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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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On my way home from a business trip to Cincinnati last week, I drove by my former home in northern Kentucky. While snaking my way back to I-75 on back roads, I came across this sign. What you may not be able to see here, since I snapped this photo on my phone while I was driving (yes, yes, I know), is that this company provides porta john rentals and septic services.

What impressed me about Got-A-Go’s message was that it provided value to the consumer (pardon the term) while also positioning the company as a solution to a… ur… problem. Genius!

Just goes to show that no matter what your business is, you can develop a message that is shout-worthy.

Carol Reeve, Girl on the Roof

We are interrupting our regularly scheduled blog series to bring you this story.

In its holiday series this year, my church, Crossings (www.crossingsknoxville.com), encouraged us to “Give more. Spend less.” It wasn’t about getting the best deals on the “it” gift for the holidays. It was about giving presence instead of just presents. And it was about giving things that matter.

Through this series, I was introduced to Living Water International, which helps build wells in under-developed countries so the people there can have clean water (water-borne illnesses are a leading cause of death in these countries, so this relatively simple device saves thousands of lives). I was so impressed after researching the organization that I made some monetary gifts in honor of some of my family members for the holidays. (I try to do this every year, and I think it’s starting to mean something to some of them). After Christmas morning, I didn’t give much thought to it.
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When I am hired to do any marketing or positioning work for a client, I almost always start by facilitating a planning or positioning session. The objectives of that session are:

1. Get everyone in the room together, focused on this organization. Talented people are involved with lots of organizations, and at any given time, their attention is divided among a number of them. A planning session directs their attention 100% to the organization in front of them, allowing us to get their most insightful thoughts.

2. Teach me what I need to know about the organization so I can help them. Hearing from a group of people tells me more than if I get the download from just one person, however closely connected that one person may be. It also helps me understand individual passions and group dynamics which can be helpful when developing next steps.
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My husband, who many claim is the funniest man they know, has long had the mantra “Repetition is the Key to Humor.” David Letterman can take a simple word like Spatula – a word he didn’t even intend to say – and make it the funniest part of the show simply by repeating it randomly in awkward moments later on. It’s genius! Naturally, it works particularly well when people are tired and subsequently oxygen deprived, because they are more prone to laugh. (That’s why late-night TV is less funny during the day.)  I digress…

If Repetition is the Key to Humor, perhaps Facilitation is the Key to Positioning.  It is through facilitation that you uncover the true identity of an organization, what it has to offer and how it is unique. Facilitation is a skill and an art. I am the fortunate beneficiary of professional facilitation training from the University of Cincinnati, thanks to an early boss who said it would be good experience.

Facilitation is a core service at Girl on the Roof, because it serves as the starting point for any initiative or project.  So I have decided to post a series of blog postings on the topic.  Stay tuned…

I have always been a fan of Winnie the Pooh stories.  Milne was a genius at Capturing the Beauty of Friendship in its simplest, purest form.  My father used to read Pooh stories to me, and for our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, my husband gifted me the complete collection in one volume. My grandfather, Mac, was so taken with the stories during one visit to my house that I bought him the same volume, which I later read to him on his deathbed in January of 2008. He would squeeze my hand and chuckle from time to time, and after the last story he faded away.

I say this to explain that I am Intimately Familiar with the original tales of Winnie the Pooh and the characters that comprise them.  In fact, I could even be considered an expert.  Although I have seen the newer versions of Pooh and have peripherally watched with my daughter the Super Sleuths cartoon on Disney, I’m not sure who Darby is or what she did with Christopher Robin. Because I am a Classic Pooh lover.
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• Have a good message and stick to it.  Just because you are tired of your message doesn’t mean your audience is.  Consider how many messages you hear in a day and what it takes for one to stand out with you.  If you aren’t tired of your message, you may not be working hard enough to get it out there.

• Know your audience.  Who are they?  Where do they get their information?  How do they make decisions?  What do they do for fun?  What do they eat for breakfast?  You can’t compel an audience until you know their habits and what motivates them.

• Be strategic with your resources.  This applies to your human resources (let your team members work in the areas of their strength) and to your financial resources (spend the money as if it were yours). See rule #1, then proactively seize opportunities for free and low-cost exposure (social media marketing and PR), so you have more to spend when you need it.

Ok, so I was a Blackberry user for nearly 5 years.  I could literally type an email in the “flashest of flashes” (to quote Love Actually, one of my Top 5 favorite movies of all time).  And yes, though totally illegal and unspeakably dangerous, I could even type a very quick response while driving.  So naturally, when I released my corporate Blackberry back to its rightful owner (Scripps Networks), I immediately replaced it with the top-of-the-line Blackberry (a month later it no longer held that status, but bear with me for the sake of the story), which was the Bold 9000.  Great speakerphone, call clarity, unmatched screen resolution… I had done the research and had read the pros and cons lists for the Blackberry v. the iPhone.  But when it came down to it, I made the choice because it was what I knew.
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Welcome to the official Girl on the Roof web site, including the From the Roof blog. My intent for this blog is to…
1) provide some marketing and strategy tips and
2) to shine light on some people and organizations who are making a difference in the lives of others.

If you have marketing-related questions, or if you have suggestions for some people/orgs to spotlight (particularly in the Knoxville and Cincinnati areas), please let me know.

I will also use the blog to make GOTR (Girl on the Roof) announcements. And, well, let’s face it, I’ll probably ramble on about this or that. In any case, you can search by topic (Strategy, Spotlight, Musings) in the menu bar on the right so you can more easily find what you’re looking for.

Thanks for visiting! Before you leave, please sign up to follow me on Twitter (I promise not to tweet the mundane details of my life). Then come back often! The view is great from the roof!