by Geoff on September 28, 2009
An ad agency in Connecticut has an antique cannon in their lobby. Mounted on the cannon is a sign which reads: Ready, Fire, Aim!
Anyone who has worked in advertising knows exactly what that’s about. It refers to one of the most common marketing mistakes companies make—the failure to think things through before pulling the trigger on an advertising idea. Read more…
by Geoff on September 8, 2009
One of the best marketing lessons I’ve received came from a salesperson in a luggage store. Here’s the story.
Years ago, when I lived in New York City, I happened to be doing a lot of traveling and needed new luggage. I visited several stores, then walked into a luggage store on 5th Avenue. A man greeted me and asked, “Do you have any questions or would you just like to look on your own?”
It was a simple question, but a good one. Usually, salespeople either hover over you when you don’t need them, or they aren’t around when you do need them. This guy resolved that little dilemma with a simple question.
Read more…
True story. I’m cruising through the grocery store, racing to the 10-items-or-less lane, when a sign above a pile of red grapes stops me in my tracks. It reads:
“Watch out for black widow spiders that may be in the grapes.”
Now I have to admit: at least this line got my attention. Read more…
I was talking with a marketing executive at Intuit, the maker of Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax, and I asked her, “If you could change one thing about your marketing team, what would you change?” Read more…