Archive for March, 2010
we behave online today like the 1950s
The Internet Map according to Wikipedia
Since the burst of the dot-com bubble in 2001, most companies have been offering free information, free downloads, free samples, free memberships, free webinars [online seminars, just in case you were living in a hole with no internet connection for the past decade], free products, free services and almost anything you can think of has been offered to increase website traffic numbers – and hopefully sales. There was a clear sense of desperation that has been labeled with many different titles. Some have called it ‘A new era of marketing’; others are now calling ‘social marketing’. The good news is that not all companies are showing their cold sweat. Yet, the strange part is that it seems we haven’t learned much from history.
Posted in general, on branding, on management, on marketing, on social media, strategic therapy | 
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two cents: our brand needs some sound
We want to create a sound for our brand like Microsoft when you open the computer or like Zain and McDonalds at the end of their commercials. We gave this job to our advertising agency and we sat with studios and musicians. Nothing worked. Who can do this?
You went to the butcher and asked him to sell you a wedding dress. The butcher didn’t want to let you down so he cleaned his white apron, added a couple of sleeves from his own white shirt and gave it to you after spraying some of his wife’s perfume on it. That’s what happened. And that’s why you couldn’t get what you’re looking for. Specialization exists in the world for a reason. Advertising agencies should handle only advertising. PR agencies should do only PR. Branding agencies should do only branding. Sounds logical and common sense, yet not many agencies apply it.
Posted in general, on advertising, on branding, on marketing, on social media, strategic therapy, two cents |
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two cents: ethical business?
One of our staff resigned and went to a competitor. The contract doesn’t say that she can’t. But is it ethical?
You rarely find the words ‘ethical’ and ‘business’ being put together in the same sentence these days. The problem with ethics is that it deals with moral principles; and that varies from one person to another. What you might consider ethically acceptable may not be to someone else. That’s why legal obligations and contracts work. They function as common grounds that judge behaviors and decisions. Ethics are open to arguments. The law is not. So, saying that, can the business world and ethics still co-exist? Yes, they can exist in your hiring policy, interview profiling-questions and in brand cultural manuals, but not in contracts.
two cents: clueless boss
Our senior management is clueless about many problems that are happening internally and with customers. We feel that they don’t care. What can we regular staff do?
Viva La Revolution! No. But short of you taking over to make a change yourselves the power and control remains in the hands of senior management. However, you do have the element of heat and pressure to influence the big bosses. Often, senior management refers back to their direct assistants and subordinates to start or to complete certain projects. These are windows of opportunities to voice your concerns; as long as the topic of discussion is relevant to the burning subject you have been desperately waiting to address. Otherwise, it will backfire at you for ‘complaining’ and for being off-topic. Many chairpersons have PR, Marketing, Strategy or their office boy write their own speeches or opening letters for them. Such incidents also give whoever is responsible for writing a chance to influence.