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Advertising Costs Getting Too High?
Everyone knows that advertising is essential to growing a business. One problem that small business owners have always faced is the high cost of marketing. Most, however don't realize that there is an effective way to reduce the cost of your advertising while - at the same time - increasing its reach.Advertising co-ops are nothing new. Usually they are a "perk" offered by major manufacturers to encourage retailers to promote their products. Because the retailer has direct access to customers that would want to buy certain products, it only makes sense that they should do joint advertising. You've seen it - McDonalds mentioning Coke in their commercials, Dell stating that you get a free Epson printer with purchase and so on.The retailer doesn't make the product the manufacturer is providing, but it IS a great match with what they DO offer. Nobody would want to eat a Big Mac without something to drink, and a computer wouldn't do a lot of good without a printer.Now you can use this same strategy to create your own advertising co-op to increase the reach of your ads and drastically reduce the cost, too.--- How It WorksGenerally speaking, the cost of any advertisements (bulk emailings, ezine ads, banners, newspaper, etc.) would be split equally between all participants. If you and two associates decide to purchase a solo ad, you would each receive equal mentions in the

information, it's no wonder that marketers are rushing to use this highly targeted storytelling medium.

MicroSoft PowerPoint

This is a simple multimedia-capable tool. The next step up from a photo slide show, PowerPoint has become the most popular multimedia program in distribution today. PowerPoint's elementary animation of typography and images richens the cracker-dry corporate slide presentation of the past and brings the entire presentation process in-house, relegating it to administrative assistants instead of outsourced creative specialists.

The problem we've se

Myths About Women and International Business
Researcher, Nancy Adler conducted a monumental study in the mid 1980’s to address myths about women and international business. Her study investigated if commonly held myths about women in international business were true including: women are not interested in International business, women were not willing to travel overseas for a variety of reasons namely family responsibilities and women would not be viewed as credible in overseas business due to the local perception of women. Her study results revealed that many of these false perceptions were indeed myths often held by male managers and HR personnel, and that women were interested and willing to conduct business overseas.Today many of these same myths still exist despite the dramatic increase of women in business and women owned businesses and women traveling overseas.Here are some facts published by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) (www.dol.gov), The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) (www.nawbo.org), and the Small Business Administration (SBA) (www.sba.gov), on women in the work force:• Women account for over 46% of the work force in America and this is expected to increase to 48% by the year 2005.• Women comprised 43% of employees in American executive, administrative, and managerial occupations in 1995 and this number is growing.• Businesses owned by women number 8 million in the U.S.

7 Qualities Of A Strong Brand:

1. Commands premium pricing while retaining loyalty

2. Shortens the sales cycle

3. Deflects competition

4. Resists commoditization

5. Establishes top of mind awareness (mindshare)

6. Generates referral “word of mouth” momentum

7. Meets and exceeds shareholder expectations

If you are lacking some of these qualities read on to learn how you can strengthen your brand!

Putting Your Message In Motion…

" Persuasion is the centerpiece of business activity," writes Robert McKee, Screenwriting Coach, in a June 2003 Harvard Business Review article on storytelling. "…If you can harness imagination and the principles of a well-told story, then you get people rising to their feet amid thunderous applause instead of yawning and ignoring you."

You tend to listen to a guy who has taught people how to spin yarns like The Color Purple, Forrest Gump and Sleepless in Seattle. Though in this article McKee was referring to executives' effective storytelling to inspire their various stakeholders, the same principles resonate through a company's brand communications. First you've got to capture your prospects' imaginations and make them believe your story. Only then are you within reach of branding a customer and opening a new revenue stream. Multimedia makes this goal a lot easier to reach.

The term "multimedia" encompasses any medium that relies on more than one of the human senses to communicate. For example, print ads use only sight (except for "scratch 'n sniff). Radio uses only sound. By contrast, web movies, television and cinema use sight and sound together for a more effective presentation. So though technically multimedia has been around for a long time, today the reference is chiefly reserved for digital presentations with motion, visuals and sound.

Study after study proves that the more senses involved in telling your story (sight, sound, touch, etc.), the more effective it becomes. The greatest advantage of multimedia for B2B marketers isn't really the media itself, but the channels now available to distribute it to niche audiences with surgical precision. DVD and the web, search engines and email provide the perfect mix of vehicles to drive a highly targeted stream of people to hear and see their stories. So in this age of digital information, it's no wonder that marketers are rushing to use this highly targeted storytelling medium.

MicroSoft PowerPoint

The problem we've see

The Benefits Of Professional California Mold Removal
Are you a California homeowner or business owner? If you are, have you ever taken the time to think about mold? If not, you are advised to do so. You will want to give your home or business a close look to see if you have mold lurking around. In fact, you may even want to contact a professional California mold inspector. Should you or a professional inspector determine that you have a mold problem; it is advised that you get your problem fixed. This is done by having the mold in your home or business removed.When it comes to mold removal, you are advised to contact a professional. This professional is often referred to as a California mold removal expert or mold remover. One of the reasons why you are advised to do go with professional mold removal is because of the unlimited number of benefits there are to doing so. Just a few of the many benefits to having your home or business undergo a professional California mold removal job are briefly touched on below.When it comes to removing mold, it can be dangerous; that is why it is advised that your home or business undergo a professional mold removal. California residents, at least most, are unfamiliar with how to properly remove mold. This not only means that the job may not be done the right way, but it may also mean that do-it-yourselfers may be putting their health at risk. There are certain steps that need to be taken to hav

June 2003 Harvard Business Review article on storytelling. "…If you can harness imagination and the principles of a well-told story, then you get people rising to their feet amid thunderous applause instead of yawning and ignoring you."

MicroSoft PowerPoint

The problem we've se

The Change of the Retail World
Running around to several different stores to get supplies for your business is not just a waste of time; it's a waste of money. A business owner needs a place where he or she can get all the supplies they need; supplies to help further what the business is trying to accomplish.Years ago, a business owner would go to countless stores to get the things they need to run their business efficiently. Back then a person would spend a whole day doing that by driving around aimlessly looking for a place that has exact things. One place would sell printers, but they wouldn't sell fax machines, so they would have to go find a place that sells that. Luckily with the evolution of the retail environment, you can get most of what you are looking for in one place.For example; In Germany, they have an establishment called Viking Office Products. If that name doesn't sound familiar, it is Germany's version of Office Depot. This place is basically the place you go to if you have an office business. If it is printing paper, they have loads of it in different lengths and dimensions, as well as printers. And since you are buying those things, you might as well pick up a computer, because it has those too.Come to think of it, you actually don't even need to drive there if you don't really want to. You can do the lazy thing and go online to many office supply providers websites and have the items de

your prospects' imaginations and make them believe your story. Only then are you within reach of branding a customer and opening a new revenue stream. Multimedia makes this goal a lot easier to reach.

MicroSoft PowerPoint

The problem we've se

Build Brand Identity Through Product Branding
Building a product into a brand leader is not easy, but I truly believe that you can improve your branding impression if you follow these 2 rules; Passion & Consistency as well as the 4P’s of Branding that I have developed, PRODUCT – PLACEMENT – PROMOTION – PEOPLE. These 4 P’s will enable you to check the way your brand is interpreted. Each of these very distinct headings has an impact on your brand, and the brand in turn will affect each of these areas. For those of you who have gone through Marketing 101, you will see that the only difference between the 4P’s of Marketing and my 4P’s of Branding, are People, and people affect the brand more than any other area.ProductImagine this scenario, it’s lunchtime, you have decided, after working in your office all morning, that you would like to have an orange for dessert. You drive to the local supermarket, go to the fruit department, and find that there are only 2 oranges left, they both look the same until you pick them up. That’s when you notice that one of them has Sunkist stamped on it. Which one will you buy? Well if you are like 99.999% of the country, you will by the Sunkist orange. Why? Because over the years, Sunkist has promised you an orange that not only looks good, tastes good, but is also good value for money. Now comes the kicker, you see, there is very good chance that you would probably still buy the Sunkist brand, even if

the reference is chiefly reserved for digital presentations with motion, visuals and sound.

MicroSoft PowerPoint

The problem we've se

Franchisors: Where to find franchisees for your franchises
One of the best sources for prospective franchise buyers is relatives or family of long standing customers of your outlets. Long-standing customers really do know the kind of sales volume you bring in your outlets as they can figure it out pretty quickly. Even the non-educated person can figure out that your outlets are making a hell-of-a-lot more than they are. Many of these customers will admire your franchising company for the great idea and your strong brand name. They will admire their local franchise who they patronize for their hard work ethic. They may also realize that they themselves do not have the energy level to run such a business but they probably know someone who would be interested. It’s usually a son-in-law, nephew, son or person from their church. This person nine times out of ten will fit your franchisee profile mold. This person they are thinking of usually reminds them of your local franchisee; energetic, athletic, out going, upbeat, positive and successful.New customers of your franchisees also make good franchisees themselves. Many times a new customer is in such awe over this new type of service, product or business model, that they will stand there in the parking lot out front of the store for twenty minutes and think about it. They will start asking lots of questions of your franchisee about the business.You should explain to your franchisees that the

information, it's no wonder that marketers are rushing to use this highly targeted storytelling medium.

MicroSoft PowerPoint

The problem we've seen with PowerPoint is that it is so easy to use that companies allow people untrained in even basic storytelling, graphics or their specific corporate brand standards to create these presentations. This does more to undermine the integrity of a consistent brand image than anything else we've seen. Everyone wants to add their "creative touches" to the PowerPoint presentation, and before you know it, a conservative-minded company can look like Disneyland at the board of directors meeting.

And since PowerPoint contains libraries of backgrounds, effects and color palettes for all to use, it is easy to develop presentations with a "canned" flavor, defeating the objective of brand differentiation. The use of these common library images and elements also increases the chances of your presentation taking on the same look and feel of one of your competitors.

The solution? A unique, yet standardized template based on corporate brand identity standards should be issued to a select group of managers whose departments regularly create presentations. Each completed presentation should be reviewed for adherence to standards prior to use in the field, or even internally. Creating a brand review committee will help immensely, even if it is an ad hoc, part-time or outsourced function.

Flash by Macromedia

This is an animation software tool well suited for telling conceptual stories where motion is important to express the concept, but actual cinematic media (motion film) is not the answer (for either expressive or budgetary reasons). This might work well in the case of demonstrating the principal of a machine's operation, of which many parts are not visible.

Flash is a vector (as opposed to a raster) digital format. Vector programs like Flash and Adobe Illustrator hold quality as they rescale in size or dimension, take up far smaller amounts of disk space and download faster on the web.

Flash is built for flexibility in resolution and aspect ratios. The same presentation can be used on a laptop computer for a sales presentation as well as a 60" letterbox plasma screen at a trade show with the same high quality results requiring only minor adjustments in display settings.

Though actual photos and even motion film or video clips can be embedded in Flash, its true capabilities shine in the animation mode. With

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Perhaps the most popular way to present a gift is to present flowers because flowers appeal to all our senses and brighten up our lives and our hearts. Perhaps you can find difficult to express your exact feelings and sentiments in words but you can express your exact sentiments by presenting flowers. Flowers bring good cheer and convey the right message in their own language truest language of love.

See how business, ANY business can become infected by the Jigsaw Virus. I have seen this many times, and this is reaching 'epidemic' levels.

When was the last time you squeezed the Charmin? Found any BEEF lately? And what about the Real Thing? American's live for commercial cliches and phrases that catch attention. If your brand presentation rocks the media, packs a punch, and gets used frequently, people will notice you. What are you doing to make yourself known?

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