Traditional marketing isn't dead. By traditional, I mean not digital, not social media, not shiny new toy. Despite all the books, articles, and attention focused on social media, the latest billion-dollar Facebook and Google acquisitions, and the gurus telling you...
I was all set to write a brilliant post about social media, anonymity, and inhibitions. (It's really not as sexy as it sounds.) Then I read an intriguing article about peer pressure and online sharing and thought maybe I'd write about that. Then Labor Day happened....
Every organization needs to understand its touchpoints. A touchpoint is any place your organization comes into contact with stakeholders—employees, customers, prospects, partners, the media, and so forth. Every touchpoint is part of your brand experience. Touchpoints...
Walk into any store, restaurant, theatre, medical office, workplace, or other “bricks and mortar” location and the customer experience is all around you. You can gauge how the business feels about its customers and guests. Are staff smiling, welcoming, and helpful or...
Do people know how to contact you? You're probably nodding, "Well, doh." Check anyway. Check your Web site, your business card, your stationery, and all your social profiles to make sure the information is up-to-date and the links are accurate (and working). If you...
Running Shoes + Baseball Talk = Instant Brand Fan. Let me explain. My friend Deborah Brody mentioned that she'd just purchased new running shoes from Zappos. She also mentioned how convenient it was, and that she was able to purchase the last model at a discount. So I...
Actor Bill Cosby sent a "cease and desist" letter to a businessman who had an online company called Cosby Sweaters. (The company name has since been changed.) The owner reportedly tweeted that he couldn't believe his childhood hero was suing him. I can. Obviously...
Ah ... the personal brand. Throw out a question on personal branding and you're guaranteed to get a heated discussion between proponents and opponents. Which never makes sense to me, because we all have a personal brand. It's called reputation. From a business...
A man shoots his girlfriend multiple times. He doesn't immediately call an ambulance or the police, and he later claims it was accident. Oh, and there are allegations of previous domestic abuse. This sounds like a sadly very familiar tale. Except the man is Oscar...
The brand is Flying Dog. Their winter brew is Kujo (Imperial Coffee Stout). Which is pretty clever and fun. But the branding doesn't stop there. The little things are your brand too. The back story on the label reads: "'Enjoy your new pet,' he said. Twelve hours...