Proud of Our Work Generating Earned Media
Among the many services we’ve provided for our clients over the years, public relations and media relations is often the unsung, below-the-radar part of what we do. It’s called “earned media” because it’s not paid media – you earn it through word-of-mouth or media placements. Many think of earned media as free media because it’s…
Marketing Author Superstar
David Meerman Scott has been writing books about marketing for a long time. He has many best sellers. In addition, he’s a popular speaker, worldwide, and runs a very active blog. Read more about him here. David’s latest book title is actually a recurring one — it’s the 8th edition of The New Rules of…
‘Digital Marketing’ Is Over-Hyped. Marketing Is Marketing.
If you call yourself a digital marketer, you might want to sit down. I recently discovered a marketing thought leader named Mark Ritson, an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Melbourne Business School. (He used to teach in Minneapolis, too, at the Carlson Business School. So that’s two of my hometowns checked off.) He’s a…
Branding Is Dead – Not
I saw an article headline the other day saying branding was dead. Then, in the first sentence, it said (wait for it)… it’s not dead, “it’s stronger than ever.” Okay. Geez, I hate getting clickbaited like that. But the writer was out to make a point — which he began doing in the subhead — so…
What You Need to Know About ‘Brand Equity’ — and Why Accountants Are the Problem
Marketing and accounting people don’t talk much. And they sure as hell don’t party well together. Let’s face it, they’re from different planets. But, doggone it, they need each other. That’s the case I want to make today. Why? Because accountants can make the marketing profession look really, really good — and rich — if they would only more formally…
Love – It’s What You Do
Do what you love. How many times have you heard that? Maybe you’ve put it into practice in your career. If so, lucky you. But how many people go to work every day to do something they don’t love? Or take a major in college because they’re told they should, but don’t really love. Or…
What Is a Brand Story? And Why Do You Need One?
As marketers, we’re nothing if not storytellers – at least if we consider ourselves brand marketers or content marketers. (Or how about PR people – they’re all about stories, too.) But we don’t generally use the term “storyteller” to describe ourselves at cocktail parties or whatever. Meaning, we don’t focus on it, think about it a…
Positioning Statement? Tagline? Mantra?
Let’s look at three terms that get tossed around a lot in marketing circles. What do they mean, and how does one differ from the other? Think of them as tools on your marketing toolbox — when would you use one versus the other? Though many may consider these three terms somewhat interchangeable, they really…
The Only Thing Standing Between You and Commodity Pricing
Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about brand. I mean, who wants commodity pricing? That’s why, as a business owner, understanding the value of a brand is crucial. Why would someone pay you more for your product or service than what the other guy charges for seemingly the same thing? Enter the concept of brand equity.…