The Politics of Preseason Communication
The NFL preseason is one of the most grueling stretches in all of athletics. Teams bring nearly twice as many players to camp as they will keep on the active roster, so competition is fierce and emotions are high. That means there are also a ton of compelling stories, so reporters and broadcasters are on high alert for any nugget of breaking news. Combine that intensity with a bunch of keyed-up players and coaches, many of whom have limited experience with the press, and you have a recipe for communication chaos. To avoid this, teams need to have clearly articulated plans about who talks to the press (and when), as well as what is or is not said to the…
Read MoreWhat’s New, Pussy Cat?
Remember this 1965 movie? It received mixed reviews when it debuted, in part because it focused on male sex addiction and was considered tasteless by some critics. Yet, the movie received an Academy Award nomination for best song and still another nomination for best-written screen comedy from the Writers Guild of America. Business and marketing have been accused by some critics as being unethical in exaggerating claims to encourage people to buy products they don’t need. Instances like this are what led to the formation of organizations like the Ethical Corporation, a group formed to promote discussion about purpose-driven business. What Does All This Have To Do With My Company? Today’s businesses and marketing environment are going through tremendous changes…
Read MorePull vs. Push: How Consumer Marketing Communications Make a Difference
We often refer to the concepts of pull and push marketing. For those unfamiliar, these concepts deal with the overall strategy of a marketing professional and how they approach and engage with customers. On one hand, the pull approach encourages consumers to come to the brand. Examples of this approach include promoting sales or deals to consumers, capitalizing on loyalty by offering rewards, and using influencers to create more of a demand and following for the product or service being promoted.
Read MoreA Guide to Drop-Shipping with AliExpress
Thinking of starting an e-commerce business, but worried about how you’ll handle the less-than-minor hurdles of inventory or shipping? As simple as listing a product for sale on your website and then requesting your supplier to ship on your behalf, dropshipping with AliExpress is likely to be your new best friend. AliExpress is a massive online marketplace with a wide selection of products. Given most AliExpress sellers are overseas manufacturers, their prices are typically very competitive.
Read MoreWhy User Behavior Should Lie at the Center of Each Marketing Decision
At its core, marketing is the study of consumer behavior. This behavior can range from the shopping habits of a customer, their preferences, or their concerns. All of this information serves to create a big picture that brands can then use to create marketing campaigns that will reach and resonate with consumers. But not every business prioritizes the study of user behavior when formulating their marketing strategy. Why not?
Read MoreAvoiding Gimmicks in Marketing: Why It Matters
Surely, every marketing professional has at some point in their career overheard the phrase, “seems like a gimmick to me.” Heavily used both by skeptical consumers as well as marketers themselves, the idea of the “gimmick” describes a cheap or tacky attempt at marketing a product or service. And there are times when the gimmick has worked.
Read MoreKardashians: Queens of Social Media
If you cast your mind out and try to think of a group of people who seem to have mastered every aspect of social media and the creation of a brand online, you surely don’t have to think too long until you land on a single, era-defining clan: the Kardashians. While the family did not get their initial shot at fame through social media, they have undoubtedly managed to stay relevant through their social media presence. Each sister has grabbed hold of their individual success and translated it into a means of commerce, whether it be a range of products, lifestyle apps, brand deals or models.
Read MoreLeading Through Crisis: How The Right Person Can Right the Ship
A recent expose published by undercover investigators with the Animal Recovery Mission unleashed the wrath of the public on prominent dairy producer Fair Oaks Farms. The video, which shows animal abuse in its most extreme form, prompted many stores to pull Fairlife products from their shelves and many consumers to promise never to make a purchase from the brand again.
Read MorePolice Change Optics Amid Hong Kong Protests
Just four days after Hong Kong saw some of its most tumultuous civic unrest on record, an estimated two million demonstrators returned to the streets on June 16th to protest controversial government plans to reform the city’s extradition law. A clear undercurrent of their anger, however, was directed at the police, accused of using disproportionate force to disperse protesters the week before, the Hong Kong Police Force had a major PR problem on its hands. Their response was an interesting one, to say the least.
Read MoreWhen it Comes to Africa’s Streaming Market, Spotify and Apple Have Been Beat
When Chinese music streaming company Transsnet decided it planned to break into the lucrative African market, they partnered with the parent company, Transsion Holdings, the makers of popular phone brands such as Infinix and TECNO to pre-install their Boomplay app on their handsets. The promotion of these handsets then directly contributed to the delivery of Boomplay direct to the consumer after it was officially released in 2015 with the launch of TECNO’s first music phone Boom J7.
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