Big Brand Strategies for Small Business

A casual marketing conversation Introduce 5 rules of marketing Geared toward small to midsize business Encourage your input & questions Take one thing that you can apply to your business Emphasize guerilla or grass roots tactics

Introduce 5 rules of marketing

Geared toward small to midsize business

Encourage your input & questions

Take one thing that you can apply to your business

Emphasize guerilla or grass roots tactics

Why follow the trends of big brands? Big Brands invest in the research They know what works and what doesn’t work Some ‘get it.’ Some don’t. Know the difference Use your own consumer experiences as learning tools

Big Brands invest in the research

They know what works and what doesn’t work

Some ‘get it.’ Some don’t.

Know the difference

Use your own consumer experiences as learning tools

The definitive example-Big Brand Strategy Big brands focus on relationships & customer experience

Follow the trends of big brands Why is this possible for any size business? Internet & email Digital printing Mass media impact is shifting TV has given way to computers, iPods & text messages Creating relationships doesn’t cost much Big brands focus on relationships & experience

Why is this possible for any size business?

Internet & email

Digital printing

Mass media impact is shifting

TV has given way to computers, iPods & text messages

Creating relationships doesn’t cost much

Footnote: It really works Big brand strategy for small business

5 Rules of small business marketing Establish a position Speak with a single voice Reward customer loyalty Add emotion to your message Advertise wisely & consistently Consistent, comprehensive marketing

Establish a position

Speak with a single voice

Reward customer loyalty

Add emotion to your message

Advertise wisely & consistently

1. Establish Your Brand Position

1. Establishing a position List your competitors What they do well, what they do poorly How do you differentiate yourself? What do you do? Better - cheaper - faster - with more fun – with added value? Answer from customer’s perspective Find your position relative to your competitors Create a positioning statement Stick to it until the market changes Post it everywhere! It’s your guiding light.

List your competitors

What they do well, what they do poorly

How do you differentiate yourself?

What do you do?

Better - cheaper - faster - with more fun – with added value?

Answer from customer’s perspective

Find your position relative to your competitors

Create a positioning statement

Stick to it until the market changes

Establishing a position The words we use tell us a lot about a brand.

Establishing a position Delays on the Aircraft Onboard delays are situations we always try to avoid. However, if weather, gate-space limitations, visibility, airport conditions, mechanical problems, ATC requirements, or other uncontrollable circumstances cause ground delays of more than two hours, we will endeavor to: 1. Make refreshments available on request. If necessary, operationally feasible, and safe to do so, remote provisioning will remove trash and replenish depleted onboard snack and beverage service items. 2. Make every reasonable effort to ensure that lavatories remain serviceable. If necessary, operationally feasible, and safe to do so, remote aircraft lavatory servicing will be requested and furnished. 3. Inform our Customers when and if it is safe to use personal cellular phones, computers, faxes, and other portable electronic communications devices. 4. Work with airport officials and other airlines to share or acquire equipment such as available gates, portable stairs, buses, vans, or other means by which Customers may deplane and be safely escorted to a terminal or other reasonable facility. 5. Ensure that first aid and other routine medical services normally offered by Southwest remain available and that professional medical assistance is made available if necessary, operationally feasible, and safe to do so. 6. Make every reasonable effort to minimize the duration of any onboard ground delay and to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, any and all associated Customer inconveniences . 7. Regardless of whether a delay is incurred on the ground or in the air, we will try to keep you (and those who may be waiting for you at the airport) informed. We will provide the best information available to us with regard to the cause of the delay and any changes in the status of your flight. Empowered employees who live the brand

Establishing a position What two changes fixed their brand perception?

Establishing a position When products are similar… Positioning creates distinction – affecting price, placement and consumer image

Establishing a position And when the market changes…. Reconsider your position But be careful when you change position $1.00 Coffee at Starbucks?

Establishing a confusing position The words we use tell us a lot about a brand.

Establishing a position

2. Speak with a Single Voice

2. Speak with a single voice Can’t be everything to everyone Use your position in your message Simple concepts & simple phrases We see over 5,000 messages a day Repetition increases memory Use similar styles and images Successful brands consistently deliver the same quality product and the same brand messages.

Can’t be everything to everyone

Use your position in your message

Simple concepts & simple phrases

We see over 5,000 messages a day

Repetition increases memory

Use similar styles and images

Speak with a single voice Lou’s BBQ Hardwood smoked Catering from 10 – 10,000 Wedding receptions To go orders & delivery Ribs, chops, steaks, burgers & more Over 15 TVs to watch the game Winner of 10 blue ribbons What will you remember?

Lou’s BBQ

Hardwood smoked

Catering from 10 – 10,000

Wedding receptions

To go orders & delivery

Ribs, chops, steaks, burgers & more

Over 15 TVs to watch the game

Winner of 10 blue ribbons

Speak with a single voice Lou’s BBQ Home of really big napkins Generous portions in a casual setting Award winning KC Style BBQ Enough for dinner tonight & tomorrow What will you remember? Brief, on-targeted messages that convey the experience. But beware of the risks.

Lou’s BBQ

Home of really big napkins

Generous portions in a casual setting

Award winning KC Style BBQ

Enough for dinner tonight & tomorrow

Speak with a single voice Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients that chew gum Anybody could have said it. Trident said it first.

Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients that chew gum

Speak with a single voice “ Don’t Make Me Think” Be Customer Focused Not what you do What customer wants Speak like a customer

Be Customer Focused

Not what you do

What customer wants

Speak like a customer

3. Reward Customer Loyalty

3. Reward customer loyalty It’s cheaper to keep a customer than find a new one Thank and reward your best customers Frequency discounts “ Special sales” notices Gifts (with caution) Value-added services Thank-you cards, calls & letters Make it personal - Make a customer a friend

It’s cheaper to keep a customer than find a new one

Thank and reward your best customers

Frequency discounts

“ Special sales” notices

Gifts (with caution)

Value-added services

Thank-you cards, calls & letters

Reward customer loyalty Make it personal. www.HugYourCustomers.com

Reward customer loyalty Big Brand Strategy - World Class Customer Service

Reward customer loyalty

Reward customer loyalty Big Brand Strategy - Measured Loyalty

Reward customer loyalty

4. Find the Emotional Connection

4. Find the emotional connection Customers with an emotional connection are loyal We celebrate every event in our lives, from birth to death, with a card. But in business we often overlook opportunities for an emotional connection.

Find the emotional connection Customers with an emotional connection are loyal Freedom Travel, wealth, health, career Security Physical security, job security Greed Beat the competition Pleasure Recreational, emotional, hedonistic Status Exclusivity, achievement Safety Protect your loved ones Love Strong emotional connections Guilt Don’t disappoint those you love Health Be active, participate

Find the emotional connection

Find the emotional connection

5. Advertise Wisely

5. Advertise wisely Find your target, then advertise Direct mail Public relations Sponsorships & charitable events Internet & websites Print – Newspaper & Magazine Events & tradeshows Buy from a media-neutral source

Find your target, then advertise

Direct mail

Public relations

Sponsorships & charitable events

Internet & websites

Print – Newspaper & Magazine

Events & tradeshows

Buy from a media-neutral source

Direct Mail Very targeted Good for business & consumer Flexible - sales, coupons, etc. Use your database first Avoid clutter Good sources: USPS & DMA Trends: Variable data printing allowing greater personalization

Very targeted

Good for business & consumer

Flexible - sales, coupons, etc.

Use your database first

Avoid clutter

Good sources: USPS & DMA

Public Relations It’s free but no control Meet the press Nurture a relationship Be an expert Is it newsworthy? Trends: Importance of traditional & nontraditional media – blogs, online communities and portals

It’s free but no control

Meet the press

Nurture a relationship

Be an expert

Is it newsworthy?

Sponsorships, Charitable Events From little league baseball to politics Be selective Be consistent Avoid controversy Treat like advertising (measure response & benefit) Trends: Cause branding for all size companies

From little league baseball to politics

Be selective

Be consistent

Avoid controversy

Treat like advertising (measure response & benefit)

Online Strategies Clean, functional, engaging Maintain single voice Measure & optimize (SEO) Pay-Per-Click Trends: Online communities and social media Expanding pay-per-click Deliver full experience online – Shop, buy, communicate

Clean, functional, engaging

Maintain single voice

Measure & optimize (SEO)

Pay-Per-Click

Print: Newspaper & Magazine Engaged reader gets attention Magazines are targeted Newspapers have short retention Newspapers good for short-term sales Trends: Print media is the source of content. Delivery channel is selected by the recipient – online or print

Engaged reader gets attention

Magazines are targeted

Newspapers have short retention

Newspapers good for short-term sales

Events & Tradeshows Target audience Is it an appropriate event? Go to several before investing More than just entry fee Prizes or give-a-ways Time Booth & graphics Trends: Marketing sophistication of tradeshow organizers

Target audience

Is it an appropriate event?

Go to several before investing

More than just entry fee

Prizes or give-a-ways

Time

Booth & graphics

Other Advertising Vehicles Broadcast Video Outdoor In-store And an endless array of other advertising options Trends: Increasing demand for measurement and ROI

Broadcast

Video

Outdoor

In-store

And an endless array of other advertising options

5 rules of small business marketing Establish a position Speak with a single voice Reward customer loyalty Find an emotional connection Advertise wisely & consistently Become an observer of big-brands & follow

Establish a position

Speak with a single voice

Reward customer loyalty

Find an emotional connection

Advertise wisely & consistently

Paul Weber www.SmallBusinessMiracles.com Go to: “ Free Stuff” for a copy of this presentation