This post, Balihoo Announces Integrated Co-op Marketing Solution, can be read on our new blog by clicking this link.

With the fanfare yesterday around the Windows 7 launch, Apple took the opportunity to break a series of new ads in their “I’m a Mac” series directly attacking Windows 7.  If you missed them, here they are:

Although I feel that the “I’m a Mac” schtick is getting a bit tired, I have to admit that I like these series of ads.  It’s advertising 101 - if you’re #2 in the market, directly attack the #1 player.  The spots are smart, quick, and focus in on creating FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) in the mind of the consumer considering buying a PC.  Good stuff.

That being said - it’s interesting that the local component is missing here.  Windows 7 has had a HUGE local presence, with launch parties being held locally across the country.  However, I walked into my local Mac store this morning and there was nothing about Windows 7 or any tie to this advertising campaign at all.  Where’s the continuity?

National brands NEED to embrace local - driving consistent, accurate, powerful communications through your local channels (whether resellers, distributors or franchisees) needs to be a focus of any national campaign.  Local is where demand is both driven and fulfilled and should be a key component of your strategy. 

Here it is, just a few months late, an updated tour of our offices!  You can also see some of the in-process pictures and get some of the design details straight from our talented designers site:  Guigon Olson Studios.   

 This post, Updated Balihoo Materials, can be read on our new blog by clicking this link.

Joel Libava, aka “The Franchise King“, posts a valuable blog post on the OPEN FORUM at American Express:  Franchise Execs, Are You Planning For An Upturn?

Lots of good tips for franchise organizations looking to capitalize on an economic turnaround, of course my favorite is:

“You may want to get your franchisee’s local marketing activities more automated. I found some folks who specialize in this through Twitter. Check out Balihoo.com “

Weaver’s Flooring America, a franchise location of retailer Flooring America, was featured in “All About ROI” magazine this month for using Balihoo’s Local Marketing Automation platform to drive demand gen in their local market. 

The full article can be read here:  http://www.allaboutroimag.com/article/marketing-platform-lets-national-franchisee-focus-local-roots-407579_2.html 

Congrats to the Weaver’s team and Chad Nussbaum for this great press and for taking advantage of this down market to strategically approach their media and marketing efforts! 

We’re doing some significant work on our website today including updating our overall identity, overhauling the website and rolling out new messaging.  As a result, we’re experiencing a few link breaks (especially on the blog).  Please pardon this inconvenience, we’ll have everything working smoothly in no time! 

In the mean time - any feedback you have on the new site is appreciated!  Let us know what you think:  www.balihoo.com 

Some Friday afternoon fiddling with Animoto brought about this video as a thank-you to our latest customer additions: 

If you follow Balihoo, you’ll know that one of most important customers is Carpet One Floor & Home.  Our marketer product enables their corporate marketing group to distribute all of their creative assets to the local markets and gives those local members the ability to customize all of those materials and place them in their local media and marketing. 

One of the services we offer the Carpet One dealers is media planning and buying -as a result we are heavily involved and engaged in their local marketing efforts across the country.  I’m consistently surprised at the level of thought, strategy and inguinity these local business owners demonstrate in their efforts. 

Last week I interacted with Kerns Carpet One and it was the very first time one of the dealers mentioned that they were using Faceboook to promote their business.  You can find them on Facebook here.  You can see on their profile that they’re not only using it to keep customers up-to-date on promotions and activities within their business, but they’re also posting pictures of jobs and before/after comparisons.  I think it’s a fantastic use of the medium and of Facebook to engage with their customers this way. 

The economy is no doubt tough right now, but it’s the retail folks that stay engaged with their customers and continue to push the envelope that will be successful.  Coincidentally, our local newspaper recently did a big write-up on local businesses here using Facebook and Twitter to market themselves that you’ll find interesting.  Kudos to those businesses that continue to push the envelope! 

Success clearly begets success - as Balihoo continues to pile up the accolades for Marketer Edition, our ground-breaking product that enables national brands to enable local demand generation, we’ve been nominated for another award.  CEOWorld Magazine has identified us as one of the “Top Advertising and Marketing Web Applications.”  Please take a quick second to go to their website and vote for us (no registration required) to get us to the top of the list.  Thanks!