Report from a Grassroots Development Conference Call by 911Truth.org Thursday, April 24, 2008.
http://911civilinfo.blogspot.com/

Expert on the call was Mr. Tom Monahan one of the nation’s top advertising gurus.

Here is a partial bio:

"Tom Monahan has trained over 200,000 people in the US, as well as in Canada, Europe and Asia in creativity and advertising. His company, Before & After, serves major global companies such as HP, Frito-Lay, AOL, Virgin Atlantic and Dunkin Donuts, as well as many other companies large and small, plus numerous professional organizations and educational institutions internationally.

During his former career as one of the top creative directors in advertising, Tom was a founder of Leonard/Monahan, an agency that served major marketers, was one of the most highly awarded ad agencies in America and was a launching pad for many of today's top advertising talents. Tom was featured in The Wall Street Journal's creative leaders series.

He was also named MVP of the New England Creative All-Star Team and honored as one of the top 10 copywriters in the country. He has been published in many periodicals, written The Do-it-yourself Lobotomy, published by John Wiley & Sons, was the regular ad columnist for CA and has won an Emmy for television editorial writing."

Mr. Monahan fielded questions from Paul Deslaurier and Jason King of the Steering Committee for 911truth.org. Some of the topics and questions covered included:

* Provide a fundamental overview of marketing, PR, and advertising. And how is it used on a grassroots versus regional level

* What is the psychological component in the science of marketing, and how can we use this in our promotions?

* If someone has formed a deep seeded belief about a product or story, like a pattern of buying the same brand your mother bought, what is the science to change the belief? How can we apply this to the truth movement?

* How does branding of products work and how should we apply this to grassroots activism?

* What are marketing “target groups” and how do we craft communication to the different groups?

* With hardly no budget what is the best way to promote local events like speakers, movies, workshops, street action ….

* How do you make a good marketing plan?

* If you had a mandate to market a national event in September, where you would like all citizens to participate as a show of democracy, like a general strike, what strategy and process would you propose?

NOTE: The conference call was recorded and will be available for download at a later date from 911truth.org

In the meantime, here are some of the short answers and themes that Mr. Monahan provided (paraphrasing) from notes we took:

"If people don't know your issue or product matters, it doesn't matter how good your product is".
"PR is far more affordable than advertising"
"Don't worry too much about the MSM, the new media is more important"
"Don't go too heavy too fast"
"Don't slap people around with your method or your message"
"Don't alienate"
"Forget the hard cases"
"Go light (no more info than necessary) to get them to buy in"
"Marketing is to get people to sample the product"
"You are trying to raise awareness and get them to look"
"Loyalty to a product or service requires simplicity"
"Using a big hammer does NOT work!"
"Find something that they can embrace most easily"
"Don't say things that sound too incredible (even if true). People want to believe in their governments, political systems and values like democracy"
"If you do use the MSM, don't try to score a touchdown with a Hail Mary pass. Be methodical and gain yardage"
"Being right is not important. Being credible and believable is more important"
"Don't over-state your case"
"Appeal to the widest possible audience or lowest common denominator"
"Segmenting may work (different target groups) but you must assess how realistic it is to convince them and how much time or resources you may need to spend (and whether or not it is worth it)."
"Networking with other groups on issues of commonality can help"
"You have to earn your way in with people with respect and not force your way in to the market"
"Don't be confrontational"
"Show respect and don't call them an asshole because they don't immediately get it"
"Incrementalism is what governments do, so we should do this too"
"Aggressiveness or too much info does not work"
"Don't discount entertainment"
"Keep it simple"
"Repetition is important"
"People not only need awareness, they need to identify with you or your message"
"A national ad campaign is probably not worth it"

###

No matter what product or service you are selling, shoving it down someone's throat will not convince them of anything, except perhaps that you are rude, some kind of kook, or worse still, a dangerous kook. Forcefulness evokes a negative reaction, a closed mind and no sale. We have all experienced a pushy salesperson when walking into a store. Most people prefer to be acknowledged, but allowed to look around. That doesn't mean that we should not be proactive. We need to be, but with proven sales methods. Exposing people to our product (9/11 facts) is a selling job, not a telling job nor a yelling job.

Leading off with closing statement is not really productive. In other words, if you lead off with "9/11 Was an Inside Job", there is no room for a discussion. Invite your subject to investigate 9/11 by showing them a problem or paradox and having them try to solve it, based upon what they know about 9/11 or about physics, etc. Multiple choice quizzes can be fun. As well, do not give your customer or subject more information than they can handle or have time to process. A few facts about 9/11 opens the door to further enquiry, at a later time. Just being there and portraying a positive, intelligent image is also a victory, because when that person later hears or reads negative comments in the MSM about 9/11 Truthers, it will not ring true to them. In that instance, we have also discredited the media.

As sales people, we want to educate, not alienate, empathize, not criticize. Establish a rapport, find commonalities and build bridges, not burn them. Try to get people to agree with you on as many things as possible before giving them the essential pitch. Then offer alternative facts, explanations or solutions, not just opposition or dissent. No matter what we do, we should do our best not to close minds, nor give those we hope to reach any reason to fear us.

Many of us are not great public speakers (or writers), or for one reason or another, may not be willing or able to put their name or face into the spotlight, but have other talents to offer. These people can be the media by creating handbills and posters, or helping to distribute them in public places where people will at least see images or slogans, or help themselves to essential information. Consider micro-broadcasting too. With a small, inexpensive FM transmitter attached to your computer, you can broadcast your own shows or re-stream others from the alternative media sources to your neighbourhood and beyond. You can then advertise this in your fliers and posters that you hand out.

1. Know your product or service: Know your facts, know yourself, your goals, your weaknesses and strengths, and know your competitor's product, arguments, goals, plans and strategies too
   (competitor in our case is the MSM and other proponents of the official story)

2. Know your market area: Geographically, demographically and assess the potential for success visa vis the investment (of time, energy and resources)
3. Identify potential customers: who they are, their wants and needs, and their ability / desire to buy (in our case, it is virtually anyone, but you can focus on how they have been affected by 9/11, and assess their ability / desire to accept what you are offering)
4. Devise your marketing strategy: How best to you reach potential customers, what mediums are at your disposal, what will appeal to potential customers, what will not, and why.(how you reach potential converts – ads, fliers, posters, 9/11 DVDs, 9/11 music CDs, screenings, personal conversations)
5. Direct marketing: Speak to or appeal to your potential customers (subjects) directly and as much or as often as possible. Don't allow your competitor to define your product or service for you.
6. Network: Identify and generate allies who can give greater exposure to your product or service, without compromising it (note: their image or other issues that may not necessarily reflect your's, or their way of doing things may potentially give you a black eye – choose carefully).
7. Build lasting relationships: Service your customer's needs and get testimonials from customers, especially high profile people. Have customers sell your product for you by word of mouth (in our case, this may mean finding local shops, such as book or magazine stores that might be on board and who would willing to post info or make space available on the counter for fliers, DVDs etc)
8. Build a sales team: The more people you can employ who are sold on your product and who buy into your plan, the more potential for sales you will have (in our case, grow your group)
9. Franchise: Have new recruits expand into new markets (geographical areas or target groups)
10. Protect the market: Keep your product pure. Avoid public relations catastrophes, but be prepared for them and be prepared to act quickly to respond to negative publicity. Prevention is far less costly.

http://fv911truth.bravejournal.com/entry/24574

Download a PDF copy here:

http://www.fv911truth.org/pdf/911_Truth_Sales_and_Marketing.pdf

Psychology and 9/11: Ken Jenkins discusses the importance of understanding 9/11, 9/11 as psychological warfare, counter-productive pessimism (panic vs. a sense of urgency), the silence of the left, a visit to the nightmare time, and finding a sense of hope - Video

Source

http://911civilinfo.blogspot.com/2008/04/tips-from-marketing-advertising-and-pr.html