marketing

Five Tradeshow PR Tips

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Rachel Kaylor

Tradeshows are a great way to cultivate relationships with media. While many companies focus on customer relationships (as they should), it is also a chance to spread the word about the latest and greatest products and/or services, and position the company in the industry. How? Here are some ways to leverage tradeshows for your PR goals:

Media Meetings: Secure the show media list and reach out to schedule meetings with priority media and bloggers. Give them a tour of new products/services that are most interesting to their subject matter and readers.
Press Kits: Develop press kits containing your latest news and background about your company. This may be in an electronic or print form. Keep in mind what your target media would prefer. Drop these in the press room and hand out at your appointments!
Press Events: Consider hosting a press conference or breakfast during the show if you have something significant to announce.
Speaking Opportunities: Showcase your experts! Tradeshows often have education sessions for attendees to learn about the latest in the industry. Keep in mind that tradeshows post the call for speakers well in advance of the show, so make sure to check on deadlines for submissions and requirements.
Multimedia: Tradeshows can offer the opportunity to capture video and photos of customers, partners, new products, experts, etc. that can be used for social media, sales meetings, website(s) and more.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, media relations, publicity, Social Media Marketing, tradeshow marketing, tradeshows | Leave a Comment

Establishing Experts on LinkedIn

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Rachel Kaylor

LinkedIn is a valuable social media tool for many businesses and is often overlooked as just a resume/job-seeking platform. While it is certainly beneficial for those uses, it can also serve as a tool for marketing your experts and ultimately your company. There is a lot of chatter about many different industries on LinkedIn and that leaves an opportunity to get your experts out there sharing industry knowledge.

How do you find out who is talking? Start by exploring the “group” section to discover who is talking about your industry – and what they are talking about.

1. In the search function, select “groups” and type in a keyword. See what groups come up and who is running the groups.
2. Ask yourself: What individuals are interested in the topic? Who is asking questions and who is responding? Where are my competitors in this space?
3. Continue this process by exploring other industry relevant keywords.
4. Begin your preliminary assessment of opportunities you can take advantage of.

How can I use my experts? Once you have gathered your research and determined where you and your company can make a splash, identify experts within your company that could comment and pose questions in the groups you have identified.

Keep in mind…experts are busy. Put together a process that makes posing LinkedIn questions and responding simple and easy for the expert. This is social media, so responses need to be prompt or they will be lost.

What if I want to start my own group? That is great! But, make sure you have a solid strategy behind it and a way to keep it active. Starting a group is like starting a blog. You want to make sure that it stays up to date and is beneficial to its members.

How do I show results? There are many different ways to assess the results, but a good place to start is to show how much traffic is driven to your website from LinkedIn already. Keep in mind that much of your content may be driven from your company page if you keep it updated.

To understand how (and if) LinkedIn is driving traffic to your website, start by taking a look at your company’s social traffic in Google Analytics or other analytic platform. This will give you a immediate assessment of the traffic driven from LinkedIn (in general).

Additionally, take a look at the posts your experts are commenting on and questions your experts are posing. Who is responding to them? How many people? How many member does the group have? Who is liking the posts? All of these can help assess success.

One last important tip! Make sure your experts’ LinkedIn profiles are up to date and position them as experts. It’s great if we know experts are commenting and posing questions, but how do group members know the experts are actually experts!? That’s where the personal LinkedIn profile comes in. It can give group members confirmation that the expert knows what they are talking about.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged experts, LinkedIn, marketing, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | Leave a Comment

Which is a More Likely Sign of the Coming Apocalypse: Viggle or 3Floyds Gumballhead?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Jim Sweeney

Don’t hate me. I am just wondering out loud about a society that sees at least one new craft brewery open every day somewhere in the U.S., and a population (85%) that simultaneously watches TV and uses their smartphones. You put these together and you’ve got a declining (if not reclining) society.

Let’s talk beer. According to an article in Food Product Design, “Beer is a $99 billion industry to which craft brewers are making a significant contribution, with retail sales share hitting double digits for the first time in 2012,” said Brewers Association Director Paul Gatza. “Small and independent brewers are consistently innovating and producing high quality, flavor-forward craft brewed beer. Americans are not only responding to greater access to these products, but also to the stories and people behind them.”

Is it just me or is that a nice way of saying Americans like to drink… a lot.

Let’s talk Social TV. According to Business 2 Community, “If you’re oblivious to apps like Viggle and GetGlue and how they’ve enhanced the TV-viewing experience, then 2013 may be the year you explore these options and more. Social networking is the biggest driver in multi-screen viewership in the United States.”

So what we got here is a situation. Lots of Americans drinking lots of beer and watching lots of TV while also using their smartphones to heighten the overall experience. It makes me wonder if we are heading toward the apocalypse or if this would be the ideal time to introduce Woody Allen’s orgasmatron device.

Maybe both.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Craft Beers, marketing, Social TV, Woody Allen | Leave a Comment

Forbes Says Marketing Can Help Sales. Imagine That.

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Jim Sweeney

glengarry_rect

I really don’t have a whole lot to say about this.

Forbes, Microsoft and Nova Southeastern University are in agreement on the subject: “How can companies and their sales teams look their best and win the sale over the competition? We think that the key to success starts with marketing departments—and their alignment with sales teams.”

Seriously? Someone might want to welcome these guys to the 21st century. If you are not treating marketing as a primary business function – an operational necessity – you missed the memo from Peter Drucker back in the 1950s.

Whatever. The bottomline for every organization is sales. Anyone who tells you different is not telling the truth or is delusional or both. Anyone who has not yet realized the critical importance of marketing as part of the mix to get those sales is out of touch.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged marketing, Peter Drucker, sales | Leave a Comment

Gator Boys Try Marketing

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Rachel Kaylor

Last week I was watching an episode of Gator Boys (don’t judge) with a 7 year old and a 5 year old (that’s why you don’t judge). I only expected to see lots of chomping close-encounters, but there was another message in this particular episode. Gator Boys’ gator wrestling and sanctuary location in Mississippi needed a solution to solve their low show attendance issue – and fast. Their answer? Marketing.

One of its crew members took the lead and developed a plan to spread the word about the gator wrestling shows. Marketing and public relations tactics included reaching out to several local media stations and securing interviews with their gator experts. She went to the tourism bureau and dropped of some marketing materials, as well. The turn out for their next gator wrestling show was outstanding. They went from practically zero attendees to over 75 people attending a show, and it’s been steady ever since.

They needed to tap into some event marketing and publicity strategies and make themselves known in the community. A little word goes a long way.

Next time your sales are not as high as expected – or even, as needed, consider evaluating your marketing and public relations strategy. Does your ideal consumer even know you exist? Oftentimes marketing and public relations get overlooked, but they are truly a valuable tool to securing your next big catch!

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged gator boys, marketing, media relations, word of mouth | Leave a Comment

The 411 on Case Studies

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Rachel Kaylor

How do you spread the word that your product or service really does work? Case studies.

While there are many strategies to get the word out about your successful products/services, case studies can be one of the most valuable in terms of solid proof your product/service works. Similar to testimonials, they provide a third party look at a product/service, but provide a more in-depth exploration of how something worked or performed for their particular need.

How do we define a case study? A case study is a detailed, in-depth look at how a product or service works in an application setting. It may include challenges, goals and success of working with a product or service.

Why are case studies important? Case studies provide a third party endorsement and proof of how products and/or services work in “real life”. They help consumers see the true story about the product/service. Case studies can help build confidence in what a product/service delivers, as well as in the brand and/or company. Essentially, they demonstrate that the products/services are actually delivering on their value propositions.

How can we use case studies? Case studies are typically used in one or more of four ways:

1. Develop news releases highlighting the case study and distribute on the news wire and to relevant media contacts.

2. Develop marketing collateral highlighting the case study (e.g. website, brochures).

3. Secure editorial placement of a case study as a feature article in publications and websites.

4. Depending on the product/service, secure photography and/or video. This may include interviews with the end-user.

Need a firm example? Check out our case studies to see how they can be used in marketing collateral.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged case studies, marketing | Leave a Comment

Looking Back 2012. Thinking Forward 2013.

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Rachel Kaylor

As humans, we often move too fast and do not give ourselves time to really think about “what we are doing” and “why” with our marketing strategies. As marketers, it is imperative to slow down and reflect. Taking that time to assess marketing efforts ensures you are meeting (and hopefully exceeding) your marketing goals.

Take time with your team to assess your strategies from 2012. What worked? What did not? What did we miss? What could we do better? How can you tweak successful strategies for new products, new campaigns?

We often get bogged down in quantitative reports showing number after number – but what does that data all mean? Analyze and assess your campaigns! It may seem tedious, but the knowledge is invaluable.

Plan, plan, plan for 2013. Enough with the one-off campaigns. Build an integrated strategy. Define goals and assess what you want to achieve this year. Then, we can look at how to achieve that with what is best for your audience, your company and your budget.

We are excited for the clean slate the New Year brings. Thanks for reading and commenting on exeQnAtion this year – we hope it has been a valuable resource in 2012 and will continue to be in 2013!

Happy New Year! Wishing you a successful 2013.

Best,
Rachel and the Sweeney Team

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, marketing strategy | Leave a Comment

A Quick Refresher Course in Marketing

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jim Sweeney

My niece hit me up on Facebook last night with a most excellent request:

Uncle Jimmy-
Was hoping I could pick your brain for a moment? What would you say are the major differences between PR & marketing/advertising? Not in a technical sense, but rather, your opinion, as someone in PR. Nothing fancy or time consuming needed, just looking for your thoughts on the basic concept?

Here is my reply…

Hey Erin! Excellent question. Marketing is really the big umbrella under which PR and advertising (among a hundred other tactics) reside. So from a marketing perspective, we are addressing the market and business conditions that affect an organization. We are looking at the economy, competition, prospects, customers, influentials (such as the media or bloggers or associations) and other things to determine the climate for marketing a product, service or cause. At this level we are identifying challenges and opportunities and setting the measurable goals we want to achieve, as well as the timetables and budgets for achieving these goals.

Advertising and PR are two of the many strategized tactics that might be applied to help achieve those goals. Today, we tend to look at these tactics in terms of traditional and digital media, so on the one hand we consider options like print and broadcast advertising, publicity and media relations, direct mail and literature development (sometimes referred to as outbound marketing) and on the digital side we consider things like email marketing and social media and search engine optimization and online advertising (sometimes referred to as inbound marketing).

Of course, I am oversimplifying all of this for the purpose of general discussion, so please feel free to ask me specific questions. I am happy to talk about any and all of this in as much detail as you would like! Marketing is not rocket science; unfortunately many practitioners treat it as though there is no science involved whatsoever and that is not the case.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged advertising, Einstein, inbound marketing, marketing, outbound marketing, PR | Leave a Comment

The Merits of Beating a Dead Horse.

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Jim Sweeney

In the real world, the idea of doing something that has already been attempted and/or accomplished is considered a waste of time.

In the world of marketing, the idea of beating a dead horse is not only acceptable, it is often recommended.

The age-old answer to the age-old question – “How long should I run the same ad?” – supports this concept. “You run it for as long as it works!” Yeah, there are lots of other answers, some supported by scientific studies and most bolstered by personal opinions. And there are mitigating circumstances (like the size of the budget to produce more ads or a change in messaging).

Once upon a time, a seasoned (and probably drunk) ad guy told me that you run an ad until the marketplace is sick of it, then you run it some more. That is the essence of beating a dead horse.

In an age – the digital one to be precise – where everything is in a constant state of change and transformation, the idea of staying the course and beating the horse is anathema. Plus, it is hard for agencies to make money and employees to justify their jobs if they keep doing the same thing.

Unless, of course, doing the same thing is the right thing to do.

Oscar Wilde would argue that “consistency is the refuge of the unimaginative”, and that is a safe harbor for some to moor their boats. But in this case, I defer to the words of Confucius: “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

Posted in markeTING, Uncategorized | Tagged advertising, Consistency, marketing | Leave a Comment

Marketing Hope in the Presidential Election is Still a Good Idea.

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Jim Sweeney

Once upon a time in America, well, just four years ago actually, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle made an appeal to the people:

“For a change, do not vote out of fear, but rather out of hope.”

It was a nice idea at a good time. People wanted to hope there was a better way. We wanted to forget about 9/11 and the terrorists. We wanted to turn the economy back around. We wanted to hope.

Earlier this year, The Guardian (a leading British news journal) said this about Americans: “The year 2011 will be remembered as the time when many ever-optimistic Americans began to give up hope. President John F Kennedy once said that a rising tide lifts all boats. But now, in the receding tide, Americans are beginning to see not only that those with taller masts had been lifted far higher, but also that many of the smaller boats had been dashed to pieces in their wake.”

So, here we are just two months away form the presidential election. And by all accounts, there are more undecided votes than at any previous time in history. And some might conclude from this that we have all given up hope.

But I would suggest that the American people have not and never will give up hope. I would suggest that we are as hopeful as ever. We are simply waiting for a candidate – either candidate – to give us something to believe in. Tell us something that we can nod our heads at and say “yes!”

Tell us how you are going to create jobs. Tell us how you are going to improve education. Tell us how you are going to bring peace to the world. Don’t tell us you are going to do it. Don’t tell us how the other guy can’t do it. Tell us how you are going to do it.

I hope you can. I hope you will. I hope.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged hope, marketing, Obama, Presidential Election | Leave a Comment

Are Facebook Likes the Equivalent of Higgs Boson?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Jim Sweeney

I am no scientist. Just ask my son the scientist.

And I am no Facebook advocate. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg.

Still, all the recent excitement over the God particle got me thinking how awesome it must be to be a scientist and to know with almost complete certainty that you’ve actually achieved something real. Think about it. Peter Higgs hypothesizes the existence of this particle, then PROVES it through experiments.

According to the LA times, two teams reported independent results that suggested the existence of a previously unseen subatomic particle with a mass of about 125 billion to 126 billion electron volts. Both groups got results at a “five sigma” level of confidence — the statistical requirement for declaring a scientific “discovery.”

“The chance that either of the two experiments had seen a fluke is less than three parts in 10 million,” said UC San Diego physicist Vivek Sharma, a former leader of one of the Higgs research groups. “There is no doubt that we have found something.”

No doubt. How awesome would it be to run a Facebook social media campaign, hypothesizing that it will achieve something, then look at your results (traffic, likes, talking about this, total reach) and be able to conclude with five sigma certainty that you actually achieved something.

That’s the problem with marketing. You can be strategic. You can apply a scientific approach. You can measure for and document results. But you will never ever get results with a sigma five level of confidence.

Face it (and if you wish, you can even Facebook it), at the end of the day, we are not scientists. And I can live with that. After all, it took Higgs nearly 50 years to prove his theory, and very few clients have the ability, desire or luxury to invest that kind of time to sell a product.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Facebook, Higgs boson, marketing | Leave a Comment

Memo to Cleveland: Vision + Plan + Patience = Success.

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Jim Sweeney

Every day in Cleveland brings another day of hope and promise for a new and revived city.

But hope only gets you so far. It is really high time for someone – anyone – to step up with a solution.

We continue to amble around as a city with one idea after the next, kind of like throwing darts at a board.

Let’s open a medical mart and become a center for medical innovation… let’s place wind turbines along the lakeshore and become a center for energy innovation… let’s build a casino and become a center for entertainment…

Let’s get real. Cleveland needs a vision – something that goes beyond an idea and has the potential for long-term growth. This vision then needs a plan that documents what we are doing and who is doing it and includes budgets and timelines and means of measurement and accountability. And then we need to be patient as that plan is implemented and takes hold and grows.

Steve Jobs, who in addition to creating several truly cool products, created a pretty awesome business (actually, he built several of those too), once said: “Building a company is a marathon. To do anything of magnitude takes at least five years, more likely seven or eight. Rightfully or wrongfully, that’s how I think.”

I agree. But as another wise man once said, “The journey of a 1,000 miles begins with one step.”

So, let’s set our sights on the year 2017, but let’s get started today. I am officially volunteering to help in any way I am needed. Now, who’s got a vision?

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Cleveland, marketing, Planning, Steve Jobs | Leave a Comment

Advertising? Have a Plan of Attack

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Rachel Kaylor

You have decided to pursue an advertising strategy. You are ready to get creative, perhaps even design an award winning campaign. Wait a minute; hold your horses.

Developing your goals, messaging (what you want to communicate about your brand/product) and target audience are all key considerations and first steps when determining if advertising is even a fit for your needs. If yes, there are even more considerations: Budget? Online? Print? E-newsletter? What sizes?!

And while intelligent, engaging creativity is certainly a key element of a sound ad campaign, the most fun, creative and interactive advertisement may be worthless if not supported by sound strategy and critical understanding of your target audience. If the message does not resonate with your target audience and align with what you are trying to communicate about a brand/product/etc, the ad could flop and cost you time and money. Make sure you are crafting messaging first that your audience will identify with before applying all of the bells and whistles.

Additionally, an effective advertising plan does not necessarily have to have a huge budget. No matter what you have to spend, the key is to assess the value of each impression by comparing media costs with the size and quality of the audience you will reach. Consider a number of options and work to develop a custom plan that reaches the best audience possible within your budget restraints. Even a small test campaign can provide valuable insight; if it drives results then consider a larger buy, but otherwise reformulate a new strategy.

Finally, keep in mind that advertising is only one component of your overall marketing plan and may not be something you need in your overall marketing strategy. An ad test as described can serve to demonstrate a particular medium’s value as part of your overall marketing strategy. Consider other options that may be a better fit to reach your target audience such as email marketing, social media marketing, public relations tactics, etc. Or consider how a successful test campaign can be extended for even larger impact.

Ultimately, a strategic approach to advertising not only maximizes your budget, but also effectively raises awareness for and confirms identity of your brand for your target audience.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged advertising, marketing, online marketing, publicity, Social Media | Leave a Comment

4 Ways to Extend the Reach of Your New Ad Campaign

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Kayleigh Fitch

Whether a print, TV, web or radio ad campaign, you dedicated your blood, sweat and tears to develop a creative and compelling campaign. But beyond the ad buy, there are ways to extend the reach of your ad campaign and deliver your message to more people in a more engaging way.

1. Social Media. Consider using social media platforms to engage your audience in a contest related to the ad campaign. This is a great way to draw those who viewed the ad to your social media sites as well as encourage social media fans and followers to seek out your advertisements where they appear.

2. Website & Email Marketing. When developing an ad campaign (no matter the medium) a website landing page is a great way to continue to keep the audiences engaged and provide additional information that you didn’t have room to include in the ad. If you have a quality email database, create an email marketing campaign that coincides with the advertising campaign (and drives visitors to the landing page).

3. Publicity. Is there a timely or edgy aspect to your new ad campaign? Develop a pitch or media invite positioning your campaign as part of a larger, compelling story. If you can secure media coverage for your new campaign, you have extended its reach beyond the actual ad buy.

4. Events. Does your campaign celebrate a company landmark? Is it in support of a new product launch? If there is a reason to celebrate and a bigger story to tell, consider hosting a live or web-based event. Invite customers, prospects, vendors and media to share in the celebration. And if the event itself is unique or unexpected, this may serve as another opportunity for some publicity.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged advertising, email marketing, events, marketing, media coverage, media relations, publicity, Social Media, website | Leave a Comment

So You Want To Be An Industry Thought Leader….

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Kayleigh Fitch

This is a lofty goal and one many organizations aspire to achieve. The identity of some brands as prolific or high tech product innovators may serve to naturally position them as industry thought leaders simply due to the nature of their corporate structure. However, there are still opportunities to raise awareness and establish a leadership role for a company that is not widely known as the glitzy industry golden child.

1. Identify a specific topic or group of topics to home in on. Even Apple is not an expert in everything. The key is to recognize a core area of expertise in which the company excels and truly is an industry leader. If a competitor has already staked a claim, look for ways to gain traction with expertise on niche but important topics. Choose a knowledgeable spokesperson and then build an outreach strategy to focus on telling your unique story.

2. Get visible. Many companies attend and even exhibit at industry trade shows. But there are myriad opportunities to apply for a speaking position at industry events. Shows, conferences, industry panels, meetings, round tables, workshops and even milestone celebrations are all excellent venues for establishing your brand as an expert on your focused area of expertise. Also, think beyond simply presenting at peer-to-peer shows. Vertical market events offer an opportunity to connect with potential customers.

TIP: Secure more speaking opportunities and deliver more engaging presentations by avoiding commercial messaging. Deliver meaningful, educational content that event attendees can use and will associate with your brand.

3. Dust off the old typewriter. With the current state of the publishing industry, many trade publications (and increasingly consumer publications) are constantly seeking good content from a fresh perspective. Using your established focus as a pitch topic, reach out to leading industry and vertical trade publications to pitch a bylined feature article. Like event presentations, think about how your article can educate a magazine’s readership about a certain topic affecting the industry. If you can offer a new perspective to readers, editors will be excited to help tell your story.

4. One is never enough. Do not settle for one speaking engagement or feature article placement. Within your focused area of expertise, consider all angles and side to the story, as well as how certain industry trends and events affect constituents and vertical markets differently. Refocus your main topic to address multiple angles and you can still deliver exclusive content to each show or publication you work with.

5. Consider developing a corporate sponsored blog. If you want to be a thought leader, continuous and current content is key. A blog provides a simple channel for communicating opinions and predications as changes occur. Moreover, consider how you can use social media to further expand your blog reach.

6. Compete for professional awards. Whether for new product launches, professional leadership or even something as simple as safety, competing in award competitions can raise a company’s profile as a thought leader. Many competitions are actually sponsored or hosted by industry publications – resulting in built in media coverage for winners. And for those that aren’t, publicity and media relations can be implemented to effectively raise awareness for awards.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged blog reviews, Blogging, branding, marketing, media relations, Social Media, spokesperson, trade show marketing | Leave a Comment

3 Online Marketing Resources

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Kayleigh Fitch

We are constantly finding new online tools that keep us fresh and provide inspiration. Check out our top three picks that have been inspiring us this week!

1. Media Relations Tool: When it makes sense for their brand, many marketers are using Twitter to connect with media. But, check out this Pinterest board featuring leading media brands on Pinterest to discover what they are interested in, and get inspired to deliver better pitches: http://pinterest.com/pinterestpower/media-brands-on-pinterest/

2. Video Inspiration: YouTube has taken the liberty of gathering some impressive examples of creative video marketing. Check out some excellent video case studies here: http://www.youtube.com/showandtell

3. Branding: We love TrendWatching.com’s monthly Trend Briefing reports. March 2012 focuses on the theme of Flawsome: the idea that brands that behave more humanely and show flaws are more well-received by consumers. For a longer explanation, the research behind this idea and real life examples, visit: http://trendwatching.com/briefing/

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged branding, marketing, media relations, online marketing, Pinterest, publicity, Twitter | 1 Comment

Four Things Marketers Should Know About Pinterest

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Kayleigh Fitch

Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com) is growing quickly and generating a lot of buzz lately as the hottest new social media channel. In fact, according to comScore, Pinterest saw more than 17.8 million unique visitors in February from U.S. and the average user now spends 98 minutes each month on Pinterest.

Despite the flurry of information out there for Pinterest users, here are four things marketers should be aware of when it comes to using Pinterest for their business.

1. Pinerly (http://www.pinerly.com). While Pinerly is not yet not open to the public, marketers can sign up for the wait list to receive an invite or use Pinerly’s referral process to snag an earlier invite.

Marketing Chops: Much like TweetDeck or HootSuite, Pinerly allows marketers to search for and follow Pinners with a particular interest, unfollow someone, organize and review popular pins, schedule Pins strategicially over time and view Pin stats (likes, repins, etc).

2. Analytics. PinReach is an influence and analytics tool that analyzes user activity and provides an influence score (the average is 29) regarding you profile activity. Moreover, marketers can use this free tool to review which Boards and Pins are most successful, and which are just not resonating.

Don’t Forget Google Analytics: For marketers using Google Analytics to monitor traffic and referral sources, the good news is that you can also use it to track referrals from Pinterest. The Referrals tab under the Traffic Sources section provides a high level look at how many referrals Pinterest or the mobile version of Pinterest have driven to your site. Also, consider setting up custom reports that will display performance statistics for individual pins.

3. Digital Buttons. Pinterest users are likely familiar with the Pin It button that allows users to grab images and Pin them to a board. But for marketers, there are a number of tools that can support your ability to gain new followers and more Pins.

New Tool: Wisestamp is a free service that now supports Pinterest by allowing users to add Follow Me buttons to their signatures or simply add a Pinterest icon next to other social icons like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Use this link to download an app that will allow you to add a Pinterest follow button to your signature: http://apps.wisestamp.com/emailapps/pinterest/

Also, while this is not “new”, marketers can take advantage of the free buttons on the Pinterest goodies page (http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/). Install follow buttons on relevant web pages, and strategically add a visible Pin It button that allows website visitors to pin key product images and application photos.

4. Updates to the Pinterest Personal Profile. Pinterest recently released an updated user profile page, and the new options provide a few tools marketers should take advantage of.

Description: Profile names are now at the top of the page (rather than on the side) and allow for a short description. For brands, this is an excellent opportunity to provide a succinct introduction that is clearly visible to Pinners viewing your content.

Edit Boards: Marketers can use the new “rearrange boards” function found next to the “Edit Profile” button to rearrange boards at will. This provides an opportunity to take make timely, seasonal or product related boards more or less visible when content will be of greatest interest to you followers, or when you need to improve awareness in one area.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, Pinerly, Pinterest, Social Media | Leave a Comment

Developing a Content Marketing Strategy that Drives Measurable Results

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Kayleigh Fitch

Content marketing is nothing new. However, there is so much “noise” being created on and offline, it is overwhelming. There are online “press releases”, social media sites and websites established just for organic search engine optimization, and it is timely to revisit why generating truly valuable content for your target audiences is imperative and beneficial.

Content marketing is the process of developing and disseminating relevant and valuable content to customers and prospects. The goal is to engage and ultimately drive an engaged action from consumers. The key benefit for customers/prospects is they receive information that benefits them, and the reward for the business is it becomes a trusted resource when a customer/prospect is ready to take action on a related product or service.

Examples of content marketing include educational microsites, expert blogs, educational videos, custom publications, useful smart phone apps and small bits of information disseminated through social media. Even creating feature articles for magazines is a good example of content marketing.

Prior to developing content, consider the following to help shape your content marketing strategy.

1. Build Content Around Customer’s Pain Points: In order to create valuable content for customers and prospects, develop a clear understanding of what makes consumers tick as well their challenges. Document what you know and what you still need to learn about consumers’ pain points, and identify opportunities as ways to solve them. Once you understand the type of information a customer needs, it is easy to develop content directly addressing topics they care about.

2. Identify Channels of Distribution: It is absolutely essential to know where and how customers/prospects get their information. This of course is different for every industry. If customers/prospects are not using Twitter or Facebook, no matter how good your content is, it is not going to reach them. If you are not sure on the best distribution method, conduct research.

3. Develop a Strategy: Develop a clear editorial calendar to guide your content. What exactly should be published, when and how often? Plan topics in advance and then modify as needed based on current events and emerging trends. A little work up front can save time and frustration in the end.

4. Content Should Change Behavior: The goal with content marketing is to make a connection with customers/prospects that will eventually lead to profitable action. The first step is developing content that is important and relevant to the audience. But in order for the content to be an effective marketing strategy, marketers need to find a way to relate content to their company’s message, communicate indirectly how a product or service eases a pain point, and encourage a change in behavior that benefits both the customer and the business. Not seeing behavior change? Consider testing new content and delivery methods, but do give each approach time to work and the attention to properly assess shortfalls.

5. Understand Impact on the Bottom Line: It is simple to track and measure microsite hits, blog visitors, followers, likes, circulation, etc. But go beyond those statistics. When implemented successfully, content marketing should drive profitable customer actions. If your content marketing strategy is not helping to achieve your goals (increasing qualified leads, driving sales, saving money, increasing customer satisfaction, etc.), consider ways to revise the content.

Content marketing can be a valuable marketing strategy. But just like all marketing strategies it requires time and attention. Consider closely the valuable content your company can share, the best distribution methods and how to best measure the campaign to develop a successful content marketing strategy. The result is content that will benefit target audiences, build brand and drive sales in the process.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged blog content, content marketing, email marketing, marketing, marketing strategies | Leave a Comment

If Paul Christoforo is a PR Pro, Bernie Madoff is the World’s Greatest Investment Advisor.

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

[Jan 5, 2012 Editorial Note: This story was originally posted last week but has been updated]

I am so flipping tired of my industry being maligned by idiots who crown themselves “Public Relations Professionals” or “Marketing Professionals” or “Social Media Experts”.

Seriously. This guy – Paul Christoforo – has ticked off half the electronics gaming community by ignoring every fundamental rule of good and effective communication. If he is a PR pro, Dr. Jekyll was a physician extraordinaire.

In a day and age where everyone knows everyone else’s business – because of PR and marketing and social media – how can anyone be so ignorant as to think you can treat customers like yesterday’s trash and get away with it? And then beg for forgiveness when you get caught. Not because you are truly sorry or that you even recognize the error of your ways, but because you got caught and it is killing your business.

Shame on Paul Christoforo; you are not a PR professional. Shame on Ocean Marketing; you are not a professional PR operation. And shame on N-Control; not only for hiring this marketing firm, but for retaining them after they pulled this kind of nonsense in the past. You get what you deserve.

Unfortunately, customers do NOT deserve this kind of nonsense. And since it is apparent they may have missed some of these lessons during their marketing/PR/social media training, I wanted to offer a couple of tenets to Ocean Marketing and N-Control for future consideration:

1. Be honest with your customers – even when it is bad news.

2. Own up to your mistakes just like you take credit for your achievements.

3. Make good on your promises, and if you fall short, make up for them with humility and rewards.

4. Treat customers with the respect they deserve for giving you their money and loyalty.

5. If you are incapable of relating to the public, do not call yourself a public relations professional.

As cautionary tales go, this one seems to have a good ending. N-Control fired Christoforo and Ocean Marketing, which has changed its name to Ocean Strategy (yeah, that will work), and someone (no names please) has effectively shut down N-Control’s website.

The following video (definitely R-rated for rough language) offers a quick and only slightly exaggerated summary of the basic story. Please view at your own risk with the volume set at low.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged marketing, N-Control, Paul Christoforo, Public Relations | Leave a Comment

5 More Creative Ways to Use QR Codes

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

Earlier this year we explored what makes QR codes effective, how to use them in your marketing campaigns and how to avoid some of the most common mistakes associated with QR codes. And since the research predicts half of Americans will have smart phones by this Sunday, we wanted to share five more creative ways you can use QR codes to help achieve your 2012 marketing goals.

1. Support the launch of a mobile phone app. Consumers who already have a QR code reader app are already engaged in mobile marketing and are likely willing to try new mobile apps. Integrate QR codes into both your digital (users can scan QR codes from an email or website) and print efforts that allow users to download your app directly, rather than searching for it in the app marketplace.

2. Lead a guerilla marketing campaign. All you need is a little creativity. Ask street teams to wear QR codes on T-Shirts, lead a QR code scavenger hunt with each code sharing a new promotion or consider strategically placing QR codes in highly-trafficked public spaces to heighten mystery and anticipation surrounding a new product launch.

3. Engage customers at POS. Consider developing point of sale displays that incorporate QR codes. Use this as an opportunity to provide an in-store coupon or perhaps engage consumers with a video that makes the purchasing decision simpler. Also, do not forget to consider ways to add QR codes to your packaging. Hang tags on bottle necks, for example, are used to help products stand out on the shelf. Now that you have captured the consumer’s attention, place a QR code on the tag that allows the customer to learn more about your product and encourages a purchase.

4. Enhance the impact of a corporate sponsorship/charitable giving. Sponsoring a charitable event or launching product packaging that will benefit a cause? Add a QR code next to your corporate logo and use it to direct consumers to a landing page or microsite that details your commitment to the cause.

5. Drive a sampling campaign. Link a QR code to a sign up page where consumers can request a sample or trial of your product and get a coupon to purchase the full sized version.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged corporate social responsibility, guerilla marketing, marketing, mobile app, point of sale, product launch, product packaging, QR codes, sponsorships | Leave a Comment

With All Due Respect to Dan Pallotta, Maybe No One Has Anything Worth Saying.

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

Dan Pallotta is the president of Advertising for Humanity and author of Uncharitable. Last week Dan wrote a very interesting blog post about business jargon. To quote Dan, “I’d say that in about half of my business conversations, I have almost no idea what other people are saying to me.”

I could not agree more. Between the idioms, the acronyms and the hyperbole, it is almost impossible to follow conversations. Dan credits the Internet for making an already bad problem worse.

Maybe he’s right. Or maybe it is a failing education system. Or maybe it is a growing number of insecure business professionals seeking job security through language obscurity. Or maybe – just maybe – we’ve become so accustomed to marketing, we’ve forgotten how to communicate.

You remember President Reagan? He was often referred to as the great communicator. But in truth, he often did not know the difference between reality and a film reel. He rarely communicated and frequently marketed. I pass no judgement on him, and in fact openly admit that I voted for him… even when he said stuff like this:

“Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let’s not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources.”

“I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon.”

“How can a president not be an actor?”

In truth, President Jimmy Carter was the last great communicator of our time. There was very little marketing and a whole lot of communicating going on there. No abstract concepts, no meaningless expressions, just the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth… so help us God. Stuff like this:

“I have often wanted to drown my troubles, but I can’t get my wife to go swimming.”

“I’ve looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. God knows I will do this and forgives me.”

“People make a big fuss over you when you’re President. But I’m very serious about doing everything I can to make sure that it doesn’t go to my head.”

Hmmm. Now that I consider it more closely, perhaps the difference between marketing and communication is one without distinction. Maybe it does not matter so much whether one uses business jargon, but rather that one has something worth saying.

Posted in markeTING, Uncategorized | Tagged Business Jargon, Communication, Dan Pallotta, Jimmy Carter, marketing, Ronald Reagan | Leave a Comment

5 Ways to Maximize Your Case Studies

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

A case study detailing the specific results of how your company or product helped overcome a unique or difficult challenge can be a powerful marketing tool. Since developing case studies is often time consuming, be sure to maximize their use.

Here are our top five tips for getting more value from your case studies.

1. Secure Media Coverage: You can achieve media coverage for your case studies one of two ways. First, you can develop a news release detailing the situation and high-level results of the successful project, and distribute/pitch to media as a story with a spokesperson available for interview. Or you can also offer key non-competing media the full case study to run as a bylined article; media are always looking for good content focused on real world applications.

2. Develop Engaging Blog Content: Divide your case study into several smaller segments and post a blog series on the project. Ensure each post leaves readers with a reason to come back for the full story.

3. Secure Speaking Opportunities: Use your case study as a way to secure a speaker at an industry show. Most industry shows/conferences are looking for good examples of how attendees can apply new/existing technology in their field. Ask your client to present with you as a team. The show is more likely to select presentations that include peers talking to peers and do not seem like a sales presentation.

4. Video Development: Consider documenting end results and customer testimonials on video. A video version of your success story can easily be incorporated into your website, online advertising, social media, email marketing, mobile marketing and even media relations strategies.

5. Advertising Campaign: If you have several interesting case studies with impactful results, consider structuring your next ad campaign as a series of testimonial stories focusing on applications and results .

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged advertising, Blogging, case studies, marketing, media coverage, media relations, publicity, speaking engagements, trade show marketing | Leave a Comment

Oh Wow Oh Wow Oh Wow

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

You are universally recognized as one of the great visionaries of your age. Big, lofty, creative ideas flow through your brain like oxygen through your lungs. You see things most can’t fathom upon explanation… Then you create them. And still, most can barely comprehend the beauty and elegance of your achievements. Not just one or two inconceivable creations, but dozens… Maybe hundreds… Maybe more. You possess the admiration of generations and exist in a class all your own. Unique. Special.

You are Steve Jobs. You have seen virtually everything. And anything you haven’t seen you simply imagined and invented. And yet…

As your life in the world came to its inevitable conclusion, you uttered six amazingly simple words: Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.

What did you see?

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Apple, marketing, Oh wow oh wow oh wow, Steve Jobs | Leave a Comment

Measurement Made Easy

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

Measuring marketing campaigns is key to determining if you should continue a campaign and necessary when showing upper management the value of marketing. The first step is setting measurable objectives and ensuring each marketing strategy has measurement metrics in place.

Following are six simple ways to help measure the success of your campaigns.

1. Develop dedicated landing pages for each ad, blogger campaign, QR code and email marketing campaign to better assess which strategies are driving results. Take this a step further and test messaging and design by developing more than one unique landing page for the same campaign to better understand what creative and content are most effective.

2. Install Google Analytics on your website. Visit http://www.google.com/analytics/ to sign up for a free account. Google Analytics will provide a simple code you can include on every page of your website, which will allow you to track which sources are driving the most web traffic (i.e. which search terms are most influential and which sites refer the most traffic). Google Analytics will help you track dedicated landing pages activity.

If you sell product online be sure your ecommerce is linked to analytics. This will help you determine what is driving sales.

3. Use dedicated phone numbers for different marketing/advertising campaigns. Track the number of calls and time spent on each call for each number to determine what is most effective.

4. Provide special offers linked to discount or promotional codes. Create a unique code for each campaign. When customers purchase product online (or even in stores) and use the code, you will be able to measure which strategies are most effective at driving sales. This works well for blogger relations campaigns, social media promotions, print and broadcast advertising.

5. Measuring intangible campaign results like brand awareness and changes in perceptions/beliefs is a bit more difficult. If you can, administer a survey to your target audience to assess awareness and opinions prior to the campaign, and use the research results to establish benchmarks. When your campaign is complete, redistribute the survey to determine if the campaign has impacted awareness levels and succeeded in changing existing perceptions.

6. A similar approach can be successful for measuring the impact of publicity and media relations. Conduct a media audit with target outlets before and after your PR campaign to measure media’s familiarity with your company. Of course do not forget to track media coverage and keep track of how many people each story has the potential to reach. For online media stories that include your URL, check your website analytics to see how much traffic the media stories are driving to your website.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged advertising, brand awareness, marketing, measurement, media relations, publicity | Leave a Comment

5 Ways to Test Advertising Effectiveness

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

When considering advertising – whether it be print, broadcast, online or even through Facebook – run a test campaign before making a long term commitment. This is a good method for determining if advertising in general – and a specific outlet in particular – is an effective strategy for your brand. And while the definition of a test campaign implies a much smaller cost, you still need to ensure those dollars are well spent and ultimately provide useful information to shape your advertising strategy moving forward.

Below are our top five quick-tips for securing the most data from your ad test campaign.

1. Establish Accurate Metrics. In order to understand whether a test is effective – and ultimately make a decision on whether it will be part of your long-term strategy – you need to specifically correlate customer response to a particular ad or campaign. Using a distinct phone number, web page or sales code or phrase to pursue an offer are simple ways to track responses.

2. Test competitive outlets. Use the same creative to reach two different outlets at the same time. Be sure to establish measurable outcomes to track the results from each outlet separately. You may learn that advertising in the leading trade magazine is ineffective, but that its competitor delivers impactful results. If you simply had tested with the leader, you may have decided not to pursue advertising at all.

3. Test different messages with the same outlet. Similarly, once you understand your best medium, try testing different messaging with the same audience to determine what drives the best results.

4. Provide a very specific call to action. This goes hand-in-hand with the importance of establishing metrics for a test campaign. Use the test as an opportunity to drive a specific action among your prospects. A high level branding campaign takes time and frequency to deliver results, and therefore is not conducive to a test campaign. Instead of trying to change a perception or raise awareness in general, use a test campaign to drive a measurable behavior. This will enable you to know sooner whether the campaign has been effective.

5. Always ask for more. Ad sales reps use test campaigns as a way to secure long-tem advertising commitments, and they understand that the more effective a test is, the better chance you will become a regular customer. Always ask for multi-media support when running a test campaign (i.e. ask for no-cost banner ads to support your radio test, or ask for an e-blast sponsorship to support your magazine ad).

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged advertising, advertising test, broadcast advertising, Facebook, marketing, online advertising, print advertising | Leave a Comment

How to Make Market Research as Easy as 1-2-3

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

More often than not the critical step of conducting market research is skipped when developing a marketing strategy. The oversight is typically because of lack of funding and time. However, the good news is market research does not have to be a costly and overwhelming undertaking. If budgets or time will not allow for full-blown research, reach out to customers, media and employees.

1. Document Current Perceptions

Before launching a market research project, start by documenting your target audience (demographically and psychographically), existing opportunities and challenges, brand perceptions, motivators and barriers to customer engagement and the best marketing strategies to achieve your goals based on what you believe to be true about your organization and audience.

2. Tap an Existing Audience

No need to purchase an expensive list or hire a staff of survey administrators – use the resources you already have available to gauge brand perceptions and market behavior. Existing customers provide valuable insight to help shape your strategy. After all, they are already invested in your brand, so why not find out exactly why that is? Use online survey software like Survey Monkey or Zoomerang to set up a short and simple questionnaire with the goal of confirming or refuting the perceptions you documented. Offer an incentive to help increase the response rate.

Also, survey your staff and key industry media to provide additional insight.

3. Update Marketing Strategy

Once you have collected responses and summarized findings, analyze how the data you collected impacts on your original perceptions. Use what you learn to:

Modify your campaign objectives to include any necessary change in belief or behavior among target audiences
Confirm, narrow, expand or even redefine your target audience
Identify key brand messaging
Identify essential creative themes or elements – both copy and images – to repeat or avoid
Modify planned communication channels to align with market preferences
Establish a baseline for measuring the impact of your campaign

Market research can be simple or complex depending on the resources available. At the very least, it is essential to collect and analyze feedback readily available from existing customers, staff and brand constituents to shape a more effective and measurable marketing plan.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged market research, marketing, marketing strategy, Research, surveys | Leave a Comment

Respond to Breaking News to Secure Media Coverage

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

Pitching a new or existing product, company spokesperson or useful tips are all successful ways to secure media coverage for your brand year-round.

But there is one strategy you can use to secure immediate media attention-it just requires vigilance and a bit of strategic thinking. You can successfully secure widely read and relevant media coverage by piggybacking your company’s story with a breaking news event. Below is a step-by-step approach for taking advantage of timely current events to secure immediate visibility.

1. Lay the groundwork. Start by setting up news monitoring alerts for key terms that impact your business, industry or customers. Monitor these incoming news alerts daily. When a big event occurs, you will know about it immediately.

2. Target the right media. Now that you know what they are writing about, find out who is writing it. When it comes to national and impactful news, reporters often write follow up stories expanding their initial coverage of an event or news item. Add these reporters to your media list, and be sure to develop a very targeted and personalized introduction as to why you are pitching your story to them specifically.

Secondarily, find out what beat these reporters typically cover and use that information to identify media at other publications that will likely be interested in your story. For example, if environment reporters are covering the breaking news story at a few key outlets, make sure environment reporters from all relevant outlets are on your media list.

3. Provide a new spin. Do not follow up on a breaking news item pitching the same exact story; you will be a day late and a dollar short. The key here is to find a new angle to the story that will entice reporters to develop a follow up story. Examples include: pitch a potential solution to the new problem, play devil’s advocate by warning of hidden dangers, provide insight on how the news item impacts a certain group of people or vital segment of industry, showcase the positive outcomes of a negative situation or vice versa, etc.

4. Provide an expert. Once you decide on your approach, position a company spokesperson as an expert who can speak to media on this topic as part of your pitch. Ensure they are knowledgeable and entertaining. Media will be on the lookout for interesting sound bites and inspirational – or controversial – statements and insight surrounding the situation.

5. Make the connection to your brand. Ensure your pitch provides a direct connection for media as to why your brand or product is an essential part of this story. Perhaps your product provides a necessary solution, or maybe your company has done business in the impacted industry for years. Or your company experienced something similar before, and you understand how consumers will react. Just be sure to clearly state the connection to validate why your company is a good resource for a follow up story.

6. Conduct follow up. Media will have already covered the breaking news item by the time your pitch reaches them. It is key to conduct media follow up calls. Your goal is to help media understand why this new angle, expert or product is a critical component of the evolving story. Ultimately, if you can secure coverage for your brand related directly to timely, breaking news, it will be more relevant and interesting to consumers already engaged in the story.

Need help launching a reactive publicity and media relations campaign? Contact me at kayleigh (at) sweeneypr (dot) com or 440.333.0001 ext. 105.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, media, media coverage, media relations, news, publicity | Leave a Comment

5 Ways to Convert LinkedIn Profiles Into a Powerful Branding Tool

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

B2B companies and industry experts have made rapid use of Twitter, Facebook and personal and corporate blogs to enhance their positioning as experts. Often thought of as a virtual resume or networking tool, LinkedIn – when used properly – can act as a powerful tool to strengthen corporate and employee reputations and reach target audiences.

In fact, LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high page rank in Google. This alone provides confirmation that LinkedIn corporate and employee profiles need to be a destination, not just a supporting player in your company’s online presence.

Here are five fast and easy ways to transform your LinkedIn profile into a powerful brand building tool.

1. Optimize profile with targeted content and keywords. When completing your profile, every piece of information provided should be strategically crafted. From your title to your headline, develop copy and descriptions that incorporate key search terms for your company, product or service. Also, incorporate your value proposition (highlighting features and benefits) in the profile headline, summary or specialties sections. Finally, change the default URL for your profile to a custom URL that incorporates a key term relative to your expertise.

2. Customize and direct multiple unique website listings on your profile. List your company’s home page, company blog, key product or resources pages, etc. separately in your profile websites section. Choose the option to edit your website listings, and categorize each unique page as “Other”. Then, rename each page using key phrases optimized to help viewers find relevant company content.

3. Ask for recommendations. As a B2B marketer, you already know referrals and customer testimonials impact heavily on a prospect’s decision to purchase your product or service. Ask satisfied customers for recommendations, but ask contacts to specifically include how your company helped their business perform better in their review.

4. Use apps to place corporate and sales materials directly on your LinkedIn profile page. An app called SlideShare will allows you to embed 3 PowerPoint presentations into your profile – use it to provide introductory corporate and product/service information. Box.net’s free LinkedIn application allows you to upload and host downloadable corporate documents like whitepapers, case studies, etc.

5. Share industry expertise and social content. Use available tools to integrate your LinkedIn page to your blog and Twitter feed, and frequently post relevant news that is impacting your industry. The goal is to help establish you and your business as valuable expert resources that help customers and prospects do their job more efficiently.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged B2B marketing, branding, Facebook, LinkedIn, marketing, online marketing, reputation management, Social Media, Twitter | Leave a Comment

Avoid 4 Common QR Code Mistakes

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

As a consumer, you have probably noted a large influx in the use of QR codes on direct mail pieces and magazine ads. In fact, the US Postal Service is currently offering a discounted postage rate on pieces that include a QR code.

With QR codes popping up everywhere, we couldn’t help but notice that many are just not up to par. If you are planning to incorporate QR codes into an upcoming campaign, avoid some of the common pitfalls.

1. No call to action. Avoid including a QR code on a magazine ad, direct mail piece, poster, etc. without providing consumers with a clear direction on what they should do with it or where the QR code will take them. It is important you tell your audience what to expect when they scan the QR code. For example, Home Depot made excellent use of their QR codes on nursery plants tags. The tags very clearly instruct consumers to scan the QR code to receive more plant care tips.

2. Linking to a generic web page. Just like advertising or campaign web landing pages, QR codes should take the scanner to a relevant destination. For example, promoting a new product in a magazine ad? The code should take the scanner directly to a page with more information and purchasing options for that product. Providing a special offer through direct mail? Take the consumer directly to a location to redeem the offer.

Consumers should see an immediate connection between your call to action and the content they reach through the QR code; they should know what the next step is immediately and intuitively. Guide them to the content they are looking for.

3. Linking to a non-mobile website. Ensure the location the QR code drives users to can be viewed on a mobile phone. If it is impossible to navigate, too small to read or missing important visuals, you will lose the chance for a meaningful engagement.

4. Not tracking results. There are a few ways to track QR codes. If the QR code links to a page on your website, you can simply add website tracking to that page and use your analytics provider to track activity.

However, if you are driving participants to a site not associated with your company (YouTube, etc.), you can develop and connect a QR code with a unique URL through a shortening service like bit.ly. Simply go to the bit.ly website, enter the URL and click shorten, click on Info Page+, right click on the QR code and click “Save Image As…” to use in your creative. Then, simply save and visit the Info Plus+ page to view results. Keep in mind you will only have limited tracking capabilities using a service like bit.ly (e.g. clicks, referrals and location).

Also, consider providing unique codes to different audience segments (based on location, age, gender, etc.) to determine where your QR code achieves the best results.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged direct response, marketing, mobile marketing, QR codes | Leave a Comment

Increase Email Open Rates

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

A recent study on email marketing by Harte-Hanks revealed both good and bad news about consumer response to email marketing messages.

On the one hand, average email open rates declined to 17% for 2010, down from a 26% average open rate in 2009. However, the study indicates the drop may be due in part to more users accessing email via smart phones as well as changing patterns in downloadable email images.

Now for the good news…

Overall delivery rates across nine major industry sectors have increased to 95% in 2010, up from 93% in 2009. Moreover, unsubscribe rates have dropped from .32% to .19%, and bounce rates dropped to 5% from 7% in 2009. And click rates remained flat at 3%.

This means more emails are reaching the customer’s inbox more often, and you have to work harder to continue to increase open rates among a more crowded inbox.

Here are six tips for increasing your email open rates.

1. Consider the Source. Email recipients are more likely to trust a name they recognize. Determine which has the most recognition for your target audience – the organization name, company spokesperson or leadership, or even a mascot – and make that person the “From” name with a corresponding and recognizable “From” email address. And remain consistent so recipients become familiar with the email source.

2. Short and Snappy Subject. This seems obvious and elementary, but consider how many email messages your receive daily that you delete without ever opening. Why? Because it took too long to figure out what the email was about or you lost interest after the first three words. In an inbox, users typically can only see the first 5 or so words…so try to get your point across fast and with as few filler words as possible.

Don’t settle for being descriptive. If possible, communicate a direct benefit received by opening your email. For example, “Tips for Email Marketing” is a more descriptive subject line compared to “Increase Email Open Rates”, which provides a more direct benefit to the recipient.

3. Segment Your List. Take a look at your list and determine if there are natural divisions like customers vs. prospects, age categories, industries and even level of authority that could benefit from more targeted messages. You can still target all segments with more general messages, but measuring and tracking results of targeted emails will increase the likelihood of the email being opened. It can also potentially provide insight into behavior of certain target audiences you can apply across a broader marketing campaign.

4. Experiment – The More Scientific the Better. Even if you are satisfied with current open rates, consider there is always room for improvement. Start with a hypothesis…For example, we get the highest open rates for sales-focused emails on Wednesday afternoons. Now test it…try Monday mornings and Saturday at lunch, Sunday night, etc. And give it a chance to work…One blast on a Thursday morning will not provide enough data to know if this is a better time; revisit different delivery times consistently for several distributions, collect data on open rates and engagement, and then make an assessment.

5. Repetition. To have meaningful impact, email communication with your list should happen frequently and regularly. Expecting stellar open rates from one email push is like expecting to increase sales by 10% by running an ad just one time. Give email marketing the time it needs to work.

6. Infuse Content Marketing. If it is logical for your business, consider one of two approaches to deliver non-promotional, useful content to email recipients.

Develop and distribute content focused, entirely non-promotional emails periodically to your list. Provide information that helps solve common challenges or problems; become a trusted provider of information.

Include the same type of content within the context of a promotional email. For example, to market a new line of food storage containers, an email might provide recipes that store or travel well with the new containers, and include a link to purchase that product.

Keeping with the first recommendation, if recipients associate your “From” name and email address with beneficial information, they are more likely to open your emails. This is true even when the emails are strictly promotional, because they will expect to receive an offer with a relevant and tangible benefit.

Need help strategizing and implementing a successful email marketing campaign? Contact kayleigh (at) sweeneypr (dot) com.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged email marketing, marketing | Leave a Comment

Content Marketing: Creating Value for Target Audiences

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

Content marketing is nothing new. However, we see so much “noise” being created on and offline from online and traditional press releases to social media sites and sites set up just for organic search engine optimization purposes that we wanted to take the opportunity (prompted by a recent Cleveland Social Media Club meeting) to revisit why generating truly valuable content for your target audiences is imperative and beneficial.

Examples of content marketing include educational microsites, expert blogs, education videos, useful smart phone apps and small bits of information disseminated through social media. Even creating feature articles for magazines is a good example of content marketing.

Take this article that appeared in TFM Facility Blog. It’s providing relevant content for facility managers when selecting LED lighting.

Below are a few tips on developing/distributing content that will truly benefit your target audiences.

Build Content Around Customer’s Pain Points: In order to develop content that is valuable for your customers and prospects, develop a clear understanding of the things that make them tick as well their challenges. Once you understand the type of information your customer needs, it is easy to develop content directly addressing topics they care about.

Identify Channels of Distribution: It is absolutely essential to know where and how customers/prospects get their information. This of course is different for every industry. If your customers/prospects are not using Twitter or Facebook, no matter how good your content is, it is not going to reach them. Don’t know the best way? Conduct a survey.

Develop a Strategy: Develop a clear editorial calendar to guide your content. What exactly will you publish, when and how often? And yes, this even goes for Facebook and Twitter content. Plan topics in advance and then modify as needed based on current events and emerging trends. A little work up front can save time and frustration in the end.

Content Should Change Behavior: The goal with content marketing is to make a connection with customers/prospects that will eventually lead to profitable action. The first step is developing content that is important and relevant to the audience. But in order for the content to be an effective marketing strategy, marketers need to find a way to relate that content to their company’s message, communicate indirectly how a product or service eases a pain point, and encourage a change in behavior that benefits both the customer and the business. Not seeing behavior change? Test new content and delivery methods.

Understand Impact on the Bottom Line: It is simple to track and measure microsite hits, blog visitors, followers, likes, circulation, etc. But go beyond those statistics. When implemented successfully, content marketing should drive profitable customer actions. If your content marketing strategy is not helping to achieve your goals (increasing qualified leads, driving sales, saving money, increasing customer satisfaction, etc.), it is not truly effective and needs to be revised.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged blog content, content marketing, custom publishing, marketing, Social Media | Leave a Comment

How To Use QR Codes

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

We just returned from the LightFair International trade show in Philadelphia and noticed lots of exhibitors using QR codes creatively in booth signage, literature, product displays and much more. So, we thought the post below on QR codes deserved another week on top. Have other examples or case studies on using QR codes creatively? Tell us more in the comments section below.

______________________________________________

QR codes are two-dimensional bar codes that when scanned by a smart phone display a website, coupon, photo, video or more information. These black and white, pixilated squares can be found on and applied to almost on all types of media from posters, and point-of purchase displays, to email, direct mail, videos, ads and even business cards.

Why QR Codes Are Important

According a Nielsen forecast from 2010, 1 in 2 Americans will have a smartphone by Christmas of 2011 – a dramatic increase from the mere 1 in 10 Americans with smartphones in the summer of 2008.

In short, adding QR codes to your marketing strategy provides another way to reach the rapidly expanding smartphone audience and provide your customers and prospects with more information. If used properly, QR codes can work with and enhance your communication strategies by offering more benefits than simply directing mobile consumers to a website, Facebook or Twitter page.

There are endless ways to utility QR Codes. Below are a few ideas on how to take advantage of these bar codes in your next marketing campaign.

1. Integrate print and digital campaigns: Add QR codes to direct mail, posters and print ads to direct users to a specific web landing page. You can use a different code for each medium to track which strategy is most effective. Also, you can test different landing pages to determine which one your customers and prospects are responding favorably to.

2. Share multimedia: Use a QR code to direct consumers to a video or photos that provide more details, provide instructions or after purchase information about your company, product or service.

3. Offer a special promotion or discount: QR codes can display coupons or discount codes on a user’s smartphone, encouraging product trial.

4. Share media coverage or customer reviews: Include a QR code on a point of purchase display or directly on product packaging to share customer reviews and even positive media reviews . This can help a consumer with their purchasing decision quickly, and increase the odds they make a purchase that day.

5. Explain complicated information: Whether it is an ad, product label or email blast, there is often just not enough space to effectively communicate important health, safety and ethical considerations for your brand. Enlist QR codes that provide additional important information when scanned.

6. Support online retail sales: Use QR codes on any media, from retail window signage to emails and Facebook to direct consumers directly to an e-commerce site. You can even promote a particular product or group of products by showcasing them in an ad and then using a QR code to send consumers to a shopping cart already filled with those items.

7. Streamline contact information: Business cards, postcards and print and online ads can get cluttered with too many links to websites, Twitter profiles and Facebook pages. Add a QR code that can display all that information directly on a smartphone screen and be stored for future reference.

8. Build your email database: Have QR codes direct consumers to a form to sign up for your email list, but be sure to provide a compelling reason why they should sign up.

9. Provide customer service support: QR codes can be designed to make a phone call directly to your customer service department for consumers who have questions and want to speak to a live person.

10. Support social media connectivity: Direct users to your Twitter page or Facebook to grow your followers. Again, be sure there is a clear incentive – more information, discounts or giveaways – for consumers to connect.

With a bit of creative thinking, there are endless possibilities for using QR codes to enhance your marketing efforts.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged direct response codes, marketing, mobile marketing, QR codes | 1 Comment

When Your CEO Smokes More than Tobacco.

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

It’s bad enough when your CEO looks like a goober, but when he starts talking nonsense that threatens to undermine your entire brand, what do you do?

According to the Associated Press, “The head of cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc. told a cancer nurse Wednesday that while cigarettes are harmful and addictive, it is not that hard to quit.”

Says CEO Louis C. Camilleri, “We take our responsibility very seriously, and I don’t think we get enough recognition for the efforts we make to ensure that there is effective worldwide regulation of a product that is harmful and that is addictive. Nevertheless, whilst it is addictive, it is not that hard to quit. … There are more previous smokers in America today than current smokers.”

“Whilst?” Clearly somebody has gotten into the medical marijuana cabinet.

Don’t get me wrong, I am one of those people who believes other people have the right to make their own choices. And while I believe it would be better for everyone if no one smoked at all, I am not forcing my opinions on anyone.

But this arrogant jackass needs to check himself before he ruins what little reputation his company has left. Anyone who has ever smoked – and that includes me and Barack Obama – knows how incredibly impossible it is to quit.

So if you’re the head of marketing and communications at Philip Morris, what do you do?

Step One: Confront CEO Lou with the truth and recommend sensitivity training.

Step Two: Tell him to sincerely apologize for making cavalier statements about a life and death subject.

Step Three: Don’t allow him to spin the story with obfuscated messaging.

Step Four: Tell him to quit smoking publicly to show us all just how easy it is.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Communication, marketing, Philip MOrris | Leave a Comment

8 Ways to Determine a Blog’s Value

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

You probably have a good sense for which trade and consumer publications are most influential in your industry and among consumers. But with blogs, it’s not so cut and dry.

How do you know which blogs to target and which blogs to send product to? Following are eight ways to evaluate a blog’s reach and influence among your target audiences.

1. Traffic. Some bloggers tell you right on their home page or about page exactly how many daily, weekly and monthly visitors they receive. If not, or to verify those figures, use a free tool like compete.com or quantcast.com to get a traffic estimate. Also, review a blogger’s social media extensions (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) to determine how many more people he or she is reaching when they link posts to social media sites.

Just as important as visitors is the number of other sites linking back to the blog. The more external links a blog has the more credible a blog is. Visit technorati.com and enter the blog’s URL to find its authority, or number of links directing back to the blog.

2. Page Rank. Use the free page rank checker tool at http://www.prchecker.info/ to determine where Google ranks the blog on a scale from 1-10. Blogs that fall into the 3-7 range are ranked pretty well. Most blogs will not achieve a ranking of 8-10, which is reserved for sites like nytimes.coma and google.com.

3. Engagement. Review recent posts to determine if readers are commenting often, and if the blogger is taking the time to respond back. The value of blog coverage is it has the potential to spark a conversation. A blog that actively engages readers has more potential to make an impact and influence industry trends and opinions, and its readers are more invested.

4. Frequency. The more often a blogger posts, the more often readers are coming back and the more potential your story has to be seen. It is also very common for new bloggers to lose interest and stop posting all together, but leave their blogs up. Do not target blogs that have not had a new post in more than a month.

5. Depth. Truly influential bloggers don’t just regurgitate facts and news releases; they offer insight and commentary on the story or issue at hand. Target bloggers who take the time to write an original post; your story will have a much deeper and longer lasting impact.

6. Visibility. Do a quick search to determine how involved a blogger is within your industry. Have they penned guest columns or op-eds for influential media, given keynotes or sat on panels at industry trade shows/conference, led or participated in social media events and advocacy? Active bloggers who participate regularly in industry events are perceived as experts and can bring credibility to your brand.

7. Ethics. Without exception, bloggers should be in clear compliance with recently updated FTC rules and regulations. (Read our blog post for a more detailed explanation of guidelines that affect bloggers.) Do not waste time or energy on blogs that do not clearly disclose product review/advertising relationships; otherwise you may face legal consequences for a blogger’s unethical behavior.

8. Competitive/Big Brand Presence. Has the blog covered your competitor? What about well-known national brands? These companies are targeting this blog for a reason; they see value in securing coverage there.

Need help developing a strategic blogger relations campaign to achieve greater visibility for your product or service? Contact me at kayleigh (at) sweeneypr (dot) com. or 440.333.0001 ext. 105 to get started.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged Blogger Relations, bloggers, blogs, branding, FTC, marketing, mommy bloggers, mommy blogs, Social Media | Leave a Comment

5 People You Need to Follow on Twitter – NOW!

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

With all the talk and advice out there on what companies should be posting on Twitter, get back to the roots of social media and start by listening. Following are five categories of people that will give you the most insight on what you should be communicating about on Twitter and in other social media channels.

1. Trade Media. Many publications have branded Twitter accounts dedicated to disseminating breaking news. Pick the top outlets covering your industry and pay attention to what they tweet to get insight on current events and trends. Use this information to develop relevant content for the media and your social media sites.

2. Employees. Employees dealing daily with customers, vendors, co-workers and entrenched in industry news can provide first-hand knowledge about the small details that make your business tick. Also, you’ll want to ensure employees are following any company social media guidelines and not sharing trade secrets.

3. Competitors. Whether or nor they are doing a good job on Twitter, you need to know how and what your competitors are communicating. Follow competitors to study their Twitter strategy, and then track correlating changes in their Twitter followers, Facebook fans, website traffic (compete.com is free) and media coverage to determine what works and what doesn’t. Learn from someone else’s mistakes, and improve on their successful strategies.

4. Customers. Finding your customers on Twitter may not be as straightforward as identifying a media outlet or competitor. But you can use Twitter search and other key word tracking tools to identify the most frequent users of your products and services.

Also, you can import email addresses from your customer database and have Twitter do the work finding their Twitter names for you, or ask customers for their Twitter handle when appropriate. The key is to listen to what they are saying beyond commenting on your company. Find out what is important to them and use that information to drive new product development, contests, customer rewards programs, etc. And when they ask you a question, compliment you or even complain… respond.

5. Industry Experts. This can include leading journalists, industry bloggers, well-known professionals and self-proclaimed experts in your industry. Start by casting a wide net, but then trim the list down to a few who provide the most insightful commentary and who share the most detailed and current industry information.

These are people who already know how to generate compelling conversation. Study their technique and then use your own expertise to start a conversation or provide a different viewpoint on one that is in full swing.

Need help developing your social media strategy? Contact me at kayleigh at sweeneypr dot com or 440.333.0001 ext. 105.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, Social Media, Twitter | Leave a Comment

12 Tips for Planning Trade Show Activities and Budgets

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Kayleigh Fitch

Exhibiting at key industry trade shows can be a very effective marketing strategy. However, trade shows require more than just a booth and booth space. Following are 12 considerations when planning and budgeting for trade shows.

1. Trade show strategy: It is key to develop a strategic plan that identifies pre-, at- and post-show marketing, measurable goals, positioning, messaging and budgets. Do you have staff internally who can mange this or do you need external support?

2. Management: Someone (either internally or externally) will need to manage and coordinate every aspect of the trade show strategy from making the exhibit space deposit to determining post-show booth storage.

3. Exhibit space: Exhibit space costs differ by show and of course by the amount of booth space you want. Also, check to see what else the booth space includes. For example, does it include carpeting and drayage?

4. Booth: Will you rent, purchase or build your own booth? Who will design the actual booth messaging and graphics? Also, plan for the details including booth and equipment shipping, drayage, graphics, signage, furniture (tables, chairs, counters, screens), literature racks, free-standing kiosks, lighting, audio-visual, computers and other technology on site, designated lead retrieval, floral arrangements, etc.

5. Manage set up: Determine the labor required to set up your booth. Will you need utilities, electric/compressed air/gas, carpet, cleaning services, water/plumbing, rigging, special effects or security?

6. Booth staffing: Which personnel will run your booth? Decide now and plan airfare, hotel, local transportation and budgets for food and other expenses early to secure the best rates.

7. Pre-show promotion: What per-show promotions will you do to increase foot traffic to your booth? If you conduct direct marketing, you’ll need to account for invitations, customer/prospect database and postage. Do you plan to conduct pre-show publicity, or advertising?

8. Show/booth promotion: How will you generate excitement and activity at your booth? Booth giveaways, demonstrations, a hospitality suite/booth, literature, show sponsorships, interactive video?

9. Special events and speaking engagements: Most trade shows put out a call for speakers or presentation months in advance. Review the opportunities available; if you have an interesting expert or a great case study to share, consider applying to speak. Also, trade shows typically offer sponsorships that might range from being a show sponsor to sponsoring recycling bins or water coolers. Or, do you plan to conduct booth demonstrations, press conferences or presentations at your booth?

10. Deconstruction and storage: Account for booth deconstruction, drayage, shipping and booth storage.

11. Post-show promotion. How do you plan to conduct follow up with existing customers, prospects and media who expressed interest during the show? Will you use telemarketing, email marketing or direct mail to encourage sales?

12. ROI analysis. Document your results and compare against your strategic plan. Did you meet your goals? What results did the show yield? Was the cost worth the investment?

Need help planning for your next trade show? Contact kayleigh (at) sweeneypr (dot) com or 440.333.001 ext. 105 to get started.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, publicity, speaking engagements, sponsorships, trade show marketing | Leave a Comment

The Biggest Challenge Facing Marketing Today?

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

I have been participating in a personal social media experiment this week to measure the networking value of LinkedIn.

I picked an interesting topic in the eMarketing Association Network: “Can you use ONE WORD to describe the biggest challenge facing today’s Marketing?”

So far, there have been more than 320 comments – mostly of the “one word” variety. In and of itself, this is pretty scary. Do people in our industry actually believe you can sum up the single biggest challenge we face with one word? Yikes.

Anyway, whenever possible, I commented on other people’s comments to initiate dialogue or reactions, but with limited results. However, I did notice that a handful of the participants in this “discussion” were pushing to take the conversation to a higher level; this gives me hope.

Unfortunately, most seemed content to conjure up and spit out creative words, like this were an online game… Angry Birds or Bejeweled, as it were. And for me, that is the ultimate problem with LinkedIn and Twitter and Facebook as business tools. A lot of people are spending a lot of time talking about a lot of things that just are not that important.

When I was a kid and would chatter on and on with my dad, he would often tell me this: “Words are cheap, Jimmy. Show me.”

Or if you prefer the advice of Elvis, “A little less conversation, a little more action.”

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Facebook, LinkedIn, marketing, Twitter | Leave a Comment

5 Questions You Should Never Ask a Journalist

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Jennifer Manocchio

Every relationship with a journalist is unique and specific to his or her preferences. However, no matter the situation, there are certain questions you should NEVER ask media. But that does not mean you can’t get your message across. It is all about learning how to say it better.

1. Did you get my news release?

Aside from the fact that this question does nothing but waste media’s time, it could turn out even worse when you get only a simple yes or no response. Just because a journalist confirms he or she received your news release there is no guarantee he or she will cover your story.

Instead try: We recently sent you a news release announcing [XYZ company did something newsworthy] and wanted to see if this type of news is of interest to your publication. This does two things: It provides an opportunity to confirm the journalist received your news and gives you a chance to find out if the journalist is interested in pursuing the story.

2. Since you will not cover my story can I speak with your editor or another journalist?

Even if you have an interesting and excellent story to share, the changing nature of the media business makes it difficult to reach the correct contact 100 percent of the time. If you feel your story is important or has another angle, do not give up, but don’t be rude to the person you first made contact with.

Instead try: Thank you for your feedback. Do you know of anyone else at your publication/station who might have an interest in this story? Not only does this establish you as a resource for future communications, but when you contact the new journalist, you can open with a referral from one of their co-workers.

3. Will you write a feature article about my product/service/company? When?

Unless you are launching the next generation iPhone, a journalist needs a relevant and timely context for your company’s story.

Instead try: We noticed several recent articles in your publication focusing on XYZ trend. Our company president can offer excellent insight as to how that trend is affecting the market and how specifically our company is reacting. Would you be interested in setting up an interview to learn more? This lets journalist know you are familiar with what they write, understand what is important to their readers and your company can add something new to the story. Once the interview is scheduled, it is your spokesperson’s job to communicate a compelling story about the company.

4. Can I review that article before it goes to print?

Some media will offer the opportunity to review articles or quotes for accuracy. If you get the chance, always take it and offer feedback only on content/accuracy – not the journalist’s writing style. However, keep in mind that media coverage is not the same as a paid ad and no one has the right to ask to review and correct a journalist’s work before it is published except the editor.

Instead: Prepare your message in advance and ensure accuracy. If it is a phone interview, develop talking points and keep them in front of you during the interview. For simple news announcements, triple check news releases and pitch letters for accuracy before distributing to media.

5. Can I get a copy of the story you wrote?

It’s a reporter’s job to write the story, not mail it to you.

Instead try: We are very excited to see the article you wrote. Can you tell me what issue you anticipate it will appear in so we can pick up a few copies? Often when you approach the question this way, a reporter will offer to send you several copies of the magazine directly or introduce you to a circulation manager who can do the same.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, media coverage, media relations, publicity | Leave a Comment

Knowing When to Apply for Industry Awards

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Jennifer Manocchio

Industry awards and accolades can add credibility to your brand and establish your company’s position as category leader. While it is a nice surprise to be notified of an award or recognition without applying, many programs require a thorough application process to even be considered.

How can you quickly identify which awards are worth your time and which are just worthless? Below are key questions to ask when deciding if you should devote the time to applying for an industry award or recognition.

1. Is the award credible? Consider how long this award has been around, which company is sponsoring it and how important it is to other industry leaders. Check the website for past winners; are they brands you recognize? Admire? Aspire to be like?

2. Do my customers care? Take some time to do a bit of research. Are competitive past winners calling attention to the award on their website, in a news release or in ads and other marketing materials? Are customers in your target audience talking about the award, the ceremony or past winners with merit on blogs, forums, Twitter or Facebook?

3. How does the focus of the award align with my marketing goals and key messages? Perhaps the focus is on innovative product design, and your goal is to position your product as such. Perfect fit, and it sounds like you will be a contender. But don’t waste time applying for eco-friendly awards when the best idea you can submit is a corporate recycling program. Ask yourself if you can make a strong case as an entrant and whether winning the award fits into your larger marketing plan.

4. Will the award support additional business objectives? Will winners have the opportunity to network with potential customers at a ceremony or event? Is the recognition something key consumer and trade media outlets would be interested in? Can this accolade act as a key selling point in a sales presentation?

5. Is there an entry fee? It is common for a reasonable entry fee to be associated with an award application. In fact, nominal fees may indicate a certain degree of formality – like a third-party judges panel – that add to an award’s credibility. Extremely high entry fees for awards that fail to deliver any tangible benefits should raise a red flag. On the flip side, a free application shouldn’t be an automatic invitation to throw your hat in the ring. The key is weigh the benefits you will achieve with a win versus the cost of entry.

While there is no exact combination of correct answers to the questions above, they should all factor into your final decision of whether to apply for an industry award. Ultimately, the decision is about whether the time and effort you put into the process will yield results that add value to your business.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged awards, branding, marketing | Leave a Comment

Advertising Doesn’t Work. Oh Wait, Maybe It Does.

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

Hello Diet Coke! Goodbye Pepsi.

Hello traditional media! See you later online marketing.

According to the Wall Street Journal: “PepsiCo made a big bet in 2010, when it didn’t market its flagship cola on the Super Bowl or in other TV spots. Instead, it launched the Refresh Project, an online charitable-giving program that disbursed $20 million in donations “for refreshing ideas that change the world.”

Here’s the bottomline: when it comes to marketing there is no silver bullet or magic potion, let alone an effortless solution or easy answer.

The most effective product and brand marketing campaigns involve a mix of traditional, digital and social media strategies that feature connectiveness as a priority characteristic. Not just integrated marketing strategies, but interactively connected tactics that enable consumers to participate through all the media and in all the channels they prefer – TV, websites, newspapers, blogs, magazines, text, e-mail, snail mail, blogs, coupons, mobile apps, telemarketing, outdoor, in-store, events, exhibits, seminars, webinars, podcasts, in-game, etc.

Or get used to being #3.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged advertising, Brand Marketing, Diet Coke, marketing, Pepsi, Product Markting | Leave a Comment

Marketing a Good Idea or Simply a Good Idea to Market?

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

The Super Bowl ended about a month ago, and the Housewares Show ended on Tuesday, but the sentiment for Made in America products continues to grow.

Unfortunately, it appears to have nothing to do with protests against a communist government or a swell of nationalist pride or even a return to safer, higher quality products.

It’s about the money.

As reported in the Chicago Sun Times, “China’s labor is creeping up,” said John Armaly Jr., president of Armaly Brands, which makes Brillo Pads in Ohio. “Their middle class wants what you and I want. They want more money, and the Chinese government is going to raise wages.”

Maybe he’s right, maybe manufacturing will come back to America because it is more affordable or less complicated. Either way, it would be good to see a new manufacturing revolution take hold in the United States. Not a return to what was, but a cleaner, smarter form of manufacturing. Anything is possible… especially in America.

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Imported from Detroit, International Home and Housewares Show, Made in America, marketing | Leave a Comment

Where Do You Get Your Information?

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

Gandhi Learn Sometimes we learn through passive observation. Sometimes we learn through active participation. Sometimes we don’t learn at all.

Today there are more channels for being exposed to information than ever before, which in and of itself is a pretty obvious and relatively useless point. But as marketers, bound to help organizations and individuals determine the most effective channels for communicating information – about products and services and investments and issues and sales and more – it is a rather critical point.

And it got me wondering: Where do you get your information? This morning I woke up and my wife told me that it was below zero outside (info nugget #1). While pouring my morning coffee, my Associated Press iPhone app announced that first time unemployment filings were at a new low (info nugget #2). While driving to work, the local sports talk show on the radio alerted me to the Cavs ongoing losing streak (info nugget #3). As I rounded the corner to my building’s underground parking garage, a mini-billboard alerted me of a new vacancy on the third floor (info nugget #4).

So if you are trying to make me aware of your product or motivate me to learn more about your service or convince me to vote against a particular issue, what’s the best channel to use? Friends & family, TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, books, newsletters, directories, letters, outdoor signage, websites, search engines, blogs, social media sites, e-mail, telephone call, text, direct mail, literature, exhibits, salesmen, movies, libraries, seminars, webinars, webcasts, podcasts, speaking engagements, store displays…? And does it take the form of news, entertainment, advertising, conversation, education…?

These are excellent questions. Because in order to learn – passively or actively – communication must travel through those channels that are most relevant and therefore most likely to reach the target audiences. And here is the really interesting part, it’s a constantly changing environment; so the channels I am interested in and rely on today may be completely different six months from now.

So what’s a marketer to do?

Posted in markeTING | Tagged communication channels, Information, learning, marketing | Leave a Comment

How To Undo 500 Years of Bad Marketing?

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Jim Sweeney

Food is a symbol of survival and success alike. The Lord promised to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into a land flowing with milk and honey. According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Marie Antoinette upon hearing that the peasants had no bread, suggested they eat cake. And Herbert Hoover is credited for promising all Americans prosperity in the form of a chicken in every pot.

Food is in fact one of the four necessities of life, though in America we are not nearly as obsessed over air, shelter and water. No, for us, food is the elixir of life. When we are happy, we eat in celebration. When we are sad, we eat to forget our depression. When we are busy, we eat to fuel up. When we are bored we eat to fill the void. Food has become the answer to our every question. Food is our lexicon.

I love you so much I could eat you up. I eat punks like you for breakfast. They are going to eat you alive. Hey, what’s eating you? Bite me. Chew on this my friend. Do you smell what the Rock is cooking? Eat your heart out baby. If you’re right, I’ll eat my hat. Yeah, well eat my shorts. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. I’m not surprised, cause you eat like a pig. You’re gonna eat those words. Well, I hate to eat and run…

Anyway, in light of the new USDA Dietary Guidelines released on Monday, I am thinking that maybe we (are you listening Michelle Obama?) have been going about this obesity thing the wrong way. In short, we’ve simply been sending the wrong message all this time.

Plato said that the enjoyment of food is not a true pleasure because the purpose of eating is to relieve pain – hunger. Perhaps we would do well to remember – or learn anew – that the true nature of food is simply to fill our gas tanks with fuel… too little limits your ability, while too much is simply wasted.

And since I have taken the liberty of quoting Plato, allow me the indulgence of quoting my father, who like most Americans was obsessed with food: “Jimmy my boy, do all things, but do them all in moderation.”

Posted in markeTING | Tagged Americans, food, marketing, Michelle Obama, obesity | Leave a Comment

What Content Should I Post on Twitter?

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Jim Sweeney

I just started a Twitter account for our company. How often should I post and what should the content include?

___________________________________________________________By Jennifer Manocchio

Let’s start by discussing what not to talk about. Avoid tweets on how you were stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work, what you ate for lunch, and how you cannot wait for the weekend. Sorry to be so blunt, but no one cares.

Of course, there is always an exception to the rule. If you have a product or service that helps you remain calm while sitting in a traffic jam (e.g. books on tape, or meditation), then by all means tie that in. Also, if your Twitter account is a fictitious spokesperson like Tony the Tiger or the Aflac duck, then it can be appropriate to include fun facts or exciting things that the icon is doing.

As far as how often you should post, we recommend between 3-10 posts per day. While that might seem overwhelming at first, you can use software that will allow you to write posts in advance and automatically update Twitter for you.

Prior to deciding what content you will be posting, be sure to set your goals for Twitter (e.g. increasing traffic, driving web site traffic, driving blog traffic, increasing sales, etc.) and your expectations. This will help you determine what to post and if the strategy has been successful.

Then, keeping in mind the goals you want to achieve, start Tweeting! If you are unsure what types of content to use at first, below are some tips on what you can post to get started and continue to maintain an active presence on Twitter.

General tips/factoids about the industry you service. Be sure these tips will appeal to your target audience and aren’t too self-serving.
Quality industry articles that your target audience will see as being helpful or interesting at their job or in their daily lives.
News coverage about your company, product or service. Be careful not to overdue the news coverage. For example, if you distributed a news release and received good pickup, select the best story for your Twitter account.
If you have a blog, include a link to your blog posts on a regular basis.
Announcements about company speaking engagements and trade shows you are attending/exhibiting.
If you develop online videos, link to those videos.
Monitor Twitter conversations that mention your product, brand or expertise and respond publicly to any questions or retweet (RT) customer kudos.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged marketing, Social Media, Twitter | 1 Comment

Is Mass Media Advertising Dead?

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Jim Sweeney

Is mass media advertising dead? Are there so many targeted options that I shouldn’t use it? Conversely, is mass media so splintered and difficult to measure that I shouldn’t use it? (e.g. broadcast, cable and satellite television)

Associate Vice President, University Communications and Marketing

_______________________________________________________________________

By Jennifer Manocchio

Mass media advertising is not dead. TV still remains king of all media and should still be considered a sound advertising strategy. Consider these facts:

According to a July Nielson Co. report, the average U.S. home has 2.86 televisions and more than 114 million homes in the U.S. have at least one TV.

Nielsen Media Research reported last November the average American watches 142 hours of TV in a month. Last season the typical home had a television on for eight hours and 18 minutes each day. That’s up an hour per day from just 10 years ago.

In comparison, the amount of time consumers are spending online is leveling off at an average of 12 hours/week and only 80 percent of US households have Internet access.

While mass media is difficult (costly) to measure compared to other strategies, some goals are difficult to measure no matter how targeted the strategy. So let’s break this down:

If your goal is to create awareness and build brand, mass media fits the bill. You can reach hundreds or thousands or hundreds of millions and make initial connections and build credibility. And yes, Virginia, you can measure the results. But you must be willing to invest in benchmark and follow-up research.

If your goal is to drive web site traffic or increase calls into a toll-free number or push consumers into a retail outlet, mass media also works; it’s just a different approach to messaging and creative. It’s not so much about the brand as it is the offer.

Can you use targeted strategies to do the same thing? Yes. Can you even use them in combination? Yes. Is there a “best” solution? Probably, but that depends on each individual situation. There is never a single right answer; this is not a shelf service business.

On any given day, for any given situation, mass media and/or targeted media may be the best solution. There is no easy answer. And by the way, measurement is a requirement for both strategies.

But mass media is not dead and in fact, will likely never die. It will continue to evolve as it has for the past century (we are including radio and film along with TV here). Even media geniuses like Jason Kilar acknowledge that people will continue to want to sit around their living rooms or at local establishments and share “shows” and “events” and “news”, if for no other reason than to socialize and have something to talk about around the water cooler the next day. Only mass media can provide that experience.

_____________________________________________________

Have a marketing, public relations, social media or advertising question? Post your question below or email exeqnation at gmail dot com. We are committed to answering your marketing questions real time. And if we don’t know the answer, we’ll contact one of our valued partners who will.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged advertising, marketing, Mass Media, measurement, television advertising | Leave a Comment

Using Social Media as a B2B Marketing Strategy

Posted on July 30, 2009 by Jim Sweeney

How does social media fit into B2B marketing?

Channel Development Manager, Aflac

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

By Jim Sweeney

Social media fits into the B2B marketing model much the same way it fits into the consumer marketing model.

Because of its very nature, social media allows virtually anyone (or any organization) to communicate with virtually any audience on any scale. And because it allows for real-time, two-way communication with minimal or no interference (no gatekeepers), it is an ideal marketing strategy.

Social media sets the stage for meaningful, live engagement between your business and all of your target internal and external business audiences – employees, shareholders, retirees, customers, prospects, vendors, distributors, brokers, investors, consultants and on and on.

Unlike traditional media – which remains vital and essential in both the consumer and B2B marketing paradigms – social media allows you to connect directly to your audiences without the influence of gatekeepers, and allows them to communicate directly back to you (and anyone else who is participating) without interference and in real-time.

A recent Forrester Research study http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/the-down-economy-pushes-b-to-b-marketers-embrace-digital-tactics-409009_1.html of B2B marketing professionals indicates that more and more B2B marketers are beginning to embrace social media. Unfortunately it appears that the economy and the need to get more results with fewer dollars is the primary driver.

Regardless, social media fits into B2B marketing in a wide array of ways.

• Social Networking sites like LinkedIn (and yes, even Facebook) offer exceptional opportunities for B2B organizations to connect with target audiences on an individual and collective basis. Industry-specific groups enable you to create and participate in dialogue with industry influentials, customers, prospects, etc.

• Blogs have the potential to create invaluable communication with internal and external target audiences on a multitude of business topics.

• Micro-blogging tools like Twitter allow you to maintain ongoing communication – text, links, photos, audio and video clips – with multiple core groups of individuals.

• Video Sharing through mass appeal sites like YouTube or industry-specific business sites like Wistia enables you to effectively present your corporate and product brands on an entirely different level. Podcasts and Webcasts are equally useful tools for engaging target audiences.

• Tried and true strategies like e-mail marketing, online advertising, organic search optimization, blogger relations and industry discussion boards are digital and social media tools that should also be considered as part of the marketing mix.

Social media should be viewed as a viable strategy in a portfolio of techniques that best practice companies can use to create awareness, engage audiences, create links, drive leads, support sales and build relationships.

Posted in exeQnAtion | Tagged B2B, business to business, marketing, Social Media | Leave a Comment

Shameless Self Promotion

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Jennifer Manocchio

Bloggers Gush About Cleaning Products

Household cleaning products don’t seem to be the kinds of things
that would get the blogging community all excited, especially
during the holidays, right?

But if bloggers happen to be stay-at-home moms who spend a good
part of the day cleaning up after their toddlers, or bloggers who
care about environmentally friendly products, offering a product
sample to them can bring hundreds more moms to your website.

That’s what happened just before the Christmas holidays when
Sweeney public relations launched a publicity campaign for Weiman
Products, a cleaning products manufacturer.

Publicity Hound Jennifer Manocchio, a Sweeney VP, said the
campaign invited bloggers to review products that help keep the
home clean. Sweeney offered each participating blogger
samples of products such as stainless steel wipes that can be
used to make kitchen faucets shiny, and Weiman E-tronic Wipes
that can be used to remove fingerprints from computer screens.

The campaign resulted in a whopping 44 positive reviews from
bloggers, like this one from the My Trendy Tykes blog:

“Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes shine, polish and protect all
stainless steel surfaces. They leave NO streaks, and the strong
odor?? Well, it’s not there. It’s actually a pleasant smell for
my nose. Oh, and get this…It actually repels fingerprints,
water marks and dirt. Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Blogger Rockin’ Mama gushed about how the floor polish made her
laminate floors super-shiny. And at the Chocolate Fingerprints
blog, Andrea McMann said she could tell the e-tronic wipes are “a
high-quality product” and my screens still aren’t dusty or
smudgy.”

The campaign also resulted in 172 clips, 196 direct links to the
Weiman website, and 772 website visitors who stayed an average of
two minutes and five seconds.

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine
featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity.
Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email
the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a News Release.”

Posted in Consumer Products | Tagged Blogger Relations, cleaning, Cleaning Products, marketing, mommy blogs, Public Relations, Sweeney, Weiman Products | Leave a Comment

Tag Archives: marketing