GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT! YOU HEARD IT HEAR FIRST!

The fifth installment of the XL Marketing Trends is now available and ready to be read and embraced by a person just like you. In a world of non-stop connectivity, word-of-mouth marketing is an incredibly important tool that can help your brand gain awareness quickly. People trust other people (not so much brands) so the more you can get people talking, the more they are willing to try something out. 

Request your free copy of this special report so you can discover:

1. Brands that have successfully developed WOM campaigns (online and offline)
2. Lessons learned from small and large brands with WOM initiatives 
3. How to grow WOM knowledge and start a successful WOM campaign.  

Read Full CBS Money Watch Article

 

We all make pitches every single day of our lives. From “Would you like fries with that?” to “Will you marry me?”, proposals permeate our lives.

If this is so common on a personal level, why isn’t everyone an expert at pitching new business on a professional level?

Obviously, it’s not that easy. Nothing in new business is black and white – you have to be flexible and adapt to the needs of each potential client. Pitching is an art that, once perfected, still doesn’t guarantee a win every time…but wouldn’t you rather know you couldn’t have done anything better than wonder what you did wrong?

Here’s a quick look at five naughty and nice behaviors to keep in mind when you’re on the pitcher’s mound.

Naughty List

1. Pursuing EVERY opportunity. Think about new business the way you think about marriage – are you compatible? Do you have what it takes to make a happy long-term commitment? If not, don’t waste the time and resources required for an effective pitch.
   
   
2. Telling clients they’re wrong. If we want clients to treat us as experts in our field, we need to treat them as experts in theirs. If they identify a problem, solve it. If they come to you not knowing the problem, figure it out and then solve it. Just don’t pretend to know more than they do about their day-to-day biz. That’s insulting.
   
   
3. Talking at them instead of to them. This isn’t lecture hall. If you bore them, what does that indicate about future working relationships? Keeping clients engaged and excited is half the battle.
   
   
4. Badmouthing the competition. This isn’t a mudslinging fight. Don’t even acknowledge the competition – you’re selling YOUR expertise and talent. Mentioning anyone else just takes focus away from that. Should the client bring up another agency, politely sidestep and move on.
   
   
5. Presenting every ounce of research you have. Presentations are your chance to shine. Highlight the research and insights you developed, but leave the fine print in the appendix. They’ll thank you.

 

Nice List

1. Treating clients like partners. It’s not always possible, but if the opportunity arises to use the client as an asset, do it. Absorb their insights, learn their biases and make them feel like part of the team.
   
   
2. Doing your homework. Sometimes clients provide you with insights and sometimes they don’t. Either way, take the time and make the investment in your own research. Look at the target demographic, evaluate competitive sets, test your creative – whatever is appropriate to your situation.
   
   
3. Presenting in an appropriate format. Know your audience and where you’ll be presenting. Do you need boards? An electronic presentation? Both? Neither? What about leave behinds? Should you bring thematic props to engage the client, or keep things more formal? Each pitch is different – adjust accordingly.
   
   
4. Keeping things interesting. We’ve all sat through awful presentations. Don’t inflict that on others. Present with passion, excitement and a sense of humor, and don’t read from a slide. Use visuals with big images and brief headlines to serve as a background for what you have to say.
   
   
5. Following up. After the presentation, send a thank-you to the client. This can be as elaborate or simple as you deem appropriate, but it’s important. Thank the client again for the opportunity and make sure they know you’re available should any questions arise. If they know you’re easy to work with, that’s just one more gold star by your name.

 

Some of our recent work was picked up by MediaPost's Marketing Daily. We crafted a brand identity for this new flavored rum and developed a strategic plan to create complementary messaging between online and offline platforms. So the activity people see in store drives them to Facebook and their phone, and their Facebook/mobile drives them to the store. It is a seamless campaign that uses each touchpoint/channel to enhance the other. 

Read the Full Article 

 

ST. LOUIS, (April 8, 2010) – Sapporo USA, producer of Sapporo, the #1 selling Asian beer in the U.S., has chosen Moosylvania, the digital, branding and promotion agency, from among six finalists to be its lead marketing partner for all strategic and creative initiatives in the U.S.

“Moosylvania came to the table with an understanding of our brand and the strategic thinking to get us where we need to be,” said Sage Ubukata, president, Sapporo USA. “We are sincerely excited to be working with the Moosylvania team and are looking forward to a wonderful future together.”

Moosylvania is charged with all marketing for the brand with the aim of increasing Sapporo’s market share in the U.S. beyond its current core base. To achieve this, Moosylvania plans to develop a new U.S. brand position supported by fully- integrated advertising and promotional campaigns that will launch nationally Q1 2011.

“We could not be happier to be working on such a special brand that has a genuinely distinct and fertile heritage, perfect for where the market is today,” said Gus Hattrich, president, Moosylvania.

“We are very excited to begin working with Sapporo USA,” said Nick Foppe, EVP of Account Service, Moosylvania. “It’s a great win and we are definitely looking forward to growing the brand in the U.S.”

About Sapporo USA
Sapporo USA (www.sapporousa.com) produces Sapporo, the #1 selling Asian beer in the U.S. It is part of Sapporo Holdings Limited, a Japanese holding company with an enterprise value of C$4.3 billion. The company manufactures alcohol products including Sapporo Draft Beer, Yebisu Beer and Draft One. The company distributes Yellow Tail and Beringer in Japan.