During a volunteer build day for Habitat for Humanity, I learned that hammering a nail into a piece of wood is not an easy thing to do. It seems easy: The equipment is relatively straightforward. There is a hammer, a nail, some wood and your body. The process seems reasonable – drive a nail into the wood by hitting the nail with a hammer.

But when I actually got down to doing it, it was a pretty sad scene. Countless swings seemed to only produce horribly bent nails sticking far out of the boards. It took me hours to finally hammer with a faint glimmer of proficiency.

The lesson: Just because something looks easy doesn’t mean that it is.

Not unlike advertising. On its face, advertising appears uncomplicated. There is a product with a target audience, a message and a few different media options. Simple, right?

Except when it’s not.

Anyone who has put together an advertising plan knows that things get complicated quickly. Budget constraints make decisions more difficult. Fragmented media consumption by the target audience creates communications barriers. Trying to find creative and unique messages that cut through the clutter can, at times, seem impossible.

So what are we to do?

I was able to learn how to hammer better by asking the experienced project coordinator for help. He has spent hours upon hours of his life hammering nails and was able and willing to share his knowledge with me.

When you are tackling an advertising challenge, there is no shame in reaching out for help. Maybe you need the guidance of a media planner to find the right mix for your budget. Maybe the traditional media side is all set, but you need advice on how to integrate digital marketing tactics. Whatever the task, there is someone out there who can help. And a bit of time and money spent on consultation can save a tremendous amount of wasted investment in the long run.

According to a Forbes Insights and Coremetrics survey of marketing executives, customer retention is a top marketing priority.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The old marketing axiom goes, “It is less expensive to retain and grow business from an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one.” It makes sense that ever more budget-conscious companies are turning to customer retention strategies in search of a higher ROI.

But, what does it take to retain a customer?

When you look at the consumer buying cycle (awareness, consideration, interaction, loyalty, advocacy), retention fits somewhere after the interaction, or point of purchase. At this point, the consumer has chosen you over the competition and has begun to trust you on some level.

Retention starts by building on that trust through actively fostering loyalty and enabling advocacy. A good way to develop retention strategies is to ask three questions:

1. Are we asking for loyalty? This involves going beyond the initial relationship formed by the first purchase. Soliciting feedback and acting on that feedback strengthens the level of trust and starts to engender loyalty.
2. Are we helping our customers share their experiences? Adding social-sharing features to your follow-up process increases the chance that your customers will share their experiences.
3. Are we active in the communities where our customers interact with each other? Finding the social communities where your customers are sharing experiences is key to building a retention program. These are the places where you can gain insight through listening and enable advocacy by interacting in meaningful ways. If there is not place for your customers to share experiences, consider building one.

If you are serious about retention, you need to get serious about building loyalty and enabling advocacy. If you don’t, your competitors will.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user martinbowling.

It is, as they say, all in the details.

I recently wrote a new-information sheet for a client. While doing so, I learned that the preferred term for a said new-information sheet is news conference, rather than press conference.

Why does news claim victory over press?

Because, as Mark Chamberlin, our director of marketing and public relations extraordinaire told me, a press (think printing press) is not typically at a conference. Folks who are about to be presented with news are waiting with eager anticipation. Those calling the conference are presenting news that they hope will go seriously viral. And because so many types of media are prevalent today, press is simply too narrow a term. The pièce de résistance is that the AP Stylebook hails news conference as the preferred term. Thus, it is as it should be — news conference.

Does the same thinking govern news release vs. press release?

Alas, there’s no mention in the AP Stylebook of press releases or news releases. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find on the AP Stylebook website a little nugget: a page dedicated to previous press releases. You read it correctly — press releases! It almost jumps off the monitor, it’s so blunt. Press Releases tops the page in a striking sans font.

There it is — news conference and press release. Now get out there and make some happy news worth shouting from the rafters.

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.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user vistavision.

Is technology a hindrance to the customer service experience?

I’ve heard about restaurant servers who can’t take food orders when the computer is down. But sometimes I think that we must be exaggerating the downside of technology’s impact on the customer. Surely the stories of poor service can’t be true.

Then, I experience it firsthand and wonder: Is there no element of common sense remaining? Recently, I stepped into a small gift shop in a trendy, upscale shopping center.

A series of magnets caught my eye. They were hanging near the greeting cards. Each had an inspiring quote imprinted on its face. I selected three that I thought would be ideal gifts for special friends.

It shouldn’t be difficult to go to the cashier and purchase three magnets, right? But after nearly 10 minutes of waiting somewhat patiently for the young girl to total my order, I finally asked, “Is there a problem?”

She stopped searching the pages of a notebook and looked up at me. “One of the magnets doesn’t have a bar code on it, so I need to find it in our inventory list,” she explained. “If I can’t find the number, I can’t sell it to you.”

I wanted to laugh, but she wasn’t kidding.

Trying to be helpful, I suggested, “All three magnets are the same price. Just charge me for three, and sort out your paperwork later.”

We discussed this at great length but, regrettably, she was unable to sell me the unmarked magnet. Even when I inquired how the manager or owner might react upon learning that the clerk refused to sell a customer the desired item, the girl insisted that it would violate the rules.

I left the store with the two properly coded magnets. It will be my only purchase from that little gift shop. I’m not likely to return, even to browse. Somehow, it just seems wrong for a store to display merchandise and then refuse to sell it.

Rules: 1. Customer: 0.

There you have it — attesting to the importance of technology in today’s retail environment.

Thank goodness I wasn’t trying to buy an emergency medication or other life-sustaining item.

A few of us at the agency had the opportunity to lead a discussion on shared equity branding with the Wichita Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Check out this video presentation of a few images from the event set to overly dramatic music:

Our talk was titled Brand NXT. Here is the one paragraph recap:

Shared equity brands are built on unique attributes that organizations feel they deliver on and that the organization’s customers say they find valuable. Brands that are built on points of shared equity are positioned to compete in today’s environment of substantial consumer control over exposure to marketing messages and building and sharing brand stories. This is because shared equity brands are:

1. Inherently authentic
2. Built through collaboration with customers
3. Designed to help shape what customers share about your brand

For the full discussion, feel free to give us a call. We love talking branding!

It is a snowy, cold day here at the agency. Maybe it was having to drive 20 miles an hour the whole way here, or perhaps it was the negative windchill temps, but I began thinking of what marketers can learn from a snow storm. Here are three examples:

1. Don’t be fooled. A blanket of fresh snow makes things seem somewhat serene. But, it also masks what is below, both the beautiful and the treacherous. Be sure that your marketing process looks below the surface. The insight that makes a real difference may not be visible at first.
2. Prepare for when the storm hits, and for when it goes away. Often, forecasts can let us know when a storm is approaching. This allows us time to prepare–throw some salt down on the walk, stock up on hot chocolate, adjust the thermostat, etc. We can be pretty good about preparing for the storm. But what about being ready for the time when the storm lifts and the snow melts away? Do we have a plan for that? In business, we can be really focused on preparing for disasters, like, say, an economic downturn. We can identify cost cutting measures and implement spending freezes. We would be smart to also plan for the recovery. What do we do to rekindle activity in time to take advantage of new opportunities?
3. Not everyone likes (or dislikes) the snow. For some, the winter weather conjures up fond memories and associations that bring joy. For others, snowy days and gray skies can be depressing. You can never forget that your customers approach situations and receive messages with the influence of their past experiences. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. If your marketing plan pretends that there is, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

What lessons have you learned from the snow?

Part of me really wanted an iPad when they first came out. The sleek design, intuitive interface, thousands of apps and cool factor had me longing for one. But I just couldn’t pull the trigger on the purchase, chiefly because of my cell phone.

I have a Droid Eris and like it very much. It has some issues, though. It’s one of the earlier Droid phones, and I see the Samsung Fascinate and the EVO and think, if I had just waited a little bit longer for the next wave of products, I would have better phone.

I felt the same way about the iPad. If I waited for the next generation iPad, maybe they would have worked out the bugs and added a camera and I’d be much happier with my purchase. My fear of product obsolescence influenced my purchase decision. I was afraid that if I bought an expensive iPad, a few months later a better version would come along and I would be stuck with an inferior product.

You have probably faced a similar situation. Research shows that fear of product obsolescence prevents, or delays, many people from purchasing technology products. Best Buy is trying to alleviate this fear (and sell more stuff) by introducing their Buy Back Program. The Buy Back Program allows customers to sell back their TV, mobile phone, laptop, netbook and/or tablet to Best Buy within 2 to 4 years of purchase for 10% to 50% of the purchase price. Worried that 3D TV will make that HD television you want seem like a relic? You can protect yourself with the ability to sell back and upgrade.

It will be interesting to see if this idea will help people overcome their fear and drive more sales. Will people be willing to pay for the Buy Back option? Time will tell.

As a marketer, I have to admire Best Buy for their strategy. They could have simply responded to the consumers’ reluctance by doing a short –term sale. Instead, they researched their customers, found a barrier to purchase and developed a marketable, long-term solution. I think we can all learn from that.

If your customers seem interested but reluctant, take time to find out why. Don’t just reactively lower your price or throw in more for free. Digging into the source of the reluctance just may lead to a new insight that helps eliminate the barrier and wins you new business over the long haul.

We’ve previously written about the exposure that is possible using PR, and more specifically, creative PR efforts. Well, recently hair-stylist Patrick Lomantini of Lomantini The Salon took the idea of creative PR to record-breaking heights … literally.

Lomantini decided to create awareness for his salon by embarking upon a quest for a Guinness World Record. The challenge: 72 straight hours of haircutting. Lomantini took the first step by promoting the event on his Facebook page. Then, a chance sighting by Armstrong|Shank Director of Marketing and Public Relations Mark Chamberlin set off a chain of PR fireworks.

“I contacted Patrick and recommended using online PR tactics to promote the event,” explained Chamberlin. “The idea was to target local and fashion news, fashion and style magazines, as well as salon-related publications. Patrick agreed, and we quickly put together a distribution list.

“Within a week, the news release found its way onto hundreds of websites, and even prompted a news inquiry from AOL News.”

One of the big benefits of event-related PR isn’t just the exposure you can receive at the outset. By creating an event that is unique and intriguing, Lomantini The Salon positioned themselves to receive another flurry of exposure after completing their record-setting endeavor.

A big congratulations to Lomantini The Salon. With the right combination of a fun, newsworthy event, and strategic use of social media and PR, they’ve become a front-page story in the world of hairstyling.

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.