Posts Tagged ‘Brand management’

Dancing Babies, Talk About Ship and Dads in Briefs: Creativity With Relevance Gets Results!

Monday, April 29th, 2013

The Evian babies are back! In a new spot, which has received more than 41 million views on YouTube, adults find themselves face-to-face with their younger selves in a large mirrored window–and the dancing ensues. It’s adorable–but does it sell water? Where’s the relevance?

Contrast this spot to an equally creative–and far  more out-of-the-box–spot (more…)

How to Generate Leads With a Limited Marketing Budget

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

 

In our technology-driven world, the good news for marketers is that lead generation does not have to take a huge investment. Traditional media still have a place, but the Internet and social media make it more cost-effective than ever to raise awareness, generate leads and ultimately create sales.
The process of lead generation is the same as it ever was, but (more…)

To Discount or Not to Discount – the Potential Perils of Perks to Drive Social Media Engagement

Thursday, December 20th, 2012

I was interviewed recently for a blog on the use of perks to drive social media engagement. It’s an interesting topic and judging from the proliferation of such contests and competitions online an important one. Aside from questions related to the efficacy of such competitions, businesses should also be aware of–and knowledgeable about–the impact of these perks on their desired brand image and the laws related to contests, sweepstakes and lotteries. (more…)

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. (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…)

Clever Name Conveys Message Without Violating Trademark

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

Speaking of names…sometimes I’m struck by what appear to be brilliant solutions to vexing problems and I came across such an example recently when I heard of a company called ‘Preneur.

What struck me is that I recall, not long ago, a big brouhaha over the magazine Entrepreneur and its successful fight to protect its name through trademark even though most of us would agree that the word “entrepreneur” (more…)

Creating a Lasting Brand Image

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

Why do some brands become cultural legends that stand the test of time, while others ebb, flow and eventually sink? The brand is the cornerstone of any business and is, unfortunately, often misunderstood. That is possibly why the brand is also often so mismanaged. Brands are not, are not, ARE NOT logos, taglines or corporate colors. Brands are not advertisements. Brands are not Facebook pages.  (more…)

How to Meet Senior Managers’ Expectations for Corporate Communications

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

What are senior managers across the globe and across multiple industries concerned about these days? Reputation. So says a recent study conducted by Spencer Stuart and Weber Shandwick. Not surprising given the hit that many companies have taken over recent years in terms of their reputation, credibility and trust among consumers. So what are senior leaders’ expectations of the communications function according to the study? (more…)

Do Happy Employees = Happy Customers? No!

Monday, July 16th, 2012

Common wisdom suggests that there is a direct correlation between employee and customer satisfaction. Common wisdom, of course, is often flawed. Just ask a couple of my favorite business authors, Dan Ariely (Predictably Irrational) and Steven Levitt (Freakonomics). Sometimes the things that we believe to be true, simply aren’t.

A few years ago an article in the Harvard Business Review (more…)