Typically when experts talk about brand strategy they focus on the creation of a single image or personality for the brand–creating a clear, compelling message for the market. And that approach seems to make logical sense. But, not all big brands follow that logic and I’ve often found this to be intriguing. Take Budweiser, for instance. For many years Budweiser has been a stalwart presence among SuperBowl advertisers with a variety of ads that incorporate Read the rest of this entry »
Multi-image brands
May 15th, 2012Is the news release dead? Not necessarily.
May 10th, 2012Numerous online discussions these days raise questions about the continued effectiveness of the traditional “press release” – or as it is more accurately termed *news* or *media* release (since these communications aren’t intended only for the “press”). The discussions are interesting and raise a number of relevant points about how communicating with the media has changed with the advent of online tools and the proliferation of email vs. traditional “snail mail.” It’s fair to say that the number of traditional print releases *mailed* to news outlets has diminished significantly over the past several years. However, Read the rest of this entry »
Spread the word – you’ll get exceptional customer service at Road Ranger!
May 7th, 2012On a recent shopping excursion with my friend Mary she told me about a phenomenal service experience she recently had while on a trip with her mother. They had stopped at McDonald’s and Mary, who prefers Coke products, found that Coke was temporarily unavailable. So, she decided to walk across the parking lot to a nearby gas station – Road Ranger.
She got her Diet Coke and then found that there were long lines at the counter so Read the rest of this entry »
Why Communication Fails
May 4th, 2012“They just don’t get it!”
“How many times have we told them this?”
“Why don’t they understand?”
These are common phrases in the world of business, whether applied to employee communication, marketing communication or customer communication. But there is something fundamentally wrong with each of these statements which contributes immensely to our failed communication efforts. Read the rest of this entry »
Branding From the Inside Out: Two Critical First Steps
April 30th, 2012Generally I advise clients to view their organizations, products and services from the “outside in.” In other words, they need to put themselves in the position of their desired audience and consider what is important to their audience, rather than what is important to them. Too often I’ll hear organizations talk about how they need to “communicate our Read the rest of this entry »
What Makes a Good Attorney…Small Business…Consultant…Engineer…Web Site?
April 27th, 2012I recently responded to a question in an online forum that asked: “What makes a good attorney web site?” I thought the way the question was framed was interesting because, on the one hand, I do think it’s important with any communication to focus on specific objectives. But, on the other hand, I would also say that what makes a good attorney web site is very much the same as what might make Read the rest of this entry »
Are Travel Agents Making a Comeback (and why you should care)?
April 23rd, 2012The Internet has had a dramatic impact on many industries and businesses–creating opportunities for some and destroying them for others. Consider the changing nature of the publishing industry and the impact of being able to buy online for companies like Best Buy and many others. But business tends to be cyclical and it is often true that “what goes around comes around.” A recent article in the New York Times suggests that this may be the case for at least one industry — Read the rest of this entry »
5 Steps for Avoiding the Insanity of Strategic Planning
March 30th, 2012As I work with organizations on strategic planning I continue to see some common roadblocks that challenge their ability to put their plans into action. There’s nothing entirely shocking about these roadblocks – in fact, when conducting research for my book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning, I talked with numerous people who brought up the same issues. Yet, despite our general awareness of what we need to do, and what we shouldn’t do, when it comes to strategic planning, we seem to often make the same mistakes over and over again.
You’ve probably heard Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Following are 5 things you can do to avoid the risk of insanity in your strategic planning efforts. Read the rest of this entry »
If you won’t share your story, the media can’t tell it!
February 29th, 2012This morning I received a response from a media rep I was working with to connect with a source for a story that has the potential to reflect negatively on the organization–a rather large organization. After working with her for about a week, she sent an email that said: “We’re going to have to pass on commenting. Sorry.”
As someone who has also been in her shoes, on the other side of the great divide between organizations and the media, I’m sure that she is.
I’m sure she knows, just as well as I and other communication professionals do, the problem Read the rest of this entry »
Subcribe to This Blog