Go PRO Now
Get unlimited access to all of our exclusive marketing resources
Entrepreneurs, by definition, don't play it too safe. So for a company that serves startups and small businesses, what better way to launch a rebranding campaign and generate buzz than doing something novel and risky—but being wicked smart about it. Which is where the bugs come in. more
It's safe to say the first batch of post-dot-com-bubble brands have come into their own. Brands like Google, eBay, and Amazon. The one thing that sets them apart? They became successful without the support of television advertising to help launch them. more
Holly Buchanan opens a post at the FutureNow blog with a pair of seemingly contradictory ideas: that testimonials work very well and that they don't work at all. Both are true, she argues, because customer praise can be a two-edged sword: If it appears inauthentic or doesn't offer true insight, ... more
With millions of customers in more than 90 countries, Microsoft has its hands full keeping customers satisfied and loyal. But it has found a way to do so—by using Web-monitoring tools, social-media analytics, and the energy of influencers. Read on for valuable insights. more
We've seen the power of Twitter's community used for good: spreading vital information during natural disasters, distributing Amber Alerts, and raising money for charities. Now imagine using not only Twitter's power but also the celebrity of the Nine Inch Nails. more
Badvocate: (noun): People who passionately criticize or detract from companies, brands, or products. more
We've seen some great creative ads in the past, both online and on television. Now imagine that you could be the brains behind a nationwide ad. Well, Panasonic gives you this opportunity with its Next Generation Talent competition. more
Do Chatty Cathies spend more money online than other cyber citizens? New research says indeed they do. A recent survey of regular online shoppers from BoldChat and Bravestorm, LLC presents new insights into the preferences of customers who use live chat features at shopping sites, and matches their behavior to ... more
For those of us who were brought up e-marketing, e-shopping, e-dating, e-gossiping—and all things e—we may feel smug that we are truly paperless (are we really?), and thus we are so green in our behavior that who would dare cast a stone at us? Well, it's time to wake up. Direct ... more
You might have seen the PSA in which a teenage cyber-bully reads her hateful words from the podium of a school assembly. The absurdity of the scene illustrates a disconnect that often exists between our online and offline behavior—when emboldened by the impersonal buffer of a social network, we might ... more
We can't escape bad news—story after story about layoffs, closures and falling profits. It's only natural that employees are worried about the safety of their jobs. "Am I next?" they undoubtedly wonder, and they deserve an accurate picture of your company's health. In a post at Harvard Business Online, John Baldoni ... more
How does helping out a friend, or a friend of a friend, become a million-dollar business... with not a penny spent on advertising? When those little favors are in huge demand—and word-of-mouth and social media spread the good news like wildfire. more
If you're a mother, or perhaps you have one, check out this fun promotion by MomsRising.org to celebrate someone you consider "Mother of the Year." more
Last year, Southwest Airlines refused passage to two young women for obnoxious behavior. The ladies immediately went out and told the press they weren't permitted aboard because they were "too pretty to fly"—sparking a media-driven feeding frenzy on Southwest's precious brand equity. It didn't matter that it wasn't true. It ... more
The MarketingProfs customer-service team received an interesting message recently from a pork producer in Mexico. "At this moment we are suffering the worst crisis ever in the national pork industry... [and] we have no further blood to bleed out," wrote Carlos, a pork processor and retailer. He asks: Could marketing ... more
Especially in the last few years, the concept of personal branding has begun to take hold. Many of your employees now see themselves—and not just your company—as a brand they want to build with their own blogs, networks and followers. In a guest post at the HubSpot blog, Dan Schawbel ... more
You're having a casual conversation with someone from your customer-service department when he makes an offhand statement: "Oh, you should hear how much customers love [fill in employee name/company product]." If you find such news surprising, it's time to rethink how your front-line staff handles praise. They probably respond to ... more
Good PR doesn't come cheap, and if you're not seeing results from your agency, it's only natural to consider other options. But before firing your agency, Todd Defren at the PR Squared blog asks whether you've lost faith in its senior management, or in the team handling your account. Your ... more
In a post at his blog, David Reich recounts the story of a PR executive who wasn't exactly thrilled about traveling to Memphis for a meeting with clients. Unfortunately, the exec decided to announce his disdain in a very public forum known as Twitter: "True confession but I'm in one ... more
In a post at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog, Mack Collier tells the story of Alison Heath, the director of marketing for a small company that received favorable coverage from the Washington Post. "That's good," he says. "Unfortunately, [though], commenters were attacking the business, based on the information contained in ... more
In his roles as a successful blogger and an executive at Ogilvy, Rohit Bhargava works on both sides of the public-relations equation. The juxtaposition gives him a unique perspective on how the worlds of PR and media relate to one another, and he used a recent post, "What All PR ... more
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 do? If you're Speedo or Omega, and your spokesperson is Michael Phelps, you do nothing. If you're Kellogg's, however, you ... more
Despite the obvious benefits of Web 2.0, the largely unregulated world of social media also poses some unique challenges for companies concerned about a host of issues ranging from legal liability to corporate branding. What to do? In The e-Policy Handbook, Nancy Flynn recommends a formal blogging policy with clearly ... more
If you've ever been to Fort Collins, Colorado, you've likely ventured to the outskirts of its historic district to sample popular beers like Fat Tire and 1554 at New Belgium's tasting room. The brewer has long touted its green-production policies—a stance popular with its customers—but recently found itself at the ... more
Dear CEO: Welcome to the blogoshere! So, umm, how do you really start? How do you get started blogging, and do it well? Let's avoid the technical requirements. (You've got people who can figure that stuff out!) Instead, let's focus on creating the right mindset. more
MarketingProfs uses single