"In many ways, just as Amazon has reinvented the book publishing space, YouTube has reinvented the video production and distribution space." --Jason Miles, YouTube Marketing Power Twenty-fourteen is the year I finally add video into my content mix. Because...
Permission isn't an opt-out option. Permission marketing doesn't mean you can add me to a list and ask forgiveness later. It doesn't mean that because I asked you a question that I want to start getting product offers from you. It doesn't mean that because I stayed at...
What do you think about Amazon’s plan to use drones to speed up delivery? Depending on who you talk to, this is either a great idea rife with possibility, Skynet scary, or long-term-dreaming and short-term nonsense. Either way, Jeff Bezos accomplished what he set out...
Have you ever noticed how some people always seem to find the best content? Whether it’s George Takei’s wickedly clever Facebook posts, Adam Schefter’s insights into the latest NFL personnel moves, or your favorite business or industry analyst's weekly roundup, some...
Do you want to know the fastest way to alienate your customers? Ignore them. Just ask Trader Joe’s. Or maybe not—because they’re not listening. There was an interesting article recently that looked at the grocery chain’s complete absence from social media: "Trader...
Web Site 3.0 has officially launched! Web sites have come a long way. In a relatively short period of time, we’ve gone from corporate brochures in a URL to dynamic, rich, responsive showcases for our businesses and our communities. Web Site 1.0 was a corporate...
A man shoots his girlfriend multiple times. He doesn't immediately call an ambulance or the police, and he later claims it was accident. Oh, and there are allegations of previous domestic abuse. This sounds like a sadly very familiar tale. Except the man is Oscar...
The brand is Flying Dog. Their winter brew is Kujo (Imperial Coffee Stout). Which is pretty clever and fun. But the branding doesn't stop there. The little things are your brand too. The back story on the label reads: "'Enjoy your new pet,' he said. Twelve hours...
A few years ago, my local Shakespeare company started experimenting with theatre in the round. The stage and seating were reconfigured, and the first production launched with great fanfare. Then I spent three hours watching the actors from the side. The director had...
Saying you've done nothing wrong when your customers are angry may not be the smartest response. Calling customers "confused"--really? My friend Zane Safrit pointed me to this story about Kellogg's Kashi brand. Apparently some of the soy used in its cereals comes from...