9 quotes business owners say that reveal their marketing failures

9. "Marketing objectives... What's that?"
8. "My marketing goals are to make more money without spending anything."
7. "Everyone can use our services!"
6. "Marketing Strategies?"
5. "I'm in charge of the marketing...and sales, production, book keeping, and occasional janitorial services."
4. "My marketing campaigns are calendared on pink post it notes."
3. "We like to start our marketing when business is slow."
2. "Our marketing tactics are so simple I can't even remember what they are."
1. "We don't have to worry about who we're targeting... we already have have one corporate client who makes up 90% of our business."

Luxurious Urban Lifestyle!

Only one week away for the Stylux launch party! On November 7th, we will be having a classy event at the brand new high-end SouthShore condos in Newport Kentucky. It will be a 4 hour event with an after party at Bang that goes till 3 in the morning. If you get a chance, check out www.Stylux.tv. Here you will begin to find relevant articles, events, features, and galleries that all revolve around the luxurious urban lifestyle in Cincinnati. Be sure to read the article titled, "Interview with the visionary" to learn more about the Stylux network.

Thanks to all our sponsors and community partners who support this event: Quest Marketing Solutions, Lucid, Bang, The 216 Foundation, SouthShore Condos, Celly Smellys, LIT, Astor & Black, and National Processing Solutions.


-Ernie DiMalanta

Best of the Best!

Interbrand posts the 2008 best global brands... check out their full ranking!

Below are this year's top 10 global brands:

1. Coca-Cola
2. IBM
3. Microsoft
4. GE
5. Nokia
6. Toyota
7. Intel
8. McDonalds
9. Disney
10. Google

Video Campaigns Need More Than Silliness.

It seems like I'm getting more and more YouTube links in my email these days. While individuals are using it to communicate personal talents (or lack thereof), businesses are seeing this as opportunity for brand recognition and lead response. If you have been surfing the web the past few years, you know that this tactic isn't totally new. However, it is increasingly becoming more common as businesses are adding marketing dollars to their web 2.0 marketing strategy every year. But what is needed in order to create a video campaign that is effective and viral.

Below are 7 elements needed for a viral video campaign as was written and explained by Jerry Bader. I found his white paper to be very useful for anybody wishing to use this tactic.

The 7 Viral Video Campaign Elements- Jerry Bader

1. Engage: Grab Attention.

2. Enlighten: Provide Substance.

3. Stylize: Create An Experience.

4. Focus: Be Consistent.

5. Entertain: Be Memorable.

6. Resonate: Hit A Nerve.

7. Excite: Compel Action.

Go Go Goshen!

What comes to mind when you hear the name Goshen? Well, if you are from the Greater Cincinnati area pleasant thoughts may not be necessarily coming to mind...at least for some people. Unfortunately, there are many cities across America that live with a stigma.

This morning I was doing business in Goshen, Ohio with a local small business owner and an interesting question came up: "How does Goshen change it's image?" Immediately strategies and tactics began swirling around in my head...

I'm curious, what marketing advice, tips, tactics, etc. would you give to the leaders of Goshen or any city that carries a stigma?

China's New Brand Takes Center Stage

With only a few more days until the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics, China is hoping that this international stage will begin their successful path to a new brand. However, with the looming evidence of pollution problems, oppression, and censorship, will the Olympics help or hurt China? My answer, China still has a long road ahead of them. Although the Olympics will present them in the most positive light, their culture and mindset will either be their stumbling block or their cornerstone. Check out the worse and better comments on brandchannel.

In the spirit of the games...Go USA!

Web 2.0 Marketing Rules

The other day at business networking event the discussion of blogging, MySpace, Wikipedia, and Flickr came up. Naturally I brought up utilizing web 2.0 as an exciting platform for marketing businesses. Below are 6 rules to remember if you're thinking about utilizing social networking or other web 2.0-like services for marketing your business.

The following is an exerpt from Sean Carton's October 31, 2005 article on The ClickZ Network titled, "Web 2.0 Marketing":

Remember you're part of a community. Members of a community have a vested interest in the greater good of the whole. They only participate in a way that benefits all. Spamming, misleading tags, incorrect information, and sneaky stuff (e.g., creating fictitious Wikipedia entries to promote your products are all activities that hurt the community.

Strike a balance between authentication and anonymity. The Internet was built on the concept of anonymity, but the anonymity that promotes participation and the free exchange of information can also allow malicious types to wreck your project. Contributor authentication can help by allowing you to delete offending material. But you'd better be sure you have a clear, strict privacy policy to encourage users.

Have some institutional guts. If you're going to allow the public in, be prepared for the consequences. Not everyone's going to agree with you or say nice things about your products and services. Don't block critics out. Engaging them in a positive way can often turn around potential problems. If you blog, you know this; often, engaging disagreeable posters turns them into instant friends.

Avoid spin. If you're going to participate in Web-based open services, don't try to spin your content with bland PR platitudes. People can spot "marketing" in a microsecond and don't think too highly of content that turns out to be a thinly disguised ad. On the other hand, using editorial to promote products can be pretty effective if done correctly.

Examine your motives. Are you jumping on the Web 2.0 bandwagon because it fits your strategy or because it's the current thing to do? Examining this question will tell you whether you're really ready to come to the party. It's a long-term commitment.

Get ready to work. Participating in the open, rough-and-tumble world of social networking and user-supplied content is a lot of work. The content needs to be fed and cared for constantly. Make sure you have the budget and the institutional will to continue the project -- indefinitely.

These are great rules to remember!

To read more from the above article go to:
http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3559851

Trendy New Wipes Remove Dirt and Grime...

...While Adding Fun and Freshness to Cell Phones

CINCINNATI, OHIO, July 3, 2008:

Cell phones contain a wider range of microorganisms than the soles of a shoe, a door handle or a toilet seat --- but one swipe of a new personal electronics wipe serves to limit the exchange of elements such as dirt, grime and other loose
debris between cell phones and users.

A new personal electronics wipe, Celly Smellys®, is one of the few tools cell phone users have in the war against dirt and grime. “Routinely cleaning your cell phone with a cleansing wipe has become part of good hygiene,” says Jessica Pohlkamp, health care professional and originator of Celly Smellys® wipes. “It’s just common sense. Cell phones test more positively for potentially harmful microorganisms than any other daily object because they come into contact with so many parts of the body --- hands, faces, mouths. And skin hosts literally billions of germs --- tens of thousands of microbes on each square inch!”

Celly Smellys® are convenient, scented, individually packaged, pre-moistened wipes with a specially formulated solution that reduces exposure to germs on hard, non-porous surfaces by removing dirt and grime where microorganisms may reside and limiting the exchange between phone and user. The wipes are non-toxic and LCD-friendly to even the newest electronics on the market, including cell phones, computer screens, gaming systems, and mp3 players. Common household cleaners can be damaging to cell phones and LCD screens, not to mention they are foul smelling. That’s why Celly Smellys® are the perfect solution to “what do I clean my cell phone off with?”

As consumers become increasingly health and hygiene conscious --- not only with being physically fit, but also with removing external disease-causing agents from their lives --- they find technology presents its own challenges. Cell phone usage has increased 600 percent in the past decade, bringing with it a breeding ground for germs that live in dirt and grime.

Studies show that the types of microorganisms found on cell phones increases as temperature rises. Standard cell phone batteries provide the ideal temperature for growth. When phones are stored in enclosed spaces --- such as in pockets, purses and book bags --- germs further thrive. Experts recommend that, to maintain good performance and help reduce the exposure to germs, cell phone cleaning should be part of a daily routine.

“As a health care professional,” says Celly Smellys® originator, Pohlkamp, “I noticed people at the hospital unwittingly transferring germs from their dirty hands to their phones --- and then placing their phones near their faces, and other patients. I wanted to figure out a way to reduce the exposure to germs before they had a chance to spread.”

“Celly Smellys® were designed to be both useful and fun,” adds Pohlkamp. “We know our product appeals to those who want to be hygienic as well as those parents watching out for their kids. While people are keeping their cell phones clean, we’ve given them the chance to express themselves with one of our three great fragrances. Teens seem to be especially excited about our scents --- Smelly Berry, Smelly Colada and Smelly Melon.”

Celly Smellys® is a trademarked product currently available at www.CellySmellys.com, with widening distribution beginning April, 2008. Celly Smellys® are sold in 15 count re-sealable packs in three fragrances (Smelly Berry, Smelly Colada and Smelly Melon). Distributors should call 877.651.1841 with product inquiries.

For additional information on the personal electronics wipes or on this release, contact Jessica Pohlkamp at 877.651.1841 or visit www.CellySmellys.com. Contact JessicaPohlkamp@CellySmellys.com for a product sample or for editorial purposes.

Celly Smelly® is a product of North and Lincoln, a Cincinnati-based business concern that generates inventive, practical and functional products and services to increase convenience for consumers interested in simple living.

Coach Tips on Building a Global Brand

Who would ever buy a Coach purse for $300 or more? Apparently, lots of women around the world buy lots of Coach purses for $300 or more!

Here are some tips from Lew Frankfort, CEO of Coach, on building a global brand (as mentioned in Vanessa O'Connell's article titled, "Coach Targets China-and Queens" in the May 29, 2008 edition of The Wall Street Journal):

1. Separate your brand from the competition with "accessible luxury" positioning.
2. Ensure that the brand is positioned consistently.
3. Have your product available wherever she shops-in your own stores, department stores, on the Internet and in catalogs.
4. Be innovative, allowing the product to evolve to surprise and delight your consumer.
5. But stay true to your roots, always building on the DNA of the brand.

On the Move!

If you have ever been to Red Lobster, you probably have seen the fresh lobster tank in their lobby. That's the image that comes to mind when I think of the current location of Quest Marketing Solutions in Symmes Township of Ohio. The staff is all on top of each other working hard trying to claw their way through their projects. Well, by June 1st Quest will be moving their offices to Mason, OH...We can't wait! Here is a map of our new location. We will post our new official address as soon as the city assigns it to us! Here is a link to a larger scale view of our map http://www.questmarketingsolutions.com/map.htm

Stimulus Rebate Means Stimulus Marketing

Earlier today I had a fun interaction with some friends regarding the stimulus package that President Bush put into motion and how marketers are having fun encouraging people to spend their rebates with them... One friend said she heard a radio ad enticing people to use their rebate to "stimulate" hair growth! Hah! I love it! Even grocery stores like Meijer wants you to, "Boost Your Government Rebate Check..." Think about ways you may be able to implement, what I'm dubbing as, "Stimulus" Marketing for your business.

Wow! I just got an auto alert from my bank notifying me that my rebate just got direct deposited! How cool is that!?

“Quest Marketing Solutions Adds Valuable Tool to Attract Genuine Leads for Clients.”

CINCINNATI, OH, May 5, 2008:

For years small to medium-size businesses around the globe have known the importance of online marketing, but few have truly taken the leap of faith and have adopted this tactic into their marketing mix. Until now. Quest Marketing Solutions has added a new tool in it’s marketing tool box. It’s called, “Web2Lead!”

“Web2Lead delivers targeted customers directly to you with no risk, no set-up costs, no contracts...ever!” -Ernie DiMalanta, President of Quest Marketing Solutions

For $40 per genuine lead, we will setup a site that is a mirror image of your company site, advertise this mirrored site, and drive prospects to contact you by either calling a free 800 telephone number or by emailing a request.
Web2lead is an absolutely unparalleled, risk-free, online lead generating tool that delivers qualified customers right to your doorstep. It assures that what you pay for is what you get: Quantifiable Sales Leads. So how do we get you started?

STEP 1: Market Assessment- We will conduct a market assessment to identify the type of product and service you provide and who is likely to want to buy it.

STEP 2: Lead Probability Analysis- Our Web2Lead search experts will analyze the marketing key words to assure a minimal level of leads can be produced each month.

STEP 3: Design/Create Web2Lead Site- We will then design a web2lead site, at no cost, that will mirror your current website and will prompt the customer to call or email you.

STEP 4: Priority Search Placement- Our search experts then will make sure that your Web2Lead site appears at the top of search engines.

STEP 5: Generate Leads- We drive, track, and measure leads to you via a free 800 telephone number and email directly from the customer with a request for information about your services offered. Your sales team then has a great lead to convert into a sale. Don’t forget that you’ll be able to train your staff to make more profitable sales because recorded calls provide a unique opportunity to assess the accuracy and effectiveness of your phone sales team.

That’s it! Try web2lead on a month-to-month or day-to-day basis because there are no long-term contracts and no recurring monthly fees.

WHAT DOES THIS COST YOU?
$40 per genuine lead that inquires about your product or services by calling a free 800 telephone number or by sending a request via email.

You must act now!
Why? There will be only one business-type per county or city allowed to use web2lead.

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To begin, contact Jessica Wittmer with Quest Marketing Solutions at 513.683.6999 or jwittmer@questmarketingsolutions.com. For additional information on Quest Marketing Solutions, visit the company website at QuestMarketingSolutions.com.

LIT Event Receives Glowing Applause!

Well, since some of you were unable to make the LIT event, I figured I should at least share a pic for you to view. This place making marketing strategy was a huge success! Everyone who attended the event had a great time, and were able to enjoy the experiential benefits of the LIT underglow product.


For more information on how the event went, read this press release that followed the party.

Cincinnatians Toasted “Celebrate Style” to Benefit Diabetes Research

CINCINNATI, OH, April 6, 2008:

On April 4th, the floor-to-ceiling windows of “The Edge,” Cincinnati’s trendy upscale, loft-style condominium development, were aglow in celebration of the Queen City’s newly minted “urban style.” In an invitation-only benefit gala for The 216 Foundation, over 100 of Cincinnati’s top influencers raised a toast to what some are calling “the advent of urban style” in what’s generally been considered a conventional Midwest town.
From the martini and sushi bar to the techno-pop music, the benefit event brought Cincinnati’s designers, business owners, and other fans of urban chic together for a good cause. “We were excited that so many turned out to support The 216 Foundation and to embrace this revitalizing advent in Cincinnati style,” noted benefit co-sponsor Ernie DiMalanta of Quest Marketing Solutions....

President and CEO Mark Pohlkamp of Cincinnati-based LIT, whose products were showcased during “Celebrate Style” is characteristic of young companies excited by this trend in the city’s new urban chic. Says Pohlkamp, “My products, flexible underlighting that brings a soft glow to furniture and architecture, are already popular in other major metro areas like Miami, Los Angeles and New York. I’m excited to see Cincinnati developing an urban edge and to see LIT take off in my own hometown. As designers, we’re all enthusiastic because this newest movement in Cincinnati is really a synergy of the cutting edge work we’ve been fostering. Urban design shows us that sometimes it’s the simplest things --- like lighting --- that make the greatest impression.”

An After-Hours party continued at Bang, billed as “downtown Cincinnati's premier nightlife location.” The 216 Foundation, a Cincinnati-based, not-for-profit organization that funds diabetes research, received a percentage of ticket sales. Event co-sponsors LIT, the Edge Condominiums, Quest Marketing Solutions, Bang nightclub, Bova contemporary furniture, and Beluga sushi restaurant hope this will be a first of many philanthropic ventures that “Celebrate Style.”

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For additional information on “Celebrate Style” or on this release, contact Ernie DiMalanta at 513-683-6999 or edimalanta@questmarketingsolutions.com. For additional information on LIT products, visit the company website at www.LITstyle.com.

LIT Press Release

I thought since I've been blogging about cause marketing, I'd post a press release about a cause marketing "invitation only" event. Since the event was "invitation only," we were unable to pitch the foundation awareness piece, so we had to take a different angle on the release in order to get it into the media.

“Celebrate Style” Event on April 4th Showcases Cincinnati’s New Urban Edge

CINCINNATI, OH, March 21, 2008:

On April 4th, 100 of Cincinnati’s top influencers will celebrate something few expected the strait-laced “Queen City of the Midwest” would ever boast --- her own brand of urban style. The 12-ft. floor-to-ceiling windows of “The Edge,” an upscale, loft-style condominium development in downtown Cincinnati will provide the panoramic view for this invitation-only gala jointly sponsored by the Edge Condominiums, LIT, The 216 Foundation, Quest Marketing Solutions, Bang nightclub, Beluga sushi restaurant, and Bova contemporary furniture.

As upscale riverfront condominiums and trendy retailers like West Chester’s new Ikea spring up in what’s long been a conventional Midwest town, designers, business owners, athletes and other fans of urban chic are taking the time to celebrate. From the martini and sushi bar to the techno-pop music, the event is designed as the synergy of upscale and cutting edge urban design. Sponsor Ernie DiMalanta of Quest Marketing Solutions says, “I’m excited to bring together so many of our area’s design influencers in one place to celebrate this exciting advent of Cincinnati style.”
President and CEO Mark Pohlkamp of Cincinnati-based LIT, whose products will be showcased during “Celebrate Style” is characteristic of young companies excited by this trend in the city’s new urban chic. Says Pohlkamp, “LIT products are a perfect fit for the high-tech, contemporary look that’s finally come to Cincinnati. Their flexible furniture underglow softly accents with the light and shadow embraced by modern loft living.”

Pohlkamp adds, “LIT can set the stage for a hip party like this one as well as for an intimate evening at home. Urban design shows us that sometimes it’s the simplest things --- like lighting --- that make the greatest impression. My products are in use in other major metro areas like Miami, Los Angeles and New York. I’m excited to see Cincinnati developing an urban edge and for it to take off in my hometown!”
An After-Hours party will continue at Bang, billed as “downtown Cincinnati's premier nightlife location.” The 216 Foundation, a Cincinnati-based, non-profit organization that funds diabetes research, will receive a percentage of ticket sales.

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For additional information on “Celebrate Style” or on this release, contact
Ernie DiMalanta at 513.683.6999 or edimalanta@questmarketingsolutions.com. For additional information on LIT products, visit the company website at www.LITstyle.com.

Lend a Marketing Hand

United Way, YMCA, Salvation Army, Red Cross... These are just a few of the largest charities in the United States of America. Why do you know these and other philanthropic organizations? Because according to an article in www.onPhilanthropy.com, charities spend over $7 billion per year on marketing and public relations activities. Yes...It costs a lot of money to raise a dollar. So how do for-profit businesses leverage the marketing power of non-profit organizations? It's called cause-related marketing or cause marketing. This type of marketing effort is used to provide mutually beneficial results for both the business and charity involved... Below are three general categories that cause marketing programs fall under according to Cause Marketing Forum.

1. Transactional: Programs that elicit participation with an offer to make a contribution to a designated cause based on consumer activity such as buying a specific product, redeeming a coupon, registering at a website or shopping at a particular retail chain.
2. Message Promotion: Joint campaigns that raise awareness of a cause’s message (e.g. fight skin cancer) or participation in its programs (e.g. join us in a coastal cleanup) while building a positive association with the corporate sponsor or its brands.
3. Licensing: Independent Sector defines cause marketing licensing as “An agreement in which the nonprofit allows its information or knowledge to be used for a fee or an agreement in which a nonprofit's name is attached to a product. Typically, a nonprofit licenses a company to develop, produce, market and/or distribute a mission-related product that is promoted either with the organization's brand name or co-branded with both the company's and nonprofit's names.”

There are few “pure plays” in cause marketing; most programs combine two or three of these tactics.

Don't forget that there are many charities out there that are trying to get their message out to the masses. How can you use cause marketing in your mix to genuinely help those organizations while also advancing your own business image?

-Ernie DiMalanta

The Greatest Marketer Alive!

I truly believe that Jesus was the perfect example of High Touch Marketing. He was very targeted, his message was relevant, and his approach was personal. He is an inspiration to me personally and professionally, and I hope he is to you as well... Happy Easter!

Cliff Jumping

How dangerous is it to cliff jump into the ocean? I'm sure there are only a handful of business owners who would even dare do it and yet when it comes to their own marketing they cliff jump all the time.
It's human nature I suppose... When business is slow you put on your marketing & sales hat. When business picks up you put on your production & managers hat. When it comes to your marketing you can't think you can just stop all of a sudden. If you keep jumping off that cliff, eventually you may miscalculate the tide and hit the rocks below.

All businesses have to be marketing machines that just so happen to do their areas of proficiencies very well.

-Ernie DiMalanta

This Niche Stinks!

Now here's a niche for you. The other day my marketing coordinator and I were driving to check out our new location for Quest and we saw this sign on the side of the road, "Got Poop?" (I had to get a picture of it for this blog.)
Hopefully your niche market isn't as grotesquely aromatic as this one. However, if you have yet to zero in on one niche you may want to reconsider. Why? Let's say you want to increase brand awareness. This can be rather costly for most small to medium sized businesses if your market isn't manageable. One way to accomplish this is to segment your market and target your higher priority niches.
So go ahead... Pick up your pooper scooper and start looking for your niche.

-Ernie DiMalanta

"Get More Referrals Now!"

Bill Cates, author of "Get More Referrals Now!," list's 3 compelling reasons for targeting one or more niche markets: (Cates, 148-149)
1. Word of mouth is much easier to create.
2. Referrals are easier to obtain.
3. Prospecting cold calls are usually much warmer to begin with.

He also mentions 3 primary avenues to follow when choosing your niche market: (Cates, 154)
1. Your previous experience
2. Your existing client base
3. Your affinity to a certain niche.

This book is an easy read for anybody who want to boost their referrals. Overall, I say that the book is practical.