Marketing

Clear Superpowers Win

    Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

    I was once told that to win, I needed to be very clear about my superpower. I also needed to be able to make that superpower clear to others. Isn’t that what marketing is about? But what if you only have an elevator ride’s worth of time? What is your
    Read More
    Like

    Holiday Sales

      Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

      Mom always began the sell early. A casual word dropped around Thanksgiving, secret smiles directed my way in early December. Perhaps a few bars of “White Christmas” hummed under her breath. Next, holiday songs would ring through the air and the full-scale sale began. “Wouldn’t it be fun to go
      Read More
      Like

      Maybe You Had To Be There

        Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

        I found myself doing it again.  Staring at a shelf trying to decide what to buy.  The clock was ticking in my head as I tried to make a decision, any decision. Recognizing that I wasn’t getting anywhere I spun around only to find another person right behind me. Also
        Read More
        Like

        Cool Hand Luke’s Best Line is Marketing Reality

          Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

          What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate. One of the best lines in cinema history came from the movie Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman. It runs through my head endlessly now. Why? Let’s take a look. Engagement vs. Education. Seems simple. So, why do so many businesses
          Read More
          Like

          Do You Get It?

            Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

            “That’s so you!” I love when people say this to me, good or bad. It means that they really know me, for better or worse. Everyone wants to be recognized for who they really are. People, businesses and organizations that “get” us truly understand our uniqueness. Communication, in this arena,
            Read More
            Like

            Why Matters

              Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

              When my son was small he was fond of saying “why”. All of the time.  Over and over again. Many of you have been there, are there or will be there. I always tried to answer, but often found myself thinking, “because!” Consumers increasingly want to know the “why” behind
              Read More
              Like

              What Does Success Look Like?

                Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

                Twenty-seven years ago this month, I founded my business. “Experts” advised me that my business would likely fail within the first five years. Thoroughly encouraged, I set my sights on creating the kind of business that I would want to patronize, one that would be successful. I was determined to
                Read More
                Like

                Marketing Blunders Contain Lessons

                  Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

                  What do you think is the biggest marketing blunder of all time? Each year, lists are published to remind us of the most ridiculous, off target, offensive or downright puzzling campaigns. Clearly this isn’t a list that most businesses or organizations want to appear on. To understand where communication goes
                  Read More
                  Like

                  Beware the Communication Death Spiral

                    Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

                    My roses have wilted, my violets are dead. Demons run circles round and round in my head. In my case, demons don’t sport pointy horns. They don’t hold pitchforks. No, they are businesses that simply won’t provide a way to talk to a real, live, person. We are all frustrated
                    Read More
                    Like

                    What’s Your Reputation?

                      Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

                      Abraham Lincoln once said, “With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.” Concerning business and individual reputations, no truer words have been spoken. It’s at the heart of what is known as reputation management. Reputation management refers to the influencing and controlling of an individual’s or group’s
                      Read More
                      Like

                      Recent Columns