The Yellow Pages: An Indirect Obituary

So far this year, I’ve met with 92 companies in seven states. When I meet with a business owner or manager for the first time, there are two questions I always ask when we get around to advertising: 1. What advertising is working best for you these days? I get a variety of answers to […]

Clutter Tolerance: The Public DOES Have a Limit, After All

As advertising has continued to pop up in areas that were formerly ad-free — supermarket conveyor belts and airline tray tables come to mind — I’ve often wondered where the line is. At what point will people just refuse to allow any more clutter? The City of Galveston, TX, in partnership with Frito-Lay, inadvertently stepped […]

Dentist, Market Thyself

Last week I called on an orthodontist — or more specifically, the practice’s office manager. I learned two things of note: 1. Things are really, really slow these days. Parents are still bringing their kids in for braces, but in smaller numbers. And their lucrative adult-braces business is way down. 2. The doctor has steadfastly […]

Pitfalls of Social Media Marketing

During my presentation/interview at the Northwest Business Virtual Summer Conference, Tom Cochrane asked me what the big difference is between marketing with social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and using the traditional sources such as TV, radio, and print. I replied that there has always been something of a “contract” between the audience and old media […]