Put Your Money Where Your Mouth (or Heart) Is This Holiday Season

Before you consider shopping at your local shopping mall for your holiday gifts this season, why not get the most 'bang for your buck' by helping out a local organization you consider near and dear to your heart? For instance, think of all the innocent dogs and cats who will be stuck in a cold shelter for Christmas -- why not help them out (indirectly) by purchasing your "Yankee swap" gifts at the Animal Rescue e-commerce site? http://shop.theanimalrescuesite.com/store/category.do?categoryId=2747&siteId=310&adId=137052

Of course, there are many organizations with sites set up like this to pull proceeds during the holidays.

I think this is one of the most thoughtful marketing strategies ever planned... so help your local charity this November-December and make everyone happy!

Get Your Free Taco Today!

I think the "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" campaign is the best thing since sliced bread... or free, crunchy tacos: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fan_forum/tacobell/

Thanks to the Red Sox stolen base in the World Series, America can enjoy a FREE taco at all participating Taco Bells today between 2-5 pm.

Enjoy! And thank you, Taco Bell!

Why You Should Think Before Hitting "Send"

In a blog entry I wrote a few weeks back, I was discussing the airlines and their desperation to pay their bills due to bankruptcy, 9/11, etc. (using our money). But here's to another (and in my opinion, much worse) airline blunder -- this time involving senior leadership and Spirit Airlines' customer service.

So here's the scoop...

Disgruntled Spirit Airlines customers Christy and James from Orlando, FL sent CEO Ben Baldanza (along with other Spirit leadership) an e-mail complaint about their experiences flying the airline. Whether they were right or wrong, most companies live by the "customer is always right" motto (even if it is annoying...).

So fine. Baldanza should have just let it go, pleased the customers and moved on with his day. And maybe he intended for that to happen in the long run, but that's not what happened, unfortunately, because of bad e-mail etiquette (and arrogance).

Here's where the situation goes south... quick... all with the click of a mouse.... When Baldanza typed his arrogant message asking one of his colleagues to respond to Christy and James, he accidentally hit "reply all". Unfortunately, he included Christy and James in his response! Oops!
View customer's original e-mail with Baldanza's response here...

If you don't feel like clicking through, here is Baldanza's snarly response:

From: Ben Baldanza [mailto:Ben.Baldanza@SpiritAir.com]
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 1:02 PMTo: (removed by alex), Christy; Martin (removed by alex); Tony (removed by alex); John (removed by alex); Pasquale (removed by alex)
Subject: Re: Complaint
----------------------------------------------------
Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I'm concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He's never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.

Just another arrogant CEO in my book. However, an arrogant CEO who made a BAD mistake, causing damage to his credibility and company image. Throw into the mix the fact that e-mail spreads faster than the California wildfires.... and Spirit Airlines has some explaining to do.

Doh!

PRNewswire Invites You to Spread News of California Wildfires for FREE

This just in today... Whether you use PRNewswire as your news carrier or not, the press release distribution provider is suspending all fees for organizations wanting to send press releases on issues regarding the Southern California wildfires: Read news release!

Please help spread the word and save lives!!!

How Video Can Promote Your Business: Bronto Software Case Study

Attention, camera shy! Check out this video footage used by Bronto Software to recruit new employees AND (in my opinion anyway) promote its business: http://bronto.com/company/careers/

Talk about a dual effort at its finest. There's nothing better than hearing from a company's staff members about the benefits of working for a company you're interested in dedicating a significant portion of your life to.

Think about it. If more companies put together clips like Bronto's to communicate the fact that 1) not only are they a profitable organization, but 2) very people-oriented, how many new customers might they gain?

As a marketing team leader, I actually work closely with Bronto Software. Although their primary order of business is to provide my company with e-marketing solutions, they also weigh heavily the importance of a friendly customer service team. I think this reflects in the level of respect the staff has for one another's professional AND personal lives. After all, happy people at work make happy customers. It's not a difficult concept to grasp! Needless to say, Bronto wasn't awarded "Best Place to Work" by the Triangle Business Journal for nothing!

In addition to their video footage, Bronto also provides photo coverage of staff trips which feature rendezvous' with its company mascot, "Bronto the dinosaur." http://bronto.com/company/photos/.

I might also add that they distribute a blow-up version of their prehistoric mascot to new customers... another clever marketing tactic. I rather get a chuckle anytime I see my plastic friend staring at me over my cubicle walls.

The main lesson to be gained from all this: It's okay to be human, even if your industry is considered "dry" by nature. If you've ever read the book "Fish", you'll see what I mean. (By the way, I recommend this book to anyone looking to transform their work experience and boost morale... a definite must-read!).

In closing, Bronto Software has made itself a fun place to work -- and consequently, a fun place to do business with thanks to some clever branding strategies.

But bottom line is that even if you do business with a dinosaur, it pays to be human!

MySpace as a Marketing Tool

Have you ever thought of MySpace as something that can actually be productive and business worthy? I think it's funny how much heat MySpace gets, yet everyone (and their mother) uses the darn thing!

There are a few good reasons why MySpace is one of the most brilliant social networking tools of all-time. Have you ever noticed that when you do a Google search for something completely random, you will see results show up on your screen from MySpace pages? There are a few reasons why.

According to Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix, “MySpace is clearly leading the social networking category with the largest, most engaged audience as compared to all other social networks. Our data also shows that MySpace continues to grow at a strong pace.”

Check out a recent press release for more stats on MySpace usage and you'll be amazed at the numbers: http://www.newscorp.com/news/news_345.html. And imagine how these numbers have increased from the time this press release was put out in July to now! If total unique U.S. visitors was 70.5 million in June (an increase of 1.6 million unique visitors compared to May), imagine the inflation from July to October?!?

It's unbelievable.

Not only are teens and adults using MySpace as a social networking tool, but I'm seeing more and more organizations and professionals using it to network and actually increase brand awareness. I think the biggest crowd to benefit (professionally) from MySpace are no-name musicians. There's nothing like getting a little free PR. And talk about word-of-mouth marketing at its finest!

Another thing I notice is that more and more ad spots are being placed all over MySpace. Products aimed toward teens seem to be most relevant, but I do see others aimed at the older generation.

One other thing to note. MySpace does have a "professional" site: http://myspaceforbusiness.com/

However, it doesn't seem to be as effective as say, sites like http://www.linkedin.com/. Interesting how MySpace has a niche in the social side of networking while Linked In has the competitive advantage for professional networking.

So I end with a question: Has MySpace contributed to the success of your business / reputation? And if so, I'd love to hear your feedback.

And if you have had no business success with it.... Can MySpace (or another social networking tool like Facebook) help you out?

Mickey Mouse Stops Obesity in Kids

Have you noticed how many junk food commercials market crappy, unhealthy snacks to today's youth? Hello?!? It seems every channel you turn on these days is advertising some spin-off on already junky food. Take for instance, the new Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies "cereal straws". Can kids not just eat Cocoa Krispies for breakfast nowadays? Now kids need to have the convenience of fattening up what would have been a healthy glass of milk?

Well, this just in... It's Mighty Mouse, I mean... Mickey Mouse... to the rescue! And Mickey Mouse (a.k.a, the marketing unit at Walt Disney Co.) is prepared to fight the phenomenon of chunky children!

Today, Disney Consumer Products announced the launch of a new line of products called "Disney Garden", to be sold in the produce aisle of stores nationwide including Kroger, Winn Dixie, Albertsons, and Price Shopper. The product comes out in response to Disney's quest to curb the marketing of junk food to young children, and consequently, curb the obesity rates in the US youth.

Through the appeal of its theme park characters, Disney Garden will put out products like Mickey-shaped snack trays with combinations of celery, peanut butter and raisins or apples, cheese and crackers and others.... And what about those teriyaki sugar snap peas, honey orange carrot coins, cheesy broccoli bites and miniature apples, peaches, pears, plums and oranges?

Needless to say, smart move at pleasing parents and working on some active solutions in today's growing obesity problem in young children. This is a perfect example of a win-win marketing plan. Nice work, Mickey.

Selling Prescription Drugs in Sitcoms?

Having worked for Cutting Edge Information over the past few years, I have paid closer attention to some of the marketing tactics big pharmaceutical companies are using to promote their brands through DTC (direct-to-consumer) television and print channels.

I always thought this was a crazy concept -- drug companies placing ad spots in hopes that average peeps like you and I will so badly want a prescription that we would hint to our physicians that we want it -- despite the life-threatening side effects often tagged to the end of such adverts. Is it not insulting to a physician when patients come into their office and suggest that they 'know best' about their health condition? Does this not strain some potential relationships between pharma and physicians by positioning patients as self-prescribers?

Something I've always thought about anyway.

This all being said, I was intrigued by CNN Money's article the other day: Big Pharma's ready for prime time. According to the article, the pharmaceutical industry spends about $4.5 billion each year on television and print ads (up from roughly $1.1 billion in 1997). Unfortunately, big pharma is realizing more and more that "for all the time and money the industry has spent in the last ten years, only one in ten U.S. consumers believe drug ads provide useful information."

So how is pharma 1) keeping prescription drugs "on the air" and 2) keeping consumers interested in purchasing them? Pharmaceutical companies are working with prime time television shows like NBC's "Scrubs", CBS's "King of Queens", Fox's "House" and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" to get their brands written right into the scripts! That is, the prescription drug is worked into the character dialogue, plot (or both) to try and grab the audience's attention and get them thinking about the drugs (whether consciously or not). I must say, this is pretty crafty (although pharma companies beware, the FDA is keeping an eye on this tactic since it doesn't condone such "product placements"). It can also easily offend viewers who aren't impressed by product name-dropping in their favorite sitcoms.

Honorable TV mentions include:

• Abbott's painkiller, Vicodin (makes sense... since half the world is depressed or suffering from some form of discomfort)
• Pfizer's erectile dysfunction pill, Viagra (entertainment + Viagra = no-brainer)
• Allergan's cosmetic treatment, Botox (another no-brainer since it's become the norm to get cosmetic surgery at 14 years old these days)
• Organon Pharmaceuticals' birth control device, NuvaRing (most teens and women use this...)

So my marketing spin? Although pharma needs to tread with caution, they have enough money to take the risk, and they also have the brains to realize mixing entertainment with prescription drugs is an effective hook. In fact, mixing entertainment with most kinds of business is effective because entertainment is what makes the world turn (in my opinion anyway). Additionally, prescriptions treat all kinds of common illnesses. And how many people in this world have some medical condition? Talk about mass appeal.

"People get their information from entertainment," says Thomas Valente, associate professor of preventative medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine. "It's not a magic bullet. It's a small piece of the puzzle, but we'd be silly to ignore its potential."

461 Best Marketing Blogs in the Business

As a marketer, I am always searching other blogs that will help me with my own problems and marketing challenges. Alas, I finally struck gold when I stumbled across this list of the 461 top marketing blogs, according to "AdAge Power 150": http://adage.com/power150/

I hope you find these blogs as useful as I do!

Attention Animal Lovers: ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover" Needs Your Vote Today!

Here's my attempt at stirring up some buzz that will benefit a Florida-based nonprofit organization called "Pet Rescue by Judy". Please help!!!

To give you a bit of background information, Judy has been getting "problems" from the county of Winter Springs, and is actively seeking more land and shelter for her rescued dogs and cats. Currently, Judy's land is overflowing with all the wonderful animals she has rescued from abuse and abandonment. Consequently, and because of the love and dedication Judy has shown to Orange County's animal rescue efforts, she has now been nominated to receive a total ABC Extreme Home Makeover... and for the first time ever.... she will receive a KENNEL if she can get YOUR VOTE to appear on this show!!!

Needless to say, the show is VERY interested in helping Judy, and the group is now focused on receiving signatures for the petition to Home Makeover.

Please visit her site and VOTE!!! http://www.petitiononline.com/sep2007/petition-sign.html

**On a personal note, when I lived in Orlando, I actually fostered a rottweiler-lab mix for Judy. I personally visited her house and saw all the wonderful and kind-hearted services Judy is providing abandoned and abused animals -- and when I left, I was teary-eyed because Judy is an angel for taking on such a huge crisis and dedicating her life AND home to helping animals in need. Please help her. This same woman took a boatload of dogs through the drive-thru of McDonald's and bought her brood of animals hamburgers after a long day of visiting local companies trying to get employees to adopt...

Judy is incredible and loves animals so much. If you love animals as much as I do, you'll sign the petition at the ABC Extreme Home Makeover website. Your e-mail information will remain private and will not be dispersed to 3rd party vendors.

For more information, or if you'd like to donate, please visit Judy's websites:

http://www.petrescuebyjudy.com/

http://www.myspace.com/petrescuebyjudy

When is Too Much E-Marketing Too Much?!

E-marketing. Frequency. Keeping customers happy. Increasing revenue from e-mail sales pitches in the ever-changing world of CAN-SPAM compliance and regulation mandates. Sound familiar? If you are an e-marketing manager or director, these are just a few of the pressures you face nowadays with the rising occurance of technology and stronger online business models.

But where do you draw the line with e-marketing frequency? This is an issue I face daily as a marketing leader. And that same issue has been the topic of debate for quite some time now. This article, posted by DMNews offers some insight on how to best plan your e-marketing campaigns, based on a per month timetable: http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/e-mail-marketing/42090.html

To make a long story short, if you are finding your unsubscribe rates are starting to increase substantially, it's time to cut down on your e-marketing frequency (or rethink your marketing strategy by countering "sales pitches" with "editorial pitches," as the article suggests). However, the underlying key is to catch potential unsubsribers before they start jumping ship. And nobody wants to throw the life preservers after business is on the chopping block.

Are the Airlines Taking Our Money to Pay Their Bills?

Although I am the wife of a NWA pilot and have the tendency to see both sides of the airline industry, I do agree with today's CNN report on the ridiculous (and often unnecessary) fees some airlines charge when your travel itinerary changes last-minute and you have to switch flights: http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/25/pf/raw_deal_airline_fees/index.htm?postversion=2007092615

Because it is indeed a raw deal.

Q: Are some airlines sucking money from passengers for no good reason but to make more profits to pay their bills?

A: Northwest Airlines (not mentioned in the article) charges a stiff $100 fee to change domestic flights last-minute. They join US Airways, United and American Airlines in the quest to charge passengers ridiculous penalties. And is it not coincidence that these same airlines have filed for bankruptcy in recent years?

Not zesty.

Q: Why do some airlines charge between $25 and $100 to change domestic flights when others charge nothing?

A: Southwest Airlines has got its business model right with the simple, no-brainer "customer first" policy. As the article says, SWA charges nada to switch itineraries, even last-minute. Although this is often stressful to the airline, this policy doesn't set out to take money where it already has money.

Because in my opinion, the airlines are indeed taking our money with no justifiable reason to back up these "fees".

I love this quote from Michelle Mohr, a spokeswoman for US Airways. She says that the change fee "is not something for us to make money on, it's to offset the cost of not having that seat for sale." She says that depending on the time frame and market "we might not necessarily have the chance to sell that seat again," she explained.

Great job trying to do your PR, Ms. Mohr, but let's just cut to the chase. The airline industry is making profit off of your lost seat on the plane, whether they give it to a standby passenger (who still must pay unless considered a "non-rev" standby) or they sell your seat last minute for triple the price you paid. Worst-case scenerio, no one occupies your seat and the seat remains empty for one leg of a flight. Either way, the fee you pay is the price (or more!) a standby passenger would pay anyway. So the airlines have managed to charge YOU to pay for a seat either way (occupied or not).

Something to think about before you book your next flight, that is for sure. So much for flying the friendly skies!

And hurray to Southwest for being (as always) fair to its customers.

5 Reasons Your Employees are Marketers - Even if They Don't Know It

Yes, I said it.

Every employee in your company is a marketer (whether they know it or not). It doesn't matter if they work in the warehouse, sales department, janitorial services or the executive offices -- your company's entire staff holds high stakes in the success and profitability of your business.

Think about the notion of 'employee satisfaction' as an unconventional 'marketing tool'. Employment is a huge investment to both a company and its employees. Why not make the most of your employees (and make their time working for you worthwhile, too)? Most of us already know that motivating and educating employees keeps them happy. But motivating and educating employees does a lot more than that, when a company plays its cards right.

Here is why:

1) Your employees are PR agents. When employees are mad, they will talk. When employees are happy, they will talk. So why tick them off? Some of the best word-of-mouth (WOM) agents are your employees. Give them reason to talk about you and they will. Take Southwest Airlines' "Nuts about Southwest" blog for example: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/. Southwest handed the reigns of their corporate blog to their best customers and employees -- and just look at the buzz and PR the company has created! It is brilliant.

2) Your employees send marketing messages. An employee who is well-educated through regular training is apt to send the right marketing message to your clients. One trick I remember learning in my graduate corporate communication studies is requiring ALL employees to memorize a 30-second "elevator" spiel about your company's products and services. Think about it: If one of your employees has 30 seconds to ride from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor in your building, would he or she be able to provide an effective description of your company to a potential client? A well-educated employee also knows the ins and outs of your website, org chart and products -- and where to effectively direct client questions.

3) Your employees make your revenue goals. Want to increase your annual revenue? Create bonus / incentive programs. It's that easy. When an employee knows, for example, that they will receive a 5% cut of the quarterly revenue, they will work much harder to meet deadlines and accomplish corporate goals. That is a no-brainer. If you can't provide bonuses, why not start a "wellness" program with milestones and goals promoting employee health? This will increase productivity, too. And we all know that productivity leads to harder work, which may indirectly lead to sales. You have to start somewhere.

4) Your employees have affiliations outside the office. With the rise in personal blogs, MySpace and Facebook accounts, as well as professional networking services like LinkedIn, chances are, at least one of your employees keeps up with the online trends. Obviously, a smart employee will keep any negative press about your business off the blogosphere (for their own good if nothing else). But chances are, if this same web savvy employee respects your business, he or she will cross-link your company blog and/or website. Maybe this employee will write up an entry about your products, services or internal culture. The opportunities are endless.

5) Your employees can promote stronger customer relationships. Without satisfied employees, chances are, you won't have satisfied clients. If your employees are in a bad mood, it is going to rub off on your clients. And nobody wants to do business with a resentful, unmotivated person, no matter what the need. The same goes if your employee lacks the knowledge of simple functions. For example, if your salesperson doesn't know where to find your company's press kit, customer relationships are potentially lost with the file. Keep your employees trained.

Happy employee marketing!

"Sam the Cooking Guy" Rocks the Kitchen

Watch this video clip of Discovery Health's new cooking show and tell me Sam Zien and the show's creators didn't produce an entertaining and innovative new series:

And if you don't have time to watch this clip, why do I think Sam Zien's show rocks?

Well, for starters, Sam Zien has managed to appeal to me, someone who doesn't cook... like... ever. And Sam Zien has turned me into an avid fan.

How does Sam accomplish all this with a frickin' cooking show, you ask?

1) By making me laugh. Sam has taken programming that is typically blahh to me (e.g., cooking shows) and turned it into something highly amusing through his quirky behavior and euphemisms.

2) By making cooking extremely easy. Seriously. Sam Zien's ingredients are mainly store-bought, yet they have the appeal of a gourmet meal. (Tested and tried by none other than myself, I might add.)

3) By making meals for 4 or more extremely cheap. What about the "Ramen Noodle Chow Mein" he makes in the video above? If I had known about this recipe in college, I would have been the most popular coed around.

4) By doing the cooking show in his real-life home kitchen... with distractions like his dog, wife and son and even a rabbit on the counter. Sam does his show in his 'natural habitat'. Therefore, Sam is "real". And I like real. Who doesn't?

It's as simple as that. If you think about it, what does the general public look for, whether you are offering a new service, product or in this case, a television show: amusing, easy, inexpensive and sincere.

Sam has managed to capture all the main "marketing ingredients" and cook up a great new show.

Before I sign off, I'll recommend one of my favorite recipes... grilled up 2 weekends ago for a UNC football game. Check it out and enjoy: Lamb (with no bun) burgers

NY Times Online Discards Paid Subscriptions

At last, the New York Times online has scrapped its paid subscription model. Read the full story here.

It looks to me like offering a "free subscription" is a matter of shifting marketing resources. And it is a win-win model from what I can see.

By allowing readers to view the #1 viewed newspaper for free, the NY Times is opening itself up to a much larger and diverse audience. But here's the payoff: By opening up the readership to a more diverse crowd, the NY Times is opening up its advertisement section to a more diverse crowd, creating more website traffic and more ad impressions.

And in the end, the more money the NY Times makes.

So there's the catch. Free is always free for a reason.

Good idea, NY Times.

Breakfast n' Botox Parties? For Real?

Forget sitting in the doctor's office to get your Botox injection. Try relaxing at a resort and getting your procedure done as part of a "spa package" instead.

Introducing... "Botox and Lox", reported by women's fashion magazine Marie Claire (October 2007 issue): http://www.marieclaire.com/hair/beauty/products/breakfast-botox-beauty

Most of us already know that Botox is tapping the South Beach market pretty hard (that's a no-brainer if you've ever visited the breast-baring beach). But has this event crossed the line by tapping the hospitality industry? If you don't have time to read the article, here is a one-sentence synopsis of the event:

Patient visits the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach, FL for the first (and probably not last) "Botox and Lox" party and receives treatment over "bikini-tinis" and breakfast.

Here's a fun quote to chew on:

"We think Botox parties might become a fun alternative to bridal showers-or maybe divorce parties," says Neil Sazant, owner of the Sagamore Hotel.

Warning: Just in case you were interested in throwing a botex party in place of your bridal shower or divorce party, be prepared to inform your guests that they will have to pay a stiff fee of $750 or more to attend your soiree.

Let the festivities begin!