Here are some truths we need to grapple with in today’s economy: Consumers trust word of mouth recommendations from family and friends more than advertising Consumers trust recommendations from perfect strangers more than advertising Anyone can create a position of authority and attract a community if they demonstrate expertise, credibility and consistently produce content to […]
Drew McLellan
Are You Forgetting the Xennials?
For the past several years, the world has been obsessed with Millennials. Employers grouse about them, marketers try to understand them, and Gen X parents hope their kids don’t become the stereotype. The general demographic cohort that we have labeled the Millennials were born between the early 80s through the early 2000s. That’s a considerable […]
Time to Double Down?
If your business is like the majority of organizations in the U.S., things have been pretty good. Sales have been more plentiful and come a little easier. In fact, if you’re having any trouble at all, it’s hiring and keeping the right employees to serve all of that business. Many businesses experienced one of their […]
Is There a Human in There Somewhere?
My dad passed away almost a year ago and, as executor, I had to make a lot of official phone calls to everyone from the social security administration to Hyundai where his car lease was financed. Sometimes I got a human and other times I did not. In almost all cases, I started with someone […]
We Still Aren’t Wowing Customers
According to a study from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, brand managers and chief marketing officers admit they’re worried that their jobs are at risk because they aren’t knocking it out of the park when it comes to customer service—they’re not wowing customers. And I think they’re right. It’s just that important. The CMO Council […]
Who Generates the Leads: Marketing or Sales?
CSO Insights, the research division of Miller Heiman Group, the world leader in improving sales performance through research, training, and technology, today announced the official release of its “2018-2019 Sales Performance Report.” The study, based on a global survey of nearly 900 global sales leaders, looks at the four primary objectives driving performance improvement efforts […]
Should Your Brand Be on Instagram?
A while back, I wrote about some of the trends that I thought would be shaping marketing in 2019. Visuals and video were among the tactics I said we would all be wise to explore in the coming year. I still know that’s the case and I thought we should take a more detailed look […]
Do You Subscribe to the Subscription Trend?
You can subscribe to just about anything today. I can remember, as a kid, that one of our neighbors got a fruit of the month shipment. We were fascinated by what kind of fruit he might get the next month and when the box arrived, we were all there for a peek and a taste. […]
The Cost of Apathy
I live out in a newer suburb. I say “out” because bits of civilization have not reached us yet. There’s no movie theatre or Target (hopefully both are coming soon), and there’s no Panera. For my family, this almost put our location out of the running when we were ready to move. On occasion, I’ll […]
Convenience is Today’s Currency
Step away from your marketing role for a moment and consider yourself as an average consumer. Think about how you make buying decisions today. For many people, price is still a significant consideration. But it’s certainly not the only one. Whether it’s true or not, we all feel time-starved. We’re trying to pack in a […]
