More Mickey Mouse Marketing Secrets

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Fellow Business Builder,

I think we all agree that Disney is the best of the best with their marketing, customer service, and selling the experience.

That's how you get to be a $36 BILLION dollar behemoth.

No matter what your revenue goals are, Mickey Mouse has lots of things to share than can help build your business.

I wanted to share some of the other lessons I learned with our recent Disney excursion.

Mickey's Lesson #1: Impress people with your professionalism... but do it in your own unique way.

Have you ever seen one of the Disney park firework displays? Very impressive! My wife Kari said they were worth the entire trip alone.

At one of the rides in the park, you got an un-obstructed view of the 1 acre piece of land where the fireworks come from.

Miles of tubes, wires, cables and launching areas.

In the middle of it all a very distinct command center. And buzzing around everywhere, were the squadrons of firework professions (I didn't find out the actual name for them, which I am sure there is a Disney-style name for them).

They were decked out in slick looking blue uniforms and the ones that were out in the midst of it all wore blue flak jackets.

All-in-all it was a very impressive display, just for the preparations for the nightly fireworks.

Mickey's Lesson #2: Constant change.

If you have ever been to a Disney park, you undoubtedly went on the "It's a Small World" ride. It rocks!

The best part? It is probably one of their longest existing rides of all... yet they continue to keep it fresh, up to date, and exciting.

While we were there it was decorated in a Christmas theme... and it must take them hundred and hundreds of hours to switch the overall theme.

Every tiny little detail amongst the hundreds (more like thousands) of little characters inside needs to change with the theme. And they do the complete theme switchover overnight... while the park is closed.

One day you are there and it is a Thanksgiving theme... the next day Christmas!

Simply... right?

For them it is a science, for us a serious need to look at how fresh our graphics, content and promotions are.

Google gets this. They are constantly putting a theme to their main search page. Christmas, Valentines, St Patrick's Day... always something new to keep it fresh... and to remind the rest of us to pick it up a notch... or ten.

Mickey's Lesson #3: Promises are meant to be broken.

At every single ride throughout Disney, there are signs saying how long you will stand in line before finally getting on the actual ride.

The waits times range from 5 minutes for the less popular rides, to 55 minutes (!) for the most popular.

What I noticed though is that the actual wait times were consistently less than what the sign said.

So if you thought you were waiting for 30 minutes, it was a pleasant surprise to only wait 20 minutes. Still a long wait, but less than you thought.

Under-promising and over-delivering worked really well for this part.

If your business has areas that are less than desirable (like long wait times), deliver the goods in less time than you tell them and you quickly turn a negative into a positive.

Mickey's Lesson #3: Thrill seekers unite! Get your signature experience out there front and center.

There is always a ride there that appeals to the adrenaline junkies like myself. And The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the California Adventure side of Disney was it.

The once-glamorous, and now vacant, luxury Hollywood Tower Hotel is a blast.

By far my favourite there.

You step into the lobby of the hotel and are guided through their library where you discover the fate of the doomed guests of the past.

Then, you are taken into the service elevator to experience the hotel for yourself.

Each floor on your way up, the elevators stops and you experience another part of the disaster that happened in the past.

My kids favourite was when you stop on one of the floors and the doors open so you are looking directly into a full wall mirror. You see yourself sitting in your chair in the elevator and are told to wave. As you wave, the lightning bolts come from the sky and zap your reflection in the mirror, turning you into a ghost... the kids ATE IT UP.

Not long after that is when the elevator drops.

At first you only drop a few floors. Scary... but fun.

Then you are taken to the very top floor of the hotel and the doors open wide. This time though, the open doors give you an unobstructed view of the entire Disney park.

You are almost given enough time to start enjoying the view, when the floor drops out from beneath you and you fall 5 or so floors down.

It rocks! A great ride and one the kids talk the most about a month later.

Always have something that is your signature product or service that keeps them coming back for more... and more... and more.

There were people in the line who had already ridden the elevator 3 or 4 TIMES that day!

Worth the entire admission in itself, just for a quick 10 minute ride.

Mickey's Lesson #4: Kick Knack Patty Whack.

Disney is a master at knick-knacking you to death. But they do it in a way that leaves the parents with empty wallets, and the kids with giant smiles on their faces.

After every single ride, you go to exit the ride, but are forced to exit through a store that is themed to the ride.

So if you are doing the Indiana Jones ride, the store you end up in sells Indiana Jones paraphernalia.

The Monsters ride exits through the Monsters store.

What better way to remember your experience than to buy a little knick knack to remember it by? Works like a charm, and every single one of the stores was lined up at the till.

No matter what you sell - are their ways you can give them little mementos to remember you by?

I have a client now that sells power equipment like lawnmowers, chainsaws and snow blowers. We have find a line of miniature lawnmowers which we are going to start giving to their clients upon purchase.

Guys are guys... and we all love our toys.

An associate of mine once did a promotion for an airline.

Their target market was the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Part of the mailer was a wall sized map which was a quiz/puzzle. The original goal was to get the executives to take the maps home for their kids... but it was very quickly discovered that almost every single executive KEPT the map for himself and did it at work, usually enlisting the help of their executive assistant to finish the puzzle.

The end result of the campaign was still a blockbuster... but the unexpected finding that all men (CEOs included) are still 11 year old boys in grown up bodies, was a bonus finding.

That little discovery has been a major factor in the success of his future campaigns where men were targeted.

Mickey's Lesson #5: Keep them searching for those hidden finds.

Disney is a magical place with magical characters roaming the park. They also know the true importance of giving mementos to remember your experience by.

They have these little books you can buy for a paltry $8 (chump change in the Disney world) that have blank pages throughout. Each page is designed for a signature from one of the characters you see wandering around the park. The facing page has a spot for the picture you take with them.

So the kids are frantically trying to balance out which ride they want to do next, with their eagle eyes spotting the next Disney character they can get to sign their books.

Sometimes you get lucky and get the character to yourself (if you catch them at the right time coming out of a hidden door, which is another lesson it itself).

Sometimes you are standing in line, yet again, to get a signature and photograph with one of the characters.

But it doesn't stop people. And it certainly builds more into the memorabilia you take home with you.

Which means you tell more people, share more of your experiences, and get them to desire the same... soon.

Disney IS the best-of-the-best.

I hope some of these lessons will be used by you in the coming year.

Your customers want more from you... and will pay for it... if you deliver.

When you do... the competition nearly becomes invisible to your ideal buyers.

Worthy of some of your time with a pen and paper... figuring out how you can use Mickey Mouse secrets in your business.

Till then...

To your success,

Troy White

PS: If you want a quick and dirty blueprint for creating the ultimate marketing plan for 2010 - a new year is here and these plans will have you up and running in no time

PPS: This article was originally written for Clayton Makepeace and his Total Package blog. Every Thursday you will find one of my articles, along with a daily post from other contributing editors.

Troy D. White
http://www.smallbusinesscopywriter.com

Mobile Marketing Demographics and Market Penetration

Just a couple years ago marketing to consumers on their mobile phones seemed out of reach for most business owners. Many people wouldn't have even considered wanting to get ads on their mobile phones bringing thoughts of their phones being stuffed with spam much like their email inboxes.

While mobile coupons, text message marketing and even geo-social applications may not be as far ahead as most companies would like you to believe, it continues to grow each month. The younger demographics, 18-34 year olds, have accepted this marketing medium while older demographics continue to slowly adapt to receiving mobile coupons.

If you need to reach the younger demographic you know how hard it can be with traditional marketing. A recent eMarketer study noted that 66% of 18-44 year olds said they were somewhat likely to try mobile coupons. 31% said they would be willing to give their mobile number in exchange for mobile coupons. When you reduce the age range to 18-34 year olds, the number jumps to 50% willing to receive coupons on their mobile phone by giving their number to a business.

Being able to target 50% of your customers may not seem like much but when you consider redemption rates it becomes very attractive. Let's compare this to email marketing as an example. Say you have a customer base of 1000 consumers on your email list and 500 on a text marketing list. Sending the same offer to each list will result in an average 3% redemption rate from the email list or 30 customers and an average redemption rate from mobile of 15% or 150 customers. Mobile marketing ROI is much higher even with a smaller customer list.

The rate of acceptance and willingness to receive offers on mobile phones will continue to grow. We think a crucial factor of this growth is smart-phone penetration that also continues slow growth each month. As people become more accustomed to using their mobile devices for social media, searching the internet for local services, they grow more comfortable with receiving offers on their phone.

Each month more restaurants, retail stores and companies turn to mobile marketing to attract and reach customers when traditional marketing methods do not bring in the return on investment they need to continue to grow. What once was considered far-fetched is becoming reality. To reach your customers, you need to speak to them where they are, and that is continually increasing to be on the mobile phones.

Mobile marketing may be your answer if nothing you seem to be doing for your marketing efforts is working to increase your sales or profits. Let Moto Message help you increase your sales during this down economy.

We can help you increase your sales, profits and customers in just 30 days. You don't have to take our word for it though, we let you use our service completely free for 30 days with no credit card required so you can see for yourself how powerful text marketing can be in today's economy.

Visit http://www.motomessage.com/ today to learn more.

Hikaru No Go-Ep. 4 (Part 3/3)

episode 4



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Viral Marketing Techniques - Challenges

Marketing buzzwords come and go. Terms such as "surefire", "greatest", "as seen on TV", and "innovative" each have been featured in millions of advertising headlines. These once powerful marketing words eventually became overused in the advertising world. As a result, they lost much of the impact they once had to persuade people to buy a product.

There is a marketing word being used today that companies are making millions of dollars a year from that consumers aren't even close to sick of hearing. That word is "Challenge".

People love to challenge themselves. They love to say they conquered a challenge. It makes them feel better about themselves, and gives them something to boast about to their friends. Whatever the reason, the word "Challenge" quickly hooks a person into reading more.

Some companies are building their entire marketing strategy around challenges. An example is Ed Dale's "30 Day Challenge" which challenges participants to create a profitable Internet business in 30 days.

So can it work for your business? Can you create a viral marketing campaign by challenging your customers to do something that is so difficult only the best can achieve it?

Here are a few ways regular businesses can use challenges to attract new customers.

1) Reward Anyone Who Accomplishes a Certain Result

Offer a discount or prize to those who complete a certain task.

For example, a gym could offer to refund membership fees paid during the first three months to any customers who lose over 25 pounds during that time period.

2) Run a Competition

Run a competition right in your store where people compete against each other. Give a unique prize to the winner.

Make it a recurring event for added impact. That way, people can refer their friends to future events, and the event can grow stronger and stronger every time you run it.

3) Make a Quiz

Create a quiz related to your product on your website which gives the user a score, and suggests that they challenge their friends to see if they can beat that score. People love to compare their performance with others. People love it when they score higher on something than a friend does.

4) Help People Achieve a Certain Result with Your Product

Some people need a helping hand. That's why Ed Dale's 30 Day Internet Marketing Challenge is so successful. He actually guides people through the process of creating a money-making website. Can you create a series of videos that guide people towards a certain result with your product or service? They may be more willing to purchase your product if you can guide them to achieve great results with it.

For Hundreds of Free Marketing Ideas Visit the Marketing Training Center -- a huge online database of free marketing ideas spanning dozens of marketing subdisciplines.

Interior Design Marketing

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It is estimated that only one in every five interior designers has any kind of formal marketing plan. They usually only market when business is slow and they more or less advertise in an impromptu manner. There are several ways to work on your interior design marketing. I will just name a few of the many ideas.

If you want to market your interior design business and see results, follow some simple guidelines to put you ahead of the game in your industry. You should first research your competition. Learn what they are doing to attract business. Find out where they are marketing their business and who they are targeting.
Take several pictures of your work and publish them in trade publications. Also include any specials or other items of interest you want to promote. Arrange speaking engagements whenever possible and have a professional sounding, well prepared speech ready.

Another great idea for interior design marketing is to create a portfolio with plenty of samples of your work. Put it together in a format that is easy to add new items or update. Rent a booth at trade shows or buy advertising time on radio or local television stations.

Any lead is a potential customer. Don't presume any lead is not worth the effort. Even if a particular lead does not turn into a future customer, they may send others your way if you keep a professional demeanor and treat each lead special.

If all else fails, don't forget cold calling. Okay, calm down. Take a deep breath. I know, I know, cold calling is every business person's least favorite part of the job. However, for every ten cold calls, you will receive one positive answer. So if you make ten calls and you get one appointment, that's one more than you had before. Persistence is the key in cold calling. It will be frustrating and discouraging if you make 25, 50 or 100 calls and get no more than one or two appointments but don't give up. It will pay off in the end.

If your current clients are happy with your services, ask them for referrals. If they are truly pleased with what you have to offer, they will be happy to send more business your way. Equally important as gaining customers is keeping customers. Be sure you keep your clientele happy by resolving issues as soon as they arise.

Always, keep a positive attitude and display confidence in your demeanor. People will be more likely to hire a self-confident business professional. Give your customers a reason to come back. Offer something that your competition doesn't offer or find a unique way to promote your business. Anticipate a client's needs or questions and have the solution ready.

Following these simple tips and ideas will not only help you generate business, but will help you keep that business for years to come. Not only will you keep the business of loyal, return customers, soon you will be receiving the majority of your new business from referrals from satisfied customers and your client base will continue to grow.

David Ledoux is an author, speaker, trainer and mentor to entrepreneurs. His newest report The Small Business Death Sentence can be downloaded for free at [http://bigmoneyfreetime.com]

Funny Marketing Course

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The Value Of Marketing Assessments

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What when was the last time that you took a hard look at the effectiveness of your marketing programs and decided whether or not you were really getting a good return on investments from these efforts. Lots of companies develop habits on how they spend their marketing dollars, and since we're all creatures of habit, it's really easy to be comfortable with doing the same thing over and over and over again. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, expecting a different result. The question I have for you is as follows: What is your company doing to measure its marketing results and objectively assess whether or not you're getting what you're paying for from them?

Doing a marketing assessment using an outside consulting firm is an easy way to get a quick snapshot and some objective feedback on whether or not your marketing is actually achieving its desired results. My suggestion is if you haven't done this for some time, hire a strategic or marketing communications consulting firm to come in and help you do a quick and easy assessment. It doesn't cost a lot of money, and it's definitely worth your time and effort to use an outside firm.

They can do a six or eight point assessment of your marketing programs including how well you are addressing your target audience and how effective your messaging is. They can also measure the effectiveness of your lead generation programs, and your marketing mix. For a few thousand dollars it could be money very well spent in order to step outside the box and look at what you can do different in order to generate increased effectiveness from your marketing.

The rules of marketing are changing constantly, and companies that are staying on top of those changes are the ones who are increasingly using new techniques in order to boost their lead generation and their penetration of their target markets. Companies that are engaged in old entrenched thinking, using the same methods that they've always used in the past are finding that they're getting less and less return on investment from those efforts. If you haven't done this for some time, I would suggest that you do a self assessment, or better yet bring in a marketing consulting firm that can help you to take an objective look at what you're doing wrong, and what you're doing right and what can be improved.

Cube Management helps companies accelerate their sales, by providing the Sales & Marketing talent they need to grow their business. Cube is a leading recruiting and consulting partner to mid-market and emerging growth companies in the technology, manufacturing, healthcare and business service sectors. We work across the spectrum of Sales, Marketing and Business Development, providing holistic solutions that drive revenue and profit success. Cube Management combines Strategy, Process and People, to produce great results. Download the Cube Management Recruiting Guide and the Cube Management Inside Sales Guide.