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First Step to Great Marketing: Research
September 05, 2012Posted by: Lauren August, Account ManagerIf you were going to start a marketing campaign, what would be your first step? If it would be to start writing copy, brainstorming creative treatments and getting quotes for production costs, you are WRONG (yes, it’s true). The correct answer is to first do some market research!
Too often, business leaders invest in marketing campaigns they feel would be effective iftheywere the target audience. That same campaign, however, may not always be effective for the actual target audience. In reality, most businesses’ leadership is not the same demographic as the desired audience and may require different communication vehicles or elements to be effective. And, to identify the most effective way to communicate with your audience, marketing research is essential.
Marketing research comes in many different shapes, sizes and price points. One highly effective method of research is surveying. Surveys can be an easy and inexpensive method of obtaining feedback. Surveys can clarify in what communication vehicles the audience prefers to read about your product, what verbiage they find easy to understand and can even identify what level of understanding the public currently has about your product. Websites such as Survey Monkey allow you to create free surveys to send via email with automatically generated results. Alternatively, surveying can be as simple as distributing paper surveys by hand.
Interviews can also be an effective method of garnering feedback. Often, by talking to your audience, more in-depth information on how they think, feel and react can be gleaned rather than by giving a survey, which may restrict their responses. Finally, while every marketing campaign wants to be unique, look at how your competition is doing it! If all the competition is marketing in a certain magazine or writing verbiage in a certain lingo, it may be worth considering doing the same, as their methods are most likely based on previous success.
Ultimately, while doing research upfront may add days to your timeline, it will no doubt make up for it in a targeted marketing approach that speaks more clearly to your audience and maximizes your marketing dollar.
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Manufacturing Marketing Mistake #67: Not Having A Random Acts of Kindness Strategy
June 17, 2011Posted by: TrilixWhile most manufacturers focus exclusively on building share-of-market, smart manufacturers understand the value of building share-of-heart — connecting with customers in a more personal and meaningful manner. One of the best ways to do that is to develop a random acts of kindness strategy.
Your customers want to know you care about them and their world. A random acts of kindness strategy does just that.
Use social media or traditional research to gain a better understanding of what's happening in your customers' lives. Get involved in those organizations or initiate your own program to positively impact their lives. Then, use public relations and social media to let customers participate in your random acts of kindness. As a result, they'll have a greater affinity for you and your products.
Trilix is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in the Midwest with expertise in helping businesses market effectively and drive sales success. Learn more at www.trilixgroup.com or email Todd Senne at tsenne@trilixgroup.com.
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Manufacturing Marketing Mistake #73: Making "Sales" Calls
January 13, 2011Posted by: TrilixCustomers expect more than a conversation about sports and a free lunch from salespeople these days. According to a study by the International Data Corporation, 24% of buyers indicated that sales reps are not prepared for presentations at all.
Preparation means understanding the challenges your customers face and presenting them with compelling reasons why your company offers the best solution.
Turn your next "sales" call into a "solutions" call by researching your customer's industry, understanding their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Then, incorporate your findings into a customized interactive presentation that clearly demonstrates the value of your solution.
Trilix is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in the Midwest with expertise in helping businesses market effectively and drive sales success. Learn more at www.trilixgroup.com or email Todd Senne at tsenne@trilixgroup.com.
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Black Friday Turns Social in 2010
December 22, 2010Posted by: TrilixDie-hard shoppers are filled with anticipation on Black Friday. If you play it smart, you can find deals worthy of year-round bragging rights. Many people wait in line for hours in hopes of obtaining that must-have deal.
This year, we saw a growing number of retailers using social media to encourage customers to capitalize on their Black Friday sales. Black Friday sales increased 0.3 percent from last year, but social media chatter increased an incredible 250 percent. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, a total of 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites racking up $45 billion in sales between Thanksgiving Day and Saturday, November 27*, up from $41.2 billion in 2009.
The number of social media users is growing every day, which is shifting how shoppers get their information. Mobile phones are used more frequently to scout deals and 5.6 percent of Black Friday shoppers logged on to a retailer's site using a mobile device this year. This reflects a 26.7 percent jump from 2009.
Traditionally, retailers don't announce their special deals until the last minute. This year, popular retailers like Target, Lowe's and Walmart all promoted Black Friday deals on Facebook and Twitter to generate buzz before the big day. Target even went so far as to purchase the #BlackFriday hashtag. According to National Retail Federation Shop.org's eHoliday survey, 39 percent of retailers communicated their Black Friday deals through their Facebook pages and 21 percent announced deals on Twitter.
Other retailers used location-based services (LBS), like Foursquare and Facebook Places, to give customers special savings. RadioShack and Sports Authority both ran Foursquare deals. Sports Authority gave away 20 $500 gift cards. Customers were instructed to check-in on Foursquare and post to Twitter, while they anxiously awaited in-store giveaways. RadioShack awarded customers a 10 percent discount for checking in on Foursquare, 15 percent for mayorships and 20 percent if they unlocked the "Holiday Hero" badge.
Lowe's focused their Black Friday efforts on Facebook, where they hosted preview parties offering 90 percent off! Unfortunately, the company's website crashed during their Black Friday party, but they worked hard to make things right with their customers. To make up for the glitch, Lowe's posted coupon codes throughout the weekend for their loyal Facebook fans.
According to Media Logic, retailers' Black Friday Facebook promotions paid off, "In the 10 days leading up to Black Friday, the biggest retailers on Facebook grew their fanbases by an average of 10 percent. The more aggressive retailers on Facebook grew their fanbases by an average of 20 percent. Some of the tactics they used included a combination of Black Friday and other seasonal offers, discounts, contests, games and simple 'Like us' requests."
Retailers that capitalized on Black Friday social media promotions significantly increased their online presence. Now, they have the opportunity to promote their products and engage with a community of loyal customers all year long.
*Based on a survey of 4,306 consumers done Thursday, November 25 through Saturday, November 27, 2010 by BIGresearch for NRF.
Are your customers using social media? Trilix Research can help you find out.
In case you missed it, check out our Black Friday social media promotions blog post.
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Research Before You Re-Brand
December 14, 2010Posted by: TrilixHumans are creatures of habit. By nature, we resist change so re-vamping a cherished brand can be very challenging. It’s difficult to please everyone, but taking the time to listen to your target audience can help you retain the elements that make your brand unique and appealing to consumers, while refreshing your image to meet your marketing objectives.
It’s important to solicit feedback from your target audience before you make any drastic changes to your brand. You can use traditional research methods like focus groups, e-mail and telephone surveys to gain insight into consumers’ opinions, or you can use social media to engage in conversations with brand influencers. If your company is contemplating a new look, take some time to monitor the conversations happening about your brand in the social media space. You’ll gain valuable insight and be able to incorporate constructive criticism into your re-brand.
Doing some research before you reveal your new look will help ensure that consumers are more receptive to your company’s logo, packaging or slogan. Unfortunately, some brands have learned this lesson the hard way. A few months ago, Gap was the victim of social media backlash after they unveiled their new logo to the Twitterverse. Due to the negative feedback, Gap decided to stick with their tried-and-true navy blue logo.
Yesterday, sports fans voiced their disappointment about the Big Ten Conference’s new logo and division names all over Facebook, Twitter and ESPN.com. Trilix Research developed a short web survey and distributed it via Facebook and Twitter to gauge sports aficionados’ reactions to the Big Ten’s re-brand. In less than two hours, more than 50 people responded to the survey. The results showed that 39 percent of respondents “hate” the new logo and 68 percent “hate the names” of the divisions. These statistics may not have swayed the Big Ten’s decision, but it would have been helpful to know before they made the announcement.
If your brand is ready for a make-over, Trilix offers a complete line of creative, social media and research services to help guide your company through the re-branding process. To learn more, visit www.trilixgroup.com.