WTF of the Day
44% of Small Businesses Still Don’t Have a Web Site
Say it ain’t so!
A Short & Sweet on Surveys
I don’t usually like to re-publish things that other marketers have shared… I guess because I only agree with them half of the time. What can I say… I guess I march to the beat of my own drum.
I did however, like this very short and sweet post on survey building (short and to the point – that’s my kind of business read!) shared via Strategic Guru on twitter:
Chubbly Bubbly
The (fairly new) Miller High Life campaigns are right up there when it comes to my favorite advertising campaigns.
Warning: This could be a spoiler… has anyone else seen this one running pre-Bowl as a intro?
(via Trendhunter)
Could this be the Miller’s answer to Bud’s 2006 “Magic Fridge“?
PS – Apparently, 11 Super Bowl ads have been leaked ahead of game time. I refuse to watch them… that’s the whole reason I watch the game if the Panthers (or Texans, or Titans) aren’t playing!
PS#2 – I definitely just became a fan on facebook:
Kudos to whoever created this entire campaign… the only thing I could quickly find was that the Bowl ad was done by Saatchi & Saatchi, NY.
Free Real Estate Tip of the Day: Ditch the Desk
I was with a client just a few days ago looking at a very high end home that had – you guessed it – a desk built into the kitchen.
A few years ago, this was super standard in larger kitchens, but it’s on the decline now and I believe that’s with good reason.
2) If you’re “laptopping it” with your email and recipes, you can do that on a good amount of counter space to begin with and the laptop can still call the office “home”.
3) These built-in desks are usually positioned lower – at a “seated” chair position. It’s just awkward and screws up the flow of the counters. Plus, most kitchens function better and look better with high stools/bar chairs. Once again, a “W” (a win) for the laptop on the regular counter/bar option.
I personally don’t agree with all of them, especially because some trends just don’t translate locally the same (ie: fireplaces – they CAN stay. This is still the South and unless you’re in a always hot locale in a small flat, it’s still a major “want” for many buyers), but it’s got some good tips and fresh perspectives nonetheless.
{Double Post} Dear XM Radio
This is a {Double Post} from my personal blog, because I believe it’s a prime example of how NOT to conduct your business.
Every morning that I’m planning on being in the office for a bit, I launch Firefox and XMRadio.com so I can listen to The Highway (formerly Highway 16) and whatever else fits my fancy that day.
Today, this is what I was greeted with:
Let me preface this by saying that every single vehicle in my family has either XM or Sirius radio. Thanks to the merger, XM/Sirius has a good deal of business with us. Each vehicle has a removable satellite radio unit so we can use them in the house, on the boat, wherever. Technically, I could do the same in my office, but the reception isn’t great since this is a commercial building constructed of primarily metal. I am however, not above engineering up a solution to avoid being charged for something I’ve always been provided as an included service.
Plus, the online radio service isn’t THAT good anyway. The “what’s playing now” feature (so you can see what’s on other stations before you change the channel) never auto-updates anymore.
Finally, I’m not the world’s best copywriter, but I’m pretty sure I could’ve damn well figured out a better, more eloquent way to say “renew your contract now if you still want this free service of be prepared to ante up more money”. Don’t play games with me XM, I will win.
PS – XM Radio… I HOPE you find this blog post and feel a little embarrassed. I would too if I were you.
[End Rant]
"Driving" Your Brand Home
I received a flyer in the mail today for a new local advertising program: Tee Time North Carolina.
There aren’t any locations close enough to the shop that I was interested in advertising with at the moment (and I also didn’t think the rates were very competitive for small businesses), but nonetheless, I still think it’s a pretty cool idea.
PS: This is not a sponsored post – so if the folks behind TeeTimeNC.com happen to find this blog by way of Google Analytics – how about a free month of advertising?
Anyone else have any fun, creative advertising outlets to share?
"Show Hungry Who’s Boss"
Marketing kid confession – I LOVE a good commercial. Note: I said GOOD commercial.
One of my favorite current campaigns is Weight Watcher’s new “Momentum” plan, specifically the new mascot… “Hungry”.
Dear Apple…
How hard would it be to give me multiple email marketing sign-up options?
Yes, I would love to receive an email once every Tuesday with new album, single, and video releases available on iTunes. However, I don’t particularly care to get three emails a week – especially when two aren’t relevant (I’m not an Oprah groupie, sorry!).
Sheez.
There’s another email list I just unsubscribed from.
Finally!
One of the major drawbacks of having a Windows Live Workspace has finally been eliminated: the (in)ability to connect with a Blackberry!
I personally am tech-savvy enough that I don’t require the assistance of Windows Live to update my website or check my email, but its super easy to navigate interface and the capability of accessing your entire account (email, contacts, documents, website, etc.) from anywhere in the world with an internet connection is perfect for my dad and other users of our corporate account.
Obviously, you can imagine my excitement when I went to Nextel.Blackberry.com and entered my corporate email addy and password (just out of curiosity, to see if the two finally decided to be friendly) and voila – I was instantly configured and received a “success” message on my device.
Way to go guys!!!
PS – There is still one drawback on the Blackberry side of things… the (insert your service provider here).Blackberry.com manager doesn’t work with Firefox. LAME! I hate having to switch to IE to change my email signature. Maybe they’ll stumble across this blog and fix that 🙂
Unsubscribe vs. Update Your Email
I really wouldn’t think this would be such a tough topic for email marketers to understand.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many emails I receive each day at the email address that I’m migrating away from (because as soon as I leave Road Runner, I’ll lose it) and how many companies would miss the chance to market to me if I didn’t take the time to return to their site and re-sign up for their email newsletter… all because of one simple mistake:
Remember – visitors to your website and subscribers to your email newsletters need to be handed their options on a silver platter in the easiest to navigate and understand manner as possible. Without boiling your content down to it’s most basic essence, you might unknowingly compromise your effectiveness and (gasp!) – your audience altogether.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and best wishes for a successful 2009!