets. Teens may not have as much money as women, but women tend to have more financial demands. Which group feels they "gotta have it?" Does this group have the money to get it?
Also, why do they feel they "gotta have it?" Is it for social settings or careers? This should be integrated also, so the market knows those clothes are ideal for certain situations.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Format Your Business Culture & Get Consistently Better Results
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I posted this on Inc.com as comments about what Leigh Buchanan wrote in the February issue. I advise you to read what she wrote since it fits what I've been teaching you.
The URL is http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/column-buchanan.html
Those who use Microsoft Word may understand this analogy. It's different in various versions of Word but the effect is the same.
Hiring a person is like copying & pasting text from a web site to a document. Each site is formatted differently. If you paste things from various sites without using "Paste Special", your document will be a hodgepodge of knowledge & possibly wisdom, but it won't look like it is. It'll look chaotic & somewhat like a stereotypical ransom note.
Sometimes what's pasted hijacks a document & the rest conforms to its style. If you haven't disabled "Automatically Update" your document may change formatting every time one thing changes. Too often, "Automatically Update" mysteriously gets checked again.
You should have a policy against "Automatically Update" in your business. If the culture is changed without your permission, you'll have to uncheck "Automatically Update" by having a training session again. Employees may think their changes are updates, but changes are only updates if the situation is improved.
Each person has a comfort-zone & starting a new job disrupts comfort-zones. It's natural for people to try to change environments to suit themselves. But a business can become a big mess, if each employee adapts it to him/herself. Customers won't recognize your business, if every product, service or customer interaction is left to employees' whims. Business owners won't recognize what they create, when others recreate their businesses.
Businesses should be formatted & maintained by policies, plans & procedures. Some randomness is tolerable, if it doesn't adversely change what customers expect. But randomness may happen anyway, without it being instituted. If something different works, it should be refined & kept.
Instituting policies, plans & procedures is a vital way to work on your business, so employees will work consistently. Even employees, who don't like your particular structure, dislike chaos.
If you don't have a policy to guide plans, it's like traveling in a foreign country without a map. You may end up somewhere else. If you don't have a plan for procedures, your procedures won't accomplish much. Results may be different each time.
If you don't set up procedures, how will you or employees know if something is being done correctly?
"Running" a business any other way is doing it by the seat of your pants. Eventually, you'll be found with your pants down & competitors will kick your butt.
Marketing may seem effective when people interpret it their way. But it means some will be disappointed or frustrated. This includes marketing your business to employees.
Effective branding requires providing what customers expect. Brands promise a result. If you haven't designed & installed policies, plans & procedures for yourself & employees, how can you consistently fulfill what your brand promises?
If you don't have a brand promising consistent solutions, you're depending on luck. Luck is usually being in the right place at the right time. Successful people & businesses make their luck by being where the right things happen & being ready for those things to come to them.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I posted this on Inc.com as comments about what Leigh Buchanan wrote in the February issue. I advise you to read what she wrote since it fits what I've been teaching you.
The URL is http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/column-buchanan.html
Those who use Microsoft Word may understand this analogy. It's different in various versions of Word but the effect is the same.
Hiring a person is like copying & pasting text from a web site to a document. Each site is formatted differently. If you paste things from various sites without using "Paste Special", your document will be a hodgepodge of knowledge & possibly wisdom, but it won't look like it is. It'll look chaotic & somewhat like a stereotypical ransom note.
Sometimes what's pasted hijacks a document & the rest conforms to its style. If you haven't disabled "Automatically Update" your document may change formatting every time one thing changes. Too often, "Automatically Update" mysteriously gets checked again.
You should have a policy against "Automatically Update" in your business. If the culture is changed without your permission, you'll have to uncheck "Automatically Update" by having a training session again. Employees may think their changes are updates, but changes are only updates if the situation is improved.
Each person has a comfort-zone & starting a new job disrupts comfort-zones. It's natural for people to try to change environments to suit themselves. But a business can become a big mess, if each employee adapts it to him/herself. Customers won't recognize your business, if every product, service or customer interaction is left to employees' whims. Business owners won't recognize what they create, when others recreate their businesses.
Businesses should be formatted & maintained by policies, plans & procedures. Some randomness is tolerable, if it doesn't adversely change what customers expect. But randomness may happen anyway, without it being instituted. If something different works, it should be refined & kept.
Instituting policies, plans & procedures is a vital way to work on your business, so employees will work consistently. Even employees, who don't like your particular structure, dislike chaos.
If you don't have a policy to guide plans, it's like traveling in a foreign country without a map. You may end up somewhere else. If you don't have a plan for procedures, your procedures won't accomplish much. Results may be different each time.
If you don't set up procedures, how will you or employees know if something is being done correctly?
"Running" a business any other way is doing it by the seat of your pants. Eventually, you'll be found with your pants down & competitors will kick your butt.
Marketing may seem effective when people interpret it their way. But it means some will be disappointed or frustrated. This includes marketing your business to employees.
Effective branding requires providing what customers expect. Brands promise a result. If you haven't designed & installed policies, plans & procedures for yourself & employees, how can you consistently fulfill what your brand promises?
If you don't have a brand promising consistent solutions, you're depending on luck. Luck is usually being in the right place at the right time. Successful people & businesses make their luck by being where the right things happen & being ready for those things to come to them.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
A Brand For The Man Who Keeps Reaching For The Stars
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
This my response for "The Greatly Improbable, Highly Enjoyable, Increasingly Profitable Life of Michael Kobold." Here's the URL to use so you can read this article.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070501/features-michael-kobold.html
A Brand For The Man Who Keeps Reaching For The Stars
I'm speculating based on this article. Until I read it, I didn't know Kobold watches exist.
Michael Kobold may have crossed the line between being a real-life business owner & a brand character like Tony The Tiger & Charlie The Tuna. He may seem fishy "Big Fishy" to us, but if we're not in the niche that buys what Kobold sells, it doesn't matter much.
I suppose Kobold aspires to be or appear to be like Richard Branson. Would Branson's stunts be done publicly if they didn't have some promotional value for his Virgin brands?
How much does Kobold's niche rely on image -- as opposed to solid, real identity -- & pretense? Reasons to buy a luxury item are 1) to feel good about owning it; 2) to feel good about oneself as a result of owning it; 3) for something that's an obvious luxury (which others will notice & realize it's approximate price) & using it in public is to inspire envy or respect in others.
Each of these are affected by & effected with marketing (Massaging the truth). Sometimes there's little difference between effected with marketing & infected with marketing. It depends how much is meant to be fiction & how much is meant to be believed.
The Underdog Brand
If Kobold achieved what he seems to aspire to, I think he & his brands would lose some of their appeal. If he changed his approach & he mass-produced his watches, his niche wouldn't lose interest only because the watches wouldn't be scarce anymore. Many of them would also lose interest because Kobold & his brands wouldn't be for little guys who want to feel powerful, but know they'll never achieve high levels of power.
They identify with a guy who owns a small business, lives in a regular apartment & has a business in small corners of a big business's building.
Success is achieving worthwhile goals, so Kobold is very successful. But he doesn't act like he's very successful. He acts like he aims for success, but doesn't quite hit the target. He acts like he strives to be a top dog, but being an underdog -- maybe a middle dog -- is his brand.
As Leo Burnett said, "If you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't end up with a handful of mud either." Kobold watches are for those who keep reaching.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
This my response for "The Greatly Improbable, Highly Enjoyable, Increasingly Profitable Life of Michael Kobold." Here's the URL to use so you can read this article.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070501/features-michael-kobold.html
A Brand For The Man Who Keeps Reaching For The Stars
I'm speculating based on this article. Until I read it, I didn't know Kobold watches exist.
Michael Kobold may have crossed the line between being a real-life business owner & a brand character like Tony The Tiger & Charlie The Tuna. He may seem fishy "Big Fishy" to us, but if we're not in the niche that buys what Kobold sells, it doesn't matter much.
I suppose Kobold aspires to be or appear to be like Richard Branson. Would Branson's stunts be done publicly if they didn't have some promotional value for his Virgin brands?
How much does Kobold's niche rely on image -- as opposed to solid, real identity -- & pretense? Reasons to buy a luxury item are 1) to feel good about owning it; 2) to feel good about oneself as a result of owning it; 3) for something that's an obvious luxury (which others will notice & realize it's approximate price) & using it in public is to inspire envy or respect in others.
Each of these are affected by & effected with marketing (Massaging the truth). Sometimes there's little difference between effected with marketing & infected with marketing. It depends how much is meant to be fiction & how much is meant to be believed.
The Underdog Brand
If Kobold achieved what he seems to aspire to, I think he & his brands would lose some of their appeal. If he changed his approach & he mass-produced his watches, his niche wouldn't lose interest only because the watches wouldn't be scarce anymore. Many of them would also lose interest because Kobold & his brands wouldn't be for little guys who want to feel powerful, but know they'll never achieve high levels of power.
They identify with a guy who owns a small business, lives in a regular apartment & has a business in small corners of a big business's building.
Success is achieving worthwhile goals, so Kobold is very successful. But he doesn't act like he's very successful. He acts like he aims for success, but doesn't quite hit the target. He acts like he strives to be a top dog, but being an underdog -- maybe a middle dog -- is his brand.
As Leo Burnett said, "If you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't end up with a handful of mud either." Kobold watches are for those who keep reaching.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Help Consumers Be The Stars They Know They Are
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com? Author: Lisa Bloom
Lisa posted this question in Inc.com-
What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?
It is an online jewelry store inspired by Hollywood celebrities.
Then I posted a brief message; I added to it & posted my longer response below.
Subject: Help Consumers Be The Stars They Know They Are
In reply to: Lisa Bloom 's message, "What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?"
Hi Lisa,
I took a quick look at the home page. The main idea seems to be "inspired by Hollywood celebrities." Since many aspire to be stars, in show business or other businesses, they're inspired by what celebrities wear, say, do & think.
I advise you to focus on star-studded events like awards shows. As soon as you see what celebrities were wearing & before the shows' effects dim, check your inventory for things that look like what celebrities wore. Promote those items.
How & where to promote those can be tricky. Using pictures & names of celebrities, without their permission & for promotional purposes, can bring more trouble than it's worth. When you know what you can legally do, it'll be easier to decide how to do it.
Use magazines, ezines, newsletters, newspapers, web sites, TV shows (possibly through cable TV), search engines/portals & whatever else will help you visually show what you offer.
If you can legally use celebrities' names, you could test headlines like "Did You See What Sandra Bullock Wore At The 2007 Academy Awards? Check what we have to help you shine like Sandy did."
You could follow it with "Even the most beautiful pictures are accentuated by beautiful frames. Your beauty needs an equally beautiful frame like jewelry Sandy used to frame her beauty. It's called a choker, but you know it'll be your friends & family who'll be breathless when they see you wearing it. Sandy probably paid $XXXXX for hers, but you'll be wearing yours for only $ZZZ. We offer this much beauty for a few dollars because (then briefly describe the quality & qualifications of your staff & suppliers & how it helps you keep quality high & prices reasonable)."
"Welcome to GlamForLess.com" isn't a headline. Each home page & other web pages should have effective, compelling headlines to intrigue web surfers, so they'll look more deeply in your site. Headlines should have specific benefits for readers, don't be subtle. Put it out there so people will understand with no doubt--what's available for them.
Web browsers commonly have multiple tabs. Surfers, especially those with broadband service, have multiple web sites open at a time. If your home page doesn't give them a reason to keep it open in a tab, they'll close it.
Test different headlines, change them as often as you get a major product or a major event happens.
Help web visitors virtually try the jewelry. If you can't afford to put an application like this in your site, give them tips how to do in their computers. There are graphics programs made to paste layered images transparently so only the desired object is added.
They can use camera phones or other hardware to get pictures of themselves. You should also use a disclaimer like- "Imagine how great this jewelry will look when it's on your skin instead of in a cobbled-together picture."
Though the results of copying & pasting graphics together won't be great, it'll still get people involved with your site & products. They feel more comfortable with it. You can demonstrate with step-by-step pictures & instructions how to do.
Show a picture a regular person & how s/he looks with the jewelry. This can be done by copying & pasting jewelry or putting people's faces into a celebrity picture. There are programs made to do this for serious or entertaining effects.
Showing how good regular people look (wearing what you offer) is important anyway. It's too easy for people to think, "Of course, it looks good on (celeb name), anything looks good on her."
This is already getting to be long, so I'll cut it here. With more time & information I could develop more.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com? Author: Lisa Bloom
Lisa posted this question in Inc.com-
What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?
It is an online jewelry store inspired by Hollywood celebrities.
Then I posted a brief message; I added to it & posted my longer response below.
Subject: Help Consumers Be The Stars They Know They Are
In reply to: Lisa Bloom 's message, "What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?"
Hi Lisa,
I took a quick look at the home page. The main idea seems to be "inspired by Hollywood celebrities." Since many aspire to be stars, in show business or other businesses, they're inspired by what celebrities wear, say, do & think.
I advise you to focus on star-studded events like awards shows. As soon as you see what celebrities were wearing & before the shows' effects dim, check your inventory for things that look like what celebrities wore. Promote those items.
How & where to promote those can be tricky. Using pictures & names of celebrities, without their permission & for promotional purposes, can bring more trouble than it's worth. When you know what you can legally do, it'll be easier to decide how to do it.
Use magazines, ezines, newsletters, newspapers, web sites, TV shows (possibly through cable TV), search engines/portals & whatever else will help you visually show what you offer.
If you can legally use celebrities' names, you could test headlines like "Did You See What Sandra Bullock Wore At The 2007 Academy Awards? Check what we have to help you shine like Sandy did."
You could follow it with "Even the most beautiful pictures are accentuated by beautiful frames. Your beauty needs an equally beautiful frame like jewelry Sandy used to frame her beauty. It's called a choker, but you know it'll be your friends & family who'll be breathless when they see you wearing it. Sandy probably paid $XXXXX for hers, but you'll be wearing yours for only $ZZZ. We offer this much beauty for a few dollars because (then briefly describe the quality & qualifications of your staff & suppliers & how it helps you keep quality high & prices reasonable)."
"Welcome to GlamForLess.com" isn't a headline. Each home page & other web pages should have effective, compelling headlines to intrigue web surfers, so they'll look more deeply in your site. Headlines should have specific benefits for readers, don't be subtle. Put it out there so people will understand with no doubt--what's available for them.
Web browsers commonly have multiple tabs. Surfers, especially those with broadband service, have multiple web sites open at a time. If your home page doesn't give them a reason to keep it open in a tab, they'll close it.
Test different headlines, change them as often as you get a major product or a major event happens.
Help web visitors virtually try the jewelry. If you can't afford to put an application like this in your site, give them tips how to do in their computers. There are graphics programs made to paste layered images transparently so only the desired object is added.
They can use camera phones or other hardware to get pictures of themselves. You should also use a disclaimer like- "Imagine how great this jewelry will look when it's on your skin instead of in a cobbled-together picture."
Though the results of copying & pasting graphics together won't be great, it'll still get people involved with your site & products. They feel more comfortable with it. You can demonstrate with step-by-step pictures & instructions how to do.
Show a picture a regular person & how s/he looks with the jewelry. This can be done by copying & pasting jewelry or putting people's faces into a celebrity picture. There are programs made to do this for serious or entertaining effects.
Showing how good regular people look (wearing what you offer) is important anyway. It's too easy for people to think, "Of course, it looks good on (celeb name), anything looks good on her."
This is already getting to be long, so I'll cut it here. With more time & information I could develop more.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
People Need Information So They Can Take Action
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I put in Inc.com related to a few articles, the latest article's URL is-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-inventors-best-friend.html
Another thing hobbyists & inventors need is information. Jim Newton & Clark Kepler should team up to provide it. Clark needs help with increasing & sustaining book & magazine sales. (Check for Bo Burlingham's articles about saving Kepler's Books & Magazines store. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060401/kepler.html) Jim's startup needs help, as all startups do. As Jay Abraham would advise, 'Think of who else can benefit from your success, even if they benefit more than you.' This is too valuable to overlook especially since Jim & Clark are both in Menlo Park.
They should cross promote. Many of Clark's customer's could be "wanna-bes." They want to be inventors or they want to build what's in their minds as hobbies, but they don't have enough space or money for machines. They may buy more books & magazines when they find they have a way to implement their new knowledge.
Jim & his staff could invest time teaching customers what to do, but it'd be more efficient for them, if customers already know enough to use the equipment. Time spent instructing a customer isn't available for answering phone calls or questions of other customers.
Maybe Jim or Clark will benefit more than the other will, so what?! As long as it works (a win-win-win) for all involved (including customers), what difference does it make?
The lesson for the rest of us is to find relationships like these. Develop flyers & newsletters to carry these promotional messages. Clark should develop some for Jim to give to customers. Jim should develop some for Clark to give to customers. These would be noticed more than mass media advertising & can be very effectively targeted.
I don't have enough space here for sample sales copy, but I could write it if I have enough information.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I put in Inc.com related to a few articles, the latest article's URL is-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-inventors-best-friend.html
Another thing hobbyists & inventors need is information. Jim Newton & Clark Kepler should team up to provide it. Clark needs help with increasing & sustaining book & magazine sales. (Check for Bo Burlingham's articles about saving Kepler's Books & Magazines store. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060401/kepler.html) Jim's startup needs help, as all startups do. As Jay Abraham would advise, 'Think of who else can benefit from your success, even if they benefit more than you.' This is too valuable to overlook especially since Jim & Clark are both in Menlo Park.
They should cross promote. Many of Clark's customer's could be "wanna-bes." They want to be inventors or they want to build what's in their minds as hobbies, but they don't have enough space or money for machines. They may buy more books & magazines when they find they have a way to implement their new knowledge.
Jim & his staff could invest time teaching customers what to do, but it'd be more efficient for them, if customers already know enough to use the equipment. Time spent instructing a customer isn't available for answering phone calls or questions of other customers.
Maybe Jim or Clark will benefit more than the other will, so what?! As long as it works (a win-win-win) for all involved (including customers), what difference does it make?
The lesson for the rest of us is to find relationships like these. Develop flyers & newsletters to carry these promotional messages. Clark should develop some for Jim to give to customers. Jim should develop some for Clark to give to customers. These would be noticed more than mass media advertising & can be very effectively targeted.
I don't have enough space here for sample sales copy, but I could write it if I have enough information.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
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