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Archive for the Branding Category

What DO You Want From Your Business?

A friend of mine is the manager of a local retail establishment. He’s a very smart man with a distinguished if not unusual career. He’s amazed me at times with words of wisdom that make any thought process stop dead in its tracks and listen He’s also very frustrated because the owners don’t seem very anxious to make the place a best in its class establishment. It’s sad because, if they would just step out of the way and give him the reins, they would make so much more money.

Most folks can run a retail business. It requires some attention to detail, some organizational skills and some ability to deal with the public. Notice that I used “some” a lot, and that’s because if you’re in a good location with reasonable traffic, you can keep the doors open and lights on without being a primo manager.

My wish for him is that a distant relative would die and leave him the money to buy the place. He’s got drive, intelligence and is champing at the bit to really turn a profit, make it a busy place and build a real brand. If he could buy it, there’s no doubt it would see 30% sales gains in the first six months. Yet, the owners treat it kind of like a hobby business. They’re not too particular about the little things and seem more determined to get pocket change from the place. They seem to have overlooked Frank’s Business Rule #1: When it comes to how the public views you, everything matters.

Your Website And Smart “Spiders”

Your Website And Smart “Spiders”

Not too long ago, to keep your search engine rankings for your website up there, you merely had to put some content up and add a few links or a video. Not so much anymore because the spiders have been getting smarter with every passing month.

First, let’s assume you don’t know what a spider (or bot) is in search engine terms. Google, Yahoo, Bing (Microsoft) and all other search engines send out little programs that, in effect, roam the web and “crawl” over every single website they can find all over the world, and then send info on what they find back “home.” How many web pages is that?

Hold on to your hat: Google has indexed over 40 Billion web pages (not sites, but all website pages). Your site is in there, too. Google will re-index all those pages every 30-90 days, too, so, yes, you are being watched … sort of. How do they do it?

First, Google has over 1,000,000 servers! Mind boggling, and they can find anything on them almost instantly so that you can have it when you do a search. Millions of spiders are coursing over pages and sending a constant stream of info back to the servers where every jot and tittle is cataloged and made ready for search.

As if this wasn’t enough, the spiders are getting smarter every day. One of the things they “measure” is relevancy, which is based on (among other things): The sources you quote; whether it looks, sounds or “smells” like another article (meaning it might be nothing more than a copy); how reliable your sources are (popular? oft quoted?), and; how many sources you have used. Bewildered? Discouraged?

Well, don’t be. It simply means that, when you put articles and content up there, you write shorter pieces on which you do more synthesis. Having longer articles isn’t always better because the spiders are looking “into” your pieces and judging the relevancy and originality. Step up your creativity a bit, cast a bit wider net for sources and you might wind up better than before.

The Formula for Delighted Customers

Definition: “Delight - To take or give great pleasure or joy.”  You often hear companies being told to “Delight your customers.” You definitely should do that, but let’s go over the definition of “delight” as it is a bit overblown in some of the things I’ve been reading, especially in light of the definition I use and how it relates to brands and marketing.

Going over the top with offers and special deals is for the 20% of your customers in the 80/20 rule (80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers). Most folks don’t have the time or resources to lavish great attention on every customer, much less get employees to really care enough to do it (the last paragraph address this).

My personal definition of a brand is, “A brand is a promise of repeated delightful experiences based on a history of delightful experiences.” Given that the customer owns your brand, and you or your clients do not, it’s up to them to decide what’s delightful or not.

There are so many times when we go to see, buy or do something and the experience falls short of what is promised in ads. Consistently good results for our investment of time and/or money makes us happy - delighted, if you will - because being disappointed is so common. Getting what we feel is fair value for our time and money is delightful.

Customers should be delighted every time they do business with you or your client; i.e., they should be quite pleased or feel a bit of joy. Coke and McDonald’s delight customers with every purchase. How so? Well, water, bread and lunch meat will satisfy hunger and thirst but, on a hot, dusty, day, a cold Coke is (say it with me) delightful. When you’re pressed for time, a hot, grilled chicken sandwich on a whole grain bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo is a damn sight better than a pack of cheese crackers from a gas station, especially if an ice cold Coke is served with it. If I’m really, really hungry and an hour from anywhere that sells food, finding a pack of cheese crackers is - you guessed it - delightful. I’m not overjoyed by my discovery (unless it’s my first meal in days), but I am delighted.

Let’s say I own a junk yard and a person calls me looking for a part after calling five other yards. I have the part and they’re delighted, and I was simply doing was my job. That puts me at the top of their list for next time. When they call again - and I’ll likely be the first call after being their part savior before - and I don’t have the part, I offer to locate it for them, and that makes them happy. To go one further (and keep the business), I offer to get it sent to my store, they’re delighted and, again, I’m just doing what I do. Even junk yards can delight customers.

I’m delighted when:

• I can help my clients set higher marketing and advertising standards

• We educate all  their employees about the value and importance of those standards and how their contributions help everyone (”A rising tide lifts all boats”)

• We put systems and rewards in place to ensure that measurable goals are achieved and perpetuated

• They make excellent internal and external communications about their products, services and company the rule

Why am I delighted and not overjoyed? Because what I described is my job as a marketer. I’m overjoyed when they come back and have added ten, twenty or thirty percent to what I set out. Now, THAT’S some serious, overwhelming, tear-jerking joy! 

Social media is filling gaps in real life

 For anyone who says Facebook is evil, or that LinkedIn is nothing but a time-suck, you might want to think again. “Trend spotter” Marian Salzman, in her latest work, “11 Trends for 2011,” points out something about social media you might want to consider when making your advertising and marketing plans for next year.

“People around the world are losing faith. Many Americans, for example, have lost trust in their politicians, their institutions, heir media and the direction of the nation. To compensate because they haven’t lost trust in self-reliance and faith in echnology), they are looking to their networks, turbocharged by omputers and the Internet.The Network Effect is making good n its promise. …

“With almost 2 billion Internet users worldwide (including 239 million in the U.S., 51 million in the U.K., 45 million in France, 81 million in India and a whopping 420 million in China), there’s a virtually unlimited supply of people out there who can meet anyone’s networking needs—whether it’s old friends, new buddies, lovers, advocates, employers, partners, suppliers, fellow enthusiasts, fellow sufferers, co-religionists or people to just
hang out with. There’s a new sense of unlimited possible partners for anything from recovery to marriage.

“As world citizens continue to embrace social media—from Facebook,Twitter and LinkedIn to Orkut, QQ and Copains ’avant—they are realizing that keyboards and mobile devices can also facilitate real conversations and mediate real human connections. (Although, in a related aside, we’ve been witnessing an interesting decline in people’s personas on social media— from an authentic expression of self to a measured, calculated
projection of values—with attendant societal implications both online and off.*) The more niche the passion, the more social the match experience. And as time goes by, the interactions will build into rich, detailed connections and an ongoing sense of ambient awareness—true connectedness to a wider network of
people. ”

*I believe it’s because people are smarter and realize that, once you post something online, it’s there forever, like it or not.

Be an icon and customers remember you

Consistency and brevity are critical factors in getting lodged deeply into your customer’s minds. Finding one thing that says, “This is me,” and using it every time is a major part of getting remembered. We all remember what IBM, UPS, FBI and GM stand for. Here are some tips on creating that same sort of brief, memorable image for yourself. Before we start, though, what I’m describing will probably need the help of a good graphic artist. No matter how simple it is, if it’s executed well, it will do wonders over time; if done poorly, it will disappoint.

Here’s an example: A. What did your husband or wife wear yesterday?; B. What did they wear one week ago today? You might answer A, but few can answer B. What was the UPS guy wearing yesterday and one week ago? Everyone gets that one, and that’s the power of simplicity and consistency. UPS has used “Brown” to multiply their marketing dollars by ensuring that many folks will think of UPS if someone says “brown.” Your goal is to find something very, very simple in previous ads, brochures and other marketing things to create something that identifies you and you alone. An easy place to start is picking a certain color and using it everywhere as UPS has. Paint your trucks or your offices and building with that color.

Next, couple that with a very simple figure to create a sort of icon. UPS has the shield and IBM has the shutter-looking logo. Start by looking at the tools of your trade. If you are you a plumber, then maybe a pipe wrench held in a hand is a good icon. Pick something and get a graphic artist to make a simplified visual representation of it – the simpler the better. It might take a few tries, but sooner or later, you’ll find something that “speaks to you.”

For instance, about twenty years ago, I designed the logo for Central Kentucky Research Associates. It is simply one line for the profile of a face which looks into a microscope that is only two lines – three lines total. You can see it today on the building that houses their offices on Richmond Road.

Next, look at your customers and figure out what description fits most of them. That is to say, are they business customers or consumers? Are they old, middle-aged or young? Do they live in the city or the country? What is their income? If you’ve never done this, it’s very, very important to know this because it helps focus on customers that bring you the most business, and helps you frame your efforts in ways that speak to them. What it does, though, is help you determine the style. If your products appeal to young folks, then do something light hearted. Older folks might appreciate something solid, like the column of a building.

This can also be combined to create a statement. Using the hand holding a pipe wrench example, perhaps you use the word “TRUST” under it. This makes a very simple statement: “We’re the plumber you can trust.” After a while, you can use the icon or the word separately, but go slowly on that. You have to be sure they know it well first. When they do, it becomes a visual shorthand for your company’s name. We all know UPS means United Parcel Service, but we prefer UPS because it’s short, convenient and memorable.

Here’s today’s question: What is the shorthand for you or your company or brand?

Do customers dwell with you?

“Dwell time” is an oft overlooked but highly valuable time your customer spends considering your company. It’s defined as the time a customer spends with you in the absence of buying or being assisted with a sale. It’s when they’re browsing, waiting to talk with someone or simply killing time because someone else is involved with you or your personnel. 

Believe it or not, you want to increase your customer’s dwell time, but you want to guide them in it. You have the power to make it enjoyable and entertaining with some attention to detail. For instance, do you have a showroom? Is it clean and well organized? Is the lighting appropriate for the displays? Are there comfortable chairs? Can they get a drink of water or a cup of coffee? Are the merchandise displays laid out in a way that encourages customers to leisurely browse? Does it provide a positive sensory experience?

If you don’t have a showroom, then you must make the main contact point as friendly, inviting and engaging as possible. If it’s a brochure, is it small and packed tightly to save money? If so, you probably cost yourself more money than you could ever save because, if customers won’t read it, you don’t get sales. The most inviting print pieces have plenty of open space (white space, negative space, etc.). If a page is too busy or crowded, the reader’s brain quickly passes it by because it causes mental or emotional confusion or conflict. Packing as much as possible in to persuade them can actually do the opposite. In design terms, less is more.

Is their first contact a product sample? This is where the “first impressions last” rule must be considered. If possible, make a sample its own little presentation. Rather than have only the product be what they see, use a printed bag or box with a picture, the name and a some basic information on the back – keep it very simple. This does two things: A. It makes it seem like a present (and not just extra stock), plus it’s a bit like unwrapping one, and; B. It helps ensure that they remember your product’s name and image. Yes, this does cost more, but the emotional experience helps build your brand more strongly in their mind and gets them to dwell on your product longer. When you might have only one shot and you can’t be there to talk about it, it better be good.

If you have a showroom, look at the lighting. The human eye is drawn to the brightest thing within its field of vision. You want display areas well lit, and you also want to have the room light lower than the highlights on your displays. This creates attractive zones for the eyes, highlights the products and helps the customer’s brain focus on what you want them to see. Again, if your showroom is crowded, simplify it because people like a feeling of space and room (Americans are particularly needful of this).

Take the way Apple does its stores. They are somewhat Spartan, clean-looking and they use spotlights to bring out their electronics – you almost have to look at their products if only because there are so few distractions. How do you know it works? They can barely keep product in their stores – do you have that problem? Another example is large retail chains like Macy’s. Look at their ceilings and notice how many spotlights they use. They know that lighting leads people where they want them to go by creating attractive visual zones.

If you have e-commerce on your site, it’s a natural tendency to try to tell folks everything all at once, but that’s not how we learn, or buy. If they linger on the site, they are more likely to buy because they’ve had a pleasant experience. So, keep your home page uncluttered and provide lots of navigation clues so that they can always tell where they are and how they got there - the first sign of confusion means they’ll likely bolt. Do usability testing on your site (or as you’re building it – don’t wait until the end as that’s too late) by putting a customer in a chair, put a video camera on the screen and see where they go. Are they going where you want them to? Where do they linger? After you’ve done a few of these, you’ll have a very good idea whether or not your design is working.

So, dwell for a time on your spaces and see where you would dwell.

Frank Goad is president of Frank Communications, a marketing and advertising consulting firm specializing in helping small- and medium-sized businesses grow and prosper. www.frankcomlex.com, 859-619-5050

New Biz Lex video: Barry Bronson, Pt. II

This week’s webisode features Barry Bronson, part II. Barry is a career veteran of public relations, marketing and journalism. Much of his work has centered on the automotive industry and its suppliers. He was P.R. director at Valvoline and ran their racing sponsorship program for NASCAR, drag racing and other racing segments. He’s colorful and knowledgeable. See him here: “Avoid P.R. pitfalls – think it through.” Once you’ve seen it, please leave a comment.

Your Website: Good News, Bad News and Money

No one can do it all.

The title says it all. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about getting everyone on earth to come and peruse your site. The bad news is that you do have get the people who spend money with you to come to it, and that takes money. Sounds like you’re still at square one, doesn’t it? Let’s talk about this for a minute.

Remember this: The Internet isn’t free if you’re trying to get customers. If you are a customer looking to buy, then it costs less – yes, your customers pay, too. They have to pay for access (cable, wireless, etc.), buy a computer, pay for anti-virus software (you don’t need it if you don’t connect) and, above all, they “spend” their most precious commodity - time - looking for information, products and services. If you want them to visit your site, make it worth their time and money whenever they “stop by.” Always remember that a website is not a brochure and it needs updating often to offer real value.

The Internet is an advertising medium and advertising costs money. In the beginning it was a communications tool for computer scientists and geeky folk. Now it’s the backbone of international commerce and consumer choice. Just as you pay for brochures and magazine ads, you have to pay for Internet advertising. How so? Google AdWords, site construction, consulting on building traffic, and so on, all cost time and money. Even if you do it yourself, it’s not free. What do you make per hour? Every bit of time you spend building a website is an hour you’re not earning money.

Like any advertising, there are ways to keep the costs down, but you still pay and that’s the real point: Not investing properly in your Internet “properties” shows a poor return on whatever you spend. Consider these two scenarios:

A. Let’s say you spend $5,000 to get a really cool website built by your hotshot nephew. He’s been to tech school and can make it do some amazing stuff. Your site looks like a playground in a monitor. You launch it and, by using free Google Webmaster Tools, you find out hardly anyone is coming to it, and those who do barely hang around. There can be many reasons but, for this story, let’s go with the assumption your nephew is not trained in graphic design or visual communication techniques and knows less about advertising copy writing. Your website is the equivalent of a child’s picture book that’s really interesting at first, but soon loses its appeal. A major function of your site is to be an advertisement (and usually a cash register, too), and if function follows form or technique, you’ll likely be disappointed.

B. Let’s say you spend $500 to get a site built and, even though “it ain’t pretty,” the traffic is good … at first. You check the Google tools and see that you are way off your peak visits and dropping. You remember that you haven’t put any new content up since you posted the site. People have seen it and have moved on. Fresh content keeps them coming back. That’s why the major networks like CBS, CNN, The New York Times and myriad other sites do well - they keep fresh content coming. Even if it’s just a new weekly coupon, your loyal customers will keep checking.

These days, there are four groups that you really need to consider if you’re creating a new site or getting ready to revamp your current site:

1. Coders: Technical folks who build your site and make it work and connect. Websites are programs that display their results graphically.

2. Designers: If they’re good they guide visitor’s eyes where you want them to go. From my (long and sometimes bloody) experience, many designers aren’t good coders and vice versa (I’m going to get hate mail on that - sorry, but it’s true). A designer is trained in visual communication that’s art and graphics based, an important skill that isn’t inherent to web coding.

3. Search engine optimization (SEO) experts: Most coders say they know SEO, and some do, but it’s a sophisticated discipline that’s more like statistical research and psychological profiling. It’s darn near a black art at times, but there’s a real craft to doing it well and a marketing background is a real plus.

4. Content providers: You still need folks to write persuasive copy and figure out what people want. Your site is a lot like a magazine in that you want folks to read what’s there, look at the pictures and come back every “issue” through subscriptions. You might say, “We do videos.” Who writes your script? Whether read or spoken, it requires special skills to be compelling.

Are there people who do all these well? Sure, but they’re rare and their rates make many folks gasp. My strong suits are numbers two (design), and four (content creation). I provide content including advertising copy, strategy, graphic/art direction, feedback measurement systems and creative campaigns. I also am very well versed in visual communication, meaning I know how to guide the eye around the page to make sure they “get” the most important things.

I’m okay at search engine optimization issues but don’t hesitate to get help because it is critical to getting a great return on your investment and eyeballs on your site. How am I at coding and actually constructing a website? Lousy and I have no desire to do it because, well, I do other things much better.

Can you do all these things? Probably not, so be honest with yourself, move some money around in your advertising budget and get folks who know how to do these things. Remember that it’s an investment, not an expense. Given that around 97% of people go the Internet first to find products and services, it’s just smart business to do it right and ensure that they think of your site as a reliable place to go.

It’s Your Brand, So Make Your Mark(er)

In my recent Business Lexington video, I talked about how customers own your brand. Their emotional attachments are the most powerful part of your brand. People go with what they know and your job is to become better known than your competitors by creating a distinctive brand that they love. Take the new Sharpie pens - everyone knows and loves the Sharpie brand. Folks in creative and artistic fields (designers, etc.) seem to go crazy over them. I’ve got several (the siren’s song got me) and they are nice.

They go at a bit of a premium over most other felt-tipped pens, but they’re selling well. I’ve seen their display pegs in stores empty many times. Why? I’m convinced it’s the brand more than the pen. Don’t get me wrong – I like them and think they’re worth the money.

The “creatives” I mentioned have had a long love affair with Sharpie permanent markers. Many use the permanent markers like the rest of us use any pen. Despite bleeding through pages, they faithfully keep one around. Is the rest of the world as enamored? Don’t know, but I do know artists who buy them by the box.

In a crowded market already filled with products that are just as good, and with many being cheaper, they jumped in and captured a healthy segment of pen sales, and THAT’S the power of branding.

The manufacturer has a good track record and has marketed the brand well. From collections of colors in varying point sizes to mini-markers for your key chain to highlighters, they’ve done great at imprinting a recognizable name on a variety of creatively conceived and well-made products.

Go to their website, (www.sharpie.com) and you’ll see special offers, news on their racing events, and art galleries of things folks have created with their markers. A cool one is a collection of mugs at a coffee shop all decorated with Sharpies. They’re doing the right things to keep the brand vibrant and continually build loyalty. Their website is fun and attractive to keep us coming back for new stuff. They even have a program to “upcycle” your used markers. 

Back to the Sharpie pen: First they introduced a black fine point version, then blue, then a pack with red, green, blue and black, and then a retractable Sharpie click pen. Now they’re introducing one with a metal cap that is close to half the body’s length and a grippy rubber “clutch” surface. One-by-one, they’ve introduced new product variations while emphasizing the brand’s art and doodling personality.

This demonstrates that customers own the brand because they:

  • Play to their customer’s loyalties
  • Understand how they use their products
  • Engage them by exhibiting customer works
  • Understand customer demographics, uses and feelings
  • Create products based on expanding customer demands
  • Continually find ways to promote the brand
  • Most importantly, they never lose the playful attitude

They know what their customers like and channel their attitudes, perceptions and desires into products they’ll buy. If Sharpie wanted to attack the high end pen market that Mont Blanc, Waterman and Cartier occupy, credibility would take time in that prestige market, but they could do it.

Imagine this ad: A picture of a 24K gold Sharpie pen, cap on the end and the point exposed. It’s lying on a highly polished antique cherry desk replete with mother of pearl inlay. In the edges of the light are silver and gold accessories. The picture murmurs, “Rich people own this.” The pen lies on a glossy photo of a high-fashion model in an expensive Dior dress with the point aimed straight at the model’s face. Looking at the picture, we see … a mustache drawn on her lip. Whimsy, irreverence, luxury and doodling - they could pull it off.

They could blast into that territory with Waterman as a partner and have instant credibility. I think many folks would buy a prestige pen with Sharpie guts. You might say, “That’s like Rolex announcing, ‘We created a lower-cost line with Seiko movements.’” Sharpie has enough brand loyalty to make people giggle with delight every time they doodle a daisy during a stuffy meeting with a $100 pen; I don’t think Seiko has the same loyalty.

In the end, you must talk to your customers … a lot. Ask them simple questions like, “When you think of our store (company, etc.), what do you think of?” or, “What do you like best about us?” What products sell best? What gets the most inquiries and least returns?

Since they own your brand, find out what they think of it. Knowing that lets you serve up exactly what they want and create new products and services they’ll like, and that’s sharp business.

Doing Good and Doing Well - Here’s an Idea

If you are in business for yourself or own a business, you have to be promoting yourself all the time. There is increasing competition for an ever-shrinking pool of business. It’s tougher today than a decade ago if for no other reason than advertising and marketing is so fractured. As I’ve written before, these days, it comes down to time or money. That is, if you don’t have the money to do a big, sustained advertising campaign, then you have to invest the time to do it yourself.

Advertising today is a lot like megaphones:
• If you have a lot of money, you can buy a PA system and hire someone to run it for you. You can even hire someone to do the talking.
• If you have some money you can buy a large electronic megaphone that even has a horn or siren to get folks attention.
• If you don’t have any budget, you pick up the nearest thing that looks like a cheerleader’s megaphone and start running around and yelling. Hello Facebook, blogs, meetings, etc.

Most of us fall into category two or three. That means we have to find publicity wherever we can. Want to get some attention from the media and burnish your reputation? Do something for the community. Don’t just run out and have a bake sale - have a cause you believe in first. In this day and time, many agencies are going wanting due to thin budgets and thinner staffs and will welcome any help they can get.

No, this isn’t some cynical operation that you do because it’s good for business – you do it because people need help. Still, the glow from a charitable act will net you good will and you’ll make some new friends. Friends are about the most important asset for any business. Beyond that, will it make a lasting difference in one person’s life? Yes? Then that’s all you need to know.

Pick something you feel strongly about like cancer, autism, the environment, education, the arts, women’s rights, animal welfare, inner-city programs, youth in music (one of my favorites) or whatever pulls strongly at your heart. Write a mission statement that says what you want from the event, why you’re doing it, who it will help and how much you think it might help and how. Update the mission statement often as you’ll find new things as you go along – the ending will likely be different and better than you planned.

From this planning, you’ll have an idea of what you can raise or do for the event. Is the goal to raise money? Raise awareness? Get material or goods (e.g., pet food for the Humane Society)? The sponsoring agency will give you guidance as to what is most helpful. Plug this into your mission statement.

Once you’ve written down your goals and plans, then go to an organization who is usually attached to these causes (if there is one), share what you’ve written and see what kind of help they’ll give you. Try to find a co-sponsor who’ll help, too, before you go; many hands make for light(er) work.

Next, plan your event and pick a theme. Get help and figure what it’s going to cost, where to have it, etc. This is where an event planner comes in handy. You’ll have to think about everything from sanitation to seltzer water. Whatever the event, you’ll likely need at least a few months to plan and execute.

What event should you plan? That’s up to you and your planner. Stage a fishing or golf tournament, a picnic or barbecue, a pool party, cookware event, a gourmet hors d’oeuvres party, a wine tasting - something that helps folks walk away happy (and not just because of the wine). Since it will likely start with friends, you know what they like, so plan something you’re familiar with and it will be easier for you.

Then, build your list of people to invite and determine how many you realistically think will come. If you’re not sure, call a bunch of friends and ask them to see if they’d be interested. You might get a volunteer or two calling their friends. Check with the organization you’re doing it for as they’ll likely have an idea, too. If all your friends invite their friends, and their friends invite only half their friends, that could be a good number.

Then go back to your mission statement and use that to create your publicity plans and your press releases. It will inform everything and everyone about why you’re embarking on this madness. Try to find one person in the media (reporter, DJ, public relations agent, etc.) and get their advice and names of helpful folks. The agency you spoke with can usually help you with that.

After that, when you’re about three months out, send press releases out to all the media you can think of and follow up regularly with with new items (don’t rehash the old - make it new). Again, work with the sponsoring agency (if there is one involved) and get help on publicity from them - they might be able to  accomplish many times what you can. Keep calling and get help arranging for any publicity you can find. There’s no shame in attaching your company’s name and your co-sponsor’s to this whole thing. (Alltech has their name all over WEG, and rightfully so, thank you Dr. Lyons.)

This is just a snapshot and, realistically, doing any public event is tough. It doesn’t have to be something with thousands of folks. Sometimes small events with a unique or outrageous flavor get more attention - be creative.

If you handle it well the rewards you’ll feel as an individual will be huge (food for the soul), the benefit to the community will be greater and, who knows, you could start an annual event that becomes legendary. You’ve heard of the Kentucky Derby, right?

Want some more ideas? Need help with marketing or advertising? Call me or use the contact form at the bottom of the page at the Frank Communications website.

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