Fast Food Flyer Distribution

These flyers with coupons arrived in my mailbox last week, (early August). Often we immediately discard these flyers. We kept these because there are the occasional summer jaunts and we might enjoy a sandwich, burger or breakfast.

When I examined them I discovered that all the coupons expired months ago.

And yes, I did need to examine then with a magnifying glass while also wearing my reading glasses. The fine print was that tiny. Imagine my embarrassment or indignation if I had presented one of these expired coupons to the cashier at the fast-food restaurant.

When I pulled them out of the mailbox I remembering thinking, “These promotions usually arrive in January or February.”

There were at least two flaws in this promotion. The first is the timing which I will address in this post. The second issue is the design of the flyer, which I might address in another post.

A&W

These coupons expired May 8, 2016 – three months ago.

Mr. Sub

These coupons expired April 24, 2016 – more than three months ago.

At least you could read the expiring date without a magnifying glass.

Burger King

These coupons expired Feb 28, 2016 – more than five months ago.

McDonalds

These coupons expired February 7, 2016 – six months ago.

What are the questions that might pop into your mind while examining these coupons?

Did the flyer distributor screw up? Did they hold on to these flyers for at least six months and then decide to distribute them six months later?

Did A&W, Mr, Sub, Burger King and McDonalds discover that they had left over flyers – then decide to distribute them even though the offers had expired?

Where those fast-food restaurants using the same ad agency that was trying to get an extra bump from this promotion?

Why didn’t any of the parties notice that the coupons had expired? Did they even consider the backlash of those embarrassing exchanges?

You might even wonder, “How could the people at A&W, Mr Submarine, Burger King and McDonalds have been so negligent?

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

You Won the Jackpot!

The phone rang and I answered. It was an automated call that said something like “You’ve won 260,000 reward points. Press “one” now if you want to learn more.”

I recently cashed-in points to get a coffee maker. While looking at the other items available I noticed that I could cash in my remaining 3400 points for a tablet computer, digital SLR camera or iPod Touch.

I couldn’t imagine what 260,000 points might offer. So I pressed “one”. I was intrigued and greedy.

The live person came on the line and said, “Can you confirm that you are over the age of 30?”

That seemed like a strange thing to say.

If you are calling about a program that I’m registered you know my age. You don’t need to ask. So that probably means you’re not calling about a program that I’m registered with.

Naturally I said, “If you have my information, why are you asking my age?”

There was a few seconds of silence, and then the line went dead. He hung up on me. He was trying to sell me something and got caught in his lie. So he bailed.

Most people are registered in a least one reward points program so this caller was trying to leverage that to his advantage.  The caller was also counting on the listener to assume that the reward points were one of the ones she was registered in. And yes, women tend to register for reward points more than men.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

How do you feel when the bank calls you?

How do you feel when the bank calls you?

I’ve learned that the bank and credit card company never calls to give good news. They usually call to sell insurance – even though the person states “This is a courtesy call.”

Sometimes they have bad news (account overdrawn, missed a payment or market collapse)  – but they don’t call me with that – they prefer to send a letter. It takes longer, they can charge more for the INTEREST and the letter was written by their lawyers.

Why did the Small Business Advisor call at 4:58PM on Friday to announce that she wanted to talk with me? Her voice message stated that she was leaving at 5:00pm and I should call her on Monday.

The reason I should call her is “She wants to talk to me.”

What does that mean?

Is there a problem or are you trying to sell me something?

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Power Marketing Tip #55: Buying is an Emotional Experience

Buying is an Emotional Experience

Your customer is an emotional being. You need to be aware of the emotional states that affect the decision to buy from you.
Your marketing must address the emotional needs of your customers.
There are three types of emotions and you need to address each differently.
 
Relationship
 
The emotions that the customer might need to feel are: confidence, trust, inclusion, feeling special, comfort and safety.

You can address these emotional needs by building stronger relationships. A significant contributor to the relationship building is the customer service experience.
 
The key principle to building relationships is to make others feel good about themselves.
 
Retreat
 
The emotions that might cause your customer to retreat from you include fear, confusion, suspicion, frustration, and anger.
 
Your marketing must mitigate these emotions because these can lead to lost sales and worse - bad publicity. The bad publicity is even more prevalent with the online review sites like TripAdvisor.com and the social media sites like FaceBook and Twitter. Bad news travels faster and gets remembered longer than good news.
 
You can minimize most of these retreat emotions with the use of clear communication, consistent performance and demonstrating a keen interest in your customer's satisfaction.
Building stronger relationships will also mitigate these emotions and the consequences.
 
Advance
 
The most common emotions that might move your customer to buy from you include: pride, greed, love, guilt, and especially, hope.
 
Your marketing needs to trigger or leverage the relevant emotions of your prospects. Depending on the market the appeal to these emotions might or might not need to be subtle.
 
For example, while signing the contract for my new car the sales person offered me a few extras which I quickly turned down. Then she offered tinted windows. I quickly refused but when she added that "it would make me look cool" I swiftly agreed to tinted windows.
 
This third type is the most important set of emotions to making the sale. Even if you build good relationships and mitigate the Retreat emotions you need to influence the emotions of Advance. These are the most important to persuading your prospect to buy from you.
 
Review the three types of emotions that can affect your prospects and identify the most likely emotions that relate to your best customers. Don't worry about the emotions of your bad customers.
Now examine how your marketing addresses those emotional needs.
 

George Torok

How have you noticed your emotions triggered by marketing, selling and customer service experiences?

Add your comments below

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Marketing Tips video: Be Hungry and Follow Systems

Remind yourself that your competition is hungry. Are you hungry enough? If so, design and follow marketing systems to gain your unfair advantage. If someone must starve - let it be your competition.

Watch this video report from the streets of the Big City. Hear the brutal reality about your marketing.



George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Marketing Tips video: Forget about Branding and Focus on Real Marketing

It's easy to get fooled by the hype about branding. That is a good hole to throw a lot of money into. Instead go back to basics. What is the real purpose of marketing? Not to build a brand. It's to build a business with sales.

Listen to George Torok offering marketing insights from the streets of the Big City.




George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Marketing Tips video: Gain an Unfair Advantage from Your Marketing

Test your marketing with this question. Is your marketing giving you an unfair advantage over the competition? If the answer is no, your marketing isn't helping you.

Hear the brutal truth about marketing from George Torok in this Marketing Report from the Big City streets.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Marketing Tips video: Marketing is More Than an Art

A common myth is that marketing is an art. The reality is that marketing is a science and like any behavioural science it is imperfect. It is important to recognize that like any science related to business the numbers are critical. Every good marketer needs to understand the numbers.

Enjoy this Marketing Tip video from George Torok reporting from the streets of the big city.



George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Marketing Presentation video: How to Appear to be More Successful

We would rather deal with successful people and successful companies. How can you appear more successful - especially when you don't feel successful?

How can you feel more confident?

Enjoy this video clip from a live presentation of George Torok speaking to a group of business owners and representatives. The message is practical and the performance is engaging and entertaining.




George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Good Customer Service is the Best Marketing

Enjoy this interview with Customer Service strategist, Jeff Mowatt.




George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Michigan.org - good billboard advertising

Simple message. Fast and Effective. Drivers have only a few seconds to digest the message.

This is a good billboard advertisement. Great attention grabbing photo. Only one line of text.

The message is simple and easy to digest. Start your vacation trip in Michigan. The website is part of the message so you can check it out.

Kudos for this billboard!

Only one suggestion - put a capital M on michagan so the work is easier to read.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Shoestring Marketing: Where to Save and Where Not

Time to save money on your marketing? How can you do that and still get effective results? First, avoid five big mistakes that many make. Then use the nine techniques waiting for you below.

Not
In your attempt to save costs don't cut in these areas:

Value
Never try to save money by cutting the value of your product to your customer. If you reduce value they will expect a corresponding price reduction at the very least.

Quality
Never sacrifice quality to save money. Be clear on what quality means to your customers. The best definition of quality is 'meeting expectations'. Your customers got quality if they got what they expected. Quality is neither about price nor cost. Saturn, Toyota and Rolls Royce are all quality cars.

Speed
Never try to save money by making your customers wait longer. They will never have more time.

Cheapest deal
Going cheap is not a good way to save money. Cheap looks and feels cheap. Don't send your marketing messages that feel cheap. Instead pick your marketing channels and hunt for the best deal - not the cheapest. There is no point in printing your business cards on the cheapest paper.

Core benefit
Never trim from the core benefit of your product in your attempt to save money. Whatever the main reason they buy your product - don't you dare reduce that. That is like cutting bone.


How to Save
You can use these methods to help you save money on your marketing:

Barter
The oldest form of commerce - trade food for animal hides. You can try two approaches to barter. You can trade directly with your supplier or customer. For example you might trade some of your product with a publisher for ad space in their publication. The drawback to this form of barter is that you both must want and need what the other has. You might barter the whole amount or have a mixed deal of cash and barter.

Another form of barter is through one of the many barter companies. They form a relationship with many companies. Any one of the barter group can buy your product with their barter dollars. You can then spend those barter dollars with some other member of the barter group to buy what you need.

Co-op
If you are part of a larger group such as a franchise you can get advertising subsidy from your franchiser to help you promote their name and your business. Grocery stores and bookstores also use this technique to get money from their suppliers to allocate premium shelf space to those who pay for it. If you sell or distribute for a manufacturer you might be able to arrange co-op support from them.

Ask customers
This is so simple that many overlook it. Ask your customers what they've noticed that you could eliminate that has no significant value to them. For example I noticed my local bank renovating the branch every few years. That added zero value to me. I wish they would stop it.

Buy when others are not
Buy your marketing services when demand is low. Most printers are very slow in July and August. If you offer to buy at that time you might get a lower price, faster service or even more value.
A company president was planning a national conference in a prime location. He asked a big hotel, "When is your slowest week of the year?" He then offered to book that week for his conference and asked for a deal. He got it and they got the business.

Partner
Share a promotion with another company that also markets to your customers. You can split the costs of your promotion. You can offer to promote their product at your business while they do the same for you. You can offer your product as a prize in their contest promotion. You might trade referrals or give testimonials for each other.

Work with a charity
You could donate time, product or resources to a charity. They might recognize you in their signage, printed material or with a nice letter. When you work with a charity you benefit from the goodwill you create among your customers and the community. You might also get some free media coverage in the process.

Negotiate
You can get more from your marketing if you just negotiate with your suppliers and customers. Negotiation is a skill not a talent so it can be learned and honed. Read a few good books and take a course on negotiation to become a superior negotiator. You will learn the different gambits, styles and strategies of negotiating.

Be creative
Look for unusual promotions in other industries and find a way to make it work for you. Being creative does not mean being original. Borrow ideas from around you. The best way to get creative ideas about your business is to talk to people who know nothing about your business. For how to generate more creative ideas try using SCAMPER as described in "Secrets of Power Marketing" and at www.Torok.com/

Offer something more important than money
You might save on your marketing by offering your suppliers and customers something that they value more than money. What could that be? Depending on their situation it could be using your name as a reference, access to information, exposure to new markets, referrals, new technology, time to relax, etc..

Spend carefully and be creative in stretching your shoestring marketing budget.


George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Passion Billboard Advertising - So What?

This billboard caught my attention with the word "Passion".

That's a powerful attention grabbing word.

And then I was confused.

What are they selling? What are the benefits? Why should I care?

Bracelets? Is this a jewellery store? What is the name of the store?

There was a split second of interest followed by confusion and frustration.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Innovation is Not a Good Marketing Plan

Don't bet your marketing plans on innovation. That's not enough. It's easy to note the success of APPLE and delude yourself into believing that the secret to success is simply to be innovative.

Remember the Segway?

It was innovative. Even showed up in some future themed movies - but it didn't sell. Because there wasn't a realistic and practical market.

Why did the Segway fail?

The name didn't mean anything.

There was no compelling need (imagined or real) being met.

There were major legal issues about where it could be used. (Not on the street and not on the sidewalks)

It was expensive compared to the alternative - bicycles and walking.

When the owner (who signed up to become a dealer) of this Segway described it to me he praised the technology instead of explaining benefits. Clearly the Segway company had emphasized technology instead of customer emotions

Innovative - yes
Successful product - no


George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

500 Posts

Hurray! We've reached 500 posts on this blog.

The first post was six years ago - March 2006. When I started this blog I had no idea where it would lead me nor how long I would stick with it.

This was my first blog and I entered the blogosphere as a marketing experiment. The question on my mind was, "How will this help my business? The second question was, "How will I measure that?"





I can't put a number on it, but I believe it has been worthwhile. Here are some of the benefits that I've realized from blogging:

• New clients, followers and connections
• Revenue from advertising and product sales
• 500 published pages of material
• SEO enhancement of my websites
• Posts that I can point clients and prospects to with specific examples
• Received encouragement, questions and insights from readers
• Media interviews because of my published opinions 
• Deeper understanding on issues because of the desire to write valuable content

Writing helps you explore topics deeper and clarify your thinking. Writing articles forces you to compose 500, 800 or 1,200 word essays. Blog writing allows you to post a thought in as few words as it takes. It could be 50, 150 or 300 words.

There are many times when a blog post has helped me deal with a client's business issue or unexpectantly supplied an example for a speech.

There were times when the frequency of posts slowed down and I wondered, "What's the point?" You might have noticed that in recent months I've attacked this blog with renewed vigour and purpose.

I've made it to 500. I'll keep going.

Do you write a blog? How is it working for you?


George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter
 

Branding Summary 2011

Good time to review your branding strategy for 2012.

Check out these provocative articles about branding. Warning: You might find some of these ideas offensive - and that's what a good brand should do.



The Branding Fallacy


Your Branding might be killing your business

Beware of the branding zombies. They regurgitate meaningless mantras like "branding is good", "you need a brand" and "we can help you develop your brand." These creatures only want your life blood. Unfortunately these zombies don't look like the ones in Michael Jackson's Thriller video. They look like you and I. They call themselves branding consultants, marketing agencies or graphic designers. And they try to sell you snake oil remedies.

It's time for a branding wakeup call. This might hurt especially if you have recently succumbed to worship of the brand. Remember, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" in the movie The Wizard of OZ. I'm ripping back the curtain. You might not like what you see. But it might save your business. I'm urging you, "Pay attention to the man behind the curtain."
Read the rest of The Branding Fallacy




Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini


Harry Houdini died in 1926 - more than 80 years ago. Yet he is still remembered as the greatest escape artist of all time. Even David Copperfield doesn't come close in terms of brand and name recognition. That is the power of personal branding. Build a solid personal brand and it catapults you to success. Build a really good personal brand and it survives your death. Will your brand survive 80 years after your death? More importantly, will your personal brand help you while you are alive?
Read the rest of Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini




BRANDING : 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers


Consider these important questions about branding and the brutally honest answers that could help you sell more and save you lots of money that is typically wasted on branding. If you sell yourself as a branding expert - you might not like these answers. These are frank answers that demystify branding.
Read the rest of BRANDING : 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers




Branding Lessons from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer

What can a growing business learn about branding from Genghis Khan? He united and ruled Mongolia. Genghis is known as a strong ruler and conqueror. Some might call him cruel and vicious. But he is remembered as a strong, memorable and effective leader.
Genghis Khan provides powerful lessons for business on branding. Consider this branding challenge. Many countries, geographic regions and cultures are looking for creative ways to develop their tourism industry. How can developing countries develop their brand?
What can you do if you are Mongolia, a country that suffered almost 70 years of Soviet communism? (The Russians hated the Mongols.)
Play word association with the word "Mongolia" and you might reply with "Mongols" which would lead you to "Genghis Khan"; then you might run out of words. This is the challenge that Mongolia was facing.
Read the rest of Branding Lessons from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer




Is There a Brand in Your Stand?


Watch out for the branding gurus. Beware of the branding police who focus only on images of brand. Fire the branding consultants who feel qualified to tell you what your brand should be. Ignore the branding zealots who proclaim "brand or die".
Good, now that we have frightened off the undesirables let's address some fundamental questions about branding and offer you some probing questions to consider. That first paragraph demonstrates the three rules of creative positioning as explained below.
Should you have a brand?

Maybe. It depends on the goals of your business. You need to ask yourself some questions. Will the brand give you the return on your investment? Will you invest the resources to claim and sustain the brand?
Read the rest of Is There a Brand in Your Stand?


George Torok
Marketing Keynote Speaker
More Marketing Articles

Marketing Article Review - 2011

In case you missed them or would like a refresher here are the top marketing articles that I published this past year.


Viral Marketing


Viral Marketing is so powerful because it is like a train building up speed. Once it is moving you can't stop it without derailing the train. It takes a lot of steam to get the train moving. And it is difficult to stop. The train will almost always follow the tracks. You never really know for sure where your viral marketing campaign might lead.

Viral marketing is well named because, when done right, it spreads like a virus. The term viral marketing might be too graphic for some because it brings to mind the viral spread of disease such as the bubonic plague, typhoid, and AIDS. Read the rest of Viral Marketing



Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya

My first visit to Mexico was to Acapulco on the Pacific coast. It was the seventies, disco was king and Acapulco was the singles' hotspot.

A decade later I visited Puerto Vallarta, also on the Pacific coast for a more relaxed vacation.

Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula started to gain popularity because of the sandy beaches, warm water scuba diving and proximity to Mayan temples.

Mexico as a winter escape vacation has long attracted northerners - especially Canadians. But it has always had lots of competition from the rest of the Caribbean and even the Southern USA.
Read the rest of Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya




Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance

The most important marketing question that you need to address in your business is "What position do you want to hold - in the market and in the minds of your clients?"

Why is that question so important to you?

The answer to that question will clarify your strategy and direction. And that answer will answer a lot of other distracting questions quickly.

This is a tough question. That's why many business owners don't address it. Think about the significance of that. If most aren't addressing this fundamental question about their business then there is a huge opportunity for you if you are willing to do the heavy lifting.
Read the rest of Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance




Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories


Results sell. The purpose of marketing is to make it easier to sell and nothing sells like results. To capture attention and convert more prospects into eager buyers with your marketing - lead with success stories.

Feature success stories in your advertising, on your website, in your sales calls, and in your networking. Include them on every marketing channel.

This approach is even more important during challenging times. If your clients and prospects are hoarding their money you need to attract their attention and their money with success stories.
Read the rest of Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories




Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy


Conflict sells. If you want to be noticed fight a powerful and evil enemy. Who or what are you fighting? While planning your marketing strategy pick an enemy. The tougher, the meaner, the more disgusting your enemy - the better for you. That positions you as the hero.

"You complete me"

The Joker taunted Batman with that phrase in the movie The Dark Knight. The public image of both Batman and the Joker were stronger because of their conflict. A champion needs a formidable villain and vice versa.

The marketing lesson from that is that the public defines you by your competition. If you are not well known maybe you need to pick a tougher enemy.
Read the rest of Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy



George Torok

Marketing Keynote Speaker

Why do People Need to See Your Ad Seven Times?

You might have heard that prospects need to see your advertisements seven times before they buy. That phrase is often repeated by advertising sales reps when they are selling you advertisements. "You can't expect results from only one ad" they'll scold you.

Teachers and trainers agree that new information is best remembered after repetition.

But who said that seven times is the magic number for effective advertisement - and more importantly how did they discover that magic number? What research was conducted to draw that conclusion?

Where did that wisdom originate?


Perhaps it was P T Barnum, the famous American showman, businessman, entertainer, promoter and sometimes scam artist.

Or perhaps was a real or fictitious French journalist.

Read this excerpt from P T Barnum's book, "The Art of Money-Getting" published in 1888 and you decide. Enjoy the amusing analogy that P T Barnum uses to make his point. This curious type of analogy appears several times in his book.

-------------------------------------

A French writer says that "The reader of a newspaper does not see the first mention of an ordinary advertisement; the second insertion he sees, but does not read; the third insertion he reads; the fourth insertion, he looks at the price; the fifth insertion, he speaks of it to his wife; the sixth insertion, he is ready to purchase, and the seventh insertion, he purchases."

Your object in advertising is to make the public understand what you have got to sell, and if you have not the pluck to keep advertising, until you have imparted that information, all the money you have spent is lost.

You are like the fellow who told the gentleman if he would give him ten cents it would save him a dollar. "How can I help you so much with so small a sum?" asked the gentleman in surprise. "I started out this morning (hiccuped the fellow) with the full determination to get drunk, and I have spent my only dollar to accomplish the object, and it has not quite done it. Ten cents worth more of whiskey would just do it, and in this manner I should save the dollar already expended."

----------------------------

Excerpt from "The Art of Money-Getting" by P T Barnum 1888

Can you picture P T Barnum smoking his cigar, swirling another glass of whiskey and chuckling as he wrote these words. Do you think he dreamed that his anecdote would become advertising dogma one hundreds later?

So how many times does an advertisement really need to appear?

George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Co-Author of Secrets of Power Marketing

Marketing Like Picasso not Like Van Gogh video

First World Advertisement Forum - keynote marketing speaker, George Torok, points out the marketing lessons from great artists, Van Gogh and Picasso. Video Clip.




Market like Picasso - not like Van Gogh. George Torok delivering keynote marketing speech at the First World Advertisement Forum.

More videos from George Torok at YouTube

Sponsorship Marketing: Five Criteria For Success

Sponsorship is a friendly way of marketing. It’s friendlier than advertising.

When prospects are on the receiving end of your advertising they know that you are trying to sell them something. So naturally their guard goes up. They prepare to deflect your advertising assault. And they are looking for the fine print. They are searching for the lie in your claims. Mass market advertising can be the least effective form of marketing and it’s very expensive.

Sponsoring is perceived as a good thing. When you sponsor an event, community group or cause that your prospects like – they are more likely to like you. And they are more likely to trust those that they like. Trust makes it easier for prospects to buy from you. You don’t need to say a thing about yourself. By sponsoring you are indirectly saying that you support the cause.

For that reason be sure to include sponsorship in your marketing. But, choose your sponsorships strategically. The next questions are, “What should you sponsor?” and “How do you know if you are getting a good return on your sponsorship?”

What should you sponsor?Pick your cause – a charity, social issue or community group.Pick an event – a fundraiser, community event or gala.Pick a group – a business association, team or social group.From a marketing point of view the question is, will the people who participate reward you with enough referrals, business or good will? Some of this payback is long term. So you need to test your personal convictions. Do you support this cause enough to loose money on it in the short term?For example: I sponsored my daughter’s soccer team. Did I expect a full return on my investment? No – not really. It was a small amount of money, much less than the cost of a traditional advertisement. I needed less than one sale to pay back. I was happy to support my daughter and proud to appear as a sponsor. Any business that I got would have been a bonus.Sometimes you sponsor just for the exposure to the right group. For years I was a wine sponsor at the Chamber of Commerce President’s Gala – a black tie affair. I did not expect direct business from it – just recognition and profile. It was a relatively small amount of money, only a few hundred dollars. Yet I received almost as much profile as the event major sponsors who invested thousands of dollars. It also provided a good conversation opener because folks thanked me for the wine.
Test your sponsorship opportunities against these five criteria:

A negative rating for any one of these criteria could be enough to disqualify this particular sponsorship.


1. Relative cost to exposureIs the cost relatively small compared to other venues of reaching this group? Are you getting more exposure or better targeted exposure from the sponsorship compared to other marketing avenues?

Related to this point, is how well can you leverage the sponsorship? Can you get a list of names? Can you market to them before or after the event? Will it help you to list this sponsorship in your other marketing materials?


2. Audience targeted to your best prospectsThe best prospects for my marketing training and consulting are business owners of mid-size companies. So, I would rather sponsor a forum that reaches 100 business owners versus 1,000 front line customer service reps or 10,000 students. Be clear on who your sponsorship message will reach.


3. Your relative exposure among the sponsors
How many sponsors will there be? How well will you stand out and be noticed among the other sponsors? Being one sponsor among three is much better then being one among 20 sponsors. Don’t get lost in the mob.

4. Do the other sponsors lift your profile?Will you be in the company of other sponsors who make you look good? If you are a small business you might want to be seen in the company of large well known corporations that elevate your influence. You might choose to be associated with fellow sponsors Microsoft, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Coke over Unknown Consultants, Everyday Franchise and Local Taxi Cab.

Even the cause you sponsor can help or hurt your image. We judge you by the company you keep. Whose company are you keeping?

5. Do you support the cause?
If you don’t believe in the program, group or their battle cry – then stay away from it. If you fake your support you will be uncovered and it will haunt you and hurt you.

Sponsorship can be an important element in your marketing activities. Sponsorship can provide you with a profitable return if you have clear expectations of the results and your motivation. Use the five criteria described above to help you make smarter choices in your sponsorship marketing.


© George Torok is co-author of the national bestseller, "Secrets of Power Marketing". To receive your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" and your free subscription to Power Marketing Tips visit www.PowerMarketing.ca
George Torok is a motivational business speaker who speaks to entrepreneurs, corporations and associations. www.business-speaker.biz/

For more business insights, comments and tips visit the marketing blog at http://georgetorok.blogspot.com/

Sponsorship Marketing: Five Criteria For Success