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Pink is for Girls
I was browsing in the hardware department at WalMart yesterday and this brightly colored electric screwdriver kind of jumped out at me (not in a good way). Screwdriver for girls OK, I get it. Girls...
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Why so Little Originality in Auto Badges?
Drive anywhere in the USA, and the preponderance of Toyotas and Fords on the road will have you thinking that almost all cars sport oval badges. But it’s not so! Some of them are round. Actually, there...
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Marketing Vehicles
I’ve seen a number of motor vehicles used for marketing purposes lately, each with a different approach and, IMO, a different level of effectiveness. The most “professional” of the three is this...
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Indirect Messaging in Ads
Advertising is not the practice of the obvious. The best ads are often not the ones that address the subject directly. Indeed, an ad that spells out exactly what the seller wants you to buy can be...
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Pay for the Photography and Photoshop, Dammit
In an article on web marketing that I wrote recently for MaineBiz, webmaster Al Arthur advised that small business owners cough up the cash for professional web design — advice that I heartily support....
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Merry Christmas from the King of Lies
“Captain Atheismo, give me your report on the War on Christmas.” Yes, Your Eternal Nastiness. This Powerpoint shows highlights of this season’s initiatives: The Yiddish Brigade successfully decoupled...
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Responding (or not) to Social Media
Social media marketing is a two-edged sword. (That’s a ridiculous metaphor, when you come to think of it. Two-edged swords are about as dangerous to their owners as single-edged swords. A two-ended...
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Don’t Tell ‘Em Too Much
Notice anything about these two campaign signs by competing candidates? Notice anything missing? Like, everything? They both tell you virtually nothing. Name and office sought, nothing more. Not a word...
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“Tactical” Marketing
Words have meanings. As a marketing writer, I’m constantly under pressure to ignore that apparently obvious dictum. Some clients are convinced that hyperbole is the only way to get through to an...
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You’re Welcome. Maybe Not.
Probably the most obvious “rule” of retail marketing is to be friendly. If you want to sell something — particularly something that people don’t truly need, or for which there are many competing...
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