Mobilize the Penny Pinchers

Talk of a recession is not going unnoticed by the average American. We already seem to be staying home, driving less and cutting back on things like entertainment, food and travel. The government’s effort to curb this prediction is to offer the individual economic stimulus package, giving about $1,200 per couple. While exciting on the receiving end, I am interested to see if this one time “gift” is really going to get us out there buying any of the great new products marketers are ready to launch.

When consumers are pinching their pennies, what is the best way to introduce a product they don’t really need? The answer maybe found in a simple marketing strategy that has fallen by the way side in the last 10 years.

Coupons. Coupons, Coupons, Coupons.

A recent study from ICOM Information and Communications says that of the more than 1,500 survey respondents, 67 percent said they were much more likely or somewhat more likely to use coupons during a recession.

Picture this, Suzie Homemaker is frustrated with her broom and dustpan. She has seen several commercials for the brand new Swifter Vac, II. She wants to try it but an additional $25 or $30 to her grocery bill will put her over her tight budget. Next, factor in a $5 off coupon sent to Suzie because she opted in to receive weekly emails from P&G. You now have a much better chance of getting Suzie to invest in your new product. Also, you can track every step the coupon makes, evaluating along the way if the strategy is working.

Bottom line, let’s mobilize the penny pinchers. Let’s give them a reason to buy our new product or service. There is no need for manufacturers to send out more coupons. They do however, need to focus on sending them to the right individuals and maybe consider extending expiration dates.

ZDNet’s Krigsman is Correct: I.T. DOES Lose Credibility by Speaking in Technical Jargon

Michael Krigsman, driving force behind ZDNet’s IT Project Failures blog, nailed it yesterday when he wrote, “Is IT becoming extinct?”

In one of seven points he makes as to why he believes that the average Information Technology department is headed for death’s door, he writes,

“IT loses credibility by speaking in technical jargon . . .”

Michael Krigsman, “Is IT becoming extinct?” ZDNet, 3-23-08

(more…)

Better Media Coverage Requires an Ongoing PR Effort

In a relatively short item posted a few days ago on the Wall Street Journal’s Independent Street blog, Kelly Spors outlines five insights from a small business entrepreneur on “How to Get Killer PR” (see http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2008/03/13/how-to-get-killer-pr/.)

Specifically, Spors relates how she had “encountered” Sarah Endline several times during a period of a few months, which led Spors to wonder if such encounters were merely the result of a shrinking world or perhaps the workings of “killer PR?”

Although curiosity may have killed the cat, it led Spors to track down Endline, the founder and CEO of Sweetriot (a five-person, NYC-based company) for the story behind Endline’s PR success.

Of the five PR tips that Spors gleans from Endline, I particularly appreciated Tip No. 5:

Devote time. If you think PR will help your company, make time for it. It can’t be just something you try to squeeze into your free time between sales meetings. It takes time, persistence and strategy. 

To me, this is a great insight for any executive, business owner, entrepreneur or marketing type to take to heart.

Politis Pointer: 

I have found that it is VERY RARE INDEED when an organization or individual can come up with that one killer PR, marketing, advertising, promotional, direct response or interactive execution that launches a service, product, person, company or idea into eternal orbit.

Successful marketing communications campaigns are (in my opinion) successful because

• They are campaigns, and
• The people pulling the marcom levers recognize that consistent marketing communications success requires consistent effort.

= = = = = = = = = =

One more thing. Having a topnotch PR agency on Sweetriot’s side doesn’t hurt either, as it’s apparently currently using (or has worked with) NYC-based fashion/celebrity PR  shop Think Public Relations. 

Save Me a Slice: Mouthwatering Pies

When it comes to e-mail campaigns, your 50 character headline is sometimes all that stands between you and your customer’s spam folder.

The title of this blog post is the subject line of an e-mail I received from Albertsons.com last week. Not only was the subject line catchy but receiving the e-mail at 12:30 p.m. perked my stomach’s attention as well.

Honestly, I was most impressed that the subject line was interesting without the use of ALL CAPS, obnoxious exclamation marks, or a 24-hour deadline. There is a fine line between “catchy” and “spammy.”

Now, where is that pie?

Book Review: “MADE to STICK”

I had a seatmate on a recent airline flight tell me how much she loved “MADE to STICK” (subhead: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die) by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. Her recommendation reminded me that I had seen the book and prompted me to pick up a copy.

Chances are you’ve seen a copy as you’ve walked past an airport shop that sells books or if you frequent bookstores. It’s the book with the florescent orange cover with a strip of gray duct tape stuck on the front cover. At least that’s what the cover looks like from a distance.

Pick up the book and you discover that the duct tape is actually a photographic image of a strip of duct tape, which in and of itself was a great idea.

(more…)