Small Business Marketing News Update - Chief Meteorologist Points Out 121 Financial Credit Union For Protection

121 Financial Credit Union recently relocated its Mandarin branch in Jacksonville, Florida. For the ribbon cutting ceremony, officials at 121 Financial invited celebrity John Gaughan, WJXT-TV’s chief meteorologist, who decided to use a 121 Financial umbrella for protection. At the time, Hurricane Isaac was headed toward Florida. 

www.121fcu.org

Small Business Marketing News Update - Reporters Conspire To Trip Up Romney At Jacksonville, Florida News Conference

Whether you’re a small business owner, just an individual trying to find out the latest news, or even if you’re involved in politics, you would hope that the news you get from the media, especially the national media, would have some semblance of truth and honesty.

Well, that didn’t happen at a major news conference today in the Mandarin neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida.

Before Governor Romney delivered his message regarding the situation in the Middle East, national reporters were caught on an open microphone, conspiring with each other on how to trip up the presidential candidate.

According to TheRightScoop.com website, which has the transcript of the conversation and the recording online, a CBS News reporter they identify as Nancy Cordes was talking with other reporters, coordinating questions to ask Romney, with one saying “no matter who he calls on, we’re covered on the one question.”

With such blatant abuse of journalism as this, is there any wonder that a small business owner shudders when someone from the news media knocks on their door? Who knows if that reporter has a hidden agenda or is just trying to make a name for him or herself?

The only explanation in this specific case is that the site of today’s new conference is located next door to a reptile pet store, named Blazin Reptiles. These reporters must have slithered from next door to the Romney presser to make a brazen decision to manipulate the news to meet their own agenda. Shame on the national media!

Below is the transcript of the open mic as seen on TheRightScoop.com.

Unidentified Reporter: … pointing out that Republicans… unintelligible… Obama…

CBS Reporter: That’s the question.

Unidentified Reporter: …unintelligible…

CBS Reporter: Yeah, that’s the question. I would just say do you regret your question.

Unidentified Reporter: Your question? Your statement?

CBS Reporter: I mean your statement. Not even the tone, because then he can go off on…

Unidentified Report: And then if he does, if we can just follow up and say ‘but this morning your answer is continuing to sound…’ becomes unintelligible

CBS Reporter: You can’t say that…

(Later)

CBS Reporter: I’m just trying to make sure that we’re just talking about, no matter who he calls on we’re covered on the one question.

Unidentified Reporter: Do you stand by your statement or regret your statement?

www.TheRightScoop.com

Small Business Marketing News Update - Is Yellow Pages Advertising Worth The Investment For Jacksonville Businesses?

It might be obvious that the use of Yellow Pages advertising is diminishing but there are some companies in Northeast Florida who are still uncertain about the value of directories.

One Jacksonville company currently using a “page stealer” ad has determined after a year that they will downsize their ad to a business card size. On the other side, another company has decided to increase their ad size, thinking that their ad would be more dominant because of the current lack of competitors’ ads.

After reviewing data from several sources, here are some prospectives from a fact-check site, a marketing analytics consultant and a former Yellow Pages ad salesman.

First, some facts according to a Hubspot Webinar:

• Since 2007, many states have quit printing residential listing or have pending requests to stop publication. These states include Florida and Georgia.
• Traditional landlines are being disconnected at a rate of nearly 10% each year.
• Consumers are increasingly considering online services before Yellow Pages to make their purchasing decisions.
• Yellow Pages usage among people under 50 will drop to near zero over the next five years (according to Bill Gates).

Then there are actual third party or individual measurement programs that can more accurately determine the value of Yellow Pages advertising.

Ben Landers is president and CEO of Blue Corona, a marketing analytics and optimization company. As a former vice president of sales and marketing for a bottled water company named DrinkMore Water, he experienced first hand the measurement of that company’s Yellow Pages program.

Originally his company tracked their ads by running different phone numbers in each of the 10 directories they used throughout their market. Then he instituted a more sophisticated web-based software platform to not only track calls but to determine how many calls resulted in actual sales.

Landers’ system found that the number of people using Yellow Pages to find his company was decreasing faster than they realized. In addition, he found that most of the calls were not from prospective customers or current customers ready to buy, but were from automated campaign dialers (robots) and other sales reps.

In 2008, DrinkMore Water pulled out of the Yellow Pages because sales did not justify the cost. For the record, from January 1, 2008 to September 30, 2008, DrinkMore Water received a total of 54 calls from the directory. Only 16 of these calls were made by prospective customers. And only five of those resulted in sales. 

Landers further found that Yellow Pages’ leads are least likely to have a credit card for residential billing; most likely to haggle on price; and pay little attention to quality or to the value of customer service. He concluded that prospects from the Yellow Pages were of very low quality compared to other marketing channels.

Denny Smith, formerly with the Yellow Pages for 25 years, reveals his conclusions in an article called “Confessions of a Former Yellow Page Salesman” that was posted originally on SEO Articles, then reported on EffectiveWebSolutions.Biz/Blog. 

In 1984, he didn’t think the Internet would be a threat. He argued at that time that you could include coupons in your print ad, and it took longer to look up a source online than it did to look through a printed directory. But things changed quickly.

With features like keyword searches; unlimited search in any market (while only regional information is available in printed editions); easy and quick updating of ads; inclusion of updated coupons; the addition of maps and directions; and access from mobile devices; he thinks the printed book will become “the next extinct species.”

Smith speculates that perhaps a 60% plus price reduction for Yellow Pages ads could keep them going for now. But at best the dwindling usage will require them to offer totally free ads within three more years.

In a post by Magdalena Georgieva on blog.Hubspot.com., certain industries already left the Yellow Pages world, while some are still getting results. She cites the travel and catering industries as being some of the first to go to the Internet, led by Priceline.com and TripAdvisor, which have replaced many local travel agencies.

Then she reports that service industries are the ones still hanging on to directories. She mentions specifically that plumbers and contractors are predominant in the Yellow Pages because searches for those types of local companies are limited. However, even that is rapidly changing with online reviews from sites such as Angie’s List.

Like so much of our lives, including marketing, things we grew up with are changing or going away. And that includes the printed Yellow Pages. 

  

www.Bluecorona.com

http://blog.hubspot.com

Small Business Marketing News Update - Jacksonville Company Offers Product That Will Change How Trade Show Booths Are Manned

Imagine being at a trade show where you can have someone man your trade booth 24/7 (taking no food or bathroom breaks); someone who will give the perfect presentation EVERY time; someone who looks clean, neat and professional all day long; and someone you never have to pay!

A Jacksonville company has a new product that can do all of that and more. Media Works, a 25-year-old company that specializes in trade show displays, vehicle wraps, promotional products and printing, has a new presentation package called “Virtual Spokesperson.” It is so new in the industry, it is also being called an “Avatar Presenter.”

Essentially the product is a computerized, hologram-like image of a person that can talk and gesture like a human. It’s not exactly a 3D program, but when you encounter the image from the front, it is amazingly life-like. The virtual presenter in Media Works’ showroom looks right at you and makes an impressive sales pitch. And when you move back and forth in front of it, the eyes appear to follow you.

According to Fred Dietsch, who owns the company with his wife Theresa, the package consists of a Plexiglas silhouette body structure that encases a special 3M film. The shape of the structure can be made into a man or woman. A rear projector is position about 4 to 5 feet behind the structure. A human actor is videotaped making a pitch, which then becomes the projected image. The program is put on a stick drive that is plugged directly into the projector. The presentation can be as short or as long as necessary and can be run as a continuous loop.

“We have just introduced the product in the North Florida market,” Dietsch reported. “But already we have had a major insurance carrier in the state purchase the package for their South Florida facilities.”

A virtual presenter has just been installed in the New Jersey Newark Liberty International Airport to help provide travel information to airport visitors. And according to FoxNews.com, The Port Authority is spending $180,000 to place the high tech presenter in Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. In their description of the program, they say this provides someone “who can assist travelers 24 hours a day and it doesn’t need a security background check.”

Dietsch sees an almost unlimited application for the virtual spokesperson. While trade shows are a natural use, these could be used as information sources for tourist destinations, hospital lobbies and emergency rooms, retail locations… anywhere there is informational or educational needs for operations with public access.

The price of the virtual package will vary, mainly depending on the video production and talent costs, but the average range could be around $20,000.00.

The virtual presentation is very impressive. You can see a demonstration at Media Works exhibit showroom at 1451 Louisa Street, located behind Tidbits Restaurant on Hendricks Avenue in the San Marco area.  

The photo shows a close up of the virtual spokeswoman on the Media Works showroom floor.

Mediaworksinc.net

Small Business Marketing News Update - Northeast Florida Manufacturers Relocate Office To Elevate Profile And To Expand Services

To help increase their profile in the business community and to provide expanded in-house services to members, the First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA) has relocated their Jacksonville headquarters.

The new office, which is 1,200 square feet more than their former space, is located at 1615 Huffingham Road, near the intersection of Beach Road and University Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida.

With the new facilities, FCMA will be able to accommodate workshops, training sessions, networking functions and meeting facilities for manufacturer members and membership partners. The new offices will not only house the FCMA staff but also provide all of the meeting space and storage the association would need now and in the future.

Lake Ray, president of FCMA, reported that he believes manufacturing is taking on a more important role in Northeast Florida’s economy. “We felt that by having a more centrally located office and additional meeting space, our offices could help facilitate that role and give us a higher profile in the community,” Ray said.

Part of the uniqueness of the facilities is that members were asked to produce personalized wall displays that are placed throughout the offices to show what they manufacture. Plus, additional displays have been installed to show what consumer and industrial products are manufactured in Northeast Florida. “We wanted to have a place where anyone could come in and see the story of manufacturing in our community,” Ray added. “So not only are our facilities very functional, but it is also a showplace.”

The photo shows FCMA Tri-Chairman Carlos Zanoelo and FCMA President Lake Ray cutting the ribbon to the new FCMA offices.

www.fcmaweb.com

Small Business Marketing News Update - Klout May Not Be Delivering Real Clout For Jacksonville Businesses

Several Jacksonville marketing firms that been touting to their clients the importance of increasing their scores on social measuring sites such as Klout.com. They also advocate targeting the top Klout scorers because they are online influencers who could have an impact on their client’s product, service or idea.

But when you dig down into what is being measured, are these social scoring services really compiling accurate data needed to determine if someone is a major influencer?

If you are not familiar with these social sites, there are several free measuring services such as Klout, Kred and Peerindex that offer a third party evaluation of a person’s activity and social capital online.

One of the problems I have with these services is that they do not take data from any other source than Twitter and Facebook. They do not collect data from Google, Linkedin or blogs. Twitter is the major data source for them because Twitter activity is one of few social networks that doesn’t firewall conversations.

And people can game Klout with Twitter. A good example is when you constantly see an individual tweet their location (I’m at the gas station or I’m at so and so restaurant.) The more tweets someone has, the higher their score is on Klout. So does that really make them an “influencer?” 

Paul Gillin, a columnist for B-to-B magazine (New Channels by Paul Gillin) has an excellent expose’ about the value of measuring online influence. His concern is somewhat two fold. First, he believes that influence involves decisions that are more complex. He reports “conversations at conferences – over dinner or on the golf course – help decision-makers work out important details. The bigger and more complex the decision, the less likely it is that those who influence it are sharing their recommendations on Facebook.”

His second concern is that social media has demonstrated that audience size has little to do with influence, particularly in the narrow markets that typify b-to-b transactions. He goes on to say that the measurement services frame their definition of influence by number of followers and retweets. Gillin hits home this point by saying that, based on this criteria, Lady Gaga is the most influential person on the planet.

Gillin offers additional excellent examples of the flaws of measurement sites:

Marc Andreesen is one of the fathers of the modern Internet; but because he rarely uses Twitter, he earns mediocre rankings on the two most popular measurement service sites.

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, because of his job, cannot use Twitter. According to these sites, he has no influence!

I would have to agree with Gillin in his assessment that for b-to-c marketers, these services have limited use. And for b-to-b marketers, they are almost useless. Therefore, I caution Jacksonville businesses not to place too much confidence and too much time online with social measurement sites.

If you get a chance to read Gillin’s column each month in B-to-B magazine, you won’t be disappointed with his updates of online industry trends. His website is www.gillin.com.

Small Business Marketing News Update - Jacksonville TV Stations Sold To Cox Media Group

There is news out that Newport Television, LLC has sold 22 of its television stations, two of which are WTEV and WAWS in Jacksonville. The other side of this news is that they were sold to Cox Media Group, which owns WAPE, WFYV and WOKV in Jacksonville.

Consolidation of media outlets is nothing new today. However in the past, it used to be a real concern, particularly by the government, and specifically by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In the mid 80’s in North Florida, Morris Communications, which owns the Florida Times Union, underwent the process of purchasing Naegele Outdoor Advertising Inc. The FCC was questioning that Morris, through ownership of the city’s only daily newspaper and the largest billboard company in North Florida, would have too much control over the media.

As a partner of one of the major advertising agencies in Jacksonville at that time, I was interviewed by the U.S. Attorney General’s office. They wanted to know if sales representatives from the Times Union were putting pressure on me to buy billboards along with their print ads. (Just for the record, I never experienced that issue from Times Union sales reps and I had no problem with the purchase.) The newspaper was finally cleared to purchase the billboard company. Years later, Morris sold the billboard business.

Today the FCC has been lax in their policies. The agency has ignored many problems, including a major issue that is very obvious to the viewing public - the problem with stations ratcheting up the audio volume during commercials. The U.S. Congress had to step in to offer a remedy.

Good or bad the buying and selling of media properties is going to continue. And with broadcast companies, further movement will be seen with the emergence of Hulu and other Internet sources.

As far as Cox taking over WTEV and WAWS, no one knows for sure how that will turn out. Years ago, ClearChannel, which had a group of Jacksonville radio stations, took control of these two same stations. Management tried to have the TV sales force and the radio sales force cross sell their stations. That didn’t last long. It was too difficult to mix the two sales cultures.

All we can hope for as viewers and as media specialists is that Cox will invest the dollars in these stations to provide attractive programming to the North Florida market.