Google is king. Despite the efforts of other search engines (we’re looking at you, Bing) to sway customers to their side, Google remains the most used search engine. It uses a secret algorithm to determine “relevance”, and where a company appears in Google search engine results has serious implications for a business’s future. In barely…
DetailsCertain words convey certain emotions. But not all words are created equal; some combinations of words work better than others to convey certain emotions or themes. An advertiser might lure shoppers to a big sale by saying, “Hurry! This is a limited time offer!” It would not be as effective if the advertiser said, “Want…
DetailsA recent article titled “The Busy Trap” by New York Times columnist Tim Kreider got me thinking about the busyness in my own life and the current state of what I call “new age marketing.” This is a powerful article and it sadly describes my own busyness. Yet, I was not always this busy. I…
DetailsMany brands come and go, and a few even stand the test of time. An even smaller number are among those that customers truly consider to be trustworthy. Why do we trust certain brands, and distrust others? It boils down to whether we perceive the company acts in our best interest, or in theirs. An…
DetailsA trip to a typical pet supply store like Petsmart or Petco can be overwhelming. Usually in a warehouse-style building, these stores stock a seemingly endless supply of products for dogs, cats, birds, and more. A simple trip to pick up some kibble can turn into multiple impulse buys ranging from squeaky toys and rawhide…
DetailsIf your business isn’t actively marketing to women, you’re missing out. Women tend to make more of the spending decisions in the average household and also spend more time online. Some companies have caught on, but choose to market to women in very stereotypical ways that prove ineffective. Though the exact numbers vary by study,…
DetailsWelcome to the future. More Americans today are living well into their 90s than ever before, and this has major implications for the rest of us. According to the Census Bureau, the median age of Americans rose from 35.3 years old in 2000 to 37.2 years old in 2010. By comparison, the median age in…
DetailsAt Thanksgiving, we often go around the table and discuss what we are thankful for. But don’t stop there. Expressing gratitude is an exercise that can dramatically improve your life if practiced regularly. It is all too easy to dwell on the problems in our lives, and far too often we overlook how lucky we…
DetailsIt is cliché in classical consumer marketing that the brand is always the hero. The brand (think Coca-Cola) is always the fix or the problem solver. Have a Coke and you will be happy. Buy our product and life will be better. This is certainly the messaging that you see in the cable series Mad…
DetailsBoys like blue and girls like pink. Men like football and women like romance novels. Gender is pretty straightforward, right? It’s actually much more complicated. For example, what would we find if we were to look across time and space to discover what it means to be a man? During the Renaissance era, only the…
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