I viewed the world from a marketing perspective long before I knew what marketing was. Media and advertising hype are things I started noticing even at a young age. So, at this point in my life, I usually spot a publicity stunt from a mile away. In the last week, you might have heard that…
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Marketing is a process that is constantly evolving. In recent years technology has played an increasing role. Years ago, people would clip coupons to get discounts. Then we were encouraged to carry a loyalty card. Now, everybody wants us to download the app. Most of the time, that’s where I draw the line. If you…
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For years, marketers lived by the mantra will it play in Peoria? For decades, companies would test products in Peoria, Illinois. If something worked there, it would likely be successful everywhere else. But times have changed, and now companies are using cities like Nashville to test a new idea…
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Outside of the mass shootings that we’ve had over the last few days, the biggest news story has revolved around M&M’s. Yesterday they announced that their humanoid spokes”people” were going away. Actress Maya Rudolph will become the new spokesperson for the brand. Some say this is a result of the fake outrage generated about the…
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Lately, I’ve noticed a trend in some TV commercials. You know those made-for-TV products that you can’t buy in stores; they’re warning you that if you don’t buy now, you could miss out. They’re threatening that these items might be discontinued. Isn’t that true for all products? If they don’t sell, the manufacturers stop making…
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The other day, I read an article stating that our attention span is now only 8 seconds. Of course, that’s exaggerating a bit, but they’re making a good point. If you want to grab someone’s attention, you’ve got to do it quickly…
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Like many men, I don’t know a lot about makeup. Now, as someone who’s been married over half his life, I know a few things. But I was shocked to hear that Revlon, one of the world’s largest cosmetic companies, had just filed for bankruptcy. After reading a few news stories about the subject, I…
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Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of emails that have ‘action required’ in the subject line. I’ve been using email for roughly 25 years, but until recently, I never saw this. I’ve asked around to see if anyone has noticed this. And of course, I can’t find anyone who has seen it…
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No, the title of today’s episode is not a mistake. Frito-Lay has announced that America’s favorite caramel-covered popcorn and peanut snack has a new identity, Cracker Jill. Now don’t worry; the beloved Cracker Jack isn’t going anywhere. This change is more marketing and inclusion-driven than a name change…
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If you have a fitness tracking app on your arm or smartphone, you likely try to get 10,000 steps in per day. But have you ever wondered why that is the number we should try to achieve? I was curious and did some research. And I found out something interesting…
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