Power of Advertising

Power of Ads and
ways to avoid it...

Advertising affects us more than we think it does. They are masters of manipulation. I’m sure you’ve watched a TV commercial for a certain candy bar and 30 minutes later you start thinking you’d like a candy bar. Advertisers want you to feel like you are not enough. You aren’t good looking enough so you need their cream or body wash. You aren’t sophisticated enough so you need their watch. You aren’t sexy enough so you need their car. How can we protect ourselves from these messages?

Watch less TV. Even the TV programs have Ellen drinking Vitamin Water and Warehouse 13 Myka eating Twizzlers. The major point of TV is to get you to buy something. And seeing other’s fantasy lives doesn’t help you feel better. A study from the University of Maryland found that unhappy people watch 20% more TV than happy people. This was after analyzing 34 years of data from more than 45,000 people.  Happy people spent more time socializing, reading, doing religious activities and being politically active.

Be aware when reading magazines. Everything in the magazines are airbrushed. They are creating a beautiful world that is not true. Go to sites that show celebrities without makeup. Remember that the beautiful room you see, took 20 people to get looking right and no one actually lives there. That gorgeous Martha Steward meal was prepared by actual cooks. Keep saying to yourself, “It’s not real.” Better yet, quit reading them.

Advertisers like to make you laugh. They know when you laugh, you feel good. And when you feel good while watching their ad, then you associate feeling good with their product.

We all like to save money. Watch advertisers trying to get you to buy because you are “saving money.” Maybe it’s a 2 for 1 sale, 40% off, a hefty rebate. Unless you were going to buy anyway, you aren’t saving money. You are spending money.

New is not always better. In fact it may not be new, just re-packaged. The older appliances used to last longer. Most of the older products were made better. So do your research before deciding if this new product is better. Same with upgrading to the newesttechnology. If the technology is working for you, why don’t you hold off on upgrading?

Beware of trends. As adults, we still follow trends. Maybe it’s the Blackberry or iPhone, leopard print or ugly 70′s graphic prints. The problem with trends, is they go away. And you still have the stuff. If you must buy a trend, get a cheap version you won’t mind giving away later. Never buy full price and an expensive line for a trend.

Examine competiveness. When you want something only to show you are better, smarter, more moral or richer than someone else you aren’t going to be happy with your purchase. Look for thoughts like, “Wait till Dave sees this,” or “I think this is better than Gary’s new car,” or “Won’t Gloria be so jealous?”

Be aware to keep money in your wallet.

Simple strategies for monitoring your brand online

Be On the Lookout

What are your customers saying about your brand after they do business with you? One easy way to find out is by monitoring online postings. By paying attention to customer perceptions about your brand, you can learn what you're doing right (or wrong), what you might want to change about your business moving forward, and what your customers really want from you. Here are some simple ways to keep an eye on customer comments in cyberspace and build buzz for your brand:

1. Sign up for Google Alerts. This free monitoring serviceautomatically notifies you via email every time your business is mentioned in content posted on the web, as detected by Google's search engine. You can sign up using your own name, your company name, and your website URL as keywords. Of particular importance, the service allows you to head off any repercussions from erroneous or negative comments before they get too entrenched in the search engine databases.
2. Create your own search results. Keeping an active presence on LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking site, can help generate positive search results for your brand. Also, consider contributing to other websites using your company's name. For example, write product reviews on Amazon.com, post comments on professional blogs, or write interesting articles on topics you know a lot about for online publications.
3. Encourage positive online buzz. Once you know where your customers are posting comments about your brand online, ask customers to post there, too. For example, if you own a restaurant and find that many of your customers have reviewed your location on Yelp.com, ask customers to post their reviews at that site. You can remind them to do this at your website, in your online newsletter, and on your takeout menus. The more positive posts there are about your business, the stronger your brand will be for those who seek you out.

Take the High Road

How to turn a service mistake into a relationship

How your company responds to complaints can make or break your relationship with a customer. If your company does everything in its power to fix a service mistake, a complaint can turn into an opportunity to dazzle customers. Follow these tips to turn a potential service mistake into a smooth recovery plan:

1. Learn to listen. Understanding each customer's individual concerns comes from knowing how to read people. For example, if you own a restaurant and receive a complaint from a family, their concerns may be coming from a different place than those of two adults on a business luncheon. As a result, the solutions will be different. Sympathizing with your customer and understanding the context of their distress is the best way to find a fix.
2. Be specific. The more specific you are when handling a customer service issue, the more at ease your customer will feel. For example, if you run a motel and a guest reports a broken fixture in their room, give them a definitive timeframe for when it will be fixed. Knowing when a problem will be dealt with immediately decreases customer anxiety.
3. Act fast. If a customer has taken the time to tell you about their complaint, then you're lucky: they're giving you a second chance. Deal with all issues brought to your attention promptly, and do your best to make amends. Take advantage of every complaint as an opportunity to rebuild your relationship with your customer.

Case Study: In the Cards

How VistaPrint has built a loyal following

Problem: VistaPrint, a global online printing company, was founded with a very specific market in mind: cost-conscious small businesses. Robert Keane, founder and CEO of VistaPrint, recognized that larger printing companies don't usually accept the small printing orders of small and emerging businesses for things like business cards, pamphlets, and letterheads. Although he knew there was a market for VistaPrint, he needed an advertising campaign that spoke specifically to the company's target audience.

Solution: VistaPrint decided to use online advertising to catch the attention of small business owners. The company used email, text and banner ads on third-party websites, and pay-per-click advertising. However, the company had another trick up its sleeve to make its online advertisements go viral: free business cards.

VistaPrint's tagline, "Business cards are free at VistaPrint.com," says it all. The company offers 250 free business cards to their customers, regardless of whether they make other purchases, with only a $5.67 shipping and processing charge. The free business cards feature VistaPrint's tagline on the back. That means there are more than two billion business cards being passed around with VistaPrint's logo and tagline on them, generating a lot of word-of-mouth advertising.

VistaPrint capitalizes on the promotion by offering customers the opportunity to upgrade the free business cards to ones that do not carry the company tagline on the back for a $9.99 fee. Many customers visit VistaPrint's website after becoming intrigued by the prospect of free business cards, then find the enhanced version more appealing.

The takeaway: This inventive approach to drawing in customers with a new, integrated strategy helped launch VistaPrint into the successful, global printing company it is today. In 2010 alone, VistaPrint sold to more than 1.4 million new customers. Over 66 percent of the company's sales come from returning customers, many of whom came originally for the free business cards, only to then become loyal brand advocates.

Go Green to Stay Out of the Red

Ways to save both money and the environment in your next direct mail campaign

According to Greg Brown, marketing director at Melissa Data, six million trees and 300 million pounds of paper are used each year just for marketing mailings with incorrect addresses. And those mailings cost direct mail marketers more than $6 billion per year. "Going green in your direct mail campaign is a common-sense business initiative that will save mailers a tremendous amount of money," Brown says. Follow these simple tips to save money — and help protect the environment — in your next direct mail campaign:

1. Keep mailing lists updated. Update your mailing list every chance you get. Today's customer is highly mobile: every year 12 to 18 percent of the U.S. population moves and 10 to 15 percent of businesses move or close. Keep track of customers by asking them to confirm customer information after every transaction and by keeping carefully organized records.
2. Ensure delivery. Try adding "or current resident" to the end of every address record. That way, the Postal Service will deliver your piece of direct mail to the address you have written — even if the person you have on record has moved.
3. Target your mailings. Send out mailings only to prospects likely to be excited by your promotions. Targeted direct mail campaigns can increase response rates and get you more bang for your buck.
4. Keep it short and sweet. If possible, cut back on the number of pages in your mailing. For example, if you are a clothing retailer that sends out a comprehensive catalog, review how many products you're featuring. Focusing solely on the things that have a history of really exciting customers will save you printing and mailing costs.

Case Study: Game of Tag

How IKEA built buzz for a new store opening

Problem: When IKEA announced the opening of its new location in Malmo, Sweden, the company wanted to generate buzz as quickly as possible. The catch: IKEA had a relatively limited marketing budget, which ruled out traditional advertising outlets like television and radio.

Solution: Media agency Forsman and Bodenfors came up with an ingenious way to utilize Facebook as an online marketing tool for the Malmo store. The agency created a Facebook profile for the new store manager, Gordon Gustavsson. The move put a friendly face on a large company and proved to customers that the new IKEA would integrate well into the existing structure of the city.

The real buzz started when IKEA posted pictures of the new store's showrooms on Gustavsson's Facebook page. Gustavsson's Facebook friends had the ability to "tag," or identify, themselves in the pictures — and win the product they tagged. Over the course of two weeks, 12 pictures were uploaded to the manager's site. The photographs quickly made their way through the social networking site as people tagged themselves, and the photos showed up on those users' profiles and in the "news feed" of their friends. Word spread and soon customers were checking Gustavsson's profile more frequently to see if he'd posted more pictures. They also interacted with Gustavsson to ask questions about the new Malmo store.

The takeaway: When participation is made easy, customers are more likely to join in. The campaign promised value and delivered on that promise, an essential part of any online marketing campaign. And by keeping the promotion interactive, IKEA kept its users engaged and involved throughout. Creating a successful online marketing promotion such as IKEA's doesn't have to involve major giveaways. As long as the promotion grabs the attention of potential customers, promises something of perceived value, and creates excitement, your business could build significant buzz for your business through social media.

Get the Fans' Eye View

Survey your most loyal customers to gain valuable insights

It's a well-known truism in business that the great majority of revenues come from a relatively small percentage of highly loyal customers. But in addition to bringing in profits, those people are also a great resource for your customer satisfaction research. Indeed, who else is in a better position to tell you what you're doing right? And even your biggest fans probably have some insights into what you could be doing better. If your business mostly operates on a face-to-face basis, you have plenty of opportunity to pick your customers' brains (while avoiding being pesky, of course). If it's more phone- or web-based, a provider like Survey Monkey can help you query your customers. Here are some questions you should be asking your most loyal customers:

What did we do right? Ask your repeat customers what brought them back. Focus your resources on your strengths, and spotlight those successes at your business location and in your advertising.

Did you enjoy your experience with us? Loyalty ultimately comes down to customer experiences. Solving a customer's problem will certainly help you win loyalty, but you can cast your net wider if every customer who encounters your business — even the browsers — associates it with a positive experience.

What more could we do? Responses to this question could bring in ideas for related products and services to expand your business. Maybe your retail customers are going to second-choice stores for items related to your category. If your business is food service, maybe your dinner customers wish there was a lunch option nearby. If you run a delivery company, maybe you could add a premium-priced "within an hour" service. And so on.

Would you recommend us to your friends? If the answer is no, it's a learning opportunity. If the answer is yes, you're planting the seed for your customers to make that recommendation when the chance comes up.

3 steps to keep your best customers coming back

The Loyalty Effect

A recent study by Bain & Company revealed that a 5 percent increase in customer retention could potentially boost your average customer net value by 35 to 95 percent. Talk about a "wow" statistic, but it certainly makes sense. History has shown that by giving your most loyal and profitable customers incentive to buy more often, they will reward you with significantly more business. A customer loyalty program, of course, is a great way for your business to boost sales and retain clients. If you own a dry cleaning operation, for example, you could offer a regular discount to repeat customers. Here are three steps to get a loyalty marketing program off the ground:

1. Find your "best" customers. Specifically pinpoint which customers generate the most profit for your business. Then, determine why they prefer your products or services to your competitors' and what changes might make them even more loyal to your business. You could survey your customers by mail or email or ask them questions in person (we prefer the latter). Make sure you remain aware of changes in customer preferences as your business grows.
2. Categorize your customers. Organize your customers into four groups, from your highest spenders to the lowest, and determine which products or services appeal most to each group. This will help you identify where to focus your marketing and where there is room for growth.
3. Provide incentives and rewards. There are many ways to develop an affordable rewards program. For example, personalized thank-you notes or providing discounts after a large purchase are both effective. Email-only offers may provide your customers with an incentive to give you their email address. If your business has a specific down-time period, you could offer your customers increased discounts at that time to stimulate sales. And holiday or birthday offers always reassure your customers that your company appreciates their loyalty at special times of the year.

Case Study: Going Above the Rim

Basketball apparel company taps into community activism

PROBLEM:
In 1989, Above the Rim (ATR) broke into the basketball apparel industry with a brand defined by baggie shorts and tops, a style designed to keep players from being restricted by their clothes. More than 20 years later, in an effort to remain relevant in the industry, the company decided to rebrand itself — without dismissing its legacy.

SOLUTION:
Above the Rim created a long-term branding strategy built on community support. By supporting their customers in a more tangible, fulfilling way, the company expected to see a boost in brand engagement.

As part of the rebranding strategy, ATR launched "Assisting to Rise," a grant program for young community leaders. Through the program, Above the Rim identifies individuals who dedicate themselves to enriching the lives of school-aged basketball players, and provides them with resources to support their organizations. For example, the company awarded a grant to Bernard Bowen, of New York City, for his mentorship program "Beyond Basketball." The program is designed to help inspiring students of all economic backgrounds give back to their communities. A profile of each grant winner, like Bowen, is posted on ATR's website to encourage other young adults to apply the character-building tenets of basketball to other aspects of their lives.

Building off of this grassroots approach, Above the Rim is also supporting NBA players who are dedicated to "rising both on and off the court." The Minnesota Timberwolves' Martell Webster has become a "community ambassador" for ATR and will be featured in a new integrated media advertising campaign. Webster will also be the face of a new signature shoe called the Elevate MW5. The shoe will be available for purchase in specialty retail and department stores in spring 2011 as part of Above the Rim's premium basketball footwear line.

Above the Rim's apparel collection hasn't been forgotten in the rebranding efforts. The company has added performance clothes to its spring line. And its new graphic t-shirts and sweatshirts will bring ATR's "on and off the court" message literally to the masses.

THE TAKEAWAY:
By exemplifying its new community-based brand identity in multiple ways, Above the Rim is showing its fan base that it's more than just another sports apparel company.

How Internet retailers can maximize revenue any time of year

What Online Shoppers Want

A recent survey on consumer shopping habits by Channel Advisor found that 58% of respondents are likely to purchase their holiday gifts online this year. If your business has an e-commerce site, this is the time of year to evaluate its usability and maximize its impact. By creating a fulfilling online shopping experience for your customers — regardless of the time of year — you can build loyalty for your brand and increase revenues. Consider the following tips to make your online store work harder for you:

1. Monitor customer behavior. Tailor your website to your customers' preferences by paying attention to their online behavior. Even the most basic analytic tools, like Google Analytics, can tell you what pages on your website have the most visits, what kind of browser your customers are using to access your website, how long customers are spending on your site, and more. Try tweaking subtle things like font size or color palette, then monitor customer response. If you have a clothing retail website, place your sale items on the pages most frequented by your customers.
2. Make buying easy. Create an organized look for your offerings and a prominent checkout page. Also, offer easy ways for customers to seek out specific products. The easier it is for your customers to browse and buy from your website, the easier it will be to encourage sales from online shoppers.
3. Get in the spirit. Update the content and visuals on your website to reflect the season. Providing fresh content is key to enticing shoppers to spend more — especially this time of year — and return in the future. Even the simple addition of "Happy Holidays!" to your site's header or a sprig of holly temporarily added to your logo can remind customerswhy they're buying, triggering an emotional response that will help your bottom line.

Simple ways to boost customer satisfaction

Keep Customers Happy

Many companies stress low prices and discounts in their advertising to capture the interest of price-conscious consumers, but Christopher Groening, a marketing expert from the University of Missouri, contends that improving customer satisfaction is the better way to drive sales. "Customers who are satisfied are more likely to spread the word, purchase more items, and purchase more expensive items," he points out. Follow these simple tips to keep your customers satisfied throughout the year:

1. Make a good first impression. Good customer service should start before your customer walks in the door. Make sure your advertising efforts emphasize your business' strong customer service values. There are also many things you can do at your physical location to show customers you care. For example, keep your parking spaces well plowed in the winter or free of trash, or create a welcoming, eye-catching window display.
2. Offer unexpected perks. Make the effort to surpass your customers' expectations by doing something unexpected. Giving out coupons at the door or offering a free gift-wrapping service can raise your customers' satisfaction level without a major budgetary strain on your business. Individual, thoughtful actions can also create the right impression, such as having a product shipped to an ailing customer's home free of charge. If you leave your customers feeling delighted about your business, they're more likely to shop with you in the future — and tell their friends about their experiences.
3. Deal with dissatisfied customers. Customers get upset. It's a fact of life. But in many cases, a tough situation can be dealt with quickly, to the delight of both parties. Always go the extra mile to solve a customer's issue because great customer service leads to stronger, more profitable customer relationships.
4. Make shopping enjoyable. Keep your business well staffed to tackle increased activity during holiday periods. Invest time in staff training to refresh their knowledge of products, return policies, and customer service procedures. Having knowledgeable staff will keep everything running smoothly even during the busiest times of the year.

Vaseline turns to customers to promote its products

Dry Skin Patrol

With the approach of the winter season, Vaseline^® recently announced plans to launch a new integrated marketing campaign for its Vaseline Intensive Rescue line of skin-care products. Aware of the positive buzz for the iconic brand on online blogs, Vaseline sought the help of customers to promote its creams and lotions.

Vaseline searched blogs and social media sites for customers who frequently post comments about their experiences with Vaseline Intensive Rescue products. Vaseline's search eventually led them to three women who will become the brand's new spokeswomen: Kari Ellen Aceto (a product reviewer on "A Giveaway Addicted Mommy" blog), Kailani Okamota (author of the "Island Life" blog), and Michelle Lee (author of "The Adventures of Supermom" blog).

Aceto, Okamota, and Lee comprise what Vaseline has dubbed the "Dry Skin Patrol." In the coming months, the trio will be taking part in a "Vaseline Intensive Rescue Mission Tour" across the country. The tour will focus on events where harsh weather could be combated with Vaseline products, such as the Winternational Women's Ski Competition in Aspen, Colo.; the Polar Bear Club swim in Coney Island, N.Y.; and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, Minn.

Vaseline will also be reaching out to customers via the Internet through advertisements on relevant third-party websites, such asweather.com and everydayhealth.com. Additionally, Vaseline will conduct product demonstrations and give away free samples at more than 10,000 retail locations throughout the winter season. Customers will soon get to know the Dry Skin Patrol through Facebook. Vaseline's Facebook page will feature videos of the three women on tour, and fans will be able to submit questions, request samples, and enter sweepstakes to win a trip to one of the Vaseline Intensive Rescue Mission Tour locations.

Vaseline hopes the new campaign will resonate with customers. Aceto had been writing about her son's eczema and her own dry skin when she was contacted by the company. "To be picked from the web based on things that I've talked about," she said, "I feel like there's actually somebody listening."

StepByStepMarketing.com™ believes that involving customers in a promotion or even in product development leads to long-lasting relationships. Just be sure to provide rewards when you solicit customers' input. Whether you offer a chance to have first crack at a new product, special discounts, or access to customer support, giving customers moderate rewards can build loyalty for a brand.

Voice tone can really resonate with customers

How to be Heard

Being aware of what your customers see and hear and how they respond to you — whether it's over the phone or face-to-face — is the key to communication success. It's not just what you say but how you say it that matters. Making a conscious effort to manage your tone of voice when a customer is upset will help you deliver your message more effectively, possibly diffuse a difficult situation, and leave your customer with a positive impression of your business. Here are some tips to help you manage those tough conversations:

• Stay positive. Watch and listen for reactions and responses to your questions and suggestions. Learn how your communications affect people. For example, "I understand why you're unhappy and I'm here to help" is a far better response than "You'll need to take this up with customer service."
• Slow down your speech. Quickly saying more than what your customers want and need to hear is a mistake that most people make. Deliberately introduce more pauses. That will help you think on your feet and allow your customers to understand your point of view as well as their own.
• Gesture to create a positive visual impression. When your gestures and speech convey the same information, they're easier to understand. Confident communicators use their gestures to add emphasis to their words, but avoid fidgeting.
• Speak to be heard. Don't whisper or talk too low; adjust your volume for maximum effect. Your voice is your greatest asset. Sound like you mean what you're saying.

Straightforward ways to lure buyers to your business

Winning New Customers

Straightforward ways to lure buyers to your business

Landing new customers doesn't have to be a daunting task— even in these challenging times there are things you can implement now that could quickly lead to new business. If your business has some strong prospects who have yet to take the next step and become customers, or some previously steady clients who have backed off on their activity, consider these tips to nudge them into action:

1. Reward referrals. Gathering referrals from current customers is a great way to capitalize on the loyal fan base you already have. If you reward customers for introducing new people to your business, you can encourage the strongest form of advertising: word of mouth. Offer discounts, coupons, and special gifts exclusively to those customers who refer their friends.
2. Remove any barriers. Are you possibly missing out on business because you're not making it easy enough for customers? Even simplifying your website, taking the consumer's point of view rather than your own, can make a difference.
3. Build an alliance. It can sometimes be a smart move, depending on the type of business you own, to partner with other businesses. Choose another business with a similar client base to yours, but with whom you're not in direct competition. For example, if you own a high-end jewelry store, you may consider partnering with a high-end dress boutique. If a customer buys a nice dress and asks for a recommendation on where to buy jewelry to match, there's an instant reciprocal referral. You each expand your customer base from the loyal customers of the other business. It's a win-win situation.
4. Change the way you sell. Become a "soft" seller — in other words, master the art of selling without selling. Rather than practice traditional methods of hard-selling, focus on building customer relationships and listening. Turn cold prospecting into warm referrals, convincing into asking, closing into qualifying, and selling into partnering.

Case Study: Honest Tea

Small tea maker returns to its roots

PROBLEM: Seth Goldman, CEO of Honest Tea, was still brewing batches of his organic iced tea in his kitchen when a local Whole Foods ordered 15,000 bottles of his product. In 2008, Coca-Cola bought a 40% stake in the company. Over the past 13 years, Honest Tea has grown by leaps and bounds, but Goldman wanted to maintain a focus on the brand's founding principals of health, social responsibility, and environmental consciousness.

SOLUTION: "Where [Honest Tea has] been most successful is in creating that memorable connection with our consumers through those guerrilla, grass-roots efforts," said Jesse Merril, director of marketing for Honest Tea. "I don't think we'll ever be that company that runs a few TV or radio ads. We'll always have feet on the street."

To that end, the company earlier this year launched a guerilla marketing effort called "Honest Cities." Unmanned kiosks filled with Honest Tea products were set up in seven major cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Payment was based on the honor system, with hidden cameras set up to capture the action. "They were really a series of social experiments," Goldman said.

The Honest Cities campaign was an enormous success. The media consistently reported on the findings of the "experiment," ranking cities by the percentage of customers who'd paid for their bottle of tea. (If you're curious, Boston came in first place, with 93.3% of consumers paying for their tea, and Los Angeles came in last with 75%.) The company also created short videos from the hidden cameras that they've made available on YouTube.

THE TAKEAWAY: Not only has Honest Tea's recent campaign gained a significant amount of exposure for the company and stayed in line with its founding principles, but it also sent out an important message to its customers. The campaign placed trust in their hands and reassured loyal fans that the brand still has the heart of a small company, even as its bottom line grows.