It’s Not About YOUR Work – It’s About THEIR Results

This is a message I find myself struggling to get through the heads of my many talented creative friends on pretty much a weekly basis. And don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of great creative and realize how important producing great work is to talented designers.
But you can take your Flash and stuff it [...]

Engagement: Take The Good With The Bad

I was reading today’s AdAge about The Gap’s sister brand, Piperlime, and their experiment with adding some edgy personality to their Facebook wall posts. The postings were in conjunction with a well-planned marketing campaign, and it ruffled the feathers of some consumers.
First of all, let’s just get on over the idea that it’s important [...]

How to ROCK Your Small Business

Vision without execution is a daydream. Execution without vision is a nightmare. Japanese Proverb
That proverb made me think of many of the small business owners I know. A strategic marketing plan is often the step that most small business owners overlook, yet is really the most critical to their ultimate success. And, for some [...]

Snake Oil Salesmen? Stick It.

Sitting in the office, minding my own beeswax today, cranking out work and living large. You know. The story of my every day existence. Glam beyond belief.
The phone rings. I answer. Yes, you’ve guessed it. No administrative assistant. No gatekeeper to hide behind. Just me. And the phone. It rings, I get it. Works for [...]

Is Ugly The New Edgy?

I came across this Marc Jacobs ad in a posh and trendy fashion mag the other day and felt compelled to comment. I mean, seriously, what’s going on here? Is ugly the new edgy? Does anyone – at Marc Jabobs, or anywhere else, think that this image of a puny, scruffy, not-at-all-attractive dude in a [...]

It Is, Apparently, OKAY to be GAY. But Only In France.

As I trolled through this morning’s news, I stumbled upon a Chicago Tribune interview of Don Thompson, the guy who took over as McDonald’s No. 2 and COO this past January.
McDonald’s has chugged right along during the course of the last few years, in spite of the economy that managed to take so many other [...]

KC Small Biz Owners: Want to Grow?

Then don’t miss an opportunity to get some advice from America’s leading small business management expert, Jane Applegate.

Applegate is coming to Kansas City on Wednesday, June 23 as part of my friend, Kelly Scanlon and her Thinking Bigger Business Media’s Thinking Bigger Business Speaker Series. She’s the author of four books on small business [...]

Marketing and PR Pros- Would YOU Work for BP?

As the BP oil spill and environmental disaster continues, I find myself having almost daily conversations with friends and colleagues involved in the intertwined worlds of marketing, PR and social media about BP. Their strategy (or apparent lack thereof) in dealing with the crises (both the environmental one and the public relations one) is one [...]

BP Oil Spill: Further Evidence That Hayward’s Head is in the Sand

As if BP doesn’t have enough of a mess on its hands in its efforts to apparently single-handedly set about to destroy the planet, they’ve also got a buffoon at the helm. While I realize that BP’s CEO Tony Hayward and his issues are not nearly as important as stopping the oil gushing into the [...]

BP-Top Kill Failed: Every Day, More of a PR Disaster

You’d have to live under a rock to not be aware of the massive oil spill in the gulf and BP’s as yet unsuccessful efforts to stop it. The spill is now larger than the Exxon Valdez and the worst environmental disaster in American history.
MSNBC reported just this morning that the top kill efforts failed. [...]

Why I’m At SOBCon

I’m in Chicago, hanging with my buddy Erika Napoletano, of Redheadwriting getting ready for Day 1 of Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker’s signature event, SOBCon.
For those of you who don’t really know what SOBCon is, rest assured, you’re not alone. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve run into during the course [...]

Who Makes YOU Better?

As much as it pains me to admit it, every single time I reach for a bag of potato chips (which I love), or a piece of chocolate, or a ding dong cookie, an image of that annoying Joyce Cherrier and her perfect abs pops into my head. That doesn’t mean I don’t buy [...]

Nike’s Giant Golden Balls

The Nike video featuring Tiger Woods and voiceover of his now-deceased dad, Earl Woods, is nothing short of brilliance.
The commentary, actually part of a 2004 documentary, featured Earl talking about himself as compared to Tila, Tiger’s mom, and their different personality styles. But, in a very surreal way, it was perfectly tailored to the situation [...]

Dear Competitor,

Dear Competitor,
I couldn’t sleep last night and found myself thinking of you. I love competition, both for myself and for my clients. It keeps me thinking (which I enjoy), on my toes (good, because I’m short) and adaptable (which I find, perversely, fun). And while I was thinking of you, I felt compelled to write, [...]

Kansas Citians: Want to Grow Your Business? Get the Inside Scoop on Google

Kansas City marketers, business owners and social media evangelists have a the opportunity for an up close and personal insider’s glimpse into the workings of Google and how important it is to today’s business world. KC Small Business/Thinking Bigger Media Publications is bringing Doug Merrill, former CIO of Google, and author of Getting Organized [...]

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