New Thought Marketing

Rumor Mill: Is IKEA Entering the Eco-Friendly Car Market?

2009-03-24T15:28:00.002-04:00

We love a good April Fool's Day joke as much as anyone. So we're all wondering if IKEA is really about to unveil a new eco-friendly car or if it's all a big April Fool's joke. The release date is set for April 1st, after all.

Rumor Mill: Is IKEA Entering the Eco-Friendly Car Market? | Sustainability | Fast Company

Pepsi Logo Design Brief: Branding Lunacy to the Max

2009-03-23T12:38:00.000-04:00

We previously blogged about how the new Pepsi logo reminded us of the Obama logo. What we didn't know then is how much time and money went into their new design. This article links to the leaked creative brief for the logo design. It's painful to read. Pompous and ridiculous and symbolic of what I hate about marketing. They are making way too much of this. A logo can't do everything. And it certainly isn't worth the lofty comparisons the agency makes.

Quote from the article:

The presentation, by the Arnell Group (also responsible for the botched design of the Tropicana orange juice carton) contains visual representations of and comparisons with the following: the golden ratio, the Mona Lisa, the Parthenon, the Gutenberg Bible, the earth and its magnetic fields, and the solar system/universe. None of these things have anything to do with soda.

Give me a break. Look, what we do is important, but it isn't rocket science. Our job is to help you (our client) sell more of what you make. Generally, we don't need to create the next Mona Lisa to do it.

Read more: Pepsi Logo Design Brief: Branding Lunacy to the Max | New Ideas | Fast Company

Trying to Sell a Car?

2009-03-19T16:45:00.000-04:00

This new site aggregates real prices of cars sold so you can see exactly what people are paying for that SUV collecting dust in the driveway.

Mashable: PriceHub Flips Kelley Blue Book on its Head

Gervais + Elmo = Hilarity on 'Sesame Street' (Fun on a Friday)

2009-03-13T10:38:00.001-04:00

"You can't control a Muppet and a fat guy," Gervais says about halfway through these outtakes of an episode scheduled to run in November. Fun on a Friday. Enjoy!

How to Delete Accounts from Any Website

2009-03-11T16:58:00.001-04:00

A friend posted this link on Facebook that details how to delete accounts from a bunch of sites. Personally, I'd love to get rid of my Classmates account and all those annoying emails. Anyhow, I thought there were some useful tidbits in here and wanted to share.

How to Delete Accounts from Any Website - Features by PC Magazine

Fun on a Friday with the Slap Chop

2009-02-19T16:44:00.001-05:00

"We're going to make America skinny, one slap at a time." Thanks to Steve for turning me on to the Slap Chop. Guess I haven't been watching enough t.v. cuz I hadn't seen it. Thanks to YouTube, my life is now complete. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

That's One Way to Make a Basket (Fun on a Friday)

2009-02-19T15:02:00.001-05:00

Ouch! Surely there are easier ways to bank the ball?

2009-02-19T14:47:00.001-05:00

Make a Referral - jump start the economy

I'm pledging to make a referral to a business I want to help as part of a national campaign to make 1000 referrals March 9-13. What a great small business stimulus plan.

View >>

HOW THE STIMULUS PACKAGE AFFECTS YOUR STATE

2009-02-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

Love this little interactive map I just found on Kiplinger's (two days in a row, I know, I know!). They've taken the info available on the stimulus package and put it in a map detailing how much goes to each state and for what projects. For example, here's what Georgia is expected to get.

HOW THE STIMULUS PACKAGE AFFECTS YOUR STATE

More Focus on SMB's in New Administration

2009-02-16T11:45:00.001-05:00

Do you all ever read Kiplinger's? I remember reading his newsletter 20+ years ago when I worked at my 2nd job out of college. I check out the online articles now and then. This caught my eye today: the Obama administration seems to be paying more attention to SMB's than the previous administration.

I also read on Kiplinger's why a recession is a good time to start a business. But I'm betting some of you already know that, right? I started my business during the last recession and it worked out pretty well for me. Lean times make us more creative, and more accountable.

Cross posted at SMB Hub.

How to Promote Your Business Blog

2009-02-02T16:36:00.001-05:00

Our clients ask us all the time if they should have a business blog. We often answer with a qualified "yes." Most don't have time to maintain one, let alone figure out how to grow the traffic. For those of you who are actively blogging, here are some tips on how to grow traffic to your blog.

Cross posted at the SMB Hub (online meeting space for small and medium sized businesses)

Fun on a Friday -- You Dummy! (Sneak Preview Super Bowl ad)

2009-01-30T10:36:00.001-05:00

My husband laughed so hard at this spot we had to rewind several times to catch some of the lines. He was particularly fond of "You Dummy!" shouted at the hapless cubicle dweller.

I'm one of those people who watch the Super Bowl for the ads (although now I just look them all up online the next day). CareerBuilder's taken it a step further -- and increased their buzz -- by releasing their ad ahead of time. Lots of web chatter, lots of YouTube views. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

YouTube - CareerBuilder.com Super Bowl 2009 commercial - 30 second sneak preview!

Twittering Tips for Beginners

2009-01-29T16:29:00.000-05:00

We'll be writing more about Twitter in the weeks and months to come. We're also working on a webinar for small and medium-sized businesses on how to use Twitter (and how to tell if you need to be on Twitter). For those of you who want to check it out and don't know where to start, this blog post will give you a good overview. Twitter is both absurdly easy and maddeningly frustrating. People ask me all the time how to use it. Check out Pogue's tips, and let me know if you have questions.

Follow NTM on Twitter
Follow Sherean on Twitter

Twittering Tips for Beginners - Pogue’s Posts Blog - NYTimes.com

SMB's are the Job Creators

2009-01-28T16:03:00.001-05:00

I just read this blog entry on the Washington Post that linked me to this fabulous site with small business stats. You can look up your site and find out how many jobs SMB's created and other small business facts. For example, small businesses were responsible for ALL of the net job gains in GA from 2004-2005.

I've read various statistics about job creation, but the one I see most often is that SMB's employ 80% of the nation's workforce. 80%! We need a larger voice in Washington -- or at least one that's commensurate with our awesome responsibility. We make up a huge part of the economy. We see the faces of our workers and go to sleep at night worrying about how we'll keep sales up so they can keep their jobs. Our employees are not nameless, faceless numbers that get cut when times are tough. (I'm not saying that Fortune 500 companies shouldn't make those cuts; just that it's more personal when we do.)

Cross Posted on the SMB Hub

The Snuggie's a Success?

2009-01-26T10:30:00.002-05:00

My husband and I mock this product every time we see the commercial. I joke that the guy looks like a monk and that the sleeves are surely fire hazards. Chris is thinking of getting me one for my birthday. So imagine my surprise when I learned that Snuggies are flying off the shelves. Four million sold and a waiting list for more. Normally, I'd comment on their marketing strategy, or how their success reflects current trends, but today, I have only one word: huh?

Update: one of my Twitter buddies just told me she wears her robe backwards and ta-da! Instant Snuggie. Hilarious!

New Loans For Small Businesses - Forbes.com

2009-01-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

My favorite printing company, is also a pretty smart company. I've worked with them for years because they provide great quality printing at affordable prices. (We've tried other online discount printers and have been greatly disappointed with the quality.) Turns out their CEO, Andrew Field, is a strong advocate for SMB's (small and medium sized businessess). He is concerned with how the credit crunch is affecting us and how we are largely being ignored in the current recovery conversations. He has a simple plan to help. It's not a bailout. The government actually makes money if we do. Given that we employ 80% of the nation's workforce, it seems reasonable to me that we ought to at least be in the conversation.

SMB's don't have natural organizations. We tend to clump together in verticals related to our industry. There is no giant lobbying group representing us in Washington.

But look, we have the Internet and a whole host of word-of-mouth tools. I'm going to post a link to Andrew Field's proposal here on my blog. Then I'm going to put the link on my Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Read it. If you think the idea has merit, pass it along to your networks.

New Loans For Small Businesses - Forbes.com

Branding the New Government

2009-01-22T10:32:00.000-05:00

Our new president is known for a lot of things -- hope, change and all that -- but the marketing community has long been impressed with his branding ability. He stuck with one slogan (more or less) throughout his campaign. He has a visual brand that is clear and easily identifiable. And now he's brought that design sensibility to the White House web site. To my eye, it's clean, modern (without being young/edgy), easy to navigate and interesting. There are interactive elements and multi-media. There is a blog, which is a nice start, but it's not very bloggy in practice. Looks more like press releases inserted as blog posts to me. I assume it's a work in progress.

Read more: Web Design You Can Believe In | Fast Company

And the Color of the Year is . . .

2009-01-19T14:39:00.002-05:00

According to Pantone, the color of the year for 2009 is mimosa (what you and I might call a warm yellow). Pantone is the company that produces those expensive color chip books with formulations that designers use when selecting colors for your logo or printed materials. It's the way we tell printers what we want. (Still not an exact science, but that's a post for another day.)

This color has been showing up in women's fashions and interior design for a couple of years now; in fact, I painted my son's nursery this color. So I'm not sure if Pantone is a little late to the party, but at any rate, keep it in mind if you're trying to keep your brand current.

Pantone Selects Color of the Year for 2009: PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa

Fun on a Friday : The Jingle Generator from Intuit QuickBooks

2009-01-15T15:51:00.001-05:00

The makers of QuickBooks were looking for a fun way to increase trial usage of their software so they developed a tool for small businesses to create their own jingle: The Jingle Generator. This could be a nice little distraction on a Friday.

According to Marketing Profs, the Jingle Generator was promoted using a number of new media techniques, including:

Blogger outreach: Intuit contacted bloggers with whom it already had working relationships to share the campaign story.
Participation on forums and blogs: The company also joined in conversations on forums and blogs that relate to small-business issues, '80s music, social marketing, etc. Company representatives aim to add value to the conversation when posting responses and do not solely promote the site.
Social-networking sites: The company posted a video on YouTube, and profile pages for Tommy Silk were established on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Participating Intuit team members help build awareness by adding Tommy as a friend or follower to their personal networks and "re-tweeting" Tommy's posts.
Shared examples: Early in the campaign, employees were encouraged to create their own custom jingles on the site and forward them to friends and family members, especially small-business owners, who might have an interest in the software.

*Source: MarketingProfs.com, "How Intuit Used Viral Marketing and an Interactive Web Site to Generate Small-Business Leads, Engage Customers" (paid registration required)

The Jingle Generator from Intuit QuickBooks

Twitter’s Massive 2008: 752 Percent Growth

2009-01-12T20:06:00.002-05:00

I'm a few days late to mention this but Twitter has grown from this thing used by only hard-core geeks to . . . well, I still don't know how to describe Twitter but a WHOLE LOT of folks are using it now. 752 % growth last year? One million new users in December alone? Wow.

Remember I told you a few weeks ago about a passenger on the Denver plane that crashed tweeted about it? So Twitter breaks news. And you may have heard that the secret to getting anything done with Comcast is to complain about them on Twitter. So Twitter is a customer service/brand management tool. Is it? Or just a simple way to dispatch news of your day to your friends? ("Just watched American Idol. U watching? Did u see bikini girl?")

Like many new media in the digital age, we don't know yet what to call it, how to describe it, and how to use it for business. There are theories, certainly, but there isn't much collective wisdom. Together, we are building a knowledge base of what works and what doesn't and eventually, usage conventions for Twitter will form. Maybe more businesses will follow Comcast's lead. In the meantime, if you want to follow us on Twitter, you can here: New Thought Marketing on Twitter. We'll try to keep the conversation going!

What's Your Difference?

2009-01-08T16:42:00.003-05:00

I drove by a dentist's office yesterday that had a sign which read "Dentistry with a Difference." I smiled to myself and applauded their effort to differentiate themselves. In marketing, we work hard to come up with a U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition) or positioning strategy for our clients. We ask, "what is the one simple thing people know you for?" or "what do you want to be known for?". We tell folks that if you don't define yourself, your competition will.

The challenge is to come up with a meaningful differentiator. I could bill my company as the only marketing firm in Atlanta run by a red-headed woman who's half-Iranian. That's a difference, to be sure, but probably not a meaningful one if you're looking to hire a marketer.

Which brings me back to the dentist. "Dentistry with a Difference" means nothing. How are they different? How does that benefit me, the potential patient? They could be different, as in weird. (And when I first told Terri about their sign, that was her first reaction.) Not to pick on them; I do admire that they are at least trying to market themselves. Still, imagine if they described their difference in a memorable way. Tell me what makes you the best. Tell me why your customers come back.

Just don't tell me that you're "different."

The New York Times and LinkedIn

2009-01-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

So I was reading a business article in the New York Times the other day and noticed a column to the right that said "News for Marketing Professionals." My little marketing brain went "How'd they know what I do?" I'm registered with NYTimes.com, but I don't think they asked for my profession. So I clicked on the link that says "what's this?" and it turns out that they have partnered with Linked In to provide more relevant content to the user. I'm not sure how they figured out who I was on LinkedIn; I don't recall giving them that info, either, but it's possible I did.

Most people won't even think about the behind-the-scenes technology that makes this possible. Heck, most people won't even think it's unusual to have relevent content seamlessly woven into their online experience. But I think it's pretty cool. Incidentally, the New York Times does a lot of things right as far as online news goes. They do way more than just put up their print text. Lots of photo galleries, videos, and more that make it a much more interactive and informative experience.

The New York Times and LinkedIn

Best of the Web Viral Videos 2008 (Fun on a Friday)

2009-01-02T17:08:00.001-05:00

Looking for some fun time-wasters? Look no further than this Washington Post roundup of the best web videos of 2008. Here's to 2009 and more YouTube fun.

Drilling Down - Blogs Find Favor as Buying Guides

2008-12-29T10:12:00.000-05:00

Not a huge surprise, but there is data now demonstrating the huge influence bloggers have to influence shopping decisions. I read a blogger I like and trust; she recommends a product or service and I'm likely to trust that recommendation. It's the old-fashioned word-of-mouth method that marketers consider the holy grail of marketing (and soooo tough to accomplish), only amplified with more "ears" to hear what one is saying.

This has huge implications for marketers who are always trying to get in front of the influencers and generate that buzz. Here at NTM, we are finding more and more clients who are interested in reaching out to bloggers and we continue to develop models to make that happen (and track the response).

Read the NY Times Article: Drilling Down - Blogs Find Favor as Buying Guides

Denver Plane Crash: Twitter as Usual

2008-12-23T10:55:00.000-05:00

Twitter continues to gain momentum and elevate its status as a "news" medium as a passenger on board the Denver plane crash was one of the first to break the news . . . and he did it by tweeting about it!

Denver Plane Crash: Twitter as Usual

Bet You'll Never Guess The 3rd Largest Blogging Country

2008-12-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

It's Iran. It's a country of 70 million people, about half of whom are under 25 and eager to share their thoughts and general displeasure with their government. The Internet allows them to voice their opinions and they are doing it en masse: Iran currently has about 100,000 active bloggers.

I'm half-Iranian. The lovely young woman you see pictured here is my dear aunt when she was young. She lives in Connecticut now, but I still have family in Iran. They are big fans of instant messenger services and we often connect that way. And while Iran can't police the entire Internet, they do restrict some sites. I have not found an easy way to share photos, for example, as sites like Shutterfly are banned.

Marketing is, at its core, about communication. How we communicate ideas and to whom we communicate them. So I've always found that marketing and politics are close cousins but I've generally resisted blogging about that intersection. (Oh boy, was it tempting this year!) Still, I couldn't resist this time because I was floored to find out how many bloggers there are over there. Imagine the social network they are developing. Now think about how much influence bloggers are having here in the States. Who knows where this could lead?

Iran: A Nation of Bloggers - ViralBlog

How Twitter Will Transform Your Business Series: Twitter and PR

2008-12-17T12:08:00.000-05:00

Twitter reigns as the de facto social media tool of 2008. But you're probably wondering "what does its mega-popularity have to do with my business?" The answer: more than you think.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will attempt to build a solid business case for Twitter for every day business. Why? Because as you already know, we must evolve with the times. How we used to do business yesterday may not be as effective today. We're committed to helping you cope with the dynamic marketplace and find realistic strategies for success. And I am a social media advocate. By the end, I will have either transformed you into an avid Twitter-er or crashed and burned. You decide.

First, let's examine how Twitter will transform Public Relations.

As a public relations professional, I know there is nothing more important than relationship-building and relevancy. In the old days (3 years ago), we used to attend parties and networking events, host "lunch and learns" and hold press tours in order to establish an amicable, respectable relationship with our journos. When we pitched, it was that relationship that helped us place stories (hopefully) because we would know a journo's beat, their preferred delivery method, tone, etc.

While the relationship-building still is at the epicenter of PR, there are tools on Twitter that help facilitate and add value to this process.

Jornchat is a live discussion every Monday 8-10pm EST where everyone from journalists, PR professionals, and students have the opportunity to work collaboratively and share insights.To participate, you simply type your comments in Twitter and include #journchat. By using a service such as search.twitter.com you can search for and follow all Tweets that included #journchat.

HARO (Help-A-Reporter-Out) is a daily newsletter produced by Peter Shankman that provides PR folks real details of reporters looking for experts and sources for their stories. However, Peter Shankman (@skydiver) uses Twitter to announce urgent requests, which are usually from major outlets like CNN and Washington Post and The Today Show.

MicroPR is a newly developed offering created by Brian Solis and Stowe Boyd. It connects journalists, bloggers, analysts and PR/marketing professionals together in a way that was unimaginable prior to Twitter. It aims to connect information, sources and stories to the people.
Subscribe to the @MicroPR feed and definitely follow it on Twitter.

So for the public relations industry, Twitter is proving to be a fantastic representation of the changing media landscape and the role of social media: real people coming together online to share and discover new information.

Surviving the Holidays/Make Life Easier

2008-12-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Are you one of the 59 million people who will be traveling this holiday season? We dug up some of our favorite useful tools to help you keep a peaceful pace this season.

For the Speed Demon

This is a free iPhone app that warns you of speed traps and traffic cameras, helping you avoid fines and points on your driver’s license.

For the Jet Set

Mobile application for the iPhone, Treo, Blackberry and Windows Mobile. Great for Business and family travel, it can track itineraries and all related details for a trip.

Great travel-oriented social networking site

Capture Precious Moments

Stickam - Stream live videos of your vacation from your mobile phone.

Upload mobile photos and share them with all of your social networking sites.

Czechs Love This; You Might Too (Fun on a Friday)

2008-12-12T11:44:00.002-05:00

I saw this on ABC News the other night and knew I had to share. This 30-year old video is one of the top Google searches in the Czech Republic. It's quite funny. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Susan Lucci Caught Up in Detroit Drama - Advertising Age

2008-12-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

When the car industry suffers, the media suffer, too. Why? Because the auto industry is one of the largest advertisers on television and print. When I worked in television during a recession, our sales reps took a big hit when the local car dealers cut back on their ads.

But it's not just the advertising sales departments that are suffering. Apparently, all that declining revenue has hit the production budgets, too. Big name t.v. celebs like Susan Lucci are taking pay cuts and others are losing their jobs altogether. Even a fixture like Deidre Hall, who has been on "Days of Our Lives" for over 30 years are gone. (They didn't even bother to cut her salary, like Lucci; they just got rid of her altogether.)

Susan Lucci Caught Up in Detroit Drama - Advertising Age - Madison+Vine: News

Seth Godin Warns: The Internet is almost full (Make Life Easier)

2008-12-09T09:27:00.002-05:00

Seth Godin warns us that the Internet is almost full, not in terms of physical space -- that's almost unlimited -- but in terms of our mental capacity to keep up. It really is overwhelming at times. How do you read all your emails, much less keep up with the news you want to read?

I'm only halfway there, but one of the most helpful things I've done is set up an RSS reader. What's an RSS reader? RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. Your favorite websites and blogs (like this one) have an RSS feed that you can subscribe to. This will let you know when there is a new post and give you a quick summary of it (you can then decide to click thru to the full post).

You need to subscribe to these feeds in some sort of a reader. It's like the personalized My Yahoo or iGoogle pages, both of which use RSS feeds to populate your selected content. But the one I like and use is Google's Reader. It has a list of my feeds down the left hand side. I click on one and get summaries of stories (or blog posts) in a reading pane -- just like email. I scroll through and scan and click if I want to read more. To add a site to your reader, just look for the RSS or Atom XML button on a site. (Sometimes, I do a CTRL+F which is a "find" shortcut and type in "RSS" to find the feed button.) Once you click on that, it'll ask you where you want to put the feed, and there is almost always an option to add it to your Google Reader.

It's simple once you get the hang of it. If you try it and need help, just shoot me a note and I'll help you out.

One more thing: I often read news on my phone when I'm in waiting rooms or standing in lines. You can pull up your Google reader on most mobile phones and it optimizes the content for mobile viewing. That's another tool I use to keep up with what's going on and maximize my time a bit.

Hope this helps make your life easier!

Seth's Blog: Warning: The internet is almost full
Get your own Google Reader here
Subscribe to our RSS feed

Straight No Chaser - Fun on a Friday

2008-12-08T20:26:00.002-05:00

What happens when you post a ten-year old video of you and your college buddies singing group on You Tube? If you're this group of Indiana University crooners (my alma mater!), you get over 8 million views, one of which was by a president of a record company. Guess what happened next? A record deal and a holiday album. Enjoy the video of the college performance that started it all or buy their album here.

Read all about them here: ABC News/Group Gets Record Deal from You Tube

Cyber Monday Deals: 11 Best Online Resources

2008-11-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

I hate the malls and with a newborn I'm even less inclined to go shopping. But I love a good deal. And luckily for me, online retailers are combating Black Friday sales with their own "Cyber Monday" deals. The folks at Mashable have kindly put together a list of the best deals. Enjoy shopping in your p.j.'s!

Cyber Monday Deals: 11 Best Online Resources

Fun on a Friday -- NTM's Newest Addition

2008-11-19T17:43:00.004-05:00

Here's my little munchkin, born on Election Day. He has his dad's chin (see that cute cleft?) and it looks like he may have my red hair. Mom, Dad and Baby are all fine, healthy and happy. Mom and Dad are especially happy.

Motrin Mom Babywearing Ad

2008-11-19T17:20:00.001-05:00

"Baby wearing is a fad. . . Supposedly it's a real bonding experience." These are some of the lines from Motrin's new ad about moms who carry their babies in slings. Yikes! What was Motrin thinking? How many times do we have to chide marketers for their abysmal efforts at marketing to women? (We decry it frequently on this blog.) How many times do we have to remind them that women are responsible for 80% of all consumer purchases? It's generally not a good idea to piss us off.

This commercial has been widely denounced all over the blogosphere and on Twitter. Women are ticked off at Motrin. Women who use baby carriers generally don't consider it a fad.

If Motrin was trying to make the point that carrying your baby can cause aches and pains, they certainly could have done so without the mocking.

I'd read the articles and heard about the angry blog posts, but hadn't seen the ad until yesterday. (Sorry, I was busy having a baby of my own!) Yesterday, Terri and I checked it out to see what all the fuss was about, thinking it had probably been overblown. Having watched it now, I can say the fuss is warranted, Motrin was stupid, it was a bad marketing move, and I'm happy to report they've pulled the ad.

The Hidden Web

2008-11-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

Move over Google! A new web browser developed by the super smarties over at the Human Genome Project aims to discover the whopping 99% of the web Google and other search engines cannot get to.

Genomics Browser Unlocks Deep Web

Best Buy launches store for and by women

2008-11-03T12:09:00.001-05:00

Gosh, about 18 years ago, I put together a presentation (pre-PowerPoint days; I painstakingly typed it in WordPerfect) on marketing to women. I was baffled then that more businesses weren't taking advantage of this lucrative market. Most of the stats I cited back then (women control 80% of consumer spending, buy 60% of all new cars and influence the purchase of most of the rest, represent nearly half or more of all investment decisions, etc.) are still true today and yet, marketers remain blissfully ignorant on how to target us. The situation has improved, of course, but I am still waiting for a car manufacturer to truly speak to me. I get so sick and tired of car commercials that focus on performance, speed, horsepower, and torque (what is torque anyhow?). The only time I've really seen a car commercial attempt to talk to women it was for a van and highlighted the remote control sliding doors. Well, it's a start I suppose.

And for the record, targeting women does not mean making your product pink.

Best Buy is trying to get in on the action. Since women represent 45% of all electronics purchases, they're looking at ways to appeal to us, starting with the design of their stores. They have one test store now. I hope it works and that more marketers consider their actual SHOPPERS (women!) in their store planning, merchandising, product choices, etc.

Read more here: Springwise: Best Buy launches store for and by women

HAPPY HALLOWEEN -- More Cake Wrecks

2008-10-31T10:50:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite blogger humorists, the Cake Wrecks lady, is at it again with Halloween wrecks. Here's what she has to say about this craptastic cake.

Yep, Stephanie S. reports that this was actually labeled "Mummy Cake". As opposed to "Ticked-Off Cross-Breed of a Storm-Trooper and a Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle Cake".

She has lots more pictures and snarky comments on Cakes-Gone-Wrong for Halloween. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

More here: Cake Wrecks

Forrester: Social Web Now Mainstream

2008-10-30T18:30:00.000-04:00

New Forrester research indicates widespread acceptance and adoption of social media, with up to 75% of respondents reporting some usage of social media in 2nd quarter of this year. What's included in social media? Well, a lot of the usage is among folks reading blogs. No mention in this brief article on whether or not Facebook and similar social networking sites are catching on with the over 35 crowd, but anecdotally, I can tell you that I'm getting lots more friend requests from old high school and college friends. I've even had a few ex-boyfriends track me down!

From a marketing standpoint, we always tell our clients that more and more of their customers are all over the web and there are some great ways to reach them. We almost always recommend search engine marketing first -- that's a must -- but depending on your customer set, we often look at blog outreach programs, social media press releases (basically, interactive press releases), and social networking. Studies like this simply affirm that more and more of your prospects are hanging out in the social media pool. It's time to start thinking about how to reach them there.

Read more here: Forrester: Social Web Now Mainstream

Social News Sites for the Grown and......Serious

2008-10-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

The concept behind social news sites such as Digg, Reddit and Newsvine is pretty simple: search and read the latest in news and happenings and share this content with your circle of friends, colleagues and (perhaps) admirers. But as information becomes increasingly customizable, democratized and instantaneous, these general sites may not feed your insatiable grown-up appetite for real news. Here's a list of great niche social news sites that will undoubtedly fill you up:

Great social news site specifically for small-to-medium sized business companies

Social news site for marketers, entrepreneurs and business professionals

#1 Social news site for internet marketers, with a focus on search

Social news site focusing on current health news

A news site that focuses on technology, start-ups, business and entrepreneurship

Financial Social news service

Internet marketing Social news site that focuses on making money

Great Design social news site

Web design news and tips

New Pepsi Logo -- huh?

2008-10-29T01:35:00.004-04:00

Is it just me or does this new Pepsi logo look like the Obama logo turned sideways? Besides that, why are they changing their logo? They claim it's to infuse some excitement into the brand during a recession. Look, we do logo redesigns all the time -- usually for companies who never had a professionally designed logo in the first place. And changing logos can give you an excuse to reach out and touch your customers, or just fire up the troops internally. So I can't make a blanket statement and say this is a bad idea. What I can say, is how much did this cost? How much will it cost to re-brand the trucks, bottles, all the packaging, etc.? How else could they have spent the money? Maybe with some kick-ass contests (people love those any time, but especially in a recession). Or some big, attention-getting marketing stunts at cities throughout the country. Or college campuses.

What do you all think?

Read more here: TheDieline.com: The Leading Package Design Website: What is Pepsi thinking?

Corporate Gift Giving -- Food Edition

2008-10-17T15:59:00.007-04:00

It's time to start planning for holiday greeting cards and gifts (if this is something your company likes to do). Tired of the fruit baskets, gourmet food baskets, or tubs of popcorn? Here are a few food ideas we love.

Looks like flowers, tastes like fruit. Yummy edible arrangement.
Looks like a greeting card. Tastes like a big 'ol cookie with buttercream frosting. (Thanks to my friend Lisa W. for the tip on this years ago.) These make great birthday cards for clients, too. (They have tons of designs for every occasion.)
With names like "Papa Don't Peach," and "Shofar So Good Apple Honey", this is not your average bread. This local Atlanta bakery has the yummiest sweet bread treats.
Another local Atlanta business, Pop!, makes frozen popcorn balls with fruit bits and drenched in chocolate. Terri -- a serious popcorn lover -- is salivating over these.
Gigantic fortune cookie with your own custom "fortune" message inside. These are the size of a football. Send it with a message to your customers wishing them "good fortune" in the coming year.

Food treats make great gifts any time of year; not just the holidays. In fact, many of these companies have Halloween-themed treats available now, and all are great to send for client birthdays. In the coming weeks, we'll post ideas for non-food related gifts. If you have any other suggestions, please post them in the comments section.

Sometimes the simplest things . . .

2008-10-15T21:08:00.004-04:00

Most of us would like to be known for outstanding customer service, but we don't spend much time thinking about the steps we can take to actually improve our level of customer care. And when we do, it's often geared towards upgrading technology or other expensive systems. Sometimes, all you need is a warm, personal human touch. (And given the state of the economy, shoring up relationships with your customers is critical.)

To wit: recently, I discovered Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods. I've bought a number of items from different sellers and have experienced great customer service. (Much like ebay, customers rate the sellers.) But the service I received on my last purchase went even beyond good. This seller included a beautiful card with a personal note to me. She put two gourmet tea bags in the card (which had nothing whatsoever to do with the purchase; it was just a treat). She wrapped everything carefully. You could tell she did not just toss this in a FedEx box. Rather, she tied each item with a lovely string and a home made tag. The tag gave instructions for washing and care, and ended with this delightful note: "enjoy."

So why am I telling you about an independent seller on Etsy? A shop with only 33 items? Because, if she can do it, so can you. When was the last time you hand wrote a thank you note to your clients? When was the last time you included a "surprise" treat or gift? Have you thought about how you package or present your goods or services?

What are you waiting for?

Recession Proof Marketing Tip #1 -- Shore Up Relationships with Existing Customers

2008-10-13T12:46:00.000-04:00

Early this year, we drafted a marketing plan for ourselves -- a top-level outline of what we need to do to be successful this year. One of the organizing principles we used is how to grow a business in a recession. At the time, nobody was sure if we were in a recession, but plenty of people thought we were headed for one. And now, with the financial market meltdown, it seems more and more likely. As business owners, what can we do to make sure our businesses survive, or better yet, thrive?

We'll start posting tips for you to consider. If you have additional ideas, please post them in the Comments section.

Tip # 1 -- Shore Up Relationships with Existing Customers
What are you currently doing to service your existing accounts? Do your customers LOVE you? I mean, really, really think you're amazing? What can you do to consistently amaze and delight them? Make a commitment, today, to surprisingly good -- outstanding -- customer service. Pull your team together and brainstorm what that might look like. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Ask your clients what you can do to help them sell more (or do more of whatever it is they want to do).
Surprise them with a gift, discount, extra service. No reason. Not a holiday surprise, but "just because." Expect nothing in return. (Simple gift ideas: a subscription to a relevant business magazine, Starbucks gift card, gourmet food items)
Call them. Don't e-mail. Call and say "hi."
Take them to lunch, dinner, a movie, a play.
Keep your eyes out for relevant articles, research, etc. Send it to them with a personal note.

Ideally, you should do a combination of things. We encourage you to get your team together today and talk about "creating customer evangelists." There is, in fact, an entire customer evangelism movement over at the Church of the Customer blog.

Where's The Beef?

2008-10-01T13:35:00.000-04:00

So your company has started a blog, but lately, your have found your posts are rather lackluster, and have become discouraged by the lack of traffic to your blog. Don’t fret. Here are some ideas to beef up your blog:

Remember, Content is Still King

It can be very difficult to come up with a new blog post every day that is relevant and engaging. A good way to get around writer’s block and post great content is to consume content! What is everyone talking about right now? Watch the news, read other blogs, check out the most popular stories on social bookmarking sites such as Digg, Newsvine, or Del.ici.ous, listen to the radio and read magazines and newspapers. Compare your findings with Google Trends, which gives you a search “snapshot” of what’s on the public’s mind. Write about these topics, and give it a little perspective on it.

Keep interesting postings, notes, pictures, punchy copy --whatever strikes your fancy-- in what I call a “Resource File”; which is a folder that you can turn to whenever the creative well runs dry.
Keep track of your blog posts that were popular. Re-purpose this content and update this topic regularly.
Use pictures and video whenever possible! Allow for others to share this collateral.
Encourage a conversation. Remember that your blog should establish you/your company as a valuable resource that offers useful information. Try not to become just another squawk box or advertorial. Ask for feedback or additional insight from your readers.

Promote Your Blog- the Smart Way.

Link love is the best kind of love for a blog and a surefire way to build traffic. Check out Zemanta, a cool new plug-in that instantly shows other relevant blog posts from around the world and immediately builds tagged links between your posts and others.
Make sure your RSS are functional and visible.
Connect your social networks and your blog. This will elevate your profile and alert people about your blog.

Remember, your blog should be an experience for your audience. Always keep them in mind when developing content and the rest shall follow.

Introducing a new blogging addition

2008-09-30T20:30:00.002-04:00

Natalie Black is joining me here on the NTM blog, posting her unique insights into marketing and new media. Natalie has been working with us for about six months, and is a PR and social media expert with experience working with major national brands.

I'm glad to have her help keeping the blog up-to-date (especially as my due date nears!). Natalie has a sharp mind and oodles of energy (oh how I envy that!) and will be a great addition to the blog. Enjoy!

Use Twitter to Find Gas Stations

2008-09-30T16:24:00.005-04:00

Looking for gas in Atlanta? Here are some online sources to help out. (By the way, it's fascinating how the web connects people on subjects like this, and how everyday folks are using web 2.0 tools to help one another out.)

Twitter has a group of folks posting gas station updates here: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23atlgas

This fuel price map is updated with times so you know what time someone got gas there:
http://rrtexternalweb.wrightexpress.com/neo_ww/site_locator/list.action?sortByValue=PRICE&sortDirection=ASCENDING&latitude=33.995788&longitude=-84.469766&mapType=Hybrid&mapZoom=3&sorting=undefined&address=&city=&state=&zip=30062&fuelType=Unleaded+Regular&radius=5

Listen Up Gas Stations

2008-09-30T14:25:00.003-04:00

So you may have heard that we are experiencing a gas shortage here in Atlanta. Yesterday, my husband and I went to about twelve stations in the area and none of them had gas. There is a QT (Quik Trip) nearby that had gas the other day, and a long line, but it was very orderly. They had an employee directing traffic and everyone waited their turn.

That got me thinking. That QT is across the street from another station, and a block away from several others. When the gas crisis is over, people will fall back into old habits and pull in to which ever station has the cheapest gas and is on the right side of the road. But does it have to be? That QT has an opportunity to capture me as a customer right now. They have a captive audience waiting in line for 15-30 minutes at a time. Why not take advantage of that? What if they had an employee bringing bottled water out to the cars (complimentary, or heck, go ahead and offer it for sale). Or samples of the food they would like to sell inside? What about passing out coupons to get us to come back when the shortage is over?

Can you imagine the buzz this would create if, in addition to being the orderly station with gas in the neighborhood, they were also the station that was handing out free food, drinks, and coupons? That would engender enormous good will and word-of-mouth, and create new customers for that station.

What do you think? What else could the station do?

Fun on a Friday -- Top Five Awful Yoda Cakes

2008-09-05T13:48:00.002-04:00

Why is Yoda singing Karaoke? That's the question on my mind. This blogger can't answer, but he does list the top five most cringe-inducing Yoda cakes, with appropriate sneering commentary. Hilarious. (You should check out his Top Five Awful R2D2 cakes, also.)

(I know I just blogged about CakeWrecks. It was her blog that led me to this post, so you have her to blame/credit.)

Social Networking for Spooks

2008-09-05T13:33:00.001-04:00

The government has found a way to use social networking: they have created a MySpace for spies, an online social hub where spies can hook up and share classified data. Social networking in this arena is really a fancy way to say "online collaboration," but it's an interesting marker of how widespread the acceptance of Web 2.0 tactics has become.

Read more here: CIA, FBI push 'Facebook for spies' - CNN.com

Google set to introduce its own Web browser

2008-09-01T20:09:00.000-04:00

Google continues its plans for world dominance with its own browser, available for download Tuesday. Google contends that web surfing has moved beyond text and graphics and that browsers need to work better for video and other interactive applications. We'll definitely keep our eye on this.

Read more here: Google set to introduce its own Web browser - Yahoo! News

Travellers’ Internet tips proving a hotter destination than popular guidebooks

2008-08-28T19:02:00.000-04:00

Ditch your Lonely Planet guidebooks and logon on to TripAdvisor. That's what 70% of the folks surveyed and referenced in this article say they do. (The article doesn't tell me much about the survey participants so take this for what it's worth.) I still find the guidebooks useful when I'm walking around a city, but like many people, I plan my trips online first. My husband and I used TripAdvisor to find hotels and activities in Italy for our honeymoon, and recently used it to plan a trip to New Mexico. We're big fans. TripAdvisor features user reviews on accommodations, activities, and restaurants. User reviews are the online equivalent of word-of-mouth. And word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful marketing tools.

Businesses have caught on. We've been asked by hotels we stayed at to post our reviews on TripAdvisor. Super smart marketing.

Read the article here: Travellers’ internet tips proving a hotter destination than popular guidebooks - WalesOnline

When Cakes Go Wrong -- Fun on a Friday

2008-08-21T21:51:00.007-04:00

I've been laughing so hard at the cakes on this site that I literally have mascara running down my face and my husband is beginning to question my sanity (something he should have done a long time ago). This blogger posts pictures of cakes gone wrong, then writes hilarious posts about each. I read about it on another blog, but it sounded kind of lame so I ignored it. Then I read about it on another blog, only this blogger posted pictures, and before I knew it, I was hooked. Soooo funny!

It's not just the pictures -- although many of them are pretty hilarious on their own -- it's what she writes. To wit, here's her explanation of the carrot baby cake above:

This cake is so disturbing, I'm almost glad the picture doesn't include the whole thing. The plastic clone babies wearing naught but mohawks is bad enough, but then they're also riding carrots. What do you do with that? It looks like some kind of perverted vegetable rodeo, or maybe a bizarre clone military exercise, what with their little plastic fists raised high in identical salutes.
And what kind of occasion calls for a "naked babies riding carrots" decor, anyway? No, wait, maybe I don't want to know...

Some of the images are just plain disturbing. Note to the women planning my baby shower: do NOT get me a cake like this! (Or this, which was just too disturbing to post.)

More funny cakes here.

PETA Wants to Put Vegan Ads on Border Fence

2008-08-14T11:55:00.001-04:00

Again, from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up files: PETA wants to advertise on the border fences. They want to warn immigrants that crossing into the U.S. could be harmful to their health because we eat so poorly over here. "If the Border Patrol Doesn't Get You, the Chicken and Burgers Will — Go Vegan" is the message that would be printed in both Spanish and English on the fences.

This doesn't work at all. Seriously, PETA, that's your target market? Or maybe you're trying to get free press for the half-baked idea? You might get it, but I suspect it'll be of the mocking variety.

Read more here: PETA wants to put vegan ads on border fence | Pets Houston | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Study: 49% of Users Utilize Search Daily

2008-08-08T15:28:00.001-04:00

Search is the 2nd most popular online activity (email is 1st), yet I can tell you that most small to medium sized businesses still do not include any type of search engine optimization in their marketing plans. Even simple things, like getting listed on Google's Local Search, can have a big impact. There are a number of search engine optimization resources online; just run a quick Google search on "SEO tips" and you'll find plenty. (Or, if you're feeling completely overwhelmed, shoot me a quick e-mail and we'll help you out.)

Read more here: Study: 49% of Users Utilize Search Daily

Look what we found: an online baby journal

2008-08-06T20:19:00.001-04:00

I was just telling a friend how I wish there was an easy way to create a digital baby book. I've grown so accustomed to creating digital photo books that I can't quite grasp the notion of printing photos and writing in an old-fashioned baby book. Well, I can grasp the notion and like the idea of being a part of such a cool tradition, but it does seem to me that I could do so much more online, like store videos and share pictures and stories with our relatives. I had contemplated setting up my own secure social network on Ning but this site, Kidmondo, looks like a much better tool. It's an online baby journal. Secure and password-protected, of course, so only those you invite can see all the precious moments of your little one.

As far as marketing trends go, the social networks are a buzz with all things mommy and baby. As we have blogged about before, women love to pass out referrals; in fact, we feel compelled to help businesses grow. As a marketer, if you can tap into that innate desire women have, then you hit the marketing jackpot. Mommy blogs are a great place to start. And I'll bet the mommy bloggers are talking up tools like Kidmondo.

Read more here: Kidmondo: an online baby Journal

Top Social Marketing Blogs

2008-07-29T19:25:00.002-04:00

Looking to increase your social media/marketing I.Q.? This list of 142 top social marketing blogs ought to keep you more than up-to-date. (Of course, you can always check in with our blog and we'll try to hit the highlights for you.)

Read more here: Top Social Marketing Blogs

Last Lecture Professor Randy Pausch, 47, Dies

2008-07-25T11:52:00.001-04:00

He was, in many ways, a marketing phenomenon. An example of how an idea catches on and spreads like wildfire on the web. (Because it was a good idea and an inspiring message; not because some marketing folks pushed it.) His touching "Last Lecture" was viewed by millions online and his book about the lecture became a bestseller. Today, Professor Randy Pausch, succombed to the terminal cancer he has battled for over two years.

Read about his incredible life here: Last Lecture Professor Randy Pausch, 47, Dies - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog

Botox for Bridesmaids -- Yuck!

2008-07-24T11:23:00.001-04:00

Trends in fashion, home decor, life . . . as marketers we pay attention to what's "in" and work hard to cultivate the Next Big Thing. Some trends are just plain silly or clearly for the young (bubble skirts fit both categories in my opinion), and some trends are just plain cringe-inducing. Like the latest Bridezilla request. It seems that brides across the nation are requesting their bridesmaids get botox, spray-on tans, and all manner of cosmetic enhancements. Gone are the days when you bought your bridesmaids a dainty pair of earrings or politely requested they wear matching shoes.

Look, I'm not a Botoxer myself, but I have no problem with women who choose to go under the needle or the knife, if that's their preference. I do have a problem asking others to do it on my behalf.

Besides, if you're really worried about wrinkles in your photos, there are easier ways to camouflage that. Photoshop works wonders. And in my experience, the joy of marrying the man of my dreams put such a glow on my face that I doubt anyone noticed my wrinkles. Or at least, that's what I'd like to believe! (That's me in the photo, at 41, on my wedding day.)

Read more here: Skin Deep - It’s Botox for You, Dear Bridesmaids - NYTimes.com

McDonald's robber is finalist in jingle contest -- for McDonald's

2008-07-21T17:14:00.001-04:00

You can't make this stuff up. McDonald's is running a contest on MySpace to update its classic Big Mac jingle (remember "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese . . ."). The five finalists' videos are on MySpace. Turns out that one of the finalists served jail time . . . FOR ROBBING A MCDONALD'S!

If he wins, I have no idea how McD's will spin this. But it does point out the uncontrolled nature of UGC (user-generated content) and web contests.

Read more here: McDonald's robber is finalist in jingle contest -- for McDonald's -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Great Spot from Nike (Tiger Woods Never Give Up)

2008-07-15T19:01:00.001-04:00

Sometimes in advertising, the simplest spots are the most effective. Watch as Tiger's late father, Earl Woods, expounds on his son's mental toughness. This ad was actually produced BEFORE Tiger's remarkable U.S. Open win, which makes Nike's ad team pretty freakin' smart/lucky.

Eggs-cellent Timing!

2008-07-15T11:36:00.003-04:00

If you can get by my awful egg pun, take a second to read this entry about a giant egg billboard for McDonald's. It's a giant egg that mechanically opens during breakfast hours to let people know that McDonald's is cooking up fresh eggs at that time. Once breakfast is over, the egg closes up, ready to hatch again the next morning.

If only Adam Sandler had one of these in "Big Daddy," he could have saved himself some heartache.

Reaed more here: The Arab Aquarius: Hatching Billboards: McD's Giant Egg

Check Out NTM on the Radio

2008-07-09T18:47:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, I was interviewed for a radio show called "Tech Talk." The host, Craig Peterson, wanted to know how small businesses combat low productivity in the summer. I had a few thoughts,which you can listen to here . I think the thing we do best is manage expectations with our clients. We know things will take longer in the summer; not only are we on vacation, but our clients usually are, too. We discuss that up front so everyone is on the same page. There's more, but it's probably more fun to listen to it!

Listen to the podcast here: Tech Talk With Craig Peterson - Tech That Talks to Everyone

How to Get More Stuff

2008-07-07T16:08:00.000-04:00

Women are famous for their ability to talk up their favorite products and services. We often tell our clients that women don't just like to talk about good experiences; they feel compelled to spread the word. If we have a great experience at a store, we can't wait to get in our car and call our best friend and tell her about it.

There are agencies that are now hooking women up with product marketers in an attempt to get them to "buzz" about their goods. I am a member of one of them (BzzzAgent) and have sampled electric toothbrushes and moisturizers and organic milk as a result. All for free and if I like it, they give me coupons for friends to try it, too.

ABC News just did a piece on these viral marketing agencies, complete with links to some of the more popular services. Check them out if you're interested in free stuff, or if you're a marketer who wants to connect with some word-of-mouth marketing.
I Can Get Free Stuff? Do Tell...

Cartier Becomes the First Luxury Brand to Run MySpace Campaign

2008-07-02T20:22:00.003-04:00

I would not have thought of this. Cartier is too expensive and has a reputation for exclusivity. MySpace is sort of the generic, all-purpose -- even "low rent" -- brand of the social networks. So why is Cartier branching out there? Well, according to this article, MySpace has a lot of unique users with incomes over $100,000. And Cartier has tried social networking before, with success.

So what do I know? I'm not sure, but we'll keep an eye out as other luxury brands start trying the more mainstream social networking products.

Read more here: First luxury brand runs MySpace ad campaign - Social Marketing - BizReport

41 New Business Innovations

2008-06-30T16:46:00.001-04:00

From feeder businesses to solar/hybrid lawn mowers that use as little power as a lightbulb, here is a list of TrendWatching's 41 innovative business ideas. Some of these businesses are not in the U.S. but in this global world, a trend across the pond can quickly become the latest thing here in the blink of an eye.

Read more here: trendwatching.com: INNOVATION AVALANCHE

So You Think You Can Dance (Fun on a Friday)

2008-06-27T11:48:00.002-04:00

My hubby and I love to watch "So You Think You Can Dance." We both really enjoyed this routine last week and I see that it's one of the most viewed You Tube clips today. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

More Dancing (Fun on a Friday Part II)

2008-06-27T11:48:00.001-04:00

Here's a routine from earlier in the season that may still be my favorite dance so far. It's about a young man called off to war. Several "wow" moves and a beautiful story line. I love it when Joshua does this handstand thing, but Katee pulls him back by his foot and he "reverses" it. Impossible to explain. Even more impossible not to love. Watch and see for yourself!

Vista Sucks -- even Intel Thinks So

2008-06-26T20:39:00.001-04:00

Terri has complained about her Vista machine since she bought it. It's the computer she wants to love because it's loaded with other great, fun tools, but Vista has given her so many fits she just can't open her heart completely.

She's not alone. People have been complaining even more loudly than usual about the latest operating software release from Microsoft. Even the tech folks at Intel don't want to play with Vista. They're opting to keep XP and skip the Vista upgrade.

Which reminds me. You can still buy an XP machine at Dell -- until the end of June. After that, you can pay extra to downgrade your license. As Adam Freedman, my tech guru from Dunwoody PC explains:

The XP “Loophole” – Microsoft has told its big resellers like Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and HP, that as of June 30th, they can not sell you a computer with XP on it. Not totally true. They can sell you a computer with Vista Business and then downgrade the license to XP Professional. So, you as a consumer have to pay $100 more for this version of downgraded licensing, and Microsoft gets to tout just how successful the launch of Windows Vista can be! Disgusting…

My laptop has about six months left on it, but I don't want to risk getting stuck with a Vista machine so I am going to log off this blog and go buy me an XP machine right now.

Read more here: Et Tu, Intel? Chip Giant Wont Embrace Microsofts Windows Vista - Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog

Get help for your computer from Adam: Dunwoody PC

Forget Paying for Directory Assistance: GOOG-411 is free

2008-06-23T12:45:00.000-04:00

We've blogged previously about Google's free text information system
(send a text message to GOOGLE and get info back on everything from business phone numbers to movie listings to local weather), but have been remiss in letting readers know about Google's foray into free telephone directory listings.

It works like dialing 411, only it's free, every single time. You have your choice of being connected directly to the business, or receiving a text message with the info. They'll even send a map to your phone if you like.

Next time you're looking for a phone number, save yourself time and money by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411 instead. (That's 1-800-466-4411.)

Watch a video demo or read more about it here: 1-800-GOOG-411: Find and connect with local businesses for free from your phone.

Fun on a Friday: Introducing Wordle

2008-06-20T13:11:00.002-04:00

Check out Wordle, a new tool that generates beautiful word clouds (similar to "tag clouds") from any text that you submit. The image to the left is a Wordle created from a poem I uploaded that I wrote when I was 11 years old. The shapes and colors Wordle cranks out are techno-fabulous. I'm thinking of creating some artwork for my baby's nursery using one of these.

Seth Godin's Genius Ideas For the Kindle

2008-06-19T19:06:00.003-04:00

If you're an Amazon shopper, then you've probably been hit by a home page promotion for their reading device, the Kindle. It's a bit pricey -- around $400 -- but full of promise. I love the idea of downloading any book I want on demand, but am not convinced yet that the Kindle is worth the money. Ironically, the deal breaker for me is not the aesthetics or the idea of reading electronically. I already read three major newspapers every morning in bed from my phone -- it's the idea that I have to pay so much to read those newspapers on the Kindle (vs getting them free on my phone) that irritates me.

But I digress. It's a cool idea and Seth Godin has some ideas to make it even better. He notes that this is one of the first technological innovations designed first for WOMEN. (Most tech products are designed for men first, who tend to be the early adopters of new technology, and then they "evolve" for women -- although that "evolution" is still suspect with some products.) The Kindle has a look-and-feel that screams female-friendly, and the most downloaded books for the device are arguably chick books (Oprah Book Club, anyone?).

Seth thinks the Kindle has great promise, but is too linear a device. It's another way of reading a book. That's not disruptive or innovative enough. Seth is suggesting that Amazon should pour some social networking ideas into the device. Imagine being able to comment on passages (or highlight them) for your friends or your book club. Or to be able to scroll through and find out which passages were the "best" as deemed that by your social circle. I, for one, know my best friend Terri and I would love to highlight and share (we already do that with printed books).

That's just one of his great ideas. To read more of his brilliant suggestions, check out this blog entry.

The Pop vs. Soda Page (it's a Coke Y'all!)

2008-06-16T15:23:00.002-04:00

Here in Atlanta, no matter what soft drink you order, the generic term is "coke," as in, "Wanna coke?". When I lived up north, it was "soda," or "pop" (or "soda pop" in some places). This map plots the preferred term regionally. It's a fun little distraction on a Monday.

Personally, I've always said "soft drink," proving once again, that I'm something of an outlier.

See the interactive map here: The Pop vs. Soda Page

Amazon rings up shopping via text-message

2008-05-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

Amazon has just made comparison shopping easier. Now if you're out and about shopping in the "real" world (but really, who has time for that any more?), and find yourself wondering if you can get that same product cheaper on Amazon, all you have to do is send Amazon a text message with the product name and it'll text you back its price. (And options to buy it right from your phone.)

Read how here: Amazon rings up shopping via text-message Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Dove's 'Real Beauty' Pics Could Be Big Phonies

2008-05-09T13:58:00.001-04:00

I hope this isn't true because so many women I know think the Dove ads are brilliant (and great for our teenage girls to see), but there are rumors that the photos were extensively touched up. . . not so "real" after all. Now, if they were touching up things like hair sticking out, that'd be o.k., but any cosmetic changes would defeat the entire purpose of the campaign.

Read more: Dove's 'Real Beauty' Pics Could Be Big Phonies - Advertising Age - News

Where do all the crazy people live?

2008-05-09T12:32:00.000-04:00

This article posits the theory that where you live may have as much to do with your personality type as it does with what the area offers. Atlanta attracts a lot of conscientious and agreeable types. (So what the hell am I doing living here?)

Read more: Where do all the neurotics live? - The Boston Globe

Trade Publishers Ally for Ad Net

2008-04-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

How do you reach small business owners? Other than local Chamber of Commerce meetings, they don't naturally organize horizontally (across industries). You usually have to find them vertically, at their respective industry trade shows. Reaching them through their trade publications can be expensive, and reaching them online has been frustrating and time-consuming. Until now, that is. Some big media companies have aligned to pull together a trade advertising network. This means you will be able to pick a business target and advertise across multiple online sites to reach your demographic. This has existed for years for businesses targeting consumers (you can buy ads targeting a specific demo, such as Women 18-49, on Google AdSense, for example), but I don't believe there's been an efficient way to reach business customers. We'll definitely keep an eye on this for our clients in the B-to-B space.

Read more here: Trade Publishers Ally for Ad Net

Finding Health Insurance if You Are Self-Employed - New York Times

2008-03-27T21:19:00.000-04:00

I know that health insurance is one of the biggest obstacles preventing many would-be entrepreneurs from making their business dreams a reality. So while this isn't a post on marketing or media, I felt it would be useful to many of you. This article contains several links and ideas on obtaining health insurance. Still no tips on making it affordable, but it's a start.

Finding Health Insurance if You Are Self-Employed - New York Times

Rolling Out the Invisible Red Carpet -- Introducing the YouTube Award Winners

2008-03-24T15:02:00.002-04:00

The votes are in and here's a list of the 2007 YouTube Video Award Winners: No red carpet for these winners, no awards ceremony, not even a trophy -- just millions of fans watching and sharing their videos. Like this one that we've featured which won in the category of "Most Adorable." Consider us suckers for giggling babies, but we laughed out loud watching this one.

Who Knew? Hulu Launches with Loads of Your Favorite T.V. Shows for Free

2008-03-11T16:34:00.001-04:00

So here's the story: YouTube exploded and made all the t.v. and movie execs nervous. All their content was being distributed for free and worse, they weren't getting their cut. So NBC and FOX decided to fight back with their own streaming video site called Hulu with super-premium content -- all free (sort of; you have to watch some ads) -- and like everything online, it's on-demand. (Take that, Comcast!)

So now my husband and I can go back and watch those first few episodes of "Chuck" that we missed (and that I have not been able to find on YouTube). Fans of "The Office" can stream to their heart's content.

But Hulu isn't content to stream only t.v. shows. You'll also find movies from Sony and MGM, sports highlights, classic games and more. And if you like what you see, you can embed the clips on your own site (just like YouTube) and share with your friends.

Testing Over, Hulu.com to Open Its TV and Film Offerings This Week - New York Times

Spring Forward with Some Sliders

2008-03-07T15:54:00.001-05:00

Ah, the Porcelain Palace. Home of the little square hamburger, affectionately known as the "slider." In my t.v. days, I had occasion to call on the headquarters of White Castle up in Ohio, and the building looked just like the all-white kitschy little establishments many a college kid grew up on. It was the after-hours munchies place.

Well, White Castle does not want to deprive its fans of burgers just because we lose an hour this weekend. So for one hour Sunday morning, you can get two burgers, on the house.

MediaPost Publications - White Castle Offers Free Burgers At Time Change - 03/07/2008

Another Kind of March Madness

2008-03-07T11:46:00.003-05:00

Forget March Madness. For "Lost" t.v. fans, there's a new madness (as if the show isn't maddening enough already!). Get your (virtual) pencils out and write in your favorite Lost characters. Watch the bracket evolve and eventually narrow down to your favorite two Losties. Really, what could be more fun on a Friday?

Television: 'Lost' Madness - 64 'Lost' characters battle it out. (washingtonpost.com)

New travel site for boomers: Boomeropia

2008-02-26T18:10:00.005-05:00

I'm not quite a Boomer. Not really Gen X, either. (Born in 1965 makes me either the last year of the boom or the first year of Gen X.) But I do know a great marketing idea when I see one. In case you've been under a rock for the last 40 years, the boomer generation is starting to retire and these retirees are redefining what it means to retire. To wit: my good friend, Liz Dahl, who has started a travel site for boomers focused on fun, unique experiences. But don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. She's getting tons of press and deservedly so! Read more here: New travel site for boomers: Boomeropia - Yahoo! News

Baby Beatle -- Fun on a Friday

2008-02-15T10:42:00.001-05:00

This little guy is so cute and hilarious, singing and dancing in his diapers. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face as you head into the weekend.

Will Online Advertising Weather a Recession?

2008-02-12T22:54:00.003-05:00

Historically, ad budgets are one of the first things to get cut during a recession. These folks predict that traditional advertising will get cut (t.v., print, radio), but online advertising --particularly social media -- will weather the storm.

Then I read this article on how web advertising was up 27% in 2007. The analysts at IDC are expecting online advertising to weather any economic downturns as well:

IDC analyst Karsten Weide said businesses affected by the slowing U.S. economy will slash other advertising budgets before paring their online campaigns. "We think there will be some effect on ad spending overall, but we think online ad spending will almost be unaffected even if there's a depression," he said.

CBS Offering Free, Live, Online Coverage of Entire NCAA Tournament

2008-02-12T09:30:00.002-05:00

I grew up in Kentucky. Went to Indiana University. Following college basketball was not optional in those parts. Now I can watch all the games online for free. (I'll still watch at home on the flat screen but if I'm at the office during some of those early round games . . .) I'm rooting for University of Louisville this year. And Purdue, for my hubby.

Facebook's Virtual Trap

2008-02-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

You may have heard about companies researching prospective employees online and finding out all sorts of unflattering things via the wanna be employee's MySpace page or Facebook profile. What you might not know is that it isn't always easy to remove your profile altogether. Facebook, it seems, keeps an archived version of your profile and there are still invisible trails that reach back to you. There are technological reasons why they do this, but it's not good from a PR standpoint. Read more here: How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook? Just Try Breaking Free - New York Times

Who's Buying What in Super Bowl XLII - Advertising Age - News

2008-01-30T11:42:00.000-05:00

It's the only reason I watch the game: for the ads. Here's a line-up of who's forking out the $2.7-$3 million for :30 of advertising time. (There had been rumors that some of the presidential candidates might consider it, as the Super Bowl is just two days before Super Tuesday, but it was apparently not cost-effective for them. And that's probably true.) You'll see the usual suspects: Budweiser, movie trailers, car commercials (cuz really, what's a football game without car and beer sponsors?), soft drinks, and GoDaddy's recent tradition of airing a sexist/tongue-in-cheek (depends who you ask) spot.
Read more here.

Teachers Ask. You Choose. Students Learn.

2008-01-24T14:43:00.000-05:00

My sister teaches 2nd grade (and is a damn good teacher, I might add). I've watched her decorate her classroom and pay out of her own pocket (all teachers do) to purchase much-needed supplies and resources. Many years ago, I told her we should start something where businesses could adopt a school or classroom and donate some of our extra office supplies. Well, while I talked about it, some other folks actually did something about it. Teachers can go on this site and post details of a project they'd like to do with their class (but don't have the funds for) and donors like you and me can fund it. I think it's a kick-ass idea and another example of how the Internet enables folks to pool their resources and create more purchasing power.

Here's the article from Springwise Newsletter that tipped me off.

Here's the DonorsChoose site where you can go and donate. Spread the word to your teacher friends, too!

DeKalb County Brown Bag Links

2008-01-17T17:41:00.001-05:00

A warm welcome to all the folks who braved the cold weather to hear me speak at today's Dekalb County Brown Bag Luncheon. I met many entrepreneurs -- from start-ups to seasoned pros -- and was impressed with the talent and commitment they exhibited. Best of luck to all of you with your business ventures. We hope to see you back here on the blog from time to time. As promised, here is a listing of the web sites we discussed today:

MARKETING TOOLS:
•E-mail management and marketing: http://www.ConstantContact.com
•Polls/customer surveys: http://www.surveymonkey.com/
•Cheap photos for marketing pieces (coupla’ bucks a piece): http://www.iStockPhoto.com
•Full-color printing: http://www.PrintingForLess.com (ask for the Red Team)
•Quick, cheap printing (quality not great): http://www.OvernightPrints.com
•Fun, quirky printing: http://www.Moo.com
•Custom, cultural, and theme invitations and event paperie: http://www.KembaCelebrations.com
•Shirts, tote bags with your logo (small quantity): http://http://ocs.landsend.com/corpsales
•Edible greeting cards: http://www.EdiblesInc.com
•Custom cookies: http://www.LadyFortunes.com
•Chocolate business cards: http://http://SchottChocolateImages.com/
•Cheap mugs: http://www.DiscountMugs.com
•Custom containers, notepads: http://www.TheMacBethCollection.com
•Last-minute gift ideas: http://www.RedEnvelope.com
•Business networking: http://www.LinkedIn.com
•Social networking (find relevant groups):
http://www.Facebook.com
http://www.Ning.com
http://http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ga/atlanta/ (MeetUp Atlanta) (MeetUp Atlanta)
•Naming tools: http://http://www.wordlab.com/tools/t_index.cfm

OPERATIONS TOOLS:
•Simple project management tool: http://www.BasecampHQ.com
•Quicker surfing: Google Toolbar http://http://toolbar.google.com/T4/index_pack_xp.html
•Easier bookmarking: Google Bookmarks http://www.google.com/bookmarks/
•Directory assistance on the run (free): Google SMS (text message) http://http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/sms/
•Create PDF files (free): http://www.pdf995.com
•Conference calls (almost free): http://www.MrConference.com
•Legal advice and forms: http://www.LegalZoom.com
•Productivity advice: http://http://suiteminute.blogspot.com/
•Online continuous data backup (cheap): http://www.Carbonite.com
•Restaurant reservations (quick): http://www.OpenTable.com
•Discount furniture, supplies, office space: http://http://atlanta.craigslist.org/
•Web-based accounting: http://www.QBOE.com (QuickBooks Online Edition)
•Plan your route:
http://www.MapQuest.com
http://www.GeorgiaNavigator.com
•Best deal on cell phones: http://www.Sprint.com/SERO
(need an employee e-mail to access the site: email me and I'll send you one)
•Web site traffic reports and analysis (free): http://www.google.com/analytics/
•Free website (domain name, hosting, branded e-mail, design tools): http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officelive/default.aspx
(Microsoft Office Live)

It's like a GPS for your shopping cart!

2008-01-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Imagine a shopping cart that tells you where to find the peanut butter -- or better yet -- that one, rare ingredient in that new recipe that you've never heard of before. A shopping cart that lets you digitally pre-load your shopping list and guides you around the store. Of course, this cart is going to show you ads (and maybe even give you coupons)
based on your shopping preferences. All in all, not a bad way to get useful information and hey, I'll take those relevant coupons anytime.

The one thing I don't get? How Microsoft got into this game. Does this mean my shopping cart will "crash"? Let's hope not!

Read more: Microsoft Takes Digital Ads to Grocery Aisles

The $40 Plate

2007-12-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

I am a sucker for good marketing. About a year ago, I purchased a customized story book for my niece from http://www.iseeme.com/. The book spells out my niece's name, one letter per page, and each page features a garden fairy whose name begins with that page's letter. Absolutely adorable. (They have a version for boys -- or girls -- that uses animals instead of fairies.) At the end of the book is a glossary with all the fairies, A to Z.

From time to time, the company emails me discounts and promotions, but a few weeks ago, they emailed me something that really got my attention. The subject line read: "Celebrate Heather Allen's name with every meal." I opened the email and there was an image of a plate with fairies all around the border and Heather's name and birthday in the middle. (That's not really my niece's name but I didn't want to broadcast her name and birthday for the world to see.)

I thought it was a perfect addition to the book we bought her so I promptly ordered it. And yes, when all was said and done, it cost about $40. Forty bucks for a plate that will cradle mac and cheese. But TOTALLY worth it.

Comcast takes its whacks on service - USATODAY.com

2007-12-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

Comcast has a reputation. Probably not the one they were hoping for, either. Among other social organizing functions that the web serves, the Internet allows consumers to pool their voices. One person shouting? Maybe Comcast can ignore that. Try thousands shouting all at once, loudly enough to get the attention of the press.

One blogger took the matter of Comcast's poor service into his own hands and gave people an outlet to publish their own stories. I shared this article with my husband; to say that we have had issues with Comcast is a gross, gross, gross understatement. I lost count of service calls around Trip # 15. (The folks on the phone are very pleasant and as helpful as they can be but Comcast's system does not allow them to do much.)

Good customer service has always mattered. Bad service can spread like a wildfire with today's technology. Read more:

Comcast takes its whacks on service - USATODAY.com

Make Life Easier: Get 15% off at Red Envelope

2007-10-31T22:21:00.000-04:00

We often recommend RedEnvelope.com for last-minute client gifts. If you're looking for great holiday or end-of-year gifts, we just found a code for 15% off at Red Envelope. Just type in this code at check-out: BDEAL15. It expires 12/31/07. Happy Shopping!

http://www.redenvelope.com/

Super Tuesday -- Super Links

2007-09-24T19:32:00.000-04:00

I'm speaking at the Atlanta Business League's annual "Super Tuesday" event 9/25. I've promised to post a list of the web sites I referenced during my talk. The topic is technology to grow and manage your business. I've broken the links into tools we use on the marketing side and tools we use on the operations side. Hope you all find this helpful. Regular readers of our blog will recognize some of these as we've blogged on their usefulness before!

Marketing Tools

•E-mail management and marketing:
–www.ConstantContact.com
•Polls/customer surveys:
–www.SurveyMonkey.com
•Cheap photos for marketing pieces (coupla’ bucks a piece):
–www.iStockPhoto.com
•Full-color printing:
–www.PrintingForLess.com (ask for the Red Team)
•Quick, cheap printing (quality not great):
–www.OvernightPrints.com
•Fun, quirky printing:
–www.Moo.com
•Shirts, tote bags with your logo (small quantity):
–http://ocs.landsend.com/corpsales
•Edible greeting cards:
–www.ediblesinc.com
•Custom cookies:
–www.LadyFortunes.com
•Chocolate business cards:
–http://schottchocolateimages.com/
•Last-minute gift ideas:
–www.RedEnvelope.com
•Business networking:
–www.LinkedIn.com
•Social networking (find relevant groups):
–www.Facebook.com
–www.Ning.com
–http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ga/atlanta/ (MeetUp Atlanta)

Operational Tools

•Simple project management tool:
–www.BasecampHQ.com
•Quicker surfing:
–Google Toolbar
•Easier bookmarking:
–Google Bookmarks
•Directory assistance on the run (free):
–Google SMS (text message
•Create PDF files (free):
–www.pdf995.com
•Conference calls (almost free):
–www.MrConference.com
•Legal advice and forms:
–www.LegalZoom.com
•Productivity advice:
–http://suiteminute.blogspot.com/
•Restaurant reservations (quick):
–www.OpenTable.com
•Discount furniture, supplies, office space:
–http://atlanta.craigslist.org/
•Web-based accounting:
–www.QBOE.com (QuickBooks Online Edition)
•Plan your route:
–www.MapQuest.com
–www.GeorgiaNavigator.com
•Web site traffic reports and analysis (free):
–Google Analytics
•Free website (domain name, hosting, branded e-mail, design tools):
–http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officelive/default.aspx (Microsoft Office Live)

Make Life Easier: Priceline and Hotwire Forum

2007-09-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

This site won't win any design awards, but if you're looking for serious insider help getting the best hotel rates, you won't care what the site looks like. My hubby and I are planning a trip to NYC for our anniversary and I was coming up short with my usual research; the room rates in NY right now are sky high. Googling away, I found this site called BetterBidding.com. If you like to use Hotwire (and I do), they have all kinds of cheat sheets to help you figure out which hotels match up with your Hotwire search results. You can then go check those hotels out on TripAdvisor or another review engine and see if it's a decent place. And if you still can't figure it out, post a request for help on the boards and you'll get very useful tips, rates, and links. It's like having a travel agent who really knows how to "game the system." Be sure and use the links they provide you; this guy makes his money through the referrals.

Priceline and Hotwire Forum on BetterBidding.com

MySpace, MTV team up for one-on-one presidential dialogues

2007-08-28T22:14:00.001-04:00

In an appeal to the coveted youth vote in the upcoming presidential elections, MySpace and MTV announced Thursday that they have joined forces for a series of "one-on-one dialogues" with all the major candidates from both political parties--televised and Webcast events in which presidential hopefuls will answer questions from MySpace members & MTV. This follows the YouTube televised debates and is just one of many online events and activities that we'll be seeing in this election cycle. "Web 2.0" is about a two-way exchange of information and ideas; that's what is at the core of the social networking and user-generated content phenomenon. Using the power of social networks, the web is broadening the political canvas. There will always be a place for knocking on doors, eating at diners, and touring the country in a bus. But today's candidates have new tools that spread through individual's online networks of family and friends and these tools are proving to be very powerful. Even if we haven't all figured out how best to use them!

read more | digg story

Make Life Easier: Create PDF Files For Free

2007-08-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

Need to create a PDF file but don't want to pay for the full version of Acrobat? Not to worry. The kind folks at Mashable have put together a list of free tools you can use. I downloaded PDF 995 and it's working great for me. There is a slightly annoying box that pops up when you create a PDF that asks if you want to sign up for the paid version but it's easy enough to get rid of.

read more: PDF Toolbox: 40+ Tools to Rip, Mix and Burn PDFs

Marketing to Women—We've Come a Long Way Baby... (Maybe)

2007-08-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

Women control 80% (or more) of consumer spending. As this article points out, we're the "Chief Purchasing Officers" in the household. If you've known me for any length of time, you know that I've long railed against the lack of good female-focused ads. When was the last time a car commercial talked to me? I mean, I could care less about rack and pinion steering (not even sure if I'm spelling that correctly) or torque or horsepower. I -- and most women -- want to know about safety, and yes, where the damn cup holder is. Marketers have gotten better over the years (I love what Dove is doing), but they're about to hit another wall: marketing to boomer women. These women were part of the women's revolution. Many worked outside of the home. They're entering their 50's, 60's, and 70's with an entirely different attitude than previous generations. And are those of us in advertising talking to them? Nope. Of course not. Cuz that would make too much sense.

read more: Marketing to Women—We've Come a Long Way Baby... (Maybe) - Articles by Marketing Profs

Digitize Your Life

2007-08-22T11:47:00.001-04:00

Ever wonder how to get old VHS tapes into a digital format? Or the best way to digitize all your important personal documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, life insurance papers, etc.)? This little article from the NY Times gives you tips and specific products to use to digitize nearly anything important to you: music, videos, photos, or documents.

read more