This might come as a shock, but we’re a little geeky at POP. I know, I know, writers who represent themselves as superhero cartoons seem so cool from the outside! But our comic book theme and name, “power-up,” also has a deeper meaning. Power-up is our code for the positive use of power – ethical marketing for all of our Southwest Virginia (& beyond!) small business clients.
Why Heroes
Listen, like I said, I’m a geek, so there’s no denying that’s a big part of the comic book appeal. But heroes are more than that, too. They’re something to strive toward.
Since I was a kid, I was captivated by Superman, and even as I came to enjoy other heroes in various forms, from the Tim Burton Batman movies to the MCU, Superman still held a special place in my imagination.
It wasn’t the power thing, at least not just that. The thing about Superman is that he was the ultimate outsider with ultimate power. And instead of using it against those who maybe didn’t treat him right (and sometimes even seemed to deserve it), he always did the right thing, no matter how hard it was.
That’s why I based my superhero icon around those primary colors, even though in real life, I look more like Wolverine let himself go.
I’m not saying I always hit the ideal I aim for, but the Superman symbol engraved on my wedding ring is a constant reminder to strive toward it.
What is Ethical Marketing?
Ethical marketing is a lot of things – telling the truth to clients and their audiences, being transparent, remembering to do our best to keep things accessible, and much more, but first and foremost, it’s the same thing that goes into running any business ethically.
Right Use of Power
Here’s something else you might not know about me. I’m a certified Right Use of Power instructor from the Right Use of Power Institute. And that’s more than just a box to check. It took some investment, and it’s a commitment I make to how I live.
RUPI is based out of Colorado, though it offers some courses elsewhere. For my certification, I flew to Colorado with my wife (who is also a certified instructor) for a week and spent about 8 hours a day learning and testing on the material.
One central tenet of RUPI is that we all have power and should use it wisely. Power is neither good nor bad but a tool for accomplishing actions. It’s important to notice when we’re in any situation whether we have more power than those we’re interacting with and be mindful of that.
Obviously, I can’t tell you all about a 1-week course and RUPI the organization in a single blog, but suffice it to say it’s a power-based ethics training that I’ve integrated into the way I do business and interact.
Telling the Truth
Marketing often gets a bad rap as being deceptive, but as I’ve shared before, it doesn’t have to be, and its best forms aren’t. We like to say that our job is to introduce you to your ideal clients by truthfully and attractively featuring your story.
I’ve explained in detail why dishonesty in marketing isn’t even effective, because it’s not helpful to get customers who don’t like your product or service.
Perhaps even more obviously, it’s vital as a business person to be honest with our clients. Sadly, that’s not a given.
While good marketing takes expertise and care, calling yourself a marketer doesn’t. So, plenty of people out there don’t perform ethical marketing.
Some of the worst offenders trick people into doing things they don’t know they’re doing. I’ve lost track of the number of people I’ve spoken with who didn’t realize that they don’t own their website or domain.
Promises, Promises.
Finally, part of telling the truth is transparency. I never make extraordinary claims I can’t back up. As your friendly neighborhood marketer, I don’t have a lot of fancy ways to track your customers. Even if I did, I understand that creating content is creating awareness, not making sales.
What I do is keep you top of mind. You have to make the sale. So, I’m not going to promise you’ll increase your income 10-fold by hiring me.
I also explain that unless you’re doing a pay-per-click campaign or you have Super Bowl money, marketing takes time. SEO makes your site more popular over months and years, not days. Similarly, building an audience on social takes a while, and it’s a lot easier for a local BBQ or Mexican Restaurant than for an accountant!
Power-Up Mean Ethical Marketing
Power-up encompasses all these things. It’s about an upright use of power, and putting more power behind your brand. It’s about me educating you about how what I do works, and most of all, it’s ethical marketing.
I’m no last son of Krypton, but I like being your friendly neighborhood marketer.
