Blog
Crisis Communications: No substitute for preparation
Bad things happen to good people. Bad things also happen to good companies, to well-run companies, and to companies that are less than efficient. To be ready for the bad things, your company must have a strong crisis communications policy. Without a good crisis communications policy, you and your company can face disastrous fallout when … Read more
Trying to Be Cool Can Lead to PR Blunders
In a social media-saturated world, companies sometimes try too hard, think too little, and fall on their faces. Last year saw a wide variety of examples of companies committing PR blunders as they tweeted, hash tagged, and self-promoted their way onto a wall of PR shame. But you can learn from their mistakes, and avoid … Read more
Writing while writing: It’s finding time that’s the challenge
Years ago, when I started in this writing game, I heard a story I couldn’t believe. It seems there was a newspaper copy editor who kept two typewriters (years ago, remember?). One, he used for his newspaper work. The other, he placed on the floor by his desk. And when breaks came between editions, he’d … Read more
Superbowl 2015 Ads
Each year, millions watch the SuperBowl, eagerly anticipating the expensive ads. At $4.5 million for a 30 second spot, did this year’s crop meet expectations? If you’re a 45-year-old mom, the answer is probably “yes” as I propose 2015 to be “The Year of the ‘Mom-Ad’ Superbowl.” Usually, we see beer and cars advertised heavily, … Read more
Funky will still fail if you’re doing it wrong
Any marketing idea—no matter how funky, gimmicky, or just plain weird—will fail if it’s poorly executed. Here in Austin, we’ve developed an international reputation for keeping things weird. This ethos can even include our marketing. Did you know about the local company that used to ride rollerblades while distributing gig posters for bands? While the … Read more
Five ways to kick-start your business in 2015
As we enter the new year, you might consider applying the traditional New Year’s resolution process to your business, as setting intelligent goals can have powerful effects. Being our best selves for the world, including the world of commerce, is a notion ripe with opportunity and anticipation. So as millions set their 2015 personal goals … Read more
Ad Agency Innovation
Sometimes, it’s a good idea to create an ad that resembles another company’s well-known ad. But only if you use the viewer’s expectations as a way to totally surprise the audience—and create an ad that will be noticed because of its shock value. Last spring, I wrote about a new promotion by a Swedish pharmacy … Read more
Self-Rating Systems: Yelp Yourself?
A nascent marketing trend is companies developing their own systems for rating themselves and their products. The question is whether customers will consider this helpful or self-serving. Consider what Austin-based Whole Foods Market has recently implemented: a produce rating system of its own design called Responsibly Grown. This caught my attention because businesses don’t usually create systems … Read more
Facebook vs. Google Ads
As social media becomes more popular, it can drive marketing plans for even the most conservative of industries. While many retail and high-tech companies have grown quite comfortable with social media marketing, some of the more staid industries have been dragged kicking and screaming into this new medium. Fortunately for all industries, social media marketing … Read more
