Staying Focused

June 22nd, 2011 by Jill Mast Categories: Branding, Marketing, Public Relations Tags: advertising, Branding, henry russell bruce, hrb, jill mast, Marketing, Public Relations

Via mindmapinspiration.com

There is a word that has been coming up frequently in recent conversations here … that word is “focus.”

It’s a simple word, and one that has become my personal mantra. Dictionary.com defines focus as: a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity. As the world of marketing has become more fragmented and communication venues continue to explode, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options.

Learning how to focus on your central points of attraction, attention and activity, is crucial to your success.

Points of attraction: I like to think of these as your core competencies. What does your company do well? What is it that your customers count on you for? These core competencies are what drives customer loyalty. Determine what makes you irreplaceable to your customers and then deliver it! Living up to and constantly working to improve what your brand promises is critical.

Not sure what your customers want from you? There’s an easy fix … ask them! A simple satisfaction study can provide the insights your company needs to redefine and reemphasize your core competencies.

Points of attention: I recently had a prospect show me a newspaper ad he’d created. It was a small, 1/8 page ad, containing no less than eleven separate messages. Eleven! My brain couldn’t even begin to decipher what he was trying to communicate or what his value proposition was to the reader. Filling an ad with such multiple messaging is like telling your audience “I have no idea what’s really important to you so I’ll throw everything in.” It has a poor chance of being read and is an equally poor use of money.

Points of activity: Now that you know who you are, what you do and what you offer that’s relevant to your customers, what’s next? Developing a clearly defined strategic marketing communications plan. Then remaining focused on executing it. Because guess what? Markets will continue to fragment and the number of communication venues will only increase.

So staying focused and “on point” will be both more difficult … and more essential.

Jill Mast
800-728-2656, ext. 120

Connect with me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jill-mast/4/928/a06

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3600View Comments [11]Staying+Focused2011-06-22+20%3A09%3A11Jill+Mast

Went to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association Trade Show

May 24th, 2011 by Jim Thebeau Categories: Branding, Marketing, News, Public Relations Tags: advertising agency, brand, henry russell bruce, hrb, jim thebeau, Marketing, Public Relations

The first thing I noticed upon entering McCormick Place on Sunday was the overpowering, but very pleasant, aroma of food. Enticing smells of pork, beef, fish, teas and spices filled the air. It’s all part of the fun at the National Restaurant Association’s annual convention and exhibition. I spent part of the weekend in Chicago in support of a new client who was exhibiting at the show.

Over the years I’ve attended many trade shows, most of them related to supply chain, bar codes, RFID, electronics, IT, aviation and aerospace and even rental products. But I’ve never before been greeted at the registration desk with such an attention-getting gastronomic assault on the senses. Foods and beverages of all types were being prepared throughout the enormous North and South exhibition halls. Each dish or drink was presented in an attractive and inspiring setting. Free food was everywhere and freely distributed to anyone who happened by. That was a new experience for me.

There is a sense of irony here because our client is in the technology business, one of our specialties. Numerous technology providers were at the show demonstrating their wares. What struck me most was the amount of automation software available to restaurants to support loyalty programs, geolocation couponing, online ordering and a lot of integration with Facebook and Twitter to drive store traffic and grow the database.

Generating and managing data was a major theme for those providers, a key message they were trying to get across to the restaurants.

At the end of the day, the trip made me think about you and your business.

Are you managing your data? Are you making offers and creating calls to action that generate leads for your database – leads that you can use for your email marketing campaigns? Are your lead generation efforts integrated with your CRM and email marketing platforms? Have you been able to bring some automation to these efforts? We’ve been able to integrate and automate our online marketing efforts. And, it has paid off by generating more leads through our website.

How important is lead generation and data tracking to your operations? Please post a comment and let us know what’s working – or not – for you.

Jim Thebeau
Partner/CEO
800-728-2656 ext. 121

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3588View Comments [16]2011-05-24+17%3A12%3A39Jim+Thebeau

4 Reasons Why Social Behaviors are Plateauing and Mobile Usage Rates are Rising

November 3rd, 2010 by Jim Thebeau Categories: Internet Technology, Marketing, News Tags: advertising, brand, henry russell bruce, hrb, hrb newsletter, Internet Marketing, jim thebeau, Marketing, social media, Social Media Marketing

Why Social Behaviors Are Plateauing (by Augie Ray of MediaPost)

Since 2007, Forrester has tracked the growth of social behaviors. For years we’ve seen increases in more complex communication techniques from “Creators”—those who generate social content such as YouTube® videos and blog posts.

But for the first time in three years, we’re seeing a change in social media marketing trends. The Forrester 2010 Global Update of Social Technographics demonstrates that many social behaviors have reached a plateau. Why, and what does this mean for marketers, their clients and their portfolios?

Trends in Mobile Barcode Usage by Marketers

Mobile bar code scanning is growing exponentially, according to reporting data collected by Scanbuy™. The company calls itself the world leader in mobile bar code scanning applications. It’s one of several technology innovators that lets you download a bar code reading application to your smart phone and use the camera function to capture the bar code image. The image then takes you to information on the Web–much like actually clicking on a Web link.

According to the company’s information, mobile scanning traffic increased 700% between January 2010 and October 2010. This technology is being rapidly adopted for marketing and advertising purposes. Various types of bar codes are showing up on printed materials and websites that can be photographed with a mobile scanning application to take the participant to additional information on the topic of interest.

Microsoft®, among other companies, also offers a free Tag Reader application that mobile Internet users can download to their phones. How many of you actually use such applications and what are your thoughts about the future of them?

iPad Leads Tablets Into Workplace (by Thomas Claburn of Information Week)

In a blog memo by Microsoft® Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie, marking his decision to step down from his position, Ozzie asks us to “close our eyes and form a realistic picture of what a post-PC world might actually look like, if it were to ever truly occur.” For some, the post-PC world is already here. As Forrester analyst Ted Schadler sees it, tablet computers, exemplified by Apple’s iPad®, are post-PC devices—and like it or not, they’re now being used by businesses.

In a report issued last Tuesday, Schadler observes that new tablets seem to appear every day. He cites Google® Chrome OS tablets, the Cisco® Cius, the Dell® Streak, the Samsung® Galaxy Tab, the RIM® PlayBook and the HP® WebOS-based PalmPad as examples. Even if it’s only Apple that’s currently selling the most tablets—4.19 million during its most recent quarter—Forrester is predicting 13 million tablets will have been sold by the end of 2010 and 59 million will be sold by the end of 2015.

Google Improving Local Search (by MediaPost)

According to Search Engine Land™, Google® this week debuted “Place Search,” which offers a new way to experience local search results. According to the company, “There appear to be some fairly major SEO implications.” Officially, Google says that its algorithm has been improved and refined for Place Search.

“Now, fully fleshed out Place Pages will assume much greater importance, as will being present and reviewed in the various sites featured in the ‘clustered’ links,” notes Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling. As a result, he says, local directories like Yelp®, Citysearch® City Guides, Insider Pages® and Urbanspoon® will benefit greatly from the change. Visually, maps have been moved to the right column and “floats” or scrolls down the page as users move down results.

Selected third-party sites referencing a particular search topic are “clustered” with the listing. In cases of ambiguous queries, if Google isn’t sure whether users are seeking local information, there’s another type of result that will appear, which Google refers to as “Places Mode.”

What are your thoughts about such news? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments section below.

Jim Thebeau
Partner/CEO
800-728-2656 ext. 121

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2874Post A Comment2010-11-03+14%3A00%3A32Jim+Thebeau

Halloween: The Ultimate Model for Marketers

November 2nd, 2010 by Steve Erickson Categories: Marketing Tags: advertising, Branding, Growth, henry russell bruce, hrb, hrb newsletter, Marketing, steve erickson, strategic planning

This year, try removing your "business mask" when prospecting. Without a doubt, a majority of retailers would tell you that Christmas is their most important holiday for sales. In some cases it can be up to 50% of their yearly income. Santa and his elves put some serious cash in their business stockings.

But recently, as I’ve been driving past houses spookily decorated for Halloween—and trying to avoid the packages of candy awaiting the packs of trick-or-treaters—I’ve been thinking about how this holiday is really the ultimate model for marketers.

Think about it.

What if, instead of wondering whether it was the right time of year to approach a prospect, you knew for certain they would be receptive. Even better, once you knew that, if all you had to do was look for prospects who had the lights on their front door turned on. Sweet! No need to waste a moment of your time at all the places that have their doors locked and their windows dark—100% efficiency in prospecting.

Then, once you’re at their front door, they’re always happy to see you. The transaction is swift and usually commences by merely uttering those three simple words: “Trick or treat!” Moments later, your bag is being joyfully loaded with yet another sugar-filled goody. Whoa, that was easy!

And unlike Christmas, where you’re essentially at the mercy of Santa’s goodwill, or your family’s budget, you control the amount of tasty treats you accumulate. Spend half an hour working the neighborhood and ringing doorbells and you get a half an hour’s worth of candy. Spend two hours and you’ll need an extra bag to haul home all your chocolate-covered booty…and have enough sweets to last you until next year at this time.

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What can marketers take from the Halloween model?

1) Timing is crucial.

Know what time(s) of the year your sales and growth opportunities are best.

2) Look for “doors that have their lights on.”

A little research can help immensely in directing you to receptive prospects.

3) Hard work pays off.

The more prospecting you do, the more your gains will be and the fuller your portfolio will become.

Of course, a good costume always helps with any branding opportunity. I’m thinking of wearing a Don Draper outfit this year.

Have a great Halloween!

Steve Erickson
President, Creative Director
800-728-2656, ext. 126

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2887View Comments [8]2010-11-02+16%3A58%3A39Steve+Erickson

Positively Tired of Negative Advertising

October 25th, 2010 by Steve Erickson Categories: Branding, Marketing Tags: advertising, brand, Branding, hrb, hrb newsletter, Marketing, online marketing, steve erickson, strategic planning

If you’re like me, you’ve been “enjoying” the deluge of pre-election advertising. The vast majority of them being completely negative…blaming their opponents for everything from the trade deficit to global warming, or questioning their ethics because of an unpaid library fine from grade school. “Would you trust someone this fiscally irresponsible?” they ask us.

Instead of proving themselves to be the best candidate based on their personal character, portfolio and stand on the issues, many candidates seem more focused on proving their opponents are the worst choice. The gurus of political advertising must have decided negative ads work, otherwise they wouldn’t run them, right?

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Seeing one of the latest candidate crucifixions got me thinking about the opportunity product advertisers are missing. They’re obviously wasting their time and money by touting the positive features and benefits of their brand. They should spend their advertising budget trashing their competitors instead. That’s how to really make an emotional connection with a market.

So Buick, here’s an example of an ad you should consider. You have Toyota right where you want them:

Okay, so we’ll probably never see an ad like this from Buick®. At least I hope not. And we probably won’t see political ads becoming anything but more negative in the future. Unfortunately, I think they contribute to the growing skepticism of advertising messages in general and on our brand as an industry.

But that’s as negative a comment as I’ll make. For now anyway.

(Don’t forget to vote.)

Steve Erickson
President, Creative Director
800-728-2656, ext. 126

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2824View Comments [14]2010-10-25+21%3A30%3A25Steve+Erickson

Ad Agencies: Who Is Your "Hub of the Wheel" and How Do They Affect Your Client Service Rating?

September 30th, 2010 by Jill Mast Categories: Branding, Marketing, Public Relations Tags: account service, henry russell bruce, hrb

How would you rate your agency's customer service level? Whenever I meet new people and they ask what I do, I say “I’m in advertising.” Typically they are very impressed, like it’s some sort of fabulous Mad Men episode full of glitz and glamor, celebrities and parties.

The next question usually focuses on my role—do I create TV spots or design ads—the creative stuff. When I tell them I’m not in the creative department but rather an account manager, I usually get blank stares.

To those not familiar with the agency business, account service is a foreign concept that is not nearly as interesting as the “creative stuff.”

It’s quite the contrary.

Account service is like the “hub of the wheel” connecting all areas of expertise in the agency. My job encompasses many things, is never boring and is constantly evolving. To boil it down simply, the role of account service is threefold.

First, account service leads.

We lead our clients and our agency team members in a strategic direction designed to accomplish the client’s goals. Sometimes this entails leading them through a research project to determine what information we would like to find out, why it’s important and what we’re going to do with that information once we get it.

We lead the agency team in putting together smart, strategic marketing plans that are then translated into creative ideas and campaigns. It’s important to have the strategic plan in place before we begin developing ideas to make sure the ideas are designed to accomplish our goals and are not just “creative.” Account service leads brainstorming sessions, planning meetings and client meetings.

Secondly, account service manages.

We manage our teams to make sure that the work is strategically sound, and that it is moving smoothly and efficiently through the agency. Account service, along with the Creative Director, evaluate the work to make sure it follows the strategy that’s been laid out and that it is designed to accomplish the client’s goals. Nobody likes surprises when it comes to deadlines and budgets. Therefore, account service also manages client expectations regarding the schedule and the budget to make sure the work is delivered on time and on budget.

Lastly, account service spends an enormous amount of time communicating.

We communicate internally to our teams and externally to clients, vendors and the media. Communication is one of the most important factors in a successful agency/client relationship. Honest, open and frequent communication between the client and the agency will help to build trust, facilitate the sharing of ideas and allow everyone involved to contribute their best thinking to help solve the client’s business and communication challenges.

The goal of any agency is to do the best work possible, change consumer behavior and get results for the client. At HRB, we are constantly striving to find new, unique and strategically-sound ideas that connect with consumers and compel them to act. The only way this is accomplished is when all areas of expertise and all team members within the agency work together with some guidance from the “hub of the wheel.”

Thoughts, comments?

Jill Mast
800-728-2656, ext. 120

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2447View Comments [6]2010-09-30+14%3A07%3A02Jill+Mast

5 Reasons Google Doesn't Like Your Website

September 24th, 2010 by Jeff McEachron Categories: Branding, Internet Marketing, Marketing, News, Social Media Marketing Tags: Branding, henry russell bruce, hrb, Internet Marketing, News & Press Releases

Unlike most companies during a recession, HRB is focusing on teaching rather than selling.

As evidence of this, I recently discussed the importance of Internet marketing with local business professionals at a seminar held at the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.

The goal of the seminar was to help professionals grow their businesses by generating increased website traffic through improved search engine rankings, enhanced website content, business keywords and an inbound link strategy. I encouraged attendees to reconsider their methods for linking information to a website and the role that social media marketing plays in today’s economy.

Here are some testimonials straight from the mouths of the seminar attendees:

– “The Google® seminar was great! The approach he used to address a familiar topic was extremely helpful and I will definitely put to use his tips! The seminar was definitely worth the time over the lunch hours. I encourage others to check out these seminars.”

– “I was impressed that we received practical advice on what we could do right now to rectify any issues on our website. We walked out of the seminar with several to-do’s that were reasonable and attainable.”

– “I appreciated that it wasn’t a sales pitch. The speaker understood the audience and targeted his presentation to ways small businesses can be successful on their own.”

Not only did we have a great turnout, but we learned that many of our industry colleagues are seeking this kind of information. They are extremely enthusiastic about life-long learning and they’re even more excited to research the websites and resources we provide for free.

At HRB, we believe in giving our clients the tools they need to survive in today’s marketplace. For more information about how your company can become indispensable, contact us in our Cedar Rapids office (319.298.0242) or our Davenport office (563.322.0577). We’d be happy to meet with you and discuss the needs/goals of your company, clients and portfolio.

Jeff McEachron
Senior Vice President
Director, Internet Operations

Follow me on Twitter @Jeff_McEachron

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmceachron

2392View Comments [8]2010-09-24+15%3A00%3A36Jeff+McEachron

Extra! Extra! This Week’s Interesting Marketing Stories!

August 9th, 2010 by Jim Thebeau Categories: Branding, Internet Technology, Marketing, News Tags: Branding, henry russell bruce, hrb, Marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing

If you have an interest in sales and marketing, this post is for you. At HRB we’re constantly monitoring advertising, strategic planning, research and public relations trends that are driven by new software automation tools, unique bundling packages and social media marketing contests. Check out these stories and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on the HRB Facebook page.

FTC looks at opt-out option for behavioral targeting

If you have not been following the discussions surrounding online behavioral targeting and the resulting data gathering on individuals, you may want to start. Whether you are using behavioral targeting as a marketing technique or you are a consumer, you could be affected.

According to MediaPost®, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is considering a “do not track” list to address Internet advertising privacy concerns, similar to the Do Not Call Registry pertaining to telephone solicitations. To learn more about behavioral targeting visit the FTC’s Wikipedia page.

What are America’s favorite news sources?

As a former journalist, I find the rapid changes in news consumption habits fascinating. Of course, age, technology and access all play a role in how we get our news.

According to a new study by Gather Inc., individuals are increasingly turning to the Internet to find, receive, share and discuss news. The report reveals trends in how people are receiving and interacting with various Internet news outlets and starting millions of conversations across America.

For instance, a whopping 53% of people still cite newspapers as their main source of news, although 65% of respondents younger than 25 years old described their news habits as interest-based, only reading about breaking news stories or stories of interest. 70% of respondents in this age group turn to the Internet to learn more about a breaking news story and share information with others via social networks.

Marketers increasingly seeking online tracking metrics

Marketers are slowly but consistently moving more of their marketing budgets from traditional to online sources. And, the more they spend on SEO and social media marketing, the more they want to measure ROI.

The Forbes® Insights and software and analytics firm MarketShare Partners reveal that marketers and agencies continue to struggle with finding the metrics to justify dollars spent on online campaigns.

Strategic growth planning for business and marketing success

Ever wonder why some companies turn everything they touch into gold while others struggle to capture great market share? Why marketing doesn’t work with sales?

These questions keep CEOs from sleeping at night. It takes guts and experience to bring accurate, honest analysis and advice to today’s company executives. When it comes to growing a business, most companies struggle to find just the right balance of all the right growth ingredients.

Download the HRB GROWTH brochure and perhaps you’ll see how the “domino effect” can work for your brand.

Can the iPad® slow newspaper and magazine readership?

Earlier this year, just as the iPad® was being launched, BtoB Magazine carried a front page story about the possible effects the Apple iPad could have on reviving the ailing print media industry. For one thing, with its vertically-oriented color screen that mimics the size of a single magazine page, the iPad is seen in some circles as an ideal device for reading digital versions of print publications.

“We feel it’s an exciting, new, major media platform, and it can’t be ignored,” said Jason Snell, Editor of IDG’s Macworld, which is currently developing an iPad application.

Jim Thebeau
Partner/CEO
800-728-2656 ext. 121

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1922Post A Comment2010-08-09+20%3A38%3A23Jim+Thebeau

Extra, Extra! Interesting Sales and Marketing Stories for CEOs and CMOs!

July 16th, 2010 by Jim Thebeau Categories: Branding, Marketing, News Tags: Branding, henry russell bruce, hrb, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Public Relations, website

If you have an interest in sales and marketing, this post is for you. At HRB we’re constantly monitoring advertising and public relations trends that are driven by new software automation tools, unique bundling packages and social media marketing contests. Check out these impressive campaigns and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on the HRB Facebook page.

YouTube’s New Video Editor

With the launch of YouTube’s Web-based video editor, are we about to witness a hyper acceleration in consumer-generated media? Perhaps, but we’re not making any promises. As part of a broader push to empower even more online content creators, YouTube’s lead engineer Rushabh Doshi and product manager Josh Siegel created a video editor that will eventually include transitions, effects, title screens and audio layers. “It’s going to be a huge deal for anyone who uploads to YouTube on a semi-regular basis,” said Techcrunch.

Cinema Advertising Industry Revenues Increase by 2%

For anyone considering buying spots on cinema screens, you may be in good company. According to The Cinema Advertising Council (CAC), total advertising revenues for CAC members—which account for more than 82% of the 38,794 people who purchase U.S. movie screens—grew by nearly 2% to $584,067,000 in 2009 as compared to a total of $571,421,000 in 2008. This is despite a year that saw spending in other traditional media decrease significantly. The growth seems to be directly attributable to the number of blockbuster films released in the past year. Read about Cinema Advertising revenues.

Paid Search Leads Global Online Advertising

According to a study by MAGNAGLOBAL, a division of IPG’s Mediabrands, paid search has quickly become the most important component of online advertising. In 2010 this segment will account for $29.8 billion of total revenue, a substantial increase of 16.5% over 2009 totals on a constant currency basis. Although Google is the current global leader in paid search, all other online advertising—which is much more diffused with a handful of global portals, such as Yahoo and Microsoft—will account for $31.2 billion of total revenue. Read the full story on paid search by Jack Loechner of MediaPost Publications.

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E-mail Marketing Still the Workhorse

We marketers are living in a revolutionary age where technology, customer expectations and an explosion of new communication channels are transforming virtually everything—from the way we do our job to our roles in our company’s success. While some employees tout e-mail as one of the more “boring” methods of communication, it has actually served as an important tool for today’s new marketing model. Here are two marketing trend examples from MediaPost that justify the relevance and vitality of e-mail marketing campaigns.

Speedier Calls to Leads Means More Conversions

When I read this study conducted by lead management company, Leads360, all I could think was WOW. According to BtoB magazine online, the study—which assessed some 20 million Internet-generated leads among its clients—reported that sales leads called within 60 seconds of being first generated online showed a fourfold (391%) advantage over average conversion rates. Leads called within 24 hours were still 17% more likely to convert than those that were not called, and 88% of leads that eventually convert were called within the first 24 hours. Impressive, to say the least.

Jim Thebeau
Partner/CEO
800-728-2656 ext. 121

Follow me on Twitter @JimThebeau

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimthebeau

1643View Comments [12]2010-07-16+20%3A32%3A54Jim+Thebeau

Was Bavaria's Ambush Marketing Campaign at the World Cup Flat or Fresh?

June 21st, 2010 by Steve Erickson Categories: Branding, Marketing Tags: advertising, blogging, henry russell bruce, hrb

The FIFA World Cup currently being held in South Africa is an absolute marketing nirvana for international brands. With hundreds of thousands of fans in and around the stadiums and billions of television viewers worldwide, the lure of being able to reach such huge audiences is irresistible. It’s three weeks of competition between countries for the championship trophy … and three weeks of brands vying for your attention.

I confess that for me watching soccer (a.k.a. “fútbol” to most of the world) is as interesting as watching a group of quilters sewing a blanket. It’s 90 minutes of guys in shorts chasing a ball, tearing up the middle of a huge field. Getting a shot past a goalkeeper is so rare that scores of 1-0 aren’t uncommon. It’s an excruciating exercise in waiting for something exciting to happen.

That said, I do find listening to or watching the fanatical fans in the grandstands to be incredibly entertaining. Now there’s some serious brand loyalty! A loyalty that has caused dangerous, even deadly riots between rival team fans to break out. Not something you could imagine at even the most hotly contested Yankees-Red Sox game.

This week, a major beer marketer, family-owned Dutch brewer Bavaria, took advantage of the World Cup frenzy with an ambush marketing campaign. A group of 36 Dutch women, wearing skimpy orange dresses, the brand color of Bavaria, entered Soccer City stadium to watch the Netherlands play Denmark. The orange-clad women made a very overt distraction for the other thousands of fans and global TV viewers. And FIFA officials.

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Another brand, Anheuser Busch’s Budweiser, is the official beer for the tournament and world soccer’s governing body vigorously defends its sponsors from brands which are not FIFA partners. The result was some of the women were arrested, FIFA started legal proceedings against the Dutch brewer, news stories about it were seen all over the world … and I’m now addressing it as a blogger in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

So the question is, was the Bavaria ambush marketing campaign a misguided stunt that ended up getting their brand in trouble? Or, was it an absolutely brilliant stroke of publicity that allowed them to get their brand name talked and written about around the globe for the price of some tickets and orange dresses?

I’d say it’s the latter … and I toast a cold Budweiser to them for their efforts!

Steve Erickson
President, Creative Director
800-728-2656, ext. 126

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1216View Comments [13]2010-06-21+13%3A39%3A26Steve+Erickson