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: More From The You Have to Be Kidding Me File!!!

Advertisement Ideas: More From The You Have To Be Kidding Me File!!!

As I watched my Facebook News Feed and saw all the comments about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton I began to think are you f-ing kidding me out of all the people in The United States this is the best we can do. One promises to bring jobs back to American but manufactures most of his clothing line overseas and the other says oh I have the country’s best interest in mind when she leaked important secret documents. I am surprised by how many people have been bamboozled by these two but them again I shouldn’t be because The American Public has become like sheep and have allowed others to dictate their lives. If you or I did what these two have done we would be in jail. Then again it all comes down to the way things are and the way things should be being two different things. Ask yourself come election day what your alternatives are and don’t thing that voting for an alternative candidate is a throw away vote as it will be making a statement that you have had enough of this and will not take it any more. I have watched their ads and I think again you have to be kidding me as they are trying to disparage one another instead of showing viable solutions to the issues facing us today. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: More From The You Have to Be Kidding Me File!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Who Is Endorsing You?

As Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump today it got me to thinking who is endorsing you and how is their endorsement impacting you. Many will now turn away from Trump because of their disdain for Sarah Palin. I would have to think twice about following the women who said I can see Russia from my backyard so I am qualified to make decisions about international relations. I answered heck I can see space from my backyard but that doesn’t make me an astronaut. In today’s competitive market place it is important to really look at who is endorsing you. Yes endorsements are a major part of building your following however the wrong endorsement can hurt you more than help you so look at who is endorsing you. When selecting people to ask for endorsements make sure you do your due diligence and that they are respected among the public because one oh crap will ruin 1000 at a boys. Make sure when you select someone to endorse you that they have nothing that will be a detriment to you on their record. When getting someone to endorse you make sure people know them, like them, and trust them. As an entrepreneur or non-profit leader it is important to get endorsements from those who will increase your likability and trust factor. When you use endorsements or testimonials in your advertising make sure that you vetted the person completely before using what they said because in today’s marketing world nothing ever goes away.

Today it is important to realize that everything you do becomes part of a digital footprint and people can take something your endorser said years ago and use it against your business. When getting endorsements do your best to use people who have a good reliable reputation as being trustworthy. Make sure when you are posting endorsements that they are real and believable. With today’s digital marketing what your endorser posts reflects back to you so make sure you check what your endorser is posting so that it positively impacts your business. Also remember with un-monitored sites like yelp and other review sites that a negative comment can adversely affect your business so be careful in all you do because that one negative review can hurt you and counter act the 100 positive reviews you have. People are more apt to share a negative than a positive and that is just how our society is thus it is important to see who is endorsing you. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Who Is Endorsing You?

Advertisement Ideas: Lessons Learned From SNL And NBA!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Lessons Learned From SNL And NBA!

New York truly proved that it was the city that never sleeps as it hosted not only Saturday Night Live 40 and The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday 2/15/15. As I watched both I thought what dies this teach us about the importance of marketing, media relations, and advertising? The answer was plenty as the social media universe was blazing hot as both events dominated twitter feeds and Facebook feeds. Most everywhere one went where there was a TV it was tuned to one of these events. If you were fortunate to be in a place with 2 or more tvs you were likely to be able to watch both. The common factor is that both events showed us what happens when you have a strong recognizable brand that remains relevant, entertaining, and resonating in the market place. Now some of you are saying but I don’t have the budget that an NBC or an NBA has. This maybe true however the lesson learned is that in order to have sustainability in the market place you must set aside a certain amount of money to market so as to build your followers that you can then convert into customers. Imagine what you could have done to drive business and create more awareness and possibly more cash flow in the weeks leading up to SNL 40 and The NBA All-Star Game? If you are a life coach you could have shown how laughter is sometimes necessary to clear blockages that might be holding a client back. You could have promoted a webinar and charged everyone $40 and tied it into SNL 40.If you were a retailer you could have all items end in $.40 in honor of SNL 40. You could have dome some basketball related promotions in your print and electronic advertising. There are so many possibilities that you could have implemented to create a buzz about your business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Lessons Learned From SNL And NBA!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Do They Know Who You Are?

Can you identify these 3? Why is that? The answer is because they have kept a high-profile and become noticeable figures in the media. Some exude a positive while others are seen in a negative image. The key is that many people know who they are which leads to the question do those you are seeking to do business with know who you are and what you do? The idea is to build recognition in your industry and amongst your target audience so that when someone sees your photo or your logo they will immediately think of you and connect with you to use your products and services. The question is what are you doing to get yourself known?

This logo is perhaps the most recognizable logo in the world. Would you believe that at one time the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Then Phil Knight came to the rescue with a strategic marketing plan and a whole lot of venture capital along with the willingness to take risks that others would not. Phil Knight signed Michael Jordan and the company began making The Air Jordan Sneakers. The company put a lot of money into the campaign and it began to pay large dividends as Air Jordan Sneakers quickly became a high demand sneaker. Even today when a new Air Jordan is released it sells in mass quantities. After Jordan the company began to sign more and more athletes to represent it. In 2013 this company had 47% of the global market. Now you may be thinking but I don’t have the budget that this company has. You do not need a budget the size of this company to get people to know you all you have to do is find ways to be creative and proactive ways to get recognized. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Do They Know Who You Are?

Advertisement Ideas: Donald Trump, You’re Fired!!!

Imagine if you could get on Celebrity All Star Apprentice with your product or service and give Donald Trump a hard time and then say to Donald Trump You’re Fired? Imagine the publicity you would get and how you can leverage your experience in your future advertising programs and in all your literature. It is when you do something a bit outlandish that you are remembered and in many cases you build an audience of people who will do business with you because they admire your boldness. Donald Trump was given a gift from his father and parlayed that gift into what he is now. He has branded himself very well. There are those who really like him and those who do not however he is always in the forefront and garners much desired media attention. Look at his stunts he has been involved with:
Who could ever forget Donald Trumps feud with Rosie O’Donnell. This feud gave both of them a lot of media attention.Think about who you might be feuding with and how this can be turned into a brand building opportunity. Her is South Florida Dolphin Carpet and Tile was feuding with Home Depot and both parties received much media attention showing once again that controversy creates cash.

Donald Trump shaves Vince McMahon’s hair after a hair vs hair match that aired on a WWE Pay Per View with millions of viewers. True it was all scripted but think of how many people saw this and remember Trump for this. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Donald Trump, You’re Fired!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Allstar Celebrity Apprentice Shows Value Of Contacts!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Allstar Celebrity Apprentice Shows Value of Contacts!!!

Trace Adkins and the other celebrities had been here before as they were past participants on The Celebrity Apprentice now it cam time to step it up for The Allstar Celebrity Apprentice. Trace was named a team captain and Brett Michaels was named a team captain and they chose sides. Trace I believe made the better choices as he knew the first task was going to be a fundraising task so he chose the people with the best money contacts. Trace’s team won the challenge and raised a record number of dollars for his charity, The American Red Cross. As trace began to call his Rolodex he also made a bold decision to not open the restaurant to the general public and make it exclusive to the celebrity contacts. Trace’s plan worked as a donation for T. Boone Pickens of $100,000 came in and many other donations came in totaling over $400,000. the other team did a great job raising over $200,000, however in the end Brett Michaels was fired. The lesson here is to leverage your contacts.

Advertisement Ideas: How To Leverage Your Contacts!!!

In watching The Allstar Celebrity Apprentice I learned that Donald Trump has a knack for leveraging his contacts. The question now is how do you leverage your contacts?

Are you using your phone to call upon customers/clients that maybe you haven’t seen in a while? Are you using the phone to follow up with someone you met at a networking event. By communicating with contacts you begin to build a network that can help you with your goals and objectives. This week make a list of 25 people who you will call to see how you can be of service and value to them. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Allstar Celebrity Apprentice Shows Value Of Contacts!!!

Advertisement Ideas: What Does Trump Have That You Don’t?

Advertisement Ideas:What Does Trump Have That You Don’t?

I think of Donald Trump and I see the living example of branding. Trump knew that if he was going to be successful he had to brand himself and create a buzz about who he was and what he did. This got me to thinking what does Trump have that you don’t? The answer was a following created by using public relations effectively and marketing savvy. Trump is in the news nearly everyday as he has become the man who media people go to for opinions on almost everything. He speaks his mind and makes a spectacle of himself on many occasion however he has built a brand that is synonymous with wealth and royalty. He did this over many years by continually promoting. He also built relationships with those that could be of service and value to him while also providing service and value. Donald Trump has also surrounded himself with other successful people who he can go to for help when he needs to. He may come across as brash and arrogant but who would you go to to invest with? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: What Does Trump Have That You Don’t?

Advertisement Ideas: Show Me The Money!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Show Me The Money!!!!

We all remember the scene from Jerry McGuire when Cuba Gooding Jr’s character tells Jerry McGuire(Tom Cruise) Show Me The Money. Well in advertising and marketing this philosophy is the same. The key is for your campaigns to show you the money. The initial ad or marketing project may not reap money right away as it takes 6-8 touches of the consumer before they make the decision to purchase your product or service.

Your advertising and marketing should compliment each other and convey a strong message that creates a desire in the consumer to do business with you. I have encountered many business people who will cut back on their marketing and advertising when it appears things are slow and then wonder why they lose market share or go out of business. The fact is that at some point during your business you will need to effectively advertise and market.

In the past Starbucks marketing department said that they would not advertise as their audience was finding them simply by driving by and word of mouth, well that recently changed as they introduced Starbuck’s Refreshers and are now doing a major TV Campaign to promote that line. As a result they have seen a spike in their daily sales again showing them the money derived from advertising. Starbucks continues to have a strong brand due to their consistent in-house marketing and now their outside marketing and advertising campaigns.

When deciding on doing a promotion you should analyze the cost as you also measure the value. Remember that marketing and advertising is an investment. There are questions to ask like how many people will the promotion reach, what demographic will it reach, how long will the promotion last and how will I benefit by being part of the promotion. Continue reading

Advertisement Ideas: Be An Angel With Your Strategic Marketing

Be an Angel and Visit www.forestofangels.com

Advertisement Ideas: Be An Angel With Your Strategic Marketing

When I think of ways to capture the audience with strategic marketing I often think of special events like www.forestofangels.com, which will transform The Westfield Broward Mall in Plantation, FL into a Forest of Angels from November 17 – December 24. Businesses will sponsor and decorate Christmas Trees and select a charity to represent. Patrons of the mall will vote on The Best Decorated Tree and the top vote getter will receive a $10,000 award for their charity, 2nd place will earn a $2,500 award, and 3rd place will earn a $1,250 award. You may ask How does this fit into my strategic marketing? The answer is that for $1,250 you can be part of a grass-roots project to help many deserving charities while reaching an audience that will be receptive to learning more about your product or service. You will also be able to meet other business people who can benefit from your products and services. The strategy to use is to sponsor the tree and then take pictures of your team decorating the tree and the finished project and then to use it in your promotional materials and in marketing materials to show your potential customers that this is how you give back. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Be An Angel With Your Strategic Marketing