http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/ en sophia.browne@creativecycleinc.com Copyright 2009 2009-05-17T21:31:03+00:00 http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/marketing_cents_blog/are_you_customer_focused/ http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/marketing_cents_blog/are_you_customer_focused/ I once met with a business owner who asked for help in developing her marketing.  During our meeting she told me "All I need is a television ad!" Quite puzzled by her resolute desire for TV advertising, I began to ask her a few questions about her business and her competition. What surprised me most was her answer about her potential customers. She believed that all those potential customers who were purchasing the services of her competition were fools, stupid and she was not interested in converting them into her customers. A word to the wise, This is certainly not the foundation on which to build an effective marketing strategy!  The most successful marketing strategies are those, which are customer focused. So here's my Marketing Cents tip: Begin first with your existing customers as the basis on which you recruit new business opportunities. For every existing customer you have, try to get at least two referrals from them for new prospects who might be interested in your services.  This costs you NOTHING and can be very effective the more you focus on building those relationships. 2009-05-06T20:21:25+00:00 http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/marketing_cents_blog/is_marketing_expensive/ http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/marketing_cents_blog/is_marketing_expensive/ I thought I would make my first blog post more about my beliefs on the clever use of marketing to effectively create results on a shoe string budget, in fact in some cases on NO BUDGET! A lot of the businesses that approach us for help with marketing are emerging entities and I am so used to the resounding cries of, “Ohhh, I can’t afford marketing! It is sooo expensive!” My response is always, “Marketing is NEVER expensive if done smart!” The culprit really is that most businesses tend to mistakenly equate advertising to marketing and because advertising in many cases can be the most expensive element in the marketing mix they consider “marketing” as advertising. My answer is... marketing is actually the sum total of EVERYTHING you can strategically do in a business to build a closer connection with the customer…It is everything and because of that it NEVER has to be expensive. 2009-05-01T21:30:45+00:00 http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/power_of_brands_blog/the_importance_of_branding/ http://ethnicvision.com/resource_center/power_of_brands_blog/the_importance_of_branding/ Because Ethnic Vision Inc deals with quite a lot of emerging businesses I find myself constantly reinforcing the importance of branding and its ultimate power. No easier display of brand strength have I witnessed than that of the Barbadian fast food chain Chefette. Driving in the car with my family, my patience was repeatedly tested by the persevering cries of my five year old, Naomi and 2 year old Joshua who were quite disturbed that we were going anywhere other than the beach. Minutes into the drive it was as if Spiderman or Cinderella had made a special appearance. There was a loud shriek, which came from both of my kids, “Chefette! Chefette!” And there it was indeed. Much to my surprise however, it was not the store or the sign but instead it was the back of a uniformed Chefette employee walking along the street.  The cries then shifted from, “Can we go to the beach?” to “ Can we pleeeeeasssse go to Chefette?” Now that I immediately thought to myself was brand power! Tip: Brand power is built through consistency. Invest in getting the elements of message, colour, placement and connection right! 2009-05-17T21:31:03+00:00