tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post7673207533481834173..comments2010-09-14T15:11:15.798-05:00Jay Ehrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16166665314565276100noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-2603890602919649472010-09-14T15:11:15.798-05:002010-09-14T15:11:15.798-05:00@White Oaks Bed and Breakfast.<br /><br />I feel your pain and have heard this from entrepreneurs many times over the years. From your description is sounds a little like you are caught up in tactic lust. You may want to go back to the basics and start with the brand (as illustrated at by the Marketing Circle of Life). <br /><br />Just take it step by step. I have organized the material into a semi-course in marketing, which you can check out here: <a href="http://www.themarketingspotblog.com/2010/07/marketing-spot-101.html" rel="nofollow">The Marketing Spot 101</a><br /><br />You can always give me a call or email me to discuss further.Jay Ehrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16166665314565276100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-9577956637516724842010-09-14T14:27:20.095-05:002010-09-14T14:27:20.095-05:00Wow! As a very small bed and breakfast owner, I am to a point of not knowing which way to turn, SEO, Marketing Tools, Phone Advertisment (them wanting money of course) All of it is very over my head. I am doing the wordpress blog, the Linkedin, the Facebook, Digg, Delicious, so on and so on. Can&#39;t seem to find a correct pattern.<br /><br />White Oaks Bed and Breakfast is my soul and life like most small business owners can attest. <br />How to decipher it all is overwhelmingWhite Oaks Bed and Breakfasthttp://www.whiteoaksbedandbreakfast.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-48249255756356104842008-11-23T09:09:00.000-06:002008-11-23T09:09:00.000-06:00Welcome,Gianluigi.<BR/><BR/>Excellent point. The Marketing Circle of Life is really for all businesses. But for the very reasons you cite, this formula would not be accepted by big companies. It's simplicity and svelte structure are too "small" for the big boys and their marketing directors.<BR/><BR/>Take branding for example. A simple brand promise based on values and mission is the sustainable foundation of any marketing plan. That would eliminate research and focus groups and the re-branding that takes place every couple of years (or less)at the big business level. Consequently, it would also mean spending less money on marketing toys (creative campaigns) and focusing on customer engagement. Can you imagine that conversation in a board room?<BR/><BR/>So if a big business wants to use it, more power to them. But small businesses are the heart and soul of the economy...and they are looking for simple solutions.Jay Ehrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16166665314565276100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-55442666255551979932008-11-23T08:35:00.000-06:002008-11-23T08:35:00.000-06:00Hi Jay,<BR/><BR/>Why is the Marketing Circle of Life only(?) suitable for SMB's?<BR/><BR/>It's clean and not too complicated, could suffice as a basis/framework, even for bigger companies to overthink on strategic level.<BR/><BR/>Could you elaborate?Gianluigi Cuccuredduhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/gianluigicuccureddunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-63706989824503169752008-02-07T21:30:00.000-06:002008-02-07T21:30:00.000-06:00Hi Barbara, thanks for the contribution, you make a solid argument. <BR/><BR/>I understand your point, but sometimes it's not practical to go to your customers first, especially if you're a small business. I subscribe to the theory of showing brand leadership. When you search inside yourself, often you can find qualities customers have yet to conceive.Jay Ehrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16166665314565276100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-14414319727369472432008-02-07T20:35:00.000-06:002008-02-07T20:35:00.000-06:00Good points all! But the first step to effective branding is pinpointing your most promising prospects. Without that you run the risk of missing your mark. After all, to take a page from consumer goods marketers, you can't sell Close-Up toothpaste to a Tom's of Maine shopper. Then, once you've pinpointed your most promising prospects, ask them what distinguishes your company from the competition. And, don't guess--since everyone buys differently and values different things. Moreover, you want to be sure that the characteristics you choose to brand are the ones that resonate with their needs and desires. Once you know what your most promising prospects value, then you'll be ready to brand your company and launch your marketing campaign. I write about this topic frequently and post these articles on my website.barbara@bbmarketingplus.comhttp://www.bbmarketingplus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-43161323955426767822008-02-07T19:45:00.000-06:002008-02-07T19:45:00.000-06:00Jeff, I agree. Good marketing cannot save a bad business. As John Moore over at Brand Autopsy likes to point out, "you cannot create a brand before you create a business."Jay Ehrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16166665314565276100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952426084852270162.post-39690525844939611322008-02-07T19:23:00.000-06:002008-02-07T19:23:00.000-06:00Shuffled in here somewhere is of course a great product or service. A bad product can destroy great marketing (and vice-versa) in a heartbeat - and then end the business.<BR/>Great diagram.jpickett1968http://jpickett1968.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com