THE ALISON GROUP ®

A New Blend

2009-08-19T16:09:00.011-04:00

We just welcomed the newest, vitally important member to our team – a Vita-Mix blender.

Under the direction of Tasha and Linda, the blender has been hard at work making a variation of smoothies and edible concoctions. Its credentials are impressive; it can craft drinks, soups and even bread. You name it, the Vita-Mix can do it.

With the sound and strength of a large power tool, it blends, purees and pulverizes ingredients, turning it all into delectable smithereens. It may just become our best kitchen companion.

So far, we’ve concocted a carrot-celery-spinach-apple smoothie and a mixed-berry-yogurt-bee pollen-apple smoothie. They both came out hearty and appetizing.

Our most recent experiment was garlic hummus; it turned out smooth, creamy and delicious.

As an existing or prospective client, we welcome you to stop by and take advantage of the talents of our Vita-Mix. If there’s something we can blend for you, let us know!

Below: our "homemade" garlic hummus.

The Thing About Maine

2009-08-11T16:09:00.001-04:00

A Texan was boasting about his ranch to a man from Maine. “If we got in my truck and started riding in the morning, we wouldn’t get to the other side of my property until evening,” the Texan effused. “Yeah,” said the man from Maine, “I used to own a truck like that.”

This story courtesy of my friend Richard Yeager who lives in Kennebunkport after being quite successful in the advertising business in Philadelphia for many years. The difference in me telling it and Richard telling it is the authentic “Maine” accent he adds. Then it is funnier! (go back and read it with your best Maine accent).

What does that have to do with marketing?

Everything!

A Fresh POV

2009-06-29T10:07:00.006-04:00

The letters POV are used when referring to a camera angle. It is the camera’s POINT OF VIEW. In essence it is all that the camera can “see” from its position. People and cameras are somewhat alike except cameras are moved around for another scene while people are sometimes stuck in a mental POV that’s hard to change.

If you are a CEO, product/brand manager or general manager, you no doubt value having other POV’s added to the discussion when critical decisions are being made. Steve Jobs admits the hugely successful iPhone would not have been possible without considerable input. Some early thoughts were changed but more importantly some here-to-fore unconsidered additions were made. Knowing how innovative Apple is, that probably comes as no surprise. But there is a twist.

What has changed in recent years is the angle of the POV. Businesses used to require that it came from inside their industry. It’s was, however, a way of thinking that didn’t allow for much innovation…just “me too” watered down. Kind of like everybody in the family ordering up the same desert at a restaurant. Today, smart marketers see it differently. “It’s not a matter of looking outside the box,” a recent client told me, “it’s having the guts to obliterate all boxes so we get a clearer view of the landscape.”

A POV is nothing more than a static position taken at some point in time and even the widest camera lens can’t see everything. If medical patients are smart to get a second opinion, good marketers are also smarter when they get another POV, especially when it comes from outside the box.

Call us. We have some great examples of fresh POV’s that literally changed product history.

Mark Alison

Business Accelerator

The Alison Group

Survival in Tough Times

2009-04-07T08:26:00.005-04:00

Many businesses have been through this before. In 1982 we were just starting out and that recession seemed like a monster to us. This one may seem like a monster to you but there is more than hope. There is the opportunity to actually move your business forward. Here is how to do it.

Be seen. Choose a strategy that includes more frequent exposure to your solid client base and others who parallel your base. Whether this is direct mail, e-strategy, mass media or whatever has worked in the past. Touch them often.
Offer value that transcends price. Wal-mart is doing quite well in these times because their brand strategy is built on lowering prices. It is likely that your prices are low already. Don’t endanger your business by cutting them again. Create an offer that says “value” to your customer. It could include an extra year of warranty. Some things don’t cost you much but are valuable to your customer.
Expose your full product/service line. Even repeat customers may not know everything you sell because they have adapted a routine of buying one thing. Let them know your full line.
Generate some excitement. In a sea of bad news people hunger for some good news. Even your staff will be energized. Do something that will bring attention to your business. This is not “advertising.” It is PR.
Stay the course. If you have been successful in the past it is likely that you are fundamentally sound. Don’t allow knee jerk reactions to creep in. Remember what you are best at. Now is not the time to accept any defeat. There are likely twice as many potential customers out there as you currently have. They need a reason to buy from you. Give it to them.

A Plan to Succeed

2009-03-12T09:15:00.006-04:00

“If you fail to plan,” Harvey MacKay is quoted as saying, “you plan to fail.”

How many banks lend money to a new venture without seeing a business plan? In most cases it is part of the application. Why then, is a sustainable marketing plan so unusual?

Here’s why – most entrepreneurs think the entire world is their marketplace. They have such firm convictions in their product or service that they feel it will market itself if they can just get the message in front of an audience…any audience. (How many times have we heard- “Get me on Oprah”) The first rule in land development is: Don’t fall in love with it. Yet they do. And it’s the same with other products and services as well.

A Wells Fargo/NFIB study, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, says 62.5% of small businesses will fail within a ten year period. So here is how the six step process typically goes:

Enthusiasm – They launch the product feeling anyone and everyone will buy it if they see it. Money is spent in media, web sites, PR, etc., all based on an entrepreneurial pride.

Surprise – When it doesn’t take off, they find it hard to believe. More money is spent but this time, in what appears to be, better tools to get the job done.

Commitment – Some sales take place but not enough to justify the expense; however, the spurt of sales is enough to harden the commitment. The thinking is: it is just a matter of time before this catches on. Kind of like the playing craps.

Denial – Most of the seed money is spent and now many marketing options are closed due to lack of budget. The hope is to limp through until sales generate enough to invest again.

Fallback – Figuring there are some other partnering opportunities that can make it work. Partnering can bring more cash into the business.

Blame – Now the very sources used to promote the product are the culprits, or there was sabotage inside the organization. It is still, essentially, a good idea.

With inventory and marketing being the two most expensive items on the P&L, why not develop a comprehensive, yet flexible, marketing plan before spending money?

We ask our clients to allow us to script and follow a marketing plan. It is amazing the decisions and directions that come out of the planning meetings. It is equally amazing how much money, time and frustration it saves.

It’s not just for entrepreneurs. It works for every company regardless of size and complexity. A plan to succeed. How imaginative! MacKay would be proud.

Remember Waterbeds?

2009-01-27T14:58:00.010-05:00

Hey, check the internet, they’re still around. In 1985 they were big. The top and bottom waterbed sheets were sewn together at the foot, so they were really big too. Almost a laundry load by themselves.

Our smallish southern cut and sew factory client competed well in the bed covering business but waterbed sheets was a niche they had not penetrated. The large department store buyers wouldn’t give him the time of day. “We need something unique and there’s nothing special about two sheets sewn together” he said, “got any ideas?” In less than three weeks we gave him the idea, name, logo and packaging concept that increased his sales by 35%.

His response to our simple idea? “Why didn’t I think of that?” But what really blew him away was Macy’s stores buyer giving him an aisle kiosk for the exciting new “Button Ups” brand line of waterbed sheets.

Instead of a seaming them together, we suggested he sew buttonholes at the foot of one sheet and corresponding buttons on the other. You might think it was the mix and match tops and bottoms that made them an instant hit but it was the secondary sell point that really caught the female consumer – “May Be Washed Separately” clearly noted on the package cover. We designed it that way.

What could a fresh eye on an old problem be worth to you?

If there is a better way to market your company, we know it.

The Problem With Hog Hair

2009-01-26T11:21:00.011-05:00

“The problem with hog hair is the awful smell when it heats up.” “Other than that,” he went on to say, “it is the best choice for high speed burnishing floor pads.” I overheard this at the Jan-San show. We were there in Chicago with our client. They manufactured the commercial cleaning pads he was talking about as did a half dozen others. For thirty years it had been a basic commodity in the trade. That was precisely the problem, commodity…along with the odor – especially noticeable in environments like medical centers. And that was the opportunity. Problem-opportunity, a perfect environment!

We gathered the client’s R&D team. Hog hair worked because of the texture and oily lanolin in the hair. “What if there was a similar product in the plant kingdom,” we asked? Our persistence led to coconut fiber, actually the strands inside the coconut hull. A few months later we introduced the coconut pad to the medical community. It was as good as hog without the smell and our client was the only one with it. Say goodbye to “commodity pricing.”

One final problem. Pasteurizing the fiber stripped away the delightful coconut smell. We suggested they add two drops of coconut extract to each pad when they packed them. “It will last long enough for the janitor to notice,” we reasoned, “he’s the one who will place the re-order anyway.” It worked. It’s still working.

If there’s a better way to market your company, we’ll know it.

A Real Estate Program that Turns “Leads to Yes™”

2009-01-26T10:59:00.011-05:00

“Your prospect will willingly give us her phone number and we’ll call to set up the tour.” That’s how we described the “Leads to Yes” system to our client. Sounds too good to be true? Read on…

Every lead is precious, especially today, but unless there is pertinent contact information you bear the expense of the brochure, postage and time with absolutely no promise of a return. In many cases it can cost five to fifteen dollars or more. This is why we introduced the Leads to Yes (LTY) system to our clients two years ago.

LTY is not simply lead generation. It is a programmed system of “interest generation” and helps weed out the expensive “not ready for buy time” consumers while cultivating the more serious prospects. Moreover the associated database logs in all prospect information electronically and it is always available to sales via the internet and a personal log in.

When you calculate the cost, LTY more than pays for itself with money and time left over. This is a great example of marketing and sales working very closely for success. It’s the way we think.

If there is a better way to market your company, we’ll know it.

Communicating with Seniors

2009-01-23T11:29:00.005-05:00

Mr. Collins was 72. The last thing he wanted was another operation. Around the table we went and not a single one of the ten seniors disagreed. The issue was they had all lived with bone on bone pain in hips or knees for years but joint replacement was not in their vernacular. The other commonality was each of them had been reached by a well researched and finely honed marketing program.

A year later they were starring in a video that would reach many more folks with similar pain, encouraging…yes encouraging them to see our docs and get an assessment.

Typical of Alison’s thoroughness, the campaign didn’t consist only of collateral materials and media strategy. It also evaluated the physician’s office capability to field calls and turn them into appointments. The screening and call back process were integral to our success. It was monitored and revised on the fly so no leads were lost to poor execution.

The bottom line is this: If there is a better way to market your company, we’ll know it!

Radio Commercials - A Commentary

2009-01-16T17:06:00.008-05:00

Radio is one of the most imaginative mediums to work in. Done well, radio commercials are talked about, shared and even e-mailed, transcending the medium itself to become an endorsement of sorts.

But great radio commercials are harder to find today. Writers don’t give enough time and imagination to make them work. The result, a waste of air-time and money for clients.

I have identified six no-no’s for radio script writers:

The radio commercial that should have been a newspaper ad. It is simply a verbal listing of services or goods and the writer is hoping to strike a nerve with any listener. My advice, buy a newspaper ad.
The radio commercial with the old style jingle package. The best branding in the world is blown when the “pepper-tanner” jingle kids open and close the spot with an “insert name here” music do-nut. My advice- Nix the jingle. Rewrite the spot.
The “client” voice over commercial. Of course people will tell you they heard you on the radio but no one will tell you how really bad you sounded next to the national commercial. Especially in the south. My advice – Leave the voice over to a pro.
The commercial written and delivered in third person. This is the one that uses the term “They” for the client’s name. Example – “So give Joe’s Car Center a call. THEY are helpful with all types of blah blah.” My advice – If you can’t endorse it first person, it is probably not worth endorsing. Do-over.
The 60 sec commercial that should have been 30 seconds. Radio stations often sell time in 60 sec. blocks so the client feels obligated to use the whole minute. I have actually heard one commercial repeat itself again using the connecting copy line “as we said” to segue the same boring announcement. I didn’t listen to it the second time. No one does. My advice – If you must use the 60 but have nothing to say, play music for 30 seconds… but not the jingle.
The radio commercial featuring small children as the talent. Kids are great on TV because they are so animated and their actions help convey the words they say. On radio the joy of the visual child is not there. They are simply hard to understand. They sound like an untrained, diminutive voice that is neither cute nor convincing. My advice – Hire an adult child voice actor if you need a child voice or better yet, don’t do it.

Radio commercials are written and presented to clients in a non-competitive environment. But, when they air, they run in multi-minute commercial blocks and can be lost in the mayhem of audio clutter.

When it is initially written and presented it has to be presented in that same environment to see if it holds up and gets noticed. All said and done; write it so sells the brand, it’s memorable and It speaks to the audience it was designed for. If it doesn’t…rewrite it.

Will 2009 Be a Good Year?

2009-01-04T12:34:00.028-05:00

One of our favorite clients is a very engaging person who always looks for the positive. His Christmas cards this year reads:

(Cover) "Will 2009 Be a GOOD year?"

(Page 2) "Some say they will believe it when they see it."

(Page 3) "Some say they will see it when they believe it."

(Page 4) "We say it is all in where you place your believe. Merry Christmas."

Thanks Greg for helping us remember that life isn't something that happens TO us but something that happens IN us. In these challenging economic times we can still choose to find optimism.

Happy New Year!

What makes us unique?

2008-12-22T15:20:00.015-05:00

Rather than go into the list of qualities that most certainly is similar to another smart copy writer's list, let me explain our concept of service. I was 16. My dad owned one of those Mr. Softee style soft ice cream trucks and I was the server. Every weekend I worked rural South Carolina pushing a full menu of ice cream products out that sliding window. Of course I ate my share. In addition to the few dollars I was made for the day, ice cream was my pay. Not just any ice cream however. My passion was the chocolate milkshake and I am giving you my recipe; not only for the best milkshake ever but also for success: One pint sized "sweetheart" cup, a measure of milk, fill it with soft serve and give it a full pump of Hershey's chocolate. But then, add an extra pump of chocolate. Put on the steel cup collar and mix it on the mixmaster. I asked my dad what he figured the extra pump of chocolate costs and he said less than a cent. So, I suggested that we include the extra pump in all of our chocolate shakes. I reasoned that we could be known for having the very best milk shake ever. No one called it "branding" in those days. He agreed and it wasn't long before we sold more milkshakes than any other truck owner in the company. People lined up for em! Dark, deep chocolate and so thick the straw would stand up in it. Yum. I still love 'em. Sixteen years later when I started my own company, I thought about that experience and how it distinguished us. I told my employees about the "extra pump" and decided we would follow this successful philosophy and expand it to include "service." In a time when other businesses were cutting service to reduce price in an unending spiral of downward abyss, I thought just the opposite. Give more but don't ask more and I figured the word would spread. It has. Giving clients an extra pump of service is what makes us unique. More importantly it's not something we think about. It's how we live. The "extra pump" works in everything and it will work for you too.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T14:48:00.000-05:00

Doctors and NASCAR

2008-08-02T17:27:00.011-04:00

“We’re just about out of space.” That’s what the practice manager told us barely five years into the relationship and after moving into a new 31,000 square foot facility. No doubt, the growth is a combination of good medicine, good service and good branding.

As many physician groups do, this one had an unwieldy corporate name. The palatial offices said “expensive” to the general consumer. But the homogeny of bringing six doctors with complimentary skills together was a brilliant idea whose time had come.

We branded them “The Eye Guys.” The purpose was to overcome the perceived intimidation factors and own a category in the patient’s mind. The campaign has always been mass media to target, directed heavily by the service line. Two focus groups later we knew we had hit the mark.

Patients have responded very well. The latest TV commercial portrays the docs as a not so savvy NASCAR styled pit crew. “They don’t know much about pit crewin, but these guys know eyes,” is the line the crew boss says explaining that they worked on his cataracts. It is the second in a series of commercials with a similar tag. The first one, an NFL spot that won a “Best of Show” distinction. The race theme resulted in patients giving track nick-names to the docs and asking if they do tune ups. This kind of approachability builds lasting relationships.

Bringing it home, the stand up banners inside the practice support the theme. The campaign launch party brought all of the staff together in the winners circle.

At Alison we believe consistency pays off.

If there is a better way to market your company, we’ll know it.