Archive for June, 2008

Guerrilla Marketing in Action

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

By Al Lautenslager Guerrilla Marketing is using time, energy and imagination to market a product, business or person without spending massive amounts of hard earned profit dollars. It also has been defined as non-traditional marketing, something unusual, unexpected and designed to be noticed. Of course all marketing is designed to be notice. Its just that some isnt, believe it or not. There are many examples over time that have passed the guerrilla test. I will save those for another speech, article or book. For now I would like to share examples of Guerrilla Marketing in Action. I have actually seen these in just the past few months. Someone out there is using a whole lot of imagination and not spending gobs of money to market. Here we go with some examples of non-traditional marketing observed; odd places for media; unexpected messages: Restaurant Pager No doubt, you have been in restaurants where you have waited for a table to become available. In many restaurants they give you the big half-frisbee sized pager that blinks incessantly when your number is called. No longer are these plain blinking pagers. In the center is a full color graphic either advertising the restaurants drink special or the retail location adjacent to the restaurant; certainly unusual and probably noticed most of the time. Gas Pump Handles Pump gas and you have to look at the handle to secure it in the tank opening and then to execute the gas pumping process. Some genius squared off the top of the back of the handle, (the part you look at) and made a space for a 2 x 2 advertisement. Ice for 99 cents, Candy Bars two for one, Car Wash Specials, etc. are all advertised to get that gas pumping consumer to think of one more item to buy than gas. Java Jacket Grab a Starbucks and undoubtedly your next stop is the breath mint aisle in your local convenient store. Oh what to buy? Alas, the brand is suggested to you, at the exact right time, right there on the java jacket, the corrugated sleeve around your coffee cup to keep you from burning your hand. I recently had this thought and I looked at the jacket only to see the brand name, Eclipse, advertising their newest gum flavor. Guess what I bought next? In marketing we always talk about putting your message where your target market is. This is the epitome of that. Plastic Room Key Most hotels have gone to the credit card like plastic room key that slides in the activator right on the door handle. I was traveling the other day and was craving a Dominos pizza. Being out of town and not having a clue as to the phone number, I wondered? I looked down at my room key and Dominos had purchased the advertising space on the room key complete with a phone number. Guess who I called? Thanks room key. Escalator Step I havent seen this done but I have often thought it would make great advertising space: the front side of an up-escalator step. As you ride up, you come eye level with a step about 3 or 4 ahead of you. What a great place to put an advertisement. What a great place to charge for advertising. Lots of exposure and right where your target market is if you are in the retail business or service business in a retail location. Let me know if you see this in action. Send me a picture of it and I will send you a free copy of Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days. PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on websites provided attribution is provided to the author and it appears with the included copyright and resource box. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated: al@market-for-profits.com. 2005 Al Lautenslager Get a free 7 step PR plan by sending a blank email to prplan@market-for-profits.com or get a report on how to instantly add 50 people to your network by going to http://www.market-for-profits.com. Al Lautenslager is a speaker, author, business owner, consultant, a certified guerrilla marketing coach who helps businesses and professionals increase their revenue through focused marketing and an increased client base. He is the bestselling co-author of Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days and a featured business coach for entrepreneur.com. He can be contacted at al@market-for-profits.com or through his website, http://www.market-for-profits.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Al_Lautenslager http://EzineArticles.com/?Guerrilla-Marketing-in-Action&id=53522 sba 504 loan program urgent cash advance payday loans vassar michigan emergency cash loans unlimited

Am I Depressed?

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

By Chas Oliver Contrary to what some people may think, being in a down mood is not a cause for concern. What is a cause for concern is being in a constant elevated or unconcerned mood: these states are symptomatic of mental disorders. But being in a down mood is normal and even healthy — depending on how often youre in a down mood, and how long your down mood lasts. Every human being functioning on a normal psychological level has an unpleasant emotional outlook at times. We dont live in Happy Land: we live in a reality state that is sometimes harsh and painful. It is to be expected, it is normal, to emotionally react to our circumstances. Dysfunction sets in when reaction to life circumstances is chronic, or inappropriate. As an example, a person attending their best friends funeral who is overtly upbeat and cheery is giving signals of mental distress: the bereaved friends reaction is inappropriate for the circumstances. Perhaps intervention is called for in such a case, perhaps it isnt, but observation is certainly a good idea. Conversely, a person who openly cries over their best friends death every day for three weeks is also displaying dysfunction: in this case, the bereaved friends considerable emotional upset has become chronic. What are the symptoms of depression? Keeping in mind the expression of depression symptoms is not universal among depressed people, the general symptoms of depression are persistent sadness, fatigue, loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities, changes in sleep and eating habits, neglect of personal responsibility or personal care. If you are feeling or expressing some or most of these symptoms, youre likely depressed. Is a depressed condition a serious matter? Perhaps. Depression is a certainly a serious condition in three instances: - If a depressive mood leads to thoughts of suicide: the genuine possibility of death is an emergency under any circumstances, and must be addressed immediately. - If depression is present, but is not linked to any particular event: if you feel depressed but are unable to link your depressed mood to a recent life event, intervention is called for. - If youve been feeling or presenting depressive symptoms for days or weeks on end and/or youre unable to change your outlook: symptoms of any medical condition that are chronic, or that dont respond to personal efforts to get better, should always be investigated. Depression does not always require intervention. A person who loses their job or gets divorced may go into a depression, a reaction that is most understandable. In reasonable time however, most people in these kinds of circumstances do adjust and get back to a normal, functional routine. Get help for depression at depression treatment. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chas_Oliver http://EzineArticles.com/?Am-I-Depressed?&id=444997 san antonio online car loan obsessive compulsive disorder and payday loans online title loans natwest ban loan short term

Surviving Your Big Day With A Wedding Day Survival Kit

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

By Jeanette Shinn Wonderful as they are, wedding days are famously stressful. This makes a wedding survival kit a must have to get you and your party through the day in a way that you will all look back on with fondness. Think about it. With all the stress of the day, you know that someone is going to end up with a headache. But who thinks to bring aspirin to a wedding? Someone is going to develop a sour stomach, but who is going to bring antacids? And do you really want to be wandering through your guests trying to scrounge antacids for your new mother-in-law. With a wedding survival kit you won’t have to. It’s really quite easy to prepare a wedding day survival kit. Just think of all the little things that someone might need (and therefore require a last minute run to the store) on your wedding day. The stress of a wedding has been known to prompt more than a few women to find themselves in need of feminine hygiene products. If you have some on hand, then the situation only requires a quick trip to the restroom, but if you don’t someone is going to have to run to the store. There are so many little things that we don’t normally think about until we need them that you should keep in your wedding day survival kit. They are things like aspirin, band aids, clear nail polish, super glue, stain remover, bandages, bobby pins, extra earring backs, etc… Collect all these little things in one easy to carry kit and you are set. Of course, it’s not only the things that you might need to avert a crisis. Your wedding day survival kit should also include things as simple as a drinking straw so you can wet your mouth after you’ve put on your lipstick. Likewise, it should include a toothbrush, tooth paste, and pack of mints or something to help rid you of a bad taste in your mouth. And of course, you can’t forget extra pins for the corsages, bobby pins for your hair, and tissues. A wedding day survival kit is a great idea for a bridal shower gift. If one or more of your friends don’t know what to give you for a bridal shower just suggest they make up a survival kit to help make sure you are prepared for whatever comes your way. Of course, you don’t have to rely on your friends. You can find wedding day survival kits prepackaged in a durable case so you don’t have to spend an entire day running all over town and to ensure that all the basics are covered. You can always through in those few things that will personalize your kit for your bridal party. Regardless of whether you build it yourself or save time (and probably money over buying everything individually) by buying it preassembled, a wedding day survival kit will provide you much needed peace of mind on your big day. Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find fun and practical wedding ideas and great wedding accessories to make your wedding come alive at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Shinn http://EzineArticles.com/?Surviving-Your-Big-Day-With-A-Wedding-Day-Survival-Kit&id=444512 auto bad credit loan military fast cash now bad credit car loan eugene personal loan for people with bad credit

Color Contact Lenses - an Easy Way to Change Your Look!

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

By Tanya Turner Want to change something about your appearance? How about your eye color? You would be amazed how eye color affects your image. Find out what color contacts can do for your appearance and see how to get the best out of them Color contact lenses options Enhancement contact lenses are designed to enhance the color of light eyes. They dont change your color, but give your eyes a light blue, aqua or green tint. Enhancement color lenses make your eye color brighter and more defined. The most popular enhancement color contacts are Acuvue 2 Colors Enhancers by Johnson & Johnson and Freshlook Dimensions by Ciba Vision. Freshlook Radiance is also a very interesting design; these lenses create an illuminating effect. Enhancement color contacts only work on light eyes; on dark eyes they will not have any effect at all. Opaque color contacts completely change the color of your eyes. They work equally well for light and dark eyes. Even if you have a very dark brown eyes, opaque color contacts like Freshlook Colorblends can transform your color into sapphire blue or jade green. The color of an opaque color lens isnt solid - it has an imprinted pattern that simulates the natural pattern of a human eye. High quality opaque color contacts like Acuvue 2 Color opaque or Freshlook Colorblends look very realistic. People would be amazed by what beautiful blue, green or amethyst eyes you have. Costume color contacts are always Halloween favorites. While the contacts mentioned above are designed to give your eyes a different but realistic looking color, costume lenses can give you cats eyes or werewolf eyes, while complete whiteouts are perfect for the effect of blind eyes. And who said that you can only wear costume color contacts for a costume party? It can be a real fun to wear them when going to the club, or just at school or work with otherwise ordinary clothes. With a pair of cats eyes, you are guaranteed to be noticed. Most costume contacts only cover the color area of your eye. However, there are also scleral color contacts that cover the visible portion of your eye. Scleral lenses can produce unbelievable effects. The most popular costume contacts are Crazy Lenses by Cooper Vision and Wild Eyes by Ciba Vision. All brand-name color and costume contact lenses are available with corrective powers as well as in plano (no correction) This means that if your eyesight isnt perfect and you wear corrective contact lenses anyway, you can get color lenses with corrective powers and kill two birds with one stone. Color contact lenses wearing advice You should follow the same rules as for regular contact lenses - wash your hands before putting color lenses in, clean the lenses each time you use them and store them in a contact lens case in a special solution.Color lenses are like your tooth or hair brash, and should not be shared with other peopleYou should put your make-up on after the lenses are in. If you use hairspray, do it before you put the lenses in, or shut your eyes very tightly while spraying.Use only a mild multipurpose solution for cleaning your color contacts; never use peroxide based solutions. And dont rub the lenses - it can damage the colorIf you dont wear your lenses often, change the solution they are stored in at least once a weekDont wear your color contacts for longer than 8 hours at a time Your eyes and your hair are probably the two things most people notice first. And with color contacts you can have any eye color you want. Try them, and I am sure you will see many men turning their heads when you pass. Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lenses Consumer Guide, which provides you with information about all types of contact lenses including color contact lenses photos and reviews Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Turner http://EzineArticles.com/?Color-Contact-Lenses—an-Easy-Way-to-Change-Your-Look!&id=59093 payday loans in minutes rome georgia cash until payday payday personal loans with collateral

Tips for Successful Internet Dating

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

By Tommy Cooper The at-your-fingertips availability for almost anything afforded by computers, even meeting new people, can be both a blessing and a curse at the same time. With computers fast becoming a staple business machine in the home and school office, millions upon millions of people the world over cross each others path while surfing the net, every day. Busy legitimate singles with limited time can readily meet other singles with similar interests for friendship, dating, or commitment purposes while online. By the same token, insincere people, both male and female, easily prey on others who allow naivety to overrule common sense. Online dating can be fun. Mr. or Ms. Right really can be found online via web site dating services, chat rooms, and other sites that help connect people one to another. Thats how I met my husband and best friend of eight years. So my intent is not to discredit the plausibility of Internet romance. It can be found! I would, however like to offer sound advice on ways to keep you safe from the fraudulent few who surf the net looking for whom they can devour! First and foremost, protect yourself by guarding personal information: your telephone number, address, the city in which you live, whether or not you live alone, where you work, where you bank, your income, etc. As in the real world, be prudent about who you trust with private information. Common sense screams that protecting your privacy in the virtual world of the net is even more important, since you have no way of knowing who the person on the other end really is. When you seek online dating from an Internet web site source, follow the guidelines about which type of things not to share with others about yourself while at that site. These sites have such guidelines for your safety. In particular, things such as your name, telephone number, address, and where you work should be offered only to those individuals you are sure you can trust. Make that person earn your trust over a period of time. But even then, exercise caution and good judgment. Stop communications with anyone who pressures you for personal information, tries to trick information out of you, or who mocks or makes fun of you for being so cautious. They are only attempting to manipulate you into disclosing the information they want. Reputable contacts will understand and appreciate your caution especially if you are female dealing with a male. Share with other family members and friends those Internet contacts you are involved in for extended friendship or for future dating or relationship purposes. Also let the person with whom you are corresponding know that your friends and family are aware of them. Not only will this help weed out the insinceres, but it could help insure your safety, as well. Be responsible about romance; dont fall in love at the click of the mouse or the drop of a few flattering phrases. True intimacy and romance develop over time. Avoid the slick romantic types who whisk you away to a private chat room after just meeting you, to try and involve you in sexy suggestive exchanges. You can be sure you are but one of many loves picked for a quick, cheap thrill and that nothing long term serious will ever develop. Drop the rat before they have a chance to rattle your cage. Be suspicious of photos offered by someone you just met, especially if they make the sender look like he or she just stepped out of a GQ or Cosmopolitan magazine, or if they are sitting behind the wheel of a brand new fireball red Lamborghini. If you fall in love, make sure its with that person not a pretty face that might not belong to them, or the non existent bank account theyre always bragging about. For all you know, in real life Tom is twice your age, has a rash on his beer gut, and was gumming his way through a bag of bargain-brand cheese puffs when he sent you the photo! Be smart; dont let cupids arrow pierce your brain instead of your heart. If you are a female, when you do get to the point of sharing phone numbers, request that he share his first, and you call him. Be sure and use local telephone blocking techniques to prevent your telephone number from showing up on Caller ID when you make your call. You can learn a lot about a person by the tone of their voice and voice inflections while talking. How are their communication and social skills? How readily do they respond to questions you ask on the spot: did they answer quickly and casually, or hem and haw, and stutter? Do they seem overly nervous? Do they repeatedly try and switch the conversation back to you whenever you ask questions about them? Do they only want to provide you with their cellular number and not their home telephone number (which could suggest they are either married or already involved in a relationship)? Pay close attention to any possible red flags that might signal your budding relationship is with a bozo, or worse. More than one nightmare stalking situation has resulted from quickie online romances. Make use of all the features on the online dating web site that aid in critiquing contacts; nearly all have bio pages on all members. Many have live video chat rooms. If youve any specific questions, suggestions, or concerns you can contact the sites host or moderator. When and if you are ready to move past the messaging, chat room, personal e-mailing, and talking on the phone stages in the relationship, continue to use caution. Meet in a public place as opposed to giving out your address or having them pick you up. If you are a female, be sure and have a cellular phone in your purse in case you need it. Let close friends and family members know your dates name, telephone number, exactly where you will be that night, and when you expect to be home. Better yet if you are a female, have a few friends just happen by the same place the two of you meet. This warns him that your personal acquaintances have seen him, and could deter any planned funky business. Common sense and slow and easy is the name of the game when it comes to Online dating. This recipe will help insure sweet smelling not rotten romancing. Now, go and have fun! Copyright 2006 www.21onlinedating.com For more resources visit http://www.21onlinedating.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tommy_Cooper http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-for-Successful-Internet-Dating&id=182833 cash america car title loans cash advance in taylor michigan arrowhead payday loan real estate hard money lenders miami florida