marketing 101
Don't think about Pink Elephants
No, this doesn't have anything to do with Sarah Palin, even though she has used this in her campaign speech.
But I do love psychology! Remember that when you want to emblazon an image with someone…it maybe your company name, web site, or your brand.
© 2010 Michael Johnson - Inkspot Graphics. All rights reserved.
Marketing for Mariner's Baseball
Unfortunately, the Seattle Mariner's baseball team is not doing so well as told by the Seattle Business Journal.
Here were my suggestions:
1. They could create a package deal with AmTrak train, a couple local Seattle restaurants and a hotel with close accomodations to the ballpark. Make the package plan customizable so that the clients could choose their personal preference. Let them get a chance to talk about the experience to friends & family. What a great marketing idea when your club is not having a great year! I am sure that the other businesses would like the opportunity to collectively advertise with other established businesses. The other option is that they could cater it toward different groups. Can you imagine a whole train full of crazy Mariner rooters from Southwest Washington and Oregon (Nike, Adidas, Fred Meyers, etc). Then when they get to the park they are treated like royalty. Signs, ballcaps, jerseys & momentos.
2. Have a marketing contest with your Mariner fans. On their blog have them decide what would be the greatest marketing idea ever. The winner would get season tickets and bragging rights about how they helped the Mariner's bring in a bigger audience.
3. Think Guerilla Marketing!
© 2010 Michael Johnson - Inkspot Graphics. All rights reserved.
Children are all born as Artists!
I just watched this great TED presentation by Sir Ken Robinson. I have never heard him before but found out about him through Mitch Joel (another great inspirational marketing guy). If anything else, please watch the video for our children's sake!
Sir Ken quotes Picasso of saying, "Children are all born as Artists!" Our educational system focuses more on the three "R's" than it does on the arts. Our culture does not endorse being an artist as a career. It is when the child paints a purple cow, that the teacher or parent says, "Johnny, cows are not purple, lets look at some real cows". Some kids will notice the painting of the purple cow and laugh. Unfortunately, they have set a trigger in Johnny's head and the seed will remain planted.
When teaching in various institutions I have heard the same comment, "I can't draw, I am not an artist." I always went out of my way to explain we all have the creative talents it has just been suppressed. To get good at anything in life, you need to practice every day! I can't think of any athlete that took a year off and could at the top of his/her game when they returned to competition.
In my own business, I talk to people that have grand visions or dreams and I have to find subtle ways to get these to fruition. Trying to reverse the process of negative reinforcement takes twice as much work. So you have to work in baby steps to see small successes.
In marketing, the big keyword is ROI (return on investment) that businesses have learned. If I spend $5000.00 on the postcard campaign promoting our Winter Special can I make that $5000.00 back in 1 or 2 months. As I am learning now, is that with Social Media and branding your company (blogging, networking, etc) it may be a slow process but it is what our new generation of kids will understand. You can't fight the process, take a chance.
© 2010 Michael Johnson - Inkspot Graphics. All rights reserved.
