Thanks to Chris Metcalf for permission to use this Photo.
In the hyper-competitive business environment of today, there are millions of dollars invested and mistakenly often wasted by companies looking for the “next big thing,” the elusive innovation that will electrify the marketplace. When most people think of innovation, they automatically consider it in the technological sense, but innovation means much more than producing a faster computer or a telephone that doubles as a home entertainment system; innovation is ultimately about ideas. In the following video, innovation expert Charles Leadbeater discusses how innovation isn’t just reserved for the corporate giants with infinite capital, but rather how independent thinking entities, people like you and me with a vision, are now empowered like never before to compete in the marketplace on our own terms. I found this presentation both informative and inspiring. I hope you feel the same way after viewing it and approach your next lesson with a sense of enthusiasm. Click on the image above to watch this video.
With Apple continuing to dominate the headlines and industry buzz with one acclaimed release after another, it’s easy to forget that the so-called ”Evil Empire” has been rather quietly refining their Surface computing technology. We’re talking about more than multi-touch features for your mobile phone; Surface is perhaps most intriguing for its’ “surface” adaptability and potential virtual applications. Check out this video demonstration of Microsoft’s Sphere prototype. I’m an Apple guy myself, but I must admit that Sphere could be interesting…
Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University
Sometimes technology is driven not out of necessity or productivity, but simply in the name of technology. I will let you decide on this one. Earlier this year, Papa John’s Pizza initiated a partnership with a private firm called trackmypizza.com. Drivers carry GPS-enabled handsets that feed location data to a TrackMyPizza server. There, the data is coupled with the customer’s phone number, providing location updates every 15 seconds. Customers simply go to www.trackmypizza.com, order their pizza and can then watch their delivery in real time.
Not all franchises have adapted it as of yet, but an eleven store chain in Alabama that did the initial test roll out experienced a 100% increase in online orders, which provides substantial savings to the chain versus the traditional order taking. Not to be outdone, Dominoes is supposed to unveil its own on-line pizza tracking system which will even track the pizza through the kitchen as it is made. One can only imagine what is coming next.
There’s that store over on the corner. It is one of your favorite stores or you just go there once in a while. But the next time you go by, it’s closed. Not just closed for the day, but closed for good. You feel bad as you liked going in there, but you may not have gone in there that often. You think to yourself if you only knew that they were near that point you could have done something – blogged on them, told your friends or simply went in there more.
For me there were 2 such places, an awesome Vietnamese/fusion restaurant and a coffee shop. Now a jeweler and a check-cashing store stand in each respectively. But what if each owner reached out to its customer base for help, would I have responded? I asked myself as I read about Toscanini’s, an ice cream shop I have visited in Cambridge, MA in a recent issue of Inc. magazine. In this case, getting behind on paying their taxes resulted in the store closing, and after an Internet appeal they were able to raise enough money to reopen.
As I said before, you can’t mess with the numbers. However, they did and paid the price for it, literally. Had they reached out earlier to their customers, how would they have reacted? How would I have reacted? (more…)
Thanks to freeparking for permission to use this Photo.
One of the strongest characteristics associated with successful entrepreneurs is the ability to lead. As a small business owner, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once, directly involved in every aspect of the decision making process, therefore you must be able to trust your employees to make sound decisions on your behalf. This is one area where leadership plays such a vital role. Your ability to communicate your business vision and get your employees to buy into that vision is deeply connected to building a productive workplace environment. Here is an interesting podcast interview with Marshall Goldsmith, a leadership training expert who specializes in training small business owners how to be leaders and in turn cultivate leadership qualities in their employees. Goldsmith makes some good points about common issues limiting the growth of small businesses, then prescribes concrete methods to resolve these issues. Click on the image above to listen to this podcast. I think you’ll learn some lessons that will stay with you throughout your career. Take care.
Dare to be different. A look at why advertising professionals should consider standing out from the competition, not copying them. To make your advertising work, follow the principle if your competition is doing it, don’t. To succeed in today’s crowded marketplace where most of the products and advertising look exactly the same, a small business owner must stand out, shouting above the din with a message so clear and compelling that prospects stop and take notice. It’s a matter of business survival. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs quickly retreat to the supposed security of sameness, soon to be lost in a sea of anonymity and a tidal wave of frustration.
In effect, albeit at a subconscious level, they are saying , “I don’t want to be different”. In back room offices and store fronts everywhere, salespeople are telling business owners they should do this or that kind of ad because it worked so great for their competitor. The owners nod and sign on. It’s already proven to be a winner, right? WRONG! Change the name, background color and a font style and you’ve got sameness. Put those ads in the yellow pages, a coupon magazine or a TV commercial cluster and you’ve got advertising death. Want proof? Get the latest statistics on small business failures.
About the author: Brian Grinonneau is the general manager of McMann and Tate advertising, an agency that works with small business owners helping them stand out from the crowd.
When I read the book Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin, it reminded me of one of his previous books I read, Purple Cow. But was it just the content of the book, or the fact that the book arrived to me several years ago in a milk carton?
The premise of the book Purple Cow, published in 2002, is about being remarkable. Godin’s point is that in an age where we are deluged with images and messages, these have reduced their overall effectiveness, and to get your message out there, your product or service needs to be different or unique in its own way. The first example in the book is driving through farm lands and seeing cow after cow and they all look alike, but a cow that is purple will stand out and be remembered, thus remarkable.
So is remarkable something you put on top of a product or service? Not necessarily. The book gives examples of how L.L. Bean and Sears Craftsman line of tools are remarkable in their unconditional return policy. Ikea is remarkable in how they sell low-cost, assemble-yourself furniture that is extremely stylish. Dr. Bronner’s soap is remarkable in its unique labeling.
My greatest takeaway is that remarkable is not a gimmick. From the above examples, what makes them remarkable are attributes that have lasted for years. Gimmicks may drive sales, but not over the long term. Gimmicks are also not considered sincere.
Another takeaway is that you may already be remarkable. When many entrepreneurs venture out on their own, their catalyst is often they can do what they do better or in a more unique way from where they previously worked. They may not have been able to do it, whatever it is, when they worked for someone else and have the conviction to do it themselves. This was part of my own motivation for starting Dunkirk Systems, LLC.
The book Purple Cow does not over-do it with examples and is an energetic, quick read. If you are venturing out on your own, or taking a strategic look at your business I recommend reading the book as it will definitely inspire you, and you may get some ideas from it as well.
Mike Maddaloni
Founder and President of Dunkirk Systems
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger
*We consider it a great privilege to share the business-tech perspectives of entrepreneur Mike Maddaloni with the Ashworth University Business Community. Mike’s Internet consulting firm, Dunkirk Systems, is based out of Chicago and has steadily built a reputation for providing superior service to their growing list of satisfied clients. Visit The Hot Iron blog to gain additional insights into Mike’s business life. Thanks Mike!
Brand Experience Lab is an advertising agency with a reputation for developing some of the world’s most innovative marketing campaigns. Their signature concept blends the principles of customer participation and brand messaging; the result has been coined “interaction marketing.” Notice the subtle distinction made between interactive and interaction. The emphasis is placed on the actual experience of using the product rather than a simulated trial. Brand Experience Lab’s so-called “audience games” illustrate their vision quite well and these cinema based experiences are one of 2008’s buzz trends. Their two most hyped campaigns of 2007 were done for MSNBC and Volvo. With positive audience reactions now tested and measured; an increasing number of corporations are buying into the promises of interaction marketing. In these campaigns, instead of idly watching Ads on the screen during the obligatory preview stage, moviegoers were given the opportunity to play video games oriented around the respective MSNBC and Volvo products. For example, Volvo’s “human joystick” experience required audience members to collectively wave their hands in different directions in connection with the Ad; think of something akin to a Wii interaction as a reference point. Was Volvo’s message communicated? These results, although not exactly scientific (tests of this nature never are) tell a positive story:
68% want more games in cinemas
74% prefer a game to an ad
21% better image of Volvo
37% more likely to purchase a Volvo
Now that we’ve provided some context to this experience, click on the image above to see interaction marketing brought to life. If you’ve had a chance to participate in one of these audience games at a theatre in your area, let us know your thoughts in the comments section. I’m very interested to hear if these action games are as dynamic as they’re being reported to be.
Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University School Of Business
Thanks to Nick Coombe for permission to use this Photo.
I hope you are already doing this, if not, you should treat you loyal prospects as VIPs (very important person). You should give them discounts, you should provide them with news that very few other people will get and you should provide them with all sorts of goodies, because your loyal prospects will hang around longer.It’s rather easy to use this marketing strategy. Just think about it, what would you really appreciate to get from a person much like yourself? Give them:
Discounts on products
Free products
Interesting information
If you have a list of loyal prospects, you can just send them an email and you can start the email with ”I want to give my loyal prospects a discount…”You can do this before every launch of a new product. If a person have bought one of your other products, then this person will automatically get a discount on every new product that you will release.You can create a buying frenzy by limiting the number of days the discount will be available.
It’s a great way to build loyalty. Your customers will hang around longer if you give them some special VIP treatment once in a while. It’s important that they know and feel that they are treated as VIPs. Because if they do, they won’t unsubscribe to your lists, and they will stick around in order to be a part of your gang. (more…)
Thanks to Andrea Z for permission to use this Photo.
We all want to be successful in our careers, but we often don’t reach our potential because we lose confidence in our abilities. This is why it’s so important to stay inspired, focused, and motivated. The marketing field is high energy, so you literally can’t afford to get down on yourself. One way to stay on track is to listen to the success stories of others in the marketing field. When I observe the hard work others have put in, I realize that I have to put in just as much or even more work to attain new heights of success. Ok, that was my quick speech. I just want to make sure you continue believing in your dreams. Here is an insightful podcast about Consumer-Centric Marketing. I think we’ve reached the point where this brand of marketing can no longer be simply labeled as a trend. The consumer-centric perspective largely defines the cultural landscape and drives the marketplace. Enjoy the podcast.
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