Month: June 2011

Endorsements and paid reviews aren’t as powerful as what the Joneses next door feel about their outdoor patio pool, a maxim that has held true for marketers. But the top-down model where nuggets of truth related to a product can be hidden just doesn’t work anymore.    The consumer base has never been a homogenous entity that can be considered to have a singular set of traits that define its preferences and purchasing habits.    But generations do. And as technology grows and develops, and advancements are made in communication and transportation, certain habits arise with more ubiquity than others. (more…)

If you're feeling exhausted, overwhelmed or swamped by emails from marketers, online coupons and special offers available only electronically, there's a little bit of good news waiting. You're not alone.   And if you’re a marketer who’s having trouble generating strong numbers vis-à-vis ROI’s, conversions and click-throughs, then you have even better news waiting. Direct marketing and direct mail are beginning to generate positive results and positive responses again.   Direct Mail (DM) is fast becoming the anti-dote to a constant barrage of emails littering email inboxes everywhere.  More and more companies have begun relying on direct mail pieces for (more…)

Just when you think the cutting edge couldn’t get any sharper, there’s a new surprise waiting. This time it’s QR Codes, which have been used successfully in Japan for over a decade.   The newest buzzword in the post SXSW 2011 world is QR (Quick Response) Codes. They’re not all the rage in marketing just yet, but significant enough to command attention from opinion leaders, partly because of their ease of use.    Simply explained, QR Codes are square shaped 2D bar codes that hold more data than a typical bar code. And all you need to make them work (more…)

A brand isn’t just an identity. And it isn’t just the image that you’re most often recognized by. A brand is also a statement of the relationship and the trust, or the lack thereof, which you or your company have established with your clientele. Your brand carries with it the weight of your customers’ expectations and the quality you’re willing to provide to your audience – both of which are reasonable expectations.    Quality being a very important keyword. In a world of ubiquitous advertising and plentiful choices available for consumers, the quality and the value a brand carries with (more…)

The great thing about using Twitter for a marketing campaign is the ability to have real-time conversations with people. The bad thing about using Twitter, again, is the ability to have real-time conversations.    Anyone using Twitter as a business tool needs to have time and staff dedicated to monitoring the account – which includes not just sending timely responses to comments and queries, but also making outreach a part of the effort. In the social media world and economy, it’s time to fine-tune your time-management skills.   And we’ve learned a few things along the way we wanted to (more…)