Blogs

OMG P&G has completely missed the point, both online and off.

A community of mommy bloggers isn't about building the P&G database; it's about relevance, interaction, engaging dialog.... They should be embarrassed that "brand chatter" has been demoted to coupons and promotions -- neither profitable nor building brand equity.

Customer Relationship Marketing is about listening and customizing. How does pumping out glossy, one-sized fits all magazines align with that?

http://bit.ly/4zJnN

Customer segmentation has been around for quite some time.  However, frequently companies segment their customers based on internally-focused historical data; purchase history, revenue, product assortment...  And, the inherent risks of using this type of "rear view mirror" approach are overlooked.  

We recently led an insurance client team in rebranding themselves.  Our challenge was striking the right balance between the equity and heritage of agencies which have been in business for over 100 years with the need to communicate the expertise and resources resident in larger organizations.

Maine Biz has featured our work in their current edition http://www.mainebiz.biz/news44922.html  

Call us to learn more about this multifaceted case study.

This is the first of two blogs I intend to post this month on the subject of User-Centric Design. I have been fortunate to work in not just print and multimedia, but also in the design of products. In this post, I will talk about my experiences with user-centricity in print.

As a sales professional, there is a process of 5 touch points before your prospects say yes to you and your product offerings.  These touch points in the past have included the initial sales call. The initial call is where a prospect will make a quick decision on meeting you for an appointment. Often the initial call is very brief and the prospect is being "sold" on the company offering. With voice mail being the call screening option buyers default to, it is difficult to even get a decision maker on the phone.

We've all seen the empirical evidence which shows companies that spend during a recession rebound faster and outpace the growth of their competitors.  As summarized in this April NewYorker article http://tinyurl.com/cuwt8m

If you follow these 3 Marketing Best Practices your ROI is assured:

I've lived on both sides of the MAC vs PC fence and have even gone so far is to be bipolar; using them simultaneously.  At the end of the day, Apple has a rabid group of loyal followers because they design their products based on customer's needs.   

The new iPhone 3GS has some great new technology that has real world marketing implications.  http://tinyurl.com/lczua7.

Every cloud has a silver blah blah...This recession (oops, sorry that's 'economic downturn') we're in the midst of has got to have some upsides, right? At the very least, we should attempt to find some to keep from going insane. Here is my own personal top ten list, in no particular order.

Both facebook & Twitter are relevant and remarkable marketing tools.  However they are not a solve-all tonic, circa P.T. Barnum.  

I'm gratified to see that much of the current buzz is discussing the quality of the community folks are creating and not quantity of followers, friends or people you are Linked In with.   What's the best germination for community you ask?  Relevant and compelling content of course!

In today's electronic world it is still important to maintain a personal relationship with your clients. A face to face meeting will open up opportunities that e-mail or voice mail can not. As a Marketing and Sales Professional you can see and hear much more with a client diaolog then with a e-mail. E-mail tends to be very specific in sending and receiving information and does not allow us to expand our questions and lead us to additional opportunities.