Category Archives: Marketing

Huge companies teach Wichita small businesses about marketing by screwing up

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Domino's: Artisan pizza for $7.99. Really? Please.

The first time I heard the phrase “Domino’s Artisan Pizza,” I said to myself, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Then I thought, “Come on, Dave. Give a reasonable, objective review of this new marketing effort.”

So, I did. And I said to myself, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard since the one unfortunate time I blurted out an honest answer when my wife asked for my opinion about a purse.” Then I thought it might be possible to use this colossal idiocy to help small businesses in Wichita market themselves more effectively.

OK, how many ways is this campaign wrong?

1. Artisan and Domino’s do not go together. It’s not a credible value proposition. As a small business, you need to make sure your products and your company’s brand are congruent. If you want to say your pizza makers are artisans, that’s great. But show us how you back it up. Otherwise, I’m going to continue frequenting my favorite local Wichita pizza joint, Knolla’s.

2. The product doesn’t even look like it’s that much better than anything else Domino’s puts out. It really needs to stand out from the crowd. As it is, it looks a bit like a petite version of the Bigfoot pizza from some years back. If you are a small business in Wichita and you introduce a new product or service, you’d better make sure it walks and talks significantly differently than everything else.

3. See if you follow this logic. Because I don’t. First, Domino’s introduces an Artisan Pizza. It positions the pizza as having better toppings and being made better. Then the company declares that its pizza makers aren’t artisans. More incongruence. Next, Domino’s runs TV spots making fun of artisans. I guess I could understand this strategy if Domino’s didn’t choose to call its new pizza an “artisan” pizza. Make their mistake your gain, Wichita marketers: make your product name, your pricing and your promotion align properly. (See #4.)

4. So, imagine you’re Domino’s. You introduce a new pizza that has “better” toppings, “better” crust and is made lovingly by Carlos or Debbie, who sign your pizza box and solicit your feedback. Great idea! (You’re just taking your copying of Papa John’s to a new level, but that’s OK.) It’s a fine strategy from a product standpoint. All I’m saying is to package it properly by saying something like: “You might have heard about these great pizzas called ‘artisan’ pizzas. They look like this, taste like this and are made by people who LOVE to make pizza. We have them at Domino’s, but we just call them great pizza. And or a limited time, they’re just $7.99.” Now, that’s a story. Tell me a story, Wichita small businesses!

5. Domino’s didn’t take the right page from the Subway marketing manual. In fact, it’s the same mistake all the big-name chain pizza places have made. It’s the mistake of focusing on the product instead of the price. Subway has made some mistakes of its own, don’t get me wrong. But Subway has been incredibly successful with its $5 Footlong campaign. This success has gone all the way from a special offer to an ongoing fixture on the menu that gives people another reason to go to subway. Don’t come up with a fancy new product before you’ve exhausted all avenues for your current product line–including how you price it, package it and deliver it.

Bottom line, Wichita small business marketers, don’t take it for granted that putting a cute name on something makes it better.

New Prudential ad offers insight to help Wichita marketers reach Boomers

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Prudential is running a fantastic ad campaign about planning for the future. It is a hopeful campaign, filled with video and photos of sunrises, including photos taken by actual retirees on the first day of their retirement. I think it offers tremendous insight into how Wichita marketers can reach boomers in more effective ways. In may or may not surprise you to learn that how the wan to feel is more important that what they want.

Images of the sunrise on that first day of your “new life.” What an amazing way to pull viewers emotionally into a place where they are more likely to think seriously about starting to save, plan for retirement, structure an insurance plan or any combination of the services Prudential offers.

In the past few years, I’ve seen commercials that focus on amassing wealth and others that focus on the advertiser having some secret key to planning for the future.

But what this ultra-sensitive commercial says to baby boomers and even more imminent retirees is that Prudential understands that feeling of anticipation, hope and possibility that can be captured in a sunrise. Few things are more beautiful than a sunrise, and when a marketer can tap into the feeling of a single moment that is so loaded with emotion, the goal of capturing the viewer’s attention is nearly always accomplished.

This kind of creative construction can do incredible things to get attention. Then it’s up to digital marketing channels to receive contact with these customers and prospects so the relationship can develop and ongoing communication can occur. For no matter how effective the emotional appeal, their must be a conduit for two-way communication.

Remember, small business marketers, in everything you do, appeal to emotion. And once you have their attention, invite them into a conversation. It’s just that simple.

Wichita Marketers Pay Heed: A Great Caddy Is Hard To Replace

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Note to self: Don't fire caddy before comeback event.

If you’re any kind of a professional golf fan, then you know that Tiger Woods fired his longtime caddy, Steve Williams, a couple weeks ago.

Regardless of the reasons or which spin you choose to believe, there is no disputing the fact that Tiger has been changing up a good many things in the past couple years. His marriage fell apart, he has been nursing a serious knee injury, and he has changed swing coaches and swings.

So, what does all this have to do with Wichita marketing and creating small business success?

There are so many possible directions to take this particular post, it’s hard to choose just one. But I think the most pertinent would be a lesson on not giving your edge to competitors.

When looking at your marketing program, it’s sometimes easy to see things that appear out of place or to see gaps that might or might not exist. The first inclination is to make wholesale changes when, in fact, serious reflection–not action–is the order of the day.

With things in disarray, it’s easy to look for reasons to blame and things to change. Taking action is the easy thing to do. The difficult and more astute choice is to take stock and make strategic plans before putting any actions in play. Otherwise, your already-compromised status amongst your competitors could become even more tenuous.

In the case of Tiger Woods, this happened when he reacted, seemingly rashly, to Steve Williams’ choice to caddy for Adam Scott while Tiger was injured and in no position to give Williams a paying gig. Competitive karma seems to have granted Williams its grace since the veteran caddy was on Adam Scott’s bag as he won the Bridgestone this past weekend, beating Woods by 18 strokes. Woods chose a college chum for his caddy. Just one more major change after another.

Now, in this little analogy, your “caddy” might be a particular advertising channel, a special feature on your product or a level of service your competitors find difficult to abdicate. When the chips are down–and believe me, I know this is a tough financial and economic period right now–it’s easy to start cutting costs and changing things up.

Again, don’t “fire your caddy” only to allow him to be picked up by a rival. Don’t sacrifice the things that have worked in your haste to make changes. Patience is the currency of the successful small business marketer. Maybe your caddy is a trusted advisor who can sit down with you and carefully examine what needs to change and what needs to stay the same. It’s not that change is bad. It’s just that it’s a better idea to be cautious and deliberate about it, especially during turbulent times.

Via Christi Wichita sets a fantastic small business marketing example

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You know what I love about hospitals? The people. You know what I hate about hospitals? Everything else. Seriously, I’ve always viewed hospitals as places where people go to die. I know they’re all about saving lives, which they do quite well, but it’s been hard for me to get past the stigma of brightly-lit, tiled corridors that belie the sad endings behind the doors.

With that said, my outlook has been changed greatly by two major healthcare-related events in my life. First, the birth of my nephew at 23 weeks, five days. His subsequent survival and beautiful life at five years old are an inspiring story, thanks to God and the skilled, caring hands at Stormont Vail hospital in Topeka.

Via Christi sets a great example for Wichita marketers

Via Christi is a Wichita marketing powerhouse.

More recently, my wife’s breast cancer diagnosis and surgery at Via Christi Wichita (St. Francis) has provided even more insight into the most important marketing asset a hospital possesses: great customer service.

It’s easy to say, “Sure, they’re nice to you at the hospital. They have to be.” But think about it. You’re not tipping the IV nurse or the radiology technician like a good server at the wine bar. The medical staff already have their money. Most of them are paid well, and the insurance industry has much more to say about their reward than you do.

So, when I took stock of the kind of service we received at Via Christi Wichita, the genuine care and concern, coupled with expertise and professionalism, I realized that no amount of broadcast, print or outdoor advertising can do as much for this hospital’s Wichita marketing image as what happens inside its walls.

Certainly, the experiences in the hospital that are shared with friends, family and coworkers, are the most vital part of Via Christi’s Wichita marketing campaign. And they cost the least. I know I tend to believe a person more when I’m having a conversation with them than when they are up on a billboard.

This firsthand customer service experience also reminds me of the importance of Facebook, twitter and email to spreading the good word about Via Christi’s great service. I tend to think of word of mouth as the best kind of advertising. Until the past few years, the biggest drawback to word of mouth was that it was hard to spread widely. Not anymore. When you have a great customer service experience today, you can post it to Yelp! and broadcast your review to all your Facebook friends. Now, if I’m a small business owner in Wichita, I call that great free advertising. Don’t you?

It takes inspiration and hard work to do great Wichita marketing

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If there is one thing I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that all the hard work in the world won’t do me any good if I don’t take time to be inspired and be creative. The flip side of the coin is that I can dream and create and be inspired, but without hard work (and a little luck), my plans will never prosper.

Inspiration is key to a solid Wichita marketing plan, but its effectiveness is lessened by the absence of hard work.

I was really struck by the notion of this necessary combination of work and inspiration on a recent hike in the Colorado Rockies. It occurred to me that inspiration, if I let it, could happen at various steps along the way. Or, I could allow myself to become completely oblivious to lessons, observation and other forms of inspiration, focusing instead on the hard work.

As an experienced hiker, I can relate climbing a fairly technical hill to what we do with Wichita marketing and advertising. Even though I can scramble, step and stride with the best of them, I always learn something new. And learning, to me, is the essence of inspiration. When the proverbial light bulb goes off and the idea is generated, good things happen.

But just as the journey up that hill begins with a simple step, I must be willing to take steps and learn along the way when it cones to Wichita marketing, digital media and sales promotion.

At Valé, the journey to success begins with the single step of taking our Marketing Needs AssessmentTM. You can learn more at http://littlebigadguys.com/the-marketing-needs-assessment/.

In the meantime, get out there and climb, work hard, check your map often and take time to be inspired. The payoff at the top (see photo above) is always worth it.

David Mace is co-founder and chief paradigm shifter of Valé. He has been climbing things since a very early age and hopes to summit a 20,000+ mountain some day.

For an example of great Wichita marketing look no further than fireworks

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Happy Fourth of July!

If you have a business that utilizes a giant tent, building or lot, it makes sense to leverage the attention it gets.

My local fireworks seller has the biggest tent in the state and offers camel rides for the kids as an added draw.

People in my town spend thousands on fireworks. In fact, a recent survey by our local paper found that nearly half the households spend over $100 and 25 percent spend over $200.

Give the people what they want. It’s working for the fireworks crowd. I really haven’t seen a lot of innovation in what these things do after you light the fuse. In fact, you usually get burned (sorry) when you stray from the old reliables.

I guess the real genius of the people marketing Wichita fireworks is that it’s all about putting up a tent and stocking it with what people want to see explode at a rate of $100 an hour. It’s an important lesson about finding an audience and putting the product they want in the right place.

Tie-Ins and Co-Op Promotions Make Good Wichita Marketing When Done Well

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When it comes to cooperative or co-op marketing, there are really only a couple of things that can go wrong. The first is not doing anything at all. The second is doing it poorly.

In the interest of helping you consider how to use tie-ins for your Wichita marketing campaign, we thought it would be a good idea to look at some well-known recent examples. Then we’ll look at some specific ideas for implementing Wichita marketing tie-ins.

Transformers Dark of the Moon: Movie/Game Tie-In

Why it makes sense: For starters, the third installment of the movie trilogy and the companion game are part of the same franchise. But just as important, most of the people who will see the movie are gamers or parents of gamers.

The producers have done a great job of creating a seamless overall experience between the movie and the game. It’s a smart move because most movie producers think the movie/game tie-in are an automatic winner. Not so. Just ask the guys who did the Thor movie and game tie-in. It works for Harry Potter. It works for Transformers. Because they’re amazing movie franchises.

So the lesson for you, Wichita marketer, is to make sure you’re not expecting the product or brand you’re cooperating with to carry the weight. At best, you’ll be an also-ran.

Cars 2 the Movie: State Farm Insurance

Cars 2 Movie State Farm Insurance

I thought this was a brilliant tie-in. State Farm is such a wholesome, all-American, family brand, and Cars from Disney Pixar is a perfect fit.

Why it works: The creative on this campaign presents the need for insurance and the tremendous inconvenience of an accident in a cute way. The tie-in makes sense because the brands share the same values and they are both huge heavy-hitters.

We can learn from this for doing similar tie-ins for a Wichita marketing campaign. First, it’s important to pick a partner that shares your brand values. Second, it’s crucial that you create a sense of value through partnering with a credible brand.

Green Lantern Movie: Subway


It’s pretty simple to tell you that this is not a very strong tie-in. Why? Well, for starters, the whole “green” tie-in between Green Lantern and avocados is pretty weak.
If I were your branding consultant and you wanted to link these brands in this way, I would recommend pumping up the health and flavor enhancement of the avocado to “give” you the sculpted body of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. I would also get the avocado industry association involved.
These are some ways to enhance this particular tie-in. Otherwise, it’s kind of dumb.

Captain America Movie: Norton Antivirus


Captain America IS the shield. Norton is a shield. This is truly a match made in brand tie-in heaven. In particular, this video appeals to comic book, superhero and computer geeks everywhere. It’s just a natural fit.
What can you learn from this one? It’s easy: If there is something about your brand that is so iconic that people will recognize and appreciate it, you need to partner up with another, very similar icon. So, from a Wichita marketing standpoint, you might combine the YMCA with your heart specialist practice. Get the family playing and exercising to promote heart health.

In Wichita Marketing is Fundamental to Small Business Success

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OK. I’m going to write for five minutes. Then I’m going to stop. That should be plenty of time for me to show you how fundamental marketing is to your Wichita small business. Click here for more information.

1.) Every single person in your operation touches the product or service in some way. Therefore, they are all responsible for marketing.
2.) Wichita marketing is not just promotion. It is product, distribution and product, first.
3.) Observe how quickly companies like Wrigley’s adapted their basic product packaging after products like Five and Stride hit the market. Product. Price. Packaging.
4.) If people can’t find you or have a good understanding of your product, you’ll never be any better than you are right now.
5.) It’s one of the few things about your Wichita small business you can actually contro