Slogans abound. Large companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to create slogans and impress them on the public consciousness: “I’m lovin’ it.” “It’s the real thing.” “We try harder.” Unfortunately, most companies don’t have that kind of money to invest. So what’s a small- or medium-sized company to do? Actually, there are only…
The Fantasy of Marketing Magic I was talking with a friend the other day about how the ease of use of the Internet seems to have replaced the need to work at marketing in some people’s minds. For example, one fellow I know (and I’m quite sure he is not alone) has proudly built his…
Defining the Product Life Cycle The product life cycle, for marketing purposes, is usually defined as having four stages: Market Introduction – where the costs are high, the sales are slow, and revenues are dismal. Growth Stage – where there are increasing economies of scale, reducing costs. But at this stage, competition starts…
A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Jargon Every field develops its own arcane language. This usually starts as a shorthand to make it easier for those in the field to communicate economically and efficiently. Inevitably, however, the shorthand acquires a life of its own. It becomes a way to separate the “professionals” from the “non-professionals,” those…
Marketing In a Crowded Marketplace This article originally appeared on March 5, 2012 under the title of “Marketing a Commodity.” At the time, a number of people got caught up in mind-numbing discussions of what the word “commodity” means, and the point of the article got lost. This time around, I’ve eliminated the source of…
10 Practical Marketing Rules Over the years, I’ve developed some practical rules to help clients be more effective in their marketing efforts. I thought I’d share them with you; and I’ve also included links to articles that elaborate the concepts, in case you want to dig a little deeper. Practical Marketing Rule # 1: If…
Why Do Competitive Advantage Models Ignore Marketing? Lately I’ve been mulling over the concept of “competitive advantage.” It seems so simple and straight-forward. It’s whatever gives you a leg up on the competition. And, indeed, that is basically what most of the definitions say. The problem is not with the concept. The problem is turning…
Small Company Marketing Most of the economy is made up of small companies. Yet most of the discussion and literature about marketing focus on large corporations; and those that do speak to smaller companies spend their time assuming no knowledge of marketing at all (and very little common sense). Smaller companies have, basically, the same…
The Impact of Social Media On Brand Management In October 2010, the famous clothing company Gap quietly introduced a refreshed version of their classic logo that was in existence for over 20 years. Following an outpouring of negative customer feedback (their Facebook pages had over 250 comments), the company was forced to reverse its decision…
Breaking the Rules Everyday, wherever we turn, there are more and more rules about what we should do, how we should do it, and when doing it is appropriate. The government makes rules. Corporations make rules. Professions create standards (rules). We are told there is a right way and a wrong way to do things.…