R U Ready for Christmas Shoppers?

R U Ready for Christmas Shoppers?

Do you feel like the year is speeding to a close?   A lot of others do too.

All the build up for Election Day with the push from both parties to vote early, was making headlines meanwhile most people went about their usual lives with the end of year holidays. Halloween is always the last day of October so retailers know when to stock their shelves with candy, costumes and decorations.  However many Halloween events occurred earlier in the month so we can safely say that the entire month was Halloween Shopping Season.

Right now we’re focused on Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and while Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are always December 24th and 25th, Thanksgiving is a little trickier.

A lot of folks that I’ve talked to thought it was November 22nd, but November 29th is Turkey Day 2024.  That’s pretty late in the month, which means that Black Friday is the 30th.

Black Friday has been the traditional kick off for Christmas shopping and this year we have less than 4 weeks until Christmas gifts are opened. 

As a retailer, are you ready?  Here’s some great insight that readers of my Sound ADvice newsletter received a couple weeks ago:

People are shopping earlier and earlier.  Are you ready to capture your share of the holiday shopping season?

On average, the top 10 busiest shopping days in the U.S. account for approximately 30 – 40% of all holiday retail traffic. Taking advantage of these 10 days and the days surrounding them is paramount to having a successful holiday shopping season. (Source: Sensormatic, Sept 2024)

Consumer reports and surveys from nearly every industry expert indicate that spending will increase by nearly 32% in 2024. The average shopper will spend approximately $1261, up from $958 in 2023.

According to the NRF (National Retail Federation), 45% of shoppers plan to start shopping before November, up from 40% just 10 years ago.

There are three main reasons why consumers are getting in the buying spirit earlier than normal this holiday season: 

  1. Fear of limited supplies
  2. Inflation – Stretching their budgets
  3. Major retailers setting the pace and launching sales events earlier

According to an October 2024 Forbes article, holiday shopping isn’t just for retailers. Restaurants, décor stores, and others can cash in as well. Of the $1261 each shopper plans to spend on average, not all is targeted for gifts. Spending on food and décor has surged by 61% and entertainment budgets have increased by 56.4%. 

Well-planned businesses that run well-executed events and promotions can help garner more than their fair share of the holiday shopping pie. Knowing when the shoppers are ready to shop and being prepared for them is paramount to getting that fair share. 

Stores that plan in-store special events and then promote them will see more significant store traffic and greater sales than those that simply sit back and “hope” people stop in. Inviting holiday shoppers into the store at key buying times can and will make all the difference.

The busiest shopping days will see some slight changes in 2024. With that said, Black Friday will hold its title as the busiest shopping day.

Are you ready?

According to Sensormatic Solutions, the 10 busiest shopping days of the 2024 holiday season in the United States are:

  1. Black Friday: Friday, November 29
  2. Super Saturday: Saturday, December 21
  3. Monday before Christmas: Monday, December 23 
  4. Sunday before Christmas: Sunday, December 22 
  5. Second Saturday before Christmas: Saturday, December 14  
  6. Saturday after Black Friday: Saturday, November 30
  7. Boxing Day: Thursday, December 26
  8. Third Saturday before Christmas: Saturday,  December 7
  9. Saturday after Christmas: Saturday, December 28
  10. Friday before Christmas: Friday, December 20

While this article focuses on retail, there is major money being spent in and around the holiday season in many other business categories. For example, Life Insurance and Investments, HVAC, and many end-of-year health care procedures are being completed.  The age-old saying, “making hay while the sun shines” is appropriate in these and other categories as well.

If you would like help planning any of your marketing and/or advertising events for this holiday season, it’s not too late.  Contact me and I will gladly sit down with you and help come up with creative ideas to help you have a successful 2024 holiday shopping season.  And even more important, we can develop a plan for 2025 so you’re not missing out on any of the major shopping days and seasons.

How’s Your Culture?

How’s Your Culture?

First, I’m sharing information that readers of my Sound ADvice newsletter received October 30th and if you’d like a free email subscription, just let me know.  Then I’ll add some additional insights…

Today’s #1 concern of most business owners is not what their competition is doing, when the next recession will arrive, or how much business Amazon may be taking from them.   Most business owners and managers will tell you their #1 concern is… finding good employees!

Ask yourself, “If the perfect person walked through my door today and was looking for a job, what would I do?”  Would you ADD this new-found superstar to your team, or is there someone on your team that you would “offer an opportunity to find a new career”, i.e. replace them?

The cost of emotionally disengaged employees is staggering, and the number of disengaged employees is huge.  In America, a Gallup Research Poll found that 70% of employees would consider a better opportunity if one was presented to them.  They also found that 51% of employed people already have a resume put together and are actively looking for their next job or career.

One consistent sign of any great company is the longevity of its employees.  Smart business owners understand it’s a far better investment to pamper, reward, recognize, support, train, pay your current employees well, and keep them than to continue hiring, training, and rehiring unengaged employees.

The things employees want most vary from survey to survey, but they include flexibility, opportunity, defined responsibility, attention and recognition, autonomy, and purpose, to name a few.

As a business owner, gauging or rating your employees’ happiness isn’t easy.  A quick way to do this is to have each employee take a simple survey.  This simple, non-threatening exercise will answer nearly everything you need to know about their level of engagement, and whether or not you need to put the HELP WANTED sign out front of your business.

Consider asking your employees these two powerful questions to find out if they are happy, or if they are part of the 70% that would consider a better opportunity:

1) Do you feel like your supervisor cares about you as a person?

2) Do you feel like there is an opportunity for you to grow here?

Caution:  DO NOT have your employees put their names on the survey.  I can almost assure you that you will know who they are by their answers.

If you would like the complete list of 11 Survey Questions to Measure your Employees’ Happiness Level, click here or contact me

Since 2013 I’ve worked for WOWO radio, which is owned by Federated Media.  Started out as one of 5 on the advertising sales team for WOWO, was asked to lead our team in 2020, added three more stations sales teams to manage in 2022 and then at the end of 2023, recruited myself back to ad sales for WOWO and our sports talk station, The Fan.

This is not my first job in radio advertising, but it’s one that I plan on doing until I retire.

Why?

It’s a culture thing.

That includes happiness, but it also includes freedom and support.

We are currently short staffed on our sales teams at Federated Media in Fort Wayne which is one of the reasons I’m back in sales instead of management.

We have 4 sales teams, one for each radio station.  That includes WMEE, K105, 989 The Bear and WOWO plus the WOWO team also sells our other talk station The Fan.

One of my most challenging duties as a General Sales Manager was recruitment.

We have high standards and that starts with taking an online talent assessment to see if we are a good fit for the candidates that apply.

My last summer in management, I hired two for the Bear and only one is still there.  I reviewed over 400 applicants to get those two.

Right now, we have 10 total for all stations, we should have 16 to be fully staffed.

One of the things sales people hate is unnecessary meetings and so most weeks we are fortunate to only have a couple of hours each week that we need to be at the office for a meeting.  The rest of the time, we’re out taking care of clients and finding new clients.

Well last month we were “pulled off the streets” as the saying goes for a half-day session with our sales consultant.  As I was looking around the conference room, I saw a bunch of individuals that while small in number (10 instead of 16), they are all the right people for right now.  Everyone there is doing their job and doing it well.  Not perfect, none of us are.

But myself and the other 9 sales people along with the 3 managers in the room are the core for producing revenue.  Some have more than two decades with Federated Media.  Some just over a year.  Some have left and then came back.  That’s a good sign when someone leaves and then decides the grass isn’t greener out there and they return.

By the way, in the 11 years I’ve been here, I’m guessing there are around 30 people who used to work for our sales teams but don’t anymore.  That online talent assessment isn’t a predictor of an individuals success, it’s just the qualifier to be considered for employment.   Before I was in management, there were some managers who hired people that according to the talent assessment, were not a good match and none of those people lasted even a year.

One last reflection on all this… I was talking to a co-worker who rejoined Federated Media last year and is now with my station, WOWO.  He’s one of the ones that has been with Federated Media for more than a couple of decades, and previously he was on the WMEE sales team.  I asked him how many different managers he’s worked for in his years here and 8 was the answer.  Some of those changes were due to management realignment changes and the last couple were due to management changes we went thru with WOWO.

As he and I were comparing notes, while an individual manager can set the tone for the culture, the best staff are also adaptable and self-motivated to succeed no matter who they are reporting to.  Those people you will want to keep and build your culture around them.

23 Percent Don’t Know What They Are Doing

23 Percent Don’t Know What They Are Doing

It’s another election week in the United States of America.

Monday November 4th is when this article gets published on my website and the audio version is released as episode 353 of the Genuine ScLoHo Media and Marketing podcast.

Because I work in the media, specially for a highly popular news talk radio station WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I’m very aware of the political world.  Because I also listen and watch other media that presents news and views from a different political perspective, I’m pretty well rounded.

Because I’ve worked in media for a long time, starting as a teenager, but let’s say 30+ years, I’m also aware of the ways and whys media act the way the do.  Not just news but entertainment too.

I’ve now spent 21 years in Fort Wayne media on the sales and advertising business side and every four years some businesses get a little too caught up in political speculation.

Last month a study was released by Borrell Associates pertaining to this.  Here’s a quote from InsideAudioMarketing.com:

A lot is riding on the outcome of what happens on Election Day, and one of the potential impacts will be the advertising market. A survey of local advertisers by Borrell Associates finds that nearly one in four (23%) of small and medium-sized businesses say their advertising and marketing spending will be impacted depending on whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins in November. Another 30% say they aren’t sure, while 47% say they don’t expect ad spending to shift much regardless of the election outcome.

Some of my co-workers have seen this apprehension from their advertising partners about how the outcome of the election will determine the success of their business.

Let’s dig deeper into this article:

Borrell data shows supporters of former President Trump are more likely to alter their spending plans based on the winner. Among Trump supporters, nearly a third (31%) of local businesses say their advertising plans will be modified if their candidate returns to office…However, local business owners who support Vice President Harris are less likely to be influenced. Borrell says only 14% of those in the Harris camp say they will change their marketing plans based on whether she is the winner.

While the impact of the policies that each side will have different potential ramifications for business owners, placing that much emphasis on who the President is to determine your ad spend is stupid and ignorant for small and medium sized businesses.

If your business produces a good product or service and uses advertising and marketing correctly, none of this political stuff matters that much.

What do I mean by correctly?  Advertising is simple.  It’s just inviting potential customers to spend their money with you.

If you slow down or stop inviting people to your business and coast for awhile, your business will decline.  Because you can only coast downhill.

When I titled this 23 Percent Don’t Know What They Are Doing, that refers to the one out of four or five businesses that are placing too much emphasis on political outcomes this week and instead should focus on what they can do to improve their company and invite more people to become their customers.

I’ve lived through the financial hiccups of 2008 and saw smart business people surviving while those that were scared shut down.

Or maybe they weren’t smart, they were just stubbornly determined to keep doing the right thing and they pushed forward while others dropped out and as the saying goes, the strong survive.

One more bit of info from that article:

The top three issues facing small businesses, according to Borrell’s survey, are the cost of labor, mentioned by 40% of those surveyed, followed by the cost of technology (39%), hiring and attracting new employees (31%), taxes (28%), and keeping up with technology (18%).

Valid points.

Still you need customers so please continue to invite us.

 

 

Is Your Brand Identity Correct?

Is Your Brand Identity Correct?

My favorite carbonated beverage is changing their branding.

So I’m going to stop drinking it in protest.

Just kidding.

Mountain Dew is changing their labeling to Mountain Dew.

I know, that sounds weird but it’s a visual change, not a verbal change.

Here’s the story from Mediapost titled:

Mountain Dew Unveils New Logo, Visual Identity

After around 15 years, Mountain Dew has found its vowels again.

The brand unveiled its new logo — eschewing the “Mtn Dew” stylization officially introduced in the U.S. market in 2009 –– in favor of the full brand name, while tying the brand’s visual identity back to mountainous peaks portrayed in the background as it approaches its 75th anniversary. Mountain Dew’s new logo also includes small text reading “Est. 1948” over the “W” in its brand name, a nod to the year the trademark was officially established.

I know, it’s shocking.  I say that with a ting of sarcasm.

Because honestly, I don’t recall them dropping the vowels out of Mountain in 2009.  I didn’t change my buying habits and I won’t now, or when the new logo comes out in 2025.

I was trying to recall when I started drinking the Dew, and I’m guessing it was in the 90’s as an alternative to coffee.  Nothing wrong with coffee but the Dew also replaced Pepsi as my go to cold beverage.  I recall having a conversation with my kids when they questioned my drinking Mountain Dew in the morning and I pointed out to them that the second ingredient on the label was concentrated orange juice. Let’s be honest, besides the taste and the O.J.  Mountain Dew had more caffeine than Pepsi or Coke and that was the main reason I drank it.  Also a little over 20 years ago I switched to the diet versions of soft drinks.

What I just shared was my own story and reasons for drinking Mountain Dew.

It has nothing to do with the name, or the logo. Yet someone in their advertising agency was paid big bucks to revamp their visual image.

I’m not against updates.  One of my favorite advertising partners on WOWO radio has done an internal name change this year and we’ve updated his ads and also the visual elements.  There was nothing wrong with the previous name, Moore and Associates, but it really didn’t identify his brand.  Unless you knew from the advertisements that have aired on WOWO for over 29 years who Chris Moore is and what he does, Moore and Associates could be a law firm, or a plumber or nearly anything.

His new name is much more clear and a much stronger branding statement.  Moore Wealth Management.  Chris and his team have grown over the past 3 decades and the new name is accurate as it reflects what they do now and what they’ve been doing for years.

With all do respect to my friends who specialize in graphic design and understand the subconscious influences of color and typography including font selection, those are secondary to having a good product and service that people will talk about positively.  As a side note, I like Comic Sans.  Time to crack open a Diet Mtn Dew.

 

Success in Sampling

Success in Sampling

Debbie Fields was only 21 years old when she opened her first Mrs. Fields Cookies store in Palo Alto, California in 1977.  Seven short years later, in 1984, the marketing “novice” had 160 stores selling more than $45 million worth of Mrs. Fields Cookies.

There are a lot of lessons we can learn from Debbie’s marketing success. Her passion and determination caused her to succeed even though she had no experience, and was told by friends, family, bankers, and others that her “idea” would not succeed.

The marketing campaign that drew customers to her stores consisted of simply going out into the streets with trays of free cookies for people to sample. If you have a great product, consider finding a way to offer free samples to your customers.

Car dealers know the value of the free test drive, and vendors at local farmers’ markets have learned they sell more produce by offering free samples.

Advertising that you offer free trials or samples also speaks volumes about the confidence you have in your products or services. Mrs. Fields did not wait for customers to come into her store to offer them free samples, she went out into the streets with trays of goodies. 

“Free” is one of the most powerful words in advertising and giving samples of your product engages “psychological reciprocity” in the minds of your prospects. 

Psychological reciprocity is defined as “a deep-rooted subconscious need to do something for those who do something for us”.

FREE! If you have a product that customers will love, click here to read the 8 Keys to Successful Sampling.

Mrs. Fields Cookies was one of the first franchised cookie shops in the country and we use to have a couple of them here in Fort Wayne Indiana.  We don’t anymore due to the changes in consumer behavior and decline of major malls that was going on for awhile but then took a big hit in 2020 with covid.

When Mrs. Fields started in the malls around the country, that was a strategic location move.  See, the rent in a mall was usually higher than a smaller strip shopping center.  Just the mall itself was a destination, not just specific stores.

So the Mrs. Fields cookie stores took advantage of the foot traffic created by the other well known stores and built their brand that way.

Some of my radio advertising partners have used a free offer that was in response to a genuine need to create increased business in the past few years.  Let’s talk and see if there’s something that might be appropriate for your business.