May The Best Brand Win

Has there ever been a less exciting word to describe YOUR awesome message than “content?”  Yet, The Avengers was content.  So was Lady Gaga’s halftime show and every NFL game and lots of good things. But….many marketers use this golden opportunity to talk all about themselves and pretty much urinate on the embers of any type of growing brand relationship. Hey, it doesn’t have to go that way. Tune in and learn how to make your brand’s content stand apart and rock in a sea of awfulness.  We’ll also hit who’s winning and losing this week in marketing. It’s gonna make for some groovy “content” on the next May the Best Brand Win on Entertalk Radio!

Marketing goes deep, we all know that. But do we know just HOW deep it goes? In this episode of May the Best Brand Win, we’re going deeper than ever to talk about subliminal marketing.  What do we know about it? Is it legal? How can it be used?  and of course, the most important question —should it be used?  We’ll also see who’s winning and losing in the marketing world this week and whether they are even aware of it.  So strap on the electrodes and get ready to go truly mental on the next May the Best Brand Win on Entertalk Radio!

We humans LOVE to tell ourselves little stories. From the time we are very small, we learn about our world through them, entertain ourselves with them and literally create reality for ourselves (and others) using them. But are they really true? In this episode of May the Best Brand Win, we’re going to closely examine the narratives and mind games behind marketing approaches so that we can of course learn to easily manipulate and bend the will of our customers to something more financially appropriate for our companies and clients. Just kidding, it’s just marketing, not mind control —right?

Public relations isn’t even 100 years old, yet it’s still one of the most misunderstood and misused “arrows" in the marketing and communications quiver. What does it REALLY do?  Why should you use and when are the best times to use it?  We’re going to demystify this profession and spin our way into oblivion on the next episode of May the Best Brand Win. And we’ll also discuss the mass media and their role in PR as well as who is winning and who is losing this week. Join me!

Today you can own your own media channels. Yes, with absolutely no experience on how to run a media channel whatsoever, you can get one and blast out your marketing messages to a whole bunch of people.  But you shouldn’t.  Social media is an important part of every communications strategy but just like a gun, you’d better know how to use it before you pull that trigger. In this episode, we’re going to talk about social media and the role it plays in the strategy and we’ll dig into the big ones — Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram, maybe even Pinterest.  Join me for a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride down the information superhighway on the next episode of May the Best Brand Win!

Turn your head and cough, sir….Place your feet in the stirrups, miss, Sigh. Here we go again. Most marketing today is still an invasive procedure that puts the marketers needs above the audiences.  It’s completely sad and completely true, kinda like the LA Rams’ 2016 football season.  But…yours doesn’t have to be.  There is a better way and I’m gonna show you how to do things better. Plus we’ll talk about who’s really being invasive in the winning and losing segment. All this and more on the next episode of May the Best Brand Win on Entertalk Radio!

Marketing, Communications, SEO, Public Relations, Promotions, Trade Shows — lots of arrows handled by many different archers out there but how does a company change their approach from a hit or miss arrow here or there to a volley that blacks out the sun?  Ok, a little too much Game of Thrones there but you get the point — how do we bring this stuff together for maximum impact and effectiveness. That’s the subject of today’s show and of course we’ll also touch on Who’s Winning and Losing out there.  So join me for the knock-down drag out fight of the century as marketing faces off against communications for control of the throne.  

You did well in 2016. You pushed it hard and you relaxed. Now it’s 2017 and we have a new president, new trade shows, new business and you’ll have to find that next gear to go faster, do more and remain in the lead.  In this episode we’re going to talk about companies who are finding a new gear in 2017 with their marketing and communications and how YOU can do the same!  We’ll also see who’s winning and losing this week so join the happiness, join the fun and learn a thing or two.

Another year and what has marketing learned?  Yeah, not very much. But, we still have hope that the rest of them will catch up to us and start doing better marketingin the New Year.  On this year recap show, we’ll discuss the stories and trends that shaped 2016 from a marketing perspective and we’ll discuss who’s getting their last wins and losses logged for 2016. Join me for an entertaining and educational look back at 2016 on this week’s May the Best Brand Win on Entertalk Radio!

Different…Differentiated…Not the same as everyone else who does what you do…. This is what great marketing tries to do. We do it because if there’s only one choice in the “you” category at the store, then the one they pick is probably going to be “you.” (insert cash register cha-ching sound here) This week’s show will tackle the topic of how and why we differentiate brands and will give you some tips about how you can set yourself apart from your competitors brand-wise. We’ll also drill into who’s winning and losing this week and it may not be the best show in the world, but you can be sure it’s gonna be different.

This isn’t the “when a man loves a woman, they share a very special kind of hug” talk, but it’s important nonetheless. Managing great relationships is the goal of all comms programs so in this episode we’re going to tackle how this is done both with client relationships (external and internal) and with the audiences we’re trying to reach. Get ready to change your relationship status from “it’s complicated” to “oh, I’ve got this” as we hit this topic and also discuss who’s winning and who’s losing the wonderful technicolor world of marketing and communications. 

In 1984, the groundbreaking book Guerrilla Marketing changed the way brands thought about the traditional rules of getting the word out. But as the mullet of Entertalk Radio’s Paul B. will attest, 1984 was a LONG time ago and we should probably figure out what it mean to “go guerrilla” in 2016-17. Of course, we’ll also talk about who’s winning and losing in this pre-Thanksgiving special heartwarming episode of May the Best Brand Win where everyone learns a valuable lesson. Save me a drumstick!

Here’s one for you. Do you think it’s ethical to persuade someone to do or buy something, even if it’s something they don’t want? Like so many things in marketing, I think the answer is a resounding “it depends.” I know, spoken like a true consultant. …But hear me out.  Ethics in marketing is really an area of applied ethics which deals with the moral principles (yes we have them, why do you ask?) behind the operation and regulation of marketing. This area covers fun stuff like: invasion of privacy, stereotyping, targeting (and re-targeting) the vulnerable, excluding potential customers from the market and pricing ethics.When you think hard about how to persuade human beings you realize it’s not going to be easy. Getting into and out of consumers’ heads is a very messy business because our brains most of the time resemble Times Square on New Years Eve. It’s lit-up, exciting and electric, but watch where you step. (gross).The problem with the lion’s share of marketing approaches I see is they lack actual thought and are treated more like a to-do list of boxes to check rather than a series of steps that lead to the goal of persuasion. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A little thought, a little empathy and application of the The Golden Rule will get you quite far. Here’s a few tips —Understand from the beginning that your presence is neither requested nor welcomed. Your message is an interruption. Now, with that in mind, earn your place in their minds and it better be great. (or don’t send it out).Always take long-term relationships over short-term salesLook for ways to attract people to your brand and not have to interrupt them so much.If it feels wrong to you, just don’t do it. Marketers were given this intuition for a reason.Listen to your consumers twice as much as you talk. Your insight about how to serve them will most likely come from them and the tools we have today allow you to listen like never before.Here’s one for you. Do you think it’s ethical to persuade someone to do or buy something, even if it’s something they don’t want? Like so many things in marketing, I think the answer is a resounding “it depends.” I know, spoken like a true consultant. …But hear me out. Ethics in marketing is really an area of applied ethics which deals with the moral principles (yes we have them, why do you ask?) behind the operation and regulation of marketing. This area covers fun stuff like: invasion of privacy, stereotyping, targeting (and re-targeting) the vulnerable, excluding potential customers from the market and pricing ethics.When you think hard about how to persuade human beings you realize it’s not going to be easy. Getting into and out of consumers’ heads is a very messy business because our brains most of the time resemble Times Square on New Years Eve. It’s lit-up, exciting and electric, but watch where you step. (gross).The problem with the lion’s share of marketing approaches I see is they lack actual thought and are treated more like a to-do list of boxes to check rather than a series of steps that lead to the goal of persuasion. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A little thought, a little empathy and application of the The Golden Rule will get you quite far. Here’s a few tips — Understand from the beginning that your presence is neither requested nor welcomed. Your message is an interruption. Now, with that in mind, earn your place in their minds and it better be great. (or don’t send it out). Always take long-term relationships over short-term sales Look for ways to attract people to your brand and not have to interrupt them so much. If it feels wrong to you, just don’t do it. Marketers were given this intuition for a reason. Listen to your consumers twice as much as you talk. Your insight about how to serve them will most likely come from them and the tools we have today allow you to...

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was a young and good-hearted marketer who wanted people to notice the things his client (or organization for whom he worketh) was promoting. He tried everything, ads, promos, e-mails, texts even twirling signs on the sidewalk (ok he didn’t do that). But he realized that his marketing was lacking something. Something very powerful. So powerful it should be guarded by a dragon and a lake of fire, yet it was there all the time, like magic. Our hero needed to find and unleash the magical power of story. Will he discover it in time before all credibility and trust has been destroyed by all of that other marketing stuff? Tune in to this episode and find out all while learning about the power of storytelling in your marketing. And if you’re good, you can have milk and cookies afterwards as we all learn about who’s winning and losing and then take a well-deserved nap. (Nap, milk and cookies not included).  

Marketing is tougher than ever here in 2016 and there you are trying to make it work, trying to connect, create long-term relationships and rock the house against a backdrop of “the others” who are doing everything they can to destroy what little credibility marketing has left. Today’s show I’m going to offer some marketing encouragement and talk about a lot of the things I think we have hope to turn this thing around.  Of course we’ll also review who’s winning and losing this week in marketing communications. Tune in and leave entertained and hopefully encouraged.