The Phelps Group Blog

Building a brand one login at a time

2010-02-09T00:23:00Z

Thanks to the Web and a surge of social media, communications between the consumer and producer has shifted. We now have the opportunity to glance at what the average consumer says about a brand. Take for example "The Turnaround" campaign launched by Domino's Pizza in response to negative feedback about its food. The company faced its critics and created a new pizza from the crust up, and it's looking like it will be a huge success. The takeaway? Listen to what your target consumer...(read more)

Rebranding: the bad, the ugly and the good

2010-02-09T00:11:00Z

The Bad In this time of tightened wallets, sales are down and companies are looking for answers. Rebranding may help, but it should never be done without inspired purpose, an executable vision and total commitment. Uninspired changes are a fruitless expenditure and may even hurt your brand. The Ugly Rebranding is a serious endeavor; it requires strong fundamentals and execution. Yet every now and then, a company will reject the fundamentals and opt for the dreaded logo competition - soliciting work...(read more)

Tech breakdown

2010-02-08T23:41:00Z

Embracing leading-edge technology is important but watch out for the bleeding edge of over-investment in the latest craze. Rather than spend on the unknown, strengthen the areas that have good ROI and integrate a pinch of innovation. Investing in things that lose value once driven off the lot is going nowhere fast. Utilize free resources and maximize your mileage. Examples: Use YouTube rather than build a video player or video network from the ground up Use free software if there are no funds available...(read more)

Crucial consumer trends for 2010

2010-02-08T23:36:00Z

What will consumers be searching for as 2010 unfolds? How can you make sure your business is at the forefront of their interest? Here's what's trending this year. Business as Unusual. Think of Amazon, Zappos and Virgin as pioneers in the digital frontier of customer touchpoints, then think of how you can outdo them. Urban Pride. Incorporating a city's character into your products for a huge edge in those markets. Real-time Reviews. Online, everyone is a critic, an advocate and a soapbox...(read more)

Understanding the CRM ecosystem

2009-11-25T21:22:00Z

With the shift toward social media, it's important not to overlook some of the more traditional approaches when interacting with customers. For customer relationship management (CRM), the experts at Forrester Research recommend first establishing tools that focus in on traditional CRM engagement. Here's a glimpse into the basic CRM ecosystem: Customer targeting: Helps marketers define and develop new products, prioritize markets and communicate offers. Customer acquisition: Helps salespeople...(read more)

Let's get real

2009-11-25T21:14:00Z

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now." – Ralph Waldo Emerson While people often express a desire to "live in the now" and enjoy the present, the online world has changed our expectations of the real world. We now want everything to happen in real time. Consumers are looking for instant gratification — and their definition of "instant" is changing rapidly. Vending machines now dispense everything from fresh produce and medication, to swim...(read more)

Saying what you mean . . . and meaning what you say

2009-11-25T21:09:00Z

When Vice President Joe Biden announced on national TV earlier this year that he wouldn’t recommend taking a commercial flight or riding in a subway car because the swine flu virus can spread in confined places, he touched off a major uproar, particularly among those working in the travel industry. He didn’t mean to say what he did (in fact, he issued a statement a short time later backing off), but the damage was done. The vice president certainly had good intentions — to warn Americans to avoid...(read more)

Wait, I'm a what?

2009-11-25T20:53:00Z

Are you a professional who plans, organizes, directs and controls company resources to complete specific objectives? That makes you, by definition, a "Project Manager." Though that might not be your title, and you may not even be trained as such, if that's what you do, that’s what you are. Writer Kim Garard points out that, "It's no longer enough to get things done. You have to get them done faster, cheaper and with fewer heads than ever before." Sound familiar? So how...(read more)

Truth sells

2009-11-25T20:43:00Z

Truth is the most powerful selling tool of all. Consumers are proving it every day online. Peer-to-peer, friend-to-friend, these voluntary truth sharers can make or break a company because their words are objective, unbiased and believable. "Great flick, go see it!" "Food was okay, but it took 40 minutes to get served." "Avoid this book like the plague!" Clearly, the truth well told sells better than exaggerated hype or irrelevant attention-getting tactics. As marketing...(read more)

Google Caffeine: Awaken your search results

2009-10-22T18:01:00Z

The most widely used search engine is in the test phases of launching an upgrade code-named "Google Caffeine." Designed to provide more comprehensive and accurate search results, it is critical to know exactly how this new Google engine will affect your website's rank. Most of the changes will influence the way Google indexes pages. This means that how it stores relevant website information on its servers may change the order in which site results are displayed. Adjustments may also...(read more)

Time for a tantalizing title

2009-10-22T17:56:00Z

Which company would you rather join — one with a Human Resources Manager or a Talent Master? Employees are looking to be rewarded for their accomplishments and acknowledged for their potential to grow — all through a title. In fact, some even value a specialized title more than a pay increase! Titles of your employees can signal to customers the right contact person to solve a specific issue and reassure them that they are talking to an expert. Naming a department with a more active title can project...(read more)

How to measure social media

2009-10-22T17:50:00Z

The great thing about online marketing is that it's measurable. And, thanks to social media, it has pushed us beyond a simple analysis of impressions, unique visitors and visits — now, the quality of the interaction and the relationship with the site are key. It's not just about the visitor coming to the site, but what they are doing — registering, returning for multiple sessions, logging in for each visit, etc. And, it's no longer just about a visitor posting comments to a site — it...(read more)

A well-crafted webinar. Keep those wandering eyes focused.

2009-10-22T17:38:00Z

Many webinars are guilty of TMI — too much information. A disciplined, well-crafted webinar will attack challenges and demonstrate how your products/services provide real solutions to their real problems. Tips to keep those wandering eyes focused on your webinar content: • Avoid unexciting presenters and static PowerPoint slides • Take advantage of existing video footage • Add professional voice-over and graphics • Forge an emotional connection with your audience by using a high I:you ratio • Create...(read more)

Twitter, Tweet, Tway what?

2009-10-22T17:31:00Z

Do you and your associates feel like you can't keep up with what’s going on in the world of technology and social media? One way to stay informed is to compile a list of relevant industry blogs. Use a blog reader (i.e. Google Reader ) to aggregate all your news into one place, and read what's going on. Because some blogs post content from other industry blogs — find and follow the source of the information. Another way to stay connected is by creating a group on sites like Yammer . Yammer...(read more)

Sure you're efficient, but are you effective?

2009-08-31T22:17:00Z

Most of us can be efficient when we need to be. We can check off that agenda and say, "I put in a hard day's work." But was this the best possible use of your time? Professional writer and blogger Ali Hale writes that, "Being efficient means processing things fast. You get through your to-do list quickly and, in any given task, you eliminate time-wasters. Being effective means choosing to do the right things. You eliminate time-wasting activities or busy work from your day."...(read more)