Marketing Buzz 05/03
When it pays to be hip; crack open these marketing books
Shooting From the
Hip
So you've got a cool product or service--doesn't it make
sense for your marketing to also be hip? Of course, you can't
market über-cool unless your brand warrants it. "Trying
to be hip in a single execution won't work," cautions
Sascha Lewis, co-founder of flavorpill, an e-zine newsletter that
tracks hot music, art and cultural trends. "[The hip] audience
is very savvy, and forcing hip will only backfire." Whether you're courting trendsetters or teens, "you
have to live like they live, you have to talk like they talk and,
most important, you can't talk down to them," explains
Keva Dine, author of two anti-boredom books for young teens, Hey
Day (HarperCollins) and the upcoming Holidazed
(HarperCollins)-forthcoming in 2003. If you target teens, she
recommends working with one in some sort of an advisory fashion.
Putting your message to the acid test will prevent many a marketing
mistake. Lewis warns marketing hip still means business: It has to be
part of a sound marketing strategy that returns a profit.
"Don't market just for the moment; trends come and
go," he says. Make sure your message is strong enough to
survive the ephemeral nature of hip. Content Continues Below
Book 'Em
Good marketing books are hard to find, but these three are worthy
of a second look: - Code to Commerce
(iUniverse) by Wm. Edward Vesely: In the fiercely competitive
high-tech space, this small book does a solid job of explaining the
essentials of brand development, marketing messages and channel
distribution. Using his four C's of Performance
Marketing-Company, Customer, Channel and Collaboration-Vesely
guides you from the strategic to the tactical. The product-launch
checklist that's provided is very useful.
- Mindcontrolmarketing.com
(Steel Icarus) by Mark Joyner: Joyner combines psychological theory
with marketing concepts to help you sell online. From why
testimonials work to the power of unpredictability, this book
dishes up chapters that provide enough meat for significant
business sustenance.
- Red Zone Marketing (Facts
on Demand Press) by Maribeth Kuzmeski: Using the football analogy
of the 20 yards before the goal line known as the red zone,
Kuzmeski provides strategies to SCORE: Specify your niche, Create a
client experience, develop Opportunities from obstacles, create
Referral possibilities and earn the Extra point. Filled with work
sheets and practical advice, it just may put your business on the
winning side.
| QUICK PICK | | Before you launch an
outdoor advertising campaign, you need to be able to visualize how
your ad will look as a billboard.
A new tool from Clear Channel Communication (www.clearchanneloutdoor.com), owner of the
world's largest inventory of outdoor media, can help
entrepreneurs do just that. Called MOVI, the free software program
lets you see how your artwork will appear in more than six
different formats, from transit shelters and street displays to
taxi tops. The program also allows you to experiment with your ad before
committing to a final design, and includes a helpful resource page
that offers tips on designing good, creative case studies. |
50%
of new customers say a company's sign is
how they first learned about the business.
SOURCE: Gulf Industries
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When college students shop,
93%
look for low prices; just
27%
look for certain brands.
SOURCE: 360 Youth/Harris Interactive
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Elizabeth J. Goodgold is author of the monthly newsletter
Duh! Marketing. Write her at liz@nuancing.com.
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