Marketers Make Everything Seem Easy

Marketers must be willing to improvise at a moment’s notice. If the right props aren’t available for a presentation, there’s only one thing to do: look within your surroundings to find resources to help you make your point.

Creating a demo area on the fly That’s what happened to me yesterday when I arrived to set up for one of the adult school classes I conduct.

I require a table in the front area to show various demonstrations within the program.

My designated classroom included a teacher’s desk at the far end of the room. It was stationed too far in the corner for moving, and it was filled with the teacher’s classroom paraphernalia, something I certainly didn’t want to disturb.

The space in front of the blackboard was completely empty. That was a good start, so I brought two chair/table combinations up to the front, facing one another, to act as my demonstration table.

Add your products to the demo area A wheeled cart with an overhead projector on top was perfect as another product holder.

I removed the projector and placed the cart on one side of my temporary table. Then I began placing items on the two tables and cart. When the students entered, all they saw were terrific products rather than makeshift props.

Small and solo business owners are challenged in this manner almost every day, and we make good use of the temporary tools we find to create excitement wherever we go. It’s part of the talent that makes us great.

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April 21, 2006 | Filed Under Recent Entries, Solo Housekeeping | 6 Comments

Banners Broadcast Your Message

Last week’s trip to New York let me capture photographs of a beverage giant giving away new product samples and a bank sign expressing customer affection.

As I stood on an escalator moving upward toward the bus waiting area (city-based marketers take mass transportation whenever possible), this banner, hanging from inside the Port Authority terminal, caught my attention.

That’s exactly what Microsoft commands through this promotional product. It’s large size is perfect for such a cavernous space, and its simplistic message isn’t lost on the millions of commuters who see it each day, commuters made up of people who own and work for every type of business in and around New York City.

The budgets of small and solo business owners may not be able to manage this type of signage at one of the world’s best-known transportation centers, but this example helps you to consider more-affordable options.

How about sponsorship banners at:

1. Little league games
2. Dance shows and recitals
3. High school plays
4. Fashion shows
5. Chamber of commerce and other business luncheons
6. Community celebrations
7. Charity functions
8. Meetings and gatherings held in library conference rooms
9. Weddings and retirement parties (yes, they’re now sponsored)

I’ll leave the tenth idea to your imagination.

Banner costs are affordable for most budgets, and local printers and online sources and ready to help you with customization.

This is another example of how to take a big company idea and turn it into a marketing bonanza for you.

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April 20, 2006 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Marketing News, Offline Ideas, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

Marketing’s Precarious Balancing Act

Know when to hold, when to fold Event planning seems similar to being a trapeze artist. A planner must apply the right balance throughout the day to successfully get the job done.

That’s what I learned in the April/May edition of BizBash as I read how six event planners keep their busy days on track. Here are three excerpts.

1. A senior meeting planner at Mattel arrives early at work, spending just under 45 minutes prioritizing her day by checking her calendar, Email, and voice mail. Her colleagues keep tabbed binders on their desks for each of their projects, which allows anyone to see the ongoing plan at a moment’s notice.

2. A corporate meeting planner at Amscan uses a computer calendar, wall calendar, and Palm Pilot to handle her schedule. Each calendar focuses on a specific part of an event. Outlook is especially adept at reminding her to make calls, confirm deliveries, and complete other tasks.

3. An associate director of special events at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater uses file folders perched on a credenza to keep activities “in her face.” If one task becomes overwhelming, she takes a break by putting it down and working on something different, or she takes a complete break by walking away to regroup.

These profiles parallel what small and solo business owners face as we decide how to fit all of the marketing pieces into manageable order.

As I write this, I’m experiencing an anxiety attack (lightheaded, dizzy), so I especially appreciate the third profile’s take on being overwhelmed: “walk away.”

It’s good to stay as organized as possible to get the work done, but it’s also smart to know when to temporarily get off the trapeze.

Technorati Tags: Event planning, BizBash, event planner, meeting planner, Palm Pilot, solo business owner, small business owner, small business marketing

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April 18, 2006 | Filed Under Offline Ideas, Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries, Solo Housekeeping | 2 Comments

Two Paws Up for Collecting Data

Good bears get statistics Build-A-Bear Workshops Inc. plans to purchase its rival, United Kingdom-based Bear Factory, as reported in the April 5th edition of the Wall Street Journal.

One analyst states that this acquisition gives the franchise “an opportunity to build an unrivaled global brand.”

This information alone was not what caught my attention. What impressed me were the details regarding Build-A-Bear’s internal database and how it’s used to track customers.

“But Build-A-Bear’s database is high tech and filled with information about its young customers, including names, addresses, birth dates - even the names of their stuffed animals.”

They also map statistics by zip code, which reveals that approximately “25% of St. Louis households with children have one of its animals.”

Small and solo business owners should pay close attention to this type of detailing and attempt to duplicate it. Build-A-Bear’s statistical power helped it earn $10.6 million in 2005, an increase of 68% over 2004 revenue.

If collecting and using customer data to the best of one’s ability is good enough for a business created around building soft-and-cuddly keepsake items, it’s good enough for you.

Technorati Tags: Build-A-Bear Workshops, Wall Street Journal, franchise, statistics, solo business owner, small business owner, small business marketing

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April 17, 2006 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Recent Entries, Surveys and Statistics | 2 Comments

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