I was recently catching up on some reading and came across an article in Fast Company that made the assertion that: “major consumer brands still have a lot to learn as social tools continue to proliferate.” The author shared some data comparing Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts in terms of the percentage of people who hear positive things about the brands and percentage of people who would never recommend the brands. Here’s how it shakes out: Continue reading “Be Careful How You Read Those Numbers!”
Category: Marketing
Should PR Report to Marketing? Vice Versa? Who Cares?
There is an interesting discussion raging (and I do mean raging!) on one of the LinkedIn groups I’m involved in – Network of PR Professionals. It all started with this post:
“Have observed/noticed in many cases Marketing wants PR to be part of their function/department…However as PR ( External and Internal) is developing, it needs to have a separate identity of it own.”
This comment was almost immediately followed by Continue reading “Should PR Report to Marketing? Vice Versa? Who Cares?”
Twitter Contests: Waste of Time or Opportunity to Engage With Followers?
At this point, it is safe to say that just about everybody has at least heard of Twitter, if they don’t already have accounts set up. Attracting followers is generally the first objective of anyone who establishes a Twitter account. Followers represent a core group of individuals – or organizations – interested in what you have to say. Once followers have been established, the next goal is connecting with and building relationships with those followers.
This is where contests come in. Continue reading “Twitter Contests: Waste of Time or Opportunity to Engage With Followers?”
What the Heck is a # and Why Should You Care?
For those of you who have braved the bold new world of Twitter, it’s likely that you’ve come across the symbol #. In the old days, we referred to this as a “pound sign,” generally referring to its use on a phone. Today Continue reading “What the Heck is a # and Why Should You Care?”
No cost/low cost resources for marketers and entrepreneurs
I know there’s something just “wrong” about blogging early on Thanksgiving morning, but I acknowledge the fact that I’m a workaholic and frankly what better time for a little peace and quiet to actually think without interruption!
This blog was prompted by an email from a friend/colleague who is pulling together a list of resources for small businesspeople/entrepreneurs and asked me if I had anything to add. I did – more than I thought I would actually. So, I decided to share my list Continue reading “No cost/low cost resources for marketers and entrepreneurs”
Can Your Brand Be *Too* Well-Recognized? Apparently Yes!
An article in the November issue of Entrepreneur raises an interesting perspective on the proliferation of big brands and whether having a big brand can, in some cases, be a negative.
Apparently, Starbucks – arguably a big, big, brand – is going incognito in some markets. It’s opening up neighborhood coffee shops Continue reading “Can Your Brand Be *Too* Well-Recognized? Apparently Yes!”
What Do Your Customers Want?
Last weekend I was at a craft show – an annual outing where I sell beaded jewelry that I design and “dabble at” throughout the year. Unlike previous shows, this year I sold hardly any ear rings, usually a high demand item both because of their uniqueness and low price I think (I have to be honest with myself!). This year I sold Continue reading “What Do Your Customers Want?”
Yes, Price Matters – Duh!
You can talk all you want about the “value proposition” and about how consumers don’t *really* make purchase decisions based on price, but when it gets right down to it, guess what – they do. Don’t you?
All else being equal (ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL in the opinion of the consumer, whose opinion is the only opinion that counts), price matters. Of course it does. Why would Continue reading “Yes, Price Matters – Duh!”
Crossing the Line Between PR and Marketing
There’s a raging – and quite interesting – debate taking place in a LinkedIn forum I participate in on the relationship between PR and marketing. I’ve found it especially interesting since I recently was engaged in the same debate while teaching PR courses at a local university.
Surprisingly to me, there is a group that believes quite strongly that PR *is not* part of marketing. That it is a separate and distinctly different function within an organization. That’s “crazy talk” to me – Continue reading “Crossing the Line Between PR and Marketing”
Overpromise – Under-deliver?
Apparently KFC’s recent launch of a grilled chicken sandwich so exceeded expectations that KFC ended up damaging relations with consumers, the media and franchisees, according to a recent item in Public Relations Tactics (a PRSA publication). Continue reading “Overpromise – Under-deliver?”