Ah. I bet you thought this was going to be an article about baseball. And why not? Seven out of 10 televisions were tuned into the Subway Series. In New York, it was all everyone could think and talk about. An historical event -- the first Subway Series since 1956. And baseball fans came out in droves. On the road, Mets and Yankees banners flew on car antennas, the line at Sports Authority was out the door, newspapers saved their covers for the results, radio stations replayed the events, offices divided into Mets and Yankees fans, and now the City is throwing a ticker tape parade. It's all the buzz. As a Yankee fan, it's a happy time for me. Why shouldn't I write about baseball? That's my point. One of the best ways to market yourself and your company is to tie your product or service into current events, trends, or energies. If you were a sporting goods company, you had a field day. But, if you are a florist...how could you have increased sales during the Series? With blue and white carnations. There is always a way to catch the spirit of your consumer. In addition to the Subway Series, we had the hit show Survivor, the Olympics, and we have the upcoming Elections and the Holiday Season. These events consume the minds of your present and potential customers and clients, and you need to be creative to catch their attention, to catch their spirit. Let's see how you can score some marketing points. How to get to first base: Know what makes you different. Know how your product or service will benefit your customer or client. How to steal second: Listen to your consumer. Show you care and figure out what they need. How to run to third: Read the news. Know what is happening in your neck of the woods, and in the world. How to make it home: Match what you have to offer to what your customer needs and use creativity to tap into a high energy time. Get on deck for the next trend. Good luck! If you would like to learn more about marketing's creative techniques, look for my class in "How to Market and Promote Your Business" at Hofstra University College of Continuing Education. I will run it again in February. (c) Debra Scala 2000