Small Business Marketing
Route 52 near Cincinnati is an interesting drive– it follows the Ohio River, takes you through some cute small towns and, surprisingly, presents drivers with a stark marketing lesson. That lesson is to think like a customer. On my drive,…
Read MoreA Reminder to Always Proofread Your Marketing Copy When a business makes mistakes in their marketing communications, there are several problems: The business looks stupid. The business looks careless. The business’s marketing communications strategy to address the mistake is inevitably…
Read MoreIf you’ve got a great product or service, what’s the best way to market and sell it? By letting customers try it out! Lighthouse Carwash does this whenever they open a new car wash. For the first few days, all…
Read MoreEnjoy this clever feud between two of Cincinnati’s famous pumpkin pie bakers as you raid the fridge for Thanksgiving leftovers. It started in 2010, when Frisch’s Big Boy purchased a billboard in front of Busken’s main bakery facility. This year,…
Read MoreFor many small businesses, one of the most confusing things about marketing is the jargon.When talking with marketing professionals and vendors, sometimes these words get tossed out without any definition. Here’s a quick list of some of the most common…
Read MoreThis week, I’m on vacation at lovely Saint Simons Island, Georgia and thought you deserved a vacation, too. For the next few minutes, let your mind go on a marketing vacation, free from trends (and even good taste), to enjoy…
Read MoreSome marketing professionals seem to think marketing is all about “pulling one over” on customers with their clever tactics. The trouble with this philosophy (besides being ethically problematic, of course) is that it just doesn’t work. Marketers aren’t smarter than…
Read MoreToday’s blog post is not about Prince– sorry to disappoint. Instead, it features of some of the best signs I’ve encountered around the world. In my travels, I’ve always taken an interest in the signs that businesses use to promote themselves.…
Read MoreOr, Why the Auto Industry is Stagnating In the last few decades, car design has become uninspired, with all cars looking pretty much the same. But you wouldn’t know it from the marketing communication. Television, radio and print advertising are…
Read MoreA Facebook follower recently asked, “What can I do when an advertising or marketing campaign isn’t working?” There are several reasons a marketing campaign might fail. Here are several common ones: You aren’t marketing to the right customers. The first…
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