The 6 Best Ted Talks on Marketing

TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages.

Working with Sales and Maketing, do I find Ted.com a very vauable source of inspiration. I have shared with you 5 brilliant videos, each with a compelling story about marketing.

1) Seth Godin: The tribes we lead

Seth Godin argues the Internet has ended mass marketing and revived a human social unit from the distant past: tribes. Founded on shared ideas and values, tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change. He urges us to do so.





2) Dan Cobley: What physics taught me about marketing

Physics and marketing don't seem to have much in common, but Dan Cobley is passionate about both. He brings these unlikely bedfellows together using Newton's second law, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the scientific method and the second law of thermodynamics to explain the fundamental theories of branding.




3) Malcolm Gladwell: Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce

"Tipping Point" author Malcolm Gladwell gets inside the food industry's pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce -- and makes a larger argument about the nature of choice and happiness.




4) Rory Sutherland: Life lessons from an ad man

Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider “real” value -- and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.



5) Seth Godin: How to get your ideas to spread

In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.




6) Renny Gleeson: 404, the story of a page not found

Oops! Nobody wants to see the 404: Page Not Found. But as Renny Gleeson shows us, while he runs through a slideshow of creative and funny 404 pages, every error is really a chance to build a better relationship.

Importance of colors - infographic

Are you serious about your use of colors are you aware of the effect of colors, particular if you are using them correct?

When you look around, drive home from work, visit a store or taking a trip, you might notice other company´s signs and displays.

Some of them is probably super good, while others maybe not so much.... IKEA is fantastic, everybody can spot an IKEA from a long distance, due to Indigo Blue building with their yellow logo.

IKEA is using colors which you recognize and presented with great contrast. Coca Cola has likewise perfected this with their combination of red on white.

Study the major brands, and keep an eye of for the bad examples, try an locate where colors do not make sense and where the contrast is not good.

Below infographic can help, get on you on the right track.

5 Step Guide to Public Relations

Public relations is a fantastic type of communication, it can be super efficient and inexpensive at the same time. Just have to it right.... Before you through your self into the world of public relations, you should do some research and studying. Below is a simple 5 step guide to master public relations.

1)  Understand the media

First find out, which media (newspapers, magazines and other publication) shares the same target audience with your company. You can get a lot of help from searching online,please use the library and read the fantastic book; The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference , by Malcolm Gladwell.

Once you know which medias you would like to work with, find out how the media is working. Find out who the reporters is and how they work.

• What do the reporters specialize in?
• What stories have the done?
• Other significant info, like who have the interviewed?

Document your research in a document, which you have easy access to. You should update the document, you will get valuable information from reading the media, be on the lookout for journalists switching jobs.

There is a short-cut. There is portals web sites, where you upload your story and journalists downloads stories. One of the most popular is call Help a Reporter out or HARO.

2) How to spin your story

Now you need to start thinking about the journalist, and how he or she will bring your story.  You probably have twist your story in order to match it with the journalists angel.

• Why should a journalist bring your story*
• How can a journalist benefit from your story
• Evaluate if you can contribute to any trending stories**

* You can setup a daily scan about articles which is relevant to your company, such as your competitors and industry news. You can use Google Alerts to be informed

** Say there is a story about the media, which relates to your business. You could contact media and informed them that your product can help / assist / prevent the problem, like you can offer your technical assistance to help the journalist. Your service provider could be Google Trends

Before you do so, make sure your have written a document with the key points your are interested sharing with the media and consider different angels, this will help the journalist. When you contact the journalist, you should be confident, fact based and accurate in your dialog.

3) Approaching journalists

When you are sure about your content, and have done the preparations, you are ready to approach the journalists. These are the typical format you send:

• Press releases
• Relevant stories
• Attach pictures, graphics, charts +

When you write your press release, make sure you are direct and fact-based. Avoid spelling errors and grammar, like you should limit industry lingo. Keep in mind who the audience is, and write to the audience.

A good advise is to contact the pitched journalist and follow up, be brief when you ask about the opinion on your story. Likewise could you ask if the is an interest in receiving other relevant stories from you.

4) Fieldwork

You have an interest in positioning yourself as an expert within your line of business. Speaking at different event can help you achieve the position.

Consider which relevant events there in your community:

• Chamber of commerce
• Business networks
• Organizations
• Online communities
• Institutions of education

Journalists get a lot of stories from such event, and is likely to interesting in getting more details about your story at the event. Moreover, will this spead by word of mouth, that you are an expert within your line of business.

If you are in a tech or trendy industry you benefit from using social media.

A nice bonus will this also count as advertising, that drives traffic and builds network.

5) It is a long term commitment

When you have said A to public relations you also have to say B. It can take a while before you brake the ice and your stories a brough and published by the press.

Keep reminding the press you are out there, write press releases:

• About a new product
• About success stories with customers
• About new hires you have done
• Keep reminding the press, what your company does

In addition, could you keep your own blog, where you post your news when it is hot. Writing a blog gives you some other benefits, such as google rank, which everybody like.

A remarkable business growing

Every now and then, I visit a particular restaurant which is located at West coast in Denmark in the City of Henne Strand. Henne Strand is small city which booms in the summer time. Tourists from Denmark, Germany, Norway and Holland among others come here during or summer and rent a summer house by the week, to enjoy and kick back. The area located in between forests and on the beach.

The restaurant is owned by a very talented and experienced chef, who runs a remarkable business.

The chef has a simple and rock solid concept. He understands the fundamental aspects of running a restaurant and doing it well:

• Great food
• Great service
• Great value

When you then add the following elements to the concept, you get a very good blend and an excellent experience as a customer:

• Local grade A ingredients
• A simple but yet exciting menu
• Attention to every detail
• Clean restaurant, clean restrooms = clean kitchen

The restaurant is very professional business, which gives their customers a good consistent experience for their money. This is remarkable!

A lovely July night at Henne Strand, Denmark

The business is setup to be a seasonable business, just like the rest of the business' in the area. But this particular restaurant, does things a bit different, in general is the stores of good quality, but no doubt is this the restaurant the leader. It excels in product, service and experience. Nothing average about it!

Behind the concept is a solid business with a good reputation. A good reputation comes, when your business performs. People talk about their experience... At this business even the industry talks, other chefs talks about it...

With the industry talking, the owner saw a great opportunity. He is now arranging theme dinners in the low season.

Utilizing his network within the business, has five chefs from Copenhagen been invited to participate in them night. Some of these chefs is Michelin star winners. The are each preparting a course on a 5 course gourmet dinner. 

This event has only been advertised on a simple poster, and the event sold out in just two days. The effect of word of mouth is incredible, Now guest are asking for the next event. That is remarkable!

Lesson to learn

• The lesson is be on top of all the basics elements of the business and do them well.

• Give people a solid experience, which they talk about, you get the most efficient marketing you can ask. Word of mouth rocks.

• Do your SWOT analysis on a regular basis. Condition and enviroment change with time, you have to keep up.

• Fuel the traffic with additional marketing and you are well off, to elevate your business with special events and themes.

Special event and themes are great because you get customers, which are likely if not already, going to be loyal customers or even customers who advocates your business to others.

Are you on top of all the basic element and have you added your own touch?

Then you probably need to move on some opportunities!

Good luck!

Is your product remarkable?

There is loads of inspirational videos on ted.com. One of my favorites is by Seth Godin, it is about making your product remarkable or simple stand out from the crowd.

Please take the time to watch the video! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIVlM435Zg

So how do you make your product stand out?

1) Figure out your strenghts

2) Figure out what sets you apart from your competitors

3) Work up a few key points based 1 & 2

4) Test your key points (check with a few customers and folks in your inner circle)

5) Adjust according to comments received

6) Go-live in a test environment (like a particular area)

7) Adjust according to feed-back from market

8) Go-live in bigger scale, but not bigger than you can keep up with

Good luck