Small Business Marketing
Small businesses have the great advantage of being unique and full of personality. Your small business’ name should highlight what makes your brand special. But some business owners go too far, try too hard or don’t think about alternate interpretations customers might…
Read MoreCoca-Cola has a bright new marketing campaign in Europe, demanding that people choose happiness over other mood states. As described in Adweek: “The 70-second anthem by Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam (it’s the office’s first work for the brand) introduces a new…
Read MoreThere’s a curious phenomenon at church potlucks, which anyone who has cooked for one has witnessed. Simply cooking a dish you know to be delicious is not enough to entice people to eat it. As my mom taught me, you have…
Read MoreSmall businesses have many advantages over big businesses– the ability to build real relationships with customers, agility, flexibility, and more. But brand awareness is one area where the big guys excel. They have millions of dollars in marketing budget to…
Read MoreIn this interview, Dave Weatherholt plays a bit of devil’s advocate, challenging my assertion that brands should avoid marketing gimmicks. But I remain firm– marketing gimmicks are bad for long-term success. Stick to what your business is passionate about, and…
Read MoreA few years ago, in the face of the obesity epidemic, Sesame Street tried to give Cookie Monster a new slogan: “Cookie is a sometimes food.” Cookie Monster bravely faced this new challenge, giving up his favorite phrase, “C is…
Read MoreMarketing gimmicks give marketing a bad name. The worst form of marketing gimmick is falsely promoting a cause to profit from it. These days, this tactic usually takes the form of “green marketing.” Take, for instance, this “Save the Earth…
Read MoreMarketing implementation is just as important as strategy Does your business have a great marketing plan that identifies who your customers are, what is important to them and how to reach them? As important as your plan is, it’s not…
Read MoreIn this small business marketing podcast, learn some tips for marketing with the new Facebook Timeline and why I believe it’s a good marketing tool. For instance, businesses should change their cover image to match current marketing campaigns. Listen or…
Read MoreThe basic marketing question, “What is a brand?” is rarely even adequately covered in marketing classes. But understanding your business’s brand is the most crucial concept for any marketing effort to be successful. So, what is it, then? Your brand…
Read More