THINKing

Brands Still Matter

I just ran across this piece, Why Brands Don’t Matter Anymore, by John Jantsch, who knows his marketing. But I have to disagree with his headline, which was probably written to create a hint of controversy. (If you read the piece, you’ll see that he and I don’t truly disagree on this topic.)

Blogging Lesson 2 – Strategy First

A presentation I did recently for the Charlotte Chapter of IABC called 5 Lessons From the Blogosphere spawned this series. Today, we’re on to Lesson 2 – Strategy First.

Just as you would when planning any type of communications program, you need to answer a few questions before you leap head first into blogging.

Top 5 PR Posts

Our PR-related posts are among the most well-read. So, I thought we’d bring to the forefront some evergreen features on PR.  Now, let’s review.

Communications Planning 101 - Developing a communications plan requires a disciplined approach. Your first order of business is reviewing your current program for impact and efficiency.

Please, Please Me

Gave a social media presentation last night to a group of about 45 small business owners as part of Bank of Commerce’s School of Commerce program. I was one of two presenters. While looking at the evaluation forms, I was struck again by how there are always one or two people who don’t get their expectations fulfilled from presentations.

5 Best Posts – January 2010

We had some very popular posts in January – some old and some new. I thought I’d share them with you.

1. 8 Ways To Use Twitter Lists
2. Twittering Journalists
3. Be Relevant
4. When Billboards Go Bad
5. 7 Ways To Kickstart Your 2010 Marketing 

What’s your favorite?

7 Ways To Kickstart Your 2010 Marketing

It’s 2010, now what? Have you completed your marketing planning or did you leave it to the last minute? No matter. We have 7 ideas of things you can do to kickstart your marketing.

Time To Plan

There’s usually some downtime at work around the holidays. What are you doing with your break? I’m using mine to meet with clients and prospects and to complete my planning for 2010. Do you have a marketing plan for the year? What new items are you incorporating into your plan?

Be Relevant

It comes as no surprise to me that Americans are trying harder than ever to avoid advertising. According to a new study by Synovate,

More than four in 10 US consumers said they were skipping ads on TV and the radio as well as avoiding Websites with intrusive ads more in 2009 than they were the year before.

Social Media: A Tactic Seeking A Strategy

Every time some new tool comes on the scene that possibly could be used in marketing or advertising, organizations jump on it with no forethought. The tactic du jour is social media.  A recent survey indicates that a majority of media buyers are adding social media to their 2010 budgets.  According to the 2010 Media Planning Intelligence Study from the Center for Media Research,