Think outside the slide. Or confessions of a reluctant PowerPoint addict.
PowerPoint: The go-to presentation format, projected in conference rooms everywhere. You know it. You use it. You hate it. It’s a fascinating paradox of corporate America. Among the few things we can agree on—within a team, department or organization, there is a universal loathing of PowerPoint. Yet, when asked to put together a presentation, we […]
Product training: The critical job that (almost) nobody is doing.
We produce a fair amount of technical work that’s used by our clients to inform dealers how to sell, install, and maintain all kinds of products. But even with pieces written and designed to communicate the right information in an engaging way, it doesn’t mean the brand can sit back and watch the sales roll […]
You should sound as good as you look. Brand voice matters.
Think back to years ago (or maybe just days) when you were going out to meet some friends, and maybe make some new ones. You check yourself out in the mirror. No stains on your shirt. Your fly is zipped. No spinach in your teeth. You look good. There you are, talking with your friends […]
Sales is a Tough Job. Strong Marketing Makes it Easier.
I was at an event recently. The professional kind with a buffet line and well-dressed people balancing small plates of food while maintaining a white-knuckle grip on a cocktail. The topic of marketing came up, mainly because I’m a marketing guy and I started it. Then I hear this: “Sales and marketing are the same […]
The death of branding and other myths.
Brands don’t matter. At least that’s the word these days. Marketers have been trying to sell the power of branding for years, and it’s always been an uphill struggle. In this supposedly post-brand world it’s gotten even harder to convince marketing decision makers that there’s benefit to brand building. A Post-Brand World? For the moment, […]
Product launches? Actually, they really are a lot like rocket science.
There’s a saying that most products launch like a rocket and drop like a rock. The comparison of product launches to rocket science, well, it’s kind of a no brainer. You’ve got the hours upon hours of research and hard work. The passion and anticipation, with equal doses of hand wringing and worrying. All the […]
Is your tradeshow marketing delivering ROI?
Let’s face it, tradeshows are expensive. In many cases, the total cost of participation can rival an entire year’s advertising spend online or in an industry trade publication. And just like branding campaigns, tradeshows are a long-term investment, where sales cycles can draw out for weeks, months, even years. So how do you know if your tradeshow participation was worth it? There’s a simple answer: Measure, measure, measure. Before you tune out, read on just a bit more. You don’t have to be a mathematical modeling wizard to assess ROI, and we can help.
Virtual reality will change everything. Eventually.
It was several years ago when I first experienced a virtual and augmented reality test. My head was spinning, and it wasn’t just because of the motion sickness. Like everyone, I imagined endless ways this could be used in a bunch of industries. Sure, entertainment and gaming are no-brainers. But what I viewed—and still view—as […]
An Open Letter to Marketing Managers
We work with a lot of marketing directors and VPs. They are great, driving the big picture brand initiatives. But by far, most of our time is spent in the marketing trenches with the unsung heroes of our profession. Marketing managers deserve a shout-out. So this letter is that. Dear Marketing Managers, Thank you. You’re […]
Big Data? Try Listening Instead.
Big Data is a fascinating concept. Some of its applications are mind blowing. And the cost of employing it to solve problems and answer questions is shrinking. But face it, for all but the most flush small businesses, it’s still out of reach. Big Data requires connecting the dots between the company, its vendors, distributors, and retailers to capture data across the supply chain and at every transactional point. Using that data demands the resources to store it, and the computing power to perform data analysis to support the questions companies want to answer. Which means a lot of time and energy must go into deciding what questions to ask. That’s time, money and attention that many businesses can’t spare.
Brand (over)management: Managing brands with too many managers.
Allow me to wistfully remember a time when a brand’s content was created by just a few people. Renegade factions of product managers didn’t or couldn’t insist on using Comic Sans on sales sheets. Brand managers would have laughed at the idea of anyone having the ability to instantly share their point of view, unedited, […]
Let’s Talk Numbers. Why Reframing Budget Discussions Can Get You a Better Deal.
In our world, requests for proposals come in two flavors: Tell us how you’ll perform a set of tasks, and how much it will cost. Tell us how you’ll solve a problem while staying within a specified budget. I’m kidding. Every RFP we see is the first flavor. Sometimes RFPs are driven by purchasing requirements, […]
