November 2, 2015

Converged Media: A Mix of Owned, Earned and Paid

Issue #399

It used to be so much simpler to market a company 25 years ago.  That was before a computer programmer in Switzerland named Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web in 1991. In the days before the Internet, search engines and smart phones, marketing consisted primarily of campaigns to targeted audiences using a controlled number of channels and a controlled message.  Practically all marketing efforts were paid for and directed by the company.  That’s not to say that getting the message across or selling a customer on a product or service was easier.  It wasn’t.  But for companies trying to communicate a message to a customer, the approach was simpler and more direct.  There was less messaging ‘noise’ to distract and confuse audiences. Continue reading →

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October 26, 2015

Top Sales and Marketing Terms of 2015 – Part 2

Issue #398

Last week, we explored some of the latest terms trending in sales and marketing in 2015.  Some may have felt lost in lingo limbo, but most probably learned a thing or two about the emerging myriad of strategies and products available for businesses today to reach customers.  Knowledge is power.  But that doesn’t mean that a company should adopt every strategy, product and approach.  Quite the contrary. When it comes to sales and marketing, it is different strokes for different folks.  What works for one company may not have any value for another business.  The goal is to be discerning.  While early adopters embrace every trend, haphazardly trying each new thing, and late bloomers wait until a marketing strategy is thoroughly vetted and ubiquitous before even dipping a toe in the water, both extremes can be dangerous.   The key is to be knowledgeable of all the approaches exist and determine what might work best for a particular business in a particular industry. Continue reading →

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October 19, 2015

Top Sales and Marketing Terms of 2015 – Part 1

Issue #397

Ever heard the term storyscaping?  How about snackable content?  What about beacons or beacon-triggered marketing or proximity marketing?   Conversation marketing.   Promoted chats.  Omnichannel.  Native advertising.  Programmatic Marketing.  Growth hacking.  Newsjacking.  If it feels like you’re reading Chinese — in English – you’re not alone. Continue reading →

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October 12, 2015

Marketing and Selling to Specific Generations – Part 6

Issue #396

The iGeneration a/k/a Generation Z

The demographers, business analysts, writers and sociologists are still toying with what to call the newest generation that is now emerging after the Millennials. There are a few names being tossed around — Generation Z, plurals, Generation Wii and iGeneration.  iGen seems to be leading the pack.  The exact cutoff date between Millennials and iGens varies from 1997 to 2001.   But, basically all infants, toddlers, adolescents and practically all teenagers today are iGens. Continue reading →

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September 21, 2015

Marketing and Selling to Specific Generations – Part 5

Issue #395

The Millennials

In the crowded landscape of generations, Millennials – initially dubbed Generation Y —  may be the most popular, examined and adored of any generational group in a long while.  Millennials, the first group to live from birth-to-death in the technology age, are one of the largest and most noteworthy cohorts.   Born roughly between 1981 to 2000, it’s estimated that there were approximately 80 million Millennials in the U.S. in 2012.  That number is expected to continue growing due to immigration of large numbers of younger people into the country. Continue reading →

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September 7, 2015

Marketing and Selling to Specific Generations – Part 4

Issue #394

Generation X

When it comes to how much information and insights there are about a generation, the size and uniqueness of the group matters.  Behemoth generations get examined closely.  Demographers, sociologists, industrial psychologists, advertising researchers, and business analysts all spend oodles of time compiling and parsing data about BIG generations.  Because of their sheer size, the predilections, attitudes and actions of large generations have a profound impact on society.  Similarly, generations that are conspicuously different from previous ones get a lot of media attention and scientific study simply because they stand out.  This explains why the nearly 80 million Baby Boomers and the 75 million Millennials have been the media darlings for decades.  Those generational groups are both large and distinctive. Continue reading →

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August 31, 2015

Marketing and Selling to Specific Generations – Part 3

Issue #393

The Baby Boomers

There are six generations alive in the U.S. today.  Assuming that for the most part the GI and Silent Generations are retired, very soon we will have four very different generations (Baby Boomers (ages 51-70), Gen Xers (ages 35-50), Millennials (ages 15-35) and the newest iGeneration (now teenagers) working side-by-side for the first time in history.   That’s due, in part, to the fact that people are living and working longer.  These four generations will also be customers, with very different values, experiences and styles.  They will likely also partake in very different kinds of activities.   This is both exciting and challenging.  How can a business manage such diverse audience of customers and employees?  Knowledge is key. Continue reading →

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August 24, 2015

Marketing and Selling to Specific Generations – Part 2

Issue #392

Traditionalists and Conformists:  The Silent Generation

There are six generations living in the U.S. today.  Each spans a period of approximately 15-20 years or so.  The oldest is the GI Generation (born 1901-1926).  They are followed by the Silent Generation also referred to as the Conformists or Traditionalists (born 1927 – 1945).  Then came the well-documented Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964) followed by Generation X (born 1965 – 1980) and then Generation Y also known as the Millennials (born 1981 – 2000).  The most recent generation to emerge (born 2001 to the present) is being dubbed the iGeneration.  They are also being referred to as Generation Z, plurals or Generation Wii. Continue reading →

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August 17, 2015

Marketing and Selling to Specific Generations – Part 1

Issue #391

The GI Generation

Each generation is different from the one before.  Each develops its own unique set of qualities, characteristics, and values, as well as likes and dislikes.  These are greatly influenced by or in response to the political, economic and social times in which they are coming of age.  It is also may stem, in part, from some innate desire to be different than one’s parents.  Generation Xers are different than the Baby Boomers before them.  And Millenials are different from the Gen Xers that preceded them.  Certainly, the newest generation now emerging – being referred to by various monikers including iGeneration, Generation Wii, the Plurals or Generation Z – is bound to differ from past generations as they are shaped by technology and the accelerating speed of change. Continue reading →

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August 10, 2015

Customer Service Begins with Coworker Kindness

Issue #390

In most any business, employees are surrounded by customers, both external and internal.
The external customer is the person who uses the company’s services.  For Staples, it’s the parent purchasing back-to-school supplies for the kids.  For Chase Manhattan Bank, it’s the real estate magnate taking out a $20 million loan to purchase an office building.  On the other hand, the internal customer is anyone within the company who works with a specific employee or relies on a specific employee to get their job done.  It is the coworker who needs a clerk’s help to track down a file, or the manager who asks an employee to follow up with a customer or the two colleagues who work together to deliver a service.  Regardless of whether external or internal, each employee should treat every person with whom they interact with the same respect and courtesy. Continue reading →

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