Agent for the Arts

The 3/50 Project

I'd like to take this opportunity to promote a nation-wide effort to "buy local." The 3/50 Project supports local entrepreneurs by encouraging shoppers to spend their money at home. Check out their website...

Basically, the project is creating awareness for how money flows through our economy...

For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home. - 3/50 Project flyer

Just something interesting to think about as we close in on the holiday shopping season. Cheers!

Notre Dame High School

If you're not familiar with the "Twin Tiers," you wouldn't know that the only private high school here is Notre Dame. It's been in the community for over 50 years, and some of those have been roaringly successful.

But the school hasn't been as popular over the past decade. They've had a few state championships since 2000 and have always had some pretty impressive graduation statistics, but students and parents are looking for a different experience these days. They're becoming less impressed with the strict, no-questions-asked, shirt-and-tie style of schooling and more intrigued with the interactive, hands-on, "state-of-the-art" techniques.

The funny thing is, the teachers and staff at Notre Dame have worked tirelessly to learn new technology, take new approaches to learning, and hire young teachers to balance wisdom and discipline with energy and innovation. But you won't find that in any of their marketing. Instead, you'll see graduation stats, grade point averages, history, tradition, and uniforms.

Seth Godin wrote one of my favorite quotes about marketing: "Songs about romance don't tell you how to make out, they merely encourage it." If someone needs to learn a process or wants the data to prove it works, they can look it up. If they need statistics about Notre Dame's graduation rate, they can call the school and ask. If the internet has taught us anything, it's that information is free and readily available.

So why spend time and money to advertise your stats when they're already on your website? Inspire people with your message. Get them in the mood. If you teach them something, they'll learn... but if you give them something to talk about, they'll share.

Sage advice from local entrepreneurs

Last week, I attended a short marketing seminar, which was more of a conversation with local entrepreneurs on some marketing tips and tricks that work for them. The presenters were Peter Wallin from Wallin Insurance, Julie Delgrosso from the Christmas House, and Alan Fusco from the Holiday Inn (Elmira and Horseheads).

Julie Delgrosso made a nice presentation about maximizing existing customers. She owns a niche retail store in a refurbished victorian home on Elmira's south side. One of the best tips she shared was to "use those four magic words: 'did you see this?'" Rather than being a pushy salesperson, Julie suggested using "did you see this" or "did you try this" or "did you hear about this" to promote new products to existing customers. She also shared some public relations tips that can take place right at the sales desk, like correcting errors quickly, remembering customer's names, and always providing a fun experience.

Alan Fusco shared some extraordinary customer service stories that make him proud of his employees, from the front desk staff to the maintenance crew. His main focus, however, was to stress the importance of the Internet. Alan keeps a close eye on his competition with Google Alerts, manages relationships with social media, and generates business by keeping track of regional events and collaborating with planners.

Peter Wallin wrapped up the presentation with three basic steps to building business: "sell, up-sell, and keep customers." Statistics prove that his local insurance agency retains more customers when they sell more policies. For example, someone who only has auto insurance is much more likely to leave after 5 years than someone who has auto, home, and life insurance. Peter's biggest asset, like Julie's, is his list of existing customers. He feels that if he can be a friend to them, or a "friend in the business," he can maximize his selling power.

Please check out these small businesses (links at the top) for more information about how they're staying connected to their customers and their community!

Website: Launched.

Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of my business venture so far, and to those who have inspired me to get my a%# in gear, I finally launched my website: CreAgentMarketing.com

Thanks, especially, to the clients who have been willing to work with me at the very early stages:

Bobby K Entertainment
First Presbyterian Church of Elmira
Pipeline 4 Progress
Buyers and Kaczor Reporting Services
Committee to Elect Paul Sartori, City Court Judge

Can't wait to share some marketing insights from local entrepreneurs... stay tuned!

How much is your brand worth?

Check out this highlight from a recent article on Yahoo. You've probably never heard of TreeHouse foods, but their products are everywhere. That doesn't seem possible in a marketing-driven world where the quality of a brand dictates the quality of a product. But this is an interesting business model, and it obviously works for them.

Private-label salad dressing. The jar might say Kroger, Safeway, Wal-Mart, or Trader Joe's, but it's probably made by a private-label food company like Illinois-based TreeHouse Foods. Sales of cheaper store brands have surged during the recession, but consumers have also gotten used to higher quality. TreeHouse has capitalized on that trend, since it specializes in upscale dressings, sauces, soup, salsa, pickles, and organic products that top retailers can sell as their own. But you'll never know you're eating a TreeHouse product: The company won't say which foods it supplies to which stores. The secrecy seems to be good for business. Revenue is up 30 percent since the recession began, and the stock has soared 68 percent.

via finance.yahoo.com

Is your product so good that other companies want to attach their hard-earned brands to it?

Practice

Too many people are afraid of public speaking, probably because they're worried something bad might happen in front of a crowd. Hint: they're probably right. But with enough practice, the presentation will be strong enough to override any gaffes or blunders.

This guy stays cool when, in the middle of a sales pitch on live TV, he destroys part of the set with the product he's selling. His reaction is like a mini public relations case study... stay cool, don't ignore the problem, use it as a learning experience, and move on.

First snowfall

We got a couple inches of snow last night in upstate New York... in October... but why shouldn't we? Last week, I had to walk past several winter holiday displays to use the bathroom at Sears. A couple of relatives are already interested in what's on my Christmas list so they can "get their shopping done earlier this year."

As consumers, we've started to lump Halloween into the "holiday season" with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year's Day, and Festivus. We're quick to criticize the big box stores for whetting our appetites, but eager to get the celebrations under way. It's the age-old debate about whether marketers are shaping consumer needs or consumers are demanding changes in market trends.

In my opinion, there's a little of both. Sears puts a holiday display in the back of the store in October, baiting the hook. If the consumers don't bite early, it stays in back a little longer. But at some point, there's enough demand to move the fake snow to the main window display.

There's no risk involved in this process. Stores don't guess when the consumers might be ready to see holiday decorations. They don't wait for the first snowfall (thankfully, or we'd see animal-tronic reindeer on Columbus Day). The big box model shows the marketers and consumers are in charge simultaneously.

But what if your small business decided to have a Christmas party in September? Or you sent out holiday greetings 3 months earlier than everyone else? You can make light of our spending habits and show that you're on the same page with your consumers. Ultimately, people do business with other people. Show them you're a real person before the big boxes swallow them up!

Own your name

On the internet, it's easy to find a few people with the same name as you, especially if you have a more common last name. But just like optimizing your business brand, it's important to be aware of how your name might show up when others are looking for more information.

Try Googling yourself, just to see what comes up. You might be a little surprised, but mostly you'll see links to your Facebook or LinkedIn profile, any blogs that you publish, and maybe some quotes you've provided in the past. It's important to see this for yourself to gauge the kind of impression you might leave on others who are looking for you... especially potential clients or interviewers.

If you don't have much of a presence online, try putting your name out there a bit. Creating a LinkedIn profile is the best way to present yourself professionally and securely. If you want to add some more personality, use Facebook. Dig deeper into sites like Pandora or YouTube and provide enough information for people to get a sense of who you are. Of course, it would be much easier if they'd just give you a call, but you can't control how others are finding out about you.

If you're worried about your name popping up in places you don't want it to, sign up for Google Alerts. This free tool will send an email whenever another website or blog uses your name. It's always helpful to know when other people are talking about you...

Message comes first

You may be tuned in already to Seth Godin, but if you like his updates, you'll love what Michelle Greer has to say. I referenced her blog last month with a link to her post on Marketing Campaigns that Spread Themselves. Today, I was thumbing through some old posts that I bookmarked and wanted to re-reference this one.

Michelle said it very simply: "The cornerstone of every good social media campaign is a message." Easy enough, and it applies to ANY good media campaign - television, radio, newspaper, etc. Great messages get shared.

It's ok to use Facebook as an events calendar or photo gallery, but if you have a strong (and creative) message, you can turn your social media presence into a full-fledged marketing campaign.