It's never to early to start marketing. If you are thinking about developing a plan, already have media in place but need to nail down advertising, or anticipate writer's block in the future, this seminar is for you. Mark your calendar and register online:
Title: Writing Stellar Copy: A DIY Marketing Seminar
Type: In-person
Date/Time: Wed., Jan. 14, 2009 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Arizona Small Business Association, Prosperity Room, 4130 East Van Buren, Suite 150, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Description: This seminar is for anyone who wants to take a "do-it-yourself" approach to writing ads, brochures, or any written marketing materials to effectively speak to their prospects and customers.
Showing posts with label small business advertising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business advertising. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Microsoft Strikes Back!
In its new TV ads (view here), Microsoft finally delivers its answer to the "coolness" factor, of which Apple has so deftly commanded ownership. By taking everday people and some huge celebs (Tony Parker, Eva Longoria, Deepak Chopra, and more), the Microsoft ad opens the range of Apple's proposed polarized user definitions. What can small business take away from this marketing effort? While perhaps competition is not as fierce, if someone is going for jugular in your industry, find the loophole in their logic. Address it after a period of reflection, but don't wait too long. It takes calm, calculated thinking to strike back in a meaningful way so assemble a good team of strategic thinkers. Now that Apple is on the defensive, it will be interesting to see what their next move is.
P.S. I'm not debating which product/platform is better, only exploring the brand strategies. In fact, the Microsoft ad isn't about the product but the people who use it, which is really at the heart of the Apple campaigns. If you have seen the movie "Thank You for Smoking," you might recall a scene where father and son debate about what ice cream flavor is better--chocolate or vanilla. Aaron Eckhart's character says, "If you argue correctly, you're never wrong." It's the same thing. Here's a trailer for the movie.
P.P.S. I don't think the intent is to sell more computers, oddly enough. It's simply about making PC owners feel good about their decision and shaping a better image which in the long run may prevent defection to Apple based on identity issues.
P.S. I'm not debating which product/platform is better, only exploring the brand strategies. In fact, the Microsoft ad isn't about the product but the people who use it, which is really at the heart of the Apple campaigns. If you have seen the movie "Thank You for Smoking," you might recall a scene where father and son debate about what ice cream flavor is better--chocolate or vanilla. Aaron Eckhart's character says, "If you argue correctly, you're never wrong." It's the same thing. Here's a trailer for the movie.
P.P.S. I don't think the intent is to sell more computers, oddly enough. It's simply about making PC owners feel good about their decision and shaping a better image which in the long run may prevent defection to Apple based on identity issues.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Free Small Biz Marketing Seminar in Phoenix: Sept. 19, 2008
Upcoming Seminar!
Title: Writing Stellar Copy: A DIY Marketing Seminar
Type: In-person
Date/Time: Friday, September 19, 2008 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Burton Barr Library, Meeting Room A, 1221 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Description: This seminar is for anyone who wants to take a "do-it-yourself" approach to writing ads, brochures, or any written marketing materials to effectively speak to their prospects and customers.
Click here to register
Title: Writing Stellar Copy: A DIY Marketing Seminar
Type: In-person
Date/Time: Friday, September 19, 2008 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Burton Barr Library, Meeting Room A, 1221 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Description: This seminar is for anyone who wants to take a "do-it-yourself" approach to writing ads, brochures, or any written marketing materials to effectively speak to their prospects and customers.
Click here to register
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Free Small Biz Marketing Seminar in Phoenix: Sept. 19, 2008
Please join me!
Title: Writing Stellar Copy: A DIY Marketing Seminar
Type: In-person
Date/Time: Friday, September 19, 2008 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Burton Barr Library, Meeting Room A, 1221 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Description: This seminar is for anyone who wants to take a "do-it-yourself" approach to writing ads, brochures, or any written marketing materials to effectively speak to their prospects and customers.
Click here to register
Title: Writing Stellar Copy: A DIY Marketing Seminar
Type: In-person
Date/Time: Friday, September 19, 2008 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Location: Burton Barr Library, Meeting Room A, 1221 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Description: This seminar is for anyone who wants to take a "do-it-yourself" approach to writing ads, brochures, or any written marketing materials to effectively speak to their prospects and customers.
Click here to register
Monday, January 7, 2008
Focus on . . . Advertising
To follow is an excerpt from my Quarterly Newsletter. To request the full text, send me an email. You can also sign up for future editions on my home page.
I've seen some confusion lately among small business owners and micro-business owners about the relationship between marketing and advertising as well as how to effectively produce ads. If we're looking at a textbook model, Marketing is responsible for Promotions, and so I consider advertising an important part of the plan to promote your product or service. Developing an effective "ad campaign" is a good first step towards establishing your new brand and/or generating awareness in the market about your current brand. To help you achieve this, whether you do it yourself or engage my services, here are the keys to planning your successful ad:
1. Position. Determine your position by knowing your target market and your competition. If you haven't done at least a basic market study, or have scattered information that needs to be compiled, doing so will be a major success factor in your strategic marketing efforts overall, as well as any advertising effort. Armed with industry research and target market needs, you'll be able to create an effective message.
A Primo Position: Diet Coke has two innovative, eye-catching yet simple ads. One ad shows a condensation-covered can with a cardboard insulating sleeve typically used for coffee around it and the headline "Good Morning." Another ad shows 3 images of the same sleeve-clad can with the headline "Three-hour meeting." This is a brilliant campaign strategy to carve out a potential new market--folks who prefer a cold, easily accessible, cheaper "coffee" as they head to (or cope with!) work. If you've read my previous newsletter about Coke BlaK, you'll see that the advertising track is a much better competitive strategy than costly new product development.
I've seen some confusion lately among small business owners and micro-business owners about the relationship between marketing and advertising as well as how to effectively produce ads. If we're looking at a textbook model, Marketing is responsible for Promotions, and so I consider advertising an important part of the plan to promote your product or service. Developing an effective "ad campaign" is a good first step towards establishing your new brand and/or generating awareness in the market about your current brand. To help you achieve this, whether you do it yourself or engage my services, here are the keys to planning your successful ad:
1. Position. Determine your position by knowing your target market and your competition. If you haven't done at least a basic market study, or have scattered information that needs to be compiled, doing so will be a major success factor in your strategic marketing efforts overall, as well as any advertising effort. Armed with industry research and target market needs, you'll be able to create an effective message.
A Primo Position: Diet Coke has two innovative, eye-catching yet simple ads. One ad shows a condensation-covered can with a cardboard insulating sleeve typically used for coffee around it and the headline "Good Morning." Another ad shows 3 images of the same sleeve-clad can with the headline "Three-hour meeting." This is a brilliant campaign strategy to carve out a potential new market--folks who prefer a cold, easily accessible, cheaper "coffee" as they head to (or cope with!) work. If you've read my previous newsletter about Coke BlaK, you'll see that the advertising track is a much better competitive strategy than costly new product development.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The CEO as a Salesperson
In a small company, the CEO or president often has a central role in sales, whether directly, as in selling to customers or investors, or indirectly, as in establishing a sales strategy based on experience that others will follow. As Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, says, “Everything about my journey to get Spanx off the ground entailed me having to be a salesperson—from going to the hosiery mills to get a prototype made to calling Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.” Regardless of your level of involvement, understanding your sales style as explained by Ray Silverstein will provide some important insight on how to staff up or where to focus your improvement efforts. And like Michael Gerber (see previous post), the Dalai Lama, and countless others, Silverstein advocates self-awareness so he’s got my vote as a valuable voice for entrepreneurs to hear.
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