Are you doing something special?

Posted on June 14, 2009 by Tom

It’s an easy question so it’s kind of weird that so many companies have a hard time finding a proper answer.  They complain about the economic crisis and how it keeps their customers away, but what are they doing special?  What’s keeping their customers from going to the competition?

Because no company is unique, or actually, no product [...]

The non’sense’ of green marketing

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Tom

We all care about the environment.  Solar energy, wind, water, recycling, carbon footprints,… Recent trends point in every direction as long as it’s green.  And as soon as the first products/services came on the market, marketers were there to promote them.

In an adcampaign, a solar energy producer promoted a milestone in its existence.  They already had [...]

Social media, goals and expectations

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Tom

A lot of companies jump into social media with a childish enthousiasm that’s rarely seen with new initiatives.  It’s cheap, so why not take a chance right?  And they’re right, social media are great, but treat it like traditional media and you’re setup for failure.

It’s important that companies understand communicating isn’t a one way street anymore.  They [...]

Give your community what it needs

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Tom

Imitating success.  It seems like companies, now more than ever, look at each other to see what they’re doing.  Not knowing what triggered the other company’s online community success, they just want in, before it’s too late.

A company may be in part responsible for the demand for a community, depending on the actions a company can have a [...]

Be a masterstoryteller

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Tom

Remember in first grade?  When you sat around a big circle waiting for your teacher to finish that story he started last week?  You were dying to know how it finished, you probably still remember the anxiety you felt when the clock started ticking and you knew it was almost time.  You remember every little [...]

Why marketers should have the biggest ego’s

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Tom

When it comes to the marketplace, marketers should think of themselves as the most important people on the planet.  Instead of being one of the small parts, we’re the part that keeps the wheels turning, that keep it moving forward.  Controversial, I know, but by the end of this post it all should make sense.

It [...]