As I just watched the Super Bowl performance by Madonna (which was, by no uncertain terms, an amazing show), I was very disappointed to notice she was obviously lip-synching during the performance. Actually, everyone was.

Through my disappointment, I thought back to the once big-time, now has-beens that have died by the ever unforgiving hand of the Lip-Synch performance. Milli Vanilli, Britney Spears and Ashley Simpson come to mind immediately. While they were not a part of a Super Bowl half-time show when their discretion happened, it still meant their career was in the hands of fans that obviously felt used and upset at the thought of being duped.

So, is it fair to say that under any circumstances lip-synching could end up being a marketing disaster?  I’ll get to my opinion further down in a minute, but first I want to play devil’s advocate. I do believe the Super Bowl, no matter where it is held, would be a very hard place to not have a recorded version of your performance being played during the live show. I will give them that. From acoustics to the many things that could go wrong, and sometimes do go wrong (which, from a marketing stand-point has made the half-time show such a must-see attraction on some level).

However, as the American public may innately feel, we are paying or tuning in to watch LIVE football and in turn expect the entire experience to be just that…a LIVE performance.

I am not sure that a portion of the American psyche, for the most part, will ever be able to get over feeling as if they have been ripped-off by a performance that is recorded and not live at one of the most important live performances of American culture-The Super Bowl.

As I watched Madonna’s performance, I felt a strong let down come over me. Sure she is not young, but she is not old either. I felt not only ripped off by the recorded version I heard coming through my television, but I also felt a tinge of regret that if she could not perform without lip-synching because of the moves and the sheer intensity of the choreography, then I feel she was not showing truly, nor was she embracing, her age and what she is capable of doing..which is being an incredibly talented, amazing middle-aged woman.

I was let down. Pure and simple. It was flashy, but it wasn’t indicative of my generation, which is Madonna’s generation.

So, a marketing mistake? This marketer feels the answer is yes. Absolutely. It was her time to show her stuff, as it would be any artist, and to do it live.. which is what the Super Bowl is all about. Instead, she sold out and expected the American Public to buy it. I will always adore Madonna, and I doubt very seriously she will ever go the way of Milli Vanilli, Britney or Ashley Simpson, but to say this helped her career from a marketing standpoint, this author gives her and her reps an F.

Hononegah High School Dome, Rockton, IL

Come see us at our booth with Gateway Bank where we will be registering for our next big event he 5K Run/1 Mile Walk sponsored by Gateway Bank and Backyard Bar & Grill of Roscoe. We’ll also have scholarship applications available.
More information to come!

5K Run/1 Mile Walk Info

Check In begins at 8:30am – Run at 10am

Pre-Registration Fee $20 adults, $15 Students, 5 and under Free (Register by June 9th)

Late Registration Fee $30 adults, $25 Students

Thank You To the Sponsors of the

Mitchel Krause 5K Run/1 Mile Walk

Backyard Bar & Grill of Roscoe and Gateway Bank!

There are steps to remember when creating a commercial for your brand or product. Today I am going to focus on the creation of a radio commercial.

1. Know your brand. I know this sounds elementary, but you really need to understand your brand first so you can figure which market you are trying to reach. So, knowing your audience will help you as you begin to write your script. What tone will you want? What key words will you use? Who will be listening and when?

2. Write the script: Now, you are looking down at your masterpiece creation you have written in front of you. Now what? Read it out loud. Your family will not think of you strange..too much…. just read it out loud and record yourself saying the words if you can. If you are not happy with how it sounds, go back to your script and tweak it till it is right for you. Then, read it to someone else.  What do they get from it? Take those things into consideration and change it as you see fit.

3. Create Commercial: Production companies can be found across the internet, or you can use your local radio station where you plan to do your media buys. We’ll be discussing media buys later, and how creating your own commercial can actually save you money.

Here is an example of a commercial which I scripted and had produced for a client.

If creating a commercial seems overwhelming for you, Advance Marketing can help. Send us an email or give us a call at 815-206-8026. We can create full production commercials from scripting to end result for less than you would ever think possible.

There is much uncertainty facing our small businesses right now- from the constantly changing stability in our economy to the scary prospect of marketing yourself effectively.

Effective marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, some of the best ways to create a splash in the local or regional market can cost little to nothing at all. Use these ideas for inspiration, adopting them to your own needs and circumstances.

 Think hard about how to reach your target market.

Small-scale but narrowly-focused marketing efforts are more likely to pay off than big, splashy, overly-broad campaigns. Think about who your customer is, then target your advertising in that way. A small framing shop would do good to advertise a small ad in an artwork publication while a thousand dollar billboard would for sure not yield the same results!

 Be your own ad.

Wear your T Shirts with your logo! Leave your business card everywhere you go. So you think your waitress or barber would never possibly be interested in your products? Think again…

 “Go dutch” with other businesses.

Find other like-minded businesses that are struggling to market themselves the same as you are. Go in on advertising space, market each other. Spread each other’s ads. One way I tell my clients to market themselves on the cheap is ask your local pizza delivery to place your flyer on their pizza boxes. Return the same by distributing their menu at your location. Easy, simple, free, effective.

Actively engage in the community.

Network, network, network. Volunteer your time to not only better your community, but also get your name and your business in front of those in the community. Leverage these relationships on a micro-level, sponsoring local groups and performances, volunteering visibly at annual festivals, or giving your time or in-kind donations to charity events. Don’t forget to wear your store’s t-shirt!
Don’t shy away from interviews.. EMBRACE them! They are a chance for you to showcase what you are passionate about and at the same time have your business highlighted and advertised. It’s a win/win

 Cultivate the loyalty of a team of “brand evangelists.”

SERVICE.. it’s what it all boils down to. There is no marketing magic out there that can be as effective as what you do with your customer once they come through your door. Give good customer service and voila.. you’ve got walking billboards on how wonderful you are at every corner. Remember, Customer Service has no room to be dead in our local business districts!

Successful Commerce to you all!

Kathryn Gustafson
President/CEO
Advance Marketing
www.beadvanced.com
(312) 298-9879
Follow us on Facebook! facebook.com/AdvanceMarketing

Kathryn Gustafson, President/CEO of Advance Marketing, has over 10 years of experience representing numerous clients such as Dannon, Wyeth Consumer Health Care, Smuckers, Del Monte, SC Johnson, Wrigley’s and Schering Plough in the retail field. Advance Marketing is locally owned and operated in Rockton, IL. and is now committed to serving small to medium-sized businesses in the Stateline Area.

Today, I want to talk about just that.. what are some customer-focused marketing techniques that any of us can incorporate..with or without experience or education?

First, let me explain what customer-focused marketing is. In a nutshell, it’s buidling relationships with customers. That’s it pretty much, just building a relationship with them. But how do you do this?

Customer Relationship Management is no longer about doing things to customers, it’s about building and enabling relationships with customers. All customer interactions are opportunities to deliver messages, listen to their needs, and observe behaviors.

Ask yourself: “Is my mission supportive of a customer-focused approach?” Customers view a company holistically. In other words, they view the company entirely as a whole, so all experiences are factored in to how they view your company: Retail, phone, web, factory, online..all of it.

One way to incorporate a holistic business strategy for your customers is to give a higher level of service to high-level customers. Give them something more than what you would give to just your basic customer. One way is to offer your best customers a discount or offer to do more for them in some way (like a special call in number for customer service). Find out and track who buys what/when. What is their interest? Capitalize on it by creating a unique and personal approach with them.

So, how do you find out how to reach all of your customers in your business on a more personal customer-focused level? I believe in customer segmentation. For me, it helps me learn about the customer. Why do this? Customers are different: different needs, different behaviors. Customers look at your products differently. Some customers have more potential. Some, not so much.

I always try to develop a long term approach to segmentation. It allows me to generate knowledge and insights about customers focusing in on the best. This ultimately helps with development of different products and services surrounding this data. One of the most positive outcomes is when a company becomes more efficient in their spending and ultimately find they have Increased their ability to attract and retain the best customers.

Segmentation does drive business. Basing your marketing strategy on segmentation allows you to target five or six segments differently. Your company can realize who your customers are and then engage them on their level and based on what their needs are (CRM!).

I encourage my clients to focus on the lifestyle, psychology and ideas of their customers in each segment. Because ultimately, who you think is your best customer today may not be your best customer tomorrow. If you are basing your actions on that type of marketing strategy, you are only focusing on the here and now…..and we all know the “here and now” is not necessarily where we want our company to be in the grand future.

Successful Commerce to you all!

Kathryn Gustafson
President/CEO
Advance Marketing
www.beadvanced.com
(312) 298-9879
Follow us on Facebook! facebook.com/AdvanceMarketing

Kathryn Gustafson, President/CEO of Advance Marketing, has over 10 years of experience representing numerous clients such as Dannon, Wyeth Consumer Health Care, Smuckers, Del Monte, SC Johnson, Wrigley’s and Schering Plough in the retail field. Advance Marketing is locally owned and operated in Rockton, IL. and is now committed to serving small to medium-sized businesses in the Stateline Area.

Studies have shown that over 41% of the population has a facebook account. What that equates to is you have the opportunity to reach 128 million potential readers, or customers, for free.  Yes, free.

You say your company has no desire to reach global proportions. Well, how about reaching your own local market? Let’s take a look at your local market, your target audience, for a moment. If you have a facebook account, do a search in the box on the top of your “home” page by typing in the name of the  largest city near you. Then click on the magnifying glass icon (search). I am going to enter in Rockford, IL.

Facebook will typically only show the first 500 results.  However, at the top of your results page, notice the key phrase that would make any advertising manager or business owner excited: Rockford, IL returned “About 101,000 results”. Now, how could you NOT get excited to know that you could potentially reach an audience of 101,000 in your own local market FOR FREE?

Advance Marketing would like to help guide you through this process to create a successful and profitable social media marketing campaign. When you are ready to take your business or organization to the next level, call us. Let us clear the confusion and lead the way to a much more profitable and successful you.

815.670.5791

]]> http://advancemarketing.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/to-facebook-or-not-to-facebook/feed/ 0 advancemarketing Web Logo http://advancemarketing.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/hello-world/ http://advancemarketing.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/hello-world/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:40:06 +0000 advancemarketing http://advancemarketing.wordpress.com/?p=1 ]]> As of yesterday, August 23, Facebook again has changed the face of fan pages with many changes that will affect how your target audience will be able to view content. Boxes are disappearing and tabs are becoming smaller.