Last week, REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) announced that all of its 143 stores would be closed on Black Friday. REI’s 12,000 employees are encouraged to enjoy the outdoors and will receive a paid day off. REI CEO Jerry Stritzke explains…
Read more...Beware of Sales Reps Who Use Branding as a Cop Out
In my former life as a creative director in radio, my first question to a sales rep who asked for a new commercial script was, “What’s the goal of the campaign?” I remember a certain sales rep who liked to respond by saying, “Branding. They just need to get their name out there.” Then I would look at the order to find out the duration of the campaign. Typically, it was scheduled to run anywhere from a couple weeks to couple months.
Read more...How’s Your Website’s Elevator Pitch?
Legend has it that the origins of the elevator pitch go back to old Hollywood. A screenwriter would follow a studio executive into an elevator and pitch an idea in the time it took for the executive to reach his or her floor.
The elevator pitch has become a popular tool at networking events, conferences and random meetings when people have a limited time to pique someone’s interest in a product, service or themselves. If the elevator pitch is successful, a more in-depth conversation will ensue at some point. If not, you’ll be forgotten.
Read more...Why Honesty in Marketing Doesn’t Go Far Enough
I’m not one to split the atom when it comes to differentiating between two very similar terms. For example, I generally use the terms “content writer” and “copywriter” interchangeably. Some purists would have me flogged for writing and speaking so haphazardly.
Two words I often see used interchangeably are “honesty” and “authenticity.”
Read more...Don’t Know What to Say on Your About Page? Answer This Question
I was sitting across the table from the owner of a commercial roofing company as we discussed content for the “About” page on the company’s new website.
As he peppered me with an endless barrage of marketing clichés, I kicked and punched them aside like a World Cup soccer goalie.
Read more...A Lesson in Obliterating a Personal Brand from Mayor Ford
When the embattled mayor of Toronto nearly steamrolled a female city councillor as public officials discussed stripping him of his powers, it reminded me of Chris Farley crashing through a coffee table as motivational speaker Matt Foley on Saturday Night Live.
Both seemed to hit rock bottom.
Read more...5 Ways to Wreck Your Own Brand
When was the last time you looked at a person or a company, whether it was in person, on Facebook or on television, and said to yourself, “What were they thinking?”
Was it within the last five minutes? Me too.
From a business perspective, there are simple things that brands do and don’t do that can lead to serious self-inflicted damage. Sometimes that damage may seem minor on the surface, but the cumulative effect can be crippling.
Judging by the majority of the social media posts I see, websites I visit and emails I’m unable to open on my mobile phone, a lot of brands just seem intent on knocking themselves senseless.
Read more...Beyond Logos and Slogans: What Your Brand Is Really All About
It’s not uncommon for a fellow business owner to look at my logo and say, “That’s a great brand!” What they were really saying was, “I like your logo!” You really can’t create a brand in Photoshop, even if you add a slogan. Both can be valuable parts of your overall image, but your brand […]
Read more...Why the Boy Scout Who Sold Me Caramel Corn is a Marketing Prodigy
Last year, a Boy Scout named Donovan, who couldn’t have been more than 11 or 12, knocked on our door and said he was selling popcorn and other treats to raise money for the Boy Scouts and our troops. I expected to see a tattered catalogue, but my jaw dropped when he pulled out his […]
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