Category Archives: Services

What Are Some Marketing Ideas For A Travel Agent’s Events?

Publicity, Services

I am a travel agent working for a large company and I am one of five agents working in our travel department . I am required to put on a travel event in our office every month. I presented a Sandals Perfect Pairing Evening theme night in our office last month to promote the Sandals resorts and the Caribbean. Our Sandals rep came in and did a wonderful presentation and i had a local florist provide a few flower arrangements for decor . I am wanting to put on another theme night and was thinking of using one of our vendors who promotes European tours. I don’t know if I should specialize in one area, like Italy, or keep it general. Can you help me with creative ideas for the event? How to publicize it? Last time the company placed an ad for the event in the local paper. Local contacts? Any suggestions outside the usual box?

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Jay’s Answer: Keep the interest narrow – it’ll be easier to market “Italy” than “Europe”.

Create an Italian environment – serve food & drink from Italy (co-marketing with local restaurants). Local paper is fine, but also consider: Italian-American clubs in your area, Italian Classes (or even, foreign language schools), photography clubs (for photo-tours), cooking schools (food-tours), etc.

How Can We Market Our Market Our Spa/Plastic Surgery Center?

Services

We are a luxury spa/plastic surgery center. Our facility is spacious, and quite noticeable. Its pretty bare outside, but the minimalist feel gives off professionalism. (any suggestions outside?..banners..shrubbery..)

Our center has dental, plastic surgery, laser, and hair treatment. One can get botox treatment, and then pedicure right after so I keep this in mind.

What I’m wondering is if there were some innovative and effective ways to up our presence…..reel in more customers…..is there specific ways we should approach advertising (old or young)…..where should we advertise which will have the most impact…….since we have other beauty departments, what are some ideas to utilize it….what are some events we could hold….

I’m also thinking we need interactivity……..I already set up some smaller contests..but am looking for more ideas on contests, and/or charities that will give our center more exposure.

We also want to make our internet presence stronger. What are some good places to get our website linked to…and some things to add to the website.

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Jay’s Answer: Have a series of classes showing how people can look better WITHOUT surgery (makeup, diet, haircut, etc.) and/or offer non-surgical makeovers. In both cases, you’re trying to find people who care about their image but aren’t yet ready to take the plunge. You just want to build trust with them, and give them the opportunity to find out more when they’re ready.

Offer a class on ROI of plastic surgery: how much more people earned looking better, or who they attracted in their life, or how much better a life they now live.

Piggyback on upcoming college/high-school reunions. Give people a chance to “wow” their fellow students.

Plumb-Wrong Advertising

Creative Business Ideas, Services

Live Plumbing Advertisement What’s wrong with this advertisement? From my marketing strategy perspective, it’s focusing on their service and not the benefit to the prospective consumer.

How many property owners think about their sewer pipes? Why would they? Sewer pipes are something are “out of sight/out of mind” and seldom fail.

So, how should the plumber advertise this service?

First, let’s figure out the basic marketing strategy for this plumber:

For local property owners
who need problem-free plumbing
we inspect sewer lines
to prevent unpleasant surprises
unlike traditional plumbers that only fix the mess
our offering is a free consultation/estimate/second opinion/video inspection.

Now, let’s rewrite the headline, “Do you really know what’s in your sewer pipes…and if they leak? Do you want to know?” Here are some options:

  • Homeowners: Prevent A Sewer Catastrophe! [key words are: homeowners (who), prevent/catastrophe (pain), and sewer (what)]
  • Is Your Plumbing About To Explode? [key words: plumbing (what) and explode (pain)]
  • How’s The Health Your Older Home’s Plumbing? [key words: plumbing (what), health/older home (pain)]

How Can I Market My Marketing Consulting Firm?

Services

Much like a world class hairstylist who can’t do her own hair, or a great manicurist whose nails are never done, I am an excellent marketer of other people’s products and services, but when it comes to marketing my marketing consulting firm, I need a little help.

I have buyer’s info for several larger companies, including Macy’s, Nordstrom, Coca Cola Disney, among others.

I want to know if I can get some ideas on something creative to send to them, to get their attention. I was thinking of sending some shamrock seeds (let us grow your ((insert name of program)). I know that’s corny, but that’s why I’m reaching out for help

I’ve already made contacts with these people, I just wanted something catchy to get us meetings. We can help them with their marketing and pr, and promoting their special events. The name of my company is Soulstice and our logo is a flame.

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Jay’s Answer: Send an ethic doll holding your business card/note. The doll will reinforce your Women & Minority owned status, and the package will get opened.

How Can I Create A Brochure For an English Daycare School?

Services, Starting Out

My brother’s English language school in Greece has a pre-junior class for 6 year olds that learn the foreign language as they play. It is unique and innovative for Greece and it is going very well.

He needs to give leaflets to kids at school. It has to be impressive so as to keep it as well as and give it to their mothers.

I think he should create a separate logo with cartoon characters for starts, but another school has already done it (they copied the whole idea of a junior school in fact).

The leaflet could be a weekly schedule, but small kids do not need a weekly program really.

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Jay’s Answer: Don’t send the flyers home with the students. Mail them to the parents directly. Enclose them in an envelope with the return address of the school. That will further get the parents’ attention.

The logo isn’t the key – the content of the class is. Why would parents want to enroll in the English language school – what’s the benefit to the child? The parents? What is the competition like for other pre-junior classes (not just English pre-junior)?

Having testimonials from other students and parents ("We loved learning English", "Our Travel To England Was More Fun", "My Child Helped Us Get Directions!", etc.) in the leaflet is also key.

Don’t send the leaflet weekly. Send it out before the beginning of the next semester and mid-semester (or when you have something new to announce). You also want to have a "call to action" – something like "Enrollment Closing Soon!"

What Is A Good Name For A Childcare Party Company?

Services, Starting Out

I would like to come up with a CLASSY, professional, and warm (NOT cutesy) name for a company I am starting. We will provide programs and care (mini-parties) for children at weddings and other special events that are not child friendly so parents can enjoy themselves while still having their children with them on premises. I DO NOT want the term "kid, child, kiddie, wee, or any other "cutesy" term that many childcare companies use). I want to deal with high-end clients and want the approach and "vibe" to be that the childcare event will have the same "professionalism and class" as the adult event…just with a lot more fun for the children;) Think in terms of the great names the high-end Children’s boutiques use…

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Jay’s Answer:

  • Inner Child Parties
  • Champagne and Punch
  • The Inner Circle
  • The Boom Boom Room

How Should We Market Our Intellectual Property Company?

Publicity, Services

I work as a marketing officer in an Intellectual Property office in the Middle East, we offer services like Trademarks registration, Patents registration, copyrights, and everything related to Intellectual Property. As a marketing Dept. we depend on contacting more clients by making more visits, and that is the only Marketing Tool we use. The CHALLENGES we face are:
1- We don’t have Marketing plan / Marketing strategy.
2- We need more marketing tools to depend on.
3- Many clients are not convinced that registering their Trademarks are for their best benefit even though we try hard to deliver them the idea of the many advantages they will get when having their TM registered and the disadvantages of not registering.

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Jay’s Answer: First, recognize that the biggest expense with intellectual property (IP) isn’t registering – it’s protection. If a small company registers a trademark and later finds another company infringing, they need to file a lawsuit. And we know that lawsuits are expensive to file and defend. Therefore, I don’t generally recommend that small businesses register their IP unless:

  • They have “deep pockets” to defend in court, and/or
  • They plan to sell their company in the foreseeable future

Intellectual property is highly valuable in valuating a company. Patents, copyrights, etc. can all become sources of licensing revenue.

Instead of making more visits, I would strongly suggest creating a series of white papers (available for free in exchange for a prospect’s contact information) detailing the pros and cons of registering their intellectual property:

  • How much revenue a company lost (or gained)
  • How companies have created new opportunities by “spinning out” licensing divisions.
  • How having copyrights, patents, etc. in a company’s marketing materials increases the perception of their value/expertise.
  • How to protect the value of their intellectual property

I would encourage you to also offer free seminars in-house as well as educating local marketing/advertising firms about the issues of IP, and encourage them to have their clients’ work protected.

How Should We Spotlight Our Hospital’s New Award?

Publicity, Services

I need an idea for branding and highlighting our new “Stroke Center of Excellence”. We are competing with another local hospital receiving the same.

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Jay’s Answer: Congratulations on the new accolade. To include this in your marketing message, you need to consider why someone would care and what they’d do about it. If someone has a stroke, they’re not going to think about which hospital they should go to for emergency care. They’ll go to the hospital that’s either: closest and/or associated with their doctor.

Therefore, you want to focus your message on highlighting the doctors that practice at your facility. For example, list the excellent physicians that specialize in stroke intervention & prevention. The message would be, “Is your doctor on this list? If so, you’re in safe hands – these doctors will have the support of a recognized “stroke center of excellence”. If not, consider using one of them – for your loved one’s sake.”

How Can I Get Our Tax Consultancy Noticed?

Publicity, Services

I am the sales and marketing manager of a small tax consultant office. As part of our services, we also offered tax related computer applications, and tax compliance outsourcing.

It’s been hard to conviced the market about our services, they tend to accept the large players such as PwC and EY. Although we do have the experience and knowledge, since some of our people are ex PwC or EY.

We are thinking of having some kind of events or such to let people know who we are and what we can do. But we are little afraid that the events will only be a waste of resources.

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Jay’s Answer: If they already have a tax consultant, why should someone switch to you? If they don’t why should they choose you?

If you do events, then coordinate with a local chamber of commerce (or other business organization). Best is to offer a free class about the "Top 10 Tax Problems To Avoid". During the class, offer lots of useful information. The point is two-fold: to show people that you know a lot and you can help them.

How Can I Create A Compelling Trade Show Brochure?

Publicity, Services

I have a trade show in less than 3 weeks and am trying to develop a brochure that clearly communicates the benefits of our service in a compelling fashion.

I would like help with the messaging as well as the best approach to getting it across within the context of a brochure.

Our service aims to give franchise owners more buying power and expertise in cash management. We set up cooperative cash management groups that enable franchise owners to get better financing, investments, and banking.

The problem is it’s a completely new concept that has not been done before. What can be a complex service offering must be broken down very simply. One thing that helps is that many franchisees already work together in cooperatives for other supplies and services.

My first thought is to layout of a table with Needs and our Solutions as column headers.

Any help with messaging and its layout within a brochure is very appreciated.

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Jay’s Answer: You need a plan to get their attention, especially since you claim you have to educate them on this new idea.

First, focus on your key benefit to them and distill it down into a headline, such as:

  • Increase Your Franchise Buying Power
  • Boost Your Franchise Bottom Line
  • Our Franchise Bank Invests In You

If the title doesn’t immediately grab them, your brochure goes into the recycle pile (i.e., "doesn’t stick")

The purpose of the brochure is to get them to contact you. You don’t need to overwhelm them with tons of text/hype. Strictly talk to their pain, and how you solve it. Make sure you have a call to action – call us for a free report/evaluation/consultation/white paper/etc.