 | “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener that is what I'd truly like to be for if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener then everyone would be in love with me.” One of the most widely used theories on how people learn is called the Fleming's VAK/VARK model. Neil Fleming created the model in 1987. It is based on the theory that people learn primarily through one of three senses. |
 | “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.” Bill Bergh, owner of Bill Bergh Marketing Limited, observed that consumers tend to fall into one of two categories - Transactional Shoppers or Relational Shoppers. |
 | “The only source of knowledge is experience.” One of the advantages of working for two television stations is you get to work with many different types of businesses. And, when you work for two television stations that are really focused on getting results for their clients you get a lot of great experience. That experience does not make us experts in marketing and advertising, but it does make us experienced. Therefore, based on that experience I would like to make a few observations about marketing. |
 | “What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines objectivity as "expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations." Based on that definition, I question how any of us can be Objective. |
 | “If you want a wise answer, ask a reasonable question.” Forbes Magazine sent out an interesting article June 17 entitled "Checklist: The 20 Most Important Questions In Business." The article was written by Christopher Steiner and Brett Nelson and addressed some fundamentals any entrepreneur should ask before starting an enterprise. |
 | “Then followed that beautiful season...Summer... Positioning and niche marketing work hand-in hand. Your niche is a conscious decision on what you are and your positioning statement defines how you want to be perceived. |
 | “Political advertising involves the use of advertising by politicians to bring their messages to the masses. These usually warn voters that the gates of Hell will open and demons will eat skin off their still-living victims if voters approve a bond issue for school playgrounds.” We just finished our first round of political advertising in Iowa in 2010. A ton of money was spent on advertising by the various candidates running for the various offices. Most of it on television. |
 | “Anger always comes from frustrated expectations.” Waveland Golf Course was established in Des Moines in 1901 making it the oldest municipal golf course west of the Mississippi. It's a beautiful setting with rolling hills and huge old hardwood trees. It is arguably one of the nicest public golf courses in the United States. I always looked forward to playing Waveland - it's a fun course. |
 | “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Dr. Joe Green, owner of Evergreen Learning, did a two-hour workshop with our stations on the subject of interviewing for prospective employees. It was nothing short of excellent. |
 | “There is less to fear from outside competition than from inside inefficiency, discourtesy and bad service.” The internet is an incredible source of on demand information - literally at our fingertips. But, the question is, is the internet the doom for brick and mortar business or the twenty first century version of the Sears Home Catalog? |
 | “(Television) is the menace that everyone loves to hate but can't seem to live without.” "Contrary to longstanding received wisdom, the large majority of viewers of live television do not leave the room, nor do they change the channel, when the TV program they are watching goes to commercial." |
 | “It is not best that we should all think alike; it is a difference of opinion that makes horse races.” Word of mouth advertising may very well be the oldest form of advertising. An early cave man a million years ago could have passed on some information to his fellow cave dweller about a great place to hunt for hairy mammoth. That qualifies for word of mouth advertising in my book. |
 | “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.” Nine times out of ten when you ask somebody what he or she does for a living they give you their title. |
 | “The problem with the United States Government is that in the Chamber you have Republican Senators and Democratic Senators, but no United States Senators.” A client was in the station last week that is very happy with the results from his advertising. He said, "The only problem is business is so good I'm going to have to add on." Love hearing that. |
 | “A strong, successful man is not the victim of his environment. He creates favorable conditions. His own inherent force and energy compel things to turn out as he desires.” Harry Pappas, owner of KCWI-TV and KDMI-TV, gave a speech to a group of Omaha businesses owners several years ago. During that speech, he talked about his parents emigrating from Greece. He talked about how he and his twin brothers started Pappas Telecasting with the purchase of a small radio station in California. He talked about the business philosophy he and his brothers subscribed to that helped them grow the company over the years. It was a great speech - interesting and moving. |
 | “We at Augusta hope and pray that our great champion will begin his new life here tomorrow in a positive, hopeful and constructive manner, but this time, with a significant difference from the past. This year, it will not be just for him, but for all of us who believe in second chances.” The Masters is one of the highest profiled sporting events in the world. It's the Super Bowl of golf. |
 | “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” We are still seeing and hearing many conflicting reports about the state of the national economy. The reports seem to vary depending upon: -Who you are listening to -What area of the country they are talking about -Whether or not they agree with the current administration -What specific industry they are addressing -What part of the economy they're looking at So, who is right? |
 | “You don't have to be a 'person of influence' to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.” My granddaughter Gretel is six. In the six years I have known her I have never seen her purchase anything. Not a stick of gum. Not a can of pop. Not a toy. She does like gum and pop and owns toys; it's just that I have never actually seen her take out her wallet and buy any of them. For that matter, I don't know if she even owns a wallet. |
 | “No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.” Most of us are guilty of using "Grandmother Research" now and then. Loosely defined, "Grandmother Research" is those statements we make that are not necessarily fact based. It doesn't mean they are wrong - you just cannot quantify them. |
 | “When businesses are trying to move from survive mode to thrive mode in a winter economy, the ones that break from the pack have branding on their side.” "Success Magazine" includes a CD with each monthly issue. The CD consists of interviews with three or four different business people addressing various aspects of business. Darren Hardy, Publisher and Editor of "Success" magazine, does the interviews. The interviews are usually pretty interesting and motivating. |
 | “I intend to live forever...so far, so good.” Life's issues get in the way of all of our marketing efforts. Most of the people we are trying to reach get up in the morning faced with Society's Typical Worries. |
 | “Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.” Much of marketing is dealing with people's perceptions, preconceived notions, opinions and beliefs. We deal with those perceptions and beliefs on both sides of the business - with our client's customers or potential customers, as well as, with our clients or potential clients. |
 | “Things just happened one after another, and I just took opportunities when they came.” The Toyota recall has dominated the news over the last few weeks. Just when things start to settle down another announcement comes out. Sticky gas pedals. Sudden acceleration. Floor mat entrapment. Steering problems. |
 | “It is better to be alone than in bad company.” From day one in the advertising sales business, I was told to ask the client who is your target audience. Invariably I would get an age spread answer. "Our customers are 25 to 54 years old." Armed with that information, I would go back and put together a proposal using Nielsen ratings trying to reach as many 25-54 year old viewers as I could with the dollars I had to work with. |
 | “Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.” When possible, I like to share local case studies in this newsletter. It gives us an opportunity to learn from each other - maybe get a little insight into other people's business. Here's a good one. |
 | “Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.” The Super Bowl is appointment television at its finest. We plan our day around it. Sales for television sets peak the week before it. If you're planning an event, it can kill it - "You can't do it then - that's Super Bowl weekend." And it doesn't matter what teams are playing in the big game. |
 | “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past.” This is the one-year anniversary of the Difference Maker Newsletter. So, this is as good a time as any to ask, knowing what we know today, what would we have done differently over the past year? |
 | “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” During our Difference Maker meetings and in this newsletter we talk about the five fundamentals we believe a business has to have in order to be successful. |
 | “The Death of Advertising? I think that's in the book of Revelation. It's the day when people everywhere become satisfied with their weight, their hair, their skin, their wardrobe and their aroma.” Direct Response commercials are those commercials we love to hate and love to mock. Most of us cannot believe they work or that anybody would actually buy the product. Boy, are we wrong. |
 | “Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Even though all we did was turn the page of the calendar from December to January, as we do at the end of every month, a new year gives you that feeling of an opportunity for a fresh start. It's like a mulligan in your life. And, a new year is as good a reason as any to stop and assess your personnel and business life, take look at what is working and what needs work, and make some adjustments. |
 | “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” The end of decade is an opportunity to stop and reflect back on the past ten years. And every time we do so, there's a tendency to think that this past decade we saw the most change ever. Well, this time we might be right. |
 | “And what happened then...? There has been plenty written over the last year about the importance of "staying the course" or increasing your advertising during a recession. But, for a lot of businesses it is the last thing they want to do. When times are hard and we are all making cuts across the board to try and shore up the bottom line, maintaining or increasing your ad expenditure can be a very tough sell. However, we are again seeing examples of where aggressive marketing is paying off for businesses during challenging times. |
 | “The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” There is nothing new about Cause-Related Marketing. It has been around for years. The Foundation Center credits American Express for creating the term "cause-related marketing" in 1983 to describe their campaign to raise funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. It was a huge success - for both American Express and the Statue of Liberty. |
 | “We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either.” "If you want to know why John Smith buys what John Smith buys you must first see life through John Smiths eyes." |
 | “If you surveyed a hundred typical middle-aged Americans, I bet you'd find that only two of them could tell you their blood types, but every last one of them would know the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies.” The reaction to Oprah Winfrey's announcement that she is canceling her show on September 9, 2011, after twenty-five years on broadcast TV has been nothing short of amazing. It was the lead story on newscasts and the front page in the newspapers. All of the trade publications are covering the story from all sorts of angles - what impact it will have on broadcast TV, cable and the world as we know it. It was and still is a hot topic at the water cooler. It is big news. |
 | “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” There is an interesting article in the November 6, 2009, issue of "BusinessWeek." The article is about the story behind the Subway $5 footlong promotion. Normally we do not talk much about franchises in this letter. We try to stay as focused as possible on local. However, I think we all can learn something from the $5 footlong story. |
 | “It is impossible to enter a large library...without feeling an inward sensation of reverence, and without catching some sparks of noble emulation, from the mass of mind which is scattered around you.” Can you tell me off the top of your head who the sponsor is of the "Geek" ads? If you said you don't know join the crowd. |
 | “Today in advertising it is 'do or die.' Either your ads do get measurable results or they die, to be buried in the cold costly graveyard of failure.” In last weeks newsletter we talked about the "Holy Grail" of business being the customer. All of our advertising and marketing is directed at our current and new customers - trying to get them to 1) Come in our door 2) Use our service 3) Give us a call or 4) Go to our web site. |
 | “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” Customers are the "Holy Grail" for most businesses. I have never understood why a business would spend money, time and effort trying to attract customers into their place of business, only to have those customers wait while the only clerk in the store talked on the phone. I don't care if he or she was talking to a "potential" customer - they had people, in the store, with cash in had, waiting to buy from them. "Fred Factor" them! |
 | “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” In 1935, Leo Burnett opened his advertising agency in Chicago. Over the years, his agency was responsible for creating some of the most famous icons in advertising history including the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, Tony the Tiger and Charlie the Tuna. |
 | “Advertising needs to be like a product sitting on the shelf, because you never know when the consumer is going to be looking for you, so advertising has to rent the shelf-space all the time.” I first heard the term "Marketing Faucet" from the advertising and marketing people at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. They use the term to describe how they direct their advertising focus on the division of their facility that needs some help in sales. If AJ's Steakhouse could use some more diners, they turn on the "Marketing Faucet" for AJ's. If the casino needs a boost, they increase the promotion of the casino. Simple - logical. |
 | “In a later commercial, which also became famous, I started out by saying: 'There was a time when Made in America meant something. It meant you made the best. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans don't believe that anymore.' At that point I wanted to add the following line: 'And for good reason. We probably deserved that reputation, because we shipped a lot of crap out of Detroit in our day.'” There have been a lot of famous and infamous television spokespeople over the years; Colonel Sanders, Dave Thomas, the Bartles and Jaymes guys, Juan Valdez, the Gerber baby, Mrs. Olsen, Jared the Subway guy, Life cereal's Mikey, the Maytag Repairman, Mr. Whipple, Orville Redenbacher, Tony The Tiger, Bill Reichardt, Charles Gabus. That's just for starters. Do you remember who they were a spokesperson for? Can you name more? |
 | “The difference between true customer loyalty and mere customer satisfaction is like the difference between lightning and lightning bugs. Loyal customers spend up to six times more than satisfied customers - they buy more often, and they recommend you to new customers.” This past September was the first anniversary of when many of us really became aware of the recession sweeping across the United States. On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection - the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history with Lehman holding over $600 billion in assets. It was truly a wakeup call for most business - it created a "shock and awe" reaction to the economy. |
 | “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” An interesting article entitled - "The Time vs. Money Effect: Shifting Product Attitudes and Decisions through Personal Connection," was published in the August issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. It is about time versus money and which one rules consumer choices. |
 | “If you can't differentiate, then you better have the lowest price.” I read an article a couple of years ago describing this great little business. For four dollars, you can go to this place and meet friends in a warm, comfortable setting. It has internet access and nice lighting to read the paper. Soft music plays in the background. Included in the price, is a nice cup of coffee or cappuccino. You guessed it - the article was talking about Starbucks. |
 | “Money grows on the tree of persistence” "Press on: Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Calvin Coolidge 30th US President 1872-1933 |
 | “In modern times, Sears was one of the few retailers, if not the only retailer, that built real brands.” Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC's "Mad Money" recently made the following quote about Sears. "I'm just old enough to remember the Sears Catalog: A tome that arrived with great fanfare once or twice a year. From its pages, my mother would pick out all our school clothes for the year, plus any appliances she needed. I recall my father spending a great deal of time perusing the vaunted tool section. When it was time to buy any kind of large appliance, new washing machine, or new refrigerator, Sears was the obvious place to go. And everybody went. Sears was known for its quality, selection, and customer service." |
 | “The entire essence of America is the hope to first make money -- then make money with money - then make lots of money with lots of money.” We met with a prospective client last week who is considering advertising on our stations. He is a financial planner and has done some advertising in the past, but not a lot. For the most part, he was not happy with the results he got from the advertising he has done. During our discussion, he made a very interesting statement. |
 | “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” As Richard Harshaw with Monopolize Your Marketplace says, "If you want to know why John Smith buys what John Smith buys you must first see life through John Smith's eyes." |
 | “America has believed that in differentiation, not in uniformity, Wednesday at 10AM and 1:30PM, we will host our monthly "Your Difference Maker" marketing meetings at the KCWI/KDMI-TV studios. We have been doing these meetings nearly every month for over three years now. The meetings consist of what we feel are the basics of good, sound marketing principles. Marketing principles that apply to any size business - regardless of what product or service they sell or who their target customers are. It is good, fundamental information. |
 | “Make your luck!” Homemakers Furniture had a Grand Opening event July 30, at their newly remodeled store. Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., was there - he owns the place. Mr. Buffet gave a great fifteen-minute speech followed by an equally great forty-five minute question and answer session with the audience. He is one very impressive person - not just because he's a billionaire. |
 | “Yes, I sell people things they don't need. I can't, however, sell them something they don't want. "Reach and Frequency" are two of the fundamentals of advertising - one of the first things most of us hear about when we first get in the business. "Reach" measures how many different people saw your commercial. "Frequency" measures how many times an individual saw your message. |
 | “There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and We saw, read and heard a lot about the Apollo 11 lunar mission last week. July 20th marked the forty-year anniversary of that historic event when Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. A few minutes after Armstrong set foot on the moon he was joined by a second astronaut. Who was the second man to walk on the moon? |
 | “This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Everyday we go way out of our way to exchange our cash for goods and services from somebody we like and trust. |
 | “This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex.” I don't own a Rolex watch. I have a hard time justifying the expense versus all of the other timepiece options out there. The watch I wear the most is a Swiss Army watch - not the cheapest watch available nor the most expensive. However, my trusty Swiss Army watch does exactly what I want from a watch - it tells me the time of day. |
 | “Errors of taste are very often the outward sign of a deep fault of sensibility.” At KCWI/KDMI-TV today we pulled off of our television stations a commercial for one of the United States' largest fast food restaurant chains. The commercial was promoting doughnut holes - you know the round little balls of deep fried dough that supposedly come from the center of a doughnut. |
 | “Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand.” Companies succeed and fail in all kinds of economies. Some succeed and some fail in a growing economy and some succeed and some fail in a recessionary economy. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, only 44% of small firms make it past four years. |
 | “In the world of advertising, there's no such thing as a lie. There's only expedient exaggeration.” Last Monday the LA Times ran a front-page article about the new television network that recently launched called “THIStv.” Well, we're proud to say that our own KDMI-TV will be a member of that network starting today! |
 | “OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! The analog format has been the delivery system for our television signals into our homes for nearly seventy years. For most of us, we never thought much about how that signal was delivered. All we knew is that the television signal came into our homes and provided us with some great entertainment and information. |
 | “Beware of geeks bearing formulas.” We have met with a lot of businesses and advertising agencies over the last month. In many cases, we have been surprised or amazed at their marketing strategy. It has run the gamut from advertising in the same old way to stop advertising altogether and hoping to ride this thing out. |
 | “Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” I received another call from a friend, client and businessperson, that's all one person by the way, commenting on the ”Weekly Difference Maker“ list of common mistakes. He said I get what you're saying, but it's not easy to promote your business any other way. “Sales and events work.” |
 | “Decoration Day is the most beautiful of our national holidays...The grim cannon have turned into palm branches, and the shell and shrapnel into peach blossoms.” I received a call shortly after sending out last Monday's “Weekly Difference Maker” from a businessperson who had just read the email. He said, “So far, I'm guilty of all three of the mistakes you listed. What are the other four?” |
 | “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” “Advertising is a mystery to me. I belong to a focus group of travel agencies around the country and no one seems to have a handle on this. There's no magic answer or common thread.” |
 | “The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” The internet is the hot new medium - sexier than newspaper, radio, yellow pages and direct mail. It's a wild, uncontrolled frontier where you never know what you're going to see. Seemingly, anybody can put anything on the internet. |
 | “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.” There are two type of customers out there for most businesses - the Need Now customer and the Need Later customer. Need Now is ready to buy today and you'd better hope your business is on his or her shopping list. Need Later is not going to buy today no matter what your offer, what you say or what you do - they're not going to buy today. |
 | “Don't gamble; take all your savings and buy some good stock and hold it till it goes up, then sell it. If it don't go up, don't buy it.” "Trillions of dollars have evaporated from those accounts (401K's) that have become the prime source of retirement funds for a majority of American workers, affecting their psyche and their future. If you are still young enough, there's time to rebuild and recover, but if you are in your 50's, 60's or beyond the consequences can be dire, and its drawing attention to the shortcomings of a retirement system that has jeopardized the financial security of tens of millions of people." |
 | “Asked about the power of advertising in research surveys, The 'Purchase Funnel' has been around for quite a while. The funnel gives a visual description of the sequence of steps the average consumer goes through on their way to making a purchase or buying decision. For a business person it can be a helpful tool in understanding what goes on in the consumers mind from start to finish - and, hopefully, gives them some insight on how they can affect that decision. |
 | “Advertising is the 'wonder' in Wonder Bread.” We have businesses that advertise on KCWI-TV and KDMI-TV that are enjoying a great deal of success. They are enjoying success in this economy - selling everything from what people need, but don't want...to things people want, but don't need. In some cases, it has been nothing short of amazing. |
 | “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” As business owners and managers it's imperative that we do everything we can to make sure the public perception of our business is the one we want them to have. It's called “Perception Management” by the U.S. military. It's called advertising by the rest of us. |
 | “Another central problem with the culture of marketing is its distorted lens - our term for The book "What Sticks" is a good advertising and marketing book. The information and observations in the book are based on insights from research of over $1 billion worth of advertising. While a lot of the information is about large, national advertisers, there is still quite a bit here that is applicable to us at the local level. |
 | “...we are saying that, on the whole, you are more likely to extend your business and have a fulfilled life if you have the attitude that there are always new customers out there waiting to be enrolled rather than that money, customers, and ideas are in short supply.” A common complaint today is that the media is part of the problem with the economy. All of the bad news coming out of television, newspaper and radio creates a self fulfilling prophecy. The argument being that if the media would stop talking about how bad things are maybe people would start feeling a little better about their lot in life and start spending. |
 | “Coca-Cola grew up with the country, shaping and shaped by the times. The drink not only helped to alter consumption patterns, but attitudes toward leisure, work, advertising, sex, family life, and patriotism.” I just finished the book “buy.ology Truth and Lies About Why We Buy” by Martin Lindstrom. It was an interesting book; a little out there. Much of the book was about the study of neuromarketing. As defined in the book, “neuromarketing is the key to unlocking what I call our Buyology - the subconscious thoughts, feelings and desires that drive the purchasing decisions we make each and every day of our lives.” In their study, they scanned the brains of several thousand people to try to understand what stimulates our brain and, therefore, influence our buying habits. |
 | “The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who It's common to hear the words marketing and advertising used interchangeably - in the same context as though they had the same meaning. They are similar terms, but refer to two different disciplines of business. For clarification purposes, let's get a definition of the two. |
 | “When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters. Can you imagine a Des Moines, Iowa without...
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 | “Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; Let's face it, it's not business as usual. What has worked in the past may not work today. Times and attitudes have changed significantly. |
 | “I know not how to aid you, save in the assurance of one of mature age, and much severe experience, Most businesses want to reach as many people as possible with their advertising message. The logic is simple - the more people that see the commercial the better the odds that they will become a customer. |
 | “The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a There is a television commercial running in the Des Moines market for a heating and cooling company that, I’m sorry to say, is far too typical of a lot of the advertising messages for local businesses – regardless of the medium being used. |
 | “I guess it comes down to a simple choice; get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.” Again, this year, the Super Bowl was a great marketing event that just happened to involve a football game. Over the years the Super Bowl is as famous, or maybe more famous, for the commercials that ran in the game than for the actual game itself. |
 | Thursday, January 15th, KCWI/KDMI-TV hosted a meeting at Jimmy’s American Grill. We invited local business owners to an open forum to discuss the economy. The theme was, “We know it’s going to be a challenging year, so what are we going to do about it?” On a bitterly cold night, we had a nice turn out and some good thoughts and comments were shared. |