Here’s a marketing success story about the little company that could. Have you heard of the Orabrush? This company spent $28 – that’s right, $28 – to purchase Facebook ads targeted at Walmart employees in Arkansas. They said, “Walmart employees have bad breath. Walmart needs to carry Orabrush. It will sell better than anything in your store.” What’s fascinating is that these $28 ads sold BETTER than the typical $20,000 print ads placed in retail trade magazines. Within 48 hours of launching the Facebook ad, a Walmart manager got an email from the Walmart buyer, and before you know it, Walmart placed an order for 735,000 of the Orabrush tongue cleaners. Before this, Orabrush was known for its 39 million views of its funny YouTube videos. In fact, consumers who saw the character of Morgan The Tongue on YouTube led the company Boots in the United Kingdom to place an Orabrush order. The moral of the story? Use Facebook and YouTube to your advantage. It’s a brave new world out there for marketers. I say this as a Boston-based marketing and public relations consultant for plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, and hair and skincare salons. Contact me at Maxima Marketing at (781) 407-9305 for a free consultation.

Here’s today’s marketing tip. Every marketer knows that magazines and newspapers have an editorial calendar listing their timely stories. What’s new is that now, companies such as Weight Watchers, Mercedes-Benz and Nestle’s Purina are borrowing from the world of publishing, and creating their own editorial calendars, to determine where and how they distribute content in social media. For example, the Mercedes-Benz calendar has three sections. One is related to car launch dates, innovations, safety and design; another that shows dates of all of its various events, and a third that showcases important dates in Mercedes-Benz’s history. This way, companies such as Mercedes-Benz can keep their fan base – and their Facebook fans – fully engaged and informed. For the small business person, it means that you, too should organize your information into seasonal and monthly calendars where you can divulge your information to new and prospective customers. This is a no-cost, low-cost marketing strategy that only requires creativity, not cash. Don’t miss out on opportunities to engage with consumers about limited-time sales, new products, and news about your company! I say this as a Boston-based marketing and public relations consultant. Contact me at Maxima Marketing at (781) 407-9305 for a free consultation by visiting my website.

Today’s marketing strategy is all about iconic brands – and I’m going to share with you some info about an advertising character who is currently being updated. He’s now 60 years old. He once got a facelift to make his football-shaped head more round. And his physique boasts a tiny little waist. Who is it? What if I said, “They’re GREAT!” Yup, it’s Tony the Tiger – whose purpose in life has been to convince Moms and children that Frosted Flakes should be in their shopping cart. But what’s making headlines is that the new ad campaign for Tony focuses on Dads. Marketing executives discovered that there’s a growing trend of fathers buying groceries. So there’s a new ad showing kids and Dads sharing a bowl together, which will air during adult programming on networks including ESPN. This way, Frosted Flakes stays at top of mind for dads and their kids – and at the top of the shopping list. Want more marketing tips? Call me at (781) 407-9305 for a free 15-minute consultation. I’m a Boston-based marketing consultant and a marketing and PR professional who specializes in working with plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, hair salons and skincare salons. Check out my bestselling business book, Off The Wall Marketing Ideas, available on Amazon.com.

Today’s marketing tip is to do something different, because it frequently has great results. I know that because I’m a marketing expert, who specializes in servicing plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, hair salons, and skincare salons. I’m in love with this marketing gimmick. An investment management firm wanted to re-engage with advisors who were facing challenges in their business due to a volatile market. Their message? They helped navigate stranded investors through stormy financial seas. So, they packaged it all in – are you ready? – 7-inch, plastic bottles with a paper map inside — something that you might find if you were shipwrecked – and it was the proverbial message in a bottle. Inside the bottle was just enough information to pique someone’s interest, and a link to a website. A whopping 46 percent of targeted customers visited the URL and 13 percent completed an online form. Mind you, the bottle was sent without a box. Isn’t that clever? For more crackerjack, clever marketing ideas, give me a call at my business, Maxima Marketing, at (781) 407-9305.

I love to give everyone great marketing tips. After all, I’m a marketing expert and the author of the bestselling book, Off The Wall Marketring Ideas. Today’s tip is to give out free samples. There may be no better way to test product appeal, and earn consumer goodwill, than giving out free samples. Everyone loves freebies! And now the United States Postal Service has made it easier than ever to deliver your samples, in specially marked boxes featuring bright colors. This is their latest marketing strategy to reinvigorate itself, especially as the United States Postal Service has seen sales slide as people pay bills online rather than buy stamps. The Sample Showcase features product samples and other promotional items arranged by value tier and category so that competitive items are not contained in the same shipment. Not only is sampling via postal mail targetable and cost-effective, but the results are measureable, and products reach consumers nationwide. Interested? Send an email with your contact info and business description to samples@usps.com. Someone will get back in touch with you. And if you need marketing, public relations, or a marketing copywriter, call a crackerjack — that’s me — at (781) 407-9305, which is the phone number for my business, Maxima Marketing.

As the owner of Maxima Marketing for 25 years, I know a good idea when I see it. I am a marketing copywriter, marketing expert and publicist for plastic surgeons, and marketing expert and publicist for hair and skincare salons. Today’s tip? Well, why not consider a publicity stunt for your business? Staging an event to put your business in the public spotlight can be very effective. Remember, the Miss America pageant started in 1921 as a way to attract tourists to Atlantic City – and look at how popular the pageant is today. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade started as a publicity stunt in 1924, when six employees walked six miles to the Macy’s store, from the city zoo. One of the earliest publicity stunts in time was the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when patriots dressed as Indians threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor, to protest excessive taxation by the East India Company. If you’re going to stage a publicity stunt, think about doing it on April Fool’s Day, when you can make a joke go a long way. That’s what Burger King did once, when it advertised a Whopper for left-handed people. Give the media a good news story with your publicity stunt, and they’ll reward you for it.

I’m the owner of Maxima Marketing in Westwood, Massachusetts, and a skilled marketing copywriter, marketing expert and publicist for plastic surgeons, and marketing expert and publicist for cosmetic dentists. Do you need to R-E-L-A-X? Would you trade in Labor Day for a new national holiday on August 15 called National Relaxation Day? A new survey conducted by Princess Cruises found that three-quarters of Americans would happily trade labor Day for National Relaxation Day. Nearly a quarter (23%) of Americans have never had a relaxing vacation, and, for those who have, it has been an average of three years since they last took a break from the routine grind of daily life. Three-quarters (74%) of Americans reported their inability to relax frequently negatively affects their mental and physical health. OK – so if you’re a business what can you do about that? To celebrate this day, Princess Cruises will provide its employees with complimentary yoga classes as well as shifting the dress code from business-casual’ to summer-fun.’” As a business, you could use Flex Time on this day, allowing employees to come in later and leave earlier. And if you’re a spa, this day was made for you – all you need to do is to encourage the American public to visit your location for a calming, relaxing rubdown with a velvet glove.

I routinely handle plastic surgery marketing, skincare salon marketing and hair salon marketing. But whatever industry you are in, you need effective marketing strategies. Today’s tip? Do you want your marketing to be ahead of the curve? Then look to the Nineteen Sixties…..and specifically on Pan Am Brands. Starting this Fall, ABC is scheduled to air a show entitled “Pan Am,” which is a period drama set in the 1960s, about the pilots and flight attendants who once made Pan Am the most glamorous way to fly, with its luxurious Clipper flights. The show is poised to be a huge hit, and along with that, all of the marketing and merchandise associated with Pan Am is set to take off as well. Pan Am Brands is based in Dover, New Hampshire, and it owns the Pan American World Airways name. Get set to see a wealth of Pan Am merchandise take flight into the American consciousness, including the classic blue-and-white bag called The Explorer and which sells for $89. Pan Am Brands and producers of the new ABC show spent more than four years negotiating the licensing agreement that allows the show to use the Pan Am brand and logo. I think the products are going to fly…off the shelves. Call us at Maxima Marketing, (781) 407-9305, to put your company on the map!

September is almost here, and it also happens to be National Coupon Month. Coupons have come a long way, baby, and it’s expected that in 2011, 88.2 million consumers will use online coupons. And they’re popping up all over the place – in bank statements, for example, In partnership with BillShrink, more than 2,000 banks monitor customer spending and provide coupons based on how you shop. You’ll also find coupons on the back of ticket stubs, on mobile phones, on Social media, and in the back pages of phone books. And you know those extra coupons that come with your receipt at the grocery store? They’re called Catalinas, and chances are, they are for products you actually want to buy. What does all this mean to you, the business owner? It means that there are more and more sources where you can place coupons about your business. So get out there and help your customers and patients save money. I say this as an experienced copywriter, and marketing expert and publicist, and owner of Maxima Marketing in Westwood, Mass.

One of my favorite ways to market any business is with – are you ready? M&Ms candies. These colorful little bursts of chocolate, in a colorful candy shell, can be imprinted with the name of your business, your phone number, message, logo, and even a small photo. Isn’t that downright clever? There’s a rainbow of 25 M&Ms colors that you can select, and the packaging for them includes small tins and even business-card holders that can hold your business card and be used again by the recipient. I’ve personally used these adorable M&Ms to publicize my bestselling book, THE GLOBETROTTER’S GET-GORGEOUS GUIDE, and my marketing and PR firm, Maxima Marketing. (We specialize in cosmetic surgery marketing and publicity, and cosmetic dental marketing and publicity.) If you’re going to a business trade show, you definitely want to hand out your personalized M&Ms at your booth. They’re also great as wedding favors and party favors. If you have foot traffic at your office you can even purchase a gumball machine with your personalized M&Ms inside as the ultimate candy dish. They’re even kosher. Public relations manager Lauren Nodzak told me that these M&Ms are an incredible business marketing tool and as a marketing expert for more than 25 years, I agree. These are low-cost marketing tools that get attention. Visit mymms.com for more info.