Got Boring Marketing? Stop Trying to Please Everybody & Stand for Something!
Are commercial success and controversy mutually exclusive? If you go by P.T. Barnum’s (attributed) quote “There is no such thing as bad publicity,” then all types of public attention are … Continue reading
The Quest for Perfection is Slowly Killing Your Business
Looking back on my 20+ years marketing career, I am amazed at how much time and energy was spent on perfecting designs, brochures, presentations, etc… At the time, it felt … Continue reading
Tired of Meetings Going Nowhere? Give This a Try.
Picture this scene: A group of mid/upper level managers have been in a meeting for over 90 minutes. The discussion has been going around and around on a particular contentious … Continue reading
You Call Yourself a Digital Marketer?
Lately, it seems that no marketing job description or resume is complete without at least one reference to Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing is a popular yet loose term that is … Continue reading
Chat Bots Are the Next Digital Platform for Self Promotion
Here’s a bold prediction: Setting up your personal Chat Bot will become as common and as simple as creating a LinkedIn profile. Until then, there is a unique opportunity for … Continue reading
The 3 Product Manager Personas. Which one are you?
A simple framework that can be used to quickly identify the quintessential traits of a successful PM
Does Your Marketing Communication Address the 3 Whys?
Once upon a time there was a bright Marketer who knew all about his products. He could tell you everything you wanted to know about his line and could even … Continue reading
What People Really Want (And How You Can Help Them Get It)
Corporations are always looking for ways to improve productivity and raise employee engagement levels. Each year we get new software and tools to make us more productive but they usually … Continue reading
Can Managers Do Their Own Recruiting?
When LinkedIn recently announced its membership had cracked the 200 million mark (up a whopping 39% over the year before), it not only proclaimed its arrival as a leading social … Continue reading
This is How Smart Marketers Will Win
If the goal of marketing is to create awareness and demand then what is the point of using conventional tools, mediums and messages? In a world that’s always on, packed … Continue reading
What Marketing Can Learn From Portfolio Management
Business people, and especially marketers, are always hatching new ideas, programs or campaigns. Its just what they do. Unfortunately, we live in a world of finite resources – and budgets. … Continue reading
Rescue Your Marketing!
I keep being drawn back to the Fournaise Group’s 2011 survey of 600 CEOs that showed a very bleak perception of Marketing’s value. While you may have issues with the … Continue reading
Calibration and Ranking Tips
I once participated in an interesting employee ranking/calibration exercise. HR would hold these once a year to score, rank and compare employees as part of their annual review process. Everybody … Continue reading
How to Know if You are Still Relevant
Survival in the business world is normally tied to one’s value to the organization. Not a year goes by when companies aren’t tightening their belts and asking more from each … Continue reading
The Future of Work: It Looks a Lot Like This…
For those of you who haven’t had a chance yet, I strongly encourage you to drop by oDesk to see what the future of work – possibly even YOUR future … Continue reading
When is Exceptional Performance Not Exceptional?
When business is doing great, everybody looks like a star. Over several years, however, people can come to believe that their personal contributions or the combined efforts of their department … Continue reading
You Won’t Find the Answers in The Office
They say that visiting houseguests are like fish: after a week they stink up the place. The same could be said about marketers in the office. You see, marketers have … Continue reading
A Simple Checklist to Make Your Marketing Plan Sizzle
Marketing plans are a dime a dozen. Almost anyone can throw one together without too much effort. Quality and usefulness, of course, are an entirely different matter. Marketing Plans typically … Continue reading
Why Marketing and Sales Need to Get Along Better
Getting along well with a sibling can be a challenge. Take for example the relationship between sales and marketing. There have been a number of studies and articles written over … Continue reading
Are You Really Listening to Your Customers?
“You have lots of nice rooms but no house.” This is a direct quote from a very important customer I once had. To understand his meaning I have to take … Continue reading
When the Going Gets Tough. The Tough Visit Their Customers.
You come to the office and there it is waiting in your Inbox. The familiar message from senior management announcing that once again, all “non essential” travel is on hold … Continue reading
So You Want to Be a “World-Class” Organization?
To become a genuine world-class organization you have to make some difficult choices. Picking where you will be located or based out of is a big one. After all, it … Continue reading
When Does an MBA Make Sense?
I’ve often been approached by people interested in earning an MBA. Should I get one? Is the school important? Will it make me a better leader or manager? Truth be … Continue reading
What a Disrupted College System Means for Business
The forces of the internet and digital age are at it again. They are sharpening their knives and preparing to take on a new “fat cow” industry. Like the music, … Continue reading
Now More Than Ever. Why The World Needs Liberal Arts Education.
What is the one thing you believe in that nobody else does? That’s the question that was presented to Chad Dickerson in a video interview. He eloquently pointed out that … Continue reading
Blogging Strategy: Strip Tease vs. The Full Monty
I’ve seen a couple of articles recently which called into question the benefits of revealing too much in a blog. As if putting it all out there was the professional … Continue reading
How to Unleash the Hidden Social Media Potential Within Your Organization
Many of us are sitting on top of a pile of gold and don’t even realize it. In fact, it’s more like we are sitting on top of massive … Continue reading
Is Inbound Marketing Just Another Passing Fad?
With all the ever-growing attention being devoted to digital marketing and social media these days, it begs the question of whether this is a passing trend or whether it is … Continue reading
Survival Strategies for the Great Digital Content Race
Picture the scene: You’re at the starting line of a 1890s land-run back in the American West. Packed around you are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of other prospectors just waiting … Continue reading
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