Posts Tagged ‘2010’
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Another area of rapid recovery this year: sponsorships in general. Industry giant EIG reports that Corporate America continues to be on the prowl for new deals this year. Other interesting stats:
- 66% report looking for new deals — slightly more than 2009’s uptick of 60%
- Budget cuts are still around, but not as much: 31% say they will cut sponsorship spending this year; yes, this is good news as 51% decreased spending last year. About half report the same budget for 2010.
- 41% spend NOTHING to evaluate prospective partnerships. Translation: decisions are very subjective and “fit” is open to interpretation.
- Speaking of fit, co-branding new products shot up in popularity this year. For us content producing machines, this means joining forces with associations and other industry groups is a no-brainer.
Tags: 2010, associations, branding, economy, opportunity, Sponsorship, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Sponsorship, strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Well, I finally did it. I finally took the plunge and updated my look. Why? I wanted to practice what I preach. If I’m going to tell clients to change what they’ve grown to love, then I need to do that, too. Helping others to the next level is one thing. Having it done to you is another. You can learn a lot when you are on the receiving end of an extreme makeover.
Biggest lesson happened at the hair salon. The stylist said, “We need to cut it.” I was adamant to keep the length. After all, I already let go of the color. That mean’s I’m open to changing, right?! Wrong. I was willing to change a little — to get to the next level, I had to go all the way.
What made me move were those magic words: “OK, we don’t have to. But it won’t be your best look.” What?! I won’t get the best?! I turned to the stylist and said, “cut it.”
I’m happy to report that the results were great. Consensus: I look ten years younger. Click here to see for yourself. Here’s to a transformative 2010!!
Tags: 2010, change, Extreme Makeover, lesson, magic, next level, results, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, branding, strategy | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
…so I’m keeping it short. It’s been a wild ride this year and 2010 will be no different. Mistakes will not be easy to correct; the stakes are really high. Use this time to get clear about how you will serve and what you want in exchange. Ask yourself: what am I willing to do to get what I say I want?
Look around and marvel at what you have and who loves you. There are those who have much less. Happy holidays and may 2010 be your best year yet!
Tags: 2010, high stakes, market, mistakes, serve, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
I love this time of year — one of the few periods that I come up for air and can look around. The agenda: family, friends and fun…and getting ready for next year. If you’re gearing up to hit the ground running, here’s my suggested to-do list:
- Check out your sales results: How many conversations did you have this year? How many of those were with qualified buyers? What percentage of those did you close? And most importantly, what were the top three reasons for not working with you? These answers are a great barometer. Change your prospecting, your process and your pitch accordingly.
- Assess your infrastructure: How’s your website? Is it still accurate? Does it position you well for picky buyers? If not, list your needed changes. Checklists get done faster than the mental list of to-do’s. If your websiite is fine, then great. Repeat this process for your media and other marketing tools.
- Plan out your promotion: What are you promoting when and to whom? Make a list then step back and ask yourself: Is this enough? Too much? Will my community support this effort? Do I have options for all my target markets? This is a great time for tweaking copy and timelines.
This is a great time to “sharpen the saw.” Next year is going to be a zoo…
Tags: 2010, assess, Marketing, process, promotion, prospects, sales, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
After using MPI’s Business Barometer as an example of cool findings in my last post, I thought it fitting to drill down. Really a mix of good news and bad news:
- Strongest meeting segment in U.S. associations, followed by U.S. corporations.
- Yes, the criticism of meetings has gone away, but watch what happens when one of the big banks (or Goldman Sachs) parties like it’s 1999.
- Two-thirds of those surveyed said that attendance is down; about 60% say their spending for meetings is down.
Bottom line: guarded optimism will ring in 2010. Prepare to compete for more picky buyers.
Tags: 2010, Marketing, news, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, strategy | No Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Good news: economists are pointing to a recovery next year. Unfortunately, this rising tide won’t lift all boats. In the meetings industry, buyers are gearing up to use content as a major marketing tool in 2010. That means you better have the goods; fluff is dead. Bottom line: how you describe who you are and what you do will be the deal breaker. I’m unveiling the top five predictions for 2010 on Tuesday’s Here’s the Deal call. Click here to learn more and to register.
Tags: 2010, economic recovery, Here's the Deal, Marketing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, Speaking, strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
Well, 2009 is half over. Whew! Crystal balls are now turning to 2010. Two words: cautiously optimistic. Exhibit A: LIMRA’s survey on 2010 meetings in the insurance industry.
According to the life insurance industry association, only five respondents out of 57 have canceled 2010 incentive meetings. The rest are holding their breath and working now on restricted budgets. One popular idea: leverage travel expenses by adding extra days of luxury to an already attended conference. Bottom line: top producers will be rewarded for success in a stressful environment. And those rewards will be balanced against a reduced budget.
Tags: 2010, incentive meetings, Marketing, meetings, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
Posted in Marketing, strategy | No Comments »
