WKNO NewsRoom

11-18-2009: A New Way to Spot Opportunity

Memphis, TN (2009-11-18) A value denial is a product or service that is both desired and feasible but is not being supplied in the market. Looking for a value denial can help you change your product or your marketing strategy. Approaching advertising from a different direction can often produce different comprehension or results, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

11-11-2009: Beer Needs Light Advertising

Memphis, TN (2009-11-11) One of the first things you learn about selling is that people base more buying decisions on emotions than on intellectual reasoning. We buy with our hearts, not with our heads. Why, then, have both Budweiser and Bud Light abandoned emotional advertising for product attribute advertising? Not a smart sales move, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

11-04-2009: Out-of-Focus Groups

Memphis, TN (2009-11-04) There are two types of opinion research: qualitative and quantitative. The most popular qualitative research is focus groups. And focus groups are relatively cheap, say, from five to ten thousand dollars each. But they're just the first of a two-step process. Their primary value is to tell you what questions you should ask when you get to step two, quantitative research, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

10-14-2009: Time to Redefine "C.M.O."

Memphis, TN (2009-10-14) The average term of a chief marketing officer in the U.S. is twenty three months. Any C.M.O who knows how to do more than simply communicate needn't worry about whether he or she will have a job in twenty three months, as long as they become creators of services, products, and ideas, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

10-07-2009: Lo Barato Sale Caro

Memphis, TN (2009-10-07) Businesses that have paid attention to the Hispanic market inside the U.S. have learned that many of these consumers are price sensitive, but also value conscious. With 47 million Hispanics already, U.S. businesses had better learn more than "buenos dias," according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

09-30-2009: Is Not Saying Something a Lie?

Memphis, TN (2009-09-30) Why don't banks want to tell their customers when their money in the bank could be earning more interest in a different kind of account? Granted, you can make more money if customers don't know that they could be making more. Then along comes Ally Bank with their new slogan "Is not saying something a lie?" A marketing coup, according to consultant John Malmo.

09-23-2009: Mixing Politics and Ice Cream

Memphis, TN (2009-09-23) Everybody knows the old adage "never mix politics and ice cream." Well, actually, it's never mix politics and business, but, in this case, the issue is ice cream, and the decision to change the name of "Chubby Hubby" flavor to "Hubby Hubby," in honor of Vermont's legalization of gay marriage. Ordinarily, it's bad to mix politics and business. In this case, though, Ben and Jerry's probably won't notice much change in their consumers' behavior, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

09-16-2009: Growth Needs 20/20 Vision

Memphis, TN (2009-09-16) If you're going to meet a new sales objective, you're going to have to know exactly where it's coming from. Pick existing sales apart and identify individually from where growth is coming, or probably, it won't, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

09-09-2009: Too Cool May Be Offensive

Memphis, TN (2009-09-09) Advertising that is offensive or crosses the line of good taste may seem initially to be cool. It may attract lots of attention, but the pluses never make up for the minuses that crossing the line creates, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

09-02-2009: Hut This and Shack That

Memphis, TN (2009-09-02) Changing Pizza Hut to "the Hut" and Radio Shack to "the Shack" seems directionally wrong to Marketing consultant John Malmo. If you are going to rebrand your business, you should give your brand more, not less.

08-26-2009: They Drained the Swamp

Memphis, TN (2009-08-26) Replacing "Gatorade" on the bottle with a big "G" doesn't make a lot of sense, according to marketing consultant John Malmo, and a 17.5% sales decline for the number one sports drink would tend to support the saying "If it ain't broke..."

08-19-2009: One-on-One Advertising Media

Memphis, TN (2009-08-19) When companies can no longer afford the same level or any level of advertising in traditional media, there are other solutions. Call them the one-on-one advertising media, says marketing consultant John Malmo.

08-12-2009: For GM, it's the Rebranding

Memphis, TN (2009-08-12) The new General Motors marketing tsar is concentrating first on changing advertising for its four remaining brands. Even advertising people agree that advertising won't turn around GM, according to Marketing Consultant John Malmo. And the products have gotten pretty good, so, what's the problem?

08-05-2009: Banking Woes

Memphis, TN (2009-08-05) The new bank brand, Redneck Bank, is cute and will attract Internet business. Yet, it may not be sustainable over a period of years. On the other hand, GMAC Bank's new name itself, Ally Bank, means what most of us want from a bank, to be an ally, friend, partner, helper. That's a name with sustainability, according to marketing consultant John Malmo.

07-29-2009: Beware of Quick-Change Artists

Memphis, TN (2009-07-29) Too often newcomers want to change advertising, logos, and slogans just because they had no role in creating them. Very often such changes rob a brand of an identity in which it had considerable equity, and the brand has to reclaim those identities later, after the "newcomers" are gone.

07-22-2009: Pizza Hut with Chicken Wings

Memphis, TN (2009-07-22) Most new businesses start out by trying to carve out a piece of a market by specializing. If they succeed, they want to start adding new categories. It's a tight rope to walk between a name that is specific enough on the front end, but not too specific later, according to marketing consultant John Malmo. To reach Mr. Malmo, or to obtain a copy of his book of business advice, go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.

07-15-2009: Is Brand Equity Over-Valued?

Memphis, TN (2009-07-15) Lots of diversified corporations divest themselves of subsidiaries or divisions that share some or all of the parent name. In most cases, it makes it that much tougher for the new owners of a spin-off company, such as the case of the new Brinks spin-off, Broadview Security, according to marketing consultant John Malmo. To reach Mr. Malmo, or to obtain a copy of his book of business advice, go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.

07-08-2009: The Importance of a "Relevant What"

Memphis, TN (2009-07-08) Brand awareness is critical for the success of any brand, but vacuous awareness is not enough. Awareness should include a customer benefit that people associate with the brand. Call it a "relevant what," says marketing consultant John Malmo. To reach Mr. Malmo, or to obtain a copy of his book of business advice, go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.

07-01-2009: Separate Wants from Needs

Memphis, TN (2009-07-01) Ask people what attributes they want in a restaurant, and they'll say everything on the list. To find out which are really important, you have to create trade-offs so people separate the "this would be nice" from "if you don't have this, I'm not eating there," according to marketing consultant John Malmo. To reach Mr. Malmo, or to obtain a copy of his book of business advice, go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.

06-24-2009: Amateurs Need Not Apply

Memphis, TN (2009-06-24) Former Vice-President Al Gore says that TV commercials of the future will be made by viewers, not by advertising professionals. He says commercials will be more "nuanced," to which marketing consultant John Malmo says, "Phooey." To reach Mr. Malmo, or to obtain a copy of his book of business advice, go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.