Looking to energize your base or drum up new leads? A new year is a great time to refresh your marketing matrix. Whether you’ve been in business for two months or for 20 years, creating awareness and interest is always a current challenge. Here are four areas to tweak as you build a competitive edge this year. 1. Know Your … Read More

When Josh Silverman took over Etsy (an e-commerce website focused on handmade and vintage items), he faced immense pressure to revive the company financially. He didn’t disappoint. While shedding jobs and increasing holiday promotions, Etsy swung from a $29.9 million loss (in 2016) to an $81.8 million net income in 2017. Managing this feat in the face of Amazon’s competition … Read More

Even the most brilliant creators need new fuel from time to time. If you’re feeling stifled or uninspired (or you just want to have fun!) consider some of these creative “sparks” from designer Jim Krause to ignite fresh perspective in your monthly routine. Exercise: Make a puddle of ink. Blow the ink around using a straw. Consider layering different colors … Read More

T-Mobile touts itself as “America’s Fastest Unlimited Network.” In a fiercely competitive market, T-Mobile knows one of its most crucial responsibilities is to bring pleasurable customer support to the millions who call their helpline each month. While traditionally its call service center resembled a factory floor (cubicles brimming with reps donning headsets), T-Mobile has dedicated the past decade to reinventing … Read More

Corporate sponsorship is one of the most effective marketing channels, but most businesses haven’t tried it. What is event sponsorship and why should you consider it? From a 5K road race to a good old-fashioned neighborhood picnic, companies that get outside their walls can make a huge splash in the community. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Businesses that rely on … Read More

Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post has a bone to pick with millennials and their bad manners. Consider one technology-related example: “Last week I watched in horror as a 20-something girl carefully snapped a photo of a basket of onions,” said Oleksinski. “But we weren’t at a serene farm or the Marché d’Aligre in Paris — we were crammed … Read More

Each January, people set New Year’s resolutions, embrace a visionary attitude for the year, or dream about possibilities for the future. Some people thrive due to this natural “reset,” but others ignore it altogether. And some people just feel stuck. They wrestle with questions like these:    “I’d like to write a book, but where would I start?”    “I … Read More

How do you grab a lifeline on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” You ask the audience! While experts tend to get a trivia question right two-thirds of the time, the audience gets that answer right 91 percent of the time. Why? Because individually we are limited, but collectively we are genius. In today’s global economy, buyers understand the importance … Read More

Want to grab attention for your event, promotion, or group? Flyers are a low-cost form of mass communication that can be personally delivered, distributed through mail, posted in public places, or sent via e-mail. Flyers are fun to create and provide a great place to experiment with unusual images or layouts. As you explore the possibilities, here are five areas … Read More

Stephen Cannon became president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz in 2012. Though he was convinced about the quality of his cars, he recognized the success of his brand was rooted in the kindness of his people. Cannon understood that the company, the true essence of Mercedes-Benz, was embodied by the people who sold and serviced the cars, including how generously they … Read More