Do Two Things To Win
The problem with most advertising is each of the messages is trying to get you to make a decision at that very moment. It’s the short game. The ‘Give A Man A Fish’ approach, if you will. But, the man only eats for a day.
About That Price
“The only thing people care about is the lowest price.” This is the rejoinder I most often hear when a business doesn’t see any value in advertising (much less marketing). This confounded me for many years until I realized advertising wasn’t the problem.
Reverse Camouflage Advertising
Sharply define the edges between you and the alternatives. Not only with content, but with style as well. If everyone else is doing a “yell and sell,” talk intimately with the audience.
When Will My Ads Start Working?
Few business owners advertise long enough to see the results of their investment. They’ll pull up the seed and throw it to the side. Nothing ever grows! And that’s a good thing for you.
Why Your Business Should Have a Podcast | Wizard’s Roundtable
The untapped advantages your business could leverage by having a podcast. It’s surprisingly easy to do, and if you can have a 10-minute phone call, you can have a podcast.
Offering Something Great? What’s In It For You?
People believe in social proof and social signaling, making price an almost-fail-safe guide to quality. So if your price is out of line with your claims, people distrust the claims.
The Viewmaster Guide to 3-D Testimonials
3 common mistakes from testimonials and examples of what a 3-D Testimonial sounds like as a finished product. Here’s how most people screw it up, and how you can make sure you get it right.
5 Marketing Tactics That Piss Me Off
If you don't display the price in your store, I'll think it's expensive. I won't bother to ask the price and run the risk of embarrassing myself. I'll walk out.
“Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You” Applied to Marketing
Too many business owners want to spread their ad budgets among various media. That’s a recipe for failure. To be fair, though, it’s a common-sense mistake.
Choose Your Constraint — Why Choosing the Wrong Constraint is a Common-Sense Express Train to Catastrophe
There’s no such thing as a perfectly balanced company where every function is staffed and supplied at the exact right amount.
Why Culture Matters
My curiosity first peaked when I heard the phrase, “in any organization, culture eats strategy for lunch”. After 3 years of research on the subject following the scientific method, I’ve constructed and tested a hypothesis that I believe to be true.
The Social Engineering Brilliance of “L’eggo My Eggo”
To understand the brilliance of what Leo Burnett did, you have to consider what they didn’t do — what a lesser advertising title might have done.
You’re Local. Who Cares?
Olive Garden has a 45-minute wait because in an ocean of unknowns, they’re the safest harbor. You know them, you’re comfortable with them, you get exactly the meal you were expecting.
Why Character-Driven Ads are the Key to Higher Margins
Facts presented as facts — as standard “reason why” advertising — cause people to buy from a Consumer Reports mindset. They want bang for the buck.
Lambo vs Lear. Plot the growth curve for your business.
You can create campaigns that are fast like a Lambo. Fast to get moving. Quick to reach maximum speed. Then tons of resources to just keep steady...