Month: August 2011

What does it mean to think globally and act locally? To build a space where a global community can be transposed to the street level?    Imagine, if you will, one of your most loyal clients walking around with a Mayorship badge to your virtual location. Add to that a special reward – a gift certificate, a coupon, a free dessert with dinner – which becomes the cherry on top of bragging rights.   Client bragging rights are important – they translate to word-of-mouth advertising for your business.  Now imagine the conversions and ROI’s resulting directly from these Foursquare check-ins. (more…)

Creating an effective advertising campaign involves far too many variables – a well-researched understanding of target demographics, a stellar creative team, great artwork and a strong financial investment. You’d think that with all the odds stacked against merchants and business owners, a successful advertising campaign would be improbable to find.   But they do exist. And we’ve all met them. Companies like Volkswagen, Nike, and even Maxwell House (“Good to the last drop…”) have run hugely successful advertising campaigns by offering what many of their competitors couldn’t - a connection with their audience.   After the pithy tag lines have been (more…)

Every once in a while, businesses need to take a step back to assess their We might not be able to completely quantify skills like listening and open body language, but they’re an essential part of marketing efforts and relationship building. From the little efforts like a firm handshake to remembering a client’s name to the bigger issues like individualized attention and timely troubleshooting, developing a dedicated customer service team with people who are cognizant of the impact their interaction with your clients has on your business is not just good business sense – it’s imperative.   Customer service can (more…)

Billboards, also known as billing boards in some parts of the world, have evolved significantly since serving as a canvas for cigarette companies. They’ve run the gamut from cigarette and rest stop ads to high-end digital billboards in megalopolis nerve centers like Times Square and cities like Singapore and Dubai.     So, clearly, they’re not going anywhere. In fact, as marketers team up with developers to dream up cutting edge innovations in advertising, billboard advertising is gearing up to become more ubiquitous than ever.   You don’t think so? Take a moment to reflect on your drive to work (more…)