Industrialmarketingtalk issue 28

============================================================= INDUSTRIALMARKETINGTALK =============================================================

A monthly newsletter for industrial marketing managers,
from Pro-Talk, publishers of:
Buildingtalk - Electronicstalk - Engineeringtalk
Laboratorytalk - Marketingservicestalk
Manufacturingtalk - Printingtalk - Processingtalk
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Pro-Talk - converting web visitors into leads =============================================================
Published from the UK
Issue 28: 25 April 2008 =============================================================
Visit Industrialmarketingtalk at:
http://www.industrialmarketingtalk.com. =============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
Jackie's message
[1] From the managing editor's desk
[2] The Long View: make your landing pages work for you
[3] Marketing Week: the essential read for the modern marketer
[4] Laboratorytalk TV
[5] Record numbers visiting Buildingtalk
[6] One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management
[7] Processingtalk at IWEX
[8] What? No news?
[9] Jobs
[10] Competition: win something useful?

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Hello!

I've taken inspiration this month from Andy Marken's article (item 6) when selecting the books for the competition - when 'The One Minute Manager' was first published, some years ago, my colleagues and I were handed a copy each from our Managing Director with the instruction to "read and learn!" - and we did. It's not rocket science, but provides a reminder of the basics - I particularly liked the "Catch them doing something right" section...

Talking about not being rocket science, Andy Long (item 2) this month states the blindingly obvious - but sometimes we just need someone to remind us about keeping things simple. It's so easy to get embroiled in the mechanics of your web presence and losing sight of what the reader (the prospect) really wants. Hope you find the article useful - it's short and to the point.

I hope you'll bear with me for including item 8 - I recently carried out an exercise to see how many people were contributing stories on a regular basis to the Pro-Talk sites, and was surprised to see so many of you had gone to the trouble of registering then not followed through by sending in your news. Like the majority of publications our editors decide which items are relevant to their sites, and in most cases will publish. However, as the old adage points out "if you don't buy a ticket, you can't win the raffle" - for the time it takes to copy and paste text into an email and pressing 'send' it has to be worth the opportunity of getting your company in front of the thousands of people who visit our sites each and every day. I'm not one to miss opportunities (have you noticed?), and in my humble opinion I don't think you should either... oh, by the way there are no raffle prizes, just the chance of getting in front of that elusive new customer - for free!

Finally, one of the advantages of being part of the Centaur Media group is that it enables me to bring you the occasional 'offer' from sister publications - don't miss out this time around on your chance to receive a free subscription to Marketing Week - just follow the link (item 3).

That's all for this month!

With kind regards from the team at Pro-Talk,
Jackie
mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com

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[1] From the managing editor's desk =============================================================
Lyndon White writes: Earlier on this year you may have read me writing in a number of Pro-Talk forums about our plans for a 'wash and brush up' of the design of our sites. It's fair to say that this has taken much longer than we initially anticipated, partly because we have moved beyond the idea of a more rudimentary 'wash and brush up' toward a complete redesign of the network (including our branding). While we have gone more deeply into the mechanisms by which our readers can access our news and make use of our very extensive archive, the desire to provide swift and easy access to product and service news remains a core value, as does generating leads for our subscribers. We have now employed the services of a crack team of web designers and we're hoping that our new sites will be up and running by July. Watch this space for announcements as we draw closer to the launch. I'm happy to answer any comments or queries on this or any other part of the Pro-Talk editorial operation. Email me at mailto:lyndon.white@pro-talk.com or phone 020 7970 4920. In the meantime, here's to July.

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[2] The Long View: make your landing pages work for you =============================================================
Whenever I think about what I should put on my website landing pages, I always think back to the title of a book by Steve Krug called 'Don't make me think'. Sometimes, we seem to get so wrapped up in the design of a web page that we forget about the fundamental points of any good landing page - give people what they want and don't make them think about what they should do next! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading Andrew Long's article at:
http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13817/

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[3] Marketing Week: the essential read for the modern marketer =============================================================
Marketing Week is the UK's leading weekly magazine for the advertising, marketing and media industry. Brimming with the latest news, expert views and hundreds of jobs every week, it exclusively reveals product launches, brand strategies and major account moves - going behind the scenes to provide intelligent comment on the issues that affect the daily role of the modern marketer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> You can apply today for your own FREE subscription to Marketing Week by simply following this link: http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13818/

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[4] Laboratorytalk TV... =============================================================
Last week editor Russ Swan launched Laboratorytalk Television... Russ says: "Our first programme is a guerrilla-style report from Analytica, the giant German trade fair, showing some of the action from Munich intercut with a half-dozen product news snippets. I'm the first to admit that we haven't ironed out all the kinks yet, but - as I said - it's an experiment." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Russ would love to receive your feedback. Have a look and tell us what you think....
Laboratorytalk at Analytica can be viewed via the Laboratorytalk homepage: http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13819/
Leave a comment on the Laboratorytalk blog at:
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/more/13820/

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[5] Record numbers visiting Buildingtalk =============================================================
Buildingtalk editor Howard Chapman, reports "April has been a record- breaking month for Buildingtalk with its highest single day number of visits: 15,245 visitors accessing 76,620 pages in just one day! The daily average over the whole month so far means that Buildingtalk is well on course for achieving 4.5 million visits in the next year, reading well over 22 million story pages. Buildingtalk has been very successful in generating leads for the industry, in particular it is a very economic way of reaching the elusive 'new customer'." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Buildingtalk homepage and media pack download:
http://www.buildingtalk.com/more/13821/
> Find out more about lead generation - call 0207 970 4941

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[6] One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management =============================================================
It isn't by accident that we chose the headline for this article from the very successful book, 'The One-Minute Manager'. When the book was first published in the early 1990s, it became an instant guide for managers at all levels on how they could hone and improve their management skills. Even as book sales soared, the business and management landscape was changing. The researchers' and engineers' internet was being turned into an every person's everywhere communications channel. We changed from hierarchical organisations to flat, sometimes intertwined, organisations seemingly overnight. The flat organisation reached out to a new set of influences - employees, customers, suppliers, investors and communities. Suddenly one-minute management shrunk to 10-second management... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Continue reading this article at:
http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13822/
From the desk of G. A. "Andy" Marken, President, Marken Communications
Mailto:andy@markencom.com

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[7] Processingtalk at IWEX =============================================================
Editor Nick Denbow and Advertising Manager Andrew Long will be visiting IWEX - both welcome the opportunity of visiting you on your stand to discuss Processingtalk. Nick will be covering the show in his weekly Processingtalk editorial newsletter and has designated a special area on the website for IWEX previews - see http://www.processingtalk.com/more/13823/ - send your pre-show news today! In addition, the all-advertising Processingtalk EXTRA will include an IWEX section on the 14 May. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Send your news to Nick, and/or invite him to your stand:
mailto:news@processingtalk.com
> Invite Andrew Long to your stand at IWEX - or get Andy to buy you a coffee away from your stand: mailto:andrew.long@pro-talk.com
> To book a slot in the IWEX special Processingtalk EXTRA call 0207 970 4941

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[8] What? No news?
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Have you registered to contribute to a Pro-Talk site but haven't yet got around to sending your news to the editor? We've already generated your company contact page, and it's ready and waiting for you to start... Perhaps you haven't realised that we don't make a charge for publication, and that your company page will contain links to your news pages, as well as full company contact details, PLUS you receive a free weblink and free RSS feed.

Take a look at this example from Buildingtalk, this is what your company page could look like. That is, once you start sending your news: http://www.buildingtalk.com/more/13824/

Which site did you register with? Check out if your company is on one (or two) of these pages, if your name is listed click on it and you'll see what we've prepared in anticipation of receiving your material:
Buildingtalk: http://www.buildingtalk.com/more/13825/
Electronics: http://www.electronicstalk.com/more/13826/
Engineeringtalk: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/13827/
Laboratorytalk: http://www.laboratorytalk.com/more/13828/
Manufacturingtalk: http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/more/13829/
Marketingservicestalk: http://www.marketingservicestalk.com/more/13830/
Printingtalk: http://www.printingtalk.com/more/13831/
Processingtalk: http://www.processingtalk.com/more/13832/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Can't remember how to send your news to the editor(s), here's how: http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13833/

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[9] Jobs
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* Marketing Manager A talented marketer is sought who can maximise the impact of the products within the current portfolio. Working across two European sites in the North West and in Holland with responsibility for the full marketing mix, you will be charged with strategic planning and delivery of effective and quantifiable marketing campaigns. With joint ventures in countries, including China, this opportunity represents a truly global marketing challenge within an innovative organisation. Internally you will work closely with our sales and commercial teams taking a senior role within the UK leadership team... More at: http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13834/

*Sales and Marketing Manager To work within the food industry for a fast-growing company based in North Wales. Great opportunity for the right candidate, must have Sales and Marketing experience within the Food manufacturing industry...
More at: http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13835/


For even more jobs:
http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13836/

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[10] COMPETITION: win something useful?
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Congratulations to Peter de Winter-Brown of Colortrac who correctly answered the March competition question "In this newsletter, what have I called 'that old chestnut'?" (Colour separations - of course!).

Peter wins a copy of 'The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly' by David Meerman Scott.

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition - don't give up, have another go - this month you've a chance to win 'The One-Minute Manager Meets the Monkey...' by Kenneth H Blanchard, together with the
original book 'The One-Minute Manager'... Synopsis - 'The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey': "How management can effectively rid themselves of 'monkeys' - other people's responsibilities that cling to them and prevent them managing efficiently. This book explains in simple-minded if abstract terms how to achieve a balance between supervision and delegation for reduced tension and improved productivity in the workplace. "There is a high correlation between self-reliance and morale," stress the authors. With humour and logic they describe the delicate business of assigning monkeys to the right masters and keeping them healthy, i.e. fed and cared for: "... if monkeys are managed properly, you don't have to manage people so much."

And the question: "Apart from your company contact details what else do you get free when you register to contribute news to any Pro-Talk website?" (Bit of a trick question this - because there is more than one answer
- any one [or all] will do!

Answers via email, by 20 May, please.
Winner to be announced next issue.
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Email competition entries to mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
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Next issue of Industrialmarketingtalk: 30 May 2008
Want to contribute? mailto:jackie.west@pro-talk.com
Deadlines for contributions: 15 April 2008
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Have you seen our other newsletters?
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Industrialmarketingtalk is one of a number of free email newsletters
for technical professionals. See what else we have to offer, and sign
up today, at http://www.pro-talk.com/more/13837/
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The Long View: make your landing pages work for you

Whenever I think about what I should put on my website landing pages, I always think back to the title of a book by Steve Krug called "Don't make me think." Sometimes, we seem to get so wrapped up in the design of a web page that we forget about the fundamental points of any good landing page - give people what they want and don't make them think about what they should do next!

When you place advertising on a website, your ads should not only be simple and
give a clear message, but they also need to direct people to a page where they can get what they want with a minimum of fuss.

Your landing pages should therefore give visitors a clear message which meets their requirements in less than two seconds. What they want to do is find something that is either going to solve their problem now, or somewhere where they can go to ask for information about solving their problem.

When you design your page, make sure the logical links, text and images are above the fold of the page. There is no point adding information related links at the bottom of a text heavy page.

Always think of a web page as you would about writing a good press release. Make sure that your early content is so impressive that most people will get what you are offering very quickly. If they can scan the page and see obvious links without scrolling, then you are half way there. All you have to do then is convince them that what you are offering is what they need.

Tip:
Always think about placing your content in the same order of a potential visitor's thought pattern. Think about what they need to see on that page to make them feel comfortable about buying from you. This could include targeted selling points, special offers, testimonials and other positive information


Andrew Long
April 2008

Andrew Long is a freelance advertising sales manager for Pro-Talk and
also offers advertising advice to clients around the world at http://www.myadbase.com and
http://www.selling-advertising.com

One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management

It isn’t by accident that we chose the headline for this article from Spencer Johnson’s very successful book, The One-Minute Manager. When the book was first published in the early ‘90’s, it became an instant guide for managers at all levels on how they could hone and improve their management skills.

Even as book sales soared the business and management landscape was changing. The researchers’ and engineers’ internet was being turned into an every person’s everywhere communications channel. We changed from hierarchical organisations to flat sometimes intertwined organisations seemingly overnight. The flat organisation reached out to a new set of influences - employees, customers, suppliers, investors and communities.

Suddenly one-minute management shrunk to 10-second management.

Business in the internet era demands quick thinking and even quicker action. Especially when a company’s reputation and possible future hang in the balance. In this new environment, managers at every level suddenly have a new set of pro-active responsibilities.

They must protect and enhance the company’s reputation. At the same time, they must help management create new business models. Rather than simply propping up existing business models they have to contribute to the organisation’s growth. They have to take an active role in helping the organisation achieve radical innovation that often changes the parameters of competitive performance.

Not Your Job?
Many managers will say that their job is design products, promote the company, deliver the service, purchase the components…anything but change the company.

Wrong!

Part of your job is or should be to be aware of the changes around (inside and out) the organisation and to interpret that change to management. To help effect change you have to become an activist that builds coalitions and leverages the strengths of people within the organisation. If you feel you’ll be walking on shaky ground you are most likely wrong. If not, you’re in the wrong company.

Most of the CEOs we consult with complain about how difficult it is to change their organisation. Change from the top down is extremely difficult.

Mike Armstrong of AT&T saw the changes that needed to be made, pushed for the transitioning but it hasn’t happened…yet. Every U.S. President vows to overhaul, streamline and make government more efficient, more effective and more responsive to the citizenry…have you seen any improvements?

The Comfort of Status Quo
People are comfortable with the status quo to the point they don’t even question it. Despite pronouncements, elaborate plans and dictates from the top, people continue down the same path.

On the other hand, Jack Welch of GE didn’t use the chain of command approach in effecting change. He spent a lot of time with first and second tier employees helping them understand why a change in direction was in their best interest and ultimately the company’s best interest.

But many managers will continue to say this isn’t what they signed on for. So let’s bring the point home with a quote by Gary Hamel, author of Leading the Revolution. “Somewhere out there is a bullet with your company’s name on it,” he states “You’re going to have to shoot first.”

And in the internet world that shot can come from anywhere. Usually it is aimed directly at your organisation’s reputation. Suddenly the pieces fit together and it becomes “your job.” With a few keystrokes and a click of the mouse your firm’s reputation can go from good to bad, strong to weak.

Your Reputation Assets
Your company’s reputation is based on a number of “assets:”

* quality of your products/services

* ability to innovate

* value as a long-term investment

* financial stability

* ability to attract, develop, retain talent

* use of corporate assets

* quality of management

Study the list closely. None of the company’s assets are firm or concrete. They are soft and arbitrary. Security analysts and accountants will often say that these asset assessments are too irrational to be listed as true assets. But these are the measures people use and rely on every day when making a decision on products/service to buy, companies to join, firms to invest in or corporations they want in their communities.

The reputation managers must help promote and protect has a true dollar and cents value to your firm.

The Speed of Lost Value
Emulex’s value sank by millions of dollars in a day when upstart InternetWire published a bogus news release. Many good dotcoms were caught in the whirlpool of bad news/bad press on the failure of the on-line business community. The cell phone/brain cancer scare cost Motorola billions in valuation. Less spectacular but no less damaging are the customer complaints regarding a firm’s customer service and support activities in on-line discussion groups.

Fortunately for most companies they do build up a reservoir of goodwill in the marketplace they can draw upon when necessary. Often when you least expect it, you’re going to need that reservoir in your One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management. That’s because one of your key functions is to understand the firm’s strategic positioning, develop brand and product promotion, interrelate with suppliers or channel partners, deal with employees and potential employees on a daily basis.

Many management communications efforts often fall short in this area because message development and distribution is departmentalised or compartmentalised in most firms.

Corporate Reputation Reserve
At the end of the day if there is a core theme or set of themes to the messages it is often an accident. Without that core nothing can be put in the corporate reputation reserve.

“Intel Inside” defines the company and its products. Coca-Cola singularly devotes itself to its dedication to delivering a quality product to the consumer. Sony focuses on providing innovative value. Against a backdrop of environmental mishaps in the 1990s, Shell has reshaped a gentler, more kind and more progressive image as a firm that is concerned about making the future better.

IBM has successfully reinvented itself and refocused its big blue army at least four different times in the past 10 years. From mainframe iron, to PC friendly, to software and finally to service and support. The company has tuned itself and its messages to the rapidly changing business marketplace. Despite its legal entanglements, Microsoft has made a shift to a more responsible, responsive management and internet-based organisation.

While Priceline.com continues to make missteps in establishing, promoting and protecting its reputation; expedia.com and travelocity.com have effectively established themselves as the on-line travel management leaders.

Top-Down vs Bottom-Up
As AT&T defines its multiple messages with layers of managers and semi-independent product groups; Sprint grows stronger in wireless communications, AOL and Earthlink become more dominant in the internet connectivity arena, Exodus and a few others focus on being responsive/responsible web hosting partners and IBM becomes the small and large business services/support provider of choice. Despite the billions of dollars of investments in so many areas, AT&T remains the long distance carrier which many are considering irrelevant.

Welch’s dynamics of change and responsiveness message bubbles from the bottom up at GE. John Chambers spreads the same level of consistency and urgency throughout Cisco (and its partners). On the other hand, Armstrong’s communications value and quality message is being misshaped and mismanaged by seemingly independent, sometimes competing internal organisations.

Global enterprises like Philips, Matsushita, Ericcson, Siemens, General Motors and others are facing similar reputation management crises.

In the early part of the last century the railroad firms said they were in the railroad business. Airline firms said they were in the transportation industry. Virgin has said we are in the customer business so they fly planes, sell records and books, provide financial services and offer you soft drinks and cell phones.

Which corporate reputation is easier to build and protect? Which is harder to attack and surpass?

Wall of Protectionism
To a greater or lesser degree the same measurements hold true for your organisation’s reputation. The internet tore down the walls of protectionism that companies often hid behind during most of the 20th century. It flattened the organisation bringing customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and regulators into the firm.

Managers today have to deal equally and effectively with all of these audiences. The better you communicate, the more you communicate, the better the reputation.

Broaden Vision, Drive Change
The constant challenge for management is to fight against narrowly defining the company because it limits the company’s reputation and the visions/goals of the stakeholders, employees, partners, customers and shareholders.

As a result, managers at every level have to help inspire people inside the company to take ownership of change inside the organisation and become the advocates for radical innovation. This unbridled commitment to building a reputation as a responsive, revolutionary and responsible corporate entity; ensures that when the company encounters its 10-second reputation crisis the management team will have a strong and deep reservoir of organisational reputation to draw from.

The best One-Minute Corporate Reputation Managers do more than simply write positioning and policy statements. They help define and direct change. After all, it’s tough to hit and wound a fast moving, pro-active target.

G .A. “Andy” Marken, President

Marken Communications Inc.

Mailto:andy@markencom.com

April 2008