Books ARE judged by covers: How ‘Northern Territory’ is your business?
I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts this week, the Skeptics Guide to the Universe, when they reviewed some scientific research into human perception.
They referred to a study where subjects were given white wine to taste and describe, but the wine had been dyed to look like red wine.
The result: subjects used ‘red wine’ terminology like ‘berries’ to describe the wine.
If ever you doubted how powerful visuals are in relation to our perception, I think this study should make you think again because anyone who has tasted white wine and red should be staggered that the two could ever be mistaken.
This experiment confirms that the proverb ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is doomed to never be practiced because humans seem to be hardwired to judge quickly on first impressions. Evolutionary biologists might even argue we have had to!
So what does this mean for your business?
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Price gouging is the lowest form of commerce and social tools should shine lights on the practice
The introduction of cash for containers in the Northern Territory has raised the temperature in public debate.
While some argument is about the merits of the scheme (which we have lived with down south for decades and gives my little girls incentive for separating containers for pocket money) much angst has come about due to suspicions of price gouging.
Price gouging is where merchants take advantages of shortages or confusion in a market and use that situation to inflate prices disproportionately. You know what I mean – the sort of thing the banks do whenever the Reserve Bank adjusts interests rates 
Here in the Territory, the finger of blame is being pointed at retailers and manufacturers for exploiting this transition period to inflate prices more than they should.
Ignoring the question about whether or not the scheme should have been introduced, my point is that sharing of fair AND unfair pricing and price increases on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare could be a useful tool for keeping players honest.
In fact, it already is.
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The Top End Tuesday wrap up
My daughter reflecting on her Top End experience in April
We are nearing the end of my 60 days of blogging daily in the lead up to my October Business Month keynote on using Social Media the RITE way, on October 19, 2011.
Each Tuesday I highlighted a Social Media or Social Networking application, through the filter of a Top End business.
In case you only caught up with us recently, I thought it might be useful to create the Top End Tuesday digest for you.
Here are the six Top End Tuesday instalments, as they appeared since the first week of August.
They include a range of businesses from car dealers to chiropractors.
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Top End Tuesday: If I owned the Elliott Roadhouse
Have you ever driven up or down the Stuart Highway from Alice Springs to Darwin?
About halfway along you hit Elliott, a small town with a golf course and a couple of roadhouses.
Jack Hughes from the Business Enterprise Centre in Darwin mentioned he was chatting to someone from one of the roadhouses recently about a few issues and it got me wondering about what I would do from a marketing perspective, if I ran a roadhouse in Elliott.
There are many fundamental questions I would ask regarding target markets (it is not as obvious as you might think) and business goals, but the RITE Series this year has a focus on the use of Social Media, so I will concentrate on that for this article.
What is particularly interesting about this challenge to me is that it is quite understandable for roadhouse managers to screw their noses up at fancy schmancy gadgets and ‘silly networks’ but I imagine it would take only one operator to become really switched on and milk the Stuart of as much travelling money as possible for the others to take note.
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Top End Tuesday: Should we use disclaimers in social networks?
It has long been expected that when you rave about a company’s products or services you should people know whether or not you have a connection with that company.
Some examples might be, they are clients, advertisers, it is run by family members or friends, or you are a long time customer who gets extra special treatment.
Back in radio days we did bend those rules a little but after the John Laws affair the days of free pizzas for the nightshirt guys have gone.
But if ever there was a place to be vigilant about this, it is Facebook.
And for today’s top end Tuesday profile, I want to highlight one example from a local directory listing for Darwin businesses on Facebook called NT Local Business Directory
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Top End Tuesday: Darwin chiropractors show how to crank out the blogs without pain
Darwin Chiropractors, Dr Jacob Brady & Dr Leandra Walker
I met Dr Leandra Walker and Dr Jacob Brady at one of the Get Online NT workshops run through the Business Enterprise Centre earlier this year.
They had just started their chiropractic practise, The Chiropractic Place, and had very little by way of marketing presence in this town.
What they did have though was passion and and unbridled make-or-break (probably not the best term to use) attitude towards their venture.
Today, just six months later, they have been able to cut loose from their part time jobs and are now running a very promising practise cultivating a ‘fan base’ of clients who are enjoying their client-centred approach and their zest for living.
How did they do this? It would be glib to just answer that it all came down to WordPress (for running their website) and Blogging (for producing their online marketing content) because those elements are just tools, albeit very good tools.
What I can say though, is that this dynamic duo has produced an almost textbook example of how you can apply sound marketing theory to this new online world and make an impact for little dollar spend.
But let’s hear their side of the story.
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Top End Tuesday: MusicNT jams with online tools
MusicNT Hot Shots Entry: 'Rehearsals' by Mathew McHugh Artist: Wildflower Mamadawarre Outstation
Our profile this Tuesday is on Music NT, not so much for its specialised usage of a particular online marketing tool but for its multi-channel approach to online resources.
And what better time to profile the site than in the lead up to the iNTune Conference and the National Indigenous Music Awards, both taking place in Darwin later this week (August 18, 19 2011).
Music NT Inc. is the non-profit, member-based music organisation for the Northern Territory, representing, developing and serving the Territory’s original music industry.
So let’s see what online tools they use for doing this.
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Top End Tuesday: Humidity, a strategy that pours likes and comments
If ever you wanted proof that Facebook works as a marketing and advertising channel (big difference) in the Northern Territory for RETAIL, then look no further.
Humidity Gifts and Homewares is a small gift boutique in Darwin but has become a powerhouse on Facebook.
However, before you get tempted to racing headlong to copy what Mel has done with her store, there are some important considerations.
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Top End Tuesday: The Big Gig / Grind Online
Every Tuesday during August and September 2011, a Top End business or organisation using online social channels for marketing will be profiled. If you would like to suggest a business or organisation for this profile, fill out The RITE Series nomination form.
The aim of this series is to find clues and insights into what techniques work well in the Northern Territory market so that by October Business Month a summary of insights can be presented in a keynote address and then distrubuted through a free eBook for all Territorian businesses/organisations to benefit from.
Today, we focus on a Darwin City Council iniative created through its Youth Advisory Group.
The key tool we are focusing on in this profile is the use of video in online marketing.
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