Marketing

Our Christmas card to you...

2010-11-28T18:59:00.001-08:00

Picture Joy Christmas

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Short-Term Gains Leave As Quickly As They Arrive

2010-07-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

To say the marketplace is evolving quickly is an understatement. Consider the following:

30% of households have a DVR, which gives them the ability to skip commercials
40% of consumers now use social media for word-of-mouth product and service recommendations
Since 2008, data consumption on smartphones has increased 200% per quarter.

Those are just a few of the astonishing metrics we see today. Clearly consumer engagement is not business as usual.

Here’s the problem. Many businesses are becoming increasingly reliant on short-term tactics in an attempt to play catch up to the rapidly evolving consumer world. These tactics have their place and, if crafted correctly, can be effective in creating small, quick spikes in brand buzz and sales. This approach actually has a name: “Quick-Spike ROI.” Such campaigns are frequently implemented as an attempt to fix long-term issues related to falling sales numbers and customer loyalty. Can it work? To a point. But it’s NOT a sustainable marketing strategy.

Quick-Spike ROI, by definition, is designed for short-term results. You might think of the approach as one of those daylong sales training seminars. You send your employees out to recharge their batteries and gain a few new tactics. They return with renewed energy, and you often see a modest spike in the sales figures. But by the following quarter, you’re back to lackluster results. Do you send them out again? If you do, and the cycle repeats, your sales figures begin to look like the monitor of a failing heart patient – with sharp upward spikes followed by a matching decline and a flat line for the next quarter.

Just as one day, hit-and-run sales training programs are not a long-term employee engagement strategy, Quick-Spike ROI is no way to run an effective marketing campaign. When compared to a well planned long-term marketing strategy, these tactics cost more to implement, have a lower rate of ROI, and in the end leave your business and consumers wanting.

The rapid growth of the interactive market place has brought us the ability to touch, interact and build relationships with our consumers. Programs designed for Quick-Spike ROI forget about that other half of the equation—fostering an emotional connection with your brand that translates into long-term consumer loyalty.

At Axon Design and Marketing we craft innovative, thoughtful, effective marketing strategy to go beyond the quick numbers game and positively influence long-term consumer behavior, a true sustainable impact on ROI.

Email or call us today to talk about how we can build true strategy for your success.

James Conrad, CEO

Axon Design and Marketing
358 Main Street
Yarmouth, Maine
207.780.1700
info@axondm.com

Of Mice and YouTube - YouTube for Your Business

2009-08-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

After Google, YouTube is considered the most-used search engine in the world. You’re probably one of the tens of millions of viewers watching 100 million videos in any 24 hour day - the funny, the exciting, the risqué, and the informational.

With this box-of-chocolate assortment to pick from, should YouTube video be a priority for your own business marketing strategy? Probably.

My children recently made a YouTube connection for me while watching a Harry Potter movie. The Great Hall of Hogwarts School has hundreds of interactive works of art. These moving images both reinforce the magical nature of the school and add support to the story.

The connection? What informational snapshot could your website visitors gain by clicking on a video feature of your business? A corporate video posted on YouTube and embedded in your Website can offer potential clients a window of experience to your business. Here are ways you can use it:

Presentations: What do you sell? What service do you offer? If your business is professional photography, provide a video of the photographer taking pictures in various settings to build a personal background with the viewer. Then offer a showcase of your work with running commentary of your experiences.
Training: Video can offer easy to use step-by-step visual approach to train staff on anything from sales pitches to how to master a new software package. With screen-capture utilities you can show everything from mouse clicks to screen displays.
Events: We all like a story, so tell one! You may have a hilarious yarn from start-up days that lead into the success of the upcoming event. Motivation may be sparked from venue location videos and interviews with happy people from last year’s event.
Marketing: To quote Videomaker Magazine: “A picture is worth a thousand words and thousands of pictures streamed together at 29.9 frames per second is worth a lot more.” Show off your newest equipment, your headquarters, your products and even statistical information.

YouTube offers the power of the recorded experience. Used for your marketing and website, it can be a compelling visual statement of your business abilities and focus.

Fair warning: What works for you can also work against you. True story: last year I was at a famous steak house in NYC with my beau. It was late and we were finishing dinner in deserted dining room. I saw something dart under a table across the aisle.

I waited and a tiny grey mouse peeped out from an overhang of a tablecloth. Apparently judging me as a friend, it hopped out in full light of a chandelier to munch a tiny crumb in its paws, all the while watching me watch it.

I found this amusing. I dropped my cannoli and started filming on my camera phone.
I didn’t post the video, but many filmers would have grabbed the opportunity by the paws and create a real problem for the restaurant.

Beyond making sure that your on-premise pest control is up to date, such incidents are, unfortunately, uncontrollable. And it’s but one example of things that can go wrong. So it’s a good idea to search for your company on YouTube (and Google, of course) once in a while to see what’s being said about you.

Beth LaPointe
Director of Business Development

Upgrading Websites In A Challenging Economy

2009-06-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Say that you want a new pickup truck - a big, beefy 4X4 - but your budget is more supportive of an inexpensive compact. Whether you actually NEED that truck depends on what you're planning to use it for. Occasional dump runs aren't enough to justify it. Hauling equipment to job sites is another matter entirely.

But would anyone buy the compact and attempt to convert it into the truck? Although the analogy might seem odd, that's the kind of calculus that we see more and more with websites. With so much concern about budgets these days, we see a fair number of organizations whose websites try to perform like a Ford F-350 when the guts are more like a Kia Spectra.

When considering website upgrades, make sure you understand your current and projected strategic and tactical needs. Beware the lowest bid; one way that website designers can cut costs is by using off-the-shelf platforms, which can work fine if your web needs aren't particularly robust. Although we can work with those platforms, their use can limit you with regard to visual design, or if your web strategy includes a lot of user interactivity and/or interface with internal control systems. These platforms may require programmers to essentially hack the underlying code in order to give you what you want.

We've also seen no small number of sites that come with hidden costs in the form of staff time, such as sites that are difficult to update or those that collect information from one location and require a staffer to manually re-enter it elsewhere.

We've got a better way. Axon's websites are built using a system that we proudly call Impulse™. Impulse is based on open-source code and built into modules. Each module offers specific features. Advantages? Glad you asked: first, it's stable and secure. It allows visual design and programming to work seamlessly and exactly the way you want, without the hacks required with off-the-shelf platforms. It's incredibly easy to use; updating and adding content is a snap. And finally, it's expandable; you can add modules at any time as your needs grow and your budget permits.

Impulse modules can be added to existing sites, and if you're thinking of upgrading your site's features (but aren't quite ready for a total overhaul) we'd be happy to speak with you about doing so. But ultimately, the Impulse platform is designed to organize your entire web administration and content management into a site that's simple and attractive. Sites built entirely on the Impulse platform are powerful tools indeed.

Think about how important your website is to your organization's identity - after all, it's the first place people go when they want to know more about you. Does your current site really show you to best advantage? Remember, websites aren't just about cost. They're about value. That's the idea with Impulse.

Skip King
Managing Director

Are You Interesting Enough for Twitter?

2009-05-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon these days. Those who haven't might be feeling left in the dust.

Twitter, in case you're not sure, is a microblogging site that allows people to follow and be followed by sharing information in tiny snippets - no more than 140 characters and spaces.

It doesn't take much time to do that, so people tweet a LOT. Which leads to an important question: are you interesting enough for Twitter?

We'd all like to believe we're interesting enough to be followed. But how can you be sure? Twitter will only "work" for you if you share at least 80% of helpful information. By following that rule of thumb, others may consider you interesting enough to follow.

Can you answer "yes" to any of the following questions?

Are you...

An expert? Join Twitter if you know a lot about a subject that will offer value to your followers - or if you want to learn from experts.

Representing a business, company or product? Join Twitter to relay information that will be useful to your customers and allow you to get their feedback.

Trying to build networks or strengthen relationships? Join Twitter to keep in touch with coworkers, customers, family, or friends.

Really unusual? Like a celebrity or something? Join Twitter if your life itself is so intriguing that people will want to follow you solely based on your status.

Twitter is about sharing common interests. Overall, it's a great tool for networking, getting real time news and sharing valuable information and relevant content. It can help you engage and share information with people you know or want to know.

Don't join unless you have a real use for Twitter. Many people join due to its popularity and end up abandoning it after a short while. Twitter takes commitment; you need to know how you want to use it, what information you're willing to share, and who you want to share it with.

If using Twitter for business purposes, choose a professional screen name that relates to the product or service you represent.
Use your Bio to display to others how you want to use Twitter and what kind of posts they can expect of you.
Keep your identity consistent; if you want a personal Twitter account and a separate business account you need to set up the accounts with different email addresses.
Be yourself. Your personality will come through your posts and help you build relationships with your followers.

So yes, you probably ARE interesting enough for Twitter. Go ahead and jump on the bandwagon.

A New Era for E-Government

2009-04-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

One of the more intriguing initiatives of the Obama administration is the utilization of the Internet to create "E-government." The concept is straightforward: foster more efficient government services, and an open link to information about current legislation and other things going on in Washington.

Whether this constitutes real change or is simply brilliant stage management for politics-as-usual remains to be seen. But either way, the concept is provocative - and worthy of consideration.

For example, the White House has introduced a forum called
"Open for Questions". Citizens can sign up for an account on the WhiteHouse.gov Website and vote for popular questions, ask new questions and submit them in order to find the answers that matter to them. "Open for Questions" had its debut last week. Approximately 60,000 Americans watched live, online, and the show drew no small amount of media attention.

Whether you're a fan or not, the Obama team clearly understands the power of the Internet as a tool to promote its agenda. We saw it during the campaign, and we're seeing it continue now that Obama is in power.

President Obama has promised to use the Web as a tool allowing Americans to track expenditures related to the economic recovery effort. It's an intriguing concept, and one that can be applied to local governments all across the country. And the potential doesn't stop there. For example, the Web could make it easy for citizens to track applications and check the current status of permits, or see how their communities are doing with their budgets.

The Web allows candidates to reach out to a larger demographic of people, easily and cost effectively. Position papers, videos of campaign appearances, event announcements, press releases and more can be uploaded to the Website, so the public can access them online. Web traffic can be generated by using social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. The Web allows you to easily communicate with your base utilizing e-mail broadcasts.

The applicability of the Web in fostering open communication isn't limited to politics and government. The Web is the single best tool ever created for establishing and maintaining relationships between organizations and their stakeholders. But it's also something of a double-edged sword, because while you might use the Web to promote yourself, others can use the Web to attack you.

The key is open, transparent communications. Bad stuff happens from time to time - but if you utilize your website to foster a relationship with stakeholders and present yourself as open and accessible, you can actually reinforce your relationships by providing timely, open response. And that's something that legacy communications channels just can't do.

As a Web/Graphic design and marketing company, Axon is at the forefront of providing these services. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Marketing in a Bad New Economy. Back to Basics, right? Wrong.

2008-12-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

In this time of economic uncertainty, instinct urges us to fall back on what we know. When budgets need to be cut, decisions to go "back-to-basics" and cut "new" marketing activities such as Internet Marketing and Web often prevail. However, the "back-to-basics" approach may not be the easy way out of a financial downturn. The way people consume products and the way marketing messages reach and resonate with consumers has changed considerably. Decisions about marketing must be made based on a new reality—and a new set of rules. Rather than cut the budget based on your past experiences, reduce expenditures wisely by focusing on the marketing activities and products that drive results.

A Balanced Approach
Internet marketing, social networks, Web sites and search marketing have matured as commercially relevant marketing activities over the past several years. The numbers prove it. A recent Pew Internet and American Life project survey states that over 50% of Americans have a moderate to high rate of use for information communication technology. The Internet is now a critical part of the marketing mix. It is important to maintain a balanced approach to all marketing activities, cutting where possible, but not underestimating the power of the "new" media as both a proven marketing tool and an opportunity for growth into new markets.

Consider your Markets
It is important to consider how the downturn will affect your consumers. A bank, for example, may want to consider that with declining retirement values , the "baby-boom" generation may need to enter the workforce and start saving again. A younger generation with earning potential may be taking a more conservative financial view and want to start saving more. In developing the marketing strategy, understand how the changing economy affects the purchase patterns of your consumer, anticipate need, and focus the marketing budget on those products and services that serve the need.

The New Cost of Advertising
When making decisions about marketing expenditures evaluate relative costs with respect to reach and results. In the bad new economy, the relative costs of advertising have shifted. E-mail campaigns and Internet media are less expensive relative to reach and results. Television, the traditional "go to" advertising channel is more expensive than ever. Several factors have contributed to the shift. The Internet, Ipods, TiVo and On-demand have revolutionized the delivery and distribution of entertainment products including television shows. The ability to download individual shows minutes after they are broadcast is making the commercial-based networks less relevant. Cable-based networks are targeting consumers, creating whole channels and developing programming that is specifically targeted toward market segments. The cable channels are successfully diluting the market share of the "one-size-fits-all" programming of the network channels (ABC, CBS, NBC). Therefore, even if the actual cost of the ad on local network channel has not increased, the ad reaches fewer people and therefore costs more per person.

Run a 10K ... Online?

2008-08-14T09:57:00.001-07:00

It seems as though everything can be done on the internet now - looking up information, shopping, running a 10K... That's right, you can actually run a 10K online. Through the collaboration of Nike and Apple you can now put a computer chip in your sneaker, plug a receiver into your iPod Nano and digitally record your entire run. Plug it into your computer and - Voila! - your run data is now uploaded and can be shared with millions of people all over the world. You can sign up for a race through Nike and run it in your backyard. For example, the Human Race is a 10K held on August 31st in 25 major cities from Austin, Texas to Paris and Rome; or anywhere with Nike+. Just upload your data after you run and you will be placed with all the other competitors. People will be running down the street, ignoring friends they see ("I can't stop now, I'm running a 10K with my friends in Rome!") and pushing until that male or female voice in your iPod tells you "Congratulations, you have reached your goal of 10 kilometers." Does it compare to the excitement of being in a crowd of people when the gun goes off, fans yelling on the side? Hardly, but it is pretty cool that you are running with people around the world and you don't have to worry getting to the event early for registration. Nike+ offers many competitions you can join online, such as who can run the most miles in a year? Women or Men? Democrats or Republicans? The possibilities are endless.

The idea of "running online" may seem a little far-fetched, but what it boils down to is that runners can now connect to other runners all over the world by creating goals, viewing progress, and sharing challenges. Nike has a multitude of blogs from Coach's and athletes, about races, products, tips, and everything in between. You can even download the Nike+ Widget to put on your website that shows your running progress. These features provide more ways to connect to people and create online relationships. Perhaps a client who is a runner views the Nike+ widget on your site, not only do you share an interest you can talk about, but you are proving that you are on top of the new technology. Plus, it just looks cool. You have something on your site that updates each time you run, keeping viewers coming back to check your progress. Adding the widget puts your site ahead of the competition because you are utilizing the latest in social networking on the web. Another added bonus - it keeps your site personal, which is something that we can't lose touch of these days no matter how many things are moved to the internet. Now put on those running shoes, strap in the computer chip and get running because you never know who is keeping track of your training...