A New Market is Exploding - Are You Taking Advantage?
A new market is exploding and taking with it businesses savvy enough to cater to it – The Corporate Procrastinator. Every day thousands of people around the world turn up to an office to work. Not to live their dreams but to pay their bills. Research shows that we are working longer and sleeping less, that doesn’t mean we are necessarily achieving more.
Even those lucky enough to be working in an area they love, still have a work slump at around 2pm. Suddenly, myspace pages are checked, joke emails are forwarded and Youtube (which I might add was just bought by google for $1.6 billion) is being scoured for content.
A website, tootstar.com is one of the new businesses catering to this emerging market.
Tootstar.com was launched as the umbrella publication of Tootstar Concepts Pty Ltd, which is owned and managed by sole director Emma-Kate Dobbin, a young entrepreneur much like ourselves.
Tootstar.com is Tootstar Concept’s first publication and in the one year it’s been running has received worldwide acknowledgement for it’s sharp content.
It’s weekly newsletter featuring a column on life’s ups and downs written by Emma is enjoyed by 3000 subscribers and attracts 70 000 unique visitors per month – 50% Australian, 39% from the USA and the rest from around the globe.
Tootstar Concepts Pty Ltd is a creative company that specialises in advertising concepts, editorial, publishing, writing for television and film and the odd melody! It has worked on concepts for many leading brands including Pepsi, Fast Life, Fairfax, and Amnesia Group to name-drop a few.
I was lucky enough to catch up with Emma to talk about what makes a successful website and how to utilize your market share to create a lucrative web based publication business.
What is Tootstar all about?
It isn’t really about anything other than life. I felt a need to do something that offered nothing but creativity and food for thought. I also wanted it to be something light and fun. I think so much of life is people trying to be something they are not, which, quite frankly becomes contrived. So, I started tootstar.com and it has just kept on building.
Who does the marketing?
I do the marketing. We are signed with Ninemsn Platform Nine for advertising Dionne Moskow from Polka Dot PR does our publicity.
What marketing strategies have worked the best for you?
Tootstar Concepts Pty Ltd is my company and the advertising department has worked on a large number of advertising concepts for global brands. The most recent for Pepsi.
Tootstar.com is only one year old and at first was just a creative outlet. So, at first I didn’t even think about marketing I thought about creativity and content. This was all the marketing we needed at first.
We did however; design the ‘New York Loves Me’ Tee and campaign (sold on the site). It was launched in NY in April 06 and was on CBS breakfast show, radio and print.
The hilarious thing is though the t-shirt was originally to promote the need for Global love and tolerance. New York the worlds most loved city turning the love around…..
The idea went well, but the Tee’s didn’t sell. So, I finally surrendered and changed it to a cold hard marketing concept. I hand made, wrote and sent personalized love letters to celebrities from New York City professing its undying love for them. And the Tee’s soon went through the roof! So, I recommend saying New York Loves You! It works a treat…
Any surprises?
So many, on a daily basis, at numerous times, every day, without fail. One of my favourite authors says you should constantly prepare yourself for ‘surprises’ ‘Surprises’ meaning a positive way of viewing situations you at first think are disappointing. In business your thoughts can control your day, so, I have savored this advice. I find cynical people so overdone and boring to work with!
The hindsight question: anything you’d do differently?
Not really. I don’t think you can be young and in business if you are not prepared to view mistakes as a) inevitable and b) an opportunity to learn. I love Tootstar Concepts and my publication Tootstar.com. However, I’ve never subscribed to the idea that love should be perfect. It’s a constant work in progress. The fun is in the growth (some times) and if it’s not fun then I would recommend creating a way to make damn sure that it soon becomes it!
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