Categories
Branding

Marketing Rehab

amy%20winehouse%20pix.jpgBritish singing sensation Amy Winehouse may be the best musical marketing story since Madonna. In case you weren’t paying attention to the music scene – or to the tabloids – over the last year or so, Amy Winehouse is the 24-year old singer, songwriter, (and the latest celebrity train wreck) who sings the hit “Rehab.”
If you’ve heard her sing, you’d know her distinctive style in an instant. And if you’ve ever seen the singer, I guarantee you’ll never forget her. Covered in tattoos, with heavy eye-makeup and her trademark beehive hairdo, Winehouse is impossible to miss.
Sadly, her enormous critical acclaim and six Grammy nominations have been overshadowed by her public self-destruction and reckless drug and alcohol abuse. She’s a favorite target of the tabloids and is right up there with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan when it comes to personal train wrecks. In fact, People magazine calls her “a perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control.” Amy Winehouse makes Janis Joplin look like a saint. Let’s just hope she doesn’t share Joplin’s fate.
What’s any of this got to do with marketing, you ask? Consider the fact that in the cutthroat music industry, the chances of stardom are one in a gazillion. And when someone bursts on to the music scene like Amy Winehouse, you have to sit up and take notice. Her unique, soulful singing style, her distinctive looks and, yes, even her wacky behavior, create a remarkable brand identity. In “Sethspeak,” Winehouse is a purple cow in a huge herd of me-too musical cattle.
Sure, she’s immensely talented, but so are thousands of other performers. What makes Amy Winehouse stand out is that she’s so… Amy Winehouse! She’s carved out an unforgettable image and an unmistakable identity. Unfortunately, her personal turmoil is now part of that image but, if it doesn’t kill her, it definitely keeps her in the news.
Minus the drama, marketers should learn from Amy Winehouse. I’m not suggesting that you don a beehive wig or run out and make a drunken spectacle of yourself. But you do need to develop a brand. You need to be distinctive. And you need to decide what you stand for. Does Amy Winehouse stand out in a crowd? There’s little doubt about that. But do you? If not, what can you do to grab your share of the spotlight? (Preferably, without breaking any laws!) What can you do to make sure that you’re not singing the same tune as your competitors? Think about it, then go forth and build your brand!

LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
Branding

Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Marketing Bucks

marketing.jpgIt’s a dilemma that most small businesses and startups face: You must market and advertise, but you’re strapped for cash. Fortunately, ideas, energy and imagination can make up for meager marketing budgets. Whether you’re an established company or a nascent business, the marketing formula is the same. You’ll need to start with:
1. The right message
2. To the right audience
3. At the right time
Here are a few ideas for stretching your marketing budget:
Maximize Internet marketing opportunities
The Web has opened up a world of low-cost marketing opportunities, from email and e-newsletters to blogs and podcasts. Also, consider search engine marketing and programs like Googll Ad Words, which charges on a pay-per-click basis.
Ideas and Resources: If you want to send an e-newsletter or conduct a low-cost email marketing campaign, try ConstantContact.com (as low as $15 per month). To build a list of prospects, sign up visitors to your Web site (a no-brainer) by offering a gift (a short report, 10 tips from an expert, or something humorous) or rent a targeted email list at Postmaster Direct.
Seek publicity
Send out press releases and look for “hooks” to get your company covered in print or on TV or radio. Also, make the most of trade showsby speaking on industry panels to position yourself as an expert in your field. (Speakers and panelists at trade shows often receive free registration.)
Ideas and Resources: PR Newswire.com details the components of a press release and offers other tools for publicizing your business. MarketingSherpa.com also features many publicity tips.
Adopt Guerrilla Marketing techniques
Guerilla Marketing is described as “a proven method of achieving profits with minimum money.” After 14 million books in 41 languages, Jay Conrad Levinson’s low-cost tactics are still going strong. Some of his tried and true tips include writing a column for your local paper, sending “off-season” cards (instead of holiday cards), and even slipping your business cards into relevant books at the bookstore or library.
Ideas and Resources Learn more about Guerrilla Marketing at www.gmarketing.com.
Harness the power of Word of Mouth marketing
Word of mouth, or buzz marketing, has been generating buzz of its own as a powerful and inexpensive marketing discipline. Create your own customer evangelists and let them spread the good word.
Ideas and Resources: Visit Bravenet.com to add a free “tell-a-friend” tool to your Web site, e-newsletter, or emails, or try the low-cost Tell-a-Friend Wizard. For more ideas on how to generate buzz, visit www.womma.org, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.
Consider low-cost, “do-it-yourself” media options
Before you invest in an elaborate direct mail campaign, consider sending less expensive mail such as postcards or birthday cards to clients. Piggybacking on existing community promotions such as participating in town days, and developing loyalty or frequent-buyer programs are other “frugal” methods.
Ideas and Resources: Try a low-cost postcard service such as Modern Postcards.com. Your business can join an existing loyalty program such as MyPoints.com or establish a custom loyalty program with companies such as Maritz. Find dozens of frugal marketing tips at FrugalMarketing.com.
Additional Tips & Tactics:
* In a world of spam and impersonal emails, try sending personal, hand-written notes.
* Find a related but non-competitive partner and join forces to share marketing efforts.
* Do “grassroots” marketing research by talking to your customers one-on-one.
* Join newsgroups and online discussion groups to position yourself as an expert.

LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
How-To Guides

Star Power: How to Hire a Celebrity Spokesperson

celebrity_endorsement.jpgCelebrity endorsements are a staple in advertising, with more than 20 percent of all ads today featuring a famous face, voice or likeness. Even smaller businesses are using celebrity spokespersons. The reason is simple: Celebrities sell. Consumers pay attention to celebrities because they are attracted to the familiar. But celebrities don’t have to be major national names. Local and regional “celebrities” can also help pitch a marketing message for your small business. Three ways your business can use a celebrity spokesperson are:

1. Advertising: Celebrities can pitch your product via print, television, radio and even online

2. Appearances and events: Celebrities can make personal appearances for your business at events ranging from charity fund-raisers to grand openings.

3. Media opportunities: your spokesperson can speak on your behalf on TV talk shows or at press conferences, trade shows or other media events.

Here’s the 411 on getting some star power:

Define your objectives

Determine what you expect from your partnership with your spokesperson and how to best use their talents. Clarify your needs and expectations from the get-go.
Links and resources: Brooks International and Burns are two agencies that specialize in booking celebrity and sports talent. These talent brokers can help you assess your needs.

Find the right fit

It’s important that the spokesperson you hire is a good match for your product or service.
Links and resources: The Hollywood-Madison Group uses a proprietary database called the “Fame Index” to match businesses with appropriate talent. The Fame Index contains the names of 10,000 stars and uses 250 categories to match talent to businesses and products.

Plan well in advance

When deciding on a celebrity spokesperson for your business, start early. You should plan at least six months out. The bigger the name, the longer the lead time.
Links and resources: Celebrity Focus and The Celebrity Source are two talent agencies that can connect your company with talent and help you navigate the celebrity maze.

Consider the costs

Talent fees and celebrity endorsements run the gamut from a few hundred dollars for a single appearance by a local DJ to far more for a big star.
Links and resources: If you’re looking for major star power, you can go with Hollywood biggies like William Morris or PMK/HBH Public Relations. On a smaller scale, you can contact many local celebrities directly or through their management or their public relations agency.

Make contact

Talent agencies, entertainment marketing firms and even speakers bureaus can put you in touch with potential celebrity spokespeople. Contacting talent can be easier than you might think.
Links and resources: The Screen Actors Guild provides an actor-locator service. If you want a big-name author, call his or her publishing company and ask for the public relations department. A few have their own speakers bureaus: check out the speakers bureau at Harper Collins.

Here are a few other suggestions when hiring spokespersons:
• Don’t be afraid to ask. Maybe that certain superstar is not out of your reach or budget.
• Consider “B-List” stars who may be more available and less expensive.
• Local celebrities or athletes may turn out to be your best bet.
• Make sure you have an “out” clause in case your celebrity gets negative press or is involved in a scandal.

About the Author

LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
Networking

Connections that Count – Making Networking Events Pay Their Way

Networking-hands.jpg
Networking is booming at the moment with more organisations being formed every week. Many of us, however, attend networking events because someone says it is a good idea or we hope that we will meet someone of interest. Beyond that, few people have a clear vision of what success will look like for them.
More people now recognise that events will not be populated by people looking to buy their product (after all, how many people attend events with a view to buying?) and so, fortunately, the instances of being ‘pitched’ as soon as you shake hands seems to have diminished. However, this leaves a vacuum. If you can’t go to events to sell your services, how can you make them work?
Many speakers like me advise their audiences to ‘pursue the relationship, not the sale’. It is well and good to make more friends, but how can that help your business? One recent commentator on a blog I posted on Ecademy bemoaned that very problem, “People told me they had wanted to refer me for a long while, but since they didn’t really understand what I do (all they had was “some kind of techy”) they weren’t able to.”
The answer lies in being able to leverage the relationships you build. Through networking events you simply build contacts. The development of those contacts into relationships often takes place outside of the meetings, where you can really take the time to get to know each other and your respective business needs.
As relationships develop and people start to know, like and trust you, they will be more inclined to support and refer you. It is vital for you to continually educate this network about your needs, without ever thrusting those needs down their throats! Newsletters which offer valuable information (like this one), quick lines to tell them about something you’ve achieved and regular meetings all help to arm your connections with the information they need.
And always be on the lookout for them, passing them valuable tips and information and, where possible, quality introductions and referrals.
Networking events are a catalyst for new business. They should never be viewed as a pool of prospects enabling you to walk out with business signed.
AndyLopataPhoto.jpgAndy Lopata is one of the UK’s leading business networking strategists. He is the co-author of two books on the subject, including the Amazon UK bestseller ‘…and Death Came Third! The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public’. Andy offers a full consultancy service and works with companies to help them realise the full potential from their networking.

Categories
Branding

TV Advertising: Not Just for the Big Guys Anymore!

Producing a television ad can seem a daunting and expensive task. Fortunately, with today’s easy access to TV production tools, creating a TV spot is well within your reach. One caveat: While making a TV ad can be relatively easy, producing a GOOD one is much more challenging. Don’t get so caught up in the production process that you lose sight of your advertising objective – it’s not creative unless it sells! With your advertising message in mind, the three critical stages of video production are:
1. Pre-production – Planning, writing, scheduling, location scouting and all of the preparation and details before a frame of video is ever shot.
2. Production – The actual video shooting of the ad. Depending on your needs and budget, this could be anything from a one-camcorder shoot to a multi-camera Hollywood extravaganza. For this reason, it’s hard to generalize about how much a TV spot will cost.
3. Post-production – While on the shoot, you may hear the common refrain, “We’ll fix it in post.” Post is where everything comes together to produce the ad – editing, graphics, music, titles, voice over, special effects and, eventually, a “final cut.”
Here are 8 steps to producing your own television ad:
1. Set clear goals and a budget
Know and communicate your marketing objective. Determine your budget and develop a plan. What do you hope to achieve with your TV ad? Where, when and how frequently will it run?
Links and resources: Ad placement can affect your overall production budget. Consider low-cost options, such as cable or the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS. Or find your local cable provider in the CAB directory and contact the advertising sales division for rates.
2. Determine your target audience
Television is still a mass medium, but you’d better know your target before you shoot! Who are you trying to reach, and will your message resonate with your intended audience?
Links and resources: For a reasonable monthly fee, DemographicsNow.com offers access to comprehensive market data to help you understand your customers.
3. Write your script
Craft your message and determine your content. Be sure to refine your script and storyboard — a visual representation of each shot in your ad — until you’re convinced the commercial is ready to shoot. If you’re not a scriptwriter, consider hiring an ad agency or a freelance writer to craft your ad.
Links and resources: NationalTVSpots.com offers scripting services as part of its TV ad production packages. Find screen and scriptwriters at Guru.com.
4. Plan the shoot
You’ll need to decide on the “creative” for your TV ad. Considerations include tone, pacing, mood, style, music, etc. Should it be humorous? Dramatic? Animated? The clearer your vision before the shoot, the better television you’ll produce.
Links and resources: Cheap-TV-Spots.com, which specializes in producing low-cost spots for entrepreneurs and small businesses, will help you focus your TV ad on what makes your business unique. Spring for a full-service production firm, such as BluelinerMarketing.com, if you want professionals handling all the planning as well as the execution of your commercial.
5. Consider ready-made video
Cut production costs dramatically by using existing advertising video footage and simply adding your audio message to it.
Links and resources: For about $500, SpotRunner.com lets you choose from an extensive library of high-quality ads that you can customize with your own message.
6. Use cable production services
Many cable companies and network affiliates offer production services to small businesses. If you’re going to place your ads with them, you may be able to negotiate deep discounts on production costs.
Links and resources: Contact a local cable company, such as Time Warner Cable, to inquire about their production services.
7. DIY
Cut costs and maintain total control by shooting your ad yourself.
Links and resources: Software called “Visual Communicator” from Serious Magic allows you to create pro videos with just a Webcam and some pre-packaged graphics and effects.
8. Fix it in post
Post-production is “where the magic happens.” Edit the footage from your shoot, adding music, graphics, effects and finishing touches. If you hire a production company, they should handle this for you.
Links and resources: If you’re taking the DIY approach, use a simple program, such as Apple’s iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.