What’s your website saying…?

A website is a powerful tool. Maybe the most powerful tool a company can have. Yet many companies don’t use it to their full potential. Not only can a website provide contact to your company, and inform people about your company, but with today’s technologies a website is a way to involve your clients in your company.

Websites can provide more than just advertising to your clients but it can and very well should be used to disseminate information to your clientele base as well as allow potential clients to become involved in your company before ever walking through the door. Whether you’re an internet based business or not your website is now your best chance at advancing your company into the future.

If you were looking at using a professional company for something and you showed up to their office to find out that they were working off some card tables in an old rundown warehouse would you still use them?

That’s the same idea people get when they see a website that is disorganized, cluttered, or otherwise hard to decipher. Rather I challenge companies to work with their web designers or to find a good web designer to build a web culture that will benefit their business for the long haul. And anyone that needs to find a company to help them develop their web 2.0 firm drop me an email and I’ll help you find the perfect company to help with your online strategy.

quiet is the new loud

In the past louder was always better. When it came to advertising, and marketing, you needed to be the loudest one on the block. Don’t worry about what they’re saying. You needed to MAKE people hear you. But in this day and age there has been a dramatic paradigm shift. We are seeing companies utilize techniques that go against the grain of stereotypical advertising. People are using viral marketing and other sources of marketing to get their message out not by being the loudest one in town but by allowing everyone to carry their message for them in conversations.

So how can a whisper be louder than a scream?

In the past there were many less brands. It was like a room with a person in each corner… You were drawn to the one who could yell loud enough to get your attention. But now there are many, many, more people and they’re all yelling something at you. They each want your attention.

So who do you talk to?

My guess? You’re going talk to the one who has something worthwhile to say. You’re probably going talk to the one that all the other ones are talking about. Or the one that isn’t yelling at you but giving you a chance to tell them what you need. It’s amazing how many companies are using the loud method even now when it comes to their organizations, but the truly unique ones, the ones that are getting attention, are letting their work speak for itself. They’re letting their message travel loud and clear but it’s in a way that separates them from the pack. They don’t yell at you they carry on a conversation with you. They are communicating.

So how are you reaching? Are you yelling or whispering? Are you dominating the conversation or hearing what your clients are saying?

Google and innovation…

This video is pretty long but I will tell you it’s one of the best videos on innovation I’ve seen. I do recommend as you get some time that you watch it. Even if you have to watch it a piece at a time. (That doesn’t bother me… means you might be coming back to my page…lol) It’s a video on the way that they infuse innovation into every process they perform at google. Enjoy!

That cost how much?!

Pricing strategies are a tricky matter. You look online and you can come up with hundreds of different strategies utilized for pricing, and they might all be right. The most common method utilized is called the Pricing Strategy Matrix. This matrix basically has 2 things it looks at, the price of the product or service, and the level of quality. It’s quite simple as you can see here…

The beauty of this matrix is that every business can be placed somewhere in it and fit. Walmart, a low cost leader, would fall into the upper left corner while Target, known for having higher quality might fall into the upper right corner.

But what about the bottom 2? The bottom left is usually utilized when a company is in a market with very high barriers to entry, and they can charge a premium for just being able to offer the product. Some would say that companies like the USPS would have at many times fallen into this category. Although their prices aren’t outrageous you pay a premium for being able to send mail to any address in the world. Over the years however companies like FedEx and UPS have been able to push their price point up in the maxrix as they have taken some of the market away from the USPS.

Finally the premium portion of the pricing matrix is the one typically utilized for…get this… premium products! Products that although they cost more people don’t have a problem paying for them. Brand recognition, quality of the product, and heavy marketing play heavily into these products. Gucci bags, Starbucks Coffee, Rolls Royce cars, all are ideas of premium products. Although they don’t sell as many Rolls Royce as say Toyotas, they charge a higher premium and thusly even out their earnings because of it.

So what’s your pricing strategy? Where does your company or product fit on the board?

A note on branding…

Look at the number of brands we are exposed to on a daily basis here in America… Thousands of brands a day. From energy drinks to computers, stores to individuals. People have even made it a science to brand books that they write. So what is it about the allusive brand that people want? Why is it that a made up word like google, with a very easy colored font can become one of the best known brands in the world in just a few short years. Why is it that after years in the insurance industry AFLAC bursts out from the pack and gains the same brand recognition that Coke has with something as simple as a duck. (which was a failed marketing ploy used in Japan first…)

A brand brings unity to an otherwise cluttered company. Many companies even use strategic branding on different divisions, and different business units in order to gain market vitality in different segments. So how does a company build a good brand build itself. It’s my experience that a brand is no longer the way the company is but the way the company is headed. In today’s fast paced, highly technological world, brands must be distinguished from their counterparts in a split second and be able to grab the individual in a way that will make them recognizable over and over again. Once a brand is able to do that they can start to talk to us.

Working in the branding industry I see too many companies figure their company will grow then it’ll get a bigger brand, but isn’t this a backwards approach? As I’ve heard it said many times, “dress for where you’re going, not for where you’re from”. Some brands do this well. They keep their design styles clean and crisp, and thusly build themselves a place in the minds of the people they are trying to reach. They see themselves from the public’s perspective, not from theirs. How does your brand grab your public’s attention?

Marketing Mix

In marketing there is a simple theory that we use called the 4 P’s or The Marketing Mix. This basically stands for the 4 basic items that we are looking at and manipulating to make a company’s product offering viable and vendible. These 4 P’s stand for; product, pricing, placement, and promotion.

Product
The product is the most obvious one. Is the product something that the public wants, or more importantly, with the number of competing companies, wants more of. Some companies have products that they sell that would be considered commodities, or products that are nearly identical as their competitors, these could be milk, or bread. However most companies have a lot of movement they can do to produce a product that can be totally different in some ways than their competitor.

For instance look at personal computers. There are such a vast splay of products available from the very cheap, at around a few hundred dollars, to the very expensive at several thousand dollars. Yet, even with a splay as vast as this mostly all of these companies continue to survive and grow. The ones that typically don’t are usually forced out of the line not because their product was wrong but because they didn’t take the other 3 p’s into account… So what about the pricing…?

Pricing

As we said yesterday there is a definite separation between goods that can be easily differentiated and products that are more commodities in nature. One of the vast separations that we often see is the amount of price differentiation that can be utilized. As a product gets more separated in the market it is not uncommon for it to tend to go higher on the pricing scale. Many times these are products that are designed for the specific needs of a certain niche group of individuals.

Take for instance the new Venue sound system that is built by DigiDesign. This system is built directly for the needs of the application that it’s being put into. Sure it’s base cost is higher than that of many of the other sound boards out there but people are willing to pay the premium for a product that is designed to perform perfectly for the applications they are going for.

To throw another simple example at you look at Rolex. Many people find it to be a brand that is basically just an overpriced name, but take a look sometime at the way they build their watches. With laser engraved ceramic dials, hand made movements, and impeccable design Rolex has carved itself out a niche market of people that want the very best in a watch. These people wouldn’t be happy with a Timex or Casio. They want perfection, even if it means spending nearly $5000 or more on a watch. Timex on the other hand has a gigantic market and sells I’m sure thousands of times the number of watches Rolex sells every year. For every price there is a buyer for a product, but how is your product different, and does it justify it’s price?

Placement

As we take a look at the product itself and the pricing strategy that is being utilized we must also take into account the placement of the product itself. How will it be made available? Is it a service that is going to be spread through a geographic area, or a product with national or global distribution? Will it be sold in Walmart, or shipped from your website? Is it a product that needs it’s own store, or is it something that can fit in an existing retail chain? These are some of the questions that need to be asked and taken into account when deciding the placement of whatever it is your company is selling.

Something else that must be taken into account is if there is any kind of legal controls or anything of the sort. These legal regulations can control the geographic area that a service or product can be sold. Take for example insurance, as many know, I spent a year as a benefits consultant with AFLAC. During this time I was only licensed to sell in the states of Virginia and Maryland. These controls mean that I couldn’t necessarily take on clients in other states, which controlled my placement through no fault of my own.

Promotion

Finally, promotion is what many people believe marketing is and don’t realize it’s just a small part of what is currently considered the “marketing mix”. This part of the mix is pretty easy to understand. It’s the actual promotion of the product. From the branding to the methods which are used when getting the product out in front of people this is the section of the mix that is usually done by advertising, viral marketing, and P.R. work. Every product has a different marketing mix, and for every mix the promotion will many times be totally different.

Take for instance Red Bull. This is a company that took a very different look at their promotional side of their mix. They began by putting a number of trucks on the road with a giant can of Red Bull on top and they gave away free Red Bull’s to people to get the buzz going. By doing this they were able to, for less cost than most national advertising campaigns, create a much larger buzz marketing strategy, which in turn was able to gain a lot of attention from their target market. The easiest most efficient way to utilize promotions is by studying very closely your target market and from there figuring out what media sources, or viable marketing sources will target that particular market most efficiently and most effectively.

The beginning of innovation

When a brand is attempting to grow it’s less about throwing a ton of money at advertising and more about putting the systems in place to allow it to grow strong. As the baby booming generation continues to grow older and the “Xers and Yers” are beginning to grow into the work force the field of marketing has grown out of an advertising field and more of a systems field.

This systems field is a field driven by product design and innovation, strategic placement in the market place, marketing research, and sales and promotional strategies. As marketeers, we can no longer just look at a project and figure out how to throw it in front of the right people, we have to take the people and design the product in such a way that they will use it. This is a result of the ubiquity of information as well as a response to the number of companies, products, and services, that are offered to every individual in society at any moment now.

Over the next few days, months, years, I want to take a look at different objects in todays world and begin to explore how marketing innovation has changed the way these things are viewed. Hopefully these insights will interest you. I know they will me. Happy reading… First one begins Monday!

Rules of Engagement…

So I wish I could take credit for this post but I can’t. It’s a post that a close friend of mine Mr. Pat Ryan wrote recently concerning calling out guys to be strong men of God in their relationships. After reading it I couldn’t help but post it on here for all of you guys to enjoy… So read on… and comment!

So, I’ve been a little….well, I would say concerned, but frustrated fits a little better….with the deterioration of the male approach to relationships. So, whether you like it or not, I’m going to get on my soapbox for a little bit here and discuss a few things. I’m going to share my personal thoughts and perspectives, and as much as possible answer the question of “Why?” for these things.

Let’s get started, guys…

1. Figure it out! – Guys, I hope all of you reading this note are listening carefully. I think every guy should know what he wants before he tries to go after it….in general…or her…more specifically. If you just met a girl, how can you possibly know that you want anything more than just being friends with her? Last I checked females don’t have their resumes stapled to their skirts. They are worthy of more than just a superficial size up of their physical appearance. So, let’s make sure that we treat them with the respect the pinnacle of God’s creation…yeah, I said it; He did make them last and their beauty wasn’t an accident (Genesis 1:27)….are worthy of receiving. I can’t tell you how many ladies I’ve heard complain that a guy came on really strong to them, and it turned them off because they knew that he couldn’t know them any better than what is visible. Now, guys, I’m not saying don’t ask a girl out ever, but at least make your focus in asking a lady out to be creating an opportunity for y’all to get to know each other. Let’s put it this way, when she hears your request this should probably be how she perceives your request: “He thinks that I might be someone that he at least would like to have as a friend, but maybe more is TBA.” I’ve heard from quite a few ladies who say that they totally respect any guy who is willing to put himself out there enough to ask them out respectfully, but they want to know that our reasons are more than just that we find them attractive. I don’t blame them either. They’re right. So, my advice, guys, is to seek out ways to create friendly interactions with the amazing ladies that God has placed around you for at least a little while before expressing any interest in anything more than friendship. You figure out how long that needs to go on for, but make sure you treat them as a friend in that time frame. If you hang out by yourselves and you figure out that you aren’t interested in anything more than friendship, TELL THEM THAT! Be up front about it, if you are going to be continuing to spend time with them one on one. I’ve made my share of mistakes in this area, but my goal is ALWAYS to state my intentions if I think there is a chance that they may be misconstrued at all. If she has to bring up the subject, guys, WE’VE DROPPED THE BALL! My good friend, Rums…not to put ya on the spot or anything, is a good example. His goal is to have known any lady that he is going to pursue for at least a few months before hand. My own personal time frame is a year of friendship, but I understand that this crazy out there for most of y’all. No matter how long it is for you: Figure it out! I like the one year thing because I get plenty long enough to get to know her, whoever she may be…and she gets to know me, without the pressure of impressing each other. Most of y’all are probably thinking: no wonder he’s always single. I’ll tell ya what I told my brother, “I’m not try to find a hundred, I’m just trying to find one.” Figure out what works for you, and do it! Let’s stand up and be counted as leaders. We need to know what we want before ask them, if they want in.

2. More-or-less is not a state of relational being – Let’s be real. Either you are friends or you are dating/courting/romantically involved/engaged/married....whatever you call it, it’s all a step above friends. One of those things that I am big on is “Calling a Spade, a Spade”….translation (I’m going to use another adage to help paint the picture for that one): If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, and has feathers like a duck…it’s probably a duck. Let’s make sure that we get real about what we’re doing here. If you want something more than friendship with a lady, commit to it then….bring it up and have a conversation with her about. If you aren’t willing to commit, then you don’t have any right to lead her heart on thinking that you want anything more than friendship. Your actions should line up with what you say. I’m really close with my little…I mean, younger…sister. If any of y’all know her, then you understand that statement since she’s plenty close enough to 6ft tall to make most guys feel short. We have a ton of fun together we talk a lot and crack jokes. I can’t even begin to describe how many inside jokes we share, and we love doing things together that just involve the two of us. I say all this to say that I tend to treat most of my female friends just like I treat my sister. So, my intentions have been misconstrued enough times to know that I need to make them clear often times to those ladies whom I am closest with as friends. So, I try to make it clear that if I was considering pursuing a lady it would be blatantly stated as such. Guys, be mature and intentional about stating your intentions, especially if you are looking for more than just friendship. We, as guys, need to be holding each other accountable to making sure that our approach respects and honors the ladies that we pursue or would like to pursue. Erase any gray area out of your mind on this subject. There are only two states of relational being: Friends or Romantically Involved. What’s it going to be? (2 Corinthians 1:15-18)3. Establish a game plan – ATTENTION!! This is one of the most crucial points you will encounter in this note. Sit down and figure out a game plan for: Physical Boundaries, Emotional Boundaries, and Spiritual Boundaries. The first one is one that I wish could say goes without saying, but it unfortunately does not. Be specific and intentional here to guard your hearts because physical intimacy broods emotional attachment. The number one reason why people can’t be friends after a break up is because of the level of physical intimacy they involve themselves in while they were in the relationship. Spiritual intimacy can very easily lead to emotional attachment as well. Emotional intimacy can lead to a strong desire for both physical and spiritual intimacy. All three of the boundary areas I mentioned above are intertwined. They bleed over into each other. And because I know this, I have my sets of boundaries for all of these. It took a lot of prayer and VERY many mistakes, but the point is that I have it figured out pretty well now. “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed (Proverbs 15:22, NASB).” Don’t be a afraid to use your resources. There are plenty of married men around who have godly advice to offer. Get as much as you can and sift through it all. Pay attention to those who have relationships that you admire with their wives and glean what you can from them. When you have compiled a bunch of advice and wisdom, take it to God so that He can help you sift through it. “Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3, NASB). Hear me on this too please: If you come up with the most elaborate and amazing game plan, but don’t bring it to God and put it into practice, it will not help you any. There should be at least a couple guys in your life that you have given full right to ask you the hard questions, and that you can be truthful with in return. The counselors mentioned in the first verse aren’t just there to help create a game plan but to help you live it out too. Guys, it’s our role to play to take ownership of this area and presenting it for discussion and checking periodically to see if the game plan is sufficient as the relationship progresses. Personally, I don’t want to kiss…again, lesson learned…until my wedding day. I want my next kiss to be with my wife. There are plenty enough things out there that are counterproductive to a marriage, and I want to be reminded of the work and wait that went into leading up to the marriage. So that, I would be reminded with every kiss that she is the one that I waited this long for, and I want her to know that too. If I were to get married today, I would want her to know that I spent the last 10 years without so much as a kiss in anticipation of this day. I honestly believe that a large chunk of the problems with marital brevity today are a result of marriage not meaning anything but being “the next step” or “what you’re supposed to do after so long” while nothing of a physical nature is saved for it. That is just my personal perspective and observation. No matter what you decide to be your boundaries, just make sure they are defined, shared, and committed.

4. Stand up and Be counted – Guys, the bottom line is this: Satan wants to see us be passive. He wants us to be frustrated to the point of giving up. He wants us to think that we aren’t capable nor ready. I’m here to tell you that is a bunch of irrelevant BS. The reality is this: Satan wouldn’t waste and energy trying to convince us of those things, if the converse wasn’t true. Here is what I have learned from watching God do it: He fills gaps. That’s God’s specialty….gap filling. HE LOVES DOING IT! Put Him to the test. Stand up and be counted regardless of whether or not you feel like you have anything to offer, and see if He doesn’t pour out through you more than you had to give. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Did you catch that? We need to stop living like God is dependent on us, and more like we are the ones dependent on Him….and He can’t deny Himself. He can’t be anything but true to Himself. Why do we read passages like this: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways ” (James 1:5-8, NASB); and then walk around like God is not going to provide what we need in time for the opportunity that is coming up. Then, we wonder why we can’t seem to get anything right….sounds like instability, huh? Ask Him and step out giving Him an opportunity to show up and show out. Stand up and be counted because God enjoys getting opportunities to work in and through us.

I could go on for a few more days probably, but this is already WAY longer than I planned. Let me make one final request, if any of you managed to make it through this, which I’m trusting Him to provide, please:

Guys, pray about these things. Take ownership of your game plan, and honor and respect His princesses that He has let us have in our presence. Share this with other guys you think would benefit from it.

Ladies, please pray for us guys. You have no idea how much it helps us to stand up and be counted. Please, ladies, write a comment on here about anything that you agree with or anything that you disagree with….either way it helps us guys to hear from you.

Thanks for coming…

Those tagged are not tagged for any specific reason.

By Patrick Ryan

Place your bets!!!

So how are you gunna bet? Time to ante up and place your bets…the bracket’s filling fast! Who’s gunna be the champion?!

Perry Noble hit the nail on the head!

Perry Noble from Newspring Church took on one of the most historically controversial topics I’ve heard in years this past week. All I can say is get on itunes and download it… it’s well worth it!