Choose Your Poison (but make it strong)

One of the biggest sources of confusion small business owners face when deciding on a marketing strategy is navigating through all the outreach opportunities available and choosing the one that is right for them and their particular business. Especially now with the onslaught of social media and the bonanza of opportunities which it brings (twitter, facebook, linkedin, youtube, foursquare…to name a few).

In the end, the best marketing strategy is the one you can most fully embrace and utilize. There are a lot opportunity out there, don’t try to be a jack of all trades. Decide on your resources (time, money, etc.) and choose the medium you want to focus on based on those resources and your overall business/marketing objectives and goals.

But whatever you do, if you focus on two overall goals and you far ahead of most of your competitors

1) Be awesome! It is much better to narrow the marketing mediums you utilize and focus on being the best at the strategies you do employ. Don’t have time to do facebook and twitter? Choose one and make you campaign incredible. Successful marketing isn’t an all or nothing thing. In the end, it isn’t the business who has the most campaigns, but the business who has the smartest campaigns that wins the consumer’s business.

2) Be consistent! Make sure all your marketing efforts point your consumer in the same direction and tell them the same story. A good test of this is to step back and take your/your business’s name out of all your different campaigns. Would your consumer still be able to tell they all were representing the same company?

Marketing is about choosing your poison, but making it strong. A weak shot will either have no effect on your target customers or simply make them sick to their stomachs.

[Via http://flyingpigcommunications.com]

Nintendo President shifts the onus of mature games development

What are Nintendo's priorities?

Reggie Fils-Aime, the President at Nintendo of America, has recently given his explanation as to why there seems to be more ‘mature’ games coming from third-party developers on Nintendo platforms.

Let’s face it, whether you like their consoles/games or not, Nintendo has done a lot for the video games industry. Not only is the company one of the early pioneers in the market, it is still standing strong today; developing some of the most innovative products in an industry that is ever-evolving. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda franchises (among many others) recently got awarded the Academy Fellowship at this year’s British Academy Video Games Awards, and rightly so. Not only has he led teams of developers in bringing us some of the most iconic games in history, he’s still involved with some of the most anticipated upcoming titles today.

Being in the industry for almost thirty years; he has undoubtedly seen many changes in how games are developed. However, games aren’t the only things that have changed. Us gamers that grew up in the 80s have also changed. Whilst we still enjoy games that have classic gameplay mechanics that hold everything together, our tastes have changed as much as they have stayed the same. This current generation of consoles has seen Nintendo come under heavy fire for not providing enough for the more ‘hardcore’ gamer and the ‘mature’ demographic .

Speaking to MTV, Fils-Aime states that Nintendo are not experts at creating ‘mature’ games and that their developers “don’t particularly enjoy making that content”.

“They probably could make stellar content, if they chose to. We choose to do something else. So it really is up to the third-party developer to create that great content and bring it to life on the platform.”

First of all, we have to wonder what one means when describing games as ‘mature’ in nature. If that term is used to describe the visuals as photo-realistic, then I suppose Nintendo are guilty of not providing enough titles that look that way. If we mean it in terms of cerebral interaction, I would say the company has done more than its fair share of bringing us titles with original concepts and lateral thinking. If it means games with sex and profanity in it, well, I doubt we’ll ever see characters like Princess Peach or Samus Aran stripping off whilst swearing and cussing like there’s no tomorrow.

Whatever the definition of ‘mature’ is, there seems to be more games catering to that demographic on rival systems like the PS3 and Xbox 360. So with Fils-Aime putting the onus of developing these types of games on the third-part developers, is that a fair course of action? Is that productive?

Even if first-party developers have “chosen” not to focus their efforts on ‘mature’ games, Nintendo still has to make it as easy as possible for third-parties to make decent games and get a good response from critics and gamers. One key factor is marketing. Nintendo has focussed so much on marketing the Wii and DS/DSi as family-friendly consoles, they seem to have completely ignored the so-called ‘mature gamers’. What use is it if third-party developers spend the time and effort to create ‘mature’ games if ‘mature gamers’ aren’t interested in the consoles they are on?

Compelling ‘mature’ titles from third-party developers like MadWorld, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (among others) haven’t sold as well as they perhaps ought to have, mainly because of the lack of marketing. Nintendo has to start making more of an effort when it comes to helping third-parties advertise their games. Not only that, but the way they do so too. Stop using ‘celebrities’ like Ant & Dec to face marketing campaigns. Stop focusing the appeal of the Wii and DS/DSi to the ‘casual’ gamer and let the world know that the consoles are for everyone.

Simply shifting the responsibility to third-parties but doing little to help them does no-one any favours.

[MTV] Reggie: Nintendo Devs Don’t Enjoy Making Mature Games

[Via http://trevchan.wordpress.com]

More than words...It's your Strategy (part 2)

Now that we have discussed the importance and purpose of a well-thought-out strategy, it is time to walk you through how to actually develop a strategy.  We start by working backwards to determine where and what we want to be in the future.  Once you have an end goal to strive for, you can back-fill in the pieces that will be needed to achieve the long term.  Here is our process:

1. Create a vision for your practice.  When you first decide to open your business, you had a plan in mind for the way your company will fit into this world and leave its mark. We have all been there. This type of forward thinking can allow you to paint an image of what you want your practice to be like in the future.  This can include values, image, size, and scope. The vision can include your values and ideals.  These things, pulled straight from your imagination, will need to be reflected in the look and feel of your business.

1. Set the long-term goals for your business and milestones for achieving the vision. How many long-term goals will it take for you to achieve your vision?  Do you plan to become a fortune 500 company with your small business in fifteen to twenty, years or do you want to stay small?  Think about what goals would take multiple years and write them down.  Now create milestones that will show tangible results of moving toward each one of those goals.  Milestones are measurements at points in time that let you know you are getting closer to completing your goals.

1. Set the short-term goals and milestones over the next twelve months, which will lead you toward achieving those long-term goals. Continuing to work backwards, move from the long range planning to the short term.  The short-term goal setting is what you want to achieve in the next twelve months. That will lead to long-term objectives, which, in turn, will lead to the vision of the company.  At this point you may be thinking, ‘I am too small of a business for this to apply.’  Rest assured, nothing could be further from the truth.  Even if you are a one-person show, these steps provide the basis for decision making. It will also help you determine what you want to do with your business, what you want it to become, and what you need to do to make it happen.  In the short term, your goals may be to increase sales 20% by doing more direct sales calling.  Well, now that you set the goal, what are you going to track to make sure you are actually getting there? Set monthly objectives that will make your successes and failures apparent. It is better to know if you are failing or moving in the wrong direction in the first month, then realizing at the end of a twelve-month cycle that you have been failing all along. 

1. Create the detailed steps needed to achieve the short-term goals and clarify the success factors.  This is the how-to portion of to make things happen!  What is the highly detailed process or plan for achieving the short term?  What needs to be done?  How will it get done?  Why is it important to the success?  Where will you need to do these things?  Who will being working will you to help you achieve them? When do you expect it to be complete and what defines complete?

We mentioned a plan above to increase sales 20% by doing more phone calls. Think about this example. Who is going to do this?  What is going to be offered?  How will you do it? Why will the customer be interested (benefits)? Where will your calls be focused and when is the best time to call prospective clients? All of these questions need to be included in your battle plan before you can execute it. If you are just starting a practice , developing these questions and plan may only take an hour, but for someone who has a larger thriving practice, it may take a bit longer. In either case, spend the extra time thinking heavily on each component to make sure that the plan is created right the first time around.

1. Establish a communication system for how, when, and where people will communicate. Communication is the key to putting this all together. Communication is vital to creating any type of business. Think about a football team with all of the different positions on the field and the importance of everyone knowing their role and responsibility for executing one play.  In that one play, there is a systematized communication system, where the players meet in a huddle and communicate the next play to be made.  In the huddle, team members can ask questions if they are not sure of what they need to do.  When the huddle breaks to move to the line to play, they all start to communicate and read the situation.  If players recognize something the other team is planning to do, there is a communication system for that.  The quarterback is also speaking to the team, getting them ready to move down field and hike the ball.  If the team is all on the same page and every individual begins functioning as a single entity, then they will play at a much higher level.  But, if communication is not going well, players can get injured, quarterbacks sacked, turnovers, etc.  So before diving into executing a strategy, determine a system of communication, chain of command, reporting, feedback, and roles and responsibilities.

1. Define the current status of your business. Now that you have put all of these great plans together, you need to link them with the current status of your company.  Take an in-depth look at the current status of your company as it relates to all 8 Arms of the Octopus and determine what resources are needed and what changes need to be made in order to align your current status with short-term goals. Once you have focused in on how to achieve the short term, make sure that the short-term steps are linked to the long-term goals, which will eventually affect your ultimate vision. Now that the strategy has come full circle, you should have a clear indication of direction, timeline, and purpose.

Let’s pull it all together, using the above steps, in an easy to understand example such as taking your family to the beach on a beautiful sunny day.  This example will break down the steps into an east to understand example:

• Strategic Analysis
  • Industry Analysis – What beach has the least amount of pollution and the best waves? Can you swim in the water or is it shark infested?
  • Customer Demographic – What type of people are at the beaches? Is it mostly children, couples, or singles?
  • Area Demographic –In what area is the beach located? Are the people who live in the area friendly to visitors, or is it more of a “locals” beach?
  • Competition Analysis – What do the other beaches offer that may sway my decision to go to that beach? Do the parking prices vary? Are there lifeguards at each beach?
• Development of Strategy
  • Vision- The perfect day for a family day at the beach.
  • Long Term- Planning around school vacations, work schedules, and lunar cycles. (Full moon brings the best weather.)
  • Short Term- Who is going with us? Are the kids bringing friends? Do we need a babysitter to help with watching the kids? When should we go food shopping for the beach or should we buy food at the beach?
  • Process- We are leaving for the South Side Beach on Saturday, June 12th at 9 a.m. The beach is very family orientated and has very little undertow. No shark attacks have ever been recorded at this beach. We are taking our two kids and two friends. We will bring drinks, but purchase food at the snack shop.  We have Google mapped the directions and will take the SUV for the two hour drive.
  • Communication- All adults have been issued the agenda, have confirmed in email that they are coming, and are all reachable by cell phones.
  • Current Status – Two guests have never been to the beach. We are all working very hectic work schedules and need a vacation.



[Via http://tos8.wordpress.com]

Affiliate Programs: A Financial Win-Win

If you sell goods or services, or if you like to talk digitally about goods or services, affiliate programs are something you should know about because they make you money and are free to set up (for the company too, but I’ll get to that).

I love affiliate programs because I feel they are a win-win for everybody. They allow companies to get in front of very targeted leads, they allow bloggers to earn a commission on products they would already promote, and by funding bloggers, they help create the targeted content enjoyed by blog readership. I have read complaints that this promotes false advertising by bloggers who only care about commissions, but I feel that the bloggers who talk about products they don’t really love do not achieve the reader trust that translates to sales.

What is an affiliate program?

An affiliate program, sometimes called a partner program, is when a company offers a piece of tracking code that you can place after any link to their site. This code does not change the customer experience of using the link, but allows the company to track and reward the person who sent them any online sales. The code snippet is often preceded by a question mark, and might look something like this: ?azy3345. So instead of blogging about http://www.amazon.com/coolthing, you’d blog about http://www.amazon.com/coolthing?azy3345. Getting your personalized code involves visiting the target website and finding and setting up your affiliate account with them. It’s pretty easy.

I sell products or services. How do I start an affiliate program?

There are several for-pay affiliate programs such as DirectTrack that cost thousands of dollars, but I am a fan of HasOffers because it’s free for the first 250,000 clicks. The user interface is well designed and customizable.

[Via http://andreahofer.wordpress.com]

Local talent

A brilliant opinion piece in Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper by one of my favourite Middle East commentators, Sultan Al Qassemi (who blogs at Felix Arabia), remarking on how the United Arab Emirates – despite its name – lacks a unified identity, either in corporate branding or in many of the practical aspects of government.

There is, for example, no UAE Ministry of Tourism. Instead, each individual emirate – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah – handles its own promotion, often without regard to what their near-neighbours are doing.

Al Qassemi draws comparison with the spectacularly successful ‘Incredible India‘ and ‘Malaysia: Truly Asia‘ campaigns, within which individual regions are free to market themselves, but always under the banner of the global tagline.

This raises interesting questions. The US is another federal country without a national tourism promotion strategy. The big names, such as Florida, New York and California, have massive tourism budgets, and therefore dominate the inbound industry – whereas the likes of Nebraska, Idaho and Oklahoma don’t, and so often miss out. Would a US Tourism Office even out the numbers and spread tourism more widely – or is it just that more people find California interesting than Oklahoma? Tough call.

In the UAE, though, it’s pretty clear to me that there is huge benefit to be gained from devising a promotional brand which encompasses the whole country. Sharjah, Fujairah and – as I’ve blogged previously – Ras Al-Khaimah have a huge amount to offer in terms of landscapes, culture and diversity that could significantly boost the rather monolithic concept of tourism currently put forward by Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There’s no logical reason why they should be denied a slice of that pie.

But the most interesting line in Al Qassemi’s piece is this: “Frankly, I have no doubt that if Emiratis were responsible for the UAE’s tourism campaigns we see on television, the name of the country would have appeared.”

Al Qassemi has a track record of saying the unsayable – his piece from 2008 “Welcome back our long-gone neighbours“, to name just one, knocked me (and lots of people I know) sideways – and this fits that bill perfectly. It’s hard to gainsay it.

To English ears, the UAE is the country with perhaps the world’s most unwieldy name, as well as its least memorable acronym: you can imagine teams of expat marketing and PR consultants, brought in to advise Dubai and Abu Dhabi on tourism strategy, tutting and shaking their heads and then saying ‘let’s just forget about the whole UAE thing, eh?’.

Those chickens have come home to roost, with a vengeance. The name Dubai – though not quite a laughing-stock – has lost much of its shine… and, without a national identity to back it up, there is no safety-net. Hence Sheikh Mohammed’s ‘Vision 2021‘ idea to develop a unified identity for the whole country.

Yet to Emiratis, of course, their nationality is a key determinant of identity, along with family, tribe and a host of others – much like the multiple layers of identity in apparently unified Western countries (I’m thinking, in the UK, not just of English/Scottish/Welsh identity, but northern/southern, urban/rural, middle/working class, and so on). It seems those expat consultants conveniently forgot about that.

When it comes to tourism promotion, local knowledge and local perspectives matter. Can you imagine the UK bringing in a team of, say, Korean media specialists to advise on 2012 Olympics promotion? Not a chance: marketing and PR to aid specific markets can help, but the overall strategy would always be home-grown.

So should it be in the Emirates. After a chaotic generation of transition, which has left the country wildly unbalanced in terms of economy, politics, culture and demography, it’s time to do some nation-building. That means easing citizenship laws, building railways and working out what it really means to be Emirati. Interesting years ahead.

[Via http://quitealone.com]

Can Alcatel-Lucent really play in the apps game?

By Rich Karpinski – Alcatel-Lucent’s latest announcement was three API bundles that blended service provider (initially, Sprint) and third-party application programming interfaces (the third party providers included APIgee, Billing Revolution, Motally, SMaato and Zhing). The initial three bundles are targeted broadly at opportunities in social gaming, advertising and virtual goods and include:

- SMS+advertising, with Mblox providing the SMS service (and no telco APIs involved)

- SMS+advertising+location+geo-sensing+virtual currency, with Sprint supplying the location/geo APIs

- The second bundle, plus billing/credit card processing

For developers working with the bundles, they get immediate, pre-integrated access to those broad application capabilities without having to understand the underlying application or network APIs. more> http://bwbx.io/IKgZ

[Via http://theneteconomy.wordpress.com]

We take it one step further than Harvard

In the september 2009 issue of the Harvard Business Review there is an article on “What Service Customers Really Want” on page 22 and it is a good article.  It explains the the 10 things customers want from their service company and how they should be measured, and they are:

1. Has Knowledgeable Employees
2. Addresses my needs on the first contact
3. Treats me like a valued customer
4. Demonstrates desire to meet my needs
5. Can quickly access information
6. Is good value for the money
7. Has courteous employees
8. Is a company/brand I can trust
9. Treats me fairly
10. Provides relevant/personalized service

These are the 10 things people most demand from a service company as measurement tools.  Do you see any commonality?  What does every single question have in common?  All ten are facilitated by your Employees!!!!

Are you wondering why you have customer retention issues or revenues are slipping?  Are you looking internally first?  There is a reason the book Good to Great was a best seller because it explained clearly that to have a great company you need to have great employees, as evidenced in the Harvard Business Review too.

To generate repeat business you need employees that you can trust to get your customers excited about coming back and using your service.  Employees, Employees, Employees….they are the only way to make great customer service happen!

[Via http://tos8.wordpress.com]