Doing Well by Doing Good
Filed Under (Musings, Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Aug 12, 2010
Over the course of my career, I have served actively on seven nonprofit boards in Cincinnati and Knoxville. Some of those organizations have had a pretty high profile, which enabled me to make some professional connections that helped strengthen my own business and expand my client base.
When people used to ask how I grew Reeve Communications (my former business, in Cincinnati) to nearly 50 clients in three years, I would give credit in part to the community work I had done. The next question was predictable: “Do you have some suggestions for how I could get on some boards?” Um, yeah, get involved with the organizations you care about; get your hands dirty. That answer didn’t typically go over well, because most of the time the asker was looking for a short cut. Read the rest of this entry »
92% of Marketing
Filed Under (Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Jun 24, 2010
In my career, I have had the opportunity to market a wide range of products including soap, insurance, thermal spray-coated space shuttle parts, toilet paper, fertility services, OTC drugs and positive character qualities. The list goes on and on. Through this broad range of experience over the last 15 years, I have reached the conclusion that the rules of marketing are about 92% the same, no matter what you’re selling. Read the rest of this entry »
The Order of Marketing
Filed Under (Strategy) by Carol Reeve on May 20, 2010
I was speaking with a client a few weeks ago about the appropriate order for developing and implementing a marketing plan. To me this is common sense, but it was a bit of a revelation for the client. He runs a large organization and has countless areas of expertise; admittedly, he says, marketing is not one of them. So he asked me to write the steps down for him so he could reference them as we go through the process together.
1. Strategic Planning. Before you can figure out your messaging and the appropriate ways to get that messaging out to your audience, you need to determine what it is you should be focusing on: what works, what doesn’t, what’s profitable, what’s growing, who your competition is and how you are superior. These questions – and many more – are answered in a strategic planning session. Read the rest of this entry »
Screaming Children
Filed Under (Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Apr 27, 2010
Every organization has what I call “screaming children” – those issues which demand attention. It is, of course, human nature, to want to tend to the child who is screaming the loudest. However, practically speaking, addressing that issue may not be the most strategic move for the organization. That issue (the screaming child) may, in effect, go away (fall asleep) if simply left alone. Or, you may discover that one child is merely screaming because another child is not playing fair, and your efforts are best directed at the other child. Read the rest of this entry »
On Grammar
Filed Under (Musings, Writing) by Carol Reeve on Apr 08, 2010
I had lunch earlier this week with a gentleman who runs a reputable production company in Knoxville (see www.doublejaycreative.com). We happened upon the subject of communication and its unfortunate demise. He said that he recently posed the following question to a classroom of MBA students: “Who in this room has hand-written a letter in the last year?” Only one student raised her hand.
For those of us who still believe in hand-writing thank-you notes and snail-mailing birthday cards, it is saddening that so many of our future leaders scoff at such efforts, considering them trivial and inefficient. No matter how well intended, a text message doesn’t pack quite the same punch as a hand-written note from a friend; and an e-card doesn’t reflect the same thoughtfulness as a well selected greeting card signed by a loved one. Zeroes and ones are as easily deleted as they are written; but a card is savored, even displayed, with lingering sentiment. Read the rest of this entry »
Responding to Mistakes
Filed Under (Spotlight, Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Mar 29, 2010
I’ve often told people who work for me, “I don’t expect you to be perfect. We all make mistakes. It’s about how you respond to a mistake that matters.”
I had a Project Coordinator named Melissa who was my eyes and ears at the main office of an ad agency in Louisville while I ran a satellite office in Cincinnati. She was fresh out of college and made her fair share of mistakes. But she learned quickly how to respond to mistakes. She would call me and say, “OK, I really messed this up. But here is what I’ve done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” She would follow that with a detailed account of her error, how it happened and what steps she put in place to prevent a recurrence. Read the rest of this entry »
Touchpoints
Filed Under (Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Mar 16, 2010
The term “touchpoints” has been used in marketing for a long time. But the concept of it is still lost on some people. Every interface you have with your target audience – be it your web site, signage, Twitter page, business card, an advertisement, print materials, phone call, hold message, voice mail … these are all touchpoints; and they are all opportunities to present your message.
Stop for a moment and think about how many of these touchpoints you experience as you go through your day. If you live in a busy city, this could reach into the millions. But how many of those really made an impression on you? How many do you remember? How many would you act upon?
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What is Your Position?
Filed Under (Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Feb 25, 2010
Sixteen months ago, flinching from market losses, my husband and I decided to diversify our portfolio with some lake view property north of Knoxville. We found a gorgeous lot and hired a builder to construct a home there. It has been an interesting (though painfully long) process to watch. We’re building on the side of a ridge, so the construction process has been tedious. But the views of Norris Lake are a worthy payoff.
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What is Your Core?
Filed Under (Spotlight, Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Feb 17, 2010
I recently helped a client, Bridgewater Management Group, with a positioning statement. A few hours into the positioning session, their “hook” became apparent. It’s not like it was a revolutionary new thought (after all, there is nothing new under the sun). Perhaps for me it was just a fresh perspective.
Among other offerings, Bridgewater provides information management services including records scanning and storage, process workflow improvement, etc. When we looked at the list of their services, specifically as they relate to the healthcare industry, they had one specific characteristic in common. These tasks were not money-makers for their clients; they were drainers. No one dreams of going into the healthcare field so they can scan medical files and process claims. This is a painpoint. It is a bottleneck. It is a distraction from their core mission. It is a necessary evil.
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Valentine’s Day: Genius or Scam?
Filed Under (Musings, Strategy) by Carol Reeve on Feb 11, 2010
As we approach February 14th, it is inevitable that you will hear your local cynic claim that Valentine’s Day is a scam created by Hallmark. Long amazed that a corporation could accomplish this feat simply through marketing, I decided to do some digging.
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