We get interesting information everyday from reading articles in newspapers, blogs, company websites and even from conversations we overhear or have ourselves. Shark Bites is an entry post where I share my thoughts on recent articles, events and conversations. Feel free to comment at the very bottom of each post while indulging yourselves with new information.. you’ll find that a bit of information a day will go a long way.
Is It False Advertising?
You’ve probably seen the commercial of a mother feeding her children Nutella on bread for breakfast. Believe it or not, Nutella is being sued for this ad. In an article taken from Business Week, companies like Danone, General Mills, and Kellogg have faced litigations as well—all for “false” advertising.
Watch the Nutella commercial here:
According to the article, the woman suing the company finds it misleading that Nutella depicted a mom juggling three wild kids in the morning because she easily identified herself with the character, and succumbed to purchasing the sugary product.
Is this really false advertising? Should companies be held responsible for producing ads that involve characters in which consumers subjectively identify themselves with? Why or why not?
» Read the full article on BusinessWeek
Viewing Videos
Videos may be more impactful than we thought. According to the article, most viewers leave a website within 8 seconds, but if there is a video, they will stay two minutes longer.
Try marketing your business this way and monitor the progress.
» Read the full article on E-commerce Times
Keeping It in the U.S.
Looks like small businesses are starting to sway to locally produced products. Although they may be more expensive, there are many more benefits that entrepreneurs are finding attractive.
According to Jerry Anderson, founder of LightSaver Technologies, “It’s probably 30 percent cheaper to manufacture in China, but factor in shipping and all the other B.S. that you have to endure.. it’s a question of, ‘How do I value my time at three in the morning when I have to talk to China?’”
If time is money, then how would you handle your situation?
» Read the full article in BusinessWeek
You Want Them to Talk About You
Sarah Smith, Facebook’s director of online operations, gives some tips on how Facebook can help with marketing. A good overview of just how beneficial Facebook can be from someone who knows Facebook in and out. What did she say is the most important metric to take a look at? People Talking About This.
Crafting a Business Plan for an Investor
It’s time to gather capital for your start-up. Before you sit down with potential investors though, make sure you have a business plan. This article provides a checklist of the minimum information you should have in the plan:
- An executive summary
- Company overview
- Company mission and vision
- Investment rational
- Market and competition analysis
- Marketing plan
- Organization
- Management team
- Operations
- Project execution
- Risk analysis and mitigation
- Financial plan
