business planning – Ask Mr. Marketing

Cutting cord creates unexpected questions

20 years ago I had a client whose office address changed, but he wouldn’t print new business cards until his old ones were gone. With... Read more

April 4, 2019 b2c marketing branding business plans consumer marketing corporate messaging Customer relations market research Marketing trivia political marketing product marketing Public relations Sales Signage Strategic planning Web site marketing

Paying Attention To Headlines

When my family moved from Boston to San Diego, we maintained many of our old friendships. So it wasn’t unusual to meet halfway in Chicago,... Read more

March 22, 2019 b2c marketing branding consumer marketing corporate messaging Marketing trivia product marketing Sales Signage Strategic planning

A Very Merry Business Card

Did you know 627,000 new businesses start in the U.S. annually? Most use business cards as an inexpensive promotional tool. Half won’t last five years.... Read more

March 2, 2019 B2B Marketing b2c marketing corporate messaging Strategic planning technology Web site marketing

The Blockage In The Funnel

At lunch yesterday I eavesdropped on this conversation between marketing professional and client: CLIENT: I’m getting lots of web site traffic, but nobody’s buying anything.... Read more

March 1, 2019 b2c marketing branding business plans consumer marketing corporate messaging Marketing trivia Monthly newsletter product marketing Sales sales promotion Signage Strategic planning

A Lesson From The Valley

On a cool evening in 1903, Carson Cosgrove called 14 businessmen together in his brother’s harness shop. The subject of the discussion: a new company... Read more

February 21, 2019 b2c marketing consumer marketing Customer relations Marketing trivia product marketing Public relations Sales sales promotion Signage Strategic planning technology Web site marketing

I never got the bagel

I’m at an area restaurant awaiting an appointment. A numbered plaque, embedded into the table, instructs me to “Order from your table,” from a website.... Read more

January 30, 2019 advertising specialties b2c marketing consumer marketing Marketing trivia Monthly newsletter product marketing Sales

Hallmark Of Success

The Wall Street Journal once accused him of having a “near-obsession with promotion.” And for the man whose fortune began in a burned-out warehouse, this... Read more

January 18, 2019 B2B Marketing b2c marketing branding business plans consumer marketing corporate messaging Online marketing political marketing product marketing Public relations Sales Strategic planning Web site marketing

Wearing a different hat

This year’s New Year’s Eve found me at a Carmel Mountain party. The 41-degree night and the possibility of rain persuaded me to replace my... Read more

January 14, 2019 B2B Marketing b2c marketing business plans corporate messaging market research non-profit marketing Online marketing political marketing product marketing Sales sales promotion social networking Strategic planning

Nobody’s Paying Attention To Details

A radio commercial ran December 27th for a car dealership hustling year end business. Everything was fine until the announcement that the sale ends November... Read more

January 7, 2019 b2c marketing business plans consumer marketing customer service market research Online marketing Sales Strategic planning technology Web site marketing

Analytics help the bottom line

Seemingly every week there’s a story about someone’s massive database being hacked. The thieves are all after personal data and credit card information they can... Read more