Today’s webinar with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing was moderated by Jiyan Wei of PRWeb.

A New Way to Look at Direct Marketing
John began with asking what we thought about the definition of marketing. It’s always evolving and people have their own different interpretation. According to John, the most succinct way you can think about marketing as “getting someone with a need to know, like and trust you”. By keeping this in mind, it will help you really think about your marketing strategy before implementing your tactics. Do you have your own definition of marketing that differs from John’s?

How to Differentiate and Dominate
Another standout point that John brought up was how small business strive to differentiate and dominate but are often doing it in the wrong way. As John says, most business pride themselves in offering “good service”. What marketer wouldn’t? John also mentions that a lot of people and businesses are sometimes afraid of being different. The key is to highlight a unique selling point that will create value for your customers. Entrepeneur has a few tips on differentiating your business that is worth a quick read.

The Marketing Hourglass vs the Marketing Funnel
Traditional explanations use a funnel to describe the marketing process. John has a better idea and presented us with the idea of a marketing hourglass. The difference is that whereas a funnel utilizes a blast method in an attempt to capture as many customers as possible, the hourglass takes into consideration your pursuit of the “ideal” customer. Yup, that’s a lot to digest in one hour but very informative in the end!

What’s the big deal about studying business? As famed father of management, Peter Drucker was noted for saying, “Business has only two basic functions – marketing and innovation.”

The Ever-Innovative Apple

Of course, these aren’t the only two things that make business possible, but they are arguably the most important functions. Apple is an excellent example of an innovative company. From the iPod to the pending iSlate, Apple has definitely set a higher standard when it comes to setting technology trends. Since its groundbreaking introduction in 1984, Apple has revolutionized the way that we work and play. Sure, other companies sell similar products, but Apple has an advantage when it comes to market share. Innovation? Yes, but their marketing tactics are also responsible for their success.

Comparing Marketing: Target vs. Wal-Mart

Marketing serves an essential business function. The general marketing mix focuses on the four P’s of: product, price, promotion and place, but it does much more than that. I mean, who cares if you have a fantastic product if no one knows about it? Let’s take two retailers for example: Target and Wal-Mart. Although these two giants are not identical, they offer similar items. From toilet paper to fresh produce, both convenient retailers offer household items and more. Target’s marketing and fun advertisements has made cheap – chic, while Wal-Mart’s cheap approach… just seems cheap.

In short, business consists of many elements that would not work without each other. If you want to succeed in business, you can’t just do one thing and do it well. It requires you to wear different hats – whether it is marketing, finance, self-management or something more. Most importantly, you have to be prepared to keep up with the changing times.

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Whether they are from established or up-and-coming companies, controversial ads have always been a hot topic of discussion. The main argument is whether they are intentional or not. From time to time, many companies find themselves defending or apologizing for a controversial ad campaign. From the Whopper Virgins to their ad for the BK Super Seven Incher, Burger King has recently been known for their unusual choice of ads. Critics have accused them of exploiting third world hunger and even misogyny.

Moreover, the fashion industry is well-known for sexual images portrayed in their advertisements and magazine spreads. American Apparel is no stranger to this controversy. CEO Dov Charney has had many sexual harassment lawsuits filed against him and it may not help that his company’s ads are considered borderline pornographic. But controversial ads are not restricted to this industry; Sony has been subject to scrutiny with the release of their white Sony PSP. The ad above shows a racially charged tone that has been criticized by many. Sony actually had a similar ad that was rejected for the campaign with the tagline, “White is better”.

So, why would a company purposely put out an advertisement that could possibly be considered offensive? For some companies, that may be their intent. There are advantages and disadvantages to consider when it comes to controversial advertisements:

Advantages

  • Positive attention from a quirky or unusual ad
  • Increased awareness can generate more sales
  • Reputation for being different
  • Being memorable and subject to buzz on social media sites

Disadvantages

  • Negative attention frsom overtly sexual, racist, or violent ads
  • Boycott can lead to a decrease in sales
  • Hard to follow up with ads without going overboard
  • Other unintended consequences

What are your thoughts on controversial advertisements?

Twitter Statistics

Who really uses Twitter and why is it important in promoting your business? First, it is important to understand the demographic of users and how to use that to your advantage. According to Twitterholic, the most popular people on Twitter include: Ashton Kutcher, Britney Spears, and Shaq. On the other end of the spectrum, CNN Breaking News, Barack Obama, and the New York Times also rank among the top. Nowadays, almost everyone knows about this social media utility, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone is using their account. A study by the Harvard Business School, the average number of lifetime tweets per member is… ONE! Research also shows that only about ten percent of the Twitter users create ninety percent of the updates. Out of 11.5 million Twitters users, here are some statistics that you might find interesting:

  • 45-54 year olds are amongst the top users
  • 85.3% of all Twitter users update less than once day
  • 53% of females and 47% of males make up all of Twitter users
  • Twitter is most active on Tuesday – Wednesday and Friday follow
  • Marketers are using Twitter. 15% of users who follow more than 2,000 people identify as social media marketers

So, why is it important to keep up with Twitter? An article on BusinessWeek, argues that Twitter lacks the ability to retain consumer attention and that it will take time before it is widely used as a broadcast medium, rather than a social networking utility. Whether it is a fad or here to stay, Twitter is growing everyday. From 2008 to 2009, there were over 20 million unique visitors to the site. By using Twitter, companies are able to keep consumers updated in real time. Dedicated fans or potential consumers will especially appreciate frequent and up to date Tweets. Also, the good thing about Twitter is that it does not hurt your business. When it comes to social media sites, early Twitter adapters can benefit from gaining experience while competitors may not fully understand its use. By being more connected and accessible to your consumers, you may also learn more than you would through using traditional methods of marketing.

A “frenemy” is loosely defined as someone who is part enemy, part friend. Ever since their beginnings, Pepsi and Coca-Cola have been the dominant contenders in the soft drink market. With a rivalry that spans over 100 years, Pepsi and Coke have been known to take jabs at each other in their marketing campaigns. But, in the new age of social media, it may finally be time for Pepsi and Coke to be friends.

Amnesia Razorfish, a leading creative agency, invited both companies on the social utility site, Twitter. The agency encouraged both companies to become friends or Twitter followers. Surprisingly, the two giants agreed and even extended greetings to each other. This may be a first for the two and we will all be able to witness how this experiment works for them. Frenemy relationships are not solely for publicity, but gives you an edge on what your competitor is up to. A company who fails to take direct and indirect competitors seriously will suffer a huge disadvantage. Some other big frenemy relationships include: Google and WPP Group, eBay and PayPal, Facebook and MySpace.

This new online relationship will not only give publicity to Coke and Pepsi, but may even promote a positive image for both companies. Nowadays, traditional advertising may be trite and monotonous to the public. Since more consumers are turning to the internet, companies can now use social media advertising and viral marketing in order to attract online attention. When approaching online marketing, the competitor-friendliest companies may be the most successful. As the well-known saying goes, it is important to “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”.

What is Direct Marketing?

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Direct marketing is simply the business of selling products or services directly to the public by mail order, telephone, fax, e-mails, or web selling, rather than through retailers.

This type of marketing can have two objectives:

  1. The thirst to obtain new clients. The identification of new potential clients is very crucial when it comes to recruit new prospects and transformed them into your clients.
  2. The perpetual loyalty of clients. A loyal consumer cost less than recruiting a new one.

This is the reason why direct marketing exist which is to maintain the relation between the company and his cli

Website Video Marketing

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Nowadays, as the technology is improving, online marketing is also improving.

Have you ever thought of promoting your site, articles, and maybe officially attaching or connecting with your products? Then consider video marketing. When I first heard of website video marketing, the only thing that came straight up to my mind was uploading videos like we usually do on youtube, myspace, or even facebook.
However, video marketing is far more that just uploading videos. It is by far one of the most effective way to top of the search engine landing pages and it could give another touch of glam to your website and will surely set you apart. Also, adding new video is giving a new twist to your marketing strategy.

Here are some examples of Video Marketing:

•   Celebrity Rehab Commercial
•    Political Spot
•    Virtual Tour
•    Educational Interview

If you like to know more about website video marketing and how it works, feel free to check out this link:

http://emarketed.com/website-video-marketing.htm