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Hello Folks -
Here's a stumper: Why would a marketing executive be fired for performance
when his brand’s year-to-date sales and profits are double last year’s? It
sounds like he should be getting a raise, doesn't it? Not necessarily.
It turns out the guy marketed cathode ray tubes for television sets. Sales
doubled because his competitors were getting out of cathode ray tubes and his
was the only brand left. Others recognized what he did not: In the very near
future -- as all broadcast entertainment device manufacturers switched
technologies -- the "cathode ray" category would be severely crippled. Our
marketing executive had not recognized this critical industry trend, so his
brand’s sales would plummet as the industry advanced.
The lesson here is two-fold:
(1) Stay atop the latest industry trends so your products don't become
obsolete (100% of nothing is still nothing).
(2) Think in terms of why you do what you do, not what products you offer. If
our marketing guy had thought about the why of his brand (to deliver
entertainment technology), rather than the what (cathode ray tubes for
televisions), he would still have a job.
Today's guest article by Phil Davis, "Dig a Deeper Well...How to Tap the
Power of Your Brand Image," addresses the second lesson. Phil explains how your
strength and potential comes more from why and who you are, not what you do. He
also gives a couple examples of the "why" approach.
The feature article -- my "Incorporating Customer Interaction Into the
Marketing Plan" -- addresses online trends and how that is changing consumers’
behaviors and expectations.
As you update your marketing plans for 2007 (You are doing that now, right!?
It's time.), think about how the lessons in these two articles apply to your
own business. When you think about why you are in business, what new
products/services does that inspire? When you look at the trends that affect
your customers’ behaviors, how does that change your choice of -- or how you go
about executing -- marketing programs?
Email Marketing
Even when trends change, many of your customers' preferences may not. Such is
the case with email. Technology has advanced, there are more interactive options
and consumers have more choices for receiving information (through RSS feeds,
blogs, etc.). Yet, many prefer to receive information or communicate through
email, so it remains popular.
For this reason, there is still a place in the marketing plan for
email-driven communication. If you've been thinking about changing email service
providers for your newsletter or other opt-in email list -- or including other
email-based marketing in your plan -- try Constant Contact's 60-day trial. See
the orange ad below for details or -- if you are reading this note in an email
-- please switch to the Web version and take a look:
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/NewsletArch/newsletter11_20_06.htm
Enjoy!
Bobette Kyle
60 Day Free Trial
Constant Contact Email Service (below):
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