Small Business Commando News

Cross Cultural Marketing Hazzards, originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

You don’t suppose that Cocacola would allow them to use the,

"It’s the Real Thing" slogan, do you?

At 4:30 Sunday morning, Deborah and I headed over to watch the sun rise over Lake Michigan.

We stopped at the 24-hour Starbucks in Boys Town, and the crowd was electrified wrapping up a hard night of reverie and gearing up for the Gay Pride Parade that would start in a few hours.

In Chicago, a city with broad shoulders and broad minds, there are celebrations of ethnicity, history, and game fish (Musky Fest, anyone?).

But there is a big difference between tolerance and acceptance.

Honestly, can we celebrate Gay Pride and still pressure celebrities to declare their same sex orientation?

History teaches us that periods of economic crisis are usually followed with periods of increased intolerance and hate.  This time, let’s recover without repressing.

We have come a long way.

In the 1920’s, my grandfather had a cross burned in the yard of his rural Kentucky home because he was Catholic.

Within a generation, most major cities host a Gay Pride Parade without incident.

Now, that’s progress.

So what’s that got to do with small business marketing?

I thought you’d never ask.

Chicago, like many cities, has a Gay, Lesbian, Transgender Yellow Pages directory as well as several niche, neighborhood, and ethnic directories.

Does advertising in these directories make good business sense?

Well, it depends.

Advertising has to ring true for it to be effective.

Marketing to Gays, Hispanics, or Koreans makes sense ONLY if it is true to your business.

Your customers want respect, acceptance, and integrity.

Ask your Gay, Hispanic, or Korean customers two questions:

1. How does my business serve your needs better than my competitors?

2. Do you regularly refer your friends to me?

If both answers are positive, your niche directory ad will be a great investment because it will support the referrals you’re already getting.

If either answer is negative, you need to fix your business for your niche directory ad to work.

Now go sell something.

Great Bench Ad for Kit Kat, originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

Most bus bench ads totally suck.

With a little creativity, this one rocks.

Bravo Nestle!

A Rose by any other name . . ., originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

Most kids go through a phase when they wish they had a different name.

This is probably not on the list of the most requested.

Clever Rolling Ad, originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

The secret to successful advertising is to "Stop the eye, and start the sale"

I’ll bet that at slow speed, this is really eye-catching.

Unreliable Yellow Pages Delivery, originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

We found a Yellow Pages delivery guy sleeping in our yard.

Bad Ad of The Week, originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

How do you know when it’s time to get a new marketing guy?

Here’s a clue.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell . . . not really necessary, originally uploaded by Small Business Commandos.

The military is making that whole "don’t ask, don’t tell" thing unnecessary.