MarketingFunWithMike

WE ARE MOVING!!!

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:29:28 -0400

Hey Everyone!

We have MOVED!

Thanks for all of my wonderful readers! We are now officially over at my

brand new website! Still the same domain name without the Tumblr.

www.marketingfunwithmike.com

Come on over and take in the hot dogs!

Carpe Diem!

Mike Rudd

Above and Beyond

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:56:13 -0400

My wife and I recently needed new gym shoes in our quest to up our training

and not ruin our feet for the upcoming Columbus Half Marathon!

We bought these sweet matching gym shoes that you see above.

(SIDENOTE)

I would like everyone to know that I did not attempt to purchase matching

shoes, but what is comfortable is comfortable and I didn’t want to run

the risk of a running injury just to have different shoes.

I had a recent stress fracture in my foot that I kept running on that my doc

told me might have been the result of not having my shoes fit as well as they

could.

She recommended we go try out Front Runner in Columbus.

The service at this place was above and beyond what you would expect a

retail store to do. They watch you walk with and without shoes and socks on,

they have you try on multiple special pairs, give you second opinions, look over

your training schedules and what might work best, etc.

We were very satisfied with our experience and they did a great job serving us.

But in this blog that is what I preach that you need to do just to stay in

business.

What Front Runner did next takes them above and beyond a high level

of customer service and vaults them into the “remarkable level!” (One

of the chapters of my upcoming book.)

Front Runner holds weekly good form running clinics and we decided to go

attend one.

You did not have to be a former or current customer to do this, anyone could

with seven other people Bill from Front Runner took us through a free of charge

90 minute class on how to run with better form. I won’t get into the details of

the class but the purpose of good form running is to strike the ground with your

mid foot instead of your heel or front foot. It will help your knees, feet, and

leg tendons over the long time and keep you injury free for much longer!

The point is there was no sales push afterwards, it was a 90 minute free class,

and it was HELPFUL HELPFUL HELPFUL!

Everyone there learned a ton and it will change the way I run. Front Runner

took themselves above and beyond just being a shoe store and they are now a

REMARKABLE running consulting company in my eyes.

BEING REMARKABLE CREATES SUPER FANS. RAVING FANS THAT WILL TELL

EVERYONE ABOUT YOU. AND HERE I AM TALKING ABOUT FRONT RUNNER.

So remember that next time you are trying to figure out…how can I be

remarkable?? How can I show my customers, my co workers, my managers that

I truly care?

Look at examples in your own life of places that have been remarkable to you

and you will get it.

If you live in Columbus and you need running shoes, equipment, or want to

learn how to run better head up to Front Runner on Lane Avenue and find

Bill and the gang!

Until I visit them next time…we will TRAIN ON in our matching gym shoes!

Have a great day everyone and CARPE DIEM!!

This may be my final post on this Tumblr blog and hopefully next week we will

be on to the new website…can’t wait to share it with you!

Mike

Pride is everywhere: Get Some Today!

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:44:00 -0400

About two weeks ago I had what I would consider my most “American” week
in my young life.

1. My wife and I received free tickets to see President Obama deliver a 45
minute speech down the street from our house.
2. We went to a World Cup Qualifying game for USA Jamaica, the game was
on 9/11 with a moment of silence before hand, and the coin toss was done
by FDNY members who saved lives that fateful day.
3. Finally the The Ohio State Marching Band (The Best Damn Band in the Land!)
performed a halftime show dedicted to Neil Armstrong and John Glenn and
Glenn and his wife came out of the tunnel and onto the field for the final portion
of the show.

All in all I felt great pride in the country that I am a citizen of and it went past that
to be a proud member of the human race.
Last night when my wife and I landed in the CMH airport back from our trip out
West we were able to see the Honor Flight returning home from Washington DC
that day. For those who are unfamiliar with Honor Flight it is when we take our
veterans as they age to the war monuments in DC.
It is a great organization but what stood out to me was the amount of pride all of
these people had that night when greeting their aging veterans home after what was
surely a tiring day for these guys. Most are in their late 80’s and early 90’s.

The point is these events have reminded me to take pride in what I do.
I try not to let a day go by where I’m not doing work or interacting with people
in a way that I would later regret.
It reminded me how good we have it and how lucky we are and to make sure that
I try every single day to kick butt and do it in a nice and honest way.

Have some pride. Make challenges for yourself and go strive to achieve them.
Let’s not sit on the sidelines for the next few weeks, months, or years.
Instead get yourself some goals, set some standards in your life, and get some
pride and go achive something you have always wanted to do!

I currently have a list of random things that I want do to before my life is over.
Some are for myself and some are for others.
I take pride in crossing things off that list and learning from them and having fond
memories of them.
Two items that are recently off the list are giving a stranger $100 cash and telling
them it was a random act of kindness and the second was climbing a HUGE
mountain in Colorado that I had never scaled before.
(My brother and I conquered Twin Sisters in Rocky Mountain last
Tuesday, 8.5 miles round trip, 3,000 ft in elevation, a rock scramble off the trail to
get away from the Big Horn Sheep that were staring us down, and all done
in 3.5 hours time.)

To me going and doing something that you love, an adventure that you don’t put off,
an act of kindness that you stop talking about doing and actually go do.
THAT IS PRIDE!

It may have started with something as simple as a soccer game for me this month
but it was a great reminder of everything that is possible in this world and everything
there is to be proud of both in my life, for this great country, and in this magnificent world.

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a great Sunday and CARPE DIEM!

PS: The book comes out Monday October 15th on Amazon Kindle or by ordering
yourself a physical copy. They will be affordable, fun, and filled with takeaways!
They will be available on my brand new website that will be launching around the
same time so stay tuned for more info!

The Best Way to Stand Out

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:05:00 -0400

Hot Dog Stand Marketing.

What is the best way to stand out when running a business?

When working for a company?

When just trying to get the attention of a cause you believe in?

STAND OUT BY BEING YOURSELF!

Smile. Be Happy. Be Polite.

Every single human on this Earth has something about them that makes

them truly different from every other person in this world.

For some reason we spend too much time fitting in and becoming like

everyone else.

Dig deep and figure out your passions, what makes you tick, what makes

you different and unique, and then go present that to whoever or whatever

you are trying to show your ways to!

Being Yourself is figuring out what seperates you from everyone else in this

universe and then behaving in that manner each and every day. (Unless

you are a unique road rage driver, then you can just fit in with the status

quo and be polite and quiet on the road!)

The best way to stand out in Hot Dog Marketing isn’t a price point or a

radio jingle, it’s also not a PR campaign or a fun internal promotion, the best

way to stand out is to show people what you are really about and show

them who you really are.

IF you do that and really care odds are they will LOVE what you have to say!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!!! Don’t forget to remember all those today affected with or

by someone with Alzheimer’s. It is National Alzheimer’s Day and it makes me

remember there are hundreds of great causes out there every day that try

to solve problems. Pick a few of them that you are passionate for and help

them out and get behind them!

CARPE DIEM!

Thanks for reading this far, if you have made it down here and want to get

a FREE copy of my book coming out in mid October email me HERE

and give me a quick note of your favorite toppings on a hot dog…I will pick

my favorite combination and send you a free download or physical copy

when ready, your choice!

Mike

The Effects of the NHL Lockout

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:10:38 -0400

The NHL is locked out.

This is the first full week when the owners and players are now in such disagreement that missing a portion of the NHL Season is very likely and the NHL is officially LOCKED OUT!

We know the owners are in full agreement with the Commish Gary Bettman that the current state of their league can not move forward in the manner that it was. The problem now being faced though is the risk of missing a portion of the season.

This has already happened to the NHL before and they actually missed a full season in 2005 and to be quite honest with you the NHL has reported that as few as only three teams turned true profit in recent seasons. The point being they do need to come to some sort of new agreement because the current way is not working. I personally believe it will be a short term lockout and its fallout should not be truly harmful, but the NHL should worry if it does become a long term problem.

Today though we will delve into some of the other potential effects of the NHL lockout.

Players leaving the league

When I spoke with some of the players and marketing people at the Columbus Blue Jackets they said the lockout will start to become a real concern if players begin to leave the league and play in Canada, Eastern Europe, overseas anywhere, etc. This happened to the NBA during the recent lockout but we saw little impact of big names players. The NHL will potentially lose bigger stars because some of the leagues in Canada and overseas are on a much higher pay scale and quality player level than the leagues that some of the NBA players had an opportunity to jump to. If good players leave the league and the problems are resolved and the lockout is ended you need to put a quality product out there.

The NHL is not the NBA or the NFL

Let’s be very realistic here. The NHL is a huge corporation in America and it still is probably the 5th biggest professional sport in America (behind the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NASCAR) but it will not be able to return and bounce back from a long term lockout like the NBA and the NFL did.

Let’s face facts: The NFL is America’s Great Pasttime now. (Sorry, MLB, it is not my call.) The NFL has some of the most loyal fans in the world and the second their lockout ended the fans were back. In fact, the fans were almost relieved and thankful for them coming to settle.

The NBA has star power. They have the most marketable stars in the WORLD! Part of that is because they are not hidden behind helmets and pads but also part of that is the job the league has done. People may not have forgiven their team when the league ended its lockout but when LBJ, D Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, etc came to town they were getting their butts into those seats! The NHL I believe will have a very hostile fan base that will hold a longer term grudge against their league. Partly because it is not as popular as the other leagues and partly because it has happened them in 1994 and 2005.

The Economy and Local Businesses

Yes we always think about the concession workers, the ticket takers, the sales people, that will lose their jobs as a result of the lockout. But you don’t always think about it as a whole for the city the team is located in. Here is a great article written by The Other Paper in Columbus Ohio on whether or not the downtown area can survive a long term lockout. Local business will suffer as a result of the lockout not just current employees of the arena and employees for the organizations.

For the rest of the article just click over to my friends at Sports Networker

right HERE. Have a great day everyone!

CARPE DIEM!

Thanks for reading this far, if you have made it down here and want to get

a FREE copy of my book coming out in just a few short weeks email me HERE

and give me a quick note of your favorite toppings on a hot dog…I will pick

my favorite combination and send you a free download or physical copy

when ready, your choice!

Mike

Put some Kraut in your Pitch

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 08:04:00 -0400

Every sales rep, hourly customer service worker, or business owner can offer

their customer a “great deal.”

This price won’t last…

Our final BUT best offer…

Today is the final day to cash in on savings that will go away…

We have heard them all, it doesn’t matter how they are phrased.

Truth be told they never go away. Everyday it seems that there are more offers

of great deals.

The strangest thing is that out of all of the objections that my clients put

in front of me PRICE is usually towards the bottom.

So why do we keep going back to it?

My personal opinion is that we are so attracted to the want and the desire

of money both in work and in life that we forgot that millions of people

rise every morning for work for reasons other than just money.

That is why I have forgotten about the PRICE PITCH.

Instead I have found that by following some HOT DOG STAND MARKETING

rules and putting some KRAUT in my pitch helps me stand out and helps

my clients stand out much more than just lowering my price a little bit.

What do I offer to help my clients stand out? What type of KRAUT do I

put in my proposals that will help them get a little bit of their own hot

dog stand marketing??

It is different for every single client. But can and has included:

1) A custom feature on the radio station that tailors specifically to their industry.

2) Airing a digital campaign that targets their exact customer who is searching

on the internet for their exact product, albeit could be a competitors.

3) Promotional tickets that they can use for an in house rewards program

for their best workers at their company.

4) Free seminar and webinar sign ups of other writers and speakers that I have

seen that I think may help them get a better grasp on their business.

5) A solution based on our meeting that can help them make a profit back on

the money that they invest with me.

6) Ability to provide not the quantity of people that pay attention to my product

but rather the quality of people that are listening that are in my clients target

market that will pay attention and be interested in their product.

7) Referrals to other clients that they would perhaps be interested in talking

shop with.

8) Speech writing and copy writing classes that will help improve their and

their staffs skills when talking to potential clients.

And the list can go on and on.

Every time I put a program together for a client to begin a new partnership or

extend an existing one I think about how I can put some KRAUT in my pitch

and make sure that my program has elements of HOT DOG STAND MARKETING

that will help my clients STAND OUT and not just GET CAUGHT IN CLUTTER.

Make sure you do the same!

Have a great day everyone and of course…

CARPE DIEM!

Thanks for reading this far, if you have made it down here and want to get

a FREE copy of my book coming out in just a few short weeks email me HERE

and give me a quick note of your favorite toppings on a hot dog…I will pick

my favorite combination and send you a free download or physical copy

when ready, your choice!

Mike

Hot Dog Stand Marketing: Standing Out

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:35:00 -0400

Other blogs say you need to come up with your own stance.

While all writers would love to just sit there and regurgitate the genius ideas

of Seth Godin or have a journey as basic yet as incredible as Chris Guillebeau

they have already come up with their own ways that make them truly unique

and remarkable.

To stand out and make a difference and provide value I believe that what

these other writers have been saying. To come out from the thick you need

to have a reason to seperate yourself.

I was stuck in a world of 1,000 media sales reps in Columbus. We all offered

a product and had clients that wanted it. How were we different than one

another?

That’s why I started writing this blog. Make myself stand out to my clients and

prospects as someone who had a little bit more to offer than the next media

sales rep.

Then I realized that in the world of blogging there was that type of competition

for readership, only it was global and I was competing with one million people

(PROBABLY WAY HIGHER ACTUALLY!)to gain readers and people interested

in what I had to say.

That’s why I decided to finally write the book that I had been wanting to

write for quite some time. It will be out in a few weeks, I am receiving the

final proof next week in the mail before I put it up for sale (and of course

some freebie giveaways if you read this blog) on Amazon and CreateSpace!

So now here I am…

What is my next idea to keep you interested? To gain more readers both on

a national and a global level?

What can I offer you that no other blog or book or public speaker or media sales

rep or sports marketing guy can offer you? (Yes I have many hats/titles!)

Introducing HOT DOG STAND MARKETING.

Hot Dog Stand Marketing is my way to truly help every single person stand out!

Whether is standing out from other local businesses, or standing out from other

employees at your company, or standing out in society as someone who

truly cares and wants to make a difference in the world…

HOT DOG STAND MARKETING will do it.

More explanation and details in the coming weeks and months with posts and

information on how you can transform yourself into anything you want to be!

Both professionally, personally, locally, nationally, and globally!

I bid goodbye for now and wish you a great day! I’ll be back soon.

CARPE DIEM!

Thanks for reading this far, if you have made it down here and want to get

a FREE copy of my book coming out in just a few short weeks email me HERE

and give me a quick note of your favorite toppings on a hot dog…I will pick

my favorite combination and send you a free download or physical copy

when ready, your choice!

Mike

Every Day Not Just Today

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:43:03 -0400

11 years ago today 9/11 occurred. I was working at Kenwood Country Club in

the bag shop and I brought up an old man’s clubs. I was set to leave for Ohio

State for my first year of college in a week. I’ll never forget the words he

told me as he took his golf cart and clubs.

He said “Get ready son. You are going over to war for us. Forget about college

you have a country to fight for.”

Obviously while many others have fought, I never did.

But I never forgot the words that he said to me that morning. I have had

many experiences, runs in, days, and years since he said that to me but I have

never forgotten because it rang a chord with me.

Let today not be the only day that we remember 9/11. Every day we should

thank those who gave their lives as a result and think and pray for those who

lost family members, friends, and loved ones.

Remember more than just one day a year.

And not just 9/11…be cognizant and thankful every day for veterans, social

workers, your parents, your career, your ability to do whatever you want in this

and other democtratic countries.

So tomorrow when you wake up think once again but all of those that have

sacrificed for you so that you can enjoy your walk of life.

And fight for your freedom and happiness every single day. Make sure you take

advantage of every opportunity you have, the sacrifice that others have done

for us is amazing, and we should leave nothing untouched or unturned so that

their sacrifice was 100% worth it!

Thanks for reading everyone. Take a moment to reflect not just today but

every single today to remember the victims of 9/11 and all other attacks and

tragedies that occur every single day in this world.

And then try to do your best to spread the good and not the evil.

CARPE DIEM!

Mike

Becoming Aware

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:20:37 -0400

It has been almost two and a half years and a couple hundred posts since I

started writing Marketing Fun With Mike.

I have learned to write better, be more creative, and hopefully shown to my

readers and my clients ideas and thoughts that they had not found before.

But the most surprising and probably important asset I have gained from this

experience thus far is BECOMING AWARE.

I almost laugh at where I was and what I knew coming out of college and even

in the early years of my career.

This blog has opened me up to so many different walks of life, so many different

types of businesses, other blogs, writers and stories, charities, and walks of

many kind.

It is simplyAMAZINGto me when you see how many people are out there today

trying to make a difference, doing something they love, walking a different

path than what you are.

It is also sad that there are so many more that want to but don’t have the

opportunity or chance to make it happen.

But it has made me aware. There is more to life than just business people and

teachers. White collar or blue collar jobs.

More than just the rich and just thepoor.

More than just the retired or the young.

More than just English and Spanish speaking people.

More than just United Way to find a charity making a difference. (Though I have

nothing against that charity.)

Marketing Fun With Mike has enabled me to discover on a daily basis so much

more. It has made me 500% more aware of what is going on in this world and

I have only began to crack the cookie of what is out there.

And I couldn’t be happier with being more aware.

Don’t waste a minute. There is too much out there to learn, make you smile,

places you can help, and growth that you can achieve personally.

And it all starts with opening yourself up, dropping any pre conceived notions

of anything you have ever thought you knew, and being yourself when you walk

out your door every morning.

Marketing Fun With Mike: Teaching Mike how to become more aware one day

at a time.

That is the most unexpected takeaway from writing this blog.

I hope you have unexpected takeaways from reading this blog.

And from reading my brand new book which will be out in less than one month!

More details coming soon…

For now…CARPE DIEM and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Top 7 Most LIKED NFL Team Facebook Fan Pages

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 08:17:29 -0400

by Michael Rudd|September 3rd, 2012

The NFL Season has nearly arrived! And Eli Manning’s 2nd Superbowl Trophy is far off in the distance as all 32 teams gear up for another run at a championship.

Eli can take to heart that he has two rings and Tony Romo has none and the Cowboys have only one playoff win since 1995 but that doesn’t change the fact that when we dove into the most LIKED teams facebook pages for the NFL Tony Romo and the Texas Star trumped Eli and the Giants. The struggle between spamming your fans on facebook and giving them truly unique and behind the scenes info still rages on, so today we will delve into the teams with more than two million likes. We will take a minute to find out if they are holding the trophy for facebook relevance and interaction or just another page with a “lot of likes.”

Eli will take the 7th place finish in the facebook standings if it means a 3rd Superbowl Trophy is on the horizon for him this season I would venture to guess.

Onto the teams!

The Most LIKED NFL Team Facebook Fan Pages

1. Dallas Cowboys - 5,058,599 LIKE’s

They are the most popular team in the NFL, but only have one playoff win since ’95, so it comes as no surprise they lead in a considerable margin over every other NFL team. Tons of interaction, comments, and what stands out to me is they actually are doing contests that benefit the user from following the team on Facebook. Including a Gatorade contest and a 70% off special on merch. Provide value on facebook, if you do that then the LIKES and interaction will come!

2. Pittsburgh Steelers – 4,663,892 LIKE’s

The Steel Curtain page jumps out to me that the link is not found at facebook dot com / Pittsburgh Steelers. If I were not writing an article I would probably stop there. Steelers is not far off but I think it is easier to find by listing the whole team’s name. The one post they seem to love though is showing play by play updates of the game every five minutes or so while the Steelers are playing. Most likely fans are already watching or listening on the radio already though and know what is going on during the game. For me, the Facebook page needs to have something that I can’t get just by watching the game and the Steelers page doesn’t provide that.

3. New England Patriots – 3,741,360 LIKE’s

That is the stretch pic for the Pats facebook page. Just my personal opinion but I would have a photo of Tom Brady throwing a deep ball or Vince Wilfork’s gut and bulging muscles stretching out to take on three offensive lineman. But that’s my personal opinion. You have the best football player on the planet, market him! Other than that they do a great job, I actually like their page and have for some time even though I am not a Pats fans because I find their posts relevant, funny, and informative.

Keep it up Pats!

4. Green Bay Packers – 3,253,898 LIKE’s

Great info here on the Pack’s page! From the ability to email the team president, do a live video chat with Aaron Rodgers, to the oodles of funny teenage girls who post “I LOVE YOU AARON!” on here for a non fan of the team there is a lot to offer.

They keep it non spammy and light and aren’t just regurgitating the game or traning camp recaps so two thumbs up here!

For the final top 3 and the notable omissions plus my wrap up click HERE for

the rest of the article to my friends at Sports Networker!

Enjoy the week and Carpe Diem!

Mike

The fruits of doing NO Labor

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:59:02 -0400

Europeans and South Americans already make fun of our country for working

too hard and not enjoying ourselves within our daily lives enough.

So for all of you who work yourselves to the bone every day I say take one

from the Spanish and have aSIESTAtomorrow, Sunday, AND Monday of

this Labor Day Weekend.

Enjoy the fruits of doing NO labor for once!

Re Energize Yourself.

Re Invigorate Yourself.

And when you return Tuesday morning try to work smarter not harder, use

your vacation days, and relish in the fact that just sometimes it is okay

to not do any LABOR.

Happy Holiday Weekend Peeps!! CARPE DIEM!

The foolproof MARKETING plan

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:11:00 -0400

Oscar Wilde nailed it on the head when he spoke these words. Everyone can

take these words their own way and apply them in how they go about their

lives.

For myself in my career though BEING YOURSELF is the foolproof marketing plan

for success, and it can be for you in your business or in your career as well.

If you are yourself and it shines through how you represent your business or

your company then you will win!

I have many clients right now that are ramping up their marketing dollars to

associate themselves with Ohio State Football. It is very interesting that many

folks, especially in the Central Ohio area, would congratulate my clients and

those businesses who choose to align with Ohio State Football because that is

a foolproof way to market your business.

It couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Ohio State Football is the means in which my clients get their message heard.

The way they turn those ears that heard it into people being interested in their

business however is through BEING THEMSELVES!

Bob Burg, author of one of my favorite books the Go Giver, says it best when

he reports that “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer

business to, those people they know, like and trust.”

That’s it!

That is your foolproof marketing plan. Not the fact that you are running spots

during the evening news, OSU Football, giving your customers 20% off on

repeat business.

People want to do business with people they like and they trust. Your foolproof

marketing plan if you own your own business is to BE YOURSELF!

Be nice, genuine, and kind. Everything else will follow.

If you run a department, treat your people like this and everything else will

follow!

If you are an hourly worker but you want to improve your favor amongst

your employers, BE YOURSELF, and it will be your foolproof way to market

yourself to the top of the company should you so choose to climb that ladder!

Forget about dollars, marketing mix, brand messaging, social media

analytics, facebook likes, retweets, couponing, inventory reduction,

process checks, and operation improvement systems.

BE YOURSELF first, do the other things that make your business churn next,

and you will be stuck forever with a successful and FOOLPROOF marketing plan

that will set you up for success as a business owner, CEO, manager, or hourly

worker that is last on the totem pole. (Though you won’t be at the bottom

for long because you will rise quickly.)

With that I bid everyone adieu this Tuesday! Go begin your own marketing

plan of yourself and practice it every day and for longer periods of time and

the wins will start to build and the losses will start to disappear!

Thanks for reading everyone! Please leave your thoughts and comments

below on what you think about this way to try to work OR drop me a line

HERE I’d love to hear from you!

CARPE DIEM!

Give some props to the millions

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:23:58 -0400

BUMP THE ROCK WITH SOMEBODY TODAY!

It can be your boss, your wife, your buddy, or a complete stranger that you are

standing next to in line at the grocery.

Give out some props today to somebody you think deserves it!

TODAY

Millions of people are waking up with smiles on their faces.

Millions of people are biking to work on a beautiful morning whistling as they

ride.

Millions of people are doing charitable work to fight for a difference for those

that don’t have what many of us think is our right.

Millions of people are laughing so hard at a joke they will cry.

Millions of people are giving random people money today because they feel

they need it more than them.

Millions of people are doing work in a career that they truly love.

Millions of people are trying something that scares them to death but are going

to get over their fear.

Millions of people are learning a new hobby that they never thought they would

be interested in.

Millions of people are discovering a piece of the planet that they never knew

existed.

Millions of people are fighting for a change, fighting for peace, fighting for

equality, fighting for us to all be happy.

Millions of people are enjoying the moment at hand and not letting life speed

right by them.

Millions of people are sayingCARPE DIEMjust like I do everyday.

And yet if you put yourself into only one part of the world all you will think

millions of people are doing are talking about politics, committing crimes, lying,

being unfaithful, and not enjoying the world.

Which team do you want to work be a part of?

Which team do you want to be on?

It is all about how you look at things.

TEAM A:

Bright and sunny with a realization

that there are millions of people everyday trying to make us all better

and enjoying those people.

TEAM B:

Overcast and cloudy with a doom and gloom outlook that there are millions

of people everyday that prevent you from ever living a great life.

I choose Side A. Why not?!

Millions of people everyday choose Team A. Join the team and as you sign up

make sure you bump somebody the rock who is already on the team. You will

know who they are!

And guess what? You can always switch teams and bring members from Team

B to Team A. Team B will think they are too full and busy but Team A is

always recruiting.

Make the choice today and give some props to one of the millions on Team A!

Thanks for reading everyone!! Thoughts or comments, leave them below!

Want to email me about it personally just click HERE!

Marketing during Political Season

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:50:00 -0400

I would like to begin this post with stating very clearly this is not a political

post in any way whatsoever! Not a word about politics just how businesses

have a huge opportunity to market to consumers during political season.

Every four years and sometimes every two years we have a national political

election and those running for President, Congress, Senate, etc bombard your

TV, radio, print, billboard, and online sights with political ad after political ad.

More often times than not these ads are negative and almost 100% of the

time they try to push their message onto the client instead of pulling them

in.

Which in my mind is a Marketing 101 mistake!

I speak all of the time about pulling possible consumers and clients in with

great opportunities, extroadinary service, unbelievable referrals, and other

countless ways that don’t involve simply pushing your advertising and marketing

message onto people over and over again until they are fed up with it.

This is an opportunity for businesses all across the country instead of just a time

for people to complain about how sick they are of political ads!

TV Stations are going to be sold out. Billboards will be in high demand. The

political season is going to make it much harder to mass market because the

politicians will be purchasing all of the inventory (unless you work at say a

sports talk station because they don’t concern themselves with us…just

had to throw that out there!)

Instead of making excuses for your business about how hard it is to get your

message heard use this as a way to reconnect with your old customers and find

new ones in a way you haven’t done so all year!

-Do a grassroots thank you card campaign with you dressed up in front of the

White House thanking all of your clients for a great term thus far.

-Offer out a 25% inventory on election day.

-Pull customers in on social media by offering them value and answering their

questions in ways that truly helps them get more out of your product or your

company.

-Spend extra time in your store connecting and not selling to your customers

because you won’t have to be shooting your new TV ad.

-Hold a football or soccer tailgate at your local team’s game and invite out all

of your customers and use that newspaper money on food, drinks, and tickets

instead.

-Promo products that provide an intangible upon every purchase.

The point is don’t use this political season as an excuse that you can’t connect

with your customers.

Use it as an opportunity to build deeper relationships and more connections with

them with a PULL marketing message instead of the PUSH marketing message

that every single politician will be using!

Thanks for reading everyone!! Have a great day and give me a “CARPE

DIEM” because Marketing Mike said so! (Kudos to Stone Cold)

Teamwork: Where egos go to die

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:30:29 -0400

If this skydiving team can accomplish this then we can do anything in our

personal and professional lives when it comes to teamwork.

Teamwork is where egos go to die. It is when we let go fully and embrace the

fact that we are better working together than we are working for ourselves

and on a mission to satisfy oneself instead of the greater good.

I wrote a chapter in my upcoming book about letting go of your ego and placing

a value on teamwork and I almost cut the chapter out of the book because I

felt that it was “too obvious!”

Of course we need to work as a team and not have egos in the workplace.

It still happens though, people won’t let go of their egos and there are people

who still struggle everyday in their careers and in their relationships outside of

work to truly become a teammate.

Remember being a teammate doesn’t mean you give up competition, sacrifice

your well-being, take a pay cut, or many other urban legends that surround

becoming a true team player.

I will say this, we will succeed as a country and a world more so and more so

everyday that someone with an ego buys in that they are not more important

or special than the greater good.

It is amazing to see the selfish actions at times by people but you have to have

confidence that they will come around. I am not perfect by any means at this

but over the years I have tried to slowly improve each month at my company

and personally and there is a self realization that comes as you try to grow and

learn. You realize that fighting for yourself and for extra money and for extra

pride really doesn’t help yourself in the end and hurts greatly the teamwork

mantra that some people strive so hard to get everyone else to.

Today I challenge you to be selfless in your workplace. Help a co worker when

there is not a direct benefit to you. Bypass something you want because it

will cause a headache internally if you try to get it. Offer free advice and meet

with someone when it is inconvenient for you to do so.

Embrace 100% into teamwork. The egos will die and the work will truly be able

to begin. Prosperity will follow if continued!

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a great Friday and remember to enjoy

all the moments that the day will bring! Thoughts or comments?? Please

leave them below, email me HERE,or give out a tweet or facebook shout

with what you think!

And it wouldn’t be the same without a big old slap in the FACE of

CARPEDIEM!!!

The Future of Olympic Basketball Pros and Cons

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:24:06 -0400

Is this the last time we will see a USA “Dream Team” in the Olympics?

As the USA Men’s Basketball team continues its quest for the Gold Medal (at my time of writing this they were scooting into a semi finals matchup with Manu, Scola, and the gang) WIN or LOSE one thing is for certain:

This may be the last Olympic Basketball Dream Team we ever see!

After the Olympics end there will be a hotly contested debate over whether or not to continue having our USA Professional players be the ones to represent our country. They are considering, and my opinion is they will, move to an 18-23 year old amateur team for the 2016 games. I am not here to debate whether or not it should happen but what the PROS and CONS of it are.

PROS:

1) More competition

Taking out the USA 2004 Flameout (look at Amare’s face!) Bronze Medal Finish and that 6th place finish in the World’s prior to that the USA Men’s Basketball Team has completely dominated international basketball since the original Dream Team was incepted in 1992. Going to an 18-23 year old team will still make us the heavy-favorites most years, but by no means will we be blowing people out of the water. If you are a hoops junkie and want great competition from top to bottom then you will go for this.

2) Chance to develop young talent

Young amateur guys with the talent of an Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd Gilchrist would be back on this team in 2016 and about 10 other studs that will/are either coming into college as freshman at Kentucky this year or will be emerging as studs in the next year or two in high school. It will give us a chance to develop young talent on a global scale and give the NBA an imprint of a fresh new face every four years across the globe!

3) Spreading the LOVE (not Kevin’s)

Every four years a new crop of young talented Americans will get the chance at Olympic Gold and the opportunity to represent our country. The love and wealth would be spread and more players would have the chance to achieve this incredible dream. Most Olympic athletes only get one shot at one Olympic Games. Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, etc are anomalies rather than the norm.

4) The World Cup of Basketball!

This is the main reason behind why the NBA and the Crazy General, ahem Mr Stern, are pushing the USOC to go to an amateur only team. The growing global popularity of the NBA has grown into the idea that we could have a “World Cup” of basketball with the all of the pros competing just like in Soccer! Technically speaking then we would still get to see Chris Paul line up with the Durantula, The Black Mamba, and whoever else wants to go at it in the First World Cup Of Hoops. And the best part about this is: we wouldn’t miss any games due to Bob Costas monologues or handball (no offense to handball but I’d rather watch Carmelo and Westbrook ball!). For about two weeks just like soccer every four years it would be all basketball all the time. From a business perspective too, and a sponsor standpoint, this idea makes a lot of sense.

CONS:

To get the CONS then just head over to my friends at Sports Networker

right HERE for the rest of the article!

As always post your thoughts or comments on here or on the Sports Networker

site and thanks again for reading!

Have a great evening and CARPE DIEM.

Hard Knocks

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 08:45:00 -0400

Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins debuted this week after a year off! And while

Chad Not Ochocinco Johnson was clever and an entertainer as always, including

the fact that he met his wife on TWITTER, the NFL I believe has a true HARD

KNOCKS issue on their horizon.

They have been trying to cover it up for years. Punishing players for illegal hits,

more tests on concussions, stricter regulations on QB’s, but the problem still exists

and it can be summed up with one photo below.

BRAIN DAMAGE.

For myself it is unfortunate that as I write this my Cincinnati Bengals open

the season with the most positive outlook for a future that I have ever seen.

The team is young, hungry, positive, non egotistical, and a real threat to make

noise in the NFL for years to come.

My belief, and I am sure there will be people who highly disagree with me and if

you do please post your comments and thoughts on here, is that the NFL has

a true problem on their hands with concussions and brain damage.

While some may argue that the NFL has been brutal since the 1960s and there

are guys who can’t walk or have joggy memories I will agree that it has never

been a sport for the weak at heart.

I feel we will see over the next two to three decades the downfall of the NFL

from the most popular sport in the world to a sport around the level that the

NHL or MLS is at right now.

Junior Seau and the 1994 San Diego Chargers.

If you don’t care to read it delves into the fact that EIGHT players from that

‘94 Super Bowl Team died before the age of 45.

Enjoy the NFL right now because we are in the golden age of it. Players have

never been smarter, faster, or stronger.

But soon the smart players are going to play basketball instead of football.

Better to lose your knees at the age of 50 than to lose your mind or life.

The NFL knows this is a huge problem and that explains the cover ups in

concussion testing, post traumatic stress work on former players, and an overall

concern to more safe play and rules amongst the current players.

They know they can’t continue at the path they are going down. There is a

growing concern that this and the past generation of NFL players will be tested

in their 30s and 40s and we will learn something to the effects of

“ANY NFL PLAYER WHO PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE FOR MORE THAN TWO

YEARS AS A NON KICKER OR PUNTER LIVED TWENTY FIVE LESS YEARS ON

AVERAGE TO A NON NFL MALE IN AMERICA.”

That is sobering.

That is highly possible and growing more likely each NFL season.

There is also a growing concern about concussions at a younger age and

there are high schools around the country and colleges, see Frank Deford’s

thoughts HERE.

Doctors have suggested that in ten years it will be proved that football is so

dangerous that all players will have to sign waivers and go under their own

insurance at any level and waive any liability to the school or team they play

for.

In the recent NFLPA discussions older NFL players wanted to have more medical

benefits. The NFL knows they can’t afford to begin paying for these guys

after their run is over because the expenses and treatments will take them

from the black to the red in just a few short years.

For myself personally it is almost to the point that I would feel guilty in

supporting this but you could argue that it is their choice and they have a right

to not play.

Many sides and opinions to the story and I don’t have the answers and I am

sure no one else does.

One thing is for certain:

It is a major issue and will only continue to get worse. The NFL has a true

hard knocks issue within their league and what they do right now will

determine their path of success or failure over the coming decades.

For now I guess we will sit back and enjoy the ride.

Thanks for reading everyone! I know I have many readers who have played

football at high levels and those who have studies its lingering effects. Please

feel free to post your comments and opinions on the matter or email ME

directly!

Have a great Friday and weekend…and CARPE DIEM!!!

A funny thing happened on the way

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 20:09:00 -0400

TO THE HOT DOG STAND!

In anticipation for my upcoming book “Hot Dogs, A Little Marketing, and A Lot of Fun!” I went on a photo shoot this past week in a full on hot dog costume that I had ordered off of the Internet.

The goal was to get some kick butt photos of myself in the hot dog costume for the book cover and for the upcoming revamped MarketingFunWithMike website! (More details on the book and the new website coming soon I promise!)

But here I am in the middle of downtown Columbus getting some photos taken in a hot dog costume when A Funny Thing Happened!

I noticed people sort of giggling and smiling at me.

NOT A HUGE SURPRISE SINCE I WAS WEARING A HOT DOG COSTUME!

I am a grown man and it wasn’t Halloween. But I thought about it for a minute as we did a series of photos and poses and eventually some shots in front of a hot dog stand.

What I thought about was maybe I am an idiot wearing this hot dog costume and these people should be laughing at me. I started to second guess myself and my motives and desires to provide an outlet of funny posts, free marketing information, and an overall portrayal of my life onto this website.

If only for a split second did I think about this…because then I realized just a few seconds later that I didn’t CARE AT ALL that these people had laughed!

It was the Devil on my right shoulder trying to talk me out of doing what I love to do, trying to talk me out of taking any risks in life, trying to talk me out of having more fun on a Monday than some do on a Saturday night, trying to talk me out of living a life that I truly love and cherish every moment of every day. Not just on a weekend or a once a month get together with friends. We get talked out of taking risks and doing silly “childish” things all of the time.

It is because we become convinced at times that just because others may deem it inappropriate, not fun, the wrong way to live life or conduct yourself, that it is wrong.

THAT IS THE FARTHEST THING FROM THE TRUTH!

If others are laughing at you it simply means that you are doing something that the rest of the world wished they had the guts to try. Wished they had the cajones to explore. If it is amazing, far fetched, absolutely riveting, etc there is a risk involved in it and that risk disables everyone else from even attempting it.

Instead you may be stared at, mocked, questioned, or told it is the wrong way. But in reality it is your way and that is the only thing in life that truly matters. Living your life every waking moment the way you want to live it.

Yes A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Hot Dog Stand…it reminded me just how much fun it can be to put on a hot dog costume in the middle of a weekend day in downtown Columbus Ohio and just walk around without a care in the world other than smiling for the camera. The guy who walked by me and merely said “AWESOME!” and the gentlemen who offered me to do a pic on his motorcycle were both feeling the FUN too I think!

The funniest thing was I loved it and I can’t wait to see the photos!

Much thanks and props to my great friend Beth for doing the shoot with me! You can check her photography business Front 5 Foto out right HERE!

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a great evening and please as always post your comments on here or email me HERE. Questions on business or marketing that you would like to see discussed on here please let me know?!?! CARPE DIEM!

Recipe for Sports Success: What your Manager won’t tell you

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:09:00 -0400

You have landed your job in sports business! Now what?

Congratulations! You are part of the working order. Whether it is your first gig fresh out of school or you have finally made the career switch to an industry you truly love and wanted to be in, your sports business and sports marketing career has launched!

Your manager (or managers) will give you a foundation on which to grow, tell you what to do to further your career and become a valuable and a viable worker.

BUT…

They aren’t going to tell you everything! There are recipes for success that you need to follow on your own to ensure that you become a “thriver” and not just a “surviver” in the sports business industry.

What are five things to know about Sports Success that your manager won’t tell you?

1. Manage your time, stay off of those emails, and get those blogs consolidated for SPORTS SUCCESS!

There are countless managers around the country who sit on their email all day long, receive blog updates all week that they take five or 10 minutes out of their busy day to read. This creates one huge inefficient management of your time. And everybody is guilty of it; who doesn’t know how to manage their time? My advice is this: Shut down your email at all times if you are working on a proposal, doing prospecting that doesn’t involve sending an email, or any other activity that doesn’t involve using your inbox. Then when you open it up you can go through them in one easy fashion. It will open up tons of time for you to do what is really important. If you check your email three times a day… that is plenty. As for those blogs, don’t subscribe to a million of them and read them scattered throughout the day. Pick 30 minutes each day and only read the ones that you truly love and that truly help you. Put them all in google reader so they just pop up for you or have them all come to your inbox and save them for one time of the day. You will save two hours every day that you can use to pursue the true opportunities in your job! Get your face out of Outlook and onto what really matters.

2. Stand out with your thank you cards and send them for more than just orders

Every manager will tell you to send a hand written thank you note on your company stationary when you receive a piece of business or a new client and say something along the lines of “I look forward to working with you!” Yes of course you look forward to working with them, if you got a new client and you aren’t excited then you will eventually not work there anymore.

My advice, and this has worked for me, is to pony up the $50-100 every six months and get some sweet customizable thank you postcards that truly stand out! Check mine to the left.

Also don’t just send them out when you receive a piece of business. Send them out for referrals, birthdays, just to say hello, send them when clients don’t expect them. It will go a long way.

3. If your manager gives you a number of prospects you need: DOUBLE IT!

I can’t state enough how full your funnel needs to be. If you enter into a sponsorship or marketing job and your manager tells you to have 20 new prospects a month, make it 40! They haven’t been selling in quite some time, most likely, and they may be out of touch. And lead with yourself and an idea when you make new business calls, no matter how much you are told about to lead with your company and how great you are. Lead with ideas, lead with how down to earth you are, and make sure you double your prospects no matter what they say. Remember I am telling you how to become unbelievable at your job, not just become a long standing “company man.”

For the rest of the article just click HERE to my friends at Sports Networker!

And as always CARPE DIEM everybody!!

Me Me Me ME! No No No NO!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:59:47 -0400

I had a friend ask me the other day why my radio station was such a great

product and what I say to clients if they are on the fence with why radio is

such a great marketing and advertising medium.

How do people typically respond to a question like that?

You find people talking “MY product has XYZ, MY product rocks! etc etc”

We convince ourselves sometimes that it should be about ME ME ME ME. Why

my product rocks, why my radio station is #1.

I responded to my friend that honestly I try to talk about radio with my clients

as little as possible. My conversation with my clients tries to be focused on

why my IDEA that I brought them can help get them increased business.

That’s it. No radio talk, no numbers talk.

We want to talk about ourselves and how great we are…it is not great for

someone if it doesn’t make sense. We forget that often.

And the only way a marketing strategy or an advertising partnerships makes

sense for a client is if they are making a return on their investment.

I can offer up my radio station and all of its great numbers, events, shows, etc

but if my IDEA sucks for my client and all I worry about is how great my product

is then it’s a LOSE LOSE.

Think about it…

If a new restaurant opens in your town that has the best mexican food in the

region but you hate mexican food it does nothing for you.

If my radio station has the most listeners in the country but I don’t help you

find a way to connect with my listeners then it does nothing for you.

When you are meeting with co workers, friends, clients, prospects, anybody

stop for a second and think about what you are saying to them.

Are you telling them true benefits of why they should do something with you or

are you just simply naming features to what you represent?

The difference is alive and real.

After all the age old saying goes…

EVERYBODY IS NUMBER ONE AT SOMETHING!

The next time your mouth starts saying “Me Me Me Me” then you need to

start saying to yourself “No No No No” and regroup and focus on benefits

instead of just features!

Thanks for reading everyone! Have an awesome day and if you have thoughts

please post your comments below or email ME here!