You may recall Allen Howie's guest columns for the Tribune a little while back. The writing gig seems to have ended, and that's unfortunate because I learned something from each article, but Allen has kept his day job as president of Idealogy Design + Advertising, which is celebrating its tenth birthday this week. When it comes to pieces of useful advice that one might consider as examples of "common sense" for business people, and of course seldom are understood, Allen plain gets it. Consider the following, as culled from Idealogy's web site:
We always start with the same question. What’s the big idea?
What separates you from your competitors? Given a choice - and people always have a choice - why should they choose you over the next alternative?
Once we have the answer - whether you supply it or we help you find it - we can focus on getting you more business.
It may seem painfully simple, but look around; an incredible number of business people never grasp this fundamental point ... and Allen offers it to all of us, free of charge! How does he stay in business?
Okay, perhaps there's a bit more to it than that.
Happy birthday, Idealogy. I'll be down to see you later this afternoon, and just may come bearing a tasty gift or two.
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3 comments:
What - giving people parking isn't enough? I've heard for 2 generations all you need is parking and they'll come.
NA,
After perusing the letters section in LEO today, I see a new business differentiation product in your future.
"Driftwood Aged Luddite Lager"
While the following does not entirely apply to the aforementioned letter writer, I still offer the following tag line:
"Small taste, for small minds"
Not to worry, my royalty fees are not very high!
Wait a sec...you say Allen does it for you "free of charge"? Hmmmm...I'll have to speak to him about that next time he sends his bill.
Seriously though, regardless of his charges, one thing is for certain - he has been worth every penny. His marketing ideas have all been marvelous - he's been a great asset to our business, and I think we're all lucky to have him in New Albany.
PS - thanks for the libation today at the party - definitely worth the trip.
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