If you want to be successful in business, you need to stand out! Be remarkable! Here are 8 ways to help you stand out from your competition:
Till next week, Marijke
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To put a smile on your face, here are a few examples of bad business names! Well, some may be ok in their language, but sound funny in English! Have you ever had to come up with a name for a new business or product? If you have, you know it’s not an easy thing. There aren’t really any rules when it comes to business or product names, but there are some things to think about that will make it easier. Whether you are setting up a new business or are developing a new product, you’ll have it for a while (hopefully)… Here are some tips to help you come up with a good name:
The do’s: • Make sure the name is simple, easy to pronounce, memorable and easy to spell. • Research the web, the companies websites etc. to ensure the name isn’t already taken • Ensure the domain name you want is available (and relates to your name – preferably the same word as your name so it’s easy to find online) • Ensure it’s different from your competition • If you’re considering trademarking the name, ensure someone else hasn’t already done so The don’t’s: • Stay away from negative connotations • Make sure the name doesn’t mean something negative or inappropriate in other languages • Don’t restrict your name too much (with the eye on future growth) or limit yourself to a place name (in case you move!) Ideas on how to generate names: • Brainstorm words that relate to the product / service • Words that relate to the benefits for the customer • Words that relate to the values/quality of the company and products • Words related to colours, animals, plants, your industry, your types of customers etc. • Use a thesaurus to look up related names/words • Consider combining words • Ensure your name is meaningful rather than too generic • Use adjectives • Use humour • Does it evoke emotion? A little plug for the 2016 Marketing for Success Programme, starting in April. Don't miss it if you want to bring your business to the next level! Click here for more info! Till next week, Marijke Following onto the Marketing Tip I wrote a couple of months ago on how to improve your customer experience http://www.marketingwhizz.com/weekly-marketing-tip/june-30th-2015 , I have a little follow up story as an example. Last week I spent a week in Auckland visiting inbound operators on behalf of my Smartourism Marketing Group (www.smartourism.co.nz ). I stayed in a nice downtown hotel and was kindly upgraded to a lovely refurbished room. I was impressed with the lovely décor, amenities and features such as this bathroom light switch next to the bed. Now this is clever thinking & design. I thought: wow, this hotel was really been thinking about the guest experience when they redesigned the rooms (and invested a considerable amount of money!). Until I wanted to boil the jug for a cuppa. I picked up the jug, walked to the bathroom to fill it up. I put it under the tap and tried to fill it. Unfortunately the tap was too low and when I pulled the jug away, all the water ran out. So I had to fill it up with a glass. What a shame... They thought through a lot of their features, but not everything.
So, how do your customers experience your business, products, experience, service etc. Put a system in place to check your customer experience regularly. And when you change anything (or refurbish), test it thoroughly to avoid mistakes as mentioned above! Have a great week :)! Marijke My view on the NZ flag referendum – which one to choose from a (smart) marketing perspective2/9/2015 Wow, this is quite exciting! Soon we’ll have the opportunity to vote for a new flag! Here in New Zealand, a referendum to decide on our new flag will be held at the end of the year. And in my opinion, we need a new one! One that clearly identifies and defines us. (Even google just got a new logo after 17 years!) The other day, I received a flyer in the mail with the top 40 flag designs. Some were nice, some average and others pretty awful! So, what is the right flag for New Zealand? Ok, this is what I think, and I think it’s quite simple. When it comes to your identity – your brand - , whether it’s your business' or your country’s, it needs to be consistent. Otherwise, how will people ever remember or recognise you? Our flag is a great opportunity to consistently promote our beautiful country, whether it be for trade, tourism, sports etc. We need it as a small country. So we need to do this in a smart way. I must say that from a marketing perspective, I am proud of the way NZ has profiled itself over the years with some great consistent branding. I really can't think of any other country that has done this well, apart from NZ. Have a look at the slideshow below – this is how NZ sports teams, tourism and government agencies and companies have profiled themselves for years. Then have a look at the top 4 flag options at the top. Forget about the blue and the red... it’s pretty obvious isn’t it? It's how NZ already has been profiled for years already! Simple really... I’d love to hear your comments or fill in the survey below! Till next week, Marijke I love it when I see a creative idea when traveling. I’ve just spent a couple of weeks in Holland, where millions of cyclists can be seen around the place. The majority of school kids bike to school and many adults bike to work as well. It’s the main mode of transportation in the Netherlands. Everyone bikes! One of the problems that occurs when children cycle to school is that they tend to drop litter. Here's a solution to the problem: a "blikvanger" or "can catcher". On routes used by a lot of children to get to school you find these litter bins for cyclists to throw their litter into without stopping. They love it, as it’s fun throwing things into it! These “can catchers” can also be found in nature reserves, shopping malls, sports facilities, outdoor concerts etc. Apart from being a fun and creative way to solve the litter problem, it also creates awareness of how much litter would otherwise end up on the side of the road and other areas. Now, you see more and more of these “can catchers” around the place, it’s great! And what a creative way to solve this problem! I love Seth Godin’s quote: “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers!”. Have a think about this quote for a minute… “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers!”.
To me this means identifying specific types of customer groups (niches) and developing a product or service for their needs. This is called niche marketing and is extremely effective. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, focus on the specific needs of a particular type of customer and the specific products or services you can offer them. This can create more customers as people tend to search for very specific information that suits their needs rather than search for general information. If you provide this information, they will find you! Going through the process below to identify your niche(s) can be very beneficial to attract targeted customers. 1. So, have a think who some of your best customers are – I mean, the ones that LOVE your product, are happy to pay the price you ask and tell lots of other people. Can you group them? Write this down. 2. Once you’ve identified these customer groups (or niches), have a think how you can target more of them. What do these people have in common? Do they use similar search words online to find your type of product? Do they read similar blogs or publications? Write this next to each customer group. 3. Why does each of these customer groups chose to come to you? What sets you apart from your competitors? Once you know this, you can use this to appeal to them and to attract more customers. 4. For each group, write down ways to get more of them. Also write down the information they need to make the decision to buy your product or service, including the keywords they would use to find you online. The more specific, the better. 5. Put together a plan to market to your niche(s)! Voila, you’re away with niche marketing! Till next week, Marijke As I experience accommodation, restaurants, online purchases and more, I wonder how many businesses experience their own product or service AS a customer.
And I mean the complete process, to experiencing the whole product or service from start to finish, including the booking process. If you offer accommodation, have you stayed in your accommodation as a guest yourself? With this I mean pretending you are actually a guest, with suitcase and all. (where do I put my toilet bag or hang my clothes??) Or visit your own restaurant as a guest, go to the bathroom with your bag (where’s the hook for the bag??). Alternatively if you want objective feedback, get some mystery shoppers. Do make a list with things you want feedback on. You or the mystery shopper will pick up small things could significantly enhance the customer experience, increase the ‘wow’ factor, and get you better reviews! Till next week, Marijke The other day I walked past a clothes shop. Now I do like a good sale so I went in as they had rack after rack of clothes on sale.
They had grouped everything by colour, not by size. It looked very nice on the racks, all the blues together, all the pinks all the yellows etc. But do you think it was easy to find anything in my size? In order to find the correct size, I had to go through all the clothes to find my size. As I didn’t have a lot of time, and frankly, I couldn’t be bothered looking at every tag, I gave up and walked out without having bought anything. If they would have grouped the clothes by size, I could quickly have seen if there was anything to my liking and I quite likely would have bought something. So, what ‘s the lesson here? If you offer a range of options to your clients, group them by type of client. Say one of your customer groups are families, group all the products you offer that are suitable for families in one brochure and on one page on your website. This way, you make it easy for them to find everything in one place and they’re more likely to book! So, don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers and have a think about how this could apply to your business. (I did end up buying something else in another shop where it was all grouped by size :) Only took me 5 minutes! Till next week, Marijke |
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AuthorMarijke Dunselman. Click here to read more about us! |