Absolute #1 Way to Increase Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is easily attained. Nowadays, it doesn't take much to get your name out there.

Just ask the parents of the Balloon Boy.

But Balloon Boy's time has come and gone. The original buzz around the controversy has lost its momentum. We will see some follow up news about this family because their actions were so remarkable, but interest will wane because people feel duped.

Marketing via controversy is not a long term strategy.

The best way to increase brand awareness over time is to increasingly supply value. Value is the fuel for the brand awareness machine.

Add value--per your Marketing DNA--and move your business to the next level.

Sure, you can increase brand awareness with a publicity stunt, a controversial idea or some other audience-grabbing event. But if there is no substance beyond the initial exploit, then awareness will fade faster than it was built.

The graph is an illustration that strong brand awareness is built by increasing levels of value. Per the small curvature, you can reduce value and still increase brand awareness. But this is just a blip, just like the Balloon Boy.

In order to build a strong brand, you need to increasingly provide value without any blips.

For most small businesses, brand awareness depends on referrals, recommendations and repeat business. Value is the key to unlock the flood gates of referrals, recommendations and repeat business.

So host a tasting event, have a customer appreciation week, give informative (i.e. not salesy) presentations, offer an add-on service for free or otherwise create some additional value for your product or service.

Adding value will build your brand and move your business to the next level.

Memo To Those Marketing Via Controversy

If you use controversy to market your business, your business model is not sustainable.

Especially via social media.

We've seen you're tactics. Marketing via contoversy can take a number of forms: a tweet that incites anger, a derogatory blog against a respected practice, an email that gets under your skin or even a scam claiming everything else is a scam. These are just some examples.

For these type of marketing initiatives, one thing is clear: while controversy may increase short term awareness, it will ultimately prohibit long term business success.

In today's marketplace, the Long Tail is more important than the quick sale.

Add value. This will move your business to the next level and should be a part of your Marketing DNA.

Question Your Customer Comments

Dare I suggest that you question what your customers say?

Absolutely.

Many small businesses utilize surveys, suggestion boxes, comment cards or other mechanisms to solicit customer feedback. These can be excellent forms to gather input, but too many business owners misinterpret the data.

First of all, there are rarely enough data to make a well-informed decision. Without significant sample sizes, a business owner might react to one comment that may not represent the whole.

Secondly, the interaction represents one snapshot of time. Just what one person was thinking at that one time.

Third, the population that is inclined to fill out a survey is either extremely satisfied or extremely dissatisfied. While their feedback can be useful, often times their comments do not offer constructive advice: satisfied people like business as usual and dissatisfied people simply need to vent.

Thus, the best way for a small business to handle customer feedback is to question it.

Engage in dialogue with your customers. Then listen.

If you have a feedback mechanism, like a comment card or a survey, provide a means to follow up so you can dig into the comments.

If you receive a compliment, find out more. What specifically was good? Why was it so good? Do others share your opinion? And the best question of all, why would you recommend our business to others?

If you receive a negative comment, dig for more information. Set your ego aside and ask deep, probing questions. What was so negative? Why was it negative? How could we make it better?

In either situation, the 5 Whys are a terrific way to really question customer comments. Asking why 5 times for every interaction will produce actionable results.

To take your feedback to the next level, utilize social media and other on-line platforms to engage with customers and encourage dialogue. Social media can enable a larger sample size, a more varied perspective of time and a broader opinion base than a survey.

Gather your own customer panel via ratings on websites, fan pages on Facebook or tweets with a particular hash tag. Use the question and answer pages on LinkedIn. You will truly converse with your customer base and you can continually demonstrate the value you provide. Best of all, social media is free.

Just make sure you question every and all comments. Deep questions and lots of listening.

This act alone will move your business to the next level and it should be part of your Marketing DNA.

38 Witnessed Murder; No One Called Police

It's called the "bystander effect" and it became a focus of study after the murder of Kitty Genovese.

Genovese was stabbed to death by a serial killer in 1964 in Queens, NY. According to newspaper accounts, 38 people heard or witnessed the act as it was occuring, yet no one contacted law enforcement officials.

The exact number of witnesses--and their lack of action--remains debatable today. However, the incident spurred numerous studies into human behavior and our response to emergencies.

Pyschologists have concluded time and time again that the more witnesses present in an emergency, the less likely those witnesses will respond. Put one person in a room as someone has a seizure, the one person calls for help. Put twenty people in a room as someone has a seizure, and everyone waits for the others to act. Hence, the "bystander effect."

This has led me to a burning question: is our economy suffering from the "bystander effect?"

In other words, are we all sitting around waiting for others to act? Are we assuming that someone else will respond to the emergency? Are we simply bystanders?

Many small business owners will be the first to say, no way. They are doing everything they can to keep their business afloat. They are responding to the emergency.

But others, I would argue, suffer deeply from the bystander effect. Perhaps this effect is exacerbated by the government's stimulus plan. People assume that the government's aggressive spending package will be the solution, so we can be "bystanders" until the economy corrects itself.

Have you tracked where stimulus dollars are going? First stop: back filling budgets previously cut. Second stop: maintaining current staffing levels to avoid further layoffs. Given these two significant stops, most stimulus money is not generating new spending, at least not yet.

The government might be doing some valiant things to combat this emergency, but if we are all bystanders in this emergency, then few will respond.

So I propose that we all become responders and not bystanders to this emergency.

Go out and create some value. Determine right now that you will create value today. Recall that value is the relationship between the perceived benefit and the price. Create much benefit for little price.

In other words--perhaps in more business-like terms--create much revenue for not much cost.

If each and every person created value today, the economic ripples would be felt worldwide.

So move your business to the next level. Avoid the bystander effect and be a responder. Determine that you will create and add value today.

After all, the responders are the heroes. If you want to be a hero in this economic crisis, go out and create some value. Add value right now!

Please Tell Me Someone Already Thought of This!

Question for grocery stores out there: do you have "locally grown" produce section?

Most grocers carry an "organic" section that attract a certain niche of produce buyers. Fortunately or unfortunately--depending on which side of the aisle you stand--the anchor point for organic produce is a bit higher than non-organic produce. It seems to cater to a clientele with the ability to spend more.

But a "local" section could present a number of profitable and agreeable benefits.

First of all, it could be cheaper than the other options. If produce doesn't have to travel thousands of miles, the cost savings can be passed onto the customer. Savings sells in a grocery store.

Second of all, it makes wonderful environmental sense.

Most of all, a "local" produce section has the makings for a perfect Marketing DNA. It's differentiated so it will attract new and different customers. It serves an ideal niche of locals. And it adds value to the consumer, the growers and ultimately the bottom line of the grocer.

Sure there are probably some kinks to work out. Produce would not be as predictable as local growing cycles. Space is probably a concern as well since grocers generally occupy every square inch of their store. And maybe the displays would take some tweaking to make sure the message is clear.

But these seem to be easily-solved issues if the name of the game is to add value.

In fact, it seems so obvious to me that some grocer's out there must be doing it. And I'm not talking about those grocers that already have a strong organic following, like Whole Foods. I'm talking about bargain grocers like Grocery Outlet or Food Maxx. Or even big box stores with grocery departments like Wal-Mart and Target.

Are grocers already doing it? Please tell me somebody already thought of this!

Sales Down 30%, Now What? 4 Implementable Actions

Despite rosy claims that the recession is over, many small businesses continue to feel the pinch.

With the end of 2009 in sight, many business owners ponder what's to come in 2010 and beyond. If sales revenues are down, what can a business do to stay afloat? How long can a business sustain less and less customer spending?

Believe it or not, many businesses are growing during these doom and gloom times. The ones that are growing are capturing marketing share from their competitors that are shrinking or downright collapsing. And once the recession subsides, the survivors will thrive.

So how do you survive? How do you stem the huge dips in sales revenue and live to see another day? There are a number of ways, but let's focus on four key actions that you can implement today:

1) External Needs Analysis: get outside of your small business box and ask around. Ask your customers, your prospects and leads: what do you need most? Ask your competitors or collaborators what customers are seeking and needing. Only those businesses that can provide solutions based on needs will attract customers and followers. Find and identify the biggest needs; that's where the spending is happening.

2) Evaluate Your Positioning: once you have a sense on the needs in the marketplace, reevaluate your comparative advantage, or Unique Selling Proposition. This is the statement that summarizes the value you provide in a brief and succinct manner. Ensure that you are positioned to serve the needs you discovered in Step #1. If your positioning doesn't address the needs of the marketplace, it might be time to rethink your business. Also ensure that your target market understands your USP so they can differentiate what you provide from others.

3) Internal Needs Analysis: now that you know what the needs of your market are and you know how to position yourself to address those needs, look inside your company. Determine if you have the resources to get your message to those that most need your services. Resources doesn't only mean money. Remember, the best marketing takes money, time and energy. If you don't have the money, make sure you have the time and energy. Only those businesses with the internal resources to to address market needs will continue to exist.

4) Add Value: if you read this blog frequently, this is a common theme. Recall that value is the relationship between perceived benefit and price. Value is the way you monetize your business and it is a key component to your Marketing DNA. Continue to add value to your customers--even if it means sacraficing a little profit--and you will build your followers. If you can be there for your customers during these tough times, guess who will be there for you when those same customers need a service like yours?

There are other actions to stem the tide--like slashing your marketing budget--but the key is to think long term. Short term actions put out fires, but do not prepare you for the long haul.

To move your business to the next level, think long term. Business may be down 30% now, but if you can stem the tide, you too can have a growing business that captures market share from your shrinking or collapsing competitors.