If you want to get rave reviews for a new drink, hire…a programmer for an insurance company.  The new drink was the bacon-infused old fashioned, and the programmer was Don Lee, who had a deep knowledge of chemistry, a fascination with mixing cocktails and a lot of time on his hands.  With no formal training…

It’s amazing how many companies make their media choices based on what their competitors do.  If the competition runs a full-page ad, they do.  If the competition turns to radio, so do they.  If the competition puts up a billboard, they put up two.  Often, this is driven not by marketing, but by senior management…

Consider this: 90% of the people who see your ad will only read the headline.  And 90% of headlines say nothing at all.  Whether it’s a print ad, a billboard, a postcard or a poster, a bland, generic headline – or one that tries to be cute without selling your brand – is a sure…

If you’re going to use Twitter (or any social medium), remember that you’re not giving a speech; you’re trying to start a conversation.  Instead of relentless self-promotion, consider what you can tweet or post that will be a benefit to those who follow you.  Can you pass along new information or helpful tips they can…

If you were trying to win a new prospect, and they asked for references from existing clients or customers, are there any you’d be afraid to mention?  If so, there’s a good chance they hold the key to your future.  Learning from failures is a critical part of success.  So when you fail to deliver,…

The better you get at what you do, the harder your job becomes.  Think of hospitals.  If you build a reputation for expertise in a particular area, you become the go-to destination for the most difficult and perplexing cases.  Now look at your business.  If you find yourself attracting increasingly challenging opportunities, it may be…

If you’re old enough, you may remember Mitch Miller, the Columbia Records producer who was probably best known for his long-running TV schmaltz-fest, “Sing Along with Mitch.”  Miller was also head of Artists & Repertoire at the record label, where he knowingly dismissed rock and roll as nothing more than a passing fad.  His experienced…

When you think of search engines, you undoubtedly think of Google, and maybe even YouTube, which surpasses even Yahoo!  But what about Twitter?  The social medium’s search functions can help you target your message to influential consumers in your target market.  For example, you can use Twitter’s advanced search function to identify people within a…

If the deepening Hispanic population is part of your target market, remember that marketing to this audience means more than simply translating your English-language materials into Spanish.  Keep in mind that colloquial Spanish is different from what you learned in high school.  And remember that most American English expressions don’t necessarily carry the same meaning…

Once upon a time, “family-owned” meant something to customers, and “Made in the USA” was a big deal to buyers.  But with changes in the makeup of the population, they no longer offer the appeal they once did.  Buyers under thirty, whose primary experience has been with foreign products, big box stores and online transactions,…