You’ve got to be clear when you tell others about your products and services. It takes much more than a web site that is filled with the latest “cool” features, or a cleverly thought-out marketing campaign that doesn’t clearly define your brand. Here’s an example…

Have you seen the cereal commercial that starts with a wrinkled dog jumping on its owner’s bed trying desperately to wake him only to be shoved back to the floor? No? Well, the dog trots downstairs; carries back a tray with cereal and all the extras…even a fresh flower in a vase; the owner wakes up to eat a fabulous breakfast and prepares for a hike, and you think that’s what the dog wanted all along. The commercial ends with the dog’s owner taking that walk and the dog covered up in bed snoring. Cute commercial – but what kind of cereal was it? I don’t remember.

If I went to the store right now after having watched this commercial not 5 minutes ago, I wouldn’t have a clue what to buy. I know it was brown and healthy, so it wasn’t Apple Jacks or Fruity Pebbles. The dog was brown too – and not as fat as my Libby, so it was probably healthier as well…even without that hike outdoors. So I noticed details like the flower in the vase on the tray, and what the dog and cereal looked like, and even that it was to help you start your day healthy and active – but I didn’t catch the brand?

So remember, to make your marketing project work — be clear every time you communicate about your product or service.

posted by Shelley

People are becoming more and more immune to traditional advertising as we become more and more bombarded with it in commercials, banner ads, etc. So when ads actually catch your attention and spark your curiosity, it’s pretty remarkable. I’m always looking around for just that type of thing.

So maybe you’ve heard of the movie, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” — but have you been following along with the ad campaign? Not only is there a BLOG (you’ve GOT to check it out — what a hoot!) but billboards are popping up everywhere with the BLOG address.

Reality marketing at its finest!

Ok, so it’s not capable of doing everything you can do in Photoshop crammed into a web browser — don’t expect to be able create layers and do fancy photo masking — but for most of your photos, it offers pretty much all you need to fix ‘em up! Whether you’re adjusting brightness and contrast, exposure, touching up blemishes, or if you just need to crop and rotate your photo — you’ll find Photoshop Express is easy to use and provides stunning results. The easy slider and thumbnails give you an instant preview of your image at various settings, and you can even undo what you don’t like.

Everyone gets their own URL at photoshop.com to use Photoship Express … and get this! You can edit photos from Photobucket, Facebook and Picasa!

No, it’s not a Photoshop replacement, but it is well-designed and slick. It’s perfect for the blogger with a digital camera that doesn’t have time for Photoshop’s learning curve, but still needs a photo-editing application.

One more thing — you can even share your photos as a slideshow with your friends! Adobe allows up to 2G of space for you to use on their dime. You can even set-up your gallery any way you want! So you’ve got to check out Photoshop Express, and then, make sure you let me know what you think!

I love everything Mac — from my iPhone to the computers I use, I can’t imagine working or playing on anything else. For those of you who also utilize a Mac product for everything important, you’re nodding your head. My creative business persona basically picks apart their advertising — which transforms my thought process to the evolution of their brand. My position within McKain Performance Group, Inc. then processes and attributes the company’s growth to their ability to differentiate their products and brand AND provide the experiences that make their customers (ME!!) loyal.

For those of you playing along at home, here’s how it goes…brand image is closely related to graphic style, and graphic style is chosen based on the high concept of the company. (If you’re in business and you don’t know what a ‘high concept’ is, you absolutely need Scott McKain.) Although graphic style and a cool logo are not the only attributes that make up brand admiration, they are certainly a big part of a company’s image and reputation. Take Apple for example…

You probably know that Apple was recently named the “Most Admired Brand in America” by Fortune Magazine. What you probably don’t know is that their first logo was designed by Ronald Wayne, one of the three original Apple Computer partners (along with Jobs and Wozniack), who owned 10 percent of Apple’s stock and bailed out of the company after only two weeks — selling his stock back for a one-time payment of $800. But that’s just the beginning of the story…

In 1977, Apple rolled out their first brochure based on the company’s ‘high concept’ that included the headline tag, ‘Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication’. Do you think Apple would still be the admired brand it is today if Jobs and Wozniack would’ve stuck with what they had? It’s that Scott concept in my head that keeps saying, ‘you can’t differentiate what you can’t clearly define’ (not the exact quote, but it’s close enough) that surfaces and makes this Apple story the perfect example of why he’s right.

I have clients that are the owners/operators of a family restaurant business. Their restaurant isn’t located along a busy street or even near a large town. This establishment doesn’t boast Interstate access or the most modern decor. What this restaurant does have going for it are owners who know what it takes to be sucessful. They have a clear vision of what differentiates The Pines Restaurant from every single other place there is to eat in the world!

The Pines Restaurant has been in business since the 1950’s, and its owners have watched as many other restaurant chains have come and gone. So, why are they still around?

Not only do they serve REAL HOME COOKED FOOD at The Pines, but Mike and Katie Hall truly care about their customers, and are passionate about their business and their service. I am proud of their accomplishments; I am thrilled with their excited progress through each of our marketing endeavors; and I am honored to serve them.

It takes PEOPLE creating a compelling experience to SUSTAIN differentiation and maintain customer loyalty.
-Scott McKain

The Pines Restaurant has loyal customers (some that have been frequenting that same establishment since the early 1950’s!) because Mike and Katie create compelling experiences that sustain differentiation. From the second you walk in — whether you’re new to the restaurant or have been there every Sunday for years — you can expect to be amazed! That’s what it’s all about.

To learn more about the Pines Restaurant, visit their online site — and then, read Mike’s latest entry in The Pines What is Cookin BLOG!

I prepare an ezine for Scott McKain, and for each publication, our office must come up with a way to ’show’ his readers how they might utilize a concept that he presents. In the ezine that was delivered today, we spoke about the ‘fun factor’ of doing business. If you are a subscriber to the Scott McKain UCEzine you can most definitely skip this BLOG post, but if you’re not — you don’t want to miss it:

The Fun Factor

The Retail Marketing Institute released a study that in essence reported that over 70% of customers said they would tend to go someplace else to make a purchase if it was “more fun” to do business elsewhere. Ask yourself this question: How much FUN is it to do business with us?

We wouldn’t ask you to do something we wouldn’t do ourselves, so the question was first posed on the top floor - and we also asked some of our clients how they would score us in the ‘fun factor’ department. Although we were extremely happy with the feedback we received, we also understand that there’s always something new and different we can implement to create ultimate experiences with those who do business with us.

So meet the McKain Performance Group Team — and then show off YOUR fun factor!

——-

Want to see what else is packed in the Scott McKain UCEzine? Click to view the March 18, 2008 ezine in PDF format, and then subscribe to the publication by clicking here!

I read an article recently that basically said many people BLOG as a form a therapy. I actually believe that to a point — but who is reading what you have to say? If your posts go like this, “Today I got out of bed and went to the store and then…”, it’s most likely you don’t have many that care about what you have to say. I think we, as bloggers, all do that to a point — seriously, what is important to us is what happens to us — and that’s what we tend to blog about.

People want to learn something new (information, reviews or how to do something), want ideas on how to make themselves better (reflections, thoughts and visions), want to laugh (be entertained), want to read something they can relate to (be told stories), or be stimulated visually (interesting photos). I’m sure that there are other things too, but I’ve found those topics pretty much cover the gamut of highly visited BLOGS. However…this morning I received an email from a guy in Texas that found my personal BLOG and bookmarked it only to see photos of my fat dog. The email (thanks Shane) was asking why I hadn’t featured a Libby photo for the past few days. You’re kidding me?? Those photos are MY therapy, or at least that’s what I thought.

So this morning, I am going to provide those reading mckainerwin insights with everything they could ask for in this one post…

1. Learn something new:
Check out this link for secret Starbucks recipes>>
2. Improve on you:
This link goes to one of my favorite (go figure) blogs, and this particular post is insightful>>
3. Laugh out loud:
I read this post and actually laughed out loud. I think you will too. Check it out>>
4. Story you can relate to:
I can certainly relate to this post>>
5. Inspiring photos:
2 people, 3191 miles apart, no text. They post a photo side-by-side each day. I don’t know who I can find that lives 3191 miles away from me, but I want to do this one too. Since I haven’t started yet, check out their site instead>>

Once you have a web site developed and it’s online and has been submitted to search engines, the work isn’t over — it’s only just begun. Many people, as well as many businesses, feel that once they have an online presence there’s nothing left to do but watch the statistics grow as visitors canvas their information offered via the Internet.

The truth is that web sites should probably come with an expiration date (just like milk.) After a time, your site will become stale, your information outdated and your graphics (no matter how appealing) can only be viewed so many times before they too become uninteresting. Put it in perspective — how many times will you visit the same site when you find nothing new has been added?

One of the secrets of attracting visitors and prospective clients is to keep your web site fresh. Whether it be a newsletter or article — a notice of current happenings or an event — your visitors will continue to return to see what you have to say. If you were interested in a product or service that you researched on the Internet, would you be more encouraged to do business with the site that has a copyright date 2 years old, or one that has made mention of a new and helpful article posted just a week prior?

You’re online or you wouldn’t be reading this — but if you’re a business owner, or just someone that finds Internet facts interesting, this post is for you.

Check out this list of Who’s Online from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Did you know that Technorati is currently tracking 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media? They also report that bloggers update regularly (over 1.6 million posts per day, or over 18 updates a second.)

The New York Times published an article recently that cited a survey that said only 5% of small businesses with fewer than 100 employees are blogging. Doesn’t sound like many …but with 25.3 million of those same biz types, that translates into about 1.25 million that DO have a BLOG.

With blogging, podcasting, vidcasting/YouTube.com affording low cost and no cost of production, it’s simply inexcusable not to be using any or all of the above to promote your message!

I’m reading a book by Timothy Ferriss called the 4-Hour Workweek. The tagline (and the fact my brother recommended it) is what got me – it reads, “Escape 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich.” Ok, it’s cold in Indiana (13 degrees this morning), I only wish I could work from 9-5 and who doesn’t want to be rich? I certainly don’t buy into all the concepts within this book, but find it to be filled with great thoughts, tips and ideas.

Reading it has got me thinking quite a bit about the 80-20 Rule. The 80-20 Rule is the Pareto principle and it states that 80% of the effects comes from 20% of the causes. It isn’t new. But think about it for a moment. No, really let it sink in – and apply it to not only your business, but to your personal life as well. I was sold on the 80-20 concept at the end of my workday yesterday when I looked at my to-do list. I spent 80% of my day fighting fires and completed 20% of the items on my list. Sound familiar?

In business, 80% of the consequences flow from 20% of the causes; 
80% of the results come from 20% of the effort and time; and
80% of your profits come from 20% of your products and customers. In personal relationships, I would bet that 80% of your problems stem from 20% of the issues you deal with everyday. Would I be right? Soooo….what 20% of the sources in your life result in 80% of your happiness?

I think that if you apply this rule to your life (and your business), it will help bring clarity to the things that are important and those that, at the end of the day, really don’t matter. If you can pinpoint the 20% of your inputs that result in 80% of your outputs – you can start finding ways to eliminate the other 80%. And more importantly, as you eliminate that nasty 80%, you’ll have more time to work on that 20% of the sources that result in 80% of your happiness.