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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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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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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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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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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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When I facilitate a planning or positioning session, I clearly communicate the objective of the session, in writing, in advance. I state a clear agenda. I document on flip charts every thought and idea that is expressed. I later record all of those thoughts into an electronic document that I circulate to all who attended the meeting. Why? Because people pay me for results, and I am committed to providing them.

Unlike many facilitators whose solitary role is facilitation (and then they pass the baton and step aside politely), I hold tightly to the baton and keep running. It’s my job to distill what I learned in that session into something that benefits the bottom line of an organization.
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A couple of years ago we were visiting some friends in Cincinnati. My daughter, at four years old, was finally old enough to experience one of my favorite childhood activities: sledding.  Our friends had a plastic toboggan and a saucer.  Both were fun, but if you’ve ever been on a saucer, you know that it can be a bit disorienting.  Not only is a rider unable to steer a saucer; you can’t even control the direction you face.  You can be spinning like a top as you head down the hill.  Naturally it can be hard to see where you are going… or what’s ahead of you.

Social media can be like a saucer ride.  It may be entertaining, and you may see some cool stuff along the way. But if you can’t control your vessel – or keep it pointed in the right direction – you may find yourself doing more harm than good.  You know, like knocking down a toddler.

Carol Reeve, Girl on the Roof
(yes, the child was fine)