Bold Marketing from Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA)

 

It’s never easy to take advantage of someone’s disaster. But sometimes that might be the right moment to reach out to your market with an important message.

This was a half-page ad in the Globe and Mail on May 29, 2015. It’s bold, provocative and effective.

It’s bold and provocative because it shows images of the devastating fire that consumed a construction project and the neighbouring condo complex in Langley BC 12 days earlier. More than 150 people lost their homes.

It’s bold because in a case like this there is the possibility of negative blowback – from the public, media or social media. Those are the chances you take when you act boldly and embrace controversy.

I believe it’s effective because it’s visual, emotional and simple. The photos of the flaming buildings sear us emotionally.

The message is effective because there are only three elements to this ad:

1. The headline with the location and date
2. The two photos of the burning buildings
3. The message from CCMPA which is clear to understand…

This is why you should build with Concrete Block

I wonder how much debate ensued at the office of the Canada Concrete Masonry Producers Association before placing this ad.

Association marketing is more difficult than business marketing because:

• There usually isn’t a measurable return
• Some association members will be unhappy no matter what you do

This ad is a good example for marketers to pay attention to the news. Look for opportunities to tell your message. Always be prepared to grab opportunity when it knocks.

In this case it could have been a matter of watching the news and asking the question “Could our products, services or expertise have prevented or mitigated this disaster?

Effective messaging is dependent on relevance. Before the fire this ad would have been meaningless and long after the emotional proximity would have been lost. The biggest challenge is to decide how close to tragedy to send your message.

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

The Three P’s of Establishing Yourself as an Authority

The Three P’s of Establishing Yourself as an Authority

Why be perceived as an authority?

When you are perceived as an authority in your field you’ll gain an unfair advantage over the competition. You will naturally attract more leads, opportunities and business. The leads you attract will tend to be better qualified leads who expect to pay more for your expertise. Doors will open easier for you. Your reputation will serve as an introduction for you. You can be more selective about the clients you work with. Your brand story will grow stronger and spread easier. The media will help to tell your story.

Pond

Pick the pond that you want to dominate. The point to becoming an authority is to dominate your market. A small fish in a big pond is seen as a commodity. Strive to be the big fish in a small pond.

Start with a small pond. This means that you need to clearly define your pond (market). The size of the pond might change over time as you adjust your focus or increase your authority.

The pond describes your target market. It shows who and where your key customers are. You might describe your pond in terms of industry, geography, economics, demographics, priorities, connection and/or timing. A good description would include at least a few of those parameters.

The most useful descriptor that you need to know is the mindset of your target market. Why might people buy from you? What are their main concerns? What are their emotional needs? What pain or fear motivates them to buy?

Position

Position is about HOW you do business. While the Pond was about the mindset of your best prospects, Position is about your mindset.

Your mindset determines what you say and how you act and how the members of your staff speak and act on your behalf.

In establishing your authority this is perhaps the most important of the three. How do you want to be perceived? What position do you want to claim? What vacant position in the market space can you claim?

Claim a position that is vacant and memorable. You must be comfortable with that position because it can stick for a long time.

You could position your product or service in an unoccupied space. Offer options that the others don’t. Package or unbundle your service that blindsides the competition.

A powerful way to stake a position is to disagree with the crowd. Be controversial. Reveal industry dirty secrets. Pose disturbing questions about the status quo. Change the entrenched pricing structure. Offer something for free that everyone else charges a fee. Embarrass your competition.  Speak and act noticeably different from the rest of the industry.

Publish

Authority isn’t what you claim. It’s what others grant to you. Therefore they must know and respect you and your Position.

Clients and colleagues might spread the word but you can’t count on that alone. You need to actively publish your message.

How do you publish?

You consistently put your message and name into the online and traditional media. The best types of messages that work with the media are opinion, advice and information.

Online media offers you blog posts, videos, and other social media outlets. The traditional media includes newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. You might send them news releases, articles and checklists. You can offer them your expert opinion for interviews. You can orchestrate community events that attract the media.

Establish and nurture your image as an authority by following the three P’s – identify your Pond, claim your Position and Publish your message.

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

Make Your Employee Entrance a Marketing Tool and more

This is the employee entrance for the Holiday Inn in Burlington, Ontario.

I have attended many events at this hotel over the years yet this was the first time that I noticed this door and this sign.

This door is about 10 feet north of the main entrance. Most hotel guests would not notice the door or the sign.  I noticed it because I was pacing while waiting for an airport shuttle bus.

I was struck by the power of this sign and the thoughtfulness that went into it.

It is a powerful yet subtle marketing tool. Any customer who notices this sign is likely to remember it and mention it to others (as I'm doing).

As a customer you might think, "If that's the way they treat their staff then just imagine how good the service will be."

This portal is also a powerful management tool.

Just imagine walking through this door on your way to work. It's a special doorway - "Employee Entrance Only".

The words are positive. As long as the management are congruent with these words the effect will be incredible.

Look at these positive words.

"dedicated team"

That reminds staff that they are part of a team and that dedication is needed and expected.

"professionals"

Hotel staff are not called professionals. Imagine the ego boost to staff to be called professionals as they go about their often mundane yet critical task each day.

"devoted"


This suggests that management knows and appreciates how hard staff works. That also suggests that there is a two-way commitment.


"superior customer service"

A solid reminder that the customer is the one we all serve and that we need to be better than okay. We need to be superior.



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

Wimpy Braille Burger Marketing Unfair to Competition

In this video, my friend Geoff Ramm reports from South Africa with this example of clever marketing from a Wimpy Burger.

It's an example of how you can take advantage of the misfortune and mistakes of your competitors. Apparently one of the other hamburger chains asked a blind person with his seeing eye dog to leave the restaurant. That story was splashed in the media with lots of bad publicity for that chain.

So what would you do if you were the competition? Would you politely say, 'what a shame', or would you jump on the opportunity to take an unfair advantage over the competition?

Look at how Wimpy took the unfair advantage. Thanks to Geoff Ramm for this video report.





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

Make Your Prospects Angry?

To Win People’s Hearts, Make Them Angry
on Forbes

That is the implication of a paper presented this past weekend at an annual Experimental Political Science Conference put on by New York University’s Center for Experimental Social Sciences. Timothy Ryan, of the University of Michigan, did “a new type of field experiment” in which “I induce feelings of anger and anxiety and passively measure the effects on information seeking. Across three studies, I find anger to increase information seeking, a result inconsistent with some standing theories. When anger is evoked along with anxiety, however, information seeking does not increase relative to an emotion-neutral control, a result at odds with past findings that anxiety motivates attention and interest.” In other words, make people angry and they’ll pay attention and want to know more. Make them anxious at the same time, though, and you won’t do nearly as well.

Read the rest of this article on Forbes
-----------------------

We know that emotions move people and we know that anger pushes people to action. Have you considered using anger as a marketing tool?

If you make them angry at the clearly defined enemy, that might be an effective marketing strategy. It works for political campaigns.

But be careful. Make them angry and confuse them and you better duck.


I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore.


George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Business Speaker

Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini died in 1926. 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 80years or more after your death? More importantly, will your personal brand help you while you are alive?

Just imagine how difficult it was to build a personal brand at the beginning of the 1900’s. There was no Internet. Houdini didn’t have a webpage or videos on YouTube. And he didn’t have the money to buy expensive newspaper or radio advertisements. So how did Harry Houdini create and publicize his personal brand? What can you learn from his rags-to-riches story?

Be the First

Houdini created a new niche – the escape artist. When you are first in your niche you are the standard. He started with card tricks but there were already lots of magicians. So Eric Weiss (real name) created a new type of entertainer – the escape artist.


Be Bold
Houdini was bold. He issued challenges to prisons around the world challenging them to try to restrain him. He then visited the prisons that accepted his challenge and escaped from them. He was a showman. He dangled upside down from a crane over New York City while escaping from a strait jacket and chains. He looked for unique ways to be the news.


Be Provocative
Houdini was provocative. The publicity photo of him that was most often used shows his muscular body almost nude - draped in chains and locks. That photograph must have attracted women and interested men.

Be Creative

Houdini was creative. He started as a magician but differentiated himself as an escape artist. He invented new stunts and escapes. He made enemies. He challenged spiritualists that claimed they spoke to the dead.

Die Mysteriously
You can’t plan this one but it does contribute to the brand - but not always. Harry Houdini died under mysterious circumstances. He was an extremely fit man who died after a punch to the stomach. He had issued a challenge that he could take any punch to his stomach. Something went wrong and he died after an over-eager challenger punched him.

This method also worked to promote the personal brands of Elvis Presley and Bruce Lee. This is an effective way of enhancing the brand. But you don’t need to do this to build your brand.

Harry Houdini did all this and he died in 1926 – long before anyone thought about the concept of personal branding. If you asked Houdini about branding he probably wouldn’t have understood your question. But Houdini sure knew how to build his personal brand. What’s important for you to know is that Houdini did not strive to build a brand. He worked to generate paying customers. All the publicity stunts he did were for the purpose of getting paying customers. Branding was a byproduct.

What can you learn from Harry Houdini, the world’s greatest escape artist, about creating and sustaining your own personal brand?

Don’t focus on building a brand. Instead develop relationships and get more customers. If you build a brand along the way – that’s a nice byproduct.

© George Torok is the coauthor of the bestselling “Secrets of Power Marketing: Promote Brand You” the first guide to personal marketing for the non-marketer. Get your free copy of “50 Power Marketing Ideas” at http://www.PowerMarketing Arrange for Torok to speak to your conference or business meeting at http://www.Torok.com For media interviews call 905-335-1997

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. The legend of Robin Hood was enhanced by the cruelty of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

A champion needs a formidable villain and vice versa.

The marketing lesson from that is that the public defines you by your competition.

The boxer, Mohammad Ali understood this marketing principle and demonstrated it well. He built up the credibility and threat of each of his opponents before every fight. That made his victories more exciting.

Avis could not defeat the market leader in the car rental business Hertz, so they defined themselves by the phrase, “We try harder.”

Pepsi positioned itself as the alternative to the market leader Coke. Lex Luthor was legitimized by his role as the greatest enemy of Superman. Doctor Doom is feared because he is the greatest threat to the Fantastic Four. Sir Edmund Hillary is nothing without Mount Everest. Winston Churchill would be unknown without Hitler. Wyatt Earp is defined by the Clantons. The 300 Spartans are known because of their stand against the Persian Empire. David is only remembered because of his contest with Goliath. And Delilah is only known because of her betrayal of Samson.

With its clever TV ads, Apple has positioned itself as the alternative to the market leader, Microsoft.

Who or what is the Darth Vader to your Luke Skywalker?

George Torok
Marketing Speaker
Executive Briefing

Hanging Tough

Hanging Tough
by James Surowiecki April 20, 2009

In the late nineteen-twenties, two companies—Kellogg and Post—dominated the market for packaged cereal. It was still a relatively new market: ready-to-eat cereal had been around for decades, but Americans didn’t see it as a real alternative to oatmeal or cream of wheat until the twenties. So, when the Depression hit, no one knew what would happen to consumer demand. Post did the predictable thing: it reined in expenses and cut back on advertising. But Kellogg doubled its ad budget, moved aggressively into radio advertising, and heavily pushed its new cereal, Rice Krispies. (Snap, Crackle, and Pop first appeared in the thirties.) By 1933, even as the economy cratered, Kellogg’s profits had risen almost thirty per cent and it had become what it remains today: the industry’s dominant player.

You’d think that everyone would want to emulate Kellogg’s success, but, when hard times hit, most companies end up behaving more like Post. They hunker down, cut spending, and wait for good times to return. They make fewer acquisitions, even though prices are cheaper. They cut advertising budgets. And often they invest less in research and development. They do all this to preserve what they have. But there’s a trade-off: numerous studies have shown that companies that keep spending on acquisition, advertising, and R. & D. during recessions do significantly better than those which make big cuts. In 1927, the economist Roland Vaile found that firms that kept ad spending stable or increased it during the recession of 1921-22 saw their sales hold up significantly better than those which didn’t. A study of advertising during the 1981-82 recession found that sales at firms that increased advertising or held steady grew precipitously in the next three years, compared with only slight increases at firms that had slashed their budgets. And a McKinsey study of the 1990-91 recession found that companies that remained market leaders or became serious challengers during the downturn had increased their acquisition, R. & D., and ad budgets, while companies at the bottom of the pile had reduced them.

One way to read these studies is simply that recessions make the strong stronger and the weak weaker, since the strong can afford to keep investing while the weak have to devote all their energies to staying afloat. But although deep pockets help in a downturn, recessions nonetheless create more opportunity for challengers, not less. When everyone is advertising, for instance, it’s hard to separate yourself from the pack; when ads are scarcer, the returns on investment seem to rise. That may be why during the 1990-91 recession, according to a Bain & Company study, twice as many companies leaped from the bottom of their industries to the top as did so in the years before and after.

Chrysler’s fortunes in the Great Depression are a classic instance of this. Chrysler had been the third player in the U.S. auto industry, behind G.M. and Ford. But early in the downturn it gave a big push to a new brand—Plymouth—targeted at the low end of the market, and by 1933 it had surpassed Ford to become North America’s second-biggest automaker. On a smaller scale, Hyundai has made huge gains in market share this year, thanks to a hefty advertising budget and a guarantee to take back cars from owners who have lost their jobs. Those gains may turn out to be temporary, but in fact the benefits from recession investment are often surprisingly long-lived, with companies maintaining their gains in market share and sales well into economic recovery.

· from the issue
· cartoon bank
· e-mail this
Why, then, are companies so quick to cut back when trouble hits? The answer has something to do with a famous distinction that the economist Frank Knight made between risk and uncertainty. Risk describes a situation where you have a sense of the range and likelihood of possible outcomes. Uncertainty describes a situation where it’s not even clear what might happen, let alone how likely the possible outcomes are. Uncertainty is always a part of business, but in a recession it dominates everything else: no one’s sure how long the downturn will last, how shoppers will react, whether we’ll go back to the way things were before or see permanent changes in consumer behavior. So it’s natural to focus on what you can control: minimizing losses and improving short-term results. And cutting spending is a good way of doing this; a major study, by the Strategic Planning Institute, of corporate behavior during the past thirty years found that reducing ad spending during recessions did improve companies’ return on capital. It also meant, though, that they grew less quickly in the years following recessions than more free-spending competitors did. But for many companies recessions are a time when short-term considerations trump long-term potential.

This is not irrational. It’s true that the uncertainty of recessions creates an opportunity for serious profits, and the historical record is full of companies that made successful gambles in hard times: Kraft introduced Miracle Whip in 1933 and saw it become America’s best-selling dressing in six months; Texas Instruments brought out the transistor radio in the 1954 recession; Apple launched the iPod in 2001. Then again, the record is also full of forgotten companies that gambled and failed. The academics Peter Dickson and Joseph Giglierano have argued that companies have to worry about two kinds of failure: “sinking the boat” (wrecking the company by making a bad bet) or “missing the boat” (letting a great opportunity pass). Today, most companies are far more worried about sinking the boat than about missing it. That’s why the opportunity to do what Kellogg did exists. That’s also why it’s so nerve-racking to try it. ♦

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George Torok
Marketing Expert

Power Marketing Tip 18: Marketing in the Recession

Power Marketing Tip 18

Marketing in the recession


Happy New Year and Happy Recession!

That's double the reasons to sharpen your marketing.

Business just streams in your door when times are good. When times are bad you need to run out onto the street and drag customers into your store. And when you get them there you need to demonstrate overwhelming value. You do that with superior marketing.
Marketing is more critical to your success in a recession. This is a good time to review and energize your marketing for the coming year.

In preparing for the year ahead ask yourself some important questions about your marketing.
How will you get more from your marketing this year?

Start with, "What did you do last year and how well did it work?"

List all the types of marketing you did. Then rate each with three elements.

The amount of business it brought you
Your investment in that form of marketing - money or time
A, B or C rating (see below)

A It works just fine
B It seems worthwhile but you wish it was better
C No signs that it is working

You can probably remove the C items from your plan for this year. That will free up some resources to focus on the things that work.

Look at the A activities for ways to improve your return on investment. Either reduce your costs or systematize the process to improve efficiency.

Review B activities with an eye to improving effectiveness at no or little increase in your investment.

Measure the effectiveness of your B marketing activities by one of these three criteria:
Grab Attention
Demonstrate value
Build relationships

Your marketing must do at least one of those things better than your competition. In a recession demonstrating value is most important, with building relationships coming in a close second. Grabbing attention is easier in a recession because a lot of your competition will be pulling back on their marketing. They might not be in business by the end of the year.

In a recession there will be the quick and the dead. Choose to thrive by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing now.

George Torok
Power Marketing

Tell me how this marketing tip helps you.
PS: Forward this tip to your associates.

New marketing articles

New Marketing Articles Published

Enjoy these new marketing articles published in the www.Torok.com online library.


Marketing Disaster in the Details: Sears Catalogue Case
Marketing can make or break your business. Marketing is about sending messages. Marketing is everyone's responsibility because each staff member sends messages about your business. Often your unintended messages have a greater impact then your intended messages. What affects your marketing messages the most? Details! Are you attending to the little details that make or destroy your marketing message?


How to make sponsorship work for you
Sponsoring is a friendly way of marketing. It's much 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.


Marketing Benefits vs. Features: Will it make me late for dinner?
Stop telling your customers about horsepower (feature) when they are concerned about missing dinner (benefit). One of the biggest marketing mistakes is to talk about features like horsepower when your customers only care about benefits like getting home for dinner.


The Van Gogh Syndrome can kill your business
Vincent Van Gogh was an artistic genius. His work is an inspiration to artists and coveted by art fanciers. He was a superb artist. He challenged the norms and created powerful art. Van Gogh was unique. He was a master of his craft. He was a prolific artist. Today many of his paintings sell for millions of dollars. But he was a business failure.


Build your network faster with smarter questions
Networking can be a waste of time or it can be very profitable for you. What determines the difference? You - and how you approach the science of networking. To build a more profitable network you need to understand and master the power of questioning. Networking without good questioning is doomed to failure.


George Torok

Marketing Expert

Be a Name Dropper

Be a Name Dropper

What's in a name? Could be millions. If you were a movie producer and you wanted a "name" to help you reap millions - you would pay $10 to $20 million for Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Jim Carrey or Arnold (when he returns to Hollywood…he said he'd be back). You know the money has no relation to their "acting" ability. It is the name that is valuable - the name that sells.

Imagine if you had the power of these names promoting your business: Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Lance Armstrong, Venus Williams, William Shatner or Celine Dion. Some companies paid millions to associate their products with these names. Why? Because there is something special in a name. A name conveys credibility, acceptance and emotional hunger. I want to be like him or her. It is like a zombie trance - "Tiger Woods wears Nike - I must have Nike".

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
Bill Cosby.... read the rest of Be a Name Dropper.


George Torok
Personal Marketing
Power Marketing

Blue Man Group - just different

Blue Man Group video - Global Warming

They are unique. Enjoy this video of the Blue Man Group




How different are you from your competition?

George Torok

Marketing Challenge: Sell the Seasons

Marketing Challenge: Sell the Seasons


Summer seems to be coming to an end in Ontario, Canada. That reminds me how much I enjoy each season for different reasons along with the change of the seasons.

So here’s an interesting marketing challenge – how would you market each season?

As a marketer what would you say about the seasons?

Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter

Tell me how you would market each season?

Address these areas and questions.

The pains of your audience.
The benefits of the season.
The features of the season.
How would you trigger the emotions?
What images can you create?
Any other elements that help to sell the season.

Add your responses as comments to this blog. If you email me I will add them to the blog.

Marketing the seasons


George Torok
Marketing Expert and Speaker
Canadian Buisiness Speaker

The Obvious Expert

How to Position Yourself as the Obivious Expert


Here's a marketing book, The Oblivious Expert, that is packed with the best wisdom from over 150 the world's best marketing and sales experts, gurus and wizards.

One obvious way that you become an expert is to collect, read and summarize the best advice from the established experts in the field. An interesing strategy used by the author/editor of this book.

I'm one of the experts included in this book. Naturally that makes me an obvious expert. (No blushing here.) Obvious experts don't blush. They politely smile and accept the accolades.

Here is a list of contributors to The Oblivious Expert:

You will recgonize some giants of marketing and sales here.

Tony Alessandra, Jeremy Allen, Debbie Allen, Alan Alpert, Kare Anderson, Elva Anson, George Ansong, Michael Anthony, Tom Antion, Stephanie Bacak, Rochelle Balch, Corbin Ball, Robert Bayliss, Sue Becker, Peter Bender, Rick Beneteau, Debbie Bermont, Lillian Bjorseth, Orlando Blake, Ken Blanchard, Michele Blood, Wally Bock, Carol Boczarski, Diane Booher, Deniece Bossler, Linne Bourget, Al Bredenberg, Robert Britton, Marjorie Brody, Edward S. Brown, Frank Candy, Chris Carey, Michelle Casto, Ira Chaleff, Susan Chambers, Eric Chester, Bobbie Christensen, Bobbie Christmas, David Clarke, William Cohen, Joyce Coleman, Saralyn Collins, Jo Condrill, Mary Cook, Robert Corallino, Marisa D`Vari, Janet Delph, Jean Desmond, Jennifer Dicks, Laura Doyle, Burt Dubin, R. Wayne Eisenhart, Elsom Eldridge Jr., Mark. L. Eldridge, Joe Esposito, Linda Fayerweather, Joshua Feinberg, Erin Flynn, Michel Fortin, Paul Franklin, Patricia Fripp, Patricia Fry, Gary Gagliardi, David Garfinkel, Dawn Gay, Eric Gelb, Richard Gerson, Malcolm Gladwell, Connie Glaser, Fred Gleeck, Sheronde Glover, Bill Goss, Ida Greene, Alan Guinn, Daniel Gutierrez, Steven Haas, John Edmund Haggai, Deb Haggerty, Gail Hahn, Doug Hall, Janet Hall, Lisa Halpin, Mark Victor Hansen, Susan Harrow, C.J. Hayden, John Hedtke, Robyn Henderson, Edward Hendricks, Les Hewitt, Kathie Hightower, Judy Hoffman, Kevin Hogan, Darryl Hold, William Horton, Ross Huguet, Richard Johnson, Robert Jolles, Paul Karasik, Colin Keogh, Ed King, Carl Kline, Christie Knight, Rochelle Kopp, Cliff Kurtzman, Tom Lambert, Martha Lanier, R. Dale Leighv, Debra Leopold, Susan Levin, Jay Conrad Levinson, Irene Levitt, Mike Litman, Gary Lockwood, Peter Lowe, George Lucke, Linda Mackenzie, Jacqueline Marcell, Sherry Maysonave, Kevin McCarthy, Chris McClean, Lynne McClure, Leslie McClure, Robert Menard, IIPaul J. Meyer, Robert Middleton, Barry Minkin, Ivan Misner, Donald Moine, Peter Montoya, Bonnie Moret, CB Motsett, Nick Nichols, B.L. Ochman, Glenn Parker, Roger Parker, William Parkhurst, Raleigh Pinskey, Linda Pinson, Nancy Poffenberger, Dan Poynter, George Price, Linda Radke, T.J. Reid, Fern Reiss, Susan RoAnne, Denine Rogers, Jim Rohn, Marilyn & Tom Ross, Jeff Rubin, Mark Sanborn, Sandra Schrift, Jerry Schwartz, Gini Graham Scott, Dan Seidman, Roberta Shaler, Jerry Shea, Julie Signore, Russ Sinkler, Leslie Slawson Smith, Tim Spielman, John Stanley, Eric Steele, Lynn Stewart, Joan Stewart, Eric P. Strauss, Millie Szerman, Joe Teal, Natalie Thomas, Bob Topor, George Torok, Brian Tracy, Jason Tremblay, Bruce Turkel, Joe Vitale, Renee Walkup, Dottie Walters, Patrick Walters, Christina Wellman, David Wells, Mary Westheimer, Chris Widener, Claudyne Wilder, Mike Williams, Orvel Ray Wilson, Barb Wingfield, Barbara Winter, Angi Ma Wong, Patti Wood, Jeff Zbar, Jennifer Zick, Susan Zimmerman

It's an impressive list. That looks like fine company for a marketing expert to keep. And we judge you by the company you keep.

Who are you keeping company with - and how are you leveraging that company?

Learn more about The Obvious Expert here.


George Torok
Bestselling Marketing Author
Marketing Speaker
Canadian Business Speaker

Viral Marketing: Photoshop & Iran Missile-gate

Viral marketing: Photoshop & Iran Missile-gate

Who’s pulling the strings – Photoshop or Iran?

This is a good example of viral marketing.

It’s clear to me that the winner of this media party is Photoshop. Therefore, we could assume that Photoshop must be pulling the strings. Was Photoshop the behind the scenes manipulator or are they simply the dumbfounded beneficiary?

I believe that Photoshop got lucky. Sometimes you get lucky. The secret is to recognize your luck and leverage the opportunity. They can take advantage of the marketing opportunity if they move quickly.

What could Photoshop do to take advantage of this marketing opportunity?

Issue a news release that denies any culpability in the Iranian misslegate.

Direct their retailers to move the Photoshop displays to the front of the store.

When the retailers sell out – put up large signs at the front of the store stating that they are temporary out of stock.

Offer experts to be interviewed by the media regarding the ethics of altering photos.

Offer free seminars on how to use Photoshop.

Issue a top ten list on the photos that folks might want to alter with Photoshop.

Sponsor a contest of Photoshop-altered photos – with before and after exhibits.


Photoshop can gain a lot of ongoing free exposure from this incident- from the main stream media, the talk show hosts and bloggers.

The pump has been well primed.

Look what "they" are talking about:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/10/iranian-missile-phot.html

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/in-an-iranian-image-a-missile-too-many/

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330995585&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

http://gizmodo.com/5023775/iran-state-media-used-photoshop-to-make-missile-tests-look-more-impressive

George Torok
Marketing Expert
Marketing Speaker
Author of Secrets of Power Marketing

Marketing Blog Milestone: Post 251

Marketing Blog Milestone: Post 251

Celebrate your milestones - that's good marketing. Reaching significant milestones in your business speaks to your credibility, stability and persistence. All those things scream lasting value.

This marketing blog has surpassed blog post number 250. This is post number 251.

Let's review some of the best and significant posts over the past two and 1/2 years:


1. It started with a confession and epiphany in January 2006.

Post Alpha - a new marketing blog
Just recently I remarked to a friend that, "Blogs are for hobbyists and dabblers. Serious business people don't have blogs. They have real websites."So here I am starting my own blog. Why?


2. A new marketing term is revealed and defined.

Barketing Defined
A few posts ago on this blog I introduced the term “Barketing”. Since then some of you have expressed an interest in that term and asked for further clarification. Where did the term originate? Right here on this blog. This is the first time in public.


3. An example of using controversy as a marketing tool.

Christian Crusaders want to discuss DaVinci
That headline in the Globe and Mail (May 19, 2006) caught my attention. Why? Because with the reported religious controversy over the movie, The DaVinci Code, this sounded like a different approach. And that statement is a positive one.


4. Lessons to make blogging easier.

How to Create Content for your Blog
The keys to a successful blog are: relevance, frequent updates and practicality. How can you create the content for your blog? Here are a few examples:


5. The best branding example I've seen.

Branding: Death Cigarettes
I heard the best yet “How to create your Brand” story on this podcast with UK entrepreneur BJ Cunnigham.BJ created a company called The Enlightened Tobacco Company in 1991, selling a cigarette called “Death Cigarettes”. It was presented in a black package emblazoned with a white skull-and-crossbones logo. Just imagine how this might appeal to the rebels.


6. A good example of bad marketing.

Travelodge Hotel Accuses You
At the Travelodge Hotel You Are Guilty Till Proven Innocent. At the Travelodge Hotel, (Burlington on the Lake) you are guilty till proven innocent. How’s that for customer service? How’s that for marketing?


7. The power of controversy and how it stimulates viral marketing.

Flick off!
How do you create a powerful viral marketing campaign? Clearly identify and know your target market. Really know them – what they do, where they go, how they think, what motivates them, how to grab their attention and how to speak their language. (How much of that do you know about your target market?)



8. A branding genius in the buff.

Richard Branson has Chahones
Richard Branson has ChahonesRichard Branson has chahones and he likes to show them off. Here he is running nude in the waves. Sir Richard thrives on challenge and controversy. He is the billionaire that has retained or reclaimed the boldness and brashness of a teenager. (How many boomers remember streaking?)


9. Example of partnering with a movie for cross promotion

Iron Man - the latest movie from Marvel Comics
Watch the trailer. It looks sharp. Looks like Marvel has successfully made the transition from comic book producer to movie producer. Several Marvel Comics have been transformed into movies but this is the first movie that Marvel had produced since they decided that they could do it themselves. (It's always enlightening to watch a child grow up.) Can you guess the name of the theme song for the Iron Man movie? Hint: The band is Black Sabbath.


10. Wake up call for small business - stop wasting your money on branding!

Forget branding, invest in relations
George Torok, Financial Post Published: Monday, May 12, 2008
The majority of business owners could be headed for disaster this year. Small business does best when it acts like small business. It does poorly when it blindly attempts to copy big business.The results of an Ipsos-Reid poll in March, 2008, should scare you. It found "a majority (59%) of small to medium-sized business owners have identified branding as a top priority."

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George Torok
Marketing Speaker
Business Speaker

George Torok the priest

George Torok the priest

No, that's not me. But apparently there is a priest named George Torok - same name as me. It's not often that I run into a Torok. It's an unusual name. The origin is Hungarian if you are wondering.

But to hear of another George Torok - now that is extremely rare. I'm the only George in my family. I was named after a George on my mother's side.

So imagine my surpirse to hear of another George Torok. Imagine my further surprise to learn that this George Torok is a Catholic priest. My grandmother would have been so delighted.

I guess that most of us hear of or run into name doubles - especially if your name is Smith or Jones. Occasionaly the antics of your name double can cause you credit or publicity troubles. These days it might get you on a "no-fly list".

Lucky me. This George Torok sounds like a good person with an impressive background. He is recently in the news because he is celebrating 50 years of religious service.

Well, my congrats to George. I'm pleased to share the same name. I hope that you don't mind having the same name as a marketing expert. Actually, I guess that we are both in marketing because marketing is about sending a consistent message with the purpose of influencing people.

Enjoy this clip from The Journal News of New York's Lower Hudson Valley.

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June 20, 2008
Tappan priest celebrates 50 years of religious service
Hannan Adely
The Journal News

TAPPAN - During five decades as a priest, the Rev. George Torok has traveled the world on Catholic missions, produced documentary and educational films, and served New York parishes.
In 2006, he became a pastor for the first time, taking the helm of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Tappan.

On Sunday, the congregation will celebrate Torok's rich life and service to the Roman Catholic Church during Mass and at a picnic marking the 50th anniversary of his ordination. As that day approaches, Torok said he wanted to focus on the diversity of the parish and the spirit of friendship.

"I want everyone in this community to feel at home and to feel welcome," he said.
The path to priesthood was not easy for Torok, who grew up in Slovakia and was placed in one of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's concentration camps because of his faith. That had a profound impact on him, instilling in him a desire for freedom and democracy.

"When you're persecuted, you begin to pay for your faith and then it comes to you as something very, very precious that you treasure," he said.

At age 19, he escaped by plunging into the frigid Moravia River and fleeing to Austria. He eventually crossed the Alps into Italy, where he studied for the priesthood. He was ordained in a small village in Italy in 1958.

Over the years, Torok has taken on a number of spiritual and professional roles. He was chaplain to an Italian army group that trained to fight in the Alps.

"I celebrated my first Masses on the most beautiful peaks of the Italian Alps, he said. "Snow-covered, it was such a cathedral."

He earned a doctorate in theology and canon law and was an adviser to a bishop of Slovakia when the bishop visited the Vatican. He also participated in the Second Vatican Council, which he called the most exciting and important time in his life.

Torok first came to the United States in 1968, visiting a Slovakian parish in New York City where he joined as a priest later that year. He stayed there until 1982.

While serving that parish, he traveled the world on Catholic relief missions producing and filming documentaries and taking photographs. Through his film work in India, Torok developed a friendship with Mother Teresa.

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Read the rest of the article here.

No question, my grandmother would have been delighted.

So if you see news about Rev George Torok - that's not me - that's the other guy.

How did I learn of this other guy? Another benefit of Google Alerts.


George Torok - the unholy one
Marketing Speaker - for your convention or conference
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Google your own name.

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If your websites don't come up in the top three - you have a problem to fix. If you don't appear on the first page of Google - you better move quickly.

If you don't appear on the first three pages - you better stop answering your phone - because it might be the bank calling to call the loan.

George Torok

Audi - Iron Man

Audi - Iron Man

Here it is - the Audi car ad that leverages the Iron Man movie cross promotion.
Linking to the Iron Man movie makes the Audi look hi tech, sexy and expensive.