By Julie Hein, General Manager

Speak.
Slowly.

Whether it's in advertising to the world or communicating internally in your organization (or maybe even to your kids?), you're probably talking to fast.  It takes a while for things to sink in--but it's hard to respect that because you already understand the message.  You've already moved on, and you just want to put a checkmark next to something.  Well, I do at least.

But.  Slow. Down.  It helps.  There is enough chaos in the world.  Take the time to deliberately and convincingly share your message.  No check mark until you know it is received and understood well enough for others to act on it.

 

Good news for the Mom and Pop's

By Chris Law

Local retailers in the corridor might have something to cheer about this year.  According to this article in USA Today 4 in 10 local retailers reported stronger sales this year compared to last year.  The article also talks about ways local business can stand out and differentiate themselves from the national chains.  They key?  Maximize customer relationships and focus on what makes you different than the big box stores, not what makes you the same.

Black Friday Scam?

By Glen Gardner

CEO Glen Gardner and Associates/

Marketing consultant Z102.9 and 1600 ESPN
Any minute now, people will start pitching tents outside of big box
stores in an effort to save money, but they are operating under the
false premise that the Black Friday deals advertised are actually
in-stock in great numbers.

In my opinion, Black Friday has become more of a lottery or game of
chance, rather than a sale. If you read the fine-print in many of the
ads, the merchant has the right to limit quantities. Alright, they
should have the right because, in reality, quantities are always
limited. The problem is in some cases that number is as low as one or
two items per location. I wonder if the majority of people camped out in
front of Box-o-rama know that. Their chances of getting what they are
looking for probably aren't much better than the lottery in some cases.
Another trick that gets pulled-out of the big box retail hat this time
of the year is offering items that appear to be a great deal, but
aren't. In some cases they have contracted with brand-name suppliers to
produce a product that is cheaper than the standard product, but looks
identical. This is quite common in the electronics world. Potential
Black Friday electronics shoppers need to check the serial numbers and
item numbers carefully if they are comparison shopping. In some cases
the items are cheaper because features have been eliminated and specs
have been lowered.

As always, let the buyer beware and perhaps it's a better idea to shop
value rather than price. In most cases you really do get exactly what
you pay for and if it appears to be too good to be true, it probably is.
So rather than pitching a tent Thanksgiving night, go buy a lottery
ticket. They are both games of chance, but the lottery payoff is
potentially a lot bigger!
Happy holidays.

Gift giving season is right around the corner!

By Kellie Lala

Overall, holiday retail sales are expected to show a slight increase this year according to the National Retail Federation.  If you are a retailer hoping to gain a piece of that pie (hope its pumpkin), what have you done to put your best foot forward?  Have you planned specific events?  Special promotions?  Ramped up your advertising spending?  According to a recent USA Today article (11/14/11), small mom and pop like shops can try some of these tactics to lure in those precious dollars:

*Focus on personal service

*Playing up your community impact

*Tap into social media

*Share your green practices

*Offer localized merchandise

What can you do to set yourself apart?  Many smaller retailers typically lack the resources of their larger competitors.  They don’t have that edge on bulk orders, prime locations or huge marketing budgets.  But there are many ways to gain customer loyalty with any advertising budget you have with the right schedule and targeted message.  What will you be telling the shoppers this holiday season!  Falalalalalalala! 

Veterans Day

By Kellie Lala

Veterans Day is this Friday-11/11/11.  Some national companies are using cause marketing campaigns in support of the U.S. troops.  Heinz Ketchup has started to distribute specially marked 20 oz. bottles of our favorite ketchup to participating restaurants.  These specially marked bottles say “Our turn to serve” along with a QR code on the back which, when scanned with a smartphone, enables consumers to compose thank you notes to our veterans.  Through a partnership with the USO, Heinz will send a thank you postcard to a veteran or active military service member.  You can learn more about this program at the Heinz Ketchup Facebook page.  What a great way to show support to our past and present military.   This year I think the date is special-11/11/11-but I would like for all  of us to reflect on what this day means to all Americans. Will you join me in doing just that? 

God Bless America.