Billboards as Distribution Vehicles

Here is a great idea that puts your products directly into the hands of the public by using Billboards as you point of distribution. Austrian outdoor fitter Northland Professional did this to great effect. Apparently the public went to great lengths to get at the free goods. In total the campaign gave away 1,000 items. Very clever indeed.
Try this brilliant idea!

How To Keep Customers Happy.

The holiday season is upon us. One thing about Christmas, it gives us time to think about what we are thankful for on a personal and business level. From a business perspective, we should all be thankful for our customers. 'Tis the time to take stock and see what needs improving with regard to customer experience with your brand.

Rate the following Five Experiences from 1 to 10. 1 being lousy and 10 being the best. Rate each three ways, Past, Present and Competitive Experience.

1) Communication to Customers:
• Courteous and friendly
• Clear accurate information
• Prompt attention
• Open to criticism and complaints

2) Responsiveness
• Custom solutions
• Fast action to requests
• Immediate followup
• Pleasant greeting
• Reduce service barriers

3) Competence
• Address customer's needs
• Well trained staff

4) Convenient
• Easy to access your company
• Convenient location/parking/accessable
• Prompt payment of bills/fast delivery

5) Reliablitiy
• Keep your promises
• Provide a quality product
• Reputation

One last item you may need to add is a check box if something needs attention. Going through this simple exercise will help you prioritize tasks to strengthen your commitment to superior customer service. I would enlist others who have a stake in your company to go through this together, as this will assist in getting a more true result.

"Need Bigger Markets" Breakfast Event

Here's some positive news...

AIESEC (AIESEC currently has Local Committees in 103 countries around the world. As an international student organization, AIESEC promotes global understanding through international exchange.) is pleased to present their latest breakfast seminar, "Need Bigger Markets" on Friday, December 5th in Windsor, Ontario.

Keynote speakers are Sandra Pupatello, Ontario Minister of Trade and Investment, David Offenbacher, Senior Account Manager for Export Development Canada and Frank Olaya, Vice President of Corporate Relations AIESEC Canada.

AIESEC Windsor cordially invites you, and other members of the business community to attend a breakfast meeting to determine the why and the how to enter new global markets. The event will answer questions on topics relevant to:
• Why expand into global markets?
• How to lower risk when entering new markets?
• What organizations are available to help expand into international markets?
• What are the benefits of having a more global mindset?

For more information, check out NEW BETTER MARKETS BREAKFAST EVENT.

I'll see you there!

Here's A Chance For Your Blog To Shine...

Over at Chuck Westbrook's Blog, there is the unique opportunity to jump in on the ground floor of an initiative to help the blog's unsung heros get the traffic they deserve. Chuck is NOT doing this as part of any lead-in to a sale, but in an honest attempt to build traffic for everyone, who through no fault of their own, have blogs less travelled.

The concept is simple. Everyone joined up, visits blogs in unison, on a regular coordinated schedule. As your turn comes up, it should increase your opportunity to garner new subscribers and show off your site immensely.

Even big wigs like Rowse are offering their support of the idea. Jump over to Chuck's site and sign-up. It really is FREE and no strings are attached.

How To Avoid The Meltdown Mentality.

Over the years I been through economic downturns and recoveries and a great deal of small businesses traditionally roll up their rugs and hide in the dark until its over. Marketing budgets being one of the first things that got cut.

NOT THIS TIME.

The severity of this downturn, has actually invigorated many in the small business community. Fearing that they may not have the resources to weather this one, many are getting smart and have decided to not give in to negativity and are looking at ways to get more aggressive or upgrade their existing efforts.

In a recent meeting with one customer, they remarked that a note came across their monitor alerting them that a competitor had bitten it. Bad for them, good for our market share.
The reality of the event wasn't lost on them however and they recognized that the time is 'right now' to strengthen their corporate brand position. Dark clouds always hold opportunities, so long as you have the foresight to take advantage of the situation.

Now is NOT the time to stare at what "might be" on the horizon. Develop a positioning strategy right now that absolutely differentiates your brand and benefits your prospective customers. Take a hard look at your brand, put yourself in your customer's shoes and ask yourself - "what's in it for me?" If you have a hard time answering this one question - you've got some serious work to do. Ignoring the question will put you directly in the cross-hairs of the meltdown mentality.

Take time right now to strengthen your brand. You need every weapon in your arsenal. You can no longer rely on good will and happenstance to succeed. The minute you let down your marketing efforts, meltdown mentality will over-take you. Stay positive, ride a strong brand and keep negativity from your door step.

It's your brand's job to create your own bright spots and wins, even while it seems the marketplace is broiled in its own self-fulfilling prophesy of gloom.

Don't wait for the turn-around. BECOME THE TURN-AROUND!

P.S. You might be interested in an article I wrote featured over at SmallBusinessBranding.com that outlines several ways to assist in corporate brand awareness. The article is entitled - Why The World Isn't Listening.

Does Size Matter?

I ran into an acquaintance yesterday and we got to talking about business. He made the comment, "It's important to look big - don't you think?"

It's an interesting question. In our culture we equate big with success. Big houses, big cars and trucks, big business, big names etc. I remember when the the web finally took off, one thing that stood out for me, was the statement that the web was the great equalizer. Now anybody could "look" as big as they wanted and nobody would be the wiser. Now you don't need the expense of bricks and mortar prove your worth. Now you just have to look big. Image is said to be everything.

I think my friend's comment is a little off. I don't think it harms anyone to look big, but the bottom line is to behave correctly in a big way. If a potential customer is attracted to your front door, once they cross the threshold, they will quickly see your worth. This harkens back to the truth in your brand. A brand can only thrive if it lives up to strong brand values. It is not enough to look big but your brand must walk the walk.

We as a society enjoy associating ourselves with success. The goal is inspirational. Your foundation must be sound, whether big or small. The important word in the comment was - look. Your brand must have substance. It must be more than an impression. To benefit from a strong brand it is more important to be big on strong values, big on personality and image. It is also fantastic to have a positive outlook. To be the best is to lead - in a big way.

Blog your Enthusiasm!

Here's a great blog that focuses on enthusiasm. In these edgey times, we all must work harder to stay positive and not let negatives bury us.