Blog - Page 136 of 181 - McLellan Marketing Group

My next cover? Rolling Stone.

September 28, 2007

I've always thought of myself as cover boy material. But I was okay with starting small. Not any more!

Thanks to Age of Conversation and Arun Rajagopal, Gavin Heaton and I have hit the big time! Stealing straight from Arun's announcement:

We are the cover story of the Dubai-based Khaleej Times ‘Weekend’ magazine today! What an awesome way to celebrate ‘AOC’. KT’s feature writer Pratibha Umashankar pulled out all the stops to write ‘Mind Blogging’, a brilliant story on ‘AOC’ that also explores the following questions:
o What are the advantages of blogging?
o The implications of ‘blooking’ both commercially and from a readership point of view vis-à-vis conventional publishing
o The future of blogging and citizen journalism
o Implications of blogging in terms of news value

Several of the other AoC authors are also shown, holding their copy of the book.

The lesson? Never ever underestimate the power of collaboration and the spirit of giving first. Thanks to all the AoC authors and especially Arun for making this possible. Hopefully it means we will break a new milestone for our Variety donation!

What do you think I should wear for the Rolling Stone's cover shoot?

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Never click a mouse again?

September 27, 2007

So what do you think of this? (Fair warning…it's a little bit addicting)

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Where is your customer’s watering hole?

September 26, 2007

You're on a photo safari. You want to get a great shot of the elusive white tiger. Where do you go?

How about where the tigers hang out? Where is their watering hole? Odds are pretty good that if you hang out where the tigers hang out — you'll get that shot.

The same is true of your customers. Want to have access to them? Go where they go. Walk their walk. Talk their talk.

By hanging out at your customer's watering hole, they become a person you're having a conversation with, not a crowd you are shouting at.

Where do your customers gather? What are you doing to make sure you're there too?

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It doesn’t have to be fancy…or star Tom Cruise

September 26, 2007

Video is a powerful medium. It's a storytelling medium. We've seen that with the explosion of YouTube.

There's been a lot of discussion about production quality. Now do not misunderstand. I firmly believe there is a time and place when you need high end production and wouldn't allow a client to skimp.

But sometimes, you can capture the spirit and the story telling…and not spend a fortune.

Check our The Marketing Minute's friend Phil Gerbyshak tell us about a webinar series. It makes you smile. (Had me actually laugh out loud) It gives us a hint of what the webinar series might be like.

It's the first chapter in a story…

For more information about the webinar series, follow Phil's instructions and head to the website.

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Whatever you do, don’t brush their butt

September 24, 2007

You know how we say that marketing isn't rocket science? Well, it isn't. But sometimes it is about the science of understanding your consumer. Paco Underhill, in his best selling book The Science of Shopping, identified a significant negative motivator for shoppers.

The butt brush. Yes, the butt brush.

According to research, a shopper, especially a woman shopper, is far less likely to buy something if her rear end is bumped or brushed, even lightly, by another customer, while they are both looking at a display.

The net result of this research is that stores need to be very aware of creating wide and clear aisles.

If you aren't in a retail business, how does this apply to you?

In every industry, there is the equivalent of the butt brush. Some little, seemingly insignificant factor, that makes your customer decide to shop or buy elsewhere. Something that just makes them a little uneasy.

Can you identify what it is for your business? If not, spend some time watching the shopping and buying patterns of your clients.

Look for clues. Or better yet, ask. A slight shift in your selling environment, materials, pitch or product may result in a measurable jump in sales.

Do you have a personal "butt brush" story? Something that turns you off as a consumer?

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Ready to do a brand check?

September 23, 2007

Consumers are bombarded with 3,000+ marketing messages a day. Are you sure you're breaking through the clutter with a consistent brand message?

Swing over to my post at Small Business Branding to see if you've missed anything.

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RFP’s — what did we do to deserve them?

September 23, 2007

If you want to make an agency person or consultant cringe, just whisper "RFP"

I have to wonder what level of mistrust or what horrific deed was done years ago that forced someone on the client side to create the first RFP. They are torture for the applicants and I can't imagine much fun on the client side.

We're having a lively discussion about RFPs over at Marketing Prof's Daily Fix. Come join us.

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Who will your customers mimic?

September 21, 2007

I flew to San Francisco yesterday on United. (Only one mechanical delay, so they are improving.)

One of my pet peeves is when the flight attendant is doing her safety spiel….no one listens. They keep talking, reading or whatever, but they are not listening.

Do I think most of us need to hear the speech again? No. I just think it's incredibly rude. (props to Mom and Dad for the manners lesson).

So…I always make a show of putting away whatever I am reading and pay rapt attention. I always hope I am setting an example and others around me will follow suit.

Well, the guy I was sitting next to on this flight did not. He calmly kept reading his magazine, completely ignoring the flight attendant.

Oh, did I mention he was a United employee in full uniform?

If your employees don't get it and don't care about setting a good example, your customers never will. What rule/expectation do you need to reinforce with your employees next week?

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Don’t play hide and seek with an unhappy client

September 20, 2007

Sooner or later it happens. Something goes horribly wrong. You want to crawl in a hole. Or slam your office door.

But the one thing you do not want to do to face the client.

Too bad. How you handle this disaster will say more about your brand than any marketing tactic or campaign. Zane Safrit tells a story of how he dealt with a client's event that went down the tubes in a hurry.

All too often, companies dodge the problems. Or they recite company policy when a sincere "I'm sorry" would actually heal the situation. There's no empathy. Just rhetoric. And that just won't cut it.

Do your employees understand how you want them to deal with the situation when a client is angry or disappointed? Have you not only told them but modeled the behavior?

How have you handled this in the past?

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Logos 101

September 19, 2007

All too often, marketing messages get lost because they are packed like sardines with other marketing messages. There is no place that is less forgiving of that than a logo. A successful logo captures the essence of a company with one quick mark. According to Paul Rand, here's what a good logo must do.

It should be timeless. It should be flexible so as the company evolves, the meaning behind the logo can evolve too.
It should be a mark that can be interpreted by anyone, almost anywhere.
It should send a clear message.
It should work in all media, in all colors and black/white combinations.
Above all else, it should be simple, recognizable and relevant.

How does your company's logo stack up?

If you're wondering who Paul Rand is, he's the man who designed some of the most recognized logos in our culture: UPS, Westinghouse and IBM.

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