I’m working with a Jewish independent school that is developing a new tagline and marketing campaign centered around their being a small school. All of its local competitors are now very large schools, and this school’s small size has become a selling feature rather than a weakness.
We’re looking for some examples of organizations or schools that focus on their small small and/or personal attention as a selling point, in a tagline or more broadly. Do you have examples to share, or any guidance?
I want to know how to get a good name for my website that draws people to it. It will be a baby boomer, senior help line with information etc and products to sell later on.
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Jay’s Answer: Everyone these days is hoping for a magic name that will draw people magnetically. Unfortunately, people wind up tuning out the overload of messages/names they hear each day.
So, what should you do?
Don’t sweat the name too much right now. A name doesn’t mean much on it’s own. It’s just a name. Google and Yahoo, for example, didn’t mean anything to anyone until they spent a lot of time (and money) showing people the value behind the name.
Instead, focus specifically on your long-term goal: to sell products. Your smaller milestones are to attract your target market first, build trust/interest, and eventually convince them they should give you money for your excellent/necessary products/services.
But what name should you pick?
The right name should reflect your target market. It’s unlikely that a baby boomer thinks of themselves as a baby boomer. Maybe a child of the 60s. Maybe a post WWII-baby. So instead, focus on a name that’s in alignment with your long-term goal (of selling products).
Here are some examples (domains currently available):
I need a tagline for a year-round bar that has two characters on their ad that seem to be talking to the audience. One is a Red-headed attractive girl with a slick looking guy with sunglasses trying to dance next to her. I need a tagline that says something to the audience that is funny and catchy to the eye.
Here’s the problem: we have a part-time band called BonJourney (Canada) which is getting amazing reviews – but no one in the festivals and event planning knows us, or has even heard of us Our website is: www.superiorimagecom.com/bonjourney.htm and you can go onto YouTube and type canada bon journey – and it seems to find us.
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Jay’s Answer: Start by listing your site on tribute band lists, such as: Tribute Band (where “Gary’s” Bon-Journey band is listed: http://www.bon-journey.com/).
Ideally, the website for the band should have its own website, not be part of http://www.superiorimagecom.com/ In fact, typing “BonJourney” finds your competitor in PA before you.
Have you looked at: FestivalNet? It lists the festivals and the type of music performed so you can apply to those with the “right fit”.
Finally, how about networking with the fan clubs around the world? They love the bands you’re performing as tributes, and they’d no doubt like to see/hear you as well.
How can I obtain advertisers for my newspaper which is the first and only one of its kind. It’s distributed free in high schools nationally to about 80,000 students?
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Jay’s Answer: First, look at your existing advertisers to get clues for underserved opportunities. For example, if you have advertisers for SAT preparation, what about (national) tutoring organizations (such as: Score Learning)?
Next, what are high school students most likely (as a group) to be interested in? Most likely the list includes: cars, college, jobs, romance, and travel. Identify those companies that have the budget that would like the chance to place their targeted message. Don’t just focus on the #1 leader – the #2 company might like to overtake #1, so here’s an opportunity you can provide to them.
I am a risk management extraordinaire…in other words, I’m in the insurance industry. I work mostly with the more complex insurance planning cases with business owners and professionals (doctors, attorneys, etc). I am 25 years old, but look like I am still in high school. I am very good at what I do, but this is a constant obstacle. My question is…how do I get around this obstacle?
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Jay’s Answer: I’m assuming the problem is one of first impressions, since once you open your mouth people stop looking at you and starting listening to you. I’m also assuming that you dress and groom yourself professionally, and it simply looks like you’re dressing in your dad’s suit.
You have a number of ways to work with your appearance:
Use a professional stylist. They would help to create an appearance that “fits” your needs.
Play with it. Self-deprecate the situation – “My dad was busy, so he sent me” or “I just sipped from the Fountain of Youth…does it show?” or “I’ve been doing Insurance work half my life”.
Refocus it. People will judge you based on your appearance, so immediately focus on them. For example, “I’m a risk management whiz kid. What’s the best way I can help you?”
Clean up your image. People will search you out online. Make sure that your online photos reflect your professional appearance and aren’t “vacation” or “party” photos.
Relax. At 25 years old you may be much younger than your prospective clients (maybe closer to their childrens’ age) and that looking 25 won’t be much of a help. Simply identify yourself as your company’s specialist, and let that certification/confidence speak for you.
Joe Grand (aka Kingpin) is an electrical engineer, hardware hacker, and president of Grand Idea Studio, Inc., where he specializes in the invention, design, and licensing of consumer products, video game accessories, and modules for electronics hobbyists. He has also spent many years finding security flaws in hardware devices and educating engineers on how to increase security of their designs.
Involved in computers and electronics since the age of 7, Joe is a former member of the legendary hacker collective L0pht Heavy Industries and has testified before the United States Senate Governmental Affairs Committee regarding government and homeland computer security. He’s written a few books, holds a few patents, and is a co-host of Prototype This on Discovery Channel. Joe is also the sole proprietor of Kingpin Empire, a hacker-inspired apparel project that gives back to the technology and health communities through charitable donations.
Valerie Baadh, CLM is a movement consultant to schools and organizations, a movement trainer and mentor to teachers, and a movement artist. She is a licensed Lebed Method instructor and a certified Spacial Dynamics practitioner. Valerie has been performing, choreographing, directing and teaching movement and dance in San Francisco since 1973. As a certified Spacial Dynamics practitioner trained by Jaimen McMillan, Valerie Baadh was the Movement Education instructor at San Francisco Waldorf School from 1990 through 2006. She helped develop and taught a comprehensive developmental movement program for grades one through twelve and led workshops for parents, teachers and the community.
I have been asked to market wrist identification bands (made of lanyard material with a backing material that can be written on).
Initially, they were manufactured for sale to parents /guardians / youth groups for school aged children in case the child became lost or separated from the group or parent.
The compliance & safety regulation standards for children’s products has recently been upgraded in Australia and as a result the launch of the product to this market has been put on hold.
Instead, we’ve decided to market them as a great substitute for layards – they don’t get lost (or left by delegates at the bar) and can be customised to carry conference logos &/or company branding.
To introduce the product we’re sending Conference Organisers / Coordinators a direct mail letter with a sample. I’m after a catchy headline for the direct mail letter. I’d thought of “Delegate Banz – the Conference Organiser’s Organiser”. OR maybe, “Sometimes we know you’d like to tell your conference delegates to GET LOST (especially if they’re heckling the keynote speakers or misbehaving in the lounge bar)…but what if they were? With Loc8me Wrist Banz your conference delegates will always be easily identifiable and their contact details and room number can be written on they back so they’ll never forget their seminar location or hotel room number.”
Hopefully this segment will provide a good market niche for this product.
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Jay’s Answer:
(Aside: I’m not sure of the need for this product to this niche. Generally conferences attendees wear a badge that clearly states their name and company for conference staff and other attendees to see. Perhaps investigate senior citizen market – in case they go out and forget where they live, phone number, name, where car is, etc.)
As for name, why not simply: Conference Wrist Badges?
Jane Straus is a relationship coach, bestselling author (Blue Book of Grammar and Enough is Enough!), judge for the Grammar Bee, radio host (Ask Jane on S.F.’s Green960 AM), and provider of pro bono “On The Couch” services.
