Marketing

Mind Your Back End

Posted by on December 18, 2012 at 4:19 pm

“Brand” has lots of definitions. Conveniently and not surprisingly, there is a strong correlation between how a marketer defines “brand” and the kind of branding that that particular marketer happens to execute. I shall leave it to you decide if marketers hold to an approach because they believe in it, ferociously defend an approach because […]

Data mining without the privacy baggage

Posted by on December 11, 2012 at 8:41 pm

Many a marketer has turned a wistful if not greedy eye upon bank databases. Therein lies untold potential to learn who buys what in order to tempt people with relevant offers. The problem, of course, is privacy. Even if conscience permitted—conscience having proven, historically, to be remarkably plastic where profits are concerned—the United States Government […]

Privacy, Paranoia, Pragmatism

Posted by on December 5, 2012 at 8:34 pm

Some privacy concerns are legit. I don’t want to be in a Nigerian money scammer’s database any more than you do. Yet not all privacy paranoia is legitimate. Many people simply misunderstand how database marketing works. They imagine Peeping Tom-like marketers poring over their individual information. They are unaware that what ethical marketers (unethical ones […]

How to create the next “Will It Blend?” viral video

Posted by on November 30, 2012 at 8:25 pm

Making promotional videos that go viral is a cinch. You need do only three things: 1. Create a visual presentation so compelling that people WANT to watch it. It can be funny, dramatic, enigmatic or what-have-you. If you’re lucky enough to have a product with a visibly demonstrative advantage, make that your compelling visual. That […]

The Value of Showmanship

Posted by on November 27, 2012 at 8:24 pm

We’re taught never to judge by appearances. We all do it anyway. Our all-too-human tendency to judge a book by its cover surely is unfortunate from a social justice standpoint, but from a marketing standpoint it offers an opportunity not to be missed. Namely, the opportunity to dress up your product or service to look […]