images/bannerimages/Blog-Banner.jpg 
Marketing Eye Blog Articles
Forget what you have always been told about how people get ahead in the workforce. No, you don't need to sleep with your boss or your clients for that matter. No, you don't have to be "Mr Nice Guy" 24/7, and you certainly don't need to play office politics.
There are ways to improve your chances of landing that dream job - and it's not as hard as you think.
1. Engagement:
Being an engaged employee means that you know a thing or two about the business. You have definitely learnt the art of listening to those at the top of the pyramid and those who are just starting in the mail room. You read every memo from management and you participate at every level in the organization without complaining that "there are too many internal memos" or that "the social club puts on crap events". You listen, learn and comprehend the value of engaging people around you and having them remember who you are.
2. Competitive:
Contrary to popular psyche testing on how to be the best employee in the office, a little bit of competition is healthy. If you are looking to spearhead your career and take that top job or a dream job in the Executive team, then you need to have a competitive spirit to be the best. That doesn't mean stomping on the person beside you to "win" nor does it mean that you need to spruik your successes from the rooftop. What it does mean is that you need to set benchmarks for yourself and your team, and ensure that you are reaching it and you have the drive and competitiveness inside that won't stop until you reach the goal you have put in front of you. Some people fear competition and some misuse it. The trick is to compete with yourself and the benchmarks that have been set before you.
There are ways to improve your chances of landing that dream job - and it's not as hard as you think.
1. Engagement:
Being an engaged employee means that you know a thing or two about the business. You have definitely learnt the art of listening to those at the top of the pyramid and those who are just starting in the mail room. You read every memo from management and you participate at every level in the organization without complaining that "there are too many internal memos" or that "the social club puts on crap events". You listen, learn and comprehend the value of engaging people around you and having them remember who you are.
2. Competitive:
Contrary to popular psyche testing on how to be the best employee in the office, a little bit of competition is healthy. If you are looking to spearhead your career and take that top job or a dream job in the Executive team, then you need to have a competitive spirit to be the best. That doesn't mean stomping on the person beside you to "win" nor does it mean that you need to spruik your successes from the rooftop. What it does mean is that you need to set benchmarks for yourself and your team, and ensure that you are reaching it and you have the drive and competitiveness inside that won't stop until you reach the goal you have put in front of you. Some people fear competition and some misuse it. The trick is to compete with yourself and the benchmarks that have been set before you.
Published in Management
Sunday rituals can be something else - if you know what I mean
Mar 03, 2013 Written by Mellissah Smith
It's a cold but sunny Sunday morning in Buckhead, Atlanta. After a nice of soft snow flakes and below freezing temperatures, the sun has decided to come out and shine, and everyone has decided to get out from beneath their doonas and brave the beautiful spring day.
I am sitting in a crowded coffee shop, sampling yet another Caribou carefully brewed coffee that lacks the lustre of Italian coffee but all the same, isn't so bad for a somewhat subdue coffee culture.
I am sitting in a crowded coffee shop, sampling yet another Caribou carefully brewed coffee that lacks the lustre of Italian coffee but all the same, isn't so bad for a somewhat subdue coffee culture.
Published in Small Business Marketing
How familiar are you with your clients?
Do you remember their birthdays? Their children's names? Where they last vacationed?
There is such a thing as being too familiar - you know the type; when a person comes up to you and invades your personal space. However, in business, putting aside the touchy feely stuff, being familiar by remembering important details about your clients, their habits, and perhaps the way they take their coffee, can ensure that your client feels comfortable sharing things with you that perhaps they would not do to a "stranger".
First meetings are always key to ascertaining what level of playing field you will be on in the relationship going forward. That means, if they share important information like the fact that they are married and have three children or like to ski, then ensure you capture this data and use it in the future. In ski season, perhaps you send them a new pair of gloves or a scarf.
Yesterday, I met with a company in Atlanta that was headed by an Australian man. Immediately, we had something in common and were able to conduct the rest of the meeting with a sense of familiarity. Going through the same issues of settling in a new country, gives a sense that we are both on the same page. This makes the whole process so much easier because there is a sense that we both know where we are coming from thus helping Marketing Eye win this piece of business.
Food for thought!
Do you remember their birthdays? Their children's names? Where they last vacationed?
There is such a thing as being too familiar - you know the type; when a person comes up to you and invades your personal space. However, in business, putting aside the touchy feely stuff, being familiar by remembering important details about your clients, their habits, and perhaps the way they take their coffee, can ensure that your client feels comfortable sharing things with you that perhaps they would not do to a "stranger".
First meetings are always key to ascertaining what level of playing field you will be on in the relationship going forward. That means, if they share important information like the fact that they are married and have three children or like to ski, then ensure you capture this data and use it in the future. In ski season, perhaps you send them a new pair of gloves or a scarf.
Yesterday, I met with a company in Atlanta that was headed by an Australian man. Immediately, we had something in common and were able to conduct the rest of the meeting with a sense of familiarity. Going through the same issues of settling in a new country, gives a sense that we are both on the same page. This makes the whole process so much easier because there is a sense that we both know where we are coming from thus helping Marketing Eye win this piece of business.
Food for thought!
Published in Small Business Marketing
Interning at Marketing Eye is no easy task, but is often rewarding and highly valuable in the competitive job market - many of our superstar marketing and graphic design interns have ended up securing paid work for us.
While we've heard horror stories of other agencies taking advantage of their interns by making them fetch coffees or run personal errands, Marketing Eye invests time in our interns and arms them with requisite knowledge that will help them stand out of the crowd.
Want to nail your own marketing internship, or feeling nervous about starting a new one? Check out our pointers below.
While we've heard horror stories of other agencies taking advantage of their interns by making them fetch coffees or run personal errands, Marketing Eye invests time in our interns and arms them with requisite knowledge that will help them stand out of the crowd.
Want to nail your own marketing internship, or feeling nervous about starting a new one? Check out our pointers below.
Published in Management
Phew! Exhausted. Seriously. Whoever said that expansion was a walk in the park needs their head read.
While the first week was the most exciting time of the year to date, the second week was riddled with sleep deprevation, home-sickness and a case of missing the basic home comforts that I have come to enjoy.
On top of that, I realized that although getting new clients was relatively easy (for today) it is twice as hard to get everything else organized around that from an administrative point of view when you don't have your entire administration team at your disposal.
And... the time difference means that instead of 12 hours a day at work it was now 16 hours a day with little time to spare and if I was really lucky, I would get Sunday off, but probably not, because there is so much to do.
While the first week was the most exciting time of the year to date, the second week was riddled with sleep deprevation, home-sickness and a case of missing the basic home comforts that I have come to enjoy.
On top of that, I realized that although getting new clients was relatively easy (for today) it is twice as hard to get everything else organized around that from an administrative point of view when you don't have your entire administration team at your disposal.
And... the time difference means that instead of 12 hours a day at work it was now 16 hours a day with little time to spare and if I was really lucky, I would get Sunday off, but probably not, because there is so much to do.
Published in Small Business Marketing
Marketing Executive
Atlanta based
Marketing Eye is an innovative marketing consultancy firm that has offices in Australia and has recently launched in Atlanta.We are looking for an energetic and career-orientated Marketing Executive who shares the vision to bring the best marketing advice and solutions to small businesses in the US. While we will train you on how to work with a number of small businesses across various industry sectors, we are seeking someone who has experience in marketing as well as a passion for it.
Published in Marketing
Walking down a busy Street in Brisbane today, I came across this house.
I stood looking at it for five minutes or more, totally mesmerized by the history of the house that was there for the world to see.
It was like looking at a piece of art.
I stood looking at it for five minutes or more, totally mesmerized by the history of the house that was there for the world to see.
It was like looking at a piece of art.
Published in Small Business Marketing
That age old battle - the ego vs the heart - is more relevant now than ever to us marketeers and anyone directly involved in business development. It dictates how you speak to the people you need to be speaking to; how you capture their attention and it applies to every communication you put out there – online, direct mail, posters, brochures, social media.
The thing is though, with everyone communicating to everyone else - shouting, pitching and bargaining for a share of the market - it can be hard, defeating and infuriating for those of us running ethical business operations to compete with ‘get rich quick’ and ‘lose 7kg in 7 days’.
Published in Small Business Marketing
It feels like the birth of the sweeping social media phenomenon occurred just five seconds ago, with Pinterest’s viral growth to dizzying heights, Facebook’s takeover of Instagram and Twitter launching the new network, Vine.
The new medium is continuing to grow and evolve, spawning a new phenomenon of its own: visual social media.
Like moths to a flame, humans are innately drawn to visual elements including images, photographs and sensational design. As more of us are increasingly mobile and engaging with social media on smartphones, viewing an image is far less tedious than squinting to read a few lines of tiny text on a moving train.
Published in Small Business Marketing
It's Friday... and most of us are in need of a motivational talk. Watch this video by Kid President for a dose of Friday morning inspiration!
Published in Management
As business owners and managers in an ever evolving world, our jobs become more challenging every day – every hour – to cut through clutter and make consumers notice our message.
How many times do we find ourselves repeating what we say to co-workers to get a message across? For most of us, this isn’t a reflection of how we’re gauged as professionals or individuals but 95% attributable to the ‘151 rule’.
They say a person needs to hear new information at least three times before it registers into his/her mind for immediate recollection. This has been taught over and over again to us and you can test it by saying aloud a new name you come across three times consciously.
When you target a market with a specific message the same rule applies, all except your target isn’t one person and those three times won’t cut it. It’s all about repetition. You have no control over which people are listening at what time of the day - so the logical bet is to be accessible and available 24/7/365.
Published in Small Business Marketing
Four minutes. That’s how long it took for the first Twitter advertiser to bid on “power outage” as a search term after the lights went out at the New Orleans Superdome.
It also didn’t take long for cookie giant Oreo to respond to the now-infamous #superbowlblackout, spawning more than 13,000 re-tweets and nearly 5000 favourites.
It also didn’t take long for cookie giant Oreo to respond to the now-infamous #superbowlblackout, spawning more than 13,000 re-tweets and nearly 5000 favourites.
Published in Small Business Marketing
When I started out in business, things were fairly simple. I had an old computer at home, a telephone, a cell phone, internet and a database of thousands of people I had met in business over the years. My enthusiasm was for the world to see and I couldn't take the smile off my face, even when I worked past midnight or woke up early in the morning to finalize a proposal.
Not once did I think I would fail. It wasn't possible. My needs were simple and I just needed to make enough money to cover my salary. My biggest expenditure was my new BMW and the endless coffees that I drank down at the local coffee shop.
Starting a company was an easy decision. I didn't want to travel to Brisbane from the Gold Coast each day anymore which was more than an hours driving each way and I was ready for something new.
Not once did I think I would fail. It wasn't possible. My needs were simple and I just needed to make enough money to cover my salary. My biggest expenditure was my new BMW and the endless coffees that I drank down at the local coffee shop.
Starting a company was an easy decision. I didn't want to travel to Brisbane from the Gold Coast each day anymore which was more than an hours driving each way and I was ready for something new.
Published in Small Business Marketing
Don't be fooled to think that in 2013 you have time to waste. Everyone is now faster, smarter, better - all with extraordinary tools at their disposal.
Embarking on global expansion has been the most fascinating experience and in particular, working in what is one of America's most untapped entrepreneurial hubs of Atlanta has not only been rewarding, but also very invigorating.
Atlanta isn't the sleepy town that some of the cities counterparts seem to think it is. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The city is full of promise, spirit and an attitude that is less ruthless than say New York, Chicago, San Francisco or Los Angeles. Behind the politeness and accomodating attitudes of Atlanta's business folk are smart, determined, ambitious and thoroughly capable people who drive small businesses in an endeavour to become big businesses.
Capitalizing on an ability to cap salaries and deliver products and services to a national and international audience with America's most proficient transport hub at its disposal, Atlanta entrepeneurs are dreaming big. You heard it right - they are dreaming big. Not too dissimilar to their New York small business friends who have inspired a national through a carefully executed tabloid and magazine advertising campaign that let's the world know that in New York "This is no place to dream small."
What strikes me about the people of Atlanta is their attitude to helping others and in turn, helping themselves. It seems that those who don't come from here, tend to be the one's to watch, whereas if you do business with a true Atlanta local, you are guaranteed that the good old fashion handshake on a deal is exactly that.
Today I had lunch with two talented mergers and acquisition partners at Deloitte. They both are very busy people but were kind enough to take time out of their day to have a chat about business, tax and the run of the land in setting up in Atlanta, buying a home and a motor vehicle.
Embarking on global expansion has been the most fascinating experience and in particular, working in what is one of America's most untapped entrepreneurial hubs of Atlanta has not only been rewarding, but also very invigorating.
Atlanta isn't the sleepy town that some of the cities counterparts seem to think it is. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The city is full of promise, spirit and an attitude that is less ruthless than say New York, Chicago, San Francisco or Los Angeles. Behind the politeness and accomodating attitudes of Atlanta's business folk are smart, determined, ambitious and thoroughly capable people who drive small businesses in an endeavour to become big businesses.
Capitalizing on an ability to cap salaries and deliver products and services to a national and international audience with America's most proficient transport hub at its disposal, Atlanta entrepeneurs are dreaming big. You heard it right - they are dreaming big. Not too dissimilar to their New York small business friends who have inspired a national through a carefully executed tabloid and magazine advertising campaign that let's the world know that in New York "This is no place to dream small."
What strikes me about the people of Atlanta is their attitude to helping others and in turn, helping themselves. It seems that those who don't come from here, tend to be the one's to watch, whereas if you do business with a true Atlanta local, you are guaranteed that the good old fashion handshake on a deal is exactly that.
Today I had lunch with two talented mergers and acquisition partners at Deloitte. They both are very busy people but were kind enough to take time out of their day to have a chat about business, tax and the run of the land in setting up in Atlanta, buying a home and a motor vehicle.
Published in Small Business Marketing
It’s universally acknowledged that good service will get you places. Whether selling an unnecessarily big screen television to a family or ice to Inuits, good service makes sales.
This said, there are exceptions to every rule and every so often in this world of increasing competition, there are business managers with seemingly decreasing nouse.
It’s no longer just about your product or service – it’s all about the experience.
Marketing encompasses all senses – sight, taste, touch, smell and sound. Combined, these make the experience. The experience that people will walk away with; the experience that – good or bad – people will talk about.
As marketeers, we work tirelessly to communicate your message on each of these levels. We study, we research and we have experience to hone you the best experience for your offering. Not everyone understands the importance - or relevance even - of marketing however… and it shows…
Published in Small Business Marketing
