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Showing posts from February, 2019

How Emotions Win Customers

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Cassell's Hamburgers is something of a Cinderella story. Founder Al Cassell launched the iconic lunch counter in Los Angeles in 1948. Famous for grinding beef daily, Al's passion for great burgers and homemade mayonnaise lived for years. But by 2012, struggling owners decided to sell off Cassell's rights, recipes, and equipment. It seems there was no magic touch that could save this beauty. Jingbo Lou had other ideas. As a Chinese exchange student, Lou came to the U.S. to study at the University of Southern California and developed a passion for architectural restoration that grew out curiosity for American culture: "As an immigrant to this country, my very big task is to learn the culture," Lou says. "I really fell in love with the history." J Lou put this love to work bringing Cassell's back to life in a salvaged, crumbling 1920s inn called the Hotel Normandie. J Lou recognized a hotel/restaurant combo was a chance to cater to...

Expert Advice for Classy Custom Labels

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In today's visually-oriented market, brand persona is everything. Strong, simple visuals go a long way toward giving you a rock-solid image to stand tall above competitors and to capture customer attention. While companies work hard to shape outbound marketing, they can easily overlook options for the packaging and presentation of their products. Even simple tweaks can go a long way in making your brand shine! Custom printed labels can offer a durable, stunning accent to your product or printing. But there are many variables when it comes to printing labels. From the right materials to laminate finishing, it's hard to know where to begin. Here are a few tricks we've learned over the years to help you craft labels to heighten brand appeal. Less is More. When it comes to labels, it's important for your message to connect immediately. When a label has complex fonts or busy designs, it can be difficult for readers to engage with your product. Kee...

Four Ways to Market Smarter in 2019

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Looking to energize your base or drum up new leads? A new year is a great time to refresh your marketing matrix. Whether you’ve been in business for two months or for 20 years, creating awareness and interest is always a current challenge. Here are four areas to tweak as you build a competitive edge this year. 1. Know Your Audience. Who are your ideal customers? What are their challenges or the goals you can help them achieve? Revisit your buyer persona regularly and make sure you’re still clear on who you want to reach. These profiles can be used to segment your list and to personalize your latest pitch. Knowing your audience also means examining whether you’re hitting your target. Are you sharing information that your prospects are actually hearing? Re-examine your media strategy and conduct regular database purging. If you’ve been neglecting your database, your communication will be skewed as well. Successful marketing relies on data-driven decisions, so ensure your conta...

What the Amazon Effect Means for Your Small Business

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When Josh Silverman took over Etsy (an e-commerce website focused on handmade and vintage items), he faced immense pressure to revive the company financially. He didn’t disappoint. While shedding jobs and increasing holiday promotions, Etsy swung from a $29.9 million loss (in 2016) to an $81.8 million net income in 2017. Managing this feat in the face of Amazon’s competition was impressive. Amazon notched $51 billion in net sales in the first quarter of 2018, recently confirming it has exceeded 100 million Prime members globally. In contrast, Etsy has 1.9 active sellers and 33.4 million active buyers. Amazon is everywhere: delivering groceries, storing music, and putting items at your doorstep in two days or less. Amazon has been so present that it has become a verb: as in, “I Amazoned it.” While Amazon brings smiles to many, it brings tremors to some small businesses. Many are outraged at the demise of mom-and-pop shops, and even large-scale retailers have taken hits. What It...

Team Collaboration Transforms Customer Service

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T-Mobile touts itself as "America's Fastest Unlimited Network." In a fiercely competitive market, T-Mobile knows one of its most crucial responsibilities is to bring pleasurable customer support to the millions who call their helpline each month. While traditionally its call service center resembled a factory floor (cubicles brimming with reps donning headsets), T-Mobile has dedicated the past decade to reinventing its service sector. Today when you enter a T-Mobile contact center, you'll find reps sitting together in shared pods as they collaborate to solve customer issues as a "Team of Experts," or TEX. TEX teams include cross-functional groups of 47 people who serve named customer accounts in a specific market. Each team has a point leader, four coaches, and eight technology specialists. Customers no longer wade through a "call tree" but have immediate access to a dedicated, reliable team. Teams are so connected to their service regi...

Target Local Consumers with Event Sponsorship

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Corporate sponsorship is one of the most effective marketing channels, but most businesses haven't tried it. What is event sponsorship and why should you consider it? From a 5K road race to a good old-fashioned neighborhood picnic, companies that get outside their walls can make a huge splash in the community. Won't You Be My Neighbor? Businesses that rely on local support understand that their company will grow primarily through the support of its neighbors. How do you engage your neighbors? By being a good neighbor! Put a face on your business by sponsoring a baseball league, hosting community events on your lawn, or by mobilizing your city to benefit a beloved charity. Community development events show you are invested in your region and you enjoy its people. Here are some fun examples of how firms have made this a reality: Budweiser helps sponsor the annual "duck" tape festival in Avon, Ohio. With music, brews, fashion shows, and fa...

Etiquette Training for a New Generation

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Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post has a bone to pick with millennials and their bad manners. Consider one technology-related example : "Last week I watched in horror as a 20-something girl carefully snapped a photo of a basket of onions," said Oleksinski. "But we weren't at a serene farm or the Marché d'Aligre in Paris — we were crammed into the Columbus Circle Whole Foods. Thousands of customers were streaming through the aisle trying to grab some garlic for their dinners, and Little Miss Annie Leibovitz was blocking traffic to get some artsy snaps of nightshades. Will she print out these photos? Nope. A pile of white spheres under fluorescent light is even too dull for Instagram. Next time, Annie, take a breath and think about where you are . . . Pay for your brie wrap and vamoose." Etiquette is Part of Your Brand Oleksinski isn't alone. Modern professionals are finding a suffocating relationship with technology has left them ob...