MySpace and Teens Research

Great new research is out from the Pew Internet & American Life Project discussing teen online privacy protection (and let’s face it adults privacy too).

Findings include that

43% of social-networking teens have been contacted online by complete strangers.

55% of online teens have profiles online.

Most teens are using networks to stay in touch with people they already know, either friends that they see a lot (91% of social networking teens have done this) or friends that they rarely see in person (82%).

23% of teens who have been contacted by a stranger online say they felt scared or uncomfortable because of the online encounter.

Read the full report at www.pewinternet.org

Send your questions or submit your marketing for critique to Jeny at jeny@ampbranding.com. All submissions may be published; please indicate if you would like your name or company name withheld.

Five Minutes of Free Consulting

I think when I’m driving and I’ve been driving quite a bit this week. Here’s a sampling of questions to ask yourself that might work to profit your business.

1. Are you marketing as much to your employees to stay as you are to customers to stay? Sadly, internal communications fall to the wayside especially in adolescent-stage companies where you are just beginning to feel the pain of not everyone being in the loop. Depending on your size, it is possible to improve communications quickly…. monthly lunches with everyone (cater it in or rent a room), breakfast brainstorms, implement a weekly email memo from the CEO sent to everyone. Because what will it cost you long-term to lose your most talented?
2. Research shows consumers need to hear a message at least three times for them to have name recognition and recall, and nine times before they become a customer. These number have not changed in 30 years. So… do you have nine marketing efforts planned for the next six months targeting the same audience?
3. Who are your main customers? And I don’t mean age. The best way to find your core audience and deliver messages that work is to evaluate their lifestyle… where they live, their commute, their likes and their spending power.
4. Instead of cutting your price on something, can you make the value bigger? Like making your cookies just a little bigger or attaching a free sample to pass along to a friend or cross-promote another product.
5. Have you told them what you do lately? Especially if you offer a variety of services, customers forget sometimes you can do ALL that. Remind them. Send updates on your company, success stories of other clients who used your X service. And be consistent. If workload and cost are factors, there are ways to get the word out, my friend.

Want more? Hire me for a project, a day or more.

Which level are you on?

Last night I awoke feverish with wanting to discuss consumer selection and branding. Maybe it’s all the business news I’ve been reading but it seems many companies are not sure what the end game of marketing looks like. And there is an end game, my friend…. it’s just then there’s maintaining of that end game once you get there.

So what should you be striving for? Brand insistence. Let’s take the example of toilet paper.

Ms. Smith is in Costco (because everybody is buying TP in bulk these days) and needing some toilet paper. Four brands on the shelf and she picks up the one with the lowest price. Doesn’t even care about double roll, extra quilty, absorbency, pretty designs. That’s called Brand Indifference.

Now… Mr. Walker is needing some toilet paper. Four brands on the shelf and he prefers Charmin but it’s the most expensive. So he picks up a lower priced brand with similar attributes (he likes the “double roll” benefit). That’s called Brand Preference.

Finally (this is the end game one)… Mrs. Brown is needing some toilet paper. Four brands on the shelf and she insists on Quilted Northern but that palette is empty. She finds a sales clerk and they check in the back. No luck. Mrs. Brown leaves the aisle without picking up one of the other brands. On her way home from Costco, she stops at the grocery store and picks up a 4-pack and plans to head to another Costco tomorrow to get the bulk size. That’s called Brand Insistence.

And yes… people will do this. for specific coffee beans, printer paper, camera film, batteries, and quite possibly your brand.

Strategies for Media Relations

If you know how to write, work and speak to the media than you will achieve the best kind of marketing there is — Free Publicity. Publicity like being quoted as an expert or an entire article spotlighting your company goes a long way in establishing your presence and credibility in your industry. These suggestions apply to all types of businesses so take heed.

1. Be Prepared with ideas and background. Just like a good scout you need to be prepared when it comes to the media. Their job is publishing not trying to make your business successful and most of the time they are working under tight deadlines so if you aren’t there, they won’t be calling back. Sit with your trusted team (be it employees, family, friends) and brainstorm on angles to your company’s story. The next step is getting those ideas onto paper. Background material like your company’s history, biographies, testimonials, etc. Remember the more you give the media, more might show up in the next edition. 2. Make Yourself Available. You are not Donald Trump – yet. So when the media calls, take the call. Waiting two hours or a day to return a call means you might miss the chance for inclusion. Also be sure reaching you is easy for reporters. Is your telephone number prominent on all your marketing materials? Web site? Don’t bury it “Contact us.” They won’t.

3. Remember this is a relationship. Your media relations are business relationships. Think of the media as a client you want to make happy. The same rules apply. That means letting them know they can call 24-7 for help. Calling or e-mailing every few months to let them know what you’ve been up to. Getting to know them as people – learning their interests, hobbies, etc. If you learn a reported likes flyfishing and you come across an article, send it their way with a quick note. Make yourself personable and the media will do the same.

4. There are some things you should never do. Don’t ask if you can read the story before it’s printed (you can ask for your quotes to read back for accuracy). Don’t agree to an interview, then cancel. Don’t pitch an idea until you know what they cover. Don’t try to change their minds if they don’t like an idea. Don’t give the media gifts (many of ethics policies so just send a card).

5. Follow Up. Let the reporter who covered your product launch know that you’ve now sold 1 million pieces six months later. Or share the tangible impact you’ve seen as a result of their coverage (five new clients, sold out fundraiser, etc.). Everyone likes to know their doing their job and it’s appreciated.

The media is not a scary monster out there ready to chew up your business dreams. I should know. As a broadcast journalism major who worked for CBS, ESPN and other media outlets, these are real people. I would be glad to help you talk to them. Just drop me a line at jeny2007 @gmail.com.