The BV Blog

In the marketing industry, we’re frequently presented with the task of achieving more bang for less buck, especially in slow economy.

And whether we’re actually in a recession or not, in our current economic state, it’s only natural that business owners are concerned about their bottom lines.

But a slow economy is no reason to slash your marketing budget. It’s time to attack.

In a post at the Stopwatch Marketing blog John Rosen lays out a plan for burying your competition, a helpful do’s and don’ts list ripe with successful and not-so-successful examples from previous economic slowdowns, and sage advice to live by.

While slowdowns can be scary and painful, they also have salutary effects. They force companies to refocus efforts on strategies that genuinely build businesses and powerful brands. For those who accept this challenge and make the right choices, slowdowns can be a period of growth and success.

Related posts

• MR. POTTER’S THEORY APPLIES TO MARKETING TOO
• INVEST IN YOUR BRAND…AND MORE ONIONS
• AS THE MARKETPLACE TURNS
• RECESSION OR NOT, DON’T STOP MARKETING!
• FOCUS YOUR MARKETING TO BEAT THE ECONOMIC BLUES

No, this isn’t a rant about ethics. The provocative title is that of a fascinating book by Seth Godin that offers a different approach to success in marketing. Simply stated, Godin thinks that the best marketing tells the right story about a product or service to fit the consumer’s view of life. You’re not being untruthful, just very subjective about how you position yourself. He calls this kind of storytelling “lying,” but he smiles when he says it.

In a companion piece to the 2005 serialization of the book in Fortune Small Business Magazine, Godin says the best marketers use compelling stories that are authentic and original:

Marketers (and all human beings) are well trained to follow the leader. The natural instinct is to figure out what’s working for the competition and then try to outdo it–to be cheaper than your competitor who competes on price, or faster than the competitor who competes on speed. The problem is that once a consumer has bought someone else’s story and believes that lie, persuading the consumer to switch is the same as persuading him to admit he was wrong. And people hate admitting that they’re wrong.

Instead, you must tell a different story and persuade listeners that your story is more important than the story they currently believe. If your competition is faster, you must be cheaper. If they sell the story of health, you must sell the story of convenience. Not just the positioning x/y axis sort of “We are cheaper” claim, but a real story that is completely different from the story that’s already being told.

When it comes to your marketing, are you simply following the lead of others in your field? Could you create a unique story about why customers or clients need and want your product or service? Marketing like this can help you stand out from the competition — and that’s no lie.

Related posts

• DIAL UP BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE
• THE “BEST” OF THE “WORST?”
• SERVE UP MORE SALES THE RESTAURANT WAY
• INVEST IN YOUR BRAND…AND MORE ONIONS
• A-T-T-A-C-K

Good marketing advice is like a quality food ingredient — there are lots of ways to use it in any “menu” of service. Take this tidbit that comes to us from Roy Bergold in his column on Fooodservice.Com. The topic — how to increase sales at your restaurant:

It’s called Path of Least Resistance, or POLR. Always think POLR. Look for the easiest way to raise sales. Harvest the tree from the bottom. Do it the smart way.

With POLR in mind, turn your attention to your current customers. After all, they already come to you. They will be easier to get one more visit from. But how? Talk to them, find out what they want.

Usually it’s rewards or excitement. Rewards could be anything from a free coffee once in a while to a frequent-dining club. Maybe they have never tried your breakfast; they only come for lunch. Maybe they only come during the week and never thought to come on the weekend. After all, we are creatures of habit. Give them a reason to amend their habits.

OK, maybe you don’t serve food, but you probably have customers or clients who can do more business with you. Use Ray’s advice to talk to them and find out what they want. And give them a reason to change their habits. Need more advice on battling a business slump? Here are questions that may lead you to the answers you need.

Related posts

• USE MUSIC TO CREATE THE RIGHT MOOD FOR YOUR BUSINESS
• THREE POWERFUL WORDS FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE
• LIVIN’ THE HIGH LIFE
• HONESTY IS THE BEST PHILOSOPHY
• DIAL UP BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

There’s a huge battle underway between Netflix and Blockbuster Video for subscribers who rent their DVD’s by mail. Netflix pioneered the concept and has 6.7 million customers. Blockbuster with 3.6 million customers is now experiencing faster growth with their Total Access plan that lets you get an extra DVD in addition to the mail delivery by exchanging it in the store. (An offer that is cannibalizing Blockbuster’s store sales in order to boost the mail program.)

Still, it’s advantage Blockbuster, right? Well, Netflix has decided to change the rules too — for customer service. The New York Times reports that Netflix shut down its e-mail customer service and opened a 24/7 toll-free call center, choosing live voices over keystrokes. This is no offshore outsourcing either; the call center is located in Portland, Oregon and staffed by lots of friendly people who are directed to take as much time as they need on the phone to handle customer concerns. Experts say it’s the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing in customer service.

And that’s good, because it’s a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that differentiates Netflix from Blockbuster. This battle is far from over, but there’s a lesson here for all of us. Having a USP that focuses on superior customer service may be a great defense against a competitor who’s willing to lose money in order to beat you.

Related posts

• MAKE A BIG MARKETING IMPACT…WITHOUT SPENDING A DIME
• WHO (OR WHAT) IS ANSWERING YOUR PHONES?
• THREE POWERFUL WORDS FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE
• SERVE UP MORE SALES THE RESTAURANT WAY
• REMEMBER WHAT YOUR MAMA TAUGHT YOU