In this difficult economic time many businesses feel they can’t justify ramping up their communication strategies and marketing more creatively.

Yet as the lead article in the March/April NZ Marketing magazine is at pains to point out, “the companies most tenacious in their pursuit of creativity have been the ones outperforming the stock market and enjoying historic periods of financial prosperity”.

The trifecta of:

• creatively led management
• creative marketing
• financial growth

appear consistently when looking closely at the results of advertisers who have had prestigious wins at the Cannes Advertiser of the Year Awards since 2000, according to the article’s author James Hurman of Colenso BBDO.

The article profiles the stock market performance of winners over the last 9 years, which include names well known to most Kiwis; the likes of Volkswagen, Honda, Adidas, Nike and Sony. Even when times were touch and other big names were loosing value on the stock market hand over fist, those that combined creative leadership with creative marketing appeared to insulate themselves to a greater extent than those that didn’t.

Creativity and financial growth – is this just a coincidence?

Normally I’d criticise advertisers who are convinced by their agencies to sign off on overly creative campaigns that seem to do nothing but showcase how clever the designers are – and those nonsense Cadbury ads featuring the crazy eyebrow kids comes instantly to mind. But happily for all designers, there is more than just coincidence when it comes to creativity and financial growth.

We can look closer to home to see the same phenomena occurring with local companies. Whittaker’s have always taken a slightly off beat approach to their advertising (‘batch roasting‘ in a bach – only Kiwis would get that!), and lately have been able to creatively cash in on the mistakes of their behemoth competitor, Cadbury.

Those old enough will remember the Toyota ‘Bugger’ ads which helped to popularise the Toyota Hilux brand in the NZ market in the 1990s ahead of it competitors. Twenty years later and I still remember the ad  – and the brand too! Quite a feat when often the creativity or novelty is remembered but the brand isn’t.

Lately of course, as James Hurman of Colenso BBDO points out in his NZ Marketing article, we can look to Air NZ as an example where creativity at corporate level, and externally in their marketing, has combined to position the company well ahead of its lower cost competitors.

More than just a luxury

Unless you operate in a monopoly, creativity is not a luxury to be shelved during hard times but a real strategy for growing company profits and insulating a business or product against a downward economy. It certainly makes for a better strategy than price cutting!

Posted on March 10th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Environmental | No Comments »

At Hot PJ we are about boosting the profitability of our clients’ businesses by strategically improving how they communicate with their clients and prospects.

It’s not possible to do this by just designing pretty brochures and websites. We take the time to get to know as much about our client’s business as we can; their target audience and how they behave, the business’ key capabilities, their product or service offering and how it sits alongside their competitors’,  what past promotional campaigns have they run, how they were resourced, implemented and measured, and how they performed… plus many more aspects. We do this long before we start discussing the design or shape the communication will take.

Free 45 minute Think Tank

One of the services we offer free to any business struggling with getting a marketing promotion off the ground is 45 minutes to tap into the many years of marketing, sales and design knowledge we have at Hot PJ. Perhaps, like one business owner this week, you have an idea in mind but aren’t sure if it has legs. Talking it over with someone outside your business who has  extensive marketing and design knowledge can help to focus your thinking.

Last week we spoke to a consultant who came to us with a promotion he had put together himself. Designwise it wasn’t bad, just needed some tweaks that any designer worth their salt could suggest. However, when we drilled down, we found he hadn’t defined his target market – that is those organisations and businesses he wanted as his clients. To get a picture of who these businesses could be we talked about the types of work he had done in the past, those that he had enjoyed dealing with and (importantly) those that were prepared to pay him well for his service.

This revealed two distinct industry groups which we further narrowed by geography. In order to effectively communicate with these prospective clients he needed to identify and locate the key decision makers within those groups – the person he ultimately needed to convince in order to win them as a client. We assisted with ideas on ways he could find these people, but warned him that there was a strong chance his research would reveal at least two types of decision makers that will require quite different messages. A business owner will have different needs to an employee, they will have different triggers so may well require a different message and offer. We discussed all this before we even looked at the type of promotion he was planning and the design he had created.

This is what I mean by taking a strategic approach – one which differs from many other design companies. So if you have a marketing dilemma or hurdle you don’t know how to get over, take advantage of our free 45 minute ‘think tank’.

Contact Hot PJ to make a time.

Photo: World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka – 400 metres hurdles favourite Bershawn Jackson struggling at the last hurdle, which leads to his competitors overtaking him and him dropping out in the semifinal. Photo by Eckhard Pecher

Posted on March 2nd, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: General, Marketing | No Comments »

Business Card Warrant of Fitness:

Your business card is often the only tangible thing a prospect or new contact goes away with after having meet you. What is it going to tell them about you and your business long after the memory of your meeting has faded?

If you belong to a networking group or are an active networker yourself, you’ll understand the importance of your business card. Its a window into your business; a silent sales person when you are not around. Yet how many times have you been given a card by someone who wants to do business with you that looks like they are not serious about their own?

5 point check:

1. Does your card show a physical address?
   Many small homebased businesss will only advertise a PO Box number rather than a home address and risking customers turning up on their doorstep while they are still in their PJs. But think about it from the point of view of a prospect or customer.  Does it look like you are a solid business that will be around for the long haul, or is there a reason the person is hiding behind a PO Box number? How easy would it be for a customer to find you in person if they needed to?
2. Do you have a land line or just a cellphone number?
   Same deal as above. If you have only a cell phone number and a PO Box it is going to increase the impression that you are not a committed business.
3. Do you have your own business email address or are you using a free email service?
   These should be limited to personal use, it just doesn’t look professional for a business to be using a Hotmail or Gmail email. Combined with the two factors above, this screams ‘unprofessional’ at best and ‘dodgy’ at worst. Is this the impression you want for your business?
4. Is it clear from your card what it is your business does?
   This is very important if the name of your business is not a descriptive one. What does a company with a name like “Panocus Technologies Ltd” do? Unless there is a clear description on the card, no one will know.

   Even if your name is descriptive you shouldn’t ignore the opportunity to promote your USP – the aspects of your business, product and/or service that give you a positive difference from your competitors and are meaningful to your customers.  There are two sides to a business card, so don’t ignore the opportunity to use the space to tell your prospects more about what you can do for them.
   

5. Is it a quality produced card; well designed, visually appealing and good quality print? If your card looks cheap and nasty then so will your business!

Remember that when a person comes across your business card weeks or months later, it needs to persuade them to use it, rather than consign it to the recycling bin. When you are next presented with a card that would fail this 5 point check, refer them to Hot PJ. You’ll be doing their business a favour.

Posted on February 22nd, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Marketing | No Comments »

Part 2: Advertisements

Many of us have long-running advertisements to promote our business, whether it’s a repeat advert in the Metropol magazine or even your ad in the Yellow Pages directory.

It’s quick and easy to delegate the design of your ad to the company that’s actually printing the ad. All you do is give them your logo and your contact details and leave them to it. Job done. But all too often, that’s what you get back! An ad with your logo and contact details and nothing else!

Take charge of your marketing

Should we really be going into this so half-heartedly? How much is your advertising budget this year? How much of that is going to this one publication? Some publications charge like wounded bulls for their ad space so we have a strong incentive to take control of what they’re doing to our branding and marketing message.

If we’re going to get the most out of our marketing in 2010, it’s essential to take charge of the message that our promotional materials are putting out there for the world to see.

With that in mind, what are the essentials when it comes to designing a quality advert?

Well the most obvious start is to draw the reader’s attention with an eye-catching design. Your ad’s just taking up space and chewing up your budget if no one takes the time to read it! Once you have the reader’s attention, you need to convince the reader that your company is worthy of a call (or your website worthy of a visit depending on your call to action). This can only be done with:

1. A compelling headline (see our article on how to write headlines that get read)
2. Persuasive copy (see our article on how to write good print ads)

When you’re approached by an advertising provider there are some essential questions that you must ask yourself before going into a potentially expensive long-term contract. Our article, “Advertising – is it right for your business?” goes into more detail.

Finally, never underestimate the importance of working with a graphic design company that understands marketing and takes the time to get to know you and your business – a professional company that works with you to ensure your money is spent intelligently on the design of an advert to get maximum return for your investment.

Posted on February 18th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Environmental | No Comments »

When business is brisk it is tempting to put aside business planning and marketing as you focus on meeting the demands of your clients.

When boom times turn to bust (as we’ve seen recently) and you haven’t got a plan in place for positioning your company ahead of your competitors, you could pay a hefty price for having neglected your own business’ needs.

Invest some time in your own business

If you’ve put off working on your business’ marketing plan because you’re pushed for time or don’t know how to start, then join us for 2.5 hours at our next free Hot PJ Marketing Planning workshop.

You’ll be guided through the process of developing your marketing plan by Hot PJ’s own business development expert, Wendy Riley-Biddle and Small Business consultant and trainer, Dave Sewell,

You’ll also receive a copy of our specially written book ‘The No-nonsense Guide to Marketing Planning’ aimed at guiding you through the marketing planning process in quick easy-to-follow steps.

At the end of this the workshop you’ll have useful new tools, advice and contacts for completing your own marketing plan.

When: 9th March 2010, 8.30 – 11.00am
Where: Venue to be advised, but will be inner city Christchurch
Cost: FREE!
Email us to register for our free marketing planning workshop

Posted on February 15th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Hot PJ Seminars, Marketing | No Comments »

Part 1: Websites

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to be planning your marketing projects for 2010. But the very first thing you should do is review your existing tools and find out:

• Which tools can be improved
• Which need to be replaced
• Which need to be written off

All too often we grow overly attached to our logo, brochures, flyers, websites and other marketing tools, and our view of them becomes heavily biased. Sometimes it only takes one comment from someone outside of our company to point out some drastic design or marketing elements that are missing or need improving.

In this edition of the Hot Gossip newsletter, we’ll concentrate on websites (and don’t miss the end of this newsletter for the opportunity to win a free printed guide on No Nonsense Marketing for Small Business!).

Is my website working for my company or is it just a silent partner soaking up funds?

First off, if you don’t have a website then now’s a good time to be thinking seriously about getting one setup. Feel free to use our Website Start-Up Guide to figure out the best way to plan your website and then get in touch for an obligation free quote.

Now, if you have a website, it does not necessarily mean you’ve ticked the box next to “Website” on your marketing plan. There are an incredible number of sites out there that are just not fit for purpose.

Treat your website like an employee

Your website should not be seen as a poster that you put up in a street and hope people will read. Think of your site as a living, breathing employee of your business and expect the same standards:

1. Is your website growing with your business or is it getting left behind?
2. Does your website welcome new visitors with a professional appearance?
3. Does your website explain the benefits of your products/services?
4. Does your site introduce your visitors to your staff and premises?
5. Does your website encourage visitors to make contact with your business?

Before you say “Yes” to each of these, take a second look. Wipe all knowledge of your business from your memory and act like a prospective customer looking for your product or service.

Can you find your website in Google by searching for that product or service (exclude your company name!).

Once you’ve found your website, what are your first impressions? Are you treated by a site that looks unique and professionally designed or are you treated to something that looks like it was made in MS Publisher by an employee’s son?

Browse your site as if you were looking for more information on your services. Does the site give you enough information and encouragement to phone your company? Now try and find your contact details. Are they up-to-date and in a logical position?

Now, here’s a biggie, go back to Google and visit some of the other websites that have come up for your search query. Generally, these will be your competitors. Visit their sites in the same way. Visit at least four other sites and compare them. As a customer, which company would you contact? Would it be yours?

Here’s a little secret …

When it comes to websites, not many people out there are doing it right! Of all the weapons of choice when it comes to marketing, websites are the most intricate and complex of the lot and very few companies have the right mix of design and marketing principles.

The lack of effort your competitors may be putting into their websites is a fantastic opportunity for you to improve your website above theirs and so improve your conversion rates.

OK know-it-all! What goes into a good site?

What if someone told you there’s a free, simple, plain-English guide out there to the core requirements of a site with links to some really useful tools that every website owner should know about. You wouldn’t buy an expensive car without knowing how to fill it with petrol and where the spare tire is right?

Find the free website review guide on our website.

Fancy some assistance?

All of us small-business-types have got a job to do. We all specialise in a particular field and often have little time for other things. Well amongst our specialities is website design, maintenance and optimisation!

Once you’ve filled in the guide (or even before if you want to discuss it directly with us) give us a call or drop us a line for an obligation free quote to give your website a complete overhaul or even just a service and polish.

Posted on February 15th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Marketing, Websites | No Comments »

1. Register your domain name yourself

It is easy to do and can avoid lots of headaches should you ever wish to part company with the person or company who registered the domain name on your behalf and may hold all the information. This way all communications regarding your domain name will go straight to you, rather than someone else, and there is less chance of loosing the domain name because someone forgot to pass the renewal notice on.

If your domain name is already registered you can easily check who is listed as the registrant on most domain name registration websites, such as Discount Domains or Domains 4 Less. If it isn’t registered to you, and you think it should be, you can request the registrant transfer the domain name to you.

2. Know your site host FTP details

The FTP details are the ‘keys’ to your site, make sure you get them from your developer or whoever has organised the hosting for your site.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used to download and upload your website files to and from the host server (the place where your website lives).

FTP details typically consist of three sets of information; an IP address (a series of numbers separated by full stops), a login and your password. Keep them in a safe place. Should you wish to change developers you will need to have this information available so your website files can be downloaded from the host server and worked on, then the new files uploaded.

3. Make sure your host company is regularly backing up your website

Websites are meant to be dynamic, meaning the information on them changes over time. If your hosting company is not backing up your site and they have a problem resulting in your website files being lost or damaged, you could be faced with having to build your website again from scratch.

4. Know how to access and best use your website’s statistical data.

Most commercial hosting packages come with access to historical information on who, where and when visitors came to your site. Google Analytics is also a wonderful tool that can be easily integrated into most sites. Ensure you know how to access this information and also how to best use the data they provide. If in doubt ask your developer or hosting company.

Information such as least and most popular site pages and downloads, entry and exit pages, referrers (search engines and other sites directing visitors to your site), can help you to make improvements to your site in key areas.

For more useful information on websites, design and marketing issues check out our archive of ‘Hot Gossip’ newsletter articles.

Posted on February 9th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: General, Websites | No Comments »

At Hot PJ we hear a lot of disturbing stories from website owners who have been left high and dry by their developers, often with little understanding of how their site works or how well it is performing.

As part of our philosophy at Hot PJ to help fellow website and business owners, we have developed a number of free tools and resources, including a Website  Review Tool.

We use this website audit review tool in our business to provide clients with an independent view on how their site is performing. Review areas include:

• site navigation
• the messages on the website, design
• functionality
• how well the site is set up to perform in search engines.

This very same tool is now available as a free download to assist you to evaluate the performance of your own site.

You can use any of the questions as a prompt with your own site developers or as a means of reviewing the site yourself. Better still get an independent person (who won’t be shy with their opinion) to use this tool to review your site.

At the end you should have a clearer picture of how well your site is performing and where changes, if any, can best be made.

• Download our Free Website Review Tool (112kb PDF)

• Check out the resources section of the Hot PJ site for more free web design and marketing guides and tools.

No time to do the review yourself?

If you don’t have anyone available to impartially review your site, then contact Hot PJ. We offer a completed review utilising our extensive experience in marketing and website development, for just $280 plus GST.

Posted on January 28th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Websites | No Comments »

Attracting visitors to a website can be a bit of a mystery for many website owners. Here’s a few Hot Gossip posts that guide newbies on how to increase the number of quality visitors to their websites.

Increase Your Online Search Presence for Free!

There’s no point forking out for the design and development of your website if no one can find it! The more qualified visitors your website receives, the greater your brand awareness and the more leads you receive…

Writing for Search Engine Presence

In terms of building websites, time and time again we tell our clients that nothing beats good quality content. If the pages on your website and the posts in your blog feature relevant and highly readable text then you’re already onto a good thing.

However, when writing for the web you need to consider not only your human readers but also your search engine presence…

Why your website should have personality

We’ve all visited them before – websites that trot out the same humdrum content, selling the same humdrum service, like all the other humdrum websites. You can easily spot them – they’re the ones that begin every sentence with ‘We…”

How to use Twitter and Blogs to drive traffic to your website.

How can Twitter and Blogs generate more business for my company?

Let’s talk in real world jargon-free terms for a typical small business -in this example we’ll use two fictional garages; Bob’s and Steve’s. Try to picture yourself as one of these mechanics, and your closest competitor as the other…

Beginner’s Guide to Twitter – 10 Steps

And how to get it working for you and your business…

Web 2.0 – What’s it all about and how to use it to your benefit

Not so many years ago, my then business partner asked me ‘this web thing, do you think it will last?’ He wasn’t the only one to take his time adjusting to business life in the age of the web.

Now the word is ‘Web 2.0′, at the centre of which is ‘User Generated Content’. This refers to online content that is not created by traditional media sources or by advertisers, but by the end consumers and readers themselves…

Is your web site working hard enough for you?

Run your website through a 20 point fitness assessment to find out how well it is working to draw in new prospects…

Posted on January 25th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: Marketing, Websites | No Comments »

Passionate hunter and skilled farmer all in one?
This is a great opportunity to really make your mark!

• Small funky inner-city design studio
• Flexible hours to suit your lifestyle
• Competitive package for the right candidate

Hot Pyjama Productions is a well established design studio located in central Christchurch. We are currently looking for a Business Development Manager to join our small team and help us create more magic.

In your new role you will be responsible for actively going out and seeking new business, while also helping to maintain the relationships with our existing clients. These clients range from large publicly listed companies with marketing teams, through to small start-up businesses looking for help and advice on how to best communicate with their target audience, so each day will bring new and exciting challenges.

You will be responsible for analysing what the clients’ requirements are and putting together a proposal that meets their needs, while wowing them with your charm, professionalism and considered approach.

The person who fills these shoes will be a vital part of the business, so we would require the following skills and attributes:

• At least 4 years in a professional sales role, preferably in the design or print production fields, we will however consider stars from any solution based industry.
• Exceptional communication and relationship building skills
• Resilient go-getting character
• Attention to detail
• Mature and level-headed approach
• Thrives in a small team environment
• Creative thinker who can think outside the square
• Proficiency in MS word, excel and the ability to pick up CRM packages (we use ACT)
• Active networker (both online and in person)

Bring your passion to help us with our continued success and in return you will receive a competitive remuneration package based on your level of experience (good base salary plus target driven bonus scheme), and join a company that truly cares, and appreciates the need for a work life balance. You will find the open management style and flexibility this position provides refreshing.

If you believe you are the person we need, we look forward to receiving your application. We however request only people legally entitled to work in NZ, and are able to attend the interview in Christchurch apply.

Applications accepted only through our listing on Seek.co.nz

Find out more:  About Hot PJ |  Our team |   Where we are located |  Philosophy

Posted on January 20th, 2010 by Wendy Riley-Biddle
Filed under: General, Marketing | No Comments »