28. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Definition: “Delight - To take or give great pleasure or joy.”  You often hear companies being told to “Delight your customers.” You definitely should do that, but let’s go over the definition of “delight” as it is a bit overblown in some of the things I’ve been reading, especially in light of the definition I use and how it relates to brands and marketing.

Going over the top with offers and special deals is for the 20% of your customers in the 80/20 rule (80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers). Most folks don’t have the time or resources to lavish great attention on every customer, much less get employees to really care enough to do it (the last paragraph address this).

My personal definition of a brand is, “A brand is a promise of repeated delightful experiences based on a history of delightful experiences.” Given that the customer owns your brand, and you or your clients do not, it’s up to them to decide what’s delightful or not.

There are so many times when we go to see, buy or do something and the experience falls short of what is promised in ads. Consistently good results for our investment of time and/or money makes us happy - delighted, if you will - because being disappointed is so common. Getting what we feel is fair value for our time and money is delightful.

Customers should be delighted every time they do business with you or your client; i.e., they should be quite pleased or feel a bit of joy. Coke and McDonald’s delight customers with every purchase. How so? Well, water, bread and lunch meat will satisfy hunger and thirst but, on a hot, dusty, day, a cold Coke is (say it with me) delightful. When you’re pressed for time, a hot, grilled chicken sandwich on a whole grain bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo is a damn sight better than a pack of cheese crackers from a gas station, especially if an ice cold Coke is served with it. If I’m really, really hungry and an hour from anywhere that sells food, finding a pack of cheese crackers is - you guessed it - delightful. I’m not overjoyed by my discovery (unless it’s my first meal in days), but I am delighted.

Let’s say I own a junk yard and a person calls me looking for a part after calling five other yards. I have the part and they’re delighted, and I was simply doing was my job. That puts me at the top of their list for next time. When they call again - and I’ll likely be the first call after being their part savior before - and I don’t have the part, I offer to locate it for them, and that makes them happy. To go one further (and keep the business), I offer to get it sent to my store, they’re delighted and, again, I’m just doing what I do. Even junk yards can delight customers.

I’m delighted when:

• I can help my clients set higher marketing and advertising standards

• We educate all  their employees about the value and importance of those standards and how their contributions help everyone (”A rising tide lifts all boats”)

• We put systems and rewards in place to ensure that measurable goals are achieved and perpetuated

• They make excellent internal and external communications about their products, services and company the rule

Why am I delighted and not overjoyed? Because what I described is my job as a marketer. I’m overjoyed when they come back and have added ten, twenty or thirty percent to what I set out. Now, THAT’S some serious, overwhelming, tear-jerking joy! 

Posted in retail, Branding, building business, Success, delight, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank Communications, business relationships, business, advertisers, responsibilities, Advertising, Frank, "The Frankifesto", training, business plan, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

28. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

This video contains words of wisdom for anyone. He talks about the character and qualities of men, but what coach Lombardi says applies to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Suggestion: Copy this link and watch this often.

Posted in Winning, Discipline, Success, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Character, Friends, relationships, Frank, business relationships, building business, leadership, responsibilities | Print | No Comments »

24. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Mission statements should be living documents, and Wendy’s is one of the best I’ve ever seen. A person could adopt theirs as their own and do well in life. Mission statements are important and, when done thoughtfully and thoroughly, can keep a company moving forward. I like Wendy’s in particular because it’s concise and uses easily understandable language. Nothing fancy, just good, old-fashioned operating principles that point straight ahead.

While many mission statements are full of lofty, often obtuse language, the one below is simple and unmistakable. The one we had at Lexmark was over-the-top and laden with too many points. A mission statement’s main points should be easily remembered and get to the very deepest core of what is important. It should serve as a guiding light to everyone in the organization, and to your customers as an assurance that your goal is to take care of them.

Wendy’s Mission Statement, “What We Believe,” is a list of simple, easy-to-remember guidelines that serve as an internal mission statement and an external customer service goal. Any company or person that follows this mission statement will have friends and customers for life.

* QUALITY IS OUR RECIPE - We don’t cut corners on our products, service, or employees.

* TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT - Be genuine and kind and lend each other a helping hand.

* DO THE RIGHT THING - Honesty and integrity are rules we live by.

* PROFIT MEANS GROWTH - Teamwork is the key to our success.

* GIVE BACK - Make your community better every day. 

Posted in retail, building business, leadership, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, business relationships, relationships, Frank, responsibilities, "The Frankifesto", business plan, business, Advertising | Print | No Comments »

14. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

 For anyone who says Facebook is evil, or that LinkedIn is nothing but a time-suck, you might want to think again. “Trend spotter” Marian Salzman, in her latest work, “11 Trends for 2011,” points out something about social media you might want to consider when making your advertising and marketing plans for next year.

“People around the world are losing faith. Many Americans, for example, have lost trust in their politicians, their institutions, heir media and the direction of the nation. To compensate because they haven’t lost trust in self-reliance and faith in echnology), they are looking to their networks, turbocharged by omputers and the Internet.The Network Effect is making good n its promise. …

“With almost 2 billion Internet users worldwide (including 239 million in the U.S., 51 million in the U.K., 45 million in France, 81 million in India and a whopping 420 million in China), there’s a virtually unlimited supply of people out there who can meet anyone’s networking needs—whether it’s old friends, new buddies, lovers, advocates, employers, partners, suppliers, fellow enthusiasts, fellow sufferers, co-religionists or people to just
hang out with. There’s a new sense of unlimited possible partners for anything from recovery to marriage.

“As world citizens continue to embrace social media—from Facebook,Twitter and LinkedIn to Orkut, QQ and Copains ’avant—they are realizing that keyboards and mobile devices can also facilitate real conversations and mediate real human connections. (Although, in a related aside, we’ve been witnessing an interesting decline in people’s personas on social media— from an authentic expression of self to a measured, calculated
projection of values—with attendant societal implications both online and off.*) The more niche the passion, the more social the match experience. And as time goes by, the interactions will build into rich, detailed connections and an ongoing sense of ambient awareness—true connectedness to a wider network of
people. ”

*I believe it’s because people are smarter and realize that, once you post something online, it’s there forever, like it or not.

Posted in Web development, Branding, building business, writing, retail, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank Communications, business relationships, relationships, PR, Frank, Advertising, Public relations, The Long Tail, business, self-employment, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

23. November 2010 by Frank Goad.

Consistency and brevity are critical factors in getting lodged deeply into your customer’s minds. Finding one thing that says, “This is me,” and using it every time is a major part of getting remembered. We all remember what IBM, UPS, FBI and GM stand for. Here are some tips on creating that same sort of brief, memorable image for yourself. Before we start, though, what I’m describing will probably need the help of a good graphic artist. No matter how simple it is, if it’s executed well, it will do wonders over time; if done poorly, it will disappoint.

Here’s an example: A. What did your husband or wife wear yesterday?; B. What did they wear one week ago today? You might answer A, but few can answer B. What was the UPS guy wearing yesterday and one week ago? Everyone gets that one, and that’s the power of simplicity and consistency. UPS has used “Brown” to multiply their marketing dollars by ensuring that many folks will think of UPS if someone says “brown.” Your goal is to find something very, very simple in previous ads, brochures and other marketing things to create something that identifies you and you alone. An easy place to start is picking a certain color and using it everywhere as UPS has. Paint your trucks or your offices and building with that color.

Next, couple that with a very simple figure to create a sort of icon. UPS has the shield and IBM has the shutter-looking logo. Start by looking at the tools of your trade. If you are you a plumber, then maybe a pipe wrench held in a hand is a good icon. Pick something and get a graphic artist to make a simplified visual representation of it – the simpler the better. It might take a few tries, but sooner or later, you’ll find something that “speaks to you.”

For instance, about twenty years ago, I designed the logo for Central Kentucky Research Associates. It is simply one line for the profile of a face which looks into a microscope that is only two lines – three lines total. You can see it today on the building that houses their offices on Richmond Road.

Next, look at your customers and figure out what description fits most of them. That is to say, are they business customers or consumers? Are they old, middle-aged or young? Do they live in the city or the country? What is their income? If you’ve never done this, it’s very, very important to know this because it helps focus on customers that bring you the most business, and helps you frame your efforts in ways that speak to them. What it does, though, is help you determine the style. If your products appeal to young folks, then do something light hearted. Older folks might appreciate something solid, like the column of a building.

This can also be combined to create a statement. Using the hand holding a pipe wrench example, perhaps you use the word “TRUST” under it. This makes a very simple statement: “We’re the plumber you can trust.” After a while, you can use the icon or the word separately, but go slowly on that. You have to be sure they know it well first. When they do, it becomes a visual shorthand for your company’s name. We all know UPS means United Parcel Service, but we prefer UPS because it’s short, convenient and memorable.

Here’s today’s question: What is the shorthand for you or your company or brand?

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Branding, building business, Advertising, Frank, UPS, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

26. October 2010 by Frank Goad.

“Dwell time” is an oft overlooked but highly valuable time your customer spends considering your company. It’s defined as the time a customer spends with you in the absence of buying or being assisted with a sale. It’s when they’re browsing, waiting to talk with someone or simply killing time because someone else is involved with you or your personnel. 

Believe it or not, you want to increase your customer’s dwell time, but you want to guide them in it. You have the power to make it enjoyable and entertaining with some attention to detail. For instance, do you have a showroom? Is it clean and well organized? Is the lighting appropriate for the displays? Are there comfortable chairs? Can they get a drink of water or a cup of coffee? Are the merchandise displays laid out in a way that encourages customers to leisurely browse? Does it provide a positive sensory experience?

If you don’t have a showroom, then you must make the main contact point as friendly, inviting and engaging as possible. If it’s a brochure, is it small and packed tightly to save money? If so, you probably cost yourself more money than you could ever save because, if customers won’t read it, you don’t get sales. The most inviting print pieces have plenty of open space (white space, negative space, etc.). If a page is too busy or crowded, the reader’s brain quickly passes it by because it causes mental or emotional confusion or conflict. Packing as much as possible in to persuade them can actually do the opposite. In design terms, less is more.

Is their first contact a product sample? This is where the “first impressions last” rule must be considered. If possible, make a sample its own little presentation. Rather than have only the product be what they see, use a printed bag or box with a picture, the name and a some basic information on the back – keep it very simple. This does two things: A. It makes it seem like a present (and not just extra stock), plus it’s a bit like unwrapping one, and; B. It helps ensure that they remember your product’s name and image. Yes, this does cost more, but the emotional experience helps build your brand more strongly in their mind and gets them to dwell on your product longer. When you might have only one shot and you can’t be there to talk about it, it better be good.

If you have a showroom, look at the lighting. The human eye is drawn to the brightest thing within its field of vision. You want display areas well lit, and you also want to have the room light lower than the highlights on your displays. This creates attractive zones for the eyes, highlights the products and helps the customer’s brain focus on what you want them to see. Again, if your showroom is crowded, simplify it because people like a feeling of space and room (Americans are particularly needful of this).

Take the way Apple does its stores. They are somewhat Spartan, clean-looking and they use spotlights to bring out their electronics – you almost have to look at their products if only because there are so few distractions. How do you know it works? They can barely keep product in their stores – do you have that problem? Another example is large retail chains like Macy’s. Look at their ceilings and notice how many spotlights they use. They know that lighting leads people where they want them to go by creating attractive visual zones.

If you have e-commerce on your site, it’s a natural tendency to try to tell folks everything all at once, but that’s not how we learn, or buy. If they linger on the site, they are more likely to buy because they’ve had a pleasant experience. So, keep your home page uncluttered and provide lots of navigation clues so that they can always tell where they are and how they got there - the first sign of confusion means they’ll likely bolt. Do usability testing on your site (or as you’re building it – don’t wait until the end as that’s too late) by putting a customer in a chair, put a video camera on the screen and see where they go. Are they going where you want them to? Where do they linger? After you’ve done a few of these, you’ll have a very good idea whether or not your design is working.

So, dwell for a time on your spaces and see where you would dwell.

Frank Goad is president of Frank Communications, a marketing and advertising consulting firm specializing in helping small- and medium-sized businesses grow and prosper. www.frankcomlex.com, 859-619-5050

Posted in Displays, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, retail, Branding, Frank, business plan, business relationships, building business, Advertising | Print | No Comments »

22. July 2010 by Frank Goad.

Several news items caught my eye this week and I was struck by how intertwined they are. Our former dependence on electronics is now a full-blown addiction, and we’re happily shoveling our money into these things. Despite the new tech, we’re seeing bad behaviors, forgetting the good behaviors, and we might not be as happy as we think we are.

First, Amazon reported that they now sell more Kindle e-book readers than hardcover editions: 180 Kindles for every 100 books. This is interesting in light of a recent report saying that electronic books and publications can take as much as 10% longer to read; the iPad was between 3% - 4%. I don’t own one (I read them on my laptop), but the folks I know who have one say they love the variety of materials at their fingertips. It reminds me of the joy I felt when I got my first MP3 player - I didn’t have to prepare for a journey by carefully selecting the CDs or (showing my age here) cassette tapes to take. That I could reach in my pocket and choose from thousands of songs at the flick of a finger brought a low-rent rapture. (It’s not an iPod though.)

Second, the availability of iPads is still low and folks are gobbling them up like candy. The “me too” crowd is announcing their own versions, so be prepared for an iPhone-Android sort of battle to play out on tablets. Why are they popular? Because of the number of apps that allow you to use an iPad like a reader and, moreover, a book. These apps come complete with simulated page turns, the ability to “dog ear” a page to mark it and all the other touches that help a piece of plastic behave like paper. That’s right - the goal is to make electronics “feel” like paper.

Third, Apple could soon overtake Microsoft in revenue. They have delivered a sort of seamless interoperability between platforms that Microsoft has never matched. Windows architecture is clumsy and MS has never relentlessly pursued simplicity the way Apple has. An iPhone has one button on its face; the iPad operates much the same. It’s a more hassle-free existence. There’s a price for that simplicity, though.

Fourth, if you plant your flag in Apple’s court, to a large degree, they own you. iTunes works well with Apple products and gives you a simple way to buy books, music, movies and software. Apple is now the largest supplier of digital music, but don’t bring a Zune, Zen or anything else to the party - it’s Apple or nothing. Which leads to …

Fifth, Apple is defending itself, along with AT&T, in the U.S. against charges of monopolistic behavior, just as Microsoft has. They told the public AT&T’s exclusive deal for the iPhone was only two years; now it turns out that it’s five. Three years ago, Apple got smacked by the European Union who called iTunes a monopoly. New tech, old behaviors.

Sixth, Apple is responding to a letter from U.S. Representatives Edward Markey and Joe Barton charging that Apple’s location-based services invade customer’s privacy. Apple has responded saying users can turn off these functions, but do they really understand what it is and does, and how to use it? So, again, you’ve planted your flag and there you are with them looking over your shoulder.

I’ll stop despite being able to continue ad nauseum. What’s the point? I’m not saying that we’re being hemmed in. You have the choice to eschew all these shiny things and do like Wendell Berry and use paper and pencil, till the soil (mostly) with horses and live simply. We’re humans, though, and most of us are quickly bored and want new toys pretty regularly.  I’m just like all of you - I love tech (cameras in particular). These days, though, I’m wondering if it’s worth the cost. The care and feeding of this technology has a greater toll in time than capital, and time is the most precious thing we have.

Here’s an example: How many cell phones have you had? Why did you switch? Probably new features or “…it was a cooler model.” Did you love them all, or were some of them “dogs?” How easy was it to get your data to the new phone? See? You had to spend time to be able to use it as you wanted to.  While tech does give us advantages, they come at a cost.

The real point of this article is, make life easier for your customers. Let them have choices. Build rock-solid systems and be slow to change. This sounds old fashioned but, as I’ve been looking at businesses around Lexington, I’ve noticed that some of the most profitable are also the oldest. They’ve spent years or decades learning what makes their customers happy and refining that to an art. Why are Apple’s customers so dedicated? Above all, their products are simple, reliable and predictable.

A computer or system is only obsolete if it no longer serves your needs in a reasonable time (or if you can’t get parts - that’s a big one). The U.S. Treasury still creates coin press masters with a machine that’s over a hundred years old. Why? Why not? It works perfectly and there are no ugly surprises.

While Apple, Microsoft, Intel and other large corporations are battling for world domination, it seems that, for the average small-to-medium-business, having an army of loyal customers in an age of throw-away gadgets is a real key to success.

Ask yourself, do you have simple, reliable, one-button systems for your customers? Better yet, ask them how to build one.

Posted in building business, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, business relationships, relationships, advertisers, Frank, FedEx, backlash | Print | No Comments »

10. June 2010 by Frank Goad.

No one can do it all.

The title says it all. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about getting everyone on earth to come and peruse your site. The bad news is that you do have get the people who spend money with you to come to it, and that takes money. Sounds like you’re still at square one, doesn’t it? Let’s talk about this for a minute.

Remember this: The Internet isn’t free if you’re trying to get customers. If you are a customer looking to buy, then it costs less – yes, your customers pay, too. They have to pay for access (cable, wireless, etc.), buy a computer, pay for anti-virus software (you don’t need it if you don’t connect) and, above all, they “spend” their most precious commodity - time - looking for information, products and services. If you want them to visit your site, make it worth their time and money whenever they “stop by.” Always remember that a website is not a brochure and it needs updating often to offer real value.

The Internet is an advertising medium and advertising costs money. In the beginning it was a communications tool for computer scientists and geeky folk. Now it’s the backbone of international commerce and consumer choice. Just as you pay for brochures and magazine ads, you have to pay for Internet advertising. How so? Google AdWords, site construction, consulting on building traffic, and so on, all cost time and money. Even if you do it yourself, it’s not free. What do you make per hour? Every bit of time you spend building a website is an hour you’re not earning money.

Like any advertising, there are ways to keep the costs down, but you still pay and that’s the real point: Not investing properly in your Internet “properties” shows a poor return on whatever you spend. Consider these two scenarios:

A. Let’s say you spend $5,000 to get a really cool website built by your hotshot nephew. He’s been to tech school and can make it do some amazing stuff. Your site looks like a playground in a monitor. You launch it and, by using free Google Webmaster Tools, you find out hardly anyone is coming to it, and those who do barely hang around. There can be many reasons but, for this story, let’s go with the assumption your nephew is not trained in graphic design or visual communication techniques and knows less about advertising copy writing. Your website is the equivalent of a child’s picture book that’s really interesting at first, but soon loses its appeal. A major function of your site is to be an advertisement (and usually a cash register, too), and if function follows form or technique, you’ll likely be disappointed.

B. Let’s say you spend $500 to get a site built and, even though “it ain’t pretty,” the traffic is good … at first. You check the Google tools and see that you are way off your peak visits and dropping. You remember that you haven’t put any new content up since you posted the site. People have seen it and have moved on. Fresh content keeps them coming back. That’s why the major networks like CBS, CNN, The New York Times and myriad other sites do well - they keep fresh content coming. Even if it’s just a new weekly coupon, your loyal customers will keep checking.

These days, there are four groups that you really need to consider if you’re creating a new site or getting ready to revamp your current site:

1. Coders: Technical folks who build your site and make it work and connect. Websites are programs that display their results graphically.

2. Designers: If they’re good they guide visitor’s eyes where you want them to go. From my (long and sometimes bloody) experience, many designers aren’t good coders and vice versa (I’m going to get hate mail on that - sorry, but it’s true). A designer is trained in visual communication that’s art and graphics based, an important skill that isn’t inherent to web coding.

3. Search engine optimization (SEO) experts: Most coders say they know SEO, and some do, but it’s a sophisticated discipline that’s more like statistical research and psychological profiling. It’s darn near a black art at times, but there’s a real craft to doing it well and a marketing background is a real plus.

4. Content providers: You still need folks to write persuasive copy and figure out what people want. Your site is a lot like a magazine in that you want folks to read what’s there, look at the pictures and come back every “issue” through subscriptions. You might say, “We do videos.” Who writes your script? Whether read or spoken, it requires special skills to be compelling.

Are there people who do all these well? Sure, but they’re rare and their rates make many folks gasp. My strong suits are numbers two (design), and four (content creation). I provide content including advertising copy, strategy, graphic/art direction, feedback measurement systems and creative campaigns. I also am very well versed in visual communication, meaning I know how to guide the eye around the page to make sure they “get” the most important things.

I’m okay at search engine optimization issues but don’t hesitate to get help because it is critical to getting a great return on your investment and eyeballs on your site. How am I at coding and actually constructing a website? Lousy and I have no desire to do it because, well, I do other things much better.

Can you do all these things? Probably not, so be honest with yourself, move some money around in your advertising budget and get folks who know how to do these things. Remember that it’s an investment, not an expense. Given that around 97% of people go the Internet first to find products and services, it’s just smart business to do it right and ensure that they think of your site as a reliable place to go.

Posted in Branding, Web development, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, building business, relationships, advertisers, Frank, FedEx, business, Advertising | Print | No Comments »

25. May 2010 by Frank Goad.

This post is about your 80/20 and something much more valuable in your life. Most of you know the old saw about 80% of your business coming from 20% of your customers or clients. This is about your having a larger, more loyal 20% and getting benefits worth far more than the coins they give you.

A Lexington millionaire I knew (who, despite being twenty years my senior, often kicked my butt on the racquetball court) said he became rich by spending an hour a day doing one thing: Calling his best customers regularly just to say “Hi.” He explained that, “People do business with folks they know, like and trust. Without building a relationship, they can’t know, like or trust you. It’s up to you to reach out to them. After all, the most popular people are the ones who go out of their way to be friendly. That’s why they’re popular - they make everyone else feel genuinely important.”

He said to avoid long calls to show respect for their time, and that leaving a message just to say “Hello” was often just as beneficial. After you’ve called a few times, they’ll welcome your call because they’ll know you only want to check in. Some will look forward to the call the way we look forward to a birthday card (and you can collect birth dates, too, as you call).

Creating friendships is a natural part of business that is often overlooked. Regularly reaching out as a friend to the people who are your best customers benefits both sides of the equation; it’s about win-win, so show the 20% some love. You don’t have to send gifts, just call to say “Hi,” ask about their family and so on. The more you do this the better you know them, and you’ll become familiar with folks you never expected to become friends with. For those folks who aren’t in your 20%, maybe it’s because they have no reason to think of you; call and give them one.

To be effective and to show folks you are genuinely interested in them requires consistency. One method to keep on track with this year-after-year is to take your address book (physical or electronic) and create a spreadsheet with everyone on it. Then divide them up into twelve groups to call in twelve months. Call them some time that month, but don’t wait ’til month’s end because most folks are busy then. Better still, call at least twice a year.

What to say when you call? Tell them about something cool that’s coming up before anyone else knows. Ask how you can help without asking for a sale, or call about an event they might be interested in (a charity fun run/walk, a bake sale, a Big Lebowski bowling event, etc.). Maybe asking for an opinion (vs. professional advice) on something you’re involved with outside their specialty; this avoids looking like you’re trying to poach free service. Maybe you meet for coffee or rendezvous at a meeting or event. Whatever works for you.

You can keep it strictly to business, too. Check on their account or orders or whatever as a pretense to call. Or, call and explain that you do this occasionally just to see how your business is doing in their eyes (you should do that in any case). If they haven’t ordered in awhile, calling just to say “Hi” is even more important. Sure, Facebook is cool and easy, but one-to-one contact between two humans is much more powerful than a poke or a wall post. Do this in addition to social media to multiply its effect and bridge the time between calls.

If you do this year-in and year-out, you’ll get a lot more than sales. You’ll get the satisfaction of helping someone else and the one thing that makes life its richest: Friends.

Posted in business relationships, relationships, business, building business, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, business plan, "The Frankifesto", blessings, Advertising, Frank, PR, The Long Tail, Public relations, welcome | Print | No Comments »

24. May 2010 by Frank Goad.

If you are in business for yourself or own a business, you have to be promoting yourself all the time. There is increasing competition for an ever-shrinking pool of business. It’s tougher today than a decade ago if for no other reason than advertising and marketing is so fractured. As I’ve written before, these days, it comes down to time or money. That is, if you don’t have the money to do a big, sustained advertising campaign, then you have to invest the time to do it yourself.

Advertising today is a lot like megaphones:
• If you have a lot of money, you can buy a PA system and hire someone to run it for you. You can even hire someone to do the talking.
• If you have some money you can buy a large electronic megaphone that even has a horn or siren to get folks attention.
• If you don’t have any budget, you pick up the nearest thing that looks like a cheerleader’s megaphone and start running around and yelling. Hello Facebook, blogs, meetings, etc.

Most of us fall into category two or three. That means we have to find publicity wherever we can. Want to get some attention from the media and burnish your reputation? Do something for the community. Don’t just run out and have a bake sale - have a cause you believe in first. In this day and time, many agencies are going wanting due to thin budgets and thinner staffs and will welcome any help they can get.

No, this isn’t some cynical operation that you do because it’s good for business – you do it because people need help. Still, the glow from a charitable act will net you good will and you’ll make some new friends. Friends are about the most important asset for any business. Beyond that, will it make a lasting difference in one person’s life? Yes? Then that’s all you need to know.

Pick something you feel strongly about like cancer, autism, the environment, education, the arts, women’s rights, animal welfare, inner-city programs, youth in music (one of my favorites) or whatever pulls strongly at your heart. Write a mission statement that says what you want from the event, why you’re doing it, who it will help and how much you think it might help and how. Update the mission statement often as you’ll find new things as you go along – the ending will likely be different and better than you planned.

From this planning, you’ll have an idea of what you can raise or do for the event. Is the goal to raise money? Raise awareness? Get material or goods (e.g., pet food for the Humane Society)? The sponsoring agency will give you guidance as to what is most helpful. Plug this into your mission statement.

Once you’ve written down your goals and plans, then go to an organization who is usually attached to these causes (if there is one), share what you’ve written and see what kind of help they’ll give you. Try to find a co-sponsor who’ll help, too, before you go; many hands make for light(er) work.

Next, plan your event and pick a theme. Get help and figure what it’s going to cost, where to have it, etc. This is where an event planner comes in handy. You’ll have to think about everything from sanitation to seltzer water. Whatever the event, you’ll likely need at least a few months to plan and execute.

What event should you plan? That’s up to you and your planner. Stage a fishing or golf tournament, a picnic or barbecue, a pool party, cookware event, a gourmet hors d’oeuvres party, a wine tasting - something that helps folks walk away happy (and not just because of the wine). Since it will likely start with friends, you know what they like, so plan something you’re familiar with and it will be easier for you.

Then, build your list of people to invite and determine how many you realistically think will come. If you’re not sure, call a bunch of friends and ask them to see if they’d be interested. You might get a volunteer or two calling their friends. Check with the organization you’re doing it for as they’ll likely have an idea, too. If all your friends invite their friends, and their friends invite only half their friends, that could be a good number.

Then go back to your mission statement and use that to create your publicity plans and your press releases. It will inform everything and everyone about why you’re embarking on this madness. Try to find one person in the media (reporter, DJ, public relations agent, etc.) and get their advice and names of helpful folks. The agency you spoke with can usually help you with that.

After that, when you’re about three months out, send press releases out to all the media you can think of and follow up regularly with with new items (don’t rehash the old - make it new). Again, work with the sponsoring agency (if there is one involved) and get help on publicity from them - they might be able to  accomplish many times what you can. Keep calling and get help arranging for any publicity you can find. There’s no shame in attaching your company’s name and your co-sponsor’s to this whole thing. (Alltech has their name all over WEG, and rightfully so, thank you Dr. Lyons.)

This is just a snapshot and, realistically, doing any public event is tough. It doesn’t have to be something with thousands of folks. Sometimes small events with a unique or outrageous flavor get more attention - be creative.

If you handle it well the rewards you’ll feel as an individual will be huge (food for the soul), the benefit to the community will be greater and, who knows, you could start an annual event that becomes legendary. You’ve heard of the Kentucky Derby, right?

Want some more ideas? Need help with marketing or advertising? Call me or use the contact form at the bottom of the page at the Frank Communications website.

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