This Makes Us Happy--But We Already Believed it.

Posted by Julie Hein

Forbes is writing about AM/FM Radio in the car.  In general, Forbes folks are quite smart.

Read it here.

What You Say Matters/Funny Wins

By Glen Gardner/ CEO Glen Gardner and Associates

Every once in a while something happens that reinforces something I've been saying for a long time. Funny Wins! President Barack Obama proved the point this week when he appeared  on the Web talk show Between Two Ferns with comedian/actor Zach Galifianakis.

The problems with ACA and the government's web site have been well documented and discussed to death. The numbers of people using the site have been inching up, until this week. After the president appeared on the webcast, traffic to the site is up 40%. The president delivered a serious message, but there was great entertainment value in that message and it was very funny.

The reason I say funny wins is because funny is easier to remember and stickier than serious. Just think back to the entertainment that you have consumed over your lifetime. Generally it's the funny stuff that sticks. People I'm friends with can quote full scenes from Animal House and Stripes, but would have a hard time coming up with dialog from Terms of Endearment. Wonderful gripping entertainment, just not funny.

When you are thinking about your message, think funny. Not just funny for funny sake, but funny that sells and aids recall.

Funny wins.

Monday Inspiration

Inspiring famous words from Edgar Albert Guest.  Also was used as a backdrop for a 2013 Audi commercial. 

 

Watch it here.

 

Now let’s all go make a difference.

 

   It Couldn’t Be Done

By Edgar Albert Guest 1881–1959

 

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done

But he with a chuckle replied

That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one

Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin

On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it!

 

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;

At least no one ever has done it;”

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat

And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

 

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

There are thousands to prophesy failure,

There are thousands to point out to you one by one,

The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,

Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing

That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Really Open for Business?

By Glen Gardner/CEO Glen Gardner and Associates

The other day I was cruising down the road and happened to get stopped at a light in front of a store. That store had one of those clocks on the door that said, "We are closed, but we'll return at 9AM." The more I thought about that common sign that we all see on a daily basis, the more I thought about it being the equivalent of economic suicide in the year 2014.

There's not much if anything in that store or any other that I can't find on Amazon or Ebay and they are never closed. Perhaps you've seen the latest Amazon plan that anticipates what certain people will buy given their past habits and stock those items either at regional hubs or on the truck so that it can be delivered the same day.

Given that, I don't think I would ever advertise the fact that I'm closed. The expectation in this day and age is a 24-hour business cycle. That doesn't mean if you are are brick and mortar retailer or service provider your doors need to be open 24-7, but we need a new kind of "closed" sign. One that gives our web contact for more information NOW, perhaps a phone number that can be text-messaged or called and a promise that someone will get back to them within 15 minutes.

The consumer has now been effectively trained to get what they want now. If you can't give it to them, they will just go somewhere else where they can get it. This trend is not going away and as the target consumer gets younger and the older demos are forced to adopt technology, it will become more pronounced.

Encourage your customers to text you and answer emails right away, even if it's to offer a promise of a phone call in 30 minutes. If you don't, they will just go somewhere else.

The consumer expects you to always be there in some fashion, don't hang a clock on the door that could be a ticking time-bomb for you.

Does Brand Still Matter?

By Glen Gardner/CEO Glen Gardner and Associates

There are some that say branding isn't as important as it used to be. I've read articles that talk about the lack of brand loyalty, particularly with the younger demos.

 

There certainly is some truth to the notion that it's more difficult to cut through more clutter and more channels of communication to burn in a brand. The companies that do it well don't throw up their hands and give up. They make the brand relevant by always being new and different.

 

A company that does this very well is the Lego company. These plastic blocks that lock together to make stuff are about as low tech a toy as you can find, but have managed to stay relevant in the face of Xbox, IPad and whatever digital wonder comes next.

 

The point was driven home when I checked what had done well at the box office over the weekend. Again the Lego movie was number-one at forty-five million dollars. Not bad for a low tech toy that's been around the block a few times. I believe brand still does matter, but you have to work at staying relevant.

 

I don't see a Lincoln Log movie or Cabbage Patch TV show. Those brands did not do a good job of staying relevant. Do you?

Sticking with the Plan When Things Get Tough- It's the Formula for a Healthy Business

Call it the February fizzle.

 

The motivation to follow through on those New Year’s resolutions is waning.  The thought of battling -30 degree wind chills at 5 in the morning to sweat at the gym can no longer compete with the idea of hitting the snooze alarm.

 

Results are marginal at best, at this point-- and it is easy to question if all of the effort is worth it.

 

So often times, what happens to those morning workouts?  They stop.  Those six weeks of improvements are lost.  Right back to status quo. 

 

Effective branding is like anything else worth going after in life.  There is no magic pill.  It takes a plan, and then the discipline to follow through with the plan, even if things get uncomfortable.

 

Roy Williams,  one of the great minds in advertising, calls the first 6 to 13 weeks of any advertising campaign the chickening out period. 

 

Expect the first 90 days of any branding campaign to be difficult. 

 

Instead, commit to your plan over the course of a year, making adjustments along the way.  Every week you stick to that plan, you are making strides in the overall health of your business. 

 

After all, you wouldn’t expect to be in better physical shape, if you only worked out 6 weeks a year, would you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where the Fish are Biting

By Jason Epner

All media are good. So how do you create a competitive advantage with your advertising?

 

Think of your advertising media (TV, radio, print, billboards, Internet, etc.) as ponds and your potential customers as the fish in these ponds.

 

What happens if you are fishing in the same pond as all of your competitors?  If you aren't casting the best bait, it becomes very difficult to get a bite.

 

But what if you, the savvy fisherman, knew of a quiet, secluded lake, with thousands of the type of fish you were looking to catch?  You have the lake all to yourself.   If you cast good bait, consistently over time, the odds go up that you catch more fish.  This lake is under-fished, meaning much more opportunity for you.
 

In advertising, these opportunities present themselves regularly in many different business categories.  Don't automatically blame the pond when the advertising doesn't work.  Are you casting bait (your commercial message) the fish are interested in?  Are you fishing too close to your competitors?

 

Give yourself a competitive advantage with your advertising- that's where the fish are biting.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

By Julie Hein

 

It seems like Eastern Iowa businesses are doing more recruitment. The more competitive it gets for the “good” people, the better your ads have to be. I know that most HR directors feel comfortable with the basics—like salary and benefits. But saying things like “competitive wages, combined with paid training, vacation pay, 7 holidays and health insurance” doesn’t really say much about the job. Those are the basics: the bottom level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I assume that there will be good benefits in a 2014 career. Like I assume there will be time off for weekends and lunch breaks. That’s nothing to waste precious words on in an ad that you’re paying for. And “competitive” salary? Doesn’t that mean just as crappy as everyone else?

If you want to be judged only on your compensation package, then put it out there.

If working for you is more than just clock-watching until Friday at 5:00, well, then you’ll get my attention. What kind of people LOVE the work you do? How does the job fit into the big scheme of the company, the customer’s life, or the world in general? What challenges, adventures, puzzles or sticky situations will I encounter? Would a detail person relish in the need to dot every "i", or is this a job where thinking on your feet and being creative is important? The more you tell about the job, the real nitty-gritty job, the better the match you’ll find.

Of course we all work for money. I happen to like money. I collect it. But recruiters need to focus on what makes this job important. We all have to go to work. Tell me why I’ll love this job. Please, tell me. Because no one loves talking about health insurance, and everyone, everyone, everyone wants to love what they do. We all want to be important to someone and ridiculously good at something. We want challenge and praise and friends for the better part of the day that we spend out slaying the dragon. Woo applicants with that. Talk about the 401k later.

For the Super Bowl-Caliber Business

By Jason Epner

 

“The more talented you are, the fewer gimmicks you need.”

 

I heard these words Thursday morning from ESPN radio show host Colin Cowherd describing the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks defense.  Sounds like something right off one of those motivational posters you hang in your office.

 

How does this relate to your advertising?  I’ll get there in a minute.

 

Colin’s point was this:  Seattle doesn’t do anything fancy on defense.  No smoke.  No mirrors.  No tricks.  They have committed to playing their brand of defense throughout the course of the year and have become really good at doing so. 

 

So good, that they are the number one defense in the league.   So good, they are playing for a super bowl championship.

 

Along those lines, businesses I work with are talented in their own right.  Some are innovative.  Some sell superior products.  Others provide unmatched service. 

 

No need for gimmicks with these businesses.  No need to advertise massive discounts. 

 

I advise the businesses I work with to focus their message on what separates them from the rest of their competition.  Educate their customers about the value they can provide .  Commit to that message on a consistent basis, and over time, the customers will follow.

 

It’s the proven winning formula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Are the B's in B to B?

By Glen Gardner/ CEO Glen Gardner and Associates

In many cases corporations and companies are portrayed and perceived as non-human entities. We often times hear reports about "evil" corporations or companies that have a "heart." In reality, companies and corporations are made up of people. They are nothing more than a person or groups of people that have come together to perform a certain task.

When it comes to marketing to businesses you must remember you are not marketing to business, but you are marketing to people who are engaged in business. I've had many clients that have the mistaken notion that B to B advertising has a different set of marketing truths and rules attached. Nothing could be further from the truth. They felt advertising in a printed business journal was the most effective way to reach other businesses. A problem with that line of thinking is businesses don't buy anything, people do!

Advertising in a business journal carriers the same limitations as any print trying to reach any person. Declining use of print by real people and print's inability to offer frequency makes it a poor choice as a single advertising vehicle. It's a good secondary or tertiary vehicle.

The "people" who make up businesses and corporations consume the same media everyone else does. Radio, Internet, Google and television. If you want to drive great B to B results just narrow your demographic to best reflect the people who comprise the business. Then run enough frequency and a well-crafted creative message to reach that demographic. Your results will be far better than trying to market to a non-human entity.

B to B Golden Rule #1; It's the people that spend the gold!

Locally Owned and Operated

By Jason Epner

 

You should be proud.  Just don’t say it in your ads.  It’s cliché.  It’s become industry jargon.  My mind goes numb when I hear it.

 

Instead, show me what it means to be locally owned and operated.

 

An example.

 

Inevitably, I heard those four words when I sat down the other day with the owner of an auto repair shop.  I asked him what being locally owned and operated means to his customers. 

 

<Friendly staff and great customer service,> he said.   Better, but still not saying much.

 

After digging a little deeper he finally told me that that he will drive his customers to and from work while the car is being fixed in the shop.  What a great way to differentiate himself from the competition!  What a valuable service!  I guarantee that message resonates with customers much better than hearing where the owner resides.

 

The bottom line is consumers are bombarded with thousands of choices every day on how to spend their money.  As a business owner, educate them how you can help in their terms.  You will find consumers care a lot more about keeping their dollars local when they see the value in the services you provide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What If You Doubled Your Prices?

By Julie Hein, General Manager

Cheap.

Nice.

Quick.

Pick two.  Roy Williams (author and business/marketing guru, see him here) has said that it’s impossible to offer all three.  Good product + quick = high price.  Good product + cheap = some inconvenience in getting it, some time invested.  If you want cheap and quick, the quality must suffer.

 

My perspective on how I shop has changed.  I’ve always been busy—at one point it was grad school, yoga, golf and slight case of workaholism.  I thought I was busy, but I was a naïve fool.  Now it’s the kiddo shuffle, then work, with hopefully at least 20 minutes of hubby time in there each week.  A week feels like a day.  Every night when I wash my face before bed, I stare in the mirror and wish for one more hour in the day. 

 

This isn’t a rant about me (sorry if it felt that way!).  It’s an example of the internal rant of most parents.  Thinking back to Roy Williams:  Cheap, nice or quick—pick only two.  I’ll pay more for anyone who can save me time.  Find a way to make it easier.  Feel free to raise your price.  I don’t mind.  Profit all you want as long as I get another half hour to split between checking e-mail and playing Crazy Eights with my favorite girls.   

I think we all focus on price and perhaps the reason why people buy from our competitors is related to price.  I would like you to challenge that—what if you charged more?  What if you pay me back in time?  If you figure out how to give me time back, you're golden.

My $100 Lesson

By Jason Epner, Advertising Consultant

 

My wife wanted the latest smartphone.  I didn’t want to pay full price.  So when I heard Big Box Store had it for $100 less than anybody else, it seemed like a no-brainer.

 

10:00 the next morning, I went to Big Box ready to buy.  I figured the process would take a bit longer given that Big Box doesn’t specialize in cell phones.  Boy, did I underestimate what I was getting myself into.

 

For two hours, I watched the overwhelmed associate frantically trying to do the job of six people- running from the Cell Phone department to Photo, to Electronics and back.  I think I was apologized to 14 times in that span. 

 

Then there was the issue of installing the SD card.  That was followed by problems in activating the new phone.  I was even handed somebody else’s contract.

 

By 1:30 that afternoon, I had my smartphone.  I was hungry.  I was frustrated.  I had lost half of my Saturday.  Saving money didn’t feel very good at all.

 

Focused only on price, I failed to consider the other things I value like my time and the security of knowing the job was done right.  In this price-obsessed culture we live in, it’s the reason it’s so important businesses continue to educate their customers on the value they can provide.  Otherwise, those customers generally go to wherever is cheapest.

 

It turns out I was right about one thing-  where to go to buy was indeed a no-brainer.  I should have spent the extra $100 to go somewhere that was able to help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason Epner

Advertising Consultant

KGYM 1600AM/106.3FM/107.5FM and KZIA-Z102.9

Work- 319.363.2061

Cell- 847.528.2583

 

 

 

Don’t Invite Them Until You are Ready

By Glen Gardner

CEO GG&A

One of the basic rules of marketing is; don't invite them in until you are ready. What that means is don't spend marketing dollars inviting people through the door until you have all the kinks ironed out of your business or service. Not doing so can be a disaster of major proportions that you never recover from.

It doesn't matter whether you are big or small, the same rules apply. Just ask Uncle Sam what happens when you think the rules of marketing don't apply to you.

This very scenario has been playing out on the national scene with billions of dollars wasted and the public's trust eroded to a point that recovery may be near impossible.

I'm referring to the disastrous rollout of the Affordable Care Act. The government spent millions of dollars inviting people through the doors before they were ready. I saw television commercials inviting me to visit a web site that didn't work or to call a number that no one would answer. This was a classic case of breaking premature invitation rule.

The fallout is so severe that there are questions as to whether or not the program will ever fully get off the ground in the manner it was intended to. All because they opened the store before it was ready.

There is a big lesson here for any business or service that is considering spending marketing dollars in an effort to get people to a web site, store or other business. If you are not really ready, don't invite them in. It can put you out of business faster than you can say "Obamacare."

Get your ducks in a row, and then invite the masses.

Lessons from Football Coaches

By Julie Hein, General Manager

It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you've got to have is faith and discipline when you're not yet a winner.
Vince Lombardi

It all seems so easy for him.  That guy over there.  He has all the customers, all the market share, all the good staff, the good name in the community.  If I just had the good deal that he gets from his vendors or the advertising budget that he has—then I could be successful too.  If I had bought that stock so low, if I had the silver spoon, if I….

The thing that separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest of us is often that the have the fortitude to get past the scary days, months or years at the beginning of the game, and they're ready reset at half-time.  Their belief is strong.  Their forecast is positive.  And they get it done. 

You can get it done too.  Make a plan and live it.  Make sure your business plan is pointed and your team know the mission.  Have an advertising plan that’s as long as your business plan. 

Think like Vince.  What’s it going to take to win?

 

We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.
Vince Lombardi

Hey Cable, At Least a Band was Playing When the Titanic Went Down

By Glen Gardner/CEO Glen Gardner and Associates

If you are considering sinking a lot of money into cable TV, consider this; A recent Price Waterhouse survey found that nearly three-quarters of the cable companies' customers don't want to buy the product the way they sell it. That may have been all well and good 10 years ago when there were few choices and the main competition sold the product the same exact way. What the consumer doesn't like is "bundling."

Both cable and Dish bundle the programming package proving the consumer with a ton of choice and a ton of cost. The latest research indicates most consumers would rather purchase only what they consume on a regular basis. Before video streaming, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Redbox Stream, Roku and others, the consumer had little choice than to belly up to the bar and buy it all.

That is all changing in a hurry. The movement is referred to as "cutting the cord" and more Americans are doing it every day. They are sick of paying for a bunch of programming they just don't consume. They are using the Internet to pick and choose what they want to watch and pay for it that way. In the process they are saving hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars a year.

To some extent the cable companies seem to be whistling by the graveyard. They say the last time they faced a major challenge in the 90's they did just fine, thank you. The competition in the 90's was Dish and that is bundled exactly the same way cable is. This new form of competition is a whole new beast. It's unbundled and exactly what the consumer says they want.

The technology to cut the cable is still a bit exotic and geek-centric, but it's quickly becoming more consumer-friendly. Remember trying to program that first VCR?

For $40 you can purchase a computer the size of a cigarette lighter that plugs into any HDMI input on a TV or monitor. These units are WiFi and Bluetooth equipped and operate on the Android platform. They turn your TV or monitor into a big tablet for 40 bucks. Not only are cable companies quaking in their boots, but PC manufacturers are none too pleased that for $40 dollars you can have a full functioning Email, music and video computer. If you don't believe me, just do a Google search on "Android Dongle" or "Android mini computer."

Fragmentation, cutting the cord, time shifting and DVR make buying cable advertising a minefield these days. Sam Goody's is gone, the Amazon guy owns what's left of newspaper and the last VCR repair shop in my town closed this year. Cable as we know it, may be next.

Time to Tell Your Story

By Glen Gardner/ CEO Glen Gardner and Associates

 

How long should my marketing message be? That is a question that I get asked a lot by my clients. Should I run a 30 second, 15 second or 60 second message on radio or TV? How many words can I put on a billboard? How much detail do I need on my homepage?

 

The answers to these questions depend on many factors, but generally economy is better. People these days are being trained to communicate in ever shorter snippets. Twitter is 140 characters and text messaging lends itself to truncated (OMG) messaging.

 

The point was driven home to me during a recent walk through Boston Common with my wife Lauren. We noticed a large crowd of mostly young people had gathered. They were all holding their cell phones and texting wildly. We just couldn't figure out what was going on.

Lauren asked one of the kids what was happening and she explained that it was a "Vine" gathering and there were several Vine "stars" in the crowd. She told us that Vine is an app that allows you to record and post six-second videos that loop on the Vine site.

 

When she told us about this I thought "what kind of story can you tell in six or seven seconds?" So, I checked out the app and was impressed by some of what I saw. In six or seven seconds you can certainly tell a story that has a beginning, middle and end. Some made me laugh, some made me shake my head and some made me scratch my head. In seven seconds many had the capacity to entertain.

 

So, when someone asks how long my message should be, I believe shorter is better. But even seven seconds can be too long if you have nothing to say. Make your message compelling and relevant to the intended target as efficiently as possible.

What is your seven-second message? It's worth thinking about.

Who Are You? Hoo-Hoo, hoo-hoo. Now Tell Me Who Are YOU?

By Julie Hein, General Manager

The Who knew.  And Patagonia knows.  It seems they have a pretty good idea who their customers are too.  Check out this Business Week article where Patagonia tells its customers that buying stuff from them should be avoided to protect the planet.  (Note that people didn't listen.  They bought a lot of stuff.  And I'll bet they like Patagonia even more now.)

This shows us at least two things.  The obvious one that the values of this company are in line with the values of their key customers.  The second one in my mind is HOW they said it.  Directly.  As a challenge.  An order.  You can't demand someone buy your product.  But they demanded the opposite.  It surprised Broca, cut through and had the desired effect.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

By Glen Gardner/CEO GG&A

There are times when the cost of doing nothing can be fatal to a business. I meet and consult hundreds of businesses in the course of a year, and in about 10% of the cases they tell me they are just not going to do anything "right now." They tell me they are just going to "wait it out" or pull-back until things get better.

The problem with that attitude is the world continues to move forward while you "wait it out." More than likely your competition, customers and potential customers are not waiting. They are moving forward with you or without you.

Because you are not in a position to spend substantial marketing dollars, does not mean you should wait or do nothing. It does mean you have to be very careful with your resources and be very strategic in how you promote your business.

Not all marketing requires a huge dollar commitment. One of the best uses of time is strategic planning. Developing a marketing plan, even if you have no money, is key to your future success. That plan should include measurable goals and specific timelines that put you in a position to move forward regardless of budget.

Doing nothing is usually a prescription for disaster in business. Just because you are financially behind the eight-ball, doesn't mean you go into suspended animation. If you do you may find the world has passed you by while you were sleeping. Do something!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

By Kellie J. Lala

 

 

Cue the Christmas music.  I know, I know.  You don’t want to hear that quite yet but let’s face it, it will come either way.  I am one of those that shop all year round so the stress of the holidays is minimized.  According to Chain Store Age (8/1/13), retailers are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming shopping season with 60% forecasting growth of 10% +.  They expect mobile to play an increased role in helping to drive sales with minimal help from social media.   The article goes on to say that it will be a slow start to the season (kicking in late November). Online shopping will continue to steal local market share but mobile’s influence will drive renewed brick and mortar store interest.  Retailers will offer promotions, insider coupons and BOGO to loyal customers.  How many texts or emails do you receive in a week from a retailer?  You could get lots depending upon the number of stores you frequent and programs you enrolled in.  More and more clerks are asking for emails when you check out and it is ok to say NO when they do.  Remember, you control who reaches out to you.  Don’t become a slave to your phone or email messages.  I would love to share some ideas about how to grow your $$ piece of the holiday pie.  Give me a call at 319.363.2061.  Ho, Ho Ho!