A Paradox in Shaping Corporate Reputation

Why are some companies regularly recognized as the nation’s most admired even when their across-the-board performance is inconsistent? Why are other companies that demonstrate solid, consistent performance often ignored? In two words, the answer is awareness and performance. Wal-Mart ranked at the top in a number of corporate reputation lists, yet the company was dogged by the discovery of undocumented workers in their stores. How does a company such as Wal-Mart succeed in light of such news?

Weiner, Mark. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Marketing

The Permanent Sponsorship of Web Content

I asked folks if they wanted to permanently sponsor some of my web content on WebWord.com. The idea is rather simple. You give me money, and I give you ad space on some of my web pages forever. No one else will ever advertise on these pages at WebWord.com. Your ad is forever bound to that page. You get long lasting, and repeated value for your sponsorship dollars. I thought I had a good idea. But, I didn't get any responses.

Rhodes, John S. WebWord (1999). Design>Web Design>Marketing

Personalization vs. Customization

The concept of personalizing for customers is certainly not new. But the Web elevates it to a near art form. The Web is the perfect marketing environment for precision marketing, because individuals can be uniquely identified, and a message can be tailored specifically to them.

Allen, Cliff. Allen.com (2003). Design>Web Design>Personalization>Marketing

Planning for One-to-One Web Marketing

The key to a successful advertising campaign is repetition. The same is true for a successful Web site. Marketing managers know that repeat contact with prospects develops an affinity for your products and services - and therefore, greater revenue.

Allen, Cliff. Allen.com (2003). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>Writing

The Power of Writing BIGGER

Try rewriting your pages with just the benefits or offer amplified. Then try a draft with a much better price or guarantee.

Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2007). Articles>Writing>Marketing

Psychologically Unsound 15 Second Sitcoms

"It made me laugh, I love it," is not what you want to hear about an expensive TV commercial. Did it leave you with a powerful desire to obtain the benefit the product offers, so that you plan on purchasing it? Find out why silly TV commercials, that fail to communicate why the product is superior, are doomed to drain budgets and let the competition gain ground.

Streight, Steven. Blogger.com (2004). Articles>Multimedia>Marketing>Cognitive Psychology

Putting Power, Creativity, and Truth into Your Marketing Message  

Good marketing has a clear, concise, benefits-oriented message. Great marketing adds power and creativity by using effective graphics, headlines that tie the graphics to the message, and body copy that invites the reader in and tells the story of a problem that can be solved. Power results from combining emotion and facts; creativity lets the message break through the clutter, differentiates the product or service from the competition, and helps to convey the company’s values.

Brenneman, Judy Fort. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Marketing>Emotions

Rebranding at a Deeper Level

Too often companies perceive rebranding as a shallow cosmetic exercise. New PMS colour here, tweak of the logo there and throw in some nice TV ads. Done deal. Not so. In order to compete, be differentiated and sustain a competitive advantage, organisations need to push the brand much deeper to their internal core: their people.

Craner, John. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Reinventing Yourself As a Marcom Writer  

Lange, a marketing writer who spent four years as a technical writer, compares the two disciplines and discusses how technical writers can move into marcom.

Lange, Penny L. Intercom (2002). Careers>Writing>Marketing

The Representation of Leisure in Corporate Publicity Material: The Case of a Finnish Pine Construction Company      

A common genre of corporate promotional materials in Finland is a video that introduces a company to various audiences, including customers, shareholders, and visitors to the company's offices.  The video uses visuals, sounds, and text to establish the company's identity and credibility as well as informing the audience about company products.  The video appeals to deep-seated cultural values to promote its message.  This study applied theories of both advertising and semiotics to analyze the first minute of a video produced for a Finnish company that manufactures log buildings and wraps its image around a concept of leisure.

Yli-Jokipii, Hilkka M. Technical Communication Quarterly (1998). Articles>Writing>Marketing>Scandinavia

Rethinking Postcards

If you think post cards are for nothing more than 'wish you were here' messages, think again. Post cards are serious tools for building relationships with customers--tiny billboards with big missions. They are one of those often-used but little analyzed marketing mediums--a perfect platform for some 'jolt thinking.' Jolt thinking questions the basic premise--the what, why, and how of doing something. How? By answering three questions. What is the purpose? Why is it done the way it's done? And how can I do it most effectively?

Green, Chuck. Ideabook.com (2002). Design>Graphic Design>Marketing

The "Right" Keywords

Since finding the right keywords is the most important step in any SEO endeavor, it is imperative that you find the ones your target audience is using.

Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. W-edge Design (2004). Articles>Web Design>HTML>Marketing

ROI: How Hard is Your Web Site Working?

Every web site needs to provide a tangible and timely return on investment (ROI). Your company's web site should be one of the most active and accountable members of its marketing team.

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Marketing

Schmoozing for Profit: Choose Your Event Carefully, then Start Working the Room

Two short years after the fortunes of many high-tech companies have all but dried up, Peter Zvalo discusses how schmoozing can ease the challenge of marketing technical documentation services.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2002). Careers>Consulting>Marketing

Search Engine Marketing in Multiple Languages  

You can hear the sighs of relief as the website localization project comes to a close or enters maintenance mode. However organized the client and however professional the localization vendor, website localization is a painful process. Now it's over--at least we can tick the box that says 'have multilingual website.' After all, is that not the reason we localized in the first place?

Harris, Ian. TC World (2006). Articles>Web Design>Search>Marketing

Segmenting the Market

Profiling individuals on the Web allows us to not only select which message to deliver to each individual, but also helps us learn about the needs and interests of each person. This can be used to segment an audience in ways that traditional direct marketers have only dreamed of.

Allen, Cliff. Allen.com (2001). Design>Web Design>Marketing

Selling on the Web: How Long Should Your Marketing Copy Be?

If you're selling on the web, you want marketing copy that will entice potential customers to buy. There are currently two schools of thought on effective marketing copy: one group advocates 'long, detailed, and chatty' copy, while the other favors copy that's 'short, objective, and to the point.' Which approach is right for you?

Bennaco (2004). Articles>Writing>Marketing

Selling to the Hidden Job Market  

Describes ways that technical communicators looking for work can identify and pursue job leads before the openings are publicized.

O'Donnell, Pat. Intercom (2004). Careers>Interviewing>Marketing

Selling Your Brand by Using Your Web Site as a Customer Research Tool

With companies moving business online, the Internet has become a source of profit for them. We all know how this works. You establish an online presence, sell your brand well—and you make money. Let’s rewind. We are selling our brands online, but doing it well is the challenge. To do it well, keep the following in mind: customer research is an important factor in generating business revenues, so it must be done right—that is, at the right place and at the right time; the online medium should not be the only way of gathering customer information; recognizing emerging trends—behavioral, demographic and emotional—helps companies move forward strategically.

Kirmani, Afshan. UXmatters (2008). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>Audience Analysis

Sex, Lies, and CMS Vendors

Despite an 11+ year history in the marketplace, CMS technology remains poorly understood by many prospective buyers. In the meantime, the field of available suppliers has never been broader or noisier. Most CMS salespeople I know are good educators, but they also have quotas to meet. Under these circumstances, vendors will sometimes short-cut important discussions about functionality and pricing with simple -- but not always completely truthful -- answers. So here's a list of 10 common myths you might hear during the sales process.

Byrne, Tony. CMSwatch (2006). Articles>Content Management>Marketing

Shameless Self Promotion: A Guide to Building a Small Business  

Do you wonder if anybody notices you? Do you lie awake nights wondering where your next contract will come from? Would you like to move from doing one project at a time to running a company that does many projects? Success or failure as an independent technical communicator is determined by many things, but one of the key ones is GETTING NOTICED!!!!!

Deaton, Mary M. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Management>Marketing

Should Writers Be Held Accountable for Web Page Performance?

Ask print direct response copywriters if they are held accountable, and they'll say yes. That was my own life for 15 years. I wrote direct mail packages and was judged not on my past reputation, but on the performance of each piece I wrote, one mailing at a time.

Usborne, Nick. Excess Voice (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Writing

Six Rules for Transforming Your Brand: The Carter Holt Harvey Experience

Australasia's leading forest product company, Carter Holt Harvey (CHH), transformed itself in under three years from slumbering giant into a high-performing, innovative business leader based on values of performance, leadership and innovation - and won an IABC Gold Quill award in the process. Here's CHH's story in brief and rules learned along the way.

Stuart, Dellwyn. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Case Studies

Slogan Slogging for Enhanced Creativity

Here's how to apply simple deconstruction techniques to popular phrases to transform them into viable marketing slogans or headlines for ads. A fun, easy exercise in creativity, with several examples.

Streight, Steven. Blogger.com (2005). Articles>Writing>Marketing