For most businesses, the end of the year is the time to begin the planning process for the following year. And for many sales and marketing professionals, you have the luxury of starting fresh with a brand new (and hopefully larger) marketing budget. Take the time to analyze the past year's marketing performance. Was it all that you hoped it would be or do you drastically need to do better? How … [Read more...]
Would you, Could you, On a Cow? Unusual Advertising Spots
Leave it to online casino GoldenPalace.com (the company that paid $28,000 on eBay for the 'Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich') to come up with another original marketing idea: Advertising on Cows! I almost didn't believe this when I heard it, so I had to go directly to the source. You can check out pictures of the "branded" cows (I couldn't resist!) here. That got me thinking: what other … [Read more...]
Marketing Madness: Seasonal Marketing Strategies to Help your Business Stand Out
So I've got March Madness on the mind this month, even if my favorite team, the Fighting Illini, are no longer in the NCAA Men's College Basketball tourney, and my brackets aren't faring so well. What does March Madness have to do with marketing, you ask? Actually, marketing is everywhere this time of year. Here are a couple of examples of how companies have tied their marketing messages to … [Read more...]
Viral Marketing at its Best: Ricola’s “Thanks a Million” Campaign
It’s the middle of the cold season, and hopefully you have avoided any major viral infection so far. While we’re on the subject, I wanted to share with you what I think is a very good example of viral marketing from which we all could learn a lesson. Have you heard the latest Ricola radio commercials? The Swiss-based herbal cough drop company has launched a contest, which began last October 1 and … [Read more...]