Archive for February, 2011

How to Kick Start Your New Business

February 23rd, 2011, by Jen

Picture yourself as a rosy-cheeked 10-year old. You have a curious spirit and an entrepreneurial drive. You take note that your neighbors have an affinity for lemonade, yet lemon trees only grow well on your soil. At the local block party, you make your pitch. “I will plant and grow two more lemon trees, harvest and juice the lemons, then build a lemonade stand where everyone can come and purchase my fine product. All I need from my neighbors are the funds to buy the trees and build the stand.”

Sound crazy? Meet Kickstarter.com. This is exactly the premise behind the website that’s been wildly successful. You make a pitch for your business idea, and other people kick in funds to start it up.

But surely there must be a financial benefit to investing in someone else’s business venture? Not really. This is not like purchasing stock in a company where an individual receives income from corporate revenue. In this case, the “stock” you buy into is simply knowing that you’ll be able to enjoy the exact product you want—be it a film, restaurant, or event.

Of course some projects offer incentives for your donation like, “Give $25 and get a cheese plate for two,” or “Donate $100 to the film and have your name appear in the credits.” But in general, the main purpose is to support creative endeavors and generate a consumer-driven marketplace.

This is part of the ongoing trend that’s shifting advertising into consumer hands. By now, most people are familiar with the Facebook model of advertising. Firstly, the ads attempt to be relevant to your interests. Secondly, if they’re not, you get to “X” them out. Similarly, on Hulu, in some cases the viewer can choose which ad (out of three choices) they prefer to see.

While these models have certainly been progressive, Kickstarter takes “advertising” a step further–or rather, a step back. The individual essentially gets to actively participate (by way of their wallet) in the very manufacturing of the culture/product/entertainment that they want to experience. In my humble opinion, it’s brilliant.

So what idea would you support? How far would you go to have your dream realized? Maybe you’ve always wanted to produce a feature film… or just build a simple lemonade stand. Big or small, there’s sure to be a patron out there who is willing to kick in.

Share


Posted in Marketing, Social Media | No Comments »

Marketing for the Greater Good

February 16th, 2011, by Aleta

Social marketing has recently been a topic of conversation here at Sherri May & Company. As we’re about to launch into a social marketing campaign of our own, we’ve been asking ourselves what is social marketing and how can it be used effectively?

Social marketing is defined as marketing aimed at social good.* Instead of trying to sell products, this type of marketing encourages healthy change in people’s lives. We see these campaigns all around us. Think about the Public Service Announcements you’ve seen on TV or on billboards that have had an impact on you. Maybe it was one about the importance of being a parent: “Take the time to be a dad today” (see video below). Or that ad you saw on the side of the highway encouraging seat belt use: “Click It or Ticket.” These are examples of effective social marketing campaigns.

Social marketing has been cited as a powerful response to social problems. Another very successful example is The Meth Project, a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing first-time methamphetamine use through public service messaging, public policy and community outreach. So far, eight states in the US have implemented The Meth Project with overwhelming results. For example, two years after implementing the project in Montana, adult meth use declined by 72% and meth-related crime decreased by 62%.

This type of campaign can also directly impact our environment. A social marketing project that started in Mesa in 1999, called the Water Use it Wisely program, started as a way to educate Arizona residents about conserving water. In cities like Mesa where water is in high demand but short supply, the message was important. Today, the Water Use it Wisely program has been adopted by over 400 private and public partners, both nationally and worldwide. After just four years, the program had achieved an 80% market awareness penetration, and 33% of surveyed respondents said they had taken conservation actions promoted in the campaign. People around the world now have a simple and effective tool to learn about water conservation.

So what is the common trend among these social marketing success stories? They all share one universal factor— they seek a specific behavior change. Whether it’s to curb drug use, encourage parents to spend more time with their children or educate wasteful water users, these campaigns motivate and inspire their audience to change their behavior for the better.


The Take Time to be a Dad campaign is one we see on a daily basis on billboards all over Phoenix.

*Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_marketing

Share


Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Top Eco-Eatery Features Bike-Powered Blender

February 3rd, 2011, by Caitlin

As a part of our mission to spread environmental awareness, we’ll be featuring businesses that go above and beyond to help our environment. Our first green spotlight is on Habana Café in Brooklyn, New York. It’s one of the few places you can purchase a smoothie blended by a bicycle. But that’s not the only reason why this restaurant is breaking the mold for eco-eateries of its kind.
But first, let’s take a step back. What exactly is an eco-eatery? According to Habana Café’s blog, it’s a term that describes “restaurants that use earth-friendly practices in their design, construction, and day-to-day operations.” And this Café really integrates green practices into all three of these components. Here’s how:

Green Design
Habana Café brings to light a new meaning behind green design. This is represented by their stunning, solar chandelier that uses sunlight-focusing panels mounted outside the store to bring in light through fiber optic cables.

Eco-Friendly Construction
There are three main factors of Habana Café’s green construction. They include:

  • Wheat board panels – These are a renewable, non-toxic substitution for wood.
  • A rainwater collection system – This involves recycling rainwater to use on landscaping. It cuts down on water usage and their water bill. (Find out how to make one of your own here).
  • A garden – This is an easy way to cut down on CO2 emissions. Foods that come from a garden don’t produce as many emissions as foods that come from a supermarket.

Day-to-Day Operations
Once their meal is finished, the happy customers visit a compost/recycle station that has four separate receptacles for glass, plastic, food waste and plates. The café’s compostable plates and silverware ensure that none of the trash from the meal ends up in the landfill.

So there you have it, the basic components of this top eco-eatery. Hopefully one will pop up in Arizona soon, because I don’t think I can make it to Brooklyn over my lunch break.

Share


Posted in Green | No Comments »

Connect


Authors


  • Categories


  • Things We Like


    • Archive