Tapioca Marketing

This weekend, well actually Friday, I had a hankering for homemade Tapioca pudding. I used to make it all the time when my kids were young, but it had been YEARS. So with a winter storm predicted, I got some food in for the weekend between appointments on Friday, including the Tapioca. Now this looked like new fangled Tapioca, not the red box type. But what I actually found out was it was "pearl" tapioca, which meant it was more involved to make.

But never fear, I put the pearls to soak on Friday afternoon, so they could soak overnight as the instructions read.

Saturday, I could almost taste how good the pudding was going to be, but another challenge presented itself. I was supposed to make this in a double-boiler type pan, something I don't own. But I used a steamer insert with the upper part of the steamer lined with aluminum foil so that the steam wouldn't get in. I used a bowl inside this contraption for the actual cooking.

Well, to make a LONG story a little shorter, my pudding never gelled. Today, while I was out cross-country skiing, I figured that I could still bake it in the oven, just like a custard pie, without the crust. It worked. Finally tonight I had my first taste. Not pudding consistency, but still very good.

So why am I telling you all this?

Well, sometimes we do marketing that doesn't work. I'm sure we all have those leftovers that we're now wondering what to use or throw away.

Jeremy Haselman, a young financial planner for Northwest Mutual, had that happen to him. Early in '08, someone convinced him to plop down some money to be included in a "wedding-focused" brochure. Of course, Jeremy didn't get any business from this and when he was considering throwing the many leftovers out, he thought, "I should at least get to know all the rest of the advertisers in the flier." That is exactly what he did and now he knows a few that he can work with in the future and some that he won't waste his time. But Jeremy took a leftover and turned it into something positive.

Pudding and advertising have a lot in common!

Punishment

I'm laughin'

A few people who attended the Tuesday night Certified Networker graduation have remarked that it was cruel punishment to have everyone talk about their favorite pizza topping.

Now, just to make sure that you know that we weren't that cruel, we did have food for people, but it was not pizza.

I guess many people headed out for their favorite pizza parlor after the event was done.

Talk about hidden marketing! I should be getting a commission for all the pizza sold in Toledo on Tuesday night.

Right!

3M Sticks it to Me

Frustration!

Today I had reserved time to decorate the house for the holidays. Because Steve won't let me hammer nails into the woodwork, I used those little white or clear plastic hooks that 3M manufacturers. Each year I buy the replacement sticky part -- the two-sided tape attachment that sticks one side to the plastic hook and the other to the wall or woodwork.

So today I had to run uptown to get some of the replacements. I went to four stores, Rite-Aid, Big Lots, K-Mart and Lowes and the situation was the same at each store. There are no replacement sticky parts available. I finally gave in a bought the supply of tape AND hooks that I don't need. Since at all stores, these were offered for sale from a special "Command 3M Display," I have to assume that 3M has decided not to offer replacements. Or the four stores have decided to only offer the combinations of hooks and tape because they will make more money.

Either way, I am mad for two reasons. I had to buy something I don't need to get a part that I do need. That will only add to our mounting garbage situation. It also means I have to shell out more money than I need to.

Does anyone have a comment on this stupid marketing offering?

Gap creates a gap

Seth Godin posted about The Gap having to close stores. I can remember when I lived in Royal Oak, MI (the coolest place to live in my book) that the Birmingham store was the place to shop. Right on the corner of Woodward and Maple, it drew a crowd? Why? Because it was different than any other store around.

Now there is a Gap for everyone. Along with regular people there are separate stores for babies, kids and preggers. There is even a gapbody, whatever that means. Hey, Gap, you lost your niche. In your rush to blanket the world with your overpriced clothing, you became a blur. You are just like J.C. Penney and the hip (does that word date me?) don't want to be seen there.

That's a lesson for all of us.

What makes you unique? Know and exploit that for all its worth.

And it is worth a lot!

Yes, We Like Buzz-zz-zz

Just read a neat post about buzz -- the kind that we all want. Tom talked about an 8th graduation he attended where the audience sang to the grads, etc. It made me think seriously how to change the graduation process that we have for our adult students of the Certified Networker training. I think I will ask seasoned grads (those who has previously completed the course) in the audience to volunteer to give the new grads advice. While it's not singing, it is involvement. And it would be spontaneous. It's my sense that it will get people talking. Thanks, Tom for your ideas.

Being Memorable

Did you go to a networking meeting today?


If so, which person do you remember most?


What makes them so memorable?

Fred Schmits, is the owner and founder of Mobil Lube, a "come to you" oil change business in Findlay, Ohio. He is also a member of the Findlay BNI chapter. Several weeks ago they had a visitor day, where the goal was to invite lots of guests to attend.

The picture shows how memorable Fred made himself that day.


After all when you hear the words "oil change tech" what do you envision?

Certainly not the tuxedoed butler, complete with blue rubber gloves.

I'm guessin' that both visitors and member still have a picture of Fred in their head as he was dressed that day. It probably just won't go away.



What are some vivid examples of marketing that you have cemented in your brain?