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Some very worthy additions to my blogroll

May 17, 2009

I have been incredibly remiss in updating my blogroll. There are so many good blogs out there…and I haven't been doing as good a job as I should in introducing you to some of them.

So you may look down this list and say, "Geez, Drew…I have been reading this blog for months." I know, I know. So sue me. ;-}

Anyway….without further ado, these are all blogs that I think you will find intriguing in one way or another. I'd love to get your thoughts and feedback on any of them…as I am sure would the authors.

The Business Insider: This is a team blog that covers a wide range of topics, mostly marketing but some other business thoughts/ideas as well.

The Harte of Marketing: Beth Harte is a marketing and social media consultant who brings common sense and great storytelling to her blog.

Altitude Branding: Amber Naslund is infectious. She writes about social media and branding as she serves as Radian6's Director of Community.

Jeff Garrison: Jeff writes about extraordinary sales habitudes and teaches all of us how to build better relationships which lead to better sales.

All you need is a good idea: Jay Heyman is a smart agency guy who speaks in plain language about things every business should know. He's also written a book you should read.

Increasing Employee & Client Engagement: Chad Rothschild is new to the blogging scene but brings a great deal of marketing savvy to his new venture. You'll enjoy the read.

Enjoy!

My pep talk for 2009

May 15, 2009

Bloggers around the world today will be participating in a global half time report…talking about how they see the first half of 2009 and what we can look forward to for the next six months. All of this is part of the 24 hours of innovation. You can read the other bloggers thoughts here and watch as new ones get added throughout the marathon.

The project asked: Let’s all share our views on 2009 up until now. What is your advice to the world? Which projects have surprised/disappointed you so far (in your industry or in general)? Are people motivated enough to start new projects? Which solutions can innovation bring?

I asked readers to add their thoughts to the mix as well but here's my take.

I've owned my own business, packed with the same joys and woes of any business owner, since 1995. And in that time span, have endured some of the worst economic times the US has seen in decades.

I can vividly remember the period right after 9/11 when it felt like our entire world simply froze in time. Finally, as businesses and our nation realized we could not stand still and mourn forever, even though that is exactly what we wanted to do. Many business people bemoaned that they wanted and needed things to go back to normal. The reply was….this is the new normal, learn to be successful in this economic environment or you won't outlast it. Your business will be stronger for it.

And so it was.

Now today, it seems as though the recession has the entire world and the business owners within it in that same sort of mournful stupor. The media pounds us with the dismal news every day and for many, they sit frozen in time, glued to the bad news just like we were glued to the horrific images of 9/11 that we literally sat and watched for days on end back in 2001. All too often, I hear business people talk about "waiting for things to get back to normal."

Guess what….this is the new normal. And if we don't turn off that TV (computer, radio, newspaper) and look around us, by the time the economy recovers, we'll be irrelevant.

As I travel around the country, speaking at conferences and conventions, I see and hear a different kind of news. I meet business owners and leaders who say business is good. Or picking up. Or they are trying something new (out of necessity) that is really catching some traction.

Typical of the media, they are focusing on the few and the huge. Are those industries (auto, big bank) having some trouble? No doubt. But, were they also bloated and inefficient and the shake up will make them better.

This can actually be an amazing time of innovation, business growth, improvement and profit. If we pick up our head and really see what's real, rather than what is being reported.

My pep talk? Whether you are an employee, business owner, solo entrepreneur or leading a huge corporation — you can't wait for "normal." This is our new normal. Learn how to thrive in this time by asking new, better questions, by creating collaborations in fresh ways and by behaving our way out of this recession.

I truly believe that it is the small and medium sized businesses that are going to save the day and bring back better economic times through sheer will power, their drive to serve and bigger, better ideas. And, we'll all be the better for it.

Avoid Crash and Burn: Check! (Nicolas A. Boillot)

May 15, 2009

Drew's Note: As I try to do every Friday, I'm pleased to bring you a guest post. Meet another thought leader who shares his insights via the blogosphere. So without further ado…Nicolas A. Boillot. Again. Enjoy!

Launching a marketing initiative that successfully reaches your intended audience and delivers a spot-on message in many ways resembles a perfect, incident-free flight. Before every phase of a flight, pilots perform a series of checks to ensure that all systems are in order.

This happens before starting the engine, before takeoff, before landing, and when shutting down the engine. The procedure ensures a successful flight, and when in trouble, checklists abound for each kind of trouble a pilot faces. But sometimes a small detail missed at any phase of flight – be it on the ground (full fuel?) or before landing (gear down?) can create a “domino-effect,” which could lead to disaster. After all, you can’t pull over to the side of the road when you’re flying.

Similarly, in marketing and communications initiatives, a “flight plan” enables you to map out key check-points where you can check whether you’re on track or likely to miss the mark. The ideal flight plan for a communications project requires a review of each phase of a project or campaign at specified intervals, measuring against original direction as well as new information recorded along the way.

Whether creating an ad campaign, pitching a story to a publication, or developing a brand, dividing your plan into phases, or “legs” where you must check in and review progress to date, can make all the difference in arriving safely at your destination.

We have all left client meetings thinking, “We’ll knock this one out of the park” as we already envision the outcome and how to get there. And most of us have experienced that awful feeling a month later, when we discover that we’re not even close to meeting the client’s expectations. Or, the real client was the CEO, but nobody told us that – and she hates all the work that’s been developed so far. With the deadline approaching, we trudge back to square one, desperate for a winning solution that will rescue us from endless revisions and a death spiral for the project.

How did we get so far off course?

With our eyes on the prize, we easily switched to auto-pilot and turned a blind eye to potential barriers. Instead, our checklist might have included meetings with key decision-makers at every phase of the project. In fact, our pre-takeoff checklist might have included figuring out who the key decision-makers were.

As marketers, we generally take to the creative process more easily than the project management. That’s why a checklist makes so much sense. It relieves us of the burden of figuring it all out again with every new project.

Try it some day – take a type of project that you do on a regular basis, and make a checklist of key considerations to address along the way. Use it on the next project, and edit for anything that’s missing. And don’t make it too complicated – even a simple check, such as ensuring you have enough fuel for your flight, might dramatically cut the number of times you have to land at alternate airports.

Here's an example of a project checklist for writing an article.

Nicolas A. Boillot is Managing Partner and co-founder of Hart-Boillot, LLC a full-service advertising and public relations agency specializing in higher education, medical, clean- and high-technology markets. Since Hart-Boillot’s founding in 1999, Boillot has managed significant communications campaigns for brands such as HP, Gore Bike Wear, EMC, Fairchild Semiconductor, Vicor and NanoHorizons.

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew's Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

Are you evolving with your marketplace?

May 13, 2009

One of the challenges for any mature business to to balance the two ideals — staying true to your brand's core and yet still being nimble enough to evolve with your marketplace.

As you may know, I am a bonafide Disneyophile. I have been to Walt Disney World at least once a year since it opened in 1971. Back in the late 70's and 80's, the only real competition to Disney was SeaWorld in Orlando and if you wanted to make the drive, Busch Gardens in Tampa.

I can remember leaving Disney property to head to SeaWorld as a kid. It was a great day — Shamu the whale, feeding the dolphins the dead fish and watching a water skiing show. There were many things to see and watch, but there wasn't a lot to do. As a pre-teen boy, I was full of energy and loved thrill rides, like roller coasters. So after our initial SeaWorld visit, my parents couldn't convince me that going back was worth losing a day of Disney's rides.

In the late 90's, Universal Studios added to the market by building two theme parks, packed with thrill rides. Which I'm sure added even more pressure to Sea World. They had two choices. Stick with just Shamu & gang or branch out and add a thrill ride or two. They opted for #2 and just last week opened The Manta.

Want to see how it might feel to ride the Manta? Check out this POV animation of what the ride will be like.

What do you think? I'm a little torn. They did a good job of keeping the ride tied to their brand. And I'm sure it will help them attract more young families, whose kids want thrill rides.

But on the flip side, their brand is about learning more about sea life and getting up close and personal. Did Orlando really need another roller coaster?

If you were on the planning team at Sea World, would you have recommended the thrill ride or something different to keep up with the marketplace?

Check out Sea World's new Manta roller coaster!

P.S. The logo below tells you that I heard about the Manta from IZEA and because I'm using their link, I'll get paid a whopping 50 cents per click. I use that sort of money to pay for mailing out the free books etc. that we do here on the blog. Pretty sure I'll never break even but you never know! ;-}

Be not afraid

May 10, 2009

I spent the day on Friday at the Maximum Impact Simulcast, listening to the likes of Tony Blair and John C. Maxwell talk about leadership and courage. It’s inspiring. It makes us want to be our best self. Who doesn’t want to be seen as an amazing leader?

I think it’s natural after spending a day at that sort of an event, to look at your own life, to see if you can see a glimmer of that greatness. As I let my mind wander over my own choices, I couldn’t help but notice that there’s a pattern to my life’s greatest and most fulfilling adventures.

I blundered into them.

Now I don’t mean to make myself sound less accomplished but the truth is, my life’s biggest adventures began with one common denominator – I had no idea what I was getting into. No amazing courage. No brilliant insights. Just me, blindly stepping off the ledge, having absolutely no idea how far down the drop was.

The good news is that it meant I was also not afraid. I probably should have been – but because I didn’t realize the enormity of what I was doing, I actually blindly strode into the new opportunities with incredible confidence and enthusiasm.

Perhaps that’s not such a bad plan. Look at what it got me.

Becoming a dad: Totally clueless. Yes, I read a couple parenting books but they talk about how to diaper and feed, not the real parenting stuff. I could not possibly have imagined that the arrival of this baby would literally re-write my entire life, my work schedule (I have left the office every day at 3 pm since she entered pre-school) and my life’s priorities.

No amount of worry could have prepared me for some of the conversations we’ve had, some of the split second decisions I’ve made or the depth of love that underscores my relationship with my daughter.

Opening my own agency: I’d love to tell you that I had a well written business plan, a stash of cash to fall back on or several clients waiting in the wings. But none of that is true. And yet, it didn’t occur to me that it wouldn’t work. I was 32, naïve and had an incredibly talented business partner (who has since gone on to different successes) who was as clueless as I was.

No amount of hand wringing could have prepared me for twists and turns of being a business owner, the excruciating decisions I’ve had to make, or the many relationships we’ve been lucky enough to earn and enjoy.

Had I been logical or even deeply thoughtful about either decision – I very well might have decided that the potential risks outweighed what I thought were the potential gains. Man, would I have been wrong.

We’ve all heard the Redmoon quotation “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

I wish I could tell you that I consciously decided that being a dad or owning my own agency was more important than the fear but I just didn’t feel any fear until it was too late – I’d already stepped off the ledge. At that point, when the fear appeared, I had no choice but to push it aside and keep trudging forward.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I suspect that someone reading this right now is afraid and can’t pull the trigger on a dream.

What are you worrying about right now? What is fear keeping you from trying or risking? Are you letting the economy, a golden handcuff job, a pending retirement or something else keep you from stepping off the ledge?

You’re probably smarter than I was….I blundered into my life’s best decisions wrapped in complete ignorance. You know what the risks are. You know all the pros and cons.

But what you might not know is the remarkable rush that comes from just spreading your wings and taking the leap. What you probably haven’t considered is that those wings and the winds of chance might take you to a place more dazzling and delightful than you could possibly imagine.

Ignorance for me. Courage for you. Maybe it doesn’t matter why you leap. Just that you do.

20+ lessons I (re) learned about marketing when starting an Internet business (Dennis Price)

May 8, 2009

I run a business in the real world that has an internet presence and uses some (basic) internet tools . (Hey, I am even on twitter, have a LinkedIn profile, but I wouldn’t describe myself as one of the cool kids on the block. Like this one, and this one or this one. I connected with Drew through the cool conversation, but I am not cool. I do not come from the dark side either…)

Running and marketing this ‘real’ business is very different from running an internet business – even if you use some of the same tools. But there are also some universal principles that continue to apply, no matter what the platform and no matter what the business idea.

Like everyone else, I am lured to the internet-only business model because there is such great potential to:

automate processes
scale up
tap into global markets
earn recurring revenue

I am also an experienced marketer (in fact I teach marketing part-time at a world-class graduate school) and I like to think I know the basics. Boy, was I wrong.

In April 09 we launched retailsmartresults.com. And these are the lessons I learned along the way.
It started out as a membership driven website business model, but evolved into something else. That is because we made many mistakes. Some of these we should have known better because it really is just about fundamentals and the other lessons are just about us paying our school fees. In hindsight, they are all obvious.

There are a lot of people who can talk the talk but not too many who can walk it.
There is a gulf (of money) between social-media-as conversation and internet marketing scams. (And there is a real opportunity in between.)
If your business model and if your target market is not exactly clear before you start, you will spend a lot of time re-writing and re-designing.
The technographics profile (put forward in ‘groundswell’ www.forrester.com/Groundswell> ) probably over-estimates the number of participants and ‘creators’.
No one on the internet knows you are a dog. But the flip side of that is that no one cares about your blog.
And they might not care if you are a dog, you will not be able to hide your ‘dog-ness’ for very long.
There is an art to eliciting comments – and one not yet mastered.
If it is extremely difficult to do, or if no one else has done it before; it probably is for good reason.
A large following counts for a lot – and it is a lot harder to achieve (authentically) for anyone but a first mover. (In the internet world there is only room for one. One Amazon, one EBay etc. – but that is a post for another time.)
One month = 7 internet years.
The corollary of you don’t need much capital to start is that you can’t raise capital easily.
By the time somebody has discovered the recipe AND is prepared to pass it on, the goalposts have moved.
The average business person and employee – and that includes Gen Y – is not as computer literate as you think.
Crowdsourcing cannot be applied to decisions you have to take.
Customer service cannot be automated.
Your competition almost always charges ZERO.
The internet is a shallow pool.
Face-to-Face counts. A lot. Maybe even more than before.
Being in constant beta is a reality of the platform, but it is harder to live with than you think.
Just because you like it does not mean everyone else will.
Simplicity is hard.
And one bonus lesson. The business plan counts for nought. The planning is invaluable. (I think I steal this from someone famous.)

If you have lessons of your own, comment below and I will be sure to take note because I don’t have any money left for more school fees.

Dennis Price is CEO of Ganador Management Solutions, a company the focuses on helping the retail supply chain work more effectively with the retailers. Retailsmartresults.com is the online version of that, and has been handed over to the community – for free and he is giving away a free E-Book in the process.

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew's Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

Your customers have no clue what you do

May 7, 2009

Painful Fact: Your customers know much less about you than you think. Until they need it, they don’t bother to find out if you do it. And sometimes, they don’t think to ask – even then.

For example, many an agency bemoans the fact that their clients went elsewhere to have a website built or to have a speech written, simply because the client didn’t know the agency did that sort of thing. (For our clients out there…yes, we do both.)

You have to tell them. Tell them in an engaging way. Tell them in a useful way – give them something to “steal” or adapt to make their own life a little easier. Use the dialogue to establish your expertise and your commitment to their success/well being.

Are you sharing case studies with "here's what we learned" tips that your other clients can use?
Are you hosting events where your customers can come together and talk about the thing they have in common – you?
Do you bring samples or photos of work you've done for others to your client meetings? Start off the conversation with a…"hey, I thought you might find some value in what we learned when we did XYZ for You Know Who." So bring something relevant.

If they don’t know that you do it – they’ll find someone who does. And it often times, might not be you. And – don’t even think about doing it just once. You have to tell them over and over…and be on-target and on-time each and every time. Don't make them search — tell them again and again.

If not, you send a message you don’t want them to get — call somebody else.

How do you let your customers know the depth and variety of things you are capable of doing for them?

A cost effective and powerful marketing tool

May 4, 2009

Marketing your company during good times is hard enough. But marketing your company while trying to manage expenses can really be tough. So what’s a marketer with one hand tied behind their back to do?

One powerful and cost-effective strategy that generates consistent results is strategic email marketing. When done right, it can generate huge ROI percentages within a reasonable budget.

The following are just some of the strategies to keep in mind when developing email campaigns:

Get to the point—You only have 2–3 seconds to catch their attention. Always provide relevant information that your target wants and avoid the “fluff.”
Keep it short—No more than 15–20 percent of the copy you would include in a traditional printed direct mail letter.
Be conversational—Your email should be an extension of your brand. If your brand is formal, write in a formal style. If your brand is casual, make it casual.
Use bullets and lists—Emails are unique in that the reader wants the info fast. Instead of long sentences, try bullets or lists to convey your points. This is a vehicle of “sound bytes.”
Choose your topics carefully—Always make the information timely and culturally relevant to your target.
Use proven layout strategies—Typically, email readers like to scan first and then go back and read. So make sure that you break up your copy with bullet points, illustrations, photos, or graphs. And make sure to have plenty of “white” space.
It’s not about you—Be sure to spend less time selling your products/services and more time providing useful information to your readers. The more useful your information, the more response you will generate.

If you haven’t done so already, consider adding a strategic email campaign to your arsenal of marketing weapons. It can be a very powerful and cost-efficient strategy that generates impressive returns.

Thanks to my friends at Gumas Advertising for these tips!

Do banking and social media go together?

May 1, 2009

The banking industry has come under a lot of fire in the media of late and is fighting to prove that a few bad apples should not spoil the whole bushel.

We talk a lot about social media being where transparency and authenticity are the highest form of currency so it seems to me that banks, despite their conservative stereotype, should be wrapping their arms around social media with all their might.

Next week, I’m speaking to the Iowa Bankers Association’s marketing conference on social media and would love to be able to cite some examples of banks who are successfully using social media. Can anyone share with us some examples of how the banking industry is building new or strengthening old relationships with social media tools?

Ironically, Patrick Byers from Responsible Marketing is coming in all the way from Seattle to speak at the same conference. I’m looking forward to putting a face to the smart blog posts I’ve been enjoying since he launched his blog.

His talk on responsible marketing is also incredibly timely for the industry. Since we’re both doing two sessions, I’m going to suggest to my attendees that they catch his encore performance. If I didn’t have to do my own presentation again, you can bet I’d be there!

So what say you…can you share some social media + banking examples?

Is my Business Plan a Weapon or Just another Word Document (Cory Isaacson)

May 1, 2009

The economy is challenging investors and entrepreneurs like never before. The bottomless well of funding has officially dried up as the fight for investment capital has become an all out war.

Yesterday’s business plan needs to be today’s battle plan, and for an entrepreneur, the ultimate validation for the battle plan will be its ability to connect a defined value proposition to a clear and attainable business metric.

If not, then the real question one has to ask is “who really cares?” As glib as that may sound, it should be a fundamental concern for any entrepreneur with a vision and the inspiration to put forth his or her thinking.

First things first, you need a clearly defined value proposition that answers two simple questions:

how will it disrupt the marketplace?
how will it be profitable?

Coming up with the answers to these questions will be a challenge – it should not be a comfortable process, challenging yourself never is. If those two questions are not answered, forget about it and head back to the drawing board. Conversely, if it does answer those two questions, then you’re one step closer to arming yourself with a battle plan.

A bullet proof value proposition becomes your arsenal and shield, capable of mounting a solid offensive as well as defending the battle plan from the nonbelievers and an unpredictable business climate. By clearly demonstrating how the value proposition can transcend the challenges posed by the marketplace, an entrepreneur will then be able illustrate the opportunity for growth.

By illustrating that opportunity for growth, you’re ready for war. It was with this very concise but simple approach that we drove the creation of the original Walton | Isaacson battle plan for “The Planet’s Most Interesting Agency” – and in turn, generated the interest and funding of entrepreneur, media mogul, NBA legend and our partner, Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

There will be more losers than winners during this time of economic crisis. However, those entrepreneurs who fiercely believe in what they’re doing stand the best chance of winning. The only factor any investor really cares about is results, and if results can be clearly communicated through your value proposition in a simple and direct manner, your vision and battle plan will become a well-funded reality.

Cory Isaacson's expertise in developing and executing highly successful marketing programs is widely regarded throughout the industry. Over the years he has been recognized for his groundbreaking work, including Jack Daniel’s Studio #7, Hanes Hosiery / Tina Turner, Kodak / House of Blues, Burger King / Backstreet Boys, HP Moving Fashion Forward, Budweiser / Rolling Stones, and Ericsson’s “Power of Voice” with Celine Dion. His unique approach has earned him numerous industry awards, including PROMO’s Pro Award, Ex Awards and Effies.

Isaacson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Wisconsin and has taught MBA classes on entertainment marketing at Tulane University. Cory currently resides with his family in Chicago and is a partner at Walton | Isaacson.

Every Friday is "grab the mic" day. Want to grab the mic and be a guest blogger on Drew's Marketing Minute? Shoot me an e-mail.

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