Joel Blackbourne on Marketing

Panel Van marketing

2006-11-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

I've been asked to help out with marketing of Panel Vans for this Ford Panel Van site. A panel van is actually not like a van. It's actually a ute without a tray, and instead has a body which is mounted. It's somewhat higher, and is a true workhorse for carrying goods. Ford has not marketed them for years, but many Australians still remember the panel van fondly because of their notoriety among fathers with teenage daughters.

The first thing to do is to do is to do a competitive analysis on what kind of people are looking for panel vans. Some people are small business owners like builders, or tradesmen, who are looking for a panel van to carry their goods. Others like fruiterers might require refridgerated panel vans, which are specially insulated.

The second thing to do is to study competitors web sites. Bull Motor Bodies for instance advertises on Google adwords for Panel Vans as well. However, they actually sell other types of vehicles and is not actually in the market for vans.

The third thing to do is to find out what other words describe panel vans, like Bedford, Chevvy, HX are common terms for finding panel vans. The purpose is to write keyword rich articles which uses these words so that the site is thematically linked.

I've also suggested the tactic of writing articles on the site, such as this one: Ode to the Panel Van on the site. Now it's no Hemingway, but it should increase the popularity of the site so that people searching on Google find it easier.

What can marketeers learn from the Lebanon fighting

2006-08-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

It is not what you do, but the context in which you have acted that is important.

For instance, Nasrallah was viewed as an outcast of Lebanon, as Lebanon was back on track to being a free and democratic society. Hezbollah's antiquated aims of destroying the enemy is out of step with the rest of society.

However, after the disproportionate force was employed by IDF in shelling Hizbollah targets, resulting in damage to civilian roads, and deaths, Nasrallah was viewed as the only one who is willing to stand up to Israel.

The corollary is Nasrallah has exposed Israel for being ruthless. Logically thinking, it is equally wrong for Hezbollah to lob rockets into Israel, since the targets are presumably civilian. However, condemnation has rained on IDF? Why is this so? Again, context matters. Luckily for Hezbollah, their rockets are simply lousy and I have read reports of injuries and a few deaths from rockets fired into Israel. I'm not totally surprised though that the international media haven't covered these stories from a human angle. More on this later.
Constant reinforcement of message and Present Audience with no emotionally acceptable alternatives

No human is immune. The way the two parties, Israel and Hezbollah are acting, are no different between the conflicts between Russia and Chechnya, or the Cold War between US and Russia.

I recall a Russian saying, after they opened up, that they believed USA is out to destroy them. I'm sure the average American thought likewise. It is actually in the interests of the US and Russian leaders to paint the image of an existential conflict. Talk of anti-semitism in any corner of the world is enough fodder for the politicians to rant and rave about the seeds of the next Holocaust.

The US and USSR has survived through the threat of Hlobal Thermonuclear Annihilation.

I don't think the odd rockets from Hezbollah from 2001 to 2005 is going to destroy Israel. Israel, with a friend like no other in the US, obviously still has to work hard to make their society flourish. But they are in ZERO existential danger at the moment.
Every public action should have a publicity aim

When Hezbollah kidnapped two IDF soldiers, the two soldiers were in no mortal danger. Hezbollah wanted a prisoner swap, for the people the Israeli government kidnapped.

Hezbollah's marketing message? To raise their stature in the Muslim community, and to suggest that Israel is weak.

Israel's aim of sending in soldiers instead of diplomats ? Olmert is the first non-military person to become Prime Minister, and he needs to prove he is as tough as his predecessors. Now, if I was in his shoes, and knowing how the opposition like Netanyahu is waiting in the wings to kill me politically, it's the thing to do to protect my career.

Remember "Saving Private Ryan?", a band of soldiers were sent in a mission to recover the only surviving soldier of a family of soldiers. It was a dangerous mission and most of the troops end up getting killed. Remember why the President did that? It's for the publicity value.
Make sure your message appeals to your audience's core truths

If you are marketing to Rabid Rednecks, make sure your publication runs news like "Hezbollah exaggerates civilian death counts, Qana toll comes down to ...".

If you are marketing to Flippy-Floppy Liberals then write stories that appeal to their existing beliefs, that IDF foot soldiers are reckless, and Israel has a wider agenda.

It doesn't matter who you are preaching to, as long as you preach to the converted, they will continue attending your church.
You see Fire and Smoke, but not the firewood

There are lots of proxy wars being fought here, by US, Syria, and Iran. These people are actively changing the facts on ground through support by stealth.

Marketers should:

Frame a problem as the audience having their backs to the wall
Constantly reinforce the message
Consider every action as an act of communication
Learn marketing by finding out what the marketer's motives are when they carry out a particular action, not just by mimicing the actions alone.

The Most Immoral Army in the World

2006-07-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

Please speak up and speak out. The strong has to care for the weak. Killing innocents amount to unjustified violence. Have the Israelis forgotten what it means to be oppressed?

"In the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressors, those who are neutral side with the oppressors."
- Paolo Friere, Brasilian educator

ps. I saw another post here. For solidarity, Holocaust Museum, Lest We Forget the Innocents.

Please say Hi!

2006-07-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome. If you have a moment to spare, I'd appreciate it if you could just post a comment in this page. Just your name, and what your interests are. If you have an ad link, it's OK to post it here to.

Over in Tony Blake's forum, Chad asked about starting an internet business. An internet business is a business first, and internet second. If you have something to sell, a service you can provide, and you find your customers through the internet, well you have primarily an internet business.

So simple points to success:

1. have something to offer
2. people can find you on the internet
3. you can help them or serve them without meeting them in person

This obviously rules out a few kinds of business, such as
1. house cleaning
2. repairing heavy machinery
3. tailor made clothes

However, a lot of other businesses can be run over the internet. Even if you have to show someone how to do things, such as tiling, you can teach with a training video, and collect money with paypal.

For Goodness Sake, Why Not Drop a Bomb on Lebanon, Kill 6 million Innocents and We Will Call It Even?

2006-07-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

First post

2006-07-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

Well, as people say, there is a first time for everything!
Here I am. I'm 46, and I have been helping businesses big and small making sense of how to sell over the internet. If you have an RSS reader, do subscribe to the big XML sign on the side of the page, or sign up for the newsletter.