Are Magazines Missing the Boat?

I am reading the latest issue of Communication World, which is the official publication of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Near the front (admittedly, I haven’t gotten very far), managing editor Sue Khodarahmi offers her take on a report from The Bivings Group that shows magazines slower to adopt Web 2.0 technologies.
Her [...]

Affinity Marketing is a Double-Edged Sword

Running for office is, sadly, a massive marketing campaign, where the candidate is the brand and the election is the final sale. The problem with politics, though, is that there are no refunds and the rules for exchanges are onerous (but not impossible, as California’s former Governor Davis learned).
Affinity marketing, with respect to political [...]

Are Hoaxes and Scams Killing Testimonials?

As I was “stumbling” through some websites this weekend, I came across one called infomercialscams.com. That got me thinking about the e-mail hoaxes that litter our inboxes on a regular basis, many coming from well-intentioned, blind faith friends and family forwarding them happily along.
I am a skeptical guy by nature, and I tend to [...]

Penalized for Loyalty

I have been a loyal subscriber to Sprint for my (once) cellular and (now) digital/mobile/smart/PDA phone service for almost ten years now. And what do I get for sticking with them all this time? How about being charged 3 to 5 times more than a new customer for the same phone. Yes, [...]

A Desire for Authenticity

Two nights ago, my wife and I attended a formal dinner for an organization to which we belong. Two of our table mates began discussing the TLC show “Miss America Reality Check”. Briefly, the show is about changing how women participate in the Miss America pageant by making it more real.
Our discussion shifted [...]

My Wife’s Quest for Holdredge Wines

Upon reading my recent post about Whole Foods, my wife reminded me of additional assistance she received from the wine department at our local store.
This story begins at her firm’s Christmas party at Bacco, a wonderful New Orleans restaurant. During the lunch, the group ordered, and consumed, several bottles of a delicious red wine.
As [...]

Whole Foods Gets Customers

On the way home from school pick up one day last week, I brought my three girls to a local Whole Foods Market for a few groceries. While we don’t shop there exclusively, we go for fresh produce, seafood, their cheese selection, the wine and, most importantly, customer service.
Whenever I’ve been wandering aimlessly down [...]

Think Twice about that Endorsement

With the primaries getting into full swing, we are sure to hear a slew of endorsements for one candidate or another. Some fairly notable ones (Sen. John Kerry endorsing Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Joe Lieberman for Sen. John McCain) have come already. But endorsements are not limited to politics. In the real [...]

The Pricing Game Part 2

Setting a price, in and of itself, is pretty straightforward. It cost A, you want to make profit B, so you set price C. There. You’ve set a price.
Developing a pricing strategy, on the other hand, takes a bit more work. It is a step-wise process, that, when done properly, puts [...]

Just How Many Threads Do We Need?

I have a bed. On that bed are sheets. Please don’t ask me what the thread count is; I’m not about to start counting. I don’t particularly care about the thread count. Clean? Yes. Cool in summer and warm in winter? Absolutely. Free of static and feeling [...]