For most of the 20th Century it was very difficult—even traumatic—to switch from one professional service provider to another. People were (and often still are) incredibly loyal [...]]]> In this, our first Blog Moment ^TM, you’ll see a snapshot of a successful Evergreen Direct marketing effort of the past, transposed and transformed with today’s best practices.

Relationship Marketing

For most of the 20^th Century it was very difficult—even traumatic—to switch from one professional service provider to another. People were (and often still are) incredibly loyal to the personal services provided by their doctors, lawyers, and accountants. Companies in every industry have sought to build that same kind of relationship with their customers. Personal loyalty and referral-driven business was the gold standard of the day.

THEN: What Worked in ’80s & ’90s

One of our favorite client success stories is with Mantis Manufacturing, makers of a small tiller/cultivator (sold for $289) that was perfect for suburbanites & rural gardeners. Their customer base was mostly female, an average age of about 54, who had average-size gardens.

When this client came to us, their target audience really did not know about the product. Even the name–AGCO (short for Agricultural Company)—meant nothing to the marketplace. Sales were about $1.5 million and marketing materials lacked any core message(s).

Three and a half years later, sales jumped to $20 million; we had renamed the company “ Mantis”, re-shaped all marketing materials and efforts based on a new benefits-oriented campaign.

At the heart of this success story: the development of a Unique Selling Proposition – USP – that emphasized the benefits of owning a Mantis:

• Ease & convenience of use: lightweight, small.
• Become a more successful gardener.
• Price: about 40% to 60% less than similar products on the market.

As part of the brand and business building, we developed some personal & relationship “tools” and tactics that permeated the entire company:

• Newsletter that was interactive & helpful.
• Customer service reps who provided gardening knowledge.
• Local gardening groups who fostered better gardening.
• Personal visits to Mantis customers to learn about how their Mantis tiller was making their gardening easier and more successful.
• A database of personal-use testimonials
• Conversational copy throughout all touch points that resonated with what gardeners wanted.
• Friend-get-a-friend offers for Mantis buyers & their friends.

NOW: Marketing that Works for 2010

Consumers today are seeking the same level of quality and service. They’re connected in a whole new way, 24/7 via smart phones, Facebook and Twitter. Businesses are either “out there in traffic” participating in that “connectivity” or they’re simply repeating the same old strategies hoping for the same results.

For 2010, you simply need to implement those same strategies using new technology:

• Make sure your USP is consistent across all your marketing channels. Every touch-point via every platform is an opportunity for brand stewardship.
• Transition from a “newsletter” to a blog – keyword rich content that helps your SEO AND engages your customers with useful, helpful, and “community” oriented information. For an example of a company who’s striking a great balance, check out the Dollhouse Chronicles, the blog of a Vermont dollhouse manufacturer.   
• Use Twitter to talk to and about your customers – not about you. Make sure you’re “listening” to Twitter so that you respond to what your customers have to say about your product or services.
• Establish your “community” of customers on Facebook.
• Display your customer testimonials throughout your site and blog – not just on a “testimonials” page. If you have great feedback about a product, display that on the product page. If it’s feedback about service – display it near your customer service contact information or even on an employee profile.
• Take advantage of your site’s analytics data to understand more about what brought people to your site, what interested them while they were there, and what messages and tactics actually “convert”.
• Rather than just focusing on the volume of traffic and how you rank as a result of your SEO effort, take things to the next level: Conversion Optimization. This brings you to a new level of understanding and relating to your customers so that you can serve them better – and improve your bottom line. (Read more information about this rather new concept.)

The Bottom Line for Marketing in 2010:

1. Define your USP
2. Get out in traffic
3. Build the relationship
4. Use every interaction to learn
5. Optimize conversions

As part of this, we want to educate. Our blog will involve covering lessons learned over many years, the sharing of new marketing insights, and an ongoing discussion of how these might apply to your business.

We want to provide examples of past marketing successes—and failures—to help educate (and remind [...]]]> We want to help grow your business.

As part of this, we want to educate. Our blog will involve covering lessons learned over many years, the sharing of new marketing insights, and an ongoing discussion of how these might apply to your business.

We want to provide examples of past marketing successes—and failures—to help educate (and remind all of us) of directions to go and other places where it is not so wise to tread.

But we don’t want our blogs to go on & on, hence, our idea of “Blog Moments™”—a picture in time of a marketing success or failure that helps paint a picture of some dos and don’ts that are practical, hands-on, and that you can put to use right away.

We hope that our Blog Moments™ become interactive—not only between Evergreen and you, but among all the site visitors who related to any given Blog Moment™.

Oh, yes—please tell us what you think about our marketing blog, and how, if at all, it is helping you.

Look for our first “Blog Momentâ„¢ ” later this week.

Bob & Amanda