Creating successful viral marketing / Professional proofreaders make you look good / Getting the most out of millennial workers / Elements of successful organizational communication / Dishing it up at cereal cafes / Scrambling to adjust to FDA warnings

CREATING SUCCESSFUL VIRAL MARKETING
When used on the Internet, the concept of “creating a buzz” goes by the name “viral marketing.” The metaphor goes like this: a message spreads from prospect to prospect like a virus, thus opening the door to exponential growth and dissemination.

Take for instance Hotmail.com, which began by offering free email accounts. On every email message sent out using one of these free Hotmail accounts, a small line of type was added to the bottom that read, “Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com.” As people used the service to send email to friends and associates, Hotmail’s message was seen by more and more people. Some of these people logged onto Hotmail to sign up for their own free email account. And from there the cycle repeated and repeated, with the scope of the message growing wider with each new subscriber.

For successful viral marketing, as for successful spreading of a real virus, the message must be “easy to catch.” The method of transmission should employ something that your prospects are interested in and can easily pass on to others. Hotmail used free email accounts, but you could offer a free article, a free software trial, or other free or deeply discounted products or services that your prospects will enjoy.

You’ll get the most bang for your buck if your message doesn’t strain your own resources as it grows. Hotmail’s weak spot was that it required email servers provided by Hotmail. As more people signed on, more servers had to be added. But if you distribute a PDF that others will pick up and host on their websites or send via their email accounts, your message will cost you nothing.

Try some of these principles, and you’ll see how powerful a message can become when it spreads independent of your efforts — and takes on a life of its own.

Source: www.wilsonweb.com

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PROFESSIONAL PROOFREADERS MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD
The fact that you’re intimately familiar with the copy you’ve written for your company’s brochure may actually work against you — not for you — when it comes to proofreading. If you meant “thorough” but wrote “through,” chances are your brain will see “thorough” every time you read it. And then, when that brochure is released, customers will read about your “through manufacturing process” and subconsciously (if not consciously) come to see you as sloppy and unprofessional — anything but thorough.

A computer spell-check will catch blatant misspellings, but will not notice words that are simply the wrong words, spelled correctly. Consider some of the following typos, all of which were actually printed in company material:

• “Our massage treatments help relive your pain.”
• “We proudly feature some-day shipping.”
• “Sign up now for our Beauty and Fitness Curse.”
• And in Michigan, it cost $40,000 to reprint ballots that had omitted the “L” from the word “public.”

Professional proofreaders will catch the errors that you may be missing. They’ll also be familiar with the details of business grammar (CEO doesn’t require periods between the letters), little-known and commonly misused facts of the English language (a compound modifier shouldn’t be hyphenated if the first word ends in “ly”), and should take the time to learn your company’s written conventions, such as the way you capitalize product names. Look for a proofreader who refers to common style guides such as The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style. These guides are “the norm” in printed English and will ensure that your words say what you intend them to in the accepted, standardized way.

Don’t skip the proofreading — preferably by an objective third party. The small amount it will cost you will be recouped many times over the first time you’re spared an embarrassing or sloppy-looking typo that otherwise would have been missed.

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GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MILLENNIAL WORKERS
“Millennial workers” — those born between 1980 and 2000 and just now hitting the workforce — represent a significant change from Gen Xers, Baby Boomers, and Veterans. Also known as “Generation Y,” these people grew up on instant messaging, blogging, and the Internet. Tech-savvy Millennials can be a huge boon to companies, but they work differently than older generations. Multitasking is second-nature — they’ll listen to music, talk on the phone, answer email, and send instant messages all at the same time. They typically want to jump into something new and figure it out as they go, rather than reading manuals. They collaborate differently and, really, think differently. To get the most out of these young workers, consider the following:

Allow experimentation When a new technology comes in, hand it over to the Millennials. Let them play with it and figure it out on their own.

Support collaboration and multitasking Millennials use online collaborative instruments as their tools of the trade, employing instruments that previous generations are only vaguely aware of: blogs, Instant Messaging, and Wikis, which are websites that allow people to edit or add content. When possible, management should encourage use of these tools and should do what they can to allow online and interpersonal cooperation.

Foster creativity and variety Millennial workers tend to be highly enthusiastic. If their projects are challenging and varied, this enthusiasm can easily be channeled into their work. If something is new, give it to the Millennials. If it’s practical to allow people to work from home via a virtual private network (VPN) or from remote locations, then do it. Consider flexible schedules and wireless internet access to allow workers to roam the building. Avoid boredom and your Millennial workforce will be much more productive. The change in mentality involves some leaps of faith, but a stimulated Millennial worker is typically a successful one. Ask, “Is the job getting done?”, rather than, “Is he/she putting in the hours?” With these employees, results don’t always correlate with a typical 9 to 5 workday.

Source: www.ciostrategycenter.com

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ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
It has been demonstrated that better organizational communication boosts the corporate bottom line (see the October 2006 Marketing Tips). The following are a few specific ideas for fine-tuning your communication for maximum organizational success.

Have clarity of purpose Highly successful companies focus on a select few messages that are constantly and consistently reinforced throughout the organization. Make sure that everyone involved in a program or initiative is clear about the intended outcome and how the company is planning on achieving it.

Provide open, honest sources of information Engender trust between management and employees, within teams, and between customers and the company by letting people know where they can find answers to their questions, presented in a straightforward manner. Plan workshops and feedback sessions, and keep the word out there that inquiries are always encouraged.

Share information effectively The step beyond the willingness to share information is making sure it is available when someone requests it. Ensure that employees are able to easily get the information they need to do their jobs, and that various groups are able to share best practices. Consider formal practices like print campaigns and online information sharing, as well as informal initiatives such as networking events.

No matter how well-designed a communication plan is, it is ultimately effective only when the above criteria are met. Remember, effective communication correlates with a more successful business, so be sure to spend some time evaluating yours.

Source: Deloitte & Touche, A Comparative Review of Communication Programs

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DISHING IT UP AT CEREAL CAFES
The notion of a “restaurant that only sells cereal” sounds like something right out of a child’s fantasy. But in more and more places — most of them on or near college campuses — real-life “cereal cafes” are opening their doors for business.

Near the North Carolina State University campus, a cafe called Bowls offers childhood favorites like Rice Krispies, Trix, and Apple Jacks in dispensers that look like giant gumball machines. The entire atmosphere oozes Gen-X and Gen-Y nostalgia, with decor that features such items as Scooby Doo lunchboxes. Students hang out, watch TV, and eat cereals that, in many cases, their parents may not have allowed them to have (or at least gorge on) as children.

Employees provide the cereal for patrons, who pour their own milk (of which there are various kinds, including chocolate) to the level they prefer. A 4-oz. bowl costs $1.99, a 6.5-oz. is $2.99, and customers can mix cereals together for a small extra charge. According to Bowls owner Rocco Monteleone, the most popular cereals are the “monster cereals” — Franken Berry, Count Chocula, and Boo Berry.

Bowls isn’t alone. Cereal cafes are showing up all over. The most well-known is Cereality, which opened in 2003 and has locations in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Tempe, Arizona.

There is some speculation that the cafes are too trendy to sustain themselves over time, with the argument being that they’re selling a product that people can easily eat at home. But then, that’s what people said about coffee shops.

Source: Raleigh News & Observer

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SCRAMBLING TO ADJUST TO FDA WARNINGS
When the FDA banned fresh spinach this fall in the wake of E. coli fears, foodservice operators had to make quick adjustments to their menus in order to comply. Now that similar fears about lettuce have surfaced, savvy operators are realizing the importance of flexibility and quick adaptation. Here are some tips on responding to a sudden menu crisis:

1. Eliminate the ingredient
High-volume suppliers like McDonald’s, Aramark, and Sodexho simply removed all fresh spinach from their salads, sandwiches, and other items, leaving either lettuce or nothing. Sodexho, for one, rolled out an information campaign to let customers know of the change via signage and websites.

2. Make substitutions where necessary
The Rock Bottom Restaurants and Old Chicago Pasta & Pizza pulled spinach and substituted romaine, arugula, and a spinach-free mesclun mix. Because the ban did not extend to cooked spinach, the restaurants continued selling their spinach dip.

3. Work with vendors
Flexible vendors may see the big picture and be willing to work with you. A wedding at the Langham Hotel Boston was slated to serve baby spinach salads and had already accepted eight cases of spinach. The produce vendor was willing to swap these cases out with six cases of mesclun, which the chef was able to use instead.

4. Be creative
Restriction of a favorite ingredient is a unique challenge to the culinary minds in your organization. Some substitutions made in the wake of the spinach ban were:
• leek-and-ricotta ravioli for spinach-and-ricotta ravioli
• truffle-creamed haricot verts for truffle-creamed spinach
• arugula-and-mascarpone crepes for the spinach version
• kale and Swiss chard for spinach as a side-dish to featured entrees.

Source: www.rimag.com