T. Cellars could benefit immensely from officially partnering with a non-profit. One such non-profit that the owners of T. Cellars have been involved with for some years is Camp Prime Time. Camp Prime Time was created to "enrich the lives of families with children who are seriously ill or disabled by providing an outdoor wilderness experience where families can enjoy themselves in a supportive atmosphere without financial burden." (Camp Prime Time Website). T. Cellars employees have volunteered their time before, and are very supportive of the camp's mission. Because the camp provides services at no cost, sponsorship by T. Cellars could help many seriously ill/disabled children attend camp. The camp also receives money from fundraising raffles, and T. Cellars could donate a basket of sparkling wine and other goodies to help raise money.
An alliance with Camp Prime Time would be beneficial for T. Cellars because T. Cellars would have an opportunity to give money/time to a great cause, and spread the word about their products and facility in the process. T. Cellars can post information about camp fundraising events or volunteer opportunities, and gain connections/talkers through participation at camp related events or even through volunteer work at the camp itself. One of T. Cellars' biggest talker groups is moms, and since moms are very receptive to cause marketing, this may only bolster their topics to share with other moms.
In addition, working with Camp Prime Time would help differentiate T. Cellars from its competitors. Many of the smaller wineries in the area do not participate in cause marketing, or only give money to well known causes, like Breast Cancer. By partnering with a local organization, T. Cellars can establish itself as a business that contributes to the community in a positive way. Further, organizations like Camp Prime Time do miss out on funding because they aren't as well known, and T. Cellars could help raise awareness about this great local program.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
AGSA and the Seattle University Youth Initiative
AGSA is a nonprofit association for Seattle University students with the primary goal of bringing students, faculty and alumni together for networking and career development purposes. A key component of AGSA focuses on student and leadership development through service work. Every year in April AGSA plans to participate in the Jesuit Service Week, which involves a network of Jesuit schools donating time and resources to local nonprofit organizations across the nation during the month of April. For the first service week in April 2011 AGSA partnered with the Central Area Motivation Program to collect nonparishable food items, baby materials and toiletries. Although this was a great cause, AGSA hopes to establish a partnership with a nonprofit organization that is sustainable for years to come. The Seattle University Youth Initiative (http://www.seattleu.edu/suyi/) would be an ideal organization for this purpose benefiting both AGSA, Seattle University, and the children of Seattle. The Youth Initiative focuses on bringing together, "...Seattle University faculty, staff and students from all disciplines to join with parents, the Seattle School District, the City of Seattle, foundations, faith communities and more than 30 community organizations to help children of Seattle succeed in school and life." Recently the Academic Affairs Office announced that 10 organizations were chosen to receive funding and support from the Youth Iniative. The Albers School of Business will assist with the construction and development of Work It Out Seattle, a new alternative education program.
Cause marketing benefits of AGSA partnership with the Seattle University Youth Initiative - Work It Out Seattle
Traditionally cause marketing involves cooperation between "for profit" businesses and non-profit organizations for mutual benefit that is not necessarily based on a tax deductible donation. It also refers to in-house marketing efforts for social and charitable causes by non-profit organizations specifically. AGSA would partner with the Youth Initiative not for tax deductible donation purposes or simply to help promote and market AGSA or SU but with the primary goal of bringing Seattle University students together to give back and help future young leaders succeed. Cause marketing isn't necessarily about marketing in its traditional sense but more about "doing the right thing," or corporate social responsibility. Some believe it is the responsibility of all organizations to use its power and influence to help better society. Marketing benefits to all three organizations include:
- Helps AGSA members exercise leadership, project management, fundraising, and organizational skills while helping future generations to become great leaders. It would involve graduate students leading and empowering younger students to succeed.
- Positively promotes Seattle Universities commitment to the greater community improving its public relations.
- May help recruit future students to Seattle University upon high school or undergraduate graduation.
- Brings Albers students closer together creating a greater sense of community, belonging and purpose.
- Promotes the Work It Out alternative school to Albers alumni, faculty and students that may not have been previously aware of the organization.
- May gain regional newsworthy recognition and awareness of Seattle University, the Albers School of Business and Economics and Work It Out Seattle.
- Improvements to the facilities, staff training and development of the Work It Out Seattle program.
- Generates positive word-of-mouth marketing for SU, Albers and Work It Out Seattle, it gives "the talkers" something interesting and positive to talk about.
- Promoting the partnership would be done primarily via WOM for example on Facebook, websites, email invitations, and included in newsletters and school publications. With any hope it might even be a topic covered on the local news or on local talk-show programs like KING5's "New Day Northwest."
Cause marketing benefits of AGSA partnership with the Seattle University Youth Initiative - Work It Out Seattle
Traditionally cause marketing involves cooperation between "for profit" businesses and non-profit organizations for mutual benefit that is not necessarily based on a tax deductible donation. It also refers to in-house marketing efforts for social and charitable causes by non-profit organizations specifically. AGSA would partner with the Youth Initiative not for tax deductible donation purposes or simply to help promote and market AGSA or SU but with the primary goal of bringing Seattle University students together to give back and help future young leaders succeed. Cause marketing isn't necessarily about marketing in its traditional sense but more about "doing the right thing," or corporate social responsibility. Some believe it is the responsibility of all organizations to use its power and influence to help better society. Marketing benefits to all three organizations include:
- Helps AGSA members exercise leadership, project management, fundraising, and organizational skills while helping future generations to become great leaders. It would involve graduate students leading and empowering younger students to succeed.
- Positively promotes Seattle Universities commitment to the greater community improving its public relations.
- May help recruit future students to Seattle University upon high school or undergraduate graduation.
- Brings Albers students closer together creating a greater sense of community, belonging and purpose.
- Promotes the Work It Out alternative school to Albers alumni, faculty and students that may not have been previously aware of the organization.
- May gain regional newsworthy recognition and awareness of Seattle University, the Albers School of Business and Economics and Work It Out Seattle.
- Improvements to the facilities, staff training and development of the Work It Out Seattle program.
- Generates positive word-of-mouth marketing for SU, Albers and Work It Out Seattle, it gives "the talkers" something interesting and positive to talk about.
- Promoting the partnership would be done primarily via WOM for example on Facebook, websites, email invitations, and included in newsletters and school publications. With any hope it might even be a topic covered on the local news or on local talk-show programs like KING5's "New Day Northwest."
Cause Marketing and Mobile Restaurant App
My mobile app restaurant start-up has several opportunities to partner with non-profits in the hunger-relief sector on a local and national level. According to the Cone Cause Evolution Study, 94% of millenials find cause marketing acceptable and keep it top of mind while shopping. This provides my start-up an opportunity to reach their target market who are primarily younger more savvy mobile users the opportunity to support hunger-relief efforts while also finding great new Seattle restaurants.
I suggest the mobile app partner with both a local and global hunger-relief organization. The local organization allows the mobile app to closely identify with the major city their app targets, in this case the initial city will be Seattle so I suggest the non-profit Hunger Intervention Program (HIP). The mobile app could advertise that one day a year, preferrably October 16th for World Food Day, all proceeds from "top dishes" purchased on the mobile app will go towards funding HIP's efforts to end hunger in Seattle. On a global scale, I think the app should partner with the Hunger Project one day per month to donate $1 of each "top dish" purchased to the nonprofit. This type of cause marketing would be ideal for traditional press coverage (evening news, newspaper) as well as social media. Participants could "like" the virtual event on Facebook and dedicate a specific hashtag on Twitter to follow the buzz and see how others are taking part.
I suggest the mobile app partner with both a local and global hunger-relief organization. The local organization allows the mobile app to closely identify with the major city their app targets, in this case the initial city will be Seattle so I suggest the non-profit Hunger Intervention Program (HIP). The mobile app could advertise that one day a year, preferrably October 16th for World Food Day, all proceeds from "top dishes" purchased on the mobile app will go towards funding HIP's efforts to end hunger in Seattle. On a global scale, I think the app should partner with the Hunger Project one day per month to donate $1 of each "top dish" purchased to the nonprofit. This type of cause marketing would be ideal for traditional press coverage (evening news, newspaper) as well as social media. Participants could "like" the virtual event on Facebook and dedicate a specific hashtag on Twitter to follow the buzz and see how others are taking part.
Cause Marketing and SWYFS
Southwest Youth and Family Services already partners with some corporations such as Muckleshoot Casino and Starbucks for corporate support. Starbucks also sponsors the Community Voice Project for SWYFS, an innovative program that sponsors 10 to 12 students to develop blogs and learn online publishing skills.
Starbucks would be an excellent company to deepen their relationship with cause marketing efforts. Starbucks could sell limited-edition coffee tumblers and mugs in their West Seattle and White Center locations that would benefit SWYFS, with the proceeds going to the non-profit. Starbucks would benefit by reinforcing that it is committed to create thriving neighborhoods and help combat the perception of a large, corporate company that doesn’t engage the community. The artwork for the tumblers and mugs could be designed by members of the community that SWYFS serves, to give them an opportunity to participate and contribute to the SWYFS programs. Displays could also be put up near this SWYFS merchandise with QR codes linking to their website, so Starbucks customers could also find out more about the project.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Cause Marketing for Running Evolution
Initially, the first thing that came to mind for Running Evolution to pair up with for cause marketing was a non-profit organization related to cancer or cancer research. A lot of races (5K,s half marathons) are tied to a cause with most of them being cancer.
However, to stand out from all the other running organizations (races) that pair up with cancer research organizations, Running Evolution should pick something different to partner with for cause marketing. With the increase of obesity in America, Running Evolution should partner with an organization focused on increasing fitness awareness and the overall health of people in the US, similar to the NFL Play60 campaign (http://www.nflrush.com/play60)
Some potential local organizations are:
The Austin Foundation which provides free fitness and nutrition eduction to youth ages 5-15 in the Seattle/King County area. (http://www.youthandfitness.org/index.php)
Rainier Health and Fitness is a non-profit health organization focused on making exercise fun and affordable. (http://www.rainierhealth.com/mission#!__mission)
This is a good match because according to the article we just read (http://nonprofit.about.com/b/2010/09/16/cause-marketing-speaks-loudest-to-moms-and-millennials.htm), cause marketing is most effective with moms and millenials. There's also research that supports that if moms have a healthy lifestyle, their children have healthier lifestyles. If Running Evolution and their non-profit company of choice can reach mom's through word of mouth marketing, the moms may learn more about fitness and health which they can pass onto their children. The earlier children learn about fitness, the healthier their future will be. The same will be true for millenials because they will be having children over the next 5-15 years and they will want to teach their children healthy habits.
The social media marketing benefits of a partnership between Running Evolution and a fitness non-profit company are that each organization in this partnership could feature information about the other organization on their respective social media websites. Running Evolution could sponsor certain classes or seminars for the fitness non-profit company. They could lend their expertise to accomplish the non-profit organization's goals. By teaching those classes and seminars, they are exposing more people to the Running Evolution company and the services it offers. People who take the classes and seminars through the non-profit org will tell their friends about the company or tweet about it or post on Facebook about it. Both organizations would benefit from this partnership.
However, to stand out from all the other running organizations (races) that pair up with cancer research organizations, Running Evolution should pick something different to partner with for cause marketing. With the increase of obesity in America, Running Evolution should partner with an organization focused on increasing fitness awareness and the overall health of people in the US, similar to the NFL Play60 campaign (http://www.nflrush.com/play60)
Some potential local organizations are:
The Austin Foundation which provides free fitness and nutrition eduction to youth ages 5-15 in the Seattle/King County area. (http://www.youthandfitness.org/index.php)
Rainier Health and Fitness is a non-profit health organization focused on making exercise fun and affordable. (http://www.rainierhealth.com/mission#!__mission)
This is a good match because according to the article we just read (http://nonprofit.about.com/b/2010/09/16/cause-marketing-speaks-loudest-to-moms-and-millennials.htm), cause marketing is most effective with moms and millenials. There's also research that supports that if moms have a healthy lifestyle, their children have healthier lifestyles. If Running Evolution and their non-profit company of choice can reach mom's through word of mouth marketing, the moms may learn more about fitness and health which they can pass onto their children. The earlier children learn about fitness, the healthier their future will be. The same will be true for millenials because they will be having children over the next 5-15 years and they will want to teach their children healthy habits.
The social media marketing benefits of a partnership between Running Evolution and a fitness non-profit company are that each organization in this partnership could feature information about the other organization on their respective social media websites. Running Evolution could sponsor certain classes or seminars for the fitness non-profit company. They could lend their expertise to accomplish the non-profit organization's goals. By teaching those classes and seminars, they are exposing more people to the Running Evolution company and the services it offers. People who take the classes and seminars through the non-profit org will tell their friends about the company or tweet about it or post on Facebook about it. Both organizations would benefit from this partnership.
Purple Cow and Mobile App Start-up
The implications of the Purple Cow and the survey results for my individual project confirmed many of the ideas and thoughts I've been brainstorming. First of all, the survey talks about Facebook "Likes" and says 20% of users will like something on FB but an overwhelming 75% of fans will tell friends the traditional word-of-mouth way. For my mobile app restaurant locator this means that they need to find a way to bring the discussion offline and spread the word "on the streets" so to say as opposed to just focusing their efforts online.
Another interesting factoid from the survey was that less than one in 10 people say a deal is the number one thing that influences them to try a local business. As part of the mobile app restaurant locator, it will point out nearby restaurants and their "top dish", and for participating restaurants offer a small discount off the dish to get users in the door. Although a discount offer is embedded as part of the business plan, I was relieved to find out that the founders of the start-up plan to differentiate "top dish" discounts from deal sites like Groupon and Living Social by offering a minimal discount that is good for only one use. The major draw of their mobile app isn't the discount, but rather geography-based dining recommendations with user rankings of their favorites.
And finally, Seth Godin's idea of a Purple Cow applies to the mobile app as a reminder to continue innovating and being outside the box. The company was the first mobile app builder to provide a geography and time-based Happy Hour iPhone app just a few years ago which led to over 1 Million downloads and rave reviews from press and bar owners. Rather than resting on their laurels, they are seeking out the next Purple Cow by creating an alternative to the Yelps, UrbanSpoons, and GoogleMaps of the restaurant seeking world. Hopefully their hunch is correct and with my help to identify "sneezers" and generate buzz, they'll be off to another round of success!
Another interesting factoid from the survey was that less than one in 10 people say a deal is the number one thing that influences them to try a local business. As part of the mobile app restaurant locator, it will point out nearby restaurants and their "top dish", and for participating restaurants offer a small discount off the dish to get users in the door. Although a discount offer is embedded as part of the business plan, I was relieved to find out that the founders of the start-up plan to differentiate "top dish" discounts from deal sites like Groupon and Living Social by offering a minimal discount that is good for only one use. The major draw of their mobile app isn't the discount, but rather geography-based dining recommendations with user rankings of their favorites.
And finally, Seth Godin's idea of a Purple Cow applies to the mobile app as a reminder to continue innovating and being outside the box. The company was the first mobile app builder to provide a geography and time-based Happy Hour iPhone app just a few years ago which led to over 1 Million downloads and rave reviews from press and bar owners. Rather than resting on their laurels, they are seeking out the next Purple Cow by creating an alternative to the Yelps, UrbanSpoons, and GoogleMaps of the restaurant seeking world. Hopefully their hunch is correct and with my help to identify "sneezers" and generate buzz, they'll be off to another round of success!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Cause Marketing for Apna Bazar
Most of Apna Bazar's core customer base is Indian or Pakistani in origin. Public medical infrastructure in these countries is either extremely basic or non-existant in rural areas.
By partnering with an organization that has an international presence and supports providing affordable or free medical care for children and adults, Apna Bazar can send a strong signal to its customre base that it is true to its roots and has a deep passion for helping people in need. Direct Relief International (www.directrelief.org) is a non-profit agency that provides such medical services for women, children and retirees all over the world, including India and Pakistan. Thehy are a 4-star rated charity according to CharityNavigator.org. Direct Relief partners with and empowers local NGOs (non-government organizations) such as The George Founation (www.tgfworld.org) whose mission is to promote healthy and clean environment amongst other things.
Direct Relief offers options for spot donations, medical supplies and equipment donations and collecting donations through a personalized donation web-page. Apna Bazar could use one of the ideas below in order to get involved with this charity.
- Work with Direct Relief to create and sponsor a specific project that helps children with essential immunization. Target donations for this project to time with the hindu and muslim festival season in October/November. Setup a donation page and incentivize patrons to donate by offering specials and discounts that they can use while shopping for the festival season at their store.
- Setup a charity drive using its Facebook and LinkedIn presence and donate 5 cents in every dollar earned during the month of January (tied to new year resolution) for a project that helps women who are victims of domestic violence.
Selling it to corporations.
The most difficult part about marketing my individual client is that it's services and work relates to a large scale productions in developing a utility scale renewable energy facilities. Therefore, the primary marketing target are the corporations and other energy related utilities who will be able to accept the development work that my client wishes to pursue. In a way, it is most likely that my client will aim to market toward at a more macro-level. Nevertheless, through reading the Purple Cow book summary, I feel that the attentions from the general public at a micro-level is also very important. The reason is that more people know about the company, better it will be to have the synergy effect of recognition. In a way, it is most important for people to have at least the basic presumption and idea about a company first prior to actually considering the product or services of the company. This way, the marketers do not have to start from the level of spreading "who we are" marketing, instead can start from "here is why you should choose us" and spreading the value propositions.
"Create safe ordinary products and combine them with great marketing"
Product can equal company image - Purple Cow article explains that it is important to revolutionize and innovate the way we market our companies. The most pertinent question to address is how to revolutionize the way to spread word through word of mouth tactic. Since, my client is not in business selling any particular product, it is hard to define the company image that would b necessary in implementing marketable outcomes. The question is, "how do we want to be known?" Since my client is a green energy company, the first instinct is to spread the word about promoting the green energy cause. However, the strategy in letting people link the cause to the company image is the most difficult part.
Great marketing is image recognition - In order to create a great marketing strategy it is important to know what the audience are looking for, thus being able to create the right effective company image. It is always important to note that the image cannot be too far apart from the truth of the company. For my client, since it is a renewable energy company it would be most effective to target the "sneezers" who also advocates the renewable cause. Thereafter, the company can spread the image of "saving the planet" or "pursuing to save energy resources" through its company activities, which the target audience will be interested in. I believe that from the micro-level spread, the macro-level audience will also begin to take interest in the company that is well recognized.
"Create safe ordinary products and combine them with great marketing"
Product can equal company image - Purple Cow article explains that it is important to revolutionize and innovate the way we market our companies. The most pertinent question to address is how to revolutionize the way to spread word through word of mouth tactic. Since, my client is not in business selling any particular product, it is hard to define the company image that would b necessary in implementing marketable outcomes. The question is, "how do we want to be known?" Since my client is a green energy company, the first instinct is to spread the word about promoting the green energy cause. However, the strategy in letting people link the cause to the company image is the most difficult part.
Great marketing is image recognition - In order to create a great marketing strategy it is important to know what the audience are looking for, thus being able to create the right effective company image. It is always important to note that the image cannot be too far apart from the truth of the company. For my client, since it is a renewable energy company it would be most effective to target the "sneezers" who also advocates the renewable cause. Thereafter, the company can spread the image of "saving the planet" or "pursuing to save energy resources" through its company activities, which the target audience will be interested in. I believe that from the micro-level spread, the macro-level audience will also begin to take interest in the company that is well recognized.
Clark Marten Photography and Cause Marketing
My individual client is Clark Marten Photography, a premier photo studio, located in Columbus, Montana (www.clarkmarten.com). The CMP studio is dedicated to bold and artistic prints. They focus on the relationship with their clients before, during, and after the shoots. They passionately push themselves to do better and to be more creative in their art form.
Joanne Fritz’s article, “Cause Marketing Speaks Loudest to Moms and Millennials,” and Wikipedia information on cause marketing led me to a these insights…
CMP has two alliances with non-profits, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and The Ronald McDonald House Charities. The limited seating at the annual Fashion Show costs $5 and benefits Big Brothers, Big Sisters at that time CMP also presents the organization with a significant donation. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is also a beneficiary of CMP’s exclusive black-tie dinner hosted at the Studio in the Country. CMP has a “Cutest Kid Fundraiser” that benefits The Ronald McDonald House. Votes are $1 and pictures are online and displayed in the local McDonalds restaurant.
I would propose that because my client already has relationships with these two organizations that they should keep these organizations within their cause marketing efforts and changing up the “purple cow” every year. Both have local impact, which is very important to the current and potential clients as research shows. These organizations are also a good match for CMP because they are incredible to work with, which means that, most likely, they will be willing to join the purple cow ideas from year-to-year. For example, CMP said that the Big Brothers, Big Sisters chapter they work with is one of the most appreciative charities they have worked with. The articles also stressed the importance of cause marketing to Millennials and moms, which the purple cow ideas would have to speak to and be aware of. I believe both charities would hit the hearts of any mom and to get the Millennials involved would help support the cause even more than them just seeing that CMP believes in supporting charities.
For Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the purple cow should link to the Fashion Show. I would propose that an exclusive 3 to 5 high school models be a big sister or big brother to a child. The benefits of their year-long service would not only that they are featured and in a new exclusively-videoed part of the Fashion Show, but they also get to keep the clothing (or get a steep discount) from The Buckle that they wear that day (outfits can be up to about $500). Further, I would like to see the little sister or little brother walk down the catwalk with their big sister or big brother at the beginning of the show. The children could be outfitted in Buckle gear or another store. The special group of 6 to 10 would also have a special access to the VIP section at the Fashion Show after-party. This group of high schoolers would have, of course, a different witty saying and color of t-shirt on the last run (like the supermodels had in 2011) or they would automatically be super models because of their service to Big Brothers, Big Sisters. These shirts could include the Big Brothers, Big Sisters logo on the sleeve. Additionally, Clark could snap some special photos of the mentor and mentee at the show for keepsakes of the special day. The impact on social media would be a new video for the blog, many facebook engagements with CMP and the high school seniors, and, hopefully, a lot of tweets during the day of the fashion show as well as text-only and video texts.
For the “Cutest Kid Fundraiser,” I would propose that the cutest kid photos be places in more than the Columbus McDonalds. I would try to get those photos in a few Billings McDonalds and the one in Miles City as well. The online voting makes it simple for everyone to participate and more social media coverage that this fundraiser is happening is essential to helping the word spread. The greatest part of this fundraiser is that anyone anywhere can vote. The purple cow for next year’s fundraiser could be a short, 30-second video of a funny thing the kid said during the photo shoot—or the same question to each kid and their respective answers (What do you want to me when you grow up? Why is the color of the flag red, white, and blue?). Before the fundraiser, social media could engage fans with a poll to see what question to ask the kids. The more the ‘voter’ can get a glimpse of the unique child, the better. This will also help more engagement on facebook and the blog during and after the fundraiser. QR codes should be present at the end of the video to link the person to both info on the Ronald McDonald Charities as well as CMP. The videos of the kids should also be accessible from QR codes. Voting and payment should be accessible through one’s mobile phone via text message as well, making it even easier and quicker to send a vote…even multiple votes. The pictures located at the restaurants should have the means to vote there through a mobile device. There is a lot of potential for engagement throughout the process and keeping people updated on the tallies of the votes with social media.
The monthly all staff brainstorms suggested in my strategy report would help generate the ideas for the new purple cows for each charity every year.
Joanne Fritz’s article, “Cause Marketing Speaks Loudest to Moms and Millennials,” and Wikipedia information on cause marketing led me to a these insights…
CMP has two alliances with non-profits, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and The Ronald McDonald House Charities. The limited seating at the annual Fashion Show costs $5 and benefits Big Brothers, Big Sisters at that time CMP also presents the organization with a significant donation. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is also a beneficiary of CMP’s exclusive black-tie dinner hosted at the Studio in the Country. CMP has a “Cutest Kid Fundraiser” that benefits The Ronald McDonald House. Votes are $1 and pictures are online and displayed in the local McDonalds restaurant.
I would propose that because my client already has relationships with these two organizations that they should keep these organizations within their cause marketing efforts and changing up the “purple cow” every year. Both have local impact, which is very important to the current and potential clients as research shows. These organizations are also a good match for CMP because they are incredible to work with, which means that, most likely, they will be willing to join the purple cow ideas from year-to-year. For example, CMP said that the Big Brothers, Big Sisters chapter they work with is one of the most appreciative charities they have worked with. The articles also stressed the importance of cause marketing to Millennials and moms, which the purple cow ideas would have to speak to and be aware of. I believe both charities would hit the hearts of any mom and to get the Millennials involved would help support the cause even more than them just seeing that CMP believes in supporting charities.
For Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the purple cow should link to the Fashion Show. I would propose that an exclusive 3 to 5 high school models be a big sister or big brother to a child. The benefits of their year-long service would not only that they are featured and in a new exclusively-videoed part of the Fashion Show, but they also get to keep the clothing (or get a steep discount) from The Buckle that they wear that day (outfits can be up to about $500). Further, I would like to see the little sister or little brother walk down the catwalk with their big sister or big brother at the beginning of the show. The children could be outfitted in Buckle gear or another store. The special group of 6 to 10 would also have a special access to the VIP section at the Fashion Show after-party. This group of high schoolers would have, of course, a different witty saying and color of t-shirt on the last run (like the supermodels had in 2011) or they would automatically be super models because of their service to Big Brothers, Big Sisters. These shirts could include the Big Brothers, Big Sisters logo on the sleeve. Additionally, Clark could snap some special photos of the mentor and mentee at the show for keepsakes of the special day. The impact on social media would be a new video for the blog, many facebook engagements with CMP and the high school seniors, and, hopefully, a lot of tweets during the day of the fashion show as well as text-only and video texts.
For the “Cutest Kid Fundraiser,” I would propose that the cutest kid photos be places in more than the Columbus McDonalds. I would try to get those photos in a few Billings McDonalds and the one in Miles City as well. The online voting makes it simple for everyone to participate and more social media coverage that this fundraiser is happening is essential to helping the word spread. The greatest part of this fundraiser is that anyone anywhere can vote. The purple cow for next year’s fundraiser could be a short, 30-second video of a funny thing the kid said during the photo shoot—or the same question to each kid and their respective answers (What do you want to me when you grow up? Why is the color of the flag red, white, and blue?). Before the fundraiser, social media could engage fans with a poll to see what question to ask the kids. The more the ‘voter’ can get a glimpse of the unique child, the better. This will also help more engagement on facebook and the blog during and after the fundraiser. QR codes should be present at the end of the video to link the person to both info on the Ronald McDonald Charities as well as CMP. The videos of the kids should also be accessible from QR codes. Voting and payment should be accessible through one’s mobile phone via text message as well, making it even easier and quicker to send a vote…even multiple votes. The pictures located at the restaurants should have the means to vote there through a mobile device. There is a lot of potential for engagement throughout the process and keeping people updated on the tallies of the votes with social media.
The monthly all staff brainstorms suggested in my strategy report would help generate the ideas for the new purple cows for each charity every year.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Cause Marketing & Heilyke
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Consulting company
Facebook Likes:
It seems that the likes people click for your company or product represent more of a relationship than a simple review. I take this to mean that users who interact with Facebook on your brand are more likely to become engaged as a customer than someone who simply goes to Yelp and posts a review about a shop. For my consulting company, this means we need to focus on engaging with those people who Like the company or the work we are doing. I think these people would be more receptive to hearing about projects or what could be done for them with technology.
Purple Cow can be an Idea:
In reading the Cow article, one thing that struck me was that a Purple Cow can be an idea or a concept, or a buzz. It doesn't necessarily need to be a product for sale. I might be wrong on this, but I was thinking that since the definition is something worth making a remark about, this something could be a video, a blog post, a FB post, etc. So for my company, we should be focusing on creating buzz about the projects we do, as they themselves will create remarks. I talked about using educational articles, blog posts, or videos to educate businesses about new technologies or uses that are coming out. These can be our purple cows, rather than trying to market my company itself as a brand.
Existing Customers are Easier to Sell To:
"Loyal customers will continue to spend money on products and services they like." My company has historically done one-off projects, in which we would bid a custom technology project such as an iPhone app, do the work, and walk away. We didn't focus on building long-term relationships that would allow us to continue doing work for these customers. The quote above from the purple cow article made a lot of sense to me, as it is easier to farm for business rather than hunt. Foster relationships, build them amazing products, and engage with them outside of set projects in order to keep doing business long term.
It seems that the likes people click for your company or product represent more of a relationship than a simple review. I take this to mean that users who interact with Facebook on your brand are more likely to become engaged as a customer than someone who simply goes to Yelp and posts a review about a shop. For my consulting company, this means we need to focus on engaging with those people who Like the company or the work we are doing. I think these people would be more receptive to hearing about projects or what could be done for them with technology.
Purple Cow can be an Idea:
In reading the Cow article, one thing that struck me was that a Purple Cow can be an idea or a concept, or a buzz. It doesn't necessarily need to be a product for sale. I might be wrong on this, but I was thinking that since the definition is something worth making a remark about, this something could be a video, a blog post, a FB post, etc. So for my company, we should be focusing on creating buzz about the projects we do, as they themselves will create remarks. I talked about using educational articles, blog posts, or videos to educate businesses about new technologies or uses that are coming out. These can be our purple cows, rather than trying to market my company itself as a brand.
Existing Customers are Easier to Sell To:
"Loyal customers will continue to spend money on products and services they like." My company has historically done one-off projects, in which we would bid a custom technology project such as an iPhone app, do the work, and walk away. We didn't focus on building long-term relationships that would allow us to continue doing work for these customers. The quote above from the purple cow article made a lot of sense to me, as it is easier to farm for business rather than hunt. Foster relationships, build them amazing products, and engage with them outside of set projects in order to keep doing business long term.
The Spare Room
The Purple Cow article got me thinking more about how to make my client a purple cow. Throughout the quarter we have all been talking about how to get people talking about our group and individual clients but this is the first time that I have really seen how to do it. I was still focusing on the product and/or services as what make my client remarkable. But as the purple cow article said, it’s less about the P’s. So in the process of “looking for the edges” to see what is really remarkable about my client I started to brainstorm about what customers are already saying about the client. Some things that came to mind are how people comment about low prices, cool and unique products, how clean it is even though it’s a ’flea market’, etc. But one thing that I don’t hear them talk about but something I’ve seen our new customers really take notice about is how most employees can greet customers by name. Also, a majority of the client’s regular customers have developed a personal relationship with employees. So what is remarkable about my client is that it’s the store “where everyone knows your name.”
The other article also touched on the fact that less and less people are motivated to shop based on discounts, and more influenced by what other people think about a business. Consumers are being more careful about where they spend their money so they do more research before trying out a new business. Since my client is already focused on low cost, this low cost or discounts should not be what marketing focuses on, instead it should be focused on building stronger bonds with existing and new customers. These customers will market for the client and this bond is in itself incentive for customers to purchase from the client. With “likes” on Facebook trumping customer reviews to show support for a company, gaining support of customers will bring in more customers.
Also, with this closer bond with customers comes loyalty. In fact, some of the client’s customers are already purchasing from the client simply because they want to support the client, not just because they like the product. Customers will come in and look for something to buy from the client, even when it can be purchased at another local store.
The other article also touched on the fact that less and less people are motivated to shop based on discounts, and more influenced by what other people think about a business. Consumers are being more careful about where they spend their money so they do more research before trying out a new business. Since my client is already focused on low cost, this low cost or discounts should not be what marketing focuses on, instead it should be focused on building stronger bonds with existing and new customers. These customers will market for the client and this bond is in itself incentive for customers to purchase from the client. With “likes” on Facebook trumping customer reviews to show support for a company, gaining support of customers will bring in more customers.
Also, with this closer bond with customers comes loyalty. In fact, some of the client’s customers are already purchasing from the client simply because they want to support the client, not just because they like the product. Customers will come in and look for something to buy from the client, even when it can be purchased at another local store.
Ideas that spread, win, and that IS about passion. A great idea, even when it targets a niche and allows for significant sharing among the "sneezers" of your consumers, needs some passion behind it for those sneezers to care. I think there are a lot of niche products, and the smaller or narrower that the niche is, the more likely it is that the "sneezers" will need to sense a passion for the idea because they themselves are more likely to be passionate about that topic. Remember, the "sneezers" are "the experts who tell all their colleagues and friends". They are the experts, and will want to feel similar interest in the field or topic.
The sneezers are the first-adopters. They are the trend-setters for their field. They can also become your brand-loyalists and can provide leverage into your target segment for quick penetration of the market. The sneezers can also be very useful to tell you what isn't working about the product or service you are offering. This can be a way to build brand-loyalty, and is essential to keeping brand-loyalty. As we have studied from Sernovitz's book it is important to treat people well, be engaged in a conversation about the product or service, and be responsive to their feedback. So utilizing the "sneezers" for continuous improvement, to develop your strategy based on real input, or to check how you are executing that strategy is a useful thing that can pay both in the information and in the true engagement of a customer.
This position and relationship can augment the word of mouth from the sneezers. If you offer the product or service excellent word of mouth yourself, the Harris statistics show that you might have considerable influence with the market numbers, particularly if you are receiving good word of mouth from the "sneezers". This is one reason why to circle back to passion. If you can talk about your idea, your product, your service, or your business online or in-person and share a very positive light, that will carry a lot of weight with potential customers. This is enhanced by the word of mouth you can garner from the "sneezers" or first-adopters, if they feel engaged in your brand.
The sneezers are the first-adopters. They are the trend-setters for their field. They can also become your brand-loyalists and can provide leverage into your target segment for quick penetration of the market. The sneezers can also be very useful to tell you what isn't working about the product or service you are offering. This can be a way to build brand-loyalty, and is essential to keeping brand-loyalty. As we have studied from Sernovitz's book it is important to treat people well, be engaged in a conversation about the product or service, and be responsive to their feedback. So utilizing the "sneezers" for continuous improvement, to develop your strategy based on real input, or to check how you are executing that strategy is a useful thing that can pay both in the information and in the true engagement of a customer.
This position and relationship can augment the word of mouth from the sneezers. If you offer the product or service excellent word of mouth yourself, the Harris statistics show that you might have considerable influence with the market numbers, particularly if you are receiving good word of mouth from the "sneezers". This is one reason why to circle back to passion. If you can talk about your idea, your product, your service, or your business online or in-person and share a very positive light, that will carry a lot of weight with potential customers. This is enhanced by the word of mouth you can garner from the "sneezers" or first-adopters, if they feel engaged in your brand.
A Purple Cow (with stripes) for ECHO Community Foundation
After reading the executive summary of Purple Cow by Seth Godin and overview of the CityGrid Media Online Consumer Behavior Study, here are some of the principles that I think ECHO Community Foundation should be considering.
How do I create a Purple Cow? Seth Godin argues why companies need a purple cow and the benefits of being a purple cow and I now know that I want purple cow with stripes. But how do we turn ECHO Community Foundation into a Purple Cow? Seth tells us to go for the edges, “the process a company uses to discover the fringes makes a product remarkable.” How do we make a scholarship remarkable? Is it what we offer as the prize? Is it the application process? Is it the manner in which we raise money? How can we become a Purple Cow?
It is hard to be more boring than salt, but somehow salt has become a purple cow. Seth talks about the popularity of handmade sea salt but additionally flavored salt (like bacon salt) has become a new rage. Seth offers some suggestions on how to change your thinking to “purple cow thinking.” Here are the ways Seth suggests to appeal to a specific segment that ECHO might benefit from following. Think small – rather than appealing to all high school seniors, is there a niche where we can be remarkable. Copy from another industry, not yours – innovate on customer experience like Nordstrom or Google; how can we make donors feel like they are truly apart of ECHO?
Show our true colors. A Harris Interactive study shows that almost half of adults under 35 are more influenced to try an establishment from the owner than a friend. For ECHO this means that we need to start communicating, interacting and getting our ‘voice’ out there in order to be influential. This study shows that almost half of our target demographic will listen, now we just need to start talking.
Purple Cow "Likes"
Be Remarkable
Because the impact of traditional marketing mediums such as newspapers and magazines are less effective, author Seth Godin suggests making your product or service remarkable or risk invisibility in the marketplace. He refers to this technique as a Purple Cow, something worth making a remark about. Companies need to stop advertising and start innovating by targeting a unique niche audience with something so remarkable and innovative it gets people talking.
If there is enough value in the Albers Graduate Student Association students will want to give back and continue participating in events to better the opportunities for Albers students. For example, we are working to create a job bank network on LinkedIn where current students and alumni can post job openings targeted toward Albers MBA grads. This will keep people engaged with the association for years to come and help connect people with new business ventures. Not only will new job openings be posted but the hope is that students can market themselves on AGSA LinkedIn to other students so when an entrepreneur needs a financial analysts or expert marketing exec they can refer back to the AGSA network and recruit a colleague to the project.
Another possible Purple Cow is to create a space where Professors can request guest lecturer volunteers from previous students. At least once a quarter in every class I have had an Albers alumni guest speaker and have been asked by a marketing professor to stay in contact and come back to speak in his class after graduation. If there was a space available for Professors to post guest lecture requests even greater value would be created for AGSA students and faculty alike - these types of concepts are the unique Purple Cow's that target the AGSA niche audience. AGSA's Purple Cow is providing a unique network of trusted colleagues from Seattle University that empower one another to succeed and make a grand impact within the Puget Sound business industry. Without AGSA many of these connections would not be made as easily.
Identify the "sneezers" in your niche audience.
Consumers are overwhelmed with information, generally satisfied with their current products, services and trusted companies, and have little time to listen and understand your marketing pitch. It is therefore difficult to obtain new clients. Companies are better served by marketing to a niche audience that wants to listen about the company, "...it's cheaper to keep an old customer than to make the effort to get a new one." Therefore, it is important to identify your unique niche audience and who the "sneezers" are within this audience. "Sneezers" are the people who talk about your product and service, they spread your ideas like a virus, "ideavirus." It is equally important to create a product or service that caters to this audience, not a product that satisfies "everyone" in the marketplace because there are already too many product offerings from which to choose. Advertise to your "sneezers" at the right time and place so they can spread the word to their friends and colleagues.
Since AGSA is just getting started it is easy to identify our niche market. It includes the current 130 Facebook fans that have been supporting and spreading the word about AGSA from its onset. It will be important to focus marketing toward this niche to help spread the word about AGSA to current and new students. Although it is better to focus on keeping "old customers" than obtaining new; AGSA is a service for students whose member participation turns over every two to four years. Therefore, it is important to market toward incoming "freshmen" MBA students. But if enough value can be created in AGSA, member participation can exceed the current organizational structure that focuses solely on current and new students and expand to greater, more engaging alumni participation; thus, marketing toward the niche "current customers" as Godin suggests. Active Albers alumni already have a vested interest in Seattle University and therefore should be one of the primary niche target audiences. Alumni are "the talkers," "the movers," "the shakers," the people with the power, money and position to make change, influence others and help current Albers students network and succeed. LinkedIn will provide the medium and Purple Cow tools necessary to engage alumni and current students.
"Likes" trump reviews, but face-to-face wins overall
How do people show support for organizations they like? - 75% physically tell a friend and 20% "like" it on Facebook. AGSA needs to harness the power of its "talkers" and "sneezers" and not just focus on online marketing tactics. The more face-to-face encounters promoting AGSA the more perceived value will be created and the more awareness will spread. Not only is it important to discuss AGSA at new student orientations and prospective student information sessions but creating a face-to-face opportunity to promote AGSA to current students will be vital to its success. Therefore, AGSA is currently working on creating a "common break" during the first week of fall quarter. AGSA will request that Professors take their class break at the same time Monday - Thursday from 7:15 - 7:30pm to allow students to socialize together while on campus. During this time AGSA will provide refreshments and music in the atrium. There will also be a booth where people can sign-up for the mailing list, click on the QR code Facebook and Twitter link with their mobile devices and pick-up an AGSA water bottle filled with handouts and information about upcoming events and meetings. The hope is to create a networking opportunity for students at a convenient time so they don't have to take extra time away from work and family to participate in AGSA networking events. AGSA wants to bring students closer together and make school more cohesive, fun and interactive. Hopefully this common break event will get students and faculty excited and talking more face-to-face about AGSA and its benefits.
Additionally, "people care about the face behind the name." The more students see one another promoting AGSA in the halls, at information session and orientation meetings the more likely they will be to strike up a conversation with that individual about AGSA in the future. They will start to recognize the faces that are involved with the senate and who regularly attend and promote AGSA, thus the trust in the organization will grow. It is therefore, important to have pictures of current officers on Facebook, LinkedIn and the wedsite to identify participants and have them make recommendations online. "Almost half (47%) of people under age 35 are more influenced to try a business from the owner of the establishment than a friend."
Because the impact of traditional marketing mediums such as newspapers and magazines are less effective, author Seth Godin suggests making your product or service remarkable or risk invisibility in the marketplace. He refers to this technique as a Purple Cow, something worth making a remark about. Companies need to stop advertising and start innovating by targeting a unique niche audience with something so remarkable and innovative it gets people talking.
If there is enough value in the Albers Graduate Student Association students will want to give back and continue participating in events to better the opportunities for Albers students. For example, we are working to create a job bank network on LinkedIn where current students and alumni can post job openings targeted toward Albers MBA grads. This will keep people engaged with the association for years to come and help connect people with new business ventures. Not only will new job openings be posted but the hope is that students can market themselves on AGSA LinkedIn to other students so when an entrepreneur needs a financial analysts or expert marketing exec they can refer back to the AGSA network and recruit a colleague to the project.
Another possible Purple Cow is to create a space where Professors can request guest lecturer volunteers from previous students. At least once a quarter in every class I have had an Albers alumni guest speaker and have been asked by a marketing professor to stay in contact and come back to speak in his class after graduation. If there was a space available for Professors to post guest lecture requests even greater value would be created for AGSA students and faculty alike - these types of concepts are the unique Purple Cow's that target the AGSA niche audience. AGSA's Purple Cow is providing a unique network of trusted colleagues from Seattle University that empower one another to succeed and make a grand impact within the Puget Sound business industry. Without AGSA many of these connections would not be made as easily.
Identify the "sneezers" in your niche audience.
Consumers are overwhelmed with information, generally satisfied with their current products, services and trusted companies, and have little time to listen and understand your marketing pitch. It is therefore difficult to obtain new clients. Companies are better served by marketing to a niche audience that wants to listen about the company, "...it's cheaper to keep an old customer than to make the effort to get a new one." Therefore, it is important to identify your unique niche audience and who the "sneezers" are within this audience. "Sneezers" are the people who talk about your product and service, they spread your ideas like a virus, "ideavirus." It is equally important to create a product or service that caters to this audience, not a product that satisfies "everyone" in the marketplace because there are already too many product offerings from which to choose. Advertise to your "sneezers" at the right time and place so they can spread the word to their friends and colleagues.
Since AGSA is just getting started it is easy to identify our niche market. It includes the current 130 Facebook fans that have been supporting and spreading the word about AGSA from its onset. It will be important to focus marketing toward this niche to help spread the word about AGSA to current and new students. Although it is better to focus on keeping "old customers" than obtaining new; AGSA is a service for students whose member participation turns over every two to four years. Therefore, it is important to market toward incoming "freshmen" MBA students. But if enough value can be created in AGSA, member participation can exceed the current organizational structure that focuses solely on current and new students and expand to greater, more engaging alumni participation; thus, marketing toward the niche "current customers" as Godin suggests. Active Albers alumni already have a vested interest in Seattle University and therefore should be one of the primary niche target audiences. Alumni are "the talkers," "the movers," "the shakers," the people with the power, money and position to make change, influence others and help current Albers students network and succeed. LinkedIn will provide the medium and Purple Cow tools necessary to engage alumni and current students.
"Likes" trump reviews, but face-to-face wins overall
How do people show support for organizations they like? - 75% physically tell a friend and 20% "like" it on Facebook. AGSA needs to harness the power of its "talkers" and "sneezers" and not just focus on online marketing tactics. The more face-to-face encounters promoting AGSA the more perceived value will be created and the more awareness will spread. Not only is it important to discuss AGSA at new student orientations and prospective student information sessions but creating a face-to-face opportunity to promote AGSA to current students will be vital to its success. Therefore, AGSA is currently working on creating a "common break" during the first week of fall quarter. AGSA will request that Professors take their class break at the same time Monday - Thursday from 7:15 - 7:30pm to allow students to socialize together while on campus. During this time AGSA will provide refreshments and music in the atrium. There will also be a booth where people can sign-up for the mailing list, click on the QR code Facebook and Twitter link with their mobile devices and pick-up an AGSA water bottle filled with handouts and information about upcoming events and meetings. The hope is to create a networking opportunity for students at a convenient time so they don't have to take extra time away from work and family to participate in AGSA networking events. AGSA wants to bring students closer together and make school more cohesive, fun and interactive. Hopefully this common break event will get students and faculty excited and talking more face-to-face about AGSA and its benefits.
Additionally, "people care about the face behind the name." The more students see one another promoting AGSA in the halls, at information session and orientation meetings the more likely they will be to strike up a conversation with that individual about AGSA in the future. They will start to recognize the faces that are involved with the senate and who regularly attend and promote AGSA, thus the trust in the organization will grow. It is therefore, important to have pictures of current officers on Facebook, LinkedIn and the wedsite to identify participants and have them make recommendations online. "Almost half (47%) of people under age 35 are more influenced to try a business from the owner of the establishment than a friend."
Fashion and the Purple Cow
Be Remarkable:
Heilyke is a small clothing company that does not distribute to many boutiques. It does not have the distribution power and connections that many other clothing lines have. However, the line's small size does make it possible for the owner to focus on creating a small number of beautifully crafted and well designed pieces per season. After reading about "Purple Cows", I realized that success is not contingent upon spreading the brand as far out to as many people as possible, but is contingent upon maintaining, and even improving the design and make quality of the clothing. This increase in quality will create a fan base that will hopefully include successful sneezers.
Sneezers:
Winning over and finding successful sneezers would be extremely beneficial in establishing Heilyke as a premier local clothing brand. Sneezers such as fashion bloggers and those connected to the fashion industry would seem like an obvious choice to be the most influential sneezers, but I feel that many women look to their friends and coworkers for fashion cues, and tend to purchase similar brands and styles that they see on their friends. Keeping this in mind, Heilyke has a vast population of sneezers to tap, and the simple act of wearing a piece of Heilyke clothing serves as an influential "sneeze".
Fearless:
Heilyke is in a good position to exhibit its fearlessness in design. Unlike larger brands that need to cater to a large audience (and therefore take less risk in design), Heilyke is free to experiment and create designs that stretch the boundaries of what many people are looking for in clothing. Although this may translate to a smaller audience of potential buyers, I believe that this is the route that will lead to success for Heilyke. I believe the Heilyke will not be successful be simply playing it safe with conventional designs, but must inspire a smaller niche of fans with bold, innovative, and uniquely beautiful design work.
While reading the Purple Cow piece, I found it very inspiring to think that the role of a marketer/marketing has shifted from following the 5 P's towards a more involved role in developing, shaping, and evaluating a product/company.
Ernie's Games & The Purple Cow
I really liked the article of the purple cow, it encapsulates much of what we have been learning throughout the class. The big trigger, as we have been talking about, is focusing not on traditional marketing channels and "spin" - rather, focus on making a purple cow, a truly remarkable product.
1. "A unique challenge" My business that I'm choosing is my own, and for this purpose the purple cow is a real unique challenge. We are a retail store, so we are not creating nor selling one or a few specific products that we can simply focus on to make extraordinary. As a retail store our product is everything beyond the products we sell as a value add on for our customers. It is our physical location and experience inside our store. It is our outreach and word of mouth marketing. It is the events and tournaments that we run for our customers. And of course, it is the service that we give to our customers. For me I truly believe the purple cow are all these elements, these elements we have to push hard on to excel at, to give our customers a wow factor, to give them that feeling of extraordinary that they need to tell their friends about us, including the feeling that they cant wait to come do business with us again.
2. "The Seezers" It is no secret that each business has those precious few who are really the "fan boys" - those who love the product/experience and also who have great knowledge and desire to spread the word. Each business has to take advantage of these individuals and mine is no different. With the development of my new web site and push towords social media, I really believe I have to find a way to incorporate these individuals in this effort. It is not enough to tell them I have a new site, I really need to find a way for them to get actively involved. Maybe I give a few individuals the login info for my ernies games twitter account and have them all be a part of the posting, so that if you are following my twitter, you are following 4 of my most prominent, outspoken, entrenched and knowledgeable customers, all posting unique content. Maybe I create a section for each game night under facebook section and have the leaders post a few pictures each night into their own category. I will be brainstorming more ideas on how I may do this to include in my final report.
3. "Proactive Press" The press report says lot about just how important ours peers are in telling us about new products, as we have been learning. Facebook certainly is at the heart of the matter, and I think I need to take this into account, I should be channeling positive reviews right into facebook, not just let them sit one whatever site they may pop up on. Being proactive in this manner is going to help me generate positive momentum moving forward, good press is always better than no press! :)
1. "A unique challenge" My business that I'm choosing is my own, and for this purpose the purple cow is a real unique challenge. We are a retail store, so we are not creating nor selling one or a few specific products that we can simply focus on to make extraordinary. As a retail store our product is everything beyond the products we sell as a value add on for our customers. It is our physical location and experience inside our store. It is our outreach and word of mouth marketing. It is the events and tournaments that we run for our customers. And of course, it is the service that we give to our customers. For me I truly believe the purple cow are all these elements, these elements we have to push hard on to excel at, to give our customers a wow factor, to give them that feeling of extraordinary that they need to tell their friends about us, including the feeling that they cant wait to come do business with us again.
2. "The Seezers" It is no secret that each business has those precious few who are really the "fan boys" - those who love the product/experience and also who have great knowledge and desire to spread the word. Each business has to take advantage of these individuals and mine is no different. With the development of my new web site and push towords social media, I really believe I have to find a way to incorporate these individuals in this effort. It is not enough to tell them I have a new site, I really need to find a way for them to get actively involved. Maybe I give a few individuals the login info for my ernies games twitter account and have them all be a part of the posting, so that if you are following my twitter, you are following 4 of my most prominent, outspoken, entrenched and knowledgeable customers, all posting unique content. Maybe I create a section for each game night under facebook section and have the leaders post a few pictures each night into their own category. I will be brainstorming more ideas on how I may do this to include in my final report.
3. "Proactive Press" The press report says lot about just how important ours peers are in telling us about new products, as we have been learning. Facebook certainly is at the heart of the matter, and I think I need to take this into account, I should be channeling positive reviews right into facebook, not just let them sit one whatever site they may pop up on. Being proactive in this manner is going to help me generate positive momentum moving forward, good press is always better than no press! :)
Who are you and what are you doing?
Be Remarkable
The bar/restaurant industry is a particularly tricky one in which to create a differentiated, or remarkable, product. With the vast number of bars, not only in the Queen Anne neighborhood, but in Belltown or Ballard or Freemont, how can a business be remarkable and stand out among the other offerings? Since Ozzie’s was purchased 4 or 5 years ago, the atmosphere has been changing, but it’s not clear what the end goal is. It would behoove the management to sit down and discuss what they want Ozzie’s to be. What is going to make it remarkable and stand out from other businesses? They’ve spent an awful lot of money changing things around, but it’s not clear what the end goal is, other than to look like every other bar. That’s not a winning strategy.
Sneezer Schmoozer
Ozzie’s has long been a place where groups of people go. On any given night, there’s bound to be a bachelor party, bachelorette party, birthday party, etc. Just ask BigBizz. Someone is organizing these events and people who do that kind of stuff tend to be the sneezers. If they’re organizing these groups of people, they’re likely organizing other things as well, be it work parties or simply where to go out on any given night. When groups celebrating an event come in, it’s a great opportunity to find out who the sneezer in the group is and to bring them into the businesses list of contacts. Give the best man, maid of honor, best friend (not the person having the even thrown for them, but the person throwing the event) a gift certificate for $15 bucks (for their next visit) and encourage them to come back and visit, throw another event and tell their friends what a good time they had at Ozzie’s.
That GM Is Hilarious!
When the new owners took over, they hired Robert. 50 years old, born in Spain, went to boarding school in England, has worked in South Africa, fishing boats in Alaska, swears like a sailor and is one of the most interesting characters you’ll ever meet. Not only is he a no-nonsense manager, but he is a customer relations asset. Patrons find him interesting and, since people in bars love to talk, he’s a great marketing tool. Because he’s no nonsense, people believe when they ask him something, they’ll get a straight answer. It might not always be the answer they like, but in the bar business, the customer isn’t always right. Sometimes they’re just drunk. The majority of people respect that and when the manager is entertaining and a straight shooter, what he says carries weight, especially when he has formed a relationship with the patrons. He’s certainly memorable, which is important when memories can get a little fuzzy. He is the voice of Ozzie’s and that needs to be conveyed when possible in their social media.
The bar/restaurant industry is a particularly tricky one in which to create a differentiated, or remarkable, product. With the vast number of bars, not only in the Queen Anne neighborhood, but in Belltown or Ballard or Freemont, how can a business be remarkable and stand out among the other offerings? Since Ozzie’s was purchased 4 or 5 years ago, the atmosphere has been changing, but it’s not clear what the end goal is. It would behoove the management to sit down and discuss what they want Ozzie’s to be. What is going to make it remarkable and stand out from other businesses? They’ve spent an awful lot of money changing things around, but it’s not clear what the end goal is, other than to look like every other bar. That’s not a winning strategy.
Sneezer Schmoozer
Ozzie’s has long been a place where groups of people go. On any given night, there’s bound to be a bachelor party, bachelorette party, birthday party, etc. Just ask BigBizz. Someone is organizing these events and people who do that kind of stuff tend to be the sneezers. If they’re organizing these groups of people, they’re likely organizing other things as well, be it work parties or simply where to go out on any given night. When groups celebrating an event come in, it’s a great opportunity to find out who the sneezer in the group is and to bring them into the businesses list of contacts. Give the best man, maid of honor, best friend (not the person having the even thrown for them, but the person throwing the event) a gift certificate for $15 bucks (for their next visit) and encourage them to come back and visit, throw another event and tell their friends what a good time they had at Ozzie’s.
That GM Is Hilarious!
When the new owners took over, they hired Robert. 50 years old, born in Spain, went to boarding school in England, has worked in South Africa, fishing boats in Alaska, swears like a sailor and is one of the most interesting characters you’ll ever meet. Not only is he a no-nonsense manager, but he is a customer relations asset. Patrons find him interesting and, since people in bars love to talk, he’s a great marketing tool. Because he’s no nonsense, people believe when they ask him something, they’ll get a straight answer. It might not always be the answer they like, but in the bar business, the customer isn’t always right. Sometimes they’re just drunk. The majority of people respect that and when the manager is entertaining and a straight shooter, what he says carries weight, especially when he has formed a relationship with the patrons. He’s certainly memorable, which is important when memories can get a little fuzzy. He is the voice of Ozzie’s and that needs to be conveyed when possible in their social media.
Purple Cow and Facebook Like for the Chebagogo Foundation
Seth Godin, through his book, Purple Cow, mentioned that it is not enough to create a mediocre product and combine it with a great advertising campaign. Instead, companies must strive to create a great product that people will look for. This is because customers today are getting smarter and they realize that companies will try to make their products look more appealing on TV, magazine, and newspaper than they actually do. In addition, with the availability of social media, consumers are getting smarter in finding out the truth about the products that they are going to buy. So, what the companies should do is to create great products and look for the people who are willing to talk about the products to others, or as the book called them, the sneezers.
The Chebagogo foundation is not the only non-profit organization that focus on helping AIDS orphans in Kenya, so it is important for the organization to come up with a new and unique way to attract peoples' attention or as the book mentioned it, the purple cow. More importantly, the Chebagogo foundation should focus on giving people good reasons on why they should support the organization and its missions. For example, the Chebagogo foundation can give out unique handicrafts made by the children to donors or it can organize an idea contest that will give the foundation a creative idea for fundraising. Whatever the unique idea is, it is important for the Chebagogo foundation to be open minded and fearless in trying out new ideas.
Moreover, it is not enough for the foundation to stop at the idea-generating process because every great idea, product, or service needs to be shared with others. For this reason, the book put emphasis on the importance of finding the "sneezers". These are the people who are loyal to the foundation and have fallen in love with its ideas. It is important that the organization finds these groups of sneezers and let them know about the unique ideas and without a doubt, these people will be more than happy to spread out the ideas to everyone else. Finally, in finding the sneezers, the organization should focus more on the niche market because the sneezers in this niche is easier to be influenced.
One way to find the sneezers is to use the Facebook's "Like" button. This Facebook's feature is so easy to use, but more importantly it is enough to capture people's attention and to give them a general idea about the organization. By using the Like button, the organization's Facebook fans will not only show their supports for the organization, but also share their opinion with others. This provides convenience for the organization and for those sneezers because their Facebook news feed will say it all. One thing that is important for the organization to do is to recognize these sneezers and thank them for their supports. Moreover, the organization can create a special event for these sneezers as a sign of appreciation.
The Chebagogo foundation is not the only non-profit organization that focus on helping AIDS orphans in Kenya, so it is important for the organization to come up with a new and unique way to attract peoples' attention or as the book mentioned it, the purple cow. More importantly, the Chebagogo foundation should focus on giving people good reasons on why they should support the organization and its missions. For example, the Chebagogo foundation can give out unique handicrafts made by the children to donors or it can organize an idea contest that will give the foundation a creative idea for fundraising. Whatever the unique idea is, it is important for the Chebagogo foundation to be open minded and fearless in trying out new ideas.
Moreover, it is not enough for the foundation to stop at the idea-generating process because every great idea, product, or service needs to be shared with others. For this reason, the book put emphasis on the importance of finding the "sneezers". These are the people who are loyal to the foundation and have fallen in love with its ideas. It is important that the organization finds these groups of sneezers and let them know about the unique ideas and without a doubt, these people will be more than happy to spread out the ideas to everyone else. Finally, in finding the sneezers, the organization should focus more on the niche market because the sneezers in this niche is easier to be influenced.
One way to find the sneezers is to use the Facebook's "Like" button. This Facebook's feature is so easy to use, but more importantly it is enough to capture people's attention and to give them a general idea about the organization. By using the Like button, the organization's Facebook fans will not only show their supports for the organization, but also share their opinion with others. This provides convenience for the organization and for those sneezers because their Facebook news feed will say it all. One thing that is important for the organization to do is to recognize these sneezers and thank them for their supports. Moreover, the organization can create a special event for these sneezers as a sign of appreciation.
How JELD-WEN can uncover the Purple Cow:
My individual project is focused on JELD-WEN Windows & Doors. I believe that JELD-WEN would be best served by gaining popularity in several social media outlets as opposed to limiting the scope to Facebook and Twitter. I believe that gaining positive word of mouth is still the ultimate goal in this highly competitive industry. This is an extremely tight-knit industry and true word of mouth still appears to be the most powerful form of social media (both positive and negative). Offering exceptional customer service and coming up with new and exciting methods to get people talking about the company and products will surely offer the highest returns. As the housing market rebounds and more and more young professionals enter the industry, it will become increasingly more imperative for JELD-WEN to maintain a positive presence in the online conversation as the younger demographics develop a stronger role in the industry. This will be important in social sites like Facebook and Twitter, but it will also be crucial for online blogs, chat rooms, and product review sites (potentially more critical with the latter elements).
I believe that JELD-WEN unknowingly entered the TV-industrial complex during the decline. Large quantities of advertising dollars were spent on ads and sponsorships to develop the newly focused branding strategy. In this competitive market it may be in JELD-WEN’s best interest to find their “Purple Cow” (exceptional product or service worth talking about) in the form of excellent customer service. In the highly competitive building products market it can be difficult to differentiate beyond price. My feeling is that JELD-WEN could benefit with the continual offering of innovative customer service techniques (warranty, repair, logistics, ordering, etc.). Even with such an extensive array of product offerings, JELD-WEN cannot be everything to everyone (price, product, etc.). However, JELD-WEN can offer the most exceptional customer service in the industry. I believe that JELD-WEN can meet this goal by funneling more advertising dollars into new and exciting advancements in technology. This may include new software systems or ground-breaking methods of servicing warranty and repairs. The positive gains witnessed by doing so will likely offset the reductions in advertising over time.
It is certainly easier said than done to create exceptional products and services, but the ideas are out there waiting to be uncovered and executed. Finding and developing these innovative ideas will help businesses create the “purple cows” needed to set themselves apart. JELD-WEN can capture larger shares of the market and set the organization apart by adopting this way of thinking.
Takeaways: The new P theory and “Likes” concept
Be remarkable for the right people
The Purple Cow concept makes me to understand that it’s not necessary to be best for everyone or everywhere. What I need to do is to create remarkable products that fit for the right people and make them easy to be found for those people. With different tastes and individual attitudes for any particular things, it’s almost impossible to fit the products to everyone in the marketplace. Therefore, it’s better to put the efforts to create remarkable products than to invest in the mass media advertisement or any other traditional marketing campaign. These products will allow customers to talk to people, who have the same interests, about how the product is remarkable and why they think it is worth to have it. This will be the most effective way to do marketing in the future.
Leave the fear behind
To be successful in the Purple cow concept, it is essential to be brave to think outside the box and leave the fear of failures behind. Otherwise, the fear will limit the thoughts into common ideas that everyone can come up with and those ideas will not able to stand out from other peoples’ ideas. Praise and criticism are just tools to push you forward before reaching the remarkable ideas. Don’t limit yourself with other peoples’ opinions! As everyone knows that risks might lead to the failures, however, if we can work to minimize those risks from the process, some risks might be great opportunities to succeed in the future. Therefore, it’s worth to take some risks and think out of the box.
The power of “Likes”
According to the National study, “Likes” button obviously show that the power of peoples’ support can increase the popularity of products and services. “Likes” also can help local business to increase their awareness, lead people to do more research about the brands through other sources, and influence people to make purchasing decision. It is interesting that, in this economic situation, discounts and offers are not a major factor in how consumers choose a merchant. This finding emphasize that people have high willingness to pay for any remarkable products and services based on feedbacks from people in their network.
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