by admin | Oct 16, 2011 | Blog
It’s easy to feel that we are all at the mercy of market forces. They affect individual consumers and enterprises. Daily we are bombarded with statistics, most of which are useless to us as consumers and entrepreneurs. Why? Because we as individuals cannot control the market, so rather than feel helpless, I say why even worry about them?
People sell shares and companies lay off staff, all based on their perceptions of what will happen, while our governments attempt to “talk up” the economy!
This article is not about all of the empirical data that shows companies who continue marketing during a downturn, increase sales and come out with greater market share and improved brand loyalty when the good times return. No, enough has been already been written about that, although the majority of manufacturers have not heeded the advice. So, I’ll try to simplify it:
“When everybody goes one way, you should go in the opposite direction.” Words to that effect have been attributed to some pretty successful entrepreneurs like Richard Branson. So why do we as a business community react so emotionally and irrationally? Because humans are emotional beings and because emotions are much more powerful than logic. If you are smart then you can use this knowledge to your advantage and connect your products or services to the emotional needs of your customers! It’s called branding!
I say ‘who cares’ to the “SAGE SME Business Sentiment Index 2011” quoted in Manufacturer’s Monthly:
- 4 in 10 feel business is performing better than in 2010.
- 1 in 10 feel it’s performing worse
- 5 in 10 feel there is no difference
How does this information help the individual enterprises? It doesn’t.
The conclusion is that manufacturers are realistic about their situation, but really who cares that rising costs and cash flow have become less important while sales and efficiency are now at the top of the priority list. I would have thought that they should always be at the top of the list.
As a marketing consultancy we ask our clients to be ‘unrealistic’. If you do what you have always done, that is be a follower of the market, then you will get what you always got!
According to “SAGE SME Business Sentiment Index 2011” twice as many manufacturers want to invest more money into sales than other types of businesses, if only they had the budget!
So what does this mean to you?
- Manufacturers tend to invest less into Marketing and Sales activities in the first place
- Not having the budget just means the manufacturer’s objective is actually not that important to them.
- Manufacturers that do invest into Marketing and Sales activities wisely will be going ‘against the market’ and should prosper.
Australian manufacturers need to start taking marketing seriously, to remain competitive and relevant. They need to become educated about marketing disciplines, at least to a level where they can effectively engage with marketing professionals. Manufacturers need to adopt an attitude that has long been adopted by smart job seekers looking for a position in a tough employment market – what matters is not the % unemployment but whether you can land that one perfect job.
So stop looking at ‘the market’, stop following others, stay positive, and develop strategies to create positive perceptions in the mind of your customers and prospects so as to find, attract and retain customers and then continuously test, increase and improve them.
Manufacture your future; whether it’s a failure or a fortune, it’s up to you!
by admin | Oct 13, 2011 | Blog, Content, Strategy
You are not reading the review about the latest marvel of German engineering as it glides through some secret track testing location in Stuttgart! I’m talking about utilising points of view to propel your business into top gear with better content strategy online and more results driven copywriting for your marketing collateral, blog, website, social media, etc.
1st Person Narrative:
The story is relayed by a narrator who is also a character within the story, so that the narrator reveals the plot by referring to this viewpoint character as “I” (or, when plural, “we”).
This point of view needs to be used very sparingly in marketing, as it takes the reader or the message recipient’s focus away from themselves and we all know that station “W.I.F.M – What’s In It For Me” is the only one that the audience listens to.
2nd Person Narrative:
Probably the rarest mode in literature (though quite common in song lyrics) is the second-person narrative mode, in which the narrator refers to one of the characters as “you”, therefore making the audience member feel as if he or she is a character within the story. Every good advertisement, PR story, blog entry, sales letter, email, etc takes us on a journey, it tells a story, no matter how short it is, it is interesting enough to engage us.
Second person narrative is the most useful and proven method of engaging with your audience and influencing them through the written word positively to: buy your product, perceive you differently, take action, vote, etc
Unfortunately most authors of SME marketing materials, do not utilise copywriting in a scientific manner and do not treat it as multiplied salesmanship!
The “we’s” on the average website outnumber the “you’s” at a ratio of at least 2 : 1, and show, in a subconscious way, that an internal focus, rather than being customer focused.
On the other hand if you look at work by customer focused marketers, you will find their copywriting utilising “you v we” ratios of closer to 3 : 1 in favour of “you”.
3rd Person Narrative:
Third-person narration provides the greatest flexibility to the author and thus is the most commonly used narrative mode in literature. In the third-person narrative mode, each and every character is referred to by the narrator as “he”, “she”, “it”, or “they”, but never as “I” or “we” (first-person), or “you” (second-person). In third-person narrative, it is necessary that the narrator be merely an unspecified entity or uninvolved person that conveys the story, but not a character of any kind within the story being told.
This is the preferred point of view of the bigger ‘corporate’ organisations. Unfortunately, in many cases, the customer or prospect walks away from the experience with this big brand feeling as if they are a “number and not a member!”
Third person is however useful when you need to:
– convey a more authoritative tone
– sound more objective than first or second person writing.
Although third person is the language we’re used to reading in our daily media, third person writing is also more distant, which is a disadvantage if you want to engage your reader.
Reminder:
As we all know, marketing success comes from adopting a customer centric point of view; what we all sometimes forget is that it is important to communicate this point of view, after all if you don’t illustrate this to your customers, they simply won’t know. Perception is Reality.
Are you connecting with your customers? Call the Marketing Network and see how we can improve the perceptions your customers and prospects have about your business.
by admin | Oct 4, 2011 | Blog, Promotion, Strategy
According to a study by research company Millward Brown, slogan or brand positioning statement usage in advertising has been declining over the last 20 years.
The study found that slogans make a difference in advertisements, and generate more interest from the target audience. The Knowledge Point study, found that two-thirds of all ads actually included slogans.
Ads with slogans that part are of a jingle received higher enjoyment while slogans that have been used before also enjoyed better branding, confirming the importance of consistency and repetition.
The study provided the following advice to marketers and their brands:
- Positioning Statements that are most likely to be remembered are included in a jingle.
- Positioning Statements should be relevant and meaningful to the brand, its benefits or its history
- Positioning Statements used to make sense of the whole communication are memorable because they bring about a resolution to the “question” being asked
- Positioning Statements slogans that use rhyme or alliteration to associate with the brand are more easily remembered
- Positioning Statements that evoke memorable images or stimulate thinking have more staying power
- Distinct Positioning Statements, whether they contains an unusual word or are used in an unfamiliar context, were also found to be effective.
by admin | Aug 16, 2011 | Blog
Where Great Things Happen
Ascet is a future-focused learning and development organisation. We are here for individuals, corporate and government clients, providing a great student experience while developing vocational skills for people and their industry.
Website
Social Media Websites Design
Email Template
Background
Client : Ascet Tafe
Website: www.ascet.edu.au
Blog: blog.ascet.edu.au
Where Great Things Happen…\nAscet is a future-focused learning and development organisation. We are here for individuals, corporate and government clients, providing a great student experience while developing vocational skills for people and their industry.
Project Scope
Marketing Strategy
Copywriting
Social Media Marketing
SEO
by admin | Aug 16, 2011 | Blog
Find a better way
TXM was established from a simple observation – there is always more to be done than there are skilled people to do it.
TXM fills that gap by providing operations leaders with the resources they need to get the job done. TXM can provide you with an experienced lean consultant to transform your current operation or some project management expertise to guide a major business change to a successful completion.
Background
Client : TXM
Australian Website: www.txm.com.au
China Website:www.txmchina.com
Find A Better Way…
TXM fills that gap by providing operations leaders with the resources they need to get the job done. TXM can provide you with an experienced lean consultant to transform your current operation or some project management expertise to guide a major business change to a successful completion.
Project Scope
Brand Strategy
Logo Enhancement
Copywriting
Web Design
SEO
Brochures and Pull-up Banners
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