The Big Game is coming

By Kellie Lala

 

We all know how our nation loves Football.  From youngsters playing flag football in our parks to metro high school teams on Friday nights to the big bruts we watch on our big screens, it is a huge part of the Fall season.   

Whether you are a NFL football fan or not, the Super Bowl is fun to watch even if it is just for the commercials.  Both men and women can enjoy the chips and dips on a snowy winter Sunday afternoon while watching the final big game of the NFL season.  I was reminded recently by Broadcast attorney David Oxenford that the phrase “Super Bowl” is a registered tradmark, which has belonged to the NFL since 1969, and the League has been aggressively been enforcing its rights on this.  When you are promoting or advertising for something Super Bowl related, it is recommended that you refer to it as “the big game” unless you are officially sanctioned.  Virtually everyone on the planet will know what you are talking about and if they don’t…do you really want  them anyway? 

Go Bears!  Oh wait, I have to wait for this Fall to roll around before yelling that phrase!

         

Book Report: Immunity to Change

 By Julie Hein

First of all, note that this a Harvard Business Press book.  They don’t usually publish books that we’re all captivated by.  Oprah will never pick one of theirs as her favorite.  They’re usually text-booky and high-brow. Even as a non-fiction/business book geek, I found this to be like eating my vegetables.  Good for me, but had to focus to get through it.

Immunity to Change, How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization, written by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey.  The basic premise is that an immune system is a great thing – it blocks out and deals with many toxins, bacteria and viruses that we encounter and stops them before they wreak havoc in our bodies.  But at the same time, that can block out things that we need as our bodies and the environment around us changes.  Immune systems are usually static, but what would be better is to have one that adapted and learned as new threats and opportunities arise.

The book goes through a process of mapping out your strengths and corresponding weaknesses (usually they’re related).  And then how to overcome the weaknesses.  One of the most interesting points is this:  what do you really want and what will you do to PREVENT yourself from getting it?  Then they have you do exercises to figure out why you sabotage yourself and make commitments on how to change that. 

We all say we’re committed to X – saving more money, eating better, exercising more, taking the business to the next level of success and profitability.  And then we sabotage ourselves to ensure that doesn’t ever happen.  Figuring out if there is a reason why we’re doing that, and then eliminating it is the key to making change happen.

Interesting stuff.  Just not something I’d read straight through on a plane.  It’s better eaten in small bites. 

First Quarter is Not the Time to Go Silent

By Glen Gardner
CEO Glen Gardner and Associates Multi-platform Marketing Consultants

In my marketing travels over the years I have heard many business owners
say, "I'm going to back-off on my marketing for first quarter." My
advice when asked is don't do it, unless you are strictly and
event-driven business and that event is a late year affair.
There are a lot of reasons to keep your marketing message active in
first quarter. Your competition is probably backing off and that means
your dollars are more effective in the battle for mind share. That means
you can make more progress in a less crowded environment in achieving
TOMA (Top of Mind Awareness).

The minds of your potential customers are still open for business,
despite what page of the calendar is active. Even if their buying
patterns are at low ebb, they are still processing information and
filing away your branding message for future use.
It's always important to remember that the larger market is always the
one that isn't "hot." The larger pool of potential customers is always
the pool that doesn't need your product or service now, but will in the
future. Your branding program is just as important in January as it is
in July. That large potential pool of customers is still consuming media
at roughly the rate through the year.

Even if "hot" business is reduced in January, it doesn't mean no one is
buying. There is always activity in the marketplace, even in a down
market. Why not take the opportunity to increase your market share while
others pull back? By cornering more of the market, you stand to make
larger profits when more consumers are active because you've increased
your piece of the total universe.

Don't fear first quarter, go out and take your unfair share of the pie. It will cost less and be more effective.

Single Minded Sense of Purpose

By Jeff Taylor 

 

Last May, I had the honor of attending my father-in-law’s 60^th class reunion at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Nestled along the Hudson, the campus was beautiful with its stunning stone buildings and views of the river.  Both my boys love athletics and were amazed by the sports facilities.  From the number of baseball fields, track facilities to the indoor football field it was apparent that for athletes this place was a training heaven.  However, what impressed me most was the single minded sense of purpose with which they tackled goals.

The most obvious example of this single minded sense of purpose is their goal to beat the Navy in the annual Army vs. Navy football game.  As you enter the base you pass one of the outdoor football fields, on the roof (in letters large enough to see from the air) is written “Beat Navy.”  As we visited varied buildings, I noticed “Beat Navy” signs everywhere.   I heard a number of speeches and attended a few business meetings – every one of these events ended with “Go Army, Beat Navy.”

For an Army cadet, this intensified focus teaches how to zero in on a goal and simply do everything possible to accomplish it.  While on the long car ride back to Iowa, this got me thinking about the power of this approach from a business perspective.

As you look at your business, have you identified what you want to be known for and made it a mission to make sure that this goal is constantly reinforced with your employees and customers?  Do you have this goal posted in your store or office?  On your website, do you explain what you want to be known for, how this makes you unique and what this means to your customer?  Once you believe you have achieved your goal, talk with your team regularly about how you can do it better.  Make the mission apparent in every aspect of your culture and marketing and you will be surprised at the results.

From a personal prospective, think about your goal for the business this year.  Do you have a clearly defined goal?  What do you do to keep this goal in front of you every day?  Do you measure all your activities against how this will help achieve the goal? Have you given yourself the tools to achieve the goal and more importantly have you mentally committed to doing whatever it takes to over achieve?