Issue 11iMarch 2005

ESA Marketing & Graphic Matter, Inc. sharing insights and methods.  

Cover

Marketing Matters:
Fusion Marketing - What is it?

Design Matters:
Fusion Marketing - How do you start?

MarketingMatters.biz archive

Walk Your Talk: Grow Your Business Faster Through Successful Cross-Promotional Partnerships.

Kare Anderson

Marketing Matters: Fusion Marketing - What is it?

Jay Conrad Levinson, the guru and father of Guerrilla Marketing defines Fusion Marketing as combining the efforts of two entities to ‘explode’ their joint marketing efforts.  Think about how often you see examples every day in your personal and business life.

McDonalds offering the latest Disney characters.

BMW promoting the iPod for BMW autos

The Eddie Bauer edition of the Ford Explorer

So how do you translate this to the small business market? The concept is simple. Find two non-competitive businesses that share the same target audience. Look for marketing initiatives where you can double your exposure and divide your time and expense in half.

Be it product or service, cross-promotional partnerships are one of the most cost-effective ways for businesses of any size to . . .

Following are examples of some successful fusion marketing partnerships.

1. A client who sells solar energy systems does fusion marketing with a health food store.  The solar company gives gift certificates for the health food store to her clients. The health food store has a point of purchase display of solar brochures.

2. To promote weddings, a hotel partnered with a photographer, florist and caterer in creating a brochure which each used to promote his/her individual business.

3. A real estate company, mortgage broker, attorney, title company, moving company, landscaper, and house cleaning service do well in fusion marketing to new home buyers. They create a welcome package that promotes the services of all the suppliers. Each company is very familiar with the services and quality of the other so they can make referrals with confidence.

4. A publisher of a monthly magazine that targets a specialized audience recently partnered with an annual directory publication that targets the same audience.  They increased visibility by sharing each other’s mailing lists and cut their distribution costs in half by distributing together through the same distribution company.

5. Three women business owners recently hosted a breakfast. It was held in the massage therapist’s office; food was supplied by the food distributor; and the latest in fashion was presented by the person who sold clothes. Of course the invitation list was the combined lists of all three.

Design Matters: Fusion Marketing - How do you start?

Fusion Marketing opportunities are abundant with advantages out-weighing the risks. When you launch a clever fusion marketing campaign most people take notice.  So why do so few small businesses actually turn their ideas into action? Fear maybe? . . . I say, you have nothing to fear except inertia.

It is easy for the business owner to loose sight of the “competitive forest” when focusing on the “marketing trees.” We become pre-occupied with our local competitors, yet in the perspective of the larger marketing landscape this is a fruitless approach. If the big boys are teaming up for fusion marketing why aren’t you?  Double the exposure, divide the cost.  It’s one of the best budget-stretching, profit-producing strategies.

So, “How do you start?”

Capitalize on the spirit of cooperation rather than obsessing on the competition. How can we help each other stand out from the crowd?

1. Who does business with the people I want to do business with? 

2. Who has clients that can appreciate the type of work I do (or the product I offer)?

3. Who has clients that fit my target audience demographic?

4. What would be an attention-grabbing venture with that company? Be creative, think of new and innovative ideas, this will help you get noticed

5. What is in this relationship for me and my business? For them and their business?

6. Is the benefit and burden equally split?

7. What resources will we need to acquire to make it work?

8. Will we confuse our prospective clients because our products and services are not distinctive enough to maintain our own identity?

Planning for a Great Fusion Partner

1. Good relationships, like good business, are built on trust, confidence and open communications. Address questions or doubts at the onset of your partnership

2. Start small. The single best way to start a relationship is to give a referral, help build their business so they can help build yours as well.

3. One good turn deserves another. Be sure to let each other know what your best potential clients look like...  

4. Determine your prospect partner’s needs and make your company a valuable resource for solving their problems. If they do send you a referral go above and beyond – make them proud to have recommended you.

5. Once you decide on fusion marketing, like any business partnership, determine the parameters of the venture:

   • Areas of strength, weakness, responsibility and decision making

   • Identify costs (both set-up and maintenance) and how they will be divided

   • Identify potential income generated and how it will be allocated towards expenses, commissions, bonuses.

   • Create a partnership agreement with both a start-up and exit strategy. This doesn’t need to be formal, but should discuss the potential need to end the relationship. Doing this at the on-set strips it of emotions that can confuse matters later.

   • If there is significant money or risks at stake get legal and financial advice from your business attorney and/or CPA.

6. Be sure to maintain the identities of each participating partner and their respective companies. For Ellen and me, we are in the same industry yet we have different emphasis on our service offerings. While there is some overlap in our services, we decided at the beginning how we would handle the areas that cross-over. Our advice: keep it simple. Consider “would you have gotten this business in absence of the partnership?” We don’t put our prospective clients in the position of deciding who they should contact. We created a joint email address that goes to Ellen and me (mail@marketingmatters.biz). When someone addresses a question to this account we discuss who will respond and then one of us calls or replies.

Once you team up with new collaborative marketing partners, you can spread your message further, increase your credibility, and cut your costs. Marketing initiatives like a direct mail campaign, trade show exhibit, holiday gifts and/or client open house become affordable and manageable.

Graphic Matter, Inc. Creative Services for Small Business www.GraphicMatter.com 908-359-8760 Beverly Rossi, President Graphic Matter accepts Credit Cards Enhance your company’s professional image by ensuring that each client-facing communication is high caliber and on the mark.  Graphic Matter offers graphic design, web site design, and instructional design services with a focus on assisting the Professional Services Industry. Together we design and produce high-profile communications through an array of services typically offered by corporate creative services departments.  It’s like having the convenience of your own in-house creative group, without the hassle. Do you need help with a "do-it-yourself" project? Let us do the hard part and get you off and running. Visit our website and click through our on-line portfolio and see what we’ve done for others.  For a free estimate for your next project or to discuss the topic in this issue contact Bev at  brossi@GraphicMatter.com.

ESA Marketing Seminar Schedule Illuminating Copy; Electrifying Ideas www.ESAmarketing.BIZ 908-781-2001 Ellen Silverman, President Are you getting Brilliant Results from your marketing? It’s a fact:  you cannot succeed in business without marketing.   And in order to engage in successful marketing You must have a powerful plan You need to be aware of what roadblocks are standing in your way You need to analyze your marketing competencies and strengthen those that are holding you back. Ellen Silverman, owner of ESAmarketing, is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. Through her coaching practice and workshops, she teaches small businesses how to reap big profits with limited budgets and remain competitive in the ever changing markets and economy of today.  “The great thing about the guerrilla marketing strategies is that you can keep improving your message and refining your content.  With an emphasis on taking action and a bottom line on profitability, guerrilla marketing constantly propels you toward success.” For a list of guerrilla marketing strategies you can implement in your marketing program, go to www.esamarketing.biz/brightidea.html. To jumpstart your profits with your own personal marketing coach, email ellen@ESAmarketing.BIZ and request a 30 minute FREE coaching session.