Advertisement Ideas: The Importance of Cause Marketing!!!

Advertisement Ideas: The Importance Of Cause Marketing!!!

If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know how deep my passion runs for helping those touched by cancer through my involvement with Relay For Life. I do my best to share Relay with as many people as I can especially businesses that can use cause marketing as a strategy to acquire customers and retain customers. I have partnered with many business like The Tijuana Flats in Tamarac, FL, The Chuck E. Cheese’s in Sunrise, and Skyline Chili in Sunrise, FL to do fundraisers and I have been very successful in bringing people to these establishments who normally would not have gone. As a result several of those involved in Relay have become regular customers at these establishments. I have had mush success with those who understand the importance of cause marketing. The key is to partner with a cause that you are passionate about and then leverage your involvement by mentioning it in advertising, through your social media, and in your media releases. The idea is that you never know who may come into your business because of your support of a cause.

I went to a McDonald’s located Nob Hill Road and Sunset Strip yesterday (4/1/2017) to seek support of Relay For Life and the manager told me you have to call the owner but didn’t have the owner’s number. I thought here is someone who is supposed to be looking out for the best interest of The McDonald’s franchise and should be astute enough to understand the importance of cause marketing. The interesting part of the interaction was that I was going to place and order but because of the manager’s attitude and lack of information to give me to contact the owner I left and went to SUBWAY and bought my meal there as they have supported Relay For Life. Think about it and do the math I would have sent about $8- $10 at McDonald’s but because of the manager’s lack of understanding of the importance of cause marketing another business received my business. The reason I share this with you is to show you that you must empower your managers to make some decisions when it comes to cause marketing because you may be leaving money on the table because of their lack of understanding the importance of cause marketing. $8-10 may not seek like a lot of money to be walking out the door but think about it how many people will see this story and not go to that McDonald’s and do you think I will be going back to patronize that location? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: The Importance of Cause Marketing!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Management Gone Mad!!!

About two weeks ago I went to my laundry and while I was doing my laundry I stopped by a store in the plaza, Past, Present, Future which sells comic books and collectibles as well as soda and snacks. While I went to purchase a soda and snacks I mentioned to the manager that I am involved with The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and that our theme was Superheroes For The Cure and that my team Lederman’s Heroes Walking in Memory of JDOGG’S Mom had chosen Shazam. Instead of taking this as an opportunity to possibly make a sale he told me we don’t need your solicitation I was like wow every business can use additional sales. I then did my best to give the store some added value by making a Facebook Live Video to which the manager said that the owner doesn’t allow for that and that if I didn’t stop the video he would call the police. I stopped the video and deleted it off my Facebook page. As a past retail store manager who drove sales by being kind and caring in all interactions and acting on what were buying signals such as someone telling me some information I increased sales. When I first started working in Retail for Oaktree, a men’s clothing store I rose to be the #1 sales person in the company by engaging customers and assessing their needs so I know what it takes to build sales and customer relationships. I can fully understand that the manager gets solicited many times during the day however each solicitation is an opportunity for it is not about the solicitor but who the solicitor can reach. In my case I have over 1900 Twitter Followers, over 2900 friends on Facebook, and over 1400 followers on Instagram. So think about it had I had a good experience with this manager I would not have been writing this piece about the negative experience and exposing this negative experience to my followers rather I would have been encouraging people to shop at the store.

Don’t allow a bad manager to stifle your business. Over the 40 years that I have been involved with public and private for profit and non-profit businesses I have encountered many great managers who understand that one oh crap can ruin a 1000 of at a boys. Remember it is human nature for people to remember the bad and share as opposed to sharing the good. The key is to make sure that your management team is creating an environment that is welcoming because that solicitor today could be a buyer in the future or that solicitor may have a very large reach and instead of getting a good review you end up featured in his blog and on his radio show. The key is to understand that you never know who is coming through your door and how they can be of value and service to you.

When you are open to all that you come in contact with and you find ways that you can be of service and value to one another that is when you succeed.

Imagine if the manager would have taken my interest in Shazam as a buying signal and shown me merchandise relating to Shazam how the interaction could have went. I may not have bought the item that day but would know that it was available and come back for it. I have always believed that a no today is really a no for right now. I have many success stories of working the floor of a retail store and making sales because I picked up on buying signals and interacted with the customer. One day I was working at a retail sport apparel and memorabilia shop when a customer came in seeking a gift for his wife who was a Buffalo Bills fan and he was looking for a tee-shirt I didn’t have any Buffalo Bills Ladies shirts but instead of saying we didn’t have any I showed him a signed Jim Kelly Football and a Framed Jim Kelly signed picture. he Bought the Jim Kelly signed picture so instead of selling him a $28 shirt I upped the sale and sold him a $250 framed piece. In getting to know what the customer wants and interacting with them you increase your sales. The key is to understand that everyone who walks into your retail location can benefit you in some way. It is when you look for opportunities that you avoid management from going bad. Remember it has nothing to do with the economy or the industry it has everything to do with your attitude.

Advertisement Ideas: Walk In Your Truth!!!

Over the last few days I have observed many people professing that they are making six figures and when I asked them for donations to help support the efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays they made every excuse as to why they were unable to donate. This really had me thinking so you want me to join your organization and market your product and services but you can’t donate to a cause that is near and dear to me. It was at this time that i realized when marketing to people you must walk in your truth and be passionate about your belief and purpose. When you market your products or services or ask for support of your charitable endeavors people must be able to know you, like you, and trust you. In all interactions it is important to walk in your truth and be honest and up front with people. I have witnessed so many people trying to be something they are not or making claims that they can not back up that they have stiff;ed themselves from growing personally and professionally. The key in business is to be your authentic self and make sure that in all your marketing people are seeing your authentic self and not some facade. The idea of faking it until you make it doesn’t work as people will see right through that. It is important in business to be authentic and to follow the four agreements.

So many people make promises and then do not keep them and then wonder why their business is struggling. I have experienced people saying one thing to you and then doing the complete opposite and then pointing the finger at you. When this happens I step into my power and walk in my truth and say thank you and then I think too bad so sad don’t let the door hit you where GOD split you. If you are preaching about walking your talk you better be taking the action to back it up. If you are talking about marketing and advertising you should be marketing and advertising. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Walk In Your Truth!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Forget The President!!!

I have learned over the years that in business it is important to leave politics at the door if you are going to succeed because when you engage in a political discussion it can go bad real fast and adversely affect your business. In today’s marketplace with the advent of social media it is important to forget the president and simply go about your business planning your work and working your plan making adjustments along the way. In the scheme of your day-to-day operations who the president is should not have an effect on your ability to market and attract new customers while also retaining your existing customer base. I have seen many businesses over the last 16 years suffer because they didn’t forget the president and as a result left money on the table or lost money. Such was the case for a local restaurant who is a staunch supporter of The Republican Party a large group from The Democratic Party was going to book an event at the restaurant however when they saw the photos of the republicans from the area on display they went elsewhere. I share this so as to remind you that many times your political views can hit you the hardest in the wallet for you never know why someone may choose to do business or not to choose to do business with you.

The key to remember when you are implementing a marketing campaign is to leave your politics aside and forget the president. I have witnessed so many people making political posts on social media when they should have been making posts about who they are and what they do and why you should do business with them. The way you choose to advertise is up to you however remember many potential clients/customers and many existing clients/customers read your social media posts and may be swayed not to do business with you because you have a different view than they do. You may think this is trite however people today are so wrapped in their ego that if they feel you bruised their ego they will look elsewhere to get products and services. The key is to forget about who the president is and to continue to strengthen your brand and increase your revenue by acquiring and retaining customers/clients. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Forget The President!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Important P Words!!!

When you decide to open your business the most important p word that you need to have in you vocabulary is profit. When you open your business you must have a goal in mind as to how much profit you want to make so that you can take action to exceed this goal with the idea of utilizing other important p words.

People is a very important p word for you will need to reach the people in your desired target audience and have them do business with you. Remember people do business with those they know, like, and trust. In giving people what they desire and building awareness of your products and services you will increase your profits. You may have need to hire people and hiring the right people who are in alignment with your core values will lead you to having success when it comes to customer acquisition and retention. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Important P Words!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Prioritize This!!!

When you opened your business today what were your priorities? Did you write down your priorities and make sure they were in sync with your goals and objectives? So many times when working with entrepreneurs I find that many do not set priorities and thus continue to be on this endless hamster wheel that creates a struggle. The end result of this struggle is that they fail to thrive and eventually close their business. I always ask people who I work with what did you do to promote your business today? Many times the answer is nothing people will come because they are in the plaza anyway or they are by where we are located and will see us and come in out of curiosity. I give the people I work with the strategy to do out reach to potential customers daily while also having a retention program to keep existing customers. I have worked for people over the last 40 years and I have seen that the successful ones are innovative and seek to stay ahead of the curve while those who close up their business get set in their ways and are closed-minded. I have also found that many business owners do not get out of their own way and as a result they believe they know everything. I was told by a very prominent business coach, Bert Oliva, that “The Day You Think You Know Everything Is The Day You Start To Lose Everything,” this is so true as you begin to alienate those that truly want to help you. What are your priorities today? How do these priorities fit with the over all core model for your business? Are you listening to the people working with you? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Prioritize This!!!

Advertisement Ideas: It’s All About That Base!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: It All About That Base!!!

In business marketing it is all about creating a solid base. Many times we call this our tribe or followers. The key is to have a strategic plan and to implement that plan while evaluating the plan and making the necessary adjustments so as to strengthen the brand and increase revenue. In my 40 years of working in the for profit and non-profit sectors I have witnessed a few things about successful businesses and they all have one thing in common consistency. Most businesses tat succeed build a base through effective targeted advertising. It is important to remember that one oh shit can ruin 1000 at a boys so you must strive to keep your base happy by providing great quality products and services while delivering what the consumer wants. Your advertising must build confidence with the consumer by having a strong call to action that will make your base shop with you and recommend you to others. When you are making your advertising choices you must consider who the ad reaches and what return on your investment you desire. When you give your base what they desire and you exceed their expectations you will create a buzz about your business that will then translate into greater revenue. In spending money on customer acquisition it is important to remember that customer loyalty also goes a long way in strengthening your brand and thus increasing revenue. After you acquire your base it is important to retain that base so that you can continue to grow by gathering and using testimonials of satisfied clients who continue to use your products and services.

Advertisement Ideas: Building The Base!!!

The buzz word today is attraction marketing. The idea is to create a niche market and to attract the customer base that fits into that niche. This allows you to narrow your scope and more effectively market your products and services. The idea is to keep ahead of the curve by being a step ahead of the current trends and then having a marketing plan that is very fluid and adaptable that can be implemented at any time for any situation so that customers will still have confidence in doing business with you. I saw today that a business that has been in the same place for 9 years is being forced to move and they are doing a moving sale although they have a second location that could handle stocking the inventory. They instead have marked things down to a point that they are selling off certain items at a loss. This is okay to create quick cash flow and liquidate items that aren’t moving but it also sets a perception with the consumer to wait until they mark down merchandise. This is where knowing what you paid for an item is very important. You can attract customers by doing a liquidation sale and letting them know about your other location that will accommodate them in the future but it is important to let them know that these type of sales are not the norm. Also when you move it is important to let your existing customers know that you moved. In doing attraction marketing you must know your desired target demographic and where they are getting there information. I recently worked for someone who did not have a website and I thought wow you are behind the times as most people are looking for what you have on the Internet. I mentioned that the business should be doing targeted marketing and each time the manager told me that doesn’t work. Needless to say that business closed and he now has a warehouse full of inventory. When you attract your desired audience and turn the browsers into buyers you can capitalize by offering more items. It is when you know what your base desires that you can deliver.

Advertisement Ideas: Building The Base: A Case Study!!!

The year was 1987 I was a Senior at Hofstra University majoring in Marketing when I was given the opportunity to intern with The New York Liberties of Major League Volleyball. I will be forever grateful to Jerry Saperstein who taught me the importance of building a fan base and making sure the fan experience is something to remember. Our team was very competitive and we did many promotions. The first thing I did to build a base was I reached out to the students on campus and gave them FREE Tickets, we made up for the give-a-way with concessions and Liberty Merchandise. I then reached out to the media and invited people like Pete Axhelm to cover the team. I then contacted all the local schools and volleyball clubs in the area. When the season ended we went from 250 people at a game to 400 people at the game. I did this by making sure people knew who we were and that when they came to a game they would have a great experience. I remember one game we invited The Hempstead High School Band to perform and we gave them a donation and they came out in force and their parents and friends came and they started to come to games even if they were not performing. The idea is that when building your base you have to do outreach and make sure people know who you are and give them a reason to do business with you.

Advertisement Ideas: Wake Up And Be Open To Receive!!!

This entry was inspired by my recent foray back into to The Sports Apparel and Memorabilia Business. I worked with two companies that had the potential to be million dollar sales companies and grow. Unfortunately at one company there was an owner who thought he knew more than everyone else and at the other there was a manager that would tell you why things couldn’t work. One of the aspects of business that I have learned over the years is to always get input from your employees especially from those that are very knowledgeable about the industry. I have worked with several people to help them excel and those who listened to my input and took positive action have found success. I believe if you are going to make a profit in any business you must know the business and be in tune with all the current trends in the business. I have also learned that you must be true and authentic when dealing with people. The reason that you may be holding onto to merchandise is that you have items that are not in demand or that you are not marketing properly or that your staff is not engaging the customer.

When an employee comes to you in your sports business and says there is a growing trend toward throwback jerseys you should look into that and have a plan of action to carry the jerseys that people are looking for not jersey that you ordered at the end of the season that people aren’t looking for at that time. The key is to be open to receive new ideas and to implement them with a solid marketing plan. It was funny because one of the places decided to spend $2000 on plaques that had already been in the hands of two other companies that didn’t sell instead of taking the $2000 and buying up to date in demand merchandise. Imagine had the owner taken the $2000 and bought some popular throwback jerseys and advertised in the community that they had the jerseys what might have been. He chose not to do this and is still sitting on cases of plaques that are taking up space and not moving. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Wake Up And Be Open To Receive!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Jump To It!!!

The key in business is to make your customer’s experience so good that when they see you are doing a special campaign or project that they jump to it and come to you every time they seek the type of product or service that you offer. It is important that each time they see your name in an advertisement that they think oh I need to get to that business or I plan to attend that event. The idea is to create such an awesome experience that they become customers for life. Advertising is a great way to enhance their experience by offering specials that you can track and rewarding existing customers for their business. Remember you spent time and money to acquire the customer now you must do what you can to retain the customer. If you are going to continue to build your customer base you need to have great brand awareness and recognition while also creating a buzz about your business giving people a reason to continue to shop with you. In all my retail experience I have made it a point to create good relationships with customers realizing that one oh shit will ruin one thousand at a boys so you must avoid the oh shit moments. Many times it is all about finding ways to enhance the customer experience so as to create customer loyalty. When I was working for a sports apparel, accessories, and memorabilia store I greeted the customer and asked questions so that I could facilitate a sale so that when they came back or we had a item from their team I could show them and build rapport.

Advertisement Ideas: Being Open To Change!!!

In the business environment that is ever evolving we as business leaders must be open to change. As we all know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. In my 40 years of working on special events, helping business owners to excel, and fundraising I have recognized so many people who were not willing to make changes or listen to alternatives. These people kept struggling and many went out of business. I have witnessed many a successful entrepreneur or marketing executive gather input from employees and put some of the ideas into action and as a result they have had success as their revenue went up and their brand recognition increased. I have come to realize that when someone is not willing to make changes or listen to ideas that have their best interest in mind you simply have to let go and let GOD knowing you did the best you could to improve their business. In recognizing that changes must be made to create a viable business you will grow your business.

Sometimes in order to make a positive change you must look at the person in the mirror and realize that you may be part of the problem. The first step to solving a problem is recognizing that you have one. In recognizing the flaws that have created the issues you can work on eliminating the flaws and thus grow your business. I have stated it many times that the day you think you know everything is the day you start to lose everything. If you continue to point fingers and blame everyone else eventually your business will be so flawed that you either close it or change your ways and improve it. When evaluating your business you must look at problem areas and make a change. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Being Open To Change!!!