Marketers Must Be the Ones to Lead the Country Out of Recession

This article from AdAge discusses the case made by the Association of National Advertisers that marketers should be the ones to lead the country out of the current recession, and cites examples of CMOs who have led such turnarounds with their own big brands.

While the recovery of the country will rest largely with the recovery of these brands and companies in terms of prompting hiring and consumer confidence, I'd like to take the idea one step further by pointing out that advertising itself has the intrinsic ability to transform human behavior, and thus the responsibility to do so.

I was working as a marketing manager at a small, residential homebuilder when the housing market crashed. I started there in September 2006, when things were still rocking and rolling and agents were still order takers and buyers were still entering into lotteries to get their hands on investment properties. Over the next year things unraveled fast and heavy and I survived 5 rounds of layoffs to be one of the last 15 or so employees (down from about 500 when I started) to go down just before the ship sank.

Needless to say those were challenging times, but one of our biggest challenges from the very beginning to the bitter end was how to deal with the media. We had a good product at a good price in good locations, but nothing we could do could get potential buyers to ignore the media fire storm that was fanning the flames of the market crash. No matter where you turned in those days, all you heard was a cacophony of Chicken Littles pronouncing that the sky was falling. We began and ended so many meetings, lunches, events and even prayers lamenting that if only the media would just stop talking about how bad things were, or were going to get, we could all get back to work and sell some houses. I still believe that the way the media covered the news in the housing market during that time contributed, at least in some degree, to it ending up as bad as it did.

But, I also believe that the media, or at the very least, the advertisers, have the ability and even responsibility to turn things around as well. We've already seen a number of "optimism" campaigns from the likes of Wal-Mart, Bank of America and Coke to name a few, and this is one band wagon I'd like to see more businesses, advertisers, and media outlets and pundits jump on. There is power in the ability to influence the opinions and behaviors of the general public, and it's time that it be used for the betterment of all.

AdAge: Facebook's Big Changes: Action Items for Marketers

(From AdAge) Facebook's latest round of updates announced this week will affect everyone: marketers, developers, publishers, consumers and anyone else remotely connected to their site and platform. And some of the changes will especially impact marketers.

The highlights:

Near-term changes

1. Opt-in email
2. Notifications Put on Notice
3. A Shift to the Left

Long-term changes

1. Fanning out Across the Web
2. Analytics Upgrade

A quick shout out

So I've been attending a lot of events lately - expanding both my network and my horizons. I've handed out a hundred or so business cards and have received many compliments on the logo, the printing or both, so I realized I'm long overdue to give those guys a proper shout out.

My good friend TJ Harley designed the Element logos for us and we couldn't have been happier. TJ is the graphics manager for The Collegiate Licensing Company so you can usually see his work on the 50-yard line at a college bowl game, but his capabilities and creativity are hardly limited to logos. He also does corporate identity and apparel, print and package design and is available for freelance work.

Mike Strelser is the president of Square Fruit Communications and ColorCards.com, and is married to one of my oldest friends, Laura (who, by the way is an amazing interior designer). Mike was not only patient with us as we went through the never-ending options of layouts, stocks, and finishes, but he also provided expertise that allowed us to ultimately defer to his judgement for this important piece of our visual ID. And based on the responses we've received, I'd say that was the right choice.

So if you've been one of the many to receive one of our cards and compliment the work of these two talented guys, please continue to help me say thanks by considering them next time you have graphic or print needs of your own.

Do you know the difference between a Facebook Page and a Group?

If you're on Facebook (and let's face it, who's not these days?) you're probably "friends" with at least one business. But how do you befriend a business? On Facebook anyway, you don't, or shouldn't, but many businesses are so eager to have a presence that they don't take the time to research or understand how to go about it correctly.

Below is a link to an informative article which discusses the difference between Groups and Pages from a marketing perspective, but I've seen way too many businesses who are not yet ready for that conversation because they're still using Profiles to represent themselves on Facebook.

http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/06/08/4-reasons-why-marketers-should-choose-facebook-pages-over-facebook-groups/

So to supplement the article, I'd like to provide a brief Facebook 101 lesson on the differences between the various Facebook entities: Profiles, Groups and Pages. I'm sure there will be more lessons to come, and I'll do my best to post/comment on them as I see the need.

Profiles - Profiles are intended for personal use only. Per Facebook: Profiles can only be used to represent an individual and must be held under an individual name. Profiles have "friends."

Groups - Think of Groups like fan clubs. They are "unofficial" in that they can be created by anyone for anything. For example, someone may love a team, tv show, restaurant, product or other entity and they can create a Group for people who like the same thing. Groups are not necessarily endorsed by the represented company, and in many instances there is no affiliation with the company at all. Groups have "members."

Pages - Pages are reserved for the "official" presence of a business or entity on Facebook, and can only be created by an authorized representative of the business for which the Page is for. They are intended to help an entity communicate publicly. Pages have "fans."

Southwest Bags Fly Free

I just saw Southwest Airlines tv spot promoting their "bags fly free" policy (and pointing out that they remain in the minority of airlines not charging fees for checking bags). This hits particularly close to home as my husband and I recently took a 5-day tip to Austin, TX via US Air, and ended up spending $140 to get our bags there and back (US Air charges ... one suitcase each plus golf clubs). And while no, the golf clubs didn't have to come, isn't that our prerogative as ticket holders? As American Airlines points out isn't that "why we travel"? (note: American charges $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second).

I've heard various comments to the tune that these baggage fees are here to stay however, especially as the public didn't complain enough about them when first introduced, and we've simply locked ourselves in by dutifully paying them. But with passengers switching to Southwest, could this be enough to spark a little competition by other airlines to force them to do the same? By holding out, is Southwest taking the stand that the rest of us should have when these fees were first announced?

As much as I'd like to show Southwest my support with my dollar, I can't as I live in Atlanta, and they don't service the busiest airport in the world - as much as we all wish they did. But from an advertising perspective, I say "Bravo!" to Southwest, and pass along the wish that this may be one of those instances where advertising has the power to change things for the better.

How to Use Facebook: 5 Tips for Better Social Networking

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_use_facebook_5_tips_for_better_social_networking.php

Because we can't have too many tips on how to use this powerful tool.

The 4 Cs of Social Media Marketing | TalentZoo.com

The 4 Cs of Social Media Marketing TalentZoo.com

Shared via AddThis

Building Your Brand on Facebook

http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/08/10-ways-to-build-a-brand-you-can-be-proud-of/

This is a great article about how to use Facebook as a branding tool for your business, and how to get the most out of it. The highlights:

1. Use A Consistent Design
2. Determine Your Brand Personality
3. Have A Consistent Dialogue
4. Define Your Target Market
5. Know What Your Brand Is Selling
6. Figure Out The Terms That Drive Action From Your Market
7. Listen To Your Target Market
8. Provide Relevant Content That Amplifies Your Brand
9. Create Great Content
10. Leverage Multiple Branding Channels

If your business needs a hand building your brand on Facebook, or someone to help keep the conversation going with your fans, this is an area we specialize in and we are more than happy to help.

Logistical Nightmares

Via Twitter:
eproulx: RT @lisahickey: "A client said 'that sounds like a logistical nightmare' and I replied 'luckily, I have logistical nightmare experience.' "

I laughed out loud when I saw that tweet because it is so true of every marketing job I've had. Not long ago I had the challenge of coordinating 2 simultaneous, out-of-state photo shoots under one roof with with 2 clients, 2 sets and 2 photographers, for 2 projects that ultimately needed to be merged into one. Pulling off projects like this though, is what I live for. And I think that skills and experiences like this are so often underestimated and unnoticed when it comes to good marketing. Marketing is very much about solving problems -logistical or otherwise - and the best markers are usually also the best problem solvers.

Tap Into the 'Power of Pull' to Get Your Brand Out There (AdAge)

http://adage.com/article?article_id=138816
Although many marketers still funnel out messaging in hopes of reaching and resonating their message with the consumer, the marketing paradigm is shifting to focus on the " Power of Pull." This means a marketer needs to create relevant content that will engage consumers to strike up dialogue about the subject/product/service. Consumers are more savvy and as a result we as marketers need to be mindful of the new paradigm and act accordingly. Three considerations:

1. Create Resources That Inform The Conversation
i.e. Act as an expert in the digital arena in a given niche.

2. Adopt Rather Than Invent
i.e. Do not re-create the wheel. Strategic partnerships are still relevant

3. Write For Searches Not Just For Readers
i.e. A website for toothpaste should also include "how to brush teeth"

These are top of the line points of interest in the shift towards a "Pull" marketing paradigm. The "Power of Pull" is here to stay for the time being, but we should continue to formulate answers on how to efficiently get to this place where engaging the customer is the number one priority. Because remember the only thing that is constant is change, especially in marketing.

10 rules for the Twitter neophyte

Below is an exerpt from a great article about some of the "dos and don'ts" for using Twitter. As with manners of any kind, I think we could all use a little reminding every once in awhile.

From "10 rules for the Twitter neophyte" (click to read the entire article: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=979)

The rules:
1. Don’t direct-message me with something you are selling, especially at odd hours. That will get you deleted.
2. Don’t follow anyone whose messages say “Follow me.” Saying it is not a good reason.
3. Never follow anyone whose name is a city, vacation spot, or other vague reference.
4. Don’t follow anyone whose ratio of followers to following is more than 4:1. (Sorry celebs — any exceptions to this have to be outrageously interesting, and most of you are not.)
5. If you talk more than once about what you ate recently, you get unfollowed. No exceptions.
6. Don’t follow people who use “@” to direct-message someone with some personal comment instead of using “d.” (e.g., @Joe “Yeah.”) This either means the person isn’t following you or you are just lazy.
7. Don’t follow people with o_O as their icon/photo. Lame (or spam).
8. Porn and other raw sewage gets deleted and/or blocked. Sorry; not my idea of a network.
9. Unfollow people who keep sending the same message. Once might be an error or a correction, but this is the wrong way to overcome the “shotgun” shortcomings of Twitter.
10. Ignore and possibly unfollow people who consistently send out a URL with no explanation. Unless you have a network of only your relatives, why would anyone expect people to click on something just because they sent it?

A "different" kind of way

I attended a great networking event last night hosted by the Startup Chicks (http://www.startupchicks.net/), a group of female entrepreneurs. It was a roundtable set up where we were randomly assigned to tables, and each table had a moderator which changed 3 times, every 30 minutes. Each 30 minute session had it's own topic, and one of them was Sales & Marketing. The moderator asked me what made Element different, why a potential client would chose to work with us instead of someone else, and I realized that's a question I should probably address here as well.

The short answer is because we have experience across multiple industries and disciplines, and in our combined 16 years have accumulated a pool of knowledge and resources that makes us capable of handling virtually any size/type project. What I realized however, is that a number of other companies like ours can easily, and rightfully, attest to the same. "So what else?" the moderator prompted me...

And the somewhat longer answer is the kind of clients that we want to work with, which are businesses much like our own: the small business owner, the self-employed start-up, the family-owned company, and the local neighborhood establishments that are all so essential to their respective communities. We recognize first-hand, because we are one ourselves, how hard it is to be a small business. We know the challenges of starting and running your own company. We understand what it's like to have small or non-existent budgets that need to yield big results. We don't just talk the talk, we also walk the walk.

Prior to forming Element, Keira and I each worked for Big companies, but we also worked for Small ones as well. And because recessions don't discriminate, we saw them both suffer (we were actually each laid off from one Big and one Small). The difference though is that the Small ones seem to suffer worse for longer, because of the sheer nature of being small, and that the suffering there is so much more personal. And as Keira said in an earlier post, we saw all these lemons and decided they would make some great lemonade.

For the start-ups and entrepreneurs, we realized that this is a great time for them because just as for every down there is an up, with every recession comes opportunities in a "necessity is the mother of all invention" kind of way (taking for example the multitude of products that were invented in previous recessions (http://www.billshrink.com/blog/10-products-and-innovations-from-recessions-past/#more-4021). The idea of working with people who also prefer lemonade to lemons is not only exciting, it just seems to be a natural fit.

For the existing small business, we realized this can be a very scary time in more of a "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" kind of way. We've been down that road too (and are still on it). In talking to our friends and family who own or work for small businesses, we found that many of them are having to market themselves for the first time, or are realizing that their marketing efforts are suddenly their key to staying in business. The compounding part of that challenge is that, again, due to their sheer nature of being small, they don't have the knowledge or the resources to handle it themselves. This is where we come in, and can come in as much or as little as needed.

And not to get all contrived and patriotic, but we realize that this country is built on small businesses. That's the "feel good" part of what we do. We can bring Big company ideas to Small company scales and budgets. We can offer our clients the same level of service and attention that larger companies command, but only smaller companies tend to deliver. We view our clients as partners and acknowledge that our success is directly related to their success in a "we're all in this together" kind of way.

Advertising Will Change Forever; Digital Spending Will Nearly Double in 5 Years, But Ad Budgets Won't (AdAge)

http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=138023
Compelling article about the future of advertising, and not all that surprising. But other than the fact that digital is easier to measure, is it a good thing or a bad thing? Or as Dorothy would say, "Is it a good witch or a bad witch?" And Glinda responds, "Why it isn't a witch at all!" I'd have to agree and say it's neither good nor bad, but a result of businesses everywhere slashing ad budgets and advertisers and marketers adapting accordingly. If your client says they can't afford print ads (or radio or OOH, etc., etc.) any longer, then you are forced to suggest something new, something cheaper, or something that can be more accurately measured. And, low and behold digital achieves that trifecta.

Networking can be intimidating but it is the key to the success of your business!

It is true! Getting out there and introducing yourself to people can be a bit intimidating. But, I am here to tell you that it wont kill you. I am a fairly out-going person, and find it fairly easy to speak to people. However, I too have bouts of apprehension when I have decided to attend networking events. Will I find anyone to speak with? Will they be interested in what I have to say? But in most cases the answer to those questions is YES!

I believe the hard part is simply striking up a conversation with an unknonwn person, but once you start speaking everything else falls into place. It's a lot like any other social interaction. Some people you will click with, and some people you will not. It is important to find the common bond with people. Speak about your past experience what you are doing currently, and how the two or the group relates with one another. If you relate on a personal level so be it. You both may be athletic or like animals. Whatever that common bond is, run with it.

So, why network? Well, people are a lot more likely to want to do business with someone that they have already met. You can place a name with a face. You will feel more comfortable calling your new contact to discuss business if you have a commonality, such as I met you the other day at XYZ event.

Networking has been around forever, and it will continue to be a great way to get recognition for your business. So, get out there and meet people, it wont kill you.

Tweeting Your Way to New Prospects: Tackling New Business Development in a Social Media World (AdAge)

http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=137730

I think this is an interesting article and a "sign of the times." New business development is at the forefront of a lot of minds lately, even if only as a survival tactic rather than as a dedicated strategy. In talking to friends, family and colleagues, we've noticed a lot of smaller business having a particularly hard time because (1) until now they've never really needed to devote time, money and manpower (collectively resources) to it, (2) they (especially now) don't have the resources and (3) they're gun-shy as to how to best utilize what resources they may be able to scrape up.

The especially troubling part for many of these businesses is that they know that without devoting resources to growing their business they may not have a business for much longer. In that context, this article takes on a slightly different significance, but the concept of imploring social media is still the same - and we are all for it. And - oh yeah - it doesn't hurt that it's virtually free (save for the resource of time...).

There are other reasons we're all for it though. While many may look at social media as the fall of personal communications (as in "email is so impersonal"), we feel that used correctly, it's just the opposite. Fellow Facebook loyalists surely know what I'm talking about, as we've found ourselves reconnected with dozens, if not hundreds, of old friends, classmates, colleagues - most of whom we're excited about reconnecting with if only to know where they're working and if they're married/single/have kids. But when one of those Facebook friends needs a new doctor, or a new lawn service, or a new (fill in the blank), they, like even non-Facebookers, would still prefer a recommendation from a "friend" then a random Google search. And that's when social media becomes powerful.

Twitter is certainly in the same boat, but due to the brevity of the messaging and other basic functionality differences, we feel it's place and purpose are slightly different and should be treated as such (which I suppose makes it a different boat in the same ocean...). I feel like whereas Facebook might be in the curriculum for Social Media Marketing 101, Twitter would fall into its optional post-requisite course. Because Facebook provides a forum and "gathering place" for its "fans," the messaging can be more casual and approachable and serve as supplementary branding even. I think Twitter however, requires a more specific messaging strategy - such as letting followers in on secret sales and promotions.

We also believe that in order to maintain the integrity of both the message and the messenger, the communications from either Facebook or Twitter have to stay authentic and therefore have to be in the voice of messenger. Element can assist in developing the platform, identifying what the general content of the messages should be, and facilitating the message, but fans and followers alike deserve the voice of the product or service itself - especially as they are an opted-in audience of loyal consumers, asking to be advertised to.

Rejuvenate your Business by Re-branding it!!

When a company decides it is time to re-brand its image, it is an exciting and busy time for its marketing team. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to work for both small and large companies during their re-brand.

It was early 2000's, and I was working in Turner's in-house Ad Agency, RET Media. It is/was a great department full of young, driven people, focused on the new face of Turner. TNT adopted the catch phrase "We Know Drama," airing programs like Law & Order and The Closer, while TBS began to air comedies, like Sex & the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Seinfeld. Sex & the City became my baby, and I worked with numerous print vehicles, out of home vendors, and web-sites to make sure our new "Very Funny" image was top of mind. It was a huge turning point for the Media Conglomerate, and I was ecstatic to be a part of it.

Just recently, I was brought on by a smaller company Filta Group, Inc. to re-brand its image to incorporate their push to be known as the Environmental Kitchen Solutions partner. They were interested in branding with print media, a new web-site, all new marketing collateral, and a new perception in the marketplace.

To re-brand a company is a time-consuming process, and most of the time, you will not see results over-night. However, it keeps your image fresh, approachable, and tells consumers that you are not remaining stagnate and set in old ways. I have heard from sceptics; small business owners that have remained profitable yet have not changed their image over the last few decades, abiding by the catch phrase "if its not broken, why fix it?" My response is that you are going to have new consumers in the market place very soon. Consumers who have never known life without a computer and recent technology. The consumers of the future are smart, savvy shoppers who respect new ideas and imagery, and by re-branding you will catch their attention and gain their respect of your business.

Coca-Cola Give It Back

These are some of the items that were developed for Coca-Cola for a program I managed while with Arc Worldwide. The program was called Give It Back, and it began as an initiative to increase awareness and incidence of recycling on college and university campuses nationwide. It quickly became such a success that we helped them take it to the RNC and RNC Conventions last summer, and before long it was adopted as the bottle/can recycling platform for all of Coca-Cola North America. It's a program I'm extremely proud to have been a part of, and is an amazing example of creativity that has the power to transform human behavior.

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemonade!

Casey said it perfectly, when she wrote that Element Marketing was not only established to be the next step in our career path, but a mission to help small businesses weather the current economy. Although cliche, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! So, we have done just that by developing our company, focusing on the small business, and making it a priority to serve them to the best of our abilities. I am truly excited to start on this business venture with Casey. We have always turned to one another for career advice. She picks up where I leave off and vis versa. We are a team that will bring affordable solutions to a company's marketing efforts.

So, in honor of the great optimisitic adage, I have created my own recipe for Element Marketing Lemonade:

Let's Make Lemonade!

Ingredients
1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
1 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

Method
1. Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.
2. While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.
3. Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.
Serve with ice, sliced lemons.
Serves 6.

How this all started...

Hi everyone! Welcome to our site, and thanks for joining us on this new venture. A little bit of information about us:

Element Marketing was formed by myself, Casey Blackwood and Keira Sullivan - two friends and former college roommates who both, until recently, enjoyed successful marketing careers working in various industries with companies of all shapes and sizes (Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett, The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, CNN, and Westwood One to name a few). By May 2009 though, we both found ourselves laid off twice within a year and while commiserating one day about the vast numbers of people we both know in similar situations, we decided to do something about it.

All around us we noticed friends and family members who owned their own businesses, and other small(er) local, start-up and family-owned companies, were having an especially hard time weathering this storm of an economy. Many of them started coming to us for advice, so we formed Element with the intention of providing real, affordable, customized marketing solutions to small businesses of all kinds. We're pooling our experience, knowledge and network of resources to provide a valuable service to those who need it most right now.I am in Atlanta, and Keira is in Orlando, which is working out well so far thanks to technology. Our Facebook page is now up and running, and business cards are in the works. If you're interested in our services, or if you're a vendor or freelancer interested in working with us, or if you just have thoughts, suggestions or advice - we'd love to hear from you.