Digg it UP - Business

Thoughts On Corporate Identity
Classically Corporate Identity has favored logo related issues that either represent admirable aspects of a company or that engender feelings or emotions companies want potential or actual customers to experience. Although we still hope to show admirable attributes and evoke proper emotions through Corporate Identity, there is a need today to provide more.As with so much of life the Internet has forever changed the way we identify our businesses.Identity is made up of many things but at its most basic level is comprised of Image(s) and Information. Image may be an actual graphic component or a series of key words or phrases that create a mental picture or a combination thereof. However, everything is information (small i). But in the case of Corporate Identity information must be restricted to that which pertains to the fundamental tenets upon which the business has been established and / or will thrive.The first of these factors, Image, has been defined, discussed and theorized about for centuries. It is the domain of artists, literati, philosophers, psychologists and psychiatrists, mathematicians, computer scientists, photographers and many other students of social interaction. It is also vitally critical to each of us individually and in our roles as business owners and manage

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

RESPECT
It’s not surprising that Seth Godin – author of seven best selling books about how to make your business remarkable – always emails me back within 30 minutes. I drop him a line every once in a while to pass along an interesting website or, in this case, ask a question. He replied with a brilliant one-word answer: RESPECT. Period.

AUTHENTICITY
John More, owner of Brand Autopsy, maintained the most important word in marketing was AUTHENTICITY. “With the world becoming one gigantic ad, consumers today can sniff out anything that smells the least bit fake and inauthentic. Success will come truer and faster if companies can design products, programs, and services that are authentic in meaning, purpose, and delivery.”

Moore dug deeper on the topic of authenticity and explained that “Authenticity is usually a by-product of a purpose-driven business. And unfortunately, there ain’t enough businesses out there with the purpose of making a positive difference in the world.”

PASSION
Similarly, Tom Asacker from A Clear Eye says it’s all about PASSION. “Passion for one's business and for one's calling inspires and attracts people. They want to be to believe, to belong; to become. And that's the essence of marketing today.”

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support fr

Network Marketing - A Bit of History and Future
It’s an exciting world we live in today and one far different than the world of fifty-years ago. There are very few things in our society now that existed five decades ago, and if they do exist, they have certainly changed in a great many ways.Most people don’t realize that Network Marketing has been around, and flourishing, for more than fifty years. Not only that, but it has gained force over the years, to the point that today, it is the single marketing technique that brings in the most revenues for those that participate.People are suspicious of changeIn the 1960’s franchising was the new technology in business. My parents remember what a scam everyone thought franchising to be. In fact franchising was almost outlawed by Congress, and today this “once thought to be scam” is responsible for over 30% of retail sales in Northern America. Network Marketing has and does face the same scrutiny.Let’s begin at the beginningOver fifty years ago, long before home based businesses truly prospered, in the early 1940’s, a company called California Vitamins (known as NutraLite Food Supplement Corporations) struck gold with a brand new concept. They realized that most of their incoming sales force were referred to them by their current sales force, and in fact, were usually family members and friends. They quickly

What’s the most important word in marketing?

Free?
Why?
Truth?
Honesty?
Integrity?

At first glance, it seems like a simple question. But the more you think about it, the more complex it gets. One could probably argue any number of answers based on his beliefs, values or type of business.

But is there really one word that’s more important than all the others?
One word without which your marketing efforts will be successful?

I recently surveyed dozens of marketing professionals, authors, consultants and small business owners on my blog. The results included a wide range of words; from the emotionally charged to the pragmatic; from the right brain to the left brain and from the customer focused to the company focus. But all of the suggested "most important words in marketing" fell into one of two categories: Traditional Marketing or Modern Marketing.

Traditional Marketing: The Old School
Traditional Marketing used to be all about advertising. It was expensive, short lived, and had little to do with the Internet or word of mouth. Also, it aimed its messages at passive audiences. Leading expert and best selling author Seth Godin calls this "Interruption Marketing," in which the marketer talks directly to as many consumers as possible.

Now, although this traditional style of marketing has lost some of its prowess to the fierce competition of the web, it’s still a powerful medium through which companies can reach their customers. Let's see which words the experts chose from this category.

NOTE: before you read the survey results below, take a minute to answer the question for yourself: What do you think is the most important word in marketing? Once you’ve made your decision, read on and see how your answer compares.

NEW
"NEW is probably the strongest word in marketing," explains Ronnie Horowitz from The TRIZ Journal. "People are attracted to new products like a magnet. Introducing new products on a constant basis is the best way to get attention and invaluable free publicity for your business."

WHY
Michael “The Success Doctor” Fortin believes the most important word in marketing is WHY. “It is much better to communicate why you are original, special or unique; why you are better, different or superior than competitors – not just the fact that you are. Imply your superiority by specifying as much as possible.”

CUSTOMER
Sivaraman Swaminathan from Customer World says we shouldn’t overlook the obvious word, CUSTOMER. “I think marketing has evolved because the focus is on the customer. The soul of marketing is the customer. Period. In marketing, you will fail even if you have greatest passion for the wrong target audience; you will fail if you don't know whom you should respect, and you will fail if you don't know which customer to trust.”

YOU
Similarly, Robert Middleton from Action Plan Marketing said, “The most important word in marketing is YOU. That is, marketing needs to convey very clearly what's in it for the client or customer.”

FREE
FREE was also touted by several experts as the most important word. Edward “Skip” Masland, owner of Web Solvers says “FREE was, is and will always be the most powerful word in marketing. It attracts eyeballs. It gets results and responses quickly. And marketers may not profit today – or tomorrow – but if they can generate a groundswell of interest from something free, they know they will profit sooner or later.”

On the other hand, Bob Serling from Idea Quotient wrote an article claiming that FREE was the most dangerous word in marketing. “I've been advising businesses for nearly 20 years that a business model driven by attracting prospects through giving something away for free is almost always a model for failure. And it doesn't matter whether you use this model online or offline – it will nearly always fail.”

LISTENING
Next, Karen from Dezign Matters explained that the most important word in marketing was something you DON’T say. “I think the word is LISTENING. A little time leaning back and listening quietly can save time, money and leave the client and customer feeling that someone truly heard what they were trying to say.”

BECAUSE
Michael Daehn, author of Marketing Ingenious explained, “I read a case study about cutting in lines at a copy machines. The hypothesis was that the word ‘please’ would get the best response. But the results proved that the word ‘because’ received a much better response given that the word offered a reason to let someone cut in line. Therefore, we as marketers need to give customers a reason to buy.”

RESULTS
Lastly, Michael Cage from Small Business Marketing Systems said the most important word in marketing was RESULTS. “Small businesses are often suckered into fluffy, fancy marketing concepts that sound great but produce absolutely nothing in the real world. If the business owner or marketing department can't tie what they do to results, likewise, they need to step back and get it right before passing go.”

Modern Marketing: The New School
20 years ago, nobody knew what the words “blog,” “RSS feed,” “personal branding,” “viral marketing” or “google” meant. But now – at the risk of sounding clich? – the rules have changed. Business is different. Customers are smarter. And marketing isn’t the same old run-a-bunch-of-ads-and-hope-people-buy-your-stuff system.

Now, it’s all about creating an emotional connection. It’s about being unforgettable, unbelievable and unique. It’s about providing an experience that’s so fantastic, customers not only remain loyal to you – but they tell all their friends to do the same.

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support fro

Metal Detectors Online
Shopping online for a metal detector helps to research and compare various types of metal detectors. Customers can compare different brands and models of metal detectors. Online shopping of metal detectors depends on various factors. They are price, selection, customer service, shipping and warranty.Price is an important factor in online shopping. Most sites provide a price list for metal detectors. Some sites offer price discounts. Online shops allow the customer to select different products and set the price range. Customers can compare the prices of different metal detectors using this price range. Some sites provide free accessories along with metal detectors. There are discounts on bulk orders of accessories. Customers can select used metal detectors from online shops. Used metal detectors come with special discounts. The selection of the right metal detector is very important. Certain sites carry only a particular brand. Others display a wide range of metal detectors from different companies.A few sites provide the field test reports of metal detectors. The customer can select the best brand by analyzing these reports. Most sites record reviews about their products. This helps to view the rating of a particular metal detector. Customers can request brochures of metal detectors online. For this, he has to fill the online broc

l a powerful medium through which companies can reach their customers. Let's see which words the experts chose from this category.

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support fr

Design Elements of Effective Marketing
When you speak of the concept of design as it applies to marketing, there are some general concepts that you need to keep in mind. The first is that the design used in your advertising material is going to have a very large impact on the way that potential customers view your business. It may not seem that a flyer design would have much importance, but when the work is perceived as shoddy that is exactly the impression the reader will have of you. It is important to make design an important part of the advertising effort.The design should reflect the ambiance of your company also. If you are selling medical products, for example, your brochure design should reflect a serious and professional attitude. If, on the other hand, your business is a nightclub designed for swinging singles, the design can afford to be a bit more colorful and humorous. This is the first element of successful design. You need to match the design to the function and purpose of your business.A second element is known as prioritization. This means that the design should consider what is most important to the customer. What information are they going to be looking for first, and is this information being presented clearly? When you are prioritizing your design, you want to place the most important information into the design first, and then work from there outw

t.”

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support fr

What Your Customers Want
Your customers don't know what they want. And to assume otherwise is folly. When you begin relying totally on customers to be your product development department, you are asking for serious trouble.I am not saying that you should discount customer input. However, asking customers what they want is a marketing question and requires experienced marketers to answer.Marketers have the objectivity to look at the marketplace, see through the consumer's self-deception and discern the answer to a tough question that requires some serious analysis.It is behavior that you need to be learning about from your consumers. Ask them questions that will get to the heart of how they use your products and services. This is where their experience is crucial.Let's take an example to illustrate the difference between a "what do you want" and "what do you do" question. Krispy Kreme, the world's best donut-maker, did some customer research in the 1980s to learn more about the customer experience.They didn't ask, "what do you want in a donut?" They asked questions like, "what do you like about Krispy Kreme?" and "when do you buy donuts?"Answers to those questions helped them redesign the Krispy Kreme experience. They learned that people were happiest when the donuts were hot. Additionally, they heard loud and clear that consume

f Marketing Ingenious explained, “I read a case study about cutting in lines at a copy machines. The hypothesis was that the word ‘please’ would get the best response. But the results proved that the word ‘because’ received a much better response given that the word offered a reason to let someone cut in line. Therefore, we as marketers need to give customers a reason to buy.”

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support fr

What NASA Can Teach You About Your Business Goals
Despite the current issues challenging NASA, it’s financing and the future of the Space Shuttle Program, there is a key lesson you can learn from its past successes. This lesson is about setting a complete goal and including the wider implications for your business and your staff.During the space program in the 60’s and 70’s the over-riding focus for the flights to the moon and the other missions was not just getting the astronauts into space but also bringing them back safely. The Apollo Program was designed with the specific goal of landing humans on the moon and assuring their safe return back to Earth. The “safe return” part of this is often overlooked but this was actually a very key element in ensuring the high level of safety and testing. It also drove the NASA engineers to ensure that they had effective processes for identifying the causes of problems and finding solutions quickly, as was seen in the events of Apollo 13. Everything that was planned and implemented included the safe return element of the goal.In business, we often set goals related to turnover, profit and number of customers. These are solid targets that can be measured and easily identified. However, in the process of setting those goals the impact of achieving them can often be forgotten. You set an ambitious goal for the business and forget that

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support from other experts. Laura from the Smart Musings blog agreed by saying, “John and Tom are right. Consumers can distinguish between authentic and inauthentic marketing. Authentic messages will strike a chord with them. That may encourage them to buy. And once they become a customer, then they may too become passionate about the product. And that is the ultimate goal of marketing: not just to have passionate employees, but passionate customers.”

TRUST
Another popular word was TRUST. Kevin Berringer from Reflections on Business Blog simply said, “No trust = no belief = nobody listens.”

EXPERIENCE
Then, Chris Ray from Interactively Speaking voted for the word EXPERIENCE, as in The Customer Experience. “I believe this word summarizes respect, authenticity, passion, results, etc.” said Ray. “It ultimately decides whether or not a company succeeds.”

AROMA
Next, Jim Seybert from the Jim Seybert Company offered a most unusual suggestion: AROMA. “Brain scientists tell me that smell is the only sense that goes directly to the limbic lobe in our brains - and triggers nothing short of primal emotions. Marketers should pay attention to the ‘aroma’ of their brand. They need to identify the unavoidable, immediate and emotional reaction customers experience upon coming into contact with their brand.”

OPEN
Another intriguing response came from Nellie Lide of The New Persuasion Blog. Her word was OPEN. “You’ve got to be open. Open to others. Open to customers. Open to employees. Open to new. Open to old. Open to scrutiny. Open to derision. Open to joy. Open to different.”

TRUTH
George Silverman, author of The Secrets to Word of Mouth Marketing says it’s all about TRUTH. “Marketing has become synonymous with hype. The truth, compellingly told, is all you need. Just tell it in an interesting way, usually with a story. This allows you to tell the truth about your product and the truth about yourself.”

No Word
The last respondent of the survey was Sean D’Souza from Psycho Tactics. He decided to take the contrarian’s point of view. “There is no one single word that's the most important in marketing. Making such a claim would be like saying your heart is the most important part of your body. I think we try to make things too simplistic. In reality, marketing is a series of things that coordinate together to create magic.”

It’s All In The Hunt
In case you haven’t already figured it out, the answer to the question “What’s the most important word in marketing?” is: it all depends.

Typical marketing answer, huh?

But ultimately, it’s not about the answer – it’s about the question. It’s about the creative thought process each businessperson goes through when he considers what the most important word in marketing is...to him.

Personally, I chose the word CONFIDENCE.

In other words, I want to instill confidence in the minds of potential customers that if they step onto my company’s front porch, they will be working with a credible, valuable, trustworthy individual whose unique school of thought will help them produce results.

But that’s just me. That’s how I roll.

Now, it's up to YOU to reexamine what “marketing” truly means to you and your company. In so doing, you will gain a better understanding about who you are, what you do and whom you do it for.

So, what’s the most important word in marketing...to YOU?

HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.diggitup.net/article/29240/diggitup-Whats-The-Most-Important-Word-In-Marketing.html">What's The Most Important Word In Marketing?</a>

BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.diggitup.net/article/29240/diggitup-Whats-The-Most-Important-Word-In-Marketing.html]What's The Most Important Word In Marketing?[/url]

Have you ever suffered through difficult relationships at work because people were not communicating clearly or appropriately? Have you ever felt that you were not being heard? Would you like to develop better skills for dealing with difficult communication to increase your productivity or well being? Then read this brief article to get some useful tips to improve communication.

Business owners know there is no end to the amount of labels needed to organize their companies. Barcode labels are necessary to track the shelf life of products as well as to take inventory. Address labels are needed to send invoices, advertisements, and other correspondence to customers. How do you know what brand to go with for your laser labels.

Tags

Links

Digg it UP - What's The Most Important Word In Marketing?

Related Articles: