The days of hyper-aggressive competition between brands are being mollified as progressive businesses put aside competitive inclinations in favour of collaboration. Sure, healthy competition can drive people and businesses to innovate and improve. But aggressive competition, the type that blindingly seeks to destroy the enemy and...
It’s a provocative and fundamental question, one that is often neglected while we place our focus and attention on technology, social, content or whatever the latest marketing trend is. It is easy to confuse a brand with marketing. The 5, 6 or however many “P’s”...
Local Area Marketing Manager was for decades the “Traffic Cop” of marketing careers; you either started there or got sent there because you couldn’t handle proper marketing. Well, guess what? The language and tenets of local area marketing are remarkably similar to those recently espoused by...
In last week's post, ‘How to get some agency love back’, we highlighted the importance of honesty in regards to removing the systemic deception and underhand money-making practices pervading the agency landscape. Having a frank, open and respectful dialogue between client and agency will go...
When we go to a wedding, the races or a nightclub we get dressed up. We want to look our best. For our self esteem, for the respect of others, and for the photographs. In fact, it’s largely for the photographs. It’s because we care...
In a world where growth is the only metric upon which most professionals are measured against, more is becoming the default reaction. Want to grow sales? Spend more on advertising. Want to grow the connections you have with customers? Create more content. Want to grow...
All of these are real. Some good. Some bad. But all communicate. So all of them matter. An airline whose receptionist has a welcoming smile on her face A gym with a deflated balloon hanging off their sign-up sign A design business with an interesting font on their business card A technology...
The marketing industry has finally accepted that what we have been experiencing as customers all our lives, is now one of this year’s ‘things’ to talk about. The expectation gap refers to the moment when you realise that what you were promised in advertising, isn't...
At Coca-Cola it was constantly reinforced that the pack, the bottle, is the primary symbol of the brand. It's the thing that lands in the hands of drinkers. It's the deliverer of the most powerful consumer engagement, the primary touch point. Both revered and valued. Today,...
