Kevin Talks Tribes in Sin City

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Torque News
Converting the Masses
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Next month, Torque principal Kevin Masi will be taking the message of Tribal Intelligence on the road—to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, specifically. Kevin's March 26 workshop, Tribal Intelligence: Marketing, Persuasion and the Art of Connection, will be a 90-minute speaking session explaining what Tribal Intelligence is and how marketers can use it to create winning brands and marketing plans. Kevin's seminar will be a feature of Exhibitor 2007, a conference for tradeshow and event marketers presented by EXHIBITOR magazine. The conference runs from March 25 through March 29 and will include such features as education, hands-on training, career networking and new product launches.

Torque employs Tribal Intelligence to create lasting relationships between brands and consumer groups. Tribal Intelligence is a method of understanding the social context behind consumer motivation and behavior. It is an assertion that humans are driven to conform to social communities, or tribes, of like-minded individuals. Each tribe has its own values, desires, and buying behavior. By seeing your customer as a member of a tribe, you can unlock the secrets of their purchasing habits and streamline your brand and marketing plan for maximum appeal.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Power Plate Institute

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Torque News
Launch Update
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Since last October, Torque has been working to brand and promote the Power Plate, an athletic device that improves muscle strength, circulation, and general athletic performance using a patented vibration technology. We are now proud to announce that we've begun working with the Power Plate Institute, a combined spa and retail facility centered around increasing knowledge and use of the Power Plate. Visitors to the Institute can see Power Plates firsthand, try them with instruction from experts, and attend regular training sessions. Power Plates will also be available for purchase at the Institute.

Torque will provide the Institute with a distinctive brand voice and image. We are creating everything from signage and brochures to a website and instructional videos. All internal collateral will reach beyond informational purposes to enhance the general ambiance of the Institute: the store layout, graphics and color palette—all will invoke the feeling of a soothing, rejuvenating oasis.

The Power Plate Institute will be opening to the public in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood in April 2007, with plans to expand throughout the country shortly thereafter. Torque is helping Power Plate prepare for the Grand Opening ceremony, which is currently in the planning phase. Be sure to check out our upcoming newsletters for the latest scoop on this event.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Web 2.0 and marketing ROI

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Business Essentials
By Kevin Masi
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Only 50% of my marketing works. The problem is, I don't know which 50%." This describes the predicament of many marketing managers today, as they strive to show a return for their capital investments. In today's market, the burden falls on the marketer to create return. (For example, it is generally necessary for businesses to create a minimum of six touch points with clients, sometimes over the course of several months, just to achieve one big-ticket sale.) In this environment, a general sense of marketing practices is just not enough; increasing ROI requires deliberation, foresight, and responsibility.

Torque has developed a strategy to increase marketing consciousness and generate client return. It entails designing marketing programs to build awareness, drive response, and capture and transfer revenue to the sales organization.

This strategy entails several imperatives. The first is that brand marketing has a bigger purpose than simply projecting an image. For example, in regards to our client Power Plate, we have urged the company to re-allocate investments from print advertising into avenues that will create additional touch points. As an alternative to ads in lifestyle magazines, we are increasing the use of Power Plate's training facility, the Power Plate Institute, as an experiential destination. By directing prospective customers to a physical location where they can see, test, and learn about equipment, we can move them closer to a desire to purchase.

The second imperative of Torque's method is that you must provide good reason for your customers to engage in conversation with you. In the case of Power Plate, visitors to the Institute are given a free tour, information to take away, and a chance to try the machines with instruction from experts. Each of these aspects encourages customer interaction.

The third imperative of Torque's plan is that over the course of 18 months, you create your minimum six touch points through a combination of sales and marketing. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools facilitate this long process, which is also known as "nurture" marketing. Sales call follow-ups, as well as ongoing marketing materials, such as newsletters, white papers, news releases and press coverage, provide the substance of these touch points. For Power Plate, Torque will provide educational material on the effectiveness and uses of the product, and also generate interest through reports on specific success stories and use amongst celebrities and sports teams.

One of the most important factors of responsible marketing is quantifying the effectiveness of your marketing plan. Marketers must be able to weigh what goes in (investment) versus what comes out (return). One way to measure success is by making your company's website the center of attention; the Internet is a ready-made tool for calculating productivity. By wrapping marketing content around your company's website and linking lead management and long-term CRM tools to the marketing process, you to assess each step for its own performance and, ultimately, for sales volume produced.

Before you throw up your hands at how complex this sounds, take heart: you're probably already on the path to responsible ROI. Most companies have implemented some or all of these steps and still have not utilized most of the data they have available. By first accurately assessing your investments and marketing procedures and then taking gradual steps toward more responsible marketing, you can increase returns with little fuss. Torque's marketing strategy can help make your marketing plan far more than 50% productive.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *