Archive for 2008
Adding Bite to Your E-Mails
If e-mail has become your main marketing squeeze, there is a wonderful resource on the Internet. Her name is Pat Friesen. Visit her Website www.Patfriesen.com and you will discover a wealth of information. It’s like getting into the mind of a master. Included in the Website are many articles, many of which have appeared in…
Read MoreTop 6 – March 2008
Beyond St’ Patty’s Day Luck is A Ram’s Charge Before considering penetration pricing, find a compelling downstream reason. For new-technology launches such as Blu-ray, network externalities were to deliver disproportionate rewards for early market share gains. Big wins require risks. Hedging is the safety net for incremental improvement. Be dutifully optimistic, even in a recessions.…
Read MoreWake Up and Smell the Coffee!
What drives engagement and loyalty for your brand? Many companies think they know the answer to this because they’ve relied on some form of traditional conjoint analysis, which can be very helpful in determining which combination of attributes are most preferred by rational target audiences. It’s an extraordinarily appropriate approach for situations where a strong…
Read MoreDon’t Fall Into the “Commodity” Trap
A few years ago one of my students asked me to help him market his company’s products. The product line was a broad group of fabricated copper wires. The problem the company faced was its perception that it was marketing a commodity product that could not compete with larger competitors who had a price advantage. …
Read MorePrice Discrimination by the FAA
Bring up the topic of price discrimination, and you are sure to find at least someone state that it isn’t fair, perhaps even illegal. Yet, the world around abounds with examples, state sanctioned as well. Recently, the Transportation Secretary proposed a plan that would allow price discrimination by the FAA. New rules proposed by Treasury…
Read MoreTop 6 – February 2008
A Rose is a Rose by Any Other Name. Embrace Your Inner Thorn. Don’t confuse table stakes with key differentiators. While both are necessary to play, one will help you win Commoditization is a choice. So is differentiation. Choose with which you wish to compete. Congestion pricing is fair for consumers, but expect the nominally…
Read More9 Things Every Marketer Needs To Know About Search By Special Guest Author Danny Sullivan, Conference Chair, Search Marketing Expo West
Marketers can no longer ignore search marketing. Too many potential customers are seeking businesses through search. And if you’re not there, your competitors are. Market research firm eMarketer predicts that businesses will spend $21.4 billion on search marketing activities during 2007, and a whopping $27.5 billion in 2008. Regardless of whether your search marketing budget…
Read MoreMarketing Lessons from Hollywood
“American Gangster” When I went to the movies and saw “American Gangster,” I not only appreciated the film as superior motion picture in terms of writing, acting and direction – I was also impressed with the way it imparted a number of significant principles of marketing. I can even see the day when this film…
Read MorePrice Bundling to Profit
Price Bundling to Profit What is distinct about price bundling vs. other types bundles? Is price bundling just another form of discounts or can it improve profits? When should an executive investigate price bundling? What must be known before one can conclusively state that a price bundle is good? Valid questions, all, and they deserve…
Read More“Top 100 Brands!” Quiz
It’s time to play The Wiglaf Journal’s annual “Top 100 Brands” quiz. All information is generated by the annual Interbrand/Business Week report that this year appeared in the August 6, 2007 BUSINESS WEEK and the report is available on-line at www.interbrand.com/best_brands_2007.asp. 1. Which brand among the Top 10 had the greatest rise from 2006 to…
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