Archive for October, 2012

Are You Listening to — and Learning From — Your Web and Social Media Analytics?

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

I spent my first 10 years in the field of direct marketing which, at that time, was very measurable compared to other forms of advertising. Today, online marketing allows marketers to gather even better and more immediate results on how they’re doing. Surprisingly, though, (at least to me) there are still a number of organizations–large and small–that are not using analytics to evaluate how they are doing in terms of connecting with, engaging and influencing their target audiences. And, in some cases, they are not acting on the information they attain.

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The Value of Business Dashboards

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

One of the most important elements of successfully implementing a strategic plan of any size (whether a business plan, an annual company plan, a marketing plan, etc.) is establishing benchmarks or objectives that are specific and quantifiable and that will be tracked throughout the planning period. The use of dashboards is a great way to visually – and simply – convey information on how the organization is doing. Sharing this information openly (more…)

Brand Matters!

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012

While doing some online research recently I came across an article on branding that I wrote back in 1997! Clearly it’s a topic that I’ve been interested in for some time. Two things struck me about coming across this piece:

1) Wow! The Internet was still in its infancy in the late 90’s, yet content from “way back then” is online.

2) Everything I said about branding back in 1997 (more…)

What Every Strategic Plan Should Include

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

A journalist asked me last week what I thought the key elements of a successful strategic plan should be. That’s not an easy question to answer and there are, in fact, a wide range of inputs and elements that go into ensuring strategic plan success. But it was a legitimate question and one that I know many strategic planning consultants–and their clients–are deeply concerned about. (more…)

Effective Internal Communication Drives Business Success Say Investors

Tuesday, October 16th, 2012

I had the opportunity, recently, to meet with some representatives of a private equity firm that has helped dozens of companies achieve success. Their track record has been impressive and their approach somewhat unique. They don’t just infuse money, they also infuse time, talent and expertise into ensuring that these companies do achieve the success they’re hoping for.

I asked them about the most common issue or problem they encountered when first working with these companies. I was surprised (more…)

The Leader Sets the Tone for Effective Communication

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

I recently had the opportunity to observe two different group interactions at two different companies and the contrasts were striking.

At one, the entire group–a newly formed group–was engaged, enthusiastic and positive; they interacted openly with their team leader who was inclusive and affirming of their input. In the other, a group that has recently undergone some leadership changes, but has been in place for some time, interactions seemed (more…)

Markets Can’t Really Tell Us How They’re Influenced

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012

I’m a proponent of marketing research and the use of data to drive business decisions at every level and in every aspect of organizational performance. I recognize, though, that sometimes the predictive value of research can be questionable and that it can be most useful to evaluate actual behaviors to support future decisions.

Advertising efforts are a good example of this. (more…)

Overcoming Your Fears of Social Media

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

Contrary to popular belief not everybody is engaged in social media. In fact, recent Pew research reveals some surprising statistics about the level of engagement among various market segments. While their research suggests that 50 percent of adults do use social media, fully 50 percent do not. You may be among the non-engaged and, if you are, (more…)

Don’t Hold Back on Employee Communications

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

As I work with different organizations I’m struck by the variation in their approaches to communicating with employees. Having worked in director of corporate communications roles for several years in some very large companies, my bias is toward communicating more not less. And, I’ve been fortunate that the companies I’ve worked for have been very open, transparent and honest with their employees.

Not all employers take that approach, however, and it’s not a place (more…)