Marketing Monday: Are You at That Point?

As we've already discussed in the past, continuing education is vital to the success of the marketing professional.  I must admit that, personally, I think that's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job as well. 

The publishers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine were recently so kind as to invest in the education efforts of several members of the marketing and PR teams by purchasing copies of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point (ISBN 0-316-34662-4).

Have you read this book yet?  Email me your thoughts about it by clicking below...or post a comment here on the blog.

My copy just arrived yesterday and though I only had a few minutes to flip through it, I found myself quickly caught up in the case study entitled "Suicide, Smoking, and the Unsticky Cigarette".  I also saw mention of the children's television show "Blue's Clues".  I can't wait to dive into this book further.

What resources are you finding, and which ones do you enjoy?  Which do you wish you'd gotten from the library rather than buying?  What's on your wishlist of books or magazines to read?  Let me know your thoughts!

(Some fun fine print:  For those who are wondering why a Marketing Monday post is showing up on Team Building Tuesday, I'll share a little secret...when one attempts to log on and one's modem is unplugged, one won't get far.)

Marketing Monday: Marketing to Go!

On the go?  Looking for something to take with you?  With all the traveling folks are doing this month, it's handy to have some reading material around for long layovers or sleepless nights.  (I've had a few of those...gotta love trying to find all the right gifts!)  Since PRMama doesn't come in paper form, you'll want to hit your local library or bookseller for a slightly different title.  If you're looking for something that will give you some excellent insight into marketing and a good chuckle while you're at it, you might want to check out Buzzmarketing (ISBN 1-59184-092-9). 

I picked up this book recently and I have to say it was partly just because I wanted to learn more about the town that changed their name to "Half.com".  Yes, folks, a town truly did put Half.com on the map.  If you're imagining me with an incredulous look on my face, you've gotten it right!

As I read on, though, I found some well-put thoughts.  Mark Hughes appears to be pretty blunt; he does well at not pulling any punches with comments like, "The traditional path will get only traditional results.  And traditional results means performing the same as everyone else -- being satisfied with mediocre or average levels."

Wow...if that's not enough to make your average marketing plan stop and wheeze in its cozy little mold, this one will really knock the wind out of its sails, because he continues, "If mediocre is good enough for you, stop reading right now."

Time to break the mold, folks!  If you're even vaguely considering marketing to parents, especially home educators, you'd better remember that every day families (both parents and children) are bombarded by advertisements, marketing ploys, and efforts to catch their attention.  Is mediocre effort going to get their attention?  Is a mediocre product going to bring repeat business?  Is mediocre customer service going to provide referrals?

PRMama doesn't think so.  Time to break the mold!  Learn more about your target audience...analyze that market until you can't think about anything but your clients.  Your customers.  Your consumers.  Think about their needs, their wants, their goals.  Figure out which of your products or services will fulfill your obligation to your market, then TELL them about it.

Let them feel your passion for education.  Share in their passion for their kids.  Break the mold and rebuild it again...into something that will REALLY catch their attention.  Who knows?  Maybe they'll name a town after your company.