Archive for February, 2009

February 26th, 2009

Good Economic News: Part 5

As many of you know, this week, we’ve done a 5-part series on Good Economic News. Our point-of-view, which is supported by the data, is that while times are tough, they’re not nearly as bad as the news media would lead you to believe.

How many of us have watched in horror as CNN or NPR or CNBC does a “special report” on the “global economic disaster”?

To be sure, times are tough. They’re downright B-A-D. But the world isn’t ending. The sky is not falling. In fact, you and your business will be here tomorrow and the next day — if you stop focusing on the negative and start focusing on the positive.

Joe Rollins writes one of the best financial blogs on the web. He’s frank, honest and outspoken on his opinions on what’s really going on. As Joe points out in a recent blog posting, the news media paints a worst-case-scenario even when the story is relatively positive.

In one recent story, the spin was negative even though the data in the story was about the fact that the Fed is forecasting a significant turnaround in the economy only six months from now, which should progressively increase to extraordinarily high growth by 2011.gdpchart

Why all the negative press? What’s going on here?

We’ll tell you what’s going on – good news doesn’t sell. Which is why news about plane crashes, murders and economic disasters gets a disproportionate amount of coverage. (Anybody who tells you differently is pulling the wool over your eyes.)

The chart on the right was borrowed from the Rollins Financial Blog. It points out that the GDP in the United States at the beginning of 2001 was essentially at $10 trillion. As of today, the U.S. GDP is at aproximately $14.3 trillion. Therefore, the GDP has grown at a stunning 43% over the past 8 years!

For those of you who didn’t have time to read every one of our postings this week on Good Economic News, here’s a run-down of what we reported:

  • PepsiCo revenue grew 10% last year to $43.3 billion.
  • Walmart sales rose 6% last quarter, net sales rose 1.7% to $108 billion.
  • McDonald’s global comparable sales were up 7.1% in January. More specifically, the U.S. was up 5.4%, Europe up 7.1, Asia/Middle East/Africa up 10.2%.
  • Coca-Cola had an 11% increase in revenues in 2008 to $31.9 billion; net income was up 17% to $7.4 billion.
  • Oil is 76% lower today than last summer.
  • H. J. Heinz fiscal 3rd quarter net income climbed 11% to $242.3 million, up from $218.5 last year.
  • Box Office receipts for the movie industry are up 28%.
  • Interest rates at historic lows.
  • Home prices dropped/most affordable level since 1971.
  • BKV (the parent of 60 Second Marketer) is growing at double-digit rates and is on a hiring spree.
  • The S&P 500 is predicted to rise as much as 20% towards year end (Source: NPR).
  • In December, inventories declined at twice the rate than was anticipated, which means manufacturers will have to make more stuff to compensate for low inventories.

So, as you can see, things aren’t nearly as bad as the news media would lead you to believe. The 60 Second Marketer is part of a small but growing community that has decided to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Our belief is that companies that are poising themselves for growth today will be well-positioned to benefit when the economy starts growing in earnest later this year.

All week long, we’ve asked our readers to join our list of companies that refuse to participate in the recession. It’s grown quite long. Have you jumped on board? Leave us a comment and let us know that you’re going to join the team that’s preparing for growth now and in the near future.

Onward.

Here’s our list of companies that are focusing on the bright side of things:  refusetoparticipate0022

  • Harris Interactive Media
  • Insol
  • PinC Bubble
  • Mike Wittenstein
  • Southside Broadcasting
  • RadioX
  • Whitestone Marketing Services
  • Spiritus Marketing Directory
  • Bella Web Design
  • FORTE’partners
  • VoiceQuilt.com
  • Todd Miechiels + Partners
  • SleepytimeStore.com
  • Piano Expectations
  • Response Mine Interactive
  • 60 Second Communications
  • 60 Second Online University
  • 60 Second Marketer
  • BKV Interactive and Direct Response
  • A School Bell Rings
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February 26th, 2009

Good Economic News: Part 4

It’s been a pretty good week at the 60 Second Marketer. We started by stating our belief is that these challenging economic times have been a little bit over-stated by the media. Then, we did some homework and uncovered that companies like PepsiCo, Walmart, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are seeing revenue increases across the board. And now, we’re here to report some additional good refusetoparticipate0021news.

According to the Wall Street Journal, H.J. Heinz Co.’s fiscal third quarter net income climbed 11%. “People are coming home and preparing inexpensive meals such as pasta,” Chief Financial Officer Art Winkleblack said. Net income for Heinz Ketchup, Classico pasta sauces and Bagel Bites reported net income for the quarter ending January 28th of $242.3 million, up from $218.5 million a year earlier.

And as if that weren’t good enough, the New York Times reports that box office receipts for the movie industry are up 28% as consumers flock to theaters in an effort to find an inexpensive escape.

All week long, we’ve been reporting the same thing: Yes, things are tough. And yes, we’ll get through this.

The smart companies are exploring ways to re-position their products as “great values” or “cost-effective.” The very smartest companies are seeking ways to benefit now and in the future when America will be bigger and stronger than ever.

So, there you have it. Companies like PepsiCo, Heinz, Walmart and McDonald’s are reporting revenue increases. (Shameless plug: BKV, our parent company, is reporting revenue increases, too. It seems clients really like the idea that BKV’s work typically generates between 4:1 and 10:1 returns on marketing investment.)

Are you one of the companies or individuals who would like to join our list of organizations that refuse to be dragged down by the recession? Then send us a comment or shoot us an email and we’ll add you to the list.

Onward!

Here’s our growing list of companies that are positioning themselves for growth this year:

  • Insol
  • Kapp Koncepts, Inc.
  • PinC Bubble
  • Mike Wittenstein
  • Southside Broadcasting
  • RadioX
  • Whitestone Marketing Services
  • Spiritus Marketing Directory
  • Bella Web Design
  • FORTE’partners
  • VoiceQuilt.com
  • Todd Miechiels + Partners
  • SleepytimeStore.com
  • Piano Expectations
  • Response Mine Interactive
  • 60 Second Communications
  • 60 Second Online University
  • 60 Second Marketer
  • BKV Interactive and Direct Response
  • A School Bell Rings
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February 25th, 2009

Good Economic News: Part 3

See what happens when America reads our series on Good Economic News?  The stock market jumps up 236 points. And when you combine that with the “Times are tough, but we’ll get through this” speech from President Obama, there’s a lot to be hopeful about.refusetoparticipate002

So far this week, we’ve talked about several positive economic stories, including the fact the monthly tally of Leading Economic Indicators rose last month;  that Coca-Cola reported an 11% increase in revenues in 2008; that Walmart saw sales rise 6% last quarter and that oil is 76% lower today than it was last summer.

C’mon, folks. We’ll get through this. We’re Americans for God’s sake. (Apologies to our readers from overseas, but we’re on a roll here.)

But wait, it’s not just Coca-Cola and Walmart that are reporting increased revenues, McDonald’s is, too! Just a few days ago, McDonald’s reported that their global comparable sales were up 7.1% in January. More specifically, the U.S. was up 5.4%, Europe was up 7.1% and Asia, the Middle East and Africa were up 10.2%.

And PepsiCo sales increased as well. Revenue grew 10 percent last year to $43.3 billion!

Do you think it’s safe to say that there’s a little bit of an over-reaction to the economic news? Sure, times are tough, but they’re not anywhere near as tough as the news media is reporting.

So spread the news. In fact, here’s what we’re telling our friends and family:

“There’s no doubt that these are difficult times, but PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Walmart and McDonald’s have all seen sales increases recently. Plus, oil is 76% lower than it was last summer. And interest rates are at historic lows at the same time home prices have dropped. We’re optimistic that we’ve reached the bottom and are poising our businesses for growth later this year.”

C’mon and jump on board. We have a list of companies that are refusing to participate in the recession.

Want to include your company? Then send us a comment in the comment box. (Better still, send your logo to The FriendlyPeople@60SecondMarketer.com.)

Here’s our growing list of companies that are poising themselves for growth this year:

  • Southside Broadcasting
  • RadioX
  • Whitestone Marketing Services
  • Spiritus Marketing Directory
  • Bella Web Design
  • FORTE’partners
  • VoiceQuilt.com
  • Todd Miechiels + Partners
  • SleepytimeStore.com
  • Piano Expectations
  • Response Mine Interactive
  • 60 Second Online University
  • 60 Second Marketer
  • BKV Interactive and Direct Response
  • A School Bell Rings
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February 24th, 2009

Good Economic News: Part 2

Oh, sure. The stock market dropped again yesterday. But as mentioned, the 60 Second Marketer and many of our followers are refusing to participate in the recession. It’s our belief that, while times are clearly very difficult, there are glimmers of hope and, as such, we’re positioning our companies for success now and in the future.successsign

So, why do things look so bad right now? It’s because the government reports on information that’s several months old. Remember last year when the government told us we were in a recession? Our collective response was, “Where have you been? You’re just catching on to that?”

Here’s a scenario that explains the lag time: Large Corporation A realizes it needs to cut staff in month 1; it plans the cuts in month 2; it executes the cuts in month 3; the government processes the data in month 4; the government reports on the data in month 5.

So, the government reports data that’s many months old, and the stock market responds with triple digit drops. But running a business based on 5-month-old information is like trying to drive on a highway by looking in the rear view mirror.

Yes, things are tough. But there’s some stuff you can be encouraged by:

  1. Interest rates are at historic lows and housing has become affordable. Real estate agents we know in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. are busier than they’ve been in years. Why? Because housing is now at its most affordable level since 1971.
  2. A source on National Public Radio predicted that the S&P 500 may rise as much as 20% towards the end of the year. Why? Because as soon as investors acknowledge we’re at the bottom of the cycle, they’ll quickly start buying stocks that are steals.
  3. Energy prices have dropped. Oil is 76% lower today than it was last summer. Cheaper energy means that people who were putting money into their gas tanks are now able to put money into restaurants, vacations, new tires and home improvements.
  4. Low inventories equate to increased production in the near future. In December, inventories declined at twice the rate that was anticipated. When the economy starts to rebound and demand begins to rise, companies will need to boost production to meet demand. This means there will be a need for more employees, reducing the strain on the government’s unemployment program.
  5. Walmart posted a quarterly profit that beat Wall Street forecasts. The world’s largest retailer saw sales rise 6% in the quarter as it attracted more shoppers trying to save money in the recession.  Net sales rose 1.7% to $108 billion.

Again, we’re not in denial here. Times are definitely tough. But you have two choices — be part of the team that’s wallowing in the negative news stories, or be part of the team that’s figuring out how to be poised for growth in the  future.

Here’s to healthy growth in the future.

Onward.

P.S. Would you like to be added to our growing list of companies that are refusing to participate in the recession? Then leave us a comment and we’ll add you to the list.

Here’s the list so far:

  • FORTE’partners
  • VoiceQuilt.com
  • Todd Miechiels + Partners
  • SleepytimeStore.com
  • Piano Expectations
  • Response Mine Interactive
  • 60 Second Online University
  • 60 Second Marketer
  • BKV Interactive and Direct Response
  • A School Bell Rings
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February 23rd, 2009

Good Economic News: Part 1

This is the first in a five-part series on some of the good economic news happening around the globe. As mentioned previously, we’re tired of the gloom and doom perpetuated by the news media. To be sure, times are tough and the economy is suffering. But the way we see it, you have two choices — wallow in the bad news and feel sorry for yourself, or acknowledge that things are tough right now and get working on digging yourself out of the hole.

Despite all the bad news reported on CNN, Fox, NPR, ABC, NBC and CBS, there are some glimmers of hope. The monthly tally of the Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose, contrary to expectations. It rose only 0.4%, but it continued the turnaround that began with a 0.2% rise in December. It was enough to prompt Ken Goldstein, an economist for the Conference Board, to speculate that the recession could begin to ease in the coming months.

In other news, Coca-Cola recently reported for 2008 an 11%  increase in revenues to $31.9 billion. Excluding one-time costs (such as write-down at its largest bottler) Coca-Cola net income was up 17% to $7.4 billion.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Coca-Cola will do well (in the future) because it sells an affordable luxury delivered through a strong global distribution system … It also is pushing more innovations into the market. Among those innovations, the company has redesigned graphics for Sprite and Fanta. It has extended Coke Zero’s no-calorie tag to other drinks such as Fanta and Sprite.”

So … what does all this mean if you’re a marketer or a business-owner?

Here’s the take-away:

1) We’d encourage you to stop focusing any energy on the bad economic news. Successful business-people surround themselves with energized, optimistic people. Be a successful business-person.

2) Remember, no matter how bad the economy is, there are opportunities for smart business-people. They’re the ones figuring out how to take the current situation and make the best of it.

3) Re-position your product or service to bring out the “value” and “cost-savings” aspect of it. (Side Note: When we launch 60 Second Online University in a few weeks, you’ll notice we’re positioning it as a cost-saving alternative to sending your employees to conferences and seminars.)

4) Get started on a path towards recovery. Once the economy starts ramping up again in full, you’ll want to be ahead of the curve so you can take advantage of the upcoming growth.

5) Finally, send your company logo (or just an email) to TheFriendlyPeople@60SecondMarketer.com so you can be added to our list of organizations that are refusing to participate in the recession. There’s a group of us out there who are determined to make something good out of these challenging times. Join us!

That’s it for today. We’ll see you tomorrow in Part 2 of our series on Good Economic News. Send us your good economic news and we’ll include it in one of our upcoming stories.

Onward!

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February 22nd, 2009

5-Part Series on Good Economic News

Are you as tired of hearing all the doom-and-gloom business stories as we are? We’ve done an investigation into some businesses that are weathering the storm quite well. They range from Mom-and-Pop stores to mega-brands like Walmart and Coca-Cola.

Tomorrow, we’re starting a five-part series on Good Economic News. Each day, we’ll share stories about businesses that have refused to participate in the economic downturn.

Do you know a business that is weathering the storm? Then leave us a comment about it and we’ll include it as part of our 5-part series called, simply, Good Economic News.

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February 17th, 2009

What Are the Best Days of the Week to Send Email Campaigns?

Last week, we asked our loyal readers to tell us which day they’d like our eNewsletter delivered. So far, 67% have said Friday works best for them.

That survey (which is still live on our home page, by the way), prompted us to revisit an article on the 60 Second Marketer entitled What Are the Best Days of the Week to Send Email Campaigns?

In case you haven’t had a chance to read the article, here it is posted on our blog in its entirety:

One of the most commonly asked questions about email marketing is, “What are the best days to send out emails?” But studies designed to answer this question have proven inconclusive. No two email campaigns are the same. As such, what might work for one test audience will not necessarily apply equally for another, due to different campaign objectives or target audiences.

Interested in getting more free tips like these? Then sign up for our free weekly eNewsletter by clicking here.

With that in mind, we took a look at each day of the week and analyzed the positives and negatives that might help you determine which days will work best for your needs.

Monday
Positive: Office work has not filled inboxes yet

Negative: Consumers are in work mod and won’t be focused on non-work tasks

Best Practice: Send emails late Monday morning, after consumers have cleaned the weekend spam from their inboxes

Tuesday
Positive: People have organized their week, and can find personal time for emails

Negative: Emails poised for a weekend response may be too early

Best Practice: Use Tuesday for emails that request action during the workweek

Wednesday/Thursday
Positive: Consumers are planning their weekends and gearing up for personal time

Negative: Time during the workweek is running short, and requested action may be pushed back to the following week, or even forgotten about

Best Practice: Focus leisure and weekend notifications during these key weekend planning days

Friday
Positive: Studies indicate fewer total emails sent compared to the rest of the week, increasing visibility among the myriad of other messages

Negative: Consumers hurry to leave the office early, and may not take time to view non-work related emails

Best Practice: Send emails early in the day to give consumers more time to take action. An unopened email from Friday will sort to the bottom of an inbox on Monday, and is often discarded

Weekends
Positive: People check emails on weekends, too, so weekends may have untapped potential

Negative: A weekend email may seem overly-intrusive to some people

Best Practice: If possible, try to avoid Sundays and focus on Saturdays, which may have a better response rate

The most important point to keep in mind for an email campaign is a proper and thorough evaluation of a test group. By making a practice of consistently testing your email campaigns, you’ll be sure to get the most bang for your marketing buck.

If you’re interested in more helpful tips like these, consider signing up for our free weekly eNewsletter. It’s delivered every Friday directly to your inbox. Alternatively, you could download a free chapter from “How to Make Money with Social Media” written by Jamie Turner and Dr. Reshma Shah

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February 16th, 2009

Marketing Tips via Podcast on Bob Knorpp’s BeanCast

On Sunday evening, Bob Knorpp, who runs a marketing blog called the BeanCast, interviewed several marketing specialists for his weekly podcast.

This week’s guests included Bill Green who is the publisher of Make the Logo Bigger, Jamie Turner who is the Chief Content Office with the 60 Second Marketer and Scott Monty who is the Digital Communications and Multimedia Manager with the Ford Motor Company.

The podcast covered a wide variety of topics, some of which include the following:

  • Life After the Stimulus Package
  • Behavioral Marketing Rulings from the FTC
  • Problems with Contextual Marketing
  • Monetizing Twitter
  • Google Pulling Out of Radio
  • Do Netbooks Threaten Mobile?
  • Post Office to Cut Delivery Schedule

You can download the podcast by visiting this page at Beancast.us. Bob does a terrific job with his show and covers important topics in marketing on a regular basis. Be sure to bookmark Bob’s site — it’s a winner.

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February 16th, 2009

How to Brainstorm New Ideas for Your Business

Working with a creative group that is high energy, productive, and problem-solving can be very exhilarating. Creative problem-solving sessions need structure, even if that sounds at odds with the creative process. Here are some ground rules borrowed from a book by Floyd Hurt called Rousing Creativity: Think New Now that you can apply to your next creative session.

Ground Rules for Creative Sessions:
#1 – Avoid judgment of any kind until the right moment: If you allow the possibility that every idea might be the answer your team is looking for, you open up a whole new, wild, creative, cutting-edge world. Besides, if judgments start, a group will shut down. Fast.

#2 – Everyone is creative: Overcome the limitations that others set, and allow the ideas to come out. No matter how crazy the thoughts, don’t let your logical thinking brain squash them before you say them. Encourage the “less creative” people around you, giving them opportunity to throw out some ideas, too.

#3 – Be aware of your own defenses: An ideal creative setting would not have this issue, but all too often our ideas get shot down, victims of early judgment. Shake off your natural reaction to defend your self, and keep contributing.

#4 – Develop your passion: Commit to your ideas, and the passion will flow.

#5 – Keep it in the room: confidentiality counts: Creative sessions should be safe places, and if the fear is present that a “dumb” idea will get back out to the boss or coworkers, participants aren’t going to want to take risks.

#6 – Build on other’s ideas: It’s an exhilarating feeling when a group members takes one idea and adds to it, and another idea is added, and another. It’s even more exhilarating when you acknowledge the idea you are building on. When a team member is recognized for their idea, they earn a feeling of team spirit and are more likely to continue participating.

#7 – Keep the energy up: Move around. Draw pictures on a whiteboard or flipchart. Stand. Have colored markers available. Play a quick word game. Do anything that ups the energy on the room. Energy is derived from movement, and fosters creativity.

#8 –Stick to the problem/topic: It’s ok to wander away from the problem at hand now and then. It can allow for different perspectives to an issue. Assign a team member to bring the team back, though, when the ideas are no longer moving ahead to solve the problem.

#9 – Keep it fun to keep it productive: An atmosphere of fun allows the mind to relax, and that is a good place to be when creativity is required. Have a good time!

#10 – Embrace ambiguity: Allow for the ideas to be blurry, and some new ideas will likely fill in the gaps.

#11 – Foster constructive dissatisfaction: Don’t limit or eliminate an idea just because it doesn’t “fit”. Instead, try keeping the idea, and building on how to change the space so it does fit.

#12 – Nothing “bad”: Keep the word “bad” out of your vocabulary and replace it with “unique” or “different”. Bad is bad, but different is fun.

Floyd Hurt, author of Rousing Creativity: Think New Now!, has been in every phase of sales, marketing, and advertising, and is a speaker recognized for his expertise in creativity.

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February 11th, 2009

What’s Your Marketing IQ? Find Out at the 60 Second Marketer.

Over the past several months, we’ve been working with Reshma Shah, PhD and Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University on a Marketing IQ test. It’s designed to provide businesspeople a way to see how they stack up when it comes to their marketing skills.

Dr. Shah, who is also a Co-Founder of Inflexion Point Marketing Group, drew from years of experience testing some of the best and brightest young students in the U.S.

The tests aren’t easy. The Intermediate Test score average is a 90, but the Advance Test score average is only a 73.3.

How will you do? To find out, click What’s Your Marketing IQ?

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The 60 Second Marketer is a free online magazine brought to you by BKV Interactive and Direct Response. We try to provide quick updates on the newest tools, tips and techniques in marketing. We also try to accomplish that with a dose of humor or levity. As it turns out, we're pretty good at providing tools, tips and techniques, but we're not actually all that funny. Which would explain why people don't call us "funny" as much as they call us "laughable." Bummer. Our offices, for those of you who are interested, are located in Atlanta (404-233-0332) and Kansas City (913-648-8333). We also have offices on Bora Bora, but they don't have the phones installed yet.

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