Tag: Marketing Blog - Page 13

If you are a small business owner, you would have had many occasions where you were ready to tear your hair out. There is so much to think about; finances, staff, customers, your product/service and of course marketing – bringing in the business!

Every three months, I make a trip out to rural Australia (Charters Towers) to meet with  a number of clients.

The team at Marketing Eye starts back in the office on Monday 11 January 2010.

As the CEO, I have been working a few hours a day over the past week to get everything in order for the new year.

It’s been a particularly beneficial week with no disruptions and lots of time to think about how we can do things better.

I am the Queen of dinner parties – that is, attending them. I can’t cook to save myself although I have set a NY resolution to learn. Thankfully I know how to turn up with a really good bottle of wine or if I am feeling celebratory, French champagne and I am well versed at making light conversation with pretty much anyone.

Today, one of my most treasured team leaders returned from his summer vacation to announce his engagement to a beautiful, young Doctor from his home village.

Over the past few years, he has travelled back home every year and his parents have organised meetings with prospective wives.

Only this year something was different. He met a young lady that he thought would be his perfect life partner.

It’s a lonely existence out there for an entrepreneur, particularly one that owns a business all by themselves without a business partner to share their highs and lows. There is nothing like sharing information with someone who is there living and breathing the same things you are.

When I started my first business, I had a business partner and it worked quite well. She wasn’t very good at marketing because her background was in sales, so to make the partnership work she worked in administration and I taught her some basic marketing and public relations skills to help me out when I needed her to.

How many times have you thought – could have, should have, would have – and did nothing about it?

Unless you are one very highly motivated person that can read minds and forsee the future, you would have at some time in your life, said these things to yourself or to others. Sometimes quietly, sometimes out loud.

I often think to myself, that I could have done something, but didn’t for valid reasons or because I simply couldn’t be bothered.

Like the time I was offered big dollars for my business. I could have taken it and been living in the South of France, but instead, I chose to continue my journey and see where it was going to lead me.

My ’should have’ is over 10 years ago, I came up with this brilliant idea to have clear plastic, zip up cases for luggage that you can quickly put on before you check in your luggage or before you put it through the security checks. They would be branded with Louis Vuitton, Samsonite or whatever brand your case is, but it would protect it.

The number of times I go through the airport security scanners and my bags come out scratched, marked and damaged is ridiculous. I am now not travelling with designer luggage for this very reason.

It would be a purchase of $39.95, just like buying fries with your burger. A bloody good idea if you ask me, and I should have done it, but I didn’t and now, the moment of passion and enthusiasm has gone.

My ‘would have’ is all to do with experiencing other cultures. I would have loved to live in Europe throughout my twenties but didn’t because I was scared of the unknown, not into taking risks and worried that I would not have the career I always dreamt of and am now having.

When it comes to business, think about what you could have, should have or would have done to build your brand and haven’t. Does it still have merit? Would it help your business? Does it have the ability to bring in sales? Can you find ways to make it happen?

Have a board in your office that says:

Could have: ….
Should have: ….
Would have: ….

And review it from time to time. Don’t miss opportunities that can aid your success.

Mellissah Smith from Marketing Eye

Whether it’s in life or business, it’s the lessons we learn along the way that make us.

In life, I have kept on learning lessons – some I have learnt from and others I have ignored only to find that I should have learned my lesson the first time.

Like most, I was not too shocked when on Sunday I heard on the radio that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt separated. It’s the news that I didn’t want to hear. I am on ‘Team Jolie’ and cannot bear the thought of this perfect couple with the most beautiful looking family on the planet would break up. The news had me in a tither. I quickly turned on the television wanting to know when, where, why and how this happened and there it was, for everyone to see. Headline news.

Next, I raced down the shop and bought every possible magazine that might have a story on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Afterall, they had separated right? Wrong!

One newspaper reported that they had separated and had gone through a divorce settlement  of sorts (they are unmarried) that saw their millions divided and the custody of their children shared.

Like millions of people, I was enthralled with the gossip that surrounded this duo and have spent at least $30 in the last couple of days buying every possible editorial that may have just a little bit of information on what actually has gone on.

Well, what has gone on is that this story has sold millions of newspapers and magazines worldwide and is highly likely to be made up. The story derived not from a reputable editorial, but from gossip newspaper who quite frankly cannot be trusted. They may have sold newspapers, but it has further enhanced in the minds of people who little you can trust the tabloids and how much of the stuff we read is made up.

Any story on Jolie-Pitt sells newspapers and everyone knows it! The journalists have no integrity or concern for what they or their families might think. What if their children read this on the newstands and all of a sudden got concerned that the unit they thought they could trust might be torn apart.

There is a message in this medium mayhem.

What do you have that sells newspapers? There is a few journalists out there that would like to know!

News can come in many forms and it might not be worldwide news or news that is going to have gossip magazines begging, but it might be of interest to business journalists or general news journalists who see what you are doing as unique and interesting.

You may have your product or service endorsed by someone famous, or perhaps you have a world first.

Read the newspaper and watch the news… you never know… it may just give you an idea of how your brand can become better known.

Every day small businesses are written up in newspapers and magazines. Next week it could be you!

There is much debate amongst my colleagues, friends and clients on what is an ‘effen great bloke’ because through Marketing Eye’s promotion of effen Beer, we have all been absorbed with the entries that have been rolling in for the competition.

Everyone has their own idea of what an effen great bloke is and I am sure by December 1, 2009, all of Australia will know what the general consensus is on the topic.

Whilst we all have an opinion, the reality is that there is no right or wrong answer. Afterall, it’s just an opinion.

Ask around your office and find out what each person in your office thinks about what an effen great bloke is. Then log onto www.effengreatbloke.com.au and enter. I am keen to hear what you have to say.

For your efforts, you may just win a year’s supply of beer for you and a mate.

It doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a man. We all drink beer and if you don’t, it’s always handy to have beer in the fridge for when someone comes to visit and particularly if you are thinking about having a Xmas Party.

Mellissah Smith
Marketing Eye

Marketing Eye promotes brands we believe in. effen is a great tasting beer that is smooth and reminds me of a quality Belgium beer. Recently, it won an award in Melbourne for the best Lager at the Micro Brewery Showcase. Now the many thousands attending this event can’t all be wrong – right?