Personality Marketing Get more business, more easily, with more fun, by being 100% YOU!

Came across this blog post today which gives some great examples of how to make your advertising stand out, by putting some personality into it.

You’re going to pay the same amount of money to place your advert - so why not make the most of it?

http://streetlessons.com/420-creative-adverts-you-probably-havent-seen.html

Of course, what would make most of these even better is some kind of direct response mechanism (the dentist ad being an honourable exception)…

Posted under Marketing

Got this from MarketingProfs:

“In a Web 2.0 world of blogs, podcasts and social networks, the humble newsletter might lack sex appeal. And while the notion of a newsletter might not be overtly enticing, it can still prove an effective channel for communicating with your customers. Trick is: make it a must-read publication. According to Simon Glickman and Julia Rubiner of Editorial Emergency, the best have four common traits:

• A distinctive voice that cements the brand
• Pithy, interesting information
• A lively layout
• Interactivity

Editorial Emergency gives a gold star to The Colorado Wine Company’s weekly newsletter. Here’s what they get right:

• A playfully irreverent tone accurately reflects a shop where themed evenings include “The White Trash Wine Tasting,” with pairings like Pinot Gris and “Le Pig in Blanket.”
• There’s some rich content here. “Owners John and Jennifer Nugent tell their tales of the grape with self-deprecating humor and genuine passion,” say Glickman and Rubiner.
• Their interactive polls are great. Editorial Emergency asks if wine-expert critiques of the Cabernet Franc were “total b.s.” or only “partly b.s.”

The Po!nt: The Colorado Wine Company’s newsletter is both entertaining and worthwhile; do the same with yours to reinforce your brand.”

Read the whole post, with links, here

Posted under Copywriting

There was a challenge on a copywriting forum recently to improve on one of the best ads of all time (which, if you’re interested, was about giving away free kittens :-)), but I saw one today that I think gets close:

Man seeks drinking pal for father

They don’t publish the wording of the ad, but give enough details for me to reckon it’s a great ad!

Why?

1. It makes an irresistible offer to it’s target audience - “I’ll pay you £7 an hour to go down the pub and drink and chat with my dad”
2. It specifies what the person needs to be interested in - “…the ideal candidate would be a man who can talk about his father’s career in engineering, or his father’s passion for golf.”
3. It specifies the kind of character needed - “…a gentleman who is not too bombastic and enjoys a nice pint.”
4. It uses negative qualifiers i.e. who would be the WRONG person - “women would be out of the question as Mr Hammond senior would feel uncomfortable going to a pub with a woman he did not know.”
5. It’s placed in the right place - a local post office - to attract someone who is local, and also (more than likely) probably of the older generation
6. It’s viral - how many postcards in your local post office window have got the placer interviewed for BBC News (and probably a lot more media outlets)?

To me, I don’t see how it could be improved.  Think about it. 

If that ad describes you, why would you NOT apply?

And the icing on the cake?  It only cost 25p!

All good advertising comes down to three things:

1. The message
2. The market
3. The medium

I think Michael Hammond (his son) got all three 100% right.

Best of luck Jack - I hope you find a wonderful drinking partner or three to keep you company!

Posted under Copywriting

Came across this great article today by Jimmy Vee, where he shows how you can have personality in your product, as well as your marketing.  Enjoy!

– Begin article –

Being a man and a gear head I love mechanical marvels and innovation. New tools, new kitchen gadgets, new electronics and new high tech appliances – with that in mind you shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you that I am in love with the new Dyson Vacuum.

I love it for what it is, what it looks like, what it promises and I love the marketing.

Let’s talk about the marketing. Let’s talk about it because the marketing is all the things I just mentioned.

This company is smart. They build marketing into the product at ground zero. They vacuum is scendsational to look at. It’s a cool and innovative thing of beauty and I’m sure to some it’s a hideous yellow beast, which from a marketing perspective is the right place to be.

They are following our rule of thirds principle here which is one I suggest you all strive to follow. Not being afraid to piss off, turn off and not be for at least a third of the population.

The Dyson also has a completely innovative design that moves completely based on a ball concept for revolutionary mobility – that’s worth looking at and talking about. They have built in buzz right in the product design.

See how that’s marketing at ground zero. You can do that too…

Next, I want to talk about the claims they make. Their irresistible offer is short and simple – “The first vacuum cleaner that doesn’t lose suction.” Let’s analyze this.

1. What are we selling?

A vacuum

2. What’s in it for me – the customer?

It doesn’t lose suction

3. How much does it cost?

Not mentioned (more on this later)

4. Why should I believe what you say?

The first vacuum to not lose suction.

A short and simple statement that answers 3 out of the four power questions of an irresistible offer. That is a Gravitational Proposition that pulls people to them like crazy. What is the most frustrating thing about a vacuum? Losing Suction!!!
So smart and it gets even better.

The company has made several models all that cater to very specific sub-niches.

1. Base model
2. Low Reach – for people who are frustrated with not being able to get under things
3. The Animal - The most powerful upright for pet hair – for pet owners.
4. Full Gear – for all the floor cleaning gadgets – for the people who always buy the top of the line.

This is a great marketing strategy.

The Website:

The front page of the web site uses an education based marketing approach that discusses the four things you need to know before you buy a vacuum.

The website is the best. They are a bit too caught up in fancy flash and they are losing some of the effectiveness as a result. They could make the site simpler and easy to navigate and ultimately make more sales.

The Advertising:

The advertising spokes person is the inventor of the vacuum and the owner of the UK based company, James Dyson. In 1970, Dyson graduated from Royal College of Art where he studied furniture design, then interior design.

In the advertising, Dyson is very persuasive and passionate about his product. He exudes believability and credibility by doing very little other than demonstrating the product and being confident in its ability.

Unwavering confidence is a key and often overlooked corner-stone of marketing. You must be confident in your personal ability and the ability of your product or service to deliver on its claims.

Many small business owners and independent sales professionals lack that level of confidence. It’s only when you have that level of confidence can you back up your products with solid, no-nonsense guarantees.

Price:

Wouldn’t you think that a vacuum is a commodity product? One vacuum sucks, they all suck – figuratively and literally. You’re looking for the cheapest thing to get the job done, right?

Wrong…With the identification of the pain of the target, an irresistible offer, an overwhelming benefit, education based marketing, social proof and a buzz-worthy, spread-able design this product rips itself from the commodity market and commands more money then all it’s competitors.

And the thing is selling like hotcakes.

Heck, I’m considering it even though is like $500.00. Plus I have pets, so I’m thinking I’m gonna pay even more for the pet vacuum because its niche marketed just for me.

Here’s them using a special offer and action incentive too…great stuff.

Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller are the authors of “The Ten Tall Tales Of Traditional Advertising That Cost You Tons” and their newest release, “The Small Business Owner’s Guide To The Galaxy: Jim & Travis’s Super-Stellar, Out Of This World, Step-By-Step Guide To Generating Leads, Attracting Customers and Making Sales.” Get FREE small business marketing tips, shortcuts and secrets - RIGHT NOW - at http://www.GravitationalMarketing.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Vee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Small-Business-Marketing-Tips-3:-What-Most-Marketing-and-Vacuums-Have-In-Common—They-Both-Suck!&id=93052

Posted under Corporations with personality