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A survey by Performance Research found that 41 percent of consumers believe businesses can boost their brand through cause marketing — the practice of connecting marketing to social responsibility. And a cause-related outreach effort doesn’t have to break the bank Read More

It’s taking some time, but many observers believe the economy has finally reversed course and that the recovery is truly under way. Perhaps not every consumer is feeling the recovery yet, but as confidence grows, along with incomes, companies need to be poised to take advantage. Here are some ways you can make yours the business that customers think of when they are ready to spend Read More

Whether you’re writing a direct mail marketing piece, copy for your Web site, or a print advertisement, the familiar refrain in marketing is that it’s the message that matters. But more often than not, copywriting is a hit-or-miss proposition. To break through in a media-cluttered world, your strategic communications must be sharp and persuasive, not wordy, confusing, or misdirected. Here are four surefire ways to improve the effectiveness of your copywriting in print and online Read More

Although you may not have a lot in common with your customers, it’s important to ask yourself what they need. According to Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest, coauthors of Who’s Your Gladys?: How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan, you need to take the time to get to know your customers. Read More

Gaming is not just for children and computer geeks. If your business has a loyalty marketing strategy in place, you’re really playing a game, according to Gabe Zichermann and Joselin Linder, co-authors of Game-Based Marketing: Inspire Customer Loyalty Through Rewards, Challenges, and Contests Read More

In these challenging times, getting good advice from a competent direct mail marketing production partner is more important than ever. Rising costs, evolving post office regulations, rapidly changing technologies, and the demand for multifaceted direct mail campaigns have combined to make it increasingly difficult to connect with customers and prospects. Expect these six essential capabilities fr Read More

In the world of e-commerce there’s no customer service desk or associates wandering the aisles armed with helpful tidbits about your products and services. In fact, an e-commerce site can be an impersonal environment, where customers may not know where to go for answers. It’s up to you to create an online customer service strategy that gets customers engaged… Read More

Ultimately, every business — whether it’s a retail store, a service provider, an information publisher, etc. — is about selling. But as important as sales and marketing are, they are made exponentially easier when the brand has strong appeal to consumers. Read More

Selling is all about two-way conversations, often taking place in real time. Salespeople speak to potential customers, answer questions, and address concerns. They also provide information on the fly and adjust messages so customers are persuaded to buy. That’s the way the process is supposed to work — as long as sales is aligned with marketing, says Linda Bishop… Read More

It may seem like a stretch, but little changes in how you communicate can result in instantaneous and dramatic improvements in behavior, performance, customer service, branding, and profits. So says Stacey Hanke, a Chicago-based strategic communications expert. For example, if you don’t know how your messages are perceived by your customers, you will never make improvements. Read More