2017 is a new adventure in this business of developing, launching, marketing, growing, and sustaining products, services and enterprises. Right now, we're hearing several of the same key questions from our prospects and customers.
Here they are, with brief answers. (If you'd like to know more, just reach out to vSA.)
1-How can we make sure we develop the RIGHT plan to succeed with our new product or service launch?
First, carefully determine who your best customers are likely to be (by category or name, depending on your business). Then, find out (don't guess) what these prospects need most that your product or service can provide (you may want to invest in focused or broader research).
Then, develop GREAT messaging based on prospects' key needs and your provided benefits - don't skimp on the effort you put into message development.
Next, seek and plan the best ways to achieve multiple points of touch most cost-effectively. Most product launches are marathons rather than sprints, so having a sustainable marketing program that lasts for 12 months or more is often the best way to go.
Think digital and use every appropriate online venue from social media to industry news media and blogs. Make sure the product presentation on your own website is outstanding, offering a "point central" for prospects to get information and move toward purchase. While we typically endorse the concept of leading with digital, your launch may also benefit from non–digital marketing – everything from trade shows to print marketing.
2-Are we spending enough to make a marketing program worthwhile?
This is a legitimate question. One-off efforts can be of value, if they entail: A great website, a killer event or a critically important trade show, for example. But the best and soundest approach to marketing entails a commitment to well-planned, ongoing, targeted, strategic outreach. Done right, this becomes an investment rather than an expense. Talk with your marketing partner about return on investment (ROI) and what to expect.
3-Should we care about social media?
Yes. If you don't utilize social media marketing, you're missing out on a cost-effective platform to reach thousands of interested eyes. Best tactics will vary according to what you offer and to whom you need to speak.
4-How can we best use data to build sales and revenues?
Know your prospects (again, by name and/or by category) and learn by experience what they respond to, how many points of touch they typically require before taking what action, and which prospects offer you the best ROI. Know when your customers are buying more… or less. Really leverage your customer relationship management (CRM) software, really track your eblasts, and really look at your website analytics. No time? Get professional help.
5-What are our competitors doing better than us?
Are you seeing their names everywhere? Do they consistently show up ahead of you on Google? Are they the "big name" in the industry while your company looks like an also-ran? Are they winning away your customers, or beating you to the best new business opportunities? Are their offerings better than yours?
Look hard at each of these issues, and get a strategic marketing partner to support you in developing an action plan. This action plan may include some mix of competitive research, marketing response, search engine optimization (SEO), and search engine marketing (SEM), plus content, social media and other marketing to step up your game wherever it has been weak.
We're happy to provide a consultation. Please contact us to get answers to your own big marketing questions.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Practice reputation management – don't be the next business casualty
United Airlines is having a really bad time. It may have thousands of well-intentioned, hardworking and dedicated employees. But its policies of overbooking and right-to-remove passengers, plus the actions of a few decisionmakers and some thug-like security officials resulted in dragging a paying customer off a flight, bloodying the customer and United's already iffy reputation for customer service. The passenger, a doctor, had refused to exit the flight, citing the need to see his patients.
United CEO Oscar Munuz compounded the public's fury by apologizing for “for having to re-accommodate these customers" and then, in an email to employees, calling the passenger "disruptive and belligerent" and commending his staff for going "above and beyond." The word "re-accommodate" was a particularly egregious bit of insensitivity, if social media response is any measure.
Meanwhile, video of the doctor being dragged forcibly from the plane while other passengers protested loudly went viral globally, as did every word United officials have uttered or written about the incident. United stock fell sharply at one point during the day following the dragging event. Predictably, the damage to United Airlines' reputation will be harder to recover than the lost dollars.
United is far from alone.
A prepackaged salad company recently sold more than expected when customers discovered a decomposing bat in the salad greens.
Fox News has lost more than half of its advertising sponsorships for its Bill O'Reilly show in one week because of sexual harassment complaints against host O'Reilly.
The lessons business owners and management can learn are priceless:
-Train your staff to behave in a manner that will not incite customer fury. That's the low bar, of course. Train your staff to respect and, whenever possible, please customers. Some would say "delight customers."
-Establish employment policies to assure employee and public safety; to help avoid employee complaints about discrimination, sexual harassment and more; and to assure product quality.
-Also establish training and procedures to avoid inadvertent errors, failures and accidents that can destroy your reputation – health aides making medication errors, failing to meet deadlines on an important assignment, and more.
-In the instance that something bad does happen, immediately get on the job of crisis management.
-Depending on the severity of the situation, you may need to immediately consult with an attorney, your public relations experts… and your conscience.
-Determine where the news has spread. Ideally, in reputation management, your response puts out fires rather than creating new ones. In other words, if an entire group is not likely to hear of an incident, you should carefully think before sharing the news with them.
-Be more considerate than defensive, within the bounds of what your attorney advises. In other words, expressing an apology is valuable. People are more likely to forgive you if you are genuinely contrite about any harm you've done. If your legal counsel says you risk creating liability, you will have to work together to achieve a satisfactory solution.
-The buck stops with you. Even if an employee is totally, despicably responsible for whatever happened, you are the boss and everyone is looking to you for a response. Sorry.
-Reputations are difficult to mend, but it can be done. We've worked with companies that have struggled through everything from major product recalls to painful bankruptcies to mass layoffs, and many have recovered their good reputations in time.
-Finally, don't be a jerk. A jerk in business is as readily disliked as a jerk anywhere else. Decency can prevail.
The lessons huge corporations have learned – or should have learned – can benefit you. While your sphere of influence may be smaller than United Airlines' or Fox's, it's no less important in terms of the success or failure of your enterprise.
United CEO Oscar Munuz compounded the public's fury by apologizing for “for having to re-accommodate these customers" and then, in an email to employees, calling the passenger "disruptive and belligerent" and commending his staff for going "above and beyond." The word "re-accommodate" was a particularly egregious bit of insensitivity, if social media response is any measure.
Meanwhile, video of the doctor being dragged forcibly from the plane while other passengers protested loudly went viral globally, as did every word United officials have uttered or written about the incident. United stock fell sharply at one point during the day following the dragging event. Predictably, the damage to United Airlines' reputation will be harder to recover than the lost dollars.
United is far from alone.
A prepackaged salad company recently sold more than expected when customers discovered a decomposing bat in the salad greens.
Fox News has lost more than half of its advertising sponsorships for its Bill O'Reilly show in one week because of sexual harassment complaints against host O'Reilly.
The lessons business owners and management can learn are priceless:
-Train your staff to behave in a manner that will not incite customer fury. That's the low bar, of course. Train your staff to respect and, whenever possible, please customers. Some would say "delight customers."
-Establish employment policies to assure employee and public safety; to help avoid employee complaints about discrimination, sexual harassment and more; and to assure product quality.
-Also establish training and procedures to avoid inadvertent errors, failures and accidents that can destroy your reputation – health aides making medication errors, failing to meet deadlines on an important assignment, and more.
-In the instance that something bad does happen, immediately get on the job of crisis management.
-Depending on the severity of the situation, you may need to immediately consult with an attorney, your public relations experts… and your conscience.
-Determine where the news has spread. Ideally, in reputation management, your response puts out fires rather than creating new ones. In other words, if an entire group is not likely to hear of an incident, you should carefully think before sharing the news with them.
-Be more considerate than defensive, within the bounds of what your attorney advises. In other words, expressing an apology is valuable. People are more likely to forgive you if you are genuinely contrite about any harm you've done. If your legal counsel says you risk creating liability, you will have to work together to achieve a satisfactory solution.
-The buck stops with you. Even if an employee is totally, despicably responsible for whatever happened, you are the boss and everyone is looking to you for a response. Sorry.
-Reputations are difficult to mend, but it can be done. We've worked with companies that have struggled through everything from major product recalls to painful bankruptcies to mass layoffs, and many have recovered their good reputations in time.
-Finally, don't be a jerk. A jerk in business is as readily disliked as a jerk anywhere else. Decency can prevail.
The lessons huge corporations have learned – or should have learned – can benefit you. While your sphere of influence may be smaller than United Airlines' or Fox's, it's no less important in terms of the success or failure of your enterprise.
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