Timely
Tidbits from Media II Advertising, Public Relations, Sales
Promotion
Mystery
Browsers
You've
probably heard of mystery shoppers, those are folks that
are paid to visit a store, restaurant, etc. and then report
back to management about their experience (What a neat
job, you get paid to shop and eat!). Now there are mystery
browsers. Individuals visit your web site and rate it
for ease of navigation, appearance, general ease of use,
page loading times, comprehension, content, search engine
ranking, etc. They can even compare your site to that
of your competitors.
It's
a good method to get an objective opinion about your web
site so you can make the adjustments necessary to go from
a good web site to a great web site. If you would like
to know more about mystery browsers, please contact us.
Unsatisfied
with the Results from Your Last News Release?
News
releases are still the best marketing communications value.
They are inexpensive, cover broad markets, and are seen
as an endorsement by the magazines they appear in. Here
are some common mistakes writers make when preparing news
releases and solutions.
-
The
subject is not presented as news, but as advertising.
Editors HATE advertising. They have pages to fill,
awards to win, and reviews with their boss. They get
a metric ton of news releases a month. Good stories
that are truly "news" are appreciated and
used.
-
The news release writer tries too hard to emulate
their favorite writer, or please a superior, and ignores
proven news release writing techniques. A dispassionate
who, what, when, where, why, and how is the formula
that works best.
-
Poor art. Unique, colorful, and high-quality graphics
enhance the editorial product – and the chances
your news release will get published.
The
writer calls the editor to find out when the release will
be published. Editors don't like to be pushed or pressured,
especially from sales and marketing types. Calling an
editor to find out when an unsolicited story will appear
normally results in your release being placed in file
13.
Trademark
Refresher
Here
are some tips for selecting and protecting your company's
valuable trademarks: Trademark Selection Considerations:
-
Trademarks
are names, and/or a graphic representation of a name
used in connection with an actual product or service
used in interstate commerce. You can't trademark an
ad or a brochure. You can copyright an ad or brochure,
however.
-
Trademarks
cannot be confusingly similar to an existing product
trademark.
-
Trademarks cannot be deceptive. (Lemon soap was disallowed
for having no lemon).
-
Trademarks
cannot be generically descriptive. For example, "fresh"
for a bread brand would be disallowed because it is
a common trait that everyone wants in this product
and could mislead the buyer.
-
The trademarks that offer the best protection are
what the US Patent Office considers "fanciful."
For example, Snuggler® gearmotors for a gear drive
that is designed to fit close to machinery, is a fanciful
trademark.
-
Within
five years upon registering your trademark, should
another person or company be able to prove through
literature, stationery, bills or other documents,
that they were using it first, then the trademark
belongs to them.
Trademark
Protection:
-
Always
follow the trademark name with the generic name (noun)
of the product or service (i.e., Rollerblade®
in-line skates).
-
Never
pluralize a trademark (Not: Kleenexes, but: Kleenex
tissues).
-
Don't use the trademark in the possessive form (Not:
Kleenex's soft touch, but: the soft touch of Kleenex
tissues).
-
An "®" for products, or "SM"
for services, denotes a trademark registered with
the U.S. Patent Office. A "™ " is used
to denote a trademark prior to registration or for
a trade name that cannot be registered.
-
Always
show the ®, or SM after the trademark either the
first time it appears in copy or in a prominent place.
Power
Word: FREE
The
word "free" is probably the most powerful word
you can use in your marketing promotions. Consider the
following offers, each with an annual cost of $109:
(a)
Buy one year for $99, get the second year for $10
(b)
Buy two years, get 50 percent off
(c)
Buy one year, get the second year free
According
to a test of these offers, the "free" offer
(c), pulled 40 percent better response than (a) or (b).
Canadian
Exchange Rate
The
Canadian Government has decided to assist the USA in the
war against terrorism: They have agreed to send:
- 2
of their largest battle ships
- 6,000
ground troops
- 6
fighter jets
After
the exchange rate, the USA will receive:
- 1
canoe
- 2
Mounties
- 12 flying squirrels
Pros
for Hire
We're
happy to report that five of the Pros for Hire we have listed
in this space in previous months have new positions. If
you are interested in any of the Pros for Hire below, contact
us for a copy of their resume. Or, if you are looking for
a position, let us know and we'll add you to this section
free.
- Canadian Sales & Marketing Manager, Electrical & Automation
Products.
- Sales
& Marketing Manager, Electronic Components / Automotive
Products
- Marketing Communications Manager.
Quote
of the Month
"You
see obstacles when you take your eyes off the prize."
–
Unknown
If
you have a topic you would like to see us address or if
you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, please
let us know. Email roy@mediaii.com |
