Have a Sense of Humor
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Monday, 20 April 09 - 04:17 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Grouchy business owner.
There's nobody home.
Who wants to deal with a curmudgeon who never jokes or cracks a smile? No one. So lighten up and have a sense of humor in the way you do business and communicate with customers. Whatever you do, don't get advice from your lawyer first. They suck the fun out of everything.
How could you be more playful with your customers?
You Are Not Your Customer
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Friday, 06 March 09 - 12:35 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Bear in mind when you create your marketing that you are not your customer.
- Your customers don't understand all your jargon
- Your customers may be more excited about your product than you are
- Your customers may be less excited about your product than you are
- Your customers do not work for you
One thing I know for sure, you are more interested in your cool Flash intro on your website than your customers. They want to get the product or answer they need quickly, not watch a commercial. Give people quick access to the bottom line or an avenue to purchase and options to learn more or ask questions if they need help.
Do you design your marketing promotions based on what appeals to you?
Clean Your Bathroom
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Sunday, 01 March 09 - 01:06 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Sounds silly, but if you have a client visit your bathroom and it is a mess it makes you look bad. We don't like to think about bathrooms but consider your own experience. Don't nice places and businesses have nice bathrooms? Have you ever gone to a yucky bathroom at a restaurant- kind of rough on the appetite.
In fact some countries are judged by their bathrooms. Would you rather go to the bathroom in Swaziland or Canada? You can bet your bottom dollar that having a nice bathroom affects the perception of your customers whether it is conscious or not.
Is your bathroom tidy?
Your Customers Are Ignorant
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Friday, 20 February 09 - 03:53 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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WTF?
Your customers may be smart, but that does not mean they know everything about your business. Don't assume people know your business as well as you do. Avoid jargon and acronyms and give 'em the straight stuff. Even people that are technical appreciate explanations in down to Earth terms.
Do you use technical terms or jargon in your marketing? How can you re-phrase your terms to make them understandable to the man on the street?
Sales are Better than Branding
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Tuesday, 07 August 07 - 08:20 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Branding is great...when it leads to sales.
Maybe in 18 months or so when they finish their research they can tell you for sure that this does not help their bottom line. I will tell you right now that this type of “branding” is wasteful and deceptive. It seems cool and may get you some buzz or results, but not the kind of results you will get from an easy to navigate site that is enhanced by good design.
Does your branding lead to sales? Does your brand help people understand you better? How do you measure the effectiveness of your brand?
Story of the marketingenious Logo
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Wednesday, 23 May 07 - 10:13 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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The target stands for marketing and the lightbulb for turning on your mind
If you have ever asked me what I do you have heard somewhere in my reply that I am a teacher. My favorite thing to do is to watch people learn. You can see it in peoples eyes and expressions when they "get" something. I call it watching the lightbulb get turned on.
My approach to marketing is based on increasing your marketing IQ. My goal is to turn on the lightbulb in your head so you can communicate effectively. That's where the logo came from:
Target=Marketing
Lightbulb=Turning on your brain
My favorite picture, which I probably use too much, is of me handing you a lightbulb with a target. That's what I do. And though a few people have asked what the deal is with the ping pong paddle, I still like it.
What does your logo mean? Does it represent what you do? If not, why not make a new one?
The Dudesons Show How to Stand Out in the Crowd
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Wednesday, 25 April 07 - 10:13 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Extreme stunt guys make Jackass look like a walk in the park
I just watched a show about the Dudesons, Finland's answer to Jackass. These guys are stinkin' crazy and do the most outlandish stunts and pranks. They are known around the world and are the most well know lads in their country.
But what are these guys offering? They are entertaining, but their appeal lies in their extreme actions. If they were just skateboarding or lighting their farts on fire no one would notice. I'm sure you are offering people something better than that.
The moral is if you want to get people's attention for what you do, and what you offer, be out of the ordinary. Either be over the top, or very subdued and minimal. Anything in between and you are toast.
Where do you fall on the extreme scale? Why should anyone pay attention to you? How are you different?
Carrot Top and Creating an Image
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Wednesday, 18 April 07 - 04:41 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Carrot Top's buff physique is a departure from what most people expect
Carrot Top is looking pretty ripped lately. I think of him as kind of a goofy comic that uses lots of props. Boy was I shocked to come across this picture.
Maybe it is just me, but I don't think it goes with his image. It looks kinda weird, but I guess he is still a funny guy.
What image do people see in their minds when they think of you or your company? Does your brand image, logo and message match what you offer?
Top Naming Strategies (Especially on the Internet)
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Thursday, 29 March 07 - 10:01 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Follow these guidelines to pick the best name for your product or company
Picking a name for your product or company is an important decision, and on the Internet it may be the most important. Follow these helpful guidelines laid out in the book 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding
"Your name is your most valuable asset on the Internet. A name like Priceline is NOT generic. It is a combination of generic terms, used out of context to create a new proper name. Determine the category for your Internet product, and name it something different. Hertz is better than National Rental Car because every chain is national. There are degrees of commonness (i.e. Burger King is not as common as the Burger Place.) There are degrees of Properness (i.e. McDonald’s versus Time.) Want website to be uncommon and more proper than competition. Here are 8 other naming guidelines:
• Name should be short and easy to spell- People have to type it. Most people, like me, are lazy and can’t spell. Nicknames, shortened versions, and multiple names are good. People feel closer to a brand when they are able to use a nickname.
• Name should be simple- Number of different letters matters. Coca Cola is 4 letters. Phrasing matters (aut-o-byte-l? what is bytel?)
• Name should suggest category- Difficult because you want to suggest without naming a category. Add term like depot, planet, etc. But beware of overused terms like depot, planet, etc.
• Name should be unique- easy to remember, common or generic names are not unique be definition.
• Name should be alliterative- Alliteration and rhyming are great tools.
• Name should be speakable- Word of mouth is crucial, must be able to pronounce. Physical place recommendations you can give a location, Internet you have to be able to spell. Don’t write-off dyslexic market-10% of population. Try not to mix letters and numbers because it is harder to recall (i.e. easier toe recall phone numbers than license plates.) Listen to how you name sounds, not just how it looks. People can’t speak in cool fonts.
• Name should be shocking- the name of this book. It gets attention and sets it apart from the crowd. Don’t be too shocking or you will offend your audience.
• Name should be personalized- Name the site after an individual. This can create publicity (Michael DELL, Donald TRUMP.) Brands are lifeless, only people can communicate their potential. Media want to interview people, not brands. The most famous brands have famous CEO’s (Eisner, Gates.)"
If you can get your competitive advantage or what you do into your name I recommend that as well (i.e. marketingenious helps you become a marketing genius). Note that it is sometimes impossible to use ALL of these strategies at the same time (i.e. marketingenious is hard to spell). But since this is an important decision it is worth your time to at least consider leveraging as many of these techniques as possible.
*BNI* Please share your naming ideas in the Forum
Questions for Creating an Image
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Wednesday, 28 February 07 - 09:40 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 3: Create an Image |
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Michael Daehn's Seven Keys to Marketing Genius
Key 3: Create an Image
- Based on the competitive advantage, positioning, target audience and mission of the company what image best represents your product or service?
- Do you need professional assistance in creating a logo and marketing communications materials?
- Is the look and feel of your marketing communications materials consistent and congruent?
Not sure how to answer these questions? Find out how by reading the Seven Keys to Marketing Genius or taking the Seven Weeks to Marketing Genius online course.
Or you can subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog and you will be a marketing genius in no time.
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