Monday, July 2, 2007

End of an Era for Little Tikes

Branding & Marketing
  1. End of an Era for Little Tikes - 2007-06-22 07:34:00-04
    Just found out that the Little Tikes Child Care graduated it's last class today: 6/22/07.
    Both of my kids spent their preschool years there during my 6 years at Little Tikes, one right after the other. It was the most wonderful thing about working at Little tikes. And how cool for them to go to "school" at a toy factory!

    I loved the teachers there: Janet Quinn, Donna Zuro, Kayla, Sharon and Mandy. Most of them have masters degrees in early childhood education and all of them just loved the kids.

    Closing the child care is the end of an era. Even though this little guy just graduated from high school, remembering the days of the child care make my memories of Little Tikes very sweet.

    As a marketer, it was great to watch the kids behind the one way mirror to see how they played with competitor's toys and Little Tikes toys and see how they interacted. As a mom, it was great to run down at lunchtime for a pb&j with the kids or for a quick hug before their afternoon nap.
    I will never forget how wonderful that "perk" was when my kids were preschoolers. When my career was ready to move on, I stayed one more year so my daughter could finish out her preschool before kindergarden with her friends.
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  2. Need to Revamp Your Marketing? Here's How to Get Started: - 2007-06-23 17:29:00-04
    When do you begin to revise your marketing... or even rebrand?
    • When your competition eats your lunch?
    • When you notice your marketing has become stale?
    • When your target market shifts and your materials are focused on the wrong bullseye?

    Hopefully it doesn't go that long. How often to you review your marketing materials to make sure they are on track? Do you use a checklist?

    Here are 12 types of marketing materials to gather and review. Hand this list to your assistant, your secretary or someone else who helps with your marketing. Ask them to gather everything together and place it in the middle of the conference room table.

    This Friday, bring in lunch for 4 trusted business collegues who will tell you "like it is". Review:

    1. postcards
    2. sell sheets
    3. print out of a screen capture of the home page
    4. print out of the home page from explorer browser
    5. business cards from 4 people in the company
    6. letterhead
    7. envelopes
    8. window envelopes
    9. 3 recent powerpoints: two to potential customers, one from a recent outside speech.
    10. a mug, pen, portfolio, briefcase or other advertising specialty item with the logo
    11. the written style guidelines for logo and tag line usage (what do you mean you don't have that!!
    12. folder with logo on the outside and anything else with the logo on it that you hand to customers

    Now: Look at each of these on the conference table & go through this checklist:



    Pick one piece that you will revise. Don't get caught up in the trap that EVERYTHING has to change at once. It's like the family that decides they want to repaint the family room but one thing leads to another and they end up with a $80,000 addition on the back of the house. Just pick one thing that will make the biggest difference... and GET STARTED!
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  3. Toolbox for New Bloggers: Great Sites for Getting Started - 2007-06-24 21:41:00-04
    It can be intimated at first to begin blogging. Seems like there are so many things to consider.

    Drew's Marketing Minute suggests we offer some key sites as the " New Bloggers' Toolbox."

    Here are a few of the sites I often suggest to folks who want to begin blogging:

    • David Armano's Logic & Emotion His clean design and insightful graphics really help to communicate the whole Web2.0 message and has many practical tips.
    • SlideShare powerpoint: 25 Styles of Blogging & When to Use Each One This is great for when the writing well starts to run dry (and it will!) Although this isn't a blog, it sure is a great way to help write compelling posts.
    • Dawud Miracle at DMiracle.com (formerly Healthy Web Design) offers a great example of how to build community.
    • When it comes to marketing tools, Todd And's Power 150 kitchen sink can't be beat. Just type in any marketing phrase into the search tool bar and it searches all of the 150 of the top marketing & PR blogs in the world for your answer.
    • The best welcome wagon blog I've found, is the same blog that Drew spotlight's as the best marketing tools: Mike Sansone at Converstations. I can't think of anyone who is as generous with welcoming new blogs, except maybe Mack Collier with his Z-list.

    My List condensed:
    Logic & Emotion (practical tips)
    25 Styles of Blogging & When to Use Each One (compelling posts)
    DMiracle.com (build community)
    Todd And's Power 150 kitchen sink (marketing tools)
    Converstations (welcome wagon)

    Drew's list:
    Converstations (chock full of practical tips)
    CK's blog (compelling blog post examples)
    Viral Garden (demonstrate how to build a community)
    Lonely Marketer (teach marketing tools)
    Successful & Outstanding Blogs (bloggers who spotlight newbies)

    Toolbox Links From Biz & Buzz
    Conversation Agent by Valeria Maltoni - a great thinker who write in a clear yet articulated way
    Bizsolutionplus by Lewis Green - the ethic approach to business and to blogging and god knows how we need it
    Servant of Chaos by Gavin Heaton - the down under look to our world making you see things from a different perspective
    Webware by Rafe Needleman and others - I like the fresh insight to cool web apps
    Note to CMO by Stephen Denny - a cool way to tell to CMO to wake up

    The Toolbox List from Lewis Green at Biz Solutions Plus
    Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You're only a stranger once (Liz and other writers offers suggestions and recommendations that are wonderfully written, and her blog is a great first stop for new bloggers.)
    Logic+Emotion (Since, David Armano doesn't have the title of marketer, some may wonder why I chose his blog. It's simple: Marketing is first and foremost about creativity, and no one shares insights into the creative arts better than David. Furthermore, his writing is personal and engaging, which I believe is the key to good blogging.)
    Hee-Haw Marketing (Paul McEnany is the most entertaining and one of the smartest bloggers in the blogosphere. Be sure to check out his series on Kohl's if you want to see how to handle a real-time case study.)
    Conversation Agent (Valeria Maltoni never ceases to surprise us with her range of topics and her ability to use writing styles appropriate to the subject matter. She is a must read, and we all learn from her.)
    The Diva Marketing Blog (Toby may be the best blogger I know. She mixes styles, covers lots of good material and reaches out to feature as many bloggers as she can. This is a person you need to know. Be sure to introduce yourself to her.)

    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  4. Perfection is the Enemy of Excellence - 2007-06-26 06:28:00-04
    I was recently working with a client on a market research project. They had the task of planning, organizing and executing a variety of customer satisfaction surveys of 5 audiences for 3 internal clients and several external clients.

    All the details of the project: trying to figure out how to survey (on-line, email, in person, fax or snail mail), who to survey, when to survey (quarterly, monthly, with the invoice, with the statement), which questions to ask of whom, how to compile the results, where the reports would be sent and so on had overwhelmed the task force that was responsible for the project.

    A statement that one of the people in the meeting made as we were leaving made me think of of this "poem" from FLYlady. I had not thought about perfection in this way before:

    Perfection is the Enemy of Excellence

    Excellence is willing to be wrong.
    Perfection is being right.

    Excellence is risk.
    Perfection is fear.

    Excellence is powerful.
    Perfection is anger and frustration.

    Excellence is spontaneous.
    Perfection is control.

    Excellence is accepting.
    Perfection is judgment.

    Excellence is giving.
    Perfection is taking.

    Excellence is confidence.
    Perfection is doubt.

    Excellence is flowing.
    Perfection is pressure.

    Excellence is journey.
    Perfection is destination.
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  5. Email Newsletter Marketing -- 9 Different Services - 2007-06-26 14:43:00-04
    More and more companies talk to me about email newsletter marketing. What service do you use? Here is a list of companies that I'd like to hear your feedback about if you've ever used their email marketing and customer list database services. Please leave comments about good or bad results you've had with these! Thanks!

    http://www.icontact.com/
    http://www.verticalresponse.com/
    http://www.myemma.com/

    http://www.bluehornet.com/
    http://www.cheetahmail.com/corp/
    http://www.swiftpage.com/

    http://www.contactcrazy.com/ *Disclaimer #1
    http://www.constantcontact.com/
    http://e-newsletters.internet.com/


    http://email.exacttarget.com/
    http://www.jangomail.com/
    http://www.ideastar.com/e-newsletter.html *Disclaimer #2

    #1 This company is run by an Akron company that hosts my web site and I work with through my web designer.

    #2 This company is run by a Cleveland company that I had a working relationship with one of their sister companies.
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  6. The Thinking Blogger Award - 2007-06-27 07:07:00-04

    I like blogs that make me think, so I was so pleased to see Branding & Marketing named with The Thinking Blog award by Robyn McMaster at Brain Based Biz. Robyn's posts always relate back to the way the brain works which I find extremely intriguing.

    Here are 5 blogs that I want to honor with The Thinking Blogger award:

    • Cool Moms Rule - for moms who haven't had all their brain cells zapped yet (just kidding!)
    • Bill Sledzik at ToughSledding - a cool college professor who teaches blogging as part of the coursework
    • Ben Yoskovitz at the Instigator Blog - Great blog - it was one of the reasons I flew to Chicago for the SOBconference in May
    • Sandy Renshaw at The Purple Wren - Lots of great visual posts that use both sides of the brain
    • Quinn McDonald at Quinn Creative - An articulate artist who always inspires me.

    Along with my blog, Robyn chose these blogs for The Thinking Blogger award:
    Joanna Young at Coaching Wizardry
    Lisa Gates at Intrinsic Writing Design
    Mike Wagner at Own Your Brand
    Brad Shorr at Word Sell

    Here are the participation rules for the Thinking Blogger Award:
    1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think
    2. Link to the original post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
    3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  7. Marketing Nostalgia Experiences with a Vintage Airstream - 2007-06-29 05:41:00-04
    I'm finding more and more businesses are catering to the Baby Boomers as their target market. Why not? At the leading edge: empty nesters on the verge of retirement with disposible income... it's a sweet market. In the middle: America turns 50 this year with the most 50 birthdays ever in the country! And the young Baby Boomers are looking for some fun. Let's face it, as a target market for a consumer focused business, baby boomers rock!

    Santa Barbara Silver Safari is a perfect example. This vintage Airstream rental business recreates a blast from the past with their nostagia positioning of their 1967 vintage Airstream. For less than price of most hotel rooms, adverturers can relive fond childhood memories in the "Silver Safari" which offers a local area destination alternative to Santa Barbara hotels.

    What a neat positioning for all those baby boomers who are looking for some weekend fun, a unique alternative and perhaps a way to recapture the memories of the good old days! A little adventure. A little nostalgia. How sweet it is. The whole concept combines the love-of-all-things-vintage with classic American travel trailer intrigue.

    I suspect their weekend schedule is going to fill up fast!

    My California Cousin and her husband love all things vintage and created Santa Barbara Silver Safari because of they got"Silver Alumninitis". She described as starting when she was:

    Snooping in people's backyards, storage yards, eBay, and craigslist for old Airstreams. Do this everyday for a couple of years. When you begin to notice glints of silver out of the corner of your eye as you are driving down the street, you'll know you've found silver aluminitis.



    I'll be watching their booking schedule to see how quickly the concept takes off!
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  8. ABC -- Launching a Local Bloggers Network - 2007-06-30 08:01:00-04
    Deborah Brown and I are launching a local bloggers network next month. I've been inspired... no, not inspired, but actually jealous of Mike Sansone's bloggers group for a while.

    He started a bloggers group as a simple and informal gathering…a way for those who connect online to connect offline and meet once a month. Now there's maybe 40 showing up with a strong group of 15 regulars.

    They meet at a Panera's or similar location, not really with any agenda -- althought Mike usually makes some sort of announcement or talks about a cool tool (last month he suggested that everyone take part in Liz Strauss' Metaphor series.) Mike's group doesn't usually have a speaker about blogging (because he gives them a daily ear full at ConverStations!)

    Mike said that now, even non-bloggers show up for their networking and all the mix/mingle that happens. Business deals have been launched at some of their meetups. Seeing people in real life made others realize that bloggers are not some Pajama clad crowd, but (in Mike's words): Bloggers are people. People sharing passions, ideas and building relationships - and sometimes, building businesses. In fact, these people may be your customers . Non-bloggers started reading columns of bloggers and got more involved in the blogosphere.

    So short of flying out to Des Moines once a month, we decided to start the Akron BloggersCommunity. ABC will be off and running on the morning of July 19. If you'd like to attend, send a comment to Deborah at BizInformer. We sent out invitations to 16 area bloggers and want each to bring a fellow blogger with them.

    Thanks Mike for the inspiration and setting the example!!

    PS. No, (in case you are wondering) Deborah & I are not related. Brown is the 5th most popular surname in the United States.
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  9. Tracking SEO Placement... and a Whole Lot More - 2007-06-30 09:19:00-04
    I try to challenge myself to learn something new each week. That's why this past week I had lunch in Twinsburg and heard Rick Shultz from Spectum Surgical Instruments share some of his business sense with a group from a newly formed entrepreneurs club.

    I found out that he tracks his website placement in the search engines for key words on a weekly basis. No wonder his company comes up in the top 10 consistently! I really liked the tracking chart he used because it was simple and easy to fill out: date, word, search engine, placement. He used a form for each search word, checking the key search engines. When their ranking dips, they take action, but he knows where they stand every week.

    But more importantly for me as a business owner, I learned about his vision for the company, his management style, how he motivates employees, how he treats his customers and what his strategic plan is. I loved the way he so openly shared his management techniques and coached each of the business owners in the room. Rick Shultz is a real class act. I had heard great things about his company, but now I know it first hand.
    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com

  10. Using Blogs to Market Your Business - 2007-07-01 09:03:00-04
    Is a blog a marketing tool? It depends... I don't classify them as a marketing tool exactly. Blogs are a communication tool.

    If you think marketing is one way communication (ie brochures, PDFs, direct mail with no call to action, something you "send" to prospective customers) then blogs are definitely NOT a marketing tool.

    If you think of marketing as two way communication -- trade shows where you talk to and with prospective customers, workshops where you ask questions, customer service where you learn about problems your clients may be having, surveys where you ask questions or otherwise having a conversation type relationship, then blogs may be helpful to you for marketing.

    Blogs do help you get found in the search engines. There is no disputing that.

    Blogs are a component of social media marketing, but with one BIG difference. You have to listen. They are community, not a megaphone.

    If your blog is not open to comments, if your blog is just "brochure-ware", then you've missed the whole point of the Web 2.0 opportunity and you're still back at the Web 1.0 loud speaker with the me+me=me marketing formula. Who want's to read or listen to that?

    Blogs provide alittle bit of personality, a view into the human behind the business, that makes it easier for a prospective customer to know a bit more about you and ask some questions without an obligation. It also offers a community of like-minded businesses -- almost a buffet -- of companies who can provide services.

    Some of the blogs that I regularly follow could be considered competitors because they provide marketing consulting... but by providing an easy access to my potential customers to the marketing and branding blogging community, all of the sudden my blog has turned into a place to learn more about what my potential customers are trying to accomplish:

    • how to better tell and present their company's story
    • decide who are their best customers
    • learn how to find more customers like their best customers
    • develop brand awareness with their potential customers
    • create a reputation for quality, service and value

    I encourage my clients to read blogs. And I encourage them to write them as well. But they've got to have the right frame of mind.

    That said, here are some branding and marketing blogs that I think offer great information about marketing with a blog:

    Designed for business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. Information about building awareness. Links and resources for the marketing business. Branding Trends. Marketing Trends. Links to Blogs about Branding and Marketing. www.resources-results.com
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