Archive for category Strategy
17 Resources to Improve Your Small Business
Posted by Administrator in Strategy, Technology on October 22, 2009
From the American Express OPEN Forum:
Oct 21, 2009 -
proving your business is critical to staying afloat and growing. Here are some resources out there that will sharpen your skills, improve your offerings and allow you to grow your business.
(This article was written in collaboration with Glen Stansberry, who writes about personal development at LifeDev.net and tweets as @glenstansberry.)
Test Before You Roll: Using Pilot Projects in the Current Economy
Posted by Administrator in Strategy on September 29, 2009
There is a great article in this morning’s CMO Strategy column of Ad Age by Leslie Moeller and Edward Landry. Read Article.
Mr. Moeller and Mr. Landry make compelling arguments of how the development and implementation of pilot projects in this economy is both an opportunity and advantage. It allows you to keep on the offensive while making the most of your advertising funds.
Rethink Your Strategy and Focus!
Posted by Administrator in Strategy on September 23, 2009
In tough economic times, you have to do more with less and this is especially true with advertising dollars and resources.
But, is this a time when you should be re-thinking your strategic focus as well? Times like this force us to rethink every aspect of our business model and our competition.
New Location-Based Ad Model Might Just Be a Game-Changer for Small Businesses
Posted by Administrator in Mobile Marketing, Online Advertising, Strategy, Technology on September 21, 2009
There are alot of geography-based apps already out there and in develop that promise the “Local Holy Grail” but a company, FourSquare seems to not only have figured out the intracacies of programming but also the intracacies of marketing the product…oh, and being first to market HELPS…a bunch.
FourSquare has launched a business services model that acts like a game (let’s face it, who doesn’t have a gaming system now!) to encourage sign ups, usage and redemptions.
Report from McKinsey on How Companies are Using Social Media
Posted by Administrator in Social Networking, Strategy on September 18, 2009
Companies that use social media applications say they’ve seen clear benefits from the technology, according to a McKinsey survey of 1,700 executives. About 69% of those surveyed said their use of social networks had increased innovation, improved their marketing plans and given them access to new information. Read Article
Get More “Fans” for Your Business/Brand Facebook Page
Posted by Administrator in Social Networking, Strategy on September 17, 2009
Good article from SmallBizTrends.com that hits on all the good points of establishing and maintaining an online network.
1) Provide an engaging community full of content. You get what you give. If you aren’t active on your own page, why would you expect anyone else to be?
2) Identify core members of your group and ask for help!
3) Provide content they cannot get anywhere else (exclusive coupons, etc.)
Come to think of it, shouldn’t your offline biz follow this model as well?
Enjoy,
Harold Henn
Endeavour Marketing & Media – Join Us On Facebook
A Full-Service Advertising Agency in Murfreesboro, TN
Can You Get Some Kids From the Drama Department to Replace Your Agency?
Posted by Administrator in Creative, Strategy on September 16, 2009
Great article from Small Agency Diary (AdAge) on the growing shift towards “home-grown” campaigns. Doritos pioneered it, Mega-Brand Uni-Lever is jumping on board and all signs show that “user-generated” content/campaigns are gaining steam. Can you utilize home-grown talent for your next advertising campaign?
Is anybody currently using this tactic? If so, please comment on how it’s working for you.
Low-Cost Advertising Basics
Posted by Administrator in Media Planning, Search Engine Optimization, Strategy on September 15, 2009
Great article from Entrepreneur that covers some low-cost advertising basics in an interview format.
Hire a Crowd, Not an Agency?
Posted by Administrator in Media Planning, Mobile Marketing, Social Networking, Strategy, Viral Marketing, Website, Word of Mouth Marketing on September 15, 2009
Interesting article in AdAge about UniLever’s experimentation (and apparent embrace!) of Crowdsourcing.
Why Try Harder?
Posted by Administrator in Strategy on August 13, 2009
The Avis car company is famous for their realization that they were the #2 car company, and that they would probably always be in that slot, so they had to determine what set them apart – or rather what their competitive advantage was. Avis turned this weakness into a strength and came up with the slogan “We’re #2 but We Try Harder.” It resonated with the public for it’s straightforward honesty.
I was reminded of Avis two weekends ago when I walked into a grocery store (Food Lion) that I had not patronized in about 4 years. I stayed away from this store because they had notoriously bad customer service, inferior product selection and a much larger competitor (Kroger) had moved into the market that was closer to me. In a rush and right next door, I decided to go inside to get what I needed.
Right away, I was greeted by a cashier as I walked in – a real greeting and not one of those pre-programmed ones with their heads looking elsewhere. Next, I strolled to the produce section to get some limes and the produce guy was there carefully adjusting the produce and taking away tomatoes that did not fit his standards for quality. Oh, and he looked me dead in the eye and said, welcome to the produce section. Same thing with the deli where I was picking up some sliced smoked turkey. These people were not just merely working in their departments – they were owning their departments! A boss at an old agency had a saying that we all say around Endeavour, “It’s all our responsibility.” Meaning – you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Plus, this store had many items that the other, larger competitor did not, including locally grown produce.
This past weekend, I went into the larger competitor that I had been frequenting and realized that the selection was not as great as it used to be, there had been a real fall off in customer service and really the whole store had become something other than a grocery store with a floral department, a sushi bar and other stuff that I would prefer to get someplace other than a grocery store. I can say that I am a loyal customer of the smaller store.
The takeway is that the smaller store realized:
1) They could not compete on price because of the competitor’s economy of scale and distribution advantages so they focused on bringing in items that the competitor didn’t have like local produce and more.
2) They could not compete with size so they made it an advantage by streamlining the store so your shopping experience was more convenient and you could find what you needed right away.
3) They could not compete with the larger competitor’s advertising and marketing budget so they would let their service be their advertising, converting customer’s into evangelists for their brand by spreading the message (hey I’m writing about it in this blog!) and becoming repeat customers. Bottom line on this point – you may get a person in your store once with an ad campaign/promotion but if their experience sucks, you’ve lost them.
When you’re faced with competition the most important thing you can do is realize who they are and who you are. Then figure out what they cannot be and what you cannot be. Then you can develop competition points and when you figure those out – attack with full force and stay the course.
Till next time -
Harold Henn, CMO
A Full-Service Advertising Agency in Murfreesboro, TN