I know, you’ve heard it before… But it’s official; Verizon announced yesterday the arrival of the iPhone 4 to their 3G Network (that’s right, the biggest disappointment was that the 3G, rather than the new 4G LTE, network would host the iPhone.) Still, after an exclusive 4-year contract with AT&T, Verizon will be the first carrier to offer the phone (I even got an exclusive invitation to pre-order before the February 10th release date, as an existing Verizon customer;-) So what does this mean from a marketing standpoint? Here are my assertions:

1. Competition – as ‘the world’s most reliable network’ Verizon already owns the lion’s share of the mobile market, now frustrated AT&T users will have the opportunity to switch carriers.

2. Marketplace – the new tag line “iPhone 4. Verizon. It begins.” and exclusive invitation to pre-order are more opportunities to advertise and perhaps, just the beginning.

3. Future – loyal Verizon patrons will likely extend contracts and new customers stand to be gained with the acquisition of the iPhone.

Overall, I think the addition (as well as anticipation) of the iPhone is a smart move by Verizon. Unfortunately, they turned the iPhone down initially, probably losing out on a monopoly. However, with Droid rivaling the iPhone and already on the Verizon network, maybe a monopoly is still to come…

What do you think of the Verizon iPhone announcement?

No matter the marketing tool you choose, you must always remember:

You must know who you are talking to before you decide what you’ll say to them.

You spend a ton of money on marketing each year and it gets you a lot of business. You work with some great clients, and receive raves reviews when you are done working with them. You smile, part ways and move on to find new business. But, what about that past client? The one that loved the work you did for them? What happens to the relationship that you had built and what can you do to make sure that you are getting the most from it?

1. Ask for a testimonial. This can be done at the very end of a project, right after they have just gotten done thanking you for everything you did. When the client is the happiest, ask if they would mind writing a bit about working with your business. Most happy clients will be more than willing, and it will give you great fodder for a white paper or a testimonial page on your site.
2. Ask for a referral. When you first start working with a client, let them know in the beginning that if at the end, they are happy with your services, you would like to give them a few of your business cards to give out to others who might like to use you as well. Then, provide stellar service for the client. Once you are ready to part ways, hand them 3-4 cards and remind them of the request you made at the beginning of the project.
3. Send them a letter. Email is fine when you are working with a client, but once that ends, sending a real letter has a much bigger impact. It doesn’t have to be long, in fact, a simple, “hope you are doing well, and that everything we did for you is still working…” is fine. The point is to remind them that you are still here, still care and still available if they need any other help. Staying fresh in someones mind is always a good thing.

What other ways can you benefit from your past clients?

Flo TV's new logo

Well, sort of.  In tomorrow’s Super Bowl ad circus, you’ll see two spots from former client FLO TV, a division of Qualcomm.  No, we didn’t produce the spots, in fact the first of the two goes directly against the strategic direction we provided to them, but ce la vie!  However we did provide FLO TV with the strategy and development of their new & improved identity.  The FLO TV logo was developed by Motor in a successful partnership between client and agency.

FLO TV hired our team to create the lasting, permanent identification for the FLO TV brand. Our client wanted to have the idea of “TV” without actually showing a TV in the logo like their first Tivo-esque iteration. They wanted something clean and simple, yet progressive, modern and…wait for it….fun! That’s a tall order but after our standard market snapshot and further client analysis, we were able to solidify which attributes were most important and develop to incorporate those.  In the end, you have this dimensional, colorful mark that incorporates a vision for live TV in your hand and is current but with the ability to stand the test of time.  Or something like that.  It’s a logo for Pete’s sake (my sake that is) and it appropriately fits the brand.  Touchdown! Motor wins in overtime!