The Innovator

First Quarter 2012 Marketing Ideas

2011-12-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

I have always said and will continue to say that we marketing people think a minimum of 3 months. And we make our plans for what we need and want to do this way. When the holidays roll around we have already turned our sights to the first quarter of the coming year-2012. The only things we are doing this time of year is any charity type work that can only be done now as it pertains primarily to the holiday season we are currently in. Otherwise we spend our time planning what we are going to be doing in January, February & March. Typically it's in December when you work for a company that has an actual marketing budget that you get the approved one so this is why the planning gets pushed into high gear....as it is now we learn what monies we have to work with to accomplish our goals. Even if you don't work for such a company and only have a little home based business I have always encouraged clients to THINK like a big company and you will be able to gain and keep a market edge for your business.

In keeping with this thought I am sharing marketing ideas for January, February & March. I highly suggest sitting down at some point and planning what your business needs to accomplish the first quarter of 2012 and start to put some of it in motion. At the end of December it is very difficult with all the holidays and celebrations going on to accomplish much so sooner is better than later when it come to this.

January the month that starts every year. It's a FRESH start on every possible level and a great month to begin a new trend as well. It is also known as book blitz; celebration of life, financial wellness, get organized, international creativity, international New Year's resolutions for business, international quality of life, national clean up your computer, national tea and shape up US month.

Special weeks in January include:
1st-7th: celebration of life and diet resolution week.
1st-8th: national lose weight/feel great week
2nd-8th: someday we'll laugh about this & New year's resolutions week.
5th-9th: women's self-empowerment week
8th-14th: home office safety & security week
15th-21st: healthy weight week

Special Days in January include:

1st-New Year's Day
6th-Epiphany/Twelfth Night
7th-Orthodox Christmas
9th-national clean off your desk day
10th- national cut your energy costs and UN day
13th-Friday the 13th
14th-organize your home
15th-religious freedom
16th-Martin Luther King Jr Day
19th-get to know your customers day
21st-national hugging day
22nd celebration of life day
23rd-Chinese New Year's
24th-national compliment day
29th-Freethinker's day

February the second month of the year and the shortest...but it's packed with a lot too. It's known as American heart; international boost your self-esteem; international expect success; library lovers; national black history, national care about your indoor air, national cherry, national time management, national weddings, plant the seeds of greatness, relationship wellness, responsible pet owners, wise health care consumer & youth leadership month.

Special weeks in February include:

1st-7th: women's heart week
5th-11th: children's authors & illustrators; freelance writers appreciation & publicity for profit week
6th-10th: international networking & international friendship week
6th-11th: national green week
12th-18th: celebration of love week
13th-19th: random acts of kindness week
18th-25th: national entrepreneurs week
26th-March 5th: telecommuter appreciation week

Special Days in February include:

1st-freedom day
2nd-Candlemas/Imbolc/Groundhog day
3rd-wear red day
4th-world cancer day
5th-Super Bowl XLVI
7th-ballet day
12th-Lincoln's Day
13th-clean out your computer day
13-14th-Westminster Dog Show
16th-innovation day
17th-world human spirit day
20th-lover your pet day
20th-President's Day
21st-Mardi Gras
22nd-Ash Wednesday/Lent; world thinking & George Washington's birthday
26th-Daytona 500
29th- Leap Year Day

March-the final month of the first quarter and over the years I have found it to be the month that people seem to be waking up as Spring is coming. If you plan your first quarter right this will be the month you will be actually putting your next quarter plans into place actually.

March is known as: American Red Cross; employee spirit; international expect success; international ideas; international listening awareness; international women's; Irish-American Heritage; music in our schools; national craft; national march into literacy; national women's history; spiritual wellness & youth art month.

Special weeks in March include:

1at-7th: Universal Human Beings week
4th-10th: national words matter & read an ebook week
8th-14th: universal women's week
19th-25th: act happy week
26th-31st: national cleaning week

Special days in March include:

1st: world book & world compliment
2nd: Dr Seuss; employee appreciation & NEA's read across America
7th: national be heard
8th: international women's & working women's day & organize your home office day
9th: get over it day
11th: daylight savings begins
14th: Pi day
15th: Ides of March & companies that care day
16th: freedom of information
17th: St Patrick's Day
20th: 1st day of Spring/Ostara
21st: national common courtesy day
31st: Earth hour

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2012 is fast approaching....

2011-11-14T11:32:00.001-05:00

Every business who engages in marketing should read this:

http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/6359/12-marketing-predictions-for-2012?adref=nlt111411&utm_source=mpt&utm_medium=howto&utm_campaign=basic&utm_term=strategy&utm_content=article

Marketing is Strategy

2011-10-11T12:31:00.005-04:00

There is a need to clear up the confusion that existsregarding marketing and advertising. Most people believe them to be interchangeable. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As a marketing person, I spend a great dealof time attempting to help people try and differentiate between the two whichisn’t always a simple task. In order tounderstand the difference one must know what they are exactly.

First, let’s look at the definition of each. Marketing,as defined by Webster’s Dictionary “is the act or process of selling orpurchasing in a market. It’s anaggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer toconsumer”. An aggregate of functions….meaning there’s more than one functioninvolved here. This is a key point to remember as we continue ouranalysis. Webster’s defines advertisingas “the action of calling something to the attention of the public, especiallyby paid advertisements.” Rememberingthat marketing is more than one function at work, we can see by looking at thedefinitions that advertising is only ONEpart of marketing…one of the functions of it! And to go one further, marketing is also not the selling of advertisingeither but rather the determination of which advertising source to utilize for aparticular message one is looking to portray to the public.

It’s the advertising side of marketing which the consumer ismost familiar with because it is the advertising messages which they see themost. Which explains the simple responseone gets when you mention marketing to someone…the typical response issomething similar to ‘Oh! You mean advertising.’My response is usually yes but it’s much more than that. One can understand the typical responsebecause it is what they see most frequently, especially in today’s market wherewe seem to be bombarded by all types of advertising. From the subtle product placement in a movieor TV show to the constant commercial advertisements that seem to be everywherenow. TV, radio, newspapers, magazines,billboards etc etc etc. There’s no wayto escape it! We get them on-line offline wherever anyone can think of it. Asa marketing person myself, it amazes even me how much advertising hasmultiplied over the years and in the different places you can now findads. It’s not so simple anymore, whichis why any good marketing person would tell you a plan is so important. Because there is so many factors to take intoconsideration when determining what will work best for a business.

I like to think of usmarketing people as generals. There is aLOT of similarities in the job. Generals make plans on attacking their enemy orwhat is the best strategic move for troops in a particular situation. And if you think about it they usuallyinvolve more than one aspect as well. When a country goes to war with another one…they never typically attackjust from land or air or sea…but usually all three. Now Marketing managers & the like don’tmake life or death type decisions but they make decisions that affect people. Our battle ground is the competitive marketplace. We have to decide which are thebest strategic plans to follow given the particular time of year, the economyand funds available amongst other things. Our “war room” if you will is the marketing department of a business oras in my case being an independent marketing consultant, my own office. It’s in these places where we analyzeinformation available and determine what the best plan to follow given allcircumstances. Generals drop bombs andother weapons to get the attention of whomever they’re attacking. Marketing people find ways to makeimpressions on the consumer. The moreimpressions the more likely the consumer will use that business’ productservice etc. Our “enemy” is ourcompetitors who are trying to do the same thing we are. Generals determine after their analysis whichis the best sources to use to plan their attack. Marketing people determine which is the bestmethods to use to get the public’s attention so that those oh so importantimpressions can be made on them, which will affect the way they interact andpurchase in the marketplace. Usuallywhen I describe this similarity, people look at marketing with a different setof eyes. Once people see all the“pieces-parts” that make up marketing and understand it’s more than justadvertising they are better able to grasp what’s involved in marketing theirbusiness and can further understand that sometimes plans don’t always work and as business owners and marketers we needto constantly be thinking of something new to try. We need to think in a strategic way in orderto achieve our goals of growing our businesses.

November & December Marketing Ideas

2011-09-13T12:28:00.000-04:00

I know. I know. It's only September and most people are just recovering from the back to school nonsense. However, when it comes to marketing you need to be thinking ahead....especially when it pertains tot the 4th quarter of the year and even more so for the last 2 months. With all the holidays that are packed into November & December any advertising you are planning on doing needs to do it sooner not later because it fills up VERY VERY fast and there is only so much air time & space available for everyone. This is why I am giving marketing ideas for both November & December together because on top of the limited time & space there is also a time constraint on business people because lets face it the end of the year's holidays are all about family and we all run around like crazy once the holiday season begins until it ends in early January.

November is truly an autumn month...everything about it, throughout most of it anyway with possibly the end feeling more like early winter. There's a feeling of home that just seems to fill the air.

It's known as the American & National Diabetes, Family Stories, Percussion/International Drum, Lung Cancer Awareness, Military Family Appreciation, National Adoption, National Family Caregivers, National Home Care & Hospice, National Inspirational Role Models, National Life Writing, National Native American Heritage, National Novel Writing, National Scholarship and Vegan month.

There's several "special" weeks in November as well:
1st-7th: National Animal Shelter Appreciation & World Communication week.
7th-11th: National Young Reader's week
7th-13th: Pursuit of Happiness week
8th-14th: World Kindness week
13th-19th: American Education & National Hunger & Homeless Awareness week
14th-20th: National Global Entrepreneurship week
20th-26th: National Family & National Game & Puzzle week
21st-27th: Better Conversation week

Special Days in November include:
1st: All Saint's, National Authors & National Family Literacy
2nd; All Soul's Day
3rd: Sandwich Day
4th: Use Your Common Sense Day
5th: Sadie Hawkins Day
6th: Daylight Savings ends
8th: Election Day & National Parents as Teachers
'9th Young Reader's Day
10th: Sesame Street Day
11th: Veteran's Day
13th: World Kindness Day
14th: Loosen Up & Lighten Up, National American Teddy Bear & Universal Children's Day
15th: America Recycles & I Love to Write Day
16th: International Day for Tolerance& National Educational Support Professionals Day
17th: Homemade Bread & Great American Smoke out
19th: Equal Opportunity, Family Volunteer Day & National Day of Play
20th: Children's Day
21st World Hello & Television Day
22nd Humane Society Anniversary Day
24th: Celebrate your Unique Talent & Thanksgiving
25th: Black Friday, International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women & Native American Heritage Day
26th: Islamic New Year
27th: National Day of Listening
28th: Cyber Monday

December is the first real month that brings winter to mind. It is also a month FULL of holidays for everyone. It is all about giving and being with family.

Additionally it is know as: World AIDS, National Write a Business Plan, Rising Star, Safe Toys & Gifts and Universal Human Rights month

Special weeks in December include:

1st-7th: Cookie Cutter & Tolerance week
1st-8th: Recipe Greetings for the Holidays week
10th-17th: Human Rights week
17th-23rd: Saturnalia
25th-31st: It's About Time week
26th-31st: Kwanzaa

Special Days include:

1st: World AIDS & Special Kids Day
3rd: International Day of Disabled Persons
4th: National Cookie Day
5th: International Volunteer for Economic Development Day
6th: St Nicholas Day
9th: National Salesperson Day
10th: Human Rights & Nobel Prize Day
11th: Worldwide Candle Lighting Day
12th: Poinsettia Day
20th: Hanukkah
21/22: World Peace Day, Yule, Winter Solstice
24th: Christmas Eve
25th: Christmas
31st: World Peace Meditation Day & New Year's Eve

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T10:06:00.004-04:00

For the 2,973 people who perished September 11, 2001 after hijacked planes crashed in New York City in Arlington, Virginia and in Pennsylvania. The victims were mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of many faiths and races who came from more than 80 nations. All who were killed died working and living the American dream. WE SHALL NEVER FORGET.

Everyone Could use a Proofreader.....

2011-09-08T11:36:00.002-04:00

Great Article about something so simple and often overlooked.

http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/2385/how-a-typo-can-hurt-your-business?adref=nlt090811

Marketing with an uncertain economy

2011-09-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

Okay so depending on who you read or listen to the economyof the world is or is not about to go into another recession. No matter what they say, the economy in itscurrent state is affecting business in a big way and in many ways also. In a time when most businesses haven’t evenrecovered from what has been dubbed the “Great Recession” this is not a goodthing at all.

Typically, when the economy turns a bit sour, the firstplace you will see ANY business cut expenses is marketing, advertising, PR andwill put greater demand on any sales personnel, if they even have any, tocontinue to reach their goals and budgets even though they will not have anymarketing or advertising to support their efforts. For long standing customers or clients thisisn’t usually a major factor for them tocontinue to spend their monies with a particular business-the old adage of itisn’t broke don’t fix it attitude comes into play here. However, for a business that is looking togrow and expand this poses an interesting conundrum. How will new customers find out about youwithout getting your name out there somehow? This has been the ultimate question for as long as economic situationslike our current ones have been around.

Here’s what I know after 20 years working in various aspectsof marketing, sales & PR. You cannotcut your marketing budget in its entirety. You can scale back some of the larger expenses such as TV advertisingand such and instead take the time for other less expensive aspectsinstead. There are also free or almostfree things you can do as well.

Press releases as I have said many many times over areunderutilized by most businesses. If youhave a newsworthy story to share, whether it is a long or short one….let themedia know so they can let your customers or your potential customersknow. If it gets printed it cost youonly the time and effort of having to write it or having it professionallywritten and your story is given time or space that would otherwise be taken upwith paid advertising!

Another newer aspect that I truly tout the benefits of issocial media-The benefits of this to any business no matter what their size isonly now being understood. I had aclient ask me why her business should be on Facebook etc. After spending several minutes explaining howit can be beneficial I then sat down and showed her what it is that makessocial media excellent for ANY business….I first pulled up The CreativeConsultant’s page and then a few big name businesses as well as a few smallerbusinesses and organizations as well. The “playing field” in social media is the same for every sized business….it’sall what you put into it. So it doesn’tmatter if you are a one show horse or if you are a multi-billion dollar companyevery page starts out exactly the same way and basically all look the same aswell. Twitter and all the others areexactly the same case as well. And theyare free…and put businesses in direct almost personal contact with theircustomers/clients. So why not useit? The use grew after the last majoreconomic disaster we had so one can expect with the current economic uncertainty. And that all depends on who you’re asking aswell.

So whatever the economic future holds, is anyone’s guess andthe economist predictors keep coming up with different answers in their crystalballs but businesses need to remember that there are various marketing aspectsout there that don’t cost as much as the “traditional” advertisingavenues. I highly recommend to anybusiness to realize that with the murky economic waters not doing anythingcould be business suicide.

About Press Releases

2011-08-11T19:03:00.000-04:00

I actually wrote this about 3 years ago.....BEFORE the economy tanked, before the world changed, before businesses fell apart or had to reinvent themselves because the way everyone saw the world had changed. It was before the huge rise of importance of social media as a major tactic in every business marketing plan-before there were whole departments and sub-departments where created to "handle" social media for businesses. What I wrote then is still pertinent today-in some way more so. It's definitely worth reading or rereading.

We’ve all heard the expression that good news travels fast, when actually it’s the opposite that is true. Good news doesn’t receive the same priority it seems as bad news when it comes to receiving air time or newspaper space. We’ve all heard that it’s the bad news that sells newspapers and unfortunately this is the truth because bad news is what gets our attention or so it seems. Because of all of this, good publicity for a business is something that can’t be forgotten or ignored. It needs to be an integral part of all aspects of promoting a business, it crucial and critical that it gets done. No one is just going to tell the public how great a business is or all the things a company is doing, this something that every business owner needs to realize. A business is not going to grow in today’s world without great publicity. Press releases are a great way to also inform the public, vested interest parties, competitors and customers about you, your business and your company’s various activities. It is the interface between you and the news media that will go on to report to the public in their media channel about your business.

And it is not enough to just write a press release to tell the media about a business and what is newsworthy about them; it needs to be written well and professionally. Media editors and reporters are inundated daily with lots and lots or press releases every day. So if your release is poorly written and not in standardized format or is a thinly disguise advertisement you can rest assure that your press release will not only not receive any coverage it will probably be found at the bottom of a wastebasket somewhere in the newsroom. Be sure that any press release you send out is professional in its appearance and is well-written. I’m not saying you have to pay someone each and every time you need to have one written I’m merely saying be sure to follow the media’s standards when you do.

Keep in mind that although public relations/publicity has the same goal as marketing—to make the phone ring—you don’t want to mistake a press release as a sales/marketing pitch either. The release should be about something that is considered newsworthy for print or air time. Remember, you are not the only one out there vying for that space or time, there are hundreds of others out there trying to do the same thing you are; so you need to be the best at it so the media sees your business as credible. First impressions are very important. In the case of a release its how it first appears to the reporter or editor or even the intern who is stuck sorting through all the faxes, emails and letters containing releases on a daily basis. If it looks poor at first glance it won’t help you get your release published.

I’ve often heard from people that public relations and marketing have nothing to do with each other; nothing could be further from the truth. There are marketing people who will not write press releases and see them as trivial in the scope of marketing/PR plans, when in actuality when they are used in conjunction with other marketing tactics they can greatly increase the overall return on whatever the plan or campaign a business has. For a business to succeed they need to be positively active in all 3 aspects marketing, advertising and public relations. When they are not is when businesses falter.

Frequent stories/articles in the media gives your business or organization builds credibility and gives the public the impression that you are an expert in your field or specialized area. Impressions is something every business is looking for and the more impressions the public gets about a business the more likely they are to recall that business and what they are all about. Keep in mind, marketers and advertisers will tell you it takes a minimum of 10 impressions for a person to even register the name of a business or product, let alone know anything specific. And you want to be certain that those impressions are good ones, which also adds to your credibility. The only one sure way to make certain that those impressions are good is to send out those press releases yourself. This way you are controlling what the media and public know about your business. If you leave it up to someone else, the only time you’ll receive any news time will be when something bad happens and that will be the only thing the public will remember about your company. Another plus for sending out frequent releases is when something tragic does happen and receives that negative press we’re trying to avoid, damage control is much easier to deal with because the media and the public are familiar with all the good things that have been out there about your business.

Now, there’s a lot of mixed opinions out there today about the effectiveness of press releases in the 21^st century. This is true of a lot of tactics out there that have been around forever. There are those who feel that because we are high tech and digital now that the day of the press release has passed. Those that feel this way are also the ones that want to always reinvent the wheel too. There is no other tactic out there that can do what a press release can. It can give you a lot of coverage for little money or effort and actually with the increased use of the Internet it even has longer life span than ever before. When stories are posted to the web they will be there for a very long time and can be brought up when searched. It used to be an article in a newspaper may have a 7-10 day lifespan now it can have weeks, months or even years, depending on what the topic is. And it can be searched for all over the world; so the coverage area is also greatly expanded as well. Keep in mind there is no be-all, end-all tactic out there that will solve all of your promotional/publicity issues. Press releases are the wild card in the bunch too boot. They are difficult to track the return on these so many times this is why it’s not a tactic many businesses chose to use. I also like to point out that the major corporations of the world use press releases frequently because they are well aware of their benefits. When contemplating this I often will tell potential customers to log onto a major corporation’s website and look under the link that they have for their own press releases, you will find a great many, believe me, in some cases hundreds. Why? Because they know the importance of having a good public image and the credibility it gives overall to their company and in turn benefits their marketing and advertising as well. It also offsets the negative images that often accompany the larger corporations. They see good PR as damage control and even the smallest of companies can learn from this as well. We all have seen instances where even small businesses have to deal with a negative story in the media; those that have more staying power in the media, those stories that just won’t die, if you will are those businesses that do not have a good publicity plan in place. Normally, as a rule, if your company has consistently good publicity than when the one time a negative story comes out about it, the media & public will give it nothing more than a passing glance.

It’s because of this dissention over press releases, however, that I have found many smaller to mid-sized businesses that shy away from the use of this tactic. This probably the single, largest mistake I find the decision makers making when putting together business promotional plans. I recommend using it as part of any plans being put together for business promotion. Good relations with the media and the public can greatly benefit any business or organization. It’s a relatively simple to achieve too. What other tool is available to businesses that offer the largest return for little investment? Let me give you an example of what I mean by this. If you send a press release to let’s say 10 newspapers and 8 of them run a story/article about it and for this example let’s make all the articles be 4 inches by 4 inches in size. Which would probably equate out to a 2 column by 4 inch cost associated with an ad of the same size in each of those 8 papers that ran the story. You can see where that could equal out to a lot of money from a marketing budget, if your business even has one; smaller businesses tend not to have much of one or if they do it’s extremely limited at best. So in essence publicity can save a business advertising dollars overall. Now this is only part of the return on your investment (ROI) that a well written press release can offer. The credibility factor to both the media and the public will give your business an added benefit as well; it will cause the media to pay more attention to your releases when you send them out and in turn they will be more likely to run a story based on them and in addition, the public will then read about your business more often and want to call, visit and so on to find out more about what it is you have to offer them.

You will note that I include the media in all this too. Publicity is not merely a public oriented thing. One needs to have good media relations in order to have good public relations they are interdependent on each other. You cannot have one without the other. I always tell clients to not forget this important fact when they have to network and deal with representatives from the media. Upsetting the wrong person can greatly affect your chances of having media coverage when you want and or need it most. It can also affect the “spin” they put on stories when disaster strikes.

What makes a press release a good one? There are a lot of little things one needs to keep in mind when putting together a release. Because as we have discussed it is SO very important that your release be in a standard that appeals to the media and that appears at first glance to be professional.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing a press release.

A press release is not an ad. So don’t try and disguise an ad as one. It needs to be a newsworthy story. There’s got to be a story to tell. Something that will peek a reporters and the public’s interest
Keep the “pitch” creative to peek the interest as well. The copy used in the title needs to be attention getting and informative. Keep in mind that the first set of eyes looking at our press release may not be a reporter or editor at all. Depending on how it was distributed to the media source (more on this later) it may be a secretary or intern or someone else who has the task of sorting through all of the faxes and/or emails to determine which release goes to who. You want them to know in a moment what the story is you are trying to tell so they can be sure that it gets to the correct editor/reporter. You wouldn’t want a business related item to end up on a sports editor’s desk; but rather the business editor’s.
Don’t be afraid to strike while the iron is hot on a particular topic. If you open the paper or turn on the radio and TV and all you can hear, see or read about it a particular topic or issue take a moment to see if there’s a news story there for your business as well. I use the worldwide environmental awareness as a perfect example of a topic. This can also be the case of an event too. Something about your business that ties in with an event can also be a very newsworthy story to an editor. So when searching for a story line don’t be afraid to piggy back on to a trend or relevant story, it can be something that pertains only to your local area or it could also be a regional item or something national as well.
Put your press release on your company letter head. As I mentioned you want to give the media channel a good first impression at a glance, your letterhead gives it the professional air about it. If you don’t have letterhead I highly recommend using your logo in the top left-hand corner.
This next one is critical, is certain that the contact information that you put in the header as well as in the body of the release is current and accurate. As part of that is certain that the contact person(s) listed are well informed as well. They will be a spokesperson for your company, so you want to be certain they not only sound like one but are knowledable about your story as well as your business. Keep in mind that if a reporter is calling for additional information about your story they are very busy people and have to work on deadlines and they will not have the time to wait on hold or for someone to call them back in order to get your story in on time. In addition, the contact information listed within the body of the release will be the phone number or email that the public will be contacting to find out more. The last thing anyone wants is to get someone who has no clue about what the person is calling about. So before you even begin writing a release is certain to have both of these contacts well briefed on the topic.
This seems like a simple common sense item, but don’t forget to date your release and also indicate when you want it released as well. Most of the time it will be immediate but there are cases when a press release will be sent out and be for release in a day or two. This is something larger companies are well noted for, they will send out a release ahead of when they would like it released to give reporters and editors time to contact them for an interview or contact their rival for one as well; depending on what the release is about.
I’ve mentioned the importance of the first glance and the impression and this especially pertains to the title. Be certain it’s not only catchy but is informative so that the first person who sees it you get their attention and they will also know who it should be given to.
When it comes to press releases, keeping it to one page is very important. Be sure to include all the important criteria , the who, what, when and why but you are not writing a book
Be sure you know where you are sending your release and that the media outlet is receiving it in a manner which they prefer. If you are sending this out in your local area, this can be easily done. Oftentimes press release information, the how-to’s and where to send them information is readily available on websites so you don’t have to waste time trying to call and find out. Typically, the media now will receive press releases via email, but there are still a few out there that still prefer them faxed and there are even still some who prefer that you put them in the mail, as archaic as that may seem. What you need to also find out is if the release will be going to a general fax or email box. For smaller publications and media this will be the case, sometimes you are able to put it to the attention of a particular reporter if you have a relationship with them but this is not always possible.
This brings us to the next important thing to remember, be sure you follow up to ensure your release was received. Sometimes this is not necessary because you will receive an automated email response letting you know that they did in fact get an email from you. If you are able to send it directly to an editor or reporter oftentimes it’s because you have a relationship with that person and they will certain to let you know they got it. But as I stated more often than not you will be sending it out to a general fax or email box. In that case it is a good idea to contact the newsroom just to double check that they did get it. You probably will only be told that it was received and nothing more so don’t expect to be on the phone right away with a reporter. Keep in mind that the person who will answer the phone will be the department’s receptionist/secretary and he or she will be the one who deals with the general fax or email box. In addition, depending on the time of day you call there may not be reporters available for you to talk to anyway; they may be out covering stories before their deadlines.
This next thing goes along with the last one. If you regularly advertise on or in a particular media source, more than likely you have a sales representative who calls or visits you on a regular basis. I highly recommend sending a copy of any release to them as well, with a note asking them to please forward to the appropriate person or persons so that it will get some news coverage. Remember, you spend money for advertising with this person; they are going to make a point of doing you this favor so that you will be happy about it and will more likely spend additional money. There is one word of caution with this though, expect a phone call from your rep asking if you’d like to do an ad as well. If this is not in the cards for this particular item, be honest with them and tell them that you do have something coming up in an approximate timeframe and ask that they call you prior to that so you can make arrangements with them to advertise.
A key factor to also keep in mind is making sure you are sending out your release to the appropriate target audience. If you’re press release is about something that pertains to the 50+ crowd, sending it to a media channel that deals solely with the 30 & under demographic is not going to get you anywhere. So too is the case when it come to the topic of your release as well. If your story pertains to something that only real estate agents are going to care about be sure you send it out to those media channels and not to those that could care less. Be sure before you get into using releases as a tactic that you get to know the demographics of all media channels you have available to distribute to. This will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.
Be sure to include the internet sources as well. I often have clients forget that important channel.
Post it on your own website, if you don’t have a press release section or link you probably should.
Be persistent and patient too. Because your story does not appear the next day in your local paper does not mean that it won’t at all. Keep in mind that your story may be the most important thing in the world to you and your business; however, it may not be to the rest of the world. Editor’s only have so much space to work with for articles and stories; they have to make decisions on where and when or even to give an article/story space to begin with. Someone somewhere has to take a back seat, we can’t all be first in line all the time I’m afraid. This is why it is so important to be persistent and send out your press releases often because if you do you are more likely not going to be allocated to the back of the line every time. If it applies don’t be afraid to resend your release again too. This can apply in many ways, I have had cases where I sent out a press release in the morning only to have a major event or disaster happen in the area where the media I sent it to. Well, you can be sure my little ole release was not important at all, which is completely understandable. In this case, although the release was time constrained I had sent out the original early enough so that having to resend it was not an issue and when I did after all the chaos of this event had passed the article ran the next day. So you can see where being persistent can help. You never know how many releases a media channel will receive in a given day, some days they receive hundreds others just several dozen. If you sent yours out on the day that they got hundreds it may be lost in the shuffle. It may be better to send it gain and you may be lucky enough for it to be a slow day.

Keep in mind free publicity which is the ultimate outcome of any press release can make a world of difference to your business, especially if you work with a limited budget. It can get the attention of potential customers like no ad could. Plus, you will gain much in how your business’s image is perceived by the public and as I said before the media. This helps also with your internal marketing, keeping the customers you already have. You can build loyalty too. When customers read or hear about someone or a business they know they tend to what to tell others that they know the person or business first-hand. There’s some pride there, and the very best advertising anyone can possibly hope for is word of mouth. Your best customers are your best advertisers, so by sending out releases and getting stories in the media gives them something to talk about.

What sorts of topics can a press release about? We’ve mentioned it has to be newsworthy and not a thinly disguised ad. This is the number one rule everyone has to keep in mind when they are writing these. There are some common topics that come to mind right away to everyone when I mention press releases, like grand openings, expansions or major changes to a business, mergers, acquisitions that sort of thing, special events, and community service type items. But there are others as well. Like website launches, open houses, contests, awards and recognitions, new product or service launches, a realignment of a business, new hires and promotions within a company, tie-ins to national dates and events, speaking engagements, holiday assistance to community organizations and so on. The best recommendation is if you can think like an editor and find a news story in something that is happening regarding your business than more than like you should write up a release about it As a side note just as it will be easier to get your release turned into a story the more often you do them; so too will it get easier to write releases the more often you do.

Here’s a list of ideas that you may want to consider when deciding on what to send out a press release about:

New Service or Product
Grand Openings
Business Expansions
Major changes within the business, restructuring
Merger with another business
Acquisition of another business
Special event
Recognition of a National Holiday—i.e. to honor National Fire Prevention Day, Week or month etc
Website launch
Open house
Contest
Awards or recognitions for your business or an employee
A realignment of the business, new mission, rebranding
New Hires or promotions within
Announcement of speaking engagements
Holiday assistance to community organizations, food, blood drives etc
Pricing or policy changes
Patents or trademarks awarded to business for product
Information now available on website
Involvement in a community event or activity
Commentary on a particular subject that relates back to your business
New customers or clients
Financially related stories of how well business is dong or is expected to do
Retirements, recognitions of long-term employees
Anniversary of start of business/milestones
Charitable donations
Memberships to associations-appointments
Protests to a government policy or issue
Announce the hiring for positions
Any public figure or celebrity association or appearance or endorsement

I’m often asked on how often should a business plan on sending out releases. This is a tricky question because the how often depends a bit on what your company does too. But as a general rule and to give clients a base-line to work from I recommend no less than once a month. Now, depending on the business there may be a need to do these more often and conversely a bit less, though I wouldn’t recommend doing them too much less, only because as we have discussed the more often releases are done the more credibility a business develops. Too little, and you don’t get the full effect of this tactic for your business. I also tell clients to remember that there may be months that sending out a release will not be as beneficial to them as sending out more than one in a particular month instead. These are things that need to be weighed and reviewed when putting together plans for your business. I do highly recommend that in the event that you do need to send out multiple press releases in a particular month to be sure to space them out. This is usually not a problem but once in awhile it becomes necessary to send out more than one in a given week. In this case, you need to make certain to put at least a day or 2 in-between them. Otherwise the reporters/editors may just think it’s a duplicate of the first one and not realize that there is 2 actually 2 stories. The only time you want to send out 2 press releases in one day would be to rescind or correct the first one you sent out. And when it is necessary for this type of circumstance you will want to make a note on the 2^nd release that it is a correction or to rescind the first. But this is a rare occurrence especially in a smaller company.

When sending out your press releases especially on a national scale there are services on the web now that can assist you in writing it or at the very least sending it out, usually for a nominal fee. These services most definitely have their merit and can be very helpful in getting your press release edited for the media channels and getting it sent out as well, however, if your PR reach is not that great you are going to want to take the time a research for yourself where you want your press releases going to and to whom. If your reach is just within your local area, then you already know the media channels it should be going to and you may already know to whom. If you’re not sure, ask your media representative the next time they call or pay you a visit, if they aren’t sure, believe me they will be willing to find out and get back with you. Remember they get paid when you advertise, so if they are willing to help you get some publicity as well you will be more likely to spend money with them again—its good customer service on their part, so they should be more than willing to be of assistance. Once you have compiled a list of where to send you releases to, be sure to keep it up to date as changes occur and people change jobs you’ll want to make those changes accordingly. Other than these minor changes this should be the most time you will have to spend on your PR and press releases. When you have a story you want to tell, remember all the key factors in putting it together and get it written.

If writing is not your thing or if you just don’t have the time, there are people such as myself out there who will write them up for you, again for a nominal fee. You can look for someone in your local area or you can search for someone over the internet also; which ever best works for you. As a side note, you should not pay large fees for this service unless it includes more than just writing it. There are persons out there who will charge you a large fee for something you could very easily write yourself.

Press releases can add a great deal of benefit to all aspects of your business and can help promote it in ways that can help it grow and prosper. Good publicity is not going to just happen to anyone or any company; you have to make it happen, especially in today’s society where we seem to thrive on the negative of everything. So set a goal of what you want to accomplish in regards to public and media relations for your business. Make a plan based on that goal, indicating what tactics you are planning on using to accomplish that goal, figure on how your press releases will fit into the scheme of it and write it all down for yourself. Be sure if you have employees that they know what your goals and plans are because they are your spokespeople. If you do not want them discussing certain items about your business or if you only want the media talking to a particular person is sure to make everyone aware of this so that the message that the media is getting is the same no matter who they speak with. Once you have this in place, if you have a website be sure to include all the information on it you would want a reporter or editor to find about your business there, often a reporter may just go directly to your website to find what they are looking for before calling. Discover who your target media market channel is and find out who you should be contacting at these sources. Write your story; if you’re able provide a tip sheet as well. A tip sheet is a sheet of bullet items related to the story you are trying to tell in your press release that sometimes is included. This often depends on who the press release is being sent to, this is something you will discover if your media sources accept or want. In our hurry rushed society this is something that depends on their policies. Sometimes at special events when a reporter is sent to interview an individual they would rather have a tip sheet to work from instead of a press release because they can look quickly, ask their questions and get on to their next story that much faster. If they have to stop and read an entire press release and devise questions it can take away from their stories they need to cover. Part of your media relations should be to make their jobs easier to do because the easier you make it for them the more likely they will be to continue to cover your stories. When reporters, editors, and other newspersons cross your path is sure to establish and nurture your relationship with them. Building on and these types of relationships will only benefit your overall goal and plan in the long run, these are the people who do the actual reporting of your stories to the public so making sure they like you and are well informed of what you do is a key factor in getting your message out to the public and put correctly. Which is why media relations is as important as public relations and are interdependent upon each other.

Utilizing well written professional press releases that are sent out to media channels can be the difference to all businesses but especially to those smaller to medium sized ones that are working on limited budgets. A press release can generate as much business or even possibly more than an advertising campaign if done properly and will cost very little in comparison. Done consistently and regularly throughout the year with a goal of a minimum of one a month with build on a company’s credibility to both the media and the public which in turn builds loyalty and positive understanding of a business. Although there are many detractors of their value in today’s society, the press release and good publicity have grown to be a strong tactic to be used by any business of any size with a staying power that far outlives it’s advertising counterparts, especially when posted to the internet. Contrary to any of their claims, the press release will continue to be used as the key tactic for a business’s good publicity plans.

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2011-08-04T13:21:00.000-04:00

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A Marketing/Advertising Fundamental

2011-08-04T13:18:00.000-04:00

The Creative Consultant, Independent Marketing Consultant

Flyers & ads are still a fundamental way to attract customers....and to get their attention for upcoming specials and events your business may be doing.
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Using Press Releases

2011-08-04T13:14:00.000-04:00

The Creative Consultant, Independent Marketing Consultant

Did you know it takes 10 "impressions" for someone to recognize that they have seen or hear a company name or brand etc? That means you need to be telling your customers/clients current & potentials what your business is doing-regularly. The BEST and easiest way to do that is through the use of press releases....
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Good Advice

2011-08-03T11:23:00.002-04:00

http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/2368/five-ways-to-handle-negative-comments?adref=nlt080311

October Marketing Ideas

2011-08-01T15:29:00.000-04:00

It's always difficult to think about autumn when it's 80-90 degrees outside but it is JUST around the corner believe it or not. College resumes later this month as well as secondary students depending on where you may live. Don't be caught not having plans ready because it WILL be here before you know it.

Here are some ideas for October:

October is known as the Adopt-a-Shelter Dog; Apple; Eat Better, Eat Together; Emotional Intelligence; Emotional Wellness; Financial Planning; Halloween Safety; International Strategic Planning; Month of Free Thought; National Animal Safety & Protection; National Bake & Decorate; National Book; National Chiropractic; National "Gain the Inside Advantage"; National Kitchen & Bath; National Reading Group; National Work & Family; Photographer Appreciation; Positive Attitude & Self Promotion month.

Special weeks in October to consider:

1st-7th: Universal Children's week
2nd-8th: Great Books week
3rd-7th: Customer Service week
9th-15th: Build Your Business with Business Cards; Fire Prevention & National Work from Home Week
10th-16th: Home Based Business week
16th-22nd: YWCA Week without Violence; National Character Counts & National Food Bank Week

Special Days in October include:

1st-International Day of Older Persons & World Vegetarian Day
2nd: International Day of Non-Violence
3rd: Child Health Day
4th: Improve Your Office Day & Blessing of the Animals Day
6th: National German-American Day
7th: National Diversity Day & Yom Kippur
8th: Universal Music Day
10th: Columbus & Native American Day
12th: Free Thought Day
16th: World Food Day
17th: National Boss's Day
19th: Evaluate Your Life Day
20th: Get to Know Your Customers Day
22nd: Make a Difference Day
31st: Halloween/Samhain

SM here to stay...here's some steps for your strategy

2011-07-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

SM isn't going away...if anything it's use is growing.....this is a great article showing the steps to take in prepping your next or first SM campaign strategy

http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/2327/your-12-point-skeleton-for-social-strategy-preparation?adref=nlt070511

Social Media Hub?? What's Yours....

2011-06-30T12:37:00.000-04:00

Let's face it-SM is here to stay...but it needs a plan-this article suggests a hub to work FROM as part of your business marketing plans. What's yours??
http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/5345/facebook-twitter-linkedin-blog-where-is-your-hub?adref=nlt063011

Marketing Trends Question.....

2011-06-29T11:52:00.000-04:00

Okay.....this article came out in January.....since tomorrow marks the last day of the first half of the year....I am wondering everyone's thoughts on the trends mentioned in this article. Have you used any of these trends? Looked into pursuing them etc? Some of these mentioned have been used right along for big biz but I've seen a slow where smaller businesses are slower to catch on....thoughts?http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/12/idUS210444896420110112

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2011-06-28T16:38:00.002-04:00

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Flyer or Ad Designed for Your Business or Special Event

2011-06-28T16:36:00.000-04:00

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ALL businesses and organizations should be using Press Releases regularly

2011-06-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

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An excellent article on Words & Credibility

2011-06-22T12:41:00.002-04:00

This is an excellent article and explains thow words can make such a difference in how credible you sound to others. Well worth the read for anyone....

http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/5290/get-it-right-when-you-write-or-speak-three-commonly-misused-words?adref=?adref=nlt062211

Marketing MUST Evolve, Grow & Change

2011-06-09T12:28:00.002-04:00

Excellent article...

http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/5210/why-you-should-match-a-brands-marketing-to-its-stage-of-life?adref=nl060911

September Marketing Ideas

2011-06-08T14:25:00.001-04:00

I know it's June, it's warm and summer like and the thought of Fall is aways off, but the reality is in marketing planning for September starts this month...because in order to "hit the ground running" you need to plan ahead NOW. So that being said, here are some ideas to consider for September's marketing.

September is: AKC Responsible Dog Ownership; Apple; Baby Safety; Backpack Safety; Be Kind to Editors & Writers; Happy Cat; International People Skills; International Self-Awareness; International Strategic Thinking; National Fruits & Veggies; National Coupon; National Honey; Self-Improvement; September is Healthy Aging and Shameless promotion month.

Special weeks in September include:

1st-10th: International Enthusiasm Week
11th-17th: Balance Awareness week
18th-24th: Turn Off week
19th-25th: National Dog Week
24th-October 1st: Banned Books week
25th-October 1st: National Keep Kids Creative week

Days in September include:

5th: Be Late for Something & Labor Day
8th: International Literacy Day
10th: Swap Ideas Day
11th: Patriot's Remembrance; Hug your hound & Grandparent's Day
13th: International Chocolate Day
22nd: International Day of Peace & American Business Women's Day
23rd: Mabon or First Day of Autumn
24th: AKC Responsible Dog Ownership; Family Health & Fitness and National Hunting & Fishing Day
28th: Rosh Hashanah and National Good Neighbors Day
29th: National Coffee Day and National Women's Health & Fitness Day
30th: Ask a Stupid Question Day

Business Cards...NEVER leave home without them!

2011-06-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

I think the very first lesson I EVER learned was to always have business cards on my person no matter where I went. I was working as a marketing assistant for a communications company and even though I had always worked in sales, I never really utilized business cards. This was primarily because the sales I dealt with up to that point was inside sales-the customers came to me and because of the service I provided to them I had a group of customers who would wait for me to be available to assist them in their endeavors. When I made the jump to being part of a marketing department I soon learned the number one rule of marketing...never to leave my business cards behind. This lesson came just a few weeks after starting as a marketing assistant actually, leaving the office with my boss to attend a community function we were halfway out the door when he turned to me and said got your cards? I didn't to be perfectly honest, the though had not crossed my mind, because as I said previously this was not a tool I really needed or utilized. My boss at the time, stopped and told me to go back and get a handful, which I did.
On the way tot the function he gave me some great advice about business cards which I bestow on all of my clients, especially those just starting out with their own companies. Business cards are probably the easiest and most effective way to network yourself and your business. Whether you work for yourself or someone else. When you run into a person out in the world, be it at a community function or even at a store or gas station and you talk to them they now have a face to go with a name and by giving them a card they now have a way to contact you etc. The entire message has been delivered to their mind. Crazy right? But next to word of mouth advertising/marketing there is nothing more effective.

After attending that first function and ending up returning to the office with only 2 cards left in my pocket I began to see the impact and the following week when a few of the persons we had met came into our office for different reasons and looked right at me and greeted me by name the entire lesson hit home. I never again left the office or home without at least a few business cards in my pocket.

Years later when I was laid off from the regional position at the communications company because they eliminated the position for budgetary reasons, I took this lesson to heart again to help me try and find another position. How? I ordered business cards from Vista Printing with just my name, address and telephone number on them. They proved very effective and managed to help me get several interviews with people. I was in effect marketing myself.

The point here is you never know. Who you will run into, where you will run into them and what benefit giving them a card with your contact info on it can be. Whether you are marketing yourself, your business or your position in another company-it really doesn't matter.....you create a network by giving them out and you can never underestimate what the return may be.

So NEVER leave home (or the office) without your business cards!

Marketing Ideas for August

2011-06-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

In marketing...planning ahead is critical. Most marketers will tell you they think out at least 3 months but more likely it really is 6month to a year. If you don't plan you don't accomplish what your goals in marketing. This is why I try and give everyone ideas at least a couple 2-3 months ahead...they are designed to either be incorporated into your business/organization's marketing OR to give you ideas. I have found over the past 20 years in marketing & sales sometimes one idea will actually give you others that you would rather use instead. It's the drop theory-one drop in a bucket of water can create waves....etc. So I encourage anyone to read through the monthly ideas and see if they can utilize any of them or modify them to fit their business/organization or simply see if they give you different ideas all together. You never know. And in this day & age of instant gratification everyone needs to be thinking of new and novel ways to reach their customers/clients.

Now with that being said...here are some marketing ideas for August.

August is known as: American Adventures; Golf; Happiness Happens; Motor sports Awareness; National Inventors & What will be Your Legacy month.

Some special weeks in August include:

1st-7th: Simplify Your Life & Single Working Women's week
7th-13th: National Farmer's Market week
16th-19th: Weird Contest week
22nd-26th: National Be Safe at Home week
25th-31st: Be Kind to Humankind week

Special Days in August include:

1st: Lughnasa; Girlfriend's; Respect for Parents & World Wide Web Day
2nd: National Night Out
3rd: Watermelon Day
5th: International Beer Day
7th: Friendship; Assistance Dog & Sister's Day
8th: Happiness Happens Day
12th: International Youth Day
13th: International Garage Sale Day
15th: Best Friend's & National Relaxation Day
17th: National Thrift Shop Day
21st: Senior Citizen's Day
26th: National Dog & Women's Equality Day

2011-06-01T21:43:00.000-04:00

The Creative Consultant's NEW virtual brochure

Social Media article-if you aren't using it...you should be!

2011-05-31T11:42:00.000-04:00

This article was in the latest issue of Consulting Magazine but applies to ALL businesses/organizations...it's about the use of social media as part of any company's marketing/PR/sales.
Well worth the read.

http://www.consultingmag.com/article/ART841431?C=qwLfSSYV6NGGtS3i

Article about LinkedIn.....3 things we all should be doing with it

2011-05-27T09:59:00.000-04:00

EVERY business person should be using LinkedIn.....

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Three-Things-All-LinkedIn-nytimes-2491458063.html?x=0&.v=1

Memorial Day

2011-05-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

As a marketing consultant I know how much effort goes into marketing for businesses at this time of year due to Memorial Day being seen as the unofficial start of the summer months. I encourage ever business/organization to not forget, however, that there is MUCH more to this day-say Thank You to those that currently & have served our country-they make our lives possible.

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! ~Maya Angelou

Small Business Helpful Hints

2011-05-21T10:04:00.000-04:00

a good article for any business owner:

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112778/business-startup-traps-yahoo-small-business

Working with a limited Marketing budget?

2011-05-16T18:55:00.000-04:00

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July Marketing Ideas

2011-05-03T12:26:00.000-04:00

July =Summer at least in the Northern hemisphere anyway. People are outside if they can be as much as they can be. So any marketing should be targeted to these facts. The Dog Days of Summer start on July 3rd and run until August 11th after all.

Here are some things about July to consider when making your plans:

July is Cell phone courtesy, Family reunion, Family Golf, National Blueberries, National Grilling, National Ice Cream, National Hot Dog, National Make a Difference to Children, National Parks & Recreation and Social Wellness month.

2 weeks to look at in July are:
4th-10th: Freedom week and 17th-23rd National Independent Retailers week.

Some special days in July include:

1st: Second half of year day
4th: Independence Day
7th: Chocolate & Tell the Truth Day
16th: National Hot Dog Day
17th: National Ice Cream Day
18th: Global Hug Your Kid Day
20th: National Lollipop Day

June Marketing Ideas

2011-04-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

June would be the month that makes most people think of summer, schools are letting out and summer vacations begin this month, people find themselves outside more too. Marketing to your target audience gets interesting starting this month because of this because reaching them can be more difficult if you use TV advertising and your target demographic group is typically outside and not watching TV starting this month. All of these things need to be considered when making plans.

June is also known as: Effective Communication, Great Outdoors, International Men's, Dairy, Perennial Gardening, National Camping, Candy, Fruits & Veggies, Ice Tea, Rose & Safety; Professional Wellness and Rebuild Your Life month.

Some special weeks in June include:
5th-11th: National Sun Safety week
6th-12th: National Business Etiquette week
12th-18th: National Flag week
13th-19th: Men's Health week
14th-20th: Universal Father's week

Some special days to consider in June are:

1st: National Go Barefoot & Say Something Nice day
2nd: Leave Office Early & National Running Day
4th: National Trails Day
5th: National Cancer Survivors & World Environment Day
6th: Drive-in Movie Day
14th: Flag Day & National Photography Day
16th: Recess at Work Day
17th: Work at Home Father's Day
19th: Juneteenth & Father's Day
21st: Litha/Summer Solstice
23rd: Let it Go & International Fairy Day
24th: Take Your Dog to Work Day
25th: Great American Backyard Camp out Day

May Marketing Ideas

2011-04-04T16:23:00.000-04:00

Although May is still technically Spring, it is beginning to feel like summertime. Memorial Day at the end of the month is the unofficial start of the summer season with many places like beaches etc opening for the first time in the season.

In addition to the changing into a warmer season May is also:
Better Hearing & Speech, Clean Air, Creative Beginnings, EcoDriving, Family Wellness, Get Caught Reading, Gifts from the Garden, Healthy Vision, International Business Image Improvement, National Allergy/Asthma, National Barbecue, National Bike, National Egg, National Good Car Keeping, National Meditation, National Moving, National Photography, National Physical Fitness & Sports, National Preservation, National Salad, National Smile, Older Americans, Revise your work schedule, Women's Health Care, Young Achievers of Tomorrow and National Family month.

Some special weeks in May to consider in your marketing plans:
1st-7th: Be Kind to Animals; Flexible Work Arrangements; National Family & National Pet week
2nd-8th: Children's Book; Teacher Appreciation & Work at Home Moms week
7th-15th: National Tourism week
8th-14th: Reading is Fun week
9th-15th: National Women's Health week
9th-13th: National Etiquette week
10th-16th: Universal Family week
15th-21st: National New Friend, Old Friend, National Transportation & EMS (emergency medical technicians) week

Special Days in May include:

1st: May Day/Beltaine & National Dance Day
3rd: National Teachers Day
5th: Cinco de Mayo & National Day of Reason
7th: Child Care Providers-National Babysitters Day; Kentucky Derby Day & World Asthma Day
8th: Mother's Day
11th: National Night/3rd Shift Workers & Receptionists Day
13th: Friday the 13th
15th: International Day of Families
18th: National Employee Health & Fitness Day
20th: International Virtual Assistants Day
25th: National Senior Health & Fitness
30th: Memorial Day

Interesting Article about the Aging Boomer population & marketing of products

2011-02-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

interesting article about the changing face of products to accomodate the aging boomers.....something to consider carefully if your product or service has a demographic that includes them.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112056/from-diapers-to-depends-marketers-retool

April Marketing Ideas

2011-02-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

April is the first full month of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and can be the first time many really are able to do things outside. The "breath of fresh air" month is you will.

April is also known as: Alcohol Awareness, Autism Awareness, Cancer Control, Car Care, Celebrate Diversity, Couple Appreciation, Defeat Diabetes, Home Improvement Time( till Sept 30th), Informed Women, International Customer Loyalty, Keep American Beautiful, Month of the Young Child, National African American Women's Fitness, National Decorating, National Garden, National Humor, National Youth Sports Safety, Pet First Aid Awareness, Physical Wellness, Prevention of Animal Cruelty, Soy Foods & Stress Awareness month.

Special weeks in April include:
1st-7th: Golden Rule week
3rd-9th: Explore Your Career Options week
4th-10th: National Networking & National Public Health week
10th-16th: National Environmental, National Inspirational News, National Volunteer & Week of the Young Child
11th-17th: National Personal Training
17th-23rd: Cleaning for a Reason & Holy Week
18th-23rd: Consumer Awareness
18th-24th: National Park & Turn Off week
22nd-May 1st: National Dance week
24th-30th: Administrative Professionals week

Special dates that happen in April include:

1st: April Fools, Good Friday, National Fun & National Fun at Work, Poetry & Creative Mind Day
2nd: International Children's Book, National Love our Children & World Autism Day
6th: National Day of Hope & National Student Athlete Day
7th: ASPCA Day
8th: Buddha Day
12th: Equal Pay, National Library Day & Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) DAY
14th: International Moment of Laughter
16th: Husband Appreciation & Teach Your Daughter to Volunteer Day
17th: Palm Sunday
18th: Passover & National Stress Awareness Day
21st: Get to Know Your Customers Day & Holy Thursday
22nd: Earth Day & Good Friday
23rd: Movie Theatre Day
24th: Easter
25th: Red Hat Society Day
27th: Administrative Professionals/Secretary's Day
28th: Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day
29th: National Dance Day
30th: National Honesty, Hairstylists Appreciation Day & Beltane.
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March Marketing Ideas

2011-02-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

March, starts out as a winter month, ends as a spring month. Comes in as a lion, goes out as a lamb or vice verse. People's minds most definitely start to turn to outside activities-whether they are able to start them or not depends solely on where they are.

March is also known as: American Red Cross, Credit Education, Employee Spirit, Honor Society, International Expect Success, International Ideas, International Listening Awareness, International Women's, Irish-American Heritage, Music in our Schools, National Athletic Training, National Craft, National Ethics Awareness, National March into Literacy, National Nutrition, National Women's History, Optimism, Red Cross, Save Your Vision, Spiritual Wellness, Women's History & Workplace Eye Health & Safety month.

Special weeks in March include:
1st-7th: National Write a Letter of Appreciation & Universal Human Being week
6-12th: National Words Matter, Save Your Vision & Read an e-book week
7-11th: National Newspaper in Education week
8-14th: Universal Women's week
17-19th: National Money week
21st-27th: Act happy week
27th-Apr 2nd: National Cleaning week

Special Days in march include:

4th: Employee Appreciation
8th: International Women's & Working Women's Day , Mardi Gras and Organize Your Home Office Day
9th: Ash Wednesday-Lent begins
13th: Daylight Saving Begins
14th: Pi Day
15th: Ides of march
16th: Freedom of Information Day
17th: St Patrick's Day
20th: First Day of Spring/Ostara
21st: National Common Courtesy Day
23rd: National Puppy Day
26th: Earth Hour
29th: National Mom & Pop Business Owner's Day & Passover
30th: Doctor's Day

3 months worth

2011-02-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

I'm always reminding everyone than in marketing we like to think 3 months out...so in an effort to encourage this line of thinking to those looking for marketing ideas I will be posting March & April's marketing ideas shortly with May's in a day or so.

February Marketing Ideas

2011-02-07T15:31:00.000-05:00

I apologize for getting this month's ideas out late. Our wintry weather in the Northeastern US has been far less than favorable this year, with at least one significant storm a week. It has thrown myself (and many others I know) for a loop. Better late than never, however, here are the February Marketing Ideas.

February is the month of love, with Valentine's Day being right in the middle of this short month. It's pleasant to most in those area where snow is very prevalent this time of year to see the bright red colors around in the stores etc. because everything is so white outside.

February is also known as: American Heart, Bake for Family Fun, International Boost Self Esteem, International Expect Success, National African American/Black History, National Care about your Indoor Air, National Children's Dental Health, National Time Management, National Weddings, Responsible Pet Owner's and Wise Health Care Consumer month.

Some special weeks in February include:
1-7th: National Patient Recognition & Women's Heart week
7-11th: International Networking & National Green week
6-12th: Freelance Writer's Appreciation & International Coaching week
10-16th: Celebration of Love week
12-15th: Random Acts of Kindness week
17th-23rd: International Friendship week
20-27th: National Entrepreneurship week

Special days in February include:
1st-Freedom Day
2nd-Groundhog/Imbolc/Candelmas
3rd-Chinese New Year (Year of the Rabbit)
4th-Wear Red & World Cancer Day
6th-Super Bowl XLV
7th-Ballet Day
8th- Laugh & Get Rich Day
9th- National Stop Bullying Day
11th- White Shirt Day
12th-Lincoln's Birthday & NAACP Day
14th- Clean Out Your Computer, Library Lover's, National Have a Heart & of course-Valentine's Day
14th & 15th- Westminster Dog Show
17th- World Human Spirit Day
20th- Love Your Pet Day & Daytona 500
21st - President's Day
22nd- World Thinking Day & George Washington's Birthday
23rd-Inconvenience Yourself Day
24th- National Chili Day & National Personal Chef's Day
27th- Academy Awards Night

January Marketing Ideas

2010-12-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

Ah January...the first month of the year. Time of new beginnings.

January is also known as Book Blitz, Celebration of Life, Financial Wellness, International Creativity, International New Year's Resolutions, International Quality of Life, National Clean Up Your Computer, National Get Organized, National Hot Tea, National Mentoring, National Poverty in America, National Skating, National Soup & Rising Star month.

Special weeks in January include:

1st-7th: Celebration of Life Week
1st-8th: National Lose Weight & Feel Great week
3rd-9th: New Year's Resolution Week
5th-9th: Women's Self-Empowerment week
9th-15th: Home Office Safety & Awareness week
16th-22nd: Healthy Weight & Hunt for Happiness week

Special Dates for January to consider:

1st: New Year's Day
6th: Epiphany/12th night
7th: I'm not going to take it anymore day & Orthodox Christmas
10th: National Cut Your Energy Costs, National Clean off Your Desk & United Nations Day
14th: Organize Your Home Day
15th: Humanitarian Day
16th: Religious Freedom & World Religion Day
17th: Customer Service & Martin Luther King Jr Day
20th: Get to Know Your Customers & Women's Healthy Weight Day
21st: National Hugging Day
22nd: Celebration of Life Day
23rd: National Pie Day
24th: National Compliment Day
25th: National Speak Up & Succeed Day
28th: Fun at Work Day
29th: Freethinker's Day

December Marketing Ideas

2010-11-16T19:04:00.000-05:00

December...a month which draws a year to a close and is FULL of various holidays...most are recognized the world over in some way. One major marketing note for December, strike while the iron is hot.....so that the after affects will carry your business into January which is considered by most in the business world to be a slow month as please recover from the holiday season.

In addition to the things December is commonlu known for it is also: World AIDS, National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention, National Write a Business Plan, Rising Star, Safe Toys & Gifts & Universal Human Rights month.

Some special weeks to consider in December......
1st-7th: Tomerance week
2nd-9th: Chanukah
25th-31st: It's about Time week
26th-31st Kwanzaa

Special dates in Deember include:
1st: Special Kids & World AIDS day
2nd: Special Education Day
4th: National Cookie Day
6th: St Nicholas & Coats & Toys for Kids Day
7th: Islanic New Year
10th: National Salesperson & Human Rights Day
12th: Poinsettia Day
15th: Bill of Rights Day
21st: Solstice/Yule & World Peace Day
24th : Christmas Eve
25th: Christmas Day
31st: New Year's Eve & World Peace Meditation Day

November Marketing Ideas

2010-10-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

November......the mid-latter part of Autumn. The start of the official holiday season. It can be a cold time for some, an Indian summer for others...depending on where you live in the Northern Hemisphere. We have always found the early part of the month to be either really quiet followed by madness as Thanksgiving in the US rolls around or the opposite the first couple weeks being completely chaotic followed by quiet. Never can tell how it will be...MUCH of it depends on the economic conditions of the year. This year, 2010, the jury is still out on how the last couple of months will be. Be PREPARED is the best advice we can give.

Here are some ideas to consider for your November marketing plans.....

November is American & National Diabetes, American Indian Heritage, Gluten-Free Diet, Lung Cancer Awareness, Military Family Appreciation, National Adoption, National Alzheimer's Disease, National Family Caregivers, National Home Care & Hospice, National Inspirational Role Models, National Life Writing, National Novel Writing, National Peanut Butter Lover's , National Scholarship & Vegan month.

Special weeks in November include:

1st-7th: National Animal Shelter Appreciation & World Communication week
7th-13th: Pursuit of Happiness week
7th-14th: Fraud Awareness week
8th-14th: National Young Readers week
8th-15th: World Kindness week
14th-20th: National Hunger & Homeless week
15th-21st: National Global Entrepreneurship week
21st-28th: National Family week
22nd-28th: Better Conversation week

Special Days in November to consider:

1st: All Saint's Day & National Family
2nd: All Soul's Day & Election Day in the US-VOTE!
3rd: Cliche'Day
4th: Use Your Common Sense Day
7th: Daylight Savings Ends
8th: National Parents as Teacher's Day
9th: National Young Reader's Day
11th: Veteran's Day
13th: World Kindness Day
14th: National American Teddy Bear Day & World Diabetes Day
15th: America Recycles Day
16th: International Day for Tolerance
17th: Homemade Bread Day
18th: Use Less Stuff Day & Great American Smokeout
20th: Children's Day & National Family Volunteer Day
21st: World Hello Day
24th: Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day
25th: Thanksgiving Day (USA)
26th: Black Friday & Buy Nothing Day
27th: National Day of Listening
29th: Cyber Monday

Build Your Business with Business Cards-Custom Design

2010-10-05T15:45:00.002-04:00

Here's the link to our special offer being offered through our eBay store...THE IDEA SHOP.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160489624077

Build Your Business with Business Cards

2010-10-05T15:19:00.000-04:00

October 10th-16th is Build Your Business with Business Cards week. The first cardinal rule of marketing & networking is never to leave home with out your business cards. Everyone in business always thinks to have their cards available on their desk or in their office for when they meet with someone. Or they remember to grab a few to have in their pockets when they attend a business meeting or an event like a business after hours etc. However, when you are in business you should have them with you ALWAYS. Whether you are running to the corner store, taking your child to a practice or game-where ever! You NEVER know who you will run into! You never can tell when the timing will be right and a simple moment to conversation with a stranger or a neighbor in a store or another parent at your child's next sporting event could lead to a new customer/client for you. I challenge every client to always have a handful of cards on them at all times-in a pocket, purse or in the car...you need to be able to produce that card in a matter of a couple of minutes. It needs to look clean & professional too. Avoid having them get bent or have them look shabby, it makes for a bad impression, remember you could give the BEST possible impression in person to someone but it's your business card that they will associate with you and if it looks second rate they will consider you to be as well. ALL marketing today is based on impressions.....take the time, spend a bit more to make the simplest form of marketing-your business card be the best it possibly can.

In honor of this week....The Creative Consultant is offering a business card design special...give our office a call today or email for more details. We will insure you are ready to build & grow your business this month and beyond.

October Marketing Ideas

2010-09-29T14:08:00.000-04:00

I wish to apologize for getting this out late this month. I had an emergency situation arise earlier in September and had to have emergency surgery, I have spent the better part of September recovering. I appreciate every one's understanding.

October is a month were we in the Northeastern US really FEEL fall. The leaves are changed, and falling there's a crispness in the air etc. All those things that have come to associate with this time of year is present. This is also the start of the 4th quarter of the year, and for MOST businesses the busiest. As a marketer I know I stress the importance of planning ahead all year long, BUT this time of year it is crucial, especially if you are looking to take advantage of any advertising through media outlets, with the political season heating up as well as the holiday season gearing up advertising space/time dwindles quickly. I HIGHLY recommend if you are looking to do any sort of advertising to speak with your representatives from the respective media sources as soon as possible to insure you don't get shut out.

Here are some ideas to keep in mind for October....

October is known as: Adopt a Shelter Dog; Apple; Eat Better, Eat Together. Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Wellness; Energy Management is a Family Affair-Improve Your Home; Fire Prevention; Halloween Safety; Healthy Literacy; International Strategic Planning; Month of Free Thought;National Animal Safety & Protection; National Bake & Decorate; National Book; National Breast Cancer Awareness; National Chili; National Chiropractor; National Crime Prevention;National Dental Hygiene; National Kitchen & Bath; National Reading Group; National Roller Skating; National Work & Family; Positive Attitude; Self-Promotion; Tackling Hunger & Women's Small Business month.

Special weeks in October include:

1st-7th: Universal Children's week

3rd-9th: National Work from Home & Fire Prevention week

4th-10th: Customer Service & Financial Planning week

5th-10th: Great Books week

10th-16th: Build Your Business with Business Cards; Home Based Business & National Food Bank week

18th-24th: Freedom of Speech & National Businesswoman's week

25th-31st: International Magic Week

Dates in October include:

1st: World Smile & National Diversity Day

3rd: Alternative Fuel & Country Inn, Bed & Breakfast Day

4th: Child Health & Improve Your Office Day

5th: World Teacher's Day

9th: Universal music Day

11th: Columbus Day (observed) & Native Americans' Day

12th: Columbus Day; Free Thought Day & National Face Your Fears Day

15th: Boss's Day

16th: Sweetest & World Food Day

17th: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

19th: Evaluate Your Life Day

20th: Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day

21st: Get to Know Your Customers Day

23rd: Make a Difference Day

30th: National Forgiveness Day

31st: Halloween/Samhain & National Magic Day

September Marketing Ideas

2010-08-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

Even though in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is not quite over...it is VERY important for marketers to be planning ahead for the Fall & 4th quarter. September is one of those transition months-similar to March is strattles 2 seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere it's summer & autumn. In the Southern Hemisphere its winter & spring. September needs to be the transition month for marketing as well, getting everyone ready for the holiday season no matter where you live. Here are some ideas to consider for the month as you make plans:

The month of September is:
AKC Responsible Ownership, ADHD, Apple, Baby Safety, Backpack Safety America, Be Kind to Editors & Writers, College Savings, International People Skills, International Self Awareness, International Strategic Thinking, National Coupon, National Honey, National Organic Harvest, National Prime Beef, National Piano, National Skin Care Awareness, National Preparedness, One on One, Self Improvement, September is Healthy Aging, Shameless Promotion, & Update Your Resume Month.

Special weeks in September:

1-7th Self University Week
1-8th International Enthusiasm Week
6-10th National Payroll Week
7-11th Play Days
12-18th Balance Awareness Week
19-25th Build a Better Image & Turn off Your TV week
20-24th National Love Your Files Week
26-Oct 2nd National Keep Kids Creative Week
27-Oct 2nd Banned Books Week

Special Days for September:

3rd-National Lazy Mom's Day
6th-Labor Day
8th-International Literacy Day & Rosh Hashanah
10th-Swap Ideas Day
11th-Patriot's & Remembrance Day
13th-International Chocolate Day
15th-International Day of Democracy
17th-Yom Kippur
18th-National Respect, International Eat an Apple, & Responsible Dog Ownership Day
21st-International Day of Peace
22nd-American Business Women's Day & Autumn Equinox
25th-Family Health & Fitness Day USA & National Hunting & Fishing Day
26th-National Good Neighbor Day
27th-World Tourism Day
29th-National Women's Health & Fitness Day

Summer Marketing Ideas

2010-05-18T15:50:00.002-04:00

Ah…summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Creative Consultant is located in the Northeastern US and it sometimes seems that winter lasts half the year; because of it summer seems twice as sweet and half as long. As a marketer I cannot stress how important it is to plan ahead during these months, time seems to fly by and your marketing can suffer because of it. I am posting Marketing Ideas for June, July & August to assist with this.

June Marketing Ideas

June is the ending days of spring and the start of summer. It is also known as Candy, Dairy, National Fruit & Vegetables, Rose, Black Music, Effective Communications, Great Outdoors, International Childhood Cancer Campaign, International Men’s, Perennial Gardening, Ice tea, National Smile, Professional Wellness & Rebuild Your Life Month.

Some Special Weeks in June are: National Headache 6th-12th; National Auto Service Professional 7th-13th; National Business Etiquette 7th-13th; National Sun Safety 7th-12th; Men’s Health 14th-20th and Universal Father’s week 14th-20th.

Days to consider in June for marketing:

1st: Say Something Nice Day

2nd: Leave Office Early Day

3rd: National Running Day

5th: World Environment Day

6th: Drive in Movie Day

14th: Flag Day

15th: Nature Photography Day

18th: Work @ Home Father’s Day

19th: Umpteenth

20th: Family Awareness & Father’s Day

21st: Summer Solstice/Litha

23rd: Let it Go Day

24th: International Fairy Day

25th: Take Your Dog to Work Day

27th: America’s Kids Day

July Marketing Ideas:

July comes with the feeling of summer, picnics, parades, camping etc. and is also known as Blueberries; Cell Phone Courtesy; Dog Days of Summer (7/3-8/1); Family Reunion; National Grilling; National Ice Cream; National Hot Dog; National Make a Difference to Children; National Recreation & Parks and Social Wellness month.

Freedom week is July 4th-10th

Special Days in July to consider:

1st: 2nd half of the year day

4th: Independence Day

7th: Chocolate Day

15th: Get to Know Your Customers Day

17th: Hot Dog Day

18th: National Ice Cream Day

19th: National Hug Your Kid Day

24th: Cousins Day

25th: Parents Day

August Marketing Ideas:

August is the last month of summer. College and some public schools start classes so there’s an air of getting ready for back to school but still trying to enjoy the nice weather before it’s gone. August is known as American Adventures, Golf, Happiness Happens and National Inventor’s month.

Some significant weeks in August are:

Simplify Your Life Week- 1st-7th

National Clown Week – 1st-7th

Weird Contest Week- 15th-20th

Be Kind to Humankind Week- 15th-20th

Special Days in August include:

Friendship, Lughnasa, World Wide Web & Sister’s Day- 1st

National Night Out-3rd

The Date to Create & Happiness Happens- 8th

International Youth Day- 12th

Friday the 13th THE ONLY ONE in 2010!

Garage Sale Day-14th

Best Friend’s & National Relaxation Day-15th

National Thrift Shop Day-17th

Hug your boss & National Homeless Animals Day-21st

National Dog Day-26th

May Marketing Ideas

2010-04-13T20:33:00.000-04:00

May is an unusual month it starts out clearly as a spring month but ends more as a summer month. Memorial Day which happens at the end of the month is the unofficial start of summer after all. This needs to be kept in mind when making your marketing plans, the three months that follow are truly summer based in thought, May can be used as a “springboard” into your summer marketing plans.

Some special things to know about May as you make your plans: May is Autism Awareness, Better Hearing & Speech, Clean Air, Creative Beginnings, Family Wellness, Fibromyalgia Education & Awareness, Get Caught Reading, Gifts from the Garden, Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals, Heal the Children, Healthy Vision, International Business Image Improvement, National Allergy & Asthma Awareness, National Barbeque, National Bike, National Good Car Keeping, National Mediation, National Military Appreciation, National Photo, National Physical Fitness & Sports, National Smile, Older Americans, Revise Your Work, Sweet Vidalia Onion, Teen Self-Esteem, Women’s Health Care, Young Achiever’s of Tomorrow & National Family Month.

Special Weeks in May to keep in mind are:

2nd-8th: Be Kind to Animals, Flexible Work Arrangements, National Family, National Hug Holiday, National Pet & Teacher Appreciation week.

3rd-9th: Work at Home Mom’s week

9th-15th: National Women’s Health week

10th-14th: National Etiquette week

10th-16th: Universal family week

16th-22nd: National New Friends Old Friends week

17th-23rd: EMS week

Special dates in May include:

1st: Beltane/May Day, Kentucky Derby, National Dance, Loyalty & New Homeowner’s Day

2nd: World Laughter Day

3rd: Paranormal Day

4th: National Teacher’s Day

5th: Cinco de Mayo, International Midwives Day

6th: No Diet, No Homework, National Day of Reason & Nurses Day

7th: Child Care Provider & World Asthma Day

8th: World Red Cross, Military Spouse Appreciation, & National Babysitter’s Day

9th: Mother’s Day

11th: Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

12th: National Night Shift/3rd Shift Worker’s & Receptionists Day

14th: Stars & Stripes Forever Day

15th: International Day of Families, National Pizza Party & Armed Forces Day

17th: World Telecommunications Day

21st: International Virtual Assistant’s Day

23rd: Neighbor Day

26th: National Senior Health & Fitness Day

29th: International Day of UN Peacekeepers

30th: Indianapolis 500, Memorial Day

April Marketing Ideas

2010-03-17T14:17:00.000-04:00

As the first day of Spring quickly approaches and the days grow longer with more sunshine and signs of life, people become more active as if they are coming out of their own version of hybernation-I am no exception! :)
This is also a key time to realize that this also occurs in business as well. People are looking to do more so they are more in need of services and products and whatnot. Is your business making those "impressions" in the media online & off to insure that your potential customers know you exist and that your current customers haven't forgotten what you do. If you haven't given it much thought like many haven't because of the economy this is the time to stop. The economy is showing signs of recovery and people are spending money again, albeit carefully.
To help with any plans for April here are some things, dates, ideas about the month that may help you.

April is known as Autism Awareness, Cancer Control, Care Care, Celebrate Diversity, Child Abuse Prevention, Home Improvement time ( April-September 30th), International Customer Loyalty, Keep America Beautiful, Month of the Young Child, Month of the Military Child, National Decorating, National Garden, National Humor, National Lanscape Architecture, Physical Wellness & Stress Awareness month.

Some special weeks in April are:
1st-7th: Golden Rule & Laugh at Work week
5th-10th: Explore your careen options, National Networking & National Library week
11th-17th: Week of the Young Child
17th-23rd: National Park week
18th-24th: Administrative Professionals, Cleaning for a Reason & National Volunteer week
19th-24th: Consumer Awareness & Turn off week
23rd-May 2nd: National Dance week

Important/Special Dates include:
1st: April Fools, Maundy or Holy Thursday, National Fun Day, Poetry & the Creative Mind Day
2nd: Good Friday, International Children's Book Day, World Autism Day
4th: Easter
5th: National Deep Dish Pizza Day & The White House Easter Egg Roll Day
7th: ASPCA, National Day of Hope, No Housework & World Health Day
8th: Buddha day
10th: Every day is Earth Day
12th: Walk on the Wild Side Day
15th: Get to Know Your Customers & Income Tax Day
16th: Stress Awareness & National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day
17th: Blah! Blah! Blah! & Husband Appreciation Day
18th: Pet Owner's Independence Day
21st: Administrative Professionals or Secretary's Day
22nd: Earth Day, National Jelly Bean & Take our Daughter's or Son's to Work Day
24th: Arbor Day
25th: National Pet Parents & Red Hat Society Day
27th: National Teach your children to save day
29th: National Dance Day
30th: Beltane/Walpugis Night

Think Spring. Think new beginnings, think growth...these are key themes int he world as a whole right now.
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Happy Anniversary!

2010-03-12T22:57:00.000-05:00

So The Creative Consultant turned 7 this week. Looking back over the past 7 years it's amazing to me how this whole concept of an independent marketing consulting business came from. It started on a January morning actually some 4 months after my mother passed away...I can even recall the day it was snowing like crazy and cold as hell with wind chills well below zero; and as my husband walked out the door to go to work I walked into out spare room which had the computer in it to write my business plan. After several weeks I finally got a business name decided upon etc and went to the county building on March 10th to file my DBA. And as they say the rest is history.... I started the business with nothing basically, our desktop computer and whatever we had in the spare room that could be used as part of the business. That room has been transformed completely into an actual office...we have purchased all sorts of equipemtn and have grown from just a few local clients to having clients in more than 26 states and a few in Canada and occasionally some overseas as well. I want to thank all of our clients over the years that have help make The Creative Consultant what it is today. We have survived economic hardship a couple of times but The Creative Consultant has persevered! Thank you to those clients that have stayed with us over the years...I really appreciate your business. Watch where we go from here.....

The Great Recession-what have we learned?

2010-02-18T15:23:00.001-05:00

The economy may be slow but there are now a few more signs of recovery from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The Creative Consultant has felt the affect of the past year's economic downturn, yet we have made it into an opportunity to regroup and evolve our consulting business. knowing that there will not be a going back to the way things were but a move forward with a new direction and attitude in the business world. Industires always thought to be "invincible" have shown that they are as vulnerable as any business, regardless of size or budget. This recession has touched everyone eqally-No one, No business has NOT felt it in some way. What as a business have we learned from this? That doing more with less is possible. The Creative Consultant, as a consultant to businesses in many varied industries have seen a return to what could be deemed as "old-fashioned" means of conducting business. Valuing the customers you have, rewarding and showing gratitude for their patronage. Businesses have disovered something that marketers have always known-good public relations is a key factor in marketing and growing a business. Out of this knowledge is the massive growth and use of social media as a marketing tool. Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and the like offer businesses an avenue to tell people about what they are doing-at no cost! This is probably an excellent example of what has come out of this new attitude for businesses. Any of the social media outlets can put your business in front of 1,000s of people-something unheard of prior to this time. This is a very advantageous tool for smaller businesses...it levels the playing field! Think I'm wrong? Log into Facebook, and look up a business, ANY business, and you'll see what we mean. Business pages all have the same general look about them, whether they are a BIG brand recognizable business or a small business like The Creative Consultant. What sets ANY business page apart is WHAT they put into their social media. This is true for all of the social media outlets, what a business puts into them is what makes them stand apart. SO a smaller business who allocates more hours to these new avenues than it's larger counterpart will stand out to those logging onto their pages. Smaller businesses need to realize this as they add social media to their marketing. Social media builds a relationship with customers & potential customers, it makes consumers feel that businesses are listening to them somehow.
As with many businesses, The Creative Consultant spent 2009 learning how to survive and finding new ways to do business. We have seen this happen with our clients as well, there is a turn away from those tools that cost great amounts of money. We have seen a return to the "simpler", more grassroots methods of marketing as well. Methods that over the past 15 years have gone by the wayside a bit in favor of more media advertising believing that that was the best ROI avenue to follow. Surprise! not so. Our forefathers were not so backward as we thought. We are not saying there is anything wrong with media advertising, absolutely not! It has value and it's place but what we have found is it has to be only one of the tools use by businesses, instead of the sole marketing method used.
The Great Recession has taught all businesses that they cannot ignore what has been used before and have come to realize that we all need to use these 'old fashioned" methods as well. Good public relations is key to survival, and social media is key to surviving now. We all need to do more with less and work together to recover together and make the economy strong again.

Welcome to the NEW look of The Innovator

2010-01-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

GOOD NEWS! The Innovator, The Creative Consultant's former quarterly newsletter is NOW a blog! The Creative Consultant decided to segue our newsletter over to a blog in response to the ever increasing scope of social media marketing in doing business. The Innovator blog will offer all that The Innovator newsletter did & more...get regular idea updates, articles, examples of projects and more! SO MUCH MORE!

Please click on the followers link on the right hand side so you don't miss a single update!

Marketing Ideas for March

2010-01-19T19:47:00.002-05:00

February is a short month so I always recommend looking at February & March at the same time, additionally this develops the habit of looking ahead up to 3 months. As those in marketing will telll you we think and plan 3 months ahead at a time. March is also a time when the last of the post-holiday "hangover" as I call it. Most people seem to walk around in January & Febrary as if they are in a fog, it always seems like we have a societal case of cobwebs on the brain. Starting at the end of February & the first part of March this feeling seems to shake off finally. Business seems to pick up in all areas. With that said, here are some ideas to consider for March....

March is American Red Cross, Employee Spirit, International Expect Success, International Ideas, Irish-American Heritage, Music in our Schools, National Cheerleading Safety, National Chronic Fatique Syndrome Awareness, National Craft, National Ethics Awareness, National Nutrition, National Women's History, Optimism, Save Your Vision & Spiritual Wellness month.

Special weeks in March are:

National Write a Letter of Appreciation, Newspapers in education & Universal Human beings week.-1st-7th.

Celebrate Your Name, National Consumer Protection, National Words Matter, Telecommuter appreciation, Universal Women's & National Pet Sitters week. - 7th-13th

Act Happy Week. - 15th-21st.

National Cleaning & Holy week. - 28th-April 3rd

Special days in March are:

1st-Beer Day

3rd-I Want to be Happy Day

4th- March Forth-Do Something Day

7th- Daughter's & Son's Day & National Be Heard Day

8th-International Working Women's Day

9th- Organize Your Home Office Day

10th-Registered Dietician day

14th-Daylight Savings Time begins, Pi day

15th=Ides of March

16th-Freedom of Information Day

17th- St Patrick's Day

18th- Companies that Care Day

20th-First Day fo Spring/Ostara, Maple Syrup Day

21st-National Common Courtesy day

25th-Letting GO of Stuff Day

28th-Palm Sunday

29th-National Mom & Pop Business Owner's Day

30th-Doctor's Day

February Marketing Ideas

2010-01-14T20:54:00.002-05:00

The first month of 2010 is 1/2 over...new year, new decade. New ideas....the recovery process from the holidays is well underway as well. If you haven't started working on your marketing plans...you need to. And to be in swing with the new face of marketing be sure you include social media....it is going to make a big difference in your business especially as the economy improves.

Here are some ideas to help with your plans for next month.

February is American Heart, Bake for Fmily Fun, International Boost Self-esteen, International Expect Success, Library Lovers, National African American History, National Care About Your Indoor Air, National Cherry, National Children's Dental Health, National Mend a Broken Heart, National Time Management, National Weddings, Relationship Wellness, Responsible Pet Owner's month plus! the XXI Olympics are also happening in February 12th-28th.

Some special weeks in February are:

National Patient Recognition week 1st-7th

International Networking week 1st-5th

Random Acts of Kindness week 12th-15th

International Friendship week 17th-23rd

Build a Better Trade Show Image week 21st-27th

Telecommuter Appreciationb week 24th-March 6th

days in February include:

2nd-Candlemas, Imbolc, Groundhog day

4th-World Cancer day

5th-Wear Red day

7th-Ballet Day/Sperbowl XLIV

8th-Laugh & Get Rich day

12th-Lincoln's birthday

14th-Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Daytona 500, Race Relations Day, World Marriage Day

15th-President's Day

16th-Mardi Gras

17th-Ash Wednesday, My Way Day, World Human Spirit day

20th-Love Your Pet day

22nd-Single Tasking day, George Washington's birthday

These are funny! a little marketing humor I found on the web

2009-12-10T15:26:00.000-05:00

what's scary is these are true....funny, but true...there's definitely a lesson in these...

True marketing errors

Below are fine examples of what happens when marketing translations fail to reach a foreign country in an understandable way.

Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."

Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into German only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the "manure stick".

Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.

The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem-Feeling Free", was translated into the Japanese market as "When smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."

When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read English.

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water."

Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.

When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."

Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off."

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

Marketing is Strategy

2009-12-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

As the year draws to a close I find myself cleaning up things around my office & I have found yet another marketing article that i wrote awhile ago...
There is a need to clear up the confusion that exists regarding marketing and advertising. Most people believe them to be interchangeable. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As a marketing person, I spend a great deal of time attempting to help people try and differentiate between the two which isn’t always a simple task. In order to understand the difference one must know what they are exactly.
First, let’s look at the definition of each. MARKETING, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary “is the act or process of selling or purchasing in a market. It’s an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer”. An aggregate of functions….meaning there’s more than one function involved here. This is a key point to remember as we continue our analysis. Webster’s defines ADVERTISING as “the action of calling something to the attention of the public, especially by paid advertisements.” Remembering that marketing is more than one function at work, we can see by looking at the definitions that advertising is only ONE part of marketing…one of the functions of it! And to go one further, marketing is also not the selling of advertising either but rather the determination of which advertising source to utilize for a particular message one is looking to portray to the public.
It’s the advertising side of marketing which the consumer is most familiar with because it is the advertising messages which they see the most. Which explains the simple response one gets when you mention marketing to someone…the typical response is something similar to ‘Oh! You mean advertising.’ My response is usually yes but it’s much more than that. One can understand the typical response because it is what they see most frequently, especially in today’s market where we seem to be bombarded by all types of advertising. From the subtle product placement in a movie or TV show to the constant commercial advertisements that seem to be everywhere now. TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards etc etc etc. There’s no way to escape it! We get them on-line off line wherever anyone can think of it. As a marketing person myself, it amazes even me how much advertising has multiplied over the years and in the different places you can now find ads. It’s not so simple anymore, which is why any good marketing person would tell you a plan is so important. Because there is so many factors to take into consideration when determining what will work best for a business.

I like to think of us marketing people as generals. There is a LOT of similarities in the job. Generals make plans on attacking their enemy or what is the best strategic move for troops in a particular situation. And if you think about it they usually involve more than one aspect as well. When a country goes to war with another one…they never typically attack just from land or air or sea…but usually all three. Now Marketing managers & the like don’t make life or death type decisions but they make decisions that affect people. Our battle ground is the competitive market place. We have to decide which are the best strategic plans to follow given the particular time of year, the economy and funds available amongst other things. Our “war room” if you will is the marketing department of a business or as in my case being an independent marketing consultant, my own office. It’s in these places where we analyze information available and determine what the best plan to follow given all circumstances. Generals drop bombs and other weapons to get the attention of whomever they’re attacking. Marketing people find ways to make impressions on the consumer. The more impressions the more likely the consumer will use that business’ product service etc. Our “enemy” is our competitors who are trying to do the same thing we are. Generals determine after their analysis which is the best sources to use to plan their attack. Marketing people determine which is the best methods to use to get the public’s attention so that those oh so important impressions can be made on them, which will affect the way they interact and purchase in the marketplace. Usually when I describe this similarity, people look at marketing with a different set of eyes. Once people see all the “pieces-parts” that make up marketing and understand it’s more than just advertising they are better able to grasp what’s involved in marketing their business and can further understand that sometimes plans don’t always work and as business owners and marketers we need to constantly be thinking of something new to try. We need to think in a strategic way in order to achieve our goals of growing our businesses.

Making the Most of Marketing in the First Quarter

2009-12-08T17:30:00.001-05:00

This is another article i wrote a few years ago...but it definitely applies for this time of the year...if you haven't started to look at your marketing for the 1st quarter you should be! There's not many days left in this year....you need to be planning for next year.

So much time and effort is put into marketing and advertising for the Christmas and Holiday season. It sometimes seems to be a season without end. This is partially because the season seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year. It’s no surprise then when New Year’s is finally over, everyone seems to resemble zombies—walking around in almost a trance-like state. Business owners are no exception. We spend so much energy, both physically and financially, as well as time, during the 4th quarter of any given year that by the time January comes, most business owners just don’t want to be bothered thinking about marketing or advertising for their business.
Truth is—it’s then that they should be thinking about it the most. Thinking about and planning out the upcoming year. Learning from the mistakes from the previous year and figuring out how to improve upon those things that worked etc. Keep in mind that some ideas and plans didn’t work due to other factors beyond your control. Like the BIG event planned around the holidays that ended up being on the day of the BIG snow storm. It may have been a very profitable one if Mother Nature had worked in your favor, so don’t rule out trying it again. Early January is typically a slow time in general so why not take advantage of it and create a timeline for yourself of what tactics and other marketing ideas you want to use in the coming year? Believe me; it makes budgeting monies for your marketing & advertising so much easier and tracking the results as well. This is typically something I attempt to get each of my clients to do at the start of each year. If you are not a marketing person at heart that is where persons with a strong marketing background, consultants can be beneficial. Those which are not affiliated with any one particular genre of advertising can give you the most objective view of your marketing/advertising plans. Please keep in mind, if you ask the advice of some one who represents a TV, Radio or other media form they are going to steer you in THAT direction and depending on the product/service or time of year it may NOT be the best choice for your marketing dollars.
As you plan, be sure to not forget to include January and early first quarter in your plans. This is a mistake I have seen many times. Many businesses spend LOTS of money marketing & advertising their business in 4th qtr and then forget first quarter entirely. Americans typically have a short attention span; you need to remind them periodically that you’re around. IF you don’t, you have an uphill battle the rest of the year reintroducing yourself. Another thing to keep in mind for your January and early first quarter marketing plans is it’s an excellent time to promote your businesses strengths or to work on branding (i.e. your one stop for XYZ product/service). A special reminder though-- when you DO have this type of campaign you may not necessarily see an immediate return on your investment (ROI). Remember, you are planting the seeds for the future. Another thing is that advertising costs are typically less during the first quarter PLUS since fewer businesses DO advertise there is less competition for prime commercial times. You could very easily find in smaller markets that you are the only one of your type of business advertising in a particular genre, which will create more impressions in the minds of the consumers. This is the ultimate goal in marketing-- to make the most and greatest impressions on consumers as it will give you the greatest ROI. This will also be VERY beneficial as the year progresses, you won’t have to introduce or re-introduce yourself to the consumers each time you want to promote your business or product. It’s easier to build on top of a strong foundation then have to rebuild the entire structure each and every time; you’ll reach your goals easier and quicker with it. So as the New Year begins don’t neglect the marketing needs of your business, the plans you make in January could lead to your most profitable year YET!

Retention Marketing

2009-12-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

This is an article I wrote several years ago...but the message still applies...

RETENTION MARKETING—BUILDING LOYALTY
First quarter is an excellent time to concentrate on retention marketing. New business is grand, and most businesses have felt that boost in 4th quarter with the Christmas/Holiday rush, however, if you can’t keep your customers coming back you are just treading water and a revolving door might as well have been installed as your businesses’ front door. WHY? Because as fast as you can get customers in—they’ll be leaving. You’ve given them no reason to continue to come back to you. And without that reason they’ll go somewhere else for what they need. Oh, they may return from time to time but you have not turned them into a regular customer. And a regular customer is what you want to keep your business going.

But HOW do we achieve this?--Keep customers returning time & time again. I wish I could tell you there’s a “cure-all” solution to this dilemma, but there’s no such miracle out there. If there was, businesses wouldn’t be going “out of business” every day. There are just too many unknown factors. One must then look at your business from the consumer’s point of view. This tends to be a difficult task for many. As a marketing consultant it’s my job to do just that and to work on improving upon what you’ve been doing based on that knowledge. Oftentimes business owners don’t always agree with what I tell them needs attention. They KNOW their business…and they DO. No denying it!! However, they don’t always realize that the average person doesn’t. We’re all guilty of this. We think because what we do in business comes so easily to us we assume everyone understands it just as well. WRONG! Big time! “Talk shop” with someone using all the lingo and whatnot that you use in your day to day life, as part of your business and I can guarantee you’ll lose them at some point. THIS is a key hurdle we all must overcome when we market our businesses. We need to step back a moment and think what is it about the product or service that makes it stand out over the competitors? This isn’t as easy as you think and sometimes as a consultant I even struggle with this challenge for myself AND my clients. This is because it’s not always as cut and dry or black and white as one would think. In general, it’s the quality of the product or service we provide that we all need to make the most of. There are other factors as well…with some businesses it’s quantity and convenience that set them apart from others.

This tells you WHAT you need to focus on for your retention marketing…but it still doesn’t tell you HOW. Again, I wish there was a cookie cutter way to say THIS will always work. I can, however, point out one method of retention marketing that has grown tremendously over the years -- loyalty programs. If used correctly they can build your regular customer base greatly. Don’t believe me? I could quote you some statistical information showing that it works but I’d rather have you go look through your wallet or purse and see what I mean. We ALL have at least one card for a grocery store or the like. You need it to write a check or to receive their special pricing on items. The BIG companies have been making use of these for years now. With the boom of discount retailers getting into all sorts of stuff many of the specialty retailers are also getting into the loyalty program market. They need it to keep up with the discount retail competition. The basis behind all this is that the consumer is getting something extra for being a regular customer. This can take many forms. Consumers are offered special pricing each time they shop using the program or they’ll get something extra each visit or over time. It all depends on the company. Grocery stores use specialty pricing, whereas some stores have “club” cards that after so many purchases of a particular item (i.e. milk) they’ll give you a freebie or discount. Why do they do this? Because it works! And it can work for small businesses as well. It’s fairly simple to put together all you need is a card and an offer and a little creativity. There are even some companies out there which offer a package deal for the cards along with a tracking system. These CAN be expensive and I wouldn’t recommend them if you’re working with a limited marketing budget. I do, however, highly recommend looking into them when you’re putting yours together. There may be the perfect package out there for you but if not you’ll have a good idea how to put one together yourself.

But what about a service business that has no way to utilize the ‘card” type program? This is where you need to rely on your current customers/clients “word of mouth” advertising. How often do you hear an offer that if you ‘refer a friend” you’ll receive a discount or money back? LOTS, I’m certain as this is the service industry’s version of a loyalty program. Retail type businesses sometimes use this as well; however, they generally get more out of the “card” programs described earlier. Remember…a happy customer/client is your best advertising. This type of program is even simpler to get started. You merely need to decide what your offer is and inform you current customer/client base, which if you are billing each month is a matter of putting something IN with their invoices. Let them know how they can SAVE on their next one if they successfully refer someone to you. They get a reward for their “good deed’ and you get another customer/client, everyone wins. And you can continue to grow from there.

Building upon a current and regular customer base is one of the BEST ways to utilize retention marketing in whatever your business. It builds that strong foundation for your business to stand on and to grow out of. There are other ways to retention market in addition to what I have described briefly here and I encourage all business owners to look at each one to determine what will work for them. Keeping in mind that the earlier in the year you can start this type of marketing the better your overall year will be.

January Marketing Ideas

2009-11-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

yes...we are just getting started in the 'holiday season" but everyone always forgets that December is SO busy with everything going on that you need to plan for January BEFORE time gets away from yo and your business. January is the start of a new year & a new quarter and is all about beginnings. It's an excellent time to brand or re-brand your business, make changes to your marketing materials to reflect your goals for the coming year. Before December is over, all marketers will tell you that it is important to look over what tactics used in the current year and their ROIs. This is when you should be deciding if you want to try it again for the upcoming year or throw it out and try something else. I always say, you need to begin your New Year's housecleaning now so when the New Year arrives you are ready to start it out right.

With all of this in mind here are some ideas and things to consider for January....

January is: book blitz, celebration of life, financial wellness, international creativity, international quality of life, national be on purpose, national clean up your computer, national get organized, national mentoring, national poverty in America awareness, rising star & shap up US month.

some special weeks in January:
1st-7th: celebration of life & diet resolution week
1st-8th: national lose your weight-feel good week
3rd-9th: new year's resoltions & home office safety & security week
4th-10th: women's self empowerment week
17th-23rd: healthy weight week

Important dates include:
1st-new years
6th: epiphany or twelfth night
10th: national cut yor energy costs day
11th: national clean off your desk day
14th: organize your home day
15th: humanitarian day
16th: nothing day & religious freedom day
17th: customer service day
18th: Martin Luther King Jr day
21st: get to know your customers day
22nd; celebration of life day
23rd: national pie day
24th: national complement day
25th: better business communication day
26th: national speak up & succeed day
29th: freethinker's day

if you live in the northern hemisphere and are located somewher like The Creative Consultant this is the coldest and seems like the darkest time of the year. it isn't really until February where you can honestly see the increase in the daylight. Any marketing that brings warnth, however, figuratively can be beneficial to your business.

December Marketing Ideas

2009-11-18T18:46:00.000-05:00

Time seems to fly by because there is so much going on. If you are looking to utilize media for advertising one word of advice...plan ahead...slots, space, airtime whatever is going to fill up quick this time of year.

All that being said, here's some ideas for December:

December is World AIDS, National Write a Business Plan, Rising Star, safe Toys & Gifts, Spiritual Literacy & Universal Human Rights month.

Special weeks in December:

1st-7th: Cookie Cutter & Tolerance week

10th-17th: Human Rights week

12th-19th: Chanukah

25th-31st: It's about Time week

26th-31st: Kwanzaa

Special days include:

1st: World AIDS Day

3rd: International Day of Disabled Persons

5th:International Volunteer Day for Economic Social Development

6th: St Nicholas Day

10th: Human Rights Day

12th: Poinsettia Day

18th: Islamic New year

21st: World Peace Day; Winter Solstice; Yule

24th: Christmas Eve

25th: Christmas

31st: New Year's Eve

a special note about New Year's Eve 2009...it's the 2nd full moon of December..a Blue Moon!

November Marketing Ideas

2009-11-04T21:00:00.002-05:00

I always call November the grateful month. It's the month when everyone starts to count their blessings & think of their family & friends. We always seem to stop at this point in the year and think about all those things we are grateful for...and as businesses we need to remember this and be grateful for our customers & clients and tell them; in some way that we appreciate their business.

As a marketer I can tell you also that it is of the most importance that whatever your plans are for November to have those plans in place early...keep in mind there's about a week out of November that is lost to the holiday.....deadlines will be early etc. and geting ahold of media reps close to the holiday will not be easy either...if they even have time or space aailable for your business.

Here are some ideas for your November marketing...

The month of November is: National American Indian, Family Stories, National Family Caregivers, National Home Care & Hospice, National Inspirational Role Models, National Peanut Butter Lovers & Vegan Month.

Some key weeks in November are:

1-7th is World Communication week

8-14 is Pursuit of Happiness week

9-16: World Kindness week

15-21: American Education & National Hunger & Homeless Awareness week

22-28: National game & Puzzle week

23-29: Better Conversation week

24-30: Church/State Separation week

Days to keep in mind:

1st: All Saint's Day

Daylight Savings Ends

National Author's Day

2nd: All Souls Day

3rd: Cliche' Day

Sandwich day

Election Day

4th: Use Your Common Sense Day

8th: National Parents as Teachers Day

11th: Veterans Day

13th: World Kindness Day

14th: Loosen Up & Lighten Up Day

National American Teddy Bear Day

15th: America Recycles day

16th: International Day of Tolerance

17th: Homemade Bread Day

18th: National Educational Support Professionals Day

19th: Great American Smokeout

Use Less Stuff Day

21st: World Hello Day

National Family Volunteer Day

24th: Celebrate Your Unique talent Day

25th: International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

26th: Thanksgiving

27th: Black Friday

National Day of Listening

30th: Cyber Monday

Recruiting

2009-11-04T20:59:00.003-05:00

Currently, as part of our latest project/venture we are recruiting for product demonstrators for local stores in CNY....here's some of the info about it....

Work When You Want! Earn some extra cash!

currently looking for ENERGETIC, SALES Driven Product Demonstrators to promote new products in retail stores throughout Central NY.

If you have the need to put a little extra money in your pocket and enjoy talking with people .

If you are committed & are able to stand for up to 6 hours (breaks apply) this is the fun, part-time job for YOU! compensation is $9/hr

Most jobs are weekends & you must have reliable transportation.

Please contact us immediately! call 315-865-5268 or email: tcciu@dreamscape.com.

When responding please tell us what town you live in & the best way to contact you.

Thank you!

NEWS!

2009-10-16T18:36:00.000-04:00

The Creative Consultant is pleased to announce a new partnership with Parker Productions...the producers of Rural Oneida Star, the bi-weekly newspaper located right here in Holland Patent! TCC will be providing marketing/advertising help tothe newspaper effective YESTERDAY! This is a very worthwhile venture and TCC is looking forward to it! We really appreciate the opportunity from Mike & Tim Parker & thank them.

Get ahead of the curve

2009-10-12T18:01:00.000-04:00

Although we are hearing such things as double digit unemployment with 6 persons for every job opening and other bad news still about our economy, on the fringes there are signs of positive change too. Retail sales saw some small growth in September, and there are other little things like that here and there. For The Creative Consultant, we have seen a sudden interest in marketing businesses again. More than one client mentioned that their business had “flat-lined” because they have done no marketing until they tried one tactic just recently, and to their “surprise” they had phones ringing like crazy! Here’s the age old paradox of marketing, everyone, from small businesses to big businesses, cuts in their marketing and sales departments first whenever there is an economic crisis…big or small. Having spent years in the corporate world I can tell you from experience this is because the accounting people can’t put their hands on what marketing does for a company. I always joked that an engineer & a marketer could walk into an executive’s office, both asking for the same amount of money to do something for a company, and because the engineer can physically show the executive what he wants the company to spent the money on more often than not the engineer will be approved for the money whereas the marketer will be told no. It’s easy to justify an expense for a piece of equipment or a tangible item that will sit in an office and whatnot. It’s never easy to justify marketing expenses. WHY? Because there is so many factors that play into the outcome of spending marketing dollars. People’s moods not the least of which is a key factor on the success of failure of a marketing campaign…oftentimes this can be the only thing that can make or break it. It is this mood that I see making the small changes happening in the economic condition of our world. Keep in mind these are not huge but they ARE positive and ALL businesses need to pay attention. The business world has changed greatly because of what happened to the economy of the world…not just us here in the US. Marketing has seen the introduction and growth of social media as a key factor and tactic that MUST be utilized. Although traditional marketing tactics cannot be ignored either, we must all realize that these new inbound marketing tactics cannot be ignored either. Most especially if your business targets a younger demographic vs. an older one. We businesses have to adopt the attitude that we have to be open & receptive to all new methods and tactics because the world we knew is gone, the business world we are starting to move forward into is a whole new game with all new rules. For those hoping that it’ll go back to the way it was, I’m sorry but you will be disappointed because it won’t be happening, too much has happened while the economy bottomed out. Too many businesses are no longer around or have been forced to alter their missions and outlooks to stay afloat. We have all seen and continue to see the downsizing of businesses. Think about it….who would’ve thought we’d see the day of having to bailout banks and the end of car dealerships…this all seemed like something that happened more than 70 years ago and we are suppose to learn from our past and stop it from happening again. Well, we are all guilty and it happened, this economic crisis we have been in affects EVERYONE…it is not prejudiced and doesn’t just target one sector of the population it cuts across all. Because of all of this and the fact that The Creative Consultant has seen a sudden, yet subtle growth in marketing by businesses, we are “spreading the word” that unless you want to be left behind once the damn breaks and the BIG changes start to be apparent to everyone you need to get ahead of the curve NOW!. We are not saying to run out and spend thousands of dollars on advertising, but you do need to make sure you are doing something, whether it’s grassroots, inbound, public relations in nature…even some advertising. Let your target market know you are still here, still offering whatever it is you offer be it a product or a service. Take advantage of every possible tactic you can to let them know you are surviving. Why? Because when the time comes: and it will because the law of economics is pretty straightforward what goes down must come up again…it never stays stagnate forever; your competitors with the deep pockets and who have continued their marketing, albeit scaled down, will be hitting the ground running and hard! If you think for one moment the big guys with the money available to spend on marketing are not planning RIGHT NOW for that day, you are sorely mistaken! They have more than one plan in place right now, with the understanding that if X happens in the economy then they will proceed with Y. Part of marketing now is paying attention to all the details, no matter how subtle they may seem. If we don’t there is no way to get ahead of the curve. So to take advantage of every little positive change in the economy The Creative Consultant is advising ALL businesses to plan, plan & plan some more. And to utilize every thing they can to let their target market know they are still here, and be prepared for when the stranglehold on monies is finally released and the frenzy begins. If you work through these current small changes and work with the others that are sure to come your business will be ready anything and will see the steady growth of your business even through some of the hard times we as a world still have yet to work through before the economy will recover. Remember it doesn’t take a lot to make a phone ring; sometimes the simplest thing can turn someone into a customer. Don’t neglect any of it and you will see your business survive and grow. Be prepared, however, to make changes, follow the example of the BIG businesses, have multiple plans in place so when situations happen you are prepared to handle it and adjust your marketing accordingly. Only by doing this can we all stay ahead of the curve!

Welcome!

2009-10-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome to The Creative Consultant's NEW blog!