Why choose us?

Achieving your goals doesn't just happen. It's the result of strategic planning and hard work.
Contact us today and get the results.

More Customers. More Revenue. Right Now.

contact us

518-907-0186
Fax: 518-453-2477

location

Burst Marketing
122 Industrial Park Rd. 2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12206

Get In Touch

Thank you for contacting us. Please enter your Name and E-mail address
Subscribe to Blogcast Follow us on Twitter

home | Blog

Can You Handle the Truth?

July 26, 2009

You can say what you want about this economy, but the one thing it does is reveal the truth.

The truth about where you stand.

When I conduct strategy sessions with business owners and managers – The first thing I do is guide them towards a clear, unbiased view of where they stand at the current time.

Sometimes a company comes in on a winning streak.  Sometimes it’s trending down.

Regardless, it’s imperative to distinguish the difference between the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of a business – and not let them become masked by outside factors. Like the economy.

Good times can mask weaknesses and strengths.  But bad times show the blemishes your business has like a fluorescent light in the bathroom at 6am.  It can be a little unnerving.

But it has to be done.

Like it or not, your core weaknesses and strengths have been exposed. Ask yourself some questions. Then ask yourself why?

  • - Have you lost key accounts?
  • - Are key employees leaving or showing up at your door?
  • - Are you unexpectedly winning clients you never could?
  • - Are you losing business that used to be a slam dunk?
  • - Have you been able to hold the line on pricing?

Believe me, you can’t blame it all on the economy.

Figure out what’s actually in your control?

The truth is, there will be fewer competitors in just about every industry when the dust settles. In fact, I believe that firms will be bought, sold, or fold in even greater numbers when things pick up a bit.

And the nation’s long-term problems will surely dampen any recovery once one does begin.

But that doesn’t mean there ain’t money to be made.

So there you are…basking in the bright light of truth.

Can you look at it long enough to do what needs to be done?

Posted by: Steve Banis


Want to Know More about Albany Marketing firm Burst Marketing?
Visit us at www.burstmarketing.net

 

Twitter Kills Bruno, Uncle Walter’s Lesson

July 19, 2009

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but only a minute to destroy it.  This axiom is amplified every day in the world of instant communication.

I heard a discussion on NPR last Friday that should cause anyone interested in Social Media to reflect on its use.  The maelstrom of information and ‘expert’ opinions out there casts doubt on their voracity, and drives people to seek the opinions of friends and others they trust.

Motion picture promoters spend months and millions carefully crafting their campaigns.  They rely on the buzz they generate to translate into good box office results – even if their movie is a bit of a stinker.  They hope the receipts are in before word get out.

Enter Twitter.

Today’s hip moviegoer starts tweeting minutes after the opening credits.  By the time the movie is over, hundred if not thousands of opinions are scattered about to followers everywhere.

Sorry Sacha.  But I guess Bruno stinks.  Because business dropped 40% between Friday and Saturday night.

So yeah, properly done, your message will probably get out.  Guess it better be a good message.

“That’s the way it is”

I was too young to remember Walter Cronkite in his heyday.  At the time of his signature television reports of the JFK assassination, Vietnam, Apollo 11, and Watergate, among others, I wasn’t yet 10.

But that doesn’t prevent me from knowing and understanding his primary legacy – truth, trust, consistency, and character.  He wasn’t called “Uncle Walter” or named the most trusted man in America without good reason.

Although those of us in the marketing business are often charged with helping to shape public perception – Walter Cronkite stood for ensuring that the basis of our perceptions was reality.

Posted by: Steve Banis


Want to Know More about Albany Marketing firm Burst Marketing?
Visit us at www.burstmarketing.net

 

It’s What You Say

July 12, 2009

This marks the 1 year anniversary of the Burst Marketing Blog. If you’re still here, it’s due to one thing – content.

Content is king, now more than ever. In the May 29th, 2009 edition of the Albany Business Review, I mentioned that distribution of content is separating ever more quickly from the production of content.

Traditional electronic and print content mediums are joined by mobile broadcast and by websites, blogs, social media outlets, email, video and audio streaming and other online content distribution channels to blur the focus of where people get their content.

As the where becomes more fragmented, the what becomes the central hub of your communication plan.

To put a spin on a piece of advice mom may have once given you…

‘it’s not how you say it, it’s what you say.’

Targeting is still important – very important. But the reasons for that and the execution of it are different than they used to be not so long ago. Targeting now comes first in the form of content and next in the area of placement. Cost per 1000 or GRPs are too misleading today to be reliable measures of spending effectiveness.

Your target may be listening or watching something one moment and then seconds later be somewhere else. Trying to hit them in a single spot is like tracking a mirage in the desert. Don’t try.

Content is the one constant you can control.

Posted by: Steve Banis


Want to Know More about Albany Marketing firm Burst Marketing?
Visit us at www.burstmarketing.net

 

Another “BRIC” in the Wall

July 5, 2009

While we were sleeping, a truly monumental event took place.

The four main developing powers in the world – Brazil, Russia, India and China held the first ever BRIC summit. Their hope is to challenge the economic dominance of the West – namely the U.S. and Europe – and to challenge the dollar as the main global currency.

For now, the differing agendas and styles of these countries are a major obstacle to creating a united front. But mark that date, June 16, 2009, as a day when the “American Century” more formally transitioned into the 21st century of global economic balance.

Meanwhile…on the home front

Partnerships among nations is a real big bite to swallow all at once. But I believe that partnership strategies will move full speed ahead all around our businesses.

Not too long ago, outsourcing was both a way to save money and a dirty word. That tainted reputation resulted from the movement of service and manufacturing jobs to India, China and Mexico among others.

What many may not know is that over 80% of all U.S. outsourcing is sent to other U.S. companies. All sorts of non-core business functions like; Marketing and Sales, Human Resources and Accounting are sent to firms more proficient in those areas.

Outsourcing is simply one type of strategic partnership.

Done right, partnerships can help participants create and capitalize on new economic opportunities, become more competitive, grow and create jobs.

Another partnership type, joint ventures with complementary businesses, can open up new revenue possibilities, increase your available talent, and lower costs. The same can be accomplished via a strategic alliance.

As the economy begins to find its bottom, and the lull of sunny days are upon us – put your business under the microscope.

Are you reaching all of your potential targets? Are you maximizing the revenue from your existing client base? Are you missing certain products and services that can generate more income?

If so, believe me you’re not alone.

You might be the answer to another company’s need and vice versa. It’s up to you to find out.

Posted by: Steve Banis


Want to Know More about Albany Marketing firm Burst Marketing?
Visit us at www.burstmarketing.net