Here is Mr. Kearny’s letter:

Your editorial (July 21) against the “clever” idea of opening up highway emergency signs to advertising was too tepid and cautious. The genius of that idea is how many other openings for easy state funding it opens up.

Think of fire engines — those lights, those sirens, those long sides cluttered with ladders instead of ads. And why should they make that god-awful screech when they could be playing a Pepsi jingle instead?

And the roadways themselves. Those endless 10-foot-wide ribbons of boring asphalt and concrete could be jazzed up with the genius of Madison Avenue.

Or how about a two-track 911: “If you would like to expedite service, please press 1 and have your credit card handy. Otherwise, stay on the line and one of our dispatchers will be with you shortly”?

Our highways are befouled by too many billboards. Instead of adding more, we should tax them by the square foot, using the money to remove obsolete and unprofitable signs, to beautify the roads and to promote the tourist industry. Instead of privatizing yet another public asset, we should charge private industry when it encroaches on the commons — our beautiful Penn’s Woods.

To this I responded with the following:

I love the idea of the jingle playing when the fire engine is coming down the street! But Pepsi? Why not make a local tie in with the Hershey “Sweetest Place on Earth” jingle. That way we’ll be reminded how great this area is during times of tragedy.

Lastly, I think you forgot the annoying cross-walk sound. Instead of “beep beep” it could be “Metro bank gives you dog treats” or “Capital Blue Cross-we care about your health, so cross cautiously”. You sir, are a genius!

Think "outside" the box.

Mr. Kearney,

Unlike a lot of people are able to do in this day and age, you THINK outside of the box. Without knowing it (or maybe you do), your demonstration of marketing thought processes should be rewarded (no matter how tongue-in-cheek). Too many businesses these days care more about painting inside the lines and copying their competition, that truly imaginative advertising is few and far between. I commend your ability to brain storm and I hope you are involved with the advertising industry.

Business owners take note, be creative, don’t just “run an ad” — turn some heads!  I bet a fire-truck blasting “ba-da-da-da-da, I’m loving it” would get a second look.

: “Why Search May Not Click for Retailers

” According to the article, retailers are inclined to throw lots of money into search for this upcoming holiday season, but the truth is, the search trends are showing this may not be such a great idea.

Less than 10% of online retailers’ web traffic, on average, comes from search engines, according to an analysis by Nielsen Co.’s Online division.Nielsen found the majority of retailers’ web traffic (61%, on average) comes from people going directly to a retail site — consumers typing, say, Amazon.com into a browser address bar.

The article also claims that a bulk of the search traffic is attributed to “navigational searches” i.e. typing the name of the brand in the search bar as opposed to a product category.

So what does this all mean?

First of all, I do not think search engine optimization should be ignored. On the contrary, it is of extreme importance.

However, search is unlikely to be effective without a solid brand. This research and article is a prime example of how past customer experiences and branding are of utmost importance.  As a retailer, if your brand is not solid and your past customer experiences are lacking, your success in outward marketing efforts in general (not just search) will be wasted.

This holiday season, what can retailers (and other businesses that hinge upon customer experiences) do to ensure your brand stays ahead? Check out the following helpful links on branding and customer experience to get started.

• Attention Consumer-Based Businesses: Your Brand Represents 50%-80% of Your Value!
• Better Communication = Satisfied Customers
• Once your Advertising Has Done it’s Job, Positive Customer Experience Must Follow Through
• Sniffing for Market Share
• The Power of Words

Feel free to post other helpful blogs and articles!

ALSO, try this on for size… for consumer market companies,  a well-managed brand typically represents about 50 percent to 80 percent of a company’s total value!! Basically, how you manage your brand holds a HUGE impact and is not to be taken lightly!

So what is your brand saying about you? What does your customer FEEL when they think about you? The best marketers and communicators build brands that evoke emotion! In order to build your brand the following steps must be taken.

1. Decide on a target market. If you need help figuring out where to start, this post may be helpful. Targeting is extremely important and must be done FIRST!
2. Determine your unique selling proposition. What are the benefits someone receives from your product or service? What do you want people to think when they think about you? Where do you want to be with your brand?
3. Determine reality. You now know what you WANT people to perceive about you, but what is really happening? Perform market research, ask those in your target market. This means taking a step back and objectively analyzing your business and what you are currently communicating.
4. Determine the differences. After you find out what is really happening, determine if this is matching up with your desired outcomes. What are the differences? What needs to be changed in order to help your target audience break their associations and form new ones?
5. Form a new marketing strategy. Once you know what associations you must tackle, form your message around these attributes. Focus on what you must change and do so in your communication with your customers and target audience.

Building a solid brand now will save you tons of headaches, frustration and money in the future! Once attributes become solidly embedded in people’s minds, it is very hard to break them.

Cartoon courtesy of skydeckcartoons.com

Here are 3 simple ways to optimize the communication with your customers:

1) Communicate on a regular basis: If you are not communicating with your customers, they will forget about you! Keep them close to you. Ask for feedback, use in-store surveys and focus groups if necessary. Communication doesn’t have to be as formal as a survey, simply talking to your customers and asking them for suggestions is beneficial. It allows your customer to feel important, while giving you essential comments. Talk to them often!

2) Use complaints as “relationship savers”:  If someone is complaining, they are giving you the opportunity to save the relationship. Customers that are unsatisfied and do not complain may leave and never return. A complaint offers you the opportunity to communicate and resolve the issue.

3) Keep the customer in mind with marketing messages: Remember that what is important to you may not be what is important to your customer. It is easy to get distracted in business and lose sight of what your customer needs and wants. Your surveys and communication will help point you in the right direction, but taking that advice and transferring it to a marketing message is the next step.

For example, your customers may have told you they appreciate the variety of products you offer, but you always thought the real draw was your low prices. This may take a marketing shift to begin creating a message that is truly appealing to the audience you want to reach.
Any other tips on customer communication? I’d love to hear your feedback.