Posts Tagged ‘marketing’
Friday, August 26th, 2011
Your brand’s message must convey a compelling benefit that fulfills a need or solves a problem that your target audience has or finds themselves faced with. If your brand is offering a solution, it must be a solution that is perceived as practical, desirable and believable. If you are describing a bundle of services or strengths, those attributes must be perceived as offering tangible results and being value adding.
Someone has to want, need or desire what you are offering if you are going to be successful. More importantly, they have to know that they want, need or desire your product and its benefits.
A great message strategy sets up a situation or need, makes a Promise, includes a believable Reason Why and asks for the sale — typically in very few words or through a single compelling image. Great advertising and media messages are a challenge to create and the most memorable ones are often stunning in their simplicity (‘Just do it!’). Those of us in the advertising industry know that it only looks easy. An enormous amount of research and thought has to go into the process … Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, www.pplusonline.com (Excerpted from Lori’s book, Be the Bulb!. To read more, visit Amazon.com HERE.
Tags: Be the Bulb!, branding, Herlife Publishing, Lori Martinek, marketing, message strategy, positioning
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Friday, June 24th, 2011
Early Adopters seek out new ideas and put them to work.
Adapters put up with what is given them, often reluctantly … and usually without joy.
Adopt versus Adapt.
One is offensive, the other defensive.
One is proactive, the other reactive.
One requires courage and curiousity … a trade off of risk for reward.
The other is more about compliance, complacency … or even fear.
It is difficult to get Adopters to adapt, but it’s easier to sell them on new ideas and products.
Adopters live life and experience it. Adapters cope with it.
Adapters will follow Adopters, as their numbers grow.
Target Adopters and they will help you spread the worrd … Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, http://pplusonline.com
Tags: Be the Bulb!, branding, early adopter, Entrepreneurship, innovation, Lori Martinek, marketing, target marketing
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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
… MAKE it happen! Success comes to those who go after it — in any economy. There’s no magic formula to live by, just four undeniable truths that apply to any business or brand.
Lori’s ‘Four To Live By’:
– Make Yourself Visible;
– Plant the Idea;
– Ask For the Sale;
– Deliver As Promised and Provide Exceptional Service.
Always
Servicing the sale is more important than closing the deal. The experience of working with you and your company is what customers will remember. First impressions count, but it’s the perceived experience that makes or breaks a reputation …. Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, http://pplusonline.com
Tags: branding, branding expert, customer service, first impressions, Lori Martinek, marketing, personal branding, sales, sales success, small business, success
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Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Your marketing strategy, like life in general, must always be a work in progress. People change, markets change, circumstances change, the world changes — and your relation to (or with) all of these will also change and evolve.
You must avoid inertia by working to ensure that your offering and your message remain relevant amidst change. You must keep your sites focused on the target, as it moves, to ensure that you keep moving toward your goal.
There will always be opportunities to make your company stronger, smarter and more successful. Watch for these opportunities — and then enbrace and expand on them.
Evolving brands — and businesses — thrive. Static brands die. Change for the sake of change is not the solution. Considered brand evolution is.
Alway be considering your next toward success. … Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, http://pplusonline.com
Tags: brand evolution, branding, branding strategy, Lori Martinek, marketing, marketing strategy, personal branding, presentation plus, sales success
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Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
Create Stakeholder Interest, Input and Investment in your brand … right from the start. It is the best way to create an army of Brand Champions.
Always Base Your Brand In Reality … Make sure that it reflects what exists today, NOT what you hope it will become tomorrow … or at some point in the future, once you’ve had a chance to ‘work on things’.
Keep Your Focus on the Target Audience and THEIR Needs … and how what the Benefit that you have to offer can fulfill those needs better than anyone else … or any other place … can.
Focus on Benefits, not Attributes … Always. Attributes are features and are often presented as a list. A benefit is the promise that is offered by one or more attributes. Make sure that your benefit is competitive, compelling and believable.
Branding is an Investment. Consider it carefully and call in outside expertise if you can. It is always difficult to objectively study your own backyard and see the real strengths and challenges … and …
Your Brand is a Valuable Asset. Create it, nurture it, reinforce it and strengthen it, always. Strong brands survive. … Lori Martinek, Brand Expert & Author
Tags: brand champion, brand strategy, branding, Lori Martinek, marketing, target audience
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Sunday, September 12th, 2010
Our satisfied clients have always been our best source of new business and they have helped us become a marketing firm that doesn’t have to spend a lot of time marketing itself. We work very hard to ensure that our work speaks for itself!
We just completed our contract with the Real AZ Development Council, which included the development of a detailed branding strategy and the design and construction of a gateway regional website at http://www.realazcorridor.com/
The Real AZ Development Council is a collaborative regional economic development effort which promotes the Real AZ Corridor, a nearly 100-mile wide region which includes the Navajo County communities of Holbrook, Pinetop-Lakeside, Show Low, Snowflake, Taylor and Winslow and the Apache County communities of Eagar, St. Johns and Springerville. We worked closely with this large group to get to know the area … the communities … and the many strengths of Arizona’s most undiscovered region of opportunity.
We have already been asked to begin our next assignment for this rising regional development group: a full set of Community Landing Pages that will transition visitors from the gateway Real AZ Corridor site to the individual websites of the two counties and nine participating communities. We have also been retained by the towns of Taylor and Snowflake for a separate project … all based on the quality of our work … and on the quality of the experience of working with us.
Always strive to make your satisfied customers your best cheerleaders …. Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, http://pplusonline.com/
Tags: AAED, Apache County, Arizona branding, Arizona economic development, economic development branding, Lori Martinek, marketing, Navajo County, northeast Arizona, Real AZ Corridor, regional branding, regional economic development
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Friday, June 25th, 2010
The MindingHerBiz team met with Benedict’s Cafe/Catering owner Dawn Kennington Bejar this week. Here’s what Dawn had to say (write!) about the input that she received:
“I recently met with Lori and the women from MindingHerBiz. What an awesome experience! It can be tough being a small business owner due to the fact there are few qualified people to share ideas, answer questions and help navigate the road. The MHB team helped me to clarify my path to growth with constructive feedback and actionable ideas. These women are smart and qualified with tremendous experience. Their objective approach and input was beneficial to me. I highly recommend MHB for anyone who desires success!” — Dawn Kennington Bejar, Benedict’s Catering, http://benedictscaterers.com
Visit the MindingHerBiz website at http://mindingherbiz.com if you or some smart, savvy female business owner you know could benefit from a (free!) session with the MHB team. Remember: If you want someone to agree with you, ask your family and friends. If you want someone to help you get ‘unstuck’, ask MindingHerBiz ….
Tags: branding, business development, female entrepreneurs, Lori Martinek, marketing, MindingHerBiz
Posted in Entrepreneurship | No Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
MindingHerBiz Seeks Candidates for June, July …
MindingHerBiz works with female entrepreneurs to help them confront and move past the challenges of startup and growth. We are a 100% pro bono, pay it forward project headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. Each month, we work with one candidate to power brainstorm one or more issues and provide input that she can use to make good strategic choices. It’s a free 90-minute session that participants tell us works wonders for helping them approach their ventures with fresh eyes. Visit our website at http://mindingherbiz.com to download the forms or email me at lori@mindingherbiz.com if you are interested in becoming a candidate.
FREE Power Workshop: Branding for Social Media Success ….
Friday, June 18 from 1 – 2 p.m. at the Kierland Westin Conference Center, where the Greater Phoenix Chamber will be hosting its Spring Business Expo. Learn how to be smart AND social with branding expert Lori Martinek. Free admission to expo and workshops. Details at http://tinyurl.com/loritalksbranding
SBDC Provides Free Ongoing Counseling
Brainstorm with MindingHerBiz one time … and then get the ongoing counseling and support that you need, for FREE, from SBA-funded SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) nationwide. Find the location nearest you at http://asbdc-us.org . In Arizona, check out the Arizona statewide network at http://azsbdc.net . There are 20 locations across the state.
Let us know if you or some smart, savvy female business owner whom you know could benefit from the help of the MindingHerBiz team. We’re on a mission – and it’s to help other women succeed. … Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, http://pplusonline.com , http://lorimartinek.com
Tags: brainstorming, branding, entrepreneurs, female business owners, female entrepreneurs, Lori Martinek, marketing, MindingHerBiz, phoenix chamber, sbdc, social media
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Now Available: Online Marketing Solutions (OMS) from Herlife Publishing:
Affordable fully-branded, socially-ready online products that are designed especially for Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Authors, including:
- Branded Website Solutions
- Blog Templates w/RSS
- Online Branding Tools
- Social Marketing Tools
- Branded Social Profiles
- Print Marketing Tools
Herlife OMS deliver a valuable, discernible difference: Expert Branding Strategy, built right in and offering the competitive benefit of 30 years of high-level branding insights and experience. The result? A professionally branded, social media-oriented website that outshines your competition … at off-the-shelf pricing!
Here’s another great benefit: VALUE. OMS package prices range from $1,595 to $2,995, with streamlined production and scheduling. Here’s a great example: Our Accelerated Visibliity Package, which includes a Home Page, Services/Product Page, Who We Are Page, Contact Us Page, PLUS a resident, on-site Blog with full WordPress editing capabilities. All for only $1,995 … including branding elements! See other OMS Packages here.
AND: All OMS website are built in WordPress, to give YOU full editing and updating capabilities. Get the freedom you’ve always wanted … plus social networking capabilities.
Contact us at ljm@herlifepublishing.com to learn more about these affordable, high impact web solutions that can position your brand for success in the coming year.
Tags: branded, Herlife Publishing, Lori Martinek, marketing, small business marketing, socially ready websites, websites
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Be a Window and not a Wall in 2010. Look for opportunity and embrace it wherever you find it. Be open to new ideas and strategies and always put your best foot forward, online and off. Prospects who have been waiting on the sidelines are about to come back. Customers who have tightened their belts are beginning to cautiously move forward. Be Visible and Be Ready. Don’t follow the market, Lead It! … Lori Martinek, Branding Expert and Author, http://lorimartinek.com
Tags: arizona small business, Be the Bulb!, branding, business development, Entrepreneurship, Lori Martinek, marketing, prospects, target marketing
Posted in Attraction Marketing, Entrepreneurship | No Comments »
