Archive for August, 2023

The “5th P” in the Marketing Mix: People

Tuesday, August 29th, 2023

Developing and maintaining a strong brand for a service is significantly more challenging than developing and maintaining a strong brand for a product. Why? Because a service is less tangible, more ephemeral—and often involves multiple “touchpoints” that really determine the “brand experience.”

What makes a strong brand? (more…)

Ask Before Acting: Why You Should Seek Input From Target Audiences

Thursday, August 24th, 2023

I was pulled into an interesting online discussion recently in a PR forum that I participate in on LinkedIn. There are currently more than 100 responses to a question that initially asked whether participants hated cold-calling and eventually evolved into a discussion of whether (more…)

Vetting Freelance Talent in 2023

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023

The use of freelancers and contractors is on the rise, and this trend is likely to continue as hordes of workers are laid off or decide they simply aren’t willing to give up the freedom and flexibility of remote and hybrid work to return full-time to physical workplaces. Freelancers can offer great benefits to employers who know what to look for, what to look out for, and how to effectively evaluate talent before bringing them on board. (more…)

10 Specific Tips for Writing Compelling Email Subject Lines

Thursday, August 17th, 2023

Despite sentiments to the contrary, email marketing is still a go-to tool for both B2B and B2C marketers. But, especially in the B2B environment, it can be challenging to break through the gatekeepers. Even if your email message gets through organizations’ firewalls designed to combat spam, you still need to capture the attention of your desired recipient—or land in the circular file! (more…)

Shining a Light on the Dark Funnel

Tuesday, August 1st, 2023

Chris is in the market for a new car. Chris, like most consumers, is broadly aware of the many types of cars on the market and can see them on the road, on car lots, in advertisements, and online. While deciding which car to buy, Chris not only draws on his own awareness that has been created through these channels, he is also likely to become much more proactive in seeking information—asking family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues for their advice; perusing review sites; following hashtags on social media channels; gathering information through Google searches; and, eventually, visiting car manufacturer or dealer websites to help narrow the choices. Then Chris is likely to visit a local car dealership to take a test drive and talk pricing. (more…)