The Pepsi Generation

I'm a Pepsi Person. Some of you may be Coke heads. But whatever you grew up with, you probably drink now if you have a choice.

A few years ago, I switched to diet drinks and diet dew is my regular morning beverage, and since Mt. Dew is a Pepsi product, I'm still part of the Pepsi Generation. Skip at Maple Creative wrote this last Tuesday:

Pepsi logo

Late last year, Pepsi unveiled a new look and a new campaign, which some have said looks similar to President Obama’s highly popular campaign logo (which I blogged about several months ago HERE.)

A visit to the Pepsi “Refresh Everything” page lets visitors “speak their mind as a new president prepares to refresh the nation.” A commercial was released around New Years with the logo acting as the “O” in many words…“optimism,” “good times,” and yes, “hope.”

I wonder if Pepsi is present at the inauguration today?

Best wishes to President Obama and his family!

Bonus Hidden Logo Design:

There is a little treat when you look at the letters of the word “Pepsi.” You may have to tilt your head to see it.

(Hint: Think of the past!)

Sphere: Related Content

Barackberry Branding

Laura Ries latest:

Big Win for RIM, well sort of.

It was announced this week, Obama will keep his BlackBerry! Now dubbed the "BarackBerry." Big win for RIM, right? Well the real answer is yes and no.

Obama and his BlackBerry has been one of the most closely watched celebrity endorsements of all time. The news that he is keeping the device made the front page of the Money section in The USA Today.

But the actual device Obama is likely to use may not be a BlackBerry made my RIM. Speculations is that it will be a Sectera by General Dynamics which is actually a repurposed Palm Treo loaded with super security and encryption software.

So the question is, does it matter? Absolutely not.

What matters is that BlackBerry owns the category of wireless email. What matters is the Obama loves his "BlackBerry" and wanted to keep his "BlackBerry."

It is like ordering a coke in a restaurant. The waitress says they have Pepsi, you say OK. You may drink the Pepsi but Coke is the winner in the mind, the own the category.

BlackBerry owns the category of smart phones with keyboards. When you are first in a new category with a brilliant name you become synonymous with that category. Like Coca-Cola, Kleenex, Xerox, Red Bull, RollerBlade, etc.

Take Palm, they were the first digital organizer (or PDA) in the mind. But the name was weak. It was too generic. They should have used Palm as the category name and given the device a unique name. Actually it was the Palm Pilot originally but they lost the Pilot name in a lawsuit.

In smart phones, we have a classic battle brewing. Two brands each with opposite and distinct positions. iPhone owns cool. BlackBerry owns efficiency. And BlackBerry is now the choice President Obama. A President is trying to be seen as in touch and getting things done.

If BlackBerry plays this right, they could position iPhone users as slackers. iPhone users as kids listening to music and watching videos all day long. Not the message many executives want to send. Phones to save time vs. phones to kill time.

I'm working hard and I'm keeping my BarackBerry.

Sphere: Related Content

Another Doomsday Prediction for Newspaper

Believe it or not, not all newspapers are suffering. Some are right-sized business wise and are growing. Locally, the big boys are hurting which is sad. However there are a couple of free specialty papers, one weekly and another bi-weekly that are doing okay. But what is really growing is a local Hispanic paper that will be doubling in size in a few months.

Why? They offer growth in a growing niche of the population. And for advertisers that want to reach the Spanish speaking population, this is the only game in town except for a struggling radio station that plays Hispanic music.

This report is from MarketingCharts.com. Click on the charts to make them BIGGER.

eMarketer Sounds Death Knell for Newspapers

US newspaper ad revenues are expected to drop 42.5% in the next seven years, signaling a death spiral for the medium as readership moves online and to more real-time, interactive venues, according to a report from eMarketer.

In its report, “Newspapers in Crisis: Migrating Online,” the research firm estimates that newspaper advertising revenues dropped 16.4% to $37.9 billion in 2008 and expects that by 2012, those revenues will tumble to $28.4 billion - slightly more than one-half the industry’s revenue peak of $49.4 billion in 2005.

Since 2006, ad revenues have declined quickly, eMarketer said, adding that it expects a 15.9% drop in 2009 that will pull ad revenues down to $31.9 billion. From 2010 through 2012, the firm forecasts that the rate of decline will slow but remain in negative territory. Overall, it will amount to seven straight years of declining ad revenues, a 42.5% drop.

Problems Deeper than Just Print

Though the future of news media is undoubtedly going to be online in some format, simply migrating existing print editions to the web is not a sure recipe for success, according to eMarketer. Newspaperers face stiff competition from online-only media, blogs, and user-generated content sites that are not stretching to make the transition.

Moreover, online ad revenues are dropping. eMarketer estimates that online newspaper ad revenues declined by 0.4% in 2008 to $3.15 billion and will continue to drop in 2009 by 4.7% to $3.01 billion. The recession, the dismal state of the newspaper industry and the quarterly online ad spending trends for 2008 all factor into these projections.

“The challenge is continuing to make money with the transition to online,” said Carol Krol, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the report. “Newspapers have the same transition problems that plague other traditional media such as TV, and so far they have not been able to crack the code,” Ms. Krol said.

The report recommends that newspaper websites increase the creation of interactive products that appeal to their readership, particular younger consumers, and adds that blogs, social communities, and video content within and related to sites will be rewarded with increased visitor engagement and a deeper relationship with readers.

About the research: eMarketer benchmarks its projections against Newspaper Association of America (NAA) data and factors in the recent economic downturn.

Sphere: Related Content

Don't Oversell

A big turn off for some buyers is the sales person that won't shut up so you can think. Silence is needed for some people to finish the buying transaction.

For example, if I am in a restaurant at lunchtime and the waitress tells me what their specials are for the day, I will mentally think about what I am planning on having for dinner before I decide what to have for lunch. If she keeps rambling on and on and on, then I either have to tune her out, or tell her to go away for a moment.

This is true with many buying scenarios. Look at this from MarketingProfs.com.

I'm Ignorant. I'm Blissful. Shut Up.

Ah, chocolate. Who doesn't love it? Short of an ice cream cone, nothing produces an instant state of bliss better than a good chunk of the sweet stuff. Now, a new research study presents chocolate as a product that can virtually sell itself—better than any marketer can, anyway.

These researchers invited two sets of consumers to test a "new" brand of chocolate. One set was given vague information (just a brief description of ingredients), while the other set was given more precise information (ingredients, nutritional value). Each participant then indulged in the taste test, and was asked to rate the sample.

The consumers who rated the samples highest (more favorable on its positive attributes and less unfavorable on any negative attributes) were those who received vague information prior to sampling. In other words, those marketers who just offered customers the treat without wasting time with too much info got a happier response. The researchers dubbed this phenomenon the Blissful Ignorance Effect.

The message? Shut up and get out of the way! At least with yummy-factor products, try offering a bit of information, a sample, and then let your customers do the word-of-mouth marketing for you. "It would behoove marketers to capitalize on the enhanced optimism of the BIE as part of their 'buzz' marketing campaigns," these researchers conclude.

The Po!nt: Some products really can sell themselves. If you have a product with a yummy factor, try talking less, offering samples and encouraging post-sample buzz.

Source: "The Blissful Ignorance Effect: Pre- versus Post-action Effects on Outcome Expectancies Arising from Precise and Vague Information," by Himanshu Mishra, Baba Shiv and Dhananjay Nayakankuppam. Journal of Consumer Research, 2008.

Sphere: Related Content

6 Steps to Improvement

From a recent email:

Marketing Tip

"6 Ways to Boost Your ROI in 2009" Submitted by Alight Interactive Entrepreneurs are known for accomplishing great things with limited resources. If you want to do the same thing, here are six easy tips you can implement right now to maximize every dollar of your marketing budget. 1. Visualize and plan Poor planning can skyrocket your campaign expenses and slash your return on investment (ROI). Visualize what you want to accomplish and identify your bud get and timeline. Read more. 2. Segment your target market An average campaign generates a 1-3% response rate, so to increase the total number of leads generated, you can either increase your list size or improve your response rate through better segmentation. Read more. 3. Clean up your list The average bounce rate from a direct mail campaign is 5-20%, depending on the industry you target. Read more. 4. Seek a direct response to your Website A critical but often overlooked component of every marketing campaign is a call-to-action. What exactly do you want the prospect to do? Read more. 5. Follow up with prospects Have a follow-up plan in place for when a prospect responds. It is vital to act quickly while the interaction is still fresh in the prospect's mind. Read more. 6. Leverage Web Analytics to measure your results Through web analytics, you can learn a lot from past campaigns. Web analytics allows you to get beyond open rates and response rates to real ROI based on an action. Read more.

Sphere: Related Content

How to Increase Your Income

Even in the current economy, people are not really looking for "Cheap". They are looking for "Value."

Take a look at this recent email I received:

Hi Scott,

While positioning yourself as the 'cheapest' guy in town
isn't ever a good idea -- either as a USP or in practice --
positioning yourself as the most expensive one, often makes
a ton of sense.

And here's why: the old adage of "you get what you pay for,"
really is true. Not just in theory, but in practice and in
your customer's perceptions, as well.

In fact, scientific testing has proven this.

Dr. Antonio Rangel from the California Institute of
Technology conducted a study and found that if people are
told a wine is expensive while they are drinking it, they
believe it tastes better than a nice cheap wine.

Rangel gave study participants sips of what he said were 5
different wines priced between $5 and $90 a bottle. He
told each one the price of the wine as they were sipping.


In reality, however, he was only using three different
wines. And a brain scanner monitoring the tasters
registered much greater mental activity when people were
told they were drinking $90 dollar a bottle wine, than when
they were told they were drinking $10 dollar a bottle
wine.

In other words, more expensive wine led to a more
stimulating experience.

In real-life, this works two ways. People will be attracted
to more expensive goods and services, because they believe
it will offer them a more rewarding and more thorough
experience. And... they will also validate more expensive
purchases by focusing on the intensity of the experience
they've had.

And if you're actually delivering more value, then you've
cracked the key to success.

Either way, it beats being a cheapskate.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Critical reason why you are not making as much money as
you can in your real estate investment business:
http://www.kingofcopy.com/abcrei

***

Questions? Just ask me, baby!
http://www.kingofcopy.com/askmebaby

Check out ALL the King's products at
http://www.kingofcopy.com/products

Friend me on Facebook at:
http://www.kingofcopy.com/facebook

Comments? Leave them here on my blog -- let me know what
you're thinking:

If this message was forwarded to you and you'd like to start
getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at
http://www.kingofcopy.com

***

Sphere: Related Content

Friday Night Marketing News

Imagine managing my bank accounts via texting on my cell while speeding 80 mph down the interstate at night in a blinding snow storm while trying to avoid semis and black ice.

Not me, but it could be happening in the SUV that's tailgating you:

Telecom

Mobile Banking May Be Telecom's Killer App

by Aaron Baar

The number of people banking through a mobile device could hit half a billion worldwide by 2013, according to ABI Research. "Mobile financial services have the potential to be bigger than mobile TV and premium mobile content in terms of numbers of subscribers," says ABI Research's Mark Beccue. ... Read the whole story > >

Food

Figuring Out Gen Y's Eclectic Eating Preferences

by Karlene Lukovitz

Critically, marketing messages must come across as "anything but marketing messages," stress the researchers. This generation wants food and drinks that they can feel "they've stumbled onto themselves or through a peer recommendation, and with more than a whiff of cultish appeal," a new study concludes. While Gen Y's are far from brand-phobic, "the brands have to be the right ones, without the taint of the hard sell." ... Read the whole story > >

Automotive

Toyota Offering Certified Used Hybrids

by Karl Greenberg

"Though with new vehicles so widely discounted in the market because of the state of the industry, I think it's a great idea for hybrids because of the nagging doubt about the battery," says AutoStrategem's Dan Gorrell. "I think it's a good symbolic move that says 'we have confidence in these cars; and we are going to back them up. Whether it is an offensive or defensive strategy, it makes sense." ... Read the whole story > >

Automotive

Honda's Web Site No. 1 Based On Usefulness

by Karl Greenberg

The J.D. Power study says 16 manufacturer Web sites had double-digit decreases in the scores of their consumer sites. That, says the firm, is the largest decrease since the study's inception 10 years ago. The largest declines were in sections for determining monthly payment and comparing vehicle attributes within the information/content measure of the study. ... Read the whole story > >

Retail

Walmart, Best Buy Among Most Valuable Brands

by Sarah Mahoney

Those who are focusing on the long-term brand strategies - not just 'What are we going to do about January?' - are going to win disproportionately," says Interbrand's Greg Silverman. "We're on the verge of a creative renaissance in brand management in retail. Once they've squeezed all the costs out, stores have to find new ways to get customers to fall back in love with them." ... Read the whole story > >

Champion Launches Hoodie Remix Contest

El Pollo Loco Fills Strategy, Innovation Position

Phylicia Rashad Is New Jenny Craig Spokesperson

ExxonMobil, NASCAR Renew Partnership

Uni-ball Pen Launches New TV Spots

Sphere: Related Content

Baby Out-Takes

Maybe it's like driving by an accident on the expressway, you just have to look at the mess. That's how I feel about the e-trade baby when he spits up. I want to see it, but then I wish I didn't.

Here's some out-takes:

Sphere: Related Content

Food Fight

Brandweek reports:

Domino's Burns Subway

Jan 22, 2009

-By Kenneth Hein

The battle between Subway and Domino's Pizza over baked sandwich superiority just got hotter. After receiving a cease-and-desist letter telling the No. 2 pizza outfit to stop airing its new campaign, Domino's president David Brandon set fire to the document on national TV last night (Jan. 21).

The ad, which was produced less than a week ago and ran on Fox's American Idol, is the latest messaging trumpeting the fact that consumers preferred Domino’s new oven baked sandwiches over Subway's by a margin of two-to-one. The results were part of an independent taste test conducted on Domino's behalf.

The letter arrived from Subway earlier this month. Upon receiving it Brandon challenged his marketing team and lead agency Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami, to come up with a plan to leverage it. "I said ‘listen this is a bit if a swipe at us, suggesting there is an integrity issue around the test we did and how we did. I don’t like it,'" Brandon told Brandweek. "It made us want to scream even louder about our two-to-one taste claim results. When they asked me to be in the ad, I had to be a team player.”" Domino's plans to continue running the ad for awhile.

Brandon brushed off the letter because in order to get approval for the campaign, Domino’s had to have the claims reviewed by lawyers as well as the networks. "The requirements are significant and we passed all of them."

Prior to the launch of this new attack ad, Jeff Moody, CEO of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Trust, told Brandweek: "We don't think the test was legitimate and therefore the results are very misleading. The networks would not know enough about the operations of the companies to easily see through the flaws in the research. Therefore, as long as there was a big enough sample they would approve the ads even though they are false."

Moody’s four specific issues were:
1. "They did the comparison against three sandwiches and have written the ads to suggest that the results are relevant across the whole product line."
2. "They did not compare the Domino's Philly Cheese Steak sandwich to Subway's Philly Cheese Steak (which we have as a national product) but rather to our Steak and Cheese. Philly Cheesesteak uses a shaved beef product which is completely different than our Steak and Cheese product so their comparison is invalid."
3. "Subway's whole positioning is that we make customized sandwiches, right before your eyes, with your choice of bread, meats, cheeses, vegetables and sauces. We believe that they made every Subway sandwich the same and based the build on our pictures which include all the veggies. The majority of consumers don't add all the veggies."
4. "The production and consumption conditions weren't reflective of the real world and were biased against Subway. Our subs are cooked one at a time and consumers usually eat them right away in the restaurant, or take them across the street to their office." If the subs were served cold they obviously weren’t as good.

"[Subway is a] big company that is very good at what they do, but we are very proud of our baked sandwich product line. We have every right to shout it from the rooftops," said Brandon. "They tried to get to pizza business which is a direct assault on pizza category. We didn’t whine about it. They had every right to do a taste claim which wouldn’t have worked very well."

Domino’s spent $135 million on U.S. media for the first 11 months of last year compared to the $412 million Subway spent (excluding online expenditures), per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Sphere: Related Content

New Ideas

From Springwise.com:

It's time for your weekly fix of entrepreneurial ideas! Our latest issue is now online. Here's
a quick run-down of the promising new businesses Springwise featured this week:

Pop-up learning tool teaches in tiny bites
Education / Life hack

"Divide and conquer" is a strategy that can be just as successful for
tackling a task as it is for gaining power. Popling is applying this to
learning, with pop-ups that work like flashcards.

Job contest spotlights Great Barrier Reef Islands
Marketing & advertising / Tourism & travel

Tourist destinations are no strangers to marketing, but many could
take a lesson from Australia's Tourism Queensland, which launched a
clever viral promotion seeking applicants for the best job in the world.

Meal-planning site helps friends care for friends
Life hacks / Food & beverage

Anyone who's ever had a baby or undergone surgery knows all too well
how challenging it can be in the days following simply to prepare a meal.
MealBaby helps friends coordinate food runs.

Kits help patients fight off hospital germs
Life hacks

Although hospital superbugs may be infamous, we hadn’t yet seen a
branded, integral B2C approach to their prevention. PatientPak is a kit
containing hygiene items for those planning a hospital visit.

A community-written screenplay
Entertainment

The crowds are writing the scenes for a screenplay about "an awkward
teenager caught up in a dangerous conspiracy." Anyone is open to
submit a 10-page portion of the script.

Subway launches food ordering via SMS
Food & beverage / Telecom & mobile

We've written about GoMobo and its service enabling food ordering via
text message. Always happy to see a good idea spread, we were
pleased to note that GoMobo signed on sandwich chain Subway.

Newspaper jacket keeps homeless people warm
Non-profit / Social cause / Marketing & advertising

Aiming to make things a fraction easier for homeless people,
Canadian ad agency TAXI developed the 15 Below Jacket, a garment
that owes its insulating properties to old newspapers.

Entertainment mapping tool uses compass and GPS
Telecom & mobile / Lifestyle & leisure

Lastminute.com's nru phone application is designed to give users of
the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 a narrowly focused and compass-
aided view of things to do around them.

Recreating the club experience online
Entertainment / Media & publishig

Offering an experience that's as close as possible to the real thing,
Be At TV features full-on video coverage of some of the world's hottest
clubbing events.

An online music store of one's own
Entertainment / Retail

At People's Music Store, music fans can set up their own online store-
fronts for recommending and selling their favourite music. Labels
include Warp Records, Ninja Tune and Domino Records.

Parking operator launches car-sharing service
Automotive / Transportation

We've featured car-sharing venture ZipCar on several occasions. One
of the leading parking operators in New York City has launched its own,
competing car-sharing service for residents of the Big Apple.

Inflatable movie screens for remote areas of Africa
Non-profit / Social cause

Pop-up cinema is something we've been seeing for a few years, but
typically only in areas with the infrastructure to support large screens.
A new effort uses inflatable screens to bring film to remote areas in Africa.

Caffeine test strips reveal the truth about that cup of joe
Food & beverage / Life hacks

Thanks to a new innovation much like a home pregnancy test, decaf
drinkers can now test for themselves whether they're getting more than
they ordered.

Narrate-your-own storybook videos
Media & publishing

Kids can already publish their own stories in book form, and soon they'll be
able to record their own voices narrating classic stories, fairy tales, nursery
rhymes and lullabies with accompanying video and music.

Online gallery sells exclusivity & limited editions
Style & design / Retail

It's not unusual for an art gallery to sell rare or limited edition pieces,
but a new, online gallery is banking on exclusivity to set it apart by
offering a single, limited-edition creation from each of a handful of artists.

Sphere: Related Content

3 Choices, Pick One

Barry Labov summarized what I've been telling folks recently.

From Order-Taking to Order-Making

Companies are taking one of three responses to the current economy:
1) Lay-low
2) Business as usual
3) Order-Making

1) Lay-Low: There are plenty of companies that have given up and are in survival mode. They awkwardly smile when you ask how their business is. They've thrown in the towel and in hibernation, hoping to wake up to a better world in a few months.

2) Business as Usual: Other companies are moving along as if things are the same as ever. Those companies are the ones that all of a sudden will realize they're in denial and cut a third of their workforce all at once.

3) Order-Making: These are the opportunistic companies that respond to the recession for what it is making sure they have the right size workforce and operations while focusing on opportunities. These companies are in a positive cash position and have a huge advantage over their competition.

Big ideas and strong companies have been born in recessions and depressions--all from people that had the courageous and passion to fight the temptation to be in denial or in hiding.



The number ones, I don't want to waste my time with. I'll talk to them once or twice, and then they can contact me if they want some help with their going out of business liquidation sale.

Number twos...These fence sitters better move forward and become a number three, or they will suffer the same fate, (or worse) than number ones. (Worse because they have racked up too much "stupid" debt.)

Number threes. I have discovered that just because you want to move forward, unless you understand how to advertise and market yourselves, you could be in trouble too. But at least you want to survive and thrive. Contact me if you need help. Scott@ScLoHo.net

Sphere: Related Content

Nick Nacks have Value

Take a look at this from MarketingCharts.com (Click on the charts to make them BIGGER).

Promotional Giveaways Better than Traditional Media Ads

Advertising specialties - also known as promotional products - that are imprinted with corporate logos or messages, are more cost effective per ad impression than magazine, TV and radio ads, according to a research study conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI).

The study revealed that the average cost of an advertising specialty item is $0.004, making it less expensive per impression than nearly any other media. These findings are based on comparative data from Nielsen Media that shows the CPI for a national magazine ad is $0.033; a newspaper ad is $0.0129; a prime time TV ad is $0.019; a cable TV ad is $0.007; a syndicated TV ad is $0.006; and a spot radio ad is $0.005.

Moreover, an overwhelming majority (84%) of respondents say they remember the advertiser on a product they receive, and 42% have a more favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving an advertising specialty, ASI said.

Additional survey findings:

• Nearly one quarter, or 24%, indicate that they are more likely to do business with an advertiser on items they receive.
• Most respondents (62%) have done business with the advertiser on a product after receiving it.
• Writing instruments are the most commonly-owned advertising specialty, with 54% of respondents owning them, followed by shirts, caps and bags.

• The majority (81%) of promotional products were kept because they were considered useful.

• More than three-quarters of respondents have had their items for about seven months.
• Among wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently, with respondents indicating that they use their bags on average nine times per month.
• Among promotional items, bags deliver the most impressions, with 1,038 impressions per month on average.

According to ASI, these statistics conclude that marketers get a more favorable return on investment from advertising specialties than almost any other popular media, with a very low cost-per-impression, high recall among those who receive ad specialty items, and increased intent among recipients to make purchases from the advertiser.

“During a time when we’re facing turbulent economic conditions, this research advises marketers and business owners to invest in advertising specialties now more than ever,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and CEO of the Advertising Specialty Institute. “Advertising specialties provide measurable results for a very reasonable investment.”

Advertising specialties, are most often used as an incentive, a gift or as part of an advertising campaign. The industry comprises a 13% share of the advertising marketplace, with $19.6 billion in sales for 2007.

About the study: The Advertising Specialties Impressions Study (pdf) was completed by a team of interviewers who surveyed travelers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Respondents were asked if they had received any advertising specialties in the last 12 months. The majority of respondents were businesspeople over age 21.

Sphere: Related Content

How to Stop Banging your Head Against a Brickwall

From Art Sobczak:

How to Ensure You Never Hear
"I Don't Need That"

Greetings!

I saw that just yesterday, real estate company
Century 21 decided to quit producing and running
TV ads. They were usually entertaining, and
I'll miss them.

One of my favorites was a humorous piece that
illustrated a great a great sales point.

A real estate agent is showing a couple a house.

He pulls in a driveway of one that looks exactly
like the 20 others on the block and says "How
about this one?"

The wife says, "We said no ranches."

He backs out of the driveway and pulls into one
directly across the street. "This is more of a
Colonial-inspired ranch."

"No ranches," they respond in unison.

So he then drives them across the street again
to another identical house: "Well, this is a
Tudor-inspired ranch."

"NO!" the husband shrieks.

At that point the narrator comes on and states
"Century 21's Pledge Point #13: Century 21 agents
will show only the houses you want to see."

Wow, what a novel concept, I say with my tongue
firmly planted in cheek.

Why in the world wouldn't that be the first thing
that all new agents hear?

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to sales training.
Our first point: show only homes that people want to
see. Thank you and go get 'em."

Matter of fact, it should be one of the first things ANY
new sales reps hears: talk only about what prospects
or customers are interested in.

There you go. Follow that point.

Live it.

Make it an ironclad rule.

It will reduce or eliminate objections.

Matter of fact, one thing you should never hear is
"We don't need that."

Here are specific action items to help you avoid
hearing the "We don't need it" objection.

Have a "Needs" Mindset
Never begin a call, or the planning of a call, from a
product/service presentation perspective. Such as "I'm
going to call today to present our new product line to
customers."

Instead, adopt the mindset of "What needs, problems,
and desires must my customers be aware of in order
for our new product line to be of value?"

Take your product/service benefits and results and
define what needs or problems must exist before
the benefits truly would be of value. Then create
questions you'll ask. For example, a sorter/collator
attachment for the prospect's copy machine would
only be of value if,

1) they don't have one already;

2) they have-or anticipate-copy jobs that require
sorting and collating; and,

3) they're doing it manually and it's taking the time
of a person who could be doing something else, or
they want to prevent that from occurring.

Embellish their Needs and Problems
The hungrier someone is, the better that scrumptious
dish sounds, and the more desirous they become.

You enhance their hunger with your questions so
that when they hear your presentation, they're listening
from an open, receptive, salivating state of mind.

This is the key to helping them want to buy instead of
selling them.

Using the sorting and collating attachment example
mentioned above, taking point 3, where the company
had a person performing the tasks manually,
embellishment questions would include,

"How much time are they spending?"

"What does that cost in terms of labor?"

"What other things could they be doing?"

Recommend AFTER Questioning
Only present after you've identified their needs,
problems, and potential gains they desire. Make this
an unbendable rule! It's here that you ensure you
won't hear the "Don't need it" objection.

Get Information Before You Give It
I define a "pushy" salesperson as one who presents
something a person doesn't want or need. Asking the
questions first eliminates that possibility.

Know When to Leave
In some cases you'll come up empty in the needs
department. In that case, don't hesitate letting go
without a time-wasting presentation that would only
create objections. You might, however, want to ask
one more catch-all question to drag your net through
the sea to catch anything you might have missed:

"Joe I'm not sure if what I have would be of any value
to you. Could you see any possible circumstances
changing where you would be expanding your assembly
line?"

Again, a simple concept: talk about only what they
have interest in. It's the difference between "pitching,"
and giving someone what they want.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Optimists are right. So are pessimists. It's up to you
to choose which you will be."
Harvey Mackay

Go and have your best week ever!

Art

Contact: Art Sobczak, President, Business By Phone Inc. 13254 Stevens St.,
Omaha, NE 68137, (402) 895-9399. Or, email:arts@businessbyphone.com

Sphere: Related Content

Thursday Night Marketing News

From Mediapost:

Beverages

Coke Joins Pepsi In Move To Slow Soda Decline

by Aaron Baar

"These two brands are so big relative to the rest of their companies' portfolios that if they don't do better than they've been doing, getting the strong beverage growth is going to be difficult," Sicher says. "These efforts by Coke and Pepsi won't return these brands to growth anytime soon, but could begin decreasing the rate of decline and maybe even get them back to break-even in terms of volume." ... Read the whole story > >

Automotive

Audi Speeds Through Decades In New Campaign

by Karl Greenberg

"The story we are telling America is that with all of our innovations and technology, Audi is both today and the future, so there is, in our minds, a little social commentary," says CMO Scott Keogh. "We think cars and brands have their decades and moments, and they get cemented there a little. We want to be associated with the future and to where luxury is heading." ... Read the whole story > >

Tourism

Big Apple Bumps Spend To Lure More Visitors

by Karl Greenberg

About 47 million people visited the city last year, including nearly 10 million from overseas. Tourism brings in $28 billion per year to the city and supports 350,000 jobs. The city is expanding its tourism bureaus in 18 cities worldwide, including the U.S., and sales offices on the West Coast. There will also be a marketing campaign touting a new Web site and the city itself. Tag: "Ask New York City About New York City." ... Read the whole story > >

Research

Economy Makes Consumer Behavior Erratic

by Karlene Lukovitz

If marketers and retailers are feeling at loose ends about how to adapt to consumer behavior, there's very good reason. Consumer attitudes are shifting noticeably within short time frames, heavily influenced by key events such as the financial meltdown of early October and the presidential election, confirms week-by-week data now being released in reports by Experian Simmons. ... Read the whole story > >

Financial Services

Study: Banks Cut Direct Mail By 25% In 2008

by Les Luchter

"Faced by the unprecedented challenges of a weak housing market, the credit crunch, a global recession and declining consumer confidence, financial institutions cut back on direct marketing," declares Stephen Clifford, Mintel Comperemedia's vice president of financial services. ... Read the whole story > >

Retail

Coach, Burberry Join List Of Limping Brands

by Sarah Mahoney

While Coach boasts that "we stood virtually alone among retailers in maintaining our long-standing practice of not discounting in our retail stores," it says third-quarter offerings will "increase our selection of product across a variety of price points, offering exceptional value to a consumer who is clearly more reluctant to spend." ... Read the whole story > >

Kelley Blue Book Offers Weekly Deals

Craftsman Is DIY Network's Official Tools

Best Buy Promotes Dunn To CEO

Stella Artois Bows Film Program With Actor

Sphere: Related Content

Raise $$ for your Non-profit w/Facebook

I work with 3 non-profits:

I am on the Board of Directors for the Advertising Federation of Fort Wayne and serve as the V-P of communication.

I am on the marketing committee of the Anthony Wayne Area Council of the Boy Scouts.

I also am a former V-P of The Fort Wayne Central Lions Club and currently assist with Public Relations/Marketing for their annual Golf Tourney.

And I've advised a few others over the years. Social Media along with some of the free services offered by companies such as Google have the ability to increase awareness and funding for whatever non-profit you have a heart for.

Take a look at this from Drew:

The Marketing Minute

Hey non-profits, is Facebook your next fundraiser?

Posted: 21 Jan 2009 06:54 AM CST

If you've been on Facebook for any length of time, you know that causes run rampant there. You can join non-profit pages, you can play games that benefit non-profits, you can declare your allegiance to a cause. You name it, you can probably do it.

Most non-profits, if they're there at all, are stumbling around, trying to figure out how to best use the space. But some have really got it figured out.

Over 6 million Facebook users send each other virtual plants/flowers for their (lil) green patch. And they're told that every time they do, they're saving bits of the Rain Forest. But what does that really mean?

How about over $109,000?

That's how much The Nature Conservancy has earned from people passing pansies. (Say that 5 times fast!). And they didn't even develop the actual application.

Toby Bloomberg has an eye-opening interview with the Digital Membership Manager of The Nature Conservancy that should be must reading for non-profits looking for a fresh fund-raising idea.

If you're a non-profit or involved with helping one -- how are you using Facebook to date? How COULD you be using it?

Sphere: Related Content

Starbucks & Coke

A couple of stories from AdAge in my email today:

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Starbucks' campaign to promote volunteerism (and store traffic) got a huge bump today from no less than Oprah Winfrey -- and by extension, Barack Obama.

Starbucks' 'I'm In' spot is set to air on CNN, and CNN Headline News, as well as a variety of NBC platforms.

The talk-show host talked up the java giant's "I'm In" campaign, which encourages consumers to pledge five hours of community service before the end of the year. Those who commit to doing so at Starbucks between now and Sunday will be rewarded with a free coffee. READ THE REST



NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After less than three years, Coca-Cola is bidding adieu to the "Coke side of life."

Key marketing executives traveled to New York to unveil the campaign's successor, "Open happiness," which is rolling out across a variety of media this week. The first TV spot, "Two Guys," is set to break tonight during "American Idol."

Coke's 'Two Guys' spot is the marketer's first in its 'Open happiness' campaign.

Additional spots will roll out during next week's "American Idol," the Super Bowl and Academy Awards in the U.S. The campaign will touch some 200 markets globally, with rollouts staged throughout the first half of the year. "Open happiness" will encompass TV, outdoor, print and digital advertising, as well as point-of-sale materials.

The new campaign has both a high-minded purpose -- remind consumers of simple pleasures -- and a more practical one. Executives said "Coke side of life" proved difficult to translate across global markets and didn't provide a clear call to action. They expect "Open happiness" to remedy that.

"[We're] evolving our 'Coke side of life' communications campaign by including a stronger call to action in the tagline and also including a tighter overall strategic framework for the campaign," said Joe Tripodi, chief marketing and commercial officer. READ THE REST

Sphere: Related Content

New Ad Campaigns

Amy at Mediapost writes this each week:

Whopper Virgins gets spoofed. Even Presidents slurp their chowder. Let's launch!

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office launched its latest edition of viral Webisodes starring Groundhog and Shadow, in anticipation of Groundhog Day. I'm over winter already, but I have a feeling it's just the beginning. This year's campaign, called "Groundhog Dreams," begins with Groundhog getting hit by a truck. As Groundhog recovers, he vividly dreams while lying in a comatose state. He's haunted by his shadow, which is out for blood. The most important thing I learned is that groundhogs, like many humans, have the realistic "falling" dream. The videos can be found at Groundhogdreams.com, with three additional dreams set to launch before Feb. 2. The site also allows visitors to vote on Groundhog's chances of survival and read dream interpretations. And he has a Facebook page. The funniest part of the campaign comes in commemorative dinner plate form. That's right, Groundhog, with Shadow in the background, has his own plate... for sale on eBay. Red Tettemer created the campaign.

What's the difference between the Olympics and Special Olympics? Very little, according to three ads supporting the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, taking place Feb. 7-13 in Boise, Idaho. The campaign hopes to raise money, increase attendance and show that both the Olympics and the Special Olympics feature serious, competitive athletes. Print ads show a slalom course, an ice rink and a finish line from an Olympic course and a Special Olympic course. The difference? Nothing. "Support great athletes" read the ads, seen here, here and here. TDA Advertising & Design created the campaign and media buying was handled in-house.

Pepsi launched the second phase of its "Wordplay" campaign, focusing on the inauguration and positive vibes. The initial ad, seen here, featured lots of words with Os in them, for how else could the Pepsi logo fit in? It also contains a catchy tune of "yes we can yes we can can." The latest TV ad, " Pass," shows how Pepsi's logo changes generation to generation, but the drink remains a constant -- drunk by flappers, hippies and break-dancers. See the ad here. Outdoor ads, seen here, here, here and here, feature the Pepsi logo inside words such as "hooray," "yo" and "joy." Ads drive visitors to RefreshEverything.com, where consumers are encouraged to upload a video stating what they would say to the President, regardless of whom they voted for. TBWA/Chiat/Day created the campaign and OMD handled the media buy.

You know you've made a serious dent in pop culture when "Saturday Night Live" spoofs you. Congratulations, Whopper Virgins. Neil Patrick Harris plays a spokesman for Burger King who asks residents from Budesti, Romania who've never tasted a Whopper or Big Mac, which one they prefer. One man refuses to eat either one, preferring to bring them back to his village and feed residents for one month. A woman, speaking through a translator, tells the spokesman that she is not a virgin -- and another man cannot believe his good luck, getting food AND drink. Food is thrown, played with and people freak out. Wait; didn't Burger King already have a Whopper Freakout? See the spoof here, edited by Crew Cuts and directed by Jim Signorelli.

Legal Sea Foods launched a great ad yesterday touting the fact that its New England Clam Chowder has been served at every presidential inauguration since 1981. The 30-second TV spot chronicles how each of the past presidents during that time ate Legal's New England Clam Chowder. With the White House in the background, the names of former presidents appear, each with their own distinct slurping sound. Watch the ad here. DeVito/Verdi created the campaign and handled the media buy.

Skittles launched a new TV spot this month called "Tailor," that does not suit me. "Pinata," I enjoyed. The latest effort, not so much. A tailor fits a man in front of three full-sized, attached mirrors. The reflections in each mirror comes from a man of different ethnicity than the consumer, who mimics his moves perfectly, until one reflection starts eating a bag of Skittles. "Wait, I'm not eating Skittles," says the customer. The tailor then yells at the reflection in Thai, who eventually kicks and shatters the mirror. "Reflect the rainbow, taste the rainbow" concludes the ad, seen here. TBWA/Chiat/Day New York created the ad and Mediavest handled the media buy.

The Recording Academy launched a TV, print, online and outdoor campaign promoting the GRAMMY Awards, airing Feb. 8. "Celebrate The Music That Makes Us" creates musicians' portraits using song titles that influenced them. In a TV ad, seen here, Stevie Wonder describes the music genres that influenced him, while song titles, such as "Respect," "Georgia on my Mind," "Mrs. Robinson" and "Beat It," float past. The spot ends with a picture of Wonder, crafted from words. I loved rewatching the spot to see what songs of the past inspired Wonder. Print ads, seen here, here and here, feature Rihanna, Coldplay and Kanye West formed from influential songs. Rihanna loves her some Whitney Houston. TBWA/Chiat/Day created the campaign and Initiative handled the media buy.

Peugeot 207CC launched a print campaign in Greater China that positions the car as a must-have accessory for thirty-something men and women. "Be Magnetised" features trendy cookie-cutter men and women who are drawn to the stylish car. See the ads here and here. A Web site uses a city skyline as the backdrop for both the car and the models. Consumers can watch videos of the car and register to receive additional information. Spark Communications created the campaign and DMG handled the media buy.

The Acura RDX is ready for anything a city has to offer. "Wall Art" combines stop-frame animation and street art and follows a man as he leaves his house, maneuvers though traffic and arrives at a restaurant. See the ad here and the making of the commercial, which is impressive, here. RPA created the campaign and handled the media buy.

Amy Corr is managing editor, online newsletters for MediaPost. She can be reached at amyc@mediapost.com.

Sphere: Related Content