As you develop strategy for your business, it pays to know whether you’re a left-brain, analytical thinker or a right-brain, creative type.  Left brain folks are great at focusing on numbers, but tend to mistrust the “intangible” nature of marketing and branding, even though they’re crucial to a company’s long-term success.  Right brain creatives may…

Think about the last generation of movie stars: John Wayne, Bette Davis, Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck.  When you heard their voices, you knew instantly who they were.  Your brand is like the voice of your business.  If you make it distinctive, it helps you stand out from all your competitors.  If…

Without question, a website is a necessity.  Clearly, it helps your company get in front of likely consumers.  But in many cases, it also introduces an added layer in the sales process.  Especially for B2B companies, a visit to your website is a prerequisite for prospects who might do business with you.  This begs the…

Deep discount programs like GroupOn and Living Social are spreading like wildfire.  But what effect does it have on your brand when you offer a deep discount to get someone in the door?  Are you generating new customer relationships, or training customers to wait for a big discount?  Are these discount-hungry consumers your best, ideal…

How often do you hear radio commercials for purely visual products like jewelry?  Even though we know that the vast majority of people retain visual information best, there are plenty of radio spots promoting products or even services with a distinct visual appeal – without the visual.  The question isn’t whether radio is an effective…

Former GM executive Bob Lutz observes that the long fall of General Motors from automotive titan to federal bailout came about in large part because the focus turned from consumers to numbers.  As GM’s analysts approached each new model, they began carving away at production budgets, using cheaper materials or eliminating small comforts to save…

How much marketing is hampered because the message has to meet the sensibilities and preferences of someone within the company but outside the realm of marketing?  Sadly, the tastes of these decision-makers often trumps the tastes and preferences of the consumers you’re trying to reach.  The best leaders trust their marketing and creative partners to…

It turns out that the secret to beautiful hair is also the key to effective marketing.  First, get prospects all lathered up.  Hit them with a message that’s creative and original.  Now rinse away all those suds to reveal the gleaming brand beneath – the one that can make it all happen for them.  Now…

H.J. Heinz famously observed, “Quality is to a product as character is to a man.”  Look closely, and there’s a marketing lesson to be learned.  If we describe a person who has character, that’s rarely the term we use.  We get specific.  She does what she says she’ll do.  He’s always checking to see how…

When there’s much less money to spend, and much more pressure to spend it wisely, neither consumers nor companies are in the mood to tolerate poor products or service.  In the past, you might have been able to make a mediocre first impression and still get another chance.  Not anymore.  And that has at least…