Solid plans lead to solid results
Looking ahead and strategically planning your company’s weeks, months and years ensures that focus is maintained and goals are met. A solid plan can also help your company adapt to changing landscapes, such as shifting demographics.

60-Second Articles:

1. How Much Is That iPhone in the Window?
2. How Did This Happen to the Gap? Don’t Let It Happen to You
3. Add a News Release Page to Your Web Site to Help Improve Your Position on Google
4. The 60-Second Close: The Four-Letter Word That Makes Companies Cringe

1. How Much Is That iPhone in the Window?

• The big news at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show was Apple’s introduction of their iPhone — a nifty combination cell phone and iPod that’s set to potentially rock the global telecommunications industry.
• So, the big question is whether the iPhone will be an iFlop. An out-of-reach price along with a lawsuit filed by Cisco Networks against Apple about copyright infringement of the name “iPhone,” Apple will have to reach deep into its bag of marketing tricks to make the iPhone as successful and appealing as the iPod. Stay tuned.

2. How Did This Happen to the Gap? Don’t Let It Happen to You

• The clothing retailer that most of us grew up with is no longer on our radar screen as “the” store to shop at. In fact, it hasn’t even been on our “stores to shop at” for a number of years now. What happened to this once clothing emporium and shrine to casual wear? Did the Gap change, or did we? Apparently, we changed, but the Gap didn’t change with us. It remained stagnant.
• In one key phrase, you can blame the Gap’s decline on marketing and merchandising blunders. More specifically though, here’s what happened:
  1. The company got greedy and opened Old Navy, selling the same merchandise found at the Gap, only at lower prices.
  2. Employees inherited the casualness of Gap, resulting in a lack of selling skills and product knowledge.
  3. The Gap didn’t do its research with its customers by asking them pertinent questions about price and fashion sense.
  4. Merchandise and store ambience no longer appealed to customers who grew up with the Gap.
  5. TV commercials featured celebrities, yet said nothing about the store, as their young and older customers couldn’t identify with them.
• Ultimately, the Gap’s decline boils down to the fact that its core audience grew older and its target audience shops elsewhere, like Abercrombie & Fitch. The Gap just didn’t adapt well to these demographic changes.
• And how does this affect you? Well, here’s the multimillion-dollar question: With America’s rapidly changing demographics, how will your product stand up to the test of time?
• Are you prepared for this, or will you be the next Gap? Call us; we can help you plan for the next generation of customers who are just around the corner, waiting to see if you are going to appeal to them.

3. Add a News Release Page to Your Web Site to Help Improve Your Position on Google

• Your company should have a News Release page as part of your Web site that includes stories about your product and services.
• Why? The Google Spider loves fresh content that relates back to similar content found on the other pages of your Web site, especially if the information is updated on a regular (weekly or monthly) basis. Write a different story about your company each week. Soon, the Google Spider will notice that you’re updating content.

4. The 60-Second Close: The Four-Letter Word That Makes Companies Cringe

• “Plan.” There’s something about doing a plan that companies dislike. It may be because it’s too much work, takes too much time to do and is based on past work. Also — and this one especially — besides being out-of-date the next day, the plan just sits on a shelf gathering dust.
  
• Developing a plan should be fun and exciting. The plan can be as short as you want. Even a weekly plan or a monthly plan is better than those dreary yearlong plans.
• The most important thing is that a plan, no matter how long, keeps you on focus and makes you unstoppable.
• Need help in developing a plan that works to bring you the success you’ve always wanted? Call us. We can help you get there … faster than ever.

Best wishes, Jason Mudd, APR Founder and CEO AXIA (866) 999-AXIA