The QR Code Fail: The Marketing Gimmick That Won’t Die
Every time I see a QR (quick response) code on an advertisement or banner, I cringe. The first time I came across these squiggly codes was a few years ago, when a client asked us to put one on an ad he was doing. The client had no idea what they were, but wanted one [...]
Get better results from your employees and spend less money! (No snake oil involved.)
Sounds impossible, right? In fact it’s quite simple: Have some of your employees work from home. According to the Telework Research Network, if employees spent just one day a week working remotely, employers could save around $6,500 per year, per employee. Wow. And there are many more benefits to the employer: better employee retention access [...]
Corporate Social Responsibility: Can your company do better by doing good?
Integrating responsible business practices into your day-to-day operations has become the new norm. Perhaps it’s a fad or perhaps it’s genuine reform. Your competitors couldn’t afford to ignore it: Can you? Most large corporations now have a dedicated CSR director, with an entire department dedicated to charitable activities, community work, and sustainability initiatives. Smaller companies [...]
What We’re Talking About: Facebook’s New Rival, Google+
Two weeks after a (very) soft launch — read: invitation only — Google+ already has a user base of 20 million. And it’s growing fast. Industry analysts predict that this new social “sharing” site will hit 100 million users before the year is out. That’s nothing compared to Facebook’s 750 million users, of course; but [...]
Nashville Is The Music City
I’m in Nashville this week for the ReCourses “New Business Summit” with leading creative industry consultants David Baker and Blair Enns. I walked down Broadway last night (sleepily) at 10 PM and there were at least ten bars/restaurants with live music going. On a Sunday night. Music City indeed. Anyway, we just finished up our [...]
Marketing and Sales in a Downturn. When the going gets tough – the tough get….
Here are some ideas on sales and marketing in the current economic situation and how we and many of our clients are weathering the situation. 1. Sales Down? Double or Triple your activity – fill your pipeline, go to new markets, develop new offerings. Get out there and make sure your prospects know you exist [...]
Advertising and Social Media
It’s that kind of thinking that will win you a Groundswell Award, as well as distinction as an innovator in your field and exposure to an audience that might never have heard of you otherwise.
Is Online Writing Real Writing?
Seth Godin had a really interesting post today about how the Pulitzer Prize committee is finally getting (sort-of) hip to the fact that online writing is making a huge difference in the world – and is, therefore, worthy of being recognized with their fancy-schmancy award. The screwy part is that only writing associated with big outlets [...]
Seth’s Blog talks POSITIVE
Here’s a great post yesterday from marketing guru Seth Godin’s blog about qualities that good marketers possess. While he’s framing this particular discussion in terms of hiring, what he’s really talking about is (cliche alert) the Power of Positive Thinking. Seth Godin: The Marketer’s Attitude Cliches aside, it surprises me almost every day how many [...]
Don’t Tweak It – GrafiQ It!
Let’s say you want to cross your kitchen from fridge to stove. You don’t need a gps to chart the exact coordinates of the fridge and the exact coordinates of the stove and draw a line between them. You can just turn and walk. If you’re a degree or two off, it doesn’t matter because [...]
