by IMC | Jan 16, 2013 | Blog, Digital Communications, Mission Statement, Partnership
The ratings for British import “Downton Abbey” have been higher than they have been for that American-made return to the 1960s series “Mad Men.” One reason is that we are learning important lessons from how the Crawley family is managing to balance tradition with change. Those are lessons we need every day in this second decade of the 21st century to operate our organizations, both profit and non-profit.
For example, in “Downton Abbey,” we witness how the family was determined to provide for the health and financial security of their loyal servants, despite financial threats. Likewise, through experimentation we are becoming adept at recognizing our employees’ accomplishments in ways not directly related to hefty raises and bonuses. Our core value of valuing employees remains the same. What has changed is the size of our financial resources.
So, instead of five-figure increments in compensation, we might be rewarding them with opportunities to develop additional skills. The receptionist may be released several hours a week from the desk to create and post content for the website. Or, we are rotating who attends the trade shows so that more employees can gain a deeper knowledge of the industry and develop contacts. There may be an internal mentoring system, with senior staff having the opportunity to pick up the latest in technology from Millennials. The latter, on the other hand, are being coached on how to converse in the language of business.
The reality is that human beings value their traditions. The challenge is to preserve what we can as we figure out what an ever-changing economy demands.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you, in this era of turbulence, to a complimentary consultation for marketing, public relations, partnerships, special events, and social media, kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Jan 13, 2013 | Blog, Branding, Credibility, Digital Communications, Marketing Mix, Tactics
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL covers how The Share Economy, thanks to the Internet, is creating fresh opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The “share” concept is based on the reality that people thrive on sharing themselves, their talents, and their passions with others. The business owners and the middlemen who facilitate that process are earning revenue and building brandnames by bringing everyone together. Those brought together might be a woman who loves to make mac & cheese in a variety of flavors and those willing to pony up about $20 to enjoy a meal with other mac & cheese fans.
Image Marketing Consultants has these three tips on how your organization can piggyback on the sharing movement to achieve your objectives, whether they be to increase sales or raise more funds for a worthy cause.
Special Events. Your prospects and customers/clients love to meet in person. You might be sponsoring a complimentary seminar on retirement plans. Invite those attending to share on your Facebook fan page their retirement dreams, through photos, videos, and/or text. Let ’em know that materials will be on display at the seminar. Start out the tutorial with sharing from the attendees.
Being a Connector. Societies have always had special people able to bring together those who need to find each other. One may be searching for a traveling companion for his aging mother and the other for a way to tour Europe for free. Such special people were known as “connectors” or in some ethnic neighborhoods as “yentas.” A perk you provide your customers/clients is that ability to share your contacts throughout the community beyond the focus of your business per se. You will be in demand.
Ecommerce. Both web and brick and mortar enterprises can be extended into new kinds of businesses based on sharing. For example, your current focus is a mobile grooming service for dogs and cats. In addition you can establish an exchange for certified sitters for houses, pets, children, and the elderly, with revenues derived from both facilitating the transaction and from selling advertising.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation for your marketing, public relations, partnership, special events, and social media needs kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Jan 9, 2013 | Blog, Branding, Celebrity Power, Credibility, Digital Communications, Marketing Mix, Partnership, Tactics
Putting together a Board of Advisors is becoming a standard part of the marketing mix.
That’s because this tool helps both your business and the professional objectives of the advisors. With some economists predicting GPD growth of 3 percent in 2013, this might be the time for you to consider this tactic.
Unlike a Board of Directors, the Board of Advisors is an unofficial, informal group. The members come together to provide guidance, access to their own networks, and the power of their own individual branding to your business. In return, you give them exposure on your website and in your other communications, introduce them to others useful to their own enterprises, and make it possibible for them to become insiders in a field they might want to be associated with. Although they usually don’t receive monetary compensation, they tend to enjoy perks from your operations such as entertainment and discounts, an enhanced network, and the branding side effects of your success.
How to put together a Board of Advisors? Here are some guidelines:
Clarify Purpose. Potential members are busy people. So you have to be clear why they are there and what their roles/duties will be.
Clarify Incentives. Those should be detailed. For example, you would state that the industry is growing 21 percent and your particular enterprise is growing 42 percent. Explain what’s in it for them to be part of that high profile niche. Also indicate the networking opportunities since the membership will include other proven professionals, maybe even celebrities. Then spell out the concrete perks such as exposure in your promotions, tickets to sports events, discounts, and possible referrals.
Be Attentive. Figure out what the members want before they even ask. That will keep them happy participants in your business.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation for your marketing, public relations, partnership, special events, and social media needs kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Jan 4, 2013 | Blog, Credibility, Marketing Mix, Tactics
New customer/client acquisition is expensive. A more cost-efficient route to get your business growing in 2013 is to win back former customers and clients. Actually, that’s not all that difficult or stressful. Here are 3 tips from Image Marketing Consultants.
Get in touch. Often customers and clients simply drift away for no reason. Finding a reason to contact them, preferably with an incentive, will remind them that you are still around and care about their business. Anecdotal evidence shows that most people buy from the last person who has contacted them with an attractive offer.
Remember, you might be thinking about your business night and day. Customers and clients don’t. That’s why the burden is on you to be innovative in coming up with reasons to be in touch.
Ask what it will take for them to return. Successful salespeople frequently close a deal by asking, “What will it take for me to get this sale?” That forces the prospects to either move toward buying or to signal that they really aren’t serious. Either way, the salespeople are better off. That’s because they will get the information they need or they will view the situation as dead-end and move on to the next opportunity.
Likewise, you can “force” the issue and either have win backs or accept those accounts as gone. When you discern that your former customers or clients are doing business with your competition, let them know you will go the distance to have them return. One effective approach is to ask, “What will it take for you and us to do business again?” Be ready to listen. Be ready to compromise. Be ready to demonstrate that you can learn from the past.
Show what’s new. Since the beginning of marketing as a discipline in business, companies have been advertising what’s “new and improved” as a sure-fire way to get attention. Hope is a primitive instinct and it’s driven by what promises to provide fresh experiences or solutions. So, use it.
The challenge is to figure out what you can put out there that will both appear new and will attract interest. For a retailer it could be the technology to check out purchases right in the dressing room. For a restuarant, it could be a special menu that aligns with the most recent weight-loss approach. For a public relations agency, it could be the e-book that’s researched, ghostwritten, produced, copyrighted, and distributed for X dollars.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation about your marketing, public relations, partnerships, special events, and social media kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Dec 30, 2012 | Blog, Branding, Marketing Mix, Partnership, Tactics
Snow, winds at 40 miles an hour, and temperatures in the 20s swept into the Northeast Corridor. Most minds were less on how to celebrate the New Year than on how to get from Point A to Point B without suffering too much.
That sort of frame of mind is a great opportunity for retailers, professional services firms, and nonprofits to “break the ice” with propsective buyers and donors. And this marketing tactic costs very little.
Just put out a device to dispense warm beverages and maybe some mini treats. All the better if you bake them yourselves. Or for that spread you can partner with another organization such as a bakery, car dealer, or public relations firm which wants its brandname out there. Yes, next to the goodies, there’s a cute sign identifying the warmer-uppers as from X or Y organization.
Warm, no pun intended, hospitality truly does melt the hearts of even cynical buyers. This tactic is especially effective when they have just endured the brutality of frigid weather.
Happy New Year from all of us at Image Marketing Consultants.
