Don’t know the Zappos Puppets? Think “OnStar” commercial meets “Crank-Yankers.” The commercials re-enact live customer service calls but – with humor and puppets (or Zappets as they are lovingly called) who are styled after actual employees. The company humorously sends the message that they will take any returns – for any reason (including if you are “emotionally unprepared” for the dress you purchased and hid it deep in the garage because it arrived too fast). The Zappet actually checks off “emotionally unprepared” for the reason for return, demonstrating that the company does validify (and expect) any and all reasons for returns.

Which takes branding to another level – it’s not just about shoes or online retailing – it’s about customer service. And the  ”Customer Loyalty Team” cares – he tells the “emotionally unprepared” caller very gently that in order to return the item, she “will have to touch the box though.”  This drives home that every rep is friendly and every caller will be treated with respect no matter how unusual the purchase, return, or request.  Even if a caller wants to exchange Nike workout clothes for a deep fryer because she is “going in another direction.”

The company’s branding and #1 focus is on customer service which is portrayed cleverly in the commercials. The viewer has the insider perspective that they “see” and are part of the call center which also supports the company’s branding of transparency. You also get the feeling that every time you call, you talk to a real person; the Zappets are friendly, each has a different personality, they have face expressions, and they are in “real” cubicles with drawings, pictures, personal items, and office supplies. Zappos also demonstrates that they are different from other companies (and provide better service) in that customer loyalty reps will stay on the phone and talk about anything (including alligators as in one of the commercials) with the caller; no scripts, no rush, no hurry to get the caller off the line due to time pressure.

The Zappets and the commercials emphasize the quirky culture that the company is famous for. A very nice change of pace from “sex-sells” to “humor-sells”.  Good job Mullen for a cleverly entertaining commercial that delivers the brand message theme of customer service with humor.

Here are my favorite two Zappos TV Commercials: Emotionally Ready and 5 Ways To Add Elegance to a Dress

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Things can sometimes go very wrong on Social Media Platforms.  I just experienced it first hand.  As part of my volunteer work as a board member for the American Diabetes Association (Indiana Market), I am an administrator for the Facebook Fanpage.  I recently posted an eZine article I found about natural ways to cure diabetes – namely diet and exercise.

And then things went downhill.  And I deserved it. I posted the article with the best of intentions; to help encourage people to exercise and eat healthy and to discuss the difficulties of this life-long journey.  Rightly so, some readers took offense as neither the article nor my comments about the article clarified that Type 1 diabetes cannot be cured with diet and exercise alone and that we should’ve clarified sometimes Type 2 can be helped or slowed through life style changes. It is absolutely awful to know that I offended the very people I try to help.

Those who took offense had every right. I didn’t think before posting the article and there is a horrible stigma and blame against Diabetes – that it isour fault for not taking care of our bodies.  When I tell people I am insulin dependent, they are usually shocked because I’m not overweight. When I contact people to help me Stop Diabetes by donating, they answer back with “Well, if people would just eat better, they wouldn’t have this disease. But you’re different, you eat very healthy so it’s not your fault.” It’s no one’s fault. No one deserves this horrible disease.

The truth is, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that develops suddenly, cannot be prevented and must be managed with insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a disease that develops more gradually, can sometimes be prevented and can often be managed through diet, exercise and, sometimes, medications or insulin. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy due to elevated blood glucose levels and can raise a person’s risk for type 2 diabetes later on in life. Diabetes develops when the body either does not produce the insulin it needs or does not produce or use insulin effectively. As a result, blood glucose levels can rise to dangerous levels. Diabetes is a chronic disease with no cure and it must be managed every day to help prevent complications.

OK, lesson in diabetes is over. Back to Social Media.  So when I posted this article, several readers voiced how they were offended and attacked me saying I didn’t know what I was talking about, etc. Hundreds of people read these comments and it spread to forums beyond Facebook.  I had unintentionally discredited both myself and the American Diabetes Association.

How do you go about fixing this issue?? Remove the article?

The answer is Humility.  And not being ashamed to admit I made a mistake. I apologized for not having been more thoughtful to this sensitive issue. I apologized for having discredited the ADA. I assured that I would be more careful next time. No excuses. Just a heartfelt apology. And then the ADA and I discussed processes on how we can avoid such issues in the future, how we can respond faster, and discussed the need to train volunteers more.

Lesson Learned: Negative reactions will appear; you are never immune to it no matter how experienced you are.  When the negative reaction is due to a mistake on your part, and not just a difference of opinion, Apologize. The best way to deal with it is not to quickly erase the article, post something new, and pretend it never happened. Accept that we are all human and we make mistakes. Be respectful. Be transparent. Be heartfelt. And work hard to turn the negative experience into a positive one. Fix your processes. Then move forward.

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As some of you may know, I have the privilege of serving as a board member for Marketing & Communication for the American Diabetes Association (State of Indiana).  In a recent Strategy Planning session, we discussed ADA’s marketing needs, and the strategy we should follow – and I had a revelation about the similarities of non-profits and for-profits.

Any marketing strategy that is worth the paper it is written on deserves to have a market analysis, industry trends, SWOT analysis, competitor analysis, and and and.  Based on each of these analysis, the marketing implications for the company in questions should be taken into account.  With that said, I thought it was very interesting that an organization like the ADA that is a non-profit suffers from the same issues as a for-profit company.  Revenue.  Granted, they don’t want revenue in order to pass on to stake holders, however, they do have to have revenue in order to meet their mission which is to help educate people about Diabetes and to help fund research to Stop Diabetes.

Yet, non-prifts are still in the same boat as for-profits because revenues are dropping.  What does that mean? It means when revenue is down, non-profits feel it in every part of the organization just like a for-profit.  However, the similarities are that whether for/non profit, once revenue starts to suffer, management begins to focus on short-term goals in lieu of long term goals.  So when revenue is down, companies cut prices, and the brand suffers because of the new low-price strategy.  As a result, revenue declines. As revenue declines, management needs to stimulate sales so they cut prices.  It is a downward spiraling cycle.

And it is the same cycle that non-profits find themselves in.  Revenues are down, so donors and fund raisers have to be targeted and time is spent on this segment at the cost of spending time on event volunteers. It’s the same cycle. So both organizations have to create a marketing strategy that they can turn to in order to still raise revenue without hardselling the fact that they need sales and/or donations.

Best way to do that is usually not to cut prices in a whirlwind of panic, but rather to take a step back and examine why this situation has been created in the first place.  Is there a new competitor? Are competitors undercutting your prices? Have you had quality or customer service issues? First find the source of the problem and allocate resources to fixing it.

Then start a promotion campaign to get sales going while establishing yourself as the expert in your field. Promotions don’t always have to involve price cuts. They can include white-papers, Videos, of content that is useful for your customers.  For example, are you a whole-saler for retail florists? You can send your clients videos of latest floral designs, colors, and containers.  This is also a time when improving relationships comes into effect.  Rather than emailing because it is quick and easy (you know we all do it!), pick up the phone.  Or call your clients not because you want to sell them something, but just to ask how business is going and if you can help.

There are many things you can do before slashing prices.  What are some of the tactics you’ve used that have proven useful?

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What is the difference between image and branding? This is the question that I start my branding workshops with.  And many people struggle with the differentiation initially.  Image is the visual aspect of your brand. It is your logo. Your graphic design. Your color choice. Your packaging design.

Your brand on the other hand is the entire experience people have with your business/product/services.  The visual image is part of your overall brand experience.  And branding begins with identifying the gap.  What gap you ask? It’s the gap in people’s perception of your brand and what you would like that perception to be.  It’s really that simple.  And that hard. Your brand perception exists in the minds of your consumers and your audience. Do you know how people currently view your brand? Do you know what kinds of things affect your brand and the perception of your brand?

You have several tools in your toolkit.  First, you should start with:

• Defining your Values
• Defining your Goals
• Researching your Audience, your Competition, and your Market
• Exploring your Strengths
• Defining your Market
• Defining your differentiation
• Defining your offer

This homework, although perhaps not so much fun initially, is critical. Your foundation will be based on this information you collect.  For example, when I started planning my business, I knew I wanted to help businesses with their marketing and I knew that my strength was in both traditional and internet marketing. But how to differentiate myself from other marketing consultants and agencies? I decided I would coach my clients rather than consult them.  I wanted to teach my clients how to write a marketing strategy they could apply. I wanted to teach them about segmentation. About targeted messaging. About tracking and analyzing. About testing different ads and headlines to test what works. I wanted to teach them about creating valuable content that informs and entertains and establishes my client as the expert. My goal was that by the time I finished working with a client, they could successfully market their business and test what worked and didn’t work and make appropriate changes in their strategy. How can you differentiate yourself?

Besides differentiating your offer, you also have tools you can use to brand your business.  Every interaction you have with your audience is another tool.  How you dress and act at networking events. Workshops you have. Ads you place. The kind of content you create. The pictures and videos you post. The invoices you send. The proposals you send.

Even though there is no shortage of tools, one thing you should be aware of: Be consistent. Be visually consistent – same colors/fonts/avatars in all your marketing. Also be consistent with your brand values, your brand tone, and brand personality. And this consistency needs to be the same both online and offline.  If you are not a funny person in person, you won’t be funny online. If your business is known for its sophistication and professionalism, being sarcastic online will not benefit you.

Whether you have put much thought into your branding or not, people have a perception of you and your business already. What questions do you have about starting the branding process?

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Every businesses uses some form of Marketing. Word of Mouth. Internet. Social Media. Videos. Podcasts. Commercials. Newspaper Ads. Magazine Ads. The possibilities are only limited by our imagination – and maybe technology.

As I’m sitting here with my laptop, preparing a marketing and media strategy for a client, I realize that what every business does not use is a media plan. Why not? No time? This is one excuse I don’t believe in. No experience? No knowledge? No guidance? No template? Not understanding the need or the purpose? These reasons sound more viable.

So, without much ado, let me help you and let’s get to putting together a media plan for you.

First: Why do you need a plan?

• How else can you plan your spending?
• How else can you systemize your outreach?
• How else can you verbalize your goals?
• How else can you track what is working and thus invest your money more efficiently?

Second: What needs to be in a media plan?
1) Goals: Why do you want to advertise? What do you want to achieve that is reasonable within your budget. Be specific (with goals and budget!). Have measurable goals.

2) Target Audience: Who do you want to reach and why? What are the demographics? Is it broad or highly targeted? Geographic-specific?

3) Message: What do you want your audience to hear and think? Why should they care? Your mission, goals, and the needs/wants of your target audience should be taken into consideration.

4) Media List: Which media outlets do you need? Who in the media do you need to contact? List the appropriate channels and the people (reporters) and their contact info.

5) Frequency: How often do you want to reach your audience with each media outlet?

6) TimeLine: List “Who – What – When – Which Outlet”. This list should include who is accountable for which task (finalize design, finish script, etc.), when the deadlines are, what the milestones are. Someone on your team should monitor this list regularly and keep team members accountable. It can be a simple excel sheet, a timeline, or an outline with project planning software. Main thing is – get your roadmap in writing.
OK, you could stop there. You’d have a great media plan. But you still need to know what worked and what didn’t. So here is the bonus step:

7) Goal vs. Achieved Analysis: Have all the timelines been achieved? Have the goals been achieved? Which media outlets worked? Which ones didn’t? Gather all the data you have, analyze it, and change your strategy accordingly.

And voila – you have your media plan. Does it take a bit of work and planning? Sure. But can you see how this might improve the efficiency of your investment? How could a media plan help your business? What has stopped you so far?

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We are in the first quarter of a brand new year. (Can you believe it’s February already – Gasp!) There are many “new” internet marketing launches that companies are engaging in – all in an effort to grow their business and their outreach. New Social Media Platforms. New blogs. New Fanpages. New videos. New processes.

In the face of all this “new”, have you thought about unleashing the power of “existing?” Your existing customers are a great way to grow your business. Why are you online? Why are you thinking about being online? In order to build relationships, grow your network, increase word of mouth, and ultimately, grow your business. Your existing clients can help you do all of that and more. They are already satisfied with your business, you already have a relationship with them already (if not, it’s time to start!), and now you can leverage this relationship by encouraging your network to create word of mouth for you.

How do you go about it?

First, you have to know who your clients know. You can easily search for them online and see if they are in any committees, or associations, see who they are connected with on LinkedIn and/or Facebook. You can then ask them for specific introductions and referrals.

Sound simple? It is. It only takes some research on your part – research your client and research the potential referrals. And this… this is just the beginning!

Do you have a referral system for your business? How has it worked for you?

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When we think of brands like Nike, BMW, or Apple, we think of the experience we’ve had with these brands, their logos pop into our minds, and we react to the brand – either positively or negatively.

Celebrities also brand themselves – Paris Hilton, Denzel Washington – all are brands. And just like celebrities use branding techniques to build a reputation for themselves and to control their image, we too have our personal brand to consider.

Oh yes. You’re online. Congratulations. You have an online brand.

And how we brand ourselves determines how people perceive us, and whether our online interaction will lead to off-line collaboration. The tone we choose (folksy? professional? humorous? sarcastic?), our picture, the content we create, our language, who we connect with, what discussions we take part – all these things ultimately make up our brand.

And this image that we create ultimately becomes our reputation.

How do you brand yourself? Have you put much thought into it?

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I’m sorry but it’s true. Your clients- they don’t care about you, or your company. They don’t care about your product or services until they understand how it can serve their needs. Still think I’m exaggerating? If you had a 60 minute presentation solely on your company, how many people would pay to listen? Now make that a 60 minute presentation on a topic that adds value for your audience, it is a different story, no?

In the online world, people don’t want hard-selling. They don’t want you to go on and on about your services. And if all you’re using social platforms for is to announce sales and discounts, you are not utilizing any of the potential. Sure, announcing sales and talking about yourself is the easiest content to produce, but how many spammers do you gladly follow yourself?

What people want is useful, interesting content that adds value. They want to be entertained, and informed. They want to build relationships. They want to trust you before they make a purchase. They want to see the human side of your brand.

And that’s where Social Media platforms such as this one come in. Hello conversation starters. Hello useful information and tips. Hello brand loyalty. Hello trust factor. This is your chance to show your network your area of expertise. Show them what you know. Give them interesting links to both help them increase their knowledge and to show them that you are staying on top of your industry. And slowly, you start gaining their trust. Regardless of where they are in the purchasing cycle.

And when they are eventually ready to take out their credit card – you have already established trust, expertise, and a relationship with them. And now, now you’ve taken away a powerful tool from your competitors; you are no longer competing solely on price.

And that my friend, is just the beginning.

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Günes Yilmaztuerk

Life sometimes gives you a lemon. Sometimes it gives you an entire bag of lemons. Sometimes you feel like you now own all the lemons in the world.

About half a year ago, I felt like the citrus-queen. My husband started Purdue University to pursue a master’s degree. I supported him completely in following his dreams. Then the economy tanked. And I lost my job. Then I got sick.

No health insurance. No salary. In my panic, I prayed as I always do. Then I polished my resume and cover letter. I only sent out one resume though. My heart wasn’t in it. It was now or never. This was my chance to follow my dreams. But we needed a steady income. I needed health insurance. Yet, for years, I had been wanting to start my own marketing consulting business. There had been so many “if’s” and the corporate perks were too stable to give up. Now was my chance to take the lemons that life had given me, and not just make lemonade, but throw a tequila party!

I had full support from my husband, my family, and some of my friends. My friends Dean Hua and Sunny Cervantes were among my biggest cheerleaders. Dean gave me direction, helped me figure out what I wanted to do in marketing, where my strengths were. He questioned me and challenged me and forced me to think beyond my comfort zone. Business ideas were scribbled furiously on napkins, and scraps of paper as they came to me.

I started exploring my passions. Online Marketing. Coaching. Seminars. Workshops. I met strong women like Heather Clark-Reynolds (Indiana Small Business Development Center) and Joy Page (Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce) and we started collaborating on projects. Word of mouth spread like wild fire. And my dream, Sollé Coaching, was born.

Now Sollé Coaching is growing beyond my wildest dreams. It is my inspiration. My motivation. I love what I do; I love working with different clients from different industries and helping their business reach new heights. This is my story. A story of a Turkish girl that nearly lost everything. Thankfully. And then she threw a tequila party with all the lemons life gave her and followed her dreams. Welcome to Sollé Coaching. How can we help you?

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