Advertising agencies don’t usually make an announcement when they say goodbye to a client. Today, we are making an exception.

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport has become more than a client over the past five years. Like others we have served for a longer period of time, they have become part of our extended family.

We have shared successes that went way beyond traditional advertising. By any measuring stick you might choose, Armstrong|Shank over-delivered on the advertising goals, while we under-spent the annual budgets. Among our accomplishments:

• Initiating a courtesy crew team to provide positive experiential marketing
• Increasing awareness of the airport to unprecedented levels
• Reducing leakage of travelers to other airports
• Building social media promotions to reach our community in new ways

It has been a busy, and rewarding five years.

Now, as this very special client moves on to another agency chosen by the City of Wichita, we want to wish them well. Our hope is that they will have an exciting journey, filled with new adventures.

And, of course, we want them to return safely home to us someday.

Because that’s what we do at Armstrong|Shank: wish our clients well, and hope to see them again and again.

Many thanks to our friends at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (Victor White, Valerie Wise, the fabulous Courtesy Crew, and the Airport Advisory Board). You have made each challenge a joy to tackle together.

Bon voyage.

OK, Not really over here. Not in the office; too messy. But over at the Wichita Blood Donor Center this Friday, Feb. 18, from 11 a.m. to noon? You betcha, baby.

The Wichita Blood Donor Center, at 707 N. Main St., is holding its first bleedup — a blood drive fueled by the viral influence of Twitter. Jennifer Keller, communications manager for the American Red Cross Blood Services — Central Plains Region, developed the idea as a variation of the classic tweetup, in which people who are connected via Twitter meet in real time. This bleedup takes it one step further by incorporating a blood donation into the meeting.

We at Armstrong|Shank think that this is a red-hot idea and we’re in for the duration. Some of us will be donating life-giving blood to help the local blood bank build up its supply, which is running low after the area’s two snowstorms. Other employees will be donating time as canteen aides and donor receptionists and escorts. Still others (or some of the aforementioned) will be promoting the bleedup on Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media.

This bleedup ties in well with the agency’s celebration of 30 years in the area’s marketing, advertising and public relations community. The agency is celebrating throughout the entire year by performing 30 acts of service in 2011. So far, employees have:

• Taken part in the Senior Services of Wichita’s Meals on Wheels program, delivering hot meals to south-side residents homebound due to health issues and perhaps the recent snowstorms.
• Donated old pairs of eyeglasses for the Kansas Lions Sight Foundation. The organization has the glasses analyzed and distributed to the visually impaired in third-world countries, such as the Central and South Americas, via the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VASH) program.
• Edited their closets for business attire to donate to Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization that provides disadvantaged women with “professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”
• Partnered with Cochran Mortuary & Crematory in collecting old cellular phones to donate to soldiers. The Cell Phones for Soldiers recycling program offers deployed soldiers the chance to contact home and speak with loved ones.

And that, friends, is just the beginning of our “30 for 30” resolution. Please feel free to join us along the way, for this path that leaves a trail of good deeds in its wake has room for us all.

Microcosm draws a line in the sand with this illustration and their new offer.

We love underdogs. When an underdog pulls out a surprise win, it seems to bring a little balance to the world. It appeals to our sense of fairness and our competitive natures.

Marketing is no different. It seems like large corporations are controlling more of the market everyday. In comes a Wal-Mart or a Target and out goes an independent grocer (if there are any independent grocers left). A national chain restaurant opens up and leaves two or three family owned restaurants in its wake. Sometimes it feels inevitable that small businesses will always lose to the big corporations. How can they compete? Many try to match prices and offer similar services as their larger competitors. But that isn’t always enough.

What if, instead of playing the “me, too” game, small businesses drew a line in the sand, established an us vs. them mentality and embraced the underdog role? A great example of this is detailed in this post from Crunch Gear about a small Portland bookstore that is fighting back against the trend of ebook readers. Here is the offer from Microcosm Publishing according to their blog post: “Beginning RIGHT NOW you can bring in your Christmas Kindle to the Microcosm store in Portland (636 SE 11th) and trade it in for its worth in new or used books and zines.”

Microcosm is taking the David position to the ebook reader’s Goliath. This is a strategy rooted in an emotional appeal. And, for my money, that is the best type of strategy. Will people actually cash in their Kindles and Nooks? Maybe not. Here is the kicker: It doesn’t matter.

What Microcosm has done is generate awareness, establish a marketable position (“We are for books and book lovers”), and offered up a rallying cry for their brand ambassadors. That is the stuff that builds loyalty. And loyalty translates to more sustainable sales over time.

That’s not a bad place to be.

Dear businesses of the world: If you can provide a useful service and minimize the hassle, you, too, can earn new friends. Just consider QuikTrip and Little Ceasars Pizza.

Why I like QuikTrip:

Generally speaking, you pay for the convenience of convenience stores. Motor oil, bottled drinks, food … they’re all marked up. For a lot of products, that’s no different at QuikTrip. But there’s one small thing that keeps me coming back: free air.

Have a tire that’s low? Where I live, you pay 50 cents to $1 at most convenience stores to use their air compressor. If you have a tire with a slow leak, that adds up after awhile. At QuikTrip, it’s free. That means I’m saving money … and I don’t have spend that extra minute or two trudging inside, waiting in line and getting change, either. I get to drive in, air up my tire and get moving.

I’ll bet 80 percent of the time I’ve visited QuikTrip to put air in my tires over the years I haven’t bought anything. But every time I visit, the opportunity to earn a few dollars is there … an opportunity other convenience stores don’t have.

Why I like Little Ceasars Pizza:

When it comes to pizza, low cost and convenience rarely go hand-in-hand. With their recent Hot-and-Ready pizza special, Little Ceasars has seemingly achieved the impossible: They took the biggest benefit of ordering pizza (convenience) to the nth degree … and threw in an unbeatable price to boot.

Here’s how it works: From 4-8 p.m., you can walk into a participating Little Ceasars completely unannounced and immediately pick up a large cheese or pepperoni pizza, an order of crazy bread and a two-liter of pop for $10. They literally have them ready and waiting in the oven, ready for you to head out the door.

No need to fumble with the phone book, no need to call ahead, no need to dig out fliers or coupons, no wait for the pizza to be made or delivered, nothing. That means I get to drive in, pick up my pizza, and get moving.

Clearly, not all retail practices are immediately translatable to the world of B2B. But whether it’s the concept of free air, ready-to-go services or the classic fast-food suggestive selling technique, it never hurts to look there for inspiration. You might just give a boost to your customer’s brand loyalty.

When I picture the search for new business, I am immediately drawn to a particular scene from the movie “The Fugitive.” In our scenario, of course, Tommy Lee Jones is no longer Deputy Marshall Samuel Gerard, but a hard-driving sales manager sending his crack sales team out to corral that elusive high-dollar client.

And while new business is regularly found that way, don’t discount the value of simply picking up the phone, dialing a current client, and asking “Hey, what’s up?”

Why do this? Because if you’ve worked with a client before, you may assume that they know everything you offer and will be dying to call you when they have another need. But that’s not always the case — particularly if they originally came to you for a specific type of project (print, outdoor, etc.)

We learned this the hard way. We’ve had several clients that we worked with on multiple print projects that had no idea we did website design and online marketing. That’s a failure on our part.

One simple way to combat this is to employ one of the most clichéd retail tricks out there: “You want fries with that?” In this case, you may be quoting a simple ad or a high-dollar brochure, but if your account executives are trained to drop a throwaway “Oh, by the way, we do XYZ thing, too” line at the end of every meeting, you might be surprised how often existing clients can generate new business.

by Susan Armstrong

Customer service takes on new meaning when you are far from home and don’t speak the native language.

We were in Italy when Iceland’s volcano erupted, thousands of miles away. I was blissfully unaware of this event, and never imagined it would impact our travels. Then, the evening before our scheduled flight from Venice to Amsterdam, we learned that volcanic ash was drifting over the airports in London. There might be flight delays as a result.

Still, this sounded like a minor problem – one that wasn’t likely to impact our flight into an entirely different airport. Right?

We decided to confirm our flight, just in case. When it became apparent that our morning flight would not depart to Amsterdam, we elected to rent a car and make the drive across four countries – the scenic route would be an adventure.

We packed our bags, checked out of the Venice Hotel, and rode the water taxi to the city’s transportation center.

Thus began three days that are now imprinted in my mind as a blur of starts and stops, confirmations and cancellations, scheduling and waiting, and rescheduling again. From car rental companies to airlines to bus and train stations to hotel clerks, we experienced a multitude of customer service interactions in a short period of time. Here’s what we learned:

• Natural disasters bring out the best and worst in people.
• In general, people are less friendly under stress. Don’t expect sympathy from a hotel clerk who has been turning people away for three days.
• Some people care more than others, and it shows. One car rental representative just shrugged his shoulders and made no suggestions. The travel agent who booked our German airline flight was so helpful that we returned later to bring her flowers. (Ok, this flight was cancelled, too, but she tried.)
• Long lines aren’t always best. In the Venice train station, the shorter the line, the higher the price — and the better the chance that your train will still have seats available.
• Starbucks’ baristas are always friendly and helpful. Everywhere. I want to know more about their recruitment and training systems.
• Some companies communicate better than others. Air Italia has stayed in touch — no refund yet, but I’m hopeful. The German airline, not so much.
• Good service always comes with a smile. A sense of humor may be your most valuable travel accessory.

Simply put, some people understand customer service, and some don’t. One hotel manager in the “adventure” portion of this trip said it nicely: “We are all just guests on this planet, after all. We need to treat each other with respect, and know that we can’t always be in control.”

Benjamin Franklin lived his life by the theory that one could do well by doing good. He believed that the good life was achievable in direct proportion to one’s contribution to society, and he dedicated a good portion of his life and his considerable wealth to building universities, hospitals and firehouses. He refused to patent his inventions, to encourage the advancement of all mankind, not just himself. We could learn a lot from Ben Franklin.

Within the last couple of years, AT&T ran a series of television spots that featured Blake Mycoskie, owner of TOMS Shoes. For every pair of shoes they sell, TOMS Shoes gives a pair to a child in need. AT&T positioned itself as helping Mycoskie make that happen by using their communications technology. But I think that nearly everyone who saw the spots came away with the impression that TOMS Shoes was the real hero here — and with good reason. Here was a company designed specifically to help people in need.

Americans have become pretty cynical about trusting the intentions of businesses these days. The American economy is in the tank because of greed. It seems that for many, ethics has become nothing more than a class taken in business school. Doing what is good and decent and right hasn’t been on the agenda for quite some time. It’s become a game of quarterly earnings, and the parasite of greed barely blinks at the notion that it is killing the host.

The average American wants something to believe in. And I think that businesses in general, and particularly small businesses, have a real opportunity to make the world a little bit better, inspire hope, and gain market share in the process. They have the ability to do well by doing good.

Many business owners already subscribe to the idea. Almost every small business owner I have ever met donates time or money or both to a myriad of great causes. Many do it in relative anonymity, and I certainly respect the act of giving selflessly without expecting anything in return. The idea of philanthropic acts done solely to increase profits doesn’t sound particularly noble. But Americans are more than willing to embrace a happy medium. In fact, many Americans are willing to spend a little more for a product or service if they know that doing so is causing some good in the world.

Some larger companies are building from this philosophy with a degree of success. SC Johnson has been working to reduce the company’s environmental footprint, eliminating millions of pounds of pollutants from their products, reducing packaging waste and powering their plant using methane gas from a nearby landfill. Despite the considerable costs involved in this undertaking, they have found that going green is not only good for the environment, it’s good for business.

Imagine that. Being responsible and ethical is better for the long-term bottom line than screwing people over for a quick billion.

Smaller, local businesses may not have the budget of an SC Johnson or even a TOMS Shoes, but they can still have a positive impact in their communities while gaining a positive image among consumers. Here in Kansas, there are hundreds, if not thousands of local outlets for those looking to do some social good. And while a one-time, lump-sum donation to a worthy cause should be applauded and would certainly be appreciated, it might be more beneficial for both parties to, for instance, plan a campaign in which the worthy cause receives a percentage of the profits from each unit sold for an entire month, or year — or forever. Whatever the strategy, it needs to be more than just a marketing tool. Believe in it, and people will believe in you.

Doing well by doing good is a business model from which we can all learn a lesson. Seeking new and creative ways to make it more popular should be our next assignment.

Welcome to the Armstrong|Shank blog. We know you’re here to read something useful to your business, but right now I’m busy getting a cup of coffee, so just hang loose for a couple minutes.

Still there? Whew — lucky us. Because even though that was purely fictional, we didn’t treat you like you were important to us. And all it takes is one instance of inattentiveness or half-hearted client service to introduce doubt into an otherwise good client relationship.

Here are some ways you can be more responsive to your clients:

1. Ask your client for their preferred method of communication.

Some client contacts have instant access to their e-mail, and can respond to your communications quickly. If they tell you they are frequently in meetings or away from their desk, e-mail-based communication may not be the best choice.

For clients who live and die by their cell phone or voicemail, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants communication can work well. But if they prefer to sit down and meet face to face to talk about things, you’ll need to have meeting times planned into their schedule days or weeks ahead of time to avoid putting them in a tight spot.

2. Be aware of your client’s approval process.

When an organization has to get the okay on a project from multiple people — common in large organizations — each step has potential to cause a delay. Do your best to keep that in mind when planning your project timelines. And be sure to keep things moving between steps. Deadlines can be hairy enough by themselves — don’t make it worse by being the bottleneck.

3. Choose outside vendors carefully.

If you’re the go-between between your client and a vendor — printers, mailing houses, media reps, and more — be sure you trust their ability to be responsive. If they aren’t timely replying back with a quote, then it delays your ability to deliver it to the client, which delays the approval process, which shortens the amount of time you have to get the job done. Even if it wasn’t technically your fault, it reflects poorly on you for choosing this vendor. Get to know your vendors, that way you can be confident that your job will get done when deadlines are tight.

4. Be proactive, not just reactive.

If you really want to impress your client, do more for them than just what they ask of you. Be responsive to their future needs by keeping on the lookout for opportunities that will benefit them: new marketing technologies, potential PR possibilities and the like. You never know when even a small suggestion can be a catalyst for new business.

Whether you’re a waitress or a worldwide entity, the simplest business advice still applies: be there when your customers need you, or they’ll go elsewhere for their cup of coffee.

Recently Go Wichita!, formerly the Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, held their annual meeting.  The keynote speaker was Peter Yesawich, CEO of the Y Partnership.  The Y Partnership is a leader in the field of travel and tourism marketing research.  Peter spoke, in part, about the dramatic impact that technology is having on the travel and tourism industry.  He noted the following changes:

1. Meta search is changing the game of online travel research. Think sites like Kayak which aggregate a multitude of other travel booking sites, providing the user a wealth of planning information and comparative pricing with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks.
2. Mobile phone use is creating a third screen beyond the television and computer.  Smart phones are rampant and the iPhone has made us all application crazy. Players in this market need to recognize the opportunity to connect via this very personal tool.
3. Social tools and blogs are shaping perceptions. Word of mouth is nothing new.  However, more people are getting their WOM related to travel from social media destinations like YouTube and blogs to gain first hand feedback about destinations and attractions.

The travel and tourism industry is yet another industry experiencing change driven by digital technology that is quickly becoming mainstream.  Peter’s message was, “do not ignore this.”
I’ve seen technology drastically change the advertising industry, both for agencies and the clients they serve. The timeframe between reading about emerging trends like social media, micro blogging and mobile applications to them becoming widely adopted media channels is incredibly short.
I truly believe that we must make a conscious effort to regularly evaluate how technology is changing our businesses, impacting our customers and providing new opportunities.  Three questions to ask:

1. What technologies are my customers using? Ask them if they are on social media sites.  Ask them what type of phone they have. Ask them what blogs they visit.  And don’t just ask what they use, but dig into the how.
2. How can the business leverage these technologies to achieve business objectives and add value for customers? Don’t just adopt a social media strategy or dramatically overhaul your Web site without deciding what outcomes you want to see. Don’t do it because your customers might think you are cool. Do it because it makes their interactions with your company easier.
3. What resources do I have to allocate to make this happen? These initiatives often take three types of resources: people, money and time. Determine what mix of these three your idea requires. Often, you can find resources through reallocation. Do you have a part of your marketing that just isn’t working and hasn’t been working for a while? Stop it and devote those resources to your new idea.

Asking these questions, and answering honestly, can keep you in the forefront of the digital revolution and keep your company looking forward.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/simeon_barkas/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In the last few decades, new stadium construction has been frequent in the world of professional sports. As is common nowadays in the construction of these types of buildings, they often choose to sell its naming rights.

From a marketing standpoint, I can understand why one organization would want to sell the naming rights (additional cash flow) and another buy them (marketing awareness). My personal reaction is two fold: First, I’m a little more skeptical of the long-term benefit to the selling organization. You’re gaining dollars, but losing the opportunity to create a true, memorable community icon. And second, the slow passing of unique, conceptual stadium names is disappointing.

Here are two examples: Before it was demolished, Three Rivers Stadium (named because it was built where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join to form the Ohio River) was home to the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. It was replaced in 2001 by Heinz Field. And Veterans Stadium (so named to honor veterans of all wars), previous home of the Philadelphia Eagles, was demolished and replaced by Lincoln Financial Field.

The names Heinz Field and Lincoln Financial Field say nothing about their respective cities. They could be anywhere. Three Rivers Stadium reflects the unique geography of the Pittsburgh area, and thus has more personality. Veterans Stadium? For one of the patriotic centers of our nation, the fit is perfect.

Does the name really matter? From a practical standpoint, maybe not. After all, it certainly doesn’t physically affect the venue’s ability to provide a suitably enjoyable experience for eventgoers. The name “Heinz Field” isn’t going to keep people from doing what they really want, which is to go see the Steelers play football.

If Heinz Field remained Heinz Field forever, I would probably care less. But due to the temporary nature of contracts, it’s probable that eventually the Steelers will end up selling the naming rights again. Now, the Steelers have lost the iconic value that has been built up in the name “Heinz Field.” In addition, they have to change all of their brochures, materials, Web site references, everything that says “Heinz Field” to Bud Light Field or Burger King Field or (as famously spoofed in the movie Baseketball) Tampax Stadium.

If you don’t believe the possibility of a stadium with a naming rights deal reaching absurd proportions, then consider the case of Sun Life Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins. Originally constructed as Joe Robbie Stadium in 1986 (named after the entrepreneur who led the financing campaign to get it built), the rights to naming the stadium were sold to Fruit of the Loom in 1996, who then named the stadium after its Pro Player athletic wear division.

In 2005, that deal ended, and the team reverted the name to the simple Dolphins Stadium. In 2007, it was subsequently shortened to Dolphin Stadium. In 2009, a sponsorship deal was once again struck, this time to promote to Jimmy Buffet’s new LandShark Lager. That deal lasted just year, however, and in 2010, the beginning of a new five-year deal will lead to the stadium being named after Sun Life Financial.

If you’re counting, that’s six name changes in 23 years. No marketing consultant in their right mind would recommend that. Maybe it’s different in the world of professional sports, where there’s enough television exposure on a weekly basis that people discover quickly that names have been changed.

Reality is that people adjust to name changes and accept it, whether they like it or not. But does “Heinz Field” carry the iconic resonance of, say, Arrowhead Stadium or Soldier Field, which instantly make you think of Kansas City and Chicago, respectively? I say no. And that’s why, ultimately, for the image and awareness of the surrounding community, the dollars earned by the seller in a naming rights deal may not be worth quite as much as the contract states.