The Marketing Soap Dish

Why YellowBook is not going to win the race to outlive the phone book

2012-01-31T10:52:00.000-08:00

YellowBook is trying hard to offer value to their clients, but they are going about it in such a poor way that all they are doing is making their clients look unprofessional.

We help a lot of smaller businesses with their marketing, and often with what I call the "YellowBook" recovery stage. When posting a video for a client yesterday I found a video on youtube that YellowBook created of low res stills from their website. They voice was choppy and cold. The video looked to be a product of Windows MovieMaker and promoted yellowbook.com, instead of the client's website. I know they paid for that video, so why was YellowBook's URL on there?

Today a local restaurant asked us to create a fax sheet (that's another blog post right there) and when we visited their web page we found the text to all be in Comic Sans. That's right. Comic. F-ing. Sans. And guess what, powered by YellowBook. Another local company had to ask YellowBook to remove pictures from their page that featured pictures of the same pizza Dominos uses in their online content.

I've had a post rumbling around in my head for awhile about DIY websites - and when they are the right fit, and when they aren't. At this point, a DIY website is going to be a better product than what YellowBook can offer you. YOU know your product or service. They obviously don't.

The Elastic Age of Marketing

2012-01-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

Agencies and marketing departments around the globe are in a state of flux. Some view the

changing world of marketing and communications as being thrust upon them, reacting defensively, while others view it as an opportunity to expand services, close down or eliminate those that don't work and re-tool their organizations.

One big difference is the idea that you must fill every seat in your organization with every conceivable talent a client or company might need. The reality is that the needs vary too much and the days of large retainers and agency commissions (kickbacks) are fading quickly.

Flexibility and nimbleness are achieved through collaboration and working with people who are curious and driven. Agencies who focus on expanding their talents and looking to partnerships in areas they aren't strong in are the ones that are rising to the top of the creative bucket of milk.

While the MadMenesque days of advertising glory are past, we argue that we're in a new "Golden-Age of Marketing." We like to call it the Elastic Age.

It's an era of flexibility and testing. Of allowing your customers to stretch your brand further by interacting with it and sharing it on their own terms.

It's also an era of letting go of control, while holding one end of the elastic and seeing how far it will stretch. Brands still need monitoring and cultivation, they just don't need babysitting. If you view brand interaction as babysitting, you've got to change that to compete.

More and more tools are out there to level the playing field for businesses of all sizes. It's no longer impossible to compete based solely on the number of zeros in your marketing budget. Good search, digital, pr and advertising strategies are relevant, they just work on a different scale than the days of :30 spots and full page glossy spreads. But it isn't just digital delivery either. It's a careful balance of the products and services you need to reach your market where they are, not based on where they might be.

Just like the days of Madison Avenue agencies, the marketing world is in a new age of glory. But instead of trying to be the likes of a New York agency and the Mad Men image (as much as I think Don Draper is totally hot) we focus on being a Main Street agency. Because the age we live in doesn't require that gigantic physical presence. Our business model isn't built on number of seats we can fill and bill. Our model is built on efficiency, collaboration, quality and outcomes, not output.

So go get yourself a long roll of elastic and pin one end to your sleeve. Let's see how far it can stretch.

The Spy Who Liked Me

2011-11-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

Flying back from Thanksgiving, I came upon this terrific article in Forbes. While authenticity and transparency are crucial, I think sometimes we forget that posting something on any social media site is much like standing in front of a podium at a press conference so think before you "post."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2011/11/02/the-spy-who-liked-me/

The Spy Who Liked Me

This story appeared in the November 21 issue of Forbes magazine.

Sean Campbell and Scott Swigart of Cascade Insights

When a financial director at a privately held New York company received a friend request from an attractive blonde on Facebook, the recent divorcé eagerly accepted it. As they chatted over the course of a few days, his new friend mentioned the possibility of visiting him for New Year's Eve and asked a few innocuous questions about his business, such as how much revenue his company had. He told her he couldn't disclose that information, but a few days later, having grown more comfortable with her, he admitted that the figure was $6.5 million.

The curious stranger wasn't a single-looking-to-mingle. "She" was a (male) security consultant for a company called Cyberoam in Bangalore, India, that is finding out how easy it is to exploit social media for corporate espionage. The loose-lipped director's New York firm was one of 20 companies that Cyberoam targeted over a six-month period, stalking employees on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to find leaks of sensitive information. The Cyberoam spies were able to predict a bankruptcy filing for a Singapore company, based on employees' tweets about the company's belt-tightening measures and its vice president of operations announcing on LinkedIn that he was job-searching.

"Employees are sharing information that can be used in very different ways than they intended," says Cyberoam Vice President Abhilash Sonwane, who is not disclosing the names of the companies his firm monitored. "This was not a fact-finding mission. We just wanted to demonstrate to our clients how important it is to have a social media policy in place advising employees about what they shouldn't be disclosing online."

August Jackson, a market intelligence analyst at Ernst Young (formerly at Verizon), says he wants his co-workers to talk up their work, just not "specifically what they're working on today." But he's more than happy to take advantage of those making this mistake at other companies. He steadfastly follows competitors' executives and employees on Twitter and LinkedIn. "And I'm really happy that Google+ recently added a search function," he adds.

If you're not monitoring competitors' activity on social media, you may be missing out on delicious tidbits. While creating a fake profile to friend competitors is generally viewed as unethical-
and potentially illegal-there are many other legitimate sources of information to be mined on the Web.

Sean Campbell and Scott Swigart of Cascade Insights in Oregon City, Ore. conduct competitive intelligence searches in the technology sector. They often come across juicy info on employees' LinkedIn pages: university students describing product features they worked on during summer internships (that haven't yet been publicly disclosed); an AT&T sales representative's boast that he worked with one of the company's biggest Wi-Fi clients, volunteering that it was Nintendo's $6 million account. Even senior executives slip up, as when Hewlett-Packard vice president of cloud services Scott McClellan outlined the details for HP's planned cloud computing platform on his LinkedIn profile-while official reports were still extremely vague. Before he could delete the overshare, the news media picked up on it, and rivals Microsoft and Amazon got the lowdown.

Swigart was asked by a software company to get intelligence on its competitor Cloudera. He posed a few questions on Quora, a techie-heavy Q&A site, where he is clearly identified as a competitive intelligence specialist. To his surprise, one of the first respondents was an engineer from Cloudera eager to talk in detail about the projects he was working on. "I understand the impulse. He was trying to be active on social media and engage with the community there," said Swigart. Unfortunately, it's easy to forget that some may not have your best interests at heart.

Phil Britton, a senior manager of competitive intelligence at Best Buy, frowns upon the practice of spoofing another's identity. "The same ethics apply online as offline. I wouldn't walk into a competitor's store and lie about who I work for. People shouldn't create false fronts online."

But people do. Last year Thomas Ryan, a consultant at Provide Security, invented a female white-hat hacker named Robin Sage, giving her accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. He fabricated an impressive résumé for her, including an MIT graduate degree and stints at several intelligence agencies, and grabbed photos of a Lisbeth Salander-type from a pornography site after a Google image search for "Goth girl."

"Robin Sage" built a network of hundreds of contacts in the security world, including CIA officers, Pentagon and defense contractor employees. A few savvy users recognized that the profile was a fake, but she ended up fielding job interview invitations from Google and Lockheed Martin. Ryan eventually outed Sage (and himself) at security conference Defcon, as a demonstration of how even security pros are vulnerable to this kind of network penetration.

While specific incidents of leaked secrets make for fun anecdotes, Campbell and Swigart of Cascade Insights say some of the most useful intelligence comes from aggregation of lots of innocuous public data. By looking at all of the employees of a given company on LinkedIn, for example, it's possible to get an accurate sense of that company's size and what its true geographical footprint is, based on where those employees live. Hiring patterns can reveal whether the company is expanding or shrinking and what new areas it is moving into, based on the résumés of the most recent hires.

"It's a lot easier to get good info now without doing anything dirty," says Campbell. "Whether companies like it or not, they've become a lot more see-through."

TedX Schedule of events

2011-11-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

Ramping up for the big day! Here's a schedule of events for the first TedX Iowa City! This will be available via QR Code at the event.

Build me one of them viral videos you make

2011-09-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

Just because you want it to be viral, doesn't mean it will be. Viral marketing is something that can not be manufactured. Viral marketing sometimes fails. Viral marketing is a learning experience that can contain amazing surprises.

To build a viral campaign you have to pass certain tests with your audience.

Is it engaging?
Is it authentic?
Is it different (not necessarily unique - but different)
Is it worth sharing?
Is it entertaining or does it evoke an emotion?
Will it influence a decision?

And you can't just ask yourself. I think I make a damn fine baked chicken. My daughter, however, takes one bite and pretends to vomit in her milk. You are not your target market. After all, you already have your own product or service.

So before you ask for a viral video - ask yourself what your intentions are. To make money? That might not be the right motivation. To share the world's best idea/product/service with people who will think it's amazing? There ya go.

Location:Cedar Rapids, IA

The Cobbler's Son - a pre-Thanksgiving message

2010-11-09T10:21:00.001-08:00

So as the saying goes, the cobbler's son has no shoes. Lately at de Novo, updating our blog, our web site and even the wall of projects now happens during our nights and weekends. That is, the nights and weekends when we aren't managing an event, teaching a class or (gasp!) actually spending time with our families.

Now before you misunderstand and label me a whiner, allow me to clarify and say that I am freakin' thrilled to be this busy.

I'm loving every heart-stopping moment from public relations efforts for the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular and launching a guerrilla campaign for Milio's Sandwiches to helping other drivers combat those pesky red light and speed cameras. Check out Beat the Cameras before you get a ticket in the mail!

And happy. And more focused than ever. Is it just me or do you also get hyper-efficient when things are crazy busy? I find that I'm more creative, driven and organized when there's too much to do.

As we near Thanksgiving and a houseful of guests (for which I am also most grateful) I just wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to all of our wonderful past, present and future clients.

A Tale of Two Marketers

2010-06-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's one of my greatest fears: becoming obsolete.

It happened to me once - but thankfully with an early self-intervention and anti-extinction plan, I turned the bus to irrelevance around. But still, the need to keep learning and keep changing is an integral part of success in our field.

This week is bookended by two stories: one a of success in a new marketplace and one of sad failure, right here in the corridor.

It started with a story in this week's Gazette about the gentleman to the right. God, I hope someone gives this guy a job - but it won't be my agency. Why? This statement from the story:

"It's a little demoralizing, having to go out on the internet."

Wow. A little demoralizing? That's why you're out of a job my friend.

Now, I will give him some props for going guerilla on this campaign, but is this the right way to go?

Ok - so let's take the other end of the spectrum: Man lands job with $6 Google Ad Campaign. Admittledly, I'm creeped out by this dude, but look at the interesting approach he took. He bet (all of $6) that leaders at ad agencies he was interested in would google themselves. And when they did, they saw a sponsored link from this guy, that said "Hey (creative director name) Googling yourself is fun. Hiring me is fun too." and a link to his web page.

Again - a little creepy, but he understood his prospects, how their minds (and egos) work and he took a deliberate, targeted action to reach them. It took a little patience, but it worked.

So how do agency directors like myself and my peers keep ourselves off of Boyson and 380 and keep producing fresh and relevant content for our clients?

It's a balance between old and new: common sense and risk-taking. it's not all about Google, but it's not all about television, radio and print. The key is to let your guard down and be open to new technologies and processes and marry them with the traditional. Devote the time to experiencing them and keep your "how does this (or does it even) benefit my clients" lenses on and keep learning. To shut down and not consider newer methods equates to standing on the highway with a "hire me" sign. To shun all traditional methods entirely will get you there about 3 years from now.

My Last Days as a Smurf

2010-03-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Smurf? Yep, that's what we were all called...anyone with a Vancouver 2010 uniform from the 25K volunteers to all staff & consultants...Smurfs. You can see why in the photo to the right. Decked out head to toe in various shades of blue - Happy Smurfs.

Also in the photo is my new found friend, Cat. She's amazing and made my Olympic adventure that much more fun - mostly because she also speaks fluent sarcasm and made dealing with foreign media guys tolerable. The media was tougher than the athletes who were down-to-earth, approachable and soooooo excited to be there. Cat and I were in charge of transportation for the Vancouver Olympic Center - athletes, media, VIPs, etc. Thank you Janet, Evonne, Sarah, Ben, Sharon, Dawn & Pesi and the numerous volunteers from all over Canada. You were all terrific to work with!

Our volunteers were amazing. Who in their right mind would stand outside in the chilly rain and greet each athlete, sponsor or member of the press with smiles on their faces from 5am til 1:30am? Our patriotic volunteers, that's who!

My Olympic adventure has come to an end. I'll post more photos as I recover. First though, I need a nap...

de Novo goes for the Gold

2010-02-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC, is home of the 2010 Winter Olympics and home for me for the next three weeks. This is when the marketing / event geek in me really comes out. Things that have impressed me thus far:

1) The consistency of the messaging and branding. From the uniforms that all 25,000 volunteers wear to the signage throughout Vancouver, the message and look is crystal clear. Granted, they've had six years to plan this all out but it is really amazing and reaches across all mediums.

2) They're utilizing alternative media. You knew I had to throw this in. You can find them on Facebook & Twitter promoting events throughout the Games. They also publish a list of confirmed Twitter accounts for Olympic athletes. They utilized Facebook, along with traditional media to find their volunteers. 99% of the process (I say prO-cess with an emphasis on PRO now...I'm working on my Canadian accent that I hope to perfect by the time I'm back)...ahem, sorry, chicken...anyway 99% of the process was handled online.

3) The friendliness of the people of Vancouver. Everyone I've met has been warm and welcoming. I swear they've been coached on the proper messaging that VANOC & the city of Vancouver would like to convey to the world. Even the buses apologize when they're out of service as though they've somehow inconvenienced you. "Sorry, Out of Service" No need to apologize. Just fix it. Another one will be by in 6 minutes or less.

4) The public transit is efficient, easy to navigate and again, really friendly. I have taken the SkyTrain to get to BC Center to watch the Opening Ceremonies dress rehersal, the SeaBus to get across Burrard Inlet to have dinner with a friend and the #33 bus to get to work every morning, including Sunday. None of the venues allow for on-site spectator parking and yet no one is complaining because the transit system is so clean & efficient.

5) The systems are well planned and finely tuned. Layers of management have been built in to ensure that all possible contingencies are covered. I arrived a week before the games started expecting a huge learning curve and lots of training. Instead, things were already running smoothly and I just hit the ground running.

I'm running the buses at the Vancouver Olympic Centre which is also known as "The Curling Venue." We handle visiting athletes, dignitaries, sponsors, IOC & NOC members and the media. The King of Sweden is here right now and you'd think it was just another night at the curling venue. Smooth.

When technology and marketing collide: the big DUH

2010-01-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple thing to remember when providing your phone number in your marketing and advertising efforts:

A mnemonic phone number is GREAT for helping people remember your company and how to get ahold of you - but essentially useless to the large number of people who use a cell phone and have a QWERTY keypad. It's hard to believe that all manufacturers haven't found a way to overcome this issue yet - but they haven't, so keep it in mind.

So while 1-800-COLOSTOMY might be a great marketing tool in the toolbox, don't let it stand alone. Post the actual numbers somewhere easy to find.

Make sure you give your phone number both ways if you are employing this memory method. If someone has to stop, find a phone with a traditional key pad, try to visualize a keypad in their head, or like, me, starts looking for an image on the web of one so I can figure out the phone number, you've probably lost them.

It's the simplest rule in marketing: keep it simple. Too bad the phone/PDA manufacturers had to make it complicated.

Is Your Company Ready for Social Media...OR...Food for Thought as We Head into 2010

2009-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

As you prepare your marketing plans for 2010, are you considering whether your company should use Social Media to connect not only with your customers, but also with your employees, vendors, partners, etc.? Before you decide to encourage your key employees to blog or to launch that facebook fan page, consider first who will be handling the communication and how well they've handled other forms of communication in the past.

If there is bad feedback given, will your company rise to the challenge and - in a very public forum - correct issues and challenges or will Social Media immediately be blamed for unnecessary bad press?

The power of Social Media is the ability to read and write, meaning a two-way conversation. Thus a key question to ask is: "Do we really want to have a two-way conversation with our customers, employees and vendors?"

If you have already implemented a Social Media strategy to connect to your customers, how are your organization's executives responding to the wealth of information they already have? Are they open and responsive to it, no matter how bad the feedback, or do they demand the feedback be filtered in order to create a sanitized, more palatable version?

Social Media has great power to democratize information, enable direct access to anyone in the company and to provide real-time, meaningful feedback on products and services. Are those the kind of features that would increase your efficiencies, improve innovation and engage your customers and employees? Or do you worry more about the threat to management structure, security of information and protocol?

Be honest with yourself here. There's no right or wrong answer but definitely an indicator as to whether your company culture is ready for Social Media.

So, what do you do if you've evaluated the company culture and feel you're just not ready to be completely transparent on a global scale? Do you have to wait years for a cultural shift? Not necessarily.

Start small. Social Media is meant to be authentic and transparent. You have the ability to put a personality to your brand identity. Perhaps you start a fan site that doesn't necessarily allow for reviews but opens the doors of communication for your customers.

When I was with MCI (prior to the many mergers & acquisitions), we piloted a small team who handled all customer service-related email correspondence. Personally. One at a time. With individualized attention given to each email. Now, admittedly, this was in the days when emailing customer service was still a new concept and the volume was manageable but the point is that it forged relationships - very personal relationships - between the brand and the customer. No, not everyone walked away happy but they did have a forum in which they could vent, question, challenge, etc. and they received very specific answers.

What does this have to do with Social Media? Well, its a first step to opening the door and allowing an open conversation. Maybe there are pockets within the culture that could pilot a small project, focused on a specific business need. For example, a new product team could use a private, secure social networking tool to communicate with each other and store important documents, training guides, past correspondence and feedback from customers. Or you could implement a broad scale, highly focused tool, such as an expert employee directory with additional social networking capabilities progressively turned on as the organization acclimates.

Another way to tiptoe into the waters is to create and launch Innovation Day — a day within your organization where the entire workforce in engaged and asked to advise on ways to improve and enhance current products and services or propose new ones. Your internal experts telling you how to do it better. Then take it outside and solicit the same advice from your partners, vendors and yes, even your customers. Follow that up with changes, results and communication to the people involved and you've just made a paradigm shift.

Good luck and Happy New Year!!

The Brand Experience

2009-12-28T12:25:00.001-08:00

Really couldn't have said it better myself. I love that marketers and brands are starting to get it...your brand is more than a logo and some fancy stationery.

The "Try, Believe, Love" triangle has been utilized by companies for years. We used this as part of our training at Red Bull. Get consumers to try your brand & believe in your promise and they become very loyal customers.

http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=141210

Want to Innovate? Then Create a Rich, Holistic Brand Experience

Here's How CMOs Can Capitalize on This Emerging Opportunity

by Laurence Knight
Published: December 23, 2009


Laurence Knight

Brand experience is rapidly becoming the new frontier for innovation. Such brand experiences authentically embed the product into deep content or services, stretching the footprint of the brand far beyond where it is used. This type of innovation is becoming a mandate for growth across a number of consumer categories, particularly in package goods. Not to be confused with the lifestyle marketing approach of Patagonia, North Face, Disney and the like, experience-led innovation is all about serving up rich, differentiated experiences that encourage consumer involvement and collaboration.

As CMOs look to capitalize on this emerging opportunity, they must take several prerequisite steps. First, CMOs must rally their organizations to create a clear vision for consumer involvement. Brand development, customer service and breakthrough innovation groups should be integrated and aligned around visionary, experience-based insights that drive the involvement. Identifying these insights unlocks product benefits and services. Gone are the days when marketing and innovation groups can focus on new product benefits to drive growth and when the innovation group fills the funnel before passing on the responsibility for managing the brand development vision to brand managers.

Insight-led research must be broadened beyond usage to examine how a brand can resonate across core consumer experience states, looking at: 1.) "How does a brand educate me?" 2.) "How does it entertain me?" 3.) "On what can it advise me?" 4.) "Is the brand an expression of me?" 5.) "Does the experience connect me to similar consumers?" 6.) "Does the brand give me a sense of purpose?" As a team, this integrated organization needs to work seamlessly to translate the experience-based insights into an authentic, holistic experience rather than come up with only emotional and functional product benefits.

A brand that has figured this out is Nestlé's Nespresso, which goes way beyond selling packaged coffee on shelves to offer a holistic experience delivering coffee, machines and services. The brand educates, entertains and involves the fan base in the full experience of how the coffee is grown, selected and roasted. This brand understands the insights behind its experience so deeply that it can present the entertaining style of actor George Clooney alongside the educational voice of its supply-chain manager on YouTube and knows to come up with different innovative designs to appeal to the distinct preferences in different countries. Second, as brand and innovation teams create new experience states, it's critical to define how a brand philosophy serves the fan base. To do so, it's essential to flip one's thinking, embedding the brand in experiences created rather than taking the traditional benefit-driven approach that consumer package goods have followed.

For marketers it's no longer good enough to just capture and manage the brand equity as a static snapshot of benefits, essence, reason-to-believe and key differentiator. For instance, Unilever's Axe young men's grooming brand differentiates itself by creating authentic, consistent experiences built around a "mating game" platform. Unilever involves consumers using traditional media but also draws them into whole experiences, everything from renaming a popular nightclub in New York's Hamptons to the Axe Lounge and saturating it with Axe branding to creating a female Axe Patrol that visits bars and clubs, frisking guys and applying body spray. This platform is clearly linked to the Axe brand, and no other brand could replicate these experiences and still seem authentic. Third, with the shift toward identifying rich experience states rather than product usage, teams must experiment with new formats for describing concepts that depart from the standard 100-word limit. Now working directly with rich-media production companies, the pioneering marketers in this area are creating deep content from five to 30 minutes that is more entertaining, educational and solution-oriented. Embedded in the rich experience are 15- to 30-second sound bites that can be used in more than just traditional media activation. Natural beauty brand Bare Escentuals embeds the simple "swirl, tap, buff" foundation-application ritual into every brand experience, both in media and at retail. This not only educates the consumer, but the ritual becomes the essence of the brand reinforced across all experience points and creates a product connection simply through the experience itself. A key element of Bare Escentuals' marketing is QVC programming featuring CEO Leslie Blodgett, a format that demands demonstrable, experience-driven storytelling. She has created rich stories around the brand, how it's used and where it's from, and she actively recruits her fan base as unpaid advocates to go forth and evangelize. She also drew them in with a documentary-style video shared on YouTube about how the Bare Escentuals' campaign called "Try, Believe, Love" was created. She's living the experience of the brand and showing how it can be lived on so many levels. Brands such as these that understand, embrace and innovate using experience-based insights have a true advantage in developing breakthrough innovation.

Mt. Mercy's Holiday Card Project

2009-12-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Talk about a fun project! Mt. Mercy wanted to jazz up their holiday card with an e-greeting they could share with their alumni, students and supporters.

We used their pictures, some music and our talents to create a sparkling card to share the message. Using embeddable files via YouTube made it easy to share and highlight.

2009-11-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

See our latest creative collaborative project:
The Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Annual Report

Is SEO Bunk, or not?

2009-10-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've been following, with no small measure of amusement, the rantings of a particular web designer who claims that Search Engine optimization is the pet rock of the new millenium. Actually, he calls it way worse than that, but this is a blog for grown ups. I've never heard of the guy before, so if he has done one thing smart, it's that he has created a buzz about himself.

Today I read a pretty well reasoned, but defensive reply about it. Somewhere, between the F-bomber and the SEO firm, is the answer.

SEO is important. SEO will set you apart from your competitors - but what should it cost and is there a magic SEO bullet? How much money should it take and is it really so technical that joe the plumber can't do it?

The writer of the original post (click the link at your own risk, he really is kind of a tool) claims that good design should do it. Well, there's a little truth to that - good design with all the right tools embedded in it, good copywriting that is done with SEO in mind, and your keywords and meta tags in place. Oh, and the keywords, by the way, might not be what you think they should be.

The problem with relying on a design is that the we b is a big place. Your competitors might hire a good designer too. A beautifully designed website is simply not going to cut it.

Good SEO mixes the technical with the organic. And the organic isn't just about the beautifully crafted images. The organic means ensuring cross links between your company and others, relevant news and other opportunities to cross promote. Organic means regular updating, integrating blogs and social media and utilizing many of the free or low cost applications out there to place yourself where your audience looks for information.

It also means thinking about marketing from the consumers eyes. A good web developer will know to do this with you. They will discuss effective copywriting for SEO and help you incorporate it into the flow.

The more technical aspects involve embedding code and and analytics in your site and submitting to multiple directories/engines, some of which you have never heard of, but they're integral. That's simplifying it quite a bit, but SEO is not actually brain surgery.

SEO is something that takes time - and time is money of course - and persistance. It is something that requires regular updating of your site and you, your developer or your SEO company will need to monitor your website traffic.

I think any good developer worth their salt, should build it into their quote. If they don't know how to do it, I think that shows that they aren't keeping up with the rest of the world, and it makes me wonder what else they might not know. Expect it to initially cost somewhere around $500 to do it inclusively with your site development.

The level at which you need your SEO to perform will also determine what you need to pay - and what you inlcude in your strategy - whether you are local or global will make a big difference. Whether you are in a highly competitive industry or not, also matters. A good developer will also be able to guide you through the pros and cons of pay-per-click advertising and other opportunities that exist to target your market effectively.

There's a fine line between authentic SEO and a one-size-fits-all-and-costs-a-bundle strategy. Look into the promises the developer makes and ask how they plan to achieve it. If it doesn't involve a dialogue with you - it probably is a scam - or at least an overpriced package that won't fit your needs. (That's another blog yet to come: everything doesn't need to cost 10,000+)

The other thing to be aware of is "the instant SEO" fallacy. SEO spikes quick with an immediate boost from previous rankings, but then turns into a slow burn. It takes maintenance and time, and throwing more money at it won't help.

Either way, you need to consider SEO part of your strategy and you need to work with someone who can show you results and metrics - and include you in the process. And if your web developer hasn't brought it up to you and isn't doing it already - he/she's got some 'splaining to do.

Using a different take on Cedar Rapids Flood Story

2009-08-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Cedar Rapids appeared in the New York Times today - portraying the problems we've faced since the waters recede. Money gets allocated and it never gets here.

It's like roach motel: Dollars go in(to government agencies.) But they don't come out.

But the cool thing about the story is that it got play four months after the Cedar Rapids Flood Story kits in the Quaker Oatmeal tubes went out the door, spearheaded by a group of creative public and media reations professionals in the corridor. NYT was smart to wait a bit and tie it into recent news - the 4th anniversary of Katrina. Good for them.

What will Cedar Rapids Flood Story do for Cedar Rapids? It's provided some exposure and it helps raise the awareness of the situation we're facing. The most important result is yet to be seen though. Will it apply the pressure needed to loosen the pursestrings that hold money that Cedar Rapids.

How can we continue to apply the pressure? Since we're living in the digital age, it's time to start forwarding selected stories to the decision makers and follow up to ensure they've been read. We also need to post in our digital sharing world and leverage the networks we have to continue to keep the problem in the spotlight.

To be sure, the cover of the NYT is going to catch some eyes in Washington and other areas of the country. But we can't rest on our laurels. We all need to rebroadcast the message. The New ork Times is simply one vehicle to get the word out.

Get tweeting.

Three Instantly Effective Social Media Strategies - Conversation Starter - HarvardBusiness.org

2009-07-27T12:27:00.001-07:00

Found this article on the Harvard Business blog. Both interesting and relevant. People often want "instant results" when it comes to Social Media and while Jen & I will preach until we're blue in the face that Social Media Marketing is a slow burn, here's a little "instant gratification."

Three Instantly Effective Social Media Strategies - Conversation Starter - HarvardBusiness.org

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de Novo is Landlocked!

2009-07-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

de Novo is excited to announce that we will be doing promotions for the screening of the new movie "16 to Life" at the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City on August 29th.

Billed as an Indie Teen Comedy - the film is already garnering international reviews. 16 to Life was filmed on the banks ofthe Mississippi by Emmy Award Winning director Becky Smith, creator of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. This is Smith's first feature.

Remember Rachel Green on ER - ill-fated, long suffering Dr. Green's angsty teenage daughter? Well she's still angsty but now it's all about sex - and the Cultural Revolution in China. Oh, and among other stars, it also features Carson Kressley (sporting a heckuva northern accent doncha know) as "the Jesus-y clog dancer."

We don't believe in spoilers, but we are looking forward to seeing people from both end of the corridor at the Iowa City screening. Keep your eyes open for more local promotions for this film.

Watch the trailer: (Warning - very funny. Don't pee your pants.) http://www.16tolifethemovie.org/Barry.mov

One Year Later - One Floor Higher

2009-06-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

My thoughts keep going back to this time last year, as we were watching the water rise by the hour.

June 8, 2008, Doug (my husband and the Downtown District CEO) told me to think about what my office would look like with 2 1/2 feet of water in it. I thought he was crazy.

June 9, I still thought he was crazy, since we were one block out of the 500 year flood zone. But I started to think he was going to lose his office. Or at least get a little water in it. That day we sandbagged downtown with friends at Merrill Lynch and other places around the First Street E area.

Later that day, Heather and I grabbed hummus from Pitaz for lunch and sat on the bridge and watched the water visibly rise over the course of 45 minutes. I think we were both a little shaken.

Wednesday, I went out to Palo to sandbag. Heather called my cell and told me she had been instructed to evacuate and she was loading the printer and all electronics into the car. I met her downtown and we put our rugs up on the tables and moved everything in Cedar Rapids Coffee's basement 3 feet off the floor. We still didn't think it was that bad.

Thursday most of downtown was evacuated. Doug and I went downtown and watched as the city buses from the jail came through the water, transporting prisoners at the last moment from the island where they were detained.

We watched anxious business people laugh, or cry, or throw their hands up in impotent frustration as the waters rose. Some people dealt with it with humor, others with anger. Most of us were in disbelief.

Doug's office was underwater by 11 that morning. A man walked into Blue Strawberry, where we had been sandbagging and helping move pumps downstairs and said "We lost the Paramount." I thought he was being overdramatic - but he's right. We did indeed lose the Paramount.

By now, water in our office was more than a possibility, the basement was filling. Jen Visser and I (and so many others) sandbagged at the Theatre and all around the coffee shop and our offices. When the police came by and told us it was time to leave, we sandbagged elsewhere. We filled sandbags for Mercy and for others.

We were sent over to help with an area across 8th Ave, but wanted to stop and make sure Jeff Quint was out of his winery in the back of BENZ. He wasn't of course and the water was about butt-high on him as he waded out to talk to him. He had rented pumps and had sandbags and was fighting as hard as he could, but eventually even Jeff, who is one of the more stubborn guys I know, had to give up the battle. He and his employee waded out among floating spools of industrial cable from Terry Durin Co, mattresses, debris and probably sewage.

Jen V. and I worked until we couldn't anymore. I went home, cracked a beer and fell asleep with it on my nightstand. My hands were numb from hauling sandbags and my arms felt like a couple pieces of cooked pasta.

Friday was less emotional for me, even as I watched CNN broadcast across the street from my office. I shifted my focus to obsessively watching local news and staring in horror at the homes that were being lost, largely across the river.

It was weird - the sun was shining that day, but 10 square miles of Cedar Rapids were underwater.

Friday was when I fell apart, and honestly didn't pick myself back up for a couple months. I took the kids to their grandparents and stayed for a couple days. I think I sat in a stupor most of the time.

During the water restriction I took the kids to the cabin while Doug worked non stop out at Kirkwood, and from our dining room table. I still think that many do not realize what City leaders gave up to keep the city from falling into chaos, and to begin recovery before the waters even receded.

The summer of 2008 was by far the worst summer - for us and for many. de Novo struggled as many other businesses did. But we counted ourselves lucky as we didn't lose much in the way of property. Most of our losses came from difficulties in productivity due to the loss of our office and the local economy. Obviously our homes were not affected, but mentally I think our loss and bearing witness to the losses our friends and community suffered, took an emotional toll neither of us expected. Really, we felt guilty for the relatively minor losses we suffered in comparison. That guilt took on a life of its own at times and could be overwhelming.

One year later, we're located on the second floor of Guaranty Bank downtown and our business has survived both the flood, the flood economy and the national (global one might say) recession.

We're still doing what we do and we're expanding, but the flood changed us in many ways too. For me personally it makes me appreciate my local community much more. I miss the library and the Science Station as well as many of my favorite haunts. I avoid flood coverage often, because I seem to live it at home, being married to Doug and as his role expanded with EPRC last fall. I forced myself to read this week's coverage of the anniversary because I understand that avoiding it isn't dealing with it and the flood of 2008 is a reality that I can't ignore.

I take less interest in national news and have little patience for entertainment news or TV in general now. I felt like we've lived our own reality show and I don't want to watch some guy eat bugs or watch the privileged dance their way to more stardom. I just want Cedar Rapids back.

But I want it back better, brighter and more vibrant than before. I will not settle for less.

There's a lot of work to do, but we can do this. As a community, we will.

Marketing as a Team

2009-05-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Andrea Wagner at Management Resource Group once said : "You're not one of those marketing people that feels like they have to rip everything up and start over." That's paraphrased a little, but that was the gist of what she said.

I took that as a compliment - because most of our clients do know what's best for their company, sometimes they just need help telling other people about it - or targeting the correct market.

There are the typical situations where we come in and it's time for a new logo, or a new site or campaign, but as an agency, it's not something we can do alone. Try as we might, we aren't the experts on most business models, outside of our own industry.

Now one of the fun things about agency work is we get the opportunity to learn about our client's businesses and often learn in-depth about them, but the fact remains that we weren't the ones who built the business.

We strive to achieve a balance of expertise. You + Us = Good Marketing, and Good Marketing = Better Sales for our Clients - which is the point of employing a marketing agency. Any marketing agency that wants to come in and immediately rip up all your past work without first understanding the evolution of your company's brand has an ego problem and won't serve you well.

Kind of harsh, but it's something we pride ourselves on. We know Marketing. You know your company. Let's work together to make things happen.

Lessons from the Recession

2009-04-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

My husband likes to justify his frugality with the recession these days - can't buy a new refrigerator, even though the handle fell off and it leaks air like a balloon at Chuck-E-Cheese.

"Recession era thinking," he says.

He has a point, the recession has put many of us in the mindset that we need to save money and marketing is one of the first costs on the chopping block - coupled with living off Ramen Noodles. With often less than tangible measurables, marketing doesn't have much of a foot to stand on, so when times get tough, marketing gets cut.

It's one thing to cut marketing and make it more efficient, it's another to cut it entirely and hope that you can pick up where you left off when this economic situation blows over. That's actually dangerous.

I would argue that you should always be looking at it through recession lenses. Marketing, as it used to exist, doesn't really have a place in today's marketing. The days of blowing money on huge creative energies, big mark ups, meetings with lots of people that you're each paying to grace you with their presence and huge media campaigns just don't exist in most businesses - the kind of businesses that make up a large portion of our economic fabric.

Today's marketing plans - at least the ones that work - are leaner and more nimble. They use technologies that cost less and are more effective. And your brand? It's owned by your consumer now. Yes, you often still need a good logo and you need solid key messages, but by and large, it's your internal brand - the spirit of your company - that sells.

Marketing dollars these days are being spent more on researching target markets and web and social media strategies, less on commercials and print campaigns. Even though some might not articulate this change in marketing, or even acknowledge it, most of us know it intuitively now. And it's how you integrate that knowledge into your marketing strategy that will determine the success of your marketing in affecting your bottom line - which is, after all, the purpose of marketing - not foam core boards with pretty comps and lofty presentations.

Successful marketing agencies find themselves working on a variety of businesses that are diverse in size and industry, and guiding them through the myriad of ways they can advertise or promote. It's not about painting with a wide brush anymore - we're using the fine tipped detail brush to fill in the lines of different audiences with more authenticity than ever.

Your marketing has to be targeted to the audience that cares about your product or service. And really, that is probably not going to change when and if the economy corrects itself. Your marketing dollars can go further and be more successful. And you need to measure it - not to whack your marketing staff or agency (your agency had better be measuring it too), but to find the strategies that work - and those that are a waste of your company's money.

But, for Pete's sake, buy a new fridge when you need one.

A few of our favorite things...

2009-03-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More social media

2009-03-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Marketing Leprechauns at de Novo Alternative Marketing, LLC.

Breeding a Long Tailed Hedgehog

2009-01-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

Before I get started, I just want to say that in order not to be duplicitous, I searched for "long tail" and "hedgehog" together on the web. Lot's of Long Tail hits, a few references to hedgehogs and one marketing site that said "Do not be like the Woolly Mammoth - the last dinosaur to die!"

Since when was a wooly mammoth a dinosaur? Sorry, that was a chicken.

Ok - so what the hell am I talking about? Long tailed hedgehogs?

I'm combining, in my own mind two concepts: Jim Collin's Hedgehog concept, from the book Good to Great and the Long Tail of Marketing - which I'm not sure who came up with, but as best I can tell, I should credit Chris Anderson, editor of Wired Magazine. My apologies Mr. Anderson, for not knowing this.

The Hedgehog Concept has always been a stretch analogy to me. It's something about a rodent that rolls up in a ball and just keeps plugging away, single-mindedly to reach it's goal. It's a focused little creature (I guess - it also lacks a frontal lobe, so who knows) but the point is - it does what it's good at, what it needs to do and in a way it is an expert at doing it, day in, day out.

There is some wisdom in it, even if the analogy is weak and possibly the result of hallucinogens. You know how to create product, you know how to create it well, don't bother trying to create things you know nothing about, just keep doing the one thing really well, right?

Well, maybe once upon a time that was a pat answer. But now you have diversification of markets (I'm not talking financial markets, although I'm sure it applies, but I don't know nothin' 'bout that.) and so many consumer outlets that one product, service, line, etc. is failing. Essentially, the Long Tail of Marketing killed the hedgehog - or at least maimed it severely.

If I may breathe a little life into the rodent concept, I'd like to say that the hedgehog is now your core philosophy (which, in many ways, Jim Collins already advocates) of doing business. You take what you know and you apply the long tail philosophy to it: meaning you discover through social media methods, the products and varioations that your customers want and you deliver them using your inner hedgehog as your guide.

The concept of the long tail is simple, although definitions vary, the gist is that instead of having one product that you sell to one market, you have multiple products, services, variations etc. that over the long run you sell to many different market. It's not neurosurgery - it's just diversification. Or niche-selling.

But the problem comes when we either start to sell things we have no business selling - OR we try to make people belive that the one thing we are selling is what they need no matter what else is widely available.

Employing the hedgehog philosophy, we take the core product or service and we tailor it to fit customers' needs - essentially creating new products or niches. Not the other way around. If this is something your company doesn't understand right now - you've got an issue. Customers are not going to buy something that doesn't meet their needs and if you can't meet them, someone else will. And if they do buy it and it doesn't meet their expectations, they will never buy it again.

Your product and what you sell is just as much a part of your brand as your logo. In a recent blog post we talk about incorporating your entire business model into your brand, but you must also incorporate your consumer in this process. Involving your customer not only gives you the most important market research you can get, but also gives them a sense of interest in what you sell.

One of the most difficult things I ever had to wrap my arms around was the idea of giving up control of a brand. It took me a year to come to terms with this idea. It was even more difficult for me to accept that what I wanted to sell versus what people wanted to buy were not the same thing and that I could not force them to want the product that I was charged with promoting. However, by then my learning curve was a little less flat - so it didn't take a full year.

We're at a pivotal point in our economy right now and it's time to get strategic about your marketing - but in this case "strategic" does not equal "controlling." Turn the reins over to your customers. Wear a blindfold. It helps.

User Generated Content: Part Duh

2009-01-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

Take a moment to watch this video from the Wall Street Journal and see what you think. (Bruce Weinberg, professor of marketing at Bentley University shares his thoughts on how to handle negative comments on the web.)

Two things stand out.

The first is that in the first part of the video, Bruce describes a controlled situation - should you edit or delete comments users make on your site? He's got great points - think of it as your home - do you want to subject your guests to that kind of abuse? KCRG TV9's comment section is a great example of what happens when you allow un-moderated anonymous posts on your site. You get a sewer and it downgrades the value of the valid comments.

It's also an opprotunity for a dialogue, he points out - a very important venue for feedback.

But, many comments come in other forms, rather than controlled forums. Try googling "I hate American Airlines." After a disastrous trip on AA last week, I was ready to come back and start a blog to this effect - no need. It's been done. Over and over.

So how do you overcome negative user comments? There are a couple different types:

1. The valid gripe. Consider this type of comment your wake up call. If it is a trackable post and a sincere error on your company's part, attempt to reconcile if possible. This is, as Mr. Weinberg says: some of the most valuable market research you can get. If you can't track it - fix the problem internally and post on the same forum that you have corrected the issue and encourage another chance.

2. The whiner/The hater: don't bother. Usually their whining/vitriol drives away their readers.
It's hard not to take it personally though. Look to see if they've actually any readership/following before making any decision.

3. The drive-by: You get these occasional posts that don't have any basis in reality and are really just a sociopath who has probably never done business with your company. If it's really that bad, report it to the directory/webmaster of the site it is located on.

4. Don't forget the good comments - those are worth their weight in gold.

Tip: do regularly check search engine listings on your business. Set up free google alerts for your business name and keep an eye on the comments - good and bad.

The second part of the video talks about addressing critical issues with publicity, etc. These are mainstream, large companies, and probably aren't valid solutions for most businesses. And in the case of http://www.dellhell.com/ it was only partially effective. Dell is still a nightmare to deal with. Yes, they may have addressed their big issues when forced to, but they missed the wake up call - the valid gripes that were the harbinger of the backlash that has probably tainted them for good.

The upshot is, pay attention to the info your consumers give you. React to it authentically and with good intentions and you won't have to worry (too much) about the negative comments. Your brand is about your integrity.

This just about sums it up

2008-12-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

Great PBwiki on customer client relations. Click on the image to go to the wiki.

Divining your internal brand first

2008-12-26T17:58:00.001-08:00

Most people intuitively understand marketing, customer service and distribution - but do they understand how the three work together?

So often, we associate marketing with basic principles - the textbook P's, timing, relevance and message. But where marketing plans often miss the mark is when they don't integrate the principles with other organizational facets.

We all know we need to employ some form of marketing - even just word of mouth, to succeed in business, but brand and identity go deeper than a logo, a brochure, a YouTube video, or even just your basic marketing plan.

A good marketing plan tells you where you want to be and the way you will allocate resources to achieve that. The best marketing plan incorporates the operational aspects of your business and involves multiple levels and departments (if you've got multiple levels and departments) in brand distribution. Indeed, an excellent marketing plan involves the consumer/client in the process as well.

An example: a business that sells colostomy bags (again with the colostomy bags!) to hospitals sets up a website, to increase awareness of their product. They do all the right stuff with SEO and they are the first link that pops up when you go looking for that product. Great -step 1, complete.

Next, they realize that their customers want to purchase online. They set up an online purchasing system. But sales never take off. Why? It turns out their customers are a little confused by the redirect to an online checking system outside of the original website. A little homework tells them that customes are closin the window when asked to sign in to google check out and they have never used it before.

Time to involve accounting in the system. Working with their CPA, they purchase an easy shopping cart system that allows them to not only select multiple items, but offers safe, EASY on-site checkout. After a little communication, customers come back. Orders start flowing - but maybe not as much as they anticipated.

A quick survey tells the supplier that health care administrators are ordering the product - not health care providers and it turns out colostomy bags are varied and it's a little confusing to someone who isn't the person who works with them day in and day out (OK, I have no idea if that's true.) and it's sometimes easier for them to call in or call another vendor to order what they need.

The answer? A continually staffed contact number AND an online chat function. Now we've got customer service involved. The online chat function helps buyers not only figure out what it is they need - BUT also gives the supplier a chance to sell other accompanying products (uh, like tubes or something?) and up the sale.

Ok - so a long explanation that boils down to a simple message. Marketing touches many aspects of the supply chain as well as the distribution. Determining what your customers need and how they want it, then answering that from within, is what will define your brand in their eyes. A pretty logo is just one aspect. Exceed their expectations and you stand a chance of making the sale - and possibly keeping them.

Dead Carp - Paying for online content

2008-12-21T17:49:00.003-08:00

I just read a blog post on the San Francisco Chronicle's website about how to save the newspaper industry. Since I just used the dinosaur metaphor in my last post, I'll refrain from doing it here.

I read the post as a result of the Gazette's Editor, Steve Buttry's tweet about how many people think the financial crisis in the newspaper industry is due to the fact that newspapaers don't charge for online product. He's right - but the Gazette wasn't always in this position. It was just a few years ago that they launched the new Gazette Online product with the intent to charge a monthly subscription for the service that allowed you to read the newspaper on your screen - in a format that looked exactly like the print version, but was clickable.

It didn't fly - at least not at levels high enough for the program to continue. But it did open the door for a great online prduct - the current GazetteOnline. I'm not privy to how the Gazette makes its money these days, but from what I know about their financial position, they are doing something right.

Everything on the internet, techonlogy-wise and beyond, will make its way to free, or damned close, sooner or later. There are a variety of ways to make money on technology, but charging exorbitant prices in a time of crowdsourcing, open source, freeware, etc. will make your product as attractive as a bloated carp washed ashore before too long. Make money on the launch, on the upgrade, on the IPO, or selling the concept - but don't try to make money by selling something someone can get for free. Even if it takes them a little while - consumers are persistant and connected.

This is moving beyond technology to other types of products , but technology is the distributing factor and as your consumers become more savvy they will figure out, on their own, how to te get the info or product they want, when they want it, how they want it.

This is the challenge of marketing today: how to be there when your consumer wants your product, is ready to buy it and is willing to pay for it. Although you can download (for free) a marketing plan online, the fact remains that you have to divine the purchasing/digestion habits of your market and tailor your plan and price accordingly. And if they won't pay for your service/product - discover the revenue plan that will pay for it, or die.

Beware of false prophets

2008-12-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

KGANTV in Cedar Rapids sent an email earlier this week, that they are sponsoring an event in January with Paul Weyland, self professed author, speaker, etc. on, surprise, advertising on television.

The seminar purports to teach you about "modern marketing and branding" and good advertising and bad. Ok... sounds good at first blush. Who couldn't use that?

So I google the guy - he's got his own name website, of course: http://www.paulweyland.com/ and it offers you two options: Corporate Clients and Media Sales Clients. I chose to enter the site under Media Sales.

Blog? Sure, he's got one. Hasn't been updated in 2 years, but it's there. Social media? Sort of a mention - talks about YouTube taking sales from TV and how that is a trend that isn't going to change.

I'm sure the seminar has some useful tips - on what makes a good TV or radio ad - and there are definitely some companies out there that could use some advice on what makes a good spot. There are some truly atrocious ads (Have you heard Snap Fitness' ad? OMG.) But the fact remains that television advertising costs too much for the exposure you get. Fewer people are watching television - but not television shows. And we all know where they're spending that time and it ain't hiking in the woods.

So, attend the seminar if you need some advice on how to advertise on KGAN - or out of morbid curiousity to see a modern day dinosaur flail about pathetically and argue with you for why it isn't extinct. Pass the fossil fuels, please.

Mind the Gap

2008-11-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

Typical businesses have more than one market. And typical market segments are a little persnickety about how they like to receive that information.

So how do you reach all your target markets?

The answer isn't that easy anymore - it used to be that if you just paid for enough television, radio and print ads, eventually you'd hit everyone - and now, MAYBE that works, but in reality, you have to spend a lot more money on those three mediums to get your message to the people who may be interested in your service.

It's time to eat the meatball, folks. It's far better to do the research up front to identify not only your market(s) but how they communicate, whether your product or sevice is relevant to them and when and how they want to do business with you. Market to 50 people who care and you'll get a lot better ROI than marketing to 50,000 who don't.

And there's the gap. If your market consists of 70 year old women, 22-34 year olds and 40-55 year old couples, then you need to figure out how each group gets their information and how they make their consumption services. A lot of very smart business people think "I can't afford to mount three different campaigns," but they're wrong. You can't buy enough TRaP to reach them all relevantly.

You don't have to mount 3 campaigns. You need to fully understand the communication habits of each and come up with one overarching plan that will serve as your guide and your blue print. Identify within that plan, the elements that will allow you to laser in on each of those markets most effectively. You can look for the crossover methods between the three, but think about it - do you get your information the same way you did when you were 20?

The bottom line is, that we are in a new golden age of marketing - one that allows us to be more in touch with and closer to our customers than ever before. It's trickier than ever - but we've never had as many tools to help us discover information and reach out and build relationships with consumers and clients.

Ahem, is this thing on? Testing, testing...1.2.3....

2008-11-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Our message, a client's message, any message really, can be boiled down in its finest form to a two-minute or less elevator speech. And yet, we ramble on.

A good friend of mine, Dick Damrow, helped me to fine-tune de Novo's message, our purpose even, into one simple sentence. That's really powerful. To know that everything you're striving to do can be fit within one simple sentence. It helps us maintain focus. It helps us to say "no." And it has really helped us as we grow to decide if we're on track or wandering off on a tangent.

At Red Bull, we narrowed it to eight words. Everything we did - hiring an employee, deciding on a sponsorship,designing an event, choosing a sampling mission - fit within those eight words. It kept us laser focused and has helped to build that brand over the last 20 years to be #1 in the world.

What's your simple sentence or selection of words? If you have two minutes to explain your mission, your purpose, your message, what would you say? Would you be susinct and eloquent or would you be cut off mid-sentence like a debate candidate?

If you find that your marketing efforts are reactionary and all over the board, consider looking at your elevator speech as a way to focus your energies and efforts. Its amazing how easy it is to get caught up in being creative or trying to solve each problem with its own solution and lose focus on the fact that you're simply trying to convey a message....a very simple message. The stronger your message, the stronger your brand.

Pitching social media as a marketing tool

2008-11-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

You know, it's not easy to figure all this social media stuff out, even if you are tech savvy. And it's even harder to fiigure out if it's right for your business - or sometimes just yourself.

A couple of litmus tests:
1. Are my target audiences using social media?
2. Which SM are they using? All? 1?
3. Is there a forum for my type of business? Or will it look completely lame to create a fan page on facebook for a (for example) colostomy bag supplier?Will anyone besides my friends and family care - and if they do, will it virally spread, or will it stagnate?
4. Do I have the time to maintain it?
5. Can I tie it in with my internet presence, or my permission based email marketing?

With SM, you need to do it right. It can reap rewards for you, but it still is just one tool in the tool box. Consider it Word of Mouth on performance enhancing drugs - it's got the power to make your brand stronger - and it could also flop. And, as I talk about in the UGC post, it can be detrimental if your internal brand and standards are unable to keep up.

Just because it's free, doesn't always make it the right tool. Plan. Implement. Evaluate. Always.

Are you afraid of User Generated Content?

2008-07-31T08:37:00.000-07:00

UGC - one of the most powerful social networking tools there is - if you do it right.

User Generated Content is word of mouth marketing, blown up to gargantuan proportions. It can mean a few extra piece of business for you a year, it could push you into a realm of success you've never experienced before, and it can break you.

UGC boils down to accountability and authenticity. By definition, UGC is on-line content that is produced by users of Web sites, as opposed to traditional media producers such as broadcasters and production companies. ...opencontent.wgbh.org/report/glossary.html

But it is also combines reviews, good and bad, as well as opinions, rants and raves. If you want to use User Generated Content on your site, be prepared.

Wikipedia is the obvious example, and that can apply to traditional businesses. de Novo is listed on Wikipedia. As are many politicians, and local businesses. At de Novo, by posting our business on Wikipedia, we're showing that we have faith in our business that we aren't going to find our site modified by de Novo-detractors. And we check it. You can't just throw UGC out there and not babysit it. If there's a problem, you have to address it. You can't just delete the post and hope no one ever sees it, because if it's bad enough, it will make it's way back to you. You have to address the problem and pony up the accountability to make it right.

Blog posts and trackbacks are another form of UGC. When you put yourself out there, it's a high-risk, high reward scenario. Is your brand or your product strong enough to withstand worldwide access? It better be, or you have a few things you should be working on before you get to the marketing stage.

So, the high-reward part? Sales, pure and simple. Ever use the google ratings for businesses to determine where to get your new tires from? I did this just last week. I read every review for the tire companies in Cedar Rapids, weeded out the unauthentic looking ones and chose the best option from that: 5 Seasons Tire on First Avenue. Not on Edgewood, two posts said they were very slow. I tooled on up First Ave, handed my keys over, told them what I needed and was out of there 20 minutes later. I barely had time to fire up my laptop in the waiting area. And I reviewed them positively from my PDA before I even returned home. That was a $300 sale based on UGC.

So, what can it do for you?

Social Marketing Gone Bad

2008-07-27T11:12:00.001-07:00

Ever hear of JigSaw?

This one really ticks me off. In my continual crusade to bring a Trader Joes to Cedar Rapids, I have not received one shred of communication from the organization. And I'm frustrated. I thought my next step should be to contact someone from HQ. I began looking for a better way to contact them than their website when I ran across JigSaw.

For a combination of a monthly fee and/or my personal high profile contacts, I can get access to other email and phone addresses in high profile companies.

What the...

At first I didn't get it - I pay a fee for contact information that is willingly posted, ok. I post my information, ok. Silly girl.

No, that isn't how it works. JigSaw is built on other people posting and updating other people's contacts. Without their permission.

Now, I really want to contact someone at Trader Joe's about their lack of response and the restraining order (I'm just kidding about that part) but somehow I can't bring myself to pay for stolen information. I'm just as bad as everyone else - I'll buy my music online but will every once in awhile copy a CD for a friend or for my library. But JigSaw goes against every tenet I can think of in permission-based marketing. For that matter, it's the type of thing that hampers social marketing because it will force those contacts to change their email addresses or make them less likely to read their email or answer their phone.

I'm not a purist - I know that pure scam-spam-free marketing will never occur, but I beseech those of you in the business world to resist websites like JigSaw. Social marketing is about using your connections - and in many cases the power of weak connections can get you in that door - much better than an email address you paid for and attained surreptitiously.

Keep it clean.

The Letter J & The Number 5

2008-07-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today's message is brought to you by the letter J and the number 5. Clearly I've watched too many episodes of Sesame Street. :-)

J is for Jen, my fabulous, dedicated, wise and kind business partner. They say if you do something you love, it won't seem like work. Well, I have been able to improve upon that adage because I'm not only doing work that I love but I'm working with someone I respect, trust and admire. Every day Jen motivates me to work harder, push myself creatively and yes, try to remain focused. For those of you who haven't met her yet, find her on Facebook. She's addicted. She will bring something magical to your life, too, whether you're a friend, a client or her business partner.

Why the number 5? When Jen joined de Novo earlier this year, she gave me a book called simply, Five. I keep it on my desk as a constant reminder that we are looking ahead and creating and revamping our five year plan always. The book begins, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Often we (as people, as business owners, as marketers, etc) don't take the minute or the hour or the afternoon necessary to plan ahead five years. Its too daunting or too complicated or too time consuming.

But really, its not.

Make a plan - start small if you need to ease yourself into it. One year, three years, five years...doesn't really matter the length. What matters is that you're concentrating your thoughts to where you want to be, the direction in which you want to move. It makes it so much easier to make decisions because you have a focus and can evaluate if what you are doing right now moves you in the right direction.

How does this relate to marketing, you ask? Or am I just waxing poetic and appeasing Jen by finally completing a blog? There's a logic here, I promise.

In marketing, companies often take a reactionary stance and only communicate when there is a crisis (like low sales). Many company's idea of a marketing plan is really determining a line item or two in the budget and inserting the same old boring tactics from years past (I've personally witnessed this and it isn't pretty). While I am certainly not insinuating that you have to recreate the wheel each year, I do highly recommend that you evaluate the effectiveness of each strategy and tactic you employed the year prior. Then, using that information, map out where you want to be in five years. I actually have talked to a company who has attended the same trade show for seven years, they send personnel, create marketing materials, update their trade show booth and essentially waste precious marketing dollars on a show that has yet to produce one solid lead. One can only wonder why.

The benefits to creating (and sticking to) a marketing plan are many but these are my two favorite: brand integrity and cost effectiveness. If you have a plan, it makes it easier to say to yourself, "Does this [ad, eblast, trade show, etc.] fit our brand's mission? Does it effectively reach the people we want to reach?" It makes it much easier to say no and makes you feel better about the decision when you say yes.

And cost effectiveness? Well, I think I covered that above.

Sorry, I couldn't get Elmo or Big Bird to sing a little song for you as part of this blog...

Our beautiful office...

2008-07-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

We had high hopes when we first unlocked our doors, that we were relatively unscathed by the flood. (Relative being the key word - at least none of our furniture had floated away.)

But the flood waters stretched their dirty little fingers further than we thought. Quite a bit of drywall had to be removed and there is still water in the basement. We had hoped to at least begin the clean up process weaks ago, but are now just hopeful for an August start date, followed by a September opening.

We think that the fact that we didn't take on too much water can be attributed to a couple factors.

1. Our location was one of the higher points in the flood

2. Unfortunately, Theatre Cedar Rapids filled up like a swimming pool, which ultimately helped us - but the devastation at the Theatre is immense. Their recovery is going to be so much harder and we plan to help them in any way they need us to. We encourage others to as well. If you're a facebook member, you really should see some of the pictures Rob Merrit has posted. Amazing. They also really need your help. Make donations online at http://www.theatrecr.org/

3. Sandbags - thanks to Peggy Meyer and the CR Coffee folks, Rob Merritt & the TCR gang, Jen Visser & Brian Ford, for helping us sandbag and for reinforcing it with extra bags. When the polica came by and told us it was time to leave, I felt like I was leaving my first born behind.

Heather and I continue to work from our dining room tables, home offices, Marion Mr. Beans and any other place we can filch online access. We appreciate all of the care and concern that has come our way since June 13.

And, in perspective, it's just an office. We didn't lose all of our belongings, our family photos, our appliances, our... everything. We lost a couple rugs and time in our office. It's all going to be ok - at least for us. And we're going to work hard to make sure that it turns out ok for others, as well.

PS - for the mannequin fans, we've dressed them in fashionable Rebuild Downtown Shirts. Need one? Let us know - they're available for a freewill donation to the Downtown District and the Job Recovery Fund.

Boost employee morale with good marketing

2008-06-20T07:14:00.001-07:00

Huh?

Well, take a look at the materials you give your employees to sell your product or services. Is it a brochure? Business cards?

Worse yet, something photocopied over and over - the master long gone and it doesn't even copy straight?

What happens when you give them tools they can use? Email marketing, business cards that stand out and get noticed? Materials they are proud to give out and talk about?

Confidence. That's what happens. Take for instance a career fair a client attended and displayed their materials at. Their first comment was "We really pulled in a lot of people with the display we had." The second comment was "And we totally smoked the booth next to us."

Not only did they generate far more interest, but they were proud of their display and set up. They had enthusiasm on their side and projected confidence. Not to mention, they looked a lot more professional than the surrounding displays.

Making your employees stand out by arming them with the tools they need to succeed will impact your bottom line.

Marketing... who cares?

2008-06-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

If the flood didn't kill your business, not communicating with your base will.

I'm sure you're thinking by now - marketing? I can't afford that. I've got 2 feet of standing water in my office and dead fish in my conference room. But do your customers know that? Do they need to? It is important that you find ways to communicate with your customer base - and potential customers as well throughout this. It's time to start moving forward. You may not have time to continue your marketing efforts right now, but it is absolutely imperative that you do so.

Here are some short term/cheap and quick ways to get the word out:

Use your email - we hope that if you flooded, you were able to at least maintain your customer contact list. If you weren't, consider purchasing a list through the Chamber. But rather than flooding people's inboxes with mulitple messages, think about what you want to say. Now cut it in half. And cut it in half again. You may also want to consider using an email marketing service, or contact de Novo and we will create the right email marketing solution for you.

Get on the phone. Think about your stakeholders and those customers you can't do without. A personal call from you and your staff may cement their loyalty. Don't underrate the pity factor.

Send a news release. This is kind of a crap shoot, but if you do it early enough, you may get picked up, at least by print media. Think about how you craft your message and ask yourself, why is this newsworthy to anyone but me? What's the story behind the story?

Get on the bandwagon. The Downtown District is looking for businesses that are committing themselves to rebuilding downtown - in whatever capacity that may be. Send an email to Quinn@downtowncr.org or visit their new site at rebuilddowntowncr.org and go to the contact page. The CRDD will be doing some marketing on behalf of those businesses that are committed to the Downtown District.

Don't have time to do it? Call us. That's what we do. We specialize in reaching your target audience efficiently. We're experienced marketing and public relations professionals who can

There is no Plan B

2008-06-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

By the way, it never even occurred to us, that we should rebuild elsewhere. 24 hours after the flood crossed our threshold, Heather looks at me and says "You know, we never even discussed a plan b."

And we're still not. Our clients are going to be able to find us right where we've been since we opened our third street office. Maybe now we'll get around to getting the signs changed.....

Holy High Water, Batman!

2008-06-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

de Novo Alternative Marketing LLC is underwater, currently. It's been a long 48 hours of sandbagging and preparing - our office and others. I watched the news scan past Merril Lynch - where we sandbagged Wednesday - their doors caved in.

But we're ready to rebuild downtown - and so are many others. And we've got to, somehow, keep our focus on our customers and their needs, even as we scrape mud from our floors and mildew from the walls next week.

I watched last night as KWWL broadcast across the street from my office. But I think I finally had my real freak out moment when the police came by and told us to wrap it up and get out yesterday afternoon. The water was right across the street and the reality that water was going to enter our office - an office that Heather and I have quite literally touched every square inch of. An office that we remodeled ourselves. An office that took seven coats of red paint to cover the freaking walls. An office that I feel has the perfect blend of energy and motivation... well, enough of the ode to our office. The fact of the matter is that we are lucky, compared to many others in the downtown area. And we are committed to rebuilding our business and helping others.

So, if you are a downtown business or a downtown business supporter - keep the faith. We'll all get through this together. And if you need help, post it here. We're not too proud at de Novo to scrape mud off your floor.

Just don't ask me to drywall. ;)

Lessons from a failed floral supply business

2008-05-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

"We put our catalog out there on the internet, and that generated a few sales."

This was a quote from Jim McNeill, owner and president of Best Buy Floral Supply, in the May 28 Cedar Rapids Gazette regarding the closing of a long running wholesale floral company. They also cited the big box stores closing out the small local florists and changes in the nation's floral industry.

No disrespect to Mr. McNeill intended, but there a whole lot of reasons that aren't cited. For instance - how did they adapt their business to their prospective internet business. Did they use AdWords? Did they e-market? Did they employ search engine optimization (SEO)?

One of the fatal flaws and my greatest marketing peeve are those who believe that by putting their website "out there" sales will magically flow in. It does - for a lucky few. But for the majority it takes a little more work and ingenuity. It requires connecting the dots between all your marketing tools.

I would argue that without e-marketing strategy, particularly email marketing and SEO, your website is worth very little.

I read a great manifesto once - and I'll find it and post it on the blog - that your email marketing is more important than your website. It's one of the tools that can not only drive traffic to your site, but can help enhance your image as the expert in your industry. And the beautiful thing is that it is entirely measurable. You can find out who clicks through and on what. You can find out who opened your email and who didn't. You can design your campaigns to segmented markets - including those who click and those who don't.

The second fatal flaw and marketing peeve: "I send out emails. Lots of them. And it doesn't generate sales." The key here is "Lots of them." Are you spamming your customers? Are you getting blocked by annoyed potentials? Is your email even going through?

This goes back to permission based marketing. Have you "asked" permission to email these folks? I don't mean that you are asking each person individually if you can email them, but are your using their email information responsibly? Do you have a privacy policy? Do you have an opt-out function? If not - even if your email is getting through, it is probably ignored. In fact you've probably just had the virtual door slammed in your face and heard the tumblers of the lock falling into place. Sale lost.

Email marketing was thought to be the newest, latest greatest thing just a couple years ago - and it still has a great function. But spam changed all that as our email inboxes flooded with replicas and ED ads. To compete, you have to use professional tools, be conscientious and plan your communications. Keep it short - use it to drive customers to your site via link. In short - respect your customer's time, privacy and potential and your emarketing will stand out.

The soap dish on alternative marketing

2008-05-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

What's the difference between what we do and what other marketing agencies do? The first is that we pay attention to the relationship between our clients and their customers - potential or current - and past.

That relationship and how you build - using trust, permission, respect and responsiveness, can make your buisness. It can put your company above the rest. It's your reputation, and reputation, not repetition, is what really matters.

As I've said, over and over, in this blog and elsewhere, there are far too many ways to mass market. But there are new and emerging ways to micro market. Alternative marketing blends the experiential and the traditional, along with the new methods of metrics and research to find people when they are looking for a product like yours.

As Seth Godin says, it's better to market to 5 people who care about your product than 5,000 who don't. It may not be much less expensive, at least not all the time. But the difference in ROI is where the shocker is.

Alternative marketing isn't just about facebook, twitter and digg. It's about blending the right properties of a marketing plan and customizing it to your needs. It's about maximizing your marketing dollars, not cutting them. It's about succeeding in the world of new media and not letting it pass you by.

Recession = less noise

2008-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

What’s your gut reaction when you hear the word “recession?” Batten down the hatches, tighten the belt and suck it up. We’re in for tough times.

A recession presents opportunities as well as challenges. As all companies compete for harder to find customers and market share, many cut back on one of their crucial resources: marketing.

I’m not just saying this because I’m a marketer. Short-sighted companies cut back on their marketing during tougher economic times, even though research shows that increased marketing activity as other companies reduce theirs can result in an increased ROI. (Jupiter Research, 2008)

Take advantage of your competitor's shortsightedness
That being said – dollars are more scarce and you have to make every advertising and marketing dollar you spend count. That’s when alternative methods of marketing and specifically emarketing can come into play.

Done right, alternative methods can get you in front of consumers who are interested in your product – when they want to buy. Whether it is a Google Ad-word campaign or experiential product integration at a crowded Farmer’s Market, spending your creative energy and dollars on marketing efforts that are different and catch the attention of others are what will really count.

Don’t get caught in a TRaP
TV, Radio and Print advertising, that is. We live in a world of facebook, twitter, blogs, text messaging, flashing billboards and satellite radio, TV and communications. The fact of the matter is, to market effectively and cut through the white noise out there, we’d have to spend 20 times what we allocate in TRaP marketing, just to be seen. That doesn’t even make it relevant.

You’ll always need the elements of TRaP for some of your marketing needs, but there are so many ways to research and understand your customers now. They are the ones making the decisions and they have too many choices to leave it to chance.

The customer is now in charge – and they are the ones who control your success – so why market to 5,000, or 50,000 people who don’t care about your message, when you can now market to 5 or 50 or 500, who care about your message and have the interest and resources to buy your product?

Asking yourself simple questions about who your customers are and what they are looking for, when they buy and how do they buy can provide you with the answers you are looking for. Calling de Novo Marketing can help you put it all together into a meaningful plan.

Is it wrong...

2008-04-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

To listen to the Go-go's while working on client projects?

This blog gets to be green

2008-03-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Oooohhhh. First post on the new blog site. This is the blog site for de Novo Alternative Marketing (www.thinkdenovo.com) and I think that a few explanations are needed. First of all - the chickens.

Heather (founder and biz partner) and I have some form of adult attention deficit disorder. We also work in an absolute fishbowl of an office (or at least we will when we get the damn painting done this weekend!) So we have a magnet - many have seen it - that says: They say I have ADD but they just don't understand. Oh, look, a chicken!

So we're the marketing chickens. Because there are just so many distractions out there in the marketing world.

Also, if you visit our site, you'll see that red is a pretty predominant color. And we designed our work environment to be a reflection of our business as well. But my fave color is lime green - and I started the blog, so there H. Nyeh. ;P

I'll get some pictures up soon. And if you're in Cedar Rapids, IA stop downtown and visit us in the fishbowl.

Maybe we should have been marketing fish.... hmmmm....