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January 7, 2011
Why is it that organizations have no trouble focusing on revenue in the fourth quarter? And why is it so hard for us to focus on the marketing behaviors that will drive revenue in Q1? Here are four simple steps that any organization can take to drastically improve their marketing efforts in the new year.
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December 9, 2010
Since its introduction in the 1960s, SWOT Analysis has become a staple in strategic planning. On the surface, SWOT is a simple thing. Yet most organizations who use the process significantly underachieve their objectives in the process. These six tips will help any organization execute a more effective SWOT analysis.
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November 4, 2010
On October 4, 2010, retail giant GAP quietly unveiled a new Gap brand logo on its website, and someone noticed. In the seven days that followed, professional journalists, bloggers, fans and critics frothed the media with social commentary. Some called the move haphazard brand management, others a brilliantly conceived stunt to revive languishing sales. By midnight, October 11, the "new" logo was gone. At the heart of this historic social media event is the question, "Should a company define its own brand, or should they allow their customers' preferences to define their brand?"
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September 17, 2010
Quantitative research studies (e.g., surveys or medical trials) and qualitative research studies (e.g., interviews or focus groups) are powerful tools in the hands of a trained marketer. Both forms of research are valid, and both provide useful insight into a market space, when properly conducted and appropriately interpreted. Yet they are as different as oil and water.
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September 13, 2010
By now, every CEO has heard the story, as one-by-one, the latest generation of ad agency execs stroll through the hallowed doors of corporate America, touting the virtues of Twitter, current poster-child of social media marketing. The success stories are impressive and ostensibly irrefutable. But what about Twitter’s value in Business-to-Business markets? Will Twitter’s initial B2C success translate into B2B?
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August 23, 2010
The internet is filled with disaster stories of product names gone bad. Some of them are even true. Clearly, tragically misconceived or offensive product names can have a damaging effect on success, but how much impact does “the right name” have on the ultimate success of your product?
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July 28, 2010
While many authors take an active role in promoting their brand, we have found none so glaring as speaker / author / sales expert Jeffrey Gitomer. Gitomer is a showman on a mission, constantly defining, living and expanding the Gitomer brand. And love him (or hate him), he stands as a glittering (or garish) example of branding in the new world of publishing.
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July 28, 2010
Successful authors, like successful businesses, learn to manage their brand. They promote it in everything they do. And over time, their brand pays back huge dividends by promoting them.