In our business of providing marketing and advertising services, we hear perplexing and often humorous objections to engaging our
firm.Enjoy!
1. Creativity is over-rated.Who cares if my materials are boring?
2. We have resources for that type of work. Jeremy in shipping has a girlfriend who
does tattoos, she said she would do our new logo for free.
3. Business is bad right now. Why advertise?
4. I don't have any marketing needs at all... fully stocked
up on business cards.
5. The TV and radio stations and phone directory said they
would do my ad for FREE.
6. I have all the business I can handle, and I am making
enough money already, thank you very much.
7. I am not convinced advertising works.I am going to stop advertising and see
what happens.
Well there you have it, seven choice objections for not
hiring our firm.But if you ARE
interested (and you SHOULD be) here's three reasons to hire us.
1. We're expert at making you look good, saving you stress,
and making you money.
2. We will work our butts off for you.We love what we do, and you will
benefit from our addiction to coming up with creative ideas. Lucky you!
3. Our creativity shines through to the bottom line. Good
ideas don't have to be expensive.Our office is humble, our salaries miniscule, but our creative quotient
is massive.Let us estimate on a
project and you'll be pleasantly surprised how cost effective we are.Contact us today!
Written by: Timo Matero, CEO - Primary Founder Accelerator Advertising, Inc.
Well folks... 2012 certainly was filled with angst, hand
wringing and nervous waiting for one big watershed resolution after
another. Obamacare, the elections, and
finally the holiday season sales numbers have kept us marketers paralyzed on
the sidelines. Shame on us for being afraid of something as silly as a falling shoe.
It's time to stop worrying.
It's time to strike out and get on with building a better business for
our shareholders, our workers, and our families.
The challenges and punishments that we are going to have to
weather in the next few years will be harsh, but they won't finish us. Not by a
long shot. So, let's get out there, be
brave, make some bold moves, and advance fearlessly in 2013. It won't get better until we make it so,
together.
Who else is ready to be bold in 2013? Drop us a line and let us know your
plans.
Written by: Timo Matero, CEO - Primary Founder Accelerator Advertising, Inc.
In a move beyond comprehension, Facebook has implemented Timeline, with no opt-out option, much to the dissatisfaction to mega-hoards of Facebook users.
After reading several pages of reader comments from readers of Yahoo! News, The New York Times Online, and other sources that reported the Timeline change, I would estimate that 99% of reader commentaries that I read were totally dissatisfied with the implementation of Timeline. Nay, dare I say, enraged?
In my opinion, this shows that Facebook either didn’t care about the user, or perhaps had faulty research showing that Timeline was wanted. Either way, Facebook has p***ed off a huge chunk of it’s user base. And make no mistake; the user base is the only thing that makes Facebook of any value in the marketplace.
When Facebook first came out, people were attracted to its simplicity of design, ease-of-use, and best of all, being able to share their life with their circle of friends and family. Now with Timeline, the interface has become cluttered, confusing to navigate, and worst of all, drudges up all sorts of embarrassing posts and pics from days gone by. Like the one from long ago, of you wearing nothing but undies, dancing around a beer keg at some bash.
A crazy post was OK when you only had five college friends on your account, but now, you have over a hundred friends, including your boss, mother-in-law, and pastor. What once was buried down deep is now front page news. Thanks a lot Zuckerberg!
Users don’t want the past, embarrassing or not, being forefront. Facebook is all about the here and now, duh. They don’t want a more confusing interface, or advertising slammed in their faces. Nor do they like having no opt-out.
I guess Facebook didn’t learn from the Netflix disaster. Netflix brutishly changed the structure of offerings and features that made them successful only to lose customers and revenues so fast that it is now headed towards the ash-heap of has been successes.
A company like Facebook can’t take their users for granted by making arbitrary and universal changes to the platforms they have come to feel are an intimate part of their lives. To do so disenfranchises them and breaks the bond of trust that once existed. Changes need to be made slowly, and after much research in order to better the experience.
My advice for Facebook? Treat users as if their entire business and future depends on them. Because guess what? It does. Goodbye Facebook.
Written by: Timo Matero, CEO - Primary Founder Accelerator Advertising, Inc. The Accelerator Companies
When holiday decorations appear and jingle-bells jangle, you know it's time to celebrate winning Major Awards! And here at Accelerator, we've got plenty of them to make the old man proud.
Our talented writers, designers, and promotion freaks have done a fine job of gathering national attention and recognition for outstanding creative work. (To see the whole list of Major Awards, click here.)
But like we always say, “Awards are nice but we're paid for results!” And results are what our clients get each and every time we roll out a new campaign or promotion.
Thanks to our great clients from White Castle, Hoover, Dirt Devil, MGA Entertainment and more, for allowing us the opportunity to do great work! If you're not a client of ours yet, let's talk. Who knows? Maybe your project will win a Major Award too.
From all of us here at Accelerator, Happy Major Award Season!
Wow. I hate to be the glass is half-empty kind of guy, but the economic numbers and outlooks aren't getting any better out there and probably won't improve for the rest of the year. Spooky, huh?
But like we've been counseling our clients, now is THE BEST time to get your marketing message out there. Here's a few reasons:
1. There's all sorts of media bargains to be had. Marketers have trimmed budgets. And now the media outlets, especially traditional ones are starving and willing to provide huge discounts.
2. There's less advertising going on overall. That means your message can be heard and remembered without needing much frequency. You can spend less, and be heard more! What a bargain!
3. Creativity doesn't end at the designer or writer's desk. Our agency is busy helping clients discover new ways of reaching people everyday. If you haven't had a good marketing audit and review lately, chances are you're missing out on some really great tactics that don't cost much, but bring heaps of results.
I like to say, "You can't live in fear."
And you know what, you can't successfully market your business in fear either. Here's where you take the first step. Call us or email us and we can set a time to discuss Accelerator performing a painless marketing audit and review on your current efforts. From there, we can recommend some great ways to take advantage of today's current climate.
Next up: Don't be afraid of the future. Shape it!
Written by: Timo Matero, CEO - Primary Founder Accelerator Advertising, Inc.
What once was normal for marketers isn't anymore. Once you could write a press release and get your information out there the way you wanted. Now, everyone has a podium to discuss your products and your business and you have very little or no control over what they say. Once you could on seeing a lift from a running a flight on a particular broadcast channel, now your well-crafted and creative commercial gets DVR'd or Tivo'd.
Back when things were normal you could always count on the holiday season to make your year. Now you don't even try to make a year, just the quarter. Things have changed forever. People's buying habits. The way they communicate. How brands interact with their end users. And the economy.
Everything isn't normal, and it's never going to be again. So what's a marketer to-do? Well, if you can adapt, think quickly on your feet, and not be afraid of trying new things, then you will do fine.
But if you're hunkered down in survival mode, waiting for things to simmer down, or the other shoe to drop, you'll be missing out on a lot of markets hare and dollars. Sure there are too few spendable dollars floating around out there, that only means that it will be the smart marketer who can chase them will get them.
Here's how to survive the upcoming years of not normal.
1. Realize that Normal Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Normal has moved out of the house, and he's not coming back. Ever. So don't enshrine his things in his old room and be pining away on the couch for him. Don't leave the porch light on, and don't be jumping up looking out the window every time a car drives by. He's left you and is not coming back. Face it.
2. Get abnormal! Now that you have accepted the fact that things aren't normal, and never will be again, you can start thinking abnormally. Yes. You are now free to think differently, act differently, spend differently and be different. Liberating isn't it? Nothing else is normal, so why should you do the same things you've always done? That's nuts. Getting abnormal is the most rational thing you can do as a marketer right now.
3. Advertise and market your buns off! When the economy tanks, marketers and CFO's get jangled. They cut marketing and advertising budgets in some sort of pre-emptive strike against the bad indicators. But in reality, all they are really doing is setting the stage for a self-fulfilling prophecy that portends poor sales and declining numbers. Well duh. You've just pulled back on your ad spends, people aren't hearing about you any more making you out of sight, out of mind, and out of luck. What a marketer needs to do in a down turn is advertise, advertise, and advertise some more. That way your brand becomes the loudest in the marketplace, you gain heaps of exposure, and then leap frog over stronger competitors because they, like the rest of the marketing lemmings, have bailed on advertising. The only cost that actually pays. Don't be like them. Don't be normal.
4. Hire Smart. Hiring smart means hiring people who are versatile, quick and eager to get on with things. There's no shortage of qualified, good talent to be had in just about every discipline. Now is the time to conduct a few search and rescue missions to secure the talent that you couldn't afford to hire a few years ago. They need the work, you get a good person. And when your sales begin to improve because you've advertised your buns off, you'll be glad they're on your team and can reward them for their dedication appropriately.
5. Stay on top of all the new tech and social media trends yourself. You. Yes you. Get a Twitter account. Follow a few people. Join Linked-IN and Facebook. Do all those new fangled things that your audience does. You personally need to learn them. Not a subordinate. You.
We hope that helps you understand the new normal! Watch for more tips on our next post. Stay abnormal!
Written by: Timo Matero, CEO - Primary Founder Accelerator Advertising, Inc.
Way back in January of this year, I was predicting a basically flat economy, stinky housing outlooks and $4.50 a gallon gas by summer.Summer's almost here and the indicators are right on track with my predictions.
It's not too hard to figure out by now, that THINGS ARE NEVER GOING TO GET BACK TO "NORMAL".Our current economy, our personal situations, and consumer behaviors are the way they are going to be for a very long time.There will be some incremental improvements to be sure.But these last few years have fundamentally changed industry, people, politics, investments, and our thinking forever.
Marketers will have to adjust their messages, offerings and mediums for the way their consumers live now.CFO's will have to adjust budgets, settle for less top line and more trim bottom lines.Retailers will have to raise prices; consumers willcontinue to be squeezed for their last few dollars.Even the retailer giant Walmart announced not too long ago that their customers were "running out of money".
Consumers are going to act differently moving forward.Hard times have a way of altering behaviors permanently. Folks who lived through the great depression were literally stuffing money in mattresses and burying coffee cans filled with coins in the back yard for the rest of their lives.They scrimped, saved, never wasted, re-used, did without, and lived well within their means.Just like most of us commoners now have to do today and probably will for decades to come.
So, my advice to you as a marketer is this:Don't wait for things to go back to normal. Don't settle for normal.Don't think, act, communicate, assume, promote, budget, and plan like you normally would have in the past.Normal doesn't live here anymore.
Be sure to read my upcoming blog, "These Guys Aren't Normal... Thank Goodness!" for the bright side of all this.
You've done what everyone's told you to do.You've gotten your Facebook fan page up and running.You've got your Twitter, tweeting.And you've even got followers and likes-a-plenty.Now what?
If you're like other socially savvy marketing folks, you're putting up timely information about your products, causes, and promotions.You're listening for customer complaints and helping to turn grumblers into ambassadors.Basically you're keeping busy but haven't yet found a way turn social media into something that will contribute to your revenue stream.
Revenue is something most social media efforts are missing. Why? I can tell you what it may be...motivation.
Getting your followers and likes to actually DO something that will build your business.Testing the personal relationship you've made with them and motivating them to take the next step to buy or try your products and services.
It's a lesson every small business owner from a dry cleaner to a pizza shop learns about motivating customers early on, something they don't teach at the Snootington College of Business, and that is , " WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS and PLEASE TRY OUR OTHER OFFERINGS".Marketers get so caught up in devising ways to "go viral" from sweepstakes, to group deals, to hash tag contests, they forget the simple, pure power of simply asking people politely to "Buy something from us..."
I know.Social media conventional wisdom says you're not supposed to be pushy.You're not supposed to sell in social media or you'll turn your base off.But I say, if you have a true relationship with your social followers, they will appreciate and respond to a sales invitation, provided you don't do over repeat it or it isn't relevant to their lifestyle.
Ask your followers to buy or try something in a polite, friendly way. You will be amazed at the results!Oh, and if you appreciate sound advice like you're reading today, Please call or email us for a consultation.We would love to work for you. Thanks!
Way back in 2008 before there was an "official" recession, our agency noted a significant pull back from our clients in terms of media spends and initiatives.
Then along came the paralyzing slump of 2009 that killed off many independent ad shops, printers, and media agencies despite the so-called "stimulus".
2010 however saw everyone climbing into and clinging onto the "social media lifeboat" for all they we worth.And thankfully we survived.
So what will happen in 2011?
Prognostication, unless you're a ground hog can be a tricky past time, but I'm willing to stick my neck out.From what I'm foreseeing now, here's how it looks:
• Unemployment will continue to hover around 10%
• Housing starts will continue to wallow in the pits
• Oil will continue to climb and yes, this will put at gas at around $4.50 this summer, as it always magically does between Memorial Day and Labor Day.Go figure.
• Retail sales will remain flat
So there you have it.Another bleak outlook for yet another challenging year.But now for the good news. (There always is a silver lining you know!)
• As people get adjusted their new "Normal" personal economies, new services and products based upon value and making a connection with the consumer will skyrocket.You're already seeing this happen.Just yesterday I saw a commercial where H & R Block is offering free simple tax return preparing in an attempt to lure a new base of customers based on value. Of course, there will be an up sell once they get they in the door, but hey... they're there!
• More social media applications will flood the market making it even easier for brands to monetize their social media efforts, and for fans to "like" them.
• People who have been putting off larger purchases such as cars, computers and appliances will buy this year. Not because they want to, but because they can't put it off any longer.Heck.It's been almost 3 years since last they've had a technology upgrade, and that family wagon is going on 7 years or more.
• People are going to stop waiting for the government to pull them out of the malaise because they can see the stimulus plans have done nothing but stimulate the government.
• The unemployed are going to look for ANY work, not just work they want.
• Businesses are going to find ways to survive despite all the new mandates and regulations, and that means forcing innovation and supplying products people want versus cutting back (which they can't do anyway).
2011 will be a year for people and business to adjust to the downsize, and come to the realization that America has a far way to go to get back to the heady days before the bubbles burst.
2011 is the Year of Acceptance.Let's move forward in confidence knowing that we've woken up, we're going back to basics, and we're up for restructuring and rebuilding our lives, our businesses and our country, one positive step after another.It's going to take patience, work, and determination.I'm up for the challenge. Are you?
Crowdsourcing creative is fast becoming a part of the design marketplace.
For those unfamiliar with crowdsourcing creative, it's a way of throwing out a project to a worldwide pool of persons who practice a particular discipline, say graphic design, and in return you get creative submissions from artists with a wide range of experience levels and talent. You choose which concepts to pay for and negotiate a price. The turnaround is fast, and you wind up with lots of submissions to choose from.
While at first glance, it may seem like a foolproof and cost-saving way to get your creative done, but there are a few pitfalls you will want to avoid.
Get genuine original creative. When you crowdsource, you never know from where the artist or writer drew his/her "inspiration". Be sure to have the artists certify in writing that the materials they provide to you are original to them. When in doubt, make sure your legal team earns their keep.
Not all submissions can be treated as equal. You may receive submissions from a hack, to an art school drop out, to an art director with twenty years of experience. Crowdsourcing is like Forest Gump's big box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
You will need to do a comprehensive and fully explanative creative brief. The old saying, "Garbage in, Garbage out," certainly applies to crowdsourcing. This is where agency experience and expertise alleviates this pain point.
Don't expect wonderful work. Unless the submitting artist has intimate knowledge of your brand, marketing challenges, and assesses your needs in professional consultation, you will most likely wind up getting results based on guesswork and whimsy. This is why so many professionals shy away from spec work. You simply can't produce on-target creative without full development and consultation.
Some marketers report that crowdsourcing creative has worked well for some projects. And there are plenty of successful websites offering this concept to substantiate the results. Artists that I know who have participated in the process report that it is like doing spec work on steroids, where the number of submissions for a single logo project may number into the hundreds, and the artist gets paid less than minimum wage for the amount of time they put in on the job, that is if the submission is even picked.
Crowdsourcing is here to stay. It will be up to each marketers ability and conscience to determine if / when crowdsourcing creative should be employed.
What do you think about crowdsourcing? Comment below.
Has anyone seen the latest commercial from General Motors? It’s difficult to see but they use the “rally cap” as their metaphor for the ad. If you’re not familiar with the rally cap, it’s a baseball superstition that started, I’m guessing, back in the 80’s. If your team was behind in the last inning, the fans would turn their baseball caps inside out and wear them that way. It showed solidarity among the fans to hopefully give their team a little extra luck to rally back and win the game.
The commercial shows the usual All-American lifestyle vignettes of people out and about but wearing their caps inside-out. The voice over talks about making a big comeback. It talks of new payment protection plans, financing, and warranties. The thing that I wonder when I watch this is who are they trying to rally: the consumer or themselves? Are they saying that we are about to lose the game (and declare bankruptcy) unless America rallies and buys their cars? Or, are they trying to tell themselves that they can make this comeback? And do most consumers even know what a rally cap is? Do the offers resonate with the consumer? To me, it sounds more like a threat than a sales pitch.
In this economy, and especially after the bailout, consumers don’t want to see a shiny, high-budget commercial made by out-of-touch executives and a clueless ad agency telling them to “rally”. Do consumers losing jobs and homes really want to see slick pricey cars, surfers on the beach, valet drivers, and Michigan Ave shoppers with their caps on inside out? I think consumers want to see something of substance and change. Not the same old, same old. How about an ad that simply says, “We’re cutting the cost of all our cars by 30%”, or, “Hey, we’re listening and we’re changing the way we do business”, or even, “ Let’s do this together, America.” I think a little honesty and less pandering would go miles in the hearts of consumers.
In 1984, Lee Iacocca stood in front of the camera in a factory, looked you in the eye, and used straight-talk to explain the products, explain the company goals, and tell consumers what they wanted to hear. It was done low budget and to the point, which resonated well with the audience and was a very successful campaign.
Nothing seems to entertain more than those mini movies on TV that we call commercials. Commercials are so loved that even 20, 30, or 40 years later, people fondly recall their favorites from childhood, or even the new favorite viewed just the night before.
I most fondly recall the commercials from Saturday mornings when I would sit on the floor in front of the TV, watching cartoons in my pajamas. Mind you, this was way back when there were only 4 channels and the commercials were as much part of the fun as the cartoons! Personally, my faves include: “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz!”, “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?”, “Ancient Chinese Secret!”, “You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!”, and “Hey Mikey, he likes it!”.
That classic Life Cereal commercial where the older brother yells, “Hey Mikey!” was so memorable in so many ways because every kid could relate to it. A food that mom wants you to eat because it’s healthy, a friend who dares you to eat it, and then the pass off to the ignorant little brother who gulps it down because he doesn’t know what healthy is. And, guess what… he likes it! The commercial was so popular, it was named, “One of the 50 Greatest Commercials of All Time” by TV Guide! I mean, I know I fell for the marketing and begged for Life Cereal when I was a kid.
The funny ending to this story is about the supposed fate of Mikey. According to urban legend, Mikey ate a packet of Pop Rocks, chugged a Coke, and died when his stomach exploded. I’m not sure how or when this rumor started but I remember hearing it a number of times as a child and even today. People love these types of stories. However, it’s all untrue. “Mikey” or John Gilchrist, the actor, is alive and well and is now a radio ad executive in New York (which I think is quite the fitting profession for a pop culture icon).
General Mills, the maker of Pop Rocks, tried for years to dispel the rumors. Their customer service line took untold numbers of calls from nervous parents asking about the tale. In 1979, General Mills, desperate to quell the rumors, took out full-page ads in 45 major publications across the country, wrote 50,000 letters to school principals, and sent the inventor of Pop Rocks on a PR tour to explain their safety.
The rumors had done their damage, though, and by 1983 General Foods stopped marketing Pop Rocks. In 1985, Kraft bought the rights to the product, initially marketing it as Action Candy before reverting back to the original Pop Rocks name, where it now seems to be doing well on super market shelves. Perhaps the new generation of children do not know or remember Mikey, his “Life”, and his supposed fate. Although as recently as 2006, new rumors have popped up about a child in Brazil who died after swallowing Mentos followed by a Coca Cola chaser. These have not been proven to be true either.
Whatever the case may be, this is all a telling tale about how much brands can be helped or hurt by things out of their control and how much they become a part of the pop culture, good or bad, whether they want to or not.
And as a side note, it’s funny how Coca Cola didn’t seem phased by the hype. They never addressed the issue or seemed to be damaged at all by the stories. Maybe they are so big, such a large pop culture icon, and loved so much by Americans that no one wants to believe that they can do harm. Except to them selves… New Coke - 1985, but that is another blog altogether. Hey, thanks, Mean Joe!
After attending the 106th annual American International Toy Fair in New York City this past weekend, we at Accelerator Advertising are excited to see how well the toy industry is going to do this year. We were there to develop new strategies for packaging, designing children toys, and marketing the latest trends of going green and lead-free.
We explored every inch of the Jacob K. Javit Center and when talking with toy marketers they gave a general mood of optimism, given the current condition of the economy. They were also excited about the upcoming holiday season. The upbeat tone was obvious on the show floor as buyers and sellers were once again working deals for the forthcoming year. Several people said that in their first day they placed more orders than in the entire week of toy fair last year!
The newest and hottest trends were prevalent all over the fair with “green” materials used in the production and packaging of many newly launched products. We say products such as eco-friendly plush animals and biodegradable bags.
Another hot trend was being organically certified, which featured many more products than expected. Child safety is always a concern, and with the indecencies of lead poisoning in the past few years lead-free seems to be a number one selling point for retailers.
Another American International Toy Fair has come and gone and we can truly say that after what seemed like miles and miles of toy we’re sad it’s over and can’t wait for next year! Also, we’re eager for the upcoming year in the toy industry. It should be one for the record books!
The Super Bowl is always the time North America looks forward to great football, food, drink, friends, and for me... great advertising. This year, once again, offered lots of great creative and memorable ads. The Doritos spot in particular was interesting because it was not only funny and memorable, it also placed the product in a starring role which many commercials fail to do in an effort to entertain rather than sell.
The most interesting aspect of this particular commercial was the fact that it was the result of a contest that Frito-Lay established months ago to let ordinary consumers write and produce their own Super Bowl commercial. The winner being the one shown here.
The Doritos' campaign not only generated lots of publicity but also helped build a relationship with its consumers. The successful campaign attracted 2 million clicks on the contest microsite and also attracted 750,000 unique users, and 2 million total video views. The contest ultimately racked up one BILLION impressions, equal to $36 million in paid media. Now that's impressive viral marketing.
The final winners, brothers from Indiana, Dave and Joe Herbert not only had their winning idea produced into a commercial viewed by 94.5 million but also walked away with $1 million dollars! (Not to mention the millions of hits the ad received during the week after the Super Bowl.) Frito-Lay won by having tons of free publicity, free ad ideas, and a free commercial that the Herbert's produced themselves for less than $2000. The cast and crew worked for food only. I hope the brothers share some of their winnings with them!
Fun and effective, memorable and timeless, it demonstrates that sometimes the best way to market is to go directly to your demographic and see what resonates with them.
The day after the Super Bowl, Doritos was number one on USA Today's Ad meter for all the Super Bowl ads.
Wake up marketers! It’s a world where the inmates run the asylum and you’d better learn how they do it! For decades now, marketers and brands have enjoyed the power to craft their messages and dictate how consumers should view their products. One need only to do a quick Google search for, “The Snuggie” to see how consumer driven content can benefit or damage your marketing efforts.
The Snuggie has been embraced, and become a part of popular culture with YouTube videos, blogs, and viral content all driven by popular demand. It’s this wave of new media frenzy that can either catch a brand (or product) and propel it to lofty sales record heights or bring it down to be dashed on the rocks unmercifully. As marketers, we need to watch, listen and learn from the successes and failures of trying to influence the new media marketplace. That is, learn the best ways to embrace it, as did Mentos, or when to reject it, such as Sony’s SCEA fiasco.
There are plenty of great resources out there to get you up to speed. But if you ask me, you’ll be better off sitting on your couch, (wrapped in a Snuggie) as you browse the popular social mediums and learn by observation before you head forth into this vast new world.
In this down economy advertisers are going to have change their messaging. And the more quickly they do, the better off their numbers will become.
Here are a few common sense guidelines for marketing in a recession:
1. Stress the VALUE PROPOSITION of your products or services, rather than features and benefits. Think about how your brand will make a significant difference to your audience in terms they will value and understand. Consider the success of Walmart’s Save Money. Live Better campaign. Talk about throwing a value proposition out there for everyone to see and grab hold of, huh?
2. Make price messaging secondary to longevity, savings achieved over the lifetime of ownership, hand-me-down-ability, and real-user and professional product / satisfaction reviews. When pennies get pinched, shoppers look for those products and services that will give them extended value for money, not the quick fix. If your product lasts longer, say so. If it cuts other expenses, tout it. Think of all the great messaging that helps a person rationalize purchasing a product that is employed by successful infomercials. Could your brand promotion use a little more Shamwow?
3. Emphasize how your offerings will help them “get back to basics” of thrift and frugality. In the age of consumerism everyone wanted to “keep up with the Jones’”, now everyone will want to “out-frugal” one another. Making less do more is fast becoming trendy. Consumption of oil and gas has continued to decrease even as prices are falling through the floor. The retail sector has seen a dismal drop since October ‘08. People are spending less and using credit less. Meals at home are more frequent and the list goes on and on. Being frugal is now a virtue and being cheap is noble. Your messaging should mirror those values.
4. When belts tighten, advertising and promotional messaging becomes more scrutinized and offers and discounts get shopped. Be sure to make your advertising simple, creative and most of all honest. Savvy shoppers will now sift through all the mediums and take plenty of time researching their options prior to making a large purchasing decision. Be sure your messaging is believable and of honest value if you expect to attract shoppers this upcoming year.
Here’s to a great new year! Yes, it will be challenging for marketers and agencies, but the opportunities to build brands and champion categories like never before!
www.resultsdriven.info If you’re a marketer there’s possibly one time and one time only in your entire career when THE IDEA will come into your life.You know – THE IDEA that will put game-changing points on the board, move the needle, and make your career.
You know the kind of idea I’m talking about – the kind of fresh, share-stealing, eye-popping idea that makes everyone in your department, division, company and industry stand slack-jawed in AWE and enviously murmur in their minds, “I wish I would have thought of THAT.”
I am talking about the kind of idea that puts YOU on the map, lets you write your own ticket, and helps you make your career.Success as you’ve known it to be will pale in comparison to the success you know when THE IDEA is put into action on your brand.This IDEA is so big it will require its own special budget, which they will give you… willingly.
If you’ve experienced THE IDEA, you know to what I’m referring.If you haven’t, then you’re probably sitting in your chair wondering how to go about getting your very ownIDEA.
Here’s how.
1.Be prepared.Know your market.Know your brand.Read all you can about the market you’re operating in.Follow trade journals, read press releases, go to conventions, know your market inside out.Then study the impact your brand has on that market.
2.Become your target. Shop where she shops.Dine where she dines. Read what she reads.Watch the programs she watches.Soon enough you will see opportunities to connect with her in ways you’ve never thought possible, and ways to improve your product for her no one else has imagined.
3.Be open to new ideas.If your agency strategist recommends an unproven path, consider it.If a cabbie tells you he thinks he has an idea for a better widget, listen to him.Great ideas come from everywhere if you’re willing to listen.Remember, you’re only an expert in your market – not in everything.
4.Be ready to capture all of your thoughts on a notepad, PDA, voice recorder, napkin, whatever.Often THE IDEA won’t appear all once, but in small parts and pieces.
Congratulations!THE IDEA is on its way!
OK, so what happens now? When THE IDEA comes, don’t tell anyone right away!Of course you’re excited.It’s THE IDEA, after all.You’re pumped.You’re jazzed.But now is not the time to disclose THE IDEA. You first must explore it further.Study it.Try to sink it.
Get your facts down, understand the barriers and the rewards of THE IDEA.This is no time for team sharing, committees, or allowing glory-grabbing upperclassmen to steal it away from you.This is the time to keep quiet and document your progress every step of the way.
After that, make THE IDEA presentable.Make it into a formal business case.When you are ready to announce it, THE IDEA should be solid, comprehensive, well thought out… and yours.
Ready to make your mark on the world now? THE IDEA is out there waiting for you – now go get it!
Accelerator is a leading 360-degree marketing and promotions agency recognized for being an innovation driver in virtually every industry sector.
This wide swath of proven experience means we deliver to our clients a very enviable cross-industry advantage.
We help companies and institutions gain market share, boost sales, and raise visibility using Pure ideas that work across all media (traditional, new and, cutting-edge) to deliver a consistent, powerful message for your brand. This one powerful voice for your brand is the key to delivering effective and profitable results from your total marketing and advertising investment.
