Poll: Bargain Brands

I was at the store the other day picking out some items when my autopilot shut off and I became aware of the items in my basket. Crest toothpaste. Bargain mouthwash. Pantene Pro V conditioner. Bargain body lotion.

Since I used to be a faithful buyer of Scope and St. Ives, I began to wonder... How many more people are dropping name brands for store/bargain brands due to the current condition of the economy?

My curiosity pushed me to create a poll!

Online Surveys & Market Research

New Brand Identity for the Sci-Fi Channel

On July 7th, NBC Universal will be rolling out a new brand identity for its cable television property, the Sci-Fi Channel. The new look is shown at left.

Home to such popular shows as Ghost Hunters, Primeval, Moonlight and Equilibrium, the channel has a relatively small but loyal audience. While I would love to hear from some of them to get their reactions... I'm going out on a limb and predicting that no one's going to be too fond of the new identity for the Sci-Fi brand.

First off, humans are usually fairly resistant to change. 99% of the time we'll take the old. (Thank you very much.)

Secondly, and more troubling to me, is the fact that the new logotype has no connotation of anything scientific, nothing that says science fiction. Four rather plain, very round-ish letters. In white. Blandsville.

And finally, while I'm ranting, I cannot quite come to terms with how the new brand name comes across phonetically. Does anyone hear: "Siffy" or perhaps "Sife-E?" Somewhere between the two "y's" and the lowercase "f" everything breaks down. The mini Web site that explains the new branding approach is even all jacked up.

On a positive note--and for the sake of balance--I will say that the new positioning statement is pretty good. It's an action-oriented invitation to me to imagine. I like that. With the word "Greater," they are hinting at some bigger, better things to come. That sounds good and promising, also.

Let's hope Sci-Fi, or Siffy, lives up to its promise ... and hope that the programming is better than the logo design work. Marketing geniuses and Sci-Fi brand evangelists, please tell us (post a comment) if your feelings are contrary.

Best of Marketing Genius: Successful Event Promotion (Pt. 2)

Keys to Successful Event Promotion - Part Two
[first published here July 2006]

It is getting tougher and tougher, to get the people you want and need to come to your important event to actually attend. The problem is two-fold. People are busier. They are also being bombarded with requests to attend events. That means there's more competition for their valuable, scarce time. No matter if your event is an annual meeting or a fundraiser or an educational seminar or a sales presentation. No matter if your event is in the morning or the evening ... food or no food, you have to be lucky or smart to end up with a full room on the appointed date and time of your big event.

Oh sure, you could pay people $100 to attend ... or you could hire a celebrity or sports hero to entice people to attend. Either tactic might boost the numbers. Most of us do not have such a rich marketing treasure chest. Now, as for luck, we'll leave that to others and focus on helping you become a smarter event promoter. So here goes!

Earlier this month we introduced you to the RSVP model for event promotion. Here are more helpful insights for you:

V - Variety
To get your invitee to respond, it is no longer enough to mail him an engraved invitation. You have to communicate the information about your event through a variety of channels. Invite them by way of a mailed piece, fine. But combine that tactic with an e-mail invitation. And don't forget to use the media. Hit your invitee in her mailbox. Hit her in her inbox (e-mail). And also hit her in her newspaper and even her radio station. Yes, if you are crafty and persuasive you can get your event covered in the media. Don't expect an expose, though; a simple announcement is much more likely--and still helpful.

P - Packaging
If you want to cut through the clutter and have your invitees pay attention to your invitation and your event, you have to package it. Make it interesting. Add some sizzle. Build up anticipation for the event. Make it the don't-miss-event-of-the-year. Explain why your event is valuable and important. How can you make it more fun ... more important ... or more enticing?

Example: "Attend our annual meeting where you'll have the chance to visit with 20 of the city's most successful business owners."

Another example: one of our clients opened a new facility in one of the city's oldest hotels, a 1920's era building. We gave the grand opening a Roaring Twenties theme, complete with period props, caterers dressed in period costumes and a big band playing swing tunes. It was a smashing success, something different.

Look, there's no cookie-cutter solution. You have to be creative--and you have to know your audience. To be sure, there's a fine line between unique and cheesy; your job is to know that balance point. We're not here to give you the one answer. The point is that marketing geniuses avoid going through the same old tired, mindless tactics that no longer work.

In closing, we ask you, marketing geniuses: what have you done or seen that packed the house for a special event? Please share your stories with us.

Best of Marketing Genius: Successful Event Promotion (Pt. 1)

Keys to Successful Event Promotion - Part 1
[first published here in July 2006]

In our increasingly saturated, information overload world, it's getting harder and harder to get people to attend events. It doesn't seem to matter whether it is a party, an educational seminar or a demonstration. People are busy, to be sure. It also seems that the people who we want to come to our event are getting hit with tons of other invitations from people urging them to come to their events. Not to mention the fact that our invitees are working longer hours, and they're busy parenting their active, involved kids.

So what's a marketing genius to do? Before you raise your arms in exasperation, try the 'RSVP' approach. It's the smarter way of promoting events.

R - Repetition
You have to send your message multiple times. That busy invitee may toss the first invitation. The second one might come at the wrong time ... but that third request catches her just when she has a free moment to focus. If your budget allows, plan and deploy a series of communications to promote your event. Start with a teaser, then send a "Save the Date" message. Continue with the official invitation and follow it with a news clipping about your event. Later, send a friendly reminder, followed by a blurb along the lines of "Look Who's Coming!" If you are operating on a shoe-string budget, you would be wise to send the exact same invitation two or three times, simply to ensure that it gets through. A repetitive communication series gets results. A one-shot invitation gets ignored, misplaced or trashed.

S - Simplicity
How simple can you make it for your invitee to attend your event? I mean, really, really simple. Can you make it so easy that all she has to do is show up? Ask yourself: Is the response step really necessary? Could we go with "Regrets only?" Do not require an RSVP, unless it is truly needed. If you are inviting via e-mail, make it simple for them to just click "Reply" to register. Avoid using a complicated Web form, if possible. Simplify your process; it will make things easier on you and your guests.

There you have it: the "R" and the "S" of the RSVP approach. We'll share the rest with you over the next couple of days.

Best of Marketing Genius: Behind the Scenes of Branding

No doubt, you've heard such phrases as brand awareness and brand equity. If you've been visiting Marketing Genius for a while, we hope you've become familiar with other important terms such as brand positioning, brand essence and brand mission.

Recently, several of us Mapleonians reached a mutual conclusion: it is time to take you behind the scenes of the branding work we do. We feel that you are ready for it and that you've earned this special privilege.

So c'mon ... step around that stanchion, follow that rope, just beyond that black curtain. And--whoa--don't trip over that easel!

Good, you've arrived! Ready to have a look at what else goes on?

Ahh - here's the good stuff. This is what really goes on ... behind the branding.

Brandana Potential - an important measure of any brand, this determines how good (or bad) your brand logo will look on a 'doo rag (i.e., a bandana).

B.A.C. - brand alcohol content - the degree to which your brand appeals more strongly to slightly intoxicated consumers (i.e., at cocktail parties, tailgating and keggers). Not to be confused with BUI (more on that later).

Brandapalooza Index - an assessment of your brand's adaptability and potential usage on a concert T-shirt or tie dye.

Brand Stripper Name - a composite consisting of the name of your brand's first pet (typically a pet dog or cat) plus the name of the street that your brand grew up on - mine happens to be Buffy Lincoln, for the record. You must always check this before you launch any new brand.

Brangelina Factor - a predictor, used to measure the probability that your brand will become "adopted by" the Hollywood elite crowd. (Will it become trendy in LA? Is your brand logo likely to become tattooed on Angelina, for example?)

Brandy Warhol Syndrome - inevitably your brand will be given its 15 minutes of fame. Is it ready? What would Andy Warhol do with it? How would he shoot it, or paint it?

Only small doses of this powerful new knowledge are permitted. That's enough for today. We'll show you more next time.Yeah, we had fun, too. You can just find your way out of the backroom. Careful as you go, now. You might be feeling a little light-headed. It's probably just those SprayMount fumes.

[Originally published November 2007]

Great Ads #8 - Canon

Advertisement from June 2004 issue of Inc.

When I saw this I could not help but to laugh! Would this really work in a real situation? Maybe not, but Canon sure does make it believable. Even if it is something that may not really keep someone out of the seat,
IT IS STILL HILARIOUS!

Canon has done a great job here bringing real life, "everyday," experiences together with a product inclusion as a comedic relief. You can see the product, you can see what it does, you can see how well it does it, and you can see how, in this scenario, it has become the bearer of the gentleman's burden. As it produces such crystal clear images that it has accomplished it's tasked goal; "Can't Sit There." Anytime you use comedy to advertise, and do it right ...
IT WORKS!

Thanks for the good advertising theme Canon, and THANKS for the laugh!

Small talk

I visited the Apple Web site today to discover two words on the home page, “Small talk,” with a hand holding up a tiny silver rectangle. My initial goal flew out the window (I don’t even remember why I was visiting the Apple site to begin with.) Instead, I started to click around to find out more about this shiny new product, the newest iPod shuffle. 

I already have an iPod and no need for a new one… but this little guy (and boy do I mean little) caught my attention. Not only is it the smallest music player around (the earbuds are about the same size as the shuffle itself), it also boasts the new VoiceOver feature. With the press of a button the iPod will tell you about the song you are listening to. 

Sold.

I already have a fun enough time typing random phrases into text-to-speech programs… and I figure my goal will be to fill the 4GB of space with as many lengthy, foreign or oddly spelled titles as possible. (Apple claims VoiceOver will automatically select the proper language and voice for foreign titles and artists.) 

I’m not one to collect tech toys, but this one really hooked me. I’m almost ashamed of myself! In 10 minutes, I went from not being in the market for a new mp3 player to pondering whether to have my name or a small quote engraved on the back of my new iPod shuffle (I chose “A witty saying proves nothing.” – Voltaire).

Apple quickly turned me from a casual browser to a customer with their innovative products, sleek design, to-the-point copy and free shipping. Now that's genius.

The Rayovac Sticker: Straightforward or Sad?

Any of you with kids will understand that parents are forever purchasing batteries for toys. Recently, my wife picked up a package of D cell (flashlight) batteries for our kids' Smartcycle. (A great toy, by the way, which combines an exercise bike with video games.) When she handed me the package, I was taken aback by a bright yellow sticker (shown at right - sorry about the blurry photo). The sticker offered the following message:
Rayovac Lasts as Long as Energizer.

My first thought was, How sad for Rayovac! They've had to resort to a direct comparison with another leading brand of batteries to get consumers to buy the Rayovac brand. In essence, they are advertising for Energizer on their package. Even worse, Rayovac is not offering a benefit that exceeds Energizer; they're simply saying that the Rayovac battery is equal. [Well then, why not buy Energizer? Right?]

As a brief aside, I racked my brain for associations and mental reference points about batteries. Number one - I think of the Energizer bunny, which tells me that the Energizer battery just keeps on going ... and going ... and going. So, Energizer = long lasting. That's good. Second, I think of Duracell ... "the coppertop." And I am reminded of some of the great advertising that Duracell has done in recent years. So Duracell = functional superiority that equates to trust and peace of mind. As for Rayovac, I've got nothing. I guess I would perceive Rayovac to be a third-place brand in the battery marketplace. (That's just my perception, right or wrong.)

Conversely, I can understand Rayovac's approach. They don't have much to lose. Why not go with the straightforward message: our batteries last just as long as the other brand? To their credit, it is direct and easy to understand (whether you believe it, or not). And the bright yellow sticker with the black lettering (taking from the warning sign design schema) is impossible to miss!

Probing a bit deeper into all of this, I made my first (ever) visit to the Rayovac Web site. And I found, again to their credit, that the "Lasts Just As Long As" marketing them is integrated into the Rayovac home page. And on its Web site, Rayovac adds another phrase to the message ... an important one: "And Costs Less." So let's give credit where credit is due.

In my mind, the jury is still out on this campaign. My take on the campaign is tending toward "Sad" in recognition of the desperation feel of this marketing angle. But in the end, market share will be the real determinant of the success of this campaign. We'll keep watching ... and watching ....

Let's hear from you! What do you, fellow marketing geniuses, think about this new Rayovac strategy? Is it simply sad--or smartly straightforward?

PS - Mapleonian Erin Deegan reported a very clever marketing tactic for batteries. Duracell has packaged a free set of ear bud headphones with its 8-pack of AA batteries. Now that will influence some consumer decisions, especially those younger consumers who own mp3 players.

Creativity in Action: Minni Purl

This is just plain cool! Minni Purl is a textile artist, here in Charleston, West Virginia. I've seen and loved her work, but have never met her in person. She explains her work on this project:



Check out the newest knitting project by MinniPurl on the corner of Hale and Lee Streets. The city approved the knitting on the opposite side of the sign, so it doesn't confuse rescue workers needing street directions! Minni wouldn't want to cause accidents!! xo



(That's our building in the background, by the way.) It's things like this that make me so proud to live in a creative community!

Tropicana Squeezed by Consumer Perception

Last month, we commented on Tropicana's packaging redesign. Some called it "generic." In fact, we questioned if Tropicana was using its new, plainer design to attempt to reposition itself downward. Now this week, as reported in the following New York Times story, Tropicana announced that it has reversed its decision (in response to consumer reaction) and has scrapped the new packaging design.

Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging
(Stuart Elliott, New York Times, Feb. 23, 2009)

IT took 24 years, but PepsiCo now has its own version of New Coke.

The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued, executives plan to announce on Monday, and the previous version will be brought back in the next month.

Also returning will be the longtime Tropicana brand symbol, an orange from which a straw protrudes. The symbol, meant to evoke fresh taste, had been supplanted on the new packages by a glass of orange juice.
The about-face comes after consumers complained about the makeover in letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls and clamored for a return of the original look. Some of those commenting described the new packaging as “ugly” or “stupid,” and resembling “a generic bargain brand” or a “store brand.”

“Do any of these package-design people actually shop for orange juice?” the writer of one e-mail message asked rhetorically. “Because I do, and the new cartons stink.” Others described the redesign as making it more difficult to distinguish among the varieties of Tropicana or differentiate Tropicana from other orange juices.

Such attention is becoming increasingly common as interactive technologies enable consumers to rapidly convey opinions to marketers.

“You used to wait to go to the water cooler or a cocktail party to talk over something,” said Richard Laermer, chief executive at RLM Public Relations in New York. “Now, every minute is a cocktail party,” he added. “You write an e-mail and in an hour, you’ve got a fan base agreeing with you.”

That ability to share brickbats or bouquets with other consumers is important because it facilitates the formation of ad hoc groups, more likely to be listened to than individuals.

“There will always be people complaining, and always be people complaining about the complainers,” said Peter Shankman, a public relations executive who specializes in social media. “But this makes it easier to put us together.”

The phenomenon was on display last week when users of Facebook complained about changes to the Web site’s terms of service using methods that included, yes, groups on facebook.com. Facebook yielded to the protests and reverted to its original contract with users.

And in November, many consumers who used Twitter to criticize an ad for Motrin pain reliever received responses within 48 hours from the brand’s maker, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, which apologized for the ad and told them it had been withdrawn.

“Twitter is the ultimate focus group,” Mr. Shankman said. “I can post something and in a minute get feedback from 700 people around the world, giving me their real opinions.”

Neil Campbell, president at Tropicana North America in Chicago, part of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, acknowledged that consumers can communicate with marketers “more readily and more quickly” than ever. “For companies that put consumers at the center of what they do,” he said, “it’s a good thing.” It was not the volume of the outcries that led to the corporate change of heart, Mr. Campbell said, because “it was a fraction of a percent of the people who buy the product.” Rather, the criticism is being heeded because it came, Mr. Campbell said in a telephone interview on Friday, from some of “our most loyal consumers.”

“We underestimated the deep emotional bond” they had with the original packaging, he added. “Those consumers are very important to us, so we responded.” Among those who underestimated that bond was Mr. Campbell himself. In an interview last month to discuss the new packaging, he said, “The straw and orange have been there for a long time, but people have not necessarily had a huge connection to them.” Reminded of that on Friday, Mr. Campbell said: “What we didn’t get was the passion this very loyal small group of consumers have. That wasn’t something that came out in the research.”

That echoed an explanation offered in 1985 by executives of the Coca-Cola Company in response to the avalanche of complaints when they replaced the original version of Coca-Cola with New Coke: Consumers in focus groups liked the taste of New Coke, but were not told old Coke would disappear. The original version was hastily brought back as Coca-Cola Classic and New Coke eventually fizzed out. (There are, it should be noted, significant differences between the two corporate flip-flops. For instance, the Tropicana changes involved only packaging, not the formula for or taste of the beverage.)

An ad campaign for Tropicana that helped herald the redesigned cartons, also introduced last month, will continue to run, Mr. Campbell said. Print and outdoor ads that have already appeared will not be changed, he added, but future elements of the campaign — like commercials, due in March — would be updated.
Unlike the packaging, the campaign has drawn praise, particularly for including in its family imagery several photographs of fathers and children hugging. Such dad-centric images are rare in food ads. The campaign, which carries the theme “Squeeze it’s a natural,” was created by Arnell in New York, part of the Omnicom Group. Arnell also created the new version of the Tropicana packaging.

“Tropicana is doing exactly what they should be doing,” Peter Arnell, chairman and chief creative officer at Arnell, said in a separate telephone interview on Friday. “I’m incredibly surprised by the reaction,” he added, referring to the complaints about his agency’s design work, but “I’m glad Tropicana is getting this kind of attention.”

In fact, Tropicana plans to contact “everyone who called or wrote us” to express opinions, Mr. Campbell said, “and explain to them we’re making the change.”

Tropicana is among several PepsiCo brands whose packaging and logos have been recently redesigned by Arnell. The new logo the agency produced for Pepsi-Cola has been the subject of comments by ad bloggers who perceive a resemblance to the logo for the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

The bloggers have also buzzed about a document outlining the creation of the Pepsi-Cola logo, which appears to have been written by Arnell for PepsiCo executives; Mr. Arnell has declined to comment on the authenticity of the document, which is titled “Breathtaking Design Strategy” and is written in grandiose language.

One aspect of the new Tropicana packaging is being salvaged: plastic caps for the cartons, also designed by Arnell, that are shaped and colored like oranges. Those caps will be used, Mr. Campbell said, for cartons of Trop 50, a variety of Tropicana with less sugar and calories that is to be introduced soon.

During the interview last month, Mr. Campbell said that Tropicana would spend more than $35 million on the “Squeeze” campaign. Although he declined on Friday to discuss how much it would cost to scrap the new packaging and bring back the previous design, he said the amount “isn’t significant.”

Asked if he was chagrined that consumers rejected the changes he believed they wanted, Mr. Campbell replied: “I feel it’s the right thing to do, to innovate as a company. I wouldn’t want to stop innovating as a result of this. At the same time, if consumers are speaking, you have to listen.”

So, I ask you marketing geniuses: what do you think of that?

(And thanks to Maple alumna and marketing genius Emily Bennington for sending this to us.)

Nearly More Than

Yes, I still read ad copy. Some of it is quite good. Some ... not so good.

Exhibit A-
"Over the past two years, we have helped nearly 30 clients increase ..."

Exhibit B-
"Our staff has more than 45 years of combined experience."

With respect to Exhibit A--nearly 30--is that a great number, or is it minuscule? By stretching with hyperbole to "nearly 30," it connotes a notion of inferiority. In effect, the organization is saying, "Well, we're kind of new and inexperienced. We wish we had served many more clients. But hey--30 is not so bad for a newcomer, right?" What if the copy simply said, "We have helped many clients... "?

And with respect to the other example--more than 45 years--is that relevant? Is that a sufficient base of experience? Did they consider, "Not quite 50 years?" Does the combined experience consist of one old dude with 42 years experience working with three newbies with one year apiece? And if so, how does that matter? To me, what the folks in Exhibit B are saying is, "We don't really know what you want or need, because we haven't conducted any research. Plus, we don't understand our unique selling proposition ... so we'll just add this random fact to fill up space." What if the copy simply said, "Our experienced staff ... "? What if it showed a photo of an experienced, friendly team member with a small copy block about that person's relevant experience?

Dear advertisers (and copy writers): I nearly became interested in your product, until I encountered a more than tolerable dose of hyperbole in your advertisement.

How Wordle Sees Us

Thanks to blogger friend, Bob Coffield, for turning us onto Wordle. It is a clever Web application (Java based) that maps your content. Here's how our blog looks in a Wordle:





If you're having trouble viewing this, click here.

Image is the property of Wordle. http://www.wordle.net/

Thanks to the creative folks at Wordle for bringing marketing professionals this clever new tool to help us analyze content!

Tiger's Disruptive Force

There's been much discussion and debate in the business world the past several years about the power of disruptive ideas and concepts. Blogs disrupted mass print media. YouTube is a disruptive force with respect to broadcast media. Sirius and XM have been disruptions to the old model of radio and radio advertising. And the phenomemon is not limited to media or communications. Think of Zappos and shoe stores. Or search engines with respect to the Yellow Pages. The list of disruptions goes on ... and the impact only accelerates.

There is a crystal clear illustration of a disruption in the world of professional golf. And his name, of course, is Tiger Woods.

To understand all you have to do is to rewind the clock to 1997. Think of the best golfers in the world at the time. The list is not hard to build:

• Fred Couples and David Love, III (pictured above) - Master's, PGA champions


• Ernie Els and Vijay Singh - US Open, multiple Master's championships


• Paul Azinger and Mark O'Meara - US Open, Master's, British Open champions


• Justin Leonard and Lee Janzen - British Open, US Open champions

That's one heck of a list of eight golf professionals. You think those guys were planning on winning a few more big tournaments? Maybe even snare a major victory or two? I am dead certain they were. And why not: these guys were money! They were the golfing elite. Week in and week out, these were your contenders. (Phil Michelson is excluded because he had not yet reached his level of greatness when Tiger turned pro.)

Guess how many Wanamaker trophies those guys have grabbed since Tiger emerged in 1997?

Three.

Guess how many Green Jackets they have donned since Tiger hit the scene eleven years ago?

Two.

Today was opening day of the 2008 U.S. Open. Guess how many Open Championship cups those

eight great golfers have hoisted since 1997?

Two.

That's 33 U.S. majors over an 11-year period. And the score?

Tiger: 10 major championships

The other eight big-name players combined for just 7.

Tiger came along and changed the game. Changed it in previously unimaginable ways. Much has been written about the way he thinks, trains, plays and practices. That's not the point. The point

for marketing geniuses is two-fold:

1- If you are an established leader, don't think that simply because you are enjoying success that you always will.

2- And if you are the valiant newcomer, do not underestimate the power of new ideas and new approaches to disrupt the status quo, or to open up new opportunities.

Three Marketing Guys

Search No Evil
Inspire No Evil
Speak No Myths of Evil

Pictured above (left to right): Justin Seibert - President, Direct Online Marketing, Wheeling, West Virginia; Skip Lineberg - Chief Creative Officer, Maple Creative, Charleston, West Virginia; and Jeff James - CEO, Mythology, Charleston, West Virginia.

Photo courtesy of Jason Keeling, photographed at Next Generation Marketing, Huntington, W.Va. May 13, 2008.

Brand Tags - You Must Check This Out!

It is very rare that we repost content from other blogs or point our readers to other Web sites. Our policy, by contrast, is to offer original thoughts, observations and perspectives. In the case of Brand Tags, we find one of those very worthy exceptions that's worth encouraging you to go see. The creator of Brand Tags is Noah Brier, a New York communication strategist and observer/reporter of media trends, especially those related to Web 2.0.

Most marketing professionals and those among the audience who are marketing enthusiasts are students of brands. If you are like me, you enjoy getting inside a brand and understanding the associated perceptions, the factors that influence and constitute a brand's position. Brand Tags is an extremely simple and well done tool that has been created to solicit and analyze such perceptions. It is a tool that I could see becoming widely adopted in the professional practice of brand development. Brand Tags is the proverbial "simple, elegant" solution.

Kudos to Noah and his team for creating this innovative, promising Web application! Go check it out and please post your thoughts in a comment here.

Harnessing the Power of Web 2.0: What's Required?

I had the pleasure to co-present a seminar on Web 2.0 for a group of business leaders in Charleston, West Virginia, last Friday morning. Thanks to all of you who attended! We had a record-setting crowd of 50+ in attendance. (If you are here as a result, please post a comment and say "hi.")

As always, I learn as much as I teach from seminars. And I especially love the Q&A part. At Friday's event one of the attendees really articulated what to me was the payoff question: What does it take to commit to maintaining a blog, a Facebook page, a LinkedIn page and a Twitter presence? And what results do you get from doing so?

What a great question! So here's what I said: I spend about 45 minutes every other day on my various Web 2.0 activities.

My goal is to post a new blog article every day (and I cited Charleston blogger and photographer extraordinaire, Rick Lee, as someone who sets the standard for this). I am averaging about 2-3 posts per week and hoping to do better.

I am sporadic with my Twittering (or Twitter chirps) - and do so as the mood strikes me. But I can see how it can become addictive. I visit LinkedIn about once a week. On Facebook, I log in and update about once every other day. However, the new chat function appears to be first-class and adds to its appeal.

Now, what about the return on this investment of time? Here's what I have received in return:

Maple Creative has attained outstanding Google visibility. We are positioned on the first or second page of Google search results for our desired search phrases (marketing firm WV, for example). We have gotten paying clients who have come to us as a result. There's no way that we could have attained such search engine positioning or visibility in an organic manner without all of our Web 2.0 activities.

Our company has won awards or recognition for our blog. (See graphics at top of page.) And we continue to receive acclaim as a marketing firm who "get social media." This helps to differentiate us from our competitors and bolsters our credibility.

Maple Creative has achieved subject matter expertise on a number of topics and practice areas that are directly related to blog topics and backed by work that we've done. I get about one new media inquiry (from out of market) per month on various topics, including "how to repair a damaged reputation."

Those are the facts. I would say without hesitation that it is well worth the time and effort!

Google's Whimsical Logos

Don't you love how Google posts special thematic or seasonal variations of its logo every so often? I surely do. They call them "Google Doodles." It keeps it fun and interesting. Here's their special Valentine's logo below:

Actually, you've probably seen it in context already on Google, considering the fact that 200 million people visit each day. Kudos to Dennis Hwang and the design team at Google and to its leaders who see the value in doing cool, fun stuff like the Google Doodles!

Awesome MLK Tribute from High Rocks

High Rocks for Girls is a wonderful, non-profit organization that I've had the pleasure to learn about and support. Their mission statement follows:

The mission of the High Rocks is to support and strengthen young West Virginia women from all walks of life. Our purpose is to educate, empower and inspire girls, giving them the confidence to lead active lives and work toward the long-term betterment of our community. We believe that by investing in girls, we are creating a strong, vibrant, participatory community for all of us; we believe we are investing in the economic, social, intellectual, and democratic basis of our future.

On Martin Luther King Day, the group and its participants sent out this sensational tribute. I think it is unique, rich and creative as all get-out! Posted below is the transcript from their live performance of their MLK tribute. (I wish I had been there to witness it!) This is so inspiring to me about all that is right with today's youth!

Martin Luther King, Jr Day
January 21, 2008
High Rocks for Girls Presentation at the Lewisburg WV rally and march
The theme for this year was “Nonviolence” and focused on MLK’s “I have a Dream” speech.

Haley: Teenagers live at one of the frontlines of intolerance, one where race, class, and gender discrimination takes a raw form--in the cafeteria, on school buses, and in home room. Before it becomes quietly institutionalized or disguised as something else, we see discrimination -- up close and personal -- it’s unmistakable racial slurs, blatant sexual harassment, and threatening notes left on a gay student's locker.

Courtney: My fellow classmates, my friends, my teachers, my neighbors, there is so much violence that goes on within the walls of our schools. We are losing the battle being fought against us: the battle of violence and the way it is just accepted. So many students are made fun of and threatened over their differences. You tell a teacher or staff about someone harassing you and threatening you and you never see anything really being done about it. We people have to live with discrimination.

While the gun threat this year at our school was a very real danger the little things are just as bad, if not worse. I have friends who have rarely been in an argument without getting into fist fights, other friends are being put in the hospital with head trauma after being hit with a lunch tray. If teachers aren’t leaving class to break up fights between students some are bringing their own arguments into the class instead of teaching us the lesson.

So yes, stuff like this has always been a problem but has it been to this extent? My mom thinks school is how it used to be when she was in school. I keep telling her you don’t understand. It is almost as if education doesn’t matter anymore, as if violence has swallowed it whole. What are we willing to do to make a difference?

Miriah: These are Martin Luther King Jr’s six Principles of Nonviolence. We would like to remind you of them today.

Shay: Principle 1: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
All girls: We are brave
Kelsea L: Principle 2: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
All girls: We hold out our hands.
Josie: Principle 3: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people.
All girls: We keep our eye on the real enemy.
Amy: Principle 4: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform
All girls: Good can come of the things that hurt us.
Chelsea W: Principle 5: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
All girls: We fill our hearts with love.
Amanda: Principle 6: Nonviolence believes the universe is on the side of justice.
All girls: We have faith.

Makaila: Now we want everyone in the whole audience to repeat after us. Ready?
All girls with the audience:
We are brave (make them start again if it’s not loud enough)
We hold out our hands
We keep our eye on the real enemy.
Good can come of the things that hurt us.
We fill our hearts with love.
We have faith.

Ashley S: I LOVE the idea of a non-violent world! And I think anything is possible so a nonviolent world is completely possible. I think a non-violent world would be so great in so many ways but I also feel like if people like myself had never experienced violence the way I did that I wouldn’t feel so strongly about getting good grades and having fun at college and finding and becoming my own person. And never putting anyone through what I went through. I also feel like if people hadn’t been through such hard times like MLK that there wouldn’t be nearly as many people to stand up for what they believe IN so strongly!

Bree: Dear Dr. Martin Luther King Junior,
I am writing this letter to you today to get you caught up on some stuff. What you did during the Civil Rights Movement was awesome. It helps make people think that maybe everyone is equal. Now days we all go to the same school. We can sit anywhere we want. We are united in many ways. Some things you may not know is that today has changed, but in a different way than you maybe would have thought. People are still judgmental except this time it’s not just race, it’s gender and social status, religion, and what you wear. I think today is just as bad as it was back then. I think you would be very disappointed and try to start changing the world again. Being a teenager these days isn’t that easy either. We worry about what we eat, how we look, are we safe, is someone going to beat me, should I tell the world I’m gay, and so on. Life is tough sometimes and I don’t think it will get any easier, but I guess it’s just one step at a time. Sometimes I feel the world should just realize we are all humans and we are all equal. And once in a while, I feel a moment of hope.

Ashley McF: A moment of hope: When I came to High Rocks I felt welcome as soon as I set foot on the ground. All of them were so caring. It gave me a chance to say “Hey I’m like everyone else here. I usually don’t fit in to most places especially when it’s the first time, but the people here don’t care what you look like, how you dress, or if you’re rich or poor. This gives me hope that one day the world could be like this.

Adreanna: Another moment of hope: I came to this MLK Day march in Lewisburg last year. Everyone was so happy to see each other out on this day. As soon as I saw all the people and started meeting them I knew this was a place for everyone. Even though some of us weren’t black we still wanted to celebrate this wonderful thing this man did. This also gave me hope that one day everyone will be equal.

Heather T: And even when it’s not easy at first, sometimes you can find a moment when we people change, a moment of hope: I went to an immigration rights rally in Tennessee. When I first got there I was scared out of my mind. My group was one of the few white people and it felt like the Latino and African-American kids were giving us looks like we shouldn’t be there because it wasn’t about us – like they were looking down on us. I really thought we should just leave and go home. But then they split us into different little groups and we made up random songs and moved around. That was the beginning of us bonding. By the time we left, I knew we were all connected, all the same, just different colors and different personalities.

Miriah: So from every mountainside let freedom ring.

Amy: So let freedom ring in our high school cafeteria,

Kelsey C: Let freedom ring in the halls when we go to our lockers.

Rebecka: Let freedom ring when we meet somebody different.

Chelsea W: Let freedom’s ring resound with joy.

Miriah: Let us fill our hearts with hope.

Amanda: Let us hold fast to our dreams.

All: Happy Martin Luther King Junior Day!

Calling All Charleston Area Bloggers

A couple of friends are working to jumpstart and rejuvenate the local bloggers group. It was known as CAB and met on Friday mornings at Taylor Books. [I was never able to attend yet, due to scheduling, but always wanted to join. Always heard good things coming out of those meetings.] This promises to be fun, informative and possibly even entertaining!

Oncee wanted me to spread the word. I'll post again with the date/time of the next CAB meetup.

A to Z of Marketing: X is for Mulitply

Marketing is a system of strategic tactics and processes utilized to create an environment in which sales flourish.

Sales flourish. That's a phrase worth repeating. Sounds damn good, doesn't it!

Are your sales flourishing?

Sales is very often a one-to-one process. One sales call ... one order.

Same with word of mouth. One-to-one. It's a slow process. One person to the next. And so on.

Enter marketing. Marketing is the great multiplier. Good, smart marketing multiplies the sales results. Marketing accelerates the Word-of-Mouth referral process, like pouring kerosene on a fire. (I'll admit that I have never poured kerosene on anything.)

Marketing even has the power to compress the sales cycle. It can reduce the number of sales calls required to get from "Who are you?" to "Did you receive my purchase order on e-mail this morning?" Thus, marketing can also be a very welcome divisor. But there's not a letter from our alphabet that represents division, now is there. And then, after all, this is about the letter X.

Oh --- and while we're on X ...

Merry X-mas to marketing geniuses around the globe! We appreciate you and are glad to have you as part of our community.