The First Uk Man To Become A Human Billboard An Interview

Writen by Chris Ryerson

Advertising on humans using tattoos is rapidly kind of freak niche that is definitely growing. It all started about two years ago (to the best of my knowledge) when a guy ran an ad on eBay offer his forehead as a billboard. He basically put up an eBay auction offering to wear a temporary tattoo on his forehead to advertise for whoever was the winning bidder. Well, a year or so later this is starting to become a phenomena and is rapidly growing. I got a chance to interview a man from the UK who currently has an auction up and he is getting a permanent tattoo ad. This is kind of taking the whole body advertising to a new level.

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself?

I have been in business all my life. From running and owning my own world wide haulage company. A chain of mobile phone shops. Etc. I have worked in the timeshare industry for past 7 years. And have just recently resigned from working in Spain as a marketing manager also project Director for multi billion Pound Company. I am now writing a book on timeshare, being the first person to do so on the cons & pros of how it works. I live with my long time partner of 8+ years, with a baby girl of 4 weeks old. I also have 5 other children ages 25, 23, 18, 12, &10.

2. Where did you get the idea to get at tattoo ad on your forehead?

I got the idea for tattoo advertising last year from a TV program in USA, on drunks that would do anything for a drink.

3. How does your girlfriend feel about this?

My wife to be thinks I mad as a hatter, but she has seen me pull off many mad things.

4. I read in the short article about you that you already have quit a few tattoos. Can you tell me about the tattoos you already have?

I have many tattoos from the age of 12 years of age, last one being when I was 21. The only space I have on my body at the moment is most of my back & part of my legs.

5. What is your favorite tattoo?

No, I don't have a favorite one.

6. Do you have any tattoos that you regret getting done or have you done any cover up or removal work?

I regret most of them, due to being so old now. But is soon to change with my new venture. I am also having my whole body tided up.

7. Where is your ad so other people can come by and bid?

My add on eBay is on search bar, under all categories. Type in body tattoo advertising and my links is the first one under the heading you type in.

8. If you are doing this in auction format like on eBay are you going to have a reserve price or end the bidding early if it does not get the price you want? For example what happens if the final bid is only 1.00?

Yes I have a reserve price on my first of £1000. This will then appeal to the media for my next.

9. You mentioned that you have some space on your back for two ads and also the one on your forehead are you planning on doing three advertising tattoos then? What is the time span you are looking at?

Yes I have three spaces at present. My head is mainly, back, top & sides for one add for highest bidder or three separate.

10. Are you willing to also talk about and advertise for the company when people talk to you about it?

Yes I am very much prepared to talk and show after, as my eBay ad will tell you.

11. Are you planning on just getting a text ad or looking at doing a logo or graphic?

I am prepared to have mainly logo, depending on company as my eBay once again will explain.

12. You mentioned in the article I read that you were looking for an agent to represent you? Do you have plans past the three tattoos mentioned about above?

An agent will be taken on after my first advert

13. What are you going to do after getting the tattoos done what are your plans for your next profitable venture?

As I have mentioned, I am writing a book soon to be released.

14. I know some others have gotten temporary tattoos done and that this is a growing phenomenon on eBay to advertise on body space. In fact there are a few websites now that specialize in this such as bodybillboardz.com and others. Are you the first person getting a real tattoo on your forehead? All the others I have seen are for temporary tattoos?

I am the first in the UK to take on such venture and sure it will grow after I have been in so much media.

Well, I am not sure how you feel about all of this yourself. I can see both sides of the arguments made. On the one side almost all the t-shirts that I own have some type of advertising on them. Yet going as far as getting a permanent tattoo that will be with you for life I am not sure I would go that far. At any rate I will write more about this topic as it grows.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He likes helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists. Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. Look for more tattoo related articles on the site.

Dont Spend A Fortune On Advertising Your Home Business

Writen by Terry Edwards

Now that you have started your own home based business it's time to begin letting everyone know about it. It's time to advertise! When most people think of advertising they think of having to spend big bucks, but that doesn't need to be the case. While it is a little more involved than simply putting together a website and hoping for the cash to roll in, it doesn't have to drain your budget either.

You can get your name out there, both online and offline without spending a ton of cash. Here are some affordable ways you can immediately begin advertising your new business and get some sales.

Word Of Mouth

Obviously, this is the easiest form of advertising for any business. Talk to people while you're out about your home business. Ask for referrals. Make it a daily habit to let others know what you're doing. Don't make the mistake of pretending to be a secret agent and not telling others what you do. Share it with the world. One of the best parts is the fact that this if free home based business advertising.

Business Cards

Another inexpensive way to advertise your home based business is through business cards. Hand out a business card to everyone you meet. Business cards are cheap. You can easily get 1000 cards for around $20. You can design your own with a catchy slogan or a special recorded message, etc. You can also leave your business cards out in public, or stick one in with your bills you mail off every month. Use your imagination with this.

Contests

Here is a good idea that isn't expensive. Check around town for promotions or contests that are being sponsored by radio stations or stores. Offer to include your product or service as a free prize. The exposure you'll get could work well in the future. Plus, it's a lot of fun.

Flyers

This is a tried and true method of generating business that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Print up some flyers on bright yellow paper and place them on bulletin boards around town. Grocery stores, post offices, apartment complex mail centers, etc., all make good areas to get these out. The bright yellow paper will get people's attention much better than just plain white.

Write An Article

This doesn't cost anything but your time. Write some interesting articles about your company or product. Write a review of what it has done for you. At the bottom of your article you can put in the link to your website so folks can learn more about what you're doing. Articles work very well, and you don't have to be any type of professional writer to experience success.

Forums

Another inexpensive way to advertise your home based business is to participate in forums on the Internet. Find discussion forums in your area of business and answer people's questions. Always include a link to your website in your signature file. By helping others you'll show yourself as a trusted expert in your field. This method of advertising also works very well.

Try a few of these advertising methods for your home business and see if it doesn't get you off to a fast start. They have helped me in the past and I know they can help you as well.

You can find more information on Low Cost Home Business Advertising as well as information on all types of home businesses at http://www.Home-Business.InfoFromA-Z.com

Cross Cultural Advertising

Writen by Neil Payne

"Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass – you don't see it, but somehow it does something," Hans Magnus Enzensberger.

Culture affects everything we do. This applies to all areas of human life from personal relationships to conducting business abroad. When interacting within our native cultures, culture acts as a framework of understanding. However, when interacting with different cultures this framework no longer applies due to cross cultural differences.

Cross cultural communication aims to help minimise the negative impact of cross cultural differences through building common frameworks for people of different cultures to interact within. In business, cross cultural solutions are applied in areas such as HR, team building, foreign trade, negotiations and website design.

Cross cultural communication solutions are also critical to effective cross cultural advertising. Services and products are usually designed and marketed at a domestic audience. When a product is then marketed at an international audience the same domestic advertising campaign abroad will in most cases be ineffective.

The essence of advertising is convincing people that a product is meant for them. By purchasing it, they will receive some benefit, whether it be lifestyle, status, convenience or financial. However, when an advertising campaign is taken abroad different values and perceptions as to what enhances status or gives convenience exist. These differences make the original advertising campaign defunct.

It is therefore critical to any cross cultural advertising campaign that an understanding of a particular culture is acquired. By way of highlighting areas of cross cultural differences in advertising a few examples shall be examined.

Language in Cross Cultural Advertising

It may seem somewhat obvious to state that language is key to effective cross cultural advertising. However, the fact that companies persistently fail to check linguistic implications of company or product names and slogans demonstrates that such issues are not being properly addressed.

The advertising world is littered with examples of linguistic cross cultural blunders. Of the more comical was Ford's introduction of the 'Pinto' in Brazil. After seeing sales fail, they soon realised that this was due to the fact that Brazilians did not want to be seen driving a car meaning 'tiny male genitals'.

Language must also be analysed for its cultural suitability. For example, the slogan employed by the computer games manufacturer, EA Sports, "Challenge Everything" raises grumbles of disapproval in religious or hierarchical societies where harmonious relationships are maintained through the values of respect and non-confrontation.

It is imperative therefore that language be examined carefully in any cross cultural advertising campaign

Communication Style in Cross Cultural Advertising

Understanding the way in which other cultures communicate allows the advertising campaign to speak to the potential customer in a way they understand and appreciate. For example, communication styles can be explicit or implicit. An explicit communicator (e.g. USA) assumes the listener is unaware of background information or related issues to the topic of discussion and therefore provides it themselves. Implicit communicators (e.g. Japan) assume the listener is well informed on the subject and minimises information relayed on the premise that the listener will understand from implication. An explicit communicator would find an implicit communication style vague, whereas an implicit communicator would find an explicit communication style exaggerated.

Colours, Numbers and Images in Cross Cultural Advertising

Even the simplest and most taken for granted aspects of advertising need to be inspected under a cross cultural microscope. Colours, numbers, symbols and images do not all translate well across cultures.

In some cultures there are lucky colours, such as red in China and unlucky colours, such as black in Japan. Some colours have certain significance; green is considered a special colour in Islam and some colours have tribal associations in parts of Africa.

Many hotels in the USA or UK do not have a room 13 or a 13th floor. Similarly, Nippon Airways in Japan do not have the seat numbers 4 or 9. If there are numbers with negative connotations abroad, presenting or packaging products in those numbers when advertising should be avoided.

Images are also culturally sensitive. Whereas it is common to see pictures of women in bikinis on advertising posters on the streets of London, such images would cause outrage in the Middle East.

Cultural Values in Cross Cultural Advertising

When advertising abroad, the cultural values underpinning the society must be analysed carefully. Is there a religion that is practised by the majority of the people? Is the society collectivist or individualist? Is it family orientated? Is it hierarchical? Is there a dominant political or economic ideology? All of these will impact an advertising campaign if left unexamined.

For example, advertising that focuses on individual success, independence and stressing the word "I" would be received negatively in countries where teamwork is considered a positive quality. Rebelliousness or lack of respect for authority should always be avoided in family orientated or hierarchical societies.

By way of conclusion, we can see that the principles of advertising run through to cross cultural advertising too. That is – know your market, what is attractive to them and what their aspirations are. Cross cultural advertising is simply about using common sense and analysing how the different elements of an advertising campaign are impacted by culture and modifying them to best speak to the target audience.

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential. Visit their site at: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/cross-cultural-awareness.html

Radio Advertising For Auto Services

Writen by Lance Winslow

In advertising on the radio for auto services it is important to paint a picture in the listener's mind and therefore it is important to describe events, objects and paint scenarios so that they can understand what they should be seeing in their minds when they listen to the radio. It sounds difficult but it isn't really and they say a picture is worth how many words, well quite a few. Another important thing for radio advertising for auto services is to use a little humor. Why you ask?

Well when people consider spending money on their car sometimes they cringe and instead of listening to your message they are busy in their minds thinking of the last time they spent thousands of dollars to get their car repaired for something that broke. That might have been a bad experience because it cost them a lot of money and we just don't want to go there. This is why a little humor will help break up such thoughts and put them in a positive state of mind.

Believe it or not sometimes 15-second commercials or 30-second commercials work much better than the longer commercials and even better is when the DJ talks about your auto services and sometimes those can be the best of all.

To do proper auto services radio advertising it pays to listen to some of the other ads on the radio first before committing and you want to make sure that your radio account executive will work with you. Therefore it might be best to meet with them at the studio after discussing the basics and the pricing package at perhaps Starbucks. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Striking The Right Tone Formal Vs Informal Communication And Marketing

Writen by George Chilton

The Formal Vs Informal Communication Test

If you have spotted an online marketing business opportunity, but are unsure how to approach it, you are not alone! It can be very difficult to decide on an appropriate 'narrative voice,' and to gauge what tone to strike when marketing your product online. There is no one answer to this problem, but if you remember that it all comes down to your brand identity, your target market and the message you wish to promote you'll be on the right track.

The test is really a set of guidelines that you need to consider before you can begin promoting your product.

How do I market my product? Though it may sound obvious, you need to look at your target demographic. They are the people you are aiming at, so they are the people you need to please. It is widely believed that it is best to err on the side of the informal when attempting to sell a product. People tend to respond to a friendly voice, but they also need positive reassurance. Remind them that they need your product!

It is the nuance that makes the article; the detail and individual word choice can make all the difference. The following are guidelines only; occasionally one might wish to contravene them in their entirety – please see my article Capturing them with Controversy for further information;

Be positive Negative phrasing has a subtle affect on the reader ­ they may begin to associate your product with the negative ethos an ill-judged piece of communication evokes ­ and you don't want that!

1. Negative phrasing immediately saps energy; it does nothing for your brand image:

   "Don't underestimate the power of Words, or you will never succeed!"

2. Positive phrasing has immediate impact on your reader, empowering your brand and setting the right tone:

   "Words are the most powerful tool in your armoury, use them well and you will find success!"

3. When selling your product avoid the negative and use the positive:

   "Don't forget to write!" Versus "Write back soon!"

Banish 'don't' and 'can't' and avoid phrases with dampening effects, for example; 'don't forget to write,' has the subliminal message 'forget to write'.

People will gloss over the negative 'don't' and store, quite subconsciously, the 'forget to write' ­ which is exactly what they will do. It is therefore not as powerful as the more positive 'write back soon.'

You should be confident in your product; avoid 'if' and use 'when'. So;

"If you would like to try our amazing product…"

Becomes;

"When you try our product you'll be amazed."

Sell your product in a friendly, positive (rather than aggressive) manner and you will succeed.

The Benefits of a Freelance Copywriter Whether you wish to advertise your product online, or use print-advertising, a good copywriter can help you choose your words and set the tone; leaving you with a polished and professional website or brochure.

Online marketing The majority (around 80%) of your web traffic drives through the search engines. You need a copywriter with experience, and competence with search engine optimisation (SEO).

A good copywriter will:

1. Understand that web copy and advertising copy have very different requirements. He or she should be capable of making appropriate stylistic judgements
2. Provide clear, concise copy that leaves the reader in no doubt as to what you provide.
3. Perform the keyword analysis for your copy. (Key words are the magnets that attract the search engines to your website.)
4. Optimise your website with a keyword density at around 2-5%

George Chilton is an experienced Advertising and SEO copywriter at Herds of Words. He has fourteen years experience as a magician and public speaker and can be contacted at george@herdsofwords.co.uk. Or come join the herd at Herds of Words - Freelance Copywriters

Quantitative Research And Surveys

Writen by Kurt Mortensen

When people speak of marketing research, they are usually referring to quantitative research. Quantitative research involves a survey of a selected sample of a specific group using mail, telephone or in-person interviews.

Data is collected by means of a carefully constructed questionnaire that is pre-tested before the actual survey. Completed questionnaires are edited, and verbatim responses to open-ended questions are coded using pre-developed categories. The data from the questionnaires is entered into a computer for tabulation of results. Final computer outputs, or "tables," are then ready for analysis. It is important for both research buyers and users to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each of the various research approaches so they can select the technique that best meets their needs at a cost within their budgets.

Mail Surveys

Mail Surveys were extremely popular during the 1950s and 60s when the costs of telephone interviewing were prohibitively high. Mail surveys are still widely used today, although the advent of the WATS telephone service has made telephone surveys much more cost competitive. The major strength of mail surveys is still their relatively low price. For the price of postage, materials and printing, a small business can conduct a very cost-effective research study. In addition, since the respondent actually receives materials from the researcher, illustrative or test documents can be included in the mail-out.

The major drawback to mail surveys is their very low rate of return, or response rate. Even with incentives such as money and second mailings, most end up with only about a 5 to 15 percent response rate. This means you do not know the opinions of 85 to 95 percent of the people you wish to study. In addition, those individuals who do not respond to a mail survey are often different from those who do. For example, older retirees are more likely to have the time and inclination to fill out and return a questionnaire while single people between the ages of 25 and 35 are much less likely to do so.

Different research techniques such as incentives and telephone reminders can boost the response rate to as much as 50 percent, but all these methods add to the price of the study, thereby defeating the purpose of selecting this technique in the first place.

In-Person Interviews

Many of us are familiar with in-person interviews. Every ten years, the U.S. Census Department knocks on doors to conduct in-person interviews and find out how the population has changed. In-person, or personal interviews, involve a face-to-face meeting between an interviewer and a respondent. Using a prepared questionnaire, the interviewer asks the respondent a series of questions and carefully records the answers. These interviews take place either at the respondent's home or place of business or at a well-traveled location, such as a shopping mall.

Unlike mail surveys, personal interviews usually result in a very high completion rate. Response rates as high as 95 percent are not unheard of. In addition, in-person interviews allow the respondent to physically come in contact with proposed products, services or advertising under the guidance of the interviewer. This one-on-one interaction is why in-person interviews are often used in researching advertising copy or packaging designs.

The biggest problem with in-person interviews, however, is their extremely high price. Since an interviewer is required to either visit the respondents at their homes or businesses or track them down in shopping malls, a great deal of interviewing time is required. Even at low hourly rates for interviewers, an in-person interview currently costs at least $100. Considering that most surveys use a sample size of at least 100 people, this approach can get very expensive.

Telephone Surveys

Computers have been introduced into the telephone interviewing process. Interviewers now sit in front of a computer screen and read from a pre-programmed questionnaire that appears in front of them. Respondents' replies are recorded directly into the computer system using a keyboard, which saves time in data entry and coding. Results are immediately available at any point during the survey. These "Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing," or CATI, systems are becoming widely used by research companies and allow for faster, cheaper and more reliable interviewing.

While telephone surveys are much less expensive than in-person interviews, they are usually slightly higher in price than a straight mail survey. Response rates with telephone surveys are much better than mail, usually 50 percent and higher, which makes them the ideal choice for most research applications.

Everyone persuades for a living. There's no way around it. Whether you're a sales professional, an entrepreneur, or even a stay at home parent, if you are unable to convince others to your way of thinking, you will be constantly left behind. Donald Trump said it best, "Study the art of persuasion. Practice it. Develop an understanding of its profound value across all aspects of life."

Conclusion

Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you've seen some success, but think of the times you couldn't get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.

Kurt Mortensen's trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! His message and program has helped thousands and will help you achieve unprecedented success in both your business and personal life. If you are ready to claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know, begin by going to http://www.PreWealth.com and getting my free report "10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands." After reading my free report, go to http://www.PreWealth.com/IQ and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale!

A Way To Triple The Calls From Your Yellow Pages Advertising

Writen by Michael Warner

Yellow page publishers spend an average of $15 per ad design by in-house ad designers. In most of the publisher's ads there is little difference in the graphics or written content from ad to ad. The publisher's ads are free to the advertiser, which is the most expensive free going. A yellow pages graphic design firm will generally charge $500 to $2,000 for an ad, depending on the size, but will be guaranteed to generate substantially more calls then the publisher's ads.

Yellow pages design firms offer as many unique ad designs as the number of firms out there. I have designed ads for thousands of businesses over the last 20 years. Always there was an increase in calls and sales from their yellow page ads that my firm designed. What has amazed me is the dramatic increase in calls generated by cartoon ads.

Many of the largest advertisers on television use humorous ads with success. To prove this point all you have to do is remember the ads that appear on the Super Bowl Sunday. Most of the commercials that you see are humorous. People enjoy humor and remember humor. I saw a Fed EX ad yesterday of a caveman that kicks a baby dinosaur and he is then squashed by an elephant. There were six of us laughing. If humor works on TV why not in the yellow pages?

Consumer surveys also tell us that very few people read the information in yellow pages ads. 85% of people that look into a yellow pages heading have already made up their mind to buy the product or service. The advertiser has to separate himself from all of his competitor's ads and a cartoon is a great way of doing that.

Countless studies have proven whenever people make any purchase it is always based on an emotional response. Providing a humorous situations in an ad as opposed to showing a picture of a truck will certainly stimulate an emotional response.

Far more women call the largest headings (number of ads) in the Yellow Pages. These are headings that solve an emergency situation. Examples of this are appliance repair, air-conditioning repair, and plumbing. It is the woman that is often home during the day and will make the call if the air conditioner is broken. Women, in consumer surveys of yellow page ads, select the cartoon ads three to one over non-cartoon ads. Man in the same survey are 50-50 in selecting cartoon ads or non-cartoon ads.

If you are, or are going to be a yellow pages advertiser an are interested in finding a source for cartoon ads, do a Google search and you will see several firms that specialize in their design, or to see examples of cartoon ads at www.doctoryellowpage.com.

Michael Warner, better known as Doctor Yellow Page to many Yellow Pages advertisers, has been designing ads for Yellow Pages advertisers for over twenty years. My greatest success has been with the new catagory of Cartoon ads. Not only do the cartoons appear in a businesses Yellow Page ads but also on their trucks and other print media.