Power Marketing

Hurray! We've reached 500 posts on this blog.

The first post was six years ago - March 2006. When I started this blog I had no idea where it would lead me nor how long I would stick with it.

This was my first blog and I entered the blogosphere as a marketing experiment. The question on my mind was, "How will this help my business? The second question was, "How will I measure that?"





I can't put a number on it, but I believe it has been worthwhile. Here are some of the benefits that I've realized from blogging:

• New clients, followers and connections
• Revenue from advertising and product sales
• 500 published pages of material
• SEO enhancement of my websites
• Posts that I can point clients and prospects to with specific examples
• Received encouragement, questions and insights from readers
• Media interviews because of my published opinions 
• Deeper understanding on issues because of the desire to write valuable content

Writing helps you explore topics deeper and clarify your thinking. Writing articles forces you to compose 500, 800 or 1,200 word essays. Blog writing allows you to post a thought in as few words as it takes. It could be 50, 150 or 300 words.

There are many times when a blog post has helped me deal with a client's business issue or unexpectantly supplied an example for a speech.

There were times when the frequency of posts slowed down and I wondered, "What's the point?" You might have noticed that in recent months I've attacked this blog with renewed vigour and purpose.

I've made it to 500. I'll keep going.

Do you write a blog? How is it working for you?


George TorokKeynote Marketing SpeakerCo-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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Good time to review your branding strategy for 2012.

Check out these provocative articles about branding. Warning: You might find some of these ideas offensive - and that's what a good brand should do.



The Branding Fallacy


Your Branding might be killing your business

Beware of the branding zombies. They regurgitate meaningless mantras like "branding is good", "you need a brand" and "we can help you develop your brand." These creatures only want your life blood. Unfortunately these zombies don't look like the ones in Michael Jackson's Thriller video. They look like you and I. They call themselves branding consultants, marketing agencies or graphic designers. And they try to sell you snake oil remedies.

It's time for a branding wakeup call. This might hurt especially if you have recently succumbed to worship of the brand. Remember, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" in the movie The Wizard of OZ. I'm ripping back the curtain. You might not like what you see. But it might save your business. I'm urging you, "Pay attention to the man behind the curtain."
Read the rest of The Branding Fallacy




Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini


Harry Houdini died in 1926 - more than 80 years ago. Yet he is still remembered as the greatest escape artist of all time. Even David Copperfield doesn't come close in terms of brand and name recognition. That is the power of personal branding. Build a solid personal brand and it catapults you to success. Build a really good personal brand and it survives your death. Will your brand survive 80 years after your death? More importantly, will your personal brand help you while you are alive?
Read the rest of Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini




BRANDING : 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers


Consider these important questions about branding and the brutally honest answers that could help you sell more and save you lots of money that is typically wasted on branding. If you sell yourself as a branding expert - you might not like these answers. These are frank answers that demystify branding.
Read the rest of BRANDING : 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers




Branding Lessons from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer

What can a growing business learn about branding from Genghis Khan? He united and ruled Mongolia. Genghis is known as a strong ruler and conqueror. Some might call him cruel and vicious. But he is remembered as a strong, memorable and effective leader.
Genghis Khan provides powerful lessons for business on branding. Consider this branding challenge. Many countries, geographic regions and cultures are looking for creative ways to develop their tourism industry. How can developing countries develop their brand?
What can you do if you are Mongolia, a country that suffered almost 70 years of Soviet communism? (The Russians hated the Mongols.)
Play word association with the word "Mongolia" and you might reply with "Mongols" which would lead you to "Genghis Khan"; then you might run out of words. This is the challenge that Mongolia was facing.
Read the rest of Branding Lessons from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer




Is There a Brand in Your Stand?


Watch out for the branding gurus. Beware of the branding police who focus only on images of brand. Fire the branding consultants who feel qualified to tell you what your brand should be. Ignore the branding zealots who proclaim "brand or die".
Good, now that we have frightened off the undesirables let's address some fundamental questions about branding and offer you some probing questions to consider. That first paragraph demonstrates the three rules of creative positioning as explained below.
Should you have a brand?

Maybe. It depends on the goals of your business. You need to ask yourself some questions. Will the brand give you the return on your investment? Will you invest the resources to claim and sustain the brand?
Read the rest of Is There a Brand in Your Stand?


George Torok
Marketing Keynote Speaker
More Marketing Articles

In case you missed them or would like a refresher here are the top marketing articles that I published this past year.


Viral Marketing


Viral Marketing is so powerful because it is like a train building up speed. Once it is moving you can't stop it without derailing the train. It takes a lot of steam to get the train moving. And it is difficult to stop. The train will almost always follow the tracks. You never really know for sure where your viral marketing campaign might lead.

Viral marketing is well named because, when done right, it spreads like a virus. The term viral marketing might be too graphic for some because it brings to mind the viral spread of disease such as the bubonic plague, typhoid, and AIDS. Read the rest of Viral Marketing



Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya

My first visit to Mexico was to Acapulco on the Pacific coast. It was the seventies, disco was king and Acapulco was the singles' hotspot.

A decade later I visited Puerto Vallarta, also on the Pacific coast for a more relaxed vacation.

Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula started to gain popularity because of the sandy beaches, warm water scuba diving and proximity to Mayan temples.

Mexico as a winter escape vacation has long attracted northerners - especially Canadians. But it has always had lots of competition from the rest of the Caribbean and even the Southern USA.
Read the rest of Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya




Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance

The most important marketing question that you need to address in your business is "What position do you want to hold - in the market and in the minds of your clients?"

Why is that question so important to you?

The answer to that question will clarify your strategy and direction. And that answer will answer a lot of other distracting questions quickly.

This is a tough question. That's why many business owners don't address it. Think about the significance of that. If most aren't addressing this fundamental question about their business then there is a huge opportunity for you if you are willing to do the heavy lifting.
Read the rest of Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance




Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories


Results sell. The purpose of marketing is to make it easier to sell and nothing sells like results. To capture attention and convert more prospects into eager buyers with your marketing - lead with success stories.

Feature success stories in your advertising, on your website, in your sales calls, and in your networking. Include them on every marketing channel.

This approach is even more important during challenging times. If your clients and prospects are hoarding their money you need to attract their attention and their money with success stories.
Read the rest of Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories




Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy


Conflict sells. If you want to be noticed fight a powerful and evil enemy. Who or what are you fighting? While planning your marketing strategy pick an enemy. The tougher, the meaner, the more disgusting your enemy - the better for you. That positions you as the hero.

"You complete me"

The Joker taunted Batman with that phrase in the movie The Dark Knight. The public image of both Batman and the Joker were stronger because of their conflict. A champion needs a formidable villain and vice versa.

The marketing lesson from that is that the public defines you by your competition. If you are not well known maybe you need to pick a tougher enemy.
Read the rest of Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy



George Torok

Marketing Keynote Speaker

First World Advertisement Forum - keynote marketing speaker, George Torok, points out the marketing lessons from great artists, Van Gogh and Picasso. Video Clip.




Market like Picasso - not like Van Gogh. George Torok delivering keynote marketing speech at the First World Advertisement Forum.

More videos from George Torok at YouTube

Are They Pigs?


This is not about passing judgement. This is about having a clear picture of your best customers. Who are they? What do they look like? What are their values? What makes them laugh? What annoys them?

How can you package your product to fit their values?

For example:





If they are pigs you might rave about the latest fart app. You might have it on your phone. You might review the top ten.



Consider that one of the biggest selling iPhone apps is a fart app. For $0.99 you can make your iPhone make a fart noise. Disgusting to some but shear joy to pigs. If your customers are pigs, they will love the fart app. It's selling over 10,000 downloads a day.

I guess that I'm a prude because I would not want that on my smart phone - and I would never have thought of that as a product.

Read more here:
http://venturebeat.com/2008/12/23/iphone-fart-app-pulls-in-nearly-10000-a-day/

Go ahead - pull my finger.


George Torok

Marketing Expert & Speaker

This Starwood Sheraton Hotel Survey Sucks

Customer surveys are a good idea - but good ideas can be messed up by poor implementation. Here is an example of a customer survey that only served to annoy me as the customer of Sheraton Starwood Hotels.

The first rule of surveys is to be clear on your purpose. For example: are you conducting your customer survey to fix problems, discover opportunities, gather performance stats for marketing - or justify a manager's bonus?

The second rule of surveys is to see it from the customer's point of view.

After my stay at a Sheraton Hotel in Montreal I received the following request by email to complete a customer survey.

When you ask your customers to complete a survey - remember that they are doing it for you. So it would help your cause if you were warm, friendly, respectful and offered a reward for their time and perspective.

When I received the survey request from Sheraton Starwood Hotels - I deleted the first email because it seemed cold, demanding and all about them. And they offered me nothing as a reward for my time and opinion.

Then I received the second email as below. It was no warmer nor convincing to me. But this time I clicked and completed the survey - not because they did a better job of inviting me - but because I wanted to discover if it got any better. It did not. In my opinion, the Starwood Sheraton Hotel customer survey sucks.


----------------------------


Dear GEORGE TOROK,

We recently sent you an e-mail inviting you to participate in an on-line survey about your stay at at Le Centre Sheraton ending on May 5, 2009. If you have not yet completed the survey, I want to let you know it is not too late to participate. We would like to again take this opportunity to personally thank you for your continued patronage. As you may already know, Sheraton Hotels And Resorts is part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts family of brands (Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W Hotels, S t. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element). As a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Preferred member, you are a highly valued guest and we appreciate your loyalty and feedback enormously.

---
Notice the tone of how this first paragraph starts, "We did something and you haven't completed your part." The thank you gets lost after they chastised me for "not yet completing". And then there are several lines about them - they list their hotel brands. Why? Would that convince me to complete their survey?
---

We would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to complete a brief survey regarding your most recent stay. This is important to our company, hotels and our brands that use this information worldwide to continuously improve our guest's experience and, most importantly, how to meet and exceed your expectations in the future. TNS has been retained to conduct this survey on behalf of Starwood.

---
This paragraph is all about them. Why would I care? They still have placed no value on my time. They simply demand it.
---

At your convenience, please take some time to complete the survey. To complete the survey online, simply click on this link:xxxx or copy and paste the link into the address line of your browser. If you have any difficulty accessing the survey, please send an email message to starwood@tns-global.com.

The survey itself will take only about 10 minutes of your time. If you are being prompted for a validation code after clicking on the link, please copy and paste the following into the field:

---
Ten minutes of my time - that's all they want. Don't they realize that if I can afford to stay at a Sheraton or Starwood Hotel that I place a high value on my time?
---

By providing this information you authorize Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and its affiliated and subsidiary companies, (the "Starwood Group"): to collect, process and use the data provided for any lawful, Starwood Group business related purpose; to store the data at and transmit the data to various location(s), either directly or through its third party vendor(s), as the Starwood Group deems appropriate, throughout the world, whether within your country of residence, the United States, or elsewhere. To learn about our data collection and usage practices, please see our Privacy Statement:

---
The lawyers got to have their say to earn their pay.
---

We appreciate your business and thank you for staying at a Starwood hotel. We hope that you will visit other Starwood hotels and resorts in the near future.

---
About time that they thanked me. Where's my prize? If they really appreciated me and my business they could demonstrate that with a gift.
---

Sincerely,
Denise Coll
President,
North America Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide


---
So how do I get my 10 minutes of the president's time? She implied that ten minutes of my time was worth nothing.

It;s been at least a week since I "completed" the Starwood Hotel Survey and I have not received a thank you, acknowledgement or offer of a reward.

The service at the Sheraton was pretty good with a couple exceptions and the Starwood customer service survey sucks.

---

George Torok

What a Difference a Decade makes to Marketing


Imagine that you could continue to market successfully the same way for ten years. Do you like that thought? Well delete that daydream because it just isn't so. Welcome to marketing 2008. It's more threatening, more promising and more exciting. Buckle your seatbelt, take your motion sickness pill and be prepared to be amazing. Because that is what you need to compete today.


Still the Same

Of course some things remained the same. Let's establish our foundation before we venture into the swirl of the Time Tunnel.


The fundamentals are the same. That's what makes them fundamentals. Marketing is still closely intertwined with selling and the purpose of marketing is to help you sell more. Marketing and selling are both strategies to help you make a profit. In fact marketing was and is a fundamental responsibility running through every function of your business.

Read the rest of What a Difference a Decade Makes to Marketing


PS: This article was originally published in the January 2008 10th anniversary issue of Enterprise Magazine.

George Torok
Power Marketing

Stop Wasting your money on branding and start building profitable relationships


Listen in to my interview on PR 101 Radio as host, Erica Taylor, interviews me on the above topic. If you are wrestling with branding - you better listen. Could save you alot of money and agravation. Listen live and ask your questions.


When?

Live Wednesday Sept 24
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm PDT (California time)
Special Guest - George Torok


What is PR 101 Radio?

PR 101 Radio - Marketing Advice for Small Business is the world’s first live, call-in advice show providing insight into Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising.PR 101 Radio's Mission is to provide small- and medium-sized businesses (those with under 500 employees) and entrepreneurs expert knowledge and education about how to more effectively market their businesses and avoid costly pitfalls along the way.


Where Can I Listen to PR 101 Radio?

PR 101 Radio - Marketing Advice for Small Business airs weekly each Wednesday from 12pm-1pm PST. The program can be heard on:

wsRadio.com
iTunes Radio
Windows Media Player


The show anticipates drawing an initial combined weekly audience of a quarter million. The program is targeted to an educated audience of small- and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs.


Who Hosts PR 101 Radio?

PR 101 Radio - Marketing Advice for Small Business is hosted by Erika M. Taylor, CEO/Chief Publicist for the award-winning PR Agency, Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc. Taylor enjoyed an 18-year on-air career in the San Francisco Bay Area before transitioning to the Public Relations industry. She brings a unique insider perspective to working with the press, launching and marketing a business.

-------------

George Torok
Marketing Expert & Author
Canadian Business Speaker

Meatball Sundae

That's what Seth Godin called it. Mixing things together that really don't go together.





Mixing ideas is a creative approach to marketing. But some things just don't belong in the same dish.

Marketing Blog Milestone: Post 251

Celebrate your milestones - that's good marketing. Reaching significant milestones in your business speaks to your credibility, stability and persistence. All those things scream lasting value.

This marketing blog has surpassed blog post number 250. This is post number 251.

Let's review some of the best and significant posts over the past two and 1/2 years:


1. It started with a confession and epiphany in January 2006.

Post Alpha - a new marketing blog
Just recently I remarked to a friend that, "Blogs are for hobbyists and dabblers. Serious business people don't have blogs. They have real websites."So here I am starting my own blog. Why?


2. A new marketing term is revealed and defined.

Barketing Defined
A few posts ago on this blog I introduced the term “Barketing”. Since then some of you have expressed an interest in that term and asked for further clarification. Where did the term originate? Right here on this blog. This is the first time in public.


3. An example of using controversy as a marketing tool.

Christian Crusaders want to discuss DaVinci
That headline in the Globe and Mail (May 19, 2006) caught my attention. Why? Because with the reported religious controversy over the movie, The DaVinci Code, this sounded like a different approach. And that statement is a positive one.


4. Lessons to make blogging easier.

How to Create Content for your Blog
The keys to a successful blog are: relevance, frequent updates and practicality. How can you create the content for your blog? Here are a few examples:


5. The best branding example I've seen.

Branding: Death Cigarettes
I heard the best yet “How to create your Brand” story on this podcast with UK entrepreneur BJ Cunnigham.BJ created a company called The Enlightened Tobacco Company in 1991, selling a cigarette called “Death Cigarettes”. It was presented in a black package emblazoned with a white skull-and-crossbones logo. Just imagine how this might appeal to the rebels.


6. A good example of bad marketing.

Travelodge Hotel Accuses You
At the Travelodge Hotel You Are Guilty Till Proven Innocent. At the Travelodge Hotel, (Burlington on the Lake) you are guilty till proven innocent. How’s that for customer service? How’s that for marketing?


7. The power of controversy and how it stimulates viral marketing.

Flick off!
How do you create a powerful viral marketing campaign? Clearly identify and know your target market. Really know them – what they do, where they go, how they think, what motivates them, how to grab their attention and how to speak their language. (How much of that do you know about your target market?)



8. A branding genius in the buff.

Richard Branson has Chahones
Richard Branson has ChahonesRichard Branson has chahones and he likes to show them off. Here he is running nude in the waves. Sir Richard thrives on challenge and controversy. He is the billionaire that has retained or reclaimed the boldness and brashness of a teenager. (How many boomers remember streaking?)


9. Example of partnering with a movie for cross promotion

Iron Man - the latest movie from Marvel Comics
Watch the trailer. It looks sharp. Looks like Marvel has successfully made the transition from comic book producer to movie producer. Several Marvel Comics have been transformed into movies but this is the first movie that Marvel had produced since they decided that they could do it themselves. (It's always enlightening to watch a child grow up.) Can you guess the name of the theme song for the Iron Man movie? Hint: The band is Black Sabbath.


10. Wake up call for small business - stop wasting your money on branding!

Forget branding, invest in relations
George Torok, Financial Post Published: Monday, May 12, 2008
The majority of business owners could be headed for disaster this year. Small business does best when it acts like small business. It does poorly when it blindly attempts to copy big business.The results of an Ipsos-Reid poll in March, 2008, should scare you. It found "a majority (59%) of small to medium-sized business owners have identified branding as a top priority."

----------------

George Torok
Marketing Speaker
Business Speaker

George Torok the priest

No, that's not me. But apparently there is a priest named George Torok - same name as me. It's not often that I run into a Torok. It's an unusual name. The origin is Hungarian if you are wondering.

But to hear of another George Torok - now that is extremely rare. I'm the only George in my family. I was named after a George on my mother's side.

So imagine my surpirse to hear of another George Torok. Imagine my further surprise to learn that this George Torok is a Catholic priest. My grandmother would have been so delighted.

I guess that most of us hear of or run into name doubles - especially if your name is Smith or Jones. Occasionaly the antics of your name double can cause you credit or publicity troubles. These days it might get you on a "no-fly list".

Lucky me. This George Torok sounds like a good person with an impressive background. He is recently in the news because he is celebrating 50 years of religious service.

Well, my congrats to George. I'm pleased to share the same name. I hope that you don't mind having the same name as a marketing expert. Actually, I guess that we are both in marketing because marketing is about sending a consistent message with the purpose of influencing people.

Enjoy this clip from The Journal News of New York's Lower Hudson Valley.

---------------------

June 20, 2008
Tappan priest celebrates 50 years of religious service
Hannan Adely
The Journal News

TAPPAN - During five decades as a priest, the Rev. George Torok has traveled the world on Catholic missions, produced documentary and educational films, and served New York parishes.
In 2006, he became a pastor for the first time, taking the helm of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Tappan.

On Sunday, the congregation will celebrate Torok's rich life and service to the Roman Catholic Church during Mass and at a picnic marking the 50th anniversary of his ordination. As that day approaches, Torok said he wanted to focus on the diversity of the parish and the spirit of friendship.

"I want everyone in this community to feel at home and to feel welcome," he said.
The path to priesthood was not easy for Torok, who grew up in Slovakia and was placed in one of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's concentration camps because of his faith. That had a profound impact on him, instilling in him a desire for freedom and democracy.

"When you're persecuted, you begin to pay for your faith and then it comes to you as something very, very precious that you treasure," he said.

At age 19, he escaped by plunging into the frigid Moravia River and fleeing to Austria. He eventually crossed the Alps into Italy, where he studied for the priesthood. He was ordained in a small village in Italy in 1958.

Over the years, Torok has taken on a number of spiritual and professional roles. He was chaplain to an Italian army group that trained to fight in the Alps.

"I celebrated my first Masses on the most beautiful peaks of the Italian Alps, he said. "Snow-covered, it was such a cathedral."

He earned a doctorate in theology and canon law and was an adviser to a bishop of Slovakia when the bishop visited the Vatican. He also participated in the Second Vatican Council, which he called the most exciting and important time in his life.

Torok first came to the United States in 1968, visiting a Slovakian parish in New York City where he joined as a priest later that year. He stayed there until 1982.

While serving that parish, he traveled the world on Catholic relief missions producing and filming documentaries and taking photographs. Through his film work in India, Torok developed a friendship with Mother Teresa.

---------------------------

Read the rest of the article here.

No question, my grandmother would have been delighted.

So if you see news about Rev George Torok - that's not me - that's the other guy.

How did I learn of this other guy? Another benefit of Google Alerts.


George Torok - the unholy one
Marketing Speaker - for your convention or conference
Register for your free marketing tips

Visa Small Business Big Thinking Conference

Perhaps you might think that the words "Visa" and "small business" don’t belong in the same phrase. You might be wrong.

If you are in Montreal on Monday June 4, 2007 stop by the “Small Business Big Thinking” conference organized by Visa. And if you are not planning to be in Montreal maybe you go so you can attend this one-day conference organized by Visa for small business.

You might ask, “What does Visa know about small business?” And that would be a good question. That might be why they have partnered with large and small business to produce this one day conference.

Most prominent on the side of small business experts is Rick Spence, former editor and publisher of Profit magazine. Spence’s presence, savvy and contacts is enough to inject a practical amount of business street-smarts into this conference.

And then there are many other entrepreneurs who just made a pile of money. Maybe you never heard of them. They don’t care; they are still raking in money. And they are willing to tell you some of their secrets – but of course not all. Maybe you should listen up.

My dear friend and mentor, Peter Urs Bender said, “A fool can learn from no one and a wise man can learn from anyone.”

And yes I will be making a special appearance at this Visa Small Business Big Thinking conference. I will be speaking in the Buzz Marketing session at 11:00 am. And I will host a table for the ‘Meet the Pros” luncheon. Call me a fool if you want – but you can learn a lot about marketing from me.

Rick Spence is a valued friend and he invited me at the last minute so I checked my calendar and agreed to be there. Besides, Montreal is a beautiful city and entrepreneurs need all the help they can get.

See you in Montreal at the Visa “Small Business Big Thinking” conference on Monday June 4, 2007.

George Torok
Marketing Specialist
Motivational Speaker
Publisher of over 300 business articles

Learn more about the Small Busines Big Thinking conference in Montreal

Flick off!

How do you create a powerful viral marketing campaign?

Clearly identify and know your target market.
Really know them – what they do, where they go, how they think, what motivates them, how to grab their attention and how to speak their language. (How much of that do you know about your target market?)

That’s a lot of research and most marketers can’t be bothered and most business owners don’t want to invest the money to do that. But when you do the success of your marketing efforts is almost guaranteed. (Sun Tse, the ancient Chinese philosopher said “All battles are won before they are fought.)

So if your market was teens and 20-somethings, how would you approach them?


Be clear on your message.
You want them to reduce energy usage. You want them to start by turning off lights. Long term you want them to become more environmentally aware and responsible.

Simple message but tough sell.


Be clear on the motivation.
We have ten years before global warming becomes disastrous.

Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before: how can I make a difference?


Create a memorable slogan.
Flick off. Wait a minute. Doesn’t that look and sound a lot like f…. off?

Yes, it does and that is the brilliance in the slogan. Flick off is a harmless yet suggestive phrase that could become a new catch phrase – the secret of viral marketing. Flick off speaks the language of this target group. It is memorable. It is provocative – the best way to be both viral and memorable.

Flick off is powerful branding because it is controversial, and a good brand fans the flames of controversy. Read earlier posts about branding principles and the example of Death Cigarettes.


Pick strategic partners.
So if your market is teens and 20-somethings, who do you think would make great business partners? How about Virgin Mobile, (Sir Richard Branson), Roots and Much Music?

Richard Branson becomes the celebrity spokesperson, Roots sells T shirts emblazoned with the edgy slogan and Much Music TV personalities trumpet the message.

Flick off you say?

Yeah, hard to imagine. But that would be a powerful marketing campaign. Well, it is real and it was launched this week in Canada. Imagine that - a bold new marketing campaign to help our dear planet earth started here in Canada. Only in Canada you say - pity!

Flick off. It’s official. The marketing campaign to save us from Global Warming is alive and well in Canada.

The partners in this program are Virgin Mobile, MuchMusic, Roots, Environmental Defence and the province of Ontario. (My kudos to the provincial government for their willingness to invest in such a bold and controversial program.)


Flick Off Summary
For teens and 20-somethings, Flick off, be more energy-responsible.
For older folks bothered by the language – get real and think about the big picture.
For business owners and marketers - a practical marketing lesson.


Sounds like a win all around. Please flick off.


George Torok
Power Marketing

Blockbuster Video & Customer Deception

No more late fees. What does that really mean?

I enjoy a movie that keeps me guessing – one with a twist or a few. Recent movies that I enjoyed while they deceived me were "The Prestige" and "The Illusionist". Older movies that engaged and fooled me include "Sixth Sense", "Memento" and "Sleuth".

These movies were much more that a “who-done-it?”

These movies led you down a path – you think you know the rules and where you are going. Then it hits you with a redefinition of the rules and where you are going. When a good movie does that to you – you feel entertained. You laugh at your willingness to be deceived. You even marvel at how they did that.

In a movie and a magic act – deception is entertaining, expected and acceptable.

In business deception is none of those things. In business deception is akin to lying, cheating and stealing. So why is Blockbuster Video lying, cheating and stealing?

Blockbuster Video displays signs claiming “No more late fees.” What does “No more late fees” mean to you?

Ah – you think it means “You don’t pay if you are late returning a rented movie.”
A reasonable assumption. The implication of “no more late fees” is don’t worry about returning the rented video late – because we won’t charge you.” That is implied and a reasonable assumption – but that is not the reality.

If that is what you assumed – you were wrong. Blockbuster Video simply changed the definition regarding “late fees” You no longer pay late fees – you now pay a “purchase fee” or a “restocking fee”. But no more late fees.

You still pay when you are late – they just don’t call it “late fees” They called it something else. So in their book – no more late fees. Clever, deceptive and akin to lying, cheating and stealing. That could make for a great movie – but not for a good business relationship.

One of the purposes of your marketing is to build relationships. Good relationships are built on trust. A fee by any other name is still a fee. You don’t build relationships by being deceptive.

Enjoy the movie – but don’t trust Blockbuster Video. And don’t be late – you will pay.

George Torok
Co-author of "Secrets of Power Marketing"

Over 100 Posts on this blog.

We passed the 100 post mark a few weeks ago on this blog.

Lots of good marketing tips, insights and and controversy on this blog.

For example:

Post Alpha
My startling realization about blogs


Happy Ground Hog Day
Why Ground hog day can be more important to you than Christmas.


Blue Man Group
The powerful marketing lesson from the Blue Man Group


Barketing
Why you must avoid Barketing.


Night Light Marketing
The amazing marketing lesson from your night light.


Dog Days of Summer
Marketing Idea from the dog days of summer


Unfair - no fair
The importance of being unfair in your marketing



Marketing review from George Torok Marketing blog

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Market your strengths

When you are not number one, what do you say?

When you are not the best then don’t compare your weakness to the best. Instead compare your weakness to those who are worst.

I saw a good example of this in my Visa Card statement. The notice promoted the attractiveness of their 18.5% interest rate. The audacity and boldness of this intrigued me. When the prime interest rate is somewhere around 3%, how could anyone find 18.5% interest rate attractive? And how could Visa justify this high interest rate when this is the same rate they charged in the years of high interest rates?

Visa does not have the best interest rates for a loan. The reality is that credit cards have never been the first place you might go for a loan based on the cost. What they offer is convenience to get an instant loan. And when you compare the alternative – using a store credit card – Visa is a better choice. Why? Because the store credit cards charge 28.8% interest. And even store credit cards are better than the companies who give you an advance on your pay check or a pawn shop. And then there are the loan sharks.

So that is what Visa does. They play to their strength (convenience) not their weakness (high interest rate). Remember Visa is better than borrowing money from Tony Soprano.

Play to your strengths – and don’t mess with the Sopranos.

George Torok
Co-author of the national bestseller "Secrets of Power Marketing"