Joe's comments

We saved Arlene a few months back.

I hired both Barry Hurd and Josh Freedman for their SEO expertise on the upcoming Cardiac Science Web site.

Jessie, I think we're at the "Buy Joe Hage lunch and let's discuss in person" point.

Let's meet offline to continue. ;-D

Joe

Jenn, I interpreted this line to mean you customize:

"I don't use as much or I don't use it all depending on which formula a customer chooses."

I'm now guessing you mean that you make two varieties -- those with "some of that itchy stuff" and "some with none of that itchy stuff." Is that right?

If that is the case, what is the true benefit of being able to get in touch with you? Is it "just nice" to be able to talk to someone about the product? If so, that would fall lower on the supporting points and perhaps be omitted from the positioning statement entirely, based on your answer.

Jenn, you revealed something new and important in your last answer -- the notion that you customize for your clients.

So, how's this:

To women who've yet to find a mineral makeup that works for them,

Painted Laydies is the brand of mineral makeup that will work for you

Because behind every product, founder Jenn Brockman is willing to customize your product to your skin. Hers is a small shop. You can reach her directly. And she has tons of testimonials from satisfied customers.

P.S. Remember, positioning statements are not intended for copy, but if I've got your statement right, your copy could write itself!

Thanks for the back and forth and let me know if we've got it.

Joe

Jessie,

This sounds like a completely different concept. Is that right?

What is the name of your company? Are you targeting event planners? I'm confused now. You've introduced:

• EcoCorpGift
• Village Green Gifts
• Village-Green-Gifts.com
• GreenYourTheme.com

Joe

Jessie, first, you're very welcome and thank you for the note. OK, let's take a look at yours.

To whom? To executives with special Green projects.

I'm afraid I don't know what that means. Presumably "executives" means corporate types who have spending authority. Maybe "with special Green projects" means they are eco-minded? Please clarify.

Who and what? You are an Eco-Friendly Gift Finder.

We can do this two ways. 1) Jesse is the green gift finder (kind of what you said) or 2) EcoCorpGift is your resource for environmentally friendly gifts.

I prefer the latter because it "frees you up" to hit the benefit statement a little harder.

Benefit? That can help you create a memorable outcome. With the stronger frame of reference, we can strengthen the benefit statement.

• That lets you delight employees and customers with gifts that say something thoughtful about your company.

As in, you could have just given any gift, but you gave them a gift that shows that you care about the environment.

Supporting statements? You had "Because Jessie has access to over 900,000 gift ideas that can be personalized for your prospects, clients and employees."

That statement supported the notion that Jesse is the green gift finder. I'm taking the leap that you can do that and focusing instead on how you'll deliver upon the new benefit statement.

• Because with EcoCorpGift, you can give a gift that shows that you care about the environment instead of "any old gift."

Then, we can overlay your 900,000 ideas (although this does sound like an absurdly high number).

If we agree on this one, we can discuss the next one.

P.S. Why dilute your resources by supporting two brands. I think "Village Green" or "EcoCorp" can serve as an umbrella for both audiences. Personally, I like the "Village Green Gifts" name better but we could research which resonates more with your prospects and customers.

Jenn, I still have questions on your positioning but here's another try.

To whom? You wrote, "To those who have tried and failed with mineral makeup." It tells me you are targeting people who:

• already know what mineral makeup is
• tried it
• rejected it

You want to convert these mineral makeup rejectors. Is this right? It is an ambitious goal.

Another option could be to introduce mineral makeup to people who don't recognize why mineral makeup is better than "regular" makeup. (P.S. Why is mineral makeup better?)

Who and what? Painted Laydies is the mineral cosmetics company. Is this right? You will produce mineral cosmetics exclusively?

If you plan to add non-mineral cosmetics to your line at some point, this may not be the best frame of reference.

Benefit? That lets you use natural mineral cosmetics that don't cake or itch.

(This suggests that you know that mineral cosmetics rejectors really wish there were mineral cosmetics they could use. Is this right?)

Supporting statements? This needs work. From what you've written, the only support you lend is that customers can talk to you directly (that doesn't assure me the makeup won't cake or itch) and that you have customer testimonials (that also doesn't assure me I won't have an allergic reaction).

I think your support might lie in the product attributes. Why doesn't it cake? How do I know it won't itch?

If we can solve this one together, we can take a crack at your second one.

Joe

Thanks, John.

More important than the video is what I've learned in the last week about viral marketing.

Here's the article if you're interested.

Joe

Judy,

Barack Lobster is a parody of the B-52's song "Rock Lobster." No hidden meaning.

Just Obama to a funky beat.

Nancy's the winner: "The only crustacean to lead the nation."

3:20 left in the campaign slogan promotion.

So far it's Nancy Hanauer's to lose:

"The only crustacean to lead the nation."

Just saw the first cut of the video. Should be done tomorrow.

Going to be fantastic.

Follow @BarackLobster on Twitter.

Jenn, I'm still a little out of my league here.

What is the national brand? How do they position themselves?

Our first promotion:

We will make Barack Lobster campaign buttons featuring the winning slogan among all online submissions.

The winning author will receive five free campaign buttons and bragging rights.

Contest ends on my birthday (Oct 14) at midnight PST. Multiple entries allowed. Must be posted in the comments section of this blog post.

The one to beat right now is: Barack Lobster. It's what's for dinner.

Good luck!

Found this on Twitter: 25 ways social media prepares you for the downturn.