Marketing Lessons From a Good Bottle of Wine

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I look for good marketing no matter where I happen to be.  The other day I heard someone on the radio talking about wine bottles and the marketing connection.  That definitely got my attention as wine labels have so little room for copy that a number of marketing strategies must be at play to influence a purchase.
So what sells wine?  I think there are a few things that move someone through a purchase decision process in the wine market.  I’m no wine expert and quite honestly know little about “good wine” but can certainly tell you what marketing strategies encourage consumers to make that buying decision.

The label.
Okay, so we all know that the label is important.  The color, the shape, the imagery.  All of these components have an impact on purchase decisions.  Each color used gives a hint to what consumers might find in the bottle.  Are the colors harsh?  Do they say, “I’m bitter” or are the colors unique and creative, giving potential buyers a sense of newness and being different?

The shape and size of the bottle. 
The size of the bottle and overall packaging gives a good deal of information about what you might find inside as well.  Is the bottle traditional in shape?  Is is tall or short?  Each of these nuances must be congruent with other marketing factors to create a story worthy of pursuit.

The price. 
Much like a Cadillac, many people buy on price.  Why?  Because price can give you an understanding of value.  Two wines side by side.  They look similar and are of the same size.  However, one has a price of $8.99 and the other $24.95.  Which one is better?  Price may give you the impression that the second, more expensive bottle is “better”… but is it really?

Recommendation.  Does the wine fit the occasion? Has it been recommended by someone in the store or someone you know who told you that you had to try that particular brand, vintage, etc.?  In the wine game, recommendations are a critical aspect of the purchase.

So there you have it.  Some factors that influence wine purchasing.  Are you a wine connoisseur?  If you are, what influences your buying decision?  You may add in some additional factors like, “..all Napa Valley wines are good so this one must be good as well”.  This is the final aspect of buying wine (and similar products) and that is your personal experience.  Nothing can replace experience as a driving factor in making buying decisions. 

The next time you’re in the market for a bottle of wine, notice what drives your purchase. Enjoy and bottoms up!!!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

Marketing Lessons From A Cereal Box…

This morning I took a few minutes to read the cereal box sitting on the table in front of me. Although I’m an eggs and toast kind of guy, a good bowl of cereal hits the spot now and again. After reading the promotional copy before me, I realized just how good it was from a marketing perspective – Concise, meaningful, and relevant!  It’s amazing what you can find on a cereal box!

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Maybe it’s time you took a look at your web site or print copy

When I was in grad school, I spent a lot of time learning about direct marketing and what separates good copy from bad.  As an author, I often struggle with the written word as writing a book (SEO Made Simple) is different than writing a direct mail piece or even website copy.  I learned a lesson a long time ago that came back to me while I was reading my box of Rice Krispies.  When writing copy, ask yourself “who cares?” after each sentence you write.

That’s right, “who cares?”  After writing each line of copy, I was taught to ask the question who cares?  If you actually try this exercise you’ll find that a number of your sentences are without personalization, are too vague, or simply hold no value for the reader.  After writing each line of copy ask “who cares?”  If you can answer using the copy just written, you’re on your way to more effective copy writing.

WIFFM


The other aspect of marketing copy that makes a real difference is the old acronym of “What’s in it for me?”  Is your copy directed at your audience?  I was at a sales meeting this past week and presented to three similar groups. However, each group had their area of specialty and focus.  When asked to present to each group, I found myself asking, “Why should they care about the information I’m presenting?”.  When I realized that the presentation wasn’t ideal for groups 2 and 3, I found myself up late one night making changes to the presentation.

If what you have to say isn’t relevant, it will be ignored.  Your copy needs to reflect the mindset and focus of your target audience. It’s best to get feedback from those you’re targeting and continually work to improve your understanding of their needs, environment, and ultimately the messages they resonate with.

What You’ll Discover On Your Cereal Box
 

The next time you read your cereal box, you’ll discover that with very limited space, and few words, good copywriters make you feel the value and benefit of what you have in your cereal bowl.  I’ve learned over the years that great copywriting is hard to find.  Bu then again, I never really stopped to read my cereal box.  I suppose great copywriting was there all along.  Enjoy your breakfast!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

This Is Getting Personal…

I just read a great comment from someone about personalized messaging. As you know, I’m a big proponent of GETTING PERSONAL. When communicating to your prospects, how personal are you getting?

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Now you might say that you deliver very personalized communication. This could be in the form of emails or direct marketing pieces that address your customers or prospects by name. But in today’s marketing environment, you need to do better. Addressing someone by name is simply a starting point. If you want to be effective, go deeper.

A great example is a recent communication I received from the college I graduated from. I could tell from the envelope and wasn’t at all disappointed when I ripped it open. “Dear former student” it read. Come on! They didn’t even have the decency to call me by my name. So of course, it went immediately into the trash. But it got me thinking…

Here is an establishment that knows a lot about me: my name, birthday, the courses I took in school, my fraternity, how many on campus parking tickets I got, etc. Yet they have failed to leverage that information from the perspective of getting my attention or giving me a reason to support their cause – very disappointing.
As a marketing person, I pride myself on not only gathering information about prospects and customers, but using that information to create a meaningful experience for them. If the letter addressed me by name and referenced personal information, it would dramatically improve my interest. “Dear Michael, we know it’s been X amount of years since you graduated, but a lot has changed. The marketing program here has been expanded…” OK. Now you’ve got my attention.

Personalization is your friend. Even if you’re sending thousands of emails or direct marketing pieces out to your audience, make it personal. Not only should you be using the information you’ve collected, but focusing on messaging that addresses the fundamental needs of your prospects. We’ll discuss more advanced messaging strategies in later posts, but for now, remember to get personal!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

Marketing In The Year 2010

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This new year, I couldn’t help but ask myself the question, “How is marketing going to be different this year?” I mean, every year pretty much starts out the same but something is bound to happen to jazz things up. Do not call lists, do not fax lists, Twitter. The reality is that anything can happen!
Here are just a few of my predictions for the new year. I probably should consult with the Popcorn report or something that is based on legitimate research, but here’s what I think the new year will bring.
1. New social media. Marketers have been struggling to make social media work from a marketing perspective. Even if I have a thousand “Fans” or ten thousand “Followers”, what does it really mean? Not only will marketers do a better job of utilizing social media to market their products, but I believe we’ll see new innovation in this area as well.
2. Mobile marketing. The concept of mobile marketing has been around for a long time. But with last year’s introduction of cell phones that have full browser capabilities, everyone is connected all the time. This spells opportunity in the area of mobile marketing and real time promotions. I’m not sure what it will look like by year’s end but I do know that it will be a focus in 2010.
3. An emphasis on organic search. As Google becomes even more dominant (maybe the government will step in this year) and pay-per-click costs continue to escalate, companies will be spending more of their marketing dollars on organic search and proper web design. Having to depend on PPC marketing to generate revenue is still a key ingredient in everyone’s marketing budget but so will search engine optimization.
4. Analytics are king. This year, even marketers who have resisted adopting the latest and greatest analytics will succumb. As a mentor once told me, “In God we trust, all others bring data.” We have access to more information than ever before and with free analytic programs like Google Analytics, there’s no longer an excuse for being unable to identify your best lead sources.
5. More for less. Consumers are going to continue wanting more for less. As a result, marketers must focus on perceived value. Although the tendency may be to discount early and often, creating lasting value is what consumers want and will respond to.
2010 is going to be a great ride. Just like last year, marketers will continue to evolve their methods and effectiveness. We have more tools at our disposal than ever before and the prospects for a happy new year look very, very good!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

Today’s Marketing Topic: PR

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That’s right, today we’re talking about public relations. It’s amazing to me how little marketing professionals and small business owners know about PR. In fact, PR is largely becoming one of the most ignored marketing disciplines. When speaking about PR to one of my marketing buddies he said, “no one reads anymore.. so PR is basically dead!”
Honestly, I pretty much laughed in his face. “Dead! PR? You’ve got to be kidding!” I said. The reality is that today’s news, social media, and email are all a forms of PR. Sure, I agree that the traditional practice of “getting ink” is old school, but the concept of pushing out a message or creating interest in what you have to offer is just GOOD MARKETING.

Using PR Today

I recently listened to a talk from Tim Ferris, the author of the popular book “The 4-Hour Work Week”. Tim went from being unknown to one of today’s most recognized authors in a very short time. How did he do it? You guessed it, PR. However, Tim’s public relations approach was slightly different than the norm.

He contacted influencers within his area of expertise and let them know about his book. Even a slight mention from market leaders like, “.. taking a trip. Picked up a copy of ‘The 4-hour Work Week’..” had a ripple effect that has grown into a phenomenon. In about a week, Tim’s book went form nowhere to the New York Times best seller list.

If You Think PR Is Dead, Think Again

So if you’re not Tim Ferris and you’re not well connected, can PR still work for you? My answer is still yes, you just need to think about it differently. Whether your are targeting bloggers, Tweeters with a huge Twitter list, or other social media, public relations is about distributing your message for others to hear.

If you’ve done a Google search lately you’ll notice the press releases are gaining exposure in search results. This is one of the ways that a well distributed message can appear before prospects and buyers. The next time you do a search check out your results list. You’ll notice quite a few listing from PR and other media outlets.

Don’t Lose Sight Of Public Relations

Whether you have a robust PR program or are just starting out, learn what you can about public relations. Anytime you want others talking about your product, services, or brand, think PR. Begin with media releases, talking to bloggers, and even reaching out to traditional media outlets.

Think new media too. Video and image are integrated into more and more PR efforts than ever before. Use everything at your disposal to communicate effectively with your audience. PR is far from dead!!!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

The 30 Day Marketing Challenge: Game On!

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This may appear to be my most ridiculous Marketing Blog post of all time, but in just a few short minutes you’ll discover how this Internet marketing challenge has everything to do with marketing and little if anything to do with how to get rid of abdominal fat.

A number of weeks ago I was doing a Webinar on how to drive traffic to your web site or blog for little or no money. After the webinar I received a number of marketing related questions via email from seminar participants. I was pleasantly surprise when Internet marketing legend and guru Greg Cesar connected with me. Greg is not only a marketing genius, but he’s also a great guy.
We got to talking and Greg gave me a challenge that was too good to give up. He asked, “How quickly do you think you can get a web site ranked #1?” Without giving it much thought I responded, “..about 30 days”. And from that simple question the 30 Day Challenge was born.
What This Has To Do With Getting Rid of Abdominal Fat
Okay, so when a guy like Greg challenges someone like me to a seemingly impossible task, you’ve got to be on your toes. And honestly, other than getting on an exercise machine, working out with an exercise ball, or doing some jogging, my knowledge of six pack abdominals is pretty limited. However, I decided to find an affiliate product to promote and work with over the next month or two and discovered the popular ebook called Truth About Abs.
After conducting some basic keyword research using the Google AdWords tool I landed on the keyword phrase,”get rid of abdominal fat.” The keyword gets over 1,300 monthly searches and, believe it or not, the URL wasn’t taken. I couldn’t believe it either given the fact that exercise and abdominal information is very popular. I bought the domain and started the 30 day challenge to get the site ranked on top for my chosen keyword.
I’m in the process of documenting and recording all of the steps that I’m using to achieve my goal.  When finished, I plan to post the video here and show you step-by-step how I did the research, focused on the exercise niche, chose the abdominal product, selected the keyword phrase “get rid of abdominal fat”, and optimized the site for search engines.  I
Now you can see that while the rest of the world is thinking about the holidays, I’m thinking about losing belly fat – I know, an odd thing. But I guess that’s what makes marketers like me so strange. Happy holidays!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

Get Rid of Abdominal Fat and Become a Marketing Legend!

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This may appear to be my most ridiculous Marketing Blog post of all time, but in just a few short minutes you’ll discover how this Internet marketing challenge has everything to do with marketing and little if anything to do with how to get rid of abdominal fat.

A number of weeks ago I was doing a Webinar on how to drive traffic to your web site or blog for little or no money. After the webinar I received a number of marketing related questions via email from seminar participants. I was pleasantly surprise when Internet marketing legend and guru Greg Cesar connected with me. Greg is not only a marketing genius, but he’s also a great guy.
We got to talking and Greg gave me a challenge that was too good to give up. He asked, “How quickly do you think you can get a web site ranked #1?” Without giving it much thought I responded, “..about 30 days”. And from that simple question the 30 Day Challenge was born.
What This Has To Do With Getting Rid of Abdominal Fat
Okay, so when a guy like Greg challenges someone like me to a seemingly impossible task, you’ve got to be on your toes. And honestly, other than getting on an exercise machine, working out with an exercise ball, or doing some jogging, my knowledge of six pack abdominals is pretty limited. However, I decided to find an affiliate product to promote and work with over the next month or two and discovered the popular ebook called Truth About Abs.
After conducting some basic keyword research using the Google AdWords tool I landed on the keyword phrase,”get rid of abdominal fat.” The keyword gets over 1,300 monthly searches and, believe it or not, the URL wasn’t taken. I couldn’t believe it either given the fact that exercise and abdominal information is very popular. I bought the domain and started the 30 day challenge to get the site ranked on top for my chosen keyword.
I’m in the process of documenting and recording all of the steps that I’m using to achieve my goal.  When finished, I plan to post the video here and show you step-by-step how I did the research, focused on the exercise niche, chose the abdominal product, selected the keyword phrase “get rid of abdominal fat”, and optimized the site for search engines.  I
Now you can see that while the rest of the world is thinking about the holidays, I’m thinking about losing belly fat – I know, an odd thing. But I guess that’s what makes marketers like me so strange. Happy holidays!

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

Add Integrated Marketing To Your Marketing Mix

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The combination of online marketing and offline marketing can give you a real bang for your buck. It’s pretty common today to find companies running well integrated marketing campaigns that include online advertising like PPC with offline campaigns. This combination is ideal for anyone who is building their brand and driving leads for a particular product or service.

Getting Started With Integrated Marketing
Perhaps you’re running marketing campaigns across multiple media. Even if you’re using something as simple as the Yellow Pages from a print perspective, there’s usually a corresponding form of online marketing that can enhance results.
One of the easiest ways to take advantage of an integrated campaign is use direct mail with a corresponding landing page. For example, I recently worked with a local retailer who was trying to bring more people into their store during the holiday season. My recommendation was to mail out post cards to past customers and nearby prospects that contained an offer.
The post card contained a special offer on select merchandise available in the store. To get a full list of applicable products that could be purchased during the promotional period, users were given a URL to a specially designed landing page. They could print a special coupon by visiting the URL included on the postcard. The web page included additional merchandise, specific information about the promotion, and an opportunity to sign up for special offers. This resulted in a number of outcomes including increased foot traffic and a list of emails that could be used for promotional purposes.
Start Small and Build From There
Creating an integrated marketing program is not an easy thing. All aspects of your campaign need to be well planned and tracked. Often times I see companies working towards integrated marketing only to give it an effort that is partially thought through. When asking consumers to go from an off line piece of marketing (an ad, a post card, a brochure) to an online information or offer, marketers are wise for focus on their audience and product or service benefits.
The best thing you can do is to start with a small campaign. Perhaps your campaign is similar to the retail example above. Or, perhaps you start with a special offer that is communicated via a flyer or newspaper ad. Your landing page needs to be designed with the specific offer in mind. Driving individuals to your home page is a waste of money.
Integrated marketing is only successful is you are relevant. Your messaging must be consistent both online and off. In addition, the look and feel of your offer and landing page should be as consistent as possible. This improves the user experience and enhances conversion rates. When beginning with a small campaign, it’s easier to get the details right and see success.
Split Test and Tracking
Whether you’re running a traditional print campaign or an online marketing program, it’s best to be in a mode of continual testing. Start with a split test. Change your headline, experiment with a different offer, or change your copy. Regardless of which element you choose, split testing sets you up for future winning campaigns.
Track your results using basic web tracking like Google Analytics. To make the most of your integrated campaign, you’ll need a way to track whether your web visitors arrived directly from your promotion. By driving users to a specific URL identified in your direct marketing piece or ad, you’ll be able to measure web traffic. Additionally, require a special promotional code to be entered on your order form. In combination, you’ll have a number of data points that provide valuable information about your promotion.
Integrated marketing can work extremely well if your concept is simple and well executed. Start with a well thought through plan that is easily implemented. The effectiveness of any direct campaign is largely based on the offer and you’re list. Creative has less impact on the overall success of your campaign. So get started and be sure to test your campaign, comparing it to the effectiveness of your other marketing initiatives. You may find that integrated marketing has a better result than other forms of marketing on their own.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

Why Gen-Y Is Going To Win The Branding War

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When Michael invited me to write a post on his site, I wanted to talk about some of the changes that are happening online and the speed in which everything is moving. As an outspoken member of Gen-Y (you know the Under 30 crowd), we are experiencing this change and adapting quicker than ever. 

The Million Dollar Mint

Take a look at young entrepreneurs like Aaron Patzer of Mint.com who recently sold out to Intuit, maker of finance products like Quicken and Quickbooks. Aaron saw a gap in the way personal finance was being handled and created a solution. A good solution. And he did it fast. He did it using technologies like the iPhone, where the Mint.com app is regularly in the top 10 free finance apps. He did it by using customer service through Twitter. And the older generation had to play catch up, or rather buy out the fast kid with the great ideas.
Next on the list are heavy hitters like Matt Mullenweg, creator of Wordpress. This young gun changed the way many people develop websites, manage content and keep clients, fans and web browsers up to date on happenings in the world of the content creator. Next to him is Mark Zuckerberg, king of social networking after besting Myspace sometime last year.

These young people understand the information age in which we live, where information is extremely valuable and the price tag on data jumps significantly higher than the $15 for a CD or $20 for a DVD model that is slowing fading away and crushing long standing business models.

Gen-Y Speed Branding

With the increased speed in building a brand, the way in which people find you in more important than ever. There is no better way to be found, both cost effectively and conversion wise than from the Google. I say the Google, because they have more than transformed the way the web works. From simple searches back in the early 2000’s to buying video sites, serving more ad dollars than any company on the planet and having more access to data than the government (opinion, but I really do believe it).

Young people have found that being on Google’s good side can bring more than traffic to their website. Through topics like personal branding, college grads are starting to make a name for themselves that will have employers calling them before the ink dries on their diploma, getting clients without much work experience and having the opportunity to network with people all over the world, due to niche writing, blogging and having a case of the “curious.”


The Internet has been around for nearly the entire lifespan of younger Gen-Y’s and mobile technologies are in more hands than anyone could have ever imagined, to the tune of 4-1 over internet enable computers.


How To Rock Google In The Branding Space

Get a great domain name. With the availability of vanity names (facebook.com/yourbrand. twitter.com/yourbrand), it is more important than ever to have a home base that you control. Buy a domain and send all your traffic there. Build it as a home for recent articles, your products and services and use it to build your brand, your email list and RSS subscribers.

Grab up the vanity URL’s.
If you want to own a brand name, than you really need to own it. After you grab a rocking domain, go and signup for the popular social networks and start getting active. This includes YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Brazen Careerist (the latter for the Gen-Y crowd). By getting active on these platforms, you will build a fanbase, great links back to home base and start to dominate the top page in Goolge.

Create killer content. The last step is to get out there and create great content that people are going to want to share, link to and tell their friends about. This should include videos, audios (Podcasts), reports, presentations, images and blog posts. Share them with your followers, your customers, your mailing list and anywhere else that people would find value. Good content spreads. Good content is found by search engines and good content can make your brand stand out!

Your brands can compete with Gen-Y! The challenge is to get out there and outperform us. Work harder. Work smarter. Then cash out for $170 million to an older, slower company like Aaron from Mint. Not a bad exit strategy, huh?


This post was written by Greg Rollett. Join the Rock Star Business Series to learn more about branding yourself or your business. Greg blogs about lifestyle design.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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This holiday season, everyone is looking for a bargain.  Or at least it seems like discounts are driving the economic train.  From a marketing perspective, nothing is more frightening than an endless loop of discounting.  Take stores like Bed, Bath, & Beyond.  Chances are that you’ve been hit with more than one of their 20% discount coupons.  What if all the coupons were to stop?  You might consider going to their competition.  This is largely because you’ve been conditioned to shop at that store using a coupon.

What’s the alternative?
I’m often asked, “What is the alternative to discounting?”  I think the more important question is, “How can I create more value?”  By creating more value for your prospects, and ultimately your customers, price becomes less significant.  For example, let’s take store A.  Store A is offering a 20% discount on a towel set.  These towels are available at just about any kitchen or bath store and even the big box retailers.  Store B decides they want to move quantities of the towel set as well.  But instead of discounting, they bring in an interior decorator to give a free “color match” seminar titled, “How to choose the right towels that make your home look like an expensive spa retreat!”
Assuming that Store A and Store B spend the same on advertising to promote their offers, store B will likely attract a similar quantity of prospects and may even have a higher percentage of sales.  Regardless, they are building a pattern of value versus a pattern of consistent discounting.  The endless loop of discounting is just that, endless – reducing margins and increasing prices.  Very few retailers or online service providers can sustain the discounting tactic. 
Think of ways to provide value to your audience.  Yes, some people are solely motivated by a discount, but these aren’t the types of customers you truly want.  Customers who see the value in what you’re offering and are willing to buy without added motivation become loyal repeat purchasers and advocates for your product, service, or store.  Get creative, experiment with new and different ways to create value for your customers.  The result will be long term customers who help you grow your business.

Source: Michael Fleischner – Marketing Expert

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