Saturday, October 09, 2010

Classic Ad of the Week

Kind of ironic to post this one tonight as my son is getting married tomorrow!

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Hodge Podge

From Drew:

Did you miss these?

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 11:53 AM PDT

Drew_McLellan_servingtray I get so much smarter just by reading what others have to share. But I always worry that I missed something big. You too? Just in case you missed any of these...I wanted to serve up some of my favorites:

Content Marketing: Marketing Profs and Junta42 partnered up to research some content marketing trends, benchmarks and budgets. Enjoy the double whammy of smart from these two organizations by downloading their research report.

Mobile Marketing: Over at the MENG Blend blog, I ask the question -- should your business be considering a mobile app. Check out the real world small business examples before you dismiss this question with a "only the big boys play in that arena" thought.

Blogging 101: Mike Sansone, the man who taught me just about everything I know about blogging, has begun a series he calls 0-60. It will guide you day by day to building a blog that is full of relevance, heart and potential. Grab day one and start following along.

Creative Leadership: Robyn McMaster points out that there aren't too many people who celebrate TGIM (Thank God it's Monday) each week. Her brain-based insights offer some suggestions on how to make your work environment TGIM worthy.

A Better Question: One of the things that makes Liz Strauss so incredible is her ability to ask questions that cut the the heart of things. In her recent post, she tells a story and asks "who will find you irresistible?" Read it...and discover your answer.

I hope you find some a-ha moments in these nuggets -- I know I sure did.

~ Drew

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No Wasted Words

from my email:

Daily Sales Tip: Make Every Conversation Count

Clients and prospects should be impressed with your preparation for every sales call. When you demonstrate that you've done your homework it becomes easier to have an open and honest dialogue with you. When the economy slows down, people get nervous. They don't want to waste time meeting with sales reps unless they see some potential value.

The "smile-n-dial" mentality of simply pounding on more doors with the same pitch may produce extra appointments. But it also creates the fear that you're going to sell them something that they don't need.

Open your next client conversation with this simple phrase: "In preparing for this meeting I took some time to&" Then simply highlight the two or three critical things that you did to prepare and watch what happens to the atmosphere of the call. You will blow away the last rep that opened their meeting by announcing that they were just "checking in" to see if anything new was going on.

The goal is to stop "educating" your customers. They don't care unless they are engaged. Talking about your company, your products and your reputation will not engage customers. Talk about them, ask about them, provide ideas for them and communicate in terms of them.

Who are you talking about -- you or them?

Source: Sales trainer/consultant Tim Wackel

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Friday, October 08, 2010

Friday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

After this posting, there will be 6 more this weekend while I'm out of town for my son's wedding.

Enjoy your weekend as I know we will...

Automotive
by Tanya Irwin
The automaker will be scouting the filming of Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl in New York City Oct. 15 and will select five puppies to star in the spot, which will be shot the same day. The spot will air nationwide just before the Super Bowl, according to sources close to the process. ...Read the whole story >>
Retail
by Sarah Mahoney
On the whole, experts are expecting gains for the holidays, but extremely modest ones. "The results suggest that outside of healthy back-to-school spending, shoppers otherwise continue to moderate their spending from a surge in the spring," Kantar says in its release. "This moderation should continue into the holidays." ...Read the whole story >>
Restaurants
by Karlene Lukovitz
The advertising campaign, spanning television, radio, print and online, will include a Carl's/Hardee's TV commercial featuring Rogen and Jay Chou, who plays Kato in the film. That spot, directed by Phil Joanou and co-created by Rogen and Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising, will air during December. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
Gregory Adams tells Marketing Daily the microsite will be the baseline for the test drive event. "We want to drive everyone there," he says, adding that the new web site will change on Oct. 15. According to Adams, the initial raft of TV and print ads will also drive traffic to the microsite to get people to sign up for the virtual test drive. ...Read the whole story >>
Sports
by Karl Greenberg
The National Hockey League is hoping to attract younger consumers to become fans of its franchise via a deal with none other than Stan Lee, godfather of comic book super heroes. The league has partnered with Lee's SLG Entertainment to form Guardian Media Entertainment, which will be the platform for "The Guardian Project," a league of 30 super heroes called Guardians. ...Read the whole story >>

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Halloween Shopping


I've lost track how many Halloween themed advertisers we have on one of my radio stations, everything from the zoo to a Haunted Castle are on our airwaves this month. Check this out:

Retailers Go With Discounts for Halloween

For Halloween, what are consumers telling Madison Avenue they consider creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, and altogether ooky? High prices.

This Halloween is the third in a row for which marketers and retailers are playing up discounts, deals and bargains rather than goblins, ghosts and vampires. With the economy continuing to bewitch, bother and bewilder shoppers, the goal is to encourage purchases even if they take place at sale prices reminiscent of post-Halloween clearances.

For instance, a circular for the Michaels chain of craft stores promises "monstrous savings" and "spooktacular buys on Halloween décor," including prices that are 25 to 40 percent off.

The Ultimate Halloween catalog from the Party City retail chain offers up to 50 percent off on costumes like piglets, cyborg aliens, punk creeps and Wednesday Addams. "Nobody has more Halloween for less," the cover proclaims.

Amazon.com sent e-mails to customers that also offered up to 50 percent off on Halloween costumes, along with free shipping.

And ads for Target, introducing a line of Halloween costumes by Simon Doonan of Barneys New York, tell customers they can "look drop-dead gorgeous" at "a wicked va-va-value."

The price-conscious pitches for Halloween reflect that "everything is about price now, everything," said Candace Corlett, president at WSL Strategic Retail, a consultancy in New York.

"Halloween is one of those holidays we went way overboard for" during the boom years, she added, which has turned it into "a symbol of excess."

"Now, we’re going back to Halloweens more like the 1980s, when it was a fun holiday but not a big-spending holiday," Ms. Corlett said.

Fortunately for consumers, she added, "Halloween is a holiday you can get by without spending a lot."

The Six Flags amusement parks are taking $10 or $20 off the admission prices for their annual Fright Fest events in various markets for customers who bring cans of Coca-Cola when they buy tickets.

"Additionally, we've got a very aggressive season pass offer this year," Brett Petit, senior vice president for marketing at Six Flags in New York, wrote in an e-mail. For example, patrons who buy passes for 2011 now will receive free admissions for the rest of this year, including Fright Fest.

Six Flags has signed the Snickers line of candy bars sold by Mars to be the presenting sponsor of Fright Fest. That is not the only effort Mars is making to stimulate sales for Halloween.

In addition to running television commercials and print advertisements with Halloween themes for M&Ms, which Mars has done for many years, the company is also, for the first time, using Halloween themes to hawk two other candy brands, Snickers and Milky Way.

Candy sales have been increasingly lately, said Debra A. Sandler, chief consumer officer for the Mars Chocolate North America unit of Mars in Hackettstown, N.J., and "some of it is driven by the fact we remain an economical treat, something you can do for yourself that’s affordable."

"We see there’s still growth for our products," she added, which explains the addition of the "Halloween-specific advertising" for Milky Way and Snickers.

In the commercial for Milky Way, grown-up trick-or-treaters are greeted at a door by a skeptical girl. Challenged about their age, one adult explains that he had a "growth spurt." An announcer ends the spot by saying, "You’re never too old for smooth Milky Way caramel," and the words "Halloween's better the Milky Way" appear on screen.

In the commercial for Snickers, a shopper in the candy aisle of a supermarket is greeted by a masked stranger.

"Hellooooooooo, Mrs. Jensen, you don't have any Snickers in your shopping cart," the stranger says in an odd voice, adding: "The neighborhood kids love Snickers at Halloween. Let me help you."

The stranger tosses so many bags of Snickers into the cart that the shopper, rattled, runs off. The stranger, it turns out, is actually two children, one atop the other, hidden under an oversize coat.

"This Halloween," an announcer says, "nothing satisfies like Snickers."

The campaigns for the three candies are by BBDO New York, part of the BBDO North America unit of BBDO Worldwide, which is owned by the Omnicom Group.

Another big marketer, General Mills, is dressing up its three so-called monster cereals -- Boo Berry, Count Chocula and Franken Berry — in new boxes and putting them on sale at Target stores from Sept. 26 through Oct. 31 at a suggested price of $2.50 each -- well below what cereals often cost these days.

The reduced pricing is "because we wanted to make sure everyone can get in the spook-tacular fun of the season," Susanne Prucha, marketing manager for the monster cereals at General Mills in Golden Valley, Minn., wrote in an e-mail.

Beginning this year, the three cereals will be sold only for a limited time leading up to Halloween, Ms. Prucha said.

"Historically, October accounted for half of all monster cereal sales throughout the year," she added, "so we wanted to focus our efforts on this pre-Halloween period that is so important to the monster cereals consumer."

In another sign of the impact of the economy on Halloween, the selling season began early in many cities, a week before Labor Day weekend.

"The idea is to make sure to find people when they feel they have a little money to spend," Ms. Corlett said, regardless of what the calendar says.

There is another potential benefit for sellers that peddle Halloween products so early, she added: "If it's candy, guess what? It gets eaten before Halloween" and has to be replenished for the holiday.

(Source: The New York Times, 10/05/10)

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Wake-Up Call


from Seth Godin:

Next!

The assembly-line mindset is a natural defense mechanism for the work we're asked to do all day.

One more form to fill out. Six more articles to write. Yet another soundcheck for yet another band playing at the venue where you work. You know there were hundreds before, there's one now, and there will be another soon, perhaps in just a few minutes.

So you sit down to remaster a classic album and you can't help but phone it in. There's another around the corner. You sit down to write another blog post and perhaps you cut yourself a little slack, because another one is due soon. This sales call? Don't worry so much, the call list is endless...

Next!

You might have already guessed the problems (there are at least two.) The first is that this is no way to do your work, your art, your chosen craft. Averaging the work down, achieving the least, getting it done--that's no way to spend your day. You deserve more than that.

The other problem is that you have competition. And for them, perhaps even this time, it's not just another in a long line of tasks. It's the one. The one that matters. The competition will bring more to the table than you do, and you suffer.

Perhaps the alternative is instead of thinking, "next!", we can think, "last!"

This might be the last time I get to do this.

If I do it that way, it increases the chances that it won't.

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Thursday, October 07, 2010

Thursday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

Click and Read, you know the drill:

Restaurants
by Karlene Lukovitz
Subway's latest marketing efforts, tied into the ING New York City Marathon, feature longtime Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle in a new context: Inspiring amateur athlete, via Fogle's participation in this year's race. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
Sparks are flying as several automakers are trying to generate interest in electric cars via deals with municipalities. Automakers including Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan are also launching consumer test runs. ...Read the whole story >>
Technology
by Aaron Baar
For nearly 75 years, Polaroid has asserted itself as an enabler of creativity (even if that creativity was simply capturing moments as they happened in the pre-digital age). The company is launching an online initiative to continue fostering that creativity via a new marketing platform, "Made In Polaroid." ...Read the whole story >>
Retail
by Karl Greenberg
Premium kitchen major appliance brand Thermador is in the midst of the largest marketing campaign in its history. The campaign will gear up this quarter and expand further next year with national print, outdoor, retail and digital/online advertising, and perhaps TV. ...Read the whole story >>
Entertainment
by Erik Sass
Satellite radio is facing growing competition from Internet radio and other kinds of digital audio, including MP3 players and iPods. However, Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin unveiled plans for a number of new initiatives to expand satellite radio's reach and appeal. ...Read the whole story >>

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New Ad Campaigns

Our weekly update from Amy:

Parenting is a joyride. Matador trades his cape for luggage. Hockey season. Let's launch!


Another season of baseball has come to an end. My Mets, once again, stink, leaving me searching for someone to root for during the post-season. Thankfully, the National Hockey League launched an ad campaign this week, allowing me to educate myself about the sport, its players and upcoming season. The "Five Questions Will Become Answers" campaign launched Friday on NHL Network. Players practice rigorous off-ice training exercises while two sports analysts provide running commentary. Every ad poses a question that can only be answered on the ice. Montreal Canadiens player Mike Cammalleri is shown flipping a huge tire, similar to those seen on "World's Strongest Man" as commentators ask, "did the Canadiens just get hot at the right time, or are they really that good?" See it here. Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is a determined man. Just look in his eyes as he snaps two tabata ropes while commentators wonder if his team can handle the playoffs. Watch it here. Sidney Crosby of the Penguins throws a heavy medicine ball while balancing on a piece of wood atop a moving metal pipe. See it here. Analysts wonder if Buffalo is a Stanley Cup contender while goalie Ryan Miller rapidly bounces tennis balls off a wall. Watch it here. Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks squats with weight on his shoulders and mind as analysts wonder if his team can win the Stanley Cup a second straight year. See it here. Young & Rubicam created the campaign.

One minute I've never heard of Alex Ovechkin and the next, he's starring in another ad campaign -- this time for Reebok CCM U+ Crazy Light skate. In actuality, it's just his head that appears in the ad. And so close to Halloween -- how appropriate. A kid opens his "Locker" and finds the head of Ovechin on the top shelf, asking if he bought U+ Crazy Light skates. The student obliges, prompting Ovechin to declare "soon the championship will be ours," as he manically laughs, showing a gap where a front tooth once lived. See it here. Cramer-Krasselt Milwaukee created the campaign and Carat handled the media buy.

Nike encourages runners to "run unleashed" in a spot for its LunarGlide+ 2 shoes, airing online and in-store. The feet of eight runners wearing LunarGlide+ 2 shoes are followed closely through an outdoor run. As each CG shoe hits the ground in "Dynamic Support Run Unleashed," different colors of light expel from the soles, illustrating each runner's stride pattern. See the ad here, created by Nike Brand Design Media and Hinge Digital.

Apple Auto Glass ensures drivers are safe following a visit to repair a cracked windshield. The company rates its seriousness about safety alongside those who are obsessed with safety in all aspects of life. A safety-conscious father reads safety manuals on cutting grass, so naturally he gives his daughter a blanket and can of navy beans to store in the car for emergencies. And he gets the crack in his windshield repaired. Watch it here. A germaphobic mother uses a retinal scan to unlock knives, hides cleaning supplies behind paintings and forces her cat to wear a surgical mask. Don't be surprised when she gets her cracked windshield replaced. See it here. JAN Kelley Marketing created the campaign, directed by Matthew Swanson of Sons and Daughters, Toronto.

EA Sports FIFA11 launched "We Are 11," a global two-minute video that celebrates the excitement and competitive spirit experienced while playing the football game by yourself or against additional players. Anywhere from 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 gamers can play the game together. The ad shows footballer Wayne Rooney entering an empty stadium to play a video version of himself. The stadium quickly becomes packed with fans, gamers, and footballers readying for the virtual games of their lives. Regardless of how many gamers are playing, the magic number is 11. Watch the ad here, created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam.

I've always thought of maneuvering through airports with luggage in tow as a workout, but never a bullfight. Samsonite launched a TV ad for its Spinners brand of luggage where a real-life matador trades in his colorful cape for some spinning luggage. Matador Christian Aparicio stares down a bull, puts his luggage handle in the upright position and awaits the beast. Once the bull is near, Aparicio turns his handle, spinning all luggage wheels away from the bull. Victory? Did he make his flight? So many unanswered questions. See the ad here, created by Connelly Partners and produced by Moxie and Superfad.

Parenting is an emotional roller coaster; Huggies transforms parenthood into a carnival in "Love the Joy Ride." A mother rides a roller coaster with her child, who calms her fear of sitting in the front seat. Carnival games include "Cave of Courage," where a dad looks more traumatized than his son, "Up all nighter," "Feed the baby" and "Kissing booth," where parents can snuggle with their babies. Watch the ad here, created by Ogilvy Johannesburg, produced by Stink London and directed by Christian Bevilacqua.

StackMeUp.com is a Web site that allows visitors to privately compare information about themselves with others across the country to determine how they stack up. Users can compare subjects like income ("Am I making enough money for my age?"), real estate values, health, sex statistics, education, athletic performance and IQ ("Are my kids really that smart?"). There is also social community that allows people to connect via shared interests. Looney Advertising created the site.

Random App of the week: AKQA and Fiat created eco:Drive Fleet, a free desktop app that enables fleet managers to help Fiat drivers cut down on fuel consumption, reduce CO2 emissions and save money on fuel costs. Here's how it works: A driver's in-car telemetry data is transferred from a Fiat to a computer via USB stick and Fiat's Blue&Me technology. The app analyzes the driver's acceleration, deceleration, gear changes and speed, awarding a mark out of 100 according to how well they drove. Step-by-step tutorials help drivers improve their score by using information from rides to offer advice on how to improve their driving style.


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

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Stand Up

from my email:

Daily Sales Tip: Don't Be Bullied

Stand up to bullies, even when they're your customers.

Some customers just don't deserve your business; they end up costing you more in time and resources than they give back in business and profits.

If you have customers who are bullies, confront them. If you can't win with the bully because they're their own worst enemy, or because their values are so out of sync with your own, walk away and invest your time on customers who appreciate the value you can bring to them.

Source: Sales trainer/motivational coach Paul Cherry

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Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Wednesday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

Click & Read:

Financial Services
by Nina Lentini
Mark Neirick, VP/GM of prepaid interactive with Amex, told attendees at Tuesday's MediaPost Communications event, "Change: The Digital Transformation Summit," that consumers who were exposed to both general awareness efforts and targeted efforts "responded more highly than those exposed only to one funnel." ...Read the whole story >>
Technology
by Karl Greenberg
Richard Gerstein, HP marketing SVP, sees the future of HP in its ability to make machines and applications that let people connect to the cloud, and to their other devices quickly and efficiently. ...Read the whole story >>
Beverages
by Karlene Lukovitz
Exemplifying both greater focus on multicultural marketing and spirit makers' increasing propensity to create their own television content, Diageo's Smirnoff is launching a brand-produced reality show targeted primarily to African-Americans. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
Honda is launching a month-long social media campaign designed to drive people to its online corporate documentary series, "Dream the Impossible" on Dreams.Honda.com. The program brings bloggers into the mix at Honda's Facebook page and invites public participation in a forum-style setup. ...Read the whole story >>
Entertainment
by Aaron Baar
Steve Nash is known to many as a star basketball player. But apparently, he wants to be known for more. In a new viral campaign for EA Sports, Nash -- point guard for the Phoenix Suns -- demonstrates his desire to become part of EA's Pro Player Challenge, a gaming tournament featuring soccer stars from around the world.

Read the whole story >>

Retail
by Sarah Mahoney
The National Retail Federation is predicting that retail sales will climb 2.3% this holiday season, coming in at $447.1 billion. And while that's a snowflake or two below the 2.5% annual average over the last 10 years, it's a welcome prediction for retailers, still smarting from the last two seasons. ...Read the whole story >>
Retail
by Sarah Mahoney
California's struggling economy has cut into donations to the Salvation Army, so it's launched a new campaign to increase awareness and boost in-kind donations to its thrift stores. Aimed at middle-class families who might feel unable to make a cash donation, ads stress how easy it is to donate goods. ...Read the whole story >>

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The Radio Report


Despite what some folks thing is my "overwhelming presence online", I still work full time in the radio business.

Started on-the-air when I was 16, worked full time on the air from 18 to 25, and then moved into the advertising side in my mid- 20's and returned to it in my early 40's.

I've been with the same group of radio stations in Fort Wayne, Indiana since 2003 on the advertising sales and management side of the business.

Everything else, is because of my passion for marketing, advertising, and the creative process which leads us into the internet including the social media stuff like this blog you are reading right now.

Today my noon update is an insiders look at what is going on in the radio business.

Some Answers to Questions About Radio

Andrew Hampp covers Radio, Cable TV and Out-of-Home advertising for Advertising Age. As part of AdAge's Media Marketing Guide 2010, he addresses some frequently-asked questions about Radio.

Who listens to radio these days, anyway? Doesn't everyone use their iPods and iPhones to hear music?

Believe it or not, radio's audience is still growing, with more than 239 million persons ages 12 or older interacting with the medium at least once a week, according to Arbitron's new RADAR 106 report. That's four million more than radio's weekly audience in 2009, a sign that the oldest broadcast medium is still finding new listeners.

In fact, network radio reaches more than 88% of adults 18 to 34, a 3% increase from the previous year, and more than 93% of African-Americans and 96% of Hispanic persons ages 12 or older. Radio's even a bit affluent -- 96% of college graduates ages 25 to 54 with an annual income of $50,000 or more still listen to radio once a week, while 88% of 18-to-49-year-olds with college degrees and an income of $75,000 or higher tune in each week. As for iPods and iPhones, 1 in 4 Americans connect their iPod to a car stereo, while 27% of the country, or 67 million people, listen to online radio every month, according to Edison Research and Arbitron's 2009 Infinite Dial Report.

OK, but do people still buy ads on radio? Doesn't everyone change the dial during ad breaks anyway?

Radio just experienced its largest quarterly revenue gain since 2000, growing 8% to $4.5 billion in second-quarter 2010, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. The first half of 2010 is now up a combined 6%, the first yearly increases for radio since 2007. Surprisingly, a lot of that growth is driven by national advertisers, who've stayed away from the medium in recent years due to radio's inefficient measurement and buyer-unfriendly planning tools. As leading companies like Clear Channel and CBS Radio continue to integrate sales forces (not to mention bundle buys with outdoor ads for key clients), it's become easier for leading wireless, entertainment, automotive, retail and financial service marketers to place their ads in radio. Plus, people seem to be hearing them -- Arbitron's RADAR 106 report revealed that 190 million persons ages 12 or older heard at least one radio commercial a week. Arbitron's Portable People Meter, introduced in several markets in 2007, finally reached national deployment this past year and has also helped national marketers equate radio to other media on a demographic and average-time-spent basis for the first time.

What about HD Radio? Does anyone listen to that?

Not as much as the radio industry would like you to, but more than you think. Weekly tune-ins vary by market, but the HD audience can be quite high in cities like New York (74.1 share among persons 12 and older), Los Angeles (79.8 share), Chicago (85.9 share) and even St. Louis (84.1 share.) More than 2,000 of the country's 13,000 stations had been converted to HD by August, with more than 1,200 multicast channels. The consumer push to sell costly HD radio players as retail seems to have been shifted to installment deals with automotive manufacturers, with Lincoln, Audi and Kia recently signing up for standard or optional HD radio installations in 2011. Leading HD radio manufacturer iBiquity expects to have 1.2 million devices available in cars, consumer electronics and portable music players by third quarter.

Is online radio a big deal yet?

Online radio has become a solid business in recent months, with SNL Kagan pegging the market to be worth as much as $550 million by year's end. Arbitron and Edison also recently put the weekly online radio audience at 42 million listeners in 2009, up from 33 million in 2008, while ComScore reported that radio was the fastest growing online category during the month of June, with a 34% increase in monthly visitors (48.9 million total.) The growth is thanks in part to developments like Apple's acquisition of Lala; News Corp.'s purchase of iLike.com and Imeem; and the continued growth of leading radio site Pandora, as well as Clear Channel's iHeartRadio and CBS Radio's Last.FM. Yahoo Music and News Corp.'s MySpace Music are also considered big online radio players, while satellite company Sirius XM has made an increased investment in online offerings to paying subscribers. Pandora is still the largest player in the space, recently surpassing the 60 million registered user mark in July due to the continued success of its mobile app as well as its linear ad-supported site.

(Source: Andrew Hampp, in AdAge.com, 09/27/10)

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Which are You?


from Jim Meisenheimer:

Two Types of Salespeople

Actually "There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make
things happen, those who watch things happen and those who are
wondering what happened."

You've probably heard that one before. In fact, there are two
different types of salespeople and they are very easy to spot.

The first type is the improvisor. He seldom prepares, his
preferred style, is to take things as they come. He likes to
be spontaneous. He usually relies on his instinct and counts
on his intuition to carry the day.

His days are fun filled and exciting, because he literally treats
each sales call as an adventure. He's the Indiana Jones of
selling, foot loose and fancy free, whatever that means.

The second type is the professional. He also enjoys his work, for
different reasons. He anticipates everything, especially the
routines and repetitive stuff. He knows the routines which gives
him the opportunity to prepare in advance.

For example, he handles recurring objections. He knows he'll get
them over and over again, so he prepares in advance how he will
deal with them.

He plays with words, until he creates power phrases that work
like magic. Once prepared, he knows that to execute a perfect
delivery, he must practice what he's prepared until he nails it.

He records his power phrases into a digital recorder and plays
them over and over until they are anchored into his subconscious.

His sales calls are different because he treats them as
opportunities not as adventures.

There are two types of salespeople and of course they achieve
two different results.

Each one follows a pattern, one is unstructured and one isn't.

Each can be seen as a formula. One formula gets better selling
results than the other. Here they are:

I + I = I (Instinct + Intuition = Improvisation)

P + P = P (Preparation + Practice = Professionalism)

The secret to achieving consistent selling success is that there
are no shortcuts, no quickies just plain old fashioned hard work.

These are the formulas and you get to choose. One doesn't require
much preparation.

One pays better than the other.

Remember this too, preparation trumps improvisation every day of
the week.

Also remember, your customers can tell the difference between
"Improvisation" and "Preparation."

When you combine preparation with practice you get professionalism
which enables you to meet with a success you never before imagined.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````

Why Not Become A Sales Trailblazer
In Your Industry


Covert your sales shortcomings into selling skills you can use
to dazzle your customers and out-sell all competitors.

http://salestrailblazer.com


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Here's A Resource To Help You
Grow Your Business


When it's all said and done, you still have to close the sale.

Get some good ideas here:

Closing The Sale - Webinar
http://www.meisenheimer.com/products/webinarclosingmoresales.htm

``````````````````````````````````````````````````

Favorite Quotes


If you have a dream, give it a chance to happen.

Richard de Vos


Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you
a failure.

Thomas A. Edison

``````````````````````````````````````````````````

Make everyday a masterpiece . . .

Jim Meisenheimer

22 years . . .

528 customers . . .

72.7% repeat business . . .


P.S. - I'll bet your competitors aren't sales trailblazers
in your industry.

Do what your competition isn't doing - dare to become a
sales trailblazer!

http://salestrailblazer.com

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Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Tuesday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

Click & Read:

onference

by Nina Lentini
MediaPost Communications' "Change: The Digital Transformation Summit" takes place in Boston Oct. 5 and 6. Marketing Daily caught up with the former SVP/marketing of Walmart to talk about what we can expect to hear from the presenters of brand case studies. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
"There's almost this mentality that people who own the three-pointed star are paying for value of the brand," says VP/marketing Steve Cannon. "But [the message is] the premium is really in things like the high-strength steel Mercedes-Benz uses to build their vehicles. We want to debunk the idea that it's just about the brand, the nameplate." ...Read the whole story >>
Food
by Tanya Irwin
The creative focuses on a consumer's relationship with sweeteners, using whimsical tunes and real stores to highlight the choices encountered over the course of the day. It shows what "silly head games" we go through as we make choices about what to eat, says Ann Clark Tucker, Truvia's marketing director. ...Read the whole story >>
Regulation
by Karlene Lukovitz
To discourage federal intervention, leading marketing organizations are preparing to roll out a new system designed to make it easier for consumers to understand and opt out of online data collection used to target behavioral advertising. The system centers on an Advertising Option Icon. ...Read the whole story >>
Technology
by Aaron Baar
"The subject of security is so deadly serious," Intel's Nigel Ballard says of choosing an augmented reality game as the promotional vehicle rather than a more traditional approach. "I thought [the game] added a nice lightness to the campaign. Obviously, I want people to read our white papers, but you can have a little bit of fun while learning how to be secure." ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
Instead of unrolling over the course of several months, the effort, "Focus Rally: America," will happen over five weeks in early 2011. If the program also resembles CBS' "The Amazing Race" reality show, it's because the program was co-developed by Elise Doganieri, who created the CBS program with Bertram van Munster. ...Read the whole story >>
Sports
by Sarah Mahoney
"We wanted to capture the athleticism of our players," Brian Jennings, NHL's EVP/marketing, tells Marketing Daily. "In basketball and football, you can see how strong athletes are, but in hockey, it's hidden under their uniforms. Hockey players are doing all the things other athletes do, as well -- but with skates on. People don't realize the intensity and endurance that requires, and we wanted fans to be able to see it up close." ...Read the whole story >>

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Lessons from Google

from RBR.com:

Google’s Birthday: 12-Things to Learn From 12-years


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Having just celebrated its 12th birthday – we thought it might be useful to look at 12-lessons traditional media can learn from 12-years of Google's growth.

1. Innovation and versatility define today’s success.
Google is constantly evolving, improving and adding. While most traditional media companies have put their toe in the digital waters, they’re nowhere near as aggressive as they need to be in identifying and capitalizing on digital opportunities. Serious evolution requires investment, ingenuity and persistence.

2. Google goal is to be local.
Google understands there is a lot more money targeting local markets and local advertisers than there is simply trying to attract national advertisers and sponsors. They’ve been very forceful in efforts to expand their offerings within your local market. Traditional media still has the upper hand on the local front, but it cannot last forever if market leaders continue to embrace the strategy of “you need us” or “you’re gonna miss us when we’re gone”. Local advertisers continue to review and research new alternatives to traditional marketing. If you do not want to own the local voice, someone else would be happy to take it from you.

3. There’s a lot of money in small, automated transactions.
Google has done a remarkable job of helping businesses help themselves… $20 and $30 at a time. Ad words allowed any small business person with a laptop and an internet connection to develop ads and launch them online to attract new customers. Those dollar amounts may not accumulate as much for an individual media property as Google has been able to generate with its massive reach, but traditional media folks can learn a valuable lesson to develop at least some of their digital strategy. What can you develop that is fast, convenient and self-serve for smaller clients that don’t normally spend money with your station or newspaper?

4. Targeting Trumps Ratings
The strength of ad words is built on the back of targeting. Allowing the advertiser to define and target the right consumer… not based on broad age brackets, stereotype gender guesstimates or ratings – Google focused on specific actions (search) and interests (what people were searching for) to put business and consumer on the same page… literally.

5. Focus on the customer first.

Why don’t you see any banner ads on the home page of Google? Because their focus is on customer satisfaction. Google understands gobbling up a few billion for a front page sponsorship would be a short-term windfall for their bank account, and a long-term negative for their existing audience.

6. Consumers want control.
The internet has provided the consumer a shift from “mass” media dependence to “me” media reliance. Consumers can pick how, when, where, how much, how often, how little when it comes to their news, weather, sports, music and information. Google makes it easy for them to find and interact. How about your media site? Is it all about you, or all about them?

7. Simplicity.
What do you see when you get to Google? A logo and a search box. I go to Google to search…perception meets reality.

Does anyone in your building have the stones to reduce your own media site to just your logo and a search box? My bet is your digital committee would pass on the idea because it’s not sexy enough, or wouldn’t provide enough banner space for the sales team. The real question should be: are you willing to sacrifice sexy for simplicity, and would that simplicity increase traffic and time spent with your online product?

8. Picks and Shovels.
During the gold rush - only a relative few struck-it-rich by hitting a large vein of gold. Smart folks bypassed the backbreaking, gold-digging work by selling picks and shovels to those looking to get rich quick. Through constant R&D, trend spotting, self-critique, and acquisition – Google continues to add features and tools that make things easier for the consumer. Google Maps, G-Mail, Google Docs, etc.

9. There’s value in Traditional Media
A full page Google ad in the NY Times? How about a page and a half…

10. Mobile Matters.
Check the rising numbers on Android – the open-source smart phone operating system developed by Google. This move took years to develop and implement – but encompassed numbers 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 above.

11. Google Generates Buzz
One thing that Google does (that all great companies do) is generate buzz. While its successes far outnumber its flops, Google never disappoints when it comes to someone, somewhere writing about them. (Like, now for instance). Just the mere hint of Google moving into a micropayment system generated speculation on how their system could save the newspaper industry, while at the same time sent PayPal running to the development table to announce they’ll have a micropayment system in place by years end.

12. Competition is constant.

If there is one area that Google continues to try and find its footing – that would be Social Media. It was quite possibly the only major area that Google has been playing catch-up rather that spearheading the attack. It will be interesting to see what the digital giant does (if anything) in the near future to cool the hot hands of Facebook and Twitter.

--Chuck Francis, VP New Media Strategies, Remerge Media. Remerge is a multi-media consulting firm, specializing in new media integration and simultaneous media solutions. Remerge works with radio, TV and newspaper clients to help them understand, integrate and generate revenue from new media through custom sales solutions, and providing traditional media sales personnel with highly specialized training.

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Connections

from my email:

Daily Sales Tip: Do It For Them

Clients, that's who!

How many clients have you talked with over your career? How many of them share similar obstacles and growth opportunities? How many of them have complementary skills and don't really compete with each other? Or, how many of them with complementary skills and competitive products or services, could grow their respective businesses if they could get a third player (LEGALLY) out of the way?

How many of them would cause you anxiety if they knew, as you do, that they are missing a terrific marketing opportunity that wouldn't involve buying from you?

How much Respect, Gratitude and Credibility would you earn from those among these clients that you put together to help them each grow? What's the value of that RGC to you?

Today, I wrote two quick emails suggesting to people who had never worked together that they make contact and explore situations where they each might benefit from strategizing opportunities together. I've known the parties for years and enjoy a good relationship with each, so my guess is that they will follow this up.

Oh, you wonder what's in this for me? I haven't the foggiest; never even wondered about it. That's because I know that working for the benefit of other people is the first step in forging a sustainable, successful career.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a client or prospective client is to step aside when you put them together with other people who you know can do them some good. When you do, who gets the credit? Whose reputation is enhanced? Who gets the call?

How many people this day will you have been in contact with by 6:00 P.M.? That's how many people drew their first impression of you or added some additional data to their perception of you; that is to say, your reputation with them.

Great Sellers Spend All of Their Time and Energy Doing it for Them.

Source: Marketing consultant/manager Bob Sherman

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Monday, October 04, 2010

Monday Night Marketing News from Mediapost

Click & Read:

Airlines
by Tanya Irwin
"The launch of this global marketing campaign and TV ad is a crucial step in shaping and advancing the brand in this new economic landscape," Virgin Atlantic Senior VP, North America Chris Rossi tells Marketing Daily. "In addition, this spot will remind our fan base why they continue to choose Virgin Atlantic and showcase our unique offerings to a new audience. Returning to TV will allow us to visually showcase the brand's innovation and creativity while bringing to life our signature products and memorable services to passengers." ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
A spokesperson says BMW won't use the program as a marketing platform. "We don't have an agenda we are pursuing; it's a worldwide cultural engagement," he says. "We have, for 40 years been doing hundreds of international projects focused on architecture, design, classical music, jazz, so it's really about being a good corporate citizen. The subtlety of our approach talks to the sophistication of how the company is doing sponsorships." ...Read the whole story >>
Retail
by Sarah Mahoney
"We expect consumers to shop, but we think they will be subdued, restrained, and really mindful," James Russo, VP/Global Consumer Insights of the Nielsen Company, tells Marketing Daily. "Employment issues, ongoing pressures on the housing market, and low consumer confidence are reflected in their spending." ...Read the whole story >>
Food
by Karlene Lukovitz
The research confirms that consumers often see local origin or purchasing as a way to get certain product benefits, such as freshness, geographic convenience or good customer service, not just as a way to "do good." It also shows that consumers seek a sense of personal and civic connection to products, brands, manufacturers and retailers. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg
Mazda's partnership involves daily blog posts and downloadable content, including the previously unreleased track "No Strings." There is also a Web site that has information about the tour as well as an advertisement featuring Hawthorne in which everywhere he turns he sees people who look just like him. The video has Mazda branding and vehicles, and a convenience store where a Hawthorne doppelganger drinks a Mazda energy drink from a cooler with Mazda signage. ...Read the whole story >>
Entertainment
by Aaron Baar
"'Star Wars' is this great brand, and LucasArts is an amazing videogame company that sells more units than a lot of people think. But they need to talk to more than just the vertical gamers," Rich Antoniello, CEO of Complex Media, tells Marketing Daily. "A lot of the traditional advertising wouldn't play for them from a messaging perspective because it's about game play and ratings. There are 'Star Wars' freaks that are [just] casual gamers." ...Read the whole story >>

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