Strategy

As 2018 draws to an end and the holiday shopping season picks up steam, marketers find themselves standing at crossroads yet again. Consumers are growing increasingly aware and doing a lot more research before they buy, regulatory authorities are closely watching what firms do with data, and technology continues to mold buyer behavior at breakneck speed. No discussion of the future, however, is complete without a contextual look at the…

Marketers may not be familiar with the concept of the uncanny valley, but they should be: The personalization movement sits at its trough, and consumers are clamoring for them to pull it out. Proposed in 1970 by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori, the uncanny valley concept was first applied to humanoid robots. When an entity appears almost — but not quite — human, it evokes in people a sense of unease.…

Pictured: Students at JMU Prototyping using POP The role of marketing in prototyping and other technical aspects of new product development is often very small. There are many reasons underpinning this, but the biggest reason is that marketing students aren’t taught technical skills. I am to fix that and I started with my class at JMU in New Product Development and Management. Why limit the role of marketing in prototyping?…

Have you ever been sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting for her to come in and solve whatever ails you? Of course. We all have. So, how does that interaction go? As you sit on that ungodly crinkly white paper reading last July’s People magazine, you have a basic understanding of what will happen when the doctor walks in. You also know what won’t happen. The doctor most certainly won’t…

A hot buzzword during the past couple of years has been digital transformation.  It has branched off a few more in the world of marketing and sales: Martech Transformation Sales Transformation CX Transformation Customer Engagement Transformation I am sure there are more.  At the risk of being a buzz killer, there is something amiss about all of this that may not be that great.  Much of these have to do…

Are you an entrepreneur starting up a new business? Do you work for an established company and are looking for better ways to reach your customer base? Chances are you can benefit from integrating both email and direct mail marketing into your current marketing plan. As a business, both marketing methods have their benefits. Email marketing allows a company to reach customers via email and build relationships online, while direct…

A brand logo is ultimately a brand’s identity. See three stripes and we instantly recognize it as Adidas. The Golden Arches will brew a rumble in your stomach. Some logos will signify quality, happiness, cool, a small icon which portrays ‘the best’. Many others won’t. Which is why getting your brand logo right and on point is absolutely essential. It’s one of the first things to consider when building a…

Those who graduated with a degree in marketing can’t compete in today’s market unless they know how to learn and adapt as they go. The industry is simply moving too fast. What was popular in internet marketing 10 or even five years ago is now an ancient practice. Brent Hoberman, founder of LastMinute.com, says, “Internet years are roughly comparable to dog years,” meaning that time passes faster in the realm…

It is not what you say, but how you say it. -Linda B D I got an email this morning that immediately caused me to want to unsubscribe. It is a paid subscription. The person making money off of me will no longer be making that money. Do you know what the sad part is? It didn't (or doesn't) have to be that way! And, this young woman could have…

We know how valuable loyal customers are. They’re five times more likely to make a purchase, five times more likely to forgive mistakes and seven times easier to upsell.1 In the B2B landscape existing customers are even more vital. There are far less available customers than in the B2C marketplace, plus there’s a far higher cost associated with converting prospects to clients. Not to mention, each client offers signifigant value:…