Marketing Eye

Expert Marketing Blog - Page 83

Are you on the right track? Small business owners need to know...

We are 6 weeks into a new financial year. The market took a big nose dive last week causing many sleepless nights for people around the globe and housing prices are on the decline after a heated market that seemed to go for far too long effecting the sentiment of all consumers.

The Facebook's, Google's and Twitter's of the world, are rightly so, oblivious to any changes, because people are still flocking to their profitable billion dollar platforms that see the founders and investors laughing all the way to the bank. It's as if they won the lotto and the rest of us just keep putting our tickets in each week, in hope.
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How much can you eat?

Have you ever been part of a truly historical moment?

From the humble origins of Spanish churros hundreds of years ago in the mountain grasslands of Spain to the arrival of churro makers to Australia in the 1800s, people from all walks of life now enjoy eating churros.

On Saturday 20 August Melbourne's Federation Square is host to “The World’s First Churro Eating Competition” at 12 noon.  The event will see ten dedicated churro lovers battle it out for the title and the $1000 cash prize!

This moment in doughnut eating history, organised by churro specialists Spanish Doughnuts, is heralded as the doughnut lovers’ biggest challenge.  The lucky finalists will compete by eating as many platefuls of hot, fresh Spanish Doughnuts’ original churros (a golden crispy doughnut rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a fluffy centre) as they possibly can in two minutes.

“This type of event has never been done before so we are very excited to meet the world’s first ever ‘Churro Eating Champion’.  We have received hundreds of entries daily from avid doughnut lovers via our website and stores so it really will be a close competition” says Michael Aldemir, Director, Spanish Doughnuts Australia.

Also, as part of this historical event you can enjoy salsa dancing by taking part in the “Salsa Churro Dance Competition” at 12.15pm, which offers a $500 cash prize for the pair who can dance while keeping their churros intact!  This promises to be a fun event for all, come along and be part of Spanish Doughnut history!

For further information please visit www.spanishdoughnuts.com.au

P.S. If you like this marketing blog, then please feel free to share it on whatever social network medium you see fit. We love facebook, twitter and linkedin!

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Volatile Markets and What That Means For Your Company's Marketing

I have a headache - but hey, who hasn't? With GFC, natural disasters and market crash after crash - I have to say, I have now stopped worrying about the small stuff and am trying, in vein, to not feel anything when another bout of bad news comes my way.

The US debt issue is bigger than one can imagine. It not only effects the US, but the entire global economy. To find out that our Australian dollar has fallen prey and is now on par again with the US dollar is incredibly disappointing. I have just found out how easy it is to buy everything and sundry online from the US and save big time. I now feel guilty every time I make a purchase in a store locally, because I know that I am being royally screwed when it comes to price.
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The World's Top Innovators

Interesting to find that salesforce.com is listed as the world's biggest innovator by Forbes Magazine. I remember when the company first came to Australia, my good friend and someone who has been an amazing mentor to me Ad Nederlof told me all about the company as he is one of the world's most famous CRM pioneers. I kind of forgot about how big they really are until I read the story. Check it out on www.forbes.com Innovators - The Nifty 50.

P.S. If you like this marketing blog, then please feel free to share it on whatever social network medium you see fit. We love facebook, twitter and linkedin!
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A holiday is good for business

I've written pages and pages of notes whilst lying by the pool. I have recorded podcast after podcast in my hotel room whilst awaiting dinner engagements, meeting up with friends or going to the beach. And, I've written a new business plan, marketing strategy and information memorandum - all in one week.

Now, that may not seem like a holiday to most people, but as an entrepreneur, having a holiday is more about letting my body relax and freeing my mind from any stresses. If ideas and innovations flow from being in this relaxed state, then jotting down some notes, really isn't too difficult at all.
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Why online marketing fails

Being a statistic for failure isn’t much fun-let’s face it. I don’t like the idea, and I bet you aren’t too keen on it either. And when it come to small business, or any business or cause for that matter it is best to avoid it like the plague. This leads me to wonder why so many businesses out there do not invest in a solid online marketing strategy of an effective website.

Put simply- no business will survive without a good website. However, what is most surprising to me is not how bad some websites actually are but in fact how easily these website short comings or problems can be fixed.

Having had a browse around various small business websites recently it occurred to me the magic a good website can do for a small business.

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GOALS VS ACTIONS

A new year means many things to many people. If you are an entrepreneur and it is a new financial year, your goals will tend to be around business. Alternatively, 1st of January tends to be a combination of personal and professional goals.

As I look back on the year we have just had, I smile. Why? I think it is more to do with growing – as a person and as an entrepreneur.

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Need motivation or just a little direction?

We are more than 2 weeks into the new financial year and already the business side of things is getting in the way of marketing the brand and driving sales. Is your business any different? Are you being overcome with day-to-day activities that are absorbing all your energy and time?

Marketing is one of those areas in the business that needs to be placed on the agenda. It has to be on the Minutes of Management Meeting's week after week. If not, it is far too often, placed to the way-side.
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The dream of building a billion dollar empire

"What I gleaned from viewing “The Social Network” was bigger and more important than whether the scenes and details included in the script were accurate. After all, the movie was clearly intended to be entertainment and not a fact-based documentary. What struck me most was not what happened – and what did not – and who said what to whom and why. The true takeaway for me was that entrepreneurship and creativity, however complicated, difficult or tortured to execute, are perhaps the most important drivers of business today and the growth of our economy." Eduardo Saverin.

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Bribe or clever marketing?

Is it a bribe or clever promotion?

'Super Saturday' they call it. Woolworths is giving away $1 million dollars to shoppers through an instore promotion on Saturday between 10am and 2pm. Every 15 minutes, average and not so average Australians shopping in Woolworths have the chance to win $25 Gift Vouchers. The snag is, you have to be instore to win it.
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Is a blog for someone with a little too much time on their hands?

People often ask me why I write a blog when I am so busy that I struggle to find enough hours in the day. The answer isn't EGO - yes, I do love that so many people read my blog, but most of whom do, I have never met and probably will never have the opportunity to.

It's not because I am bored or I think that I am an exceptional writer - because I have never had a bored moment in my life (it's my dream to be bored one day) and as for the writing, I only write well when I put effort in, and this blog is more a rambling of my thoughts, rather than something that I have placed alot of emphasis on.

The ONE reason I write this blog is to CONNECT with my target audience and to communicate with other marketers who have interesting ideas on marketing or who have a point of view.
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Carbon Tax - is it time for small business to take notice?

Having worked in the sustainability sector for the past 10 years, marketing businesses 'green' credentials and promoting a greener way of doing business, running your business and getting consumers to understand that making a small change in what you do can mean a big difference to the environment - it's no surprise that the new carbon tax is something that I am becoming increasingly familiar with.
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