Archive for the ‘Business Development’ Category
Tuesday, June 8th, 2021
Vinyl records. Audiotapes. Typewriters. Carbon paper. That white stuff that Mike Nesmith’s mom invented that we used to use to correct typing errors. Rotary phones. The Post Office (well, not yet…). Look back over the past 10, 20 or 50 years, and you’ll find countless examples of products and services that simply no longer exist — or that have morphed into something else. Products and services that, for whatever reasons, have become obsolete.
We tend to think primarily of obsolescence being driven by technology, and that certainly is common these days. But obsolescence can occur due to non-technology-related impacts as well. (more…)
Tags: brand failures, Brand Management, business failures, business longevity, Customer Service, Innovation, obsolete brands, product failures, standing the test of time, successful businesses
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding, Small Business Strategy | No Comments »
Saturday, June 5th, 2021
As summer approaches, and as restrictions related to COVID-19 begin to ease around the country, tourism is likely to pick up significantly. That’s great news for the many hospitality and destination businesses that took a hard hit during the pandemic. Now they have an opportunity to hit the ground running to attract the attention of consumers with pent-up demand.
But how can your company effectively connect with travelers to ensure that 1) they know you exist and 2) they believe spending their time and money with you will provide higher value than spending their time and money elsewhere? (more…)
Tags: boosting business during the summer, hospitality industry, Innovation, marketing strategy, restaurant industry, summer destinations, summer marketing techniques
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021
Over the past several years, a growing number of wineries, microbreweries, and distilleries have been springing up across the Chippewa Valley where we’re based. It’s a trend that is mirrored in other states around the country, as entrepreneurs seek to address a growing market not simply for alcoholic beverages but for local destination experiences.
Consumers have long been able to buy wine, beer, or spirits at local liquor stores with no discernable lack of brand options available at varying price points. Why, then, are these relatively small players having such a big impact on the economy?
(more…)
Tags: brand experience, buy locan, consumer experience, customer experience, Customer Service, experiential marketing, Innovation, the local movement
Posted in Business Development, Competition, Marketing and Branding, Small Business Strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 19th, 2021
In the modern retail landscape, digital is no longer a threat to the in-store shopping experience. In fact, smart retailers have come to see e-commerce as a tool to boost in-store foot traffic. This represents a new phenomenon called ROPO (research online, purchase offline), where consumers start their shopping journeys online but complete them in-store.
This is a strategy used by 82 percent of consumers, according to Retail Customer Experience. Because of this, experts stress how important it is for retailers to have a strong presence in both physical and digital environments. (more…)
Tags: B2C marketing, digital marketing, Innovation, internet marketing, marketing online, marketing strategy, online marketing, ROPO, showrooming, Technology, webrooming
Posted in Business Development, Content Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »
Saturday, December 19th, 2020
It’s fair to say that few, if any, companies—or their communication staff—were prepared to respond quickly and appropriately to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As millions of employees suddenly found themselves working remotely from their homes and millions of customers found themselves suddenly shut off from the companies and brands they typically engaged with, communication professionals began grappling with important questions, including the following: (more…)
Tags: content marketing, Customer Communication, Customer Service, digital marketing, marketing best pratices, marketing during COVID-19, online marketing
Posted in Business Development, Client Relations, Content Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 30th, 2020
With the election cycle in full swing and plenty of polarizing issues being talked about in both traditional and social media circles, many brands are wondering whether they should weigh in on these discussions, or remain silent. It’s a legitimate, relevant, and important question. As with many important questions, though, there is no easy answer. (more…)
Tags: 2020 election, brand consistency, Brand Management, COVID-19, election cycle, marketing and politics, political debate, political discussion, political rhetoric
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »
Saturday, August 29th, 2020
Marketers often speak of the “customer journey.” It’s a concept that describes the various decisions customer make and the interactions they have with a company from the point where they’ve identified a need until the point when they make a purchase—and beyond. A customer journey map is important because it helps marketers visually depict the customer journey and identify areas that may represent barriers or risks of loss. It provides a documented, explicit vision of how customers will interact with your company and is a good tool for sharing with employees to help them understand the journey and the role that they play in engaging and retaining customers. (more…)
Tags: being strategic, customer engagement, customer journey, customer satisfaction, finding and keeping customers, finding customers, marketing strategy, strategic marketing
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding, Small Business Strategy | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 4th, 2020
We launched Strategic Communications in 2008, at a time when the country was plunging into a deep recession. It wasn’t a great time to land new clients. But it was a great time to take a deep dive into something that was relatively new at the time, at least from a business perspective–social media. At the time there was an interesting talent gap that represented an opportunity for us. Most businesspeople didn’t have experience in using social media channels for marketing purposes and colleges weren’t yet educating students about these new marketing tools. So we were early adopters and spent quite a bit of time learning about and experimenting with the tools that were best positioned in the business-to-business (B2B) space: LinkedIn and Twitter.
Since that time we’ve built our social channels organically and have helped a number of clients do the same. There’s no real magic to this. In fact, the basic tenets of effective marketing via social channels are really the same as they are for using any marketing tools. We recently responded to a reporter’s inquiry about our top tips for marketers using social media as a lead generation tool. We pointed to six:
(more…)
Tags: linkedin, Social Media, social media best practices, social media strategies, social media tips, twitter
Posted in Business Development, Content Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Branding, Marketing Communication | No Comments »
Friday, July 17th, 2020
17877227 – social media
I’m often asked by colleagues—and sometimes even competitors—where I find my clients. There are probably three primary channels that work best for me: referrals, speaking engagements, and LinkedIn.
I
have used LinkedIn myself for a number of years to establish myself as a thought leader in the marketing/digital marketing space and to generate leads and new clients. Many of my clients come through connections I’ve made on LinkedIn, or by showing up in search results from people/companies looking for marketing assistance. I also help various clients use LinkedIn for their own lead generation or thought leadership efforts. For those in the business-to-business (B2B) space, it truly is a valuable tool—if it’s used effectively.
(more…)
Tags: communicating on social media, establishing thought leadership, LinkedIn best practices, LinkedIn groups, LinkedIn influencers, prospecting through social media, Social Media, thought leadership, using LinkedIn, using social media effectively
Posted in Business Development, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »
Friday, July 3rd, 2020
by Linda Pophal
My first job out of college was working in traditional direct mail marketing and I spent ten years with that company. I loved the work because it was so measurable so you could tell what worked, what didn’t and continually make improvements to boost response. Digital marketing, of course, offers even greater opportunities to measure the effectiveness of content in a variety of ways so it’s a field I really enjoy.
Literally any content that is accessible online–e.g. via the internet–is considered to be digital marketing. (more…)
Tags: digital marketing, marketing analysis, marketing effectiveness, marketing measurement, using digital channels
Posted in Business Development, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Branding | No Comments »