Marketing Advice
Friday, April 6th, 2007Twelve Ways Newspapers Can Reinvent Themselves
It is clear that newspapers across the country are in the midst of a crisis. Dozens have closed in the past two years, including some large, metropolitan dailies like the Rocky Mountain News, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Cincinnati Post and Tucson Citizen. Others have threatened to close, sought bankruptcy protection, merged, or moved to partial week publication. A few have decided to cease print operations and serve their news only online. As a Time journalist eloquently said, it is "as if some creeping, flesh-eating virus had got hold of the newspaper industry."
Causes of the Crisis
While the current crisis is clearly influenced by the rise of the Internet as a source of news, a decline in circulation, and a collapse of display and classified advertising, it is actually not an entirely new problem. In fact, newspapers have been experiencing a decline in total circulation for the past 30 years. And newspapers don't have a good track record of adapting to technology, as evidenced by the press-radio war of the 1930s when print media attempted to limit radio's access to news.
In addition, newspapers have not yet adapted to changing audience preferences. Walter Pincus (in Columbia Journalism Review) has pointed out that newspapers have squandered resources "that could have been used to give readers a wider selection of stories about what was going on and that may have directly affected their lives." In the Internet world, this is called "content is king." In other words, "any media venture is likely to fail through lack of appealing content, regardless of other design factors" (Wikipedia entry).
Many Solutions Silly
A number of solutions have been proposed to address the current newspaper crisis. Unfortunately, most do not make a lot of sense.
Publication cutbacks – Nearly a hundred papers are scaling back the number of days in which they print a newspaper (list of newspapers that have cut publication days). Saturdays and Mondays are the most frequent victims of these cutbacks, although many cuts are even more severe. Other newspapers, such as the Detroit Free Press are still printing weekday editions, but cutting back on home delivery days. Such an approach is expected to help the Free Press save 20 percent of its costs, according to an AP report, while hopefully maintaining most of its advertisers who already prefer other publication days.
Yet, there seems a danger in customers forgetting about you if your contact with them is not on a regular, consistent weekday basis. It's one thing if a newspaper is weekly and I expect it on Wednesdays, but it's another thing if it only comes out on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays while my weekday patterns of life run Monday through Friday.
Content payment or subscription changes – Rupert Murdoch has recently suggested that an newspapers are going to need to seriously reconsider the need to charge for online news content, something few papers except the Wall Street Journal currently do. Similarly, Walter Isaacson (in Time Magazine) has called for movement toward a subscriber micropayment system that incorporates ease-of-use features like iTunes or PayPal. But both approaches seem to be looking backward and akin to closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. It is also worth noting that subscription fees for newspapers generally only covered the cost of newsprint and have never been a key driver of revenue.
In contrast, Merlin Mann and John Gruber (at SxSW 2009) have explained why giving away content often makes good sense for bloggers, often in unexpected ways. It seems a similar logic could apply to newspapers' online efforts, given sufficient time to discover new, perhaps unforeseen revenue options. Admittedly, much of the time for such discovery has already been squandered.
Non-profit status - Senator Benjamin Cardin (D, MD) has introduced the Newspaper Revitalization Act into the U.S. Senate that would allow newspapers to become non-profit "educational" organizations. The arrangement would be similar to public television and prohibit papers from making endorsements. Advertising and subscriptions would be tax exempt instead of unrelated business income, as is typically the case with nonprofit organizations.
Overall, this concept seems to be an overreaction which bends the typical understanding of a non-profit, with little historical precedence. Furthermore, it fails to acknowledge that newspapers are still, by and large, profitable enterprises. In a less radical approach, Gov. Gregoire of Washington State has provided special tax breaks to his state's ailing newspapers through 2015. Yet both these approaches follow a bail-out mentality rather than a path that would help newspapers adapt to changes in the environment.
Online-only approaches – A smaller group of newspapers has taken the drastic step of moving to becoming online-only publications. The Christian Science Monitor, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Ann Arbor News are notable examples. While a bold step into the brave new world, online advertising may not yet be mature enough to support these ventures.
Others have also expressed skepticism. Walter Pincus (CJR) has stated that "serious people have proposed what in time will be considered absurd ideas – turn papers into nonprofit organizations; charge for each downloaded story; turn into Web-based publication; make Web aggregators, such as Google and Yahoo, pay for carrying newspaper stories." With the possible exception of becoming online-only publications, these proposals generally seek easy solutions. Unfortunately, this is typically not the way most challenges are overcome.
The Need for Reinvention
There is no doubt that newspapers need to reinvent themselves, although how best to bridge from the past to the future is not entirely clear. The rational answer likely involves strategic creativity and risk taking, such as the effort that created USA Today some 25 years ago.
To that end, it seems clear that newspapers need to make a paradigm shift from printers of news to conveyers of information, at least for those that have not already recognized that further integration with the Internet is essential to survival. Hard work and technical savvy will also be prerequisites, but there will likely be no "easy" way out for newspapers.
Here are 12 practical yet strategic steps newspapers might take in pursuit of such a transformation:
1. Webize the Newspaper Name
Most newspapers have figured out the importance of having the Web address displayed on their pages, and even on the sacred home page. These web address also generally match the newspaper's name (although surprisingly, some don't). But the time has come for total commitment between print and online presence. At a minimum, the URL for the newspaper's online presence should be the largest, boldest item in the masthead after the paper's name. For maximum effect, the URL should become the paper's name. So instead of Smithville Daily News, the masthead reads in big, bold type "SmithvilleNews.com."
2. Print Content Should Always Jump to the Web
We propose at least 80 percent of articles in the printed version of a newspaper should end with a URL. Not just a listing the newspaper's Web address, but providing a relevant call to action with as numeric details where feasible to add specificity:
Comment on the School Board's actions at smithvillenews.com/090423school View school auditor's report at smithvillenews.com/090423schoolaudit View video from Sewer Committee consultant at smithvillenews.com/stinky-sewers-cause-complaints View and purchase any of 50 photos from Raiders vs Chemics game at smithvillenews/sports Post your opinion on Snodgrass Industry's Plant Closing on our blog at smithvillenews.com/blog. Read the remainder of reporter Jill Schatinger's story online at smithvillenews.com/pageone (5 paragraphs, 3 charts)
Conversely, online news must also find ways of cross-selling print editions where and when feasible.
3. Flip the Editorial Page
Instead of letters to the editors printed in the newspaper, the editorial pages should print the best of the previous day's reader's comments on stories or editorial postings, as reviewed by the editorial editor. Or perhaps the editor would sort out excerpts from posts into pro and con columns (but without the shouting as one gets on cable television shows).
Another possible approach might be for the editorial staff to interject their commentary into the stream of the conversation as it is reprinted from the web, rather than exclusively in a separate column at the top of the page. The editorial page could become a section that reports on editorial opinion, categorizing, analyzing refuting or supporting points of view in chunks (each attributed back to the poster's username), rather than the traditional display of letters to the editor.
4. Recapture the Classifieds
The rise of Craig’s List, eBay, eBay Motors , Monster.com, and other such sites have marginalized the value of traditional classified advertising. The resulting collapse of classified advertising has been cited as one of the key factors in the financial difficulties faced by both the San Francisco Chronicle and Boston Globe.
Newspaper chains or an industry sponsored consortium should use their resources and national presence to identify ways to compete, partner or buyout significant players in what may be understood as the micro-advertising marketplace. A process is needed where individuals or businesses could post short, text-based ads or modular display ads through the local newspaper's web interface. These ads would then be populated to the newspaper's local or national partner web sites, e-mail newsletters, print editions, and perhaps even traditional online text ad services like Google’s Adwords and Overture, or social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter.
This new genre of classified ads could also appear next to relevant content in print (not just in the back of the paper where nobody looks), as identified through keyword tagging in the ads and some sort of algorithm that understands the topic of the news article. Such an approach could bring new value to the otherwise exhausted classified concept, especially if space were devoted to explaining the easy steps for advertising and reporting the individual, local success stories.
5. Kill Impression-based Advertising and Embrace PPC
While print ad placements may still need to be sold on a traditional basis, newspapers should shift their online advertising strategies from the old paradigm of pay per impression to the more modern pay per click model. This may cause the demise of most banner ads, and we'll all be glad to see them go. The pricing model is likely one of the few reasons such ads persist in the face of low click through rates and research showing widespread banner blindness.
A move to a PPC model for online display ads will also require a fundamental shift in advertising philosophy. Advertisers will have to think and work harder to get their message across. They will need to be more relevant to the consumer and partner with newspapers to find ways to tie their ads to relevant content through keywords – without destroying the editorial-advertising divide. Finally, advertisers and newspapers will need to find ways to provide value to the reader to earn their clicks, which in the end is a win-win for newspaper and reader alike. More informational, emotional and visual online advertising will likely result.
A PPC advertising model may initially result in lower income, but there should also be potential for increased volume due to this approach lowering the bar for smaller businesses to confidently enter the online advertising arena. Such democratization of advertising will likely have the added benefit of creating new, secondary industries focused on analytical services and tools.
6. Customize Content Delivery
StumbleUpon.com is a potential model for delivering news that is of the most interest to each individual newspaper subscriber. This customized content could be delivered through an e-mail newsletter format, or to a wireless, web-enabled book reading device. In fact, newspapers should be running, not walking, to the Kindle and Sony Reader Digital Book platforms.
In this approach to customized content delivery, the subscriber would give initial input about their areas of interest such as one does on StumbleUpon, which would be combined with the subscriber's demographic information and content analysis algorithms that "learn" what the subscriber is most interested in through how they rate items positively or negatively through thumbs up or down icons, or through their click behavior.
7. Report on Online Activity
Newspapers could do a better job of reporting on what is happening on Internet in their print editions. By this we don't mean more techie stories, but some type of summary display that gives the pulse of news or other online activities. For example, BuzzFeed covers memes and the viral Internet, Google zeitgeist reports search trends, and there are a number of tools that help track trends on Twitter. A good place to start would be reporting yesterday's most popular activity on the newspaper's Web site: what are people searching for, what topics received the most comments or blog posts, which advertisers are receiving the most clicks. A daily or weekly, data-driven content analysis of media coverage –newspaper, radio, Internet, cable and network – could create a new position for newspapers as the rational, data-driven analysts of current events and opinions (i.e. – database journalism).
8. Make Newspapers Clickable
Alltop.com aggregates news stories in categories (and by source) and displays the results as clickable headlines. The whole page is filled with clickable headlines. This concentrated approach to news is like a newspaper with hundreds of sections, quickly scanable, and more appealing than an RSS feed reader. If newspapers were clickable, this would be an appealing format to make papers more valuable. QR Codes have the potential to make newspapers clickable.
QR codes are two dimensional bar codes that are already popular in Japan. There you can take a camera phone photograph of such a code – on a handout, a mailer or even a billboard – and be transferred to a corresponding Web site on your web-enabled cell phone. Thus either camera phones or some new type of pen-like input device could be used as a bridge between printed headlines accompanied by such a code and Web-based reading devices like a tablet PC, e-book reader, iPhone, or a customized e-mail newsletter.
Interactivity is one of two attributes that newspapers currently lack, according to Andrew Davis, President of the American Press Institute (see Time Forum). The newspaper industry should aggressively pursue the implementation of QR codes and related technology which have the potential to make the printed word interactive.
9. Become the Celebration
Births, engagements, weddings, anniversaries and deaths are a significant part of local newspaper coverage. A few national Web sites like our365.com (for births) and legacy.com (for obituaries) are in this market space, but it seems there is a opportunity for a newspaper chain or consortium to develop an innovative Web concept that combines aspects of photo sharing, local directories, retail sponsorship and sales.
Of course, an online version of newspapers' social pages sounds a lot like Facebook, which has itself been struggling to find a sustainable advertising model. This suggests that there may be an opportunity for collaboration where newspapers become the local on-ramp for social news and in turn funnel local, targeted and relevant advertising from small businesses back to Facebook or similar sites. In this way newspapers would become the intermediary between highly personalized online and local advertising revenue opportunities.
In a similar way, concerts, plays, lectures and sporting events also get hometown press attention. Eventful.com and Ticketmaster are key online players in this market space. While some newspapers are "reverse publishing" event calendars from their websites in weekend media & event-focused print editions (Example: Bay City Times's Let’s Go Section discussed at :33), a better option is likely to find a way to partner with Web ventures that already have a wide national presence, commenting or voting capabilities, social networking aspects, and other linkages that already give it high value in the eyes of the consumer. For example, it might be possible to publish print listings of eventful.com events and collect a fee from that website for measurable increases in web traffic or ticket sales that can be attributed back to the newspaper promotion. Today's Internet-based economies will require newspaper's acceptance of less control over the means of production and more innovative collaboration.
Such an approach to event publishing could also overcome a common reader complaint: that newspapers cover interesting events after the fact, but don't do a good job of advance notice of community activities, presumably because they consider pre-event publicity "advertising," not news.
10. Consider Hyperlocalization
Hyperlocalization is the concept of focusing on community news. While the Web is outstanding for delivering national and international news and information, it still can't compete with newspapers for breadth and depth of local coverage (see PBS Frontline: "Should newspapers go hyperlocal?"). Unfortunately, some early examples of hyperlocal approaches such as backfence.com and LoudounExtra.com have been less than successful. Nevertheless, the strategy may yet have merit if and when the correct formula is applied.
Ethnic newspapers are another example of focusing on an audience subsegment. While not unaffected by the recession, many ethnic newspapers are growing (example: El Diario La Prensa), and such papers are surprisingly popular (NYT article), making them worthy of further study by an industry that needs to better focus on their readers.
11. Partner (or Compete) with the Post Office
Newspapers are unique in that they operate a home delivery network. While the United States Postal Service has exclusive legal rights to deliver first and third-class mail, newspapers have a potential opportunity to provide an alternative way for advertisers to reach their target audiences. Furthermore, lobbying for readjustment of the changes made to the second class postage rate structure in 2007, which favored media conglomerates over smaller publications, could help papers take further advantage of postal delivery options.
12. Take a Contrarian Position
If all else fails (or even if it doesn't), newspapers could consider a "Good News Page," that compiles user-submitted, positive stories from around town for exclusive publication in their print editions. Of course the axiom is that "Bad News Sells" (Pew Research supporting this), but perhaps it is time for print media to find a way to establish a unique, contrarian media position that could attract hometown advertisers interested in good public relations as well as an audience of eyeballs who would appreciate this material in an otherwise discouraging world of news.
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The crisis faced by newspapers across the country should be of concern to all marketers since printed newspapers and their accompanying Web sites are still valuable vehicles needed to effectively reach the marketer's target audiences. Furthermore, marketers within the newspaper industry have a role to play in helping reinvent newspapers for the future – a role that will serve their own careers as well as helping shape the newspaper industry for decades to come.
Additional and Related Links
America’s Press-Radio War of the 1930s: A Case Study in Battles between Old and New Media (PDF) Motown Madness: Home Delivery Cut – Why Detroit Newspapers' Approach Will Fail Washington State Papers Paid Dearly for Tax Cut Estimated to Save Only 15 Reporters' Jobs Guy Kawasaki (co-founder of Alltop.com) on Obstacles to Innovation (Kawaski on Twitter) BBC Report on QR Codes (video) Newspaper Death Watch blog Journalist Jeff Jarvis on the Future of Newspapers (video) (bio & blog) How Newspapers & Magazines Can Benefit from 2D-codes like QR-Code, BeeTagg Code and Datamatrix (video) (Swedish) Maybe Google Needs Newspapers Make Your Own Newspaper Circulation Trend Gauge
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Why Graphic Artists Have a Difficult Job
In a word, clients.
These videos give us a view of the world from the graphic artist’s perspective. Sorta like the animals at the zoo looking out at the funny homo sapiens with their noses pressed up against the glass. Remember, humor is funny because it is truth delivered in a well-timed fashion.
Microsoft Redesigns the iPod Package
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Correcting Your Company's Brand Name or Location on GPS Systems
Misspellings of brand names, mislocation of buildings on a campus, or just plain incorrect data on GPS systems can be frustrating.
The two main map makers for GPS devices are Tele Atlas (www.teleatlas.com) and Navteq (www.navteq.com). Both offer ways to submit updates to their maps via their Web sites.
Map Feedback for Tele Atlas
http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com/ 
Teleatlas’ Map Insight™ application walks a user through the process of submitting a correction. The company states that "by leveraging user perspectives, our data will become even fresher and more valuable to consumers, developers, and enterprises alike."
Give Map Feedback for NAVTEQ
http://mapreporter.navteq.com/
NAVTEQ Map Reporter™ provides a method to submit a correction, catogorize it by type and make additional comments. The company states that it makes "every effort to ensure that our map data is as fresh, accurate, and up-to-date as possible by employing full-time staff in more than 130 offices around the world."
Both systems provide a view of their map that you can zoom in on until you find the point of interest. You can then "thumbtack" the location (a thumbtack icon in Teleatlas, a more obscure target circle icon in NAVTEQ) before submitting the item with your e-mail address. NAVTEQ provides a way for registered users to track the status of their submission.
Making Corrections to Other Map Systems
In addition, Garmin (who uses NAVTEQ data) provides a (complex, hard-to-use) map error feedback form on the Garmin web site. Magellan points users to NAVTEQ's map feedback. Tom Tom promotes a "real time" map correction feature that you can enable on your device, although the video demo only shows a road construction/detour example. TomTom has turned over millions of correction suggestions from the system to Tele Atlas (Read article on GPSReview.net).
Google Maps provides "edit" option you can use while viewing a map (View video showing how) as well as a way to submit Google Map corrections as part of Google Maps Help section (Note that Google Mobile uses TeleAtlas map data. Web-based Maps uses NavTeq map data). Mapquest provides an "report data errors" option on their contact page, while Yahoo Maps are built upon NAVTEQ data.
If you've had success or frustration with using these or other methods of correcting GPS data from a marketing or PR perspective, please use the comment link below to share your experience. 
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Could .TEL Spell the End of Yellow Page Advertising?
The new top level domain .tel is uniquely positioned to change the face of yellow page directory advertising. It may also have significant impact on search engine optimization and will likely better serve mobile devices than the .mobi top level domain has heretofore done.
For background, the Internet has numerous “top level domains” or TLDs such as .com, .net, .edu, .gov and so forth. Telnic’s introduction of .tel is the most recent addition to the domain line up, but is significantly different than previous TLDs. This is because .tel isn’t tied to traditional HTML web pages, but rather is only a repository for data that is stored at the DNS, or domain name system, level. 
Once your register and configure your company’s .tel domain name (using a standardized backend tool provided by Telnic), you may load information like phone and fax numbers, web site, Facebook page, GPS coordinates and so forth into the .tel system. There it is available for retrieval – although retrieval by whom and how is yet to be fully realized.
For now, anyone can type the .tel domain into their browser to receive a standardized display of the contact information that you entered for your company. This will likely be an immediate application for phone-based mobile devices and more convenient method for finding phone numbers and for GPS identification of locations and than a .mobi page, which is essentially just a stripped-down version of your web page for cell phones. The real future for .tel is likely hidden within the potential for the aggregating of .tel information by search engines like Google or other yet-to-be-developed online applications (Others are more skeptical about the potential for SEO benefits).
.TEL Impact on Traditional & Online Yellow Pages
Yellow page advertising is another service that could potentially be in .tel’s crosshairs. Obnoxiously overpriced and notoriously confusing, yellow page advertising is a bane to most marketing and public relations managers. In addition, online “yellow page” web sites are frequently inaccurate and difficult to correct.
Enter .tel domains, which allow a company to control the accuracy, level of detail and keywords associated with their contact information. Updates can be made immediately instead of waiting up to a year for the next directory to be issued, and everyone has the most recent version instead of a 3-year-old spaghetti-splattered tome that Mikey is using as a booster seat. Plus, as life moves to the Internet, it is reasonable to assume that thick directories will give way to the more portable web-enable cell phone or the kitchen-based family computer.
As some have pointed out, it will take a critical mass of business adopters to make .tel a success –and a true threat to the yellow page status quo. In the first month, business adoption appears brisk although press coverage is still modest. As of this post, major firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Intel, GM, Bank of America and Exxon do not currently have live .tel domains. On the other hand, Apple, Cisco, Amazon, Toyota and the White House do.
New .tel addresses have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive since domain registration is the only cost; there is no web page or web server involved. Furthermore, MySpace will be promoting .tel domains to its members, potentially tapping into individual and social networks as a strategy to bootstrap broad acceptance and implementation of the domain (this is the approach registrar Domain Monster is taking with it's video below).
The jury is still out on the brand new .tel domain, but marketing and public relations professionals would do well to take steps to protect their brand names, configure basic contact information on their .tel domains and be watchfully waiting for further opportunities within the .TEL marketplace.
Video Information about .TEL Domain
1. Bloomberg News interviews Telnic CEO Khashayar Mabdavi about how the new domain could “spell the end of the old style directory services.”
2. Telnic’s official demo for business explains the domain’s potential in a 4 minute video overview.
3. This humorous promotional video for Domain Monster suggests how .tel videos can be used for social networking. You can even follow the ben.tel URL from the spot to learn more about UK actress Laura Haddock.
Additional Links
Telnic example of a large business with nested levels of contact information within a .tel address.
.TEL discussion on BBC television (Video).
List of domain name registrars through whom you can register .tel domains
Telnic launches iPhone application
The .Tel Search Engine Factor
Yellow page consultant list - Reduce your traditional YP expenses (These consultants specifically have hospital or healthcare experience). 
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New Tools and Social Media Cause Practitioners to Sound Warnings about the Future of Public Relations
"The Future of PR" is the subject of a video compiled by the Council of PR Firms with commentary from various noteable principals and practitioners within the field. Although not a structured presentation, the video does touch on some of the major forces influencing the direction of public relations today, the majority of which are influenced by the growth of new and social media tools available to practitioners, their clients and the public.
Points that he speakers touch on include:
Social media's effect on journalismMedia fragmentationChanges in value relationships between clients and PR firmsNeed for client education due to new and social media growthTalent recruitmentDiversityIncreased need for authenticityThe speed with which PR tools are developing and changingA need to refocus on the basics principles of PR in light of the rise of new media and tools
Additional Links
PR Industry Leaders Put Their Feet in Their Mouths at Critical Issues Forum
The Future of Public Relations
Students: The Council of PR Firms asks, “What is the most dangerous idea in PR today?”
Dangers Equal Opportunity for Smart Marketers, PR Firms 
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Developing a Culture of Giving within Your Organization
Employees and internal stakeholders should be a cornerstone of your non-profit organization’s fund development efforts.
Yet the Spirit of philanthropy doesn’t necessarily come naturally to the human soul, even if they’re employed by your 501(c)(3) organization; work on your board of directors; or teach, heal or pray in your corridors.
As organizations grow, they have a tendency to begin to resemble their for-profit counterparts. As a result, and over time, it is not unusual for the charitable focus that may have been at the core of the founders’ vision to become hazy or even fade away altogether. Fortunately, developing a culture of philanthropy within your organization can serve more goals than just assisting with fund raising. A philanthropic employee base is more likely to be committed to the organization’s mission, to the team effort, and to bringing a positive attitude to their work.
Here are a dozen tips for developing a culture of giving within your not-for-profit organization, whether it is a para-church ministry, a hospital, or a university:
1. State Your Mission ― Again
Employees need to understand your organization's non-profit mission and be regularly reminded of what they come to work to accomplish. It is natural to expect that the worthy nature of your mission will lead to employees making a personal financial commitment. It's not about requiring employees to give, or browbeating them, it's about employees coming to a place where they internalize your mission and want to participate more fully with it through voluntarily giving back something to the organization and its causes.
2. Start with Small, Non-Threatening Opportunities
The opportunity to give small gifts can help employees become more comfortable with giving to your organization. A common approach that fits this criterion is a holiday "lights on the tree" appeal. This type of appeal gives Niece Sally an opportunity to make a donation in honor of Aunt Suzie’s recently deceased husband. It helps both the donor, who doesn’t know what to get Aunt Suzie, and your organization.
Likewise, your organization could ask for an extra dollar, or to round up the employee’s purchase to the next dollar when they visit the gift shop or cafeteria during a special celebratory week. Bringing in Jewelry, Uniform or Book Sales to the workplace for employee's convenience and your organization's benefit also fall in this category ― especially when your communication efforts make clear that your organization's share is going to a specific, worthwhile cause.
3. Talk about It
If other departments are on the agenda for presentations to management groups or to employees, so should fund development. Upcoming appeals and plans are strategically important to the organization just like a new advertising campaign, or the introduction of a new service. Discussion of fund development plans with employees should be done openly and naturally, not hidden from view.
4. Ensure Executive Giving
Your organization's C-level executives should already be giving back to your organization at some level. If not, it's unlikely that they will have the necessary commitment to support the development of a culture of giving within your organization. A fund development director will need want to take on stragglers as they would any potential major donor. If nothing else, recognizing executive giving may help your PR efforts when the press gets a hold of your 990s.
5. Recognize that Some are 'Takers'
Your fund development and executive leadership should recognize that Americans by nature ― and many people by personality ― are "givers." In service industries and non-profits, more than the average number of employees may already be receptive to supporting your cause. Fund development is not about pulling money from someone's hand, it's about providing people the opportunity to partner with your organization's mission to do something important that impacts people's lives. If staff are upset that you're asking, they likely don't understand your non-profit status and mission.
6. Develop Social Networks at Work and then Tie to Your Cause
People you work with often become like "family." Nurturing this can benefit morale and teamwork, as well as providing another avenue for you to share your mission with your own employees. Traditionally, internal giving by departments can be encouraged through holiday appeals or memorial opportunities that employees can mutually contribute to as a natural unit. Online social networks like and Facebook and LinkedIn are additional ways to create a network. Start by making sure your organization has a Facebook page or group that employees can affiliate themselves with. Then consider that Facebook also provides a way for members to support "causes" – information about which can then be distributed virally to your employees’ friends.
7. Celebrate Volunteerism
The spirit of volunteerism is akin to the spirit of giving. They are often the same constituency. Celebrate even if the employee's volunteerism is elsewhere in the community, not just within your own organization. It is the same spirit regardless of where expressed.
8. Encourage Volunteerism
The next step after celebrating volunteerism is to encourage it through providing opportunities, requiring community service for managers, requiring it for promotion, providing time off, flexible scheduling and so forth.
9. Encourage All Types of Giving
A culture of giving that encouraging employees to give to worthy causes is good for the employee, good for the community and good for the organization. Some ways to do this include United Way campaigns, providing a matching gift program, or participating with national organizations with which your non-profit has affinity (for example, a hospital putting together a team for the Alzheimer Association's Memory Walk). Selfishly avoiding providing employees with such outside giving opportunities doesn't make sense. Rather, develop a spirit of philanthropy among employees and watch for downstream benefits to your organization in the form of new donors or planned gifts from those employees.
10. Acknowledge Internal Donors
Acknowledging internal donors internally can express the organization's gratitude to them and be an encouragement for other employees to give as well. Admittedly, this requires some finesse to come across in a positive manner and not as cajoling non-givers. Summarizing employee giving and reporting the aggregate results in newsletters and easel posters can be an effective first step. In addition, major internal donors might be recognized at board or foundation meetings where other major and external donors are present.
11. Make Internal Giving Easy
Payroll deduction can make employee giving easier. Also splitting a pledge across multiple paychecks provides an opportunity for employees to become regular donors and reach larger giving levels.
12. Ask
Unashamedly ask your employees and related internal constituencies to support the strategic needs of your organization with their charitable contributions. If your needs ― and their support ― weren’t important, you likely wouldn’t be a non-profit organization to start with. Your board members and employees are likely already giving elsewhere, as are physicians within your hospital or health care organizations, or the professors on your teaching staff. Why shouldn’t – why wouldn’t – they also be interested in giving back to the good work being done where they work? You’ll never know, and you’ll never develop a spirit of giving, until you ask. 
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Update: Calendar Marketing Approaches
In an update to our earlier post, "Getting Your Event on Your Audience's Calendar," Calgoo.com will soon launch a cross-platform service that promises to put events like your company’s upcoming education seminars, your store’s upcoming sales events, your professional sports team’s game times, a golf course’s open tee times, or even relevant eBay auctions on your Outlook, Google or iCal calendar. The company describes their approach as a permission-based marketing medium for businesses to promote time-sensitive products and services Links A 3-Minute overview of Calgoo in-calendar marketing
Calgoo blog
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Good Art is Not Subjective
Jackson Pollock's art is interesting, especially the more colorful pieces, but I've generally had a much harder time appreciating other abstract art. I found some rationale for my tastes (or lack thereof) in "Acquired Taste," in article by Gene Edward Veith in World Magazine (subscriber login required for full article, Feb 9/16, 2008 issue), where he explains "A work is beautiful to the extent that it displays at the same time both complexity and unity." Enjoying junk food or junk culture isn't bad once in a while, but developing taste in art (or music, or writing, or dance, etc.) does require discipline. "Growing in taste means learning to take pleasure in what is objectively good," Veith said. While classic thinkers spoke of three kinds of absolutes: the true, the good, and the beautiful, Veith clearly bases his definition of "good" on a Christian worldview. "The Bible tells us to set our minds on 'whatever' is 'excellent' and 'of good report' (Philippians 4:8)," he said. "To think that beauty is nothing more than a subjective preference—unconnected to standards that originate in God Himself—is to buy into a foundational principle of today's anti-Christian worldview." Regardless of worldview, a principle we can apply here is that making good judgments about art, copywriting or strategy is often less subjective than the novice (or naïve) may think. Rationale patterns flow underneath good communications, and the professional communicator does well to become a life-long learner of theory as well as the practical application of our trade. 
"A canvas of random paint-splatterings may have complexity, but it has no unity," Veith said. "The Sistine Chapel, or a Rembrandt woodcut, or a Hudson River landscape has both, being full of individual details that come together into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts." Veith extends the concept to music, drawing contrasts between simplistic and more complex forms, even within the same era or genre of music itself.
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Bill Hybels: The Importance of Decision Making for Leaders
Author and pastor Bill Hybels (bio & books) spoke about decision making during his keynote address to the Willow Creek Leadership Summit on August 7. It is important to have a process to arrive at good, God-honoring decisions. Likewise, it is important to learn how to improve our decision making over time. Hybels recommended Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls by Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis as the best book he's read on the topic. He then outlined a traditional, four-point approach to Christian decision making: 1. Does the Bible say anything about this? So many decisions aren't that hard, Hybels said, because the Bible gives clear direction. For example, leaders should admit when they are wrong. They should set an example. They should treat all with respect. He recommended leaders read the Bible regularly and see what effect it has on their decision making. 2. What would smart advisors tell me to do? All leaders should establish a formal or informal network of advisors, Hybels said, since in the abundance of counselors there is safety as Proverbs 11:14 suggests. However, the leader must also apply their own discernment to the advice they receive, as in the case of Absalom, the son of Solomon, who made the poor choice of following the advice of his peers instead of his elders, which resulted in a civil war instead of consolidating his hold on the kingdom after his father's death.
3. What have I learned from past pains, gains and experience? Reviewing the scars from past experiences helps give perspective to subsequent decisions. Likewise, gains from past bold decisions can help influence the current decision. Put together he abbreviates this step as P,G & E – pains, gains and experience. Hybels said journaling can be a valuable way to add to your wisdom if you include information about decisions and their results. 4. Is the spirit prompting me? When facing a decision, Hybels attempts to listen for an inaudible whisper that is God's voice. Sometimes when he feels God is warning him against a course of action it is like God is saying, "Let me save you from yourself." Relying on the spirit's promptings leads to life and peace according to Romans 8:6, he said. Another method he uses to make decisions is a "test decision." He will make a decision in his mind, and then carry that around for a few days to see if it feels right as he goes through his day. Decision Making Axioms As leaders lead over time they often begin to subconsciously compress these decision making steps into principles or proverbs for themselves. As they use these and find them helpful, they may become part of the organizational culture. Such "business proverbs" are the topic of Hybel's most recent book, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs .
Colin Powell, a former Leadership Summit speaker, has about a dozen such proverbs according to Hybels. They include "check your ego at the door," "promote a clash of ideas" (don't seek consensus, but ask "And who has a contrary point of view?) and "reward your performers; get rid of your non-performers" (don't waste time on non-performers). After interviewing Powell last year, Hybel's staff pointed out that "you have sayings too." He began to write them down over the course of the year and came up with a total of 76, which became the basis of Axiom. These include: Vision leaks – Even after a leader sets a vision, people forget. They need the vision and goals restated for them from time-to-time. My wife noted that a better analogy might be that "vision evaporates" since it's not necessarily the fault of the recipient that the vision gets dull over time. Get the right people around the table and it will be fine – Meaning that a challenge is best addressed by a team of the right people, not necessarily preconceived solutions. Facts are your friends – I've found myself saying something very similar in my career. Hard data helps make decisions, and make them easier. When something gets funky, engage – In other words, when a situation is awry, don't think it will go away or heal itself. Actively intervene instead. Leaders call fouls – when someone or something crosses the line, the leader should say so publicly. Sometimes a leader has to call a foul on himself and admit when his behavior was out of line. Take a flyer – Take a bold risk to launch a new initiative. Every once in a while you will have to create an action plan that takes your breath away, Hybels said. This should be differentiated, however, from moves that "bet the farm" by risking everything. Of course, axioms that you create and coin yourself as a leader will always be more powerful than those you adopt from other leaders, Hybels said. Leaders cannot be decision-adverse, Hybels said. Leaders need to make decisions. It's what leaders do. If the decision turns out well, your response should be to thank everyone you can think of. If it turns out to be a poor decision, don't blame others. Don't whimper or whine. Rather, take the responsibility for the poor decision and use the lesson to improve your decision making in the future.
Having a framework for decision making, a network of advisors, and an awareness of principles that have worked for us in making decisions in the past are all excellent recommendations applicable to marketing and public relations professionals.
Additional Resources “Next Steps" Resources for Hybel's presentation at the Leadership Summit 
Good decision making is critical to being a leader because so much of leadership is about making decisions. In addition, many decisions we make as leaders have "high stakes," affecting the lives of those who work for us, as well as hundreds or perhaps thousands whom our work efforts touch, according to Hybels.
Abraham Lincoln's response to people who wanted revenge on the South after the Civil War was phrased as such a proverb, "The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend." Likewise, Bob Galvin, retired CEO of Motorola, is known for "create motion for motion's sake," meaning that taking an organizational action is generally better than complacency and forces individuals to make changes that have potential for improving operations.
Digging Deeper links and references from Hybel's presentation
Dave Ferguson of the Velocity blog reviews Hybel's talk on decision making
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Polish Your Employees' Name Badge Presentation
Good customer service and safety standards encourage your employees wear their name badges in a clearly visible manner, but sometimes this can be a challenge. Lanyards are often employed in such situations, but these may involve safety concerns, even with break-away connectors. In addition, a lanyard still positions the name badge around the navel, rather than where it is clearly visible to customers in the upper body area. Badge Supports, LLC has now created a very nice option for shirts or scrubs that include a breast pocket. Their Nerd-Buster Badge Support slips into a shirt pocket providing an easy way of displaying a vertical or horizontal badge. The device also includes a tab that sticks up to attach a recognition or ribbon pin. Versions are available to hold a few business cards (I'm always forgetting to bring my cards to vendor meetings!), or may be pre-printed with a logo, calendar, mission statement, commonly used chemical formulae, or safety information (such as your organization's overhead paging codes). These features make the badge support a unique idea for vendors to give away at trade shows or Human Resource departments to purchase in bulk for their organization. Name Badge Links Badge Supports, LLC – The best approach we discovered, economically priced and Michigan-based (founded by a former automotive engineer like my father so they get extra brownie points). Arm Band Badge Holders – May be appropriate with lifeguards or staff in T-shirts, we suppose. Pocketprotectors.com and securityimaging.com produce Pocket Protectors with Name Badge Holders – An option for those that carry pens, pencils or other items in their shirt pocket. Government ID Badge Holders from Evolution Card Systems & Badge Supplies – Rigid, color-coded, magnetic, arm band and other badge holders for school, military or government use. Badge straps with hole or with extra loop - Versions of straps without the ubiquitous clip for use with necklaces, reels, tube lanyards or the like. 
Name tags with simple pins are common in restaurant and retail businesses, but corporate organizations generally issue a name badge. Frequently these are embedded with a proximity reader, bar code, or other "smart chip" devices for security, identification, or time card purposes. Such badges generally have clips, which work well enough for employees with suit coats. Shed the jacket; however, and the name badge creates the dreaded droopy pocket syndrome.
Unsolicited’s crack research staff has scoured the Internet for solutions to droopy pocket syndrome and found these resources:
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Getting Your Event on Your Audience’s Calendar
You’ve worked hard on designing and promoting your event. Now the challenge is making sure those hard-earned registrations actually show up. In some cases, reminder calls are appropriate, but in an age driven by electronic calendars what you really could use is an easy way to get your event onto your audience's computer or PDA.
Option 1: Integrate Yourself with Online Calendars
Users of eventful.com have the option of a button "Save to calendar" which gives options for posting to Outlook, Google, iCal format and other calendars. Eventful.com, which bills itself as having the world's largest collection of events, is a neat website which allows you to post details In a similar manner, Markthisdate.com is a European-based calendar portal and event promoter that offers widgets to promote your schedule of events. Of course many other city web sites or daily newspaper sites provide a venue to post local event details (e.g., cincinnati.com), and you could always hold a virtual event in Second Life .
Option 2: Build a Convenient Calendar Link on Your Site
For a more customized approach, consider how WebEx online meetings have an "add to calendar" feature so you can add either a single meeting, or a series of their meetings, to your Outlook Calendar (although it was simpler in Office 2003 than in security-enhanced Office 2007). Minor league baseball teams the Toledo Mudhens and Corpus Christi Hooks, as well as the major league Detroit Tigers have an option to add their game schedules to your Outlook calendar. Unfortunately, these are a manual and somewhat complex process from a user's perspective. Such approaches use the vCalendar and iCalendar standards.
Until (or unless) someone has created a secure but simple approach to adding items to a customer's Outlook calendar, the most effective approach may actually be a combination of wired techniques such as existing or custom programmed "add to calendar features," or perhaps you-to-your-audience e-mail reminder services, with more traditional approaches like registration confirmation letters, reminder slips, and so forth. Let us what you use to get your events on your audience's calendar by using the comment link below. Additional Calendar-Related Links Add or remove holidays to Outlook Easily Add Major League Baseball Team Schedule to Your Calendar (via markthisdate.com) Customize your employee's Outlook calendars with your company's important HR dates 
of your local events for free. It is easy for anyone to search for concerts, exhibits, lectures or other events of interest in their area, or a city they plan to visit. I found my region well represented with local events. In addition to the calendar feature, there are RSS feeds, e-mail notification, promotional tools available (Demand it!), imports from iTunes or last.fm (to track where your favorite bands are playing), and groups/friends social options. Posting your event to eventful.com can be the first step toward an integrated effort of pushing your audience to a popular online location where they can choose to add your event to their calendar.
How to create & distribute a vCalendar file for Outlook Google Calendar with Outlook and Smartphones Automatically Sync your Google Calendar with Microsoft Outlook Add Google Calendar to Outlook Outlook 2007 Calendar and Google Calendar integration (YouTube tutorial) Create an Add to Google Calendar button for your Web page
CalendarHub.com: Access your online calendar from anywhere, privately, shared in a group or published on your blog Upcoming: Yahoo's less than impressive event and calendar service (but it does use the hCalendar microformat, which may impress some geeks) Memo to Me, Online Reminders, RS Outlook and Free Minder are email reminder services, although none seem to promote a bulk or "one to many" optionSend invitations via Evite.com (such as for Cinco de Mayo) 
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Campaigns with Impact in Six (Easy) Steps
Good advertising or PR campaigns have impact, make sense and have an overall sense of simplicity. But nothing simple or elegant is ever really easy, as oysters will tell you about the pearl necklace.
Based on my experience, the creative process flows through at least six steps, which clients generally do not understand, and which newbie internal or agency staff might even be a bit vague on. Understanding this creative process can help both clients and staff support the development of approaches that are on-target with impact, sorta like those recent Cheez-It commercials.
Fact Finding
A review of the organization’s situation and goals is the first step in the campaign development process. Typically, this will start with a meeting between the in-house or agency staff and the company’s administrative team. This will provide valuable information — situation, conflict issues, goals, audiences, product benefits and/or propositions, competition, budget, deadline and so forth — but will likely be strongly influenced by an internal perspective. Additional research — formal or informal, primary or secondary, quantitative or qualitative — is wise to consider at this point. Good creative is strategic, so making sure one has the consumer’s view of the situation will pay dividends. Otherwise you could end up with let’s-whitewash-the-issue, or let’s-hit-them-in-the-head-with-a-baseball-bat approaches.
Mandatories
Mandatory elements of a campaign are typically part of the creative brief, but it is worth mentioning them separately here as they can be an easily overlooked, but treacherous part of campaign development. It is helpful to have these up front in case any issues impact the overall direction of the campaign. Mandatories include elements that must be included in the final product such as:
Follow corporate graphic standardsFor a co-op advertising, include Snodgrass Industries’ name and/or logoIn radio, use client’s brand name at least 3 timesFollow usage guidelines for any third-party endorsements or awardsTheme must be transferable to dozens of specialty items that the CEO lovesBe congruent with company slogan “We Care”
Creative Brief
The creative brief is a structured document that spells out the situation, strategy, mandatory requirements, and other items from the fact-finding section above. It is a tool used by the creative team as they go into the synthesis process, but can also be used the starting point for a description of the creative direction of the campaign once the following steps are complete. There are surprisingly large number of very good creative brief templates available on the Internet, and their construction and use are worthy of a separate post at some future time.
Synthesis
Here’s why you pay the creative folks the big bucks. And it’s why Thomas Friedman suggests that people who synthesize will have a better chance of being part of the new “untouchables” in the coming global economy. This step involves a creative team, which most often includes a small tight-knit group includes people with these types of skills:
A creative directorA strategistA designer and/or visual thinkerA copywriter and/or word thinkerAn account executive or staff close to the client (but NOT the client)
The creative team may be one person in a small agency, but more typically one to three or four people. The roles may overlap, depending on the people involved. The key is that this team is a small group with good brainstorming skills, developed from years of creative thinking. They will generally do a fair amount of what my father called cogitating before the magic occurs. I have never seen such a team involve a client, most likely because this would inhibit honesty and creativity.
The creative team generates ideas that synthesize elements such as:
Key points from the situation An understanding of the consumer’s mindAn understanding of what is realistic within the customer’s set of goalsInsights into the benefits and unique selling proposition of the product or serviceCultural references that would resonate with the audienceA sense of “tone” – formal or informal, funny or emotional, and so forthIdeas about what will break through the clutterKnowledge of good communication theory and strategy, including use of direct and circuitous pathsShape, size, colors, and communication toolsAnd likely a secret agency sauce
The Big Idea
The result of deep and creative thinking (a.k.a., synthesis) is a refined idea that defines the campaign’s direction. It is “ the big idea” or the philosophy that drives the campaign and ties it together. It likely isn’t the campaign “theme” itself, but it is succinct.
Implementation
Everyone has ideas (although unfortunately, they’re not all good ideas). After you have the idea you must do something with the idea. The big idea must be used to persuade, to communicate a message through the clutter, or otherwise use communication as a vehicle of change. So at this point, the creative process gives way to approval and implementation, including:
The client presentationApprovals (or back to the drawing board… if you don’t get fired)Copywriting & design implementationTestingTweaksFinal reviewsPlacement, production or execution
Applying the Six Steps for Improved Results
Understanding the creative process can help facilitate better creative results. Here are some ideas:
Develop a crib sheet to make sure you gather necessary information from clients during fact finding Make sure you clarify mandatory elements of the campaign before you get too far down the roadAlways gather up graphic standards and third-party awards and endorsement usage guidelines early in the agency-client relationshipIf you’re not a strategic thinker, nor a visual thinker, nor a senior copywriter, then don’t expect to get invited to the creative team’s brainstorming meeting quite yetRead a book on structured creative thinking or brainstorming. Start applying what you learnIdentify what data or elements your agency, creative director, or supervisor is going to need and start researching these items before they askAs a client, develop a creative brief template that you can use to give your agency background information (saves billable hours!)As an agency, develop a creative brief template with your logo on it (impresses clients, keeps creative staff on task)Deconstruct advertising or PR campaigns that you like and identify the big idea and key elements of the creative briefDo things to keep you abreast of the culture and your audience. Get a hobby or sport. Be well read. Read something different. Go a circuitous route to work. Increase blood flow to the opposite side of your brain.
By understanding that developing a campaign is a process, and that big ideas don’t just pop onto the table, you can help structure expectations for clients and prepare your marketing or public relations staff for the unglamorous, dirty work that is the true foundation of developing a campaign with impact.
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Code Monkey Musings on Music Narrowcasting
We first heard Jonathan Coultran’s song Code Monkey (lyrics iTunes) last year when it was circulating on the Internet, but listened again, more carefully, after John Wall recently featured it on The M Show. This made us consider whether there might be a market for music that is segmented to ultra-narrow audiences – like computer programmers.
This seems a crazy idea, until one ponders the historical progression of broad to narrow. AM radio was the first to narrow cast, as a reaction to the growth of FM and evidenced by the growth of talk, sports or business radio, African-American and Hispanic stations, and even radio narrowly segmented audiences like 80 year olds. Now – although many corporate owners follow a strategy of only targeting large, oldies audience segments – some argue that FM radio stations are also beginning to follow the narrowcasting trend, in reaction to the rise of satellite radio like Sirius and XM radio, as well as Internet radio. 
Furthermore, podcasting is perhaps the ultimate form of narrowcasting, and social media have also constructed narrow, ultra-segmented audiences, with My Space applying this to power to upstart bands and aspiring musicians. So the Internet has become a wild card in the evolution of media. What if the next leap in innovation was music targeting secretaries, or motorcyclists, or construction workers? This wouldn’t need to be a single band or bands, but could be a virtual construct from all songs specific to the audience’s experiences.
It some ways this makes “narrow” sound boring – and perhaps it would be. But the question remains, if we continue a march toward segmenting of segments in all media – including music – where will we end up?
Additional Links
Listen Up: Local Radio Audience Moving to the Web? (San Diego Business Journal) Mining Solid Gold on the Radio (New York Times) In Which I Melt Down Over the Troika AM/FM Radio (Boing Boing) Code monkey T-shirts and stuff Spend a lousy buck and buy the song on iTunes instead of just grabbing it for free off the Internet, or make a donation to the artist
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Book Project Update
The book project that has kept us from active blogging for the last few months is nearly complete. My wife helped with the final research push, which we were able to handle long distance with sources in Franklin, New Hampshire, site of the former Forest Vale Camp. This was followed by several proofs with my mother, wife and a friend providing valuable final help in correcting factual and grammatical errors. We are now awaiting delivery of an initial shipment from Lulu.com and trying to decide what to do with the recaptured free time (beside blogging, of course).
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Unsolicited Advice at a New Address
We apologize for the disruption in service over the weekend as we moved to a new domain.
Unsolicited is proud to now be available at its own domain at www.unsolicitedmarketingadvice.com. Old bookmarks for blogspot.com and RSS feed subscriptions should still work just fine, but let us know if you experience any problems or find any broken photo links.
We’ve also added a machine-readable Creative Commons license at the bottom of this page in an attempt to address content theft that we've been experiencing. We don't have much hope of stopping these low-lifes that are likely using our search-term rich material for click fraud, but hope springs eternal. If you're reading this post other than via e-mail, a news aggregator (i.e., Bloglines, News Gator, and so forth), or from the URL www.unsolicitedmarketingadvice.com, please move your bookmarks to this authorized domain. Our copyright license authorizes only attributed, non-commercial use, so if you see Google ads or naked women, you're reading unauthorized usage.
Thanks for your support. 
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The Internal Communicator’s Dilemma
Internal communications can be frustrating. After a full-court communications effort, employees still say "I didn't know about that…."
It seems the more you communicate, the more employees seem to miss the message. Perhaps it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Here are some tips:
1. Instead of more tools, try research
An external audit of your internal communications is an excellent idea, but also consider research that tests how well staff are receiving the messages you send. This is a better approach than relying on anecdotal comments. Segment your research by department and find out who you're not reaching through traditional channels.
2. Consider cascading messaging systems
A structured, cascading messaging system puts the burden on management to communicate to staff. Follow-up measurement can help determine how well employees receive messages, and can identify who the problem children are.
3. Push back
“Really, you didn't hear about that?” Probe employees on their communication habits and how they missed your messages. When employees say, “I didn’t know about that,” try — in a pleasant way — find out why. And ask, “How would you like to learn about important company news?”
4. Consider if you're communicating too much
There is such a thing as communicating too much. Doing so makes everything seem equally unimportant. Cutting out the clutter can make the important stuff rise back to the top. 
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Three Ways to Use Seed Lists to Your Advantage
If your organization does any amount of direct mail, you should be using seed lists.
A seed list is an extra set of addresses that are added to your mailing. The seed list names are added to the mailing regardless of whether they match the target criteria used to develop your list. They generally include you and perhaps other key people inside or outside of your organization. The term comes from how mailing list companies scatter (or “seed”) decoy names and addresses into the lists they sell. This allows the list company to monitor how their list is being used and safeguard against unauthorized use.
Marketers can also use seed lists to their advantage in at least three ways:
1. Track delivery time and quality
By adding yourself, your direct reports and call center staff to mailings, you’ll be able to know when pieces begin to arrive in consumer’s mailboxes. Plus, your staff can let you know about problems that occurred in the mail stream, such as ink rub-off from postal equipment, damage due to insufficient paper weight, additional tabbing done by post office because your piece wasn’t secure enough, or other design and mail house issues.
2. Keep your administration and key staff informed
While you may not want to swamp C-level staff with mailings, adding your boss or other key administrators to your seed list can help them have a better sense of what is being done in the Marketing or Public Relations Department. Unlike television ads or brochures, direct mail efforts often go unseen. Seeding the list with key staff or service line leaders can help the organization have a better idea about otherwise unseen communication efforts. You can even add your mother to the list if you feel guilty about not calling her often enough. And don't forget your ad agency account executives.
Of course, anyone that you add to your seed list should give their consent and understand that they will be getting more than the normal amount of company mail. Home addresses are generally better to use in such situations than work addresses. You may even want to develop a one-sheet explanation of the seed list concept to hand out to new additions to your standing list.
3. Exchange mailings with like-minded organizations
New ideas are the lifeblood of good communication efforts. One way to have a constant stream of ideas is to see what other organizations are doing on a regular basis. Non-profit organizations in particular will benefit from getting on the mailing lists of likeminded organizations from around the country. Vendors will often also host user groups or client conferences where the astute marketer will seek reciprocal exchanges of newsletters or direct mail seed list placements. Much of the material you receive will be trashed, but the gems can be kept in a swipe file for future reference.
To create a seed list, simple develop a spreadsheet with names and addresses that you collect from those who agree to be on your seed list. Your mailing service will likely appreciate if this follows a standard field layout that they use. Then create a standing order with your mailing firms that specify the list be added to every outgoing project. Most mail houses are familiar with this process. After first initiating a seed list program, check in with those on the list to let them know that you appreciate them letting you know of any problems or concerns.
Seed lists are easy to create, easy to implement and will return benefits to the communication professional that puts them to wise use.
Additional Resources
Quebecor explanation of its Seedtrack program for direct mail E-mail Deliverability Tracker — Deliverymonitor.com helps you seed your e-mail subscriber list with addresses at major ISPs. The service then checks those mailboxes and provides a detailed delivery report. 
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The Obvious Next Product
P is for Product, but product development is often an overlooked element of the marketing mix, especially in small to mid-size businesses. Perhaps it's a lack of creativity, the result of natural myopic business focus, or a function of the quality of marketing staff. Regardless, the primary, under girding principle of marketing is to meet customers’ needs, rather than trying to push what the company has to sell. So, so many businesses miss this point.
Another example of this came earlier this month as Walmart pulled the plug on its online movie download service (and no one noticed, as Gizmo reported days later). Walmart, who does an excellent job of taking my money on a regular basis, missed the customer boat on this one. Encumbered by restrictive DRM, built on Microsoft's WMV format, priced expensively compared to the competition, and without a good way view the movies on — gasp — a television, the product flopped. No big surprise.
But the Walmart failure doesn't mean that online movies aren't a good idea, or that there isn't a profitable market for movie downloads. It just means the product isn't right. Yet.
In fact, the correct product is somewhat obvious:
Easy selection of movies - like Netflix or your local video storeConvenient one-click purchase and download to your computer - like Amazon or iTunesA wide selection of recent releases and classics from the past – from all major and minor studios, including The Yellow Submarine by the BeatlesRelatively fast downloading, so movies can be watched on impulse - like cable on-demand servicesEasy, unattended streaming from the computer to any television or other computer in the household - like your wireless home networkLight on digital rights management - so you own the movie and can play it at home or a portable device forever - like iTunesThe ability to make (limited) DVD copies - so you can take something decent to watch when you visit your in-lawsLow priced - to encourage adoption, volume and more purchases (as well as keeping Walmart out of returning to the market) - like iTunesThe option to watch in high definition without worrying about Blu-Ray or HDDVD formats – this could be at a premium priceConvienience and/or convergence features that make the product a useful addition or replacement to current home entertainment devices, such as:
- Tivo-like features so one can record from broadcast or cable – including high def
- VCR Plus+ – like simplicity of programming from television
- The ability to play DVDs that one already owns or has rented
- The ability to rip DVDs that I already own to add to my library
- No need to set a clockA well designed product that "just works" - like the iPod
Of course there is one company already repeatedly mentioned in this list: Apple Computer. And there is an Apple product that already meets some of the criteria: the AppleTV. Thus, the obvious next product for Apple is a second generation AppleTV. And if they get it right, it will be another blockbuster.
Despite the demise of Walmart’s video download service, there are a number of other such services (CinemaNow, Apple's iTunes Movie store, MovieFlix, Movielink, Amazon’s Unbox, and Starz’s Vongo), but only Amazon’s Unbox is a large, serious contender. Although Amazon has links with TiVo, which was mentioned in the wish list above, Amazon still lacks access to the hardware component needed to make such an online service work seamlessly with television — which isn’t to say that one should count them out, as evidenced by their willingness to launch the Kindle product.
Yet it is Apple that is poised to succeed in the online download market for a number of reasons, all which tend to circle back to the concept of “product.” Marketers can apply these principles to their product or business development efforts as well:
1. Steve Jobs Himself
Apple’s past successes have been strongly influenced by Job’s personal attributes: “his unwavering focus, his insistence on excellence and his belief in his own vision,” according Steven Levy in The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness. The leader is key in product development.
2. A Focus on Excellence
At age 29, just weeks before the original Macintosh launched, Jobs said “my best contribution to the group is not settling for anything but really good stuff.” Levy explains that Jobs evokes a “Reality Distortion Field” around him as he seeks to achieve the ideal solution.
Levy also notes that some people have mistakenly thought the key to Apple’s success was the “coolness” factor. But this is a classic post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. Cool is only a byproduct of the product development process according to Yossi Vardi: “The only thing a company can do is strive for perfection and hope that the gods smile on it.” The classic example is the distinctive click of a Mercedes door, which results from the care taken to manufacturer it so the entire rim of the door touches the chassis all at once as it closes. Jobs confirmed this principle when Levy asked whether he had tried to make the iPod cool. “No,” he said, “we tried to make it great.” A focus on an excellent product is essential to successful product development.
3. Understanding the Underlying Issue
As one works on developing a new product or service, it will eventually become clear that nothing simple is ever easy – meaning that the elegant solution must be found through a complex struggle. As part of that struggle to achieve an excellent product, “the really great person will keep on going and find… the key, underlying principle of the problem. And come up with a beautiful elegant solution that works,” according to Levy. Successful product development is a struggle that requires really understanding the underlying issue.
4. A Strategic Fit
The iPod and AppleTV aren’t just neat ideas to computer manufacturer Apple, they are core to a long-held strategy called the “Digital Hub.” Essentially, Apple’s goal is to create best-of-class software (and with the iPod and AppleTV, hardware as well) that people would enjoy so much that they would want to buy an Apple computer. In other words, there is a method to Apple’s “madness.” Good product development does likewise; it follows the organization’s strategic DNA.
The application for the marketing professional is several-fold. First, save up some of that holiday gift money for the inevitable second generation AppleTV. Secondly, approach product development (pause) and approach it as a serious enterprise: Find the right person to champion a new product or service; refuse to settle for “good enough;” drive down to the core issue; and only select new products or services for development that have an excellent strategic fit with your company.
Additional Links
New York Times: Wal-Mart Pulls Plug on Movies via the Web Walmart Video Download site – featuring the “closed” notice Which Movie Download Sites Are the Best? Digital Hub Strategy explained in a 2002 Apple advertisementO’Reilley: Apple’s "Digital Hub" More than Hype CNET Review of AppleTV Apple TV isn't Catching on, Analyst Says Apple and Fox’s Movie Rental Deal Also Includes Pre-ripped iPod/AppleTV Versions on DVD The Second Coming of Apple TV 
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A Most Excellent Production Planning Calendar for the New Year
With the start of a new year, it’s time to take control by making your calendar a tool for proactive planning. Here’s the challenge and an excellent solution to production planning:
The Challenge
When planning print production projects or newsletters, it’s often necessary to back into deadlines from an established delivery date. Or conversely, one has to plan forward for copywriting, layout, approvals and printing to know when delivery is possible. Such planning is a challenge with normal month-by-month calendars, even if they’re all printed on one sheet for easy reference. 
A Solution
Dave Seah’s Compact Calendar makes production planning easier for marketers and public relations professionals by stringing all the year’s dates together on one long page with the weekends pushed to the right side in gray. Months and weeks of the year are indicated to the left of the main column of dates, while holidays are indicated by a colored numeral on the calendar.
The result is a most excellent production planning calendar that makes it easy to calculate “number of weeks out,” scan for conflicts by days of the work week, and identify when holidays fall inside of a production timeline. Seah provides the calendar as a Microsoft Excel file, so you can modify it to meet your particular needs, such as adding holidays, or even tweaking it to display subsequent years, if desired.
It can be effective to use the compact calendar to scribble on as your developing your production timeline, or you can go down to your local Kinko’s and have it printed as a yard-long, 10-inch wide wall calendar that you can view from across the cubicle (consider printing on outdoor banner vinyl for durability and adding your company’s logo). In addition, people have posted international variations of Dave’s calendar to his web site, so if you’re in someplace like Malaysia, there may already be a version in the proper language and with local holidays.
Additional Links
David Seah’s Compact Calendar download page LifeHacker post about the compact calendar How to use the compact calendar with a moleskin How Jerry Seinfeld uses a calendar as a habit-building, productivity tool David Seah’s filmstrip calendar for elapsed calendar time on a monospaced display (a bit geeky) Downloadable Microsoft Word calendar templates – 2008, academic year, multi-year and other special-use options Okidata-compatible customizable planning calendar templates for Microsoft Word DIY Planner – Printable forms in various sizes (including Hipster PDA) for time management, GTD, project planning, checklists and note-taking. 
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Getting Readers to Page Two of Your Direct Mail Letter (Where to Page Break)
I recently received a fund raising letter from my son's college. It was well written and formatted, and if tuition wasn't due in another month, I may have even opened my wallet.
One common flow in this otherwise excellent appeal was how the reader was taken from the end of page one to the top of page two. The last paragraph on page one concluded at the end of the page and a new paragraph began at the top of page two. While visually attractive, this gives the reader an opportunity to stop reading at the bottom of the first page (just when the appeal is getting warmed up!).
The better way to handle this issue is to break between pages in the middle of a paragraph and in the middle of a sentence. 
Admittedly, starting a new page in the middle of a sentence and middle of a paragraph requires one to be aware of widows and orphans. Plus, the use of a parenthetical "continued on next page" phrase is still an option. However, the flow from page one to page two will be improved if readers realize they are "missing" the remainder of the last sentence on the first page of your letter.
Additional Resources
97 Tips to have a Successful Direct Mail Campaign (see tip #29) Designing Strong Direct Mail Letters (see tip #5) A Step-by-step Guide to Direct Mail Letters from direct-mail.org (see guideline #7, which they claim will impress your boss) Power Direct Marketing resources by the late Ray Jutkins 
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The Use and Abuse of Questions in Copywriting
Questions are frequently abused as a copywriting technique. They are often used too quickly, too frequently and without thought of the reader’s needs. You’ll improve your copywriting if you avoid questions more often than you use them. Here’s why:
The Fallacy of Engagement
Questions are an engagement device. That is, they slow a reader down and make them think critically about your content. But there’s one problem. Your reader has to be engaged and reading your copy to start with. Once this is happening, a well-phrased, well-positioned question can kick it up a notch.
If you reader is skimming while standing over a trash can, a question can often have the wrong effect since it is exceedingly simple to ask a question with “Don’t know and don’t care.” Questions – especially rhetorical questions – will often elicit a negative response from the reader. Readers are bombarded with messages throughout the day. Give them a chance to dismiss you message and they will.
This means that opening your letter, ad or brochure with a question is generally a weak technique. Not always, of course. A good headline, interesting artwork and compelling topic can make a question lead effective. Sometimes. But not as often as one of the dozen other techniques you could use.
Stuck in the Middle with You
If you choose to use a question as a persuasive device, consider the middle to lower half of your piece as the proper placement. By this time, you have developed trust with your reader and laid out your case. For example, the second page of a fundraising letter may be the right place for a single-sentence paragraph: “Will you help make this project a reality?” In addition, questions can be used effectively as part of the graphic design in the middle of the piece to lead the reader farther into the layout (see an e-mail newsletter example).
Answer the Question
Rhetorical questions assume the reader knows the “correct” answer to your question. They may not. In these situations, you may have added confusion to your writing rather than clarity. It’s good to consider clearly answering any questions that you pose to your reader. This will drive home your point and avoid losing your reader. Better yet, if you want to clearly drive a point home, consider if rewriting the question as a statement would have more impact.
Students of persuasion and negotiation may argue that accumulating a series of “yeses” can be an effective approach to closing a sale. However, discriminating readers are unlikely to fall prey to such manipulation if the argument is not already sound and the reader involved. In such situations, creating a non-existent dialogue with the consumer through the use of questions is unlikely to accomplish acquiescence through sleight of hand. Refocusing the structure and argument is a more appropriate approach.
Questions also a Weak Structural Crutch
Another sin frequently perpetrated with questions is using them as a structure for subheds or topics in a brochure. For example, “What is XYZ?,” “How should I prepare?,” “What happens next?”, “How do I Register?”, “Where is XYZ Company Located” and so forth. Besides boring a reader with such a stiff, repetitive structure, there is a further error in this approach.
Subheds are not absorbed by the reader in the same way as a sentence. They are designed to be quickly skimmed and comprehended. Using a question as a subhed hides the key information that the reader needs. The question subhed interfers with reader comprehension. Thus, “Register in Three Easy Steps” is better than “How do I Register for the Program?” because the key word, “Register” is more prominent. At a minimum, question subheds should be rewritten to declarative statements: “What to Expect” is a better, more directl subhed than "What should I expect?"
Overall, when you find yourself using a question in your copy, step back and consider working a bit harder to rephrase the section. Questions should be used as a carefully thought-out and judiciously-applied technique in your copywriting.
Additional Links
Why Plato Would Have Blown it as a Blogger – Copyblogger.com’s Brian Clark explains why rhetorical questions don't really foster dialogue or conversations, which are an essential part of effective business blogging. Write Effective Fundraising Letters by Being Conversational – You can (but don’t have to) use one or two rhetorical questions in your fundraising letter if you like since such questions create the sense that a conversation is taking place between you and your donor. Spark Notes’ Rules of Writing entry on Rhetorical Questions – “At best, rhetorical questions are pompous.” Hints on Writing Philosophy papers - “You (as the writer) know what the answer is to the question. But the reader (me) may not be so sure. So tell me what you think – don’t ask me a question which (you think) has an obvious answer. The answer may not be obvious to me.”
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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An Outlook Trick for Filing Important E-mail Messages
Keeping copies of important e-mails that you write can be time consuming. The usual approach is to either dig these out of your sent mail. Other users might have Outlook file the reply with the original message, but this requires configuring this option and dragging the message to another folder first.
Copying or blind carbon copying yourself is a step in the right direction, but an Outlook rule can automate this process (presuming you’re using Microsoft Outlook).
First, to display the bcc: field, select View/Bcc from the text menu.
Next, create an Outlook rule (Tools/Rules & Alerts…) that looks for messages that are sent by yourself, to yourself. Then have these messages marked as read upon arrival and moved to the folder of your choice and stop processing other rules.
Now when you author a message or reply that you want to save, just add your e-mail address to the Bcc: field and a copy of the message will be routed to the folder you selected after you send it.
There are Outlook add-ins available if you want to always cc: or bcc: yourself or someone else, based on the addressee, words in the subject line, or words in the attachment. These tools can be used in combination with our rule trick to automatically select which messages are selected for this archiving process. However, you can also use Outlook rules to “check messages after sending” (again, based on criteria to select like addressee or keywords) and move a copy to a folder you indicate, assign it to a “category” and so forth. This can be a more precise method of saving messages if you can identify a pattern to the type of messages that you regularly archive.
Additional Resources
Auto CC/BCC for Outlook by AbleBits
Always BCC by Sperry Software 
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Recent Productivity Links: E-mail, Sleep and Margin
E-mail Productivity Merlin Mann of 43folders.com recently spoke to Googleplex employees regarding his inbox zero concepts in a presentation posted in video, audio and iTunes podcast formats. The presentation slides are also available separately (but not a substitute for the presentation itself). Living with an empty inbox can be a significant stress reducer since the quantity of e-mail messages sitting in one's inbox is a more significant stressor than number of e-mails that one receives, according to Mann. (Also see other Unsolicted posts on e-mail & productivity). Sleep and Life Routine Lifehacker.com recently pointed out two posts by Steve Pavlina that offer insights into optimizing your daily routine: 10 Ways to Optimize Your Normal Days - Habits that promise to bring order and focus. How to Become an Early Riser – Recommendations on sleep patterns, alarm clocks and more.
Ways to Add Margin “Margin” is the extra space on a page that provides relief to our eyes. Without margin our eyes would fail due to the stress of words strung from edge to edge on the page. Author and physician Richard A. Swensen has developed the concept of improving "margin" in our lives as an approach to stress relief. Swenson (Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits) was the featured speaker on Focus on the Family's daily radio show August 30-31. (OnePlace.com Link 1 2 / CD for purchase). His writings concentrate on ways to create margin in four areas of life: emotional energy, physical energy, time and finances. He covers the first two of these areas in his presentation: Margin & Time Expect the unexpected –In Ecuador there is a saying, "every thing takes longer than it does." So we may as well plan for it as well as possible. Separate time from technology – Technology doesn't save time. One must discern when to use technology and when not to. Disconnect every once in a while — Pretend that you live in 1850 one Tuesday night a month and see if you like it.
Margin & Emotional Energy Have good friends and nourish friendships — We need to cultivate social supports to refill our tank of emotional energy Have a pet – they don't bite the way humans do. Practice reconciliation Laughter – And laugh at yourself, you'll never run out of material Faith – research has shown faith is associated with positive health benefits.
By simplifying our lives, we can be a blessing to other people. In order for us to give ourselves to others, we have to have something left to give – that "something" is margin in our lives. 
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Online Videos are the New TV
It is quickly becoming a YouTube world. I’ve become increasingly convinced that online video has come of age and is now a medium that marketing and pubic relations professionals need to add to their tool boxes.
My son and his friends are amused by the Will It Blend series of videos where all sorts of items are thrown in a blender: Bic lighters, credit cards, tiki torches, light sticks – even an iPhone. It was funny, and seemed like more adolescent humor until I read the article about how the videos opened marketing and promotional doors for the for the Blendtec company (Viral Videos: How Sawdust and $50 Created Marketing Success for Blendtec.com). This is clearly moving beyond reposting of commercials or existing video content (see Windber Medical Center, for example) to be a mechanism unto itself.
According to homeward.com, “a recent Harris Interactive study found that about 42 percent of online adults in the United States said they have watched a YouTube video and 32 percent of frequent YouTube users said they watch less TV as a result.”
Many people have already identified that the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign will increasingly be influenced by YouTube and similar video sharing services. I’m convinced this is true, not by the (yawn) recent CNN/YouTube debates, but rather by the witty, effective response given by former senator and undeclared candidate Fred Thompson to an interview request from Michael Moore. Candidates who are able to master this medium will have an advantage on those that do not, in the same way that it has long been essential for them to master the sound bite and video clip for the evening news.
Although humor helps with the viral aspect of online video distribution, this is not a mandatory component of using video successfully, and neither is YouTube the only distribution channel. This is evidenced by some of the 3-1/2 minutes videos done by AngelVision, featuring a combination of still photography, words and music bed appropriate for e-mail, web, trade show or other sales efforts (see samples on client page).
Broadband access, the ubiquitous use of Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash, and the integration of social media concepts into video sharing sites has helped fuel the potential for online videos as a new and distinct communication medium. Yet again, it's time for communicators to proactively consider how they should be using a new medium in their communication efforts — if they haven't already. 
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Go Put Your Strengths to Work
Marcus Buckingham has challenged the common concept that one should "build around your strengths and manage around your weaknesses." In his presentation to the 2007 Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Buckingham expanded on the concept of developing an individual's strengths that has been the focus of his recent books. While most people believe one will be more successful by fixing their weaknesses rather than building on their strengths, Buckingham claims the opposite is true. The Gallup poll that identified this sentiment only shows most people think it's a "remedial world," he said (apologies to Madonna). Buckingham claims the only way to improve is to study excellence. A strength-based approach to personal and organizational improvement is better than one focused on trying to identify the opposite of failure (the opposite of bad is only "not bad," he quipped). As examples, he cited the new field of positive psychology, as well as the Purnell School. The latter, a school for girls with learning problems in Pottersville, New Jersey, has developed an "affinity program" to help identify and build on individual strengths. It is not surprising that people focus more on weaknesses than on strengths. In fact, a survey showed that people only spend only 17 percent of their days on activities that play to their strengths. Buckingham presented three myths to show the importance of concentrating on strengths as part of our personal, professional and organizational development plans: MYTH: As you grow, you personality changes MYTH: You'll grow most where you're weakest. MYTH: A great team member puts his strength aside for the team. Buckingham recommended several ways to identify your strengths: Take an assessment like "Strengths Finder" or Myers Briggs, or DISC Learn to talk about you strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining. As you verbalize it will help you clarify as well. Create a list of activities as you do them during the week. Then record each on a sheet with two columns. Label the left column "I loved it" and the right column "I loathed it."
You can use the acronym "Sign" to know what a possible strength is. However, just because you are "good" at something might not mean it is a strength. How an activity makes you feel will drive if you get better at it, and thus might indicate a strength. On the other hand, you may enjoy something but not be that good at it (that's called a hobby): S-Success - what you feel effective at (not just "good"). After you have list, pick the three strongest ones and write a strength statement for each: "I feel strong when…" These should be drawn from your experience and specific. Then, change something in your routine each week. Put together a "Strong Week Plan" to push yourself toward your identified strengths. We are each responsible for identifying and developing our strengths so that we become better leaders – to help achieve our personal and professional missions. Books & Resources by Marcus Buckingham Go put your strengths to work
TRUTH: As goes grow you become more of who you already are. The challenge is how to channel your strengths. The goal is to lead where you are.
TRUTH: You'll grow most where you're already strong. When your child brings home a report card with all A's except for one F, you would do well to talk about the A's. You don't talk about the A grades to say, "Jolly good, well done." Instead you talk about the A grades to determine why they're succeeding in those areas so you can apply that to the area getting "F" grade.
TRUTH: What your team needs is for you to take yourself seriously enough to determine where to volunteer your efforts the most.
I-Instinct - things you look forward to.
G-Growth - things that you enjoy learning or doing. You lose track of time doing these things.
N-Need - things that fulfill a need.
Now discover your strengths
First break all the rules
One thing you need to know
Free, six-week podcast program on iTunes 
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Hospitals Using Social & New Media for 'Storytelling' and More
Al Maruggi of Provident Partners and The Marketing Edge podcast (iTunes link) has posted a video of his presentation, "Storytelling Using the New Media," to the Minnesota Healthcare Strategy and Communication Network annual conference on July 20, 2007. In the presentation, he covers use of podcasting, videocasting and social media for hospital marketing, physician relations and public relations (Full disclosure: yours truely is one of the interviewees). Here is a detailed outline of the topics he hits upon (full video, 24 min.):
Use of podcasting for CME and physician relations Leveraging the investment existing community education classes through podcasting classes How Johns Hopkins is using podcasting extensively, including an innovative use to reach the families of Alzheimer's patients A description of how new patients can arrive at a doctor's appointment with a high degree comfort due to what they've learned through that physician's podcast and its supporting resources How the theory and impact behind social media springs from individual's desire to be a) recognized and b) part of a group Evidence that society is getting used to viewing and using video and social tools as shown by the recent YouTube candidate debates Use of audio and video to enhance news releases in the same way the New York Times is extending their content online The importance of budging for at least some video to convey emotional aspects of treating the human condition RealSavvyMoms.com as an example of creating credibility by combining peer-to-peer communication with expert commentary in a co-branded opportunity for hospitals (iTunes link) Why, because of the importance of branding for hospitals, the quality of video is more important than quantity of programs How patient and family blogs are more than just a convenient communication tool, they are also an emotional and cathartic service that hospitals can provide Three steps for identifying where to look for podcasting opportunities at your hospital
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More Marketing Humor for Thursdays
In case you have a hard time getting the hang of Thursdays, here are a few links that might help:
The difference between marketing, advertising and public relations fully explained Funny television commercials from around the world 10 cool, funny, or otherwise amazingly creative billboards Brand Irony as compiled by BuzzFeed Hey, kids, get mommy & daddy to sign up for Comcast (annimated commercial by John Kricfalusi)
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Enhance Your Brand Image by Establishing E-mail Signature Standards
When your employees send e-mail, the recipients need to know:
Who is sending this informationWhat is their title or roleWhat is the name of their companyHow can I contact them
To provide this information in a standard and professional manner, consider establishing a company standard for signature blocks in e-mail. In Microsoft Outlook this can be done with the “signature” feature:
To create a signature, select Tools/Options/Mail Format from the Outlook menu. In the signature section of this Options dialog box, click “Signature Picker.” Here you can create a new signature or edit your existing signatures using the recommendations below. When you complete your signature(s), return to the options dialog box and select a signature from the field labeled “Use this signature by default:” This signature will now appear at the bottom of each new e-mail message.
Even though you set a default signature, you can still change this for individual messages. From within your new message, highlight your default signature. Then on the Outlook menu, select Insert/Signature and select the signature version you prefer. If employees need more assistance, consider directing them to your IT department for the technical aspects of using Outlook.
Standard
This is a general-purpose signature block that provides the most commonly needed contact information for internal and external recipients.
Yuri Example
Administrative Coordinator
XYZ Company
Phone (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-4321
yuri.example@xyzcompany.com
Full
The full version adds postal and Web site addresses for first-time or external contacts that may need this additional information.
Yuri Example
Brand Evangelist
XYZ Company
3000 N. Main Street
Seattle, North Carolina 29340
Phone (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-4321
yuri.example@xyzcompany.com
http://www.xyzcompany.com/
Short
The short version is for casual or internal messages. However, even internal staff will appreciate having your phone or department information listed.
Yuri Example
Human Resources Generalist
XYZ Company
Phone (555) 555-1234
Signature Formatting Guidelines
Use the full, correctly spelled name of your company or subsidiary.Follow the order of elements that matches your company’s printed letterhead or business cards.Format phone numbers so they include the word “Phone” (or Fax, Cell, Pager, etc.). This may be in front or behind the number, depending on your company’s graphic standards. Make sure to include the word “Phone,” “Office,” “Direct” even with “normal” phone numbers to clarify that they are, in fact, voice numbers.Unless your company uses a different style, put the area code in parentheses and a hyphen after the prefix as this is the most common way people are used to seeing telephone numbers in the U.S., Other areas of the world and global companies may need to modify this approach to the manner that will be most familiar to recipients.Spell out the words “Street,” “Drive,” and your state or province for clarity. If you are located in an office building that has a name, include it along with your postal address in your signature block. This should also be done with business cards and forms since often a office building will have a sign with the facility name, but the postal address is hard-to-find or non-existent. Visitors to your physical building will appreciate this information.Include your zip or postal code, and consider including your country location if you are a global business.Use the font Arial or Verdana for on-screen legibility in 11 or 12 point size.Avoid using italic or multiple colors for your text.Add a blank line before the first line of your signature to create some space between the end of your message and the start of your signature.
Establishing guidelines for e-mail signature blocks within your organization will help ensure that your brand is presented in a consistent and professional manner.
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How Non-Response Bias Can Ruin Your Mail Survey
Many marketers rely on mail surveys to measure customer satisfaction, or to gather information about the marketplace. Unfortunately, their confidence in such research is often misplaced because they fail to compensate for certain limitations of the mail methodology.
The key to accurate survey research is that the sample is "representative" of the population as a whole. Think of a large pot of soup as an illustration. If you put the ladle in the pot and get only broth – or only chunks of vegetables – then you don't have a representative sample.
Most researchers (for example, Babbie, The Practice of Social Research), recommend that one needs a 50 percent or better return rate in order to be confident that you have a representative sample. So if you send out 100 surveys, you want to get at least 50 back. The same applies if you’re making phone calls or sending Survey Monkey invitations. Since almost all single wave, non-incentive, mail out/mail back surveys get a low response rate, there is a strong probability such samples are not representative. A non-representative sample will not produce valid results.
This is not to say there isn’t a place for mail surveys, just that – as with any methodology or tactic – you need to know what you’re doing.
The key issue to understand when using mail-based research methodologies is the problem of "non-response bias." This type of bias is caused when some segment of the sample doesn’t respond in the same proportion as needed for a representative sample. It may be that men don’t respond, or young people, or people who are dissatisfied with your services. All these examples would result in under representation of a certain segment of the population. According to Burns and Bush, “non-response has been labeled the marketing research industry’s biggest problem.”
The Impact on Satisfaction Research
In satisfaction research, one can sometimes recognize non-response bias by scores that are skewed – results that are especially high, especially low, or a combination of both. The latter is called a bi-modal response – in other words, compared with the normal bell curve, the bi-modal response looks like a camel with two humps. The people who respond are those that really love your organization, or those who really hate you, but the silent majority is “silently satisfied” and under represented. The reason appears to be that mail (and Internet) methodologies are self-selecting approaches which encourage a higher representation of the extremes.
Typical Telephone & Mail Response Rates
What type of response rates are we talking about for mail and telephone methodologies? In my experience, a mail survey sent out once, with no money or reward involved, will frequently generate about a 13 percent response rate. Marketing Research by Burns & Bush state that “Typically, mail surveys of households achieve response rates of less than 20%.” Likewise, rates cited by one well-know customer satisfaction firm specializing in mail methodology range from 10 to 32 percent. In contrast, telephone methodologies – even in this age of caller ID – can easily produce a sufficient response rates, especially with a standard 3-attempt approach.
In a comparative study, Thomas Burroughs (Patient Satisfaction Measurement Strategies: A Comparison of Phone and Mail Methods) found telephone response rates ranging from the low 40s to over 50 percent, compared with a low of 21 to a high of 47 percent with mail.
Who is Not Responding?
It is not uncommon for a higher percentage of older people to respond to a mail survey – and for a large number of people under age 35 not to respond at all. The problem is the same with newer, Internet-based methodologies; all segments of the population do not respond equally. Thus, when the response rate is low, the survey may not be any more valid that CNN’s engaging but unscientific “ Quick Vote” feature.
The Jackson Organization (now HealthStream Research) phrases the problem this way:
In low-response (below 50%) surveys, such as most patient satisfaction surveys conducted by mail, there is a significant likelihood that those who respond to the survey are different (demographically and psychographically) from those who do not respond. This is called non-response bias – that those who respond are materially different from those who do not – and it compromises the validity of the results. The objective academic literature tells us that if response rates fall below fifty percent, the probability of introducing non-response bias is unacceptably high.
Addressing Low Response Rates
Although one can produce an invalid sample using any methodology, written surveys are more likely to suffer from non-response bias than telephone surveys. However, there are ways to increase mail response rates to 50 percent or greater and thus avoid non-response bias. The most common are by:
Follow-up reminder in the form of a postcard or letterMailing the survey multiple times (preferably to non responders) Including or offering an incentive for completion of the surveyPersonalize the mailing with hand-addressing, real signature in ink, or a personalized cover letterGive preliminary notification that the survey is coming through letter, postcard or phone callUse special postage, such as a commemorative stampProvide return postage in the form of a stamped envelope or BRE
Of course, these efforts take extra time and money, which increases costs, often well above the comparable expense of telephone methodologies.
Unfortunately, a less expensive approach is for the research firm to “weigh” the data to adjust for under-sampled segments. In these cases, 5 responses by under-age-35 responders might be “weighted” to represent the 10 that are needed to match the percentage in the population as a whole. The problem with this approach is that the margin of error still applies to the smaller number – so overall confidence is not really improved.
Don’t Telephone Methodologies Also Have Bias?
Telephone methodologies also have the potential for bias, but generally of a different type. As Melvin F. Hall explains in “ Patient satisfaction or acquiescence? Comparing mail and telephone survey results,” respondents contacted by telephone may have a tendency to give a socially acceptable answer to the interviewer, regardless of the content of the question. This is called acquiescence bias, but is not often addressed in the literature. One reason may be that acquiescence bias is a systemic bias, one that potentially skews the results, but doesn’t threaten the validity of the results in the same way non-response bias does.
The Bottom Line
Good marketing begins with research. But marketers need to know enough about the tools they’re using to ensure that they’re getting good results. When it comes to mail research, it’s important to plan for techniques that will provide a sufficient response rate, or consider if other methodologies like telephone would actually provide a more economical approach. These issues are especially important for ongoing research projects such as customer satisfaction where invalid data could lead staff to focus on efforts that are rabbit trails unrelated to the true core issues facing the organization.
Additional Links
The Burke Institute – Marketing research training Quirk’s - the leading magazine in the marketing research industry Response and acquiescence bias on Wikipedia A Demonstration of the Impact of Response Bias on the Results of Patient Satisfaction Surveys Best Practices for Improving Response Rates from PulseWare online survey software
Links of Special Interest to Hospital Researchers
How the HCAHPS Mode Adjustment will Affect Your Survey Data by Professional Research Consultants HCAHPS Quality Assurance Guidelines – includes mode adjustment details and information on how CMS determines response rate National CHPHS Benchmarking Database – background information from AHRQ
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New Tools and Social Media Cause Practitioners to Sound Warnings about the Future of Public Relations
"The Future of PR" is the subject of a video compiled by the Council of PR Firms with commentary from various noteable principals and practitioners within the field. Although not a structured presentation, the video does touch on some of the major forces influencing the direction of public relations today, the majority of which are influenced by the growth of new and social media tools available to practitioners, their clients and the public.
Points that he speakers touch on include:
Social media's effect on journalismMedia fragmentationChanges in value relationships between clients and PR firmsNeed for client education due to new and social media growthTalent recruitmentDiversityIncreased need for authenticityThe speed with which PR tools are developing and changingA need to refocus on the basics principles of PR in light of the rise of new media and tools
Additional Links
PR Industry Leaders Put Their Feet in Their Mouths at Critical Issues Forum
The Future of Public Relations
Students: The Council of PR Firms asks, “What is the most dangerous idea in PR today?”
Dangers Equal Opportunity for Smart Marketers, PR Firms
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Developing a Culture of Giving within Your Organization
Employees and internal stakeholders should be a cornerstone of your non-profit organization’s fund development efforts.
Yet the Spirit of philanthropy doesn’t necessarily come naturally to the human soul, even if they’re employed by your 501(c)(3) organization; work on your board of directors; or teach, heal or pray in your corridors.
As organizations grow, they have a tendency to begin to resemble their for-profit counterparts. As a result, and over time, it is not unusual for the charitable focus that may have been at the core of the founders’ vision to become hazy or even fade away altogether. Fortunately, developing a culture of philanthropy within your organization can serve more goals than just assisting with fund raising. A philanthropic employee base is more likely to be committed to the organization’s mission, to the team effort, and to bringing a positive attitude to their work.
Here are a dozen tips for developing a culture of giving within your not-for-profit organization, whether it is a para-church ministry, a hospital, or a university:
1. State Your Mission ― Again
Employees need to understand your organization's non-profit mission and be regularly reminded of what they come to work to accomplish. It is natural to expect that the worthy nature of your mission will lead to employees making a personal financial commitment. It's not about requiring employees to give, or browbeating them, it's about employees coming to a place where they internalize your mission and want to participate more fully with it through voluntarily giving back something to the organization and its causes.
2. Start with Small, Non-Threatening Opportunities
The opportunity to give small gifts can help employees become more comfortable with giving to your organization. A common approach that fits this criterion is a holiday "lights on the tree" appeal. This type of appeal gives Niece Sally an opportunity to make a donation in honor of Aunt Suzie’s recently deceased husband. It helps both the donor, who doesn’t know what to get Aunt Suzie, and your organization.
Likewise, your organization could ask for an extra dollar, or to round up the employee’s purchase to the next dollar when they visit the gift shop or cafeteria during a special celebratory week. Bringing in Jewelry, Uniform or Book Sales to the workplace for employee's convenience and your organization's benefit also fall in this category ― especially when your communication efforts make clear that your organization's share is going to a specific, worthwhile cause.
3. Talk about It
If other departments are on the agenda for presentations to management groups or to employees, so should fund development. Upcoming appeals and plans are strategically important to the organization just like a new advertising campaign, or the introduction of a new service. Discussion of fund development plans with employees should be done openly and naturally, not hidden from view.
4. Ensure Executive Giving
Your organization's C-level executives should already be giving back to your organization at some level. If not, it's unlikely that they will have the necessary commitment to support the development of a culture of giving within your organization. A fund development director will need want to take on stragglers as they would any potential major donor. If nothing else, recognizing executive giving may help your PR efforts when the press gets a hold of your 990s.
5. Recognize that Some are 'Takers'
Your fund development and executive leadership should recognize that Americans by nature ― and many people by personality ― are "givers." In service industries and non-profits, more than the average number of employees may already be receptive to supporting your cause. Fund development is not about pulling money from someone's hand, it's about providing people the opportunity to partner with your organization's mission to do something important that impacts people's lives. If staff are upset that you're asking, they likely don't understand your non-profit status and mission.
6. Develop Social Networks at Work and then Tie to Your Cause
People you work with often become like "family." Nurturing this can benefit morale and teamwork, as well as providing another avenue for you to share your mission with your own employees. Traditionally, internal giving by departments can be encouraged through holiday appeals or memorial opportunities that employees can mutually contribute to as a natural unit. Online social networks like and Facebook and LinkedIn are additional ways to create a network. Start by making sure your organization has a Facebook page or group that employees can affiliate themselves with. Then consider that Facebook also provides a way for members to support "causes" – information about which can then be distributed virally to your employees’ friends.
7. Celebrate Volunteerism
The spirit of volunteerism is akin to the spirit of giving. They are often the same constituency. Celebrate even if the employee's volunteerism is elsewhere in the community, not just within your own organization. It is the same spirit regardless of where expressed.
8. Encourage Volunteerism
The next step after celebrating volunteerism is to encourage it through providing opportunities, requiring community service for managers, requiring it for promotion, providing time off, flexible scheduling and so forth.
9. Encourage All Types of Giving
A culture of giving that encouraging employees to give to worthy causes is good for the employee, good for the community and good for the organization. Some ways to do this include United Way campaigns, providing a matching gift program, or participating with national organizations with which your non-profit has affinity (for example, a hospital putting together a team for the Alzheimer Association's Memory Walk). Selfishly avoiding providing employees with such outside giving opportunities doesn't make sense. Rather, develop a spirit of philanthropy among employees and watch for downstream benefits to your organization in the form of new donors or planned gifts from those employees.
10. Acknowledge Internal Donors
Acknowledging internal donors internally can express the organization's gratitude to them and be an encouragement for other employees to give as well. Admittedly, this requires some finesse to come across in a positive manner and not as cajoling non-givers. Summarizing employee giving and reporting the aggregate results in newsletters and easel posters can be an effective first step. In addition, major internal donors might be recognized at board or foundation meetings where other major and external donors are present.
11. Make Internal Giving Easy
Payroll deduction can make employee giving easier. Also splitting a pledge across multiple paychecks provides an opportunity for employees to become regular donors and reach larger giving levels.
12. Ask
Unashamedly ask your employees and related internal constituencies to support the strategic needs of your organization with their charitable contributions. If your needs ― and their support ― weren’t important, you likely wouldn’t be a non-profit organization to start with. Your board members and employees are likely already giving elsewhere, as are physicians within your hospital or health care organizations, or the professors on your teaching staff. Why shouldn’t – why wouldn’t – they also be interested in giving back to the good work being done where they work? You’ll never know, and you’ll never develop a spirit of giving, until you ask.
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Update: Calendar Marketing Approaches
In an update to our earlier post, "Getting Your Event on Your Audience's Calendar," Calgoo.com will soon launch a cross-platform service that promises to put events like your company’s upcoming education seminars, your store’s upcoming sales events, your professional sports team’s game times, a golf course’s open tee times, or even relevant eBay auctions on your Outlook, Google or iCal calendar. The company describes their approach as a permission-based marketing medium for businesses to promote time-sensitive products and services Links A 3-Minute overview of Calgoo in-calendar marketing
Calgoo blog
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Good Art is Not Subjective
Jackson Pollock's art is interesting, especially the more colorful pieces, but I've generally had a much harder time appreciating other abstract art. I found some rationale for my tastes (or lack thereof) in "Acquired Taste," in article by Gene Edward Veith in World Magazine (subscriber login required for full article, Feb 9/16, 2008 issue), where he explains "A work is beautiful to the extent that it displays at the same time both complexity and unity." Enjoying junk food or junk culture isn't bad once in a while, but developing taste in art (or music, or writing, or dance, etc.) does require discipline. "Growing in taste means learning to take pleasure in what is objectively good," Veith said. While classic thinkers spoke of three kinds of absolutes: the true, the good, and the beautiful, Veith clearly bases his definition of "good" on a Christian worldview. "The Bible tells us to set our minds on 'whatever' is 'excellent' and 'of good report' (Philippians 4:8)," he said. "To think that beauty is nothing more than a subjective preference—unconnected to standards that originate in God Himself—is to buy into a foundational principle of today's anti-Christian worldview." Regardless of worldview, a principle we can apply here is that making good judgments about art, copywriting or strategy is often less subjective than the novice (or naïve) may think. Rationale patterns flow underneath good communications, and the professional communicator does well to become a life-long learner of theory as well as the practical application of our trade. "A canvas of random paint-splatterings may have complexity, but it has no unity," Veith said. "The Sistine Chapel, or a Rembrandt woodcut, or a Hudson River landscape has both, being full of individual details that come together into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts." Veith extends the concept to music, drawing contrasts between simplistic and more complex forms, even within the same era or genre of music itself.
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Bill Hybels: The Importance of Decision Making for Leaders
Author and pastor Bill Hybels (bio & books) spoke about decision making during his keynote address to the Willow Creek Leadership Summit on August 7. It is important to have a process to arrive at good, God-honoring decisions. Likewise, it is important to learn how to improve our decision making over time. Hybels recommended Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls by Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis as the best book he's read on the topic. He then outlined a traditional, four-point approach to Christian decision making: 1. Does the Bible say anything about this? So many decisions aren't that hard, Hybels said, because the Bible gives clear direction. For example, leaders should admit when they are wrong. They should set an example. They should treat all with respect. He recommended leaders read the Bible regularly and see what effect it has on their decision making. 2. What would smart advisors tell me to do? All leaders should establish a formal or informal network of advisors, Hybels said, since in the abundance of counselors there is safety as Proverbs 11:14 suggests. However, the leader must also apply their own discernment to the advice they receive, as in the case of Absalom, the son of Solomon, who made the poor choice of following the advice of his peers instead of his elders, which resulted in a civil war instead of consolidating his hold on the kingdom after his father's death.
3. What have I learned from past pains, gains and experience? Reviewing the scars from past experiences helps give perspective to subsequent decisions. Likewise, gains from past bold decisions can help influence the current decision. Put together he abbreviates this step as P,G & E – pains, gains and experience. Hybels said journaling can be a valuable way to add to your wisdom if you include information about decisions and their results. 4. Is the spirit prompting me? When facing a decision, Hybels attempts to listen for an inaudible whisper that is God's voice. Sometimes when he feels God is warning him against a course of action it is like God is saying, "Let me save you from yourself." Relying on the spirit's promptings leads to life and peace according to Romans 8:6, he said. Another method he uses to make decisions is a "test decision." He will make a decision in his mind, and then carry that around for a few days to see if it feels right as he goes through his day. Decision Making Axioms As leaders lead over time they often begin to subconsciously compress these decision making steps into principles or proverbs for themselves. As they use these and find them helpful, they may become part of the organizational culture. Such "business proverbs" are the topic of Hybel's most recent book, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs .
Colin Powell, a former Leadership Summit speaker, has about a dozen such proverbs according to Hybels. They include "check your ego at the door," "promote a clash of ideas" (don't seek consensus, but ask "And who has a contrary point of view?) and "reward your performers; get rid of your non-performers" (don't waste time on non-performers). After interviewing Powell last year, Hybel's staff pointed out that "you have sayings too." He began to write them down over the course of the year and came up with a total of 76, which became the basis of Axiom. These include: Vision leaks – Even after a leader sets a vision, people forget. They need the vision and goals restated for them from time-to-time. My wife noted that a better analogy might be that "vision evaporates" since it's not necessarily the fault of the recipient that the vision gets dull over time. Get the right people around the table and it will be fine – Meaning that a challenge is best addressed by a team of the right people, not necessarily preconceived solutions. Facts are your friends – I've found myself saying something very similar in my career. Hard data helps make decisions, and make them easier. When something gets funky, engage – In other words, when a situation is awry, don't think it will go away or heal itself. Actively intervene instead. Leaders call fouls – when someone or something crosses the line, the leader should say so publicly. Sometimes a leader has to call a foul on himself and admit when his behavior was out of line. Take a flyer – Take a bold risk to launch a new initiative. Every once in a while you will have to create an action plan that takes your breath away, Hybels said. This should be differentiated, however, from moves that "bet the farm" by risking everything. Of course, axioms that you create and coin yourself as a leader will always be more powerful than those you adopt from other leaders, Hybels said. Leaders cannot be decision-adverse, Hybels said. Leaders need to make decisions. It's what leaders do. If the decision turns out well, your response should be to thank everyone you can think of. If it turns out to be a poor decision, don't blame others. Don't whimper or whine. Rather, take the responsibility for the poor decision and use the lesson to improve your decision making in the future.
Having a framework for decision making, a network of advisors, and an awareness of principles that have worked for us in making decisions in the past are all excellent recommendations applicable to marketing and public relations professionals.
Additional Resources “Next Steps" Resources for Hybel's presentation at the Leadership Summit Good decision making is critical to being a leader because so much of leadership is about making decisions. In addition, many decisions we make as leaders have "high stakes," affecting the lives of those who work for us, as well as hundreds or perhaps thousands whom our work efforts touch, according to Hybels.Abraham Lincoln's response to people who wanted revenge on the South after the Civil War was phrased as such a proverb, "The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend." Likewise, Bob Galvin, retired CEO of Motorola, is known for "create motion for motion's sake," meaning that taking an organizational action is generally better than complacency and forces individuals to make changes that have potential for improving operations.
Digging Deeper links and references from Hybel's presentation
Dave Ferguson of the Velocity blog reviews Hybel's talk on decision making
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Polish Your Employees' Name Badge Presentation
Good customer service and safety standards encourage your employees wear their name badges in a clearly visible manner, but sometimes this can be a challenge. Lanyards are often employed in such situations, but these may involve safety concerns, even with break-away connectors. In addition, a lanyard still positions the name badge around the navel, rather than where it is clearly visible to customers in the upper body area. Badge Supports, LLC has now created a very nice option for shirts or scrubs that include a breast pocket. Their Nerd-Buster Badge Support slips into a shirt pocket providing an easy way of displaying a vertical or horizontal badge. The device also includes a tab that sticks up to attach a recognition or ribbon pin. Versions are available to hold a few business cards (I'm always forgetting to bring my cards to vendor meetings!), or may be pre-printed with a logo, calendar, mission statement, commonly used chemical formulae, or safety information (such as your organization's overhead paging codes). These features make the badge support a unique idea for vendors to give away at trade shows or Human Resource departments to purchase in bulk for their organization. Name Badge Links Badge Supports, LLC – The best approach we discovered, economically priced and Michigan-based (founded by a former automotive engineer like my father so they get extra brownie points). Arm Band Badge Holders – May be appropriate with lifeguards or staff in T-shirts, we suppose. Pocketprotectors.com and securityimaging.com produce Pocket Protectors with Name Badge Holders – An option for those that carry pens, pencils or other items in their shirt pocket. Government ID Badge Holders from Evolution Card Systems & Badge Supplies – Rigid, color-coded, magnetic, arm band and other badge holders for school, military or government use. Badge straps with hole or with extra loop - Versions of straps without the ubiquitous clip for use with necklaces, reels, tube lanyards or the like. Name tags with simple pins are common in restaurant and retail businesses, but corporate organizations generally issue a name badge. Frequently these are embedded with a proximity reader, bar code, or other "smart chip" devices for security, identification, or time card purposes. Such badges generally have clips, which work well enough for employees with suit coats. Shed the jacket; however, and the name badge creates the dreaded droopy pocket syndrome.
Unsolicited’s crack research staff has scoured the Internet for solutions to droopy pocket syndrome and found these resources:
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Getting Your Event on Your Audience’s Calendar
You’ve worked hard on designing and promoting your event. Now the challenge is making sure those hard-earned registrations actually show up. In some cases, reminder calls are appropriate, but in an age driven by electronic calendars what you really could use is an easy way to get your event onto your audience's computer or PDA.
Option 1: Integrate Yourself with Online Calendars
Users of eventful.com have the option of a button "Save to calendar" which gives options for posting to Outlook, Google, iCal format and other calendars. Eventful.com, which bills itself as having the world's largest collection of events, is a neat website which allows you to post details In a similar manner, Markthisdate.com is a European-based calendar portal and event promoter that offers widgets to promote your schedule of events. Of course many other city web sites or daily newspaper sites provide a venue to post local event details (e.g., cincinnati.com), and you could always hold a virtual event in Second Life .
Option 2: Build a Convenient Calendar Link on Your Site
For a more customized approach, consider how WebEx online meetings have an "add to calendar" feature so you can add either a single meeting, or a series of their meetings, to your Outlook Calendar (although it was simpler in Office 2003 than in security-enhanced Office 2007). Minor league baseball teams the Toledo Mudhens and Corpus Christi Hooks, as well as the major league Detroit Tigers have an option to add their game schedules to your Outlook calendar. Unfortunately, these are a manual and somewhat complex process from a user's perspective. Such approaches use the vCalendar and iCalendar standards.
Until (or unless) someone has created a secure but simple approach to adding items to a customer's Outlook calendar, the most effective approach may actually be a combination of wired techniques such as existing or custom programmed "add to calendar features," or perhaps you-to-your-audience e-mail reminder services, with more traditional approaches like registration confirmation letters, reminder slips, and so forth. Let us what you use to get your events on your audience's calendar by using the comment link below. Additional Calendar-Related Links Add or remove holidays to Outlook Easily Add Major League Baseball Team Schedule to Your Calendar (via markthisdate.com) Customize your employee's Outlook calendars with your company's important HR dates of your local events for free. It is easy for anyone to search for concerts, exhibits, lectures or other events of interest in their area, or a city they plan to visit. I found my region well represented with local events. In addition to the calendar feature, there are RSS feeds, e-mail notification, promotional tools available (Demand it!), imports from iTunes or last.fm (to track where your favorite bands are playing), and groups/friends social options. Posting your event to eventful.com can be the first step toward an integrated effort of pushing your audience to a popular online location where they can choose to add your event to their calendar.
How to create & distribute a vCalendar file for Outlook Google Calendar with Outlook and Smartphones Automatically Sync your Google Calendar with Microsoft Outlook Add Google Calendar to Outlook Outlook 2007 Calendar and Google Calendar integration (YouTube tutorial) Create an Add to Google Calendar button for your Web page
CalendarHub.com: Access your online calendar from anywhere, privately, shared in a group or published on your blog Upcoming: Yahoo's less than impressive event and calendar service (but it does use the hCalendar microformat, which may impress some geeks) Memo to Me, Online Reminders, RS Outlook and Free Minder are email reminder services, although none seem to promote a bulk or "one to many" optionSend invitations via Evite.com (such as for Cinco de Mayo)
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Campaigns with Impact in Six (Easy) Steps
Good advertising or PR campaigns have impact, make sense and have an overall sense of simplicity. But nothing simple or elegant is ever really easy, as oysters will tell you about the pearl necklace.
Based on my experience, the creative process flows through at least six steps, which clients generally do not understand, and which newbie internal or agency staff might even be a bit vague on. Understanding this creative process can help both clients and staff support the development of approaches that are on-target with impact, sorta like those recent Cheez-It commercials.
Fact Finding
A review of the organization’s situation and goals is the first step in the campaign development process. Typically, this will start with a meeting between the in-house or agency staff and the company’s administrative team. This will provide valuable information — situation, conflict issues, goals, audiences, product benefits and/or propositions, competition, budget, deadline and so forth — but will likely be strongly influenced by an internal perspective. Additional research — formal or informal, primary or secondary, quantitative or qualitative — is wise to consider at this point. Good creative is strategic, so making sure one has the consumer’s view of the situation will pay dividends. Otherwise you could end up with let’s-whitewash-the-issue, or let’s-hit-them-in-the-head-with-a-baseball-bat approaches.
Mandatories
Mandatory elements of a campaign are typically part of the creative brief, but it is worth mentioning them separately here as they can be an easily overlooked, but treacherous part of campaign development. It is helpful to have these up front in case any issues impact the overall direction of the campaign. Mandatories include elements that must be included in the final product such as:
Follow corporate graphic standardsFor a co-op advertising, include Snodgrass Industries’ name and/or logoIn radio, use client’s brand name at least 3 timesFollow usage guidelines for any third-party endorsements or awardsTheme must be transferable to dozens of specialty items that the CEO lovesBe congruent with company slogan “We Care”
Creative Brief
The creative brief is a structured document that spells out the situation, strategy, mandatory requirements, and other items from the fact-finding section above. It is a tool used by the creative team as they go into the synthesis process, but can also be used the starting point for a description of the creative direction of the campaign once the following steps are complete. There are surprisingly large number of very good creative brief templates available on the Internet, and their construction and use are worthy of a separate post at some future time.
Synthesis
Here’s why you pay the creative folks the big bucks. And it’s why Thomas Friedman suggests that people who synthesize will have a better chance of being part of the new “untouchables” in the coming global economy. This step involves a creative team, which most often includes a small tight-knit group includes people with these types of skills:
A creative directorA strategistA designer and/or visual thinkerA copywriter and/or word thinkerAn account executive or staff close to the client (but NOT the client)
The creative team may be one person in a small agency, but more typically one to three or four people. The roles may overlap, depending on the people involved. The key is that this team is a small group with good brainstorming skills, developed from years of creative thinking. They will generally do a fair amount of what my father called cogitating before the magic occurs. I have never seen such a team involve a client, most likely because this would inhibit honesty and creativity.
The creative team generates ideas that synthesize elements such as:
Key points from the situation An understanding of the consumer’s mindAn understanding of what is realistic within the customer’s set of goalsInsights into the benefits and unique selling proposition of the product or serviceCultural references that would resonate with the audienceA sense of “tone” – formal or informal, funny or emotional, and so forthIdeas about what will break through the clutterKnowledge of good communication theory and strategy, including use of direct and circuitous pathsShape, size, colors, and communication toolsAnd likely a secret agency sauce
The Big Idea
The result of deep and creative thinking (a.k.a., synthesis) is a refined idea that defines the campaign’s direction. It is “ the big idea” or the philosophy that drives the campaign and ties it together. It likely isn’t the campaign “theme” itself, but it is succinct.
Implementation
Everyone has ideas (although unfortunately, they’re not all good ideas). After you have the idea you must do something with the idea. The big idea must be used to persuade, to communicate a message through the clutter, or otherwise use communication as a vehicle of change. So at this point, the creative process gives way to approval and implementation, including:
The client presentationApprovals (or back to the drawing board… if you don’t get fired)Copywriting & design implementationTestingTweaksFinal reviewsPlacement, production or execution
Applying the Six Steps for Improved Results
Understanding the creative process can help facilitate better creative results. Here are some ideas:
Develop a crib sheet to make sure you gather necessary information from clients during fact finding Make sure you clarify mandatory elements of the campaign before you get too far down the roadAlways gather up graphic standards and third-party awards and endorsement usage guidelines early in the agency-client relationshipIf you’re not a strategic thinker, nor a visual thinker, nor a senior copywriter, then don’t expect to get invited to the creative team’s brainstorming meeting quite yetRead a book on structured creative thinking or brainstorming. Start applying what you learnIdentify what data or elements your agency, creative director, or supervisor is going to need and start researching these items before they askAs a client, develop a creative brief template that you can use to give your agency background information (saves billable hours!)As an agency, develop a creative brief template with your logo on it (impresses clients, keeps creative staff on task)Deconstruct advertising or PR campaigns that you like and identify the big idea and key elements of the creative briefDo things to keep you abreast of the culture and your audience. Get a hobby or sport. Be well read. Read something different. Go a circuitous route to work. Increase blood flow to the opposite side of your brain.
By understanding that developing a campaign is a process, and that big ideas don’t just pop onto the table, you can help structure expectations for clients and prepare your marketing or public relations staff for the unglamorous, dirty work that is the true foundation of developing a campaign with impact.
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Code Monkey Musings on Music Narrowcasting
We first heard Jonathan Coultran’s song Code Monkey (lyrics iTunes) last year when it was circulating on the Internet, but listened again, more carefully, after John Wall recently featured it on The M Show. This made us consider whether there might be a market for music that is segmented to ultra-narrow audiences – like computer programmers.
This seems a crazy idea, until one ponders the historical progression of broad to narrow. AM radio was the first to narrow cast, as a reaction to the growth of FM and evidenced by the growth of talk, sports or business radio, African-American and Hispanic stations, and even radio narrowly segmented audiences like 80 year olds. Now – although many corporate owners follow a strategy of only targeting large, oldies audience segments – some argue that FM radio stations are also beginning to follow the narrowcasting trend, in reaction to the rise of satellite radio like Sirius and XM radio, as well as Internet radio.
Furthermore, podcasting is perhaps the ultimate form of narrowcasting, and social media have also constructed narrow, ultra-segmented audiences, with My Space applying this to power to upstart bands and aspiring musicians. So the Internet has become a wild card in the evolution of media. What if the next leap in innovation was music targeting secretaries, or motorcyclists, or construction workers? This wouldn’t need to be a single band or bands, but could be a virtual construct from all songs specific to the audience’s experiences.
It some ways this makes “narrow” sound boring – and perhaps it would be. But the question remains, if we continue a march toward segmenting of segments in all media – including music – where will we end up?
Additional Links
Listen Up: Local Radio Audience Moving to the Web? (San Diego Business Journal) Mining Solid Gold on the Radio (New York Times) In Which I Melt Down Over the Troika AM/FM Radio (Boing Boing) Code monkey T-shirts and stuff Spend a lousy buck and buy the song on iTunes instead of just grabbing it for free off the Internet, or make a donation to the artist
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Book Project Update
The book project that has kept us from active blogging for the last few months is nearly complete. My wife helped with the final research push, which we were able to handle long distance with sources in Franklin, New Hampshire, site of the former Forest Vale Camp. This was followed by several proofs with my mother, wife and a friend providing valuable final help in correcting factual and grammatical errors. We are now awaiting delivery of an initial shipment from Lulu.com and trying to decide what to do with the recaptured free time (beside blogging, of course).
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Unsolicited Advice at a New Address
We apologize for the disruption in service over the weekend as we moved to a new domain.
Unsolicited is proud to now be available at its own domain at www.unsolicitedmarketingadvice.com. Old bookmarks for blogspot.com and RSS feed subscriptions should still work just fine, but let us know if you experience any problems or find any broken photo links.
We’ve also added a machine-readable Creative Commons license at the bottom of this page in an attempt to address content theft that we've been experiencing. We don't have much hope of stopping these low-lifes that are likely using our search-term rich material for click fraud, but hope springs eternal. If you're reading this post other than via e-mail, a news aggregator (i.e., Bloglines, News Gator, and so forth), or from the URL www.unsolicitedmarketingadvice.com, please move your bookmarks to this authorized domain. Our copyright license authorizes only attributed, non-commercial use, so if you see Google ads or naked women, you're reading unauthorized usage.
Thanks for your support.
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The Internal Communicator’s Dilemma
Internal communications can be frustrating. After a full-court communications effort, employees still say "I didn't know about that…."
It seems the more you communicate, the more employees seem to miss the message. Perhaps it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Here are some tips:
1. Instead of more tools, try research
An external audit of your internal communications is an excellent idea, but also consider research that tests how well staff are receiving the messages you send. This is a better approach than relying on anecdotal comments. Segment your research by department and find out who you're not reaching through traditional channels.
2. Consider cascading messaging systems
A structured, cascading messaging system puts the burden on management to communicate to staff. Follow-up measurement can help determine how well employees receive messages, and can identify who the problem children are.
3. Push back
“Really, you didn't hear about that?” Probe employees on their communication habits and how they missed your messages. When employees say, “I didn’t know about that,” try — in a pleasant way — find out why. And ask, “How would you like to learn about important company news?”
4. Consider if you're communicating too much
There is such a thing as communicating too much. Doing so makes everything seem equally unimportant. Cutting out the clutter can make the important stuff rise back to the top.
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Three Ways to Use Seed Lists to Your Advantage
If your organization does any amount of direct mail, you should be using seed lists.
A seed list is an extra set of addresses that are added to your mailing. The seed list names are added to the mailing regardless of whether they match the target criteria used to develop your list. They generally include you and perhaps other key people inside or outside of your organization. The term comes from how mailing list companies scatter (or “seed”) decoy names and addresses into the lists they sell. This allows the list company to monitor how their list is being used and safeguard against unauthorized use.
Marketers can also use seed lists to their advantage in at least three ways:
1. Track delivery time and quality
By adding yourself, your direct reports and call center staff to mailings, you’ll be able to know when pieces begin to arrive in consumer’s mailboxes. Plus, your staff can let you know about problems that occurred in the mail stream, such as ink rub-off from postal equipment, damage due to insufficient paper weight, additional tabbing done by post office because your piece wasn’t secure enough, or other design and mail house issues.
2. Keep your administration and key staff informed
While you may not want to swamp C-level staff with mailings, adding your boss or other key administrators to your seed list can help them have a better sense of what is being done in the Marketing or Public Relations Department. Unlike television ads or brochures, direct mail efforts often go unseen. Seeding the list with key staff or service line leaders can help the organization have a better idea about otherwise unseen communication efforts. You can even add your mother to the list if you feel guilty about not calling her often enough. And don't forget your ad agency account executives.
Of course, anyone that you add to your seed list should give their consent and understand that they will be getting more than the normal amount of company mail. Home addresses are generally better to use in such situations than work addresses. You may even want to develop a one-sheet explanation of the seed list concept to hand out to new additions to your standing list.
3. Exchange mailings with like-minded organizations
New ideas are the lifeblood of good communication efforts. One way to have a constant stream of ideas is to see what other organizations are doing on a regular basis. Non-profit organizations in particular will benefit from getting on the mailing lists of likeminded organizations from around the country. Vendors will often also host user groups or client conferences where the astute marketer will seek reciprocal exchanges of newsletters or direct mail seed list placements. Much of the material you receive will be trashed, but the gems can be kept in a swipe file for future reference.
To create a seed list, simple develop a spreadsheet with names and addresses that you collect from those who agree to be on your seed list. Your mailing service will likely appreciate if this follows a standard field layout that they use. Then create a standing order with your mailing firms that specify the list be added to every outgoing project. Most mail houses are familiar with this process. After first initiating a seed list program, check in with those on the list to let them know that you appreciate them letting you know of any problems or concerns.
Seed lists are easy to create, easy to implement and will return benefits to the communication professional that puts them to wise use.
Additional Resources
Quebecor explanation of its Seedtrack program for direct mail E-mail Deliverability Tracker — Deliverymonitor.com helps you seed your e-mail subscriber list with addresses at major ISPs. The service then checks those mailboxes and provides a detailed delivery report.
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The Obvious Next Product
P is for Product, but product development is often an overlooked element of the marketing mix, especially in small to mid-size businesses. Perhaps it's a lack of creativity, the result of natural myopic business focus, or a function of the quality of marketing staff. Regardless, the primary, under girding principle of marketing is to meet customers’ needs, rather than trying to push what the company has to sell. So, so many businesses miss this point.
Another example of this came earlier this month as Walmart pulled the plug on its online movie download service (and no one noticed, as Gizmo reported days later). Walmart, who does an excellent job of taking my money on a regular basis, missed the customer boat on this one. Encumbered by restrictive DRM, built on Microsoft's WMV format, priced expensively compared to the competition, and without a good way view the movies on — gasp — a television, the product flopped. No big surprise.
But the Walmart failure doesn't mean that online movies aren't a good idea, or that there isn't a profitable market for movie downloads. It just means the product isn't right. Yet.
In fact, the correct product is somewhat obvious:
Easy selection of movies - like Netflix or your local video storeConvenient one-click purchase and download to your computer - like Amazon or iTunesA wide selection of recent releases and classics from the past – from all major and minor studios, including The Yellow Submarine by the BeatlesRelatively fast downloading, so movies can be watched on impulse - like cable on-demand servicesEasy, unattended streaming from the computer to any television or other computer in the household - like your wireless home networkLight on digital rights management - so you own the movie and can play it at home or a portable device forever - like iTunesThe ability to make (limited) DVD copies - so you can take something decent to watch when you visit your in-lawsLow priced - to encourage adoption, volume and more purchases (as well as keeping Walmart out of returning to the market) - like iTunesThe option to watch in high definition without worrying about Blu-Ray or HDDVD formats – this could be at a premium priceConvienience and/or convergence features that make the product a useful addition or replacement to current home entertainment devices, such as:
- Tivo-like features so one can record from broadcast or cable – including high def
- VCR Plus+ – like simplicity of programming from television
- The ability to play DVDs that one already owns or has rented
- The ability to rip DVDs that I already own to add to my library
- No need to set a clockA well designed product that "just works" - like the iPod
Of course there is one company already repeatedly mentioned in this list: Apple Computer. And there is an Apple product that already meets some of the criteria: the AppleTV. Thus, the obvious next product for Apple is a second generation AppleTV. And if they get it right, it will be another blockbuster.
Despite the demise of Walmart’s video download service, there are a number of other such services (CinemaNow, Apple's iTunes Movie store, MovieFlix, Movielink, Amazon’s Unbox, and Starz’s Vongo), but only Amazon’s Unbox is a large, serious contender. Although Amazon has links with TiVo, which was mentioned in the wish list above, Amazon still lacks access to the hardware component needed to make such an online service work seamlessly with television — which isn’t to say that one should count them out, as evidenced by their willingness to launch the Kindle product.
Yet it is Apple that is poised to succeed in the online download market for a number of reasons, all which tend to circle back to the concept of “product.” Marketers can apply these principles to their product or business development efforts as well:
1. Steve Jobs Himself
Apple’s past successes have been strongly influenced by Job’s personal attributes: “his unwavering focus, his insistence on excellence and his belief in his own vision,” according Steven Levy in The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness. The leader is key in product development.
2. A Focus on Excellence
At age 29, just weeks before the original Macintosh launched, Jobs said “my best contribution to the group is not settling for anything but really good stuff.” Levy explains that Jobs evokes a “Reality Distortion Field” around him as he seeks to achieve the ideal solution.
Levy also notes that some people have mistakenly thought the key to Apple’s success was the “coolness” factor. But this is a classic post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. Cool is only a byproduct of the product development process according to Yossi Vardi: “The only thing a company can do is strive for perfection and hope that the gods smile on it.” The classic example is the distinctive click of a Mercedes door, which results from the care taken to manufacturer it so the entire rim of the door touches the chassis all at once as it closes. Jobs confirmed this principle when Levy asked whether he had tried to make the iPod cool. “No,” he said, “we tried to make it great.” A focus on an excellent product is essential to successful product development.
3. Understanding the Underlying Issue
As one works on developing a new product or service, it will eventually become clear that nothing simple is ever easy – meaning that the elegant solution must be found through a complex struggle. As part of that struggle to achieve an excellent product, “the really great person will keep on going and find… the key, underlying principle of the problem. And come up with a beautiful elegant solution that works,” according to Levy. Successful product development is a struggle that requires really understanding the underlying issue.
4. A Strategic Fit
The iPod and AppleTV aren’t just neat ideas to computer manufacturer Apple, they are core to a long-held strategy called the “Digital Hub.” Essentially, Apple’s goal is to create best-of-class software (and with the iPod and AppleTV, hardware as well) that people would enjoy so much that they would want to buy an Apple computer. In other words, there is a method to Apple’s “madness.” Good product development does likewise; it follows the organization’s strategic DNA.
The application for the marketing professional is several-fold. First, save up some of that holiday gift money for the inevitable second generation AppleTV. Secondly, approach product development (pause) and approach it as a serious enterprise: Find the right person to champion a new product or service; refuse to settle for “good enough;” drive down to the core issue; and only select new products or services for development that have an excellent strategic fit with your company.
Additional Links
New York Times: Wal-Mart Pulls Plug on Movies via the Web Walmart Video Download site – featuring the “closed” notice Which Movie Download Sites Are the Best? Digital Hub Strategy explained in a 2002 Apple advertisementO’Reilley: Apple’s "Digital Hub" More than Hype CNET Review of AppleTV Apple TV isn't Catching on, Analyst Says Apple and Fox’s Movie Rental Deal Also Includes Pre-ripped iPod/AppleTV Versions on DVD The Second Coming of Apple TV
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A Most Excellent Production Planning Calendar for the New Year
With the start of a new year, it’s time to take control by making your calendar a tool for proactive planning. Here’s the challenge and an excellent solution to production planning:
The Challenge
When planning print production projects or newsletters, it’s often necessary to back into deadlines from an established delivery date. Or conversely, one has to plan forward for copywriting, layout, approvals and printing to know when delivery is possible. Such planning is a challenge with normal month-by-month calendars, even if they’re all printed on one sheet for easy reference.
A Solution
Dave Seah’s Compact Calendar makes production planning easier for marketers and public relations professionals by stringing all the year’s dates together on one long page with the weekends pushed to the right side in gray. Months and weeks of the year are indicated to the left of the main column of dates, while holidays are indicated by a colored numeral on the calendar.
The result is a most excellent production planning calendar that makes it easy to calculate “number of weeks out,” scan for conflicts by days of the work week, and identify when holidays fall inside of a production timeline. Seah provides the calendar as a Microsoft Excel file, so you can modify it to meet your particular needs, such as adding holidays, or even tweaking it to display subsequent years, if desired.
It can be effective to use the compact calendar to scribble on as your developing your production timeline, or you can go down to your local Kinko’s and have it printed as a yard-long, 10-inch wide wall calendar that you can view from across the cubicle (consider printing on outdoor banner vinyl for durability and adding your company’s logo). In addition, people have posted international variations of Dave’s calendar to his web site, so if you’re in someplace like Malaysia, there may already be a version in the proper language and with local holidays.
Additional Links
David Seah’s Compact Calendar download page LifeHacker post about the compact calendar How to use the compact calendar with a moleskin How Jerry Seinfeld uses a calendar as a habit-building, productivity tool David Seah’s filmstrip calendar for elapsed calendar time on a monospaced display (a bit geeky) Downloadable Microsoft Word calendar templates – 2008, academic year, multi-year and other special-use options Okidata-compatible customizable planning calendar templates for Microsoft Word DIY Planner – Printable forms in various sizes (including Hipster PDA) for time management, GTD, project planning, checklists and note-taking.
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Getting Readers to Page Two of Your Direct Mail Letter (Where to Page Break)
I recently received a fund raising letter from my son's college. It was well written and formatted, and if tuition wasn't due in another month, I may have even opened my wallet.
One common flow in this otherwise excellent appeal was how the reader was taken from the end of page one to the top of page two. The last paragraph on page one concluded at the end of the page and a new paragraph began at the top of page two. While visually attractive, this gives the reader an opportunity to stop reading at the bottom of the first page (just when the appeal is getting warmed up!).
The better way to handle this issue is to break between pages in the middle of a paragraph and in the middle of a sentence.
Admittedly, starting a new page in the middle of a sentence and middle of a paragraph requires one to be aware of widows and orphans. Plus, the use of a parenthetical "continued on next page" phrase is still an option. However, the flow from page one to page two will be improved if readers realize they are "missing" the remainder of the last sentence on the first page of your letter.
Additional Resources
97 Tips to have a Successful Direct Mail Campaign (see tip #29) Designing Strong Direct Mail Letters (see tip #5) A Step-by-step Guide to Direct Mail Letters from direct-mail.org (see guideline #7, which they claim will impress your boss) Power Direct Marketing resources by the late Ray Jutkins
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The Use and Abuse of Questions in Copywriting
Questions are frequently abused as a copywriting technique. They are often used too quickly, too frequently and without thought of the reader’s needs. You’ll improve your copywriting if you avoid questions more often than you use them. Here’s why:
The Fallacy of Engagement
Questions are an engagement device. That is, they slow a reader down and make them think critically about your content. But there’s one problem. Your reader has to be engaged and reading your copy to start with. Once this is happening, a well-phrased, well-positioned question can kick it up a notch.
If you reader is skimming while standing over a trash can, a question can often have the wrong effect since it is exceedingly simple to ask a question with “Don’t know and don’t care.” Questions – especially rhetorical questions – will often elicit a negative response from the reader. Readers are bombarded with messages throughout the day. Give them a chance to dismiss you message and they will.
This means that opening your letter, ad or brochure with a question is generally a weak technique. Not always, of course. A good headline, interesting artwork and compelling topic can make a question lead effective. Sometimes. But not as often as one of the dozen other techniques you could use.
Stuck in the Middle with You
If you choose to use a question as a persuasive device, consider the middle to lower half of your piece as the proper placement. By this time, you have developed trust with your reader and laid out your case. For example, the second page of a fundraising letter may be the right place for a single-sentence paragraph: “Will you help make this project a reality?” In addition, questions can be used effectively as part of the graphic design in the middle of the piece to lead the reader farther into the layout (see an e-mail newsletter example).
Answer the Question
Rhetorical questions assume the reader knows the “correct” answer to your question. They may not. In these situations, you may have added confusion to your writing rather than clarity. It’s good to consider clearly answering any questions that you pose to your reader. This will drive home your point and avoid losing your reader. Better yet, if you want to clearly drive a point home, consider if rewriting the question as a statement would have more impact.
Students of persuasion and negotiation may argue that accumulating a series of “yeses” can be an effective approach to closing a sale. However, discriminating readers are unlikely to fall prey to such manipulation if the argument is not already sound and the reader involved. In such situations, creating a non-existent dialogue with the consumer through the use of questions is unlikely to accomplish acquiescence through sleight of hand. Refocusing the structure and argument is a more appropriate approach.
Questions also a Weak Structural Crutch
Another sin frequently perpetrated with questions is using them as a structure for subheds or topics in a brochure. For example, “What is XYZ?,” “How should I prepare?,” “What happens next?”, “How do I Register?”, “Where is XYZ Company Located” and so forth. Besides boring a reader with such a stiff, repetitive structure, there is a further error in this approach.
Subheds are not absorbed by the reader in the same way as a sentence. They are designed to be quickly skimmed and comprehended. Using a question as a subhed hides the key information that the reader needs. The question subhed interfers with reader comprehension. Thus, “Register in Three Easy Steps” is better than “How do I Register for the Program?” because the key word, “Register” is more prominent. At a minimum, question subheds should be rewritten to declarative statements: “What to Expect” is a better, more directl subhed than "What should I expect?"
Overall, when you find yourself using a question in your copy, step back and consider working a bit harder to rephrase the section. Questions should be used as a carefully thought-out and judiciously-applied technique in your copywriting.
Additional Links
Why Plato Would Have Blown it as a Blogger – Copyblogger.com’s Brian Clark explains why rhetorical questions don't really foster dialogue or conversations, which are an essential part of effective business blogging. Write Effective Fundraising Letters by Being Conversational – You can (but don’t have to) use one or two rhetorical questions in your fundraising letter if you like since such questions create the sense that a conversation is taking place between you and your donor. Spark Notes’ Rules of Writing entry on Rhetorical Questions – “At best, rhetorical questions are pompous.” Hints on Writing Philosophy papers - “You (as the writer) know what the answer is to the question. But the reader (me) may not be so sure. So tell me what you think – don’t ask me a question which (you think) has an obvious answer. The answer may not be obvious to me.”
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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An Outlook Trick for Filing Important E-mail Messages
Keeping copies of important e-mails that you write can be time consuming. The usual approach is to either dig these out of your sent mail. Other users might have Outlook file the reply with the original message, but this requires configuring this option and dragging the message to another folder first.
Copying or blind carbon copying yourself is a step in the right direction, but an Outlook rule can automate this process (presuming you’re using Microsoft Outlook).
First, to display the bcc: field, select View/Bcc from the text menu.
Next, create an Outlook rule (Tools/Rules & Alerts…) that looks for messages that are sent by yourself, to yourself. Then have these messages marked as read upon arrival and moved to the folder of your choice and stop processing other rules.
Now when you author a message or reply that you want to save, just add your e-mail address to the Bcc: field and a copy of the message will be routed to the folder you selected after you send it.
There are Outlook add-ins available if you want to always cc: or bcc: yourself or someone else, based on the addressee, words in the subject line, or words in the attachment. These tools can be used in combination with our rule trick to automatically select which messages are selected for this archiving process. However, you can also use Outlook rules to “check messages after sending” (again, based on criteria to select like addressee or keywords) and move a copy to a folder you indicate, assign it to a “category” and so forth. This can be a more precise method of saving messages if you can identify a pattern to the type of messages that you regularly archive.
Additional Resources
Auto CC/BCC for Outlook by AbleBits
Always BCC by Sperry Software
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Recent Productivity Links: E-mail, Sleep and Margin
E-mail Productivity Merlin Mann of 43folders.com recently spoke to Googleplex employees regarding his inbox zero concepts in a presentation posted in video, audio and iTunes podcast formats. The presentation slides are also available separately (but not a substitute for the presentation itself). Living with an empty inbox can be a significant stress reducer since the quantity of e-mail messages sitting in one's inbox is a more significant stressor than number of e-mails that one receives, according to Mann. (Also see other Unsolicted posts on e-mail & productivity). Sleep and Life Routine Lifehacker.com recently pointed out two posts by Steve Pavlina that offer insights into optimizing your daily routine: 10 Ways to Optimize Your Normal Days - Habits that promise to bring order and focus. How to Become an Early Riser – Recommendations on sleep patterns, alarm clocks and more.
Ways to Add Margin “Margin” is the extra space on a page that provides relief to our eyes. Without margin our eyes would fail due to the stress of words strung from edge to edge on the page. Author and physician Richard A. Swensen has developed the concept of improving "margin" in our lives as an approach to stress relief. Swenson (Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits) was the featured speaker on Focus on the Family's daily radio show August 30-31. (OnePlace.com Link 1 2 / CD for purchase). His writings concentrate on ways to create margin in four areas of life: emotional energy, physical energy, time and finances. He covers the first two of these areas in his presentation: Margin & Time Expect the unexpected –In Ecuador there is a saying, "every thing takes longer than it does." So we may as well plan for it as well as possible. Separate time from technology – Technology doesn't save time. One must discern when to use technology and when not to. Disconnect every once in a while — Pretend that you live in 1850 one Tuesday night a month and see if you like it.
Margin & Emotional Energy Have good friends and nourish friendships — We need to cultivate social supports to refill our tank of emotional energy Have a pet – they don't bite the way humans do. Practice reconciliation Laughter – And laugh at yourself, you'll never run out of material Faith – research has shown faith is associated with positive health benefits.
By simplifying our lives, we can be a blessing to other people. In order for us to give ourselves to others, we have to have something left to give – that "something" is margin in our lives.
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Online Videos are the New TV
It is quickly becoming a YouTube world. I’ve become increasingly convinced that online video has come of age and is now a medium that marketing and pubic relations professionals need to add to their tool boxes.
My son and his friends are amused by the Will It Blend series of videos where all sorts of items are thrown in a blender: Bic lighters, credit cards, tiki torches, light sticks – even an iPhone. It was funny, and seemed like more adolescent humor until I read the article about how the videos opened marketing and promotional doors for the for the Blendtec company (Viral Videos: How Sawdust and $50 Created Marketing Success for Blendtec.com). This is clearly moving beyond reposting of commercials or existing video content (see Windber Medical Center, for example) to be a mechanism unto itself.
According to homeward.com, “a recent Harris Interactive study found that about 42 percent of online adults in the United States said they have watched a YouTube video and 32 percent of frequent YouTube users said they watch less TV as a result.”
Many people have already identified that the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign will increasingly be influenced by YouTube and similar video sharing services. I’m convinced this is true, not by the (yawn) recent CNN/YouTube debates, but rather by the witty, effective response given by former senator and undeclared candidate Fred Thompson to an interview request from Michael Moore. Candidates who are able to master this medium will have an advantage on those that do not, in the same way that it has long been essential for them to master the sound bite and video clip for the evening news.
Although humor helps with the viral aspect of online video distribution, this is not a mandatory component of using video successfully, and neither is YouTube the only distribution channel. This is evidenced by some of the 3-1/2 minutes videos done by AngelVision, featuring a combination of still photography, words and music bed appropriate for e-mail, web, trade show or other sales efforts (see samples on client page).
Broadband access, the ubiquitous use of Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash, and the integration of social media concepts into video sharing sites has helped fuel the potential for online videos as a new and distinct communication medium. Yet again, it's time for communicators to proactively consider how they should be using a new medium in their communication efforts — if they haven't already.
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Go Put Your Strengths to Work
Marcus Buckingham has challenged the common concept that one should "build around your strengths and manage around your weaknesses." In his presentation to the 2007 Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Buckingham expanded on the concept of developing an individual's strengths that has been the focus of his recent books. While most people believe one will be more successful by fixing their weaknesses rather than building on their strengths, Buckingham claims the opposite is true. The Gallup poll that identified this sentiment only shows most people think it's a "remedial world," he said (apologies to Madonna). Buckingham claims the only way to improve is to study excellence. A strength-based approach to personal and organizational improvement is better than one focused on trying to identify the opposite of failure (the opposite of bad is only "not bad," he quipped). As examples, he cited the new field of positive psychology, as well as the Purnell School. The latter, a school for girls with learning problems in Pottersville, New Jersey, has developed an "affinity program" to help identify and build on individual strengths. It is not surprising that people focus more on weaknesses than on strengths. In fact, a survey showed that people only spend only 17 percent of their days on activities that play to their strengths. Buckingham presented three myths to show the importance of concentrating on strengths as part of our personal, professional and organizational development plans: MYTH: As you grow, you personality changes MYTH: You'll grow most where you're weakest. MYTH: A great team member puts his strength aside for the team. Buckingham recommended several ways to identify your strengths: Take an assessment like "Strengths Finder" or Myers Briggs, or DISC Learn to talk about you strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining. As you verbalize it will help you clarify as well. Create a list of activities as you do them during the week. Then record each on a sheet with two columns. Label the left column "I loved it" and the right column "I loathed it."
You can use the acronym "Sign" to know what a possible strength is. However, just because you are "good" at something might not mean it is a strength. How an activity makes you feel will drive if you get better at it, and thus might indicate a strength. On the other hand, you may enjoy something but not be that good at it (that's called a hobby): S-Success - what you feel effective at (not just "good"). After you have list, pick the three strongest ones and write a strength statement for each: "I feel strong when…" These should be drawn from your experience and specific. Then, change something in your routine each week. Put together a "Strong Week Plan" to push yourself toward your identified strengths. We are each responsible for identifying and developing our strengths so that we become better leaders – to help achieve our personal and professional missions. Books & Resources by Marcus Buckingham Go put your strengths to work
TRUTH: As goes grow you become more of who you already are. The challenge is how to channel your strengths. The goal is to lead where you are.
TRUTH: You'll grow most where you're already strong. When your child brings home a report card with all A's except for one F, you would do well to talk about the A's. You don't talk about the A grades to say, "Jolly good, well done." Instead you talk about the A grades to determine why they're succeeding in those areas so you can apply that to the area getting "F" grade.
TRUTH: What your team needs is for you to take yourself seriously enough to determine where to volunteer your efforts the most.
I-Instinct - things you look forward to.
G-Growth - things that you enjoy learning or doing. You lose track of time doing these things.
N-Need - things that fulfill a need.
Now discover your strengths
First break all the rules
One thing you need to know
Free, six-week podcast program on iTunes
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Hospitals Using Social & New Media for 'Storytelling' and More
Al Maruggi of Provident Partners and The Marketing Edge podcast (iTunes link) has posted a video of his presentation, "Storytelling Using the New Media," to the Minnesota Healthcare Strategy and Communication Network annual conference on July 20, 2007. In the presentation, he covers use of podcasting, videocasting and social media for hospital marketing, physician relations and public relations (Full disclosure: yours truely is one of the interviewees). Here is a detailed outline of the topics he hits upon (full video, 24 min.):
Use of podcasting for CME and physician relations Leveraging the investment existing community education classes through podcasting classes How Johns Hopkins is using podcasting extensively, including an innovative use to reach the families of Alzheimer's patients A description of how new patients can arrive at a doctor's appointment with a high degree comfort due to what they've learned through that physician's podcast and its supporting resources How the theory and impact behind social media springs from individual's desire to be a) recognized and b) part of a group Evidence that society is getting used to viewing and using video and social tools as shown by the recent YouTube candidate debates Use of audio and video to enhance news releases in the same way the New York Times is extending their content online The importance of budging for at least some video to convey emotional aspects of treating the human condition RealSavvyMoms.com as an example of creating credibility by combining peer-to-peer communication with expert commentary in a co-branded opportunity for hospitals (iTunes link) Why, because of the importance of branding for hospitals, the quality of video is more important than quantity of programs How patient and family blogs are more than just a convenient communication tool, they are also an emotional and cathartic service that hospitals can provide Three steps for identifying where to look for podcasting opportunities at your hospital
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More Marketing Humor for Thursdays
In case you have a hard time getting the hang of Thursdays, here are a few links that might help:
The difference between marketing, advertising and public relations fully explained Funny television commercials from around the world 10 cool, funny, or otherwise amazingly creative billboards Brand Irony as compiled by BuzzFeed Hey, kids, get mommy & daddy to sign up for Comcast (annimated commercial by John Kricfalusi)
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Enhance Your Brand Image by Establishing E-mail Signature Standards
When your employees send e-mail, the recipients need to know:
Who is sending this informationWhat is their title or roleWhat is the name of their companyHow can I contact them
To provide this information in a standard and professional manner, consider establishing a company standard for signature blocks in e-mail. In Microsoft Outlook this can be done with the “signature” feature:
To create a signature, select Tools/Options/Mail Format from the Outlook menu. In the signature section of this Options dialog box, click “Signature Picker.” Here you can create a new signature or edit your existing signatures using the recommendations below. When you complete your signature(s), return to the options dialog box and select a signature from the field labeled “Use this signature by default:” This signature will now appear at the bottom of each new e-mail message.
Even though you set a default signature, you can still change this for individual messages. From within your new message, highlight your default signature. Then on the Outlook menu, select Insert/Signature and select the signature version you prefer. If employees need more assistance, consider directing them to your IT department for the technical aspects of using Outlook.
Standard
This is a general-purpose signature block that provides the most commonly needed contact information for internal and external recipients.
Yuri Example
Administrative Coordinator
XYZ Company
Phone (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-4321
yuri.example@xyzcompany.com
Full
The full version adds postal and Web site addresses for first-time or external contacts that may need this additional information.
Yuri Example
Brand Evangelist
XYZ Company
3000 N. Main Street
Seattle, North Carolina 29340
Phone (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-4321
yuri.example@xyzcompany.com
http://www.xyzcompany.com/
Short
The short version is for casual or internal messages. However, even internal staff will appreciate having your phone or department information listed.
Yuri Example
Human Resources Generalist
XYZ Company
Phone (555) 555-1234
Signature Formatting Guidelines
Use the full, correctly spelled name of your company or subsidiary.Follow the order of elements that matches your company’s printed letterhead or business cards.Format phone numbers so they include the word “Phone” (or Fax, Cell, Pager, etc.). This may be in front or behind the number, depending on your company’s graphic standards. Make sure to include the word “Phone,” “Office,” “Direct” even with “normal” phone numbers to clarify that they are, in fact, voice numbers.Unless your company uses a different style, put the area code in parentheses and a hyphen after the prefix as this is the most common way people are used to seeing telephone numbers in the U.S., Other areas of the world and global companies may need to modify this approach to the manner that will be most familiar to recipients.Spell out the words “Street,” “Drive,” and your state or province for clarity. If you are located in an office building that has a name, include it along with your postal address in your signature block. This should also be done with business cards and forms since often a office building will have a sign with the facility name, but the postal address is hard-to-find or non-existent. Visitors to your physical building will appreciate this information.Include your zip or postal code, and consider including your country location if you are a global business.Use the font Arial or Verdana for on-screen legibility in 11 or 12 point size.Avoid using italic or multiple colors for your text.Add a blank line before the first line of your signature to create some space between the end of your message and the start of your signature.
Establishing guidelines for e-mail signature blocks within your organization will help ensure that your brand is presented in a consistent and professional manner.
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How Non-Response Bias Can Ruin Your Mail Survey
Many marketers rely on mail surveys to measure customer satisfaction, or to gather information about the marketplace. Unfortunately, their confidence in such research is often misplaced because they fail to compensate for certain limitations of the mail methodology.
The key to accurate survey research is that the sample is "representative" of the population as a whole. Think of a large pot of soup as an illustration. If you put the ladle in the pot and get only broth – or only chunks of vegetables – then you don't have a representative sample.
Most researchers (for example, Babbie, The Practice of Social Research), recommend that one needs a 50 percent or better return rate in order to be confident that you have a representative sample. So if you send out 100 surveys, you want to get at least 50 back. The same applies if you’re making phone calls or sending Survey Monkey invitations. Since almost all single wave, non-incentive, mail out/mail back surveys get a low response rate, there is a strong probability such samples are not representative. A non-representative sample will not produce valid results.
This is not to say there isn’t a place for mail surveys, just that – as with any methodology or tactic – you need to know what you’re doing.
The key issue to understand when using mail-based research methodologies is the problem of "non-response bias." This type of bias is caused when some segment of the sample doesn’t respond in the same proportion as needed for a representative sample. It may be that men don’t respond, or young people, or people who are dissatisfied with your services. All these examples would result in under representation of a certain segment of the population. According to Burns and Bush, “non-response has been labeled the marketing research industry’s biggest problem.”
The Impact on Satisfaction Research
In satisfaction research, one can sometimes recognize non-response bias by scores that are skewed – results that are especially high, especially low, or a combination of both. The latter is called a bi-modal response – in other words, compared with the normal bell curve, the bi-modal response looks like a camel with two humps. The people who respond are those that really love your organization, or those who really hate you, but the silent majority is “silently satisfied” and under represented. The reason appears to be that mail (and Internet) methodologies are self-selecting approaches which encourage a higher representation of the extremes.
Typical Telephone & Mail Response Rates
What type of response rates are we talking about for mail and telephone methodologies? In my experience, a mail survey sent out once, with no money or reward involved, will frequently generate about a 13 percent response rate. Marketing Research by Burns & Bush state that “Typically, mail surveys of households achieve response rates of less than 20%.” Likewise, rates cited by one well-know customer satisfaction firm specializing in mail methodology range from 10 to 32 percent. In contrast, telephone methodologies – even in this age of caller ID – can easily produce a sufficient response rates, especially with a standard 3-attempt approach.
In a comparative study, Thomas Burroughs (Patient Satisfaction Measurement Strategies: A Comparison of Phone and Mail Methods) found telephone response rates ranging from the low 40s to over 50 percent, compared with a low of 21 to a high of 47 percent with mail.
Who is Not Responding?
It is not uncommon for a higher percentage of older people to respond to a mail survey – and for a large number of people under age 35 not to respond at all. The problem is the same with newer, Internet-based methodologies; all segments of the population do not respond equally. Thus, when the response rate is low, the survey may not be any more valid that CNN’s engaging but unscientific “ Quick Vote” feature.
The Jackson Organization (now HealthStream Research) phrases the problem this way:
In low-response (below 50%) surveys, such as most patient satisfaction surveys conducted by mail, there is a significant likelihood that those who respond to the survey are different (demographically and psychographically) from those who do not respond. This is called non-response bias – that those who respond are materially different from those who do not – and it compromises the validity of the results. The objective academic literature tells us that if response rates fall below fifty percent, the probability of introducing non-response bias is unacceptably high.
Addressing Low Response Rates
Although one can produce an invalid sample using any methodology, written surveys are more likely to suffer from non-response bias than telephone surveys. However, there are ways to increase mail response rates to 50 percent or greater and thus avoid non-response bias. The most common are by:
Follow-up reminder in the form of a postcard or letterMailing the survey multiple times (preferably to non responders) Including or offering an incentive for completion of the surveyPersonalize the mailing with hand-addressing, real signature in ink, or a personalized cover letterGive preliminary notification that the survey is coming through letter, postcard or phone callUse special postage, such as a commemorative stampProvide return postage in the form of a stamped envelope or BRE
Of course, these efforts take extra time and money, which increases costs, often well above the comparable expense of telephone methodologies.
Unfortunately, a less expensive approach is for the research firm to “weigh” the data to adjust for under-sampled segments. In these cases, 5 responses by under-age-35 responders might be “weighted” to represent the 10 that are needed to match the percentage in the population as a whole. The problem with this approach is that the margin of error still applies to the smaller number – so overall confidence is not really improved.
Don’t Telephone Methodologies Also Have Bias?
Telephone methodologies also have the potential for bias, but generally of a different type. As Melvin F. Hall explains in “ Patient satisfaction or acquiescence? Comparing mail and telephone survey results,” respondents contacted by telephone may have a tendency to give a socially acceptable answer to the interviewer, regardless of the content of the question. This is called acquiescence bias, but is not often addressed in the literature. One reason may be that acquiescence bias is a systemic bias, one that potentially skews the results, but doesn’t threaten the validity of the results in the same way non-response bias does.
The Bottom Line
Good marketing begins with research. But marketers need to know enough about the tools they’re using to ensure that they’re getting good results. When it comes to mail research, it’s important to plan for techniques that will provide a sufficient response rate, or consider if other methodologies like telephone would actually provide a more economical approach. These issues are especially important for ongoing research projects such as customer satisfaction where invalid data could lead staff to focus on efforts that are rabbit trails unrelated to the true core issues facing the organization.
Additional Links
The Burke Institute – Marketing research training Quirk’s - the leading magazine in the marketing research industry Response and acquiescence bias on Wikipedia A Demonstration of the Impact of Response Bias on the Results of Patient Satisfaction Surveys Best Practices for Improving Response Rates from PulseWare online survey software
Links of Special Interest to Hospital Researchers
How the HCAHPS Mode Adjustment will Affect Your Survey Data by Professional Research Consultants HCAHPS Quality Assurance Guidelines – includes mode adjustment details and information on how CMS determines response rate National CHPHS Benchmarking Database – background information from AHRQ
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Understanding RSS in Under 4 Minutes
Lee LeFever of the Common Craft Show has created a short video entitled “ RSS in Plain English.”If you haven’t quite figured RSS out yet, this video will explain everything in under four minutes. Lee has also created a nice video explaining Wikis.
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Willow Creek Leadership Summit Coming to a Location Near You August 9 – 11, 2007
My wife and I finally signed up for Willow Creek Leadership Summit August 9 – 11, 2007 so we could take advantage of the early bird discount. We’ve attended for the last two years and have really enjoyed the event. Since it’s simulcast to 130 locations across North America, and there’s a site in our city, it’s also a very convenient way to attend a top-notch leadership conference.
Bill Hybels, who organizes the conference, is always a great speaker, and this year’s lineup also includes (full bios):
Colin Powell – former U.S. Secretary of State
Michael Porter – Harvard professor and expert on competitive strategy
John Ortberg – popular author and pastor
Floyd Flake – former U.S. congressman and president of Wilberforce University
Carly Fioria – former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Warren Bennis – author, professor and leadership consultant
Richard Curtis – award-winning writer, director & producer
Jimmy Carter – former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient The format is a mixture of speakers, contemporary Christian music, and interviews designed to “develop the leadership gifts God has given you” and based on the premise that “you have been divinely placed in a position of influence.” The event promises to be a very challenging and educational three days. For more information, or to register, visit www.willowcreek.com/summit.
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Tools for Selecting Memorable and Mnemonic Phone Numbers
Your telephone number is the front door to your business. When developing a new service, it is wise to look at every entryway people use to reach your business, including your phone number. Sometimes a unique phone number can help people remember your number, or at least make it easier to dial.
There are two approaches for developing a phone number for marketing purposes:
Memorable – A phone number that uses simple numbers, common sequences or repeated numbers that are easy to remember or dial, such as 555-1000.
Mnemonic – A phone number that spells a word or phrase making it easy to remember, such as 1-800-FLOWERS. Sometimes these are referred to as “vanity” numbers. Of course, a mnemonic number that is also a memorable is ideal.
Art Business News reported that a 1999 study found that nearly one-third of radio ads contained a toll-free number, and nearly three-quarters of those were “vanity” numbers. The journal also reported that ”toll-free vanity numbers, those that spell out a word, receive up to 14 times more telephone call responses compared to a similar toll-free number presented only in numerical form.”
While the theory sounds good, and there may be some evidence to support better response with mnemonic phone numbers, marketers should be cautious. Including phone numbers in radio ads eats up valuable time (as Nick Kelley has argued) and may not be appropriate for every product or service. Furthermore, consultant Victor Urbach said that some studies have shown that full-alpha 800 vanity numbers actually reduce response rates. "They claim it's because people think they'll remember the number, and thus put off calling until later," he says. "In marketing, later often means never."
Another issue of concern to the marketer is the proliferation of toll free area codes beyond the familiar 800 numbers. There seems good anecdotal evidence that consumers are still unfamiliar with toll free area codes such as 877, 866, or 888. This will become even more pronounced with the future implementation of toll free 855, 844, 833 and 822 area codes. This means the marketer needs to reinforce that their telephone number is, in fact, toll free.
Moreover, the increase in the different types of phone numbers suggests that marketers would be wise to clarify the types of phone numbers listed on their stationary and other communications. For example:
Phone (555) 555-1234
Direct (555) 555-1234
Orders (555) 555-1234
Office (555) 555-1234
Toll Free (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-1234 Some practical tools to help the marketer with the telephone number selection process include: PhoNETic – Finds words within telephone numbers or convert words into numeric digits.
DialABC Phone Number Tools – Words to numbers and vice versa, plus a tool to select prefixes by their vanity phone number potential, a visual map of keypad movement for a number (cool), and sound-to-number and number-to-sound touch tone tool.
ATT Toll-free Business Number Availability Lookup – Enter any combination of letters and numbers to determine toll free phone number availability.
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Hard Sell vs. Enchantment Words for Relationship Development in Copy Writing
SoftTopicCopyWritingSecrets.com authors Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski in an interview with David Steele of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com identify the following top 10 “ hard sell” words. These words should be taboo in copy writing intended to develop a relationship with the reader. They especially don’t work in care giving or service professions where one is trying to build trust with vulnerable people. These words are aggressive and hyper-macho:
TurbochargedKnockoutSecret weaponDynamiteHigh voltageMind-blowingKick buttTake no prisonerKiller Insane
In contrast, “ enchantment” words come in two flavors. The first speak to the product you are offering:
FreeEasyStep-by-stepProvenSecretSave (time, energy, money, etc.)New (or fresh)PrivateSpecial Guaranteed
Enchantment words that speak to the person include:
LoveHealthSafetyBreakthroughSolutionTrustConnect (or connection)Heart Discover
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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Writing Effective Calls to Action
An effective call to action (CTA) helps your customer take the next step toward a purchase decision. Eloquent copywriting will come to naught unless you first know what you want your readers to do and then build explicit calls to action into your brochures, direct mail, advertising, Web pages, and other communication efforts.
Calls to action may come in the form of a phone number, Web addresses, e-mail address, an offer to visit a store, or even a recommendation for the customer to write their congressman, read Consumers’ Report or take a test drive. Generally placed at the conclusion of your copy, CTAs can also be effective if sprinkled throughout the copy.
Using a Web URL as a call to action makes sense when the page specifically answers the reader’s follow-up needs or questions. You may direct people to a page on your company’s Web site or one on a third-party Web site from a reputable and neutral source. Either of these options is generally better than directing people to your company’s home page.
Why to Use Deep URLs
Dropping readers off at your home page is like dropping them off at the city limits and expecting them to look up your street address and then walk the rest of the way to your facility. It is better to take readers deeper into the site to the specific page that addresses their inquiry. However, using deep URLs should avoid asking readers to type a long, unwieldy URL. If a short, memorable URL or clickable link isn’t available, a phone number may make more sense.
Some deep URLs to consider using in your calls to action include:
Database pages where users can search for products or servicesMaps and directions to your locationsWeb forms linked to literature fulfillmentClass or seminar registration pages
Things to Avoid
There are a number of things that you should avoid when developing your calls to action, according to marketing manager Megan McHenry:
Too many options – In general, don’t give people more than two ways to contact you – or more than two hyperlinks in a single paragraph. Pick the one or two that are easiest for people to remember or that give them the strongest information. Vague calls to action – If you’ve already done a great job of covering a subject in-depth, don’t ruin it by ending on a broad, unrelated call to action or by giving the user a “research assignment.” For example, don’t say, “To learn more about XYZ Company, go to www.XYZcompany.org.” This presumes readers will go to the Web site just for the fun of learning all about your firm. Instead, tell them specifically what you want them to know about your company, and then give them a direct path to the proof points (brochure, deeper URL, phone number, and so forth). Empty promises of “more information” – If you’ve already printed everything you have to say about a particular topic, don’t promise your reader will get “more information” by calling your phone number or visiting your company’s Web site. Instead, consider your reader informed and ready to take the action you recommend, or point them toward some reputable, third-party sources where they can further their research and validate what you’ve told them. Links to dynamic or time-sensitive Web content - Many Web pages are dynamic and disappear automatically from the Web site after a pre-determined expiration date. Avoid sending readers to a calendar item, event-driven news story or other temporary content that is going to expire soon. Using “click here” in your hyperlink text – The words “click here” do not provide enough information or incentive for a reader who is skimming down your page to stop and pay attention. To make your call to action stand out, choose hyperlink text that tells users exactly what they will get if they click. For example, instead of, “ Click here to download our free whitepaper,” say “ FREE Whitepaper: ‘Seven Calls to Action that Never Fail to Get a Response.'” Looping calls to action – Be careful when repurposing stories from print to online that the call to action doesn’t just link back to the same story they are reading now. Help readers take the next logical step by linking directly to your databases, Web forms or logically-related content.
Additional Resources
Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results Boost your selling power with your call-to-action phrases What’s in Your Call to Action? Utilizing a Call to Action (on-demand webcast) 37 Calls to Action for Your Web Site
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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A Free, 1-1/2 Hour Course on Creating Radio Advertising
The Norman Agency (Toronto) has an excellent series of podcasts on creating good radio advertising. Each segment of their Creative Conversations podcast with Creative Director Jim Norman Project Manager Becky Trenton (Feed iTunes) runs five to 10 minutes.
There are currently 11 casts, so thrown together in a playlist or onto a CD, these sessions could make a quick 1-1/2 hour tutorial for you or your staff. Topics include:
Criteria for selecting between creating: 60, :30, :15 or :10s How to make sure your ads aren't helping your competition Developing a creative brief for radio (Part 1 Part 2) Understanding the 3x frequency rule and dominating a time slot or station Why it’s important to invest in professional talent not heard elsewhere in your market Avoiding flawed premises, faulty facts and fake performances that can ruin effectiveness Clichéd and cookie-cutter ideas to shun and why The use of sound effects in radio commercials Ways to find the perfect voices for your commercials The “Big Idea” – understanding your USP and great creative execution
Technorati Tags: Radio Advertising
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Five Books on Productivity & Time Management
In speaking with principals from two agencies last week, the discussion turned to productivity and time management. Of course, as Mark Horstman has pointed out, there is no such thing as “time management.” Everyone gets 24 hours; you can’t “manage it.” What we really mean when we speak of time management is “ priority management.” Nevertheless, we collectively came up with a total of five books on these topics:
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil Fiore Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
Additional Links
Time Management – Manager Tools episode about time management (Part 1 of two)
43folders.com – a popular GTD site
Life Hacker.com – Recommends the software and web sites that actually save time
Time Management on MindTools.com
10 tips for time management in a multitasking world
American Productivity and Quality Centre (APQC)
Popular pages tagged with productivity or time management on del.icio.us
Books tagged time management and productivity on Amazon.com
Technorati Tags: Productivity
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Book Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
www.tablegroup.com (Patrick Lencioni Web Site) Amazon Link Audiobook on iTunes Five Dysfunctions “Field Guide” (Tools, Exercises, Assessments) Other Books by Pat Lencioni
Many books on “teams” are just so much rah, rah, rah, blah, blah, blah. Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team is different for several reasons.
First, Lencioni uses a fictional narrative to provide didactic structure to the book, which makes an exceptionally enjoyable reading experience. Secondly, instead of discussing teamwork in glowing and motivational terms like so many tomes, he approaches the less than pristine aspects of organization ineffectiveness.
In the book, newly appointed CEO Kathryn Petersen guides “DecisionTech,” a near-Silicon-Valley technology startup, through a restructuring intended to save the company from a premature demise. As is true with so many real-world firms, DecisionTech is flush with potential. Instead, the company’s real problems lay within the ranks of its own management staff.
The five dysfunctions, in sequential order are:
Absence of trust – there must be a foundation of trust among team members that allows them to share weaknesses and ask for help for the overall good of the organization. Concealing weaknesses, holding grudges, failing to seek outside help and dread of meetings are some symptoms of this dysfunction.
Fear of conflict – an organization needs to be able to fully debate possible courses of action rather than coming to consensus too quickly. This conflict is focused around ideas rather than people. Once a decision is made, the whole team must boldly support the team’s course of action regardless of their doubts. Back-channel politics and boring meetings are two signs of this dysfunction.
Lack of commitment – When the debate is over, the team needs to fully commit to a clear course of action, not feign acceptance or avoid making hard decisions. Ambiguity regarding priorities, excessive analysis and revisiting decisions are possible symptoms.
Avoidance of accountability – A team needs to be able to hold each other accountable for each other’s performance with agreed-upon goals. Missed deadlines, mediocrity and the team leader as the only disciplinarian are some symptoms of this dysfunction.
Inattention to results – it is possible for team members to focus on individual or departmental recognition, career development or ego stroking if the group is not tightly focused on achieving specific corporate results. One obvious symptom is when team members are focused on their own careers. Also, organizations that fail to grow, fail to successfully address their competition, or begin to lose good employees may be suffering from this dysfunction. 
Putting aside personal ego issues and focusing on what is best for the organization is a key principle of the book.
In a summary of the model that forms the last 33 pages of the book, Lencioni explains that while the five components need to be addressed sequentially, they are also interrelated rather than distinct elements to be dealt with in isolation from each other: “Like a chain with just one link broken, teamwork deteriorates if even a single dysfunction is allowed to flourish.” He also puts the dysfunctions into positive language for those that would prefer the translation. For example, absence of trust becomes “cohesive teams trust one another.”
In this section, he also recommends tactics for overcoming the dysfunctions, many of which were illustrated in the narrative. Regarding absence of trust, Lencioni recommends:
a personal history exercise where groups answer questions about themselves a task where the group verbally identifies strengths in other team memberspersonality profiles such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or, I suppose, the DISC assessment – Wikipedia Manager Tools) 360-degree feedback (a bit riskier, but potentially powerful)team exercises like rope courses (somewhat out of favor)
For overcoming fear of conflict:
digging out buried disagreementsencouraging each other not to retreat from healthy debatetools like the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (Wikipedia Ralph Kilmann Web Site)
For lack of commitment:
“cascading messaging,” which involves reviewing key decisions of the meeting and agreeing on what needs to be communicated to employees or otherssetting clear deadlinesdicussing contingency plans and scenario planningtraining the team to make decisions by practicing on low-risk areas first
For avoidance of accountability:
the use of peer pressure publishing goals and standardsproviding structure for feedback processesshift awards from the individual to the team
For inattention to results:
make public proclamations of intended successbase rewards like bonuses on resultshave the team leader set the tone by being humble and not playing favorites
Besides providing a theoretical structure that can help the manager make sense of dysfunction within their own organization, Lencioni’s fable features an evil marketing manager who needs some comeuppance. The twin benefits of education and entertainment should make this book hard for the marketing or public relations manager to resist. Furthermore, because of the fictional approach, The Five Dysfunctions works especially well as an audiobook, meaning there should be few excuses for any manager or leader not to read this book.
Additional Resources
Overcoming Silos and Focusing on Strategic Goals in Your Organization -
Unsolicited’s earlier post regarding regarding Lencioni’s Willow Creek Leadership Summit presentation on his latest book, Silos, Politics & Turf Wars.
The Treasure Tree by Trent & Smalley – an otter, beaver, golden retriever and lion demonstrate their unique personality traits in this delightful children’s book based on the DISC personality profile.
Technorati Tags: Leadership, Lencioni, Teams
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Good Advice for New PR Staff
We came across two items recently that provide some good advice for the new PR practitioner in their first job.
First, David Jones and Ed Lee discuss the skills they want new staff to develop in an interview with Paull Young on the Forward Podcast. These include:
ReadingWritingMonitoringLeadership skill
Terry Fallis has said that there is a natural flow of work in any office; the work flows to the best people. To be such a “go to” person requires a sense of urgency, an emphasis on delivering, and enthusiasm. The key is to add to a base of solid skills and become someone who gets the work done - and done right.
Overall, the two said that senior PR staff appreciate junior staff that:
Are constantly learningAsking the right questionsNot looking for orders, but looking for ways to contribute
Meanwhile, Kelly Papinchak offers 17 very practical suggestions in “Things I Wish I’d Known before I Showed Up on the Job” (PR Tactics, April 2007, Page 19 ). Some of my favorites include:
Call every number you place in a press release or in an ad before it’s submittedProgram your boss’ cell phone number into your phoneKeep business cards in your wallet, bag purse and carDon’t engage in office politicsAlways proofread
Technorati Tags: Public Relations, Career Development
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Fun & Useless Tools for Marketing
Here are a few fun and mostly useless tools for marketing, perfect for a Thursday:
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SnapShirts.com - Put a word cloud from your favorite blog (or book) onto a T-shirt for $18. Select “custom” from the main menu to test your URL and select the colors and fonts of your choice. |
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Rasterbator - Upload a digital photo, and have it converted for free to whatever enormous size you'd like. Rasterbator sends the enlarged version to you as a series of PDFs; print them on regular 8 1/2-by-11 paper and assemble like a puzzle. |
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Warning Sign Generator– Pick a style, a graphic and enter your own words to generate a downloadable JPEG image. Just need a warning label? See the companion site, Warning Label Generator. |
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Polaroize – Upload a photo and have it converted to look like a Polaroid photo. |
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Billboard Creator – Make a picture of a fake billboard with this tool from bighugelabs.com by selecting the type of billboard, the text and uploading a photo (or linking to Flickr). They also have other toys for your digital photos, such as motivational posters, magazine covers, and more. |
Technorati Tags: Marketing
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How to Train Your Dry Cleaner (Brian Dameier’s Customer Satisfaction Story)
Editor’s Note: Brian Dameier of Professional Research Consultants uses this story when speaking to clients about developing processes to ensure customer satisfaction.
After moving to Newnan, Georgia, my first chore was finding the nearest Home Depot. But my second priority was finding a dry cleaner.
To travel as a consultant, all I need is a folded shirt with medium starch. Then, when I’m ready to visit a hospital client, I just iron the shirt where it was folded, add a tie and a suit – and bingo, I’m the out-of-town consultant.
So I took a set of shirts to a respectable-looking dry cleaners near my new home. A few days later I returned to pick them up. When the woman brought me the shirts, I could see that they were on hangers and not folded.
“These shirts were supposed to be folded,” I told her.
The woman looked at the original order and said, “You are correct. It says so right here – You’ll just have to keep reminding us until we get it right.”
What?
My mind starting thinking of my To Do list, which is over a page long. And then my wife’s To Do list for me, which was another two pages. Now, I was going to have to start a new To Do list with “Train dry cleaners on how to fold shirts.”
Then I thought about Spanky. On Monday of that week, I had started training Spanky, our cocker spaniel, for an invisible fence that we had just installed. Spanky now had a shock collar that would rattle his little brain when he got to close to the underground wire.
Without thinking I said, “Lady, it took me three days to train my cocker spaniel. How many days do you think it will take for me to train you?”
I must admit, I didn’t wait for an answer and I never went back.
The next week I took a new set of shirts to Angie’s Cleaners, which was also conveniently located to our home. When I picked them up, the shirts were folded, just as I had requested. So I asked, “What is your process for tracking which shirts to fold and which to put on hangers? Some cleaners mess it up, but you got it right.”
The owner was proud to explain, “You have to attach a tag to the shirt so the people in the back don’t have to find the sales slip to figure out what to do.”
It was an ingeniously simple solution. The cleaners had developed a process to make sure the job got done right.
So, ten years later I still take my shirts to Angie’s. There I have peace of mind – and one less item on my To Do list. Some satisfaction issues are “people problems,” but most are issues of process.
This story reprinted here with the author's permission.
Technorati Tags: Customer Service
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The Internal Communicator’s Dilemma
Internal communications can be frustrating. After a full-court communications effort, employees still say "I didn't know about that…."
It seems the more you communicate, the more employees seem to miss the message. Perhaps it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Here are some tips:
1. Instead of more tools, try research
An external audit of your internal communications is an excellent idea, but also consider research that tests how well staff are receiving the messages you send. This is a better approach than relying on anecdotal comments. Segment your research by department and find out who you're not reaching through traditional channels.
2. Consider cascading messaging systems
A structured, cascading messaging system puts the burden on management to communicate to staff. Follow-up measurement can help determine how well employees receive messages, and can identify who the problem children are.
3. Push back
“Really, you didn't hear about that?” Probe employees on their communication habits and how they missed your messages. When employees say, “I didn’t know about that,” try — in a pleasant way — find out why. And ask, “How would you like to learn about important company news?”
4. Consider if you're communicating too much
There is such a thing as communicating too much. Doing so makes everything seem equally unimportant. Cutting out the clutter can make the important stuff rise back to the top.
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Three Ways to Use Seed Lists to Your Advantage
If your organization does any amount of direct mail, you should be using seed lists.
A seed list is an extra set of addresses that are added to your mailing. The seed list names are added to the mailing regardless of whether they match the target criteria used to develop your list. They generally include you and perhaps other key people inside or outside of your organization. The term comes from how mailing list companies scatter (or “seed”) decoy names and addresses into the lists they sell. This allows the list company to monitor how their list is being used and safeguard against unauthorized use.
Marketers can also use seed lists to their advantage in at least three ways:
1. Track delivery time and quality
By adding yourself, your direct reports and call center staff to mailings, you’ll be able to know when pieces begin to arrive in consumer’s mailboxes. Plus, your staff can let you know about problems that occurred in the mail stream, such as ink rub-off from postal equipment, damage due to insufficient paper weight, additional tabbing done by post office because your piece wasn’t secure enough, or other design and mail house issues.
2. Keep your administration and key staff informed
While you may not want to swamp C-level staff with mailings, adding your boss or other key administrators to your seed list can help them have a better sense of what is being done in the Marketing or Public Relations Department. Unlike television ads or brochures, direct mail efforts often go unseen. Seeding the list with key staff or service line leaders can help the organization have a better idea about otherwise unseen communication efforts. You can even add your mother to the list if you feel guilty about not calling her often enough. And don't forget your ad agency account executives.
Of course, anyone that you add to your seed list should give their consent and understand that they will be getting more than the normal amount of company mail. Home addresses are generally better to use in such situations than work addresses. You may even want to develop a one-sheet explanation of the seed list concept to hand out to new additions to your standing list.
3. Exchange mailings with like-minded organizations
New ideas are the lifeblood of good communication efforts. One way to have a constant stream of ideas is to see what other organizations are doing on a regular basis. Non-profit organizations in particular will benefit from getting on the mailing lists of likeminded organizations from around the country. Vendors will often also host user groups or client conferences where the astute marketer will seek reciprocal exchanges of newsletters or direct mail seed list placements. Much of the material you receive will be trashed, but the gems can be kept in a swipe file for future reference.
To create a seed list, simple develop a spreadsheet with names and addresses that you collect from those who agree to be on your seed list. Your mailing service will likely appreciate if this follows a standard field layout that they use. Then create a standing order with your mailing firms that specify the list be added to every outgoing project. Most mail houses are familiar with this process. After first initiating a seed list program, check in with those on the list to let them know that you appreciate them letting you know of any problems or concerns.
Seed lists are easy to create, easy to implement and will return benefits to the communication professional that puts them to wise use.
Additional Resources
Quebecor explanation of its Seedtrack program for direct mail E-mail Deliverability Tracker — Deliverymonitor.com helps you seed your e-mail subscriber list with addresses at major ISPs. The service then checks those mailboxes and provides a detailed delivery report.
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The Obvious Next Product
P is for Product, but product development is often an overlooked element of the marketing mix, especially in small to mid-size businesses. Perhaps it's a lack of creativity, the result of natural myopic business focus, or a function of the quality of marketing staff. Regardless, the primary, under girding principle of marketing is to meet customers’ needs, rather than trying to push what the company has to sell. So, so many businesses miss this point.
Another example of this came earlier this month as Walmart pulled the plug on its online movie download service (and no one noticed, as Gizmo reported days later). Walmart, who does an excellent job of taking my money on a regular basis, missed the customer boat on this one. Encumbered by restrictive DRM, built on Microsoft's WMV format, priced expensively compared to the competition, and without a good way view the movies on — gasp — a television, the product flopped. No big surprise.
But the Walmart failure doesn't mean that online movies aren't a good idea, or that there isn't a profitable market for movie downloads. It just means the product isn't right. Yet.
In fact, the correct product is somewhat obvious:
Easy selection of movies - like Netflix or your local video storeConvenient one-click purchase and download to your computer - like Amazon or iTunesA wide selection of recent releases and classics from the past – from all major and minor studios, including The Yellow Submarine by the BeatlesRelatively fast downloading, so movies can be watched on impulse - like cable on-demand servicesEasy, unattended streaming from the computer to any television or other computer in the household - like your wireless home networkLight on digital rights management - so you own the movie and can play it at home or a portable device forever - like iTunesThe ability to make (limited) DVD copies - so you can take something decent to watch when you visit your in-lawsLow priced - to encourage adoption, volume and more purchases (as well as keeping Walmart out of returning to the market) - like iTunesThe option to watch in high definition without worrying about Blu-Ray or HDDVD formats – this could be at a premium priceConvienience and/or convergence features that make the product a useful addition or replacement to current home entertainment devices, such as:
- Tivo-like features so one can record from broadcast or cable – including high def
- VCR Plus+ – like simplicity of programming from television
- The ability to play DVDs that one already owns or has rented
- The ability to rip DVDs that I already own to add to my library
- No need to set a clockA well designed product that "just works" - like the iPod
Of course there is one company already repeatedly mentioned in this list: Apple Computer. And there is an Apple product that already meets some of the criteria: the AppleTV. Thus, the obvious next product for Apple is a second generation AppleTV. And if they get it right, it will be another blockbuster.
Despite the demise of Walmart’s video download service, there are a number of other such services (CinemaNow, Apple's iTunes Movie store, MovieFlix, Movielink, Amazon’s Unbox, and Starz’s Vongo), but only Amazon’s Unbox is a large, serious contender. Although Amazon has links with TiVo, which was mentioned in the wish list above, Amazon still lacks access to the hardware component needed to make such an online service work seamlessly with television — which isn’t to say that one should count them out, as evidenced by their willingness to launch the Kindle product.
Yet it is Apple that is poised to succeed in the online download market for a number of reasons, all which tend to circle back to the concept of “product.” Marketers can apply these principles to their product or business development efforts as well:
1. Steve Jobs Himself
Apple’s past successes have been strongly influenced by Job’s personal attributes: “his unwavering focus, his insistence on excellence and his belief in his own vision,” according Steven Levy in The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness. The leader is key in product development.
2. A Focus on Excellence
At age 29, just weeks before the original Macintosh launched, Jobs said “my best contribution to the group is not settling for anything but really good stuff.” Levy explains that Jobs evokes a “Reality Distortion Field” around him as he seeks to achieve the ideal solution.
Levy also notes that some people have mistakenly thought the key to Apple’s success was the “coolness” factor. But this is a classic post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. Cool is only a byproduct of the product development process according to Yossi Vardi: “The only thing a company can do is strive for perfection and hope that the gods smile on it.” The classic example is the distinctive click of a Mercedes door, which results from the care taken to manufacturer it so the entire rim of the door touches the chassis all at once as it closes. Jobs confirmed this principle when Levy asked whether he had tried to make the iPod cool. “No,” he said, “we tried to make it great.” A focus on an excellent product is essential to successful product development.
3. Understanding the Underlying Issue
As one works on developing a new product or service, it will eventually become clear that nothing simple is ever easy – meaning that the elegant solution must be found through a complex struggle. As part of that struggle to achieve an excellent product, “the really great person will keep on going and find… the key, underlying principle of the problem. And come up with a beautiful elegant solution that works,” according to Levy. Successful product development is a struggle that requires really understanding the underlying issue.
4. A Strategic Fit
The iPod and AppleTV aren’t just neat ideas to computer manufacturer Apple, they are core to a long-held strategy called the “Digital Hub.” Essentially, Apple’s goal is to create best-of-class software (and with the iPod and AppleTV, hardware as well) that people would enjoy so much that they would want to buy an Apple computer. In other words, there is a method to Apple’s “madness.” Good product development does likewise; it follows the organization’s strategic DNA.
The application for the marketing professional is several-fold. First, save up some of that holiday gift money for the inevitable second generation AppleTV. Secondly, approach product development (pause) and approach it as a serious enterprise: Find the right person to champion a new product or service; refuse to settle for “good enough;” drive down to the core issue; and only select new products or services for development that have an excellent strategic fit with your company.
Additional Links
New York Times: Wal-Mart Pulls Plug on Movies via the Web Walmart Video Download site – featuring the “closed” notice Which Movie Download Sites Are the Best? Digital Hub Strategy explained in a 2002 Apple advertisementO’Reilley: Apple’s "Digital Hub" More than Hype CNET Review of AppleTV Apple TV isn't Catching on, Analyst Says Apple and Fox’s Movie Rental Deal Also Includes Pre-ripped iPod/AppleTV Versions on DVD The Second Coming of Apple TV
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A Most Excellent Production Planning Calendar for the New Year
With the start of a new year, it’s time to take control by making your calendar a tool for proactive planning. Here’s the challenge and an excellent solution to production planning:
The Challenge
When planning print production projects or newsletters, it’s often necessary to back into deadlines from an established delivery date. Or conversely, one has to plan forward for copywriting, layout, approvals and printing to know when delivery is possible. Such planning is a challenge with normal month-by-month calendars, even if they’re all printed on one sheet for easy reference. 
A Solution
Dave Seah’s Compact Calendar makes production planning easier for marketers and public relations professionals by stringing all the year’s dates together on one long page with the weekends pushed to the right side in gray. Months and weeks of the year are indicated to the left of the main column of dates, while holidays are indicated by a colored numeral on the calendar.
The result is a most excellent production planning calendar that makes it easy to calculate “number of weeks out,” scan for conflicts by days of the work week, and identify when holidays fall inside of a production timeline. Seah provides the calendar as a Microsoft Excel file, so you can modify it to meet your particular needs, such as adding holidays, or even tweaking it to display subsequent years, if desired.
It can be effective to use the compact calendar to scribble on as your developing your production timeline, or you can go down to your local Kinko’s and have it printed as a yard-long, 10-inch wide wall calendar that you can view from across the cubicle (consider printing on outdoor banner vinyl for durability and adding your company’s logo). In addition, people have posted international variations of Dave’s calendar to his web site, so if you’re in someplace like Malaysia, there may already be a version in the proper language and with local holidays.
Additional Links
David Seah’s Compact Calendar download page LifeHacker post about the compact calendar How to use the compact calendar with a moleskin How Jerry Seinfeld uses a calendar as a habit-building, productivity tool David Seah’s filmstrip calendar for elapsed calendar time on a monospaced display (a bit geeky) Downloadable Microsoft Word calendar templates – 2008, academic year, multi-year and other special-use options Okidata-compatible customizable planning calendar templates for Microsoft Word DIY Planner – Printable forms in various sizes (including Hipster PDA) for time management, GTD, project planning, checklists and note-taking.
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Getting Readers to Page Two of Your Direct Mail Letter (Where to Page Break)
I recently received a fund raising letter from my son's college. It was well written and formatted, and if tuition wasn't due in another month, I may have even opened my wallet.
One common flow in this otherwise excellent appeal was how the reader was taken from the end of page one to the top of page two. The last paragraph on page one concluded at the end of the page and a new paragraph began at the top of page two. While visually attractive, this gives the reader an opportunity to stop reading at the bottom of the first page (just when the appeal is getting warmed up!).
The better way to handle this issue is to break between pages in the middle of a paragraph and in the middle of a sentence. 
Admittedly, starting a new page in the middle of a sentence and middle of a paragraph requires one to be aware of widows and orphans. Plus, the use of a parenthetical "continued on next page" phrase is still an option. However, the flow from page one to page two will be improved if readers realize they are "missing" the remainder of the last sentence on the first page of your letter.
Additional Resources
97 Tips to have a Successful Direct Mail Campaign (see tip #29) Designing Strong Direct Mail Letters (see tip #5) A Step-by-step Guide to Direct Mail Letters from direct-mail.org (see guideline #7, which they claim will impress your boss) Power Direct Marketing resources by the late Ray Jutkins
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The Use and Abuse of Questions in Copywriting
Questions are frequently abused as a copywriting technique. They are often used too quickly, too frequently and without thought of the reader’s needs. You’ll improve your copywriting if you avoid questions more often than you use them. Here’s why:
The Fallacy of Engagement
Questions are an engagement device. That is, they slow a reader down and make them think critically about your content. But there’s one problem. Your reader has to be engaged and reading your copy to start with. Once this is happening, a well-phrased, well-positioned question can kick it up a notch.
If you reader is skimming while standing over a trash can, a question can often have the wrong effect since it is exceedingly simple to ask a question with “Don’t know and don’t care.” Questions – especially rhetorical questions – will often elicit a negative response from the reader. Readers are bombarded with messages throughout the day. Give them a chance to dismiss you message and they will.
This means that opening your letter, ad or brochure with a question is generally a weak technique. Not always, of course. A good headline, interesting artwork and compelling topic can make a question lead effective. Sometimes. But not as often as one of the dozen other techniques you could use.
Stuck in the Middle with You
If you choose to use a question as a persuasive device, consider the middle to lower half of your piece as the proper placement. By this time, you have developed trust with your reader and laid out your case. For example, the second page of a fundraising letter may be the right place for a single-sentence paragraph: “Will you help make this project a reality?” In addition, questions can be used effectively as part of the graphic design in the middle of the piece to lead the reader farther into the layout (see an e-mail newsletter example).
Answer the Question
Rhetorical questions assume the reader knows the “correct” answer to your question. They may not. In these situations, you may have added confusion to your writing rather than clarity. It’s good to consider clearly answering any questions that you pose to your reader. This will drive home your point and avoid losing your reader. Better yet, if you want to clearly drive a point home, consider if rewriting the question as a statement would have more impact.
Students of persuasion and negotiation may argue that accumulating a series of “yeses” can be an effective approach to closing a sale. However, discriminating readers are unlikely to fall prey to such manipulation if the argument is not already sound and the reader involved. In such situations, creating a non-existent dialogue with the consumer through the use of questions is unlikely to accomplish acquiescence through sleight of hand. Refocusing the structure and argument is a more appropriate approach.
Questions also a Weak Structural Crutch
Another sin frequently perpetrated with questions is using them as a structure for subheds or topics in a brochure. For example, “What is XYZ?,” “How should I prepare?,” “What happens next?”, “How do I Register?”, “Where is XYZ Company Located” and so forth. Besides boring a reader with such a stiff, repetitive structure, there is a further error in this approach.
Subheds are not absorbed by the reader in the same way as a sentence. They are designed to be quickly skimmed and comprehended. Using a question as a subhed hides the key information that the reader needs. The question subhed interfers with reader comprehension. Thus, “Register in Three Easy Steps” is better than “How do I Register for the Program?” because the key word, “Register” is more prominent. At a minimum, question subheds should be rewritten to declarative statements: “What to Expect” is a better, more directl subhed than "What should I expect?"
Overall, when you find yourself using a question in your copy, step back and consider working a bit harder to rephrase the section. Questions should be used as a carefully thought-out and judiciously-applied technique in your copywriting.
Additional Links
Why Plato Would Have Blown it as a Blogger – Copyblogger.com’s Brian Clark explains why rhetorical questions don't really foster dialogue or conversations, which are an essential part of effective business blogging. Write Effective Fundraising Letters by Being Conversational – You can (but don’t have to) use one or two rhetorical questions in your fundraising letter if you like since such questions create the sense that a conversation is taking place between you and your donor. Spark Notes’ Rules of Writing entry on Rhetorical Questions – “At best, rhetorical questions are pompous.” Hints on Writing Philosophy papers - “You (as the writer) know what the answer is to the question. But the reader (me) may not be so sure. So tell me what you think – don’t ask me a question which (you think) has an obvious answer. The answer may not be obvious to me.”
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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An Outlook Trick for Filing Important E-mail Messages
Keeping copies of important e-mails that you write can be time consuming. The usual approach is to either dig these out of your sent mail. Other users might have Outlook file the reply with the original message, but this requires configuring this option and dragging the message to another folder first.
Copying or blind carbon copying yourself is a step in the right direction, but an Outlook rule can automate this process (presuming you’re using Microsoft Outlook).
First, to display the bcc: field, select View/Bcc from the text menu.
Next, create an Outlook rule (Tools/Rules & Alerts…) that looks for messages that are sent by yourself, to yourself. Then have these messages marked as read upon arrival and moved to the folder of your choice and stop processing other rules.
Now when you author a message or reply that you want to save, just add your e-mail address to the Bcc: field and a copy of the message will be routed to the folder you selected after you send it.
There are Outlook add-ins available if you want to always cc: or bcc: yourself or someone else, based on the addressee, words in the subject line, or words in the attachment. These tools can be used in combination with our rule trick to automatically select which messages are selected for this archiving process. However, you can also use Outlook rules to “check messages after sending” (again, based on criteria to select like addressee or keywords) and move a copy to a folder you indicate, assign it to a “category” and so forth. This can be a more precise method of saving messages if you can identify a pattern to the type of messages that you regularly archive.
Additional Resources
Auto CC/BCC for Outlook by AbleBits
Always BCC by Sperry Software
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Recent Productivity Links: E-mail, Sleep and Margin
E-mail Productivity Merlin Mann of 43folders.com recently spoke to Googleplex employees regarding his inbox zero concepts in a presentation posted in video, audio and iTunes podcast formats. The presentation slides are also available separately (but not a substitute for the presentation itself). Living with an empty inbox can be a significant stress reducer since the quantity of e-mail messages sitting in one's inbox is a more significant stressor than number of e-mails that one receives, according to Mann. (Also see other Unsolicted posts on e-mail & productivity). Sleep and Life Routine Lifehacker.com recently pointed out two posts by Steve Pavlina that offer insights into optimizing your daily routine: 10 Ways to Optimize Your Normal Days - Habits that promise to bring order and focus. How to Become an Early Riser – Recommendations on sleep patterns, alarm clocks and more.
Ways to Add Margin “Margin” is the extra space on a page that provides relief to our eyes. Without margin our eyes would fail due to the stress of words strung from edge to edge on the page. Author and physician Richard A. Swensen has developed the concept of improving "margin" in our lives as an approach to stress relief. Swenson (Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits) was the featured speaker on Focus on the Family's daily radio show August 30-31. (OnePlace.com Link 1 2 / CD for purchase). His writings concentrate on ways to create margin in four areas of life: emotional energy, physical energy, time and finances. He covers the first two of these areas in his presentation: Margin & Time Expect the unexpected –In Ecuador there is a saying, "every thing takes longer than it does." So we may as well plan for it as well as possible. Separate time from technology – Technology doesn't save time. One must discern when to use technology and when not to. Disconnect every once in a while — Pretend that you live in 1850 one Tuesday night a month and see if you like it.
Margin & Emotional Energy Have good friends and nourish friendships — We need to cultivate social supports to refill our tank of emotional energy Have a pet – they don't bite the way humans do. Practice reconciliation Laughter – And laugh at yourself, you'll never run out of material Faith – research has shown faith is associated with positive health benefits.
By simplifying our lives, we can be a blessing to other people. In order for us to give ourselves to others, we have to have something left to give – that "something" is margin in our lives.
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Online Videos are the New TV
It is quickly becoming a YouTube world. I’ve become increasingly convinced that online video has come of age and is now a medium that marketing and pubic relations professionals need to add to their tool boxes.
My son and his friends are amused by the Will It Blend series of videos where all sorts of items are thrown in a blender: Bic lighters, credit cards, tiki torches, light sticks – even an iPhone. It was funny, and seemed like more adolescent humor until I read the article about how the videos opened marketing and promotional doors for the for the Blendtec company (Viral Videos: How Sawdust and $50 Created Marketing Success for Blendtec.com). This is clearly moving beyond reposting of commercials or existing video content (see Windber Medical Center, for example) to be a mechanism unto itself.
According to homeward.com, “a recent Harris Interactive study found that about 42 percent of online adults in the United States said they have watched a YouTube video and 32 percent of frequent YouTube users said they watch less TV as a result.”
Many people have already identified that the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign will increasingly be influenced by YouTube and similar video sharing services. I’m convinced this is true, not by the (yawn) recent CNN/YouTube debates, but rather by the witty, effective response given by former senator and undeclared candidate Fred Thompson to an interview request from Michael Moore. Candidates who are able to master this medium will have an advantage on those that do not, in the same way that it has long been essential for them to master the sound bite and video clip for the evening news.
Although humor helps with the viral aspect of online video distribution, this is not a mandatory component of using video successfully, and neither is YouTube the only distribution channel. This is evidenced by some of the 3-1/2 minutes videos done by AngelVision, featuring a combination of still photography, words and music bed appropriate for e-mail, web, trade show or other sales efforts (see samples on client page).
Broadband access, the ubiquitous use of Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash, and the integration of social media concepts into video sharing sites has helped fuel the potential for online videos as a new and distinct communication medium. Yet again, it's time for communicators to proactively consider how they should be using a new medium in their communication efforts — if they haven't already.
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Go Put Your Strengths to Work
Marcus Buckingham has challenged the common concept that one should "build around your strengths and manage around your weaknesses." In his presentation to the 2007 Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Buckingham expanded on the concept of developing an individual's strengths that has been the focus of his recent books. While most people believe one will be more successful by fixing their weaknesses rather than building on their strengths, Buckingham claims the opposite is true. The Gallup poll that identified this sentiment only shows most people think it's a "remedial world," he said (apologies to Madonna). Buckingham claims the only way to improve is to study excellence. A strength-based approach to personal and organizational improvement is better than one focused on trying to identify the opposite of failure (the opposite of bad is only "not bad," he quipped). As examples, he cited the new field of positive psychology, as well as the Purnell School. The latter, a school for girls with learning problems in Pottersville, New Jersey, has developed an "affinity program" to help identify and build on individual strengths. It is not surprising that people focus more on weaknesses than on strengths. In fact, a survey showed that people only spend only 17 percent of their days on activities that play to their strengths. Buckingham presented three myths to show the importance of concentrating on strengths as part of our personal, professional and organizational development plans: MYTH: As you grow, you personality changes MYTH: You'll grow most where you're weakest. MYTH: A great team member puts his strength aside for the team. Buckingham recommended several ways to identify your strengths: Take an assessment like "Strengths Finder" or Myers Briggs, or DISC Learn to talk about you strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining. As you verbalize it will help you clarify as well. Create a list of activities as you do them during the week. Then record each on a sheet with two columns. Label the left column "I loved it" and the right column "I loathed it."
You can use the acronym "Sign" to know what a possible strength is. However, just because you are "good" at something might not mean it is a strength. How an activity makes you feel will drive if you get better at it, and thus might indicate a strength. On the other hand, you may enjoy something but not be that good at it (that's called a hobby): S-Success - what you feel effective at (not just "good"). After you have list, pick the three strongest ones and write a strength statement for each: "I feel strong when…" These should be drawn from your experience and specific. Then, change something in your routine each week. Put together a "Strong Week Plan" to push yourself toward your identified strengths. We are each responsible for identifying and developing our strengths so that we become better leaders – to help achieve our personal and professional missions. Books & Resources by Marcus Buckingham Go put your strengths to work
TRUTH: As goes grow you become more of who you already are. The challenge is how to channel your strengths. The goal is to lead where you are.
TRUTH: You'll grow most where you're already strong. When your child brings home a report card with all A's except for one F, you would do well to talk about the A's. You don't talk about the A grades to say, "Jolly good, well done." Instead you talk about the A grades to determine why they're succeeding in those areas so you can apply that to the area getting "F" grade.
TRUTH: What your team needs is for you to take yourself seriously enough to determine where to volunteer your efforts the most.
I-Instinct - things you look forward to.
G-Growth - things that you enjoy learning or doing. You lose track of time doing these things.
N-Need - things that fulfill a need.
Now discover your strengths
First break all the rules
One thing you need to know
Free, six-week podcast program on iTunes
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Hospitals Using Social & New Media for 'Storytelling' and More
Al Maruggi of Provident Partners and The Marketing Edge podcast (iTunes link) has posted a video of his presentation, "Storytelling Using the New Media," to the Minnesota Healthcare Strategy and Communication Network annual conference on July 20, 2007. In the presentation, he covers use of podcasting, videocasting and social media for hospital marketing, physician relations and public relations (Full disclosure: yours truely is one of the interviewees). Here is a detailed outline of the topics he hits upon (full video, 24 min.):
Use of podcasting for CME and physician relations Leveraging the investment existing community education classes through podcasting classes How Johns Hopkins is using podcasting extensively, including an innovative use to reach the families of Alzheimer's patients A description of how new patients can arrive at a doctor's appointment with a high degree comfort due to what they've learned through that physician's podcast and its supporting resources How the theory and impact behind social media springs from individual's desire to be a) recognized and b) part of a group Evidence that society is getting used to viewing and using video and social tools as shown by the recent YouTube candidate debates Use of audio and video to enhance news releases in the same way the New York Times is extending their content online The importance of budging for at least some video to convey emotional aspects of treating the human condition RealSavvyMoms.com as an example of creating credibility by combining peer-to-peer communication with expert commentary in a co-branded opportunity for hospitals (iTunes link) Why, because of the importance of branding for hospitals, the quality of video is more important than quantity of programs How patient and family blogs are more than just a convenient communication tool, they are also an emotional and cathartic service that hospitals can provide Three steps for identifying where to look for podcasting opportunities at your hospital
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More Marketing Humor for Thursdays
In case you have a hard time getting the hang of Thursdays, here are a few links that might help:
The difference between marketing, advertising and public relations fully explained Funny television commercials from around the world 10 cool, funny, or otherwise amazingly creative billboards Brand Irony as compiled by BuzzFeed Hey, kids, get mommy & daddy to sign up for Comcast (annimated commercial by John Kricfalusi)
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Enhance Your Brand Image by Establishing E-mail Signature Standards
When your employees send e-mail, the recipients need to know:
Who is sending this informationWhat is their title or roleWhat is the name of their companyHow can I contact them
To provide this information in a standard and professional manner, consider establishing a company standard for signature blocks in e-mail. In Microsoft Outlook this can be done with the “signature” feature:
To create a signature, select Tools/Options/Mail Format from the Outlook menu. In the signature section of this Options dialog box, click “Signature Picker.” Here you can create a new signature or edit your existing signatures using the recommendations below. When you complete your signature(s), return to the options dialog box and select a signature from the field labeled “Use this signature by default:” This signature will now appear at the bottom of each new e-mail message.
Even though you set a default signature, you can still change this for individual messages. From within your new message, highlight your default signature. Then on the Outlook menu, select Insert/Signature and select the signature version you prefer. If employees need more assistance, consider directing them to your IT department for the technical aspects of using Outlook.
Standard
This is a general-purpose signature block that provides the most commonly needed contact information for internal and external recipients.
Yuri Example
Administrative Coordinator
XYZ Company
Phone (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-4321
yuri.example@xyzcompany.com
Full
The full version adds postal and Web site addresses for first-time or external contacts that may need this additional information.
Yuri Example
Brand Evangelist
XYZ Company
3000 N. Main Street
Seattle, North Carolina 29340
Phone (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-4321
yuri.example@xyzcompany.com
http://www.xyzcompany.com/
Short
The short version is for casual or internal messages. However, even internal staff will appreciate having your phone or department information listed.
Yuri Example
Human Resources Generalist
XYZ Company
Phone (555) 555-1234
Signature Formatting Guidelines
Use the full, correctly spelled name of your company or subsidiary.Follow the order of elements that matches your company’s printed letterhead or business cards.Format phone numbers so they include the word “Phone” (or Fax, Cell, Pager, etc.). This may be in front or behind the number, depending on your company’s graphic standards. Make sure to include the word “Phone,” “Office,” “Direct” even with “normal” phone numbers to clarify that they are, in fact, voice numbers.Unless your company uses a different style, put the area code in parentheses and a hyphen after the prefix as this is the most common way people are used to seeing telephone numbers in the U.S., Other areas of the world and global companies may need to modify this approach to the manner that will be most familiar to recipients.Spell out the words “Street,” “Drive,” and your state or province for clarity. If you are located in an office building that has a name, include it along with your postal address in your signature block. This should also be done with business cards and forms since often a office building will have a sign with the facility name, but the postal address is hard-to-find or non-existent. Visitors to your physical building will appreciate this information.Include your zip or postal code, and consider including your country location if you are a global business.Use the font Arial or Verdana for on-screen legibility in 11 or 12 point size.Avoid using italic or multiple colors for your text.Add a blank line before the first line of your signature to create some space between the end of your message and the start of your signature.
Establishing guidelines for e-mail signature blocks within your organization will help ensure that your brand is presented in a consistent and professional manner.
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How Non-Response Bias Can Ruin Your Mail Survey
Many marketers rely on mail surveys to measure customer satisfaction, or to gather information about the marketplace. Unfortunately, their confidence in such research is often misplaced because they fail to compensate for certain limitations of the mail methodology.
The key to accurate survey research is that the sample is "representative" of the population as a whole. Think of a large pot of soup as an illustration. If you put the ladle in the pot and get only broth – or only chunks of vegetables – then you don't have a representative sample.
Most researchers (for example, Babbie, The Practice of Social Research), recommend that one needs a 50 percent or better return rate in order to be confident that you have a representative sample. So if you send out 100 surveys, you want to get at least 50 back. The same applies if you’re making phone calls or sending Survey Monkey invitations. Since almost all single wave, non-incentive, mail out/mail back surveys get a low response rate, there is a strong probability such samples are not representative. A non-representative sample will not produce valid results.
This is not to say there isn’t a place for mail surveys, just that – as with any methodology or tactic – you need to know what you’re doing.
The key issue to understand when using mail-based research methodologies is the problem of "non-response bias." This type of bias is caused when some segment of the sample doesn’t respond in the same proportion as needed for a representative sample. It may be that men don’t respond, or young people, or people who are dissatisfied with your services. All these examples would result in under representation of a certain segment of the population. According to Burns and Bush, “non-response has been labeled the marketing research industry’s biggest problem.”
The Impact on Satisfaction Research
In satisfaction research, one can sometimes recognize non-response bias by scores that are skewed – results that are especially high, especially low, or a combination of both. The latter is called a bi-modal response – in other words, compared with the normal bell curve, the bi-modal response looks like a camel with two humps. The people who respond are those that really love your organization, or those who really hate you, but the silent majority is “silently satisfied” and under represented. The reason appears to be that mail (and Internet) methodologies are self-selecting approaches which encourage a higher representation of the extremes.
Typical Telephone & Mail Response Rates
What type of response rates are we talking about for mail and telephone methodologies? In my experience, a mail survey sent out once, with no money or reward involved, will frequently generate about a 13 percent response rate. Marketing Research by Burns & Bush state that “Typically, mail surveys of households achieve response rates of less than 20%.” Likewise, rates cited by one well-know customer satisfaction firm specializing in mail methodology range from 10 to 32 percent. In contrast, telephone methodologies – even in this age of caller ID – can easily produce a sufficient response rates, especially with a standard 3-attempt approach.
In a comparative study, Thomas Burroughs (Patient Satisfaction Measurement Strategies: A Comparison of Phone and Mail Methods) found telephone response rates ranging from the low 40s to over 50 percent, compared with a low of 21 to a high of 47 percent with mail.
Who is Not Responding?
It is not uncommon for a higher percentage of older people to respond to a mail survey – and for a large number of people under age 35 not to respond at all. The problem is the same with newer, Internet-based methodologies; all segments of the population do not respond equally. Thus, when the response rate is low, the survey may not be any more valid that CNN’s engaging but unscientific “ Quick Vote” feature.
The Jackson Organization (now HealthStream Research) phrases the problem this way:
In low-response (below 50%) surveys, such as most patient satisfaction surveys conducted by mail, there is a significant likelihood that those who respond to the survey are different (demographically and psychographically) from those who do not respond. This is called non-response bias – that those who respond are materially different from those who do not – and it compromises the validity of the results. The objective academic literature tells us that if response rates fall below fifty percent, the probability of introducing non-response bias is unacceptably high.
Addressing Low Response Rates
Although one can produce an invalid sample using any methodology, written surveys are more likely to suffer from non-response bias than telephone surveys. However, there are ways to increase mail response rates to 50 percent or greater and thus avoid non-response bias. The most common are by:
Follow-up reminder in the form of a postcard or letterMailing the survey multiple times (preferably to non responders) Including or offering an incentive for completion of the surveyPersonalize the mailing with hand-addressing, real signature in ink, or a personalized cover letterGive preliminary notification that the survey is coming through letter, postcard or phone callUse special postage, such as a commemorative stampProvide return postage in the form of a stamped envelope or BRE
Of course, these efforts take extra time and money, which increases costs, often well above the comparable expense of telephone methodologies.
Unfortunately, a less expensive approach is for the research firm to “weigh” the data to adjust for under-sampled segments. In these cases, 5 responses by under-age-35 responders might be “weighted” to represent the 10 that are needed to match the percentage in the population as a whole. The problem with this approach is that the margin of error still applies to the smaller number – so overall confidence is not really improved.
Don’t Telephone Methodologies Also Have Bias?
Telephone methodologies also have the potential for bias, but generally of a different type. As Melvin F. Hall explains in “ Patient satisfaction or acquiescence? Comparing mail and telephone survey results,” respondents contacted by telephone may have a tendency to give a socially acceptable answer to the interviewer, regardless of the content of the question. This is called acquiescence bias, but is not often addressed in the literature. One reason may be that acquiescence bias is a systemic bias, one that potentially skews the results, but doesn’t threaten the validity of the results in the same way non-response bias does.
The Bottom Line
Good marketing begins with research. But marketers need to know enough about the tools they’re using to ensure that they’re getting good results. When it comes to mail research, it’s important to plan for techniques that will provide a sufficient response rate, or consider if other methodologies like telephone would actually provide a more economical approach. These issues are especially important for ongoing research projects such as customer satisfaction where invalid data could lead staff to focus on efforts that are rabbit trails unrelated to the true core issues facing the organization.
Additional Links
The Burke Institute – Marketing research training Quirk’s - the leading magazine in the marketing research industry Response and acquiescence bias on Wikipedia A Demonstration of the Impact of Response Bias on the Results of Patient Satisfaction Surveys Best Practices for Improving Response Rates from PulseWare online survey software
Links of Special Interest to Hospital Researchers
How the HCAHPS Mode Adjustment will Affect Your Survey Data by Professional Research Consultants HCAHPS Quality Assurance Guidelines – includes mode adjustment details and information on how CMS determines response rate National CHPHS Benchmarking Database – background information from AHRQ
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Understanding RSS in Under 4 Minutes
Lee LeFever of the Common Craft Show has created a short video entitled “ RSS in Plain English.”If you haven’t quite figured RSS out yet, this video will explain everything in under four minutes. Lee has also created a nice video explaining Wikis.
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Willow Creek Leadership Summit Coming to a Location Near You August 9 – 11, 2007
My wife and I finally signed up for Willow Creek Leadership Summit August 9 – 11, 2007 so we could take advantage of the early bird discount. We’ve attended for the last two years and have really enjoyed the event. Since it’s simulcast to 130 locations across North America, and there’s a site in our city, it’s also a very convenient way to attend a top-notch leadership conference.
Bill Hybels, who organizes the conference, is always a great speaker, and this year’s lineup also includes (full bios):
Colin Powell – former U.S. Secretary of State
Michael Porter – Harvard professor and expert on competitive strategy
John Ortberg – popular author and pastor
Floyd Flake – former U.S. congressman and president of Wilberforce University
Carly Fioria – former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Warren Bennis – author, professor and leadership consultant
Richard Curtis – award-winning writer, director & producer
Jimmy Carter – former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient The format is a mixture of speakers, contemporary Christian music, and interviews designed to “develop the leadership gifts God has given you” and based on the premise that “you have been divinely placed in a position of influence.” The event promises to be a very challenging and educational three days. For more information, or to register, visit www.willowcreek.com/summit.
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Tools for Selecting Memorable and Mnemonic Phone Numbers
Your telephone number is the front door to your business. When developing a new service, it is wise to look at every entryway people use to reach your business, including your phone number. Sometimes a unique phone number can help people remember your number, or at least make it easier to dial.
There are two approaches for developing a phone number for marketing purposes:
Memorable – A phone number that uses simple numbers, common sequences or repeated numbers that are easy to remember or dial, such as 555-1000.
Mnemonic – A phone number that spells a word or phrase making it easy to remember, such as 1-800-FLOWERS. Sometimes these are referred to as “vanity” numbers. Of course, a mnemonic number that is also a memorable is ideal.
Art Business News reported that a 1999 study found that nearly one-third of radio ads contained a toll-free number, and nearly three-quarters of those were “vanity” numbers. The journal also reported that ”toll-free vanity numbers, those that spell out a word, receive up to 14 times more telephone call responses compared to a similar toll-free number presented only in numerical form.”
While the theory sounds good, and there may be some evidence to support better response with mnemonic phone numbers, marketers should be cautious. Including phone numbers in radio ads eats up valuable time (as Nick Kelley has argued) and may not be appropriate for every product or service. Furthermore, consultant Victor Urbach said that some studies have shown that full-alpha 800 vanity numbers actually reduce response rates. "They claim it's because people think they'll remember the number, and thus put off calling until later," he says. "In marketing, later often means never."
Another issue of concern to the marketer is the proliferation of toll free area codes beyond the familiar 800 numbers. There seems good anecdotal evidence that consumers are still unfamiliar with toll free area codes such as 877, 866, or 888. This will become even more pronounced with the future implementation of toll free 855, 844, 833 and 822 area codes. This means the marketer needs to reinforce that their telephone number is, in fact, toll free.
Moreover, the increase in the different types of phone numbers suggests that marketers would be wise to clarify the types of phone numbers listed on their stationary and other communications. For example:
Phone (555) 555-1234
Direct (555) 555-1234
Orders (555) 555-1234
Office (555) 555-1234
Toll Free (555) 555-1234
Fax (555) 555-1234 Some practical tools to help the marketer with the telephone number selection process include: PhoNETic – Finds words within telephone numbers or convert words into numeric digits.
DialABC Phone Number Tools – Words to numbers and vice versa, plus a tool to select prefixes by their vanity phone number potential, a visual map of keypad movement for a number (cool), and sound-to-number and number-to-sound touch tone tool.
ATT Toll-free Business Number Availability Lookup – Enter any combination of letters and numbers to determine toll free phone number availability.
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Hard Sell vs. Enchantment Words for Relationship Development in Copy Writing
SoftTopicCopyWritingSecrets.com authors Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski in an interview with David Steele of BuildingYourIdealPractice.com identify the following top 10 “ hard sell” words. These words should be taboo in copy writing intended to develop a relationship with the reader. They especially don’t work in care giving or service professions where one is trying to build trust with vulnerable people. These words are aggressive and hyper-macho:
TurbochargedKnockoutSecret weaponDynamiteHigh voltageMind-blowingKick buttTake no prisonerKiller Insane
In contrast, “ enchantment” words come in two flavors. The first speak to the product you are offering:
FreeEasyStep-by-stepProvenSecretSave (time, energy, money, etc.)New (or fresh)PrivateSpecial Guaranteed
Enchantment words that speak to the person include:
LoveHealthSafetyBreakthroughSolutionTrustConnect (or connection)Heart Discover
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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Writing Effective Calls to Action
An effective call to action (CTA) helps your customer take the next step toward a purchase decision. Eloquent copywriting will come to naught unless you first know what you want your readers to do and then build explicit calls to action into your brochures, direct mail, advertising, Web pages, and other communication efforts.
Calls to action may come in the form of a phone number, Web addresses, e-mail address, an offer to visit a store, or even a recommendation for the customer to write their congressman, read Consumers’ Report or take a test drive. Generally placed at the conclusion of your copy, CTAs can also be effective if sprinkled throughout the copy.
Using a Web URL as a call to action makes sense when the page specifically answers the reader’s follow-up needs or questions. You may direct people to a page on your company’s Web site or one on a third-party Web site from a reputable and neutral source. Either of these options is generally better than directing people to your company’s home page.
Why to Use Deep URLs
Dropping readers off at your home page is like dropping them off at the city limits and expecting them to look up your street address and then walk the rest of the way to your facility. It is better to take readers deeper into the site to the specific page that addresses their inquiry. However, using deep URLs should avoid asking readers to type a long, unwieldy URL. If a short, memorable URL or clickable link isn’t available, a phone number may make more sense.
Some deep URLs to consider using in your calls to action include:
Database pages where users can search for products or servicesMaps and directions to your locationsWeb forms linked to literature fulfillmentClass or seminar registration pages
Things to Avoid
There are a number of things that you should avoid when developing your calls to action, according to marketing manager Megan McHenry:
Too many options – In general, don’t give people more than two ways to contact you – or more than two hyperlinks in a single paragraph. Pick the one or two that are easiest for people to remember or that give them the strongest information. Vague calls to action – If you’ve already done a great job of covering a subject in-depth, don’t ruin it by ending on a broad, unrelated call to action or by giving the user a “research assignment.” For example, don’t say, “To learn more about XYZ Company, go to www.XYZcompany.org.” This presumes readers will go to the Web site just for the fun of learning all about your firm. Instead, tell them specifically what you want them to know about your company, and then give them a direct path to the proof points (brochure, deeper URL, phone number, and so forth). Empty promises of “more information” – If you’ve already printed everything you have to say about a particular topic, don’t promise your reader will get “more information” by calling your phone number or visiting your company’s Web site. Instead, consider your reader informed and ready to take the action you recommend, or point them toward some reputable, third-party sources where they can further their research and validate what you’ve told them. Links to dynamic or time-sensitive Web content - Many Web pages are dynamic and disappear automatically from the Web site after a pre-determined expiration date. Avoid sending readers to a calendar item, event-driven news story or other temporary content that is going to expire soon. Using “click here” in your hyperlink text – The words “click here” do not provide enough information or incentive for a reader who is skimming down your page to stop and pay attention. To make your call to action stand out, choose hyperlink text that tells users exactly what they will get if they click. For example, instead of, “ Click here to download our free whitepaper,” say “ FREE Whitepaper: ‘Seven Calls to Action that Never Fail to Get a Response.'” Looping calls to action – Be careful when repurposing stories from print to online that the call to action doesn’t just link back to the same story they are reading now. Help readers take the next logical step by linking directly to your databases, Web forms or logically-related content.
Additional Resources
Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results Boost your selling power with your call-to-action phrases What’s in Your Call to Action? Utilizing a Call to Action (on-demand webcast) 37 Calls to Action for Your Web Site
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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A Free, 1-1/2 Hour Course on Creating Radio Advertising
The Norman Agency (Toronto) has an excellent series of podcasts on creating good radio advertising. Each segment of their Creative Conversations podcast with Creative Director Jim Norman Project Manager Becky Trenton (Feed iTunes) runs five to 10 minutes.
There are currently 11 casts, so thrown together in a playlist or onto a CD, these sessions could make a quick 1-1/2 hour tutorial for you or your staff. Topics include:
Criteria for selecting between creating: 60, :30, :15 or :10s How to make sure your ads aren't helping your competition Developing a creative brief for radio (Part 1 Part 2) Understanding the 3x frequency rule and dominating a time slot or station Why it’s important to invest in professional talent not heard elsewhere in your market Avoiding flawed premises, faulty facts and fake performances that can ruin effectiveness Clichéd and cookie-cutter ideas to shun and why The use of sound effects in radio commercials Ways to find the perfect voices for your commercials The “Big Idea” – understanding your USP and great creative execution
Technorati Tags: Radio Advertising
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Five Books on Productivity & Time Management
In speaking with principals from two agencies last week, the discussion turned to productivity and time management. Of course, as Mark Horstman has pointed out, there is no such thing as “time management.” Everyone gets 24 hours; you can’t “manage it.” What we really mean when we speak of time management is “ priority management.” Nevertheless, we collectively came up with a total of five books on these topics:
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil Fiore Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
Additional Links
Time Management – Manager Tools episode about time management (Part 1 of two)
43folders.com – a popular GTD site
Life Hacker.com – Recommends the software and web sites that actually save time
Time Management on MindTools.com
10 tips for time management in a multitasking world
American Productivity and Quality Centre (APQC)
Popular pages tagged with productivity or time management on del.icio.us
Books tagged time management and productivity on Amazon.com
Technorati Tags: Productivity
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Book Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
www.tablegroup.com (Patrick Lencioni Web Site) Amazon Link Audiobook on iTunes Five Dysfunctions “Field Guide” (Tools, Exercises, Assessments) Other Books by Pat Lencioni
Many books on “teams” are just so much rah, rah, rah, blah, blah, blah. Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team is different for several reasons.
First, Lencioni uses a fictional narrative to provide didactic structure to the book, which makes an exceptionally enjoyable reading experience. Secondly, instead of discussing teamwork in glowing and motivational terms like so many tomes, he approaches the less than pristine aspects of organization ineffectiveness.
In the book, newly appointed CEO Kathryn Petersen guides “DecisionTech,” a near-Silicon-Valley technology startup, through a restructuring intended to save the company from a premature demise. As is true with so many real-world firms, DecisionTech is flush with potential. Instead, the company’s real problems lay within the ranks of its own management staff.
The five dysfunctions, in sequential order are:
Absence of trust – there must be a foundation of trust among team members that allows them to share weaknesses and ask for help for the overall good of the organization. Concealing weaknesses, holding grudges, failing to seek outside help and dread of meetings are some symptoms of this dysfunction.
Fear of conflict – an organization needs to be able to fully debate possible courses of action rather than coming to consensus too quickly. This conflict is focused around ideas rather than people. Once a decision is made, the whole team must boldly support the team’s course of action regardless of their doubts. Back-channel politics and boring meetings are two signs of this dysfunction.
Lack of commitment – When the debate is over, the team needs to fully commit to a clear course of action, not feign acceptance or avoid making hard decisions. Ambiguity regarding priorities, excessive analysis and revisiting decisions are possible symptoms.
Avoidance of accountability – A team needs to be able to hold each other accountable for each other’s performance with agreed-upon goals. Missed deadlines, mediocrity and the team leader as the only disciplinarian are some symptoms of this dysfunction.
Inattention to results – it is possible for team members to focus on individual or departmental recognition, career development or ego stroking if the group is not tightly focused on achieving specific corporate results. One obvious symptom is when team members are focused on their own careers. Also, organizations that fail to grow, fail to successfully address their competition, or begin to lose good employees may be suffering from this dysfunction.
Putting aside personal ego issues and focusing on what is best for the organization is a key principle of the book.
In a summary of the model that forms the last 33 pages of the book, Lencioni explains that while the five components need to be addressed sequentially, they are also interrelated rather than distinct elements to be dealt with in isolation from each other: “Like a chain with just one link broken, teamwork deteriorates if even a single dysfunction is allowed to flourish.” He also puts the dysfunctions into positive language for those that would prefer the translation. For example, absence of trust becomes “cohesive teams trust one another.”
In this section, he also recommends tactics for overcoming the dysfunctions, many of which were illustrated in the narrative. Regarding absence of trust, Lencioni recommends:
a personal history exercise where groups answer questions about themselves a task where the group verbally identifies strengths in other team memberspersonality profiles such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or, I suppose, the DISC assessment – Wikipedia Manager Tools) 360-degree feedback (a bit riskier, but potentially powerful)team exercises like rope courses (somewhat out of favor)
For overcoming fear of conflict:
digging out buried disagreementsencouraging each other not to retreat from healthy debatetools like the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (Wikipedia Ralph Kilmann Web Site)
For lack of commitment:
“cascading messaging,” which involves reviewing key decisions of the meeting and agreeing on what needs to be communicated to employees or otherssetting clear deadlinesdicussing contingency plans and scenario planningtraining the team to make decisions by practicing on low-risk areas first
For avoidance of accountability:
the use of peer pressure publishing goals and standardsproviding structure for feedback processesshift awards from the individual to the team
For inattention to results:
make public proclamations of intended successbase rewards like bonuses on resultshave the team leader set the tone by being humble and not playing favorites
Besides providing a theoretical structure that can help the manager make sense of dysfunction within their own organization, Lencioni’s fable features an evil marketing manager who needs some comeuppance. The twin benefits of education and entertainment should make this book hard for the marketing or public relations manager to resist. Furthermore, because of the fictional approach, The Five Dysfunctions works especially well as an audiobook, meaning there should be few excuses for any manager or leader not to read this book.
Additional Resources
Overcoming Silos and Focusing on Strategic Goals in Your Organization -
Unsolicited’s earlier post regarding regarding Lencioni’s Willow Creek Leadership Summit presentation on his latest book, Silos, Politics & Turf Wars.
The Treasure Tree by Trent & Smalley – an otter, beaver, golden retriever and lion demonstrate their unique personality traits in this delightful children’s book based on the DISC personality profile.
Technorati Tags: Leadership, Lencioni, Teams
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Good Advice for New PR Staff
We came across two items recently that provide some good advice for the new PR practitioner in their first job.
First, David Jones and Ed Lee discuss the skills they want new staff to develop in an interview with Paull Young on the Forward Podcast. These include:
ReadingWritingMonitoringLeadership skill
Terry Fallis has said that there is a natural flow of work in any office; the work flows to the best people. To be such a “go to” person requires a sense of urgency, an emphasis on delivering, and enthusiasm. The key is to add to a base of solid skills and become someone who gets the work done - and done right.
Overall, the two said that senior PR staff appreciate junior staff that:
Are constantly learningAsking the right questionsNot looking for orders, but looking for ways to contribute
Meanwhile, Kelly Papinchak offers 17 very practical suggestions in “Things I Wish I’d Known before I Showed Up on the Job” (PR Tactics, April 2007, Page 19 ). Some of my favorites include:
Call every number you place in a press release or in an ad before it’s submittedProgram your boss’ cell phone number into your phoneKeep business cards in your wallet, bag purse and carDon’t engage in office politicsAlways proofread
Technorati Tags: Public Relations, Career Development
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Fun & Useless Tools for Marketing
Here are a few fun and mostly useless tools for marketing, perfect for a Thursday:
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SnapShirts.com - Put a word cloud from your favorite blog (or book) onto a T-shirt for $18. Select “custom” from the main menu to test your URL and select the colors and fonts of your choice. |
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Rasterbator - Upload a digital photo, and have it converted for free to whatever enormous size you'd like. Rasterbator sends the enlarged version to you as a series of PDFs; print them on regular 8 1/2-by-11 paper and assemble like a puzzle. |
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Warning Sign Generator– Pick a style, a graphic and enter your own words to generate a downloadable JPEG image. Just need a warning label? See the companion site, Warning Label Generator. |
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Polaroize – Upload a photo and have it converted to look like a Polaroid photo. |
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Billboard Creator – Make a picture of a fake billboard with this tool from bighugelabs.com by selecting the type of billboard, the text and uploading a photo (or linking to Flickr). They also have other toys for your digital photos, such as motivational posters, magazine covers, and more. |
Technorati Tags: Marketing
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How to Train Your Dry Cleaner (Brian Dameier’s Customer Satisfaction Story)
Editor’s Note: Brian Dameier of Professional Research Consultants uses this story when speaking to clients about developing processes to ensure customer satisfaction.
After moving to Newnan, Georgia, my first chore was finding the nearest Home Depot. But my second priority was finding a dry cleaner.
To travel as a consultant, all I need is a folded shirt with medium starch. Then, when I’m ready to visit a hospital client, I just iron the shirt where it was folded, add a tie and a suit – and bingo, I’m the out-of-town consultant.
So I took a set of shirts to a respectable-looking dry cleaners near my new home. A few days later I returned to pick them up. When the woman brought me the shirts, I could see that they were on hangers and not folded.
“These shirts were supposed to be folded,” I told her.
The woman looked at the original order and said, “You are correct. It says so right here – You’ll just have to keep reminding us until we get it right.”
What?
My mind starting thinking of my To Do list, which is over a page long. And then my wife’s To Do list for me, which was another two pages. Now, I was going to have to start a new To Do list with “Train dry cleaners on how to fold shirts.”
Then I thought about Spanky. On Monday of that week, I had started training Spanky, our cocker spaniel, for an invisible fence that we had just installed. Spanky now had a shock collar that would rattle his little brain when he got to close to the underground wire.
Without thinking I said, “Lady, it took me three days to train my cocker spaniel. How many days do you think it will take for me to train you?”
I must admit, I didn’t wait for an answer and I never went back.
The next week I took a new set of shirts to Angie’s Cleaners, which was also conveniently located to our home. When I picked them up, the shirts were folded, just as I had requested. So I asked, “What is your process for tracking which shirts to fold and which to put on hangers? Some cleaners mess it up, but you got it right.”
The owner was proud to explain, “You have to attach a tag to the shirt so the people in the back don’t have to find the sales slip to figure out what to do.”
It was an ingeniously simple solution. The cleaners had developed a process to make sure the job got done right.
So, ten years later I still take my shirts to Angie’s. There I have peace of mind – and one less item on my To Do list. Some satisfaction issues are “people problems,” but most are issues of process.
This story reprinted here with the author's permission.
Technorati Tags: Customer Service
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The Problem-Agitate-Solve Formula for Copy Writing
Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski explain there are two schools of thought on writing a web page (Listen to podcast interview with David Steele).
One is to start with benefits – you will get this and that if you do this. The second school of thought is to start with the problem.
The problem-agitate-solve approach is a pattern of writing based on the second school of thought:
Problem – state the problem Agitate – elaborate, enlarge or “stir up” the problem a bit Solve – provide the answer
The problem-agitate-solve can be repeated for each chunk of web copy. People in care giving professions are inclined to give away the full answer right away when writing, but holding back is a more successful approach.
Additional Links
The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy – The originator, as far as we can tell, of the Problem-Agitate-Solve approach Headlines That Pull, Persuade And Propel! – Problem-Agitate-Solve discussed in terms of headline writing by Michel Fortin. Steps to Writing Great Website Content - Structuring your Web content by identifying key points, including problems and solutions 12 Step Foolproof Sales Letter – A modified Problem-Agitate-Solve approach for letters JudithandJim.com and SoftTopicCopyWritingSecrets.com — Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski’s Web sites.
Technorati Tags: Copy Writing
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Never Be a Client’s First Agency
There’s a popular saying among agency management that consistently rings true: “ Never be a client’s first agency.”
Teaching a new client how the agency process works can be an arduous task. Such things as approvals, the review process, timing, the printing process, photo resolution, economies of scale in printing, billing and so many other topics require hand-holding and time-consuming education with the newbie client. Of course, even dealing with a new, inexperienced staff member within an existing client’s organization can be time consuming and frustrating.
As with so many challenges in life, a key to the “new client” issue is planning. Many companies have retreats for new board members for the purpose acclimating them to how things work at the top, the intricacies of government regulations, and what is expected – and not expected – of them. Advertising agencies rarely have such a luxury, and often have difficulty finding the time to build the needed internal systems to help with issues such as this. Yet, an investment in educating new clients can save time, money and relationships.
Here are some topics that would be helpful to cover with new clients:
How to select an advertising agencyBios, photos and background on agency staff, including contact informationWhat is a creative brief and why it’s importantThe Agency XYZ’s marketing plan processThe importance of research (both preliminary research and tracking/monitoring of results)The secret of consistency in marketing & advertising (not chasing fads)Marketing 101, Advertising 101, Public Relations 101, etc.How to work with a copywriter Questions & Answers about our agency’s bills
Here are some possible times that you can interject a discussion, an agency document, or a educational CD to prepare and educate your new client:
After scheduling a dog and pony show that pitches your agency to a potential client, but before your presentationAs a leave behind after a dog and pony showAfter the initial fact-finding meeting with the client, or before you come back with recommendationsBefore the first scheduled meeting with the copywriterAs an enclosure with the first billing, or as a mailing a week before the billingWhen you add new staff to the client’s team
Finally, Gaebler Ventures offers some good advice on the client-agency relationship, and in particular what an advertising agency will expect from the business. These are points best communicated to the client in an educational manner early in the relationship:
“In order to make the most of your relationship with your ad agency, there are a few things you need to know… Apart from payment, there are certain things the ad agency will expect from you, the business owner. First and foremost, they will expect you to enter the process with an open mind. You know more about your company than anyone else. But keep in mind that one of the reasons you hire an ad agency is because you know your business a little too well, i.e. you may make assumptions about your product that aren’t as obvious to someone outside the company. The ad agency is an objective voice. Listen to what they have to say.
“Additionally, your ad agency will expect you to have a clear idea about what you want to accomplish in your advertising campaign. They will need to know about your target market and the sales goals you would like to achieve."
By taking the time needed to build education materials that can be used with new clients, the agency can minimize the client's learning curve, reduce frustration among agency staff, and ensure a long-term agency-client relationship.
Additional Links
Getting the Most from Your Creative Agency – from Ireland’s MedMedia Campaign How Advertising Agencies Operate – Provides an explanation of the titles and functions typically found in a larger agency. Working with an Advertising Agency – A nice example of the tone for an introductory handout to use when pitching newbie clients (Gaebler Ventures, cited above). Agency Relationship Management – An excerpt from Get the Best from Your Agency by Nancy Salz. 10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Writing Staff - A previous Unsolicited post that could be used with clients
Technorati Tags: Advertising Agencies
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Customer Experience Trumps PR Whitewash
Joe Flower explains why customer experience always trumps public relations in his article, “ Kevin’s Story,” in Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. While staff tends to feel that “our story must defeat their story,” they fail to realize that “the ER, the admitting desk and the billing department have a far more powerful effect on what our customers think of us than anything a PR department could conceivably do.”
Flower’s conclusion reinforces the growing trend in hospitals to focus on higher levels of customer satisfaction. Today’s complex healthcare environment leaves them little room to truely maneuver within the product, price and performance matrix. A key business strategy must be to deliver truly exceptional customer service that creates customer evangelists.
Of course, while this advice is specifically targeted for hospitals, the lesson is a vital one for all service-oriented businesses.
Additional Resources
Imagine What If – Joe Flower, CEO
If Disney Ran Your Hospital by Fred Lee
Customer Service in Healthcare: A Grassroots Approach to Creating a Culture of Service Excellence by Kristin Baird
Satisfaction Guaranteed: How to Satisfy Every Customer Every Time by Brian Lee Customer Service for Dummies Managing Patient Expectations: The Art of Finding & Keeping Loyal Patients by Susan Keane Baker STAT: A Prescription for Good Patient Relations - Patient complaint training video I’m Sorry to Hear That: Real Life Responses to Patients' 101 Most Common Complaints about Health Care (PDF, free via online request form)
Software
Feedback MonitorPro software by rL Solutions - tracks complaints, compliments and suggestions i-Sight HC complaint management software - record, manage and learn from patient complaints e-MedRounds software - helps documentation and response to patient concerns, requests, and care issues
Consultants Baird Consulting, Inc.
Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute Brian Lee
Creative Good
Maritz Learning
Perception Strategies The Picker Institute Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center
Sterling Consulting Group, Inc. - authors of “Customer Service for Dummies”
The Studer Group
Technorati Tags: Customer Service
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Apply These Rules of Thumb to Work Smarter and Leaner
Editor’s Note: The Lean Communicator Editor Liz Guthridge shares some general guidelines for working smarter and leaner. By applying these rules of thumb, you can save time while adding value and making improvements.
The 80-20 rule is a terrific rule of thumb to live and work by—but it’s just one of many you should have in your tool kit. The 80-20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle and the law of the vital few, says that for many phenomena “80% of the consequences stem from 20% of the causes,” according to Wikipedia.
Ten other lean-friendly rules and their sources (if known), plus some explanatory information, are:
If it needs a staple, it’s too much information. (Adelphia Communications)
Be thorough in your analysis and thought process and then write up the most salient points as briefly as possible. Don’t provide TMI (too much information).
When in doubt, edit it out. (The Lean Communicator’s variations on the food safety adage for science experiments in the refrigerator, “When in doubt, throw it out.”)
If you’re querying a nugget of information, delete it as it’s probably unnecessary. And you can keep your message shorter, which helps you fulfill rule of thumb #1.
Look up and out; not just down and in. (Peter Pande, the Six Sigma expert)
Make sure you know what others are doing including your customer; don’t spend all of your time wrapped up in your work. You need to make sure your processes link with others.
Change your perspective to help you get new perceptions. (Unknown)
If you think you’re getting stuck, physically move to a different place to get a new outlook and find a new point of view and ideas.
Read an important e-mail at least twice, then answer once. (The Lean Communicator’s variation on master carpenter Norm Abrams’ “Measure twice, cut once.”)
Make sure you’re responding in full, not just being fast for speed’s sake and risk leaving something out.
Strive for progress, not perfection. (12-step recovery programs)
Two applications: 1) Involve key stakeholders during your development stage and let them know that this is an iterative process in which you’re initially driving to make improvements, not presenting them with a finished product. 2) Recognize when you’ve achieved an adequate level of finished product for the particular need and stop. Any improvements at this point are probably a waste of time and resources.
If you can’t decide what you want, you probably want—and need—sleep. (Unknown)
Take care of yourself, which improves your ability to think, your frame of mind, and your effectiveness.
Never assume as it makes an ass out of you and me. (Unknown)
Always ask; don’t jump to conclusions because you can’t read minds or know what other people have experienced.
Be as flexible as possible in the way you work because the flexible never get bent out of shape. (Unknown)
Adapt your work style to those around you so you can build stronger relationships. But don’t compromise your ability to produce good results.
Belts and suspenders are redundant for working except when you’re preparing for a presentation or a disaster. (The Lean Communicator)
Multiple options and backups for communication (extra machines and cords, cell phones, text messaging, analog phones, radio, TV, etc.) are essential when preparing for a presentation or a disaster in case something doesn’t work; otherwise they’re a luxury.
Rules of thumb aren’t failsafe for every situation, but they can be reliable energy-saving work tools.
Additional Resources
If you have a rule of thumb that works for you, share it by e-mailing Liz. The Lean Communicator - a free, monthly e-mail newsletter available through Ragan Communications. Good stuff. PDF version of “Rules of Thumb to Work Smarter and Leaner” – Free registration required Best Practices for Lean Communications Functions (PDF, 102KB) Connect Consulting Group – Liz Guthridge’s consulting firm. Leading People Through Disasters: An Action Guide: Preparing for and Dealing with the Human Side of Crises by Kathryn McKee and Liz Guthridge – Crisis planning that includes the human dimension
This article was reprinted with permission of the author from the December 2006 issue of The Lean Communicator.
Technorati Tags: Productivity
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Five Best Books about Advertising
We’re more than a little behind on our reading, so we just got around to looking up the Amazon hyperlinks for the five best books about advertising recommended by Jerry Della Femina in the Wall Street Journal (March 18, 2006, page P8).
The 100 Greatest Advertisements 1852-1958 by Julian Lewis Watkins Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Oglivy Bill Bernbach’s Book: A History of Advertising That Changed the History of Advertising by Bob Levenson A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young Reality in Advertising by Rosser Reeves
Additional Links
Source Watch, Wikipedia & Ad Age bios on Jerry Della Femina Quotes by Jerry Della Femina Della Femina Rothschild Jeary and Partners Wikipedia entry for Unique Selling Proposition, a concept developed by Rosser Reeves Copyblogger post on Unique Selling Proposition Center for Interactive Media, Wikipedia & Ad Age bios of Bill Bernbach of DDB Quotes by Bill Bernbach
Technorati Tags: Advertising
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Hybels: 3 Tips on Leadership Development for You & Your Staff
My wife and I are attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit this week and have enjoyed the outstanding speakers we’ve heard so far. Here are three quick takeaways from the opening session by Bill Hybels (Amazon link) :
1. To develop your own leadership skills:
Read everything you can get your hands on about improving your leadership skills. You should always have two books that you’re working on.Go where leadership is taught. Take the initiative to do this early in your life and career.Get around leaders who are better than you and ask good questions. Take them to lunch to ask your questions, if needed. Be involved in leading something
2. It takes leaders to grow leaders, Hybels said. When hiring people, or looking for people to move into leadership positions, look for:
CharacterCompetenceChemistry
3. Leaders will eventually reach a point where it is wise to develop a “constellation of colleagues” to work beside them in senior leadership. The additional grid he uses to select who should be leaders at the senior level includes:
IntelligenceEnergetic peopleRelational IQ – someone who doesn’t hurt people as they get things doneCommitment - a “win or die” spirit
It’s important for the leader to develop other leaders because you eventually become the growth-limiting factor for your department, division or organization. If you don’t develop leaders, the good people in your organization will eventually leave for other positions where they can make an impact.
Technorati Tags: Leadership
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Overcoming Silos and Focusing on Strategic Goals in Your Organization
Patrick Lencioni spoke on the topic his new book, Silos, Politics & Turf Wars, at Willow Creek’s Leadership Summit yesterday. I haven’t read this book, but a friend highly recommended his earlier book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which is on my reading list as soon as I find an audio version.
Lencioni proposed that departments fail for one of two reasons: interpersonal issues and conflict (something Peg Neuhauser, author of Tribal Warfare, discussed at the conference yesterday), or structural issues that he calls silos. In other words, “that’s not my area.”
In a crisis organizations pull together and overcome silo mentality as the crisis provides a rallying cry so people don’t think about their own department. But why should an organization have to wait for a crisis to pull people together? To overcome this tendency in organizations, Lencioni recommends implementing a “ thematic goal.” Such a goal should be:
A single goal Qualitative – not quantitative Temporary Shared across the organization
Unlike the long-term, “Big Hairy, Audacious Goals” that Jim Collins recommends (author of Good to Great, who also spoke at the conference Friday), the thematic goal is short-term, perhaps five to 12 months. It fulfills the questions: “If we accomplish one thing during the next __ months, what should it be?”
Such a goal is then broken up into a handful of objectives, Lencioni explained in his workshop-oriented session. These goals are on top of the “standard operating objectives” that every organization must continue to achieve in order to survive, and which should also be listed out in the plan document.
One of the most interesting applications of the thematic goal concept was how it is kept alive by becoming a focus of the organization’s regular meetings. Instead of having each area report on their area, Lencioni recommends going through the objectives linked to the thematic goal and ranking their current status as green, yellow or red. Then the meeting proceeds to discuss the red items with everyone participating, even if the topic is not in their functional area. In fact, Lencioni says, the best ideas generally come from outside the area of specialty.
Lencioni’s approach is built on the axiom that “If everything is important, nothing is important,” something that is easy for a department or organization to forget. “We have to have the courage to do one thing,” he concluded.
Patrick Lencioni's Web site is www.tablegroup.com
Technorati Tags: Leadership
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Discovering a Key Strategy for Personal & Career Development
Among commonly repeated strategies for self development, one is notable for how frequently it is mentioned: developing a consistent habit of reading.
As mentioned previously, Bill Hybels recommends always having two leadership books that you are in the process of reading, and Mark Horstman of the top-rated podcast Manager Tools reads an amazing 200 books a year. These are just two examples of the many business and professional people who have found that being a lifelong learner – and consequently a lifetime reader – is key to being successful in their careers.
Reading Skills
Developing reading skills can help you read more and get more out of what you read. The Sorbonne Method is one place to start. This approach involves underlining key sections, summarizing points in one margin, writing questions that are answered by the text in the other column, and recording other notes at the bottom of the page. In a similar way, the SQ3R system helps you engage with the book you are reading. It recommends:
Surveying the chapter developing Questions; Reading with certain techniquesReciting orallyReviewing days and weeks later
One of the classic books on reading skills is Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book (Amazon Link / Wikipedia entry). Adler presents a structured way to overview a book and capture the main ideas from each chapter, even before one starts to read in earnest in order to interpret and develop a critical analysis of the book. These tactics are generally recommended over “speed reading” techniques, which have fallen into something of disfavor in recent years.
What to Read
Adler’s list of books he would read on a deserted island (Amazon Link / Wikipedia) focused heavily on the classics, while the 2500-book list Good Reading: A Helpful Guide for Serious Readers identifies many of the best books of all types on a wide range of subjects from around the world. The day-to-day manager will want to review Mark Horstman and Michael Auzenne’s list of popular business titles. PersonalMBA provides a list to facilitate a do-it-yourself education, while U.S. Army Chief of Staff Peter J. Schoomaker's list offers a selection that focuses on military history, strategy and leadership (PDF available, 1.7 MB). 
Jim Trelease’s book, the Read-Aloud Handbook, which includes book lists, advice and rationale for parental reading, should be required reading for parents of young children. Meanwhile, David McKenna’s How to Read a Christian Book offers useful tips for developing a spiritual reading list, and well-known Christian author John Piper offers a list of books that have influenced him the most.
Even more important than lists of books compiled by others is developing your own “candidates list,” an evolving bookography that you develop with categories of your own creation, according to Steve Leveen, author of The Little Guide to Your Well-Red Life. He recommends that a substantial part of your personal library is actually a collection of unread, easily accessible books that you can choose from as your mood dictates.
Finding Time to Read
Horstman recommends several tips for fitting more books into your life:
Turn off the televisionRead at lunchRead at nightTake books on tripsSchedule a year-long reading plan
Citing Phil Schlechty's comment that if you don't have time to read you don't have time to lead, the National Staff Development Council recommends that teachers:
Take 15 minutes to scan journals as they arriveSet aside 30 minutes to read at the beginning of the dayJournal your thoughtsEstablish reading groups with colleagues
Although Horstman downplays audio books because listening tends to be slow compared to reading, I would agree with Leveen that audio books can be a great way to make use of otherwise underutilized time like showering, commuting, or doing chores. Plus, iTunes makes mixing podcast and audio book listening especially convenient.
Build a Plan, Reap the Benefits
In structuring your personal and professional development plan for the coming year, a critical element should be taking conscious approach to identifying how to select and schedule a wide and deep range of reading. The results can benefit you, your family, your career and your staff.
Technorati Tags: Leadership, Career Development
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More Convenient Approvals: Hyperlinking to a Shared Drive
When getting approvals on documents or proofs, it’s important to make the process as easy as possible for the reviewer. Often this is as simple as attaching the document to be reviewed, but when a reviewer receives multiple large proofs, or receives press-resolution PDFs, this can become difficult, especially if your IT department is skimpy on allocating mail server space. Furthermore, work team collaboration often dictates that multiple reviewers make individual comments on the same document, something more software programs are supporting.
These situations favor using documents on a shared network directory or drive. A convenient way to help individuals review such shared documents is to provide a hyperlink within an email message that links directly to the shared drive. Here’s how to create such a hyperlink (this assumes that everyone receiving the link has permissions and security to reach the directory in question):
Start with an open angle bracket < Type in file:// Type or paste in the directory pathFinish with a closed angle bracket >
The final result will look something like this:
Or if you're linking directly to the document instead of a folder:
< file://j:sharedApplication_Architecture_Assessment.doc >
Now, hit the spacebar and what you've typed will reformat into a true hyperlink (the brackets will disappear).
Keep in mind these details to make your link work properly:
To conveniently cut and paste a directory path from Windows Explorer, make sure the address bar is showing: View/Toolbar/Address bar.For the path, you must use backslashes just like in old DOS. Forward slashes don't work.If you want to point directly to the document instead of just the folder, type in the document name exactly (or cut and paste after right clicking on file name and selecting "Properties.")It is also possible to use text menus within Microsoft Outlook rather than manually typing the hyperlink. To do this, select Insert/Hyperlink.It is especially important to use the < > brackets if there are spaces within the filename or path.The hyperlink will not necessarily work while you are in draft mode within your e-mail composition window, but will work after the message has been sent.
Technorati Tags: Productivity
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Larger Monitors May Increase Your Staff's Productivity
I’m a fan of Jakob Nielsen, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when a colleague sent me this excerpt from a recent Alertbox column (“ Screen Resolution and Page Layout,” July 31, 2006). It is ostensibly on screen resolution for computers, but strays into office productivity issues: Big monitors are the easiest way to increase white-collar productivity, and anyone who makes at least $50,000 per year ought to have at least 1600×1200 screen resolution. A flat-panel display with this resolution currently costs less than $500. So, as long as the bigger display increases productivity by at least 0.5%, you'll recover the investment in less than a year…. There's no doubt that big screens are worth the money.
Nielsen goes on to explain that Apple and Microsoft have actually studied the issue of monitor size and productivity (do they even make monitors?), although he doesn’t like their methodology. Instead, Nielson bases his estimate of a five to 10 percent productivity gain on his field experience with individuals doing monitor-intensive knowledge work at least 10 percent of the day. Spreadsheets, graphic design and any work requiring multiple windows benefits from the larger screen size.
Technorati Tags: Productivity
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Two Computer Timesavers: Using the Places Bar & Defaulting to Details View
It’s easy to waste time clicking through folders on your computer, especially when you have lots of them. Here are a couple efficiency tips that may come in handy.
1) Put Your Most Frequently Used Folders on the Places Bar in Microsoft Office
If you find your self frequently navigating through folders and subfolders when 
opening or saving files in Microsoft Office applications, you can speed things up by putting common folders on the “Places Bar,” which runs down the left side of these dialog boxes. With your most common folder locations added to this bar, you can quickly jump to your most frequently used directories.
Earlier versions of Microsoft Office required a registry hack to accomplish this, but recent versions of Microsoft Office have made this fairly convenient:
From within any Microsoft Office application, such as Word, invoke a dialog box. For example, select File/Open.In the Places Bar on the left side of the box, right click and select “Small Icons.” This will allow you to place up to 10 items on the Places Bar.Now, with the dialog box still open, manually navigate to a commonly used folder.Click the Tools button across the top of the dialog box and select “Add to “My Places.”You can arrange the newly placed item by right clicking on it and selecting “Move Up” or “Move Down.”
Microsoft Support page regarding modifying the Places Bar
Customize the Places Bar in earlier versions of Office through modifying the registry.
2. Change Default View of Windows Explorer to Show Details
It can be inconvenient to constantly be switching to “details view” in Windows Explorer (previously better named “File Manager”). The thumbnails or slideshow view is nice when viewing a folder of photos or graphic files, but in all other cases finding, sorting and selecting files is much easier by setting the View menu to the Details option. Personally, I have no use for the list, icon or tile views at all.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to set the Details View as your default. For Windows XP, follow these steps:
Right click the Start button and select Explore.When Windows Explorer loads, select the View menu and then the Details View.Now select the Tools menu, and select Folder Options.On the View Tab, choose Apply to All Folders.You’re done.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a way to set open/save as dialog boxes to always default to the detail view, at least without running another software program in the background. Phil Jerns explains the technical details of why it isn’t possible to set a detail view default in dialog boxes, even with a registry change.
Technorati Tags: Productivity
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Podcasting as a Career Development Tool
Our article, “How Podcasts and Podcasting Can Leverage Your Career” was just published in the June 2006 edition of Podcast User Magazine (Free download / PDF, 1.7MB, page 21).
The article discusses how you can learn job skills, develop technical fluency, make contacts, and find inspiration through podcasting. Surprisingly, just being an active podcast listener can leverage your career – you don’t necessarily have to be creator to benefit from podcasting.
Technorati Tags: Podcasting, Career Development
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An Introduction to Web Writing Basics
A nice seminar on the basics of Writing for the Web is available from Geonetric.net, a firm in the healthcare Web development space, in their Online Webinar Archive (April 2006, Free registration required). The program covers:
How users skim read a web siteThe ‘F’ patternImportance of headingsUse of visual clues (bullets, boldface, etc)Titles and e-mail subject linesWording of hyperlink anchor textThe one-hour session is available for viewing online in Flash format, or downloadable as an MP3 file (10 MB) with an accompanying PDF of the PowerPoint slides (779 KB ) to help one follow the discussion. This could be a nice introduction for staff writers or staff who have not yet jumped with both feet into writing differently for this medium. Meanwhile, Geonetric's upcoming June webinar will cover the basics of RSS, blogs, podcasting, streaming video and interactive web applications, which promises a quick introduction to marketing or PR professionals who may have heard these technologies, but not yet considered how they may apply to their communication challenges.
Technorati Tags: Web Writing
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How to be a Great Account Executive
Here are 12 tips for becoming a great AE, drawn and adapted from the archives of PRSIG:
Learn to listen & take good notes Keep a to‑do list that worksLearn to date your work: memos, reports, notes, etc.Learn to delegate Be enthusiastic, positive & loyal (to your agency & to your client)Share ideas (Don't be a yes person)Tune into as many media as can find time forLearn to use technology, adding new skills and applications regularlyMake time for professional developmentBuild a network of knowledgeable pros, adding one per weekDevelop an outside interest which will add dimension to your professional growth, perhaps providing community visibility Pick up a hobby or vocation to take your mind of the biz
Plus, here are some practical pointers for the account exec that are often overlooked:
Keep your time sheet current Always let the receptionist know when you will return Don't rely on the artroom or production people to keep track of deadlines When you make a mistake ADMIT IT PROMPTLY and get to work on salvaging it right away Always promise a little less than you intend to deliver. Better to have a client pleasantly surprised than slightly disappointed. If you're responsible for initiating the billing process, do it right away. Your employer can't afford to wait another week before billing every client.
Now it’s your turn: add your thoughts about what makes a great AE by using the comment link below.
Additional Links
SYSOP Ron Solberg Remembers PRSIG (cached link)
Shel Holtz on late PRSIG member Bill Lutholtz
Technorati Tags: Marketing, Public Relations
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Teaching Blogging: A Proposed Curriculum for Social Media
Inside PR, a weekly Canadian podcast about the public relations profession, recently discussed the topic of teaching blogging to public relations professionals in response to a comment by from Owen Lystrup, a student at California State University (IntoPR). Social media as a topic for study is just beginning to enter the educational realm, with Robert French’s work at Auburn University being the most commonly cited example (InfOpinions / Auburn PR blog).
The technical aspects of blogging, such as the casual writing style, use of comments and trackbacks, and recently rediscovered benefits of personal journaling, seem hardly worthy of covering with today’s students, although a practicum course might do well to train students in the of the social media news release (PDF, 49KB). The bigger view of social media education — whether college coursework or continuing education for PR professionals — should focus on more significant theoretical and conceptual aspects. Three possible areas such a curriculum could include:
Ethics - Topics regarding social media and ethics should cover such issues as character blogs; anonymous blogs and commenting (especially in light of PRSA’s statement of ethics regarding transparency); and astroturfing, as well as case studies of how companies are handling such issues.
Analytics – In order to handle issues management and public relations response, it is important for public relations professionals to understand significance, movement and strength. Technorati, Google Trends and BlogPulse are important tools for the PR student to master, but Web and RSS statistics will also become significant, in order to understand the elements reported, over-reported or under-reported in tools like WebTrends, Feeedburner or when monitoring AOL activity (see earlier Unsolicited post on PR tools, Steve Rubel discussing Technorati Charts and Technorati’s post on its Blog Charts).
Economics – The business of the internet has long been a web of interrelationships as well illustrated by Bruce Clay’s search engine diagram (PDF, 262KB). Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of myspace.com gives an inside into Newscorp’s strategies for the next generation, while Google’s ad deal with Facebook provides similar insights into Google, which also owns and serves ads onto Blogger. Furthermore, students should understand topics such as the business model (or lack thereof) for various media properties. Currently emerging sites such as YouTube or Flickr may have social aspects that are not readily obvious. Likewise, their business model may also not be entirely obvious either, leading to questions regarding whether some such startups will become the Web 2.0 bust.
In addition to these three areas, sociology and communication theory will provide other abundant insights for study of social media — both by tomorrow's students and today's practitioners.
Technorati Tags: Public Relations, Social Media
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New 'Power 150' marcom list analyzes, ranks best marketing blogs
Where to find marketing & PR blog directories
Unsolicited Marketing Advice premiered this week at position #115 on Todd And’s Power 150 list of top marketing blogs. We reveled in this accomplishment for about a minute and a half before Eeyore started whispering in our ear about how long we’d be able to maintain such a glorious ranking, so we made sure to get this post up right away.
But seriously, Todd And has just put together a very nice rank-ordered list of marcom blogs using an algorithm based on Google page rank, number of Bloglines subscribers, Technorati links and a tad of subjectivity (see Todd’s post explaining his methodology). Some great blogs are on this list, so if you’re looking for some fresh, new communication insights, Todd’s list is a great place to start.
In addition, here are some other good directories of Marketing and Public Relations blogs:
Blogdigger’s Headlines from PR weblogs (an aggregation of recent posts, plus directory listings in the right hand column) (OPML)Constantin Basturea’s PR and Communications Blogs List (OPML)Drew Benvie’s UK PR Blog list on The Blog Consultancy MarketingSherpa’s 10 Best Blogs for 2005 MarketingSherpa Reader's Choice Blog & Podcasting Awards 2006 OnlinePR.com’s Public Relations and Marketing Blogs Public Relations Institute of Austrilia (PRIA) PR links Todd And’s Power 150 list of marketing blogs
Technorati Tags: Marketing, Public Relations
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Hospital Marketing Humor (for Thursdays)
Here are a few items for hospital marketers to enjoy this Thursday.
RYT Hospital - Dwayne Medical Center
All the Miracles of Modern modern medicine, plus a few unexpected ones.
Europeiske Reiseforsikring Travel Insurance Commercials
A whole different view of hospital quality (Original post: Hospital Marketing Journal).
Doctor, We have to operate! A great hospital is a clean hospital Mr. Bean in the Hospital
Waiting in queue is such a pain.
The Doctor's Lounge
Medical jokes, chart bloopers, cartoons and videos.
Technorati Tags: Humor, Hospital Marketing
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Book Review: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/ (Book site) Amazon Link Audiobook on iTunes
Interesting and a quick read, The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell is easily one of the best books we’ve read this year, and an excellent selection for marketing, public relations, or communication professionals.
Ostensively about the transmission of epidemics, it is somewhat difficult to tell if this book should be categorized as a book about science, sociology, epidemiology, business, or communication theory. There is much of communications theory in the book, with a key thought being that “infected” people are the engine behind word of mouth communications.
In fact, without mentioning the two-step flow of communications theory (Wikipedia entry), Gladwell proposes a four-step theory that includes the movement of ideas from information specialists (called mavens) to connectors (the social glue of the process) to salesmen (a term to describe the type of person, not their actual job) and then to the masses.
The epidemic of an idea 
starts with mavens who are educators at heart. Next, connectors are relationship-oriented people that spread the message to key individuals. Then, enter salesmen who help persuade the unconvinced through a natural exuberance and perhaps good, non-verbal facial expressions.
In large part, Glawell offers an enhancement on the diffusion model of communication (Wikipedia entry), looking at how “a contagious idea or product or innovation moves through a population” (Chapter 6: Airwalk/ Lambesis case study).
Yet there are echoes of the discredited “magic bullet” theory of communications as well (Wikipedia entry), since the premise of the Tipping Point is that “with the slightest push – in just the right place – the world around us can be tipped.” Likewise, Gladwell states, “people can radically transform their behavior or beliefs in the face of the right kind of impetus.” And elsewhere one almost gets a “hyperdermic needle” attitude toward communications: “There are times when we need a convenient shortcut, a way to make a lot out of a little, and that is what Tipping Points… are all about.” Despite the compelling theories put forth in The Tipping Point, communications is still a very complex subject that defies simple reductionism.
Overall, the three rules of the Tipping Point offer a way to make sense of epidemics and “the contagious power of ideas,” according to Gladwell:
1. Law of the few – a small percentage of people are influencers.
2. The stickiness factor – the message makes an impact and is memorable.
3. Power of context – people act differently depending on the social situation, such as the number of people involved in the situation, the time of day, the cleanliness of the facility, or other seemingly small details which provide clues to them about how to behave.
As he builds this point throughout the book, Gladwell’s examples are as interesting as they are varied:
The spread of syphilisThe revival of Hush Puppy shoesVirologyThe British marching on LexingtonThe manual transmission of a letter between two unknown peopleSesame StreetBlue’s CluesColumbia Record ClubNYC Subway CrimeAirwalk athletic shoes for skateboardersRumorsBaltimore needle exchange programAdolescent suicides in MicronesiaTeenage smokingBupropion (Zyban) for depression and smokingSchool shootings since ColumbineThe case of contaminated carbon dioxide in Belgium Coca-Cola
Here are some observations from The Tipping Point as they relate to specific media:
Direct mail
“Reaching the consumer with the message is not the hard part of direct marketing. What is difficult is getting consumers to stop, read the advertisement, remember it and then act on it.”
A “trigger” is a technique that makes the reader/viewer an active part of an interaction. Triggers can come in different forms, and be as seemingly insignificant such as the “gold box” that Columbia Record Club put in the corner of advertisements developed by Lester Wunderman in the late 1970s.
Print Advertising
Elements that can make a campaign “sticky” and thus successful may seem small and trivial – like the addition of a map to an ad – even when people already know the location.
Ad campaigns can play a role of translator in order to start an epidemic, such as the case study of Airwalk shoes. As such, they stand between the innovation and everyone else, but the key is proper market research.
Television
In TV, it’s not about “attention,” it’s about understanding. In testing segments of Sesame Street, the producers discovered that children pay attention when they understand, and turn away distracted when they are confused. Thus, a key principle applicable to other media as well, is the importance of focusing on one point and avoiding multiple messages which cause confusion.
Social Media
The Law of Plentitude is when value comes from “the network,” rather than from the concept of scarcity. This is sometimes called the “fax effect,” because value is increased when there are two, three, and more fax machines available in the world. Current Verizon commercials aside, this concept suggests why sites like Del.cio.us, Digg, and myspace have become successful.
E-mail
After initial success, both telemarketing and e-mail have become less useful to communicators because of audience immunity. In fact, because e-mail is so inexpensive and readily available, it “makes us value face-to-face communications – and the communications of those we already know and trust – all the more (valuable)…. The cure for immunity is finding Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen. "
Word of Mouth
Georgia Sadler used a “folklorist” to coach hairstylist on presenting information about breast cancer in a compelling manner to women of San Diego. This illustrates that small budgets are adequate to start a word of mouth epidemic if used intelligently.
“The Law of the Few says that Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen are responsible for starting word-of-mouth epidemics, which means that if you are interested in starting a word-of-mouth epidemic, your resources out to be solely concentrated on those three groups. No one else matters.” (Chapter 8, Conclusion)
In the Afterword, Gladwell explains that The Tipping Point is in large part a study “in the mystery of word of mouth” and claims we are entering the age of word of mouth. This is ironic since we now have more access to information that ever before – but are becoming more reliant on “primitive kinds of social contacts.”
Technorati Tags: Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell, Word of Mouth
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Billboard Basics: Six Rules of Thumb for Creating Outdoor Advertising
Everyone loves billboards. As a marketing technique, they’re inherently sexy. In addition, perhaps because the “magic bullet” theory of communications is so popular, people overestimate their effectiveness. Plus, they’re a simple, flat canvas, so it seems like they should be “easy” to create.
Misconceptions abound with billboards, but there are a few basics that can help structure your outdoor advertising strategies:
1. Secondary, not primary
In general, billboards are a secondary medium, not a primary one. This means that they act as a support to other parts of an advertising campaign, and are not the main thrust themselves. There are exceptions, of course. Retail operations like gas stations, hospitality, restaurants and such will use outdoor advertising as a primary vehicle to get people to “exit now.” But if you’re selling an intangible product or service, or if your goal is to develop your brand image, then you need to have a plan that goes beyond billboards.
2. Six Seconds, 6 Words
Billboards are viewed quickly, generally in vehicles going over the speed limit. This means 
there isn’t much time to read a complex message. The industry rule of thumb is that a billboard is read in less than six seconds, and the billboard should have no more than six words. You can have a few extra words in smaller type or a secondary position to give location information or a call to action, but your primary message should be 6 words or less. Generally, it should stand away from secondary text and presented in an uncluttered manner. Once again, less is better, just as Mark Twain once said, "If I had more time, I would have written less."
3. Avoid Metaphors
The need for simplicity is an obvious corollary to the speed and brief message space of a billboard. In Web design, Steve Krug has said “ Don’t make me think.” The same concept applies to outdoor advertising. Comparisons should be clear, and while they may be clever, they should be immediately obvious. If you see a concept like this one for IBM and say, “I don’t’ get it,” then you can be confident that the metaphor just isn’t working (Original post: Adrants)
4. Mnemonics Only
When I’m driving with someone, I don’t want them 
taking their hands off the wheel to write down a phone number. Unless one has some great phone number that spells a simple phrase, don’t even think about using one. Likewise, caution should be given to using URLs, and they must be simple, straightforward and memorable.
5. Buy in Gross
Generally, you’ll want a billboard campaign. So be ready to spend some money. A single billboard will not achieve your communication goals unless you can use the best, most well known billboard phrase: “Exit Now.”
Billboards are bought in “shows,” which are comparable to gross rating points. If you buy a 50 show in a particular geographic area, you will be reaching a number of viewers equivalent to 100% of the population in the area every two days. This is based on the amount of traffic known to go past the board (the Annual Average Daily Traffic, or AADT), the number of people age 18+in each vehicle, and the hours of illumination for the display. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re reaching the population that actually lives in the area – especially if you’re posting on expressways or commuter routes.
6. Placement Review
Not every billboard is a winner. In fact, the smaller your organization or your 
budget, the more you’ll need to do hand-to-hand combat in selecting billboard locations. In addition to different sizes, placements on the opposite side of the road (called cross reads), tall buildings and trees can significantly impact each of your placements. Nowadays, most companies provide a photo, map and description of each placement; although the photos do not always do justice to individual boards, making an automotive survey something worth considering.
Apply these six basics and you’ll be well on your way to successful outdoor advertising effort. Explain them convincingly to your clients, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful campaign — and marketing career.
Deconstructed Examples
Here are three examples pulled off the local highways showing some good – and some not so good – examples of the six “billboard basics.” Some common problems in these examples include:
Too much secondary textSecondary text not set far enough apart or distinct from primary textToo many unreadable, extra, or illogical elementsMultiple, confused, or too small brandingLack of creativity 
Additional Resources
Billboard Terms from ClearChannel Outdoor Advertising Language Guide from U.S. Department of Transportation One Billboard Company’s Apologetic for Outdoor Advertising Wikipedia entry AdRants Outdoor Category (RSS feed)
Technorati Tags: Outdoor Advertising
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Understanding Ad Agency Commissions
Here’s a refresher on ad agency commissions and how they’re calculated.
The gist is that media like newspapers, radio and TV often provide advertising agencies a commission on the time or space they place on behalf of clients. 
Likewise, agencies who purchase printing or other services on behalf of their clients add a percentage as they pass the bill on to the client. These fees cover the agency’s costs of media planning or production oversight, managing the billing, “acting as the bank” on behalf of the client, and monitoring the accuracy and quality of the printing or ad insertions.
In some markets commissions have become negotiable in recent years, while other companies may make other arrangements with their agencies, such as paying for media planning expenses or print bidding services separately on a fee-basis or hourly rate and then having themselves billed directly for printing or media expenses.
When dealing with the actual figures, the key to remember is that there are two ways to view commission. The first is as a percentage of the gross amount of the bill that the client pays. Historically, the commission has been 15 percent of this amount. So if you have the total bill and multiply by .15, you’ll find the amount that is commission. 
The other way to view commission is in its original or “net” amount before being “grossed up” and passed along to the client. The magic figure in this case is 17.65 percent. So if the agency has a bill, say from a printer, they will multiply that charge by .1765 and pass it along to the client for payment. Multiplying by 17.65 percent and adding it to the original amount results in a total that has 15 percent commission. In other words, 17.65 percent times net is the same as 15 percent of gross.
While 15 percent has been the traditional agency commission, some agencies may charge 20 percent or more, especially in situations where the agency is has a risk-sharing arrangement with the client. A percentage as high as 40 percent is not unheard of for printing, or costs other than media. Of course, such markups should be disclosed up front to the client as part of their contractual agreement. In fact, such disclosures, as well as the right to see actual invoices from vendors, may be mandated by law in some jurisdictions.
In reality, agencies generally use a variety of compensation models for the different services they provide to their clients. Fixed, flat-rate fees, “cost plus,” hourly rates, as well as “time and expense” approaches are common. When a commission approach is used, there may be standard, reduced or sliding scale methods that apply. Meanwhile, value-based fees are also gaining some popularity (see discussion on Comms Cafe, for example), although there has been some controversy with this approach as well. 
When dealing with agency billing it’s important to remember that good creative and strategy are what initially create client-agency relationships. High costs and poor billing practices are what often sour and eventually dissolve those relationships. As in marriage, a good defense is communication between the two parties. Clients should be cautious about “nickel and diming” an agency to death, while agencies need to practice fiscal responsibility combined with integrity, along with as much transparency as possible when dealing with financial matters with a client.
Additional Resources
Agency commission defined by UTexas Austin College of Communication Guidelines for Effective Advertiser/ Agency Compensation Agreements from the American Association of Advertising Agencies (PDF, 166 KB) Agency Remuneration by IPA (UK association of agencies) (PDF, 962 KB) Model Contract by European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) discussing different types of agency remuneration (.doc file)
Technorati Tags: Advertising Agencies
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Hand Addressing Envelopes for Fund Raising Success
In direct mail work there are various ways to increase opening rates such as envelope design, teasers, live postage stamps rather than bulk indicia, and so forth. One technique of special interest to those in fund development is hand addressing of envelopes.
RightOnResults.com offers a number of reasons why hand addressing makes sense:
Higher opening ratesCommunicates a “personal touch”Stands out from other mail (and your competition)Higher response rates and thus, ROI
The Newsletter on Newsletters reports that one mail house, Fasprint, conducted research finding that nearly 100% of all hand-addressed, delivered mail gets opened – compared to only 14% of mail that is machine addressed or labeled. That means that 86 out of every 100 pieces that you send out end up in the trash, according to the firm.
Of course, hand addressed envelopes do not qualify for bulk rates, but the first class postage that this approach requires is also shown to increase response.
Sources for Hand Addressing
While there are many firms available for envelope addressing using calligraphy such as done for wedding invitations, a standard cursive approach is more appropriate for most fund development and business situations. For non-profits, hosting an “addressing party” with volunteers who have neat handwriting may be a good option, especially for smaller mailings. In other situations, one may want to consider a firm that offers this specialized service, such as:
Tom Richard Marketing Fasprint Write on Results
Technorati Tags: Direct Mail
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Four Ways to Use Podcasting in Healthcare
Jim Larranaga of Priority Publications has a nice white paper available for healthcare marketers available called “ Launching and Leveraging Healthcare Podcasts” (PDF,available via e-mail request). It provides a general overview of the medium and its growing popularity for those who may not yet be familiar with podcasting, including reasons why podcasting is taking off such as its narrowcasting format, potential for time-shifting, convenience and variety of topics available.
Larranaga suggests that podcasts can be particularly powerful when used in four ways:
To establish trustTo address time-sensitive topicsTo present real-life stories (such as testimonials)To offer tips for improving one’s life
Additional Links
Larranaga interviews David Barrett of AudioAcrobat (MP3, 5.6 MB)
Early Adopters of Podcasting among Hospitals (Previous Unsolicited post)
The Current State Of Podcasting In Healthcare by Healthcare Vox
Healthcare Podcast of Interest to Marketers
Quackcast – Finally, a doctor with an opinion who’s not afraid to share it. Funny.
Vital Signs – Discover Magazine’s podcast about unusual medical conditions. Fascinating.
The Business of Healthcare – consultants discuss strategic healthcare topics. Yawn.
Kaiser Healthcasts - health policy news, events and interviews. Sorta like C-SPAN for healthcare.
Soundpractice.net – From the Journal of Medical Practice Management. Advice on running the physician practice.
Technorati Tags: Podcasting
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What Response Rate Should You Expect from Your Direct Mail?
Marketers often ask what type of response rates they should expect from their direct mail efforts. The answer is actually quite simple: it depends.
Response rates from one half of one percent (0.5%) to two percent are often mentioned within the industry. But in reality, direct mail response rates are highly variable. In my experience, I’ve seen rates in this “typical” range, as well some as high as seven to 14 percent. One agency principal that I spoke with this week said she had seen rates as high as 30 percent in her direct marketing work, depending on the quality of the list, the offer, and the message/creative content.
Those three elements – list, offer and message/creative – are the three areas to concentrate on when developing direct mail. Traditionally, direct marketers have said the list is the most important, followed closely by the offer, with creative being the smallest contributor to the overall effectiveness of a direct mail effort. Thus, the relative importance of these elements to a successful direct mail campaign breaks down something like this (but John Tomkiw offers a counter-point):
40% on developing a targeted list 40% on providing a great offer 20% on presenting the message in an effective and engaging way
Some marketers add “timing” to this list and assign it 10 percent of the overall importance, but then weigh the list even more highly: 50-20-20-10. Regardless, there is a strong emphasis on the mailing list, and for good reason: the type of individuals that make up your list will greatly influence your response rate. One direct mail resource (cited by The Response Project) identifies who is most likely to respond to your direct mail, in descending order:
Who Responds to Direct Mail?
Customers: 3–8 times more likely to respond or buy than anyone else People who have responded, but not yet made a purchase Former customers Referrals People who’ve bought a different type of product or service from you People who’ve bought similar products or services from competitors
Another point to understand when considering direct mail response rates is that one can measure response at various points and in various ways. In fact, as Unsolicited has previously discussed, there are three types of direct mail response: active response, passive response and alternate buying phenomenon. One could make an argument that any of these could be called a “response rate,” although the first is what we more typically think of, and the latter two begin to bring in the idea of conversion and sales into the definition.
Finally, response rates are only one part of a balanced breakfast. Proper direct marketing analytics also look at things like open rates, conversion rates, mail group versus control group activity and ROI or ROE. In the end, the goal of any direct mail campaign is to sell product or services, garner donations, recruit employees (or volunteers), or move people along a process toward one of those goals. This means any study of response rate must eventually be meaningfully tied back to the bottom line.
Additional Resources
What’s A Good Response Rate? – from InsideDirectMail.com Four Ways to Raise Direct Mail Response Rates – from MarketingProfs (free registration required) 8 Direct Mail Secrets for a Higher Response Rate Eight Common Direct Mail Mistakes – how to avoid the pitfalls that lead to truly wretched response rates Measuring the Return on Your Direct Mail Investment - gives two ways a small organization can look at (and use) direct mail response information Direct Mail Tips for Sophisticated Marketers – advice from Microsoft’s small business center DMA 2006 Response Rate Trends Report — data to Benchmark Your Marketing Campaign ($445 + shipping) Response Rates to Expect in Direct Mail Fundraising Understanding and Achieving ROI with CRM — white paper from Customer Potential Management (Nov. 6, 2002) (Free registration limited to qualified healthcare organizations)
Technorati Tags: Direct Mail
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Using LinkedIn.com for Professional and Career Development
A newly unemployed relative recently asked me the merits of LinkedIn.com compared with CareerBuilder and Monster.
While it’s true all three can be used as an online resume site, LinkedIn is more of a networking destination, while Career Builder and Monster are more focused on job seeking. Marketing and PR professionals can benefit from LinkedIn while happily employed in their current position, and it can be especially useful for freelancers or self-employed consultants, as Shel Holtz has explained.
The idea of LinkedIn is to create a trusted way to communicate with people you know – and potentially with people they might know. From a career standpoint, this is the idea behind What Color is Your Parachute? – essentially, that networking is more important than classified ads and resumes.
LinkedIn.com is a good example of what people are calling "Web 2.0" (Wikipedia entry) – where people are beginning to use the Web for social networking – bridging their current relationships to the Web (like Myspace, Facebook, Flickr, and so forth), as well as building new communities with people they might not have known before, based on common interests.
In a way, this phenomenon is not that different from what previously would exclusively happen at conferences – you go; you meet old contacts; you do a presentation; you meet new people who have questions or comments; you collect business cards; you stay in touch, and so forth. The relationships lead to improved information to do your job, professional growth, career opportunities, and so forth. In the end, it's all about the relationships.
Additional Resources
“The Missing Link" — This lengthy article from Business 2.0 Magazine (on CNN Money, 28 Feb 2007) describes LinkedIn as "MySpace for grown ups" and explains why it is becoming a significant professional tool. Wikipedia entry about LinkedIn – A nice overview. Linked Intellegence – A Web site and blog exclusively focused on benefiting from LinkedIn, edited by Scott Allen, coauthor of The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn – Guy Kawasaki (former chief evangelist at Apple) lists 11 ways (yep, count ‘em) to get the most out of LinkedIn. LinkedIn Answers – A new LinkedIn.com service that has the flavor of Yahoo Answers, but with better, more professional questions and answers. Linked In a Box — A widget that displays your LinkedIn profile that goes beyond the standard badges that LinkedIn provides. ZoomInfo and Doostang - Other, albeit less popular networking sites. Job Seeking Advice for New PR Grads – One of Unsolicited’s earlier posts on career development.
Technorati Tags: Career Development, LinkedIn
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Mailers That Make an Impact
Every once in a while you come across a really cool mailing package. A colleague (who surely isn’t old enough to receive AARP literature) passed along the one pictured below. The design is simple and straightforward, and the pop-up section that you see when you open this CD mailer puts the key message point right in front of the reader.
Because I’m not yet old enough to get AARP literature at home, I study the glue and tab closures that I receive on direct mail pieces at home (my family is familiar with my quirks, so it’s no big deal). So far my favorites are those little adhesive hot dots and the pre-perforated "wafer" tab closures. Both these closure approaches help a direct mail piece have maximum impact by making opening the piece easy and clean. The effectiveness of an otherwise excellent direct mail piece can be ruined if it's too hard to open or rips in the recipient's hands, so it's important to keep these finishing elements in mind as one prints and produces a mailer.
Additional Links
Glue Dot International – information on Glue Dots brand of direct mail adhesive, as well as hand-held and automated equipment for use by mail shops. WS Packaging Group - vendor supplying perforated wafer seals Pitney Bowes – perforated wafer seals for machine use
Technorati Tags: Direct Mail
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Super Bowl Essentials 2007
Super Bowl XLI is almost upon us, with game time scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4 in South Florida. Of course, even with two great teams — the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts — many viewers will be enjoying the commercials as much or more than the game. And at $2.6 million per 30 second spot, these advertisements oughta be good.
In addition, the artist formerly known as an unintelligible symbol will be headlining the halftime show, meaning that they'll be plenty of time to both refill the nachos and chips (see recipes), and rewind the video to review the first half's commercials. Here are other essentials to prep for the game:
Essential Super Bowl Ad Links
Roman Numeral Converter — be an expert a converting Roman numerals to Arabic or vica versa Superbowl-ads.com — news, reviews, history of Super Bowl advertising Spotbowl.com — Interesting statistics, plus watch and vote on the best ads Super Bowl commercials on AOL Sports — watch and vote for the best Super Bowl commercials Super Bowl commercials on Google Video – ads streamed with embed options like YouTube, and sometimes downloadable for iPod/PSP (MP4) Super Bowl 2007 ads via iPod-friendly podcast (RSS feed Subscribe via iTunes) — grab the ads for the small screen thanks to DevLib.org in Hong Kong
News and Commentary
CareerBuilder gives chimps the pink slip (Google cache) — say it ain't so Bob Parson's Hot Points blog (GoDaddy.com CEO) — trying to build hype by getting commercials rejected is getting kinda boring (Timetable of GoDaddy's Super Bowl XLI ad approval process) Ad Jab's Super Bowl wrap up — "Just one more week to go before the Bears win the Super Bowl." Six observations about Super Bowl advertising (2006) – Unsolicited Marketing Advice identifies some insights that you should share with your staff and administrators
Marketing Technology and Techniques
Amateurs get a crack at Super Bowl ads — about the new fad of user-generated advertising Advertisers Extend Super Bowl Spend with Online Promos – amortizing that huge investment through tie-ins Use of widgets in sports marketing - how 'bout a Super Bowl widget, Pat Coyle asks
Previews
Budweiser ad previews — Anheuser-Busch is the heaviest advertiser with a total of 10 spots Most anticipated commercials — from threeminds blog Super Bowl XLI Commercial Spoiler Alert – from Adland
History of Super Bowl Advertising
Best Super Bowl commercials of all time — from ESPN 10 Worst Super Bowl commercials – from MSNBC Apple's "1984" Super Bowl commercial launching the Macintosh (Wikipedia YouTube Google Video) Last year's Super Bowl 2006 ad podcast from DevLib.org (RSS feed Subscribe via iTunes)
Technorati Tags: Advertising, Super Bowl
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A 2-Year-Old Demonstrates Brand Recognition
Two-year-old Carter Clark demonstrates just how early brand recognition develops in children. With Dad Rob's help, he reviews the logos of 10 companies (8 major corporations and 2 local organizations) and more or less correctly identifies all but one (sorry, Old Navy). Plus, he basically understands the company's products as they relate to his world.
Yes, the lesson here has to do with the power of strong brands. But Carter also identified some regional and local brands as well. So the lesson also has to do with how brands are implemented consistently to achieve this result, as well the brand benefit or promise that impacts the consumer positively.
The brand logos used in this demonstration included:
Starbucks
McDonalds
Home Depot
The Gap
Apple Computer
Dairy Queen
Old Navy
Nike
Tim Hortons
Sasktoon Blades (local hockey team)
Cooke Insurance
Now it’s your turn. What other marketing or branding take-aways did you have from watching this clip? Use the comment link below to add your input.
Related Links
YouTube link
Original Digg link for video
Cooke Insurance on Squidoo
Brand entry on Wikipedia
Developing Brand Recognition for Dummies
Building A Strong Brand: Brands and Branding Basics by Dave Dolak
allaboutbranding.com (DNA Design, New Zealand)
Brand recognition cues by Chris Olson
5 levels of brand recognition
Use branded deliverables to increase recognition and visibility (PDF, 393 KB)
Related Blogs
Brand Autopsy blog (John Moore also covers marketing topics beyond branding)
Dave Young’s Branding Blog
What’s your brand mantra? (Blog of Jennifer Rice/Mantra Brand Consulting)
Technorati Tags: Branding
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10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Writing Staff
Editor’s Note: This guest article by Greta Bolger, principal of Bolger + Battle , was originally published for her clients under the title “10 Ways to Make Writers Do their Best to Make You Look Good.” Unsolicited is pleased to reprint the article here with the author’s permission since generating excellent copy is a frequent challenge for marketing, public relations and other business communicators.
1. Get us involved early
The best time to bring in a writer is when a project or program is in the planning stages. That way, we can help you identify the kinds of information that will best substantiate your messages while there’s still time to run the tests, do the research, collect the data, interview the prospects, or whatever it takes. It all goes back to what your junior high English teacher said: "to be terrific, be specific." She was right. And to be specific, we need real facts to work with.
2. Overload us with information
In the same vein, from our perspective, there's no such thing as "too much information." And just because you don't want to "say that" doesn't mean that we don't need to know about it. Good copy is shaped as much by what's not said as what is said. Trust us to be able to sort through a lot of reference material to find the facts, features, and benefits that will appeal most to your target audience.
3. Let us hear it from the horse's mouth
Give us direct access to the people who are closest to the product, the problem, the opportunity. These people are the energy source that makes your message come to life. By interviewing these people ourselves, we can transmit their energy into words and ideas that persuade, motivate, stimulate, and educate. Without them, we're just making things up (see #5).
4. Let us tell the truth
At the heart of every product, every service, every program, there's the soul of truth that will let you reach people like no safe-but-boring message ever could. If that sounds risky, remember, you can't bore people into responding. And if the people you're trying to communicate with don't respond, your efforts won't have any measurable impact. If you can't demonstrate measurable impact, you can't convince anybody that what you did for them was worth the money they paid for it. Do you want to take those kinds of chances?
5. Don't ask us to do magic
A writer's brain is a marvelous thing. It's trained to take large amounts of complicated information (see #2) and turn it into a clear, compelling, coherent presentation of your message. Given enough time and teamwork, it can even take that information and transform it into an award-winning creative idea. What it cannot do, however, is take scraps of information, unsubstantiated claims, ill-defined objectives, multiple target audiences, and unanswered questions and "make something up." You have to find a real magician for that.
6. Don't talk to yourself
If this sounds like a weird request, just pick up any trade publication for any market your company serves. In it, you'll find countless examples of breast-beating, bragging, and boasting about "commitment," "leadership," and "quality" – with no effort made to relate these claims to the needs or desires of the target audience. Sure, the management of these companies liked these ads. These are the kinds of ads that are very easy to sell internally. They make people feel good. The problem is, they don't do anything else.
7. Edit content, not words
If you don't like a sentence, or a paragraph, or a whole page of copy, try to articulate what it's lacking or what it has too much of. Unless your change is very clear cut, it's usually better to let the writer rework the copy to address your concerns than it is to have too many writers fooling around with individual words. A well-written paragraph is a complex construction, held together by a structure not visible to the naked eye. It doesn't respond well to wholesale hacking.
8. Treat writers like money in the bank
The more a particular writer already knows about your project or your business, the more quickly and ably they'll be able to respond when you need something creative and on target in that area. If you spend time and money educating Connie the Copywriter on the technology and people associated with Subject A, it's a waste of resources to repeat the whole process with Carl the Copywriter the next time you need something written about Subject A. Save Carl for that big project on Subject B.
9. If you like it, say so; if you really like it, say so in writing
Writers are only human. And it's just human nature to want to be recognized for your work, especially if you went above and beyond the call of duty to produce something that really worked well for your client. But the best reason of all to let a writer or any member of your team know that you're pleased with what they produced is that they'll give your work top priority and work twice as hard for you the next time.
10. Remember, we're on your side
Like all good relationships, the client/agency relationship is based on trust and teamwork. The earlier you involve us, the more you tell us, the more consistently we'll be 
able to deliver work that we're proud of and you're proud of. Work that gets noticed favorably inside and outside your company. Work that works to achieve your objectives. Work that makes you look good. You can count on us to do all we can to make you successful, because we're smart enough to know that… we don't succeed unless you do.
Technorati Tags: Advertising agencies, Copy Writing
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