LEADERSHIP: When Your Quarterback Becomes Your Coach.

Saturday, August 28th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

This isn’t the first time I’ve written how Brett Favre can teach us lessons about business. It might be the last. Or it might not. In the spirit of the star, I’m undecided at this point.

But what we are decidedly opinionated on is the latest case study that Favre, coach Brad Childress and the Minnesota Vikings organization is, by their example, sharing for our business benefit.

The study is ultimately about leadership within an organization — and what happens to that organization’s goals, values, heart, soul, morale and self-respect — when a win-at-all-cost, ends-justifies-the-means mentality is not only allowed, but encouraged.

We all know Favre’s latest dance relative to football, training camp and money. We’ve seen it before and only a fool wouldn’t see it coming again. But perhaps that’s what the Vikings organization is — for unlike probably most other NFL franchises, it has allowed its spoiled star to dictate his terms. Terms that trump team. Terms that trump coach. Terms that usurp leadership’s authority and, in my opinion, ultimately render Brad Childress (for all intents and purposes) impotent when push may come to shove. And it will. It always does.

Perhaps like your business, my business — advertising — has a few Brett Favres. These are your sales or creative rainmakers who will try to parlay client acquisition or award winning successes into their pound of organizational flesh — demands for more money, sweeter perks and an implicit (or explicit) attitude that says: screw the rest of you, the rules don’t apply to me.

Faced with this hostage situation, the question every organization must ultimately ask itself is: sure they make us money, but are we gonna let ‘em get away with that? And if we do, what will it do to the rest of our team, our managers and our ultimate goal?

The Brett Favre case study won’t be decided until the end of the 2010 season. It should be interesting to follow, for football fans and business leaders alike.

SOURCE: NOISE

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, brand, BRANDING, brett favre, fort myers, green bay packers, interactive, milwaukee wisconsin, minnesota vikings, naples, noise, orlando, sanibel florida, SEO, SOCIAL MEDIA, Southwest, tampa, web

SOCIAL MEDIA: 136.38 Reasons To Love Your Likes.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Smart marketers invest in social media — specifically, the development of communities of passionate followers — for a lot of reasons intrinsic to the success of their brands. Engagement. Involvement. Reward. Satisfaction. Loyalty. Referral. And while there’s obviously great value in this type of customer relationship, putting a price tag on a social media “fan” has proven donkey-tail elusive. Until now.

According to an extensive study by the research firm Syncapse of more than 4,000 Facebook followers of 20 national brands — including Coca-Cola, Nike, Blackberry, Nokia, Victoria’s Secret, Starbucks and McDonald’s — the average “fan” is worth $136.38 to its brand. How so? Let us count the ways:

1. Brand followers will on average spend 33% to 250% more annually than non-fans.

2. Brand followers are 28% more loyal than non-fans.

3. Brand followers are 41% more likely to recommend and refer than non-fans.

NOISE has championed social media since almost day one — and embraced its potential with the development of Vwallah! Social Media and QwickClick Online Videos. And while each brand’s fan value may of course vary, knowing you can always default to research and multiply your legions by $136.38 per person should be welcome news to innovative marketing directors — as well as nay-saying bean counters.

SOURCE: NOISE, Syncapse, Gigaom

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, best, fort myers, milwaukee, naples, noise, qwickclick online video, sanibel, sem, SEO, SOCIAL MEDIA, southwest florida, vwallah!, wisconsin

INNOVATION: Giving Your Customers What They Want.

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Okay, you’ve probably just read this headline and scratched your head. After all, giving the customer what they want is about as old as dirt and simple as it gets.

Well, old it is. But simple it may not always be. That’s where the innovation part comes in.

Innovation as we all know can take many forms. Most innovation today manifests itself in new science and technology. But innovation can also be born when bold thinkers like you and me ask daring questions of the seemingly obvious like “why?” or “why not?”

It’s the simple questioning of the status quo, and the ability to look at something differently, that can just as effectively create fresh new ways of doing business, creating demand, satisfying customers and improving sales. Case in point is a new program launched this fall by NOISE client Fort HealthCare, an integrated, progressive health network that serves Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin and surrounding communities.

Through focus groups conducted by NOISE, Fort HealthCare learned that a source of frustration for new patients was the lack of empowerment they felt (in past experience elsewhere) in choosing a physician. So the innovative minds at Fort HealthCare marketing huddled together, enlisted a bunch of daring docs and launched a new Physician Interview Program called “Meet Your Match” — a free, 10-minute one-on-one interview with any or all participating providers.

Imagine that. Telling the doctor, basically, to open wide and say ahh.

Science? No. Technology? No. Common sense? Yes. Innovative? Yes yes.

Is there something about your operation or organization that would better satisfy your customers? Think about it. Then think about it differently.

SOURCE: NOISE

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, award winning, BRANDING, florida, focus group, fort myers, health care, innovative, internet, milwaukee, noise, sanibel, SEO, web, wisconsin

HEALTH CARE: The Search Engine Will See You Now.

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

While the debate over America’s method of delivering health care carries on, the ground under the providers of health care is shifting — or so says a recent study of how consumers seek and obtain health information.

According to Manhattan Research, two out of three Americans begin their quest for health info that’s vital to them (or someone they love) not with a visit to their doctor, but a keyword search on their computer.

While this at first glance may seem like bad news for health care marketers, in fact it’s good news — because with smart marketing that embraces the Internet’s role, health care providers can lead consumers through the digital fact-finding and decision-making process. And ultimately, to their hospital’s or clinic’s front door.

So physicians and health care marketers, take these to marketing heart and call us in the morning:

• More U.S. adults use the Internet than they use doctors for obtaining health and medical information (so get on it!).

• Consumers are much more likely to begin their quest for health info with a search engine, versus going directly to a website (so optimize your website, initiate social media and do everything you can to up your search engine ranking).

• When consumers search, they’re much more likely to do so based on a specific condition or disease, versus a brand or name (so optimize your web presence with relevant content).

• The most common situation for search engine use is when a consumer, or someone they know, presents symptoms of a condition (so make sure your web marketing facilitates contacts and/or appointments).

SOURCE: American Marketing Association, MarketingVox.com, NOISE

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, BRANDING, care, clinic, doctor, engine, florida, fort myers, health, hospital, internet, marketing, milwaukee, noise, optimization, sanibel, search, SEO, wisconsin