Servicescape

I found a video on youtube that talks about the servicescape of a restuarant, Dragonfly.  The video goes through the curve appeal, food selection, appearance of emplyees, interior decor, and so on.  I think this is an all encompassing video of what servicescape can do for a business.

The Power of Celebrity

In 2005, Paris Hilton and Carl's Jr. teamed up to film one of the raunchiest hamburger commercials to ever hit television (in the US).  Controversy stired about the ad because of the lude behavior.  The singer/model/actress climbs on the car to wash it in a very tiny monokini, all while holding and seductively eating a Carl's Jr. 'Six Dollar Burger'.

All I can say is the power of celebrity must work when you see celebrities constantly promoting products.  Jessica Simpson works for Proactive and so does Lindsey Lohan.  Michael Jordan works for Hanes.  Justin Long works for MAC computers.  Catherine McPhee works for Big Sexy Hair.  AND SO ON

 

By the way...as I've been watching the video and writing about the 'Six Dollar Burger'...i've developed a strong craving for a burger.  I think I'm gonna go get one now.

.....Damn the marketers and advertising!...IT WORKED :)

Pricing

Check out this awesome company that has developed software to help businesses price their products:

Zilliant

Zilliant's industry-leading price optimization and  management software improves all facets of business-to- business pricing — segmentation, analysis, setting and  execution — increasing margins and maximizing profits.

Branding

I found an article on branding this week.  It talks about short-term vs. long-term promotional tactics and the roles of branding, advertising and promotion in big business.

Here a clip from the article, and a link to the original page:

Advertising vs. Promotion As marketers look for a quick fix to make their numbers in the short-term, earmark a larger percentage of sales for promotion.

To read the entire article, click here

Services vs. Products

Browsing the interweb today, I found an article on services vs. products .

Enjoy :)

Providing Productivity Tools

For manufacturers of industrial controls products, the essence of business is providing productivity improvements for their customers.

In a global market, businesses are pitted against global competitors with consistently improving productivity, better performance and shrinking prices. This global competitiveness is simply reflected back by end-users on automation suppliers with increased demands in every direction.

With the recent worldwide decline in the automation business, many major suppliers are trying to generate growth by becoming "total solution providers", rather than just product manufacturers. The total solution includes sales, distribution, engineering, systems integration, service. In my opinion, while this strategy may generate additional short-term revenue, in the long haul it is a business mistake.

~Jim Pinto is an industry analyst and commentator, writer, technology entrepreneur, investor and futurist. You can email him at: jim@jimpinto.com. Or look at his poems, prognostications and predictions on his website: www.JimPinto.com

To continue reading click this link:

http://www.automation.com/resources-tools/articles-white-papers/articles-by-jim-pinto/products-vs-services

Ben and Jerry's Packaging

With the large amount of the ice cream company's in the United States, sustaining a competitive edge amound consumers can be challenging.  In light of this, Ben and Jerry's has managed to gain and hold the attention of American consumers using bright and detailed packaging...not to mention amazing ice cream!

With specialty sized containers of a one serving tub, everyone gets to choose their favorite kind.  The company also employs creative font, text, colors, and imagery that all corresponds to the flavor of the ice cream.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream and surely mastered the art of using packaging as a selling point.

Forbes Article

Here's an interesting article I found online at Forbes' website.  It's their choice for the six marketing tactics worth paying for.  

Enjoy!  :)

Marketing Strategies
Six Marketing Tactics Worth Paying For
Mary Crane, 05.17.07, 6:00 AM ET

Here's the trouble with marketing programs: Unlike with hard assets like buildings or machinery, you may have little to show for your investment when the money's all spent.

To continue reading, go to: http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/16/google-yahoo-zoomerang-ent-sales-cx_mc_0517marketing.html