Product Launch Marketing

Channel Marketing Software - Microsites/Dealer Locator Example

Thursday, August 26, 2010 by Shane Vaughan

Balihoo has recently launched a fantastic new function within our local marketing automation software - Microsites. One of the key use-models of this functionality is for product manufacturers who sell their products through a set of regionally distributed

dealers (channel). These manufacturers are using microsite functionality to be the landing pages on the back-end of the dealer-locator section of their websites. Let me demonstrate:

I'm interested in buying a new motorcyle, from Brand X. My first step is that I'll research the product online (which research proves) . First, I'm going to go the website of the manufacturer. Once I explore all of the options and determine what I'm going to buy, I'm ready to purchase it locally (this even has an acronym - ROBO - research online, buy offline). I punch my zip code into their dealer locator, and up pops the 5 dealers in my immediate area. Naturally, since I'm on the web, I'm happy to see that they all have websites. As I click into the dealer that is closest to me, I'm directed to their website, which represents several motorcycle brands, and in fact the Yamaha is on sale on their front page. Brand X has given me the info, the research and directed me to a dealer - however, because they lost control of that customer, they also lost the sale to Yamaha.

Let's contrast that experience with a motorcycle brand that is doing it right - Honda. (note - Honda is not a customer of ours, but they're doing a great job!). See the video below for the exact Honda experience:

Want to see how this could impact your brand? Hit us up for a live demonstration, we would be more than happy to show you!

Local Internet Marketing: Ready for Back-to-School?

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 by Marcie Blagden-Ellison

As a local business owner or distributor with local advertising needs, you’re probably more than a little familiar with circulars (i.e. those advertising inserts that are always falling out of your newspaper). If you've used circular advertising in the past, you've probably wondered how many of your own ads are falling out of the papers - only to go unseen by your target consumer...

What if your circular was digitally buzzing around the internet's most popular social networks and landing in front of your local customers?

Today, with the newspaper industry struggling to attract ad dollars and our society's flat-out addiction to the internet, it's fitting that new circular-specific applications are hitting social networks. ShopLocal just launched (yesterday) a new set of applications that enable retailers with local advertising needs to add circulars and ads to Facebook pages (already being implemented by JCPenny, Office Depot, CVS, etc.). In addition, on Monday Microsft Advertising introduced a new localized interactive circulars experience (added to MSN Local Edition) that allows past and potential customers to "grab" savings as they need them.

Perfect timing considering a recent Burst Media survey indicates that the internet will be a key shopping tool for back-to-school shoppers. With just under half (48.9%) of survey takers reporting that they'll go online to research a product/service for the school year and 47.1% of them acknowledging that they're influenced by online ads geared toward the back-to-school season - it's a pivotal time to make sure that your products/services are easy to find online (assuming your target audience falls in this bucket).

While ShopLocal and Microsoft's new tools are currently being utilized primarily by retailers, there is no reason that such functionality couldn't and shouldn't also be provided to a brand's distributors and resellers and/or to a chain's franchisees. While we wait for this application to appear....(*glances hopefully at the Balihoo product/development team (who have already developed some awesome social networking functionality)*) you can get ready by getting your Facebook page setup and connecting with your past or potential local customers.

Broadcast your current sale to local customers! Offer a unique discount to Fans! Just get involved with your local customers online by providing them with value (savings, information, entertainment, etc.) - you won't be sorry!

QSR Marketing: The Battle Regarding Size (Health-focus or Supersize-Focus?)

Monday, August 2, 2010 by Marcie Blagden-Ellison

"Supersize, Supersize, the American way"

"Supersize it" A phrase that brings about thoughts of gigantean proportions and excess - and that still remains glued to the McDonald's name even though the Supersize option was eliminated over five years ago.

When the news broke in 2004 that McDonald's was axing its larger-than-large size, McDonald's explained that the decision was based upon down sales and "Menu simplification - the fact of the matter is not many Supersize fries are sold" (as stated by Walt Riker, McDonald's spokesman). The surprise blockbuster hit and Oscar nominated Supersize Me (filmed in February 2003 and aired May of 2004) was supposedly not a factor in the franchise marketing team's decision.

Interesting then, that today more and more franchise marketing and product teams (not McDonald's) are moving (and heavily promoting) larger and larger menu items - Carl's 12-inch Big Carl burger, Sonic's foot-long Quarter Pounder Coney (1 1/2 inches longer than its previous longest hot dog), etc.

Carl's Marketing Development chief, Brad Haley says that for the chain's core customers - young men between the ages of 18 to 24 the idea of a foot-long sandwich works, "Obviously the foot-long sandwich has been very successful at Subway...we decided to do it the Carl's way".

Now, there is obviously a key difference between how these two brands are publicly perceived - Subway has cleverly marketed itself as being the "healthy" QSR-joint - Carl's Jr. on the other hand....not so much. This difference in consumer perception (regardless of specific nutritional facts) will likely have an impact on the QSRs that choose to offer gargantuan sizes. Also of interest (and something that Carl's has obviously identified - they have a very specific target audience that just might jump at this offer - so unless Carl's is featured in the next 'Americans eat-too-darn-much' documentary, their message might just work.

For the small business owner with local store marketing needs - taking risks with new products and services (and their promotion efforts) can be unnerving (especially considering that the local business owner's marketing budget isn't exactly "Carl's size"). Having a professional media team available that can help you identify and pinpoint your target audience and place your message in front of them - AND a creative team that can ensure that your message is in-concert with your brand and resonates locally can take a huge weight off of your shoulders.

To learn how Balihoo helps national brands and franchise organization's effectively market their message and product launches at the local level, contact us today!

Your Co-op/MDF Advertising Program Sucks

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Shane Vaughan

If you've ever been associated with the "delivery" side of a co-op or MDF advertising program, you've likely received an email/vmail/letter something like:

Dear Product Manufacturer,

Your Co-op advertising program sucks.

First, what are the specific rules and regulations? How do I know what's covered? What is my specific co-op advertising balance and what can I use it on? I've spent hours and hours working on this with my sales rep (is that the best use of his time?) and we still have no idea.

Secondly - thanks for all the product images...now I get to take them to my local agency and pay thousands to get an ad designed that I 'hope' you will approve. At least you're paying for most of the design fees, but wow, wouldn't those dollars be much better spent driving demand in the marketplace?

Thirdly - are you serious with this creative? It's a big, branded ad for your brand with a small little spot for my logo. Why would I spend money on this? Where is the demand-generation component? What's going to get customers to walk in my store and make a purchase? Where is the tracking? How do I know if this is going to work for my local marketing efforts?

Also, I see you've given me a print ad and a flyer. That's great and all but this is 2010 - where is the banner ad? What if I want to put up a microsite? PPC? Social media? TV? C'mon, marketing at the local level HAS to be integrated across mediums - I know you know that because that's what YOU do at the local level. Where are the other mediums?

Finally - 6-10 weeks to get my co-op/mdf money back? Really? And half the time we have to go round-and-round to get that (another great use of my sales reps time). Why can't you just give me an immediate discount on the marketing spend for the amount you're going to cover?

That's it, I've had enough, I'm going to market Competitor X from now on. Good luck with your big product launch later this year....

Any of these issues sound familiar? Did you know that using Balihoo's channel marketing software to manage your co-op advertising program can address all of these issues and more? Avoid getting another letter like this, request a free demo of our solution today.

Tracking the ROI of a New Product Launch

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by Marcie Blagden-Ellison

When it comes to introducing a new product or service, one's product launch marketing options are limited only to one's imagination.

You can opt to go with one of a variety of standby, traditional marketing tactics: downloadable coupons, free samples, unique giveaways, etc. OR you can opt to stretch yourself and consider trying something a little different.

Chick-fil-A recently received some buzz after doing just that. Teaming with Mobilization Labs (a company recognized largely for their work work with the Jonas Brothers - they helped the then "new" band build an online fan base of over 600,000 in less than 4 months) the QSR launched a new sandwich via an online reservation system that did two three very important things:

1. Informed customers about the new "Spicy Chicken Sandwich" in a personalized, rewarding fashion
2. Provided Chick-fil-A with crucial data regarding their valued customers (Do you know who your most influential customers are?)
3. Supplied Chick-fil-A operators with adequate information to ensure that they were well-stocked (but not overly so) come launch time.

The reservation system - getspicychicken.com - allowed visitors to select a store as well as a timeframe (between March 31st and June 5th) to receive their free sandwich (Facebook, Twitter and email options followed reservations). In the end more than 1 million customers redeemed their "invitation" - and Chick-fil-A was able to track the viral spread to learn more about who their 'most influential' customers are, where and when coupons were redeemed and who redeemed them.

Combining a personalized "invitation", a free lunch and a feeling of elite-ness (you could only receive the new sandwich during the first week with a printed, barcoded "invitation" in your hand) Chick-fil-A brillantly (and seemingly very successfully) launched their new sandwich (while gaining valuable customer data) that is sure to help them plan future local store marketing events!

I am always fascinated by the different, seemingly simple, systems or concepts that prove to be immensely successful. Chick-fil-A's product launch marketing tactic managed to make customers feel that they were receiving a personalized benefit, franchisees feel adequately prepared, while also learning a tremendous amount about their demographic. Nicley done.

And if you are really only reading this post because you are curious about the sandwich - check out these reviews: Review 1, Review 2, Review 3

OR if you are confused as to why Balihoo finds product launches interesting, schedule a live demo with us!

Let them know you're listening!

Thursday, June 24, 2010 by Kallen Hayes

A few months ago, during one of Balihoo's Friday morning trips to the local Starbucks coffee shop, I noticed an interesting display on the counter. It was a clear container full of green sticks with little mermaids adorning their tops. What caught my eye, in particular, was the message on the display. In case you can't read it on the attached picture, it says:

'Inspired By You! A great idea brought to us by YOU. Keep 'em coming - we're listening!
- MyStarbucksIdea.com

I was immediately impressed with Starbucks' proactive approach to connecting with their customers and letting them know they're listening. I quickly realized it wasn't about spilled coffee, the need to stir in four packets of sugar, or cute green mermaids. Starbucks easily could have produced the 'splash sticks' and simply started stocking them in their shops alongside the sugar packets and napkins. But instead, they took the time to create a new display and a friendly message to catch the eyes of their customers as they ordered coffee.

Connecting with customers is something all business should strive to do. And there is no better opportunity to reach out and show them you care than when you have clearly listened to their feedback and acted on it.

Being a growing company, Balihoo has a lot to learn from our customers. Although we already think our co-op advertising and local marketing software is pretty cool, we realize there is a long path of development ahead of us, and much of that path is yet to be mapped. We will have to listen to our customers and continue building our product so it doesn't just meet their needs and expectations, it exceeds them.

We're already doing a lot to give our current users the opportunity to let us know what they think about our software and how we can make it better. From our user experience study group, to email surveys and the feedback tool in the corner of our homepage, we want people to feel comfortable telling us exactly what they want.

And from my own experience interacting with our users, I'm going to agree with Starbucks that it's a lot more fun to make a big deal about a new product, new design, or new feature, than to quietly launch it and wait to see who notices.

Facebook and Ford Explore(r) New Product Launch Marketing Tactics

Friday, June 11, 2010 by Alex Fascilla

If you've been alive the past two months (which, you have, if you're reading this--also, if you've only been alive two months but you're reading this, congratulations, you're the smartest baby in the world) I guarantee you've seen at least one ad in Kia's New Sorento campaign--the damn thing spans magazines, television, social media, online, and includes a "The Official Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle of the NBA" sponsorship--even as sponsorships continue to become more ridiculous in their specificity like, "ULINE: The Official Contractor-Grade Staple Gun of the WNBA". Seriously, how many other staple gun manufacturers were clamoring for that distinction? [Answer: they weren't, I made that up.]

As far as the social media component of the (I'm assuming) successful--and I forgot to add earlier, giant-toy-themed--Sorento campaign is concerned, Kia has a Sorento-specific Facebook Fan Page (of which, as a Sorento owner myself, I am a fan... alright, who cares if I own the '04 model? I can still like the new one--especially its gas mileage, which infuriated me when it was first posted: 26 mpg. My '04 seriously gets fifteen. Fifteen. Miles. Per. Gallon. 15 MPG! I didn't realize when I bought it that it came with an invisible 22-foot trailer) as well as a Sorento-specific Tweets via Kia's Twitter feed. These two mediums are great, but I first discovered the new Kia via TV and later Wired Magazine. It wasn't until I saw these and then the Facebook page that I became a Fan.

So how effective would their product launch marketing have been if Kia had decided to forgo the traditional mediums--and even *GASP!*, a major car show like the Detroit Auto Show--and rely solely on the Facebook marketing? You'd think not as much. Who would ever gamble on that kind of strategy, though? Interestingly enough, our own Ford Motor Company. As Marketing VOX recently reported, Ford plans to roll out the new Explorer--yeah, you know, like the most famous SUV of all time--on just Facebook alone.

That's correct, one of America's largest and most storied corporations--a pillar in our nation's industry--is fully embracing the power of social media to market one of their flagship products. Many (presumably, large traditional media-buying agencies) are questioning the decision, especially considering Ford isn't even going to announce the new Explorer at any auto shows. If you ask me, this is exactly why Ford is head-and-shoulders above GM and Chrysler (who?) in the domestic car-manufacturing race:

They're religious about collecting customer feedback, they experiment with alternative mediums (see: Fiesta Movement), they embrace unique designs and, in doing so, they connect with buyers, especially younger ones, on many levels. And it's those younger buyers that will be the key to their continued success. Ford should be lauded for this new Facebook strategy. Why? You mean besides the fact that they're a [serious] multi-billion-dollar corporation not afraid to take risks on unproven social media retail marketing tactics? Because it will probably work for them. And if it works for them (Ford of all companies!), expect others to follow suit.

{Insert clever conclusion here}

For more information on product launch marketing and other marketing methods, please download our Local Franchise Marketing Playbook here.

Tools to Succeed

Monday, May 17, 2010 by Caroline Moore

Everyday my company, Balihoo, engages with Franchises and Brands to look at local marketing automation and to discuss our software as a solution to help their Franchisees, affiliates and distributors with local store marketing.

I am consistently impressed by the number of clients that value marketing and advertising and put adequate dollars toward this initiative. They understand the need to "get the word out" about their great product and services. No longer can you just put up a sign and expect business to walk through the door. A business's location can be an immense benefit, but today's consumers are savvy and do not just award their business frivolously. Additionally, you must apply an integrated marketing strategy to reach those consumers. Local Internet marketing, local store marketing, and traditional marketing must all come together as part of the local advertising budget and plan for a franchisee or affiliate.

I am also consistently shocked at the number of Franchises or Brands that do not account for local advertising and offer few local marketing ideas to their affiliates. Marketing is a key contributor to the success of a new business. Additionally, if you are launching into a market space that is already occupied by competitors, you have to stand out. You have to make some noise! There are media vehicles that are more cost efficient than others and there are some vehicles that offer a better fit to reach the target audience. A market analysis and a good plan go a long way in getting the biggest return on investment for the affiliate or franchisee.

Overall, advertising and marketing is not a "nice to have" for businesses, especially new businesses, it is a "need to have". Understanding the importance and value quality local advertising and a good marketing plan can bring, will have long term implications on the success or failure of a business.

The Reverse Referral in Dental Marketing

Monday, May 10, 2010 by Betsie Richardson

Everyone knows the old adage, You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours. This colloquialism rings true for many of the dental specialists who engage with us in direct-to-consumer local advertising of dental implants. These specialists want to maintain their General Practioner (GP) referrals that have fueled a majority of their business over the years, but they fear advertising will appear to "skirt around" their GPs. What is the solution? I give you the reverse referral.

The reverse referral works such that a specialist begins marketing to the local consumer base through our integrated media plan. They begin drawing new patients from the local market who have not seen a general dentist in years and sometimes decades (typically due to dental phobia). These patients often have several missing teeth or are fully edentulous. They are therefore great candidates for the Nobel Biocare All-on-4 or related procedures. Our specialists then collaborate with GPs to send the patient to their practice for restoration of the fixed prosthetics. Everyone wins.

One such oral surgeon specialist who uses our local advertising platform held a dinner for his top 20 GP referrals to openly announce his advertising efforts and product launch marketing of the All-on-4 procedure. A few months passed when he sent an advertising-driven All-on-4 case to a GP in his building for restoration. This GP had never seen an All-on-4 case and was not well versed on the topic before the surgeon's dinner. This GP has since sent the oral surgeon four patients who accepted treatment for the All-on-4. You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours.

Download our white paper here to learn the three cardinal rules of dental marketing.

(Nobel Biocare taps into our local marketing automation software to provide a co-op advertising solution for their partner clinicians. Using our print ad builder, these clinicians tag their advertisements with their photos, logo and customize the messaging.)

Adios Cabo!

Friday, May 7, 2010 by Leah Laskarris

Stretching along the tip of the Baja Peninsula are the sparkling waters and resorts of Cabo San Lucas. In the last fifteen years Cabo has evolved from a sleepy hideaway for recluse fisherman and yacht owners into one of Mexico's most popular destinations. Visitors are drawn into miles of sandy beaches, the Mexican culture, golf, nightlife, and warm temperatures. So why, in the recent years, has Cabo grown so fast to become one of the top destinations in Mexico? Cost, travel time, culture, and experience are all reasons people are choosing Cabo over other Mexico destinations. Having traveled all over Mexico, I can't clearly define why I keep choosing Cabo over Cozumel, Xtapa, or Puerto Vallarta. There's something about its unique charm coupled with the warm hospitality of the Mexican people that becomes addicting causing me to return 1-2 times per year.

The local market as well as national advertisers have been quick to take advantage of this influential audience and demographic in this unique setting. An ideal product launch marketing environment, tourists are exposed to new water, recreational and personal products. In addition to tapping the temporary international tourist market, Cabo utilizes local marketing strategy, local advertising, local marketing ideas, and local internet marketing to draw in tourists from all over Mexico, it's not just Americans and Europeans who travel to this exotic place. I've met tourists from Canada, sail-boat racers from New Zealand, and chefs from England.

Every trip I make to Cabo holds a new exciting adventure ranging from snorkeling and fishing, to meeting locals and people from all over the world. With each journey home brings sadness but unforgettable memories.

Local Marketing Automation Gains Momentum

Thursday, May 6, 2010 by Shane Vaughan

Taking a moment to step back and survey the forest (instead of focusing on all the trees) sometimes has a sobering effect.

A few weeks ago I realized that we hadn't made an announcement recently regarding all of the new customers that had been joining Balihoo. I decided to focus on just our wins in 2010 - and as I developed the list, I was astounded at its depth and breadth. I built the press release associated with this announcement, and it quickly became apparent that it was going to be overwhelming to include all of our great new customers.

So, to those that were unable to be included because of space (or because of confidentiality reasons) please know that you're still incredibly important to us.

Without further delay - here's the announcement from today:

Boise, ID (May 6, 2010) – Balihoo (www.balihoo.com), the premier provider of Local Marketing Automation technology and services to national brands with local marketing needs, continues to gain traction with national brands representing a diverse range of industries. During the first quarter of 2010, Balihoo solidified multiple partnerships with leading national brands that have local marketing needs – representing everything from dog care to delicatessens, home fixtures to auto maintenance.

Now leveraging the Balihoo platform to empower thousands of franchisees and resellers are national brands including Specialized Bicycles, Kohler Co., ProTect Painters, Oil Can Henry’s, Mattress Firm, Dogtopia, Gandolfo’s, Granite Transformations, TSS Photography and Verlo.

“Our new partners understand the power and influence of targeted local marketing and believe in Balihoo’s ability to help drive demand – and ROI,” said Pete Gombert, Balihoo’s CEO. “Our local marketing automation solution will empower the franchisees and resellers for each of these leading brands to deliver effective and customized marketing campaigns that resonate with their local customers.”

Gombert continued, “This flood of well-respected organizations, along with Balihoo’s acknowledgement by Gartner as a “Cool Vendor” in the marketing landscape, is a clear indication that Local Marketing Automation is becoming a key strategic differentiator for national brands.”

Clients that have recently partnered with Balihoo include:

Specialized Bicycles

Specialized Bicycles was founded in 1974 by riders for riders. Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, with global distribution, the company focuses on making everyone’s time on a bike better by delivering functional and technically advanced equipment that provides a performance benefit. In their quest to provide a superior dealer experience through their exclusive IBD channel, Specialized is utilizing Balihoo to ensure alignment of local dealer marketing to the national Tour De France promotional launch.

Kohler Co.

Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately-held companies and is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power systems, furniture and decorative tile, and hospitality and real estate including world championship golf resorts in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St Andrews, Scotland.

ProTect Painters

ProTect Painters is a member of Service Brands International, a privately held, multi-concept franchise system with worldwide headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ProTect Painters has become one of the largest painting companies because they have the experience to handle all painting needs, both exterior and interior. ProTect Painters is using Balihoo to provide a completely outsourced local marketing solution to their franchisees nationwide.

Oil Can Henry’s

Oil Can Henry’s makes vehicle maintenance quick, convenient – and even a little fun at their service centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington. They selected Balihoo to ensure their franchise system is marketing and communicating in a common voice by putting a local marketing automation platform in place that will consolidate all local marketing activities.

Mattress Firm

Mattress Firm is one of the nation’s leading specialty mattress retailers, offering a broad selection of both traditional and specialty mattresses from leading manufacturers, including Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Simmons, Stearns & Foster, Sleep to Live and Serta. Founded in 1986, Mattress Firm's purpose is to improve lives one night at a time. While Mattress Firm had been utilizing a traditional ad builder system for several years, they called upon Balihoo to develop a comprehensive Local Marketing Automation platform capable of enabling their franchisees with the ability to easily execute local marketing efforts.

Dogtopia

Dogtopia has a clear mission to be the premier provider of the highest quality dog care in the United States, and continues to experience promising growth driven by quality service and leadership. Balihoo and Dogtopia share a passion for making the franchisee successful and are working hard to provide the marketing tools and planning needed to execute and grow in the local marketplace. Solid media planning, customizable creative and excellent support services are being utilized to make every promotion and campaign “paw-rific”.

Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessen

Dan Pool discovered Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen in Salt Lake City, Utah. It took one bite into a Gandolfo's sandwich for Pool to invest and ultimately become owner and CEO. Founded in 1989 by New York native Craig Gandolph, Gandolfo's New York delicatessen is the nation's only "authentic" franchised delicatessen. Gandolfo's has spent the last twenty years spreading the love of authentic New York delis across the country by providing the freshest deli meats and vegetables on top of its selection of homemade breads. Balihoo has developed an end-to-end email marketing platform that offers Gandolfo’s franchisees with everything they need to quickly and easily communicate with their local customers in a manner that it is 100% in concert with the national brand.

Granite Transformations

With U.S. offices based in Miramar, Fla., Granite Transformations, a division of Trend USA, has facilities and showrooms around the world offering new and exciting alternatives to traditional countertops, backsplashes, floors and more. They have teamed with Balihoo to provide franchise owners with an integrated marketing platform that gives them creative flexibility, email functionality, media planning services and cost savings through economies of scale. Granite Transformations was looking for an easy-to-use and cost-efficient solution for their franchisees and Balihoo delivered.

TSS Photography

TSS Photography has been the leader in youth sports, school and event photography for over 25 years. They specialize in team picture days, sports photography, school photography, special events and tournament photos. They plan to utilize Balihoo technology to maximize promotional campaigns, retention programs and lead communication. Customizable creative templates paired with customer management systems will allow them to accomplish these goals. With additional services and tools, Balihoo offers their franchise owners the resources they need both currently and with future growth.

Verlo

Headquartered in Fort Atkinson, Wis., Verlo Mattress Factory Stores is the nation's largest Craftsman-Direct® mattress retailer. Offering the only franchise opportunity in the $8 billion-a-year sleep specialty industry, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores was selected as one of the 100 companies to be featured in the 2009 (3rd) Edition of Bond's Top 100 franchises, competing with over 3,000 active North American franchise systems. Balihoo has supplied Verlo with a consolidated marketing solution that will dramatically improve system-wide visibility into overall marketing spend.

For more information on how Balihoo can help companies translate national strategies into local execution, download Balihoo's Local Marketing Automation Whitepaper and Integrated Co-op Marketing Whitepaper.

Marketing to a Child

Monday, May 3, 2010 by Caroline Moore

Nearly every week I am summoned to my children's playroom by my son to see an advertisement on the television. Now, you may think it would be the latest and greatest toy or kids cereal that is being marketed since this is being viewed on a children's cable cartoon channel, but it is not! The advertisements are usually for household products. First it was the Snuggie, then it was the Pancake Puff Pan, and more recently, the Topsy Turvy. My child is exposed to local marketing ideas everyday through local advertising in our environment, but nothing has had the impact of the product launch marketing he has encountered sandwiched between his epidsodes of the Snorks and Tom and Jerry.

This begs the question...does it work? I have to say 'Yes!'. My seven-year-old son is a solid influencer for household products. We now have two of the three aforementioned products in our home! Furthermore, it would not surprise me to be unwrapping my Mother's Day present this spring to find another fabulous invention that is going to improve the quality of my life and make me happier. Afterall, my son has already regurgitated the main selling points of the latest "craze" explaining to me that I will no longer have to endure the backaches that come with watering and picking your fresh tomatoes. Gone are the days that I will invest in gardening only to never reap the benefits or fruits because they are inconveniently located beyond your porch.

I am not sure I completely understand all the research behind this particular targeting effort, but I know it works. Until the next summoning, I will simply sit in my Snuggie, eating my pancake puffs, while I await my new Topsy Turvy.

Will Tweet-Words Pay Off? Advertisers are Betting Their Nest Eggs On It

Friday, April 16, 2010 by Alex Fascilla

One of my favorite Twitter features, besides its thank-God-they-capped-it 140 character per tweet limit (nothing is worse than a Facebook update that blurs the lines between a tweet and a bona fide blog--Mom, if you're reading this, you're guilty of status-blogs) is its search function. You can never go wrong when searching for trending topics with hashtags like #letsbehonest, #somethingaintright, or, my personal favorte, #nowthatsghetto (as in: "Captain Crunch and tap water... #nowthatsghetto") Hey, even if it lacks a certain sophistication, pop culture can be comically perceptive...

After sites like YouTube and [dinosaur] MySpace sold for hundreds of millions of dollars with no clear plan to capiatalize on their every-person-on-earth traffic count figures, it was only a matter of time before people started pointing the finger at Twitter: "How you gonna make money?" Or, even better: "#somethingaintright about the fact u can't make money.. whens it gonna happen?" Of course, Twitter could respond to these inquisitive folks with "#letsbehonest, we're not entirely sure" But, Twitter, perhaps sensing these questions would begin rolling in at exponential rates as they continued to exist pennilessly in a very profit-hungry world (a lá YouTube), unveiled a plan for revenue generation: paid search.

So... will your Twitter searches for things like #theresnothinglike be hijacked a bit by paid search results? Alas, yes, they will; but hey, that's something we're used to, right? I mean, you've used Google within the past 13 years haven't you? And it's actually not results but rather result. A single paid ad will appear at the top of tweets on your searched topic. As MediaBuyerPlanner recently reported, Starbucks is the first advertiser to jump on board with
what Twitter is calling 'Promoted Tweets' by bidding on particular keywords they wager Tweeps will search for. [Hint: It's technically very similar to Google's ad words and the basis for my unoriginal blog title]

It remains to be seen whether a tactic like this can produce results in the context of a social media platform as unique as Twitter. The biggest question, as the article indicates, is whether or not Promoted Tweets will be any more effective for Starbucks then their regular tweets that speak directly to their followers.

This all comes at a time when Twitter really started unlocking its potential in the retail marketing, franchise marketing, and product launch marketing (when news of the iPad dropped, some of the most hilarious tweets I'd ever read surfaced, including one from a woman asking "do you think they'll eventually make an #iPad with wings?" ...Get it? Pretty sure Sarah Silverman tweeted that...) space--tweets concerning one-day freebies like Denny's Free Grand Slam Breakfast promotion have paid off big. Or did they? Measuring Twitter's impact, from tweet, to tweep acting on that tweet, has been understandably difficult. Obviously, these Promoted Tweets should offer something a bit more measurable. In the meantime, we'll get used to yet another one of our beloved 'free' sites entering a cocoon of profit analysts and emerging with a thin, almost undetectable layer of advertising... Damn, and I JUST knocked those translucent ribbons of fluff at the bottom of all my YouTube videos off my #thingsihate list!

FYI:
Tweet = a Twitter status update
Trending Topics = terms that are the most-tweeted about for that day
Hashtags = the # that prefaces a popular term and helps it to "trend"
Tweeps = twitter-ers or twitter peeps

Trade Promotion Marketing - Reseller Recruitment

Thursday, April 15, 2010 by Shane Vaughan

I'm a member of the linked-in group "Channel Management Experts" and receive a daily-digest of the conversations that happen within the group. Multiple topics are addressed including product launch marketing, trade promotion marketing and co-op advertising to name a few.

Yesterday, someone asked the question, "What are your most successful channel partner or reseller recruitment strategies?"

There were several answers, but I thought that Alejandro Penaloza from Infomentis nailed it when he summed up his lengthy response as:

"In the final analysis, what channel partners really want are sustainable channel programs that will enhance cash flow and expand working capital"

Exactly Alejandro, that's right on. Too many reseller programs (especially in the co-op advertising arena) are so heavily focused on delivering value to the national brand that they forget to include value to the resellers.

Where does your trade promotion marketing program deliver value?

Starting a New Job

Friday, April 9, 2010 by Leah Laskarris

Starting a new job is rated one of the top most stressful life changing events in a person's life. It's rated in the top 5 along with getting divorced, married and having a kid! I will admit when making the change I was very scared of the unknown and leaving my safety net. Walking into this strange office with a deer in headlights look wondering what will my first day be like - Will I love the work? Who do I sit with at the lunch table? And who's the weird girl always singing??

Of course with every new job there's a change in terminology and coming out of the food broker industry, I couldn't understand but a few words in the daily conversations around the office. Everybody's been there before - just give the head nod and say "hhhmm interesting." There's no way I could have told you what CRM Marketing Automation, product launch marketing, or channel marketing software meant! On top of learning a new world of advertising, all of my accounts are doctors! Double whammy! I have learned more in the past few months about dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, prosthodontist versus periodontist than I ever could have imagined.

Luckily Balihoo is an amazing place to work! Most people in the world don't get to say that they really enjoy work; more often than not you hear how much they dread waking up every morning and driving to their dull, unfulfilling, unappreciated, suck-the-life-out-of-you cube jobs. The people and culture set Balihoo apart from those jobs. Fortunately my program manager is amazing and a very patient teacher! I'm very thankful for this new opportunity and for the people who welcomed me with open arms!

Marketing Hot Target Demographics-#5

Monday, March 22, 2010 by Caroline Moore

In my last four blogs, I have covered 4 of the top 5 demographics that local marketing ideas and dollars are consistently targeting. The last group to round out the category for discussion when focused on local advertising would be the gay and lesbian community.

As stated in a recent article, Deep Pockets, with more than $600 billion in spending power, the gay and lesbian market is a hot demographic for corporate marketers these days. Companies like Walgreens, Orbitz, RCN, Kraft and the Wyndham Hotel Chicago realize this, as sponsors of events like the 2006 Gay Games VII in Chicago, which will include premium products and incentives targeted specifically to a gay audience.

With an increase in publications oriented toward homosexual audiences, marketers are using them to tap into the gay market as well. Companies such as 1-800-flowers.com, for example, are placing back cover ads that promote discounts on items when using a promotional code found only in magazines such as SCENE, a gay publication for men, as well as other product promotions.

Statistics show that gay households earn on average about $5,000 more a year than heterosexual households. A high percentage of gay consumers are college educated, shop online and are interested in the latest technology and other consumer goods, according to Forrester Research Inc., a market research firm in Cambridge, MA.

Because this group is known for its deep pockets and high levels of education and sophistication, promotional marketers should consider trendy, high-quality promotional products, says Koeppel.

That concludes our look at the five hottest demographics for local store marketing, local advertising, and product launch marketing. Diverse and varied groups with substantial buying power make for interesting campaigns and exciting opportunities in marketing and advertising.

Ever Heard of a Burma Shave?

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Tiffany Schrenk

One of the main objectives in local advertising is brand awareness and name recognition. In order to accomplish this retailers need to find a way in which they can stand out from the crowd. It is a constant challenge to understand your audience and what message is going to reach them. In most instances this requires serious creativity.

Burma Shave is one such retailer that thought outside the normal advertising boundaries employing a nontraditional campaign for their time and subsequently enjoyed great success.
Burma Shave was a brand of brush-less shaving cream introduced to the public in 1925. The company's product touted ingredients, "from the Malay Peninsula and Burma".
Unfortunately, after their release sales were sparse and demand was

low for many months. This struggle spurred the launch of their famous advertising sign program that aided in massive sales growth and success for many years after.
These sign campaigns consisted of six consecutive small signs posted along highways all over the United States. The signs were spaced for sequential reading by passing motorists. The last sign of course being the name of the product. The clever rhymes drew a lot of attention, so popular in fact that some people drove just a little further to see what would be next. (Like... A peach/ Looks good/ With lots of fuzz/ But man's no peach/ and never wuz/ Burma Shave or I've read/ These signs/ Since just a kid/ Now that I shave/ I'm glad I did/ Burma Shave). These signs were so impactful for their time that to this day if local advertisers request consecutive outdoor billboards or need smaller signs for placement around their location many production reps will refer to the signs themselves as Burma Shaves. Or for example a politician in Canada coined the term "Burma Shaving" when he stood at the end of six campaign signs waving at motorist during their morning drive.

The best way to reach your audience may not be the most obvious. Shaving cream has absolutely nothing to do with driving, highways, or the open road but Burma Shave made it work and to this day is one of the better examples of brand awareness. Each local marketing strategy may change per region but the challenge of attracting customers remains the same. Thinking outside the traditional local marketing and media vehicles can really pay off... it did for Burma Shave!

Marketing Hot Target Demographics-#4

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Caroline Moore

In my last three blogs, I have covered the more obvious target demographics of Soccer Moms, Boomers, and Tweeners. The next hot target demographic grabbing attention is the Hispanic population.

Part of Hispanics' appeal is their increasing spending power, experts say. "They make up 23% of the nation's purchasing power," says Peter Koeppel, president of Dallas-based Koeppel Direct, a direct response media company. "Their propensity to spend in cash rather than use credit is appealing to businesses as well," Koeppel adds.

This group is recognized as having diverse spending habits based on different geographical roots. Marketers are taking note however, and have discovered trends that are now being utilized with local advertising efforts as local marketing ideas take these trends into consideration.

Trade promotional marketing and product launch marketing are both using mobile marketing which is hot with hispanic consumers. They are also utilizing the fact that traditional mediums are dominated by this group boasting dozens of tv and radio stations in markets and more than 200 publication nationwide. With more than 40 million Americans making up this consumer group that is spending more than 700 billion on goods a year, we are sure to watch the demand for this audience grow as their population and impact on future commerce continues to grow.

Be sure to check out my next blog, Marketing Hot Target Demographics-#5, as I wrap up this top five.

Apple iPad - A Local Marketing Software Tool?

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Shane Vaughan

Last night at the Oscars, Apple finally unveiled the iPad to the masses. For those of us in the tech world, it's old-hat, but last night was very possibly the first time "your mom" heard about this device. For those of you that didn't see the ad, here it is:

As I've followed the pre-launch efforts around this product, one of the more interesting debates that has raged has been around it's "place" in the market. We have laptops, we have netbooks and we have smart phones - do we really need a 4th device that falls somewhere in the middle?

After watching this spot and mulling over it for 12 hours, I had an interesting thought - could this be the ultimate hardware tool for local marketing? I'm not talking about marketing via the product to the millions that will inevitably buy it (though that's a very important point - save for a later blog post).

Instead, the question that came to my mind is, "Could this be the tool that should be in the hand of every local store owner, manager and marketing professional to drive their local store marketing efforts?"

Balihoo sells local marketing software (Local Marketing Automation software to be exact). However, access to this software obviously has to happen via a piece of hardware. Today, that's typically handled by a desktop (or laptop) computer either in the back office of the store or at the home of manager or owner that handles marketing. While this works, it still fundamentally separates the act of "marketing" from the act of running the daily business. A sophisticated, and relatively affordable, piece of hardware like the iPad has the possibility to bring the "marketer" closer to the business to take action immediately. Perhaps it's best described in a use case:

The manager of local sandwich shop is at the store at 9AM helping to prep for the day. Unfortunately, it's a typical rainy March day, and from experience they know that business will be down as a result. Standing at the counter with his iPad, the manager can access Balihoo's local marketing software and create a "delivery-only" special coupon for the day and automatically distribute it via email, SMS text, Twitter and Facebook to all of their opt-in customers (total time spent = 5 minutes). Their customers, not wanting to venture out in the rain, jump on the opportunity to get this special delivery deal. The customers are happy and the cash register at the shop is active. Crisis averted.

If you're a franchisor or product manufacturer - isn't this how you want your local outlets to be able to respond to changing local conditions? Are you putting the tools in place (whether hardware or local marketing software) to make this a reality?

Under the Covers of a Startup Software Product Launch

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Marcie Blagden-Ellison

This post, Under the Covers of a Startup Software Product Launch, was originally written by Kevin Donaldson and was posted on 6/18/09 on our old blog.

On the heels of our recent successful on-time launch of the next version of our Local Marketing Automation platform, I though I would go back and revisit what we have accomplished over the past few months and some of what lead up to this initiative.

From a macro perspective, it might actually be considered almost textbook SaaS (Software as a Service)development: Build and prototype quickly, get customers early, get feedback, drive to early revenue, continue iterating the product features and re-architect the technology in a just-in-time fashion. Then, of course add in your typical startup constraints - budget limitations, resource constraints, just to spice things up!

Let me first take you back to the dog days of summer in August 08 when we launch what might now be called the beta release of our Local Marketing Automation platform (although we resisted the convention of actually calling it a beta) with our first set of customers. The application showed immediate value, and our user base grew quickly. However, by December of 2008, it became obvious that from an operational and scale perspective we had a few issues that might get worse given our current trajectory. Additionally, aggregated customer support call data indicated a number of recurring themes, in addition to feedback from the field with potential clients showing some leading indicators of potential cracks that might become problematic when our growth track continued. All of these diverse data points were indicating a need for a larger revolutionary overhaul over the current evolutionary development model.

January 2009: In addition to our standard ongoing iterative development process, we began brainstorming ideas for how the application could be redesigned to make a revolutionary leap forward. We did this with a user-centric approach, starting at the user interface and worked backwards into more of the technical aspects of the design. Even though our product falls under the B2B application space, our focus was to designing it for a B2C user from a design and usability perspective. We wanted to make the application intuitive and usable, without the need for extensive training. We first looked at other sites that were popular on the web that had related functions and worked well in the consumer world. We then took these design concepts, mixed them with our domain expertise and applied them to our product. This first produced a few hand drawn mocks, followed with some more functional screen flows put together in PowerPoint.

Next, we shopped these around to our all teams internally - sales, marketing with a deep focused on the groups that interacted with the app and our customers directly (inside sales, account mgmt, support). They were our best window to our customers without the time or luxury for extensive market research. Along with this, we presented the conceptual flows to our current client base. From here, we moved forward by presenting the concepts to a select set of actual end-user customers identified by our account management team. Looking back at my files there were at least a dozen major revisions through these prototyping exercises with many many more minor tweaks.

Now that we had a good idea of where we were going, the next step was to engage our creative team, who then gave the life to our wire-frames as they would appear in the real application. This also served as an exercise in breaking down our interface into named visual components to support a common language when talking with our technical team. This turned out to be a critical factor in ensuring we could develop the solution at breakneck speed.

So, to give some perspective - we did all of the above over a 2.5 month timeframe through Mid-March as a side project, while we still continuing to do iterative development to enhance the existing product (being extremely careful not to develop things that would likely be thrown away with the upcoming redesign).

In March we started working with our technical team on design to see what the new concepts would mean to the underlying architecture (data and business logic). It indicated large changes - but for the better. We would be able to throw out a lot of things and build new structures that would support our customers more effectively. (In the end 80+% of our data structure and code base would be rebuilt).

In April we started the first of two formal development sprints with stabilization periods between each that would span a total of approximately 12 weeks. In that periods of time, the product and development teams (with the support of the rest of the company) carried out a Herculean effort of rapid design and development - making constant adjustments as new issues arose.

About 4 weeks into the effort we locked down our release date to June 15. This was critical to support ongoing sales efforts and work with clients to support their internal planning. Due to the large number of dependencies and the scope of the change, about 6 weeks in, we had to start managing the overall effort with more of a ‘traditional software project management’ technique to incorporate all of the other pieces required for a release of this magnitude (customer transition & training efforts, outbound communication, cross company testing etc.) However, at the core we continued to follow agile development principals, and the agile mind-set.

The cut-over was planned on a weekend, to give us the most time to react to any issues with the deployment. We used almost all of the hours in that weekend to upgrade, convert customer data and validate to ensure a successful go-live on Monday morning. On Monday June 15 the latest release of our Local Marketing Automation platform went live! … breath.

In retrospect, here is what I would consider to be our 5 key success factors for this redesign:

Relentless focus on the customer, and letting form drive function
Domain knowledge backed up with real world experience from the beta allowing us to design/build rapidly and make fast decisions
Fanatical focus on prioritization to time-box the effort
A passionate product and engineering team with a ‘lets getr done’ attitude
An all hands on deck mentality across the company to support the product release where and when needed

Within days of launch, feedback has started rolling in from the our support team and through our customer transition/training webinars being held. Here is a quote our support team received on day 2:

“I just wanted to say thank you for what you’ve done with the tool. I had a list of things that I wanted to see changed, and this new version has covered almost all of them. I really appreciate the changes you’ve made. It is a lot more user friendly.”

Of course you can never sit on your laurels for very long as constant improvement is a must to stay competitive, but at the end of the day this is really what product development is all about. A satisfied, excited customer.