Category Archives: Starting Out

How Can I Sell My Tagline Ideas?

Names + Taglines, Starting Out

I have some tag-lines for various products, how can i sell the tag-lines to that companies ?

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Jay’s Answer: The short answer is, you can’t sell the tag lines unless the companies have publicly expressed a desire for them. If you have a desire to work for the company that makes the products, then your best bet is to meet with their director of marketing and present your tag lines to them (for free) as part of a job interview.

The problem you’ll face is that a company has no way of knowing if your tagline is any better than theirs (or even if they need one) until they evaluate it. And evaluating it costs money and takes time. Unless you’ve done focus tests, marketing surveys of both potential and existing clients, SEO analysis, etc. you have no proof that your taglines are valuable to them.

Finally, a tagline needs to focus on a key benefit of their problem. Do you deeply understand the product and the mindset of the audience? Do you know what works It’ll take to convert someone with little interest into someone who’s curious about evaluating the products?

Name My Soon-To-Be-Famous Cafe

Names + Taglines, Starting Out

I need to start an bakery style & coffee selling outlets kindly get me an unique name which can attract the public easily.

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Jay’s Answer: “Free Coffee”

No matter what names I suggest, there’s no one magical name that’ll do what you want. The first time someone sees the new name they may understand it’s a coffee outlet, but not until they try your offerings and love them (price/quality) will you begin to get a following.

Also, names matter based on where you are in the world, who you’re trying to attract (anyone who drinks coffee? women? college students?), what makes your coffee unique (organic? shade-grown? hand-picked? specially roasted? 10% profits go to orphanages?), etc.

How Can I Brand My Business?

Starting Out

I am a fresh graduate in Marketing and doing a project for a traditional business firm(A trade House) who wants to convert itself into a brand. The company holds itself into the region for the past 3 decades and now wants to reposition itself into a corporate house. Need your valuable guidance/ suggestions on how should I proceed about it and what all things should be kept in mind while starting the branding exercise?

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Jay’s Answer: If you already have a perception, build on it. Give it a voice, a name, a look. While you can create these things without a perception, it’s unlikely to stick because not enough people believe them. Since you have 30+ years of experience, you have enough stories of how you’ve helped people and improved their lives. Take the stories and evolve them into a statement/brand. To teach your new brand, everything your organization does need to revolve around the brand – advertising materials, answering the phone, business cards, emails, etc.

How To Sports Advertising Taken To The Next Step

Starting Out

I have an excellent advertising idea that I’m positive will be a huge hit, but don’t know who to talk to or where to begin. It involves all kinds of sports in all major cities from NFL to Soccer. I’m afraid to go into any detail, fearing my advertising idea will be stolen.

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Jay’s Answer: Let’s say you’ve figured out the next-best idea for sports advertising. What’s it worth? Unless you’ve also written/tested the copy/images, researched best media to advertise in, have done lots of focus testing with groups (or even better yet, tried it with local sports teams in your area), you idea isn’t worth much. Because what you have is an idea, that teams of people need to act on. The acting on part costs money, and that’s where risk/reward comes in and has a value.

If your goal is to get noticed (by sports teams or advertising companies), produce the message/idea yourself. Create a website, write your own copy, even film your own videos and put them online. Make them public, and make them obviously connected to you. Make this whole idea one piece of your advertising portfolio. Enjoy the creative process (as a minimum) and hopefully get seen as an up-and-coming idea person.

Also, most agencies don’t want to talk with outsiders that have an idea. They don’t want to sign NDA (non disclosure agreements) for the simple reason that they may be working on something similar to your idea already. If you approach them and tell them your idea under NDA and they produce something similar, then they may have a lawsuit on their hands. Do talk to a lawyer, but realize that if someone takes your idea from you, it’ll cost serious $ to defend it.

How To Get A Business Job At A Creative Agency?

Starting Out

I am a soon to be graduated b-school student with a specialism in marketing. I also read lot of stuff like literature and books on advertising, branding, etc.

Like pretty much any organization, creative agency have ‘non-design’ jobs too such as account, strategy, even finance and HR. I have so much declines from agencies due not having a portfolio with visuals, visuals that graduates in art academies and those from advertising and multimedia design do have. So, how does one enter the ‘creative realm’ of agencies that are in branding and digital media for instance? Would you recommend me to learn graphic design anyway, just for the sake of having a portfolio?

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Jay’s Answer: If you don’t have visuals, create them. Volunteer your skills for local non-profits. Also, create marketing pieces for companies that haven’t hired you – to show off what you could do (but make sure it’s clear they were self-initiated samples).

Marketing Fitness Blog Site To Young Professionals

eMarketing, Starting Out

Hi, I have been fighting the fitness battle my whole life. In high school and college I was too skinny, then I started my own business and found little time to train. I have solved both problems, going from a skinny 150 lbs to a lean and muscular 178 lbs while shortening my workouts to fit my increasingly busy schedule. I needed balance in my life, fitness gave me that and I want to share my solutions with others facing the same problems. I want to help other young business professionals win the same battles without making the same mistakes I did in the form of a free blog site.

How do I get this message across on my site?

I need an effective title and subtitle as well as an effective page layout but am struggling with both.
Here is my site, read ‘my story’ for more info. I have a boxing background which I’d like to incorporate into the site (www.chadhowsefitness.com) as well. Any ideas will help! Thanks

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Jay’s Answer: Focus on your copy first. Tell personal stories of how your body image affected your worldview and how improving your body improved your life. Ask others to share their stories.

Don’t think of trying to establish yourself as an authority figure yet. You have your own experiences, but unless you’ve helped hundreds (or thousands) of others improve their bodies and life, you can’t claim the title (and you’d rather have others hand the title to you).

As for traffic, that’s another issue entirely. Copy will keep ’em, but you need people to read your copy. Write your articles/stories, but try to be a guest blogger in places your target audience visits. Also be clear who you’re targeting – the whole world or just the area you live in (are you trying to get clients or noticed?).

Below The Line Campaign For Green Lipstick

Products, Starting Out

I am currently working on a communication plan for an organic and environmentally friendly lipstick for my integrated communication marketing course. The product has to reflect glamorous, natural and eco-friendly attributes. I am asked to come up with innovative below the line communication tools. I have found a few but I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to market the product effectively and in an innovative way. The target market is women between 18 and 30 years old living in major cities as well as suburbs that respect the environment. I already use a teaser campaign via direct marketing, sponsorship of a non for profit organisation event, participation in beauty expositions, POP advertising, and giving samples away in major shopping centers. I need to come up with some other campaigns that really stand out, highlight the points of differences and are innovative. I would really appreciate your help.

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Jay’s Answer: Focus your thinking on your target market:

  • What activities do they enjoy?
  • What organizations are they likely to be members of?
  • Where do they get their information on beauty products?

A Great Business Name For Importing?

Names + Taglines, Starting Out

Hi Jay, I am at the very beginning of putting into action one of my ‘bright ideas’ , that being importing fabrics, trims, etc to make lampshades, table runners, and the list goes on. I also create art and craft ware for the home. All of this i want to sell, but getting started means having a great business name, this is where i have been going blank!! Because i do quite a varied amount of things i don’t want a name that will limit me to one product, as eventually i would like to import furniture also among other things. Basically, i love home products and i love being at home and working from home. I know this is a big ask, hope you can help. Elena

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Jay’s Answer: Here’s the quandary you’re in: you’re looking for a name that works for the range of offerings today AND for something that’s generic enough to work in the future.

A few ideas for you to consider:

  • From Elena With Love
  • The Home Import Store
  • The Import Shop

New Agency Needs Pricing Help

Services, Starting Out

Our new advertising agency is having a very hard time deciding what to price everything. Design is probably the easiest for us to price but we still have problems. We just want to know the norm of other companies so we can make sure we are way too high or way to low! Some of the things we need to price are: SEO packages, email marketing, website creation, brochure/pamphlet design, copywriting (anything from radio ads to a brochure) Event planning and more.

Is there somewhere I can find pricing for these things? Like I said we have found design pricing books but thats about it. Any pricing help or info on where I can find pricing examples would be great!

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Jay’s Answer: If you’re trying to be “just like everyone else”, then find out what others are charging by asking for their rate sheets.

However, if you’re looking to distinguish yourself from your competition, look at the value you’re providing from your client’s perspective. Can you truly help them to double their revenue because of your outstanding services? If so, what’s that worth to them? Price based on the results you achieve, not on the time you spend or even what the competition charges.

Name my Children’s Party Business

Starting Out

I need a name & slogan for my new business. Specialising in children’s party for corporate Bodies, Funfair &  Schoolparty.

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Jay’s Answer: I recommend to all my clients that a name/tagline are one of the last things a new business needs. I know many people disagree with me, but I watch so many businesses fail not because they have a bad name/tagline but because they don’t have a business plan/strategy.

Right now, I have lots of questions for you to consider. When you’re done thinking about all these issues, you’ll have the right “raw material” to create an great name/tagline:

  • where are you located?
  • where are your clients located?
  • what age groups of children?
  • what types of corporations are you targeting?
  • who is your competition?
  • what will make your business better/different from the competition?
  • why should someone trust you (especially with their children)?

I’d hate to see you grab a name/tagline, print up a bunch of business cards/flyers, create a website, etc. only to find that no one contacts you. Focus on the basics of a successful business before you announce yourself to the world.

Here are some articles I’ve written that detail these thoughts:

http://www.manygoodideas.com/2007/02/01/marketing-101/
http://www.manygoodideas.com/2008/10/01/unpeeling-your-marketing-onion/