March 3rd, 2010
The Olympic torch has been extinguished in Vancouver and the next cauldron won’t be ignited until 2014 in Sochi. Yet, as entrepreneurs and women business leaders, we have the opportunity to shine and burn brightly each and every day of our business calendar. Whether you are doing Bucks County public relations or marketing consulting in Doylestown, you can position your business to win!
What would it take to earn a gold medal in your industry? Have you sized up your competition lately? How do you compete?
At first glance, the Vancouver Olympic Games were all about Winter Sports. But if you go below the frozen surface, there lies a business lesson for all seasons; regardless of what role you play.
One needs only to look towards the Olympic athletes to garner valuable success secrets for business. As a Philadelphia business communicator and brand strategist, here are my Eleven Business Strategies from the Olympics.
Eleven Business Success Strategies of Olympic Proportion
- Be extraordinary
- Raise the bar
- Take risks
- Dare to dream
- Stay true to your vision
- Commit to your goals
- Exhibit determination
- Be courageous
- Possess spirit and passion
- Learn from your mistakes
- Celebrate your success
The athletes met with success because they dared to dream and believed in the power of their personal brand. As business leaders and entrepreneurs, we need to hold fast to our dreams and fuel them with branding strategies that propel us towards success…with or without the gold medal.
Tags: brand strategist, Bucks County public relations, business strategies, entrepreneurs, marketing consulting bucks county, marketing consulting Doylestown, Olympics, public relations Doylestown, women business leaders
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February 8th, 2010
If you had 30 seconds to tell your story, what would you say?
Yesterday’s Super Bowl commercials were very expensive 30-second elevator pitches. With millions of dollars at stake, I was amazed at how many companies failed to leave an impression with a memorable message. Here it is not even 24 hours later and I struggle with matching up some of the images with the brand behind a large number of the commercials. For others I can tell you whose commercial it was, but question what the message was that they were trying to communicate. With an audience of nearly 100 million viewers, you want to get it right.
But suppose you are a women-owned business or a small business entrepreneur without a super-sized advertising budget to package a glitzy corporate commercial. If through expert media relations you are given the opportunity to go live on television and pitch your products or services, what would you say about your brand?
In our role as publicist, we booked one of our clients on WFMZ-TV in Allentown and on NBC Philadelphia’s 10! Show recently. In each broadcast segment, he had as little as four to as much as 10 minutes to communicate his message.
While it may not seem like a lot of time – with succinct and targeted speech – these PR opportunities in the Philadelphia market can be extremely effective.
Before you show up on Oprah’s couch, ask yourself what you want to accomplish. At the end of any interview, what do you want the takeaway to be for the audience? What exactly are you promoting? What call to action do you want to get out there? Is the goal for your phone to ring or for people to get to your website? Do you want to sell books on Amazon or do you want to promote interest in your business for future partnerships and funding?
Spending time crafting a powerful, succinct message and delivering it with honed speaking skills will be memorable to the audience…no matter if it is a 100 million viewers or a party of two in an elevator.
Tags: advertising, author publicity, media relations, PR opportunities, women owned business publicity
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January 14th, 2010
Climate Control: Taking Stock of Today’s Business Environment
Pam Carroll
Marketing Strategist
Why is it that one business environment can challenge an organization, while that same set of circumstances lights the fire under another business catapulting them towards success? While I reflect on this, I think to myself, is it simply a case of someone looking at the glass half empty versus someone looking at it half full? Or rather has one company strategically positioned itself to be proactive rather than reactive, thus seemingly responding to a demanding business environment with ease?
Today’s business climate requires businesses to dust off their business plan , revisit their strategic plan and take into account consumer behavior, industry perceptions, and your overall goals to build your business.
Running a business in an economy with consumers gun shy about spending, possessing an increased penchant to spend cash; coupled with a renewed commitment to savings, presents retailers of big ticket items a challenging road ahead.
When assessing your strategic plan, it helps to add some outside perspective brought on by a marketing specialist. Before tapping into that expertise however, spend some time taking stock of your audience, revisit your mission and message and decide whether it can stand up to today’s business environment.
If today’s consumers are utilizing cash for their purchases, perhaps you need to create a new pricing structure or come up with other creative options to encourage purchases. Now may be the time to expand your inventory to include smaller ticket items or bring back the layaway plan to capture new customers.
In the quest to capture the attention and wallets of today’s consumer, communicating to your audiences frequently is key. When you reach out to them from the position of industry leader customers will differentiate your unique product benefits and perceive their purchase as having value-added benefits.
Tags: business climate, economy, strategic plan; marketing plan
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January 6th, 2010
During the first week of January business owners everywhere return to their offices charged with enthusiasm and New Year’s resolutions. But how many of those corporate executives are given a road map to execute those resolutions in order to grow their brand?
Do you recall the story of the three Magi who packed enthusiasm and wonder on their way to Jerusalem? Their course was mapped out brightly with a brilliant star.
Today’s entrepreneurs and corporate professionals who want to market their brand need to look within to find their brilliance. The brilliance that is inherent in all of us will lead us on the path we need to travel in order to execute a marketing plan and differentiate ourselves from our competitors.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder What You Are
Don’t leave your customers wondering what it is that you are. Focusing your attention on those qualities that set you apart – your areas of strength and brilliance- will allow you to bring the greatest value to your clients. This will come to be your brand identity.
Market your way to success in 2010 by communicating a corporate message that echoes not only what you do the best – but how you do it, too.
Carve out your own road map to those areas which will give you the greatest growth potential by focusing on the unique benefits your products and services bring to your customers.
Then you can be your own shining star.
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