CharlieMoger.com

Marketing and advertising advice for owner-operated businesses


Be Aware
Observe and absorb the market you operate in

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American beer made by a Belgian-owned company run by Brazilians. That’s Budweiser. Since 1876, it was American as hot dogs and pick-up trucks. Then, in 2008, InBev bought Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion. How did proud American beer drinkers react? They didn’t.

Anheuser-Busch maintains its commanding 47.3% market share.  “Consumers drink beer, they don’t obsess over ownership,” says Beer Historian, Maureen Ogle. Even so, the new owners aren’t taking chances.

By literally wrapping Budweiser in the American flag and raising money for veterans, InBev is making it possible for consumers to accept Bud is still part of the American story.  This awareness of the brand’s invaluable American roots is one reason it remains king of beers.

So, what’s all this beer talk mean to you? Consider your customers’ emotional connections with your brand. How does your marketing reinforce them? Are you aware? It’s one of The Ten BE’s of Better Branding.

There’s a sucker at every table

If you’re not sure who the sucker is, it’s probably you. That old poker maxim can easily be applied to the game of advertising.  For instance, could your ads be stacking the deck against you? There’s one way to find out.

Let’s say your ads don’t play out as expected. Was it the ad guy? Maybe. The product? Possibly. Most often, though, advertising failures are the result of weak offers; ones that push what you wish customers were thinking instead of speaking to what’s really in their head.Continue Reading

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Be reliable
Do what you say as you say every time

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It seems a little thing on the surface. After ringing up your purchase at My Fit Foods, the person behind the counter carries your purchase to the door, many times even to the car. It’s surprising because it’s a level of service you don’t expect. That’s customer delight.

In this age of self-serve everything, encountering service once taken for granted is delightful. What’s equally remarkable is the consistency of this customer experience at every My Fit Foods location I’ve visited. “It’s something we’re known for,” says Store Manager Jason Smith.

Advertising brings in prospects. Service creates customers. Customer delight builds loyalty. Does your team reliably delight customers? That’s why reliability is one The Ten BE’s of Better Branding.

Never argue with a drunk

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People will teach you a lot, if you let them. One such life lesson, dealing with difficult people,  came my way decades ago in that building behind me; our family restaurant at the time, Grandma’s Kitchen in Whitefield, New Hampshire. It’s a lesson worth sharing because advertising will bring the occasional knucklehead through your door too.Continue Reading

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