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Choosing the right real estate agent

July 5, 2009 By 7 Comments

Is the purpose of a real estate agent to market your house, represent you or find a buyer?

All three, right?

If I was a real estate agent and someone contacted me with interest to list, I would pursue them like I would the sale of their house: prompt to reply, looking for opportunities to explore, readily available and like I always do, make people tell me no, twice. I would show this prospect client that I’m serious about selling their house. Creativity, attentiveness and persistence are the keys to sales, so when opportunity knocks, it’s show time. It’s time to show them that I am the guy for the job.

Makes sense, right?

If you are a real estate agent in the Nashville area and you want to sell my house, I invite you inquire within. Sell me on your selling ability, don’t just tell me about your template marketing plan.

For the three other agents I recently contacted, I’m sorry it didn’t work out. It’s not because I wouldn’t have hired you, it’s because you didn’t bother to ask.

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Amazon is missing the boat on the Kindle

May 6, 2009 By 2 Comments
amazon-kindle-2-photo

amazon-kindle-2-photoWhen the Amazon.com Kindle was unveiled in the Fall of 2007, I, being a gadget guy, was immediately interested. What would it look like? Feel like? How heavy would it be? What would the screen look like? Would the Amazon claim be true that the screen looks like you are reading a printed book?

I like many others, have wondered and been interested in touching, feeling and holding a Kindle. Unfortunately, I have yet to have that experience. In my opinion, this is a major problem for Amazon. If they want people to spend $359 on the Kindle and now $489 on the Kindle DX, a sight unseen business model isn’t going to work for the masses. That’s the first problem.

The second problem with the Kindle is that it doesn’t convert the books that I’ve already bought. At this point, converting my current read and unread library to a digital format isn’t possible, thus requiring a re-purchase of the Kindle version—which is not likely. To be fair, the fine folks at Thomas Nelson have started a new program called NelsonFree that allows anyone who has purchased a printed book to gain access to digital versions, including the Kindle, at no additional cost. While this does allow me to enjoy a book in whatever format I want, it doesn’t solve the prior purchase issue.

If problems are really opportunities, then I see two:

  1. A program that converts paper books into digital files. This would require origination or partnering with the copyright holders; just ask Google
  2. Figure out a way to exchange a paper book for a digital one – Thomas Nelson is testing a similar idea on one of their new releases

Being that I am a gadget guy who reads a lot of books, the Kindle is right up my alley. However, Amazon is mistaken if they think that I will buy one sight unseen.

Come on Amazon. I only want to experience it before I buy it. Is that asking too much?

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Your business card sucks!

April 9, 2009 By 5 Comments
businesscard

You think you know about business cards.

Think again.

It’s die…..cut…….foil stamped….emmmmbosssed.

Makes me laugh.

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Review: Starbucks Gold “Reward” Card

March 31, 2009 By 4 Comments
american_express_black_card

starbucks20gold20cardBack in November 2008, Starbucks launched a new “membership rewards” program called Starbucks Gold. Basically, it’s a card that costs $25 a year and gives you 10% off most everyday purchases as well as a free drink for registering and one on your birthday. Oh, and you get this nifty little black card with a gold cup in the middle (see image to the left).

Given that I do marketing for a living, I thought I would dive into the idea of the Starbucks card and see what impact it is having on Starbucks. Here’s what I found.

The idea is brilliant for Starbucks

Starbucks gets $25 a year for people to carry around a card that gives them 10% off. If you do the math, that means you need to spend $250/year to breakeven; which equates to 1.2 purchases a week at an average of $4, for an entire year. Unless you’re a die-hard fan, that is not likely. However, after doing some research for this post, apparently, I under estimate the number of people that really love Starbucks.  [Read more...]

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Obama’s VP announcement … leaked?

August 23, 2008 By 2 Comments
obamabiden

Given that I do marketing for a living, I’ve been interested and at times, fascinated at Obama’s ability to use the wide range of marketing tools to his benefit for his Presidential campaign. Of course, he’s working with a dream budget but that’s besides the point.

In an innovative and very “personal” move, Obama announced that he would announce his VP nomination via text message to his supporters before he told the press.

At 11:50p, CNN breaking news sent me a text message:

“CNN confirms Sen. Barack Obama has chosen Delaweare Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice-presidential running mate.”

It’s 11:58pm … I still haven’t seen a text message from the Obama camp.

There’s been questions whether Obama’s effort to hold out on revealing the VP pick would hurt him, I doubt it. But now he has to answer for why he promised that the people would be the first to know, and we’re not. While CNN likely leaked the news, Obama’s camp should have known and anticipated as such.

The truth is, there is no way Obama could have accomplished what he claimed to do. When you consider how fast news travels, thanks to tools like Twitter, he didn’t have a chance to live up to his commitment.

Considering the impossibility of the promise, it makes me wonder about the rest of what he’s promising. Does he really know what he’s committing to?

Update: At 2:43am CST, I received the following text message from Obama’s campaign:

Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the frist Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!

Again, from a marketing standpoint, the language is worth noting:

  • He’s referenced on a first name basis. A sign of personal friendship. (Remember when your parents required you to call people Mr. and Mrs. out of respect?
  • They used “our,” not “his” VP nominee when referring to Senator Biden

Kudos to Obama’s campaign for being deliberate in positioning him as the peoples candidate. While it makes people believe that they are involved, the truth is, Americans won’t have anymore say this election than previous. The question is, will Obama’s approach really make a positive difference or is it a self-fulling prophecy?

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Pulse of the 18-34 demo

June 25, 2008 By 2 Comments

In 2002, my wife and I relocated to Orlando, FL to be part of the launch team for Relevant Media Group. There, I spent 4.5 years targeting, reaching and retaining the 18-34 demographic. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun and challenging. It was there that I was awakened to one of my primary goals in life; pointing my generation back to Christ.

Barna Group reported in 2003 that an alarming 58% of twentysomethings who were active church-goers as teenagers will no longer be active in a church by their 30th birthday (Barna 2003). This has been and still is, the fuel for the above mentioned goal. It is my desire that if/when Barna does this same study again that number decreases to less than 50%. Consider this one of my “big hairy audacious goals!”

A couple of weeks ago, Motiveight took on a new client that has me turning my focus to the 18-34 demographic again. This opportunity has re-awakened my “BHAG.”

One of the major advantages I have, this time around, is access to a plethora of statistics and research. The project that we are embarking on is for the long haul. Given that, I thought that I would document here what the current pulse of the 18-34 demo is according to recent MRI reports. Here’s what we can expect from this group:

  • They are more likely, than the average, to be “very liberal” and less likely to be “very conservative.”
  • Only 25% of them vote
  • They not very interested in environmental causes
  • They like to watch: Adult Swim (#1), BET, Comedy Central, MTV, TBS, TLC and VH-1, to name a few. They are less likely to watch the news and weather
  • They are less likely to feel that there is too much sex on TV
  • They love to show off (rated ridiculously high on this one—almost 2x more likely than the average American)
  • They consider themselves more fashionable than others
  • They love concerts, clubs/bars, chess (who would have thought!), billiards, dancing, electronic games, video games (#1), karaoke, comic books and fantasy sports leagues (#2)
  • They don’t like: birdwatching (can you blame them), attending classical/opera performances, woodworking, book clubs, or live theater
  • Favorite sites: Wikipedia, MTV.com, ticketmaster, Monster.com, Yahoo news, Amazon.com eBay, Facebook (#1), Myspace and YouTube

Regarding Religion:

  • They are less likely to believe in creationism, believe the Bible literally, give to religious organizations or to support prayer in schools

It’s safe to say that this information isn’t too surprising. However, if you’re interested in the 18-34 demo like I am, the journey ahead is going to require unparalleled creativity and wisdom. This generation will not give room for copycats. We have no choice but to be fresh, provoking and revolutionaries.

Are you surprised by what you just read?

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Gas is getting cheaper!

April 13, 2008 By 7 Comments

Perception has a way of creating value in ways that, when honestly assessed, don’t make a lot of sense:

  • A latte costs $32 a gallon, on average
  • A gallon of Smoothie King (Gladiator) smoothie costs $27.16/gallon (not including tax)
  • A cup of regular coffee costs $16/gallon, on average
  • It’s about $2/glass for soda at a restaurant, an average of $12.80/gallon
  • A gallon of Aquafina water could cost you at least $13.50, on average

The above list consists of items that most American’s consume on a daily basis, without thinking twice.

Last Wednesday, the Energy Department announced that they anticipate that the cost of a gallon of gas would rise to an average of $3.60 this coming June; an increase of 82¢ a gallon since this time last year.

I am not a proponent of rising fuel costs, especially since I personally can’t figure out what’s really driving this bottom line increase. However, I would like to challenge the perception. Auto fuel, an absolutely essential tool of our world, is far less expensive than any of the aforementioned nonessentials. All of which we could do without, if and when necessary.

Marketing departments have done a fantastic job at creating a high perceived value in our minds for packaged products. It seems that Exxon, Chevron, BP and the like, could stand to do some of their own marketing to win consumers over to their undervalued product. Until then, we’ll continue to live in a culture that values a gallon of coffee more than a gallon of gas.

Marketing influences. Perception pays the bills.

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Top Marketing Blogs

April 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I stumbled upon a list of the top 150 marketing blogs:

http://adage.com/power150/

Warning: If you’re not a Google Reader user, I highly recommend hooking yourself to this flow of RSS goodness. It’s the only way to “read” 100 websites in less than an hour.

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What is Integrated Marketing Communications

February 15, 2008 By Leave a Comment

On a journey of discovery today, I stumbled upon a job title that I was unfamiliar with: Director of Integrated Marketing. Being that this was the first time I had ever seen this phrase I was intrigued and made a mental note of it.

Literally an hour later, I was on the phone with a nice lady from the Tombras Group and her title was the SVP of Integrated Marketing. Now seriously, how could this happen. All in one day, I’m introduced to the concept and then I’m on the phone with someone who not only lives in this space but is so good at it that she’s a SVP! I had to know more.

Turns out, Motiveight is NOT an Outsource Marketing Solutions company, as I’ve recently adopted as a tagline for the company. We are an Integrated Marketing Communications company. Here’s a definition of IMC and ironically, what we’ve been doing for the past 19 months:

American Marketing Association defines IMC as “‘a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.’ Integrated marketing communication can be defined as a holistic approach to promote buying and selling in the digital economy. This concept includes many online and offline marketing channels. Online marketing channels include any e-marketing campaigns or programs, from search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click, affiliate, email, banner to latest web related channels for webinar, blog, RSS, podcast, and Internet TV. Offline marketing channels are traditional print (newspaper, magazine), mail order, public relations, industry analyst relations billboard, radio, and television.” —Wikipedia

Welcome to Motiveight Marketing Group Inc. An Integrated Marketing Communications Company. Ah that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it!

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