#14: Make a Difference

Personally, I'm a Pepsi person. But I still have to give serious props to Coca Cola for all the amazing PR events they do. Yeah, people can argue that they're just doing this to look good- which they are- but the actual impact Coke has on the people they help is worth a product placement here and there.

Take a look at their "Where will happiness strike next?" campaign. In this video, Coke sponsored a trip for three people (who've left their homes and families in the Phillipines to come work in the US) to visit their loved ones for Christmas. I'm gonna be honest - I teared up.

Obviously - being a small business- you probably won't be able to send people across the globe. But there are still other ways you can make an impact, even if it's just in your community. The Washington Post recently ran an article in the Metro section (for DC 'burbs) about a small convenience store owner who gave out free turkeys on Thanksgiving. His store is located in an economically poor area, so even something small as a turkey really made a positive impact. You can read the article here.

#13: Projection Mapping

I can't really explain it; it's something you HAVE to see for yourself! Think taking the side of a building and using it as an interactive projection screen.

Here are two great examples:

#12 : Business Cards

Business cards are sort of like a lasting impression. I mean, think about it: once you're done networking, how do you show them you want to keep in contact with them? You give them a business card!

The trick however is to have a really unique business card. I know I've personally lost a few here and there because they were kind of boring and I didn't pay much attention to them. But if the business card was some sort of novelty, then I might have more of a reason to keep it safe. They're also great personal marketing because then people would want to show them off to to others.

Here are some pictures from an article I found online at CreativeGuerillaMarketing:

#11: Improv Event

Think of an improv event as  "flash mob promotion" (without the dancing. unless you coreograph one). The whole point of it is to cause as scene [the good kind!] and get some buzz going around your community. It might take more effort to put together than say a flyer, but if you do it right, then it's a great way to get publicilty in your neighborhood. And for small businesses, that's good marketing.

Some points to remember are:
1. make sure it's legal (like trespassing and all that)
2. look for a busy area
3. timing is key
4. have it relate to your business!

I'm sure there's more depending on your business, but thats a very basic list.

Here's a few examples from Improv Everywhere (a NYC based group). There' not a marketing agency or anything, but they do a great job at improv events! You can use them for inspiration.
These are some of my favorites:

You can apply this to a biz sponsored movement

                                                 I love this one for the Salvation Army!

                                                      Great idea! And easy to put together, too!

       The basic idea is great if you own a formal wear store! Or any clothing, just make people wear it in ironic situations

#10: Give a Shout Out



Merci!


When it comes to business, and even life, there's alot of people who've helped you along the way. Sometimes you might not realize it, but when it hits, always remember to give them a shout out, or even just say "Thank you".

Today I'd like to thank Vacancy.com for choosing my entry as the winner for their scholarship (You can see it in older posts)! It was a great opportunity and definitely the most fun I've ever had writing anything! Much less a scholarship 'essay' - which here it was a blog post.

If you, your kids, your neighbor, or you neighbor's kids are going to college or just going away and need residence, definitely check out Vacancy.com! They have the cleanest and easiest user interface - so it's easy to find a place to live based on city, university, etc. To be honest, I just went to their site for the scholarship and that was suppose to be it. But their site as well as their Facebook page have great resources on college living, residency, tips, etc that any college bound kid would need to know.

And as Thanskiving rolls around, use this holiday as an opportunity to thank your loyal customers. If you're successful, alot of it is because of their word of mouth (and the great promos on this blog. Eh?EH?) - and that's PR you can't buy! Here are some great ways to appreciate them:

• Hold a meal (A small breakfast, lunch, or even brunch) that you can let your customers know about and they can come in throughout the day and grab a meal


• Host a small event (a more fancy version of the meal) 

• handwritten thank you cards with a purchase (dep. on the size of your biz)


• have a small pre-thanksgiving sales


• put up a large banner! It can say things like thank you, messages from employees, names of loyal customers


• "Good Neighbor" program - like a double coupon for customers and a friend!


• send them holiday cards (stick to Happy Holidays unless you run a religion based store)


• Donate on their behalf (there are some silly ones like buying a sheep for a poor farmer or you can let them choose!"

#9: Black Friday

I realize it's not a 'creative' idea, but it is one that alot of businesses suprisingly overlook! One of the best promotions during the holiday season is to participate in Black Friday!


But wait - the fun doesn't just stop at having major sales and discounts. There's alot more you can do than just that! Here are some of my ideas:

• Hold a bag of crap sale (maybe during the later hours when it's slower? or even during rush)
• make sales into little 'Happy Hours' where you can discount one type of product at a time
• team up with local stores in your area and create a "Black Friday Survival Guide" to cross promote
• create a gift giving survival guide with your store's  (or partner stores from above) merchandise
                  - call it the "SOS: Season of Savings"... well I think it's clever
• start the sale at a very specific time (4:27am)
• have "doorbuster" sales for popular items
• COUNTDOWN - it makes it so much more dramatic
• give out special passes to people during the month if they spend over a certain $$$$$$$
• hold contests throughout the month (more posts to come later!)

Hope these helped!

#8: The Power of Words

STORY TIME!

As a business, you've probably have a lot of writing to do - proposals, legal stuff, brochures, marketing pamphlets, etc. And in situations where you personally can't be there to sell your idea, your writing takes your place - so you have to make it good. Just remember:

What you say is definitely important, but how you say it matters even more.

#7: THANK THE VETERANS

Sometimes politics and whatnot can create negative feelings towards the country, but it's people like our veterans that remind us what our country is about and make us proud to be a part of it. Thank you.


In light of Veterans Day, a great promotional idea would be to hold a sort of "thank you" event for the men and women in service. A couple companies do something like it, for example Krispy Kreme gives out free doughnuts! You can definitely play around with the idea; here are some of mine:

• offer a great discount to service men and women


• give out a free item


• have paper cutouts (you decide the shape) where people can wite a thank you note and post it up somewhere public in your building/office/store/etc


• depending on what kind of business you are, you can hold a breakfast and invite any servicemen you know (and invite them to bring their friends too!)


• if you work with kids in any way, hold an activity where they can draw and write cards and deliver them to an organization that can send them over


• try hosting an event at a senior center? if possible, you can work with a local one that has veterans to honor them


• ask for community donations! money and items can be donated to organizations such as Operation Homefront who will use it to assist military families

These are just some I came up with at the moment, but there's definitely more you can do! There's no way we can fully thank them for all that they do, but we can do our best to honor them and their dedication to our country. God bless America!

#6: GO GREEN

Image from gogreenliving.org

As much as I can't stand the noise of the new Sunchips bags (you know the kind!), I do give them credit for 'going green' with the biodegradables. They've followed the new trend of businesses becoming more environmentally friendly as people are starting to focus on the bad effects of emissions, chemicals, etc.






As a business, you should consider 'going green':
1) It's a great promotion in itself because of the issue's popularity
2) People will want to interact with you more because it shows your are responsible and it'll make them feel better (like the Prius drivers effect)
3) It'll create a good rep for you
4) I've also heard that you can (to some degree) get tax cuts and all that as well (but that is legal biz stuff- I just do marketing) Look into it though!






Imagine if a maid/cleaning company offered a "green clean" service? Or if you ran a promotion or contest trying to reduce your 'footprint'? Or even made lists of ways to 'go green' and gave them out to customers? How about using recyclable paper (which it already is, but putting the triangle logo can help!) for direct mail?
You can do alot with the idea!


Also, here's a link to a great article on Fast Company  : 10 Ways Your Business Can Go Green

#5: HOST A "HAPPY HOUR"

... no, we don't mean drinks! Unless you run a bar or restaurant, then go ahead!

Good question! (picture from Cafepress)

We're talking about using the idea of a "Happy Hour" to boost sales for whatever your shop or company sells. Bars usually use it during the slow hours to attract customers; what if we used that idea for other businesses?


Think about it: for one hour on a given day, customers can come in and buy your product at a low price. Because the time is limited, they'll buy as much of it as they can. They might even bring a few friends!






You can play around with this idea, too. Give it a new name. Make it from a "Happy Hour" to a "5 Minute Frenzy" (or any other time limit). Hold it a special day of the month, or just every Monday after noon. Make it throughout the whole store, or just a certain type of product (like accessories in a boutique).


That's all I could think of, but I'm sure you've got some great ideas! Lemme know by posting a comment!

"Psskkk... the Eagle is now in the Nest"

[If you haven't read my earlier post about the benefits of having a scholarship, then this won't make any sense. I suggest you go back and read it, along with the rest of my blog (which is missing because I've just moved it- sorry guys!) if you know whats good for you.]

Is this a joke? Really, am I being Punk'd or something? I don't know why anyone would want to live at the "Eagles Landing" community in boring old Charlottesville, Virginia. It's only won the "Best Student Housing Property Award", no big deal. If it was that good, someone would've created a new award for it. Eagles Landing has a description of it on  the website, but let me give you a real tour.
    

I don't get why they bothered fully furnishing it with a microwave, refrigerator, AC and other stuff we don't really need, either. I was kind of looking forward to bringing my replica Leg Lamp (A Christmas Story) to college, but it might overshadow the resort style design of the place. I mean just look at it, it's hideous!



Why would anyone want to live here?

 

Ew.



    



I'm not too happy with the free cable and HBO either. If they really wanted me to be happy, they would've included other movie channels like Starz, Cinemax, and AMC. What does HBO have? Award winning shows like Boardwalk Empire, first releases in movies, and a bunch of extra specials you can't see anywhere else? In short: nothing.

And when they say "Free Shuttle Service to UVA and Peidmont", they're really implying that I can't drive. They just expect me to leave my car in their fully accessible parking lot and ride along with no extra charge. Is it because I'm a woman or something? And I'm not capable of driving myself to school? Hmmm? Keep your complimentary shuttle service to yourself.



Warning: This room may ruin your freshman experience.

 I'm also convinced Eagles Landing is trying to ruin my college experience. Everyone knows the best part of college is gaining the "Freshman 15". I've looked forward to it my whole life. But now with this fully equipped gym and fitness center, I don't think I'll be able to live that experience. Thanks, Eagles Landing.

Bombarded with all these complimentary services, recreation rooms, and resort style designs; I think I'm better off living in an actual nest.

#4: Why You Should Create a Scholarship Fund

Everyone loves free stuff, no doubt about that.
People also love companies that give free stuff.
Why don't you combine that idea, along with community service, and create a scholarship fund?
You can give it out as a grant, create a contest, or just make it a simple merit award to local kids going to college. The best part is that it has your name on it! The marketing is in itself!

Here's an example:

Vacancy.com, a site where you can find great apartments listed by location, type, etc, has a scholarship for bloggers. To be considered, the applicant must browse around Vacancy.com, choose an apartment, and then write a post on their blog explaining why it's their ideal apartment.

Easy? YEAH! Effective? YEAH!

By creating the scholarship, Vacancy.com has
1) Put their name out in the public. When I go to college, I know exactly where I need to go to find my housing! Plus I got to use the website, search their material, become familiar with the company.

2) Created a good image. The fact that they are able to give out a scholarship makes them look financially stable and community oriented

3) Attracted the right target market. They layout and design of the site is very teen/young adult orientated, which they caught by posting their scholarship on sites like Fastweb (which is popular with college bound kids!)

4) Got free publicity. By making me post about the site in my blog, I'm now marketing the site for them, at no cost to them (unless I win the scholarship that is!)

Take a leaf out of their book and see how you can sponsor a community event!

#3: Black is the New Black

Product Packaging: Matte Black

Is it just me, or is this the coolest color ever? I know black is seriously over used, but adding a matte finish adds to it something I can’t even describe. It’s classic, but not tacky. Refined, but still grounded. I mean just look how cool it makes this Coke can look!

 image from Piccsy

It really adds a classy touch to a basic black look. You can use the color for a new packaging design (especially with boxes), an alternative version of a product already used (thinking maybe Halloween or Holiday?). It doesn’t even have to be black! There’s so much you can do with this.

How will you use it?

#2: Designer...Coke?

As you can see, this isn’t your normal Coke bottle.

In a partnership with designer Karl Laggerfield, Coca Cola has introduced a very chic and girly bottle design in hopes to reach a very small beverage target market – young women. Gatorade, energy drinks, soda- most of these are geared towards men (I’d only consider Starbucks to be targeted towards women. But that’s just one drink!)

Coke didn’t even have to do much- it’s still the same Coke we love and enjoy! (Though I am a Pepsi person myself) They just created a new design for it to be sold in, and BAM! New people to buy it.

This leaves the question; how can your business redesign some of its packaging? Add darker colors to make it more male-friendly? Or change the font to give a new vibe? (There is a difference between Courier, Georgia, and the kinda message they give.) Even renaming it can help reach a new target!

How will you use it?

 

#1: Why People Actually Buy a BAG OF CRAP

• Small boutiques can use the idea to have sale on last season’s accessories,
•  Charities can use the idea with donated items for a BoC fundraiser.
• I’m pretty sure you can even use for a weekend yard sale.

Leave a reply below with ideas on how you or anyone can use it!

…can you believe he only paid $3 for all that?!

Woot, the online site famous for its one day deals, has come up with one of the greatest – and cheapest- sales promotion this blog has seen yet. (Which, is only one so far. But that still a feat in itself!) Introducing: THE BAG OF CRAP

HOW IT WORKS:

On a random day, Woot will have a WootOff  where they try to sell any extra inventory they have. One of the most sought out items is the “Bag of Crap”. For three dollars, the online buyer will receive a “Bag of Crap” which is filled with three items (if you remember to click three while ordering!). People have been known to get TV’s, iPods, even laptops! They’ve also gotten half a cracked floor tile (not kidding). The thrill is that the buyer never knows! So obviously, they buy more.

HOW YOU CAN WORK IT:

Try to hold a “Bag of Crap” sales promotion! You can change it around to be in a shoebox, or something instead of “crap” (if you’re market is mostly families) –try to tailor the actual name to your business/organization (Woot’s known for its offhand humor and witty comments, so BoC fits). But the idea itself is brilliant! And can be worked a number of different ways:

Big Ideas for Small Businesses

 

Image from Cartoon Stock

Even as a marketer, I can honestly say that I hate watching commercials. I’m sick of them.

Watching TV? Oh okay, a commercial.
On YouTube? Oh, look... It’s the same commercial I just saw on TV
Listening to the radio? Really, I get it!

I don’t mind the ‘commercialization’ (or whatever critics call it these days of our society), but I can’t stand that it’s the same kind of commercial every time. And it’s not just on TV: print ads, brochures, flyers- they’re all starting to look the same. People are getting tired and it’s ruining the whole purpose of marketing. Someone’s gotta do something about it.

So, I started this blog.  It’s sort of a mix between a ‘marketing diary’ (if anyone has those…) and a resource for small businesses to get their creative juices flowing. It’ll work something like this

1.       I’ll see something really cool

2.       I’ll post it up on here

3.       You, the small business owner, will read it

4.       (Optional but recommended!) You will post an idea on how you’re organization can incorporate it

Or at least I hope so! It’s not much right now – it took me two weeks of scrolling around to figure out  that the “New Post” button was on the main page- but I really hope that it grows. And that it helps the small businesses, high school clubs, charities, and everyone else reading it grow, too.