wag the dog marketing

See New Web Site

2008-01-23T21:50:00.000+09:30

Please have a look at the bellette website or more information about Graphic Design, TV Production, Marketing and for more tips call 1800 006 936

Sign of the Times

2007-01-20T09:29:00.000+09:30

Everyday we see signage that a company does at the start of their business as a "hurry up we need a sign" and that sign stays for the next 10 years.

When starting out its best to "plan a budget" and a concept that will really stick out in your customers mind.

If you have noticed that "the big boys" franchises, banks, large companies have got this sussed and it really does make a difference with the first overall impression of your company.

So don't skimp, its hard at the start because money is tight but remember its purpose is to bring customers to your door.

If you have trouble convincing your signwriter or graphic designer, then find someone who will do it. If you think that you lack imagination then research it on the web and get something special happening.

The other issue we see everyday is "companies" that mimic same companies in their field, if you're an accountant or ad agency you don't need to have the smallest sign possible so that you "look cool, slick" if you want to yell then go for it.

Wag your tail about this its a lot of fun having signage that people talk about.

New Media "Blogs"

2006-10-18T10:01:00.000+09:30

Everyday in this brave new media world, where the OLD free to air TV is losing ground and newspapers are being accessed online.

Theres always room for niche methods and media, blogging is a good example of this, contributing to the world around us for everyone to read.

Blogging you think is just for nerds and geeks or PR people, this is not the case blogging is a good way to get instant information about you, your company and your products to the world.

Its also a good way of giving your customers access to "information" that normally they would have to find themselves, tips and tricks to help them find their way in this consumer world.

Blogging is also very easy, you can sign up for any number of free blogging services and then link them to a web site, anyone can blog, there's no WEB skills involved, very easy and very instant.

If you would like FREE info about blogging or would some to do it for you, please call 1800 006 936 for more of this blogged blog

Have a great day...!! "blogs away"

Consistent Communication

2006-10-12T14:22:00.000+09:30

When you're in business or work in the an area of public communication there should always be a plan.

Some of the most basic errors in business come from NOT having a consistent approach to your delivery of your image, service or products.

This just means that everything you do should have a concept and that is written down before you start.

Little things like not knowing your LOGO colours for the printer (this is a BIG thing actually). Not having any idea of what font should be used when writing a letter. I think that "Times New Roman" should be banned, there are thousands of other fonts that can be used.

The delivery of your image is another area that most businesses do little about apart from signage out front. The concept of franchises take that thought and bring it all the way through and will in-fact give the customer a more consistent sales experience, in other words they will spend more.

5 Words of Death

2006-06-30T12:50:00.000+09:30

There are 5 words that everyone uses in their marketing, advertising and spruiking....

Quality, Local, Range, Service, Price....

Why give it go and NOT use these words, better still ban your creative Radio / TV / Newspaper from using them!!

Why because think about every business or venture across the world uses them, every business in your local area, every business you deal with...

What makes them different from all the others or you different from all your competitors?

NOTHING...and its really bland boring stuff,

It may be important to you and its really important to your customer, but we dont need to spell it out as this is not what makes your customer seek you out...

They want that after they have found you, become different and BAN the 5 words of death and really put that thinking cap on today....!!

The Value of a Mentor

2006-05-18T18:14:00.000+09:30

Have you ever considered getting a mentor, yesterday I was talking with a friend who her and her partner owns a national bakery franchise...

She said that it was the best thing they ever did, plus the idea of someone from the outside who is not an accountant looking into their business.

" its good to work out yourt goals and then how you will get them"

Both of us agree that "business" is addictive and that its easy to get bogged down....

So, go and find a mentor, it seems that the best way is to look for a profesional coach and have regular meetings, that way when you're felling there is always that helping hand

If you want to know more give me (Brad) a call 1800 006 936

10 Tips to be Famous

2006-04-28T09:07:00.000+09:30

1. Write a Plan, sit down and plan what you want to do, write it when you are not at work, grab some quite time, relax and go to it.

2. Work out the END Result, what do you actually want to do? sell more, provide a service better, make someones life easier? maybe its just for a good cause. The objective must be clear so that at the end of the road you will know if you have DONE it and achieved your goals.

3. Be Different, look at other industries, copy and look and learn...!! There are ways to be different even if you are an undertaker, paint your car bright green, have your staff wear pink shirts? have a womens only taxi service? whatever and whenever you can have a 24 hour a day service. Become a person / business / service / charity that does not blend in and you are in your own area, you will be the only one that anyone thinks of in this way.

4. Throw in that Extra Stuff, extras, timeframes, gifts, loyalty clubs.....throw in that extra effort into your service. You could make sure that all customers get a lollipop, you have a call out after hours for FREE, all diners in your restaurant get a first free DRINK?
Just make sure that you stick with this and become FAMOUS for this service.

5. Plan your Budget, Very Important and Stick to IT, dont deviate, it can be small. Just Plan your dollars and spend them, this wasy your consistent approach will pay when your competitors dont do it and YOU will get the market lead.

6. Write down your Ideas, easy write them down, make a scrap BOOK with ideas, keep and keep looking at them, look overseas - the best way to learn is too copy and then you will get better at it.

7. Keep writing down your ideas

8. Start to Execute, be outrageous and you possibly can within your industry, promote yourself or your services to be FAMOUS for what you do...!!

9. Carry through your customer / service plan and go to the ends of the earth (within reason)

10. Become a Purple Cow (ask about that, call me 1800 006 936)

Have a good time working through this

Wag it good.....!!

2006-04-25T00:40:00.000+09:30

You looking to wag it good, then write down all your ideas and then plan out the outcome...

You will never know what may happen

Too Much or not Enough...?

2006-04-23T11:33:00.000+09:30

Is there any, switched-on consumer who does NOT google and NOT researched the cheapest available fare, price, charge before buying a big ticket item.

We've ALL invested some time reading reviews, recommendations and suggestions from experts and fellow consumers.

All thanks to the insanely expansive and detailed web of information that continues to be spun, offering transparency of prices, of reviews, of opinions, and of detail.

Yes, you’ve heard this before.

But just for a moment, look how incredibly addicted buyers have become to getting instant access to any kind of useful and relevant information.

In fact, consumers are experiencing nothing short of an all-encompassing INFOLUST:

"Experienced consumers are lusting after detailed information on where to get the best of the best, the cheapest of the cheapest, the first of the first, the healthiest of the healthiest, the coolest of the coolest, or on how to become the smartest of the smartest. Instant information gratification is upon us.

So forget information overload: this desire for relevant information is insatiable, and will soon move from the online world to the ‘real’ world to achieve true ubiquity. Get ready for a click-and-know, point-and-know, text-and-know, hear-and-know, smell-and-know, touch-and-know and snap-and-know world."

Where has retail gone?

2006-04-17T12:03:00.000+09:30

Retail is now a truly global case, no longer is the local supplier able to be truly free from the global economic situation.

The advent of eBay has meant thet local shoppers can get items that are not juts from the the loocal store. They can and will get anything that is postable via the web.

The stores or business this global ecocomic power has not affected yet is large items such as plasmas and cars or anything that is not postable.

What does this mean for you? get out there via the web and sell your srtuff, you dont need a web site, just go for one of the many "on-line" auction sites that can do this for you, take you pictures and then get selling.

Its that easy..!!

It will make all the difference, old stock anything that is hard to shift can be sold for a lot less than is possible in store, need any further info please 1800 006 936

Add VALUE

2005-12-11T14:57:00.000+09:30

Adding value can come in a variety of ways, by doing things that exceed the expectations of clients.
Adding value can be doing things a little quicker, doing a service for FREE, adding a drop-off service.
It can take many forms:
• A supermarket could get their own environmentally friendly bags printed and offer them at a BIG saving to
encourage customers to use them. This would have 2 rubs, 1 – you save on plastic bags, 2 – great word of mouth
for the caring effort that as a local supermarket has shown.
• As an electrical goods supplier, with the purchase of any electrical goods, give a pack of AA batteries, because you
can never have too many AA batteries!
• Change for parking – at airports, if you are an Airport, consider employing people at certain flights to give away
$3 - $4 to add value.
• Sporting Goods Store, free socks, free consults with a podiatrist, become a HUB for club information, be known as
a store that cares for the community.
• Adding value doesn’t have to be giveaways; it can come in the form of extra service on top of a service ordered,
dry cleaning “free advice pamphlet with info on clothes storage”.
• Add value if you are a 4 x 4 Accessories Store with a virtual 4 wheel drive track and demonstrate products virtually in your
show-room if you are able provide a desktop computer with web access so your customers can look at national products.

TWINSUMER - CONSUMERS WHO CARE AND HAVE A TWIN

2005-07-27T13:54:00.000+09:30

Wag the Dog - August 2005, Consumers......"TWINSUMERS"

Its getting harder to convince customers through MASS media that your product may be the best? In the past "WORD OF MOUTH" was the sure way of ensuring a good reputation of a company or service. It was a pretty fickle way of working, this was the world of B.W (before web) and was limited to your handful of trusted friends and associates.

The new generation of web savvy customers look to ON-LINE for the best of the best OR the first of the first.

These consumers don't just connect to any other consumer or friend any more,
they are hooking up on-line and listening to their TASTE TWINS across the WORLD WIDE WEB.

Taste Twins are fellow consumers somewhere in the world who think, enjoy, react, and consume the way that they do.

There are now web sites where consumers can rate a service, hotel room, restaurants etc....

There are on average over 30 million Internet users who have reviewed, rated someone or something. They have also found across western countries that 50% have checked product reviews on-line and that 30% have bought from reviews based on someone else review and then 15% have written a review after purchase.

What does this mean for all of us?

Small enterprises can flourish with a world wide customer base and enjoy the nature of word of mouth on a global scale. As a part of this "YOU" can develop on your web site that you can show a profile of buying if a customer buys a certain product. For example - if a customer buys a CD of an artist, the web site show other music that the customer may like, suggestive selling at its finest.

Raise your MOUSE to the DIGITAL GENERATION (bloggers and podcasters)

They want to contribute to the world around.
They have tens of millions of personal profiles, BLOGS, home pages running.
They are willing to TRY all things not MASS and are not impressed by traditional forms of power and authority. (BIG Companies)

LOGOS.....DON’T DO IT YOURSELF!

2005-07-08T11:07:00.000+09:30

Your logo should make you feel warm and fuzzy and show exactly what it is you want to project.

Don’t have a logo designed by a friend of a friend in Word and expect it to reflect you and your hard work.
Your logo should show or tell a story and you should be able to explain its purpose.

There are too many logos that are just a splotch on a piece of paper!

The major logos of the world are ICONS.

That’s because they were designed to be exactly that.

WHY NOT REVIEW YOUR LOGO, don’t have “blah, blah” HAVE A LOGO WITH SOUL!!

PARTNER BRANDING

2005-07-07T22:33:00.000+09:30

Partner branding is a term where you can leverage from other brands.
For example – if you are a Real Estate agent you could plan a campaign based
around using a furniture company or electrical supplier co-branded with the house.
It would work like this:
• Joe Bloggs Real Estate agent presents the house of the week from Freedom Furniture.
This will work if both brands are strong and each one can gain from the association.
• Mini has teamed up with Puma and released a Puma limited edition mini.
Colours and logos from Puma have combined to give both brands an urban cool.
• Gucci and other fashion brands have teamed up with international hotel chains to co-brand the hotels as Gucci
(brand) to capture the fashion conscious hotel guests.
Co-branding will it work for you?

Yes, find the right partner with the same brand values, research a product and go for it.

WAG the DOG - JUNE

2005-06-24T17:58:00.000+09:30

this month its about the unusual, extraordinary and unexpected
UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS...?
Whenever possible do and promote via “Unusual Sightings.” Get your message out into the public eye beyond
the usual mediums...
Just like George out of Seinfeld, in the classic episode where he did the “opposite” of what he felt he would normally
do…… if he usually went up, he chose down, if he’d normally say “yes”, he then would say “no”...
This can be applied into your marketing. Just because the “industry” would do this or that, don’t you do it – do something
that makes you feel uncomfortable and totally opposite to what you think you should do or feel. In other words – be prepared
to take a risk!
examples…..
Car signs are the norm, so why not do a motorbike sign instead?
Try an email campaign instead of a newspaper AD.
Instead of printing signs for a Sale, print T-Shirts for all the staff, management, even customers to wear!
Try a black and white TV Commercial, with just your logo in colour.
Make up a flyer and pay a charity to hand out it in the street…..
Print your own money with Gift Vouchers!