Posts
Not to suck up valuable blog space, but we want to get the word out as many ways as possible:
Tomorrow’s Kite Day has been cancelled and rescheduled for May 15th. The forecast is calling for severe weather and we don’t want any kiddos pulling a Benjamin Franklin or Dorothy Gale on us. (If you don’t get either of those references, please email me and I’ll explain, lol)
So, again, no Kite Day tomorrow. We’ll try again on the 15th; same bat time, same bat place.
Have an awesome weekend!
~Sarah, Emogen marketer
PS: Sunday's community-wide baby shower for Life Choices is still on, rain or shine!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Where’d My Hat Go?
It’s a little windy in Ruston today. So much so that I think it may have knocked off my marketing hat for a moment.
I say that because I caught myself making a comment that I usually loathe customers to say.
You see, we’re helping to plan a community-wide baby shower to support Life Choices of North Central Louisiana*. As part of the publicity for the event, we placed a little over $600 in newspaper advertising. Today I said, "for that much we could have purchased around 41 cases of diapers. That's almost 4,000 diapers!"
In that moment I lost sight of the big picture. The big picture being that we are foregoing—risking, if you will—those 41 cases in the hopes that more than 41 people will respond and donate cases of their own. At the very least, all we need are 42 people to respond to make it have been a worthwhile investment.
The cardinal rule I broke today was viewing my advertising as an expense, rather than an investment. Executed properly, a marketing budget will provide a return on your money.
Ahhhhh… glad to have my hat back on.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
*The purpose of the shower is to collect much needed baby supplies for Life Choices, a faith-based crisis pregnancy support organization. The shower is Sunday, May 2 at Christ Community Church from 2 to 4 pm. Gifts may also be dropped off at Super One any time this week. Financial donations are always welcome and may be mailed to Life Choices at 211 West Texas Avenue, Ruston, LA 71270.
I say that because I caught myself making a comment that I usually loathe customers to say.
You see, we’re helping to plan a community-wide baby shower to support Life Choices of North Central Louisiana*. As part of the publicity for the event, we placed a little over $600 in newspaper advertising. Today I said, "for that much we could have purchased around 41 cases of diapers. That's almost 4,000 diapers!"
In that moment I lost sight of the big picture. The big picture being that we are foregoing—risking, if you will—those 41 cases in the hopes that more than 41 people will respond and donate cases of their own. At the very least, all we need are 42 people to respond to make it have been a worthwhile investment.
The cardinal rule I broke today was viewing my advertising as an expense, rather than an investment. Executed properly, a marketing budget will provide a return on your money.
Ahhhhh… glad to have my hat back on.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
*The purpose of the shower is to collect much needed baby supplies for Life Choices, a faith-based crisis pregnancy support organization. The shower is Sunday, May 2 at Christ Community Church from 2 to 4 pm. Gifts may also be dropped off at Super One any time this week. Financial donations are always welcome and may be mailed to Life Choices at 211 West Texas Avenue, Ruston, LA 71270.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Social Media Alphabet Soup
(Apologies are in order for not posting anything Monday or Tuesday. It's been pleasantly busy in the Emogen camp this week!)
As we have discussed in previous blogs, social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter offer many benefits in terms of generating awareness and connecting with customers in ways that were impossible even a couple of years ago.
However, several industries have “alphabet soup” to deal with… regulatory agencies like SEC, FINRA, FDA and HIPAA.
These agencies have very strict guidelines governing, among other things, what language may be used in marketing literature, how prospects and clients may be contacted, what information can be presented, and so on. There are also rules regarding how data from marketing communications must be retained, which can be tricky if you have numerous employees posting frequently to several different sites.
And, of course, failure to comply with these regs can entail severe penalties, including steep fines.
Before letting employees or marketers embark on a social media adventure, a company governed by any of these agencies MUST develop corporate policy and procedure with respect to the regulations applicable to their industry.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
As we have discussed in previous blogs, social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter offer many benefits in terms of generating awareness and connecting with customers in ways that were impossible even a couple of years ago.
However, several industries have “alphabet soup” to deal with… regulatory agencies like SEC, FINRA, FDA and HIPAA.
These agencies have very strict guidelines governing, among other things, what language may be used in marketing literature, how prospects and clients may be contacted, what information can be presented, and so on. There are also rules regarding how data from marketing communications must be retained, which can be tricky if you have numerous employees posting frequently to several different sites.
And, of course, failure to comply with these regs can entail severe penalties, including steep fines.
Before letting employees or marketers embark on a social media adventure, a company governed by any of these agencies MUST develop corporate policy and procedure with respect to the regulations applicable to their industry.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Friday, April 23, 2010
new comment system
We're testing out the Disqus comment system that will allow you to share your comments on Blogger with your Facebook, Twitter and other network(s).
Give it a try and let us know what you think.
~Sarah
Give it a try and let us know what you think.
~Sarah
Happy Birthday, New Coke!
Today, “New Coke” would have turned 25. But sadly it will only live on in our hearts and minds… and possibly in vending machines in American Samoa.
On this day in 1985, The Coca-Cola Company rolled out a reformulated version of its leading product, Coca-Cola, in an effort to regain market share it was losing hand over fist to Pepsi.
The new product was met with what is probably the most widespread, negative consumer reaction EVER. The reformulated recipe really only survived for 3 months; in July of 1985 the original formula—rebranded “Coca-Cola Classic”—was reintroduced, thus effectively killing off its replacement.
New Coke has been heralded as the biggest product failure ever and THE textbook example of bad marketing.
But was it?
Whether or not they planned it (for the fun of it try googling “New Coke conspiracy”), suffice it to say that when the dust settled on the whole fiasco, Coca-Cola sales rebounded and the company regained its dominance of the soft drink market.
So maybe “New Coke” was indeed the biggest product failure ever, but it may also be the greatest example of how to galvanize consumer loyalty.
Just something to think about…
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
On this day in 1985, The Coca-Cola Company rolled out a reformulated version of its leading product, Coca-Cola, in an effort to regain market share it was losing hand over fist to Pepsi.
The new product was met with what is probably the most widespread, negative consumer reaction EVER. The reformulated recipe really only survived for 3 months; in July of 1985 the original formula—rebranded “Coca-Cola Classic”—was reintroduced, thus effectively killing off its replacement.
New Coke has been heralded as the biggest product failure ever and THE textbook example of bad marketing.
But was it?
Whether or not they planned it (for the fun of it try googling “New Coke conspiracy”), suffice it to say that when the dust settled on the whole fiasco, Coca-Cola sales rebounded and the company regained its dominance of the soft drink market.
So maybe “New Coke” was indeed the biggest product failure ever, but it may also be the greatest example of how to galvanize consumer loyalty.
Just something to think about…
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Google No Longer Satan?
In certain circles, Brian is famous for his opinion that Google is Satan… or at least the Antichrist.
Even though we jokingly chide him about it, Brian’s criticism isn’t all that uncommon. Many have expressed concerns about privacy issues related to the incredible volume of data Google warehouses on its users’ searches. Couple that data with the personal information streaming through gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Android, etc. and the issue becomes clear: Google could practically know everything about everybody.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re fans of behavioral profiling; but the Google knowledge base—or more specifically who has access to it and what they choose to do with it—is a little scary.
But move over Google…
As widely reported in the news yesterday and today, Facebook is launching a universal “like” button that can be used anywhere on the internet. Sounds cool at face value, but in an AdAge article Ian Schafer of Deep Focus calls it for what it is: “Facebook potentially could power an all-knowing behavioral targeting platform the likes of which we’ve never seen before.”
Hmm… sorry, Google, looks like there’s a new frontrunner for “Way Too Powerful Corporation of The Year.”
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Even though we jokingly chide him about it, Brian’s criticism isn’t all that uncommon. Many have expressed concerns about privacy issues related to the incredible volume of data Google warehouses on its users’ searches. Couple that data with the personal information streaming through gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Android, etc. and the issue becomes clear: Google could practically know everything about everybody.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re fans of behavioral profiling; but the Google knowledge base—or more specifically who has access to it and what they choose to do with it—is a little scary.
But move over Google…
As widely reported in the news yesterday and today, Facebook is launching a universal “like” button that can be used anywhere on the internet. Sounds cool at face value, but in an AdAge article Ian Schafer of Deep Focus calls it for what it is: “Facebook potentially could power an all-knowing behavioral targeting platform the likes of which we’ve never seen before.”
Hmm… sorry, Google, looks like there’s a new frontrunner for “Way Too Powerful Corporation of The Year.”
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Social Media Irony
Today has been a day full of social media research for emogen marketing. We are taking the day off from blogging to continue researching all the reasons we should be blogging.
Tomorrow we plan to discuss Google vs. Facebook
- Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Tomorrow we plan to discuss Google vs. Facebook
- Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Have Plan, Will Grow
Some of you who jumped on the Emogen wagon back in the early days might agree that it’s a far cry today from the company it was then. But fear not… we meant for this to happen!
Emogen was at first "Emogen Printing" and Brian ran it solo as a printing brokerage with the assistance of a freelance designer. Realizing a need in the Ruston market for more complete marketing services, “the plan” was born.
The idea was to add specialized talent (i.e. me/Sarah + in-house designers) and grow into a full-service marketing company on a 5 year timeline. The first step was transitioning to “Emogen Printing and Marketing”, which would later be swapped around to be “Emogen Marketing and Printing” and finally end up “Emogen Marketing Group.”
The catch, we found, was that the market needed it sooner; so our timeline got scrapped, and here we are at 3 years old well beyond our 5 year plan.
But the well-advanced timeline doesn’t mean that we’re in unexpected territory without a map. On the contrary, we have simply revised and kept on.
Having an idea of what you’re doing, where you’re going and how you’re getting there is completely necessary; but the key is to treat your plan as a guide, not scripture. Everything changes: your staff and their talents, your customers, your industry, the world… it all changes.
So have a plan, yes; but be flexible enough to respond to the changes and opportunities that will certainly pop up.
Sarah, Emogen marketer
Emogen was at first "Emogen Printing" and Brian ran it solo as a printing brokerage with the assistance of a freelance designer. Realizing a need in the Ruston market for more complete marketing services, “the plan” was born.
The idea was to add specialized talent (i.e. me/Sarah + in-house designers) and grow into a full-service marketing company on a 5 year timeline. The first step was transitioning to “Emogen Printing and Marketing”, which would later be swapped around to be “Emogen Marketing and Printing” and finally end up “Emogen Marketing Group.”
The catch, we found, was that the market needed it sooner; so our timeline got scrapped, and here we are at 3 years old well beyond our 5 year plan.
But the well-advanced timeline doesn’t mean that we’re in unexpected territory without a map. On the contrary, we have simply revised and kept on.
Having an idea of what you’re doing, where you’re going and how you’re getting there is completely necessary; but the key is to treat your plan as a guide, not scripture. Everything changes: your staff and their talents, your customers, your industry, the world… it all changes.
So have a plan, yes; but be flexible enough to respond to the changes and opportunities that will certainly pop up.
Sarah, Emogen marketer
Monday, April 19, 2010
KFC Konfusion
This morning Brian yelled out that he had gotten an email from Copeland’s inviting him to join their Frequent Lunch Club (buy five lunches and get the 6th free)… and the office chorus rang out “looks like someone’s in trouble!”
You see, as marketers we’re trained to look at the “why” of a promotion, and a spiffy place like Copeland’s throwing out a price promotion says only one thing: must... get... cash...
Another way to identify a restaurant scrounging for business is when it introduces new menu items. Take KFC, for example, which has released all kinds of new products in the recent past: grilled chicken, wings, variety buckets, box meals, and the all new Double Down (gross!).
This approach is usually worthwhile, but in KFC’s case they seem to have missed the boat. Its market share has dropped 5.8% since 2005, and sales fell 6% last year… all while the market for fast food chicken grew over 11%.
An AdAge.com article published today noted that “the series of [promotional] stunts drove buzz and the introduction of grilled chicken spiked short-term sales, [but] the moves also contributed to a lack of consistent brand positioning and a distraction from KFC's flagship product.”
There are other issues at play for KFC, such as hefty competition, operational issues, and failure to handle special promotions well; however, experts agree the overarching issue is brand inconsistency. In that AdAge piece branding consultant Denise Lee-Yohn said it very simply, "They don't have a clear identity anymore, and I think that's hurt them.”
The same can be said for Copeland’s: a high(er)-end restaurant offering price promotions is confusing to consumers.
I don’t care who it is, every business fights cashflow issues and has slumps. In those times it’s imperative to try, try, try to avoid making desperate, stupid promotion decisions that can hurt your brand and in the long run do more harm than good.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
You see, as marketers we’re trained to look at the “why” of a promotion, and a spiffy place like Copeland’s throwing out a price promotion says only one thing: must... get... cash...
Another way to identify a restaurant scrounging for business is when it introduces new menu items. Take KFC, for example, which has released all kinds of new products in the recent past: grilled chicken, wings, variety buckets, box meals, and the all new Double Down (gross!).
This approach is usually worthwhile, but in KFC’s case they seem to have missed the boat. Its market share has dropped 5.8% since 2005, and sales fell 6% last year… all while the market for fast food chicken grew over 11%.
An AdAge.com article published today noted that “the series of [promotional] stunts drove buzz and the introduction of grilled chicken spiked short-term sales, [but] the moves also contributed to a lack of consistent brand positioning and a distraction from KFC's flagship product.”
There are other issues at play for KFC, such as hefty competition, operational issues, and failure to handle special promotions well; however, experts agree the overarching issue is brand inconsistency. In that AdAge piece branding consultant Denise Lee-Yohn said it very simply, "They don't have a clear identity anymore, and I think that's hurt them.”
The same can be said for Copeland’s: a high(er)-end restaurant offering price promotions is confusing to consumers.
I don’t care who it is, every business fights cashflow issues and has slumps. In those times it’s imperative to try, try, try to avoid making desperate, stupid promotion decisions that can hurt your brand and in the long run do more harm than good.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Friday, April 16, 2010
“This… is… Sparta!”
A couple of years ago I was invited to a Halloween costume party and, being a somewhat creative type, I decided to go all out.
After googling endlessly for the right costume, I ran across the Spartan get-up from the movie “300,” which had just been released. If you’ve seen the movie you know there isn’t much costume to the costume.
Knowing I wasn’t in the least bit of shape to pull it off I went right on with my googling. But then an idea hit me. What better way to motivate myself to get into shape than to buy the Spartan costume?
So I set out on a thirteen week journey of eating right and working out and working out and eating right.
For thirteen weeks I became a living breathing Men’s Health magazine. It’s all I talked about, thought about and cared about. It was so bad, in fact, that I was given the nickname “Mr. 300” by some of my wife’s former co-workers.
Fast forward to present-day…
A few days ago my wife and I met her former co-workers for lunch. We haven’t really seen them much in the last two years, but guess what… I’m still “Mr. 300” to them. Yeah, I got all the same fiber and salad and whey protein stabs I got back then. Obviously the name is a big joke now, which taught me this:
The messages you put in your advertising—even in short run campaigns—can stick with you FOREVER.
Make calculated and well-thought out moves when it comes to your advertising (or branding!). It’s much easier to develop the correct message the first time than it is to correct the wrong message later.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
After googling endlessly for the right costume, I ran across the Spartan get-up from the movie “300,” which had just been released. If you’ve seen the movie you know there isn’t much costume to the costume.
Knowing I wasn’t in the least bit of shape to pull it off I went right on with my googling. But then an idea hit me. What better way to motivate myself to get into shape than to buy the Spartan costume?
So I set out on a thirteen week journey of eating right and working out and working out and eating right.
For thirteen weeks I became a living breathing Men’s Health magazine. It’s all I talked about, thought about and cared about. It was so bad, in fact, that I was given the nickname “Mr. 300” by some of my wife’s former co-workers.
Fast forward to present-day…
A few days ago my wife and I met her former co-workers for lunch. We haven’t really seen them much in the last two years, but guess what… I’m still “Mr. 300” to them. Yeah, I got all the same fiber and salad and whey protein stabs I got back then. Obviously the name is a big joke now, which taught me this:
The messages you put in your advertising—even in short run campaigns—can stick with you FOREVER.
Make calculated and well-thought out moves when it comes to your advertising (or branding!). It’s much easier to develop the correct message the first time than it is to correct the wrong message later.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Tale of Two Chairs
Rocking my infant daughter to sleep last night, I pondered a tale of two chairs.
(This goes somewhere, I promise! Just hang in there.)
When first we found out about our impending little arrival, my grandmother gave us a beautiful antique rocking chair. A rocking chair is a must in any nursery and this one is exceptionally nice with lovely dark wood and detailed carvings.
The second chair in the room is a cheap, drab tan recliner that was purchased for sleeping purposes several years ago during a phase of excruciating sciatic nerve pain. I’m not one to spend money on something and then get rid of it when it’s no longer needed, so this chair has been shoved in a lonely corner unused for a time.
But that corner soon became the new baby’s room and, lacking any other corners into which it could be further shoved, the recliner remained
Initially, it was only supposed to stay put for the first few weeks of her life when sleepless nights were certain. However, she is approaching 5 months and still the recliner remains, and that is because the recliner has become my rocker of choice. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve even sat in the other rocker.
The reasons for my preference are simple: it’s comfortable; the arms are the perfect height and shape to support my elbow while nursing; and it kicks back when the baby refuses to be laid down and I need rest
It’s a bit of an eye sore in the room, but the recliner is just better suited to the job.
That situation is true in other matters as well. Often, the solution which is most effective is not necessarily the solution that is prettiest, classiest, highest-tech, and so on.
The point: Take a moment to think about the solution you’ve chosen. Did you pick it because it has a bigger wow factor, because it “looks better in the room?” If so, you might want to reconsider you options and make sure you’re not overlooking any “recliners.”
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
(This goes somewhere, I promise! Just hang in there.)
When first we found out about our impending little arrival, my grandmother gave us a beautiful antique rocking chair. A rocking chair is a must in any nursery and this one is exceptionally nice with lovely dark wood and detailed carvings.
The second chair in the room is a cheap, drab tan recliner that was purchased for sleeping purposes several years ago during a phase of excruciating sciatic nerve pain. I’m not one to spend money on something and then get rid of it when it’s no longer needed, so this chair has been shoved in a lonely corner unused for a time.
But that corner soon became the new baby’s room and, lacking any other corners into which it could be further shoved, the recliner remained
Initially, it was only supposed to stay put for the first few weeks of her life when sleepless nights were certain. However, she is approaching 5 months and still the recliner remains, and that is because the recliner has become my rocker of choice. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve even sat in the other rocker.
The reasons for my preference are simple: it’s comfortable; the arms are the perfect height and shape to support my elbow while nursing; and it kicks back when the baby refuses to be laid down and I need rest
It’s a bit of an eye sore in the room, but the recliner is just better suited to the job.
That situation is true in other matters as well. Often, the solution which is most effective is not necessarily the solution that is prettiest, classiest, highest-tech, and so on.
The point: Take a moment to think about the solution you’ve chosen. Did you pick it because it has a bigger wow factor, because it “looks better in the room?” If so, you might want to reconsider you options and make sure you’re not overlooking any “recliners.”
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
I am more prone to be inquisitive…
A few days ago we posted a new Nike commercial to our Facebook page. It’s the one where they spliced together Tiger Woods’ dad’s voice to make out like he’s fussin' Tiger for his recent bad behavior.
Did we mention Tiger's dad, Earl, is deceased?
Yes, creepy is right.
But, real quick, here’s a little background (scoured from across the internet) relevant to today’s blog:
Nike entered the golf industry in 1986 with a line of golf shoes. In 1995, then 20 year old Tiger Woods was signed to a 20-year, $40 million endorsement deal. At that time, Nike’s golf-related sales were reportedly $120 million. In 1998, Nike Golf was established and the company’s line of golf products was expanded to include equipment, apparel and balls. By 2008, the brand was worth roughly $500 million.
Ok, as we wrote on FB, this is a really interesting commercial. First off, it doesn’t sell the first bit of anything Nike. It’s :28s of Tiger staring into the camera with his dad “talking to him,” and it closes with :02s of the Nike swoosh. True, he’s wearing Nike apparel, but still…
Anyway, here’s our take on it.
As is often said, any publicity is good publicity; so maybe the plan was to capitalize on the negative PR by publicly scolding Tiger and creating a buzz worthy commercial.
That’s the easy one. Our other thought goes like this:
Nike Golf’s brand equity is largely tied to Tiger’s success (hint: look back at those dollar figures above). Many have said that the sport’s popularity increased dramatically when he came on the scene and that it will inevitably fall off if he leaves. Nike has Tiger under contract for another 5 years, which has an endorsement value of $10 million, so Nike needs Tiger golfing almost as bad as golf needs Tiger golfing.
What is a company to do, then?
Maybe the plan was to use Nike’s leverage and ungodly marketing budget to try to reclaim his good name. How?
Make Tiger look a little upset, a little emotional.
Make Earl's comments like those any regular dad would say.
Make Tiger seem a little lost without his dad’s famous guidance.
Make Tiger a little bit human.
Sadly, we can't really say what Nike was thinking. Heck, we may have missed the mark entirely and be absolutely wrong. Whatever the case, this may possibly be the most brilliant commercial ever.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Did we mention Tiger's dad, Earl, is deceased?
Yes, creepy is right.
But, real quick, here’s a little background (scoured from across the internet) relevant to today’s blog:
Nike entered the golf industry in 1986 with a line of golf shoes. In 1995, then 20 year old Tiger Woods was signed to a 20-year, $40 million endorsement deal. At that time, Nike’s golf-related sales were reportedly $120 million. In 1998, Nike Golf was established and the company’s line of golf products was expanded to include equipment, apparel and balls. By 2008, the brand was worth roughly $500 million.
Ok, as we wrote on FB, this is a really interesting commercial. First off, it doesn’t sell the first bit of anything Nike. It’s :28s of Tiger staring into the camera with his dad “talking to him,” and it closes with :02s of the Nike swoosh. True, he’s wearing Nike apparel, but still…
Anyway, here’s our take on it.
As is often said, any publicity is good publicity; so maybe the plan was to capitalize on the negative PR by publicly scolding Tiger and creating a buzz worthy commercial.
That’s the easy one. Our other thought goes like this:
Nike Golf’s brand equity is largely tied to Tiger’s success (hint: look back at those dollar figures above). Many have said that the sport’s popularity increased dramatically when he came on the scene and that it will inevitably fall off if he leaves. Nike has Tiger under contract for another 5 years, which has an endorsement value of $10 million, so Nike needs Tiger golfing almost as bad as golf needs Tiger golfing.
What is a company to do, then?
Maybe the plan was to use Nike’s leverage and ungodly marketing budget to try to reclaim his good name. How?
Make Tiger look a little upset, a little emotional.
Make Earl's comments like those any regular dad would say.
Make Tiger seem a little lost without his dad’s famous guidance.
Make Tiger a little bit human.
Sadly, we can't really say what Nike was thinking. Heck, we may have missed the mark entirely and be absolutely wrong. Whatever the case, this may possibly be the most brilliant commercial ever.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Seth Harris Appreciation Day
Welcome to Emogen’s 24th blog post!
In looking back over our volumes of blog posts [enter sarcastic chuckle], we’ve discovered that we have one and only one reader comment. That fact got various e-teamers started on a heartfelt rendition of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb.
Hello. Is there anybody out there?
Then Brian exclaimed, “Wait, there’s still Seth!” Seth—if you haven’t made the connection yet—is our one and only blog commenter.
When you’re slaving away at any project, it’s helpful to know that your work is being utilized and appreciated. Who would work without a paycheck? Who would volunteer without a thank you? Who would love without a little love in return? Ok, that may be going overboard, but the point still rings true. If feedback is lacking, motivation will fail.
Enter Seth Appreciation Day! That's right, April 13th will forever be recognized as Seth Harris Appreciation Day for his tireless efforts as our favorite—albeit only—blog commenter.
Is there a tip today? Sure, maybe somewhere in that there’s a little wisdom. More blatantly, though, it’s a request for the occasional commentary from all the non-Seths out there.
In the meantime: Slainte, Seth!
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
p.s., special recognition goes out to Ashlynn and Shelia, who both regularly “like” our blog links on Facebook!
In looking back over our volumes of blog posts [enter sarcastic chuckle], we’ve discovered that we have one and only one reader comment. That fact got various e-teamers started on a heartfelt rendition of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb.
Hello. Is there anybody out there?
Then Brian exclaimed, “Wait, there’s still Seth!” Seth—if you haven’t made the connection yet—is our one and only blog commenter.
When you’re slaving away at any project, it’s helpful to know that your work is being utilized and appreciated. Who would work without a paycheck? Who would volunteer without a thank you? Who would love without a little love in return? Ok, that may be going overboard, but the point still rings true. If feedback is lacking, motivation will fail.
Enter Seth Appreciation Day! That's right, April 13th will forever be recognized as Seth Harris Appreciation Day for his tireless efforts as our favorite—albeit only—blog commenter.
Is there a tip today? Sure, maybe somewhere in that there’s a little wisdom. More blatantly, though, it’s a request for the occasional commentary from all the non-Seths out there.
In the meantime: Slainte, Seth!
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
p.s., special recognition goes out to Ashlynn and Shelia, who both regularly “like” our blog links on Facebook!
Monday, April 12, 2010
American Idol Motor Company
By definition brand association is the level to which your brand name defines the product category you are in. For example, how many people ask for a Band-Aid when they need a, well… band-aid? Not many people say, “Pass me an adhesive bandage please.”
Or, for those of us in the Deep South, it’s totally normal to be asked what kind of Coke you want.
Well, this weekend another type of brand association was brought to our attention…
Our family went to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch after church yesterday. Our 6 year old daughter looked up at a landscape picture of what I assume is Hong Kong and said “Oh, that’s where they do American Idol!”
I must have had a very confused look on my face because she immediately started to explain herself, “Look, that logo on the building.” (Yes, my 6 year old knows what a logo is – trade hazard). The logo she was associating with American Idol was Ford Motor Company. If you watch the show, you know Ford gets their fair share of air time.
Sponsoring a nationally televised talent contest may be a far-fetched thought for your organization, but you probably do sponsor things like the local news, little league baseball or golf tournaments.
Keep in mind that when you stick your logo on it, people will associate your brand with it; so choose your sponsorships, donations and other logo placements wisely.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Or, for those of us in the Deep South, it’s totally normal to be asked what kind of Coke you want.
Well, this weekend another type of brand association was brought to our attention…
Our family went to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch after church yesterday. Our 6 year old daughter looked up at a landscape picture of what I assume is Hong Kong and said “Oh, that’s where they do American Idol!”
I must have had a very confused look on my face because she immediately started to explain herself, “Look, that logo on the building.” (Yes, my 6 year old knows what a logo is – trade hazard). The logo she was associating with American Idol was Ford Motor Company. If you watch the show, you know Ford gets their fair share of air time.
Sponsoring a nationally televised talent contest may be a far-fetched thought for your organization, but you probably do sponsor things like the local news, little league baseball or golf tournaments.
Keep in mind that when you stick your logo on it, people will associate your brand with it; so choose your sponsorships, donations and other logo placements wisely.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Friday, April 9, 2010
Adverse Compensation
This week I learned that Louisiana high schools are ranked based on a numerical score, part of which is determined by the number of students enrolled in certain classes.
As I understand it, more points are awarded for honors and dual-enrollment courses, but sadly zero are given for extracurricular activities, which include music and art classes. As the owner of a creative business I find this very alarming. In terms of fostering creativity, music and the arts are some of the most important classes to our industry.
Systems of what I call adverse compensation are nothing new though.
Oftentimes, companies offer compensation plans that encourage sales people to push one particular product or service over others. The problem is that the option best suited to the sales person’s pay check is not necessarily going to be best for the client, which in the long run won’t be best for the company.
In another plan I’m familiar with, the net commission rate drops at around $X which causes the salesperson to actually lose money if he should sell $X.01. At some point his pay would catch up and be higher, but there’s an obvious window in which he’s encouraged to sell less. Again, not best for the company.
In yet another plan commission rates are fair, but the limited availability of large clients in the market make it difficult for new sales recruits to make a comfortable living. Again, well, you get the point.
There’s really no such thing as a perfect compensation plan, and it’s not always possible to think through all the potential problems and loop holes; but every effort should be made to find and address them so that everyone’s bottom lines aren’t adversely impacted.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
As I understand it, more points are awarded for honors and dual-enrollment courses, but sadly zero are given for extracurricular activities, which include music and art classes. As the owner of a creative business I find this very alarming. In terms of fostering creativity, music and the arts are some of the most important classes to our industry.
Systems of what I call adverse compensation are nothing new though.
Oftentimes, companies offer compensation plans that encourage sales people to push one particular product or service over others. The problem is that the option best suited to the sales person’s pay check is not necessarily going to be best for the client, which in the long run won’t be best for the company.
In another plan I’m familiar with, the net commission rate drops at around $X which causes the salesperson to actually lose money if he should sell $X.01. At some point his pay would catch up and be higher, but there’s an obvious window in which he’s encouraged to sell less. Again, not best for the company.
In yet another plan commission rates are fair, but the limited availability of large clients in the market make it difficult for new sales recruits to make a comfortable living. Again, well, you get the point.
There’s really no such thing as a perfect compensation plan, and it’s not always possible to think through all the potential problems and loop holes; but every effort should be made to find and address them so that everyone’s bottom lines aren’t adversely impacted.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Cha-ching or Achoo?
Viral marketing… customer to customer advertising… your marketing message being passed from one customer to the next the same way a virus or common cold is. How great would that be, customers taking your message and hand delivering it to all of their friends and family without you even asking?
Now, as great as viral marketing sounds, there are some downfalls.
For instance, it’s nearly impossible to control the message being spread. In true viral marketing, your customer will tell the truth about their experience… even if it’s not good.
Another downfall could be called the “Vanilla Ice effect”, where a product or organization gets so popular so fast that it causes a backlash and develops a group of “anti-fans”… people that are just sick of hearing about you.
The take away – viral marketing is an exciting and useful tool, so don’t be fearful to encourage it, BUT have your hanky ready just in case it takes a turn you weren’t hoping for.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Now, as great as viral marketing sounds, there are some downfalls.
For instance, it’s nearly impossible to control the message being spread. In true viral marketing, your customer will tell the truth about their experience… even if it’s not good.
Another downfall could be called the “Vanilla Ice effect”, where a product or organization gets so popular so fast that it causes a backlash and develops a group of “anti-fans”… people that are just sick of hearing about you.
The take away – viral marketing is an exciting and useful tool, so don’t be fearful to encourage it, BUT have your hanky ready just in case it takes a turn you weren’t hoping for.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sacrificing Good for Great
Yesterday I posted a blog with which I wasn’t entirely happy. We were busy and it hit me 15 minutes before closing that we hadn’t written anything yet. To borrow a philosophy from a client, blogging has quickly moved from “get to” to “got to” status.
So I found myself at home yesterday evening a little disgruntled at myself. I wasn’t totally happy with the blog content and hadn’t really allowed time to fully think though what I had written, i.e. I wasn’t completely convinced that I agreed with my own opinions.
But then I remembered a little piece of wisdom I picked up from some marketing book or another: don’t sacrifice good for great. That is to say, don’t lose out by consuming valuable time, money or other limited resources to achieve perfection when good will suffice.
Along with this wisdom goes another bit: there’s no such thing as a perfect time; which again tells us true perfection isn’t attainable. If you have a choice between nothing and something, choose to do something. Anything! Always try to do your best work, but don’t allow great to kill good.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
So I found myself at home yesterday evening a little disgruntled at myself. I wasn’t totally happy with the blog content and hadn’t really allowed time to fully think though what I had written, i.e. I wasn’t completely convinced that I agreed with my own opinions.
But then I remembered a little piece of wisdom I picked up from some marketing book or another: don’t sacrifice good for great. That is to say, don’t lose out by consuming valuable time, money or other limited resources to achieve perfection when good will suffice.
Along with this wisdom goes another bit: there’s no such thing as a perfect time; which again tells us true perfection isn’t attainable. If you have a choice between nothing and something, choose to do something. Anything! Always try to do your best work, but don’t allow great to kill good.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Kite Day update
(today's two-fer is compliments of a hectic, blog-less Monday)
Quick update on Kite Day:
-As of today, our Facebook event page shows 97 confirmed attendees and 345 maybes. WOW!
-Some have asked if they need to bring their own kite. Remember, we'll have free kites for the first 50 kids, but at this rate it looks like our 50 freebees won't last long. So, you might want to bring your own just in case. (Walmart has some pretty inexpensive options in the toy section.)
-DJ Matt McKenney from Z107.5 is maybe, possibly, hopefully going to join us that morning to share some great music and maybe a little kite flying of his own.
-Those finding themselves kite-less or kid-less are still welcome to come. Everyone is invited to come out and watch the festivites, and kite-flyers of all ages are encouraged to participate!
Quick update on Kite Day:
-As of today, our Facebook event page shows 97 confirmed attendees and 345 maybes. WOW!
-Some have asked if they need to bring their own kite. Remember, we'll have free kites for the first 50 kids, but at this rate it looks like our 50 freebees won't last long. So, you might want to bring your own just in case. (Walmart has some pretty inexpensive options in the toy section.)
-DJ Matt McKenney from Z107.5 is maybe, possibly, hopefully going to join us that morning to share some great music and maybe a little kite flying of his own.
-Those finding themselves kite-less or kid-less are still welcome to come. Everyone is invited to come out and watch the festivites, and kite-flyers of all ages are encouraged to participate!
Social Media in the Sticks
Lately we’ve been thinking a lot about the advertising and marketing applications of social media here in the rural South, the “sticks” if you will.
Fairly recently, social media has become a major force in shaping marketing activities for just about every service and product there is. Case in point, Clorox has a Facebook page with over 21,000 fans. Clorox!
The goal in using social media for marketing purposes is to move past the one-sidedness of traditional advertising and engaging in a two-way relationship with customers and prospects. But why—here in the sticks where in a week’s time you’re liable to run into 80% of your customers between trips to the grocery store, church, and your lunch counter of choice—invest time and effort in social media? Doesn’t our close-knitted-ness and diminutive population already promote building and maintaining relationships? The answer is yes, but social media still has its uses.
Take, for example, your typical ribbon cutting. You attend, shake hands and pass out a business card or two. Relationship established. Maybe, if your personalities hit it off or if you immediately require one another’s services, the relationship may develop a little quicker and further, but probably not. The majority of the time, the story would end at the card exchange.
Instead, after the card swap you can return to your office and, utilizing social media, send a connection request to your new contact on Linked In and trade “fan” statuses for your respective businesses on Facebook. You may not see this person on a recurring basis in the real world, but I guarantee—depending on how often you visit and update your personal and corporate pages—you’ll run across one another in the virtual world often. And it’s those glimpses of status updates and corporate culture tidbits that can help you to form a deeper connection.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Fairly recently, social media has become a major force in shaping marketing activities for just about every service and product there is. Case in point, Clorox has a Facebook page with over 21,000 fans. Clorox!
The goal in using social media for marketing purposes is to move past the one-sidedness of traditional advertising and engaging in a two-way relationship with customers and prospects. But why—here in the sticks where in a week’s time you’re liable to run into 80% of your customers between trips to the grocery store, church, and your lunch counter of choice—invest time and effort in social media? Doesn’t our close-knitted-ness and diminutive population already promote building and maintaining relationships? The answer is yes, but social media still has its uses.
Take, for example, your typical ribbon cutting. You attend, shake hands and pass out a business card or two. Relationship established. Maybe, if your personalities hit it off or if you immediately require one another’s services, the relationship may develop a little quicker and further, but probably not. The majority of the time, the story would end at the card exchange.
Instead, after the card swap you can return to your office and, utilizing social media, send a connection request to your new contact on Linked In and trade “fan” statuses for your respective businesses on Facebook. You may not see this person on a recurring basis in the real world, but I guarantee—depending on how often you visit and update your personal and corporate pages—you’ll run across one another in the virtual world often. And it’s those glimpses of status updates and corporate culture tidbits that can help you to form a deeper connection.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Friday, April 2, 2010
Get your feet off the ground!
In our line of work, some days you need your feet firmly planted on the ground and others you need to let your head float in the clouds. Being creative is more than just fun and games for us at Emogen; it’s our livelihood.
But creativity is important for more than just making a dollar. Developing creativity in kids also helps them develop problem-solving, self-expression, information processing and cognitive flexibility skills.
Emogen is doing our part to help local kiddos get their heads in the proverbial clouds. On Saturday, May 1st at 10 am we’re teaming up with Ruston Parks and Recreation to host Kite Day at the Regional Sports Complex (ie, the old airport runway). The first 50 kids will get a FREE kite and sack lunch (most likely a PB&J and juice box).
So, on May 1st, bring your kids, your kites and your picnic blankets and be prepared to get your feet off the ground!
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
But creativity is important for more than just making a dollar. Developing creativity in kids also helps them develop problem-solving, self-expression, information processing and cognitive flexibility skills.
Emogen is doing our part to help local kiddos get their heads in the proverbial clouds. On Saturday, May 1st at 10 am we’re teaming up with Ruston Parks and Recreation to host Kite Day at the Regional Sports Complex (ie, the old airport runway). The first 50 kids will get a FREE kite and sack lunch (most likely a PB&J and juice box).
So, on May 1st, bring your kids, your kites and your picnic blankets and be prepared to get your feet off the ground!
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Our first blog rant…
Work is nuts today, so instead of trying to layout some enlightening, amazing bit of marketing or design wisdom, we’re going to derail for a brief rant.
A professional (P, hereafter) came by Emogen one day to inquire about our services. Amazingly, we had just been talking about contacting someone to provide the same services P does, so we asked a few questions about his work.
That evening Brian and I discussed P’s services and realized that we required his services for both the office and our home. He was supposed to return to Emogen the next day to discuss the work he wanted us to do for his business, so we decided to ask for an official quote for both jobs.
But no luck… P did not return.
Seriously in need of P’s services, I emailed to request a quote for the job we need him to do at our house. No reply.
About a week later P returned to Emogen to discuss the work he needed us to do for him. At that time, Brian asked P for a quote on the work we need done at the office. P left saying he would return the next day to gather the details necessary to provide said quote.
Do you think P came back? Nope, sure hasn’t, and that’s been about a month ago now.
So, if P should ever return with either quote, do you think P will be rewarded with our business? Heck no! If it’s this difficult getting him to sell something to us, how much more wonderful is his service going to be when we actually order the work?
Maybe what we’re asking for is insignificant in relation to his other customers; but, if so, the appropriate response is to pass on the job instead of offering to quote it and then not following through.
Today’s lesson: Please realize that first impressions really do count! Respond to emails, follow through, and do what you say you’re going to do… your reputation depends on it.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
A professional (P, hereafter) came by Emogen one day to inquire about our services. Amazingly, we had just been talking about contacting someone to provide the same services P does, so we asked a few questions about his work.
That evening Brian and I discussed P’s services and realized that we required his services for both the office and our home. He was supposed to return to Emogen the next day to discuss the work he wanted us to do for his business, so we decided to ask for an official quote for both jobs.
But no luck… P did not return.
Seriously in need of P’s services, I emailed to request a quote for the job we need him to do at our house. No reply.
About a week later P returned to Emogen to discuss the work he needed us to do for him. At that time, Brian asked P for a quote on the work we need done at the office. P left saying he would return the next day to gather the details necessary to provide said quote.
Do you think P came back? Nope, sure hasn’t, and that’s been about a month ago now.
So, if P should ever return with either quote, do you think P will be rewarded with our business? Heck no! If it’s this difficult getting him to sell something to us, how much more wonderful is his service going to be when we actually order the work?
Maybe what we’re asking for is insignificant in relation to his other customers; but, if so, the appropriate response is to pass on the job instead of offering to quote it and then not following through.
Today’s lesson: Please realize that first impressions really do count! Respond to emails, follow through, and do what you say you’re going to do… your reputation depends on it.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
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