Are you hard to find?

It is summertime and we live in New England. The creamery farms in our area are amazing. So, we are always looking to experience as many homemade ice cream shops as possible. Well, we just found a farm that serves homemade ice cream that is less than 5 miles from our house.  I couldn't believe it.  We drove by this farm for more than a decade and we didn't know that they also make and serve their very own ice cream.  Why didn't we know about this before?  I'll tell you why.  There is a small road sign that hangs on the side of the barn that faces the road.  Once you turn down the road and into the driveway that leads to the farm a whole new scene opens.  It's an outdoor farm and Ice Cream Shoppe. It's complete with farm animal smells and a house rooster who is the farm's mascot.  He roams around and visits customers. It's a very unique environment that clearly is different from the typical Ice Cream Shoppe. 

I made it a point to talk to the lady taking our order.  I explained to her how close we live to the farm; yet, we didn't know that it made and served ice cream.  She seemed surprised.  She told me that they have been there forever and that she was glad we found them.  I made the mental note that the customer service was genuinely friendly too. 

The following week, we took a 20 mile drive to one our all-time favorite Ice Cream Shoppes that we had found on a lazy Sunday drive.  That's when I noticed a stark contrast to the place near our house.  They had a huge sign by the road accompanied by a huge life size cow hence the name Holy Cow Ice Cream.  Passing by or pulling into the parking lot you knew what it was a homemade Ice Cream Shoppe.  It was cute, inviting and clean. 

We have all been in that situation where we expect customers to find us.  Or we think they
should immediately make the connection and know what our business is providing or serving.
Whether we're an independent local business, a national or global brand we can always re-
evaluate the exposure we're actively seeking for our business. 

Here's some tips in making sure our customers don't have to work so hard to find us or
understand what we provide. 

1. Call your business or product what it is.
2. No matter how big or small your business please develop a marketing plan.
3. Make sure the plan is executed and course correct when needed.
4. Talk with and listen to your customers to find out how they discovered you, how often they come/use your products/services and adapt your plans based on their feedback. 
5. Be objective.  No, really be objective when evaluating whether your advertising and promotional efforts are working. 

Sometimes we're so close to our business that we think we have done our job with promotion
through signage, Twitter, Facebook posts, or whatever is your favorite mode of promotion.  But
we have all fallen short (at some point in time) in achieving maximum exposure for our products or services.  So we need to ask ourselves, how hard is it for prospective customers to find us and understand what we have to offer?

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Do you take advantage of teaching moments?

My daughter is almost as tall as me now; so, she needed a better beach chair.  While we were in Walmart one day we went out into the lawn and garden area and started shopping beach chairs. It's an understatement to say that the merchandising area was a mess. 

I remembered that my husband and I bought our Rio Beach chairs long before our daughter was born and she is going on 10. We paid a little less than $40 each and we purchased them at a regional grocery store. They have been frequently used and are still in great condition. So, we were happy to see that Walmart had a wide variety of Rio Beach branded chairs. The pricing was all over the place and we were surprised that there were Rio Beach chairs under $13. 

My daughter selected a great chair. It had a cup holder and a side pouch for a cell phone, wooden handles with big pink flowers. You get the picture a great dream chair for a girl's first real beach chair.  Well, we get to the check out and the chair rings up as $38.88.  We told the cashier that was incorrect. She called for help.  I walked back with the supervisor and showed her the rack.  There was one more chair hanging on the rack with the same price as the one my daughter selected. She said it's that chair. I said okay then I'll get that one because it was the same chair just a different color. 
 
A manager then came over and explained Walmart's policy.  He said if there is one or more of the same merchandise listed at the incorrect price then Walmart will honor that price.  As I thanked the manager for clearing up the situation, I saw two employees in lawn and garden talking and appearing to be bored.  I thought to myself that Walmart just lost margin on an item because the merchandise area was a mess and product had the wrong pricing.
 
As I was walking out the area so too were both supervisors.  One had to go and give the okay for the Cashier to ring up my item at the "incorrect listed" price.  The other was going out to handle the next thing.  But wouldn't my situation have been a great teaching moment for the lawn and garden associates who were just standing there talking?
 
I believe employees need to understand the dollar and cents of their actions and in this case their inaction. The more employees can understand how they contribute or don't to the bottom line and how essentially that bottom line affects them the better off the employees and the business.  For example, what if the Manager could have taken the two employees aside and quickly explained the financial result of displaying merchandise in the wrong area?  That it cost the company x dollars which trickles down to affect them by x dollars in their pay?  Letting them know how much margin the company is losing by something they have done or failed to do helps them understand their contribution in the process of the profitability of the company. So, the next time there is a teaching moment take advantage of it, I know I will. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Buy a truck. Get a gun...

I was visiting my Mom down south driving down I70 and I couldn't believe my eyes. I asked my husband to pull over so I could take a picture. There is was clear as day a big promotion sign that said:  

"Buy a truck. Get a gun". 

When promoting your products and/or services and you want to develop an incentive to drive higher sales, remember geography matters. This Ford sign would get little traction in the state I live in. It perhaps might even get the community worked up and yield a protest or two. But, it appears to work where it's at. Now, of course I haven't seen any results but I was recently back in that state a few months later and the same dealership had a different promotional sign. This time the sign said:  "20% off trucks plus get a gun."  So, that tells me that the gun promotion must be helping to drive truck sales at this dealer.  

More now than ever in the current state of our country it's important to not only know your customer demographics but their psychographic preferences too. What value system does your product or brand help create?  Or, that you can tap into that resonates with your customers?  What attitudes and beliefs truly make that connection to your brand or products?

When looking at the Ford profile of a customer it too differs along geography. That is why there are more trucks sold in certain states than others.  Of course, there are cross-over demographics and psychographics.   But you should really know the profile of your customer to help you understand what will motivate them to buy. 

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the sign because I'm not their customer. The sign wasn't talking to me. The promotion incentive was not developed with me in mind. But, it was a reminder to me that geography matters. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Even Wonder Woman needed Steve & crew

Have you seen the Wonder Woman movie, Rise of the Warrior, currently playing in the theaters?  My daughter saw it while I was away.  I can still hear the excitement in her voice about the movie when I called home that night to check-in. She said that the Wonder Woman movie "inspired" her. I asked, how?  She went on to tell me about the movie and how Wonder Woman was brave, courageous and fought for what she believed.  So, I told my daughter I would like to see it too; and, she eagerly agreed that she would go with me. 

Later that week, when we saw Wonder Woman together, I was proud of my daughter because for an almost 10 year old she summed it up pretty good. Wonder Woman was brave, courageous and willful. Arguably she possessed all of the characteristics of a leader. A leader who cares for her team, their mission and the greater good. Every true leader, in my opinion, also realizes that they are contributing to something that is greater than oneself and clearly Wonder Woman recognized that purpose. 

In the move, Wonder Woman happens to team up with a character named Steve who was a spy.  The important thing that she learned from Steve was that she couldn't go it alone.  Steve and Wonder Woman became partners in the mission. Each needing one another. Steve also knew to be successful they needed to form a complete team.  Each team member he selected possessed the skills needed to help them accomplish the final objective.  So, while Wonder Woman sometimes led with blind courage her focus was always on accomplishing the goal. 

Believe it or not, there are some valuable take away lessons from Wonder Woman's leadership skills that can be applied today, specifically team members:

• Need to understand each other's weaknesses and be empathetic supporting one another 
• Should have each other's back regardless of the circumstances because they recognize the greater good they are trying to achieve 
• Need to respect decisions made as sacrifice to achieve the results 
• Need to band together and be grateful regardless of the outcome

Ultimate success and failures lay at our feet as leaders.  But as we know, teams are important in accomplishing objectives and achieving results.  And, no one person can do everything, all the time, consistently and excel.  So, when you think you can go it alone; remember that Wonder Woman even needed Steve and crew to end World War I. 
 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

What have you done lately?

What have you done lately to market your brand, products and services in a big way?  I mean really big?  I have witnessed two really good examples in the last month that made me think and I'd like to share them with you. 

Here's the first encounter.  I was recently walking through the Charlotte Douglass airport in North Carolina and saw this big, bold, beautiful promotion board.  It was attractive and simple but what really drew my eye was the largeness of the board. Plus, the promotion drawings matched the physical size of the board. We (operative word here because I mean me too) have a tendency to promote our products and services consistently but do we go big and bold?  Are our services big in the face of our prospects?  Or do they have to look to find our services?  Are we bold in showing our current clients what we have accomplished to move their business forward?  Or do we feel like that's what we are being paid for; so, why highlight the success?

Here are some great tips to help us stretch ourselves to be big and bold that are best practices that I learned from this experience. 

Images say a thousand words; finding and using the right photography is important in making a bold statement.  In this case, drawing the image. Look closely at the board where there are drawings of menu items. 

Copy in most instances accomplish more with less words. But the words we use should be strong to depict our messaging. 

The second experience, I was watching a reality TV Show (yes I confess to watching reality TV) called Million Dollar Listing New York. 

A real estate agent was trying to convince his client (a developer) to accept an offer. The developer had given him 100 houses to sell within a short period for the asking price; no exceptions!  Which by the way, the agent had exceeded the milestone goals.  There was one house not worthy of the developer's asking price but a buyer had put in a "decent" offer. The client was unwilling to accept the offer and threatened the agent to pull the rest of the business from him. 

Well, the real estate agent had to remind his client exactly what he accomplished in a short period. He showed his client a huge box of signed contracts at the asking price representing more than half of the houses the developer gave him to sell.  

The agent went bold and big in showing through actual materials his amazing results for the client. We need to track and know our accomplishments. And, then share them with our clients.  
So, don't be shy. We all need to go big and bold in promoting our brands, products and services. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

How are you building relationships?

I took an unexpected hiatus from my bi-weekly blog because I recently lost my father-in-law.  He was a kind and gentle man who truly loved me as a daughter. Losing him reinforced to me that the time we have here is precious. I am a big believer (and you have read it before in my blogs) that spending time with a person, getting involved and making time to understand what is going on in his/her life is priceless.

Building relationships are essential in both our personal and professional lives.  It’s my opinion that we are not here just to take and consume but to give and contribute too. This idea comes from the fact that many of our life values are what we use as our platform in how we operate in business.  Who you are to clients, colleagues, business associates matter.  There will always be a client that might not be happy with you; or a colleague/business associate that doesn’t necessarily like you.  But ultimately, there should never be a question of what your values are, what you stand for, and what your integrity represents.  In many instances, clients, business associates and colleagues who hold those same values dear essentially become life - long friends; so, in honor of my father in law I would like to share some of his wisdom he unassumingly used in building relationships.  My father-in-law was:

• Interested in everything we did and took it to the next level by getting engaged and encouraging us.  He always made us feel good about whatever we were doing.  Whether it was reading my blogs, commenting on wild life photos my husband shared with him; or, helping our daughter with her math problems.  He was interested and his actions showed that it was genuine.
• Patient and slow to respond because he sized up the situation before he commented or gave advice.  Some would call this laid-back; but, I always felt like it was a virtue that balanced easy-going with being smart and in-tune to how to respond.  This really showed genuine emotional intelligence.
• Kind and it’s true that kindness goes a long way.  I never heard my father-in-law utter a negative comment about anybody, thing or situation.  He was always kind.  A lot of people might associate kindness with weakness.  By showing universal kindness despite the situation is truly a sign of strength.  It takes an enormous amount of discipline to achieve kindness all of the time.

All of the above are great life lessons for me to strive to excel in both my personal life and my business dealings.  Each proposes my own unique challenges to overcome.  I will continue to try accomplish each.  Because, I know our time here is limited; and, that each special relationship is priceless.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

What's your brand say about you?

Whether we believe it or not, we are our brand.

I beg you to please remember that when you’re playing, scrolling or working in the social media world.

Our social media accounts (whether personal or professional) offer a binocular view of how our own world turns. We allow all those interested front row seats and the ability to tune in on their terms (when and where they choose). Our followers can keep tabs of what we are going, why we are doing it and where we are doing it. We take them along for the entire journey even well after we have arrived at our final destination. There is no aspect of our lives that seems private. And, we are open; and, more than willing to share everything. (And in some cases I mean everything).

As a suspicious brand marketer, I have always recommended a sense of formality when sharing information on and through the internet. It might be considered old-fashion, but using basic etiquette, convention and customs when communicating helps us protect our brand. A formality that leaves no regrets and pushes us to operate essentially as an ambassador of our own personal brand should be observed. Operating like this helps to protect and uphold the integrity of our brand. It gives us the best opportunity to build our brand through followers who are relevant and meaningful to our brand's long-term success and growth.

So, with that in mind be deliberate and smart when networking and sharing through online platforms. Here are some specific suggested do’s and don’ts:

• Do go ahead and show the adventurous side through your world travel. It shows that your brand is pursuing interests, having fun and taking risks. All positive traits!
• Don't post anything that you would be embarrassed to show your parents or an Auntie. Because, most likely, that job interviewer or new connection won't think highly of it either. 
• Do share just enough to leave a little bit of curiosity. The mystery of "I want to learn more about this person" should prevail.
• Do share information where your friends, family and followers will beam with pride regarding your “share”. 
• Don't think too hard or long about whether or not it's an appropriate post. If you have to then there's your answer. Don’t post it!

but…

• Do at least think about it and make a deliberate decision that it's a smart post or not;

Make sure we're always crafting the right image. Because, whether you believe it or not every post we make reflects our brand.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Who do you want to be linked to?

How many times do you get a LinkedIn invite from someone you don't know, have never met and/or don't have mutual LinkedIn contacts?  And, on top of that it's the boiler plate language used for the invitation which is an even more of a puzzling introduction. 

Don't get me wrong. I reach out to people I don't know on LinkedIn all of time when I think there might be a mutually beneficial opportunity. I do it through LinkedIn Premium and send them a private message. Sometimes I get a response and sometimes I don't. I have a few very good clients that I have found and developed a great customer relationship with that way; so, I highly recommend reaching out to those you don't know where there might be some potential reciprocal benefits. But an automatic LinkedIn invite, I do not recommend. It makes people (or least me) uncomfortable. 

I have always viewed LinkedIn different than Twitter, Instagram, etc. I mean LinkedIn is a professional social media platform based on virtual networking. You can accept an invitation or ignore it. From a professional standpoint, I manage my connections based on if I know you, met you or have developed a relationship with you which can include through in-person, email, and/or phone communications.  

When I get an invite from someone I have no immediate connection to; I email them back asking how might they propose that we network?  And, what was their interest in contacting me?  I have only received a response back one time.  But honestly that one response made sense; and, I accepted the invitation. Therefore, that person was serious and had thought out his intention and objective of networking with me on LinkedIn. 

So, my point. We need to always show that we're serious, thoughtful and purposeful. And, while it's virtual networking, we want to create an environment for our connections that are meaningful and mutually beneficial. So, the next time you think about sending someone a LinkedIn invite that you don't know; stop and instead send them a thoughtful private message.  Let them know you're serious about connecting with them. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

March Madness...

Who made a difference in your life (besides your parents)?  As a mother of an elementary school child it is so evident the effect that teachers, coaches, and instructors have on our children’s lives on a daily basis.  I had a recent experience that I would like to share.  It’s especially relevant because it is the season for the Final Four NCAA Basketball Championships. We just finished up our version of the “final four” at our house.  

My 9 year old daughter started her basketball season in October and it just ended late March – a long season – but typical these days.  This was a new team for her; so, new team members, coaches, and plays.  You get the picture.  But, it was also a step-up in level of play, complication of plays and expectancy of each team members’ contribution.  She was now in the big leagues (sorta); and it can be intimidating.  She started out slow and then started getting her bounce.  Primarily, because a coach saw her potential and started working specifically with her.  His philosophy “execute successfully one play at a time”.  From that point forward, my daughter’s confidence started building one play at a time.

This is a lesson that we need to be reminded of each and every day in our business lives.  Who are we helping?  Are we encouraging and recognizing potential in our colleagues, partners and employees?  Are we approaching the opportunity to help someone in a planned, deliberate way?  Here’s some quick tips to help challenge ourselves to contribute to others growth and opportunity:

• Leave your biases behind – really look at each team player individually and then within context based on evaluating the most potential in a skill set level that is currently needed.
• Evaluate what is lacking and what is needed to help that team member turn a weakness into a strength that can contribute to the overall team.
• Challenge ourselves to do what is good for the team member above all – while it’s good for the company – the person should take priority.  The people first rule always has good long-term karma.
• Be willing to correct and call the person out when they do something wrong but offer solutions to correct the error/problem.  

So, make a decision to deliberately make a difference in someone’s life by taking interest, actively managing, teaching and mentoring.

My daughter’s team finished with 2 championships and a quarter final finish among 20 teams. The season’s results were not a mishap – the coaches led the girls to a strong March Madness finish executing successfully one play at a time.  Enjoy the final four championships coming up!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Pay it Forward

Have you ever heard the saying "do as I say and not as I do"?  That always seemed ridiculous to me because why would I listen to someone who's words weren't reflected in their behavior?  All credibility is lost when words don't reflect actions; because, even they can't do what they are saying to do...

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Until it comes to us as Marketers. 

I know for one, I want everyone who attends my events to complete a survey because I want to know about their experience; so, I can correct any issues for the future.  Every time I call a customer or prospective customer about a new product or service I want them to be just as excited as I am and want them to spend significant time on the phone listening to why it's good for their company; and, what about those dreaded "pop up" windows asking for our opinions?  How many times have you clicked on those to give your feedback? (I'm betting zilch!). 

Why is it that we want everyone to take our surveys, give us feedback, listen to us, return our phone calls?  Especially, when we as Marketers aren't reciprocating or paying it forward when we are approached with the same. 

Now here's my saying... "If you believe in what you do then at least respect it when someone else does it".  Make sense?  Bottom line get engaged with the the same type of marketing activities that we are asking others to participate in.  

I can actually say that I do this - I participate and get involved.   I answer telemarketing surveys, airline and hotel email surveys after the flight/stay and I even go in and log onto social media sites to post positive and negative experiences. Why?  Because I know that those Marketers of those brands want to know.  Believe me, my husband doesn't understand why I "waste" the time. I consider it an investment particularly if I like the brand.    

So, if you're a Marketer "do as you do" and participate and engage by giving your feedback. Pay it forward because it always comes back tenfold. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Tips for the Oscars!

Producing events are high-anxiety and high-stress situations. When you mix-in excitement and anxiousness it becomes even more intense as we get closer to the event date.

Once you kick-off the event it should really start moving like clock-work but sometimes that doesn’t happen. Things can start going wrong from the beginning. But honestly, we never really breathe easy until the curtain falls and it’s over. You know the saying “the show isn’t over until the fat lady sings”. Well, the OSCARS just proved that theory…

Event producers know that the Devil is in the details. Nevertheless, if you have ever organized and/or produced an event you know that there are so many things that can go wrong. Most of the potential issues have been thought about, brainstormed and analyzed to death; and, a safe guard solution put in place just in case it happens. Others that arise will be first-time problems that hopefully we can chalk up to lessons learned and move forward to put solutions in place. That’s why I was surprised to learn that what happened at the 89 year old annual Academy Awards Sunday night had happened before.

While the awards ceremony was going along smoothly with just some minor awkward moments - flat jokes, an actor sitting in a broken chair, an actress sleep during the award ceremony, celebrities being invaded by tourist. The mistake of the “wrong envelope” had happened in 1964 when Sammy Davis, Jr. was handed the incorrect envelope and read the wrong Oscar winner. Where were the safeguards to ensure that this didn’t happen again?

The Oscars production was minutes away from concluding and being able to celebrate a successful event; and, then a colossal detail got screwed up. Here’s a couple of basic tips for the Oscars event organizers to consider – 

1. There should be more than one person checking to make sure that the presenter is handed the correct envelope – these are actors, they will read what you give them!
2. Presenters should be coached to know what they are presenting (no, really!)
3. Presenters should read the outside of the envelope to make sure they have the correct category
4. Presenters should be instructed what to do if they do not have the correct envelope (some type of sign or code word versus an announcement for all to know). The best events are the ones where guests aren’t aware of any snafus (poor Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were left up there on stage to fend for themselves)
5. Above all, take away all electronics from those handling the envelopes; so, they do not get distracted! (the keeper of the envelopes had just posted a photo of best actress on his twitter account – his mind wasn’t in the event – he was “star struck”)

Although, it appeared like they didn’t have a plan, the graciousness and understanding of the wrong movie cast and crew made it easier for the mix up to get straightened out. There were no apparent hard feelings and most will have a great story to tell about the 89th Academy Awards.

So, next time we’re putting an event together and something goes wrong; please let us all learn from the lesson and not be too hard on ourselves because even the biggest, celebrity-studded events make mistakes.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Super Bowl LI – Brands playing like Champions

I grew up in a football family, know the rules and enjoy watching the game. The NFL has really created a spectacular event even if you don't like football. They attract top half-time entertainment that appeals to most or at the very least will be controversial and generate publicity. As a marketer, I always look forward to seeing the new commercials.
 
So, this past weekend I was ready to watch the Super Bowl commercials during the game. Sometimes the games aren’t always as exciting as the hype (although this one was to the end) but the commercials never disappoint. We can always find one that sparks conversation and/or debate. Plus, commentators are always ready to give their best and worst picks. We pay attention and have our own opinions.
 
Companies invest a significant amount of their advertising budget (estimated 30 second spot is reported to cost $5 million). These brands are banking that their message is clear, concise and achieves their objectives.  (Whatever that might be).
 
Given the current political climate in the United States, this year’s commercials were especially anticipated among marketers and advertising professionals.  And, we weren’t dissatisfied.  Many brands stretched themselves and put their beliefs out there for all to see. They were exposed by choice and now have become vulnerable to all who disagree. Even a conservative brand like the NFL drew a line on the field promoting diversity; Audi took a stand on equal pay for equal work; and 84 Lumber a conservative retailer depicted a big door (that can open) on a border wall.
 
I have to say that I was surprised that so many global brands took a stand with their beliefs and exposed their brand to rejection.  I always say that challenging times pushes all of us out of our comfort zone to do better and be better. 
 
Big brands stood up for what they believe.  They showed that they are willing to take the applause and the criticism; and, perhaps even at the cost of losing customers.  The brands that won embraced the world-wide conversation and weren’t afraid to show who they are and their vision for now and the future.  Those brands brought their “A” game and played like champions.  Kudos to them.
 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

When will I see you again?

Image by clipartfest.com

Beginning with Black Friday and running until days after Christmas are considered the most anticipated and expected shopping days of the year.  These holiday months of shopping make a difference in whether it is a good or bad year for most retailers financial statements. Because, once the holiday season is over retailers know how hard it is to even maintain a fraction of the shopping frenzy experienced during this time period. 

When post holiday season kicks-in, consumers get back to life, frugality, diets, disciplines - you name it -- whatever New Year's resolution promise we made. 

During this down period, retailers turn their focus to getting us back in the stores. Sometimes that focus can make our shopping experience a little confusing. 

Here's my recent confusing shopping experience. My daughter needed a Valentine's Day craft classroom project; so, I had to go shopping. (Of course I did research first online). 

Stepping in the stores, I was immediately hit with Valentine's Day, and Easter all at once.  It was overwhelming with holiday merchandise competing against one another. Plus, I thought, really Easter all ready?  Ash Wednesday hasn't even happened!

Confusing because retailers are not sure when they will see us again; so, they merchandise every possible holiday in hopes of enticing us to purchase something - anything.

While retailers see it as creating excitement in the stores; it can sometimes appear to shoppers as if retailers are grasping for dollars and, it's a turn off. 

But after I was done shopping (I hit three different stores). I thought about my afternoon smiling and embracing the journey; because, ultimately all of the different holiday merchandise was their way of welcoming me back into the stores by making sure that they have something that I might like. 

They were waiting for my return, and happy to see me again!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Reinventing your brand

Reinventing Your Brand

When is it time to reinvent your brand? We all have indicators that are signaling either good or bad times ahead. There are times when you can weather the down trend lines and completely recover and move full steam ahead; and, then there are times that a trend line is a stronger warning sign. This is the sign that we all try to shake off because we don't want to believe that our brand can be that fragile and spiral to death. How can we tell the difference?

Here are some of my red flag suggestions to consider:

• When a new brand emerges in your market that taps into both convenience and low cost for the consumer. Think Redbox versus Blockbuster Video. 
   
• When one hot trend trades the place for another trend. Think Rock N Jump (Trampoline Parks) versus Bounce U (inflatable bounce facilities). 
   
• When size and ease of use matters. Think iPod versus Walkman. 

There were surely tell tell signs that all of the above were becoming extinct but the brands refused to respond quick enough and found their product/service out of business. 

As we start a New Year, I encourage you to go into it with your eyes wide open. Make sure that you are willing to analyze the data, trends and listen to any of the bad stuff too. But, more importantly reacting while you have time to make adjustments to your brand, your business, your products and services is paramount.

Think ahead not just for now. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

Happy New Year!

As we welcome in a New Year we all should take the time to reflect on those new acquaintances we met through the year, all of our life-long acquaintances and especially remember those dear acquaintances who we lost. 

If your life is anything like mine, the past year has brought both joy and sadness; triumphs and failures; victories and defeats. But, the beauty that is consistently evident in each situation is that I have never faced any situation alone. Whether it be family, friends, or business associates someone has always had my back.  Each acquaintance brings an opportunity to forge deep relationships that we cherish; and, they are present to celebrate, to encourage or to cry with depending on the circumstance. 

So, as we say goodbye to 2016 and we usher in 2017 please let us appreciate each and every acquaintance we have met along the way.  Most of us associate Robert Burns poem that he wrote in 1788 with ringing in the New Year.  Here’s a couple of verses:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Cheers to each and every one of my acquaintances and the best for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Fairfield County Connecticut.

It’s the most magical time of the year…or so we help those believe…

Everywhere we go and everything we hear right now is an effort by world marketers to get us in the right frame of mind for the Holidays.  The “magic of the season” creates a mood for us to loosen our wallets.  In most cases, it starts right around, or after Halloween for many retailers.  The more decorations, bright lights, Santa Claus’, Christmas classics, and music that we see and hear nudges us that much closer to the holiday spirit.  It reminds us that this is the time to focus on giving, not receiving.  To remember all of the people that touch our lives like the mail carrier, the teachers, the distant cousin that we only see once a year; and, we buy gift cards, presents and experiences that will help to make those around us feel peace, joy and happiness. 

As a marketer, the holiday season is the most optimal time of the year where we all start that infamous customer journey.  While it touches all of us during the same time, we each will have different experiences and outcomes.  And, the seller that taps into the mood the best, at the right moment, with the right offer, will win our hearts and cash for the season. 

I don’t know about you but my list is usually divided up where I can buy multiple folks the same gift; it’s so much easier to buy, give and send the same gift to multiple people.   I realized that I’m not the only one that thinks that way.  A lady behind me today at a national chain store had 6 candles all in different colors; my sister’s friend bought 72 of the same item to give to her team; and, my friend ordered books for her nephews and nieces all from the same store.  Let’s face it, as consumers, we want a unique experience combined with easy solutions.  We want to capture the magic of the season as quick and for as long as we can; so if a retailer offers us solutions, we’re there for the taking and happy to participate.  But, only when we’re absolutely ready to make that purchase decision. 

So, we need to know our customers, talk with them on their terms, ask them what they want, help them with solutions for their holiday lists and above all make it easy for them.  Because, our ultimate job as marketers during this season is to help make it the most magical time of the year where all of our customers can feel peace, joy and happiness.

Have you ever kept a really good secret?

Well my family and I discovered one of the best kept secrets ever. And, it happens to be literally (almost) located in our backyard.  And we're not quite sure why our neighbor's to the north kept such a good secret. But, I suspect it's because they are not as focused on marketing this treasure since it's not their main gem. 

This past summer we drove less than two hours north of where we live to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. We have been talking about going there for the past couple of years but they have seasonal hours; and we always thought of visiting when it was closed for the season.  

Some background information. 

I have Cherokee Indian in my family history; so, we are keenly interested in Native Americans and their historical contributions to our way of life.  We had visited the National Museum of the Native Indian which is part of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC a couple of summers ago. And, quite frankly we were disappointed. 

When we arrived the parking lot at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum it was virtually empty. Which in our minds wasn't a good sign. The cost of admissions is $20 per person; so, we weren't sure if it would be worth the investment of money and time but we had already driven the distance and decided to fulfill our plan for a fun day trip.  

Like the parking lot, once inside there were very few guests.  The big difference -- this museum didn't disappoint!

This is an amazing museum filled with rich history, images and replications of how life was for the Mashantucket tribe located in Connecticut.   

It was a wonderful experience worth the drive, the time and the admissions cost!  We all left enriched, elevated and inspired. 

Both the museum and Foxwoods Casino are located on the same reservation located down the street from each other. They both are owned and operated by the same tribe. 

Clearly, there are products that we "bet" on (no pun intended) and spend more time and dollars marketing because the payoff is huge. But, in marketing our products and services we should always challenge ourselves. 

While it's important to put your marketing dollars and programs into the product that is generating the majority of your revenue; don't forget to consistently ask yourself fundamental questions like:  Are you leaving a product on the table that will increase customer loyalty and enable customers to get to know you better?  Can you bundle the products together to reinforce your messaging and add value to your customer's experience?  Are there any cross marketing opportunities that can add to the power of the brand story?  

Think about your brand secrets and if you're enjoying them. Most likely your customers will too. And, we all love to get in on a good secret now and again - ours was the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. 

Shhh - but don't tell anyone that I told you about it!  It's our secret. 

Yippee! It's over!

Yippee!!

Regardless, of which side of the political party you represent, like me, I’m sure that you are glad that this election year is over! 

It has caused much stress, anxiety and you can insert your own emotion(s) that you have been feeling in here to be included.  I have talked to people across the country and regardless of party affiliation many people have had the same experience – we couldn’t wait until it was over.

Well now, it’s over.

I’m sure that every discipline will be studying this presidential election for years to come.  And, in my opinion there were best practices that were evident that can be used by any marketer.

It’s interesting to compare the elections to what many of us as marketers try to achieve each and every day in selling our brands, products and services.  Promotions help to execute the strategy.  But, telling our stories is what evokes that raw emotion and gives us the opportunity to make that connection with our consumers/customers/buyers.

Take the elections, two different stories were told.  And, the arguments on both sides seemed pretty thematic. 

It’s my opinion, that one campaign identified the target (after testing with focus groups, etc.) and started telling a story that they thought would resonate.   They took the traditional approach.  Another campaign, started talking, and talking; and, a target audience emerged.  This segment that emerged helped this campaign uncover the target audience and the messaging.

So, the campaign that organically grew a self-identifiable group to target.  A segment that had some common characteristics in common but spanned across a big portion of our country.  It wasn’t based on a formula, an approach; but taking a representation of the emerging group and then profiling (in this case) one’s constituents, then identifying more like-constituents and taking their main concerns and crafting a story.  It wasn’t based on a pre-defined plan or strategy but rather a marketing instinct to tap into a visceral emotion that became evident, stroked and appreciated by this group.

So, here’s my question.

When was the last time you looked at new emerging target customers and really listened to what they were telling you; then took their main concerns and crafted their story to sell your brand, products and services? 

Remember even when our customers tell us something that might be difficult to hear, listen and put it to use by making your brand, products and/or services better.

So, put this lesson to work; and, celebrate that this presidential election is over!

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” - Walt Disney

I love that quote by Walt Disney because every time I read it, I am inspired to believe in my dreams. I have actually used that piece of inspiration under my signature on my emails for the past year to remind me that dreams do come true. 

And, one of my business dreams came true last week.  

A dream that was founded on listening to the needs of customers and filling a void in the marketplace launched October 26th in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It's called the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit, an intimate gathering focused on education, building relationships, and understanding how to approach the Home Improvement ECommerce market. 

Thanks to great partners, perseverance, progressive leaders in the ECommerce space, and great speakers the first event hit the mark; and, it will now be an annual Summit. 

So, I'm grateful that all of the parts came together; and, when times were challenging that me and my partners unequivocally knew that when you listen to what customers want/need and you build it, they will come. What's your customers telling you?  

Believe that "if you can dream it, you can do it.”  

I did.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in  Fairfield County Connecticut.

We all do it!

So many of us are guilty of compartmentalizing our lives. We try and make sure that each area fits into its own little crate. 

I believe that this is what makes it so difficult to truly understand what drives each consumer to do what he/she does. We go through different seasons of our lives and while relationships are important we are all very busy people.  Ultimately, we get caught up in our own lives. And, before you know it we haven't followed up on that sales lead, or connected with that person we met or perhaps haven't returned an email to a customer, friend, and colleague or soccer coach. Yes, we all wear so many hats and serve in so many different roles. 

Well, time flies.

Especially, if we aren't actively managing our marketing communications.  And, then guess what?   We have become too embarrassed to follow up, to connect, or to reply. Or at least I have.

How do we keep up with our relationships?  

It's tough in the busy world we live in. People don't have hours to IM, hang out on the phone or write long emails. And, I'm sorry Facebook, Instagram and Twitter just can't substitute for a meaningful conversation (for more on this subject see my blog dated 10/6/2016). 

For me, keeping up means sending thoughtful hand-written notes, text messages that are immediate plus relevant, and special gifts for notable occasions. I also reach out and request a "catch up" call, making sure to build it around the convenience of both schedules (sometimes it's after hours) but it's a scheduled and purposeful conversation. These calls are valuable because you really find out what is going on in that person's world.  You're able to ask spontaneous and stimulating questions that are relevant to the topic at hand. These discussions allow you to get caught up with friends (who if you have been around a while like me) they are your past clients, prospective customers, other parents; and, you always learn something new from them. Somewhere in the call there is a mutual opportunity that sparks for more collaboration for follow up in the future.  

Open, free flowing conversations allow true spontaneous sharing. It helps each of us to keep up with the other. And, it ultimately keeps our relationships up-to-date and going. So, when we feel the urge to compartmentalization the relationship. Stop. We need to challenge ourselves.  Have the conversations and don’t put yourself in a crate.

I'm always surprised what I find out. I bet you will be too. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and Founder of the eRetailer Summit. Sonya has extensive experience in creating original innovative solutions to overcome major business challenges.  Sonya has spent most of her career visiting headquarters across global industries and has built strong business relationships across diverse brands. 

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in  Fairfield County Connecticut.