As the Founder and President of Motive Marketing, what advice would you offer to those thinking about starting their own business?
Focus your business on a UNIQUE product or service that will differentiate you from competition. For instance, if you’re going to be a lawyer, don’t just do “general” law, focus instead on some specific form or law – like patent law. As a specialist you will always have less competition and can charge higher fees.
What are the key elements of any successful grassroots campaign?
Connecting a product with people’s deeper causes and “motivations” (hence the name of our company, “Motive”). Traditional marketing like TV and print ads appeal to people’s “external” or superficial motivations, whereas grass roots marketing needs to tap people’s core values and motivations. It needs to go to people’s “roots” which is one reason it’s called grass ROOTS. When you make those connections with people – through personal communications, events, materials, education, and other tools – then they spread the message FOR THEIR SAKE (not yours); the “grass” multiplies and spreads on its own, and that’s what makes a campaign go viral.