Posted by Rahna on November 27, 2008 under Uncategorized | 
Today is the wonderful day of Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for the client’s “problems” I’ve been able to shed light on. I am blessed to have such a supportive cirlce of friends and family to share my ideas, my excitement, my interests and my challenges with. I consider myself so fortunate to have mentors and colleagues that stimulate new creativity and perspective on so many aspects of my life.Â
 I hope that you, too, have tons to be thankful for. Be grateful, grateful, grateful for all the opportunities you have to let your unique skills bless your world. Think of all the business challenges that you encounter as opportunities to scale the wall and enjoy the view from the top! The creativity you express in your daily life impacts others in ways you cannot even imagine. You are truly blessed!
Posted by Rahna on November 24, 2008 under Social Media |
Last week I attended the monthly meeting of the Business Women of Southern New England (BWSNE), where Kristin Ingram gave a talk about internet marketing and social networking. Even though much of the conversation was basic (aimed at those not familiar with the venue), I picked up some good tips. It was a good discussion, and I find that there is always something new to learn. Â
Some of the helpful tips that I got out of the meeting were to make sure to let people know what it is that you’re doing in your daily update (“Rahna is…”). If you have blogs, let people know that you’re blogging. Â
Social networking takes a bit of time but it will generate interest in business. Kristin  says she spends about an hour a day on all the social networking sites (which feels like an awful lot of time) but, I must admit, the benefits are outrageous. Another woman in the audience who has successfully built her internet business said, “One of the keys is: make sure that you are not trying to sell your stuff to people on the internet. You’re trying to make connections, and that’s the critical aspect of social networking.â€Â Â
Whenever I have discussions like that, I am always inspired to take more action on-line. I will continue to update and engage with my Facebook  and Linked In accounts and look for more ways to share with my clients how to leverage internet marketing. Social media is always changing and there are unlimited possibilities in terms of how the internet can be used. Therefore, the opportunities and the way that people use the internet are unlimited.Â
If you’ve found an unusual use for your social media efforts, please let me know about it!
Posted by Rahna on November 20, 2008 under Strategy |
I teach marketing principles for The University of Hartford’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. One particular class I was teaching today is part of a series that takes budding entrepreneurs through a business feasibility planning blitz over the course of three months. The course reviews the basic concepts in all aspects of business planning—marketing, product development, distribution, pricing, legal set-up, etc. Â
I am always stunned at how businesses get launched on the back of a napkin or start with just a “wing and a prayer.â€Â This course tries to impart to its participants how critical planning is and how early evaluation of competitive environments and deep consumer exploration can make drastic differences in how a start-up moves forward.  But as I talk with these entrepreneurs, it occurs to me that the same review needs to take place in large, well-established companies.Â
I talked earlier this week about understanding the changing consumer dynamics given the economic situation we all find ourselves in. So here are some questions for you to ponder in your world:Â
·        What competitive advantages are emerging in this new marketplace?
·        Should you be offering more targeted discounts or prmotinal offers?
·        How does your product line need to change?
·        What advantages would you find by targeting the super wealthy? ·        If your current marketing plan was slashed by 80%, what innovative, out-of-the box activities would you activate to continue to get your message out there?Â
If this line of questioning sparks some inspiration, let me know. I’m interested to hear what you are thinking about!
Posted by Rahna on November 17, 2008 under Consumer Research |
The new consumer requires a new marketing plan. Last week I had a meeting with the research team at Nickelodeon’s headquarters in New York to talk about the possibility of doing some focus groups or other proprietary research for them. We were talking about how interesting it is to be in research right now. The massive, tectonic-plate-sized shifts in economic stability, combined with the political changes underway, have made this an incredible time to be studying consumer insights. Consumer confidence has been shaken to the core and people’s faith in their own personal stability is impacting behavior dramatically. Â
For business communities both large and small, this is complicating the decision-making process. Even research done six months ago may not be reliable. Because I work with both large and small businesses, I see the impact the broad-sweeping impact this is having. For large companies, they are going to want to take the consumer’s temperature early and often, in order to keep up with the massive shifts in buying behaviors. For start-ups, they cannot rely on industry information published earlier this year. Â
Even so, there is reason for optimism. Amidst the chaos, opportunities exist. Those who can react quickly have an opportunity to meet the needs of this new, uncertain consumer. Are you in an industry that serves career counseling? Do you sell a low-cost alternative product or service? Then now is the time to re-double your marketing efforts! The team at Nickelodeon has found that their offerings are needed even more now than before, as television represents a low-cost entertainment vehicle that consumers can afford. If you’re an advertiser, this means you should be considering an even bigger buy than before! Â
By the way, we love to conduct consumer research, especially primary research like focus groups. If you know of someone in the research department of your company that might be looking for savvy, consumer-oriented strategists to help them monitor their consumer target’s shifting viewpoint, please let us know so that we can reach out to them!Â
What is the biggest impact that you have seen in your business? We’d love to hear from you.
