Marketing Wisdom Archives - Page 32 of 38

ON THE CARE AND FEEDING OF EDITORS, PT. 1

July 6, 2011 by Scott Flood

Publicity is a funny animal. Those with little or no experience tend to assume one of two things: either that getting something in the newspaper or on TV involves some sort of mystical expertise, or that they have a right to demand that the media use whatever message they want to share (“Tell them to put this on page one!”)

As with so many other things, the reality is quite different from the perception. While cynics may think of publicity as a manipulative tool for influencing the news, it actually serves the important role of making the media aware of things they might not otherwise know about. Most editors and producers actually count on publicity to help them with the newsgathering process — even more so today, as staffing has been slashed to the bone. There are more pages and hours of news to fill than staff members to fill them.

AND HOW WAS YOUR PET’S REPORT CARD?

June 29, 2011 by Scott Flood

I always like to call attention to smart, low-cost ideas that provide powerful marketing value, and I have to thank my sister and her cat, Noel, for making me aware of this one.

When my sister and her husband took a vacation recently, they needed to board Noel. My sister looked around and found a nearby pet resort that seemed to be a nice place — far nicer than the vet’s cages in which our childhood pets spent our vacations, emerging upon our return like prisoners of war.

HOW TO RESPOND TO A COMPLAINT ABOUT AN AD

June 22, 2011 by Scott Flood

You’ve started running a new ad. You think it’s a good one, and based on the early response, your target audience appears to agree.

And then the phone rings or the email appears. One or more people are clearly upset with you. They don’t understand why you ran such an offensive ad. They’ve found something objectionable in the visual, or perhaps in the words. They’ve taken offense at something you never considered. You didn’t plan to upset anyone! Now what should you do?

DOING JUST ENOUGH VERSUS REAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

June 15, 2011 by Scott Flood

A client was planning to advertise in a publication produced by a printing company with which I had worked in the past. Wanting to verify that the company was still producing that publication, I emailed the customer service contact I had dealt with, and asked her a simple question: is your company still printing this publication?

Her reply didn’t answer my question. “I’m now working in a different department and Jane Doe is now handling projects like that.” Clearly, she didn’t want to be bothered by my request.

A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL MARKETING TACTIC

May 18, 2011 by Scott Flood

Marketing inspiration can be found in many odd places … including my air conditioner. When I called a local contractor to come out and make sure my air conditioner was ready for this summer’s version of global warming, they took down all the usual information, including my email address.

The day before the scheduled appointment, I received an email from the owners. At first, I thought it was just the standard confirmation message, but it wasn’t.

MAKE THE FIRST TIME MEMORABLE

April 21, 2011 by Scott Flood

Even if your job makes you say something 150 times a day, never lose sight of the fact that it may be the first time your audience is hearing it.

I think about that every time I’m shopping in a store and the cashier or an employee on the PA mumbles “thank you for shopping with us.” They don’t mean it. They don’t even try to pretend that they mean it. It’s something they’ve been told to say, so they say it with no enthusiasm.

HUCKSTERS ARE GOOD TEACHERS

March 30, 2011 by Scott Flood

Whenever I visit the State Fair or any kind of exposition such as the Flower and Patio Show, I always gravitate to the booths where the people we once knew as hucksters are giving demonstrations. I genuinely enjoy their sales pitches, and they provide some excellent reminders for my professional life.

What does someone selling a set of pots and pans, eyeglass cleaner, or a high-horsepower blender have to offer to a copywriter? Plenty.

WHICH WAY DO I GO?

March 23, 2011 by Scott Flood

One of the first lessons in learned in marketing is one of the easier to understand. It’s one of the most durable, timeless pieces of advice. It’s been promoted experts of all stripes. And yet, it’s one of the most consistently ignored.

When people read your ad, your press release, your email, or your website, what exactly do you want them to do?

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

March 16, 2011 by Scott Flood

Some of you may be hearing Roger Daltrey intone that headline, but my goal isn’t to tap into your brain’s storehouse of long-forgotten lyrics. Instead, I’d like to explore an issue that has long puzzled me: why do companies think that rolling out a new website will excite their audiences and incite them to visit en masse?

I ask that because I’ve so often been asked to develop ads and other materials that essentially proclaim, “We have a new website!” So? What’s the big deal?

MARKETING HOT DOGS WITH STETHOSCOPES

March 2, 2011 by Scott Flood

How do you convince consumers that hot dogs are healthy food? Coney Island hot dog entrepreneur Nathan Handwerker did it with stethoscopes, says writer Bob Bly in his book “All American Frank: A History of the Hot Dog” (http://www.bly.com/AllAmericanFrank).

Handwerker’s price of a nickel per dog couldn’t overcome public worries about the quality of the meat. There was a perception that processors used tainted beef.