I recently read a very interesting–and puzzling–article in AdvertisingAge about E*Trade’s recent management shakeup. The company is apparently searching for a new CEO after unexpectedly parting with its current CEO in August. The article goes on to talk about the company’s stock slump and general poor performance. The surprising part, to me, is that Continue reading “Talking Baby Ads Working, but E*Trade Not So Much – How Does That Work?”
Tag: Advertising
How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Web Site
Most businesses today have a web site. Once that web site has been up and active for a while, they often wonder whether their site is as effective as it might be. We work with a number of clients to help develop, position, evaluate and improve their web sites from a content standpoint Continue reading “How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Web Site”
Ramp Up Your Email Marketing Effectiveness
I did an interview recently with a reporter who was looking for tips on email marketing effectiveness. Whenever I do this type of thing, or write bout email or Internet marketing, or even *think* about email or Internet marketing, I’m always struck with how very much the *same* online marketing is to traditional marketing. The tools may be different. The reach may be different. But the bottom line, by and large, is that the techniques Continue reading “Ramp Up Your Email Marketing Effectiveness”
Are MARCOM Professionals Out of Touch? CEOs Think So, and I Tend to Agree.
Newsflash: according to a recent survey from Fournaise Marketing Group, 70% of the CEOs surveyed said that marketers and communicators are disconnected from business results and living “too much in their creative and social media bubble.”
Now, I appreciate the numbers being tied to this reported sentiment, and I do love surveys, but as a marketing communications (MARCOM) professional for a number of years I have to say that this is not really shocking information. Those of us in MARCOM know this; we’ve known it for a long time. Ironically, though, too few of us Continue reading “Are MARCOM Professionals Out of Touch? CEOs Think So, and I Tend to Agree.”
Influencing Target Audiences – Work From the Inside Out
There are four ways that people learn about our products and services:
1. Through their own experiences with us.
2. From their friends, family and colleagues – word of mouth.
3. Through the media – news reports, articles, etc.
4. Directly from us through our own advertising, web sites, social media, etc.
I always list these four sources of information in this order, because Continue reading “Influencing Target Audiences – Work From the Inside Out”
Is Social Media Better Than Traditional Media?
Here’s another one of those “it depends” questions: Is social media better than traditional media? Well, it depends…
- Is television advertising better than radio?
- Billboards better than newspaper?
- Direct mail better than email marketing?
These are all “it depends” questions and, frankly, if you ever see answers to questions like these I’d recommend Continue reading “Is Social Media Better Than Traditional Media?”
Connecting Locally Through the Web
While the Internet offers the ability to reach out to audiences that are literally around the world, not all businesses on the Internet are really interested in audiences around the world–or even around the country. In fact, there are many businesses that are interested in connecting with local markets. An online discussion recently focused on whether there is a place for local marketers on the World Wide Web. I would say that Continue reading “Connecting Locally Through the Web”
How Social Media is Changing Advertising and PR
In the “old days” there was advertising and there was PR. Advertising was communication that we created about ourselves and we paid for. PR was communication that we earned through creating relationships and clever pitches to the media gatekeepers who would then share information about us on our behalf. Social media represents a new communication option that has had, and will continue to have, a marked impact on both advertising and PR. Continue reading “How Social Media is Changing Advertising and PR”
Facebook Ads – Does GM Know Something Others Don’t?
As Facebook prepared to launch a much-anticipated public offering, GM announced that it was discontinuing its use of Facebook ads. If you haven’t heard about this already, you haven’t been paying attention! Now, I’m guessing GM is Continue reading “Facebook Ads – Does GM Know Something Others Don’t?”
Multi-Image Brands
Typically when experts talk about brand strategy they focus on the creation of a single image or personality for the brand–creating a clear, compelling message for the market. And that approach seems to make logical sense. But, not all big brands follow that logic and I’ve often found this to be intriguing. Take Budweiser, for instance. For many years Budweiser has been a stalwart presence among SuperBowl advertisers with a variety of ads that incorporate Continue reading “Multi-Image Brands”