DECEMBER, 2013
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Are your company's BRAND and REPUTATION on the same page? The barriers you need to overcome! Unhappy Customers Are Good Complainers
Articles and posts worth sharing.
Published by: Solutions Marketing & Consulting LLC 14001 N. 50th St. Scottsdale, AZ 85254 602-380-7230 866-658-9933 Elaine Fogel, Editor Copyright Š 2013 Solutions Marketing & Consulting LLC Some rights reserved. This newsletter may be shared in its entirety through its direct URL. No part of the content may be copied in any way without our permission... or else.
Monster Marketing Mashup
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COVER STORY: Are Your Company’s Brand and Reputation on the same page? The barriers you need to overcome!
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Resources to Make Your Job Easier
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Marketing Definition of the Month
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Specials, Discounts, & Deals on Promotional Products and Custom Printing
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On the BLOG
We publish this newsletter for the benefit of our clients, colleagues, and others interested in marketing, branding, and customer orientation. Heck, even uninterested people are welcome to read it! Opinions expressed here are our own, based on many years of slogging away at marketing and branding. The content is intended to inform and inspire those who have any involvement in marketing a product, service, or company. And, of course, it also serves as a marketing vehicle for our company to demonstrate our thought leadership, talents, available services, and passion for helping companies succeed. Why else would we do it?
HAPPY HANUKKAH! MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY KWANZAA! We want to wish our clients, readers, friends, colleagues, and followers, the best of the holiday season! May 2014 bring you good health and prosperity.
If you have any beefs with the content, feel free to keep them to yourselves, or if you must, you can tell us by e-mailing: info@solutionsmc.net.
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SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
Elaine and Allen Fogel Solutions Marketing & Consulting LLC
Does Your Email Program Need Some ‘White Space’? I'm not talking about the design concept that breaks up masses of content with strategically placed open spaces, although that's an excellent idea. Instead, “white space” is my term for breaking up a continual flood of promotional emails with an occasional message that says more than “buy-buy-buy.”
Articles and posts worth sharing.
2013 Customer Service Expectations & Frustrations In 2013, 62% of global consumers switched service providers due to poor customer service experiences, up 4% from last year. The infographic below highlights customers’ great expectations and frustrations in 2013, and shows key areas for focus as we head into 2014.
18 Social Media Marketing Tips From the Pros Would you like to improve your social media marketing? Are you wondering what social media marketing tactics the pros like to use? Read what top social media pros have shared about their hottest social media marketing tactics.
INFOGRAPHIC
3 Essential Pieces of Marketing Content Every Business Must Create The point of content is to get people to understand you have something that might just make sense for them, that you know what you’re talking about and that your approach can be trusted above all others.
SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
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Are your company's
on the same page? The barriers you need to overcome! By Elaine Fogel
When it comes to brand building and reputation management, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face the same challenges that larger companies do. What people say about your business is as important as what you say about it.
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SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
There’s a gap between peoples’ expectations and their actual experiences with your business or brand. But, don’t worry - you’re in good company. A global research project by Fleishman-Hillard and Lepere Analytics, released earlier this year, found that this Authenticity Gap exists for every brand they studied. I’ll bet that doesn’t make you feel better, does it? The Authenticity Gap, the study claims, threatens your company’s credibility, growth, and progress. To avoid this from happening to your business, the study report provides nine authenticity drivers that fall under three essentials “strands.” These drivers comprise the code of conduct to understanding and managing “real” authentic engagement that closes the gaps between customer expectations and experience. When your company creates true relationships with its audiences, they can drive progress and opportunity. But, when your business has a misalignment between its brand and reputation, it can greatly affect its success. Misaligned companies: •
On the other hand, when there’s authentic engagement, companies: •
experience a common focus around shared goals
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are more effective and efficient
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have more effective advocates
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have a shock absorber in crises
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gives them a competitive advantage
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are more attractive to partners
The three essential strands:
Management Behaviors These behaviors are driven by a commitment to do the right thing; having more consistent and stable financial and operational performance; and communicating more frequently and credibly.
Customer Benefits
are more vulnerable to crisis
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have difficulties recruiting and retaining employees
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lack leadership credibility
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experience ethical problems
BRAND: What you say and how you behave. REPUTATION: What others say about you based on shared perceptions.
These benefits involve taking better care of employees, contributing to society in a way that has a better impact on the community, and taking better care of the environment.
This philosophy is something I’ve espoused for many years. In order for customers and prospects to gravitate to your business, they have to believe that it’s credible, that it walks its talk, and is authentic in its brand messages and behaviors. Your business’ brand is so much more than its logo, colors, and identity. It represents every touchpoint in the company. Taking a holistic approach to brand building and reputation management involves each employee and department, whether your company has 3 employees, 300, or more.
These benefits are a combination of offering products and services that are better value, taking better care of customers, and innovating new and better products and services.
experience poor employee performance
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Society Outcomes
The Authenticity Gap on YouTube 1:00
What happens when your brand and your reputation aren't on the same page? SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
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Study Says Small-Medium Businesses Seeing Higher Twitter ROI A recent study by BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor says that small-medium businesses (SMBs) perceived their Twitter ROI as “excellent” (10-19 times spend; 18.8%) or “extraordinary” (20+ times spend; 12.3%), up from 25% of advertisers in last year’s survey and 17.1% in 2011. But, there’s something missing here.
Want to Reach Your B2B Buyers? What are the best methods to reach your B2B (business-to-business) buyers? A recent study by Pardot (ExactTarget), has some interesting findings for companies that market to businesses.
Unhappy Customers Are Good Complainers It’s official! When American customers experience negative customer service, the majority (34%) will complain or ask for a manager. According to survey results by CorvisaCloud, ...
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SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
“Brand Idea”
The brand idea: what you want the brand to stand for that is differentiated from your competition and relevant to your target audiences. The brand idea gives your target audiences reasons to choose your brand over others. (Adapted from “The essentials of branding,” The Big Book of Marketing , Landor Associates, McGraw-Hill, 2010
SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
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HAPPY NEW YEAR CARDS!
Your wish for a happy holiday will extend throughout the year with this stylish card-calendar.
Champagne bubbles dance above a wish for a Happy New Year to send family, friends, and associates.
Wish a whimsical Happy New Year to friends and family with this multi striped card in shades of blue and green.
Happy New Year stands out in blue against the bold gray and white stripes of this contemporary holiday card.
It’s not too late to send cards for the New Year! These attractive greetings will stand out after the Christmas and Hanukkah cards have been tossed. Printing Type: Digital Size: 7 7/8” x 5 5/8” Personalization options: •
32 Lettering Styles
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9 Different colors
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Premade Verses
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Create a custom verse
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Add artwork
$25 OFF ANY ONE ORDER OVER $300!
Quantities: from 25 - 1000 All cards come with envelopes with no additional charge. FREE proof of your personalized imprint copy, shown with the verse and color of your choice.
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SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
Expires: 12-27-13
FREE PENS WITH CALENDAR ORDERS
Ask us about this deal! Expires: 12-27-13 Many other 2014 calendars available.
VISIT OUR ONLINE CATALOGS FOR PRODUCT IDEAS. OR, SAVE TIME AND LET US DO THE WORK!
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Ask for Allen!
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SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT, BUSINESS EDITION, DECEMBER 2013
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that may earn us a buck or two... It doesn’t add up to a meal a month, but we keep trying.
Integrated Marketing Solutions for Nonprofits and Businesses ABOUT | SERVICES BUSINESS MARKETING SOLUTIONS solutionsmc.net info@solutionsmc.net In Phoenix: 602-380-7230 Toll-free: 866-658-9933 (Mountain Standard Time, GMT -7)