Category Archives: Marketing Resources and Tools

The Mirror and 3 Lessons for 2011

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Der Spiegel (which means ‘The Mirror’) is a weekly German magazine founded in 1947. While its credibility on the global stage has been secure for decades, only recently has Der Spiegel found its way into the lexicon of the average newsreader, finding itself anointed into the WikiLeaks trinity of fact checkers (alongside The Guardian and NY Times).

Everyone has an opinion about the future role and relevance of print media, but very few are discussing the habits of those who still seem to be thriving. Yes, newspapers and traditional print journalism are on the decline, but what of those companies who seem to be running strong, even thriving in this newly defined environment? Der Spiegel is one of those rare few to learn from.

Lesson #1: People will Pay, if there’s value.

It’s understood, and very well documented, that all web related interaction is moving towards an ‘App’ related engagement. Whether the vetting process comes through social media and metrics, a la the Bing/Facebook marriage, RSS feeds or news aggregators like Digg and StumbleUpon; it’s not the ‘searching’ but the ‘getting’ that Internet browsers are concerned with.

Content and FREE were once synonymous. In 2011, all signs point to that word going from FREE to TRUSTED. Der Spiegel, while its cover price far exceeds most American equivalents, has a paying circulation over a 1mm and 47 straight years in the black. Why?

Value trumps convenience, and Trust trumps value.

Lesson #2 Design Matters

Boring is boring in any language. The idea that you have to sacrifice creativity for credibility is bogus. Studies have shows 90% of the web’s content will be video based in 10 years. What does that spell but creativity 101.

You didn’t become an entrepreneur to follow convention, and no one wants a conventional type of engagement.

←Here is the box ←

NOW THINK OUTSIDE OF IT.

Lesson # 3 Respect the Intelligence of your audience

A large part of Der Spiegel’s success, and global credibility for that matter, comes from their rigorous standards of journalism (they have one of the most impressive archival libraries in all of publishing). This well balanced marriage between informative substance and popular engagement are a winning recipe not just for selling magazines, but more importantly creating a loyal viewership.

Consumers and citizens are coming out of one the darkest and most expansive periods of public deception in modern history. Seems only fitting that an emphasis on respecting the consumer first, selling them second makes a sense, right? Understanding of the customer is what your business should be about, not just your marketing.

All the best,

Jay Kubassek

Que the QR!

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Let’s set the scene…so you’re in the waiting room at the dentist office. The magazines have an average date of 03′ and dog-eared corners to rival a origami festival. Not to mention a plethora of Tiger Woods ads (so we know these mags are old!).

The considerable boredom sparks a departure from the usual waiting room silence, and you strike up a conversation with a waiting neighbor. A couple of quick pleasantries leads to: “So what do you do?” Unfortunately, your dentist simultaneously calls you into the chair. What to do?

Spit out the url of your website real quick?
Hand out a business card they will have 17 opportunities to lose over the course of the day?
Hope they’ll be there when you get back perhaps?

For any marketer, the question remains how do you connect people to your business faster, and easier? Mobile marketing solutions, and QR codes for that matter, are rapidly becoming one of the best new solutions available.

These funky, Rorschach test looking two-dimensional images, are fast becoming one of the most effective and efficient ways to connect consumers to your business. QR codes, which can be scanned by just about any smartphone camera, can be used to direct individuals to text, photos, videos, music and URLs. Bottom line, you’ve got to find compelling ways to connect people in the offline space to your online resources.

You can generate a QR code for just about anything, more importantly, it can be used just about anywhere; to point new consumers in the direction of your business.

Couple things are important to remember:

1. QR codes should lead to an ENGAGING place. The last thing someone wants is to go through  a cool (yet simple) access point, to find pictures of your wet cat cutting his own nails on the toilet.

2. Not everyone knows how these puppies work. Be sure to provide a brief CALL TO ACTION: i.e. “take a picture of this to find out more.”

3. Provide some kind of VALUE to the scanner. Don’t just use the code to direct people to your website (although that is still a good idea). Use it to direct the consumer to some sort of VALUE OPTION: i.e. promotion, discount, video, new information etc.

Here are a few great resources for creating the codes:

All the best,

jay_signature_email

Jay Kubassek

Vertical Integration

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I have, and will continue to believe, that intentions predict results. The true purpose of your actions, will always dictate the types of results.

Movement (or Cause) Marketing is no surprise to anyone anymore. It was a natural development that sprang from a lot people being frustrated, disappointed and fed up. People who decided that “choice” was a not a seasonal part of their lives. It never left, and was the real reason they’re lives might not have been what they wanted. In USA Today there is an article about how “Cause Marketing” is dead in Corporate America.

USA TODAY: “…with almost half of American respondents to Edelman’s goodpurpose survey saying they feel brands only support good causes for publicity and promotion — not because they really care — many companies may want to rethink their entire approach to cause marketing.”

It’s certainly true that consumers have woken up to the smoke and mirrors, and put choice back in the game. But what Carol Cone of Edelman fails to mention, is that it’s not just better consumer judgement and sniffing out the b.s., it’s entrepreneurs, around the world, that are providing a new solution.

A solution rooted in the peace of mind that only transparency and social responsibility can give. Let’s hope vertical integration finally proves to be true!! Maybe the principles that we embody as entrepreneurs, will finally make their way into corporations, but more importantly, lets hope it makes it to the aisles of our stores.

All the best,

jay_signature_email

Jay Kubassek

5 Steps to Better Conversation

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We’ve all come across individuals in our life who just seem to be great conversationalists. They seem to just have a “natural knack” to truly “engage” and “connect” with other people, almost immediately.

I think it goes without saying that successful people, by default, are good communicators, right? The ability to articulate your passions, interests and ideas is of primary importance to any entrepreneur. Nothing conveys the spirit of self-confidence and intelligence better than a affirmative and captivating conversation.

Like all skills, becoming a good conversationalist, and communicator for that matter, is a skill that can be cultivated, improved, sharpened. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that have helped me become a better communicator:

  1. Say what you think, not what others want you to say, or what you think they want you to say. There’s never a substitute for authenticity.
  2. Listen. Listen. Listen. As our mothers always said: “you’re not learning anything when your mouth is open.” Remember, a monologue is not a conversation.
  3. Only give advice when requested. The fastest way to bring the flow of conversation to a screeching halt is to impose a suggestion on someone, who hasn’t asked for it.
  4. When your interest lies in the PERSON, and the not the SUBJECT of the conversation, you’re sure to have a much more mutually enriching experience.
  5. “Silence plays an important part in effective conversation just as it does in music.” Milton Wright (1936)

All my best,

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Jay Kubassek

Google Voice gets an upgrade!

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Google-Voice-2561

I’m sure many of you are already using Google Voice for your desktop. If you’re not, simply put — it lets users make and receive calls via their Gmail interface.

Well, hold the phones! (all pun intended)…this week Google Voice is being integrated right into the browser via Gmail! And lemme tell ya, the quality is really impressive (certainly comparable to Skype if not better).

Google Voice Demo

All you have to do, is download the Google Talk plugin for your browser and you’ll be able to make calls to any U.S. or Canadian phone number, directly from Gmail! (you can also use it internationally for a super low per minute charge)

I can’t tell you how beneficial I’ve seen this tool be for friends and associates that have issues like weird cell reception and the like.  Most importantly though…it’s FREE!!

Check out the video above for more information about how to use this great tool.

Have a great weekend everyone!

All the best,

jay_signature_email

Jay Kubassek