Rabbit Ears

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

2011-12-29T06:57:00.006-06:00

You pay enough money and any SEO guru can get you ranked at the top of Bing, Google or Yahoo.

It's a big waste of money when I get there an your website sucks and it doesn't move me along the selling process.

Spend the money on building a great website that will convert visitors to buyers. Don't put the cart before the horse.

Tony Mariani

The art of schleping

2011-12-22T15:39:00.008-06:00

Winners.ca is a fashion store known for carrying name brands at discount prices.

Their current radio ads are for Christmas shopping and use of the word, "schlep".

Now schlep is a Yiddish word and used as a noun means, awkward and stupid person. It can also mean simple, simpleton and a person lacking intelligence or common sense. For example, "My brother in law is such a schlep!"

Schlep can also mean a a tedious or difficult journey. "Driving from Winnipeg to Florida is such a schlep".

Schlep as a verb means to pull along heavily, like a heavy load against a resistance. For example, "Oh Vey the thought of schlepping your parents to Florida!

The word doesn't work in this ad nor did it make the ad funny.

As for the schlep who came up with the idea, it's a Christmas shopping ad!

Tony Mariani

Your biggest expense

2011-11-28T17:25:00.003-06:00

Labor? Rent? Cost of Goods?

All right answers but not the biggest.

Biggest is an empty restaurant. Empty bays at an oil and lube joint. Empty show room at a car lot. Get the picture.

If empty describes your business, you may want to look at your advertising or lack of it.

Tony Mariani

Facebook And Advertisers

2011-11-07T07:55:00.003-06:00

Brilliant blog from Bob Hoffman, The Ad Contrarian.

Share it with your colleagues and anyone else who thinks facebook and social marketing et al, is the be all and end all.

It will save you a pile of money or it will turn you into the next Dippin' Dots,

Facebook And Advertisers

Tony Mariani

The Future of Social Media

2011-11-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

Is the Ad Contrarian just an old "mad man" who has lost touch with the advertising world? You decide in his latest blog on social media and its future.

The Future of Social Media

Tony Mariani

What Steve Jobs Taught Us About Advertising

2011-10-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

What Steve Jobs Taught Us About Advertising

Social confusion or turnkey solutions

2011-08-24T07:38:00.010-05:00

Wayne Ens has written a great piece on the internet and social media.

Here is Wayne on Social Confusion or Turnkey Solutions

Your clients and prospects have never been so overwhelmed by media choices!

As of December 2010, there were more than 266 million websites fighting for the attention of internet users in your market! It makes the half dozen or so radio stations vying for your target audience seem pretty impressive.

And who knows what the social media flavor of the week will be next week? In a few short months it’s changed from MySpace to Twitter, and from YouTube to Facebook. By the time you read this, the darling might be Foursquare, Flickr or Friendster.

In the August 9 issue of Social Media Today; touted as publishing ‘the world’s best thinkers in social media’, the author said, “social media is a complex and evolving medium that many businesses struggle to figure out. Few find quantifiable success with it, many have failed, and most have yet to truly form a social media strategy”.
When a local business owner gets caught up in the hype of social media, they have more questions than answers;
Which social media do I participate in?

Where do I find the time?

Why would a follower find our post valuable?

Content is king, where do I get content?

Who will be our social media steward/evangelist?

How will I train them to handle the dialogue appropriately?

How often do I have to update my post?

What should I have on my profile page?

Print is being killed by the internet and digital media platforms are evolving so rapidly that even the ‘experts’ can’t keep up.

Familiar, proven and comfortable radio can be a safe haven for local advertisers who want to minimize risk and grow their business. Seriously, is there any web page or social media post that can influence as many local consumers in a single day as a 30 second commercial adjacent to your prime time news?

Broadcast account executives who present turnkey 52-week solutions to shell shocked advertisers can make some serious dough.

When you present a 52-week marketing plan complete with a well crafted strategy, schedule and regular creative changes, all the busy bewildered advertiser has to do is say “Book ‘em Danno”.

Tony Mariani

Ted Farr Media: Build Your Business with a Brand Update Strategy

2011-07-12T06:49:00.000-05:00

Ted Farr Media: Build Your Business with a Brand Update Strategy: "Summer, finally! For many businesses, summer is the ideal time to get ready for fall. September is too late. Back to school is bac..."

Are you paying attention to boomers

2011-07-05T07:51:00.001-05:00

Tom Peters advice about marketing to boomers.

Tony Mariani

How one company is using QR codes to be number one in their field

2011-07-04T07:33:00.004-05:00

Roy Williams, The Wizard of Ads, shared a you tube video on how a Korean supermarket chain is using QR codes.

Now think of how you are using a QR code. Do you see how it is a waste of time to simply put it in your newspaper ads or any print ads when all its doing is taking you to your website?

Tony Mariani

If you write, Seth Godin has this advice for you

2011-06-27T07:47:00.003-05:00

With a little help from George Orwell.

Writing Naked.

Tony Mariani

7 wasted words in your ads

2011-06-06T14:32:00.007-05:00

"There has never been a better time".

Tony Mariani

QR Codes

2011-06-04T12:41:00.004-05:00

QR codes have been around for a number of years.

They are beginning to pop up a lot more in advertising pieces. I am not sure they are being used properly. This morning I saw at least three newspaper ads with a QR code.

The images tend to be very small and almost crammed into the ad.

Each one of those QR codes I clicked on took me to the home website. "But we did get them to our webpage". Yes but your sites weren't set up for a mobile device and that's another story.

QR codes should have some sort of call to action. How about a QR code showing a menu and an offer like free appetizers (yes you can store the QR code in your mobile device).

Or how about a video of a couple of your used vehicles you want to move that weekend.

Create QR codes that are different.

Otherwise drop the QR code when your website address will do.

Tony Mariani

How much time do you spend on social media

2011-05-30T08:01:00.002-05:00

Put a clock on it this week.

Don't be shocked if it was a lot of hours.

What might shock you though is how much money did you make from it?

Tony Mariani

Time and attention are the new currency

2011-04-18T08:09:00.003-05:00

I am a little biased. The Wizard of Ads, Roy Williams is spot on! Time and attention are the new currency.

Tony Mariani

The power of words

2011-04-14T07:49:00.001-05:00

Tony Mariani

Test Your Online Advertising Knowledge

2011-04-11T21:41:00.002-05:00

Bob Hoffman writes a great blog at adcontrarian.blogspot.com and this post challenges your on-line advertising knowledge.

Tony Mariani

When should you advertise and what should you say

2011-04-08T08:22:00.005-05:00

Two great articles.

Sean Taylor from the Wizard of Ads has written a great post. When you should advertise .

Trevor Finch from Corus Radio in Winnipeg, Canada on what your advertising message should focus on.

Tony Mariani

Does Groupon cheapen your product

2011-04-05T17:39:00.003-05:00

A photo company offered a 74% discount. $305 certificate for $79

They sold all 95.

95 x $79= $7505

Half to Groupon and the photographer's take is $3752.50 less the credit card charges Groupon passes on to them. Lets assume 2-2.5%. $3658.68 left for the photographer.

Let's assume in a perfect world that each session is one hour. $3658.68 /95= $38.51 per hour session.

Hardly worth the effort. But the photographer is trying to stimulate business. Why else discount a $305 value for $79.

This type of deep discounting spells trouble.

So what is the true value of this offer? $305 or the $38.51 the photographer netted?

Is the photographer inflating costs?

You decide.

Tony Mariani

How satisfied are you

2011-04-04T11:00:00.004-05:00

Any marketing that conducts a survey and asks you for a laundry list to choose from to answer their question is really not interested in your answer.

Will any of these answers give, say, your cell phone provider a clear cut vision?

1. Most likely
2. Moderately likely
3. Less moderately likely
4. Least moderately likely
5. Not likely

Not likely. These are called grey surveys and yes I just made that up. No possible strategy can come out of them. And while we are at it, asking me to rate a service on a scale of 1 to 10 with one least likely is no better.

Nothing beats a yes or no survey with the ability to state why you are less likely or most likely to recommend your cell phone provider.

Those answers fix your customer service issues and make for some great creative.

Tony Mariani

Does Groupon Erode Price And Is Groupon Right For Your Small Business? - Marketing - The Bold Approach Method

2011-03-30T18:21:00.001-05:00

Dave Lakhani has been described as a "Marketing Genius","Business Acceleration Strategist" and "Multipreneur" by his peers and the media. He has been responsible for developing dynamic strategies driving record breaking growth and increases in sales in more than 500 businesses in the past 10 years. Dave is an in demand speaker, author and trainer.

And this is probably the best post you will read about whether Groupon is good for your business.

Does Groupon Erode Price And Is Groupon Right For Your Small Business? - Marketing - The Bold Approach Method

Tony Mariani

Pepsi and the social media experiment that bombed

2011-03-21T14:41:00.003-05:00

Social media is the new black.

Does it work? Of course.

But not always. And before you think of abandoning mainstream media for social media, here is The Ad Contrarian's blog on Pepsi wiping the blood from their nose.

Tony Mariani

Billboard advertising at its best

2011-03-15T07:13:00.004-05:00

The biggest mistake on billboard advertising is clutter. Trying to get to much information on and it becomes busy.

Another mistake is street site of the board. That is when you can't make out the print while driving.

Here is an article and samples of great billboard advertising brought to you by Bestdesigntuts .

Tony Mariani

When just a tweak tells a different story

2011-03-07T06:08:00.003-06:00

Jeff Sexton has written a great piece on how the smallest of changes to your creative can emote a different message and action .

Tony Mariani

Who is your customer

2011-02-15T12:29:00.002-06:00

My colleague Trevor Finch has an interesting take on demographics.

If you are a media sales rep and deal with advertising agencies, have you ever asked yourself this question? How is it that almost everyone targets 25-54 year olds or 18-49 year olds?

Trevor's latest blog post about demographics and pychographics will hopefully help you look at your strategy in a different light.

Tony Mariani