Marketing Archives - Page 27 of 67 - McLellan Marketing Group

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?

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Time to start talking to dads in a different way

April 27, 2009

Right up front, I will admit my bias here. I've always found the advertisements and shows that portray dads as the bumbling idiots to be pretty insulting. I think it demeans how dedicated many men are to their kids and being a good dad.

It's not that we can't laugh at ourselves, but from a marketing point of view — I may find it funny but I sure don't see myself in the portrayal. So if you want to amuse me…have at it. If you want me to buy something, you'd better find a different avenue.

That's why I found this recent study from the nonprofit Families and Work Institute (FWI) so fascinating. What the study suggests is that men are now feeling the same pressures to balance their lives and that pressure is causing a lot of stress.

It suggests that perhaps it's time for marketers to re-think how they target and talk to men. I'm curious what you think…do you think this sort of study gives us new insights? Or do you think marketing is ahead of the research and we already knew this?

Here's some of the study's data and analysis.

The study traces the trends in men’s and women’s attitudes and actions over the past three decades, reveals that changing gender roles have significantly and specifically increased the overall level of work-life conflict experienced by men, from 34% in 1977 to 45% in 2008. On the other hand, the rise in women’s work-life conflict, which increased from 34% in 1977 to 39% in 2008, has been less dramatic and is not statistically significant.

Fathers in dual-earner couples are spending more time with their children but are experiencing more work life conflict than mothers. In 1977, 35% reported experiencing some or a lot of conflict. In 2008, that figure has risen to 59%. The level of conflict experienced by mothers in dual-earner families has not changed much during that time period (41% in 1977 and 45% in 2008).

Working Women Can Be Good Mothers

Greater proportions of both men and women agree that employed women can be good mothers, the study found. In 1977, 49% of men agreed (strongly or somewhat) that a mother who works outside the home can have just as good a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work. Today, 67% agree. From 1977 to 2008, the percentage of women agreeing moved from 71% in to 80%. Both men and women who grew up with employed mothers have greater acceptance of working mothers than those whose mothers did not work outside the home.

Fathers Spend More Time with Kids

Employed fathers, especially Millennials, are spending more time with children today than their age counterparts did three decades ago, while employed mothers’ time has not changed significantly. On average, employed fathers of all ages spend 3.0 hours per workday with children under 13 today compared with 2.0 hours in 1977. For employed mothers of all ages, time spent with children has remained at 3.8 hours. Today’s Millennial fathers spend 4.3 hours per workday compared with the 2.4 hours spent by their age counterparts in 1977. Mothers under 29 today average 5.0 hours compared with 4.5 hours in 1977.

Men also say they are taking more overall responsibility for the care of their children. In 1992, 21% of women said that their spouses or partners were taking as much or more responsibility for the care of their children as they were. By 2008, that percentage has risen to 31%.

Interestingly, FWI noted, 49% of men report taking as much or more responsibility for the children as their wives, indicating a perception gap.

The report states that the gradual increase of women in the labor force over the past half century, combined with various work life trends and economic pressures, has resulted in a shrinking gap between how men and women view their careers, family roles, and the fit between their lives on and off the job.

“Our findings are striking and surprising,” said Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of FWI and lead author of the study. “There are many firsts in this study – the first time that younger men and women feel the same about job advancement and the first time that there is no statistically significant difference between men and women in their views of appropriate gender roles.”

You can read the whole report: “Times Are Changing: Gender and Generation at Work and At Home,” (pdf) examines the evolution of work-related gender roles over the past three decades.

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Stories stick and sell

April 26, 2009

Stories are a part of our lives from the time we're babies.

Dad read stories to us at bed time.
Mom tells us the story of the little boy who bumped his head because he didn't put on his seat belt.
Grannie's stories about growing up and getting her first TV set teaches us about innovation.
Papa regals us with his tale of how his stage kiss brought down the house in high school connects our generational passion for theater.

Then, we get to school. In just about every class we are taught via stories. Whether it's a history lesson wrapped up in the Gold Rush, a humanities study woven into haunting Holocaust stories, or a sociology primer on how people around the globe practice their religion — school is filled with stories.

When we date…what do we do to learn about the other person? Exactly….we tell stories. Whether they're sad, funny, heartwarming or ego-boosting — human beings teach and learn via stories.

Recognizing all of that, doesn't it make sense that we would use stories in our marketing? The truth is…the tactic is already all around us. Jared is thin, thanks to Subway. eHarmony couples want you to be as happy as they are,and average Joe John Erlendson wants you to know that Lipitor is keeping his heart healthy.

Dandy…you're sold. You now believe that stories can help you strengthen your brand, sell more and reinforce your customers' buying decision.

Now what?

Creating stories to use in your marketing, especially if you are going to use real customers, is no small task. Fortunately, there's a book out to help. Casey Hibbard has written Stories that Sell, which is literally a step-by-step playbook of how to create incredibly powerful marketing tools from customer stories.

In the book, Hibbard covers everything from planning the campaign, to finding the best stories (even stories you didn't know about), getting your customers to say yes to letting you tell their story, and how to create compelling stories that really stick. There are 9 steps in all and she explains each one in detail so you can't possibly go astray.

This is a very practical and yet inspiring book. You'll read it and know with confidence that you can hunt down the right stories and create amazing marketing materials from them.

Want even better news? I have three signed copies to give away. Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select three lucky winners!

In the meantime…how are you using stories today in your marketing? Or, how would you like to?

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Now is the perfect time to try some crazy marketing idea

April 22, 2009

Why not? Everyone's in a tailspin about the economy and you have some down time. Why not try something bold? Dare I say… get a little crazy.

An excellent photographer here in Central Iowa sent this to me the other day. Is it risky? Sure. But did it get me thinking? You bet.

My guess is, he could fill some dead spots in his calendar with some pretty interesting projects.

He solidifies his relationship with existing clients. He creates new relationships with people who might not have given him a try.

But best of all, he reminds us that he's willing to be creative, flexible and work/think with his clients, not just for them. We're going to remember that long after the recession ends.

What crazy idea do you have buzzing around in your head? What could you do in your marketplace to cause a stir. Or even a disturbance? What could you do that sounds crazy….but maybe crazy like a fox?

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Time to listen up

March 28, 2009

We've all heard the quote from the Greek philosopher Epictetus, "we were born with two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak."

I doubt Epictetus was a marketing consultant, but it is not a stretch to apply his wisdom to our efforts. Marketers have a tendency to "talk" a lot. After all, we have a lot to say. We have features to point out. Benefits to reference. Special pricing to announce. Nothing wrong with any of that.

But we also need to listen.

How do we listen to our marketplace? Try some of these on for size:

Client satisfaction survey
Client needs assessments
Attend industry trade shows
Monitor blogs for mentions of your company and your competitors
Read trade publications
The old-fashioned suggestion box
Google yourself/company

Along with those effective methods, there are also more direct and immediate ways to actively listen. After you've completed a project or delivered your product, why not just pick up the phone and call? Ask for their impressions. Find out if you surprised them in any way (good or bad) and what they expected the experience or product usage to be like.

Imagine how you would feel if you received that kind of call. Appreciated? Special? Is that the kind of call you're likely to talk about? You bet.

A word of caution. Do not try to sell anything during this call. This is about listening, remember?

If you commit to listening more, you will glean insights that change the way you do business and you'll see a spike in sales as a result. Guaranteed.

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The marketing magic bullet does not exist

March 25, 2009

We get seduced sometimes.

In the day, TV spots were sexy and everyone had to have one. Websites were the rage. Now it's social media. Are they good marketing tactics. You bet. And..equally so, good God no.

Marketing is not a one size fits all gig. Lots of agencies might love to sell you their cookie cutter solution but the fact of the matter is…. there's no marketing magic bullet.

It's a custom-designed suit sort of effort. Because no two organizations are built the same.

Every business wants to generate new business. That’s the commonality. But that’s just about all that’s the same.

Some sell high-ticket or very specialized items and services. They only need a handful of new clients to meet their goals. If you sell software for $200,000, you probably don't need too many sales to have a good year. Or, if your commission on a $75,000 sale is $35,000 — again, you don't need to make a sale a day.

Others are all about volume. When you sell Coke, you need to sell lots of bottles every day. They have a large ability to deliver quantities of their offerings and they want the pipeline full.

This is where the “one size fits all” marketing theories fall apart.

The high-ticket/specialty client can and should spend more money per client acquisition. Their efforts need to be about honing in on exactly the right prospects. They are likely to spend more money on profiling prospects to make sure they don’t waste a lot of time talking to buyers who have no interest or no ability to buy their wares.

Once they’ve identified “the who” they can get down to telling their story. Because the numbers are small, the marketing tactics that most often make sense for them are ones that allow them to speak directly to those potential buyers and no one else. Direct mail, opt-in e-zines, topic specific blogs, niche newspapers or TV shows and peer-to-peer referrals may all be effective options. Think GPS guided missile. Very focused. Little chance of waste.

On the flip side, the volume-focused business wants to reach a much wider audience. They’re willing to catch a few undesirables in their net, as long as they can harvest a lot of prospects all at once. Because a wider group of people fit their target parameters, they don’t need to invest in a lot of prospect profiling.

They’re looking for a wide reach and frequency to encourage that initial trial. Tactics that might fit the bill for these marketers include couponing, mass media (newspaper, radio, TV, outdoor) advertising, product placement and sampling. Think shotgun. Lots of pellets, so the odds of hitting several somethings is pretty good.

So here are a few questions to ask yourself as you think about how to design your custom suit:

Assuming we maintain our current base of business (or assume 15% loss, etc) — how many new sales would we need to generate to hit our gross sales goals for the year?
Out of 100 people/businesses (depending on what you sell) — how many would be a good fit for us?
What's our sales cycle? Do people think about it for months or a minute?
How many new customers could we handle/service/support?
Can a marketing tool (blog, website, brochure, ad) sell our offering without much human intervention or do we require lots of explanation, demo, Q&A, etc.?

Don't get seduced by today's hottest trend. And don't get caught up in the print is dead, TV is dead, XYZ is dead movement. The truth is…the magic bullet is knowing who you are, who your best customers are and how to best talk to them. Even if that solution isn't the shiny new thing.

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Word of mouth is a two-way street!

March 16, 2009

Let’s face it, stories about shoddy service, a product that flopped or a clerk who was the epitome of rude make much better stories than when things go well. It's basic human nature.

When was the last time you heard about good hospital food? I rest my case!

We all know the power of word of mouth advertising, but what do you do when your customers are telling stories you’d rather not have seep beyond your door?

The best defense is to clearly communicate that your business wants to hear when things don’t go according to plan. Let them tell you, rather than 137 of their closest friends.

Offer satisfaction guarantees.
Always ask, at the end of a transaction, if the client is happy with the results.
Do follow up contacts, by phone or mail to verify that the customer is still satisfied.
Point blank ask if they would refer you to their friends or colleagues.

Of course, you can do all of those things, but if you don’t actually listen and respond to concerns and complaints – don’t add insult to injury by asking. That just makes for a better story.

Look around your business. Check your invoices and receipts. Re-read your “welcome” letters or official business literature. If you were a brand new client – would you immediately recognize that your business was open to hearing complaints?

Take steps today to make your business one that encourages grumbling, grousing, complaining and whining.

Not only will you stop the viral spreading of the bad story but you’ll probably improve the buying experience for all your customers and generate more of that good word of mouth you’re hoping for!

How do you currently ask for feedback? What's the most creative/compelling tactic for getting feedback that you've experienced?

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Win a customized logo for your business

March 12, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

The right logo is a critical element of a business' ability to communicate who they are and what they do. Designing one of a kind logos is a big part of the branding work we do at MMG.

I also know that not every business can afford us. Many start ups or small businesses aren't ready to engage an agency. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't have a good logo that gets them noticed.

In today's world, there are alternatives for those who aren't ready to get an agency's help.

A while ago, I introduced you to HP's MarketSplash — a web-based shop that will allow you to design your own logo from some templated objects or engage one of their designers to design a custom logo for you.

Another site is Logo Inn, out of the UK. They've agreed, as sort of a "blog lab experiment," to donate one of their bronze packages (6 logo concepts designed by two designers and once the logo is selected, a stationery package design) to a Marketing Minute reader.

So how will we choose the lucky business? Here are the rules:

If you'd like to be considered, send me an e-mail (drew@mclellanmarketing.com) telling me about your organization and show me what you're using now for your logo
Please put "logo design" in your subject line
All entries must be received by next Friday, March 20th
The winner has to be willing to have the entire process documented on the blog
The winner will complete an elaborate creative brief about their business, customers etc. that I will publish on the blog
All the design options will be revealed here on the blog
The winner has to be willing to let me make some suggestions in terms of revisions etc. of the logo
The winner has to be willing to actually use this new logo/look (it's not fair to do it just for the fun of it and rob someone else of the chance to win)

Whether you win or not — this will be a learning lab that you can use to create the right logo for your organization! We'll walk through the process together, step by step. By the time we're done — you'll be ready to oversee your own logo creation.

If you've already got a logo you love — be sure to tell your peers who might benefit from this about the contest. Let's give someone a makeover that will take their business to the next level.

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Best recession marketing tip — give it away!

March 10, 2009

Are you worried about sales? Have you had to lay off some staff? Are you scared about making it through the recession?

Give away your product or service.

I know it's counter-intuitive. There's nothing conservative about giving away your hard-earned wares. I'm not going to go all new age on you — but there's some magical that happens when you share what you have.

Here are some of the benefits:

You and your staff will be reminded how good you are. When sales are coming a bit more slowly or everyone is pushing you on price, it's easy to forget just how good you are at your craft. By giving it to someone who really needs it — they're bound to be effusive with their gratitude — and that feels good.

It's amazing word of mouth. In these days of doom and gloom media — who isn't going to love a story of genuine generosity? And what do you think the recipient is going to do once they enjoy your wares? Right — talk about it. To everyone and anyone.

It's a statement of faith and confidence. Think of it as a "screw you" to the recession. It's standing tall and saying…"we're not only going to get through this economic downturn….but we're going to do it by helping others. We're going to serve our employees, our clients and those who may not be able to afford what we sell — so we're going to give it away."

Want a concrete example? My agency, McLellan Marketing Group, just announced that we're taking applications for our 3rd annual Adopt a Charity program.

Here's how it works. Non-profits apply (they can download our application here) and we choose one in April. Then, for an entire year — we adopt them. Not only do we adopt them, but some of our business partners like Brackett Media and Event Services and Radio Garage also adopt them.

Over the course of the year, the charity will receive over $75,000 in free services.

Do you know a non-profit who could use a professional marketing squad for a year? Encourage them to download the application and get it in before the end of March.

More important — get out there and give the recession a raspberry. Give away a little of what you have. Share your expertise. You'll be amazed at how good it is for business. And your heart.

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5 tips on creating a good logo

March 3, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

It's hard to over-estimate the importance of a good logo. When they're done well — they can become shorthand for your entire brand or company. Sadly, most logos never achieve that status because they're not well executed.

If you're in the market for a new logo or want to evaluate the one you're currently using, here are 5 golden rules to follow.

Your logo should be very simple — remember it has to work in very small and very large sizes.

Many logos are designed by committee. And everyone wants to add one more element, thinking that the logo has to tell the company's whole story. In truth, your logo should clean and simple. It doesn't have to tell your story — it has to become a symbol for your story.

Your logo needs to work in just black and white.

Think of all the places a logo appears in black/white or just one color. It must be designed to work in those situations. In fact, you should view all of your logo design options in black and white and not add color until the final logo is chosen. If color is introduced too soon, it can influence your decision for the wrong reasons. If it doesn't work in black and white, color won't help it.

Your logo should not include elements that would be considered trite.

Have a business in Colorado? Do not have mountains in your logo. Run a business in Texas? Do not use the outline of your state in your logo. Other trite images? Globes, a for sale sign and scales of justice. If several other people in your industry already use a certain image — then you should not. Does Claire's Hair Salon really need to show me a pair of scissors? I don't think so. Trite = forgettable.

Do not use ordinary colors. Unless your company is ordinary.

There are literally thousands of colors to choose from. Go to an art store and ask to see a Pantone Book. You want the color/colors that convey the essence/emotions of your brand. Color can be incredibly subtle and connotative. Use that to your advantage.

Don't get too trendy. A logo should be relatively evergreen.

When you design a logo — it's for the long haul. So avoid trendy fonts and colors. Think long-term. You want to avoid the standard fonts but you also want something that is going to stand the test of time.

All of this logo talk making you wish you had a new one? Or had one? Well, stay tuned. On Saturday, I'm going to announce how one lucky reader will win a new logo design for their company.

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