MarketingBlurb

Susan Gunelius Launches KeySplash Creative Conversations Blog

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:01:34 -0700

Today, Susan Gunelius launched the website for her new company, KeySplash Creative, Inc., a creative marketing communications provider offering copywriting, article and blog writing, and marketing and branding consulting services.

Susan will write about marketing, branding, advertising and more on the site's blog, KeySplash Creative Conversations. Stop by and join the creative conversation!

Maui Gold Pineapple Decorating Contest is Excellent Marketing for Maui Pineapple Company

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:05:55 -0700

A great marketing tool for any company is to host a contest for the public that is closely and effectively tied to the company’s main product or service. Case in point is the current Maui Gold® Pineapple Decorating Contest that the Maui Pineapple Company of Maui, Hawaii is hosting. The contest invites all local Hawaiians to decorate and/or carve a pineapple (preferably a Maui Gold® brand pineapple, of course), and bring it to the Halloween Cannery Kids’ Night event at the local Lahaina Cannery Mall on Halloween night. Awards and prizes are given to the best pineapples in multiple age groups for 3 main categories: Most Creative, Most Scary, and Most Comical.

This is very smart marketing. Under the Maui Pineapple name, the company provides a fun event for the whole family while simultaneously encouraging the purchase of its pineapple product. It reminds me of another savvy marketing effort the company did in relation to college football, where Maui Pineapple Company helped fans of the University of Hawaii football team send an elaborate thank you card in appreciation for the team’s victorious 2007 season. Along with the card, Maui Pineapple also sent 100 fresh Maui Gold pineapples to the players and staff of the team. This was an effective way to spread the Maui Pineapple brand name and also endear themselves to a host of Hawaii fans and players alike. Well done, Maui Pineapple Company.

Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps by Susan Gunelius Available Now

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:06:54 -0700

My new book, Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps, was released today by Entrepreneur Press.

The purpose of this book is to teach small business owners, eBay and Craigslist sellers, beginner copywriters and anyone else who wants to learn how to write compelling copy that you don't need to pay an exorbitant price to hire a professional ad agency or copywriter in order to create effective copy.

This book works as a hands-on guide that takes you through ten simple steps using a tool for success called the Copywriting Outline. Throughout the book, real world and fictitious small business examples demonstrate the concepts introduced in the book.

After reading Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps, you'll be able to immediately apply the concepts you learned and create marketing messages that capture attention and boost profits.

The book is available in bookstores and online through sites such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and more.

Read more business books from Susan Gunelius:

Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon (available now)
Google Blogger for Dummies (coming in February 2009)

Image: Susan Gunelius/Entrepreneur Press

Technorati Tags: susan gunelius,copywriting,copywriting books,kick-ass copywriting in 10 easy steps,learn copywriting,copy writing,entrepreneur press,small business copywriting,small business books

Vote for Susan Gunelius in the StartupNation Home-Based 100 Competition

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 07:25:09 -0700

My business was nominated for the StartupNation Home-Based 100 Competition, which recognizes home-based businesses around the world.

SusanGunelius.com was nominated in the Recession Proof category for not only launching and growing during an economic downturn but also for helping clients with compelling marketing, branding and copywriting services at affordable prices. During difficult economic times, businesses often cut marketing expenses, but through my business, I help companies and entrepreneurs survive and thrive during even the most difficult economic times.

Please follow the link and vote for my business! You can vote once per day. Thank you so much for your help and support of MarketingBlurb and my other business endeavors!

Harry Potter - The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon Released in U.S.

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:23:01 -0700

If you’re interested in the Harry Potter phenomenon, then you might enjoy my new book, which was released in the U.K. back in June and in the U.S. today - Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon. In my book, I discuss how Harry Potter grew to become an international phenomenon and analyze the steps others would need to take to duplicate that success.

The book is written for both Harry Potter fans and non-fans to understand and appreciate from a business, marketing and branding perspective.

You can read my interview with Mary Emma Allen on b5media’s HomeBizNotes blog to get more details, and you can even enter to win a copy of Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon.

The book is available in bookstores and online through sites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and more.

Image: Susan Gunelius/Palgrave Macmillan

Know More Media Closes Doors, MarketingBlurb Lives On

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:07:28 -0700

MarketingBlurb is part of the Know More Media network of business blogs. Although Know More Media announced earlier this week that it would be closing operations as of August 1, 2008 to restructure and redefine the blog network business model, MarketingBlurb will live on.

While I may not post as regularly here on MarketingBlurb as I used to, I will ocassionally provide updates. There is also the possibility that MarketingBlurb will re-emerge and could be updated more regularly again in the future.

In the meantime, please visit me on my other blogs and websites:

KeySplash Creative Conversations - all about branding and marketing
Women On Business - for women working in the field of business
About.com Guide to Web Logs - all about blogging
Corporate Eye - I contribute corporate branding content here
Everyday Marketer - all about small business marketing
And of course, you can always find me and contact me through my company website, www.KeySplashCreative.com.

Dell Goes Green and Plans to Attack Apple Again

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:17:00 -0700

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) has been very busy lately. Earlier this week, I wrote about Dell's Social Web Strategy and now, news is out about Dell's new green PC line and it's imminent re-entry into Apple's iPod territory. Dell exited the music player market two years ago after a disasterous attempt to compete with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). This time, Dell claims its iPod competitor product is different and will get the job done. We'll have to wait and see about that.

Next up, the green Dell PC. The new eco-friendly Dell Studio Hybrid is energy efficient and comes packaged in less material, most of which is recyclable. It's also 80% smaller than the PCs consumers are used to seeing. But that's not all! You can pick your new Dell Studio Hybrid's case, available in a variety of earthy finishes like bamboo, quartz, and sapphire. Just what you always wanted, right?

Kudos to Dell on making a more energy efficient PC, but did they have to go so over the top with the groovy finishes? I'm laughing at the copy on the Dell website that says, "because sleeves are available in 6 colors or Bamboo, you know it’ll match your sense of style." It just seems hokey.

What do you think? Will Dell succeed with all of its new initiatives? Which "sleeve" finish are you going to get your new Dell Studio Hybrid in?

Bennigan's Restaurants Closing After Filing Bankruptcy

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:20:45 -0700

Another business fell victim to the sagging U.S. economy today as Bennigan's restaurants filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy and closed its doors without warning. Just last month, parent company Metromedia Company, claimed there were no plans to file bankruptcy. How quickly things change. Today, many a Bennigan's customer and employee arrived at their local restaurant to find the doors shut forever. Even Bennigan's restaurant managers only heard of the closures this morning.

There are about 300 Bennigan's restaurants, and approximately 80-100 are franchise locations. According to the Chicago Sun Times, some of those franchise locations will remain open.

It's a shame to see so many companies that have been around for so long struggle and fail these days. Of course, much of Bennigan's demise could probably be blamed on poor marketing strategy over the past decade when competition grew fierce, but nevertheless, as a consumer, it makes you wonder if companies like Bennigan's could have survived under different economic conditions.

What do you think?

Dell's Social Web Strategy

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:45:06 -0700

Since Michael Dell returned to lead Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) last year, the company has refocused its efforts. In fact, Dell has been doing quite a lot to repair its brand reputation that had been taking a bit of a beating in recent years. At a meeting with Latin American and European reporters, Michael Dell stated that the company has made a strong effort to build customer relationships.

Part of the Dell marketing strategy to connect with customers is through the use of the social web. Dell has launched promotional campaigns through social networking sites like Facebook and according to an article on The Register, "Dell recently generated $500m revenues off Twitter by using the microblog service as a sales channel."

In addition, Dell has launched blogs and now communicates with customers through those blogs as well as online forums. Last year, Dell was in the spotlight (and not in a good way) across the blogosphere. It was in response to that negative PR that the company began using its Direct2Dell blog as a customer communication channel. It does look like they're trying. Is it working yet? What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Dell,Direct2Dell,Dell blog,Facebook,Twitter,Michael Dell,marketing strategy,online marketing,social web marketing

Microsoft Will Provide Ads and Search on Facebook

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:19:26 -0700

Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) quest to compete with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) in online advertising and power continues. This week, Microsoft extended its advertising partnership with Facebook. According to a Mediaweek article, comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR) reports that Microsoft represents 9.2% of June 2008 while Google represents 61.5%.

It appears the enhanced Facebook partnership should help Microsoft, in terms of search market share. Facebook reportedly reaches 37 million unique visitors per month. According to the Mediaweek article, Microsoft will place a Live Search box on thousands of Facebook pages by the end of 2008 which should drive additional search traffic from those pages.

Advertising on Facebook might not work as well though. So far, no one has been able to harness the power of social networking to drive advertising revenue. Will Microsoft figure out how to do it with Facebook? So far they've had little success with their deal with MySpace. We'll have to wait and see.

What do you think?

Chrysler's New Pricing Strategy - No Leases

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:47:18 -0700

Are the days of car leasing coming to an end? They are if your auto brand of choice is Chrysler. Today, the New York Times reports that Chrysler is exiting the auto leasing business at Chrysler Financial as of August 1, 2008. It seems the price of gas is to blame. Apparently, the resale value on gas guzzling SUVs has dropped so low that Chrysler is losing money on what was once a cash cow financial product.

Coming from a financial marketing background, I can't say I'm surprised by this shift in strategy. Just as we saw in subprime lending, the bottom had to fall out eventually. Looks like the time has come. Only time will tell if others follow Chrysler's lead and abandon leasing as well. The question is - is this strategy change coming too late to save U.S. auto companies that are losing money quarter after quarter?

What do you think?

Oreos and Ambient Media Done Right

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:42:27 -0700

I found a great example of ambient media creativity on Adgoodness today. Check out the ad for Oreo cookies on a glass elevator inside a shopping mall below. An Oreo is cleverly placed on the side of the elevator. When the elevator descends to the ground level, it appears to be dunked into a glass of milk. So clever! You can view the full size Oreo ad on Adgoodness.

This is very reminiscent of the creative use of ambient media advertising created for DHL on escalators in Hong Kong.

The Oreo ad was created by Draft FCB in New York and represents a perfect example of how ambient media doesn't have to be in your face to attract attention and create a buzz.

What do you think?

Neil Young Bashes Apple and the iPod

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:01:27 -0700

At Fortune's Brainstorm Tech Conference this week, Neil Young accused companies, including Apple, of choosing convenience over quality when it comes to music delivery to consumers calling the quality of music sound being delivered via iPods, iTunes, MP3s and more. The music legend said, “Apple has taken a detour down the convenience highway,” Young told the Brainstorm audience after taking the stage for an interview with Time Inc. editor-in-chief John Huey. “Quality has taken a complete backseat - if it even gets in the car at all.”

While I'm sure Young's comments won't have an immediate impact in the popularity of iPods, MP3s and the companies that deliver them such as Apple, but it will draw attention to his plight to improve the quality of sound they deliver. Perhaps in time, we'll see a shift in consumer demand from convenience to quality likened to the shift from LPs to CDs or VHS to DVD and so on.

Neil Young has a point. Will consumers hear him and demand better? Will Apple and other providers listen?

What do you think?

Television Commercial Don'ts

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:42:14 -0700

Sometimes someone sends me an advertising gem found on YouTube that leaves me speechless. I received one of those this week, and I have to share it with MarketingBlurb readers. I truly don't know where to begin with this one. I poked around, and it appears to be very real despite my hoping it was a joke.

In a nutshell, this television commercial is wrought with advertising don'ts. In fact, there are so many don'ts that I don't know where to begin. Rather than my creating a very long list, I'll leave it up to you. Take a look at the commercial below then leave a comment and tell MarketingBlurb readers what you think.

Top 100 Female Bloggers List Includes MarketingBlurb

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:13:42 -0700

MarketingBlurb received some great recognition last week ranking 73rd in the list of the top 100 female bloggers from Enkay Blog. The list includes some awesome blogs that you should definitely check out. In fact, two other blogs on the list are written by yours truly (my branding blog, Brandcurve - ranked #46, and my Disney travel blog, The Disney Traveler - ranked #91).

The list of the top 100 female bloggers included in this list was compiled using Google, Technorati and Alexa rankings. It's not a perfect science, but it's still a great way to showcase female bloggers and introduce people to new blogs. Take a look at the list when you have a moment!

As a female blogger, I love to see other women being recognized for their blogging efforts. That's one of the reasons I created my own list of businesswomen bloggers on my personal blog, Women On Business. There is no ranking system in my Business Women Bloggers Directory, rather it's simply a single portal to find a variety of business-related content from businesswomen and a great place for businesswomen to network. Stop by when you can!