Yesterday Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) released a discussion draft of his long awaited privacy legislation; with hopes of protecting individuals from unscrupulous information gathering and targeting practices that impede on privacy we expect.This bill will seek to create government regulation for online marketers.
The online marketing and advertising industry grosses $24 billion annually and has been working under a self-regulated basis.There are some standards, such as opting in and out of mailing lists that the new legislation will uphold.However, some of the new regulations include informing individuals, who are willingly submitting contact information, as to who will have access to the information and for how long it will be retained.
This bill also addresses tracking online user profiles and selling the anonymous information of who has been where and what they are interested in to marketers that want to advertise to a tightly targeted audience.The resolution proposed in this bill may complicate issues for direct marketers as well, as it would require all marketers to get permission from each individual on a list to mail/advertise before any initial offer is received.Therefore, if you wanted to promote a timeshare with a targeted online ad or a direct mail piece, you would first have to contact the potential customer and get permission to send them the promotion.
This bill has only just entered the discussion stages and certainly in the following weeks changes will be made, as industry leaders and lobbyists on both sides voice their concerns.However, we see a few changes coming on the forefront of the online marketing industry.
Positioning is a key element in marketing strategy. Whether you are focused on overall business, retail, sports or non-profit marketing - it is crucial to understand the position of your brand in relation to your competitor. It is key to developing marketing strategies that will reinforce your brand's existing positioning or any new position you may transition into .
Consumers weigh brand values such as quality, price, availability/distribution and consumer messages in order to designate individual brands with their own unique position. This valuable perception can be used to get an interpretation of how brands measure up to their competitors in the marketplace. This is not always the way you perceive your business, so it can help to have input from someone that can be objective.
Market Research is often required to determine a brand's existing position before marketing strategies can be developed.
A marketing strategy will identify the brand's positioning strategy - which could be based on product attributes (e.g. Volvo and safety), benefits provided (Apple - reliable portable computing) or usage occasion (Champagne brands - celebration).
Perceptual direction in marketing strategy is useful in illuminating positions of competitive brands. Each brand should have a unique map measuring brand perceptions, which will help brand managers to move from where the brand is to where you want to be. Your marketing strategy will dictate which two attributes are used for the vertical and horizontal axis and each competitor mapped on them. This tool will assist you in developing a better understanding of the market in your brand's industry.
Ideally, when creating an effective marketing strategy - a niche position is sought - a position which no other competitor occupies. The benefit is creating a market for your product, which none of your competitors can provide, increasing the power of your brand and your bottom line.
The organization must first differentiate product/service - offering more perceived value to that provided by competitors.
The offer or brand promise must then be delivered - using your marketing strategy as a guide for all aspects of your business will help you to deliver on this promise.
MediaFit’s niche is partnering with clients in order to provide sound brand strategy. MediaFit is ready to help you on your journey. For more information, click the links below to contact our development departments to find out how to create a niche for your brand that will differentiate you from the crowd and generate more business.
Vice President of MediaFit Named one of the Top Entrepreneurs in the Triad
Shane Williams, the Co-owner & Vice President of MediaFit, Inc, has received the award from Business Leader Magazine for being one of the Top 50 Entrepreneurs in the Triad. Williams has been working for himself and running his own companies since 1991.
Having the natural skills of a leader helped make MediaFit, Inc and several other entrepreneurial ventures successful including developing the largest chain of Karate Dojo’s in North Carolina, Karate International.
Williams, alongside his partners, Ginger Gallagher and Michelle Soyars have guided the growth of MediaFit into a full service marketing and advertising agency. MediaFit has been able to grow its business throughout the country with a strong focus in North Carolina.
On Friday, MediaFit joined with the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce by hosting the First Friday Business Before Hours Event.
With balloons, streamer, and packages in place the team of eleven employees offered a warm welcome to over one hundred Chamber Members that joined in the festivities. The hour of networking was complimented with a cupcake for each guest and a loot bag filled with goodies.
Shane Williams, Vice President of MediaFit, said "This was a great opportunity to share the story of our business with our community and thank everyone who helped us get where we are today."
Having deemed the event a success MediaFit would like to offer a sincere thank you to each of you who were able to attend and to all of those who have made MediaFit the success that it is today!
Over the Christmas break I had the opportunity to discover the value of the Wii Fit Plus and the games in that package. So every morning I climb out of bed early to step up onto the Wii Fit board and test my center of balance, and my ability to focus. This morning as I was intently focusing on putting the little red dot in the very center of the screen representing a perfect center of balance, the game reminded me that an off center balance can have a negative effect on your posture and thus on the alignment of your pelvis and spine that could lead to aches and pains.
As I found myself hunched over the keyboard this afternoon typing up a storm I briefly reflected on my exercise lesson from this morning and it’s application to my business life. The importance on focusing on the central aspects of your business, the core, and perhaps the spine if you will, fell on me with surprising weight. Working in advertising has reinforced the knowledge that if the focus on your business or on your advertising messages falls out of alignment your business suffers.
Sears for example was the place you went to for everything, you could even buy a house from them for a time in the twentieth century. However, as competitors came onto the field in every market that Sears once owned they seemed to loose their purpose and their once coveted place in the market. This was evident in multiple years of sales losses – however in the mid 1990’s Sears came out with a new advertising campaign focusing on the softer side of Sears, and for the first time in long time. 1
As you can see in your personal life as well as in your business life focus is of integral importance if you wish to stay in alignment.
With the development of the iPhone there was a new advertising method created.Advertising through applications on your customer’s cellular phones.
Apple ever being on the forefront of how to provide a useful service that will endear you to your customer has created a good blueprint for a successful application.First there should be one or two that are free to get your customer engaged to download the first one.Second it should provide a useful service or be fun and entertaining. It should also be easy to access and download quickly.
Some businesses have taken to this format quickly. Nationwide has created an application that reminds their customers what to do in case of a automobile accident.Blackberry created an application that houses all the applications available for their phones.
Application marketing is still on the forefront but as more and more companies experiment with being securely in their customer’s pocket I am sure we will see a stronger trend in this direction.
With clients in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, the greater Triad area and beyond, MediaFit is Piedmont North Carolina's leading provider of strategic marketing,
sports marketing, and creative advertising design. Our services include branding & corporate identity development, sports marketing and sponsorship,
comprehensive advertising planning, media buying & negotiation, and sales consulting - all with the power and skill of an experienced,
full service advertising agency.
