Now Richie may know a whole lot about agriculture in Kentucky, but, being a UK star probably did more to get him elected than anything else. And, now, he is running for governor. From a long term strategic standpoint, that agriculture position, and the potential for name recognition among anyone who operates a gas powered vehicle, is priceless. Whether or not the ticket is a good winning one for Kentucky, only the voters will determine that. But, for the time being, Mr. Farmer can rest assured that his name is prominently in front of probably 90% of Kentucky voters each and every time they gas up. Talk about smart marketing and a long term strategy. My  hat goes off to that creative and innovative planning.

Gas Pump Label

Want some creative, innovative and targeted ideas that work? corecubed specializes in internet marketing, and we tie in great design and implementation so, if there is a gas pump idea out there, we just may have it working for you!

There is a power in marketing that is really beyond imagination, but many do not understand it, nor take the time to really internalize what it means. Branding is the essence of blow your top off marketing. However, branding takes strategy, time, patience, measurement, and perseverance.  It is not a quick fix to a dying business.

Introspection is the first step. Think about, study, and figure out exactly what your service differentiation (brand) really is. Do you pride yourself on being customer-friendly? If so, does everything you do—from the FAQ on your Web site to the length of time a caller spends on hold when inquiring on the phone—support this image? If not, revisit the essence of your service’s branding.  As a reminder, here is what “branding” means. Branding is the perception of your business that is created at every point of contact with the public.

Our MOST program provides the opportunity for an agency to reinforce a brand image that is knowledgeable, helpful, resourceful and caring. Everything we do in that program is geared towards enhancing the home care agency brand, and, because we know the power of branding, we continue to help our home care clients succeed in this increasingly competitive world.

Have a good day today, and think about how much better it would be if you subscribed to the theory of using blow your top off marketing.

What this means, is that we now have complete modules that are based on a 30+ home care themes (PPTs, press releases, brochures, resource tips and helpful information, Web links, Web banners) as well as many standalone items. What started out as targeting referrals within the industry has now become a robust resource for an agency allowing an independent agency (or a location of a franchise) to compete in this crowded home care market place with the very best marketing and sales material available anywhere.

Communicating regularly is one key to staying in the mind of people who might need services, and the corecubed team implements the direct mail, the email eNewsletter (topical and VERY interesting and well read amongst the agencys’ email lists), so taking time to have regular communication with clients, families, referral sources and prospectives of each of those categories is not only done for the MOST program members, but also the communication adds value because of its helpful and informative nature.

Home Care In-a-Box is the theme of the next MOST Webinar that is sales oriented (disclosure) but also will take the attendee inside this incredible system to showcase the content, material and quality design that has been developed. If you are a home care agency or if you have a friend who owns one, I suggest you either sign or direct them to sign up for the Tuesday, October 26^th one hour free (3 PM Eastern time)  Webinar now. The program is only offered to one agency in any geographic area because it is so good team corecubed does not want 2 people getting the same helpful information. The program maintains a 92% retention rate with our most successful home care companies using MOST and corecubed as their marketing partner. This is really a marketing program that is beyond belief in its depth and quality, and we are proud to say that we continue to listen to our clients and develop new ways for the MOST program members to compete and to rise above the crowd.

Focus is what won that race. Alright, he is talented, skilled, experienced as well, but it is the focus that separated him from the others who did not win on Saturday. And it is focus along with persistence and determination that makes businesses succeed. Take a look at your agency’s or business’ marketing efforts, and ask yourself if you are approaching a) the right targets with b) the right message and c) the right way so they will respond as you are desiring.

Take a look at Responsive Home Health’s new Web site and notice the focus on the right target with words, photos, and interactivity. Then take a look at the content. Resource rich, helpful, targeted. Then add on the well designed and realize also that you are looking around because it interests you, it invites you in, and it fills a need when you are there.

Think of a Web site as your office. People who come to you need  to get what they want, find it easily, complete their business and move on to the next step of doing business with you. corecubed has added to its bench strength in our Web design department, and the results are powerful.

So, I dug holes and used potting soil hoping that at least the newly planted plants could thrive and that I am set out to change the composition of this hard blue clay.  As I was sweating and toiling to try and fix this problem I realized that, not unlike marketing, without a good foundation (targets, messaging, differentiating factors), the basis of a solid strategic marketing plan, like a good garden spot, without the foundation, it is hard to grow and prosper. And both for the garden and the business, if you have a lousy base, then it is hard to get the growth that is expected, long term. You can do quick fixes, but, unless you really look at the base cause, the foundation, you can create fixes, but not long term solutions.

Hopefully, with one hole at a time replacing clay with potting soil and sand and peat moss, the clay will succumb to acting like soil and not clay. For marketing, taking one hole at a time and fixing it will also work, but not as well as starting with a good foundation and building upon that.

Marketing strategy starts with some basics, and the most basic is branding. Then messaging. Defining targets that are most receptive to the sale, and then creating a process to inform and communicate to all so the potential to MAKE the sale is spread across a wider and wider (although targeted) audience.

What you are looking for is marketing that is being conducted consistently in order to get the most effective results for the long-term.
Pam Selker Rak  writes so perfectly that “Organizations spend millions in research and development, and they hire the best talent to turn their ideas into breakthrough products or services. They further provide millions of dollars so that their staff is constantly updated as to the latest technologies. Yet they often fail to take this same process to further understand their market, or communicate with their customers in a structured, ongoing manner to build their brands for the long-term.”

Two more great quotes from Rak that are worth repeating here: “Marketing cannot sell a bad product or service (at least not for the long-term). And a good product or service can have only limited success in selling itself. It may have some success in the short-term but will not have mainstay without marketing to build and retain awareness and retention among targeted audiences.”

And the final thought is that “marketing should never be viewed as an expense; it’s always a long-term investment—if it’s done right.” It is that “if it’s done right” component that is usually the issue. Many people who are in marketing do not take the time to understand the product or service, know the industry, and get the basics done right prior to launching into the sales process.

corecubed knows the home care and senior care industries. corecubed staff keeps up with the news and the events in the industry, follows trends, and pays attention to what people are buying and how they are getting their information. corecubed keeps on top of technology and uses it to the greatest leverage for our clients. We understand the power and strength of good, strategic marketing and our clients’ successes reinforce that.

Cepia LLC, the company that created Zhu Zhu Pets, describes its flagship invention as the next best thing to the real thing.

The hamsters come equipped with artificial intelligence and the ability to react to outside stimuli. Accessories include a skateboard, small car and hamster wheel.

Why are the toys such a hit? Perhaps it is the unorthodox marketing techniques Cepia used to jump-start the popularity of its new product.

The first step in the process is simple: They had a good product. You might think that’s overly simplistic, but it’s not. Cepia took the time to do the proper research and find out what kind of toy robots consumers wanted. It was decided that the robot should take the form of a pet – and hamsters, in particular, were “cute” pets that parents hated to buy, since they were often seen as large rats. For this reason, a robotic substitute might be in order: It could be as cute as a real hamster, but without the stigma a live rodent brings with it. and without having to clean any cages.

Of course, after the company perfected the product, it came time to implement the marketing. Instead of opting for high budget TV ads, Cepia LLC decided to take its product to the people. Over the summer, marketers held product demonstrations at Major League Baseball games in states such Georgia, Arizona and Texas.

Social media also played a significant role in Cepia’s marketing strategy. Mothers who maintained active online blogs were given free Zhu Zhu Pets so they could test them out with their children. The face-to-face demonstrations, combined with the online buzz that was building in the blogosphere was enough to generate the demand we see today.

Even the toy retailers themselves have found their own ways to help sell the product. A report on I4U News explains how Walmart was able to use TwitPic to post images of new Zhu Zhu shipments arriving on planes, thus getting the word out that its local stores would soon be restocked.

The moral of the story: Despite what you may have heard, good marketing is not all about big budgets and lots of on-air time. Smart marketers understand that success is more about creativity and meeting consumers where they are. Do that, and you’ll soon see that even the smallest of rodents can run with the big dogs.

And, know that corecubed uses a strategy based integrated marketing communications model and we are experts at reaching targets where they are with powerful messages that resonate and cause the target to purchase. Sound simple? If it were simple, everyone would be able to do it!

Watch a Fox News story on the Zhu Zhu:

The fast food giant launched its “McCafé” coffee chain in Melbourne, Australia with plans to offer the coffee brand in all of its 14,000 U.S.-based stores by the end of this year. Public reception of the McCafé brand has been surprisingly positive. In fact, McDonald’s has unseated Dunkin’ Donuts from the donut chain’s Number Two slot as the most-preferred coffee retailer. No surprise that Starbucks holds the top position.

Many attribute the rise of McCafé coffee to McDonald’s marketing strategy: “All the taste and quality of a coffeehouse with the convenience and price of McDonald’s.”

In other words, great tasting coffee on the cheap.

Perhaps it is not surprising that, given the current economic situation, McDonald’s is opting for a price point marketing strategy. After all, its Number One competitor in the coffee space, Starbucks, was born out of the 1990’s – a period of economic prosperity. It doesn’t have a “slogan,” per se, but instead relies on consumer recognition of its logo – the “Siren’s Eye” – and its brand, which positions Starbucks as a high-class dining experience for the sophisticated coffee drinker. That strategy may be a detriment to the chain during the current economic recession, as some price-conscious consumers have come to view Starbucks as an expensive luxury, causing profits to drop and the chain to close 200 U.S.-based stores.

So McDonald’s is wise to employ a marketing strategy that is based on price-point, right?

Not necessarily.

There are pros and cons. It’s true that, in an economic recession such as the one the world is currently facing, consumers seek out less-expensive alternatives to some of the products and services they consume. Thus a price-point strategy might seem advantageous in some cases (just ask Wal-Mart), but there can also be disadvantages with basing your entire brand on cost effectiveness.

The fact of the matter is, economic recessions are temporary. Customers may be clinging to their wallets now, but as the economy improves, so will consumer confidence. When that happens, it stands to reason that companies like Starbucks that provide a “customer experience” rather than just a product, will stand to gain.

The danger, in essence, is that customers will eventually abandon the “cheap imitation” for what they see as “the real thing.” Thus any gains achieved through a price point marketing strategy are likely temporary, based entirely on fluctuating consumer confidence. Price point marketing might be a good idea for the short-term, but there is a danger of losing out on long-term goals when making it the foundation of your company’s brand.

NOTE: Price point marketing is a particularly bad choice if your business is providing high end personal services, like senior care services at home. Consumers might be willing to go cheap on soda they purchase at Wal-Mart, but prefer quality over cost when it comes to the idea of someone “cheap” taking care of mom or dad. It’s best to base one’s brand on quality of care. To find out how to start end effectively run a care managed in-home care agency, check out corecubed’s Private Duty Business Manual offered for sale on our product site www.markethomecare.com.

And gathering contacts is all about three things: networking, networking and networking. However, you cannot simply go to a Web site and sign up for a contact subscription list. Building relationships takes time. And most movers and shakers or designated sales/marketing targets don’t hang out at the same place.

Or do they?

It’s a good bet that many – if not most – are members of some kind of professional association. An association serves as a meeting place where professionals who share a common interest can connect and discuss their mutual ambitions.

It’s also a great way to meet new clients.

For example, let’s say Do-It-Yourself Inc., a fictitious company that manufactures software for self-service food ordering deli kiosks, joins the Self-Service & Kiosk Association. That association accepts two types of members: self-service vendors (companies that manufacture the kiosk hardware and software) and self-service deployers (companies that purchase self-service kiosks to deploy in their stores.)

The membership advantages to Do-It-Yourself are numerous. Representatives of the software company might interact with reps from a kiosk hardware company and a new partnership might be born.

But most importantly, membership would drop them into the middle of a beehive of deployer members – prospective clients – who are all looking to meet the key players in the industry in the hopes of finding a technology vendor to help them with their project.

There are associations for practically every profession out there. Restaurants have the National Restaurant Association. Food and nutrition experts have the American Dietetic Association. The International Air Transport Association serves professionals who work in the aviation industry.

Most of these associations have a modest membership fee. In addition to networking, they can lend credence to your company’s professional credentials. Many provide certifications, and most have association logos you can add to your company’s Web site to show off your membership.

Wherever you join, get involved. Attend association functions. Serve on a committee. If the association has a blog, ask if you can contribute columns. The exposure will raise your visibility – and that means you may have to buy another Rolodex.