Merrily Orsini's elder-senior-mature market blog

One Step ahead of Hitler-a child's story of the holocost

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:48:00 GMT

Experiences during WWII have been written about, filmed, avidly discussed and memorialized. But yet another perspective brings new insight into the atrocities that one set of humans thrust upon another. Fred Gross has written a newly released book One Step Ahead of Hitler, and this time, the experience is from a child’s point of view. Only three years old when his family was forced to flee Antwerp and outrun/outsmart the Hitler regime, Fred tells the story of his family’s plight through France staying one step ahead of Hitler. Fred is an excellent story teller, and this book was a sit down and must complete it type of read. And now, it seems that more should read and understand how fragile our freedoms are, and that we must pay attention so we do not repeat history.

Information on purchasing available from Carmichaels Book Store in Louisville.
The book was published by Mercer University Press.

Creativity is the mastery of simplicity

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:33:00 GMT

It’s one thing to launch a marketing campaign to sell bananas. After all, bananas have relatively straightforward selling points: they’re nutritious and delicious. That’s about it.

But what about promoting more complex products … like word-processing software, or a reengineered hybrid vehicle, or home health care? In situations like these, the complexity of the product often obscures the marketing message. Instead of a clear understanding of the product or service and why he should buy it, the prospective customer sometimes gets an overwhelming barrage of irrelevant information – everything from an in-depth analysis of how the technology works to a long-winded narrative of the product’s history to inundation with industry vernacular that is meaningless.

British mathematician Erik Christopher Zeeman once said, “Technical skill is mastery of complexity, while creativity is mastery of simplicity.”

The key then is to identify what’s important to the prospective buyer and what isn’t. Everything else is excess fat to be trimmed away.

So how does one creatively simplify sales campaigns for complex products?

The process is not much different than that used to market the banana. Consider the case of the hybrid vehicle. Unlike the banana, the hybrid is a sophisticated piece of cutting-edge machinery. But like the banana, its proponents purchase it for very specific reasons. The creative marketer must identify these so-called “selling points.”

The selling points for a hybrid vehicle might be:

• Eco-friendliness
• Fuel efficiency
• Cost effectiveness
• Reliability
• Performance

Once these selling points have been isolated, the marketing campaign should focus solely on them. Everything else must fall by the wayside. There may be an interesting story behind the design of the hybrid, but if it doesn’t impress upon the target audience the hybrid’s eco-friendliness, fuel efficiency, cost-effectiveness, reliability or performance quality, then it’s a waste of time to tell it.

Brenda Keener, Director of North American Sales for Wi2Wi Inc., suggests that the marketer draft what she refers to as an “elevator pitch” that endeavors to sum up the product’s selling points in two minutes or less. (Roughly the amount of time it should take to convince someone in an elevator to purchase the product while traveling between floors.)

When it comes to complex products, a good marketer must be a good harvester. Weed out unimportant information. Cultivate worthwhile sales pitches that focus on the things consumers need.

And most importantly, keep it simple.

A ‘diamond in the rough’ is not -for the Web site-a good thing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:45:00 GMT

It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of a good online marketing presence. A successful Web site is so much more than just a brochure site for your business, or a way to show off bells and whistles. To be found by those who seek your products or services, a Web site needs to be designed with SEO – search engine optimization- in mind.

Suppose your company builds widgets and you design the snazziest widget Web site ever to hit the information superhighway. There’s Flash video of dancing widgets on the home page. The resources page is stocked with dozens of white papers informing visitors of all the different types of widgets available. There’s even a message board where widget lovers from around the world discuss how the invention of the widget has changed the course of manufacturing forever. This site should, without a doubt, establish your company as the world’s foremost authority on widgets.

Unfortunately, when you run a Google search on the word “widget,” your site is ranked as the 187th search result. The user has to read through 19 pages of results just to find you. Don’t count on them to be so patient. According to this article by InformIT, many users don’t bother to look past the first couple of pages of search results.

Your site is, if not optimized for SEO, in essence, a “diamond in the rough.” Though this phrase may have positive connotations, it’s not a description you want for this application. Today’s impatient user doesn’t have time to search through all the “rough.” You need to be as close to the top as possible when someone searches for your site on the Web.

Search Engine Optimization -SEO- is the technique of designing your Web site so as to better ensure top ranking in traditional search engines. There are many tricks and stratagems involved in SEO, but here are some tips to making your site more SEO-friendly:

• Fill your site text with key words and phrases someone might use as search terms. A coffee site should make frequent use of the words “coffee,” “grounds,” “filters,” “caffeine,” “coffee beans,” etc. A home care site should use home care, homecare, nursing, caregiving, elder care and senior care.

• Bold letters often get the attention of search engines. Don’t overuse, but make sure that some keywords are in boldface. Also put some key words in larger font closer to the top of the page.

• Include several links to related pages that rank high in their fields. For example, a news site on coffee should probably link to the Starbucks and Sanka Web sites. A home care site should link to industry organizations like NAHC and PDHCA. And use keywords in your links, so, instead of “click here” write “Find out more about home care here”.

• Make sure other sites link to you. Search engines like Google keep track of links coming in and going out of a site. Sites that get both (particularly to and from other high ranking sites) get placed closer to the top of a Web search. Make certain your site is listed in as many online directories as possible, and definitely in your trade association sites, local resource directories or product sites listing distributors.

• Make sure all pages include keywords in the page titles.

An entire industry has grown up around SEO technique. For more tips on how to improve SEO, click here.

Don’t sweat the SWOT (but don’t ignore it either)

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:25:00 GMT

Know thyself. So goes the ancient proverb that originated in the Greek town of Delphi, the home of the famous oracle that bore its name. The meaning of the saying is simple enough: Understand your talents. Your advantages. Your limitations. Your aspirations.

The same holds true for businesses. Companies that regularly take time to reflect and analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and to take action based on them, will always have an edge on their competitors. Nothing reflects like a mirror, and there’s no clearer mirror than a SWOT analysis.

“SWOT” stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This quartet makes up the positive and negative characteristics that shape your business. Strengths and opportunities must be nurtured, celebrated and touted, while weaknesses and threats must be strategically and systemically overcome.

A SWOT analysis can be performed via a simple step-by-step process. Look at each of the four pillars and ask the following questions:

Strengths: What is my company’s core competency? What are some of our tangible and intangible assets?

Weaknesses: What are some of the negative aspects of our business that might dissuade a customer from taking advantage of our products or services?

Opportunities: What circumstances and environmental factors make it possible to expand or improve our business?

Threats: What are the circumstances and environmental factors that could damage our competitive edge?

It’s important to notice that strengths and weaknesses refer to internal characteristics, while opportunities and threats describe external situations.

Examples of SWOT analyses done on companies like Wal-Mart, Starbucks and Nike can be found online.

The SWOT analysis is an invaluable tool. By identifying a company’s strengths, the marketing message can be reworded to emphasize each of the things that make the company stand out from its competitors, (the differentiating factors).The SWOT can be the rudder that steers your marketing program back on track. No more wasted dollars publicizing “strengths” that are actually limitations, and opportunities that aren’t really opportunities.

It’s easy to do. So easy that many companies make the mistake of skipping it all together. Don’t sweat the SWOT. But don’t ignore it either.

Locate the target first. Then hit the bull’s-eye.

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:57:00 GMT

Hypothetical situation: Ned, an overzealous darts enthusiast, buys a dartboard for a local bar. The bartender has never played a game of darts in his life and thinks it will disrupt the normal operations of his establishment. He wants Ned to remove the dartboard, but Ned convinces him to play one game, thinking he’ll be hooked in a matter of minutes.

When the bartender’s turn comes up, he grabs a fistful of darts and – without even aiming – hurls them in the general direction of the dartboard. Ned is embarrassed. Not only did the bartender completely miss the bull’s-eye, most of his darts never even made it to the board. Two of them are jutting out of a barstool and one has poked a rather unstylish hole in one elderly patron’s Derby hat.

“See what you’ve done?” the bartender shouts at Ned. “This is a ridiculous game! Now take the darts and go!”

It’s a humorous story, but unfortunately that’s how some companies view their marketing programs. They cast a skeptical eye at their marketing budgets (“Won’t these expenditures disrupt the normal operations of our business?”) and they doubt that marketing can do anything for them.

When the time comes to launch a communications campaign, it’s done with little zeal. Instead of identifying a target market and customizing the campaign to reach it, the company lackadaisically embarks on a one-size-fits-all approach, targeting anyone and everyone.

The result is that, like the bartender’s throw, the campaign fails to produce any positive results. Since the company didn’t take the time to aim at the people most likely to purchase its products or services, the advertising will likely fall on deaf ears. The skepticism perpetuated by the company’s culture becomes its own self-fulfilling prophecy.

The answer? It’s as easy as the phrase, “Ready, Aim, Fire!”

A skillful marketing, design and public relations agency can help your company’s image to find its mark. This is critically important – now more than ever. Consider the following:

• An increase in the number of television stations (satellite, cable) means increased segmentation of viewing audiences.
• The prevalence of satellite radio means increased segmentation of listening audiences.
• The rise of the Internet and millions of Web sites centered on niche topics that provide much more focused information.
• Consumers who have been empowered to do their own market research are less tolerant of messaging that’s not relevant to them.

The implications are clear: a targeted marketing strategy is essential. For more information on developing a good strategy for zeroing in on the bull’s-eye.

Tweet me! Link me. Come into my space.

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Does this sound inviting? It is “Social Networking”, something that is considered in today’s world a solid component for any marketing strategy.

Facebook. Twitter. MySpace. LinkedIn. They’re the online Web tools that form the framework of social networking. In the “old” days, networking required the business owner to attend gatherings such as charity auctions, professional development seminars or cocktail parties to build and maintain relationships with prospective clients.

While there’s no way to replace that kind of face-to-face interaction, the advent of the Internet – and online social networking in particular – has provided additional tools for the arsenal of the marketing professional.

How does online social networking work?

Take Facebook, for example. A business can open a Facebook account, just as an individual can. Set up the account and invite clients, prospective clients, vendors and business partners to “befriend” your business. Once your Facebook page is up and running, you can post videos and images of your new products and your friends will instantly be notified. You can also use your Facebook “status” to inform users of upcoming events, like your next trade show exhibit.

It’s a means of providing regular, ongoing contact with your clients in a format they’re comfortable with. It also broadens your outreach potential – you’ll be able to make contact with some prospective clients who are located much too far away for face-to-face contact.

Some tips for using Facebook for business marketing:

• If you already have a personal account, keep it separate from your professional account. Your clients probably don’t want to see your friends’ comments about what you ate at the party last night.

• Use your account to post links to stories related to your core competency. If you provide tax preparation services, post occasional links to outside articles that provide tax tips.

• Interact. Post comments on your clients’ pages. If a client reaches a milestone or wins an award, congratulate them publicly. The more you comment, the more your name will be on the screen.

• Join a “group.” There are several professional organizations with pages on Facebook. Joining one of these groups can give you access to other professionals around the world.

• Upload multimedia regularly. Images, videos, notes and audio recordings are all great tools to show friends what is happening at your business.

Businesses are just beginning to harness the power of online social networking sites like Facebook. If you haven’t already, it might be time to explore the type of networking the 21st century has to offer.

Want more tips? Here are 20 great tips on using Facebook to your advantage on the Womens Media blog.

Spotting Family Caregivers is a Need that Grows

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:56:00 GMT

One of the more crucial selling points of home care is the fact that an agency can relieve some of the pressure on family members who try to administer that care on their own. According to this article written by Jayne Williams of the Port Clinton (Ohio) News Herald, and backed up be solid statistics, a lot of family members are going to need a lot of relief in the near future.

Williams cites government statistics that indicate that the odds are more likely than not that an adult will serve as an unpaid caregiver to a family member at least once in their lifetime. Roughly 44 million Americans will do so in a given year – that’s 21 percent of the adult population. According to the article, 80 percent of the long-term care in the U.S. is provided by non-professional family caregivers, 61 percent of whom are women and 13 percent of whom are aged 65 and older.

Now for the shocking bit: 59 percent of non-professional caregivers are members of the workforce and have to juggle regular jobs on top of their caregiving duties.

The moral of the story: There are a lot of family caregivers out there. And to put it mildly, many of them are stressed out. They need relief, and the agency that crafts its marketing plan to meet the needs of this market segment will be the most successful.

How can this be done? By following these easy steps:

• Recognize the primary market for agency-provided caregivers. According to the stats, that market consists mainly of employed, middle-aged adults, most of whom are women.

• Recognize the predicament: They’re juggling too much and they’re overwhelmed.

• Use your marketing material to demonstrate how your agency can meet that need. Remember: you have the answer.

Case studies are an excellent way of showing how caregivers can make life easier for families:

1. Interview a client who was stressed out and get them to explain how your agency’s services made their life easier.
2. Get numbers. How many hours were they working per day?
3. How many hours did they spend as a non-professional caregiver before they found your agency?
4. Were they recently able to enjoy a vacation with their spouse and children because your agency was there to care for their loved one? If so, where did they go? Details are everything.

Home care agencies do have the answer. Thanks to these powerful government stats, we now know just how many people are asking the question. All it takes is good marketing to put the two together.

Paying the Piper for Media Attention

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:43:00 GMT

When good old standard media relations does not work, a way to get into the media is a sometimes powerful, and not much used, marketing tool called an “advertorial.”

The term – a combination of the words “advertisement” and “editorial” – refers to a print or online advertisement that promotes a company’s products or services while at the same time reading and looking like an editorial. The effect is that the reader often forgets that he is looking at an advertisement, so he ingests the selling points of the service offering, without experiencing the negative reaction readers so often have when stumbling across ads.

A perfect example of a very effective and strategic advertorial is used by Omaha, Nebraska-based home care franchise, Home Instead Senior Care, advertising its services through an advertorial written about the relationship between caregivers and their clients. The piece focuses on Melisa Bours, a part-time caregiver who explains how working with her clients has enriched her life. She provides examples that demonstrate the closeness she feels with the seniors she works with, and the article ends with the contact info for her agency.

The piece is engaging, but more importantly, it provides a favorable view of the agency. Bours is not just another caregiver, according to the piece. She takes time to forge relationships with her clients. That’s enough to make prospective clients want to contact the agency.

Roscoe Barnes, author of Direct Response Advertising Made Easy, provides some tips below but there are other helpful tips for writing advertorials that also work:

• Study the publication the ad will be appearing in to understand its style.
• Double-check to make sure the publication accepts advertorials.
• Match the size of the advertorial with the size of the publication’s regular articles.
• Write a “newsy” (as apposed to ad-like) headline.

Know the Road!

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:08:00 GMT

Before you call for “one for the road”, be sure you know the road.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

On St. Patrick’s Day seemingly well-behaved professionals and adults across the country will find an excuse to let loose. They might wear green or even toss back a few Kelly green colored beers. But who was St. Patrick? And why do we celebrate him? Did he really banish all the snakes from Ireland? Let’s set the record straight about Saint Paddy.

The real Saint Patrick was a man who lived near the end of the fourth century A.D. And no, he did not rid the Irish countryside of snakes. Instead, Saint Patrick felt it his calling, and duty, to educate and convert the Irish people to his religion.

Here are two lessons I think can be learned from St. Patrick:

1. Personalize your marketing plan to match the target industry.

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Saint Patrick chose to incorporate traditional Irish rituals into his religious lessons instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For example, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed the sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish.

2. Let your vision be your guide.

St Patrick was guided by visions. After spending more than six years imprisoned by a group of raiders who attacked his family estate, St. P. escaped. According to his writings, a voice that he believed to be God’s spoke to him a dream, telling him to begin religious training and minister…It was this vision and voice that guided him throughout the rest of his life’s work.

What can we learn from these two things?

LEARN about the unique ticks of your industry before embarking on a monthly marketing campaign. Then APPLY what you know in order to set yourself up for success!
AND
It’s never been as important as it is now to have a goal and a vision for your businesses success. And, even though others may not realize your vision, stick to your guns and stick to your path as you plod ahead.

In case you need more Irish, take the “All Things Irish Quiz”:

Trying Times

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:01:00 GMT

Today Lucy Andrews, Melanie Stover and Merrily Orsini are in Sacramento presenting for CAHSAH, workshops on marketing private pay services to an aging population.

Just ran across this news: Some Sectors Thrive, Even in Trying Times:

Sectors such as peer-to-peer networks and businesses that market to boomers and seniors, can thrive even in todays depressing economy.

At a time when most headlines read doom and gloom, some sectors are growing. One of the hottest demographics for marketers these days are businesses catering to baby-boomers, and seniors. The McKinsey Global Institute states that “In less than 10 years, age 50+ consumers will control the economy for the first time in history. By 2015, the U.S. baby boomer generation will command almost 60% of net U.S. wealth and 40% of spending.” Businesses expected to benefit from aging boomers include leisure, healthcare and financial industries to name a few.

Contagious Optimism Overrides the Storm

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:06:00 GMT

Simon T. Bailey’s This past week Kentucky was hit with the worst ice storm in our state’s history. Living here, and within the “no power zone” was challenging. Frigid temperatures, limited transportation, and dangerous downed lines meant coping with the cold 24-7 and creating ways to keep warm and mentally occupied, as control over the environment was impossible. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs sprang to mind, as the focus became survival and getting the basic needs met.

So now that those needs are met (power is back on) and I am back into self actualizing, here comes Simon T. Bailey’s essay on contagious Optimism, and it really seems to make sense. I am including it here for your enjoyment:
Is there a better way to live and experience life to the fullest? Yes, and it’s called Contagious Optimism (C.O.). Individuals and businesses that subscribe to the C.O. mindset demonstrate the following behaviors:
When everyone is saying the same thing and moving in the same direction, the C.O. mindset says go the opposite direction.
When others are tip-toeing through the tulips of self-preservation and thinking “I need to be nice because I need this job or your business,” the C.O. mindset says “let’s ruffle some feathers and shake up the establishment of comfort zone living.”
The C.O. mindset individual will raise their hand and ask the right question to get everyone in the room moving and thinking.
The C.O. mindset refuses to settle for business as usual.
The C.O. mindset will rewrite their job description.
The C.O. mindset organizations do not employ; they deploy people to release their brilliance.
The C.O. mindset infuses the organizational culture to rise to the occasion and seize the moment.
The C.O. mindset leaders don’t tell people what to do but invite them to become what they were meant to be.
The C.O. mindset realizes that every day you are adding a sentence to the story of your life. Today is the day to be the exclamation point.
The C.O. mindset individuals and leaders celebrate mistakes and reward failure.
The C.O. mindset individuals don’t work in departments but on teams.
The C.O. mindset people work to make meaning instead of just money.
The C.O. mindset people see themselves as the solution that they’ve been waiting for.
The C.O. mindset individuals are attractive people. Everyone wants to be around them and seeks their opinion.
The C.O. mindset people complete their work and then ask others if they need any help in completing their work.
The C.O. mindset people are the match that sets their life on fire. Others come from near and far to watch them burn.

Simon says. “Release Your Brilliance and be Contagiously Optimistic!”

Orsini says, "Onward and Upward!"

View some of the beauty that caused the pain:

Diamonds, Alzheimer's and Taking Breath Away

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:19:00 GMT

Three recommendations for reading came out of the recent Private Duty Homecare Association’s Leadership Summit in Phoenix:
With a focus on making joyful moments for those who are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s Disease, Dr. Jane Thibault a noted Gerontologist recommends Caring Moments of Joy by Jolene Brackey Read a news excert about this book here:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/Story?id=5326334&page=1

Release Your Brilliance is Simon T. bailey’s latest book and it is about taking the 4 Steps to transforming your life and revealing your genius. Simon says that everything you need to be brilliant is already inside you.
• Reawaken your genius
• Re-ignite your internal light
• Release your potential

Simon shared his four key steps to cut and polish the gem that is you in his keynote presentation:
Clarity: Seek Profound Insight
Color: Discover Unwavering Belief
Cut: Take Bold Action
Carat: Choose to Be Big

You can order the book here:
http://shop.simontbailey.com/product/release-your-brilliance-the-4-steps-to-transforming-your-life-and-revealing-your-genius-to-the-world-1003.cfm?&width=1024&height=819

Read more about Simon here:
www.simontbailey.com

Chip R. Bell is a customer service specialist who knows how to get customers to rank you a 5 on a 1-5 scale for attentiveness and response. His new book, Take their Breath Away is authored by Bell and John E. Patterson and will be available May 2009 in a bookstore near you. Visit http://www.chipbell.com/ to read more about this expert.
http://www.premiertrainingsolutions.com/ is another Web site run by Chip Bell with training offerings all focused on making employees perform better.

#12 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:25:00 GMT

On the Twelfth Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
Reflect and learn.
Always take time to learn from the past to understand how to operate in the future.

1. Following a Plan Means Setting and Reaching Goals that are Attainable
2. Marketing is for the Long Term.
3. Be Community Visible
4. Be Creative When Putting Things Together
5. Make Color Vibrate
6. Pitch a Fastball When a Fastball is Required, Not a Curveball Instead…
7. Keep It Simply, Smarty
8. Be Specific in Your Vision
9. Educate the public. Educate in person.
10. Marketing never exists in a vacuum.
11. To thine own marketing self be true!
12. Reflect and learn.

Reflect and learn. As 2008 comes to a close, it goes without saying that one of the most important and essential marketing lessons is simply this: reflect and understand your marketing past to understand how to proceed in the future.

Just as a new year inspires us all personally to examine the things we have accomplished in our lives, and how we have all grown and changed, it serves your marketing well to do the same professionally.

Review your marketing plan from 2008. Take an honest look at what worked and what didn’t. Note these things down…and when you plan for next year, always keep the things you have learned in consideration.

Remember, an aware marketer is a successful one….

Season’s Greetings!

Merrily Orsini and the staff at corecubed

See you in 2009!

# 11 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:21:00 GMT

On the Eleventh Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
To thine own marketing self, be true!
Why your marketing should reflect YOU…never stray far from your core.
Sarah Sapora. Creative Marketing Specialist

When educating home care agencies on best marketing practices, Merrily encourages “thinking outside of the comfort zone” to expand referral horizons and incorporate new populations of professionals.
And as a whole, in marketing, expanding horizons can often be a smart idea…as well as thinking “outside the box” and trying fresh, new ideas.

However there is a distinct difference between expanding your horizons and shooting oneself in the foot with general insanity.

So when you market, be bold and be fresh as needed--- but be realistic. Think about what ideas push the boundaries in a healthy manner, and which are just too bizarre to succeed. If you hear that internal barometer saying “stop, this is too crazy” then it doesn’t hurt to listen…

Two fun examples of grand-scale bizarre marketing and branding ideas that tanked upon creation?
1. Von Dutch apparel makes energy drinks!
Trendsetters around the world balked when trucker-chic clothing line Von Dutch tried to boost sagging sales by creating its own line of energy drink. Really…Ashton Kutcher truck-driver style hats and energy drinks? The brand extension failed miserably.
2. Quiznos sells toasty subs…with singing rats?
In the never ending war for non-fast fast food, Quiznos sought to stand out in the sandwich battle. Their solution? Singing rats. Or sponge monkeys. Or were they potatoes? Whatever the funny looking creatures actually were, their attempt at pushing toasted, warm sandwich’s and “peppppper baaaaaar” caused overwhelming public confusion and backlash. Yes, cute gimmicks can selling food is ok—but really, singing rats?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZrks-BPeLQ

Yes, these are examples of how huge brands can make marketing mistakes…but at the heart is a simple marketing message that can be applied to even the smallest of businesses.

#10 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:13:00 GMT

On the Tenth Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
“Vacuums are for cleaning, not marketing.”
Remember that marketing isn’t insular…
Merrily Orsini, Founder and Managing Director, corecubed

Marketing never exists in a vacuum.It takes everything into consideration. It is a reflection of the time, the climate and every circumstance that it touches. Great marketing is a living, breathing reflection of a need fulfilled….

For example, when you are challenged with a marketing objective such as “grow sales by 3%”, never go about achieving your objective on your opinion alone. Put the objective in context: What is the market climate? What are others doing? What does the research show? In essence, look at your marketing efforts in a 360 degree mirror…

The same should be applied to your internal marketing. If you determine a branding or marketing message for your company, make sure it is applied to everything you touch. Market your company across the board….For example, if you determine that one of your brand points is “service with a smile”, then make sure you apply that to every aspect of your company. Have an easy to use, friendly and clean company Web site, provide a conscientious customer service experience to those who come in contact with your offering and make your marketing materials personal and easy to understand. Imagine the credibility you would lose in the public eye if you touted “service with a smile” but staffed grumpy employees and a hard to navigate Web site?

In short…..your marketing should never live in a vacuum.

# 9 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:13:00 GMT

On the Ninth Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
“Educate the public. Educate in person.”
Why it’s important for you to share information in a public fashion.
Christina Shemo, Public Relations Strategist

Every day hundreds of sales, marketing and advertising messages scream at the public. On television, on radio, online and in person…So finding a way to be heard amid the marketing chaos is essential if you want to be recognizable. One way to do this effectively is to take every opportunity you can to educate the public about your product or service and to educate them in person.

Find a way to make your business relevant to people—and spread the message wherever you can. Give lectures, hold seminars and appear at events. Be a guest speaker for others events if you can. Put a face to your business and let people get to know that face. Make your business personal. There are few types of marketing more valuable than being able to tell your targeted demographic exactly why they should care about what you are doing face to face. This is true especially when what you are saying isn’t a sales pitch but a real and helpful reason to share your product or service. Make it relevant to them and make it personal…and people will get it!

#8 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:12:00 GMT

On the Eighth Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
“Be specific in your vision”
Jennifer Hall, Design Project Manager

If there’s one element of the marketing puzzle that relies on clear communication to succeeded, it is the graphic design process. A designer is charged with bringing a vision to life—literally—and creating something from scratch. Often times this is an idea that someone else on the team has crafted…so when it comes to working with a graphic designer follow this one simple idea: More feedback and direction is better than less feedback and direction.

When working with a graphic designer, if there are specific visions you have for your piece, and then say so. You do yourself, the process and the final product a disservice if you don’t speak your mind from the start. Be specific. Give any opinion you have on color, style, design aspects or anything you can visualize in your head. A good designer will take your vision and translate it in a way that highlights your marketing message and achieves your goal. It can take a while for a designer and a marketer to start speaking the same language—so have patience with your designer. He or she is doing the best to bring your vision to fruition, so always remember you are on the same team. Don’t passively lurk over their shoulder…. Be active in the process and your product will be all the better!

From time to time you come to a designer without any clear vision—that is fine also. But when you do that, then truly back off and let them take a shot at creation. And then fasten your seat belt and be open to what the designer feels best illustrates the message.

# 7 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:11:00 GMT

On the Seventh Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
“Keep it Simple, Smarty…”
Keep your marketing messages accessible and simple and people will “get it.
Sarah Sapora, Creative Marketing Specialist

Many products and services aren’t, by nature, very easy for the public to understand. They are technical, detail oriented and not always the most user friendly. They can be hard for your average person to warm up to. But that doesn’t mean that their marketing messages need to be. Unless you are marketing specifically to an audience that is highly skilled in your offering, always keep things simple. Phrase your marketing messages in ways that are easily understood. Don’t overload your marketing message with technical specs or details.

Take the essence of what you are trying to say—and then say it as plainly as possible. For example, if you are marketing a washing machine, your messages shouldn’t be filled with facts about engine size or water gallons used. Instead say “our machine is big enough to wash fifty pairs of jeans at once” or “our machines save enough water to fill your family bathtub four times over every month.” Or for someone who offers professional building contracting services--- a service which many people find ambiguous and daunting- it is better to say “keeping you on budget, keeping your building schedule on time” then to say “juggling fifty million details, watching the handymen, reviewing the blueprints, getting permits etc…”

Keep it simple. Keep it accessible to the average person.

#6 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:09:00 GMT

# 6 of 12
On the Sixth Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
“Pitch a fastball when a fastball is required, not a curveball instead…”
For successful PR, get inside the heads of those to whom you pitch.
Christina Shemo, Public Relations Strategist

Many people using PR as a marketing tactic make a simple mistake—they make a pitch all about themselves. Instead, in order for a pitch to a reporter or editor to be really effective, it needs to be about the reporters and editors to whom you are pitching. What they want to hear, how they want to hear it--- and giving them that all the while staying true to your message, who you are and what you are offing.

Sounds like a dance? It is. A great PR pitch takes something and finds a way to make it relevant to media members who, in turn, will give them desired exposure. It requires clear and concise written or verbal communication. Its knowing your audience and what points will resonate with them. This is true in any media materials, from press releases to media alerts – be specific and on target. Remember that people have shorter attention spans than they used to, and your goal is to keep your audience’s attention in whatever information you’re offering.

“I recently did some press for a local red-carpet fundraising event for a children’s soccer program. One of the pitches I did was to someone who writes “The Buzz” column for the Courier-Journal here locally. The column is usually a combination of hot national celebrity and entertainment news as well as a mix of cool things happening locally. I know her style of writing because I read her column, and I knew to grab her attention, I needed to have a pop-culture appeal and a short, concise, hip pitch. When I emailed her originally, the subject line I used was: “Stilettos and Soccer Cleats to Walk the Red Carpet in Oldham County.” The pitch opened with “David Beckham and his ‘posh’ crew aren’t the only soccer stars who know how to party!” The pitch I crafted got me exposure in the print edition of her paper and also on her blog.”

#5 of 12 Days of Marketing

merrily.orsini@corecubed.com (Merrily Orsini) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:48:00 GMT

On the Fifth Day of Marketing Tips, corecubed Shared With Me…
“Make color vibrate”
Jennifer Hall, Design Project Manager

1. Following a Plan Means Setting and Reaching Goals that are Attainable
2. Marketing is for the Long Term.
3. Be Community Visible
4. Be Creative When Putting Things Together
5. Make Color Vibrate

When it comes to your graphic design, use color to bring your piece to life. Color should never be placed haphazardly. There should be a reason for the colors you chose and where those colors are placed.

Think about color being a tour guide to your marketing message. When you use color it should show people where you want their eyes to go and in what order they should go there. From top to bottom, left to right and across multiple pages, you can use a single color (or combination of colors) to draw the eye to important information.

Don’t be afraid to use colors that are opposites on the color wheel. Always remember that with color, opposites attract and make for lively contrast.

Merrily Orsini&apos;s elder-senior-mature market blog