From the category archives:

Business Optimization

Marketing Lessons from a Holiday – Part 1

by Dr.Mani on April 20, 2010

RE-TWEET IT!

On a recent 4 day holiday, I learned powerful marketing lessons by observing some smart things people and businesses did. One of them was a very effective, visible, and inexpensive exercise in branding.

I had finished reading Jessie Paul’s book, No Money Marketing.

Jessie had been global brand manager at Indian I.T. major, Infosys. In her book, there were many amazing ideas to build a brand relatively inexpensively – by being smart.

As we strolled around Mysore zoo, either gazing in awe at a white peacock strutting around showing off its pretty plumage, or admiring the majesty of the White Bengal tiger pacing its cage, or laughing at the antics of little chimpanzees swinging high up in the tree-tops, one more thing caught our attention.

The interesting words that many cages had painted on them.

“Sponsored by employees of InfoSys.”

Apparently, groups of software engineers pitched in to contribute to the upkeep of these rare, endangered and protected animals, probably because they care about preserving our wildlife.

It’s also smart marketing and brand building!

Thousands of people thronged the zoo on that Sunday morning. As they probably do every weekend. And MANY saw those words emblazoned prominently on animal enclosures. Talked about it.

And positive word-of-mouth that InfoSys probably could never buy for millions, was theirs for the taking!

The cost to sponsor an animal for a year was not exorbitant, or out of the reach of any modest sized company, even an individual. Yet not many names were visible other than InfoSys.

Was Jessie Paul behind that campaign? I wouldn’t be surprised!

Points to ponder:

What opportunities exist for your business to take advantage of to get similar brand exposure?

In your business, how can you create or set up opportunities for others to brand themselves?

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Do I Know You?

by Dr.Mani on June 28, 2009

RE-TWEET IT!

One of the wonders of this virtual world we occupy through the Internet is the number of people you’re friends (even very good friends) with, but have never ever met in person!

Indeed, I’ve got to know some very nice, very rich, very famous and very interesting (not all the same person!) people over the years – and only a few I have had the pleasure of meeting or even speaking to on the phone.

Which made me wonder, today, as I listened to a interview with one such friend…

“Do I Know You? Really?”

Paul Evans is the CEO of Nicheology.com. When he took over the reins from my good friend, Ryan Deiss, and his business partner Jimmy D.Brown, Paul wrote to me (I assume he got my details through Nicheology’s affiliate records, I’ve been one of their early affiliates). He invited me to help promote a re-launch of what I still consider to be the world’s best Private Label Right’s membership site to my list.

I next came across Paul when he posted an excellent note on a forum we both frequent, talking about his system of patiently and painstakingly building up a successful membership site (not Nicheology.com) to a point where he had 2,500 members, each paying $10 every month!

It took around 3 years. That was his point. Not many people are willing – or able – to wait and work so long for success.

That post was so informative and insightful, I printed it out and referred to a couple of times – but as is typical with me, I failed to implement an idea based on it. That omission will soon be fixed!

More recently, I heard Paul’s name mentioned on Twitter (by a mutual friend, Carrie Wilkerson, the ‘Barefoot Executive’ – who herself was introduced to me by my friend and mentor, TIMIC.com creator, Willie Crawford – vive la social networking!).

I added Paul Evans to my Twitter network – and through it heard about the interview he was doing yesterday on Blog Talk Radio with Willie Crawford. As it happened way past my bedtime, it was only this morning that I could listen to the recording of the 1 hour interview.

It changed my outlook.

Not only did I learn something new about my business and how I could improve it, I also learned some personal things about Paul Evans, including a painful incident that, had it happened to me, might have permanently shattered or devastated me – yet Paul talked about how he drew STRENGTH from it… how it made him what he is today.

And he gave listeners an huge dose of common sense business advice – the kind that you DON’T hear often from ‘gurus’. In fact, quite coincidentally, his interview was titled “3 ANTIDOTES TO ONLINE FAILURE” – which nearly mirrors the title of a message I wrote to send my list yesterday… “THE ANTI-DOTE”.

It is an interview that I strongly recommend that you make time to listen. And if you simply, absolutely cannot afford to spend one hour, at least download it and listen to the last 10 minutes where Paul shares 5 powerful tips or breakthroughs to get over your hurdles and hurtle along to huge success.

I awoke this morning looking for some direction.

I listened to this interview, and found it.

I took 2 hours off, sat in a room with a sheet of paper and a pen, and drafted out an important document that will serve as my guide for the next few years.

And then I wrote this blog post.

It is almost evening. I didn’t do any of the regular ‘conventional’ work on my business. But it probably grew many times over in the hours since I woke up.

I also realized I didn’t know Paul Evans well enough at all.

Until today.

And now, I want to know more. So I signed up to his list after visiting his blog, “Nicheology News – Your Business. Your Money. Your Freedom”.

Has a nice ring to it, right? Like… Money.Power.Wisdom :-)

I can’t wait until Paul and Carrie are visiting India in 2010. Maybe we’ll meet sooner. It’ll be worth the wait, though!

.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

The Drive

Early this morning, I drove my friend to the airport.
Driving in my city is an exciting, risky and nerve-wracking experience at the best of times. On the road to the airport, there’s an element of dare-devilry added to the mix.
Formula 1 wannabees rev up their aging motorcars, or souped up sedans, and weave crazily [...]

Read the full article →

Let's Play 'Doctor'

As kids, many people dream about becoming a doctor. Saving lives. Curing illness. Making a difference.
And then, something happens; interests change; life takes a different direction. But a deep yearning still remains of what might have been.
Well, let’s play ‘Doctor’. Imagine that you have become a doctor. A surgeon. [...]

Read the full article →

Dr.Business

Image credit sxc.hu
Imagine you are a heavy smoker with a bad cough. You visit the doctor.
Dr.A is courteous, polite, professional. He examines you quickly, prescribes a cough medicine, and hands you a brochure about the ill-effects of smoking. He even signs you up to his newsletter mailing list – for free.
Dr.B does [...]

Read the full article →

SUPER

I’ve been doing some ’super’ stuff lately.
My email subscribers have received some SUPER-emails – like this, this, this and this. If you like them, and want more, you can subscribe here.
There are also some SUPER-articles being added to my website at “Smilenaire Reports”.
Get FREE StumbleUpon Traffic
Easily Create and Sell Infoproducts
Many more will follow shortly. [...]

Read the full article →

My Last Hurrah!

I’m taking a ’sabbatical’ from the regular work I do online – to pursue a dream.
A couple of movies I watched recently shared a similar theme. Both light-heartedly, yet sensitively, explored the serious subject of dying. More specifically, how to LIVE before dying.
“The Bucket List” was about making a list of things to [...]

Read the full article →

Strategy or Tactic?

Dr.Harlan Kilstein is a fantastic copywriter, effective marketer and one of the brilliant people I engage with in interesting conversations on Twitter.
We were discussing my recent blog post about Frank Kern. And something Harlan said got me thinking about the impact and power of strategy versus tactics. It isn’t always easy to know [...]

Read the full article →

Lessons From A Mosquito

“If you think size doesn’t matter, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito!”
One bane of life in my city is the ubiquitous mosquito.In clouds of buzzing misery, they swoop down on hapless humans, sucking blood and sowing disease. Repellants and creams, sprays and window-mesh, all remain futile at keeping them away.
At home, we [...]

Read the full article →

DON'T Build Lists

Once upon a time, communication with a view to influencing an audience was simpler. You needed to target prospects by interest and find a way to contact them. The channel, and your marketing message, was king.
Everyone was busy “building a list”. In a ‘permission economy’, your list used to be the most [...]

Read the full article →