http://kck.st/WwsJcU
Hey Everybody,
How many people do you know that actually go after their dream. Some celebrities such as Katharine McPhee and Debra Messing have, but for the majority, very few.
This is why I am so very proud of my good friend Chef Avi. After 35 years he is going after his dream in a turbo fury. This is a beautiful story of a man that has a passion for teaching, sharing Kosher lifestyles, playing the Piano for his three kids, directing TV programs and of course being a Rabbi.
It is hard to believe how much talent one person can have. This is why for the 25 + years we have been friends, I have pleaded with him to be in front of the camera, rather than behind it.
Now, with a few pilots " in the can", Chef Avi has a strong chance of being the next celebrity chef on the Food Network. This is not so far fetched, since JLTV has already requested him for guest starring segments.
If you would enjoy helping make someone's dream come true, click the above link and help spread the word.
Best wishes,
Don Tolep
www.dontolep.com
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Like Asking Obama's Mother
Why is it that people always want to pretend that they have a great referral for every category and situation.
Move into any new neighborhood and ask one of your neighbors who is the best blankety blank. They immediately will tell you "Oh, I gotta guy named Oscar. He is the best". " Just google him under this name. "
The funny thing is that person may or may not have ever even used the product or service.
So if they didn't ever experience the work or results, why would they give out the referral in the first place. To analyze this phenomenon we must examine human behavior and psychology. It appears that it makes people feel good to be the "go to" guy or the neighborhood concierge. The only problem with this activity is that people sometimes receive really inferior referrals.
From an advertising and marketing point of view, this is crucial and defines why you must also target and aim towards the famous "INFLUENCER". Think of the world made up of three circles within one big circle. A tiny circle consists of new prospects interested in your product. The middle circle is your current customers and the large circle is the Influencer. Influence marketing is quite an art. It takes patience, frequency and a strong message that will resonate with emotion.
Having a jingle that stays in people's minds, a hook line that captures an image in the minds eye or a storyline that connects, is what helps the influencer maintain top of mind awareness. If you asked President Obama's mother to name a great furniture store that her son shops at, she probably would have a hard time telling you on the fly. However, if their was a creative message for a furniture store that played multiple times, the odds of her suggesting it would go up dramatically.
This is not just a simple point of advertising working, but how a ongoing campaign turns non buyers into ambassadors for your brand, regardless if they are ever going to purchase your product or service. Try and remember to focus the creative of your message on how best to benefit the target audience, but don't forget about all the people that will never buy from you, but will gladly tell friends and coworkers how to find you.
www.dontolep.com
Move into any new neighborhood and ask one of your neighbors who is the best blankety blank. They immediately will tell you "Oh, I gotta guy named Oscar. He is the best". " Just google him under this name. "
The funny thing is that person may or may not have ever even used the product or service.
So if they didn't ever experience the work or results, why would they give out the referral in the first place. To analyze this phenomenon we must examine human behavior and psychology. It appears that it makes people feel good to be the "go to" guy or the neighborhood concierge. The only problem with this activity is that people sometimes receive really inferior referrals.
From an advertising and marketing point of view, this is crucial and defines why you must also target and aim towards the famous "INFLUENCER". Think of the world made up of three circles within one big circle. A tiny circle consists of new prospects interested in your product. The middle circle is your current customers and the large circle is the Influencer. Influence marketing is quite an art. It takes patience, frequency and a strong message that will resonate with emotion.
Having a jingle that stays in people's minds, a hook line that captures an image in the minds eye or a storyline that connects, is what helps the influencer maintain top of mind awareness. If you asked President Obama's mother to name a great furniture store that her son shops at, she probably would have a hard time telling you on the fly. However, if their was a creative message for a furniture store that played multiple times, the odds of her suggesting it would go up dramatically.
This is not just a simple point of advertising working, but how a ongoing campaign turns non buyers into ambassadors for your brand, regardless if they are ever going to purchase your product or service. Try and remember to focus the creative of your message on how best to benefit the target audience, but don't forget about all the people that will never buy from you, but will gladly tell friends and coworkers how to find you.
www.dontolep.com
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Not Maria Sharapova or Megan Fox
Every once in a while I meet an exceptional human being. This is rare since I set the bar extremely high to make it into this category. But recently I meet a lady named Stacey. A quick description of Stacey includes her age of 84 years on earth, works 12 hours a day by herself and generates more income and creates and jobs then her much larger competitors. Constant award winner, Educator, Key Note Speaker and written about in trade magazines etc.
What is even more amazing then her age, is that this terrific talent and casting agent is almost blind. Last time I checked, having decent vision, evaluating castings and head shots were important aspects of the daily job. The first time I met her, I almost fell out of my chair. How can this beautiful elderly lady be so sharp, motivated, intense and keen about her industry,even at this stage of her life. Even famous actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor have not been able to keep up their craft at their later stages in their career, as this unique lady.
Unfortunately, here in South Florida, I find the work ethic to be a bit lacking. If you disagree, drive along any major highway or busy boulevard to find a parking lot of cars at exactly 5:30. Even in my office, when it comes to 5:00 pm, the whistle blows and the entire department is out the door like Gone With the Wind. Where is the fire? It comes down to the mental attitude of it can wait until tomorrow. Leave a message for someone and good luck if you receive a returned phone call. Ask a co-worker to help you after hours and they will look at you like you have three heads. I think you get my drift.
My new senior friend works till all hours of the night, burns up the phone lines and is so passionate about helping people, that she will probably live till 120 years old. If she can bust her butt the way she does, then why are people in their 30's and 40's doing their 9 to 5 "shift " and bolting.
DonTolep.com
What is even more amazing then her age, is that this terrific talent and casting agent is almost blind. Last time I checked, having decent vision, evaluating castings and head shots were important aspects of the daily job. The first time I met her, I almost fell out of my chair. How can this beautiful elderly lady be so sharp, motivated, intense and keen about her industry,even at this stage of her life. Even famous actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor have not been able to keep up their craft at their later stages in their career, as this unique lady.
Unfortunately, here in South Florida, I find the work ethic to be a bit lacking. If you disagree, drive along any major highway or busy boulevard to find a parking lot of cars at exactly 5:30. Even in my office, when it comes to 5:00 pm, the whistle blows and the entire department is out the door like Gone With the Wind. Where is the fire? It comes down to the mental attitude of it can wait until tomorrow. Leave a message for someone and good luck if you receive a returned phone call. Ask a co-worker to help you after hours and they will look at you like you have three heads. I think you get my drift.
My new senior friend works till all hours of the night, burns up the phone lines and is so passionate about helping people, that she will probably live till 120 years old. If she can bust her butt the way she does, then why are people in their 30's and 40's doing their 9 to 5 "shift " and bolting.
DonTolep.com
Thursday, August 30, 2012
It can help
It appears that certain industries understand creative marketing and branding better than others. Here in South Florida, one of the fastest categories of rapid growth is the drug rehab, treatment and recovery centers. These facilities charge thousands of dollars per week, yet spend pennies on the advertising, decor, food and furniture.
Since these treatment centers are popping up on every corner, one would think that they would pay careful attention to their image, message and use of creativity to make the phones ring. From my research, the decision makers of these facilities place heavy emphasis on Search engine optimization and pay per click campaign ads. But forget that besides for the addicts themselves, many family members are the influencers of this family decision. Also, with the major quantity of denial in every family, CPC can not offer the necessary emotion needed to motivate someone to take action.
If it was possible, I would spend a lot of time demonstrating how quality traditional advertising can increase by word of mouth. Think about it this way, when someone tells you abut a product or service that you never heard of,the odds of it sticking in your brain is limited. But when an advertisement has created an impression combined with a referral from a trusted friend, we have jackpot.
The world of substance addiction is absolutely fascinating. There is tremendous stress and chaos for the family member dealing with a troubled,selfish addict. I mention this example to showcase some important points in marketing. Visualize three circles of different sizes. The first one is tiny and that represents the treatment centers new customers. The second circle is 30 times larger and it represents existing clients. Finally, the largest circle represents influencers. Yet the majority of marketers focus all their efforts on the tiny circle being new customers and ignore the largest circle being the influencer. I will go deeper in a future blog. DonTolep.com
Since these treatment centers are popping up on every corner, one would think that they would pay careful attention to their image, message and use of creativity to make the phones ring. From my research, the decision makers of these facilities place heavy emphasis on Search engine optimization and pay per click campaign ads. But forget that besides for the addicts themselves, many family members are the influencers of this family decision. Also, with the major quantity of denial in every family, CPC can not offer the necessary emotion needed to motivate someone to take action.
If it was possible, I would spend a lot of time demonstrating how quality traditional advertising can increase by word of mouth. Think about it this way, when someone tells you abut a product or service that you never heard of,the odds of it sticking in your brain is limited. But when an advertisement has created an impression combined with a referral from a trusted friend, we have jackpot.
The world of substance addiction is absolutely fascinating. There is tremendous stress and chaos for the family member dealing with a troubled,selfish addict. I mention this example to showcase some important points in marketing. Visualize three circles of different sizes. The first one is tiny and that represents the treatment centers new customers. The second circle is 30 times larger and it represents existing clients. Finally, the largest circle represents influencers. Yet the majority of marketers focus all their efforts on the tiny circle being new customers and ignore the largest circle being the influencer. I will go deeper in a future blog. DonTolep.com
Monday, August 20, 2012
The merger of social media and traditional marketing
As a marketer I am constantly studying, researching, testing and exploring the most efficient methods of engaging and motivating a new prospect. The terrain is changing so quickly that it is extremely challenging to keep up. Depending on the audience that you are trying to reach, will depend on how best to design a strategy to make the cash register ring, while increasing the likelihood of these new customers to share your message and be an advocate of your product or service.
In order for an advertised product or service to go from zero to hero, many things must occur. Firstly, it sure helps that it is not under a rock and known about. This takes either public relations articles, radio,print or tv ads, along with other ancillary methods such as billboards or in banner videos on the web. This is what I call forced awareness. With enough frequency and an emotional message, a product arrives on the shelf and becomes part of the thousands of other items for sale.
Unless an advertiser is prepared to stick with a strategy and insure they are not haphazardly throwing money around, traditional advertising may not be enough to get you where you want to be.
This is where the merger of traditional campaigns combined with a social media style marketing can be beneficial. Why? When one peer contacts another with either a Recommendation or information, the power of trust engages. When a friend provides a reference of an item that was favorable, their inner circle is most likely going to give it a try. Once advertisers figure out how to drive consumers Through this wave, social marketing will ignite. It amazes me how many major fortune 500 companies embarrass themselves using social media. It really isn't brain surgery, but lots of common sense and creativity. www.dontolep.com
In order for an advertised product or service to go from zero to hero, many things must occur. Firstly, it sure helps that it is not under a rock and known about. This takes either public relations articles, radio,print or tv ads, along with other ancillary methods such as billboards or in banner videos on the web. This is what I call forced awareness. With enough frequency and an emotional message, a product arrives on the shelf and becomes part of the thousands of other items for sale.
Unless an advertiser is prepared to stick with a strategy and insure they are not haphazardly throwing money around, traditional advertising may not be enough to get you where you want to be.
This is where the merger of traditional campaigns combined with a social media style marketing can be beneficial. Why? When one peer contacts another with either a Recommendation or information, the power of trust engages. When a friend provides a reference of an item that was favorable, their inner circle is most likely going to give it a try. Once advertisers figure out how to drive consumers Through this wave, social marketing will ignite. It amazes me how many major fortune 500 companies embarrass themselves using social media. It really isn't brain surgery, but lots of common sense and creativity. www.dontolep.com
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Difference Between Cable and Broadcast TV advertising
I wonder if the typical tv viewer knows the difference between a cable network and a broadcast network. My bet is that they would not know the difference. Is ESPN a broadcast network or cable ? The answer is it is a cable network. If you are watching NBC, ABC, CBS or FOX, those are the four network stations on your dial. Anything else is a cable network or a local origination station.
So who cares? Well when an advertiser decides to purchase a TV media buy, it can make a very big difference. Let's take a look at a small one store Sports Merchandise retailer located in Fort Lauderdale.
If the owner decides to air on any of the above mentioned network stations, people from all over Miami and Broward county will see the commercial. One would think that is great and love the idea of tons of people watching the stores advertisement. But hold the phone....what is the cost per spot for this lovely benefit? The answer is a hell of a lot more than a cable buy. Common sense tell us that a consumer will only drive a short distance for the product or service advertised. Advertisers must be honest with themselves that consumers have many other choice to purchase a similar product/service. Therefore, it is way, way wiser for the majority of advertisers to air on a GEO targeted local area. How great is that fact that this retailer can show his spot to just the viewers of Fort Lauderdale and keep his costs low. Not to mention, push out a lot more frequency to the community due to it's extremely affordable price point.
When I share with new prospects that you can advertise on a major network such as Bravo or the FX network for as little as $5 each, they look at me as if I have three heads. This is how numerous successful advertisers have dramatically increased revenue for their business.
Comcast has built a tremendous advertising machine for the small and medium sized business. They figured out how to deliver mega value to a business, by using the power of TV in a extremely focused methodology. DonTolep.com
So who cares? Well when an advertiser decides to purchase a TV media buy, it can make a very big difference. Let's take a look at a small one store Sports Merchandise retailer located in Fort Lauderdale.
If the owner decides to air on any of the above mentioned network stations, people from all over Miami and Broward county will see the commercial. One would think that is great and love the idea of tons of people watching the stores advertisement. But hold the phone....what is the cost per spot for this lovely benefit? The answer is a hell of a lot more than a cable buy. Common sense tell us that a consumer will only drive a short distance for the product or service advertised. Advertisers must be honest with themselves that consumers have many other choice to purchase a similar product/service. Therefore, it is way, way wiser for the majority of advertisers to air on a GEO targeted local area. How great is that fact that this retailer can show his spot to just the viewers of Fort Lauderdale and keep his costs low. Not to mention, push out a lot more frequency to the community due to it's extremely affordable price point.
When I share with new prospects that you can advertise on a major network such as Bravo or the FX network for as little as $5 each, they look at me as if I have three heads. This is how numerous successful advertisers have dramatically increased revenue for their business.
Comcast has built a tremendous advertising machine for the small and medium sized business. They figured out how to deliver mega value to a business, by using the power of TV in a extremely focused methodology. DonTolep.com
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Who knows better?
When I go to visit my doctor, I listen to his advice and do not act like I know better. You will not hear me say to my internist, "yeah maybe, but I know my body for 47 years and will do it my way". Nor would I state to my nutritionist who reminds and informs me to eat more fruit, for me to come back with a "french fries are healthier". However, after more years than I would I like to admit perfecting my knowledge of advertising, I hear from the chief, cook and bottle washer that they know better in regards to how to develop their advertising strategies and materials. Huh?
There has got to be something wrong with this picture. I'm sure you will not be surprised to hear that when a prospect contacts my office requesting to advertise on TV, they are ready to get to the bottom line and move on with their day in just a few minutes. This is way before a needs analysis has been performed, an understanding of their customer base, what works and what has not worked in regards to promotions, public relations, marketing and advertising.
This is what amazes me. These overly busy people are prepared to spend thousands of dollars on a campaign, with out even reviewing the basics of their business plan. If I were to simply offer a cold price out of the blue with zero relevance to how and why I can help, then isn't the price just a number? What if they spent three thousand a month for sixth months, but brought in nine thousand a month in profits, how much did the campaign cost? With a successful campaign, advertisers are not shelling out another cost, but investing in the long term growth of their business with a healthy return on investment.
Yesterday, in a meeting, my prospect shared that a bland, boring voice will not impact the commercial and it would not matter if a professional voice over were to provide the voice of the piece. Since my clients are really important to me, I walk a fine line of not sounding like a know it all, but attempting to increase their campaign ads with common sense and expertise. DonTolep.com
There has got to be something wrong with this picture. I'm sure you will not be surprised to hear that when a prospect contacts my office requesting to advertise on TV, they are ready to get to the bottom line and move on with their day in just a few minutes. This is way before a needs analysis has been performed, an understanding of their customer base, what works and what has not worked in regards to promotions, public relations, marketing and advertising.
This is what amazes me. These overly busy people are prepared to spend thousands of dollars on a campaign, with out even reviewing the basics of their business plan. If I were to simply offer a cold price out of the blue with zero relevance to how and why I can help, then isn't the price just a number? What if they spent three thousand a month for sixth months, but brought in nine thousand a month in profits, how much did the campaign cost? With a successful campaign, advertisers are not shelling out another cost, but investing in the long term growth of their business with a healthy return on investment.
Yesterday, in a meeting, my prospect shared that a bland, boring voice will not impact the commercial and it would not matter if a professional voice over were to provide the voice of the piece. Since my clients are really important to me, I walk a fine line of not sounding like a know it all, but attempting to increase their campaign ads with common sense and expertise. DonTolep.com
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