Customer Satisfcation Survey -- Up & Running on MarketGoGo.com

Thanks to the good folks at iPerceptions and Avinash Kaushik, I have put a customer satisfaction survey on the Market GoGo website.

Why is customer satisfaction important to measure through a tool like the 4Q survey? You may already be using an analytics program like Google Analytics, WebTrends, or Omniture. These will tell you how people surfed around on your site, but they won't tell you what they were trying to do, if they achieved that, and what would have helped them better. A good customer satisfaction survey will. Subsequently, that will help you figure out what changes you need to make to your site to help you ensure that your site achieves your goals.

While the 4 free questions will suit my needs for now, a bigger or more complex organization will probably want to be able to ask a few more questions. That's where iPerceptions can offer you a more customized solution that will provide even better information.

What's it like? Check it out at www.MarketGoGo.com.
(You may have to surf around a bit on the Market GoGo site to find it, as it pops up randomly.)

Narrowed Focus

It's been a few days since I posted. Apologies to everyone who follows this regularly. Thanks for following me as a matter of fact!

I've been busy working on a web tourism marketing report for a client, so I haven't had a chance to get to my blog or site.

Yesterday ... I updated Market GoGo.com.
Now I'm only focusing on three things:

• Brand Audits,
• Web Marketing (advertising, sales, & service), and
  
• Marketing Project Management.

Now, the site still needs to be made to look better and do more things ... but that's all just part of the ongoing maturity process for the site. While my focus is on the business and brand strategy behind Brand Audits, Web Marketing, and Marketing Project Management, I'll admit I'm no artist or technical wiz in terms of actually putting a site together. So, part of updating MarketGoGo.com is the journey of learning more about how a website actually goes together.

Free Surveys

For my latest client I have been looking into analytics tools. There are two kinds of Web Analytic Tools that are important:

• Traffic source and path analysis - Tools like Google Analytics, Omniture Site Catalyst, and WebTrends
• Direct survey data - Tools like iPerceptions and ForeSee Results which allow you to actually ask the customer about their experience on your site and how successful they were in completing the task they set out to when they hit your site.

The iPerceptions team pointed me to www.4qsurvey.com - which is a project by Avinash Kaushik and iPerceptions - that will provide you a free survey solution that allows you to ask 4 set (but somewhat customizable) questions.

I love the idea. It even fits with one of my Marketing Trends for 2009.
In fact, I loved the idea so much that I'm implementing it on my own website! Check it out at www.MarketGoGo.com.

Narrowing the Focus of Market GoGo

I'm going to take some of my own advice. The advice = Narrow Your Focus.

What does that mean?

It is easy to take the shotgun approach to offering services. However, you then you don't "own" a word in a consumer's mind. When I started Market GoGo I was definitely doing the shotgun approach, covering off:

• Brand Audits
• Web Advertising and Marketing Strategies
• Marketing Project Management
• Call Centre Projects
• RFP Development and Responses

Today, I'm narrowing my focus. I'll slashing off the bottom two things. The fun stuff (for me) are the top three services. So, if you check out Market GoGo's revamped website in the next few days you will find that the three services Market GoGo ONLY offers now are:

• Brand Audits
• Web Advertising and Marketing Strategies
• Marketing Project Management

Contact Market GoGo to learn more about how we can help you with these strategic projects.

Will the web kill TV advertising?

There is an enormous trend of people sitting in front of their TV and surfing the web at the same time. What happens when people do that? Well, they tune out the TV and tune into the web. So, if you're TV ad is running at that time, is it irrelevant?

• Yes it is.
  
• No it isn't. Your TV ad is a huge lever to getting the web surfer to interact with your brand and to take action on your TV ad's call-to-action in ways that were previously impossible. But, you have to do it right, and it has to be worthwhile for your prospect.

If I were making a TV for the Web Surfer, I'd:

• Call it out loud and clear at the start - Maybe start with an actor knocking on the TV screen, and calling out "Hey you. Yah, you, surfing the web while you watch TV. Watch this for 20 seconds."
• Provide a great hook to get people to the site. A mystery. A problem.
  
• Give a simple URL.
  
• Show the URL for a long time.
• Buy similar URLs that are mis-spellings.
• Put up a great and tightly integrated interactive micro-site that is more than just simply the TV ads.

A recent example that I experienced a couple of days ago ... I was watching TV and writing this blog, and a weird ad came on featuring "Soprano-sytle" gangsters. They come up to the TV screen and peer in at you. It gives you an awkward feeling. The ad is all quiet. At the end, there is a URL that is up for a long time that says "www.peerintoasoul.ca". What could I do? I had to satisfy my curiosity and go look at the site. It turns out the ad is for the new Kia Soul. The micro-site is not bad, but probably could have had a lot more for their target market to play with - such as a "Design your own Soul".

As with any critic, I could criticize a number of other things, but hey ... those who live in glass houses. Anyhow, I generally like what Kia did with the integration of the TV campaign and the Microsite.

Will the PVR kill TV Advertising?

NO! I got a new TV, PVR, and all the other widgets a few weeks back. I wondered if it would change the way I watch TV and ignore the ads. My observations so far about my PVR'ing habits:

• When I'm fast forwarding through the ads, I actually have to watch the ads. I can't tune them out and do something else.
  
• Ads with their brand ikon big and bold in the middle of the screen for a long time really pop out.
• Clearly I can't hear the ad.
  

If I were making a TV ad for the "PVR generation", I'd:

• Work on hooks that would work with sight alone - Perhaps an ad solely for PVR people shot in slow-mo, but with signs held by the actors, an introduction pop-out saying "PVR tuned ad from " and with a warning about 10 seconds before the end of the (regular speed) ad that says "HIT PLAY NOW. This sound advice brought to you by ". Of course, for that last bit to work, the ad would always need to be the last one before the show returned.
• Have silent ads. Why waste the sound. Plus, a silent ad will attract the attention of a viewer who is watching the ad live. With the appropriate pop-outs during that ad, there will be a touch of appealing humor.
• Keep your brand name up or pop it up frequently throughout the commercial. It needs to be big, probably centered (to avoid getting lost in the fray of the PVR's own overlays), and displayed for long times.
  

The Marketing Strategies you'll need to do business in 2009

I have spent a lot of the last two months forecasting what I think are going to be the top 20 Marketing Trends for 2009, and also listing out the business strategies that you will need to pursue to survive, prosper, and WIN in 2009. If you'd like help with any of these items, have a look at the Market GoGo site, and don't hesitate to contact Market GoGo to get a qualified Marketing Strategy Consultant to help you.

1. Integrated Interactive Campaigns
   
• Allowing prospects to become customers (e.g. participate with us to get your instant coupon),
  
• Getting prospects and customers to sign-up for promotional emails (e.g. sign-up for an instant saving, and also for future savings ... the "flyers" of tomorrow), and
  
• Building an ongoing relationship with the brand (e.g. play with us and learn more about our products and services).
  


2. Bankruptcy (the penalty for not advertising)
   
• Advertise hard throughout this recession and be sure that the advertising you produce actually works
  


3. Direct Marketing will be in vogue
   
• Creating targeted and relevant campaigns that can be executed on multiple DM channels
  
• Tuning existing DM campaigns
  
• Ensuring your lists are opt-in and accurate
  
• Personalizing DM campaigns based on profile, preferences, and interactions
  
• Treat your email list like gold. Use it carefully. Don't abuse it.
  
• Focus on your existing customers. Mine your customer databases and create appropriate personalized direct offers
  
• Look at each DM media and look for new opportunities.
  


4. Focus on the green in your pocket ... not the green in your forests
   
• Focus on value in the short-term, and
  
• Build a credible and real environmental culture and brand for the long-term.


5. Simple Strategies ... Back to the Basics
   
• Branding - What is your brand promise? How does your company support it? (Does your company support it?)
  
• Retail Ads - To paraphrase David Ogilvy, a good ad is one that sells your product. 2009 is not the time for airy fairy branding ads. 2009 is the time for simple and honest ads that educate people about the value of your product and scream out at them to take action.
  
• Customer Retention - The cheapest customer to sell to is an existing customer. It is time to revisit and work your current customers to remind them that you are a low-risk and well-known value for them (of course, I'm expecting that you really are). Reselling, upselling, and cross-selling are all ways that you can make ends meet (and maybe even eke out a profit) in 2009.
  
• Customer Satisfaction - It is almost like hearing the same message twice. If you are going to revisit your current customers, then you better ensure that they are happy with your product or service, and make real steps to bolster your customer satisfaction.
  
• Real Return on Investment - Projects you undertake in 2009 better have real and demonstrable ROI (and they better have it fast).
  


6. Paid Search advertising will grow substantially again
   
• Do Paid Search Engine Marketing: Oh, and do it well. Track the ROI of keywords and be sure that you are making your money on every word that you are bidding on.
  
• Work your copy: A paid search ad is just a simple little bit of text. But, it may be the most powerful 12 to 15 words you ever write. Test, revise, test, revise, and don't stop. Make sure that every bit of copy you put out there on those search ads is on brand and works as well as it possibly can. Additionally, customize copy for each search term you have out there. You should have tens, hundreds, or even thousands of ads floating out there in the ether of the search world.
  
• Create Landing Pages: Every paid search bid should have its own purpose-made landing page with your call to action highlighted. No one should ever click on your paid search ad and end up at your home page (or worse, a 404 error).
  
• Do Organic Search Engine Optimization: SEO is "free" and having a high organic rank will pay off rapidly - even in places where you are also bidding on a relevant keyword. But, to be honest, SEO isn't free and it isn't a one-time project. SEO requires solid resourcing with people who have a good understanding of what they are doing. It is also a journey not a destination. So, you have to be prepared to continually revisit your SEO and tune your website.
  


7. Online commerce will continue to increase
   
• Know that more people will be hitting your site looking for deals,
  
• Make sure your best deals are present on your home page, and
  
• Ensure that throughout your check-out process you have GREAT and SIMPLE up-sell and cross-sell options.


8. Online Advertising will Continue to Grow
   
• Do review your traditional advertising spend VERY closely. What worked? What didn't? What is dubious? Slash and burn anything but that which worked. Figure out how you can build on those things that worked.
  
• Do online advertising. Look at how you can be creative with it. Also, look at how you can integrate with traditional advertising that is working. Similarly, look at how you can integrate it with Direct Marketing opportunities.
  
• Focus on your Cost Per Acquisition. Use analytics and look at all of your online advertising and its performance (including creative, message, placement, etc.). Use this information to tune your ads and your media buys in order to lower your CPA. To lower your media buys, look at options like bulk buys, advertising networks, or even changing the type or mix of ads you are running entirely (e.g. maybe increase your search spend, and reduce your banner ad spend).
  


9. RFP Responses will be critical
   
• Sharpen your pencil and fill up your printer with new toner and good quality printing stock
  
• Get to know the purchasing people in Government offices at all levels, and get on their RFP lists
  
• Search long and hard for RFPs that suit your business
  
• Fully understand each RFP and what problem it really seeks to solve
  
• Create a compelling RFP response that clearly shows the client you understand their problem, and clearly tells the story of how you will help them resolve that problem.


10. Uncertainty
    
• Adopt a long-term low-cost strategy.
  
• Get back to the basics on your Marketing strategy.
  
• Narrow your focus.
  


11. "Do It Yourself" and Free will be music to consumers' ears
    
• Look for opportunities where your customer can lower the cost of your product or service by doing some of the work themselves.
  
• Ensure that you make your product or service a "must have" item to do the work. (E.g. your product must be the essential item to make the outcome work),
  
• Advertise that the value-add is free, but ensure that the value of your product or service stands out on its own.


12. The demand to build bulletproof cases to gain project funding
    
• Spend a lot of time planning. In fact, set up cross-functional teams to help you do your planning,
  
• Get your teams trained in good planning methods, and
  
• Rely on standard and proven project management and financial models.


13. Online Interactive Marketing will grow
    
• Determine and Pursue your Social Media strategy: First off you have to recognize the value in engaging significantly and frequently with your prospects and customers, and then look at the opportunities you have to "monetize" your involvement. You need to develop a long-term social media strategy, plan, and related tactics. You also need to invest in getting good people and training them to do the job right. Tactics you may employ include:
  
• Publish your own blog - content you might publish includes your Executives views on your culture, your ad campaigns, your product, your people, stories from your customers, and your company's history.
  
• Participate in other blogs and reviews - use Techorati, Google, IceRocket, and others to track blogs and reviews where your company's name shows up, or where topics that are important to you show up. Create a "company blog spokespersa" (which could actually be several people, so long as they stick to the persona). Participate in blogs. For instance, if someone gives your product a good review then thank them for that. If someone gives your product a bad review then see what you can do to resolve the problem.
  
• Add Reviews to your Site - There are two companies out there who can help you get product reviews up on your site fast. They are Buzzillions and BazaarVoice. Either of these two companies can get you up and running fast.
  
• Produce some Online video: Publishing video couldn't be easier with the likes of YouTube and similar hosting sites available for FREE.
  
• Produce TV-like commercials specifically for the web: ... typically lower video quality, shorter, or longer, interactive with the customer
  
• Create Software as an Advertising Media: Build out Google Gadgets, desktop applications, or other similar software that will help your customers connect with you. There has to be real value in the software. But, if you build it, they will come. Plus, they will buy from you!
  
• Build your Opt-in Email List: Email marketing is likely the cheapest and most effective way to reach out to people who have already volunteered to be your customer. If you don't have an inhouse opt-in email list, start one. If you do have it, make sure that your emails are personalized and effective.
  


14. Traditional Print Media will continue to crater
    
• Look carefully at the price and performance of all media - this includes the dying print world, the new interactive world, and everything in between.
  
• Be sure that you have an exit plan for Traditional Print media. If you aren't doing interactive advertising, start now before it is too late for you to get the skills you will need to have to market well with new media.
  


15. TV will do "okay" this year
    
• Ensure your TV advertising is effective. While this may sound obvious ... actually go out and do some research to ensure that your ads have recall, and that the message in them is being understood.


16. REAL Engagement with your customer is critical
    
• Look at advertising opportunities on Social Media sites. There are several advertising agencies and advertising networks who can probably help you do this very effectively and cost-efficiently.
  
• Build a public company blog.
  
• Build secure internal focused blogs and forums to allow your employees to engage with the company and to allow you to learn more about the delivery and branding of your products.
  
• Read and respond to blogs and reviews about your products.
  
• Create a review site for your product on your site, and participate in it actively.
  
• Get access to reviews about your products from your retailers.
  
• Read public reviews about your competitors product and discern from that a certain amount of competitive analysis.
  
• Use testimonials from reviews in your ads.
  
• Create forums for your customers so that they can discuss your product.


17. Balancing that Budget - Looking for more bang for the buck
    
• Innovate. Don't do what you did last year in the misguided hopes that is could work in 2009. You have less money to play with. Figure out new and interesting ways to get your prospective customer or your existing customer to pay attention to you.
  
• Integrate your campaigns. If you are insistent on doing old media, make sure that you find great ways to integrate your campaigns across media. Also - integrate them tightly with an interactive new media element. For instance, the media should all simply include your website. Or, maybe it should direct people to sign-up for a contest on your site - which will also help you to create an opt-in email list.
  
• Look for opportunities to do Direct Marketing tastefully to your existing customers. Make sure you catch their attention, make sure you give them real value in your offer, and make sure you have a solid call-to-action.
  
• Consider (legal) Guerilla Advertising Stunts that will catch attention and give you loads of free and positive publicity.
  
• Try out lots of things on the Internet. If you don't know how, then engage an Advertising Agency or a Marketing Consultant to help you learn more about "how to" and then "what to".
  


18. Survival of the cheapest
    
• BE a Low-Cost company. If you are already a low-cost company, get reacquainted with the strategy basics. If you aren't a low-cost company and you haven't already memorized the list above, then I suggest you buy Michael Porter's book. You can't become Low-Cost overnight. It requires a fundamental change in business strategy and culture. If you are prepared to go this route, be prepared for a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey.
  
• DISCOUNT your wares, and prepare to eat your margin. Why? Because your low-cost competitor is about to stick it to you!


19. Survival of the one who can help you be the cheapest
    
• Look for the value in your product or service. You probably are doing something today that will help other companies lower their costs. If you aren't then find out how you can change your offering to provide that. You must provide value that will help to lower your customers' costs.
  
• Advertise it! One of the other strategies for surviving - and indeed propsering - throught a recession is to Advertise. Once you find your value proposition that helps to lower your customers' costs, then make sure they know about it.


20. Growth Areas - Healthcare, Education, and Government
    
• Develop products and services that have health benefits.
  
• Develop products and services that have educational benefits.
  
• Figure out where to look for Government RFPs and watch for opportunities.

That's the list.

Thank you Forrester Research! U.S. e-commerce comeback seen by 2010

Reuters reported last week that a Forrester Research report indicates:

• E-commerce in the United States is expected to climb back to last year's levels by 2010 after experiencing slowing growth in 2009 due to the recession, a research group said on Monday.
• Online sales in 2010 could reach approximately $176.9 billion, representing 13 percent growth, said Forrester Research in its five-year e-commerce forecast.
• Last week, the group released data saying the online retail channel was expected to grow 11 percent to $156 billion in 2009, below the 13 percent growth seen in 2008, and the 15 percent growth it had earlier predicted for 2009.

Historically there have been few recessions that have lasted for much more than a year. So, get ready for next year now! It's a GREAT time to figure out your e-commerce strategies and put them into action. Service providers are hungry for your business, and your competitors may be battening down the hatches rather than setting sail.

Have a look at Market GoGo's website to see how we can help you get your e-commerce ship in order.

Summary of my 20 marketing trend predictions for 2009

Over the last several weeks I've hammered away at looking into Marketing trends and figuring out what I would consider to be the top 10 that will be important in 2009. I got way beyond and ended up with 20 Marketing trends that I think will be important. To summarize those trends:

1. Integrated Interactive Campaigns
2. Bankruptcy (the penalty for not advertising)
3. Direct Marketing will be in vogue
4. Focus on the green in your pocket ... not the green in your forests
5. Simple Strategies ... Back to the Basics
6. Paid Search advertising will grow substantially again
   
7. Online commerce will continue to increase
8. Online Advertising will Continue to Grow
9. RFP Responses will be critical
10. Uncertainty
11. "Do It Yourself" and Free will be music to consumers' ears
12. The demand to build bulletproof cases to gain project funding
13. Online Interactive Marketing will grow
14. Traditional Print Media will continue to crater
15. TV will do "okay" this year
16. REAL Engagement with your customer is critical
17. Balancing that Budget - Looking for more bang for the buck
18. Survival of the cheapest
19. Survival of the one who can help you be the cheapest
20. Growth Areas - Healthcare, Education, and Government
    

Tomorrow I'll summarize the key strategies that I think Marketers should pursue in light of these trends.

Trends for 2009: #21. Things that will be a flop (again).

Rejoice, rejoice! This is the last Marketing Trend I see for 2009. To that end, it isn't really even a trend. It is actually a "counter-trend." Anyhow ... on with it.

Here are a couple of things that I think won't reach maturity (again) this year. There is a load of hype around these items, but not a lot of knowledge, practice, or user saturation. At least not enough to make them really usable or useful.

• Analytics: Here's something very important. But, it isn't useful because companies have to invest a lot of effort into setting up, performing, and analyzing numbers in order to begin to understand what the analytics are showing them. Then (yes only then) can they take action on them. By the time you kick off a project to do anything with the analytics, it will be 2010 or 2011, your IT department will have other things going on, you probably won't be in your role anymore, and your replacement will be looking for their own cool project. So, while analyics is very important, there are few organizations that have the fortitude to really do analytics, and very few good people in place to actually build and understand analytics.
• Mobile Marketing: If you've been listening to people in the mobile industry then you may be under the perception that Mobile Marketing is going to rocket next year. Don't fall for it. It won't. Advertisers are still largely ignorant of Search Engine Marketing (which, ironically, is likely the easiest advertising and most effective media going). How are they ever going to figure out Mobile! Besides, mobile browsing is so expensive in North America that consumers don't want to download or click on ads. Mobile Marketing will continue its slow uphill march to effectiveness. So - if you are in advertising ... don't look to mobile advertising as a white knight.

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.

NOTE: Sometime in the coming week I'm going to summarize all of the Marketing Trends I see for 2009, and also summarize all of the strategies. I haven't got that all pulled together yet, and it is going to be interesting to see what it all looks like.

Trends for 2009: #20. Growth Areas - You can't do without them!

There are some parts of our economy that will continue to grow - regardless of the economic blahs we're faced with in 2009. In fact, they might grow in spite of the blahs, or even because of them.

People don't have a choice in consuming some of these things, and these are also things that Governments will throw money into in 2009 to help prop up the sagging economy. Those things are:

• Health Care. This is a really broad market. People want to get & stay healthy - so there is a lot of opportunity in things that will help them achieve that, ranging from running shoes to the Wii Fit. People also end up in Hospitals. So - anything serving this market will do well.
  
• Education. When the economy fades people need to reinvent themselves. Enrollment at MBA schools is a good economic indicator in that sense. So - anything that provides educational services will probably do will.
  
• Government. Governments spend their way out of economic downturns. So - responding to Government RFPs is a great hobby during a recession.

What is a Marketer to do in 2009? Strategies to follow include:

• Develop products and services that have health benefits.
• Develop products and services that have educational benefits.
• Figure out where to look for Government RFPs and watch for opportunities.

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.

Trends for 2009: #19. Survival of the one who can help you be the cheapest

Yesterday I blogged about the business strategy that will be in vogue in 2009 - the Low Cost Strategy. Actually, I think that being the low cost player is always the right one to bet on, and it should be in vogue regardless of the times.

Today, I'll finish off that posting. The other type of business that can prosper in 2009 is the one that can help another business become the low cost player. These types of "B2B" businesses include:

• IT Service providers - Companies who can truly deliver systems that will truly lower your business costs. I'm not talking about the jerks who delivered the Y2K "testing", the SOx compliance crap (yah - like that helped), or the "CRM" line. No - I'm talking about really great consultants who can help you analyze your company and deliver systems that really take costs out of your business in a sustainable way. I'm also talking about technology services that will change the way you do business and eliminated costs you face today. For instance, take a look at companies who provide Virtual Meeting technology.
  
• Outsourcers - Companies whose core business is doing something that isn't a core part of another's business stand a chance at helping that other business lower their cost. For instance, a company that provides outsourced call center services can pool resources, train resources, and put fancy systems in place that increase their productivity, reduce their costs, and increase customer satisfaction. Outsourcing - done right - can actually help a company to improve its brand while it reduces its costs.
  
• Discount retailers - Companies that can provide basic inputs to a business - like furniture, paper, and computers - at a lower cost than others.

What is a B2B Marketer to do in 2009? Strategies to follow include:

• Look for the value in your product or service. You probably are doing something today that will help other companies lower their costs. If you aren't then find out how you can change your offering to provide that. You must provide value that will help to lower your customers' costs.
• Advertise it! One of the other strategies for surviving - and indeed propsering - throught a recession is to Advertise. Once you find your value proposition that helps to lower your customers' costs, then make sure they know about it.

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.

Trends for 2009: #18. Survival of the fittest (i.e. cheapest)

Over the last 10-20 years it has been relatively easy to get into business and stay in business. In general the North American economies have been running in overdrive. To be profitable almost all you had to do was actually produce something of reasonable quality at a reasonable cost.

In 2009 that isn't enough. The two types of companies that will prosper in 2009 are:

1. Those who have low-cost in their cultural DNA. You are already thinking "Wal-Mart", "Costco", "Ryanair", "Southwest Airlines", and perhaps some Indian call centers or IT development shops. AND,
   
2. Companies who can provide innovative ways to deliver greater productivity to other businesses.
   

Today, I'm blogging about the LOW COST STRATEGY.
If you look back at the classic definition of a low-cost strategy by Michael Porter, you look at business tactics like:

• Opportunity to capture considerable market share
  
• Natural advantage or preferential access to inputs
• Process engineering skills - which grind every wasted nickel out of product design, manufacturing, and distribution
  
• "Standard" products with relatively little differentiation that are easy to manufacature
• And also that are perfectly acceptable to the majority of customers
• Technology that will reduce costs
• Sustained access to inexpensive capital
• Close supervision of labour
• Tight cost control
• Incentives based on quantitative targets.
  
• Efficient distribution channels.
  

It is very important to note that Low-Cost does not necessarily equal Low-Price or Low-Quality. Low-Cost only means that a low-cost provider can produce the same product as another supplier at a lower cost. They can still sell it at the same cost and therefore make a bigger margin, or they can get into a price war, sell above their cost while their competitors are forced to sell at a loss, and consequently come out the winner.

What is a Marketer to do in 2009? Strategies to follow include:

• BE a Low-Cost company. If you are already a low-cost company, get reacquainted with the strategy basics. If you aren't a low-cost company and you haven't already memorized the list above, then I suggest you buy Michael Porter's book. You can't become Low-Cost overnight. It requires a fundamental change in business strategy and culture. If you are prepared to go this route, be prepared for a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey.
• DISCOUNT your wares, and prepare to eat your margin. Why? Because your low-cost competitor is about to stick it to you!
  

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.

Trends for 2009: #17. Balancing that Budget - Looking for more bang for the buck

Here it is early February, and I'm still harping on the "top 10 marketing trends for 2009". In fact, I'm up to #17 today. If I keep this up it will December, I'll be around trend #180. AND, I'll be dead on. I promise. I'm nearing the end of my "Trends". There are only about four more to go.

Today's marketing trend has probably already hit home hard for most Marketing departments. Interestingly, back in 2008 I blogged that most Marketers didn't expect their budget to change substantially in 2009. That was based on a number of surveys and reports from respected organizations. Ha-Ha. Was that ever wrong.

At the time the studies showed that 30% of marketers expected their budgets to increase, 45% expected them to stay flat, and 25% expected their budget to drop. I bet by now it is more like 25% hope their budget will stay flat, while the other 75% are facing the actual drop and claw-back from their friends in Finance.

In 2009 successful Marketers will need to become really creative to balance their advertising budgets and achieve results. This will mean the need to become innovative and take some risks. Where is the best place to do that?

• TV? Too fragmented and too expensive.
• Newspaper? Dying media.
  
• Out-of-home? Hmmm - only if you can cut through the clutter with something creative
• Digital video boards? Maybe. These are relatively new and definitely draw in eyeballs.
• Radio? Maybe. If your product or service suits it and you can cut through the noise.
• Direct Marketing? Yes - but do it tastefully, and only do it to your existing customers. Don't go out prospecting. Remember, you must offer value to your existing customers, and there must be a clear call to action.
  
• Stunts? Could be a great way to really innovate in 2009. But, be sure to be original and not come across as a terrorist threat!
• THE INTERNET? OH YAH! There are lots of opportunities to be successful with online advertising. Done well, virtually any type of online advertising will work. Be sure you know what you are attempting to achieve, how you are going to do, and then be sure you do it right technically. Everything from the beaten down banner ad, to simple Google text ads, to a video contest on YouTube can work wonders. Plus, it can be very cost effective and it can be measured.

What is a Marketer to do in 2009? Strategies to follow include:

• Innovate. Don't do what you did last year in the misguided hopes that is could work in 2009. You have less money to play with. Figure out new and interesting ways to get your prospective customer or your existing customer to pay attention to you.
• Integrate your campaigns. If you are insistent on doing old media, make sure that you find great ways to integrate your campaigns across media. Also - integrate them tightly with an interactive new media element. For instance, the media should all simply include your website. Or, maybe it should direct people to sign-up for a contest on your site - which will also help you to create an opt-in email list.
  
• Look for opportunities to do Direct Marketing tastefully to your existing customers. Make sure you catch their attention, make sure you give them real value in your offer, and make sure you have a solid call-to-action.
• Consider (legal) Guerilla Advertising Stunts that will catch attention and give you loads of free and positive publicity.
  
• Try out lots of things on the Internet. If you don't know how, then engage an Advertising Agency or a Marketing Consultant to help you learn more about "how to" and then "what to". (Enough said.)
  

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.

We got our new TV ...

But TV still sucks.

We bought a beautiful 40" Sony Z series LCD, with a Sony Blu Ray player, a Sony Home Theater system, and an HD-PVR.

• There is no question that the picture is bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than our old TV. Even when we just have the new TV processing the old analog channels.
  
• The sound is clearly better. From time-to-time I look over my shoulder to see where that dog is that is barking in the background. Wow, it is just the great speakers.
• The Blu Ray DVD is fantastic. The picture is almost too good.
  
• The quality of the image and sound from the digital TV really is a step up. When you flip back and forth between the digital stations and the analog you can see the difference. But, I have to think that will be fleeting. In a couple of weeks, I won't care.
• Yah, and the HDTV is just a bit better quality picture and sound too.

BUT! Who cares. The quality of the shows themselves still suck. Our choice last night included ... Law and Order (in a couple of different versions), CSI (also in a couple of different versions), news, news, news, & more news, talk news, political news, real-life TV shows, Two and a Half Men, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Crashed, and a bunch of other trash. What crap.

It is a sad waste of great technology to film and broadcast such crap content in digital and HD. No wonder TV advertising revenue is falling.

Trends for 2009: #16: REAL Engagement: Marketing is something you must do with your customer

In the "old days" (okay, this probably refers to last year for 98% of companies, and little more than 2 to 3 years ago for the remainder) - marketing was something you did to your customers. Maybe you figured out who you were going to sell to and what they needed. You built your product and maybe you tested it on some of them. Then you figured out your pricing and put together fancy TV, print, and radio ads, and you went to battle. You advertised the snot out of your product and hoped that prospects would have a look at your product and become actual customers.

Welcome to 2009.

• No doubt by now you've heard of Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and several other networks (albeit, last year I sat at a table with a VP of Sales for an Airline who said: "Facebook, what the f*** is Facebook").
  
• You may have researched a product online and read a review about it, and that may have given you the confidence to actually buy it. If you've planned a trip in the last 3 years you've most likely checked out your destination and hotel in TripAdvisor.com.
  
• If you own an Apple product or a Dell product and you needed product support, you may have hit their forums and found support in droves - not from the companies themselves, but from their advocates (i.e. other customers like you who participate in the forums and are only too happy to help you get the best use out of your computer).
  
• Maybe you've been in Starbucks lately and have used one of their new and nifty little green stir sticks. Where did those come from? From "MyStarbucksIdea.com". That's their social site where Starbucks customers can go online and give Starbucks their best ideas.

The message is clear. Customers don't want to be marketed to anymore. In fact, they won't be marketed to anymore. Customers demand that you engage with them. I mean really engage with them. No wimpy newspaper ads. Get out there on the internet where your customers are and where they are talking about you!

• Build a blog that your President and Executives write on regularly with real comments and stories (a great opportunity for brand building).
• Read and respond to blogs and reviews about your products. Do it like you mean it. If someone complains, dig into their complaint and resolve it.
• Create a review site for your product and make sure people can find it on your site. Participate in those reviews actively. Get your product managers, product designers and even your operations personnel to respond to reviews. Thank people for good feedback. Thank them for suggestions. Take those suggestions to heart and change your product to suit your customers better.
  
• If your product is represented on other sites retail with reviews, get access to those reviews from your retailers and dig into them. Participate in each retailer's forum if they will let you, or feed them answers to help them participate. Use the gold nuggets you get from your channels.
  
• Use your reviews in your ads. Get permission from reviewers to use their comments in your advertising. There is nothing like a great testimonial to help move a prospective customer into being a paying customer.
• Create forums for your customers so that they can discuss your product. You are likely to learn more from this "live focus group" of real customers who are really using your product than you will in thousands of test cycles. Again, be sure to participate and fully engage in the conversations as open and honestly as possible.
  

So, what's a Marketer to do with Social Marketing in 2009? Strategies to take on include those listed above plus a couple of extras:

• Look at advertising opportunities on Social Media sites. There are several advertising agencies and advertising networks who can probably help you do this very effectively and cost-efficiently.
  
• Build a public company blog.
• Build secure internal focused blogs and forums to allow your employees to engage with the company and to allow you to learn more about the delivery and branding of your products.
  
• Read and respond to blogs and reviews about your products.
  
• Create a review site for your product on your site, and participate in it actively.
  
• Get access to reviews about your products from your retailers.
  
• Read public reviews about your competitors product and discern from that a certain amount of competitive analysis.
  
• Use testimonials from reviews in your ads.
  
• Create forums for your customers so that they can discuss your product.
  

Will I be right? The year will tell!

• Follow this blog and watch for the next marketing trends I'm forecasting for 2009.
• Feel free to contact Market GoGo to discuss this further.

Super Bowl Ads

Check em out and vote ... Youtube's got 'em.

Also - watch them go to work. The top-10 Google searches as of the time I publish this include:

5. denny s free grand slam
8. denny s locations

This is in response to Denny's Super Bowl ad that is offering a free Grand Slam breakfast to everyone in America on Tuesday. There's that big word that should prove popular this year - FREE - being pushed by a low-cost business. Look out!

Ready for the Super-Bowl?

I don't even know who is playing. Who cares really!

What is important is what we are going to get for ads this year.

Here are some sites to check out:

• SuperBowl Ads. This site claims to be the best, and perhaps you can see why as soon as you hit it. It has an archive of years worth of ads, plus ongoing reporting and commentary about campaigns.
• MySpace. They will have all of the 2009 SuperBowl ads up on their site at 3pm ET.
• Google Video. I'm sure that they'll be updated as soon as they are aired.

As for some of the ads rejected this year:

• Pro-life
• PETA (my sense of humor ... this was from "Pork Magazine"). Check out the ads for yourself on the PETA site.
• AshleyMadison.com's Adultery Ad
• 3-second ads

Wait a minute ... Is GoDaddy.com getting a chance to run an ad this year? I can't wait!