An erstwhile golf buddy of mine was fond of exclaiming – after one of us hit an errant shot (which was often) – “you buys yourself a set of clubs, and calls yourself a golfer!”

That grammatically-tortured line comes to mind when I contemplate how slack some of us are as we go through all of the effort and expense of creating a website, but fall short in supporting it with the on-  and off-site initiatives that are readily available for optimizing it. This strikes me as akin to a highway sign at the fork in a road that reads “X miles to . . . “ but lacks a directional arrow.

We recommend an investment (modest, at that) in procuring a baseline status report that offers the particulars of the power of your online presence – or lack of it – in reaching your key prospects.

Ever wonder why there are more good products and services than there are success stories?

When results fall short, it’s a shame. But because they needn’t, it’s more like a crime. Especially when good product and service development results in anemic sales outcomes.

When remarkable product offerings are coupled with ineffective marketing, the outcome is uniformly disappointing. Your marketing communication must position you above the crowd. You should expect and accept nothing less.

Your promotions should have a winning edge powered by market overview, clarity and passion . . . with maybe just a pinch of guts.

While differentiation is what you built into your products and services, sameness – or even obscurity – can be what comes out on the other end. A deserving product under–promoted is like a smile in the dark . . . it may be nice, but nobody sees it.

Brand impact (measured in dollars!) is what an expert marketing communicator delivers while entrepreneurs are busy tending to primary responsibilities.

Check-out our website and click on the Marketing  At-a-Glance link on the home page. It will give you an example of the latest outside-the-box initiative we have developed. It’s called called “Branding by the Bite, and it’s a good way to get your primary branding message delivered without expecting the visitor to dedicate a lot of  time on your site .

Marketing Partners of AZ will soon offer fractional Chief Marketing Officer services for companies that would like to be able to add a  marketing leader to their “C Suite,” but have neither the inclination nor budget for a full time marketing chief. President/CEO Allan Starr said his long-established marketing firm will be looking for “good fits” in the way of clients for its multi-dimensionasl CMO offering.

Marketing Memo from A. Starr –

I grew up in Phoenix at a time when the Cottonwoods that line north Central Ave. from Bethany Home Rd. to Northern Ave. were mere saplings (have you looked up at them lately . . . or ever?)

It was a time when air conditioning wasn’t nearly as efficient as today, the local economy was not nearly as vibrant or diversified, and the tendency of the business community was to kind of put it in “overdrive” from Memorial day until Labor Day.

Obviously, though summer vacations of various lengths and/or frequency do have their effect, “bagging it” for 90 days is no longer prudent. Yet, there still exists a bit of “summer breather” mentality when the triple digits make their appearance on our thermometers.

Remember, somebody’s going to get the business this summer. It’s a great time to remind your prospects you care even though others – perhaps including your competitors – may seem to have become a bit dormant.

I  grew up in Phoenix at a time when the Cottonwoods that line north Central Ave. from Bethany Home Rd. to Northern Ave. were mere saplings (have you looked up at them lately . . . or ever?)

It was a time when air conditioning wasn’t nearly as efficient as today, the local economy was not nearly as vibrant or diversified, and the tendency of the business community was to kind of put it in “overdrive” from Memorial day until Labor Day.

Obviously, though summer vacations of various lengths and/or frequency do have their effect, “bagging it” for 90 days is no longer prudent. Yet, there still exists a bit of “summer breather” mentality when the triple digits make their appearance on our thermometers.

Remember, somebody’s going to get the business this summer. It’s a great time to remind your prospects you care even though others – perhaps including your competitors – may seem to have become a bit dormant.

I am always amused when I hear someone proclaim proudly, “We don’t advertise; we get all of our business from referrals!”

I’ll be clear:

1. Referrals are the most powerful kind of advertising.
2. Referrals combined with “advertising” create unbeatable promotional synergy.

If a business wants to limit its growth to an organic, gradual rate, relying solely on word of mouth could be adequate. Promotional effort correlates directly to goals and ambition.

Those who want more usually need to do more.

We all are familiar with the time–honored platitude, KISS . . . keep it simple, stupid!

This makes sense if we are talking about trimming the unnecessary details, but keeping it simple at the expense of impact and relevance is an equally costly mistake in marketing communication. Well–written and relevant content can be your most powerful tool.

So, let’s remember to KIMS . . . keep it meaningful, stupid!

We all are familiar with the time–honored platitude, KISS . . . keep it simple, stupid!

This makes sense if we are talking about trimming the unnecessary details, but keeping it simple at the expense of impact and relevance is an equally costly mistake in marketing communication. Well–written and relevant content can be your most powerful tool.

So, let’s remember to KIMS . . . keep it meaningful, stupid!