The dog days of summer have arrived early at Facebook, which has been Dis-Liked by investors of late. Facebook greeted the month of August on a downer, with shares trading in the low 20s. Shares are now down 45 percent below the IPO price of $38. But, the Facebook selling frenzy could get a lot […]
Read MoreIdeally, marketers would just be able to sell the virtues of the product we represent, the products would fly off the shelves, the client would get “puff” interviews on CNN, and we’d win awards and kudos from the trade association for our creativity. But remember the “Five Stages of a Project.” I first came in […]
Read MoreLet’s take a moment to marvel at the marketing machine called Apple. Cool, shiny, game-changing products. A customer base that camps out outside its retail stores even during a recession. Quirky, jumpy, but cool (that word again) advertising. Sure, you may be sick of it. You may not be an “Apple fanboy” or girl. You […]
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Every product or brand strives to market to a certain kind of consumer who seems most likely–either because of the consumer’s demographic or the product’s unique selling features–to embrace the brand. There are customer relationship management systems available that can sift through thousands of characteristics to paint a portrait of what the ideal customer for the […]
Read MoreMy friend texted me with the news: he had procured a vinyl edition of the recently released reissue of “Ram,” Paul McCartney’s second solo album. The album, initially released in 1971, contained the hit Admiral Halsey (“Hands Upon the Water”) and was the last of the “homemade” albums before Wings’ 1973 hit “Band on the […]
Read MoreMarketing can be a lonely enterprise. Sure, at first it’s fun to know you have a hand, or maybe an entire arm, in fashioning a message for your product or client, but soon enough the marketer is confronted with the “down in the weeds” decisions over medium (print, TV, Web?), message, cost, and reach (who […]
Read MoreThe Website 24/7 Wall St. has come out with its list of 10 big-time American brands predicted to be no longer marketing by 2013. The list says a lot of about the relentless nature of having to build a brand even when the product is as motionless as a possum. Or, the product may be […]
Read MoreWhether it’s in a press release, a Power Point, or a speech, marketers are always looking for the concise, understandable and memorable way to say what we mean. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of the task–frequently, as inventors, or entrepreneurs, or marketers, we’re so close to the situation that the obvious solution is elusive. Sometimes the […]
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For veterans and rookies alike, the trade show is like a mini-Super Bowl (or the Super Bowl is an immense trade show, if you like). Like the Super Bowl, the trade show generally happens but once a year, but depending on the industry, there might be two or more trade shows, or regional trade shows, […]
Read MoreIn our last episode of what to do when the press calls, we considered the impromptu inquiry from a member of the media. Now, let’s assume that the reporter is calling to set up an appointment to talk about your business or a business or public policy issue on which you’re an expert. First, make […]
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