July 1st, 2008 | by Tommy | published in Advertising, Branding, Marketing 101
More than three years ago marketing guru Seth Godin put together a long list of “what every good marketer knows.” As it said it wasn’t a “carefully planned manifesto” but a “riff.” The whole list is here, but I pulled a few of his bullet points I felt were the most important.
Low price is a […]
June 16th, 2008 | by Tommy | published in Email Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Marketing 101
Your opt-in form is one of the most important elements in building your list of subscribers, yet it is often overlooked or thrown together at the last second with almost no thought. From my conversations with a number of clients it is clear to me this is done cause most of the effort is spent […]
January 7th, 2008 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101, Research
Hillary Clinton’s quick fall from the defacto Democratic nominee to fighting for her political life and/or future is simple. It is because of Mark Penn, or I should say because of the two positions he holds within Clinton’s presidential campaign.
First a little background. Penn is the worldwide CEO of the PR firm Burson-Marsteller (B-M), the […]
May 22nd, 2007 | by Tommy | published in Advertising, Branding, Marketing 101
A lot of my high-tech B2B clients think if they put up some banner ads qualified leads will reign down on them. I tell them that isn’t my experience. But I stress they do help from a branding point-of-view and if they supplement the banner ads with email marketing and Webinar that they can achieve […]
March 26th, 2007 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
Who can’t benefit from good publicity? Unfortunately, though, the press will usually only beat a path to your door if there is something negative to report, if even then. Instead of waiting for them to publicize the good news, do yourself a favor and create a press kit that will grab their attention and be […]
April 10th, 2006 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
This checklist is divided into four sections: strategy, message development, creative input, and execution. Each section is interrelated and serves as a springboard to the next set of questions.
When answering these questions keep in mind the following criteria:
Be honest: This checklist is a tool that is intended to help you develop more effective advertising campaigns. […]
January 1st, 2006 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
Let’s face it. Most rate-card prices for renting mailing lists, print ad space, interactive, and radio and TV air time have some built-in wiggle room, but what you’re likely to get charged for broadcast and interactive media is subject to the most fluctuation.
To understand why, it’s easiest to compare buying broadcast and interactive time with […]
November 24th, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
Standard direct mail is still losing ground to email campaigns. There are plenty of reasons for this, though they’re not all valid. However, there are definite advantages to email campaigns. They’re both faster and less costly to produce than something that uses snail mail.
Knowing this, it may seem counter-intuitive to suggest that sending really expensive […]
November 15th, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
If you’re positioning what you sell based upon having the lowest prices, you could definitely be playing a no-win game. Do you really want to be known as the cheap company?
Even if that moniker wouldn’t bother you (assuming you can still make a profit), it’s likely that selling on price alone will lead to a […]
August 10th, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
In tight financial times, public relations (PR) expenditures are likely the first to get slashed in the corporate budget. That’s why you need to stay on your toes and develop a system for proving to management that PR is important to the growth and survival of the organization. It’s not enough to simply show the […]
July 6th, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Branding, Marketing 101
Consumers have become more skeptical in the last several years. And who can blame them?
They’ve felt bamboozled by the management of huge corporations. They’ve become more aware of possible threats to their employment, their financial security, their health, their environment, their children, and their country. Consumer anxiety is high. Consumer confidence is low.
While corporate ethics […]
July 2nd, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
In our world of 60 plus hour work weeks, instant communications, and ever changing market dynamics, many times companies don’t take the time and effort to plan. One of the most effective, yet overlooked planning tools is a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool from both a […]
June 29th, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
Assuming you’re not in the business of selling something and then disappearing from the scene, it’s easy to identify your best prospects. They’re already your clients. Yes, your clients are your best prospects.
A relationship, even if fleeting, has already been established. And because you know something about your clients and their preferences and needs, closing […]
June 26th, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
I think it is safe to say that no one starts out trying to create a bad advertisement. But lets face it, it happens all the time. To ensure you create the most effective ads possible, always consider the following criteria:
1. A successful ad has a high degree of visual appeal. An ad must be […]
June 21st, 2005 | by Tommy | published in Marketing 101
When was the last time you took just a few minutes to gauge how effective your firm is at communicating with clients and prospects at different "touch" points? If it has been a while, or maybe you’ve never even thought about it, start with something exceedingly simple
