Blogs

A very successful client and good friend (thanks Jan!) once told me, "There are no unrealistic goals, just unrealistic timelines." If you think about the goals you set in business and life, I'm sure you can recall a number of milestones that took longer to achieve than you initially anticipated.

That's because understanding how long things take - especially when multiple individuals are involved in a given project or program - can be a tricky business. When it comes to communicating your brand, an understanding of timing is key to successful and profitable marketing program execution.

There's been mounting talk about a double dip. And I'm not referring to the Seinfeld episode where Costanza gets reprimanded for two-dunking at a wake.

When bad economic news dominates the media, there's a tendency to pull back, especially when it comes to marketing. And that’s understandable. As CEO, you do what’s necessary to remain profitable. But there's a definite distinction between pulling back and pulling out all together. At first sign of economic turbulence, we often see companies completely eliminating all marketing expenditures. This is an over-reaction, and one that is detrimental to your brand and business. While you might experience cost-savings in the short-term, you will only deteriorate the long-term profitability of your brand.

Today, roughly seven out of 10 adult Internet users have used the Internet to watch or download video. And online video consumption will continue to rise in the years ahead. It is anticipated that by 2020, online viewing will actually outpace broadcast TV viewing. This translates into a tremendous opportunity for small and mid-sized businesses to embrace video into their online marketing strategy. Online video allows businesses to build relationships, humanize their brands, and fully leverage this multimedia marketing channel for a true advantage over competitors.

Earn their attention, their respect and their business.
How to Build an Effective Content Strategy for Your Brand.

"Set it and forget it?"

When it comes to website development, the days of "set it and forget it" have long passed us by. In the Internet's infancy, you could get by with an "if we build it, they will come" approach. No longer. Getting to site launch, while relevant, is no longer seen as the beginning of the end. It's really the end of the beginning. If you truly want to use your site as a business development tool, launch is just the beginning. Success comes from an effective, do-able and sustainable content deployment strategy.

Social media is all about networking.
Networking is all about building relationships.
Relationships drive business opportunities.

Social media brings people together in an interactive space, without the constraints of time and space, to receive or provide advice and to share contacts and relevant industry information.

If you think differentiating your company begins and ends with an impressive logo...think again.

What’s your company’s unique value proposition? What makes your company stand out from competitors who provide similar products or services? Do you know what it is, or are you imitating the same messaging used by everyone else in your industry? Is your logo really the only element that sets you apart? Most small- to mid- market companies haven’t been very successful in differentiating themselves from their industry peers in the marketplace. In essence - they’ve failed the logo test.

The Logo Test: Take a look at your brochure, website or other form of communications. Now cover up your logo mark. If the remaining messaging could belong to any competitor, you've just failed the logo test.

When you’re looking at brand awareness and your competition, look no further than the Olympic Games.

From the opening ceremonies on February 12th to the closing ceremonies on February 28th, much of the world will tune in to the 21st Winter Olympic Games. We’ll watch with wonder the individual and team displays of endurance, speed, agility, and grace under pressure. We’ll cheer for TEAM USA, celebrating the imagery and pageantry, as the greatest athletes in the world compete for personal bests, new records, and the aspiration of every competitor - Olympic gold.

To many, the Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of amateur athletic competition. When we look back through the years, we readily recall the high points: the U.S. hockey team’s "miracle on ice" en route to gold in 1980; or Nancy Kerrigan’s perseverance in winning a silver in ‘94, despite the Tonya Harding scandal.

If you're like me, you were "thankful" to get through 2008, felt "a little better" about 2009, and with 2010 already underway, are "cautiously optimistic" about the year ahead. Here's the bad news: while the "recovery" is said to be occurring, don't expect a rush of new customers knocking at your door.

When it comes to putting your marketing dollars to their best use, consider your audience... and maybe your investment portfolio.

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when you sit down and take a good hard look at this year’s marketing budget, projected vs. actual, to decide what items you need to increase, decrease or leave as they are when forecasting for next year.

And...when it comes to specific categories, like many other small to medium-sized businesses, you may have a hard time trying to project your marketing dollars. Oh sure, you understand all too well that you need to market your products, skills and/or services. After all, marketing efforts have a direct effect on revenues. You’re just not sure how to arrive at a reliable budget figure or where to allocate these funds.

Evolution. It’s a fact of life for you and for your brand, whether a company, product, service, person or place. Brands have always evolved, perhaps at a slower pace 15 years ago. The big change, and the aspect of branding in today’s environment that has caught many CEOs flat-footed, is that we’re playing a much more dynamic game. Not only are brands evolving at a faster pace, but so are the many ways that brands can now communicate. Add in the fact that the customer has an equal and active voice in what is said about brands, and we have a whole new dimension to consider.