Category Archives: Power MARKETING

2011 Marketing in Review

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Refresh Your 2012 Marketing Plan with These Essential Strategies
By Brian Flook, MIRM, President of Power Marketing

Although it’s only November, the unexpected snow on the ground earlier this month was a sharp reminder that the end of the year is fast approaching. It’s a perfect time to look back on your marketing strategies this past year — what worked, what didn’t, what you can change and improve for next year.

To help you out, we’re taking a look back over our year of Power Points. Read over some of our marketing advice in 2011 and think about essential strategies you can build into your 2012 plan. And, please tell us more about what you want to hear about in Power Points in 2012. Here are 5 articles for you to browse:
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My Heartfelt Thoughts on a Great Man

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When I heard the news of Steve Job’s death, I was immediately stricken with a deep sense of grief. Obviously I didn’t know the man, but my personal and professional connection with his products is deep and personal. I sincerely believe Steve to have been one of the greatest creative businessmen ever. He will be missed.

I purchased my first Mac in 1987. It was a Mac IIci and it was so incredible. I remember because I also purchased a ridiculously expensive laser printer at the same time and it all blew me away. That was the beginning of my Apple love affair.

If you are a Mac fan, you will understand my feelings. If you are not, you should stop reading now, because if 27 years of the greatest product design and performance didn’t impress you, I doubt anything I say will matter either. Apple computers, iPods, iPads and of course the iPhone are great products. The sales numbers bear that out and are indisputable. Since my first Mac purchase to this day one thing remains true: when you purchase an Apple product it works … every time. There is no wondering if the printer will work or if the drivers are there or if it will do what ever. It just works. But that isn’t the magic.  The real magic is that it works just like you feel it should. Jobs and the team at Apple had an uncanny ability to get inside our heads and make their products do exactly what we expected they should and often exactly how we expected them to do it.

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Is Traditional Marketing Dead?

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How to Use Traditional Marketing to Magnify Digital Marketing Strategies
By Brian Flook, MIRM, President of Power Marketing

Beware the urge to repeat the proven, regardless of the result. The temptation to continue doing what worked before is nearly irresistible. Whether it’s using your “go to” fishing lure, driving the same route you’re used to driving, or buying the same meal at your favorite restaurant.

This concept is especially true in marketing, despite the fact that the foundational premise behind most marketing has changed! We’ve spent decades crafting messages to deliver to our prospects. Those methods are known as outbound marketing. But guess what, your prospects aren’t listening… unless they want to. In this present day of marketing, your challenge is to bring the prospective customers to your message, not the opposite. That’s known as inbound marketing. Today, consumers choose you… or not.That being said, the Internet is not a magical catchall for new clients and increased sales. Believe it or not, there are still people in 2011 without a cell phone and using dial-up Internet. Who think of “face time” as an in-person meeting, not an app on their iPhone. While many businesses are phasing out traditional marketing in lieu of better websites, email marketing and social media, that doesn’t necessarily mean the “old-fashioned” style is completely ineffective… yet. The question then becomes, how do I use traditional marketing strategies, where appropriate, to magnify the more progressive techniques? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself when considering traditional marketing:
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