15 tips for business and leadership offered up by Pope Francis

Just before Christmas, I wrote about how I don't offer up the traditional memo any longer. I have great respect for the memo that Warren Buffett offered up to managers within Berkshire Hathaway, which proved that there is still a place in business for a well written memo from the top.

Hours after writing that post, I heard about another great memo for business leaders that was offered up over the past few days. It came from a much different source that business icon Buffett, but is quite possibly more relevant. It was the annual Christmas address from Pope Francis to the leaders of the Roman Catholic church, and what he called 15 ailments that are plaguing the Curia.

As I listened to a debate rage on Fox News about the thoughts of the Pope, I was struck that his concerns with the leadership at the Vatican were concerns most people would have about their own workplace. Once I got home, I did an online search and found an article written by Inc. Magazine's Graham Winfrey (twitter @GrahamWinfrey) that took a similar look at the business applications to the concerns expressed by the Pope.

Pope Francis touch on the following areas of concerns, which are most likely applicable to your operations on some level:

False indispensability
Workaholism
Corporate disillusionment
Perfectionism
Poor communication
Forgotten mission statement
Excessive competition
Institutionalization
Office gossip
Brownnosing
Isolationalism
Disgruntled-employee syndrome
Materialism
Office cliques
Power-hungry employees

Often I have said that churches need to think and act a little more like a business. That statement will not always sit well with some, and I don't suggest that a church must act like a business all the time. Acts of faith and spiritual callings do not fit into a business concept every time. But the list provided by Pope Francis is very translatable to the business world, and leaders (from the church and businesses) would do well to give consideration to the pitfalls laid out in his message.

Buffett's advise in year end memo: guard the reputation of your business and plan for the future

Memos have lost their place in the business place for the most part. I'll send a broadcast email, which is just another name for a memo I guess. I think when social media started compiling the worst / meanest memos of the year is when I officially stopped using the Microsoft Office template for memos and opted for gentler emails.

But the era of the company memo is alive and well in some businesses, including the empire of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. Late last week, Warren sent out a memo to his 'All Star' managers throughout the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio including their media properties. 

Buffett hit the nail on the head in my opinion. 

Reputation is a top priority for any business, especially for journalist. Given the scandals that have impacted some publications, including recently with Rolling Stone magazine, managers and especially publishers must guard the reputation of  their outlet. Buffett's words struck such a chord with me that I read parts of his memo to some of my staff this week. I think parts of his semi-annual address should be shared with newspaper operations throughout the country.

The second big point in the Buffett memo was the need to plan for successors in your operation. This is another area for consideration by media outlets, especially newspapers. What is the average age of your newsroom and advertising department? In many newspapers across the country, the answer likely older than ever. The industry, largely because of its own bad press is struggling to attract young talent. At age 47, I still think I'm a younger leader than many in this business. 

What we are doing to attract and retain the best of the best? In my new position, I've been told repeatedly that recruitment is a top job priority for me. Just like sales for advertising, it is important to have a prospect funnel for new employees. It is not that you want to turn over your entire staff, but rather that you're prepared with when turnover happens. 

The Berkshire Hathaway memo talks about finding the next leader for the various business units receiving the note from Buffett. But that need to have plans in place for the next man (or woman) up should be the goal for your entire org chart.

The Wall Street Journal's Erik Holm and Anupreeta Das did a good job on the story. There is also a full reprint of the Buffett memo available at http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/12/19/buffett-reminds-his-top-managers-reputation-is-everything/?mod=e2fb

It is time for newspaper publishers to again hold their head high and regain a little of the old swagger

When I started selling advertising, for a radio station against newspapers, I found it easy to sell against newspaper reps. I worked harder and was more creative which gained the respect of accounts. There was no sense of entitlement in my eyes for the customer to get their business.

Newspaper reps were more into servicing their accounts, managing what they had which at the time was plentiful. Creativity happened occasionally but don't get use to an idea too often. Newspaper reps could be arrogant and felt all they needed to do was show up at the account to get the business. These bad habits, allowed for generations by newspaper publishers, is in part to blame for the situation newspapers find themselves.

Early in my sales career, at the very first daily newspaper I worked the publisher was not a people person. A chain smoking, hard headed liberal, the publisher was always in conflict with a more conservative community in which he did business. One afternoon, he made his way to my second biggest account; a furniture store run by a local Republican party leader. They have their words with each other with me watching. Finally the publishers turns to my customer and says, "Tom, if you don't like it get $3 million and start your own G** damn newspaper." And then storms out. The ability to control a small town by being the only media around created arrogant bullies, and made the newspaper business a quick and easy target for upstarts.

Clearly the world has changed since that time. Marketing and advertising has been turned upside down through a number of disruptive forces. Few newspapers and newspaper sales reps can continue with the old mentality and be effective in today's environment. The future of any media outlet rests in its ability to innovate and change as fast as it can. For media sales reps, being adaptive means learning new technology and finding ways for it to solve customer problems. The days of merely showing up and getting the money has past, but there is still money to be earned if you show up with good ideas and solutions.

I do long for some parts of the old days however. This industry must be more outward facing, and trying to help the community's we serve and the advertiser's we partner with if we are going to find success. But I do believe a little bit of swagger, if done in moderation and kept in check by reality would help!

Newspapers have beat themselves up to the point of being apologetic. The industry gets hung up on all that is wrong, and forgets what is right. In most cities and towns across the country, newspapers still hold a lock on the largest audience, the most influential audience with disposable income. The newspaper is still vital to the daily lives of millions, helps keep government in check, chronicles the success and failures in our communities and champion causes to make a difference. Newspaper websites are a main stop for people when they go online, and coupled with print provides as broad a coverage as anyone in most markets. http://www.naa.org/Trends-and-Numbers.aspx

My head is not in the sand. There is still plenty wrong with the current newspaper business model, and swift action is necessary. But in the midst of all the negative that surrounds the future, the legacy product still has a lot to offer.

Facebook posts by well-known brands are only reaching 2% of the page fans; Forrester Research

It has been nearly a year in the making, and by mid January the marketing landscape will change significantly for many small business operators. Many businesses have built up and now rely heavily on organic reach of their audience through their Facebook page.

It's hard to imagine that the reach of Facebook posts would get worse,though that is the expected outcome. This past week, Forrester Research said that posts to Facebook by well-known brands are only reaching 2% of their fans and followers currently. That is a significant drop from a year ago, before Facebook started to put a squeeze on business pages.

The Wall Street Journal this weekend did a fabulous piece on this topic, and the possible impact on small businesses. Written by Angus Loten, Adam Janofsky and Reed Albergotti, the article goes into some depth on the Forrester Research and other facts surrounding this change.

This isn't really a surprise. When Facebook became a publicly traded company, many experts started questioning and pushing for more and more monetization of the platform. Facebook has responded with strong advertising platforms for desktop and mobile. So forcing businesses to pay to promote their posts isn't a stretch, and is still likely a good marketing choice for some businesses.

But this does open up the door for a lot of healthy competition between digital options and legacy media. As I've been out on sales calls over the past two years, the number one competitor that I've faced has been free posts on Facebook. It is hard to beat free.

Now that those posts are going to fewer consumers, and eventually to none without paying to promote, the playing field is a little more even. Newspapers have seen this type of disruption before, with private party classifieds going the free route to CraigsList. But in this local battle with Facebook, they are taking the free option off the table, and we can now compare value and reach side by side.

In the experiments I've done with placing Facebook ads, the results were quite mixed. Specific to Facebook, I found that people who went there were there to be social, not shop. I think Facebook has done some refinement and increased targeting since I first tried those ads, but the fact is still that Facebook is first and foremost a social platform.

If you are going to be targeting customers, search engine marketing (SEM) might be a better options. Facebook is a cold call, while Google key words are a hot prospect who has already specifically reached out for information by search.

Whatever your feelings are, the approach for media reps in 2015 has to be aggressive with small and medium businesses that have relied on free Facebook for marketing. The free option is going away, but the need to speak to those customers has not. The question now is whether that option remains with Facebook or other media options; all of which now will cost the business.

American Express hits gold with their annual day after Thanksgiving Small Business Saturday event

Various newsrooms across the country and preparing for their coverage of Black Friday spending. Retailers have been preparing, some since last January on their planned coverage for Black Friday. And consumers are plotting their store coverage, anxiously anticipating the arrival of their newspaper on Thursday with specific inserts to get those big deals.

The good news is that spending is predicted to be up in 2014, compared with last year, with a 3% gain predicted. The average American will spend $720 on gifts this year, that is up from $704 according to a recent Gallup Poll. Lydia Saad's article on Gallup's website offers some keen insight on consumer habits and plans for the holiday shopping season, which officially opens on Friday; or Thursday night in some cases.

The malls will be crowded on Thursday night and Friday. But hopefully consumers will also take some time and flood small local mom and pop retails on the new tradition for the holiday, Small Business Saturday. The Shop Small movement has had an impact on Main Street in many communities.

Media companies live and die by big box stores, and frankly lately it has been tough. They continue to squeeze and leverage rates down without apology. The opportunity for media's bright future rests with the success of local stores owned by local individuals. Small towns to medium sized cities also rely on the stability and strength of small business owners to employ people and to pay taxes. It is vital for the strength of the media industry and the communities we serve to have a vibrant business base. Take a few minutes this weekend and spread some love to a non-mall, non-chainstore merchant.

What the newspaper industry can learn from The Profit's Marcus Lemonis and Warren Buffett

I guess I've become a business TV junkie.

It started a couple years ago with "Shark Tank" every Friday night on ABC. Every sales rep should be required to watch this show and then be able to walk up and offer a short and concise sales pitch for their product or service. Perhaps "Shark Tank" was a gateway show to deeper addiction.

Next was "Celebrity Apprentice" with Donald Trump. All businessman should study this show and learn how to work under pressure and with a team. It will make you a stronger manager, and will help you to see the performance level of you and your team.

But my favorite now is "The Profit" on CNBC. Marcus Lemonis walks in and does a quick assessment of an operation from top to bottom, and then offers to invest in a real life struggling business. During the opening of the show, Lemonis states that he wants to save jobs and make money, and he has done this through a variety of small retail and service businesses throughout the US.

I would absolutely love to see Marcus Lemonis take the newspaper industry on in one of his episodes. Every operation needs to have some self examination time, and I believe the way he goes about this business-autopsy would prove extremely beneficial and profitable for newspaper companies.

Lemonis exams the causes of lost business, finds ways to improve cash flow and improve the core business of the investments he makes. The common thread of all of the episodes I've seen is that the basic business is solid, but the focus has been lost by leadership. Lemonis and the show's producers find a way to unlock the inner-passion that the owners and employees of these companies still have. Isn't that what the newspaper industry needs to do?

The business landscape is quickly changing, I fully realize. But the basic model of business can still work as we continue to move and adapt to the emerging digital changes. Inland Press Association had an article that featured Warren Buffett and the future of newspapers.

"Warren Buffett: What Newspapers Need to Do to Survive" goes over some fundamental things newspaper publishers need to do to survive and thrive in the short term and long term. My favorite passage from the story hits directly on finding that passion, in the newspaper employees and the communities we serve.

"Passion does matter, and the proof is in the revenue trends that some newspapers show.    When those dedicated editors gather a team that cares, the community cares right back and shows it in readership."

 

I will rely on business minds like Lemonis and Buffett, and try to follow their lead. Their business principles will work for a small flower shop, a hair salon and I believe, the newspaper industry.

Comparing newspaper ad spend vs. time spent with media per day

There are a bunch of charts out there that are designed to scare anyone associated with the newspaper business. OK, they are designed to give you a quick snapshot of the industry, which might be scary to some in the industry.

The decline of circulation is a tough chart to review. The rise of other media and  their increases in revenue can be hard to swallow. For me, the toughest chart is the ad spending vs. time spent with media chart. Newspapers, despite the tumble of revenue, still brings in a lot of revnue. Unfortunately that revenue not in proportion to the amount of time people spend with a newspaper.


So what can be done?

To me, this is not an audience or revenue issue. Clearly the business needs to hold to and grow when possible revenue. The audience needs to be cultivated, especially a younger audience to help secure long term relevance. But the answer to me is better audience engagement!

Content is king. Too many newspapers are still producing the same basic product that they did in 1984, completely forgetting that it is 2014. Content tastes vary by market, but editors need to keep their ear to the ground to find out what works locally.

Tell a story, but do it efficiently. Too many times you still see newspapers devoting 40" of content for stories that were told in 15". Tell the story in a timely manner too. There are still newspapers that provide indepth copy of sporting events that are 36 hours old (or older) when they finally reach the end user. That NASCAR race or baseball game might not warrant game coverage if it doesn't make that next day's paper.

More details on Harrison Jacob's story on the newspaper's horrible 10 year run can be found at http://www.businessinsider.com/brookings-essay-on-decline-of-newspapers-2014-10

Four great business tips from Disney Cruise Lines

This past week, I've been fortunate enough to spend a week on a Disney cruise. It was great to spend time with my family and unplug from the daily grind of work. But even in those 'unplugged' moments, I could help but think about good business practices.

Disney is a great example of a high standard, high profit organization. Walt Disney was a true innovator, but let's also give the man credit for some solid business practices. Walt has been dead nearly 50 years, yet his legacy continues as do some great business lessons.

During the week, I jotted down several really good practices / ideas. Here are just four of the best from my week floating around the ocean.

1)  Don't just be very good, be excellent -- After our first dinner on board, the head server came to our table to see how service was, how the food was and to introduce himself to our table of seven. He asked the group if dinner was 'very good'. All of us were eager to say yes, because the food and service was at a very high level. As we all agreed that it was 'very good', he let us know that the next night the goal was to be 'excellent' and not just 'very good'. No matter how good the product or service, the sites for your performance has to  be higher. You will never achieve that perfect product, but striving for more even when your customers are thrilled is a noble pursuit.

2) Identify your key customers -- My wife and I debated just how many Disney cruises we have been on. We've decided it is now up to seven. I'm sure Disney knows, as they do an excellent job of identifying repeat customers through small tokens of appreciation like small carry-on bags and lanyards that designate your level of achievement in their loyalty program.. We are gold members of the Disney Castaway Club. When you're on a cruise ship,  your room key is your cash, your ID and of course your room key. The gold member lanyard, besides being a nice little perk is a great way for them to identify their key customers. And they do recognize you if you're wearing these. Not that they don't ask a first time passenger, I'm sure they do. But knowing who the core customers are, and insuring their satisfaction is a business basic to have a healthy business.

3)  Active management looking for feedback -- I mentioned the very good to excellent manager experience on night one. That is really just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak! Every manager is on the prowl for feedback. They also have a formal feedback system in place, where good and back customers experiences are recorded. Employee recognition and rewards are based in part on customer feedback. Disney does a good job of this on their boats and in their parks. Another theme park operator, who I believe does a good job of taking the best from Disney and putting it to work is Holiday World in southern Indiana. Talk about manager's on the prowl for feedback! Most every time I've been to this themepark, at least once a year for the past ten years in fact, I've seen the owner sweeping the sidewalks, talking to customers and employees. Remember, there are internal and external customers that you need to get feedback from to be successfull.

4)  Constantly and openly improving your product -- I've been reading the Mark Twain classic "Following the Equator" over the past month or so. I've read it in small bites, but will finish it! In that book, Twain taught me that a ship must always be being painted or it is bad luck. I never knew that. Disney does not want that bad luck either, and so the tradition continues. But even beyond the superstition, I think it is a great symbol for the company to show its employees and customers. It is an investment to continue to maintain and up grade your facility, and your product. It creates a sense of pride in your work force, which no doubt rubs off to how your customers are treated by those employees. In Disney's case, it also allows you a chance to separate yourself from your competitors. There are cheaper cruises that have similar iteneraries available, but I have developed brand loyalty in part to the experience and the quality of the product they produce.

All of those ideas can easily work into all businesses. The results, if you work hard enough, will be a better product, happy customers, happy employees and more profits!

Discussing the merits and opportunities available through the Small Business Saturday event November 29

I've spent part of my morning finalizing my plans to help promote Small Business Saturday. The annual program started by American Express to place focus on small mom and pop businesses the weekend of Thanksgiving is a great movement that more need to promote.

Small Business Saturday continues to gain attention, and revenue to those small shops that line every little (and not so little) towns in this country. According to an article written last December by Alvaro J. Soltero for Industry Beat, Small Business Saturday generated $5.7 billion dollars in sales for those participating merchants. That was up 3.6% from the prior year.

Awareness of the campaign continues to grow as well. Awareness in the program grew to 71% last year, compared with 67% in 2012. Maybe more importantly, 46% of those aware went out of their way to shop at small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The article had some other great stats as well about the program. Details at:  https://leaf.me/blog/the-numbers-are-in-small-business-saturday-2013-facts-and-stats.html

Clearly if you are working with small businesses, this is a no-brainer program to get them participating. The cost is free, and American Express does a great job of sending out promotional materials, marketing materials and more. If you are a media outlet, do what I did and become a neighborhood champion, and then create marketing opportunities around the event for your participating businesses. Signing up only takes a few minutes. Visit https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/ and get ready for the big event November 29.

I cannot encourage you enough to find a way to support the locally owned, small business in your community. Sure, I shop at Macy's or Walmart. But I do try to find non-chain store opportunities as well. The stability of local media, local entities like chamber of commerce and something as simple as Main Street in every town is at stake, if we don't make sure local stores are supported.

Something as simple as a walk down a small town downtown area can be very eye-opening. As publisher of the then-daily newspaper Rushville Republican, I would walk down the street and see a decent variety of businesses trying to survive, trying to keep employees with a job, trying to keep paying taxes, trying to support local causes....you get the point. Sadly, a walk down through downtown Rushville today is stark even a few years later. I'm not just picking on Rushville, Indiana as you can experience similar vacant business fronts just about anywhere you go in small town America.

Just maybe with programs like Small Business Saturday, a few more of those vacant store fronts can come back to life, and with that keeping the American Dream alive and well too.

The past and the future of Sunday magazines distributed through newspapers

An old friend of mine hasn't been doing so well. We visit every weekend, usually on Sunday, and I've noticed the gradual decline. She still shows some signs of life every now and then, reminding me of how she once was. But those moments are fleeting.

That old friend is Parade Magazine. While the readership is still there, my old friend has seen a dramatic decline over the years, slowly declining as Sunday circulation does in the newspaper business. Today, my old friend was sold as Athlon Media Group.

My hope is this can be the shot in the arm this magazine needs, and deserves. Advance Publications has owned Parade Magazine, which was distributed in over 700 newspapers across the country. Parade's timeline dates back to 1941 as The Weekly Picture Newspaper,  by Marshall Field III, founder of the Chicago Sun.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-parade-magazine-gets-a-new-owner-20140917-story.html

There is still hope for Parade, with the help of Athlon who is very familiar with distributed magazines via newspaper partners. And there is hope for the Sunday newspaper magazine.

Earlier this week, I read about a new magazine launching in California with over 400,000 circulation via newspaper Sunday editions starting October 5. "California Sunday" will be a monthly magazine with newspaper distribution as well as a strong digital presence. Started by Federated Media, I think this is a very solid idea.  

Parade Magazine is national, and tries to be all things to all people. A regional piece such as "California Sunday" will appeal to the desire of people to read about, learn about and do things locally. This allows for compelling local content, which will make a regional magazine more appealing to readers. This will also appeal to regional advertisers, which has the potential for a different pool of advertisers with fewer competitors. How many regional magazines are there in California with a circulation of 400,000? Very few, and certainly less competitors than Parade has on the national level.

Details on the new magazine "California Sunday" can be found at:  http://www.fastcompany.com/3035713/why-this-media-start-up-is-betting-on-print-newspapers

Five pieces of advice for today's business person from Mark Twain

Mark Twain is one of my favorite people from history. He was the eyewitness to amazing points in history, and was the voice of history for many of them with the words he penned during his lifetime. I recently watched a PBS documentary on his life, and have read a couple biographies on Sam Clemens. Currently, I'm reading his masterpiece "Following The Equator".

Clemens, or Twain --whichever you prefer, was not a particularly good businessman. Later in life, he had to continue lecturing and writing to pay bills rather than enjoy what we would consider a traditional retirement. In fact, Twain's business actions were so bad that despite being a highly paid writer and lecturer he had to file bankruptcy.

Perhaps that is the single best part of his character that I love. Rather than hide from his creditors through bankruptcy, he worked hard until every single creditor was paid back in full. How many of today's Hollywood elites would do such a thing?

And so a poor budgeter who made bad business decisions is a full of great advice for business people in the 21st century. There is no doubt in my mind, so without further delay here are some great nuggets of advice from Sam Clemens:

1)  "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." -- Mark Twain

I know many friends and co-workers that have great ideas, but are afraid to take the chance and move those ideas forward. Some times you will fail, but that is OK. Fail fast and keep looking for that success. In business, you only have to be right once.

2)  "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today."

I will likely never invent something that would require a patent. It is just not my thing to create something mechanical that will  be of any value. But I have a creative mind that can dream of great and innovative ways to improve products and processes. Dream it and make it happen, especially in today's environment where innovations come flying at us so fast.

3)  "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first."

Great advice, especially for sales people. You have a difficult customer to deal with, do it first thing that morning. That's way better than putting it off and dreading it all day. Or worse yet, putting it off and never facing the situation. This is also especially true dealing with difficult employees. Deal with them first and upfront. That's much better than putting it off, and off and off. Keeping bad employees around is much worse than that momentary pain of getting rid of them.

4)  "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

Taking on Walmart is crazy you say? Maybe if you're trying to beat them on price, but there are always opportunities to fight for your business. I think business is the ultimate competitive sport, and I love that! You have to pick your fights, but that is where the fun is at. Passion is under valued in many businesses today, but I think it is one of my best assets.

5)  "Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great."

Probably my favorite Mark Twain quote, and one that I try to live by everyday as a manager. I found that quote during a time when my former manager / then colleague was flooding me with negative talk and energy regarding my desire to learn and grow. I realized that she was one of the small people Twain was referring to in the quote.  My favorite part of business is leadership, and specifically helping my direct reports grow professionally. No matter where they go after they work for me, they are one of my employees. As they succeed, I share in those successes. As a result, I have been able to attract and retain really good employees, and even better people. Having that as a base for my business operations has obviously had a tremendous impact on the success of the businesses I've been a part in my career.

31 billion digital coupons to be redeemed annually within three years

Mobile coupons continue to grow, which is not exactly breaking news I realize. According to Juniper, there will be more than 31 billion digital coupons redeemed annually within the next three years.  And while any success coupon program should include a digital component, traditional print coupons still play a vital role.

Don't get me wrong, digital coupons are important. I'm not a dinosaur who is trying to ignore digital alternatives away. Quite the opposite. I find it exciting to work with customers on programs like digital coupons, and help them find success as this outlet explodes. Those digital coupons are quickly growing, are going mobile and are inexpensive. Nearly 3 of 4 (73%) of those coupons are on mobile devices, and 85% not printed at home.

I think it depends on the market, but I still find that newspaper coupon redemption is performing at a higher level than digital coupons. That is the case with coupons from inserts as well as from display ads in the newspaper.  The newspaper reader is still a very desirable target, who has money to spend and relies on ads in newspapers to guide their spending. This is especially true with coupons.

But the times, they are a changing. As this article points out, coupons are starting to find consumers rather than consumers finding them.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/233505/more-coupons-finding-mobile-shoppers.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=75831

Auto industry slowly starting to market more towards women consumers

Business guru Tom Peters has been championing the importance of marketing to women for years. Even in areas where men dominate like electronics and automotive, the decision is made or heavily influenced by women. Yet, marketing dollars are often centered around attracting men.

The Wall Street Journal this week reported on how the automotive industry is starting to change, albeit slowly. The good news is more and more research and marketing focus is being directed towards the sex that spends and / or influences the money; women.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/car-sellers-refine-pitch-to-women-1408575175

This is such an important topic to discuss with sales reps that handle automotive accounts, as well as creative types that help shape the marketing message for these accounts. Most importantly I believe, this is a topic that needs to be a part of a future conversation with the customer. 

That talk with the customer is important because of the subject matter; they really need to recognize that marketing to women is a financially beneficial decision. That talk is also important because it shows you care about the customer! I sent this to every sales rep I work with that handles automotive, asking them to have this important conversation. I'm also hopeful to see some slight changes in ad copy and content focus in their advertising in the near future.

Three minute video that can re energize your staff into providing top quality customer service

I made several members of my staff cry this morning. No yelling, no berating involved, just a moving message that had everyone pausing to reflect.

Customer service is not a new topic for training, that's for sure. Yet the level of customer service seems to continue to drop with businesses. We all have horror stories about how we've been abused by companies who clearly have given up trying to provide top of the line customer service. Certain brands evoke laughter when you bring up even having to call their customer support line (Comcast...Sprint....Bank of America just to name a few).

A long time ago, I figured out that the key to sales success was very simple. Two simple statements could sum up what sales was all about: solutions to problems and good feelings. Solving the problems of a customer is very customized, but providing good feelings should be universal.

Little things can make a big difference, and this video illustrates that very clearly. This video is not new, but it is very timely even today. I saw this at a training session last night. I had seen it years before but had lost track of the video. Want to make a difference with your customers? Use this as a basis for your outlook.

http://vimeo.com/89319413

Relaunched Foursquare app tracks users even when closed

The push to get data from consumers is never ending. I'm more than willing to give some data to gain discounts, insider knowledge and more. But I want to be the one making the decision of when to give my info and when not.

There is technology being used on a trial basis which scans data on shoppers phones when they are in a store. They are able to see what website you've visited, what cookies are on your web browser. To me, this is an invasion of my privacy.

Yesterday, I found out that the newly launched Foursquare app was now tracking users location even when the app is closed. Last night, I deleted the app from my phone.

Foursquare is an app that I've used for several years, with the understanding that I give them some of my shopping info. In turn, I received a few discounts from merchants that were partnering with the start up social media company.

Foursquare is getting away from the gamification of check ins, and is now trying to be like Yelp!, and a resource for consumers looking for details on a business. This seems like a logical step in their business plan, but an over step in my estimation in how to treat users.

Read the full details about their new business plan and location tracking at:  http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/06/foursquare-now-tracks-users-even-when-the-app-is-closed/?mod=e2fb

Consistent marketing and advertising messages is the key to long term success for businesses

Back in the 1980's, Ronald Reagan said that if your neighbor was laid off, it was a recession and if you were laid off it was a depression. Technically, we are currently in neither but it is very safe to say that the economics remain very difficult, and down right depressing in some markets.

When times are tough, I always think it is important to make sure you are taking care of the fundamentals in business. Make sure those basic are working at their best is just a way in my opinion to do a reality check on the operation. This includes a review of your marketing strategy and advertising buys.

Even in tough times, a marketing department must keep its eye on gaining market share and customers. As the markets start to grow, if you've gained market share in tough times you'll have more sales and more profits. While called many things within many organizations, most media companies try to work on creating top of mind awareness programs to help solve this marketing problem.

TOMA as it is often called is simply about creating a campaign that builds brand recognition. When someone asks about a brand of bottled water, the consumer answers Dasani, Aquafina, Ice Mountain or whatever. The basic of a TOMA program is simply consistency in messaging.

I always use McDonald's as the greatest example of consistency. Lord knows, my son knew the golden arches and the message from the company at an early age. But they kept buying the media and sending the message so that whenever my son is asked what he wants for dinner, he replies McDonalds. This is still true today, with my son now 17 years old. Though on occasion he will ask for Red Lobster!

I came across an article by Red Barrett, Director of Digital Sales for The Sun Sentinel, a Tribune Publishing Company. While her take was very much a south Florida take and discusses snow-birds, who are only in her market from late fall to early spring, I think it is very applicable to all markets. I've already shared it with my staff, and think it might be worth sharing to others.

http://touch.sun-sentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80926035/

Her remarks remind me of a frequent saying of Mark Cuban. In a book he wrote, he always reminded himself and the reader that your competitors is out there right now, trying to steal your customers and put you out of business. 

Creative marketing message from Nike well done in preparation for tonight's baseball all-star game

Creating a powerful marketing message that is produced in such a way that evokes emotion is as difficult as talking a round bat and hitting a round baseball coming at you at 100 mph. There are many more marketing fails that successes, especially that score on such a high level.

Each year, that statement is proven out by the various flops of advertising in the Super Bowl broadcast. Tonight, you can see an extremely well down message during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Kudos to Nike for their Derek Jeter tribute ad. The :60 spot is very well done; understated and graceful and yet creates a heartwarming association between the view regardless of the team you support, Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees and of course, Nike.

You can get a sneak peak of it today before the game tonight:  http://youtu.be/OqTQ5d5gDJw

As a Boston Red Sox fan, I've rooted against Jeter his entire career. I do have great respect for him and his ability though. This commercial appeals to all, including people like me that have rooted against him. That proves to me that this is a powerful message.

Upcoming vote by the FCC regarding online video might cost marketers money

An upcoming vote by the FCC is one that many marketing people will want to pay close attention to, as it might put a wrinkle in online video production and costs. This Friday, the Federal Communications Commission is voting whether to require online video to include closed captioning.

Closed captioning is already required for full length video, but there is a movement to expand that requirement. The panel will vote this Friday on the proposal to amend the existing rule, making video clips that have already appeared on TV be required to include captions.

This expansion would involved additional costs to web publishers. Sticking to only clips that have appeared on TV prior places a burden only on those that have broadcast outlets, though you always have to wonder if this is just the first step and eventually requirements might be made for all video.

Full details on the FCC plans can be found at:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/05/fcc-eyes-changes-to-online-video-clips-businesses-say-dont-underestimate/

Searching for alternatives to paywalls for newspaper websites

Whether a newspaper should or should not have a pay wall on their website is a hotly debated topic in certain circles. One thing that is clear to me is that one size clearly does not fit all; especially in the newspaper business.

For every success you read about, and there are plenty:  http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/222073/how-two-small-family-owned-newspapers-in-vermont-had-success-with-a-paywall/

You hear about a failure:  http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/the_dallas_morning_news_drops.php

What is clear is that newspapers are seeing a short term increase in revenue from the charges generated from the pay wall on websites, and that cannot be discounted. First and foremost, newspapers are a business run for a profit, and I cannot fault anyone who is trying to add to the bottom line of their organization.

The concern of capping the amount of content that is given away is that it does open up an avenue for competition. In small towns, it means someone (often times a laid off newspaper employee) can start up their own community portal providing local content for free. Since this site doesn't have many of the legacy costs of the newspaper, they can survive and maybe even thrive off the advertising revenue generated.  In larger communities where local TV stations and radio stations with newsrooms can fill the gap for the audience once they've hit their limit at the local newspaper.

As an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox, I will occasionally find myself at the Boston Globe for a story. In the past, they have offered one day passes to their content, sponsored by a local realtor or another advertiser. I always thought that was a unique way to show value for your content and yet still have it accessible to the audience.

Today, I stumbled across another unique approach for showing value for the content and keeping it available. While doing exhaustive research on a beer concoction called a "Schlabst", the newspaper website herald-review.com only showed me a preview of the story. To read the rest, the reader had to complete a simple survey on an advertiser. In this case, it was for Verizon Wireless.

Newspapers need to examine the positives and negatives about a paywall. No doubt in my mind, it does make sense; especially for those in highly isolated markets or that provide exceptionally unique content. But the higher the risk of competition, the more organizations need to look at alternatives.

Level of engagement with your social media audience is as important as the number of followers

When it comes to social media marketing, the measuring stick for success has been quantity up until this point. Quantity is still important, especially if you don't feel your at a high number yet which is the case with a brand I'm help manage presently.

But the case for quality is gaining ground as platforms mature. Having a massive number of likes or follows is important, but audience engagement remains the key for long term success.

 On The Wall Street Journal's website today, Jeff Elder's article on social media hit home on a couple fronts. He profiles Ritz-Carlton, a brand I have deep admiration and their concerns over getting too many social media followers.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/companies-alter-social-media-strategies-1403499658

Rather than go for quantity, Ritz-Carlton has about 498,000  Facebook fans, they decided to listen more to what their audience was saying. By listening to that crowd, they are learning how to run their business better. Reputation management is inexpensive compared with the knowledge that can be gained from its use.

Facebook's new feed system is killing businesses trying to marketing heavily through the platform. EdgeRank Checker estimates that brands only reached 6.5% of their fans in March which is down from 16% in February 2012. From what I am reading, the reality is going to be even less reach in the coming months.

Listening to the audience is so important. You can learn what is REALLY happening in your business; what you want your customers to say but won't say it to your face. The good, bad and ugly are all being discussed about your business, so why not join the conversation? I love the approach Ritz-Carlton is taking, and think it can quickly and easily work for any business regardless of the size.

Reputation management is not that expensive. Any company that deals a lot with the general public should be doing something. Even if your company isn't using a service, at least monitor social media to hear what people are saying about your brand. And if they've commented, respond. A thank you for a compliment or reaching out to fix a problem does wonders for the image a business has in the public's eye.

Yelp has come out with a service upgrade, which allows businesses to communicate with customers that post on their platform. I personally haven't seen it in use yet, but it seems pretty obvious to me that businesses (especially restaurants who get the majority of traffic on Yelp) should enlist.

http://zite.to/1jI2ASF

At a conference last fall, a speaker made the comment then that has stuck with me ever since regarding social media engagement. A business would not install a phone line and publicize the number to the general public and then not answer the phone. The same needs to be true with social media. If your business is on social media, you have to respond to the posts, just like you would a phone call.

Five key steps to gain audience through viral content

A recent article showed in detail how the New York Times was losing home page views, as how consumers surf the web continues to evolve. That article, and my blog post about it, also pointed out that total page views for the Times did not decline. The reason was the amount of traffic coming to their site through social media.

Creating content that goes viral use to be a nice plus for media. Now as thing change, it needs to become a core competency for every content generator. Unfortunately, too many newsrooms are still  not thinking about audience growth.

The June issue of Editor and Publisher featured a very good article by Rob Tornoe. Tornoe's feature discusses BuzzSumo, which analyzes trends in social media, tracking influencers and sharers.

http://buzzsumo.com

This website allows you to search by topic, and will show you the social media buzz. This is a site that content editors should be reviewing on a daily basis, as they decide what stories to assign to reporters. For the first time ever, a newsroom can get a true sense for how much interest there is on a potential story before it is produced. And if the story is touching a nerve with its audience, then the likelihood the content will be shared and go viral is greatly enhanced.

In the article, Tornoe gives five key suggestions for editor to consider when it comes to sharing content on social media:

1.  Long-form content is actually shared more than short-form content.
2.  Images are vital to success in social media sharing
3.  Invoke an emotion, whether it's awe, laugher, or amusement.
4.  The beginning of the week is important for social media, with Monday and Tuesday being the best   days to see social media shares.
5.  Re-promote your evergreen content

More businesses need to think, act and market like minor league baseball teams

The weekend of the Super Bowl this past February, I was quite impressed with how the minor league baseball team in Bridgeport, Connecticut had managed to grab headlines. The independent minor league team, specifically their marketing department offered quarterback Peyton Manning money for his charity if he shouted out "Bridgeport Bluefish" instead of "Omaha"; something the future hall of famer was doing during the Broncos season.

http://www.bridgeportbluefish.com/blog/post/281/bluefish-ask-manning-to-call-audible-play

Maybe the most creative marketing department in sports, the Bluefish are at it again.

On my Facebook feed, I follow WLW radio in Cincinnati. I still think one of the best radio stations in the country, they are also the flagship station for the Cincinnati Reds, and hometown radio station for fallen baseball legend Pete Rose. WLW posted on Facebook the details of Rose's opportunity to once again manage a baseball team. Rose is able to do this through the Bluefish, who are in no way associated with Major League Baseball.

The Bridgeport Bluefish, in an effort to grab headlines, grab the attention of fans and their money have announced that Rose will manage the baseball team for one game. This is historic, in that Rose has been banned from baseball since the late 1980's for gambling.

http://www.bridgeportbluefish.com/blog/post/398/pete-rose-to-manage-bridgeport-bluefish-june-16

The latest stunt by the independent baseball team probably cost them a few dollars. I'm not sure what Pete Rose's appearance fee is, but I'm pretty sure Pete is not showing up without a pay day involved. The fee will most likely be covered by the sure to happen attendance boost that they will get that night. But this baseball team totally understands the value of a lifetime customer.

Let's say that Rose's appearance boosts attendance by 5,000 for that night. Those additional fans are not likely to be a part of the Bluefish core audience, and I would suspect that many are sampling the product for the first time. If the baseball team can convert even 5% of the crowd that night to return and become loyal customers, what does that do to the bottom line of that organization?

A 5% conversion rate on 5,000 fans would be 250 additional loyal customers. The ball club can then factor in what the typical person spends at the ball park, and then calculate a true ROI. As a regular attendee of minor league baseball in Indiana, I can tell you that I do not go to games alone (which is also a factor for the effectiveness of this campaign), and my family of three usually spends $30-40 on snacks, beer and souvenirs.

You do not have to have a big budget to make a big impact on your company's bottom line. If those 250 converts attended three more Bluefish games with two other people, attendance would grow an additional 2,250 this season. If those groups spent my average $35 at a game, the baseball team would see an additional $26,500 in ball park purchases. And that doesn't even calculate the free publicity and media that this marketing department is consistently generating.

More businesses need to think like minor league baseball teams.

Legacy media's attempts to create and maintain their audience's attention

A local radio station made a format change this past weekend, making the switch from classic rock to new country. That is not ground breaking by any stretch, but their approach to launch the station has the attention of some radio listeners I'm sure, but also has me scratching my head a little too.

The new "Blake FM" format was launch by announcing that they were playing 10,000 songs commercial free. It has been a few years since I was a music director at a radio station, but I can still tell you that will equal out to be roughly 20 days of music before the first commercial hits the airwaves. This is great for listeners, who will hopefully get hooked to the new station.

To me, this signals that those commercials are an annoyance, and something that the listeners will, eventually, have to deal with should they choose to continue listening. This sends the wrong signal to the listener, I believe, and has the potential to create negative impact to advertisers who break the commercial free marathon.

I joked today that a similar approach would be for a newspaper to stop running ads for the next three weeks. Crazy to suggest, financially as well as it relates to what the audience wants. You have to give that audience what they want, which is music. But you also have to be respectful of how that radio station stays on the air; commercials!

All legacy media types are losing audience attention. Radio is no different. I was at the Promotions Summit in St. Louis, MO this week hosted by Second Street Media. Gordon Borrell was the speaker, and he discussed this very topic.

Borrell's chart shows the decline in average time spent on media from 2008 to the present, and then the projected losses (or some gains) over the next five years. The decline is staggering, so I understand the pressure to secure audience at all cost; well, almost all costs.

All legacy media has to wrestle with the best promotions to attract and maintain their audience's attention. Even a 10,000 song marathon might make sense. But media companies must weigh the benefits of such a promotion with the unspoken message they are sending. In the case with this radio station, are they telling the audience that commercials are bad? I think perhaps so, which could drive that same audience away once those dirty 30 second commercials return.

One final note on that chart, that chart for radio includes several commercial free or nearly commercial free options such as Pandora and Apple Radio. And it doesn't include commercial free options like personal music devices and XM Radio.

Are metered paywalls about to become a thing of the past for newspapers?

The past week or two has found me in the midst of a couple really good conversations about newspaper websites, and specifically the use of a metered paywall. I only wish I had the definite answer as to how best to navigate the waters ahead of the newspaper industry in regards to their websites and how much (if any) of the content can be consumed for free.

To me, the answer seems obvious for newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Their content transcends most local newspapers, and is a destination spot for news consumers across the country and globe. I've already read my WSJ this morning through their very slick app.

But most newspapers and newspaper companies are not playing at the level of those two newspapers. Can the typical newspaper publisher make more money with a wide open website with fresh and innovative content that compliments the printed product, or by making the content a commodity and charging any and all a fee to access?

The answer to this probably varies by market and by newspaper company. Maybe I'm viewing the world like Peter Pan here, but I think innovation and a slick online product can work side by side with the print edition and enhance the overall audience and marketing potential for that local publisher.

In fact, I think there is a greater risk in some markets, if you don't try to go this route. If a newspaper locks down its content, the field is opened up for new voices to come in and steal the audience away and the advertising dollars that follow.

But, it will take an investment by newspaper companies to make this happen.

Sandy MacLeod had a blog post on the INMA.org website about this subject.

http://www.inma.org/blogs/value-content/post.cfm/what-s-next-for-media-paywalls

MacLeod suggests that the era of the paywall might be on its way out. Her post also discusses the amount of money that has been generated for newspaper companies as a result of the recent paywall efforts.

At a time when investment by newspapers to catch up on digital should be happening, they have largely taken the bump in revenue straight to the bottom line. There are newspapers and companies out there that are pushing the digital envelop, and to them I congratulate them. Unfortunately for the industry, too many newspaper companies took the cash for the digital paywall and did not invest nearly enough into their business's future.

Once these one time boosts to profits go, the hunt will again be on to find cash through expense cuts, instead of eventually reaping the benefits of a good investment.

Changes of Google's algorithm directly impacts ChaCha and their layoffs today

The changes made by Google to their algorithm has caused a lot of grief to marketers and anyone that has involvement in search engine optimization. Today, it claimed another victim in the form of  26 employees at Indianapolis based ChaCha. That Google is the blame is the claim being made by ChaCha CEO Scott Jones.

http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2014/05/19/chacha-layoffs-carmel-indiana-search-engine/9294949/

I don't begin to know if Google was the reason for the demise of ChaCha, a mobile Q & A website.  According to the Indianapolis Star article, Jones said the job cuts were a result of a drastic drop in advertising revenue after Google reduced ad rates for ChaCha-directed ads about 10 days ago.

What I do know, and have said before is that I would not want to base my business completely on Google and their algorithm.  Google is in the business of making money for.....GOOGLE!

Google changed their practices which reduced the payback to ChaCha. In their recent past, algorithm changes rendered SEO practices useless. I know of a couple specific instances where entire product lines were rendered useless as a result. Sadly in at least one of those cases, the company continued on with a product that didn't work.

ChaCha will soldier on, though significantly leaner than before today. Let this be a warning to companies that have built their entire revenue stream on Google's Ad Word and / or algorithm for SEO. Google is making the changes to enhance the user experience, but also (and even more so) to enhance the revenue and bottom line for their own company.

Tablet audiences soar during TV prime time hours, providing local publishers a great opportunity to engage that audience

Steven Jobs offered the world "one more thing" just barely four years ago, when the very first iPad was launched. Since then, the product has spawned four versions of the Apple product and hundreds of other competitors trying to get market share and audience attention.

Tablet sales have nearly crippled the PC market, and has created a whole new way for consumers to watch TV. Second screen viewing, watching your TV while interacting on a tablet, is an amazing opportunity for digital publishers to capitalize. This is an opportunity for all size of sites, not just the big boys.

The audience opportunity is enormous. Prime time, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. accounts for a third of tablet use currently. My wife and I are great examples of second screen viewers. My wife will watch TV, play an online game and interact on Facebook. I will also interact on social media, but I'm very open to going to websites and looking up information presented in the show. Networks understand they have a golden opportunity to drive traffic to specific sites and items online. But as I said, all publishers have this opportunity.

There are a lot of season finales happening now on network TV. Is there a opportunity to engage the TV audience in a way that could drive them to your website for a contest, a viewer review of the show, web chat with a local super fan? This drives audience engagement, thus driving page views and future revenue opportunities.

The NFL draft just ended. I wonder how many newspapers, sports sites (besides ESPN) or community portals had a way for fans to have an online conversation about how their local team did picking future players. That seems like great digital content that would easily make a nice column on fan reaction in print for local newspapers.

The point is, this isn't that difficult and is a great opportunity to engage audiences online and make it local. With that many people using tablets during their TV viewing time, there has to be a way to harness those eyeballs into marketing opportunities on the local level.

There is an article talking about how people are using tablets, covering more than just prime time is available. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/225549/tablets-equal-all-day-media-consumption.html?edition=72717

Future of media and marketing is unified view of audience and channels, and being taught today on the college level

I was fortunate enough to get to visit the future of media and marketing this past week. The vision was very clear, powerful and strong; and I felt very ill-equipped to tackle all the opportunities and challenges ahead. Juli Metzger and John Strauss were kind enough to open up the hallways inside the David Letterman Communication and Media Building to give me and three others a tour of the Unified Media Lab at Ball State University.

Ball State University is probably not the first,and certainly not the only university taking on this holistic approach to media, marketing and journalism instruction in the country. But they are certainly making a difference and creating cutting edge learning opportunities for students that will have them ready for real world opportunities on the traditional and emerging media front.

The world that they are training journalist for features one news team feeding multiple media channels. A student has a news story, and they are learning to tell that story multiple ways to fit into a number of outlets; newspaper, online, social media, broadcast TV and radio. I think back to my first job out of college in radio or some of the new reporters I've hired over the years; and I remember being taught and having to teach them so much that was never covered in school. In the future I envision these students walking into a newsroom and within a few days teaching the experienced staff some of the things that they should be doing. Talk about role reversal.

The future laid out to me this past week also was very clear for marketing and sales. One sales staff selling everything, and not being overwhelmed with the new product knowledge. Because to them, the wave of digital products is not new.

http://cms.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/ccim/unified-media

That link takes you to the Unified Media page for Ball State University. I'm not doing the program justice explaning the vision that was presented to me and others last week. The video on this this page is a great starting point to watch and learn. How much different would a local newspaper be if they had some of the same comments that are made by the students on that video?

By the way, the young man in the suit coat and tie is Nikko, a selling machine. I actually had a chance to meet with him on the tour as well and listen to his passion for sales. His experience, and he just completed his junior year of college last week, is enough that I would offer him a job on the spot at nearly every newspaper I've ever worked. Nikko understands the importance of integrating a marketing message into multiple channels, understands the strengths of the various channel audiences and understands the sales process very well.

The reason for this commercial for Ball State University? I see so much practical application today in media outlets across the world. While the experience and learning by the students about integrating stories and advertising across multiple channels is wonderful, there is no reason that this learning cannot take place at media outlets today.

Station managers and publishers need to demand newsrooms plan for content across multiple audience channels. Sales managers should be demanding sales to sell multiple channels. All of us need to be pushing the envelop!

The future of marketing and media will take shape based on the concepts these students are being taught. I'm not ready to be labeled a dinosaur, and I'm ready to adapt to the changes and challenges that are coming. The future for the industry, while very different than what we've seen in the past is very exciting.

Celebrating your team's Wins & Acknowledgements is a easy way to improve morale and performance

A couple months back, I spent an evening at a project management leadership meeting. Most of the people at that meeting, and most people who think of project management largely think about IT projects and new system installs. I go to these meetings thinking about sales and marketing, and I always seem to come away with applicable ideas. Sales and marketing is a project and a process. 

The subject at that meeting was team building and attitude. Jessica Soroky (Twitter: @jlsoroky) was the presenter, and she discussed how she starts meetings with what she calls "Wins and Acknowledgements". The idea is very simple: each meeting start with positive information, specifically that was a strategic win for the individual or the team, or an acknowledgement of an event, milestone or individual who helped out. These wins and acknowledgements can be personal or professional. 

Sales is so much about a positive outlook. Even the most successful hunters are getting told no or not now frequently throughout the day or week. Taking a moment to think about positive people and moments helps refresh the mind, clears out the negative thoughts and allows the individual to refocus on the outcomes that they want to see. 

Each sales meeting I hold with my team is starting with a wins and acknowledgement segment. Monday is usually a quick recap from the weekend. Each Friday, the group recaps the week and their highlights and accomplishments. Participation is not required, but nearly everyone every week is coming to that meeting with post it notes in hand to brag on their week, co-workers and everything positive going on.

Post it notes were an add on to the program to provide a visual reminder throughout the week of the positive things happening. It may look like a pre-school project, but the stained glass looking window to my office is a colorful reminder to my staff and everyone in the building that we are being positive in the department. 

The impact of such a small gesture has been very visible, beyond the window at my office. I genuinely see employees going out of their way to help each other out, more than before. They are making sure to say "thank you" in person and through this program for when someone goes beyond the norm. Visitors to our office and employees from other departments are seeing the collage and are asking questions and commenting on the morale of the people in the department. 

This is a no cost - high return project that anyone can implement and see results.

The Tiger Woods effect on TV ratings and the popularity of golf

Tiger Woods is killing professional golf!

No, this is not a Tiger Woods bashing column. I have written more than my share of sports columns over the years, but this remains a sales and marketing blog. But there is, or at least should be some concern as it relates to the future of professional golf and Tiger Woods.

"The Tiger effect" is directly related to the ratings of major golf championships on TV, comparing the ratings of a match with Tiger in contention vs. when he is not. This past weekend was the first Masters Tournament that did not have Woods as a participant since 1996. The results for the ratings were less than encouraging for CBS, The Masters and professional golf in general.

Yahoo Sports has the details on the tournament, and ratings information for Saturday and Sunday's telecast:  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/masters-ratings-down-from-2013-154433616.html

Like him or hate him, people watch him. I do believe the lack of Tiger for the entire tournament, and Phil Mickelson not making the cut had an impact on the TV ratings. As exciting as Bubba Watson is for professional golf, he doesn't bring the mystique of Tiger Woods from back about 10 years ago.

Professional golf is very star driven. Even if Woods doesn't reach the championship totals of Jack Nicklaus, he is still the biggest star the sport has ever seen. The PGA needs to either develop the next megastar, or prepare a diminished TV audience, which means less marketing and advertising dollars for their broadcasts.

TV audience measurements can be deceiving however. Yes, a rating in 2014 of 7.8 is a 23.5% drop in audience from last year. But how does this all play out historically?

The match ups and the drama on the last day obviously play an impact on the ratings. For instance, when Tiger Woods won his first green jacket at the Masters in 1997 the TV rating was 15.8. That is by far the highest ratings ever for the event. How about 1996, which was the last year without Tiger Woods? That broadcast drew an audience rating of 10.2. That was the same rating as the year before, 1995.

Growing audience is a key to growing advertising revenue. The PGA does face an uphill battle of replacing the star power of Tiger Woods, and the draw he has on TV, merchandise, event attendance and participation in the sport. When I first heard the ratings, I was convinced the situation was worse than I think it really is.

Want to see the audience trends in TV ratings for the Masters? There is a great site, showing those details dating back to 1977 and Tom Watson's victory:  http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/04/17/the-masters-tv-ratings-1977-2007/3216/

Local radio stations struggle to maintain audience against a wave of digital disruptions

Local radio is dead.....or at least critically ill.

While I have sold against radio for nearly 25 years, in many respects I'm still an old radio guy at heart. I went to school for radio and television, had some amazing times working in the business and made some great friends along the way. A few are still working at radio stations; a place that I would hardly recognize from the stations I trained and worked at in the 1980's and 90's.

I hardly listen to local radio stations ever. My radio is cranking every time I'm in the car, but usually it is on Sirius-XM radio. On a rare occasion, my radio will slip over to WLW in Cincinnati but even that happens less and less.

The problems with the newspaper business is very well documented, as audience habits have changed and digital disruptions have taken over key segments of the business. Every bit of that last sentence is also true for the radio industry.

Pete Van Baalen playing the big band hits
on WFBM Noblesville, Indiana circa 1987

Radio's reaction has been similar as well, cutting expenses like crazy focusing on content. Instead of a local radio station having local programming, they run syndicated programming. To me, the beauty of local radio was that it was.....LOCAL! Programming was different up and down the dial, and from town to town.

Sirius-XM has captured about 99% of my radio time. But their influence is not that big in terms of audience size nationwide. But the audience they have is growing in size and more importantly in terms of influence.

The Wall Street Journal discussed the influence that satellite radio is exerting on country music. While their audience is smaller compared to broadcast stations with a country format, the music industry is taking notice. The typical listener of country music tends to be wealthier, better educated and much more likely to plug into social media compared with other music format listeners. Clearly, marketing and advertising people are always looking for that wealthier audience who can better buy the products and services of the customer. Add in the fact that satellite radio subscribers are going to score even higher on that wealth scale, since they are paying $200 a year for the service.

The full article from the Wall Street Journal can be found at:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303847804579479631389940754?mg=reno64-wsj

Twitter offering up 15 new advertising options and a more robust ability to target consumers

When I look at local media competitors, more and more I believe you have to look global. That sounds like a misstatement, but hear me out. More and more money from local advertisers in small towns are going to Google and Facebook. And now Twitter is trying to get a taste of that money as well with their latest announcements.

Twitter will be introducing 15 new types of ads that they can deliver over the next 6 months. While they are certainly looking at major corporations for big buys, they will no doubt also focus on the localization of their message deliver and try to tap into local ad budgets.

Details of the story in the Wall Street Journal can be found at:  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304441304579481614220149076?mg=reno64-wsj

This announcement from Twitter discusses their ever increasing ability to target Twitter users. The targeting becoming available will allow Twitter and their advertisers knowledge of what their consumers are doing beyond their time on Twitter. Twitter has partnered with third party data providers who can match up their database with Twitter users.

Taco Bell enlists Ronald McDonald as spokesman for their latest advertising campaign

Gimmicks in advertising are nothing new. Some might turn their nose up at them, but they can and often times do work very well. The latest from Taco Bell is the next success story for this topic area.

Breakfast at Taco Bell seems like an odd proposition to me. But then again as I pointed out to a colleague yesterday, so did breakfast at McDonald's 30 years ago or so when they started up. I did not rush to the bell yesterday to get my first taste, nor did I today. But I might, if only to offer a symbolic 'tip of the cap' to their marketing ploy to launch the new product.

Introducing Taco Bell's new spokesman for breakfast:  Ronald McDonald.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/03/27/taco-bell-mcdonalds-breakfast-ronald-mcdonald-fast-food/6919299/

Twenty five guys from across the country named Ronald McDonald have been enlisted to help establish Taco Bell as a breakfast option. A taco shaped breakfast sandwich still leaves me suspect, but I love creativity

Surprising search results that consumers are plugging into Google

Long before the NSA scandal, I became aware of the power of information being hoarded on our every move. It was the government that I was concerned with as much as it was Google. CNBC did a business biography on the power of Google which enlightened me on just how powerful their data-mining efforts were.

Buyer beware -- anything you type into your Google search bar, your Gmail account, this blog or your droid phone is being stored and analyzed. Many people's search results from Google alone would be enough to embarrass you and possibly release some skeletons from your closet.

My wife is an ER nurse, and we've jokingly discussed various things she's had to search for as a part of her job. From diseases to God only knows what else,  you can paint a picture on who you are based on what you search. But no one does that, right?

Well, maybe. The auto-complete feature on Google seems to always know what you're going to type, right? It does for me, and it is a feature that I appreciate. Those auto-completes only happen if enough people have already put that information into Google. For that to happen, a computer has to be doing analysis which means humans are in some way involved in reviewing our searches.

Google has maintained that results that they store, and they store them all, are not associated with any person or computer. Call me a skeptic. I do believe that someday, somewhere a celebrity or politician's search results won't be leaked to the public.

Fox Business had a story this week on that auto-correct feature, and some of the more bizarre results that we (consumers) have plugged into Google. For instance:

1,000 monthly searches for “how to hide a dead body” 
1,900 searches for “how to get away with murder”
110 people a month simply search “cat dating”

Check out the entire story at:  
http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2014/03/18/need-to-hide-corpse-ask-google/

Become a business partner with your account by helping them create a marketing and advertising budget

My first sales job at a daily newspaper, I had a total of three products to sell. We had the daily newspaper, a weekly TMC and a monthly homes magazine, and that was more than many publishers at the time. Today, the load of products we offer can be overwhelming and it creates a crunch on time for us and our sales staff.

Our accounts also have a similar crunch of time, as they try to juggle an ever changing business landscape. With all the time pressures in business today, we all still have the opportunity to devote just five minutes of time to define advertising and marketing goals. I would suggest we have an obligation to do so with our accounts, who need our expertise more now than ever.

Small businesses often times need help with even the most basic things as determining an advertising budget. Too many business owners do ‘pocket-book budgeting’, which is simply seeing if there is any extra money in the account right now. If there is a little extra, then they will make that their budget. Successful business operators are more disciplined when it comes to setting aside an advertising budget.

Successful marketing professionals work with their accounts to help create those disciplines. This is not something that needs to take a large investment of time by the account or the sales rep. There are several great resources available through the internet as well as through the NAA. The NAA planbook offers suggestions for advertising budgets based on industry and by a store’s square footage.

One of my favorites is the one minute advertising budget test. Four quick questions that a sales rep can ask an account, that do not require a lot of research by the rep or the account and can yield a starting point for an advertising budget.

The industry averages for advertising budgets are just that, averages from across the country. They do not take into account things like low traffic or isolated locations or amount of competition in the marketplace. The one minute budget test does factor those things in, and gives the sales rep a starting point for a discussion with a business owner or decision maker.

Also important factor of budget is when to spend it. Timing is everything in life, and that includes when to advertise. There is a great website that can tell you when people are buying select products and services:  http://lifehacker.com/5973864/the-best-time-to-buy-during-the-year/ .

For instance, according to the website the best time to buy a mattress is May. Knowing that consumer information, a bedding store should start preparing and promoting before the surge in May.

Creating a budget and helping the business to the best time and best vehicle for their message will elevate the sales rep. Instead of being the sales rep for the local newspaper, you can become the marketing department for that local department.

Pete Van Baalen is a dynamic marketing professional, specializing in traditional and digital marketing platforms with over 25 years in media and marketing experience. From Central Indiana (Indianapolis), you can reach Pete at pete.vanbaalen@gmail.com.

Was changing the "Got Milk?" campaign a bad marketing decision?

The big announcement today was that Milk has decided to change their campaign slogan from "Got Milk?" to "Milk Life". While certainly not a life or death issue, it is an interesting topic to debate in the marketing world, trying to figure out if dropping such an iconic phrase is a good thing or not.

The "Got Milk?" campaign was first introduced in 1993. So a twenty plus year run on a tag line is a pretty one, but was the value of the campaign gone yet? They admit that the catchy phrase, often imitated has great recognition throughout the country and likely the world. But they wanted a new strategy and new approach.



I don't think it is a wrong decision to moooo-ve on (sorry, couldn't resist) from the old campaign. But personally, I believe once you establish something that becomes so much a part of pop culture you need to be very careful with change. Don't believe me, ask the creator of "New Coke" in the early 1980's.

When I think of iconic brands, I think of McDonald's and their golden arches, and the Ford Motor Company oval. Often times, I will use these two as examples with people I'm training. First, I ask them to draw the two logos. To this day, no one has asked me what they look like, which is a pretty good indication of how iconic they are. Then I ask them to recall an advertisement where those logos were altered. I seem to recall seeing a Santa hat on one of the arches once, but beyond that they are not messed with at all.

For the sake of the creative person left to manage the account now that the decision has been made to move to "Milk Life" for the tag line, I hope this is a huge success. I'm not sure it is a decision I would have endorsed, at least based on the limited information I have.

Here is the story from Advertising Age:  http://adage.com/article/news/milk-dropped-national-milk-industry-tactics/291819/

Pete Van Baalen is a dynamic marketing professional specializing in traditional and digital marketing platforms with over 25 years in media and marketing experience. From Central Indiana (Indianapolis), you can reach Pete at pete.vanbaalen@gmail.com.