by Dave Wendland, CommunityVoice for Forbes Agency Council, as appeared on Forbes.com August 1, 2018 Have you noticed? Companies seem to be switching to rely more on smaller, boutique agencies that focus on client needs rather than on building an additional bookshelf for their next marketing award. Now, before you jump through your computer screen or send me … Read More
Smart brands and retailers can use recovery or wellness plans to help shoppers buy more
by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager I was very impressed recently with the Earth Mama® Organics brand by how they connect with their primary shopper – soon-to-be moms and new moms. One of the ways they do this is by offering two sets of plans on their website that appeal to this … Read More
Smart brands and retailers can use recovery or wellness plans to help shoppers buy more
by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager I was very impressed recently with the Earth Mama® Organics brand by how they connect with their primary shopper – soon-to-be moms and new moms. One of the ways they do this is by offering two sets of plans on their website that appeal to this … Read More
Resolution: Evaluate my product positioning
By Megan Moyer, senior marketing communications specialist, for the Resolutions blog series When was the last time you considered your product’s positioning? If sales are going well and your market share is growing, you probably haven’t felt the need to scrutinize how your brand is positioned against competitors, however, that’s exactly when you should make the time … Read More
Aim, Ready, Fire: Three steps to meaningful research
By Dave Wendland, as seen in HealthCare Distributor magazine, “Out of the Box” column, May/June 2018 To advance virtually any business initiative, effective market research is critical. Too often this step is overlooked or shoddily conducted, resulting in less than ideal outcomes. Time spent adequately preparing can increase the likelihood of success and eliminate significant angst and … Read More
Resolution: Study my brand competition
by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager, for the Resolutions blog series When was the last time you took a good, thorough look at competitors to your health, beauty, or wellness (HBW) brand? Perhaps you did a SWOT analysis when you first launched, however new competitors come into the market every year. Furthermore, old competitors … Read More
Keeping the end in mind
By Dave Wendland, as seen in HealthCare Distributor magazine, “Out of the Box” column, November/December 2017 It was Lewis Carroll in the Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass book that said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” I personally like Yogi Berra’s twist on the phrase, “If you … Read More
Stop advertising your features and benefits and start telling your story
by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager No matter how great they are, your product’s features and benefits alone are probably not going to sell your product. Features and benefits are like informational data, and consumers don’t buy based solely on reason and logic; most purchase partially based on their feelings. In this … Read More
Resolution: Eliminate two items from my product line
by Steve Choate, business development manager, for the Resolutions blog series Adding new items or extending a product line seems like the best way to build your business and increase your brand awareness. However, sometimes less is more! Adding items can oftentimes dilute individual SKU sales, and make shopping the shelf for the consumer more … Read More
Are you using feature symbols on your packaging?
by Jen Johnston, CHHC, senior marketing services account manager People don’t want to read anymore. We knew this was coming, didn’t we? First we went from hand-written letters to emails, which tended to be much shorter. Soon emails became too long and we moved to text messages and tweets – bite-sized bits of copy that … Read More