There’s much talk these days about how social media has changed the communication landscape and, indeed, it has. But, despite the fact that social media has created new opportunities and challenges for communicators, there are really (IMO) only two ways in which it really represents anything “different”: Read the rest of this entry »
Is TV Poised to Go The Way of The Newspaper?
May 14th, 2013A recent piece on TVNewsCheck titled “Newspapers: A Cautionary Tale for Local TV” sends a chilling message to local television stations around the country: are they doomed to the same decline that has been seen in the newspaper industry? Quite possibly. Especially if station managers don’t devise strategies designed to help them deliver value to their audiences. Isn’t this the same challenge that any marketer has? Yet, so often, marketers find themselves doing the same things they’ve always done and then lamenting the dismal results they’re seeing. You’ve likely heard the saying: Read the rest of this entry »
A Focus on Strategy–Hold the Tactics!
May 9th, 2013When interviewing candidates for mid- to senior-level marketing positions, I have a question that I like to ask which gives me a sense of how strategically the candidates might approach their jobs. It goes something like this:
“Suppose I’m one of your internal customers and I come to you and say ‘I need a brochure’ (or you could say ad, or web site, or email blast or any other form of communication). How do you respond to that request?”
Most people (yes, sadly, even for senior-level marketing positions) will begin to tell me the steps that they will take to create whatever communication tool I’ve asked them to create. So, for a brochure, they might say: “I’ll ask for information about the product/service they want to sell. I’ll want to know what size they want the brochure to be. I’ll ask if there is any specific information that they want to include in the brochure.”
- In short, they focus on the WHATs.
- What I’m looking for? A focus on the WHYs!
I don’t want marketing staff–especially senior level marketing staff–to focus on tactics. I want them to focus on strategy. What I hope to hear when I ask a question like this is: Read the rest of this entry »
Introducing Something New? How To Generate News!
May 3rd, 2013Whether you’re opening a new business, launching a new product, hiring a new employee, writing a book, creating a blog, etc., etc., etc., there are a number of activities that your business might engage in that you feel should generate news. Problem is, there is often a gap (or seems to be) between what you think is newsworthy and what the new media think.
The good news is that even very small organizations can generate media exposure. They need, though, to follow some general guidelines. Read the rest of this entry »
What Makes Great Marketers Great?
April 25th, 2013The skills of great marketers are many, but are primarily rooted in an understanding of consumer or human behavior and all of its complexities. Marketing is a challenging field of endeavor because, while there are certain principles and tenets of practice that are widely accepted, there are also many exceptions that challenge the rules. I’ve been a marketer, I’ve worked with marketers, I’ve hired marketers–both as staff people and as external consultants or vendors. I’ve worked with both effective and not so effective marketers. What does it take to join the ranks of the effective marketers? In my opinion, those who will be most effective in marketing-related positions are those who: Read the rest of this entry »
The Difference Between Leadership and Management
April 23rd, 2013Leaders lead. Managers manage. Followers follow. Each of these roles within any organization is important, but there is often confusion about what leaders do vs. what managers do.
To me the distinction is clear. Read the rest of this entry »
Should You Outsource Your Marketing Function?
April 18th, 2013I was interviewed recently by a reporter with Inc. Magazine about the prevalence and value of outsourcing the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role. It’s a topic that I definitely have an opinion about–one that may seem to be at cross-purposes with my own self interests. As a marketing communication consultant I’ve actually served in the role of an “outsourced CMO” on a couple of occasions. In one instance, the client was looking for not only my assistance with current marketing efforts, but my recommendations for how they should proceed in the future — should they continue to outsource this function, or should they hire someone to handle their marketing efforts on staff?
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