What we can Learn About Business From Forrest Gump

One of my favorite films is Forrest Gump. It is full of great values on family, friends, morality, and life. Although its principal character is fairly cut and dry in terms of his integrity, this movie is not a simple fairy tale. It is a strong statement on how the choices people make matter.

During the film, Gump promises to go into the shrimp business with his good friend Pvt. Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue. Unfortunately, Blue died in the war, but Gump was a man of his word and he decided to go full speed ahead in making a company in his buddy’s name as soon as he got the money. In a turn of events that only Forrest could enjoy, Gump found himself in business and out on a boat trying to make a living catching shrimp. Unfortunately, Gump was late to coming to this market and found he was struggling to make ends meet. All the old timers knew the best place to find shrimp and poor Forrest was out cold. He didn’t give up, however, and through determination and prayer he found himself prepared for the opportunity of a lifetime.

However, it didn’t look like the opportunity of a lifetime when it came upon him. Instead, it looked like the end. A massive storm hit his port city and the vast majority of the competition hid from it and put their boats on the shore. They had a “bunker” mentality and a “buckling down” attitude and the result was the destruction of virtually all the ships. This was not the case for Forrest Gump who stayed on the boat and on the water; his aggressive attitude made him one of the only survivors of the storm.

Today, more people are interested in marketing than any point I have ever seen. The era of low hanging fruit is over and people know they have to go after potential clients. The question is how to do it. I have friends telling me about phenomenal marketing opportunities and can’t make a decision. They are simply stuck. What is preventing these people from making a decision? The biggest reservation is time commitment. They understand that virtually all marketing has a ramp up period before it reaches its effectiveness, but don’t know about committing for six months or more. My question is, “what do you plan on doing in six months?”

Those who do nothing will find themselves like those poor souls that were competitors of Forrest Gump. Their customers will disappear in this stormy economy while those who are aggressive will prosper. Unless you honestly plan on doing something else for a living a year from now, consider your marketing as a long term prospect and not a short term action. This economy will go to the brave and the bold, not to the faint of heart.

This article originally appeared at CNN650.com, part of the CBS Radio Network.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on CNN 650 (M-F at 11 am). Eric Bolling of Fox News and Fox Business and says that Price’s Blog “is very influential and moves the blogosphere.” Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com.

The Screen People Will Watch in the Future is in Your Pocket

The "first screen" we have known and loved for decades has been the television. In recent years our passions have turned to our laptop and PC screen, but the screen of the future is going to have us squinting. At least those my age.

At a recent convention in San Francisco reported in CNET, Marketers discussed the various vehicles they are using to reach today's teens. The overwhelming vehicle choice is the mobile device. What does the future hold for mobile communications? "Mobile phones in the United States will surpass the popularity of desktops for teens. Only an estimated 20 percent of teens currently own a smartphone such as the iPhone, but mobile phone and content companies are counting on the idea that smartphone adoption will spread fast among teens in middle America and other areas."

In the future, there will be more and more ads being sent to mobile devices. This is because they can target the audicence better by interest, age, gender, and geography. Furthermore, text ads get noticed in a way web ads and (in particular) email spam never enjoys.

One definite piece of good news for fans of traditional media is that these devices will actually bolster the health of television, not undermine it. Devices will be able to use more video (20 percent of all young people already have smart telephones such as the iPhone, as stated above) and ads that would normally be on TV will also show up on the small screen.

The future of media looks very interesting and very small.

According to recent surveys on marketing, most advertising attracts sellers (others who want you to buy more ads) and not buyers. Do you want to know why? Email info@HoustonBusinessShow.com and put "marketing audio" in the subject line and we will get it to you.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Your Marketing May Be Broke

Recently I was handed an audio program from Monopolize Your Marketplace that was refreshing to hear. The two CD program -- available for free from the organization -- was better than many programs that you have to pay substantial money to purchase. It reminded me of some conclusions I have acquired over time myself but have often gotten lost in the noise of marketing today.

The "branding" style of marketing used by mega corporations often fails to work for them -- in spite of their ability to spend millions on such. Instead, there is a simple methodology that has worked well for customers for centuries. In fact, maybe as long as commerce itself. Here is a quick breakdown of the four steps all marketing should take.

* Interrupt. You have to get the consumers attention or you will be ignored. Unfortunately, most advertising does only that and leaves the audience at that point when the advertiser should be doing the next step...

* Engage. It should begin a dialogue with the audience that makes them want to listen for more and learn more, very few advertisers provide such, let alone the next important step of...

* Educate. This is the advertisers opportunity to separate themselves from the competition and to begin to blow them away. Customers are not stupid, they want and deserve to be informed, this step is crucial and is best followed with...

* Offer. You have to give the customer a reason to contact you, even if they are not ready to "buy" today. This interested party today could be a great customer tomorrow.

All four of these elements need to be in their marketing program and the Houston Business Media Group (sponsors of the Houston Business Show) have always helped clients in that objective. I suggest reviewing your marketing against this criteria today.

The link above is to order the mp3 version of the CD program I recently listened to. Enjoy it as a gift from Monopolize Your Marketplace.

For a copy of the free audio program and free report, "Why Your Marketing Isn't Working," email Info@HoustonBusinessShow.com and put "marketing" in the subject line.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Does Your Marketing Work?

Most businesses have marketing today that, simply, doesn't work. There has been a massive paradigm shift in the world of business and most have been lost by viewing the symptoms of it (e.g., the dramatic rise of the Internet), but are largely unaware of the larger issues that are going to devastate businesses if they fail to be aware of those trends.

* There is a reason why businesses are placing their brand in actual programs (e.g., "The Old Spice Half Time Report)

* There is a reason why major media is moving their programming online and are desperately trying to get you to see the adds before you see the programs

* Businesses are buying air time on the radio and TV and are not merely "slicing, dicing, or chopping", but actually providing valuable information to become life long clients

* They are not limiting themselves to one or two outlets of information, but are taking a complete multimedia approach to reach potential audiences

The bottom line is that today's consumers are more savvy and cynical than in any time in media history. They are savvy and no longer do people merely wait for the answer when watching a TV show that tries to keep them on with a trivia question. Instead, most find it during the commercial break and often don't come back to the show because they are lost in another web search. They are cynical, because they know when they are being sold in the messages they see and hear and many are no longer standing (or sitting) for it.

Marketing has changed people in business dramatically and the savvy (and even cynical) marketer is going to know how to respond to that challenge. It begins by thinking like the very people they are trying to reach.

For a copy of the free report, "Why Your Marketing Isn't Working," email Info@HoustonBusinessShow.com and put "marketing" in the subject line.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Innovative Program Makes TV Ads Very Affordable in Houston

The Houston Business Show and Marketing Dynamics are implementing a unique marketing campaign that provides businesses with TV, radio, web, ezine advertising, and more for the typical price of utilizing one media. This from Houston's dBusinessNews on the elements of the program:

* 7 ads a day, M-F between 6 AM and Midnight on the hottest new channel in Comcast's interconnect -- Fox Business Network, which is in over 600,000 homes for 13 weeks

* Quarterly interview on the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650)

* Promotion of the ad campaign (and your business) on the radio show

* Campaign (and your business) featured on the home page of HoustonBusinessShow.com (under "As Seen on TV" link)

* Promoted in the

Houston Business Review that goes to over 50,000 every week during the campaign

* All production costs are included

* This ad campaign is below market on the TV alone, but includes all these other excellent elements. This is an excellent opportunity to have a multimedia campaign at a very reasonable cost.

I admit, I'm practicing a little "crass commercialism" here, but I am also providing something that I think many small business owners would be thankful for this time of the year. At only $4500 a business over three months, it is quite an opportunity. Get more information from Andy Valadez at Marketing Dynamics by emailing him at andy@marketingdynamics.org or by calling him at 713.560.3348.

Coke Banks on Consumer Ignorance

Let me preface this by saying I'm a Coke fan. I've sacrificed more than my fair share of healthy teeth to my favorite drink. But today I saw something that I hadn't noticed before. In the "cold drink" machine at the radio studio I noticed that the one time 20 ounce coke is called the .5 liter coke.

.5 liter. It sounds big. I mean think of those huge 2 liter bottles. One-fourth of that amount should be huge. In fact, they even put the .5 liter in big print to give that impression. I knew from the size of the bottle that it shrunk, regardless of the packaging. How much smaller? Around 20 percent, going from 20 ounces to 16.9.

I think Coke is probably right, most won't notice. They won't notice because they are too busy, regardless of confusion about the metric system. I'm not picking on Coke either, I'm sure they are not the only ones taking this approach. It is just an interesting example of marketing at work and spinning a potentially bad thing (smaller bottles), into a good one.

How to Market to Houston Businesses

Secret: This article will work in almost any city, but even the title is a part of the marketing strategy. At the time of this writing most of my clients are in Houston, I want them to find me in a simple Google search. I think you get the idea.

The way people market today is predicated on factors that really didn't exist just a few years ago. You would almost think that someone would have told many marketing businesses that they have no legitimate reason to exist with the advent of the Internet. Or, at the very least, they should make it clear that there expertise doesn't include the Internet if such is not the case. Ironically, some of the largest and most prestigious lag far behind in developing Internet based strategies.

I believe in the convergence of media. I believe some people like some sources of information while others might prefer a different means. I like everything; audio, video and (I'm old) articles. Some like TV, but increasingly many prefer to watch TV online (as Rupert Murdoch likes to say, "when and where they want it."). My firm uses TV, radio, podcasts (video and audio), articles, blogs, etc. to reach audience for our clients. With over 100,000 unique viewers and around 1 million hits each month, this strategy is working.

The hardest people to reach are business owners. It is quite common for them to work 10 hours plus, but still want to be kept informed. These individuals are quick to turn the page at the first sign of an ad, flip a channel at first sight of the commercial, or spin the radio at first sound of a break in their programming. My answer to that problem is simple. Get your message across when people are listening and watching. The group I describe as "the Accumulators" demand such.

I produced an audio about this important demographic group and I have been told by colleagues that recognizing this group and developing strategies to reach them can make or break a business. I have been encouraged to more vigorously spread the word on it, which is why I am writing this post.

I was recently interviewed by Robbie Adair of the Media A-Team on the power of the convergence of media (an essential element in reaching Accumulators) and want to invite readers to watch it here. Until people understand the importance of a multi-media approach and the role Accumulators are playing in the economy, they are going to find acquiring business a much more frustrating proposition.

Note: Order Kevin Price's audio program The Accumulators, which explains the impact that the Internet is having on marketing and consumer behavior. It is available online here for only $10 plus p and h. Receive the Houston Business Review e-zine free each week by clicking here.

A People Express for the 21st Century?

A new airline in the People Express tradition, Skybus, has recently launched and is creating a great deal of buzz in the airline industry. The airline took about a decade to go from conception to reality, but it could really be worth the effort in the current flying environment we live in today.

Thanks to the high cost of jet fuel, the shrinking of the airline industry, and other challenges, flying has become very expensive again and people are looking for an opportunity to fly on an affordable airline. Skybus intends to solve this problem with some innovative approaches:

* They sell several $10 tickets per flight, making it very interesting to potential customers. The "viral marketing" effect of such a program will go far to attract customers.

* Forget about a little revenue from in-flight magazines and product placement, this airline is selling every inch of the plane -- inside and out -- to advertisers. The outside of the plane (photo, above) itself will display a massive advertisement (see photo, with Nationwide insurance) and it appears that large parts of the internal part of the plane will be plastered with ads (at $500,000 a year). This will create lower costs for the airline that are being passed on to consumers.

* With a hub like Columbus, Ohio, low cost is obviously a serious consideration.

* The airline intends to be the cheapest airline in the industry. Period. This includes being 25 percent cheaper than Southwest Airlines, which is famous for affordable flying.

* Customers will have to pay for virtually every service on the plane -- baggage checks, food, etc. Furthermore, you will be able to even buy products on the plane.

I think there is room for a really cheap airline like Skybus and I intend to watch, with interest, how it progresses.

Geico Gets Increasingly Clever

I love the Geico Caveman commercial and I believe the company is brilliant at getting its message out. However, I'm equally excited about the new commercial on "a better way of spending 15 minutes online." In the new commercial the company shows individuals making complete fools of themselves and aspiring to be "YouTube stars." Time better spent would be finding a better rate for car insurance.

I'm fairly certain that they got the spots from YouTube and will further feed that insane frenzy. I wouldn't be surprised if Geico take this concept to the next level and create their own "YouTube" type platform or create a strategic alliance with YouTube in which Geico gives exposure to the videos and YouTube creates a special (and prominently displayed) area for people to submit them.

Increasingly advertisers are going to have to offer "more." More reasons to watch, more creative ways of making sure the message is heard, and variety in the messages. Those who recognize such will find their advertising much more successful.

Are Vanity Numbers in Trouble?

Back in the good old days people typically only had to remember 7 numbers in order to complete a call. Those numbers began with a word emphasizing the first two letters found correlated to numbers on the keypad (mine began as "LIncoln", which was "54"). With the rapid growth in the population and the changes in telecommunications, virtually every city now has to use ten digits. Still, the smart business could make it easy for potential customers to find them through the popular vanity numbers.

An apartment complex might have a number like (333) 444-RENT, with that word at the end making it easier to remember. Recently I was driving along in my car and I heard an ad for an upcoming concert in town and I wanted more information. I pulled out my phone and began to dial away and the last five digits was a name. Unfortunately for me, and those who use Blackberrys and other more modern phones (I use the T-Mobile Dash), I couldn't find the numbers (since the keypad conforms to a keyboard, I would have to "guess", which wasn't worth the effort in my opinion). In a recent interview with Richard Sonnier, our Houston Business Show expert in IT, it was pointed out that roughly 10 percent of all phones fall into this category. This means about 10 percent of cell phone users will not be able to easily navigate using vanity numbers. This number will only grow.

So what will replace vanity numbers? Well, these new phones virtually always have web access, so the web sites will continue to grow in importance and prominence. For those interested in calls, there will be a move towards finding numbers that are easy to remember (e.g., no more than 2 or 3 unique numbers per phone number).

Being able to change and flexibility is important in our world of business, as we see vanity numbers are finding themselves, like so many other things in our world today, a victim of the Internet.

When It Comes to Marketing a Business, Stop Spinning Wheels

On this week's Houston Business Show I interviewed our new expert, Andy Valadez of Marketing Dynamics. One of the things he discussed is the on going problem facing businesses of "hit and miss" when it comes to marketing. Some people will throw several hundred dollars on newspaper ads here, a few thousand on TV there, and a few thousand more on radio, but have little or nothing to show for it. Many businesses know why they got into the business they are in and think customers will naturally follow. It doesn't work that way in the real world, that is why you need serious marketing assistance.

Consultants like Andy Valadez build a foundation of marketing that makes sense for the particular business in question. They are strategic thinkers who know that PR, advertising, and sales are all mere pieces that rest on the marketing platform. There are several quality strategic marketing firms out there and I have found Marketing Dynamics to be one of the best for meeting the needs of emerging businesses. I encourage everyone to visit with firms like Marketing Dynamics and others to find the one best suited to meet a company's objectives and not spin your wheels with costly "hit and miss" approaches. I'm delighted to have Andy as a Business Show Advisor.

Old Spice Tries to Reach Young Guys

The purpose of advertising is to create awareness about a brand -- sure it's suppose to sell things too -- but getting the name out there is a primary concern. That's why advertisements don't typically have long educational messages or persuasive speeches, but usually cut to the chase and hope that their clever little line and/or visual will make you remember them.

Each week I get Sports Illustrated and this week I noticed the full page advertisement for Old Spice on the back cover. It is a photo of Faye Dunaway (circa 1968) showing her lounging on a couch and looking very attractive. I didn't like the line that went with it, however, which was "If your grandfather hadn't worn it, you wouldn't exist" ("it" would be Old Spice, of course). According to the New York Times, this ad is part of an aggressive campaign developed by agency Wieden & Kennedy, which is best known for the "Just Do It" campaign for Nike. Old Spice is investing $100 million in its efforts this year alone.

I found this ad irritating. After all, it is kind of disconcerting thinking about the process that they are implying as it relates to my grandparents. I think you know what I mean. But more importantly, I almost get the impression that they think I owe them something. "Hey, buddy, since you wouldn't exist without us, you need to guarantee our existence." I don't do very well with guilt trips and it really speaks of desperation to me.

My initial response was to write a blog entry, but as you can see I also did some research and found that this is part of a much larger campaign. One of the ads (see the photo above) actually made me blush at the sight of an ice cream cone! This ad isn't my style either. So for me, this ad campaign is coming up short.

However, this campaign wasn't for me, it is clearly an appeal to younger men and not those in their 40s who are very committed to the products they use (I like rubbing alcohol after I shave). They are going to a group that could be more easily motivated by such ads. A younger generation. Furthermore, the ad did catch my attention enough to do a little research and I actually spent multiples more in time than the company who developed the campaign believed I would. My Google search on the campaign indicates that I'm not the only one, there is a great deal of "ink" devoted to this story, resulting in millions of dollars in brand awareness. As I pointed out at the beginning, that is one of the primary reasons companies do ad campaigns. This blog entry is just one more example of free exposure that the brand received, even if it wasn't completely favorable.