Young Company Blog

Marketing Muscle in the Modern World

2012-01-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

In a marketing world, currently changing quicker than a race car shifts gears, it’s difficult if not virtually impossible to get a handle on how to connect with customers on a consistent basis. New variables, realities, and information are pouring in by the nanosecond, creating a jungle of confusion. To help marketers through these complexities, here are some timely tips obtained from the secret repository of all marketing knowledge. While following them won’t guarantee soaring success, they will improve your chances of devising workable marketing strategies.

Improve Your Aim – Targeting customers is a whole different game than it used to be. The days of broad-based messaging are gone. Use any available measuring tool to understand and know your customers. Then tailor your campaigns to that type of person.

Be Honest – Exaggerations and half-truths are easily spotted by today’s sophisticated audiences. And they’ll spread the word very quickly thanks to the plethora of communication channels at their disposal.

Show Them Some Respect – This goes hand and hand with honesty. Again, trickery and schemes don’t cut it in the info age, where complaints and updates easily can and do go viral.

Be Findable – Nobody ever succeeded by remaining lost in the shadows. Use all tools necessary to make certain you’re locked on customer radar in whatever space you occupy, whether Web, print, or broadcast media.

Have a Purpose – Consumers want products that provide useful advantages, not frivolous diversions. (OK, there are exceptions.) So if what you’re selling doesn’t make a difference in their lives, you might want to reconsider. Not surprisingly, useful marketing of your useful product also works in your favor. So think about producing a fantastic how to-video to include with your messaging.

Do you have any of your own tips or questions about marketing in the modern age, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Mobile Apps Winning the Popularity Contest

2012-01-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, most marketers are tuned into the growing popularity of mobile apps. Still, the app landscape is shrouded in mystery, leaving the vast majority of advertisers confused and stuck in the mud. As a result, creating effective mobile marketing strategies is becoming a growing challenge.

To get a handle on the ‘mobile madness,’ it helps to understand the reasons why these apps are winning the content popularity contest. Here are four of the main ones --

1. Curated Content Apps Are Becoming the Experience of Choice for Users. There is no doubt about it. Curated content is steering a growing number of users away from the web and toward trusted branded experiences deemed to contain authoritative information.

2. Curated Experiences are More Focused. These apps effectively target specific interest zones of users, diminishing the popularity of more generalized content.

3. App Store Ease. The convenience and simplicity of the app store further steers users away from the web as a first choice for online resources.

4. Superior Tablet Web Browsing. Tablets create a similar experience to desktop browsing, attracting users hoping to combine familiarity, sophistication, and convenience.

What 2012 holds for mobile marketers is anybody’s guess. But one thing is certain – advertisers who want to stay in the game will be stepping up development of mobile apps for both smart phones and tablets.

Do you have any comments or questions about mobile marketing, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Stop Singing the Blacklist Blues

2012-01-13T11:55:00.001-08:00

So you’re sending out wave after wave of painstakingly-crafted emails, but they’re never reaching their destination. Yes, you’ve been listed on one of the dreaded blacklist sites. Naturally, you plead with the blacklist owner for mercy. But you’re flatly rebuffed with a curt instruction to ‘re-permission’ your list. Then you do the only thing you can – jump up and down in frustration.

Save the jumping for aerobics class. There’s a way to overcome the blacklist barrier. Just follow these steps, and you’ll stop singing the blacklist blues before you know it.

Get Clued Into the Code – The blacklist is probably sending you a bounce code. Use this code to find out if the block is temporary or permanent. In most cases, a bounce code comes complete with a URL that points you to the reasons your emails are intercepted. You also may be provided with contact info if you need to delve further into the matter. But be warned – if you lack a bounce code, chances are excellent that a blacklist owner will ignore you.

Develop a Battle Plan – Once you know the problem, create a strategy to solve it. This should consist of a short term plan to immediately resolve the issue, and a long-term plan to prevent a re-occurrence. You also might want to haul in an outside expert to evaluate your email practices.

Implement – Once your strategy is set, get it into action with lightening speed. The sooner you act, the sooner the block is reversed. Remember, patience is a virtue. Your efforts may not bear fruit for days, and possibly weeks. While you wait it out, monitor your email issue to ensure things are moving in the right direction. Don’t worry. A well-executed strategy usually is sufficient to lift the block. Just give it time.

Do you have any comments or questions about email blacklists, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Get Out of the Social Media Swamp

2012-01-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

More than a few businesses feel lost in a social media swamp. New trends, arcane concepts, and innovative techniques – the confusion keeps mounting. It’s hard to know what’s what, who’s who, and how well you’re doing. The good news is -- there are ways out of the mess. Give one or more of these simple tools a whirl. Chances are you’ll find your way out of the social media swamp and onto the path of marketing success.

Amplicate – Collects, analyzes, and compares opinions posted on your social sites. A fantastic way to know what you’re customers love -- and despise about your online efforts.

Awareness Social Marketing Hub – A powerful resource that offers a variety of services including performance measurements, as well as management of your campaigns on Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, Twitter, YouTube, and Wordpress.

CrowdBooster -- Tracks your best-performing social posts, any influential people who may be following your business, and visitors who have re-tweeted your posts.

InboxQ -- You want a more active presence on social sites like Twitter, but have no idea about which people you should be following? InboxQ identifies Twitter users based on their expertise in specific areas, stores that information, and makes that info available for businesses looking to link up with the right folks.

Do you have any comments or questions about social media, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Pack Your Social Media with Plenty of Muscle

2011-12-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

Retailers have an extra reason to raise their glasses in celebration this New Years. According to the stats, 2011 brought you a pretty juicy holiday season. How good was it? Try a 15% jump over last year’s seasonal take. Congratulations! You responded to the tough economic times with all the right moves -- special promotions, longer store hours, free shipping, and heightened social media support. And you were amply rewarded.

But don’t expect the momentum to continue on its own. Things just don’t work that way in the real world. You’ve got to keep stroking the fires. And in the contemporary marketplace, that includes packing your social media efforts with plenty of muscle. Here are five ways to keep it vigorous and strong.

Build Your Community – Seek out new customers, bring strays back into the fold, show plenty of gratitude to existing customers, and encourage everyone to join your social community. There’s no better way to get to know the likes and dislikes of the people interested in your products and services.

Boost the Buzz – Conduct surveys to inspire buyers to shower your products with praise and spread the word across the social media landscape.

Measure the Results – Analyze the numbers to determine the effectiveness of your social media efforts. Equally important, study the impact of your competitors’ social media efforts – and hopefully learn something.

Innovate – Earmark a chunk of funds for the testing of new ideas, technologies, and programs that will take your social media to a whole new level. You could be the one who strikes gold. Others certainly have.

Develop New Metrics – Things are expected to heat up in the social media sphere in 2012. Companies hoping to reap the rewards will need to create solid measurement tools to analyze and track the impact of their social media strategies.

Do you have any comments or questions about social media, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

From all of us at Young Company – Happy New Year! Let’s make 2012 a fantastic one!

Why Does Santa Always Wear Red?

2011-12-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

While Coca-Cola has had a subtle, pervasive influence on our culture, it has definitely shaped the way we think of Santa. Prior to the advertising illustrations created by Haddon Sunblom illustrations in the 1930s, the Christmas saint had been variously illustrated wearing blue, yellow, green, or red. After the soft drink ads, Santa would forever more be a huge, fat, relentless happy man with a broad belt and black hip boots- and he would wear Coca-Cola red. Coca-Cola commissioned artist Sunblom to create a marketable Santa that would fit Coca-Cola’s advertising campaigns to get more people to drink soda in the colder months. Not only did this campaign work, but it etched one of the most important and popular icons in American, and possibly human, history.

There are three basic criteria for an effective brand strategy:

1. People should like it.

2. It should sell something.

3. It should last a long time.

Coca-Cola’s version of Santa is definitely a home run.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Time Travel to the Next Year in Digital Marketing

2011-12-16T09:22:00.001-08:00

It’s time to do a little time traveling. Not too far. Just a quick side trip into ‘012. After all, it’s just around the corner. And the New Year is sure to bring more blistering changes sweeping through the world of digital marketing. All of which means marketers should be ready to react and adapt. Here’s what the future holds.

Tablet Mania – More and more consumers will be purchasing the ultra-portable devices. Developers will support this demand by creating hundreds of new web-based tablet applications.

Heightened Scrutiny – Finance departments will be taking longer and harder looks at cost efficiency. Marketers will echo this tougher stance by insisting that media plans are fully optimized.

Upward Mobility – Consumers increasingly will use mobile devices as information and communication channels. Advertisers will re-imagine their websites to accommodate the mobile frenzy.

Increased Sociability – Marketers will roll out a full spectrum of social media programs that measure consumer involvement with greater precision.

Political Involvement – Because 2012 is an election year, candidates will harness the power of digital resources to aid their campaigns. President Obama’s skillful use of social media sent a clear signal to the political world. Expect his opponents, as well as other political hopefuls, to be digitally prepared this time around.

Do you have any comments or questions about digital marketing, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Is Targeted Advertising the Next Ruler of the Web?

2011-12-09T14:22:00.001-08:00

Online marketers have a whole new bag of tricks designed to connect with consumers. Unlike content advertising, the connection is based on consumer characteristics and determined by sophisticated algorithms. Known as targeted advertising, the phenomenon is spreading through the net at a blistering speed thanks to the surge in ad tech companies. Does this mean targeted advertising soon will be ruling the web?

A recent Business Insider’s Ignition Conference focused on this timely issue in a big way. The consensus from a panel of experts was crystal clear -- targeted and content advertising each hold important positions on the contemporary marketing landscape.

Ted Phillips, CEO of marketing technology company M6D, emphasized the importance of content. In his opinion, optimal targeted advertising is carried out within the context of a consumer audience. He added that many targeting algorithms disregard the context piece, much to the detriment of marketers. Ideally, advertisers should combine both content and targeted approaches. The audience unanimously affirmed this viewpoint.

Brian O’Kelley, co-founder and CEO of AppNexus, stressed that content and targeted advertising are not diametrically opposed. “I think the term 'targeted advertising' is inane,” he said. “It doesn’t mean anything. All advertising is targeted.”

All of which sheds light on what is really needed -- a stronger interaction between the ad tech and creative camps. True, a few barriers still remain to be broken. But once the two sides join forces, the collaboration is sure to take online marketing to a whole new level.

Do you have any comments or questions about online marketing, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Get Social With the New Media Landlords

2011-12-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Is it time to reassess the use of the term ‘social’ in social media? Quite possibly, especially when you consider how decisions currently are made. In the contemporary climate, both consumers and business people increasingly rely on information provided by others. The purpose of the information, of course, is to facilitate more effective decision-making. That’s a definite social interaction. Yet nobody has ever coined the term ‘social info sharing’.

The reality is that all media which shares information and invites a response is in effect social. Ironically, the vast majority of marketers claim to be utilizing social media to enhance their efforts. But a staggering 65% - 95% of service requests via sites such as Facebook and Twitter fail to get responses from these same marketers. That, my friends, is not particularly sociable. Nor is it business-smart.

Turning a deaf ear to consumers obviously isn’t the way to go, at least not if you have intentions of thriving in a competitive marketplace. Designing an effective response mechanism is the only way to give your brand a fighting chance in the contemporary environment.

The key to all this is adopting an entirely new perspective. Remember, for about three-quarters of a century, marketers owned all media channels through the power of advertising. But thanks to the Web, ownership has shifted. Consumers now own a hefty slice of media territory. All of which means marketers are well-advised to listen and respond to the needs of these new media landlords.

This brings me back to my original question – does the term ‘social’ really belong in social media? Perhaps it makes more sense simply to cut the term completely out of the picture. The reality is that everyone is connected. As a result, marketers no longer can expect success simply by intruding their messages on masses of consumers. The only way to connect with these new media owners is to connect with them in a meaningful way. In other words, to truly socialize.

Entice Customers With Content They Can’t Refuse

2011-11-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

It all comes down to brand familiarity. And that’s precisely why social media is such a powerful marketing tool. No other online resource does so well at bringing people up close and personal with whatever it is you have to sell. Once you’ve pumped up brand familiarity to an irresistible level, your next move is major – persuade customers to join your email list. That, of course, takes a bit of motivation. Fortunately, there are two tried and true ways to entice customers into the fold --

Mine other websites for intriguing content, then zap the info into your fan page. Ideally, this should be done multiple times weekly with the aid of a sharing tool. Info sharing is instantaneous, so there’s never any concern about lag time. Above all, make sure the content is interesting enough to keep eyeballs glued to your page. The more clicks from users, the higher your future posts will be on their news feeds.

Create free fan pages. Utilize whatever it takes – coupons, offers, letters. Then post it into your blog and Facebook pages. Finally, distribute it far and wide with a mass emailing. You’ll want to make absolutely sure your Facebook posts are linked to your free fan pages. Every click on these posts boosts your rankings and propels your feed stories up to a new level.

Do you have any comments or questions about social media marketing, or about any other marketing topics? Feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Feed Them an Email Marketing Message They’ll Devour

2011-11-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

If you write it, they will read. It’s true. Your audience has wide open eyes and ears for your email marketing message. But consumers are a picky lot. So not only does your message have to be loaded with high value info. It has to be in the right format. Or consumers will likely walk away, no questions asked. Here are three ways to ensure your message has the look that sells.

1. Know the Buyer Path – Short of owning a crystal ball, marketers need to anticipate the possible moves a consumer will make. And they should have a set of responses tailored to particular consumer actions. Think of it as a series of ‘if’-‘then’ propositions. It’s all in the plan.

2. Remember, This Is Commerce, Not Art – Sure, your audience has certain expectations when it comes to art. But your message needn’t look like a candidate for the Louvre. Sometimes simple text can work wonders. It all boils down to the situation and a solid understanding your audience. Do what’s right for them and they’ll repay you with loyalty. To ensure the best connection with your audience, include your creative team in buyer meetings.

3. Go Easy on the White Papers – White papers are wonderful resources for information. Unfortunately, the people you’re trying to reach rarely read them. All of which means you probably want to give serious consideration to alternate forms of information.
If you have any comments or questions about email marketing, or about any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Google AdWords Reverses Direction

2011-11-11T09:23:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, online advertisers crafted sizzling campaigns by bidding to run ads in tandem with keyword searches. This was the power of Google Adwords, a resource that put the almighty keyword in the center of the marketing universe. It still holds this position…sort of. You see, Google is about to unveil its nextgen search tool, which bends the whole keyword concept into a radical new direction. Dubbed ‘Dynamic Search Ads’, this nifty innovation give marketers the ability to point AdWords directly at its promotable pages. Once this connection is made, Google matches the ad with optimum searches. It even zips out a fitting headline, just for good measure.

Dynamic Search Ads has been in development for over two years. Much of this time has been consumed by experts confronting and conquering an onslaught of technical challenges. It’s easy to see why mega minutes were gobbled up. After all, this is much more than a facelift. It’s a complete reversal of an established process we’ve all come to know, and usually love. Instead of matching keywords to appropriate pages, pages will be matched to keywords.

Right now, Dynamic Search Ads is still kicking around in the beta test stage. Naturally, marketers jumping aboard at this early stage want to be sure they’re still connected with their conventional keyword campaigns. They will be.

Could Dynamic Search Ads be pointing the way to the future? Quite possibly. With the old ways, marketers typically began with a promotable product or page. Their efforts were then bolstered by a wealth of relevant keywords provided by AdWords. Google’s new approach removes the less-effective ‘middle’ keywords from the equation, streamlining the process. It’s an option that’s hard to resist.

If you have any comments or questions about Google Adwords, or about any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Put Your Facebook Page in the Spotlight

2011-11-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Facebook kingdom is overflowing with companies jostling to boost brand awareness. Are you lost in this crowd? Are you ready to carve out your own niche? Here’s how to put your Facebook page in the spotlight with the sheer power of entertainment.

1. Sponsor an Event – Everyone loves music. And Facebook fans are no exception. Feed their musical appetite and gain their endless admiration. Simply sponsor a specially-selected live concert on your Facebook page. To lower costs, add a contingent of co-sponsors to the mix.

2. Host an Event – Bigger brands in particular can play host to live and recorded events on their Facebook page. What better way to create social good will and boost the popularity of your brand all at the same time? Something to consider: When Budweiser announced it would host the live streaming of a soccer match, the company’s U.K. Facebook fan count shot up by a staggering 6,000!

3. Enhance Sociability – Your fans love to share products, movies, and live events with their friends. Fortunately, your company can access a wealth of tools and technologies designed to stimulate and enhance these types of social interactions. Incorporate these features into your marketing strategies, and you’ve set the stage for super stardom.

If you have any comments or questions about leveraging the power of Facebook and other social media, or about any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Are You Trapping Customers With an Info Avalanche?

2011-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Food. Drink. Messaging. That’s right, messaging. It’s not uncommon for even the savviest businesses to overuse email, social media, and texting in their quest for customers. Unfortunately, the info avalanches typically send customers rushing away from the business instead of to it. Enough is enough. Overuse it, and lose it.

Word to the wise -- when it comes to marketing, zero in on quality not quantity. Basically, you want the right information delivered over the right channel at the right time. Any message failing to meet these requirements is destined for the consumer garbage disposal.

A Quick Guide to Quality Messaging

1. Share – The typical business department clings to its privacy. Nobody knows what the others are up to. Nor do they usually care. As a result, different departments often send customers similar if not identical types of messaging across the same channel. Consumers view this ‘coordination deficit’ as a sign of corporate indifference. How can an organization that doesn’t coordinate their messaging possibly care about them? Marketing departments can meet this challenge by promoting a spirit of interdepartmental sharing.

2. Know, Don’t Guess – Speculation never has been the foundation of a successful marketing campaign. Ask your customers about their information preferences, then gladly fulfill their wishes. In the long run, a little understanding can generate a lot of responses and ultimately sales.

If you have any comments or questions about boosting the effectiveness of your messaging, or any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

How Social is Your Social Media?

2011-10-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

So, you’ve got Facebook and Twitter fans pouring in from every corner of the known universe. Fantastic! But don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. If your social media campaign is like most, people eventually will be turning away from your message…if they haven’t done so already. ‘Impossible!’ you protest. “I could fill a football stadium ten times over with my legions of followers”. Sure. You might have the numbers, but you don’t have the minds.

The truth is, most social media pages are product heavy. Lots of brand blurbs about what a business is selling or giving away. All one-way communications. And all turn-offs. Why? Because this messaging is exactly what social media visitors don’t want. What this new and savvy breed does want is interactivity. Highly prized among the legions of tweeters and followers are shared experiences and collaboration. In other words, true socializing. When a message comes zooming out from one direction only, people ultimately switch off their receptors. Why look at the same kind of messaging that bombards them from all the other media?

On a sunnier note, there is a pot of gold waiting to be scooped up. And that will go to the brands creating a true social experience with their social media. Mountains of research supports this. For example, a recent NYU study discovered a stronger-than-expected connection between interactive social media and revenue increases. The undertaking examined 800 brands and compared them with 350 data points such as website, online checkout experience, and SEO.

All the indicators are there. All that’s missing is an established set of metrics to drive the point home. Once these emerge, there’ll be no denying it – media that’s truly social is true marketing muscle.

If you have any comments or questions about social media campaigns, or any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Smart Phones the New Marketing Marvel? Apps-solutely!

2011-10-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Smart phones are getting smarter. It’s only a matter of time before we all have little beeping, blinking geniuses in our pockets. Understandably, mobile marketers are rushing to exploit the I.Q. surge. Easy access and compelling content translate to soaring sales, right? Well, not quite yet. The formula for mobile success still is a riddle awaiting the correct answer. True, good headway already has been made with the usual tried and true ingredients -- marketing savvy, cutting-edge technology, and audience receptiveness. But, as they say, we’ve still got a long way to go. And so, marketing experts continue to test, experiment, dig, and delve in a quest for mobile magic.

Marketers are banking on the one big advantage mobiles hold over the bulkier PC’s – smart phones and their like are always as close as your pocket, purse, or hand. And by association, so are their high potency messages. Instant. Easy. Effective. The breakout potential of mobile marketing has triggered a proliferation of intriguing partnerships hoping to cash in on a future of bonanzas. Among them:

Verizon & The NFL: The wireless provider offers an app featuring live football game video, a fantasy football tracker, and news alerts.

Macy's & Various Designers: Customers who scan a QR code with a mobile device can access a special video featuring celebrity designers. 45,000 video views were logged within the first couple of weeks of the launch.
IBM & The Sciences: The computer powerhouse has been developing an iPad app that showcases a popular mathematics museum exhibit.

Mobile Marketing: A Bright Future

Will mobile ever lure enough eyeballs to reel in the mass of big brands and big bucks that fuel television and radio? The writing on the wall spells out a big ‘yes’. Major League Baseball is a case in point. MLB’s Advanced Media, the sport’s digital division, reports that more than 50% of its online traffic arrives via mobile apps and websites.

Already, more and more people are using the mobile portal to the Internet, shifting their attention away from the less portable PC. A third of American adults own a smart phone, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project's report, "Smartphone Adoption and Usage," (July 2011). Of this group, a staggering 87% reported using their mobile device to connect with the web or email.

Yes, mobile marketing is definitely off to a solid start. But there’s still plenty of uncharted territory to cross.

If you have any comments or questions about this new arena, or any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

What does it mean to Think Different?

2011-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Within a single minute, millions around the world last week learned of Steve Jobs death thanks to the very personal technology he helped bring to fruition. While it is rare for the departure of corporate executive to receive the attention of a pop icon or a religious leader, Steve Jobs was both to so many of us. More than the value of Job’s inventions it was Job’s unwavering determination that inspired so many millions throughout the world to pursue their own dream.

With the passion of a true warrior, Steve bounced back from some huge public setbacks that would have grounded many of our greatest leaders. Yet like Houdini, Jobs managed to work himself out of a situation and leave his global audience spellbound by his vision and resolve. When he left Apple, critics questioned the potential for Next Computers to ever be a viable computer company. Then Steve demonstrated what Wayne Gretzky meant by “skate to where the puck is going to be, and not where it has been” when he sold his Next operating system to Apple - which ultimately lead to his resurrection as Apple’s CEO. He had the vision, the resolve and the cunning skill to define what’s next.

During the world’s darkest days during the past decade right after 911 and again in the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis, Steve Jobs fearlessly launched new products right on schedule that made headlines everywhere and gave people hope that brighter days lay ahead. When Jobs was quoted as saying “Real leaders ship” he meant just that. His actions were a lot bigger than his promises.

Although it was in fact Steve Wozniak that built the first Apple computer, it is Steve Jobs who is considered to be one of the greatest inventors on par with Franklin or Edison. But, of course, it was Jobs who sold the idea to investors and made it happen. Over the decades there have been many extremely talented individuals who have contributed to Apple’s success. But it was Steve Jobs who inspired their greatest achievements and mastered the art of collaboration for a common cause.

So what does it mean to think different? The now famous Apple advertising campaign celebrated those individuals whose commitment to an ideology changed the world for the better. With Steve’s passing, he now joins the ranks of those rare individuals who have made a dent in the universe.

If you are looking for an agency partner who will help you think different, you can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

How B2B Marketers Can Fill the Content Generation Gap

2011-09-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

B2B folks, take note. Your B2C counterparts are reaping major rewards from a new fact of life known User Generated Content (UGC). We’re talking reviews, responses, and all the other forms of feedback that consumers are providing in ever-increasing numbers to these consumer-focused business entities. Make no mistake about it. UGC is now a high powered magnet drawing tons of traffic to product pages. Not surprisingly, Google is playing a major role in this phenomenon. You see, the big G actually has a preference for UGC over traditional content when it comes to search engine results.

True, B2B marketers already have tapped into UGC potential. But this group definitely has some catching up to do. Here are some ways for B2B members to become winners in the new game of content generation.

1. Encourage reviews and Q&A. Naturally, you’ll want somebody in charge. So peg an able body to keep tabs on quantity and performance. Not only are reviews and Q&A the two most prominent social tools, they’re very low-risk.
2. Ask and you shall receive. Fire off two post-purchase emails. One within two weeks of the sale, and the second about a week later to those who don’t respond. Make sure to identify all your contact zones, such as your company website, to invite UGC. For some reason, only a handful of B2B entities currently solicit and publish testimonials, references, and other feedback on their sites. Big mistake. And the Google penalty will be stiff.
3. Speak the native language of your customer. Rather than a review, ask for a testimonial, reference, or feedback. Whatever is appropriate.
4. Make it simple to send. Getting the word out to other purchasers of your product or service should be a breeze.
5. Go back in time. Invite customers you’ve sold to in the past year to provide you with a testimonial, reference, or feedback.

Well, this should get you started. If you have further questions about generating content for B2B, or any other marketing topics, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Time for Uncle Sam to Make a Net Profit?

2011-09-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Your favorite relative apparently loves online retailers. The proof is Uncle Sam’s sales tax policy -- he doesn’t require internet businesses to collect any! That’s right. Not one single penny.

Why is the government keeping its mitts off of cyber sellers? Most of the reluctance is an outgrowth of the 1992 decision handed down in Quill v. North Dakota. Here’s what the Supreme Court ruled -- Retailers are exempt from collecting sales taxes in states where they have no physical presence, such as a store, office, or warehouse. Naturally, online retailers graciously have included themselves in this illustrious group of exemptees.

The no-tax policy might have worked in the last century. But it seems way out of step with contemporary realities. Internet sales are soaring. So are the potential tax revenues. And who more than Uncle Sam could use a budget-balancing infusion of cash? The solution is simple -- require online retailers to collect sales taxes. Seems to work just fine with businesses in the ‘real’ world, right? Why not on the net? An online sales tax effectively would level the playing field and eliminate the following two inequities:

• Online companies currently enjoy a 4% to 9 % price advantage over local retailers. A gap like this is a veritable Grand Canyon when it comes to attracting customers.

• The no sales tax policy drastically reduces revenue for schools, police, and other public services. With internet sales gobbling up a bigger and bigger slice of the retail pie, the losses will be going up, up, up.

Bear in mind, I’m not advocating higher taxes. I simply want to see all businesses pay their fair share so that everyone in the private and public sector gets a fair share.

Amazon.com seems to disagree with my viewpoint. Presently, the online retail behemoth is spending ten of millions to squash California legislation intended to reverse the no sales tax policy. The magnitude of their ‘investment’ provides a clear picture of how much money is on the line.

So what do you think? Should Uncle Sam require online retailers to collect sales taxes? Or is the government’s present policy the way to go. Feel free to fire off your comments below.

And, of course, if you have any questions about this or any marketing topic, be sure to send them our way as well. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Tackling B2B Marketing on a New Playing Field

2011-09-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

It’s a great big Google world. OK, sure there are dozens of other search engines. But if you need to find something out in a hurry, who you gonna click? Most likely the big G. Great news for those of us tackling direct B2B marketing. But if you’re planning to mine major gold from Google or any of the companion search engines, you have to be clued into a few basics. Here’s what every direct B2B marketer should know.

Relevancy Rules

Relevance is the fuel that powers a machine known as search engine optimization (SEO). If you seek the Holy Grail known as high rankings, you absolutely must connect with customer needs in a relevant way. Achieving relevance, however, is easier said than done. You see, Google and its other search engine buddies utilize hundreds of sophisticated criteria to determine relevance. These qualifiers typically are secrets to everyone – except the all-powerful engines. Algorithms like Google’s Panda can weed out low quality content with pinpoint accuracy.

To the Original Go the Spoils

You’re not getting anything past the search engine patrol. So make 100% certain your information is original, interesting, and worthwhile. Text ‘borrowed’ from other sites, or unoriginal content are both poison. Google is an online Sherlock Holmes when it comes to detecting these verbal miscalculations.

The winners on this new playing field will websites boasting fresh, unique content not to be found elsewhere in Cyberspace. The grand prize is higher SEO rankings -- and ultimately more traffic.

Tweet is Good

Marketers also should be tightly tuned into the power of social media. Search engines are great at sniffing out activity on sites like Facebook and Twitter. And those same engines mercilessly use the intel to help determine a site’s search-worthiness. So plant this thought somewhere on your mental landscape -- not only does all the tweeting and facebooking promote a company’s business, it boosts rankings.

Do you have questions about utilizing search engines for B2B marketing, or any other marketing topics? Be sure to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

A Social Media Gold Mine

2011-09-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Like most of us navigating the marketing landscape, I’m constantly on the hunt for insights that bring the sometimes nebulous world of social media into sharper focus. Recently, I learned of an online resource that promises to do that, and more -- Emerging Trends in B-to-B Social Media Marketing: Insights From the Field. Published by ‘B to B Magazine’, this in-depth exploration is based on a survey of over 550 executives. Their responses cover virtually every kind of industry and company, large, small, and in-between.

The overriding theme of this report is leveraging social media. Naturally, the primary focal points are popular sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. Readers will learn how legions of marketers are taking full advantage of these dynamic new channels.

Anyone interested in this gold mine of executive wisdom should brace for a long ride. From end to end, the report encompasses 76 fact-dense pages and includes over 90 charts and graphs. Apparently, no stone has been left unturned.

From all appearances, this journey into the furthest reaches of the marketing universe is well worth the effort. Marketers, advertising executives, owners, senior managers, and strategic planners alike will be treated to a wealth of insights on a full gamut of topics. These include:

• The adoption curve of social media.
• The different applications such as branding, listening, and promoting.
• The average time in which a new marketer becomes proficient in social media.
• Metrics and how they’ll change the industry.

Judging from the available information, this report seems indispensable to anyone planning to make serious go at a social media campaign.

Do you have questions about social media or any other marketing topics? Be sure to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Keep the Apple Shining

2011-09-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs’ resignation from the position of Apple CEO signals the end of a remarkable period in the computer giant’s history. In 1997, the year Jobs returned to Apple, the company was floundering. Ho-hum products and monetary waste had taken their toll. This once-shiny Apple now seemed rotten to the core. As if waving a magic wand, Jobs restored the company’s prowess with an inspired product lineup consisting of a revitalized Mac, and the three i’s – pod, phone, and pad. But there’s a void in the company now that this leader is leaving. To fill the emptiness, Jobs will be crafting a perpetual succession strategy capable of carving out a future of winning leaders and products.

This is a great first step. But if Apple expects to continue the success achieved by its former leader, the company will have to nurture his policy of creative, ‘different’ thinking channeled through teamwork. When 60 Minutes questioned Jobs about his business model, the CEO cited the world’s most famous quartet of musicians. “My model for business is The Beatles,” he declared. “They were four guys that kept each other's negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are not done by one person. They are done by a team of people.”

Apple, of course, doesn’t have a monopoly on out-of-the box thinking. 3M, for instance, has made many a bold stride thanks to its policy of rewarding teamwork and innovative product idea people, no matter who or where they are.

The fact that innovative thinking has many potential sources bodes well for Apple. But the company needs a leader who can inspire the troops. Indeed, Tim Cook is a strong and capable COO. But for product innovations, the company really needs a wild card…Somebody with a wealth of creative ideas and an unquenchable passion for execution.

As I mulled over the situation, two ideas bloomed:

Apple could fund (with a bit of its $75 billion cash) a global prize for inventors. Much like the Nobel Peace Prize.

The company could develop an entirely new position – CDO (Chief Development Officer). This specially selected creative visionary would oversee new products and serve as Apple’s #1 pitch man.

Perhaps you have some creative solutions that will keep the Apple shining. Feel free to fire off your comments below. And, of course, if you have any questions, be sure to send them our way as well. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Even John Scully wasn’t this stupid.

2011-08-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, Hewlett Packard’s startling announcement sent shock waves through the computer world. As hard as it is to believe, the company intends to slam the brakes on its tablet computer and smartphone products. Yes, these nifty gadgets soon will be a thing of the past. What else may become a thing of the past truly boggles the mind. Management actually is entertaining the notion of selling or spinning off Hewlett Packard’s PC division. The mainstay of consumer electronics shifting itself out of consumer territory? Who could have seen that coming? Certainly not Wall Street. The nanosecond HP’s recent announcement hit the media, company stock plummeted by 20%.

Presumably, management put in considerable think-time before making its decision. No doubt calculations, forecasts, charts, and trends were explored, blended, and sized-up from every conceivable angle. Then in a moment of managerial inspiration, the best decision was unveiled. Ta-ta, tablet computers. See ya, smart phones. Tough luck, consumer.

Bear in mind, HP management is no stranger to questionable decisions. Just look how well the company performed after purchasing Compaq only a few years ago. For their latest strategy, company brass apparently ignored the results of IBM’s decision to abandon the PC biz. Intended to improve the bottom line of the electronics giant, the move unexpectedly brought smiles to a certain competitor named after a tree fruit. Apple Computer has since surpassed IBM in market capitalization. In fact, the now-juicier Apple currently is the world’s most valuable company. John Scully did nothing at Apple. But at least he didn’t sell off its core business. Leo Apotheker is likely to go down in history as the greater fool.

There’s one key reason for the Big Apple’s soaring success. The company has made more innovative products available to more people than HP and IBM ever dreamed of. This level of innovation, however, goes well beyond dollars and cents. Yes, yes, profits give a company its muscle. But all the muscle-power in the world is useless if there’s no spirit fueling bold new ideas.

What I’m talking about is a company’s ‘soul’. More than anything, this is the driving force behind a company’s success. It’s the indefinable human connection, if you will. The source of ideas and connections. A soul embraces and nurtures all of the people, businesses, and organizations that have come to rely on the company. If the legions of corporate profit-sharks disregard this connection with the human element, why should anyone (save for the shareholders) even care about the company? The answer is, they don’t. IBM’s dethronement from the corporate kingdom speaks for itself. You listening, HP?

What are your thoughts on all this? Nay, aye, indifferent? Feel free to fire off your comments below. And, of course, if you have any questions, be sure to send them our way as well. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

When Does Social Media Become Socialist Media?

2011-08-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

It’s a question that likely dates back to the first time a member of the human species exercised his or her right to voice an opinion – At what point does freedom of speech go too far? The answer typically is found in that fuzzy gray area between inalienable rights and common sense.

Recent unrest in Egypt, and then in the UK pushed this burning question well into the limelight. In both of those nations, opinion shapers tapped into the power of social media to promote violence among masses of discontents. UK officials went so far as to blame popular services such as Twitter and Facebook for uniting protestors and inspiring the riots. Government honchos in that country, including Prime Minister David Cameron, even contemplated a ban on social media websites.

All of which brings up burning question #2 -- Should social media be shut down or curbed when it’s used to inspire violence, as it was in Egypt and the UK?

What makes this question all the more difficult to answer is a certain surprise turn of events -- within hours of the riots breaking out, social media actually was used to quell the waves of violence that it supposedly caused. Before long, the very services that were pegged as violence triggers were being hailed as factors expediting the post-riot cleanup. In effect, the so-called cause became the cure.

Clearly, social media can be a mega-force when it comes to inciting violence. Nevertheless, putting a clamp on it likely will trigger even more unrest. Freedom of the press, which now includes the growing number of internet channels, ranks very high on the list of rights worth defending. While certainly packed with potential for harm, this fundamental right is still our most powerful neutralizer of big government, big business, and an arsenal of special interests that typically aren’t in our interest.

Right now, all eyes are on social media. And for good reason. When it comes to impact, these services generally get a much higher potency rating than commercial media, which typically is in bed with armies of advertisers and other sponsors.

So I ask all of you – Should social media be controlled? Feel free to fire off your comments -- the juicier the better. And, of course, if you have any questions about social media, be sure to send them our way as well. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Ecology Making Waves

2011-08-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Unless you’ve spent the last decade on an interplanetary excursion, you know that going green is all the rage here on planet earth. From installing solar panels to recycling water, people are going all out to preserve the health and natural beauty of our environment. Yes, we’ve come a long way from the early days of the eco-movement, which received a major push from the counter-culture phenomenon of the 60’s and visionary leaders such as scholar Theodore Roszak. In fact, things have progressed so far that even the sports world has embraced the cause.
From July 30-Aug 7, the 2011 Nike U.S. Open of Surfing will be rocking Huntington Beach, CA. Total number of fans expected to attend: in excess of 500,000. That’s a lot of surfing enthusiasts -- and a lot of potential litter. Mountains of it.
Fortunately, event organizers will be implementing their own intensive counter-litter strategy – an on-site recycling store known as TRASHed. It works like this – people cruise on over to the store and exchange their recyclable bottles and cans for a special token. Then when the mood strikes them, the happy recyclers can redeem the token for cool merchandise and prizes. Possibilities are a Netflix subscription, lip balm, a sample CD, and more. Not bad.

Also helping to keep things sparkling green will be an on-site water station. Fans just need to bring their reusable water bottles here, and they’ll get a free fill-up of fresh, clean H2O.
And if you’ve got a skateboard that’s seen better days, there’s no need to toss it on the junk heap. Converse is teaming up with skateboard recycling company Art of Board to operate an skateboard reprocessing center right there at the contest. So if you’re bored of your board, don’t chuck it. Recycle it.
Nice to know there’ll be plenty of opportunity to be good to our planet at this amazing event. Hope you’ll get to attend, and hope you’ll do your part. And, of course, if you have any questions or comments, be sure to send them our way. You can connect with The Young Company team at [phone # and email]. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Brand Relevance Brings New Firepower to Companies

2011-04-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Numerous companies and organizations are tapping into a new kind of firepower — brand relevance. In a nutshell, brand relevance gauges a customer’s affinity for a given brand. The metric, in turn, enables marketers to calculate the success of that brand. This approach carries with it a very large assumption – a brand’s relevance to a consumer influences purchasing choices.

Marketing guru and UC Berkeley Haas Professor Emeritus David Aaker recently has published a book on this very topic. Aptly titled Brand Relevance, this intriguing work presents the author’s strategy for developing innovative offerings that lead to new categories or subcategories. These categories and subcategories contain unique features that prevent competition from other companies. When successfully implemented, the categories and subcategories reduce competitors to irrelevant non-entities in the minds of customers.

As Dr. Aaker so succinctly put it, “Success is not about winning the brand preference battle but, rather, the brand relevance war.”

Winners of this hard-fought war abound. For example, Zappos.com, the Internet shoe company, created a category rooted in service and personality. Wheaties Fuel entices buyers desiring an athlete-designed cereal. Zipcar launched the car-share category. Whole Foods Market did likewise for organic food. By utilizing offerings that include features and associations that competitors lack, brand relevance is dramatically altering what customers are buying.

As Aaker points out — “In brand preference competition, the goal is incremental innovation: making it better, faster, cheaper. Brand relevance focuses on substantial or transformational innovation, and actively managing the image of new categories and subcategories. It’s a very different challenge.”

If you’d like to learn more about utilizing brand relevance strategies to enhance the marketability of your own product or service, we’ll be delighted to help. You can connect with Bart Young at the Young Company at 949-376-8404 #205 or byoung@youngcompany.com . And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

David Aaker understood engagement long before it was a popular buzz word. Rather than telling students what they should know, he would ask them what they know. He would typically open class by randomly selecting a student (sometimes me) their opinion of a case or decision embedded in our required reading. If you hadn’t done your homework – you were toast. If you had studied well, it was a chance to shine and engage with other students in the class at an intellectual level I found worthy of building my career around. Dr. Aaker inspired us to be the best we can be in an engaging environment that was fun and relevant.

The Secret of Great Advertising

2011-04-08T16:06:00.002-07:00

Jay Chiat, arguably the most famous adman to hail from Los Angeles, was once quoted saying the secret to great advertising is “Big Budgets“. Although Jay’s response may have appeared to be flip or insincere, I believe he was dead serious. And apparently, so did some of his clients.

Apple Computer became a Chiat/Day client in the early 1980’s, and since the beginning, the company seemed to spend more on advertising than their larger rivals. In 1984, Apple broke the mold for Super Bowl advertising with a commercial titled “1984” that cost a small fortune to produce and place, but has been played hundreds of times and still stands as the most famous commercial of all time. The writer of the spot was none other than Steve Hayden, formerly creative director at Speer, Young & Hollander (predecessor to Young Company).

Since those early days at Apple, Steve Jobs and his company have embraced advertising with big budgets and meticulous attention to detail. Working closely with his agency, Jobs would spend a day each month with the agency reviewing all of the proposed ads serving as editor in chief on the account.

In October 2010, Apple’s 10-K form revealed that it had significantly ramped up to $691 million which represented a 190 million jump and 38% increase over 2009. Previous years have been $15 – 20 million increases. And while this is a pretty incredible increase, Apple continues to lower the percentage of revenue they spend on advertising. While the spend was $691 million this year, total revenues were over $65 billion, so Apple only spent about 1% of their revenue on this. Last year, that percentage was 1.37%. In 2001, it was about 5%. So even though Apple is ramping up ad spending, they’re bringing in money much quicker, so the overall percentage of money they’re spending keeps getting less and less.

So what has all the advertising done for Apple? Well, in early January, Apple’s market capitalization broke the $300 billion mark, ending the day at $302.32 billion. That makes Apple the second largest company in the world, when measured by market capitalization. The leader is Exxon Mobile. But this milestone puts Apple ahead of Microsoft, Wal-Mart and Google.

So how does a small company compete in a world dominated by giants with huge budgets? It ultimately comes down to priorities and focus. If you prioritize and narrow your audiences you can focus your attention on those that will produce the best ROI. This means that you need to do enough to be important to an audience

In the early days Apple targeted the education market. An Apple on every desk was a sound marketing strategy. Not only because is a well defined niche with specific needs, but it also had the most potential to grow as students grew to become adults. Young Company has run campaigns targeted to as few as several hundred decision makers. So the secret is not how much you spend, but how much effort you put towards each prospect and how that compares with your competitors.

If you’d like make your brand more important to your audiences, we should talk. You can connect with our Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or email Bart Young directly at byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Leap to the Level of Marketing Expert

2011-04-08T16:06:00.001-07:00

Where would we be if Thomas Edison had given up after his initial experiment? Quite possibly at the candle shop purchasing the latest in wax-coated illumination for our homes and offices. Throughout history, perseverance has made the difference between soaring success and agonizing defeat. And this is as true for marketing as it is for the next scientific breakthrough.

The important thing to remember is that 70% of all sales leads will become someone’s customer. But before they buy, they need to gather information, receive competitive bids and align the timing of their purchase to coincide with other elements of their project or process. The key to success is systematic follow-up with each prospect. If you sit on your haunches and wait for them to rush to your doorstep, guess where you’ll find them … That’s right — on your competitors’ doorsteps, very likely producing new business that could have been placed in your waiting palms.

Nurturing sales leads means being responsive, but never obnoxious.

Just as bad as not pursuing leads is pursuing too much. It’s a virtual guarantee that a flood of messages will wash you right out of your prospects’ minds, often permanently. Excessive messages no longer offer value and therefore will be supremely easy to ignore. Too much of a good thing definitely is a bad thing.

So don’t overdo it. It is far better to come across as an expert offering select information and updates. Here are five essential ways to nurture prospects and turn them into customers:

1. Respect their privacy when they are just looking and provide the information requested. Many times big projects are confidential matters that the prospects are forbidden from disclosing.

2. Ensure your website delivers the kind of product information your audience is looking for and other useful information that builds repeat visits and loyalty over time.

3. Entice website visitors to provide contact information in return for a free “greed” offer or website access in a proprietary area containing valuable content.

4. Stay relevant to prospects’ needs, using words and themes that address their particular goals. Be specific about the results of your solutions when you can.

5. Realize that many business-to-business and high end consumer purchases can take more than a year, so be patient and remind your prospect of your offering and your willingness to help them make a more informed decision on a regular basis until they “buy or die.”

If you’d like to learn more about results-driven marketing strategies that effectively target your prospects, contact the Sales Lead Management Association or we’ll be delighted to help. You can connect with our Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or email me at byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Natural Disasters are No Accident

2011-04-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

So why can’t we have insurance that plans for them?

Today, Laguna Beach was closed to through traffic due to flooding. It has not flooded here in 100 years. Yet today, downtown business owners are devastated by a natural disaster for which they have no insurance. In the words of city councilman and local business owner Kelly Boyd, “This is not good. We cannot get flood insurance in town because it is on a flood plain.”

The plight of Laguna Beach business owners is all too common in the residential sector as well. Insurance companies offer little to no coverage for hurricane, volcanic eruption, landslide, earthquake or tsunami damages. Because they pool the premiums among very few, the price for this type of coverage is outrageously expensive if you can get it at all.

Natural disasters strike with impunity and total disregard for actuarial tables. And while the type of disaster, location and severity are unpredictable, the nation as a whole would benefit greater from the creation of a federal insurance program designed to deal with the financial aftermath of disasters such as these. The concept of federally regulated insurance is simple: share those risks no individual can afford among many, and share them at a cost everyone can afford. Natural disasters are perfect examples of where a national insurance policy could ensure peace of mind for all property owners.

So here is the proposal: create a mandatory Federal Natural Disaster Fund. The cost would be $100 per year per home. With 130 million homes in the country the fund would produce $130 billion a year. If you add premiums from businesses and something from renters – the number gets better. Mandatory is necessary because it would generate a substantial pool of money, payment would be through the IRS (no sales commissions) and would be administered by FEMA.

How much would be raised and would it be enough? The gulf coast oil spill cost $40 billion. Katrina ran $300 billion This fund would raise about $130 billion annually. Whether it is enough depends on what natural disasters occur and how well the fund is managed. Based on my initial calculations it would provide a surplus each year and should be sufficient over time for any natural disasters. Considering that we have no insurance available whatsoever for most natural disasters, this fund would go a long way to providing through the public sector what private sector has failed to deliver.

Email vs. Social Media

2010-12-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

A battle is raging online. And not just between those mighty search engines. Email and social networking are in a blazing hot contest. At stake are the hearts and minds of thousands of users. Chadwick Martin Bailey reports that three-fourths of all online visitors very likely will share content with friends and family via one of these channels.

According to studies, email currently reins as the preferred channel for content sharing. Coming in at a distant second, social networking accounts for but a fraction of all shared data. However, social networking holds the number one spot in one key area – clicks. A staggering 60% of all clickthroughs generated by shared communications take place on sites like Twitter and Facebook. Email gets a meager 31%.

More to the Click Than Meets the Eye
Clickthroughs often are regarded as the end all-be all of marketing success, opening doorways to both ad revenue and awareness-building. Appearances may be deceiving, however. Remember, emails aren’t limited to blurbs. So messages sent via email typically have the necessary details packed into one convenient spot. Readers don’t need to click to linked content to learn more about a product or service. Social networking users hungering for more than a blurb must take this extra step. Hence, the higher clickthrough rate on sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Marketers should also be aware that shared email content typically generates higher reader engagement than social networks. This includes more viewed pages and more conversions. Basically, email readers are staying in touch for longer periods of time.

So the question remains -- email or social networks? Which is the most advantageous? The grueling contest likely will rage for quite some time. Most experts would agree that exploiting the potential of both channels is the key to marketing success.

If you’d like to learn more about harnessing the power of both email and social media to reach more customers, we’ll be delighted to help. You can connect with our Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or email me at byoung@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Utilizing Angry Critics to Build a Better Product

2010-12-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

Virtually anyone selling a product or service has a few of these ticks in their fur – brazen, big- mouths tearing a company to shreds with torrents of criticism. Most executives wish they simply could wave a magic wand, and POOF! -- the restless discontents would just vanish. In reality, however, these bothersome opinion-shouters could be providing companies with a golden opportunity to connect with customers in a very productive way.

Rather than ignoring the critical voice of John Q. Public, marketers should be putting their comments under a microscope in order to uncover trends. Such trends could very well be revealing weaknesses in urgent need of improvement.

Criticism can be particularly valuable when a new product or service is being introduced to the marketplace. A robust outpouring of opinion can have an impact at an early stage, well before time, energy, and budget is squandered on something that doesn’t click. With this in mind, executives would do well to utilize social networks as both an educational and early-warning system. Here are some of the ways companies can tap into this powerful online resource.

Identify the loudest users cruising through your social media sites -- get them tuned into product development well before beta testing. That way, you’ll know what to fix. Think of the headaches you’ll prevent and the money you’ll save on pain relievers.

Build a community -- Encourage feedback and use online collaboration tools so everyone’s comments are in full view of everyone else. Remember, you’re creating a big, beautiful community of loyal followers. Such shared feedback tightens this neo-community and ultimately helps sharpen the focus of product development.

Convert criticism into improvement – This will increase the success potential of a product and motivate users to continue providing all those valuable insights for future products.

By following these basic steps, companies will be much more familiar with the people who matter the most – customers. Such knowledge, of course, can have a significant impact on marketplace performance.

If you’d like to learn more about harnessing the power of social media to reach your customers, we’ll be delighted to help. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or byoung@youngcompany.com . And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Stretch Your SEO Mileage

2010-11-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

As with television ratings, search engine rankings often determine the popularity and therefore sponsor-worthiness of websites. He who gets the most hits, gets the most greenbacks. It’s the universal law of cyberspace. In a bold attempt to survive and triumph in the red hot rankings race, owners, marketers, and managers are constantly on a quest to discover the secrets of Search Engine Optimization, otherwise known as SEO. But this quest often is shrouded in mystery and misinformation. What follows are answers to the most pressing questions encountered on the road to SEO success. They won’t guarantee a number one slot. But they will help you get more mileage out of your SEO marketing strategies.

1. Got low rankings? Check for the following:

Improperly-used TITLE tag or no TITLE tag.

A torrent of repeating words on each page (aka keyword spamming).

Absent H1 and H2 heading tags.

Absent ALT tags in graphics and links.

Lack of relevant content in the first 250 characters of each page.

Word shortage -- fewer than 200 per page.

Web page shortage – one or two pages won’t propel you into the limelight.

An absence of links from other sites to yours.

Age of the domain. Older is better.

Frequently updated content.

Lack of social media connections.

2. When do I see results?

Patience. Things definitely don’t happen overnight in the SEO realm. Count on about 30-60 days for existing sites in local or niche markets, and up to 24 months for new websites aiming at a national or global marketplace.

3. What determines ranking?

Targeted keyword phrases.

Industry competitiveness.

Market area -- regional, national, or international.

Traffic monitoring and website improvements.

The success of linking efforts.

Quantity of competing sites earning new rankings.

4. Is it necessary to optimize every page?

Definitely, since every page can be an arrival point. A home page isn’t always the first stop for visitors.

If you’d like learn more about maximizing your SEO efforts, we’ll be happy to help. We have a more in-depth article here. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or byoung@youngcompany.com . And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Orange County is Still a Golden Spot in the Golden State

2010-11-09T16:32:00.001-08:00

More than a few of you out there probably will be affected or maybe even afflicted by last week’s election. Some might be uncorking champagne and dancing energetic jigs in the streets. Others might be seething volcanoes of discontent. But no matter where you are on the mood meter, you have ample reason to be grateful. Why? Because, my friends, you’re kicking around in one of the world’s prime locales. Say what you want about California, but this still is a fantastic place to hang your hat.

Sure, sure there have been complaints galore about the burdens of doing business in the golden state. But a recent study on tax rates here tells a different story and finds that although the state's corporate income tax rate is among the nation's highest, credits and other measures diminish the bite. In essence, our taxes are no higher than average.

Believe me, you can do far worse than California. Many of our states are getting pummeled by massive job relocations. Newton, Iowa is a perfect example. This was once a bustling company town of 15,000. But Maytag recently closed their plant there. In the blink of an eye, 2500 jobs vanished, only to turn up in Mexico.

I know, Orange County isn’t exactly setting speed records in the recovery department. But at least we’re going in the right direction. In this age of new economic realities, who could ask for more? When you compare the weather to any place, this is the place to be.

If you’d like learn more about marketing your business in these new economic times, we’ll be happy to help. You can connect with Young Company’s team at 949-376-8404 or blog@youngcompany.com . And be sure to follow us at http://twitter.com/Young_Company_ for the latest industry news and tips.

Gain Social Media Fans By Feeding Their Appetites

2010-11-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, social media was a convenient way for thousands of attention-seekers to exchange news flashes about the minutiae of their lives. Then marketing entities discovered a pot of gold gleaming somewhere within the social media rainbow. They swooped on Twitter, Facebook, and all the rest, did a little molding, and snap --- turned them all into indispensable components of sound marketing strategies.

Today, most marketers envision social media as a tractor beam pulling in legions of loyal followers . To keep things interesting, businesses often bundle special offers with their Tweets. But according to recent studies, countless consumers are looking for more than deep discounts when they connect with you on the social media plane. What the vast majority of followers actually crave is something called interaction. Social media types are gluttons for info about new products, features, or services. In fact, the typical power user (somebody with a minimum of 500 social connections) actually rates product and company info higher than great deals on the desirability scale.

The task for marketers is simple. Give the people what they want. Engage them with news they can use about your company. And chances are exceptionally good they’ll keep coming back for more. Nice way to build brand familiarity, wouldn’t you say?

If you’d like to learn more about harnessing the power of social media to build brand loyalty for your product or service, we’ll be happy to help. You can connect with The Young Company team at You can connect with Young Company’s team at 949-376-8404 or blog@youngcompany.com . And be sure to follow us at http://twitter.com/Young_Company_ for the latest industry news and tips.

How to Supercharge Your Online Writing

2010-10-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

Hi-rez photos, streaming videos, screaming graphics, 3D virtual worlds. Seems no website worth its weight in high speed data bits lacks these essential components of visual sophistication. Still, as more and more commerce and communications shift into cyberspace, the role of quality content will continue to grow in importance. What this means is that one word could be worth a thousand pictures. Now, before you start flinging your verbal masterpieces into the Webosphere, it’s a good idea to know a thing or two about online writing. Here are four of the biggies.

• Don't overfeed your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Sure, sure. We know it's excruciatingly tempting to stuff tons of thrilling life-blurbs into your social media depositories. But unless your followers are all insomniacs who don't work, who's got time to read all that condensed genius? Much better to exercise a bit of restraint, especially when divulging intimate details about your life. Save that for the tabloids.

• True, social media has kicked formality into the realm of ancient history. But for Tweeting colleagues and business associates, a balance between endearingly friendly and business-like definitely is the way to go. Kicking up your heels or baring your soul is something best shared with people who have nothing better to do.

• Unless you possess an unquenchable desire to fling away golden opportunities by the dozens, be sure your business communications are dazzling gems of perfection. Put your golden words under a microscope to zero in on typos, misspellings, and grammatical mishaps. Then promise it'll never happen again.

• Now hear this: a business email is not a text. So make sure these potentially life-changing communications won't ever be mistaken for one. Text shorthand and emoticons are strictly forbidden. Correct capitalization and spelling preferred.

If you’d like to learn more about utilizing web content to build a powerful brand message, we’ll be happy to help. You can connect with The Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or blog@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Brand Building on the Shoulders of a Stream

2010-10-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

It’s an avalanche, a flood, and a blizzard all at once. Major changes are ripping through the world of marketing with gale force. And what’s driving these winds of change? You guessed it – the Web. Along with social media, online videos are doing their part to shake up the world of communications. The stats tell a powerful story. Neilson reports that in March, more than 9 billion video streams were viewed in the U.S. alone. 9 Billion! And that number is expected to swell over the coming years.

For brand builders, the potential upside of this video upheaval is astronomical. You know where more and more viewers are turning their attention, and it’s definitely not in the direction of broadcast TV. OK, so how do you get all those eager eyeballs glued to your own streaming masterpieces? Here are a few basics that all serious 21st century brand builders should be aware of.

Aggregators – Hundreds of popular sites not only will stream your vid, they’ll muscle up its searchability. We’re talking online destinations like YouTube, Vimeo, and funnyordie. For max impact, follow those upload instructions and don’t be shy about adding tags. These handy items help search engines find you in the massive online ocean.
Mobile Programming – The whole world’s watching vids on their smartphones, so you definitely should be streaming your brand message through mobile land. To keep it all mobile friendly, it’s a good idea to swap flash formats for .3GP and implement compatible aggregators.

Go Viral – Use aggregators, social bookmarks, blog & video comments, and social networks to boost awareness of your vids. But make sure your message has relevancy. Online viewers have amazingly accurate sales-pitch detectors.

Branded Entertainment – Soft sell your way to success with programs that utilize a bit of low-key sponsorship and strategic product placement. Subtlety is the key here. An obvious message is a proven viewer repellent.

If you’d like to learn more about harnessing the power of streaming videos to build your brand message, we’ll be happy to help. You can connect with Young Company’s team at [949-376-8404 or blog@youngcompany.com ]. And be sure to follow us for the latest industry news and tips.

Long Live the Pontiac Chief

2010-10-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

I recently attended the NHRA Winter Nationals and noticed that the most popular body for those outrageous funny cars seemed to be Pontiac. So when I asked another spectator why, he simply said “they have the best aero-dynamics.” My horse sense told me this was likely to be true. Wow! I thought to myself.

GM phased out Pontiac last year and someone is going to transform it into an awesome performance brand unencumbered by the bureaucracy, labor issues and debt burden that GM imposed for all these years. Just take a look at what BMW has done with the Mini. Or what Audi has done with the Bentley. Of course, for a brand to be worthy of a revival it must have cachet and a history. The brand needs to stand for something. People need to care about what it stands for. It needs to have a market. What does Pontiac have now that GM has dumped it? Although I have never owned a Pontiac, my dad owned several Pontiac convertibles and always told me he could afford a Cadillac, but he preferred the “sporty” image of a Pontiac. So now that the sun has set on Pontiac I ask myself what is its DNA? What is its history? What assets does Pontiac posses that would make it worthy of a brand revival? Could the brand be relevant again?

Well, its history dates back to 1893, when Edward M. Murphy established the Pontiac Buggy Company in Pontiac, Michigan. A city named for a famous Indian Chief of the Ottawa tribe. The company produced horse-drawn carriages. As it became clear that motor car sales were going to eclipse carriages, Murphy wisely started the Oakland Motor Car Company, an offshoot of the buggy company, in 1907. Two years later, General Motors acquired half of Oakland in an exchange of stock. But it wasn’t until 1926 when GM introduced the Pontiac brand at the New York auto show.

Dubbed the “Chief of the Sixes,” the car was powered by a six-cylinder engine. In 1941 Pontiac was the first auto company to offer the option of engine upgrades at which time its sales were a spectacular 330,000 vehicles. And although the Bonneville was a hit in the 1950s, Pontiac made its biggest impact on the auto world with the creation of the GTO option for the Tempest. By equipping the compact car with the powerful 389-cubic-inch V8 from the full-size car line, Pontiac created the first “muscle car.” The car became a cult classic when Ronny & the Daytonas topped the music charts with their tune “Little GTO.”

So a quick review of Pontiac’s legacy confirms a very sporty brand with high-performance DNA and a legendary list of model names like Streamliner, Catalina, Bonneville, Lemans, GTO, Gran Prix, Grand Am, Firebird, Trans Am, Fiero, SunBird and Solstice that each take on a personality all of their own.

So now what? GM has “shut it down.” Dealer stores stand empty. So it’s over, right?

No, I don’t think so. Why? Because the Pontiac brand lives in the minds and hearts of so many Americans that it will simply take the right team of entrepreneurs and auto enthusiasts to bring the Pontiac brand back into our lives. Roger Penske was considering the purchase of Saturn, but backed out. That’s good thing, because if he thinks about it, which I am hoping he will as a result of this article, Pontiac has way more potential to become America’s sporty performance brand and the new symbol of American “Engine-unity” and economic strength.

I would just love to see Art Center’s auto design students create Pontiac concept cars of the future. Of course the brand needs to incorporate new technology to comply with the ecological and economic realities of tomorrow. But this is true of any auto maker today.

Unlike a clean sheet of paper, Pontiac is a brand that is rich in heritage and deeply interwoven into American culture. It is a brand that has the potential of becoming the beacon of the 21st Century American industry revival as a global technology leader and a symbol of “Happy Days.”

On-shoring is the Answer

2010-07-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

America needs jobs to bring us legitimate growth and prosperity again, and manufacturing jobs are the key to our ability to compete in a global economy. Why? Because the physical shipment of U.S. goods to other countries is the most tangible way to balance the trade deficit and create sustainable growth and wealth, but of course we need to be cost competitive.

America has spent so many decades teaching the Chinese and others how to mass produce everything that one must question if we still possess the knowledge and talent to still produce goods ourselves.

Good news! There is a growing trend among U.S. companies to relocate manufacturing to U.S. plants. Known as on-shoring, the trend is gaining momentum as a weak U.S. dollar makes it costlier to import products from overseas. After decades of globalization, economists say companies are seeing disadvantages of offshore production, including shipping costs, complicated logistics and quality issues. Political unrest and theft of intellectual property pose additional risks.

Here are a few examples:

* Caterpillar is looking to move heavy-equipment production to a new plant in the U.S.
* General Electric is planning to move a Water Heater facility from China to Louisville, KY.
* U.S. Block Windows is moving its China operation to Pensacola, FL
* Haas Automation in CA has always competed on the basis of greater performance and value than its Chinese competitors.

Initially, these situations described have the advantage of being geographically closer to the U.S. market. Although they may not be able to cost-effectively exporting goods to other counties, they will be able to build up their skills and resources to become more competitive in a global economy.

How can we complete with countries that pay their workers pitiful wages?

This, of course, is changing on its own as workers elsewhere demand higher wages and benefits. Nevertheless, I strongly believe we should prohibit through law, the import of goods that have been produced elsewhere under conditions that would be deemed illegal in the U.S. We don’t allow the import of stolen vehicles or illicit drugs, so why do we allow a bicycle made in a factory employing minors that operates under conditions that the EPA and OSHA would find unsafe? To solve this, we simply need to export more lawyers, union organizers and whistle blowers. Heaven knows we have enough we can share.

Wages are not the only cost factor to consider. The sophistication of manufacturing tools, techniques and processes today has greatly reduced the number of employees needed to do repetitive, tedious tasks that can be better handled by robots and other automation equipment. As manual labor becomes a smaller portion of the manufacturing cost and automation takes on a larger portion of the heavy lifting, those companies who embrace lean manufacturing methods and quality control will have a genuine advantage. A viewing of National Geographic’s Ultimate Factory Program will demonstrate the true capabilities of America ingenuity.

Another benefit of on-shoring is that manufacturing companies require all types of skills to support a manufacturing enterprise. Designers, accountants, supply chain specialists, lawyers and the rest are all required. And yes, they need smart marketing communications!

I welcome all feedback!

Social Media Produces Mixed Results For B2B Marketers

2010-06-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Social media is all the rage in marketing these days. But does it bring value to business marketers? BtoB Magazine (Crain Communications) has been following this topic very closely with several excellent case histories focused on Twitter, which was published in the June 14, 2010 issue. Take the case of Con-Way, a pure B2B transportation logistics provider, who has jumped head first into Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. CMO Tom Nightingale points out that while the reach in B2B is not that of consumer markets, the users of social media tend to be day-in, day-out customers and prospects. Tom uses blogs to scour the Web for leads and employees. Because the trucking industry is totally wired with mobile devices, Tom is able to push information that is important out to his audience in the most convenient way.

But Twitter isn’t working for everyone. BtoB's survey of nearly 400 U.S. marketers found uneven satisfaction with Twitter's ROI as a marketing channel. Nearly half the respondents to the “Twitter in B2B Marketing” survey, which was conducted late last month, said they are dissatisfied with their return on tweets. That's despite the fact that nearly 70% said they spend less than 30 minutes per day managing their Twitter stream. Four of five marketers also said they could not directly attribute revenue to micro-blogging.

To its enthusiasts, however, Twitter is a powerful channel. The 20% of respondents who attributed tangible revenue to Twitter are one-third more satisfied with their return than those who are still awaiting sales. And successful Twitter marketers are also more optimistic about Twitter's future.

In addition, the survey suggested that marketers who generate revenue via Twitter are more active and commit more of their time to using Twitter, both to promote their own content and the work of those they want to influence. Indeed, some say Twitter is now more effective at driving traffic than search engine marketing.

Bottom line, Twitter is not for everyone, but when it works for your company it can be the most cost-effective medium. So how will you know if it has potential for your company? More than likely you will need to try it to find out. Or else, let your competitors figure it out first. One fact the survey made clear was that those companies who invested the most into it, received the most out of it. Sound familiar?

Don't be a "Bubble-Head"

2010-04-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

We’ve all done it. You make some marketing decisions based on your own behavior, media habits and brand values. Sure, sometimes your instincts are spot on. But this only accelerates bad habits. Just like how winning in Las Vegas on your first visit can establish a false perception of your gambling skill.

The marketing concept is the philosophy that firms should analyze the needs of their customers and then make decisions to satisfy those needs, better than the competition. Today, most firms have adopted the marketing concept, but there will always be “Bubble-Heads”.

“Bubble-heads” see themselves as representing the target audience and impose their own bias towards those they are trying to reach. “Bubble-Heads” say things like: “we’ve been around a long time, I’m sure they know us” or “I get a stack of magazines every month and I never read one.” They make marketing decisions as if the target audience is simply a reflection of themselves.

The true professional marketer will defend the need for objectivity with a passion and say things like “what I think doesn’t matter” or “let’s test and find out” and be willing to invest in ongoing intelligence gathering and benchmarking results.

To avoid “Bubble-Head” thinking requires a simple commitment to objectivity. It takes willingness to step outside of yourself and to look at the market from the customer’s point of view. Besides conducting surveys and focus groups, there is published information about every market imaginable. Plus, social media tools can provide insight into what specific audiences are thinking.

Without research, it’s not really marketing. It’s just selling. And there is good reason they sometimes call it hard selling. People aren’t buying it.

Through the worship of marketing objectivity, you can put an end to “Bubble-Head” thinking.

Increase Brand Loyalty with 'Free Dessert'

2010-04-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you have experienced it yourself. Your waiter, who has done a superb job of serving you so far, surprises you and your guest with an “on the house” dessert. He simply offers it as a token of thanks for being such a wonderful guest.

Although it may appear to be a random act of kindness, it has a several attributes that make it the perfect brand loyalty marketing tactic.

1. Desserts are special. Therefore the experience of sharing dessert at the end of a meal can be a most memorable moment. This builds your loyalty towards the restaurant and the waiter.

2. Dessert comes at the end of the meal, right before it is time to leave the tip. In the spirit of mutual generosity it is appropriate for you to leave a larger tip. This makes the waiter happy, which rubs off on the next customers. And so on and so on.

3. Many desserts are tossed out if not eaten, so the incremental cost of giving away an expensive dessert is negligible. Besides, you may choose to order coffee or cognac to compliment it.

4. Free sampling is a good way to promote trial usage. So next time, you may choose to order one of those “Chocolate Cappuccino Noodle Kugel Cakes” and pay full price.

Although offering a free dessert may be a cost-effective loyalty builder for fine restaurants, not all of us are in the restaurant business. Yet, the concept is one that deserves exploration for any company in a competitive field that is looking to build loyalty.

Here are some things to consider when offering a “free dessert” to promote your business:

- Find something that has real value, but little incremental cost to you.

- Ideal if it is something that is unique or appropriate to your business.

- Avoid making it a policy like “free shipping.”

- Implement on a random basis so that it is a surprise and not expected.

- More effective if the customer feels it is a gift to them.

- Allow customer representative to be the one to present gift.

- Management and co-workers need to be in support of it.