Yes, that's precisely what I thought, looking at the 2 presentations of pale food. True, they were packed with nutrients, but OMG they looked quite tasteless and off-putting. Bleah! God gave us taste-buds for a reason, don't you think? I do!
(You know what? This bleah encounter reminded me of a party reportedly thrown by the famous Alfred Hitchcock - Director of award-winning suspense movies like 'Psycho'. He was well-known for his parties and to be invited was an honor! Mr. Hitchcock also had a good sense of mischief though ;-). And this time, the invitations were for an -ahem - 'blue' party. Guests turned up with curious anticipation and sat down to dinner. The stream of courses tasted sublime - his chef was the best - that is, after you'd ventured to taste them. You see, the joke he played was to order ALL the food to be dyed blue before being served, and delicious though they were, they were simply ghastly to behold! Wicked sense of humour, eh?)
Tell you what, the women making the presentations (about how to choose well, eat more and lose weight - its working for me, btw) were well-groomed, smiley, informative, BUT were loud and disrespectful to their audience. Add that to the bleah food and quite honestly, if not for respecting my host I would have walked out. Yes I would. They didn't mean it that way, but the experience was a turn-off.
The food would have been attractive without compromising the message if it comprised a variety of colorful vegetables, and the presenters could have taken a moment to assess the levels of the audience instead of talking down to us.
Hmmmmm. Guess what, folks? WE just might be doing the same - our products and services may excel, but we might unknowingly be sabotaging our pitch by the way we package and/or present them. This is where engaging 'mystery shoppers' helps us to sustain and even enhance the delivery of our brands by providing us with candid feedback.
Brand Audits can be simple and affordable and very valuable for retaining customers. Want some feedback about entry-level Brand Audits? I'd be glad to chat - just call 6-03-21697704 and we'll get started.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Access to 6,000 new customers in a JIFFY!! :)
His speech was heavily accented and his face showed disbelief as he asked me "Six thousand Koreans are coming here? What for? When?"
Normally his industry (publishing directories) would not have caught my attention, BUT two days earlier Providence had seated me next to a translator who was anticipating the influx of these Koreans. And, she had said "If you know anyone who wants to meet these Koreans, please refer them to me". Bingo! Bingo! Bingo! What on earth were the chances that just 48 hours later I'd meet a man whose business is to list the Korean community in the Klang Valley?
So, there you are, the directory-compiler received a priceless business connection, just because he stated what he was looking for, and the translator I'd met earlier had been equally specific about what connection she was offering! WOW!! What power in word-of-mouth marketing! Can you imagine all the advertising costs the 2 had saved?????
This was yet another reason for me to believe in being focussed and not in chance. Both business owners had been very specific about what would increase their business, and it had paid off for them. They'd left nothing to chance.
You know, a couple of years ago a fellow participant at a huge convention said "I know many people who might be interested in the services you are providing. Tell me what YOU are looking for, and I'll introduce them to you". Guess what? I could not be specific, waffled vaguely and missed out on fantastic opportunities to increase my business through a personal referral. You bet I kicked myself really, really hard! I was sickened and from then on, began to plan what referrals to ask for specifically, according to the background of whom I'm speaking with. It works WELL :)
Would YOU like some help with an elevator or cocktail party pitch to promote your brand and get more business? Call me at 6-03-21697704 and we'll get cracking on spreading your brand through word-of-mouth marketing that is focused.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Normally his industry (publishing directories) would not have caught my attention, BUT two days earlier Providence had seated me next to a translator who was anticipating the influx of these Koreans. And, she had said "If you know anyone who wants to meet these Koreans, please refer them to me". Bingo! Bingo! Bingo! What on earth were the chances that just 48 hours later I'd meet a man whose business is to list the Korean community in the Klang Valley?
So, there you are, the directory-compiler received a priceless business connection, just because he stated what he was looking for, and the translator I'd met earlier had been equally specific about what connection she was offering! WOW!! What power in word-of-mouth marketing! Can you imagine all the advertising costs the 2 had saved?????
This was yet another reason for me to believe in being focussed and not in chance. Both business owners had been very specific about what would increase their business, and it had paid off for them. They'd left nothing to chance.
You know, a couple of years ago a fellow participant at a huge convention said "I know many people who might be interested in the services you are providing. Tell me what YOU are looking for, and I'll introduce them to you". Guess what? I could not be specific, waffled vaguely and missed out on fantastic opportunities to increase my business through a personal referral. You bet I kicked myself really, really hard! I was sickened and from then on, began to plan what referrals to ask for specifically, according to the background of whom I'm speaking with. It works WELL :)
Would YOU like some help with an elevator or cocktail party pitch to promote your brand and get more business? Call me at 6-03-21697704 and we'll get cracking on spreading your brand through word-of-mouth marketing that is focused.
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
What do you mean it's not about the $!!!!!!
Mr. International Product Manager was most perplexed, and quite honestly so were the rest of us! He was part of my class on Branding Strategies and had the most unusual issues - his company was cash rich, BUT the expenditure was not allocated towards making profits. You know what? in fact, what stumped all of us was that he has actually been tasked with providing support to small companies that were competing for the same markets he's in! Can you believe that, hmmmmm??? The directions from his principal office were crystal clear - no compromising on his deliverables! He was in a fog, and so was I :(
But aha! As the class progressed and we went deeper into discussing market postitioning, I was able to analyze his responses and translate them into what the principal office was really after. You see, their product/service was research (so the Product Manager said) and that is what he had been promoting all along. BUT what had not been so clear was that the research being done on local herbal products was not an end in itself. And that's why his task was not to focus on bringing in the profits, but on profitability - NOT the same thing. Actually, his role was to use his marketing budget to enhance the Brand Credibility (profitability) of the smaller companies so that they could focus on leveraging on his support to plan their Sales i.e. profit campaigns for distributing the herbal products. His role is to influence their customers as opposed to bringing in customers for them.
Why? Because his job was to represent a global name, whose market position is to help others to be profitable, that's why he was 'selling' his company's research. Well, once we had honed in on the essence of his Brand, we could derive action plans for him to meet his sales targets. You see, Marketing (profitability) is about resulting in sustainable sales (profits) that bring in repeat business; NOT just the quick $ transactions. Mr. Product Manager left the class a very happy man :)
Are you positioning your Brand towards profits (quick sales) or profitability (repeat business)? I'd be glad to offer some suggestions on how you can leverage on your strengths to bring in repeat business, and so gain you more time for doing other things you'd like to. Just call 6-03-21697704 and we'll get started :)
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
But aha! As the class progressed and we went deeper into discussing market postitioning, I was able to analyze his responses and translate them into what the principal office was really after. You see, their product/service was research (so the Product Manager said) and that is what he had been promoting all along. BUT what had not been so clear was that the research being done on local herbal products was not an end in itself. And that's why his task was not to focus on bringing in the profits, but on profitability - NOT the same thing. Actually, his role was to use his marketing budget to enhance the Brand Credibility (profitability) of the smaller companies so that they could focus on leveraging on his support to plan their Sales i.e. profit campaigns for distributing the herbal products. His role is to influence their customers as opposed to bringing in customers for them.
Why? Because his job was to represent a global name, whose market position is to help others to be profitable, that's why he was 'selling' his company's research. Well, once we had honed in on the essence of his Brand, we could derive action plans for him to meet his sales targets. You see, Marketing (profitability) is about resulting in sustainable sales (profits) that bring in repeat business; NOT just the quick $ transactions. Mr. Product Manager left the class a very happy man :)
Are you positioning your Brand towards profits (quick sales) or profitability (repeat business)? I'd be glad to offer some suggestions on how you can leverage on your strengths to bring in repeat business, and so gain you more time for doing other things you'd like to. Just call 6-03-21697704 and we'll get started :)
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Is Brand Experience over-rated? under-rated? irrelevant?
Her face was wide-eyed with anxiety - her eyelashes spread out like spiders' legs across her pale skin. "Where did you put your mother?" she almost demanded to know!
It's strange yet huggy how families pull together in hospital wards isn't it? Ms. Anxious had overheard the conversation between Datin and me about caring for the infirm - her husband is admitted regularly for a weak heart (my dad had that problem too) and the family had a routine set-up now now. You do, but your heart still pounds you know. By contrast, Ms. Anxious' mother had been a hale and hearty, spry, independant octagenarian who was rudely felled by a stroke, unnannounced, and the family were quite shocked and at a loss to know how to care for her in the best way. So our conversation about caring for the inform was of great interest to her and her siblings.
The nursing Home my not-so-mobile mother is in has been wonderful for her and me - she feels comfortable and pampered, and I am at peace knowing that she is attended to very well, at staffing level that aren't possible in my home. Numerous Homes are clean and efficient, but the difference is that the staff in this one are loving and jovial, cracking jokes, singing, dancing, teasing and cajoling. Their attitude is such a tonic for those under their care! (One of them who migrated still keeps in touch, sending us her updates - such genuine warmth.) Someone else wo had been referred through our experience was delighted at how her mother had improved after an unsatisfactory experience elsewhere.
Trusting your defenceless loved ones to virtual strangers is not an easy or comfortable decision to make and to have confidence in this place is VERY precious and to be thankful for.
When I had mentioned their name, Datin immediately recalled the owners, their connections and their reputation. Aha! So between what she and I had said, Ms. Anxious was most interested in placing her mother there to be rehabilitated after the stroke. Sure, the name was the Brand, but it was the experience that clinched the desire!
How might YOUR brand be raved about and marketed to beat your competition? I'd love to share some ideas that make you business more profitable. Call me at 6-03-21687704?
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
It's strange yet huggy how families pull together in hospital wards isn't it? Ms. Anxious had overheard the conversation between Datin and me about caring for the infirm - her husband is admitted regularly for a weak heart (my dad had that problem too) and the family had a routine set-up now now. You do, but your heart still pounds you know. By contrast, Ms. Anxious' mother had been a hale and hearty, spry, independant octagenarian who was rudely felled by a stroke, unnannounced, and the family were quite shocked and at a loss to know how to care for her in the best way. So our conversation about caring for the inform was of great interest to her and her siblings.
The nursing Home my not-so-mobile mother is in has been wonderful for her and me - she feels comfortable and pampered, and I am at peace knowing that she is attended to very well, at staffing level that aren't possible in my home. Numerous Homes are clean and efficient, but the difference is that the staff in this one are loving and jovial, cracking jokes, singing, dancing, teasing and cajoling. Their attitude is such a tonic for those under their care! (One of them who migrated still keeps in touch, sending us her updates - such genuine warmth.) Someone else wo had been referred through our experience was delighted at how her mother had improved after an unsatisfactory experience elsewhere.
Trusting your defenceless loved ones to virtual strangers is not an easy or comfortable decision to make and to have confidence in this place is VERY precious and to be thankful for.
When I had mentioned their name, Datin immediately recalled the owners, their connections and their reputation. Aha! So between what she and I had said, Ms. Anxious was most interested in placing her mother there to be rehabilitated after the stroke. Sure, the name was the Brand, but it was the experience that clinched the desire!
How might YOUR brand be raved about and marketed to beat your competition? I'd love to share some ideas that make you business more profitable. Call me at 6-03-21687704?
BRING ME THE BRAND, I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
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