- When the Crowd AttacksSocial Media
On Friday 2/27, Skittles surrendered itself to the Zeitgeist. Visits to Skittles.com led users directly to Wikipedia (later changed to a Twitter search for "skittles," then to the official Facebook ...
- The 411 on 420Marketing Inspiration
You log on to your computer and discover—splashed across the news section of your homepage—a candid snapshot of your celebrity spokesperson inhaling from an enormous bong. Quick, what do you ...
- My Brand Can Beat Up Your BrandCustomer Insight
What is this thing called brand loyalty? What are we really thinking when we say we prefer Brand X over another? These researchers identified some key thought processes of brand ...
- Dare to Go Viral, Part TwoSocial Media
Last week, we offered tips to help you determine your authentic corporate voice. Now that you've collected some cool insights, here's our second set of tips, to help you in your ...
- Write? Right!Search Engine Marketing
How many times have you heard the phrase, "Content is king"? When it comes to search marketing, it's not hyperbole. Content is, well, the key to keywords. "This is the ...
- Make Extensions Work for YouCustomer Insight
Brand extensions are a popular promotional tactic with marketers. It just feels safe to promote a new product by piggy-backing it with a proven winner. But what type of extension ...
- Bear Market? Change Your Tune!Social Media
Last year, Google and MediaVest reported on a brainwave-tracking study about banner ads. According to the ad giants, banner ads rated a 6.3 in effectiveness—which was said to be a ...
- You Don't Know I Want to GoEmail Marketing
In a post at the Email Wars blog, Dylan Boyd discusses the tricky status of permission-based email lists following a corporate merger or acquisition. "[H]ow does a company go about ...
- You Belong in Pictures, BabySocial Media
"In 2007, 9 million digital picture frames were sold, about 1 million of them Wi Fi-enabled," writes Katy Bachman in an article for Brandweek. "By 2010, that's expected to jump ...
- Brand or Get Branded Small Business
"You've heard the branding gurus' mantra," says Jane Schulte, author of Work Smart, Not Hard! "Brand or be branded. Well, it's true. If you don't go about the process of ...
- Gimme That!Customer Insight
Sales promotions that offer either price discounts or free goods (premiums) are often used to entice customers to buy products. But which is better?
Every family has one or two ...
- Mission ControlSmall Business
"We are bombarded with messages that tell us the how, why, should and must of business," says Karen Swim in a post at Words For Hire. "Much of the information ...
- You Are Carnac the MagnificentMarketing Inspiration
"Predictive statements are all around us, " writes Adam Gordon in the introduction to his book Future Savvy. "[I]n the newspapers, on TV, at conference presentations, in industry reports, consulting ...
- A Tale of Two InnovationsSmall Business
The next time your management team meets to determine the fate of a recently introduced product or service, consider a post by Scott Anthony at Harvard Business Online. He argues ...
- Don't Worry, No One's LookingMarketing Inspiration
When Tate Linden of Stokefire began to see a number of obscure blog posts touting a heretofore unknown competitor as the world's "first naming company," he thought he should check ...
- You're the Top, You're the Louvre MuseumCustomer Insight
No doubt about it: corporate images are important, and many companies work very hard to cultivate them. But how do specific corporate images (eg, an image of being innovative, trustworthy, ...
- Brand AidSmall Business
In an article at MarketingProfs.com, Mike O'Toole explains why small businesses instinctively understand the importance of developing brand equity: "It is the quality that motivates your customers to recommend their ...
- Twitter for TimelinessSocial Media
"What are you doing?" Twitter asks. What an existential question! But from the company's roots as a slightly nosy oddity in 2006, users have responded in unexpected, and quite interesting, ways. ...
- Scratch That NicheSmall Business
Reaching a niche audience—and only those people—can be tricky. But in a post at his eponymous blog, Seth Godin proposes the inventive approach of piggybacking onto a product that your ...
- An Apple a DayMarketing Inspiration
"At some point just about every marketer is bound to look at something that Apple is doing and wish they could have done it for their own brands," says Rohit ...
- What You Can Learn From Starbucks' MistakesMarketing Inspiration
Comedians used to make jokes about cities with a Starbucks on every corner. It seemed ridiculous at first, but we've gotten so used to their ubiquity that the closure of ...
- Feel the Brand LoveCustomer Insight
Launching new products can be an attractive growth strategy. Many companies see brand extensions as a lucrative way to increase revenue and build their customer base. Thus, marketers take a ...
- Employees Say the Darndest ThingsSmall Business
You've heard about companies that block access to social media sites like YouTube and Facebook, a decision grounded in the belief that employees will waste time or—worse—leak proprietary information. But ...
- Wine Enthusiast, Sans CheeseSmall Business
Marketing isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition, and Brian Clark of Copyblogger makes the case for being true to your brand in a post about Gary Vaynerchuk and his online show Wine ...
- Shameless Marketing StuntMarketing Inspiration
No one looks forward to the Walk of Shame—that early morning journey back to your place after a one-night stand. In most cases, you're wearing the same clothes from the ...