What’s Next For Social Media?
While the big brands and big boxes have taken early advantage of social media, if social media continues to grow it will be because of the smaller local businesses. Big brands are paving the way which makes sense being that...
Marketing Plan: Intersection of Planning and Improvisation
I thought I'd take a moment before the frenzy of annual strategic planning begins to discuss some strategies you might want to consider as you start to build your annual strategic marketing plan. Naturally, your strategic marketing plan should contain...
Grassroots Marketing: Where Social Media Makes Perfect Sense
We belong to a local Chamber of Commerce that represents a lot of small communities in the area that we live. It represents small communities with populations as high as 8,000, but most closer to 1,000. Like a lot of...
Mainstream Social Media: Is That What Users Want?
Every day we further mainstream social media. It’s hard to watch a news program that isn’t talking about what’s going on out in tweet-land or what’s being posted on Facebook. How many tv and radio commercials now ask you to...
Brand Marketing: Service. Community. Value. Substance.
As usual, brand marketing is almost always on my mind, and as I was watching this exceptional TedxPennQuarter video by David Armano and David flashed a slide up that said: Service. Community. Value. Substance. While David was talking about social communities, the reality...
Buzz Marketing Ideas for Branding
Branding is about being memorable and creating buzz marketing. There are lots of ways to do it; you just have to get creative. Here are some buzz marketing ideas to get you started Why not work out a deal with a...
Unexpected Branding Opportunities
In any business, there are the expected branding opportunities, television commercials, radio, signs in the store, and even employee shirts. But some unexpected branding opportunities give you a chance to make your brand stand out. The first thing to consider is...
Branding with Window Clings
Many retail establishments are well positioned to be highly visible from drive-by traffic. Many of those same retail establishments are missing the best advertising and Marketing POS available - their location, and specifically their windows. Window clings are a viable method...
Social Media and Brand Strategy
Social media is a very hot topic right now, and rightfully so. I've heard more than one company wonder out loud though if it belongs in the Brand Strategy. In my opinion, the answer is a resounding YES. If it's...
Considerations for Choosing a Marketing Firm
When you decide that it's time to innovate and get the word out about your business, you've entered into what can feel like a paralyzing-difficult decision. After all, you are trying to pick a marketing firm that will put a public...
Consistent Branding at Different Locations
If you've got more than one location, it just got at least three times as hard to keep your brand consistent. "If I have two locations, shouldn't it just be two-times as hard?" you ask. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out...
Practice Patience
For local business owners the world over, and in Southern Oregon, the three keywords to opening or running a business have been location, location, location. In today’s economic and marketing environment the new three keys to success are patience, patience,...
Brand Development Doesn’t Have to be Expensive
I'm continually amazed at how often we in the marketing profession, and those in business, assume that brand development has to be expensive! This misnomer is honestly come by, though, because in good times, it's easy to spend a lot...
Fun Marketing Campaigns Can Make Your Brand Memorable
What's your claim to fame? How is your brand memorable in your community? Are you the go-to business for sponsoring non-profits either monetarily or with volunteers? Do you have a big annual blow-out sale? Do you get wacky at Halloween...
Reputation Management: Your Brand on the Web
The Web. Twitter. Facebook. Biznik. Foursquare. Merchant Circle. Blogs and Comments. If you're not at least aware of how these websites are already affecting your brand - it's time to figure out online reputation management, NOW. Whether or not you...
5 Reasons a Local Business Owner Should be Involved in Social Media
There are many reasons that every local business should be involved in local social media. I’ve found that if it takes more than five reasons, then they are afraid of what they don’t understand, or are fearful of change. To...
Using Social Media Apps with Promotions
We’re rolling out social media promotions for a local client of ours. The business will be giving away a pair of season tickets to the Oregon Ducks 2010 Football season. A hot ticket! The Ducks went to the Rose Bowl...
Media Fragmentation, It Always Seems To Happen
How much has social media fragmentation affected your audience and at what cost? Traditional media tries to entertain an audience and keep it, so they can then sell advertising within that form of entertainment. While the programming and editorial content...
Tiny Brand Moments
In the midst of running a business, it's admittedly difficult to maintain the focus on what your brand stands for. After all, you've got customers needs to meet, deadlines to manage, and in some cases, employees to direct. That is...
Thoughts on Traditional Media Meeting Social Media
I saw a commercial the other night from Coleman; you know the lantern and overnight camp gear company. Their claim was that they were the original social network, pretty clever I thought and pretty much on target. While brands that...