Marketing

By Elizabeth Boineau

On a hot summer Sunday a few weeks back, having fully planned to write an article for this esteemed publication, I found myself instead motoring pre-dawn out of the harbor on a sizeable yacht aiming for the blue waters of the Gulf Stream.

As the lucky invitee for a day of deep sea fishing with friends new and old, how could I resist this somewhat exotic way to beat the heat? Freshly-caught dinner, great company and some fish tales could be the reward, and since I had not had such an opportunity for some years, I wasn’t saying no.

But under the heading of true confessions, I hereby confess that I had not yet even settled on a topic to write on, so I decided to make the most of the day. After a survey of some of the business-savvy individuals aboard, I began to assess what was on their minds to help complete my literary mission.

So while rocking and reeling our way to find worthy catch, I began my informal survey. What do you do to grow and sustain business? What are the challenges you face?

Starting at the helm, the seasoned captain, Oliver “Ollie” Burwell of Barton and Burwell, which charters a 43’ Hatteras named “Sweet Deal,” serves as a living example of how to ensure great referrals from the service you provide.

He treated his guests and his crew with the red carpet and kid gloves, even as some of us “reeled” a bit and needed some coaching on the ins and outs of top-form fishing.

How does he grow his business? Mostly via referrals and more referrals. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth, as I alone have already passed his name along a few times. He also has an ad budget and Web site (and interestingly this charter was the result of an online auction from a local publication that our host bid for while honeymooning in Costa Rica…now that’s a “sweet deal” too).

Upon delving further into the subject with Captain Ollie, he acknowledged that he underutilizes public relations, media relations specifically, and looks remiss at having lost an opportunity to promote the opening of a new Mount Pleasant location last year.

It is not that editorial coverage replaces his ad budget entirely, but rather a balance of channels and means of getting the word out is far more effective in today’s marketing arena. Some changes he is considering making in the future at the retail location will likely be fodder for media outreach.

In addition, some testimonials from his satisfied customers, or “evangelists” as we sometimes call them, can help the crusade. Posting those on his Web site, along with the press coverage he might garner from adding that to his marketing plan could help make the other outreach work harder for him.

An e-mail to his loyal followers and/or key influencers (from a nice, tidy database he might compile) could be a way to notify prospects and referral sources of some recent big catches, specials at the store and/or a summer discount for those balmy days when even the fish seem almost too lazy to bite.

The other guests aboard offered great content too. I’ll have to save their stories for another time, but it is notable that many seemed faced with similar challenges.

My best advice is that advertising or a Web site alone or any one marketing tool playing solo or even duo is challenged, so think about a consistent message delivered over multiple channels. It is an essential in today’s competitive marketplace. Liken it to all the pistons in that big boat’s engine firing with precision and consistency—getting you where you want to go faster and more efficiently.

Elizabeth L. Boineau runs E. Boineau & Co., a Charleston-based strategic marketing communications and public relations firm. E-mail her at eboineau@ eboineauandoco.com.

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