Marketing 4th Edition by Alexander Hiam Marketing For Dummies®, 4th Edition Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS THE ADVISE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPROPRIATE NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002 For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com Library of Congress Control Number: 2013957976 ISBN 978-1-118-88080-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-88090-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-88065-4 (ebk) Manufactured in the United States of America 10 Contents at a Glance Introduction Part I: Getting Started with Marketing Chapter 1: Optimizing Your Marketing Program Chapter 2: Strengthening Your Marketing Strategy 23 Chapter 3: Writing a Marketing Plan 39 Part II: Leveraging Your Marketing Skills 63 Chapter 4: Researching Your Customers, Competitors, and Industry 65 Chapter 5: Engaging Your Marketing Imagination 85 Chapter 6: Pumping Up Your Marketing Communications 105 Part III: Advertising for Fun and Profit 123 Chapter 7: Perfecting Your Printed Materials 125 Chapter 8: Signing On to Outdoor Advertising 147 Chapter 9: Broadcasting Your Message 167 Part IV: Finding Powerful Alternatives to Advertising 183 Chapter 10: Maximizing Your Web Marketing 185 Chapter 11: Making a Positive Impression in Low-Cost Ways 209 Chapter 12: Leveraging Face-to-Face Marketing Opportunities 225 Chapter 13: Going Direct with Your Marketing 239 Part V: Selling Great Products to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere 261 Chapter 14: Making Your Brand Stand Out 263 Chapter 15: Finding the Right Pricing Approach 283 Chapter 16: Distributing Your Product Where Your Customers Are 303 Chapter 17: Succeeding in Sales and Service 319 Part VI: The Part of Tens 339 Chapter 18: Ten Common Marketing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 341 Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Boosting Web Sales 347 Index 351 Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part I: Getting Started with Marketing Chapter 1: Optimizing Your Marketing Program Know Yourself, Know Your Customer Asking the right question Filling the awareness gap 10 Focusing on your target customer 11 Identifying and playing up your strengths 12 Discovering the best way to find customers 12 Finding Your Marketing Formula 15 Analyzing your Five Ps 15 Refining your list of possibilities 17 Avoiding the pricing trap 18 Controlling Your Marketing Program 18 Refining Your Marketing Expectations 20 Projecting improvements above base sales 20 Preparing for (ultimately successful) failures 20 Revealing More Ways to Maximize Your Marketing Impact 21 Chapter 2: Strengthening Your Marketing Strategy 23 Finding and Riding a Growth Wave 23 Measuring the growth rate of your market 24 Responding to a flat or shrinking market 24 Growing with a Market Expansion Strategy 25 Offering more products 25 Riding a bestseller to the top 26 Specializing with a Market Segmentation Strategy 27 Gauging whether specializing is a good move 28 Adding a segment to expand your market 28 Developing a Market Share Strategy 29 Choosing a unit 29 Estimating market share 29 vi Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition Understanding where your product fits in the market 30 Knowing your competitors 32 Studying market trends and revising if need be 32 Designing a Positioning Strategy 33 Envisioning your position: An exercise in observation and creativity 33 Writing a positioning strategy: The how-to 34 Considering Other Core Strategies 35 Simplicity marketing 35 Quality strategies 35 Reminder strategies 36 Innovative distribution strategies 36 Selling Innovative Products 37 Writing Down and Regularly Reviewing Your Strategy 37 Chapter 3: Writing a Marketing Plan 39 Grasping the Value of the Marketing Plan 39 Reviewing the Contents of a Good Plan 41 Starting with baby steps 42 Maximizing efficiencies 42 Understanding the Do’s and Don’ts of Planning 43 Don’t ignore the details 43 Don’t imitate the competitors 43 Do find your own formulas for success 44 Don’t feel confined by last period’s budget and plan 44 Don’t engage in unnecessary spending 44 Do break down your plan into simple subplans 45 Writing a Powerful Executive Summary 46 Preparing a Situation Analysis 47 Knowing what to include in your analysis 47 Being prepared for economic cycles 48 Taking stock with a competitor analysis table 49 Explaining your marketing strategy 51 Clarifying and Quantifying Your Objectives 51 Think about the limitations in your resources 52 Don’t expect to make huge changes in customer behavior 53 Summarizing Your Marketing Program 54 Exploring Your Program’s Details 57 Managing Your Marketing Program 57 Projecting Expenses and Revenues 58 Buildup forecasts 59 Indicator forecasts 59 Multiple scenario forecasts 59 Time-period forecasts 60 Creating Your Controls 61 Table of Contents Part II: Leveraging Your Marketing Skills 63 Chapter 4: Researching Your Customers, Competitors, and Industry 65 Knowing When and Why to Do Research 65 Researching to find better ideas 66 Researching to make better decisions 67 Researching to understand love and hate 68 Asking Really Good Questions 70 Paying Wisely for Market Research 72 Researching the Low-Cost (Or Free!) Way 73 Observing your customers 73 Asking customers questions 74 Posing your questions 75 Considering some sample questions 75 Comparing your approach to that of your competitors 77 Creating a customer profile 77 Entertaining customers to get their input 78 Using e-mail to do one-question surveys 78 Surfing government databases 79 Establishing a trend report 79 Analyzing competitors’ collateral 80 Researching your strengths 80 Probing your customer records 81 Testing your marketing materials 81 Interviewing defectors 82 Asking kids about trends 82 Creating custom web analytics 83 Riding a Rising Tide with Demographics 83 Chapter 5: Engaging Your Marketing Imagination 85 Turning the Tide with Creativity 85 Conducting a creativity audit 86 Changing (almost) everything 87 Applying Your Creativity 88 Writing a creative brief 89 Including creativity in product development 91 Considering creativity and brand presentation 92 Generating Rich Ideas 94 Coming up with new ideas from simple activities 95 Making creativity a group activity 97 Managing the Creative Process 101 Tapping Highly Creative Contributors 103 Are you really a creative genius? 103 How you tap into those crazy creatives when you need them? 104 vii viii Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition Chapter 6: Pumping Up Your Marketing Communications 105 Pursuing Your Communication Priorities 105 Achieving high frequency without sacrificing quality 106 Being clear 108 Being consistent 110 Adding stopping power to catch the customer’s eye 111 Being as persuasive as possible 114 Checking the accuracy of your communications 115 Communicating to the Entire Brain 116 Exploring Four Strategies for Boosting Your Communications’ Appeal 117 Pull Power: Building Customer Traffic 118 Tightening Your Writing 119 Creating Great Visuals 120 Embracing hierarchy in design 121 Relying on experience to avoid homemade design disaster 122 Part III: Advertising for Fun and Profit 123 Chapter 7: Perfecting Your Printed Materials 125 Designing Printed Marketing Materials 126 Including the eight necessary parts 126 Putting the parts together: Design and layout 127 Going with a professional designer 128 Crowdsourcing designers through contests 129 Doing the design on your own 130 Finding your font 131 Bringing it all together in a perfect flow 136 Producing Quality, Effective Brochures 137 Knowing the purpose of your brochure 137 Laying out and producing your print brochure 139 Publishing an e-brochure 141 Placing a Print Ad 142 Determining whether you can afford an ad 143 Finding inexpensive places to advertise 143 Selecting the ad size 144 Testing and improving your print ad 145 Chapter 8: Signing On to Outdoor Advertising 147 Heading Back to Basics: The Essential Sign 147 Knowing what your sign can 148 Finding reputable sign producers 148 Writing good signs 149 Researching the regulatory constraints before posting a sign 151 Index identity tree (for branding), 265 IKEA brand, 92, 94 image, importance of, image strategy, 117–118 images, creating great ones, 120–121 impact as the difference between good and poor marketing communications, 105 tiers of marketing program activities, 14 ways to maximize yours, 21–22 impact scenario, 222 index of leading economic indicators, 49 indicator forecasts, 59 indifference zone (in pricing), 288, 289 indirect marketing channel, 309 indirect-action advertising, 169 Industrial Audio Software, 171 influence points, 15 information strategy, 118 informational sign, 150 information/content, value of giving away, 107 innovative distribution strategies, 36–37 Instagram, 66, 74, 107 in-store audio advertising, 170 Intel brand, 93 intensive distribution strategy, 304 interactive display ads (web marketing), 204 Interbrand, 93 intermediaries (product distribution), 308–309 International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), 307 International Customer Service Association, 256 International Events Group (IEG), 228 International Foodservice Distributors Association, 307 Internet Ad Brokers, 199 Internet service provider (ISP), 189 InVideo advertising, 182 iPhone ads, 100 iReach, 220 iStock, 192 iTunes, 171 •J• JIAN’s Marketing Plan Builder, 40, 51 John Deere brand, 338 junior poster (outdoor advertising), 152, 153 •K• Karlins, David (author) Building Websites All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition, 190 Kaywa, 108 Kellogg Brush Company, 276 key-term advertising, 202 keyword spamming, 306 kids, asking kids about trends, 82 KidzEyes, 72 Kraft Foods, 274 •L• landing page (of website), 145, 198–199, 242 Lands’ End Business Outfitters, 224 Layar, 318 layout of brochures, 139–141 of printed materials, 127–128 lead capture page, 198 lead generation (sales), 326–329 leading (in printed materials), 134 LED billboards, 152 legalities selling/fundraising under guise of conducting research, 329 with special offers, 294, 300–302 of telemarketing techniques, 259 trade secrecy laws, 280 legs (on video), 201 lessons learned, 41 Levi Strauss & Co (Levi’s), 248 Liberation brand of fonts, 136 licenses (for using others’ ideas), 279 limit pricing, 301 limited-line retailing strategy, 313 LinkedIn, 74, 221 357 358 Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition list price, 283, 286, 299–300 Listen Up option (Constant Contact), 72 Live365, 171 LivePlan (PaloAlto Software), 40 location-based media, 156–157 Logo Design Guru, 130 LogoArena, 129–130 logogarden.com, 130 logomaker.com, 130 logos, 92, 93, 94, 130, 264–267, 268–269, 274 look and feel of communications, 22 L’Oreal Group, 176 Los Angeles Times, 221 Lumina, 273 LXR Marketplace, 79 Lynden International, 328 •M• magazines, 219, 232, 241, 338 magnetic signs, 159 mailing lists (for direct mail), 253 market expansion, 25–26 market research, 71, 72 market segmentation strategy, 27, 28 market share, 29–30 market share strategy, 29–33 market trends, 32 marketing See also specific topics as best approached as hands-off endeavor, defined, fragmentation of current field, marketing communications adding stopping power to, 111–114 avoiding homemade design disasters, 122 being as persuasive as possible, 114–115 checking accuracy of, 115 clarity of, 108–110 communicating to entire brain, 116–117 consistency of, 110–111 creating great visuals, 120–121 embracing hierarchy in design, 121 printed materials See printed materials priorities, 105–115 pull power, 118–119 pumping up, 105–122 strategies for boosting appeal of, 117–118 tightening writing of, 119–120 marketing communications audit, 105–106 marketing databases, computerized, 246 marketing formula, 15–18 Marketing Grader (HubSpot), 80 marketing imagination applying creativity, 88–94 defined, generating rich ideas, 94–101 managing creative process, 101–102 tapping highly creative contributors, 103–104 turning tide with creativity, 85–88 Marketing Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition (Hiam), 95, 122, 139 marketing materials, testing of, 81–82 marketing mistakes, 341–345 marketing objectives, 51–53 marketing plan being prepared for economic cycles, 48–49 broken down into simple subplans, 45 clarifying/quantifying objectives, 51–54 competitor analysis table, 49–51 contents of good plan, 41–43 creating controls, 61 defined, 15, 39 do’s and don’ts of, 43–45 executive summary, 46–47 as explaining marketing strategy, 51 as exploring program’s details, 57 grasping value of, 39–41 as maximizing efficiencies, 42–43 projecting expenses and revenues, 58–61 situation analysis, 47–51 starting with baby steps, 42 as summarizing marketing program, 54–56 Marketing Plan Builder (JIAN), 40, 51 marketing program action items list, 19 as communicating benefits, controlling yours, 18–19 defined, 2, 7, 54 Index managing, 57–58 summarizing, 54–56 tiers of activities of, 14 marketing pyramid, 14 marketing strategy defined, 15 example, 54 explaining of in marketing plan, 51 finding/riding growth wave, 23–25 innovative distribution strategies, 36 market expansion strategy, 25–27 market segmentation strategy, 27–28 market share strategy, 29–33 positioning strategy, 33–35 quality strategies, 35–36 reminder strategies, 36 riding bestseller to top, 26–27 selling innovative products, 37 simplicity marketing, 35 strengthening yours, 23–38 writing down/reviewing, 37–38 marketing territory, 21 MarketingPilot, 246 MarketPlace (Dun & Bradstreet), 328 Marketplace Business Account (Amazon Payments account), 312 MarketWatch, 221 Maserati brand, e-brochure, 142 mass e-mails, 207 McDonald’s brand, 93 media, new, as low-cost source of prime exposure, 107 media buying, 142 media coverage, tracking, 79 media intelligence, 77 media schedule, 180 MediaPro, 173 MeetMe, Inc., 92 Melior font, 132 memorable experiences, for customers, 22 mental images, 167 Mercedes-Benz ad snafu, 100 merchandising, 312 merchandising strategies, 312–314 META tags (web marketing), 195 microbloggers, as alphas, 213 Microsoft brand, 93, 94 Microsoft Outlook, 246 Microsoft Pages, 130 Microsoft Word, 130 Milken Institute, 49 Millennial Media, 157 mistakes, in marketing, 341–345 mobile devices, using responsive design for, 190 mockups, 129 model2Web, 321 Mono font, 136 morphemes, 273 motivational message, 109 motivational strategy, 118 Mplans, 40 multilevel distribution channel, 287 multiple-scenario forecasts, 59–60 multistep lead-generation process, 328–329 musical performances (face-to-face marketing), 226 My Virtual Salesperson, 321 MyView, 72 MyYearbook.com, 92 •N• NameLab, Inc., 273 navigation (on websites), 191, 193, 194, 195, 197, 350 Net Market, 142 news release, 217 newspapers, coupons in, 295 newswires, 220 nextiva, 188 niche market, 197 Nielsen/Nielsen Media Research, 170, 180 Nike brand, 92, 264 99designs, 130 •O• objectives, marketing, 51–54 odd-even pricing, 291–292 offerpop.com, 212 Old Deerfield, Massachusetts, example of branching brands, 265 old ideas, defined, 279 359 360 Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition Old Standard TT font, 136 100 showing (outdoor advertising), 155–156 online advertising bidding on, 202, 245 compared to print ads, 146 overview, 201–205 online planning tools, 40 Open Sans font, 136 Opinion Outpost, 72 OpinionPlace, 72 opportunities (situation analysis), 48 Optima font, 131, 132 opt-in offers (web marketing), 194 opt-out (web marketing), 207 Orange Soda, 199 outbound telemarketing, 257 outdoor advertising awnings, 163 bags, 158–159 banners, 161–163 basics of, 147–151 bicycles, 163 bumper stickers, 158 bus signs, 165 canopies, 163 carpet/rug graphics, 163 cinema ads, 163 finding reputable sign producers, 148–149 flags, 161–163 formats for, 152–154 fuel pump signs/handle markers, 164 garage-door vinyls, 164 hubcap ads, 164 human statues/pavement artists, 164 inflatables, 164 intelligent locational ads, 156–157 knowing what your sign can do, 148 limitations of, 154 maximizing returns on, 155–156 portable items, 157–159 posters and billboards, 152–156 reexamination rates, 155 regulatory constraints on signs, 151 shelter panels, 164 shopping center/kiosk signs, 164 sports stadium signage, 164 on transit systems, 164–165 T-shirts, 157–158 umbrellas, 159 vehicles, 159–161 writing good signs, 149–151 out-of-the-box thinking, 98 •P• PaidViewpoint, 72 PaloAlto Software, 40 Pandora, 171 panel (in market research), 72 Panelpolis, 72 parallel distribution channels, 305 parallel pricing, 301 pass-along, 100–101 patents, 279 Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks For Dummies (Charmasson), 276 patents.uspto.gov, 188 Path, finding potential readers from, 221 PayPal Media Network, 156 pay-per-click search ads, 201–202 people, as one of Five Ps, 17 personal blogs, 199 personal selling, 319–320 personality dimensions, 103 personality traits (of brand), 271–272 PewResearch, 83 Phan, Michelle (marketing success story), 176 philanthropy (face-to-face marketing), 226 phone, drumming up business by, 257–260 photos importance of right backdrop for product shots, 348 importance of well-lit product photos, 347 sources for stock photography, 192 pickup (coverage in media), 214, 217, 218, 219 piggybacking messages, 107 Pinterest, 66, 77, 107, 200, 211 placement, as one of Five Ps, 16 planning platforms, Smartsheet, 40 planograms (product distribution), 310 Index Podcast Alley, 171 podcasts, 170–171 Podtrac, 170 point of purchase (POP), 36, 281, 316–317 Point of Purchase Advertising International, 316 point size (of font), 135 PollDaddy, 72 Popcode, 318 pop-under ads (web marketing), 204 positioning (of product), 317 positioning statement, 34 positioning strategy, 33–35, 108 positive, caring attitude, importance of, 22 postcards, for customer mailings, 108 posters (outdoor advertising), 152–156 post-testing (of ad), 146 power words, cautions with use of, 114 PowerSeller status (eBay), 306 PR firms, 214, 220 PR Newswire, 79, 220, 221 predatory pricing, 301 premium items/premiums, 209, 221–224, 236–237, 242, 294, 299 press releases, 214, 217–219 prestige pricing, 299 pretesting (of ad), 145 PreTesting Group, 145 price, as one of Five Ps, 16 price fixing, 300–301 price lining/price lining strategy, 292, 299 price sensitivity, 285 price signaling, 301 price squeezes, 301 price switchers, 300 price wars, 290 PriceGrabber, 348 price-oriented messages, 108 pricing competitive, 292–293 customers’ preferred prices, 288, 289, 290 defining price range, 288 finding profits without raising prices, 285–286 finding right approach to, 283–302 impact of on customers’ purchases, 285 indifference zone, 288, 289 odd-even, 291–292 opportunities and constraints, 283–286 positioning your store on price, 315 prestige, 299 process of, 286–293 psychology of, 291 raising price and selling more, 284 secondary influences on, 290 setting/changing list price, 286–293 special offers, 294–300 underpricing, 284 pricing trap, 18 print advertising benchmarking of, 77 cooperative (co-op) advertising, 296 determining whether you can afford, 143 do’s and don’ts when creating, 112–113 finding inexpensive places for, 143–144 local options for, 22, 119 in magazines, 241 placing, 142–146 selecting size of, 144–145 testing/improving, 145–146 printed materials ads, 135, 142–146 See also print advertising brochures, 137–142 designers, 128–130 designing, 126–137 eight necessary parts of, 126–127, 128 flow of, 136–137 font, 131–136 layout, 127–128 perfecting yours, 125–146 privacy, respect for with web marketing, 208 private domain registration, 188 product defined, distribution of See product distribution ideas for new ones, 279–280 introducing new one, 278–280 offering more, 25–26 as one of Five Ps, 16 selling innovative products, 37 significant difference strategy, 280 strengthening existing one, 277–278 upgrading existing one, 281–282 361 362 Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition product category, 30 product demonstrations, 13, 237 product development, 91–92, 277–282 Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), 280 product distribution, 304–305, 307–317 product line, 274–277 the product life cycle, 37 professional association meetings, 13 professional blogs, 199 program budget, example, 56 promotion, as one of Five Ps, 16–17 Proof Eyewear, 52 Prophet, 246 protection, of product line and brand, 276–277 public events, 231–232 public relations (PR), 214 publicists, 214 publicity communicating story to media, 217–219 defined, 209 finding the hook, 216–217 going directly to readers with blog, 221 good stories for, 215–216 sending press releases to website editors and bloggers, 219–220 using of to your advantage, 214–221 video releases and wire services, 220–221 pull advertising, 310 pull power, 118–119, 310 pull rate (ad response), 241 pulses, defined, 60 •Q• Q2 Insights, 145 qualifying sales leads, 310, 326 quality/quantity (of marketing communications), 106–107 question brainstorming, 98–99 quick response (QR) codes, 108, 119, 159, 171, 182, 194, 317, 350 Quicklist, 197 quiet dignity strategy (of communicating), 115 •R• rack jobbers, 287 radio ads, 168–172 rate sheet (for ads), 143 rating points, 180 reach (new exposures), 180 readable designs, 134 Readex Research, 145 recruitment (web marketing), 194 Red Hat, Inc., 136 redemption rates, 297 reexamination rates (outdoor advertising), 155 reference landing page, 198 referrals, 13, 21 refunds, use of, 294 Register.com, 187, 188, 189 registration (of domain names), 187–188 registration-based site, 192–193 relevance (in special event sponsorship), 230 reminder strategies, 36 remnant TV, 182 RepHunter, 334 reply forms (for direct mail), 251 research on ads, 146 asking good questions, 70 asking other marketers what they do, 14–15 on demographics, 83–84 face to face as well as online, 66 to find better ideas, 66–67 knowing when and why to, 65–70 low-cost or free, 73–83 to make better decisions, 67–68 market research process, 71 paying wisely for market research, 72 to understand love and hate, 68–70 responsive design (websites), 190 retail strategies and tactics, 310–315 retargeting, 157 return mailer, 139 Reuters, 221 reverse font, 131 Index reviews from customers, 32, 81–82 rewriting, as secret of great writing, 120 right of review (restriction), 151 roughs (in design work), 129 run (in ad campaign), 198 •S• Sage, 246 Sahlin, Doug (author) Building Websites All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition, 190 sales conducting multistep lead generation, 328 defined, generating leads, 326–327 as integrated with service, 324–325, 335 making, 324–331 organizing sales force, 331–334 personal selling, 319–320 presentations/consultations, 329–331 process of, 325 service recovery step, 331 succeeding in, 319–338 taking stock of sales skills, 320–324 as ultimate objective of marketing plan, 53 virtual salespeople, 321 sales ability, questionnaire to measure, 322–324 Sales and Marketing Pro software (Mplans), 40 sales calls, as effective marketing practice, 13 sales clichés, cautions with use of, 114 sales copy, 193 sales force, 331–335 sales presentations, 329–331 sales projections, on new products, 26 sales representatives (reps), 332, 333–334 SalesAgentHUB, 334 Samsung brand, 93 Sans font, 136 sans serif typeface, 131, 132, 133 ScanLife, 108 scannable app code, 252, 295, 317 schedule (for ads), 143 SCORE (nonprofit), 41 scrambled merchandising, 314 script (for telemarketing), 258–259 search engine optimization (SEO), 197 search engines, 194, 195, 201 SecurePlan (PaloAlto Software), 40 selective distribution strategy, 304 self-liquidating premium, 299 Serif font, 136 serif typeface, 131, 132, 133 service as integrated with sales, 324–325, 335 practicing service recovery, 338 process of, 325 profiting from good manners, 336–337 responding to problems, 331 retaining customers through, 335–338 succeeding in, 319–338 using content to court customers, 338 virtual service and helpful knowledge base, 337–338 service mark, 276 service recovery/service recovery time, 331, 338 Seventh Generation, 52 sex appeal, cautions with use of, 113–114 Shane, Scott (Western Reserve University), 61 shelter panels (outdoor advertising), 164 shopping cart providers, 312 shrink-wrapped sign on vehicle, 159 Shutterstock, 192 SIC code, 328 Sign Producers, 149 signature (trademarked version of company name), 127 significant difference strategy, 280 signs (outdoor advertising) finding reputable sign producers, 148–149 informational sign, 150 knowing what your sign can do, 148 making yours stand out, 150–151 regulatory constraints on, 151 on vehicles, 159 writing good ones, 149–151 simplicity marketing, 35 363 364 Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition simplifying, value of, 95–96 Singh, Shiv (author) Social Media Marketing For Dummies, 2nd Edition, 211 site map (web marketing), 195 SiteScout, 245 situation analysis, 47–51 skimmed the market (in pricing), 291 skyscrapers (web marketing), 204 Slacker, 171 slogan, 127 Small Business Administration District Office, 41 Small Business Development Center, 41 Smartsheet (planning platform), 40 Snap, 142 SnapShop, 318 social media almost any coverage as good coverage, 211 as effective marketing practice, 13 engaging with customers and followers on, 210–211 as source of most exciting web content, 196 Social Media Marketing For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Singh and Diamond), 211 social networking building sites around hub website, 195 for doing research with customers, 74–75 for finding better ideas, 66 getting active on, 200–201 The Social Studies Group, 83 soft bounce-back (web marketing), 208 software programs, for market planning, 40 special discounts, 108 special events, 228–232 special offers (in pricing) coupons, 294–298 figuring out how much to offer, 296–297 to increase response rate, 327 keeping them special, 299–300 overview, 294 predicting cost of, 298–299 premiums, 294 refunds, 294 rules outside U.S about, 302 staying out of trouble with law, 300–302 U.S regulations on, 300–302 spectacular (outdoor advertising), 153 SpeedySigns, 149 spending, cautions about unnecessary spending, 44 spoof ad, 176 spot advertising, 181 Spot Runner, 181 Spotify, 171 spreadsheets for analysis process, 50, 55 for claims table, 80 for communication activities, 106 for program budget, 56 square pop-up ads (web marketing), 204 Staples, 149, 313 Starbucks brand, 264 State Farm, 344 stock photography, 192 stock-keeping units (SKUs) (product distribution), 310 stopping power, 106, 111, 145 storyboard (TV advertising), 178 strategic market share goal, 32 strategic objectives (in pricing), 290–291 streaming video (web marketing), 349 strengths as category of situation analysis, 47 identifying and playing up on, 12 knowing, realistic acknowledgment of, 138–139 research on, 80–81 student-aimed promotions, 248 style sheet (for branding), 267 subcontractors (for telemarketing), 260 survey script, 328 SurveyMonkey, 72 surveypolice.com, 72 surveys, 72, 75, 78, 103, 328 sustainable marketing, 14 •T• tail-light ad (outdoor advertising), 165 target audience/target customer, 11, 244 task clarity (for sales force), 335 tear sheets, 126 Index Technorati, 219 telemarketing, 240, 241, 254, 257–260, 326, 328 tellwut, 72 templates and forms See forms and templates testimonials, from customers, 12, 36, 138, 139, 179, 192, 242, 247, 349 thank-yous, 21, 242 30-sheet poster (outdoor advertising), 152, 153 30/10/5 discount structure, 288 threats, as category of situation analysis, 48 3D pop-up images/information, 318 3dcart, 312 thumbnails, 129 Tiffany & Co., on pricing, 293 Time to Hire, 334 time-period forecasts, 60–61 Times New Roman font, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136 tipping point (web visibility), 197 toll-free phone numbers, 254 Top Blog Directory, 219 Toyota brand, 93 Tracy, John A (author) Accounting For Dummies, 5th Edition, 58 trade discounts, 287 trade name, 276 trade secrecy laws, 280 Trade Show News Network (TSNN), 235 trade shows, 13, 226, 233–237 The Trade Desk, 245 trademark, 127, 188, 276, 279 Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), 276 the trade, 296 traffic in retail locations, 310–311 on websites, 193–197 transactional landing page, 198 transit advertising, 164–165 traveling display (outdoor advertising), 165 trend report, 79 trends asking kids about, 82 concerning women in U.S., 83–84 review of in situation analysis, 48 Trending box on Facebook, 210 trial coupons, 13 T-shirts, as body billboards, 157–158 Tumblr, 221 Turn, 199, 245 TV advertising, 174–182 24-7 Intouch, 255 Twitter advertising on, 107, 204 commenting on, 211 Custom Timelines option, 232 for finding better ideas, 66 for finding potential readers, 221 Michelle Phan on, 176 producing leads on, 327 as source for exposure, 107 sponsoring/publicizing contest on, 212 use of if targeting younger audience, 200 typefaces, 131–133 •U• umbrellas (outdoor advertising), 159 underpricing, 284 underqualified sales leads, 326 UNiDAYS, 248 unique selling proposition (USP), 12 unit, reference in market share strategy, 29 Univers font, 131, 132 unqualified sales leads, 326 URLs, in searching for domain names, 187 U.S Census data, 79, 84 US Flagstore, 163 U.S Patent and Trademark Office, 276 U.S regulations, on special offers, 300–302 U.S SBA website, 41 U.S Tennis Association, 120–121 USA Today, 274 365 About the Author Alex Hiam helps organizations (including nonprofits and government agencies) think through their branding and marketing strategies and their leadership development programs He has served on the boards of directors of a variety of organizations and also as an instructor in the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst Alex earned his BA from Harvard and his MBA in marketing and strategic planning from the Haas School at U.C Berkeley He has led creative retreats for top consumer and industrial firms to facilitate innovative thinking about strategic plans, branding, naming, and product ideas He also writes novels and believes that all good writing (including advertising) is, at heart, good storytelling Alex is the coauthor of the bestseller The Portable MBA in Marketing (Wiley) as well as numerous other books and training programs His most recent book is Business Innovation For Dummies Publisher’s Acknowledgments Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy Project Coordinator: Rebekah Brownson Project Editor: Jennifer Tebbe Cover Image: ©iStockphoto.com/c_vincent Copy Editor: Jennette ElNaggar Technical Editor: Scott Werner [...]... VI: The Part of Tens 339 Chapter 18: Ten Common Marketing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 341 Buying into Too-Good-to-Be-True Website Claims 341 Scamming, Social Media Style 342 Selling to the Wrong People 342 xiii xiv Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition Competing on Price 342 Forgetting to Edit 343 Not Emphasizing the Brand... percent efficient marketing is a world virtually without advertising Ahh The sound of silence . . Icons Used in This Book Look for these symbols to help you find valuable info throughout the text: All marketing is real-world marketing, but this icon means you can find an actual example of something that worked (or didn’t work) in the real world for another marketer 3 4 Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition... for you to step on them I’ve marked them all with this symbol Beyond the Book In addition to the great content in the book or e-book you’re reading right now, you can find more marketing tips and suggestions at www .dummies com/cheatsheet /marketing And be sure to check out the articles (well, really more like blogs) at www .dummies. com/extras /marketing These, plus the numerous narrow-topic books on marketing. .. do a little marketing Part I Getting Started with Marketing Visit www .dummies. com to learn more and do more with For Dummies In this part . . ✓ Discover how to coordinate your sales and marketing activities in an effective marketing program that optimizes your spending and allows you to track results across numerous media f ormats, including traditional advertising, the web, and hand-held devices... the simplest and best formulas for marketing success (see Chapter 10 to position yourself for high web traffic and Chapter 16 for prominent placement in the real world) As the preceding list indicates, every business has a different optimal formula for attracting customers However, in every case, successful businesses report that one or two methods work best Their programs are therefore dominated by one... refining your methods Each marketer’s winning formula is unique There is no one sure-fire marketing plan that everybody can use Finding Your Marketing Formula A marketing program should be based on a marketing strategy, which is the big-picture idea driving your success (if you don’t have one yet, check out Chapter 2) The marketing program is all the coordinated activities that together make up the tactics... 255 Capture useful information about each call and caller 256 Gather data on the effectiveness of direct-response ads and direct mail 256 Drumming Up Business by Phone 257 Developing a good call list 258 Writing a winning telemarketing script 258 Keeping legal 259 Looking at new telemarketing strategies 259 xi xii Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition Part... Starting with pay-per-click search ads 201 Adding banner ads to your repertoire 203 Furthering your web campaign with creative display ads 204 Knowing How Much to Budget 205 Understanding E-Mail Etiquette 206 Sending appropriate individual e-mails 206 Going over the guidelines for mass e-mails 207 Chapter 11: Making a Positive Impression in Low-Cost Ways ... on marketing plans and programs, at least enough to be able to engage your marketing imagination This book will help if you really have to roll up your sleeves and do some fundamentals yourself, but it will also help you think more big-picture by identifying smart ways for getting the job done rather than stretching yourself ever more thinly over ever more varied technical details 2 Marketing For Dummies, ... quantity 223 Chapter 12: Leveraging Face-to-Face Marketing Opportunities 225 Harnessing the Power of Face-to-Face Marketing 225 Considering your options 226 Avoiding boredom to ensure interesting events 227 Table of Contents Sponsoring a Special Event 228 Know your options 228 Run the numbers 230 Screen for relevance 230 Express your values