Marketing
There's a gap in the market but is there a market for the gap? Here’s how niche businesses can find and maintain a corner of a market while fending off competition. Many niche business owners start out as frustrated consumers, disappointed by the absence of a product or service in the marketplace. But, although there […]
Do you have a point of difference (POD)? Do you know what makes you different to your competition? Do you know how to use that as a powerful message to convert prospects into clients? Many business owners look at their current business model trying to find the 'needle in the haystack' rather than looking at […]
Start-up advertising company Droga5 has been named as Foster’s newest hire, taking over the signature Victoria Bitter (VB) account and surprising the marketing industry. Droga5 replaces the George Patterson agency, which handled the VB account for decades. "While new in Australia, the combined experience, unquestionable talent and vision of the Droga5 set-up presents a powerful […]
Dave Hunt offers businesses eight tips for 2008 The myriad of issues facing a business leader is greater than ever, however the key is to prioritise and be realistic about what you want to achieve in 2008. Below is a short overview of what trends to expect over the next year, with eight top tips. […]
Tourism operators will submit to a new accreditation scheme, designed to revitalise industry standards. All operators will undergo assessment by judges and earn ratings according to set criteria. Martin Ferguson, Minister for Tourism, says he hopes the system will be in place by July. “For too long the focus on building the Australian tourism industry […]
When it comes to assessing the financial health of your business, an important, but sometimes neglected, part of the equation is the nature of your customer relationships. For SMEs in particular, it is whom these relationships are with, and on what terms, that can have a huge influence on your financial situation. A common problem […]
This year Aussies are planning to get rid of their debt, and more than 70 percent have financial goals. But while it’s good to see thought going into finances, the kinds of goals being made won’t necessarily be of financial benefit in the future, says David Wakeley, CEO of Virgin Money. “More than 50 percent […]
With a focus on clever marketing and innovative design, award-winning Aussie exporters are setting the world on fire. A children’s eye specialist and importer of construction silicon may not appear to have a lot in common in a business sense, but when Stephane Thomas and Uwe Backes teamed up to form The Fire Company in […]
What are the most important sales lessons that all businesses should be following? Our panel of experts give their top tips to boost sales, across any business. HR Shiever – Managing Director, Citrix Online, Pacific Region 1. When it comes to growing sales, businesses often need to take one step back to move two steps […]
Teams can be built in many different ways. But Domini Stuart finds there are generic practices for uniting and getting the best out of a group, and these can be applied to different business situations. As far back as the 1920s, Elton Mayo was looking into the relationship between human factors and productivity. In his […]
With the holiday season just around the corner, business owners need to invest some time now to get their finances in shape for summer. Whether it’s typically a business boom time or a slow period there are a number of factors to consider, be it chasing debtors and managing stock levels or paying out staff […]
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating the green claims being made by businesses, as a result of rising consumer complaints surrounding green marketing. “The trend is consistent with the growing trend for business to green market their goods and services,” says John Martin, ACCC commissioner. “Many incorrectly believe green marketing refers solely […]
Organisations have traditionally followed one of three ‘go to market’ strategies to grow their business. Either they would compete on lowest price, product uniqueness, or differentiated service. In today’s global, hyper-competitive economy, the reality is that it’s no longer possible to sustain growth through price or product alone. Alison Higgins-Miller explains why the only viable […]
A recent survey has found retailers are experiencing reduced sales, because Aussies and Kiwis get embarrassed when buying personal items. The NCR survey found the items that cause shoppers to go the reddest are libido enhancing vitamins, haemorrhoid cream, incontinence products and condoms. When buying incontinence products and pregnancy tests, men and women are as […]
After a rocky start, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications have grown up – Helen Bradley finds the new models offer an SME streamlined centralisation and can be hosted, leaving technical machinations to the experts. In the past CRM applications have been like the little girl with the curl—when they were good they were very good […]
More than 70 percent of Australians regularly use the internet as a valuable research tool when looking for suppliers and products. So, how do small to medium businesses effectively gain access to this potential pool of customers? Many SMEs are already advertising online and using search marketing to promote their businesses. It helps to increase […]
While perceptions may be changing, Kylie Beaufoy says many businesses still fail to see the value of good marketing. Here she sets out to dispel some key misconceptions. Lord William Heskith Lever, the founder of Lever Bros once said, "Half my advertising is wasted, the problem is which half". In today’s deregulated marketing environment, the […]
Experiential marketing seems to be the new ‘buzz’ term, with major players from Coca Cola to Unilever embracing this new phenomenon. But what is experiential marketing? By Jo Nagle Why are more and more companies shifting substantial investment towards experiential marketing? Is this just another industry fad that will fade in time? Or is implementing […]
It’s a sad fact that three in five small businesses fail within three years of setting up. There can be a myriad of reasons for this failure—flawed business vision, poor planning, inability to attract and retain good staff, lack of capital and cash flow problems, low sales and lack of ongoing business in the pipeline—but […]
Wanna keep online customers? Fred Schebesta of Freestyle Media, winner of the ADMA Australia and NSW Young Direct Marketer of the Year awards, shares his secrets to online marketing. Whether a business has thousands of customers or is just starting out, his 10 step plan shows how to attract customers and how to keep them. […]
