Introducing SaySomethingImportant.com!

John Hammer has found a way to harness his obvious knack for talking.

Hammer has been a broadcast personality for more than 20 years and the owner of BigMouthAudio.com, an audio production studio. Now, Hammer is proud to announce the creation of SaySomethingImportant.com, offering strategic marketing ideas for great small businesses.

"I didn't plan it this way" says Hammer. "My original idea was to grow BigMouthAudio.com, writing and producing radio advertising campaigns & building on my clients from across the country. However, here in Charlotte, more and more people were asking me for marketing advice, that's where SSI came from."

"I meet good people who run really great businesses...who suck at marketing!"

SaySomethingImportant.com's philosophy is based in strategy; a large majority of local business owners don't have an advertising strategy and Hammer can show you how to decide on one, then help you determine where to focus it. Hammer points out "For all the witty ad campaigns out there...the Superbowl ads, if you will...unless the man on the street remembers your name & understands what you do, you've wasted your money. You need to have focus, strategy and to really dig into people's brains, you MUST Say Something Important."

Talk with Hammer about marketing your business:

John Hammer
John@SaySomethingImportant.com
YahooMessenger: SaySomethingImportant
269.806.8842 (John's cell, right on his hip!)

Vulcanizing your Brand...

I've mentioned before what a "car guy" I am. When I'm not helping small businesses market their companies, I race sportscars and instruct at performance driving schools.

This past week, I combined marketing and speed at the Dunlop Drivers Cup at Virginia International Raceway; a competition of "regular" guys & gals to compete in motorsports... And it was a helluva brand builder for Dunlop Tires.

See, the consumers who were part of the event had a great time, for sure. We had them compete against each other in six different disciplines, most of them they'd never done before. They had a hoot, and more importantly, they're back home today telling all of their friends & family about Dunlop & how impressed they are with the company.

Think of it this way: there are now three dozen new Dunlop Ambassadors running around the country telling anyone who'll listen how they drove a 350Z on the racetrack at 120 miles per hour. Or that their standard issue SUV was able to traverse a muddy gorge by simply putting on a set of Dunlop tires. We had a 79 year old woman on a motocross bike, shod with Dunlops...and she did it.

In the evenings, plenty of food & drink & conversation. I would say there are a lot of new friendships from that event...friendships that came together because of a brand of tires. This was a brilliant example of event marketing.

Now, I ask you: what does YOUR company do to improve people's impression?

While we all had a lot of fun playing with cars, in the end, the memories we have are because Dunlop Tires knew they had to...

Say Something Important!

RIP Crocodile Hunter...and the brand that went with you!

The news came today that Steve Irwin was killed by a Stingray. Now, as a car guy, my first thought of "Stingray" is an early 70's Chevy Corvette with the "stingray" body. Certainly, I had no idea who Steve Irwin was.

Until I heard the announcer call him by his "professional name"...

The Crocodile Hunter.

Turns out he was killed when he provoked a Stingray (the animal, not the car) and his heart was pierced by the razor sharp barb on the end of the Stingray's tail. Chalk one up for thousands of years of evolution; the barb turns out to be damn good protection: the Stingray is alive, Steve's not.

But here's my point to all of this. My first reaction to the news was admittedly tongue in cheek, but based directly in great marketing. My brain clicked out the word "Crikey!" just like the Crocodile Hunter would say. I didn't know the name Steve Irwin, but you sure can bet I knew Crocodlie Hunter and Crikey! (I also know about those insanely short shorts he wore all the time, giving a male version of camel-toe...but that's another blog some other time).

In the end, so to speak, I feel bad that Steve Irwin is dead...but not because I even knew Steve Irwin. Rather, it's because he built a brand around himself, one that I understood & remembered.

This is a bit morbid of a question, but it's for real: when you pass on, what is YOUR brand? What will folks remember about you?

If you don't have an answer, it's time to start building your brand. We can do it when you simply Say Something Important.

RIP Crocodile Hunter, and thanks for teaching us about marketing our own businesses.