Technology is full of differing approaches. But Microsoft v. Linux goes beyond a simple disagreement. It’s a Hatfields-and-McCoys feud, a drama of honor and justice, a fight for the way things ought to be. more

Have you mistakenly trained your branding to fall over and play dead? Do you know how to use psychology to create branding that lights up with the voltage of a thousand neon bulbs? And can you play Scrooge with your budget, yet get huge branding mileage? And if so, how? more

There is a classic saying in management: If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. So what's it take to measure the value of your content? You need to understand knowledge and information. You need to articulate the objectives you have for your content. You need to compare how ... more

What's new and cool in the email space? Animation? Flash? Video and voiceovers? Some other hip and sexy technique to grab eyeballs? Put the glitz aside. Would you believe...there's nothing more effective than really knowing your audience? In email marketing, it's more effective than anything else -- even the ... more

Many brands see advertising as an effort to draw attention to themselves and away from competitors. But the approach that builds relationships most requires that brands listen, too. If advertising is the talking part of this dialog, then brand research and testing is the listening part of the conversation. more

hat is your most important marketing tool? Your spreadsheet application should be high at the top of the list. These days, running your marketing department without constant attention to the numbers is simply irresponsible. more

Companies spend millions of dollars each year developing mission and vision statements, identifying their brand, and then communicating their brand promise through various media. Well, employees are the primary “media” in the majority of brand contacts. But in most companies, employees don’t understand the brand promise well enough to communicate ... more

elling is a more complicated process than many companies understand, requiring communication with many different "species" of buyers. The good news is that you *can* master communication with every genotype that your company encounters. The bad news is that like insect species, there are a lot of different genotypes and ... more

ate last month, Scott Adams kicked off the first National Weasel Day in San Francisco as a shameless plug for his new book, "Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel." In a play on Groundhog Day, the new holiday's lore holds that if the weasel entered its cubicle, the economy ... more

Surely marketing message disasters happen only to sad little mom-and-pops run by two guys and a German Shepherd selling plastic garden furniture to consumers living inside the Arctic Circle. Afraid not, folks. It can happen to anyone. Even you. more

Face your fears. Be persistent. Learn how to listen. Delaney shares 11 tips to guide you in your life journey, both in your work and in your personal life. In total, they act as a reminder for us all to order and prioritize according to a higher standard. more

Undeliverable emails--or email "bouncebacks"--are becoming more and more of a challenge for email marketers these days. Why should you be concerned? Because customer acquisition is expensive, and email bouncebacks could mean the loss of customers and prospects that you paid dearly to acquire. more

Most companies have lousy value propositions. They’re weak – often, really weak. Often they’re simply a description of the offering’s features or capabilities. Or they’re filled with self-aggrandizing puffery. more

Most companies that have Web sites have access to traffic statistics. Those that don't look at these files don't know what they are missing -- there is a wealth of information to be found, and reacting to this information can have a positive impact on a company's bottom line. more

Marketing isn't a One-Size-Fits-All proposition. Only when you start at the beginning ("What's the objective? What's the question we're trying to answer?") can you expect to solve the problem and achieve results. more

Email's evil twin -- UCE or "unsolicited commercial email" as it’s officially known -- has come to be known as “spam.” Your intrepid gumshoe, always up for a good mystery, went in search of the nefarious beginnings of the stuff from which so many Hotmail accounts runneth over. Just where ... more

It’s been 42 years since Theodore Levitt first introduced the term Marketing Myopia, and our marketing eyesight has not improved much. Even today, most companies don't market their product correctly. At the heart of the issue is focus: Marketing should focus not on product, but on the customer. more

What do Krispy Kreme and Harley-Davidson have in common? They are among the many companies still thriving in the midst of an American economic meltdown. Why? Because they have methodically focused on building the love, enthusiasm and goodwill of their customers. more

Want to maximize your ROI? Then understand that it is AFTER your search is completed that the hard work begins. And know that the best relationships with agencies are true partnerships. Here are 11 suggestions from the front lines. more

Contrary to what you read in the newspapers, a lot of e-commerce and content Web sites are finding success in 2002. Each success teaches a different lesson. But all the lessons have some definite elements in common. more

The usefulness of personas in defining and designing interactive products has become more widely accepted of late. But there are still many misconceptions about how personas are created, and about what information actually comprises a persona. Just what ARE personas? And why should you care? more

When times are crappy, motivation is... well, the same. So how do you avoid stagnating...when everything around you is? more

You've heard the pitch – marketing newsletters are supposed to attract customers. They're sworn to build customer loyalty. And they'll increase profits. All that…and they are incredibly cheap to produce. So why is your newsletter's falling hopelessly short of its potential? more

Trouble is, most web sites are still designed and developed by IT professionals, and ruled by the IT mindset. IT believes that a well-designed web site should allow you to get in, get what you want,and get out quickly. IT thinks web copy should be short and sweet. Oh, really ... more

Previously, Lynda defined viral marketing and suggested why you should consider using it. Now, she offers a list of 13 best practices for successful viral email marketing. more