I never get tired of hearing Dick Wolfsie talk about what makes jokes funny.  (Wolfsie, well-known local TV personality and author, has been studying humor for years and lectures on the subject at the University of Indianapolis.)  As a professional ghost blogger, I find myself revisiting the Wolfsie humor analysis, because jokes and blogs share many of the same characteristics.

To illustrate one important insight about humor, Dick often uses the joke about a man who thinks his wife is losing her hearing. At the end of the joke we learn that he, the husband, is the deaf one. As the story unfolds, the man comes home and keeps calling out to his wife, asking “What’s for dinner?”  Each time he poses the question, he comes closer to where she is standing (he’s testing the distance from which she’ll be able to hear him), yet she offers no response.  Finally, when he’s right there next to her and poses the question for the fifth time, she turns to him and answers, “For the fifth time -  we’re having chicken!”

Is it the surprise element that lends the humor?  That’s only part of the answer. If the punch line had been, “You’re the one that’s deaf, honey!” there’d still be a surprise, but no humor. In order for the joke to be funny, explains Wolfsie, the person listening to the joke or reading the joke has to figure things out!  The laughter is the reward that the listener or reader gives himself for having figured out what the punch line is really saying.  In other words, there’s no joke if the punch line is the proverbial tree falling in the forest.

Blogs are like that, too.  You may do your part, posting new, relevant material online, offering valuable information about your field of expertise.  But for the blog to generate a “bang”, it takes two.  In fact, that’s precisely how business blogging works.  People go online and use search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, etc.) to find information.  They need to know more about something, and that something has to do with what you have, what you know about, or what you know how to do.  Since you’ve provided relevant, up to date content in your blog post, that browser finds you!  Now it’s a blog, and you’ve got yourself a potential client or customer. That individual, just like the person who gets a joke, rewards himself with the information you’ve provided.  She/he “gets it” – and moves on to your website for more, or posts a comment.  Either way, two are now in the game.  Now you can start getting bang for your blog! 

Tuning in to National Public Radio turned out to be a good thing for me to do the other day.  I caught another of those word tidbits that so delight the wordsmith in me. Daniel Gardner, author of a new book, “The Science Of Fear”, was being interviewed by Diane Rehm.  Gardner was expounding on why we fear things we shouldn’t, ironically exposing ourselves to real dangers.  He attributes our irrational fear to the fact that we’re constantly being fed disaster stories by the media.  Our unconscious minds absorb this “parade of improbable negative events”, causing us to overreact to everyday circumstances that statistically hold little real threat. 

And here’s where Daniel Gardner said the eight little words that so completely capture the concept he was trying to present: “We report the rare routinely, and the routine rarely.” To me, effective word tidbits sock us right between the eyes, and that one did it for me.  In fact, the instant I read that particular combination of everyday words, I had an “aha! moment”.  I was able to unify things I already knew, but hadn’t synthesized into any true wisdom. 

Blogging, at its best, should have exactly that effect.  Short by definition, blogs don’t necessarily give online searchers lots of brand new information.  But what your blog should aim to do is capture concepts relating to your business, putting words together in a new way.  Your aim is to bring to the reader a pleasurable and satisfying “Aha!”, making that reader want to know more. (My interest was captured - I went out and bought Daniel Gardner’s book!)  You want to bring the blog reader to your website in order to convert him/ her into a customer or client.

As a professional ghost blogger, the question I would pose to each client is this:  If you had only eight to ten words to describe why you’re passionate about what you sell, what you know, or what you do, what would those words be?  Once you’ve put together the word tidbits, I can “Say It For You”, and blogging for business can begin with a bang! 

 

I try never to miss the "Cathy" comic strip in my Indianapolis Star.  In one of the latest, Cathy and her boyfriend are opening their mail - he's reading email on his laptop; she's sorting through dozens upon dozens of envelopes.

He: "What's all that?"                                
She: "Mail."
He: "Mail?? Who sends paper mail?"
She: "People."
He: "People?"
She: "Yes.  Unlike you in your cold electronic bubble, I get mail from people."
(He looks through some of her mail…) "This is all mail from magazine subscription departments!"

And now comes her answer that I, member of a generation thrice removed from GenY, absolutely adore: "Still way closer to an actual human than you'll get any time soon!"

Since I work as a professional ghost blogger, I've obviously been able to abandon most of my generational bias towards long, individually composed business letters and long phone conversations.  I've come into the world of electronic marketing tools.  But there's a reason (I share this in the spirit of honest self-analysis) I gravitated towards composing blogs rather than designing websites.  In a way, blogs are the humanizing factor in the online communications family. The blogs are where you meet the people running the business or professional practice.

In today's increasingly web-based business world, electronic marketing and prospecting strategies are must-haves. But, Cathy, you gotta know this: Blogs, even ghostwritten blogs, are way closer to an actual human than you get with brochures, billboards, and websites!

This is the season when I spend time at the Indiana State Fair.  It was interesting reading, in the Indianapolis Business Journal, details of an interview with the Fair's executive director Cindy Hoye.  Hoye talked about the different ways the fair brings in revenue, everything from corporate sponsorship (think Clarian Health) to naming rights for buildings (think Pepsi Coliseum).

Since, as a professional ghost blogger, I'm part of each client's marketing team, I always have an eye out for marketing ideas.  There were two in the IBJ article that I found especially apropos for bloggers.  Describing all the facility improvements that were made for this year's fair, including a greenhouse, fishing pond, and new covered bridge, Hoye said "We've got to keep the product (referring to the fair) fresh."  Right on for blogging.  In fact, of all marketing tactics, blogs are born for "fresh" - with new, different, constantly changing content put online every day or every couple of days, blogs are far more flexible and adaptable than print pieces or even websites.

The one Indiana State Fair innovation that really caught my attention (and, apparently sponsors' attention as well) is declaring an annual theme.  Last year was the Year of Corn, which highlighted Indiana agriculture.  This year it's the Year of Trees.  (The Indiana Hardwood Lumberman's Association became a big sponsor.) Since blog posts are much more frequent than yearly, you can present material on many themes, one per post, but all relating to what you have to offer. By limiting each blog post to one central theme, you attract online searches related to that one aspect of your business, plus you keep the product (your material) fresh!

Where there's little space and little money for redeveloping urban areas, pocket parks provide a welcome solution. Small green areas with benches for sitting and swings and slides for kids, pocket parks help unify as well as beautify neighborhoods. These mini-parks are part of the Central Indiana Community Foundation's Keep Indianapolis Beautiful initiative, a wonderful example of making a little money go a long way.

My small business and professional practice ghost blogging clients are in something of the same boat, trying hard to do smart marketing on a limited budget.  Most owners enter the web world by having a site designed for their business or practice.  The website may be attractive and easy to navigate.  Still their "park" is not accessible to new customers and clients who don't know it's there!  That's where business blogs come in, and where I, as a professional ghost blogger, enter the "neighborhood".

Blogs are like pocket parks, much easier and much less expensive to create and then constantly redevelop.  People find your "pocket park" blog, not because they know the name of the company or even your own name, but because your blog content is organized around specific key words and topics.  People find the blog "right in their own neighborhood", exactly when they need it.

There is no practical way a website can change its title and its content every day or even every couple of days to match different key words searchers use.  Blogs, small and nimble, can readily adapt. Since, by definition, blogs are providing new thoughts and new information with every entry, your "pocket park" is right there, informing the potential customer or client that you have the know-how - or the products - she's seeking.

Eagle Creek Park offers far more amenities than the School 46 Pocket Park, to be sure.  But if you're far away from the big reservoir, the little park bench under a tree in the pocket park is where you'll sit for a spell.  Ideally, business blogging is just one piece of a multi-faceted business marketing and advertising plan.  But budget-conscious owners will find blogging delivers a lot of park bench for the buck!

 

 Talk about an ironic turn of events - blogging is turning out to be such a healthy marketing tool that hospitals are inviting blogs to check themselves in!

Community Health Network's new SharingSites (www.ecommunity.com/sharing site) allows patients to create their own blogs to tell family and friends about a newborn or keep them up to date on treatments. St Francis and Clarian North offer blogging, too, through a Chicago company called CarePages.   Meanwhile, links to the hospitals' main websites allow patients and families to find information about different medical conditions and treatments, and even participate in online discussions with other patients and their families.

Dan Rench, vice president of e-business at Community Health Network, was quoted in a recent Indianapolis Business Journal issue as follows: "There's definitely a lot of power in social networking from a health care perspective."

Businessowners aimed at robust growth should pay heed to this trend.  Many businesses think they have an Internet "presence" because they've had a website created for their company.  Often, there's little updating going on, and even less attention paid to how to help potential buyers find their way to that website.  Advertising, including online advertising, is certainly one avenue in marketing a business.  Very interesting and important, though, is a statistic I learned in a Compendium Blogware webinar from CEO and co-founder Chris Baggott:  80-95% of business conducted online comes about as the result of organic search, not pay-per-click advertising or sponsorships. What this means in plain terms is that people searched online for information about products or services.  Those businesses that were providing up-to-date, easy-to-understand, and relevant content through regularly posting blogs came out the winners - of new customers.

You know what they're starting to say…A blog a day keeps the doctor away!

Talk about a "sense" for marketing - the June 22nd issue of the Indianapolis Star, in an article about car dealers' flagging sales, singled out Colussy Chevrolet in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.  Tim Colussy says he uses a box that sends up puffs of "new car" scent as part of his overall plan to entice buyers to visit his dealership (and to leave driving a new car).

In a sense (pun intended), that's exactly what a well-conceived business blog is out to achieve - lure internet customers to read the blog, then "enter" the website, and leave as a new customer or client.  The informally presented, relevant, and new information you provide in your blog is part of your business' overall marketing strategy.

Reading further into the article, I learned Colussy does a lot more to market his dealership than blowing scent - he's had the floors resealed and repaired, the lights brightened, added colorful displays, flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi access, workstations, and a coffee bar.

Carrying on with my comparison, your blog is just one piece of the strategizing you do with your web designer, marketing consultant, ghost blogger, managers, and employees.  It's all part of what sales trainers call your "unique selling proposition".  Your blog is a key piece of that proposition.  It's the" whiff that whets" - your potential customer's appetite for doing business with you!

 

Responding to a broadcast about ex-Pacers basketball star Jermaine O'Neal's supposedly "trashing" his old team at an introductory news conference with the Toronto Raiders, Indianapolis Star's Bob Kravits remarks how unfair he considers that report to be.  Kravitz points out that O'Neal has been a treasure for our community, spending lots of time and money to make Indianapolis better for young people.  Needless to say, I wasn't present at Kravitz's talk with O'Neal on draft day, and I had not caught the broadcast "Trashing Our Town" on WTHR that made Kravitz so indignant. What this whole incident reinforces for me, though, is how careful we all need to be with our words, first because it's easy for words to be misinterpreted, and then because it's more productive in business to emphasize the positive and unique things you bring to the market than to "trash" your competitors.

Because blogs, by definition, are much more informal and personal than marketing brochures or websites, bloggers need to be particularly watchful to avoid "trash" and deliver treasure.  Being informal (which is what blogs should be) is different from being casual (which perhaps is what blogs, at least business blogs, should not be).  With each blog post, you should focus on some aspect of your overall marketing approach.  In trying to "win the search" and at the same time "win the hearts" of potential customers, include at least one valuable nugget - some expert information, a little-known fact, an observation about something going on right then in your business or in the world. 

In winning blogs, the number of words devoted to bashing the competition or used just to fill space on nonrelevant topics:  few to none.  As a professional ghost blogger, I know that the focused blog offers byte-sized "treasures" (pun intended) in each blog post!

High-end residential complexes offer their services, as do all the best hotels.  Concierges help with everything from setting salon appointments, arranging luggage pickup from hotel rooms, booking tours, and offering sightseeing tips.

Personal concierges are the fastest-growing subset of the breed, running errands for people with little spare time (or for those who prefer to spend their time in pursuits more engaging than picking up groceries or dry cleaning).  My friend Judi Stephenson of Another You Concierge tells me her company performs thousands of different services ranging from party planning to dog-sitting.  In "Helping Hands", Indianpolis Woman magazine described concierge services as freeing "those with hectic lives from mundane tasks".

Businesses, particularly small businesses, need concierges, too.  Blogging, an essential customer acquisition tool in our increasingly web-based world, is no mundane task.  Still, few business owners, even with the help of talented employees, can spare the time to post relevant, new material with enough consistency and frequency to improve search engine rankings.

Concierges pick up stuff for clients: luggage, packages, children, arriving guests; a ghost blogger must "pick up" the business owner's individual style and vision.  Concierges deliver stuff: mailings, groceries, gifts, messages, flowers, reservations, meals; ghost bloggers "deliver" content to the Web.  This, in turn, helps "deliver" traffic to the business' website.

As Indianapolis Woman puts it, "You might find yourself wishing you had a clone, just to accomplish everything on your to-do list."  Well, when it comes to blogging for business, your blog "concierge" can be your clone!

 

One good rule of thumb about business blogging is to narrow down the target audience.  In Blogs And Podiums - Choose Yours Wisely, I explained that, to be an effective marketing tool for your business, your blog must to be the result of a well-planned strategy aimed at a specific segment of the market.  I advised picking one area of focus, rather than trying to tell your blog readers about everything you have to offer and about all the things you do.

Just the other day, in Speaker (the magazine I receive as a member of the National Speakers Association) there was an article by Terri Langham about the Alice Cooper rock music group.  By way of reminder for those blog readers not "into" the rocker scene, the Alice Cooper 1972 hit "School's Out" topped the charts worldwide.  The groups's tour the following year broke box office records formerly set by The Rolling Stones.  The Alice Cooper stage show was "way over the top" by anybody's standards, complete with guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, live chickens, and a real boa constrictor. 

The point Terri Langham was making about this band was that it had a signature way of doing things, a "brand", and she advises aspiring professional speakers to develop their own unique brands.  But the point I want to bring out here relates to the thought process the band members used in creating their Alice Cooper brand.  Realizing that having a male (Vince Furnier as Alice Cooper) playing the role of a witch in tattered women's clothing and makeup and holding a snake would cause social controversy, the band made a brilliant career decision.  They focused on one target audience - kids.  "If the parents hate it, the kids will love it." became the motto.

I'm no rock groupie, to be sure, but as a professional ghost blogger, I find the Alice Cooper marketing strategy "right on". Narrow down your target market.  Figure out what those people need and want that you have or that you do.  Then do everything you can to "speak" to those people through your blog. You don't care if other segments of the market hate your blog - you want your target customers to love it… all the way to your website!

At a wine-tasting event at Deano's Vino a couple of weeks ago, I got to try some very fine wines and sample some tasty cheeses.  My friends and I were then treated to an entertaining, informative mini-lecture by Deano, the proprietor of this fun Fountain Square, Indianapolis eatery.  As a teacher and speaker myself for so many years, and now as a ghost business blogger, I especially enjoy seeing ways in which other speakers and writers use words to convey ideas and information to an audience. 

Somewhere in the middle of his short talk, Deano (who manages to be quite funny while still being serious about his topic) alluded to Mel Brooks' Robin Hood character in Men In Tights. Deano wanted to bring out that, when a customer finds a product or service that's the exact right thing for him or her, it's as if a light pops on. You need to get the customer to say "Aha!" just the way Robin Hood said "Aha, Aha! Right rope!" as he climbed a rope to make his escape.

Your business blog should be designed to elicit that same kind of "Aha" response.  Remember, your potential customer is searching on the Web for a product, a service, or for information. Like Robin Hood, the customer's moving fast, browsing the Internet, using a search engine, scanning rather than reading.  You're hoping for an "Aha!" response, because if the "light pops on", that browser will want to find out more about you and your business. By offering a "content-tasting" on your blog, and doing that regularly and frequently, you'll have put Search Engine Optimization to work for you and your business, converting tasters - to buyers.

I’m fond of thinking of ghost blogging as an art, but, truth be told, there’s quite a bit of science to it as well. Part of the science has to do with targeting an audience.  By that I mean your blog can’t be all things to all people, any more than your business can be all things to everybody.  The blog must be targeted towards the specific type of customers you want and who will want to do business with you.  Everything about your blog should be tailor-made for that customer -–the words you use, how technical you get, how sophisticated your approach, the title of each blog entry– all of it.

Science comes into play in another sense as well.  As your ghost blogger, I’ll be using, and repeating, “search terms” to help search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN “notice” your blogs and move them higher and higher on their list. In other words, your blog becomes a marketing tool to achieve SEO, or search engine optimization.

In What’s On Your Blog Bumper? I wrote about blogs bringing you to “top of mind” status with customers. Well, in the same concert program booklet where I found the specialty license plate ad I was writing about, I saw a second advertisement.  Very interesting, this one, called “Make Every Day A Great Performance”.  Talk about targeting an audience – this ad is printed in a symphony concert program book, remember, and every word of that full-page ad had to do with performances and with music.  The ad wasn’t about music at all - it was promoting a retirement living facility!  “So, if you’re looking for a great performance every day, consider how Marquette Manor is in tune with your lifestyle.” My compliments to the ad agency or whoever created that page! It was designed to appeal to the type of customer they knew would be seeing that ad.

Your company blog is definitely not an ad and should not sound like one.  What it is, though, is an invitation to learn more about your field of expertise and about the kinds of products and services you have to offer.  Everything about your blog needs to be targeted for your audience.  And everything about my work as a ghost blogger,  both the science and the art of it, must be targeted to Say It For You – to the right people!

 

By Tony Fannin, President, BeBranded.net

The big question in every marketer’s mind, how much should I spend on marketing? Then, other questions follow; What do I spend on? How much do I spend for each? How do I know what is working? Whether you are a large corporation or a small business, these questions must and need to be asked. But how do you come up with a valid number? You can depend on past spending habits, such as some large corporations do. You can set a number you can afford as is common with small businesses. Or you can approach the question a third way. Another way to set your marketing budget is to view it in two main parts.

How fast do you want to get there?

First, instead of just picking a number you can afford or depending on what you spent last year, your marketing budget should be dictated by your end-of-year goals. There is no text book formula that will work because each business is different. Each industry category is different. And each individual business or corporation’s goals are different. Your market category could be very competitive with many players in your sector or you could be facing only a few “goliaths.” Your budget size should be in balance with how much you want to achieve over the next year and in the long-term, each year’s budget should be in balance to what you want to achieve in the next 3 – 5 years. An aggressive business plan that requires you to meet a high financial goal or an awareness goal can only be accomplished with an equally aggressive marketing plan. Any cut backs in marketing spending, over time, you will see less ROI in your bottom line. For example, GEICO increased their spending by 75% over 4-years. This was twice as much as their competitors. By 2006, GEICO saw the returns they were planning on. According to J.D. Powers & Associates, GEICO stood far above the rest in new-customer acquisition. Even though they are the No. 4 player in the market, they ranked No. 1 in new-customer acquisition. They also topped the brand awareness ladder over their larger competitors.

Some depend heavily on word-of-mouth. This is a tactic that works and should be considered as a part of your overall plan. Two things to keep in mind are someone else is in control of your message and brand, not you, and second, for the most part, it takes time. You have to have the luxury to wait it out until it builds and catches on. Some depend on new media, such as web casting and interactive on-line magazines, to drive their message and brand. This is also a good tactic that works and should be in your mix. The main point to consider on this is the cost of entry into that arena and the cost to keep up. To make new media a focal point of your strategy means you must be early adapters and always be searching for the next big wave before it becomes a big wave.

It’s all or nothing

The second part is an “all or nothing” approach. Don’t look at the concept of budget as to see how much to spend on each tactic, but to see it as what tactics should be FULLY funded and what tactics you should not spend a dime. Like a lot of things in life, if you do it half-way, expect to fail. If you are going to commit your limited resources, then you need to commit to it completely. This brings up a question, “How do I know what to commit to?” This should be answered by taking a hard look at what your core brand stands for. All you do and say as a company should be in alignment with what you really stand for, your true brand position. If your true brand position as a photographer is to “capture romance” then, every marketing tactic that should be FULLY funded needs to be in alignment with romance. If your brand is “self expression” as a national apparel company, the specific tactics you invest in needs to support this concept. I’m not saying to only invest in one or two tactics. You need to still develop a comprehensive marketing plan, but the specifics that go into your plan needs to be only those things that are in harmony with your brand position. And these are the tactics that need your full commitment to realize your end-of-year goals and achieve the ROI you need.

By looking at marketing spending and budget setting differently, you can realistically align expectations and investment amount with your core brand. This will help prevent wasting money with a “shot gun” approach and will further a deeper understanding with your true audience and ultimately gain their loyalty.

It's the eve of a the first BlogIN sponsored by the Smaller Indiana social networking site. I've been a bad blogger, having posted only a few blog entries in almost four months - and this Compendium Blogware ain't cheap.

Therefore, I've also been a negligent owner of an Indianapolis web design company that focuses on Search Engine Optimization, because this blog software is intended to help with organic rankings and I've used a considerable chunk of annual marketing budget to test this software to see if it can help improve my clients organic rankings.

Anyway, I will be attending the BlogIn unconference in a few hours primarily to help inspire me to regularly contribute to this blog, and to steal a few good ideas if possible. Ultimately, I just need a regular blogging routine and the disipline to stick to it, but who has time to set that up and do it?

I intend to develop a content format, to allow readers to know what to expect, and a regular posting schedule, so readers know when to expect it. Maybe I'll hire a ghost writer. Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

Consumer Generated Ads: Friend or Foe?

By Tony Fannin, President, BeBranded.net

From a marketer’s point of view, what’s not to like about consumer generated ads? You get free ideas from all over the globe. They’re submitted by the very people you want to reach. And, there’s an inevitable PR halo effect that glows over the very contest which is generating new and winning concepts. Voila: Instant ad that saves on creative and production fees.

But from an advertising agency’s viewpoint, what’s to like?

First, though the ideas come free, most don’t support the overall brand messaging or fall in line with other executions across different media platforms. Second, the chosen ad tends to only reflect one voice at the expense of other interpretations. And third, the PR push you get is likely short-lived and runs the danger of overshadowing your true marketing message.

In reality only a very few Consumer Generated Ads (CGA) have worked.

Research has shown that adults 25 and under see CGAs as less trustworthy, less socially responsible, and less friendly than professionally produced ads. Those over 25 see CGAs as friendly and creative. The 25 and under crowd also sees CGAs as the marketer’s attempt at pulling the wool over their eyes by trying to be “real” much like when your dad says he’s got the “411 on your new sled.”

Here’s one CGA that backfired recently for a major consumer brand: Chevy Tahoe. The major auto maker invited ads to be made by average consumers. On a special Web site, Chevy provided soundtracks and video for users to “mix up” and then download for general viewing. But the pitch backfired when one spot slammed the SUV as a gas guzzling drain on the environment—causing more harm than good. By the time the spot was taken down, hundreds of thousands had viewed it not only on Chevy’s site but also YouTube.com.

Before you invest in CGAs, consider these points:

Look at CGAs as a dialogue, not the answer.

Allow your customers to show, tell, and sound off what they think of your brand. It also shows you how your brand interacts in their daily lives. People want to tell you what they think. Instead of filling out a generic questionnaire or survey, they can express their emotions in a way that will convey key secrets about your brand. Your goal, and the goal of your advertising agency, is to find common threads in the “conversation” that relate to the most customers—addressing their most pressing needs and desires.

Don’t let CGAs hijack your brand.

It is an easy trap to fall into. Someone creates a unique piece that is entertaining, but is a little off your brand message. Over time, this gap widens. Conflicting messages begin to surface, and before you know it—your brand has been hijacked. Having consumers interact with your brand is one thing; having them redefine it is another. Being hijacked means you’ve lost control of your company’s message.

CGAs can be part of an overall marketing strategy.

There is a place for CGAs. Be creative in incorporating them into your marketing plan. Planning how and where you will use them will let you create a unique experience for your customers and prospects. For example, CGAs can be used at an interactive display in the mall. By surrounding the environment with your agency’s crafted messages and visuals, CGAs can work into the mix to enhance the total experience of the visitor at your display.

Consumer generated ads are new and intriguing. No one really knows how to harness this newfound tactic just yet, or tap its true potential. Experimentation will be necessary. Knowing your own brand and how it may or may not fit is important. If you can turn CGA opportunities into meaningful dialogues with consumers, you will be able to gain insights and ultimately, deliver a brand your customers want.

In an article about Toshiba pulling the plug on HD DVD, a spokesperson for the company commented that "Marketing was a weak point for Toshiba." That is the understatement of the year.
 
 In the continual discussion about how to properly market to today's consumer - whether offline or on the web through banner ads, PPC advertising, search engine optimization, viral marketing or otherwise - one thing seems obvious to me with the demise of HD DVD: Toshiba's marketing department did an absolutely horrendous job of choosing a name for their product.
 
 From day one, HD DVD didn't stand a chance against Blu-ray merely because we like to say "Blu-ray" and we hate to say "HD DVD." It does not matter now that it may actually have been a better and more useful technology for the masses, because we'll never know as a a result of bad branding.
 
 I try to not be critical of others, especially in areas that are not my specialty, but the victory of VHS over Betamax decades ago is not a clue as to how to name a product for today's marketplace. That should be obvious to any creative director.
 
 The clues are everywhere as to what types of catchy names have been attached to successful new brands in the last decade: Google, iPod, Starbuck's, Scion, MySpace, Facebook, Panera's Bread, Under Armour, and many more. These names flow off your tongue and are pleasant to utter and repeat over and over. I iPod this; I Google that; I Facebook you; I MySpace me; and Under Armour for all.
 
 Not too many recently introduced brands that I can think of have initials as their main focus. The MD in WebMD was already a universally used acronym, so it brought recognition and value to that brand's name. With FUBU, you pronounce that name like a cool word.
 
 Congratulations to Sony for finally winning a format war and getting the Betamax monkey off their back. Pretty soon "Blu-ray" will be a verb that describes the action of shooting hi-def video footage. "I was there and I blu-rayed it!"
 
 So, when you want to introduce a new product, be sure to remember the lesson of HD DVD, and stay away from a long string of initials for your brand, which needs to convey a warm and fuzzy emotional relationship with your target audience, not an initialed, commoditized, and cold connection.

As part of our efforts to promote my Indianapolis search engine optimization company, we've become a full-season sponsor of the BAM Racing #49 Sprint Cup car. I have already benefitted from the association with the team, beacause it is a natural fit for a company called DRIVE. What I discovered today, when the car failed to qualify for the Daytona 500, is that when you throw your support behind an underdog in the big leagues, you better be prepared for dissappointment.

Of course, the only reason I was watching the race during the middle of a work day was to see how my team did. I would never consider such a distraction otherwise. In addition to the down side of missing the show on Sunday, I discovered that during the upcoming season I won't be able to actually enjoy the races from my usual fan's perspective because of my involvement with the team.

So be sure when you commit to being a sponsor of an event or organization that you understand your perspective will immediately change as a result, and that your ability to innocently appreciate that entity as an outside observer will forver change.

We'll see how this sponsorship deal turns out as far as our marketing strategy and tactics development are concerned, but at least during the one-year evaluation period it gives me something to write about on a continual basis during the season. I guess I'll be rooting for the other underdogs during the race, including Indianapolis native John Andretti, but my thoughts will be on the #49 car making the race the following week.

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Turning customers from passive to passionate

In today’s world, it’s all about market connection. Consider the tools at your disposal to reach people; traditional TV and newspaper ads, podcasts and mobile marketing via cell phones, street art and product placement. With all of these tools available, why are marketers still having problems separating themselves from their competitors and not getting customers to respond?

Market connection is the key. You must connect with your customers in a real way. Customers desire an emotional connection with organizations they do business with. They want the experience to transcend beyond mere transactions. That bond keeps you from being a commodity and driven down to the lowest common denominator, which is usually price. By doing this, you can make yourself meaningful and ultimately bring value to their lives. The deeper the connection, the deeper the brand loyalty.

Emotion creates intimacy and intimacy allows for deeper connection. To do this you must be responsive to what people value and desire. No one wants to be a part of something that force feeds services or products which aren’t needed. By honestly demonstrating and communicating the true essence of your brand promise, you can offer real choices that make a difference in people’s lives.

An example is our work for a small regional bank. Growth was flat for the past three years. Competition was tough and getting tougher with the national banks moving into new territory with deep pockets. We found out why their current customers did business with them, why some didn’t do business there, and why some didn’t care where they banked.

With this information, we were able to craft a brand message that expressed the core emotion of what their bank offers. Not only were marketing and all communications efforts coordinated, but the internal staff was educated and given the reasons why the brand took this direction and how they played a critical role.

Within 18 months, the bank realized an increase of more than $22 million in new assets and deposits—all without acquiring other branches. They were also honored by peers and colleagues with various banking awards.

Customers want a reason to care. They want to be inspired, and in some small way know that you understand their daily lives and how you can make it better, easier, more enjoyable. Emotional experiences are distinguishing category leaders from the increasing look-alike, seem-alike, be-alike brands. If you give customers what they really want in an emotional, experiential way, they will reward you with their loyalty and passion.

Here’s how to make that emotional connection:

• Find out what your customers really care about.
• Define a singular, emotional brand promise.
• Every touch point must be an experience that supports your promise.
• All marketing tactics must support and make sense with your brand promise (Why would the Vogue magazine, for example, buy a sponsorship at the X Games?)
• Establish a method to translate and measure the consumer emotional insights into tangible and intangible value to your business.

Science increasingly tells us that emotion, not rational thought, is the key to consumer behavior. The more emotionally engaging the experiences you offer, the more effective your brand will be. By truly connecting with your customers, you can gain on ROI, Return On Involvement.

Businesses blame customers for not being loyal, but very few have given them a reason to be loyal. In Scott McKain’s book, “What Customers Really Want,” he describes the elements of the customer experience:

• Superior information – This is just flat out knowing more about your customers than your competitors. You know which specific customers have what individual preferences, desires, and needs.
• Systematic empathy – The ability to identify with and understand another person’s feeling or difficulties. There should be a system in place to respond to customer needs and create a positive experience for them when all is said and done.
• Obsession for the sensation – You need to prove to customers that you care more for them than their money. Turn your business into one big “customer experience”. Create a feeling of passion and excitement for your customers. This will create passion and excitement in your customers for you.

By creating market connections built on meeting emotional needs, you can create a business that will turn customer passivity into passion.