Category Archives: Trends

June 19, 2009 · 14:59

Coming Soon (to a phone in your pocket)

Why be on the web? What is the value of a presence on Facebook or Twitter? To get an idea of what is going to be coming to a smart phone near you, take a look at this video from Engadget . In it you will get an idea of what local promotion will consist of in the not-to-distant future. Follow your viewing of the video by reading this article from Fast Company.

The short version of what this means to you. If you run a retail outlet or any other type of business which relies on having consumers finding you easily, you need to start working on your web presence now! Before we know it, consumers wanting to find anything they need will be consulting their phones before going anywhere. One of the primary sources of information for the applications these web-based phones are going to rely on are social networking sites and/or local web portal sites.

The shorter version of what this trend means to your business is this: If you aren’t planning on entering the world of social networking or investing in your web presence, you are planning on being out of business before you know it.

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June 18, 2009 · 14:59

William Tell has nothing on me

William Tell knew something about hitting a target; although all he had to do was hit an apple on his kid’s head with an arrow. Targeting today is a whole new challenge; our task is hitting customers, not apples.

Marketing today is about targeting. The old days of blasting a message out into the world and betting on sheer numbers of audience are as gone as disco. Getting your message in front of a favorable demographic is the most efficient, effective ways to spend you marketing dollars. So how can you do that?

Promotional products have always provided a type of advertising that can target a specific group of people. Mass media (television, radio, print) can’t give you control over who (if anybody) might be reading, watching or listening to your ad.

However, you can control who receives a calendar, flashlight or t-shirt. You can deliver your message personally or use direct mail to put it squarely in front of them on their desk. This creates for you an opportunity in that person’s day to (William) Tell your story.

Ready – determine your unique selling proposition.

Aim – determine the market you want.

Fire-  Promotional products can deliver your message, on target, with impact, creativity and class.

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June 5, 2009 · 09:14

Don’t talk to me, I’m texting

If you are, as I am, still somewhat starstruck by the awesome power of the fax machine, I have some bad news for you. Get ready for the Death of Voicemail. In a recent article in the Mpls Star Tribune, we find that pesky younger generation (you know who you are) has completely abandoned voice mail in favor of text messaging. In fact, some of these wily youngsters have the audacity to not even check their voicemail! Many no longer even bother to set up a password for the systems they may have available. This can be bad for those of us who have worked years to hone our message-leaving abilities to a razor’s edge.

However, it can be a good thing also. Texting can be easier to deal with, gives one a record of the message without having to take notes and will allow us to leave those “umms”, ahhs” and awkward silences in voice messages behind. Anything that makes communications more accurate has got to be a good thing, right?

Except, now I have to develop manual dexterity in my clumsy fingers and double up on my bifocal prescription in order to deal with those tiny little buttons on my phone. Seems my need for personal growth will never end.

But isn’t that the way we really want it to be?

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